Its clear that Matt Patricia, Bob Quinn and also business are currently really feeling the warm this offseason.

After the Lions total disaster last period after an affordable September, Patricias document as a head train is an unpleasant 9-22 -1 via 2 years. To his credit scores, Patricias never ever had an extremely skilled lineup to deal with, and also it does not aid when Matt Stafford goes down with an injury, however if the group is to in some way overshadow in 2014s win total amount (not to mention the 6 success from 2018), they require to maintain costs.

In specific, the Lions require to attract one significant procurement: free-agent side rush Jadeveon Clowney.

Right currently, Clowney has actually supposedly decreased his ask from $20 million every year to someplace north of $17 million. Yet also at the first number, Clowney is a must- have for the Lions company not somebody like Clowney however the male himself.

Last period, the group made a huge free-agent sprinkle with the enhancement of side rush Trey Flowers, a pricey import from the New England Patriots that was generated to be the pass hurrying foundation of Patricias rebuilt protection. He was as stable as ever before, statistically talking, with 21 quarterback hits and also 7 sacks however the Lions require something on the opposite to make this protection reputable.

Last year, the Lions had just 28 complete sacksthe second-lowest total amount in the NFL (5 greater than the Miami Dolphins) and also placed as the solitary worst group in ESPNs pass thrill win price (behind the Dolphins).

The just various other gamer with greater than 2 sacks on the Lions in 2014 was linebacker Devon Kennard and also hes currently a participant of the ArizonaCardinals Jarrad Davis had 2, and also the Lions have actually supposedly put the previous first-round linebacker on the profession block. Jamie Collins was generated as a substitute, however his statistics have actually gone down at any time hes left NewEngland Patricia can just really hope remaining in a comparable system can generate comparable outcomes.

The cutting edge itself has actually been entirely overhauled, however its unsubstantiated the outcomes will certainly generate anything much better than last period. Snacks Harrison?Gone Mike Daniels? Hes out, also. AShawn Robinson? Greener fields. Those entertainers could be growing older with restricted ceilings and/or injury problems, however it was a reputable triad with experience.

Danny Shelton and also Nick Williams are the substitutes so far, however the previous is coming off an agreement year and also the last simply had his very first main sack( s) in 2014 at the age of29 On a much deeper line, Williams is a great rotational electrician and also Shelton is a suitable two-down support. On this line, theyre entrusted with excessive and also sustained with inadequate.

Then once again, the Lions have actually been playing this video game all offseason long. Offensive deal with Rick Wagner was launched and after that changed with previous Eagles electrician Halapoulivaati Vaitai, that has actually begun an overall of 4 video games in the last 2 years. Even even worse was trading Darius Slay to the Eagles and after that being compelled to make use of theNo 3 general choice in Jeff Okudah to change him. Okudah is a winner as a lockdown edge, however theres no factor for this group to not use him along with Slay for a major device upgrade in the second.

Heres the great information in all of this: Cory Undlin is the brand-new protective organizer. Paul Pasqualonis passive protection surrendered every huge play specifically when you would certainly anticipate them to break down most. Undlins bound for much better efficiencies below also as an adjustment of speed and also hes been offered a great deal of brand-new gamers at each degree. nonetheless, the front 7 requires a significant mixture of impactful ability and also the draft isnt mosting likely to offer it to them if Okudah is the male.

Over the last 5 years, Jadeveon Clowney has actually struck the quarterback 80 times, had 68 various other deals with for loss, set up 32 sacks, and also compelled 8 fumbles. He additionally has 4 protective goals because period. Across from Flowers, he would certainly require defenses to value both sides with the strategy and also pressure the quarterback to make quicker choices than ever before, a genuine plus when the second has actually been reprise with Okudah at the top.

Right currently, Clowneys representatives are most likely evaluating their deals in order to choose at some time, and also the Cleveland Browns are one reported group in the mix. The Seattle Seahawks wishes to have Clowney back, also. Several various other groups additionally make good sense as a future house for Clowney, consisting of the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, and also BuffaloBills Pretending as if Clowney will certainly continue to be readily available permanently with a rate that will certainly remain to boil down is a mirage.

The Lions are presently resting on $309 million in cap room. Saving a couple of million each year to generate the suches as of Markus Golden is, now, the selection in between being utilized or otherwise. Clowney is the just real influence gamer left worthwhile of a lasting offer there is something to be claimed for importing Everson Griffin for a year unless the Lions are attempting to make some profession job (e.g. Chris Jones or Yannick Ngakoue). But once again, why abandonment draft possessions when a tested side rush is right there waiting.

The rotating door of middling ability has actually most likely currently carried out in the Lions management now. The losses have actually currently accumulated, and also despite Clowney, the Lions are most likely the bottom-feeders once more in the NFCNorth But at the very least the finalizing of somebody to support the opposite of the pass thrill would certainly offer this protection a dealing with opportunity to improve under a brand-new organizer and also a defensive-minded head train.

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Why the Detroit Lions must win the Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes - The Union Journal

They were the Cardiff City team that defined a generation. A group of players who sparked something within the Bluebirds fanbase few others have been able to replicate since.

In 1993, Eddie May's side delivered promotion for his barmy army at the end of a season those who were there will never forget.

This was the team of Dale, Stant, Blake, Searle, Pike and the rest. It was the year of that glorious, iconic kit.

Over the coming weeks, WalesOnline will be tracking down the men who became heroes 27 years ago to hear their stories of yesteryear and discover what became of them.

Today, we begin with 53-year-old Carl Dale - the diminutive striker who would become a club legend.

Carl Dale's road to the Cardiff City hall of fame is one less travelled.

He remains many supporters' favourite player from that golden period at the start of the 1990s and with good reason.

The striker sits fifth on the list of the Bluebirds' all-time top goalscorers, an instinctive sharp shooter whose assassin-like eye for goal was honed in the rough and tumble of the North Wales football leagues.

It could have been different, though. Dale was scouted by Arsenal as a schoolboy and headed down to the English capital in hope of carving out a career in the big leagues, but it wasn't to be.

"Being down there in London was new," Dale, who hails from Colwyn Bay, says, "all the bright lights and all that, it was a learning curve, but probably a little too soon for me at that age, 16, a schoolboy."

He was released after 18 months and his confidence was rocked. Was football going to be for him?

"Anyone who is released by anyone goes through a stage of thinking, 'Are you good enough? Do you want to do it?'," he says.

"Sometimes you have a bit of a spell where you're a bit negative and then you get back on the positive trail and want to prove a point."

Dale headed back up to North Wales and decided to take the pragmatic approach of undertaking an apprenticeship at his father's electrical business.

"Instead of being an apprentice at Arsenal, I was an apprentice with my father's electrical contractors'!," he laughs.

"It's different avenues that you can go down. You can learn your trade in the lower leagues and progress.

