National Museum for the American Indian opened in September on the Mall in Washington D.C. to mixed reviews. The unusual exterior architecture will certainly be a must-see for visitors, but most reviews found the exhibits inside to be disorganized and much less than hoped for. http://www.si.edu/nmai
The new ‘jobs’ tax bill signed into law in October will reportedly result in a $358 million tax break for architecture and engineering firms. http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/041022law.asp

Online skyscraper ‘exhibition’: http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/tallbuildings/

London’s proposals for the 2012 Olympics – in competition with NYC: http://www.londonolympics2012.com/

New innovative building materials for withstanding hurricanes: http://www.architectureweek.com/2004/1006/building_1-2.html

A study on decreasing dependence on oil. One part claims that ultralight, ultrasound materials like carbon-fiber could greatly reduce vehicles’ weight, increase safety, and boost efficiency to about 85 mpg for a midsize car or 66 mpg for a midsize SUV. http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0920-21.htm

AEC Outsourcing Survey on current usage and expected trends: http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature150.htm

A free online service contains information on companies that haul, collect and process recyclable debris from construction projects. http://www.wbdg.org/ccbref/cwm.php

Article on why BIM hasn’t taken off…yet. Part of the problem is that designers are expected to shoulder the burden of costs but the real perceived benefit is farther down the ladder. This changes with Design-Build projects. http://archrecord.construction.com/features/digital/archives/0409feature-1.asp

A UN report says that use of robots around the home to mow lawns, vacuum floors and manage other chores will increase sevenfold by 2007 as more consumers snap up smart machines: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65408,00.html/wn_ascii

The Gold Medal in Entablature’s 2004 Architecture Web Site Awards program was awarded to Hillier (www.hillier.com). http://www.entablature.com/awards.htm

Granite Construction in Tucson is repairing the San Pedro Bridge in Benson, a $1.1 million project slated for completion in January.

Yuma County’s Ocean-to-Ocean Highway Bridge across the Colorado River between Arizona and California which rehabilitated a bridge that had been closed to traffic since 1988 received an Excellence in Highway Design Award for historic restoration. http://www.tfhrc.gov/focus/sep04/05.htm

 

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