Building construction, the techniques and industry involved in the assembly and erection of structures, primarily those used to provide shelter.

Building construction is an ancient human activity. It began with the purely functional need for a controlled environment to moderate the effects of climate. Constructed shelters were one means by which human beings were able to adapt themselves to a wide variety of climates and become a global species.

Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Over time, however, even temporary structures evolved into such highly refined forms as the igloo. Gradually more durable structures began to appear, particularly after the advent of agriculture, when people began to stay in one place for long periods. The first shelters were dwellings, but later other functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in separate buildings. Some structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between architecture and building.

The history of building is marked by a number of trends. One is the increasing durability of the materials used. Early building materials were perishable, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides. Later, more durable natural materialssuch as clay, stone, and timberand, finally, synthetic materialssuch as brick, concrete, metals, and plasticswere used. Another is a quest for buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. A third major trend involves the degree of control exercised over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, odours, air speed, and other factors that affect human comfort has been possible. Yet another trend is the change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.

The present state of building construction is complex. There is a wide range of building products and systems which are aimed primarily at groups of building types or markets. The design process for buildings is highly organized and draws upon research establishments that study material properties and performance, code officials who adopt and enforce safety standards, and design professionals who determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs. The construction process is also highly organized; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality control, and insurance.

Building construction today is a significant part of industrial culture, a manifestation of its diversity and complexity and a measure of its mastery of natural forces, which can produce a widely varied built environment to serve the diverse needs of society. This article first traces the history of building construction, then surveys its development at the present time. For treatment of the aesthetic considerations of building design, see architecture. For further treatment of historical development, see art and architecture, Anatolian; art and architecture, Arabian; art and architecture, Egyptian; art and architecture, Iranian; art and architecture, Mesopotamian; art and architecture, Syro-Palestinian; architecture, African; art and architecture, Oceanic; architecture, Western; arts, Central Asian; arts, East Asian; arts, Islamic; arts, Native American; arts, South Asian; arts, Southeast Asian.

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Western architecture: Building materials

The material employed in the earliest buildings constructed around Rome was tuff, a volcanic rock of varying hardnesses, some soft enough to be worked with bronze tools. Later, other harder volcanic stones were used, such as peperino and albani stone from the nearby

The hunter-gatherers of the late Stone Age, who moved about a wide area in search of food, built the earliest temporary shelters that appear in the archaeological record. Excavations at a number of sites in Europe dated to before 12,000 bce show circular rings of stones that are believed to have formed part of such shelters. They may have braced crude huts made of wooden poles or have weighted down the walls of tents made of animal skins, presumably supported by central poles.

A tent illustrates the basic elements of environmental control that are the concern of building construction. The tent creates a membrane to shed rain and snow; cold water on the human skin absorbs body heat. The membrane reduces wind speed as well; air over the human skin also promotes heat loss. It controls heat transfer by keeping out the hot rays of the sun and confining heated air in cold weather. It also blocks out light and provides visual privacy. The membrane must be supported against the forces of gravity and wind; a structure is necessary. Membranes of hides are strong in tension (stresses imposed by stretching forces), but poles must be added to take compression (stresses imposed by compacting forces). Indeed, much of the history of building construction is the search for more sophisticated solutions to the same basic problems that the tent was set out to solve. The tent has continued in use to the present. The Saudi Arabian goats hair tent, the Mongolian yurt with its collapsible wooden frame and felt coverings, and the American Indian tepee with its multiple pole supports and double membrane are more refined and elegant descendants of the crude shelters of the early hunter-gatherers.

The agricultural revolution, dated to about 10,000 bce, gave a major impetus to building construction. People no longer traveled in search of game or followed their herds but stayed in one place to tend their fields. Dwellings began to be more permanent. Archaeological records are scanty, but in the Middle East are found the remains of whole villages of round dwellings called tholoi, whose walls are made of packed clay; all traces of roofs have disappeared. In Europe tholoi were built of dry-laid stone with domed roofs; there are still surviving examples (of more recent construction) of these beehive structures in the Alps. In later Middle Eastern tholoi a rectangular antechamber or entrance hall appeared, attached to the main circular chamberthe first examples of the rectangular plan form in building. Still later the circular form was dropped in favour of the rectangle as dwellings were divided into more rooms and more dwellings were placed together in settlements. The tholoi marked an important step in the search for durability; they were the beginning of masonry construction.

