Archinect - News

"Human error" cited as cause for deadly 2019 crane collapse in Seattle

2019-10-23T18:43:00-04:00

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) announced Thursday that it has cited and fined three contractors a total of $107,200 in relation to April's deadly tower crane collapse at a Google office project. in Seattle. The crash to the street below killed two workers and two people in cars.

According to Construction Dive, the tragic event that occurred in April was due to the project "contractors and their workers [ignoring] the manufacturers instructions for dismantling the crane by removing almost all of the tower's pins and sleeves at the same time." It is reported that this weakened the crane and caused it to fall after a 45-mph gust of wind struck it.

Collapsing crane kills four at new Seattle Google campus

2019-04-29T13:25:00-04:00

Seattle’s construction frenzy turned deadly Saturday afternoon when a tower crane working on a new Google campus fell like a thunderbolt from the roof of a South Lake Union building, smashing into six cars and killing four people.

"The four-building, 607,000-square-foot project will house a new Google Seattle campus, and also include about 150 new apartments," reports The Seattle Times about the tragic incident at a South Lake Union site at Fairview Avenue and Mercer Street. "Construction began in 2017 and is set to be finished this year. Google had put its name on the building in the last few days."

Washington state officials have launched an investigation.

Construction webcam shows before and after of the deadly crane collapse in Seattle this afternoon. At least 4 people are dead https://t.co/YIcT09LpNY pic.twitter.com/Ywoe9VH7Nv
— Mike Rosenberg (@ByRosenberg) April 28, 2019

Pedestrian killed by glass window pane falling from luxury residential tower in London

2018-10-02T16:21:00-04:00

A man has died after reportedly being hit by a windowpane that fell around 250ft from the top of a block of flats in central London. [...] An image taken from The Corniche on the south bank of the River Thames by a resident showed a large window unit, complete with metal frame containing glass, on top of a male figure. [...] An image showed a window missing from near the top of the 27-storey tower.

The Corniche, a luxury residential high-rise complex at 21 Albert Embankment, was designed by Foster + Partners and completed last year. The property's developer, St James, is working with the police to investigate the incident.

Judge faults crane operator and DOB inspectors in deadly 2016 Tribeca crane collapse

2018-04-16T13:28:00-04:00

In 2016, a Manhattan crane collapse in Tribeca killed one person, seriously injured two others and left another with minor injuries. Workers were trying to secure the crane against winds by lowering the boom when the crane collapsed to the ground. The accident was caused by a series of operator errors including a failure to properly secure the crane overnight and lowering it at the wrong angle.

Last week, New York judge Ingrid Addison issued a 68-page decision that faults operator Kevin Reilly for the collapse and approves the yanking of his license. Addison also faulted the Department of Building for signing off on inadequate plans and ripped the department for arguing that they are "not responsible for ensuring plans are safe for New Yorkers."

Explore mitigating human suffering via design in this New School symposium

2017-02-23T13:41:00-05:00

As cities densify and the global population increases, much has been made of reclaiming physical spaces: but how does one reclaim a place that is bound up in tragedy, whether that tragedy was natural or man-made? On March 3rd and 4th, Parsons the New School for Design will host a symposium featuring Lina Sergie Attar, a Syrian-American architect, writer, and activist who hails from Aleppo.

In addition to Attar's keynote address, the symposium, entitled “Making Home in Wounded Places: Memory, Design, and the Spatial," will explore several dozen case studies dealing with refugee shelters, the repurposing of Latin American prisons into shopping malls, and how painful memories of the past have been represented and memorialized in places including a Warsaw ghetto. Those interested in registering to attend can do so on the website.

DIY Space, After Ghost Ship: Safety, community and informal venues after Oakland's tragic fire, ft. S. Surface and David Keenan on Archinect Sessions #91

2016-12-08T19:22:00-05:00

Last Friday night, a fire broke out during a concert at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, California, killing (at present count) 36 people. While the precise cause of the fire is still unknown, the building was rife with code violations that accelerated the fire's damage, many related to its adapted use for living and work-spaces. While criminal investigations are just beginning, local artists worry that the city will use the tragedy to crack down on other adaptive and DIY venues in the Bay Area, restricting access even further to affordable spaces in an already tight housing market.

