The University of Colorado’s $63-million Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences was formally dedicated on Aug. 29 at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Courtesy of University of Colorado The new $63-million Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorados Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora was formally dedicated on Aug. 29. The top three floors of the new four-story, 171,416-sq-ft building are programmed for research. They host 45 wet lab bays, 69 specialty alcoves that can be reconfigured to support a variety of functions and a fixed core area devoted to cold rooms, dark rooms,
The American Public Works Association, which just wrapped up its annual convention in Denver in mid-September, honored Aurora’s Prairie Waters project as one of its public works projects of the year nationwide for 2011. Courtesy of Aurora Water Prairie Waters is part of a $1.1-billion, 10-year capital improvement project to reinforce the reliability of Auroras water system. Prairie Waters is part of a $1.1-billion, 10-year capital improvement project to reinforce the reliability of Aurora’s water system. It adds 3.3 billion gal. (10,000 acre-ft) annually to the city’s water supply—a 20% increase. The project is designed to meet Aurora’s water needs
The American Institute of Architects Denver recognized its 2011 architectural design, honor and president’s awards recipients during a ceremony on Sept. 23 at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Photo by Frank Ooms The Denver Botanic Gardens project won an Honor Award from AIA Denver this year. It was designed by Denver's Tryba Architects and built by GH Phipps Construction, also of Denver. 2011 Design AwardsNine architectural design awards were selected from 62 entries submitted by members of AIA Denver and judged by a jury of architects and design experts. They were presented by AIA Denver Design Awards Jury Chair Merrill Elam
Golden Triangle Construction was recently awarded four new projects in southern Colorado. Rendering by OZ Architecture The new 8,453-sq-ft AgeWell medical facility in Colorado Springs was designed by OZ Architecture to accommodate AgeWells primary patient population of seniors ages 60 and older on Medicare. One of the projects includes a new medical office for the AgeWell Medical Associates, formerly Colorado Springs Senior Medicine, in Colorado Springs. The new 8,453-sq-ft medical facility was designed by OZ Architecture to accommodate AgeWell’s primary patient population of seniors ages 60 and older on Medicare. The facility will have 14 patient exam rooms and a multipurpose
The 60,000-sq-ft Research Innovation Center on Colorado State University’s Foothills Campus has earned LEED-Gold certification. The Research Innovation Center, or RIC, was funded by a $52-million bond issue. Constructed in 2010, the facility includes several Biosafety Level 2 labs supporting the university’s infectious disease research. Much of the building is occupied by independent entrepreneurs and researchers. The building also hosts a 7,700-sq-ft vivarium operated by CSU’s Lab Animal Research department.To construct the RIC building, the university’s Facilities Management Department worked with The FWA Group, Fort Collins. CSU officials worked closely with architects to design an aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient laboratory.“Early on,
Construction firms are failing faster than in recent memory, and the majority of contractor failures result not just from market forces but also from decisions made by contractors themselves—internal decisions that deviate from sound business practices. These mistakes place additional strains on a company’s staff, systems and financial capacity. As deviations from sound business thinking grow, the resulting risks increase exponentially. Construction is always an extremely competitive business. That fact is not limited to territory or project type. With limited local opportunities available to some contractors, expanding beyond their territory or normal scope of work becomes tempting, but that injects additional risks into the equation. A new territory
A return-to-work program is a practical approach to returning injured employees to a safe and productive work environment. Although injured employees may be unable to perform their regular jobs, they can often do alternative, productive work while recovering fully from injuries. A return-to-work program can reduce the cost of lost time due to injuries and can keep an injured employee contributing to your organization. Injured employees who stay at work also receive support from co-workers and feel productive. Companies of any size can implement and benefit from an effective return-to-work program.Here are some tips for creating a successful program:• Establish a few return-to-work jobs before
On the heels of President Obama’s announcement of his new jobs proposal, largely centered around infrastructure investments, and still reeling from the impact of the recent debt ceiling battle, it’s time for Congress and the rest of America to brace themselves for another big battle. It’s one that is sure to incite the “no tax under any circumstances” sentiment that has swept the nation courtesy of the Tea Party and will have large implications for each of us. On September 30, the federal gas tax, currently at 18.4 cents per gallon, is scheduled to expire. And if it is not
Construction costs have increased to about the same levels they were in September 2007, according to a recent report from construction consulting firm Rider Levett Bucknall. From the last year and a half of quarterly upticks in construction bid prices, RLB reports it is clear that construction costs have passed their low point and are heading upward. The concern is that bid prices are rising less quickly than the combined cost of labor and materials, says RLB President and Global Board Member Julian Anderson.“Our July 2011 figures show that bid prices are now in danger of actually falling below the
Construction employment showed little movement in August, dipping 5,000 below the July total but remaining 4,000 higher than a year ago, according to a recent analysis of new federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the numbers are consistent with a pattern of small gains followed by slight decreases, as demand for construction remains weak. “This report continues a long-running zigzag pattern of minimal up-and-down changes in construction employment,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The free-fall has ended, but the seasonally adjusted employment total in August—5.5 million—has been virtually unchanged for a
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