(PRWEB) January 31, 2014

At World of Modular 2014, the modular building industrys largest convention, industry leaders will focus on Multifamily Housing, Green Building, Market Trends, Innovation and more. More than 600 developers, contractors, architects, builders, dealers and equipment/service suppliers are expected at the event, slated for March 21-24 in San Antonio, Texas, and hosted by the Modular Building Institute.

In the multifamily market, Tom Faraone with Banker Steel will discuss the B2 modular residential tower at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, New York the worlds tallest modular building. Banker Steel is fabricating the steel chassis for the mixed-rate modular apartment units in this innovative facility being developed by Forest City Ratner Companies and Skanska.

Another New York City apartment building, The Stack, is on the lineup. John Erb of Deluxe Building Systems will discuss this market rate seven-story Manhattan residential facility.

Sustainable design will be highlighted in additional multifamily case studies. Architect Tim McDonald with Onion Flats, a unique development/design/build collective in Philadelphia, will explain how builders can deliver not just net-zero, but beautiful and inspiring buildings during his talk, Net-Zero Modular Construction.

Leading commercial Passivhaus design builder Adam Cohen of Passiv Science will examine Market-Rate Passivhaus Construction: Myth or Reality? Having compiled an impressive set of accomplishments, including the largest commercial modular Passivhaus project, and the first public school, university student center, dentist office, church, commercial kitchen and college dorm, Cohen will discuss potential opportunities and challenges for modular builders and end-users alike.

Other commercial housing presentations will include San Antonios 21-Story Modular Hotel: A Modern Marvel Almost 50 Years Later, Bill Roberts, Zachry Corporation, and Feasibility Study: LEED Certification for Mining Camps, Paulo Correa Labarca, Correa3.

To put modular construction in a larger context, several speakers will discuss market trends and globalization. Sage Policy Group Economist Anirban Basu will offer a Market Forecast. Ethan Cowles of FMI Corporation will examine Market Drivers and Trends in Modularization and Prefabrication, focusing on how modular construction will play an increasingly vital role in improving the productivity of the entire construction value chain. Jim Dunn and Evan Gould from Stack Modular will present on Opportunities and Challenges of Globalized Manufacturing.

On the innovation front, keynote Troy Hazard, a television host and entrepreneur, will talk about Embracing Innovation & Evolution. Paul Bonaccorsi of Intelligent Offsite will discuss the growing use of pods by traditional general contractors who are incorporating this offsite phenomenon into what would otherwise be a 100 percent site-built project. Rob LaCosta from PCL Constructors will present on Automation in Modular Construction. Chris Giattina from Blox will discuss Harvesting Manufacturing Productivity into Design & Construction.

Find out more about the other industry experts speaking at World of Modular and why it is a must-attend event for anyone interested in networking with industry leaders and learning about the speed, efficiency and sustainability of the modular process.

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Multifamily Housing, Green Building, Market Trends, Innovation to be Prime Topics at MBIs World of Modular

Garbage, graffiti, and expired building permits are only the beginning of a long list of hazards bothering neighbors of the Ennis Francis II building on 123rd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.

The 15-story building was intended to provide new homes for residents of the dilapidated Ennis Francis low-rise apartment complex. But Ennis Francis II is sitting unfinished, with no indication as to when construction will resume.

Both buildings are funded by the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a nonprofit real estate development branch of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church. The corporations financial problems, detailed in a Village Voice article from April 2013, stopped construction of Ennis Francis II in April, but an ADC spokesperson reaffirmed as recently as November that construction on the building would resume and finish on schedule.

Although the sign on the scaffolding advertises a January 2014 completion date, the site remains boarded up.

The tenants of the Ennis Francis housing were promised homes in the new building, but with construction halted, they remain situated in what they describe as nearly unlivable conditions.

Ennis Francis tenants Brenda Brown and Jessica Hughes said they have to boil water and keep their ovens on since heaters in the building are ineffective.

Sometimes we cant even open the windows because its a brick of ice, Brown said.

Brown added that she has to cover her belongings with plastic bags or pile them in the corners of the room to protect them from the rainwater that leaks into her closets. Her closet doors are broken, her apartment has mold, and shes seen cockroaches and dry rot in the bathroom.

The toilets, bath, and shower from Browns unit leak into Hughes apartment downstairs, where the mold is so bad that Hughes must keep the windows open in all temperatures because her daughter has asthma.

Hughes said that nonresidents also hang out in the building at all hours of the day and night.

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In dilapidated housing complex, tenants await construction on new building

Garbage, graffiti, and expired building permits are only the beginning of a long list of hazards bothering neighbors of the Ennis Francis II building on 123rd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.

