CPM & Associates

HLB Lighting Illuminates CA Justice Centers

2011-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design was selected by the Administrative Office of Courts in California to overhaul lighting design guidelines. Meeting the state’s new green building standards, the lighting systems are designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. The Richard E. Arnason Justice Center in Pittsburg, Calif., was the first location to be improved, over a 71,600-sf area. Designed by HOK architects, the lighting plan includes dimming controls and natural-lighting solutions.

Bilco's Roof Hatch Combines Functionality and Luxury

2011-08-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

Bilco’s Type GS roof hatch provides easy access to roof areas while also functioning as a weather-resistant skylight. A transparent polycarbonate dome with added UV resistance eliminates the need for a fall-protection screen, while aluminum and full-gasket features make for easy lifting. The roof hatch is especially suited for commercial and industrial buildings. The new thermally enhanced roof hatch line features special gasketing and increased insulation for superior thermal performance. Enhanced performance roof hatches will improve the energy efficiency of your building and are ideal for GREEN building applications. Visit Bilco's website for more products and specifications.

LED Architectural Lighting

2011-07-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

BetaLED is recognized throughout the world for advanced engineering, innovative design and excellence in manufacturing LED luminaires. Their products have earned them the reputation as the premiere provider of high quality architectural lighting solutions for interior and exterior commercial applications.

BetaLED offers a number of environmental advantages over other types of lighting. Our luminaires are lead-free, mercury-free and meet Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations. Each light bar to high performance heat sinks to assure the LEDs operates at a safe and optimal temperature for the application environment. These LED systems can be a significant contributor to obtaining LEED certification for a new building or building remodel. LED lighting systems can contribute to LEED certification in four areas: Energy and Atmosphere, Sustainable Sites, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation. Since these LED have an extremely high output light intensity and a low power draw they result in massive energy and cost savings. BetaLED’s have a wide range of applications and their product line includes:

Kings Crossing Shopping Center and Zoning Variances

2011-07-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Fairfield’s new shopping center that once was the site of the Handy and Harman sits on Kings Highway's intersection with Grasmere Avenue. It is now the home of a Whole Foods and Fairfield’s fourth CVS. However, the new businesses planning to enter the center do not stop there.

Five Guys burger restaurant will likely be the next business to enter the Kings Crossing shopping center. Five Guy’s first attempt for approval was denied by the Town Planning and Zoning Commission (TPZ). TPZ held that the restaurant was 12 parking spaces short of the number set by the town parking regulations. After being denied the application for a certificate of conformance by TPZ, attorney for the developer, William Fitzpatrick III took the application to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and received a waiver for the 12 parking spaces. In his appeal Fitzpatrick argued the developer was entitled to a credit for parking spaces lost because of a shared driveway created with Home Depot (the adjoining property). ZBA granted the variance allowing for a resubmission to TPZ for the Certificate of Conformance and was unanimously approved.

In short, a variance is a deviation from the set of rules a municipality applies to land use and land development, typically a zoning ordinance, building or municipal code. There are two types of variances area and use. An area variance is the most common type. It can be requested by a builder or landowner when an odd configuration of the land, or sometimes the physical improvements (structures) on the land, requires a relaxation of the applicable regulations to avoid denying the landowner the same rights and use of the property as neighboring properties enjoy. A use variance as is the case here is a variance that authorizes a land use not normally permitted by the zoning ordinance. Variance requests are justified only if special conditions exist on the lot that create a hardship making it too difficult to comply with the code's normal requirements. Most likely it was justified in the Five Guys case because the when the shopping center was redesigned to include a shared driveway with Home Depot they lost about 75 parking spaces. There in lies the hardship.

2011 AGC IPD and Lean Construction Building Conference

2011-07-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

The 2011 AGC IPD and Lean Construction Building Conference will bring together high-level leaders to discuss two of the most intriguing issues in the construction industry today... Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Lean Construction. These industry processes have both their own unique approach to delivering more collaborative and efficient construction projects, and, at the same time, are intrinsically linked in many ways. This Conference will benefit those new to IPD and Lean Construction, as well as those with a deeper understanding of these concepts.

Targeted sessions will cover IPD and Lean Construction from its history and philosophy to present-day applications. Case studies, best practices, legal and risk issues, and perspectives from the design, construction, and owner communities will expose attendees to all aspects of IPD and Lean Construction. Attendees will also hear presentations and participate in discussions on other key issues such as the current building construction market, owners’ roundtable, and industry best practices.

