Building Design & Construction articles from February 2004

Building Design & Construction archives from February 2004

How to win your next contract.(Editorial)
February 1, 2004... Think back to the last contract your firm didn't win. Can you put your finger on why you lost? Did you bid too high? Not enough experience? Politics? Wrong bow tie? Tacky blouse? The real answer may be found in "The Inside Scoop: Proposals...

Freedom Tower design raises cables to new heights.(News & Trends)
February 1, 2004... Cables will be a prominent feature of the building that is to be constructed on the World Trade Center site in New York City. Freedom Tower will mark the first use at the top of a high-rise building of cables that function in a manner similar...

ADD Inc.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... The principals of Cambridge, Mass.-based architect ADD Inc. have named Frederick Kramer president-elect.

Boston-based architect Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott has elected Carole C. Wedge president.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... Boston-based architect Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott has elected Carole C. Wedge president. Wedge succeeds Oliver W. Egleston.

San Francisco-based engineer/architect URS Corp. has added consultant Trkla, Pettigrew, Allen & Payne, Chicago.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... San Francisco-based engineer/architect URS Corp. has added consultant Trkla, Pettigrew, Allen & Payne, Chicago, to its planning and development practice, now numbering 50+ professionals.

Baird Capital Partners and Lubar & Co., both of Milwaukee, have jointly purchased Madison, Wis.-based Marshall Erdman & Associates.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... Baird Capital Partners and Lubar & Co., both of Milwaukee, have jointly purchased Madison, Wis.-based Marshall Erdman & Associates, a 500-employee healthcare design-build firm.

Emcor Facilities Services.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... William A. Rodgers, Jr., has been named president and CEO of Emcor Facilities Services, an Arlington, Va.-based subsidiary of M/E contractor Emcor Group Inc., Norwalk, Conn.

Atkinson Construction.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... Atkinson Construction, Lakewood, Colo., a subsidiary of Clark Construction Group, Bethesda, Md., has named Scott Lynn president and CEO. Lynn was formerly president and CEO of HBG Contractors, Longmont, Colo.

Taylor & Associates Architects.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... Taylor & Associates Architects, Newport Beach, Calif., has named Randy Regier president.

Schapiro Associates, Miami, and PGAL, Alexandria, Va., have formed a strategic alliance.(People/firms)
February 1, 2004... Schapiro Associates, Miami, and PGAL, Alexandria, Va., have formed a strategic alliance to pursue multifamily projects in the Southeast, the Caribbean, and South America.

USGBC trade association policy.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I am writing to correct a misconception published in your White Paper concerning USGBC's Industry Trade Association Policy. Your report states: "The USGBC should reconsider the admission of trade associations." Trade associations have...

'Break down the walls'.(Letters)
February 1, 2004... On the "57 Great Ideas" (BD&C, 1/04), I have long felt that our industry has been short on the "Big Idea." Sadly, very little has changed in the past two thousand years in the world of building construction. We have been woefully behind when...

Letter writers missed the point.(Letters)
February 1, 2004... Messrs. Rumler and Heptig (Letters, 1/04) have clearly missed the point of the piece (Editorial, 12/03), which was simply to bring to our attention a potentially unexpected set of circumstances that could affect any of our work. The fact that...

Is it real, or is it memorex?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... We're wondering if the scene on the cover (BD&C, 01/04) is a computer model or a photograph or a combination of the two. Steve Lyons Moseley Architects The editor replies: We wondered the same thing, so before we published the...

Sustained growth ahead for commercial sector.(Industry Data)
February 1, 2004... When the economy went south in 2001, it took the commercial sector along for the ride. Signs of life began to appear last summer as the commercial construction spending jumped 5%, only to ease to about 2% during the fall. The lull will be...

Education spending held back a year.(Industry Data)
February 1, 2004... Post-recession government belt tightening and reduced donations and several years of investment fund losses on the private side have held the education market at a $71 billion annual pace for a year and no significant change is expected until...

Cost comparison per square foot in select metro markets.(Industry Data)
February 1, 2004... Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets Office, 2-4 story Office, 5-10 story '04 '03 % chg. '04 '03 % chg. Atlanta 101.41 98.78 2.7 ...

Right on the money: an owner's comprehensive statement of goals keeps a complicated Federal Reserve Bank headquarters project right on target.
February 1, 2004... The Building Team for the new Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta credits a two-page document with being one of the most helpful tools used to successfully deliver such a complicated structure. "This was probably the first time that a client...

Ultra-tech hospitals: fast-paced breakthroughs in medical technology are forcing Building Teams to design and construct hospitals for today, but with an eye to the future.(Health Care Facilities)
February 1, 2004... Healthcare's ultra-tech revolution, once stalled by government regulations, approvals processes, and institutional roadblocks, is propelling the healthcare field into a new era, one requiring more rigorous and thoughtful planning and...

