NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WilmerHale announced today that its New York office has been awarded LEED(R) Gold certification. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. The law firm is one of only three in the city of New York known to have earned this recognition.

WilmerHale's LEED Gold certification is the result of efforts that began upon construction of its space at 7 World Trade Center (WTC), which the firm has officially called home since July 2012. The firm's certification falls into the category of Commercial Interiors and credits WilmerHale with being at the forefront of environmental and sustainability initiatives.

"This is an important recognition that was achieved through our continued efforts on two very meaningful fronts--environmental sustainability and cost efficiency," said Charles Platt, partner-in-charge of WilmerHale's New York office. "We are proud to offer an impressive, modern and efficient space for our employees and clients."

The increased efficiency of WilmerHale's space at 7 WTC is critical to raising the quality of life for its lawyers and staff and to lowering costs. Helping to earn its LEED Gold certification, the space offers optimized energy performance when it comes to lighting, HVAC, equipment and appliances; reduced water usage; increased ventilation; convenient access to public transportation; as well as bike racks, changing rooms and showers. Various regional materials--defined as those manufactured within 500 miles of the project site--were used during construction of the office, while features such as glass-walled offices, which flood the interior space with natural light and reduce the need for corridor lighting, as well as Energy Star-rated appliances and equipment and ongoing storage and collection of recyclables, make for an efficient and environmentally considerate office.

"WilmerHale's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. "The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and WilmerHale serves as a prime example of just how much we can accomplish."

This is not the first recognition WilmerHale has received for its eco- and cost-conscious efforts. The firm previously made history when it announced, alongside Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and World Trade Center developer Larry A. Silverstein, the signing of its lease at 7 WTC. This marked the first lease in the city to include energy-aligned language which allows the tenant and the owner to benefit from energy-efficient improvements while sharing in the costs to make the improvement attainable. A complement to WilmerHale's new status as LEED Gold, the lease promotes enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability. In addition, WilmerHale is an ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge Partner, participating in a program established to encourage law offices to take steps to become better environmental and energy stewards.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building program that provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED for Commercial Interiors is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green tenant spaces that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint. It gives tenants and designers, who do not always have control over whole building operations, the power to make sustainable choices. Making these choices during tenant improvements and interior renovations can dramatically affect the indoor environment. This rating system was developed specifically for tenants in commercial and institutional buildings who lease their space or don't occupy the entire building.

Lauren G. Coppola

Senior Public Relations Specialist, WilmerHale

1 (617) 526 6998

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WilmerHale's New York Office Awarded LEED(R) Gold Certification

10/17/2012

by Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor

Barry Darnell, St. Vincents system director of major construction, said the building should open in early October 2013 on the same day as the St. Vincents Medical Center Clay County.

Plans shows the office building will be a 60,090-square-foot, three-story structure on 4.72 acres on the hospital campus at Blanding Boulevard and Branan Field Road.

Johnson Development is the developer and Prosser Hallock is shown on plans as the engineer.

Darnell said St. Vincents is leasing the ground to Johnson Development, based in Birmingham, Ala., for development. He said the company specializes in medical office buildings.

Darnell said Johnson Development will negotiate the tenants and leases. St. Vincents said the hospital will use 20,000 square feet of space there for some of its departments and physicians.

Darnell said the parcel could support another medical office building, but there was no timetable for construction.

Darnell said the shell of the medical office building will cost about $10 million and the build-out is about $5 million.

He also estimates it will create about 125 construction jobs and 250-300 medical and related jobs within the building once completed.

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Construction starting in 60 days on $15 million Clay medical office building

Project Manager leads local group through green construction process at Federal Office Building 8

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 16, 2012

Director of Public Programs at the National Building Museum, Paul Killmer said, One of the most interesting aspects of the building was the insertion of the atrium space, creating a lightwell which is a component integral in achieving LEED Gold Certification. The group also marveled at the enlargement and treatment of the windows, the beautiful floating staircase, and the green roof which protects the building and surrounding area from storm and water damage.

Last September, Turner Construction Company was named the number one green builder in the country by Engineering News-Record for the fifth year in a row. With the largest LEED-accredited staff in the United States, Turners commitment to sustainability goes beyond job sites and certifications and translates to operations and community outreach. The company was recognized in twenty-three categories by the publication and also ranked number one in general construction, education, healthcare, correctional facilities and pharmaceutical. and commercial facilities by the publication.

