Multiple-Car Elevator Systems on the Rise

The idea of having an elevator with two independent cabs operating in the same shaft dates back to the 1920s, when Sprague’s Dual Elevator System operated in a 20-story Pittsburgh building. It was taken out of service in 1931 and it wasn’t until 2002, when ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG announced its multiple-car elevator system, that we’d […]

Wireless Emergency Communications Move to Elevators

Building owners often pay hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars each month for the multiple phone lines that ensure communications in their multiple elevators. During an emergency, passengers rely on these elevator phones in case of entrapment or an emergency. They’re a necessary expense, but wouldn’t it be great to be able to […]

High-Tech: One WTC’s Elevator System is Most Advanced in Western Hemisphere

During lunchtime on the construction site of One World Trade Center (OWTC) in Lower Manhattan, crew members and the design team usually spend their break on the 103rd floor. They roll up the construction plans, close their laptops, and eat the sandwiches they’ve brought with them. On a clear day, the view is spectacular: the […]

High-Rise Security Requires Proactive Preparation, Execution

You would never allow a potentially dangerous stranger to enter your home and wander around it without supervision, so why do we often permit such security lapses in the workplace? After all, not only do we spend more time at the job than at home, but the threats in the workplace are, in many ways, […]

Stand-Outs: High-Rise Managers Share Their Team’s Best Practices

Owning or managing a tall building is a lot like operating a small city. Being responsible for the services and infrastructure that keep occupants and tenants in business is a big job. So why not take some suggestions and help from your colleagues when you can get it?

We found some examples of best practices that are being incorporated in high-rise facilities, and arranged them into categories.

High-Rise Hotels That Get IT

High-def flat screens embedded into bathroom mirrors. Electronic doorbell systems that feature guest presence detection and tray removal tracking. Energy management systems that set lighting and temperature levels based on whether guests are in the room, out of the room, or checked out. All of these technologies are being incorporated into upscale…

Buildings Need to Breathe for Maximum Efficiency

When benchmarking more than 400 buildings for New York City’s Local Law 84 this year, we found that median energy consumption for buildings taller than 20 stories was 87 kBtu per square foot. The minimum and maximum ranges were between 50 and 258 kBtu per square foot. What causes such a big difference in energy […]

Southern California High-Rise Hotel Installs Innovative Piping System

Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center, CA, takes its commitment to building a better playground seriously. The entertainment company’s most recent project encompasses a new 21-story Resort Tower that will accompany the existing casino and hotel. The resort recently changed its name. It was formerly known as Harrah’s Rincon, after the American Indian reservation […]

Inside HRF: What’s New in Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems (VRF)?

Using refrigerant as the cooling and heating medium, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems cool or heat each room or zone individually only to the level needed. VRF systems work in both new construction and retrofit projects, and are most often seen in healthcare, education, hospitality, multifamily, and mixed-use facilities. The technology has been available […]

Buildings Need to Breathe for Maximum Efficiency

When benchmarking more than 400 buildings for New York City’s Local Law 84 this year, we found that median energy consumption for buildings taller than 20 stories was 87 kBtu per square foot. The minimum and maximum ranges were between 50 and 258 kBtu per square foot. What causes such a big difference in energy […]

High Performance: What Does it Mean for Tall Buildings?

What does “high performance” mean for high-rise towers? Does it involve 100% uptime, net zero energy, or green building projects? Is it a tower with low environmental impact and a healthy indoor atmosphere?

“We’re constantly asking our clients what ‘high performance’ means to them, because some people see it as only tangible things with…

Power Down to Reduce “Phantom Energy” Use

Don’t forget to pull the plug and turn out the lights! While the concept is known by different names – phantom load, vampire power, standby mode – at the end of the day, “phantom energy” does the same thing: it pulls unnecessary extra energy from the grid into commercial buildings when you aren’t looking. Many […]

Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels

High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the[...]

Brooklyn High-Rise May Save $700k with Parking Garage Lighting Upgrade

It took 15 years for developer Joshua Muss to turn a small city-owned park on top of an underground parking garage into the high-rise complex that is aptly named Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza. Muss’s vision was widely hailed as key to revitalizing the heart of Downtown Brooklyn but it was a long struggle to bring the […]

Doing More with Less Office Space

It’s a question that commercial office owners need to confront when evaluating their building’s marketability: Exactly how does the new age of work and increased density requirements impact my property? Regardless of location, today’s corporate users are focusing on productivity, flexibility, cost control, employee recruitment and sustainability. Perhaps the most important of these is cost […]

Buildings Need to Breathe for Maximum Efficiency

When benchmarking more than 400 buildings for New York City’s Local Law 84 this year, we found that median energy consumption for buildings taller than 20 stories was 87 kBtu per square foot. The minimum and maximum ranges were between 50 and 258 kBtu per square foot. What causes such a big difference in energy […]

Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels

High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the[...]

