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8 eye-popping wood building projects
From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design.
WoodWorks, an initiative of the Wood Products Council, presented the awards at the San Francisco Bay Area Wood Solutions Fair in late January. Winners were recognized across eight categories: commercial wood design; wood design engineering; green building with wood; institutional wood design; interior beauty of wood; multi-story wood design; wood school design; and traditional wood design.
WoodWorks announces the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards
From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design.
Arcadia (Calif.) High School opens $20 million performing arts center
A 60-year old wish for the community of Arcadia has finally come true with the opening of Arcadia Unified School District’s new $20 million Performing Arts Center. It was the District’s intent to build an auditorium in 1952 when the high school was originally constructed, but there was no funding. Due to the passage of Bond Measure I in 2006, the District finally had a chance to fulfill this community’s enduring dream.
McCarthy Building Companies and LPA Inc. were among the Building Team members on the new center
A 60-year old wish for the community of Arcadia has finally come true with the opening of Arcadia Unified School District’s new $20 million Performing Arts Center.
Electronic surveying improves accuracy on BIM-driven hospital project
A mechanical contractor combines an electronic surveying tool with a BIM model to make significant productivity gains in a large-scale hospital project.
A mechanical contractor combines an electronic surveying tool with a BIM model to make significant productivity gains in a large-scale hospital project.
In the rapidly changing world of virtual design and construction, the mechanical-electrical-plumbing component of building information modeling has earned a reputation as something of a technology laggard. BIM for structural work? Beautiful. For architectural design? Lovely. For general construction? Terrif’. But BIM for MEP? Not so hot.
That negative perception is changing, as MEP engineers find new ways to put BIM to more effective use in their work—which, in the case of a complex project like a hospital, can account for 30-40% of total construction costs.
5 forces driving hotel investment
Although global hotel deal volume is projected to remain in line with the most recent three-year average in 2013, Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group believes that signs point to an on-going uptick in Americas hotel transactions activity sooner rather than later. Jones Lang LaSalle revealed five forces which will drive the hotel investment market during the next five years at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) recently at the J.W. Marriott L.A. LIVE.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group identifies the forces that will drive the hotel investment market during the next five years.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group believes that signs point to an on-going uptick in Americas hotel transactions activity sooner rather than later. They identify the five forces that will drive the hotel investment market during the next five years.
AIA: Resolving practical problems in roofing retrofits and renovations
Study the article carefully and take the exam to earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW/SD learning units.
Study the article carefully and take the exam to earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW/SD learning units.
Over time, the return on investment for a roofing system may seem like a zero-sum game. Consider this rule of thumb given by roofing consultants: Although the initial cost of a building’s roofing system runs about 10% of the total construction cost, the roof can end up accounting for as much as 60% of a facility’s total maintenance costs throughout the building life cycle.
5 things you should know about decorative concrete
Designing and installing decorative concrete is a lot more difficult that you might think. A veteran of many such installations offers a handful of tips to help you plan your next decorative concrete project.
Designing and installing decorative concrete is a lot more difficult that you might think. A veteran of many such installations offers a handful of tips to help you plan your next decorative concrete project.
Building Teams and their clients tend to think of a decorative concrete contractor as just another trade to be fit into the construction schedule, preferably at the lowest possible cost. But installing decorative concrete can be a delicate process, making planning for the construction crucially important.
Answered prayers
A bold renovation enables a small church to expand its mission on a grand scale.
A bold renovation enables a small church to expand its mission on a grand scale.
Empty churches and shuttered parochial schools are scattered throughout neighborhoods in many older U.S. cities, and Chicago is no exception. Meanwhile, many daycare providers, community organizations, and charter schools are desperate for program space. Could this be evidence of divine providence at work?
8 trends shaping today’s senior housing
The ranks of those age 65 and older are swelling by the thousands every day. Is there an opportunity for your firm in the seniors housing market?
The ranks of those age 65 and older are swelling by the thousands every day. Is there an opportunity for your firm in the seniors housing market?
With more than 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day, the demographics are smiling on the senior housing market segment. Although the overwhelming majority of boomers will continue to live in their own (or someone else’s) home or apartment, 5-8% of them will ultimately opt for seniors-only multifamily housing, according to David Schless, President of the American Seniors Housing Association (www.seniorshousing.org).
Trends Report: New facilities enhance the quality of campus life
Institutions of higher learning are investing heavily in new facilities—student unions, dining facilities, residence halls, and the like—that address the non-academic side of campus life. They rarely serve just one purpose; more often than not, they offer a variety of physical spaces where students can eat, socialize, network, study, and relax. This is partly due to the need for cost effectiveness, but it’s also driven by a desire to integrate the academic with the social, a holistic approach that has been gaining favor with academicians in recent years.
Colleges and universities are building state-of-the-art student unions, dining halls, and other non-academic buildings to enrich the campus experience, boost enrollment, and stay competitive.
Colleges and universities are building state-of-the-art student unions, dining halls, and other non-academic buildings to enrich the campus experience, boost enrollment, and stay competitive.
7 factors to consider when retrofitting data centers
Experts provide Building Teams with key information to complete a data center retrofit that exceeds client requirements.
Experts provide Building Teams with key information to complete a data center retrofit that exceeds client requirements.
Data centers are consuming electricity at an astounding rate. Currently they represent about 5% of the total electrical use in the country. According to the report “Revolutionizing Data Center Energy Efficiency” from consultant McKinsey & Co., the current energy output measured at a data center today will quadruple by the year 2020. Furthermore, the DOE reports that data centers can consume between 100 and 200 times more electricity than a standard office space.
