The principals of St. Louis-based The Lawrence Group architectural firm and SG Blocks plan to recycle used metal cargo shipping containers into sturdy, attractive homes and housing developments. The recycled shipping containers are much stronger than traditional construction in a hurricane or tornado and are very energy efficient. Read more in the April 20 issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. And check out photos of the process at www.synergy-pr.com.

read more | digg story

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Several publications include AEC St. Louis on their lists of online AEC industry publications (otherwise known as blogs).  Check them out - you’ll find lots of good information.

• Green Buildings NYC
  
• Construction Marketing Ideas
• Architectural Ruminations
• Urban Review St. Louis

Construction Marketing Ideas, which publishes regional construction newspapers in several Canadian and U.S. cities, has reviewed AEC St. Louis and called our blog “the first truly effective regional construction industry marketing blog in the U.S. or Canada.”

After a month of looking for examples, editor Mark Buckshon said that AEC St. Louis is “so far the only example I’ve discovered that combines the blogging model with a solid regional marketing focus.”

We appreciate the kudos, but even more than that, are glad for the feedback that we’re on the right track for our readers in the local architecture, engineering and construction industry.

When an industry embraces an initiative the way architecture has embraced LEED green design and building, it only makes sense there will be a lot of “firsts.” FacilitiesNet reported on the first green law school, the first green building on Capitol Hill, the first green residential high-rise and the first green hotel and conference center.
And now…(drum roll)…the first LEED Gold certified building made out of straw bales.  It’s true and quite impressive! Designed by St. Louis’ own architecture firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, the $20 million sustainable building in Santa Clarita, California serves as an administrative, maintenance and bus washing facility for the city’s new compressed natural gas bus fleet.  In addition to achieving LEED Gold, the facility exceeds California Energy Efficiency Standards by over 40 percent.

While many public agencies and architectural firms are gearing up for green design and LEED certification, developers and owners are slower to embrace the trend.

The Womble Carlyle Construction Blog addresses “Why more people don’t build green” in an April 13 post.

Here are the highlights:

• more expensive
• takes more time to build
• few incentives for developers
• low public demand
• absence of research on the impacts and benefits
• confusion over building standards

Here in St. Louis, The Lawrence Group Architects has successfully renovated The Security Building as a green historic building and is in the process of applying for LEED certification. This year, the Lawrence Group is increasing its number of LEED accredited staff to 40, five times the previous number.

The Lawrence Group occupies several floors of the building and is leasing the rest. As far as we know, the Security Building is the only LEED-designed space available for lease in St. Louis. Kudos to The Lawrence Group for making this project a success!

The Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) has announced its annual call for Project Achievement Award nominations.

The Lambert St. Louis International Airport W1W Airport Expansion was honored last year. Tony Thompson of Kwame Building Group, St. Louis, accepted the award as part of the SPK Team. Other winning projects in 2006 were the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, CA.

To be eligible, projects, programs or program phases must be completed between June 16, 2006 and June 15, 2007. The competition is open to CMAA members and non-members, and the 2007 awards will be presented on October 9 during the CMAA National Conference & Trade Show in Chicago, Illinois.

Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 15, 2007 at 5:00 pm ET. For more information, visit the CMAA Web site.