The 15-story building was intended to provide new homes for residents of the dilapidated Ennis Francis low-rise apartment complex. But Ennis Francis II is sitting unfinished, with no indication as to when construction will resume.

Both buildings are funded by the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a nonprofit real estate development branch of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church. The corporations financial problems, detailed in a Village Voice article from April 2013, stopped construction of Ennis Francis II in April, but an ADC spokesperson reaffirmed as recently as November that construction on the building would resume and finish on schedule.

Although the sign on the scaffolding advertises a January 2014 completion date, the site remains boarded up.

The tenants of the Ennis Francis housing were promised homes in the new building, but with construction halted, they remain situated in what they describe as nearly unlivable conditions.

Ennis Francis tenants Brenda Brown and Jessica Hughes said they have to boil water and keep their ovens on since heaters in the building are ineffective.

Sometimes we cant even open the windows because its a brick of ice, Brown said.

Brown added that she has to cover her belongings with plastic bags or pile them in the corners of the room to protect them from the rainwater that leaks into her closets. Her closet doors are broken, her apartment has mold, and shes seen cockroaches and dry rot in the bathroom.

The toilets, bath, and shower from Browns unit leak into Hughes apartment downstairs, where the mold is so bad that Hughes must keep the windows open in all temperatures because her daughter has asthma.

Hughes said that nonresidents also hang out in the building at all hours of the day and night.

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Living in dilapidated Ennis Francis complex, housing tenants await construction on second building

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 | 6:12 p.m. CST; updated 11:16 p.m. CST, Wednesday, January 29, 2014

COLUMBIA Instead of a restaurant named after an Italian city, Cory Hodapp will soon own a new downtown apartment building named after his grandmother.

Hodapp, the owner of the downtown plot where The Rome used to be, named his new project, Lofts at Beals on 9th, after his grandmother, who died in 2012.

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The four-story mixed-use building will have two commercial units, one apartment on the ground floor and 13 more apartments on the other floors, according to the website.

The building will have apartments with one to four bedrooms and monthly rents between $600 and $800. One apartment has already been leased, according to the website.

Hodapp launched the website last week to begin leasing the 13 new apartments at 114 S. Ninth St., where construction started in mid-December.

He doesn't plan on opening any more locations.

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Apartments to be built on Ninth Street at former Rome location

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Newswise RICHLAND, Wash. China can build its way to a more energy efficient future one house, apartment and retail store at a time by improving the rules regulating these structures, according to a study by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

PNNL scientists at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a partnership with the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., have created a unique model that projects how much energy can be saved with changes to China's building energy codes.

Already home to almost one-fifth the world's population, China is not only growing, but rapidly developing. And it's consuming more energy along the way. Reducing energy consumption through building codes is a win-win for China and the rest of the world, by reducing fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions while still promoting economic growth and energy security.

The study focused on realistic improvements to codes that regulate building aspects like insulation and lighting. Improvements to these codes could reduce building energy consumption by up to 22 percent by the end of this century, compared to a no-change scenario, the researchers found.

"A 22-percent cut is a large change in China's trajectory," said Meredydd Evans, the PNNL scientist who managed the project. "More energy could be saved with additional standards and policies, but this study shows that a distinct set of codes can have great impact."

Findings from the study were published in Energy Policy.

Before foundations, buildings start with codes

Since China implemented its first building energy codes in the 1980s, the country has expressed a commitment to reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through improved codes, Evans said. In fact, China's codes are not radically different than those in the U.S., though significant gaps remains, she said.

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Modeling Buildings by the Millions: Building Codes in China Tested for Energy Savings

Home construction is occurring at a rapid pace in towns a short driving distance from Red Deer, with residential building permits in high demand at Blackfalds, Penhold and Sylvan Lake.

Hammers are swinging particularly fast in Blackfalds, where the town approved $65.8 million worth of residential construction last year, up from $45.5 million in 2012.

Right from the beginning it was strong, said planning and development manager Terry Topolnitsky.

And this year doesnt look like its slowing down.

Staff in Topolnitskys department approved a record $75.6 million in construction last year. That surpassed the previous high of $72 million, set in 2012 when the $17.3-million Abbey Master Builder Centre hit the books.

Last year was driven primarily by the housing market, said Topolnitsky, including $51.3 million for single-family dwellings and $7.9 million for townhouses.

Really, all we had was small commercial, and then in industrial we had the $6-million My Garage World project, he said, referring to a garage-storage bay complex being developed in town.

Blackfalds has become a popular destination for many home-buyers, added Topolnitsky, suggesting that the towns rapid growth should further enhance its appeal.

With the new Abbey Centre opening up, that will bring more people in too.

South of Red Deer, the Town of Penhold churned out building permits for $13.8 million worth of housing in 2013.

