Building Design & Construction articles from January 2004

Building Design & Construction archives from January 2004

Ciardullo.(On Design-Build)
January 1, 2004... ROOTS What's interesting, having gone to engineering school and worked as an engineer, is the point of view l gained as an architect about design-build. Usually, design-build puts architects and professionals in what appears to be initially a...

Decent housing for our military.(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Our report on military construction (see page 50) brought back some bittersweet memories. In the summer of 1955, my mother took me on my first trip beyond the Hudson River. We were on our way from New York to Washington, D.C., and--what...

Postal facility reopens after anthrax remediation.(News & Trends)
January 1, 2004... Postal workers returned last month to a mail processing facility in northeast Washington, D.C., that was the site of the largest anthrax remediation project in the U.S. The 17.5 million cubic ft. building had been closed since Oct. 21,...

Denver-based engineer-constructor CH2M Hill has acquired Spartanburg, S.C.-based engineer/constructor Lockwood Greene for $95.5 million.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Denver-based engineer-constructor CH2M Hill has acquired Spartanburg, S.C.-based engineer/constructor Lockwood Greene for $95.5 million. Lockwood Greene, formerly a subsidiary of Charlotte, N.C:-based J.A. Jones Construction Co., was one of the...

Irvine, Calif.-based builder/developer Snyder Langston has acquired DMK Inc., Tustin, Calif., a general contractor and construction manager.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Irvine, Calif.-based builder/developer Snyder Langston has acquired DMK Inc., Tustin, Calif., a general contractor and construction manager. The new entity is named Snyder Langston Optym.

CLJ Engineering.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Alan Traugott, previously with mechanical engineer Flack+Kurtz, New York, N.Y., has joined CU Engineering in Moon Township, Pa., as a principal. Traugott is a member of this publication's Editorial Advisory Board.

TRO/The Ritchie Organization.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Keith Davis has joined architect TRO/The Ritchie Organization as vice president and principal of its Boston office.

The Walsh Group.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Chicago-based general contractor The Walsh Group has appointed Denny Watts as regional manager of its Pacific Division, based in Seattle.

A/E HKS, Inc.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Dallas-based A/E HKS, Inc., has opened an office in Washington, D.C.

Batson-Cook.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Contractor Batson-Cook, Atlanta, has named Robert Douma SVP/GM of its headquarters office.

Alvin H. Butz, Inc., a CM headquartered in Allentown, Pa., has acquired R.M. Shoemaker Construction Co., Philadelphia, and Alexander Building Construction, Harrisburg.(People/firms)
January 1, 2004... Alvin H. Butz, Inc., a CM headquartered in Allentown, Pa., has acquired R.M. Shoemaker Construction Co., Philadelphia, and Alexander Building Construction, Harrisburg. Employees of the two acquired firms will join Butz.

'Horrendous example'.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Re: the McCormick Tribune Campus (BD&C, 12/03), I am appalled that such a flagrantly horrendous example of the built code environment would be featured in your magazine. This is the most egregious example of noncompliant stair and ramp...

Next boycott?(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Recently, in Austin, anti-growth activists have pressured the city into instituting a moratorium on construction of large retail buildings and forced "big-box" retailers into not building in the city. I would expect your 12/03 editorial to...

Deciding money vs. principle.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I normally look forward to BD&C editorials. However, you missed an opportunity to have a real discussion about ethics in your recent editorial. What if someone came to your firm and asked to have a museum built to honor Saddam Hussein. It is...

Reliance on sprinklers a mistake.(Guest commentary)
January 1, 2004... Many building codes, which establish fire safety standards for public and private buildings, are based upon the mistaken assumption that sprinklers virtually never fail and that fire-resistant construction materials can, therefore, be minimized...

Unfair to Muslims.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... It's unfair of you to compare the building of a mosque to the building of an abortion clinic. The building of a mosque, a place for Muslims who practice Islam, to worship God, is in no way comparable to the building of an abortion clinic,...

How far to compromise.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Mr. Danze's actions certainly do raise questions about what we are willing to do to make money, what compromises we are willing to make, and how fat we will go in rationalizing our efforts or looking the other way while atrocities take place....

Stick to the knitting, please.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Your editorial was in very bad taste. Stick to building design and construction issues. Stephen W. Heptig, AIA Heptig Architects Spring, Texas

Pricey accommodations.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... That must be some facility at $620 per SF ($6.2 million & 10,000 SF)! Edgar L. Rapp, AIA E. Lynn App Architects Inc. Englewood, Ohio

Making a statement.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... I believe businesses should take an active part in anything that affects our society, even the controversial items. We've had enough of being politically correct and keeping our personal views quiet because it's not the business thing to do....

Construction employment dipped in October.(Industry Data)
January 1, 2004... Contractors employed 6,856,000 workers throughout the construction industry in November, adding 10,000 people; the ninth consecutive monthly gain and a record high for employment. Nonresidential construction employment has lagged, however, with...

Manufacturing begins slow turnaround.(Industry Data)
January 1, 2004... Available manufacturing space inched up 0.1% to 11.7% in the third quarter of 2003, according to a CB Richard Ellis survey, but this is likely the peak vacancy rate as the manufacturing sector begins to rebound. Factory production has been...

Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets.(Industry Data)
January 1, 2004... Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets Parking garage Underground parking '04 '03 % chg. '04 '03 % chg. Atlanta 30.00 29.79 0.7 46.69...

Whose duty is the schedule?(Legal Insights)
January 1, 2004... Profitability on any construction project is determined in part by the schedule. To a certain extent, general contractors are dependent upon owners to schedule and coordinate their work; but subcontractors, to an even greater extent, rely upon...

