If you've ever thought about joining CSI...

...there is NO better time than the present.

I can personally attest to the boost that CSI membership and participation have had on my career. If it weren't for CSI's certification and related education programs, my technical skills would not have allowed my career to progress to the extent that it has. Getting involved with leadership has given me skills in that arena that have taken me well beyond my expectations. Not only that, but it's just plain fun!

CSI is the only organization that brings together building owners, facility managers, architects, engineers, specifiers, construction managers, design-builders, contractors, subcontractors, attorneys, manufacturers, and product representatives to improve their communication with each other!

In CSI you can:

• Earn CEUs while attending one-of-a-kind education programs focused on construction documentation and communication
• Validate your skills through CSI’s unique, industry-recognized certificate and certification exams for construction documentation, specifications, contract administration, and product representation
• Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the standards and formats used by the commercial construction community
• Talk shop with experienced construction professionals both inside and outside of your discipline

You’ll also interact with a network of industry colleagues in more than 140 chapters, and enjoy member discounts on a variety of products and services.

CSI members are the recognized experts on communication in the commercial construction community, bringing together professionals with a unique blend of skills and experience in addressing the many challenges facing the industry – a benefit not found in single-discipline organizations.

Don't miss this special offer! Join CSI at www.csinet.org/join by Saturday, August 31 and pay only $192 for national dues -- a savings of 20 percent.

• Navigate to www.csinet.org/join
• Select Join Now, and then click Sign Up as a New Member
• Enter Promotion Code CSISummer13 when prompted
• Click the Add Discount button

To maximize your CSI Experience, I strongly encourage you to join a local chapter of CSI. If there isn't one near you, we also have a virtual chapter called CSINext that holds its chapter meetings online. Visit our site at www.csinext.org and enjoy the virtual fun!

I look forward to seeing you at a future CSI event!

Reflections on the tenth anniversary of 9/11

As we approached the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I watched a few of the related television specials with deep interest, especially those that discussed construction of the Freedom Tower. I found a series called “Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero” on the Discovery Channel to be particularly interesting from an architect’s perspective. As we said a decade ago, we will never forget, so it is useful to be reminded.

It has been very difficult for me to recapture the sense of shock, disruption, and sadness that day brought with it. Within the first week, I wrote some of my thoughts for a newsletter I was editing at the time. The article seems a bit unfinished, and perhaps it is. However, I wanted to share it with you in the hope that it evokes your memories of that day.

For architects, engineers, and contractors, the events of 9/11 have brought some of the most significant changes to our approach to construction, and protection of building occupants, since the inception of building and fire codes after the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire 100 years ago. The documentaries on the Freedom Tower offered valuable insight into how these changes are being implemented near Ground Zero.

To give you some context, I was performing full-time construction observation on a large project at Ohio State. My office was a tiny construction trailer and my usual attire was jeans and a hard hat. My wife worked in the communications section of the Attorney General’s Office, and my son was in his first few weeks of public elementary school. A year before, I had been appointed to an open seat on our City Council, so I was in transition from private citizen to public servant.

“I had just dropped my son off at school and got back into my truck for the drive to work, when the radio reported that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.

“The reporter indicated it appeared to be a twin engine Cessna aircraft. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Now, I’ve been to New York and know how big the towers were, and I know how big a twin engine Cessna is. Based on that information, I made the assumption that everything would be fine. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“I dropped off a roll of permit drawings at the University Architect’s office and gave an old professor a call on my cell phone on the way out of the building. I wanted to discuss a job opportunity that had been weighing heavily on my mind. At the time, it seemed important.

“While I was sitting in his office, he received a phone call, and informed me that the second plane had hit, and that it was a jet airliner. By this point, it became clear that the first crash was no accident.

“I casually observed a copy of the book “Why Buildings Fall Down” on his desk, not realizing what a strange omen this would prove to be. I commented on it and we discussed the fact that we hadn’t heard any planes from Port Columbus even though OSU is directly in the flight path. Then he received a call that indicated that the FAA had grounded all flights across the country.

“As I left his office, I had a very strange feeling that the day was going to be a little different than any other. For the first time in my lifetime, the United States had been attacked.

“As I pulled out of the parking garage, I heard the news that the Pentagon had been struck. I had to pull over to the side of the road. My cousin had recently been appointed director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and worked in the Pentagon. I took a few deep breaths, pulled back onto the road, and headed for the field office across the river. I later learned his office was with 60 feet of the initial point of contact.

“When I got there, the first thing I did was fire up my internet browser and tried to load a news site that had details of the morning’s events. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. The webpage timed out and I began making phone calls.

“First, I made sure that my son was safe and wasn’t being sent home from school. I’d heard on the radio that a few schools were considering early dismissal. Thankfully, the superintendent and his staff had calmly decided to keep them in place, but locked the doors as a precaution.

“My wife was with the Attorney General at a media event near Cleveland, and not in the Rhodes Tower. Still I was concerned about her and was very relieved when she called. She said that she was able to go straight home and I told her to drive carefully.

“I called the office and discussed whether to postpone the weekly project meeting, and we decided to keep the schedule in spite of the day’s events. The University had locked the doors on most of the buildings and it was questionable if we could even get into our room.

