On the outside, the building that Design Innovation Architects, Inc. resides in looks like you've stepped back in time.

The inside still retains the steel beams and brick walls from 1910. And though some of the office space is modernized, it still has that historic charm.

This is what DIA does restore and renovate.

DIA, a company that has been around since 1989, has done this to many buildings in the Downtown Knoxville area including the Phoenix Building, 29 Market Square and the Patrick Sullivan's Building.

President of DIA and UT graduate, Faris Eid, said historic preservation is crucial to a city like Knoxville.

"You always notice that there's something special about the historic character of buildings," Eid said. "Those are the ones that define what a city looks like."

Restoring the buildings has its challenges, Eid said, but no two buildings are alike in their restoration. Over the years, many of Knoxville's historic buildings have been renovated. They've had pieces torn off, added on and built into them.

"So the magic is how do we restore while preserving the historical components," Eid said.

One of the first things in the construction process is ridding the buildings of the unwanted, non-historical additions. DIA also looks at archival photos of the buildings original design and tries to stay true to the original concept of the building, while still making it functional for modern day use. On occasion, DIA is able to reach out to the namesakes of a building and get floor plans.

The DIA team tries to save the majority of downtown Knoxville's old historic buildings,by stabilizing and coming up with creative ways to keep the buildings standing.

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Company restores, renovates historic buildings | Arts & Culture

Troy

A crane lifted drywall into the historic Quackenbush building on Tuesday, as workers were busy transforming the four-story structure into a high-tech workshop and office space.

Construction crews are working toward a June ribbon-cutting at the Third Street building, which will house the Tech Valley Center of Gravity and several other private tenants, building owner David Bryce said during a tour.

The 55,000-square-foot building, which had been vacant for more than a dozen years, is about 80 percent leased, Bryce said, pointing out the 1850s-era cast-iron columns from the building's beginning as Quackenbush Department Store.

Bryce said workers found a portrait of store founder Gerrit Van Schaick Quackenbush tucked inside a wall of a 1930s addition to the building, likely done as the store was being changed over to W.T. Grant. He said he has had the portrait restored at Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass.

Another oddity surfaced during the renovation, Bryce said a U.S. flag with 39 stars, a version that never became an official flag. The banner was created by some flag makers in 1889 who gambled that the Dakota territory now the states of North and South Dakota would be admitted to the U.S. as a single state. That gamble failed: The territory was divided in two, and Montana, Washington and Idaho were granted statehood at the same time. Such flags are now collectors' items.

For all its history, the venerable building which Bryce said was the first steel-framed structure in the state north of Manhattan at the time is being reborn from its Victorian heyday as a 21st-century technology hub.

The building became, after it was a W.T. Grant store, a Rite Aid drugstore. But it has been vacant since 2001.

As workers put up framing for interior walls, Bryce showed off floors being rewired to carry high-speed Internet connections.

Views from the upper floors, which now have insulated 10-foot glass windows, are dramatic and look out on downtown, the Hudson River and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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June reopening possible for revived Quackenbush building in Troy

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

An aged state building on prime real estate just a block away from the State Capitol that's been vacant for 12 years is finally getting renovated.

The Princess Victoria Kamamalu Building, at the corner of King and Richards streets, was built in 1957 and needed renovations in 2003 when 300 state employees moved out.

It's been empty so long a tree has grown in front of its main sign and another tree has sprouted on the roof.

"I think we've been working to get this building up and operational for over 12 years and we're excited to finally start construction," said Doug Murdock, the state comptroller who is director of the state's Department of Accounting and General Services, which oversees state facilities and purchasing.

In 2005, the state set aside $12.6 million for renovations to the building but when it discovered pervasive asbestos and deteriorated building systems, repair estimates more than doubled.

Removal of asbestos, as well as old air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems cost about $1.4 million.

"The original funding that we had was good for removing asbestos and doing some other remediation work that we had to do to turn it into an empty shell as it is now," Murdock said.

But during the recession, the project languished without the money to complete it while the state explored selling or swapping the property.

