Midtown Lofts

Midtown Lofts / Minneapolis, MN

Intelligent Construction, Smart Growth

Energy-efficient and sustainable building materials play a crucial role in revitalizing urban areas into vibrant, thriving neighborhoods. The Midtown Lofts complex, a modern urban village bringing new life to a formerly industrial area of Minneapolis, is a beautifully designed multi-family-ownership development inspired by the "smart growth" philosophy of its creator, Lander Group Urban Development.

Smart growth seeks to reclaim existing urban infrastructure, rather than contribute to suburban sprawl. Well-planned, high-density urban building projects like Midtown Lofts are a key element of smart-growth solutions, and energy-efficient, high-performing windows and doors blur the divide between indoor spaces and the neighborhoods that are coming into their own.

Midtown Lofts continues the legacy of urban loft living, which has its origins in converted industrial spaces with open floor plans, unconventional surfaces and, frequently, a high window-to-wall ratio. At Midtown Lofts you'll see clean lines, flowing floor plans, soaring ceilings, and windows, windows, windows — and each and every one of those hundreds of windows is made by Integrity® Windows and Doors.

The right windows and doors maintain the aesthetic and structural integrity of a building, and Integrity windows' durable, low-maintenance Ultrex® (Integrity's signature pultruded fiberglass material) exteriors and rich, warm wood interiors fit the Lander Group's vision of providing their customers with great quality and great value. Many different window styles in Integrity's Wood-Ultrex line are used here in creative configurations — an outstanding example of how combining standard-size windows into innovative groupings can create tremendous variety and visual interest. Residents also get the benefit of lofts that are flooded with natural light, bringing a clean, bright look to these new urban homes.

Integrity's combination of thoughtfully-engineered products and great customer service guarantees on-time delivery and virtually no callbacks for the builder — vital in large, multi-family projects, as Lander Group president Michael Lander confirms: "We've had very few problems, but Integrity's responsiveness to any problems that arise is a huge factor. We don't have to worry about whether they will stand behind their products. It's almost a default decision for us now, to choose Integrity. We're very familiar with the product line, and very familiar with the performance. There are so many decisions to make in a large development, so many products to consider — it's really nice not to have to stress over the window decisions."

The Lander Group has taken a leadership position in the ecologically-friendly building movement, winning national awards and garnering attention for their developments' "green" characteristics, as well as for their overall high quality. Windows from Integrity that meet the highest standards for energy efficiency were instrumental in achieving Midtown Lofts' project goals. "We had very strict energy calculations for these units, and the Integrity product held up — even in these quantities," says Michael Lander. "That's tough in Minnesota's climate."

Integrity windows use energy-efficient glass, giving rise to outstanding insulation. Standard glazing includes Low E II insulated glass with Argon, and all windows meet and exceed NFRC and ENERGY STAR® guidelines. Fiberglass is also a more environmentally friendly material than vinyl, containing minimal volatile compounds and manufactured not from petroleum and other hydrocarbon-based materials, but rather from an essentially inexhaustible supply of its main component, silica sand. Integrity, based in Fargo, N.D., was also awarded the Greener North Dakota Award for 2005 by the North Dakota Solid Waste & Recycling Association (NDSWRA), recognizing the company's positive impact in reducing the environmental impact of its operations.

Completed in 2005, Midtown Lofts occupies half a city block, with 72 units in a wide variety of sizes and styles. Loft owners appreciate state-of-the-art construction, great design and environmentally-friendly living, while enjoying the energy of urban life to its fullest. From a prime location just off the Midtown Greenway, a pleasant trail along a recently reclaimed railroad bed, residents can bike to the nearby Minneapolis chain of lakes or grab a great cup of coffee just around the corner. Life is good in Midtown.