The planned transformation of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is inching closer after architects were chosen for the project this week.

Victoria-based Moore Architecture Inc. Associated Architects will provide expertise in local heritage alteration, while design plans will be created by Vancouver-based LWPAC Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture Inc.

We are excited by the prospect of expanded public space for community engagement, the increased state-of-the art exhibit space and the improved and expanded storage facilities," said John Tupper, AGGV director.

The AGGV board whittled down a list of 18 teams of architects before deciding on the two firms, Tupper said.

The expansion will also allow the gallery to host more functions to generate revenue, as only 40 per cent of operating expenses are covered by government grants.

Earlier this year, Oak Bay resident and artist Anthony Thorn donated $2.5 million to kickstart a fundraising campaign for the gallery's renovation and expansion, although an official fundraising campaign hasn't yet been announced.

A public consultation process will be organized in the coming weeks to explore the vision for the new art gallery, Tupper said.

In 2012, gallery heads announced the existing facility, in the heart of a residential area at 1040 Moss St., would be revamped. The project is slated for completion in fall 2017.

dpalmer@vicnews.com

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Architects chosen for Greater Victoria Art Gallery expansion

The New York-based architectural firm of Selldorf Architects will design the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diegos planned expansion in La Jolla.

The museums board of trustees unanimously voted to engage Selldorf, a 60-member firm that has received glowing notices for its creation of new gallery spaces (for David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth and Gladstone Gallery) and its renovation of existing spaces in New York (the Neue Galerie). This will be its first time working with a contemporary art museum and its first project on the West Coast.

Selldorf Architects is extremely pleased to have been selected as architects for MCASDs expansion in La Jolla, said firm principal Annabelle Selldorf in a statement. We see tremendous opportunity with MCASDs beautiful site, world-class collection, exhibition program, and rich architectural history as we re-imagine the building for the 21st century.

The Museum of Contemporary Art has long discussed expansion, but the process officially began last year when the board voted to form an architectural selection committee. It seriously considered the qualifications of eight firms, interviewed four (and visited several of their projects) and ultimately decided on Selldorf, who has a reputation for creating structures and spaces that enhance but not upstage the purpose at hand (to quote The Wall Street Journal).

Her work doesnt impose itself, said Hugh Davies, the museums director and CEO. So much architecture, youre aware of the architecture more than youre aware of the art. She has a way of being, not self effacing, but respectful, if you will. She creates beautiful spaces that are at the service of the art.

The museums footprint will be expanded to include properties (now residential but owned by the museum) on both sides of the institution, and the space that now houses Sherwood Auditorium will be reconfigured as a gallery, with potential exhibit space of approximately 8,000 square feet.

it will be a glorious sort of main gallery, Davies said. Its sort of the summation of the other spaces and really creates a central area that should be very well suited to looking at art.

In all, the expansion would add approximately 20,000 additional square feet of exhibit space, tripling the museums La Jolla exhibit space and allowing the museum for the first time to consistently exhibit its widely respected permanent collection of more than 4,500 pieces of 20th and 21st century art, most of it from the U.S. and Mexico.

Davies said the architects expect to have drawings and schematics to the board by September, with the museum then officially launching a fundraising campaign of approximately $50 million, of which $30 million would go toward the expansion and $20 million toward an endowment for the museums operations.

If all goes according to plan, the project could break ground in early 2016.

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MCASD names architect for expansion

AMSTERDAM Hundreds of years after wealthy merchants began building the tall, narrow brick houses that have come to define Amsterdams skyline, Dutch architects are updating the process for the 21st century: fabricating pieces of a canal house out of plastic with a giant 3D printer and slotting them together like oversized Lego blocks.

Hedwig Heinsman of architect bureau Dus says the goal of the demonstration project launched this month is not so much to print a functioning house in fact, parts of the house will likely be built and re-built several times over the course of three years as 3D printing technology develops.

Rather, it is to discover and share the potential uses of 3D printing in construction by creating new materials, trying out designs and testing building techniques to see what works.

Theres only one way to find out, she says. By doing it.

She envisions a future in which personalized architecture may be custom-crafted on the spot, or perhaps selected from an online store for architectural designs, downloaded and tweaked.

At the core of the project is a 6-metre-tall printer dubbed the Kamermaker, or room-builder. Its a scaled-up version of the open-source home 3D printer made by Ultimaker, popular with hobbyists.

It takes the Kamermaker about a week to print each massive, unique, honeycomb-structured block, layer by layer. The first block, which forms one corner of the house and part of a stairway, weighed around 180 kilograms (400 lbs).

