Metal Architecture Blog

By Marcy Marro

After an unusually hot summer, fall is officially in the air. And with fall, comes the last of the trade shows for the year. Since trade shows offer manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their newest products and developments, there is still plenty of time to get out and see what's new in the metal construction industry.

By Marcy Marro

$1.3 Trillion

By Marcy Marro

At last week's national conference, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) launched five new sustainable project documents, as well as an updated scope of services documents for LEED certification. The documents were developed using AIA's flagship Contract Documents and incorporating concepts and model language from its "Guide for Sustainable Projects," which was introduced at last year's conference.

By Marcy Marro

As the calendar turns to December and the year winds down, now is the time many people take a moment to reflect on the past 12 months. Looking back, I am reminded of the ups and downs of having an unemployed spouse for the first few months of this year, and the struggles we have had even as he found a new job. Much of what we experienced this year is the same as many of our friends and relatives and, as I'm sure, many of you. And while the economy has not yet picked up as much as we may have hoped, it does look like it's starting to head in the right direction, with unemployment slowly starting to turn around.

By Mark Robins, Senior Editor

We recently completed our 2012 editorial calendar. (Check out MCN here and MA here.) If we learned anything from this, it was that planning six months in advance forces you to resolve short-term details. It is the same for any company.

By Marcy Marro

The U.S. Green Building Council has a vision to provide green schools for everyone within a generation. A bold vision, perhaps, but it is the main reason that the USGBC formed the Center for Green Schools in 2010. The Center expands the USGBC's efforts to drive change in how schools and campuses are designed, constructed and operated so they will enhance student's learning experiences. Additionally, the Center engages educators in creating sustainable learning environments and applies solid research to advocate for the benefits of healthy, high-performing schools.

By Marcy Marro

In the publishing industry, as with all industries, communication is key. It needs to be open and flowing continually between publishers and editors, editors and writers and-especially-writers and their sources. When communication breaks down, things get a little crazy. And no one likes to be in a situation where they don't know what is going on, who's supposed to do what and what the final outcome will be. From start to finish on an issue, there is a ton of information that comes together every month. This information is checked, double checked and even triple checked by multiple people to ensure that no mistakes happen. Everyone knows that when an error is made, everyone sees that instead of the thousands of other things that were done correctly. The same is true in your business.

By Marcy Marro

At the Metal Construction Association semi-annual meeting last month in Raleigh, N.C., Michael Deane, LEED AP BD+C, vice president and chief sustainability officer at New York City-based Turner Construction Co., discussed sustainability and green buildings in a speech titled "Sustainable Practice from the Builder's Perspective."

By Marcy Marro

Metal's role in architecture takes center stage this month with the announcement of the winners of the 2011 Metal Architecture Design Awards. This is always one of my favorite times of the year at Metal Architecture, mainly because I love looking at all of the cool projects. It never ceases to amaze me how architects are pushing the design envelope and the interesting ways in which metal is being used in those designs.

By Marcy Marro

For the past quarter of a century, Metal Architecture has been a driving force in the metal construction industry, showcasing the products and techniques that architects who use metal in their projects need to know about. A lot has changed over the past 25 years, whether it is new products, new technology, new rules and regulations, and Metal Architecture has been there to inform and educate readers.

By Stefan Schumacher

The AIA has released its Consensus Construction Forecast and it seems to indicate more of what we've been hearing. The forecast projects either negative or very little growth in the various construction market segments.

By Stefan Schumacher

American architects have found a promising client, China, according to this New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/business/16build.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1