America – SpecNews

Tesla windscreen factory in Peru features coloured glass fittings

A strip of double insulated U-glass brings natural light into the production hall from the south, while protecting it from summer sun exposure.
Black glass walls enclose a showroom where a movement-activated system plays atmospheric music when someone enters the space.
“The white walls, floor and ceiling polarise the dark entry funnel.”
Tinted and textured glass delineate areas inside this office and factory completed by V.oid Architecture for the Lima-based company that manufactures car windscreens for Tesla (+ slideshow).
The production offices are suspended over the vast machinery hall, giving employees clear views of the production line.

Urban jungle: wooden high-rises change city skylines as builders ditch concrete

Mass timber could prove to be a viable alternative to concrete and steel for mid-to-high rise buildings.
We don’t see mass timber replacing those, it just becomes another option when certain parameters and goals apply to a project.”
Called mass timber, the material is an umbrella term for large, solid chunks of panelized wood.
Out of the mass timber initiative, CLT might prove to change the construction paradigm.
Two urban building projects, in New York City and Portland, Oregon, will be changing their city’s skylines with an environmentally sustainable, cost-competitive building material.

October New Construction Spending Up 13% Year Over Year

Annually, the pace of multifamily spending rose 28% from the October 2014 estimate, and spending on single-family construction was 11% higher.
Construction spending in October was buoyed by a 0.8 percent rise in private spending, which touched its highest level since January 2008.
Construction spending has increased 13 percent in the past 12 months.
Single-family construction was up 1.6 percent to $226 billion while apartment construction rose 1.4 percent to $58 billion.
Construction spending has risen every month this year and is likely to support the economy in the final three months of the year as it deals with the strong dollar and energy cuts.

Commercial HVAC content from Contracting Business

Using the model, contractors can determine the proper sequence of installation, as well as which trades will clash during installation.
• 5D: Estimating.
In comparison to traditional coordination, BIM projects result in shorter construction schedules.
This is particularly important for BIM coordination time.
Build BIM into your Business
Haven’t a clue what the elements above mean or how to put them into action?
While many think of BIM as software, in reality BIM is more about workflows and social practices.

Art, design and architecture: what to see in autumn 2015

The last British Art Show was the best so far.
AS
The dynamism, unexpectedness and sheer abundance of the art market makes these art fairs a window on the new – and the old.
Jonathan Jones
Groundbreaking attempt to place pop art in its global context or another rehash of familiar names and images?
This long-overdue survey should allow us to focus more on the art, less on the man.
The spiritual art of the past echoes in his work – martyrs, triptychs, meditation, all that sacred jazz.