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Construction spending greatly exceeded expectations in the nonresidential market in 2015, and this year should see healthy growth levels as well, agree all of the members of the American Institute of Architects Consensus Forecast Panel. There continues to be significant demand for hotels, office space, manufacturing facilities and amusement and recreation spaces.

The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) semi­annual Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s leading construction forecasters, is projecting that spending will increase just more than eight percent in 2016, with next year’s projection being an additional 6.7% gain. Leading the way will be double-digit growth in hotels, office space, industrial facilities, and amusement & recreational facilities.

“While rising interest rates could pose a challenge to the U.S. economy, lower energy prices, improved employment figures and an enacted federal budget for 2016 are all factoring into a very favorable outlook for the construction industry,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker. “And after several years of challenging economic circumstances the institutional project sector is finally on very solid footing.”

Market Segment Consensus Growth Forecasts          2016     2017

• Overall nonresidential building                                         8.3%      6.7%
• Commercial / industrial                                                      9.9%      7.5%
• Hotels                                                                                    14.8%     7.8%
• Office space                                                                          12.8%      8.8%
• Industrial facilities                                                              11.9%      5.3%
• Retail                                                                                       7.5%      5.6%
• Institutional                                                                          6.7%      6.7%
• Amusement / recreation                                                  11.2%       7.7%
• Healthcare facilities                                                           6.6%       6.9%
• Education                                                                             6.5%       6.6%
• Religious                                                                               2.6%       4.0%
• Public safety                                                                        1.8%       4.2%

The Consensus Construction Forecast Panel consists of economists from Dodge Data & Analytics, Wells Fargo Securities, IHS­Global Insight, Moody’s economy.com, CMD Group, Associated Builders & Contractors and FMI.

To see each of the individual forecasts, follow the link: http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/2016/charts/jan2016/ccf_012916.html

The 2016 Jury of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated 149 AIA members to its prestigious College of Fellows. Among them was Philip Durham of St. Louis. The title of “Fellow” is an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to architecture and society on a national level. The 2016 Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony at the AIA Convention in Philadelphia in May.

Out of a total AIA membership of nearly 88,000, fewer than 3,200 are distinguished with the honor of fellowship and honorary fellowship. Durham received the honor for promoting the esthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of architecture.

The 2016 Jury of Fellows consisted of:

Diane Georgopulos, FAIA, Chair, Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency; Steve Crane, FAIA, VCBO; Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA, University of Tennessee; Mary Katherine (Mary Kay) Lanzillotta, FAIA, Hartman Cox Architects; David Messersmith, FAIA, University of Texas; Karen V. Nichols, FAIA, Michael Graves & Associates, and Donald T. Yoshino, FAIA, Yoshino Architecture, PA.

Integrated Facility Services (IFS) in Columbia, formerly Air Masters, has completed an HVAC, process piping, and building automation systems project for the $8 million office and plant expansion at Spartan Light Metals in Mexico, Missouri.

The 68,000-square-foot expansion included a complete renovation of the existing plant offices, a new office addition and a new manufacturing area. IFS installed HVAC in all areas as well as building automation systems. They also installed process piping in a utility tunnel within the new manufacturing area, for future process equipment.

Spartan, a family-owned automotive parts supplier, currently employs 300 workers at the plant in Mexico, MO, and expects to add another 88 jobs as a result of the expansion.

Air Masters Corporation in Columbia rebranded on January 1 as Integrated Facility Services (IFS), their corporate holding company name. The rebranding is part of a corporate initiative to better align the company name with IFS’ integrated range of facility services including HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, building automation and building security systems.

Integrated Facility Services (IFS) is a full-service mechanical contracting and service firm providing HVAC design and installation, plumbing, commercial refrigeration, fire protection, energy conservation and building automation services.

St. Louis-based Microgrid Energy was recognized and awarded with a Certificate of Merit by the St. Louis Green Business Challenge (GBC). The award recognizes sustainable business practices and is the GBC’s highest level of recognition. This is the second year in a row that Microgrid has been honored with the award, and the company celebrated the highest point gain in the small tenant category of the GBC Class of 2015.

As a joint program of the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Botanical Garden, the GBC supports integration of sustainability measures into the everyday operational practices common to every business. Over sixty companies, nonprofits, and governmental agencies participated in the GBC, identifying and adapting strategies to improve financial performance and engage employees in voluntary measures to reduce their environmental impact. Over 150 companies, representing 130,000 employees, have participated in the program since its inception in 2010.

“The Green Business Challenge continues to push Microgrid Energy’s green efforts to higher levels, and plays an important role in our Triple Bottom Line approach to doing business – having a positive impact on People, Planet and Prosperity,” said Microgrid Energy Director of Triple Bottom Line, Chad Schubert.

“Our Triple Bottom Line approach is a key component to our company culture, and we believe it’s one of the secrets to our success. Our employees embrace this approach fully and the enthusiasm and dedication of our Green Team is what enabled us to win this award two years in a row. It’s been a pleasure to participate in the Challenge and work with such a great team,” said VP of Business Development at Microgrid Energy, Steve O’Rourke.

The following are some of the accomplishments and innovations implemented by Microgrid in the past year:

• Co-sponsored Maplewood’s EPA Green Power Community Challenge – the most successful in Missouri to date
• Successfully completed B Corporation recertification, and was national “Best for the Environment” honoree
• Completed installation of occupancy sensors throughout the office, and worked with landlord to install insulation in uninsulated wall cavities
• Worked with office supply company to consolidate office supply purchases and deliver supplies in reusable totes
• Held company-wide electronics drive
• Hosted a waste-free company event
• Established a program to enable online monitoring of print usage
• Employees volunteered to provide mentorship to local schools in the USGBC’s Green Schools Quest program
• Partnered with First Watch Cafe to host Bike to Work Day rest stop
• Provide volunteer assistance to several of our nonprofit clients to clean their solar arrays and provide other support.

