Designed as free-standing buildings, Commercial Building plans accommodate various businesses and other groups. This collection of commercial building plans includes designs that have one or more levels. Most are designed to accommodate more than one business or tenant. Commercial building plans are available in a range of sizes, styles and design. Smaller designs may provide one or two units, storefronts, or offices while the larger designs encompass office buildings and floor plans that can accommodate a number of tenants. Strip Malls and Miscellaneous Commercial plans are related to Commercial Building plans.

Commercial buildings are built to satisfy a variety of needs ranging from medical offices and retail outlets to small businesses. With some commercial building plans, each unit within the structure offers its own entrance while others share a common entrance used by all tenants. From small businesses to commercial chains in need of satellite offices or medical professionals with their own practice, these commercial building plans accommodate a broad range of business needs.

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Commercial Buildings & Commercial Building Plans The House ...

London's 'Walkie-Talkie.' Photo:Garry Knight/Creative Commons

September 03, 2015 | Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor

The curved, glass tower at 20 Fenchurch Street in London has been known to reflect intense heat o...

The Hills at Vallco. Renderings courtesy Sand Hill Property Co. (via San Jose Mercury News)

August 27, 2015 | Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor

The new owners of the mall in Cupertino, Calif., intend totransformthe outdated shopping mall i...

The explosive demand for tech office space in and around metropolitan areas has led to creative redevelopment opportunities for Building Teams. The Playa Jefferson complex in Playa Vista, Calif., remade a series of nondescript, low-rise office buildings into state-of-the-art tech space for mature and startup companies.Photo: Benny Chan Fotoworks, courtesy Gensler

August 26, 2015 | David Barista, Editorial Director

In the race for highly coveted tech companies and startups, cities, institutions, and developers...

Photo:Phil Whitehouse/Creative Commons

August 25, 2015 | JLL

Millennials have been the driving force behind thegrowth in renovation constructionprojects sin...

By turning furniture into downloadable templates, offices can be in charge of sourcing and manufacturing their own products. Screengrab of opendesk.cc/designs

August 24, 2015 | Adilla Menayang, Assistant Digital Editor

Offices can download their furniture to be made locally, anywhere.

Cincinnati Federated Building,Derek Jensen/Wikimedia Commons

August 24, 2015 | John Caulfield, Senior Editor

The latest CBRE survey, covering the first half of the year, finds retail and hotel sectors exper...

The tower is being constructed in an 18-block master plan developed by Harwood International. Renderings courtesyKengo Kuma Architects

August 12, 2015 | Adilla Menayang, Assistant Digital Editor

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designs tower with gradually rotating floor plates for Rolex's new...

The $160 million renovation of the 620,000-sf, 18-story Byron G. Rogers Federal Building and Courthouse in downtown Denver. HOK was the architect on the project, with Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects (architect of record), RMH Group (MEP), Rocky Mountain Institute (high-performance building consultant), and Mortenson Construction (design-builder). Photo: HOK

August 07, 2015 | John Caulfield, Senior Editor

AEC firms that do government work say their public-sector clients have been going smaller to save...

The LEED Gold Tidewater Community College/City of Virginia Beach (Va.) Joint-Use Library. The Building Team: Carrier Johnson + CULTURE (design architect), RRMM Architects (AOR), Anderson Brul Architects (interior design), Stroud, Pence and Associates (SE), C. Allan Bamforth, Jr. (CE), Pace Collaborative (MEP), In Sites (landscape architect), and Gilbane Building Co. (CMAR). Photo: Jeff Goldberg / ESTO

August 06, 2015 | Robert Cassidy, Executive Editor

Today, the green building movement is all about eliminating toxic substances in building material...

Photo:midnightcomm/Wikimedia Commons

August 06, 2015 | Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor

Women wear lighter clothing in the summer, so they tend to be cooler in air-conditioned rooms, ac...

Crane installation at the 181 Fremont office/condo mixed-use project in San Francisco. Immediately adjacent to the new Transbay Transit Center and elevated park, the 70-story high-rise will become the city's second tallest building when completed in June 2016. Photo courtesy Level 10 Construction

August 05, 2015 | BD+C Staff

Turner, Structure Tone, and Gilbane top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office sector cont...