"We've just within the past few years, gotten the full funding to rebuild the entire building," Murdock said.

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EXCLUSIVE: State office building vacant for 12 years finally getting fixed

Construction Time Lapse -- JAMF Software Office in Eau Claire, WI
When JAMF Software, creator of enterprise management software for the Apple platform, decided to establish a new office building in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, it turned to Ayres Associates for...

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Construction Time Lapse -- JAMF Software Office in Eau Claire, WI - Video

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Three workers have been killed and a fourth was injured when the scaffolding on a high-rise building site collapsed in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Three construction workers were killed and another seriously injured late Monday morning when an exterior lift system tore from the side of an office building under construction in downtown Raleigh in North Carolina.

A witness, LeRoy Kelley, said workers were dismantling a "mast climber" on the 11-storey Charter Square building on Fayetteville Street when the elevator-like system collapsed, sending a mobile scaffolding platform to the ground.

Kelley, of Raleigh, was working with concrete under the scaffolding when he heard a popping sound and someone shouting "Run!" As he ran beneath the building, he heard an enormous crash.

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Three workers killed in scaffolding collapse in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. Three construction workers were killed and another seriously injured late Monday morning when an exterior lift system tore from the side of an office building under construction in downtown Raleigh.

A witness, LeRoy Kelley, said workers were dismantling a "mast climber" on the 11-story Charter Square building on Fayetteville Street when the elevator-like system collapsed, sending a mobile scaffolding platform to the ground.

Kelley, of Raleigh, was working with concrete under the scaffolding when he heard a popping sound and someone shouting "Run!" As he ran beneath the building, he heard an enormous crash.

Kelley said one worker was in a portable toilet that was crushed by the falling platform. Kelley had just exited the restroom, holding the door open for the next man just moments before the collapse, he said.

Authorities identified the dead workers as Jose Erasmo Hernandez, 41, of Durham; Jose Luis Lopez-Ramirez, 33, of Clinton; and Anderson Almeida, 33, of Durham. The injured worker, who was taken to WakeMed, was Elmer Guevara, 53. Authorities said they were not sure where Guevara lives.

A person who called 911 indicated that some of the workers were aboard the platform when it fell, according to a recording of the call.

Raleigh-based Dominion Realty Partners is developing the 243,000-square-foot building. Choate Construction is the general contractor.

Mike Hampton, Choate's chief operating officer, said a subcontractor, Associated Scaffolding, was in the process of dismantling the mast climbers, which transport crews and materials to different positions on a building's facade.

"Today was the day they were supposed to start dismantling them," Hampton said from Atlanta. "That process had begun. We don't know what happened, but it occurred in the process of dismantling the climbers."

"That's what they do," Hampton said of Associated Scaffolding, which has offices in Durham and Raleigh. "It wasn't a glass company that was doing scaffolding. ... They're a very large company, very well-versed, with a good track record."

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Raleigh scaffolding collapse kills 3 construction workers

RALEIGH, N.C. Three construction workers were killed and another seriously injured when a frame that supported a scaffolding system on the outside of a downtown office building collapsed Monday morning.

A witness, LeRoy Kelley, said workers were dismantling the scaffolding frame on the 11-story Charter Square building on Fayetteville Street and were descending the side of the building when something went wrong. Kelley thought at least four workers were on the scaffolding when it hit the ground.

Kelley, of Raleigh, was under the scaffolding doing concrete work when he heard a popping sound and someone shout, "Run!" As he did, he heard an enormous crash.

Kelley said he thought another worker was in a portable toilet that was crushed by the falling platform.

Authorities have not released the names of the dead and injured workers. The injured worker was taken to WakeMed Health & Hospitals.

Wake County EMS spokesman Jeff Hammerstein said authorities don't yet know where the workers were at the time of the accident.

"We don't know where they were or what they were doing," Hammerstein said.

The accident happened shortly before 11 a.m. Police blocked access around Charter Square, which is being built across from the Marriott City Center hotel. Dozens of construction workers were evacuated from the building and were standing on the lawn in front of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts a block south.

