The renovated Barnstable Airport’s effort to create buildings for energy efficiency and healthful indoor environments is paying off.

Airport Manager Roland “Bud” Breault reported that the airport’s electricity bill for the new terminal and tower remained about the same for the first month of operation despite having to light, heat and air condition an additional 12,000 square feet of floor space. Further, he noted, the airport has significantly increased the amount of security lighting in its parking lots. 

As a result of the efforts, Barnstable Municipal Airport has been awarded $60,570 in incentive funds from Cape Light Compact for making its new Hyannis passenger terminal and air traffic control tower highly energy efficient.

 “Early in the planning process, the airport instructed its design team to create high performance buildings that stand out for their energy efficiency and healthful indoor environments, and we have achieved our goals,” airport commission Chairman Daniel P. Santos said,

Airport greenhouse gas emissions will be cut through the use of white roofs to reduce solar heat, high-performance window glazing, energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems and interior fluorescent lighting. The airport also uses dark-sky exterior lighting and has promoted the use of public transportation and bicycling.

The airport also plans to seek an Energy Star rating and silver LEEDS certification for its buildings, Breault said.

Cape Light Compact subscribes to the Advanced Buildings Core Performance Program, developed and managed by the New Buildings Institute, a national nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency in commercial buildings.

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Barnstable Airport energy efficiency paying off

EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — KH Webb Architects is one of fewer than 70 companies featured in a new book, “21st Century Homes.” In chapters dedicated to single-family, urban, vacation, sustainable, and future homes, the 456-page book has photographs and renderings of a variety of project types and styles.

“I am very proud of our team. It is very exciting to have our designs featured in ‘21st Century Homes ‘and to be able to showcase projects that brought a client's vision to life, while incorporating natural elements and designs that create synergy. Meticulous attention to detail, consistent quality and spatial design are hallmarks of our designs and are all illustrated in this book,” said Kyle Webb, principal of KH Webb.

A release about the book states that it “celebrates the artistic contributions of dozens of highly regarded architects... and is intended for readers of varying levels of interest and expertise.”

“21st Century Homes will be available through the Bookworm of Edwards, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

For more information, go to http://www.khwebb.com or call 970-477-2990.

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Vail Valley architects' work featured in new book

Architects presented a preliminary design for Lexington's CentrePointe block to the Courthouse Area Design Review Board on Wednesday. Rick Ekhoff, a principal in the firm of EOP architects, told the board he wanted their critique and feedback.

The design retained several pieces of the master plan done last year by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang and her firm Studio Gang Architects. Those pieces include a hotel and condominium tower on Vine Street, a low-rise office building at Main and Limestone, three and four-story retail buildings facing Main Street and an underground parking garage.

Board members were tactful in their remarks but said they wanted to see changes in parts of the plan Ekhoff presented.

Developers Dudley and Woodford Webb tore down 14 historic buildings in downtown Lexington in 2008 to make way for CentrePointe, a hotel/condominium project that has not materialized. The block remains empty, and the design presented Wednesday was at least the fourth.

The Webbs hired Gang in March to come up with a new vision for the block. In October, Dudley Webb announced that Gang had completed the job she had been hired to do and no longer was part of the project.

Ekhoff described the two-acre block as the core of the economic welfare, cultural strength and social vitality of the community. "Hopefully, with your blessing this project can move forward," he said.

The block is included in the Courthouse Area Design Review Zone, in which all new buildings and exterior changes to existing structures must be approved by the review board.

Several members said there needed to be more pedestrian access through the block, at ground level, so people could walk from Main Street to Vine Street.

Buildings facing Upper Street need more windows instead of solid brick walls, they said. One board member said it looked now as if the project had "turned its back on Upper Street."

Several members took issue with a pedway connecting the hotel to the Financial Center parking garage. It would be possible for people to walk from the CentrePointe hotel all the way to Lexington Center via pedways.

Board member Kevin Atkins asked whether that worked against the current push to get more people walking downtown. Last summer the city completed a multimillion-dollar, three-year project to build new sidewalks on Main and Vine streets and South Limestone.

Dudley Webb said women would feel safer at night on pedways when they had to walk from Lexington Center to the CentrePointe hotel.

