Earthquakes and Elevators: Seismic Detection Devices in High-Rises

An earthquake, even a light one, can distort or break the precisely aligned components of an elevator system. Possible damage due to a seismic event includes derailed counterweights (which could collide with the cabs), damaged or unseated wire rope and broken or damaged rails or guide rollers. Even a small tremor could bend a rail […]

Elevator Maintenance Delivery Practice Trends

The cost of elevator preventive maintenance continues to be on the rise. Additionally, recent industry trends with maintenance agreements now containing obsolescence clauses have significantly changed maintenance coverage and whether all parts of an elevator system are or are no longer covered. Recent Code changes requiring a Maintenance Control Plan (MCP) have also impacted a […]

Elevator Modernization: Tips on Project Planning, Budgeting, and Management

“Think about a LinkedIn or Shutterstock employee,” says Thomas Durels, executive vice president, chief of property operations and leasing for Empire State Realty Trust. “Those are our tenants; they’re working at the Empire State Building any time, day or night. They’re traveling to and from restaurants, a fitness center, conference space, and their workspaces – all under one roof. We’re contributing to their productivity by making sure they don’t have to wait in line for…

Mobile Access Opens New Doors for Property Managers and Tenants

When Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide rolled out its new mobile access solution in November 2014, the initiative demonstrated the many benefits of replacing keys with phones for opening hotel doors. It also showcased the value of this new access control model in any large high-rise facility. Starwood’s new system turns smart devices into trusted […]

6 Trends in Automating High-Rise Lobby Security

The opening of One World Trade Center this year is a tangible and celebrated reminder of the day security in America changed. After 9/11, high-rise buildings had no choice but to take visible security steps to protect tenants. While the expense of security has limited movement by some, many buildings have made security a priority. […]

Deploying a Crisis Awareness Solution in a High-Rise

Most office buildings have an access control system that controls and monitors who enters a specific part of the building. To date, however, no high-rise building has had a crisis management system in place that can alert building security and law enforcement about an intruder, active shooter, medical condition, missing person, or disturbance. Until now, […]

Historic Ohio Skyscraper Replaces Wasteful Steel Piping System


After a skyscraper has been around for a few years, for some of us, it begins to fade into the skyline. And after a few decades, when buildings begin to wear around the edges, we barely notice a few of the once-majestic structures. It can be easy to forget that some of these institutions aren’t […]

Boost Your High-Rise’s Immunity to Bacteria, Mold and Dust Mites

If someone told you there were new ways to solve old problems, how open would you be to learning about them? Consider building-related illness (BRI). What do you know about the new ways to mitigate this pervasive problem, which continues to have a huge impact on health and productivity? The Costs of Doing Business as […]

HVAC Mistakes That Could Be Costing You Big Money

After talking to energy and HVAC experts, we uncovered some real-world examples of problems they’ve seen unfold in both newer and older facilities. Read on to see what other facilities professionals have had to deal with in their high-rises, and pick up some pointers on preventing these situations in your own building.

Power Monitoring in High-Rises: Three Perspectives, One Goal

Everyone is interested in lowering their costs. Monitoring power and energy consumption offers a way to accomplish that goal in a large commercial space. Typical commercial facilities contain common areas, such as lobbies, hallways, elevators, and mechanical/electrical spaces. The interior is also occupied by tenants with various power needs. A building owner, a facility manager, […]

Inside High-Rise Facilities: Building-Integrated Photovoltaics

A building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) system integrates photovoltaic modules into the building envelope itself: typically in the roof or façade (or both). A BIPV system can simultaneously act as building envelope material and a power generator, offering the potential for material cost savings. For instance, building integrated photovoltaics may be used in place of traditional […]

Controlling Costs with Electrical Preventive Maintenance

On December 2, the city of Detroit experienced a widespread shutdown of its electric power due to failure of grids. This power failure “forced evacuations, trapped people on elevators and darkened hospital rooms,” according to the Detroit News. The report continued with a statement from Randi Berris, DTE Energy spokeswoman: “Everybody is aware the system […]

