San Francisco International Airport’s $383-million Terminal 2 renovation project is representative of several developments unfolding at the facility – all of them good. Long slated to be built but put on hiatus after Sept. 11, 2001, the 575,000-sq-ft project signifies that SFO has more than recovered from the downturn that proceeded from that catastrophic day. Targeted for LEED silver certification, the renovation effort shows that even an international airport as large as SFO can be a good steward of the environment. And having generated nearly 600 construction-related jobs, with nearly half its renovation contracts going to San Francisco firms and

The project team�s task at the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal project at Oyster Point Marina seemed reasonable enough: Design and engineer a ferry terminal off the unpredictable waters of San Francisco Bay and make sure it can withstand a catastrophic earthquake while still meeting the letter of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Oh, and make sure the ferry itself is made of concrete -- and floats. Not a problem, says Bo Jensen, vice president of Oakland-based Moffat & Nichol Engineers, one of the marine engineering firms hired by owner San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority for the

The project team’s task at the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal project at Oyster Point Marina seemed reasonable enough: Design and engineer a ferry terminal off the unpredictable waters of San Francisco Bay and make sure it can withstand a catastrophic earthquake while still meeting the letter of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Oh, and make sure the ferry itself is made of concrete -- and floats. Not a problem, says Bo Jensen, vice president of Oakland-based Moffat & Nichol Engineers, one of the marine engineering firms hired by owner San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority for the

Being inside Sustainability Base, a $2- million, 50,000-sq-ft steel-frame building going up at Mountain View’s NASA Ames Research Center at Moffet Federal Airfield, may well be the closet you’ll ever come to visiting the moon. Image: William Mcdonough & Associates Swinerton Builders is nearing completion of the steel erection at NASA Ames. Construction on the two-story facility, which is designed to be the federal government’s most environmentally sustainable building, began in August. The structure will – or should – consume no more energy than it generates, use 90% less water than other standard buildings and feature smart technology that will

Being inside Sustainability Base, a $2-million, 50,000-sq-ft steel-frame building going up at Mountain View�s NASA Ames Research Center at Moffet Federal Airfield, may well be the closet you�ll ever come to visiting the moon. Construction on the two-story facility, which is designed to be the federal government�s most environmentally sustainable building, began in August. The structure will � or should � consume no more energy than it generates, use 90% less water than other standard buildings and feature smart technology that will actually learn over time how to maximize the base�s systems. The project, which recently topped out, is scheduled

An 800,000-sq-ft hospital near San Diego, the largest of many healthcare facility projects under way throughout the Golden State, is back on track after a rocky start. Related Links: VA Hospital Rises in Palo Alto Sutter Replaces East Bay Med Center Huntington Hospital Doubles Emergency Facility Work started on Palomar Pomerado Medical Center West in Escondido in December 2007, with Redwood City-based Rudolph & Sletten on board as construction manager. CO Architects of Los Angeles is architect of record for the project, with Anshen + Allen of San Francisco providing interior design and furnishing services. But months later, owner Palomar

$1.02-billion Sacramento International Airport�s �Big Build� expansion and modernization project is on target for a 2012 completion Corgan Associates and Fentress Architects teamed up on the design. The new Concourse B will offer 19 gates, six more than the current concourse. Related Links: Green Building Innovations Building Smarter: BIM and Beyond Heavy BIM Special Report Building Foundations for Future Organizational Development Construction Firms Need to Prepare for New Mechanic’s Lien Procedures Breathing New Life Into Old Facilities Just as its name suggests, Sacramento International Airport’s “Big Build” project is a case study in all things large. At $1.02 billion, the

Lowe Enterprises leads massive, $500-million project that will consolidate, upgrade existing facilities The three-phase project will create nearly 1 million sq ft of office space for San Diego County. The first phase of the project includes a central plant to serve the complex. Related Links: Top Design Firms Central Valley Market Report “We’re looking for something that will be timeless,” says RJC Architects principal James Robbins of the $500-million San Diego County Operations Center, a massive development under way in the county’s Kearny Mesa district. “The center’s existing buildings have been there for close to 50 years. We’re expecting these