Cornell sues firm of famous architect I.M. Pei over flawed design at Johnson Museum of Art

Update: The architecture firm in this story wrote us on Thursday to say that I.M. Pei has retired and that Pei himself had no role in the project itself. The story has been updated accordingly.

Ithaca, N.Y. — Cornell University has filed a lawsuit against the architecture firm founded by I.M. Pei that accuses it of submitting “inherently flawed and materially defective” designs for the Johnson Museum of Art’s recent expansion.

Cornell alleges that the firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners committed “architectural malpractice” in its plans for the new wing of the museum, leading to structural deficiencies, cavities in the roof, cracks in the ceiling and other problems.
The university says it has suffered “at least” $1.1 million in damages as a result of the flawed designs.

Pei’s firm, which also designed the original museum in 1968, was hired by the university to build the addition in 2006. The new wing was completed in 2011, though construction continued into 2012.

In a statement provided to the Ithaca Voice on Wednesday, Pei Cobb Freed Managing Partner George Miller said that the firm “has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the University, but we can’t comment on pending litigation.”

Cornell also declined to talk about the lawsuit. “Inasmuch as this matter is now in litigation, the University has no comment,” says Joel Malina, Vice President for University Relations.


The lawsuit was filed on April 24 in documents made available via the Tompkins County Court.

Though it also names the Syracuse-based Murnane Building Contractors as defendants, the bulk of the lawsuit revolves around showing that Pei’s designs were “fundamentally flawed.”

“Pei was at all times under a duty to Cornell to perform its work in a matter that conformed to the standard of skill and care ordinarily employed by professional architects,” the university’s complaint states.

“Pei breached this duty of care and negligently performed its work by failing to exercise due care in the performance of its professional obligations, failing to meet the standard of skill and care appropriate to a professional architect, and by failing to demonstrate the expertise and competence possessed by others in the field.”

Pei, regarded by many as the most important architect alive, has designed dozens of world-famous structures. These include the JFK Airport, the Louvre Pyramid, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha and the John Hancock Tower.
Born in China, the 98-year-old architect has also won the Royal Gold Medal and the Pritzker Architecture Prize — perhaps the most prestigious award in all of architecture.

This is not the first time, however, Pei’s firm has been sued. The architect faced a lawsuit as well after problems emerged with the 60-story John Hancock Tower, The Boston Globe reported in 2007.

In the lawsuit filed by Cornell, the university says that the Johnson museum wanted to expand to accommodate its growing art collection and higher visitor traffic.

“The Museum is a centerpiece of Cornell’s Ithaca campus, both for the iconic design of the building and the impressively large and diverse art collection it houses,” the lawsuit says.

However, Cornell says, the designs submitted by Pei’s firm in the late 2000’s have made it more difficult for the university to draw donations and visitors. The lawsuit says Cornell is “deeply dissatisfied with the design and construction of the building.”

Among the main complaints of the university:

1 — Cornell says Pei’s design of the building “makes it impossible” for the temperature and humidity agreed upon in their contract to be met.
2— Pei’s design was “materially defective” in part because it does not allow for the maintenance or repair of piping and wiring in the roof structure, according to Cornell’s lawsuit.
“Pei’s design necessitates major construction and disruption for routine maintenance and minor repairs,” the lawsuit states.
3 — Interior water vapor caused condensation of windows in the building, Cornell says. There was also “condensation” in the north mezzanine wall and “poor adhesion” of the roof, the university says.
4 — Pei’s configuration of light fixtures led to “stress concentrations” and cracking at the corners of the structure. “These stress concentrations have created aesthetic flaws and may permit leaking,” Cornell says in its lawsuit.
“The numerous problems that have arisen throughout the building are indicative of a fundamentally flawed design,” Cornell’s lawsuit states.
5 — The design failures compromise the museum’s ability “to store artwork safely,” the university says.

