December 16, 2016
Building projects and the term “over-budget” seem far too commonly associated together. A quick Google search will give you endless pages of building projects across the country which resulted in over-spending or cost overrun. Here’s an article discussing Lakewood schools in Ohio running $6 million over-budget on building projects. Nearby ▸
November 22, 2016
According to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings account for almost 40% of the national CO2 emissions and they out-consume both the industrial and transportation sectors. Buildings account for a large portion of global energy usage, resource expenditure, and greenhouse gas emissions. This has driven a demand from ▸
November 10, 2016
U.S. cities are growing fast – and a consolidating population has driven changes in the field of architecture. In cities like Syracuse, urbanization is changing the face of the community, encouraging people to shop and work much closer to where they live. There is a general trend towards cities encouraging ▸
October 22, 2016
As new energy codes are introduced, clients are experiencing higher costs and increased installation times. On March 9, 2016, the New York State Code Council voted to amend the current Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (for commercial buildings only). The new code improves the thermal performance of ▸
October 21, 2016
Construction projects span from foundations to footings for buildings and equipment. Major projects can include everything from large scale buildings, to scale pads, to sidewalks, to curbs. Other projects could be as straightforward as creating concrete settings for generator equipment that sits next to production facilities. No matter what the ▸
October 20, 2016
The process of searching for, deciding upon, and hiring an architecture, engineering, or construction firm for your next building project is a large undertaking. It likely involves multiple levels of decision-makers, resources, and considerable time. As detailed in past blog post titled 4 Reasons to Use an Integrated Design-Build Firm, ▸
September 16, 2016
One thing is for sure, construction safety should not be taken lightly. Completing building projects on time and on-budget is important for a construction firm, but on-the-job safety should never be put at risk to accomplish those goals. Construction is a high hazard industry and the best construction firms can ▸
August 25, 2016
Building information modeling (BIM) is a 3D design tool that helps architecture, engineering, and construction firms transform the way projects are designed and constructed by collaborating on decisions early in the planning phase. A building information model is a digital representation of the building that can be manipulated in real-time. ▸
August 24, 2016
Recently, IPD Engineering leveraged both geothermal heat pumps and photovoltaic technology in the design-build of the Catskill Recreation Center. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) perform through their ability to interact with the earth’s very mild and stable conditions. In the northeast of the United States, air temperatures typically fluctuate between -20 ▸
July 28, 2016
Thanks for taking a minute to read our inaugural post on the VIP Structures blog. In the near future we’ll begin regularly sharing content, including an inside look at the VIP culture as well as learning more about our long history of successful projects through case studies. The blog content ▸
July 27, 2016
The Trimble Robotic Total Station is a device that helps contractors perform layout tasks more efficiently than with conventional mechanical systems for residential and building construction. The Trimble Robotic Total Station is designed specifically for concrete, MEP and general construction contractors and allows the user to perform jobsite layout and ▸
July 26, 2016
A common consideration early in the building process among decision-makers is the choice between using one firm for all aspects of your project (architecture, engineering, construction, development) or using separate firms for each component. While cases can be made for each approach, our team at VIP Structures feels our integrated ▸