New Shareholder Announced at Cole & Associates

Cole & Associates announced the addition of Tom Reynolds as its newest shareholder of the company.

Reynolds began working at Cole in 2006, where he worked as an Instrument Man, an entry level position in our survey department. He soon identified a career path and took the opportunities available to advance his knowledge of the field by completing his degree and licensure, while continuing to work at Cole. As a valuable member of the company, Reynolds now serves as the Survey Manager in our St. Louis office and has completed survey projects across the country in conjunction with Cole’s other offices.

“Tom is a perfect example of the character and work ethic that embodies Cole. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Tom and welcome him to the shareholder’s circle,” said Kevin Riggs, President/CEO.

Since the late 1990s when the company’s founder Mel Cole put the firm’s shareholder agreement in place, Cole has seen many of its company leaders take part in this incredible opportunity. This speaks volumes for the success and integrity of the firm, its shareholders and its employees, Riggs said.

Current shareholders include Riggs; Lisa Baker, CFO; Jeremy Roach, Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture; Terry Westerman, Survey Manager; and the Cole’s three Vice Presidents of Regional Operations – Jim Roth in Phoenix; John Harshbarger in St. Charles and St. Louis; and Sandy Stephens in Dallas.

Cole Is Not Clowning Around With Hunger

During the holiday season, we are reminded that hunger is scary, which is why Cole partnered up with Incite Design Studio to participate in Canstruction St. Louis.

Founded in 1992 by a group of architects and engineers as a way to combat hunger through innovative design, Canstruction features Citywide Competitions where competitors utilize canned food to design and create structures called Cansculptures. The Cansculptures are then displayed and judged, with awards given in various categories including “Best Meal” or “Best Use of Labels”.

For the competition this year, Incite designed our Cansculpture in the design of Pennywise, the infamous clown from Stephen King’s novel It, with Cole providing an assist with the actual Canstruction construction. Our collaboration netted the Incite-Cole team two awards: “Best Use of Labels” and the coveted “People’s Choice”!

Once the competition is over, the cans are donated to Operation Food Search. This year, Canstruction St. Louis provided Operation Food Search with 19,512 pounds of food comprised of 17,000 cans + 100 boxes + 48 salt and pepper shakers. A $32,975.28 value, this haul represents enough to feed 4,878 people!

A big believer in giving back to our community, Cole extends a big thank you to Incite Design Studio for teaming up, and gives a shout out to Hastings+Chivetta for organizing Canstruction St. Louis. To learn more about the national organization, please visit www.canstruction.org. Additional information regarding Canstruction St. Louis can be found on their Facebook page, @canstructionSTL.

Cole Went to the Dark Side…of the Moon

To celebrate the total solar eclipse on August 21, Cole hosted a Dark Side of the Moon Eclipse Viewing Party for clients and staff. With its open vistas, the parking garage roof at Cole’s St. Charles office located in the Streets of St. Charles served as the venue for unimpeded viewing. Food was provided by Bar Louie, a fellow Streets’ tenant, with water and beer from American-owned breweries. The Samurai Five band provided an eclipse-appropriate rocking ambiance, while we celebrated a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If you were unable to join Cole, we hope you enjoyed the solar eclipse right here in our home town!

Announcing Cole’s Vice President of Engineering for Accessibility

Cole is pleased to announce that Melissa Anderson has joined our staff as the Vice President of Engineering for Accessibility.

Prior to joining Cole, Melissa worked at the US Access Board, serving as their Transportation Engineer, developing accessibility guidelines and assisting Federal, State and Local Agencies in meeting their obligations to provide accessible facilities for people who have disabilities. Her work involved refining the proposed Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines, updating the Transportation Vehicle Accessibility Guidelines and leading the Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee. Melissa also continues to participate as a subject matter expert on several research panels and remains a member of two committees for the Transportation Research Board.