The idea that people have to walk in "a conditioned, secure environment says something not so good about downtown. I live downtown. Downtown is safer than the suburbs here," said board member Michael Speaks, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Design.

What downtown needs is more pedestrian traffic, not less, he said.

"I really don't like the pedway, Speaks said."

Board chairman Mike Meuser said one thing the public appreciated about Jeanne Gang was that she had public meetings and solicited people's ideas, several of which she incorporated into her design. Meuser suggested Ekhoff also have a public meeting so the community would feel included in the process.

Board member Harry Richert asked whether the entire project, with all the buildings, could be built in phases. Webb said that would be too expensive, so it would be built at one time, he said.

Webb said three businesses — Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse from Cincinnati, Saul Good Restaurant and Pub, and Urban Active gym — have committed to take space on the block. J.W. Marriott will take the hotel space.

A public meeting will be scheduled, Ekhoff said. Then the design will be finalized, and EOP will file a formal application to the Courthouse Area Design Review Board. The board will schedule a hearing on the application three weeks after the filing.

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Architects present new preliminary design for Lexington's CentrePointe block

Developers who want to build a 324-unit rental housing complex with a parking garage and 10,000 square feet of retail space received preliminary approval for bonds in an amount not to exceed $60 million from the Industrial Development Board today. The proposed complex would take shape on a 14-acre tract near Federal City in Algiers.

The IDB is the public body that considers requests for tax breaks and bond financing for development projects in New Orleans. Preliminary approval allows the developers to begin shopping the bonds to investors. But the project would need final approval from the Industrial Development Board and the approval of the State Bond Commission before it would move forward to the construction phase.

U/K/I Development LLC of Washington, D.C. and J.S. Karlton Inc. of Aventura, Fla., together doing business as Algiers Crossing, would like to build the housing site at the corner of Brookline Avenue and Slidell Street. The apartments would be mixed-income units, a majority of which would be rented at market rate.

The $66 million development would employ 535 people during construction and 26 people permanently. Provided it can be financed, the project would be completed in the first quarter of 2014.

Although board members gave unanimous approval to the preliminary bond issuance, many expressed reservations about the project because they said it didn't provide sufficient detail regarding how much money the developers themselves were investing in their proposal.

Steve Abdo, one of three developers who appeared before the board on behalf of the project, said they expect that there will be 25 percent equity in the project, 80 percent of which will have come from the developers. 

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Algiers housing project wins preliminary bond approval

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/335a23/uae_building_const) has announced the addition of the "UAE Building Construction - Changing Landscapes" report to their offering.

The UAE Building Construction Industry witnessed contract awards worth an estimated US$ 8,698 million in 2011 and the industry is expected to witness building contract awards worth US$ 10,834 million in 2012.

Ventures Middle East with its vast experience on the pulse of the construction market and up to date tracking of projects across industries, analyses the changes and growth path of the tumultuous UAE Building Construction industry, its growth drivers and restraints and the factors - political, social, economic, technological, legal and regulatory and environmental that shape its growth path. The UAE Building Construction 2011-Changing Landscapes report explores the changes that have been witnessed by this industry and explores the effects of the same on the UAE building construction industry in 2011.

The report also provides in depth vital statistics on the state of the economy, contractor awards for the building construction industry and its main segments, namely, residential, commercial, retail, tourism and leisure and others (including airports, educational institutions, hospitals and miscellaneous projects) for the period 2010 to 2013 while also providing forecasts of real estate demand across the key segments of commercial, residential and retail for the years 2011 to 2015. This study would provide a complete overview and insight into the workings of the UAE building construction industry and its future outlook enabling players to identify and explore opportunities and challenges in this changing market space.

