From the Scene: July 2, 2008
by Bill McNew, ASHRAE video consultant, DSG Productions

The cubicles are in! The cubicles are in! The British? Paul Revere would have been just as excited had he seen these Allsteel beauties! A nice neutral gray to complement the carpet, they sport a top section of clear glass giving the entire work space an open, airy look. No prairie dogging for the ASHRAE gang; a quick peek through your glass partition will answer the question: “Who dropped the coffee pot?”

The ceiling tiles are mostly in place as well, giving the second floor an especially finished look. I took a ride on the new elevator and, guess what? It works. The interior is now swathed in a vibrant purple furniture-moving-quilt motif, making even the one story trip a…trip.

The Learning Center is nearly complete with the air wall discretely tucked away in its crevice. I had to pull open a couple of sections to Q/C the work and they rolled smoothly as glass. This floor-to-ceiling partition will allow multiple events in the space whenever there are competing uses.

Outside…more big news! The entire parking lot is repaved, striped and marked. Some of the spaces are reserved for FEV’s, a designation somewhat subject to conjecture. One man’s fuel efficient vehicle might make another’s suspect…it is, after all, a relative term. Guideline, anyone?

The soffits are all done and being painted as we…I…write. They are the literal crown of the building and look mahvelous, dahling. Bad luck turns to good luck as this one exterior improvement is, perhaps, the most significant. As I gazed upon the new, improved roofline, I spied a…weather station? That’s what it looks like anyway; with its little airplane-shaped anemometer twirling gaily in the balmy wind and a myriad of antennae sprouting from mysterious boxes. If it’s not a weather station, it’s a darned good imitation of one and I’m betting on my first impression.

The heat is on and I chanced upon a convention of important people going over the last weeks’ game plan. They looked very serious; not a cup of coffee in the group and I sensed urgency in every worker still on site.

An interesting note: as I poked and pried my way through the building, I was taken by the care shown to the new installations. Masonite on the carpet, cardboard on the beautiful mahogany doors, plastic on the door handles and elevator buttons, cardboard coverings on the cabinets. Some of this protection came from the manufacturers, but much of it is hand crafted on site.

ASHRAE is going to get a beautiful building and not a bit of it by accident.