Michael Chusid
Building Safety
Building Safety

Awards

Article of the Year Award goes to Chusid

An article co-authored by Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS has been selected to receive The Construction Specifier Magazine's Article of the Year Award for “Cold-formed Steel Framing Gets Complicated,” the cover story of the magazine's February 2015 issue.


The award is judged on its relevance to the construction industry as a whole, readability, impact, and alignment with the Construction Specifications Institute's (CSI) mission and technical standards and formats. The judges are members of The Construction Specifier Editorial Advisory Board. The articles for consideration are selected from more than a hundred published from July 2014 through June 2015.

Also receiving the award are co-authors Chuck Mears, Ryan Rademacher, and Sheri Carter; they work at Radius Track and Chusid is a consultant to the firm. Radius Track is the leading designer and fabricated of curved and complex cold-formed steel framing and the article is based, in large part, on recent projects by the company.

The award was presented on Friday, October 2 during CONSTRUCT 2015 and the CSI Annual Convention in St. Louis, MO. The following day, Chusid and several co-authors discussed one the projects showcased in the article at a panel discussion titled, "Coordination, Collaboration, and Complexity: Cladding the Port Canaveral Exploration Tower."

Chusid is an innovation and marketing consultant to building product manufacturers and the author of numerous articles on architecture, building products, and construction science. Information on his services is available at chusid.com, BuildingProduct.guru, and LinkedIn.
L to R, Erik Missio - editor of Construction Specifier, Chuck Mears, Michael Chusid, Ryan Rademacher, Eric Tolles - sales director of Construction Specifier.

Excellence in Construction Information Award won by Chusid Associates

Davis Colors, has won the 2012 Excellence in Construction Information Award (EICI) for a set of five guide specification sections written by Chusid Associates. Davis Colors offers the specifications to architects and engineers as an aid in writing of accurate and complete project specifications.

EICI is awarded jointly by the Construction Specifications Institute and Specification Consultants in Independent Practice to recognize excellence, originality or creativity in processes, tools, or documents used in development or construction of the built environment. Davis Colors was recognized in the Award's Product Documentation category.

The nomination submittal explains that:
Integral colorants for concrete can be specified in a single sentence: "Use pigments complying with ASTM C979 to match concrete color to [INSERT COLOR DESCRIPTOR]." Indeed, many project specifications and even some commercial master specifications have no more than this to say about integral coloring. This terse instruction may be suitable for outline or short form specification, but is silent about colors of cementitious materials and aggregates, uniformity of water to cementitious material ratio, curing and finishing techniques, mock‐ups and other administrative concerns, and other criteria that affect appearance of integrally colored concrete.

In the decade since Davis Colors first published guide specifications for integrally colored concrete, their documents became obsolete due to changes in CSI formats, revisions to industry standards, increased environmental concerns, new concrete finishing and curing techniques, changes in the manufacturer’s product line, and the constant evolution of construction practices. When Davis Colors decided to update their guide specs in 2011, the documents required complete rewriting and not just revision.

The company and its specifications consultant [Chusid Associates] determined that a single guide specification section would be impractical due to the complexities of different concrete work results; each required an individually considered approach to be of most benefit to specifiers. The following five sections have now been written and will soon be downloadable in word processing format at www.DavisColors.com:

SECTION 03 35 19 – INTEGRALLY COLORED CONCRETE FINISHING: This document can be used as a narrowscope section in conjunction with other sections specifying site‐cast concrete work and paving, or as a source of provisions that can be copied into broadscope sections.

SECTION 03 45 00 – COLORED ARCHITECTURAL PRECAST CONCRETE: This document suggests modifications that can be copied into Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s (PCI) Guide Specification for Architectural Precast Concrete if necessary to augment PCI’s standard language.

SECTION 03 47 13 – COLORED TILT‐UP CONCRETE: This document suggests modifications that can be copied into Tilt‐Up Concrete Association (TCA) Guideline Specifications, TCA Document 04‐02 if necessary to augment TCA’s standard language.

