Project Manager Michael Boggs Is a Man with Many Hats

Michael Boggs came to Alexander Nicholson in the winter of 2005 with a background in carpentry and miscellaneous construction. Over the next six years, he developed into a Lead Carpenter and was then promoted to a Site Superintendent. In 2011, Michael left Alexander Nicholson to start and run his own business. Later, he joined with another contractor and during that experience, Michael learned more about general contracting and project management. Due to that gained experience, he attracted the attention of area construction leadership, and was recruited to join the Alexander Nicholson team again in 2015, this time as a Project Manager.

In conversation with him, Michael said, “At Alexander Nicholson, everyone is given the opportunity to have their thoughts and ideas considered while always strategizing with the rest of the team to choose the best action or direction to take. I specifically enjoy contributing thoughts from others and the challenge of my own ideas. This helps me to realize other perspectives, other ways to achieve the same goal, and where my processes can continually improve. It keeps us balanced, open and aware. Many minds and perspectives are far better than one and together we all keep each other moving forward.”

Outside of work Michael wears many hats. As a single dad, he spends a lot of time with his pre-teenaged daughter. Passionate about the design and fabrication of off-road vehicles, Michael also helps develop and manage successful off-road events all along the east coast. Like many people who work in construction, Michael is continually working through projects at his own house. On top of that, Michael works with a local horse barn to develop skills with roping and riding in a western saddle. He has also been a consistent help to the Building Goodness Foundation. BGF is a nonprofit that builds schools, health centers, and homes in the U.S. and developing countries. Michael has volunteered with the organization leading building trips in Haiti and in other developing areas. In addition to volunteering, Michael is also a member of the board of directors of BGF. He calls the volunteer experience life-changing: “I spend a lot effort in my own personal growth and development and in life as well as in my career. I enjoy helping others in their projects, being around good people and having new experiences.”

Renovation of Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville

If you have had the chance to drive or walk down Preston Avenue between 2017 and early 2020, you may have noticed three phases of renovations that occurred at the Trinity Episcopal Church.

The first phase consisted of Alexander Nicholson completing the exterior grading, and adding a retaining wall to create an outdoor worship area, along with an addition of a new playground. This phase was a huge transformation for the church and had the added benefit of solving the many water runoff issues that the church faced for years.

The second phase included a complete refitting of the exterior finishes on the church. All exterior siding, windows, gutters, roofing, painting, exterior HVAC units, and flashings were replaced. During this phase, Alexander Nicholson also completed an upfit of the inside of the statuary steeple.

The third and most recent phase, completed in December of 2019, was the expansion of the sanctuary. The sanctuary was extended out into what was the Narthex, allowing additional seating for up to 50 people. The front porch was enclosed to create the new space for the Narthex as well as entry into the church. There were a lot of design challenges with creating structure for the new extensions and removing bracing walls to open the spaces up.

Garrett Irwin of Alexander Nicholson was the site superintendent, who worked with architects Jim and Cathy Loman. Together they worked very closely to find solutions to challenges in order to keep the project moving progressively forward. Pastor Cass Bailey was involved in all phases and was great to work with throughout the whole project process.

Alexander Nicholson Responds to COVID-19 Outbreak

Dear Customers and Friends,

As always, we put the health and safety of the Alexander Nicholson team and our customers above all else. Due to the ongoing threat posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, we want to share that we have put additional measures in place.

• Alexander Nicholson team members have been instructed to stay home in the event that they are sick, have a sick family member, or have been exposed to someone who is ill.

• Team members have been provided safe, thorough hand washing instructions.

• Job sites have been supplied with sanitizing spray and a handwashing station.

We are following protocols outlined by the CDC and regional health guidelines. We continue to monitor this quickly evolving situation and will notify you of any changes.

We are grateful to all our customers and partners. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Allan Pettit and Dan Fagan

Alexander Nicholson Completes Stone Barn Renovation In Time for Wedding

A barn built of stone can make for a gorgeous wedding venue, if only the owner has the vision. Our team of professionals used their skill, talent, and a lot of time to work within the client’s budget and made that vision a reality.

