adaptive reuse and renovation project transforms cavernous warehouse into open, bright space perfect for offices, created with generative ai

Adaptive Reuse Scorecard released to help developers assess project viability

Lamar Johnson Collaborative announced the debut of the firm’s Adaptive Reuse Scorecard, a proprietary methodology to quickly analyze the viability of converting buildings to other uses.

Contractors

Fast-tracking construction projects offers both risk and reward

Understanding both the rewards and risk of fast-tracking a project can help owners, architects, engineers, and contractors maximize the benefits of this strategy and can bring great reward on all fronts when managed properly.

Steel Buildings

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.

Projects

A scalable EV charging solution

Resembling a fueling station, VersiCharge XL—a new electric vehicle (EV) charging concept structure—can charge large numbers of EVs in outdoor areas ranging from small office building parking lots to last-mile logistics hubs to stadium parking lots.

Aug 11, 2010

How AEC firms are using collaborative tools to solve client problems

PERKINS EASTMAN’S ‘ORCHARD’ Perkins Eastman’s intranet, called ORCHARD (…

Aug 11, 2010

Suffolk Construction Company acquires William A. Berry & Son

Suffolk Construction Company, New England’s largest construction company announced today that they have acquired William A. Berry & Son (Berry), the second largest construction company in the region. The two companies, both with deep New England roots and successful track-records, combined will have more than 1,200 employees and projected revenues of $2 billion.

Aug 11, 2010

Nonresidential construction will be down 14% in 2009; 17% in 2010, according to FMI report

FMI released its Construction Outlook: Second Quarter 2009 Report, and the outlook isn't good for the nonresidential market. FMI forecasts the market to decline 14% this year, followed by a 17% slide in 2010. FMI says that while the economy is showing some signs of improvement, it is just the beginning of the downfall for nonresidential construction.

Aug 11, 2010

Draft NIST report on Cowboys practice facility collapse released for public comment

A fabric-covered, steel frame practice facility owned by the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys collapsed under wind loads significantly less than those required under applicable design standards, according to a report released today for public comment by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Aug 11, 2010

Callison, MulvannyG2 among nation's largest retail design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 75 Retail 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

ASHRAE releases free BIM introductory guide

A newly released guide from ASHRAE on building information models and building information modeling (BIM) serves as a resource for professionals considering BIM tools and applications for their businesses. According to "An Introduction to Building Information Modeling," BIM is “a digital representation of the physical and the functional characteristics of a facility.” Unlike 2D or 3D CAD, BIM software utilizes intelligent objects to create models.

Aug 11, 2010

AIA report estimates up to 270,000 construction industry jobs could be created if the American Clean Energy Security Act is passed

With the encouragement of Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) conducted a study to determine how many jobs in the design and construction industry could be created if the American Clean Energy Security Act (H.R. 2454; also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill) is enacted.

Aug 11, 2010

Retail construction recession to end later in 2010

The recession reduced retail construction spending early and deeply, but now most of the decline should be behind us. Construction spending is down 48% over the last two-and-a-half years, and the value of retail construction starts reported by Reed Construction Data fell 41% in 2009 vs. 2008. Construction spending is expected to drop 5-6% more by late 2010; the decline will be close to 10% afte...

Aug 11, 2010

A few bright spots for AEC firms in 2010

The AEC industry is heading into 2010 in better shape than was the case a year ago, according to the 2010 AEC Industry Outlook: Strategy and Insight for Design & Construction Firms, a new forecast released by ZweigWhite this month. A significant turnaround for the commercial market isn't anticipated until 2011, but a modest pickup is expected in late 2010.

Aug 11, 2010

Healthcare construction weathers the recession

Healthcare construction spending grew at a compound rate of more than 10% for seven years through mid-2008, but has stalled since then. The stall, however, still represents better growth than almost any other construction market during the recession, which deepened as a result of the fall 2008 credit freeze.