Building Design + Construction

Return of retail? Rent growth seen in recovering markets

dbarista — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:26:41 +0000

Like digging a ditch with a spoon, retail demand driven by population growth has eaten away at the supply of available store space in the markets that have been slowest to recover from the downturn. It has been a long row to hoe, but vacancy rates are reaching a point that will give at least some landlords in every market the clout to demand slightly higher rents.

New ASTM standard enhances hollow structural sections

dbarista — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:22:18 +0000

ASTM has released a new HSS standard, A1085 - 13 Standard Specification for Cold-Formed Welded Carbon Steel Hollow Structural Sections (HSS), which will result in the production of improved hollow structural sections (HSS). This specification is a big step forward in simplifying HSS design and usage, thereby making it a more desirable option for HSS.

Architecture billings take a step back in April, ending growth streak

dbarista — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:47:41 +0000

For the first time in 10 months, the AIA's Architecture Billings Index slipped into negative territory, falling to 48.6 in April, down from 51.9 the previous month.

This score reflects a decrease in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings) and is the lowest mark since July 2012. The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, down from 60.1 the previous month.

Key April ABI highlights:

Foster + Partners reveals plans for London residential towers

jhigginbotham — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:31 +0000

British firm Foster + Partners has unveiled plans for two residential skyscrapers as part of a mixed-use development in north London.

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RSMeans cost comparisons: pools, racquetball courts, bowling alleys, hockey/soccer facilities

dbarista — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:43:51 +0000

Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for four building types across 25 metro markets. Building types include: pools, racquetball courts, bowling alleys, hockey/soccer facilities. Click here to access the RSMeans chart.

For additional RSMeans cost comparison reports, visit: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/rsm-charts.

Supertall ' Sky City' will house 4,400 families in Changsha, China

jhigginbotham — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:21:55 +0000

Broad Sustainable Building informs treehugger.com that a long and arduous approval process has been completed, and that they are starting excavation and construction on Sky City in June, 2013.

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7 tile trends for 2013: Touch-sensitive glazes, metallic tones among top styles

dbarista — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:03:22 +0000

Tile of Spain consultant and ceramic tile expert Ryan Fasan presented his "What's Trending in Tile" roundup at the Coverings 2013 show in Atlanta earlier this month. His trends range from high-tech products that incorporate nanotechnology to tile with depth and movement.

Here's an overview of Fasan's emerging tile trends for 2013 (via Tile of Spain's Pinterest page):

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4 emerging trends in parking structure design

dbarista — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:18:06 +0000

According to the results of a just-released survey, the country is undergoing a parking revolution as the industry embraces a variety of new technologies that make it easier for people to find and pay for parking, and for parking authorities to better manage it.

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Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail

dbarista — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:59:43 +0000

Although 2013 isn’t likely to be anyone’s idea of a blockbuster year for real estate performance, landlords across an array of commercial property types are gaining pricing control and increased rental income from their assets. Keys to the equation for property types other than apartments are construction volumes near 40-year lows and incremental job gains from a handful of growth sectors, including energy and technology.

First look: HKS' multipurpose stadium for Minnesota Vikings

jhigginbotham — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:39:47 +0000

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5 things AEC pros need to know about low-e glass

dbarista — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:01:45 +0000

Low-emissivity (low-e) glasses are critical to making today’s buildings brighter, more energy-efficient and more sustainable. By controlling solar heat gain and promoting daylighting, they help buildings use less energy for temperature control and lighting, while adding the human benefits associated with outdoor views and more pleasant working and living environments.

Here are five tips to help architects, engineers, and contractors understand and explain the differences among low-e glasses and their impact on building performance:

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LEED v4 has provision to reduce water use in cooling towers

pfabris — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:44 +0000

The next version of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system, LEED v4, will expand water-savings targets to appliances, cooling towers, commercial kitchen equipment, and other areas that consume a huge proportion of water in many buildings.

Reducing water lost through blowdown, when water is drained from cooling towers to reduce mineral and sediment accumulation, is the focus of LEED v4’s cooling tower credit. Projects pursuing the credit increase the number of cycles through which water can be re-circulated before it is removed by blowdown.

Chicago unveils $1.1 billion plan for DePaul arena, Navy Pier upgrades

jhigginbotham — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:51:20 +0000

Crain's Chicago Business' Greg Hinz sheds light on a bold plan by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to boost the city's tourism and entertainment industries.

