4Site Advisors

03/29/2018

“I am committed to bringing opportunities to communities that lift residents and businesses up." ~Mayor Hancock.

Check out his recently announced fund aimed at improving business districts: https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2018/03/23/denver-mayor-announces-new-bid-fund.html

A $200,000 fund was created that's aimed at improving a local business district.

03/28/2018

"To attract the next generation of its workforce, the construction industry must emphasize technology and diversity."

Here's one thought on how our industry can come back from these labor shortages: https://buff.ly/2HjWxGP

To attract the next generation of its workforce, the construction industry must emphasize technology and diversity.

03/22/2018

"In 2018, it is essential for employers and leaders to engage their employees and make them feel as if they are an integral part of the business."

Are you engaging your people?
Try these Key Employee Engagement Strategies for 2018 https://buff.ly/2GauKJy

How do you improve employee engagement and why does it even matter? In this article, we break down everything you need to know, including key strategies for improving engagement.

03/20/2018

Did you know? February gave us the strongest month of new job growth since March 2007—adding 61,000 net new jobs.
Check it out!

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/february-sees-best-month-of-construction-job-growth-since-march-2007/518829/

Construction accounted for one-fifth of net new job creation in the U.S. last month.

03/16/2018

In the U.S., construction is a big source of waste and pollution, we all know that.

But now, we're starting to see a number of companies and designers are already experimenting with food-based materials for construction.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/11/could-food-waste-be-used-as-a-construction-material-to-build-our-cities-of-the-future/?ref=quuu&utm_source=quuu

The engineering firm Arup is advocating that industry move to a circular economy, or "a continual feedback loop that aims to recycle as much as possible."

03/14/2018

Labor Shortages have been a hot topic this year. With construction costs increasing by as much as 50% per sq foot, but construction pay across the United States only increasing 2.4%, it may be clear as to why...

One man's opinion?

“The simple way to solve (labor) shortages, is to pay people more.”

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/01/letter-to-solve-labor-shortage-simply-pay-workers-more/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202018-03-06%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:14321%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

We know something is out of whack when construction costs are going up 50 percent per square foot in San Francisco, as reported by The Mercury News, but construction pay across the United States on…

03/08/2018

Let's talk accountability. One of the main values at 4Site, and an important personal skill to develop beyond the workplace.

This article from Forbes even argues it's a prerequisite for happiness: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cywakeman/2015/10/26/personal-accountability-and-the-pursuit-of-workplace-happiness/

Personal accountability is the belief that you are fully responsible for your own actions and consequences. It’s a choice, a mindset and an expression of integrity. Some individuals exhibit it more than others, but it can and should be learned as it is not only the foundation for a successful [......

03/05/2018

Most firms would say that their most important asset is their people. Our most important asset is definitely our people!

Over the past two decades, this "asset" has become increasingly bilingual with more than 27% of workers in construction are Hispanic or of Latino ethnicity.

Are you updating your practices to fit your assets?
https://www.enr.com/articles/43985-experts-weigh-on-bilingual-best-practices-for-jobsites

Even as the number of non-English-speaking workers continues to grow, the construction industry lacks a set of best practices to help them

03/01/2018

Our society today is constantly filled with distractions: the constant buzzing and notifications from every device we own uses brain power that we could be using on something productive.

Here at 4Site, we're all about Deep Work: minimizing distractions to stay focused on the task, which allows you to get the most of your time.

Not sure how to get into the Deep Work flow? Get started here: https://www.fastcompany.com/40523353/how-i-organize-my-week-to-do-three-days-of-deep-work

Even when you work remotely, it’s easy to get bogged down by interruptions. That’s why setting time aside to do deep work is crucial.

02/26/2018

It's not an option to be vague when writing project requirements. Descriptions that are not 100% on point can be misinterpreted and lead to massive failure.

So what can you do to improve your requirements?

https://qracorp.com/project-management-podcast/?ref=quuu&utm_content=buffer5dcae&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Interviewed by Cornelius Fichtner from The Project Management Podcast, our CEO, Jordan Kyriakidis, explore the root causes of poorly written requirements. And more importantly… How to fix them! Click here to listen to this interview right now: Here is what Cornelius writes about the interview: Tom...

02/21/2018

There's been a steady decline in the amount of available laborers in the construction industry for a few years now.
You've probably already seen and experienced some of the impacts.

But where did this labor shortage begin, and why?

https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/sites/thelegalintelligencer/2018/01/29/how-to-cope-with-construction-industry-labor-shortages/?slreturn=20180121154044

The United States is on the precipice of a massive skilled labor shortage according to the 2017 Commercial Construction Index. Compiled by USG Corporation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce the survey revealed “steady optimism from contractors about revenue forecasts and their backlog of work yet co...

02/20/2018

The lack of design we're seeing in new, "modern" apartment complexes has become more and more apparent—especially in Denver and nearby cities.

