The developer Bruce C. Ratner will break ground next month for the world’s tallest prefabricated, or modular, building, a 32-story residential tower.

http://www.enclos.com — Many people already know Mic Patterson, Director of Strategic Development for Enclos, or have experienced the AIA/CES program “Exposed Structural Systems and Long Span Glass Facades” that he has presented to numerous architectural offices. What you might not know is that the content of this program derives from the book Structural Glass Facades and Enclosures authored by Patterson published by John Wiley and Sons.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 9th World Congress Proceedings are available now.

Mr. Brake will be taking over as executive editor at the end of August, when Julie Iovine steps down.

The latest issue of Metals in Construction takes a look at a vast range of steel and ornamental metal projects across the five boroughs. Read about new civic projects, including the city’s first use of High Performance Steel for the Paerdegat Basin Bridge on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn and the new Court Square Subway Station in Long Island City. New York’s academic institutions continue to improve their facilities with architecturally stunning steel designs: The 26 Broadway Educational Campus, NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Westchester Community College’s new Gateway Center, and Fordham’s Salice and Conley halls are all shining examples. Finally, 510 Madison joins the ranks of Manhattan’s finest skyscrapers with innovative engineering and tenant-friendly architecture.

In a surprise move, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that it is postponing plans to ballot the next version of LEED until as late as June 2013.

(http://www.edcnews.com) — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) introduced the first overview guide on how architects can implement in their practice the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), which was introduced in March by the International Code Council (ICC).

(http://www.chron.com) New York City parks officials and advocates have unveiled designs for the third and final section of the High Line, an elevated stretch of historic freight rail line in Manhattan that has been converted to a public park. The final section will wrap around the Hudson Rail Yards between West 30th and West 34th streets. Construction will be closely coordinated with the development of Hudson Yards, which will feature more than 12 million square feet of new office, residential, retail and cultural space.

(enr.construction.com) Score another small victory for more-constructible high-rises, especially in seismic zones. Results of recent load tests on a “sandwich” shear-wall assembly, designed to simplify and speed construction of core shear walls surrounded by steel frames, are equal to or better than anticipated, say researchers.

Last week the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) launched The Skyscraper Center: http://www.skyscrapercenter.com

The project will include approximately 10,400 tons of steel.