Exposed ductwork typifies the high-tech nature of the 30 floors of DirectTVs 690,000-sf Los Angeles campus. The Building Team: JLL (PM), AECOM (architect/interiors), Nabih Youssef Associates (SE), ARC Engineering (MEP), KGM Architectural Lighting, and Clune Construction (GC). Photo: Robb Williamson, courtesy AECOM

August 05, 2015 | BD+C Staff

AECOM, Jacobs, and Burns & McDonnell head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office secto...

KSS Architects led the Building Team of Harrison Hamnett (SE), Rock Brook Consulting Group (MEP/FP), Corsi Associates (kitchen consultant), and Bar & Bar (GC) on the new 225,000-sf Burlington Stores corporate HQ in Burlington, N.J. The facility features open and collaborative offices, conference space, a fitness center, a caf, a multipurpose training area, and an outdoor lunch area. PHOTO: HALKIN | MASON PHOTOGRAPHY

August 05, 2015 | BD+C Staff

Gensler, HOK, and Perkins+Will top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office sector architect...

Lifestyle micro kitchen at Motorola Mobilitys headquarters, Chicago. The Building Team: CBRE (owners rep); Gensler (architect); Klein and Hoffman (SE); Environmental Systems Design (MEP); CD+M Lighting Design Group; Wiss, Janney, Elstner (historical engineer); and Skender Construction (GC). Photo: @Eric Laignel

August 05, 2015 | John Caulfield, Senior Editor

Office market AEC Giants discuss the latest trends workplace design, and the state of the office...

A single-storyglass building will house the tech giant's new visitor center. Renderings courtesy Foster + Partners

July 31, 2015 | BD+C Staff

A glass-walled single-story building alongside the main office building in Cupertino, Calif., wil...

Renderings courtesy SHoP Architects

July 29, 2015 | John Caulfield, Senior Editor

The developer/owner, Carr Properties, envisions a 1-million-sf plus mixed-use center with a large...

July 29, 2015 | AIA

Despite the adverse weather conditions that curtailed design and construction activity in the fir...

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith

July 23, 2015 | John Caulfield, Senior Editor

Most of the building and buying is happening within the citys limits.

The architects designed the tower's taperedbase to be a public meeting space, "a symbol of the citys development and as a social node that nurtures an active streetlife in the district." Renderings courtesy Morphosis Architects

July 20, 2015 | BD+C Staff

The tower will anchor a new business district being planned, similar to the glass and concrete bu...

The new structure will be part of a new mixed-use campus on Philadelphias historic Navy Yard. Renderings courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group + Luxigon.

July 15, 2015 | BD+C Staff

Ground has broken for 1200 Interpid, a 94,000-sf office building designed by BIG that appears to...

Residents of the Porte de Versailles neighborhood, in Paris 15tharrondissement where the tower is proposed, claim the tower will overshadow them. Renderings courtesyHerzog & de Meuron

July 13, 2015 | BD+C Staff

The 590-foot glass pyramid building will include a 120-room hotel, 754,000 sf of office space, an...

Renderings courtesyBjarke Ingels Group

July 07, 2015 | BD+C Staff

Several levels in the center of the 185-meter tower are shifted outward to allow for terraces wit...

One World Trade Center was namedthe winner of the Best Tall Buildings category for the Americas.Image: SOM/CTBUH

June 23, 2015 | BD+C Staff

One World Trade Center and Abu Dhabi's Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower are among the four towersn...

The architect wanted the buildings to look as if they were cut out of a single block. Renderings courtesy Daniel Libeskind

June 17, 2015 | BD+C Staff

The scheme will drastically change the Eternal Citys skyline: three angular towers that look lik...

Colliers Internationals2015 North America Office Market report assessed92 markets in the U.S. and Canada.Image: Pixabay

June 12, 2015 | John Caulfield, Senior Editor

Colliers International projects continued expansion this year in its quarterly report on national...

TreexOffice is a pop-up office space lcoated in the heart of Hackney in London.Image: Tate Harmer LLP

June 11, 2015 | BD+C Staff

London's Hackney borough welcomed a new kind of workspace to Hoxton Squarethe TreexOffice.

Photo: PopBrixton.org

June 10, 2015 | BD+C Staff

London's newest business complex, Pop Brixton, will support local entrepreneurs, create jobs, and...

The tower's design takes cue from its existing neighbors. Renderings courtesyBIG

June 09, 2015 | BD+C Staff

The towering "staircase" willrisefrom St. Pauls chapel to the skyline, leaning against One Wor...

