Protecting Curtain Walls

We have been receiving much recent interest about keeping curtain walls damage-free. Because curtain walls are installed relatively early in the construction process, they lie at a huge risk of being damaged. To combat this, we've created a new page on our website devoted to curtain wall surface protection.

The Jaqua Center at the University of Oregon

We just had large edge protection specifically manufactured for window mullions, edges, and window frames. We also feature corrugated plastic sheeting, films, and anything else you might need to keep these expensive walls clean.

Eco Towers; A Proactive Way To Build Green

As builders become more conscious and consumers become more aware of building green, innovative and creative solutions are being developed far beyond the scope of current LEED standards. An urban planner from the University of Illinois has recently envisioned creating structures that are not only energy efficient, but also proactively fight climate change.

This would be accomplished through a variety of solutions, ranging from seawater powered air conditioning to creating a symbiotic structure, with integrated trees and plants. Many propose that this style of building will spark a new trend of "eco-iconic" design. With radical and non-conventional designs such as those below, I certainly agree.

                               
     

The Swiss-cheese looking facade on the left limits the amount of sunlight reaching the building; which substantially reduces the cooling costs for a building in Dubai. On the right, trees and plants have been fully integrated into the staggered decks of this proposed building as a long-term method to combat carbon. As green architecture and construction advance, I look forward to seeing the novel solutions proposed. 

Residential Construction Spending Is Rising, Hooray (For Now).

Recently new data was released by the NAHB that points towards the continuation of the increase in residential home building. Constructing spending rose in August, which is reflected in the consistent upward trend in spending since the post-recession trough.

In all, single-family housing spending has risen 14% in the last year, while multi-family housing spending is up over 25% in the last year. Unfortunately the rate of change of multifamily spending is declining, so multifamily housing construction is beginning to cool off. However, single-family spending is accelerating, and may be able rise enough to cover some of the gap in spending between the two.

If you're interested in follow market trends in building, I highly recommend checking up on the NAHB's Eye on Housing page.