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Monday, May 12 2025 / Published in Aluminum Balconies, Construction Challenges

Architectural Evolution in the Age of Remote Work

In the rapidly changing landscape of architecture and construction, the acceleration of build times has become a prominent trend. Fueled by a demand for efficiency, innovative construction techniques, and advancements in technology, this shift is particularly notable in response to the evolving requirements of contemporary living. The surge in remote work has not only reshaped how people work but has also redefined the spaces they inhabit.

With professionals spending more time at home, a heightened demand for luxury residential environments seamlessly integrates work, life, and leisure. Architects are now challenged to design spaces that contribute to an elevated quality of life, while construction firms are under pressure to deliver these projects within tight timelines.

Trends Changing the Way We Build

Wellness Consideration

With more people working from home, physical and mental health has become a more prominent consideration when building living spaces. Offering greater access to natural light and space to relax has always been a key functionality of a space, but with more people spending a lot more time at home, providing these capabilities has become even more crucial.

Multi-Functional Spaces

The demand for spaces that can seamlessly transition for multiple functions has increased rapidly, especially in limited spaces such as apartments. Whether it’s a bedroom also functioning as a home office, a living room as a space to work out, or aluminum balconies to grow plants or eat a meal on, spaces need to be more multi-functional than ever.

Home Offices

Home office potential is now a necessity when it comes to designing residential space – it’s no longer just a bonus. The background is one of the main aspects that need to be considered in a home office, as it represents their professionalism and personality.

 Access to Fresh Air and Greenery

As part of the mental wellness movement, houseplants or small-scale gardening are becoming popular in places like apartments. This can provide a fun hobby that can be done at home, but it can also help with stress and anxiety. At-home gardening is made more accessible through the increase in private aluminum balconies.

Customization and Prefabrication in Balconies

Bolt-on balconies have been and are continuing to define luxury residential environments. A quality aluminum balcony offers an architect further customization and provides solutions for growing trends influenced by remote work.

One key feature that distinguishes an architect’s dream partner is their commitment to an easily integrated process. The preassembly of balconies and stair systems streamlines construction timelines, enabling builders to meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality or unique aesthetics. Along with preassembly, manufacturing everything in-house allows customizations for all projects, from unique railing designs to powder coating finishes. Whether architects envision a sleek and modern look or prefer something more ornate and traditional, collaborators who offer customization can bring these ideas to life.

Crafting Spaces for the Future

The emphasis on swift build times has emerged as a defining characteristic of successful projects, underscoring the importance of partnerships with multidisciplinary manufacturers specializing in large-scale commercial builds, custom solutions, prefabrication, and preassembly. Meeting these demanding requirements can be a considerable challenge.

Milwaukee-based Midwest Iron emerges as a standout partner for architects and developers seeking custom solutions for stand-out spaces. With a focus on high-quality craftsmanship, prefabrication and assembly, national shipping, and customizable designs, Midwest Iron proves to be a reliable collaborator for commercial spaces.

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Project Coordinator

Personality Traits

  • Must love spreadsheets, systems, planning, and sitting at a desk most of the time
  • Level-headed
  • Personable
  • Ability to balance stressful conditions, stress tolerance
  • Strong communication skills (phone, email, in person)
  • Adaptability
  • Whatever it takes, get it done
  • Strong emotional intelligence

Key Abilities

  • Project Coordinating
  • Problem Management
  • Flexible to Change
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Manage Frequent Interruptions
  • Critical thinking and problem solving skills
  • Planning and organizing
  • Conflict management
  • Strong construction or manufacturing intelligence

Job Responsibilities General Summary

  • Run multiple projects
  • Serve as customer liaison
  • Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control and completion of specific projects ensuring consistency with company strategy, commitments and goals
  • Plan for and resolve unexpected delays, production issues or schedule recovery options
  • Develop and monitor project budgets
  • Review and find replacements for discarded or rejected products, materials, and equipment not meeting specifications
  • Supply production capabilities and labor estimates to aid in bids and customer proposals
  • Keep track of calendars
  • Support the planning and implementation of project
  • Facilitate the definition of project scope, goals and deliverables
  • Define project tasks and resource requirements
  • Develop full scale project plans Assemble and coordinate project staff
  • Manage project budget
  • Manage project resource allocation
  • Plan and schedule project timelines
  • Track project deliverables using appropriate tools
  • Provide direction and support to project team
  • Constantly monitor and report on progress of the project to all stakeholders
  • Present reports defining project progress, problems and solutions Implement and manage project changes and interventions to achieve project outputs
  • Project evaluations and assessment of results

Apply Now

Project Manager

Personality Traits

  • Must love spreadsheets, systems, planning, and sitting at a desk most of the time
  • Level-headed
  • Personable
  • Ability to balance stressful conditions, stress tolerance
  • Strong communication skills (phone, email, in person) Adaptability Whatever it takes, get it done
  • Manager of chaos
  • Strong emotional intelligence

Key Abilities

  • Budget Management
  • Project Coordinating
  • Problem Management
  • Flexible to Change
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Manage Frequent Interruptions
  • Critical thinking and problem solving skills
  • Planning and organizing
  • Decision-making Influencing and leading
  • Delegation
  • Strong construction or manufacturing intelligence

Job Responsibilities General Summary

  • Run multiple projects
  • Serve as customer liaison
  • Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control and completion of specific projects ensuring consistency with company strategy, commitments and goals
  • Plan for and resolve unexpected delays, production issues or schedule recovery options
  • Supply production capabilities and labor estimates to aid in bids and customer proposals
  • Provide project direction; generate product design changes and workspace layout modification to existing production standards to achieve optimum quality and efficiency
  • Facilitate the definition of project scope, goals and deliverables
  • Define project tasks and resource requirements
  • Develop full scale project plans
  • Assemble and coordinate project staff
  • Manage project budget
  • Manage project resource allocation
  • Plan and schedule project timelines
  • Provide direction and support to project team
  • Constantly monitor and report on progress of the project to all stakeholders
  • Present reports defining project progress, problems and solutions Implement and manage project changes and interventions to achieve project outputs

Apply Now

Estimator

The Estimator is part of the Sales Department. The Estimator is responsible for providing accurate pricing, and forward-thinking of projects.

