HYDERABAD: A worker from Telangana is stuck at a Saudi detention centre and waiting to be sent back to India for the last nine months. Syed Muqtar of Bodhan in Nizamabad district had gone to Saudi Arabia two years ago.

"The employer troubled him and refused to pay him his salary," Muqtar's father Syed Hameed, an auto-electrician in Bodhan, told TOI. Syed Muqtar is in the Shumaisi Detention Centre in Riyadh.

On Saturday, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi urged union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to look into Muqtar's case. "Please help me to go to my country. I am here not having committed any crime. Please help me," Muqtar had tweeted on Saturday to Sushma Swaraj.

The Consulate-General of India (CGI), Jeddah, responded by saying that the CGI was cognizant of his case as he was 'matloob' (wanted) by the sponsor. It was informed that he was in room no. 72 of the detention centre. The CGI said they were working on the case through his sponsor.

Muqtar's father Hameed said his son was sent to Saudi Arabia through an agent two years ago. But after Muqtar landed in Riyadh, he was not given salary.

Original post:
T worker stuck in detention centre in Saudi for 9 months - Times of India

By Lisa Zapalac, homes correspondent

Bellaire Showcase-winning home offers entertaining areas

A Bellaire Showcase winner, this custom home is on a huge 20,475-square-foot lot on Braeburn Drive.

Listing agent Sabrina Elias with Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty describes the home as magnificent, with Mediterranean flair and a blend of inspiration and beautiful architecture.

The two-story home with more than 7,300 square feet of living space and a three-car garage is elevator ready and features Segreto finishes and stone and wood accents throughout.

Columns frame the double-door entry that is accessed by stairs with a limestone balustrade. Inside, the foyer has a sweeping staircase and a ceiling with a capped dome.

Triple arched windows enhance the formal dining room with a groin-vaulted ceiling, Segreto stenciling and a Versailles-pattern floor. Just off the main entry, the formal living room has a limestone fireplace, Versailles pattern flooring, and mahogany multi-piece molding and blocked paneled bookcases on both sides of the arched entry.

Open to the kitchen, the family room has a beamed ceiling, a large fireplace framed by mahogany bookcases, and banks of windows viewing the pool, spa and landscaped backyard. A beautifully designed island, subway tile extending to the ceiling and Segreto finishes on the ceiling and hood over the cooktop are some of the features in the kitchen, which also has custom furniture-quality cabinetry, granite countertops, and Wolf/Sub-Zero appliances.

There is a wet bar with forest granite that adjoins a butler's pantry that has an arched window of leaded glass and tile work. The home also features a temperature controlled wine room with a Segreto mural and stenciling and built-in storage for up 300 bottles of wine.

A study with access to the pool has a built-in desk and cabinetry with Segreto stenciling and an adjoining half bath.

Located on the second floor, the master suite includes custom arched windows framed by a drapery pocket, architectural detailing and views of the pool, spa and backyard.

The huge game room has banks of windows and access to a balcony overlooking the back of the property. Located next to the media room, the game room features a beamed ceiling, hardwood floors, and a fully equipped kitchenette.

The media room has additional space in the front of the home for a play area, and includes custom storage.

An upstairs craft/hobby room offers extensive storage and a large island work area. Adjoining this room is the spacious laundry room that also has custom storage, a sink and a window.

All of the secondary bedrooms are spacious and well-appointed. One bedroom has an en suite bath and an open-air Juliet balcony that overlooks the front lawn, while three others feature built-ins and window seats.

The home also has an exercise room upstairs that includes access to the large climate controlled floored and shelved attic.

The outdoor living/entertaining areas include a resort-style patio with massive columns, a hardwood ceiling, stone work and a summer kitchen. The patio and summer kitchen are climate controlled.

A loggia overlooks the grounds and saltwater pool with a waterfall and colored lights, surrounded by travertine decking. The large landscaped yard also includes towering trees, open seating/entertaining areas and plenty of green space.

With five bedrooms, five full baths and two half-baths, this home at 5201 Braeburn Drive is priced at $3,295,000.

For information, visit http://www.MarthaTurner.com.

