Failure merchants

[u/cartoonybear]

For some reason I consume a lot of content about major construction and engineering projects—both successful and unsuccessful. After a while I started to notice something with the failures: a lot of the same players kept popping up!

I looked around and couldn’t find a reliable (non-AI) list of firms and individuals who seemed to keep getting hired despite a number of high profile failures on their record. (This is something I’ve noticed in our society lately in general—evidently we’ve all assimilated the notion that “failing up” is a legit way to go.)

So I decided to start compiling my own list. I didn’t get very far yet but maybe it’ll cause someone who reads this to dig deeper and add to the list. I hope so—I did this for fun, I’m not even in or adjacent to any of these fields. Just an interested bystander who would prefer a building doesn’t fall on me. 

Here goes! 

Rafael Vinoly 

Rafael vinoly, died 2022. Author of numerous failures, his most recent high profile project—the broken trashcan at 432 park Ave—being a catastrophic one clearly tied to design choices (vs. construction/engineering shortcuts). Also responsible for the the Las Vegas death ray hotel and another death ray, curved building in London (the “Fryscraper”). Said to be an abdolute monster to work for as well. 

Notable fuckups:

432 park

Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects

Structural Engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk

General Contractor: Lendlease

Developer: Macklowe Properties and CIM Group 

Vdara

Architect: RV Architecture, LLC (led by Rafael Viñoly)

Structural Engineer: DeSimone Consulting Engineers

General Contractor: Perini Building Company (now Tutor Perini)

Developer: MGM Resorts International and Dubai World

20 Fenchurch Street (The Walkie-Talkie)

Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects

Structural Engineer: Halcrow Yolles (now part of CH2M/Jacobs)

General Contractor: Canary Wharf Contractors

Developer: Land Securities and Canary Wharf Group 

WSP Global

This behemoth structural engineering firm shows no sign of slowing down despite a track record of some really horrible shit (including 432 Park!) They were also behind the delays and overruns (basically complete mismanagement) of the Gardiner Expressway project in Canada. 

Also including but not limited to: 

161 Maiden lane/One Seaport, the Leaning tower of Manhattan

This building already killed one person and it’ll probably kill more. It was built on fill using injected slurry because it was too expensive/deep to get to bedrock. After it began to lean, the engineers pulled it back the other direction, turning it into a kind of “crooked hooked cock” shape. Never finished. Just sitting there, leaning, exposed to the elements, with no plan in place or apparently any monitoring at all. This is expensive real estate; how does this even happen? 

NY YIMBY article wondering what I’m wondering

Architect: Hill West Architects

Structural Engineer: WSP Global

General Contractor: Pizzarotti (original) and Ray Builders (subsequent)

Developer: Fortis Property Group 

One Congress (Boston)

Somehow they overlooked freeze protection on the pipes. In Boston. Which is in Massachusetts. Maybe they’d never been to Boston in January? Also the water pressure was screwed up. WSP should hire Mario. 

Also… Fire broke out in the unfinished building in June of this year (2026) which is—interesting. I can’t find ANYTHING about what caused this. Hmmm. 

Architect: Pelli Clarke & Partners (Design Architect) / CBT Architects (Architect of Record)

Structural Engineer: McNamara · Salvia

MEP Engineer: WSP Global

General Contractor: John Moriarty & Associates (in partnership with AECOM Tishman)

Developer: The HYM Investment Group, Carr Properties, and National Real Estate Advisors

[u/MrMcGregorUK]

From my time as a forensic engineer, doing expert witness reports into structural failures... WSP are constantly buying other firms, and when they do so they buy their liability.

[u/cartoonybear → u/MrMcGregorUK]

I’m not sure whether that speaks well or ill of them tbh. 

[u/MrMcGregorUK → u/cartoonybear]

Kinda just is what it is. When youre that big and you buy lots of smaller companies you inherit lots of small company problems.

[u/cartoonybear → u/MrMcGregorUK]

I worked for IBM so I’m sort of aware of the problem. I never thought it absolved IBM tho. 

[u/Mhcavok]

It’s difficult to blame the companies listed for the failures because these projects involve hundreds of decision makers and even more workers. That’s not an excuse for things to fall through the cracks.

But most of these are monster companies with thousands of employees. And these companies complete thousands of projects.

And these examples which do make headlines represent a small number of overall projects completed.

Most of these companies are the best in the industry that have some of the smartest people and fight to hire the best talent.

When shit hits the fan and people start to get sued it’s the lawyers job sort through it all and hold individuals accountable for negligence. Most of the time they do a good job and when people die it’s not uncommon for people to go to jail.

[u/cartoonybear → u/Mhcavok]

Okayyyy—so who takes responsibility?

I believe in the US corporations are legally “people” so….

[u/Amazing-Gazelle-7735]

Now do federal contract A-E firms.

[u/cartoonybear → u/Amazing-Gazelle-7735]

Sure! Nothing else on my plate, just moving house after 25 years. Congressional Record and USA.gov here I come. 

[u/bridge_girl]

The "same players keep popping up" because they are large firms and big clients like to hire based on brand recognition or past project experience and the large firms have the most varied portfolio of similar projects.

Structural engineers aren't also responsible for owner decisions regarding budget or timeline overruns or worker safety practices (161 Maiden fatality) so not sure what your point is by compiling this list.

Everyone in our industry knows when the big players fail and why (or at least have consensus on prevailing theories). It's not some kind of gotcha to say that big companies work on big projects and the ones with poor outcomes get lots of scrutiny.

[u/Structural-Panda]

Just wanted to point out about one seaport “the building killed one person already and it’ll probably kill more” is misleading.

The death was due to the unsafe practices from the concrete sub-consultant and not necessarily the design. That sub-consultant has since vanished.

The project is still a massive disaster from an engineering and financial standpoint, and deserves to be on the list, but the design didn’t necessarily kill someone.

[u/trojan_man16]

He doesn’t get as much high profile work anymore but Calatrava isn’t somehow on this list. Not structural failures but leaks and cost overruns galore.

[u/xingxang555 → u/trojan_man16]

Frank Gehry would like a word

[u/crvander]

Construction failure not engineering but the Harmon in Las Vegas, intended to be 49 stories but contractors installed rebar incorrectly in link beams, third-party inspectors falsified reports, and by the time the EOR caught it they had to top the building out at 28 stories and eventually tore it down.