Building Design & Construction articles from March 2003

Building Design & Construction archives from March 2003

Soldier field and calatrava. (Letters).(Chicago's Soldier Field; Calatrava's Milwaukee Art Museum)
March 1, 2003... It is refreshing to read such passionate responses to current projects as your editorial on Chicago's Soldier Field and the cover story on Calatrava's Milwaukee Art Museum addition [BD&C, December, p. 5, p. 32]. Yet, such emotion begs the...

Accurate estimate. (Letters).(contractor discusses difficulties planning the cost of a construction project)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Boy, did your article on estimating [BD&C, January, p. 13] hit home with me. I thought that I was reading a story about the past 25 years of my life! During 10 years of working for one of the Northeast's largest drywall/acoustical...

Electric glass provides solution to west-facing window dilemma. (Letters).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Your article on "switchable glass" [BD&C February, p. 71] is very interesting. It is good to know that there are at least three manufacturers in business to produce this technology. I met with representatives of Sage Electrochromics Inc....

It's all happening at the zoo. (Letters).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... I Just read the February Computer Applications article by Tomas Hernandez Jr. [BD&C, February, p. 29] We are an architectural firm that does design work for Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb. The zoo has used fly-throughs for their last four...

Good news and bad news. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... I read with interest your news story "Flag-waving aside, USGBC looks to make a business case for green" [BD&C, December, p. 8]. The good news is that the U.S. Green Building Council is undertaking an investigation into making green--including...

BD&C to host education seminar at AIA Expo in San Diego. (Letters).(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... The vision of a new commercial, institutional, or industrial structure can only be realized through the efforts of the whole Building Team--architects, owners, contractors, and engineers. This concept will be the focus of a new Building Design...

How buildings really get built. (Editorial).(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... Who decides how a building gets designed and built? The architect? The owner? The contractor? There are those who declare the owner to be all-powerful. After all, who's paying the bill? Others believe that only the architect can be...

The soldier field debate (continued). (Your Turn).
March 1, 2003... In recent issues, these pages have been home to a lively debate over the renovation of Soldier Field in Chicago. Last December, chief editor Robert Cassidy editorialized against what he called "the $606 million calamity" ("The selling of...

NASA has big plans for historic Moffett Field. (News & Trends).
March 1, 2003... Last November, NASA Ames Research Center got the OK from NASA officials to move forward with its master plan to develop portions of the former Naval Air Station Moffett Field into NASA Research Park (NRP), a shared-use research and development...

Sky's the limit for WTC design, but initial focus is underground.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Sky's the limit for WTC design, but initial focus is underground. With the selection last month of the Studio Daniel Libeskind design for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, officials at the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. and...

CSI's `ConstructAmerica' debuts in Windy City. (News & Trends).(Construction Specifications Institute)
March 1, 2003... A larger, meatier Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) convention will make its debut next month in Chicago, as the first annual "ConstructAmerica" kicks off April 9-11 at McCormick Place. The re-formatted show is jointly sponsored by...

The 135,000-sq.-ft. Physical Sciences Building 1 under construction at the University of California's Riverside campus will house some 70 laboratories. (Projects awarded).(HGA Architects; Pinner Construction Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The 135,000-sq.-ft. Physical Sciences Building 1 under construction at the University of California's Riverside campus will house some 70 laboratories. It was designed by the Los Angeles office of Minneapolis-based HGA Architects. Pinner...

Bowdoin College has selected Consigli Construction Co. Inc., Milford, Mass., and Boston-based Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. to reconstruct and restore the twin, 120-ft.-high towers of its historic chapel. (Projects awarded).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Bowdoin College has selected Consigli Construction Co. Inc., Milford, Mass., and Boston-based Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. to reconstruct and restore the twin, 120-ft.-high towers of its historic chapel. Work will being this spring and is...

