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  • Architect Jenifer Weskalnies Named Principal

    ADM Group is proud to announce that our Director of Architecture, Jenifer Weskalnies, is now a Principal for the firm! Many of you know Jenifer and have experienced her uncanny ability to collaborate with our clients, bring clarity to their vision, and deliver a finished product that exceeds expectations. ADM Group’s co-founder, Ben Barcon, said it best: “Her creative thinking and technical expertise has helped ADM Group build a solid reputation for designing outside the box and developing long-term relationships.” Jenifer joined ADM Group in 2010 with an expansive background that included residential and commercial architecture, as well as time spent in a large commercial architecture firm. She is “passionate and proud” of her work which has recently included ADM Group’s nationally-recognized West Point High School, The Madison Center for the Arts and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Cultural Repository. We already know she’s a super-hero because she accomplished all this while raising two amazing boys, even serving as their Scout troop leader. Jenifer graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona College of Architecture and has accumulated a long list of credentials that follow her name (AIA, LEED AP, NCARB), along with an even-longer list of happy clients. She’s done both residential and commercial projects and holds practice licenses in Arizona, California and Texas. Her wide-ranging background is among the many reasons she was offered the opportunity to join our leadership team. Over the coming years, Jenifer will play a significant role as ADM Group continues to expand its regional business footprint and moves into new areas of practice, including aviation and solar sustainability. Please join us in congratulating Jenifer for all she has accomplished and for all the great work yet to come!

  • Using Technology to Create Spaces for the Future: Glenn Patterson, Associate AIA

    Glenn Patterson joined ADM Group five years ago to develop ADM Group’s BIM program. Since then, Glenn has created a department driven to push the limits of technology. "I am a very competitive person. I like to push the boundaries of our team and software to keep ADM Group at the leading edge." A lot of Glenn's competitiveness comes from the sports played while growing up. While attending Valley Union High School in Elfrida, Arizona, Glenn kept himself busy with both football and baseball. After graduating, he continued playing football at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, Arizona, while studying for his AAS Degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Technology. Recently, this competitive drive was utilized for Tolleson Union High School District's innovative high school of the future: West Point High School. "This project tested our team's capabilities. We provided design, renderings, and complete construction documents for the 310,000 square foot high school in under six months." ADM Group was able to meet this tight schedule by using a combination of software and knowledgeable staff. "Preliminary site plans and building layouts were done with AutoCAD. Revit was used to produce construction documents and rendering models. Lumion and Enscape 3D provide still renderings and video fly-thru of the full 69-acre site." All these tools allow ADM Group to complete fast track projects on time and on budget. Other technologies used by the team include Drones to see existing conditions before laying out a site plan. VR Headsets put clients into the space before drawings are completed, and custom-built BOXX computers keeps everyone working at lighting speed. "One of the biggest compliments I receive is that a project looks like it did when the client experienced seeing it in renderings, animation, or virtual reality." Glenn is happy with what he has helped build so far, but is excited for the possibilities that can be achieved! Implementing Dynamo and Generative Design could help unlock design options that may have never been considered in the past. "The best part of my job is being able to use technology to bring our client's vision to life." To see firsthand how a project transforms from design to reality, check out our Website, YouTube, and Kuula pages.

  • A New Elementary School for a New Type of Community

    Construction has begun on a new elementary school at the one-of-a-kind Union Park at Norterra Community. The unnamed 83,000 square foot school, known as New Elementary School #31, is located in the Deer Valley Unified School District. The 12-acre site school will serve 900 North Phoenix students from preschool through 8th grade. The programming and vision for this fast-track project began in March. ADM Group met the milestones needed by working not only with the school district, but the master-planned community, and developers. During the groundbreaking ceremony Jenifer Weskalnies stated, “This project could not have gotten to this point without the teamwork we had with the District, USAA, City of Phoenix, and Sunbelt Holdings.” Exterior building materials selected use integral color masonry with painted steel canopies. These materials were chosen purposely due to their longevity and low maintenance needs over time. The school is designed with four buildings located around a central coutyard. The design offerers plenty of outdoor spaces, including a dedicated Kindergarten playground, three exterior basketball courts, playfields, and a baseball and softball field. Other campus features include a media center, a multi-purpose building with space for both athletics and arts, a full-size indoor basketball court, and a performance platform. New Elementary School #31 is scheduled to open on July 2020.

  • West Point High School: It’s New, It’s Big, and It’s Amazing!

