Ground Breaking

HITT Contracting opened the Co|Lab smart building research hub in June of 2019 in Falls Church, Va. Designed by William McDonough + Partners, Co|Lab is a collaborative facility for the study and testing of emerging materials, approaches, and technologies for the construction industry. The 8,600-sf project, which has attained LEED v4 Platinum certification, incorporates a Glu-lam and Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) structure, as well as a roof canopy solar array that is designed to provide 118 percent of anticipated energy use.

The Rockefeller University dedicated the $500 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation–David Rockefeller River Campus in May of 2019 in New York. The 160,000-sf complex features the $300 million, 135,600-sf Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Research Building which provides flexible labs, two amphitheaters, offices, conference rooms, a dining area, and outdoor terraces. The two-story, horizontally oriented structure was designed to enhance collaboration and can support over 600 scientific staff.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office announced up to $33.5 million in funding in May of 2019 for early-stage research and development of advanced building construction techniques to reduce energy costs. The Advanced Building Construction with Energy-Efficient Technologies & Practices (ABC) initiative aims to develop deep energy retrofit and new construction technologies that holistically tackle a combination of envelope, heating, cooling, water heating, and ventilation issues.

Novo Nordisk's global production will be entirely powered by renewable energy by early 2020, with a ten-year goal of achieving zero carbon emissions from operations and transportation. The pharmaceutical company has made a $70 million investment in a 105-megawatt-dc solar energy installation to be built in Pender County, North Carolina.

The University of Wollongong is constructing the Molecular Horizons facility in New South Wales, Australia. Designed by Denton Corker Marshall in association with Jacobs, the AUD$80 million project will feature collaborative research laboratories housing leading-edge microscopy equipment including super-resolution optical microscopes and cryo-electron microscopes. The 75,000-sf structure is being constructed with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) in a suspended ferrous-free slab to mitigate electromagnetic interference.

The University of Illinois broke ground in April of 2019 on the $75 million Classroom Instructional Building in Urbana. Providing 24 instructional spaces for programs in engineering, computer science, math, and statistics, the facility will feature a Greek-style round classroom, a distance-learning classroom, and team learning rooms with flexible furniture. The public-private project will be delivered by Vermilion Development, Campbell Coyle Real Estate, Provident Group, and Pepper Construction.

Boden Type Data Center One opened in February of 2019 in Boden, Sweden. Designed as a prototype for data center energy efficiency, the 500-kilowatt facility will operate with minimal environmental impact by implementing a range of highly innovative building systems and technologies. Funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, the project was developed by a consortium of firms including H1 Systems, EcoCooling, Fraunhofer IOSB, RISE SICS North, and Boden Business Agency.

Built On Vision released a cloud-based construction schedule calculation engine in August of 2018. The project management software utilizes a proprietary smart algorithm that resolves a problem of similar applications related to imprecise time unit measurements. Instead of using only the hour or the day as the calculation base, Built On Vision allows users the ability to shape schedule unit fraction behavior so that event sequences can be accurately understood and planned for, enabling greater project delivery optimization, as well as legal defensibility.

UpCodes released a software plugin in June of 2018 that checks BIM models for code compliance errors. UpCodes AI allows code errors to be viewed in real time in Revit, enabling project timelines to be accelerated through shortened internal code review and the creation of more accurate drawings, thus reducing the number of revision cycles before approval. Regulations are sourced directly from municipalities in 27 states and are updated continuously. UpCodes is based in San Francisco. 

Global Switch, a leading owner and operator of advanced data centers in Europe and Asia-Pacific, will implement modular construction methodologies in the delivery of its $209 million Singapore Woodlands facility. Gammon Construction, a joint venture of Balfour Beatty and Jardine Matheson, will precast 70 percent of the structure offsite, as well as using Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the delivery of the project.

The University of Arkansas began construction in December of 2017 on the Stadium Drive Residence Halls in Fayetteville. Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Modus Studio, Mackey Mitchell Architects, and OLIN, the 202,000-sf, 708-bed facility will be the nation's first large-scale cross-laminated timber (CLT) dormitory campus. The $79 million living and learning community will support interactive, collaborative programs in architecture, design, English, and the arts.

Mortenson Construction has developed an augmented reality (AR) mobile app to provide a digital representation of the new Computer Science and Engineering building (CSE2) under construction at the University of Washington in Seattle. By pointing a smartphone at the construction site, or at a printout of the site, users can experience an immersive virtual view of the main lobby, workroom, robotics lab, and offices. A preliminary version of the Mortenson AR/VR app is now available for download on iPhone and Android devices.

Brasfield & Gorrie’s virtual design and construction team is utilizing DroneDeploy software to enhance site planning, design, and safety. Drones can rapidly capture aerial images of a building site, and drone mapping software produces 3D point clouds for integration with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and virtual reality platforms. Brasfield & Gorrie has equipped each of their regional offices with DJI Inspire series drones which upload data to the DroneDeploy dashboard.

3D Robotics (3DR) has created Site Scan, a drone-based aerial analytics platform that can be used as a Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool to digitize the construction site. Featuring Autodesk integration, Site Scan creates a 3D model from aerial photographs which is then overlaid on the original CAD designs to enable the construction team to identify problems and optimize scheduling operations. PCL Constructors is currently using 3DR’s Site Scan to enhance the project delivery process. 

Autodesk opened the Building, Innovation, Learning and Design (BUILD) Space in Boston in October of 2016. The 70,000-sf research and development center features a 34,000-sf fabrication lab for the creation of advanced construction products and technologies. Designed to promote collaboration between industry, academia, and architecture, engineering, and construction firms, the facility houses a five-ton bridge crane, six industrial robots, 3D printers, and workshops for metal, wood, and composite materials.