The commercial building industry is changing rapidly. Architects, developers, builders, contractors and fabricators are searching for innovative – and cost-effective – solutions that will enable them to work quickly and safely while still delivering high-quality, sustainable finished projects. One such solution is prefabricated (“pre-fab”) construction, a method that helps to streamline the building process and produce beautiful results.

In commercial building, pre-fab construction of a building’s façade typically involves assembling, in a controlled environment, large exterior panels into units. The completed units — which can be larger than 40 feet wide and a story tall — are then transported to the job site. Once on-site, they are connected to the building’s structure.

This method is challenging traditional paradigms in commercial construction, creating value by offering design flexibility, faster project delivery and accelerated project scheduling, quality assurance and reduced risk of jobsite injuries.

Contribution to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), The LEED program, sponsored by the United States Green Building Council (UGBC), is the primary environmentally focused building certification in the United States. In its Building Design and Construction version, buildings may qualify for various levels of LEED certification based on the total number of points achieved in various categories.

As one of the first high-rises constructed in the fast-growing Tysons unincorporated area of Fairfax County, Va., Adaire, a mixed-use residential community, stands out not only for its 35 stories towering into the sky but for its striking ellipsoidal design and modern facade.

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum had done its duty. Opened in 1972 in Uniondale, N.Y., the Coliseum not only had honored the military sacrifice of local veterans in Long Island’s Nassau County but had served as home to the one-time American Basketball Association’s New York Nets and the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders as well as hosted major events and concerts, including performances by Elvis Presley, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen.

Architecture can often become a product of its environment, responding to community needs while blending into an already established environment. In the case of Crosstown Elementary School, its creation was in response to Vancouver’s imminent need for more primary education facilities. The result is a four-story structure that blends seamlessly into the “urban fabric” of the Canadian cityscape.

The Marine Gateway mixed-use development officially opened this spring in south Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as the first major transit-oriented development integrated into Vancouver’s Canada Line rapid transit rail system. It’s also served by the South Vancouver Bus Loop.