Category: Design

December 5, 2019

As technology disruption continues to accelerate in our industry, this is likely being discussed in boardrooms around the world. Design firms and construction companies absolutely should become technology companies, but becoming a tech company is much different than becoming a […]

December 3, 2019

The project planning process starts with a proposal estimate. Taking the time and effort to make a great proposal plan is a sure way to give the executing team the best shot for project success. The proposal estimate will have […]

December 2, 2019

Hype for modular construction has hit a level of ubiquity. It seems like every month another prefabricated hotel tops out at a record height for the delivery model, or a city official lauds the practice as the panacea for affordable […]

November 26, 2019

ASHRAE has released updated editions of its standards for ventilation system design and acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ). ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2019, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, specifies minimum ventilation rates and other measures for new and existing buildings to […]

November 22, 2019

The National Transportation Safety Board has all but concluded its investigation into the March 2018 Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse, which killed six people and injured several others. Its findings, foreshadowed by an earlier report from OSHA’s Office of […]

November 11, 2019

The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has published a new design guide, “Retrofit Metal Roofing.” The manual provides code-compliant and market-ready materials, methods, and best practices to re-roof buildings using metal roofing and light-gauge steel framing systems. Chapters are dedicated to […]

October 15, 2019

When rebuilding after a disaster, applying design-build process and thinking is much more effective than is perceived. The Build Back Better¹ philosophy of recovery after a disaster has wide acceptance. But there is a culprit in its full potential: bias. […]

September 19, 2019

Demand for design services in August took a markedly downward swing compared to July’s already soft score, according to a new report released today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 47.2 in […]

September 13, 2019

Using this method, owners manage only one single source design-build entity contract as opposed to the multiple contracts used in traditional design-bid-build project delivery. Design-build entities are selected based on a procurement process that asks them to develop a design […]

September 12, 2019

In our previous post on building commissioning we tackled the basics and answered the five Ws: what it is, who it benefits, when it’s required, where it falls in the design process and, ultimately, why it matters. We also explained […]