Article toolbar More than a trend, green design is an institution in the tri-state area. Universities, hospitals and other institutional clients are the main drivers of local large-scale sustainable projects. Fortunately for design firms, many of those sectors held up relatively well during the downturn as private clients retreated from development plans or were held back by limited financing. Still, 2010 wasn't without struggles. This year's Top 20 Green Design Firms list, based on green project revenue earned in 2010, tallied a combined $254 million in fees from green projects—a more than 17% drop from the $307 million collected by
Article toolbar Design firms throughout the region continue to suffer the pains of the recession, but some see signs of relief on the horizon. As with 2009, designers saw a dribble of work flow from private-sector clients last year as financing remains elusive. But ongoing public-sector and institutional clients continue to buoy the market for many firms. Public money is drying up fast, but some executives at local design firms are hopeful that a surge in private work could keep revenue flowing. Rendering courtesy of Shop Architects Barclays Center Thornton Tomasetti is part of the design team on the $350-million
Article toolbar When HNTB Corp. started a study of the Lake Champlain Bridge for the New York State Dept. of Transportation in 2009, everyone involved expected a standard environmental and design engineering review. But an inspection of the 80-year-old bridge's piers showed the structure was in danger of crumbling. Image courtesy of HNTB Critical Connections HNTB is handling preliminary engineering on the $1-billion Goethals Bridge replacement between New Jersey and Staten Island. Related Links: Public Projects Helped Firms Stay Stable in 2010 Top Design Firms Main Ranking List Top Design Firms Rankings by Sector HNTB soon found itself in the
SnapShot May 9, 2011 Submitted By : Jedd Heap, Associate Architect, Carlson Studio Architecture, Sarasota, Fla. Columns supporting the “Bridge of Hope” covered archway at the LEED Gold-certified Cancer Support Community facility in Sarasota, Fla., are made from Florida heart pine timber recovered from the bottom of the Suwannee River and estimated to be more than 200 years old, according to Jedd Heap, architect with Carlson Studio Architecture. Resistant to decay, the heart pine is the center portion of these large, ancient trees. Photographer: Dick Dickinson
Construction on the first two phases of the five-phase, multi-use Hindu American Religious Center located on 33 acres in Robbinsville, N.J., is currently under way. The center broke ground in September 2010, and upon its completion in 2016, it will total 262,000 sq ft. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" The first two phases of the project include a main atrium building that will enclose a 9,000-sq-ft, 36-ft- high Hindu prayer building, known as a mandir. The mandir has been designed by PS&S, Warren, N.J. PS&S is also the engineer on the project, in collaboration with local and India-based artisans.
Image courtesy of Solaire Generation Inc. Oculus Building Skanska will fabricate and erect approximately 11,000 tons of steel for the Oculus building at the new WTC Transportation Hub. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Skanska has won a $204-million contract from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to fabricate and erect approximately 11,000 tons of structural steel for the Santiago Calatrava-designed transit station at the new 800,000-sq-ft World Trade Center Transportation Hub, currently under construction. Skanska USA Civil's operating unit Skanska Koch will construct the so-called “Oculus” building that will frame the hub's main concourse. The structure
New York City union carpenters' rank and file members rallied at union headquarters in Manhattan on April 12, protesting proposed changes to wages and mobility rules and calling for reform of council leadership. The “Rally for Solidarity” came as heated bargaining continues between local unions and contractor groups. Photo by David Buccola Rally For Solidarity Members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters gathered to protest proposed changes to wages and mobility rules. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" John Musumeci, Local 157, likened the conflict to the union battle in Wisconsin earlier this year. “We are in that same fight,
On The Scene May 9, 2011 Our editors are everywhere�at all the industry events that matter most. When They're not speaking on panels, they're busy taking notes�and snapping photos�so they can inform their readers about what was said and who was there. ACE Mentor Program ACE Mentor Program On April 9, representatives of the Balfour Beatty/James A. Cummings Inc. joint venture that is constructing Florida Atlantic University’s new football stadium in Boca Raton hosted a project tour for about 40 local high-school students participating in the ACE (architecture-construction-engineering) Mentor program.Above, Balfour Beatty Construction’s Steve Jordan shows the students some of
Rendering: Manhattan Neighborhood Network A 124-year-old firehouse building in East Harlem is currently undergoing a $6 million transformation into a media center on behalf of Manhattan Neighborhood Network, an organization who administers the four Public Access cable TV channels in Manhattan. The 5,000-sq-ft media center is located at East 104 Street and upon its completion in will provide the community with full access to new communications technology. Mc Gowan Builders of East Rutherford, N.J. is the construction manager on the project. Work includes the renovation of the firehouse’s landmarked masonry exterior walls, the construction of a new penthouse, elevator
Rendering: Micielli + Wyetzner Architects The Fire Department of New York has started construction on a two-story, 12,400-sq-ft Emergency Medical Service Station located on Metropolitan Avenue near Bedford Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The new station, designed by Michielli + Wyetzner of New York, is part of FDNY’s plan to improve response time to medical emergencies throughout the city. The new station will be divided into four parts with the first floor designed to store four emergency vehicles, a vehicle support zone and personal protective equipment storage area, a lieutenant’s office and other administrative spaces. The second floor will house
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