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Rochester, Minn., plans extensive geothermal network

The city of Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic, is going big on geothermal networks. The city is constructing Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) that consist of ambient pipe loops connecting multiple buildings and delivering thermal heating and cooling energy via water-source heat pumps.




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Architects

Every building starts with a concept and a design. Architects are involved at every stage of the process, even after a design has been finalized, helping other building team members through the snares and missteps in the construction process. Building Design+Construction delivers news, trends, and research to the nation's largest architectural design firms. 

Jun 19, 2013

Construction site safety improved in 2011

On-the-job construction fatalities dropped from 802 in 2010 to 781 in 2011, and recordable injuries fell from 4.7 per 100 workers in 2008 to 3.9 per 100 in 2011, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

BD+C Staff | Jun 19, 2013

New York City considers new construction standards for hospitals, multifamily buildings

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration has proposed new building codes for hospitals and multifamily dwellings in New York City to help them be more resilient in the event of severe weather resulting from climate change.  

Jun 18, 2013

Report: HVAC occupancy sensors could slash building energy demand by 18%

Researchers at the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conclude that significant energy savings can be achieved by varying ventilation levels based on the number of people in a given space.

Jun 18, 2013

Turner report: Activity in urban markets driving construction cost increases

Turner Construction Company announced that the Second Quarter 2013 Turner Building Cost Index – which measures costs in the non-residential building construction market in the United States – has increased to a value of 859. This reflects a 1.18% increase from the First Quarter 2013 and 4.00% yearly increase from the Second Quarter 2012.

Jun 17, 2013

First look: Austin to get first high-rise since 2003

Developer Cousins Properties broke ground on the 29-story Colorado Tower in downtown Austin, Texas, the city's first high-rise building since Cousins' completed the Frost Bank Tower a decade ago.

Jun 17, 2013

DOE launches database on energy performance of 60,000 buildings

The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information.

Jun 14, 2013

First look: Callebaut's eye-popping Möbius building for Taichung arts center

French design firm Vincent Callebaut Architectures has released renderings of  "Swallow's Nest," an entry in a design competition for a new cultural center, fine arts museum, and public library in Taichung City, Taiwan. The building, based on a Möbius ring, swirls around a central "Endless Patio."

Jun 14, 2013

Purdue, industry partners test light steel framing for seismic safety

A partnership of leading earthquake engineering researchers from top U.S. and Canadian universities and design professionals from the steel industry have begun the final phase of a three-year project to increase the seismic safety of buildings that use lightweight cold-formed steel for their primary beams and columns. 

Jun 13, 2013

7 great places that represent excellence in environmental design

An adaptive reuse to create LEED Platinum offices, a park that honors veterans, and a grand national plaza are among the seven projects named winners of the 2013 Great Places Awards. The Environmental Design and Research Association  recognize professional and scholarly excellence in environmental design, with special attention paid to the relationship between physical form and human activity or experience.

Jun 13, 2013

Richard Smith joins Cannon Design Science + Technology practice

Cannon Design, an internationally ranked architectural, engineering and planning firm, is pleased to announce Richard Smith has joined the firm as a Principal. Smith joins the leadership team for Cannon Design’s Science + Technology (S&T) practice and will focus on developing strategies for immediate and long-term growth.

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