The blocks will later be filled with a foam material, still under development, that will harden like concrete to add additional weight and bind the blocks together.

Dus expects to add more printers and change designs along the way, with help from Dutch construction company Heijmans, German chemicals manufacturer Henkel, and anybody else who wants to participate and can make useful contributions.

The construction site in northern Amsterdam is also an exhibition, open to the public $3.00.

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Dutch architects use 3D printer to build Amsterdam canal house

Benjamin Cruz, right, uses a trowel to load a brick with cement March 7 as construction crews continue work at Arapahoe Plaza in Centennial. The development, at the corner of Quebec Street and Arapahoe Road, will feature a Boyer's Coffee and MAD Greens. (Seth McConnell, YourHub)

The owner of a new shopping center in Centennial is hoping it has the potential to revitalize the area and spur more development.

The Arapahoe Plaza retail center, at the southeast corner of Quebec Street and Arapahoe Road, is under construction and slated to open in mid- to late April. The center will feature five stores, including a MAD Greens, Boyer's Coffee and Supercuts.

The property, which will entail about 8,400 square feet of retail, is owned by Peter Niederman and his family. Niederman is CEO of locally owned Kentwood Real Estate, and his family has owned the property since 1981. It had previously been an office space from 1981 to about 1998. A few years ago when he was doing estate planning, he decided rather than keep it office space he would turn it into retail. He has hired Drake Asset Management, and Waner Construction Company is building the center.

"It's not my primary role to play developer, but it's something that we knew we wanted to own and build, and it's gotten a lot of attention," Niederman said.

The redevelopment is part of the Arapahoe Urban Center subplan, initiated by Centennial City Council in 2009. It was a way to designate and prepare the area for development opportunities.

"Along Arapahoe Road we wanted to increase the opportunities for retail ... so we created this plan that if someone wants to come forward and introduce a redevelopment that would be consistent with the goals of the plan, that the city should support that plan," said Wayne Reed, Centennial deputy city manager.

Niederman said the project has received a lot of attention, in part, because about 62,000 cars pass through the intersection of Quebec Street and Arapahoe Road every day.

"It's an amenity for the neighborhood. When you look at the rooftops to the south, directly west and northwest, there's a lot of rooftops that touch this corner," he said.

He held a few neighborhood meetings last year and didn't hear one voice of dissent. People said they were excited for the new shops, especially a new coffee shop.

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Arapahoe Plaza retail center brings local businesses to Centennial

OAKLAND -- A two-story pre-1900 Victorian home being renovated in West Oakland keeled over in partial collapse Thursday night, leaning against a neighboring home but causing no injuries, according to fire officials.

Fire crews were called around 8:25 p.m. to the 2400 block of Myrtle Street, near the intersection of Market Street and West Grand Avenue and a half-block from McClymonds High School, where they found the restoration project in a precarious state.

"It had not been shorn up properly, and part of it is now leaning on the building next door," said Oakland fire Battalion Chief Coy Justice. "They will not be able to restore what's left of it."

He said no one was in the building being renovated when it fell, and occupants of the neighboring building were not harmed. That building did not sustain any significant damage.

Justice said the party attempting the restoration will have to apply for a demolition permit to raze the structure. He said the cause of the collapse was not immediately evident.

"I don't know, maybe they took out one two-by-four too many," he said.

According to the Zillow real estate website, the home is a six-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorian built in 1892, about 2,200 square feet with the home and lot valued at just under $400,000.

Contact Eric Kurhi at 408-920-5852. Follow him at Twitter.com/erickurhi.

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West Oakland: Victorian home under renovation partially collapses

OAKLAND -- A two-story pre-1900 Victorian home being renovated in West Oakland keeled over in partial collapse Thursday night, leaning against a neighboring home but causing no injuries, according to fire officials.

Fire crews were called around 8:25 p.m. to the 2400 block of Myrtle Street, near the intersection of Market Street and West Grand Avenue and a half-block from McClymonds High School, where they found the restoration project in a precarious state.

"It had not been shorn up properly, and part of it is now leaning on the building next door," said Oakland fire Battalion Chief Coy Justice. "They will not be able to restore what's left of it."

He said no one was in the building being renovated when it fell, and occupants of the neighboring building were not harmed. That building did not sustain any significant damage.

Justice said the party attempting the restoration will have to apply for a demolition permit to raze the structure. He said the cause of the collapse was not immediately evident.

"I don't know, maybe they took out one two-by-four too many," he said.

According to the Zillow real estate website, the home is a six-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorian built in 1892, about 2,200 square feet with the home and lot valued at just under $400,000.