People Who Live in Glass Houses… Keep the Blinds Closed

Investing in something you don’t use seems like a waste of money and resources… but that’s what appears to be happening in New York City (and probably in other U.S. cities, too). A December 2013 study led by the Urban Green Council (UGC) looked at 55 buildings throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to see if […]

High-Rise On-Site Composting Gets a Reality Check

New York City’s five boroughs produce an estimated 36,200 tons of garbage daily, totaling 13.2 million tons annually. Many commercial buildings have adopted recycling programs that focus on plastics, aluminum, and paper, but programs for compostable waste aren’t often utilized. Some waste management companies will separate wet trash pick-ups and divert compostable material to an […]

UFAD Robot Cleans Beneath Raised Floor Systems

Martins Maintenance is one of the largest family-run commercial cleaning companies in the northeast with over 200 clients in 10 states. Among those clients is a Fortune 500 company occupying a high-rise office building. The firm called on the aid of Manuel Martins Jr. and Jordan Amaral to help solve an interesting problem at their […]

Stand-Outs: High-Rise Managers Share Their Team’s Best Practices

Owning or managing a tall building is a lot like operating a small city. Being responsible for the services and infrastructure that keep occupants and tenants in business is a big job. So why not take some suggestions and help from your colleagues when you can get it?

We found some examples of best practices that are being incorporated in high-rise facilities, and arranged them into categories.

Fire and Life Safety Auditing of Tenant Space Presents Challenges

The auditing of tenant space with regards to fire & life safety can be a challenge. There’s the delicate balance of trying to view all interior rooms and areas of the space being audited, be it small or large, and doing so without disrupting the tenants business in any manner. A look at key items […]

High-Rise Pre-Incident Plans Assist First Responders

Excellent response to emergency situations is never an accident. In order to ensure first responders are in the best position to save lives and property, property managers should fulfill the crucial responsibility of pre-incident planning their facilities. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has outlined pre-plan standards for fire departments to evaluate protection systems, building […]

Preparing for the Next Big Storm: NYC Task Force Examines Disaster Readiness

A few obvious factors come to mind when high-rise building owners and managers think about preparing for and recovering from a natural disaster: creating emergency plans, establishing reliable back-up power, forming business continuity strategies to preserve data… and the list goes on. But as New York continues its recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the recommendations released in a report from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn are a good reminder that there are other things to think about when preparing your facility for a possible disaster.

Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels

High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the[...]

Making Wireless Work at Floor 50 and Beyond

When potential tenants come knocking, a marquee address, square-footage, floor plans and breathtaking high-rise views aren’t the only things they are looking for. Today business and residential lessors place a high value on cellular voice and broadband mobile data coverage. Landline telephones are rapidly becoming a thing-of-the-past for homes and for an increasing number of […]

Stand-Outs: High-Rise Managers Share Their Team’s Best Practices

Owning or managing a tall building is a lot like operating a small city. Being responsible for the services and infrastructure that keep occupants and tenants in business is a big job. So why not take some suggestions and help from your colleagues when you can get it?

We found some examples of best practices that are being incorporated in high-rise facilities, and arranged them into categories.

JLL Keeping its Global Headquarters at Chicago’s Aon Center

Commercial real estate firm JLL (formerly Jones Lang LaSalle) is finalizing negotiations on a new long-term lease agreement that will keep its global headquarters in Chicago’s Aon Center office tower. The building is also managed by Jones Lang LaSalle. JLL has signed a letter of intent with Piedmont Office Realty Trust to extend its current […]

Leading Building Foundations Engineer Clyde Baker Joins GEI Consultants

Clyde Baker, Jr., a respected international figure in tall and super tall building foundation design and engineering, has joined GEI Consultants, Inc. Baker was formerly CEO and Chairman of Chicago-based geotechnical firm STS Consultants. Baker has served as lead geotechnical engineer on most of the tallest buildings constructed in Chicago over the past 50 years. […]

23-Story 200 W. Monroe Street in Chicago Sold for $100 Million

Less than two years after acquiring a 23-story office building at 200 West Monroe Street in Chicago for $75 million, a joint venture of Philadelphia-based Lubert-Adler and The Farbman Group has sold the asset for $100 million, or $186/sf. Beacon Investment Partners LLC partnered with Tel Aviv-based Harel Insurance Investments and Financial Services Ltd. to […]

San Francisco Developer Resurrects Planned L.A. High-Rise Condos

San Francisco-based Trumark Urban has purchased a fully entitled development site in the South Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, where it will build a $100-million condominium complex of 24 floors with 151 units. Formerly known as the Glass Tower, the residential high-rise was approved nearly a decade ago for the corner of West 11th […]