Construction has begun on the Washington headquarters of the National Association of Realtors, located three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. (Projects awarded).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Construction has begun on the Washington headquarters of the National Association of Realtors, located three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Design architect is Cambridge, Mass.-based Graham Gund Architects, with SMB Architects of Washington as...

Rhodes+Brito Architects of Orlando, Fla., is architect for the $30 million College of Law Building at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in downtown Orlando. (Projects awarded).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Rhodes+Brito Architects of Orlando, Fla., is architect for the $30 million College of Law Building at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in downtown Orlando. PSA Constructors of Orlando, in association with Turner Construction Co., is...

Dyron Murphy Architects of Albuquerque, N.M., is architect for the 74,000-sq.-ft. First Mesa Elementary School of the Hopi People in Polacca, Ariz. (Projects awarded).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dyron Murphy Architects of Albuquerque, N.M., is architect for the 74,000-sq.-ft. First Mesa Elementary School of the Hopi People in Polacca, Ariz. The Native American Division of Kitchell Contractors, Phoenix, is construction manager far the...

Texas community hums with commercial work. (News & Trends).(office building boom in The Woodlands, Texas)
March 1, 2003... With notable exceptions that include a 40-story tower that was to be occupied by the beleaguered Enron Corp., Houston experienced a dearth of office building construction for more than a decade. Meanwhile, a veritable office building boom has...

Magnusson Klemencic Associates is the new name of the Seattle-based structural engineering firm of Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire. (People/firms).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Magnusson Klemencic Associates is the new name of the Seattle-based structural engineering firm of Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire. The firm also has opened an office in Chicago, which will be headed By Kerry Galbraith.

Setter Leach & Lindstrom. (People/firms).(acquired by Leo A. Daly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Omaha-based A/E Leo A. Daly has acquired Setter Leach & Lindstrom, a 90-person A/E firm based in Minneapolis.

Turner Construction Co. (People/firms).(Peter Davoren has been named president)
March 1, 2003... Peter Davoren has been named president of Turner Construction Co., succeeding Robert E. Fee, who will retire in December. The company also has relocated its national healthcare group to Nashville from St. Louis.

Clark Construction Group. (People/firms).(Richard Heim has been appointed president )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Richard Heim has been appointed president of the western region for Clark Construction Group, Bethesda, Md.

Erdman Anthony and Associates. (People/firms).(eight employees will operate as The Collaborative Engineers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Eight employees of the Boston regional office of Rochester, N.Y.-based Erdman Anthony and Associates have purchased the Boston office and will operate as The Collaborative Engineers.

Hickok Warner Fox Associates. (People/firms).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Virginia office of Washington, D.C.-based architect Hickok Warner Fox Associates will form FOX Architects, under the direction of Robert D. Fox.

DeStefano Keating Partners Limited. (People/firms).(DeStefano and Partners of Chicago and Keating/Khang of Los Angeles have merged )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Architects DeStefano and Partners of Chicago and Keating/Khang of Los Angeles have merged to form DeStefano Keating Partners Limited.

Roel Construction Co. (People/firms).(Roel Construction Co. of San Diego has acquired the bulk of the assets of Nielsen Dillingham Builders)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Roel Construction Co. of San Diego has acquired the bulk of the assets of Nielsen Dillingham Builders. Discussions leading to the transaction began six months before Dillingham filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.

Healthcare construction spending soared in 2002. (Industry Data).(US)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Year-end totals for 2002 show why the healthcare market is one of the healthiest in the building industry. Total healthcare construction spending was 16.3% greater through the first 11 months of 2002 than during the same period in 2001--a...

Can industrial vacancies get any worse? (Industry Data).(US)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... With industrial production and manufacturing sector employment levels continuing to fall right into the final quarter of 2002, it's not surprising that demand for production and warehouse space continued weak right into the fall of last year....

Office construction spending dried up in 2002. (Industry Data).(US)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Cash flow for office spending dried up last year, as the value of new office building/renovation work completed through November 2002 was 27.9% below the total for the first 11 months of 2001. Over-the-year declines stabilized during the second...

