Ecology

Before Gary McFalls was a full-time project manager, he was the design estimator and cost assessor at the Maintenance Project Management Department. True to his normal routine, he completed a Preliminary Cost Assessment for staff in the Ecology building when they decided it was time to replace their floors. After that, McFalls thought that was the end of his involvement in the project. Suddenly, he was asked to take it all on himself.

 

“My background is actually in storefront glass and glazing; exterior envelopes.” It was a combination of this past expertise and McFalls' present experience that allowed him to renovate the floors in the Ecology building into something that faculty, staff and students have come to love dearly.

 

“Before this, the tile was old and dingy looking. The mastic holding the tile had asbestos, so it all had to be abated for the sake of everyone in the building. When we took off the tile, they saw the concrete beneath the floor and elected to go that route, embracing the natural look of the flooring. It saved them a lot of money, time, energy and materials. We polished it off and added a black border to the sides, helping it blend in with the black borders near the bottom of the walls. I love recommending this route to customers: it’s low-cost and low maintenance. There’s no waxing or stripping, just simple sweeping and mopping. Everyone in there is really ecstatic with how it all turned out.”