Monday, January 30 10:24:38

The first in a series of surveys of members of the Royal
Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) shows that a majority
(52.8pc) say they are expecting work levels to increase or
remain the same during 2012.

Architects are considered lead indicators for the construction
sector as they are involved in the drawing up of plans and
applying for planning permissions before the commencement of
construction.

The Q1 2012 survey of RIAI practices, which was carried out by
the RIAI in the 2nd week of January 2012, was answered by 242
practices across the country - around half of all practices.
15.2pc of practices are expecting an increase in work. 37.6pc
are expecting activity to remain the same - an aggregate of
52.8pc - while 47.2pc are expecting a decrease in work.

The biggest increase in work is expected in domestic
renovations and extensions (27.3pc) while the biggest fall is
forecast to be in broader housing (43.9pc). Many architectural
practices have re-focussed on sustainability and conservation
and 46.5pc of practices that answered the anonymous online
survey said they expect to see an increase in work in these
areas during the coming year. This increase in advice on
'green' issues is reflected in the responses given when asked
whether 'practices have changed or expanded their services in
response to the current climate in the construction industry'.
57pc of practices say they have expanded their services as a
direct response to the downturn.

Commenting on the results John Graby, Director of the RIAI,
said, "This is the first such survey that we have carried out.
In other jurisdictions, particularly in the US, this type of
survey of architect practices has become a very important lead
indicator for economic commentators reviewing construction
activity in the economy. In an industry that has been
absolutely decimated we are taking some small comfort in that a
small majority, but a majority all the same, are saying that
things don't look like they're going to get worse for them and
just over 15pc say things are on the up. This will be a key
figure to watch in future surveys.

See more here:
Chink of light for embattled architects

WSP and
PES-Architects have won a competition to design a ‘Dancing
Bridge’ for the central park of Huishan New City in
Wuxi,
China. The cable-stayed bridge will be suspended from
two inclined pylons resembling a pair of dancers.

(PRWEB UK) 30 January 2012

Following success in a design competition, WSP and
PES-Architects have been selected to
design a new pedestrian bridge in Wuxi, China. Entitled ‘The
Dancing Bridge’, the cable-stayed bridge will span a small lake
close to the new bullet train station in the central park of the
Huishan New City area.

Professor Pekka
Salminen of PES-Architects invited WSP Finland’s bridge
designers to join the design team for the competition, based on
WSP’s reputation for its design of iconic bridges.

The bridge is suspended by two independent and inclined pylons
located on a man-made island in the centre of the lake. “Our
design proposal merges minimalistic Finnish design with a
traditional Chinese story,” says Pekka Salminen. “We called our
design ‘the Dancing Bridge’ because the inclined pylons
resemble a pair of dancers.”

“The bridge design features a gentle S-bend which, according to
Chinese tradition, ensures that the traveler will face no
danger, as evil spirits will eventually lose their way in the
curved shape,” adds WSP’s Sami Niemelä. “The bridge deck is a
steel-concrete composite structure and the girder is covered
with stainless steel cladding.”

Construction of the bridge will begin at once and is expected
to open later this year.

In recent years, WSP Finland has won numerous design
competitions for bridges and urban planning projects in
Finland
and Asia. Bridge sites in Finland include Turku, Helsinki,
Tampere, Pori, Joensuu and Kajaani. In Asia, WSP has designed
bridges in Vietnam and India.

”Winning this competition is an important milestone for us in
China. The collaboration between PES-Architects and WSP Finland
is proof that top Finnish design firms can also succeed
in the world’s most important growth areas,” says Kirsi
Hautala, Managing Director of WSP Finland.

For more information:

Bridget Kennerley, Group PR Manager, WSP Group, tel. +44 207
314 4631

bridget.kennerley(at)wspgroup(dot)com

Sami Niemelä, Head of Unit, Bridges, WSP Finland, tel. +358 400
157 998, sami.niemela(at)wspgroup(dot)fi

Professor, Chairman of the Board Pekka Salminen, PES-Architects
Limited, tel. +358 40 545 6845

Notes to Editors:

WSP Finland is a multi-disciplinary consultancy company that
provides research, planning, consulting and design services to
Finnish and international companies operating in the
construction, urban development, transport, environment, energy
and industry sectors. The company employs 350 experts in
Helsinki, Oulu, Järvenpää, Tampere, Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi.

http://www.wspgroup.fi

WSP Finland belongs to the international WSP Group, with 9,000
experts working in 200 permanent offices in 35 countries.
Established in the 1970s, WSP Group is listed on London Stock
Exchange.

http://www.wspgroup.com

PES-Architects Limited is one of the leading and most
international architectural design firms in Finland. The firm’s
most recent projects include the design of underground railway
stations for the new Kehärata (Ring Rail Line) railway in
Finland, the enlargement of the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, and
the design of the Wuxi Grand Theatre and a 192m high skyscraper
in the Chengdu High-tech Zone. Professor and architect Pekka
Salminen founded the firm in 1968, and is currently the
chairman of the board of PES-Architects. The other partners in
the firm are architect Tuomas Silvennoinen and CEO Jarkko
Salminen (M.Sc.).

http://www.pesark.com

###

Bridget Kennerley
WSP Group Plc
+44(0)20 7314 4631
Email Information

Continue reading here:
WSP and PES-Architects design Dancing Bridge in Wuxi

SALT LAKE CITY — The clock is ticking
toward the highly anticipated opening of Utah's top retail
development.

