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As the Metals in Construction newsletter reported last summer, work at the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center is continuing apace in time for the venue’s planned 2023 opening. Work planned for the first quarter of this year includes commissioning of the center’s three theaters, and testing the broad range of configurations which are the … Continued

  The Greening of America’s Building Codes: Promises and Paradoxes  Aleksandra Jaeschke Princeton Architectural Press, 2022 Written by Bill Millard Linkages between the practical and theoretical sides of architecture are all too rare. It’s easy for professionals who focus on the realities and complexities of construction to regard studies of architectural history, theory, and ideology … Continued

Leaders in varied fields elevating roles of women are recognized with Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation’s BEVY Awards at annual gala event in New York City NEW YORK CITY, September 29, 2022 – Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation has announced six exceptional women in architecture, engineering, construction and allied fields as honorees to be recognized at their … Continued

With a construction schedule that was accelerated during the pandemic, David Geffen Hall is opening a full two years before initially scheduled and on budget—the result of a close collaboration between Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic, and building trades and supporters across the city. The project supports $600 million in ongoing economic development and … Continued

Carbon Crisis: Leveraging the Façade System for Carbon Reduction in Buildings   Buildings are a significant contributor to global carbon emissions and their façade systems play a major role in that contribution. This puts the building skin at center stage in the development and execution of carbon reduction strategies in the pursuit of carbon-neutral, or … Continued

Metals in Construction magazine has announced the winners of its 2022 Design Challenge competition, which asked architects and engineers to generate ideas for an innovative curtain wall enclosure that could act dynamically in response to a wide range of environmental conditions while considering the well-being of building occupants.  The competition was speculative, but its design … Continued

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the Charles Pankow Foundation, and the Magnusson Klemencic Associates Foundation, among others, are poised to embark on testing a proposed new floor system for commercial buildings that eliminates concrete slabs to increase the speed of construction and reduce carbon. The proposed system, a modular steel floor framing and … Continued

Challenged with COVID-19 rules and restrictions, a Populous- and Thornton Tomasetti-led design team delivered an innovative steel superstructure with long span roof trusses, lateral load resisting braces in the elevator cores and perimeter and a large rigging capacity for concerts, venues and sporting events. Written by Barbara Horwitz-Bennett  The New York Islanders’ new $1.5 billion … Continued

Written by Bill Millard The 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks is an occasion for reflection not only on the tragedy itself but on the city’s resilience in making the World Trade Center neighborhood a multipurpose civic asset. The original master plan by Daniel Libeskind incorporated an arts center along with the towers, memorial … Continued

Kristen Richards, who as the editor of the website ArchNewsNow (ANN) for almost 20 years helped architects, architecture buffs, and her fellow architecture writers keep tabs on what was happening around the world, died yesterday. She was 69. The cause was cancer, according to her husband, George Yates, a software engineer. Read the tribute by … Continued

NEW YORK CITY — The award-winning, 2,000-person global engineering and consulting practice Buro Happold has announced the appointment of New York-based Craig Schwitter as Senior Partner and Chair of the Global Board, as of May 1st. Schwitter was elected by the firm’s more than 70 partners, and previously held the Chair of Buro Happold’s USA … Continued

Matthew Chartrand is business manager/financial secretary-treasurer of Ironworkers Local 361. After attending Nassau Community College, Chartrand began working as a Local 361 apprentice in 1993, graduating to journeyman in 1996. As a journeyman Ironworker, he worked all phases of iron work, including bolting up, raising gang, shop steward, and foreman. Chartrand was appointed business agent/vice … Continued

Metals in Construction magazine has announced the winner of its 2021 Design Challenge competition, which asked architects and engineers how they would create a new affordable-housing development at Sunnyside Yard in Queens. The competition was speculative, but its design brief was based on proposals set forth in the Sunnyside Yard Master Plan Handbook, a detailed … Continued

There is no question that Covid-19 has impacted virtually all industries, and construction is among those impacted most. Faced with possible material shortages and labor inefficiency, companies and governments have been forced to examine the economic feasibility of moving forward with current projects. But on those jobs involving a seasoned contractor employing highly skilled and … Continued

Visually aggressive and environmentally progressive, the new office tower overlooking Grand Central Terminal—a model of sustainable transit-oriented development, constructed under budget and ahead of schedule—looks beyond the COVID era to a day when East Midtown will thrum and thrive again. Written by Bill Millard The views from high floors at One Vanderbilt, the 77-story Kohn … Continued

The Steel Institute of New York will join the MKA Foundation, AISC, and the Charles Pankow Foundation in funding the next step in testing the performance of SpeedCore, an innovative concrete-filled composite plate shear wall system. On the heels of the success of earlier fire tests which provided design guidance on how to eliminate fire … Continued

This month, Metals in Construction spoke with Bryan Brady, Director of Training for the Iron Workers Locals 40 & 361 Training Facility, about how apprentices and journeymen have navigated a new pandemic learning environment. Contractors hire union iron workers because of their extensive training and elevated skill level, among other reasons. Have you been able … Continued

Six new belvederes, or scenic overlooks, that are part of the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge’s (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge) shared bike and pedestrian path are bringing much-needed outdoor social space to the Lower Hudson Valley. These resting points reflect the culture and history of the area and provide a new connection for … Continued

As we mark nearly six months into the U.S. pandemic, Metals in Construction spent time talking with Peter Myers, Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Ironworkers Local 580, on how the union’s workers have navigated safety requirements, new protocols, and communication during this time. In the early stages of the virus, many Local 580 Ironworkers … Continued

Since Seattle’s Rainier Tower began rising in late 2017, the construction industry has been talking about the cutting-edge project by Magnusson Klemencic Associates. Thanks to a new composite shear wall system developed by MKA, the 850-foot-tall tower rose in only 10 months—40 percent faster than a traditional concrete-cored tower. The Steel Institute of New York … Continued

In late June, Metals in Construction sat down with David Herd, managing partner of Buro Happold’s California region, to discuss how the pandemic has impacted his work in high-performance building design and resilient master planning.  How are things changing in terms of planning from a campus perspective in the past few months? Whether you’re a university … Continued

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo opened LaGuardia Airport’s Arrivals and Departures Hall to the public on June 13 after four years of construction led by Skanska as part of the LaGuardia Gateway Partners team assembled for the public-private partnership to build and operate the airport’s Central Terminal B facility. As LaGuardia Airport’s most active passenger hub, … Continued

Construction sites close down for emergencies—whether or not everyone involved is ready. The COVID-19 lockdown adds new forms of operational and legal uncertainty.  Yet a shutdown needn’t be a disaster: it’s time to plan, anticipate potential problems, and upgrade procedures. Written by Bill Millard The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works throughout … Continued

Steel’s Sustainability and Commitment to a Greener Industry On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Steel Bridge Alliance celebrated structural steel’s commitment to sustainability as the most environmentally friendly construction material. Check out their 2020 Earth Day video now!