Contact Eric Kurhi at 408-920-5852. Follow him at Twitter.com/erickurhi.

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Oakland: Victorian home under renovation partially collapses

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 14, 2014

Architectural Digest Home Design Show brings the latest in home furnishings, accessories, art, kitchen and bath products, flooring, fabric, lighting, outdoor furnishings, and home services to the big apple. RevitaRUGS, a highly celebrated professional rug cleaning and restoration company, will be attending the trade show from March 20th to the 23rd at Pier 94 in New York City.

RevitaRUGS has been rated New Yorks premier area rug cleaning service, specializing in Antique, Oriental, Persian and custom designed rugs. Those in attendance will have a chance to see their patented high-tech cleaning processes, with video demonstrations alongside ample reading material. Founder of revitaRUGS, Hamid Zarei, and Azita Goldman, VP Business Development, will be available to meet designers, architects and clients, addressing proper care and maintenance of all types of area rugs.

When asked about attending the Architectural Digest Home Design Show and connecting with customers, Hamid and Azita were enthusiastic. Were also eager to introduce revitaRUGS to the interior designers, architects, and rug enthusiasts who are looking for an effective and safe alternative to the hazardous harsh chemical cleaning methods of the current antique rug cleaning industry, Azita Goldman commented.

Co-sponsored by The New York Times, the Architectural Digest Home Design Show is well known for introducing great products and services. With over 500 premium brands, covering everything from product launches, seminars with design-world luminaries, culinary demonstrations with notable chefs, book signings, and other special events, the show is an inspiring, must-attend event for the industrys top professionals and discerning consumers.

More information about revitaRUGS can be found at http://revitaRUGS.com.

About revitaRUGS

RevitaRUGS started in Italy, where handmade rugs were the staple of every stylish home. To preserve the fine quality of these rugs and insure the health and safety of their owners, Hamid Zarei developed a new way to care for them. Utilizing an innovative technology that restores life and vitality to rugs with ultra-purified water and pure organic additives, Zareis method even handles the most delicate silk, viscose, natural fibers, Persian, and Oriental rugs with ease. Serving the New York Metro with excellent praises from rug merchants and consumers alike, revitaRUGS not only cleans but revitalizes and restores rugs, purging them of dirt, bacteria, dust mites, allergens, stains, odors and chemicals, all while removing toxic residue left by previous rug cleaners.

Originally posted here:
RevitaRUGS to Attend 13th Annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York City

Alex Ramey of Rama Creek Habitat Restoration of Monterey, begins to design one of the living walls near the nursery of Friedmans Home Improvement store.

Almost two years after the Petaluma City Council approved the Deer Creek Village shopping center, the plazas anchor store, Friedmans Home Improvement, will open its doors in April.

Friedmans, which also has stores in Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Ukiah, first planted its roots in Petaluma in 1946. Contractors, farmers, ranchers and home owners will soon be able to find a variety of home improvement and professional supplies along North McDowell Boulevard.

Were excited to return to our roots in Petaluma, said David Proctor, Friedmans chief financial officer. Being established in Petaluma and finally getting back there is truly a company objective that Bill Friedman, in particular, feels is meaningful to the memory of his father and the future of the family.

Thanks to continually good weather, the Friedmans complex will be completed no later than the end of March and is set to open in mid to late April, according to Greg Geertsen, managing director of Merlone Geier, the centers developer.

Friedmans Petaluma location totals 85,000-square-feet, with a 20,000-square-foot greenhouse and a 35,000-square-foot dry shed. Each aspect of the complex features a unique design from living walls displaying a mosaic of perennial plants to murals depicting the Sonoma County landscape.

Friedmans has been a great tenant partner for us, Geertsen said. We spent a lot of time working together to make this happen. Theyre very community oriented, so the design of the building reflects Petaluma and Sonoma County.

Proctor said Friedmans is in the process of hiring almost 100 positions for its Petaluma store. Theyve received hundreds of applications and have started training the 40 or so employees who have already signed on.

While Merlone Geier is currently in the midst of signing three new leases for the shopping center, the only other confirmed tenants are Togos, Habit Burger, Marys Pizza Shack and City Sports Club the latter of which is expected to begin construction early this month.

Geertsen said the buildings that will house Togos and Habit Burger are already under construction, and the foundation work for Marys Pizza is currently underway.

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Finishing touches on Friedmans

The first-ever Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo, presented by Carrier, will take place today through Sunday at the new Cleveland Convention Center.

If you're planning a spring renovation project, it's the perfect opportunity to see the latest trends and products as well as speak with home building and remodeling experts.

This three-day home improvement expo, which begins at noon today, will showcase new and innovative trends and products in home remodeling and design in a state-of-the-art venue, making it the ideal show for Northeast Ohio consumers looking to make some updates around the house. Attendees will find everything they need to take their renovation project from start-to-finish and be able to shop for home builders, home improvement contractors, home dcor and other products and services all in one place.

Features and attractions include:

n Fully-constructed Perrino Vignettes built by Perrino Builders & Furniture will feature an audio visual theater from Xtend Technologies and inspire visitors with ideas for remodeling and decorating. Get inspiration for remodeling kitchens, creating a pub and wine bar and designing a home theater.

n Step into the Ultimate Garage, created by EncoreGarage of Ohio, and see how you can reclaim your space and make it your own. Featuring a high-performance epoxy flooring system that is stain-resistant, easy-to-maintain with a stunning granite-like appearance; wall-mounted custom cabinets that provide flexible storage, transforming your garage into an organized and efficient space plus durable all-steel organization products to store tools, bikes, sporting equipment, gardening supplies and more.

n Relive your childhood dreams and sleep under the stars in a CasaBubble! The inflatable structure has no framework and uses a self-adjusting turbine which keeps the structure in shape by light air pressure, renews the air volume, and controls humidity. This dream hut leaves mosquitoes, pollen and other allergens outside. The CasaBubble is an ideal outdoor living space and can be equipped with furniture, heaters, and even a shower! Furnishings will be provided by Levin Furniture.

n Kids can have fun in Kauffman Lawn Furniture's KidsZone, which features slides, swings, gliders, rock climbing walls and more! Parents can watch their kids from the comfort of 100 percent maintenance free lawn furniture surrounding the KidsZone.

n Relax and enjoy a bite to eat or a beverage at Club Cambria.

n Enter the expo through an Outdoor Living Oasis designed and constructed by premier landscaper GreenSource LLC. Visitors will be able to envision what's possible for their own backyard as they walk through the Oasis, featuring a children's discovery den, sunken seating and fire pit area, sheer descent water feature and an outdoor bar and cooktop.

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Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo set for this weekend

Provided by Networx.com

Baby on the way? Congratulations, whether it's your first or any number beyond that! Bringing new life into the world can be a really amazing experience, but there's also a lot to think about, from the mundane to the serious and life-changing. Handling the nursery setup and decoration falls somewhere along that scale, although where exactly is up to you: you need a space that's safe, warm, and comfortable for Baby, as well as functional for you to use in those critical first few years where your child will be dependent on you for everything.

You should think ahead and design a room that will evolve with your baby as she grows, but it's also worth thinking about how to add a little nice decor to the nursery for yourself and the baby now. After all, both of you will be spending a lot of time there, so you might as well have a nice view; and your aesthetics might not match those of an infant and young child! (You, for example, might be more inclined to enjoy neutral colors and restrained crown molding, while infants respond best to bright colors and bold shapes.)

Luckily, both of you can be satisfied in a nursery with a view. Like, speaking of ceilings, check out this built-up coffered ceiling a couple built in their nursery. The ceiling fits in with the decor of the rest of the house so the nursery blends aesthetically, it provides something calming and beautiful for parents and baby to look at, and it's just plain pretty! With colorful artwork on the walls, it can bridge the competing needs of parents who need a little visual relief and an infant who needs some serious stimulus to develop important neurological connections.

This roundup at Style Estate has some amazing ideas. I love the rooms done in charcoal walls with bright, sunny artwork, for example, adding a note of chic and combining it with baby-friendly art. The French country-inspired room is great too, for parents who love the French aesthetic but want a practical, fun take on it for living with a new infant.

Here's a fun, funky wall collage of things for a nursery that can stimulate a baby and add some interesting visuals for grownups, too. The author suggests this is for boys, but I say any gender can enjoy fun things on the wall!

Have a limited budget? You can still have a totally great space; no need to sacrifice when it comes to home decor with a nursery on a budget. There are tons of fantastic design options that won't cost you a ton, and many contractors understand that new parents are often stressed about money matters, so they're happy to work with you on creating your dream nursery, within your dream budget.

And hey -- while you're remodeling your nursery, remember that safety is key. Make sure that your crib and other products haven't been subjected to recalls, and be sure to use nontoxic fabrics, furniture, paints, and other components, right down to the Orlando flooring. Infants and young children are extremely sensitive to environmental toxins, so give your baby's brain a good start in life!

Katie Marks writes for Networx.com.

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Taking pride in the nursery