Property Profile

Location: Bellaire

Stories: 2

Agent: Sabrina Elias

Listing agency: Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

Square feet: 7,333

Lot size: 20,475 square feet

Bedrooms: 5

Baths: 5 full, 2 half

Price: $3,295,000

Originally posted here:
Bellaire Showcase-winning home offers entertaining areas - Chron.com

Shannon Gilchrist The Columbus Dispatch @shangilchrist

As central Ohio children are going school shopping in anticipation of that first day in a couple of weeks, students of one private school in Worthington just learned that their summer will last an extra month.

The 2017-18 school year for St. Michael School will now begin on Sept. 22, the principal informed parents Thursday night, because damage to a tile floor released asbestos dust, a known cancer-causing material.

The late start caused by the clean-up, decontamination and re-testing has led the Catholic school to eliminate all unnecessary school breaks during the 2017-18 school year, and to extend the school year to June 15. All teacher professional development days, the email from Sister John Paul said, have been moved to days before and following the school year.

"I realize this is quite an adjustment for all of us and that it may require a great deal of human and supernatural virtue to adapt to this later date," wrote Sister John Paul. "St. Michael greatly appreciates the sacrifices of our parents to support Catholic education and we realize that this may bring you added inconveniences."

In a message Friday morning, the principal added that the school will work with parents in a financial bind because of this unexpected child-care cost.

Right now, the entire school is being cleaned, and the floor and ceiling tiles and other materials are being removed and replaced. Insurance is covering the project.

The Ohio Department of Health is aware of the situation at St. Michael and has a licensed asbestos contractor at the school to make sure the work is done correctly, said department spokeswoman Melanie Amato. She didn't have an estimated ending date for the project.

Options other than a late start were considered, Sister John Paul told parents, including starting school at a temporary site.

"We have decided against that choice, in order to best focus time and resources on getting the whole school operational faster," she said.

According to several messages the principal sent to parents over the past month, minor damage to the tile happened as workers were doing an annual stripping and waxing of the floors. It happened after 3:30 p.m. on June 28, after office hours were over. Tests done on the floor dust indicated the presence of asbestos. The school building was closed July 1-7.

The principal said the people who accessed the building using their key cards between June 28 and July 7 already have been mailed a letter about the risk.

"I thank God that this did not happen while school was in session and that we are confident that the end result will be a thoroughly safe environment," Sister John Paul wrote to parents.

Asbestos, now closely regulated as a carcinogen, refers to a group of naturally occurring minerals that routinely were used in automotive and ship parts and construction materials up through the first half of the 20th century because of their ability to resist heat and corrosion.

The presence of asbestos in a building is not a problem until it is damaged or begins to deteriorate, according to information provided by the Ohio Department of Health.

According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, breathing in asbestos fibers can lead to scarring in the lung tissue called asbestosis, which eventually causes disability and death. It also has been tied to lung cancer and a cancer of the membranelining the cavity of the lung or stomach, called mesothelioma.

"There is no 'safe' level of asbestos exposure for any type of asbestos fiber," says the OSHA website. "Asbestos exposures as short in duration as a few days have caused mesothelioma in humans."

sgilchrist@dispatch.com

@shangilchrist

Here is the original post:
St. Michael School delays opening during asbestos clean-up - The Columbus Dispatch

A lawsuit filed two years ago by the Des Moines Water Worksagainst three drainage districts in northwest Iowa drew a lot of attention to agriculture-generated nutrients in Iowa's streams and rivers.

The water works gets its drinking water from the Raccoon River. When nitrate levels reach a certain level, specialized and expensive equipment is required to remove thenitrate and make the water safe for drinking.

The lawsuitclaimed thenutrients were coming from nitrogen fertilizer and, in some cases, animal waste viaunderground drainage tiles used on farms. Although the lawsuit was dismissed in March, the questions it raised remain.

The state of Iowa has adopted avoluntary Nutrient Reduction Strategy, inspiring more strategies for filtering farm water before it reaches streams. One such strategy is the installation of"bioreactors" at the edge of fields.

Here's how it works: A bioreactor is a trench filled with wood chips. When water flows into it, the bacteria in the water "eats" the wood chips, then "breathes" the nitrate, converting it into nitrogen gas. That way, cleaner water is discharged into waterways.

Scott Countyfarmer Robb Ewoldt installed the area's first known bioreactor on land he farms in Muscatine County inApril. He calls it a"denitrification plant."

The process is relatively new and construction is costly, anywhere from$12,000 to $20,000, depending on the size and slope of the land.

