How to Listen More Effectively

12/8/2020

There’s a growing feeling among workers that their leaders talk at them but not with them, the organizational consulting group Korn Ferry believes, and the pandemic is only making things worse.

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This Warsaw Hotel Beats the Cold with Warm Edge Spacer Bars

12/8/2020

The Nobu Hotel Warsaw that opened in Poland’s capital aims this past August combines Art Deco style with Space Age triple-glazed windows that offer high insulation values through the use of
warm edge spacer bars.

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New Atlas’ Top Projects for 2020 Includes a ‘Horizontal Skyscraper’

12/8/2020

Works ranging from one of Zaha Hadid’s final projects to a new McDonald’s branch and a building made of mud are among the 10 projects selected by The New Atlas website as its best buildings of 2020.

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Gypsum Association Releases Environmental Product Declaration for Typical 5/8-inch Type X North American Wallboard

12/8/2020

Here’s a reminder that the Gypsum Association has revised and updated its environmental product declaration (EPDA) for 5/8” type X North American Gypsum Boards.

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Slow Code Adoptions Cost the U.S. Billions, Studies Suggest

12/8/2020

Modern building codes could save the nation from spending more than $1.6 billion annually on losses from floods, earthquakes, and hurricane winds—if only governments would adopt them, a new study from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates.

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Architects Want to Increase Specifications of Sustainable Products, but Face Barriers, AIA Study Finds

12/08/2020

The volume of sustainable products in architect-designed buildings could rise markedly if manufacturers could promote their goods in ways that resonate with architects, a new AIA study concludes.

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CONSTRUCT Virtual Show’s Learning Opportunities Continue Through Dec. 31

11/10/2020

More than 20 sessions—many of them offering CEU credits—are yours to enjoy through Dec. 31 thanks to the just completed CONSTRUCT Virtual Show. You’ll see reports on a few sessions below. To see the entire lineup, click here. And all sessions are free.

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Proposed Building Envelope Warranty Generates Outsized Interest at CONSTRUCT Live

11/10/2020

Demand to learn more about one of CONSTRUCT Live’s presentations was so great that its organizers felt compelled to organize a second hour-long session just to answer all the questions they received.

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Grenfell Towers Inquiry Enters a New Phase: Who Did Wrong, and Why?

11/10/2020

Britain’s investigation into the 2017 Grenfell Towers fire that killed 72 people has reached its initial conclusions covering how the fire began and then spread throughout the complex. On Nov. 5, it entered a new phase devoted to identifying the companies and decisions that made the disaster possible, as well as recommending ways to make sure a repeat never happens. To bring you up to speed, here’s a summary of recent developments.

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Plug Into the Accessibility Details When Placing Electrical Outlets Over a Kitchen Countertop

11/10/2020

It sounds simple as first: The National Electrical Code (NEC) says every piece of counter 12 inches or wider must have an outlet over it, and there must be at least one outlet every 4 feet, Building Safety Journal reports. But ICC A117.1 also requires a clear floor space of 30 inches by 48 inches in front of a counter so a person in a wheelchair can reach the outlets.

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‘Make It Right’ Controversy Keeps Rising in New Orleans as a Second Home Goes Down

11/10/2020

Twelve years after construction began, the “Make It Right” neighborhood in New Orleans continues to make headlines and generate commentary. The most recent contribution was news that a second home designed by a celebrated architect had to be demolished.

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An Architect’s Guide to Parapet-to-Wall Detailing

11/10/2020

“The coping at the parapet-to-wall interface condition is one of the most difficult transitions to detail for design professionals and contractors,” the Build Meets World blog reports. “Due to complex geometries, direct exposure to the elements, and sequencing of construction trades, there are numerous areas for potential failure at this condition that can lead to air and moisture leakage issues within buildings.”

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CONSTRUCT Virtual Show’s Learning Opportunities Continue Through Dec. 31

10/13/2020

More than 20 sessions—many of them offering CEU credits—are yours to enjoy through Dec. 31 thanks to the just completed CONSTRUCT Virtual Show. You’ll see reports on a few sessions below. To see the entire lineup, click here. And all sessions are free.

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CONSTRUCT Panels Balance BIM’s Limits—and Usefulness—with Its Possibilities

10/13/2020

After listening to two panel discussions during the CONSTRUCT Virtual Show, you might conclude BIM is a half-baked solution—in a good sense of the phrase.

The panelists at CONSTRUCT’s event Oct. 7-9 tended to regard Building Information Modeling systems as having limited value now, in part because computer speed, memory, and connectivity still need to become more robust for BIM to become more useful. 

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5 Predictions from Paul Doherty on the Future of Specifiers

10/13/2020

Specifiers can expect Covid, data, and innovation will prompt a slew of changes in how they operate, starting right now, one of CONSTRUCT’s most perennially popular speakers said last week.

The address by Paul Doherty, head of The Digit Group, covered objects as small as droplets and as big as entire cities. Here are five notable takeaways from his 90-minute address.

