In his book, "Paul Revere's Ride," David Hackett Fischer suggests that General Thomas Gage suffered from "stovepipe intelligence," or gathering information from the top down. The British Military Governor of Massa-chusetts asked que…
When the Puritans bought Muske-taquid from the Algonkians in 1635, they changed the name to "Concord" to signify the harmony of the agreement. The Massachusetts town has lived up to its name ever since, albeit rather unconventionally. It…
The building envelope, as many already know, is a term used to describe the six sides of a building which "envelop" the building (if the building were a perfect cube). The underlying goal of excellent construction is to makethe building …
"We see a wide range of reactions" when association board members and owners are presented with the cost of repairs, Fernandes says. "Most associations don't have the money on hand," says Stephen DiNocco, CMCA, AMS, principal …
March in New England is a month of surprises. Winter throws us last-ditch nor'easters that are followed by spring's sudden thaw. There might be two feet of snow one day, and sunny skies with temperatures in the sixties the next. The only th…
The era in which too many condominium boards shrugged off warnings about inadequate reserve funds or postponed needed maintenance has come to an unsettling end. In a series of recent high-profile episodes, condominiums have been hit…
New England residents have always thought of fresh water as an unlimited resource, but that attitude may be on the way out. With climate change, increased demand from residential development, and stricter regulation of public water suppl…
Time was, if the tiles in your building's front foyer got grimy, your super would pour some ammonia or bleach in a bucket, grab the nearest mop, and get down to business. If a drain was slow, out came the heavy-duty industrial solve…
Whether you live in Brookline or Boston, Cambridge or Somerville, major capital improvement projects like façade restoration, elevator refurbishment or roof replacement can be a big problem for condo, co-op and HOA boards and managers—espec…
According to legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi, "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." The coach's wisdom can actually be applied to almost any life situation—sports, volunteers, an…