New science, old buildings: Renovating for efficiency, flexibility, and connection
What does the research space of the future look like? And can it be housed in older buildings—or does it require new construction?
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What does the research space of the future look like? And can it be housed in older buildings—or does it require new construction?
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.
The so-called “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, where houses of worship convert their properties to housing, could help alleviate the serious housing crisis affecting many communities around the country.
The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project in Duncan, British Columbia, features an expansive community hall featuring mass timber construction. The hall, designed to promote social interaction and connection to give patients, families, and staff a warm and welcoming environment, connects a Diagnostic and Treatment (“D&T”) Block and Inpatient Tower.
A former Sears store in Rochester, N.Y., will be transformed into one of the largest orthopaedics outpatient facilities in the Northeast.
In mid-February, a construction crew began lifting a 1940s post office building located in Burlingame, Calif., on the San Francisco Peninsula.
A community college in Oregon has begun construction on a new building devoted to maritime science. With it, the school hopes to solidify its position as a major industrial and marine technology center in the Pacific Northwest.
New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.
The original complex was built in 1899.
Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.
The project cost $18.1 million.
A five-year-long project included extensive restoration.
STO Building Group, Alfa Tech Consulting Engineers, Gensler, and Stantec top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.
The project is located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.