The “Get Sheds Down” initiative just announced by NYC Mayor Adams and DOB Commissioner Oddo is intriguing—especially in concert with new rules that allow use of UAVs (drones) for building inspections. We join the city in working to minimize the intrusion of sidewalk sheds.

New York City has issued new rules that allow for some uses of UAVs (drones) in the five boroughs, including for building inspections. We applaud NYC for this decision and look forward to deploying drones on facade inspections, building on the success we’ve had using them outside the city.

Consider the crucial difference between “I like cooking, my family, and my pets” and “I like cooking my family and my pets.” The first sets the stage for a special family dinner; the second is a threat to the entire household. This lesson in punctuation is also a cautionary tale about attention to detail. In our field, the accuracy of construction documents can mean the difference between a project’s success or failure.

In the film Contact, a SETI scientist played by Jodie Foster makes a pivotal discovery: mysterious “blueprints” sent by an alien intelligence fit together to form a 3D “primer.” The relevance to our practice?  Like those SETI researchers, keep listening.

Our unofficial 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 effort and initiative? Why “Bucky?” We named him after fellow visionary, R. Buckminster Fuller.

Our 2023 Lunch & Learn series continued on June 21st with “Specifying Masonry Accessories: What You Need to Know” presented by Dennis Maher of Hohmann & Barnard. 60 members of our team improved their knowledge of masonry accessories and their applications over lunch in our “Piazza.”

It’s been said (perhaps by a French officer in WWII) that “battles are fought at the edge of maps.” While we never want the practice of restoration to be a battle, we do find truth in this analogy. Consider, for example, roofing systems. Problems rarely arise in the field of the roof. Almost always, failure is the result of a poorly designed or executed detail at the interface (edge) between two components.

Praemonitus Praemunitus or “forewarned is forearmed.” The Boy Scouts say it more succinctly with their motto, “Be Prepared.” Either way, it’s an ultimate expression of the value of research and preparation and words that SUPERSTRUCTURES lives by.

Facades of béton brut (raw concrete) were a signature element of Brutalism. Take for example Marcel Breuer & Associates’ buildings for Bronx Community College, including Colston Hall. The downside of such distinctive envelopes is that their cast-in-place concrete is constantly under assault from the elements. To reverse the deterioration, SUPERSTRUCTURES is conducting a restoration of Breuer’s 1961 dormitory.

From the Bronx to the Battery, SUPERSTRUCTURES helps restore the backbone of New York City’s five boroughs. But for those outside NYC (and even some residents), the names of the boroughs can be a bit bewildering.