The 1144 Fifteenth tower will stand between Arapahoe and Lawrence streets, on the edge of historic Larimer Square. Renderings: Hines

June 09, 2015 | BD+C Staff

Designed by Pickard Chilton, the 640,000-sf tower is geared for large-scale tenants, with feature...

The office will be located in the trendy Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. Renderings courtesySHoP Architects and Studio O+A

June 01, 2015 | BD+C Staff

The planinvolves two glass buildings connected with criss-crossing bridges.

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Office Building Design | Building Design + Construction

Record-Size Complex Underway

Sustainable, Affordable Housing Rising in Brooklyn

Construction is on schedule for a multifamily project in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville area of Brooklyn.

Atlantic Avenue Residence, designed by Dattner Architects of New York City, will be three, four-story buildings and contain 41 units of one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums. Each will feature Energy Star appliances and lighting fixtures as well as energy efficient windows to save an estimated 30% on utility bills for the owners, predicted developer and owner Habitat for Humanity-NYC.

The building will have high-efficiency boilers and landscaping with drought-resistant plants and permeable paving. It will also use non-toxic and sustainable construction materials. The 53,000-sq-ft building is registered for LEED certification.

This will be the largest multi-family project built by Habitat for Humanity-NYC in the world, said Josh Lockwood, executive director of Habitat for Humanity-NYC. It will also be our greenest building in New York.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development sold the land to Habitat for Humanity NYC for $13 in May 2007. The $13 million project is being financed by a $7.3 million construction loan from Citibank, as well as $1.64 million from the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation through the Housing Partnership Development Corporation (the financing partner of the project), $400,000 from the Brooklyn Borough Presidents Office, $820,000 from the Independence Community Foundation, $5.5 million in sales revenues and other donations and gifts.

As a bonus, real estate brokers from around New York City have formed Brokers Build, a fundraising coalition attempting to underwrite some of the affordable homes. They have been out there pounding the pavement, fundraising for us, said Lockwood. So far theyve raised over $100,000.

General contractor Vertical Construction of Long Island City began work on Atlantic Avenue Residence in September 2007 and will allow new owners to move in during 2009. To qualify, owners must earn between 45% and 80% of the areas median income ($35,450 to $56,700 for a family of four) and each adult must put in at least 300 hours of work to help build the homes. All must be first-time, low-income homebuyers.

We are bringing home buyers to an area where the majority is renting, said Lockwood. At Habitat, we want to make a real community development impact.

The condominiums in Ocean Hill Brownville are part of the NYC Housing Partnership Development Corporations ongoing effort to construct affordable housing. The New York State Affordable Housing Corporation recently approved $3.125 million in grants to the partnership to build 89 new homes in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Computer Firm Builds Sustainable HQ Upstate

Construction on a LEED-certified office building for Stafford Associates Computer Specialists, Inc in East Setauket, New York is currently underway.

The project is a new 30,000-sq-ft headquarters facility, housing two floors and a basement on a 3.7 acre parcel on Bennets Road.

It is the first green building project for construction managers TRITEC Building Company, who has been working with the design team of Peter Carradonna LEED Architect, Robert A.W. Heins Architect, EMTEC Consulting Engineers and Avitz Engineering.

To date, the most challenging aspect for the team has been the green paperwork. Documentation is tremendous, said Ken Abrami, vice president of Operations for TRITEC. You lose flexibility of making modifications and now we recognize that any potential change can have an impact on the green product.

The sustainable features will include onsite water stores tanks for roof runoff to utilize water for irrigation, green landscaping, insulated wall panels with six-inch foam installation, geothermal for heating and cooling systems and elevations have been constructed for day lighting, explained Abrami. The project team is also sorting through the debris to mitigate removal impact and using local lumber in construction.

TRITEC has been concentrating its efforts on assuring that all project componentsfrom design team to agency approvals to documentation trackinghave been complied with to allow compliance with certification procedures, while focusing on and maintaining project budget and cost, said Martin DePasquale, vice president of Preconstruction Services for TRITEC.

A treed lot occupied the site before construction of the new office building. As part of the local historical society requirement, the project team will also restore the existing historical house on the plot, as a separate part of the project, said Abrami.

The $7.4 million project broke ground in December 2007 and is slated for completion in October or November 2008.

