Sacramento may have one of the country’s largest urban infill projects underway, but that doesn’t mean the city’s overall construction market has completely bounced back from recession. “We are at about the same level as last year, which I consider too slow,” says David Kwong, acting director of the city’s Community Development Department. He says the total valuation for construction projects in 2009 was about $350 million, the same figure he projects for this year. The total building permits issued in 2009 was 12,902 and the current total this year is 2,234 as of March 15. Mark Cirksena, Sacramento regional
Veteran builders readily admit that what they viewed less than a decade ago as an industry fad – the notion that projects should be designed and built with a high degree of environmental sensitivity – has become a widely accepted, permanent industry practice. Swinerton is currently working on the Pacific Ridge School, phase 2 project in Carlsbad. The architect is Carrier Johnson. Pacific Ridge School is registered with the certification goal of LEED for Schools gold. Elements include daylighting, passive cooling, solar panels, artifical turf on playing fields, parking for hybrid vehicles and bioswales. Related Links: Top Contractors Firms Listing
As California’s construction industry continues to feel the recession’s pinch, some of the state’s top contractors are tightening their tool belts and concentrating on their company’s individual talents to stay ahead in the game. Slide Show Related Links: Top Contractors in California “The biggest challenge right now is a lot more competition on projects,” says Michael Scribner, president and CEO of San Francisco-based BCCI. “It used to be that we were competing against maybe two or three contractors on a project and now there could be between eight and 10.” Scribner, whose company specializes in interiors work around the Bay
The project team’s task at the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal project at Oyster Point Marina seemed reasonable enough: Design and engineer a ferry terminal off the unpredictable waters of San Francisco Bay and make sure it can withstand a catastrophic earthquake while still meeting the letter of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Oh, and make sure the ferry itself is made of concrete -- and floats. Not a problem, says Bo Jensen, vice president of Oakland-based Moffat & Nichol Engineers, one of the marine engineering firms hired by owner San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority for the
Being inside Sustainability Base, a $2- million, 50,000-sq-ft steel-frame building going up at Mountain View’s NASA Ames Research Center at Moffet Federal Airfield, may well be the closet you’ll ever come to visiting the moon. Image: William Mcdonough & Associates Swinerton Builders is nearing completion of the steel erection at NASA Ames. Construction on the two-story facility, which is designed to be the federal government’s most environmentally sustainable building, began in August. The structure will – or should – consume no more energy than it generates, use 90% less water than other standard buildings and feature smart technology that will
As many construction sectors remain stuck in the mud of hard economic times, the military industry in California is marching along with its share of new projects and renovations. “The military has definitely picked-up” says Dave Roach, senior vice president for San Diego-based Barnhart Balfour Beatty. Roach, whose company currently has 10 projects underway with the Navy, worth about $200 million, says that while Barnhart’s other work has slowed, it has focused on military work, which makes up about 50% of the firm’s current output. “That’s what is nice about being diversified,” Roach says. “While working with K-12s, universities and
An 800,000-sq-ft hospital near San Diego, the largest of many healthcare facility projects under way throughout the Golden State, is back on track after a rocky start. Related Links: VA Hospital Rises in Palo Alto Sutter Replaces East Bay Med Center Huntington Hospital Doubles Emergency Facility Work started on Palomar Pomerado Medical Center West in Escondido in December 2007, with Redwood City-based Rudolph & Sletten on board as construction manager. CO Architects of Los Angeles is architect of record for the project, with Anshen + Allen of San Francisco providing interior design and furnishing services. But months later, owner Palomar
Huntington Hospital in Pasadena is in the midst of major, multi-phased improvements, including the addition of an $80-million, four-story building with an expanded emergency room department. Related Links: Healthcare Construction 2010 VA Hospital Rises in Palo Alto Sutter Replaces East Bay Med Center Freeman White of San Diego is the project architect for the vertical expansion project, with Sun Valley’s Tower General Contractors serving as general contractor. Construction of the 80,000-sq-ft building began in November 2008 and should be finished in early 2011. According to Tower project manager Mahmoud Saheli, the task of working in an open hospital as busy
There was a time when the design of a new law school usually meant a sprawling campus of separate buildings, with iconic columns and grassy courtyards. But it is 2010, space can be limited and some owners are finding a need to build schools straight up in the middle of busy cities. While shooting for LEED gold certification, the project will take advantage of its location across the street from a large public transportation station, and employ energy-saving systems such as photovoltaic solar panels on the roof. Enter Thomas Jefferson School of Law in downtown San Diego. “I would describe
Affordable housing has managed to break new ground in San Diego at a time when other construction sectors have slowed. Photo: Ten Fifty B. San Diego-based architects Martinez + Cutri designed the 22-story affordable housing project. The common areas will be surrounded by more than 7,000 sq ft of outdoor, landscaped terrace space “We are finding that there is a lot of opportunity in affordable housing right now,” says Jeff W. Graham, vice president of redevelopment for Centre City Development Corp., a non-profit corporation created by the city of San Diego to implement downtown redevelopment projects and programs. “With the