"Everybody who donates the components wants them to be their showcase products," says Alex Bertolini, project manager with the Phoenix office of Hensel Phelps Construction Co., the first schoolhouse's general contractor. "We get to play with the newest and most interesting systems out there." But it also means altering the typical project flow. "A company wanted to showcase a chilled-beam system—a totally different type of air-conditioning system than what you would find in a typical structure," he says. "All of a sudden the design needed to change to match what product [was] being offered." MEP engineer Heideman Associates, St. Louis,

An audacious plan is under way to build as many as 24 new schools in key markets across the U.S. solely through corporate funding, donated materials and volunteer labor. Stantec architect Annette Zacherson designed the project to maximize natural light through clerestory windows. Images courtesy Stantec / Cause and Effect Evolutions Shaded light wells and outdoor screens are a major feature of the school design. Related Links: Sustainable Solutions: Green Schools Movement Gaining Steam Dubbed the Green Schoolhouse Series, the idea sprung from father-and-son team Marshall and Jeff Zotara, co-founders of Cause and Effect Evolutions, a Carlsbad, Calif.-based firm acting

With the news that Facebook had surpassed 500 million users, the social networking website has decided to more than double the size of its first wholly-owned data center currently under construction in Prineville, Ore. The initial $188-million project, designed by Chicago architect Sheehan Partners, broke ground in January and has been moving along rapidly. The expansion will add another 160,000 sq ft of shell space to the 147,000 sq ft facility now being built, with the shell space being built out later as business demand dictates. Photos courtesy Sheehan Partners "We are making excellent progress on the first phase of

How do you guide museum visitors through the unseen world of sound? That was the dilemma faced by the designers and builders of the new $125-million Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, scheduled to open this spring. Images courtesy Musical Instrument Museum The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix contains 190,000 square feet of exhibition and performance space. Featuring both historic and contemporary instruments from around the globe, the museum aims to help visitors better understand musical expression in different cultures and in various aspects of life. Bob Ulrich, former CEO of the Target Corp., is the museum’s founder and chairman; the

A coalition of 23 construction organizations has endorsed a new document meant to aid project teams on green-building projects. The “ConsensusDOCS 310 Green Building Addendum,” released on November 11, is intended to define, clarify, and establish the relative roles and responsibilities needed to successfully deliver a green-building project, explains Brian M. Perlberg, executive director and senior counsel with Virginia-based ConsensusDOCS. Founded in 2007, ConsensusDOCS is a national coalition of associations representing diverse interests in the construction industry, such as designers, owners, contractors, subcontractors and surety professionals. The groups work together to develop and promote standard-form construction contracts. The new green-building

With key action taken in recent weeks, the world’s first private spaceport is edging closer to a groundbreaking. Designed by Foster + Partners and URS Corp., the $198 million Spaceport America project is slated to be built in Upham, New Mexico. According to prior reports, the facility is designed to accommodate two transport airplanes and five spaceships. Its “superhangar” and terminal will include training facilities, a mission control center, viewing galleries, and passenger lounges. Image: Courtesy URS/Foster + Partners The world's first private spaceport is edging closer to a groundbreaking. Designed by Foster + Partners and URS Corp., the $198