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New York Construction News | Building News

Design Cost Data, published since 1958, is the industry resource for buildings and their actual cost to build. DCD maintains a massive database of hundreds of different types of buildings and costs, cost factors, and other valuable information. This database is the DCD Archives.

Following are cost analysis by building type using the project data in the DCD Archives. Buildings were grouped by size, floors, and construction materials and averaged to determine a square foot cost by location. The costs do not include architectural or engineering fees.

The DCD Archives is available anytime to DCD Subscribers. DCD Subscribers have full access to the project database and factors for cost estimating, costing project scenarios, answering, how much? and more. View an online demo of how the DCD Archives works.

November/December 2013 Issue

DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Analysis Office Building (Shell Only) LEED Platinum In this issue's sq.ft. cost analysis we look at a new office building certified LEED Platinum. The office is 24,084 square feet and two floors. The project is based on the projects featured in the DCD Archives online at DCD.COM.

September/October 2013 Issue

DCD Square Foot Cost Analysis Pre-Engineered Building Elementary School In this issues' sq.ft. cost analysis we look at a new elementary school pursuing LEED certification. The school is 88,000 square feet and one floor. The school is constructed utilizing a pre-engineered building with CMU and brick exterior and metal roof. This guide provides DCD readers a quick comparison of building construction costs on similar size projects.

May/June 2013 Issue

DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Analysis Fire Station Communities are continuing to update and construct new fire stations to serve their citizens. In this analysis we look at one 8,700 square foot, 1-floor (no basement), new fire station with a masonry exterior and a metal roof. The project is based on the projects featured in the DCD Archives online at DCD.COM.

March/April 2013 Issue

DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Analysis New Hospital The outlook is strong for health care construction due to the constant aging of our population. In this building cost analysis we look at the cost of a 4-floor, 234,000 square foot new hospital with EIFS/Brick exterior and a membrane roof. This analysis is based on an average of hospitals featured in the DCD Archives.

January/February 2013 Issue

DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Analysis Tilt-Up Construction This issue's cost analysis looks at tilt-up construction. Concrete and the total project SF cost are shown for educational, civic, commercial, medical and religious projects. A brief description of the project including total square footage and floors is noted for each project.

November/December 2012 Issue

DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Analysis Sustainable Housing The projects highlighted here show a variety of environmentally friendly home building methods along with their different ratings attained from NAHB, LEED and Energy Star and their projected cost to build across the nation.

September/October 2012 Issue

DCD Square Foot Cost Analysis Metal Exterior & Roof The Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual new construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide provides DCD readers a quick comparison of building construction costs on similar size projects.

July/August 2012 Issue

Large Renovation, Cost Per Square Foot Regional Analysis This cost analysis is based on project OF090324 found in the DCD Archives on DCD.COM. The project is a 6-story, 121,750 square foot building with a failed exterior surface and an ineffective mechanical system in addition to other renovation needs.

May/June 2012 Issue

The DCD Fire House Cost Per Square Foot Regional Analysis The Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual medical new construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide will provide DCD readers a quick comparison of building construction costs on similar size projects.

March/April 2012 Issue

The DCD Educational Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis The Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual new construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide will provide DCD readers a quick comparison of building construction costs on similar size projects. The cost per square foot reflects common design features throughout the U.S. and does not include architectural and engineering fees. All projects were escalated to April 2012 and then to select cities that are present on each case study data page featured in DCD.

January/February 2012 Issue

The DCD Square Foot Cost Analysis for Concrete Buildings DCD highlights different types of Tilt-Up and Precast Concrete projects. The cost per square foot does not include architectural and engineering fees. All projects were escalated to February 2012 and then to selected cities. These projects are housed in the DCD Archives at DCD.COM. The DCD Archives include over 1,400 projects as published in DCD for cost modeling. For more information or to subscribe to DCD login at http://www.dcdarchives.com.

November/December 2011 Issue

DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Analysis Sustainable Housing The projects highlighted here show a variety of environmentally friendly home building methods along with their different ratings attained from NAHB, LEED and Energy Star and their projected cost to build across the nation.

September/October 2011 Issue

DCD Square Foot Cost Analysis Metal Exterior & Roof The Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual new construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide provides DCD readers a quick comparison of building construction costs on similar size projects.

July/August 2011 Issue

The DCD Industrial Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis The Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual new industrial construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide will provide DCD readers a quick comparison of industrial building construction costs on similar size projects.

