THINSCAPE Saved The Day For This Multi-family Housing Project
Nationally, a 6-7 million unit deficit exists on multi-family housing in the U.S. due to the current economic landscape. It’s imperative that these builds continue to happen and we are proud to help support them with cost-effective solutions to budget constraints.
A recent project we managed showcases this perfectly. Our client was in the process of renovating a retired urban school building in Ohio into 80 units of affordable senior living apartments. The specification originally called for quartz countertops in all of the units. But with supply chain issues and increasing interest rates affecting the overall cost of the construction project, they needed a higher-end alternative to quartz to stay within budget.
The customer approached us with a need for value engineering. We have seen an uptick in value engineering services more than ever before. With material increases and inflated interest rates, we help clients to get that project in line or under budget from a countertop and cabinetry perspective. In this particular case, our client sought recommendations from us for an alternative countertop material that had the same aesthetic and function of quartz but was more aligned to their updated budget.
After our consultation with this multi-family builder, Wilsonart® THINSCAPE Performance Tops in a Black Amani color was selected as the perfect choice for the kitchen countertops. The qualities inherent of THINSCAPE are ideal for multi-family or residential buildings:
- Made to stand up to everyday wear and tear, this surface is resistant to heat, impacts, scratches and moisture
- Features a decorative, on-trend European-inspired “thin” profile of ½” thickness, but with all of the strength of a thicker profile countertop
- Considered affordable luxury as it’s priced below entry-level granite and able to accommodate undermount sinks
- Created from a low-maintenance and stain-resistant material
The project was completed well within the client’s time frame. Overall, the customer was very satisfied with the look, overall aesthetics, and functionality of the THINSCAPE countertops and our ability to provide value engineering solutions and to truly work in partnership together to accomplish a very important project for the community. By ensuring that a lower cost alternative did not diminish the value of the project, the project was a success and we were able to deliver high-quality countertops that were in line with their budget.
WKYC recently reported a story on this project, “Mission Possible: Longfellow Elementary School in Cleveland Transformed Into Senior Living”, that features many shots of the THINSCAPES and Cultured Marble countertops that we installed in the kitchens and bathrooms of the units in this building!
L.E. Smith is proud to be certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. We recognize the commitment to supplier diversity that is embraced by corporations and government agencies today and are pleased to contribute to adding diversity to your supply chain.
Experience matters when it comes to getting a job done correct, complete and on-time. As the largest single manufacturer in the country, we fabricate up to 900 countertops each day! Contact us to discuss your next multi-family project or to learn more.