"When the likes of Man United came through with Beckham, Scholes etc, at a similar time, that was against the norm.

"For me, it was a different route into professional football."

One look at Dale's figures, though, tells you that it was a matter of when, not if, a Football League side came in for him.

For Conwy, he scored 47 goals during the 1984/85 season which remained a club record until 1996.

Next he moved to Rhyl before heading to Bangor in the Northern Premier League, eventually earning a 12,000 move to Football League Division Three club Chester City in 1988.

He took to league football like he'd belonged there all his life, ending the club's top scorer in his first season there.

Two years later he earned a call-up to Terry Yorath's Wales squad for that famous game against West Germany, in which Ian Rush scored the winner.

Though he never earned a cap, that remains a hugely proud moment for him and, with Rush, Mark Hughes and Dean Saunders ahead of him, he understood.

"The competition for forwards was something else," he says.

"People ask me why I didn't get in the squad and I just name the names!

"Where would you put me alongside those forwards?

"But I was named in the squad so that's an achievement in itself."

Dale thought the contract Chester offered him wasn't fair and sought a move away in 1991. It looked as thought he would be moving to Maidstone United, but it collapsed at the tribunal stage.

As a result, Cardiff swooped and snapped him up for 82,000. It's fair to say Bluebirds fans will forever be grateful that Maidstone move fell through.

City offered Dale an initial short-term deal of three months and he ended up staying in a guest house on Cathedral Road, which was run by Eddie May's partner Marlene.

Northern Irish duo Paul Ramsey and Paul 'Windy' Millar were in there, too, and Dale struck up a good friendship with the two of them.

"They were different characters," he laughs. "Windy and Paul, who ended up being the captain, would put you in your place.

"We were fortunate to be friendly. Most of the lads were friends off the pitch. Paul Ramsay would shout at me and I wouldn't understand what he was saying!

"There were a couple of heated moments throughout the years I was there with a few different players.

"But, in general, especially for a couple of seasons, I think things went well on and off the pitch.

"That helped the atmosphere and the club."

In that 1992/93 campaign, Dale lined up alongside the likes of Chris Pike, Nathan Blake and Phil Stant in one of the most terrifying forward lines that old Division Three would ever have seen.

The Dale and Stant partnership has gone down in folklore for many Cardiff fans, synonymous with that glorious team of the early 1990s.

Both prolific goalscorers, but, in that title-winning season, Dale was so plagued by injury that he didn't really feel on top of his game.

"I felt a little bit like I wasn't quite there," he recalls. "I was quite happy to gradually get my fitness back while playing a slightly different role.

"Stanty kept himself to himself. He stayed down in Cardiff in a caravan for a while! A bit of a different character, but I got on well with him.

"Stanty was about scoring goals and being that leader up front. He was a very strong character."

Another strong character, of course, was the gaffer, Eddie May, and he was someone with whom Dale certainly got on with, even if he admits he had a bit of a Marmite personality.

"He was great for me," he says, "I enjoyed working with Eddie.

"Yeah, he did lose his temper at times, but probably justifiably so!

"There were other managers who were there who I didn't enjoy as much... but I won't name names!"

In a team teeming with inexperience at that level, Dale says many of the players looked up to Kevin Ratcliffe, the legendary former Wales and Everton captain, and Robbie James, who had racked up hundreds of games, mostly for rivals Swansea City, up to that point.

The players turned to the supporters, too, with Ninian Park rocking and the away support unlike anything Dale had ever seen.

"We were getting more supporters coming to watch us, home and away, and you just got the atmosphere at the time that there was a good connection between the players and supporters," Dale says.

"That helped. Sometimes you gave a little bit extra. As players, you need geeing up a little bit.

"Cardiff always had a good following away from home and that helped, certainly in the run-in for that promotion season. We were followed by thousands of supporters."

That 12th man picked City up when they threatened to flag in the second half of the season, of course they were bolstered by the immediate impact Stant made when he moved to the club.

But, for Dale, it was all a little bittersweet, though, as injuries really bogged him down.

On the day the Bluebirds sealed the title, Dale was fit enough only for the substitutes bench, which meant he was listening out for results elsewhere to see if things were going Cardiff's way.

"It was a bit weird for me because I was injured," Dale remembers. "The first half of that season for me was great, because I was scoring goals and then got injured in the December.

"I sat on the bench and watched us win a number of games and did feel part of it.

"But the last game of the season, I was talking to the reporters to see what was happening in the other games and I knew the results were going our way at half-time.

"Eddie told me not to mention anything to the lads, but I had a big smile on my face!"

He remembers seeing swathes of coaches travelling back after that 3-0 win over Scunthorpe on the final day of the season, with supporters spilling into them, drinks in hand.

The players, of course, enjoyed their own celebration, with chairman Rick Wright paying for them to jet off to Kavos on a young lads holiday. Well, that was until the kitman went along!

"A good holiday together, paid for by the chairman," he says. "What more do you want?

"We went with the kitman Harry Parsons, too, believe it or not. It was supposed to be an 18-30 and it ended up 17-65!

"I'm not going to say much more than that... we caused a few problems over there, that's all I'm saying!"

He laughs about those times and it is clear the conversation and the memories are bringing a smile to his face.

In the subsequent seasons, Dale cemented legend status alongside Stant, with both players playing massive roles in keeping the club in Division Two before the dismantled squad was subsequently relegated back down into the fourth tier.

Dale remembers May asked him a number of times to bail the club out and he reluctantly agreed despite his injury woes. His goals eventually kept City in the Football League in 1995.

Key players left, Pike, Stant, Blake, Ratcliffe, the list was seemingly endless and Dale, who was the PFA representative at the time, remembers it all too vividly.

"You had players whose contracts were up, they were entitled to ask for more. I was in a similar situation," he says.

"The frustrations of the chairman, Rick Wright, other issues with bonus and incentive payments.

"You can't change the bonuses during the season and there was an issue with them being changed. Conflict between the players and the chairman.

"He felt a bit let down with some of the players and the players felt disappointed they weren't getting what they deserved.

"So, unfortunately, a number of people weren't happy with that, on both sides.

"That ended with a number of players moving on. Instead of keeping it together it all fell apart, which was unfortunate."

Dale played for the club until 1998, cementing legend status in doing so, before moving on to Yeovil.

He scored against Cardiff in the FA Cup and winces when he thinks about what he did that day.

"That was an experience in itself," he says. "I wouldn't say I enjoyed scoring against Cardiff.

"But I did celebrate, which I got a lot of stick for! But it was more an accident, someone kicked the ball against me and it went in.

"It was my testimonial year that year with Cardiff as well... So, as you can imagine, mixed feelings!"

He laughs it all off, it's water under the bridge now and his status as one of the club's greats is firmly intact.

He is still friendly with many from that time, including his long-time room-mate Jason Perry, Damon Searle and Cohen Griffith, with whom he would occasionally play golf, "We are both rubbish," he says.

