Success Stories

Many projects present unique circumstances with specialized criteria that can make for a challenging scenario. It’s our ability to deliver results in these “unique” situations that make us different.

Hillside School – Media Center Renovation

Situation
LFI wood products and seating were specified for the complete renovation at this K-8 school in the western suburb of Chicago. The school and the architect wanted integration of traditional library products with technical furniture for the computer lab. They liked the product offerings from LFI and worked closely to ensure functionality and aesthetics were met.

Result
The school organized the specifications with the media center products contained within the general contractors, GC, bid package. They structured the bid package in a way that allowed the school to view bids from the subcontractors for the media center contained within the GC overall bid package. This technique allowed the owner to have disclosure to the specific products and prices within the generals’ package for the media center. Usually, the owner is sheltered from this information and is unaware of the subcontractor bids within the overall GC bid. It was important to Hillside to know who was going to supply the media center products as the furnishings would be the focus of the project for a functional media center.

LFI, when given the award for the media center, offered several suggestions to the school that enhanced the overall functionality and performance of the media center; upgraded seating products at the study tables with sturdy, “non-rocking” sled based chairs and at the computer tables with task seating for seat height adjustability. Also, LFI showed the school a unique book support system built-in to the wood shelves. The media center director and the school administrators loved the system which now is being used in many other school projects where LFI wood shelving is specified. Finally, during the installation and final step of the project, LFI installers skilled in wood craftsmanship provided wood filler panels in many locations to give a “built-in look” to the modular circulation desk and the wood shelving.

Architect: Gilfillan & Callahan – Rolling Meadows, IL
Business Manager: Roger Leiston