If one can be sure of anything, it's that when architects design their own homes, the end result is going to be high on style. And with a new piece that interviews several architects who've recently built dwellings for themselves, the Wall Street Journal would like to suggest that, compared to structures built for clients, these personal projects are actually quite practical. Granted, architects get to save on design fees and trade discounts, but as this Austin couple has demonstrated already, it's also all about knowing where to spend money and where to conserve. Read on for three quick money-saving takeaways from WSJ's exploration into various architects' "simple, sophisticated structures that merely look expensive."

The general consensus among the architects featured is that less is more, particularly the principle that "streamlined designs take less time to build and are easier to maintainyet are still more aesthetically appealing." But basic design aside, here are a few specific ways they keep their projects in check:

1. PrioritizeDuh.

"We worked really hard to get to the essence of what was important to us," Jeff Stern, from Portland-based firm In Situ Architecture, tells WSJ, "rather than starting the process wanting it all and having to compromise." For Stern, splurging on super energy-efficient triple-glazed windows meant incorporating a mix of budget-friendly solutions like concrete floors, fir cabinetry, and plastic laminate countertops.

Thomas Gluck of NYC-based firm Gluck + Architecture gave the exterior of his Tower House ( ) a tinted-glass treatment usually only used for commercial projects. "Even though the glass itself is inexpensive, the technique of applying the tint can be costly," WSJ's Nancy Keates writes. Still, this was a calculated risk that's central to the design of the home; the dark glass exterior allows the structure to blend in with its woodsy surroundings. Inside the home, he kept the design and finishings simple ( ).

Photo by Paul Warchol via Gluck+

For his upstate New York weekend retreat (), Manhattan architect Doug Larson used "a factory-built stove pipe instead of a brick chimney with a fancy surround and a mantle."

Photo by Tim Street Porter via Larson and Paul Architects

Speaking of cost-effective alternatives...

2. Find off-price stealsit's like bargain-hunting at T.J.Maxx but for building supplies.

Link:
Designer Dwellings : How Architects Save Money When They Build Their Own Homes

REcord File photo

Westfield Garden State Plaza, the state's largest mall, had an occupancy rate at the end of 2014 that was better than the national average.

Construction of malls and new retail space screeched to a halt during the recession, and now, as a result of that, along with an improving economy, U.S. malls and shopping centers are enjoying their lowest vacancy rates in years, according to a report released Monday.

The report, by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), found that the mall occupancy rate was 94.2 percent at the end of 2014, the best level since the fourth quarter of 1987. Shopping centers - a category that includes all non-mall properties - ended 2014 with a 92.7 percent occupancy rate, the highest rate since the second quarter of 2008.

Westfield Garden State Plaza, the state's largest mall, had an occupancy rate at the end of 2014 that was better than the national average. As reported by its parent company, Westfield Corp., The Plaza was 97.1 percent leased at the end of 2014. Its 2014 sales per square foot, at $776, were 63 percent higher than the national average of $475.

The other three major malls in North Jersey - The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, Paramus Park in Paramus, and Willowbrook Mall in Wayne - told The Record they do not release that information.

The report, which puts enclosed malls and unenclosed shopping centers in separate categories, also showed that net operating income, rents, and sales increased in 2014. Operating income at malls rose 21.3 percent in 2014 and it rose 8.3 percent at shopping centers. Base rents rose 17.2 percent at malls and 6.5 percent at shopping centers.

"We've seen this constant drumbeat, since the recession, of slow measured growth in all of the metrics as we go quarter by quarter," said Jesse Tron, a spokesman for the ICSC.

Tron said one reason enclosed malls have the best occupancy rates since the late 1980s is that a lot of new mall space was still being built in the late 1980s and the 1990s, and that kept vacancy rates higher. Now, Tron said, "we are at sort of historic lows in terms of the amount of new space that we're bringing to the market." Retailers "are as healthy as they were during peak construction years," he said, "but we're just not adding extra space for them."

