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Pandemic accelerates next-generation design in senior living
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesBecause COVID-19 spreads so rapidly, often undetected, and is disproportionately fatal in the case of elderly patients, the pandemic has exposed underlying vulnerabilities in the current design and operation of senior living facilities. This has some in the sector, including architects and designers, developing new models of what senior living might look like in the near future.
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Back to business: 3 tips on restarting your construction operations
Patrick Hogan Construction & Building MaterialsWhen the construction industry started the year 2020, most contractors were confident about the industry’s future. A few weeks into the year, however, the COVID-19 crisis hit. In order to adapt to the changing industry environment, you need to plan strategically and have a solid foundation for your business decisions. Here are some tips on how to prepare your construction business for operations during the current COVID-19 crisis.
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Remodelers hopeful resurgence in business will continue
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsRenewed homeowner interest in undertaking home renovation projects has boosted remodelers' optimism that demand for their services will rebound in the third quarter. Activity began to improve in the latter part of the second quarter as some states started opening up businesses and relaxing stay-at-home orders. But with some cities and states reinstating closures and lockdowns due to renewed outbreaks of COVID-19, the outlook at present is more uncertain.
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Home design priorities changing as owners age in place
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWith the largest percentage of homeownership and length of stay, as well as home asset value, the 55-plus market continues to drive demand for home design, remodeling and renovation services. Older homeowners are more likely to hire a professional when undertaking design and renovation projects, and they tend to spend more on average per project. With many choosing to remain in their current home, they are shifting their attention from redesign to renovations that will support their future needs.
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5 of America’s top tiny house resorts
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureTiny houses have become all the rage in America over the last several years. Widely featured in TV coverage, websites, and social media, the idea of mini-home living has ushered in an architectural and social movement nationwide. There are plenty of uses for these mini-structures beyond serving as primary residences. Microapartments and microhotels have popped up, signaling the inevitable development of tiny house resorts. A number of them have opened from coast to coast, so let's have a look at some of the most outstanding examples.
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How 3D architectural rendering services can boost your design business
Anvi Dave Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWhile architects and designers have always had a number of tools to help them do their job, 3D architectural renderings have truly changed the game. By providing clients with photorealistic 3D images of interior and exterior spaces, you can improve your business' performance and profitability. Whether you want to find new clients, optimize your budget, or enhance communication, CGI and CAD can help you do it all. Read on to learn more about how architectural rendering services can boost your design business.
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New advocacy group launches to help America’s small businesses
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementPolicymakers, beware. Small Business for America’s Future (SBAF) is a new advocacy group, evolved from Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform. Why? Look no further than the performance of Congress and the White House as the COVID-19 pandemic hammered mom-and-pop shops with a crash in consumer demand across the U.S. SBAF surveyed 1,200 small business owners whose responses show the damage as Capitol Hill dithered. For instance, 53% of small business owners have increased debt during the pandemic.
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Redlining: Why white people are typically wealthier than Black people
Patrick Gleeson Civil & GovernmentAfter a relatively long period of stable opinion, a confluence of early 2020 events has rapidly changed white Americans’ views on race, and, specifically, on why white Americans have so much more wealth than Blacks. Many white Americans, newly conscious of various inequalities holding Black Americans back, may believe these problems, once identified, can be remedied relatively quickly — if not in a few months, then certainly in a few years. A closer look at the wealth gap and its causes, however, suggests that remedies will be neither fast nor easy.
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Homebuyers head to the ‘burbs
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsNew home sales soared in May, pushing year-over-year sales figures back into the black. Low interest rates, a shortage of existing homes for sale, and early steps to revive economic activity helped to fuel the demand for new homes. So did what appears to be a growing pandemic-driven trend, a migration from cities to the suburbs. After two months of declining sales, purchases of new homes vaulted 16.6% in May compared to the previous month, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Demand drove prices back up as well.
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Singapore Changi puts construction plans on hold as it studies aviation’s…
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotivePlans for the construction of a new terminal at Singapore Changi Airport have been put on hold as the airport sets aside time to study the future of aviation and whether the future of aviation will justify the work. The new Terminal 5 at Changi had been planned for an area to the east of the existing terminals and would be the biggest at the airport with capacity for 50 million passengers per year. With an anticipated opening in the early 2030s, Changi Airport Group had expected to be going to tender soon, ready for work to commence on the important structure.
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