This Conference will feature numerous networking opportunities. Senior-level building contractors, large project owners and other key industry stakeholders will gather at the breakfasts, keynote luncheon, evening receptions and golf tournament featured during the Conference.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Building construction contractors, construction project owners, design professionals, attorneys, suppliers - anyone interested in industry best practices and networking.

WHEN: September 21-24, 2011

WHERE: Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas

ATTIRE: Business Casual

CONTACTS:

Conference Program & Sponsorships: Mike Stark
Hotel & Travel: Rick Brown
Conference Registration: Rockkie Dunton

Wood Flooring Estimator IPHONE APP

2011-07-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wood Flooring Estimator is a standalone tool that enables users to quickly estimate hard wood or laminate flooring and perimeter trim using an assortment of predefined room shapes. Subcontractors and do-it-yourselfers can all quickly estimate the cost and materials for most flooring jobs using this mobile tool. Its features include:

Includes 10 predefined shapes (including curves) to help you build your rooms
Manipulate room dimensions by dragging arrows via touch  
Price wood flooring by the box or by the plank. 
Input pricing for trim along with units  
Summary includes tile and trim prices, plus room area and perimeter

Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Westport

2011-07-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

New solar charging points in Westport are giving vehicles a give a place to get their power from the sun. Elektron Solar, of Westport, and New Fairfield-based Sun Electric have installed two electric vehicle charging stations at 495 Post Road East, a commercial building that draws energy from 109 solar customerspanels on the roof. The 26-kilowatt installation was part of a renovation of the 22,560-square-foot building owned by Frisa I LLC. This project is part of an office building renovation and is an example of the private marketplace integrating renewable energy to, not only be green and a responsible member of the community, but to add value to the property.

The town plans to install charging stations near the Saugatuck Metro-North station as part of a research project with Connecticut Light and Power that involves three other Connecticut towns. With the demand for electric cars on the rise expect these charging points to be sprouting up all over Fairfield County.

Elektron Solar is both a Certified Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Installer, and a Certified NABCEP installer. Their services include commercial and industrial solar PV systems, green energy audits and site surveys. If your are considering green tech in your building envelope in Fairfield County check out Elektron Solar.

False Flooring

2011-07-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Some of the buildings that I manage use false flooring in portions of the structure with high service requirements ie. portions that carry high amount of cables, air-conditioner or even water supply pipes.

This type of floor consists of gridded metal framework or understructure of adjustable-height legs (“called Pedestal”) that provide support for individual floor panels, which are usually by 2 X 2 feet or 60 X 60 cms in size. The height of the legs/pedestals is dictated by the volume of cable and other services provided beneath, but typically arranged for clearance of at least six inches or 15cms. Additional structural support and lighting are often provided when a floor is raised enough for a person to crawl or even walk beneath.

The panels are normally made of steel-clad particleboard or a steel panel with a cementitious internal core. There are a variety of flooring finishes to suit the application such as carpets, high pressure laminates, marble, stone, and anti-static finishes for use in computer rooms and laboratories. Many modern computer and equipment rooms employ an under-floor cooling system to ensure even cooling of the room with minimal wasted energy. Cooled air is pumped under the floor and dispersed upward into the room through regularly spaced diffuser tiles or through ducts directed into specific equipment. One drawback of the false flooring is that because the flooring tiles are rarely removed once equipment has been installed, the space below them is seldom cleaned, and fluff and other debris settles so cleaning of the undercarriage is necessary from time to time.

Maintaining and Repairing Steel Structures

2011-07-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Repairing a crack without understanding and eliminating or mitigating the reason the crack occurred will usually result in the repaired member cracking again. Cracks and corrosion can cause serious problems for any type of structure, however when dealing with steel the cracks can be more costly as they will cause stress and strain curves in other portions of the building as a result. Structural engineers should be consulted to ensure that the repair method will restore the steel structures to the desired strength and that the most effective method of repair has been chosen. Here are some examples:

Load Carrying Replacement: Load-carrying members are usually replaced when 30% or more of the steel has been lost by corrosion or when they are deformed.
Adjacent Replacement: If adjacent members show signs of serious deterioration, it may be more economical to replace whole frames or bents. New temporary members and adequate bracing should not remove a stressed member before transfer of load to adjoining members or has relieved the stress. In the replacing of piles, the load should be shifted temporarily to other piles by struts or beams using jacks.
H-Piling: Reinforcement of H-piling by welding steel plates onto flanges and web may be appropriate in localized areas of corrosion. The reinforcing plates should be of sufficient thickness to restore the original strength to the piling and of sufficient area to encompass and extend beyond the extremities of the corroded area.

