The Architecture, Construction and Engineering Mentor Program offers high-school students a chance to discover a range of opportunities in design and construction – and scholarships to help them achieve their goals. More than 50,000 high school students nationally have participated in the ACE Mentor Program since its inception in 1995, with 9,300 taking part in it this year. “This program has taken kids with an interest in building and shown them being an engineer is more than being a math geek,” says Denise Richardson, managing director of the General Contractors Association of New York. More than 50,000 high school students
In a recession, A/E/C firms can be said to fall into one of two categories: there are those that panic, and those that use tough economic times to remind themselves of the fundamentals of their business. HLAVENKA It’s easy to guess which category you want your firm to be in. But all too often, firms that believe they are acting intelligently discover too late that the fog of economic doom clouded their business judgment and led to poor decision making. When times are this tough and the most drastic of measures are deemed the bare minimum to survive, how do
Hill International has received construction management contracts for two publicly funded performing arts centers on two college campuses located in the tri-state area. The first is a $69 million, 30-month contract from the City University of New York to provide construction management on a performing arts center at Brooklyn College. The project will include the partial demolition of the existing Gershwin Theater, which along with the Whitman Theater is part of the original Brooklyn College Theater Complex built between 1953 and 1955 and the construction of a new 60,000-sq-ft multi-purpose theater. The new theater will consist of music rehearsal space,
The New York City Center has unveiled plans to modernize and restore its historic midtown theater with a project designed by Polshek Partnership Architects who was careful to respect its original Moorish-accented design. Originally constructed in 1923, the building was dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia 20 years later as Manhattan’s first performing arts center. Now, the center will undergo a series of upgrades including improved seating and sightlines and new amenities. A new canopy with additional exterior lighting and signage will also be added, subject to the approval of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. In the interior, the
When economic times are tough, there is usually an increase in the number of consultants used in architectural and engineering firms, as well as in construction companies. The “consultants”referred to in this article are the ones that may have been employees of the firm in better economic times. This is in contrast with other types of consultants who have specialties and work on projects, such as MEP engineers. Labeling these individuals as “consultants” allows the company to continue working with those individuals in a fashion that is less expensive for the company, but may be more expensive for the individual.
In the world of property-casualty insurance, businesses and their advisers often deal with certificates of insurance. They are commonplace instruments that are accepted in the marketplace as reasonable assurance that certain objects or activities are covered by insurance. For example, when valuable equipment is stored in a warehouse until a construction project is ready to receive and install it, cautious owners often insist on seeing insurance certificates before paying for the merchandise in order to be assured that the property is protected against casualty losses. CONNOLLY When a contractor employs a subcontractor to perform part of the work of a
Who is responsible if a contractor damages the property adjacent to a construction project? In many instances, the contractor is responsible and must “indemnify” the project owner against any claims for such damage. However, a recent case decided by New York State’s highest court has highlighted important limitations of two standard contract provisions involving these types of claims. In the case, Watral & Sons, Inc. v. OC Riverhead 58 LLC, the Court found that a contractor was not responsible for “economic” damage that allegedly occurred at the property adjacent to a construction project as a result of the construction. ANGELILLO
The most important document determining a construction contractor’s legal rights and remedies is its contract. The law gives contracting parties tremendous flexibility to craft their contract as they see fit and, generally, the courts will enforce a mutually-agreed contract according to its terms. However, a recent case in Nassau County highlights that, in doing so, the law also allows parties to waive important legal rights as part of their agreement, including the right to claim certain monetary damages if the contract is breached. ANGELILLO In the case, R & J Construction Corp. v. E.W. Howell Company, Inc., decided in
When a client hires an architect to design a project, the architectural firm is legally responsible for all of that work, even though they hire various consultants to help them with different aspects of the design. The consultants, in turn, are liable to the architect, not the client. They have “privity of contract” with the architect. The architect also has privity of contract with the client. The consultant has no real legal relationship with the client and generally all communications between the consultant and the client go through the architect. BERGER While the architect may spend many months negotiating a
As professional sports teams in dozens of markets around the nation built 63 new stadiums and arenas since 1990, the New York metropolitan area stuck to its aging facilities � until now. But the sudden surge of projects raises capacity questions. Related Links: The Stadium Specialists New York sports fans have been living in the past. While baseball fans across the country have been treated to trendy new stadiums over the last 15 years, Yankees and Mets fans have continued to watch paint peel at their aging, outdated ballparks. As state-of-the-art venues popped up around the National Football League, Jets
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