Case Study: A Crumbling Façade, a City Ordinance and a Limited Budget

tlm_developer • May 15, 2017

It was the perfect storm. Four years ago, the façades on University Park Condominiums’ two 10-story  residential buildings were crumbling; the City of Chicago required immediate action; and there was limited funding available. The condo association and its property management team needed a solution that could work for their buildings, their time frame and their budget.

“We obtained three bids for the façade work,” said Megan Serena, operations manager for Lieberman Management Services, the property’s management firm. “Each  bidder had to present to our 15-person board. With such a large group, getting consensus can be a challenge. When Marco Rodriguez from K2N Crest presented, he was very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. He was able to simplify the structural complexities for our audience and advised us as to what the façade project was going to require and what he and his team would be able to accomplish.”

Marco advised a four-year, phased approach to accommodate the association’s budgetary limitations while still addressing the City’s immediate requirements. “We liked Marco’s plan and his projected costs were competitive,” said Megan. “We’re now in year four of the project, and K2N Crest has been doing a great job for us. When we had to extend the plan by two years to allow funding for other projects, Marco had no difficulty adjusting the strategy.”

University Park Condos

“K2N Crest consistently delivers quality work and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Our new building façades are beautiful and will last for many decades to come, thanks to Marco and his team of experts.”

Megan Serena, Operations Manager, Lieberman Management Services

“With projects like these, you’re never quite sure you’re going to get the results you want,” Megan added. “When you’re writing very large checks every summer, it’s important to have confidence in the people you’re dealing with. Marco has brought in each year’s projects on time and within or under budget with no unpleasant surprises—he’s become our ‘go to’ resource for other structural concerns, such as roof issues and leaking in our underground garage.”

K2N Crest specializes in creative problem solving in the practices of architectural design, structural engineering, architectural engineering, interior renovation, forensic engineering and roof consulting.  Building owners and managers throughout Illinois and Hawaii look to K2N for their architectural, structural and roof evaluation needs.  www.k2n.com

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Fall Safety: Ensuring Compliance with Updated OSHA Rules

By tlm_developer • July 16, 2018
Falls from heights and on a working surface are among the leading causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths. In recent years, OSHA has updated its rule on Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems (OSHA 1910.27(b)(1)(i) to better protect workers from these hazards—clarifying standards and adding training and inspection requirements. This rule is closely tied to another OSHA regulation requiring that a leading edge 6 feet or more above a lower level be protected by guardrail systems, safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems. To ensure worker safety and protect people and objects attached to the building from […]

Working in Maui’s Historic ‘Iao Valley

By tlm_developer • June 26, 2018
Some structural engineering projects are just a little more interesting to work on than others. This was the case when K2N Crest was called in to evaluate flood damage impacting the foundational supports for a large water pipe crossing the ‘Iao River in Maui, Hawaii. The ‘Iao River flows through one of the state’s most beautiful parks. It is also the site where one of Hawaii’s bloodiest battles took place when Kamehameha I from the island of Hawai’i fought to unite the islands under his rule in 1790. There were so many slain from both armies during the battle at […]

New Resources Provide New Expertise

By tlm_developer • May 24, 2017
“As our business continues to grow, we’ve increased staff to provide additional expertise in structural engineering and architectural design,” said Don Kimball, co-founder and President of K2N Crest. “Our most recent new hires allow K2N to continue to maintain high levels of service as we engage with a growing client base and participate in more expansive projects.” Kyle A. Cunningham attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned his Master of Architecture-Structures Option. He is an experienced project manager who previously provided asset and construction management support to a large, regional real estate development company. An engineer-in-training at K2N […]