Cool Projects of the Year:

Project of the Year: 2012
2012

Project of the Year: 2011
2011

Project of the Year: 2008
2008

Project of the Year: 2007
2007

Project of the Year: 2006
2006

Project of the Year: 2005
2005

Project of the Year: 2004
2004

Project of the Year: 2003
2003

Project of the Year: 2006

Baylor College of Medicine Research Tower

Customer: Vision Products, Inc. Bob Gilbert (713) 847-7111

Location: Houston, Texas

Approximate Value: $100,000

Scope: Furnish only, FOB jobsite, stair treads.

Challenges: Customer was a high-end glass contractor whose recently departed employees had included treads in the scope of their railing system but did not fully understand a number of things, including the complexity of welding an unusually shaped tread directly to stringers. We worked out installable details, corrected errors in shop drawings we inherited, and worked carefully with our customer and the GC and architect. The GC provided us with field surveys of the real location of the steel, and we made some adjustments to those conditions. Another happy ending.

Architect: Lord, Aeck and Sargent

General Contractor: Vaughn Construction Company - Chris Ramon

Click a photo below for a larger version:

We were annoyingly (and contractually) adamant that we were not responsible for protection after delivery.  We productively reminded the GC that putting these treads into what was still a construction site (albeit under roof) was a recipe for staining, dirtying, and chipping the treads.  They laid masonite or similar covering over every tread and avoided a good-sized problem.The use of grooves for slip resistance at the nose presented challenges. We tested a number of methods before settling on one, in cooperation with the architect.Completed system of treads, glass railing, etc...