Finer points...

After reading Mr. Litt’s high praise for the recent work at CSU designed by CBLH, a colleague and I decided to share in his joy. I will not comment on the design diarrhea as this is not the forum for discussion of bad taste.


It does preface these curious details over the doors that leave one wondering if anyone was actually paying attention when this project was designed and constructed. Someone obviously took the time to draw this detail somewhere in the documents with no actual thought for how it would be realized in the field.


I am not sure what the intention is, as they do not align with anything, and are resolved quite poorly at the head return. While these will not lead to water infiltration, or a poor thermal seal, they are an insult to the design profession, and gypsum board contractors.

Water flows which way?

Here's a head-scratcher. The new crosswalk from Tower City (Higbee) east across Ontario has an interesting angle to it. The sidewalk in front of Higbee slopes down to the west and the crosswalk ramp is placed at the proper angle to the sidewalk, but not the crosswalk. In short, the ramp is nearly level and when it rains, it fills up with water. Here's a picture during today's deluge. - July 9th, 2008

We have noticed this in quite a few spaces around the city. For some reason the curb cuts for crosswalks are usually the lowest part of the street (because the road is crowned for runoff but also because no attempt is made to pitch away from the cuts) so water and slush collect there, impeding travel for pedestrians. One would think that careful consideration would be made to keep crosswalks dry and clear of standing water, snow, slush, mud, anything that people would not want to step in since, as a general rule, its main purpose if for people to walk in that location.

SBS should also comment that no one on the staff is a professional engineer in any manner however we do know that water goes what way? Downhill. These curb cuts should be either designed or constructed with that in mind.

On a completely unrelated note we at SBS received message that the Key Bank overhangs may be resultant of having a "Key Bank style" that includes the use of overhangs whether needed or not.

Did the city only pay for half?

...located on the south side of Euclid, west of 150 East Euclid, 44115. Why do the bricks make this strange detour? Earlier in the year it was even stranger as they did a good job of merging the two brick patterns toward the 2nd street alley...I had been waiting to post these photos mostly because someone had convinced me that when the bank had moved in they were going to install some sort of ATM vestibule or something on the concrete. Well, the bank is in and the concrete part of the walk still lay exposed.
I have not received a decent explanation of why the brick is treated this way, why the brick walk doesn't go all the way to the building?

Seriously, what the heck?

Cut once, measure twice...

Located on the Fries and Schuele building in ohio city, these blue ceramic glazed tiles are located in the center of the brick piers that form the base of the building. Notice the fine attention by the architect to make these piers a masonry dimension so that the tile would seamlessly fit into the running bond pattern.

1. It looks as if the header bricks were shaved to accept the tile.
2. The cut brick on the right seems smaller then on the left.
3. One would feel more comfortable if the tile fit into the running bond pattern instead of breaking the pattern by thirds. If the tile were centered on the pier that should be the case. I am assuming that the pier is not a masonry dimension or there are some 'pigs' in the wall. I don't know if a wider shot would show more of the discrepancy. Maybe, maybe not. (-ed)

Something missing?

Stonebridge - 2222 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland 44113

Walking around this recently completed apartment complex on the West Bank of the Flats, one wonders how many members of the design and construction team overlooked these enormously visible corners and crevices (or lack thereof)...

In defense of the construction team, I would like to speculate several reasons why it looks like pieces of building are missing:

1. The construction and design team foresaw the natural expansion of face brick as it gains moisture. I would suggest that at least three inches between the face of each wall should accommodate this expansion nicely. (Make sure that insulation fills the gap and remains visible as an indicator of the gradual expansion process)

2. LEED points can be earned for creating habitats for critters of the urban environment. In particular, hornets, ants, and Lake Erie seagulls are provided a warm home for their families.

3. No one really walks anymore. The apartment complex contains garages internal to every building, therefore its residents prefer attention to the interiors of their home and really don't see the outside of the building at fewer than 30 miles per hour or a few hundred feet away. In fact, Phase 13 of the complex will project a holigram on a CMU box, because no one really notices materiality anyway.

As a former residential painter, I particularly admire the skill of this project's artists. I would have never thought to two-tone the soffit AND paint the cast stone white.

This is what happens when an incapable design and construction team tries to build an angular and "patchwork" building. Inevitably, no one knows how to detail areas where materials and faces adjoin one another.

Batten the hatches?

sbs's very first write-in!

battery park, detroit shoreway, cleveland ohio 44102

note the fine attention to detail regarding the battens and their relationship to the fenestration.

also of interest are the sun screens (these face north and the only sun that will hit this facade is late in the summer and it will be low on the horizon) and the entry canopy which provides no protection.

use what you like

I like it all.
So, in summation, exterior material was installed or designed with no regard to what was happening to the exterior AND useless architectural details which pose as useful details.

I think the green beveled batten picture is my favorite.