Low Impact Development

2011-07-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

A LID is an ecologically friendly approach to site development and storm water management that aims to mitigate development impacts to land, water, and air. The approach emphasizes the integration of site design and planning techniques that conserve natural systems and hydrologic functions on a site. The practice has been success- fully integrated into many municipal development codes and storm water management ordinances throughout the United States. Specifically, LID aims to:

Preserve Open Space and Minimize Land Disturbance;
Protect Natural Systems and Processes (drainage ways, vegetation, soils, sensitive areas);
Reexamine the Use and Sizing of Traditional Site Infrastructure (lots, streets, curbs, gutters, sidewalks) and Customize Site Design to Each Site;
Incorporate Natural Site Elements (wetlands, stream corridors, mature forests) as Design Elements; and
Decentralize and Micromanage Storm Water at its Source.

Connecticut's New Commitment to Solar Engery

2011-07-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of CT POST

Connecticut has made a serious commitment in hope to encourage homeowners in Connecticut to invest in solar energy. State officials, setting a goal of installing the energy panels on about 3,000 homes by 2022. The way I understand CT’s commitment is threefold:

First, the government will be promoting commercial solar projects, such as solar farms, and require Connecticut utility companies to get more of their energy from renewable sources.
Second, along with these programs new energy laws are going to require utility companies to enter into new $8 million contracts with renewable energy providers each year for the next six years.
Third, a new Connecticut incentive allows utility companies to build up to 30 megawatts of renewable energy generation plants in the next three years that they would be allowed to own. Connecticut's deregulation laws dictate that utility companies may not own any energy plants; they can only purchase from privately owned energy generation plants and can't make a profit on those purchases.

In conclusion the CT’s new commitment will be requiring utilities to enter into long-term contracts with solar companies at a fixed price. This means the companies know what the return on their investment will be decades out, making solar projects a more secure investment and bringing about longevity in the solar job market.

Is LEED "Leading" to More Litigation in 2011?

2011-07-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

Anyone in the construction industry, particularly those involved in LEED/green building projects, has probably realized to date, green building litigation has been pretty infrequent. However, sustaining a theory of liability for breaches of contract or warranty may now be easier than first thought. Green or LEED-oriented buildings are much more costly to build than conventional buildings, and owners and developers pay a premium for this LEED branding. So they are clearly not going to be happy if a project does not obtain the certification that was expected (Breach of Warranty). However, this may not be the only theory of liability in the green building arena.

In 2009 a case out of Maryland, Shaw Development v. Southern Builders, suggests that the scope of potential liability may be broader. The Shaw case arose in connection with a condo project in Maryland that included a number of green design features that were intended to support a LEED Silver application. The owner sued the general contractor seeking, among other things, over $600,000 in lost tax credits under a state green building program. Maryland law stated that it would provided tax credits to owners for building eco-friendly buildings. The procedure to receive this credit was to initially apply for a sort of preliminary certification of the project. The project would be built and then, when completed, it would be evaluated for final approval. The preliminary certification, however, contained an expiration date, and the condo project at issue in Shaw was not completed before that project’s preliminary certification expired. Assuming the Shaw facts–that a project failed to receive significant tax credits because it was completed late–who would be liable for those lost tax credits?

 In 2010 in the greater New York Area there were a series of lawsuits related to the sales of new condominium units in West Chelsea. In sum: the developer chose to terminate several contracts with prospective purchasers arguing that the purchasers were dragging their feet on closing. Subsequently the developer kept a portion of the down payments. The purchasers sued to recover the down payment and rescind the contracts citing the developer's failure to obtained a promised LEED certification.

In conclusion the shifting of liability should be expressly laid out in the contract documents, including who is liable if a project fails to obtain certain certifications. By properly defining these items at the outset of the contractual relationship, parties may be able to avoid the litigation that comes with uncertainty in contract provisions.

Even the Subway in Tinsel Town Has Glamour

2011-07-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Hollywood/Vine Metro portal and public plaza in Los Angeles provides an entrance to the Red Line subway and the swank W Hollywood Hotel. A Local architect Rios Clementi Hale Studio designed the portal and plaza to flow with the landmark theaters and plazas that surround it. This is not just any old subway entrance with a set of downgraded steps or escalator. The portal features among other things a transparent canopy over the subway entrance which sheds an abundance of light on the floor below. In true Hollywood fashion different shades of golden glass said to be inspired by the Wizard of Oz’s yellow brick road, allow subway patrons to view movies projected on the side of the building.