Ewoldt's was on the high end, about$20,000. In his case, he was able to obtain "cost-share" payments of about one-third from water-quality initiative funds at theIowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship andabout one-third from theIowa Pork Producers Association. The rest he paid for himself.

Given the cost and the fact there are thousands and thousands of drainage tiles in Iowa, bioreactors are not likely to become widespread any time soon. But they are a start.

There's not much to see

The trench for Ewoldt'sbioreactor is 100 feet long, 25 feet wide, eight feet deep and filled with about 440 cubic yardsof wood chips that were trucked in from Washington, Iowa. The tile that flows into it drains about 50 acres, he said.

Ewoldt applies hog manure to the field in the fall as fertilizer; his manure management plan filed with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources allows him to apply 3,750 gallons of manure per acre per year.

Weekly water samplingby a technician with the Iowa Department of Agriculturewill show what affect the manure and the bioreactor have on nitrate levels. At the time the reactor was installed, levels were at four parts per million, which was well below the 10 parts per million that is acceptable for drinking water, said Jim Gillespie, director of the Agriculture Department's Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality.

After installation, the percentage has fallen to one part per million.

Because all the action is underground, there's really nothing to seeon the surface, except for two small metal boxes that control the water flow. It is sometimes necessary to slow the water coming into the bioreactor, so the bacteria have time towork and, if the rainfalling on the field is too much for the bioreactor to handle, the water-flow structures allow it to bypass the bioreactor and go directly into the stream.

In Ewoldt's case, water flows into an unnamed tributary of Pine Creek.

Generally speaking, about 45 percent of the total cost of bioreactor installation is for wood chips, 30 percent is for the water-control structures and tile, 23 percent is for the earthwork and 2 percent is for a protective fabric between the wood chips and the soil underneath, according to Sara Klindt, a soil conservation technician withthe Iowa agriculture department office in Muscatine.

Carbon from the wood chips is what the bacteria eat, and it is not yet known exactly how long the wood chips will last before they need to be replaced, Gillespie said. He is hoping for a lifespan of at least 10-15 years.

In Ewoldt's case, the earth work costs went up, because more trenching was required to get the drainage right than originally anticipated.

State, Pork Producers helped

To date, the Soil Conservation and Water Quality Division of the Iowa Department of Agriculture has funded five bioreactors across the state and has 11, including Ewoldt's, in process,Gillespie said.

The state will reimburse up to 50 percent of the cost, but of course, there is only so much money to go around. In fiscal 2016, the division received $9.6 million for all water-quality initiatives statewide and, for 2017, received $10.575 million, Gillespie said.

Ferreting out other avenues of funding, such as Ewoldt did with the Pork Producers, makes bioreactors more affordable, Gillespie said.

The Pork Producers Association has committed to providing up to $25,000 through the year to offset up to half the costs for hog farmers to install bioreactors or another system called saturatedbuffers on their land, said Tyler Bettin, state public policy director for the association.

Farms are selected based on the greatest opportunity for nitrate reduction and will be dispersed throughout the state to aid in education and demonstration opportunities,Bettin said.

"Projects like this offer excellent opportunity to showcase new nutrient-reduction technologies and further advance farmer-led water-quality efforts in Iowa," he wrote in an email.

Iowa'svoluntaryNutrient Reduction Strategywas adopted about 4 years ago. It aims to reduce by 45 percent the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus flowing down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

Critics have argued that the strategy doesn't go far enough, because there are no mandatory requirements and there is no deadline for reaching the reduction goal. They also question why, when 90 percent of the nutrients causing the "dead zone," or low-oxygen areas, can be attributed to agriculture (farm fertilizer and animal operations) and 10 percent to industry or city treatment plants, only the 10 percent is regulated.

The agriculture community opposes mandatory requirements.

Gillespie points out that none of the work or expense of bioreactors does anything toimprove yields or a farmer's profits. In fact, it is an expense. They are installed to "build a legacy," he said. "They're built so you can say, 'I'm cleaning the water.'"

Read the rest here:
Farm 'bioreactor' will filter nitrate from water - Quad City Times

Two neighborhood meetings one on Monday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. for Stoneridge Estates Park, and one on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. for Wyndham Hills Park will determine community interest in athletic field planning at both parks.

Each meeting will take place at the respective park: Stoneridge Estates Park, located at 300 Stonehaven Drive; and Wyndham Hills Park, located at 675 N. Heatherstone Drive, near Horizon Elementary School.