Beyond Lighting: The Future of IT and Light Fixture Integration

Light has been around as long as the human race. First came fire – primitive, serving a dual purpose of heating and illumination. Fire, as a technology, was around for thousands of years. Relatively recently (roughly 100 years ago), incandescent light was invented. This light source remains in use today, and involves a relatively simple […]

Making the Most of Every Square Foot of Office Space

Facilities managers who occupy real estate inside high-rise buildings must make the most of every square foot of interior office space. Office buildings are like budgets – just as financial managers look to squeeze value out of every single dollar, facilities managers must similarly look to extract utility from all available space on their floors. […]

Cut Energy Bills in High-Rise Restrooms

Even though the focus of most restroom projects is water conservation, that doesn’t mean energy-management improvements aren’t also possible. Because restrooms are usually located in the core of taller buildings, solar heat gain and heat loss through outside walls aren’t major culprits. But restrooms still consume their fair share of energy thanks to the hot […]

How Engineers Are Protecting 432 Park Avenue’s Concrete from the Elements

Standing at 1,397′ 432 Park Avenue is now the tallest residential building in the western hemisphere & truly is a spectacular feat of design, engineering & construction - the sheer size of the tower required over 70,000 cubic yards of concrete & 12,500 tons of rebar. On a remarkably clear day, while driving across the […]

Protect Your High-Rise from the Elements with Glass Rainscreens

Building façades serve a dual purpose: they create the visual identity of a building, and, more importantly, repel the elements – wind, rain, heat, and cold – in order to maintain a watertight enclosure and protect the structure. Cracks, crevices, or other openings in exterior shells – even minute breaks in the surface – can […]

Gardens in the Sky: Integrating Green Space in High-Rise Design

In packed high-rise districts, open green space is highly desirable, though not always so easily incorporated or executed. Yet the investment of time, energy, and financial resources is worthwhile: Integrating green space can help high-rise buildings meet sustainability standards, introduce new amenities, and increase overall property value. The following are important techniques and considerations when […]

High and Dry: High-Rise Facilities Save with Hand Dryers

Managers of high-rise facilities who want to lower operating costs don’t need to look any further: Restrooms offer an easy but significant opportunity to drastically reduce expenses. With hundreds of visitors and employees in a typical high-rise facility on a daily basis, a large number of restrooms are necessary – sometimes several on each floor. […]

High-Traffic: Extending Your Carpet’s Lifespan

When it comes to high-rise building carpets – or any carpet in a multi-tenant office building – certain pathways receive most of the foot traffic (and the wear and tear, as well as soiling, that go along with it). As a result, these pathways start to darken over time. This darkening is referred to as […]

Balers and Compactors for High-Rise Waste Recycling

High-rise facilities managers and owners are always looking for innovative ways to save money and help the environment. An often overlooked option is trash compacting and baling. With increasing landfill prices and ambitious government recycling goals, high-rise managers are looking at balers and compactors to help reduce costs and satisfy regulations. Balers Balers are powerful […]

High-Rise Facilities Need Dynamic Emergency Action Plans

The training is complete. The employees leave with their notebooks and go back to their offices. The notebooks go on the shelf. The crisis and emergency action plan (EAP) training session is over. Management is happy. It all looks good on paper, right? As the weeks and months pass, the notebooks remain on the shelf, […]

Dispelling Some Common High-Rise Fire Sprinkler Myths

Automatic sprinkler systems have enjoyed an enviable record of protecting life and property for over 100 years. Yet, there are still common misunderstandings about the operation and effectiveness of automatic fire sprinkler systems. The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), a non-profit association representing fire sprinkler contractors, would like to dispel some of those myths. AFSA believes that the installation […]