Tech Company Expands San Francisco Lease to 218,000 Square Feet

UBER Technologies – a technology platform designed to connect drivers and riders in order to help facilitate convenient, transportation options – has expanded its lease by an additional 130,434 square feet at Hudson Pacific Properties’ 1455 Market Street property in San Francisco. In July 2013, UBER signed a lease encompassing 88,134 square feet of initial […]

$350 Million Sale of 225 Bush is Largest Office Trade in San Francisco Since 2012

Flynn Properties and GEM Realty Capital closed on the sale of 225 Bush Street, the historic office building located in San Francisco’s Central Business District, to Chinese developer, Kylli Inc. for $350 million. The transaction is the largest office sale in San Francisco since 2012. Kylli Inc., a Chinese development firm backed by Genzon Group […]

Groundbreaking for Bellevue, WA High-Rise Office Tower

Trammell Crow Company and joint venture partner Principal Real Estate Investors have broken ground on 929 Office Tower, a 19-story, 462,000 square foot Class A office tower in Bellevue, Washington. The project will be ready for occupancy in December 2015. “We are excited to be partnering with Trammell Crow Company on 929 Office Tower to […]

Sales Center for $1.2 Billion Project Provides Buyers an Interactive Experience

Developer Kemper Freeman Jr has borrowed a page from the video game industry to solve a common real estate problem: how to sell a space that has yet to be built. Putting a high-tech spin on the traditional architectural model, the Kemper Development Company has introduced an immersive sales center experience. The multi-million dollar sales […]

University of Washington Selects Wright Runstad to Develop Seattle High-Rise

The University of Washington Board of Regents approved the selection of Wright Runstad & Company to redevelop Rainier Square, a 140,000 square foot retail property that is part of the University’s Metropolitan Tract in downtown Seattle. Wright Runstad & Company was selected through a competitive process managed by the University of Washington. With an 80-year […]

San Diego-Based Firm Plans New High-Rise Mixed-Use Community

San Diego-based real estate development and investment company Zephyr Partners has paid $21.1 million in an off-market acquisition of one of the last remaining full blocks of available property in downtown San Diego – a 60,000-square-foot site on Broadway between 7th Ave. and 8th Ave. The existing property, consisting of rundown and underutilized retail, parking […]

San Francisco Developer Resurrects Planned L.A. High-Rise Condos

San Francisco-based Trumark Urban has purchased a fully entitled development site in the South Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, where it will build a $100-million condominium complex of 24 floors with 151 units. Formerly known as the Glass Tower, the residential high-rise was approved nearly a decade ago for the corner of West 11th […]

Foreclosed Downtown L.A. High-Rise Has a New Owner

Los Angeles-based Jade Enterprises, a private commercial real estate investment and development company, has finally purchased Figueroa Tower, in downtown Los Angeles, in a deal that has been in the works since early 2013, pending the outcome of various foreclosure related court cases. Terms of the transaction were not immediately disclosed but court records indicate […]

Veolia’s New Boston Office Renovation Achieves LEED Gold Certification

Veolia’s new North American headquarters, at Exchange Place in Boston’s Financial District, has received LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors certification by the USGBC this month. Veolia Energy North America, operator of one the country’s largest portfolio of district energy networks and cogeneration facilities, moved into the 27,440-square-foot space, which comprises the entire 14th floor of […]

Boston RDA Approves 1.2 Million Square-Feet of Development

The Boston Redevelopment Authority Board approved a number of projects and initiatives throughout Boston last week. The ten approved development projects represent over $461.2 million of investment in the city and over 1.2 million square feet of development. When these projects break ground, they will create nearly 1,400 construction jobs. The BRA Board voted to […]

Massachusetts Hotels Must Comply with Food Waste Disposal Ban by October

Massachusetts’ statewide commercial food waste disposal ban will take effect on Oct. 1, 2014. The ban was designed to divert food waste to energy-generating and composting facilities and reduce the state’s waste stream. Large hotels are among the estimated 1,700 facilities that will be impacted. “We are committed to protecting our natural resources and creating […]

For Sale: San Antonio’s 28 Story Bank of America Plaza

CBRE has won the exclusive marketing assignment for Bank of America Plaza, a premier core Class A office building in San Antonio’s Central Business District. The property is owned by Talcott Realty Investors and managed by Transwestern. The 28-story, 534,184-square-foot office building is located at 300 Convent Street in San Antonio. It features the highest […]

Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels

High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the[...]

