Vancouver, B.C., Canada / July 2016

After recently moving into a 33rd floor apartment, I’ve been watching with interest the construction of a similar high rise across the street. I am fascinated by construction, as I’ve noted so many different ways people construct buildings in other countries using different techniques, materials and (lack of) safety measures. This shot was taken after the workers had left for the day. All those wires and conduit tubes, mixed in with rebar, was all ready for a concrete pour the following day. It all disappeared as it was buried with a nice smooth 5 to 6 inch cement floor.

I was fascinated at the speed by which these continuing storeys are constructed. Every 8 to 9 working days, they have a new floor done, well structurally speaking! The crane operator is the key guy who sits in a lonely box dangling from a very high up position. He’s in total communication with those below coordinating the movement of materials from trucks way down to the top floor and within inches of where they are to be placed.

The men working near any perimeters have safety belts that are tethered to something solid. This is not the case in many countries I have visited. And when you view any of those old photos of the skyscraper workers in New York sitting on a cantilevered beam 70 plus storeys high, with no safety gear, you have to wonder just how far we’ve come with safety measures for the workers.

I called this ‘Construction Maze’ because it appears that way in black and white. In reality, a lot of the conduits are color coded for electricity, intercom wiring, internet, cable, etc. Those flat looking ducts that don’t appear to be going anywhere, are all numbered, so there is method to all the maze madness! Imagine the hassel however, if something is done wrong, because 48 hours later, that would require busting up concrete on one apartment floor and the ceiling below for another.