General Contractors for the Tarrytown Remodel
Four Corners was privileged to restore and remodel a local residential landmark in the famous Tarrytown area of Austin, TX.    Architect James O’Neil , President of J.P. O’Neil & Associates, of Austin, TX, was secured by the Owners to take on this ambitious project and come up with a plan to restore a grand old manor style house which was in desperate need of some tender loving care.   The home had been a one-owner home built around Pearl Harbor time, and the current owner had been pushed in a carriage back in forth in front of this house when she was a young child, so she and her husband bought this stately old house from the original owner and determined to breathe new life in the house and into the neighborhood.
O’Neil  was asked to see if he could restore the house back to its original glory, while opening it up and creating some more modern, up to date living areas.   Mr. O’Neil came through and the rest is history…come to life!
O’Neil completely re-designed the kitchen through demolition and new construction… increasing square footage and breathing in new life and style using unique finishes such as translucent glass tiles for backsplashes, a custom made copper and brass kitchen hood over new modern appliances, plenty of open workspace, modern controlled lighting, and classic original style wood casework.  Needless to say, the kitchen came to life yet maintained its old feel even with the most modern of features.  Congrats and thanks again to our great friend Jeff Steele of Steele Specialties for the great custom copper work!
O’Neil creatively brought sun light into the house through the unique use of Kalwall translucent stairwell wall panels, overhead sky-lighted clearstories, and new complex second story dormers in the new upstairs office, and well thought out circulation paths and light corridors.
There were also several additions to the house increasing its size and usability.  O’Neil added a screened in porch for leisure and outdoor activities.  He also expanded the existing garage making it into a new modern two car garage and maids quarters area.  A new additional upstairs office was created with additional access by a new stairwell to facility secondary fire egress and also to allow business clients to access the upstairs office area without entering “private family” areas.  A new automatic gated car entry and new stained driveway in the back of the house were added per Owner’s desire.  There was a complete reworking of the large spacious grounds and landscape in order to open the property up, giving it a more manicured but natural original look.  This kept the majestic street view from the front and side of the house unobstructed, clean, and like a step back in history.
Of course, budget was critical, and construction cost had to be accurately estimated then hit.  And as anyone knows, whenever you take on a project of this size and age, there will always be unforeseen conditions which surprise everyone and have to be overcome and/or adapted to.  In that regard, Mr. O’Neil writes: “ Four Corners actually uses professional project management methods combined with team oriented problem solving.  Their solution oriented support and respect for ‘all’ the design and construction team members allows us to deliver successful results to our clients in a joyful manner (mutual respect and honesty).”  It was joy to work with O’Neil & Associates on this project also, so thanks back to you Jim!
There are plenty of remodeling contractors out there, but attention to detail and the ability to quickly adapt to any situation, cooperatively work with the design team, then execute with the minimal of time and cost impact is especially important and hard to find in a new or remodel contractor.   Four Corners Construction, L.P. delivered all of the above, and we are proud of this historic and exceptional project.

Arguably, the most premier and hottest martini bar and lounge going is the exclusive Blue Martini.  With locations in Boca Raton, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa, Naples, and West Palm Beach, the Blue Martini Lounge has quickly become one of the most popular and most “in” places to be and be seen.  Four Corners Construction L.P. has worked from the beginning as General Contractor and Project Manager with Blue Martini CEO Mark Vasu, meticulously building each store to his demanding and exacting design criteria and needs.   Each individual Blue Martini lounge includes trademark design features such as the famous Blue Wall, their vividly glowing luminous ceilings, and the inviting Caribbean feel, yet each has its own unique characteristic and style fitting the local flavor or local.  With custom made wood casework throughout, expensive luminous stone counters and bar tops, relaxing lounge furniture, sensuous lighting, an incredible martini drink menu, and the most beautiful staff you have ever seen, Blue Martini lounges are anything but your typical local nighttime hangout.

As a nationwide licensed General Contractor, Four Corners Construction, L.P. serves the Blue Martini group all across the US with construction estimating, comprehensive breakdowns of construction costs, on site project management, and personal attention to construction schedule and product quality.    Blue Martini has come to trust Four Corners Construction, L.P. as their construction manager and we value that trust and do not take it lightly.

Building a Blue Martini demands a General Contractor who will aggressively take on the challenging designs and complex construction issues, yet is personal enough to sit down and listen to the creative and/or individual store needs.  4CC works hard keeping the client’s best interest always first.

Blue Martin has come to know 4CC as a dependable General Contractor who can flex with changing demands, who has proven to be consistent in meeting tough schedules and staying on budget, and who has the experience to work with and accommodate each varying and unique city and local requirement or obstacle.    4CC is also in for the long haul, working with the individual stores even after their grand openings, providing construction services for remodeling, maintenance, or simply making sure everything runs or is as up to date as possible.

Of all the construction jobs Four Corners Construction, L.P. is privileged to build, Blue Martini rates as one of the most fun and most rewarding.  We thank Mark and the Blue Martini group for the great relationship and we look forward to the next project.