Less than 60 days remain until the
scheduled March 22 grand opening of City Creek Center, a $1.5
billion downtown project that is expected to revitalize Salt
Lake City's central business district.

Upon completion, City Creek will
feature approximately 700,000 square feet of shopping and
dining space, along with 536 new condominiums or apartments.
Among the unique features of the 23-acre development are a
30,000-square-foot fully retractable glass roof, a sky bridge
over Main Street and a re-creation of City Creek, the snow-fed
stream that once meandered through the city.

City Creek general manager Linda
Wardell of Taubman Centers Inc. said the project is on schedule
for its planned March opening.

"The construction of the core (retail)
building is really already complete," she said. "We've been
(testing) all of our systems and know how they are going to
operate."

She noted that the individual retail
stores are in their "crunch time" as they work to meet their
own deadlines for the impending opening.

Experience is a big part of shopping today. Shopping really
is entertainment for a lot of people, so it has to be an
experience every time they visit.

–- Linda Wardell

"Usually, everything is simultaneously
constructed," she said. "With City Creek, because of its
mixed-used nature, the core part of our building was built
first and then the stores were built in."

Taubman will operate the retail portion
of the project, which will contain approximately 80 stores and
restaurants. Wardell said one-third of the stores at City Creek
will be unique to Utah, which will "keep bringing people back
over and over again."

Headquartered in Bloomfield Hills,
Mich., the company currently operates 26 retail shopping
centers across the country, with six others in development —
including properties in Asia and Puerto Rico.

To date, Taubman has invested about $76
million into the project.

The International Council of Shopping
Centers has said that City Creek Center will be the only retail
center opening in the U.S. in 2012, meaning the opening will
likely garner national and even global attention, Wardell
said.

Inquiries have come from media
worldwide to attend the grand opening as well as other retail
developers from around the globe. One local industry analyst
said the new development would likely help bolster the overall
strength of the entire downtown retail sector, including The
Gateway.

"Retail growth will be slower at the
beginning, but overall both projects will in time will become
thriving destination projects in the downtown area," said J.R.
Moore, vice president of retail properties with commercial real
estate firm CB Richard Ellis in Salt Lake City. "They'll fuel
each other and make downtown an even more attractive place for
shoppers and retailers."

Meanwhile, the finishing touches are
being made on one of the more fascinating retail centers of its
kind, she said.

"Experience is a big part of shopping
today," Wardell explained. "Shopping really is entertainment
for a lot of people, so it has to be an experience every time
they visit."

She noted, however, that providing the
"right collection of stores" is also essential to the overall
shopping experience. In addition, the project will also include
some of the best residential properties in the region — making
City Creek a destination for visitors from across the Mountain
West.

"You can come to this one central part
of the city and be engaged with the city in such a unique way,"
Wardell said.

Email:jlee@ksl.com

Read the rest here:
City Creek on schedule, only shopping center opening in U.S. during 2012

MANCHESTER — Golden-honey light once again shined down upon a
sparkling Crowell Chapel in Manchester over a weekend filled
with ceremony and music.

The weekend events spotlighted the small Gothic structure's own
history, with a rededication of the chapel nearly 108 years
after it first opened its doors, and five years after the
launch of an estimated $220,000 restoration effort.

The chapel — constructed from Rockport gray granite — was built
in memory of Benjamin Franklin Crowell, a native son, who left
Cape Ann in 1859 as a young man to seek his fortune out west in
Colorado.

He was among those who became rich but, only after many
endeavors from panning for gold without much success, and then
sheep ranching, publishing and banking before he struck gold in
a way that would pay off.

In Sally Gibson's history, she noted that, after the Civil War,
the Crowell family members in Manchester fell on hard times,
and Benjamin's two sisters, Susan and Emily, began to take in
summer boarders. But soon after, their brother found gold and
he shared his wealth with his sisters.

"Almost every year, Benjamin came home to Manchester to visit.
In 1897, he died out west and was brought home for the last
time — the Crowell family plot is not far from the chapel,"
Gibson's history relates.

Gibson wrote that, when Susan, the last of the family, was in
her 70s, she dreamed of a building "of Gothic design similar to
the church architecture of Old England" to be constructed as a
memorial to her brother.

The Feb. 6, 1904 issue of the Manchester Cricket tells of the
new chapel: "The tower at the entrance is 60 feet high, with
heavily buttressed sides and castellated top. The nave is solid
oak, finished to the rafters, with a Gothic-arched roof
supported by massive oak trusses."

