Japanese Firms to Frame 6% of US Homes After Sumitomo Forestry’s $4.5B Deal
Sumitomo Forestry has secured approval for its $4.5 billion all‑cash acquisition of California builder Tri Pointe Homes, the largest U.S. homebuilder purchase by a Japanese forest‑based firm. The deal expands Sumitomo’s footprint into California and Nevada, raising Japanese ownership of U.S. single‑family construction to about 6 % and adding roughly 18,000 annual starts. Combined with its Louisiana sawmill, the company can frame nearly 14,000 homes a year, moving toward its Mission TREEING 2030 target of 23,000 homes annually. The move reflects Japan’s broader strategy to offset a two‑decade domestic housing decline by scaling abroad.
Home Building Shows Signs of Stabilization with Monthly Gain in Starts
U.S. housing starts rose 10.8% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.5 million units, driven by rebounds in both single‑family and multifamily construction. Single‑family starts increased 9.7% to 1.03 million units, while multifamily starts jumped 13.3% to a 470,000‑unit...
Investire, Partners Group Expand Italian PRS Platform with Milan Acquisition
Investire and Partners Group announced the acquisition of a central‑Milan property to broaden their private‑rented‑sector (PRS) platform. The deal will convert a cluster of abandoned buildings into modern rental apartments, adding new supply to a market strained by limited housing....
RICS Partners with Retrofit Academy to Improve Skills Shortage
RICS has teamed up with The Retrofit Academy (TRA) to offer its members heavily subsidised training on high‑demand retrofit qualifications, including the Level 4 Retrofit Assessor course. The partnership is funded by the government‑backed Warm Homes Skills fund, which can cover...
CTA Breaks Ground on Red Line Extension Project
The Chicago Transit Authority broke ground on the Red Line Extension, a 5.5‑mile project that will add four new stations from 95th to 130th Street on the Far South Side. Expected to finish by 2030, the extension includes a new...
MassDOT Completes Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge Superstructure Replacements Project Nine Months Ahead of Schedule
MassDOT finished the Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue bridge superstructure replacement ahead of schedule, completing the work nine months early. The $54.9 million project replaced two deteriorated bridges over the MBTA Orange Line and commuter rail, adding dedicated sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and...
Housing Starts Surge to Highest Level Since December 2024
U.S. housing starts jumped 10.8% in March to an annualized 1.5 million units, the highest level since December 2024. Single‑family starts rose 9.7% to 1.03 million, while multifamily groundbreakings also increased. Builders are using sales incentives to spur demand despite higher mortgage rates...
Kirei Gets Lit, Bringing Integrated Lighting to Acoustic Design
Kirei, a Carnegie Acoustic Solutions brand, has launched the Lit Collection, an integrated acoustic‑lighting ceiling system developed with Seattle‑based Resolute Lighting. The new line embeds LED fixtures directly into sound‑absorbing panels, eliminating the need for separate lighting hardware and simplifying...
Construction Underway for Affordable Housing at 570 Eldert Lane in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Thorobird Companies and Slate Property Group have broken ground on a $160 million affordable‑housing project at 570 Eldert Lane in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. The 196,000‑square‑foot development will deliver 213 units ranging from studios to four‑bedrooms, plus 10,000 sq ft of community space operated...
Construction on New Homes Jumps to a 15-Month High, but the Real-Estate S...
U.S. home builders increased construction in March, pushing housing starts up 11% to an annualized 1.5 million units, the highest level in 15 months. The surge was driven by warmer weather after a cold spell, but permits for new homes slipped to...
DG Move Land Director Bemoans Lack of Progress with ETCS Deployment
European Commission transport chief Kristian Schmidt warned that the EU’s goal of equipping 50,000 km of the TEN‑T rail network with the European Train Control System (ETCS) by 2030 is unlikely to be met. Only 10% of the network – about...
Up to $9B Nearshore Project on Arctic’s Horizon with Polar LNG Unleashing Alaska’s Gas
Polar LNG announced a near‑shore liquefied natural gas project on Alaska’s North Slope, budgeting $8‑9 billion to produce up to 7 million tons per annum of LNG, with a potential expansion to 21 mtpa. The modular, gravity‑based facility will draw gas from existing...
