Industry Updates
Giffin Interior & Fixture, Inc. Helps Prestigious Pennsylvania Resort Earn Elite Five-Diamond Status
Contractor: Giffin Interior & Fixture, Inc.
Client: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Project Type: Architectural Millwork
In the heart of the western Pennsylvania mountains is Falling Rock Hotel at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. It’s not just a hotel, but one of only 151 establishments nationwide that the American Automotive Association dubs as top-of-the-line. In fact, the American Automotive Association cites Falling Rock among its 2007 hotel and restaurant Five-Diamond recipients, placing the hotel in the same company as New York City’s Four Seasons and the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Judges look for “luxurious surroundings,” the type of architectural woodwork surroundings created by Giffin Interior & Fixture, Inc. Giffin performed a variety of the decorative and functional work that is prevalent throughout the hotel, including the restaurant, locker rooms, pro shop, and foyer. Some of the more challenging aspects included a display wall with built-in fiber optic lighting, cherry lockers used by members of the Professional Golfers Association, ornate trim, and a display case for memorabilia of golf legends Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods.
“Nemacolin Woodlands was very demanding about the quality of work to be performed, considering that the hotel would welcome clientele from the Professional Golfers Association and guests that have traveled to high class resorts around the world,” said Gordon Giffin, owner of the architectural millwork company.
Meeting High Expectations
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is a distinctive, multi-faceted resort. It hosted the 2005 Professional Golfers Association 84 Lumber Classic, and is recognized as one of the top 10 resorts in North America. When presented with the enormous amount of millwork for this project, Giffin Interior & Fixture, Inc. had to be certain that the work they performed would not only meet the tight building schedule, but would be to the quality standards of the Nemacolin Resort.
“The skill level of our crews gave us the expertise we needed to meet the high expectations of the client,” Giffin said. “Their training, professionalism and work ethic made this project a success.”
Giffin Interior’s scope of work for the project including three miles of trim, two sizes of lockers, benches, shelving, display cases, wine racks and a bar. All were done in cherry wood and were installed in various places throughout the hotel. Consistency and precision were essential to ensure continuity.
The Pro Shop
Giffin produced a free-standing cash wrap with display cases and shelving, as well as several wall merchandise displays and a central display. Each piece was prefabricated at the Giffin shop and brought on site to be installed.
The 84 Lumber Gallery Display Case
The gallery was designed as a showpiece for the outside of the pro shop and is built to contain pictures of past and present golfing greats. Giffin crews built and installed the cases separately from the doors, which had glass inserted onsite and were hung later. Crews also ran trim along the wall and across the display case, giving continuity to the pieces.
The Custom Benches
The bench units were built in several variations in multiple locations, such as a restaurant and the bar that Giffin Interior built. Other bench units were installed in the main lobby, both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, and other common areas.
The Bar Unit and Shelving
The bar unit was built at Giffin Interior’s shop and transported to the site. After placement, the brass foot rail and sink and bar fixtures were installed, as well as the granite countertop. The wood trim in the ceiling above the bar and the shelves behind were also fabricated and installed by Giffin.
The Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms
The largest scope of Giffin’s work was done in the men’s and women’s locker rooms. Giffin was responsible for building doors, cases, and benches for the two different sizes of lockers, as well as a number of vanity units that were at the ends of each row of lockers. There were also bench and television units, and trim on the walls, ceiling, and lockers. Giffin also built shelving and installed trim in the bathrooms in both locker rooms.
The Ceilings
Giffin was responsible for installing decorative trim almost 40 feet in the air in the building’s front canopy, and the men’s and women’s locker rooms. They also installed trim around the edges of the rectangular drop-ceilings located throughout the hotel.
Every piece in Falling Rock was custom fabricated by Giffin Interior and had to be completed and installed within three months. As Frank Martik of Martik Brothers Inc. said, “Even though we were under severe time constraints, the need is always there for a quality performance despite the circumstances. Giffin came through and did a fantastic job. We don’t even ask anyone else to do our casework.”
The most outstanding characteristics of this piece were the Frank Lloyd Wright-style attributes of the job. The use of cherry throughout the project kept with the Wright-inspired design, but also added a continuity that contributes to the terrific nature of the hotel.
“The design required all the pieces to be angular and pointed; there wasn’t a single radiused piece in the entire job, but I knew our crews had the training and skill level to complete anything that they were asked to do,” Giffin added.
“This is the type of project that has to be seen to appreciate the amount of work, time, dedication, and craftsmanship that went into every inch of Falling Rock,” Giffin said. “We are honored to be a part of this resort and to provide the skills that created such a wonderful and unique structure.”