About Turner Construction Company

Turner is a North America-based, international construction services company. Founded in 1902 in New York City, Turner has 5,200 employees worldwide and works on 1200 projects each year, for an annual construction volume of $8 billion. As the largest general builder in the United States, Turner ranks first or second in the major market segments of the building construction field, including healthcare, education, sports, commercial, and green building. The firm is a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF, a publicly traded company, and one of the worlds leading international construction service providers.

For more information please visit http://www.turnerconstruction.com.

About HOCHTIEF

HOCHTIEF is one of the leading international providers of construction-related services. With more than 80,000 employees and a sales volume of EUR 23.28 billion in FY 2011, the company is represented in all the worlds major markets. With its core competencies in development, building and operation, the Group delivers services for the entire life cycle of infrastructure projects, real estate and facilities. The focus of the related business activities is on four strategic areas: energy infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, major cities, and resources. With its subsidiary Leighton (HOCHTIEF share around 54 percent), the Group is market leader in Australia. In the USA, the biggest construction market in the world, HOCHTIEF is the No. 1 general builder via its subsidiary Turner and, with Group company Flatiron, ranks among the most important players in the field of transportation infrastructure construction. Because of its engagement for sustainability, HOCHTIEF has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2006. Further information is available at http://www.hochtief.com/press.

Kali Bowers Turner Construction Company 2028982526 Email Information

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Turner Construction Company Hosts The National Building Museum Construction Watch Tour

GRAND RAPIDS, MI Of all the energy-efficient and LEED-certified buildings in the world, a little brick office building at 502 Second St. NW stands as the LEED champ.

The owners of Catalyst Partners and M Retail Solutions said Monday their 95-year-old office building has earned a LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, with 66 of 69 points awarded.

Its the most points to date of any project in the world under the LEED for New Construction v2.2 Rating System, according to Catalyst Partners President Keith Winn and M Retail Solutions President Chris Muller.

The cool part is that this little building can achieve such a distinction, said Muller, sitting in a roomy conference area that once housed a tool and die shop and before that, a flour mill.

Grand Rapids was known to have the highest number of LEED-certified projects per capita and now we have the honor of having the project with the highest number of LEED points in the world, within our city limits, said Mayor George Heartwell, in a news release.

This LEED Platinum project, located in the citys West Side neighborhood, will continue to serve as a catalyst for sustainable and restorative development in Grand Rapids and the West Michigan area for many years to come, Heartwell said.

Built 95 years ago as a fireproof building for the Watkins Higgins Milling Co., the structure is now chock full of the latest in energy-efficient engineering while retaining a cool loft-style ambiance.

It features a state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling system, solar panels on the roof and re-purposed materials that include the former gym floor from Iroquois Middle School and doors from the Harrison Park Elementary School.

Outside, all of the rainwater that falls on the property flows to a rain garden. Elsewhere on the property, theres a neighborhood garden and native plants that were rescued by students from Calvin College and Grand Valley State University.

Besides having an office building that is 60 percent less expensive to operate than a traditional office space, the building also serves as a showcase for the owners talents in finding and creating energy efficiencies.

Read more:
Little brick building on Grand Rapids' West Side achieves the world's highest LEED rating

BUILDING PERMITS

Boulder

Building construction permits over $10,000 in value that were approved in Boulder between Oct. 1 and Oct. 7, 2012. Listed below are: the case number; address; total project valuation; owner name; contractor (if applicable); and description.

PMT2012-02980; 3080 Broadway; $324,000; Attention Inc.; Symmetry Builders Inc.; addition and remodel for Attention Homes residential care facility, increasing from 12 to 20 beds. See ADR2012-00044 and ADR2012-00045 for minor modification and conditional use review. See case notes for floor area calculations.

PMT2012-04167; 4950 Thunderbird Drive; $22,404; Frasier Meadows; Frasier Meadows Manor; interior remodel of 300 square feet of an existing assisted living facility to create a new memory care unit, includes installation of new secure entries, new emergency exit, and new resident lounge area. All exterior work through separate permit. Associated electrical and mechanical.

PMT2012-04281; 933 Mapleton Ave.; $130,000; Michael Sherman; Sugarloaf Building Co. Inc.; construction of a new detached accessory building -- 344 square feet with half-bath and 129-square-foot porch. Associated electrical, mechanical and plumbing. See HIS2012-00172 for approved landmark alteration certificate.

