Maintaining the historical integrity of a building will mean extra work, but the results are invaluable. We’ve recently started a new one, The Hardwick, a century old building with deep roots in the heavy steel fabricating industry. We are converting it to a mixed use development of office, restaurants and retail. Because of the new design and use, …
When we made the decision to trade our offices in a corporate environment for a 16-acre campus, a garden was part of our plan. We saw a garden as part and parcel to the building, a place of beauty where we would all learn to eat a bit better. Beyond the fruits and vegetables that …
Last Saturday, I got to attend a symposium entitled, “Faith Meets Business: Climate Solutions for the Common Good.” One of the panelists included our friend Dr. Jim McClintock, an endowed Professor of Polar and Marine Biology at UAB. Jim is recognized internationally as one of the leaders in this field. Coincidentally, I read this past …
Our hometown is one of those cities that came of age during an industrial boom. Because of this, there is plenty of historical space in the CBD that is full of architectural details and prime for adaptive reuse. We’ve been a part of several of these projects. So the question I asked myself is, “Why has this initiative become a …
Like many companies, we have been enjoying this cycle of buoyancy, but remembering the financial crisis. I am not sure anyone that lived through the financial crisis will ever forget. I was in Nashville this week, visiting with one of our customers, and the topic of the economy took center stage. We discussed when it …
In Texas, we are closing out a unique institutional project. This former skating rink has been made over to become an educational facility designed and built for LEED certification. Many progressive techniques and products were utilized in the construction. Perhaps one of the more interesting is the Alerton Building Automation System, which controls and monitors …
It may be a matter of time before we see cold in-place recycling (CIPR) in commercial parking areas. As an eco-friendly pavement process, CIPR rehabs old asphalt without using heat. In this process, existing asphalt is removed and then pulverized to the desired aggregate size, mixing in a rejuvenating asphalt emulsion. Almost 100% of the recycled …
Structured parking decks sometimes get a bad rap. We tend to think of these structures as utilitarian, cold and cavernous. They have long been functional eye sores, but times are changing. Even thought the economy has put additional focus on costs and revenues, we’re more attune to environmental concerns. Good urban design is continuing to …
Starting few years ago, it seems commercial developers and cities began approaching parking differently. It wasn’t that long ago when 4-5 parking spaces per 1,000 sf of development was the standard. Now, it is more like 3-4 spaces. It’s estimated that in the U.S., we have 500 million surface parking spaces, roughly equivalent to the …
Last year, the carpet industry lost on innovator. Ray Anderson was a pioneer for corporate sustainability, who changed an entire industry when he founded InterFace. Given his relatively young age, we were saddened to hear news of his passing. Anderson showed the world that corporations can have a focus on capitalism and sustainability. Among many innovations, his …
Under the Clean Water Act, quantity and quality of storm water discharge continue to be right in the EPA’s bulls eye. I remember years ago, the late 70s to be exact, I was involved in a project where we graded 5 acres uphill from the surrounding terrain. You guessed it: every time it rained thousands …
Electricity is the #2 operating expense for most properties. Lowering cost can be a real game changer. We’re about to commence our second LED exterior lighting package at the Redstone Arsenal and in the process should achieve about a 70% energy savings. Here is what we are seeing across the board: There is less new construction, but …