CHICAGO | St. Regis Chicago (Vista) | 1,191 FT | 101 FLOORS

[Skyguy_7]

^Absolutely.

Thanks all, for the insider info. Holy shit EFCO. That is exactly the reason why contractors in this industry close their doors. Taking on a job too big or being too aggressive. A slow climb to big-shop status is the only way to go. All other routes are Pure stupidity.

[sox102]

Originally Posted by Chisouthside

"

https://www.monett-times.com/story/2513171.html
Murray Bishoff
May 16 2018
The Monnett Times


"EFCO won the Wanda Vista project under a Pella strategy change to grow the business by breaking out of their core competencies in mid-size construction," Klein said. "This strategy expanded EFCO’s reach into large curtainwall projects, a market with which they had no experience. At 93 stories and an approximate $70 million project, Wanda is far larger than any project EFCO had pursued in its history. Clearly, EFCO did not fully understand the complexities of the Wanda project when it took it on, and therefore underbid it."

And now this is Apogee's problem since they bought EFCO. Harmon has been pulled in to help (Apogee owns Harmon).

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

^Absolutely.

Thanks all, for the insider info. Holy shit EFCO. That is exactly the reason why contractors in this industry close their doors. Taking on a job too big or being too aggressive. A slow climb to big-shop status is the only way to go. All other routes are Pure stupidity.

Under normal circumstances, yes....but McHugh has been intimately involved as the primary GC for basically all of Lakeshore East's highrise projects over the past decade, including the Aqua. So this is more a lesson about making terrible and ultimately costly decisions trying to save a few bucks by a highly experienced contractor, rather than a smaller company biting off more than they could chew.

[AlpacaObsessor]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Under normal circumstances, yes....but McHugh has been intimately involved as the primary GC for basically all of Lakeshore East's highrise projects over the past decade, including the Aqua. So this is more a lesson about making terrible and ultimately costly decisions trying to save a few bucks by a highly experienced contractor, rather than a smaller company biting off more than they could chew.

I think skygy might've been referring to EFCO trying to break out of their core competencies, not McHugh.

[Notyrview]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Under normal circumstances, yes....but McHugh has been intimately involved as the primary GC for basically all of Lakeshore East's highrise projects over the past decade, including the Aqua. So this is more a lesson about making terrible and ultimately costly decisions trying to save a few bucks by a highly experienced contractor, rather than a smaller company biting off more than they could chew.

Yes, exactly, can't fault EFCO for trying to go big time.

[Skyguy_7]

Originally Posted by AlpacaObsessor

I think skygy might've been referring to EFCO trying to break out of their core competencies, not McHugh.

That is correct. If you try go big time and you’re unprepared or inexperienced, you are at fault if/when you fail, which happens more often than not in this industry.

[Notyrview]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

That is correct. If you try go big time and you’re unprepared or inexperienced, you are at fault if/when you fail, which happens more often than not in this industry.

Lol the problem is McHugh not vetting them properly. You hire a turd, it’s yours to own.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

That is correct. If you try go big time and you’re unprepared or inexperienced, you are at fault if/when you fail, which happens more often than not in this industry.

I understand, but since McHugh is the GC, all decisions made by their subs fall on their feet.

And if McHugh signed-off on a glazing system that has ultimately proved faulty, regardless of a subcontractor being responsible for convincing whomever that it was a system that would work, McHugh will be liable for any damages incurred, via liquidated damages, mediation, or most-likely in this scenario because the delay is so egregious, litigation.

Any issues related to means and methods of a construction project are very clearly laid out in contracts between the client and that GC - legal responsibility overrides any issues related to 'perception', because inexperience of any sub or vendor means that the GC did most likely did not properly do their due diligence in hiring a glazing sub that could produce work that is under the typical standard of care expected of them. Same standards apply for architects/professional designers.

[seoulstice_sji]

This will be a nice windowless building. I look foward to seeing it top out.

[Zapatan]

Originally Posted by seoulstice_sji

This will be a nice windowless building. I look foward to seeing it top out.

Open air apartments are the new thing, jackets required during winter months though

[Citizen]

Since the topic is glass. I fear the worst regarding the fit and finish of this highly-prominent building. If I was an investor I'd be upset with the intent vs the probable result. The transparent glass image from their website is a complete joke.

[PittsburghPA]

Has there been another supertall topped out without any glass other than the Ryongyang Hotel in North Korea? Serious question...

https://www.google.com/search?q=pyon...RxP7I05cg44xM:

[WhatTheHeck5205]

I can’t believe some of you guys are enjoying the glass-less skeleton. I’m having PTSD flashbacks to the unfinished corpse of Waterview/OneEleven during the recession. Unpopular opinion but I hope this whole glass mess is resolved ASAP.

[City Wide]

[QUOTE=sentinel;8271932]I understand, but since McHugh is the GC, all decisions made by their subs fall on their feet./QUOTE]



If McHugh is the GC what if any responsibility would they have for the design of a glazing system? And assuming the system(s) were built as designed, why would anyone other then the people directly involved with those designs and fabrication be at fault? With a building whose overall design is unusual as this is I got to believe that the glazing is not a 'off the shelf' system.

[kolchak]

Originally Posted by WhatTheHeck5205

I can’t believe some of you guys are enjoying the glass-less skeleton. I’m having PTSD flashbacks to the unfinished corpse of Waterview/OneEleven during the recession. Unpopular opinion but I hope this whole glass mess is resolved ASAP.

Ditto

[Flaccer05]

Framing the river nicely in the first pic

[left of center]

Originally Posted by WhatTheHeck5205

I can’t believe some of you guys are enjoying the glass-less skeleton. I’m having PTSD flashbacks to the unfinished corpse of Waterview/OneEleven during the recession. Unpopular opinion but I hope this whole glass mess is resolved ASAP.

I assure you that there is a zero change that Vista will go years as a half built, hulking concrete skeleton like Waterview. It will get sheathed in glass soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy this rare oddity of a supertall concrete structure with no cladding on it. Unlikely to see something like that in the Chicago skyline again.

[Bombardier]

^It's more common than you think that the facade is not managed properly on the front end to ensure it is installed in sequence during construction, although I agree that to manage the facade this poorly on a supertall is out of the ordinary. A few notable glass mishaps on towers this cycle include MILA (McHugh/Pepper), Renelle (McHugh), Wolf Point West (McHugh/Clark... I believe this was nearly topped out before glass started), River Point (Lendlease)... There are probably a few more I am forgetting but all of them had 20+ floors between concrete operations and window operations which is about twice as much as the 8-10 floor spread you try to achieve.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Yeah but none of those had 70-100 floors before glass started... This is an epic fail for lack of a better term.

[donnie]

There's a saying in Spanish that roughly translates "The lazy ones work twice as hard."

This Vista reminds me of that quote, yet i have no doubt she will be an instant icon once complete.