Successful Project Management

Effective Communication is the Key

“I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know. ” Mark Twain.  And, the follow up to this statement is, “But I will find out and get back to you promptly.”

Information is the key to success for businesses and people.  Actually, accurate and timely information, communicated clearly in a form and manner where all participants can understand and benefit, is the key.

As a leading architectural firm, JL Architects understands the importance of clear, accurate and timely information.  Effective communication is key to keeping a project moving, reducing and eliminating change orders, meeting project goals, and controlling costs and schedules.  Communicating to all involved parties throughout the phases - site surveying, design development, construction documentation, construction bidding, and administration ensures ALL members of a project team have the information they need to do their jobs, and to do them well.

 

And yet, in this modern age of instantaneous access to information and communication, why is this still a challenge? How can we, at JL Architects, help our clients do a better job communicating their goals and requirements to their project management team, and to their service professionals?

With this goal in mind,  JL Architects had instituted a “lunch and learn seminar”, for our friends in the commercial real estate industry.  Presented by John Lister or a senior staff member, the seminar offers detailed information regarding the design and construction process, typical building systems and most importantly, key “watch outs” and pot holes that could kill a deal if not identified early.  It’s an effective learning tool for brokers to be better informed and knowledgeable in working with their clients, and to give them an “edge” in a very competitive business.

Now, a second seminar is being made available for clients who focus on the “process” of rolling out a major store or restaurant expansion program.  Our 25 years of experience doing roll-out  work  for legendary companies such as Blockbuster Video and Starbucks, is available to your company through an in person lunch-n-learn, or a video conference call. One of the many downsides of the recent recession is that many highly trained and experienced development directors have left our industry.  Now that companies are expanding again, or bringing new concepts to market, that training and experience is sorely missed.  We are here to help you develop and refine your internal, and external processes for managing a rapid expansion across a national geographic area.

Over the past 25 years, JL Architects has delivered thousands of projects for clients from coast to coast and border to border.  The knowledge gained was earned through hard work, diligence, attention to detail and probably most importantly, a desire to constantly improve. It is why we say, no project is a success unless everyone succeeds.

For further information on our “Lunch and Learn” seminars, please contact John Gill, Director of Development (jgill@listerarch.com).  Let us help you facilitate your growth & success!

 

 

Check out the name of this boat!



Ways to Keep Cool

At JL Architects, our family extends beyond the office staff. Our family includes our clients, consultants, contractors and vendors.  In the midst of the heat wave that has affected a better part of the country; I want to suggest ways to keep your body cool and hydrated. I am also including the signs and symptoms associated with dehydration, especially for our friends in the construction industry who are working in the hot sun every day.

As we all know, water is the best source of fluid to keep our bodies hydrated. In extreme heat, your body can lose a ½ gallon of water per hour. When too much water is lost through sweating, your blood volume decreases. This decreases blood pressure which, in turn, reduces blood flow between the muscles and skin. It is extremely important to PUT IN WHAT YOU PUT OUT. For our contractors working out in this heat, please make sure you are drinking water consistently. I recommend Smart Water because it is filled with electrolytes.

 

Another great source for hydration is bananas.  Bananas have high water content and are especially good for restoring potassium that has vanished with dehydration. You can also try watery fruits such as cantaloupe, watermelon and strawberries. These are great to eat frozen as well, and taste just as good!

Also available to keep your body cool are cooling jackets with pockets to insert icepacks.

 

Symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration include: fatigue, dry mouth, increased thirst, decreased urination, dry skin, constipation, dizziness, lightheadedness, and headache.

Severe dehydration is likely to cause the following: excessive thirst, lack of sweat production, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, fever, sunken eyes, shriveled skin and dark urine.

Untreated dehydration can lead to life-threatening complications including: heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps, seizures (due to electrolyte loss), low blood volume, kidney failure and coma.

Please keep yourself informed of the risk factors of dehydration. By being alert and aware, we can prevent the potential harm of the hot summer sun.

Stay cool!

-Deanna Zynn

Made in the Shade

As an architectural firm, part of our job is to not only provide visually pleasing buildings for our clients, but also spaces that are comfortable to occupy. Temperature plays a big part of that. With the soaring heat of the summer, electric bills are reaching new highs as we try to keep the indoor temperature low. Probably the most simple and cost-effective way to combat heat gain is through window treatments. These are just five of the numerous options available to help reduce your indoor air temperature.

1. Draperies
   While most draperies are hung to add an aesthetic dressing or privacy to the window, they can also work wonders on reducing heat transmission. During the day, draperies should be closed, especially on windows receiving direct sunlight. The amount of heat transfer that is reduced varies, based on the type of fabric and color, but studies have shown that medium-colored draperies which have a white plastic backing can decrease heat gains by 33%. They stay cooler than other types of window coverings due to their folds and pleats lose heat through convection. Draperies also help in the winter by providing the reverse effect. They can be closed during the night to reduce interior heat loss through the glass.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Shades
   Properly installed, these devices can be the most economical way to save energy. Shades should be mounted as close to the window as possible and the sides should extend past the glass for appropriate coverage. Just as with draperies, shades should be lowered during peak hours of direct sunlight, especially on south and west facing windows. Dual shades, highly reflective on one side and heat absorbing on the other, are extremely efficient. They can also be reversed to be beneficial during the cold months as well. By using quilted roller shades and some types of roman shades, you receive the benefit of an insulator, air barrier and can control air infiltration.
   
