Architectural
Woodwork - Creating a Lasting Impression
of Quality and Elegance
Since the dawn of time humans have
had a love affair with wood. People
love the warmth and feel of wood and
associate fine woodwork with quality
and elegance.
References to exquisite wood elements
are found throughout our history.
In Italy, Michelangelo created the
famous architectural woodwork in churches
- in England Sir Christopher Wren’s
intricate floral designs influenced
the work of sculptors and woodcraftsmen
for generations.
Finely detailed, beautifully carved
architectural elements create a lasting
impression of quality and elegance
and for that reason have been an integral
part of interior design in the best
hotels and restaurants for over a
century.
Establishments that earn the coveted
Five Star rating have to give a lasting
impression of their commitment to
quality. Fine woodwork is one of the
time-tested elements used to achieve
this impression.
Lorraine Heppner, CEO of Heppner Hardwoods,
an architectural millwork supplier,
believes the feeling of permanence
created by these enduring elements
is the reason for their increasingly
widespread use in high-end hospitality
projects.
“Fine wood elements add a sense
of quiet elegance,” said Lorraine
Heppner. “The public expects
to see this kind of woodwork in a
spacious, luxurious establishment.
The wood provides an air of luxury
and a sophisticated ambience.”
One such establishment is the Broadmoor
Resort in Colorado Springs and when
ISEC, a leading contractor for specialized
building interiors, was awarded the
project to renovate the hotel, matching
and replacing the fine woodwork was
an important factor. .
“The style, finish and quality
of installation of premium grade architectural
woodwork defines the ambience of the
hotel,” explained Joan Norblom,
Vice President of ISEC. “It
is one of the last trades to be installed,
yet the first seen by the guest.”
Located in Colorado Springs at the
foot of the Rockies, The Broadmoor
provides an environment of unparalleled
beauty and luxury. One of the few
resorts in the country to have earned
the Mobil Five Star and the AAA Five
Diamond ratings every year since the
awards were established, the Broadmoor
was born in 1891 as a gambling casino.
When Spencer Penrose, an entrepreneur
from Philadelphia, purchased the 40-acre
site of The Broadmoor Casino and Hotel
in 1916, his objective was to create
the most beautiful resort in the world.
He imported artisans to craft elaborate
interior and exterior details fashioned
after the opulence and elegance Penrose
had experienced in Europe and the
Orient.
One of the challenges of this restoration
was matching the existing profiles
in the Broadmoor created by those
original craftsmen. “The quality
demanded on a five-star project like
the Broadmoor is intense and we cannot
tolerate mistakes or late deliveries,”
said Paden. “We work with only
a handful of companies for our hardwoods
and architectural millwork.”
ISEC turned to Heppner Hardwoods of
California for all the standing and
running trims required. Heppner Hardwoods
has been providing fine architectural
woodwork for hospitality contracts
for the last 25 years. Located on
5 acres, with their own mill attached
to the lumberyard, they have one and
a quarter million-board feet of imported
and domestic hardwoods on site.
“Designers may not be aware
of all the options in style and finish,”
said Larry Rhymer, Vice President
of Operations of Heppner Hardwoods.
“It is important to match wood
grains to profiles and finishes.”
Quartered Red Oak, which has a very
dominant grain, needs a plain colonial
cove crown or a simple pattern. The
wood itself has such character that
the simple crown frames it. Sycamore
is another good choice for plain patterns.
Hard white maple on the other hand
is a denser, tighter grain that can
carry a complicated pattern with more
coves. The wood defines and complements
the detail.
Installation of architectural wood
elements is like putting together
a jigsaw puzzle Excellent precision
molding with tight tolerances improves
the quality of the installation because
no fitting has to be done –
the pieces all match up perfectly.
Coming from a design background, Lorraine
Heppner recognized the need for excellent
quality architectural woodwork in
high-end projects. ““My
career background, prior to taking
over the management of the company
in 1991, was in fashion,” said
Heppner. “I am often asked how
that discipline translated into architectural
millwork, and the answer is really
very simple.”
“The elements of fashion and
architectural design are made up of
shapes, profiles, and silhouettes,
and the inner eye to bring it all
together,” explains Heppner.
“Then, of course, there is the
execution of that vision. As a draftee
of apparel patterns, (execution of
design) it was crucial that they be
accurate. That same exactness is brought
to the millwork process. In woodworking
terms it is called ‘being within
tolerance.’”
The Broadmoor called for consistency
in tolerance and length for the standing
and running trims. Heppner Hardwoods
supplied excellent quality milled
product and moldings in specified
length.
“Before we enter into a partnership
with a supplier we have a preliminary
phone interview to find out the basics
of their plant size, number of employees,
type of machinery and volume of work,”
said Norblom. “Once that is
established, we conduct a plant tour
by an AWI certified inspector to see
first hand the plant flow, craftsmanship,
finishing capabilities and quality
of product in production. The suppliers
ability to produce the quality, coupled
with their ability to ship product
on time is critical in our decision
making.”
“We work with WIC and AWI specifications
and are also a “Chain of Custody”
company certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council and the Rainforest Alliance,”
said Rhyner. “One of the most
common complaints we hear when contractors
first come to us is that if the millwork
is not exactly milled so that every
piece is identical, they have major
problems with installation. When you
join pieces of running trim, if the
profile is not exact on each piece,
it’s a nightmare.”
Attention to that kind of detail is
the watchword in this mill. The lumber
is all nominally sized to obtain standard
pieces before it is profiled. A slower
feed rate is used, which allows operators
to keep the detail sharp and accurate
and to inspect each piece individually
as comes through. A special profile
sander ensures that all pieces hold
the profile perfectly, even after
sanding.
Their in-depth understanding of both
the industry and architectural milling
often leads to improved costs on a
large project. “There are ways
to still have the perfect finish needed
for five star quality, yet save money
through intelligent use of the wood
and milling,” explained Rhyner.
“We consult to the designer
or contractor on design detail. A
change of just one sixteenth of an
inch on a crown or a base can save
20 percent on the lumber cost.”
“Heppner’s experience
in the field and the volume of work
they do allows them to be competitive
without sacrificing the quality we
demand,” said Paden of ISEC.
Heppner provided the architectural
millwork for two of the top five hospitality
projects in 2001 – the Omni
Hotel in San Francisco and the St
Regis Monarch Beach Resort at Dana
Point in California. Other recent
projects include - The Bellagio Casino
and Resort in Las Vegas, The Sheraton-Grand
in Sacramento, the SeaTac Hilton in
Seattle and the Grand Tiara in Japan.
Creating the top-grade wood moldings
and architectural elements needed
for five star projects requires the
finest quality woods. “We purchase
only the finest grades of red oak
and hard maple, cherry, black walnut,
white oak, from the northeastern part
of North America,” said Brent
Heppner, who purchases all the wood.
“ We also have a selection of
woods from around the world –
makore, aniegre, and zebrawood.”
“Adding the warmth of hardwood
details creates an environment where
guests feel comfortable and welcome,”
said Lorraine Heppner. “And
the enduring beauty of natural wood
not only provides tranquility today,
but will continue to communicate its
beauty for generations to come.”
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