Dale finished his career off at Newport in 2001 and reverted back to his trade, setting up his own electrical firm.

He still does that to this day, although last year he moved to North Devon and describes himself now as 'semi-retired'.

He thought about going down the coaching path a few years back. "I did do my coaching badges and contacted the PFA, but the only coaching they had locally was at Swansea... so I shied away from that a little bit!," he jokes.

Of course, being an electrician for almost 20 years in Newport, he worked for his fair share of admirers.

He worked for fans who had spent years watching him home, away and all around Europe during his seven-year stint as Cardiff's deadly striker.

But did he ever truly know just how much he was loved during those special times for Cardiff City?

"Meeting up with people in Cardiff, people say nice things," he remembers fondly.

"I meet people at Stereophonics concerts, for example, and they tell me they used to come and watch me play and when they started watching Cardiff I was their favourite player.

"I had a couple of years where, getting an injury at 27 really hit me. I wanted to prove myself again and get back scoring.

"I did manage to do that later on in my career.

"People say nice things, but, to me, it was just giving 100 percent when you play and that's what I always tried to do.

"Good times, bad times, but, thankfully for me, most of it was good and that's the way I look at it.

"It's a bit like that at Cardiff, isn't it? You always feel like you're on a rollercoaster."

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In search of Cardiff City's iconic 1992/93 team: the new life of Carl Dale the electrician - Wales Online

As part of an unprecedented lockdown of British life, Boris Johnsonannouncedthatschools will close except for the children of key workers. It also announced that people should only leave their homes to go to work where it is absolutely necessary.But who is classed a key worker?

The Department of Education has published a full list of roles that the Government considers to be key.

So heres what we knowso far.

Key workers are people whose jobs are vital to public health and safety during the coronavirus lockdown. Because their work is so vital, the Government is keen to ensure that they are able to carry out their jobs with as little restriction as possible, which means being able to put their children in school and use necessary transport links.

The list includes:

All NHS staff, including administrative and cleaning workers. Frontline health and social care staff such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, plus support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector.

In addition it includes those working in supply chains including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment.

Nursery, teachers including teaching assistants and social workers.

Food chain workers, including those involved in production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of goods.

Postal workers, those required to run the justice system, religious staff, and those responsible for managing the deceased, and journalists providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government workers in admin roles essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services, including payment of benefits.

Staff needed to keep oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage operations running. Staff in the civil nuclear, chemical and telecommunications sectors. Those in postal services and those working to provide essential financial services.

Police andsupport staff, Ministry of Defence civilian staff and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue staff, and workersresponsible for border security, prisons and probation.

Those keeping air, water, road, and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating.

Read the full list on the Department's website.

No, they should be at home and observing social distancing.

Vulnerable children, including those with a social worker, and pupils who get special needs support will be able to stay in school.

Children with at least one parent or carer who are identified as critical workers by the government can send their children to school if required.

Single parents who are key workers will be entitled to a school place.

Some roles within the NHS, such as dental nurse, whose work is not at the frontline of treating the coronavirus may still be considered key workers. However, this may depend on your practice and the type of work you do.

Clearly, there is a grey area over key workers, and it may be hard to enforce restrictions if children of non-key workers are still turning up at school. But the Government is asking people, in extraordinary times, to do everything they can to protect as many lives as they can.

If you do not need to take your child to school because your job is not essential to public health and safety, please try to stay at home.

The Government is not intending to restrict access to the transport system, though there are a number of closures, particularly in London. However, if you are not a key worker, try to avoid travelling by public transport.

Not only does this free up space for vital workers, but you are less likely to catch and spread the virus. If you can, walk or cycle to work. If you don't need to travel, the advice is that you shouldn't.

A Downing Street spokesman said employees should speak to their employers to check whether they should come into work if they are unsure whether they are a key worker.

"Employees should speak to their employers. People who can work from home should, but those who are central to the coronavirus effort, we believe, have been named as key workers," they said.

Communities Secretary Robert Jendrick has provided this checklist to help workers decide if they should stay home or not:

People should use their common sense in deciding whether they should leave home to go to work. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said that "the advice is crystal clear - you should stay at home" unless you had one of the key reasons to go out: exercise, shopping, for medical need or to do work that work cannot be done at home.

The Government wants company managers to think of different ways to encourage staff to do their work by minimising social distancing. Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, said people should try to practice "safe distancing at work" if they are required to be in the office, describing it as a "commonsense principle". She said: "We are encouraging our employers to think really carefully about how they can innovate in the way their staff are working and if they do need to be in the office just to spread people around."

A Number 10 spokesman said: Guidance in relation to anybody who fears that they may have symptoms or anybody in their house might have symptoms - they should remain at home. We need people to stay at home as ultimately that will save lives."

The advice from the Government is to raise any concerns about their place of work with managers. Ms Harries said: "If people don't feel safe in their work environment they should always raise those concerns.

"The majority of employers are being really sensible and supportive and there has been huge support for staff and the population in general." Ms Harries said that the Government could "not individually cover every single scenario whether it is in the workplace or in the family. It is back to applying the principles. If individuals can work safely they can keep a distance apart".

The guidance is silent on whether people can leave home to look for a job. However, a Downing Street source said that people should try to look for a job online rather than head outside. The source said that employers should be "flexible wherever possible and be prepared to conduct an interview online, over the phone, or via Skype". The key issue was to adhere to the rule to stay two metres or six feet apart.

The Government's position is that building sites should remain open if workers can stay six feet apart. Fresh guidance was also issued by the Construction Industry Council on Tuesday. Number 10 said on Tuesday that construction sites "should continue where it can happen in a way that follows Public Health England and industry guidance".

A statement read: "We urge employers to use their common sense when managing live projects and ensuring that employees can follow government guidance and practice safe social distancing on site." However there was some confusion, with Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First minister, telling buildingsites to close. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, claimedthat he was "overruled by the Prime Minister who doesn't believe that construction workers should be at home" when he asked to close sites.

Transport for London has cut the number of London Underground trains running through the capital due to staff shortages. However, congestion has been caused by builders heading to work at the same time as health workers and other key workers, as well asfewer trains. One idea could be for building sites to start work later to avoid the early morning overcrowding. Number 10 said Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, pressed Mr Khan - who chairs Transport for London -on the issue of "reduced services on the Tube and its impact on people trying to get to work". Further talks were heldbetween Mr Khan and Grant Shapps, the Transport secretary, to make sure "appropriate timetabling is in place to ensure that it is safe for those who need to get to work because they cannot do this from home",10 Downing Street said.

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Can I go to work? The list of key workers and essential roles, explained - The Telegraph

Dallas-Fort Worths booming office market is being derailed by COVID-19.

Net leasing in the area was down more than 150,000 square feet in the first quarter before the worst of the pandemic hit, according to commercial property firm CBRE. It was the first such quarterly decline in years.

