Author: Nikki Fotheringham
The recognized need for sustainability is seeing the return of wood as our building material of choice. Mass-timber products (wood-engineered construction materials) are able to sequester carbon and are a sustainable, renewable, durable, cost-effective and beautiful option gaining traction in North American markets.
Thanks to mass timber building components making wood more adaptable, wood buildings can go up faster, be as strong as steel and much lighter too. Now with high rise buildings on the table, wood is enjoying unprecedented appeal.
A new survey by Autodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) shows that 80 percent of construction firms interviewed reported a shortage of construction professionals.
Modular off-site construction has the potential to solve many of the inherent issues that dog traditional building methods.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore is planning an ambitious five-year build of its new $180 million business school. NTU’s president Subra Suresh, described the wooden construction as the university’s “most ambitious sustainable construction project to date”. The six-storey building will be constructed from wood and house the Nanyang Business School. On completion in 2021,… Read more »
The construction industry is one of the most labor-intensive in the US which is why a tightening of immigration regulations poses a problem. One report found a 67% decline in Mexican immigrants which led to there being 570,000 fewer Mexican-born construction workers than there were in 2007. Workers in the construction industry have returned to… Read more »
Building inspectors perform a vital role in the construction process, but few young people are adopting this as a career. George Williams, a Salt Lake City building inspector is 34. While attending ongoing training at his local branch of the International Code Council (ICC), Williams had this to say; “Without fail, I was the youngest… Read more »
While the way in which houses are built hasn’t changed much in the last five decades, its about to. Smart home technology, renewable energy sources and the automation of off-site construction are combining to create the perfect storm for major change. Throw the current construction labor shortage into the mix and you have these new… Read more »
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has taken a long time to find its footing in the construction industry. That’s what we’ve come to expect from a sector that has historically been reticent to adopt change. Apprentices learn from mentors who have been building the same way for decades and aren’t likely to shake things up. With… Read more »
One of the many reasons for the growing housing shortage in the US is that people are “aging in place”. According to one study, people stay in their homes twice as long as they did in the 1920s. Homeowners aren’t updating their homes before placing them on the market, leaving buyers with unsatisfactory choices. “We… Read more »