Sarah Baird recently sat down with Al Kinsella of United Construction Engineering to learn more about the construction of the new Student Center.  Here’s what Al had to say:

On adding granite to the curbing in front of the building:  We originally thought about using concrete, but we knew that once the snow came with the plows and the salt, that it wouldn’t last as long.  Granite is much more durable.  The granite is processed locally in Otis, MA at Williams Granite Quarry.

On the lumber: The exposed lumber is pre-engineered laminated Douglas Fir that came from Quebec in three loads.  The drivers all spoke French!
On his connection to our rival: My son teaches history at Rumsey!

On the crew:  There are lots of different guys that come on different days.  You have the “Dirt Guys” who prepare the site, work on rough grading and use all of the big machines like excavators and bulldozers.  You have the glaziers who work on the glass and the “Woodpeckers” who work on framing and carpentry. Then there are the electricians, painters, plumbers, HVAC, and other specialists who come in from time to time.  All of the contractors are local, and a lot of them are people that I have worked with on other jobs.
On working at IMS:  The views from the top of the roof are extraordinary!