Progress Update on New Soft Star Workshop - Spring 2016 Rebar Party
It has been several months since our staff took a trip to see our new workshop, which is still undergoing renovations. The historic building and former roller skating rink has come a long way since construction began last year. The crumbling walls have been reinforced, windows are now cut into place and a shiny new roof is keeping everything dry. The original beauty of the classic structure is emerging a little more every day.
Putting our new floors in place is the next big step in the construction process. Foreman Alan wants to preserve as much of the original wood flooring as possible for our customer showroom. Our production space, on the other hand, will soon have a new heated concrete floor slightly lower than the showroom (in the former skating area). This will give local customers a great view of our shoemakers at work. Preparing these floors involves a lot of work scraping clean those old wood panels and laying rebar to support the new concrete. Always happy to lend Alan a hand, we decided it was time to close the shop for half a day and send our hardworking shoemaking elves to the construction site for another work party.
By the way, if you missed our last work party where we all helped raise the roof of the building, then you may want to watch our fun roof raising video.
Here are some photos of the work we did, and the lastest images of our new space:
Starting the work party. Piping for utility cables is already in place across the floor.
Elves Emily and Jana cut cardboard to protect cable conduit hubs from concrete.
Elf Heather and Elf Katie make sure the cable tubes are securely attached.
Everyone helps carry rebar! Elf Elizabeth and Elf Casey are no strangers to hard work.
Rebar is carefully placed to avoid damaging the foam floor base.
When we need a break from placing rebar, we help scrape and clean wood floor paneling to be reused in our customer showroom.
Some of the original wood floor panels still show the date they were made: 1956!
Soft Star Co-Owner Larkin and Elf Hava add support brackets to the rebar to keep it elevated above the ground.
Rebar in place! The end of a long day's work.
Now that the rebar is ready we hope to have the concrete laid within the next few days. We're still shooting for a fall move-in date, so stay posted for updates!
Related Posts:
- Progress Update on New Soft Star Workshop - Fall 2015
- Watch Us (Literally) Raise the Roof On Our New Oregon Workshop [VIDEO]
- The History of Soft Star: 30 Years of Shoemaking [INFOGRAPHIC]
Martin is a lifelong runner who began wearing minimalist shoes over 10 years ago when he found they alleviated his chronic foot pain, which eventually disappeared completely. He further studied proper running form through a series of workshops taught by Correct Toes inventor, Dr. Ray McClanahan DPM. Martin has collaborated with several health care professionals to collect and share peer-reviewed studies that show the benefits of minimalist footwear. In his personal life, Martin loves living in the Pacific Northwest because it allows him to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities year-round, including hiking, cycling, rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding.
