Building Design & Construction articles from September 2005

Building Design & Construction archives from September 2005

Revitalizing downtown America.(EDITORIAL)
September 1, 2005... All the talk about whether or not to rebuild New Orleans (as if there could be any sane argument against doing so) brings to mind the larger issue of how to restore vitality to the downtowns of all of America's major cities, following more than...

Hilton experiments with 'allergy resistant' hotel rooms.(NEWS & TRENDS)
September 1, 2005... If you're one of the millions of Americans that suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions, you may want to consider bunking up at the Hilton O'Hare next time your in Chicago. The 34-year-old hotel located at O'Hare...

Katrina's fury may strike a slight blow to the U.S construction industry.(NEWS & TRENDS)
September 1, 2005... As cities along the ravaged Gulf Coast begin to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it remains unclear as to what extent the disaster will negatively affect the economy. The impact will be much larger than any previous...

New green Seattle City Hall is an energy hog.
September 1, 2005... The $72 million facility, which opened two years ago, was designed with the environment in mind, incorporating a slew of energy-saving technologies. But utility bills show that Seattle's city hall acts more like an old-fashioned electricity...

Yale alum's Freedom Tower lawsuit against SOM OK'd to go forward.
September 1, 2005... A federal judge ruled last month that former Yale architecture student Thomas Shine's lawsuit against architect David Childs and his firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, could proceed. Childs is accused of appropriating one of Shines student...

Toyota plans first green auto dealership.
September 1, 2005... The Japanese company that introduced the hybrid car to America may help build the nation's first certified "green" auto dealership. Architects for Toyota and a private auto dealer have presented plans for the eco-friendly facility in the Dallas...

Classic Houston hotel to reopen--as a medical center.
September 1, 2005... The Plaza Apartment Hotel, once billed as "Houston's first million-dollar hotel," has stood vacant for nearly a quarter century. Architect Tim Cisneros plans to reopen the Plaza next February not as a hotel, but as a medical office building and...

Benefits of white roofs.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... In reading the August editorial "Should We Reward Doing Good?" I believe that some clarification is needed. Scientists, NASA, and the U.S. Departments of Environmental Protection and Energy have all verified the benefits of installing a...

Rothman Partners.(PEOPLE/firms)
September 1, 2005... San Francisco-based architect Anshen + Allen has acquired healthcare and university specialist Rothman Partners Architects, Boston. The 30-person firm, Anshen + Allen + Rothman, will serve as the Boston office of Anshen + Allen, led by Martha...

Cole + Russell Architects.(PEOPLE/firms)
September 1, 2005... Cole + Russell Architects, Cincinnati, has opened an office in Denver to serve its existing retail and hospitality clients there.

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger.(PEOPLE/firms)
September 1, 2005... Boston-based Simpson Gumpertz & Heger has opened an office in New York, its fifth location. Kevin Cash has been named principal-in-charge.

RTKL's.(PEOPLE/firms)
September 1, 2005... Ronald Turner, FAIA, has joined RTKL's Los Angeles office as a VP of the firm's stadium and arena portfolio. A founder of Ellerbe Becket Sports in 1988, Turner later became a founding principal for the sports and entertainment practice at NBBJ,...

A truly contemporary firehouse.(ON THE DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... The New York City Art Commission as honored local architecture firm STV for its design of the Engine Company 277/Ladder 112 firehouse, to be located in Brooklyn. The three-story, stand-alone fire department building will have curving precast...

Texas Elementary School eases overcrowding.(ON THE DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... Construction of the 98,869-sf Jessup Relief Elementary School in Houston has begun. The Pasadena Independent School District voted to fund the new building to ease crowding at its main elementary school. The new facility, which includes 27...

Team finalized for a new ballpark in the beltway.(ON THE DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... A Joint venture comprised of Clark construction Group, Bethesda, Md., Hunt Construction Group, Indianapolis, and Smoot Construction, Washington, D.C., has been awarded the contract to build a new, 41,000-seat ballpark in Washington, D.C., for...

Work begins on Vinoly theater complex in Leicester.(ON THE DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... Construction on a new 13,000-sm performing arts center designed by the London office of Raphael Vinoly Architects has begun in Leicester, England. The design incorporates two theaters, one with a seating capacity of 750, the other with 350...

Peoria expands its convention center.(ON THE DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... Dallas-based Turner Construction has begun the expansion of the Peoria (Ill.) Civic Center. Targeted for a fall 2007 completion, the $55 million expansion plan will create a facility with 110,000 sf of exhibit space and 27,000 sf of meeting...

Wheel-like engineering building takes shape in Michigan.(DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... The new addition to the University of Michigan--Dearborn's engineering building is shaped like a wheel to reflect Dearborn's automotive industry heritage. The round structure will house a 50-ton radial crane that will be used by students....

Mixed-use tower planned for Manhattan.(DRAWING BOARD)
September 1, 2005... A mixed-use, 24-story, twin-tower project that incorporates 27 apartments, theaters, parks, and retail businesses is currently being constructed in a vacant area between 51st and 53rd streets on the West Side of Manhattan. Designed by New...

