About: Column

    Column is a new editorial destination that celebrates the art and science of building.

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      In the News: Wastewater Agriculture, Rural Broadband, NIMBY Energy

      Wastewater Agriculture Urban farming may have just taken a big step toward scaleable reality. According to Hortidaily, researchers from Clemson University and South Korea’s Gyeongsang National University have developed a low-impact method for growing produce in cities. The system researchers are developing would use an anaerobic membrane bioreactor to filter harmful contaminants out of wastewater while leaving behind nutrients that fertilize plants. The treated water would be used on crops, such as lettuce, that are growing in an indoor, soil-free… Read More »In the News: Wastewater Agriculture, Rural Broadband, NIMBY Energy

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        How Is the Construction Industry Translating Talk About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Action?

        There’s been a great deal of attention paid lately to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the building industry. The Associated General Contractors of America has its Culture of Care initiative, for instance, and the American Institute of Architects its monumental Guides for Equitable Practice. But for all the position statements and policy-setting, just how robust is DEI in actual industry practice? A new study, commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration from the Dodge Construction Network, examines architecture firms… Read More »How Is the Construction Industry Translating Talk About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Action?

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          A Toolkit for Circular Building

          By now it should be self-evident that building construction, operation, maintenance, and removal are major contributors to global carbon emissions—nearly 50% of total emissions, according to nonprofit Architecture 2030. What isn’t necessarily self-evident is precisely how building industry professionals such as designers, construction clients and asset owners can reduce emissions of projects under their purview. Cue the Circular Buildings Toolkit (CBT) a resource that its creator, engineering giant Arup, describes as “a set of practical strategies and measures that can help… Read More »A Toolkit for Circular Building

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            For Architects, Project Information Management Is a Growing Challenge

            By Donna Laquidara-Carr, Ph.D., LEED AP New research conducted by Dodge Construction Network for Newforma reveals increased challenges in managing project information among architects, but it also reveals that they are more deeply engaged in planning out their future investments to help tackle those challenges. The research, published by Newforma in Finding Common Ground: The Future of Project Information Management, asked architects about their experiences with and strategies for managing project information. The online study is the second in a… Read More »For Architects, Project Information Management Is a Growing Challenge

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              The Civil Quarterly 2022 Issue 4

              The Civil Quarterly (TCQ) features original research collected quarterly from civil contractors, engineers and owners. The research provides a snapshot of the current business health of contractors operating in the dynamic civil sector, and each issue also offers insights into some of the many trends that are transforming the sector through research, interviews and feature articles. This quarter’s issue features: The latest on civil contractors’ business conditions, including their confidence in the market, expected revenue and profitability, and supply chain… Read More »The Civil Quarterly 2022 Issue 4

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                How Downtowns Are Faring in the Post-COVID Era

                Downtowns across the country are struggling to recover from COVID-19, Bloomberg columnist Justin Fox reports. A recent study from the University of California, Berkeley used cell phone data from cities across the country to compare business district activity in the spring of this year with activity prior to the outbreak. The slowdown is worse in San Francisco than any other city, with only activity at only 31% of pre-pandemic levels. Since the onset of the pandemic, San Francisco has been the… Read More »How Downtowns Are Faring in the Post-COVID Era

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                  Missteps on the Road to Renewables

                  Renewables surpassed fossil fuels as the cheapest energy source in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency. But the development path for solar and wind technology hasn’t always followed a straight line, judging by an Oct. 9 article in The New York Times. “‘Eye of Sauron’: The Dazzling Solar Tower in the Israeli Desert” tells the story of an $800 million experiment in energy generation in Ashalim, Israel: 50,000 mirrors on the desert floor reflect sunlight onto a boiler atop… Read More »Missteps on the Road to Renewables

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                    Positive Reading on the Dodge Momentum Index

                    The Dodge Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, improved 5.7% (2000=100) in September to 183.2 from the revised August reading of 173.4. The DMI is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. In September, the commercial component of the Momentum Index rose 2.9%, while the institutional component also increased, seeing a double-digit gain of 11.7%. After a solid performance in September, the DMI… Read More »Positive Reading on the Dodge Momentum Index

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                      Will Florida Build Differently After Hurricane Ian?

                      The damage wrought by Hurricane Ian has already prompted conversations about a rebuilding boom in Florida as well as concerns about construction labor shortages in the state. The recovery effort certainly will be colossal: The storm took more than 100 lives and left behind private-market insured losses of between $53 billion and $74 billion, according to risk modeling company RMS. Sarasota County has already announced its intention to expedite all storm-related permits. What’s less clear is precisely how Florida will… Read More »Will Florida Build Differently After Hurricane Ian?

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                        Heat Stress Mitigation: Tools for Compliance and Safety

                        Warehouses, industrial, and commercial buildings often suffer a common problem – moderate to excessive heat that can impact employee safety and productivity as well as violate federal, state, and local statutes such as OSHA, California Title 24 Part 6, and ASHRAE 55. As employers increasingly invite workers back to the workplace, safety and comfort can make the difference between retaining talent and having a revolving door workforce that chooses to find employment in more comfortable spaces. Check out this brief,… Read More »Heat Stress Mitigation: Tools for Compliance and Safety

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