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

Morphosis builds 'floating' house for Brad Pitt's Make It Right New Orleans foundation

Morphosis Architects, under the direction of renowned architect and UCLA professor Thom Mayne, has completed the first floating house permitted in the U.S. for Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation in New Orleans.The FLOAT House is a new model for flood-safe, affordable, and sustainable housing that is designed to float securely with rising water levels.

Aug 11, 2010

Turner edges out Perkins+Will for the top spot on BD+C's Top 200 Building Team LEED APs ranking

With 1,006 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff, Turner Construction took the top spot on Building Design+Construction’s 2009 ranking of AEC firms with the most LEED APs, published as part of the Giants 300 report. Turner added more than 580 LEED APs during the past year to surpass Perkins+Will, which held the top spot four years running.

Aug 11, 2010

WaterSmart Innovations Conference attracts 1000+ to Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (October 12, 2009) – More than 1,000 participants from 42 states and 12 foreign nations…

Aug 11, 2010

EwingCole to merge with healthcare specialist Robert D. Lynn Associates

EwingCole, a nationally recognized architectural, engineering, interior design, and planning firm with more than 320 professionals, today announced that it will combine its practice with Robert D. Lynn Associates of Philadelphia, a 40-person firm with a robust portfolio of healthcare projects. The combination will create the Delaware Valley¹s largest and most comprehensive firm with an emphasis on healthcare architecture, and a national scope and presence.

Aug 11, 2010

Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms

A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

Aug 11, 2010

AIANY partners with New York's building department to launch design competition for safer, more appealing sidewalk shed

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANY) today announced the launch of the urbanSHED International Design Competition with support from the Alliance for Downtown New York, ABNY Foundation, Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section (IESNYC), and the New York Building Congress.

Aug 11, 2010

Construction employment declines in 48 states in August compared to last year

Construction employment saw significant declines in all but two states this August compared to last year according to an analysis of new state-by-state employment figures released today by the federal government. The analysis, conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, however did show that the number of states gaining construction jobs increased slightly in August compared to July 2009.

Aug 11, 2010

Parsons Brinckerhoff completes Rosa Parks Transit Center in Detroit

DETROIT, MI – The Rosa Parks Transit Center, a new multimodal facility in downtown Detroit, has…

Aug 11, 2010

Stimulus funding helps get NOAA project off the ground

The award-winning design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) replacement laboratory saw its first sign of movement on Sept 15 with a groundbreaking ceremony held in La Jolla, Calif. The $102 million project is funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), resulting in a rapidly advanced construction plan for the facility.

Aug 11, 2010

BIM adoption rate exceeds 80% among nation’s largest AEC firms

The nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction’s premier Top 170 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, and nearly a quarter (23%) have 100-plus seats.