How And When To Engage a Contractor By William Henry PhD History of ‘At Risk Construction Management’ aka ‘CM at Risk’ in the State of Florida In the late 1970’s a major public project went so poorly for the State University System that the two agencies responsible for major project administration for the State of Florida determined that they would try a new project delivery system for the first time.
Revised American Disabilities Act Regulations – Effecting Public Outdoor Recreational Areas By William Henry PhD Past ‘Safe Harbored Area’ No Longer Exempt Having served for many years as a forensic ‘court certified’ expert concerning design and construction litigation I am continually surprised by the on-going case law as it evolves– sometimes daily. Being in a so called ‘creative profession’ I am continually struck by the unusual issues surrounding much construction litigation.
Narrowing The Role Of Architects Contributed To The Demise Of The Profession By William Henry PhD Computer Aided Design It is apparent to many in the industry that there are several factors contributing to the diminishing role architects play in designing the built environment. One major factor that will be examined is something known as “CAD.” In the twentieth century, a ‘cad’ was an acronym for a womanizer. In today’s industry parlance, “CAD” has a much different meaning: it stands for “Computer Aided Design.” The impact of CAD on the profession is enormous. CAD enables architects to draw at the […]
Infection Rates Lead To Demand For Senior Residential Care Communities Near Hospitals By William Henry PhD The Continuum of Care Near Hospitals Part of the recent saga concerning Medicare, Medicaid, and Obama Care is the impact on demand for lower cost outpatient care residential facilities near acute care hospitals. These facilities span the gamut between independent living, assisted living, senior living and finally skilled nursing facilities. This is often dubbed the ‘continuum of care facilities’. Of little note is how infection rates related to acute care procedures will likely spur long term care development around hospitals.
Backfilling Large Empty Retail Boxes With Out Of The Box Uses By William Henry PhD The Internet is Siphoning Retail Sales from Traditional ‘Bricks and Mortar’ Stores and Thereby Contributing to Vacancies The 600 pound gorilla at the recent retail convention in Las Vegas known as ‘RECON’ which is an acronym for the ‘The Global Retail Real Estate Convention’, was the siphoning of some retail activity into the internet. A common complaint by some traditional retailers and building developers is that various sales transactions over the internet are not taxed and therefore those retailers who are better known for their […]
Multi-Family Housing Making A Roaring Comeback By William Henry PhD According to a recent forum held by the University of Florida’s graduate real estate department for its Board of Trustees, the resurgence is due to the following factors: 1) Changing demographics leads to increased demand 2) The deep recession 3) A preference for a more urban lifestyle 4) Disillusionment with the American dream 5) Mounting cash reserves by certain financial institutions Changing Demographics Only one in five households will be married couples with children in 2025. Those who do choose the traditional family lifestyle will postpone this decision for up […]
Cold Causes Mold? By William Henry PhD Recently our firm, RGA Architects, LLC was retained to provide expert testimony to assess the cause of significant amounts of toxic mold growth caused by the winter cold snaps. Unlike mold caused by water penetration, mold caused by cold snaps is due to significant variation in temperatures, like the huge swings from warm to cold we experienced during the winter season in the Bay area. When improper construction techniques meet normal human activity, the results can be disastrous. Activities like excessive showers and baths, or washing clothes with improper ventilation, can cause an […]
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
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