Both plans were briefly outlined at the Sun Prairie City Councils Aug. 1 Public Works Committee meeting by Joe DeYoung from MSA Professional Services.

The City of Sun Prairie will hold two park meetings next week to gauge reaction to athletic field plans for Stoneridge Estates (above) and Wyndham Hills parks. The city intends to have the work completed in October (MSA/City of Sun Prairie photo illustration).

We want to get out and talk to the public about this project that we are potentially going to be bidding out, DeYoung said, adding that he hopes to hear from the public at both meetings. He also said the Sun Prairie Soccer Club plans to contact its members.

At Stoneridge Estates Park, the proposed project may include field enlargement, installation of fill, drain tile and re-seeding of the fields.

The plan shown at Tuesday nights Public Works Committee meeting includes the retention of a soccer field already on site, maintaining the existing ball diamond, but relocating the basketball court and installing two U-16 soccer fields.

The City of Sun Prairie will hold two park meetings next week to gauge reaction to athletic field plans for Stoneridge Estates and Wyndham Hills (above) parks. The city intends to have the work completed in October.

At Wyndham Hills, one planned U-16 field and two youth fields are planned, with all existing amenities planned to be retained.

Like Stoneridge, the proposed project at Wyndham Hills may include field enlargement, installation of fill, drain tile and re-seeding of the fields.

If plans are acceptable, DeYoung said, the intent is to go out for bid in August to complete the work in October, but overseed and maintain the fields through the winter, spring and summer growing seasons so the turf takes root before allowing athletic play on them during the fall of 2018.

The Sun Prairie Soccer Club plans to contribute $100,000 to the projects, and participate in maintenance of the fields until they are ready next fall.

Both meetings are intended to address any questions, concerns, or comments residents may have and provide additional information regarding the projects.

Both DeYoung and City Public Works Director Lee Igl clarified that the fields will be referred to as athletic fields, with other uses such as youth lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and other athletic events that use flat, square fields.

One portion of the plan shown for Stoneridge that is not being pursued is the expansion of the parking lot.

DeYoung explained to District 2 Alder Jon Freund, who lives near the park, that the expansion of the parking lot to the west along with the addition of a second driveway entrance was not part of the plan.

Freund urged DeYoung to consider adding the expansion to the plan, however, because if the fields are going to be used as much as projected, there will be demand for parking.

DeYoung also said the parking could be expanded to the south, towards Stonehaven Drive.

In order to raise the level of the fields in both Wyndham Hills and Stoneridge, the city plans to use 6,000 cubic yards of topsoil currently piled at Stoneridge Park, according to DeYoung. The soil has been piled there by city workers in anticipation of the project.

Microwave traffic signal loops OKd

Accepting the recommendations of City Engineer/Director of Public Services Adam Schleicher, the Public Works Committee approved a change order in the Wilburn Road Project for a microwave loop detector.

A memo from Schleicher to alders stated the current installation has a loop detector installed within the asphalt pavement structure, but that staffs recommendation is to use pole mounted microwave detection instead of the existing loop detectors.

The $12,642 change order to the project is for TAPCO to install microwave detectors at this intersection and allow the removal of the in pavement loop detector.

Schleicher explained microwave detection equipment is installed on the traffic signal poles and nothing is placed in the asphalt, providing a better driving surface and less maintenance concerns on the pavement surface.

Nothing is actually cut into the pavement, Schleicher told alders.

District 1 Alder Steve Stocker asked how the signals work. Schleicher said the microwave detection equipment is already being used in the signals installed at Ironwood Drive and South Grand Avenue and the city is happy with how they work at that intersection.

TAPCO has an annual preventative maintenance contract with the city and the work will be done by TAPCO at the negotiated rates under that contract, according to Schleichers memo.

Northwest Koshkonong Facility design work OKd

Assistant City Engineer Tom Veith requested $10,000 for MSA to complete a preliminary design study for the Northwest Koshkonong Stormwater Facility.

Veith said as part of the Northwest Koshkonong Stormwater facility potentially being located on two different parcels the Schneider and Livesey properties near Thompson Road a professional services contract has been requested from MSA to perform preliminary stormwater design.

The study is being sought to provide the following baseline information:

Maximizing the usage of the entire Livesey parcel for stormwater, determine how much acreage will be required on the Schneider property to achieve our stormwater management goals.

