Mid-year special: Top 13 stories for 2013 (so far)

Every six months, we like to take a look back at the stories that generated the most interest from our readers. For the first half of 2013, hot topics on BDCnetwork.com included high-rise projects in the works around the world, senior housing trends, 40 Under 40 winners, a BIM-related lawsuit, and the top trends in kitchen and bath design.

Here's a roundup of the top 13 articles on BDCnetwork.com for the first six months of 2013:

1. 7 hip high-rise developments on the drawing board

We feature a collection of recently profiled high-rise projects in the works around the world. They include Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's whimsical Dancing Dragons tower in Seoul and a 1,312-foot-tall finance and trade center under construction in Nanning, China. READ THE ARTICLE

2. 8 trends shaping today’s senior housing

The ranks of those age 65 and older are swelling by the thousands every day. Is there an opportunity for your firm in the seniors housing market? READ THE ARTICLE

3. Meet BD+C's 40 Under 40 class of 2013

We’re pleased to present our Class of 2013 “40 Under 40” honorees. Along with the 280 previous recipients of this honor, dating from 2006, they represent the next generation of leadership in the AEC industry. READ THE ARTICLE

4. Top 10 kitchen and bath design trends for 2013

Gray color schemes and transitional styles are among the top trends identified by more than 300 kitchen and bath design experts. READ THE ARTICLE

5. Lawsuit teaches valuable lesson on BIM and communication

BDCnetwork blogger Sasha Reed offers a cautionary tale about one of the first BIM-related lawsuits. The parties involved in this university building project kept their identities private, but it’s been reported that they settled out of court for millions of dollars. READ THE ARTICLE

6. Extreme LEGO: Wondrous micro city built out of 200,000 blocks

Master LEGO builder Mike Doyle unveils his latest creation, an out-of-this-world micro city that celebrates peaceful alien contact. READ THE ARTICLE

7. Will Google Glass revolutionize the construction process?

An Australian architect is exploring the benefits of augmented reality in the design and construction process. READ THE ARTICLE

8. A LEGO lover's dream: Guide to building the world's iconic structures with LEGO

A new book from LEGO master builder Warren Elsmore offers instructions for creating scale models of buildings and landmarks with LEGO. READ THE ARTICLE

9. 8 eye-popping wood building projects

WoodWorks announces the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards. READ THE ARTICLE

10. Supertall 'Sky City' will house 4,400 families in Changsha, China

Up to 30,000 people could be accommodated in planned 'world's tallest building,' at 2,749 feet. READ THE ARTICLE

11. Calatrava projects encounter issues with water, structure

Alleged maintenance, safety problems with several iconic Santiago Calatrava projects give rise to financial claims. READ THE ARTICLE

12. 13 structural steel buildings that dazzle

The American Institute of Steel Construction names its 2013 IDEAS2 winners. READ THE ARTICLE

13. Walgreens to build first net-zero energy retail store

Evanston, Ill., location will utilize solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal. READ THE ARTICLE

Humphreys and Partners, Gensler, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Niles Bolton Associates, and AO top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all multifamily buildings work, including apartments, condominiums, student housing facilities, and senior living facilities.

The Cedar Crossing development in Seattle features street-level retail and businesses.

Affordable Housing | Oct 20, 2023

Cracking the code of affordable housing

Perkins Eastman's affordable housing projects show how designers can help to advance the conversation of affordable housing.

Senior Living Design | Oct 19, 2023

Senior living construction poised for steady recovery

Senior housing demand, as measured by the change in occupied units, continued to outpace new supply in the third quarter, according to NIC MAP Vision. It was the ninth consecutive quarter of growth with a net absorption gain. On the supply side, construction starts continued to be limited compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Warehouses | Oct 19, 2023

JLL report outlines 'tremendous potential' for multi-story warehouses

A new category of buildings, multi-story warehouses, is beginning to take hold in the U.S. and their potential is strong. A handful of such facilities, also called “urban logistics buildings” have been built over the past five years, notes a new report by JLL.

Building Materials | Oct 19, 2023

New white papers offer best choices in drywall, flooring, and insulation for embodied carbon and health impacts

“Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Insulation” and “Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Gypsum Drywall and Flooring,” by architecture and design firm Perkins&Will in partnership with the Healthy Building Network, advise on how to select the best low-carbon products with the least impact on human health.

Contractors | Oct 19, 2023

Crane Index indicates slowing private-sector construction

Private-sector construction in major North American cities is slowing, according to the latest RLB Crane Index. The number of tower cranes in use declined 10% since the first quarter of 2023. The index, compiled by consulting firm Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), found that only two of 14 cities—Boston and Toronto—saw increased crane counts.

Office Buildings | Oct 19, 2023

Proportion of workforce based at home drops to lowest level since pandemic began

The proportion of the U.S. workforce working remotely has dropped considerably since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, but office vacancy rates continue to rise. Fewer than 26% of households have someone who worked remotely at least one day a week, down sharply from 39% in early 2021, according to the latest Census Bureau Household Pulse Surveys.

Main bedroom in a One Chicago high-rise apartment.

Luxury Residential | Oct 18, 2023

One Chicago wins 2023 International Architecture Award

One Chicago, a two-tower luxury residential and mixed-use complex completed last year, has won the 2023 International Architecture Award. The project was led by JDL Development and designed in partnership between architecture firms Goettsch Partners and Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture.

Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2023

Top 130 Sports Facility Architecture Firms for 2023

Populous, Gensler, HOK, and HKS head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

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