Within the architecture community, the tragedy has prompted discussions surrounding the safety and vitality of DIY venues, and the long-term effects of such building code violations for gentrification and zoning. To discuss on the podcast, we're joined by two guests who have personal and professional experience with forming community spaces: designer, curator and organizer S. Surface, and David Keenan...

Five dead after eight metre concrete wall collapses in Birmingham, England

2016-07-07T17:48:00-04:00

Police were called to the Hawkeswood Metal recycling plant at 8.45am today after a large concrete wall containing metal collapsed. Paramedics tried to free the men, including one who had suffered a heart attack, however West Midlands Police pronounced all five victims dead at the scene. A sixth man was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries. The victims have yet to be identified.

Police investigation is underway, but next to nothing is known at the moment as to why the wall at a Birmingham recycling centre collapsed. Responding to the tragedy, Brian Rye of the construction union UCATT commented: “Information on how and why this accident occurred is currently very limited. However this tragedy underlines that in dangerous industries it is imperative that the Health and Safety Executive plays an active and high profile role in ensuring safety is maintained.”

Related on Archinect:

Berkeley balcony collapse investigation: no criminal charges from the DA, but five contractors could face license revocation

2016-04-19T17:25:00-04:00

The Californian district attorney investigating a balcony collapse that killed six students – five Irish and one Irish American – and seriously injured seven others in June last year has said she will not be bringing manslaughter charges because a successful prosecution seems unlikely.

"But another state agency, California’s Contractors State License Board (CSLB), has determined that five contractors involved in building the balcony probably violated California law, and has submitted its findings to the state’s Attorney General’s office. The move could lead to the suspension or revocation of the contractors’ licenses."

The tragic Berkeley balcony collapse previously in the Archinect news:

Crane collapses in Manhattan, one dead and two seriously injured

2016-02-05T20:25:00-05:00

The Associated Press reported that the person killed was a Wall Street worker sitting in a parked car. [...] The accident happened as workers were trying to secure the crane against winds around 20 mph by lowering the boom, which had been extended to as long as 565 feet the day before, officials said. Because the crane was being lowered, workers were directing pedestrians away from it on a street that otherwise would likely have been teeming with people.

A couple of nearby construction workers took video of the collapse on a cellphone – you can watch that here.

More than 50 dead after crane collapses on Mecca's Grand Mosque

2015-09-11T13:33:00-04:00

At least 52 people were killed when a crane crashed in Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence authority said on its Twitter account.It said 30 people were injured. The Muslim annual Haj pilgrimage is due later this month and Saudi authorities go to great lengths to be prepared for the millions of Muslims who converge on Mecca.

Dry rot to blame for Berkeley balcony collapse; existing building codes called into question

2015-06-24T21:05:00-04:00

In a report released a week after the incident, officials with Berkeley’s Building and Safety Division confirmed suspicions that dry rot had deteriorated the wood beams supporting the balcony. They also said they found no construction code violations.

It's been a week since the tragic balcony collapse occurred, and while the victims' families try to cope with the grief, experts have been searching frantically for the cause of the accident. Was the fault in the structural design? Is the contractor to blame for poor execution? Speculations quickly ran wild, and the comment section of Archinect's news post quickly flared up.

The newly released report seems to have determined the cause of the collapse, but the debate on how to improve existing building codes (and properly enforce them) has just begun.

6 dead after Berkeley balcony collapses

2015-06-16T17:51:00-04:00

Berkeley city officials have shut down access to public records regarding the construction of the apartment complex, which was completed in January 2007. Normally, they would be viewable upon request, but zoning office staff cited a pending police investigation and a request by the Berkeley city manager that the records not be made immediately available.

