Erasers, White-out, the backspace bar on your keyboard. They all exist for a reason. Humans naturally can make mistakes. This occurs in every profession. Even the steadiest hand can slip.
Have you ever made a miscalculation? Maybe you ended up cutting that board just a bit too short or you forgot about a certain material expense and accidently underquoted someone.
No matter how big a mistake may seem, it’s not the end of the world if everyone is safe and well at the end of the day. While people were mostly safe and sound after these following mistakes, we’re bringing you some major architectural and construction blunders for a little perspective. Maybe these mistakes worked out for the best or left someone very egg faced. Hopefully though, they can ease stress about some of your own blunders.
Dropping weight and cash
The Aon Center, Chicago, 1973
Still standing today, The Aon Center was the tallest building in Chicago at its time of construction. The building stood out among the city not just due to its height but also due to its entirety being sheathed by Italian Carrara Marble. The result was stunning but ultimately very costly.
The Carrara Marble was much thinner than materials usually used to clad buildings and as a result the marble had begun cracking and bowing all over. One of the slabs came loose in 1974 and crashed down onto another building. The Aon Center required complete refacing at a cost estimated to be upwards of $80 million US.
Forgetting the sun
Walkie Talkie Centre, London, 2014
Vdara Hotel, Las Vegas, 2009
The following blunder is one that has eventuated for several buildings. Two of the most notable being the Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas and Walkie Talkie Centre in London.
Walkie Talkie Centre received acclaim and awards for its unique design. However, after completion it also received plenty of sunlight. This resulted in the concave structure redirecting light at great focus towards the neighboring streets. It is believed the heat from the rays could cook an egg on the sidewalk and was blamed for the damage of vehicles parked in the street. Walkie Talkie Centre had a protective shade installed in 2014.
Vdara experienced a very similar issue where the curved nature of their hotel was focusing light directly towards their pool area. While guests would love to grab a tan in the Las Vegas heat, they wouldn’t have been expecting the burns many claimed.
The Famous One
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, 12th Century
A backdrop to millions of goofy tourist photos, The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for one major blunder. In the 12th century, construction was started for the famous building. Unfortunately, inadequate foundation and soft grounds resulted in a sinking feeling for builders and the building itself. As a secondary floor began construction, a noticeable lean in the building began to take effect. Despite attempts to counter this during the remaining construction, the lean remained and the rest is history. Likely creating one of the most famous cases of a blunder turning great.
Failures like above can certainly make you feel better about some of your own minor errors on jobs. However, it doesn't downplay the importance of being able to reduce some of those errors. The goCabinets platform provides you with an instant quote for the cabinetry in your order, making it simpler to keep track of your potential expenses and apply appropriate mark-ups for your client quickly. Manufacturers aligned with goCabinets use state of the art CNC machines to cut your cabinets to exact specification. It’s only human to make mistakes but with the automated processes and advanced technology available to you through goCabinets, you can improve efficiency and remove the occurrence of some unnecessary errors.
