First the foundation, soon the BARN

The Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network held an old-fashioned “barn raising” – a slab-pouring, anyway – and the community turned out to celebrate beneath sunny skies.

Visitors marveled at the massive concrete foundation for a 25,000-square-foot, 2-story facility due for completion in 2017.

The center will provide space for classes, workshops and open studios for fiber and glass artists, jewelry making, printing making and book arts, welding, woodworking and other crafts.

PHC is general contractor on this exciting project to provide a permanent home for the many fine craftspeople and artisans on Bainbridge Island.

Find out more about the BARN project at http://bainbridgebarn.org.

Photos by Douglas Crist

Building The BARN, a New Center for Craft and Invention

BARN’s planned facility will have well-equipped community workshops for traditional and 21^st century crafts, ranging from metalworking, fiber arts and cooking to building robots and using 3-D printers or laser cutters to make complex parts. There will be classes for all skill levels, as well as open studio time where people can learn informally from one another while working on personal and community service projects.

BARN’s future home will be full of natural light and a joy to use, thanks to the design created by Johnpaul Jones, an internationally renowned architect and PHC Construction. BARN bought the 2-acre site, off New Brooklyn Road near the Madison Avenue fire station on Bainbridge Island, in 2013. The property slopes, so the design calls for a two-story building with ground-floor access on each level.

View floorplans and learn more here.

Don't miss this ground breaking celebration on April 16th!

Belfair HUB Center for Seniors

The Belfair HUB Center for Seniors is a 15,000 sq. ft. wood framed Senior Resource Center.  PHC worked diligently with Faith In Action, a non-profit organization, to maximize a very tight budget.  The project was designed and built to a Silver LEED standard.  Five thousand sq. ft. houses a thrift store (Faith In Actions’s major funding source).  Approximately Six thousand square feet of space is dedicated to the senior center portion of the project with a Great Room seating over 200, a commercial kitchen and office space/meeting rooms. The downstairs is now occupied and Faith In Action will continue fundraising (Phase II) to finish the top floor that will then house Faith in Action offices, up to 6 offices for senior service providers and a fitness room.

Grow Community Construction Update: New lights, and other highlights

Completion of the Salal building has brought some comment about the exterior stair lighting on the north side of the building along Wyatt Way. The present lights are only temporary, put in to allow the building's first residents to move in safely.

The finished lighting design will be completed within a few weeks. We're excited about the final look - lighting that's both functional and subdued - and we think the community will be satisfied as well.

Meanwhile, elsewhere around the Grove:

The Elan building will be completed this month, with new residents moving in. We're planning a "Solar Social" to introduce these homeowners to Grow Community's solar options.

The Tsuga roof and windows all be installed in early March. Also completed in the next few weeks: finishing touches on the underground parking. The Salal's garage elevators are already up and running.

Interior work at the Juniper is well underway and should be complete by mid-April, while the first Woodland Homes are "dried in" and ready for interior work and exterior siding.

Finally, the Grove is becoming a grove. Landscaping progress has been dramatic, with new plantings in areas behind the Elan and elsewhere around our newest neighborhood really taking shape. Expect to see new swaths of green through March - just in time for spring.

The sun shines on Grow construction

Winter took a short holiday this week and our Grow Community construction site was aglow in the low afternoon sun. The worksite hummed with construction activity as we round out the northernmost buildings in the new Grove neighborhood.

Windows were trimmed and sealed at the Salal building, while interior finishes including doors and fixtures went in to complement the beautiful hardwood flooring and generous south-facing windows.
Outside, workers added the spacious enclosed patios featured with many units.

New sidewalks were poured along Wyatt Way, a great amenity for surrounding neighbors as they skirt the north side of the Grow Community grounds.

Click here for more photos

And up on the roof, the Juniper building’s 44kW solar array took shape with the installation of inverters and related hardware, with panels to be installed next week.

Construction on the Elan townhomes and the Tsuga that bound the Grove neighborhood also made great headway, as work shifts south toward the third and final neighborhood, the Park.

Bainbridge Island’s PHC Construction to Build South Sound’s Largest Indoor Climbing Facility

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND (January 18, 2016)  - PHC Construction of Bainbridge Island has been selected to build the largest indoor climbing facility in south Puget Sound, promising more space and new heights for climbing enthusiasts year round.

The 12,500-square-foot facility, just off I-5 in Lacey’s Hawks Prairie neighborhood, follows the recent merger of Purdy Fun Climbing and Warehouse Rock Gym. The Olympia-based fitness centers joined operations last year after developing strong a following among area climbers over the past decade. 

General contractor PHC Construction of Bainbridge Island is a regional leader in commercial construction and sustainable building including two-time winner of the Master Builders Association’s “Green Hammer Award.”

“As a commercial contractor with metal building division, this project is a perfect fit.  We’re hoping this project leads to more projects in the South Sound,” said Clay Johnson, project manager for PHC Construction. “The Purdy Fun Climbing Center will be a first rate facility and we’re honored to be selected to build it.”

The new all-weather facility, slated to open in Summer 2016, will be three times larger than the present layout, with double-height climbing walls and a dedicated bouldering area. The purpose-built center will house the Warehouse Rock Gym and offer ample parking for patrons.

Features will include:
•    More than 10,000 sf. of climbing, about two-thirds roped and one-third bouldering
•    Lead climbing up to 50 ft.
•    Space for cardio equipment and other programs such as yoga
•    Advanced climbing instruction
•    Leadership development courses for the business community

Climbing walls will be designed by Vertical World’s Elevate Climbing of Seattle.

Ground was broken on the new facility last week.

“This groundbreaking ceremony celebrates achievement of a significant milestone.  Construction of this new facility moves us closer toward achievement of our fundamental mission, to offer our customers the ultimate indoor climbing experience,” said Mike Boyer, Purdy Fun Climbing Corp. and Warehouse Rock Gym president. “Our plans reflect years of research on the industry and the latest design trends. Climbers from all over South Sound will find new challenges and rewards with every visit.”

The current staff will stay with the gym, and director Esteban Pinto, Director of Operations, will continue managing day-to-day operations. Joe Hyer of Percival Consulting Group, original founder of the Warehouse Rock Gym, has also been retained to support and advise the new operation as it develops. Members of the original Warehouse Rock Gym ownership serve as corporate board members.

The new facility will be located in the Hogum Bay Business Park, 8276 28th Court NE in Lacey. 

Business operations will continue in the current gym space at 315 Jefferson Street, downtown Olympia.

For more information, contact:     Warehouse Rock Gym www.Warehouserockgym.com,                Purdy Fun Climbing www.purdyfunclimbing.com

A very Merry Christmas from the PHC Construction team over here at the Grow Community site.