Prior to her work for the Access Board, she was employed for 10 years with the Missouri Department of Transportation, where she was involved in traffic and safety data collection and analysis, research, standards development, and professional services procurement. Melissa became the statewide non-motorized transportation engineer, where she was responsible for developing pedestrian and bicycle policy, training staff and local agencies, and reviewing plans for accessibility.

Previously, Melissa also worked for two small local agencies on a wide variety of projects including water and waste water design, managing street and sidewalk programs, review of residential and commercial developments, and long range planning and zoning updates.

Cole is excited to have Melissa lead our ADA Team, providing expert guidance and working with our clients to understand their obligation to provide accessible facilities. We look forward to sharing her skills with our partners in the evaluation of their existing infrastructure and development of State and community transition and prioritization plans and accessible pedestrian networks.

Goal! From Parking Lot to Soccer Field at Nahed Chapman New American Academy

In early 2016, Peter Tao of Tao + Lee Associates, Inc., approached Cole’s Jim Roth, PE, to discuss providing Civil Design consultation on a soccer field installation for a local school. This preliminary discussion became a multi-team project that transformed a pothole riddled piece of asphalt into a professional quality soccer field for the 320 students of Nahed Chapman New American Academy (NCNAA).

Cole provided survey and site planning services, along with storm water management design to direct water away from the synthetic turf field. Cole’s Jim Roth, PE, and Stan Fowler, EIT, donated their time and engineering expertise to this necessary project, and Tom Reynolds and Chad Weber provided survey services.

“No words can capture the feeling of seeing the students of NCNAA enjoy themselves on an improved playing surface and shelter and of being a part of a team that provided children who are grateful for what they have with experiences that they will cherish.” – Stan Fowler, EIT, Cole

The project team included professionals from Construction Forum STL, DG @ Design, Engraphix, PHL Inc., Millstone Weber, St. Louis Mosaic Project, St. Louis Public Schools, Tao + Lee & Associates, and Washington University in St. Louis.

The St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club provided additional support by donating tickets to a St. Louis Football Club match earlier this year for a group of NCNAA students. Two St. Louis FC players also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and challenged the students to a scrimmage on the new soccer field.

Involvement in the project also included participation in the Gateway Welcome Project’s stirring committee, whose aim is to make the St. Louis metropolitan area a welcoming place for foreign-born immigrants and refugees and their families.

The Nahed Chapman New American Academy’s International Welcome School opened in 2009 to create a safe and nurturing school environment for immigrant students and war refugees, many of whom struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. To learn more about the school and its mission, please visit: www.slps.org/NCNAA.

To learn more about the Gateway Welcome Project and their important work in the region, please visit: www.gatewaywelcomestl.org.

The Lofts of Washington University Receives LEED Platinum Certification

The Lofts of Washington University has been awarded LEED Platinum Certification from the United States Green Building Council. The project received 84 total points out of only 80 required to achieve platinum, the highest level of certification. This 167-unit student housing and retail complex located in the Delmar Loop area of University City, Missouri, features a United Provisions grocery store and the 24-hour Peacock Loop Diner. The $80 million project was built on 4.5 acres which were previously occupied by underutilized buildings and surface parking.

Together with the University, the project team was striving for platinum certification throughout the design and construction process. Cole’s contribution includes working closely with Paric, the General Contractor, on pollution prevention during construction. In addition, Cole utilized a creative approach to stormwater management with a 25,000 gallon cistern to harvest rain water, several rain gardens for bioretention, and assisted DTLS Landscape Studio on a green roof. Cole has been involved in many LEED Certified projects on the Washington University campus, but this is the first LEED Platinum Certification for both Cole and the University.

Designed to minimize impact on the environment while creating healthy spaces for people, it is anticipated that the project will be 46 percent more efficient than standard construction. Architects Tao + Lee and William Rawn Associates are responsible for the solar thermal panels which heat 25 percent of the buildings’ hot water, solar photovoltaic cells providing 10 percent of the electrical needs, and exterior aluminum sunshades serving as both a cooling element and a unique design feature.

The Lofts is the first model of its kind for Washington University. The mix of uses brings new amenities to the neighborhood and has created a positive dramatic change for the Delmar Loop built environment.

