The Dimension Mill

The Dimension Mill building is situated in the northwest downtown area of Bloomington, Indiana, specifically at 642 North Madison Street. It occupies a significant portion of the historic Showers Brothers Furniture factory, which originally housed the saw mill and reached its peak in the 1920s. Spanning an estimated 20,000 square feet, the structure features prominent saw-tooth roof skylights designed to flood the former factory floor with natural daylight.

The exterior of the historic section boasts a sturdy 3-wythe brick wall, adorned with horizontally protruding pilasters strategically placed at major structural points. In 2018, substantial renovations were undertaken, incorporating new curtain wall glazed sections, a freshly painted structural steel deck with composite decking, and updated signage.

While the interior specifics were not officially verified and were not within the scope of the renovation project, reports indicate a complete modernization with new finishes throughout.

The city commissioned our services to conduct a thorough survey of an existing building, with the primary objective of accurately documenting its exterior elevations. Our task included providing detailed drawings essential for repairing the masonry walls and preserving the limestone accents. Precision was paramount in our survey to ensure that all relevant exterior elements within the project scope were meticulously captured.

It’s important to note that our assignment did not extend to items outside of the current focus, such as a new steel-framed walkway and stairs. Alongside the comprehensive elevations, we delivered fully dimensioned plans of the existing structure to the city, ensuring they had complete documentation for future reference.

Initially, there was an offer to utilize existing construction documentation for the Dimension Mill as a reference for our project. However, this offer was declined due to concerns regarding the adequacy and accuracy of the information provided in those documents. Therefore, our survey proceeded independently to ensure the accuracy and reliability required for the city’s repair and preservation efforts.