MAJ Gregory J. Taylor is a 43-year-old licensed architect from Dallas who is serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Reserves. Architectural Record checked in with him this week to hear his perspective on Osama bin Laden’s death. Photo courtesy MAJ Gregory J. Taylor How did you hear that Osama bin Laden had been killed? I actually heard about bin Laden’s death when I was getting ready to eat breakfast on Monday morning at our dining facility on the base. I remember walking into the main seating area around 7:30 a.m. and seeing the headlines on the television that bin

MAJ Gregory J. Taylor is a 43-year-old licensed architect from Dallas who is serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Reserves. Architectural Record checked in with him this week to hear his perspective on Osama bin Laden’s death. Photo courtesy MAJ Gregory J. Taylor How did you hear that Osama bin Laden had been killed? I actually heard about bin Laden’s death when I was getting ready to eat breakfast on Monday morning at our dining facility on the base. I remember walking into the main seating area around 7:30 a.m. and seeing the headlines on the television that bin

Fifteen months after an earthquake devastated Haiti's capital, the country's newly elected president, Michel Martelly, says he recognizes that he and his nation face a major rebuilding task. Related Links: Special Coverage: Rebuilding Haiti MARTELLY Speaking after an April 20 meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, D.C., Martelly said, through an interpreter, “Clearly, I have huge challenges in front of me, but I intend to meet them.” He added, “The reconstruction process is despairingly slow.” Martelly, a former entertainer, said that 1.7 million Haitians “still live under tents” and that, unless more people are vaccinated against cholera,

The department's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations intends to release a how-to handbook by July. The State Dept. is pushing ahead with plans to embrace “design excellence” in its embassy construction program, using some elements for a new U.S. embassy in London, now in design, and fleshing out details through a series of documents that will spell out specific Design Excellence program guidelines. Photo: U.S. Department of State / Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations / Timothy Hursley The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations used some Design Excellence elements as it planned and built an embassy in Beijing that was completed

In a move aimed at spurring U.S. exports of construction equipment and services to Brazil, the U.S. Export-Import Bank is providing a $1-billion line of credit for infrastructure projects in that country. A particular focus will be on public-works projects tied to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, both to be hosted by Rio de Janeiro. Rio expects to benefit from big spending for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. President Obama estimated the cost at $200 billion. Announced by Ex-Im Bank President and Chairman Fred P. Hochberg during President Obama’s March 19-21 trip to Brazil,

The White House has launched a package of proposals—including a new tax credit and grant competition among states and cities—that aim to make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over 10 years. The "Better Buildings Initiative," which President Obama announced on February 3 during an appearance at Penn State University, is targeting commercial buildings, which the White House says account for about 20 percent of total U.S. energy consumption. Obama said the plan could save businesses nearly $40 billion over the next decade in lower energy costs. The plan has several components, some of which will require congressional action.

An appropriations package that includes $2.9 billion in relief and reconstruction aid for Haiti has cleared the House and will next move to the Senate for a vote. The spending measure, which the House passed late on July 1, focuses mainly on funding for the Afghanistan war. But Republicans oppose the non-defense spending House Democrats added to the bill, and the White House has threatened a veto because of a provision that would cut certain education funding. The bill has not had a smooth path. The Senate had approved a $58.5-billion supplemental spending bill on May 27, which provided $2.8

Five months after a severe earthquake devastated parts of Haiti, a Senate report, released June 22, says there are troubling indications that the process of reconstructing the country has "stalled." The report, by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Democratic staff, gives a blunt analysis of the situation, saying that "Haiti is at a significant crossroads." It lists "critical issues" to be addressed in 10 key areas, including developing "a feasible, comprehensive rebuilding strategy" and getting the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission fully operational. The committee staff analysis also calls on Haitian President Rene Preval to "take a more visible and active

More than four months after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, Congress is stepping up efforts to provide funds for disaster relief and start rebuilding the country. Lawmakers also are insisting on specific goals and timetables for achieving those reconstruction targets. Photo © fadedyouthblog.com Actor-activist Penn, shown here in Haiti, urged the U.S. to “stay the course.” Related Links: Special Section: Rebuilding Haiti Seismic Seminar Aimed at Haitian Engineers Interview with Yves Fran'ois, a Haitian Designer Haiti funding hasn’t been enacted yet; congressional action on that front has been at the committee level so far. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on

Stephen T. Ayers, acting chief of the office of the Architect of the Capitol for the past three years, has been confirmed for a full, 10-year term as the Capitol Architect.