Key Topics Covered:

The UAE Building Construction Industry 2011 UAE Building Construction Market Overview -Contractor Awards and Real Estate Demand Top Clients, Consultants and Contractors and TOP Projects across the UAE building construction industry Future Outlook for the UAE Building Construction Industry

Companies Mentioned:

KEO International Consultants Architectural & Engineering Consultants, Abu Dhabi (AEC) Khatib & Alami Consolidated Engineering Company National Engineering Bureau (NEB) Sun Jin Engineering (South Korea) Mott MacDonald Dar Al Handasah Adnan Saffarini Surbana International Consultants Arcadis Gulf Ewan Architectural Engineering Consultancy W. S. Atkins Aedas, Dubai Arif & Bintoak Consulting AECOM Dimensions Engineering Consultants Brewer Smith & Brewer Gulf RMJM Woods Bagot Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum (HOK) Dewan Architects and Engineers Al Suweidi Engineering Consulting Palm & Turner Architects Al Habtoor Leighton Arabian Construction Company (ACC) And more...

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/335a23/uae_building_const

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Research and Markets: UAE Building Construction - Changing Landscapes: a Comprehensive Report

Kathy Scheiern, founder of San Francisco consulting firm PurposeWorks LLC, recently re-signed a two-year lease in anticipation of rising office space values in San Francisco. She recommends small businesses find a reliable commercial real estate representative to help secure the right space while prices are still down.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2012

While the recovery of the real estate sector remains sluggish nationally, San Francisco’s commercial real estate market is heating up. According to a recent survey by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, San Francisco is now the third-best city to invest in for commercial property. As the cost of leasing commercial space rises again, San Francisco business consultant Kathy Scheiern, PhD, founder of PurposeWorks LLC, recommends small businesses find the right space and lock in a good lease rate now. She says use of professional commercial real estate representation can help small businesses better manage rental cost increases.

In anticipation of rising lease rates, Scheiern recently signed a 2-year lease renewal for the PurposeWorks office space in the historic Mills Building, located at 220 Montgomery Street at Bush in San Francisco’s Financial District. Jim Walker of San Francisco brokerage firm Walker-Poulton negotiated the two-year extension on her current space, suite 1013.

“When Jim Walker first showed me the Mills Building space, I fell in love with it. Strange thing to say about commercial real estate, but it was true. The building is great. The management company is first rate and easy to work with. It is obvious that this is a great property being managed by people who care about it,” says Scheiern.

The Mills Building, managed by the SWIG Company, is a landmark building with singular historical, architectural and aesthetic interest. It is San Francisco’s only remaining example of the Chicago School of architecture. Even though the building was virtually gutted by fire after the 1906 earthquake, it was fully restored in 1907, adhering to its original design. The original curved staircases in the Montgomery Street lobby survived relatively unscathed and can be seen today when entering the building.

Jim Walker of Walker-Poulton specializes in finding the best fit for property owners and tenants in the San Francisco commercial real estate market. His timely and competent lease negotiation kept the office rent increase for PurposeWorks to only 5% over two years.

“Jim got me a very affordable rate on the space. Overall, a win-win-win in my book!” declares Scheiern. “If anyone is looking for great commercial space in San Francisco, I would urge them to talk to Jim Walker and check out the Mills Building!”

Scheiern is very satisfied with her current office space and looks forward to continuing her tenure at the Mills Building for another two years.

For more information about any of San Francisco consulting firm PurposeWorks LLC’s services, call (415) 813-4199 or visit http://www.YourBigBreakthroughCoach.com.

About PurposeWorks LLC

PurposeWorks LLC is a leading edge San Francisco human resources consulting firm and executive coaching company. They assist individuals and organizations with their growth and transformation efforts. Specifically, they help people achieve ongoing success by introducing and supporting the development of competencies in skill sets such as values-driven leadership, trust building, and employee empowerment. By balancing the importance of what is rational and readily measured with what is grounded in purpose and meaning, in integrity and trust, and in people and relationships, PurposeWorks LLC opens the doorway to next-level thinking and performance improvement for individuals and organizations.

Dr. Kathy J. Scheiern, owner and lead consultant for PurposeWorks LLC is a Certified Public Accountant who has over 25 years of international and domestic experience in providing performance improvement consulting to organizations and individuals. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Organization Transformation, and a Masters of Science in Accountancy with an emphasis in International Business. She is a Certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant (providing values and cultural capital assessments and transformation support), a Certified Systemic Constellation Work Facilitator (in both Organization and Family Constellations), and a founding member of The Values Collaborative. As a San Francisco business coach, she has conducted numerous workshops on effective change processes, using a variety of tools and techniques to assist clients in transforming both their personal and organizational lives.

