Kaiser Borsari Hall will draw 100% of its electricity from a rooftop solar panel array. Photo courtesy Perkins&Will

Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.

Construction Costs

Despite challenges, 2024 construction material prices continue to stabilize

Gordian’s Q2 2024 Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report indicates that supply chain issues notwithstanding, many commodities are exhibiting price normalization.

University Buildings

Washington University School of Medicine opens one of the world’s largest neuroscience research buildings

In St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation District, Washington University School of Medicine recently opened its new Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building. Designed by CannonDesign and Perkins&Will, the 11-story, 609,000-sf facility is one of the largest neuroscience buildings in the world.

Architects

AE firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood merges with Southland Engineering

Architecture and engineering firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) is further expanding its services through a strategic merger with engineering firm Southland Engineering in Cartersville, Ga.

Engineers

Engineering goes hand-in-hand with design, putting a practical lens on the architect’s vision and finding the best way to make it happen. Without a talented engineer, the project will never reach completion, and certainly will not reach the standards of functionality and sustainability that the architect and client are seeking.

Aug 11, 2010

PCA partners with MIT on concrete research center

MIT today announced the creation of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, a research center established at MIT in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation.

Aug 11, 2010

Study explains the financial value of green commercial buildings

Green building may be booming, especially in the Northwest, but the claims made for high-performance buildings have been slow to gain traction in the financial community. Appraisers, lenders, investors and brokers have found it difficult to confirm the value of high-performance green features and related savings. A new study of office buildings identifies how high-performance green features and systems can increase the value of commercial buildings.

Aug 11, 2010

Architecture Billings Index drops to lowest level since June

Another stall in the recovery for the construction industry as the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped to its lowest level since June. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the August ABI rating was 41.7, down slightly from 43.1 in July. This score indicates a decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).

Aug 11, 2010

RTKL names Lance Josal president and CEO

Lance K. Josal FAIA has been named President and CEO of RTKL Associates Inc., the international planning, design and engineering firm. Josal succeeds RTKL’s current President and CEO, David C. Hudson AIA, who is retiring from the firm. The changes will take effect on 1 September 2009.

Aug 11, 2010

Charles Thornton, co-founder of Thornton Tomasetti, earns Construction Industry Institute's top award

(New York – July 31, 2009) - Charles H. Thornton, Ph.D., P.E., chairman of Charles Thornton and…

Aug 11, 2010

Christopher Pyke, Ph. D., Named Research Director for the U.S. Green Building Council

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 24, 2009) – The U.S. Green Building Council announced this week that…

Aug 11, 2010

Balfour Beatty agrees to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million

Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, investment and services group, has agreed to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million. Balfour Beatty executives believe the merger will be a major step forward in accomplishing a number of Balfour Beatty’s objectives, including establishing a global professional services business of scale, creating a leading position in U.S. civil infrastructure, particularly in the transportation sector, and enhancing its global reach.

Aug 11, 2010

CertainTeed Ceilings launches continuing education webinar series for architects, contractors

(Valley Forge, Pa.) – June 22, 2009 - Through a new, free webinar series, CertainTeed Corporation…

Aug 11, 2010

Construction unemployment rises to 17.1% as another 64,000 construction workers are laid off in September

The national unemployment rate for the construction industry rose to 17.1 percent as another 64,000 construction workers lost their jobs in September, according to an analysis of new employment data released today. With 80 percent of layoffs occurring in nonresidential construction, Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said the decline in nonresidential construction has eclipsed housing’s problems.

Aug 11, 2010

CHPS debuts high-performance building products database

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) made a new tool available to product manufacturers to help customers identify building products that contribute to sustainable, healthy, built environments. The tool is an online, searchable database where manufacturers can list products that have met certain environmental or health standards ranging from recycled content to materials that contribute to improved indoor air quality.