From master builder to subcontractor: The guastavino company and the role of specifications

Jessica Garcia Fritz

doi:10.1201/9780429506208-83

From master builder to subcontractor: The guastavino company and the role of specifications

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Over the course of eighty years, the Guastavino Company positioned itself as a master builder of timbrel vaults in the United States. The company gained notoriety among architects and engineers as being the most qualified for constructing thin masonry tile vaults for various types of projects. The specifications written for these projects offer insight into the transfer of knowledge and the direction of work between the Guastavino Company and the architects, engineers, and general contractors responsible for completing them. In the early twentieth century, however, these relationships shifted as new standards emerged from the establishment of institutions like the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) in 1948 and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA aka AGC) in 1918. This paper correlates the history of the Guastavino Company with the formation of standards that impacted the transfer of knowledge and the direction of work in the United States.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories
Editors	Ine Wouters, Stephanie Van de Voorde, Inge Bertels, Bernard Espion, Krista De Jonge, Denis Zastavni
Publisher	CRC Press/Balkema
Pages	651-657
Number of pages	7
ISBN (Print)	9781138584143
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429506208-83
State	Published - 2018
Externally published	Yes
Event	6th International Congress on Construction History, 6ICCH 2018 - Brussels, Belgium Duration: Jul 9 2018 → Jul 13 2018

Publication series

Name	Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories
Volume	1

Conference

Conference	6th International Congress on Construction History, 6ICCH 2018
Country/Territory	Belgium
City	Brussels
Period	7/9/18 → 7/13/18

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 6ICCH, Brussels, Belgium.

Keywords

20th century
Guastavino Company
Knowledge Transfer
Specification Standards
United States
Vaulting

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10.1201/9780429506208-83

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Fritz, J. G. (2018). From master builder to subcontractor: The guastavino company and the role of specifications. In I. Wouters, S. Van de Voorde, I. Bertels, B. Espion, K. De Jonge, & D. Zastavni (Eds.), Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories (pp. 651-657). (Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories; Vol. 1). CRC Press/Balkema. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429506208-83

From master builder to subcontractor: The guastavino company and the role of specifications. / Fritz, Jessica Garcia.
Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories. ed. / Ine Wouters; Stephanie Van de Voorde; Inge Bertels; Bernard Espion; Krista De Jonge; Denis Zastavni. CRC Press/Balkema, 2018. p. 651-657 (Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories; Vol. 1).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Fritz, JG 2018, From master builder to subcontractor: The guastavino company and the role of specifications. in I Wouters, S Van de Voorde, I Bertels, B Espion, K De Jonge & D Zastavni (eds), Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories. Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories, vol. 1, CRC Press/Balkema, pp. 651-657, 6th International Congress on Construction History, 6ICCH 2018, Brussels, Belgium, 7/9/18. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429506208-83

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From master builder to subcontractor: The guastavino company and the role of specifications

Abstract

Publication series

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Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access

OpenUrl availability

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