Construction unemployment outpaced U.S. total. (Industry Data).(percent change in employment, December 2001-December 2002)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Overall employment in the construction industry was estimated at 6.648 million workers during December 2002--a decline of 1.3% from the year-end-2001 level. Over the same period of time, total U.S. employment declined by a slight 0.2%--although...

Developing a winning combination: mixed-use projects are complex and difficult to finance, but developers and municipalities are finding success win a variety of development styles. (Mixed Use) (Cover Story).
March 1, 2003... Office and retail markets are taking a beating in most areas of the country. Commercial office vacancies are approaching record levels in many areas, and studies are showing that lifestyle changes are spoiling the public's appetite for the...

A bottom-line building: state-of-the-art features attract sophisticated tenants in a tepid office leasing market. (Speculative Office Project).
March 1, 2003... The success of a multi-tenant, speculative office building is dependent on the developer's ability to convince tenants that by moving to its building they can expect to experience one or more of the following benefits: a reduction in operating...

Turning grey into gold: grey-water recycling helps the environment, but can these systems be economically viable? (Water Conservation).
March 1, 2003... Although most A/E/C professionals view grey-water recycling as an application only for the most radical "green" buildings, these systems are slowing making their way into the mainstream building market, thanks to rising water rates and the...

Fear the penguin. (Computer Applications).
March 1, 2003... For about as long as most people in the A/E/C industry have been depending on minicomputers to do back-office processing, the machines have been powered by some version of the Unix operating system. As these minicomputers were replaced with...

A new generation. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Bentley Systems has announced the global, synchronized release of its V8 Generation of products. The move unifies more than 100 products from the company, including MicroStation V8.1, onto a single platform structure so that Building Teams can...

Online tool for subs. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Introducing Constructware for the Subcontractor 5.0, the newest version of the company's client-server application created specifically for specialty subcontractors. The software maintains the company-wide database approach that distinguishes...

Bid Management. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Timberline's Bid Management--offered in Standard and Extended versions--provides the tools needed to save substantial time through every phase of the invitation-to-bid (ITB) process. A password-protected, central online solution allows anyone...

Bridging the gap. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Project management software from Dexter + Chaney works hand-in-hand with the company's Forefront construction management software to bridge the gap between accounting staff and project managers. The program's "Inbox" provides access to all...

Design a database. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... ArchiCAD 8 design software features a Building Information Authoring Tool that creates a central database of 3-D model data as the designer creates the building. From this database, users can extract all the information needed to completely...

Automated e-mails. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Users of Meridian Project Systems' Prolog Manager project management system now have a way of automating the sending and receiving of project-related data contained in foxes, e-mail, or web pages. Prolog Exchange automatically stores incoming...

More buzz. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... The latest version of Autodesk Buzzsaw Professional online project collaboration service gives Building Team members the tools to create and assign action items. Automatically tracked in a central log and displayed in reports, these items can...

3-D on-the-fly. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Software allows designers to create highly-compressed 3-D renderings for distribution via the Internet. With o2c_Interactive!, users can edit materials and textures, batch process photorealistic images, and publish the results as an HTML file...

Desktop tools. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2004 is a building information modeling solution within the AutoCAD environment that offers a streamlined user interface, automated file and level management, and integrated photorealistic 3-D rendering and...

Create PDF files. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Software allows A/E/C professionals to convert CAD drawings into Adobe Acrobat PDF files for fast and secure e-mailing to clients. Unlike most other PDF file generators, Plot2PDF creates and saves PDFs as vector graphics, which means that the...

Building modeling. (Computer software spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Architectural modeling software for Autodesk's AutoCAD and BricsCad's IntelliCAD allows designers to take advantage of advanced 3-D modeling in a 2-D environment. Using Architecturals, users can quickly create complex 3-D buildings and...

