Image by Vilius Kukanauskas from Pixabay

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.

MFPRO+ New Projects

Luxury waterfront tower in Brooklyn features East River and Manhattan skyline views

Leasing recently began for The Dupont, a 41-story luxury rental property along the Brooklyn, N.Y., waterfront. Located within the 22-acre Greenpoint Landing, where it overlooks the newly constructed Newtown Barge Park, the high-rise features East River and Manhattan skyline views along with 20,000 sf of indoor and outdoor communal space.

Resiliency

Climate change degrades buildings slowly but steadily

While natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires can destroy buildings in minutes, other factors exacerbated by climate change degrade buildings more slowly but still cause costly damage.

Healthcare Facilities

New surgical tower is largest addition to UNC Health campus in Chapel Hill

Construction on UNC Health’s North Carolina Surgical Hospital, the largest addition to the Chapel Hill campus since it was built in 1952, was recently completed. The seven-story, 375,000-sf structure houses 26 operating rooms, four of which are hybrid size to accommodate additional equipment and technology for newly developed procedures.

Market Data | Sep 5, 2023

Nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in July 2023

National nonresidential construction spending grew 0.1% in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.08 trillion and is up 16.5% year over year.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 1, 2023

New Tennessee Titans stadium conceived to maximize types of events that can be hosted

The new Tennessee Titans stadium was conceived to maximize the number and type of events that the facility can host. In addition to serving as the home of the NFL’s Titans, the facility will be a venue for numerous other sporting, entertainment, and civic events. The 1.7-million sf, 60,000-seat, fully enclosed stadium will be built on the east side of the current stadium campus.

Office Buildings | Aug 31, 2023

About 11% of U.S. office buildings could be suitable for green office-to-residential conversions

A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper from researchers at New York University and Columbia Business School indicates that about 11% of U.S. office buildings may be suitable for conversion to green multifamily properties.

Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023

New York City creates team to accelerate office-to-residential conversions

New York City has a new Office Conversion Accelerator Team that provides a single point of contact within city government to help speed adaptive reuse projects. Projects that create 50 or more housing units from office buildings are eligible for this new program.

Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2023

Community-led effort aims to prevent flooding in Chicago metro region

RainReady Calumet Corridor project favors solutions that use natural and low-impact projects such as rain gardens, bioswales, natural detention basins, green alleys, and permeable pavers, to reduce the risk of damaging floods.

Giants 400 | Aug 31, 2023

Top 35 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2023

Jacobs, AECOM, Alfa Tech, Burns & McDonnell, and Ramboll top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2023

Top 75 Engineering Firms for 2023

Kimley-Horn, WSP, Tetra Tech, Langan, and IMEG head the rankings of the nation's largest engineering firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Construction worker holding hard hat at job site

Building Team | Vessel Architecture & Design | Aug 28, 2023

Navigating challenges in construction administration

Vessel Architecture's Rebekah Schranck, AIA, shares how the demanding task of construction administration can be challenging, but crucial.

Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) exterior

Laboratories | Aug 24, 2023

Net-zero carbon science center breaks ground in Canada

Designed by Diamond Schmitt, the new Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) will provide federal scientists and partners with state-of-the-art space and equipment to collaborate on research opportunities.

Multifamily Housing | Aug 23, 2023

Constructing multifamily housing buildings to Passive House standards can be done at cost parity

All-electric multi-family Passive House projects can be built at the same cost or close to the same cost as conventionally designed buildings, according to a report by the Passive House Network. The report included a survey of 45 multi-family Passive House buildings in New York and Massachusetts in recent years.