EcoSpec's New Recycled Tiles

2011-07-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

EcoSpec Tile LLC, established February 1, 2011, is a new tile manufacturing company started by a group consisting of experienced/time-tested tile professionals who collectively feel a strong responsibility to their industry and to their planet.

The initial product offering includes sustainable tile material composed of 50% pre-consumer waste, 20% post-consumer waste and 30% new material recycled contents, all obtained in the Southern California area. Tile formats range from mosaic tile sized 2” x 2” up to 12” x 12” field tile. “Brick sizes” from 1” x 8” to 4” x 8” are available, as well. The EcoSpec collection may be specified in matte, gloss, crackle and hand-painted surface finishes. EcoSpec's Environments collection impact analysis can be found here.

Nanotechnology May Revolutionize Building Tech as We Know It

2011-06-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

The small science of nanotechnology which deals with objects so tiny that thousands would fit inside the period at the end of this sentence is having a big impact in the construction industry, according to the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the American Chemical Society's weekly newsmagazine. Indeed, some experts believe that nanotechnology will revolutionize the industry, which builds, renovates, and repairs society's infrastructure.

In the article C&EN senior editor Bethany Halford describes nanotechnology's surprising and largely unrecognized contributions to some of humanity's biggest and most visible projects. Nano-sized particles of the white pigment titanium dioxide, for instance, are giving the surfaces of buildings, windows, and other objects self-cleaning surfaces that stay bright white or crystal clear for years, shrugging off airborne soot, dust and grime. When titanium dioxide absorbs ultraviolet light from the sun, it breaks down pollutants that come in contact with concrete or glass.

Hollow cylinders of carbon called carbon nanotubes, so small that they can't even been seen under a regular microscope, are boosting the strength of reinforced concrete, one of the most ubiquitous construction materials. Nanotechnology also is helping to make concrete a more sustainable, allowing the recycling of more fly ash, a waste product of coal-fired electric power plants, into fresh concrete used in new construction.

CertainTeed Sustainable Insulation for Clubhouses

2011-06-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sustainable insulation from CertainTeed provides thermal and acoustical insulation for new construction, reconstruction, or re-insulation projects. The fiberglass product is made with an organic, plant-based binder that contains no phenol, formaldehyde, harsh acrylics, or dyes. It exceeds indoor air quality regulations for the California Air Resource Board and is certified by GreenGuard Children & Schools. CertainTeed Sustainable Insulation is made of fiber glass which consists of 50% rapidly renewable content, 35% recycled glass in the US, 70% in Canada, and now a new organic plant-based binder that has no formaldehyde, acrylics or dyes added.

Oak Lawn Cemetery Addition

2011-06-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Oak Lawn Cemetery has recently broken ground on a new 1,500-square-foot maintenance building on the Bronson Road cemetery grounds. The new facility will act as an addendum to the Oak Lawn's existing maintenance facility, across the cemetery parking lot from the construction site, according to Bronson K. Hawley, president of the cemetery board of directors. The 50-by-30-foot building will include among other things a storage bay for equipment, a three bar garage, a hydraulic lift mechanism and a extra records storage area. Expected project completion is sad to be around middle of September. The general contractor hired to complete the work is Kaesmann Builders LLC of Redding.

Whole Foods Comes to Fairfield

2011-06-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of CT Post

After a very long wait Whole Foods has finally made its way into the town of Fairfield with its newest store at 350 Grasmere Ave. Whole Foods will held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at 8:30 a.m., after which the doors to the 45,000-square-foot market officially opened. The 45,000-square-foot store, situated near the new train station, aims to be the third Whole Foods store in Connecticut to earn LEED certification for eco-friendly building. For example, the entire façade is made of stones dug up from the store’s site during construction. And 90 percent of the store’s power comes from a self-contained fuel cell that produces no carbon dioxide emissions. Hopefully despite a slow economy Whole Foods will provide Fairfield residents an excellent health conscious and organic shopping option in town.

AUTOCAD For Android

2011-06-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Autodesk’s popular drawing-sharing and mark-up mobile app, AutoCadWS was released to the Android market on April 20 and has been downloaded more than 500,000 times since its release. The launch was something that the AutoCAD WS team had been preparing since releasing it as a mobile app for the iPhone OS (making it available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) in September 2010. The AutoCAD WS web and free mobile app lets you view, edit, and share DWG drawings through a web browser or mobile device, store AutoCAD drawings and project files in an easy-to-access online workspace, and share and collaborate on devices such as an iPad or an Android-enabled phone. More than one million users have downloaded it for the iOS to date.

