Collaborating Through Design Challenges  

If there’s one certainty in life—and construction—it’s that things change. But change does not have to be painful or difficult. Change can offer a superb opportunity to reevaluate paradigms, processes, and the “why” behind the way things are done. As English Clergyman William Pollard once said, “Without change, there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”

Photo courtesy of Digital Sky Aerial Imaging/Todd Quam

Comstock Graduate Housing Project
2015 PCI Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Award Winner
Four four-story buildings were constructed using architecturally finished structural precast concrete, vertically posttensioned precast concrete walls, and a pretopped plank system for the flooring.

A revolution is underway on today’s job sites, as compressed timetables, complex trades coordination, and challenging aesthetic elements become the new norm. This change has swept into university housing, just as a majority of institutions are planning to renovate or replace aging residence halls. In addition to shifting construction demands, the concept behind student housing is undergoing its own “tectonic shift,” a shift placing a larger emphasis on student living as an integral part of the learning process.¹ The style of university housing also is not exempt from this wave of change. The aesthetics behind student housing are now called on more and more to extend the university’s brand and lifestyle message.

“Our industry is now asking owners and designers to dream a little with them so that we can offer iconic structures that will outlast most of us,” says Jim Lewis, RA, LEED AP BD+C, manager, Architectural Services, PCI. “The geometric shapes of these residential living environments is changing to help in recruiting students. It is a fun time to be in the construction industry.”

From concept and design to construction and occupant comfort: change has affected them all. It is not often that such a diverse set of demands is met with a ready solution. Yet precast concrete’s attributes can meet the needs of the institution, the student, and the design-build team. Precast systems can play a vital part in the aesthetic appearance, functionality, resiliency, and process-driven early occupancy in new student life environments.

Trends in University Housing and Design

The realities of escalating demands placed on student housing and the need for outstanding student housing in order to be competitive come at a time when university budgets are more constrained than ever. Complicating the issue for facility directors and student housing developers, the majority of campus housing stock is old, with a median age of 40 to 50 years.² University housing needs new, remarkable structures to attract an increasing student population—projected to reach 19.6 million students by 2024. And those structures need to combine the attributes of aesthetics, functionality, resiliency, and compatibility with process-driven early occupancy.

Meeting the Academic and Facility Demands of Today’s Students

The Center for Facilities Research, APPA, conducted a study of nearly 14,000 students to determine “the relative importance of an institution’s physical assets on a student’s choice of higher education institutions” and “the relative importance of various facilities in the decision process.”³ The study found that “two-thirds of the respondents indicated the Overall Quality of the Campus Facilities and half of the respondents indicated the Attractiveness of the Campus were ‘Essential’ or ‘Very Important’ to their decision.”

The Center for Facilities Research also asked student respondents to rank facilities to better determine which facilities had the greatest impact on initial student attraction and retention. “Residence Halls on Campus” were ranked second in order of impact, with 53.1 percent of surveyed students feeling they were important to see on a campus visit. Ranked first were facilities related to the major course of study. Respondents were asked to pick the one facility that “had the greatest impact on their decision” in selecting a college. Ranked third, with 11.5 percent, was residential space. Poorly maintained or inadequate facilities were listed as the number-one reason for a student’s rejection of an institution.⁴

Photo courtesy of Little/© John Cole, 2009

Dining area and lounge at Opus Hall, Catholic University of America

New Designs Take Student Housing Beyond a Place to Sleep

In order to transform student housing beyond the limitations of traditional dormitories, new design strategies are emerging. In June 2016, Syracuse University announced plans to shift all student housing to its Main Campus, constructing groups of residences that will form housing neighborhoods, each with its own identity. The use of words like “neighborhood” and “community” when describing university dormitories reflects the importance of New Urbanism in forming student life communities.

When planning student housing developments, a majority of universities are embracing the tenets of New Urbanism. Broadly, New Urbanism is a design movement that takes a holistic view of development. Under New Urbanism, a planned neighborhood encompasses factors like measuring walkability, enabling a diversity of jobs, and planning a wide range of housing types. When applied to student residences, dormitories are transformed into buildings with a diversity of uses and occupants, becoming a “student-life complex.” Dormitories become places where students eat, learn, sleep, study, shop, and recreate.

