President Kennedy’s 1962 proclamation that “we choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,” is often cited as an example of intrepid determination. It also applies to our practice of exterior restoration.

Our project posts often include photos of our staff matching new brick to that of the existing building. But we also pay close attention to the mortar that holds the masonry units in place, resisting movement and water infiltration.

Engineering and Architecture may be obvious components of our practice (they’re in our name), but there’s another equally important element forming a three-part Venn diagram: Technology.

HBO’s The Gilded Age dramatizes the “opera war” of the early 1880s, when nouveau riche families who were shut out of the old-money social circle of the Academy of Music established the rival Metropolitan Opera House. But if you fancy a night out at one of these historic venues, you’ll need a time machine… That’s because the Academy (once housed at East 14th Street and Irving Place) and the “Old Met” (originally at 1411 Broadway) are both lost to history. Time travel (and costume drama) aside, SUPERSTRUCTURES has worked to restore the buildings that replaced both Gilded Age structures.

Our team has been working on the railroad…in a sense. We’ve conducted a condition assessment survey of the White Pot Junction elevated railroad structure in Ozone Park, Queens for NYC DCAS—a site that could become the next High Line. The sheer scale of this two-mile section of abandoned LIRR line made for a massive undertaking. But our team was able to complete the survey on a tight schedule thanks to high-tech methodology coupled with their on-site expertise.

“Misunderestimate” is a good example of a creative malapropism. It’s also a useful concept in the practice of exterior restoration. Contractors are obligated to produce results that conform to the engineers’ and architects’ (E/A’s) contract documents. If contractors misunderstand the scope of work to be performed, they may underestimate the means and methods required.

We’ve posted previously about the importance of “getting it right on paper”—working out every restoration detail in drawings before construction commences. But speculative designers like Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Archigram, and Lebbeus Woods have had the luxury of getting it wrong on paper. Their “paper architecture” tends to skirt any responsibility to produce buildable, functional structures.

"Through-Wall Flashings and Transition Membranes” was the subject of last week’s Lunch & Learn, presented by Robert Bleistein of York Flashings. The 70 SUPERSTRUCTURES team members in attendance expanded their knowledge of flashing challenges and solutions, earned CEUs, and enjoyed a free lunch in our presentation space.

Some buildings are “all of the above” in terms of their architectural details and array of materials. That was the case with today’s “Throwback Thursday” profile: the MacIntyre Building (R. H. Robertson, 1892). SUPERSTRUCTURES’ restoration of the structure was honored with a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award in 2010.

…or more precisely, hops again. As our unofficial, perennial mascot, Bucky continues to inspire our practice. Bucky’s solution sends a message: why follow convention when there’s a better path, though it may require more creativity and unconventional initiative?