Two initiatives for document portability.(Information Technology)
January 1, 2004... A decade ago, still in the relatively early days of computing before the flowering of the Web, the ever-growing number of file formats was driving AEC users nearly mad. Everyone was looking for something that would distill all the data into a...

Silver spring restores its heart.(Urban Revitalization)
January 1, 2004... Catalysts for downtown Silver Spring's revival--the headquarters of Discovery Communications and the refurbished AFI Silver Theater--are separated by only half a black. Spinoff development includes a new office building that is under...

The essence of Discovery: the new headquarters of a diversified media firm boldly projects the company's dynamic image.(Urban Revitalization)
January 1, 2004... The communication of ideas is the lifeblood of Discovery Communications, a media company best known for its Discovery Channel television network. Not surprisingly, the company warned One Discovery Place, its new headquarters in Silver Spring,...

Visual arts showcase: this rejuvenated Art Deco theater can show vintage movies--or broadcast the most up-to-date high-tech presentations worldwide.(Urban Revitalization)
January 1, 2004... After a run of nearly 50 years, the Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Md., shut its doors in 1986. It remained vacant until last April, when it reopened as the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center, following an ambitious restoration and...

Great ideas: proven innovations you can implement right now!
January 1, 2004... Two-for-one financial security 1 Philips CSI, a European maker of security cameras, needed a state-of-the-art high-tech facility in the U.S. but didn't want to own it. Greenfield Architects, Ltd., Lancaster, Pa., designed a bifurcated...

At ease: the service branches are redefining housing concepts for unaccompanied personnel, as they seek to enhance quality of life in the military.(Military Construction)
January 1, 2004... Close up, amid saplings and green lawns in a courtyard enclosed by brick and vinyl-sided townhouses, you'd think you were viewing another cookie-cutter housing development anywhere in Suburbia, USA. Zoom back, though, and you'll see that you're...

Shatter-proof: blast-resistant glazing comes to the forefront of security design as Building Teams look to create secure, yet open, environments.(Window Security)
January 1, 2004... When a truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building the morning of April 19, 1995, hundreds of people were either killed or injured by flying or falling glass shards. The majority of the 168 deaths were linked to the...

Slanted learning.(Products at work)
January 1, 2004... The new West Campus building of the Des Moines Area Community College was designed by locally based Renaissance Design Group with an outward-slanting curtainwall face and required sliding doors that could also operate at the same 12-degree...

Dual protection.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... More than 4,800 windows in the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland have been retrofitted with an interior insulating add-on window product to increase energy efficiency. The new interior insulating units, an alternative to total...

Clearing the path.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Emergency response overhead door protects the corridors of schools, hospitals, and other public buildings with a special anti-lift device. In case of emergency, the motorized CrossingGard lifts to automatically clear the path and allow for...

Wood look, steel body.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... A panel detail lends an authentic wood appearance to an exterior steel door with 24-gauge steel skin. The Contours door is available in either a wood- or steel-edge construction for enhanced security and fire-rated protection. Wood-edge doors...

Blind integration.(Products at work)
January 1, 2004... The University of Wisconsin's Marshfield, Wis., campus recently constructed a single-story, 7,500-sf facility to link the campus' fine arts building to its science building. The connector facility houses classrooms with Variable Privacy Doors,...

Sturdy entry.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Entrance system for high-traffic areas in schools, hospitals, and other public buildings has welded corners with shear block and bolt construction. The system is monumental grade with 3/16-in. wall thickness and a door depth of 2 inches for...

New life.(Products at work)
January 1, 2004... The long-empty General Office Building for the N&W Railroad in Roanoke, Va., was donated to Virginia Tech University, which brought the building back to life as The Roanoke Higher Education Center. Echols-Sparger Architects, Roanoke, identified...

Between the glass.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Casement window line offers a variety of between-the-glass options, including blinds, shades, and grilles. By sandwiching these window fashions between the glass panes, it protects them from dust and damage. Tilt-only and standard raise-lower...

Light prism.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Glass block, which provides a 60-minute fire rating in a window assembly, is graffiti-resistant and protects against natural weather-related elements. The Thickset 60 is available in a variety of visibilities from clear to privacy, while still...

Complete set.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Door hardware system includes lever sets, hinges, door closers, and exit devices offer a lifetime mechanical warranty. The Independence system's Grade 1 and Grade 2 lever sets have standard free-wheeling clutches and are packaged with standard...

Framed to fit.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Decorative glass frame eliminates screw holes and plugs and is available in half-door and half-sidelight sizes. The frame has a watertight compression seal, better paint adhesion, and a stronger resistance to yellowing, says the manufacturer....

Weather the storm.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Designed to meet the country's most stringent building codes for impact resistance, StormPlus windows combine the ability to withstand impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms with energy efficiency and high-performance characteristics. ...

Inside and out.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Line of exit devices features a double cylinder that allows allows locking from either the inside or outside, eliminating the chance of exposure to outside threat. The 7100 series line of exit devices is ideal for school applications. Yale...

Abuse-resistant lever.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Exit device features a breakaway lever trim that partly detaches and swings down into the 90-degree "down" position when excessive force is applied, thereby discouraging further vandalism and abuse. Von Duprin series 98/99 exit devices easily...

Classroom leverage.(Windows & Doors)
January 1, 2004... Cylindrical lever sets for today's classroom come with a clutch system, superstrength retractor, long-life lever support springs, and a life test of over 1 million cycles. The F90 and F92 Function Locksets latch by lever either on inside or...