Craig DiLouie

In his October editorial, Building Design & Construction Robert Cassidy asked whether commercial real estate is the next bubble, quoting Dan Tishman, CEO of Tishman Construction, who said $3.4 trillion in commercial real estate loans generated in 2007 will be rolling over in the next 5-7 years, and the capacity to refinance these loans is [...]

The outlook for the general economy is improving, but that doesn’t mean good news for construction yet. Total construction in 2009 and 2010 will be down 14% and 5% respectively, according to FMI economist Heather Jones. Click here to download FMI’s Q309 report free. (post updated on December 2)

Take a tour through the world of the light-emitting diode and learn who invented it, how to use it, and how to make your own with this fascinating short video courtesy of MAKE Magazine:

In the three-year period leading up to the current recession, gross billings at U.S. architecture firms increased nearly $16 billion from 2005 and totaled $44.3 billion in 2008. This equates to 54% growth over the three-year period with annual growth of about 16%. These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Business of [...]

ZING Communications, Inc. is moving this week, so please excuse the light postings as we settle into our new home!

Take a relaxing ride with Berlin Agency Art+Com‘s kinetic sculpture at the BMW Museum. From Art+Com’s website: The Kinetic Sculpture is a metaphorical translation of the process of form-finding in art and design. 714 metal spheres, hanging from thin steel wires attached to individually-controlled stepper motors and covering the area of six square meters, animate [...]

Bulbrite‘s LED Retrofit Candle features a unique, shimmering, flamelike movement effect due to patented electronics. Its intended market includes a variety of applications including churches, theaters, pubs, hotels, historic homes and buildings, offering a realistic lamp replacement option for 120V lighting fixtures with standard candelabra (E12) sockets. I have not seen one in action yet, [...]

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions increased for a third straight month—and topped the 50-point threshold indicative of expansion for a second straight month—in September. The index rose 5.3 points to 58.6, its highest reading since April 2006 and more than 50 points above its cyclical low of 8 in [...]

Construction spending during August 2009 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $941.9 billion, 0.8% above the revised July estimate of $934.6 billion and 11.6%, or $124.2 billion, below the August 2008 estimate of $1,066.1 billion. During the first eight months of 2009, construction spending reached $629.5 billion, 11.9% below the $714.3 billion [...]