May/June 2011 Issue

The DCD Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis The Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual medical new construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide will provide DCD readers a quick comparison of building construction costs on similar size projects.

March/April 2011 Issue

The DCD Medical Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis The Medical Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis is compiled from actual medical new construction projects published by Design Cost Data magazine. This guide will provide DCD readers a quick comparison of medical building construction costs on similar size projects.

January/February 2011 Issue

The DCD Educational Cost Per Square Foot Analysis This cost per square foot analysis reflects a masonry exterior with common design features throughout the U.S. and does not include architectural and engineering fees or furnishing and equipment costs. All projects were escalated to February 2011 and then to select cities that are present on each case study data page featured in DCD.

Read more:
The DCD Building Cost Per Square Foot Analysis | Construction ...

Architecture and Construction Delivery Process

Overview

The U.S. General Services Administration, through its Public Buildings Service (PBS), manages projects for the housing of almost a million Federal employees. Projects involve renovations, restorations, and modernizations, as well as the construction of new buildings. PBS delivers its construction program througheleven regions,managing projects within its geographic boundaries. GSA headquarters in Washington, DC, establishes programming, design, and construction standards and guidelines for the regions, and provides technical backup when needed.

Both headquarters and regionalstaffs support otherGSA offices in assessing federal facility needs and guiding project development and execution. These preliminary steps, such as site selection, prospectus development, and obtaining Congressional authorization and funding can span several years. Project delivery by the regional offices begins with site acquisition and initiating architect-engineer (A-E) design and construction management (CM) services, which are procured in the elevenregional offices. The regional offices manage all design, construction, and build out. This project management ends only after all needs of the new tenants have been met and the facility is occupied and functioning.

This delivery Process is part of GSA's Design Excellence & Construction Excellence Programs, designed to provide taxpayers with outstanding and cost-effective federal buildings.

Contracting opportunities to participate in the design and construction process for these major federal projects are available to all companies based in the United States and its territories.

The Process

Shown here is a step-by-step explanation of the Design and Construction Delivery Process for major projects. Project development andexecution steps follow this overview.

Community Planning

Updated annually by the Office of Portfolio Management in support of a rolling 5-year planning effort, Community Plans are established by each regional office to identify a preferred course to meet future federal space needs in all major metropolitan areas. Building Engineering Reports are developed for existing buildings to establish future space building repair needs.

Prospectus Development Study (PDS)

Planned future projects are selected from the Community Plans for further development. The PDS incorporates data and findings from the Community Plan, the Building Engineering Report (if a modernization project), and other preliminary planning studies. After thorough examination of requirements and options, GSA makes informed decisions about approval and funding requests to Congress for proposed projects. The results are better prospectuses with more accurate and realistic scope requirements, implementation strategies, and cost estimates.

Project Authorization

Proposed projects cannot proceed into execution until:

GSA'sHeadquarters compares cost estimates to benchmarks and makes an investment decision; the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reviews each prospectus as part of GSA's budget request; and Congress authorizes projects and appropriates project funds as part of the federal budget cycle.

Project Management

GSAoffices offer centralized responsibility and accountability and start-to-finish management of each project.Project managers drive the delivery process, helping to achieve faster decision making and day-to-day leadership of the project team. The project team is composed of the architect-engineer, the construction manager, GSA client/tenant groups, Property Development professionals, and otherprogram offices.

Project Development

Community Plan and Building Evaluation Define client/tenant space requirements

2. Site Selection Conduct preliminary site evaluation

Perform preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment(s)

Select preferred site

3. Prospectus Development Study (PDS) Define project scope/implementation plan/budget

Develop preliminary concept design

Prepare Project Management Plan

4. Approval and Funding Regions submit project PDS to GSAHeadquarters for budget

Benchmark cost assessment

Effect project selection

prepare prospectus for Congressional submittal

Obtain GSA and OMB approvals

Obtain Congressional approval of the prospectus and appropriation of funds

Project Execution

5. Pre-Design Activity Finalize Environmental Impact Assessment

Acquire Site

Update Project Management Plan

Regional Offices advertise in Commerce Business Daily (CBD) for A/E, CM & other professional services if required

Make selection of professional A/E services consultants using Design Excellence (if appropriate), negotiate fees

