Hawkins Residential Tower

Garmon and Company

Charlotte, NC

Completed: 12/15/24

As the flooring contractor on the Hawkins Residential Tower project, we faced extreme challenges that tested our expertise, adaptability, and commitment to delivering high-quality craftsmanship. With Fuse partners Daltile, Bentley, and EcoSurfaces, we successfully installed flooring across a site riddled with logistical, environmental, and coordination difficulties. From uneven subfloors requiring extensive prep work to trades working simultaneously in confined areas, we had to execute our installations with precision under demanding circumstances. The lack of proper lighting added another layer of complexity, forcing us to develop temporary lighting solutions to ensure accuracy. Additionally, nearly every one of the 96 unique room configurations required tailored installation approaches, while frequent damage from overlapping trades meant we had to repair our work without compromising the schedule.
Beyond these obstacles, moving materials and mobilizing crews up and down the tower proved exceptionally difficult due to restricted elevators, buck hoist, and stairwell access, leading to lost productivity hours and requiring strategic staging solutions. The EcoSurfaces installation in an amenity space presented additional hurdles, including incomplete electrical boxes, unconventional transitions, and ongoing work by other trades. Despite these roadblocks, our team executed a flawless flooring installation that met the designer’s vision and functional needs. Through meticulous planning, creative problem-solving, and continuous communication, we overcame some of the toughest site conditions we have encountered to deliver a durable, high-quality flooring system.

The interior space challenges at Hawkins Residential Tower significantly impacted every stage of the flooring installation, from preparation to execution and follow-up. One of the most demanding issues was the uneven subfloors, which required extensive grinding, leveling, and patching before we could begin installing Bentley carpet and Daltile porcelain tile. This additional prep work not only extended the installation timeline but also required careful coordination with other trades to ensure accessibility and efficiency.
Another major challenge was the high congestion of trades working simultaneously in confined areas, leading to frequent interruptions and the need for continuous adjustments. In many cases, completed flooring sections were damaged by overlapping work, requiring unexpected repairs that strained both labor and schedule commitments. The lack of proper lighting further complicated installation, making it difficult to achieve precision without developing temporary lighting solutions that mimicked final conditions.
Additionally, the 96 unique room layouts demanded a custom approach for nearly every flooring transition, requiring our team to adapt on the fly while maintaining quality control. Moving materials up and down the tower was another persistent obstacle, with limited elevator, buck hoist, and stairwell access creating bottlenecks that resulted in lost productivity hours. In the amenity space, the EcoSurfaces installation presented its own set of issues, including incomplete electrical work, challenging transitions between materials, and continued disruptions from other trades working over unfinished flooring.
Despite these hurdles, Garmon & Company successfully navigated these challenges through strategic planning, proactive problem-solving, and strong communication.

Fuse Suppliers:

Daltile

Bentley

EcoSurfaces

Nancy Thiel

Founder + Principal

Thiel Architecture + Design

Nancy Thiel, founder and principal of Thiel Architecture + Design, is a licensed architect and an interior designer. With 40+ years’ experience working with luminaries in the architecture world, including Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern, and Rockwell Group, where she served as a studio leader, Thiel’s extensive portfolio includes single-family homes and multi-story residences, hotels, restaurants, retail, fitness clubs, offices, theaters, schools and shopping centers. She is a member of the AIA, holds NCARB certification and is a LEED accredited professional. Prior to her career in architecture, Thiel was a dancer and choreographer.

Thiel Architecture + Design is an award-winning multi-disciplinary architecture, interior design, planning, and product design firm with offices in CT and NY. The firm’s work focuses on high-end residential design as well as hospitality, contract, and retail projects. Thiel Architecture + Design’s work has been featured in Interior Design, Architype, New York and Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, Connecticut Magazine, Archello, and Fast Company magazines. In 2022, the firm received a Connecticut AIA Excellence award for Interior Architecture. Thiel earned a BA from Penn State University and her Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University.