2008
Culture
Clash - February
2008
There
are two buildings in Milwaukee’s Third Ward that
tell the stories of the lives within and the changes
around them. One building represents the way things
used to be. The other stands for what is to come.
Dustin Block shares their stories.
Decade
of Decay- January
2008
In
the world market, Aacer Flooring might not be much
more than a blip on the radar. But the Peshtigo
manufacturer made the wood floors that will take
center stage at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Dustin Block traces the path of a Wisconsin tree
that traveled to China.
2007
Little
Big Men- December
2007
Some
of them don’t have ventilation. Some are so packed
with equipment that workers hardly have room to
move. Whatever the problem, many public works buildings
around the state are in bad shape. Dustin Block
reports that some communities are ready to fix the
problem.
Newsmakers
of the Year - November
2007
It’s
hard to define a Newsmaker, but you know one when
you see one. They’re the people who just can’t be
satisfied with good enough. They’re the ones who
can’t refuse when someone needs them. They’re the
subject of this month’s Wisconsin Builder.
Brave
Hearts - October
2007
It
shouldn’t come as any great surprise that construction
is a dangerous profession, and the national statistics
prove the point. But people still risk their lives
to do their jobs. Dustin Block talks to those who
face peril every day.
The
A List - September
2007
Wisconsin
Builder gauges the success of the industry in 2006
with its annual ranking of general contractors,
subcontractors, architects and engineers.
History
Revisited - August
2007
The
Schwartz Ballroom in Hartford opened on Oct. 20, 1928, with the live sounds of
Harold Austin and his New Yorkers drifting through the octagonal building.
Living
the Wood Life - July 2007
Greg
Ericson knows wood the way a master chef knows his ingredients. That shouldn’t
come as a surprise considering he’s been studying lumber and the woodworking craft
for about 30 years. Dustin Block tells Ericson’s story.
Road
Wary - June 2007
There’s
a delicate balance between road expansion and farm preservation. Society needs
its roads, and Wisconsin’s economy needs its farms. Dustin Block finds out what
happens when two schools of thought intersect.
Top
Projects Issue -May 2007
Wisconsin
Builder showcases 30 projects that separated themselves from the field in
2006.
Natural
Leader -April 2007
Many
roads in the history of landscape architecture lead back to Frederick Law Olmsted.
And as April 1 kicks off Landscape Architecture Month, Seth Jovaag travels down
those roads to learn more about a man many consider a master of the profession.
Technically
Speaking- March 2007
Architectural
design is a constantly evolving process. Every project offers a new opportunity
to use new techniques, new philosophies and, as Janine Anderson discovers, new
technologies.
Altered
States - February 2007
The
state’s construction industry is getting tough on drugs and alcohol. And a law
that goes into effect on May 1 will add some teeth to that tough attitude. Jennifer
Pfaff tells how the industry is preparing for its big test.
Nearly
1,000 Served - January 2007
Peter
Schwabe Inc. is going full circle in its partnership with McDonald’s. Janine Anderson
charts a little of the history between the contractor and restaurant as Schwabe
returns to the site of its first job for the food chain.
2006
Light
Years - December 2006
The
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 is celebrating its 100th
anniversary. And as the union takes a walk down memory lane, Jennifer Pfaff goes
along for the ride.
Newsmaker
of the Year 2006 - November 2006
Some
people set the pace for everyone else. It’s not a conscious decision; it’s just
their nature. Those people have a lot of different titles, but Wisconsin Builder
calls them the Newsmakers of the Year.
Dem
Bones - October
2006
When
underground contractors dig down, there's at least a fair chance that some human
bones will pop up. It's a part of the job, and Seth Jovaag explores some of the
big finds and the steps contractors need to take if their jobs hold more than
expected.
The
A List - September
2006
Who
found their way in 2005?
Wisconsin
Builder measures the success of the industry in 2005 with its annual ranking of
general contractors, subcontractors, architects and engineers.
Unsung
Heroes -
August 2006
The
construction industry succeeds on the strength of the people who don’t necessarily
get noticed. They stay behind the scenes. But, this month, Wisconsin Builder
moves them to center stage, and Nathan Comp shines a spotlight on six of the industry’s
unsung heroes.
Gold
Diggers - July
2006
Where
some see contaminated soil, others see gold. Demolition contractors are turning
their attention to brownfield remediation, and federal and state governments are
helping the cause with millions of dollars in grants and loans. Jennifer Pfaff
explores a world of possibilities.
Buyers
Be There -
June 2006
The
styles have changed, and the locations might be different, but the retail construction
market is alive and well. Janine Anderson discovers what's happening, why it's
happening, and what the future might hold.