The University of Cincinnati’s Main Street project exemplifies New Urbanism’s impact: the new Campus Recreation Center combines 224-suite style residences, a restaurant, classrooms, and a convenience store.⁵

Designs that emphasize the social, blended nature of learning, while maintaining students’ desire for privacy, hallmark housing as modern, innovative spaces. University housing directors are faced with balancing the importance of community, the need for flexible design, and the demand for amenities with today’s student’s desire for privacy.

This desire for privacy is important to include alongside strategies for fostering common spaces and illustrates the tensions faced in planning contemporary housing. According to college housing consultant and author Jim Grimm, former housing director for the University of Florida, 90 percent of freshmen arrive at the University of Florida campus never having shared a bedroom. “These same kids have been raised during a time of great abundance in America. They’re used to seeing condo complexes with pools and workout rooms in their communities; they’re accustomed to Internet access on a 24/7 basis, and having a safe place to study and hang out with friends—but that’s only for starters.”⁶

Modern Student Housing Must Also Embrace Sustainability

Balancing amenities, private space, and shared areas is a large enough challenge. Yet a well-planned location and thoughtful design can be undermined if sustainability isn’t accounted for. The term ‘sustainability’ in student housing encompasses a number of factors; besides incorporating ‘green’ or efficient features, it also means an adaptable, multipurpose building that is eminently usable and maximizes both square footage and dollars. “Mixed-use, multifunctional residence halls will continue to make sense in the future, as institutions may choose to decrease beds in favor of adding classrooms or social areas, whether to address shifting student populations or facility needs.”⁵

Concern for “improved health and well being” is the number-one reason for constructing sustainable buildings on campus, according to McGraw-Hill Construction.⁷ A sustainable structure not only conserves dollars by keeping utility costs down, it also bolsters indoor air quality and comfort.

Attracting and Retaining Students While Minding the Budget

With the reality that the median cost for a residence hall is $20 million, or $171 per square foot, how dollars are spent is vital to both the bottom line and the ability for the university to attract and retain students.⁸ While more students than ever before are entering undergraduate schools, resulting in a high demand for housing, university budgets for this housing are being extremely curtailed.

Given time constraints, inflexible budgets, and the need for precise coordination, the design-assist movement is gaining prominence as a best practice in managing construction of student housing. The design-assist practice uses a three-step process: development of a clear statement of work; research and creation of specifications; and adaption of the construction contract to reflect the goals created in steps one and two. “Design-assist contracting is a construction management method to improve quality and maintain cost. It is most commonly used when a specialty trade, fabrication or building method requires a unique solution or set of trade skills,” writes David Hart, AIA. “Design-assist contracting is best suited for design-build or construction management at risk (CM@R) projects in which the architect and owner work with trades people, manufacturers, and subcontractors to develop a budget and project schedule for a unique solution, material, or construction application, such as reproducing historic windows or finishing plaster walls.”⁹

By investing time and thoughtful planning at the initial stages of a project, universities and housing managers can better define goals for their buildings and better ensure the buildings’ full realization within set timeframes and budgets.

What Students are Asking for in Housing (and Why It's Important)

With record numbers of students coming through the doors of American universities and colleges in 2016, the market for campus housing is strong. The goal for institutions of higher learning competing for this pool is not only to attract, but to retain, students. A key to gauging the demands of this audience comes via refocusing perspective. “Reduced attrition and increased retention is dependent upon a shift in perspective from an institutional to a student perspective.”10 While not a client in the traditional sense, by understanding and incorporating student desires, universities and colleges can better leverage a campus necessity—housing—as a strong suit. As institutions and housing managers adopt the mindset of students as clients, we ask the simple yet vital question: “What do students have to say about campus housing?”

Photo courtesy of Little/© John Cole, 2009

Pictured is the tower facade of Opus Hall at Catholic University of America. Installation of all precast concrete exterior wall panels took only 35 days, and the panels earned a 4-plus hour fire rating, an R-Value of 14.25, and a sound transmission coefficient of 54.

