Construction market news was mostly positive last week, with the AIA, AGC, and Census Bureau all seeing an uptick in key metrics. Here's a recap of the top construction market news for the week of September 15, 2013:
CONSTRUCTION SPENDING HITS FOUR-YEAR HIGH IN JULY
According an Associated General Contractors of America analysis of July Census Bureau data, single and multifamily residential spending have been strong, with hospitality, warehouses, and power infrastructure among the hot nonresidential categories. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/construction-spending-hits-four-year-high-july-agc-report
AUGUST HOUSING STARTS REVEAL MULTIFAMILY STILL HEALTHY BUT SINGLE-FAMILY STAGNATING
As analyzed by Auction.com Research, Census Bureau stats for August provided a bit of contrast from the report mentioned above, with single family starting to lag but multifamily remaining at "healthy levels." http://www.bdcnetwork.com/august-housing-starts-reveal-multifamily-still-healthy-single-family-stagnating
AIA SEES UPTICK IN ARCHITECTURE BILLINGS FOR AUGUST
Monthly ABI was 53.8, up from 52.7 in July (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The number has improved in eleven of the past twelve months. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/aia-sees-uptick-architecture-billings-august
U.S. ROOFING DEMAND PREDICTED TO RISE, DRIVEN BY NEW CONSTRUCTION
Aside from asphalt shingles (mostly a residential product), favorable categories include roofing tile, plastics, and metal roofing products. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/us-roofing-demand-predicted-rise-driven-new-construction
43% OF ENERGY LEADERS WILL INVEST MORE IN EFFICIENCY NEXT YEAR
Schneider Electric survey includes responses from people in the business and government sectors. Tracking and analyzing energy-use data and energy audits were the most popular energy management approaches; building automation, efficient lighting, and data center efficiency are mentioned as growth areas. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/forty-three-percent-energy-leaders-will-invest-more-efficiency-next-year-infographic-0
BIG PROJECTS OF NOTE:
* World's first "invisible" tower planned for Seoul, South Korea. "Cloaking" facade made of LED projectors and optical cameras will render the building transparent if desired. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/worlds-first-invisible-tower-planned-south-korea
* BIG and MVVA collaborate on proposal for Pier 6 development at Brooklyn Bridge Park. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/first-look-bigmvva-proposal-pier-6-brooklyn-bridge-park
* Suffolk Downs announces plan to build $1 billion "green" casino in Boston. http://www.bdcnetwork.com/proposed-boston-casino-development-approval-will-depend-partly-sustainability
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2010
Residences bring students, faculty together in the Middle East
A new residence complex is in design for United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, UAE, near Abu Dhabi. Plans for the 120-acre mixed-use development include 710 clustered townhomes and apartments for students and faculty and common areas for community activities.
| Oct 13, 2010
HQ renovations aim for modern look
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects’ renovations to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s New York City headquarters will feature a reworked reception lobby with back-painted glass, silk-screened logos, and a video wall.
| Oct 13, 2010
New health center to focus on education and awareness
Construction is getting pumped up at the new Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, Denver. The four-story, 94,000-sf building will focus on healthy lifestyles and disease prevention.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community center under way in NYC seeks LEED Platinum
A curving, 550-foot-long glass arcade dubbed the “Wall of Light” is the standout architectural and sustainable feature of the Battery Park City Community Center, a 60,000-sf complex located in a two-tower residential Lower Manhattan complex. Hanrahan Meyers Architects designed the glass arcade to act as a passive energy system, bringing natural light into all interior spaces.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community college plans new campus building
Construction is moving along on Hudson County Community College’s North Hudson Campus Center in Union City, N.J. The seven-story, 92,000-sf building will be the first higher education facility in the city.
| Oct 13, 2010
Bookworms in Silver Spring getting new library
The residents of Silver Spring, Md., will soon have a new 112,000-sf library. The project is aiming for LEED Silver certification.
| Oct 13, 2010
County building aims for the sun, shade
The 187,032-sf East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, Calif., will be oriented to take advantage of daylighting, with exterior sunshades preventing unwanted heat gain and glare. The building is targeting LEED Silver. Strong horizontal massing helps both buildings better match their low-rise and residential neighbors.
| Oct 12, 2010
Holton Career and Resource Center, Durham, N.C.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Special Recognition. Early in the current decade, violence within the community of Northeast Central Durham, N.C., escalated to the point where school safety officers at Holton Junior High School feared for their own safety. The school eventually closed and the property sat vacant for five years.
| Oct 12, 2010
Guardian Building, Detroit, Mich.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Special Recognition. The relocation and consolidation of hundreds of employees from seven departments of Wayne County, Mich., into the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit is a refreshing tale of smart government planning and clever financial management that will benefit taxpayers in the economically distressed region for years to come.
| Oct 12, 2010
Richmond CenterStage, Richmond, Va.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Bronze Award. The Richmond CenterStage opened in 1928 in the Virginia capital as a grand movie palace named Loew’s Theatre. It was reinvented in 1983 as a performing arts center known as Carpenter Theatre and hobbled along until 2004, when the crumbling venue was mercifully shuttered.