Begin design work

6. Design, Review, and Approval Perform value engineering

Conduct GSA owner's review with client/tenants

Conduct code/standards/constructibility review

Finalize and present design concept for new buildings to GSAHeadquarters for approval

Prepare final construction documents

Verify that project estimate is within budget

7. Pre-Construction Activity

Complete swing space relocations of existing tenants (if required)

Obtain Congressional construction authorization and appropriations (if not previously obtained)

Prepare site (demolition/clearing) (if required)

Advertise for construction in the CBD

Award construction contract(s)

8. Construction

Construct building and site improvements

Arrange for utilities and other primary services

Control cost growth

Provide integrated occupancy services (telecommunications, furniture, moves)

Prepare for occupancy

Arrange for building turnover to property manager

Continued here:
Design and Construction Delivery Process

At The Korte Company, weve delivered Design-Build healthcare construction for just about as long as weve been in business. More than 50 years in fact. What's more, the first Design-Build project we delivered was actually a long-term healthcare facility. So we've been handling healthcare construction since day one.

Since that medical facility construction project, weve continued to deliver hospital construction that balances the needs of our clients with the needs of the patients.

Our healthcare Design-Build approach is based on current medical building research and offers a holistic response that promotes the healing process through integrated and innovative technology and patient well-being. From healing gardens to high-tech research labs, our diverse range of healthcare construction expertise has helped solidify our position as a leader in medical facility and hospital construction.

Today, hospitals, urgent care clinics and health clinics are much different than they were when we started in 1958. Processes have been improved, flow has been studied, overall patient experience has been thoroughly examined. Today, it's all about evidence-based design. And it should be.

From treatment methods and patient processesto the actual design of clinics, hospitals and ambulatory care centers we've made it a point to keep up with the times.

When it comes to our healthcare buildings, we work to put our clients in the best possible position for success.Whether you're hiring us forhealthcare facilities planning, evidence-based design or integrated healthcare Design-Build, we find the smartest way to get the job done. That means bringing every element of design and construction together to provide solutions for cost, schedule and constructibility. And it means delivering facilities that improve quality of life for patients and make life easier for care providers.

We believe that by building smart, we can truly make the world a healthier place to live. We're proud of that mission. And we live it every day.

Contact us to learn more about modern hospital and healthcare construction.

In our guide to managing healthcare construction projects, we highlight the 14 steps of an efficient build and show you how to realize the best value from a project. Fill out the form below to download the guide.

Originally posted here:
Healthcare Construction | The Korte Company

The James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main United States Postal Service building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Formerly the General Post Office Building, it was officially renamed in 1982 as a monument and testament to the political career of the nation's 53rd Postmaster General.

The Farley Post Office is home to "Operation Santa", made famous in the classic film Miracle on 34th Street (1947), and it is the inspiration for the post office in Terry Pratchett's novel Going Postal (2004), with its "Glom of nit" legend.

The Farley Building consists of the old general post office building and its western annex. The Farley building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and occupies two full city blocks, an 8-acre (32,000m2) footprint straddling the tracks of the Northeast Corridor and the Farley Corridor (sub-district B)[2] in western Midtown Manhattan. The building fronts on the west side of Eighth Avenue, across from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden. It is located at 421 Eighth Avenue, between 31st Street and 33rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan.

The Farley Post Office once held the distinction of being the only Post Office in New York City open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But in 2009, due to the economic downturn, its windows began to close at 10:00 p.m.[3]

The James A. Farley Building was constructed in two stages. The original monumental front half was built in 1912 and opened for postal business in 1914; the building was doubled in 1934 by the then Postmaster General, James A. Farley, and replaced the 1869-80 Post Office at Park Row and Broadway. Postmaster General Farley's historical association to the landmark is due to this expansion. Farley's building supply firm, the General Builders Supply Corporation, had received a federal contract under the Hoover Administration to provide building materials for the construction of the Post Office Annex. The General Builders Corporation supplied building materials toward the construction of such landmarks as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the United Nations Headquarters. Farley was accused by then Senator Huey Long of Louisiana of receiving preferential treatment from the Roosevelt Administration, a charge that later proved to be false, as Farley would be cleared by the Senate of any wrongdoing in what would be known as "The Long-Farley Affair of 1935".[4][5]

