The Volunteer Economy
In today's economic environment many non-profit organizations have seen a dramatic increase in human capital. Many professionals who have been laid off or otherwise in between jobs are seeking volunteer opportunities to give back, keep their skills sharp, and stay engaged in their communities. Volunteering is another means of networking.

Building Information Modeling (BIM): Change for the better.
Until a few years ago, the process of designing a building had not changed significantly since the French revolution, or the American for that matter. Yes, CADD came along in the early to mid eighties with promises of great change. The truth is that most architects simply put away their pencils and drafting tools and picked up a mouse, but the design process didn't change significantly.

Student Participation
Typically when a new school is under construction on an existing school site, there are rigid measures in place to keep students safely separated from the construction site. In fact, a great deal of planning is in place long before the first piece of equipment arrives. Fences, signage, and security measures are all detailed on the construction documents and the onsite superintendent ensures that everyone stays on the “their side of the fence.” However, there are times when students are welcomed, and even encouraged, to visit the job site.

School Construction Through the Eyes of the Principal
Building a new school on an occupied campus and just a stone's throw from an existing school is nothing out of the ordinary for Oak Contracting. In fact, Oak has built or renovated nearly one hundred schools valued well over a billion dollars and a majority of those were in an occupied setting. Building schools and keeping students and faculty safe is an everyday focus of the business. This is also the case for the state of Maryland and its local school systems, who have dedicated staff charged with managing the planning and construction process. However, for a school's principal, building a new school is usually a once in a lifetime event.

Underground Stability Makes Way for Design Flexibility at New Edgewood High School
When the high speed passenger trains roar past the 62 classrooms and three portable classrooms that comprise Edgewood High School in Harford County, Maryland, the noise can disrupt even the most studious. The train tracks - and the portables themselves - are indicative of a problem that has been plaguing the school for some time: there just isn't enough room to accommodate the multiple educational needs with the current infrastructure.

Out of the Ashes
Surreal. This is probably the word that summed up the day in Libertytown, MD on Thursday, June 3, 2004 when the inconceivable happened. Routine repairs to the roof were underway and the final touches were being welded together. Non-routine were the sparks left smoldering during a lunch break that grew into a devastating fire in just minutes. After 133 years of serving as a communal icon in the center of town, St. Peter the Apostle had been reduced to ashes.

Greening Schools in Maryland
Recycling bins have been a common fixture in schools for some time now. In fact, it would probably seem odd not to see one. Many schools in Maryland even have programs where young students are taught to recycle and fill out math worksheets with an environmental theme. More recently, programs developed to educate students on how to be good stewards of our environment have become increasingly popular. In addition to environmentally friendly programming in schools, the facilities themselves are also slowly going green.

What Makes Great Buildings Great?
History repeats itself in many ways. Architectural styles of the past are being resurrected into modern design for any number of reasons today, not the least of which is that classic designs have stood the test of time. That raises the question, “What is great design?”

Commercial Construction Fears Shortage of Labor
The construction industry in America is standing in the shadow of a historically unprecedented hurdle. The workforce is aging, and candidates are not being drawn into the industry quickly enough to compensate for the inevitable mass exodus of the baby boomers.

How a CM Can Help You
America's professional Construction Managers can support Owners with a proven strategy to deliver the best possible projects, on time and within budget. Pressure is falling on Owners, who will confront complex issues in every area from site preparation to technology infrastructure, from builder selection to the finishing touches before “opening day.” Handling these issues assures on-time delivery, within-budget projects that meet your needs. But it also puts huge demands on your time and requires skills and expertise few Owners possess.

Multifaceted Modernization
As with any construction project, whether a complete renovation, new construction, or a combination of both, there are ultimately a few things that are less than perfect. However, ensuring that those few things are addressed in a timely manner and corrected is imperative to a project's success. The level of service provided to the Owner and the building occupants can ultimately make or break a project.

Build Green, Make Green
New York Times columnist Tom Friedman reports in his article ?And the Color of the Year Is,? ?We reached a tipping point this past year ? where living, acting, designing, investing and manufacturing green came to be understood by a critical mass of citizens, entrepreneurs and officials...

Greening Maryland
What exactly is the Green buzz?
In response to a growing awareness of the global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, deforestation, and polluted ground waters, the building industry has begun to transform its practices and technologies to reduce its own impacts...

Green Building Makes a Great First Impression
Students attending Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, have a brand-new facility on campus to make use of beginning in the 2007-2008 academic year. That's because the Center for Business and Graduate Studies, located at 14000 Jericho Park Road on the BSU campus, opens its doors to students at the start of the new term. A unique, sustainable design and a strong academic environment mean this edifice will prove beneficial to BSU students and faculty members for many years to come...

A Process Worth Reviewing
The two biggest issues that face most owners during a construction project are time and money. Everyone wants to know how long before the new space can be utilized and how much it is going to cost...

Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School: Enormous Project Yields Enormous Results
August 21, 2006, was a day of great importance for Prince George's County Public Schools. On that day, the doors of Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School, located in Upper Marlboro, opened to students for the very first time, ushering in a new era of education for the high school's 1,900 students and the Maryland school district as a whole...

Successful Battle Plans: The Benefits of CPM Scheduling
You've got that important meeting with the client today. They want their construction project done yesterday, and you have to show them a schedule that works fast enough for their needs and smart enough for your needs. What's your battle plan?

Injury Prevention Requires Statistical Knowledge
"If you want to dramatically cut workers' compensation costs, follow the numbers, not the headlines," notes Dr. Tom Leamon, director of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, who presented the 2004 Liberty Mutual Workplace Index findings at the National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference in November 2004.

School's in Session and Under Construction
Phased renovation is becoming more and more popular with building owners in today's market. The advantages for the building owner are clear: the occupants can remain in the building, and the need to find new, undeveloped land to purchase and develop is nonexistent...

Bladensburg High School
On August 22, 2005, students at Bladensburg High School returned from summer break to a brand new facility. After being displaced to Bowie four years earlier, students and faculty were welcomed home to a new state-of-the-art school that completely replaced the original structure...

Choosing the Best Delivery Method for Your Project
An Owner embarking on a construction project must make an important decision regarding the method by which the project is designed and constructed?the project delivery method. This decision has become more difficult in recent years as several ?alternative delivery methods? have been developed to address weaknesses in the traditional design-bid-build scenario...

What Will My Project Cost?
This is one of the most frequent questions asked during a project?from conception through bid day. Unfortunately, it is also a question that is difficult to answer very specifically. Can you tell me how much it costs to take a vacation or send my kids to college? How much should I expect to spend on a new car?

Aberdeen High School
Last fall Harford County Public Schools opened the doors to a brand new Aberdeen High School. Students and staff welcomed their new home after putting up with disruptions for the past three years as the former school was being replaced...

Evolution of 615 North Wolfe Street
In February 1922 the Rockefeller Foundation appropriated $6 million for the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, noting its "appreciation of the splendid record already made by this unique institution and its confidence in the ability of the School to continue to make notable contributions to education and leadership in public health."...

Grand Lodge
Twelve years ago, the Grand Lodge of Maryland chose Oak Contracting to serve as Construction Manager for their new Activities Center. The building quickly became recognized as a benchmark of construction craftsmanship winning an unprecedented eleven Building Congress and Exchange Craftsmanship awards...

Building the Right Construction Management Culture
At the onset of a new construction project and securing a design and contractor team, there are a variety of different ways to structure the work. Conventional methods are being agressively challenged by clients in an effort to save time, money, reduce risk, and maximize collaboration on the project.