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Residential permits driving construction

A plan for 12-story luxury apartment building in the Central West End moved ahead Monday by earning two favorable votes from the citys Preservation Board.

Opus Development Co. wants to construct the building at the northeast corner of Lindell Boulevard and Euclid Avenue.

After about an hour of discussion over various design and parking issues, the board by unanimous voice vote approved the $61.5 million project, subject to further design review. The board also approved demolition of the sites existing building.

The board is involved because the site is in a city historic district.

Opus has designed a building of 217 apartments, ground floor retail space and three parking levels two underground and one on the second floor.

The Preservation Board deferred a vote on the proposal at its meeting in December to give Opus more time to discuss the project with Central West End residents. As a result, Opus changed the planned buildings exterior in an effort to satisfy neighborhood concerns.

The project still requires approval from various city panels but Joe Downs, senior director of Opus, said after the Preservation Board meeting he hopes construction will begin this year.

Tim Bryant covers commercial real estate, development and other business stories for the Post-Dispatch. He blogs at Building Blocks, the Post-Dispatch development blog.

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Central West End apartment project moves ahead

Photo by: Heather Coit/The News-Gazette

The expanded portion of Kraft's building at 710 N. Mattis Ave is seen in Champaign on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014.

Last year proved a strong one for construction in the Champaign-Urbana area, with the two cities issuing building permits for $170 million of work.

That was a 12 percent bump-up from 2012, when the two cities gave the go-ahead to $152 million in projects.

Champaign had the lion's share of the work last year, with $140 million in projects, compared with Urbana's $30 million.

Champaign's figures were boosted by two immense jobs the $22.4 million Hyatt Place hotel at Church and Neil streets downtown and the $16.6 million warehouse for Kraft Foods Group on North Mattis Avenue.

In 2012, the city issued permits for $114 million worth of work.

Urbana's totals for 2013 were lower than those of 2012, when the city had $38 million in projects. Last year's projects included a lot of commercial remodeling, said John Schneider, the city's building safety division manager.

Already, 2014 is shaping up as a promising year for construction.

Larry Happ, building safety supervisor for the Champaign Fire Department, said he can foresee $125 million in construction in 2014, just from five projects in the works. Those include:

Originally posted here:
Building momentum

When the housing industry collapsed six years ago, that implosion slammed the door hard on what had been a vigorous multifamily construction development business in the South Sound and across the country.

In Tacoma, Auburn, Kent and other cities, construction halted abruptly midproject.

But now, little by little, that door to multifamily development is reopening. The projects, predominantly condominiums before the recession hit, have in most cases been recast as apartments, and developers and the banks that are backing them are moving forward. Their commitment this time is more cautious because they remain concerned that the hollow construction boom could be re-created.

In Tacoma alone, nearly 800 new apartment units are near groundbreaking with as many as 1,200 more in the planning stages. In Auburn, two projects are moving forward on vacant land near that citys commuter rail station. And in downtown Kent, a mixed-use development under construction has reached the fifth floor near that citys station.

Most of the planned projects will have retail components on their first floors. At Point Ruston, one mixed-use structure will be built over a multiscreen theater. On the Foss Waterway, the first floor of The Henry apartments will include retail and restaurant space.

In many cases, new projects are being built or planned on the rubble of projects that failed during the recession.

Many of those sites still sport their basic appeal despite the fact that the original projects were stillborn half a decade ago.

DEMAND, MONEY FLOWING

Whats behind the resurrection of residential construction?

Developers have several answers.

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Apartment revival: Multifamily housing market cautiously coming back

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Steve Kinderman

Construction continued in December on a new building for JAMF Software.

CHIPPEWA FALLS New home construction was up in Chippewa Falls in 2013, with a noticeable increase in single-family and multi-family dwellings. Altogether, 29 new houses, duplexes or apartment complexes were constructed in the city.

City building inspector Paul Lasiewicz released his annual report last week, which shows the city issued permits for 13 new multi-family dwellings in 2013, including two 12-unit complexes and five eight-unit complexes.

In comparison, there were no multi-family complexes constructed in the city in 2011 and eight were built in 2012.

Additionally, 10 new single-family homes were constructed in the city in 2013, at a combined cost of $1.35 million. That total also is up from recent years, when there were only four single-family homes built in 2011 and six new homes constructed in 2012.

Six duplexes were built in 2013, up from two in 2012 and none in 2011.

The total permits issued were relatively flat, increasing just two, from 302 permits in 2012 to 304 last year. However, the building permit fees collected by the city jumped from $78,859 in 2012 to $91,996.

The total revenue collected by the city inspectors office including building, electrical, heating and plumbing permits jumped from $128,069 in 2012 to $146,198.

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Year-end permits strong for Eau Claire