Tag Archive for New York

19 Nov 2013
Energy

Why Smart Cities Are the Cure for America’s Aging Power Grid

smart cities 3 Why Smart Cities Are the Cure for America’s Aging Power GridSmart cities are all the rage with urban planners. But does this mean that the smart city design is right for every city? And what about the United States — will it fall behind and never catch up? Here are some of the questions city planners are asking.

What is a Smart City?

The term smart city applies to cities aiming to improve quality of life for citizens by updating infrastructure with smart power grids fueled by renewable energy. Smart cities can reduce traffic congestion, cut CO2 emissions and reduce operating Read more

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14 Nov 2013
Architect Insights • General Construction

There’s a Construction App for That

appstore under construction 300x199 Theres a Construction App for ThatApple’s iPhone 5s was recently named the best smart phone for construction industry professionals by Equipment World.com. It’s not the biggest, the most rugged, or the cheapest. Despite its faults, the iPhone still has far more readily available apps that make construction pros smarter, more efficient and more effective on the job. Add a beefy case and the right app and you have a powerful tool that goes wherever you do, including the jobsite.

App Appeal

Construction apps can provide the developer, project manager, and even site foreman a wealth of real-time resources that make every job easier. From apps that monitor project bids to finger-assisted CAD drawing to calculating architectural formulas, the number of available construction-specific apps is currently in the thousands and growing.

Best Apps for Construction

The best app for you depends on your job responsibilities, personal preferences and technical aptitude. Here are a few of our favorite free apps you may find useful: Read more

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26 Sep 2013
Industry Insights

State of the Industry: 2013 U.S. Construction Performance Scorecard

Construction Scorecard 300x214 State of the Industry: 2013 U.S. Construction Performance ScorecardWith the building season winding down, it’s a good time to look back at how construction in 2013 stacked up against industry predictions and look ahead to 2014.

U.S. Construction Growth

In October 2012, McGraw-Hill Construction’s Dodge Outlook report predicted U.S. Construction would see an uptick of 6%, bringing construction to $483 billion in 2013. The August 2013 update shows that for overall growth, the McGraw-Hill prediction was spot on. Here’s a breakdown of how sectors within construction performed this year compared to projections.

Single Family Housing

McGraw-Hill predicted an increase of 21% more units and a 24% increase in revenue. Building is on-track to outpace those predictions, with 28% growth. The increase is due Read more

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06 Aug 2013
Permanent Solutions

Tour the New York Red Bulls New Training Facility with MLS Player Dax McCarty

The ModSpace Sports and Entertainment Team recently completed work on the New York Red Bull’s slick new training facility. In this video, star player Dax McCarty gives you a behind the scenes look at where the team works between every MLS game.

For more information on ModSpace Sports and Entertainment capabilities, please contact William Mann at 704-719-0509.

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17 Jul 2013
Disaster Recovery

A Rising Sea of Change? New York Weighs Coastal Readiness Plan

NYC flood barrier 300x196 A Rising Sea of Change? New York Weighs Coastal Readiness Plan

Photo courtesy of Arcadis

 

Rising oceans and severe storms are a real threat to coastal cities around the world. Superstorm Sandy is great example of how tidal surge can devastate low-lying metropolitan areas.

One artist recently created a video animation that shows how the rising sea level could impact the West Coast. Imagine Venice Beach under 25 feet of water. While this scenario is not likely to happen in our lifetime, it does call into question how the world will protect its coastal cities. For Read more

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11 Jul 2013
General Construction • Industry Insights

Chasing Jobs: Current and Future U.S. Construction Hot Spots

ModSpaceHQ BarclaysCenter Brooklyn 300x215 Chasing Jobs: Current and Future U.S. Construction Hot SpotsThe national outlook for the construction industry remains positive, though some regions are outpacing others on the road to recovery. As new projects get started across the country, here’s a look at where the U.S.’s current and future construction hot spots lie. 

The Big Apple Gets Bigger

New York City leads the way, according to a recent report from Forbes.com. The City (and its NY and NJ suburbs) remains strong in residential and non-residential development. Two massive Read more

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30 May 2013
General Construction

Modular Construction vs. Noise Pollution

Construction site noise1 Modular Construction vs. Noise PollutionThe advantages of modular over traditional construction are well documented. Cost effectiveness, sustainability, and speed are at the top of the list. One benefit that’s often overlooked is the significant reduction of construction noise.

How does modular cut construction noise? Instead of hammers banging away at the site, modular structures are built offsite in controlled factory environments.

Modular also requires comparatively less site preparation. Unlike stick-built structures, modular buildings are designed and built to stand Read more

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14 May 2013
Permanent Solutions • Temporary Solutions

Sandy-torn Shore Preps for Summer

Sandy torn Shore Preps for SummerThe summer season is just weeks away. Yet six months after Hurricane Sandy, some beach communities are still rebuilding. For shoreline businesses, the season drives the bulk of their annual revenue. Some that aren’t ready are turning to modular construction to open on time.

Modular Facilities Heading to the Shore

For New Yorkers, the push includes modular facilities for restrooms, lifeguard stations and maintenance offices. Officials say the modular plan is the most cost- and time-efficient way to prepare the boardwalk and shoreline communities. New York’s $100 million investment in modular will pay for itself many Read more

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21 Mar 2013
Energy • Green Building

Rethinking the Definition of Green Building

Rethinking the Definition of Green BuildingRising energy costs and global climate change are compelling arguments for sustainable construction. Yet some builders, developers and owners don’t see the value in green construction, particularly as it relates to their bottom line.

Good, Not Green

At the 2013 Greenprints sustainability conference, LEED founder Rob Watson suggested “eliminating ‘green’ as a modifier,” noting that “there are good buildings, and there are bad buildings…Good buildings save energy, water, time and effort — but perhaps most importantly to their occupants, they save money.”

That’s not to say that companies aren’t building green. LEED has helped spur energy-efficient construction Read more

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20 Mar 2013
General Construction

Modular Construction Reaches New Heights, Goes Global

Modular Construction Reaches New Heights, Goes Global

Atlantic Yards Project, Brooklyn, NY

Though the domestic modular construction industry has been growing over the past several decades, it is only recently that US designers and builders have started taking sky-scraping cues from overseas projects. New York City’s Atlantic Yards development is a prime example, as it is targeted to be the tallest modular structure in the world, surpassing England’s University of Wolverhampton’s 25-story dormitory, completed in 2009.

These two projects notwithstanding, modular construction that reaches for the sky isn’t relegated to the US and UK. The Asian market went tall the in Hunan Province with high-rise modular projects courtesy of developer Zhang Yue, whose company erected a 30-story modular building over 15 days in 2011, a feat that was captured in a powerful time-lapse video.

Even now the Broad Group in China has signed a deal to erect a 100-story prefab building in the city of Read more

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