   
   
   
   
     
3. Blinds
   Unlike shades, blinds, both horizontal and vertical, offer the advantage of ventilation. By adjusting the slats, blinds can block and/or redirect sunlight to diffuse the light and cut back on both heat gain and glare. Highly reflective blinds, when completely closed and lowered, can reduce heat gains by around 45%. Here at JL Architects we use our slated blinds to help us out, by adjusting the slats to redirect light during the week and closing them on the weekend. This small gesture helps keep the heat outside where it belongs.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
4. Awnings
   This apparatus is an external solution to an interior problem. For south facing windows, the addition of an awning can reduce heat gain by as much as 65%, while the number jumps to 77% for west facing glass. Awnings need to be ventilated in order to prevent heat from becoming trapped around the window. In the past, awnings were made of metal or canvas which needed to be replaced due to the elements. Today, most are made from more weather-friendly materials which hold up better and are treated to resist mold and fading. They're not only being used in residential applications, but have become a featured element in retail centers. It is also an attractive way to shade storefronts,  as our client, Au Bon Pain has done in their store branding.
   
     



5. Caulking and Weather stripping
   This method will do wonders for your electric bill, not just during the hot summer months but during the cold and windy ones as well. While caulk, which is used to seal air leaks in gaps, joints or cracks for stationary building components and materials, like trim, weather stripping is used on the operable components, such as around the doors and windows themselves. Used alone or in conjunction, they can seal air infiltration around the openings of your home to keep you cozy all year round.
   
   
   
   
   
     

This is only a small sample of ways to help keep you feeling comfortable inside, without breaking the budget. If you'd like to find out more ways to reduce the heat by making simple changes or are looking into major renovations, the U.S. Department of Energy has some great articles and tips on their website. http://energy.gov/

Good luck staying cool and comfortable, especially this week!


-Melanie Hicks

The Truman Balcony

Part of the education of an architect is to study the history, and precedence of architects that have come before us. At JL Architects, we not only stay informed of the latest in technologies, but we also learn equally important lessons from our predecessors. In light of our recent national holiday, we thought it would be fun to share one of the most controversial architectural battles in American history!


Everyone knows this building, and many have visited it.  It resides in our nations' capitol city and has one of the most famous addresses in the world. If you haven't guessed the building yet, then open your wallet, and look at the building on the back of a $20 bill!

 
The White House was the center of this controversy, and it was started by President Harry Truman shortly after the 4^th of July holiday in 1947. While in Charlottesville, Virginia for a public speaking event at the University of Virginia, Truman became fascinated by the galleries and porticos of the campus buildings that Thomas Jefferson designed. Upon returning home to the White House he began a campaign to add a balcony to the south side of the White House to improve the façade, and provide shade to the lower levels. Truman was sure his predecessors would approve of this addition, since it would be improving the proportion of the façade.

The White House - South Façade

A committee was formed to review the proposed addition, and public outcry ensued to make this one of the most controversial news stories of the time. Truman even sought out the approval of one the nation's most famous architects, William Delano, to help convince nay sayers of the benefits of its construction. As with politics, the newspapers erupted with articles and cartoons. But, despite the disapproval by the committee and the public, Truman ordered  the balcony construction to begin with a budget of $15,000.

The White House during construction

Today, many agree that Truman's vision did improve the facade. For many years since its completion, the President's of our nation have relaxed and entertained on the balcony. Most importantly, Truman's drive to construct the balcony uncovered the structural deficiencies of the existing building. Thus the reconstruction of the White House began in 1948, and was not completed until 1952!

Andy Warhol snaps a Polaroid of Jack Ford (and Bianca Jagger) on the Truman Balcony at the White House on July 2, 1975.

   
If you would like to see additional photos or read more into the history to the Truman Balcony, click on the links below:

• The White House Museum
  
• Wikipedia
  
• Harry S. Truman Library
  

-Sharlee K. Van Tine, LEED AP

God Bless America, Happy Independence Day!

from all of us at JL Architects

 

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more,"  written by John Adams, in a letter to his wife Abigail.

 

John Adams was only off by two days.  During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence.  After voting for the resolution, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4, 1776.

 

Here is a brief history of our Independence Day celebrations:

• In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, RI. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.
• In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
• In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.
• In 1781 the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.
• In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".
• In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.
• In 1820 the first Fourth of July celebration was held in Eastport, Maine which remains the largest in the state.
• In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
• In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

Wishing you an enjoyable, relaxed and blessed Fourth of July.  God Bless America!