Tag Archives: concrete

Finished…

Architectural design is a process that begins with grand concepts and evolves into tedious minutiae.  It is not always linear, we often circle back to ensure that the part and the whole work together, but in general architects work from … Continue reading

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Celebrating the Occasion

One hallmark of Haitian culture is gathering together to mark the start of an event.  A collective pause or prayer precedes daily meals, laborers gather before each work day; and we mark construction milestones with impromptu but elaborate ceremonies.  At … Continue reading

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One for the Record Book

This morning at 1 am we completed pouring the first floor of MoHI School; MoHI’s largest concrete pour to date, perhaps the largest ever in Grand Goave.  We started pouring at 10 am on Friday and thirty-nine hours later had … Continue reading

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Bang It Out!

The Haitian approach to work follows the dictum, “Work requires banging.” Most Haitians are remarkably strong, and much of the work site camaraderie is based on shared displays of physical prowess.  There is nothing praiseworthy in the carpenter who cuts … Continue reading

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! CONCRETE !

We finished pouring the foundation at the MoHI School today.  I hope that you enjoy this photo essay of the days work. Here is the site at 7:00 am Monday morning.  The last area to be poured is the upper … Continue reading

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Photo Tribute

Yesterday we finished pouring the concrete on the second floor of BeLikeBrit orphanage, a task that took seven weeks from building the formwork to installing the rebar to placing the concrete.  The last pout was 55 cubic yards of concrete, … Continue reading

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Many Hands Make Light Work

‘Many hands make light work’ was one of my mother’s favorite phrases.  She said it at the end of every evening’s dinner, inducing each of us to clean up our own plate.  The phrase took on new meaning for me … Continue reading

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A Day at the (Concrete) Races

There are reality TV shows about Maine loggers and Bering Strait fisherman and wild men who sleep in camel carcasses.  Can a show about competitive construction be far behind?  Kim, the incredible volunteer from Ohio who is here for three … Continue reading

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Concrete Night

I am sitting at a picnic table under a bare bulb in the middle of Mission of Hope.  It is 6:45 pm, which in Haiti means it is black as midnight.  I will try to describe the scene, but it … Continue reading

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