Last night the AIA-MBA Joint Committee held a launch event for its Project Collaboration Best Practices Guide at the MBA’s Training Center. The presentation was the culmination of several years of roundtables with owners from around the region and represents the suggested practices of companies that have been using collaborative delivery models, up to the use of IPD agreements. If you’re interested, there’s a short survey you can take to add your opinion about these collaborative practices.

One of the participants in the roundtable discussions, the University of Pittsburgh, approved its capital spending yesterday. The $34.7 million in projects was indicative of Pitt’s reduced construction spending, although the Gallagher Administration seems to be building momentum for some very significant projects within the next few years. The headline project for 2016 is actually the $5.7 million renovation of a building in downtown Bradford PA to make the Marilyn Horne Museum. Carl E. Swanson & Sons is the low bidder on that project. Among the other major projects planned is a $7.2 million upgrade to the Starzl BST and a $6.5 million renovation to a dorm at Pitt-Johnstown.

In other project news, Rycon Construction was awarded the Classrooms 232 & 332 renovation at the Cathedral of Learning. Uhl Construction was selected for the $8 million expansion of Sisson Motors in Washington, PA. PJ Dick was awarded the $4.5 million Ft. Ligonier renovations. PJ will also be building the 55,000 square-foot new office building at McCandless Crossing that Kevin Dougherty from AdVenture Development announced earlier this week. Sports & Exhibition Authority selected Massaro CM Services as construction manager for its 798-car, $14 million North Shore Parking Garage.