The McDonough School of Business is a
179,000 square foot building located on the
Georgetown University campus in Washing-
ton, DC. The building provides multiple
seminar, lecture and con-
ference room spaces for
business students. In
addition, the building
hosts administrative of-
fices and student ser-
vices. The building has a
400 seat auditorium in-
tended to be used not
only for lectures, but also
for presentations from
visiting heads of state,
cabinet officials and
leaders of industry.
The building has a traditional exterior with
dormer windows around the roofline allow-
ing the building to blend with the existing
campus architecture. The roof level has some
custom EIFS finishes that are largely ob-
scured from view from ground level; how-
ever, on the interior, the design becomes
modern, complex and boasts some unique
high end finishes. Within the main atrium is
a feature wall which spans 4 levels. It has a
curved and sloping wall clad in wood panels
with windows inset at each level. The fram-
ing required for the wall was challenging,
but the end result is stunning. The intricate
architectural detailing did not limit itself to
bulkheads, ceilings and stepped soffits. The
detailing of the reveal trims within the build-
ing required custom made bullnose trims in
90° and 112.5° pieces. There are multiple
ceiling types installed throughout including
an extensive use of Ecophon panels in 2x2,
2x6, 2x8 and 4x4 configurations. There are
also metal panel ceilings that were custom
made for the project. One feature ceiling
consisting of metal panels resembles a foot-
ball profile, but the ceiling is split into two
sloping leaves, with a radius perimeter.
Volume 11, Issue 1 July 2009
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
T H E I N S I D E C O R N E R
C . J. COAKLEY CO., INC .
Each of twelve main lecture rooms has a
tiered seating arrangement set on a radius.
C. J. Coakley Co., Inc. was responsible to
design and frame this structural platform that
was subsequently decked
and poured with concrete.
A major feature of the
project was the extensive
use of Glass Fiber Rein-
forced Gypsum (GFRG)
panels. The panel instal-
lation received honors at
the 2009 WBC Crafts-
manship Awards in the
special finishes category.
The glass fiber reinforced
gypsum (GFRG) panels
installed at McDonough were in two loca-
tions – the Caserooms and the Auditorium.
The Caserooms are an intimate classroom
setting. To diffuse overhead lighting in these
rooms, the Architects used custom GFRG
panels to create an elaborate ceiling to con-
ceal the lighting. The panels are detailed in
an ‗S‘ shaped configuration and are installed
in an arc across the ceiling. There are two to
three rows of these lights and due to the ne-
cessity to curve in two directions, the GFRG
layout and coordination was very complex.
Further, the stud framing that is not seen
McDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BY PAUL GALLAGHER
McDonough School of
Business 1
Tale of an Intern 2
Bob’s Corner 3
President’s Column 4
Reuse, Repurpose and
Recycle 4
Employee Spotlight 5
Employee News 6
General Contractor:
The Whiting-Turner
Contracting Company
Architect: Goody Clancy
Estimator:
Carolyn Slocum
Key Personnel:
Bill Elder
Ovila Paquet
Jerry Adkins
Claude Poston
GFRG Ceiling in the Auditorium
Atrium Feature Wall
GFRG in Caserooms
The Ins ide Corner
PAGE 2
needed to be installed ahead of panel fabrica-
tion to allow adjacent construction elements
to progress. The end result was that the pan-
els were manufactured in close tolerance to
the installed framing and the final installa-
tion and finishing came together perfectly.
The Auditorium has a completely different
look and feel to the GFRG Panels. Here, the
panels also curve, but have an added feature
of complexity in that the panels are splayed
into a V shape, with the bottom of the V
being the curved feature. As each row of
panels has a progressively larger radius,
every row of panels was unique. The panel
rows are not on a uniform plane, but are in-
stalled in overlapping sections, creating three
separate levels, overlapping from the central
high point to the outer edges. There is an
upturned outer edge around each panel sec-
tion to conceal light fixtures. The installation
of the panels was progressive to permit in-
stallation and coordination of lights, sprin-
klers and diffusers between each successive
row. The entire ceiling assembly is in fact a
two-tier ceiling with a separate drywall ceil-
ing above to provide a fire separation for the
structure above. This was a very complex
installation, but the effort shows in the final
product. This is a one of a kind custom ceil-
ing that accentuates the uniqueness of this
elaborate space.
