Category Archives: Project Profile

Have you tried Twitter's new publishing tool yet? A collection is turned into a moment.

Progress Photos on Wamco’s TI – Twitter Publishing

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Today I read on Mashable that Twitter is allowing you to embed a collection of tweets, emphasizing the photos instead of the text. Thanks for the great tweet, Inspire Social.

A collection is turned into a moment.

What better way than to test this out on our current tenant improvement project for Wamco? Currently the progress photos are part of our Instagram Monday campaign but I always tweet at least one photo of the front of the building. Perfect. I know exactly how I’ll use this.

First, the embed. Then the instructions.

About this TI

Wamco’s new exterior and interior improvement is a beautiful project but focusing on the exterior, more storefront was cut in and an aluminum fascade is being added. You can see the progress from Week 5 to 21 in these few photos.

So, how do you do this?

  1. In TweetDeck (yes you have to use TweetDeck — at least for today) click the plus sign on the left sidebar, add column, add collection.
  2. Click on the blue create collection button.
  3. It will open up a new column where you can name and describe the collection.
  4. Drag tweets into the collection (with the 4 arrow thing). It helps if your collection column is next to a search or favorite column. That stupid “Add To Collection” choice doesn’t work.drag tweet to collection
  5. In the collection column, click the sliders at the top, click share.
  6. In the share dialog, choose View on Twitter. It will open up this collection (used to be a timeline) in a new window.
  7. Copy the link (url) of Collection (mine is https://twitter.com/RigginsConst/timelines/656959892314435584 ). It is a timeline, technically and very linear. Don’t worry the next steps will make it more beautiful.
  8. Go to publish.twitter.com.
  9. Enter URL from your new timeline (step 7) in the dialog box and press the arrow or enter key on your keyboard. The moment will come up.
  10. If you like what you see, click the blue copy code button. If you don’t like what you see, go back to TweetDeck and add or remove tweets to your collection. My tip is to have an odd number (3, 5, 7) of tweets. It looks better.
  11. For WordPress, go to your post/page, click text (it doesn’t work in visual), then paste code where you want it to appear. Now, for me, it didn’t live preview but when I clicked publish, it was live. So don’t freak out like I did.
  12. Don’t forget to save.
  13. Proofread post.
  14. Publish.
  15. Pat yourself on the back.

Are you going to try Twitter Publishing?

“The Conductor” by Christine Schmidt on Flickr

Does a project need a superintendent? Does an orchestra need a conductor?

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“Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble.” Wikipedia 

You just bought tickets to see a symphony. You and your Plus One are in black tie, expecting the night of your life – a night to remember.

The curtain opens. Puzzled, you don’t notice a conductor. It shouldn’t matter. You look at each other and smile. The orchestra begins. How will it sound?

Just like a symphony, tradespeople and their teams need to be coordinated. If there isn’t onsite supervision and project management, where do they look to?

Does the floor go in first or the doors? Does it matter? You have drawings so everyone’s on the same page. You think. Continue reading →

Lego Bricks by Benjamin Esham, on Flickr

Why Design-Build is Like Building the Millennium Falcon from the Lego Kit, Not Garage Sale Finds

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As an avid Star Wars fan you promised your nine-year-old son that your next project together would be building the Millennium Falcon. Great Father-Son time, right?

Then you go to the Lego store and the cost seems steeper than you had imagined. But it does come with 6 figures including Han Solo and Chewbacca, of course. And who can turn down a rotating laser cannon?

Plus, it has the directions. Now, you can go online and download them but pfft, it’s not original.

Still, your wife says it’s not in the budget so you get creative.

You decide to download the directions and use the lego bricks from the seven collections you already have. Good thinking – frugality is a plus.

The Falcon needs thousands of pieces! Who wants to start a project you can’t finish? Continue reading →

Everybody Poops, Everybody Toots, But We Like to Do it In Style

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Imagine a group of kids ranging in age from four to ten years old. A wave of giggles starts in the back corner while you’re teaching, oblivious to the apparent two-dimensional offense. Yep. Somebody passed gas, or as one of the kids will inevitably shout, “He farted!” causing the rest of the group to erupt in laughter almost as violently as Mt. Vesuvius reigned down terror on Pompeii.

Hopefully, most of us have grown out of the giggles, but we have to do what we have to do. The thing is, we like to do it in nice places where we feel safe and clean.

12119-3ASelling a restroom addition or upgrade to a home owner usually isn’t an insurmountable obstacle. The fact of the matter is that upgrading or adding facilities increases a home’s value. That’s money in the bank.

“According to RealEstate.com, a new full bathroom adds around 20 percent to a home’s value.” ~ Tony Guerra, “How Much Does a New Bathroom Increase the Value of a House?“

From pink marble bathrooms to full-spa accommodations, luxury bathrooms are not new. Not only can you buy a multi-function toilet from Toto for about $6,500, there’s even a water closet (that’s construction jargon for toilet) made out of gold that costs around $5 million. Now that’s a throne!

Homes, we get. That’s where we spend a lot of our time primping and prepping for the day or relaxing at night. But what about retail establishments and workplaces? Continue reading →

Anne Street - Before and After - Tilt-Up Panel Replacement

Project Profile: Anne Street Fire Damage Repairs

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We are proud to announce the completion of the design-build restoration to a building recently damaged by a neighbor’s fire.

The client took the opportunity, since much of the roof structure was damaged, to replace the entire roof with four-ply built-up roof system. Six skylights were replaced and two were added, increasing the natural light throughout the warehouse. Additionally, a self-flashing galvanized steel roof access hatch was installed.

A 3-ton heat pump unit was replaced and it was relocated onto a factory curb to minimize leak potential.

During reroofing is the best time for a volunteer seismic retrofit of the building and that is precisely what our client opted for. We also replaced the tilt-up panel that had been compromised structurally (it bowed outward) with two new concrete tilt-up panels.

Continue reading →