BD+C editors and our contributors posted hundreds of blogs in 2013. Here's a recap of the most popular topics. They include valuable lessons from one of the first BIM-related lawsuits and sage advice from AEC legend Arthur Gensler.
1. Lawsuit teaches valuable lesson on BIM and communication
While browsing through some magazines on a flight, I read a cautionary tale about one of the first BIM-related lawsuits. The crux of the issue centered on the lack of communication between the architect, MEP engineer, and contractor. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
2. Eight of history’s biggest design blunders
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote rings true when one considers the many failures and resulting lessons learned in the history of architecture, engineering and design. By Cannon Design Read the post.
3. Arthur Gensler to architects: Don't give away your ideas
The founder of Gensler advises dozens of up-and-coming AEC professionals at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco. By David Barista Read the post.
4. Are these the '10 buildings that changed America'? Not likely
The other day we posted an announcement about PBS's upcoming special, "10 Buildings That Changed America." I don't pretend to be an architectural historian, but does anyone else think there are some unusual choices here? By Robert Cassidy Read the post.
5. Brainstorming solutions to BIM implementation challenges – What hardware do you really need?
Even as more owners, agencies, and AEC firms are turning to BIM, it is impossible to ignore the fact that many of these organizations are still struggling with BIM implementation. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
6. Three new insulation materials could be powerful solutions on commercial retrofits
Three innovative insulation materials, including vacuum insulation panels and phase-change materials, could soon be used for commercial building retrofits in the U.S., as costs of these products fall and revamped local building codes allow their use. By Drew Ballensky Read the post.
7. Does billing by the hour still make sense?
What’s an idea really worth? That’s the question posed by The New York Times in a provocative article that explores whether the notion of billing time still makes economic sense. By Steven Burns Read the post.
8. BIM 2.0 and Google Glass: Science fiction or coming attractions for a job site near you?
Todd Wynne of Rogers-O’Brien Construction is one of only 8,000 people around the globe granted a pair of Google Glass for testing. Here's what he's been up to with the technology. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
9. Better ways to manage PDF drawing sets – A customer's wish comes true
Sometimes in order to solve a challenge, you simply need walk around the problem and look at it from different angles. By Sasha Reed Read the post.
10. Shuttered Pyramid arena in Memphis to be renovated for Bass Pro Shops
The vacant Pyramid arena in downtown Memphis will be transformed into a Bass Pro Shop. Instead of a 210-room hotel on three floors around The Pyramid's interior, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is considering building 60 to 80 "cabins" inside the building. By Drew Ballensky Read the post.
Related Stories
| May 18, 2011
Raphael Viñoly’s serpentine-shaped building snakes up San Francisco hillside
The hillside location for the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine building at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a challenge to the Building Team of Raphael Viñoly, SmithGroup, DPR Construction, and Forell/Elsesser Engineers. The 660-foot-long serpentine-shaped building sits on a structural framework 40 to 70 feet off the ground to accommodate the hillside’s steep 60-degree slope.
| May 18, 2011
New center provides home to medical specialties
Construction has begun on the 150,000-sf Medical Arts Pavilion at the University Medical Center in Princeton, N.J.
| May 18, 2011
Improvements add to Detroit convention center’s appeal
Interior and exterior renovations and updates will make the Detroit Cobo Center more appealing to conventioneers. A new 40,000-sf ballroom will take advantage of the center’s riverfront location, with views of the river and downtown.
| May 18, 2011
One of Delaware’s largest high schools seeks LEED for Schools designation
The $82 million, 280,000-sf Dover (Del.) High School will have capacity for 1,800 students and feature a 900-seat theater, a 2,500-seat gymnasium, and a 5,000-seat football stadium.
| May 18, 2011
Carnegie Hall vaults into the 21st century with a $200 million renovation
Historic Carnegie Hall in New York City is in the midst of a major $200 million renovation that will bring the building up to contemporary standards, increase educational and backstage space, and target LEED Silver.
| May 17, 2011
Redesigning, redefining the grocery shopping experience
The traditional 40,000- to 60,000-sf grocery store is disappearing and much of the change is happening in the city. Urban infill sites and mixed-use projects offer grocers a rare opportunity to repackage themselves into smaller, more efficient, and more convenient retail outlets. And the AEC community will have a hand in developing how these facilities will look and operate.
| May 17, 2011
Architecture billings index fell in April, hurt by tight financing for projects
The architecture billings index, a leading indicator of U.S. construction activity, fell in April, hurt by tight financing for projects. The architecture billings index fell 2.9 points last month to 47.6, a level that indicates declining demand for architecture services, according to the American Institute of Architects.
| May 17, 2011
Sustainability tops the syllabus at net-zero energy school in Texas
Texas-based firm Corgan designed the 152,200-sf Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, with the goal of creating the largest net-zero educational facility in the nation, and the first in the state. The facility is expected to use 50% less energy than a standard school.
