Inflation Is On Its Way
The understatement about the economy that is repeatedly heard these days is that “We are living in unprecedented times”. Who could have predicted the meltdown of our financial markets and the effects it has had on construction. The real key question we are all asking is “given all we have experienced over the last nine months, what can we expect from the next nine months? Download to Read More...

Planning For Project Cost Savings
Webster’s Dictionary defines “Constructability” as…wait a minute…it DOESN’T define that term.  In fact, a general search of accepted dictionaries reveals that as far as this main stream media goes, the term “Constructability” does not exist.  Most commentators accept this absence. Yet, almost every construction professional has likely heard the term, and maybe even used it.  So, what is Constructability, what is a Constructability Review, and, equally important, do you need one? Download to Read More...

The Banker is always the last to know!
As a construction lender one of the greatest challenges is successfully managing a development loan.  There are so many moving parts that a banker must rely on his construction consultant to provide the early warning when a project is in trouble and too often it is too late when the lender finds out. There are several simple actions a lender can take that would reduce their risk.  Not all risks will be eliminated.  However, the majority of the hidden issues can surface by accomplishing the following steps. Download to Read More...

“GREEN” Movement – The Benefits of Becoming LEED® Certified
In April 1993, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) gathered for their first meeting and the organized effort behind sustainable buildings was founded.  In 1998, a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system was established.  Initially these standards were questioned by owners about why they would spend more money on a building without a known return of investment.  USGBC recognized the challenge and focused their research and criteria towards identifying what returns on investment could be available for a LEED certified building and USGBC, along with building owners, determined that the potentially increased up-front costs for a LEED certified building resulted in an increase in the buildings net operating income.  This increase enabled the owners to increase the net present value of the future cash flows, thus increasing the value of the building. Download to Read More...

Creation of a City
One of our most unique assignments this past year has been the creation of the City of Dunwoody. It has taken a significant amount of our program and project management skills to craft the delivery process through which Dunwoody will deliver services to its citizens. We designed and developed an implementation plan that has achieved some significantly successful results. Download to Read More...

Building Commissioning Critical for Modern Facilities
More than ever before, building commissioning is a vital component of any new hospital construction or expansion. Gone are the days of the hospital that simply houses advanced technology. Modern healthcare facilities incorporate high-end technologies throughout. Building commissioning provides a comprehensive approach to quality assurance for a hospital’s entire infrastructure. Such systems may include heating and air conditioning, plumbing, bio-containment, electrical, safety equipment and security systems. Commissioning ensures a new facility begins its life cycle at optimal productivity with all systems operating as intended. Download to Read More...

A Green Design
An Interview with Paul Cassilly, Director of Design and Construction for the University of Georgia
When did conservationism and sustainability become an important component of the building process at University of Georgia? I’ve been working in this department for 12 years and cannot think of a single project where we did not think about energy usage and sustainability. Since this has been ‘work as usual’ probably explains why UGA doesn’t get as much publicity for its sustainable building as other schools in the university system of Georgia. Download to Read More...

A New Approach to Hospital Funding
Public private partnerships, or PPP’s, are gaining traction as viable alternatives to traditional funding mechanisms. PPP’s are most closely associated with transportation projects in the U.S., but the private funding model is being used in Europe for other purposes, including hospitals. Now, investors are looking at opportunities within the U.S. healthcare industry, meaning an infl ux of private capital may soon drive the next wave of hospital construction. Download to Read More...

Higher Education Goes Green
Boyken advocates building sustainability, or green building, in designing, building, renovating, operating, and reusing resources in an ecologically efficient manner. This quarter we are interviewing one of our clients, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida about the university's "green" policies with regard to their construction projects. Download to Read More...

Do You Have a Disaster Recovery Preparedness Plan?
The hurricane and tornado season is upon us, and even though the weather has remained relatively quiet since Katrina, remember that it's the "calm before the storm" that you have to worry about! Download to Read More...

The Healthcare Paradigm Has Shifted
Boyken International and Hart Freeland Roberts have joined forces in a strategic marketing alliance to pursue the booming healthcare market in the US. Hart Freeland Roberts specializes in healthcare facility development planning for hospitals, clinics, medical schools, medical office buildings, retirement communities, mental health and ambulatory care centers. This interview with James G. Easter, Jr., FAAMA, Vice President and Director of Planning, Healthcare Division of HFR, Inc in Nashville, Tennessee provides real insight into new trends in healthcare he is witnessing. Download to Read More...

