SUPERSTRUCTURES has something in common with the Oakland A's of Moneyball: an aggregate of talent rather than an all-star approach.

The NYC DOB just released Using Drones to Conduct Façade Inspections, and SUPERSTRUCTURES would like to thank the department for the opportunity to have contributed to its report. We’d also like to reiterate our support for allowing the judicious use of drones to facilitate the inspections required by the Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP).

In 1992, multiple Grammy winner Vince Gill sang a country classic with the refrain “There ain’t no future in the past.” We beg to differ. Our contemporary practice includes the preservation of many of New York City’s historic buildings—irreplaceable beacons of the past.

Continuing our conversation about SUPERSTRUCTURES’ long-standing logo, we consider a company that’s synonymous with swift delivery: FedEx. The company’s iconic logo incorporates an arrow hiding cleverly in plain sight (the negative space between the E and the x), an allusion to their reputation for on-time delivery. We’re also known for on-time (and on-budget) completion of projects.

"If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend fifty-five minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” Attributed to Albert Einstein, this may sound like a lopsided approach to problem solving, but it’s relevant to SUPERSTRUCTURES’ method. It’s not that our restoration solutions don’t get due diligence; it’s about a “measure twice, cut once” philosophy in reaching those solutions.

An important reminder for garage owners in New York City: a new inspection program for parking structures will take effect soon—likely in the first quarter of 2022. While we await the precise kickoff date for this program, another legislative milestone has been passed and it’s not too soon for owners to act.

As the old show-business quip goes, “It’s worse than dog eat dog—it’s dog doesn’t return dog’s phone calls.” SUPERSTRUCTURES is doing its part to assure that this run-around doesn’t apply to the business of architecture and engineering. We return calls and emails—whether we end up taking the job or not.

What’s black and white and red all over? No, not a newspaper. We’re talking about SUPERSTRUCTURES’ logo. We felt it was time to reflect on what this brand symbol stands for.

Recent heavy rains and flooding in New York City have underscored the problem that impacts most sidewalk vaults: water infiltration causing corrosion of their steel elements. If left unresolved, the structural degradation can lead to a sidewalk collapse. But in many cases, this damage is superficial and steel can be salvaged instead of scrapped.

Archtober is here and, this year, the month-long slate of architectural tours, talks, and events includes a session called Technical Aspects of Terra Cotta Restoration. Virtually all of SUPERSTRUCTURES’ award-winning preservation projects have involved terra cotta, and we bring that experience to every piece of the material we assess and restore, whether on a landmarked building or not.