The 900,000-sq-ft headquarters revitalizes a city block in downtown Seattle and brings together 1,500 employees onto one campus. The $500-million LEED-Platinum project includes two boomerang-shaped structures with gardens and a 15,000-sq-ft interactive museum.
The kick-off to renovations of Washington State University's Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., included a demolition contract with two substantial structural removals and precise concrete cutting performed by contractor NCM, Snoqualmie, Wash.
Bold engineering changes cut time, maintained traffic and increased long-term maintenance ease on a $114.6-million upgrade of the Interstate 5/State Route 16 interchange in Tacoma, Wash.
In theater, updating a classic can be a delicate process as one tries to retain the flavor of the original while making it relevant for a contemporary audience. The same approach applies to the design and construction of the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio. The project aims to retain the historic facade of the city's existing hall, known as Municipal Auditorium, while creating performance spaces that meet present-day demands. Related Links: Engineering News Record Tobin Center for the Performing Arts LMN Architects Marmon Mok Architecture Linbeck Zachry Construction The original auditorium featured a 1926 Spanish
The impact of the recession continued to sting contractors in 2011. The unsettled market shows some contractors experiencing a rebound while others still suffer. Combined regional revenue for the Top 10 contractors fell to $8.3 billion, down from $8.6 billion in 2010 and $9.4 billion in 2009. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record The makeup of this year's Top 10 offers a good snapshot of the market, as many firms with industrial, petrochemical and power work saw improvement while those focused on the traditional commercial and institutional sectors fell back. Turner Industries, Baton Rouge, remains on top with $1.78
While Cajun Industries helped rebuild Louisiana in the years following Katrina, the work also has enabled the Baton Rouge-based contractor to strengthen its own foundations for the future. Traditionally regarded as a civil contractor with expertise in specialties such as foundation and concrete work, Cajun Industries now is a formidable player in the region, this year cracking the Top 10 of ENR Texas and Louisiana's Top Contractors list for the first time. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record Through the recession, the company capitalized on unprecedented opportunities in both the public and private sectors. A combination of work with
The Top 200 Environmental Firms managed to grow revenue in 2011 despite economic uncertainties around the world and tightening infrastructure budgets in the public sector, traditionally a mainstay for this group. But where one window closed, a door opened for providers of environmental services on the 2012 list. Overall revenue was up 5%, to $54.1 billion, a slower rise than the 6.2% of the previous year but buoyed by increases in non-U.S. work and private-sector activity, which each exceeded 20%.The domestic market still made up a major share of firms' revenue base, but completed projects and changing public-sector spending patterns
Related Links: Questions Raised About Crane Disassembly Process See the Dallas Morning News Story Bolts removed from a tower crane being disassembled may have led to a fatal crash at the University of Texas at Dallas, according to safety experts. The accident occurred at the $60-million Arts and Technology Building on July 7, killing two workers. Officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.Photos published in local news reports show the tower lying across the building that was under construction, with two tower sections separated. At the time of the collapse, the jib already had been removed
Related Links: View complete report with Data and Analysis Products and Services website ENR Quarterly Cost Reports Construction professionals are starting to see more in their paychecks as compensation begins to thaw out from the pay freeze of the past few years. However, recruiters say total pay packages aren't improving for all—only specific skill sets are seeing a bump up.Average base salaries among non-executive-level staff rose 2.4% in 2011 and are expected to rise another 2.69% this year, according to the 2012 salary survey of construction and construction management staff by Personnel Administration Services (PAS), Saline, Mich.Adding to the improved
Despite a strong assortment of megaprojects around the region, most top design firms continue to struggle in a soft market. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record Combined revenue for the top 75 design firms in Texas and Louisiana dipped 7.7% last year to $2.571 billion from $2.786 billion in 2010. Still, a few top firms have found success in troubled times.Energized Market The booming oil and gas sector, fueled largely by development in the Eagle Ford shale areas of south Texas, is providing a wide range of opportunities for designers.Hatch Mott MacDonald built its presence in the region in
