The world's tallest twisting tower and the rise of augmented reality technology in construction were among the 10 most popular articles posted on Building Design+Construction's website, BDCnetwork.com, in 2013. Here's a roundup of the top articles from the past 12 months. Happy New Year from the BD+C editorial team!
1. 2013 Giants 300 Report
Building Design+Construction's annual ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. Read the article.
2. 8 trends shaping today’s senior housing
The ranks of those age 65 and older are swelling by the thousands every day. Is there an opportunity for your firm in the seniors housing market? Read the article.
3. World's tallest twisting tower added to Dubai skyline [slideshow]
The 75-story residential building, designed by SOM, features a dramatically rising helix shape for a distinctive addition to the city’s skyline. Read the article.
4. Meet BD+C's 40 Under 40 class of 2013
Forty individuals who have distinguished themselves by their career achievements, service to their professions and communities, and active participation in charitable work. Read the article.
5. 13 structural steel buildings that dazzle
We profile the 13 structural steel building projects have earned national recognition in the 2013 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS2). Read the article.
6. 7 hip high-rise developments on the drawing board
Here's a collection of recently profiled high-rise projects in the works around the world. They include Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's whimsical Dancing Dragons tower in Seoul and a 1,312-foot-tall finance and trade center under construction in Nanning, China. Read the article.
7. 5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology is among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Read the article.
8. Augmented reality goes mainstream: 12 applications for design and construction firms
Thanks to inexpensive mobile devices and increasingly advanced software apps, Building Teams are finally able to bring their BIM models to life on the job site. Read the article.
9. In an era of mixed signals, architects embrace cautious optimism
Are architecture firms finally pulling out of the doldrums? The answer is a tentative yes, according to AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. Read the article.
10. World's first 'invisible' tower planned in South Korea
Called Tower Infinity, the 1,476-foot structure planned just outside the city, near Incheon International Airport, will feature a cloaking façade made of LED projectors and optical cameras that will capture and display the landscape surrounding the building, thus making it appear transparent. Read the article.
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What are the 15 most-watched construction and engineering stocks?
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| Apr 19, 2011
AIA announces top 10 green Projects for 2011
The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment announced its Top 10 Green Projects for 2011. Among the winners: Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., and the Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, British Columbia.
| Apr 18, 2011
Greening and Upgrading Today’s Vertical Transport Systems
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW/SD learning units by studying this article and passing the online exam.
| Apr 14, 2011
U.S. embassies on a mission to green the world's buildings
The U.S. is putting greater emphasis on greening its worldwide portfolio of embassies. The U.S. State Department-affiliated League of Green Embassies already has 70 U.S. embassies undergoing efforts to reduce their environmental impact, and the organization plans to increase that number to more than 100 by the end of the year.
| Apr 14, 2011
How AEC Professionals Choose Windows and Doors
Window and door systems need to perform. Respondents to our annual window and door survey overwhelmingly reported that performance, weather resistance, durability, and quality were key reasons a particular window or door was specified.
| Apr 14, 2011
USGBC debuts LEED for Healthcare
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduces its latest green building rating system, LEED for Healthcare. The rating system guides the design and construction of both new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings, and can be applied to inpatient, outpatient and licensed long-term care facilities, medical offices, assisted living facilities and medical education and research centers.
| Apr 13, 2011
National Roofing Contractors Association revises R-value of polyisocyanurate (ISO) insulation
NRCA has updated their R-value recommendation for polyisocyanurate roof insulation with the publication of the 2011 The NRCA Roofing Manual: Membrane Roof Systems.
| Apr 13, 2011
Professor Edward Glaeser, PhD, on how cities are mankind’s greatest invention
Edward Glaeser, PhD, the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University and director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, as well as the author of Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier, on how cities are mankind’s greatest invention.
| Apr 13, 2011
Southern Illinois park pavilion earns LEED Platinum
Erin’s Pavilion, a welcome and visitors center at the 80-acre Edwin Watts Southwind Park in Springfield, Ill., earned LEED Platinum. The new 16,000-sf facility, a joint project between local firm Walton and Associates Architects and the sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, based in St. Louis, serves as a community center and special needs education center, and is named for Erin Elzea, who struggled with disabilities during her life.
| Apr 13, 2011
Virginia hospital’s prescription for green construction: LEED Gold
Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, Va., is the commonwealth’s first inpatient healthcare facility to earn LEED Gold. The 630,000-sf facility was designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with commissioning consultant SSRCx, both of Nashville.