    It was only nine months ago that ground was broken for West Point High School in the Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD). Now, this innovative ‘high school of the future’ is open for business, welcoming its first classes of freshmen and sophomores. With 310,000 square feet and a budget of $108 million, West Point is among the largest high school projects ever undertaken in Arizona and is testament to the robust growth in the West Valley. ADM Group Principal Ben Barcon said, “What truly makes this energy-efficient campus remarkable is its innovative and forward-thinking approach to the educational environment. Its optimistic design places a priority on supporting the way today’s students think, study and perform.” From the moment you arrive on campus, you’re struck by the ‘wing’ design echoed throughout. It’s a tribute to the collaboration between TUHSD and Luke Air Force Base. Together with Luke, West Point will provide an academy with a rigorous curriculum that focuses on STEAM education – science, technology, engineering, art and math. The school’s Innovation Center, located at the heart of the campus, is perhaps the best example of what makes this school so different. The two-story open space is a multi-media environment that includes collaboration rooms and seating for individual study. WPHS students will also have space for career and technical education, participate in visual arts classes and create just about any science experiment they can imagine. Work on the project has been intense. During the design process, ADM Group generated 800 pages of architectural drawings in just 90-days. Construction on Phase II of the project has begun ahead of schedule and is expected to be complete in Spring 2020. As new freshmen classes join over the next two years, the school will ultimately serve 3,000 students. Chasse Building Team was ADM Group’s construction partner on West Point. The project was funded with a combination of voter-approved bonds and state backing provided through the School Facilities Board. 12 News Phase I Opening Video AZ Family Phase I Opening Video AZ Big Media Phase I Opening Article

  • Giving Back Spotlight: Jenifer Weskalnies, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

    One of ADM Group’s top priorities is to give back to the #community. Jenifer Weskalnies, our Director of #Architecture, embodies that practice through her work with the Grand Canyon Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Jenifer and her husband, Brian, first got involved when their oldest son joined a Cub Scout troop while in the first grade. She said, “Scouting is adventure, fun, character building, and helps boys become #leaders and grow into their very best future selves.” Jenifer is now a leader for her sons’ troop. There’s no doubt their involvement has had its positive effect. Oldest son Jonathan is about to start his senior year in high school and is an Eagle Scout – the highest rank you can achieve in Scouting. Benjamin, the younger of the two boys, is not far behind. He’s the assistant senior patrol leader in his troop and is a Life Scout – the second highest available rank. Jenifer added, “I enjoy working with the boys to help them advance.” Thanks, Jenifer, for all you do to help your Boy Scout Troop on their life journey of #leadership and #community involvement!

  • Growing Valencia

    You’re a child who just arrived in the U.S. from another country. You don’t know the language or the culture. But you do know how to dig, plant seeds, and make things grow. Put yourself in their shoes and it’s easy to see how wonderful it would be to do something familiar – like planting a garden – as you learn the language and traditions of a whole new place. That’s exactly the situation for the nearly 150 students attending Valencia Newcomer School in the Alhambra Elementary School District. The children, in grades 3 through 8, hail from 33 countries and speak 18 different languages. Each student spends a year at Valencia in an immersion program designed to quickly advance their language skills and help them acquire fundamental math skills. It’s also the reason ADM Group is so proud to have provided raised garden beds for Valencia’s recent Garden Build Day! That special day was the culmination of a successful, student-led effort to raise money to create the expanded garden area where they will grow a variety of vegetables and beautiful flowers. During the installation and celebration, the children danced, sang, planted seeds and helped move existing plants to the new beds. Valencia’s Director, Lynette Faulkner, expressed her gratitude to ADM Group and other donors for their support. “We super-appreciate the fact that you saw the vision that we saw, to have our garden be not only a place of peace and comfort, but also a place we can use as an outdoor learning experience for our children,” said Mrs. Faulkner. In just a few weeks, students will finish their year at Valencia and move back to their home schools in the Alhambra District where they will continue their studies in the Fall. We are deeply grateful to the Valencia students and teachers for the chance to help them thrive! #growingvalencia

  • Your Kids, Their Safety: National Construction Safety Week

    Every day, you’re thinking about your child’s safety – at school and everywhere else. It may surprise you to know that ADM Group, Inc., is thinking about it, too – whether school is in session or not. Design and construction of K-12 schools is the core of our business. During this national Construction Safety Week (May 6 – 10), we’re proud to share the fact that, over the past decade, we’ve successfully completed more than 175 projects on active campuses with 0 incidents or accidents. Keeping that streak going involves a methodical and meticulous planning process. The minute we start to scope a project, we’re already thinking about how we will minimize disruptions to learning, the timing (some projects are safer if they’re done after-hours or during breaks in the school year), and how we’ll keep kids and construction separate. For example, we may do a project in phases to ensure school can proceed on a regular schedule. We also use physical barriers like fencing so students can’t accidentally cross into an active work zone. Fences also help maintain physical and visual separation from construction workers. We may move classrooms into modular units. We always ensure parent and bus drop-off areas are secure and able to operate freely. Before a single shovel of dirt is turned, we know where construction workers will park and where materials will be safely and securely stored. We know how we’ll keep the lights on, maintain water and phone service, and ensure that when the heat is on, the air conditioning is working. If utility service must be interrupted, we work closely with school administration to coordinate those outages so they happen outside of instructional time. “Even with all that in mind, none of it will work without constant, 360-degree communication,” said ADM Group’s Principal Ben Barcon. “Delaying the learning process is unacceptable. We talk with principals and school district administrators, construction companies and subcontractors, and municipalities – often many times a day – to ensure students and school staff accomplish everything they need to do.” “Our goal always is to finish on-time and under-budget, and do it in a way that gives no parent a reason to worry. When their kids do well, we share in that sense of achievement!” Learn more about ADM Group, Inc.’s current projects at: https://www.admgroupinc.com/ontheboards.

