Numerous historic preservation programs are completed each year. Here, 1,700 windows were replaced in a historic maintenance building at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Image source: Flickr CC user NAVFAC It is always nice to hear that a historic building was saved from the wrecking ball. These fading landmarks can be lighthouses, military bases, churches,
Schools are becoming a popular option for churches looking for a temporary or semi-permanent location. However, sometimes these moves can be controversial. Across the country, public schools are letting churches move into their buildings, unpack trailers filled with portable sanctuaries, and convert gyms and auditoriums into worship centers for the day. A new church that
The new Google Headquarters will somehow be even more impressive than the current one. Image from Wikimedia Commons user Durova. In the 1990s, Gatorade had a ridiculously catchy and overwhelmingly popular campaign jingle called “Be Like Mike,” about wanting to be like Michael Jordan, even if just for a day. Anyone who ever dribbled a
Music and art classes are usually the first things to go in times of budget cuts. Image from Wikimedia Commons. Most people have fond, if slightly embarrassing, memories of extracurricular activities. Whether it was learning to play the French horn in grade school band, publishing that hard-hitting expose on the price of fish sticks for
While the improving times could give churches and nonprofits more opportunities, they also have more opportunities for mistakes. Image source: Flickr CC user MarkMoz12 After weathering one of the nation’s harshest downturns, churches and nonprofits have some reasons to be optimistic about the current economic climate. The U.S. economy added another 295,000 jobs in February
Portable classrooms have long been used as a quick fix for overcrowding. As technology has advanced, however, schools are using modular buildings in place of traditional buildings. Image source: Flickr CC user TownePost Network People often think of portable classrooms as an unfortunate temporary solution to overcrowding in schools: quick and cheap, but far from
The main building in the Kane County Government Complex in Kane County, Illinois. Image source: Wikimedia Commons There is a saying among fans of some architecture schools that form should serve function and the design of a building should be aligned with the building’s purpose. This often comes to fruition as a gray, excessively utilitarian
As credit loosens, churches will have more options to borrow money for building projects. The question is, should they? Image source: Flickr CC user susieq3c Across the U.S., banks and lenders are loaning money again, giving churches the chance to borrow money for buildings and expansions. After one of the worst foreclosure crises in the
Waiting at the DMV and other government agencies can seem like an eternity, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Image source: Flickr CC User Omar Barcena There’s an inherent paradox when it comes to government buildings. They are there to serve the public and perform vital services that would otherwise become an unregulated
San Francisco’s office market isn’t in a bubble, analysts say, but a tech boom is driving up lease rates and lowering vacancies. Credit: Flickr CC user Scott Carr If you think office space rents are outrageously high in San Francisco and other office markets along the California coast, you’re right. San Francisco could potentially eclipse
A thriving neighborhood can be many things, but it usually has a few special features that define it. Credit: Flickr user josh In neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco, city governments and community leaders have been rolling out the welcome wagon to developers with good ideas. An entrepreneur who can see beyond the
