VietNamNet Bridge - Beijing Urban Construction International Co Ltd has beaten competitors to become lead contractor on Golden Westlake Executive Residence, a 50 million USD project.

The Chinese company took part in a signing agreement ceremony with Ha Viet Tung Shing Joint Venture in Hanoi on Sept. 25, to be officially appointed lead contractor on the luxury-apartment project near the southern bank of Hanoi's West Lake.

Beijing Urban Construction International Co. Ltd was selected based on its track record in China, where they have been constructing thousands of square metres of spaces for the 2008 Olympics. The company has carried out engineering projects in more than 10 countries including Tunisia, Botswana, Iran, Singapore, Mongolia and Vietnam.

Pre-construction preparations for the Westlake project are underway and the civil works should become apparent by the middle of next month.

NHRC concerned over delay in construction of own building

New Delhi, Oct 17: Two years after laying the foundation stone for its own building in the Capital, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is still functioning from rented premises due to delay by the Urban Development Ministry in getting the necessary clearances for the construction.

While the Ministry is yet to obtain necessary clearances from various authorities, leading to delay in commencement of the construction work of the NHRC's own building, the commission has no option but to operate from Faridkot house, which it has taken on lease at Copernicus Marg in central Delhi.

Space has been allotted in the office complex premises in INA area in South Delhi for NHRC's own building, which would be called Manavadhikar Bhavan.

Expressing its concern over the delay, the commission has raised the matter in its annual report for 2004-05.

Bilfinger Berger receives new building construction orders

Bilfinger Berger will carry out the turn-key construction of the Stadt-Galerie in Passau. The order volume for this ambitious development project from ECE Projektmanagement amounts to 60 million.

Construction work begins in October 2006 and the shopping center is to be opened in fall 2008. 21,000 square meters of retail space, spread over three levels, provide an attractive location for up to 90 shops.

In Duisburg, Bilfinger Berger is building the Forum, another inner-city shopping center. The client is Multi Development Germany, the volume amounts to 85 million and Bilfinger Berger is the technical leader for the turn-key construction. The opening is planned for fall 2008. A few steps away, Bilfinger Berger is currently building the striking CityPalais for the Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft NRW with a concert hall as well as office and retail space.

Poolmaker basking in Southwestern sunshine

It isn't easy to be ranked as the best in the West and the third-largest overall in your field when you sell your product in only two states.

But if you're selling swimming pools, California and Arizona are as good as two states can be.

West Covina-based California Pools, which has been building swimming pools since 1952, was recently named the top pool builder in the west by industry magazine "Pool & Spa News" for the second consecutive year.

The company was third overall on the magazine's "Power 50," which ranks the leading pool builders nationally based on annual construction revenue.

"It's an honor to have been selected among the top three pool builders in the nation," David Morrill, president of the company, said in a release. "For more than 50 years, California Pools has remained committed to customer satisfaction and the delivery of the highest-possible quality product.