The First Facility Management Blog

Unhappy with the unconventionally designed Stata Center, completed in 2004, MIT officials have brought a lawsuit against Frank Gehry (the Los Angeles, CA-based architect) and NJ-based Skanska USA (construction/engineering). The suit claims the building has “serious design flaws” which have led to “persistent leaks, drainage problems, and mold growing on its brick exterior. It says accumulations of snow and ice have fallen dangerously from window boxes and other areas of its roofs, blocking emergency exits and causing damage.”

The design of the building, which houses labs, offices, classrooms, and meeting rooms, apparently caused a rift between Skanska and Gehry Partners even before construction took place, according to a spokesperson from the company’s Boston office. Warnings were ignored despite design flaws, and Paul Hewins, executive vice president and area general manager of Skanska USA, says, “This is not a construction issue, never has been.”

The suit for unspecified damages was filed on October 31. The Stata Center cost $15 million to design and $300 million to build.

More on the story can be found here, here, and here.