The stained glass, made by Horace Phipps of Boston, was
designed according to his sister's wishes who wanted two panels
to show an oak tree on either side, standing for the two sides
of her family, the Crowells and the Allens, according to
Gibson. "The spreading branches as they extend upward join
above, and intertwine with grapevines and fruit to fill the
upper portion of the windows."

The chapel again sprung to life over the weekend with two
events — one on Saturday to honor the 30 crafts people involved
in the restoration followed by a sold-out concert on Sunday,
both timed for 3 p.m. to coincide with the optimum sunlight to
showcase the stained glass, said Christopher "Woody" Kelly,
chairman of the Manchester Community Preservation Committee.

"The chapel has what we call high quality English arts and
crafts stained glass windows of total beauty," he said.

The Benjamin Franklin Crowell Memorial Chapel (May 28,
1904-Jan. 29, 2012), located in Rosedale Cemetery on Rosedale
Avenue, can hold up to 150 people.

Kelly noted that there will be an open house in the spring so
there will be other opportunities to see inside.

Most all of the craftsmen involved in the restoration are from
the greater Cape Ann and North Shore area.

"They are the most beautiful tapestry of people," said Kelly.

He also praised Judith Selwyn, of Preservation Technology
Associates, Inc., a nationally-known expert who has overseen
the restoration of historic masonry for structures at Harvard,
Yale, Wellesley College, Smith College, the U.S. Naval Academy
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She has been a major consultant on this job for more than six
years, said Kelly.

Overall, the project required years of planning and raising
money and about five years of work, with the estimated cost of
around $220,000.

Kelly noted that 109 years later, a major change is in store.
In addition to the chapel being used for its intended mortuary
and memorial services, there will be a move to make it
accessible for cultural and performing arts events.

"We are now endeavoring to make a concert series and hold other
cultural events, such as lectures, poetry readings and weddings
to make it alive and to help save it because we figured the
more it's used, the more it will be appreciated and there can
be money raised to protect it," he said.

The building was almost torn down in 1970s. The chapel, like so
many historic buildings in many towns, had fallen into
significant disrepair, with leaks, falling plaster and was
dirty.

In 1981, the town allowed for it to be used for a broader range
of purposes. But it still lingered in disrepair until this
latest effort.

The adoption of the Community Preservation Act by Manchester in
2005 was the first step, and when enough money was raised, the
actual restoration work began in 2007.

Gail McCarthy can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3445, or at
gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.

Continued here:
The light of restoration

27-01-2012 14:27 The most complete coverage of The Witcher 2 gameplay for PC, PS3, and XBOX 360. The second instalment in the RPG saga about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action. A new, modern game engine, responsible both for beautiful visuals and sophisticated game mechanics puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game. A captivating story, dynamic combat system, beautiful graphics, and everything else that made the original Witcher such a great game are now executed in a much more advanced and sophisticated way. Look for our complete The Witcher 2 guide and review. Hope you enjoy. Please rate and subscribe. Developer: CD Projekt RED Publisher: Atari

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Witcher 2 - Console Reveal Trailer - Video

22-12-2011 14:10 yellow.co.nz Auckland Glass Ltd located in Auckland is an excellent choice if you are looking for "window repair" or "window replacement". To learn more call 0800 804 804, visit us at 4 Southdown La, Auckland 1061, or click on the above link.

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Window Repair Auckland Glass Ltd - Video

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29-01-2012 13:06 Window World of the Ozarks is a proud sponsor of the Window World Weather Kid on KNWA. Is your child a Weather Enthusiast? If so, sign him or her up to be a Window World Weather Kid. Twice a month, a child between the ages of 6 and 14 will be chosen as the Window World Weather Kid and will give the forecast with Chief Meteorologist, Dan Skoff during the 5:00 and 6:00 pm news on KNWA. We're ready to meet many of your home remodeling needs; Call us today to schedule a free in-home estimate, 866-225-6760; Fort Smith, Springdale, AR. http://www.windowworldozarks.com

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29-01-2012 15:32 Integrity Auto Glass 816-674-4744 Windshield Replacement | Auto Glass Repair | Kansas City | 816-674-4744 Broken windshield or car window? We come to you! Trust Kansas City's experts with your auto glass repair and replacement needs. We come to you! For an auto glass quote or to schedule service, Call 816-647-4744 ASAP - We Have You Shielded! Integrity Auto Glass makes it easy for your personal or business needs. We take pride in giving the best custoemr service possible and the best deal on windshield replacement or windshield repair for your automobile, car or truck. Whether your personal vehicle is in need of auto glass repair or replacement, or if it is a business vehicle, we offer the best deals in Kansas City to remedy your auto glass chip, crack, or full replacement. Call today to find out more information about: Choosing an Auto Glass Professional Windshield

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