We recently celebrated the completion of a new project at Cheyenne’s Laramie County Community College: The George and Mary McIlvaine Plaza!
A pedestrian plaza in the heart of the LCCC campus, this new addition includes:
- Decorative concrete
- Veneer wall
- Stone seating
- Pergola
- New lighting and landscaping
- Fire pit area with seating
- Poured concrete amphitheater stage
When it came time to pour the amphitheater stage, we were excited for the challenge ahead of us and for a new opportunity to put our “oh, yes, we can” motto to work.
Following the architect’s design, the stage was made of three circular tiers, with the very top level showcasing a unique radius design. (We’ll tell you more about how we created that a little bit later.)
To begin, we created custom forms into which to pour the concrete:
We then poured the concrete using what’s called a “monolithic pour,” which means that the concrete for both the top and the bottom of the stage was poured at the same time.
Once the concrete had set in the forms long enough that it could stand on its own, we removed the forms and began the facing process—which is a lot like you’re frosting a cake!
Now, let’s talk about the creative way we went about making the pattern on the top level.
To match the architect’s vision, we first created a custom design template that matched the radial design in the architect’s drawings. To bring that pattern to life and produce the final design, we followed the template’s lines with a demolition saw.
The George and Mary McIlvaine Plaza was completed in early October, then dedicated at a ceremony on October 18 with the McIlvaine family in attendance.
Along with the Flexible Industrial Technology building and Clay Pathfinder building, the George and Mary McIlvaine Plaza is the LCCC campus’s third addition to Wyoming’s “Art in Public Buildings” project. As explained on the Wyoming Arts Council website, “Art in Public Buildings” is a legislation stating that “one percent of construction costs of new, state-owned buildings is to be utilized for placing artwork in the public setting, helping to beautify our public buildings and draw attention to the wealth of artist experience within our region.”
All elements of the plaza were designed to adapt to the extremes of Wyoming weather, which means that this beautiful new campus addition will be hosting LCCC’s students, alumni, and visitors for decades to come.
To see more of our team’s work around Cheyenne and across the region, visit https://www.reimancorp.com/projects/