projects.
in case you missed us in the news...
here are highlights from various projects that albs completed in the Austin area.
Building upon it’s reputation in the University of Texas community, ALBS was recently selected to be a contractor of record with yet another UT sorority house, Kappa Alpha Theta. The decision came after ALBS responded to some electrical and holiday lighting issues by recommendation from the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority house. In short order, the problems were corrected and ALBS was then sought after to provide expert opinion toward other potential work regarding house improvements. Current plans involve electrical, plumbing, and outdoor stone patio work to be completed by ALBS, with Summer plans to revamp part of the house to prepare for the fall RUSH season. ALBS works with many prominent sorority and fraternity houses and has a special unit of service technicians designated to the UT area.
kappa alpha theta
welcoming another UT sorority
2401 pearl street
exterior lighting project
property transformation for local celebrity doctor
Dr. Neel Ware, Georgetown
ALBS stepped in to add lighting to one of Austin’s nicest homes. Dr. Neel Ware contracted with ALBS to add outdoor and effect lighting to his home in Georgetown. The Spanish-styled villa home rests on a sprawling property with a beautiful arrangement of trees and natural features. Dr. Ware has also done a wonderful job of decorating the property with western-styled elements, pathways, foliage, and large stones. ALBS was brought in to add that final touch of illumination technology to bring everything to life. ALBS performed a Light Survey and Engineering Plan which laid out a plan to utilize a combination of low-voltage and LED mood lighting on both ground features and within specific tree sections across the property. The choice was made to migrate to the cutting edge LED lighting for the trees rather than the traditional mercury vapor lighting due to the fact that by 2016, mercury vapor light elements will no-longer be manufactured in the United States due to the environmental impact their internal gases cause. However, the hard truth is that no other light element currently looks as pure and natural as the beautiful moonlight glow that mercury vapor lights emanate. So, ALBS put their expertise to the test and tested out multiple system configurations that ultimately combined the efficiency and power of LED lighting, along with the proper kelvin ratio for light purity and coverage, to come up with a LED Tree Light System that mirrored the beauty of mercury vapor systems. The results speak for themselves - another amazing example of light use at its best. The property radiates with a natural light and beauty, causing many neighbors to schedule their own appointments to upgrade their lighting schemes.
summer remodel
university of texas
ALBS completed a large-scale Summer construction project at Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority House at University of Texas. The project launched in May at the onset of the summer break and included major construction on the property including the installation of new interior fire controls and emergency sprinkler systems, new electrical, and a custom security monitoring system with complete portal security at every access point. The work necessitated over 100 cut-outs of ceilings, walls, and floors, with custom plaster and wall re-fabrication, paint and trim to bring the historical landmark back to it's original condition. AC and heating units were updated and reconfigured, the master electrical system was brought up to code, and the entire house was made ready for the upcoming fall semester.
ALBS managed the entire project while Western Fire Systems and Cochran's Security provided the applicable systems. The historical property required special permitting and inspections, and ALBS was happy to bring the project in under-budget and on schedule. Zeta also signed a Maintenance Agreement with ALBS for the on-going care of the property as the first-call contractors for all systems.
zeta tau alpha
the domain
lighting the domain for the holidays
austin, tx
ALBS made the holiday season a little more cheery as the team was selected to install the holiday lighting for the entire Domain Shopping Compound. ALBS partnered with Dennington Decor Holiday Lighting, a business that solely focuses on holiday and event lighting. For the past 4 years, ALBS and Dennington Decor have teamed up to provide Austin and the surrounding region with the best holiday lighting for both residential and commercial properties. This year, The Domain was added to the growing list of prominent clients. Plans called for lighting all streets with hanging bright white and red C-9 stands, as well as all the light poles and trees in the center courtyard. Additional lighted Christmas Trees included the Snoopy White Tree in the Center Courtyard and of course... the Macy’s Christmas Tree which is always a crowd favorite.
macy's
holiday christmas tree
the domain
Happy Holidays Austin. The Macy’s Christmas Tree is now officially lit up and open for viewing. ALBS and Dennington Decor was contracted by the Domain to build and light the Macy’s Christmas Tree in time for the Parade of Lights and the official Tree Lighting Ceremony. At over 50 feet tall and consisting of truck-loads of steel, branches, giant ornaments, and lighting, putting together the entire tree was quite the undertaking. Expert climbers, electricians, and mechanical installers collaborated throughout the entire process which took over a week to complete. The teams utilized heavy lighting equipment and adhered to all safety precautions available. Through rain, freezing cold, and unexpected power outages, Dennington and ALBS braved every challenge to get the tree ready in time for the enjoyment of all the mall-goers. Chris Flores, Managing Partner at ALBS explained, “Seeing the happy faces on the children and other attendees at the Tree Lighting Ceremony was very special to us. We worked through some challenging circumstances on this project, but in the end, we’re all smiling.”
Come see the lights, children's holiday train, and the Snoopy and Macy’s Christmas Trees this holiday season at the Domain and share your smiles with us. Happy Holidays Everyone!
Our list of valued clients includes:
The University of Texas
Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority
Pi Beta Phi Sorority
Alpha Delta Pi Sorority
Alpha Epsilon Phi Soroity
Kappa Theta Sorority
UT Campus & Maintenance
Restaurants, Bars, & Venues
Los Canarios Fine Dining
Shotguns On 6th
Kung Fu Saloons (Austin, Dallas, Houston)
The Brew Exchange
The Winflo Osteria Restaurant
Notable Austinites
Mack Brown
Lance Armstrong
Matthew McConaughey
Martie Maguire - Dixie Chicks
The Honorable Penne Peacock
Bob Cole - Voice of the Longhorns
JB & Sandy of 94.7 Radio
Bill Little - Special Asst. to Mack Brown
Plus hundreds of fine residences!
