Building Design & Construction articles from February 2002

Building Design & Construction archives from February 2002

Reflections on the Twin Towers. (Editorial).
February 1, 2002... While there can be no equivalent to the human suffering that resulted from the destruction of the World Trade Center, the loss of the towers as physical objects was also poignant. Lynn Beedle is among those who most keenly experience this...

Functional upgrades for three classic buildings. (News & Trends).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The renovation of government buildings in Washington, D.C., is ongoing. The most significant current projects include the National Archives, the 168-year-old Treasury Building and the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery. ...

Enron fallout will hike Houston vacancies.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Enron fallout will hike Houston vacancies. The problems of fallen energy giant Enron will reverberate through the Houston office market. Enron was scheduled to completely occupy a new 40-story downtown office tower, which was designed by New...

Speak now or forever.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Speak now or forever.... Stakeholders in building inspections can contribute to a standard for serviceability under development by the ASTM Subcommittee E06.21 on Serviceability. The proposed specifications will establish requirements for...

Risky business.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Risky business. Engineers and scientists at the Johns Hopkins University will lead a new research center in creating tools to gauge risks associated with hazardous waste sites and in developing new ways to clean up pollutants. The U.S....

City growing smartly. (News & Trends).
February 1, 2002... Following the new urbanism trend taking place in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Fayetteville, Ga., is seeking to harness its growth with a 110-acre development near the city's town square. The development, called The Village, will contain a...

Mergers/acquisitions. (firms).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Chicago-based Lohan Associates has changed its name to Lohan Caprile Goettsch architects. Joseph Caprile and James Goettsch are sharing the office of president. Dirk Lohan will remain chairman and CEO. The Prisco Group, formerly Prisco &...

ELS.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Berkeley, Calif.-based architectural firm ELS has six new owners, principals Bruce Bullman, David Fawcett, Clarence D. Manuyac Jr., Avery Taylor Moore, D. Jamie Rusin and Kurt Schindler. Edward Noland and Geno Yun are associate principals.

Beacon Skanska Inc.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Boston-based contractor and construction manager Beacon Skanska Inc. has appointed Michael F. McNally as president and chief executive officer (CEO) and Gino J. Baroni as executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO).

Gensler.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... David W. Gensler has been named COO of San Francisco-based architect Gensler.

Setter Leach & Lindstrom.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Robert G. Egge has been named president and CEO of the Minneapolis architectural firm Setter Leach & Lindstrom, succeeding George Theodore, who will remain with the firm as chairman until his retirement at the end of this year.

Graycor Inc.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Contractor Graycor Inc. of Homewood, Ill., has promoted Steve Gray to senior vice president/chief financial officer.

The Austin Co.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Cleveland-based design-build firm The Austin Co. has appointed Martin R. Blundell operations manager of a new branch office in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Inc.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Paul DeCelles has joined the Chicago office of A/E Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Inc. (HOK) as group vice president and architectural practice leader.

Division 17 update. (News & Trends).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... After evaluating proposals for changes to Construction Specifications Institute s (CSI) 2002 MasterFormat, including the possible addition of a separate Division 17 for low-voltage wiring, the MasterFormat Expansion Task Team has made its final...

Calendar. (News & Trends).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * March 4-6 International Security Conference, Las Vegas Convention Center. Phone: (800) 840-5602 or visit www.iscwest.com. * March 6-8 National Facilities Management and Technology Conference/Exposition, Baltimore Convention...

Projects awarded.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates of Atlanta is architect for 933 Peachtree, a $57 million development consisting of two 21-story apartment buildings in Atlanta's Midtown area. Atlanta-based R.G. Griffin & Co. is general...

New York Times Co.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Italian-born architect Renzo Piano, with offices in Paris and Genoa, Italy, in collaboration with New York City-based Fox & Fowle Architects is the architect for a 52-story headquarters for the New York Times Co. to be built in the Times Square...

