2022 Elevation Awards Winner: Institutional
Technology Publishing Co. again partnered with the Commercial Painting Industry Association for the sixth annual commercial honors program, The Elevation Awards. For the first time since the program’s inaugural year, the competition underwent a restructuring, which involved redeveloping the program’s project categories and eligibility criteria.
This year’s group of outstanding projects completed between January 1, 2021, and July 15, 2022, recognized an impressive collective of not just commercial painting contractors, but also architects, interior designers, decorative artisans, manufacturers and suppliers throughout the industry.
In the coming weeks, PaintSquare Daily News will be highlighting this year’s winners in each category to celebrate commercial painting greatness. All winning projects are featured in the winter issue of Commercial Painting.
In the “Institutional” category, the award is given for the effective use of coatings and other substrate treatments to enhance the interior and/or exterior of an institutional structure. Examples include hospitals, healthcare facilities, educational facilities, schools and childcare.
Assessed by our panel of painting experts, the following project was awarded in the program’s “Institutional” category:
Palouse Discovery Science Center
Jesse Wiser of Wiser Painting shared that the work at the Palouse Discovery Science Center in Pullman, Washington, which was completed in August 2021, was the company’s largest undertaking at the time. Not only would crews be required to prep and paint the entire structure’s exterior, but they would also have to prep the front of the building for a mural.
The building had originally been used for a manufacturing company and was not aesthetically pleasing for a building that would one day house children and visitors eager to learn more about science. To achieve this feeling of excitement, the Center’s board landed on a bright yellow. Although the industry was battling an ongoing paint shortage, Wiser was able to work closely with two different coatings suppliers to complete the project, which took about 100 gallons.
Wiser shared in the company's submission form that the structure was “very weathered.” To get it to a condition suitable for coatings applications, crews cleaned and prepped the exterior surfaces using a 1-2-3 primer as a base for the top coat. In an effort to avoid any timeline issues with the muralist, crews focused first on the front and sides of the building. These were applied with a Gesso primer, as recommended and requested by the muralist.
The project was carried out in stages due to labor shortages. After the front and sides were completed, Wiser moved on to the back and even assisted in the repair of what was once a window, carrying out cement patchwork.
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Jesse Wiser of Wiser Painting shared that work at the Palouse Discovery Science Center in Pullman, Washington, which was completed in August 2021, was the company’s largest undertaking at the time. |
After the mural was completed, crews also spray-applied a clear protective coating to extend the life of the artwork.
“Our bold new exterior paint job has been transformative for our science center. Not only was the repair long overdue, but vibrant color(s) brought a sense of renewal and revitalization to our facility,” said Center Director, Meri Joswiak. “We knew it was going to be a challenge trying to find the right contractor to work with us on this project, and in the middle of a pandemic and supply shortages, but Wiser Painting was there with us every step of the way.
“As a small nonprofit organization, we relied on Wiser Painting's experience and guidance through this project to ensure we were sticking within our budget and timeframe for completion.”
Products utilized throughout the project included Benjamin Moore Regal Select Moorgard, Sherwin-Williams Pro Industrial DTM Acrylic, World's Best Graffiti Remover Muralshied and Zinsser 1-2-3- Primer.