Contractor Selected to Build 30-Story Houston Office High-Rise

Crescent Real Estate Holdings has selected Balfour Beatty Construction as the general contractor for 6 Houston Center, a new Class AA high-rise office building to be located on the east side of Houston’s central business district. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this summer with an estimated $250 million construction cost. The 30-story, 600,000-square foot 6 Houston […]

Fountain Place in Downtown Dallas Sold for $200 Million

Atlanta-based Goddard Investment Group has acquired Fountain Place, one of the tallest buildings in downtown Dallas. The seller, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, has owned the building since 2011. The purchase price was not immediately disclosed but is estimated to be about $200 million. Fountain Place is a 1.2 million squre-foot, 60-story office tower at 1445 […]

Crescent Breaks Ground on Cesar Pelli-Designed Dallas High-Rise

Announcing it as “the first commercial building in Dallas to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s,” officials from Crescent Real Estate Holdings have broken ground on McKinney & Olive. Designed by award-winning Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, McKinney & Olive is a 20-story high-rise office buildings located in Uptown Dallas. The 3.1-acre […]

For Sale: San Antonio’s 28 Story Bank of America Plaza

CBRE has won the exclusive marketing assignment for Bank of America Plaza, a premier core Class A office building in San Antonio’s Central Business District. The property is owned by Talcott Realty Investors and managed by Transwestern. The 28-story, 534,184-square-foot office building is located at 300 Convent Street in San Antonio. It features the highest […]

Brandywine Realty Trust Named NAIOP 2014 Developer of the Year

NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has selected Brandywine Realty Trust as the 2014 Developer of the Year – the association’s highest honor. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Brandywine is a full-service commercial real estate services firm structured as a real estate investment trust that owns, leases and manages 283 properties and over 33 million […]

Zoning Change Allows Philadelphia High-Rise Development to Proceed

Minnesota-based developer, NP International, would like to construct two high-rise buildings as the centerpieces of a major mixed-use development called “River Walk Philadelphia.” Plans call for a 42-story tower and a 21-story tower in Logan Square on two parcels bounded by the Schuylkill River, Cherry and 23rd streets, and JFK Boulevard. The two parcels are […]

Sovereign Capital Plans Sale of 1818 Beneficial Bank Place in Philadelphia

San Diego-based Sovereign Capital Management Group plans to sell 1818 Beneficial Bank Place, a 37-story, Class-A office building with more than 1,000,000 square feet, located at 1818 Market Street in the Market Street West Submarket of Center City Philadelphia. Cushman & Wakefield has been engaged to take the property to market. Despite its location at […]

Another Luxury High-Rise Planned for Sunny Isles, Florida

Since 1997, when Sunny Isles Beach, Florida was incorporated, the city has undergone constant development, transforming it into one of the most luxurious hot-spots to live and vacation. Continuing in that tradition, MNM Companies has started marketing a planned high-rise condo tower called Muse Luxury High Rise Residences. The high-rise is being designed by architect, […]

58-Story Residential High-Rise Planned for Miami River Front

Adding to the recent revitalization along the Miami River, The Edge on Brickell condominium is launching sales, becoming the only new luxury residential development offered on the waterfront of the River. Set to begin construction early 2015 and be completed spring of 2017, the 58-story, 127-unit residential tower will soar 631 feet and will offer […]

Long Delayed Future Tallest Miami High-Rise Set to Begin Construction

Sylmar-California-based Tutor Perini Building Corp., has been selected as the general contractor and has signed a contract with Florida East Coast Realty, valued at approximately $255 million for construction of the Panorama Tower at 1101 Brickell Avenue in Miami, Florida. Panorama Tower is a planned condominium skyscraper that was originally approved by the City of […]

Groundbreaking Next Week for Midtown Atlanta Student Housing High-Rise

Dallas, Texas-based Inland American Communities Group, Inc. (IAC) will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for its newest University House property, University House Midtown, on Wednesday, May 14th, at 10:00 a.m. Located at the corner of Spring Street and 8th Street in Atlanta, the high-rise residenctial tower will be adjacent to the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia […]

Atlanta’s 72-Story Westin Peachtree Plaza Completes $70 Million Transformation

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta’s iconic John Portman-designed hotel, has completed the final phase of its grand $70 million renovation. In partnership with Atlanta architecture firm Cooper Cary, Atlanta interior designer Carolyn Auger of Blackdog Studio and contractor Balfour Beatty, every interior element of the hotel from the redesigned lobby, all 1,073 guest rooms and […]

Developer Reacquires Atlanta High-Rise it Built 50 Years Ago

An Atlanta-based developer, Portman Holdings, has purchased 230 Peachtree Street, a 414,768-square-foot office tower in downtown Atlanta. The 50-year-old building was first developed as an office building by Portman in 1965 as part of the Peachtree Center mixed-use development. Renovation will commence immediately to convert the 27-story building. Upon completion, office space will occupy approximately […]