Top
Projects of 2005 - May 2006
It's
time once again for Wisconsin Builder to showcase the best that the construction
industry had to offer in the previous year.
Backseat
Driver - April
2006
It's
been a long road for Robert Greenstreet.
The
Milwaukee director of planning and design and architecture dean at the University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee takes Sean Ryan on a trip down memory lane and offers a
glimpse of the future.
Design
of the Times - March
2006
Up-and-coming
architects look to share their vision
The next class of architects is poised to make its mark on the industry. Wisconsin
Builder learns more about architecture's next generation.
The
Grid Life - February
2006
Getting
old can be brutal. Everything creaks, cracks, droops and groans.
One
ol’ gal in Milwaukee can relate. She’s turning 112, and her face is lined and
weathered.
Job
Satisfaction - January 2006
Employees
want job satisfaction.
In today's business climate, it's not enough to find the best employees. Companies
have to keep them. Jennifer Pfaff discovers what means the most to employees and
what employers do to create job satisfaction.
2005
All
Aboard -
December 2005
Change
doesn’t sit well with some people.
They
like the status quo. They can rely on it. They know what to expect. People find
comfort in predictable outcomes. And when somebody comes along and messes with
that comfort zone, people tend to get angry.
Newsmakers
of the Year -
November 2005
Construction
is a team sport.
At
the executive level, the industry is a melting pot of partnerships, joint ventures
and design/build combinations. When big jobs come along, companies that couldn’t
do the work alone team up to handle the project together. It just makes good business
sense.
Paint
by numbers -
October 2005
Construction
is a moment of art surrounded by labor.
You
can’t look at a construction site and see art. You’ll see dirt piles, cement slabs,
partially framed structures, trenches and maybe a guy working a jackhammer into
a chunk of concrete.
The
A List -
September 2005
It
took about 15 minutes.
Assuming
they had all the relevant information and didn’t accidentally send in a half-completed
survey, the people who signed up their companies for this year’s A List were done
with the entry form in a quarter hour.
Coming
Attractions -
August 2005
Close
your eyes and concentrate.
Forget
everything else and think of construction. Think of buildings going up, tunnels
going down and thousands of workers moving around construction sites.
Head
in the clouds -
July 2005
It's
hard to say exactly how many people suffer from a fear of heights.
In
fact, it's really hard. The American Psychiatric Association only has information
on its own members, and while it might be fun to learn how many psychiatrists
suffer from acrophobia, it's really not what I was looking for.
Hispanics
face industry abuse -
June 2005
The
construction industry bleeds buildings.
Builders, given the right motivation, will build anything anywhere. They'll build
a bridge so they can haul materials to an island to build a resort. If they have
to, they'll build the island to hold the resort before they build the bridge so
they can carry the materials to the island to build the resort. And they'll do
it with local labor. They'll hit their deadline. They'll come in under budget.
And they'll paste that project to their Web site and carve themselves out a new
island resort construction niche.
Top
Projects of 2004 -
May 2005
Every
construction project starts the same way.
Someone
somewhere dreams up an idea. They draw up some rough plans, pull together the
necessary capital, get whatever approvals they need to give the project a green
light and then set out to find the right people to make that dream come true.
Survivors
-
April 2005
People
will fall from scaffolding.
They'll
cut off their fingers, get buried under trusses and blow out their backs when
they're lifting a cinder block. They'll step in front of bulldozers, get buried
in trenches and touch the wrong wire.
Net
Work -
March 2005
Most
people spend their entire careers weaving the most fragile safety nets.
Their
household budgets are a mix of optimism and despair. On the fixed-expense side,
they negotiate their way every month through mortgage and car payments, credit
cards and daycare. On the flexible-expense side, they've got groceries, medical
bills, entertainment and whatever other miscellaneous perks the family can afford.
Putting money into savings is a luxury.
A
Perfect Union -
February 2005
Diversity
is a fact. It's not a charity. It's not a goal. It's not even a choice.
Striving
for diversity is like working for the weekend. It's going to be there no matter
what we do. But our state of mind when we get there relies entirely on how we
prepare for it.
An
Elephant in the Room -
January 2005
Dairyland
Greyhound Park Inc. is about as two-faced as a business can get.
Whether that's bad depends on your point of view and is very much open to debate.
On one side, Dairyland is talking up a deal with a development team that wants
to turn the Kenosha dog track into, among other things, an American Indian casino.
It's not a bad opportunity for a track that's basically running on three legs.
2004
