Building Design & Construction articles from June 2008

Building Design & Construction archives from June 2008

Switching to BIM?(Building Information Modeling)
June 1, 2008... By Jeff Yoders, Senior Associate Editor User groups can help smooth the transition. In Nebraska BIM users share tricks of the trade at RUGON. In Kansas City they discuss Revit at KCrevit. In Toronto ArchiCAD East users gather at ACE....

Naturally Cool Enclosure.
June 1, 2008... By Dave Barista, Managing Editor Loyola University Chicago's new glass-clad digital library demonstrates that passive climate control using natural ventilation can be achieved, even in harsh environments like the Windy City's. It's...

Thornton Tomasetti joins Pelli and Hines on $1B Transbay Transit Center.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff The Los Angeles and New York offices of structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti will join the team of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects of New Haven, Conn., and Houston-based Hines in the design and development of the new Transbay Transit...

RNL designs new $192 million office tower in Denver.
June 1, 2008... Staff Construction recently began on one of downtown Denver's largest multistory high-rise office towers, a 22-story mixed-use tower that will offer 500,000 sf of Class AA office space. Designed by RNL of Denver and being built by MA...

New learning center at $100 million Purdue University tech park.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Discovery Learning Center--a $17.5 million, 90,000-sf facility where researchers will explore new approaches to teaching and learning science, technology, engineering, and math--is planned for the campus of Purdue University in West...

Massive office park in Pune, India.
June 1, 2008... Staff Sahyadri Park, a 2.5 million-sf development center in Pune, India, recently broke ground for Tata Consultancy Services, a leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing organization. Perkins+Will Los Angeles, along with...

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital to stay open during renovations.(Suffolk Construction Company Inc.)(Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Suffolk Construction of Boston has begun work on a $30 million expansion to the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham, Mass. The 44,000-sf addition is the hospital's largest facility improvement project in 30 years. The team will...

Nature center coming to suburban Chicago.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Earth Day 2008--April 22--was the occasion for groundbreaking on the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, Ill. The 7,000-sf facility will house two early education classrooms, two multi-use rooms, staff offices, and interpretive...

Atlanta seminary goes green with residence hall.(Lord, Aeck and Sargent Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff A $9.6 million, four-story, 34,000-sf residence hall at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. The site orientation, design strategies, and materials being used will help the building achieve 50% less energy use than a...

University of North Florida to get new education building.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Ground has been broken on the $27 million College of Education and Human Services Building at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville. The three-story, 98,000-sf building will house classrooms, teaching labs, faculty offices,...

New office tower in downtown Seattle will save historic neighbors.
June 1, 2008... Staff Zimmer Gunsul Frasca of Portland, Ore, has been selected to design the Fifth and Columbia office tower in the heart of Seattle's financial district. Developed by Daniels Development, the 43-story, 760,000-sf tower will be the city's...

Designing citiesthat meet elderly women's needs.
June 1, 2008... Robert Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief As an AARP-card-carrying baby boomer, my thoughts these days turn ever more frequently to the concerns of older Americans: the viability of Social Security and Medicare, the soaring cost of healthcare, and...

Super-tough glass replacement.(Sheffield Plastics Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Polycarbonate sheet is lighter than glass and has good insulation properties, making it a practical and cost-effective alternative to glass for architectural and security applications. Featuring a 15-year warranty covering breakage,...

Glass on acid.
June 1, 2008... Staff PPG Industries and Walker Glass Co. have formed a marketing alliance to jointly market the Walker Textures line of acid-etched glass and mirrors with Starphire ultra-clear glass from PPG. Acid-etched, or frosted, glass is created...

Double-duty air/vapor barrier.(Hohmann and Bernard of Illinois L.L.C.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Air and vapor barrier system enables dual usage as both a permeable and a nonpermeable air/vapor barrier system. Textroflash Liquid can be exposed to UV for up to 145 days, much longer than other products, according to the maker....

UL-listed flexible fire sprinkler connections.(Underwriters Laboratories )(FlexHead Industries's products )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Underwriters Laboratories has announced that all flexible fire sprinkler connection products from FlexHead Industries are now listed under the new standard UL 2443 Flexible Sprinkler Hose with Fittings for Fire Protection Service. As...

LEDs replace fluorescent tubes.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Light emitting diode tubes are designed to replace standard T-8 and T-12 fluorescent tubes without modifications to the fixtures or ballasts. Simply remove the existing fluorescent tube and drop in the mercury-free Ilumisys MK1 LED...

Metal wall mimics stucco.(Metl-Span)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Insulated metal wall panel features a heavy embossed metal, stucco texture that mimics the look of masonry stucco finish. The Santa Fe panel has a flat profile, 42-inch module width, and comes in four thicknesses: 2, 2½, 3,...

Dome roof light.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Designed for domed roof light applications, Acrylite Heatstop acrylic sheet is manufactured with infrared-reflecting polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) that reflects a large portion of incident solar radiation to limit the amount of heat...

Novel Glass Technologies.
June 1, 2008... By C.C. Sullivan and Barbara Horwitz-Bennett Tried and True Building Approaches Along with lighting and MEP systems, glass technology represents one of the most dynamic areas of technological change in building design. Driving these...

Office work steady, to expand in '09.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Jim Haughey, BD+C Economist The value of office starts in 2008 is holding steady, according to Reed Construction Data. While the level of starts in the first quarter of 2008 is 24% below the brief 30% jump in starts in winter 2007,...

Healthcare construction spending temporarily drops.
June 1, 2008... By Jim Haughey, BD+C Economist Healthcare construction spending declined about 3% during the first quarter of 2008, following a 32% increase during the previous two years. Reed Construction Data attributes the decline to a drop in project...