A support structure of the scaffolding system failed at the fifth floor and fell into the performing arts center parking lot across Lenoir Street. A piece of the frame pierced the glass wall of the building at the fifth floor and was sticking out of the building.

Raleigh-based Dominion Realty Partners is developing the 243,000-square-foot building. Choate Construction is the general contractor.

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3 construction workers killed in accident at downtown Raleigh building

BUILDING PERMITS

PMT2014-04140 4545 Broadway; $412,000.00; Boulder HVP; NCB LLC; restoration/repair of flood damaged storage buildings. Scope to include tear-off and re-roof of seven buildings (with exception of building D-1). Overhead storage doors will be replaced as needed. New drywall will be hung in office building. Buildings will be assessed for further scope of repairs to be addressed under future permits. This permit addresses no electrical scope and addresses no scope of work on building D-1 (to be addressed under separate permit). Proposal does not breach 'substantial improvement' threshold.

PMT2014-05184 550 Iris Ave.; $650,000.00; Natasha Melton; Buildwell LLC; construction of new detached single-family residence with finished basement, four bedrooms with main level office/fifth bedroom, four baths, associated electrical, mechanical and plumbing work. Detached garage by separate permit PMT2014-05185.

PMT2014-05185 550 Iris Ave.; $50,000.00; Natasha Melton; Buildwell LLC; new detached two-car garage with associated electrical work. Accessory to single-family residence proposed in PMT2014-05184.

PMT2014-05408 2208 Holyoke Drive; $556,000.00; Robert McGowan and Valerie McGowan; Elton R. Construction LLC; addition and remodel to single-family dwelling. Scope of work to include an addition to the rear of house for expanded kitchen, dining and living rooms, and addition of enlarged attached two-car garage with master suite above garage. Scope also includes a net increase of two bathrooms, a total of four reconfigured bedrooms, two attached decks, and associated MEP's.

PMT2014-05583 3015 Kalmia Ave.; $380,000.00; Lauren Kolb; Scott Woodworking; remodel and addition to landmarked structure. Remodel area 1,314 square feet, first floor addition (1,021 square feet), second floor addition (468 square feet); scope of work includes breezeway (84 square feet) connecting house to garage, covered patio, (104 square feet), and repair of existing front porch (116 square feet) Detached garage under separate permit. Reference HIS2013-00219 and ADR2014-00176.

PMT2014-05603 3015 Kalmia Ave.; $20,000.00; Lauren Kolb; Scott Woodworking; new detached garage (483 square feet) connected to primary residence with breezeway, which is under separate permit. Reference HIS2013-00219, ADR2014-00176, and PMT2014-05583

PMT2014-05627 1445 Moss Rock Place; $850,000.00; Graham Hampson and Kristin Hampson; Skycastle Homes LLC; remodel and roof rebuild project. Scope of work includes demolition/removal of 67 square feet of the top floor (currently over height limit) and second floor roof lifted 18 inches maximum (within height limit) for a total roof structure replacement of 759 square feet. Interior remodel work (1,071 square feet) to primarily include reconfiguring interior walls (structural and non-structural) on second and third floors for new layout stucco finishes included. Scope of work includes associated MEPs, including plumbing fixture replacement, relocation and new forced-air furnace, hot water heater, comfort cooling, new gas fireplace, pre-wiring for future PV system, and electrical panel upgrade. Further work includes site grading; drainage. Repair/replacement of existing wooden retaining wall under separate permit.

PMT2015-00164 4138 Amber St.; $49,500.00; Lindsey Sharp and Robert Sharp; Apex Builders Inc; second story addition above a portion on an existing single-family dwelling detached dwelling. Addition will contain master suite.

PMT2015-00784 3876 Wonderland Hill Ave.; $60,000.00; Michael Procopio and Sharon Procopio; Jeff Becker Construction Inc.; interior remodel (173 square feet) to single-family dwelling to address CPL2015-00164. Scope of work includes one new window, replacement of one window on the first story, and second story reconfiguration to create one larger office, and a bedroom closet reconfiguration. Associated plumbing (removal of existing vanity to replace with one sink) and electrical (can lighting in first floor kitchen) included.

