Stick vs. Concrete / Construction Quality Issues

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Didier
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby Didier » November 16th, 2013, 1:37 pm

It will be interesting to see how all of the new Dinkytown and Stadium Village apartments hold up. Student housing is notoriously terrible.

Of course the $89,000 single-family houses in the exurbs aren't exactly Stonehenge either.

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FISHMANPET
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby FISHMANPET » November 16th, 2013, 3:42 pm

Any evidence that student housing is "notoriously terrible" or is that just a gut feeling that can't be substantiated?

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nBode
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby nBode » November 16th, 2013, 7:21 pm

Any evidence that student housing is "notoriously terrible" or is that just a gut feeling that can't be substantiated?
Perhaps Didier is just referring to the fact that college students tend to (especially when renting) trash their house. Or at least not take care of it. Student housing just generally receives more wear-and-tear.

Didier
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby Didier » November 17th, 2013, 3:03 am

There was a similar construction boom of student housing when I was in college from 2004-08. All of the new buildings look great on the outside but they are cheap and fall apart pretty much immediately. Cheap cabinets, cheap appliances, cheap everything. Maybe Dinkytown is different.

Minneboy
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby Minneboy » November 17th, 2013, 6:07 am

Another issue is that when these construction companies then decide to go bankrupt and then they restart with a different name which then allows them to continue their shoddy construction.

Didier
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby Didier » November 17th, 2013, 10:43 am

Yep. That happened to the building I live in. As soon as the exterior walls started leaking water the contractors suddenly no longer existed.

web

Re: Construction Quality

Postby web » November 17th, 2013, 5:58 pm

In Road building they form Joint Ventures and when the job is done. They disband back to their prospective companies. Can't Sue them anymore.

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Nick
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Re: Construction Quality

Postby Nick » November 18th, 2013, 6:12 pm

Of course the $89,000 single-family houses in the exurbs aren't exactly Stonehenge either.
Topical: http://www.startribune.com/local/yourvo ... 82001.html
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gray_marc
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby gray_marc » December 2nd, 2013, 6:56 am

The idea of those wood skyscrapers worry me! Not sure how high up I'd go.. :shock:
Image
Although there's no denying it looks pretty rad.

I'm pretty sure most buildings will be using things like Newark's recycled concrete tubes- It seems authorities are approving of much more concrete-focused infrastructures, as long as they're recycled.

twincitizen
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby twincitizen » December 2nd, 2013, 9:55 pm

This interview with David Graham of ESG architects sheds some light on various topics such as stick vs. concrete, massing, unit count, finances, and monotony of recent designs, etc. Definitely worth a read.

http://www.startribune.com/housing/233862501.html

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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby gray_marc » December 3rd, 2013, 6:26 am

This interview with David Graham of ESG architects sheds some light on various topics such as stick vs. concrete, massing, unit count, finances, and monotony of recent designs, etc. Definitely worth a read.

http://www.startribune.com/housing/233862501.html
Awesome!

MNdible
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby MNdible » December 3rd, 2013, 10:07 am

And here you thought architects design buildings. Turns out it's the bankers. Who'd have guessed?

seanrichardryan
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby seanrichardryan » March 25th, 2014, 5:10 pm

A friend just posted this on their facebook- It's Houston

Stick development meets fire.

Image
Last edited by seanrichardryan on March 25th, 2014, 5:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Q. What, what? A. In da butt.

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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby seanrichardryan » March 25th, 2014, 5:11 pm

Image
Q. What, what? A. In da butt.

PhilmerPhil
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby PhilmerPhil » March 25th, 2014, 5:17 pm

MRRVDL or whatever is gonna love this.

mattaudio
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby mattaudio » March 25th, 2014, 5:47 pm

Is this why CIDNA liked the 6-story revision on north Calhoun?

John
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby John » March 25th, 2014, 6:28 pm

Is this why CIDNA liked the 6-story revision on north Calhoun?
Yes. They had the opportunity for a high quality 11 story concrete structure beautifully designed that would have endured for at least a century. Now they are stuck with a fire trap that will deteriorate in 30 years.

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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby mulad » March 26th, 2014, 10:40 am

The Strib has video of a construction worker being rescued from the site:

http://www.startribune.com/video/252450691.html

While I'm wary of stick construction, this was not yet a habitable structure, probably without water hooked up.

mattaudio
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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby mattaudio » March 26th, 2014, 11:02 am

Things like sheetrock, doors, and other finishes are fire rated for a reason too. This wouldn't have happened on a finished building.

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Re: Stick vs. Concrete Construction

Postby John » March 26th, 2014, 6:27 pm

Things like sheetrock, doors, and other finishes are fire rated for a reason too. This wouldn't have happened on a finished building.
You're right . But when I see the amount of wood going up in these stick built apartments, I just can't imagine there isn't some significant higher risk for a more widespread fire versus concrete construction. Of course it's the smoke that's the biggest contributor to mortality in a residential fire, so concrete won't necessarily save you from that.


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