Indoor Communications: A Critical Component of Life Safety

Supporting wireless communications in high-rise buildings has become a necessity for facility managers and owners. While it may not be the first amenity that comes to mind to give a high-rise building a competitive advantage, there’s no service more important to communications or critical to life safety. In today’s wireless world, no one will lease […]

Inside High-Rise Facilities: Mass Notification Systems

The ability to notify tenants and occupants of an emergency situation is no longer just a nice option for commercial buildings to have. From an active shooter scenario to severe weather to a fire alarm activation, facilities professionals are choosing to invest in mass notification systems to provide a comprehensive crisis communication solution that works […]

Using High-Power DAS in High-Rise Buildings

Mobile service subscribers – your tenants and occupants – demand clear, consistent mobile services no matter where they are. To address the demand of mobile coverage and capacity within high-rise buildings, distributed antenna systems (DAS) are being used to provide wireless coverage and capacity. As bandwidth demands grow at unprecedented rates, solutions that can deliver […]

A Web of Wireless Challenges

Imagine for a moment that you’re trying to have a one-on-one conversation in a large, empty room. At first you’re able to speak at a comfortable level and hear each other perfectly, without much effort at all. But as the room slowly begins to fill, you have to adjust your volume and work a little […]

70-Story Supertall in San Francisco Will be West Coast’s Most Resilient

The new 70-story mixed-use tower at 181 Fremont Street currently being developed by Jay Paul Company, a leading San Francisco-based real estate firm, will be the most resilient building on the West Coast of the United States, with a structural design that will set the new standards in earthquake resiliency for future urban development. With […]

Transamerica Pyramid to Light up the Night as the Big Game Comes to Bay Area

The Transamerica Pyramid is taking the celebration of the Super Bowl, coming to Santa Clara, CA on February 7th, to the next level with special lighting of celebratory colors from February 1 – February 7. At 853-feet-tall, The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline. Designed by architect William Pereira and built by Hathaway […]

San Francisco High-Rise Unveils LED Video Wall Public Art Installation

A state-of-the-art, high-resolution LED video wall was recently unveiled at 350 Mission Street in San Francisco as part of a digital art show organized by Kilroy Realty Corporation. For the event, titled “Virtual Depictions: San Francisco,” Kilroy Realty and the City of San Francisco commissioned acclaimed media artist Refik Anadol to create an immersive public […]

Otis Elevator to Provide 22 Elevators for Prominent Seattle High-Rise

Otis Elevator has entered into a multimillion-dollar agreement with Schnitzer West to supply elevators and escalators for Madison Centre, a prestigious 37-story high-rise development in Seattle. This high-tech, LEED Gold certified tower is located at one of Seattle’s best known intersections and will incorporate the latest innovations in workplace effectiveness and smart design for an […]

Carey Watermark Acquires High-Rise Hotel in Booming Bellevue Market

Carey Watermark Investors 2 Incorporated (CWI 2), a non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing in hotels, has acquired the Seattle Marriott Bellevue. The newly developed hotel includes 384 guestrooms and is located in Bellevue, Washington, which has evolved from a Seattle suburb into a vibrant, independent city as a result of the high-tech […]

Urban Renaissance Group Acquires Four Portland High-Rise Office Towers

Urban Renaissance Group (URG) has acquired the operating portfolio of Portland-based real estate company Langley Investment Properties (LIP). With this acquisition, URG’s total operating platform is now more than 10 million sq. ft. in Portland, Seattle and Denver. Going forward, LIP will refocus its efforts on new investment and development opportunities as well as related […]

L.A’s Wilshire Grand is Now Tallest Building West of the Mississippi

After workers at the Wilshire Grand placed the final segment of the tower’s rooftop spire last weekend, the building reached its final height of 1,100 feet and making it the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Workers used a crane to lift the final piece of the steel spire and the building’s beacon onto the […]

