Friday, July 31, 2009

Symons is the Best Buy

In 2001, Best Buy contracted with architects Perkins & Will and Opus Architects & Engineers to design a new corporate headquarters to consolidate their operations which were scattered around the Minneapolis area.

A unique design element of the Best Buy Campus is the 215,000 sq ft, two-level connector called the Hub. The Hub is intended to create an environment that is "fun, flexible and productive, while acting as a catalyst for learning, collaboration, community and creative solutions." Best Buy wanted the Hub to be an interaction space promoting what they call "casual collisions" between employees fostering a sense of familiarity, teamwork and an open exchange of ideas. The 1000 foot long Hub also links the four office towers to the 7,000 car, 2 million sq ft, five-level parking ramp.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Government Loans Available


As part of the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the U.S. government has provided extra funding for business loans. See http://www.GovLoans.gov for types of loans, qualifications, and applications.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

ENR Features Economics of Construction


Like many construction-related sites, ENR.com is keeping a close eye on the economic health of the industry and publishing their analyses. Their latest 2nd Quarterly Cost Report, Razor-Thin Margins As Contractors Fight For Stimulus Projects, details how intense competition for projects has driven bids down to levels that threaten profitability.

More information from the Economics section of ENR.com is available at
http://enr.construction.com/economics/default.asp