End is near for five-year office market construction drought.(INDUSTRY DATA)
September 1, 2005... Continued 3.5%-plus economic growth will push vacancy rates down and rental rates up enough to boost office construction spending about 30%, including 8-10% higher costs, from spring 2005 to the end of 2006. Further strong expansion will extend...

Electronics industry leads the boom in manufacturing plants.(INDUSTRY DATA)
September 1, 2005... Construction spending on manufacturing plants jumped 25% in the second half of 2004, remained at that level early in 2005--even when manufacturing production stalled--and is now expected to increase 20% more by the end of next year as factory...

Healthcare market weakens amid federal cutbacks.(INDUSTRY DATA)
September 1, 2005... Healthcare construction spending is currently only 2.3% above a year ago, and has been stuck at a $35-36 billion annual pace for more than a year, after rising 40% over the previous two years. The recent market weakness has been entirely in...

Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets.(INDUSTRY DATA)
September 1, 2005... INDUSTRY DATA Cost comparisons per square foot in select metro markets Factory, 3-story '05 '04 % chg. Atlanta 83.88 78.35 7.1 Baltimore ...

Software links physical and analytical models.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2005... Revit Structure is the new engineering design and documentation software introduced last June by Autodesk. As we'll see, beta users are already finding the program is saving them time over older systems. The software integrates a physical...

Bonanza on campus.(EDUCATION FACILITIES)
September 1, 2005... The nation's colleges and universities are building at such a pace, and to such a level of luxuriance, as to defy augury. This year, American academic institutions will complete $14 billion of construction and break ground on another $14.5...

Collegiate makeover: community colleges look to redefine their image to attract an increasingly younger student base and to maintain strong ties to their communities.(EDUCATION FELICITIES)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2005... For George Boggs, defending the merits of a community college education is a routine part of his .job as president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. lust last month, he had to set the record straight for a 17-year-old...

The greening of academe: the University of California's new Merced campus will be the first in the country to reach LEED Silver status.(SUSTAINABILITY)
September 1, 2005... The University of California's 10th campus is nestled deep in the San Joaqum Valley, 40 miles south of Modesto, just outside the city of Merced (population 63,893 in 2000). Amid arid farmlands wedged between the peaks of the surrounding Sierra...

Lab construction costs up 6% for 2005.(LABORATORIES)
September 1, 2005... For a number of years, New York-based A/E firm HLW International (#27 on BD&C's Giants 2005 A/E list) and Accu-Cost Construction Consultants have kept tabs on lab construction and reconstruction costs. Their data--based on in-house cost...

Bioterror brigade: state health labs have moved into the front lines of the war on bioterrorism. A veteran lab architect tells how to design these labs for maximum safety.(PUBLIC HEALTH LABS)
September 1, 2005... Ever since an anthrax attack shut down the U.S. House of Representatives in October 2001, state public health laboratories have been gearing up for their new role as America's first line of defense against bioterrorism. Historically, state...

12 tips on roof edges: roof edges can be a major locus of failure in low-slope metal roofs. Our experts offer a dozen design tips to ensure that you're covered--all the way to the edge.(ROOFING TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2005... Faced with a constant barrage of wind and rain, roof edges are often where low-slope roof systems take the worst beating. Roof edges also are the site of most roof failures, according to a study of 145 windstorm claims by Factory Mutual...

5 ways to sidestep roofing problems.(ROOFING TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2005... It is said that a roof is 10% of a project's cost and 90% of its problems. That may be an overstatement, but without proper design and installation, roofs can and will fail. Many roofing problems can be avoided if the Building Team works...

The professional.(THE PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE)
September 1, 2005... Shawmut's Chett Walsh heads a team of 21 professionals who perform internal quality control and training development for Shawmut's Restaurant Group. With nearly 30 years in the business--the last 21 at Shawmut--Walsh has overseen more than 400...

Zinc steals the show.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... Looking for "a natural, yet refined" exterior for the new Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wis., architect Mike Nelson of Zeidler Partnership, Toronto, specified titanium zinc panels for the $45 million, 2,550-seat facility. More...

Round and round.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... Three all-glass, fully welded manual revolving doors mark the entrance of the 111 South Wacker Drive building in downtown Chicago. Made of low-iron, non-reflective glass for clarity, the doors complement the building's dramatic glass facade...

Re-creating the feel of a true lawn.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... When put to the task of creating a vegetated roof for the new $31 million School of the Environment at the University of South Carolina, architect Randy Huth took numerous measures to design the roof so that would appear to be a lawn, with no...

White atop the big blue box.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... Mid-South Roof Systems of Atlanta faced an unusual challenge when applying a 240,000-sf white PVC roofing system to the new IKEA store in midtown Atlanta. The store's roof deck consists of 20x50-foot concrete panels that, when installed, create...

McDonald's goes green on top.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... The vegetated roof system that tops the first two stories of McDonald's flagship restaurant in downtown Chicago is protected with a 60-mil thermoplastic waterproofing membrane. The Sarnafil Green Roof System can be loose-laid and ballasted in...