Microgrid Energy is a leading renewable energy and energy efficiency installer with a national reach, based in St. Louis, MO, offering turnkey services for commercial, institutional, and government clients.

Missouri State Representative Courtney Curtis (District 73), who says he stands “98 percent behind unions,” has filed a bill to make it harder for unions to organize and to invalidate any existing project labor agreement for a future stadium.

The bill, H.B. 2170, would require unions to report to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations the name, telephone number or email address, and age of every individual that they try to recruit during the year.

The bill also would bar any executive action creating a project labor agreement “on any stadium project, the public funding of which is not submitted to a public vote.” Instead, the proposed legislation would require the local legislative approval by a board of aldermen, city council, or similar elected board of a project labor agreement. Such agreements could not require that employees covered by the agreement pay any kind of dues or fees to the unions representing them, but must require the performance of at least 20 percent of all work by apprentices.

Curtis said in a press statement that H.B. 2170 was the subject of the argument between him and Rep. Michael Butler (District 79) in late January that escalated into a physical confrontation.

Last year, Curtis filed a “right-to-work” bill in the legislature. He insists that unions continue to deny minorities equal access to construction jobs, a claim that unions deny, and that his bills would make unions stronger.

H.B. 2179 available for review here

Treanor Architects (Treanor), a national design firm headquartered in Lawrence, KS, with an office in St. Louis, and H+L Architecture (H+L), a  planning and design firm headquartered in Denver, have entered into an agreement to merge their firms effective as of January 1, 2016.

H+L and Treanor will temporarily maintain their existing names, but will work together during the coming months to develop a new branding identity that will encapsulate the culture and history that unite these distinguished architecture firms.

“This is an exciting time for H+L and Treanor. This merger is not simply of like size firms, but of common philosophies, common values and complementary talent. Our current practice areas are very well balanced and we will be able to add more depth of expertise for our clients,” said Dan Rowe, President of Treanor Architects. “We will benefit from the depth of knowledge and expertise within the Healthcare Studio and look forward to the growth in our other combined practice areas.”

“We are extremely excited to be merging with such an exceptional team of architects and designers,” said Scott Kuehn, President of H+L Architecture. “Combining teams with portfolios as deep as our two firms is an amazing opportunity to continue to add to our depth of knowledge in all of the markets we are currently serving and continue creating spaces that inspire.  This is truly a win-win for H+L, Treanor and our clients. ”

The merger between Treanor and H+L will not only strengthen service offerings by the firm, but will also allow them to examine all aspects of customer service to ensure that they continue to offer top-tier customer service to all clients.

Announcements regarding milestones of the merger will be made public as necessary.

The Korte Company will begin construction on a 100,000 square foot design-build warehouse facility within America’s Central Port, located in Madison, IL, just 5 miles north of downtown St. Louis. The tilt-up structure, located at the region’s only full-service, public intermodal port, will include warehouse and office space for a private tenant.

America’s Central Port’s business and industrial park currently contains over 1.7 million square feet of rail-served warehouse space, and approximately 70,000 square feet of office space with access to the Mississippi River, four interstate highways and six Class I railroads. This new development is the first phase of an industrial park expansion project at the Port that calls for up to 1 million square feet of new rail-served warehousing space.

America’s Central Port continues to expand economic growth for the region. With access to rail, water and trucking transportation options, the Port offers an ever growing number of benefits and services to not only the St. Louis Metro area, but the entire Midwestern Region.

According to Todd Korte, President and CEO of The Korte Company, “We are pleased to be partnered with America’s Central Port, whose positive economic impact continues to benefit the entire area.”

The Korte Company, founded in 1958, is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri with offices in Highland, Illinois; Norman, Oklahoma; and, Las Vegas, Nevada. The company manages, on average, an excess of $200 million in annual construction volume.

The Korte Company’s project expertise includes building for federal, state and local government agencies as well as the design and construction of healthcare facilities, medical office buildings, warehouse/distribution centers, religious facilities, commercial buildings, schools, recreation centers and office complexes.

3D printing is fast becoming part of many industries, and construction is no exception.

SpaceX and NASA are using 3D printing to make rocket engines. American Standard is using it to make artistic new faucets. Medical device companies are printing medical implants, and apparel companies are printing shoes and clothing.

Contractors in St. Louis are getting on the 3D wave ­­– for marketing.

The AGC’s membership meeting last week shone a light on how St. Louis-based contractors are using 3D printing.

Sidney Parkhe described how McCarthy Building Cos. have used a 3D printer for six years to make project models. “We use them to show clients what their building will look like,” she said, and also to show the concrete guys what their work should look like when they are done.

The benefit is that people who aren’t familiar with how to read drawings and BIM models and hold it in their hands and better see what the design looks like.

Steve Faust said Icon Mechanical began using 3D printing three years ago “strictly as a marketing tool.” A scale model next to a scale printed “man” helps owners understand the size of the equipment Icon will install.

On the BJC Campus Renewal project, however, they found that the printed 3Dmodel also helped with coordination, constructability, and planning.

“We worked through the model with HOK, Jacobs, Sachs Electric, and Ben Hur, and it really opened eyes to how any changes affected others,” Faust said.

Having a physical 3D model, “helps you think about constructability,” he said. They used it to figure out how much they could prefab, and how big the prefab assemblies could be, and how far the cranes could reach.

The result, he said, is that instead of having 25 people in the field, they had four people prefabricate sections the traditional way in the shop, and six guys put it together in the field.

Are they using 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, to make parts or assemblies in the shop? Not yet.