SECTION 04 05 13 – COLORS FOR MASONRY MORTARING: Mortar has a pronounced effect on the appearance of masonry as it forms as much as 20% of the surface of brick walls. Provisions from this guide specification can be copied into a masonry section as required.

SECTION 04 20 00 – COLORED CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS: In addition to language about colorants and color selection, this guide specification section calls attention to cleaning techniques and other requirements that are different for colored CMU than for uncolored CMU.

In each guide specification section, an effort was made to comply with CSI formats and principles, and to include specifier notes to support the specifier’s decision‐making process. The guide specifications supplement and are coordinated with the manufacturer’s existing data sheets, color cards, installation instructions, and other technical literature.
The award will be presented during the CSI convention at CONSTRUCT 2012 Expo in Phoenix this September. This is the third EICI Award received by Chusid Associates. Click here to read about previous awards.

Another Score for Advertising


Chusid Associates has been recognized for excellence in advertising. 

An ad we designed for Ceilings Plus has been honored as a TOP 50 award winner by Architectural Products.  Every year, the magazine tracks the number of reader requests for product literature resulting from each ad and editorial mention that ran in the previous 12 months (10 issues Sept 2010 - Aug 2011).  There were over 3000 tracked items, so the top 50 represents the top 1 percent in reader response. 

Giving credit where due:

Client: Ceilings Plus, Nancy Mercolino - President 
Creative: Michael Chusid
Copy: Steven Miller
Photography: Doug Hill
Art Direction: Stephen Klippenstein

Thanks also to Jim Fuhrer, sales rep for the magazine, for procuring the inside front cover position for us.


"Excellence in Construction Information" Awards Won By Two Chusid Associates Clients

Two clients of Chusid Associates have won this year's Excellence in Construction Information Awards, jointly sponsored by CSI and Specification Consultants in Independent Practice (SCIP). Ceilings Plus was recognized for its Idea Box, an innovative presentation of product data and samples. American Decorative Concrete Supply Company (ADC) was awarded for their sales collateral and product documentation. The EICI Award was created to recognize excellence, originality or creativity in processes, tools, or documents used in development or construction of the built environment.
Michael Chusid accepts awards for two clients during 2011 CSI Convention.
ADC embarked on an extended communications project in 2010, revamping all their product literature to make it more useful to architects and specifiers and well as contractors and concrete artists. The campaign includes sales sheets, technical data sheets, and guide specifications, as well as a redesign of their website. Their new technical data sheets follow Construction Specifications Canada ProductFormat, currently the only published standard for building product data sheets. All the pieces were designed and coordinated for greater consistency of information, more consistent branding, and better accessibility of data. All of the sales collateral recognized by the award was created by Chusid Associates.

Ceilings Plus produced a highly innovative way to present their product data and samples. The Idea Box is a formed aluminum box decorated by precision perforation, made in the Ceilings Plus factory. Inside it are elaborate samples of the company's finishes and forming abilities, as well as the Idea Pad, a handbook-sized product catalog full of surprises. The cover of the Idea Pad is a steel sheet with magnetized sample-chips of wood and metal finishes on it. The chips are cut into unusual geometric shapes that can be arranged in patterns including complex tessellations, inviting architects to play with designs and turn loose their imaginations.  The book includes not only product and company information, but suggested tessellation patterns, luscious project shots, and space to sketch designs. The Idea Box and its contents were conceived and designed by Chusid Associates, with art direction by Vladimir Paperny and copy by Michael Chusid.

Top Ten in Continuing Education

A continuing education course written by Chusid Associates is "one of the top ten most popular Continuing Education courses of 2010", it was announced today by Laura Viscusi, publisher of Architectural Record. The course, “Form Follows Fun: Design Options in Modern Ceiling and Wall Systems,” published in the June 2010 issue of Architectural Record and available online, is sponsored by Ceilings Plus.

