Building Design & Construction articles from November 2007

Building Design & Construction archives from November 2007

Further Down the Merry Road to BIM.
November 1, 2007... By Jeff Yoders, Associate Editor 3D modeling is changing the design and construction industry, but collaborative project management is needed to manage that change. The design firm heading the $200 million Doha International Airport...

Miami to get another beach house.
November 1, 2007... Staff Soho Beach House, a $32 million, 83,000-sf beachfront hotel/condo development in Miami Beach, broke ground last month. The project involves renovating and upgrading the historic Sovereign Hotel and constructing a 15-story luxury...

Houston hospital tops off expansion.
November 1, 2007... Staff Houston's Methodist Sugar Land Hospital topped off its $150 million expansion in September. The project, which is being led by program manager Boyken International, Houston, will add more than 130 patient beds and interior build-out...

Residential towers planned for 2014 Olympics host city.
November 1, 2007... Staff A massive, 1.2 million-sf residential and retail complex is planned for Sochi, Russia, host city of the XXII Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2014. Chicago-based architect Built Form recently won the competition to design the...

New performing arts center for Cal State Northridge.
November 1, 2007... Staff Along with strengthening its nationally accredited music and theater programs, the new California State University, Northridge Performing Arts Center will be a destination for those seeking exciting arts experiences, like symphony,...

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to get a second home.
November 1, 2007... Staff Minneapolis-based KKE Architects has designed a new venue for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, helping to expand ASO's reach into the northern suburbs and provide a home for up to 35 national concerts annually, as well as 15-25...

Cardiovascular center will provide coastal canyon views to help heal.
November 1, 2007... Staff Groundbreaking ceremonies were held recently for the Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center, a $171 million facility on the University of California, San Diego Medical Center campus. The 128,000-sf facility will house medical...

West Georgia Health System breaks ground on tower expansion.
November 1, 2007... Staff Construction work has commenced on a $65 million, 130,000-sf expansion to the south tower on the West Georgia Health System campus in Lagrange, Ga. Designed by Ellerbe Becket's Washington, D.C., healthcare design studio, with St....

Green office complex under way in Sin City.
November 1, 2007... Staff Construction has commenced on a six-story, 187,000-sf LEED-registered office building in Las Vegas. The Class-A office complex, called Montecito Point, will be located in Montecito Town Center, a mixed-used development featuring...

Europe's new tallest building breaks ground in Moscow.
November 1, 2007... Staff Chicago-based structural engineer Halvorson and Partners, in collaboration with London-based Foster and Partners and the STT Group of Moscow, recently celebrated the groundbreaking for the Russia Tower in Moscow. At 1,970 feet and...

Shakespeare goes green in Massachusetts.
November 1, 2007... Staff Automatic daylight sensors, translucent clerestory windows, and a climate control system are a few of the sustainable features of the new Shakespeare & Company Center in Lenox, Mass. Designed by Great Barrington, Mass.-based Clark &...

Design team selected for National African-American Museum.
November 1, 2007... Staff The Freelon Group of Research Triangle Park, N.C., and Davis Brody Bond of New York City have been selected to plan the National African-American Museum for a site on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. With an estimated cost of...

Rebirth of a University.
November 1, 2007... By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor Twelve years ago, Philadelphia's Drexel University was plagued with declining student enrollment, an empty checkbook, and a physical plant that was literally falling apart. Today, the institution's...

Modest proposal for combating climate change.
November 1, 2007... Robert Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief We're putting too much emphasis on greening new buildings as the solution to climate change. Seven years into LEED for New Construction, only 833 buildings have been certified; another 5,595 are registered....

Reduce, reuse, remodel.
November 1, 2007... Staff Sto's reStore Program aims to bring commercial buildings with hardcoat stucco finishes, masonry walls, and exterior insulation and finish systems up to date and help them fall into line with better environmental policies. The program...

Heavy-duty flooring.
November 1, 2007... Staff Flooring system provides a flexible, water-, and air-tight surface with good wearability on new or existing concrete floors. Suitable for industrial, institutional, and commercial environments, the Merflex system combines Valspar's...

