According to the biblical account in Genesis (11:5-8), the Tower of Babel was an enormous tower people planned to build up to heaven. God saw what they were doing and confounded their speech and that scattered them upon the face of the Earth. Confusing their language resulted in abandonment of the project. The people constructed the [...]

“Build it, and they will come.” That famous line, inspired by the movie Field of Dreams was a source of inspiration for builders everywhere. An Iowa farmer turns a cornfield into a ballpark that attracts the ghosts of Shoeless Joe Jackson and other players banned in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. The 1989 movie uses the [...]

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting a historic hotel built by Henry B. Plant in the city of Tampa, Florida. This hotel was opened in 1891 and became a destination for travelers by rail during the time Mark Twain called the Gilded Age. The hotel cost about $3 Million to build, which was a lot [...]

Want a ready-to-bake project? The American Institute of Architects has done a great job executing on their vision of assembling a listing of what it calls “stalled” projects. They currently have over 30 projects nationwide, and the AIA serves as matchmaker if you want to inquire about a project. Accessing the database requires that you [...]

It isn’t easy being green, but thanks to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), there is a framework for practical, green building design, construction, operations and maintenance. The tools are in place, but it takes dedication, persistence and hard work to make sustainable building a reality. Achieving [...]

If you want a building that is durable, long-lasting, flexible, attractive, reasonably priced, efficient and one in which you can take pride, you should consider Tilt-up concrete construction. It isn’t new. Tilt-Up has been in use since the turn of the century, and in the 1940s, it became the preferred method of construction for many types of [...]

We hear a lot about companies who strive to earn repeat business by exceeding customer expectations and delivering tremendous value. Still I wonder. Here are four Chief Executives. Tell me if you think they have happy and loyal customers.

Hard Goods Manufacturer Co. – The Mighty Kwinn CEO bends over backwards to listen to his customers. [...]

Do we really need architecture and design today? As we sit here and ponder, approaching what we are hoping will be the end of this great recession, I thought I would post about the necessity of architecture.  After all, buildings can get built without architects.  Spaces can be filled without interior designers.  To all those [...]

The decisions you make at the earliest stages of your project are the most critical. It is your building project, and you don’t want to leave your schedule, cost or quality to chance. Setting priorities early on will be the best way to get a finished project you deserve.
Your project may require unique expertise. For [...]

Build-to-suit or Settling for Low Cost Alternatives
Real estate professionals, architects, engineers, builders and owners can find themselves faced with a dilemma in an environment of economic uncertainly. It has always been true that buying exclusively based on lowest price is a dangerous way to do business. Catering to such clients can be hazardous as well. [...]