St. Louis architect Andrew Raimist will present “Harris Armstrong: Midwest Modernist” on Friday, December 1, 12 noon at Webster University.

Harris Armstrong (1899-1973) was a St. Louis-based modernist architect. According to Raimist, his work “exemplifies the best achievements of modern architecture: the use of natural materials, honesty of structural expression, an open relationship to a magnificent landscape, and attention to detail resulting in a coherent artistic statement.”

If you plan to attend, be sure to RSVP as seating is limited. Send an email with number and names of people planning to attend to Raimist@RaimistArchitecture.com or call 314.984.8201. You’ll be given the specific building and auditorium upon receipt of your RSVP.

If you are unable to make the lecture, but interested in Armstrong’s work, visit Andrew’s blog Architectural Ruminations.

A four-story steel and glass charter school built in 183 days…

A Yale University dorm set in just four days over spring break, designed to reflect the historic buildings nearby…

A three-story corporate headquarters complete with state-of-the-art gym built in 122 days…

These are the kinds of projects that are leading to double-digit growth in the modular construction industry, according to Modular Building Institute. The Institute and the Robert W. Baird & Co. partnered on a study that predicts 15% growth over the next year.

According to the Institute, these buildings are high-quality construction, efficient, cost-effective and virtually indistinguishable from site-built construction. Structures are built in a factory from steel and concrete, shipped to the site, craned into place and joined on-site. The savings are primarily in the schedule - a structure built in a climate-controlled environment can save 50% in overall construction time.

Locally, St. Louis ReSource offers a spreadsheet comparison on a 9,500 square foot building, with modular construction saving five weeks on the schedule and $17,250 in overall cost.

What are your thoughts and experiences with modular construction?

The Missouri Advisory Council, the state agency that reviews nominated buildings and sites for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, approved these 10 St. Louis buildings at their November 17 quarterly meeting in Jefferson City:

• American Brake Company Building at 1920 N. Broadway
• Carondelet School at 8221 Minnesota St.
• Falstaff Brewing Corporation, Plant No. 1 at 3644-3690 Forest Park Blvd.
• Koken Barbers’ Supply Company Historic District at Ohio, Texas, Sidney and Victor streets
• Laclede Gas Light Company Pumping Station G at 4401 Chouteau Ave.
• Robert E. Lee Hotel at 209 N. 18th St.
• Royal Tire Service, Inc., Building at 3229 Washington Ave.
• Steelcote Manufacturing Company Paint Factory at 801 Edwin
• United Shoe Manufacturing Company Building at 2200-08 Washington Ave.
• William Cuthbert Jones House at 3724 Olive St.

These 10 will be sent to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places at the National Park Service.

Michael Allen reports on his Ecology of Absence blog that the General American Life Insurance Company National Headquarters at 706 Market Street was tabled and the Ramsey Accessories Manufacturing Corporation building at 3693 Forest Park Boulevard failed by vote of 3-6.

The General American building is less than 50 years old, so exceptional significance must be proven for listing. Extensive stucco covers the historic features of the Ramsey building, and the council wants to see the stucco mostly removed before listing it. These two nominations are expected to be revised and considered at the next advisory council meeting in February 2007.

According to Reed Construction Data, the construction material price index dropped 1.4% in September, the first significant decline in the past three years, and prices are expected to continue to decline through the end of 2006. Building Design & Construction reported that a sharp drop in crude oil prices and less demand from international markets and homebuilders led manufacturers and distributors to discount their prices on unexpected surplus inventory. But the price index is expected to rise in early 2007, when inventories have been cleared.

Two huge St. Louis region construction projects totaling more than $1.4 billion have been awarded to area contracting teams this week.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has selected Gateway Constructors for the $535 million Highway 40 reconstruction project in St. Louis, the largest highway project in Missouri history and the agency’s first design-build project. Construction is set to begin in spring 2007 and completed in October 2010. Project information and updates are available at www.thenewI64.org.

Holcim (US) Inc. has selected Washington Group Alberici (WGA), a majority-owned joint venture formed between Alberici Constructors Inc. and Washington Group International, to build Holcim’s new $905 million cement plant in Ste. Genevieve County, Mo. The plant, expected to be completed in late 2009, will have the capacity to produce four million metric tons of cement a year.

Seven construction job categories are among the 20 fastest-growing occupations projected for the St. Louis region through the end of 2007, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. The construction jobs that are projected to grow from 6% to 7% include:

• Tile and marble setters
• Roofers
• Pipelayers
• Cement masons and concrete finishers
• Paving workers
• Iron and rebar workers
• Brickmason, stonemason and blockmason helpers

The trends reflect a locally strong commercial construction industry and underscore the need for programs to attract and train new workers.