$16M for Renovation of Former Sears Store Approved by UC Trustees

CINCINNATI, Ohio — The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees recently approved $16 million in funding to renovate the university’s Campus Services Building—originally a 1929 Sears, Roebuck and Co. department store—into a research accelerator facility. The building is expected to be a hub of entrepreneurial innovation for the university by providing space for startup companies born of UC-developed technologies. “The University of Cincinnati has long been an economic spark plug for the region and state of Ohio. Creating such a much-needed translational research facility will occupy a critical place in our local entrepreneurial and commercialization ecosystem,” said UC President Santa … Read more

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FAA Issues Proposed Rule on Drone Use

On Feb. 23, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued the long-anticipated proposal to address the commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems, also referred to as drones. The proposal was introduced after the FAA previously failed to meet numerous deadlines to provide a regulatory framework for non-recreational use of small UAS. The proposed rule is expected to go into effect Jan. 1, 2017. Below is a summary of provisions included in the FAA's proposed rule: Small UAS must weigh less than 55 pounds Visual line-of-sight only: the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the operator or visual observer The … Read more

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Robins & Morton Champions LEED Silver for U.S. Army Dental Clinic at Fort Benning

The Love Dental Clinic, located at U.S. Army Base Fort Benning in Georgia, recently received LEED Silver certification. Construction Manager Robins & Morton registered and managed the certification process on this $15-million design-build renovation for the Huntsville Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Army Medical Command. The two-story, newly renovated 39,734-square-foot Love Dental Clinic is an aesthetically appealing, energy-efficient, modern structure that houses one of the U.S. Army's largest and most technologically advanced dental facilities. Robins & Morton registered the project and acted as its sustainability consultant and LEED administrator—a role typically performed by the … Read more

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Net-Zero Project Receives Green School Award

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Balfour Beatty Construction's net-zero modular classroom project completed on behalf of the Oak Park Unified School District has been honored with the United States Green Building Council's California Central Coast Chapter's Green School Award. Comprised of seven classroom buildings installed at Oak Park High School, the USGBC California's Central Coast Chapter annual Green Awards celebrates outstanding green projects throughout the region. The $2-million re-locatable classroom project replaces six 25-year-old temporary classrooms at the high school with seven new permanent classroom buildings. The 960-square-foot buildings were designed and fabricated by GrowthPoint Structures, and are made from single-use … Read more

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Construction Codes, Standards Developers Align Guidelines to Create Sustainable Buildings

Constructing new buildings and retrofiting existing buildings to be environmentally responsible is on the rise in the U.S. and globally. Several leading associations that develop construction codes and standards used to create green buildings are collaborating to bring consistency to high-efficiency structures. The initiative is being welcomed by code officials, architects, construction engineers and builders. “In just a few years we progressed from developing the first model code for green buildings to a new cooperative document that will make it easier for owners, designers, builders and code officials to deliver sustainable, high-performing buildings,” said International Code Council CEO Dominic Sims. … Read more

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