Housing Starts Surge in March Despite Economic Headwinds for Builders
New residential construction starts surged 10.8% in March 2026, matching both month‑over‑month and year‑over‑year growth, while permitting and completions lagged. The Northeast led the rebound, with starts up 18.9% YoY and single‑family starts surpassing one million units for the first...
Work Begins for 83-Acre Development at Former Westminster Mall
Work has begun on Bolsa Pacific, an 83‑acre mixed‑use project set to replace the former Westminster Mall in Orange County. The development will deliver 2,250 residential units—including for‑sale, market‑rate and affordable homes—alongside roughly 220,000 square feet of retail space, a...
Affordable Housing Pitched for Property at 2101 W. 8th Street in Westlake
A surface parking lot at 2101 W. 8th Street in Westlake will be replaced by a seven‑story, fully affordable housing project. The development will contain 114 one‑bedroom units, a single market‑rate manager’s unit, and roughly 5,172 sq ft of ground‑floor retail with six parking spaces....
Canada’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Hits Record Highs in Q1 2026
Canada’s hotel construction pipeline surged to a record 331 projects encompassing 45,401 rooms in Q1 2026, according to Lodging Econometrics. Early‑planning projects rose 6% in count and 13% in rooms year‑over‑year, while 64 projects are already under construction. Ontario dominates the...
Expansion Planned for Assisted Living Facility at 2820 Sycamore Ave. In Glendale
Episcopal Communities & Services plans to expand its Twelve Oaks assisted‑living campus at 2820 Sycamore Avenue in Glendale. The developer will demolish 12 existing structures that house 60 residents and replace them with a three‑story, 92,240‑square‑foot building offering 104 senior beds....
Exploring the Potential for a Buried Grid
Industry leaders are increasingly evaluating underground utilities as a climate‑resilient alternative to exposed power lines and renewable‑energy infrastructure. Burying cables, pipes and other assets can extend service life to 100‑150 years, protect against extreme weather and free surface land for...
L&T Divests Stake in Hyderabad Metro Rail Arm for ₹1,461 Crore
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has agreed to sell its entire stake in L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) to the government‑owned Hyderabad Metro Rail for roughly ₹1,461.47 crore (about $176 million). The transaction, expected to close by June 30, 2026, will remove L&T’s corporate guarantees and letters...
Excel ‘a Starting Point, Not the Destination’ – Rethinking Data Management
Construction firms continue to depend on Excel for critical project data, despite its known inefficiencies. A recent webinar of nearly 200 delegates revealed that 45% of respondents still store data in spreadsheets, while 25% use disconnected systems. Industry experts from...
Retentions Ban: Fine in Theory, Unclear in Practice
The UK Department for Business & Trade is consulting on a ban of retention payments in construction contracts, preferring an outright prohibition (Option A) over mandatory protection measures (Option B). A majority of respondents support reform, citing retentions’ negative impact,...
Transparency Needed over Rising Material Costs, Say Industry Bodies
Industry bodies including the Construction Leadership Council’s Supply Chain Group warned that material price inflation in the UK construction sector is set to intensify, citing energy costs and opaque price hikes. Builders' merchants reported a 2.2% rise in January costs,...
Abu Dhabi Saw Prewar Property Boom with Best-Ever First Quarter
Abu Dhabi’s property market posted its strongest first‑quarter performance on record, with off‑plan sales accounting for 81% of transactions and apartments making up roughly three‑quarters of deals. The flagship Manchester City Yas Residences alone generated $1.63 billion in sales within 72 hours...
Blacklisting Expert Loses Bid to Appear Before Spycops Inquiry
A High Court ruling denied blacklisting expert Dave Smith the chance to give oral evidence in the third phase of the Spycops inquiry, limiting his participation to written submissions. Unite and more than 100 trade‑union signatories have protested the decision,...
US Commits $774m to Upgrade Port Infrastructure Nationwide
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced a $774 million investment to modernize port infrastructure across the nation. Funding will support 37 projects spanning coastal, Great Lakes, and inland river ports, focusing on rail tunnel expansions, advanced screening technology, two‑tier...
