Skanska USA has completed construction on the central utility plant for the state Capitol and 22 state office buildings. The utility plant was designed by Sacramento firm Nacht and Lewis. Related Links: Swinerton Breaks Ground on NASA Project at Ames Research Center KMA Architecture, Straub Construction Begin Design-Build Project at Camp Pendleton McCarthy Completes Parking Garage for Grossmont College Jacobs Receives Hospital Contract from City and County of San Francisco Bernards Starts Construction on Harley Ellis Devereaux-designed Child Development Center The 78,000-sq-ft facility operates on 90% less water than its predecessor and is expected to help the state reduce energy
Swinerton Builders has begun construction on a $20-million, 50,000-sq-ft, steel-frame Sustainability Base building at the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in Mountain View. Related Links: Skanska USA Completes Central Utility Plant to Power State Capitol, Offices KMA Architecture, Straub Construction Begin Design-Build Project at Camp Pendleton McCarthy Completes Parking Garage for Grossmont College Jacobs Receives Hospital Contract from City and County of San Francisco Bernards Starts Construction on Harley Ellis Devereaux-designed Child Development Center Sustainability Base will be a research facility for studying sustainability on Earth and is designed to achieve LEED platinum certification. Green features of Sustainability Base
California’s highways and roadways are currently getting a shot in the arm with infrastructure stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but a number of high-profile road projects also broke ground last year despite a freefalling economy and with little or no extra federal money.
The California Transportation Foundation has announced the Transportation Award winners for Project of the Year, Person of the Year, Elected Official of the Year and more for transportation excellence in 2009. Structure Project of the Year went to Confusion Hill Bridge on U.S. 101 in Mendocino County. The CTF Transportation Awards recognize excellence in California transportation, all modes, public and private sector and from all regions of the state. “The TRANNY Awards jury, made up of public and private sector transportation professionals, reviewed many excellent nominations this year,” says Tom Zlotkowski, CTF Transportation Awards Committee Chair. “Our selections represent the
McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. of Newport Beach recently topped off the structural steel on CHOC Children’s new patient care tower. Currently on schedule for construction completion in December 2012, the $563-million expansion is located on the south side of the existing CHOC Children’s hospital site in Orange. Over the last six months, construction workers used a 196-ft-tall Liebherr tower crane with a reach of 276 ft to install 5,805 pieces of structural steel creating the frame for the new tower. The project team celebrated the placement of the last structural steel beam with a barbecue lunch for the project’s construction
After seven long years in development, Sacramento Mutual Housing Association broke ground last month on its latest development, Mutual Housing at The Highlands, which will house, when completed in mid-2011, the chronically homeless. On the project team are Sunseri Construction of Chico, the general contractor; Cunningham Engineering in Davis; and Sacramento-based Cynthia Easton Architects. Mutual Housing at The Highlands is located on a 3.5-acre parcel in the McClellan Redevelopment Area in North Highlands. The apartment community will have a total of 90 apartments, including 66 with supportive services that will be reserved for persons who are currently homeless. The breakdown
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Public Works Association recently named the domusstudio architecture-designed Encinitas Fire Station No. 3 as its Project of the Year. The new fire station No. 3 was built by the city of Encinitas to replace the older station on the same site. The project involved demolishing the existing station while continuing to house and allow 24/7 access for firefighter personnel and equipment from a temporary trailer on the site. Project planning included public participation to ensure the project design and plan met nearby residents’ approval. A Web page was also created
A 30-ft, scale-model steel bridge was rocked and shaken on an earthquake simulator at the University of California, Berkeley last week to demonstrate a new bridge design that Berkeley engineers say can better resist significant damage and improve transportation safety in the event of large earthquakes. In a series of simulated quakes, which ranged from moderate to severe, the bridge trembled, shook and rocked violently— but the deck stayed intact and settled back on its supports after each event. “What we’re doing today is looking at some new technology that we think will be very good for California,” says Steve
Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) has selected pilot projects to test a national rating system for sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance. 2001 Market Street The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward Sustainable Infrastructure Project and the Indianapolis Super Bowl Village join more than 150 others that include educational centers, transportation corridors, industrial complexes and private residences in employing cutting-edge guidelines and performance benchmarks outlined in the SITES Rating System. California is represented by 21 projects. Launched in 2005, SITES represents a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird
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