###

Kathy Scheiern
Purpose Works LLC
(415) 813-4199
Email Information

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San Francisco Consulting Firm Recommends Taking Advantage of Lower Lease Prices Now as Demand for Office Space Increases

15-02-2012 16:43 McKinney Restoration provides restoration services as the result of fire damage, smoke damage, water damage, mold and mildew or other home damages often requiring home cleanup services or home improvement and home renovation services. For home repair, home renovations, home remodeling, and other home improvement services needed due to water damage, fire damage, smoke damage or mold damage and mildew, visit McKinney Restoration at http://www.mckinneyrestoration.com.

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McKinney Restoration 972-460-6653 - Video

15-02-2012 22:20 Your Southlake Restoration company at 682-738-5669 provides restoration services as the result of fire damage, smoke damage, water damage, mold and mildew or other home damages often requiring home cleanup services or home improvement and home renovation services. For home repair, home renovations, home remodeling, and other home improvement services needed due to water damage, fire damage, smoke damage or mold damage and mildew, visit your Southlake Restoration website http://www.southlakerestoration.com.

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Southlake Restoration - 682-738-5669 - Video

The restoration of the Town Hall cupola is three-quarters complete and has a tentative completion date of early March, Town Manager Charles J. Cristello told selectmen this week.

One year ago officials learned that the cupola was tilting and recommended it be removed immediately as it could fall and pose a danger to the public.

After a Feb. 2 site visit, Patrick Guthrie, a project architect with Menders, Torrey & Spencer, of Boston, reported that the deterioration was worse than thought, requiring replacement of the base structure and lower posts.

Gurthrie said the refurbished cupola will not appear as shiny as before because of the removal of a lacquer coating.

The cost of the job is now estimated at $217,862.

Town meeting authorized $200,000 for the job, Cristello does not anticipate using that full amount since the town received a $30,000 grant from the Massachusetts Historic Commission for the project. In December the town also applied for an additional $30,000 emergency grant from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund.

Town Hall, built in 1873, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It underwent a $2.5 million restoration project more than a decade ago and reopened on March 6, 2000.

In other action, Jamie L. Bissonnette of Prime Engineering in Lakeville gave an update to Edgeway Mobile Home Park Phase II construction project, which includes drainage and septic system improvements.

The court-ordered agreement with the town to address long standing problems at the park requires the plans be submitted by March 15.

Bissonnette said they “expect to have a set of plans submitted by March 15” and are looking at multiple locations for the septic system along with improvements to the roadway and drainage facilities on site.

Selectmen voted unanimously to dedicate the 2011 annual town report to three individuals recognized for their service to the town, including former Town Clerk Eileen Gates, who retired in July after 40 years as a town employee including the last seven as town clerk; Betty Brown a library employee who served as the adult services and reference librarian for 20 years before her death in January 2010; and Anna M. Nalevanko who served as the director of the Office of Economic and Community Development until her death in September.

Selectmen also voted to authorize the town manager to send a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick urging him not to close the Taunton State Hospital which provides mental health services to southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands.

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Restoration of Middleboro cupola in final stretch

The Wizard of Oz is to be re-released in time to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2014.

The classic 1939 movie starring Judy Garland will be given a restoration by Warner Bros Home Video, which currently owns the rights.

Warner Bros announced today that all DVDs and Blu-ray discs will stop being shipped from May 1 this year, with a relaunch scheduled for 2013.

"We expect 90-95% consumer awareness, with a kickoff event consistent with only a handful of titles that are considered the crown jewels of our library," theatrical catalogue chief Jeff Baker said in a statement.

It has currently not been confirmed whether the re-release will be limited to just home media, or whether the restored film will also be sent out to cinemas.

Robert Zemeckis was said to have entered talks with Warner Bros for a potential remake of The Wizard of Oz in late 2010.

> Wizard of Oz slippers expected to sell for $2 million in auction

Watch the trailer for The Wizard of Oz below:

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'Wizard of Oz' for restoration re-release for 75th anniversary in 2014