Building

From Segregated School to Community Hub: Restoring Azusa’s Historic One-Room Schoolhouse

A rare one-room schoolhouse in the city of Azusa, California, has undergone a full-circle transformation from segregated educational facility to community center, all through a carefully executed historic preservation and adaptive reuse project. The historic wood-frame Craftsman-style building was moved to an honored location, rehabilitated, and restored as a community gathering space, polling place, and […]

Modern Remote Hangar Construction: Design and Material Strategies for Airport Buildings in Extreme Environments

Building a functional hangar in a remote landscape presents unique challenges that test every aspect of construction planning, material selection, and design coordination. The recently completed Airkat Airpark 9AA9 hangar near Haines, Alaska, demonstrates how thoughtful design strategies and durable material specifications can deliver a high-performance airport building in one of North America’s most demanding

Office-to-Residential Conversions: Construction Strategies for Transforming Empty Commercial Buildings into Urban Homes

The shift toward converting vacant office towers into residential units is reshaping downtown skylines across the United States. With urban cores experiencing persistently high office vacancy rates and a growing demand for housing, developers and contractors are turning to office-to-residential conversions as a viable solution. These projects present unique challenges and opportunities for building professionals,

BHMA Elects New Board of Directors: How Leadership Changes Will Shape Builders Hardware Standards for Building Professionals

The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) recently elected a new Board of Directors during its annual Fall meeting, signaling a fresh chapter for the organization that sets the benchmark for North American builders hardware standards. Justin Crotzer, senior vice president of global engineering management at dormakaba, now serves as board president alongside an experienced leadership

Scalable Timber Engineering: LVL and CLT Mass Timber Systems in Mixed-Use Building Construction

Scalable Timber Engineering: LVL and CLT Mass Timber Systems in Mixed-Use Building Construction The Katajanokan Laituri project in Helsinki, Finland, demonstrates how industrial mass timber products can deliver scalable, code-compliant solutions for mixed-use building construction. This solid-wood office and hotel building on the Katajanokka waterfront uses laminated veneer lumber (LVL) for its post-beam frame and

Fire Sprinkler Placement Above Suspended Drop-Out Ceilings: Performance Strategies and Code Compliance for Building Professionals

Fire sprinkler system design is one of the most critical aspects of modern building construction. The interaction between sprinkler systems and suspended ceiling assemblies presents a recurring challenge for specifiers, contractors, and building professionals. Traditional approaches require penetrating sprinkler drops through ceiling panels, introducing complexity in installation, coordination, and long-term maintenance. Drop-out ceilings offer an

Building Community Centers with Signature Color Identity: Design Strategies and Material Specifications for Municipal Facilities

Community centers serve as civic landmarks that define neighborhood identity and provide essential gathering spaces for residents. The integration of a signature color into the building design from the earliest planning stages offers opportunities to create visually distinctive facilities that strengthen community pride. This article examines how building professionals can approach community center projects that

Post-Wildfire Rebuilding One Year After the L.A. Fires: Construction Strategies for Building Professionals

One year after the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires burned more than 23,000 hectares across the region, rebuilding efforts are reshaping how building professionals approach post-disaster construction. From Palisades Charter High School to the MonteCedro Senior Living project in Altadena, the scale and urgency of this rebuilding effort demand construction strategies that balance speed, safety,