Grant Schmitz, eyes inches from a 6.5-foot-by-12-foot panel of ultra-high-performance concrete, studied the smooth surface for tiny cracks. He and other research engineers carefully marked every one with black markers.Schmitz, an Iowa State of a

A market indicator used by the American Institute of Architects is reflecting a steady upturn in design activity, the organization says.Meanwhile, a study sponsored jointly by the AIA and another organization revealed a steady rise in employment

A recent report from Boulder, Colo.-based Pike Research says sales of plug-in electric vehicles in the 102 largest U.S. cities are expected to total slightly more than 1.8 million from 2012 through 2020. A separate Pike Research report says of a

At the end of a long day, it can be more convenient to order your groceries online while sitting on the living room couch instead of making a late-night run to the store. New research suggests it's also more environmentally friendly to leave the to

For Sam Rodell, principal at Kirkwood Rodell Architects PS, of Spokane, a popular German passive-house design method could be the next big thing in architecture, if it continues to gain ground in the U.S. Rodell, who has had his own architecture

Homes in neighborhoods that incorporate protected open space command prices 20 to 29 percent higher than those without open space, says a new study by a Colorado State University multidisciplinary research team that included Wildlife Conservation a