American Family Insurance, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is the nation’s 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group and ranks No. 311 on the Fortune 500 list. AmFam constructed an eight-story, 158,000-square-foot building in the Capital East corridor of its home city at an estimated cost of $55 million.

The new facility houses 300 employees, primarily from the company’s venture-capital, community-investment and digital-transformation divisions, along with its just-launched American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact. The institute uses entrepreneurial thinking, processes and partnerships to address social issues. Its specific focus is on entrepreneurs of color and female business owners, additionally providing support to entrepreneurship by youth and young adults.

H.J. Martin and Son participated in this unique project in multiple ways. Its personnel installed stunning wall tile, along with flooring products, over an eight-month period in 2018, using a crew of 4-8. It also was the largest installation of Tate® access flooring in company history – 119,000 square feet.

A company crew ranging from 4-18 personnel spent seven months (December 2017-June 2018) working on the large-scale installation of access flooring. Access flooring was installed on floors 1-9 of the structure, including the entirety of floors 2-8.

The tile work on this modern, environmentally sustainable project was performed with a significant amount of craftsmanship. Wall tile was utilized for the backsplashes; a handmade tile, its colors and design provided a dazzling look.

The tile installation was taken to the highest level in the facility’s three coffee bars. Fireclay Picket handmade tile was mixed and matched with two-color designs in each coffee bar. The tile installer meticulously placed each tile to create the design envisioned by the project architect.

Crossville Laminam large-format porcelain tile was installed in the lobby area and adjacent elevator banks for its sleek and striking, professional look. TransCeramica Pietra Di Basalto 12×24 porcelain tile with antimicrobial finish installed on restroom floors paired nicely with the Mosa Lines Mural tile on restroom walls, while Transceramica Stage 4×12 tile was utilized in water fountain alcoves.

The flooring installation also included a variety of Milliken carpet products, including vibrant colors in office areas and a Bohemian look in nearby collaboration areas. Walk-off carpet tile was utilized in the vestibule area to collect dirt, snow and salt before visitors arrive at the interior tiled lobby. J&J Invision carpet tile provided soothing colors to welcome those in front of the first-floor fireplace area.

Mannington® Aspecta 10, Freelay and Amtico luxury vinyl tile was installed in office corridors, coffee-bar areas and adjacent to the collaboration spaces. These LVT products provided a beautiful, industrial look which complements the building’s open ceilings and expansive windows offering views to the city.

Company flooring installers used the innovative step of on-site laptops and tablets containing architectural prints to quickly address questions/issues and changes with the project manager/estimator, affording the ability to provide answers in real-time.

Located in a heavily trafficked downtown area, not far from the Wisconsin State Capitol, delivery of materials to the job site on an almost daily basis had to be well planned. Superior coordination with the project manager, shipping companies and on-site supervisors ensured timely, seamless receipt of all materials.

The access-flooring crew had to stage materials to the upper floors using a crane since the building’s elevator was not in operation for most of the project. It also had to closely coordinate with the general contractor to ensure that other trades completed their work before the access flooring went in, which had to be installed efficiently to maintain an extremely tight work schedule.

The project, which incorporated WELL Building Standards®, is pursuing LEED certification.