Overall office vacancy in the area rose to almost 21%.

Many office lease deals have been delayed or put on hold because of the coronavirus and shelter-in-place orders in North Texas.

The first-quarter office leasing decline follows a strong year of more than 3.5 million square feet of net leasing in the D-FW area.

But the pandemic and economic slowdown are quashing the office market here and nationwide.

Office leasing has slowed, vacancy is rising and sublease space is expected to come back to the market quickly, CBREs analysts said in a statement. But office properties and office-using employment remain relatively insulated compared to other property types.

More severe impacts will come in markets with a high concentration of oil and gas and travel and leisure jobs, they said.

During the last decade, North Texas has been one of the countrys fastest-growing office building markets, with net leasing totaling more than 30 million square feet.

About 5.4 million square feet of additional office space was under construction in the D-FW area at the end of March in 30 projects. About 30% of the space in the new buildings is already leased, and 80% of the projects underway are speculative developments.

Unlike in other recent quarters, CBRE did not detail any large local office leases in the first three months of 2020. But CBRE senior managing director Blair Oden said some deals are still getting done.

Anything that was on the tracks working toward conclusion for the most part is continuing down that path, Oden said. "Those were deals that were at the goal line, and they didnt have the luxury of waiting.

Anything that was still on the launching pad has probably been put on hold.

Some office tenants with existing leases that are expiring soon may be seeking short-term extensions rather than hunting new office space.

Building owners are more receptive to these deals, Oden said.

Everybodys tone has changed in the last 30 days, he said. If you had gone to the landlord 30 days ago and said youd wanted a one-year extension, you likely would have gotten a no.

Landlords and tenants, everybody, are all in this together.

D-FW areas with the most net leasing in the first quarter included Far North Dallas (326,505 square feet) and LBJ Freeway (94,659 square feet).

But big declines in office absorption in downtown Dallas, Uptown-Turtle Creek and Las Colinas more than offset those first-quarter gains.

Commercial real estate analysts are forecasting net negative office demand in many major U.S. markets this year.

"We are just beginning to see the full extent of disruption from this pandemic, and the second quarter will be very tough for commercial real estate and nearly all other industries, CBREs global chief economist and head of Americas Research Richard Barkham said in a statement. U.S. commercial real estate will need more than a year to get back to full strength.

The real estate recovery will be gradual and will lag the economy.

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D-FWs office market has hit the brakes - The Dallas Morning News

There is not a construction worker in sight at the large apartment development at 2700 W. El Camino Real in Mountain View, after the county ordered the majority of construction come to a stop. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

Up until recently, the Bay Area's construction market was so red-hot that workers were traveling from other states to sate the heavy demand for skilled laborers. But under new restrictions imposed by public health officials, building activity that once peppered the region has abruptly reached a standstill.

In response to the spread of the new coronavirus, public health officers across six Bay Area counties introduced sweeping restrictions last month that banned numerous commercial activities, including some types of construction. Santa Clara County went a step further last week, with further prohibitions quashing most residential and commercial projects at least through the beginning of May.

Active construction sites throughout the region teeming with workers, tractors and heavy machinery have since been forced to "button up" and go dormant, pausing a yearslong surge in development in the Bay Area.

It also means one more sector of the economy with employees out of work.

"The construction economy has been devastated," said David Bini, executive director of the Santa Clara and San Benito Building and Construction Trades Council. "We have about 80% or 90% of our members out of work right now."

Under the March 31 order, only a narrow subset of construction is allowed to continue, including affordable housing projects and market-rate housing projects that include at least 10% affordable units. Public works projects deemed essential for health and safety reasons are also permitted, as are projects that provide temporary housing and shelter space.

Bini said his organization, which is affiliated with 25 labor unions, has been pushing back against the restrictions, arguing that active construction sites are not inherently a public health hazard. With some exceptions, he said more jobs fall within the recommendations on safe social distancing.

The trade council sent a letter to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors with its concerns on March 28, adding that professional boards had not been consulted, only to have the county crack down even harder on building activity three days later.

"It seemed to add insult to injury to have that second order tighten even further on construction," he said.

In the immediate term, Bini said emergency funding at the state and federal level should be enough to support Bay Area construction workers who have been forced to file for unemployment benefits. But the assistance is only a stopgap measure, and won't cover costs in the event that the prohibitions continue for multiple months.

"Most construction workers are sitting at home right now without a paycheck," he said.

What's baffling in the order, Bini said, is that it enumerates several types of construction activities that are exempt and will be allowed to continue under the public health order. Why is it not safe to build market-rate housing, he wondered, if it's safe to build affordable housing?

Another concern is that housing projects that barely penciled out financially before the crisis could wither on the vine because of delays. The cost of construction in the Bay Area -- largely considered the highest in the world and the smaller profit margin on housing projects makes them particularly susceptible to market fluctuations. In other words, entire projects may have to be scrapped.

A monthslong halt on construction definitely wasn't in the plans, said Robert Freed, president and CEO of SummerHill Homes. His company currently has four projects under construction in Mountain View, including a 211-unit project at 2700 W. El Camino Real, along with multiple others in the development pipeline. Freed said that SummerHill is in strong shape financially and will be able to keep all of its projects alive, but it is a "very big bump in the road."

Freed said he is reluctant to criticize public health officers making decisions to safeguard the public during the global pandemic, but that he does feel there is room for contractors to abide by social distancing and other safety precautions. He also found it odd that projects with affordable housing can proceed, while projects that provide in-lieu fees for affordable housing elsewhere must shut down.

Most Mountain View projects halted

As of last month, Mountain View's busy development pipeline reportedly had 24 projects currently under construction. When asked how many of them are permitted to continue and how residents are supposed to know which construction sites are exempt, city staff referred the Voice to a reference guide.

All but one project, the Shorebreeze Apartment complex at 460 N. Shoreline Blvd., appear to be prohibited by the county order. The developer for Shorebreeze, MidPen Housing, did not respond to requests for comment.

Community Development Director Aarti Shrivastava said the city is complying with the county order, and that there may have been ongoing work at construction sites over the last week as contractors finish tasks and ensure projects are safe and secure for the hiatus.

Anyone who believes building activities are continuing in violation of the county health order is asked to contact the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, which reviews and redirects complaints to local police departments for enforcement. As of Monday, the Mountain View Police Department had received 46 complaints from the DA's office for violators, resulting in three citations.

The city of Mountain View, for its part, has dropped almost all of its own municipal construction activity. Public Works Director Dawn Cameron said all but two projects have been suspended until the shelter order has been lifted, the exceptions being the Shoreline sewage pump system project and water and sewer main replacement work along Leong Drive, both of which have been deemed critical for public infrastructure.