Alexander Nicholson was engaged to renovate such a barn, one built in Albemarle County around the turn of the 20th century. Formerly a horse barn, it originally had a second floor and hay loft. With these removed, the crew began work with a stone barn open floor to ceiling.

This project had a very short turnaround time, and a firm deadline, as the space was to be used for an upcoming wedding. In three and a half months, the team added all utilities to support the barn’s future use as a winery, as well as preparing it to be a stunning wedding venue. A large and highly skilled carpentry team worked 55+ hour weeks during the allotted time, bringing in subcontractors, all of whom put in great effort to pull this project off in time. At the end of the build, there were just two nail-biting days left until the wedding ceremony. The clients were thrilled with the end result.

David Williams of Alexander Nicholson was the site superintendent, who worked with drive and commitment to complete this project on time. David worked closely with Robert and Cecelia Nichols from Formwork Architecture to implement the design intentions.

Historic Renovation: Charlottesville Builder Transforms Vintage Carriage House

In collaboration with Bushman Dreyfus Architects, Alexander Nicholson worked to transform a vintage carriage house into stunning guest quarters. A three-bay garage with a storage loft became a finely appointed home office, home gym, full kitchen, full bath, and luxurious living area. Guests can exit through a folding 13’ door to a limestone terrace overlooking an exquisite infinity pool.

Project supervisor Stuart Squire said, “This project was rewarding as heck and fun to create. I feel very fortunate and take great pride in being able to work with our own local, highly-skilled trade and design people to put in place the fine finishes on this carriage house.”

Building from a balloon-framed garage, the team maintained the vintage exterior’s charm while adding an interior element of modern comfort and luxury.

Local Firm Chooses Charlottesville Builder for Downtown Office Addition

When Indaco Risk Advisors wanted to grow their downtown Charlottesville business, they turned to local builder Alexander Nicholson to add an addition onto their already-coveted address. Since there was nowhere to go but up, Alexander Nicholson worked with Wolf Ackerman to design a second floor that would be a seamless addition to the single-floor offices already occupied.

The newly added 2,300 s/f space includes 10 private offices, a conference room, and a second-floor patio.  Unique interior features of the new space include the creation of an open-air internal staircase and 12’ floor-to-ceiling windows in each office, providing the Indaco staff with much natural light.  The exterior consists of Resysta cladding, a bio-based wood substitute that offers the warmth and feel of wood, but the sustainability and durability of hardwood.

Indaco is pleased to be settled in and using their new office space, which was completed in November 2019, well before the end of the year.

Stuart Squire: Long-Term Employee Enjoys Giving Back

Stuart Squire has been with Alexander Nicholson for more than 25 years. Stu started with the company in 1994 as a journeyman carpenter. Before that, he lived in Massachusetts where he owned a small construction business.

Stu says he enjoys working with local nonprofits. “I’ve been fortunate to be involved with projects that have very much been in line with my personal values. I’ve worked with interesting people and for worthwhile endeavors.”

 “I thrive when I’m working with a team of committed peers. It’s great to be competitive in a good, spirited kind of way,” he said.

When he’s not at work, Stu likes to dance, listen to music, work out at the gym, and spend time outside hiking and bike riding with his partner, Dawn. Stu also enjoys volunteering with Alexander Nicholson’s community partner, Building Goodness Foundation.

Dawn Anderson and Stuart Squire

Live Arts: Renovation to Improve the Patron Experience

Alexander Nicholson is beyond thrilled to sponsor Follies at Live Arts! The Tony-award winning musical runs October 4 – 27, 2019.

Live Arts is a long-term community partner of the Alexander Nicholson family. In 2014, we worked with Bushman Dreyfus Architects to complete a dramatic renovation that improved the patron experience. Among the improvements were renovation of the box office, relocating the concessions, and enclosing and creating the Third Floor Terrace “sky bar” space. Our renovation of the stairs became the focal piece of the space today. In the lobbies, we completed visual, lighting, and acoustic upgrades, and patrons have enjoyed the line of sight and lighting improvements in the Downstage Theatre.