RSMeans costs comparisons.
June 1, 2008... By Jim Haughey, BD+C Economist [TABLE OMITTED]

Software for the digital clipboard.
June 1, 2008... By Matthew Phair, Contributing Editor Like nearly every other industry, construction has benefited greatly from the development of personal computers. But unlike many industries, much of what constitutes construction is field-based. And...

Joint-Use Facilities Where Everybody Benefits.
June 1, 2008... By Jay W. Schneider, Senior Editor Today's most innovative schools are more than just schools--they're 21st-century community centers where students and the public share precious education, recreation, and social spaces. Shouldn't...

New Products from NEOCON.
June 1, 2008... Staff Training table folds under pressure Reconfigurable training tables offer hundreds of setup combinations, along with built-in power/data modules and easy mobility, to adapt to the differing needs of higher education and corporate...

Pharmaceutical research facility certified green by GBI.(Green Building Initiative)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's Wallingford, Conn., research facility was recently recognized by the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for assessing the energy-efficient and high-performance sustainability practices at the facility...

Neuroscience center opens at Baltimore hospital.(LifeBridge Health Brain & Spine Institute )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff LifeBridge Health Brain & Spine Institute recently opened at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. The $5.4 million, 26,700-sf neuroscience inpatient facility offers a full range of services for brain, spine, and peripheral nervous system...

Gensler designs outfitter REI's prototype green store.(Recreational Equipment Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff The new Gensler-designed prototype store for outdoor and adventure sports clothing and equipment retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) was designed to serve as a working laboratory to analyze the performance of green building...

Stanford White's Rouse Hall preserved at University of Virginia.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff The University of Virginia in Charlottesville recently dedicated the Rouss and Robertson Halls, a 138,000-sf construction and renovation project designed by Hartman-Cox Architects of Washington, D.C., and built by Gilbane...

New LEED Gold residence hall at Harvard.(Elkus Manfredi Architecture)(Harvard University)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Elkus Manfredi Architecture's design for Harvard University's first LEED Gold residence facility was recently completed on its Cambridge, Mass., campus. The six-story building, with 141 apartments and 190 below-grade parking spaces...

First LEED double-Platinum project completed.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff LEED Platinum certification for both core and shell (CS) and commercial interiors (CI) has been bestowed on the Christman Building in Lansing, Mich., making it the first "double Platinum" building in the U.S. Green Building Council's...

Newseum media museum opens in D.C.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Turner Construction has completed the $450 million Newseum, an interactive museum of news and journalism on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, New York, the Newseum is three times as...

AIA introduces both 'transitional' IPD and single-purpose entity contract documents.(American Institute of Architects)
June 1, 2008... Jeff Yoders, Senior Associate Editor The American Institute of Architects introduced new contract documents at the 2008 AIA show in Boston to address the growing demand for integrated project delivery from building owners, architects, and...

News Briefs.
June 1, 2008... Staff - Chicago Spire takes its show on the road to win over international buyers. Shelbourne Development, the developer of the Chicago Spire is almost midway through an elaborate international road show, hoping to import buyers for what...

Calgary's new water-friendly Water Centre flush with gold.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Jay W. Schneider, Senior Editor The city of Calgary's new $43 million Water Centre office building, which houses the city's water services and water resources business units, is the first office project in Alberta to earn LEED Gold. This...

McCourt brothers to spend $500 million to green Dodger Stadium.(Jaime McCourt)(Frank McCourt)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Jeff Yoders, Senior Associate Editor Los Angeles Dodgers owners Frank and Jaime McCourt recently unveiled designs for a complete renovation and addition at historic Dodger Stadium. The $500 million plan by architecture and urban planning...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... Staff 'Misleading article' places too much blame on architect I am writing to express my disappointment with BD+C for giving "top headline" status to a poorly written and misleading article in the Palo Alto Daily News (BD+C Weekly...

Amid safety concerns, school replaces wired glass.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff For decades, traditional wired glass was perceived as a safe product because the embedded wire gave the impression that it was strong. In reality, wired glass is weaker than annealed glass. When broken, the prickly wires and shards...

Landmark wheel plant gets a facelift with historic replacement windows.(Albert Kahn Associates Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff When owner/developer H-Inc. decided to convert the historic 325,000-sf W.K. Prudden Co. motor wheel manufacturing plant in Lansing, Mich., into loft apartments, the company knew fixing the building's drafty, inefficient exterior...

Ceiling tiles solve acoustical issues at UMass children's fitness center in Boston.
June 1, 2008... Staff When the University of Massachusetts, Boston, administration planned for the construction of Go-Kids Boston, a new children's health and fitness center to be built inside the campus's Quinn Administration Building, they knew acoustic...

Energy-efficient glazing helps green San Francisco hotel.
June 1, 2008... Staff Thanks in part to Wausau Window and Wall Systems, the 55,255-sf Orchard Garden hotel in San Francisco is the first hotel in California to be certified under the LEED green building rating system. Wausau worked closely with the...

Twin Lakes Elementary first school in U.S. to use electronically tintable glass.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Located in Minnesota's Elk River Area School District, the $19 million, LEED-Silver Twin Lakes (Minn.) Elementary School bears little resemblance to other schools in the district. Among the school's unusual features are...

Swisspearl fiber cement façade panels.
June 1, 2008... Staff Swisspearl fiber cement façade panels are designed specifically for rainscreen cladding applications with rear ventilation, and can be used with aluminum, steel, and wood sub-frames. Manufactured in Switzerland, the panels are...

'Assembling a new landscape of experiences'.
June 1, 2008... Staff David Adjaye , Hon. AIA, OBE, principal director of London's Adjaye/Associates, was born in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, in 1966, the son of a Ghanaian diplomat. Adjaye grew up in London, where he trained at David Chipperfield Architects...