Evidence of composite building construction of clay and wood, the so-called wattle-and-daub method, is also found in Europe and the Middle East. The walls were made of small saplings or reeds, which were easy to cut with stone tools. They were driven into the ground, tied together laterally with vegetable fibres, and then plastered over with wet clay to give added rigidity and weatherproofing. The roofs have not survived, but the structures were probably covered with crude thatch or bundled reeds. Both round and rectangular forms are found, usually with central hearths.

Heavier timber buildings also appeared in Neolithic (New Stone Age) cultures, although the difficulties of cutting large trees with stone tools limited the use of sizable timbers to frames. These frames were usually rectangular in plan, with a central row of columns to support a ridgepole and matching rows of columns along the long walls; rafters were run from the ridgepole to the wall beams. The lateral stability of the frame was achieved by burying the columns deep in the ground; the ridgepole and rafters were then tied to the columns with vegetable fibres. The usual roofing material was thatch: dried grasses or reeds tied together in small bundles, which in turn were tied in an overlapping pattern to the light wooden poles that spanned between the rafters. Horizontal thatched roofs leak rain badly, but, if they are placed at the proper angle, the rainwater runs off before it has time to soak through. Primitive builders soon determined the roof pitch that would shed the water but not the thatch. Many types of infill were used in the walls of these frame houses, including clay, wattle and daub, tree bark (favoured by American Woodland Indians), and thatch. In Polynesia and Indonesia, where such houses are still built, they are raised above the ground on stilts for security and dryness; the roofing is often made of leaves and the walls are largely open to allow air movement for natural cooling. Another variation of the frame was found in Egypt and the Middle East, where timbers were substituted for bundles of reeds.

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Level 3 Construction is an experienced general contracting firm offering a comprehensive range of San Diego apartment building construction services that encompass emerging trends and technologies to deliver best-in-class projects. From ground-up apartment building construction to imaginative apartment renovation, we work with you to match our services with your objectives.

Our culture of values builds quality relationships for quality projects. Level 3 Construction is known for being a leading San Diego apartment construction company and hospitality renovator with a growing presence in fine retail establishments, restaurants, multi-tenant and TIs. Our project experience ranges from small interior apartment renovation and tenant improvements to multi-million dollar ground-up hotel and restaurant construction and renovations.

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Experience does matter. Along with multiple degrees and accreditations in Construction, Infrastructure and Systems management, the leadership team of Level 3 Construction, Inc. has over 50 years of combined experience in construction, project management and renovations within the apartment and hospitality building industry.

Alongside our Executive Team is a diverse group of Project Managers, Field Superintendents, Tradesmen and Office Personnel. Each brings their unique talents and varied background to every project, making for a well-rounded, diverse pool of expertise that is beneficial to the success of every project we undertake, from apartment building construction to apartment remodeling and renovation.

Reinvigorate your apartment lookwith remodeling and renovation.

Level 3 Construction was founded on the single principle of providing excellence in everything we build and in every client relationship we have. Ultimately, it is our clients guests and patrons who experience our quality craftsmanship and added detail toward design improvements.

Whether they live in your apartment buildings or dine at your restaurant, we know that our work impacts the consumers choice and how important that is to you. Quality, along with best effort engagement delivery, is why we have a host of repeat, loyal customers who turn to us time and time again. Our clients include Marriott, Starwood, IHG, Hilton, Best Western and boutique apartments along San Diego coastal communities.

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See how Level 3 Construction can build you a better San Diego apartment by filling out our contact form today!

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ONE Apartment Building / JSARQ

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From the architect. ONE seeks to differentiate itself from all other real estate development projects in San Jos. Looking to challenge traditional vertical design, characterized by a building with identical floors, ONE has given an exclusive identity to each of its units.

The building was designed from the inside out. Internal spaces are perfectly rectangular and easy to furnish, allowing one to take maximum advantage of each square foot. The building was also designed from the outside in to prove that a minimalistic, dynamic, unusual and playful aesthetic can indeed embellish the city.

