The green building industry will rebound in 2011 in spite of the continuing slow economic recovery in most developed countries, based on an analysis of 10 major trends. More people are going green each year, and there is nothing on the horizon that will stop this trend. However, in 2010, the slowdown in commercial real estate put a crimp in the start-up rate for new green building projects. In putting together my Top Ten Trends for 2011, I�m taking advantage of conversations I�ve had with green-building industry leaders in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia, as
How is it that companies that have been around for more than 100 years failed in this economic downturn while other, younger companies like Apple, Facebook, Wal-Mart and The Huffington Post continue to grow? It is a similar picture for many lesser-known, mid-sized companies: some have failed and others have thrived, irrespective of their industry, size or location. It is the best of times and the worst of times. Too many businesses are reacting in fear, pulling back and struggling. There are 10 key differences between a thriving company and a floundering one. Ask yourself, are you: 1. Sticking to
Related Links: The Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2011 Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green-building resource and research organization, selected its top 10 green-building trends to watch for the next 12 months. 1. Affordable green. In the existing homes market, energy upgrades are now available through new programs that include low-cost audits and utility bill-based financing. 2. Sharing and comparing home energy use. The sharing of home-energy consumption data is becoming more commonplace in social media. 3. Outcome-based energy codes. Under these, owners can pursue the most-effective retrofit strategy for their buildings, but they must achieve a pre-negotiated performance
Photos courtesy of The Neenan Co. Alamosa School District in Alamosa tied for first runner-up in the commercial, heavy division of the 2010 Insulated Concrete Form Awards at the World of Concrete conference in Las Vegas. The national award, given to Alamosa’s new K-2 and 3-5 schools, recognizes building projects that utilize ICF construction. The Neenan Co., based in Fort Collins, is the design-builder of the two 72,000-sq-ft schools. An ICF is a system of concrete forms that stays in place after the concrete pour and becomes part of the wall structure. The form adds insulation to the building, which
Photos by Ben Rasmussen Photography The Semper Fidelis Memorial Park Chapel in Quantico, Va., designed by Denver’s Fentress Architects, was recently recognized with a Best of 2010 Project of the Year award in the worship category by McGraw-Hill’s Mid-Atlantic Constructionmagazine. Project of the Year honors were given exclusively to the Best of 2010 winners that the jury considered “truly exceptional.” Selected from 100 entries, the awards program recognizes design and construction excellence in the region covering Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The chapel was recognized with four industry awards in 2010, including a Craftsmanship Award by the Washington
Photo courtesy of Pinkard Construction Construction manager/general contractor Pinkard Construction Co., Lakewood, has completed the town of Erie’s Leon A. Wurl Service Centerunder budget and 56 days ahead of schedule. An intensive preconstruction planning phase kept design-related changes on the project to .6%, or 75%, below the industry average. The final contract was $202,000 below the original contract, allowing Erie to apply the savings to other projects and uses. The locally funded project was fast-tracked to allow the town to completely relocate its maintenance operations well ahead of the winter season. The Leon A. Wurl Service Centerhouses maintenance operations, shops
Colorado business leaders� confidence bounced back to pre-recession levels going into the first quarter of 2011, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released last week by the University of Colorado at Boulder�s Leeds School of Business. For the first quarter of 2011, the LBCI posted a reading of 54.8—just shy of the 54.9 registered in the second quarter of 2007—up from 48.6 last quarter. Business leaders are optimistic about industry sales, profits, employment, capital expenditures and state economic growth. While the index overall is quite strong, certain components are much stronger than others, according
D. Thomas Goderre, P.E., LEED AP has been named district operations manager for Gilbane Building Co.’s Phoenix office. He is a 23-year veteran who joined Gilbane in 1997. Goderre has been involved in a number of major projects including the City of Phoenix Police Department Crime Laboratory and the Maricopa County Downtown Court Tower. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. SUMMERS GODERRE Jeff Kratzke, RLA, ASLA has been selected to lead Olsson Associates’ landscape architecture and urban planning practice out of the firm’s Phoenix office. He has 25 years
Every year in the construction industry, some firms achieve new milestones in contracts or find success where others faltered. As the new year gets under way amid what may be the twinklings of an economic recovery, ENR Southwest looks at six diverse companies whose work could make a difference in the coming year, and help to shape and refine the future of the region's construction industry. Kovach Inc. Metal panel subcontractor uses design-assist to add panache to key projects Specializing in the fabrication and installation of high-quality metals, aluminum composite material and stone veneers for complex exterior designs, Kovach also
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