Windows and doors for high-rise multifamily.
November 1, 2007... Staff Line of commercial window and door products is designed specifically for high-rise multifamily applications. The PGT Architectural Systems line includes side-load single-hung windows, fixed windows, and sliding glass doors, all...

Drywall grid system.
November 1, 2007... Staff Drywall grid system reduces installation time and the number of hanger wires required to place drywall in narrow areas, like corridors. Hot-dipped galvanized steel runners connect to wall tracks with fast lock-in tabs, making the...

Solid surface material turns green.
November 1, 2007... Staff Samsung has been granted Greenguard certification by the Greenguard Environmental Institute for its Staron Solid Surface material, including the Tempest line, as well as its all-acrylic sinks and bowls. All product lines have passed...

LED lights the way.
November 1, 2007... Staff Low-energy, low-maintenance LED lightbar is recommended for museums, retail, and other institutional applications. SpectraBar dissipates heat from LEDs, providing thermal management. LED lights require less energy than comparable...

Slammed shut.
November 1, 2007... Staff Special-Lite's SL-17 FRP Flush Door has successfully completed five million cycles under the Window & Door Manufacturers Association's NWWDA T.M. 7-90 cycle-slam test. Under this protocol, every four seconds the door starts at a...

Polycarbonate sheet.
November 1, 2007... Staff Macrolux I.R. multiwall polycarbonate sheet provides heat reduction and a large load resistance, while offering protection against ultraviolet and infrared rays. Available in a range of colors, including green, gold, and grey,...

Super-strong windows/doors.
November 1, 2007... Staff Pella has added a double-hung window to its Impervia line of windows and doors. The product line, which also features single-hung windows, sliding windows, fixed windows, and sliding patio doors, is made from Duracast fiberglass...

Build better.
November 1, 2007... Staff Greenblock ICFs have been in use since 1961 and provide R-24 thermal insulation to foundations and walls. ICFs help reduce cold spots and can cut heating costs by 70% and cooling costs by 50%. Materials are nontoxic, contain no CFCs,...

Hands-free soap.
November 1, 2007... Staff Wall-mounted hand wash system automatically dispenses foam soap touch-free, providing controlled use and encouraging healthy hand washing. The TC AutoFoam Soap system provides up to 2,750 hand washes in each 1100-ml refill bag, 35%...

A Not So Simple Building.
November 1, 2007... By Jay W. Schneider, Senior Editor How to solve the difficult task of integrating a full glass curtain wall without compromising energy efficiency at Yale University's new transparent sculpture building. Yale University's new $52.6...

Healthcare construction remains healthy.
November 1, 2007... By Jim Haughey, BD+C Economist Healthcare construction spending will continue to expand faster than overall economic growth during the next two years, having recovered from a period of slow expansion earlier this year. Construction...

Warehouse construction: steady, strong.
November 1, 2007... By Jim Haughey, BD+C Economist The warehouse market is steady, with space demand and new supply pretty much balanced. Rental rates are rising at a 3.5% pace, according to Property & Portfolio Research, slightly faster than inflation. The...

RSMeans costs comparisons.
November 1, 2007... Staff [TABLE OMITTED]

Product selection linked to document production.
November 1, 2007... By Matthew Phair, Contributing Editor Mention the practice of building information modeling to most people and they automatically assume it includes creating a 3D CAD project image. Yet in current practice, many of the BIM models built are...

World's largest freestanding Alzheimer's research facility opens.
November 1, 2007... Staff The $25 million, 108,000-sf Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Fla., became the largest freestanding facility of its kind when it opened in September. Designed by HDR Architecture, Omaha, Neb., the...

Colorado gets it first LEED Platinum commercial building.
November 1, 2007... Staff Signature Centre at Denver West, a five-story, 186,000-sf speculative office building in Denver, recently received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The $45 million complex is the first commercial LEED...

Police training center opens in Orange County, Calif.
November 1, 2007... Staff The 53,000-sf Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Academy will allow the local sheriff's department to serve more than 800 academy cadets annually while expanding weekend and evening education and training opportunities for...