The design concept is based on rectangular modules that constitute the buildings very essence. These modules appear to slide sideways, back and forth. This provides each unit with a unique identity and generates one-of-a-kind cantilever balconies and terraces.

Concrete and wood imbue the building with lightness and strength. These materials also require minimal maintenance and offer maximum durability over time. They also endow the building with a timeless elegance and a modern feel.

The lobbies were also designed with distinctive finishes and colors, to reinforce the individual experience of each apartment. Thus, the same building will offer a myriad of unique visiting experiences.

With 9-foot, floor to ceiling windows, featuring light finishes, the city, and the park will seep into the apartments internal spaces. Three-bedroom apartments feature east to west views, thus providing cross ventilation in the social area and making the internal space much cooler.

The pool and jacuzzi area feature an exquisite Calcutta marble wall, which endows the space with a distinctive character. This element brings the buildings organic and free landscaping together with its natural surroundingsthe park.

The fitness center features a stunning yellow ceiling, providing this area with character and energy. The project drew inspiration from the many ways in which it can be experienced: from visiting the apartments and relaxing in the common areas to admiring the faade from the street.

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ONE Apartment Building / JSARQ | ArchDaily

As Americas cities continue to grow and add jobs, its crucial that sufficient new housing is built to meet the demand created by that growth. Analyzing data on building permits and employment, Apartment List found that only 10 of the nations 50 largest metros have produced enough new housing to keep pace with job growth in recent years. San Francisco, for example, added 3.0 jobs for every new housing unit permitted from 2005 to 2010, with an even more severe undersupply of 6.8 jobs per unit in the post-recession period from 2010 to 2015. Even many cities that lost a significant number of jobs during the recession have not been producing enough new housing during the recovery.

We also found that in many metros, job growth tends to be centered in the county containing the core city, while a greater share of housing units are added to the surrounding suburbs, leading to heightened levels of undersupply in the core cities. For example, San Francisco County added 6.2 jobs for each permitted unit from 2005 to 2015, while the counties that make up the remainder of the San Francisco metro added one unit for every 1.8 new jobs. Contra Costa County where residents face long commute times to San Francisco has permitted the most new housing for each job added.

The creation of new jobs stokes the demand for housing, and when that increased demand is not met with a corresponding increase in supply, prices will respond. We find a strong correlation between the number of jobs per permit and rent growth from 2005 to 2015. Over that 10-year period, San Jose had the biggest undersupply of new construction of the 50 largest metros and also experienced the fastest rent growth at 57 percent.

The number of households in the U.S. grew by 11.2 million over a 10-year period between 2005 and 2015, while only about 9.9 million new housing units were constructed over that same period, leading to a tightening housing market. This mismatch has been even more severe in many of the countrys largest metros, with some of the areas that have seen the strongest job growth also experiencing a severe shortage of homes for sale and swiftly rising rents.

Apartment List dug into U.S. Census data on building permits and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on employment for metros and counties across the nation. To determine whether or not a given metro is constructing enough new units, we divided the number of new jobs added by the number of new housing units authorized in building permits. A higher value of this jobs per permit ratio means a more undersupplied market. We calculated this metric over three periods: 2005 to 2010, 2010 to 2015 and the full 10-year period from 2005 to 2015.

After the housing-bubble collapse at the end of the last decade caused real estate values to plummet, construction screeched to a halt across the country, with the number of new housing units permitted to be constructed dropping to the lowest level on record in May 2009. Since then, the housing market and the overall economy have recovered, but new construction continues to lag. The number of companies building homes dropped by 50 percent from 2007 to 2012, and the construction industry is currently facing a serious labor shortage. The resulting lack of new construction is contributing to rising rents, which are creating an affordability crisis in many parts of the country.

The problem is particularly acute in many of the nations largest cities, including San Francisco, Boston and New York. As the most desirable jobs cluster in these metros, restrictive zoning and bureaucratic hurdles slow the pace of new construction. With supply failing to increase in line with demand, rents have been increasing to levels that are only affordable to those with the highest-paying jobs.

Of the nations 50 largest metros, we identified the 10 metros that had the most undersupplied markets from 2005 to 2015.In order to keep pace with demand, a city should add one new unit for every one to two new jobs. While many metros maintained this pace over the 10-year period from 2005 to 2015, its important to note that this period included the entirety of the Great Recession, during which time most metros lost significant numbers of jobs, skewing the results. If we look just at the post-recession five-year period from 2010 to 2015, we see that as jobs have rebounded in recent years, new construction has not kept pace.