By reading the text of the article and taking an quiz on the topic, architects are able to receive one hour of continuing education credit required for AIA membership and, in most states, to maintain an architectural license.

According to Viscusi, 122,000 continuing education exams were received by her magazine. She continues. "This large quantity of test takers represents the number of architects and design professionals who took the time to learn from your course and thereby engaged with your brand." Additional architects also read the article without taking the exam.


Chusid Associates has written or contributed to several continuing education programs for Ceilings Plus, including:

June 2010 
Form Follows Fun: Design Options in Modern Ceiling and Wall Systems
Tessellated ceilings and walls take advantage of new technologies; metal and wood panels can be almost any shape, size, or finish, while contributing to LEED and offering a variety of sustainability opportunities.
January 2010 
Can You Hear Me? Optimizing Learning through Sustainable Acoustic Design
Understanding acoustic design, surface materials and services will provide optimal educational environments.
July 2009 
Perforated Metal and Wood Ceilings: Sustainability, Acoustics, and Aesthetics
Raising the standards for acoustical performance and design flexibility
July 2005 
Specifying Ceilings: From Classic to Curved


For more information on how to use continuing education in building product marketing, see the Chusid Associates website.

CWA Standout: Chusid Associates

Ceilings Plus Image 
Re-published from the Construction Writers Awards Newsletter, CWA eXchange March 2011

Michael Chusid couldn’t make up his mind between a career in architecture or marketing, so he found a way to combine both. After earning degrees in design and architecture, he worked in product development for a building product firm, and then spent a decade in architectural practice. These experiences taught him how much architects depend on manufacturers for design inspiration and technical support. Recognizing an opportunity, Chusid Associates was born.

Since then, the firm has been a marketing and technical consultant to more than 200 building product manufacturers, and has produced some standout entries in the Construction Writers Association’s (CWA) journalism, photography and corporate communications awards. In 2010, the firm captured three CWA awards, winning in both the corporate communications and e-newsletter categories, and receiving an honorable mention for the Godfrey Award.

Chusid, a Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute, loves writing about building products, and utilizes his experience as a registered architect, product designer, and certified construction specifier to help building products manufacturers connect with design professionals and contractors. “Our work helps clients sell their products, but our most important service is helping our client’s customers avoid selecting the wrong material for a given construction need,” said Chusid.

His award-winning entry in CWA’s corporate communications competition, the Idea Box™ campaign for Ceilings Plus, shows how the firm delivers positive results for their clients. “Our challenge was to create a piece of collateral that was so useful and attractive that architects would keep it at their desk,” explained Chusid.

The solution became the Idea Box, a perforated anodized aluminum box that Ceilings Plus fabricated with its own CAD/CAM-driven equipment. It contains product samples showcasing their materials, fabrication capabilities, and installation processes. “We needed a visual showpiece,” said Chusid, “something that would appeal to the creative community.” The campaign also included a corporate capabilities brochure as well an Idea Pad™. The magnetized Idea Pad sought to immediately engage architects by offering them an opportunity to “play” with various trapezoid and rhombus shaped metal swatches. The strategy quickly communicated that the design possibilities of Ceilings Plus offered “freedom from the square grid” required by conventional ceiling systems. “We wanted something that the salesman could tuck under his arm and deliver, that the architect would immediately open up and engage with,” added Chusid.

The creative effort did not go unnoticed. According to Chusid, the results have exceeded the client’s expectations, and the company’s sales continue to grow despite the recession.

Chusid’s inspiration comes from clients who are raising the bar for best industry practices. “What excites me about Ceilings Plus, is not only that their products are beautiful, but they represent a higher level of performance at a lower cost than the technologies they replace.”