Surveys Say…

In 2010, Longwood University released results from its “Student Housing Preference Survey,” published in Contemporary Issues in Education Research: “When asked to rank the most important consideration in choosing housing, ‘security’ was ranked first, followed by proximity to campus and cost. For a majority of respondents, a ‘deal breaker’ in the housing decision included: no Internet access (92.9 percent), no laundry facilities on premises (84.9 percent), no cable TV (75.7 percent), and no kitchen (57.4 percent). For approximately half of the respondents, sharing a bedroom was a ‘deal breaker’ (49.3 percent) as were twin beds (42.1 percent). Surprisingly, sharing a bathroom was only a deal breaker for 11.7 percent.”⁴

“Gauging Student Living Preferences,” a survey of 7,095 graduate and undergraduate students, was published and prepared for Multifamily Executive by Houston-based J Turner Research. Mirroring results from Longwood’s survey, J Turner Research found that apartment size is “a significant driver behind student housing decisions,” ranking as “extremely important” by 65 percent of survey respondents. A majority of students indicated a preference for a midrise building, a community cottage, or a townhouse. Only a small percentage of students (9 percent) indicated a preference for high-rise living. Students preferred either modern or traditional design, with few voicing support for funky or eclectic styles.¹¹

Three trends appear from data evaluating college student preferences. All students are concerned with quality of life, life safety, and healthful amenities. Making these attributes a priority through housing design pays off for universities in both enrollment and longevity, and additionally brings benefits to the student body.

Students spend more than two-thirds (70 percent) of their time at college outside of the classroom.¹² A yearlong study of 14 colleges researched on-campus involvement and sense of community among students. It found that “students who are actively involved in academic and out-of-class activities are better integrated into the academic and social life of the institution. Students are also more satisfied and more likely to graduate.”

Housing is ultimately where the bulk of student time will be spent, making it a vital place to encourage student development. “The ability of residence hall students to interact with other students is also one of the most important factors in predicting their overall satisfaction in residence halls.”¹³ Incorporating a mix of private and public areas, along with desired amenities, allows housing to make a powerful statement for the university and its mission.

Thoughtful Amenities Aid Student Satisfaction and Well-Being

While security and housing cost are important considerations for students, the “Longwood University Student Housing Survey” revealed the following top 10 amenities that are either “very important” or “somewhat important” to students.⁴

1. Private bedroom (95.5%)
2. On-site parking (92%)
3. Double beds (91.3%)
4. On-site laundry facilities (90.3%)
5. Internet access (88.8%)
6. Proximity to campus (73.3%)
7. Fitness center (73.3%)
8. Private bathroom (73%)
9. Cable TV (56.4%)
10. Satellite dining (50%)

J Turner Research recorded fitness centers as topping the list of common areas students report using, followed by study areas and computer labs. Other popular amenities included coffee shops/cyber cafés and theaters. Space for game rooms and bike storage ranked last.

Fitness centers again topped the list of most important community features, according to J Turner Research. Parking spaces and a pool or spa also were indicated as important amenities. Large dwelling units, in-unit washers and dryers, and storage space ranked as top considerations when choosing housing. Students also indicated the importance of walkability, with the majority surveyed, 37 percent, stating that “walking is the ideal mode of transport to and from campus.”¹¹

While student desires certainly vary with each student, the themes of community, security, and amenities that are both healthful and tech savvy are consonant across campuses. With a majority of student time spent outside of the classroom, making sure housing facilitates livability and learning aids not just the university, but also the students themselves.

Photo courtesy Cipher Imaging/Brian J. Rotert

Mixed design elements combine effortlessly on the precast facade of Jackrabbit Grove.

What Precast Delivers

The importance of residential housing for both university and student is demonstrable. Today’s student housing has to offer not only a place to sleep and study, it also must facilitate community and offer a range of top-class amenities. It must balance privacy and security with the ability to craft fellowship. For the purposes of both longevity and budget, housing is saddled with the need to use space flexibly. Yet in the face of these heavy demands lies the opportunity to improve campus housing.

Adaptable Housing Design Calls for an Adaptable Material

William Pollard also said, “Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.” The versatility of precast concrete and its attributes makes a perfect partner in this demanding arena, both via life-cycle performance and aesthetics. Precast brings with it a range of abilities, allowing housing projects to successfully capture structural assets like durability and resiliency, while also realizing innovative design visions.

