WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Matthew Phair was awarded last month the 2003 Robert F. Boger award for Best Feature article by the Construction Writers Association. The article is titled ?Clearing A Vertical Path To Safety? and was published in the Sept. 2002 issue of Building Design and Construction magazine. Phair received the award during the group?s annual meeting, held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The article explored key issues surrounding the World Trade Center attacks, including high-rise building evacuation, stairwell design and stairwell construction. For the piece, Phair interviewed experts in building egressibility and fire safety. One recurring theme stressed in the article was the need for wider stairwells in high-rise office buildings. According to a Jan. 2003 report in the New York Times, the design for the new 7 World Trade Center will include wider stairwells. The Construction Writers Association is a dedicated group of expert writers, editors and publicists that serve the construction industry. More on the group is available at www.constructionwriters.org. Building Design & Construction is an award-winning monthly magazine written for the entire building team. Matthew Phair currently edits Constructioneer magazine, a noted regional construction magazine that covers the mid-Atlantic states. He also runs Phair Communications, Inc. Since 1988, the Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.-based firm has provided marketing and technical writing services to firms in or serving the construction industry.
