The M|O Blog
Check back here for our thoughts on the latest developments in our industry. Or find our recent company news here.
Celebrating student artwork—and arts education
September 19th, 2017
With major funding cuts and an increased focus on a STEM curriculum, arts programs across the country continue to suffer. Marx|Okubo wants to do something about that: We are ...
ADA allows everyone to access some of our greatest natural assets
August 3rd, 2017
Roughly 20% of all Americans have a disability. While many are elderly citizens experiencing the effects of the natural aging process, others have disabilities that they’d prefer to keep ...
The benefits and challenges of unmanned aerial vehicles
June 6th, 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 ...
Budget or premium: An array of options for tomorrow’s solar systems
May 5th, 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 ...
The future of architecture is built for bicycles
April 4th, 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 ...
San Francisco’s innovative BORP: A model for resilience
March 10th, 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 ...
If you can't predict, you have to prioritize-thoughtfully: What your real estate investments need now
February 3rd, 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 ...
Challenges and misconceptions in creative office spaces
October 27th, 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 ...
50 shades of green: understanding next-generation sustainability systems
September 23rd, 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 ...
Building owners feeling aftershock of L.A. quake retrofit
September 8th, 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 ...
The value of a CASp review
August 3rd, 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 ...
Latest landscape trends reflect limited resources and modern lifestyles
May 25th, 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 ...
Another Marx|Okubo project in the news - Santa Monica's Pen Factory
May 18th, 2016
Marx|Okubo provided property condition assessment services on this development to assist our client in determining the proper scope for the renovated structures. This project shows how reusing existing buildings ...
Technology enhancing the way we deliver construction services
April 28th, 2016
In our experience, every building comes with issues. The key to navigating construction challenges successfully is to have the knowledge base necessary to identify those issues, communicate them effectively and ...
Going net zero: What about the envelope?
March 10th, 2016
Setting new precedents in green energy, California made significant revisions to energy requirements as part of the state’s 2014 building code. The revisions also proposed an extensive mandate for ...
Does your roof warranty have you covered?
February 12th, 2016
Warranty issues on roofing are a common problem in the world of property investment and building construction. Unknowns stem from the fact that there is a wide range of roof ...
What you need to know now about EBM
January 13th, 2016
The trouble with exterior building maintenance requirements (EBM) is they’re not widely known. Buildings are not typically reviewed for compliance with state and federal safety codes, and enforcement is ...