Shaping a new organization: the physical design of a small rural replacement hospital prompts its owner to streamline operations to serve patients more effectively.(Healthcare Facilities)
February 1, 2004... Valley View Medical Center, a small rural hospital in the fast-growing southwestern corner of Utah, exemplifies what Winston Churchill meant when he said of the built environment, "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." Valley...

Intermodal infusion: new distribution patterns and a quest for operational efficiency are fueling demand for warehouse facilities.(Warehouses)
February 1, 2004... Increased trade with Asia--primarily with China--is altering traditional shipping patterns and making Southern California a hotbed of warehouse construction activity for "intermodal" facilities. These logistics centers utilize more than one...

Metal with pizzazz: solar reflective coatings, custom colors, and the use of precious metals highlight the latest stylings in metal roofs, especially in the steep slope market.(Roofing Trends)
February 1, 2004... "Audacious curves." "Cool coatings." "Vibrant colors." These are not phrases typically attributed to metal roofs. But they represent a new look to an industry that is still perceived by many in design and construction to be as Plain Jane...

Flex formation: insulated concrete forms are giving Building Teams energy-efficient options for wall systems in schools, dorms, warehouses, and other applications.(Concrete Forms)
February 1, 2004... Insulated concrete forms, developed in the mid-1960s as a method for forming more energy-efficient concrete foundation walls for the residential market, are gaining acceptance as a viable alternative to light-gauge steel frame, wood frame,...

Make way for the lawyers!(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... We are having a contest among building and accessibility inspectors to see who can cite the most code violations in the portion of the stairway/ramp shown in your photograph (BD&C, 1/04-, p. 20). I suspect that IIT is already working on some...

Is Rem Koolhaas a danger?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Mr. Brunett's letter (BD&C, 01/04) was exactly on point. My partner and I have enjoyed a fair amount of experience in designing public buildings. When I read the story ("Koolhaas Encounters Mies," BD&C, 12/03), I was staggered by the audacity...

Clarifications.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2004... Department of Geography: The Emmet County Pellston Regional Airport featured in "57 Great Ideas" in our January issue (p. 29) is in Pellston, not Petoskey. Neither city is in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Thanks to Beverly McCready of Northwoods...

Three thoughts on abortion-clinic boycott.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Three thoughts did cross my mind as I read your editorial (BD&C, 12/03). first, I found it interesting that a national magazine would seem to oppose the exercise of "free speech." I saw no evidence in your editorial the opposition conveyed...

Astounding possibilities.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I am a developer of affordable housing in New York. I read with interest the editorial about the construction boycott of the Planned Parenthood clinic in Austin. This is reminiscent of the Montgomery bus boycott, which was called worse...

Stroke of the club.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... The Mystic Dunes Gold Club at the Palms Resort and Country Club in Kissimmee, Fla., is topped with 19,000 sf of 24-gauge galvanized steel Snap-On Panels in burgundy and colonial red. The design of the clubhouse was intended to "simulate, in...

Close encounter of The sticky kind.(Roofing)
February 1, 2004... Self-adhered roofing underlayment for premium roof leak protection sits between the shingles and roof deck. Seals around nails, will not crack, dry, or rot. The Ice and Water Shield is made of a rubberized asphalt adhesive backed by a layer of...

Roof with wings.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... Hazel Park (Mich.) Junior High School was designed with four separate wings, each dedicated to a subject area. Because of the building's odd shape and Michigan's winters, two roofing systems were installed, says Chris Thornson, project manager...

Cap on education.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... The Delphi Academy Los Angeles in Southern California's San Fernando Valley built its main building, which houses classrooms, administrative offices, and a library, with a 22,500-sf standing seam metal roof in a weathered copper finish. The...

Hurricane buster.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... Boca Raton (Fla.) High School's age-old building needed a new 200,O00-sf roof that could withstand 150-mph winds, since the school doubles as a hurricane shelter. White Elvaloy-based single-ply roofing membrane was used to reflect the sun's...

Snack on energy.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... The Frito-Lay distribution facility in Los Angeles needed a new roof. Not just any roof, but one that would make the facility more energy efficient in light of the California electrical blackouts, brownouts, and record energy bills. Frito-Lay...

Stitch up.(Products)
February 1, 2004... Carbon-fiber grid stitches repair the cracks in concrete in minutes without the risk of future rusting. The stitches are applied across the face of the crack and then distributed away from the glue line to the portion of the substrate that is...

Pour it on!(Products)
February 1, 2004... Wall system designed to create poured-in-place insulated concrete walls without requiring disposable form panels, special foam, or additional hardware expense. The Comfort Wall System contains T-stud and a corner piece, allowing contractors to...

