Burnham Nationwide

05/28/2026

One of the most storied luxury retail destinations in the country just got a little more complete, and Burnham Dallas helped make it happen.

The team provided permitting, TDLR/RAS, GC placeholder services, and sign permits across a collection of world-class brands at Highland Park Village Shopping Center:

Miu Miu | Prada | Vacheron Constantin | Brioni | Dior | Chloe | Hermès

The Hermès build is worth noting: a full conversion of the historic Highland Park Theatre into a flagship location, with a year-long buildout already underway.

Different brands. Different scopes. Same standard.

05/26/2026

Accessibility in the built environment isn't a box to check. It's a commitment to who gets to use a building.
The IBC, ADA Standards, and Fair Housing Act create a framework. The spirit of that framework is simple: buildings should work for everyone. Not just the median user. Everyone. That's what Week 4 of International Code Council's Building Safety Month is about.
That means wider corridors. Accessible routes that don't route people through the back entrance. Restrooms that actually meet reach range requirements. Signage with the right contrast ratios.
These details matter. They determine whether someone can do their job, visit a friend, get medical care, or access their own home without depending on someone else to help them navigate a space that wasn't designed for them.
Burnham's The Code Group team works on these important issues every day.

05/25/2026

Today we remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

05/19/2026

Heads up, Chicago architects. The City of Chicago's Self-Certification Professional training class is coming up August 4-6, 2026, with in-person and remote options available.

Register by June 22 to keep your current status active through completion. Certification renews through December 31, 2031.

Need a list of past project and permit numbers from your work with Burnham to complete your application? Reach out to us and we're happy to help.

More info:

The Department of Buildings is pleased to announce that the bi-annual self-certification training class for 2025/2026 will be held August 4-6, 2026, at the Malcolm X College Conference Center.

05/18/2026

Building codes don't just tell you how to build. They encode what we've learned from disasters.
After every major earthquake, hurricane, flood, or fire, engineers and code officials study what happened. They look at which buildings held and which ones didn't. They track failures back to design decisions, construction practices, or code gaps. And then they update the standards.
That process is slow, incremental, and unglamorous. It also saves lives.
This week's International Code Council's Building Safety Month theme, Prepared to Protect, is about that cycle: building in resilience before disaster strikes, not after.
At Burnham, we help project teams understand what those requirements mean in practice.

05/15/2026

A $4 million amenity conversion sounds like a competitive advantage. Until it crosses the threshold that triggers whole-building code compliance for a system nobody budgeted.
The amenities arms race is real. So are the code consequences that come with it.
Chris Chwedyk wrote the piece we wish more project teams read at concept stage, not after three months of design development.
https://hubs.li/Q04fXvDD0

05/13/2026

Hotels, dormitories, and transient lodging facilities sit at the intersection of three overlapping frameworks: the IBC, the ADA, and the Fair Housing Act. When those requirements conflict, the margin for error is slim and the cost of getting it wrong is real.
Our next webinar breaks it down with real cases, enforcement trends, and practical strategies you can use immediately.
Blueprint for Accessibility: Welcoming Every Guest
Wednesday, June 17 · 12 pm CT
1 AIA HSW LU
Register: https://hubs.li/Q04fX7h-0

05/11/2026

This week, the International Code Council's Building Safety Month spotlights the professionals who keep buildings safe: the inspectors, plan reviewers, code officials, and consultants who work behind the scenes on every project.
These are not the people in the renderings. They're the ones who make sure the renderings can actually be built.
At Burnham, our team includes permit expediters, code consultants, and accessibility specialists who collectively represent decades of experience navigating the regulatory side of construction. They know the jurisdictions, the reviewers, the processes, and, just as importantly, where the friction points are.
This week we're grateful for everyone who does this work. It matters more than it gets credit for.

05/10/2026

To the moms in our community, on the job sites, and at home: thank you for everything you build every day.
Happy Mother's Day from Burnham Nationwide.

05/07/2026

The Getty Center is closing in March 2027 for a full campus renovation, reopening spring 2028 ahead of the LA Olympics. Big scope, fixed deadline. A good reminder of why early permitting strategy matters on projects like this.

Getty Center will temporarily close to the public from spring 2027-spring 2028; Getty Villa will remain open with additional offerings.