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GSA to invest $80 million on smart building technologies at federal properties

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will invest $80 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into smart building technologies within 560 federal buildings. GSA intends to enhance operations through granular controls, expand available reporting with more advanced metering sources, and optimize the operator experience.




Contractors

Contractors expect to spend more time on prefabrication, according to FMI study

Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors. FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.

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Mar 10, 2014

Meet Tally – the Revit app that calculates the environmental impact of building materials

Tally provides AEC professionals with insight into how materials-related decisions made during design influence a building’s overall ecological footprint.

Mar 7, 2014

Thom Mayne's high-tech Emerson College LA campus opens in Hollywood [slideshow]

The $85 million, 10-story vertical campus takes the shape of a massive, shimmering aircraft hangar, housing a sculptural, glass-and-aluminum base building.

Mar 4, 2014

How EIFS came to America

Design experts from Hoffmann Architects offer a brief history of exterior insulation and finish systems in the U.S.

Feb 20, 2014

5 myths about cross laminated timber

A CLT expert clears up several common misconceptions and myths surrounding the use of wood as a building material.

Feb 19, 2014

Harvard's 'termite robots' can build any thing, any way [video]

The robots build by observing thier environment and then obeying a set of traffic rules programmed by researchers.

Feb 14, 2014

Scrap tires used to boost masonry blocks at Missouri University of S&T

Research could lead to blocks that use waste material and have seismic and insulating benefits.

Feb 14, 2014

The Technology Report 2014: Top tech tools and trends for AEC professionals

In this special five-part report, Building Design+Construction explores how Building Teams throughout the world are utilizing advanced robotics, 3D printers, drones, data-driven design, and breakthroughs in building information modeling to gain efficiencies and create better buildings. 

David Barista | Feb 14, 2014

Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture

The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.

Sasaki | Feb 13, 2014

University officials sound off on net zero energy buildings

As part of its ongoing ZNE buildings research project, Sasaki Associates, in collaboration with Buro Happold, surveyed some 500 campus designers and representatives on the top challenges and opportunities for achieving net-zero energy performance on university and college campuses. 

Feb 12, 2014

First Look: Futuristic Silicon Valley campus designed to draw tech startups

The curved campus will consist of four different buildings, one exclusively for amenities like a coffee bar, bike shop, and bank.

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