The new $35-million West Hollywood Library will not only house a wealth of knowledge and information, but the structure itself will be an open book on contemporary architecture and sustainable design. “Besides being very green, the building features a cacophony of design styles, with everything from faux Tudor to mid-century modern to neo-classical,” says architect Steve Johnson, a principal with MDA Johnson Favaro, Culver City. Set in the heart of eclectic West Hollywood, the endeavor is part of the first phase of a $120-million capital improvement project, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of West Hollywood earning cityhood in 1984. Construction
Healthcare continues to be a major factor in California�s construction industry, scoring five out of the top 25 Top Starts in ENR California this year. Spurred by regulations pertaining to Senate Bill 1953, requiring seismic upgrades or replacements of hospitals and medical centers, healthcare owners are scrambling to meet the first deadlines that come into play in 2013. Ray Zunino, vice president with Hunt Construction Group, Scottsdale, Ariz., which is rebuilding Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City (no. 16 on the Top Starts list), says that because of the senate bill, Hunt and other general contractors are not getting anywhere near
Article toolbar Delicate operations are the rule, not the exception, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. However, one of the procedures carried out recently didn’t involve any skillful surgeons or celebrity patients. The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center Renovation, which is replacing the unit’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine and its 18,000-lb magnet, required a delicate transplant of heavy equipment to ensure that the patient could live on and serve the community for years to come. The machine “is in the center of the hospital, directly adjacent to the emergency department, with X-ray rooms on both sides and
This year, a panel of 13 judges, representing architects, builders and associations, chose 51 winning projects among the more than 135 submissions for the Best of California 2010 program. Submitted by Fentress Architects Mineta San Jose International Airport Terminal Area Improvement Program: Overall Top Project/Winner: Transportation Related Links: Mineta San Jose International Airport Terminal Area Improvement Program Three Sixty Residences Lenihan Dam Outlet Modifications Valley Hi North Laguna Library San Joaquin County Administration Building Crissy Field Center Laguna Honda Replacement Hospital UC Davis Graduate School of Management Chevron Richmond Technology Center Building 24 Fairmont Elementary School Ritz-Carlton Highlands Folger Estate
This year, a panel of 13 judges, representing architects, builders and associations, chose 51 winning projects among the more than 135 submissions for the Best of California 2010 program. Submitted by FTR International Orange County Water District�s Advanced Quality Assurance Laboratory: Overall Top Project/Winner: Civic/Public Works Related Links: Orange County Water District�s Advanced Quality Assurance Laboratory Frontier Project Logan Heights Library U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command BEQs DPR San Diego Office Miller Children�s Hospital New Inpatient Pavilion UC San Diego Housing & Dining Services Administration Building Beckman Coulter Headquarters St. Thomas the Apostle School Madison Club UC Riverside Geology
It wasn’t long ago that green design was a novelty or an experiment done on guinea-pig projects. But that was then and this is now. “Today everybody’s doing it,” says Steven Spaid, with San Francisco-based SmithGroup. “But less than five years ago you really had to sell the client on investing in green because it cost more.” As you can see in the following rankings of the Top Green Designers of 2010, architectural and engineering firms are moving steadily into the sustainability world with impressive number of LEED-accredited professionals being added to their teams, bigger green revenues and higher-profile green
The $66-million Temecula Civic Center is more than a big, new facility for the city. The development is also a tribute to the history of the area. “We are an old west town and we want this project to reflect that image, while being an anchor to the rest of the city,” says David McBride, project manager for Temecula. He says it is being constructed to replace Temecula’s small, outdated city hall, which is currently located in an industrial area and is “busting at the seams” with employees. Designed in Mission Revival style by Redding-based Nichols, Melburg & Rossetto (NMR)
Design firms in California are celebrating a new law enacted last month that limits their obligation to defend public owners from third-party lawsuits when there is no company negligence. But they remain concerned that the problem may still occur on projects for private-sector clients. The new law, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Sept. 30 and set to take effect on Jan. 1, was pushed by the American Council of Engineering Cos. of California. The law responds to two controversial court rulings, one in 2008 and one this year, that expanded the duty of design professionals to defend others.
The San Fernando Valley is getting more than a new performing arts center: The region is getting an iconic, world-class entertainment attraction. Photo: Greg Aragon Photo: Greg Aragon �This is going to change things in the valley because there is nothing like it around,� says Colin Donahue, facility manager for California State University, Northridge, the project owner. Set on the CSUN campus, the $125-million Valley Performing Art Center was designed by Minneapolis-based HGA Architects & Engineers and built by Pasadena-based C.W. Driver. When completed in mid-October, project officials anticipate the 166,000-sq.-ft. venue to become one of the top three centers
