This month a Florida man was convicted of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and was sentenced to two years in federal prison and forced to forfeit the money...
James S. Russell wrote an article last week for Bloomberg.com about what a mistake it is to criticize those who mix art with function and advance innovative design in buildings. The story was triggered by a lawsuit filed by MIT against the architect and against the builder of the Stata Center research lab on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.The Ray and Maria Stata Center was designed by architect Frank O. Gehry and constructed by builder Beacon Skanska of Skanska USA Building Inc. It’s distinctive appearance with astonishing shapes and angles is typical of Gehry’s work, which often causes observers to ponder how his buildings can stand, let alone function. But that is precisely what the Stata Center does. Its interior space houses collaborating-friendly spaces which encourage the creativity of the minds who work in them.After the center opened in 2004, it developed some structural problems including, leaking, cracking, drainage problems and growing mold particularly around the outdoor rooftop amphitheater. MIT filed the lawsuit in 2007, which was settled in April 2010 for an undisclosed amount of money in addition to the repairs which have been completed.
August 24, 2010
Green design, also know as sustainable design, is an advancing practice in the industry, thanks in part to the developers of the Condé Nast Building at Four Times Square in...
August 12, 2010
A recent discussion about Building Information Modeling (BIM) on a McGraw Hill Construction forum provides some interesting reading as small business owners were asked about their...
August 04, 2010
On Friday Houston television station KTRX aired an interview with a building contractor in Houston, Drew Evans, who feels that his decision not to hire illegal immigrants costs him jobs which end up going to contractors who underpay their workers and can therefore submit lower bids for projects. Mr. Evans is frustrated with the government for not enforcing the law and with other contractors who refuse to run their businesses responsibly. He says that many Americans in service industries are similarly losing out.
July 04, 2010
