Construction

Kitsap projects on hold after Inslee orders construction to cease during COVID-19 outbreak A construction crew works on a project at the intersection of Clear Creek Road and Pete Ross Way in Silverdale on Thursday, March 26, 2020. (Photo: MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN) Construction projects across Kitsap lurched to a halt this week after Gov. Jay Inslee issued an update to his statewide stay-at-home order requiring most residential and commercial construction to stop for two weeks. Inslee’s original March 23 proclamation ordered all non-essential businesses to close to slow the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, the governor’s office issued revised...

California Now Requires Solar Panels on New Construction Yes, you read that right. Solar panels are now a requirement for new construction in California.  The state passed a law that requires solar panels on new construction of single-family residences, and condos or apartments up to three stories. Not just a few panels, but enough to provide 100% of the power needed for the structure. As of January 1, 2020, California Building Code now requires builders to build ‘Zero Net Energy’ (ZNE) structures, which means that the new home will produce as much electricity as it uses. The intent of the...

2050 zero carbon target won’t happen without radical change to construction The leading trade body representing builders has today called on the construction sector and any future government, to act now if they are to meet the 2050 zero carbon target. With construction directly influencing 47% of UK carbon emissions and 61% of UK waste, the sector is a critical part of the radical change needed. The National Federation of Builders’ (NFB) major contractors group (MCG) launched its Transforming Construction for a Low Carbon Future report today, warning that the construction industry must be transformed within a generation, otherwise it...

Duluth builds partnerships to expand access to construction jobs The city's community benefits program seeks to break down barriers to employment. Denfeld High School student Charles Holmes (left) and plumber and steamfitter Christian Leabo examine a pipe fitting the two put together at Construct Tomorrow at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in 2019. This year's construction career fair is Feb. 25-26 at the DECC. (File / News Tribune) The city of Duluth has spent the past year working with community partners to broaden the construction workforce pipeline. In July 2018, the Duluth City Council passed a "community benefits" policy to...

Massachusetts considers partial- to-full removal of Paul Rudolph’s Hurley Building The Brutalist-style Hurley Building within the Boston Government Service Center is on the line as the state considers redevelopment options. The building is a divisive one, and commentators both celebrated and lamented the original news that it could be torn down. (Gunnar Klack/Flickr) The future of the Paul Rudolph-designed Boston Government Service Center (BGSC) rests in the hands of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Last October, the state put the Charles F. Hurley Building on the market and this week, a new report was sent to the commission detailing four options for the Brutalist structure in downtown Boston that include partial or...