Replicating the form and appearance of the rolling hills of Santiago de Compostela.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Replicating the form and appearance of the rolling hills of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the 810,000-sq.-ft. City of Culture of Galicia cultural center will comprise six structures housed beneath an undulating roof covered with native stone....

The future 11,840-sq.-ft. office complex.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The future 11,840-sq.-ft. office complex and manufacturing plant for London-based glass treatment supplier Ritec International will utilize the company's own ClearShield self-cleaning glass to enhance visibility and reduce maintenance costs....

Kahn do Brasil.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Kahn do Brasil, the Brazilian subsidiary of Detroit-based A/E Albert Kahn Associates (AKA), has been commissioned to design a new 290,000-sq.-ft. medical office building and a 100,000-sq.-ft. inpatient expansion to Monte Sinai Hospital e...

Backup systems ensure data integrity. (Computer Applications).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The attacks on Sept. 11 have sent a clear message to the business community to take steps to protect itself against interruption from outside forces. Obviously, most firms cannot protect themselves fully against extreme circumstances. But they...

Practice makes perfect. (News bits).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Free, downloadable simulation program models the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and lighting energy profiles in various building scenarios. The simulation capabilities of Energy-Plus include solar thermal, multizone air flow and...

Put out the fire. (News bits).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Originally developed to enable a subway transit client to evaluate fire hazards, Baltimore-based fire sciences and engineering firm Hughes Associates Inc. now offers its Windows-based computerized fire safety evaluation system (CFSES) for use...

ABCs of IBC. (News bits).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Guidebook analyzes the new International Building Code (IBC) and provides comparisons of IBC requirements to the current editions of the National Building Code, Standard Building Code, Uniform Building Code and National Fire Protection Agency's...

Improved safety and security. (News bits).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Asset-tracking software enables construction firms to improve access procedures, security and safety at job sites through picture identification badges with integrated bar code. The software also allows tracking of employees on the job site....

Multifamily fares well in weak economy. (Industry Data).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Activity in the multifamily subsector of the residential construction market remained reasonably healthy during 2001. This year shouldn't be bad either, with total starts nearly the same and spending faring much better than for either the...

Hotel construction market positioned for comeback in 2003. (Industry Data).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Last year was emphatically a down year for hotel construction, and indicators point to a continuation of this sector's woes throughout 2002. However, it could be worse. The last time the nation slipped into a recession, spending on hotel...

Industry data.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Plumbing prices plateau Average prices for plumbing fixtures and brass fittings produced by U.S. manufacturers were only 0.4 higher in November 2001 than in November 2000, according to data from the Labor Department's Producer Price Index...

Industrial vacancy rate continues to rise.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The problems of the manufacturing and wholesale distribution sectors of the nation's economy continued to weigh heavily upon the demand for industrial space into the fall of last year. The national availability rate for industrial space...

Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets.(building construction costs, U.S.)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets Office 2-4 stories '02 '01 % chg. Atlanta 95.56...

Lien waivers: lean or mean? (Legal Insights).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Owners loathe and contractors love mechanic's liens. Regardless of point of view, mechanic's liens are an American institution as old as the Bill of Rights. In 1790, President George Washington chose the exact site on the Potomac to...

Retail village: developers combine elements of enclosed and open-air malls to form hybrid centers that fit customer lifestyles. (Retail Trends) (Cover Story).(Flatiron Crossing mall in Broomfield, Colorado, and Mall of Georgia near Buford, Georgia, described)
February 1, 2002... Too hip to be caught dead in a mall, yet in need of a one-stop shopping venue where clothes or kitchenware can be purchased, dry cleaning can be picked up, and a well-prepared meal can be enjoyed in a comfortable atmosphere? Try a new "shopping...

Southern malls reflect lifestyle and landscape. (Mall Developments).(International Plaza Mall in Tampa, Florida, described)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Tampa's International Plaza hybrid center is one of the newest retail developments to combine a 1.2 million-sq.-ft. enclosed retail center with a 150,000-sq.-ft., open-air, village-type promenade known as Bay Street Plaza. Opened last...