Congratulations and thanks to all the crafts-
men involved in this challenging project.
Declan and I came to work for C. J. Coakley
Co., Inc in August 2008, and neither of us
knew what to expect. Both of us bought
expensive suits for work, and wore them the
first day only to find that we were very over
dressed and looking very out of place. Work-
ing with C. J. Coakley Co., Inc has been one
of the best experiences of my life. Not only
has it been an invaluable working experience
and now the foundation for the rest of my
career in construction, but it has also given
me the chance to experience a new country
and that country‘s culture in a totally differ-
ent light. When we first arrived we stayed in
a local hotel for a month, which quickly
went by. We then looked for a place to live
using craigslist - an experience that I did not
enjoy. We looked at some terrible places but
then found a great place renting some rooms
in a house in Alexandria. We both decided to
use our year in America to our advantage.
We tried to make the most of the short time
we had, travelling around as much as we
TALE OF AN INTERN BY KEITH DAVISON
could. Our first road trip was to Philadelphia
where we ran up the Rocky steps and had
Philadelphia Cheesesteaks. We also went to
New York at Christmas with a friend that we
met in the hotel we lived in the first month
we were here. There was a horrible thirteen
hour bus trip to Boston and white water raft-
ing in West Virginia. We went to see
NASCAR in Richmond, which I never ex-
pected to be as fantastic as it was, a long
weekend to Virginia Beach where I got com-
pletely burned and then Pittsburgh where I
went canoeing through the city. We went to
see many other sporting events that we could
never see at home—baseball, American foot-
ball, and ice hockey. The most exciting had
to be ice hockey. We even had the chance to
meet some celebrities along the way. With
not knowing what to expect I think I
couldn‘t have had a better time and with it
all being said and done I would recommend
to anyone back home to come and work for
C. J. Coakley Co., Inc and experience living
in the states.
Keith and Declan in Old Town
Alexandria with their new friend
Ben Stiller
The C. J. Coakley Co., Inc. student program has been ongoing since 1987. The program has
been very successful and including myself has resulted in many individuals taking full time
positions here. As you can read from Keith‘s story, it is not just simply an academic or indus-
trial program, but a life program where the student is afforded opportunities to develop cultur-
ally as well. The long term goal is for the student to evolve into an independent responsible
young adult with a solid foundation in the construction industry. Mr. Coakley always advocated
having the students make some tough decisions by themselves, the most basic decision being to
determine where they live. These decisions help reinforce the students‘ independence and in
turn help them make better judgments along the way. For some students it was an education and
a good item on their resume for their construction careers in Europe. For many it was a stepping
stone to a new life in the USA.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM BY PAUL GALLAGHER
Interns from the
University of Ulster
in Jordanstown,
Northern Ireland
have been learning at
C.J. Coakley Co., Inc.
for over 20 years.
The Ins ide Corner
PAGE 3
BOB’S CORNER BY BOB CONSROE
As we approach the midpoint of 2009, I‘d
say the economy is a daily challenge. Our
estimators are working hard to price as much
work as possible to augment our bidding
volume with the hope that we can maintain
the volume we have proven we can build
given our field forces and their ability. We
just had our annual employee appreciation
picnic at the Pavilions of Turkey Run in
McLean. Our attendance was on a par with
last year and the cool morning weather
turned into a beautiful day. I was attending
the college graduation of my daughter and
had to miss the day. Speaking of graduation
we had four Coakley apprentices who gradu-
ated from the CraftMasters Training Pro-
gram of the Associated Builders and Con-
tractors. Congratulations to Darwin Alva-
rado, Marili Ayala, Julio Cesar Juarez
and Bryan Cruz. Over the past two years
they have attended classroom instruction and
have worked with mentors in the field to
learn drywall skills. This training will con-
tinue with more on the job training for the
next two years. There are also seven em-
ployees completing the first year of the pro-
gram who will come back in the fall for their
second year of bi-weekly classroom instruc-
tion and on the job experience. We are cur-
rently interviewing prospective applicants
for the Drywall I class to start in September
of 2009. Any interested employee who
would like to be con-
sidered for the class
should contact their
supervisors and ad-
vise them of their
desire to be consid-
ered.
