Blogs

Construction

Living in Architecture: Me and Eero Saarinen

Award winning design does not necessarily translate to an effective, successful or liveable built environment. My interest and passion for interesting design is somewhat tempered by my having seen the consequences of projects not matching constructability and coordination with interesting design. As I have previously revealed obliquely in my post on How to Pick a…

February 16, 2010

Construction

Construction Quick News Takes

There are a number of important construction law and economic developments that I want to pass along to our readers. Given timing and the plethora of topics to address, I wanted to share these developments in a more rapid fire format so these updates remained timely.

February 11, 2010

Construction

Huge Snowfall Leads to Wave of Roof Collapses

So, here in the Washington, DC area we are buried under a couple feet of snow. You know we have a lot of snow when the Lincoln Memorial steps have been transformed into a good tobogan run. Unfortunately, so much snow means a ton of dead load placed on roof structures. There are a number…

February 8, 2010

Construction

Va. Stormwater Regulations: Suspended or Killed?

After much back and forth, the Soil and Water Conservation Board announced on January 14th that they voted to suspend their hotly debated changes to stormwater regulations to permit an additional 30-day comment period. The stage was formally suspended on January 26, 2010 which means that the status will be stuck in suspension until a…

February 4, 2010

Construction

Never Underestimate the Value of Face Time: Kersey v. PHH Mortgage Corporation

In 2002, Brenda Kersey received a $71,397 mortgage loan to purchase a home in Richmond, Virginia. The loan was a Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) loan governed by FHA regulations. PHH Mortgage Corporation was the holder of the note in connection with Ms. Kersey’s loan. Like so many unfortunate homeowners, Brenda Kersey fell behind on her…

February 3, 2010

Construction

Local Contractor Shells Out Cash To Settle Wage Class Action Suit

Rockville based contractor Hann & Hann will pay $600,000 plus the plaintffs’ legal fees to settle a wage and overtime based class action suit. As reported in the Washington Post by Rubin Castaneda on January 30, 2010, Hann & Hann agreed to pay overtime plus 50% for every employee working with the company not paid…

February 1, 2010

Construction

Energy Efficiency, Green Retrofits and ROI: The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building retrofit project is reaching for rarefied air: improved energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and rapid and healthy return on investment. Recent case study documentation for the project suggests this project will hit the ball out of the bark on all fronts. Highlights include: An estimated 38% energy savings compared to high…

January 29, 2010

Construction

What Is Our Local Delegation Up To This Session?

With well over two thousand bills filed for this session, I was curious to see what our local urban delegates and senators have chief-patroned this year. So here’s what they’re up to: Delegate Brink has patroned HB 1260, which proposes that the Uniform Statewide Building Code should also apply to buildings or structures built on…

January 27, 2010

Construction

Trends in Building Green – Update

The Trends in Building Green panel last Thursday morning was a great success. There were a couple interesting take-aways from the panel’s materials and presentations: Smart property owners need to be taking energy savings seriously; Tommy Russo, Chief Technology Officer of Akridge, described their highly detailed efforts to analyze and implement projects with a reasonable…

January 25, 2010

Construction

Renovators Beware: Lead Paint Regulations Change in April

Owners, developers and builders working in the renovation arena beware: the EPA’s new regulations on lead paint take effect on April 22, 2010. The regulations are contained at Title 40, Part 745 of the Code of Federal Regulations. There are some very important highlights: Effective April 21, no firm may offer or perform renovations in…

January 22, 2010