Empty mall to be converted to UCLA Research Park

UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition.

Smart Buildings

A Swiss startup devises an intelligent photovoltaic façade that tracks and moves with the sun

Zurich Soft Robotics says Solskin can reduce building energy consumption by up to 80% while producing up to 40% more electricity than comparable façade systems.

Urban Planning

‘Flowing’ design emphasizes interaction at Bellevue, Wash., development

The three-tower 1,030,000-sf office and retail development designed by Graphite Design Group in collaboration with Compton Design Office for Vulcan Real Estate is attracting some of the world’s largest names in tech and hospitality.

Mixed-Use

Multifamily properties above ground-floor grocers continue to see positive rental premiums

Optimizing land usage is becoming an even bigger priority for developers. In some city centers, many large grocery stores sprawl across valuable land.

Retail Centers

With the advent of the internet and online shopping, retail centers need to be more compelling than ever to draw people away from their computers and into physical stores. Design can capture the interest of potential shoppers, and pay off in a big way for business owners.

Aug 11, 2010

Report: Fraud levels fall for construction industry, but companies still losing $6.4 million on average

The global construction, engineering and infrastructure industry saw a significant decline in fraud activity with companies losing an average of $6.4 million over the last three years, according to the latest edition of the Kroll Annual Global Fraud Report, released today at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s 2009 Annual Meeting in Boston. This new figure represents less than half of last year’s amount of $14.2 million.

Aug 11, 2010

First CityCenter projects earn LEED Gold

CityCenter announced today that it has received three Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council for: 1) ARIA Resort's hotel tower; 2) ARIA Resort's convention center and theater; 3) Vdara Hotel. ARIA and Vdara will open in December on the Las Vegas Strip and are the first of CityCenter's developments to be LEED certified.

Aug 11, 2010

Whiting-Turner, EMJ Corp. top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 40 largest retail contractors

A ranking of the Top 40 Retail Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

Aug 11, 2010

Callison, MulvannyG2 among nation's largest retail design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 75 Retail Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

Aug 11, 2010

Jones Lang LaSalle: 544 employees achieve sustainability accreditation

CHICAGO, LONDON and SINGAPORE, July 30 -- Underscoring its leadership position in environmental…

Aug 11, 2010

Former nightclub morphing into a shopping center

New York City's Limelight, the one-time notorious church-turned-nightclub, will be restored again, this time as a 25,000-sf retail marketplace. Limelight Marketplace founder Jack Menashe hopes to merge lavish atmospheric elements with cutting-edge fashion, beauty, and gourmet retailers like BookSmart, Caswell Massy, J.

Aug 11, 2010

And the world's tallest building is…

At more than 2,600 feet high, the Burj Dubai (right) can still lay claim to the title of world's tallest building—although like all other super-tall buildings, its exact height will have to be recalculated now that the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) announced a change to its height criteria.

Aug 11, 2010

New pavilion planned for famous boulevard

Located in a prime spot along Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Pavilion will have 9,000 sf of retail space, 35,500 sf of office space, and two below-grade parking levels when it opens in late 2010. The $10 million, three-story building extends a full length of the block to create a window wall of blue-gray translucent, fritted glass panels ove...

Aug 11, 2010

Mixed-use Seattle high-rise earns LEED Gold

Seattle’s 2201 Westlake development became the city’s first mixed-use and high-rise residential project to earn LEED Gold. Located in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, the newly completed 450,000-sf complex includes 300,000 sf of Class A office space, 135 luxury condominiums (known as Enso), and 25,000 sf of retail space.

Aug 11, 2010

Expanding retail complex is LEED pre-certified

The Promenade at Coconut Creek in Broward County, Fla., a live-work-play shopping and lifestyle center, is being expanded by 105,000 sf. When phase II of the 335,000-sf project is complete, the facility will house 75 retailers, restaurants, and related services, making it one of the largest mixed-use projects in northern Broward County.