Ball Horticultural Company, Innovation Center

The Featherstone Difference

As part of the overall renovation and redevelopment of Ball Horticultural Company’s West Chicago Global Headquarters, Featherstone brought their model of project delivery to the new Helix Central Research and Development Laboratory Facility. Christner Architects were selected to design laboratories customized for molecular biology, plant pathology, tissue culture, cellular biology, computational biology, and molecular marker development. By engaging in the master planning phase, Featherstone helped craft development plans, based on deep programmatic investigations and a methodically gained understanding of disparate development pieces and their moving parts. The client, not only trusted Featherstone with this complex development, but also with their priceless live collection and cutting-edge science, which is constantly evolving to maintain their three-generational legacy, as the leader in the industry.

Previous experience had taught the owners that the Featherstone team is both gifted and consistent performers. Project Managers, Superintendents, Estimators and Project Executives are cross trained in all essential managerial functions and have the “Featherstone method” ingrained into their professional DNA. They expedited the Planned Urban Development amendment and produced a detailed cost opinion, utilizing a programmatic outline and few conceptual drawings. Featherstone engaged with programmatic departments to gain an understanding of the inevitable juggling required to sustain operational functionality. The team made recommendations for phasing construction activities, which were in concert with operational goals as determined by seasonal demands, functional adjacencies, and co-tenancies.