Southeast Construction Projects

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Builders of a glass-sheathed Florida college building—topped by a 250-ft-long skylight shading system with 94 louvered arms that raise and lower to track the sun—say they could not have successfully executed the unusual design without intense consultant-contractor cross-pollination. The $60-million building nearing completion in Lakeland, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, is on time and on budget thanks to the teamwork, they say. Related Links: As Design Activity Picks Up, Industry Sentiment Follows Commentary: Give Calatrava a Chance Designed as the signature element of Florida Polytechnic University's still-emerging campus, the 162,000-sq-ft Innovation, Science and Technology Building (IST) stretched the team's envelope

With a few exceptions, construction activity in the four-state Southeast region remains less robust than many builders would like. But the region's design firms are starting to sense a change in the market. Related Links: ENR's Top 500 Design Firms Overview: A Recovery in Need of Speed Southeast Top Starts Ranking Reveals Stop-and-Go Recovery Responses to ENR Southeast's annual survey of Top Design Firms, which generates the ranking published here, increased significantly from a year ago, as did the firms' collective revenue. And industry sentiment appears to be on the rise."We're feeling much better and seeing much stronger activity in

After braving a "perfect storm" of construction challenges—including mucky conditions and seismic- and wind-load concerns—the builders behind Clemson University's first-of-its-kind wind-turbine drivetrain testing facility in North Charleston, S.C., have finally found safe harbor as the university prepares to begin commissioning. Related Links: Clemson Facility to Drive New Grid, Wind-Energy Research Getting Schooled in the Art of Net Zero "We had heavy loads on muck in a seismic area with flooding potential and high wind loads due to hurricanes on a brownfield site," says James Tuten, program manager for the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), the project owner. Indeed, project officials

Technically speaking, 2013 proved to be a downer for the Southeast's collective construction industry. According to McGraw Hill Construction's final 2013 state figures, the Southeast region of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas generated nearly $70.6 billion in new contracts during the past year. While that number sounds significant, it's decidedly lower than the 2012 grand total of nearly $80.3 billion. However, while numbers don't lie, sometimes they don't tell the whole story. Related Links: Southeast Top Starts Ranking Owner of the Year: Florida Dept. of Transportation McGraw Hill Construction's use of total contract costs, combined with its inclusion of two

Contractors modernizing a 55-year-old, legendary Southeast racetrack are pushing the limits of technology as they scramble to complete the complex project.

Considerable perseverance by the city of Orlando—along with some design and construction stagecraft—was needed to bring to life the first phase of a long-delayed performing arts center project. Related Links: Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center Ranks Among Southeast's Top Starts of 2011 Orlando Backs Financing for Arts Center Project The saga of turning the plans for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts—originally priced at nearly $400 million—into reality was reminiscent of the big-budget musicals that will be staged at the performance venue: big dreams, adversity met with resolve and, of course, a happy ending.Named for a local citrus

If projections for the Southeast's 2014 construction market prove accurate, it's officially time for contractors and designers to forget about the gloom of the recent past and start focusing upon the coming resurgence. Photo by Chad Sattler How well Southeast builders are able to deal with a looming worker shortage will be a key issue in the coming years. Image courtesy of Atlanta Braves In late 2013, Atlanta caught the attention of the nation when the Braves announced plans to build a $672-million ballpark and a $400-million mixed-use development, further escalating construction activity in the area in 2014. Related Links:

The vision behind the $76.5-million James B. Hunt Jr. Library project at North Carolina State University was nothing short of a redefinition of the modern research library, with one eye on the increasingly digital future and another on the benefits of interpersonal collaborations.

The Nemours Foundation had a clear vision for its new children's hospital in Orlando: a world-class facility that would offer Central Florida a new level of pediatric specialty care, from minor injuries to the most complex of illnesses and conditions.