Source: http://ithacavoice.com, May 6, 2015

You lie, you lose: Crooked Democrat William Scarborough, a N.Y. lawmaker, pleads guilty to corruption, resigns from office

May 8, 2015

ALBANY, NEW YORK

A New York state assemblyman pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court in Binghamton, New York, to charges that he improperly claimed nearly $55,000 in travel expenses for trips that never occurred, the latest in a string of public corruption cases that have roiled Albany.
Democrat William Scarborough, who represented the New York City borough of Queens and won re-election last year despite pending federal and state charges, has agreed to resign from the legislature as part of his plea agreement, officials said. He faces up to 20 years for wire fraud and 10 years for theft when he is sentenced in September.

Scarborough was also scheduled to plead guilty later on Wednesday in Albany to state charges that he misappropriated more than $40,000 in campaign donations for his own personal use, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.

Federal authorities accused Scarborough of submitting 174 fraudulent travel vouchers between January 2009 and December 2012. Meanwhile, he illegally withdrew more than $38,000 from his campaign account for personal expenses while redirecting more than $3,000 in campaign checks to his bank account, according to the state charges.

The guilty plea comes days after Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara charged the state Senate majority leader, Dean Skelos, and his son Adam with pressuring two companies to pay Adam Skelos more than $200,000 in exchange for the senator’s support on legislation.

In January, then-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was charged by Bharara’s office with using his office to secure millions of dollars in illegal payments.
Both legislative leaders have said they are innocent.

All told, 22 Albany legislators have been charged with corruption in the last decade, according to New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice.

HIGH RATE OF SPEED CAUSES A TRAGIC CRASH THAT TAKES THE LIFE OF 3 TEENAGERS; 2 ALSO CRITICALLY INJURED WHEN THE SPEEDING CAR WENT OVER THE GUARDRAIL AND PLUNGED INTO THE WATER OF STONY CREEK IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN. ONLY 1 WAS WEARING A SEATBELT.

MAY 8, 2015

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN

Three teenagers who died when their car sped off the side of the road and flipped into Stony Creek on Friday evening have been identified.

They are Jonathan Manolios and Emanuel Malaj, both 17 and from Sterling Heights, and Michael Wells, 17, of Macomb Township. Two other youths, both age 17 and from Shelby Township, are hospitalized in critical condition. Their names are not being released, said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, who called the incident "a terrible tragedy."

Wickersham said the boys attended Utica Community Schools. Officials there were alerted overnight.

Four of the teens were ejected; another one was pulled from the water.

It is unclear who was driving, said Wickersham, who said investigators were at the scene throughout the night.

Witnesses heard the crash, but no one has reported that they saw it clearly, Wickersham said. Still, he said evidence at the scene — and the fact that the car went over the guardrail and plunged into the water — indicates the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.

Investigators responded to the scene about 6:15 p.m. Friday. The driver of a black, 2008 Jaguar S-type, four-door sedan had been traveling west on the Park Road inside Stony Creek Metropark in the vicinity of Eastwood Beach when he lost control and struck a guardrail, catapulting into the water.

The vehicle overturned and ended up on its side in the Stony Creek Spillway.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Macomb County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 586-307-9358.

High speed, no seat belts.  I am sure the driver was driving under the influence-we will have to wait and see what the autopsy results show.  What is going on with today’s youth.  This is beyond insane behavior.  Unfortunately, 3 of them will not be able to learn from their mistakes.  RIP.

//--------------///

SHELBY TOWNSHIP (WWJ) — Multiple people are dead following a rollover accident at Stony Creek Metropark on Friday.

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham spoke with reporters at a press conference following the incident and said that three teenagers were killed in the accident.

Just after 6:30 p.m., a car — a Jaguar — carrying five passengers was traveling at a “high rate of speed” in the park before colliding with a guardrail and rolling over into Stony Creek River. Four of the passengers were ejected, one was wearing a seatbelt.

Two people still remain hospitalized, their condition is unknown.

“At this point, I’m not going to give out any names,” Wickersham said. “We’re working with the families, we’re trying to do identification, we’re trying to find out who was operating the vehicle. We always ask the public if there was somebody here at the time of the crash that may have witnessed it — please give the Sheriff’s office a call, because we really want to have a good basis of what really transpired out here.”

Wickersham said that the driver and passengers of the Jaguar were all male and 17 or 18-years-old. It is not known whether alcohol was a factor.

Officials earlier had said the incident involved people on bikes and pedestrians, but that information turned out to be incorrect.

