The Capitol Cove complex in Providence, R.I. was repositioned, changing from 96 private condos to Johnson & Wales University student housing. |
22. Commercial Properties Repositioned for University USE
Six previously stalled Value Place hotels are being completed by Englewood Construction’s new distressed property division. |
23. Distressed Property Division Targets Stalled Projects
24. Bundle Communications and Data Services for Major Savings
We've all seen the TV commercials for AT&T and Comcast selling the cost advantages of bundling phone, cable, and Internet services. Shane Ketterman, network engineer and administrator with ZGF Architects, applied similar logic when searching for ways to cut costs and streamline communications at the 473-employee Portland, Ore., firm.
Ketterman found a partner in PATEC Holding Corp. to develop a customized solution to bundle and transmit all voice, video, Internet, and data services using a dedicated radio frequency line instead of traditional wire distribution. Radio antennas mounted on the roof of each of the firm's five offices transmit and receive voice/data three times faster than before, and at a fraction of the cost. Ketterman's solution will save ZGF $320,000 this year alone.
"Transmitting data via radio waves is much more cost effective and allows greater flexibility for increased bandwidth and additional services as the needs of the business change," says Ketterman. His solution is also much more reliable than traditional delivery methods—the dedicated FCC radio frequency cannot be interrupted or jammed—and it requires less energy to operate.
25. Revit Boot Camp
26. Keep Your Subcontractors Happy and Save Big Bucks
As part of a companywide commitment to improve relationships with subcontractors, Farmington, Conn.-based KBE Building Corp. (formerly Konover Construction) developed a custom online resource center that provides 24-hour, real-time access to payment status, insurance information, compliance forms, and project details for subcontractors and KBE staff.
"Subs were frustrated with the length of time to get paid, and would frequently call for payment status and other information," says John Patterson, information architect with KBE and developer of the online resource center. He says KBE staff spent hours on the phone daily answering calls, returning calls, and fulfilling requests from subs, costing the company thousands of dollars a month in personnel costs.
After launching the resource center in late 2006, the company saw an immediate 75% reduction in phone calls, in addition to fewer faxes and mailings. Patterson estimates a productivity gain of 25%, saving the company $100,000 annually.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
New hospital expands Idaho healthcare options
Ascension Group Architects, Arlington, Texas, is designing a $150 million replacement hospital for Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho. An existing facility will be renovated as part of the project. The new six-story, 320-000-sf complex will house 187 beds, along with an intensive care unit, a cardiovascular care unit, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgical suites, rehabilitation clinic, and ...
| Aug 11, 2010
Colonnade fixes setback problem in Brooklyn condo project
The New York firm Scarano Architects was brought in by the developers of Olive Park condominiums in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn to bring the facility up to code after frame out was completed. The architects designed colonnades along the building's perimeter to create the 15-foot setback required by the New York City Planning Commission.
| Aug 11, 2010
Wisconsin becomes the first state to require BIM on public projects
As of July 1, the Wisconsin Division of State Facilities will require all state projects with a total budget of $5 million or more and all new construction with a budget of $2.5 million or more to have their designs begin with a Building Information Model. The new guidelines and standards require A/E services in a design-bid-build project delivery format to use BIM and 3D software from initial ...
| Aug 11, 2010
Opening night close for Kent State performing arts center
The curtain opens on the Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center at Kent State University in early 2010, giving the New Philadelphia, Ohio, school a 1,100-seat multipurpose theater. The team of Legat & Kingscott of Columbus, Ohio, and Schorr Architects of Dublin, Ohio, designed the 50,000-sf facility with a curving metal and glass façade to create a sense of movement and activity.
| Aug 11, 2010
Residence hall designed specifically for freshman
Hardin Construction Company's Austin, Texas, office is serving as GC for the $50 million freshman housing complex at the University of Houston. Designed by HADP Architecture, Austin, the seven-story, 300,000-sf facility will be located on the university's central campus and have 1,172 beds, residential advisor offices, a social lounge, a computer lab, multipurpose rooms, a fitness center, and a...
| Aug 11, 2010
News Briefs: GBCI begins testing for new LEED professional credentials... Architects rank durability over 'green' in product attributes... ABI falls slightly in April, but shows market improvement
News Briefs: GBCI begins testing for new LEED professional credentials... Architects rank durability over 'green' in product attributes... ABI falls slightly in April, but shows market improvement
| Aug 11, 2010
Luxury Hotel required faceted design
Goettsch Partners, Chicago, designed a new five-star, 214-room hotel for the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The design-build project, with Saudi Oger Ltd. as contractor and Rayadah Investment Co. as developer, has a three-story podium supporting a 17-story glass tower with a nine-story opening that allows light to penetrate the mass of the building.
| Aug 11, 2010
Three Schools checking into L.A.'s Ambassador Hotel site
Pasadena-based Gonzalez Goodale Architects is designing three new schools for Los Angeles Unified School District's Central Wilshire District. The $400 million campus, located on the site of the former Ambassador Hotel, will house a K-5 elementary school, a middle school, a high school, a shared recreation facility (including soccer field, 25-meter swimming pool, two gymnasiums), and a new publ...