M|O Perspectives
Check back here for our thoughts on the latest developments in our industry.
The benefits and challenges of unmanned aerial vehicles
Jun 06, 2017
Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are changing all types of industries, including real estate and construction engineering. This advanced technology is making it easier, faster and cheaper to perform real estate photography and due diligence reviews. In the past, real estate developers or...
Budget or premium: An array of options for tomorrow’s solar systems
May 05, 2017
The U.S. solar market is anticipated to triple within five years as utility-size installations move forward. It’s no wonder. As one of the few capital improvements that can directly lower or offset a property’s operating costs, photovoltaic (PV) solar systems are a powerful investment. In many...
The future of architecture is built for bicycles
Apr 04, 2017
There’s no doubt that bike culture is revolutionizing American cities. In fact, between 2000 and 2009, bike use in the top 55 U.S. cities rose by 70 percent. It’s a trend that’s not expected to wane any time soon. Bicycles are a key component of a new transportation paradigm. We’re already seeing...
San Francisco’s innovative BORP: A model for resilience
Mar 10, 2017
For the past 20 years, San Francisco building owners have had the option to enroll their properties in the city’s pioneering Building Occupancy Resumption Program (BORP). Registered buildings receive private post-earthquake inspection on an accelerated timeline, reducing business interruption costs...
If you can't predict, you have to prioritize-thoughtfully: What your real estate investments need now
Feb 03, 2017
Is your real-estate crystal ball looking a little cloudy these days? Trying to predict the future of markets these days is tricky—especially with a new President, a mature stage real estate cycle and global low-growth and -yield environments. As we get into 2017, caution and guarded optimism are...
Challenges and misconceptions in creative office spaces
Oct 27, 2016
Once upon a time creative office spaces were raw, unfinished, open floorplans in old, sometimes historic, buildings. Startup companies liked the flexible layouts and inexpensive rent. Over the years, the popularity of creative offices has grown and evolved into a design concept all its own—one that...
50 shades of green: understanding next-generation sustainability systems
Sep 23, 2016
Green building continues to be the wave of the future. In fact, when the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo hits Los Angeles next month, it's estimated to bring up to 25,000 environmentally focused minds together to discuss everything from the most recent LEED rating systems, one of the...
Building owners feeling aftershock of L.A. quake retrofit
Sep 08, 2016
Last year's seismic retrofit ordinance is putting 15,000 older Los Angeles buildings under serious pressure. Owners and operators of Los Angeles structures built before 1978 are left quaking about meeting minimum standards, opting for a retrofit or considering teardowns. Owners of buildings found to...
The value of a CASp review
Aug 03, 2016
Accessibility regulations can seem like a complicated maelstrom of overlapping and conflicting requirements. The confusion over codes makes easy prey for "drive-by" lawsuits, which often target small businesses that may not have the knowledge of what's required and will therefore opt to...
Latest landscape trends reflect limited resources and modern lifestyles
May 25, 2016
Like all design, landscaping is adapting to substantial shifts in sustainability as well as the new way people work in and around the built environment. One of the biggest national trend we are seeing is in native landscaping. This type of landscape design allows for climate-matched planting...