Key Abilities

  • Forward thinker
  • Adept in mathematics (primarily geometry, spatial relations)
  • Work with technical/mechanical numbers, such as those on architectural drawings
  • Good at follow thru
  • Conceptual thinking
  • Verbal and written communication
  • Ability to prioritize
  • Building relationships
  • Manage tight deadlines
  • Major responsibility of accurately forecasting the budget for a project Identify problems, provide solutions
  • Keen analytical skills
  • Budget development (ability to work numbers backwards and forwards)
  • Vendor relationships
  • Reporting skills
  • Decision making
  • Documentation skills
  • Experience with metal shapes and sizes

Job Responsibilities

  • Review architectural drawings for items that need pricing
  • Analyze blueprints, specifications and other related documents to prepare time, cost, material, equipment and labor estimates
  • Resolve discrepancies by collecting and analyzing information
  • Present prepared estimates with collected data in a formal quote
  • Create Schedule of Values
  • Responsible for accurately calculating and projecting total costs
  • Ensure that we know everything required to successfully bid and win the project
  • Identify ways to improve project costs, or ways to improve overall end use of project
  • Prepares work to be accomplished by gathering information and requirements; setting priorities
  • Prepares budget by studying plans; updating specifications; identifying and projecting costs
  • Bid compilation (e.g. may require writing, mathematical, presentation creating skills, fill out forms)

Communications

  • Work with General Contractors, Engineers and Architects Follow-up to ensure that bids are received
  • Work with the Project Management teams to follow-up on bids and budgets to close the business
  • Professional relationship building is key
  • Be friendly and known as the person to get it done
  • Networking (predominantly with architects and general contractors)

Tools: Proficient in basic computer software programs, such as Microsoft Office, basic internet search engines and applications. data research programs such as BidClerk; 80% sitting at a desk, with a computer doing administrative/detailed work 20% on the phone with prospects and clients

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TEKLA Software Drafter / Detailer

Job Description: Be a TEKLA Software Drafter / Detailer for Midwest Stairs & Iron, a rapidly growing company. You get to be part of the design process with architects and engineers. Be involved in all facets from submittal drawings to fabrication drawings. You get to forward think about how things work with the finished result and with how the finished piece will impact other construction trades.

Job Purpose: Basically, make heads and tails to fabricate what the architect wants, what constructing the building needs, and what the engineer needs us to calc out. It’s more than just lines, it requires thinking backwards and forwards.

Duties:

  • Plans mechanical drawings by reviewing sketches, descriptions, specifications, and supporting documents; conferring with engineers and architects.
  • Prepares mechanical sketches and drawings by rendering sectional, auxiliary, and multiviews, sub-assemblies, pictorials, dimensions, and developments; producing two- and three-dimensional orthographic projections using computer aided design (CAD) and pictorial techniques; producing three-dimensional (3-D) models including 3-D and spherical coordinates.
  • Prepares supporting information by developing bills of materials; standard parts, and fasteners.
  • Modifies drawings by analyzing, resolving, and incorporating changes.
  • Documents work by recording data and drawings; updating databases.
  • Complies with legal requirements by adhering to codes and regulations.
  • Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading technical publications.
  • Accomplishes organization goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Skills/Qualifications: TEKLA Software, Drafting, Drafting Tools, Design Skills, Conceptual Skills, Presentation Skills, Functional and Technical Skills, Thoroughness, Analyzing Information

Benefits: Pay goes with experience…ability to jump right in, gets you more. Insurance Vacation 401K

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Steel Welder

Job duties and training will include:

  • Join steel metal pieces together with the use of MIG welding techniques
  • Learn different welding types and what works best for the application, and what makes for a quality weld in looks and safety
  • Study shop blueprints and learn how to translate what is drawn to the fabricated piece
  • Be able to coordinate working space with the working space of others
  • Stand up to 10 hours a day Be able to lift at least 50 lbs Good vision to keep a steady eye on the weld
  • Tape measuring skills for accurate measure of material, know the importance of waste prevention
  • Know the limits of the machine Understand average time requirements for production and learn skills to get to that point
  • Grow to an advanced point of working with little to no supervision

Apply Now

Aluminum Welder

Job duties and training will include:

  • Join aluminum metal pieces together with the use of MIG welding techniques
  • Learn different welding types and what works best for the application, and what makes for a quality weld in looks and safety
  • Study shop blueprints and learn how to translate what is drawn to the fabricated piece
  • Be able to coordinate working space with the working space of others
  • Stand up to 10 hours a day Be able to lift at least 50 lbs
  • Good vision to keep a steady eye on the weld
  • Tape measuring skills for accurate measure of material, know the importance of waste prevention
  • Know the limits of the machine Understand average time requirements for production and learn skills to get to that point
  • Grow to an advanced point of working with little to no supervision

Apply Now