We usually use this
newsletter to high-
light entire jobs and
to mention accom-
plishments of our
employees in these
buildings. I had the
opportunity to walk
thru the lobby of the
Wisconsin Place Office Building in Chevy
Chase recently and even though it‘s only the
lobby of a shell office building, it‘s a great
example of all of the Coakley team at work
on a tricky combination of lobby finishes.
The space is two stories high and the ceiling
is a combination of a vaulted sheetrock ceil-
ing and a long skylight. In addition to being
vaulted, the sheetrock ceiling is broken into
panels with upturned ends and slots for lights
and an extensive reveal scheme. This pre-
sented the first challenge to the finish of the
lobby. The walls are a series of vertical
pilasters with punched windows between the
pilasters at the upper level of the lobby. The
bottoms of these pilasters do not rest on the
floor. The pilasters are independently at-
tached to the CMU walls of the lobby and
function as hollow duct risers - a part of the
heating/cooling design for this space. The
working function of the pilasters required
that they be framed with heavy gauge studs.
They also have a unique tapered shape with
faceted capitals making it all the more chal-
lenging to frame and hang given that the
metal had to be heavy gauge. The final chal-
lenge was that the walls were finished with
tinted veneer plaster. The USG Decorative
Interior Finish System was submitted when
samples of the specified plaster system did
not meet with the architect‘s approval. The
USG system required a typical base coat
with a tinted finish coat that is troweled sev-
eral times just as it is setting up to create a
very interesting visual appearance. A finish
of hand applied paste wax applied over the
sealer finished the walls. Because the color
needed to be consistent, the mixing operation
had to be standard-
ized and repeated
without variation
from the start. The
multiple passes dur-
ing the finish opera-
tion were very de-
manding as well.
Now completed, the
overall appearance of
the walls and ceilings
added to the stone
walls and terrazzo
floors and the light
fixtures and windows
create a very dra-
matic space that should bring great acclaim.
The C.J. Coakley Co., Inc. employees who
worked in the space should be proud of their
work and with continuing the company tradi-
tion of quality work that happens to be of a
very high caliber.
Wisconsin Place Lobby
Congratulations to
Senior Project Manager
Ana Assis on becoming
a LEED
Accredited Professional
on
February 17, 2009
This achievement is
awarded by the Green
Building Certification
Institute to candidates
who demonstrate an ad-
vanced depth of knowl-
edge in green building
practices required for
successful implementa-
tion of the Leadership in
Energy and Environ-
mental Design Green
Building Rating System
as developed by the US
Green Building Council.
The Ins ide Corner
PAGE 4
Since the inception of our newsletter, I‘ve
talked numerous times about winning various
awards and I‘d like to say a few words about
this year‘s accomplishments. For the third year
in a row our mechanics were honored at the
WBC Craftsmanship Awards Ceremony on
March 27, 2009. The two projects receiving
awards this year were classified by WBC as
belonging to the Special Construction Cate-
gory. The first project was Georgetown Uni-
versity – McDonough School of Business and
the award was for the installation of GFRG.
The second project was the Newseum for the
installation of metal panels. The Newseum
went on to win the Star Award for Excellence
in the Face of Adversity, one of the most pres-
tigious awards recognized by the WBC.
In addition to the accolades given the company
and the mechanics at the WBC dinner, on the
same day in Nashville, Tennessee, CISCA
awarded the Newseum project its Best of Com-
petition (Gold) for the East Region.