Anthony Nak is a once in a life time construction project Four Corners Construction built which embodies the truth “Incredible things can come in small packages.”  Being the flagship jewelry store for the famous Anthony Nak Jewelers, this impressive 800 square foot work of art located in Austin, Texas, has won an incredible and impressive array of Architectural and design awards for Austin Architect M.J. Neal.   This one project has won a barrage of such prestigious awards as the 2004 Citation of Honor Award – AIA Austin Chapter, 2005 Design Award – Texas Society of Architects, 1st Place 2005 Couture International Jeweler Retail Design Award issued by National Jeweler and Couture International Jeweler publications, 2005 Interior Design Award from the International Interior Design Association, and the 2008 National Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture.  Needless to say, it was a privilege and honor to work with M.J. and his works reflects his unique and visionary brilliance.

For us as the General Contractor, this particular high-end retail store was a fast track project which demanded the best in construction management services by bundling a tightly controlled project schedule with the highest quality of unique custom fabrications, manufacturing, and finishes, which in the end, transformed an old existing small warehouse in the heart of downtown Austin, Texas into an exquisite high-end jewelry store like none other.

Four Corners Construction, L.P. is well known in the industry for specializing in high end finishes and providing the best in one-of-a-kind design construction, so this project was perfectly suited for Team 4CC.   The budget was limited and tight, thus accurate construction estimating by 4CC was very crucial due to fact many designs and concepts M.J. had for the store and its features were just that…concepts…concepts that had never been built.

Along with accurate construction estimating, came the incredible challenge of then keeping actual construction costs within the budget even though most features and interior pieces were prototypes demanding custom manufacturing processes.  However, everyone on the team saw the potential, bought in, and got on board making it happen on time and on budget.  Likewise, teamwork between the project management team and the architect was critical, and when all was said and done, both Contractor and Architect finished the project proud of the results and a lifelong friendship between the two was established.

Again, congratulations to Architect M.J. Neal for such an incredible design and achievement. Four Corners Construction, L.P. is honored to be chosen as the commercial Contractor bringing to life his dreams and ideas for this project.   4CC looks forward to working again with M.J. Neal and building another award winning, one-of-a-kind project.

Four Corners Construction again delivered the goods remodeling a custom home in the elegant hills of Austin, Texas, and in so doing, constructed a truly beautiful work of art.   Simply known as the Stonehedge Residence, this incredible project quickly became a benchmark of style and award winning design in the Architectural communities.
The Austin based firm Miro-Rivera Architects stylishly designed and transformed an already distinct custom home into a stunning and elegant re-creation meeting the stated needs of the client.    Four Corners Construction was the General Contractor and Construction Manager of this beautiful remodel, and proudly adds it to its already impressive stable of award winning projects.
The Stonehedge Residence was prestigiously awarded the 2006 Texas Society of Architects (TSA) Design Award, the 2007 AIA Austin Merit Award, and the 2008 Residential Architect Merit Award.   With this many awards, it’s easy to see why 4CC holds Miro-Rivera in the highest respect and looks forward to more projects with them.  Juan Miro and Miguel Rivera both are at the top of their game in their field, and one look at a list of their projects clearly shows why they are quickly becoming one of the most prominent and most respected Architects not only in Austin, but in the nation.  Every year it seems they garnish a lion’s share of awards and recognitions for their Architecture and design.  They are truly one of the most professional and complete Architects we’ve had the honor to work with.  The plans and specs they provided us were always at the highest level of accuracy and completion…something every General Contractor or Project Management team understands is a rare premium.   Professional, visionary, creative, unique, stylish, complete…this is Miro-Rivera Architects.
The Stonehedge Residence is a project which contains incredibly unique designs and creations.  The front door for example is a custom made pivoting steel door, clad on both sides with patina copper pipe tubing, and had built in its own custom made lock/latch mechanism.  This phenomenal door was made from scratch by artist and inventor Gary McFarland per the Miro-Rivera design criteria.  Our great friend and incredible natural metal artist Jeff Steele of Steele Specialties provided the copper cladding on both the front pivot door and the incredible 19ft tall fireplace in the Great Room.  Jeff also provided the metal roofing and siding.  Jeff is a long time go-to guy for copper and various metal projects, ranging from his metal work in the kitchen of our Tarrytown remodel, to the beautiful custom copper work in a ranch house north of Temple, TX we built, and to the huge copper clad multi-million dollar project we built in the Rob Roy On The Lake area.  The Stonehedge Residence is truly accented by Jeff’s work and we can’t say enough about him.  Besides that, he’s simply a great guy and always gives you more than you asked in quality, effort, and his own personal investment.
Home improvements come in various sizes and shapes, but this project gave a whole new meaning to the category “Remodel”.  The pictures on our website speak for themselves showcasing the beauty and elegance of this exquisite home.  We love the Owners and thank them along with Miro-Rivera for allowing us to be their builder and Contractor.

