{"517871":{"#nid":"517871","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Portrait of an Artist\/Architect","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFifty to 100: At any given time, that\u2019s how many construction projects \u2014 big and small, indoors and out \u2014 are typically underway on Georgia Tech\u2019s campus. Frank Lamia watches over this ever-changing scenic view while painting a few of his own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EA registered architect and avid watercolorist, Lamia is associate director of Construction Services in the Design \u0026amp; Construction Department of Facilities Management. He is now in his 15th year at Georgia Tech, after 25 years in private practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EBack in those days, he traveled quite a bit to job sites. Working at Georgia Tech, he also travels to job sites \u2014 just not as far.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s all right here \u2014 you can walk to almost everything,\u201d Lamia said. \u201cTo see construction in process every day, that\u2019s very satisfying.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAbout 25 people work in Design \u0026amp; Construction, and Lamia oversees 12 managers on the construction side. \u201cI work with a really good group of people,\u201d he said. \u201cAll of them are smarter than I am \u2014 the best thing I did was hire smart people!\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EMost projects are contracted out, Lamia said, and they can run from replacing a door to constructing facilities, such as the Engineered Biosystems Building, from the ground up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ERegardless of size and scope, Lamia said, their job is to manage the process and make sure projects are completed on time, within budget, and with minimal disturbance to campus operations. \u201cConstruction is disruptive \u2014 whatever you do, it\u2019s going to impact somebody,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we really try to minimize the impacts.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ELamia likens Tech to a small city, and streetscapes are his favorite type of project because they have the \u201cbiggest visual impact.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EIn his time at Tech, he has worked on projects ranging from construction of the 5th Street Bridge to the Architecture Building Auditorium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI think we\u2019ve made the campus a lot more livable \u2014 much better looking and easier to access, particularly for pedestrians,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EOriginally from Michigan, Lamia earned his degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University near Detroit. He had enjoyed art classes in high school and saw architecture as a practical way to pursue that interest.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI don\u2019t know of too many curriculums that require you to take a certain number of art classes and calculus and physics,\u201d he said. \u201cSo you get a balance of those things.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EOne course Lamia particularly enjoyed was watercoloring. He continued to dabble in it for many years after he got his degree, but as the drafting table gave way to computer-aided design, and as detailing duties gave way to management responsibilities, his \u201coff and on\u201d hobby became more \u201con.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI like to draw,\u201d Lamia said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I do watercoloring \u2014 you\u2019ve got to draw it, then paint it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThe great thing about watercoloring, Lamia pointed out, is that it easily fits into his busy schedule, which, in addition to working full time and then some, includes jogging regularly and traveling here and there with his wife, Maggie, who also works at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s no real setup to it,\u201d he said of the medium. \u201cIt\u2019s not like oils where to make it really productive you\u2019ve got to devote a block of time. With watercolors, you can just sit down and do it, walk away for three days, and come back.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ELamia has a website to showcase his work (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.custwatercolor.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ewww.custwatercolor.com\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E), but he has done little to promote it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m not at a point where I can,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m here, I\u2019m working. I did it so people who ask what kind of work I do can go and look at it. I\u2019ll start promoting it when I have time, when I retire, but not right now.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ELamia\u2019s not ready to hang up his hardhat just yet. Retirement is several years off. For now, he\u2019s still fascinated with his part in Tech\u2019s ever-changing landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThis is a great opportunity because of the variety and the wonderful nature of the work,\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E he said. \u201cI feel very fortunate to be here.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Construction Services Director Brings Artistic Sensibility to Work"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA registered architect and avid watercolorist, Frank Lamia is associate director of Construction Services in the Design \u0026amp; Construction Department of Facilities Management.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A registered architect and avid watercolorist, Frank Lamia is associate director of Construction Services in the Design \u0026 Construction Department of Facilities Management."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2016-03-28 11:29:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:09","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-03-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-03-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"517861":{"id":"517861","type":"image","title":"Frank Lamia","body":null,"created":"1459274540","gmt_created":"2016-03-29 18:02:20","changed":"1475895282","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:42","alt":"Frank Lamia","file":{"fid":"205191","name":"f_lamia_5th_st_bridge.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/f_lamia_5th_st_bridge_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/f_lamia_5th_st_bridge_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":742025,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/f_lamia_5th_st_bridge_0.jpg?itok=BGnd09wx"}},"517841":{"id":"517841","type":"image","title":"Lighthouse by Frank Lamia","body":null,"created":"1459274540","gmt_created":"2016-03-29 18:02:20","changed":"1475895282","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:42","alt":"Lighthouse by Frank Lamia","file":{"fid":"205189","name":"lighthouse_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lighthouse_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lighthouse_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1586160,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lighthouse_2_0.jpg?itok=c37yq6Tu"}},"517851":{"id":"517851","type":"image","title":"Red Canopy Building by Frank Lamia","body":null,"created":"1459274540","gmt_created":"2016-03-29 18:02:20","changed":"1475895282","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:42","alt":"Red Canopy Building by Frank Lamia","file":{"fid":"205190","name":"red_canopy_photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/red_canopy_photo_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/red_canopy_photo_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1749952,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/red_canopy_photo_0.jpg?itok=xOcNd92w"}}},"media_ids":["517861","517841","517851"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/whistle.gatech.edu\/","title":"The Whistle"},{"url":"http:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/","title":"Facilities"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3798","name":"arts"},{"id":"1400","name":"Construction"},{"id":"823","name":"design"},{"id":"35921","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"171856","name":"hobbies"},{"id":"3918","name":"profile"},{"id":"167018","name":"staff"},{"id":"62781","name":"watercolor"},{"id":"4152","name":"whistle"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:margaret.tate@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMargaret Tate\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}