A Cleveland suburb opens a $31.7 million new middle school and renovated high school

Accommodating 1,283 students in grades 6-12, the Warrensville, Ohio school complex features flexible learning environments and offers programs ranging from culinary arts and firefighting training to e-sports.

MFPRO+ News

More permits for ADUs than single-family homes issued in San Diego

Popularity of granny flats growing in California

Codes and Standards

New York City code update changes definition of a major building

Changes affecting how construction projects in New York City are permitted will have significant impacts for contractors. On Dec. 11, the definition of a major building in the city’s code will change from 10 stories to seven, or 75 feet. The change will affect thousands more projects.

Adaptive Reuse

Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, centerpiece of innovation hub, opens

The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.

Building Owners

Aug 11, 2010

Balfour Beatty agrees to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million

Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, investment and services group, has agreed to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million. Balfour Beatty executives believe the merger will be a major step forward in accomplishing a number of Balfour Beatty’s objectives, including establishing a global professional services business of scale, creating a leading position in U.S. civil infrastructure, particularly in the transportation sector, and enhancing its global reach.

Aug 11, 2010

CertainTeed Ceilings launches continuing education webinar series for architects, contractors

(Valley Forge, Pa.) – June 22, 2009 - Through a new, free webinar series, CertainTeed Corporation…

Aug 11, 2010

Construction unemployment rises to 17.1% as another 64,000 construction workers are laid off in September

The national unemployment rate for the construction industry rose to 17.1 percent as another 64,000 construction workers lost their jobs in September, according to an analysis of new employment data released today. With 80 percent of layoffs occurring in nonresidential construction, Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said the decline in nonresidential construction has eclipsed housing’s problems.

Aug 11, 2010

Billings at U.S. architecture firms exceeds $40 billion annually

In the three-year period leading up to the current recession, gross billings at U.S. architecture firms increased nearly $16 billion from 2005 and totaled $44.3 billion in 2008. This equates to 54 percent growth over the three-year period with annual growth of about 16 percent. These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Business of Architecture: AIA Survey Report on Firm Characteristics.

Aug 11, 2010

CHPS debuts high-performance building products database

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) made a new tool available to product manufacturers to help customers identify building products that contribute to sustainable, healthy, built environments. The tool is an online, searchable database where manufacturers can list products that have met certain environmental or health standards ranging from recycled content to materials that contribute to improved indoor air quality.

Aug 11, 2010

Green Building Initiative launches two certification programs for green building professionals

The Green Building Initiative® (GBI), one of the nation’s leading green building organizations and exclusive provider of the Green Globes green building certification in the United States, today announced the availability of two new personnel certification programs for green building practitioners: Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Green Globes Assessor (GGA).

Aug 11, 2010

Potomac Valley Brick launches brick design competition with $10,000 grand prize

Potomac Valley Brick presents Brick-stainable: Re-Thinking Brick a design competition seeking integrative solutions for a building using clay masonry units (brick) as a primary material.

Aug 11, 2010

SimplexGrinnell earns certified status in Microsoft Partner Program for 9th year in a row

ANAHEIM, CA. (September 22, 2009) – For the ninth consecutive year, SimplexGrinnell has earned…

Aug 11, 2010

HDR, Perkins+Will top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest healthcare design firms

A ranking of the Top 100 Healthcare Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants