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NEWS VIEWS

ABC Forecasts Downturn in 2009 Construction Activity
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released its 2009 economic forecast for the commercial and industrial construction industry. "While the industry experienced a mixed bag in 2008, do not expect the same story in 2009," said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. more>>

Market Slowdown in September Expected to Continue into 2009
New construction starts fell 5% in September, to a seasonally adjusted rate of $523 billion, with decreased activity for both nonresidential building and nonbuilding work, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. more>>

AIA: Non-Residential Construction Index Falls
A forward-looking index of U.S. nonresidential construction activity fell to the lowest level in its 13-year history last month as spending slumped on healthcare and educational facilities. more>>

For Architects, the Job Axe Starts to Fall
In a ZweigWhite survey of U.S. architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms, 71 percent of respondents said they would consider cutting staff during a recession to reduce expenses. more>>

Builders Prepare to Plead Their Case to Congress
“Fix Housing First” will call on legislators to pass another stimulus package to assist home buyers and stabilize the economy. more>>

For Construction Industry, Election Results a Mixed Bag
On the federal level, industry officials are heartened by Obama’s support for infrastructure and, despite the deficit, expect him to back a new economic-stimulus bill that they hope will include money for public works. more>>

Builder Confidence in Multifamily Market Slips in Third Quarter
Builder confidence in the multifamily housing market sagged in the third quarter of 2008, pushing both the Multifamily Condo Market Index (MCMI) and the Multifamily Rental Market Index (MRMI) to their lowest levels since the Index was created in 2003. more>>

New Single-Family Home Sales Down 5.3 Percent in October
Sales of new single-family homes declined 5.3% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000, the U.S. Commerce Department reported on Nov. 25. more>>

Housing Starts and Permits Fall to Lowest Levels on Record
In a month marked by extreme volatility and uncertainty on both Wall Street and Main Street, home builders responded to deteriorating conditions in the housing market by further reducing the pace of new construction and permit issuance in October to the lowest levels for any single month on record. more>>

Construction Industry Is Poised for a Rebound
The construction industry, beset by one of the biggest drops in employment in the current economic downturn, could be poised for a rebound under President-elect Barack Obama's expected stimulus package. more>>

Housing Affordability Rises to Highest Level in Four Years
With home prices decreasing and interest rates holding at historically low levels, the number of potential home buyers nationwide who can afford to buy new and existing homes has reached the highest level in more than four years. more>>

Hazard-Mitigation Work Turns Niche into Enterprise
Neither Bob Sternhell nor Bill Petty were interested in residential construction until the slow pace of rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina found them joining forces to elevate more homes around New Orleans than all other contractors combined. more>>

Managing the Ever-More Distributed Off-Site Workforce
Despite vastly faster communication speeds, modern construction companies face challenges of trust and control with off-site workers. more>>

Immigration: DHS Scales Back E-Verify Requirements
Fewer employers than initially proposed will be required to use the government’s electronic system for checking employees’ immigration status under a final Department of Homeland Security rule that takes effect on January 15. more>>

Residential Duct Systems Design Guide Released for Public Review
The Air Conditioning Contractors of America Educational Institute recently released for public review a new version of its manual outlining the methods and procedures used to design residential duct systems. more>>

Documentary Details America's Distressed Water Infrastructure
Combining a ninety-minute documentary with a community toolkit for facilitating local involvement, Liquid Assets explores the history, engineering, and political and economic challenges of our water infrastructure. more>>

Flip a Strip Competition Envisions a Better Future for Sprawl
With collective energy and creative design expertise, we know there are many ways to transcend the nondescript status quo of the strip mall—ways that are aesthetically compelling, economically feasible and communally smart. more>>

Converted Swimming Pools for New Housing?
An architectural firm suggests converting swimming pools into mother-in-law apartments—draining them first. more>>

50 Strange Buildings of the World
From the Crooked House to the Robot Building, take a peek at architecture's walk on the wild side. more>>

