Sometimes the most seemingly clear-cut, conventional tasks often don’t turn out to be (as I’m sure you’re well aware!). Recently, what began as a simple glass replacement, became a wonderful opportunity to reflect on many aspects of the glass and glazing industry.
Recently, Giroux Glass hosted Sarah, a local high-school student and recipient of NAWIC-LA’s Girls in STEM Scholarship, for a day of touring around our Los Angeles headquarters and a nearby jobsite, and observing the daily duties of project managers, estimators, and CAD technicians. Our first stop of the day was at Equinox Westwood, where our Service team was replacing two large lites of 3/8-inch bronze, tempered glass. Sarah’s curiosity and questions about each step were refreshing, and brought back memories of how I myself discovered (and still do) the many well-coordinated steps that are involved in even the simplest of glass installations.
This project came to us from Douglas Emmett Management, who called on our Service team to furnish materials and labor in removing Equinox’s broken glass in the second floor pool area, and to install their replacements. At 7.5-feet by nearly 13-feet, and 5-feet by 13.4-feet, manually lifting each piece up and down the multiple scaffold landings was a challenge which the crew made look easy. They were in constant communication, following safety precautions, and actually seemed a little excited to have an audience.
The situation forced me to think more astutely (and with child-like wonder) about some of the everyday things that I realized I’ve grown to take for granted. I shared with our high school “shadow” about scaffolding (supplied by CSI), ordering glass which fits into each opening while matching the existing surrounding pieces (glass supplied by Glasswerks, film by Tint Matters), the years of training that each Union journeyman glazier and foreman must undergo to be on a job like this, and much more.
Overall, Sarah seemed happy with the information-overload, I found myself filled with gratitude for those who have shown me the ropes over the years, and the building management was also very pleased with how our technicians were both efficient and safe. (This is our third replacement within a few months of each other.)
Thanks to Jacqueline Arbid (Giroux Glass PM and estimator) for taking charge of this project, and for setting up our site visit. Thanks also to our team for yet another job well-done: Jeremy Kerr (foreman), and glaziers, Chris Ortiz, Steven Perez, Juan Becerra, Andy Vasquez, Rigo Gutierrez, Ruben Ochoa, Ruben Hernandez, and Leo Ruiz.