The result, he said, "is we're now really seeing those occupancy rates start to climb," he said.

View post:
Mall vacancy rate best its been in 28 years, report says

The construction of Seng Liang Wang Hall of Electrical and Computer Engineering will not only add additional academic space to students but will also give students and faculty a new dining experience.

Coming summer 2015, Another Broken Egg Cafe will be added to the retail space of Wang Hall.

The cafe is a breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe that originated in New Orleans in 1996. The brand has since expanded to approximately 50 locations across the country.

Students may choose to start their day off with a variety of menu items, including the Skinny Omelette made with egg whites, roasted vegetables and goat cheese, or enjoy the Crabcakes Cavallo Benedict with crab, Andouille sausage and house-made hollandaise for dinner.

The Purdue location will be unique in that it will be open for dinner service, said vice president and director of marketing for Hoosier Hospitality Group Peggy Cseresznyes. Whether an early class or an evening study session, guests will be able to enjoy everything on the menu.

The addition of Another Broken Egg Cafe will also play a role in feeding those going to athletic events. Wang Hall is situated on the north end of campus, close to Mackey Arena and Ross-Ade Stadium. The space will include approximately 100 seats, including outside seating.

Along with their extensive menu, guests 21 and over will be able to enjoy a full bar, making it a perfect post-game gathering space. While Another Broken Egg Cafe is planning on offering its standard menu, lower fare student specials will also be added later.

If we had that when I was back in school, we would never have to leave the engineering building, said Purdue College of Engineering alumnus Kevin Liang. Its a great way to let loose after finishing an electric and computer engineering lab.

See the rest here:
Purdue adds cafe to newly-constructed Wang Hall

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site Superintendent H. Tyrone Brandyburg points out holes in the wall at the Sandburg home that will not be repaired currently due to lack of funding. The historic site now has $7.49 million in backlogged projects needing funding and the Blue Ridge Parkway has $247 million in deferred needs.

The Carl Sandburg Home and the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina are facing a $255 million backlog in the upkeep of their facilities, part of $11.49 billion in so-called deferred maintenance reported at the country's national parks in 2014.

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site Superintendent H. Tyrone Brandyburg points out holes in the wall at the Sandburg home that will not be repaired currently due to lack of funding. The historic site now has $7.49 million in backlogged projects needing funding and the Blue Ridge Parkway has $247 million in deferred needs.

Last week, the National Park Service released its list of deferred maintenance needs for its 400-plus park units throughout the U.S.

For North Carolina's seven units, the total was $395 million in 2014, not including $231 million in unmet maintenance needs along the Parkway's Virginia section.

What's happened is just the budget that we've gotten to manage the park, the funds haven't kept pace with the cost of doing business, said Leesa Brandon, public information officer for the Parkway. And every year, that gap just keeps getting bigger.

The Parkway's section in North Carolina has postponed $247.7 million in maintenance, the majority of that along the paved roadway itself. However, the Parkway as a whole has also delayed about $10.2 million in building upkeep and $37 million in upgrades to unpaved roads due to tight budgets in recent years.

We hear from visitors very regularly that they're sad and disappointed with the condition of the road, said Brandon. So many people have connections with the Parkway, through many generations, and they remember it differently.

At the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, $1.3 million of its $7.49 million in deferred maintenance needs were classified in 2014 as critical systems such as trails, pasture fences and the poet's former residence.

Superintendent H. Tyrone Brandyburg said the park was able to address a small portion of its deferred maintenance needs in the current fiscal year, tackling repairs to park's goat barn, house garage and many of its 38 other outbuildings.

See original here:
Sandburg Home, Parkway face maintenance backlog

Hans Tanzler III is leaving his post as executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, saying the agency has rebuilt itself to regulate responsibly after major staff cuts.

The district now has the means to be in the solutions business and is not in the just say no business, Tanzler said in a letter to board members announcing his resignation.

I believe I have completed my personal mission here, he said.

Tanzler, an attorney and son of the former Jacksonville mayor, will leave his post May 4.