Also still brimming with activity this week is a major landscaping operation off of Stevens Creek Trail, due south of Crittenden Lane, where tractors, workers and dozens of trucks outfitted with wood chippers are still busy. A PG&E spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday, April 8, that the location is a parking yard for contractors doing vegetation management work in the area, which is allowed to continue in the interest of public safety.

Caltrain electrification work along the train corridor is also scheduled to continue through the shelter order, with closures at the Castro Street intersection on April 11, April 13 and April 17.

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Local construction, once brimming with activity, grinds to a halt - Mountain View Voice

Kriston Capps

While concerts, gallery exhibits, dance recitals, theater productions, and other events around the District are canceled as part of the citys response to the COVID-19 pandemic, architecture still stands. Looking at buildings might be one of the last physical-distancing-appropriate forms of entertainment in the city. So, heres an architecture review of a building that City Paper missed when it was first finished.

The end of the Civil War unleashed a voracious appetite for consumption in America, and the French were ready to feed it. The progressive architectural style of the Second Empire suited the pent-up demand in the United States, post-calamity, for mansions, museums, theaters, and other bourgeois urban affectations. At the same time that French culture was sweeping American department stores and standing up new museums, British bureaucracy served as a model for rebuilding the nation from its foundations.

The Old Executive Office Building, now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, whose construction was started in 1871, combined French soft power with British hard power. The largest building in Washington by the time it was completed in 1888, it housed the growing Departments of State, War, and the Navy. The Old Executive Office Building marked a shift in Americas ambition to stand shoulder to shoulder with the powers of the Old World. Yet the face of this effortthe Second Empire stylewas doomed to be short lived, and forever linked with corruption.

It expresses a moment in the 1870s when you have a growing idea of the government bureaucracy coupled with a momentary cultural moment of opulence, says Thomas Luebke, secretary of the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, describing the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, whose history he has chronicled in a monograph, Palace of State.

The Old Executive Office Building is not a faithful copy of Second Empire style. For that, look to the Renwick Gallery (designed originally, in 1858, to house the Corcoran Gallery of Art). Instead, the Old Executive Office Building was an extension of American power with the veneer of French sophistication. It was principally designed by Alfred Mullett, the supervising architect of the Treasury Department as of the end of the Civil War. Mullett was a hot-tempered, talented, and despotic figure whose fortunes rose and fell with the wave of Second Empire buildings in America.

In terms of its architecture, the Old Executive Office Building is thick. The buildings stout granite walls were built to withstand an inferno. Its understated detailing arguably takes a back seat to its sturdy construction. Cast iron sculptures and cornices run along the slate mansard roofs, and window frames and interior decorative elements also contribute to its fireproofing. Inside, white marble and black limestone line nearly two miles of hallways. Construction took nearly two decades.

The Old Executive Office Buildings most distinctive featuresits tiered porticos and colonnadesgive it the appearance of a palace. Yet the exterior is nowhere near as fussy as its European counterparts, or even the Renwick Gallery across the street. Paired Doric and Ionic columns emphasize line and order. The buildings restraint perhaps reflects a federal priority on steady craftsmanship over artisanal flourish. The building doesnt lack decadence, however: The Indian Treaty Room, with its bronze scones and gold-leaf ornamentation, is still one of the richest rooms in D.C. Far from dour, the plum-colored mansard roofs and gray-green granite walls give the Old Executive Office Building the look of a wedding cake with sour-cream icing.

The Old Executive Office Building came after the Treasury Department building, a project completed in stages by Mullett and his predecessors, some of whom he antagonized. At one point Mullett called the Treasury an unworthy sham, according to the architectural historian Lawrence Wodehouse. (Decades later, architects tried twice to reclad the building to make it look more like Treasury, but both campaigns failed.) Mullett made a lot of enemies, and his combative style did him few favors.

The StateWarNavy building arguably undid its architect. By the time its construction was underway, Mulletts office was linked to a scandal associated with the so-called Granite Ring, a consortium of quarry companies in Maine that bought off senators in order to rig bids for federal projects. Its not clear that Mullett himself was ever involved with the Granite Ring, but the scandal ultimately consumed him and his successors in office.

The Second Empire style is known as the General [Ulysses S.] Grant style to some, Luebke says. Inevitably, theres some association between that architectural expression and that administration.

Mullett was forced to resign his post under the weight of growing public scrutiny. Out of office, he fought to regain his reputation as well as financial compensation he said he was due for the StateWarNavy building. His trial against the government dragged on for a decade and a half. After he lost his battle in court, in 1890, Mullett took his own life.

By then, the Old Executive Office Building was two years oldand decidedly out of fashion. At the turn of the century, the reputation and standing of this building and other once-trendy projects plummeted; in the 1930s, they were bulldozed left and right. Fewer than half the Second Empire buildings that popped up in Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, New York, and St. Louis during this post-war era survived the Gilded Age.

Behind the stately magnolias that grow in its courtyard, the Old Executive Office Building has come into its own as a fortress of American authority. Up until the current president took over the Old Post Office Building for the Trump International Hotel, there was little competition for the Old Executive Office Building as a symbol for power, luxury, and corruption. In its own day, it was a demonstration of both excess and sobrietyand above all, ambition.

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Old Executive Office Building, Reviewed - Washington City Paper

From left: 66 Hudson Boulevard, 200 Amsterdam Avenue and One Vanderbilt (Credit: Tishman Speyer; 200 Amsterdam; KPF)

A controversial Upper West Side condo tower is one of nearly 900 projects that have secured exemptions from Gov. Andrew Cuomos order shutting down most types of construction throughout the state, according to a map released Friday by the citys Department of Buildings.

Certain work on SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan Americas 200 Amsterdam Avenue which faces potential deconstruction after a judge ruled the 668-foot tower was about 20 stories too high is allowed to continue after the city granted the project essential status.

SJPs tower is one of 402 projects to receive essential status to do emergency work. The majority of site safety work for 200 Amsterdam will be completed today, a spokesperson for the developers said. According to the Department of Buildings, workers at the site are pumping water out of elevator pits to prevent electrical damage.

Other notable projects that can remain active for that reason include SL Greens Midtown East office tower One Vanderbilt and Tishman Speyers twisting office tower at 66 Hudson Boulevard, known as the Spiral.

A representative for SL Green indicated that it received approval to continue work on transit-related spaces and base building life-safety systems at One Vanderbilt. A statement from Tishman Speyer said, Construction work on The Spiral has stopped. We are in the final stages of securing the site and completing all of the tasks mandated by the DOB for stalled projects.

Cuomos construction shutdown to curb the coronavirus pandemic was simply the latest hurdle for the developers of 200 Amsterdam. SJP and Mitsui are still waiting on the courts to decide the 52-story buildings fate after a judge ruled in February that the city erred in letting them build so high. The developers and the de Blasio administration are appealing the decision.