“As we sat in the meeting, we discussed what was of utmost importance to us the day before. It just didn’t seem that important anymore. The world had changed…”

See you soon.

The 19th Century called, and it wants its construction law back!

It's on its way. I keep resisting the urge to pinch myself to determine if I'm dreaming or not. Could Governor Kasich really be signing the most sweeping changes in Ohio's construction law in 134 years into law tonight?

After working on public construction projects for most of my professional career, and dealing with the issues raised by coordinating multiple prime contractors, there is truly light at the end of the tunnel. In ten bullets, here is what the new law contains:

• Retains Multiple-Prime Design-Bid-Build project delivery as the default method of construction, but adds other options
• Removes limitations on Single-Prime Design-Bid-Build project delivery (General Contractor may be used at any dollar value)
• Allows Design-Build project delivery (single entity assumes risk for final design and construction of the facility including cost overruns)
• Allows Construction Manager at Risk project delivery (CM holds subcontracts and assumes risk for cost overruns)
• Enables selection of a Design-Build Firm or CM at Risk through a Best Value Selection process (combination of qualifications and price)
• Allows public authorites to authorize Design-Build Firm or CM at Risk to utilize Design Assist Subcontractors (early engagement to facilitate coordination before construction begins)
• Enables Design-Build Firms and CM at Risk to execute a Guaranteed Maximum Price amendment when construction documents are at a sufficient level of detail (60-75 percent complete)
• Requires DAS to file rules for Best Value Selection process, forms of Contracts and Subcontracts, and standards for criteria that a Design-Build Firm or CM at Risk may use to prequalify subcontractors
• Requires DAS to file rules for bonding requirements before Construction Reform provisions go into effect (earliest possible date is Dec. 15, 2011)
• Allows the new project delivery methods to be used by state agencies, state institutions of higher education, counties, townships, municipal corporations, school districts, or other political subdivisions

Implementation will take some time and a lot of effort from many different people. I thank everyone who pushed this issue over the last 21+ years. It's been a long time coming and I trust it will be worth the wait. See you soon...

One Last Push Across the Finish Line

Dear friends, First, I want to thank you for your help a few weeks ago, prior to the Senate passing their version of H.B. 153, the state's operating budget. Someone said to me yesterday that the construction reform measures are the single most powerful tool that is being provided to increase the efficiency of governmental processes in this budget. I received a report this morning that the Senate members of the Conference Committee are angling to get certain provisions of their version of the construction reform provisions into the final budget. The administration and the House of Representatives are clear in their position to send the House version to the Governor for signature next week. This version DOES NOT include a requirement for public bid openings conducted by the public authority, which implements more bureaucracy. It DOES include a provision to allow early engagement of subcontractors to provide their knowledge and experience to the project team before construction documents are complete, which provides increased integration of the design team, saving money and time, while improving the quality of the completed facility. I am reaching out to ask for your help to call your Senator, and perhaps a few others, to ask them to support the House version of construction reform. We are very close to the finish line and need one last push to cross it with a bill that provides the best opportunity for public owners to realize the savings available through flexible project delivery methods including construction manager at risk, design-build, and single-prime design-bid-build. The Senate roster and a search tool to allow you to locate your elected officials is available at http://www.ohiosenate.gov/. Thank you for your personal advocacy on this very important initiative. Please feel free to forward this message to your colleagues and contacts in the Ohio design and construction community. Warmest personal regards, Lane J. Beougher, AIA, FCSI

YESSSSS Again!

As I was setting up the booth for the Akron-Canton CSI New Technologies and Products Trade Show on March 3rd, I received a call from my friend Bob Simmons, CSI Treasurer and chair of the tellers committee this year. When he asked if I had a minute to talk I asked him if I could call him back. When he said he had some news to share, I understood why he was calling. I immediately said I could talk, and he shared that I had been elected as the secretary of CSI for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years.

When I agreed to run, there was a lot less on my plate. Since being named Interim State Architect four weeks ago, I've had a number of challenges and difficult decisions. I think I'm finally beginning to get caught up, but there is still a lot of extra work and responsibility involved. I realize I'm going to need to back away from a few of the things I'm involved in locally, such as treasurer of the CSI Columbus Chapter.

I am truly honored to be elected to serve the Institute in such an improtant position. I hope that prove equal to the task. An added honor is that this is the first year of the completely revised 18-member Board passed in 2009. We're still finding our way to a new way of working together.

I want to thank my worhty opponent, Bob Kenworthy for running a ggod race. I'd also like to congratulate the other succesful candidates including President-elect Greg Marking, Vice President Mitch Miller, Director at large Leslie Schlessinger, and the five incoming Institute Directors. I look forward to working with you to take CSI to the next level. See you soon.

02.11.2011 Reflections on turning fifty

Well, in a few minutes the clock strikes twelve and I will strike fifty. This one has me going a bit. It didn't really phase me to turn thirty. Actually, I had just returned to college to complete my degree in architecture at Ohio State. So I was associating with kids ten years my junior. I still had most of my hair, which was brown, pulled back into an awful pony tail. Yikes!!! What was I thinking. Maybe that I was going to be an architect someday and I was too cool for school. Much has changed in the last twenty years.