Precast concrete is the fastest building system available, thereby minimizing negative effects at the project site. As a high-performance material, precast concrete is manufactured off-site so it contributes to the overall sustainability of a building during construction. Using precast concrete means site efficiency: minimal site disturbance, waste, and accelerated construction.

Photo courtesy of Dukane Precast

Precast panels are installed on-site. Using precast means efficiency during construction, as panels are delivered fully ready for installation, minimizing site disturbance and the potential for waste, and keeping schedules on time.

Precast inherently provides a high level of resiliency that protects against multiple hazards, such as fire, severe storms, explosions, and even earthquakes. Besides offering superior hazard management, like storm and blast resistance, concrete also enhances life safety and health by bolstering indoor environmental quality and offering passive fire resistance.

Concrete as a product offers use versatility: it is recyclable and is compatible with deconstructive or adaptive reuse. It provides energy and water conservation, safety, security, durability, and accessibility; and it meets cost-benefit, productivity, sustainability, functionality, and operational considerations.

Precast’s Aesthetic Versatility Means Beauty and Sustainability

Aesthetics play an important role in sustainability.

In addition to its high-performance attributes, precast concrete as a solution allows designers to create a wide range of aesthetic effects and colors to affordably incorporate historic elements and to integrate a diverse array of facade elements into a single precast panel.

Precast concrete facilitates this tremendous range of design options through the use of formliners, aggregates, brick, terracotta, stone, and pigmentation. An assortment of finishing techniques is available, such as acid etching, abrasive blasting, polishing, and burnishing, offering a wide range of final surface finishes from which to choose. Precast concrete comes in almost an unlimited array of forms from radius to straight and everything in between.

Precast concrete is available in an endless color palette. Concrete color begins with basic ingredients or natural materials to which a powdered, granular, or liquid pigment dispersion is placed into the admixture. To achieve optimum results, it is important to use high-quality, consistent materials and processes. Color can be created by natural materials, such as aggregates like stone and sand, or via cements and colored pigments, or from a combination of both, depending on the finishes selected.

Designers can create intricate bullnose detailing, reveals, and custom castings. Designers also can embed or veneer traditional materials, such as clay brick, terracotta, or natural stones, into precast panels to utilize their natural beauty. Precast also provides an affordable way to provide historic facade elements. Precast producers can mimic natural stone and window/door surrounds, for instance, to provide historical context on a budget. Thin-brick is real brick, engineered to fit in forms that allow for arched openings, corbels, and numerous other masonry effects.

Photo courtesy of Cipher Imaging/Brian J. Rotert

Precast allows the seamless integration of a variety of beautiful finishes and architectural elements, as showcased at Jackrabbit Grove, South Dakota State University.

With precast, all looks, textures, and forms are integrated, and the panel arrives ready to install. This reduces the number of trades required, cutting costs. Precast panels also have less joints and flashing to maintain, reducing maintenance. Less complexity equals less risk.

CASE STUDY: COMSTOCK GRADUATE HOUSING PROJECT, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 2015 PCI HARRY H. EDWARDS INDUSTRY ADVANCEMENT AWARD WINNER

Photo courtesy of Bernard Andre Photography

Precast concrete allowed the general contractor to deliver the Comstock graduate housing planned for Stanford University within one academic school year. The buildings became the first vertically posttensioned, precast concrete panel buildings in Northern California.

The 2015 Harry H. Edwards award winner exemplifies how precast concrete can bring durability, performance, and efficiency to student housing.

At Stanford University, new housing was urgently needed—within the span of a single school year—including the replacement of nine low-rise, two-story buildings that provided 79 beds. In addition, four new buildings were called for to accommodate more than five times as many students. The new structures also had to include student meeting and social gathering spaces, laundry facilities, computer clusters, music practice rooms, game rooms, and other amenity spaces.

To meet those needs within the allotted schedule, the designers chose precast concrete over wood, says Mark Palmer of Clark Pacific, the precast concrete producer for the project. “With the speed of erection, the general contractor was able to deliver the student housing within one school year, getting students in quicker and allowing the university to start bringing in revenue earlier.”

The buildings feature architecturally finished, structural precast concrete; unique vertically posttensioned, precast concrete walls for seismic resistance; and, a first-ever in this region, a pre-topped plank system for the flooring. The floor system consists of pre-topped, prestressed concrete planks; these planks span from exterior wall to exterior wall, over interior bearings walls, and result in a two-span plank. “The integration of the performance of a structural system with the finish of an architecturally clad precast concrete product saved time and money for everyone involved,” Palmer says.

