Methodist Celina – Celina, TX
This project was a true test of execution under pressure—and a demonstration of what is possible when expertise, resolve, and partnership come together.
We were awarded this large-scale new construction flooring project, valued at over $1 million, on November 21, 2024. By early January, with a fixed completion date at the end of February, it was clear that the schedule left no margin for error. When we first mobilized on site, it immediately became apparent that the concrete substrates required extensive leveling and preparation before any flooring installation could responsibly begin.
The General Contractor elected to assign the floor preparation to the concrete contractor. After nearly two weeks, we were notified that the floors were “ready.” Upon walking the freshly topped surfaces in mid-November, it became unmistakably clear that the preparation was catastrophically failing. Hollow areas were present throughout the second and third floors, cracking had already begun, and the substrate was structurally unsound for flooring installation.
At that point, we made the difficult but necessary decision to refuse installation. Proceeding would have compromised the integrity of the finished floors and the long-term performance of the building. Recognizing the severity of the situation, the General Contractor approved a change order exceeding $1 million for us to completely remove and redo the floor preparation—without any extension to the mid-of-February deadline due to TDH inspection.
With the clock already against us, we partnered immediately with Schönox to engineer a solution for more than 52,000 square feet of failed substrate. What followed was an extraordinary effort. We mobilized a crew of 22 skilled installers working 16-hour days, executing demolition and placing more than 6,000 bags of Schönox self-leveling underlayment in an aggressive, highly coordinated operation. Schönox stepped up as a true partner, providing technical support and materials at a pace that matched the urgency of the situation.
And that was only the beginning.
With very little time remaining before TDH inspection, our team ;mobilized to install the following—without compromise to quality or safety:
Against overwhelming odds, the project was completed on time.
What began as a failing substrate and an immovable deadline became a defining example of execution beyond expectations. This project stands as proof that even when conditions deteriorate beyond conventional understanding, the right team, the right partners, and the right leadership can deliver results others would deem impossible.
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.