Building Information Modeling: The $16 Billion Revolution in Collaboration & Facility Information
Over the past twenty years, the manufacturing industry has seen rapid advancements in a shift to the use of digital modeling and project information that takes products from design through fabrication to marketing. Industrial designers, engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and salespeople collaborate and use information. In the meantime, the construction industry has continued to struggle with the increased exposure to cost escalation, errors and omissions, labor shortages, and dissatisfaction with facilities as delivered. Download to Read More...

Mid-Project Intervention: Early Avoidance and Resolution of Construction Disputes
Experienced owners, designers or contractors can sense when a problem is developing on a project, before it escalates into claims and litigation. Sensing a problem based on the warning signs of trouble¹ can lead to early intervention, offering a better chance of resolving disagreements, and allowing the completion of the project in a timely and efficient manner. Two viable mechanisms for such mid-project intervention are the use of a Neutral Expert, and Construction Emergency Response Team (CERT). Download to Read More...

Ten Warning Signs a Project is in Trouble And What to Do About It
David Letterman has his Top Ten List. Moses had His commandments. But hotel owners may not have their own list of construction warning signs … until now. Based on decades of lessons learned from project-management and litigation support, these top-ten pitfalls and their related advice should help hotel executives avoid everything from needless delays to costly litigation to stress-related ills. Download to Read More...

Luxury Resort Trends
On occasion we come across someone who can provide real insight into new trends in design and construction for projects in Boyken’s markets. On this occasion, we interview Scott Lee, a principal in the firm SB Architects, with whom Boyken is currently enjoying a close working relationship on several projects in the Caribbean. In this issue of Developments, we interview Scott about the trends he is observing in designing luxury hotel properties, both in the United States and internationally. Download to Read More:

Conducting the Orchestra
A successful Program manager is like a Conductor of a Symphony Orchestra. The conductor must use the masterpiece created by the composers and the talents of the orchestra to create the outcome intended. Download to Read More...

Using Cost to Cure Estimates in Litigation - The Lawyer's Perspective
Tony Lehman practices construction law in the Atlanta office of DLA Piper, a firm of over 3200 lawyers in 63 different offices worldwide in 25 different countries. In his practice, Tony represents owners, developers, suppliers, contractors, architects, and engineers. Mr. Lehman prosecutes and defends architectural design, construction defect, and payment and performance bond claims in litigation and through alternative dispute resolution. We sat down with Tony to get his take on estimating Cost-to-Cure claims in his litigation practice. Download to Read More...

Measuring, Monitoring and Managing the Potential Cost of Construction Project Risk
Risk is another name for uncertainty, which includes the complete range of positive and negative impacts on the future outcome of a project. A project’s exposure to risk can range from acts of nature to simple mistakes. The usual end result of a deviation from the original project plan, budget or schedule is additional cost to the project. Risk Management is the methodology involved in limiting exposure that can be caused by these events. Download to Read More...

Value Engineering to Reduce Hotel Costs and Operator Costs
Value engineering is an often-misapplied process used to cheapen a building, which can result in higher-than-expected operating costs. True value engineering is the analysis of the systems’ full life cycles with the primary goal of achieving the best value for the money invested. Download to Read More...

Hotel Development Trends: The Emergence of Hotel Spas
The Baby Boomer’s new “theme park” is now the casino and the spa. In the 1990’s, the baby boomer generation – those born between the years 1946 and 1964 -- spent a great deal of their time and money visiting theme parks with their families. Now that their kids have grown, these same thrill-seekers have shifted their focus toward entertaining themselves. One venue that has been a major beneficiary of this trend is the spa. Download to Read More...

Overcoming Cultural Differences in International Hotel Development
With annual spending exceeding $6 billion, tourism is the world’s largest industry. Travel and travel-related industries employ over 234 million people worldwide. That’s almost 9 percent of the world’s population. By 2016, travel and tourism will account for approximately 10 percent of the global economy.Download to Read More...

Hospitality Construction – Cost and Schedule
There’s an old proverb, “the first step is always the hardest.” While appropriate for many things in life, it certainly rings true for any hospitality construction project. The steps taken, or not taken, during the initial planning stages of a project will significantly impact short-term effectiveness and long-term viability of the project. Download to Read More...

The Importance of Branding
An informative interview on branding with Hugh Darley, President / Executive Producer from IDEA, Inc.
Our business approach is to look at a project from the guest’s perspective and envision the guest experience when the project is finally complete. We call this approach “branding the destination.” Branding originated as an agricultural term which simply allowed farmers to identify his cows from the other guy’s cows. Today that same process helps the design team look at the core essence of a client’s project and determine how to make their “cow” look differently than the other guy’s “cow.” Download to Read More...