Watkin Jones Forward-Buying Materials to Mitigate Against Cost Inflation
Watkin Jones announced it is forward‑buying construction materials and securing subcontractors early to shield against potential cost spikes linked to the Middle East conflict. The London‑based contractor, the UK’s 54th‑largest by turnover, also flagged heightened interest‑rate uncertainty but expects half‑year...
Van Oord’s First Sea-Going USV Makes Multi-Day Offshore Debut
Van Oord’s newly christened sea‑going USV, VO:X Barentsz, completed its first multi‑day offshore operation at the Hollandse Kust West wind farm, supporting monopile and cable installation alongside vessels Boreas, Nexus and Subsea Viking. The 7‑meter autonomous craft is the fifth...
Bajel Projects Wins Mega Orders in West Asia and North Africa
Bajel Projects announced it has won two 500 kV overhead transmission line contracts in the Middle East and North Africa, together worth more than ₹400 crore (approximately $48 million). The orders are part of a flagship grid‑reinforcement programme aimed at bolstering the MENA...
UK Robotic Construction Company All3 Raises $25M in Seed Round Funding
All3, a UK‑based construction robotics startup, closed a $25 million seed round led by RTP Global to accelerate its AI‑driven building platform. The company combines site‑specific AI design, off‑site robotic factories, and autonomous on‑site robots—chiefly the four‑legged Mantis—to fabricate and assemble...
The Railway Project Between Oman and the United Arab Emirates Is 40% Complete
Hafeet Rail, a joint venture of Etihad Rail, Oman Rail and Mubadala Investment, announced that the 238‑kilometre railway linking Oman and the United Arab Emirates is 40% complete. Construction is underway at key nodes such as Al Ain, Al Buraimi, Sohar and...
Pantheon Atlas to Build 500MW Solar-Plus-Storage Facility at US$58.5 Billion Croatian Data Centre
Pantheon Atlas LLC announced a $58.5 billion AI data centre in Croatia, featuring a 500 MW on‑site solar plant and a 2 GW/8 GWh battery storage system. The project will begin construction in 2027 with an initial €12 billion ($14 billion) investment and aims for full...
Tender for Signalling on Madrid’s C-5 Commuter Line
Adif announced a €32 million (≈ $35 million) tender to replace signaling equipment on Madrid’s 20.7‑km C‑5 commuter line, covering 11 stations between Embajadores and Móstoles‑El Soto. The upgrade will install LED signals, fiber‑optic cables, new track circuits and the Asfa Digital traffic‑management system,...
European Energy, Mars Sign PPA for Lithuanian Wind Project
European Energy and Mars have signed a long‑term power purchase agreement for the 161 MW Skuodas Wind Farm in Lithuania, slated for commercial operation in 2028. The wind farm is expected to generate about 490 GWh annually, supplying most of its output...
$10B Meta Indiana Data Center Campus to Create 4,000 Construction Jobs
Meta and Turner Construction have broken ground on a $10 billion, one‑gigawatt data‑center campus in Lebanon, Indiana. Spanning 1,500 acres and four million square feet, the project will eventually house 13 buildings and deliver 1 GW of capacity. At peak construction it...
How Underwriting Can Support South Africa’s Efforts Against Non-Performing Contractors
South Africa’s Minister of Public Works blacklisted 52 construction firms for corruption and poor performance, marking a shift toward stricter accountability. The move highlights the limits of punitive measures alone, as under‑performing contractors can re‑emerge under new entities. Industry experts...
A Major Housing Development Is in the Works for Pickering, but some Are Crying Foul
The City of Pickering will vote on a secondary housing plan that would convert 17 sq km of farmland into a community for more than 70,000 people, part of a broader effort to accommodate a projected rise to 150,000 residents by 2036....
EPC Contractor Hand-Picked for Southeast Asian LNG Cold Energy Utilization Project
CTCI Thailand, a subsidiary of the CTCI Group, has been awarded a THB 1.8 billion ($55 million) EPC contract to build the Olefins 3 Cold Energy Utilization Project (OCP) in Rayong, Thailand. The project will link PTT Global Chemical’s olefins plant with PE LNG’s regasification...
