A new study published today by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) finds that data and culture gaps are obstacles architects are facing in fighting climate change. The report, “Sustainability in the Architect’s Journey to Specification,” identified a number of common obstacles that could be improved by the building products industry to help architects support climate action.
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Total construction starts rose 12% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $787.9 billon. While sizeable, the increase does not erase September’s substantial pullback in starts. All three major categories moved higher over the month, nonbuilding starts rose 25%, nonresidential buildings increased 19%, while residential activity gained 2%. “October’s gain was welcome news following the large step back in starts during the previous month,” stated Richard Branch, Chief Economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “The month’s increase, however, does not mean all is well with the economy and construction sector. The economy lost traction as the stimulus provided by the CARES Act ended. With the next wave of COVID-19 infections looming, the economy will continue to lose steam until more fiscal stimulus is provided and a vaccine has been widely adopted. Until that has occurred, the construction sector will continue to be volatile.”
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Offering more options for daylighting and shading strategies on commercial buildings, Tubelite Inc. introduces MaxBlock® Single Blade Sun Shades with a single, horizontal, airfoil-shaped blade in 6- and 9-inch depths, and widths spanning up to 149 inches. This new design expands the MaxBlock Sun Shades by Tubelite line of multi-blade airfoil, tubular and “Z” blade sun control product selections.
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LMN Architects is pleased to celebrate the opening of the Plant Sciences Building at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. The latest addition to the V. Lane Rawlins Research and Education Complex, the $66 million building was funded by the Washington State Legislature. The project is a state-of-the-art building for collaborative research and is intended to support regional and global agriculture. The 82,437-square-foot building supports Washington’s $51 billion food and agriculture industry by providing a modern research venue for faculty and students in the Institute of Biological Chemistry, WSU’s Molecular Plant Science Program, and portions of the Departments of Horticulture, Plant Pathology, and Crop and Soil Sciences.
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The new McDonnell Genome Institute – Genome Technology Access Center (GTAC@MGI) space, completed in July 2020, is located on the 4th Floor of the 4444 Forest Parkway Building. KWK’s team worked within the university’s design and planning standards to implement the efficient use of space within an existing building envelope, providing the university with tremendous value by avoiding new out-of-ground construction costs.
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Hawaii Pacific Health recently opened its new Straub Medical Center–Kahala Clinic & Urgent Care, an 8,232-square-foot facility at Kūʻono Marketplace. Stantec led the design and medical planning for the new facility, which complements Straub’s previously opened clinics in Ward Village and Kapolei.
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Elkus Manfredi Architects’ transformation of a historic hotel into White Elephant Palm Beach debuts a fresh, contemporary design voice to Palm Beach while preserving the best of the hotel’s classic Mediterranean Revival architecture.
Read MoreCorning Incorporated announced on Tuesday a new breakthrough in glass-ceramic technology, Corning® Guardiant®. Under test methods approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paint and coatings containing Corning Guardiant were shown to kill more than 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Corning is working alongside PPG as it seeks EPA registration for its paint product formulated with Corning Guardiant.
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Designed by TVsdesign in Atlanta, the Waterford at Blue Lagoon in Miami earned LEED™ certification at the Gold level due in part to the use of Solarban® R100 glass, which delivers visible light transmittance (VLT) of 43% and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.23 in a standard 1 inch insulating glass unit (IGU).
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Dodge Data & Analytics yesterday released its 2021 Dodge Construction Outlook. “The COVID-19 pandemic and recession has had a profound impact on the U.S. economy, leading to a deep drop off in construction starts in the first half of 2020,” stated Richard Branch, Chief Economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “While the recovery is underway, the road to full recovery will be long and fraught with potential potholes. After losing an estimated 14% in 2020 to $738 billion, total construction starts will regain just 4% in 2021.”
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