Several decades ago, in most of the larger southeastern cities, union contractors prevailed. As the market began to change toward a more open working environment, these companies formed what would be referred to as a “double-breasted operation,” where the ownership of one company was the same as the other, and yet one was union and …
While there are a number of contract forms for building services, they all sort of revolve around these four: Design and Bid. The architect prepares plans and the contractor builds. Fairly simple. Over the last several years, it seems the budgets for architectural design are getting tighter and thus there is not enough design money …
Your average apartment building might be changing. I’m referring to multi-family buildings that are taller than garden-style, but not so tall as a high rise–generally five stories or 75’ in top elevation according to current codes. Wood is coming back into favor as a construction material for multi-family construction. As one of the oldest and …
I spent this week at ICSC‘s RECON, the gold standard annual convention for the bricks and mortar component of the retail industry. This year marked the event’s 3oth anniversary in Las Vegas. Retail feels like an old friend to me. For a decade or two when we first started building, retail construction was our mainstay. During …
Like other construction firms, we work with a lot of different companies that help us deliver. We’ve found that whether it’s construction, engineering or architecture, two things are vital: working with a firm that thinks creatively instead of always taking the textbook path, and finding the right person to work with at that firm. The …
We have been using pervious concrete paving for about 10 years now. In case you are not familiar with the product, I came across this clip that sums it up pretty well. Our success rate is pretty good, as long as we have had a decent drainage system underneath the concrete to allow the water …
Lately, we’ve been involved in several urban projects that have utilized historic tax credits. One is complete, one is almost finished, and one is just ramping up. While I feel the ins and outs of dealing with this system could easily fill a book, let me sum up our experiences with HTCs as briefly as …
Several years ago, I made the decision to build a home out from town, and moved to a beautiful spot in the country with views of a mountain range, lakes, woods and wildlife. It has been nice. I raised 3 good children here, but they are now grown and have moved on. Now my place …
There’s a talent shortage, and it’s hardly a surprise. I wrote a post about it in 2011 during the financial crisis, and with the upsurge in projects the last couple of years, it’s becoming more evident. During the crisis, folks had to leave the industry to find work to support their families. Baby Boomers are retiring, and GenXers and …
During the last year or so, we have completed several Whole Foods-centric projects. A number of them have been urban redevelopment, which was the case with a job that we’re closing out now. It involved the installation of hybrid street lights. We worked with UGE to place Sanya SLS hybrid streetlights at the perimeter of the parking …
I am in San Francisco this week for the ULI Fall Conference had a chance to tour Airbnb’s headquarters on Monday. Their building was the definition of cool. You can read all about it here, but in short, it’s a century-old former battery factory in “SoMa” the hot new tech area South of Market Street, hence the name. …
Through my years as a contractor, I’ve seen the industry standard for best roofing practices evolve when it comes to “flat roofs,” which are almost level and designed to drain. When I started, 3 and 4 ply felt sealed with hot asphalt were the standards, and before that coal tar in lieu of asphalt. If …