The Construction Specifier

By The Construction Specifier Put your construction knowledge to the test with Building Blocks, The Construction Specifier’s word game. Each puzzle challenges you to uncover a five-letter word drawn from the language of the built environment—think materials, systems, design, specifications, and jobsite essentials.

Branded News For architects and construction engineers, material selection can influence curb appeal, structural requirements, energy performance, maintenance needs, and long-term life-cycle costs. Two architectural materials—LUMIFLON® FEVE resins and Fluon® ETFE film— provide durable, low-maintenance solutions that expand design possibilities while supporting longer-lasting, more sustainable buildings.

Branded News Recycling PVC roofing membrane can do more than divert material from landfills. New research is helping the building industry quantify the potential carbon benefits of keeping these materials in circulation. A 2025 study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) examines what happens at the end of a PVC roofing membrane’s service life.

By The Construction Specifier The restoration renewed the 1886 Romanesque building’s historic fabric. Image courtesy Hoffmann Architects + Engineers The restoration of Stratford’s Sterling Community Center has earned a 2026 Connecticut Preservation Award. Preservation Connecticut selected the project for its preservation work and contribution to the community.

By The Construction Specifier The Resilient Rebuild Hub provides a practical starting point for families weighing how to rebuild. Photo ©BigStockPhoto.com A new online resource is designed to help homeowners rebuilding after wildfires explore fire-resistant, noncombustible construction options. The Resilient Rebuild Hub also helps homeowners connect with architects, engineers, and contractors familiar with these building systems. Building With Resilience launched the resource.

By The Construction Specifier Put your construction knowledge to the test with Building Blocks, The Construction Specifier’s word game. Each puzzle challenges you to uncover a five-letter word drawn from the language of the built environment—think materials, systems, design, specifications, and jobsite essentials.

By The Construction Specifier The building takes a park-focused approach. Photos by Bruce Damonte A recreation center that opened earlier this year at the edge of San Francisco’s John McLaren Park uses mass timber and indoor-outdoor connections to reflect its natural setting. The 1,161 m2 (12,500 sf) Herz Recreation Center serves as a gateway to the city’s second-largest park and provides the Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods with recreation, gathering, and fitness spaces.

Branded News Sequencing issues are the bane of any construction professional’s existence—especially when it comes to the building’s exterior. TRUFAST helps solve those issues with a full line of wall and roof attachment solutions designed to help teams at every stage push the envelope of performance. The company’s Thermal-Grip TubeSeal® wall fasteners attach and seal against the air- and weather-resistive barrier (AWRB), elegantly solving the issue of blind fastener penetrations in a single drive.

By The Construction Specifier The facility’s specialized layout supports the vehicles, equipment, and testing. Photos by Charles Stemen A new 511 m2 (5,500 sf) facility in Helena provides a permanent home for two Montana Department of Labor & Industry programs that oversee weights and measures and building-code enforcement statewide. The state-owned facility houses the Weights & Measures and Building Codes programs.