WJ Higgins & Associates is a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in commercial exterior building envelopes. After the company experienced maintenance issues with their leased location, the decision was made to build a new headquarters for the firm in the Weston, WI industrial park. WJ Higgins & Associates specified Heritage CollectionTM Designer Concrete Brick, manufactured by County Materials Corporation, for their new building’s exterior envelope.
The 9,340 sq. ft. single story building houses eight individual consultants’ offices and a large work area with 16 workstations for engineers and consultants. A two story tall office tower in the northwest corner houses the president’s office. The tower is visible from the highway and lit up at night, making the building a local landmark.
In addition to durability, economy and energy efficiency were high priorities for this project. With the exception of the tower, the building has a basic rectangular shape that is easy to air seal and insulate. The structure utilizes 2’ on center, 2”x6” framing to minimize thermal bridging in the walls, and a roof insulated to R-60. LED lighting, high efficiency HVAC systems, and in-floor hydronic heat also contribute to an energy efficient structure that will keep future utility costs to a minimum.
Heritage Collection Concrete Brick was chosen for the exterior cladding for a number of reasons. “It’s readily available compared to clay, economical, and we can get the colors we want,” explains project architect Jeff Musson. Reduced maintenance was also a prime consideration; the durability and longevity of concrete brick were cited as a major reason for choosing the material.
Color selection was important to the project owner, who had a specific look in mind. To help with the decision, County Materials provided the design team with a list of area buildings that featured various color blends. Musson also computer modeled several blends for consideration. The final selection, a 50/50 blend of Coffee Blend and Tuscany Blend smooth utility brick, was based on a similar color schedule used on the Abbyland Distribution Center in Curtiss, WI.
More than 6,120 total units of concrete brick were used on the building, complemented by Western W385 colored mortar. The same custom color blend was used in a thin veneer for the building’s signage. Masonry covers about 3/5 of the building’s surface, complimenting a small section of buff-colored EIFS under the eaves.
County Materials’ Heritage CollectionTM concrete brick proved to be a very economical choice for this project because it is manufactured in Wisconsin and readily available. There is no clay brick producer in the state, so clay brick would have required a substantial increase in freight costs.
WJ Higgins & Associates’ headquarters was a fast track project with a tight time frame. Construction started in early August 2015, and the construction team achieved substantial completion by Dec. 1 of that year. Even though the onset of winter weather forced work on the driveway and parking lot to be delayed until spring, WJ Higgins was able to relocate over the Thanksgiving holiday when their existing lease was up. Their new building is not only comfortable and energy efficient, it also lives up to the company’s standards as a leader in the building envelope industry.