When the state shut down non-essential construction late last month it exempted work for utilities, transit, healthcare and homeless shelters, as well as emergency work and affordable housing. Earlier this week, the Department of Buildings defined emergency work as restoration of utilities services or work that would pose a public danger if left undone.

The city considers residential projects affordable if at least 30 percent of the units are income-restricted or have a mandatory or voluntary inclusionary housing agreement.

According to the buildings agency, construction is continuing on 157 affordable housing projects, including Related Companies 15 Hudson Yards, a 300-unit condo and rental tower building, of which 107 units will be set aside for tenants making between 50 percent and 60 percent of the area median income. Its unclear what work is being done at the project, which opened last year, but the agency approved an application for renovation work to install a new dropped ceiling on a condo unit in the tower Wednesday. There are another 170 affordable projects that are labeled as emergency work on DOBs map as of Friday, where work will be permitted to continue.

Buildings data indicates construction on three homeless shelters is ongoing. Of the essential sites, 262 involve healthcare facilities and 63 utilities.

An unprecedented crisis requires an unprecedented response, Commissioner Melanie La Rocca said in a statement. To help keep New Yorkers safe during these uncertain times, we will be out in force to confirm non-essential sites have been closed down, and essential construction work continues in a safe manner.

Sites that dont comply with the new rules face fines of up to $10,000. The agency has also rescinded permits for after-hours work and will only approve those that are for essential or emergency work.

The state initially exempted all construction but added restrictions after backlash from local officials, workers and workers families. Since the governors order, individual construction workers have contacted The Real Deal to express fear about contracting Covid-19, citing the difficulty in keeping a safe distance from others while working on crowded construction sites.

Some sites have temporarily shut down voluntarily after employees tested positive for the virus.

Sylvia Varnham ORegan contributed reporting.

Write to Kathryn Brenzel at [emailprotected]

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Some luxury condos, office towers escape construction ban - The Real Deal

When Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that he would extend Washingtons stay-at-home order to May 4, he added a comment that will likely serve as the final word on one of the orders most hotly debated aspects: A ban on residential construction.

We made that decision, Inslee said. It stands.

Inslees answer comes as a blow to Clark Countys construction industry, which has joined the statewide industry in calling for residential construction to be designated essential due to the urgent need for affordable housing.

Residential construction contributes $23 million per day to the economy, making the classification of our industrys activities as non-essential even more devastating to our already struggling economy, wrote Avaly Scarpelli, executive director of the Building Industry Association of Clark County, in response to Inslees comment.

When Washingtons stay-at-home order was first announced, it included a number of construction and trade worker specializations on its list of essential workers, which industry groups took as a signal that construction was exempted from the shutdown.

Many job sites kept operating until March 25, when Inslee issued a memo clarifying that certain types of construction projects are essential such as government-related projects or emergency repairs but that all other construction projects, both residential and commercial, must shut down.

During the following week, construction business owners and industry leaders argued that housing is an essential service, citing federal guidance from the Department of Homeland Security that included residential construction on a recommended list of essential services.

The industry also argued that Washingtons construction policy makes it an outlier; most states that have instituted stay-at-home orders have exempted residential construction, including Oregon but so far, Oregons new coronavirus numbers have been relatively encouraging.

Their trends are lower than ours. Everything seems to be lower, said Tracy Doriot, vice president of the Building Industry Association of Washington. Our (construction industry) should be able to operate in a similar fashion with a similar result.

Washington isnt completely alone in its approach. New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan have applied a similar standard, along with smaller jurisdictions within other states such as Boston and the Bay Area counties in California. And while construction work has been allowed to continue in Oregon, the industry hasnt been immune to concerns about the spread of the virus at worksites. According to multiple reports from Portland-area media, Oregons Occupational Health and Safety agency received more than 1,200 coronavirus-related workplace complaints in March, some of which came from the construction industry.

The other big refrain from homebuilders is that the large, outdoor nature of construction sites should allow workers to implement adequate social distancing measures. Some things would need to change, said Patrick Ginn, owner of Vancouver-based homebuilding company Ginn Group plumbing and electrical workers often operate next to each other, for example but the changes wouldnt be any bigger than what other industries have had to do.

It seems like if I can order a Jimmy Johns sandwich, a guy can be working on framing in the open air, Ginn said.

At the Thursday press conference, Inslee said the construction issue was a difficult decision, but he credited it and other tough measures for Washingtons relative success at containing the coronavirus outbreak.

Its working, he said. The things were doing are showing success, and thats what ought to give us confidence that we should continue on this road of not giving up.

Despite Inslees comments, Scarpelli said the Clark County BIA and its state counterpart will continue to advocate for an essential exemption. The Clark County Council added its voice to the mix at its meeting Tuesday by voting 4-1 to sign a letter calling on Inslee to lift the moratorium on residential construction.

This issue with construction, and home construction in particular, is critical not just for our county but our state, Councilor Julie Olson said.

The impact to local builders has been severe; Doriot, who also owns Clark County-based Doriot Construction, said all of his projects have had to come to a complete halt.

The state order does still allow for emergency home construction, but Doriot said many local jurisdictions have passed their own restrictions and its been a challenge to make sure that an emergency project doesnt run afoul of local rules even if it appears to comply with state guidelines.

Ginn Group is the umbrella company that handles both homebuilding and real estate sales through various subsidiaries, and Ginn said the order puts the company in a bind because it does allow real estate sales to continue, subject to social-distancing restrictions.

We have 90 houses under construction that have pending sales on them, he said. Some of (the buyers) have sold their houses and made moving plans.

Many of those buyers face a deadline to move out of their prior houses, Ginn said, and they cant wait around indefinitely for the order to be lifted so their new house can be finished.

As a company, Ginn Group is well-positioned to ride out the shutdown because it also deals in property management, Ginn said, and it has some contracts for work on projects with the city of Vancouver, which would be exempted under the order.

Still, the loss of residential construction is damaging, and the company has been left seeking more guidance about how to handle pending sales, he said.

Washingtons rate of new cases has been slowing down in recent days, and Doriot said he and others in the industry are hoping that success may prompt Inslees office to allow construction to resume before the May 4 cutoff or at the very least, to not extend the shutdown any further.

The industry has succeeded in winning one item: A delay in the implementation of new state building codes to Nov. 1. The updated codes had previously been slated to take effect July 1, and the Building Industry Association of Washington had lobbied Inslee to delay the change in order to allow for adequate training time after the stay-at-home order ends.

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Clark County construction industry urges Inslee to rethink its status - The Columbian

BYNAN K. CHASE

Tick, tick, tick.

The clock is counting down toward the city of Ashevilles self-imposed deadline, adopted in 2018, to have all city operations including municipal buildings powered by renewable energy by the end of 2030. And the citys recent declaration of a climate emergency adds further urgency to the situation. Can we agree that Asheville needs a new City Building before then?