On the other hand, there are some metros that seem to have been producing more than enough new housing to keep pace with job growth. Apartment List evaluated the 10 most oversupplied metros from 2005 to 2015.

The first five metros on this list Detroit, Cleveland, Providence, RI, Birmingham, AL., and Memphis logged negative jobs per permit from 2005 to 2015, indicating that these metros lost jobs over that 10-year period. However, these job losses all occurred during the recession, and none of the 50 largest metros in the country lost jobs during the five-year period from 2010 to 2015.

Looking at this more recent period, we see that even many of the cities that were hit hardest by the recession are not producing enough new housing as jobs begin to return.

When we focus on the post-recession period from 2010 to 2015, only 10 of the 50 largest metros added fewer than two jobs per permit. The following map shows jobs per permit from 2010 to 2015 for the nations 100 largest metros. Cities that added fewer than two jobs per unit, indicating sufficient supply, are depicted in green, while undersupplied markets are shaded red.

The data analyzed at the metro level consists of much more than just the city proper. A more nuanced picture came to view when Apartment List took a look at more granular county level data.

For the 50 largest metros, we identified the county containing the metros core city and compared jobs and permit data within this core county to data from other counties in the metro. Overall, the core counties account for 57 percent of new jobs, but only 49 percent of newly permitted units, indicating that while jobs tend to cluster in core cities, a greater share of new housing is produced in outlying suburbs. This dynamic varies greatly by metro, however.

Apartment List analyzed the number of jobs per permit from 2005 to 2015 across core and secondary counties for the 10 metros with the most undersupplied core counties.

The cities at the top of the list tended to be densely populated coastal cities, where it is often more difficult to build new housing.

As these regions continue to grow, more of their residents will be forced to live in outlying suburbs, while facing long commutes to jobs in the core cities.

On the flip side, there were some places where there was enough new construction in the core of the metro to keep pace with the jobs being added. Of the 50 largest metros, 23 added more jobs per unit in their secondary counties than their core counties. Many of these are Midwestern metros such as Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis which have been adding a greater share of jobs outside the core county. In cities where the core county did a better job of supplying new housing, the core accounted for only 12 percent of new jobs, while in the cities with more undersupplied cores, 70 percent of new jobs were located in the core.

The impact of the lack of new housing in many metros across the country is readily apparent in swiftly rising rents. We identified this relationship by plotting the number of new jobs per permit against median rent growth from 2005 to 2015.

As locals economies grow, it is imperative that they build enough new housing to keep pace. Cities that add jobs without also increasing their housing stocks quickly become unaffordable for all but the most well-off residents. In recent years, the majority of the nations biggest metros have not been building enough new housing, and that situation is compounded by the fact that in many of these metros, jobs are being added to the core cities, while the housing that is produced is being built in outlying suburbs. As demand continues to rise, supply must respond accordingly or the current affordability crisis being experienced in many parts of the country will only be exacerbated.

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Housing Shortage: Where is the Undersupply of New ...

Kansas City Star

Lawsuit, other delays interrupt 'greener-than-green' River Market apartment construction Kansas City Star By September 2015, Arnold had the lean building construction team in place and was working on financing. At the time, he expected tenants to move in by February 2017. But it took months of financial deals, including getting approvals for tax-exempt ...

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Lawsuit, other delays interrupt 'greener-than-green' River Market apartment construction - Kansas City Star

WATCH LIVE

Federal investigators on Monday pieced through the charred skeleton of an under-construction apartment building in Oaklandto determine if the blaze was accidental or intentionally set.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent a national response team to examine the fire site at 2302 Valdez Street, which caught fire early Friday and forced several hundred evacuations.

4-Alarm Fire Engulfs Building in Oakland

The four-alarm blaze engulfed what would have been a mixed-use apartment complexexpected to house 196 homes and up to 31,500 square feet of retail space upon completion next spring.

No one was injured by the fire, but at least 700 people living and working in the area around the blaze were asked to leave their homes and businesses while crews battled the flames and worked to dismantle a structurally unstable crane marred the fire.