Chusid credits a talented team of five staff members and five associates for the firm’s continued success over the past 25 years. He also recognizes the value of his membership in CWA. “We have been able to work with CWA members all over the country, both freelance writers and editors, and I am grateful for the way they have been willing to share their expertise,” said Chusid. “Being part of CWA raises my own sense of professionalism, because I can look at the work that others are doing and ask myself how my work compares to the outstanding work that they do.”

By all accounts, very well.

For more information about Chusid Associates visit www.chusid.com and its blog at www.BuildingProductMarketing.com.

Published and distributed by the Construction Writers Association. Copyright 2011.

Chusid Client wins Innovative Product Award

Hanley Wood has announced that the new SPD Protector by Lythic Solutions, has received the Editors Choice award in their Most Innovative Product competition held during World of Concrete. Chusid Associates helped Lythic Solutions with their entry into this contest.

Contests such as this give building product manufacturers great PR exposure. The award provides an important testimonial, it gets announced by the sponsoring magazine, and the manufacturer can use the award on its website, product labels, and press releases.

Remember: You can't win unless you enter.

CSI Awards for Building Product Manufacturers

Getting an award from a industry organization can be good for business. Awards draw attention to you or your firm and demonstrate your leadership. They are a way of recognizing the contributions of individuals and motivating them to continue to excel. And you can nominate a customer - a great way to build customer relations. Besides, getting an award just feels great!

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) gives several awards annually that may apply to building product manufacturers and their employees. The deadline for submitting nominations is May 6, 2011, and awards will be presented at CSI Convention during the CONSTRUCT tradeshow in September. Consider the following:
  • Construction Technology Award
  • Excellence in Construction Information (EICI) Award
  • Technical Document Award
Construction Technology Award
This award is presented for:
a) Development or use of new materials, methods, technology or project delivery systems used in the building lifecycle; or
b) Development or use of existing materials, methods or technology in a new or innovative manner for the building lifecycle.

Excellence in Construction Information Award
In the Product Documentation Category, the award recognizes excellence, originality or creativity in processes, tools, or documents used in development or construction of the built environment. Nominations may be submitted for, but not limited to:
  • Manufacturers Website
  • Guide Specification
  • Or other Product Information that is used by a project team that contributes to a successful project.
Judging will be for adherence to:
  • CSI standards as outlined in The Project Resource Manual – CSI Manual of Practice.
  • CSI principle of the Four C’s in preparing written documentation: Clear, Concise, Complete, and Correct.
There is also an Innovation Category for forms of construction documentation and processes for presenting construction related information for which there is no established method, or for a modification to an established CSI standard that improves the presentation method, processes or allows for a response to a special project need.

Technical Document Award
Award is presented for a single outstanding accomplishment in technical writing other than project specifications.


Chusid Associates is available to help you take advantage of these or other award programs.

Another Award for Chusid Associates

Chusid Associates created an advertisement for a client that was the #1 lead producer of ALL ads run in the past twelve months (9/2009 - 9/2010) in the Architectural Products Top 50 Products.

"Your ad that ran on the inside front cover of our Nov. 2009 was the #1 lead producer of ALL ads run in the past 12 months! As such you will receive mention in our Nov. issue Top 50 Products editorial this year. Nice work… winning this is a combination of having a great ad supporting a great product!" -Architectural Products
 

Chusid Associates Wins 3 More Awards

Chusid Associates Won Three Awards this fall!

The Construction Writers Association has awarded us:

1)     Our second Godfrey Journalism Award - Read the judges' comments here.
2)     Website and Electronic Communications Award - Helmets to Hardhats Newsletter
3)     Marketing Communications Award - Ceilings Plus Idea Box

Our team at Chusid Associates has been very busy combining our creative and technological wires in our laboratory to provide the most innovative services possible. The judges liked the outcomes!

Awards, Scholarships, and LEED GA Courses

The summer is off to a great start at Chusid Associates (minus the June Gloom extending into July (yes, contrary to popular belief, California actually has a few months in which clouds block our beloved sun)).