Where the landmark backs up to Ninth Avenue: along the side streets, McKim, Mead, and White's range, which continues its Corinthian giant order as pilasters between the window bays, was simply repeated in order to carry the facade to Ninth Avenue. The original building was one of the last built under the Tarsney Act. Up until 1893, all federal non-military structures were designed by in-house government architects in the Office of the Supervising Architect in the United States Treasury Department. The 1893 act introduced by a Missouri Congressman permitted the Supervisory Architect to pick private architects following a competition. Supervisory architect James Knox Taylor picked McKim for the New York post office. In 1913, the act was repealed partially in light of a scandal in which Taylor had picked his former Minnesota partner Cass Gilbert to design the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House.[6]

The monumental facade on Eighth Avenue was conceived as a Corinthian colonnade braced at the end by two pavilions. The imposing design was meant to match in strength the colonnade of Pennsylvania Station (McKim, Mead, and White, 1910) that originally faced it across the avenue. An unbroken flight of steps the full length of the colonnade provides access, for the main floor devoted to customer services is above a functional basement level that rises out of a dry moat giving light and air to workspaces below. Each of the square end pavilions is capped with a low saucer dome, expressed on the exterior as a low stepped pyramid. Inside, the visitor finds an unbroken vista down a long gallery that parallels the colonnaded front. The north end of the gallery houses a small Museum of Postal History.

The building prominently bears the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, which is frequently mistaken as the official motto of the United States Postal Service. It was actually supplied by William Mitchell Kendall of the firm of McKim, Mead & White, the architects who designed the Farley Building and the original Pennsylvania Station in the same Beaux-Arts style. The sentence is taken from Herodotus' Histories (Book 8, Ch. 98) and describes the faithful service of the Persian system of mounted postal messengers under Xerxes I of Persia. The U.S.P.S. does not actually have an official motto or creed, but nonetheless the inscription on the building is often cited as such. The inscription was carved by Ira Schnapp, who later designed the Action Comics logo and many other iconic logos for DC Comics.[7]

Upon opening in 1914, it was named the Pennsylvania Terminal. In July 1918, the building was renamed the General Post Office Building, and in 1982, was dedicated as the James A. Farley Building. (97th Congress, H.Res. 368 3/2/1982). James Farley was the nation's 53rd Postmaster General and served from 1933 to 1940. He was also the supreme democratic party boss of New York State[8] at the time, was responsible for Franklin D. Roosevelt's rise to the Presidency,[9] and is the first Roman Catholic politician in American history to have crossover appeal as a candidate for the office of the Presidency of the United States of America. Farley (a native New Yorker) was instrumental in the political careers of Alfred E. Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt (having served as campaign manager to both). Farley was a Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States in 1940 and opposed the F.D.R. third term.

The building was designated a New York City Landmark in 1966.

The Farley Building was instrumental to maintaining service levels in the New York City area following the September 11 attacks, when it served as a backup to operations for the Church Street Station Post Office located across the street from the World Trade Center complex. Advances in automated mail processing technology, coupled with adjustments to postal distribution and transportation networks, now make it feasible to absorb associated mail volumes at the Morgan Center.[clarification needed]

The Farley post office stopped 24-hour service beginning on May 9, 2009, due to decreasing mail traffic.[10] Effective May 9, 2009, the new hours at the James A. Farley Main Post Office are: Mon Fri: 7 a.m. 10 p.m., Saturday: 9a.m. 9 p.m., and Sunday: 11 a.m. 7 p.m. There is no window service on federal holidays, but the building is open and self-service kiosks are accessible.

Portions of the landmark James Farley Post Office are being adaptively reused and converted to house a new concourse for Amtrak. The Amtrak facility within the historic Farley Post Office will be named the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Station. Beyond retail lobby services, other postal operations that would remain in the building will include Express Mail, mail delivery, truck platforms, and a stamp depository. Administrative offices for the Postal Service's New York District will also be headquartered within Farley, and Operation Santa Claus will remain at the landmark post office.[citation needed]

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Steps Method 1 of 7: Overview for Assessing Construction Type

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Classification: Frame construction is ISO Class 1. ISO Class 1 encompasses IBC Type VA and IBC Type VB. Regardless of whether the IBC classification is A (protected) or B (unprotected) the ISO Class is 1.

