New $650M Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Enhances Healthcare in Texas

Construction is complete on the new $650-million Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital campus, located in Texas, providing a facility designed to enhance healthcare access in the rapidly growing Cypress area. Campus demolition work began in February 2022 and campus construction was completed in March 2025. The project began with the demolition of 11 buildings previously occupied by Sysco Corp., totaling over 600,000 square feet. The new 570,000-square-foot, seven-story hospital features healthcare amenities including opening with 100 licensed beds, nine operating rooms and nine imaging modalities. The campus also includes an emergency department, critical care unit and birthing center. McCarthy and its … Read more

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Public-Private Partnership Tapped to Construct Austrian School Project

Seestadt Aspern, an up-and-coming district of Vienna, Austria is where a consortium of PORR and Apleona is constructing a new building for a central vocational school. The city of Vienna has commissioned the construction of an educational facility with space for 7,500 learners. The new vocational school building in Aspern is breaking records: it’s the largest public-private partnership building construction project in Austria and is unique in terms of both its size and complexity. The educational facility will provide space for 7,500 pupils and 350 employees. It consists of a 26-meter-high main building with five floors above ground and a … Read more

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Redevelopment of Pennsylvania’s Historic Clayton University Center Complete

The $70-million redevelopment of Lehigh University’s historic Clayton University Center, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is complete. Skanska served as the general contractor on the project, with Shepley Bulfinch as architect. The project encompassed both interior renovations, as well as restoration of the exterior façade of the Clayton University Center, which ensured the building’s historic character was maintained throughout the construction process. Key elements of the project included upgrading utilities, such as new electrical service, mechanical systems and equipment, installation of a full fire protection system, as well as installing multiple kitchen and food delivery areas including Grab and Go kiosks … Read more

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University of Arizona Launches World’s Largest Thermal Vacuum Chamber within Collegiate Research

The University of Arizona recently unveiled the Applied Research Building’s Thermal Vacuum Chamber, the world’s largest of its kind housed within a collegiate research facility. Weighing 40 tons and extending 30 feet, the TV Chamber is designed for testing nanosatellites under replicated atmospheric temperature and pressure conditions found within the space and near-space environment. The TV Chamber provides incredible accuracy in simulation, ensuring the greatest confidence in materials testing. This technology represents one of the primary features within the ARB. With the complexity of the TV Chamber, the Design-Build partnership between SmithGroup and general contractor McCarthy Building Companies Inc., sequenced … Read more

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Drones in K-12 Classrooms

Paving the path for the future construction workforce By Rob Harvey The construction industry is on the cusp of a significant transformation, driven by rapidly advancing technology. However, as innovation accelerates, an aging workforce presents a critical challenge. Constructing more buildings keeps construction inflation under control, but — to build more — the industry needs more workers: around 723,000 per year. With many experienced professionals nearing retirement, a growing labor shortage threatens to stall progress and increase costs. This pressing issue underscores the need for innovative solutions to attract and train the next generation of tech-enabled construction workers. One promising … Read more

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