High-Rise San Diego Courthouse Topping-Out This Week

California-based contractor Rudolph and Sletten will top-out the new San Diego Central Courthouse this week. The 25-story, $555 million project is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2017 and will combine several of The Superior Court of San Diego County’s spaces while offering a full-service facility for criminal, civil, probate, family, and small […]

Gemini Rosemont Acquires High-Rise Office Tower in Downtown San Diego

Santa Fe, New Mexico-based Gemini Rosemont has acquired the 19-story 610 West Ash commercial office building in San Diego. The acquisition of the office tower adds 177,489 rentable square feet of Class A office space to the company’s portfolio. The company now owns 114 buildings in 21 states across the U.S. The building was purchased […]

Boston’s Two Liberty Square Sold for $28 Million

Philadelphia-based CenterSquare Investment Management has sold Two Liberty Square, a 67,609-square-foot office building in Boston on behalf of one of its institutional clients for $28.25 million. CenterSquare acquired the asset for $18 million in 2013. HFF arranged the sale and secured a 10-year, fixed-rate loan through SunLife for the buyer, Boston-based The Winhall Companies. The […]

16-Story West Loop Chicago Office Tower Trades Hands for $135 Million

Boston-based AEW Capital Management has acquired a 16-story Class A office tower in Chicago’s West Loop for $135 million. The seller, Northwood Investors, was represented in the transaction by HFF. Northwood acquired control of the property in 2012 in a transaction that valued the building at $95 million. At the time, the seller, a tenancy […]

Skanska Celebrates Groundbreaking for Boston’s 121 Seaport

Skanska USA Commercial Development, joined by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and CBT Architects, broke ground this week on the city’s newest office tower - 121 Seaport - a 17-story, 400,000-square-foot Class-A office building with two floors of retail - in Boston’s Seaport District. Located at the corner of Seaport Boulevard and East Service Road, […]

JMJ Raising Money for Construction of San Antonio Residential High-Rise

Dallas, Texas-based developer JMJ Development, led by principal Tim Barton, is planning to build a 30-story residential high-rise in supply-constrained San Antonio. Villita Tower will contain 201 market rate units overlooking San Antonio’s iconic River Walk on the San Antonio River. Colliers International’s structured finance team of Jeffrey Donnelly and Ulrike Ahrens has been retained to source $47 million in debt and […]

High-Rise Apartment Tower to Be Built in Texas Medical Center

Greystar and Medistar Corporation have formed a joint venture to develop Ascent Med Center, a luxury apartment community located in Houston, Texas. The 35-story high-rise development will feature 375 apartment homes at the corner of Travis Street and Old Main Street in the Texas Medical Center (TMC). “Ascent Med Center was designed with a top-notch amenity package, high […]

Groundbreaking for 58-Story Downtown Austin Luxury Condo Tower

The development team of Aspen Heights, Constructive Ventures and CIM Group have broken ground on The Independent, a 58-story, 370-unit condominium tower in downtown Austin. Located at the corner of West 3rd Street and West Avenue, the property was acquired from the City of Austin in November 2015 under the terms of a Master Development […]

Hines Sells Chase Tower to Fortis Property Group

Hines has sold Chase Tower in Dallas to Fortis Property Group. The 55-story, Class A office tower is located at 2200 Ross Avenue in Dallas’ Arts District/Midtown area. The 1,253,615-square-foot tower was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and was completed in 1987. The tower’s unique architecture stands out on the Dallas skyline with its […]

Hines Sells Dallas’ One Victory Park to Clarion Partners

Hines and a German investment fund managed by Estein & Associates USA have closed on the sale of One Victory Park in Dallas to Clarion Partners. Clarion acquired the property on behalf of a commingled fund advised by the firm. Financial information related to the transaction was not disclosed. Hines was advised by HFF on […]

Kone Opens New Facility and Test Tower in Allen, Texas

Global elevator manufacturer Kone has opened a new U.S. facility in Allen, Texas. The 16,000 square-meter facility houses Kone Americas’ supply operations with a light manufacturing unit, major project engineering, research and development department, and other product and installation support functions. The facility also features a 40-meter tall test tower with six elevator shafts to […]