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What’s the Future of Specifiers? It Depends on How You Spell the Word

10/13/2020

A quartet of construction specification experts tasked to imagine the future of their industry quickly settled on a common way to describe where we’re headed: Watch what you do with a single letter.

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Three Industry Groups Combine for Guidelines on How to Replace Windows Without Removing Exterior Brick Veneer

10/13/2020

Construction specifiers who work on projects involving the rehab of low buildings may find it’s worth checking out Guidelines for the Full Frame Replacement of Windows without Removal of Exterior Brick Veneer. The document applies to residential and light commercial buildings of not more than three stories above grade that use a membrane/drainage system, a surface barrier drainage system, or a wall system without a reliable membrane drainage system.

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AkzoNobel Launches New Coil Coating System for ACPs

10/13/2020

AkzoNobel contends its new TRINAR A-CLAD coil coating system for aluminum composite panels (ACPs) will make life easier for specifiers because the product makes it possible to get consistent, high-performing
coatings for the entire exterior building envelope from just one brand.

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Are Paper Towels or Electric Dryers Healthier? This Metastudy Finds No Clear Answer

10/13/2020

Health science researchers at the University of Arizona who examined hundreds of studies seeking to learn
whether paper towels or electric dryers are healthier have concluded there’s no uniform conclusion as to which drying method is safer or more hygienic.

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CONSTRUCT Show Update: New Speakers and Sponsors Expand Learning Opportunities

9/8/2020

This year’s online version of CONSTRUCT now features nearly 30 educational sessions as organizers continue to grow the event’s learning and certification opportunities. New topics to be covered Oct. 7-9 include curtain wall systems, high-performance protection for floors and walls, accessibility in design, fire codes, and minimizing hazards during construction.

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What’s the Future of Stairs in a COVID World?

9/8/2020

By Craig Webb

The lowly stairwell—for decades almost an afterthought in commercial building design—appears likely to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic as an important element of future construction, an
industry veteran believes.

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New Apartment Complex Combines CLT with Accessible Design

9/8/2020

Sept. 15 will mark the grand opening of The Canyons, a six-story 70-unit apartment complex in Portland, OR, that uses new materials and the latest universal design concepts.

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Think Now About Adapting Parking Garages in the Future

9/8/2020

Yes, the building you’re working on today requires parking spaces, but how many will you need for cars 10, 20, 30 years from now? Mark Santos of DESMAN, a design management firm that specializes in parking consulting, design, planning, and restoration, advises you to be aware of trends and start thinking about ways to adapt parking spaces in the future.

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Remote ARE Testing to Start on Nov. 16, NCARB Announces

9/8/2020

Candidates for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) should be able to schedule
online-proctored appointments starting Nov. 16, the National Council of Architectural Review Boards (NCARB) announced Sept. 1.

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AIA Billings Index Points to Continued Struggle for Work

9/8/2020

The average architecture firm surveyed for the AIA’s Architectural Billing Index (ABI) expects revenues will decrease 4.6% in the third quarter from the second quarter, with firms specializing in commercial/industrial work predicting a 5.7% decline, the AIA reports. 

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Gauged Porcelain Tile Gains Popularity Post-Certification

9/8/2020

"Tile manufacturers continue to push boundaries with gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs (GPTP) in terms of design and size, crafting porcelain interpretations of everything from natural stone to wallpaper and even
personalized pictures,” Contemporary Stone & Tile Design magazine says. 

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PCI/NPCA Clarify Certification Requirements for Precast Concrete

9/8/2020

The National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
(PCI) issued a joint document to alleviate confusion in the marketplace regarding certification programs for precast and prestressed concrete products. 

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CONSTRUCT Show Announces 17 Educational Sessions for ‘20

8/11/2020

Sessions on the future of specifiers, common construction challenges, and working both efficiently and effectively are among the 17 educational sessions that will be featured at the CONSTRUCT Show this
coming Oct. 7-9, CONSTRUCT’s organizers announced. And this year, for the first time, those sessions not only will be free, they also will be available on demand until Dec. 31

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What Is the Future of Specifiers? This Panel Will Tackle the Issue

8/11/2020

One of CONSTRUCT’s featured educational sessions for 2020 is one entitled “The Future of Specifiers—The Way Forward.” It will feature Alexander Lungershausen, associate principal at Hennebery Eddy Architects in Portland, OR; Michael Chambers, associate vice president at HGA Architects & Engineers, Sacramento, CA; Cam Featherstonhaugh, architect and associate at TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design, Burlington, VT; and Melody Stinson, a Portland, OR-based senior spec writer for Deltek.

 During interviews with CONSTRUCT 365 News, Lungershausen and Stinson talked about their desire to see specifiers work more closely with others in their shops, overcoming COVID-related communication issues to become a more valuable resource in the design process. No more “grumpy old man in the corner,” as Lungershausen put it.

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Number of Projects Involving Mass Timber Double in Under Two Years

8/11/2020

The number of mass timber projects in design, under construction, or completed has risen nearly 110% between September 2018 and June 2020, WoodWorks reports. And that pace could go even faster as jurisdictions give early approval to building codes permitting tall mass timber structures. 