His resignation letter referred to Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet appointing the next executive director with Senate confirmation, but agency spokeswoman Teresa Monson said a process for selecting a replacement hasnt been set yet.

She said the board could discuss that process during its next meeting April 14, but hasnt scheduled any action.

Until a replacement is named, operations will be overseen by Michael Register, the agencys director of regulatory, engineering and environmental services.

Tanzler has been the agencys $165,000-a-year executive director since 2011, and had been the agencys general counsel and a board member for three years before that.

The management district, headquartered in Palatka, oversees water supplies in an 18-county area holding close to five million people.

Funding for its $145 million yearly budget comes mainly from a separate property tax, and had withered in recent years after real estate values collapsed around the state.

Read more:
Tanzler leaving job as water management district's executive director

A Hempfield man is accused of setting a Dumpster full of wood paneling ablaze to make room for roofing shingles, then failing to call for help when flames shot 6 to 8 feet above the metal trash container.

James Artman, 28, of Johnston Lane, is charged by Washington Township police with risking a catastrophe, failure to report a dangerous fire, dangerous burning, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Police charged Artman with two counts of reckless endangerment for allegedly endangering the lives of two firefighters who extinguished the blaze outside a house on Louise Street.

Artman, who police said was remodeling the house, was on the roof removing shingles when a police officer arrived at 2:12 p.m. Dec. 29 to find the Dumpster on fire in the driveway, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Two firefighters put out the blaze, which Artman told police might have started when he dumped in trash containing a cigarette.

The Dumpster's owner, Joseph Eori of Big's Sanitation in Belle Vernon, told police the rented container was full to capacity earlier in the day. Eori told police Artman didn't have money to rent another one and believes Artman purposely set the fire in the Dumpster to have extra room.

Artman denied putting the shingles into the Dumpster, but a firefighter found some inside. A witness reported seeing two men shovel shingles from the roof into the container, police said.

Charges were filed with Star Junction District Judge Richard Kasunic II. A preliminary hearing date has not been set.

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Hempfield man accused of setting Dumpster ablaze in Fayette County

Carol Crotta, Houzz Contributor

Americans have been blessed with a steady supply of clean water, and its a privilege we often take for granted. But with much of the western United States in a severe, years-long drought, attention is turning to water use and abuse.

Although agriculture and business account for a large portion of U.S. water consumption, residential usage is substantial. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the average American family of four uses about 400 gallons of water a day. Efficient appliances and fixtures can help, but a little care and common sense go a long way toward minimizing waste. Here are 11 tips for reducing water consumption at home.

How to Be More Water-Wise at Home

1. Turn off faucets. Start saving by breaking a bad habit: Never let faucet water run needlessly as you wash or rinse dishes, wash your hands or face, brush your teeth or shave. Bathroom faucets run at about 2 gallons of water a minute, according to the EPA. Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth and shave, and you can save hundreds of gallons a month.

Tip: Be sure to fix leaks. A slow drip from a leaking faucet can waste as much as 20 gallons of water a day. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons a day.

2. Use every drop. Learn to repurpose water. One easy way is to capture under your colander the potable water you use to rinse fruits and veggies, and deposit it in the garden. Do the same while you wait for your hot water to come in.

3. Double-dip dishes. Take a page from the past and make smart use of dual sinks. Instead of letting the water run while you wash dishes, fill one sink with hot, soapy water for washing, and the other with cool, clear water for rinsing. Youll use half the water you otherwise would, according to the EPA. If your sink is a single model, use two large bowls for washing and rinsing.

4. Consider a smaller dishwasher. Todays modern, efficient dishwashers can save a great deal of water. Scrape dishes instead of rinsing them before loading, and youll save up to 10 gallons a load.

You should run only full loads. If you generally have small loads to wash, consider buying a double-drawer model, such as the Fisher Paykel one shown here. The drawers, which use less than 2 gallons of water each, work independently, saving water, energy and detergent.

The rest is here:
11 Ways To Save Water At Home

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