Topped with class.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... More than 20,000 sf of Pac-Clad 24-gauge steel roof panels, finished in Hemlock Green, top the new 400-room Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C. Local architect Brennan Beer Gorman Monk wanted to create a signature roofline to accent the...

Contractor battles wind to repair the army's barrel roof.(PRODUCTS AT WORK)
September 1, 2005... After 60 years of operation, the U.S. Army's DC Armory Drill Hall in Washington, D.C., was in dire need of a roof retrofit. But the building's barrel roof, combined with steady 35-mph winds, made the project difficult and dangerous for local...

New windows on campus.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Traco will manufacture more than 456 of its TR-9100 Heavy Commercial Windows for a new U-shaped, Einhorn Yaffee Prescott-designed residence hall at the State University of New York's Purchase campus. The single-hung, side-load windows fit with...

Metal on top.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Metal roof deck is available in a variety of finishes, gauges, widths, and rib styles, including wide, narrow, and deep ribs. Cordeck is manufactured in custom lengths, and is often produced and shipped within 24 hours. Cordeck. ...

Single-ply roof.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Prefabricated, reinforced thermoplastic membrane roofing system is ideal for any flat or low-sloped application. Duro-Last single-ply roof is leakproof and resistant to chemicals, fire, and high winds. Duro-Last. Reader Service No. 225...

Fight fire with ease.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Most property owners are unaware that roofing systems can gradually lose fire resistance over time, making their properties more vulnerable to fire. A single application of FireShield Roof Restoration System can turn virtually any existing EPDM...

Shakin' shingle.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Composite shingles provide the natural beauty of shake without the maintenance and safety issues of real wood. Made with an authentic grain pattern in 5-, 7-, and 12-in. widths, Lamarite Shake Composite Shingles are durable and fire-resistant....

Emergency response.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Touch-screen emergency response display provides all the necessary information to help firefighters and fast-response personnel make fast, well-informed decisions. Onyx Firstvision displays the origin and spread of a fire, as well as the...

Cool and safe.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Cold-process, white-gravel, white-adhesive surfacing system for built-up and modified bitumen roofs fully complies with California's revised Title 24 energy standards, which take effect next month. The BURmastic Rock-It System combines the...

LED luminaire.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... The first LED pole-mounted luminaire consumes less energy than conventional devices and has a service life of up to 50,000 hours. The Millennio light incorporates aluminum with a natural anodized finish. Available in single- or twin-mount...

Mod-bit roofing.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Five new modified-bitumen roofing products for low-slope applications are easy to install, durable, and feature excellent adhesive strength. Flintlastic line includes a nailable base, self-adhering mid-ply, and self-adhering cap sheet. ...

Wood doors.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... High-pressure decorative laminate, five-ply wood veneer and stile and rail doors offer architects a durable product with the design style for virtually any setting. HPDL doors are available in a wide selection of colors, patterns, wood-texture....

Cool roofing primer.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Effective October 2005, California's Title 24 will require cool roofs for most nonresidential new construction and reroofing projects. Other states and municipalities are considering similar requirements. Learn more about what makes a roof cool...

Undercover connections.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... New low-profile, floor-mounted electrical raceway system provides an alternative to power poles, poke-throughs, and raised flooring. Connectrac incorporates a shallow, covered track supported by low-sloping ramps along each side, causing a...

Damage-proof roof.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Single-ply VersiFleece EPDM Fully-Adhered Roofing System has 40% more puncture resistance and 180% more tear resistance than other non-fleece roofing membranes. System uses Aqua Base 120 Bonding Adhesive, a semi-pressure sensitive water-based...

SMART GLASS.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Electronically tintable electrochromic "smart glass" is operated by individual users to control the UV rays and heat of the sun without blocking an outdoor view with blinds. SageGlass can be installed and wired into a building's electrical...

Whopping wood windows.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... New wood window series is first to offer large sizes that meet commercial performance standards. The Ultimate Double Hung Magnum window is historically compliant and uses an adjustable spiral balance system that meets AMMA 902-99 Class 5...

Swing door.(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Engineered for high-traffic entrances, the ED400 Universal Swing Door System functions as either a low-energy operator or a full-energy unit. Inswing or outswing models are available in surface-mount or overhead-concealed units. DORMA...

iBEAM me up!(EDITORS' PICKS)
September 1, 2005... Portable broadcast system helps Building Teams communicate between job sites and offices. iBEAM visual communications system was invented by an architect and is able to send live images from a portable camera to up to 20 viewers in other...

Scott Simpson: 'we're in the leadership business'.(THOUGHT LEADERS)(Interview)
September 1, 2005... Scott Simpson, FAIA, is president and CEO of The Stubbins Associates, Cambridge, Mass. A registered architect in 19 states, he earned a BA in English at Yale and an MArch at Harvard and served on the national board of the AIA in 2002-3. He is...

BD&C contacts & resources.(DIRECTORY)(Directory)
September 1, 2005... Publisher Dean Horowitz 2000 Clearwater Dr. Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 288-8180 Fax: (630) 288-8155 dhorowitz@reedbusiness.com Subscription Inquiries For address changes: (303) 470-4445, fax (303)...