Element Structural Engineers, Inc.

01/26/2022

Nearly every business has struggled in some way over the past two years. But minority-owned businesses have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Committee for Economic Development has compiled a list of resources that specifically help women and minority-owned businesses access federal sources of support. Many businesses will newly qualify for access to working capital through a variety of programs.

As a minority business owner, our founder Thuy Fontelera, is a strong advocate for minority-owned entrepreneurialism. She hopes her own success will empower others to realize their own dream of business ownership. Knowing what resources are available is a superpower every entrepreneur needs.

The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led public policy organization that delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions to our nation’s most critical issues.

01/25/2022

A seldom-used housing model is gaining steam across the country, particularly in communities where tenants are facing higher rents and possible displacement. In December, PBS Newshour spoke with housing advocates and residents in California who are partnering with community land trusts to make their housing affordable in perpetuity. With this model, homes are bought by a nonprofit trust that sells them to low and middle-income buyers at below-market rates.

Two dozen communities in California are using land trusts to create and preserve affordable housing, especially in urban areas where housing costs are high. The Bay Area Community Land Trust, for example, helps create permanently affordable housing through cooperatively run land stewardship projects, by taking land and housing out of the speculative market and helping to stabilize neighborhoods.

We are inspired by these organizations who are finding creative ways to ensure that everyone in our communities has a place to call home.

https://youtu.be/9W2bN7D9Sec

A seldom-used housing model is gaining steam across the country, particularly in communities where tenants are facing higher rents and possible displacement....

01/20/2022

How has the workplace changed in the past few years? What key change must managers make to adapt to the workplace of 2022?

From embracing inclusive leadership to preventing bias that can hinder employee growth, a team of experts from MIT Sloan Management Review offers 6 ways managers can adapt to the realities of today’s workplace.

“The most difficult piece moving forward is to engage in courageous and difficult conversations in your sphere of influence as a leader.”

MIT SMR’s expert contributors weigh in on the skills and strategies managers should embrace in the year ahead.

01/19/2022

As fans of cross-laminated timber, we’re excited to see 1 De Haro, San Francisco's first multi-story, fully mass timber building, open its doors. The design by Perkins & Will demonstrates the advantages of mass timber construction—it goes beyond just storage or avoidance of carbon. The building is also LEED Gold and has a green roof, which we love!

Matt Covall, senior project manager, told Treehugger that CLT was appropriate for this job with its ability to handle long spans; it is dimensionally stable and when combined with the concrete topping acts as a diaphragm.

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Perkins&Will shows how to bring mass timber to the market.

01/13/2022

Home Design Trends That Will Rule 2022

To get a sense of the top design trends that will dominate our living spaces in 2022, the editors at Dwell magazine asked several trusted architects and interior designers for their predictions, and also gathered insights from recently published industry surveys.

One of the predictions we have our eye on is the expected a demand for multi-functional spaces that accommodate the needs of various generations under the same roof - particularly as hybrid and remote work is expected to continue in 2022.

"Owners are now wanting homes to be ideal places to not only live, but also places where they can work, where children can learn, and where multiple generations can live together—and where there’s a possibility that the dwelling can be used as a rental property," says architect Cavin Costello, principal at The Ranch Mine.

From nature-inspired interiors to vintage furnishings and tactile finishes, here are the design trends that industry experts predict will dominate in the new year.

01/11/2022

7 Strategies for More Resilient Affordable Housing

NHP Foundation’s Eric W. Price recently offered insights on how to improve housing opportunities for underserved communities. He also outlined key findings from the Foundation’s study on affordable housing vulnerability in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners.
The results show that despite gains made by many policy enactments directed towards increased housing production and rental assistance, most underserved populations who comprise the renter universe remain just that—underserved.

Learn more about Eric’s recommendations

NHP Foundation’s Eric W. Price on how to improve housing opportunities for underserved communities.

01/04/2022

We are so honored to be part of the team that created Alta Madrone, a 48-unit 100% affordable housing project for families in Sonoma Country. The project includes 11 units for formerly homeless families and ten units for disabled and unhoused veterans. Alta Madrone features 8 residential buildings as well as a community building with a common room, offices, covered bicycle storage and laundry facilities. Extra attention was paid to landscaping open spaces including a children’s playfield.

With LEED Silver in mind, unit finishes were selected for durability and non-toxicity. Roof-mounted solar panels offset energy demands. The site incorporates storm water management, virtual net-metering, and a greywater irrigation system.

SAHAHomes.com

12/30/2021

We salute the organizations who are making a real impact to end homelessness this holiday season.

Abode Services is the largest homeless housing and services provider in the Bay Area, operating nearly 60 programs that aim to rehouse people in need as quickly as possible.

In 2020, Abode Services assisted 10,531 adults and children in their programs programs. Their housing programs served 6,844 people on a given night, providing safe, stable homes to those who would otherwise be homeless or at severe risk of losing their housing. More than 1,650 people exited their programs into permanent housing. What an incredible accomplishment by the entire team.

https://www.abodeservices.org/

12/23/2021

Did you know that the brain solves problems subconsciously when we step away from being productive?

As engineers, we think of time off as time on. Our leader, Thuy Fontelera, has BIG plans for Element in 2022. Therefore, we will be using this time to intentionally refresh, refocus and rejuvenate. This will allow us to bring our best to the challenges we know await us in the new year. Deliberate rest is the partner of deliberate practice.

Here’s wishing you a restful and restorative holiday season so that you too can welcome the opportunities that next year will bring.

12/22/2021

A home for the holidays. That is our wish for every person and every family in our community. Today, we thankful for the work of The Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County (HLC). The team at HLC works every day to preserve and expand the range and supply of adequate, accessible, and affordable housing for residents and workers of San Mateo County.

https://hlcsmc.org/

12/21/2021

This holiday season, we salute the work of organizations in our community who are making a difference.

Today, a shout out to East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO) https://ebho.org/

This important organization has been deeply involved in efforts to protect, preserve, and produce affordable housing. They have worked in coalition with partners across the affordable housing and advocacy sectors to win many key affordable housing and renter protection bills in the state assembly as part of the 3P’s Coalition. EBHO is also raises awareness via a region-wide Affordable Housing Month.

To the team at EBHO, we are proud of the work you do!

East Bay Housing Organizations is a member-based organization that advocates for affordable housing for low-income people in the East Bay counties of California.

12/16/2021

5 TOP TRENDS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FOR 2022

The National Center for Construction Education & Research has taken a look ahead at the top trends the construction industry can expect in 2022 and predicting a more advanced, welcoming and environmentally friendly industry.

From better PPE for women to a greater focus on sustainability, these trends are bringing construction into the future with more sustainable projects, safer working conditions, and modernized building and design tools.

These top construction industry trends for 2022 are creating a more advanced, welcoming and environmentally friendly industry.