Source: http://www.freep.com

LOGGING BELL UH-1 HELICOPTER CRASHES IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON; PILOT ‘STABLE’, HELICOPTER TOTALED

MAY 7, 2015

ORIENT, WASH. (AP)

Officials say a helicopter being used for logging crashed Thursday near the town of Orient in northeast Washington. The female pilot has been rescued.

A Stevens County sheriff’s dispatcher said Thursday evening the pilot was reported in stable condition and has been taken to a hospital in Colville, Washington. The pilot was not immediately identified.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the helicopter was a UH-1 similar to the one shown above.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Orient is about 90 miles north of Spokane

Date:	07-MAY-2015
Time:	5:15 PM
Type:	Bell UH-1B
Owner/operator:	R & R Conner Aviation LLC
Registration:	N46969
C/n / msn:	63-8548
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Airplane damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Near Pierre Lake, Orient, Washington -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:

A helicopter crashed on a wooded hillside during logging operations. The pilot survived the accident with minor injuries.

Sources: http://www.krem.com/story/news/local/stevens-county/2015/05/07/helicopter-crashes-near-kettle-falls/70980476/ http://www.khq.com/story/29010383/report-of-helicopter-crash-near-kettle-falls http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:0::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:08-MAY-15,ORIENT,N46969 http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=46969

This helicopter had a prior accident record:

Date:	05-DEC-2007
Time:	1600 MST
Type:	Bell UH-1B
Owner/operator:	R & R Conner Aviation LLC
Registration:	N46969
C/n / msn:	63-8548
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Airplane damage:	Substantial
Location:	33 miles SW of Ennis, MT -   United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On December 5, 2007, at 1600 mountain standard time, a Bell UH-1B, N46969, impacted terrain approximately 33 miles southwest of Ennis, Montana. R & R Conner Aviation LLC was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local positioning flight. 

According to the pilot, he had repositioned the helicopter from the landing zone to a nearby road, in order for a snowplow to access the landing zone. Once the snowplow was finished, the pilot began to reposition the helicopter to the landing zone. As the helicopter was lifting from the ground, it began to vibrate. 

The pilot climbed the helicopter to about 10 feet; however, it continued to vibrate. The pilot then decided to force land the helicopter. The helicopter landed hard and sustained damage to the doorframe.

Sources:
NTSB Identification: SEA08LA043

2 MORE PAY THE PIPER: A PIPER PA46, CRASHED IN THE SPOKANE RIVER. THE PILOTS DIED OF BLUNT IMPACT CHEST INJURIES

MAY 9, 2015

SPOKANE, WASH. (AP)

Autopsies show that two men killed when a small plane crashed into the Spokane River died of blunt impact chest injuries, the Spokane County medical examiner's office said Friday.

The men who died Thursday have been identified as Lyndon Amestoy, 60, and Richard Runyon, 64. Officials did not know which man was the pilot. The men were underwater for about 30 minutes before divers pulled them free.

The plane, a Piper PA46, remained submerged in the river. A salvage company planned to bring in some air bags that will be inflated to float the aircraft to the surface Saturday so it can be dragged to shore, KXLY-TV of Spokane reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. 

The men had reported engine trouble and the pilot tried to make an emergency landing at Felts Field — a small public airport along the north bank of the Spokane River.

The state Department of Ecology was called to the scene to oversee cleanup of a leak from the plane's fuel tank.

Witnesses said they could tell something was wrong with the plane as its engine was spattering.

Date:	07-MAY-2015
Time:	16:00
Type:	Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage
Owner/operator:	Flying Colors Aviation LLC
Registration:	N962DA
C/n / msn:	46-36031
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Airplane damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Spokane River near Felts Field Airport (KSFF), Spokane, Washington -   United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Felts Field (KSFF)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing at nearby Felts Field but didn’t make it.
The plane with two men aboard crashed and sank in the Spokane River. The two men were fatally injured.

Sources:

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=175978 http://q13fox.com/2015/05/07/official-small-plane-with-2-aboard-crashes-into-spokane-river/ http://m.ksl.com/index/story/sid/34555671 http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/may/07/plans-crashes-near-spokane-river/ http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N962DA.html http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:0::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:07-MAY-15,SPOKANE,N962DA