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Michael R. Bohn named Executive VP at Gilbane

jhigginbotham — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Gilbane has promoted Michael R. Bohn to executive vice president. With over 28 years of service to the company and leadership roles on such high-profile projects as the University of Michigan Biomedical Science Building and the University of Chicago Medical Center, Bohn will now have responsibility for Gilbane’s New York and Midwest business units.

Lilker acquires DC-based EMO Energy Solutions

jhigginbotham — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:58:03 +0000

McGuire Engineers welcomes VP and Partner David P. Callan

dbarista — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:20:29 +0000

McGuire Engineers is pleased to announce that David P. Callan, PE, CEM, LEED AP, HBDP has joined the firm as vice president and partner. With over 17 years of experience, Callan leads the firm’s high performance buildings practice.

“David’s expertise in the design and analysis of building systems for high performance projects in the commercial, institutional, healthcare, mission critical, public, and federal markets is a tremendous asset to the company,” said Anthony McGuire, founder and principal of McGuire Engineers.

Schneider Electric announces Global Xperience Efficiency Events for 2013

dbarista — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:49:02 +0000

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced a series of global events kicking off in June 2013 to collaborate and share knowledge with customers, partners and governments on how to solve energy and sustainability challenges. Schneider Electric’s Xperience Efficiency series will begin with events in the United States, China, Colombia, Brazil and Russia.

New York City Council okays plans for Cornell's huge net-zero tech campus

pfabris — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:02:02 +0000

Cornell University's proposal to build a two million sf tech campus on Roosevelt Island has been approved by the New York City Council. The campus will use solar and geothermal power as energy sources to go beyond what is needed for net-zero energy. Construction will begin in 2014.The university agreed to transport construction equipment via barge to limit traffic on the island's main road and monitor air quality throughout the project to alleviate concerns of island residents.

Center for Green Schools, Architecture for Humanity release new tool for green schools

pfabris — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:59:13 +0000

The Center for Green Schools and Architecture for Humanity released a new tool for catalyzing school building improvements in communities across the country. The Green School Investment Guide for Healthy, Efficient and Inspiring Learning Spaces outlines the steps that any school stakeholder – from school administrators and elected officials to staff and students to parents and businesses – can take to transform their local schools.

BOMA International joins coalition to standardize how buildings are measured

pfabris — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:57:40 +0000

BOMA International recently joined the International Property Measurement Standards Coalition (IPMSC). The coalition includes professional and non-governmental organizations from around the world and is focused on developing a principle-based standard for the way buildings are measured globally. With so many different methods of measuring floor space in use, it makes it difficult for global investors and tenants to accurately compare space, BOMA says.

AAMA extends NAFS certification on fenestration products

pfabris — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:56:18 +0000

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) announced the release of an interim procedural guide that will provide a documented, optional process to extend current, unexpired AAMA product certification to any edition of AAMA/WDMA(/CSA) 101/I.S.2(/A440), North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for windows, doors, and skylights (NAFS) for two years for products that have had no changes. The procedural guide, AAMA 106-13, Interim Procedural Guide for Extension of NAFS Certification is effective as of May 1.

Advanced turbines generate 6X more energy than conventional models

jhigginbotham — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:05:54 +0000

We've seen wind turbines in all shapes and sizes, but the new INVELOX tunnel-based wind turbine takes the cake.

Inhabitat's Timon Singh recently previewed the system from U.S.-based wind energy company SheerWind. It is uniquely designed to capture ground-level breezes, which are then funneled through a tunnel that is shaped to naturally accelerate the wind flow.

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Raymond Clark joins HOK’s Chicago Practice as Management Principal

dbarista — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:38:34 +0000

HOK announced today that Raymond Clark, AIA, LEED AP, has joined its leadership team in Chicago as senior vice president and management principal.

Clark brings 35 years of experience in the architectural and engineering profession. Most recently, he served as managing director of Perkins+Will's Chicago office. He began his career at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

New developments would face tougher stormwater rules than redeveloped sites under EPA proposal

pfabris — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:08:40 +0000

New developments would have to meet more stringent stormwater-retention standards than redeveloped sites under a forthcoming Environmental Protection Agency proposal. The more relaxed standards for redeveloped sites reflect the EPA's desire to encourage businesses to invest in urban redevelopment projects.

(http://www.bna.com/epa-planning-stringent-n17179873704/)

Proposed ASHRAE systems manual uniform procedure guideline open for public review

pfabris — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:07:25 +0000

A proposed guideline that will establish a uniform procedure for transmitting design, construction, testing, and operational information to building owners and operators is open for public comment. Guideline 1.4P, The Systems Manual for Facilities, provides procedures for producing a systems manual as a resource for training, operations, maintenance, and upgrading of facilities.