Cash Hidden in Ohio House Walls Becomes Contractor's Nightmare
A contractor who found $182,000 in Depression-era currency hidden in a bathroom wall has ended up with only a few thousand dollars, but he feels some vindication. more>>

GREEN SCENE

Amidst Deepening Recession, Green Fights Back
Despite a slowdown affecting nearly all segments of the commercial property industry, green building is positioned to withstand the deepening economic recession and possibly emerge as a more influential force than before. more>>

Green Building Could Triple by 2013
The value of green building construction starts was up five-fold from 2005 to 2008 (from $10 billion to $36-$49 billion), and could triple by 2013, reaching $96-$140 billion. more>>

Businesses Believe in Green Building Benefits
The latest SmartMarket Report, Commercial and Institutional Green Building shows an increase in the perceived value of green building among architects, engineering firms, contractors and owners over the last three years, especially as related to financial benefits. more>>

Eco Homes: Keeping It Down to Earth
Low-impact living is the way to go, using building techniques and materials that do not involve copious carbon emissions. more>>

New LEED Rating System Resets the Bar for Green Building Performance
LEED 2009, the long-awaited update to the internationally recognized LEED green building certification program, has passed member ballot, and will be introduced in 2009 as the next major evolution of the existing LEED rating systems for commercial buildings. more>>

DOE/EPA National Action Plan Vision for 2025 Supports IECC
More than 60 energy, environmental and state policy leaders from across the country have come together to produce the updated National Action Plan Vision for 2025: A Framework for Change. more>>

Green Solution of the Month: Sustainable Health Care Designs
Employees of green offices increase their productivity, students in green schools perform better, patients in green hospitals mend faster. more>>

ASTM Gives New Prominence to Sustainability
A new ASTM International committee, formed in October 2008, will provide a central venue for discussing sustainability in the respected standards organization. more>>

U.S. Green Building Council Pushes Obama to Act on Green Promises
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has wasted no putting together a progressive green agenda to push in Washington, consisting of a variety of measures Obama has supported on record. more>>

California Tops List of States Adopting Energy Efficiency Policies
People often believe California is on the leading edge of environmental regulations and policy, and now they have proof that researchers agree. more>>

Free Database of Nature-Inspired Design Strategies Available
A free online database is now available where architects, designers and engineers can search for and study nature's solutions to design challenges. more>>

U.S. Green Building Council Unveils 2009 Plans
The message is not LEED; it's why to go green and how to go green. more>>

The Bar Is Raised for Green Building
New plan to tighten energy efficiency at large retailers and give communities the option of adopting pre-approved “super-efficient” building codes is unveiled. more>>

National Green Building Awards Now Open
The annual awards honor home builders, remodelers, home builders’ associations and other organizations for advancing green building through innovative design and construction techniques, excellent educational programs and successful advocacy efforts. more>>

Green Verification Now Available for Modular Homes
NAHBGreen verification is now available for modular homes, bringing the green building certification process to the industry that produces a fifth of the nation’s housing stock. more>>

Report: Green Building Could Triple in Five Years
The potential for continued growth in the green building market is huge and projected for a possible tripling in the value of eco-friendly construction starts to reach as much as $140 billion. more>>

New Report Measures the Actual Impacts of Green Buildings for the First Time
Green buildings have saved the U.S. billions of gallons of water and enough energy to avoid the equivalent of burning of 1.3 million tons of coal for electricity since the development of the LEED standards. more>>

DOE Hits 50 Percent Milestone on Road to Commercial Zero-Energy Buildings
The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have released the first technical support documents to show 50 percent energy savings in commercial retail buildings. more>>

Concrete Is Sustainable, Durable—and Green
Concrete is one of the single most environmentally friendly construction products available. It offers stability, durability and design flexibility for the residential marketplace and environmental advantages through every stage of manufacturing and use. more>>

First WaterSense House Unveiled
The nation’s first WaterSense-labeled new home has been unveiled in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Homes built to the WaterSense draft specification are designed to use about 20% less water than conventional homes. more>>