The fifth-floor balcony collapsed early morning Tuesday, in the midst of a birthday celebration for one of the victims. At the time of collapse, there were reportedly thirteen people on the balcony; the seven who survived the fall now face life-threatening injuries. Of the six dead, five were Irish citizens, living or working in the Bay Area for the summer.

Library Gardens apartments, where the collapse occurred, was completed eight years ago, and typically houses students and faculty of nearby University of California, Berkeley. As victims were identified and families notified, the collapse quickly became international news, and a police investigation into the building's safety is pending. Historically, the Bay Area has been a popular destination for Irish students to spend a summer abroad – it's unclear what effect this tragic event will have on future exchanges.

Update: Dry rot could be factor in Berkeley balcony collapse, engineers say (via LA Times)

The Architecture of Loss: How to Redesign After a School Shooting

2014-11-20T14:22:00-05:00

Good architects strive to balance design and function while listening closely to a client’s emotional needs for the space. Public projects often have the added layers of bureaucratic paperwork, media scrutiny, and community outreach. But rebuilding a school after a shooting presents a unique kaleidoscope of intense feelings. Architects must create an environment that not only promotes learning, but also helps the students—and their towns—heal from tragedy.

Amber Long, young Philadelphia architect, killed in attempted robbery

2014-01-22T13:52:00-05:00

Archinect is shocked and saddened to report the death of Philadelphia architect Amber Long, a recent Philadelphia University graduate working for U.S. Construction Inc. Long was shot and killed this past Sunday night, the victim of an attempted robbery while walking home with her mother. She was known for her passion in sustainability and green architecture, both as a student and in her young professional life, planning to become a LEED-certified, registered architect.

Friends, family and Philadelphia University colleagues have joined together to create a scholarship foundation in Long's memory, to be awarded to a student with the energy, selflessness and passion for sustainability that Long was known for.

Updates regarding the scholarship will be posted to Amber's website, along with tributes to Amber's life by friends and family.

NBC Philadelphia's coverage of the tragic news is available here.

In Memoriam: Mark and Lucas Benjamin of Morley Builders

2013-10-14T14:11:00-04:00

Mark Benjamin, President and CEO of Santa Monica-based Morley Builders, died on September 29, 2013 in a tragic airplane accident that also took the life of his son Lucas Robert Benjamin and two other lives [...] A memorial service will be held for Mark and Luke on Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 3:30 p.m., with a reception following, at the California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles.

Morley Builders has given shape to many prominent Southern California structures, including the California Science Center, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the Getty Villa, UCLA's Royce Hall, and the Geffen Playhouse. Mark Benjamin became CEO and President in 1981, and his son Lucas served as Senior Project Engineer.

Remembering Architect Ross Langdon, partner and unborn child - victims of Nairobi terrorist attack

2013-09-24T12:20:00-04:00

It is with great sadness that we report that Australian/British architect and public interest designer Ross Langdon, 32, was among those killed in the terrorist attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in recent days. He was killed alongside his partner, Elif Yavuz, who worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Kenya, and was just two weeks from her due date to give birth to their first child.

After Newtown, Architects Weigh School Design Changes

2012-12-22T17:46:00-05:00

Mark Simon, a founding partner of Centerbrook Architects and Planners, agrees. “I think [bars and other fortifying techniques] send the wrong message to both kids and teachers,” he says. Based in Centerbrook, Connecticut, Simon has designed 20 school buildings, including five public elementary schools, though none in Newtown. “Buildings tell stories, and when a building is designed that way, it tells you that it doesn’t trust you. And kids intuit that they’re not trusted,” he says.

Our hearts are with the families at Sandy Hook Elementary School

2012-12-14T15:25:00-05:00

I'm sorry for using this platform for a personal, off-topic, message. It's been a while since I have. But, today's tragedy in Connecticut is about as sad as it gets. This isn't an issue of politics or civil rights. This is an issue about humanity, and good vs. evil. I hope that if anything positive comes out of today's event, it's that the gun control debate will end in this country.