What's on the Boards? Madera Brookside

A regular feature of this space, "What's on the Boards?" tells the latest stories about work we have in process at Sykes.

This week we are talking about the 25-year-old clubhouse at Brookside Country Club in Dallas.  The Madera building is in need of refurbishment and updating.

This challenge will be updated over the coming weeks and months so check back.

The Sykes Team

www.sykesconstruction.com

The Significance of Building Codes

Recently we had a disturbing – but interesting challenge on a project. During a remodel of a commercial building we discovered previously performed work (by others) that was not up to code. As a matter of course the city “red tagged” the project and notified us that the work – even though not part of our scope – or even impacting our work – had to be brought up to code before we could proceed and get a green tag. So far this story sounds pretty normal, right? Enter a surprise. The owner objected!

Object or not, as we informed him, the city is demanding that work be brought into compliance with the current code. Some of the items were life safety issues – not just the inspector’s whim as the owner protested: Wiring not connected at J boxes, PVC pipe in the plenum, and sprinkler heads that did not drop far enough below the face of the ceiling tile to allow correct coverage.

Code compliance is a significant issue to us and to (most) of our clients. But have you ever really given thought to how the code impacts us? Why we have it? What difference it makes? (Other than those occasions when it becomes a pain because it might cost us a few extra dollars?)

Can you imagine?

• A fire in your building – if you didn’t have the code compliant sprinkler system? Or the code compliant fire walls?
• Raw sewage cascading down your walls because you didn’t have code compliant plumbing.
• Cooking odors from the restaurant next door wafting through your HVAC system because you didn’t have a code compliant ventilation system?
• How about this one: Your building swaying as much as 6-10 feet due to an 8.9 earthquake – and yet it still stands and is safe – because it was code compliant.

Strict building codes have been credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives and literally billions of dollars worth of property in this week’s earth quake and ensuing tsunami in Japan. By now, you will have seen the pictures from Japan of huge skyscrapers swaying with the movement of the earth – and yet not falling. Compare this with what we saw in Haiti last year and in China in the earthquake in 2008 where building codes are woefully inadequate or inconsistently applied. Many of us have traveled overseas and have observed some pretty scary “code violations” – and we’re not even code experts. Compare that with our code compliant building practices here in our country. I don’t know about you, but knowing the building practices and codes that we have, I always feel safe in the buildings I live and work in. I’m confident and you’re confident because our buildings have to meet some pretty strict codes.

So – on your next project, if you hear someone whining about having to correct something so it will meet the code – be proud – it’s keeping you and your people safe, it’s protecting your property and it’s part of what makes this country the best in the world.

Oh – and that client that was fighting with the city – He finally had to agree that his tenants were at risk and for their sake and his, the few dollars he was going to need to spend to correct the code violations were nothing to the risks he was running should any one of them get injured. Sometimes the profit motive works as well as the moral motive.

The Sykes Team

www.sykesconstruction.com

Community Involvement: Sykes & the North Dallas Chamber

Today's post is a bit of a departure.  Sykes, as a company, is proud to be involved in our community as volunteers and supporters of a number of orgnaizations.

One key organization is the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

Recently, our own Kevin Wallace presented a business seminar to the Chamber with his wife, HR consultant Amy Wallace. Kevin and Amy are knowledgeable business people and their presentation, given as a part of the Chamber's Business Toolbox Series, allowed them to share their knowledge while giving visibility to our company.

Kevin and Amy's presentation on business etiquette in the workplace, gave tips and ideas to business owners on everything from acceptable language and dress to how to formulate an employee manual or policy.

"As a business person you not only need to think outside the box, you need to refold that box into an employee manual," Kevin said in the presentation. the value of creating and maintaining a workable company culture is invaluable.

"If you don't work to create your company culture," Amy said, "your employees will do it for you."

The value of sharing your business expertise with your fellow business owners in the community through a chamber or other group is tremendously valuable to both the giver as well as the receiver. Sykes has made many friends and learned a lot from our fellow business owners and operators in North Texas.

The Sykes Team

www.sykesconstruction.com
www.ndcc.org 

The People Who Work Here: Sandy Watson, Senior Construction Coordinator

Managing a building project is a lot like managing a lesson plan. And Sandy Watson should know.

“I was a career educator until I got into the construction and contracting business,” Sandy said.

Sandy is Senior Construction Coordinator for Sykes Construction/SCI Design in Dallas. What that means is that she coordinates the teams of designers, project managers and field team members in the design and build out of retail and other projects.

“My nickname around here is ‘The Glue’,” Sandy added.

And glue she is. She is known to stick to a project until completion and to attach herself to a project to make sure it stays on track.

“I stamp out problems before they become problems,” Sandy said.

Raised around the world as a Navy brat, Sandy studied education and was a track athlete at Texas A&M. Near the end of her 27-year career in education and administration for a number of Texas school districts, she found herself on a different career path with a move to Colorado.

“My first job in the construction industry was as a temporary,” she said. “Within three years I was regional director of construction for the company.” Work for general contractors, electrical subcontractors and excavating companies gave her a broad understanding and experience in the industry.

“What can I say? I like variety,” Sandy said.

“Sandy is an incredible asset to our company,” Dave Sykes, President and CEO, said. “Versatile talent is hard to come by,” he continued. “And you can’t be much more versatile than Sandy.”

You can reach Sandy, Dave and the other members of the Sykes team at 972-484-6855 or www.sykesconstruction.com.

The Sykes Team