Submitted by FBT Architects This 473,000-sq-ft college prep school in Albuquerque is divided into two zones: one for education and one for the residents of the underserved South Valley area. The education zone is organized around the ‘small learning community’ concept with fifteen distinct teaching pods to break up the school’s 2,200 students into manageable communities. Including a credit union, health clinic, community center, library, theaters and gyms, the school’s community space allows visitors to access the campus during the standard education day without disruptions to the students within the education zone. This innovative design solution transitions grade changes across
Submitted by Weddle Gilmore black rock studio and Okland Construction The riparian habitat restoration of the Rio Salado is the result of a $100-million investment by the City of Phoenix and the Army Corps of Engineers to transform the dry river bed that had become an urban scar. As the focal point of this habitat, the Audobon Center is strategically located in the multi-cultural heart of the city to reach urban children and educate a new generation of conservationists. Photo:Bill Timmerman Built using a pre-fabricated structural steel frame, the Center achieved LEED platinum with features such as an on-site waste
There was once a time when we didn’t worry about energy, trash or sprawl. We left the lights on just to be safe; we threw it in the trash to get it out of our house, and we built our home away from the city to give us a sense of privacy. Now, the growing scarcity of energy resources and land has made us think a bit more about our impact on this earth. We’ve learned to harness the sun’s energy, build energy-efficient buildings, reduce our waste stream and increase urban density. So what’s next? LEED In the building design
Submitted by SmithArchitects Inc. This facility was designed to accommodate the existing sloped topography, preserve the ponderosa pine forest, and blend with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Requiring special attention due to area snowfall, the roof design incorporates a traditional ridge beam and rafter composition that is inverted to create a “butterfly” profile. A rock-climbing wall and gymnasium are the focal points of the two-story space. Visitors enjoy unobstructed views through the wellness/fitness center and out to the treetops beyond through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Funding for the non-profit project came from the local community. The judges were pleased with the
Join Southwest Contractor and McGraw-Hill Construction on Dec. 7 in Phoenix, Dec. 8 in Las Vegas and Dec. 14 in Albuquerque to celebrate the building teams that created the best projects of 2010. The Best of 2010 award-winning projects are selected by a jury of prominent, local industry professionals. Criteria includes architectural and engineering design; execution of construction; innovation; contribution to the local community and construction industry; ability to overcome challenges; and overall excellence. photo courtesy URS Indian Bend Wash Improvements, Scottsdale Matthew O�Brien, author and journalist Photo � Fred Holden US Courthouse, Las Cruces. Phoenix | December 7, 2010
In June 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued its Exposure Draft, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. If this Exposure Draft is adopted, it could have a negative impact on contractors� financial statements and the percentage-of-completion method, as we know it, would largely disappear. At a minimum, it will make financial reporting more reliant on subjective decisions that will vary from contractor to contractor. In addition, financial performance will appear inconsistent, since revenue won�t be recorded until the project is transferred to the owner. As a result, financial institutions and bonding agents may misread financial information from construction companies under
Whether the still unopened Harmon Hotel inside the CityCenter resort in Las Vegas is demolished or remains an expensive billboard is now part of yet one more legal battle stemming from the struggling megaresort�s many financial woes. Photo: Bill Hughes Rumors say unopened hotel could be imploded. On Nov. 13, according to news reports, owner MGM Resorts International announced plans to raze the 27-story high-rise designed by U.K. �starchitect� Sir Norman Foster. MGM later backpedaled from that statement and claims no final decision has been made, says a spokesman. The company took a $279-million write-down in the third quarter on
The still unopened Harmon Hotel, a 27-story centerpiece of the now financially hemorrhaging CityCenter development in Las Vegas, is being targeted for demolition. MGM Resorts International, owner of the troubled 67-acre complex that includes the hotel designed by U.K. �starchitect� Sir Norman Foster, recently unveiled plans to raze it. MGM took a $279-million write-down in the third quarter on the building, which sits dormant with a sign wrapped around its gleaming glass fa�ade for the resort�s �Viva Elvis� show. Harmon may be the world�s most expensive billboard. Photo: Tony Illia The Las Vegas hotel-condo was designed by famed U.K. architect
The results of Tuesday�s election are in, and voter approval of school and construction bonds throughout the region was hit or miss, with some major defeats handed out. The southwest�s largest bond issue, New Mexico�s $155.2-million request for funding dozens of higher education and special school projects throughout the state, failed by a narrow margin of less than 2,500 votes. Smaller state-wide bonds, providing $7.7 million for senior citizen facilities and $7 million for various libraries, were successful. Voters in New Mexico�s most populous county, Bernalillo, passed all of its bond measures, including $25 million for parks, roadways and storm/wastewater
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