The residential and commercial building industry has changed radically in the last few decades, following the pattern of many other vital sectors of the US economy. Two of the developments that the industry has been focused on, which happen to be interlinked, are prefabrication and offsite construction. Coupled with this, vertical integration is a focus of many companies as … [Read more...] about The rise of prefab.
Climate
Investors as educators.
Most people have some familiarity with the process of buying real estate, either through popular media or their own experiences purchasing a home. But when you enter the world of commercial property development and investment, there is a "lingua franca" that is unique to the real estate business. While there may be a justifiable need for this "secret language" between real … [Read more...] about Investors as educators.
Create, don’t destroy.
The term "blight removal" conjures up images of construction cranes knocking down homes, displacement, and gentrification. But blight can take many forms and its removal has many remedies. Preservation of seemingly dilapidated structures can invigorate and reinforce a community’s value and sense of place. Historic preservation Instead of knocking down older buildings with … [Read more...] about Create, don’t destroy.
Living the Jetson life.
Jennifer Castensen is the vice president of programming at Hanley Wood, a company which serves the construction and design industry through their analytics-driven Construction Industry Database. In this capacity, she provides leadership and collaboration across all verticals in the building products industry to drive innovation. Castenson establishes themes and coordinates … [Read more...] about Living the Jetson life.
Shaping a sustainable environment.
Developers and architects have the opportunity to sell a new vision of sustainability in the United States. Many people see private capital and sustainability as fundamentally at odds with each other. Some even question the value that developers, architects and investors bring to the community building or redevelopment process. But civic-minded investors have the opportunity … [Read more...] about Shaping a sustainable environment.