What’s the riskiest place in the U.S. for a natural disaster? It’s right here in Los Angeles County, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA’s National Risk Index puts L.A. County atop the list for earthquake hazard, and in the top 90th percentile for wildfire risk.[i] The index, […]
Plans to convert Long Beach Community Hospital into a multi-service health care campus were recently stalled as officials reviewed a state law requiring governments to give priority to affordable housing developers when selling or leasing surplus land.
When the 98-year-old hospital failed to meet California’s more stringent seismic requirements for a […]
As fire season heats up in California – and open spaces dry into withered reminders of the constant threat wildfire poses to our communities – Orange County residents are rallying together to fight back through prevention.
People who live in our canyons and open space communities depend on one another for […]
Balconies are a significant draw for apartment renters, particularly in places with great weather like San Diego – considered one of the best climates on Earth. Balconies, decks and elevated walkways are a valuable amenity in Southern California’s multifamily real estate market — popular with renters for providing easy access […]
Many Californians live in a form of earthquake denial. We laugh them off, ignore their ever-present threat to our lives and livelihoods. After all, some reason, we’ve lived through earthquakes before. Why should the next one be different?
The stark reality is that protecting ourselves from earthquakes should be on all […]
Does your building show the telltale signs of dry rot?
Bubbling paint. Spots of orange-brown spore dust. Brittle or spongy wood that crumbles at the touch.
Tenant complaints of a fungus growing out of the wood on a fifth-floor balcony in Berkeley were repeatedly ignored until 2015, when that balcony collapsed, killing […]
Victorian and Queen Anne mansions were once all the rage. These stately and ornate structures, with brightly colored facades, turrets, spires and wrap-around porches, were built to impress — reflecting the optimism and opulence of a society experiencing unprecedented prosperity from industrialization and improvements in transit and communication. It was […]
Coastal communities provide an abundance of breathtaking views, often enjoyed from rows of balconies facing west to the ocean and setting sun. These perches are iconic in seaside communities — a big draw for tenants entertaining friends, relaxing with a book, or enjoying their own piece of the outdoors.
Considered a […]
Is it economically and environmentally more viable to extend the life of an existing building through renovation – or to demolish it, dispose of it, and rebuild?
Researcher Peter A. Bullen of the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, asked building owners that question and found 83% of respondents felt […]
Happy Building Safety Month! This low-profile, international observance for safe and sound structures, rarely gets noticed outside the industry. It’s the unsung understudy to fun causes nearer and dearer to people’s hearts – taking a back seat to ice cream, talking like pirates, even clowns.
But buildings play an ever-present and […]