  • Catholic Charities Breakfast

    Beautiful children singing “Baby Shark” isn’t typically part of a fundraising event (if you’ve never heard the fanciful fish tune, click here) – but there was nothing typical about Catholic Charities Third Annual You Make Miracles Happen Breakfast! ADM Group, Inc.’s Megan Griego emceed the event (and led the shark anthem, too) as nearly more than 250 people came together last week at Grand Canyon University’s Arena to raise awareness – and money – to support Westside Head Start. Every year, Westside Head Start (WSHS) and Early Head Start programs serve 1,100 impoverished and homeless kids ages zero to five years old, providing early education that sets a solid foundation for life success. WSHS’s holistic approach extends to the whole family, showing parents how to engage in a child’s education by reading and studying together. There’s also direct help for parents – WSHS connects them with job training and educational resources to assist in completing a high school GED, associate and bachelor’s degrees. As Megan put it, “Westside Head Start fills the gap between what school districts provide and what families need.” ADM Group was a proud sponsor of the You Make Miracles Happen event, and we’re equally proud to report it was a success! So far, Catholic Charities is more than half way to its goal of $90,000. All funds raised through this project will be used to expand WSHS classrooms. Catholic Charities President and CEO Paul Mulligan said, “At the moment, we have 19 locations spread across the West Valley. We’re adding more classroom space because the community need is so intense. Without the generosity of those who support us, we wouldn’t be able to sustain this program, let alone build it out.” Here’s the good news: there is still time to give! To do your part please visit https://www.catholiccharitiesaz.org/donate-to-wshs and make your gift.

  • Beam Signing at Arizona Desert Elementary School

    How do you get kids excited about an addition to their school? You host a beam signing ceremony! Students from Arizona Desert Elementary School in the Tolleson Elementary School District added their names to a construction beam in honor of a brand-new middle school classroom addition and renovations to their West Valley campus. It was an exciting day at this K-8 school as older students got the chance to make a presentation to younger students, sharing details and design renderings of the new 13,844 square foot space. Back in 2009, ADM Group began with expansion in mind. As they planned, designed, and handled construction administration on the original campus, they were already looking to the future and successfully planning for additions like the ones that are now underway. The contract for this latest work was awarded in July 2018 and it is moving fast – completion is expected in July of this year. Rytan Construction is the general contractor on the nearly $3.5 million project. Beam signings are an ADM Group specialty. The first was done in the 1970's when ADM Group Principals Ben Barcon and Nina Sheriff were at work on the Palo Verde Generating Station. Since then, it has become a tradition on nearly all our projects. Thanks to the students, teachers and administrators at Arizona Desert Elementary School – we had fun and hope you did too!

  • On the Boards: Sierra Linda High School Performing Arts Center

    In 2010, ADM Group designed the 55-acre Sierra Linda High School Campus in the Tolleson Union High School District. Located near Broadway and 67th Avenue, Sierra Linda serves nearly 1800 students in grades 9 through 12. The original design reserved space on campus for a Performing Arts Center. In February 2019, ADM Group was awarded the project and work has begun to create a 24,000 square foot space that will empower student performers to reach for the stars! It will also give the local community a place close-to-home to enjoy visual arts, music and dance. Once completed, the Performing Arts Center will seat 600 guests. The stage will include state-of-the-art LED lighting with automatic stage rigging and controls. The back of the house includes a dance classroom, a multi-purpose classroom for guitar, mariachi, and piano with associated restrooms and make-up rooms. Estimated completion date for Sierra Linda High School Performing Arts Center is December 2019. The neighborhood will soon start seeing this gorgeous building begin to rise from the ground!

