This spring, we completed another adaptive reuse redevelopment, this one including a “pocket park” and amphitheater. Pocket Parks are generally recognized as public park spaces that occupy less than one acre of land. The concept originated in post-WWII Europe as a way to rebuild public spaces a little at a time, even though they were …
Last weekend, I got to attend the United States Olympian and Paralympians Association Reunion in Colorado Springs as a guest of Jennifer Chandler, a gold medalist diver (spring board). This group reconnects every four years, bringing together fellow athletes who competed on the world stage to get briefed on future Olympic games. This time we …
Since the pandemic hit, it seems like construction materials and costs have been the number one topic of conversation for anyone involved in our business. Is what we need going to be available? If so, how much have prices gone up? We’ve talked about several headaches it’s caused our team, including parts shortages for electrical …
I took away the most interesting quote from a recent article on the power of positive thinking: “Optimism is fuel for quality of life.” To summarize, people who have the “glass half full” mentality tend to preform better at work, have better overall health and live longer. They argue for what’s called “conditional optimism,” where you take deliberate action to positively …
Like many, I have spent some time following the war and tragedy in Ukraine. When I heard about a seminar comparing the leaders of both countries led by industrial psychologist and friend Duncan Hulsey, I was curious to hear his thoughts. It’s interesting to note that even though Russia seems to have superior resources, for the …
As I have shared before, parking regulations can certainly impede or slow development in urban settings. More often than not, there is just not enough space for a structure and the parking to accommodate. Off-street parking requirements can also create a barrier to affordable housing. For these reasons and more, my readings seems to agree …
I recently heard a smart rule for making the decision of how to communicate: Use email primarily for notifications where emotions will be low. Save the discussions for two-way communication like a call, or better yet, a face-to-face meeting. While it may take a little more planning on the front end, this allows for instant responses back and …
A few months ago, I shared what we were seeing with electrical switchgear and the electrical slowdown that we had been facing. In summary, electrical panels were trickling in late, often missing components. Most of the time, there was only a simple note from the shipper that said something like, “This product is missing components.” …
Impatience has long been a characteristic that people try to improve upon, control or reduce. “Good things come to those who wait,” as the saying goes, but what if impatience is actually good, when taken in small doses? According to this article, in certain circumstances, being impatient can also make one a bit more efficient …
Turkey has been on our mind this week. Yesterday, I was talking with Kamal Ahmed, a project manager with us who is originally from Lahore, Pakistan, about the recent earthquakes in that part of the world. Our conversation went to prevention, and the seismic base isolation system that is becoming more common. In this case, …
Years ago, one of my mentors shared something that stuck: “You only have one chance to get it right the first time.” It’s interesting how often I have repeated this comment over the years, to people on our team and beyond. To me, this advice was even more poignant when we were first getting started …
Sometime ago, shortly after I read a book by Peter Drucker, I wrote a post about company culture. One of the most powerful quotes I took from that read was, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In today’s environment where we are hearing about employee shortages, high turnover and “quiet quitting,” that sentiment seems more relevant than …