building news stories on Newser

Church Foreclosures Soar Heavenward

Harry Kimball — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:06:00 CDT

Homeowners and banks aren’t the only ones laid low by the reckless mortgage market of years past, as churches across the nation teeter on the brink of foreclosure. Houses of worship ensnared by the promise of low rates and big loans set out on a spree of new construction, only...

NYC Man Jumps to His Death—In Front of Kids

Harry Kimball — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:33:14 CST

A New York man leapt from his apartment window to his death last night while his young daughters looked on in horror. “There were never any signs of problems,” a friend tells the Post . “I'd never expect anything like this from him.” The 53-year-old died instantly after falling 16 stories...

In Recession, Homeowners Nail Contractors

Matt Cantor — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:41:01 CDT

Hiring a contractor to remodel a kitchen or resurface a floor once meant a lot of hassle and some serious cash. But the recession has changed all that: Contractors these days are ready and willing to work on the cheap, Time reports. Projects are smaller, and spending on remodeling is...

Homes Shrink With the Economy

Matt Cantor — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:30:27 CDT

Home sizes are aligned with the shrunken economy, the Los Angeles Times reports: last year, the typical home size dropped 11%—likely the fastest plunge since the 1970s. Some 90% of builders are working on a smaller scale now, an industry poll found. “People are realizing, 'Hey, I don't need...

Empire State Building Going Green

Rob Quinn — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:50:06 CDT

The Empire State Building is getting a makeover to reduce its King Kong-sized carbon footprint, NY1 reports. As part of a larger renovation, "green" improvements will be made to the 78-year-old building—including an update for all 6500 of the structure’s windows—to reduce its energy consumption by 38%. City...

China to Lop Off Tall Buildings in Hangzhou

Matt Cantor — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:45:01 CST

Hoping to turn the city into a World Heritage site, China is lopping top floors off tall buildings in Hangzhou, the BBC reports. Two hotels, a TV tower, and other buildings will get the shrinking treatment in a $5.8 million effort; the city’s government has said that all buildings...

Taj Knockoff Angers India

Kevin Spak — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:21:53 CST

A knockoff of the Taj Mahal has caused a full-blown diplomatic incident between India and Bangladesh, the London Times reports, and potentially one of the weirdest copyright disputes ever. Bangladeshi film mogul Ahsanullah Moni began showing his $80 million copy of the Taj this week, enraging Indians. “You can’t just...

Toll in Haiti Collapse Hits 75

Harry Kimball — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:21:40 CST

The death toll in the Haitian school collapse has risen to 75, the AP reports. The mayor of the Port-au-Prince suburb where it occurred said 17 dead students have been found so far today. Another 80 are being treated for injuries, many of them serious, and hundreds more children could...

Fed Agency Battles Tough Post-9/11 Building Code

Matt Cantor — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:36:45 CDT

A federal agency is joining major landlords in fighting tough new building safety standards developed in the wake of 9/11, the New York Times reports. The requirements, added last year after a federal probe into the Twin Towers collapse, call for better fireproofing and extra stairwells. But the General Services...