rightt structures
We Turn Real Estate On Its Foundation
west los angeles
apartment community
West Los Angeles, CA
It was an owner’s worst nightmare — a building failure that threatened the safety of its tenants, the potential closure of the building by the County, and the loss of millions of dollars by the owner.
It was an owner’s worst nightmare — a building failure that threatened the safety of its tenants, the potential closure of the building by the County, and the loss of millions of dollars by the owner.
Primary issue
BALCONY COMPONENT FAILURE
|
services provided
BEGINNING TO END REMEDIATION UNDER DESIGN-BUILD DELIVERY METHOD
|
project size
550 UNITS
|
In an exclusive community of West L.A. where renters pay premiums to enjoy fantastic panoramic views, glass balconies were inexplicably falling apart in an upscale, 550-unit apartment complex. Residents relaxing in living rooms would gaze outside to see the glass paneling on their balconies had fallen out, leaving the patio exposed and dangerous. It quickly became a dire situation as these incidents continued to happen and the project’s engineers and construction managers could not figure out the source of failures or how to actually address them.
The owner was dealing with a myriad of critical concerns: tenant safety was first and foremost, with the threat of severe injury or even death; fearful tenants who wanted to vacate their apartments; and the imminent possibility of having the building red-tagged by the County who were leaseholders of the land the building was sitting on.
There were 49 failures reported when Rightt Structures was invited to attend an emergency meeting with the owner, his legal counsel, project engineers and contractor. Amid the concerns and threats, the owner repeatedly asked the group, “What can I do about this tomorrow?” Yet everyone was so focused on “why” the balconies were failing that they were missing the urgency of the owner’s needs. He didn’t want hypothetical scenarios or long-drawn out solutions — he needed a plan of action now. The building had only been fully occupied for about a year and he was now at risk of losing his entire investment.
Recognizing that time was of the essence, Rightt Structures went straight to work and, within 30 days of the meeting, had designed a simple, elegant “collar” solution that replaced the failing screws, circumventing any cause that might have contributed to the failure. The design was promptly approved by the owner and the County, and the imminent threat of being red-tagged was lifted as Rightt Structures began the extensive process of installing 4,000 collars for all the balconies in the complex.
As Rightt Structures began taking each balcony apart and installing the collars over the balcony posts, it was discovered that the posts hadn’t been properly secured when originally constructed, so they had to tear apart the balconies underneath, fix the blocking, re-stucco and reassemble all the parts.
This was a project fraught with safety and economic liability issues. By taking the time to really listen to the owner, Rightt Structures cut through the chaos and came up with a solution and plan of action that was both creative and methodical.
Rightt Structures invented the collar solution, managed the fabrication, worked closely with the building owner and County throughout the process, and made all balcony repairs, all while minding the safety of the tenants who remained in place during the process.
This intensive, complicated project was completed over the course of two years without a single accident or resident complaint, saving the owner millions of dollars. It was representative of the care, expertise, and creativity that Rightt Structures employs in its approach to each project they undertake.
The owner was dealing with a myriad of critical concerns: tenant safety was first and foremost, with the threat of severe injury or even death; fearful tenants who wanted to vacate their apartments; and the imminent possibility of having the building red-tagged by the County who were leaseholders of the land the building was sitting on.
There were 49 failures reported when Rightt Structures was invited to attend an emergency meeting with the owner, his legal counsel, project engineers and contractor. Amid the concerns and threats, the owner repeatedly asked the group, “What can I do about this tomorrow?” Yet everyone was so focused on “why” the balconies were failing that they were missing the urgency of the owner’s needs. He didn’t want hypothetical scenarios or long-drawn out solutions — he needed a plan of action now. The building had only been fully occupied for about a year and he was now at risk of losing his entire investment.
Recognizing that time was of the essence, Rightt Structures went straight to work and, within 30 days of the meeting, had designed a simple, elegant “collar” solution that replaced the failing screws, circumventing any cause that might have contributed to the failure. The design was promptly approved by the owner and the County, and the imminent threat of being red-tagged was lifted as Rightt Structures began the extensive process of installing 4,000 collars for all the balconies in the complex.
As Rightt Structures began taking each balcony apart and installing the collars over the balcony posts, it was discovered that the posts hadn’t been properly secured when originally constructed, so they had to tear apart the balconies underneath, fix the blocking, re-stucco and reassemble all the parts.
This was a project fraught with safety and economic liability issues. By taking the time to really listen to the owner, Rightt Structures cut through the chaos and came up with a solution and plan of action that was both creative and methodical.
Rightt Structures invented the collar solution, managed the fabrication, worked closely with the building owner and County throughout the process, and made all balcony repairs, all while minding the safety of the tenants who remained in place during the process.
This intensive, complicated project was completed over the course of two years without a single accident or resident complaint, saving the owner millions of dollars. It was representative of the care, expertise, and creativity that Rightt Structures employs in its approach to each project they undertake.
millions saved &
TENANTS PROTECTED
This intensive, complicated project was completed over the course of two years without a single accident or resident complaint, saving the owner millions of dollars. It was representative of the care, expertise, and creativity that Rightt Structures employs in its approach to each project they undertake.