PMT2012-04332; 765 Hartford Drive; $88,226; Gerald and Natasha Rigg; second story addition of 858 square feet and remodel of 130 square feet to existing single-family residence, addition to include new master bedroom, study, bath and reading room. New front porch of 96 square feet and second level deck of 100 square feet. Associated electrical, mechanical and plumbing.

PMT2012-04539; 1720 14th St.; $28,000; 1720 Building; City of Boulder; interior tenant remodel of 418 square feet of office area for Information Resources Landlink replacement and TBBI projects.

PMT2012-04795; 836 13th St.; $19,550; Spruce Street; Sobo Design and Build; remodel existing three-car detached garage at rear of property, scope of work includes installation of exterior stucco, replace existing garage doors with new overhead doors, associated electrical work.

PMT2012-04801; 4949 Pearl East Circle; $25,054; P125678 LLC; Rincon Development Inc.; Suite 300 interior demolition and new construction of non-load bearing partition walls, interior remodel of 340 square feet.

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Boulder building permits: Oct. 15, 2012

Mobile trailers for construction sites are now available at Mobileofficequotes.com, making it easy to get some office space and employee areas set up fast.

(PRWEB) October 15, 2012

By providing quotes for mobile trailers for construction sites, Mobileofficequotes makes it easy to get set up for a new project quickly and easily. Mobile trailers for construction sites are typically used as office space for meetings, as break rooms for employees and for storage. They are a popular choice for construction sites, as they can be rented and delivered for a certain period of time and then are picked up once the project has been completed.

In addition to providing quotes for mobile trailers for construction projects, mobileofficequotes.com also provides quotes on steel buildings, modular buildings and storage units. The expert staff is trained to provide competitive quotes for homes and businesses that are looking to expand their physical space without building a new building from scratch, and can make recommendations based on the needs of the building owner. The services are designed to be easy to use, providing fast delivery and quick set up to get businesses up and running in no time.

Since 2010, mobileofficequotes.com has been the leading quote provider for mobile office rentals, storage containers, steel buildings and modular buildings. Dedicated to providing the highest level of service, customers can request free quotes online by submitting their contact information, along with a short online form, at mobileofficequotes.com.

Tyler Smith Mobileofficequotes.com 248-686-2646 Email Information

Link:
Mobile Trailers for Construction Sites Now Available at Mobileofficequotes.com

WILLISTON, N.D. When the Williston Building Department receives a delivery of new plans to review, they joke with the delivery driver to take them back.

The department is trying to keep up as its on track to break last years record of 929 building permits totaling nearly $358 million.

At the end of September, the department had already approved 856 permits totaling nearly $288 million.

Now were getting bombarded because its fall and everyone wants to start work before it freezes, said Kelly Aberle, office manager and plans examiner for the Williston Building Department. It gets overwhelming at times.

It takes four to six weeks for the city to complete commercial plan reviews, and about three to four weeks for residential projects, Aberle said.

We try to get them out as fast as we can, Aberle said. Some days you wonder when its going to stop.

The office has seven workers now, compared with three employees three years ago, she said. They plan to add more staff, but theyre already running out of space in the office they moved into just two years ago.

I think for the most part we have a great handle on making sure things are being done properly and to code, Aberle said.

Williams County also is seeing an intense pace of construction. Building inspector Jim Horton projects the county will exceed 600 building permits this year. Last year the county approved more than 400, he said.

Horton drove 962 miles in one week recently to complete building inspections in the county, including the cities of Tioga and Ray.

Read more here:
Williston building inspectors busy with fast pace of construction

London, Oct 14 (IANS) Architects and engineers are reviving the use of wood as an eco-friendly replacement for concrete, as borne out by the completion of an eight-storey office building in Austria and residential block in London.

The LCT One building in Dornbirn, Austria, is a 'hybrid' building made from both wood and concrete and designed by Austrian architectural firm Cree. Assembled from solid panels made from layers of wood and other materials, the high-tech building has a central concrete core housing its lifts and utilities.

From a concrete foundation, vertical posts of glue-laminated wood (known as glulam) support hybrid floor panels made from more glulam beams embedded in reinforced concrete.

Made by sticking together smaller pieces of wood to create structural elements, glulam can resist compression better than concrete - but weighs much less and is more sustainable, the Daily Mail reports.

Cree claims that prefabricating the glulam elements of the building cuts construction time by half, guarantees quality and slashes the buildings' carbon footprint.

Concrete emits nearly its own weight in carbon dioxide as its produce; the raw material for wooden skyscrapers, by contrast, literally grows on trees and absorbs carbon from the air as it does so.

