Pioneer Millworks uses reclaimed flooring at design studio

Pioneer Millworks, a Farmington, New York-based reclaimed wood company, has collaborated with Syracuse, New York-based architectural and interior design firm Ashley McGraw Architects to use reclaimed gym flooring and bleacher boards within the design firm’s remodeled office space.

The material was sourced from Geneva Middle School, located 55 miles from Syracuse and 28 miles from the Pioneer Millworks facility in Farmington. “Sourcing this so close to our headquarters, from a school I attended and specifically from a gym I played sports in, was remarkable,” says Jered Slusser, a reclaimed wood worker at Pioneer Millworks. “When Ashley McGraw reached out looking for reclaimed wood for their office remodel, I knew immediately that we had the right product. It is a great fit and it feels good when a local company gives reclaimed wood a second life.”

Ashley McGraw specializes in school design and was receptive to bringing school building materials into its space. The office remodel utilized Geneva Middle School bleachers and gym flooring. Original surfaces were maintained, allowing a mixture of court lines and varying school colors to be used. “It looks like confetti!” says Susan Angarano, an interior designer with the firm. Tonal differences from the various schools helped create a border from the circulation spaces into the office areas at the company. Bleacher boards were incorporated as screen walls and ceiling accents.

The Pioneer Millworks team salvaged the hard maple flooring and Douglas fir bleachers from the 1920s gymnasium during the building’s deconstruction. Special attention was given to maintaining the original appearance of the wood, including surface finishes, bolt-holes, colors and milling.

“Gym flooring is one of our most colorful reclaimed products with a history most folks quickly relate to,” says Slusser. The painted planks from the gymnasium were sorted from the others and used in the circulation spaces of the office, while a small balance of flooring from two other schools was used in the materials library. The old gym flooring has varying lengths, some up to five feet long while the bleachers boards are up to 16 feet long.

The two companies say they have found common ground in their commitment to sustainability and conserving resources.

David Ashley and Ed McGraw founded Ashley McGraw Architects in Syracuse in 1981. Its work includes classrooms, laboratories, recreational and residential buildings, as well as sustainability strategies and master plans for public and private primary, intermediate, secondary and higher education facilities.

Pioneer Millworks has rescued nearly 24 million board feet of old wood from rot and landfills, giving it new life as flooring, paneling, millwork, cabinetry and other uses. Pioneer Millworks products are eligible for United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points.