Industry News

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas will locate its new 500,000-sf headquarters in Portland, Ore. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the $250 million facility. Vestas will also open an R&D facility in Boston to develop generators, converters, and control technologies for next-generation wind turbines.

Hamilton Hospital broke ground on the $45 million Critical Access Hospital in Webster City, Iowa, in December of 2008. The 86,000-sf, 25-bed replacement hospital is slated for completion in July of 2010.

MedBuild announced a new product line of imaging buildings in December of 2008. The modular facilities are designed to accommodate specific pieces of imaging equipment for all manufacturers. Designed to fast track the acquisition of new imaging equipment for both manufacturers and radiologists, the buildings are pre-configured and include RF and magnetic shielding. The modular facilities enable institutions to specify the device and have a turnkey solution for imaging equipment housing. MedBuild, the healthcare division of Modular Space Corporation, is based in Berwyn, Pa.

Cambridge Architectural, a provider of sustainable architectural mesh systems, introduced Solucent™ in fall of 2008. Solucent is an energy-saving and daylighting mesh shading system for building exteriors and interiors. Providing an aesthetic and effective energy and light management solution, Solucent mesh shading systems reduce solar heat gain by shading the sun, leading to significant savings on cooling costs. Mesh is also a versatile daylighting material which can allow the desired amount of natural light through, reducing the need for electric light.

The University of Oklahoma Cancer Institute is slated for completion in summer of 2009. The $210 million, 220,000-sf National Cancer Institute is located at Oklahoma Health Center in Oklahoma City. Construction began on the seven-story project in early 2008.