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Boulder building permits: March 23, 2015

Last Weeks Largest Leases Include: Columbia Sportswear, Fannie Mae, IPG, Liberty Mutual, Morgan Stanley, Reed Elsevier, Ultragenyx, Unidesk, Xcelience and more

The two office buildings currently under construction are part of a project that includes 130,000 square feet of retail space, an 120-unit apartment complex and the 180-unit Marriott Residence Hotel.

Construction on the two 130,000-square-foot office buildings is slated to wrap up in May.

Brandon Bain and Erik Hallgrimson of DTZ in San Jose represented the developer and landlord, Sand Hill Property Co. By Eric Kies

The six-story office building totals 186,133 square feet in the two-building Reston Crescent office park. Fannie Mae will backfill the space vacated by Sprint, which had fully occupied the building since 2004. Fannie Mae is slated to take occupancy at One Reston Crescent in August.

The lease is the second major announcement in recent months for Fannie Mae, which in January confirmed it will relocate its national headquarters to Carr Properties' 700,000-square-foot redevelopment of The Washington Post's current headquarters at 1150 15th St. NW in downtown Washington, D.C.

David Goldstein, Tom Cresce, Herbert Mansinne and Robert VeShancey of JLL represented the building owner, Brookfield Office Properties. John Henschel of Cushman & Wakefield represented Fannie Mae. By Ashley McClain

IPG, already occupying more than 220,000 on floors 5 through 9, 11, and 19, is planning on taking over the former Forest Laboratories Inc. space in early October 2015. The expansion space includes 14,698 square feet on the 20th floor and 32,534 square feet on each of the 23rd, 24th, and 25th floors.

The 32-story, 1.31 million-square-foot, 4-Star office tower is on 1.9 acres in the Midtown Plaza District. The Vornado-owned property was designed by Emery Roth & Sons, P.C. in 1968 and underwent renovations in 2001.

Evan Fiddle, Anthony Dattoma, and Howard Fiddle of CBRE represented the landlord. Scott Panzer, Robert Romano, and Shannon Rzeznikiewicz with JLL in New York represented the tenant. By Chris Ulrich

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Office Lease Up (Mar 23) Apple Moving to New Office Buildings at Main Street Cupertino

The State Attorneys Office has been moving into its new building for weeks now, but the official first day in the new digs will be Monday.

The Haydon Burns city hall annex and the old Duval County courthouse on Bay Street are now empty.

The new office, which has been named after former State Attorney and Mayor Ed Austin, is located in the old federal courthouse at 311 W. Monroe St. The building is across Pearl Street from the new Duval County Courthouse, which opened in 2012, and is being renovated as a final piece in a judicial complex in that end of downtown.

It is a dream come true to be able to honor Mr. Austin, State Attorney Angela Corey said. We are grateful to City Councilman Doyle Carter for sponsoring the municipal ordinance which names our new office after this great Jacksonville leader.

The move was originally scheduled to occur late in 2014. It was delayed when the City Council voted to spend $1.2 million to create deposition rooms and facilities for civil citation and diversionary programs on the first floor of the 1930s-vintage building that once also held the downtown post office but has been vacant for years.

City officials overseeing the construction at one point planned to leave most of the old federal buildings first floor shelled lined with drywall but otherwise empty to keep the judicial complex inside a total $350 million budget the council set in 2008.

The fuller renovation of that floor was approved once project managers felt sure the money would meet other bills. City officials said the total cost of the renovation was not yet known, but previous estimates were about $26 million.

City spokeswoman Aleizha Batson said the move began Feb. 20 with furniture and files being relocated. Most of the staff left the old office March 3 and have been working out of the seventh floor of the Ed Ball building.

The contractor had continued to work on punch list items, which are generally minor issues to complete the project, while staff have been working in their temporary offices, Batson said.

The building received its temporary certificate of occupancy March 13, and the final certificate of occupancy will occur after the punch list items are complete.

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State attorney move to new building concludes Monday