President Biden signs the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law, plants like hemp and algae could help minimize the environmental footprint of high-rise buildings, construction groups sue over the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new vaccine rule, and more.
- The global architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill presented Urban Sequoia at the COP26 United Nations climate change conference, a building with a physical form optimized to absorb more carbon dioxide than it produces. (Nate Berg, Fast Company)
- President Biden signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law on Monday afternoon, which will disperse billions into the nation’s roads, ports, and power lines and expanding broadband internet access to millions of Americans. (Andrea Shalal & Steve Holland, Reuters)
- The Associated General Contractors of America, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, and the Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance have asked a federal appeals court to block a Biden administration rule requiring employees of larger companies to be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19, arguing it could derail infrastructure plans. (Caroline Love & Paul Debenedetto, Houston Public Media)
- To reduce COVID-19 transmission, property owners are engaging a wide range of proptech startups to meet the growing demand of improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in office spaces. (Philip Russo, Commercial Observer)
- Magnum Real Estate Group is selling three retail condos in Manhattan’s upper East side for $29 million, accepting only Bitcoin as payment. (Jennifer Schonberger, Yahoo Finance)