Return of the master builder: design-led design/build enables smaller design firms to reassume a once-familiar role. (Design/Build).(architectural design)
February 1, 2002... From the design and construction of the first pyramids by the Egyptian architect Imhotep in 2780 B.C., until the 20th century, the architect acted as designer and construction manager on building projects. As civilization progressed from the...

Squeeze play: historic renovation projects require the installation of modern M/E/P systems in tight spaces. (M/E/P Retrofit).(mechanical/electrical/plumbing retrofits of historic structures, U.S.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Retrofitting historic structures with modern building systems can be one of the most difficult aspects of a historic restoration and renovation project. Building teams often struggle to "squeeze" new HVAC equipment and ductwork, water pipe,...

Lightning protection systems on trial: NFPA 780 is reaffirmed after the standard's validity is questioned during the evaluation of alternative technology. (Lightning Protection).(National Fire Protection Association)
February 1, 2002... Few events are as awesome as witnessing a lightning strike or seeing the damage it can produce. Nevertheless, when the subject is lightning protection systems, some of the most recent drama has been created by man rather than nature. It...

BUR a traditional favorite: multiple plies are a distinguishing feature of built-up roofing, which has a century-old performance record. (Roofing).
February 1, 2002... Built-up roofing (BUR), which consists of multiple plies of membranes soaked with asphalt or coal tar pitch, has existed in its present form for close to a century. It continues to be the standard against which all other roofing systems are...

Opening options. (Doors And Windows).(Simpson Door Co.'s interior door line)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Interior door line is available in both single and bifold door configurations. The Shaker Series single door is available in two-, three- and four-panel designs, while the bifold is offered in two four-panel patterns. The doors measure 6 feet,...

Beneficial extensions. (Doors And Windows).(window jamb extensions)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Jamb extensions that are applied to windows during their manufacture eliminate the need for the field application of drywall returns or wood returns. They significantly reduce material costs and interior finishing time. CertainTeed. ...

Hospital hype. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Nashville's 386,000-sq.-ft. Skyline Medical Center is furnished with patient-safe, wheelchair-accessible operational windows that provide natural light, fresh air and a comfortable, clean hospital environment. The 3250V Series Visuline windows...

2.1 percent annual increase for window and door demand. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... The demand for doors and windows in the United States is expected to grow 2.1 percent annually, reaching $24.6 billion in 2005, according to a study conducted by The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based research and analysis company. The...

Head of the class. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... As part of the historic renovation of Hawkins Hall, at State University of New York College in Plattsburgh, aging windows were replaced with HR175 windows in the 850-seat auditorium. To meet the building's National Park Service requirements,...

Fire fighter. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Fire-rated door with a rating from 20 to 90 minutes can be finished to match any color scheme and is available with sidelites, transoms and windows with complementary ratings as well. The doors come complete with standard hardware packages,...

Retire in style. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Buildings at Lasell Village Educational Later Life Care Community in Newton, Mass., feature more than 1,800 windows and patio doors in its continuing care retirement community (CCRC). The center uses glass areas in the residences to maximize...

Between the lines. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Between-the-glass blinds are pleated shades or real wood muntin bars that come in unlimited sizes and colors. The Slimshade blinds are tucked away between the glass, but without covering up the window's lines or interior. They increase energy...

Agreeable appearance. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... The Facade Vent window creates a streamlined appearance by attaching to an operable window behind its single exterior frame. It has narrow fixed and operable sightlines, uniform in all directions. Structural silicone glazing allows for the use...

Fresh view. (Doors And Windows).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... The Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts of Atlanta, Ga., updated its appearance by installing 2,505 new TR-9100 and TR-7100 windows on its four-building campus. The new tube mullions were custom-designed to match the style of the original windows. ...

ADA helps keep U.S. elevator market strong. (Vertical Transportation).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Of the 5.8 million elevators in the world, 760,000, or 13 percent, are in North America, according to the industry publication Elevator World. The majority of the world's elevators are traction-type, which are usually found in taller...