MacArthur Park Subway Project Beginnings

2011-06-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Curbed LA

Architecture firm Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc.'s MacArthur Park Subway, Shops and Residence project is coming together rapidly. The project's first phase, referred to as Block 1, borders Bonnie Brae to the east, Westlake to the West and 7th Street to South and contains 90 affordable units, 16,000 square feet of retail and 200 parking spaces, some of which are Metro replacement parking spaces. Block 2 will just about double the retail and units from Block 1, be built in the parking lot between Westlake and Alvarado, and "frame a plaza around the existing Metro portal. Block 2 breaks ground in early 2012 and finishes the following year, while Block 1 finishes in April 2012. The entire $45 million project includes 172 units, all affordable, and was developed by McCormack Baron Salazar.

Façades Design & Delivery Conference 2011

2011-06-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

IQPC’s 2nd Façades Design & Delivery Conference will take place on September 7-9, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA. Based on its success in January in New York, the Façade Design & Delivery Conference will be your best opportunity to develop a broader understanding on the newest innovations available in façade design for commercial high rise structures.

Learn how to deliver high performance and fit-for-purpose façade design.

IQPC’s 2nd Façades Design & Delivery Conference will provide a unique opportunity for architects, façade engineers, construction companies and property developers to discuss how to meet the increasingly stringent requirements and expectations of end users and government legislation in their façade delivery in America.

Glass Helps Apartments LEED Efficiency

2011-06-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Guardian Industries Photo

The Cyan Apartment Building in Portland, Ore., is designed for efficiency—most of the 364 units measure only 540 sf. Energy efficiency is also a priority, so in an effort to reduce heat gain, local design firm Thomas Hacker Architects opted for Guardian’s SunGuard SuperNeutral SN 68 glass. The high-performance glazing has the appearance of clear uncoated glass and allows for light transmittance while limiting solar heat gain. It is also available with a tinted outboard for colored glass effects. The glazing, along with the building’s additional green features, help contribute to the building’s energy savings, which are averaging 20% better than code.

Los Angeles Street Car Project

2011-05-20T01:03:00.000-07:00

Photo of Portland StreetCar

Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc. (LASI), was founded by long-time Downtown Los Angeles stakeholders in January 2009 to lead the fundraising and development efforts of the streetcar project, including oversight of all required planning, environmental, engineering, and development processes. Back in March L.A. City Council approved $8.4 million for the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar Project. These funds will be used to pay for preliminary engineering, continued community outreach, the formation of a community facilities district, and any environmental work that is not currently funded.

After much public input, LASI has developed conceptual streetcar alignments for further public review and study. The intent of the conceptual alignment study was to capture critical nodes within Downtown L.A. (such as Broadway, L.A. LIVE, South Park, etc.) that are integral to Downtown L.A.’s long-term growth and development. According to the LASI timeline ground will not be broken on this project until mid 2012. The proposed alignment for the street car can be found here.

Wind Property Rights....Who Owns the Wind?

2011-05-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Along with engineers, solar installers and assemblers of electric vehicles, the clean tech revolution is creating new demand for green jobs in another profession: lawyers. Property law has long held that an owner not only has subterranean rights but airspace as well. Thus it follows that a property owner can own the wind that passes over his property right?

The emerging issue is what is called a wind shadow or a wake effect that is caused by the spinning of the wind turbines. As they turn, they introduce turbulence into the wind, effectively slowing it down and scattering its power. There is already one case in Europe a landowner that will be heard by Norway’s Supreme Court by a landowner who claims that will be diminished by a proposed wind farm planned upwind on an adjacent property. He demands compensation for the lost wind potential on his own land.

Here in the United States, the issue is attracting growing attention from landowners and legal scholars. The problem is that there is not that much black letter on the subject of wind rights. Without a set standard and rules to abide by wind rights are becoming a hot commodity and the complicated issues of wind shadows, wind poaching, and wind wakes are becoming legal battles in the courtroom. It is clear that states define ownership of wind resources and the boundaries and limits of that ownership.

New England Partners Solar Brownfields Project

2011-05-19T01:34:00.000-07:00

Photo: bigsolarpannels.com

Ten capped landfills will be reused as solar fields under an agreement between Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative, located in Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, and American Capital Energy, North Chelmsford, Mass. The 18.3-MW project on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, the largest of its type in New England, is expected to produce 22,500 MWh per year, enough energy to power 3,132 Cape and Vineyard homes, according to the cooperative. Energy produced from the project will provide about 1.1% of electric power for cooperative customers. Thus far the construction date for the $83-million project has not yet been scheduled.