by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect Continued increases in land value within urban centers have given rise to taller and slender structures, both residential and commercial [1]. The framing system used in these is typically dependent upon the building height and construction costs. Low-rise residential buildings are usually platform framed with wood or steel studs often atop a concrete parking area or commercial units. Mid-rise buildings are commonly constructed with steel skeletal frames. High-rises are more likely utilize a concrete superstructure due to compressive strength and fire resistivity. The effects of dead and live loads on these structures increases relative.

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photo credit: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program began in 1993, led by Robert K Watson with support from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) [1]. The goal of the USGBC and the LEED building certification process is to “save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people.” [2] Building-related energy consumption accounts for 48% of the total energy consumed by society [3], with commercial buildings accounting for a large portion of total building area. The United States, much like.

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by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect The great Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto once stated in an interview [1], “One of the great problems for an architect today is to save the human being—to make individualism of collectivism.” With the rapidly growing population, current economic crisis, and recent environmental disasters, the need for affordable and sustainable housing has moved into the forefront of discussions throughout the construction industry. Future decisions are based on lessons learned from the past; architectural achievements have always been a testament of the ingenuity of humans throughout the world. Although manufacturing techniques have always relied on economy.

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by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect With growing demands on the construction industry managing both production cost and transaction costs has become critical to the success of a project. Although much emphasis is placed the accuracy of estimates which are a combination of materials and labor, not enough attention is focused on the cost of project management [1]. The emergence of new technologies for use in design, estimating and management provide the opportunity to control the total project cost while balancing the quality of the work against the time spent managing it. The equation presented by [1] expresses the cost.

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