One of the greatest assets of a quality General Contractor, or any building contractor for that matter, is a clear clarity of purpose.  Without a purpose, or without a target, efforts are inefficient, success is unverifiable, and team members flounder and waste time not knowing exactly what they should be focusing on.   For any Contractor to survive today in this risky economy, clarity of purpose is extremely necessary, and even though the market may not be clear as to what area of construction will be profitable, there are some basic tools which need to be in any contractor’s toolbox in order succeed and have clarity wherever the market may lead.  A successful contractor needs to develop, incorporate, and maintain three basic skill sets in order to survive.  Those skill sets are: Construction, Communication, and Controls.  Sounds simple and obvious, but unfortunately, for many remodel or new construction contractors, it’s not so simple.
To most, the element or skill set of “Construction” may seem a no-brainer for one wanting to make it in the competitive field of construction contracting. Yet, many times, and much to the dismay of the client, the lack of construction skill by a Contractor only becomes apparent after much money has been spent. It’s usually after the project is finished and things begin to fall apart or leak, the unsuspecting client only then finds out the Contractor had limited expertise and knowledge of proven construction methodology. Truly successful, long-term construction companies all bear the same distinct mark and feature…they all have a quality management team carrying a collective high level of experience in the building trades, and especially with a journeyman’s skill level in basic carpentry.   One cannot emphasize how critical it is in understanding basic building concepts, project scheduling, and materials use and application.  While I know some construction companies which are run by managers or “estimators” who have never actually hands-on built anything of substance themselves, somewhere within the “successful” company, someone has to know first-hand how things are built in the real world.  Just as any skill, construction knowledge and expertise can be improved by use or training.  Getting out of the office and into the field with some actual hands on time or even observation works wonders for stagnating construction knowledge and skills.  Simple training like reading periodicals of handbooks, taking classes, or attending seminars or conferences needs to be an ongoing commitment and priority of the company if one wants to stay on top in these uneasy days.
The element of “Communication” also seems obvious as a critical Contractor skill, but it is often one of the most understated, most underrated, and most under skilled tool in the toolbox.  When the ability to communicate clearly, quickly, and authoritatively is lost, a once busy quality Contractor over time becomes a has-been contractor just trying to hold its head above water.  Simply and bluntly, one of the main reasons a company loses its edge and competitiveness is that a company becomes (or was) poor at communicating (and listening), which in turn causes them over time to become known by projects marked with confusion, misunderstandings, wishy-washy direction and promises, and declining performance and quality.   All of these issues of course translate into wasted money and cost overruns.  While a great “Construction” skill set might have gotten a building contractor in the door of the building trade and marketplace, and helped them produce some stellar quality projects, the lack of “Communication” skill will eventually and silently catch up to them .  Lack of communications skills will de-rail anyone over time into a second place status, and force them into a state of expending great energy and monies constantly looking for new clients and new locals who have not experienced or “heard about” their confused management team, or their less than stellar project history.
The third element of a successful Contractor is “Controls”…or systems of monitoring, tracking, risk management, communications, project and quality control, evaluation, etc.   In the “old days”, believe it or not, a house was actually built without computers, without cell phones, without email, and without high tec methodologies or gadgets…and yet still had quality, durability, and profitability.  Today, modern contractors have no excuse.  Modern contractors have at their disposal a vast array of technological tools to assist them as the projects get more complex, as construction schedules get more compressed, and as material and labor costs skyrocket while the Client’s money gets tighter and tighter.  Controls are not necessarily technological, but new technological tools must be a part of the contractor’s tool box if he wants to be competitive and relative.  Computerized estimating, budgeting, tracking, communication, scheduling, and invoicing are but a few of the teckie new tools one needs to even “look” competent in today’s marketplace.  Controls are also simple things like an experienced and solid project manager who excels in people skills while without mercy, keeps his foot on the gas, constantly monitoring the gas gage.  Keeping control of subcontractors and their scopes of work, keeping control of the schedule, and keeping control of the information exchange is absolutely a skill set any Superintendant or Project Manager must have and use.  Another area of control…the control of project quality (QC) will only rise to the level of the expectation and experience of the General Contractor, and unfortunately, some contractors have limited or no experience with high-level quality or finish, and thus expect and allow less quality construction to be performed and accepted.    If one wants to compete in the construction field where the ability to deliver top of the line “award-winning” quality finish projects is a pre-requisite for even being considered to look at a project, one has to have the experience in order to know what level top design Architects and Clients are looking for, in order to be able to deliver that quality on time and budget, and to have at least some kind of portfolio to provide just to get into the door of consideration.  Controls, or the abilities and tools to control the various aspects of projects from safety to accounting are invaluable and the more control tools in toolbox, along with the skilled use of such are a necessity if one wants to be a Contractor who has a great long running reputation.  Without controls, the project will speak for itself, and speak loudly this Contractor may be a great carpenter, but a lousy businessman or reckless and loose keeper of the Clients time and money.