The crane was successfully removed Saturday evening, allowing many evacuees to slowly return home.

As mostevacuees returned home Sunday, a new evacuation order was issued for a neighboring building.

About 7 p.m. Sunday, glass and debris began falling from the building at 180 Grand Ave., leading to the closure of that building, fire officials said. The evacuation order at the building would remain in place until an investigation to determine its condition, officials said.

The blaze comes on the heels of three separate fires at construction sites in the area between July 2016 and May 2017. The ATF is offering a $110,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for those blazes. The reward does not mention the most recent blaze.

Published at 5:49 AM PDT on Jul 10, 2017 | Updated 5 hours ago

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Federal Investigators Examine Oakland Construction Site Fire - NBC Bay Area

San Francisco Business Times

Oakland housing developers are on edge after spate of apartment fires, but determined to keep building San Francisco Business Times The threat of fires destroying apartment construction projects is keeping some developers up at night. Oakland is the middle of a housing construction boom that developers won't let up anytime soon. and more »

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Oakland housing developers are on edge after spate of apartment fires, but determined to keep building - San Francisco Business Times

Miami Herald

Miami is getting lots of new apartments, but you may not be able to afford them Miami Herald Several new studies show that despite the number of new multifamily (i.e. apartment) buildings under construction and condo towers that have been converted to rentals, there still won't be enough inventory to meet snowballing demand over the next 10 ...

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Miami is getting lots of new apartments, but you may not be able to afford them - Miami Herald

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

A massive fire at a downtown Oakland construction site as seen from the Oakland Hills on July 7, 2017 at approximately 5:25 am PST.

A massive fire at a downtown Oakland construction site as seen from the Oakland Hills on July 7, 2017 at approximately 5:25 am PST.

Firefighters battle a building fire at Valdez and 23rd Streets in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 7, 2017.

Firefighters battle a building fire at Valdez and 23rd Streets in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 7, 2017.

A huge fire was burning at a construction site at Valdez and 23rd streets in Oakland Friday morning.

A huge fire was burning at a construction site at Valdez and 23rd streets in Oakland Friday morning.

The Fire Department, above, douses the smoldering remains of the seven-story building under construction that burned in Oakland on Friday morning as construc tion crews, left, begin to clean up.

The Fire Department, above, douses the smoldering remains of the seven-story building under construction that burned in Oakland on Friday morning as construc tion crews, left, begin to clean up.

An excavator rips down pieces of the smoldering remains of a seven-story building that was under construction in Oakland that went up in flames on Friday morning.

An excavator rips down pieces of the smoldering remains of a seven-story building that was under construction in Oakland that went up in flames on Friday morning.

A person in safety gear walks past an evacuated apartment building across the street from the smoldering remains of a seven-story building destroyed in a massive fire in Oakland on Friday.

A person in safety gear walks past an evacuated apartment building across the street from the smoldering remains of a seven-story building destroyed in a massive fire in Oakland on Friday.

Greg Williams watches construction crews remove debris after a seven-story building under construction in Oakland burned across the street from his bakery, Gregorys Gourmet Desserts.

Greg Williams watches construction crews remove debris after a seven-story building under construction in Oakland burned across the street from his bakery, Gregorys Gourmet Desserts.

The Oakland Fire Department douses hot spots from Fridays fire, top, as crews begin to clean up the remains of the seven-story build ing under construction, above.

The Oakland Fire Department douses hot spots from Fridays fire, top, as crews begin to clean up the remains of the seven-story build ing under construction, above.

Workers look up at the wreckage of a downed construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

Workers look up at the wreckage of a downed construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

People at an adjacent building watch the removal of a damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

People at an adjacent building watch the removal of a damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

Workers attach a cable to the front of a damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

Workers attach a cable to the front of a damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

Secondary cranes rise up along side a fire damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

Secondary cranes rise up along side a fire damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

An excavator pulls down a fire damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

An excavator pulls down a fire damaged construction crane at the Alta Waverly mixed use building that was badly damaged in a major fire, in Oakland, CA, on Saturday July 8, 2017.

Some residents return to homes following massive Oakland blaze

Residents of one apartment building evacuated due to the massive fire in Oakland on Friday were allowed to return their homes late Saturday after crews toppled a giant fire-wrecked construction crane, officials said.

Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Erik Logan announced the reopening of the Grand Apartments at 100 Grand Ave. shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday.

In the event the removal of the crane is successful you will be able to return to your homes today, management of the Grand Apartments at 100 Grand Ave wrote in a letter to residents earlier in the day.

Residents of 100 Grand Ave. were back inside by 10 p.m., several said on Twitter.

On Sunday, Oakland Fire Department officials expect to enter the burnt-out husk of what was supposed to be the Alta Waverly apartment complex 196 market-rate units with ground floor retail.

They will be joined Monday by federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is dispatching personnel from around the country to help.

On Saturday, fire crews continued to shoot water at hot spots in the charred wreckage of the building, which caught fire around 4:30 a.m. Friday, sending flames and smoke above downtown Oakland before being contained a few hours later. No one was injured.

Workers knocked down much of the scaffolding surrounding the building as people watched from nearby streets.

The teetering crane, which was damaged in the fire and in danger of collapsing, caused fire officials to order the evacuation of residents in the surrounding areas. Officials worked Saturday morning on plans to remove the crane.

The developers of the burned building, along with their contractor, rotated the crane and pulled it down into an empty parking lot on Valdez Street on Saturday evening, according to Oakland Fire Department officials. Though the plan had been designed to avoid hitting any buildings, police officers went through the evacuated buildings to make sure all civilians were out of the buildings Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The crane was toppled safely shortly after 7:30 p.m.

City inspectors had not been able to enter nearby buildings to evaluate whether they remained structurally sound Saturday, said Sean Maher, a spokesman for the city of Oakland. Once the crane was removed, the plan was to fast-track those inspections.

Our goal is to return residents to their homes as swiftly as possible, but only once we've conducted these inspections to confirm it is safe for them to do so, he said.

Some neighboring buildings were damaged by the high heat, smoke and water, according to fire officials.

Residents such as Hernan Carrillo, a 50-year-old AT&T technician who lives in an apartment building next door to the charred construction site on Waverly Street with his wife and young son, are staying with friends as work at the fire site continues.

Carrillo was able to return to his apartment for a few minutes Friday night to gather belongings and assess the damage.

The roof has a bunch of holes, theres water damage in the bedrooms our bed is ruined, he said.

I was lucky to have a friend who had a space, he said. Otherwise Id be really worried about the housing situation. I wouldnt be able to afford anything at this time.

Carrillo has lived in his rent-controlled apartment for 12 years.

The seven-story Alta Waverly development was set to open next spring at 23rd and Valdez streets, according to a project website.

The Oakland architectural firm Pyatok designed the building for the Wood Partners development firm, and the construction was being done by Andersen Construction.

A group of displaced residents met with Angela Robinson Pion, a spokeswoman with the Oakland Fire Department, at the St. Vincent de Paul center Saturday afternoon to discuss future assistance and when they could potentially return to their homes. The center opened as a shelter for those who had been evacuated.

Samantha Pham, 55, was part of the group watching Pion on Saturday afternoon. Pham lives in an apartment building next door to the construction site with her husband and 14-year-old son. They had stayed at a motel Friday night, but their future housing plans were unclear.

I dont know whats coming next or where Im going to go, she said. Where do I stay? I have no answer.

Chronicle staff writer Rachel Swan contributed to this report.

Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Haleaziz

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Some residents return to homes following massive Oakland blaze - SFGate

If you want an idea of how justice works or maybe doesnt consider the saga of the neighborhood transient repeatedly charged with harassing members of Mark Zuckerbergs security detail outside the Facebook moguls San Francisco home.

One case went up in smoke after questions were raised about some of the details members. It turns out that three of the Zuckerberg guards who were due to testify had checkered records from their days as Oakland cops, which prosecutors worried could be damaging to the case.

And the latest case has the ring of deja vu but first, the backstory.

Facebook lawyers sought a restraining order in 2015 on behalf of 15 guards working round the clock outside the Dolores Heights home where Zuckerberg lives with his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. The guards said William Gordon Kinzer, a transient living in his car down the street, had repeatedly threatened them and made racist rants.

