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David E. Gross, AIA, is a founding partner of GF55 Partners, a New York-based architecture firm that is currently working on projects in Florida, New Jersey and New York. Over the past 20 years, GF55 has completed work on apartment buildings, condominiums, senior centers and mixed-use projects. Gross is currently on the board of directors of the New York State Association of Affordable Housing and serves on the Housing Committee of the AIA (American Institute of Architects). He has published articles in New York Real Estate Weekly, Suncoast Magazine and Avenue Magazine.GF55 has designed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental…

Interest rates: The rise in the LIBOR index reflects the constricted – nearly paralyzed – condition of bank lending at this time. The prime rate remained steady through September. The half-point rate emergency rate cut didn’t occur until October…and many expect another cut later this month. The brightest spot on the interest rate horizon is the continued healthy performance of 10-year Treasury notes – at least, it’s bright for those have them in their portfolios.Building Materials: Prices for three of the four construction materials we track – cement, gypsum, and softwood lumber – fell slightly last month. Plywood was the…

When multi-housing analysts, brokers and developers look at two key metropolitan areas of the Southwest—Denver and Phoenix—they’re presented with two very different stories. In short, while Denver is enjoying a strong multifamily market, Phoenix isn’t.In Denver, vacancies are expected to total about 6.2 percent for 2008 overall, and are anticipated to keep falling. Phoenix multifamily vacancies, by contrast, are at about 12 percent, with much higher vacancies in certain severely impacted submarkets. “Denver is continuing to outperform expectations, and Phoenix is underperforming,” reports Clyde Holland, chairman and CEO of Holland Partners, a Vancouver, Wash.-based development company with offices in Denver…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorWith sustainable design quickly becoming the standard, manufacturers are turning to recycled content now more than ever. Those who have been doing so for years have upped the ante, utilizing materials in more innovative ways and employing higher percentages of recycled materials. “We’re finding consumers are becoming far more sophisticated about wanting healthy materials in their homes,” observes Robin Reigi, founder and president, Robin Reigi Inc., a New York-based sourcing, development, marketing and sales firm.Surfaces and carpets are just two examples of products that incorporate post-consumer materials. Some products, such as recycled glass tile, have even…

Rohl’s new kitchen and bath collections draw inspiration from the Villa Romantica trend, a combination of Spanish colonial and Mediterranean design influences.  The Perrin & Rowe Collection features classic designs with functional attributes for kitchen and bath. The ROHL Country Kitchen Collection includes the single lever kitchen faucet, which offers a nine-in. spout reach and is available in polished chrome, polished nickel, satin nickel, Tuscan brass and Inca Brass. The design of the three-leg bridge kitchen faucet with handspray is available with five spoke handles, cross handles, metal levers and porcelain levers, each offering a different look. The Country Bath…