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Luxury farm resort uses CLT framing and geothermal system to boost sustainability

Construction was recently completed on a 325-acre luxury farm resort in Franklin, Tenn., that is dedicated to agricultural innovation and sustainable, productive land use. With sustainability a key goal, The Inn and Spa at Southall was built with cross-laminated and heavy timber, and a geothermal variant refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system.




Mass Timber

SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University

Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.

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Steel Construction | May 19, 2023

New manufacturing processes can make steel construction a greener option and add U.S. jobs

“Green steel” that is manufactured using hydrogen generated with renewable energy makes its use as a building material more feasible for environmentally conscious designers and clients. Sustainable manufacturing processes, which are economically viable in the U.S., could also revive steelmaking in the country as the metal becomes more attractive for green building.

Mass Timber | May 3, 2023

Gensler-designed mid-rise will be Houston’s first mass timber commercial office building

A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year. Framework @ Block 10 is owned and managed by Hicks Ventures, a Houston-based development company.

Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023

Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper

When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital. 

3D Printing | Apr 11, 2023

University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory unveils Shell Wall—a concrete wall that’s lightweight and freeform 3D printed 

The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete. 

Mass Timber | Mar 19, 2023

A 100% mass timber construction project is under way in North Carolina

An office building 100% made from mass timber has started construction within the Live Oak Bank campus in Wilmington, N.C. The 67,000-sf structure, a joint building venture between the GCs Swinerton and Wilmington-headquartered Monteith Construction, is scheduled for completion in early 2024.

Concrete | Mar 17, 2023

American Concrete Institute releases new guide for shotcrete construction

The American Concrete Institute, through the work of ACI Committee 506, has released ACI PRC-506-22: Shotcrete—Guide. The newly introduced guide provides information on materials and properties of both dry-mix and wet-mix shotcrete and covers most facets of the shotcrete process including application procedures, equipment requirements, and responsibilities of the shotcrete crew.

Codes | Mar 2, 2023

Biden Administration’s proposed building materials rules increase domestic requirements

The Biden Administration’s proposal on building materials rules used on federal construction and federally funded state and local buildings would significantly boost the made-in-America mandate. In the past, products could qualify as domestically made if at least 55% of the value of their components were from the U.S. 

Seismic Design | Feb 27, 2023

Turkey earthquakes provide lessons for California

Two recent deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria offer lessons regarding construction practices and codes for California. Lax building standards were blamed for much of the devastation, including well over 35,000 dead and countless building collapses.

Steel Construction | Feb 21, 2023

AISC releases SpeedCore design guide for building concrete-filled composite steel plate shear wall core systems

The American Institute of Steel Construction has released Design Guide 38, SpeedCore Systems for Steel Structures. The document pertains to the nonproprietary concrete-filled composite steel plate shear wall core system that “shaved a whopping 10 months off the erection schedule of Seattle’s 58-story Rainier Square,” according to AISC. 

Steel Construction | Feb 3, 2023

Top 10 structural steel building projects for 2023

A Mies van der Rohe-designed art and architecture school at Indiana University and Morphosis Architects' Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, Calif., are among 10 projects to win IDEAS² Awards from the American Institute of Steel Construction. 

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