2025 Group B | Committee Action Hearing #1 | Starts April 27, 1 PM
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Retrodiction
“In a world of infinite information,
the scarce resource is attention.”
By design, we do not provide a SEARCH function. We are a niche practice in a subtle, time-sensitive domain with over 30 years of case history. We were the first movers in the largest building construction market in the world. We are happy to answer all questions but place priority on collaborations. We provide links to the most accessed topics in recent days. All queries presented during our “Open Office Hours” every work day, or via email, are gratefully received and prompt a near-immediate response.
Alexis de Tocqueville on the Foundations of American Democracy
Standard for Interactions Between Medical Examiner, Coroner and Death Investigation Agencies
Acceptable Performance Standard for District Cooling Systems
As part of its ongoing, exhaustive effort to continually promote campus safety, the University of Georgia announced today several additional measures, totaling more than $7.3 million, to further strengthen campus security on its Athens campus. https://t.co/bTg6b4DLUX
— UGA (@universityofga) February 27, 2024
@rmayMVS here ya go! From Kruger National Park South Africa #mvinterim #mvinterinterim2southafrica24 pic.twitter.com/QU0rUuGJgg
— Dr. Kelli Bynum (@kellimccbynum) March 3, 2024
Michigan State University
Stacks of fun at @OrielOxford‘s annual #ShroveTuesday race 🥞#PancakeDay pic.twitter.com/nTXOpkR1zO
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) February 13, 2024
University of Iowa | Johnson County
Национа́льный иссле́довательский То́мский госуда́рственный университе́т
Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future
Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future
Brankscom Hall Toronto
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession
of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
— Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
General Conditions of the Construction Contract
International Code Council: Current Code Development Cycle 2024-2026
International Building Code: Chapter 1 Scope and Administration
There are five key components needed to address in each construction contract as a protection against litigation in an industry that is rich in possibilities.
- Scope of the project. …
- Total cost and payment requirements. …
- Project timeline. …
- Lien law protection. …
- Dispute resolution.
Today at the usual hour we examine a few representative contracts:
University of Michigan Standard General Conditions
Wayne State University Supplementary Conditions of Construction
Princeton University: General Terms & Conditions for Construction Contracts
Universities Wisconsin: General Conditions of the Contract for Construction
The cost of compliance with general conditions in a typical construction project can vary widely depending on factors like project size, complexity, location, and specific requirements. General conditions refer to the indirect costs that support the project—things like project management, temporary facilities, safety measures, and administrative expenses—not the direct costs of labor, materials, or equipment tied to physical construction.
In percentage terms, general conditions typically account for 5% to 15% of the total project cost, with most projects falling in the 5% to 10% range for standard residential or commercial builds. Smaller projects might see percentages closer to or exceeding 10% because fixed costs (like a site trailer or a project manager’s time) don’t scale down as much as direct costs. Larger, more complex projects—like industrial or infrastructure work—might trend toward the lower end (5% or less) since direct costs dominate, diluting the relative impact of general conditions. For example, a $300,000 residential project might allocate $15,000 to $30,000 (5% to 10%) for general conditions, while a $10 million commercial project could see $500,000 or less (5%) if efficiencies kick in.
Related:
Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs
Ædificare & Utilization
Its been 20 years since we began following educational facilities construction activity. Starting this month we will examine federal government data together with the best available data about space utilization to enlighten our response to the perfectly reasonable question: “Are we over-building or under-building or building ineffectively”. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
United States: Schools of Architecture
The Society for College and University Planning (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
National Center for Education Statistics
The Financial Impact of Architectural Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Budget in Modern Construction
Homeschooling
2022 International Existing Building Code
University College London
University of Toronto
43.0764° N | 87.8816° W
University of Waterloo Ontario
California Polytechnic University | San Luis Obispo County
Oulun yliopisto | Pohjois-Pohjanmaa
Tulane School of Architecture Louisiana
University of Michigan | Washtenaw County
Auburn University | Lee County Alabama
University of Kansas School of Architecture | Douglas County
As reported by the US Department of Commerce Census Bureau the value of construction put in place by April 2023 by the US education industry proceeded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $110.168 billion. This number does not include renovation for projects under 50,000 square feet and new construction in university-affiliated health care delivery enterprises. Reports are released two months after calendar month. The complete report is available at the link below:
MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION SPENDING April 2025 (released two months after calendar month)
#ConstructionSpending during April 2025 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,152.4 billion, 0.4 percent below the revised March estimate of $2,162.0 billion.https://t.co/ljpaYyKjuX#CensusEconData pic.twitter.com/fj4ahJShdW
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) June 2, 2025
This spend makes the US education facilities industry (which includes colleges, universities, technical/vocational and K-12 schools, most university-affiliated medical research and healthcare delivery enterprises, etc.) the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States after commercial property; and fairly close. For perspective consider total public + private construction ranked according to the tabulation most recently released:
$135.618 billion| Education Facilities
$152.009 billion | Power
$69.375 billion | Healthcare
Keep in mind that inflation figures into the elevated dollar figures. Overall — including construction, energy, custodial services, furnishings, security. etc., — the non-instructional spend plus the construction spend of the US education facilities is running at a rate of about $300 – $500 billion per year.