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Classification: Joisted Masonry construction is ISO Class 2. ISO Class 2 encompasses IBC Type IIIA and IBC Type IIIB. Regardless of whether the IBC classification is A (protected) or B (unprotected) the ISO Class is 2. IBC Type IV is Heavy Timber construction and is considered ISO Class 2. The reason is that the heavy timbers perform well and do not fail early in a fire.

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Classification: Light Noncombustible construction is ISO Class 3. ISO Class 3 encompasses IBC Type IIB (unprotected).

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Classification: Masonry Noncombustible construction is ISO Class 4. ISO Class 4 encompasses IBC Type Type IIA (protected).

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Classification: Modified Fire Resistive construction is ISO Class 5. ISO Class 5 encompasses IBC Type IB.

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Classification: Fire Resistive construction is ISO Class 6. ISO Class 6 encompasses IBC Type IA.

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Both pre- and post tensioned concrete units have steel cables installed in the concrete to provide tensile strength. With pre stressed concrete units, builders pull the cables tight before pouring the concrete and release them as the concrete cures. With post tensioned concrete units, builders pull one end of the cable tight after pouring the concrete.

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The first congressional office buildings were constructed immediately after the turn of the century to relieve overcrowding in the U.S. Capitol Building. Previously, members who wanted office space had to rent quarters or borrow space in committee rooms. In March 1901 plans were drawn for fireproof office buildings adjacent to the Capitol Grounds. In March 1903, the acquisition of sites and construction of the buildings were authorized. In April 1904, the prominent New York architectural firm of Carrre and Hastings was retained. Thomas Hastings took charge of the House Office Building project, while John Carrre oversaw the construction of an almost identical office building (now named the Russell Senate Office Building) for the Senate. Their Beaux Arts designs were restrained complements to the Capitol.

Architecturally, their elevations are divided into a rusticated base and a colonnade with an entablature and balustrade. The colonnades with 34 Doric columns that face the Capitol are echoed by pilasters on the sides of the buildings. Both buildings are faced with marble and limestone; the Russell Building's base and terrace are gray granite. Modern for their time, they included such facilities as forced-air ventilation systems, steam heat, individual lavatories with hot and cold running water and ice water, telephones, and electricity. Both are connected to the Capitol by underground passages. Originally there were 397 offices and 14 committee rooms in the Cannon Building; the 1932 remodeling resulted in 85 two- or three-room suites, 10 single rooms and 23 committee rooms.

Each member of the House of Representatives was given a single, relatively modest room to use as an office. It was only 15 feet wide, 23 feet long, and furnished with a roll top desk, chairs, a wardrobe, and filing cabinets. Modern in every respect, the offices were also outfitted with telephones, lavatories (supplying hot, cold, and ice water), steam heat, and forced-air ventilation. Members of the House also had use of the building's bathing rooms, barber shop, telegraph office, restaurant and cafe.

Of special architectural interest is the rotunda. Eighteen Corinthian columns support an entablature and a coffered dome, whose glazed oculus floods the rotunda with natural light. Twin marble staircases lead from the rotunda to an imposing Caucus Room, which features Corinthian pilasters, a full entablature, and a richly detailed ceiling. The Cannon Building was occupied during the 60th Congress on December 12, 1908. By 1913, however, the House had outgrown the available office space, and 51 rooms were added to the original structure by raising the roof and constructing a fifth floor. In 1962, the building was named for former Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon.

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PAC-VAN'S AWARD WINNING MODULAR TEAM

A proud member of the Modular Building Institute (MBI), Pac-Van's modular experts make up an award-winning modular team. Since 2001, MBI has awarded Pac-Van modular buildings five Best of Show and numerous Awards of Distinction. Judges consider architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness energy efficiency and number of days to complete when they evaluate projects for award consideration. In the March 2015 MBI annual award ceremony, Pac-Van took home a first place Award of Distinction in the Greatest Renovation category for the great work that our Cincinnati team did on the University of Cincinnati- Wilson Auditorium project.

Some examples of some of Pac-Van's past modular work includes: classrooms, administrative office space, nurseries, workforce housing, on-site construction offices, banks, retail stores, fitness centers, fine dining restaurants, worship space, auto dealerships, in-plant offices, guard houses, bulletproof security booths, shower and change facilities, golf pro shops, press boxes, club houses, locker rooms, fitness centers, correctional facilities, emergency shelters, mobile command centers, medical offices, surgical clinics, imaging centers, veterinary clinics and research suites.

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Modular Buildings - Pac-Van