By prefabricating the components off-site, installation crews were able to keep the crowded campus clear of extra materials using just-in-time delivery, allowing cranes to lift the precast concrete pieces directly from the trucks and immediately install them. “Installation crews were able to set an entire floor of wall panels and floor planks above every three days, allowing other trades to follow quickly behind once the precast was installed,” Palmer says. The general contractor noted how the benefits of the prefabricated precast allowed other trades to follow quickly behind once the precast was installed.

A medium sandblast was used on all of the panels to match existing colors of the other buildings on the campus, while green and brown accent colors were used at the top of each building to add visual interest and contrast. Formliners also were used on the fourth-story panels to create a ribbed texture that wrapped around the upper floor of the dormitory buildings.

Along with meeting schedule and aesthetic goals, the precast concrete design delivered a more durable solution that will require minimal maintenance and meet seismic design requirements. Using vertically post-tensioned, precast concrete rocking wall panels, developed as part of the multi-year Precast Seismic Structural Systems Research (PRESSS) research project, walls are designed to rock at their base, with special energy dissipating rebar developed into the foundation and debonded up into the wall panel, in accordance with the 2010 California Building Code. “One of the most interesting aspects of this system is its ability to move like a hybrid moment frame,” Palmer says. “After a seismic event, the building will pull itself back to its original position.” Construction on the housing complex began in April 2013 and was completed in June 2014, well in advance of the academic year. Palmer says, “It was exciting to see how quickly a complete system like this could be built.”

Precast can Integrate Windows, Insulation, Structural Loading, and Other Systems

Precast also affords the opportunity for enclosure integration, thereby arriving at the site pre-insulated and pre-glazed, with return air ducts and electric fixtures.

The pre-glazed, pre-insulated panels could then be installed immediately upon arrival at the jobsite without the need for on-site glazing or insulation subcontractors, resulting in additional schedule and cost savings.

Precast solves the problem of needing multiple products and trades to create a facade with different elements, such as a base wall, window surrounds, coining, beltlines, and pediments. All those elements and more can be created in a single precast panel, eliminating the need for frequent expansion joints and slip joints to account for differential movement, as well as flashing and other moisture management components.

Precast concrete is a quality material whose initial plasticity is incredibly responsive to the designer’s creative needs. Manufactured in a plant under factory-controlled conditions, it ensures a uniform, high-quality building facade in the desired shapes, colors, and textures. For the owner and tenant, precast concrete provides the long-term durability, fire resistance, sound attenuation, energy conservation, and general life-safety attributes that are inherent in the material.

CASE STUDY: “NEW HALL” RESIDENCE HALL, NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE

Photo courtesy of Dukane Precast

Brian T. Bock, vice president of sales and marketing for Dukane Precast, summarized the project: “The result of our collaboration with the building team showcases how resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective precast construction can be for multi-unit, multistory construction.”

Receiving its first students in fall 2015, the five-story, 229-bed residence hall at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, had to meet the lofty goal of an abbreviated construction timeline alongside the institution’s objective to create a resilient, sustainable, high-performance structure.

Dukane Precast manufactured walls, floors, stairs, and certain specialized products from precast concrete, delivering these elements in five waves, which accommodated other subcontractors’ work schedules. Per the university’s specifications, the new residence hall needed to include radiant heat, high-efficiency air-conditioning, and extensive use of recycled materials. Precast walls featured sandwich panels, allowing for superior insulation and accommodation of the radiant tubing. Ten-inch-thick exterior walls incorporated 4 inches of polyisocyanurate foam insulation, generating a high R-value (R-24) envelope. In combination with the precast floor slabs and roof slabs, the total precast shell creates an exceptionally airtight building with structural superiority and excellent thermal comfort. Roofing membranes were seamed, offering a continuous seal across the roof. Walls were delivered with energy-efficient windows already installed, accelerating the schedule, while avoiding weather delays and on-site window seal failures.