Im the first to admit that my heart skips a beat every time I catch sight of Douglas Ellingtons bold creation (aka City Hall). Its beautiful, unique and it represents the citys Roaring 20s economy (1920s, that is).

But while the iconic building is an instantly recognizable symbol of Asheville, a look at the facts reveals it as a dinosaur when it comes to technology and use of space. Its heating system, modernized last year at a cost of nearly $800,000, runs on natural gas, which doesnt count as renewable. We have not assessed the cost of conversion to electric, says Walter Ear, the citys capital projects building construction program manager.

When the historic structure was dedicated in 1928, its terra cotta tiles were touted as providing a watertight, practical and enduring roof. But time took its toll: In 2015, the city spent $3.8 million to replace portions of the vintage roofing and drainage systems that were beyond repair, according to a certificate of appropriateness for rehabilitation; the lengthy process included tuck-pointing all masonry joints.

Is it any wonder that form failed to follow function? Ellington designed the building in 24 hours or less, according to a nomination form for its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and only minor changes were made before construction began. The floor plan, the nomination states, was typical of many office buildings of the 1920s. Rectangular offices occur at the perimeter of each floor. Most of the remaining central space is filled by a large service core which contains public elevators and an enclosed maintenance stairway.

The original three elevators, which have open gratings and require city-paid operators, are scheduled to be replaced over the next two years, according to Ear. The cost is unknown, since the design work isnt due to be finalized till this fall. And the buildings magnificent front doors have been rejiggered with a glassed-in antechamber whose wind tunnel aerodynamics merit a warning sign.

According to Ear, the building contains over 95,500 square feet of space. But only about 60,000 square feet of that is actual office or meeting space (plus the room allocated for security screening). What was described as a monumental Council chamber in 1928 is inadequate now; large public hearings are often held elsewhere or spill over into other rooms.

Meanwhile, is it even worth talking about retrofitting this fossil with up-to-date communications technology and renewable energy infrastructure? According to the recently posted 126-page final report laying out pathways for Ashevilles transition to 100 percent renewable energy, the city wont be able to reach its goal in time without purchasing renewable energy credits as substitutes for direct renewable power generation, but public input rated that option the lowest of various choices. Relying solely on solar panels for municipal buildings wont work: Asheville would need 960 rooftop solar systems or 73 acres of land for power generation, and according to Ear, the City Building is a poor candidate for rooftop solar.

So whats the city to do? What other cities and counties do all the time: build new facilities and either repurpose existing structures, sell them or tear them down.

Ashevilles previous city hall lasted all of 34 years before being razed. Kannapolis, N.C., population 50,000, built a 106,000-square-foot city hall in 2015 for $28 million; Concord, population 92,000, opened a new $17 million city hall in 2016.

Booming, high-tech Raleigh has become a leader in energy efficiency, requiring new municipal buildings over 10,000 square feet to meet at least LEED Silver standards and to maximize sustainability concerns when renovating existing structures. The city has also taken steps to incorporate geothermal and solar power, occupancy sensors and LED lighting into municipal buildings.

Farther afield, Greensburg, Kan., a dying farm town that was blown off the map by a tornado in 2007, has a new lease on life. The entire town is being rebuilt as a model green city powered by wind, solar and sensible daylighting design. The new town hall is breathtaking. Columbus, Ind., internationally known for its architectural excellence, built a stunning new city hall back in 1981; the original 1895 civic building, listed on the National Register in 1979, was renovated in 1986 and later converted into a mix of loft apartments and offices.

Asheville could do something similar, using cutting-edge materials such as superinsulation and solar-generating glass sheathing, concrete and brick. By all means keep Ellingtons tower intact, but either sell it or lease it. As long as its not part of municipal operations, the city can declare victory and move on.

Symbolism matters, too. The City Building went up at the end of Ashevilles horse-and-buggy era: Antibiotics hadnt been invented yet, women had only recently won the vote, and Jim Crow reigned. At the buildings dedication ceremony, the musical selections included Dixie, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis got a shoutout. Does that really represent todays Asheville?

Ellington himself praised the broad outlook of the officials who had the project in charge for allowing him to entertain a fresh point of view. And 92 years later, Asheville should once again look to the future with a fresh point of view, instead of remaining anchored to its past. After all, innovation is renewable energy.

Nan K. Chase is the author of Lost Restaurants of Asheville and Asheville: A History. She previously served on the Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County.

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It's time to replace Asheville's City Hall - Mountain Xpress

A powerful combination of natural resources and local initiative is pushing one southern state to the forefront of architectural innovation in the country. In Arkansas, a place thats far from the professions traditional epicenters in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, big things are happening.

In Bentonville, Wheeler Kearns Architects just repurposed a defunct Kraft cheese factory into The Momentary, the contemporary offshoot of the Moshe Safdiedesigned Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Over two hundred miles south in Little Rock, Studio Gang and SCAPE Landscape Architecture are working together to renovate and extend the Arkansas Arts Center, a 104-year-old cultural institution attached to MacArthur Park. Construction on the 127,000-square-foot project broke ground last fall. At the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, a massive research complex, the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation is slated to come online in 2022 courtesy of Grafton Architects, and last year the school finished the countrys largest mass timber building, Adohi Hall, a 202,027-square-foot dormitory designed by a team led by Leers Weinzapfel Associates.

Grafton Architects proposal for the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation demonstrates the design and structural potential of timber. (Courtesy University of Arkansas/Grafton Architects)

Topographically, Arkansas varies widely from its forested and rocky northwest corner to the eastern wetlands that follow the Mississippi River. Fifty-six percent of the state is covered in forestland. From the mountainous Ozarks region in the northwest to the deep-soil Delta in the southeast, the states diverse wood basket supplies yield high-quality forest products, along with 27,000 jobs in paper production and wood-related manufacturing. According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, some of the states largest employers include Georgia-Pacific, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Weyerhaeuser, and WestRock Corporation, each owning at least two manufacturing facilities or more within the borders of Arkansas.

The timber industry is one of the states biggest economic drivers. The Walton family, a.k.a. the founders of Walmart, Inc., is another. The Walton Family Foundation has made it its mission to develop high-design public buildings and community gathering spaces for the states Benton and Washington counties, home of Fayetteville, Springdale, and Bentonville. Since Walmart made the latter its home base in 1971, its required all collaborators and retailers to set up shop in the area as well, thereby forcefully growing the population of the city year after year.

Adohi Hall is a two-million-square-foot structure constructed primarily of CLT at the University of Arkansas. (Timothy Hursley)

The ripple effects of Walmarts investment are already being felt around the state. While Adohi Hall might hold the title of Americas biggest mass timber building now, Genslers design for Walmarts new timber-structured Home Office in nearby Bentonville will surpass it with 2.5 million square feet of mid-rise office space and amenity buildings. Canadian manufacturer Structurlam announced in December that it had bought an existing building in Conway, Arkansas, for $90 million and will retrofit it into a mass timber facility so that it can, in part, supply Walmart with the 1.1 million cubic feet of timber products needed for the project.

