Tales From The Front Desk

How GHH Helps When You Call…

A short interview with GHH Office Manager Maria Latella lets you know how we can help you with your needs and goals. A GHH inquiry intake story:

What does a typical request look like?

Depends on the caller’s specific survey or engineering needs but most of the calls are for services related to residential property, commercial property, elevation certificates, additions, subdivisions or construction layout.

What kind of information do you need or are listening for during these conversations?

It starts with contact information, who a proposal should be sent to (it does vary depending on the situation), who will be responsible for financials, and finally, what is the purpose of the survey or engineering services.

What happens after gathering the basic information?   Does the conversation end or continue?

It might end with a brief description of what the client can expect for next steps or it might continue depending on input from the client.  For example, if a client is unsure of what specific type of survey is needed we can ask some questions about what they are trying to accomplish.  If they want to see where their boundaries are marked on the ground that is one type of survey.  If they are planning on improvements to the site, that is another kind of survey.  In addition to helping determine the type of survey needed, it’s a good chance to describe the value of each.

Is it difficult to get to that point in the conversation?  Do you listen for key words or specific scenarios the potential client is referring to?

We listen for key words such as “flood insurance” or “I live on the shore” which most likely relates to completing a flood certificate.  Or, phrases such as “ I want to do an addition” and“ We have land we want to subdivide” can help drive what type of service is needed and how we can help.   Most clients are not aware of the various types of surveys so we try to lead the conversation to narrow down the list in order to provide the most appropriate proposal we can from the start.

How do you leave off with a client?

I will always explain next steps, specify who will accomplish them (e.g. , a Licensed Land Surveyor or Professional Engineer) and when to expect communication.

What is your overall goal when speaking with a potential client?

The goal is to convey a sense of confidence, that we are patient, that we care about their request and care about their end goal.

What is one thing you want clients to know when they call Godfrey Hoffman Hodge LLC?

There are lots of way we can help with your needs/goals.  The more we communicate, the better, and faster we can help

Tales From The Field: Summer 2022

Catch Up with the GHH Team

GHH has been busier than ever this summer!

Calvin Weingart shares the behind-the-scenes of laying out test pits to determine soil suitability for septic systems in North Stonington, CT.

Zach Weingart and Jeff Plourde precisely check the positioning and data input of the S6 total station and targets in Branford, CT. A quality construction project begins with a quality survey control network. 

Adam Hoffman drives a steel rod into its respective location to create a permanent reference point for a client. While modern technology and technological advances have been made, manual labor will always be present. 

Stay up to date with the GHH team and connect with us on our social media accounts! 

Tales From The Field

Recent Work Had Us Surveying Wetlands and Coastline

Cows, Drones and Projects in the News…

Calvin Weingart surveyed wetlands in North Stonington – he was greeted by a few wandering cows on this assignment.

Zach Weingart provided a drone survey for the Sachem’s Head Yacht Club where a grounded barge had to be removed from the breakwater. An article in the New Haven Register provides the backstory in further detail – link here to read about it.

GHH Acquires Woman Owned Winterbourne Land Services

Winterbourne Land Services: A pioneering surveying firm for women land surveyors

GHH Acquired Winterbourne Land Services, a cutting edge woman owned firm, on November 15th, 2021

The Woman Behind Winterbourne Land Services 

Winterbourne Land Services is a Connecticut historic Land Surveying and Civil Engineering company, established in 1993 by Rosalind C. Page. The firm was one of the first woman owned land surveying companies in the state. Rosalind was one of the few professionally licensed female land surveyors at the time. The Winterbourne team has worked on an abundance of private, commercial, and municipal projects of all shapes and sizes. The firm has performed work within New Haven, Middlesex, and Hartford counties.

Avon Village Center Opening 🎉

Avon Village Center welcomes you! GHH’s newest development with the Carpionato Group

GHH helped develop the newest retail development in Avon, the Avon Village Center with its partner, Carpionato Group, furthering its stake in the commercial development industry, on September 1st, 2021

Developing the Center 

Avon Village Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Godfrey Hoffman Hodge and the Carpionato Group have been working hard on creating the newest commercial development in Avon, CT, Avon Village Center. This modern commercial and residential hybrid development is sure to stay with opportunities abound for locals.

The first retailer to open in the center was the Whole Foods Market, guaranteed to draw large crowds. GHH is proud to announce that we were a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Whole Foods,  formally announcing the opening of the center.