When Kinzer violated the order, he was sent to jail for three months. Once out, he continued to mix it up with Zuckerbergs security crew, authorities alleged. He was arrested in September and charged with felonies that included stalking, making criminal threats and violating his earlier stay-away order.

When lawyers from the public defenders office representing Kinzer started poring over the prosecutions witness list, they discovered that three of the guards were ex-Oakland cops with disciplinary records including for excessive force.

Prosecutors, fearing the ex-cops testimony might do more harm than good, responded by dropping them from the case. They wanted Kinzer to take a plea deal that would put him into counseling.

Kinzers lawyers rejected the deal, and in April, prosecutors blinked and dropped the charges. Kinzer, who had spent seven months in jail, went free.

End of story?

Hardly because on June 14, Kinzer, now 65, was arrested again this time after he allegedly drove his car menacingly toward Zucherbergs protective detail, then sideswiped a moving vehicle before speeding off. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail on suspicion of a series of misdemeanors that include disobeying a stay-away order, hit-and-run and driving without a license.

Guards in sport utility vehicles patrol outside the home of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan in San Franciscos Dolores Heights in 2015.

Guards in sport utility vehicles patrol outside the home of...

Two of the former Oakland cops with troubled records are still providing security for Zuckerberg. And as luck would have it, they were on duty when the latest incident took place, according to authorities.

As a result, just like last time, were told they wont be asked to testify if the case goes to trial. Prosecutors hint that other witnesses will be called to describe what happened.

But then, we know how that worked out the last time.

Incidentally, Zuckerberg spokesman Ben LaBolt said information about the security detail was confidential and that the Facebook boss had no comment.

Smoldering: Fridays fire at a seven-story apartment and retail complex under construction near downtown Oakland has put the spotlight on the expanded use of wood-frame construction in residential buildings.

In 2008, the states codes were rewritten to allow buildings under eight stories tall to use wood framing, over two floors of concrete. The construction method generally is much cheaper than the old way, which required noncombustible exterior walls typically, concrete and steel studs from top to bottom.

But experts tell us all that wood makes the buildings especially vulnerable during construction, before sprinklers and flame-resistant drywall are in place.

That proved to be the case in 2014, when a six-story, 124-unit apartment complex under construction in San Franciscos Mission Bay went went up in flames. The fire was later ruled an accident.

Similarly, a five-story apartment building under construction in downtown Emeryville, on the Oakland border, burned twice in the past year though in both those cases, investigators have concluded it was arson.

Nadia Lockyer could face battery charges in Tuolumne County.

Nadia Lockyer could face battery charges in Tuolumne County.

Sad saga: The roller-coaster marriage of former state Treasurer Bill Lockyer and wife Nadia whose sex and drug scandal cost her her job as an Alameda County supervisor has taken another downward plunge.

Nadia Lockyer, 46, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misdemeanor battery of a spouse after she allegedly went on a drunken rage inside a vacation home in the Sierra foothills town of Twain Harte, according to Tuolumne County sheriffs officials.

Bill Lockyer suffered an undisclosed minor injury in the incident, authorities said. Sheriffs officials say they received a call from the house at about 10:55 a.m. about an intoxicated woman yelling and throwing things, though they did not identify the caller.

Authorities said Nadia Lockyer had a blood alcohol level of 0.22 percent when she was arrested well over the legal limit for driving. She was held for several hours before she was released on $5,000 bail, a Sheriffs Department spokeswoman said.

This is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family, and as they work through it, privacy is imperative, said Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for Bill Lockyer. Bill is focused on his kids well-being and his wifes health.

Nadia Lockyer resigned as an Alameda County supervisor in 2012 after a meth-fueled affair with a South Bay man, who allegedly assaulted her in a motel room and tried to blackmail her with an X-rated tape he had shot of the two.

Nadia Lockyer subsequently was in and out of drug rehab, and the couple appeared headed for certain divorce. That is, until two years ago when they reconciled and began making a new life for themselves in Southern California capped off when Nadia Lockyer proudly announced on her Facebook page that she had given birth to twin boys. The couple have one other son.

But just a couple days before her arrest, Nadia Lockyer sent out a more ominous Facebook message a complaint about the state of her 14-year marriage in which she declared, With a huge broken heart and bruises, Im filing for legal separation.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross

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