Residents of the 21 timber houses which make up Sinclair Meadows in South Shields area of London can sleep cosily in the knowledge that they live in the most eco-friendly social housing development in the UK.

Householders will benefit from some of the lowest energy bills in the country as the complex has the largest array of solar panels on domestic dwellings, which will provide electricity.

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Wooden high rises eco-friendly replacement for concrete

Despite a slow start, the next five years will be a period of robust revenue growth for commercial construction companies, mainly because of the economic recovery. Falling vacancy rates mean that businesses will require more office space, while rebounding disposable incomes will raise demand for retail buildings. Further, heightened consumer spending and rising business investment will fuel growth. For these reasons, industry research firm IBISWorld has added a report on the Commercial Building Construction industry to its growing industry report collection.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 13, 2012

Commercial construction typically lags behind the overall economy by one to two years, due in part to the length of construction contracts and industry backlog. Industry revenue began to slow in 2008, and then plummeted 29.7% and 30.3% in 2009 and 2010, respectively. During those years, most contractors' backlogs diminished to unprecedented levels, despite the influx of stimulus dollars, causing profit to shrink. As the market for construction services declined, firms resorted to bidding on projects for a loss, just to keep their crews busy. In 2009 and 2010, profit margins dropped to less than 1.0% from a peak of 5.0% in 2007. Margins are expected to remain low in 2012, at 1.8%, showing a modest improvement as economic recovery stimulates demand for new commercial construction and as the prices of services gradually increase. After three consecutive years of revenue decline, the industry is expected to begin recovering in 2012, with revenue projected to grow 2.1%, says Alegria. Even more promising, over the five years to 2017, revenue is projected to increase at a much stronger rate. Improvements in the US economy will drive this growth, with demand for construction set to steadily rise as businesses begin to expand operations. Further, merger and acquisition activity will likely become prominent in the industry as the construction markets recover and more established firms compete for market share.

The Commercial Building Construction industry has a low level of concentration, with the four largest players accounting for about 5.7% of industry revenue. The largest industry participants are general contractors, but these firms often use subcontractors and local firms to develop projects. As a result, most participants are subcontractors that compete on a local or regional scale. Additionally, large participants operate in several construction segments outside commercial building, including civil projects, and municipal and institutional building construction, which further dilutes the concentration of industry revenue. About two-thirds of establishments employ fewer than 10 people, including about 47.0% of firms that employ fewer than five people. Only about 2.0% of industry establishments employ more than 100 people. These large-scale players are multi-establishment companies with branches that operate across many states and regions. For more information, visit IBISWorlds Commercial Building Construction report in the US industry page.

Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld

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IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics

The Commercial Building Construction industry includes firms that are primarily responsible for work on the construction (i.e. new work, additions, alterations, maintenance and repairs) of office, retail, hotel and entertainment buildings. The majority of participants are general contractors or project managers. This industry does not include municipal building construction, which comprises institutional buildings such as schools, hospitals, and churches.

Industry Performance

Executive Summary

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Commercial Building Construction in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld

Bandar Seri Begawan - Bandar Seri Begawan - The Brunei-Muara District, in its efforts to provide quality services to its stakeholders, will have a new building next year. A foundation-laying ceremony was held yesterday at the construction site at the Old Airport area in Berakas.

With the new building, the Brunei-Muara District Office hopes to better serve the public in a more comfortable and spacious area.

Construction of the B$7.4 million project began in April 2012 and is scheduled to be completed by July 2013. The project was approved under the 10th National Development Plan of 2008-2013.

Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, the Minister of Home Affairs, officiated the foundation-laying ceremony yesterday.

The main form of the building was derived from the existing site conditions.

The building will have, among other facilities, a reception lobby, VIP lounge, surau, multi-purpose hall, conference room, meeting room and pantries.

In support of the Ministry of Development's Green Building Initiative, the building will have several features that reduce the consumption of energy, including low-E double glazed walls, which reduce the amount of heat that enters the building while allowing more daylight to enter the spaces.

The project is supervised and designed by the Technical Services Department of the Public Works Department (JKR). Other consultants for the project include

KR Kamarulzaman & Associated (Civil & Electrical), Sepakat Setia Perunding (B) Sdn Bhd (Mechanical & Electrical), Z-Arif Consultant (Quantity Surveyors) and LSL Sdn Bhd (Contractor).

Also present were the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yusof, and other senior government officers.

See the article here:
New Building For Brunei-Muara District Office