Projects are booming, but the finished product looks more like a five-story box than a home.
https://crej.com/news/boom-times-leaving-quality-design-behind/

Three years ago, Denver architect Jeff Sheppard dropped a bomb on our civic ego in a Denver Post op-ed titled, "Denver is a great city, so why the bad buildings?" He noted that while the city is "infilling" at a record pace and

02/14/2018

After 20 years in development, we've identified the mistakes that account for 80% of the issues that can malign even the most well-planned development projects.

7 Common Mistakes Made by Retail Developers, written by our own founder, John Craig.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-common-mistakes-made-retail-developers-john-craig/

02/09/2018

Valentine's Day is on its way, don't get caught in the wrong restaurant.
https://denver.eater.com/maps/valentines-day-denver-boulder-colorado-2018?utm_campaign=denver.eater&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Skip the three-course, wine-paired nonsense this year

02/05/2018

The trend of hiring in teams, rather than individuals, has taken off in some companies.

But why? What are hiring managers thinking?
Check out this article by our founder, John Craig: https://buff.ly/2EIA3Py

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~African Proverb In the public eye today, it is usually one person that gets all

02/01/2018

Computer science is one of the few fields in which the number of women has been steadily decreasing since the ’80s....
An important article pointing out the obvious, yet serious, issue.
The Dangers of Keeping Women Out of Tech:

The number of women in computer science has steadily decreased since the 80s. The industry needs to change—and it could take a lesson from Maria Klawe.

01/29/2018

"Do we really want to buy our food at automated, faceless Amazon stores?
Do we really want to cleanse all human contact from what is now one of our most human and most social activities — the gathering of our sustenance?"

Quote from an amazing article on Medium titled, Is This The Society We Really Want?
Read the full article here:

Technology’s march is taken as gospel. But if we’ve learned anything from the past year, it’s that Valley giants often miss key human…

01/25/2018

We've been there, done that, so you don't have to.

Get started on your next project with 4Site Advisors here: https://buff.ly/2n0s5Zr

01/22/2018

DIA is working to become a destination—complete with ice skating and goat yoga...what is goat yoga?

Asking for a friend....https://buff.ly/2n2TDxw

01/16/2018

With spending habits changing, we're beginning to see a decline in casual dining.
Is this the beginning of the end for these chains?

Casual restaurant chains are struggling these days - here are the problems they are facing and what they can do to turn things around?

01/15/2018

Google Spent YEARS Studying Effective Teams. What single quality do you think contributed most to their success?
Read on:

What matters isn't so much who's on your team, but rather how the team works together.

01/11/2018

Silicon Valley’s Marketo plants office in Denver to help develop marketing messages people want to hear.
With Denver-based CEO Steve Lucas, firm’s Denver office went from 1 to 200 employees and has a goal of 500 by end of year:

From one to 200 employees in Denver in one year, martech firm Marketo calls Denver one of its homes for investment because of the “undervalued” talent, says CEO Steve Lucas, a CU Boulde…

01/08/2018

Colorado Divide: Why some Coloradans are cashing out of the Front Range and seeking their rural happily-ever-after. Read more here:

While the Denver metro area is booming and many of the state’s rural communities are fading, at risk of dying even, some Coloradans are migrating the opposite direction. Retirees, young singl…

01/05/2018

Look Inside Oskar Blues’ LoDo Restaurant, Bar, and Music Venue.
The two-story space underwent a massive, rock-themed renovation:

The two-story space underwent a massive, rock-themed renovation

01/04/2018

Denver International Airport in 2017: Busiest. Year. Ever.
Of the 100 busiest travel days in DIA’s history, 76 happened this year:

Of the 100 busiest travel days in DIA’s history, 76 happened this year. There’s a simple reason for that: a growing population,, according to airport officials.

12/28/2017

Check out these restaurants, bars, and breweries coming to Denver in 2018:

With the new year less than a month away, there are more than a dozen new bars, restaurants and breweries with openings slated for next year.

12/26/2017

Jack in the Box selling Qdoba for $350 million
Denver-born company has been a sore spot for burger chain...

https://buff.ly/2CGlw4O

12/21/2017

"Starting Jan. 1, all new and replacement roofs on buildings larger than 25,000 square feet must include a green roof component, according to the rules brought by Initiative 300."

And there aren't many options for developers to get around the new green roof rules.
Read more:

If developers aren't already talking to city planners, it's unlikely they'll be able to get a project exempt before 2018.

12/20/2017

Housing in is “seriously unaffordable,” among worst in nation, study finds.

City ranks 18th in North America for unaffordability:

Denver ranks 18th in North America for unaffordability, with the typical home consuming 6.6 years of family income.

12/15/2017

2017 Restaurant Innovation.

This study looks at the most cutting-edge of restaurants all over the world & tracks the new ways these businesses are creating better experiences for their customers: https://buff.ly/2iOrD2D