Shorenstein Acquires Downtown Pittsburgh’s One Oxford Centre

Oxford Development Company has sold One Oxford Centre, a one million-square-foot, Class A, trophy office tower in downtown Pittsburgh, to Shorenstein Properties. HFF marketed the property and worked on behalf of the new owner to place the acquisition loan with Helaba and CIBC. While no terms were revealed, the firm is believed to have paid […]

Groundbreaking for Center City Philadelphia Residential High-Rise

The Goldenberg Group of Philadelphia, international real estate firm Hines, and ASB Real Estate Investments, today celebrated the groundbreaking of a new Class A residential tower at 1213 Walnut Street in Center City, Philadelphia. The project represents the first venture by the partnership of Goldenberg, Hines and ASB. 1213 Walnut will be a 26-story 300,000-square-foot, […]

Newly Built Philadelphia High-Rise Apartment Tower Sold for $51 Million

AQ Rittenhouse, a newly constructed, LEED Silver certified, 110-unit high-rise apartment residence, located in Rittenhouse Square, has been acquired by LaSalle Investment Management for $51.1 Million. The sale of AQ Rittenhouse was the first transaction of its kind for ARA Newmark in Philadelphia since the company was acquired by BGC Partners, Inc. in December 2014. The NGKF […]

Transwestern to Manage Sumitomo Corp’s Miami Tower

Sumitomo Corporation of Americas has retained Transwestern to provide strategic and complex management services for Miami Tower, a 47-story, 619,084-square-foot, Class A core office tower in Miami’s Central Business District. Transwestern Senior Vice President Andrea Lopez, head of Management Services in Florida, will lead the management team. Cushman & Wakefield was awarded office leasing and […]

New York Buyer Acquires Miami’s Courthouse Tower in Off-Market Sale

Downtown Miami’s landmark Courthouse Tower has been sold to New York real estate private equity firm Brickman for $27.5 million. Mika Mattingly of Sterling Equity Realty’s Mika Miami team represented the seller, Courthouse Towers LLC, which is owned and operated by The Donovan Family. RFK Senior Directors Benjamin Mandell and John Ellis represented the buyer. […]

New Leasing Agent for Iconic Limestone Office Tower in Tampa

CBRE has been appointed exclusive leasing agent for Rivergate Tower – the landmark, cylindrical high-rise office building located at 400 North Ashley Drive in Tampa, Florida. Miami-based Banyan Street Capital acquired the 31-story tower in August 2015 with plans to be at the forefront of Tampa’s emergence as a top destination for corporate relocations as […]

Simpson Housing Acquires The Residence Buckhead Atlanta for $136.5 Million

The Residence Buckhead Atlanta, a 370-unit, luxury high-rise apartment tower situated within the Buckhead Atlanta mixed-use development in Atlanta, Georgia, has been sold for $136.5 million. HFF marketed the asset exclusively on behalf of the developer, OliverMcMillan. The buyer is Simpson Housing LLLP. HFF previously worked on behalf of the developer to arrange construction financing […]

Related Group Selects Balfour Beatty to Build High-Rise Midtown Atlanta Residential Tower

The Related Group has selected Balfour Beatty Construction to build its new luxury, mixed-use residential tower in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. Located at West Peachtree and 14th Street, the 39-story tower will become the tallest residential tower project built in Atlanta since 2009. Consistently ranked by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as a top 5 […]

Innovative Elevator System to Make Debut at Atlanta High-Rise

Last month, Portman and Georgia Institute of Technology gathered civic and business leaders in a parking lot on Atlanta’s Tech Square to announce Coda, a new “Class T” (for technology) high-rise. The approximately 750,000 square-foot mixed-use project represents a $375 million investment into the budding innovation district. Within the development, 620,000 square feet will be […]