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Wednesday, March 05 2025 / Published in Aluminum Balconies, Balcony System, Bolt On Balcony, retrofitting, sustainable design

A Building Retrofit with Sustainable Design

Aluminum is a good sustainable choice for a building retrofit.

Recently, Midwest Stairs & Iron completed a building retrofit with an aluminum balcony system to an 1800s building. Most often historic preservation can be a choice of: restoration for historical reasons, or renovation as part of sustainable design. Did you know aluminum is a good retrofit choice for sustainable design of historic buildings? Read more about this retrofitting project, and how aluminum can be a good material choice of sustainable design for historic buildings…

1800s building prep for balcony retrofit

1800s building prep for balcony retrofit

The 213 Lofts building in Milwaukee was built in the 1800s. This building is located in the historic warehouse district area, where the revitalized area serves as a hot spot for restaurants and retail. The city is careful to preserve the historical integrity. Here’s how Midwest Stairs & Iron contributed to sustainable design and preservation of a historic building with a building retrofit design:

BUILDING RETROFITS FOR BUILDING INTEGRITY

The design and color of a balcony system can complement the look of a historic building. In this instance, the powder coated black aluminum picket railing blends in with the look of the warehouse windows. The smooth underside of the aluminum decking is the color of the cream city brick. Together this prefabricated aluminum balcony system serves to hold onto the building’s integrity, and maximizes the quality of life for its new residents.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

aluminum balconies retrofitted on 1800s building

aluminum balconies retrofitted on 1800s building

Aluminum is a sustainable metal. The lightweight, strong, and infinitely recyclable nature of aluminum makes it a wise choice for carbon footprint reduction. No other metal can match aluminum’s sustainability advantage. Balconies can take advantage of its strength, durability, impermeability, and natural corrosion resistance. Unlike other balcony construction methods, the entire aluminum balcony can be recycled.

ECONOMIC SENSE

The economic and environmental value of building reuse can offer savings over demolition and new construction. One key is to minimize the input of new construction materials. The use of balcony support brackets provide a non-invasive minimal way to give an old building new purpose. This bolt-on balcony system helps modernize the building without the use of destructive cantilever balcony construction.

installation of bolt on balconies to old building

installation of bolt on balconies to old building

INFRASTRUCTURE PRESERVATION

Additionally, the avoidance of cantilever construction allows for the preservation of the infrastructure. A self-supporting balcony preserves the content of the structure by bolting to the outside of the building. This prevents the disruption of the inherent structure, as disruption may create unforeseen challenges.

historic building renovation with modern design

historic building renovation with modern design

RESULTS

A hybrid of restoration and renovation for a building retrofit serves to modernize buildings for today’s quality of life expectations. Historic structures were often built for long term use against the elements, though every building deteriorates without care. The use of modern materials such as aluminum can boost property value, long term use, and continued purpose. Residents can reflect upon history, and connect with the revitalization of their community by stepping out of yesterday’s warehouse window onto today’s balcony view of the neighborhood.

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Tagged under: Aluminum balconies, aluminum decking, aluminum railing, building retrofit, renovation materials

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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