Elizabeth McPherson's blog

This month a Florida man was convicted of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and was sentenced to two years in federal prison and forced to forfeit the money which he had gained for this crime.  Andrew D. Lemine of Paisley, FL had been cashing checks over a period of 5 years for John Trubenbach Construction at the grocery store which he owned.  He collected between 1 and 1.5 percent of the check amounts for this service, knowing that the construction company was using him in an attempt to hide the fact that they employed undocumented workers which they paid in cash in order to avoid paying

James S. Russell wrote an article last week for Bloomberg.com about what a mistake it is to criticize those who mix art with function and advance innovative design in buildings.  The story was triggered by a lawsuit filed by MIT against the architect and against the builder of the Stata Center research lab on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Ray and Maria Stata Center was designed by architect Frank O. Gehry and constructed by builder Beacon Skanska of Skanska USA Building Inc.  It’s distinctive appearance with astonishing shapes and angles is typical of Gehry’s work, which often causes observers to ponder how his buildings can stand, let alone function.  But that is precisely what the Stata Center does.  Its interior space houses collaborating-friendly spaces which encourage the creativity of the minds who work in them.

After the center opened in 2004, it developed some structural problems including, leaking, cracking, drainage problems and growing mold particularly around the outdoor rooftop amphitheater.  MIT filed the lawsuit in 2007, which was settled in April 2010 for an undisclosed amount of money in addition to the repairs which have been completed.   [node:read-more:link]

Green design, also know as sustainable design, is an advancing practice in the industry, thanks in part to the developers of the Condé Nast Building at Four Times Square in Manhattan, one of the earliest skyscrapers to be built under the principles of green design in the United States.  Prior to this building’s completion in 1999, developers, architects and contractors had been learning about green design, but were hesitant to commit any large projects to the practice.

Green or sustainable design promotes creating buildings which leave the smallest environmental impact from their construction, during their use, and even following their demolition.  The concept includes using non-toxic materials which have been produced with the smallest environmental cost, building for durability which reduces the energy and resources needed for replacement and repairs, building for energy efficiency so that less is needed during the lifetime of the buildings, and even building with materials which may be recycled where possible.  [node:read-more:link]

A recent discussion about Building Information Modeling (BIM) on a McGraw Hill Construction forum provides some interesting reading as small business owners were asked about their use of BIM software and how much they value it.  Use of specific programs was discussed as well as more conceptual topics such as whether BIM is good or bad for architects’ creativity.  Many discussed how the advantages of using BIM depended on the size of the project and how much work the business sold.

Most believe that using BIM provided consistency, eased collaboration with other firms, and reduced overhead by identifying conflicts early when they could be resolved in the planning phase.  The visuals which could be provided impressed potential clients, although one unmoved blogger noted “But our drawings are not the final product they are just a means to the final product: the building.”

On Friday Houston television station KTRX aired an interview with a building contractor in Houston, Drew Evans, who feels that his decision not to hire illegal immigrants costs him jobs which end up going to contractors who underpay their workers and can therefore submit lower bids for projects.    Mr. Evans is frustrated with the government for not enforcing the law and with other contractors who refuse to run their businesses responsibly.  He says that many Americans in service industries are similarly losing out. [node:read-more:link]