Commercial & HOA's
Simon Properties
The Domain
Lakeline Mall
International Biomedical
Falcon Crest
Terravista
1st State Bank
Weekly Homes Corporate Ctr
Los Canarios Restaurant
11200 lakeline mall drive, suite EU01
lakeline mall
ALBS is proud to announce that the 8 month project to build the cornerstone fine dining restaurant at the Lakeline Mall is now finished and Los Canarios Fine Dining is now open for business. ALBS was selected last February to manage the entire commercial construction project with a budget of several hundred thousand dollars. The project was a complete build-out within the Simon Mall Property located in the prime space directly across and above the movie theaters. Architectural plans included every facet of construction, including new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and a total redesign of the space itself. “We knew going into the project that it would be challenging due to the current dilapidated condition of the space and of the sheer scope of the build-out. However, we were excited about the opportunity because that is what our company is all about - solving problems,” comments Daniel Wade, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ALBS.
The scope of the project required new mechanical systems for hood vents, coolers, kitchen and ansul systems, and complete fire controls and sprinklers. An entire electrical overhaul was performed which included running wire for new circuits as well as custom lighting. Plumbing initiatives included rebuild of existing drainage systems that were underground and had to be accessed via the roof of the movie theaters below the restaurant. The entire storefront was redone and new signage was installed onto the mall exterior buildings. The interior design called for the highest quality materials including natural granite counters, custom cut glass divider walls, brushed stainless steel railings, new designer bathrooms, 100+ lights across the ceiling, and custom tile flooring with a water-tight membrane. Los Canarios offers a fine Mexican dining experience that includes a beautifully designed atmosphere, a comfortable live music lounge, a full bar with wine and speciality liquors, and private dining areas. The chefs prepare the highest quality food from authentic homemade recipes in the most technically-sophisticated kitchen to offer a truly unique and pleasant dining experience.
shotguns bar
503 east 6th street
newest live music venue on 6th street
The Shotguns on Sixth Street Live Country Music Bar was a rush project from beginning to end. When Nick K, the bar’s owner began contemplating whether or not to purchase the business (formally called The Whiskey Room) and transform it into the kind of place that 6th Street was lacking, he knew that timing would be critical. Nick explains, “Taking on the huge task of tearing down and rebuilding the business into our vision would require a very compressed schedule in order to be open in time for the Fall, so I called upon Daniel and Chris from ALBS to take charge of the project.” ALBS jumped on board and developed a rush plan of action to demo the old bar and construct new mechanical, cooling, plumbing, and a total remodel of the bar from floor to ceiling. “It was a challenge to squeeze in all the custom carpentry along with necessary build-outs of all the systems due to our short window. In the end, we had to work around the clock up to and including the Opening Day, but we got it done and it looks great,” comments Daniel Wade of ALBS. The end result is a country styled live music bar that showcases top musical acts every Wednesday through Saturday, in an open, comfortable setting, featuring affordable drink prices and a lively atmosphere. In fact, after only 3 weeks in operation. Austin City Limits nominated Shotguns for the Best Live Music Venue on 6th Street. Go down and see for yourself, and let them know that Chris and Daniel sent you. Nick and Gabe will be happy to see you!
the winflo osteria
1315 west 6th street
lighting up 6th street
Austin’s 6th street certainly has its share of iconic locations and images, so standing out from the crowd is what every 6th street business is striving to do. When plans were laid to build the new Winflo restaurant on the west end of 6th Street, they had one unique advantage on their side; namely a huge great Oak tree directly in front of their property. This amazing tree offered shade across a 100 foot area and spanned over 6th street itself. Already a formidable sight to behold, the question was what to do with it.
Enter Austin Lighting and Building Solutions. Winflo contracted ALBS to transform the tree into an illumination marvel that would become the signature visual associated not only with the location, but also the branding for the Winflo Restaurant itself. The idea was to install enough lights in the tree to make it stand out and help brand the restaurant. “This was a great canvas to work with, given the tree’s size and breadth, however it was also a huge challenge and one that required a great deal of electrical and tree climbing expertise,” explains Chris Flores, Managing Partner of ALBS, “Needless to say, as experts in lighting and high places, we welcomed the opportunity.”
Typically, the option would be to install directional mercury vapor down and up, lighting in strategic locations around the tree. This would provide a moonlight glow across the ground as well as the tree itself, a very attractive effect. However, Winflo wanted something truly remarkable and different, so it was decided to completely wrap the enormous tree in high output cool LED lights. This effect is traditionally used for holiday lighting whereby several (in this case hundreds) of light strands are wrapped tightly around the main truck and limbs of the tree. With a tree this large and grand, this posed even more of a challenge, since the tree branches and limbs spanned over a hundred feet covering most of the property front and well out into the street.
Given the height and sheer number of branches, it would take expert climbers and electricians to create the desired effect. After a month of work, dozens of electrical connections, an upgraded circuitry system, and thousands of LED lights installed, the result is undeniably spectacular. The Winflo Tree glows with such radiance that it dominates the landscape and can be seen blocks away while driving down 6th Street. The tree now joins the list of Downtown Austin’s Places to See! The charm and ambiance of Winflo’s unique dining is certainly one every Austinite and visitor should truly experience for themselves.