Even today in conversations with Mrs. Coak-
ley, she is astounded by the recognition and
achievements of the company. It‘s been a long
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN BY DOUG AYERS
journey from her earlier days when she and
Connie only dreamed that their small plastering
business would survive let alone succeed in so
many different ways. Like all the other mem-
bers of the Coakley management team and
family, Ellen tells everyone what a true honor
it is to be associated with the industry and all
the fine, hard working mechanics.
Many thanks and congratulations to the follow-
ing award winning team members:
The Newseum
Senior Project Manager: Paul Gallagher
Project Manager: Russell Crean
Craftsmen:
Joseph Bunger, William Elder, Mike Hiles,
Ovila Paquet, Robert Presley, Ted Woodward
Georgetown University – McDonough
School of Business
Senior Project Manager: Paul Gallagher
Craftsmen: Pascual Balderrama,
William Elder, Juan S. Lopez , Ovila Paquet,
Claude Poston, Edwin Veizaga
REUSE, REPURPOSE AND RECYCLE BY STEPHEN SIPOS
As I sat through a recent presentation by USG
on the upcoming LEED changes, I heard our
project managers complaining that they needed
higher recycling content and USG defending
their position by providing other green
achievements which provide significant LEED
points. They discussed the difference between
post-consumer recycled content and post-
industrial content. I realized that the effect of
architects, owners and builders clamoring for
higher recycled content puts pressure on the
product manufacturers to continually strive to
improve their numbers. However, from the
perspective of the suppliers, they are trying to
educate consumers of the multiple aspects of
green design. There are other considerations
which must be weighed, such as how far must
something be transported in order for it to be
recycled, thereby increasing the use of fossil
fuels and thus being ultimately less green. This
will continue to be a battle between consumers
and suppliers, as green priorities change, edu-
cation improves, research expands and new
technologies are discovered
I began to think - what exactly is recycling and
why should we do it? There are many words
that can be used: reuse, repurpose, recycle, etc.
Reuse: Whatever the purpose, you basically
reuse the item for the same purpose more than
one time. This can include anything from print-
ing on the backside of a scrap piece of paper to
reusing boxes for shipping. Since it doesn‘t go
through any processing before they are reused,
it is not considered recycling. Repurpose: This
means you take one thing and use it for some-
thing else before it goes through any break-
down and reformation. Some examples from
the IT department could include converting an
old monitor into a fish tank, or using old CDs
as a mobile. The original material is given a
new purpose before it may eventually be recy-
cled. Recycle: The Oxford American Diction-
ary defines recycle as ―return (material) to a
previous stage of a cyclic process, esp. convert
(waste) to a reusable material.‖ But to sim-
plify, I will classify it as any effort to convert
waste to a previous state and make it useable.
The construction industry recycles more than
any other industry, according to Stephen E.
Sandherr, CEO of the Associated General Con-
tractors of America. Builders recycle 97.5 per-
cent of structural steel. However gypsum
board is not recycled nearly as well, despite the
fact that it is100 percent recyclable.
The reprocessed gypsum powder makes up
about 94 percent of the waste sent back and the
other 6 percent is paper waste. Also, recycled
gypsum powder can replace natural gypsum
Congratulations
to our award
winning
craftsmen!
The construction
industry recycles
more than any
other industry
The Ins ide Corner
PAGE 5
rock up to 25 percent in the production of new
plasterboard, according to Gypsum Recycling
International.
Currently, the main issue with drywall is its
disposal. It is estimated that the U.S. produces
roughly 15 million tons of new drywall every
year. Additionally, roughly 12 percent of dry-
wall is wasted during installation. Unfortu-
nately, most of this waste ends up in the land-
fill versus being recycled. According to Gyp-
sum Recycling International, on an average
day, 40 tons of gypsum waste is sent to land-
fills around the globe. This totals to about 15
million tons of gypsum waste annually be-
tween Europe, the United States and Asia.
As a drywall contractor, we can do our part to
recycle by complying with trash disposal re-
quirements on LEED projects. We can also try
to eliminate waste through installation training
and education and through better management
during installation and storage to reduce or
eliminate damage and replacement. And of
course we need to continue to support and en-
courage manufacturers‘ use of high recycled
content materials.
