Masonry Edge the storypole Vol6 No4 : Page 8

INVEST IN Our Responsibility Our Privilege by Richard Lauber I can’t aﬀord not to support MasonryEdge/theStoryPole through advertising, even during these times of low revenue, minimal margins and uncertainty regarding when things will “turn around.” Two recent experiences have only reinforced my recognition of the need for the magazine and my commitment to its continued publication and dissemination of important information. On the positive end, I recently watched an episode of the PBS series Nova entitled Building the Great Cathedrals . In promoting the show, one of its reviewers wrote, “Carved from a hundred million pounds of stone, soaring eﬀortlessly atop a spiderweb of masonry, Gothic cathedrals are marvels of human achievement and artistry.” From engineering genius to the skill and persistence of the craftsmen to the enduring beauty, Building the Great Cathedrals highlights valuable characteristics of masonry construction that continue to be present today. On the ﬂipside, I was recently at a public bid opening and was talking with a couple of mechanical contractors. One of them casually mentioned to me, “You know, there will always be work for electricians and plumbers since buildings will always need plumbing and electricity. You certainly don’t need masonry, though.” Richard Lauber , a 3rd generation mason contractor based out of West Chicago IL, is President of J & E Duff. Co-founded by his grandfather, Edward Duff, in 1936, J & E Duff initially was a residential contractor. Under the leadership of Dick Lauber, Richard’s father, the company grew into one of the larger commercial mason contractors in the Chicago area. Formally educated as a psychologist, Richard worked in the mental health field for over 20 years before returning to J & E Duff, where he’d worked as a laborer tending masons during his high school and college years. Lauber is an active member of the Mason Contractors Association of Greater Chicago, serves as a trustee on several labor/management boards, is Treasurer of the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council and a Great Mind on the Editorial Advisory Board of MasonryEdge/theStoryPole . He is dedicated to ensuring that J & E Duff continues to commit itself to its original values of quality, safety and service. richardl@jeduff.com | 630.562.3800 While I hate to recognize that there may be other cladding materials and structural materials, perhaps they were shortsighted in not recognizing that in order to have sustainable communities, they must be constructed using masonry. In 1871, the great ﬁre of Chicago burned four square miles of the city. Immediately, the city restructured its building code declaring that outside walls of every building erected within the city should be of incombustible materials such as brick and stone. To keep masonry in the minds of designers, decision makers and inﬂuencers, we need to keep reminding them that masonry brings the highest performance, is the most budget sensitive and provides the most local jobs. It sustains our communities, brings value, keeps occupants safe from myriad disasters and holds memories. While each of these experiences left me experiencing very diﬀerent emotions, both conﬁrm the value of MasonryEdge/theStoryPole . It’s a publication that highlights the aesthetic and functional value of masonry, as well as its incredible performance, making the case to owners and architects for using masonry. While there may not be many Gothic cathedrals being built today, masonry is most often the primary component of a beautiful and enduring building. Cost eﬀectiveness, energy eﬃciency, structural soundness and reduced maintenance costs are other aspects of masonry construction that MasonryEdge/theStoryPole continually highlights along the way, educating its readers regarding masonry’s true value. Proponents of other types of construction have done a good job promoting their industries, often to the detriment of masonry. MasonryEdge/theStoryPole plays an important role in promoting masonry, educating and encouraging owners, architects and engineers to demand and design masonry. The way I see it, it’s both a responsibility and a privilege to be able to assist in this eﬀort via advertising. 8 MASONRY EDG E / thestorypole Vol 6 No 4 Integrated Design masonryedge.com

INVEST IN

Richard Lauber

Our Responsibility Our Privilege I can’t afford not to support MasonryEdge/theStoryPole through advertising, even during these times of low revenue, minimal margins and uncertainty regarding when things will “turn around.” Two recent experiences have only reinforced my recognition of the need for the magazine and my commitment to its continued publication and dissemination of important information. On the positive end, I recently watched an episode of the PBS series Nova entitled Building the Great Cathedrals. In promoting the show, one of its reviewers wrote, “Carved from a hundred million pounds of stone, soaring effortlessly atop a spiderweb of masonry, Gothic cathedrals are marvels of human achievement and artistry.” From engineering genius to the skill and persistence of the craftsmen to the enduring beauty, Building the Great Cathedrals highlights valuable characteristics of masonry construction that continue to be present today. On the flipside, I was recently at a public bid opening and was talking with a couple of mechanical contractors. One of them casually mentioned to me, “You know, there will always be work for electricians and plumbers since buildings will always need plumbing and electricity. You certainly don’t need masonry, though.” While I hate to recognize that there may be other cladding materials and structural materials, perhaps they were shortsighted in not recognizing that in order to have sustainable communities, they must be constructed using masonry. In 1871, the great fire of Chicago burned four square miles of the city. Immediately, the city restructured its building code declaring that outside walls of every building erected within the city should be of incombustible materials such as brick and stone. To keep masonry in the minds of designers, decision makers and influencers, we need to keep reminding them that masonry brings the highest performance, is the most budget sensitive and provides the most local jobs. It sustains our communities, brings value, keeps occupants safe from myriad disasters and holds memories. While each of these experiences left me experiencing very different emotions, both confirm the value of MasonryEdge/theStoryPole. It’s a publication that highlights the aesthetic and functional value of masonry, as well as its incredible performance, making the case to owners and architects for using masonry. While there may not be many Gothic cathedrals being built today, masonry is most often the primary component of a beautiful and enduring building. Cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, structural soundness and reduced maintenance costs are other aspects of masonry construction that MasonryEdge/theStoryPole continually highlights along the way, educating its readers regarding masonry’s true value. Proponents of other types of construction have done a good job promoting their industries, often to the detriment of masonry. MasonryEdge/theStoryPole plays an important role in promoting masonry, educating and encouraging owners, architects and engineers to demand and design masonry. The way I see it, it’s both a responsibility and a privilege to be able to assist in this effort via advertising.

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