Quick-drying touch up.(Products)
February 1, 2004... SikaQuick 1000 mortar is a one-component, quick-hardening cementitious patching material for parking-structure repairs. Freeze/thaw resistant, not gypsum-based, specially suited for hot-weather applications when extended working time is...

Concrete protection.(Products)
February 1, 2004... Galvanic coating is easily applied by spray, brush, or roller. Zinc-rich urethane coating GalvaCorr is electronically connected to the rebar and utilizes special additives to promote electrical flow to retard corrosion. Used to treat balconies,...

Stuck on you.(Products)
February 1, 2004... Construction-grade epoxy adhesive used to bond fresh concrete to fresh or old concrete and metals to hardened concrete is moisture and chemical resistant. Rezi-Weld 1000 is mixed with sand or aggregates, and therefore may be used to patch...

Tilt-up sealant.(Concrete)
February 1, 2004... Weatherproofing sealant for tilt-up concrete construction is a one-part, moisture-cure, low-modulus 100% silicone joint sealant that provides watertight seals, especially in building joints that experience extreme movement. The Tilt-Up...

Precast stands up.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... The North Carolina Department of Corrections built three new, 1,000-cell, high-security prisons in less than 24 months by using a modular methodology, in which the precast modular cells, control rooms, and administrative offices were built off...

United metal products' Chil-Pak[R] package central plant.(literature digest)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... The Chil Pak[R] is a true "Plug and Play" for applications from 150 to 540 tons. The Chil Pak[R] brings all tile variables associated with the engineering and construction of 0a typical central plant into an energy and space efficient cabinet....

Fire-fighting dryers.(literature digest)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Milnor has added a Fire Suppression System (FSS) to its line of small dryers, raising washroom safety to a new standard. With FSS, an advanced sensor within the dryer can detect high heat or fire conditions. The sensor activates a water jet...

Waterproof membranes under ceramic tile.(literature digest)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Protect tile jobs in showers, shower vestibules and kitchens against water, moisture migration and substrate cracks. Use COMPOSEAL BLUE Shower Pan under full mortar bed: transition to COMPOSEAL GOLD 40 rail direct bond membrane in vestibules...

Custom made--folding and roll-up doors.(literature digest)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Woodfold's accordion and roll-up doors serve multiple functions. Each is custom made to exactly fit your finished owning. Our accordion folding doors are offered in a variety of Series suitable for sight, acoustic, or security applications. Our...

Architectural metals.(literature digest)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Campbellsville Industries specializes in the design and fabrication of architectural metals. Fabrication processes include forming, casting, and spinning. We work closely with architects, and are recognized by historical preservation groups...

Clear solutions for fire rated glazing.(literature digest)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Vetrotech Saint-Gobain is pleased to offer a new generation of the and impact safety rated wire free products. From Pyroswiss Extra, to the Keralite family of clear glass ceramics, to the new Swiss flam-N2 line of products that resists fire....

Protect the walls.(Miscellaneous)
February 1, 2004... Abuse-resistant interior wall panel offers protection from moisture and mold and is engineered to resist abuse while outperforming paper-faced or glass-mat-faced panels. Fiberock Aqua-Tough Interior Panels provide water resistance to the core;...

Dried up.(Miscellaneous)
February 1, 2004... Automatic hand dryers are the only surface-mounted hand dryers to comply with the ADA's 4-inch protrusion requirement. The dryers feature either a die-cast zinc or stamped-steel cover and come with a minimal two-year warranty. Nova Hand...

Essential Reference for Wood Construction.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Wood Construction Connectors 2004 incorporates all Simpson connectors, including engineered wood, plated truss and engineered shearwalls. This comprehensive wood connector reference for architects, structural engineers and building officials...

In everyday life ... commercial vinyl flooring environmental profile.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... New brochure presents the most recent and reliable scientific data about the health and safety aspects of commercial flooring products containing vinyl, such as resilient flooring and carpet backing. In an easy-to-follow Q&A format, the...

University clad.(Products at work)
February 1, 2004... To blend its 1960s exterior with an adjacent precast building, the University of Arkansas Science and Engineering building was clad in Formawall Dimension Series panels with Duracast finish system, an acrylic coating containing natural...

CAREA architectural stone composite panels.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... CAREA architectural panels are made of "stone composite", a natural mineral based material that provides the best of all worlds. Strong yet relatively light, modern yet natural looking, they deliver maximum durability with minimal maintenance....

3-Ply, double seal fabric roll-up door.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... TruSeal[TM] by Chase Doors is an exciting, affordable, new alternative to Rolling Steel Doors, Sectional Overhead Doors or mis-applied High-Speed Doors. The heart of the TruSeal Door is a patented curtain sealing system, which provides...