Tag: buildings

May 1, 2023

After Berkeley, California, became the nation’s first city to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings in 2019, dozens of local governments followed suit, including New York City in 2021. At the state level, Washington state and California have encouraged […]

March 20, 2023

Many buildings within seismic zones are not built to withstand the impacts of earthquakes. Legislators in seismic regions across the U.S. have updated building codes and regulations to better handle seismic events for new construction and have put legislation in […]

September 26, 2022

Everyone’s experience of a city is unique. Whether one is visiting a place for the first time or has lived there all their life, their experiences are shaped by their personal interactions with the built environment. Buildings, landscapes, and streets […]

September 15, 2022

Considering the time, energy, and environmental impact of a construction process, architecture must explore different methodologies that work with the existing built environment. For example: how to give life to a forgotten building? Adaptive reuse gives new opportunities to abandoned […]

September 14, 2022

Looking back 35 years to his job in Northern Virginia as an American Concrete Institute testing technician responsible for the quality of concrete delivered to building jobsites, civil engineer Rick Bohan recalls that concrete was called “mud.” “Contractors would ask, […]

August 12, 2022

Even in times of pandemic and uncertainty, construction continues to be big business. In 2021, new constructions in the US were valued at almost $1.6 trillion, and data shows it’s forecast to reach over $2 trillion in 2025. Construction spending […]

March 11, 2022

A recent spate of articles bemoaning the proliferation of 5-over-1 apartment buildings caught my attention. Outlets such as Bloomberg, Common Edge, Crosscut, and Curbed have all commented on the building type, the common thread being a reproach for their ubiquity, […]

March 8, 2022

Nowadays, the role of architects exceeds the limits of construction, reaching fields that are often unthinkable, but which nonetheless demonstrate a close relationship with the profession. If we go back in time, the fact is that many buildings, houses, monuments […]

December 17, 2021

New York City officials passed a bill that would ban natural gas use in most new buildings under seven stories, as soon as 2024. The City Council passed the bill by a 40-7 vote on Dec. 15 that directs the […]

November 12, 2021

A new report released today by ROCKWOOL Group and Cambridge Econometrics maps a clear path to greener buildings and shows strong support from the public to renovate their homes, if adequate financial and administrative support is available. Including data from […]

October 28, 2021

To help avoid another building disaster, such as the June 24 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South residential condominium in Surfside, Florida legislators should establish statewide mandatory structural recertification inspections and whole-building safety inspections for most existing buildings of […]

June 1, 2021

A recent study from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Community Preservation Corp., BrightPower and Steven Winter Associates, found that multifamily dwellings built to Passive House standards significantly outperformed conventionally built buildings in energy efficiency. […]

May 21, 2021

Montgomery County, Md. is generating significant buzz among U.S. jurisdictions interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings. After tightening eligibility requirements for an over-subscribed green building tax credit in September 2020, the Montgomery County council upped the ante […]

March 4, 2021

Because of the decrease in the availability of land area and the ever-increasing price per square meter, cities often tend to grow vertically. When we picture large metropolitan areas, we almost always imagine high-rise buildings, and the recognizable skyline becomes […]

December 14, 2020

It’s time once again to unveil ConstructConnect’s Top 5 Coolest Buildings of the Year. Each year it gets harder and harder to narrow down our picks to just five buildings. In a normal year, we typically see a few of […]

September 17, 2019

Many types of zero energy (ZE) buildings can be constructed with no added upfront cost, and some commercial buildings can see return on investment in as little as one year, according to a report by U.S. Green Building Council Massachusetts […]

June 13, 2019

A new report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) investigates the potential for rope-less and multidirectional elevator cabins for high-rise buildings. The technology runs on a series of seamless loops, powered by magnetic levitation. These rope-less […]

May 1, 2019

The DIU’s mission is to expedite the use of commercial technology within the military. In November, for instance, the DIU put out a solicitation for inexpensive drones — costing less than $6,000 for a complete system — that could be […]

February 12, 2019

Commissioning isn’t a new concept. The term actually dates back to shipbuilding; a commissioned ship is one that’s deemed ready for service. However, a ship must pass several milestones before setting sail. The equipment has to be installed and tested, […]

November 1, 2018

Zero energy buildings are on the rise in some areas, but barriers that are retarding their spread nationwide remain. That’s the conclusion of a new report, “Pathways to Zero Energy Buildings through Building Codes,” by the American Council for an […]