Baker’s corner

March 2, 2009
By Karen Gentry
MiBiz

MUSKEGON – The new Culinary Institute of Michigan aims to attract and train prospective world-class chefs. Part of that attraction is a state of the art building tailored to the needs of a learning kitchen.

Baker College’s new 39,000-square foot Culinary Institute of Michigan in downtown Muskegon is the largest project currently in the Baker College system statewide.

Baker College Director of Facilities Patrick Kopypek said Baker representatives have had major participation in the design and construction process.

"We like to think we are the cornerstone of downtown development," Kopypek told MiBiz. "This gives Baker College of Muskegon a presence in the downtown. Quite frankly it’s part of our commitment to community, which has always been a Baker focus."

The new three-story culinary arts building on the corner of Clay Avenue and Third Street is nearing the final touches of construction.

Designing and building a facility that includes 12,000 square feet of working kitchens was a challenge, according to David Mayville, owner of BMA Architects.

BMA worked with New York-based Post & Grossbard Inc., food service consultants, and Muskegon-based Rhoades Engineering for mechanical and electrical work. The entire second floor is a kitchen and there’s a kitchen to go with the Courses restaurant on the first floor.

Mayville jokingly refers to a demonstration kitchen on the third floor as "my Martha Stewart room." Students will be able to videotape shows with space for an audience in that kitchen.

"There’s just a lot of utilities and mechanicals involved — plumbing, mechanical and kitchen hood systems," Mayville told MiBiz.

The facility will include a specialty pastry lab, a temperature and humidity controlled lab for specialty chocolate and sugar design and three hot food labs, as well as demonstration classrooms.

Kopypek said the interior also includes three modular classrooms, which are more teacher friendly than the classrooms on the current campus.

Mayville said the interior was designed to help the public move vertically. A circular staircase in the large atrium in building’s center invites the public to move throughout the building.

"The public is encouraged to go to the second floor where all the teaching kitchens are located," Mayville said. "They’re able to walk around the rotunda and watch the students cooking and doing their arts."

In the central atrium space is a 17-foot by 17-foot pyramid-shaped skylight.

"The idea is to let a lot of natural light filter through this entire building," Mayville said.

The building’s exterior is brick and cast stone with a lot of detailing and ornamentation to emulate other buildings in downtown Muskegon.

"Our building picks up architectural elements from the surrounding buildings, in particular the brick work and masonry detail and also the natural lighting of the interior space," Kopypek said.

The exterior cladding of all masonry is in three different colors — sandstone, light gray and a dark red — also intended to pick up colors of the surrounding buildings.

Although LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification will not be sought, it’s possible in the future. Mayville said the design approach was to be able to go back and seek LEED certification fairly easily. High efficiency mechanical and lighting technology was used, and the building envelope insulation values were increased. The roof will be able to support the added weight of a green vegetative roof system if desired in the future.

There are two main entrances to the building — one from the back parking lot and one from Clay Street directly adjacent from Hackley Park. Mayville said outdoor seating will be available from the restaurant and the Sweet Spot pastry, coffee and retail outlet in the corner of the building.

Jack Wallen, project manager for Clifford Buck Construction Co., said the building will be ready in time for Fall 2009 classes.

"We’re working on the finishes right now — the interior painting and floor finishes," Wallen said in mid-February. Construction started in May 2008. Clifford Buck Construction has done a lot of primarily remodeling projects for Baker College in the past, and BMA completed numerous projects for Baker College’s main Muskegon campus.

Public tours have already taken place, and Baker staff and community members are excited about what they see, according to Kopypek. The new building is expected to attract more students to Baker College’s culinary program. Currently more than 300 students are enrolled in one of Baker College’s four business administration degree options in the culinary arts program.

"We’ve had nothing but positive response," he said.

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This article appeared in the Monday, March 2, 2009 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who are employed in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz, visit www.mibiz.com.