We were recognized in the competition for the Godfrey Award from the Construction Writers Association, Honorable Mention (2nd place). (We also won the award in 2008.)

At the recent LA-CSI award ceremony, Michael Chusid received a certificate of recognition for his special service as Instructor for their Certification Program. Michael is a Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute and continues to enlighten them through countless educational seminars and publications.


We are excited to announce that our associate, Norah Lally, has passed the LEED GA exam (sister to the LEED AP exam). She is the third member of our staff to receive LEED credentials.


Our intern, Jakov Peric graduated from high school with honors this month and received a top scholarship to Woodbury Architectural school where he will be attending in the fall.

Construction Writers give Award to Chusid Associates

Chusid Associates has received Honorable Mention (second place) in the competition for the Construction Writers Association's Godfrey Award for journalistic excellence in coverage of the construction industry.


The Kneeland “Ned” Godfrey Award is presented for a body of work published in construction industry magazines and journals. It recognizes superior journalistic and writing skills over the course of a year.

Kneeland “Ned” Godfrey, a former editor of Civil Engineering magazine, was an active member of CWA. The association established the Godfrey Award in 1999 to honor his work with CWA and his skills as a journalist.


The winning articles from Chusid Associates include:
The jury, composed of professional journalists, praised Chusid Associates' work, saying it:
  • "Conveys technical material with a clear and approachable style."
  • "Dispels construction myths. These three articles are all excellent educational tools."
  • "Presents new and vital tools of the trade."
  • "Makes ideal use of sidebars and illustrations to highlight significant details."
  • "Provides great case studies; provides but doesn't overly depend on statistics."
  • "Tailors details and style for three different publications. That's impressive! Such an approach respects the intelligence and professionalism of each audience."
Chusid Associates won the Godfrey Award in 2008. The firm has also won the Construction Writers Association's awards for outstanding construction photography and corporate communications.

This year's award will be presented this fall at CWA's annual convention in Chicago.

Chusid Associates Wins Another Award!

We are proud to announce that another team member has won an award!

Our intern, Jakov Peric, won 1st place in last week’s Building Industry Association (B.I.A.) Model Building & Architectural Drawing Competition.  Jakov is an award winner, this is his second architectural internship and he hasn’t even started college!

Jakov states, "The competition’s requirements were to design a one story house, no more than 3,000 square feet, for a four person family. The family consisted of a mother and father with two young boys. Because of their profession, the mother needed a darkroom and a gallery located in the house, and the father needed a sound studio. Other requirements were a master bedroom and bathroom, a room for each of the young boys with a shared bathroom, a guest bedroom, a small kitchen and dining room, a large entertainment room, a laundry room, a two car garage, a covered patio and a garden. Each person competing was provided with an odd shaped site plan with oak trees on the property that had to remain where they were located. Each person had to come up with a design and submit a floor plan, section view and an elevation view."

Way to go Jakov!

Client Receives Recognition Based on Chusid Associates' Work

Walls & Ceilings Magazine - Annual Excellence Awards - Ceilings

NASCAR Hall of Fame Complex Office Tower Lobby, Charlotte, N.C. 
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Complex’s Office Tower lobby was built for NASCAR fans—people who love speed and spectacle. When fans enter the lobby, they’ll immediately see the excitement of a racetrack in the lobby ceiling. Ceilings Plus transformed its metal Radians panels into a ribbon-like shape with alternating convex and concave radii using unusually large 4½-foot-wide by 10-foot-long panels. These panels may be big, but were installed quickly, just the way the race enthusiasts would want it done. Sustainable panels of this size and shape are technically demanding, but Ceilings Plus adapted, resulting in a design masterpiece at the finish line.

Wrapping around the building facade, a large metal ribbon fuses the racetrack theme into the lobby. Entering the lobby, 22 feet above the floor, the curvilinear ceiling pops out at the spectator as it contrasts all of the space’s rectangular-shaped objects. The Grau-finished (anodized aluminum) convex and concave panels interweave, generating the ribbon-like sculptural device in the ceiling. The ribbon motif gives the space character and identity more so than anything else in the room.