Main library opens in Lincoln, Calif.
November 1, 2007... Staff Construction has come to a close on the Lincoln Public Library at Twelve Bridges, a 39,300-sf facility that will serve as the new main library for the City of Lincoln, Calif. Designed by San Diego-based NTD Architecture as part of...

Food manufacturing plant gets LEED Gold.
November 1, 2007... Staff Kettle Foods's new 73,000-sf potato chip manufacturing plant in Beloit, Wis., has earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Green features include: collection and reuse of wastewater for general plumbing...

New LEED-EB unveiled at IFMA trade show.
November 1, 2007... Jeff Yoders, Associate Editor The U.S. Green Building Council unveiled the latest version of its LEED for Existing Buildings green building certification system at the International Facilities Managers Association's annual convention in...

News Briefs.
November 1, 2007... Staff * Forbes ranks states by their 'greenness.' Vermont, Oregon, and Washington topped Forbes's inaugural list of America's Greenest States. The report ranked each state by measuring and comparing key environmental factors, such as...

People+Firms.
November 1, 2007... Staff * Mackenzie Keck Inc. , a Hackettstown, N.J.-based general contractor, construction manager, and consultant specializing in upscale retail projects, has acquired green building consulting firm Global Thinking LLC , formerly based in...

New BD+C 'White Paper' assesses owner/user views on green building.
November 1, 2007... Staff 'Green Buildings Research White Paper,' the fifth in a series of annual reports on green building by Building Design+Construction , provides exclusive data on how building owners, operators, facilities directors, and real estate...

Mayors, manufacturers, and Wal-Mart join the Clinton Climate Initiative.
November 1, 2007... Kristin Foster, Editorial Intern The Clinton Climate Initiative has teamed up with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Wal-Mart, and 25 green product manufacturers to help further the goal of making green products more affordable and accessible...

AGC economist praises construction numbers.
November 1, 2007... Staff According to the October 31 reports on gross domestic product and construction spending from the Commerce Department, the nonresidential construction numbers were surprisingly good. 'Net of inflation, or real, investment in...

Zinc panels give municipal complex class, sense of place.
November 1, 2007... Staff Approximately 10,000 sf of Rheinzink 0.7mm Pre-Weathered Blue Grey wall panels highlight a striking design for the two-story addition to the City of Beachwood, Ohio, Municipal Complex. Design architect Benny Chew specified the zinc...

Hotel chain debuts in Boise.
November 1, 2007... Staff The first-ever Cambria Suites hotel recently opened in Boise, Idaho, and approximately 50 more are under development in 21 states nationwide. The new hotel chain is a brand of Choice Hotels International, which franchises more than...

Fabric roof adornes mall south of the border.
November 1, 2007... Staff Fabric-roof manufacturer Birdair recently extended its reach into Latin America, working under demanding deadlines to successfully design and fabricate a tensile fabric membrane and steel cable roof structure for the 73,000-sf...

Motel 6 to receive energy-efficient upgrades.
November 1, 2007... Staff Motel 6 has signed on to participate in the Honeywell Cool Control Plus program, which is designed to help drastically reduce Motel 6's environmental footprint. Working on behalf of Pacific Gas & Electric, Honeywell will install...

School specs roof board that will stand up to hail.
November 1, 2007... Staff The Maury County School District in Columbia, Tenn., was faced with replacing numerous roofs in the district that had received multiple applications and repairs during the past 20 years. The area had sustained a considerable amount...

io Lighting's Line Series 2.0 LED fixture.
November 1, 2007... Staff io Lighting's Line Series 2.0 LED fixture is just two inches high and two inches deep, allowing luminous accents to be delivered from tight architectural details. Suitable for both interior and exterior applications, the low-voltage...

Performance Rules in the Roofing Market.
November 1, 2007... By Dave Barista, Managing Editor When specifying roofing systems, AEC professionals consider a product's performance record first, followed by maintenance requirements and warranty, according to an exclusive survey of BD+C readers. ...