Vinyl Institute survey reveals choices in hospital design. (Vinyl Study).
March 1, 2003... Interior designers specializing in healthcare facility design say the most important criteria in their choices for flooring, wall covering, and upholstery are aesthetics, durability, ease of maintenance, and client preference, according to a...

Families of colors. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Commercial vinyl flooring line available in 64 colors is for heavy traffic and specialty applications, such as day care centers. The Expressions line of resilient flooring can apply to a variety of applications by...

Don't slip. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Safety resilient flooring comes in 18 colors and is ideal for hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, schools, retail stores, cafeterias, and laboratories. Walkway 20 also comes in special static-dissipative safety flooring, Walkway...

Neutral flooring. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three new carpet designs with modern geometric patterns and textures come in warm, neutral colors, including coppers, cremes, and chestnuts. New patterns: Double Grid, Open Plane, and True Path are designed for...

Tough as steel. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Vinyl flooring with aluminum-sheen finish that is best for retail outlets and other spaces where rugged slip-resistance is the key to safety. Lonplate I Titanium is made from the toughest sheet vinyl available. Lonseal. Reader Service...

European influence. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Coordinated patterned loop pile commercial carpets are inspired by 1930s-era advertising, graphic illustrations, and wallpaper, to create a modern, simple look. Twenty-five color ways and tone-on-tone hues make up the fabrics and finishes. All...

Slip and slide. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Resilient flooring saves owners up to 60% in maintenance costs, says the maker. Polysafe flooring is best for schools, hospitals, and restaurant kitchens, where spills are common. The slip-resistant floor has a soil-releasing polymer systems...

Coated clear. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Floor coating system helps protect concrete and steel floor surfaces and is best for facilities plagued with chemical, water and equipment abrasions, including hospitals, cafeterias, gyms and car service facilities. Devoe. Reader...

Carpet colors. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Carpet collection with 15 new colors from nature, including deep water, slate, aubergine, chili, to natural materials, dark chocolate and saddle. Tretford covers floors and walls and has a true ribbed surface,...

Designer carpet. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Carpet designed by Louis Vega Trevino reflects his three-dimensional line drawings in two abstract mosaic patterns. Designed for use in the corporate, retail, education, and hospitality markets, the "Art for the 5th...

Hercules! Hercules! (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Multi-use synthetic flooring is monolithic and nonporous. It features a urethane top coat and two millimeters of seamless, self-leveling polyurethane over a sealed rubber base mat. Action Herculan dual-durometer floor provides high uniformity...

Re-carpet. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Recycled content carpet fiber utilizes post-industrial fiber and polymer products created during the carpet manufacturing process before entering the waste stream, to make premium nylon 6, 6 carpet fiber. The fiber meets all LEED specifications...

Environmental carpet. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Commercial carpet fibers are certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), ensuring their effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products in their category. Antron carpet fibers also have properties that...

Home grown. (Flooring).
March 1, 2003... Vinyl floor tiles are high-performing with law maintenance costs for commercial, healthcare, retail, education, and industrial. Now to be manufactured in the U.S., product quality, delivery times, and shipping costs will be improved, according...

Nurse back to health. (Products at work).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Licking Memorial Health System's 230-bed facility in Licking County, Ohio, chose Soul collection for its newest renovation. The 100-year-old hospital was recently rated in the 100 Top Hospitals because of its medical...

Bank here. (Products at work).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Wells Fargo Bank in Minneapolis installed the fire-rated cloth-backed veneer behind its reception desk. A dyed Bird's Eye Maple was selected by the designer for the cloth-backed veneer. The Natural Dyed Veneer...

Stand up system. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... Insulated wail panel system consisting of Expanded Polystrene Insulation (EPS) and a steel core. The system is available in 6", 8", 10", and 12" thicknesses providing R-values ranging from 25 to 50. The system replaces metal studs, insulation...