To learn more about the complex’s beginning stages, check out these articles: https://patch.com/connecticut/avon/avon-village-center-phase-1-complete

https://www.avonct.gov/planning-community-development/pages/avon-village-center-project

https://www.carpionatogroup.com/property/486/avon-village-center-avon

Continue reading “Avon Village Center Opening 🎉”

Clarence Blair Associates circa early 1900s

GHH Acquires Clarence Blair Associates 🎊

Clarence Blair Associates, Inc. (CBA) Acquired by Godfrey Hoffman Hodge, LLC. (GHH)

Learn about the historic acquisition of Clarence Blair Associates, one of Connecticut’s oldest surveying & engineering companies.

Godfrey Hoffman Hodge, LLC. (GHH) Is pleased to announce our acquisition of Clarence Blair Associates, Inc. (CBA), as of March 2021. The firm’s extensive historical records will greatly bolster GHH’s own archives relating to New Haven County and beyond.

Clarence Blair Associates History 

Clarence Blair Associates was founded in 1892, earning and diligently maintaining an excellent reputation of high-quality survey and engineering service throughout their long history.  GHH’s current owner, Adam Hoffman, has had a long professional relationship with CBA, dating back early in his survey career, working as an instrument man and survey party chief at CBA in the early 1980s.

Godfrey Hoffman Hodge History

GHH is a third-generation, multi-disciplinary firm established in New Haven County in 1924 under the name Stein and Giordano. In 1968, ownership passed to Bernard E. Godfrey (Also a CBA employee back in the early 1960’s). Godfrey took current owner Adam Hoffman on as business partner and co-owner in 1988, changing our name to Godfrey-Hoffman Associates to reflect the partnership.  In 2010, we acquired the Farmington Valley-based survey firm Hodge Surveying Associates, whose own lengthy history dates back to 1925. In 2020, we adopted our current name to reflect this change. Over the years, GHH has grown to provide a full range of land surveying, civil engineering, planning, design, and permitting services throughout the entire state of Connecticut, operating out of our main office at 26 Broadway, North Haven.

Learn More

Contact Us 

February 23rd is Terminalia! 🎉

Terminalia: Ancient Rome’s February Festival 🏗

Land Surveying Celebrated at the end of the Roman Year (February 23rd)

What is Terminalia?

February 23rd boasts this festival. It is named after the Ancient Roman God of land boundaries, Terminus. Terminus was portrayed as a stone with no arms or legs, symbolizing the boundary marker between plots of land. This portrayal of Terminus was especially important in emphasizing how the boundaries were binding. The name is derived from the Latin word for such a boundary.

Romans believed that a sacrificial festival must occur at the end of each calendar year, February 23rd, in order to remain on good terms with the god. These sacrifices included adorning the physical terminus (boundary marker) with floral garland and offerings of sweets and other meals. It also included physical sacrifices of lambs or pigs.

The terminus was believed to be the peacekeeper between neighbors. It ensured that there would be no arguing over property lines. Neighbors would meet at their local terminus for this celebration annually.  A large feast would then occur! 🍾

Why Celebrate Terminalia?

February 23rd Celebration of Land Surveying
Modern Land Surveying

You may be wondering why a group of land surveyors and civil engineers in the 21st century would want to celebrate an Ancient Roman festival…🤔

The use of terminuses in ancient Rome are the some of the earliest forms of the modern practice of boundary marking with the use of specific objects, markers, or locations. Without the ancient Romans creating a practice of respect between neighbors and foreigners, by placing terminuses between their properties, the art of land surveying may not be where it is today.

Join Us!

While we may not be adorning stone boundary markers or offering sacrifices to a deity, we are celebrating the great history of our profession and the advancements we have made through the centuries. Check out these great resources on Terminalia:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Terminus

https://pantheon.org/articles/t/terminus.html

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-history-of-terminate-terminator

https://www.berntseninternational.com/home/blog-builder/happy-terminalia?utm_source=constant%20contact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021Terminalia

Welcome to the new Godfrey Hoffman and Hodge Website!

We’ve been working hard over these last few months to create the new and improved GHHLLC.com. We’ve merged our two previous websites into one. Our goal was to create a one-stop website for all of your surveying and engineering needs.

Who is Godfrey Hoffman Hodge?

Godfrey Hoffman Hodge LLC is a combination of our two previous firms; Godfrey Hoffman Associates, LLC and Hodge, LLC

Godfrey Hoffman Associates, LLC is a multi-disciplinary firm offering a full range of Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Planning, Design & Permitting services. Our main office is located in North Haven, Connecticut, and our 3rd generation family business has operated since 1924. Originally serving New Haven County, we now work throughout the state of Connecticut.