Sprawling across the entire lobby area and hallways at 3,225 square feet, the panels mimic multiple lanes in a racetrack. Keeping in line with the building’s 5 foot module, the panels are each 10 foot long, and each panel spans two of the 5 feet wide window sections. Every 10 feet, the ceiling waves allude to motion, as in the waving checkered flag associated with racing culture.

The ceiling’s curvilinear shape, anodized aluminum finish, and lighting draw spectators’ eyes upward and onward. Lights highlight the unique ceiling design, further evoking the speed and spectacle of a racetrack. Ceilings Plus helped the designers integrate an innovative lighting system that incorporates uplighting and downlighting. The metal finish allows light from the lobby windows to reflect off the polished floor and walls to further illuminate the room. The intersection of the Radians panels’ metal finish and this lighting combination highlight the panel waves, making them the lobby’s main attraction.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame lobby designers were ahead of their time with this design, and had the environmental future in mind, too. Spectator’s eyes aren’t the only thing doing laps in this room—materials in the ceiling panels have been recycled over and over, making this ceiling an environmental triumph. By using the Radians recycled aluminum panels, other common ceiling elements were eliminated from the panels, helping preserve natural resources. The NASCAR Hall of Fame lobby is a highly sustainable project using a unique ceiling design that will keep racing for a long time. -Written by Jill Knepper

Project Details:
Contractor: Warco Construction
Architect: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

Materials:
Ceilings Plus Radian Panels with Grau Finish

Click Here for More

Chusid Associates wins Awards for Construction Writing and Photography

Chusid Associates won two awards in the field of construction journalism, in a competition sponsored by the Construction Writers Association (CWA). The association presented Michael Chusid, principal of Chusid Associates, the award for "superior journalistic and writing skills" as demonstrated by articles he had published in construction industry magazines and journals during the past year. The award was based upon a sample of four articles about innovations in concrete construction and sustainable construction practices. The articles appeared in The Construction Specifier, Precast Solutions, and CE News.

Sharing the award as co-author was Steven H. Miller, a freelance writer and photojournalist, and frequent collaborator with Chusid. Miller was also honored in another category by the CWA, receiving the Gordon Wright Photography Award for his series of photographs depicting the installation of a new type of wall system. The photos were commissioned by Chusid Associates to accompany an article written by Chusid and Miller.

The judges offered the following praise for Chusid's and Miller's writing:

"Well written and clear; almost literary."

"Factually, the most dense articles I read. (That's good; they contained the most factual information.)"

"I was convinced that this is a guy who really appreciates concrete."

"He's almost like a priest talking about his religion."

"Chusid is the 'Dalai Lama' of concrete."

More than 40 nominations were received for CWA's journalism awards competition this year. The panel of judges for the awards consisted of Dick Reavis - professor of journalism at North Carolina State University, Mandy Hoyle - construction reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Kati Knowland - editor of NC Magazine, a business publication, and Judy Kienle - a business writer and president of Kienle Communications.

Chusid has written more than 200 published articles about construction materials, techniques, innovations, and building product marketing. He is a Registered Architect, a Certified Construction Specifier, and a Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute. His company, Chusid Associates. now in its 20th year, provides marketing and technical consulting services to building product manufacturers and other construction industry organizations.

Miller has over 30 years experience in journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing. He has won numerous honors for his work including the CLIO, the One Show Silver Pencil, The Art Directors of Los Angeles award, and the Hollywood Reporter Key Art award.

CWA is a non-profit, non-partisan, international organization for professional journalists, writers, editors, and publicists serving the information needs of the construction industry. The group strives to provide educational benefits to its members and to promote high standards in construction communication. The group celebrated its 50th Anniversary at its recent convention.

The award-winning articles and photographs can be seen at www.chusid.com.