Nice curves. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Modular partition system consists of multiple panels spanning between aluminum uprights for dividing and defining space, providing visual separations for privacy and security areas and defining traffic flow patterns....

Fire-resistant panels. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... One-hour fire-rated insulated panel contains a lamella-style Rockwool core used for exterior walls and interior partitions. It can span upwards of 25 feet for a nonsupported interior partition. The DSL-FR insulated panels are dimensionally...

Mighty strength. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wall cladding with lower weight per square foot, only needing to build up to 3/8" to 1/2". Special coatings and finishing help with weather resistance, bridging hairline cracks. Powerwall has a more controlled mix...

Blocked from sight. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Glass block can be made into radius walls or partitions with its seven square, triangular, hexagonal, and curving glass block shapes and sizes. IceScapes is made in a nondirectional pattern for maximum privacy in...

See-though. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Custom wall panel patterns emulate the look of architectural glass yet weigh half as much and are easier to fabricate, using regular woodworking tools. Imago tiles come in two custom patterns. Knoll. Reader...

See-though panels. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wire mesh panels are made of heavy 1.5-inch-square, 10-gauge woven wire and present a physical barrier while maintaining the openness of an area. Custom sizes are available in addition to the standard 4x8-ft. panel....

Modular make-over. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... Modular components divide work space for organization, proprietary and sound isolation purposes. Walls are available in 3" and 1 3/4" thick in a variety of panel surfaces including vinyl-faced hardboard, steel, FRP, and anodized aluminum. The...

Decorate with divisions. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... Decorative wall panels are made with high-pressure laminates, yet have the durability and moisture resistance of fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels. Omptimax HPL offers over 250 designs to choose from to match most interior decor. Made for...

Taking care. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... More than 8,000m of architectural composite panels have been "topped out" at 70 meters-height on the new 12-story Taiwan University Hospital project in Taipei, making it the region's tallest installation. Having previously only installed its...

Wall stands again. (Products at work).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A year after the damage to New York's Winter Garden from September 11th attacks, architect Cesar Pelli unveiled its redesign , which included a 15-ft.-high LINIT U-Profile Glass wall, which radiates with light from...

Standing strong. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... Interior gypsum panels resist the growth of mold and mildew because of their noncombustible gypsum core, which uses coated glass mat facings on both the face and back of the board. DensArmor Plus is reinforced with inorganic glass fibers,...

Closed in. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Glass enhancement films are offered in a variety of colors, patterns, designs, and textures, including frosted white, opaque, square and striped designs, and small and large dots. As an alternative to glass etching,...

Slide on down. (Walls & Partitions).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] System of sliding panels can be customized by size, finish, glass color, and cross-mullions to suit different design needs. Maximum panel dimensions of 6x10 ft. make Siparium suitable for both small and large...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2003... An item in our February issue (Reader Service No. 305) discussed installation of Wausau doors at Leslie High School in Leslie, Mich., when in fact they are windows. We regret the error.

Lay on. (Wire & Cable).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wireway offers faster, more efficient installation of indoor and outdoor wiring applications, according to manufacturer. Type 3R lay-in wireway protects electrical wiring against rain, sleet, snow, and dripping...

Running to connect. (Wire & Cable).
March 1, 2003... Reebok's World Headquarters campus chose Allcom to install the SYSTIMAX Structured Cabling System to support its voice and data IT. The system's GigaSPEED Solution utilizes 2,071 gigabit-rated cable to meet its demand for high-bandwidth desktop...

Plug in. (Wire & Cable).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] End-to-end cabling offers four fully integrated cabling systems for Category 6 and Category 5e application. Systems are warranted to supply ample headroom performance relative to all key electricals: Insertion loss,...

Twist and turn. (Wire & Cable).
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Flexible cables for power supplies to follow nontraditional routes are specially developed to be suitable for a wide range of cable environments where flexibility to ease installation is a prime requirement. AEI...