Construction Jobs Blog

Headlines have continued to decry this historic correction in the first quarter of 2009.  But despite the foreboding coverage, green building has proved sustainable in more than one sense.  Firms and consumers are embracing the trend and proving that the economic downturn will not discourage the practice.

In fact, quite the opposite appears to be happening.  According to Turner Construction’s 2008 Green Building Barometer, 75% of commercial real estate executives said that credit market conditions would not stop them from constructing green buildings.  Citing reduced energy costs, higher building values and lower overall operating costs, the respondents suggest that the current economic doldrums will not take the wind out of green building’s sail. 

Green building is holding up in other ways as well.  According to the 2008 Green Survey:  Existing Buildings, more than 80% of commercial building owners Continue Reading »

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The looming stimulus bill stands ready to pump billions of dollars into construction projects across the nation, posing both opportunities and challenges to architects and builders.  In this video, president and CEO of Design + Construction  Strategies, Barbara Heller, gives her take on President Obama’s choice to have a chief performance officer, the breadth of the stimulus, technology to make the government more efficient and the lessons she’s learned working on projects involving the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport.  Also learn how green building guidelines such as LEED may be good at certifying aspirations, but lacking when it comes to measuring the benefits realized.

Heller’s firm specializes in using technology to improve efficiency in the construction industry.  She was interviewed on E&ETV’s OnPoint.

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Not too long ago, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, along with architect Santiago Calatrava, released revised designs and timetables for the World Trade Center’s transportation hub.  Though you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the renderings, this futuristic memorial of glass and steel is actually a scaled back version of the original!  It replaces an even more Continue Reading »

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Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group (…BIG…) recently revealed a spectacular design in a bid to create a Prague landmark.  The structure, called Walter Towers, is actually a single building that has been effectively cut, twisted, and stretched to create a stunning visual ‘W’ effect.  BIG points out that Continue Reading »

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Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron revealed their latest design earlier this week: 57 stories of apartments that emulate a Jenga game…in mid-play.  The cantilevered design will contain 145 two to five bedroom apartments, all with private open space accessible through 12 foot high glass doors. 

British artist Anish Kapoor designed the metallic sculpture at the bottom (the thing that looks like a giant drop of mercury).  Amenities include Continue Reading »

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No one ever said that building the largest freestanding structure on earth would be easy, but when Samsung Engineering and Construction began building the Burj Dubai, they never suspected that it would be their walkie-talkies that would be a problem.  According to Samsung’s project manager, Chang Geun Lee, the problems began at about 30 floors.  “We started to experience delays or no connection between the thirty-first and the ground floors, particularly in the core of the building,” said Lee.  Simply put, the walkie-talkies did not have the range necessary for such a massive structure.  For the rest of the story and more pictures, Continue Reading »

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A 20ha site on the north shore of Tirana Lake is the future home of the “Tirana Rocks”, a unique and eye-catching urban neighborhood designed by the Dutch firm MVRDV. The “rocks” will be large, cantilevered and leaning structures arranged in a ‘naturalesque’ pose and clothed in local stones, giving the entire complex a monolithic feel.

The neighborhood in Albania’s capital will have everything one would expect from a dense urban area: housing, offices, public buildings, retail locations, hotel spaces, sport complexes and parking. In addition Continue Reading »

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The classic construction mishap video from youtube:

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Over the past few years, we have witnessed a massive outpouring of creative and ambitious building projects in Dubai, effectively positing Dubai as a leader, perhaps the leader, in cutting-edge and sustainable building.  In August, Dubai-based designer Timelinks announced plans for a futuristic city that will be nearly self-sufficient in many regards.

Timelinks has managed to combine one of the most enduring ancient designs with groundbreaking technology, appropriately naming the pyramid-shaped project “Ziggurat” (the word for an ancient, pyramid-shaped temple).  Ziggurat will be a carbon-neutral city, powered by steam, wind, and solar energy.  Strategically placed within the pyramid will be public and private “green spaces” for agriculture.  There are even plans for facial recognition technology being used for security purposes.  One of the hallmarks of the project would be a Continue Reading »

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I was reading Forbes.com today and stumbled across a column that put a smile on my face.  While researching “the effects on the economy and job market from…greater green industry,” Michael Marks came to the same realization I did a short while ago:  “lo and behold, I found a topic that is nearly universally positive.”

With housing and financial turmoil, the increase in energy costs, and disasters dominating headlines for the past few months, it may be easy to overlook the progress of green industries and the promise they hold for America’s future.  And their promise is starting to be fulfilled:

– 2007 set solar energy records:  314 megawatts of new solar-generating capacity were constructed or installed in the U.S. last year, creating more than 6,000 new jobs and adding over $2 billion to the economy

– the number of jobs in “renewable energy or energy-efficient industries” is skyrocketing, with the American Solar Energy Society estimating it at about 8.5 million, and Marks predicting it could clear 40 million by 2030

The government is stepping in as well: Continue Reading »

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