Top Green Building Products of 2008
Building green is more than a hippie fad; in fact, ecological construction is a significant contribution to our efforts to mitigate climate change. more>>

ASHRAE Reconstitutes Standard 189.1P Committee
What was supposed to be a new minimum, code-enforceable standard for green buildings now faces an uncertain future. more>>

INTERNATIONAL

Europe's Chilled-Beam Technology Makes Inroads in the U.S.
American design teams discover the advantages of chilled beams, a mechanical device popular abroad for more than a decade. more>>

UK Building Industry on the Lookout for Top Candidates
The construction industry is still on the lookout for top finance professionals, despite the perilous state of funding for building projects. more>>

Dubai's Frenzied Building Boom Falters
Real estate prices have dropped as much as 50 percent in Dubai, putting the breaks on glitzy development that has drawn the world's wealthiest to the emirate. more>>

South Korean Government Promotes New Construction Rescue Package
The government is planning to rescue as many construction companies as it can to avoid the negative effects on the economy and employment. more>>

COAST TO COAST

A New Look at Risk Revives an Old California Canal Plan
A proposal to build a 42-mile long, 400-ft-wide water conveyance canal soundly rejected by California voters in 1982 is rising from the mists of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta again. more>>

L.A. Unveils LAX Expansion Plans
The next and most public aspect of the modernization of the Los Angeles International Airport was unveiled, with a $5-$6 billion improvement of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and a new midfield terminal. more>>

Pennsylvania City Reverses Policy on Armed Code Officers
A policy that allowed code enforcement officers to carry guns was recently rescinded, replaced with one that permits code officers to carry pepper spray. more>>

Lawsuit Expected in New York Amish Code Issues
An international law firm plans to sue the town of Morristown and its code enforcement officer over alleged religious discrimination against the Amish. more>>

Idaho First State to Push Electronic Permits
Idaho offers web-based electronic file submission and review to architects, developers and the public who undergo code-compliance plan reviews. more>>

San Diego Puts Defibrillator Requirements in Building Code
Under a new law, automated external defibrillators will be installed in new construction in the city. more>>

Massachusetts Bringing Homes up to Code
Norwood's state-funded $300,000 housing rehabilitation program is kicking back into gear, with the town lining up contractors to help qualifying residents bring their homes up to code. more>>

South Carolina Considers Tax Credits for Sprinkler Installation
A proposed local ordinance could help defray the costs of installing fire sprinklers. more>>

Baton Rouge HBA Honored for Aiding Good Samaritan in Need
The Capital Region Builders Association was recognized for its work in remodeling and upgrading the home of Carl Falconer, who lost both his legs in a traffic accident when he stopped along the road to assist a stranded motorist. more>>

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

New Code Council Board Member Shows Commitment to Safety
The praise often rains down on first responders for their heroic deeds and the lives they save. First Preventers, however, are often overlooked. more>>

ISO Names Deputy Fire Chief to Head Hazard Mitigation Program
ISO has hired Robert Cobb as RDS director of community hazard mitigation. more>>

Betancourt Named Chair of Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
Texas State Governor Rick Perry announced the appointment of Tammy Betancourt of Houston to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. more>>

IAPMO Executive Director Elected Deputy Chair of WPC
Russ Chaney, IAPMO executive director, was elected deputy chairman of the World Plumbing Council (WPC) for a term of three years. more>>

Board of Directors Announces Volunteer Leaders for 2009
The ANSI Board of Directors has named its new members and officers for the term beginning January 1, 2009. more>>

NAHB Announces Staff, Operating Cutbacks for 2009
With the housing industry confronting its most serious recession in more than 50 years, NAHB is cutting $11.5 million from its operating budget; 52 positions. more>>

Best in Systems-Built Housing Design and Marketing Honored
Twenty builders and manufacturers representing the concrete, log home, modular and panelized building systems were recently honored for excellence in home design. more>>

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