In the week leading up to Christmas 2022, something unexpected was revealed about the electrical grid in the Carolinas: it’s in urgent need of upgrades. During one of the coldest spells in recent memory, Duke Energy was forced to cut power to parts of North and South Carolina. This wasn’t during a heatwave in the…
Business
A Professional Approach to Holiday Parties
Navigating Holiday Parties: Opportunities, Risks, and the Importance of Professionalism As the holiday season approaches, the calendar fills with office parties, client gatherings, and social events. These celebrations offer a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues, strengthen relationships, and recognize the successes of the year. However, they also come with risks that can have long-term…
A M King Awards Auburn University First Place in ASC’s 2024 Design-Build Competition
It was a cross-border bind at The Associated Schools of Construction’s (ASC) Region 2 Design-Build Competition on Tuesday. Ultimately, the 6-member team from Auburn University solved the crafty puzzle posed by sponsor A M King. It was the fifth time that A M King provided the project for the Design-Build portion of ASC’s five-part, Integrated Project (IP)…
Don Warren Receives DBIA’s Highest Honor for Longstanding Commitment to Design-Build
The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) recognized Donald G. Warren, FDBIA, with the 2024 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2024 Design-Build Conference & Expo held in Dallas TX, in early November. Named after Filippo Brunelleschi, one of history’s greatest architects and engineers, the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award is DBIA’s highest honor. In announcing Warren…
Energy Prices Drive Construction Materials Costs 0.3% Higher in October
Construction input prices increased 0.3% in October compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data recently released. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.3% for the month. Prices increased in all three energy subcategories last month. Natural gas prices increased…
Markets
NAOIP: Commercial Real Estate Sentiment Rebounds
The NAIOP CRE Sentiment Index, which measures industry expectations for commercial real estate market conditions over the next 12 months, has increased significantly from the last survey conducted in the Spring. The Index climbed to 56, indicating that respondents expect conditions for commercial real estate development to improve over the next year. The NAIOP CRE Sentiment…
ARCO/Murray to Build 1,100,000 Square-Foot Solar Manufacturing Hub in North Carolina
ARCO/Murray, a top-ranked design-build general contractor, has been selected to lead the design and construction of Boviet Solar’s 1,100,000-square-foot solar module and solar cell manufacturing project in North Carolina. The two-phase program will create over 900 skilled local jobs and significantly expand the capacity for solar energy production in the United States. Phase 1: 2.0 GW Solar…
Reverse Logistics Strategies for the Post-pandemic Supply Chain: Spaces and Places to Recapture Value
The pandemic brought into sharp focus the importance of having a healthy and functioning supply chain, that critical system by which goods are delivered from factories to doorsteps. But how does the process work in reverse, when items are returned and sent back? And what happens to the returned items? Today, the NAIOP Research Foundation…
ABI August 2024: Architecture firm billings continue to decline
It has now been nearly two years since firms saw sustained growth. However, clients are still expressing interest in new projects, as inquiries into work have continued to increase during that period. However, those inquiries remain challenging to convert to actual new projects in the pipeline, as the value of newly signed design contracts declined…