Convey it. (Vertical Transportation).
February 1, 2002... Four-strand conveyor incorporates economical modular construction and a platform for high-speed operation, low maintenance and simplified assembly. Best for conveying cartons and other smooth-bottom unit loads, Valu-lift is small and easy to...

Modular mover. (Vertical Transportation).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Recommended for manufacturing, distribution, tools rooms, stock rooms and general warehousing applications, the Shuttle vertical lift module is an enclosed automated storage and retrieval system that featuers vertically arranged trays, an...

Going up? (Vertical Transportation).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) will use eight gearless passenger elevators, eight gearless service elevators, two gearless trauma/hospital elevators, four in-ground hydraulic passenger elevators and three roped hydraulic...

Up, up and away. (Vertical Transportation).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Elevator offers a holeless solution for a wide range of low-rise buildings, including offices, retail complexes, hotels and hospitals. With an advanced design that completely eliminates the below-grade jack-hole, the 330A has multi-car group...

Hydraulic control system. (Vertical Transportation).
February 1, 2002... Control system for use on all hydraulic elevator applications is designed to increase the performance of elevator systems in low-rise buildings. The TAC20 control system is suitable for both new construction and renovation projects. It...

Wheelchair lift. (Vertical Transportation).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Wheelchair lift is constructed with a fiberglass exterior, and a new system drive, allowing for soft curves, recesses and fewer seam lines to make it attractive. Available in 20 standard colors, it is adaptable for indoor and outdoor use and is...

Go in style. (Vertical Transportation).
February 1, 2002... Series 300 elevator interior is delivered prefabricated and can be specified with a variety of materials and configurations. Aluminum tongue-and-groove extrusions frame each inset panel, allowing for multiple configurations. Materials range...

Movin' on down. (Vertical Transportation).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Elevator requires no machine room; instead, the mechanism is at the top of the shaft. It is lightweight, flexible and made from polyurethane steel belts which make it energy-efficient, as much as 50 percent more than a conventional geared...

Naturally speaking. (Miscellaneous).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Textures in the Bhatan Collection carpet line from Karastan Contract mimic the weave of sisal. A tight herringbone weave and a traditional diagonal sisal block are engineered for high-traffic applications, such as retail, public spaces,...

Stony look. (Miscellaneous).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Formed from volcanic perlite, fireproof Eurostone acoustical ceiling system is unaffected by water, high humidity and infectious bacterial agents. Offered in 19 patterns, it is suitable for educational, health-care, hospitality, corporate and...

Glazed porcelain. (Miscellaneous).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A glazed porcelain floor tile, Monument, is available in four hues and a variety of sizes and styles. Laufen. Reader Service No. 265

Let there be light. (Miscellaneous).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Designers can specify color, translucence, size and shape of Lightblocks, in acrylic or polycarbonate. They have been specified for floors as well as for partitions, doors, walls and ceilings, retail displays, light fixtures, signs and...

New use for nylon. (Miscellaneous).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A durable carpet and hard-surface flooring hybrid offers slip-resistance and sound-muffling properties. The manufacturer says Metafloor is 29 percent less expensive to maintain than regular carpeting and 49 percent less expensive than...

835 Market St.: San Francisco. (Project Chronicles).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... For more than a century, the Emporium department store has stood strong in the heart of San Francisco's retail district. Constructed in 1896, the structure was destroyed during the 1906 earthquake that obliterated most of San Francisco. Only a...

Tacoma Convention Center: Tacoma, Wash. (Chronicles update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... As the schematic design of the convention center is finalized, Michael Johncock, project manager with design architect MulvannyG2, Bellevue, Wash., says the design team is now able to focus on, among other things, the proposed 400-ft.-tall...

Union Pacific Center: Omaha, Neb. (Chronicles update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Design development of this 19-story, $260 million headquarters for Union Pacific Corp. is under way. One of the issues the design team is dealing with is enhanced security design following the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City and at the...