Phase I construction on Market at McKnight, a $95 million mixed-use development in Rock Hill, will be complete this month. The project is being developed by Novus Development, with The Lawrence Group providing master planning for the entire project and complete architectural services for the first phase. Hensley Construction is general contractor.

Phase I includes 126,000 square feet of retail space. Stein Mart will be the anchor with additional tenants including Starbucks Coffee, Clarkson Eye Care, Cartridge World and Bandana’s.
Phase II will include 150,000 square feet of retail space, 50,000 square feet of office space and 150,000 square feet of residential space. Completion is scheduled for 2010.

Source: REBusiness Online 

Although spending on private non-residential real estate projects jumped 17% in the past year, architects and builders are keeping an eye out for signs that the worldwide credit crunch may be spreading through the entire real estate market, according to Building Design + Construction.

The commercial real estate market has helped keep the economy afloat as the housing market has plummeted. But even before the housing slowdown, commercial lenders were  tightening standards and reporting that more developers were falling behind on loan payments.

U.S. banks and thrifts reported a 40% rise in past-due construction and development loans in the second quarter of 2007, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Some contractors are reporting that lenders have reworked pricing and risk-analysis models.

Still, confidence remains high among architecture firms, which often are the first to lose work in a development slowdown. The American Institute of Architects’s July forecast high hit the second-highest level since the group starting keeping records in 1995.

Architect and friend Andrew Raimist will speak on the “Architecture of the Sun” on Sunday, June 24, 11 am at the Ethical Society of Saint Louis, 9001 Clayton Road. He’ll address climate, sustainability, and solar issues as they relate to the architectural designs of Saint Louis modern architect Harris Armstrong.

The presentation also will kick off an ongoing exhibit of color and black & white architectural photography by Raimist, presenting interpretations of the work of Harris Armstrong, other modernist architects, and selected examples of architectural excellence from the Midwest. The exhibit will be on display through August 15 - don’t miss it! And check out Raimist’ blog, Architectural Ruminations, to soak up more of his passion for Harris Armstrong’s architecture.

Wellspring Development Company has announced Rock Hill Trails, a new sustainable 170 acre residential development in Madison County, Illinois near Edwardsville and Wood River. All homes in the development will conform to the “Green Building Guidelines” of the National Association of Home Builders and will be eligible for LEED certification.

According to Wellspring, the development will feature “high performance homes,” open spaces with trails and nature corridors, and neighborhood amenities. The homes will be built in clusters that offer privacy as well as open space, interconnected walking paths and trails, community gardens, a community center and common space where neighbors can gather.

Lots will be designed to allow homeowners to add energy-saving and conservation features such as geothermal heating and cooling systems, cisterns to capture rainwater for irrigation and solar voltaic panels.

The lead builder is Belcher Homes, engineer is SMS Engineers and the architectural consultant is Answers Inc. Architects.

On Friday, the St. Louis Business Journal featured the partnership of three St. Louis companies - The Lawrence Group, SG Blocks and Alberici - to develop extremely sturdy homes and residential developments from recycled shipping containers.

According to Lawrence Group principal Dan Rosenthal, quoted in the article, the finished homes are stronger than conventional construction because they resist “lateral loads” — those seen in hurricanes and earthquakes — and because steel is basically welded to steel.” The homes also are energy efficient. “When the appropriate coatings are installed, we have an envelope that reflects about 95 percent of outside radiation, resists the loss of interior heat, provides an excellent air infiltration barrier and does not allow water to migrate in. Because of the superior roof structure, it is easier to incorporate ‘green’ roof systems,” Rosenthal said in the article.

The article is available online to St. Louis Business Journal subscribers.

Source: St. Louis Business Journal

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.

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Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch