EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NYSE:GE - News) -- Designers can dress bland commercial ceiling space in chic new style with Lumination(TM) Luminaires and other bright indoor LED ideas from GE Lighting Solutions. A Lumination slim suspended fixture and 1'x4' recessed troffer are now available to exquisitely attire office, retail or hospitality settings.

Lumination Suspended Luminaire

The Lumination Suspended fixture delivers remarkable light output in an ultra-thin, provocative design. Honored today as a recognized winner in the Next Generation Luminaires(TM) (NGL) 2012 Indoor Competition, linear pendant lighting category, the Suspended Luminaire is an entirely new aesthetic that combines direct and indirect lighting in one highly efficient, translucent LED luminaire. A clear, narrow band surrounds the edge of the fixture, making the light source appear to 'float' through the air. GE Lighting Solutions will offer the new Suspended fixture beginning this summer.

Lumination Recessed Troffer

These chic, slim fixtures as thin as the width of a finger emit a crisp, pleasing light and instantly enhance the look of any room. When illuminated, they produce an even glow, delivering exceptionally uniform light to fill the space. While off, they appear free of a light source - a differentiator compared to most fluorescent fixtures that are typically visible. The ultra-thin panels (0.5 inches) fit seamlessly in most common T-bar ceiling grids and feature a built-in dimmable LED driver to help make installation less complex and time consuming compared to traditional fixtures.

Lumination LED Recessed Troffers also consume considerably less energy than fluorescent tubes, providing cost savings of up to 26 percent depending upon the lamp type. They are immediately available in a 2'x2' format with 1'x4' fixtures coming later this year.

Other GE LED Solutions:

Channel-System Ceiling Lights

Tomorrow's integrated ceilings will bring an ultra-modern, minimalistic aesthetic to office, hospitality and retail environments by transforming lighting and other utilities into dramatic visual elements. GE Lighting Solutions has developed an LED structure for use in channel-system ceilings to illuminate spaces in exquisite ribbons of light. The channel-style LEDs will be available in 4- and 6-inch wide, 4- and 6-foot long sizes. More information is coming soon.

Wall Washer

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New GE Lumination(TM) LED Luminaires Stop Boring Ceilings Before They Start

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire -05/09/12)- LightFair -- Luminus Devices, Inc. announced today the availability of its new MD10 light engine. This fully contained single chip, high lumen density source is an easy-to-integrate solution. Designed for a variety of indoor and outdoor lighting applications, the MD10 is available in 800 and 1100 lumen output levels and color temperatures of 3000K and 4000K. For spot lighting applications, the MD10 can deliver over 17,000 candelas into a 9 degree narrow spot beam angle. Other beam angles are medium, flood, wide flood and elliptical. Electrical inputs to the light engine include 24VDC power and 0-10V dimming. Additionally, the light engine uses on-board smart controls for thermal protection to ensure long life and reliability.

"The MD10 substantially reduces the engineering design cycle for our OEM customers, and enables them to accelerate time to market for their newly developed LED lighting fixtures," said Chuck DeMilo, Global Director of Product Marketing for Luminus. "The MD10 provides our customers all the benefits of Luminus' Big Chip LED technology in a plug and play solution."

With an Ingress Protection rating of 65 (IP65), the light engine can be designed into outdoor fixtures such as landscape, architectural and area lighting. Typical indoor applications include high intensity retail display spot and accent lighting. Patent-pending optics within the light engine, in conjunction with Luminus' LED technology, deliver the performance of a 50W halogen lamp for high intensity spot lighting and applications where long throw optical systems are required.

Luminus will be exhibiting in booth #2945, May 9-11, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada where the new MD10 LED Light Engine will be on display. For more information on how Luminus is enabling the conversion of today's conventional lighting fixtures to LED, visit http://www.luminus.com.

About Luminus DevicesLuminus Devices is a leading developer and manufacturer of LED technologies and solutions for the multi-billion dollar global illumination market. Luminus' high efficacy and high brightness LEDs are used by many of the world's biggest companies for general lighting, projection display, entertainment, ultraviolet curing, medical, portable, transportation and digital signage lighting applications. Luminus has more than 144 patents/patents pending worldwide, and its revolutionary Big Chip LED technology enables new markets for solid-state lighting. Headquarters and wafer fab manufacturing facilities are located near Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. For more information, visit http://www.luminus.com

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Luminus Announces LED Light Engine for Spot Lighting With Embedded Drive Electronics and IP65 Rating

The Albany Carousel changed architects for its planned downtown building because of a difference over what it should look like.

Last week the carousel organization unveiled a drawing of the proposed building at First Avenue and Washington Street. It was done by architect Chris Veit of Carlson Veit Architects, Salem.

Originally, the carousel group had picked the Portland firm of THA Architecture, which showed three possible designs, all featuring walls made mostly of glass, at a well-attended open house in Albany last November.

Wendy Kirbey, chairman of the carousel board, said this week that the building committee did not like the look of the THA proposals.

We wanted something more historical, she said. And they didnt want to do that.

Jonah Cohen, one of the THA principals who had presented the firms designs in November, said the Albany committee had not been totally comfortable with what the firm had in mind, and so THA suggested the Albany group would be better served by another architect.

We felt like we helped them, Cohen said. The firm, among other things, worked out a floor plan and cost estimates for the building, and determined the size of building that would be affordable.

It was a very positive experience for us, he added.

With THA out of the picture, the carousel group went to the Salem firm, originally its second choice, Kirbey said.

The Central Albany Revitalization Area, the downtown urban renewal district, had agreed to grant the carousel up to $110,000 to pay for the preliminary design.

Originally posted here:
Why carousel changed architects

BUILDERS and architects from across the north shore have been recognised for their efforts to maintain Willoughbys heritage character in renovations and new works.

Winners of the 2012 Heritage Awards were announced at a ceremony at The Concourse, Chatswood.

The competition is held biannually as part of the National Trust Heritage Festival.

HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you think of the designs? Comment below.

Fourteen heritage-listed homes were entered in three categories this year, each having undergone renovation work within the past five years.

Builder Richard Blacklock and Architects Tropman and Tropman were winners in the Restoration category for returning 217B Edinburgh Rd, Castlecrag to its earlier state.

Neeson Murcutt Architects and builders from Maincorp Constructions helped Jo-anne Nolan develop a new property at 325 Edinburgh Rd in line with the established heritage character of the region. They won the award for the Infill category.

There were two winners in the Alterations and Additions category, in which architect Andrew Duffin of NBRS & Partners and builders from Donnelly Constructions changed the detail, fabric and finish of the Willoughby Uniting Church.

Builders from Aranac and architect Weir Phillips also were rewarded for work on 7 The Barbette, Castlecrag.

Willoughby Mayor Pat Reilly praised the entrants.

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Preserving north shore's vital heritage

Exhibit: 'Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles'

As part of the Pacific Standard Time consortium of exhibits, the Chinese American Museum highlights four architects who helped build L.A. Through June 3.

Ettore Sotsass is getting two retrospectives in Berlin. Through June 23; through June 9.

Alexandra Lange, an architectural critic and a writer for Design Observor, teaches us all to take a second look at buildings in her primer on reading and writing architecture criticism.

On Tuesday May 8, at 7 p.m., bidders will have a rare chance at acquiring one of Alexander Calders mobiles. Christies will auction off one red and one white mobile that architect Eliot Noyes commissioned from Calder for his home in New Canaan, Conn., where he had set up his practice in the 1940s.

Frank Gehry, after building the Walt Disney Concert Hall, now sketches out set designs for an opera inside the hall. May 18-26.

Link:
Architects Take to the Roads to Take on New Work

Last Updated: May 9, 2012 12:55pm ET

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The Commerce Building is one of three breaking ground May 9.

FORT WORTH-Following years of discussion and planning, Sundance Square and local developer Ed Bass officially broke ground May 9 on three new buildings, which will be located in the center of a 35-block commercial real estate office, retail and entertainment district near downtown Fort Worth. The new buildings will add 233,000 square feet of much-needed office space to the market, along with close to 42,000 square feet of retail space.

The three buildings going north are the 93,000-square-foot Westbrook at 425 Houston Street; the 83,000-square-foot Commerce Building at 420 Commerce Street and the 99,000-square feet Cassidy at 407 Throckmorton Street, which will also offer six penthouse apartments on the top floor. The buildings will bracket a plaza (with an as-yet-to-be-determined design), and all have a 2013 scheduled completion date.

Virginia-based Michael Vergason Landscape Architects Ltd. will design the plaza. Bennett Benner Pettit, Planners + Architects is the entire project's architect of record and Beck Group is construction manager. Locally based Projects Group will manage the entire project.

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Sundance Square Commences on 275,000 SF

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sundance Square officially broke ground today on three new buildings in the center of the 35-block office, retail, and entertainment district in downtown Fort Worth. The building names were also revealed and in keeping with Sundance Squares heritage, the new buildings will be known as The Commerce Building located at 420 Commerce Street; The Westbrook situated at 425 Houston Street; and The Cassidy at 407 Throckmorton Street. The buildings will open in 2013.

This project has been part of the master plan in downtown Fort Worth for decades, said Ed Bass, project developer. To finally see dirt moving is gratifying for our team and it will forever change the landscape of Sundance Square.

The location, size, and design of The Westbrook and The Commerce Building accomplish several goals for the project including the creation of prime retail space at street level, creating a physical enclosure for a future plaza space, and continuing the tradition of timeless and beautiful buildings in Fort Worth.

Interest in space from office and retail users has been strong since we announced the project, said Johnny Campbell, president and CEO of Sundance Square. Now that the construction is in full swing, we expect to start signing leases and making some announcements this year. With these buildings in the heart of Sundance Square, we want to create a perfect blend of retail and restaurants. The merchandising will play an important role in activating the plaza. We are taking a little more time to make sure we have the right fit.

The Westbrook at 425 Houston Street is named after the historic seven-story Westbrook Hotel, which was built in the early 1900s, closed in 1969, and was demolished in 1978. It will stand six stories tall and encompass more than 93,000 square feet including 12,393 square feet of retail space. The ground floor of the building will include an office lobby on Houston Street and retail space fronting Houston, 3rd and 4th Streets, as well as the future plaza space to the east.

The Commerce Building at 420 Commerce Street will encompass more than 83,000 square feet with nearly 17,000 square feet of significant retail and restaurant space. The ground floor will include an office lobby on Commerce Street and retail space fronting Commerce, 3rd and 4th Streets, as well as future plaza space to the east.

The Cassidy at 407 Throckmorton Street will be six floors in height and more than 99,000 square feet, including 12,196 square feet of retail and 12,187 square feet of residential space. This L-shaped site will have frontage on W. 3rd and Houston Streets as well as Throckmorton Street with different portions featuring three distinct architectural faades. The Cassidys top floor will feature residential living with six luxury penthouse apartments. The one- and two-bedroom units will have outdoor terraces with floor to ceiling glass walls and sweeping views of Sundance Square and the City of Fort Worth.

More information can be found at http://www.sundancesquare.com.

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Sundance Square Breaks Ground on Three New Buildings in Center of 35-Block Development in Downtown Fort Worth

Developer Steve Dodson and restaurant owner Nobu Terauchi are building the two-story, 16,200-square-foot building on the southwest corner of Peoria Avenue and the Broken Arrow Expressway. It will be topped with an ambitious Japanese steak house and have space for as many as four retailers on the ground level.

The Zanmai restaurant will feature tall glass windows in the rear that face northwest toward the skyline.

Terauchi plans to build a high-end Japanese restaurant that includes 16 cooking stations with hibachi-style cooks entertaining diners.

"The view will be one of the best in the city, and we think it will be the coolest restaurant in the city for years," said Brian Freese, architect on the project.

The restaurant was placed on the second floor to allow for the downtown view and give space for street-front retail.

The new restaurant is the third dining place by Terauchi, owner of two Fuji Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar locations.

Terauchi opened his first Fuji restaurant at 71st Street and Memorial Drive in 1986, one of the first Japanese-style eateries in Tulsa.

Seven years ago, he opened the second Fuji restaurant in the Brookside district at 3739 S. Peoria Ave.

Zanmai, which means "enjoy" in Japanese, will be a departure from the midpriced restaurants that Terauchi has opened in the past.

He said he plans to sell premium American and Japanese selections of beef and create an Asian fusion menu. In all, the restaurant will seat about 200 people.

