DTLA – Maybe it’s the turbo-charged national economy. Maybe it’s the Los Angeles housing shortage that has caused both rents and home sale prices to spike. Maybe it’s the pressure developers face of trying to launch a project before voters cast ballots on Measure S in March. Maybe it’s all of the above.

Whatever the case, the Downtown Los Angeles development scene is busier than ever, and has surpassed pre-recession peaks. Everywhere you look in the Central City, there are cranes and construction workers (not to mention closed streets and sidewalks) building new high-rises and landmarks.

In the last five months, developers have announced more than a dozen projects, from a reimagining of the Southern California Flower Market, complete with a residential tower, to the Olympia, a three-pronged South Park high-rise that would create more than 1,300 apartments. These occur as other long-awaited developments near the finish line: In the coming months, projects including the Wilshire Grand replacement and Los Angeles State Historic Park are scheduled to open.

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Airport commissioners unanimously approved construction of the northern half of a midfield concourse west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal , which is undergoing its own expansion and renovation.

07/22/2014
Los Angeles Times (CA)

July 22 –The modernization of Los Angeles International Airport continued Monday with the approval of a new $900-million terminal that will add gates for wide-bodied aircraft and help eliminate a major inconvenience for travelers.

Airport commissioners unanimously approved construction of the northern half of a midfield concourse west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal , which is undergoing its own expansion and renovation.

Commissioners also certified the project’s environmental impact report and approved a three-year, $50-million contract for Skanska and W.E. O’Neil . The joint venture will provide pre-construction services and construction management.
The project will add gates for the largest jetliners in service and eventually eliminate the airport’s remote gates that require passengers to deplane into the open and take buses to the Bradley’s immigration, customs and baggage claim areas.

“We need more wide-body contact gates. We just can’t deliver them fast enough,” said Gina Marie Lindsey , the executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Despite the development boom underway in Downtown Los Angeles, tourism officials regularly complain that the city suffers from a shortage of hotel rooms.

The formal debut this week of a 23-story, 393-room Marriott hotel tower won’t quell those concerns, but area boosters do see it as a small but significant step toward fulfilling the demand.

A grand opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 1, for a $172 million project that holds both a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a Residence Inn in a single building. It is the first ground-up hotel project to open in Downtown since the 2010 arrival of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels at L.A. Live.

The dual approach is evident throughout the building at 901 W. Olympic Blvd. (where guests actually started checking in this month). Although the hotels share a lobby, the hallways leading to the guest rooms are visually split in two: The Courtyard half of the floor features a lively orange design theme, while the Residence Inn side holds a purple palette. Each side has distinct lighting fixtures, art, carpet and other touches.

In recent years it has been a trend in modern design to open up atriums in order to let in more natural light, maximize the openness of interior space, and reduce energy costs. While this design feature is a definite plus when it comes to user satisfaction, the added space, especially when large atriums are considered, can make it difficult to manage from a fire and smoke safety standpoint. Additionally, there are a number of fire and smoke code regulations that must be adhered to, one of which requires that atriums be equipped with a system that automatically activates in the event of a fire.

Historically, architects, contractors and business owners were restricted to the use of traditional fore protection systems like rolling doors, exhaust systems that disposed of smoke or automatic sprinkler systems. Not only were these types of protection systems often visually unappealing, but they tended to involve significant costs as well. Thankfully, recent advances in technology have enabled the production of more attractive, cost effective solutions. Perhaps one of the most appealing solutions for atrium smoke protection is a smoke and fire barrier curtain.

Smoke and fire barrier curtains are an excellent smoke and fire protection option for atriums, stairways, escalators and other unenclosed openings. They can be used both horizontally and vertically to control smoke through the compartmentalization of open spaces which will allow the building’s occupants more time to safely exit the area. Barrier curtains are often a much more affordable choice for consumers on a budget as well. In some instances contractors, architects and business owners have been able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars by employing barrier curtains in their atriums instead of using older, conventional products.

Smoke and fire barrier curtains are not only cost effective smoke protection solutions, but they can be virtually invisible as well when they are not in use- unlike the unsightly conventional steel rolling doors and sprinkler systems previously mentioned, and they are quite possibly some of the most efficient products available for your atrium smoke protection needs.