December
January
February
March
April
May
Gabriel Guerrero Project: Constitution Center
Foreman: Fred Jackson Gabriel has been a very dependable employee for over 20 years. When you send
him to do a job you can be assured the job will be done correctly. Gabriel is
great at finishing around other trades‘ material and you can be assured he will
not damage their work in any way. Gabriel is a very good finisher and is excel-
lent at point-up.
Felipe Diaz Project: 401 M St. Waterfront East Building
Foreman: Mike Wright Felipe has been with C.J. Coakley 4 years and is an extremely hard worker. He
has the knowledge and an eye to know when something is not right and he will
call the foreman and ask if it is correct. He will not continue working on it mak-
ing the problem worse. Felipe is a carpenter and a true company man.
Carlos Rubio Project: 401 M Street Waterfront West Bldg.
Foreman: Dave Jordan Carlos has been a loyal employee of C.J. Coakley for approximately 3 years. He
is an excellent laborer with a great work ethic. You can depend on Carlos to
come to work every day on time. You can depend on Carlos to work any hours
and will work overtime any day with just a minute‘s notice. Carlos is a very hard
worker and never complains about anything or any job he does.
Luis Reyes Salas Project: Bethesda Hilton Garden Inn
Foreman: Frank Lopez
Luis is an excellent carpenter and always does what is asked of him. He will ask
questions to make sure he understands. Luis started working for C.J. Coakley
Co., Inc. in July of 2008.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
Rimer Jimenez Project: FDA
Foreman: Luis del Pielago
Rimer is always on time and never misses a day of work. He has good finishing
skills. He started with the company in August of 2007.
Marlon Osorio Project: Velocity
Foreman: Ron Rattie
He‘s young but learns quickly and is a very conscientious carpenter. Marlon
came to work for the company in June of 2007. This is Marlon‘s second em-
ployee of the month recognition.
The Employee of
the Month program
was started in 2003
to recognize excep-
tional employees
who exhibit excel-
lent skills, a good
attitude, safety
awareness and
good attendance.
Each recipient re-
ceives a $50.00 gift
card to Home De-
pot and tickets to a
DC United game.
7732 Lee Highway
Falls Church, VA 22042
C. J. COAKLEY CO., INC.
ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED
The Ins ide Corner
This newsletter is published by the management of C. J. Coakley Co., Inc. to inform our employees about important
developments in our company. We reserve the sole discretion to exercise editorial control over this publication and
the contents should not be reprinted without our permission.
PAGE 6
The ―C. J. Coakley Co., Inc. Retirement Program‖ Summary Plan Description (SPD) and
information on our Health Plan are readily accessible on our web site www.cjcoakley.com.
A copy of the SPD can also be obtained by calling Karin Krothe in our office at 703-573-
0540. C. J. Coakley Co., Inc. is always seeking qualified female field employees. Please call
Karin in our office if you know of anyone who might be interested.
EMPLOYEE NEWS
Si desea recibir el boletín en Español favor de llamar a Monica Zveare en la oficina principal (703) 573-0540
Sandy Rich and husband Jared added a 6 lb. 8 oz. baby girl to their family on December 3,
2008. Paige Campbell was welcomed by older brothers Ethan and Lucas. Cesar Cisnado and
wife Diana had a baby girl on June 2, 2009. She was 6 lbs. 14 oz. and is their second daughter.
Jorge Alvarez and his wife Patricia Marquez had a baby boy named Nahuel Alexander on Feb-
ruary 16, 2009. Project Manager Russell Crean and wife Erin welcomed a baby girl Naomi Lea
on May 1, 2009. Naomi weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. and joins big sister Neave at home.
Congratulations to Al Hicks who was promoted
to warehouse manager.
Miniature golf was added to the list
of activities available at this year‘s
picnic held at the Pavilions of Turkey
Run in May. Over 700 people at-
tended on what turned out to be a
great day. Congratulations to Juan
Mendez who won the Employee of
the Year drawing and will receive a
week‘s pay. Maria Coakley David was
dressed for the day—right
down to her sneakers—at
the company picnic.