POSTED 09-25-2024 This year, three Wendel Projects were honored at the Buffalo Business First Bick by Brick Awards. The Buffalo AKG Art Museum The Albright-Knox Art Gallery Board of Directors launched the AK360 Campus Development and Expansion Project in 2014 to expand and upgrade the original 1905 and 1962expansion facilities. The proposed program for this project consists of 43,500 square feet of renovated space, 67,000 net square feet of new space, and a 60,000-square-footunderground parking garage with 100 spaces. Located within a historic Olmsted Park setting, other enhancements include a curved glass bridge that curves around a grove of oak trees that are over one hundred years old, allowing visitors to walk between the original buildings and the new Gundlach building. The new building’s glass façade allows those passing by to view some of the artwork from the exterior of the building. A courtyard was covered with a n instillation called Common Sky, creating an indoor space that can be used free of charge to the public for gatherings, concerts, and occasional art displays. Where there was once a surface parking lot, there is now a great lawn, enhancing the sustainability of the space by reducing impervious materials on site while provide the new venue for the public concerts that take place through the spring, summer, and fall months. One M&T Plaza Façade Restoration One M&T Plaza is a 21-story International style office tower designed by Minoru Yamasaki, one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century. The 55-year old building has had enclosure issues for several years and M&T hired Wendel to design a new facade and exterior cladding system for the historic property. Based on Wendel’s field investigation, M&T moved forward with the replacement of all exterior marble on the first two levels with an innovative and beautiful glass panel system that will provide higher performance while respecting the important architectural heritage of the original design. Stark Tech Headquarters Stark Tech’s new 33,000 SF regional headquarters is designed to showcase innovation. The 100% electrically and solar powered office features a command center, town hall with cafe, moss wall, bike storage, and multiple types of collaboration spaces. Tech-forward features and advanced building systems integration showcase the company’s mission. Employee-focused exterior features include a new employee-centric patio and EV charging stations. This project was designed to both LEED and WELL standards and it has been submitted for certification. The team also worked with contractors to reuse over $1 million worth of building materials and divert over 50% of the remaining demolition waste to recycling facilities.