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Zanmai will take Japanese steak house to a new level

NEW YORK, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Stuart Dean, an international provider of renowned architectural restoration services, will highlight its full circle of interior and exterior architectural restoration solutions to attendees during the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Western North Carolina Chapter's trade show on May 17, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. at the Charlotte Convention Center. The trade show will enable real estate management professionals who manage all property types to connect with colleagues across the greater Charlotte area.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/NE52388LOGO )

"Stuart Dean is proud to have worked on restoration projects for a host of buildings and landmarks in North Carolina. Our professionals restored the Wright Brothers Memorial statue and plaque to their original finish, bringing new life to this important icon in the state. We've also done work at the Wells Fargo Center in Winston-Salem and the TIAA-CREF building in Charlotte," said Mark Parrish, president and CEO of Stuart Dean. "Our innovative solutions can meet or exceed the needs of the real estate professionals who are scheduled to attend IREM, and we're looking forward to showcasing our services."

Stuart Dean offers a complete range of architectural restoration services that help extend the life, increase the value, and enhance the beauty of interior and exterior architectural surfaces. The company specializes in the restoration and protection of metal, stone, wood, glass, and tile grout for buildings, retail stores, institutions, restaurants and homes.

Stuart Dean's vast experience gained during 80 years in business enables the company to provide unique solutions to costly maintenance challenges, including cost-effective restoration programs that are custom-designed by the most skilled, knowledgeable and safety-conscious technicians in the industry.

IREM is comprised of over 80 U.S. chapters and eight international chapters, and provides real estate management professionals a source of education, membership and informative resources in the field. IREM is the only professional real estate management association that serves both multi-family and commercial real estate sectors, and has more than 18,000 individual members and 500 corporate members.

For more information about Stuart Dean, visit http://www.stuartdean.com.

About Stuart DeanStuart Dean is an international provider of renowned architectural restoration services, specializing in metal refinishing; stone polishing, cleaning and sealing; wood refinishing; glass restoration; innovative and sustainable grouts and flooring solutions; and curtain wall and facade restoration. Thousands of clients trust Stuart Dean to restore and preserve their buildings, retail stores, institutions and restaurants every day. Stuart Dean offers a portfolio of services to enhance the beauty and retain the value of a wide array of architectural assets. The company has been in business for over 80 years, with 22 offices in the U.S. and Canada and over 450 employees. Major markets served include Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Norfolk, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.stuartdean.com.

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Stuart Dean to Present Restoration and Maintenance Solutions to Real Estate Management Professionals at IREM Trade Show

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

HKS, Inc., a top-five national architectural firm with 29 U.S. and international offices, is expanding its architectural services to include urban design through the newly formed HKS Urban Design Studio. The studio expands the firms ability to be part of the broader urban fabric through large-scale design and master planning.

Based in New York, the HKS Urban Design Studio provides urban design services for private developers, landowners, public and private universities, healthcare campuses, public institutions and government agencies with projects including commercial centers and downtowns, residential communities, sports and entertainment districts, waterfront development, campus design, and parks and open spaces.

Urban design is a specialty niche that transforms cities, creates new neighborhoods, and improves real estate value, said Ralph Hawkins, chairman and CEO of HKS, Inc. In alliance with our strategic plan, the HKS Urban Design Studio broadens our services to include development and strategic plans, comprehensive plans, neighborhood plans, and regulatory and incentive strategies. Our goal is to provide enlightened urbanism for our world environment, enhancing the human experience.

Nationally recognized architect and urban designer Randall Morton, AIA, associate principal and director of HKS Urban Design Studio, leads the group. With more than 28 years of experience, Morton has provided leadership for many award-winning projects and oversees the creative operations for the architecture and urban design studio. Some of his recent and notable involvements include the Hudson Yards in Manhattan, City Center in Las Vegas, and the Cultural and Entertainment District in Miami.

HKS was recently awarded the ballpark and convention hotel project following The Urban Design Studio master planning efforts with the city of Amarillo. Other master planning projects in the 2012 HKS Urban Planning Studio queue are work for Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas; Virginia Beach Convention and Entertainment District in Virginia Beach, Va.; the Galleria District in Dallas, Texas; Rose Rock Financial Center in Tianjin, China; and Amador Panama in Panama City, Panama.

Since its founding in 1939, HKS, Inc. has completed construction projects totaling more than $69 billion in more than 1,069 cities located in 46 states, the District of Columbia and 65 foreign countries. The firm operates from 29 offices worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.hksinc.com.

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HKS Urban Design Studio Launched