Our St. Louis Office is Moving

Cole is pleased to announce that we are moving our corporate headquarters from Sunset Hills to downtown St. Louis, MO, at Union Station. On July 8, 2013, our St. Louis team will be working out of the Power House building in a fresh open setting that better reflects our collaborative environment.  This relocation complements our recent St. Charles County, MO, office move to the new urban inspired Streets of St. Charles and places us in a location similar to the Texas office in Frisco Square. All three of Cole’s established offices are now located in thriving business and entertainment districts.

This move not only continues to allow us to better serve the St. Louis region, it further aligns Cole with the re-urbanization of American cities; one of the more significant trends of our industry. We’re excited to have an office in the City of St. Louis which is experiencing a remarkable period of revitalization.

Stop by and visit soon! Our new address is: Power House at Union Station, 401 S. 18^th Street, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63103 (phone remains the same 314-984-9887).

Our office will be closed on July 5 to accommodate the move. We wish you a safe and happy Independence Day celebration!

Sustainable Land Lab Finalists

Great news! Our team’s submission for the Sustainable Land Lab competition has advanced to round two. The Sustainable Land Lab competition is an initiative that was born from the Sustainable Cities conference hosted by Washington University’s Office of Sustainability. Area design teams were encouraged to propose innovative projects that transform vacant lots into assets that advance sustainability. Our talented partners Rosemann & Associates invited us to collaborate on their idea of a Chess Pocket Park. This outdoor community chess venue intends to provide a location for a local chess club which combines chess lessons, community chess mentors, community values, strategic thought, and sustainable lessons on systems and materials through club maintenance of the grounds. Our site is located at 2713 North 14th Street which is very near the Crown Square urban redevelopment area – a project on which Cole also partnered with Rosemann & Associates.

We’ll soon be busy further developing our concept for submission after the first of the year. In February the list will be narrowed to eight teams. Learn more about the Chess Pocket Park and some of the other great ideas from our fellow finalists here: http://sustainablecities.wustl.edu/land-labs-competition/submissions/

Working with Washington University

Cole has been busy at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. This thriving partnership was kicked off in 2009 when we completed a Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District approved campus-wide stormwater master plan. The plan is presently used to expedite approval for future projects and has guided the development of Cole designed projects such as Brauer Hall and Green Hall. These adjoined buildings make up the School of Engineering and Applied Science complex located on the nine-acre Danforth Campus. Both projects have received LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council.

Speaking of green, we’re working with the progressive facilities team at Washington University on the first green roof associated with their main campus. Our calculations for stormwater quantity and quality are being guided by the incorporation this green roof on a current student housing project. The terraced garden area with surrounding views will mitigate water runoff and function as a place for students to gather and relax.

Cole has also had a big role in campus connectivity, pedestrian/bicycle safety, and traffic flow. We designed 1,200 feet of new ADA accessible sidewalk for shared use by pedestrians, bicycles and emergency vehicles. As part of the project, three bike parking nodes were designed with pervious pavement in order to offset requirements for stormwater detention.

Additional work around campus includes the design of storm and sanitary sewer systems, exterior improvements, design of Best Management Practices (BMP’s), ADA accessibility design, and assistance on LEED certification coordination.

We are thoroughly enjoying our collaboration with Washington University as these and many other projects contribute to their commitment of helping students grow academically and socially. Check out our work on this state-of-the-art campus:

Keep an eye out for future WUSTL updates and others as our campus portfolio continues to expand!

Cole Launches New Website

Our 2012 was kicked off with the launch of the new Cole website. We are pleased that you have found your way to it! We have refined the look of colestl.com to support our mission of taking quality to the next level and showing the industry our design-centric side. Among the updates, you’ll find a sophisticated feel and fresh take on our services and design solutions. It was created to provide a unique user experience and demonstrate a continued focus on client communications and partnership building. The new website is meant to have a strong impact and distinguished web presence that sets us apart in the industry and compels our clients to take note.