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Healthy Building Network Wants You to Ask: What’s in My Drywall?

8/11/2020

An environmental group has called on product specifiers to seek out recycled drywall and new product made from natural gypsum rather than material produced as a byproduct of burning coal. But gypsum industry officials say this could be a tough request to fulfill. Opting for lightweight drywall might be the best possible compromise.

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‘Zippered Wood’ Gives the 2x4 a New Twist

8/11/2020

What if the wooden stud holding up a building also could be its decoration? What if the same wood used for a wall panel could bend and become part of the roof? Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Colorado believe they have come up with an answer: What they called “zippered wood.”

Zippered wood starts with a pair of 2x4s that are cut in precise and complementary ways so that, when they are twisted and bent into the desired form, they lock or “zipper” together. The mated pieces then are clamped and glued—no steaming or soaking required.

The result is a farming member that can be twisted as much as 135 degrees and yet are stronger than a straight stud, the product’s developers claim. Their work won them a 2020 R+D Award from Architect magazine, the official publication of the American Institute of Architects.

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What Will Airports Look Like Post-COVID?

8/11/2020

“Airports are the cathedrals of the 21st century,” symbols of local cultural, historical, and sociological trends
even as they help move millions of people from one destination to another, architect Luis Vidal writes. But in this new era of the coronavirus, “airports will need to balance the freedom of movement with the fear of uncertainty,” Vidal says. So, how will things change?

Vidal predicts we’ll have new security and technology that will screen passengers’ health as it checks their identity. Designs will need to be flexible. They’ll need to be inviting enough to promote freedom of movement and yet also impart a feeling of cleanliness and safety.

“A sustainable airport of the future will be safe, recognizable, resourceful, sleek, dynamic, and forward-thinking,” writes Vidal, whose firm is helping modernize a terminal at Boston’s Logan Airport and is designing a new terminal in Pittsburgh. “It will be flexible to accommodate rapidly changing conditions and unexpected threats, while helping to tell the cultural and geographic story of a region.”

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CONSTRUCT Featured Speaker: The Future of Specifiers Entails a Commitment of Head and Heart

7/13/2020

Paul Doherty is thinking simultaneously these days about microscopic viruses and supersized cities. He
believes AEC’s future includes both.

 “We are in the age of pandemics,” says Doherty, a  featured speaker at the CONSTRUCT Virtual Conference launching Oct. 7. “COVID-19 is just the latest. They will continue to be in our psyche.”

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This Firm Rejiggered a Health Care Clinic’s HVAC System to Create Negative Air Pressure in 100 Rooms

7/13/2020

Paul Doherty’s proposal to reduce COVID-19’s spread in buildings through negative air pressure is getting a real-life test at a clinic in Billings, MT. That city’s Billings Clinic dramatically increased its number of airborne
infection isolation (AII) rooms by adjusting the facility’s HVAC system to dramatically increase the number of potential rooms for coronavirus patients. 

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6 Ways to Persuade Specifiers to Use Your Product

7/13/2020

Susan Milne of Epiphany Studio, a marketing agency for architectural product companies, says manufacturers need a fresh approach toward specifiers if they hope to get you to pick their products. 

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Schools Already Were Health Danger Zones Before COVID. New Products and Techniques Could Reduce the Threat

7/13/2020

The average student spends 15,600 hours inside a school by the time they graduate from high school, Harvard University estimates in a new report. Thus, it’s no surprise that building and maintaining healthy school buildings has generated lots of discussion as the COVID-19 pandemic rages. For one thing, in the same amount of floor space, schools have four times more occupants than occupants of office buildings, the EPA estimates.

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Specifying Flooring But Worried About Infections? These 5 Factors Can Help Narrow Your Choices

7/13/2020

INSTALL, the International Standards and Training Alliance for floor covering installers, issued recently five best practices that it believes commercial architects and designers should employ when specifying floor coverings in this new era of heightened infection control.

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Six Ways the Pandemic Is Changing Bathroom Design

7/13/2020

Jon Dommisse and Michelle Kempen of the Milwaukee-based architectural firm Kahler Slater predict COVID-19 concerns will lead to at least half a dozen revisions in bathroom design. 

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Clark Dietrich Unveils Lighter-Gauge Option for Pony Walls

7/13/2020

Clark Dietrich has introduced Pony Wall Lite, a lighter-gauge option to its existing pony wall products. Designed for interior applications, the 16-gauge Pony Wall Lite’s thinner plate is compatible with a 2.5-inch stud wall and is available in 24-, 30-, 48-, and 60-inch sizes. 

All of Clark Dietrich’s pony walls are designed to support the out-of-plane loading of cantilevered partial wall
systems when they are unsupported at the top rack. The load is transferred to the floor system through the base plate, which is welded to Pony Wall Lite’s stud member. 

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Sika Introduces Hydrophilic Crystalline Permeability Admixture

7/13/2020

With its introduction of WT-240 P, Sika now claims to be the only manufacturer to offer two technologies—hydrophilic crystalline and hydrophobic pore blocking—in its array of permeability reducing admixtures.

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