Commercial Construction
Green Building Requirements Becoming Mandatory
March 24, 2008
The San Francisco Building Inspections Commission voted in favor on enacting new green building requirements. The requirements would require almost all commercial buildings (those bigger than 5,000 square feet) to comply with LEED standards. In addition, residential structures exceeding 75 feet in height and other buildings in excess of 25,000 square feet must also comply [...]
Read More >>Economic Stimulus Act Includes Provision For Commercial Construction
March 24, 2008
Under current law, only 2.5% of a improvement costs to a commercial (or residential) property could be written off in the first year. The new economic stimulus package now allows for up to 50% of the improvement costs to be written off the first year provided the work is started and completed this year.
This will [...]
Santana Row Getting A 5-Story Retail/Office Building
February 13, 2008
Federal Realty, the owners of Santana Row have announced plans to build a 5-story office and retail project on a one-acre site within the complex.
The building will feature 4-stories of office in a 15,000 SF floor plate above 15,000 SF of ground floor retail. The steel construction building is estimated to cost approximately $42M and [...]
A Truly Green Building
January 19, 2008
In Singapore, the Nanyang School of Art has taken the definition of green building to another level. The building features a verdant turfed roof which doubles as a functional space people can use and access via sidesteps along the roof edge.
The roof helps lower roof temperature as well making this design both functional as well as [...]
Museum Plaza! London, Dubai, Shanghai?
January 18, 2008
I see a lot of trade publications that feature architecture from cosmopolitan cities in Europe and Asia. Then there are the projects coming out of the ground in Dubai which are amazing to say the least. But I came across a project today in Louisville, Kentucky which peaked my interest. It’s called Museum Plaza and [...]
Read More >>Skyscrapers Redefined
November 19, 2007
China and the United Arab Emirates seem to be on the forefront of architecture these days. The UAE is benefiting from the high price of oil and is feverishly building out man made islands, swaths of high-rise residential towers, and large civic, entertainment, and retail projects across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. China on the other [...]
Read More >>Vietnam Town Work Halted
November 12, 2007
Construction on Vietnam Town has been halted during the past 2 months or so. The slow pace of work has apparently caused the lender, United Commercial Bank, to halt disbursements until the issues which have caused the delays and slow pace of work to be resolved.
Vietnam Town in San Jose is a multi-tenant, 275,000 SF, [...]