Marlborough Scoops £200m Southend Roads Maintenance Deal
Southend City Council awarded a £200 million (≈$256 million) highways maintenance contract to Marlborough Highways for up to 14 years. The deal, initially seven years with a possible seven‑year extension, covers road upkeep, flood and coastal protection, lighting, drainage and professional design...
Ocean Winds’ First French Offshore Wind Farm Moves to Full Operation
Ocean Winds, the 50‑50 joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE, has installed the final turbine at the Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm, completing construction and moving the 488 MW project into full operation. The farm comprises 61 turbines...
SVAB and TERNA Systems Collaborate to Incorporate TERNA's Advanced Machine Control Into Joysticks
SVAB and TERNA Systems are merging SVAB's ergonomic joystick line with TERNA's TERNA3D machine‑control platform, adding haptic feedback that vibrates when the equipment nears predefined safety zones. The integration lets excavator operators manage the machine directly from the joystick, cutting...
Using IoT to Enable Predictive Facility Management in Large Enterprises
Predictive facility management is gaining traction among large enterprises as IoT sensors provide real‑time insights into building assets. By continuously monitoring HVAC, electrical, water and air‑quality systems, organizations can shift from reactive repairs to condition‑based interventions. Machine‑learning analytics turn sensor...
Landmark Properties Expands UK Footprint with Durham Mixed-Use Scheme
Landmark Properties is expanding its UK portfolio with a new 504‑bed purpose‑built student accommodation (PBSA) in Durham city centre. The mixed‑use scheme pairs the student housing block with retail, leisure and community spaces, forming a catalyst for urban regeneration. The...
Knuckleboom Cranes for London Eye
Hiab has delivered and installed two eX.232 HiPro E-5 knuckleboom cranes on the London Eye, replacing the original units that have been in service since the attraction opened in 2000. The installation took five nights in mid‑March, performed on pedestals...
Local Policies to Get Buildings Off Gas Keep Winning in Court
Federal courts across the United States are consistently upholding local policies that require new buildings to be all‑electric, despite the 2023 Ninth Circuit decision that struck down Berkeley, California's gas‑ban ordinance. In six post‑Berkeley lawsuits, judges have rejected the Energy...
ASH’s New CASE Cassette Cracks Australia’s Class 1 Glass Ceiling
Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) has introduced CASE, a prefabricated hardwood cassette that bundles structural panel, insulation and Tasmanian Oak lining into a single unit for Class 1 residential walls, floors and ceilings. The system repurposes Australian hardwood fibre that would otherwise...
OYAK Cement Launches Turkiye’s Largest Industrial Solar Power Plant
OYAK Cement has commissioned Turkey’s largest industrial solar power plant in Beypazarı, Ankara, with a peak capacity of 115.5 MW and a grid connection of 97.8 MW. The 150‑hectare site houses 211,000 panels, expected to generate 182 GWh annually, raising the company’s renewable...
Cornerstone Plans 65-Foot 5G Mast In York
Cornerstone Telecoms has submitted a planning application to erect a 65‑foot 5G mast on Hospital Fields Road in York, replacing a previously rejected 57‑foot proposal. The monopole will carry nine antennas, three equipment cabinets, and six remote radio units to...
Cement Exports From Bangladesh Are Booming
Bangladesh’s cement exports surged in the first nine months of FY25‑26, with export earnings climbing 16.2% year‑on‑year to $11.98 million. The nine‑month period also saw month‑on‑month growth, though full‑year FY24‑25 revenue slipped to $14.33 million from $18.42 million the prior year. India’s northeastern...
Minoru Yamasaki's Northwestern National Life Building in Minneapolis to Be Converted Into Hotel
Minoru Yamasaki’s 1960s Northwestern National Life building in downtown Minneapolis will be transformed into a 165‑room hotel, with opening slated for 2028 pending approvals. The adaptive‑reuse plan retains the iconic white‑quartz concrete portico and marble façade while inserting wellness, event...
Bohol-Panglao Airport Begins Phased Reconfiguration Works
Bohol‑Panglao International Airport, the Philippines’ 10th‑busiest airport, has begun a phased reconfiguration led by Aboitiz InfraCapital. The initial phase targets passenger flow, accessibility, layout changes, security measures and new equipment while keeping daily operations running. The upgrades respond to rising...