Couturier Iron Craft will be exhibiting at the Chicago AIA Convention June 26th-28th, McCormick Place.  Stop by and visit our booth #3652, see why Couturier has become a number one choice for custom staircase and railing products for so many unique projects.

Tags: curved stairs, spiral stairs, ornamental metals, decorative stairs, aia national convention 2014, stainless steel railing, stairs, curved staircase, decorative metals, stairway

Gates, stairways, balustrades, portals, balconies, fences, trellises, domes, ornamental signage...the list is endless in the ways ornamental metals can be utilized to enhance and beautify any architectural design project.

Tags: ornamental metals, water jet cutting, decorative metals, water jet

When designing a project, architects often contemplate what architectural focal points will drive it home for the potential buyer. When choosing the right stair arrangement, a spiral staircase  can add a classic or contemporary draw depending on the design. Nothing says dramatic like an creatively elegant staircase.

Tags: spiral stairs, spiral stairway, spiral staircase

From aluminum to iron and stainless steel, railings can be made using a variety of mediums.

Tags: metal railings, metal railing, stainless, railing, decorative metals

Couturier Iron Craft, Inc. will be exhibiting at the Michigan Construction & Design Trade Show on February 5th, 2014 at Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI. Stop by our booth #312 and see a wide range of custom decorative metal stair and railing products offered to meet your project requirements.

Tags: spiral stairway, decorative stairs, construction industry, construction association of michigan, stainless steel railing, stairs, curved staircase, stainless, railing, decorative metals, stairway, staircase, design, CAM

Fortress mentality - "a situation in which a group of people feel they are under attack and therefore refuse to listen to any criticism or views that do not fit with their own position and aims."  

Precisely the wrong way to go about a new design/build project, where collaboration between the major players - owner, architect, general contractor, subs, is essential for completing a project to specs, on time, on budget, and to everyone's satisfaction.


If each member of the team has their own ideas or agenda, the end result is likely to be unsatisfactory to all.

When planning a project, it is vitally important to find a collaborative partner, one that has significant amounts of experience, professionalism, and a track record of accomplishments.

While following this mandate is important at every step of the job, it is especially important when contemplating unique architectural and functional elements to new construction or remodeling, like ornamental staircases, railings, and formed metals.

The idea might begin with the owner, and pass to the design or architectural firm. It will pass through the bidding process with generals, who in turn will interact with subs for some of the detail work. The owner will select the general contractor based on a number of factors, including the bid price; intangibles also figure into the equation, such as the contractor's track record in general, past work on similar projects, valued-added services that they can bring to the project. 

The project owner must evaluate the bids, taking care to make sure the general has a history of being able to co-operate with everyone involved in the project. The record of cooperation might be the result of having an excellent construction project manager (CPM) on staff, or having shown a history of being able to work with outside PMs.

The owner might have a history of working with a particular PM and proposes that s/he work with the general and the subs to keep the collaboration mentality alive from start-to-finish.

The CPM is ultimately responsible for the success of the project, and must have management skills as well as a background in the type of project being undertaken. 

S/he will initiate and set-up the following:

• Create a communication to keep everyone involved up-to-speed throughout the project
• Maximize resources by obtaining materials and labor to keep the project within scope and budget
• Clearly communicate the requirements and expectations of all involved to all parties
• Implement the tasks of the project on a timely yet logical basis.

Clearly stated goals, excellent communication, great planning and keeping all parties involved in the process will go a long way towards eliminating 'fortress mentality' on a construction project, and lead to the job coming in on time, on budget, and to everyone's satisfaction.

Tags: spiral stairs, construction industry, railing, design, spiral staircase

Couturier Iron Craft, Inc. will be exhibiting at the 2013 West Michigan Design and Construction Expo on October 17th at the DeltaPLex in Grand Rapids MI. Stop by our booth #612 and see the wide range of decorative metal railing and staircase products offered to meet your project requirements.

Tags: metal railing, curved stairs, construction industry, stairs, CSI, West Michigan Design and construction expo

Couturier Iron Craft has done well to weather the recent challenges of the construction industry.  Lately the news has highlighted a turnaround in that industry.  However, the news can sometimes be hard to quantify.  Maxwell Systems has created a very helpful infographic.  It is built on the data they mined from the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce.

Here are some of the highlights of the infographic's numbers:

Tags: metal railings, curved stairs, custom built, construction industry, curved stairway