From the Scene: April 4, 2008
by Bill McNew, ASHRAE video consultant, DSG Productions

Month after month, I’ve photographed the progress on the building under cerulean skies; postcard-perfect skies. Skies so blue, they made the dumpsters look good. Not today. April sneaked in under a leaden umbrella and I danced through the raindrops from car to building.

Because I last shot on March 13 th and the Month of Ides runs dreary long, it’s been 18 days since I last visited the site. The boys have been busy.

The first thing I noticed was the outside staircase…it’s now inside. In my absence, the glaziers have enclosed it in tinted glass, completing the front entrance. It looks very chic and modern, tying to the Learning Center in a continuous sweep of reflections.

Inside, the painting has begun. In my life, I have done more than my share of re-decorating and the smell of latex can often trigger dangerous flashbacks. As I watched the painters (old- fashioned rollers…no airless rigs here) lay on the first coat, I fought back tears as images of masking tape, carpet spills and angry women inflamed my mind’s eye.

In the restrooms on the first floor, the men of stone have begun installing the marble on the walls. Although it is impossible to photograph, take my word for it…the marble is beautiful. I can hardly wait for the installation of the fixtures; beautifully arrayed with lids at rigid attention, I plan to make the toilet shot a thing of beauty; clearly a head of its time.

Overhead, the supporting wires for the drop ceilings hang like stalactites in the gloom. They lightly tap my hard hat as I walk, reminding me why I wear it. All around me, the finish work continues and the building emerges more distinctly each time I visit.

As I looked out the Tullie side of the interior, I noticed the trees framed in the windows. I remember shooting them in the fall; russet and brazen in the autumnal light; now verdant again. Another Atlanta winter has passed and we scarcely noticed.

One of the craftsmen asked me today about the ASHRAE website. He is not the first and many of them have commented on their avid interest in the photography. Today, this electrician told me his wife and children are able to follow the progress of the building and, for the first time, share in his work. His pride was obvious. I was deeply touched.