Construction Notes.

CONSTRUCTION NOTES By Wallace Mlyniec On This Spot Productions, www.washingtonbk.com 2006; 146 pp; $22.95 (hardcover) or $15.95 (paperback)

WHEN WALLACE MLYNIEC, A GEORGETOWN University Law Center professor with no architectural or engineering training, was asked to lead a $61 million capital project to complete the center's urban D.C. campus, he had no idea just how entrenched he would wind up. The school's chief financial officer would handle the budget, and an engineer would be hired to provide guidance in contractor negotiations. But a year into the four-year project, the CFO had Left and was not replaced. And the engineer was in a post-heart-attack coma. Mlyniec could only keep moving forward.

He became fascinated by the thousands of decisions made in such a project and by the interaction between man and material Through regular updates to students, staff, and faculty, he shared not only what was happening, but also what he was learning about the building process. This book is a collection of those notes.

With chapter titles like "Concrete Redux" and "Clock Towers," the guide is a brief primer on architectural design and materials. While failing to give advice, the book does offer those embarking on their own projects some perspective on what's to come and the ways they can keep a campus community informed.