Hodge, LLC, an affiliate of Godfrey-Hoffman, was acquired in April of 2010 and has been the trusted name in surveying in the Farmington Valley since 1925.

GHHLLC.COM

Our goal was to revitalize our website and to create a new and improved experience for users looking for land surveyor & civil engineering assistance. GHHLLC.com was designed to help you understand everything there is to know about our company and to provide you with the proper resources you need.

Below is just a small list of things you can do on our website:

Remember always to check back as we’ll continuously be improving our website and providing you with the best engineering & civil engineering news!

drone flying

The Use of Drone Technology for Land Surveying of Construction Projects

Since Early America, land surveying has successfully mapped unknown territories and established governmental and private boundaries. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were surveyors, utilizing a number of tools such as a compass, chains, and some early version of a transit or sextant to gather land distances, angles, and elevations. Today, land surveying with drone technology adds an additional layer of land access, monitoring, and precision measurement and documentation.

Continue reading “The Use of Drone Technology for Land Surveying of Construction Projects”

Laser Scanning of Existing Buildings for BIM and Deep Energy Retrofits

Deep Energy Retrofits of Existing Structures

High-performance energy systems and building envelopes are not reserved for new construction only. Existing structures are being equipped with energy efficient HVAC systems and retrofit with engineered thermal insulation and vapor envelopes, passive solar shading devices, active solar panels, and water conservation strategies – all in an effort to reduce the energy consumption in existing buildings.

Energy-efficient systems and renewable energy sources are the two common paths used to improve a statistical fact concerning built environments:

“On average, 30% of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency….one of the top opportunities to improving the energy efficiency is retrofitting of existing buildings.”

Deep energy retrofits – as opposed to conventional energy renovations which focus on simple upgrades of isolated systems, such as lighting or HVAC systems – will approach the whole building and its overall poor performance ratings. Many building systems are addressed at once for a much greater savings in energy consumption, increased occupant comfort, and reduction in green house emissions.

Laser scanning of existing structures is used to accurately capture hidden building elements and attain dimensional data as the first step to creating a building information model (BIM). With a 3D BIM model of the retrofit project’s interior, exterior and surrounding site, energy modeling tools are then used to simulate the thermal properties of the building envelope, visualize interior heat loss and gains, emulate the position and the effect of the sun for solar shading strategies, and as a tool to improve overall building performance.

Laser scanning is a land surveying software solution that facilitates the engineering and construction phases of architects, engineers, and construction. This as-built tool replaces traditional building and land surveying methods by using hand-held laser measuring devices, photogrammetry, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to capture and analyze building data in real time. Elevations, sections, floor plans, and complete 3D models are converted to 2D drawings, 3D models, or BIM-compatible formats.

This virtual capture of the environment becomes an important part of the planning process for deep energy retrofits, land development, urban landscape planning, and in the new construction process. Using Bluetooth technology, PC tablets, and reflectorless instrumentation – highly detailed and very precise building or land surveys are quickly accomplished – all in the digital (or virtual) realm. The end-use can beapplied to solve a number of structural and architectural documentation needs, including:

  • General Arrangement Plans
  • Street Scenes
  • Scaled Floor Plans
  • Internal Elevations
  • Roof Plans
  • Facade Measurements
  • As-Built Checking
  • Field Clash Detection

Laser Scanning and Point Cloud Data

Point cloud technology utilizes high-definition CT laser technology to scan multiple perspectives of the physical environment. The resulting image consists of millions of data points capturing the targeted image in a 3D coordinate system, or point cloud. The raw point cloud data is automatically converted to real-world structural elements and terrain features to generate accurate geometric data of building interiors and exteriors, topographies and urban landscapes, and even manufactured items such as pipes, and machinery.

Industry consensus supports the efficiency of using scanning to produce point cloud data to augment 3D modeling (and especially BIM applications)The once fragmented space that existed between retrofitting of existing structures and utilizing advanced modeling technologies are removed with 3D laser scanning services. This virtual, digitization of environments allows real-time, concurrent workflow to share information between field and engineering office. With laser scanning-to-BIM, all of a project’s stakeholders can access an integrated project database for engineering analysis and building performance studies – connecting existing infrastructures with analytical modeling and visualization technology for installation of deep energy retrofits.

Contact us to discuss how time, money, and effort can be saved in retrofit projects of built environments.