Hardy Wentzel, CEO of Structurlam, said that latching onto a large-scale construction project at the start of a new site investment is a dream come true. It really helped solidify our desire to move to Arkansas in our first U.S. expansion. I wanted to anchor my investment with a large contract and Walmart was the perfect opportunity.

An aerial rendering of the new 300-acre Walmart campus. (Courtesy Walmart Inc.)

Structurlam isnt the only timber manufacturer expanding into the state. Texas CLT recently reopened a defunct laminating mill in the southwest city of Magnolia where it produces CLT products from southern pine and Douglas fir.

Walmart, however, doesnt compete with hardly anyoneespecially in Arkansas. For the last six years since 2015, the Foundation has utilized its burgeoning Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program to get major firms working to reshape the region such as Ross Barney Architects and de Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop. Other firms slated to do future work include Architecture Research Office, Deborah Berke Partners, MASS Design Group, Trahan Architects, and Michael Van Valkenburgh Architects.

Last summer, LTL Architects completed an early childhood education center in Bentonville and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects was chosen to create a 50-acre cultural arts corridor in Fayetteville. The latter project will thread through downtown near the citys recently-opened performing arts center, TheatreSquared, designed by Marvel Architects.

When asked about her first impression of Arkansas and the Design Excellence Programs work to fabricate these places with consistent new construction, Lissa So, founding partner of Marvel, said the initiative, which seeks to preserve a sense of place by encouraging quality design of public spaces, according its website, doesnt feel contrived. Arkansas feels like home to me, So told AN. I grew up in Upstate New York and I love the close-knit community and emphasis on connecting with nature.

So sees the 50,0000-square-foot TheatreSquaredwhich has attracted much buzz since opening in Augustas part of a cultural renaissance in Northwest Arkansas. The project embodies Fayettevilles desire to develop its arts-related offerings and get more people interested in downtown. In 2006, it adopted a citywide master plan with zoning updates and street enhancements that enabled these goals.

The Studio Gang-designed Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. (Courtesy Studio Gang)

Arkansas thinks of itself as the epicenter of arts between Chicago and Miami and if you look around, it feels that way, said Jonathan Marvel, principal of Marvel Architects. When it comes to building the city of Fayetteville itself, theres a significant amount of attention and pride devoted to craftsmanship and ownership here.

The local design community is also rife with regional pride and uses the states abundant resources like timber and stone to build structures that speak to local designers mission-driven ambition, according to Chris Baribeau. Baribeau is the design principal and cofounder of modus studioone of the teams behind the $79 million Adohi Hall and the universitys new corrugated aluminum Sculpture Studio. Much of the firms work involves designing K-12 schools for Arkansas rural communities, which fulfills its bent toward helping underserved populations.

Theres a real opportunity here to do something thats meaningful, he said. We can prove that our approach to design and construction is actually for the betterment of people, not just about making beautiful objects or celebrating ourselves. Theres certainly a strong contingent of architects in Arkansas that believe in that ethos and work hard to make a difference here.

To many young architects like Baribeau, Marlon Blackwell is at the heart of this approach to design. Blackwell has worked in Arkansas since 1992 and is the most recent recipient of the American Institute of Architects highest honor, the 2020 AIA Gold Medal. If anyone has observed and influenced the changes that Arkansas has experienced in the last 30 years, its him. His eponymous firms seminal projects, such as the Keenan TowerHouse, completed in 2000, and the St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church, finished just over a decade later, shaped what became a new vernacular in Arkansas, one thats continually broken down preconceived notions of what buildings look like in the American South.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. (Timothy Hursley)

To bridge the gap of recognition that the state deserves, Blackwell, like other area firms, promotes projects from other practices and preaches about the culture of working in the region. Many of us are standing on the shoulders of great native architects like E. Fay Jones and Warren Dennis Segraves, he said, but the difference between our work and theirs is that we are now taking on the public realm. There are many younger firms out there willing to fight the good fight and push progressive thinking on major civic projects. Its a continual battle, but much of our recent success has also come from an enlightened clientele.

Whether its the university or the Walton family providing opportunity in Northwest Arkansas or arts organizations, the public school system, or business development districts looking to invest in the states southern half, projects are aplenty. As part of the architectural profession, Blackwell said, its his responsibility to demonstrate that every one of those opportunities deserves good design.

Our mission is to provide alternative models that change the benchmark of reality for folks here, he added. The more examples you can point to, the more reality is improved.

Take the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, the focus of a design competition facilitated by the University of Arkansas. Timber is a dominant focus of study at the universitys Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, where students get to work with a cast of high-profile professors like Blackwell, who shares his passion for sustainable materials, and Stephen Luoni, who directs the award-winning University of Arkansas Community Design Center. Since Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School, came to Fayetteville from St. Louis in 2014, hes been working to deepen the schools timber research program. A major part of this is the Timberlands Center, which will expand the universitys ability to undertake research projects, MacKeith said. The school already operates out of its longtime home Vol Walker Hall and the Marlon Blackwell Architectsdesigned Steven L. Anderson Design Center.

Exterior rendering of Grafton Architects winning proposal for the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation. (Courtesy University of Arkansas/Grafton Architects)

So much of what were doing across the school is emphasizing the relationship of thinking to making and the ambitions of our students have become larger in scale, tools, and techniques, MacKeith said. Weve outgrown the capacities of what we can do in our existing building.

In mid-March, Grafton Architects, led by 2020 Pritzker Prize winners Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, won an international competition for the Timberlands Center, besting 68 other entries and five other shortlisted firms: WT/GO Architecture, Dorte Mandrup A/S, Shigeru Ban Architects, Kennedy & Violich Architecture, and Lever Architecture. The competition was partially funded by grants from the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.

To MacKeith, the momentum that the university has built over the last five years is due in part, because Arkansas is a small state and the schools reach of influence extends all the way to the top.

We saw an opportunity where design education could be a benefit to the states greatest natural resource and my approach has been to make sure that the governor, the state legislature, as well as investors, and people at companies in Arkansas, understand that we can be part of the forest ecosystem, he said. Generally speaking, our students are quite concerned about the world they are going to be practicing in and living in and they want to be able to act responsibly. As a public land grant university, thats why we work so much with people outside the corners of our campus.

Interior rendering of Grafton Architects winning proposal for the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation. (Courtesy University of Arkansas/Grafton Architects)

Its this open-minded ambition that is pushing a distinctive architectural agenda in the state. Chris Baribeau added that theres an undertone of respect across Arkansas for the critical thinking and people-first attitude that local architects are bringing to projects, though he acknowledged that its taking some work to get that same respect on a national stage. Arkansas is speaking up.

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Innovation in Arkansas shouldn't be overlooked - The Architect's Newspaper