Each season, we encourage everyone to go to Live Arts for an excellent evening of entertainment, right in downtown Charlottesville.

See you at the show!

Historic Renovation: Replacing the Roof and Balustrade of the Bremo Bluff Plantation

Bremo Plantation: beautiful, historic, and rare. The estate covers more than 1,500 acres in Fluvanna County, Virginia. It’s origins link to the master joiner, John Neilson, from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Overlooking the James River, it is a rare property of its era, still owned by the family that built it in 1745.

Alexander Nicholson specializes in historic renovations and has built a reputation for care and expertise when faced with a project such as the Bremo Plantation house.

Alexander Nicholson project manager Martin Quarles said, “All the work was completed from the roofline up. The building had never before had a gutter system and because of that, had suffered from moisture issues. We took the roof water and got it away from the house and created gutters that are invisible from the ground level. The house is now drier and happier than it has ever been.”

The whole project included replacing the roof and skylights, rebuilding the chimneys, designing and building a new water drainage and gutter system, and rebuilding the ornate balustrade that surrounds the roof. An immense amount of woodworking was part of the renovation, when work on the exterior was complete, it was protected with a fresh coat of paint.

“This was a great, cooperative endeavor. We had a small, tight-knit team of five working well together over nine months. The owners were very happy with the end result,” said Quarles.

Restoration Redux of Kirklea at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ivy, Virginia

Twenty-two years ago, Alexander Nicholson oversaw the renovation of a Victorian house located next to St. Paul’s Church in Ivy. At that time, the church was converting the property into offices and needed to rework the space to make it comfortable and efficient.

In 2018, St. Paul’s church came calling again, this time for a more significant redesign and renovation of the house. The most recent improvements include replacing the roof, upgrading the heating and air conditioning, finishing out the unused space on the third floor, and installing a copper roof built to last for a hundred years. The project took about 10 months to complete.

“The history of the house is interesting – it was the home of the Archdeacon Frederick Neve who had it built in 1904. Many years later when the house was for sale, a parishioner of the church bought it and gifted it to the church,” said Quarles. “The Episcopal church has called on us multiple times for projects and we, along with Train Architects, have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the people, there.”

Kirk Train is the architect for this project. Train and Alexander Nicholson have partnered on many projects with St. Paul’s, including the renovation of the main parish hall over 20 years ago.

Project in Progress: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

Project: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

History: Alexander Nicholson built the priory for the Dominican friars, including a private chapel and a residence across the street from the church. They also built the Charlottesville Catholic School.

 Architect: Cram & Ferguson and Train Architects

 Alexander Nicholson Superintendent: Calvin Johnson

A/N started a unique and impressive project last year—St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. This extraordinary structure is 16,000 square feet, with buttresses, archways, a brick dome, and every ecclesiastical finish imaginable. The first thing people notice as they drive by or walk up to the project is the grand copper cupola. It’s quite beautiful, and is extraordinary when the sun hits it.

We are currently nearing the halfway point in the project and are working on the framing for the interior arches. The arches will be made using gypsum fiberglass-reinforced drywall. Not only is it less heavy than stone, while still maintaining the same look and feel, it is also less expensive.

 The project design is full of details and finishes that work together to make a magnificent and breathtaking building. The finished building will have a plaster ceiling covered in stars, stained glass windows in the transoms, ornate tile floors, Italian marble furnishings, and woodwork handcrafted in Columbia. And, to fill the church with song, a vintage pipe organ, purchased with funding from an anonymous donor, will be installed.

 The project offers interesting and exciting challenges, all of which are opportunities to learn. These challenges include the construction of Lombard arches and laying complicated brickwork like that found in Romanesque architecture. The framing and brickwork at the dome may be the most complicated Alexander Nicholson has ever undertaken.

“Of all the projects I’ve worked on, this one is by far the fanciest,” project superintendent Calvin Johnson said. “It’s going to be a beautiful church and good for the public—maybe more people will go.”