Brian T. Bock, vice president of sales and marketing for Dukane Precast, summarized the project: “The result of our collaboration with the building team showcases how resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective precast construction can be for multi-unit, multistory construction. At Dukane, we’ve shown the year-round advantages of precast construction, cast inside and moving from plant to site as a total modular unit with windows and frames in place. This is on the cutting edge and the way of the future.”

Conclusion

As Albert Einstein once said, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

A huge misconception is that precast is used for parking decks only and is flat and grayish. Aesthetic versatility in material is important because it allows both designer and institution to be truly creative. Attractive precast structures are popping up on campuses nationwide, offering not only a full palette but defying this stereotype. By embracing precast, universities not only gain flexibility in design, they also secure a structure that will perform, be efficient, and withstand natural disasters over time.

Concept, design, and construction: change has affected them all. It is not often that such a diverse set of demands is met with a ready solution. Yet precast concrete’s attributes can satisfy the needs of the institution, the student, and the design-build team. Precast systems can play a vital part in the aesthetic appearance, resiliency, and process-driven early occupancy in new student life environments.

End Notes

1. Watson, Brian and McMinn, Mark. “A Closer Look at Student Housing.” GenslerOnCities. 30 January 2015. Web. 20 September 2016. www.gensleron.com/cities/2015/1/30/a-closer-look-at-student-housing.html.
2. Siegle, Steve. “Trends in student residences: Part one.” VOA Blog. 24 May 2016. Web. 20 September 2016. www.voa.com/blog/trends-in-student-residences-i-part-one/.
3. Cain, David and Reynolds, Gary. “The Impact of Facilities on Recruitment and Retention of Students: Part I.” Facilities Manager Magazine. Vol. 22, March–April 2006.
4. La Roche, Claire Reeves; Flanigan, Mary; and Copeland Jr., P. Kenneth. “Student Housing: Trends, Preferences and Needs.” Contemporary Issues in Education Research. Vol. 3, No. 10, October 2010. Web. 20 September 2016. www.cluteinstitute.com/ojs/index.php/CIER/article/viewFile/238/228.
5. Miller, Herman. “Room and Board Redefined: Trends in Residence Halls.” HermanMiller. Web. 20 September 2016. www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/research_summaries/wp_Room_and_Board.pdf.
6. Angelo, Jean Marie and Rivard, Nicole. “If You Build It, They Will Come: 6 trends to build by, from campus innovators in higher ed housing.” University Business. 30 April 2003. Web. 20 September 2016. www.opt.uab.edu/retentioncouncil/Exhibits/if_you_build_it.htm.
7. “Commercial & Institutional Green Building: Green Trends Driving Market Change.” SmartMarket Report: Design & Construction Intelligence. McGraw-Hill Construction. January 2007. Web. 20 September 2016. http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/Capital_Markets_Partnership/BusinessCase/MHC%20Commercial
   %20&%20Institutional%20Green%20Building%20SMR%20(2008).pdf.
8. College Housing 2006 Special Report.” College Planning & Management.
9. Hart, David. “The Basics of Design-Assist Contracting.” AIA Best Practices.October 2007. Web. 20 September 2016. www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/secure/documents/document/aiap029127.pdf.
10. Noel, L.; Levitz, R.; and Saluri, D. Increasing Student Retention. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 1985.
11. Batdorf, Joseph. “Survey Says: The Top Student Housing Common Areas and Amenities.” Multifamily Executive. 5 August 2013. Web. 20 September 2016. www.multifamilyexecutive.com/property-management/apartment-trends/survey-says-the-top-student-housing-common-areas-and-amenities_o.
12. Collison, Michele. “Many Colleges Begin to Pay Attention to the Time Students Spend Outside the Classroom.” Chronicle of Higher Education. 28 March 1990. Web. 20 September 2016. http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ407155.
13. "Predictors of overall satisfaction for ACUHO- I/EBI college housing studies: Changes over time.” College and University Housing Perspectives (E-news). 11 October 2002. Web. 20 September 2016. http://skyfactor.com/.

Amanda Voss, MPP, is an author, editor, and policy analyst. Writing for multiple publications, she also serves as the managing editor for Energy Design Update.

PCI is the technical institute for the precast concrete structures industry. PCI develops, maintains, and disseminates the body of knowledge for designing, fabricating, and constructing with precast concrete. PCI provides technical resources, certification, continuing education, and much more. www.pci.org/