Architectural Woodwork Institute Highlights Christner Design

The Journal of the Architectural Woodwork Institute, Design Solutions, has highlighted the St. John’s Mercy Heart and Vascular Hospital and its extensive use of woodwork as a design feature.  Christner’s designers chose American Black Cherry for paneling in the main lobby to create a welcoming atmosphere for patients and visitors.  According to John Farnen, St. John’s North Regional Director of Planning, Design and Construction, “The woodwork adds not only scale and warmth, but combined with the daylight streaming in, lends an almost spiritual quality to the space.”

Christner teamed with fabricator, Architectural Woodwork Corporation, to implement the design.

Read the article here.

A National Model for Integrated Project Delivery

The Christner-designed NICU and Surgery Addition at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center has been included as one of six case studies for Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in a report published by the AIA California Council and the AIA National Integrated Practice Discussion Group.  The 2009 ASHE Vista Award winning project team of SSM Health Care, Christner, Alberici and McGrath achieved the defining characteristics of IPD, including:

According to Christner’s Project Manager Tom Van Landingham, “We [the Core Team] supported each other and looked out for each other. ‘I win-you lose’ was not an acceptable outcome for this project.”

Christner’s case study can be downloaded here.

For more information on Integrated Project Delivery, visit the AIA California’s website on IPD.

Christner Designs BJC Clinic

Plans are being finalized for the new Ambulatory Care Clinic for BJC.  We designed the clinics to support the resident teaching program in a layout that improves efficiency for doctors and enhances convenience for patients.  Located in the vibrant Central West End, the facility is designed to complement the historic streetscape of the neighborhood with retail storefronts on the lower level.   This next major phase of development on the Barnes-Jewish Medical Center campus follows on the heels of the Christner-designed Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College.

Craft Alliance in Grand Center Earns Best Practices Award

The renovation of Craft Alliance in Grand Center has earned the Best Practices Award for Constructability from the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers.  Christner and S. M. Wilson worked together to overcome significant challenges to revive this historic building that had been abandoned for over a decade.  Sound planning and strong teamwork allowed us to successfully fix problems resulting from the presence of asbestos and lead, an inadequate structural system, as well as an outdated electrical system that did not meet code requirements.  The result for Craft Alliance is an engaging space that serves artists, students and the community with an exhibition gallery and studios for clay, fiber and metal art.  Amy Angell, the project’s interior designer,  accepted the award for Christner.

Lincoln University Lays the Groundwork for Innovative Small-farm Community

Lincoln University has produced a video detailing the features of the award-winning plan for their Institute for Integrated Agriculture and Energy.   Christner worked with the University to create a Master Plan that meets their goal of addressing global and socioeconomic changes and challenges, with a focus on small farmers, families and small businesses in Missouri.  To achieve this ambitious goal, Lincoln University will create a sustainable small-farm community with housing for visitors, research facilities for faculty, a youth camp, a visitor center and farmer’s market.  An excerpt of the video is shown here – contact us if you would like to see the full version.