It's Always What Happens Next: Corey Zussman on the Joints No One Owns

Sep 2, 2026

Corey Zussman is a forensic architect who crossed over to the contractor side in 2006, when almost nobody was doing it. Today he is QA/QC Vice President at AECOM Hunt, with 30+ years, more than 2,000 projects, 200 published Lessons Learned, and over 500 AIA presentations behind him. Carolina sat down with him solo (Tim was out) to find out what a quality professional sees that the rest of us miss.

The short answer: it is never the product. It is what happens next.

We get into the joint between two cladding systems that nobody was contracted to own, the multimillion-dollar surgical pavilion floor that failed because nobody tested the old roof underneath it, the waterproofing rep who confidently spec'd the wrong product over an electrical room, and the sealant that passed the entire submittal process even though its own limitations said it could not go in CMU. Then Corey answers our closing question with the thing he thinks the whole industry should be talking about: the "industry standards" we follow because we always have, even when the code, or the chemistry, says otherwise.

In this episode:

• Mind the Gap and why concrete contractors are focused on concrete, not on the rainscreen that has to weep through it
• "Own the joint": your product is responsible for everything it touches
• Why the bid package, not the trades, is what makes the seam between systems an orphan
• Contractor Confessions: why every architect and construction pro should sit through a deposition at least once
• The most expensive failure Corey has watched get built (flooring, every time)
• Concrete curing, feather finishes, and the conversation that never happens
• What manufacturers get wrong about installation, and why "let me get back to you" beats a fast wrong answer
• Submittals: fasteners, ESR reports, limitation sections, and what "no exception" actually means (hint: it is not approval)
• Industry standards that are regional, outdated, or flat wrong: sealant tooling, exterior treated wood, fire-treated blocking

Corey's Lessons Learned, bulletins, and speaking schedule live on the AECOM Hunt QA/QC page.

Find him on LinkedIn.

This episode is supported by Advancing Construction Quality, September 21 to 23, 2026 in Phoenix.

Use code BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for 10% off registration.

Build Perspectives is co-hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. Each episode is designed to give you immediate value while introducing you to the people broadening perspectives in the construction industry.