Rudy Christian wrote:
> Ridiculous!
Rudy,
I always enjoy the challenge, from a worthy antagonist, of defending myself from
being ridiculous. It keeps the blood moving. There are several ways to skin a
skunk, and we should send all our skunk skinning recipes to Mary.
> I'm sorry, but when I go in for replacement of the finger I cut off while fixing
dinner, I don't want a fiberglas replacement just because it fit's the budget.
So, when it comes to double knee replacement you would rather remain a cripple
until they find a way to use real bone? At Kykiut, Rockefeller Estate in
Tarrytown, NY I was asked if we could replace the stalactites in the grotto. Would
you prefer I go to Italy, where the originals possibly came from, and desecrate a
cave, or come up with an artist to design a stainless steel armature and GFRC
imitation? Based on the current EIFS discussion I suppose I should have suggested
foam and been within their budget. At least someone would have had work. As far as
I know they swallowed the lump in their throat at my price and did nothing.
> In the case of stone vs. fiberglas, it would be hard to believe that stone isn't
available. If the budget predicates substitution, maybe education is the answer.
My best supporting example is the Barnes & Noble headquarters building on Union
Square in Manhattan. This 19th century building remained vacant for approximately
19 years -- thus demolition by neglect. The woman that owns the building, if she
is still with us, was rumored to be 98 a few years ago and I suspect may have lost
interest in her building. A developer came along and had the idea to revive the
building. They worked a deal with the owner and with Barnes & Noble and a project
and budget became real. The project now is used as a model for adaptive re-use and
the alliance of developers, corporate, and preservationists, including the NY
Landmarks Commission & NYS Parks & Historic Preservation. It has won several
awards. The Victorian Society, the Municipal Art Society, and & NYS Parks &
Historic Preservation. I'm sure several on BP can correct my information.
Above the first floor was a very nicely carved sandstone water table. A
multiplication of precisely cut dentils, eggs and darts. As the water table was
not so high off the ground it was possible for someone, I assume over many years,
to apply coats of a tenacious white paint to the stone resulting in demolition by
maintenance. On first looking at the project we were instructed to remove the
paint, and to apply composite patch materials to the stone (a fakery). The
sandstone, where it was not painted, was laid with the bedding plane, and though
severely delaminated, did not appear to be hazardous. In the case of the dentil,
egg and dart the projecting surfaces became a problem with the delamination. When
we removed the paint we found that the paint had been holding the water table
together. My response was to state that composite patching of the stone would
cause it to remain a serious hazard to the public.
Since we cleaned from the top of the building to the bottom of the building we
discovered the problem toward the end of the project. We were therefore under
pressure to get done with the project, which was a serious consideration for both
the developer and Barnes & Noble. The architect was also a bit pained by the late
discovery. Some very quick decisions had to be made. This became a change order to
a budget where I had promised, on entering into the original contract, not to seek
change orders. I was pained to find a solution.
My first consideration was to seek out a stone cutter. His price for fabrication
was $100,000, which was more than 1/10th of the already expended budget. This cost
did not include installation. I never did have an opportunity to find out what the
lead time would be, we had three weeks to be done with the project. And I never
did find out the original source of the stone, a fairly uncommon gray/green
sandstone for NYC, or if the original stone is even available in the manner we
would need it... or if another stone would need to be substituted that possibly
would not have matched the original. The second alternative was to go with GFRC.
The cost for the GFRC, with installation, was $30,000. If I did not tell you where
to look you would not know that it is not real stone. If you know to look, then
you will be able to find the stainless steel nuts and washers tucked in between
the dentils. The project was completed on schedule and many people were made
happy. I was happy, and remained happy as the developer turned around the next
year and negotiated a project with us of comparable size, without competition. I
have been able to keep a few deserving mechanics employed as a result.
As to availability of stone. There are stones in our built environment that are
simply not available as newly quarried. Stone is a finite resource. Unlike trees
it does not even promise the hope of growing back. We can argue over geologic
processes though I think waiting 2 million years for a replacement, which is not
guaranteed to match since we have redistributed a lot of crap on the surface of
the planet and therefore impacted on the future color and mineral composition of
sedimentary stone, is ridiculous. Once the good stone is quarried it is no longer
available. In Cyprus they have a serious problem in that they no longer have good
limestone to build with, and possibly no plentiful supply of crustaceans to wait
on, and that the new stone they use in their restorations wears out while the old
stone remains. Increasingly there are environmental and population pressures that
do not allow digging holes in the ground, which may explain why quarriers, of
stone, minerals, or aggregates, seem to lean toward a Republican Conservatism.
--
][<en Follett
SOS Gab & Eti -- http://www.geocities.com/~orgrease
Bullamanka-Pinheads website
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A0=bullamanka-pinheads
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