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Wendel is featured in Buffalo Rising for being recognized for engineering excellence.
Wendel Companies, a local design and construction firm, received two Engineering Excellence awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York. They will be recognized with all of the award winners in April 2017 at the annual gala. ACEC New York selected the Niagara Falls Intermodal Transportation Center and the Peace Bridge U.S. Commercial Warehouse for Platinum and Gold awards, respectively, based on the quality and significance of each project. In both projects, Wendel worked in conjunction with the owner and multiple stakeholders and regulatory bodies to produce energy efficient buildings with top security measures to serve at important U.S./Canada border crossings.
The City of Niagara Falls envisions its new Intermodal Transportation Center (lead image) as a catalyst for redevelopment in the North Main Street commercial area. The new station opened on December 6th and adjoins the historic 1863 U.S. Customhouse, which is a confirmed station on the Underground Railroad and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The synergy between new and old carries through the project.
As the home of America’s most famous waterfalls, the city of Niagara Falls has been a tourist destination for well over a century. The new Intermodal Transportation Center caters to tourists and residents alike with improved passenger facilities that will include future food concessions and retail spaces. In addition to the Amtrak rail service, the station centralizes and promotes trolley, bus, and taxi services, and it offers connections to nearby Niagara Gorge hiking and biking trails. Additionally, the station will include a Harriet Tubman Museum to honor the site’s connection to the Underground Railroad.
Wendel provided a number of services for the project, including various engineering specialties, architecture, landscape architecture, and construction management. Due to the requirements and regulations of the border crossing and the historic site, among other considerations, Wendel also worked with U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection, State of New York Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Rail Administration. The firm consulted with the New York State Historic Preservation Office and the United States Department of Interior as well as the University at Buffalo Archeology Department for appropriate handling of the Customhouse and the Underground Railroad site.
Twenty miles south of Niagara Falls, Wendel led another recently completed border crossing renovation and additions to the Peace Bridge U.S. Commercial Warehouse. Ongoing community concerns about vehicle emissions made ameliorating air pollution a high priority for the project, while executing the facility renovation without disrupting daily business activities posed a logistical challenge. In addition to meeting these needs, the project achieved LEED Silver certification in December.
Project engineers used building modeling software to identify the Variable Refrigeration Flow (VRF) system as the best HVAC option to fit with the existing building structure, and it reduces the building’s carbon dioxide emissions an estimated 86 percent annually. Other features such as daylight ‘harvesting,’ recycled materials and water efficiency further embody efforts to make the project environmentally responsible.
These two projects highlight Wendel’s work in Western New York. Leon Wendel started the company in Niagara County in 1940. Now based in Williamsville, the firm maintains offices in downtown Buffalo, Long Island, Rochester, Syracuse, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Richmond, Clarksburg, and Washington, D.C. Its wide range of services includes construction management, surveying, planning, interior design, and energy efficiency, in addition to architecture and engineering.
Article written by Caitlin B. Moriarty of Buffalo Rising. To view the entire article, please click here and visit the Buffalo Rising website.
Wendel is featured in the New York Real Estate Journal (NYREJ) for the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority project.
The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (Authority), owner and operator of the Peace Bridge—an international crossing between Buffalo, New York and Fort Erie, Ontario—received LEED Silver certification (New Construction 2009) for their U.S. commercial warehouse addition and renovation project. The Authority and consultant engineer and architect Wendel targeted credits for certification that support the use of sustainable practices in sourcing materials, encourage energy efficiency, and provide a healthy indoor environment for occupants.
Peace Bridge – Buffalo, NY
Targeting LEED certification for this facility aligns with the Authority’s sustainability goals. A few of the strategies utilized to achieve certification include:
- Adaptive re-use of the facility – over 76% of existing structural items were reused;
- Diversion of over 84% of onsite generated construction debris from the landfill;
- Water efficiency strategies that reduced potable water usage by over 42%;
- Application of more than 28% of materials manufactured using recycled content;
- Commissioning of building systems to ensure they operate as designed;
- Conversion to new LED lighting throughout; and
- Use of low emitting materials for finishes.
The renovated Warehouse is projected to achieve over 22% in energy cost savings annually.
to read the complete article.
A well maintained urban forest helps to make a community healthy and vibrant.
New York municipalities, school districts, and community colleges should know that a special grant opportunity is open through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to obtain funds to inventory, manage, or maintain the trees in your community… or simply plant new ones!
Wendel’s ISA-certified arborists are here to help you every step of the way through the grant process. We are passionate about trees and we enjoy being trusted expert advisors to the biggest cities and the smallest villages.
The deadline to apply for the DEC’s Urban Forestry Grant Program is March 1, 2017. Some categories are 100% reimbursable! Contact Adam Tabelski at 1.877.293.6335 (atabelski@wendelcompanies.com) today to find out more information, or for assistance in developing your project.
Ethics is the foundation of our culture. It dictates how people interact, what is acceptable and what is not. So much so it is actually taught at the collegiate level and in business schools. With the recent spotlight on the design and construction industry in regards to ethical operations, it is an opportune time for a discussion on ethics.
Pressures to perform at the highest level and consistently win work in the architecture, engineering and construction world are prevalent and growing. Competition is only getting steeper. Bringing in work directly correlates with job security. This pressure can create conflict with ethical practices.
The pressure to win projects should never outweigh a company’s commitment to ethical business practices. It is of the utmost importance to maintain your principles, avoid cutting corners or participating in foul play.
The companies and individuals who have continued success for many years are those with moral courage. It is a scary thing when you are providing for families and someone pressures you to do something questionable in order to keep the work. What do you do? Remember! Remember your obligation to the public, remember that cutting a corner is a slippery slope that can cost way more than doing the right thing. Above all, remember what you stand for is defined in these moments.
Sometimes we only realize what our values are after we contradicted them. Take time now to think about the things that are important to you, and the things that make you uncomfortable. Think about boundaries and how far you are willing to go to protect your ideals. We all have a natural human instinct to go along with a group or leader, even if we do not feel right about it, due to the sense of safety, status and belonging. You have the right to protect your ethical integrity!
Being ethical, transparent and above board in business should be a core value and expectation for each and every person. It is important to find a company and clients that value these ideals. Be sure your actions today reinforce your values and do not let your judgment be impaired by the lure of short term gains.
There is a great article from Character First the Magazine that is still very relevant five years later: “Moral Courage: Building Ethical Strength in the Workplace.” It dives into what moral courage is and how it is demonstrated. It also provides some helpful hints on how to develop your moral courage. Learn how to develop your moral courage here.
From the desk of Stu Haney, Wendel President/CEO