ConstructionForum 🕸

From Arch Daily:  There are several symbols that transcend language barriers and are easily recognized and understood by people from different cultures. Examples include the male and female bathroom icons, the cross symbolizing health, and the universal Wi-Fi symbol. Among these universal icons is the recycling symbol, conceived in 1971 by Gary Anderson, an architect […]

From Urban Land:  The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), a new program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has made $2 billion in funds available from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to support private owners of HUD-assisted multifamily buildings to make decarbonization and resilience upgrades. The IRA has already gained […]

From Construction Dive:  The University of Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering will establish a new research and development center dedicated to autonomous construction technologies with up to $8 million in funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to a press release from the university. The new Center for Autonomous Construction in Manufacturing at […]

Editor’s Note: Neurodiverse individuals can bring superpowers such as intense focus, creativity, and enhanced processing ability to their workplaces. But they are often more sensitive than the rest of population to their work environment. Post-COVID return to work has broadened the circle of sensitized persons. This article and video describe how HOK studied and addressed […]

From The Telegraph:  A potential realignment of Staunton Road drew heavy opposition from residents who spoke at Wednesday’s Madison County Board meeting. Five of seven public speakers at the meeting expressed vehement opposition to the potential realignment. A common complaint was that Staunton Road now runs in front of their properties, but a realigned road […]

From Forbes:  In the current labor market, skills are emerging as higher in value than formal degree programs—skilled trade or otherwise. This new labor market is changing how we equip younger generations with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. In situations where young people are opting for skilled trade programs over traditional four-year […]

From Urban Land:  Turning a 50-year-old, 20-story office tower into a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum–certified building clearly required a deep retrofit. In 2017, when LaSalle Investment Management acquired 275 Slater Street in Ottawa, its underwriting included those next-level improvements. Whether a simple energy efficiency upgrade or a larger overhaul is needed, […]

From Geo Week News:  As an employer, the construction industry has had much to boast about compared to a white collar office environment. For example, high-paying apprenticeships allow young people to learn a skilled trade without incurring crippling student load debt, while a higher starting salary and union benefits provide greater quality of life. That said, demand […]

McCarthy Holdings, Inc., one of the nation’s premier construction companies and largest self-performing builders, is dedicating this week to celebrating the firm’s craft professional workforce. From Aug. 29-Sept. 1, McCarthy will host events on jobsites across the country to recognize the builder’s more than 4,000 craft professionals while spotlighting the importance of construction careers to […]

HDA Architects, one of the nation’s leading architectural, interiors and master planning firms, enhanced its leadership team with the recent promotions of Patrick Holleran, Brice Zickuhr and Angela Feddersen to Senior Principal, and Josh Goodman and Kent Wagster to Principal. As new or elevated Principals of the firm, these individuals join Jack Holleran, President of […]

by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum Jack Thomas, Jr. was a big man, both physically and in character. That was a message that we heard over and over at his celebration of life service Sunday (Aug. 27) Downtown. We heard it from classmates, teammates, and politicians. We heard it from the Ngoma African Drummers […]

BW Design Group’s ControlTech Automation—a leading electrical equipment manufacturer that provides industrial control panels for packaging, process, facilities, utilities and other industrial applications—is proud to announce it commemorated the opening of its new manufacturing facility on August 3. A technician assembles a control panel at ControlTech Automation’s new manufacturing facility in Maryland Heights. The move […]

SLC3 presented its annual diversity and inclusion, best practices, and specialty awards Wednesday evening (Aug. 23) at its annual gala. SLC3 is an organization which was founded in 1971 by large construction buyers of construction to promote best practices. Its membership and activities today incorporate representatives from across design and construction professionals disciplines. Awards presented […]

From St. Louis Business Journal:  A BJC HealthCare hospital about an hour south of St. Louis in St. Francois County plans to add a new $21.3 million medical office building. BJC’s Parkland Health Center in Farmington plans to build add a 30,000-square-foot office building to house its primary care services, allowing the expansion of its […]

Wentzville-based Sal Valadez, director of diversity and outreach for the Missouri/Kansas Laborers District Council, recently joined Kansas City officials and others at a rally and press conference calling for action following the death of a worker on a city-subsidized project. On July 18th a worker performing asbestos abatement on the 14th floor at the former […]

A ribbon cutting on Wednesday, August 16, celebrated the official opening of St. Louis Downtown Airport’s new Ground Engine Run-Up and Compass Calibration Pad project. Representatives of St. Louis Downtown Airport, Bi-State Development, the Illinois Department of Transportation, state and local elected officials and invited guests were on hand for the ceremony, which took place […]

Bond Architects is proud to announce that we have been selected by the City of Crestwood for Pre-Referendum Design Services for the city’s proposed New Community Center and Pickleball/Family Games Complex in Whitecliff Park. Final design of the project will commence only if the Referendum passes in April 2024. The new Community Center and Pickleball/Family […]

From Bloomberg CityLab:  In 1960, two highway segments cut through majority-Black neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Interstates 395 and 695, known locally as the Southwest and Southeast freeways, forced the removal of at least 1,400 occupied housing units and ejected about 4,700 residents. That was just a small fraction of the total population that was displaced […]

From RiverBender:  Following a stormy summer, local linemen explain their jobs at Ameren and how they work to restore power after bad weather. Linemen install and repair electric lines throughout the year, but their job has additional risks after heavy rain or snow. When storms knock out power across the region, a crew will work […]

From The Bluebeam Blog:  I was a reluctant leader,” said Mashal Ali, CEO of Infra Tech Engineering LLC, based in New York City. “I didn’t imagine myself in this position and taking care of people in my home.” Ali was thrust into an engineering leadership role at an early age when her father, who founded […]