Finished carpentry? Wood filler? Those are expansion joints!
As for the recessed backboard with the electrical panel, this loois like a basement install, with an airspace between the cinder block wall and the false wall. A set of bi-fold doors will help hide this mess.
My pet peeve: wasting valuable real estate on a backboard. This area is probably intended to be used by all utilities, not just electric. I could easily fit an alarm panel, a small home network, and the telephone interface to the left of the panel, but first, I'll have to move that utility outlet.
But then again, you'll probably want that space for the needed subpanel.
James