LIVE: A selection of construction cameras at US schools, colleges and universities
We typically pick through the new data set; looking for clues relevant to real asset spend decisions. Finally, we encourage the education facilities industry to contribute to the accuracy of these monthly reports by responding the US Census Bureau’s data gathering contractors.
Reconstruction of Ancient Agora
As surely as people are born, grow wealthy and die with extra cash,
there will be a home for that cash to sustain their memory and to steer
the cultural heritage of the next generation in beautiful settings.
More
National Center for Educational Statistics
AIA: Billings Index shows but remains strong May 2022
National Center for Education Statistics
Sightlines: Capital Investment College Facilities
OxBlue: Time-Lapse Construction Cameras for Education
US Census Bureau Form F-33 Survey of School System Finances
Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs
Storm Shelters
2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES
“Landscape between Storms” 1841 Auguste Renoir
When is it ever NOT storm season somewhere in the United States; with several hundred schools, colleges and universities in the path of them? Hurricanes also spawn tornadoes. This title sets the standard of care for safety, resilience and recovery when education community structures are used for shelter and recovery. The most recently published edition of the joint work results of the International Code Council and the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute SEI-7 is linked below:
2020 ICC/NSSA 500 Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.
Given the historic tornados in the American Midwest this weekend, its relevance is plain. From the project prospectus:
The objective of this Standard is to provide technical design and performance criteria that will facilitate and promote the design, construction, and installation of safe, reliable, and economical storm shelters to protect the public. It is intended that this Standard be used by design professionals; storm shelter designers, manufacturers, and constructors; building officials; and emergency management personnel and government officials to ensure that storm shelters provide a consistently high level of protection to the sheltered public.
This project runs roughly in tandem with the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute SEI-17 which has recently updated its content management system and presented challenges to anyone who attempts to find the content where it used to be before the website overhaul. In the intervening time, we direct stakeholders to the link to actual text (above) and remind education facility managers and their architectural/engineering consultants that the ICC Code Development process is open to everyone.
The ICC receives public response to proposed changes to titles in its catalog at the link below:
2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
You are encouraged to communicate with Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for detailed, up to the moment information. When the content is curated by ICC staff it is made available at the link below:
We maintain this title on the agenda of our periodic Disaster colloquia which approach this title from the point of view of education community facility managers who collaborate with structual engineers, architects and emergency management functionaries.. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone.
Readings:
FEMA: Highlights of ICC 500-2020
ICC 500-2020 Standard and Commentary: ICC/NSSA Design and Construction of Storm Shelters
Students presenting posters on how to be prepared for natural disasters and emergencies #onedistrictoneteam #D59learns @CCSD59 @D59Byrd pic.twitter.com/NOsa3ekkTD
— Mrs. Darga (@MrsDarga) September 19, 2023
Architectural Billings
Architectural Record April 2025
AIA Global Campus for Architecture & Design
Selecting architects for designing large educational campus buildings typically involves a structured process that ensures the chosen architect meets the project’s functional, aesthetic, and budgetary requirements. Here’s an overview of the typical steps involved:
1. Defining Project Goals and Requirements
- The institution or client identifies the purpose of the building, the estimated budget, sustainability goals, and any specific design or functional needs.
- A detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is prepared, outlining project objectives, scope, timeline, and submission requirements.
2. Public Announcement or Invitations
- The RFP/RFQ is distributed through professional networks, industry publications, or procurement platforms.
- Invitations may also be sent directly to pre-identified firms with expertise in similar projects.
3. Initial Submissions
- Interested architectural firms submit their qualifications or proposals. These typically include:
- Firm portfolio: Highlighting past projects, especially in educational architecture.
- Design approach: How the firm plans to address the project goals.
- Team composition: Key personnel and their relevant experience.
- References and certifications.
4. Shortlisting Candidates
- A committee reviews submissions and shortlists firms based on criteria such as experience, design philosophy, project understanding, and compatibility with the client’s goals.
5. Interviews and Presentations
- Shortlisted firms are invited for interviews to present their ideas, discuss their approach, and answer questions.
- Some institutions may request preliminary concept designs to gauge creativity and alignment with the campus’s vision.
6. Evaluation of Proposals
- Proposals are evaluated based on:
- Design capability: Innovation, sustainability, and functional design.
- Experience: Success in similar projects.
- Cost efficiency: Ability to meet the budget without compromising quality.
- Cultural fit: Alignment with the institution’s mission and values.
7. Final Selection
- The committee selects the architect based on scoring, deliberations, and sometimes a voting process.
- Contract negotiations follow, detailing scope, fees, and deliverables.
8. Community and Stakeholder Engagement
- In some cases, stakeholders, including faculty, students, and local communities, are involved in providing feedback or participating in design workshops.
9. Formal Approval
- The governing board of the institution or a similar authority often gives final approval.
This process ensures transparency, accountability, and the selection of the most qualified architect for the project.
Related:
Society for College and University Planning
Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963
Gates of Kiev | Pictures at an Exhibition | Promenade
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Facilities Management Job Description
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New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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