  • ADM Group in the Community

    From our first day in business 25 years ago, ADM Group has known that an important part of our mission is to have a positive impact on the communities we serve. It’s why we put constant emphasis on supporting student projects, helping educators with their professional advancement, raising money for important educational projects and much more. In 2018 alone, ADM Group participated in more than 50 community groups, projects and fundraisers across Maricopa County and beyond. It’s all volunteer and it’s work we truly love! Here’s a look back at 2018: Student involvement Ben Barcon Scholarship, Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS) Career Fair, Tolleson Union High School District Treasure Box Donation, Tolleson Elementary School District Sponsor, BECS Kids Drive Sponsor, East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (EVHCC) Gala & Scholarships Wish Builders Fundraiser, Balsz School District Year-long Architecture Class for Students of Tempe Elementary School District; Supported Student-Designed Landscaping and Gardens for Tempe Residents Educator Support Donation to Establish Parent Teacher Organization, Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School Educator’s Salon Day, Littleton Elementary School District and Phoenix Elementary School District Fundraiser, Los Alumnos Professional Development Academy (Language and Cultural Immersion) Sponsor, Tolleson Union High School District Staff Training Sponsor, Teacher of the Year Dinner, Littleton Elementary School District Sponsor, Teachers’ Lounge/Monthly Events, Littleton Education Foundation Sponsor, Education Visionary Awards, Peoria Education Foundation Sponsor, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Reception Teacher Appreciation Breakfast, Phoenix Elementary School District Teacher Appreciation Week Breakfast, Tolleson Union High School District Staff Appreciation Day, Madison School District Staff Appreciation Lunch, Cartwright School District Bond Voters Support, Balsz School Dsitrct Community Involvement Fundraiser for MANA (Marines, Army, Navy, Airforce) House, Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) Sponsor, Haircuts for MANA House Veterans Sponsor, Shop to Give Sponsor, MAM (Military Assistance Mission) Freedom Breakfast MANA House and Donate Life Arizona Veteran’s Visit Volunteers for Bed Assembly, MANA House Other Donations & Sponsorships Homeless Youth Connections Future Business Leaders of America Holiday Turkey Donations for Sheely Farms Elementary School MANA House Christmas Donation Madison Dash to the Bash Arizona Interfaith Movement banquet AASBO Mixer/Sedona AZALAS Awards Banquet Balsz Education Foundation Beer & Wine Fest Best Buddies AZ Gala and Friendship Walk Catholic Charities Annual Breakfast Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN) Reception Monte Carlo Casino Night, Higley Unified School District Veterans Day Breakfast, Alhambra Elementary School District Tolleson Union High School District 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s Class Reunion Sporting Events Sponsorship and Involvement Arizona School Administrators (ASA) Golf Tournament Arizona Business and Education Coalition (ABEC) Golf Tournament, Balsz School District Sponsor, Fall Tasting Tour, Madison School District Sponsor, Bowling Tournament, West-MEC Sponsor, Bowling Tournament, Wolverine-Knight Education Foundation, Tolleson Union High School Golf Tournament Sponsors for: Deer Valley Education Foundation East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Kyrene School District Paradise Valley Unified School District Phoenix Elementary School District Queen Creek Unified School District Tempe Union High School District US Marshals Posse Alhambra Elementary School District Golf Tournament and Gala, Phoenix Union High School District Student Council Golf Tournament, Tolleson Union High School District Board & Committee Service Avondale Education Foundation Catholic Charities Community Partners for Tempe Schools, Co-chair East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Littleton Education Foundation Peoria Education Foundation Westside Head Start Advisory Board Phoenix One Education Foundation PV Schools Education Foundation Rio Salado College President's Advisory Board

  • What Does #morethan Have to Do with International Women’s Day?

    ADM Group, Inc. is constantly committed to doing #morethan – it’s our way of giving back to the neighborhoods and communities that support our work. And you may have noticed that when it comes to doing #morethan, women leaders at ADM Group lead the pack! On this International Women’s Day, we’re proud to honor these women who make a difference: Interior Designer Courtney Thompson does #morethan by keeping our deserts clear of trash through The GreenUp Foundation. Courtney also has a soft spot for pups, making sure sick, lost, surrendered or abandoned dogs get the care they need. For Senior Interior Designer Wendy Odom, children are her personal mission. Whether it’s classroom teaching, sharing her faith or working with Feed My Starving Children, she is committed to improving young lives. Megan Griego, ADM Group’s Client Relations rep, believes #morethan is all about the #powerofeducation. She’s on the governing board of the Avondale Elementary District plus two more education foundations. What drives her? “Keeping kids in school and helping them succeed!” Executive Assistant Mary Lou Ayre shows her #morethan mojo through her work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. For the past eight years, she has known the joy of making an enormous difference in a child’s life. At ADM Group, we’re especially proud that women make up 50% of our workforce and occupy two of our three Director roles. International Women’s Day is a global day of recognition and celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. On this special day, we salute the women who make a difference at ADM Group and in the world!

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