I didn't even mind turning forty. It seemed so natural. Kind of like falling off a log. It was easy. I even coerced my good friend and boss Carole Olshavsky, FAIA, to nominate me for Columbus Business First's Forty Under 40 Award, which they actually gave me. A year and a half earlier, I had applied for, interviewed, and been appointed to a seat on my city council. Which made me think I was hot stuff. I actually waited until I turned 40 to announce my candidacy to retain my seat. I thought it would look better if I seemed a bit older. By this time, my forehead had extended back to where I couldn't see it in the mirror anymore. The faint bridge of folicles had faded and the brown strands were losing out to the silver ones.

I spent way too much time being serious and scowling. I tried to smile and look friendly in my campaign photo. All this was happening on the outside. Inside, I was worried that someone would discover that this little boy was in way over his head. Passing laws, fees, and taxes upon his fellow citizens that had a real impact on their lives and pocketbooks. I worked very hard to prepare for each meeting and tried to ask meaningful questions. I think I did ok. After winning the race in my 40th year, I ended up tied for the last of three seats four years later. After the other guy ended up one vote ahead after overseas absentee ballots were counted, I decided to step aside. I cherish every moment of the experience, but I had had enough.

What's hitting me hard this year is the knowledge that my maternal grandfather, Dr. Wells M. Wilson, passed away at 49. For the last ten or more years, I've tried to dismiss this notion that I didn't have much time to leave my mark. In fact, it was knowing that he was president of the Logan Elm School Board at the time of his death that may have triggered my foray into politics. He and my paternal grandfather, Judson J. Beougher, and my great uncle, Frank Graves, served on the school board together. I am extremely proud whenever I visit the State or Columbus libraries and look up their names and mine resting on the same shelf in the Secretary of State's collection of public officials.

My dad always tells me that I look just like my grandfather, especially his body type. This usually happens during the holidays, after I've consumed 5,000 calories of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. He warns me that I'd better start taking better care of myself. My wife worries about me too. I work too much and allow the stress of the office to follow me around like a big red caboose on the train of my life. There's a young man in our office that's fond of eating his Hungry Man dinners for lunch. I envy him a bit as I slide my frozen Lean Cuisinne or Weight Watchers lunch entree into the microwave. But I know it's for the best, and I try not to succomb to the attration of midnight carb loading that erases all the good that it did.

I spent this week trying to figure out if I should buy more life insurance, schedule a colonoscopy, or pay the invoice that came with my obligatory AARP card in the mail. I ended up doing none of those things. There will be time to visit the doctor, and get probed and prodded. The last time I endured the full physical was right after I turned 40. The memory still haunts me a bit. I did take care of one piece of business and renewed my license plate registration. That's a chore I need to do every year, so it made this milestone seem a bit like every other year. Since I didn't wait until the weekend, there wasn't even a line at the BMV. That's something I find I dislike most as I get a little older. Waiting in line, holding for a representative on the phone, time is just too precious.

My family hasn't really celebrated my birthday as a separate event for the last sixteen years. I've been sharing it with my son, Nate, who celebrates his eight days before mine. My father in law also has a birthday between ours, so a joint party is the norm. This year, I suggested to my wife that I wanted to do something more. So she reserved a couple of large tables at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill at Grandview Yard, 900 Goodale Avenue in the Grandview Heights area of the Greater Columbus Metropolitan Area. I sent out a note earlier this week via Hootsuite to my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. I also mentioned it to my fellow CSI, AIA, and Center for Architecture Board members.

If you're close enough to stop in and say "hello," please feel free. We plan to be there between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. I'm not sure if anyone will show up. If not, I'm not going to be concerned. But I hope a few of you do. I'm going to sit back and relax, enjoy an adult beverage or two, and try to avoid the chicken wings. If you're wondering why that location, it's to commemorate where I was born. You see, I'm a third generation Buckeye graduate. Both of my granfathers matriculated from Ohio State in 1935 and '36. My dad attended OSU and my mom graduated in December 1960, when Jerry Lucas, Bobby Knight, and John Havlicek ruled the courts of the Big Ten (and there were only ten). I was born at University Hospital just a few months after she graduated.

Mom told me once that at my fourth birthday party, I climbed up onto my chair, and thanked everyone for coming. That may have been the beginning of my political career. I will try to refrain from making any speeches tonight, but you probably can't restrain me from expressing an opinion or two. I look forward to greeting you. See you soon!

Break on through

This afternoon, I attended a seminar titled Marketing in the Digital Age at the Center for Architecture. The presentation was given by Walker Evans and Gary Moneysmith. For additional info see http://www.aiacolumbus.org/.

It was a productive session and I learned a bit. I had been avoiding the little blue bird, but finally succumbed last Saturday. I am finally on twitter for better or worse. I generally don't do anything in 140 characters. I am also using hootsuite to keep everything up to date.

Not quite ready to go mobile yet, but am toying with a few options. I am in need of an upgrade for my personal cell, so maybe it's time to go there as well. It's a brave new world folks.

See you soon.