Inside Third & Bond: Week 45

This week, the Hudson Companies bloggers opt for the Q&A format…

After the positive feedback (and skewering) of Jonathan Marvel in Week 31’s interview, we wanted to throw another of our teammates to the wolves, er, introduce another behind-the-scenes person who is critical to getting Third & Bond built. Hakan Turkmenoglu is with The Kiska Group, our Construction Manager (CM). He is the on-site Project Manager for Third & Bond. See his handsome mug above, sitting in the jobsite trailer.

How long have you been in the construction industry?
12-13 years

What was your first job in construction?
First I did my own construction/renovation related work in my apartment in Istanbul, Turkey. Then I worked for a subcontractor as a Project Manager/Superintendent.

How long have you been with Kiska?
3 months.

We’ve noticed that everyone we’ve met at Kiska seems to be Turkish. Do you have to be Turkish to work at Kiska?
Not really. There are several non-Turkish individuals working for Kiska but it is true that most of the employees happen to be originally from Turkey where construction is a major international industry.

Okay, we’ll let you get away with that explanation! What are some of the most important characteristics of a good CM?
There are several; good subcontractor networking, ethical qualities like honesty, good communication skills at all levels.

We couldn’t agree more! Although we’d like to add: Saving the owner money!

How is your day-to-day work different, when acting as a CM as opposed to a General Contractor (GC)?
There is definitely more interaction with the owner (Hudson) as a CM compared to being a GC. When you are a GC decisions can be taken more independently and you can focus on your own contract schedule but as CM, schedule coordination among different trades is necessary. A CM has more flexibility in budget adjustments compared to GC, however when it comes to actual spending/buying out, flexibility is limited compared to GC as both the owner and yourself have to be satisfied.

Most of Kiska’s experience, if not all, has been as a GC or a developer, right? Most of Hudson’s experience has been working with a GC. We agree that the CM experience is more coordination intensive but it’s all for the $$ savings. What do you expect to be the biggest challenges on Third & Bond?
Foundation-related problems and material lead times. Cost increases—due the recent problems with the US economy.

What are the top priorities for Third & Bond for the next month?
Luckily we achieved the 421A schedule—we got our first piles in the ground!
Ahead: resolving all foundation-related problems and finishing all piling and excavation work.

Have you done a LEED project before? What do you expect from the process?
This is my first LEED project which is a new concept for almost everyone. I am learning it through the process so I do not know what to expect from it yet. But obviously it is a good change to the construction industry in order to be more environmentally conscious.

What are the biggest challenges in managing a job?
Keeping up communication at a level among all parties involved so that project momentum is not interrupted; Finding an optimum solution to day-to-day problems to satisfy all the parties involved; and, Meeting the target schedule despite permit, approvals & lead times issues without compromising the quality of the finished product.

Sounds complicated. Let’s get back to you, after all you are what this posting is about: Where did you grow up?
Went to school in Ankara, Turkey and lived and worked a significant amount of time in Istanbul with work-related international connections.

Now that’s the sort of international panache we were expecting from you! What is your educational background?
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

What do you like about your work?
I like being in control although there are several parties involved from both companies.

You’re being diplomatic, as usual. But we’ll go ahead and say that Hudson and Kiska both have very experienced and very opinionated people. Our fistfights often come to blows over your desk. What do you dislike?
Matters/issues that are not (or cannot be) resolved.

Let’s try not to have any of those on this project. Now, give the readers a hint of what to look for over the next several months. When will you start foundations?
We will start concrete foundations by the end of September as long as everything goes well.

Disclaimer noted. When will we have a model unit?
I hope that will happen by the summer of 2009.

At the latest, please!

Are there any great Turkish sayings that sum up the Third & Bond experience to date?
One loves roses, bears thorns.

We will take that as a compliment.

Inside Third & Bond: Week 44 [Brownstoner]
Inside Third & Bond: Week 43 [Brownstoner]
Inside Third & Bond: Week 42 [Brownstoner]
Inside Third & Bond: Week 41 [Brownstoner]
Inside Third & Bond: Week 40 [Brownstoner]
Inside Third & Bond: Week 39 [Brownstoner]

From our lawyers: This is not an offering. No offering can be made until an offering plan is filed with the Department of Law of the State of New York.”