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IBA STUDY REFLECTS NATIONAL
CONSTRUCTION TRENDS
Recently, IBA analysts completed an internal review of
IBA project starts and completions over the past 10 years and
found, not surprisingly, that there are new construction
trends since the residential housing bubble burst in 2008 and
the onset of a global recession.
In 2006, nearly half of all IBA projects were in the
residential sector, primarily high-rise condominiums and
multi-family rental complexes. The hotel and hospitality
sector accounted for 13%; schools, universities and government
projects made up 13%; and retail and public facility projects
accounted for 11%, followed by hospitals and medical
facilities at 3%.
 This
chart illustrates the breakdown of IBA projects in
2011.
In 2011, schools, universities and government projects
remained about the same and there was slight growth in public
facilities at 15%, but the real shift was away from
residential projects – now at less than a third of all
projects -- and a jump in hotel/hospitality projects at 20%
and in hospitals/medical centers which nearly quadrupled at
11%.
"What
we've seen over the past five years is that the condominium
construction sector had all but disappeared, and residential
construction was buoyed primarily by expansion of rental
apartment projects," said IBA President Mark Baker. "But there
have been recent new projects that indicate a resurgence of
activity in the residential condo market; it will be very
interesting to see what changes the next five years will
bring.”
"Construction
and renovation projects have been stronger in the resort and
travel industry and in health care, a trend that we expect
will continue in the foreseeable future." This month's
newsletter is dedicated to some of the projects that reflect
this trend. |
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ST. REGIS BAL HARBOUR NEARS
COMPLETION
Miami's South Beach Skyline is getting a face lift with the
addition of the new St. Regis Bal Harbour Condominiums and
Resort. The elegant three-tower, all glass oceanfront complex
is already redefining the South Beach seascape with its
contemporary design and its prominent location.
IBA Consultants had the pleasure of working with Starwood
Hotels and the Related Group, the project developer, and
Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership and Coastal
Construction to ensure that the glazing and exterior features
of the St. Regis have the strength to withstand severe weather
and hurricane threats while complementing the aesthetic and
architectural design components that attract buyers, investors
and tourists.
The significant challenge was the design of the building's
signature feature, a floor-to-ceiling glass façade that had to
meet Miami's rigorous hurricane codes for wind pressures,
impact resistance and water leakage. The result is a dramatic
residential/resort complex that is as strong and secure as it
is stylish and refined.
Construction will be completed this autumn, followed by a
grand opening of the 243 room Starwood-operated hotel in early
2012. We are looking forward to sharing in the celebration.
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ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE: THE 10,000 HOUR RULE
In
his recent book "Outliers," renowned author Malcolm Gladwell
notes that excellence in performing complex tasks has less to
do with innate talent and genius, and more to do with a
minimum level of practice and hard work. Citing research on
noted composers, professional athletes, and even the Beatles
and Bill Gates, Gladwell observes that there is a magic number
for true expertise in any given field: 10,000 hours.
The Beatles earned their stripes playing 1200
performances in the underground clubs in Hamburg from
1960-1964, returning to England with a unique sound and a
fierce work ethic. Bill Gates met the criteria spending 10,000
hours programming on his high-school computer. The concept
validates Thomas Edison's well known aphorism, "Genius is one
percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration."
At IBA Consultants, we are proud that we
have 11 professionals on our team who, individually, have at
least 10,000 hours of experience in the engineering and design
of complex building envelope systems. All together, this
represents 100 percent of IBA's consultants, 50 percent of
field inspectors, and 66 percent of test technicians -- a
truly remarkable record of experience. We rely on that
experience, along with the spirit of excellence that it
inspires, when facing every task, whether it is a dramatic new
high-rise design like the St. Regis or the Hyatt New York, or
a complicated retrofit of an existing building like the
Seville Beach Hotel in Miami or the Luxor in Las
Vegas.
Click
here to meet the 11 members of our team who make up IBA's
own 10,000 Hour Club.
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NEW
ORLEANS MEDICAL CENTER PROGRESS REPORT
IBA
Consultants recently completed its review of the design phase
for the new Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans, and is
preparing for the mock-up testing of the curtain wall, which
will begin before the end of the year.
The Medical
Center, which will replace New Orleans' historic Charity
Hospital and University Hospital that were severely damaged by
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, also is one of a handful of medical
facilities that serves the education and research needs of two
medical schools – Tulane University and the Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center.
Because of the
threat of severe weather and hurricane force storms, the
Medical Center is being designed to remain operational during
extreme weather conditions, where exterior windows, glazed
curtain walls, doors and cladding will withstand dangerous
missile impacts and extreme wind-loads.
"This medical
center's rigorous design components will reduce the likelihood
that patients, medical staff and others would ever have to
evacuate the building when a severe storm occurs," said Mark
Baker, president of IBA Consultants. Construction of this
state-of-the-art medical complex will begin shortly after
mock-up testing is completed. |
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A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT: ANOTHER POSITIVE TREND
I
am happy to acknowledge another trend, which is the
reemergence of projects that had been started and placed on
hold and/or starting of new projects that were in the planning
stages and never started when the economy stalled. It now
feels like a week cannot go by without a call from one of our
past friends, colleagues and clients announcing that they have
an old or new project moving forward and inviting us to rejoin
their team including:
- The 54-story Hyatt Times Square for Extell Development
in New York City, designed by SLCE Architects, in the heart
of Manhattan's Theatre District;
- Earlier this year, GSB Architects announced the restart
of a 27-acre Vacation Club Resort in Orlando, Florida, being
developed by a certain unnamed mouse;
- NBBJ recently announced the restart of the Medical
 Center of Louisiana at New Orleans with
construction beginning at the turn of the year. There
are many others.
From a personal perspective, these
projects are very satisfying because they signal not only an
improvement of the economy, but also of the strength and
resiliency of our clients and colleagues. I would like to take
the moment to thank them all for their continued confidence
and loyalty to IBA and acknowledge our appreciation and
commitment to them.
- Mark Baker, president IBA
Consultants
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