Concept plans developing depths and connectivity needs to maximize efficiencies between both stormwater facilities.

Determine the size and depth of the cross-culvert under Thompson Road.

Its important for the future design of Thompson Road, Veith said.

Begin process of coordinating with the DNR for removal of the small wetland on the Schneider property.

Veith said the information will provide a better understanding of the land area needs for the Schneider property to be dedicated for the stormwater facility.

Alders agreed and approved $10,000 for the study.

See the rest here:
Meetings set next week to discuss Wyndham Hills, Stoneridge park updates - hngnews.com

Pompidou Center to Open Gallery in Shanghai, Designed by David Chipperfield Architects

David Chipperfield Architects has revealed the design of the newest homeof the Centre Pompidou, the West Bund Art Museum in Shanghai. The Parisian institution revealed the details with the announcement of a 5-year deal with the West Bund Group to stage exhibitions in the museum beginning in 2019. Approximately 20 exhibitions including a focus on contemporary Chinese art will be included in the deal, described by the Centre Pompidou as "the most important long-term cultural exchange project between France and China.

+29

Description provided by the architects.

The new West Bund Art Museum is a prominent building of the masterplan for the West Bund of Shanghai. The aim of the design is to create a special place at the riverside where visitors can visit a museum and also enjoy the riverside and the views to downtown Shanghai. Due to its situation as a solitaire at the north most point where the road and the river diverge to form a generous green park, the museum will be the prime cultural entity that visitors encounter when coming to the Xuhui Riverside District via the Shanghai Corniche. The building will have a strong relationship to its surroundings.

Three exhibition gallery volumes approximately 18m tall define the building massing on the North, West and South sides of the site. The exhibition galleries are stacked and the heights are configured to provide clerestory lighting to the lower level galleries, while the upper level galleries are mainly top lit. In addition, each upper level gallery contains an expansive view window providing views to downtown Shanghai, the local Huangpu river bank, and the park to the south.

The museum is positioned on the outer edges of the site on these three sides to create a unique space at the riverside. This central area of the building contains 3 main space defining elements; a three storey lobby with a central triple-height atrium, a single storey long caf pavilion located along the rivers edge with a rooftop viewing terrace connecting the upper lobby with the riverside, and a landscaped sunken courtyard connecting the underground museum level with the riverside terrace and promenade.

Project start: 2013Completion due: 2019Gross floor area: 24000 m2Client:Shanghai West Bund Development Group Co., Ltd.Architect:David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, ShanghaiPartners:Alexander Schwarz, Mark Randel, Martin Reichert, Libin ChenProject Architects:Diana Schaffrannek, Chuxiao Li, Haishan LiContact architect:Shanghai Urban Architectural Design Co., Ltd.Landscape architect:Levin Monsigny Gesellschaft von LandschaftsarchitektenStructure consultant:ArupStructure engineer:Shanghai Urban Architectural Design Co., Ltd.Facade consultant:Drees & Sommer Engineering Consulating (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.Services consultant:WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff Engineering ServicesServices engineer:Shanghai Urban Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

News via David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, Shanghai

See the article here:
Pompidou Center to Open Gallery in Shanghai, Designed by David Chipperfield Architects - ArchDaily

Archi5, Paris office. In present location since: 2006. Staff: 4 partners, 30 employees. Former use of building: Printer of vinyl record sleeves. Size: 900 m. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

For many architecture practices, the office is their second home a reflection of who they collectively are as a firm. Depicting the atmosphere of a firm's office space is an ideal subject for architectural photographer Marc Goodwin of Archmospheres, who previously shared his work approach with Archinect. Since acquiring a Ph.D. in architectural photography, Goodwin has embarked on a global tour to capture the assortment of architecture studio offices that are out there, including those of MAD Architects, Foster +Partners, Snhetta, and Renzo Piano.

Frozen in time through Goodwin's camera lens and with his keen attention to the lighting of the space, snapshots of these everyday office scenes become atmospheric, personalized portraits of each firm that are fascinating to peruse. Mundane details become a significant part in telling the story, whether it's a sign written in the local language, shelves of architectural models, potted plants, snow-covered streets outside a window in Scandinavia, or the brick details in a London office.

Peering through shelves or from the opposite side of the building, Goodwin's photos take on an observant and sometimes almost voyeuristic perspective. Employees appear unaware of the photographer's presence as they hunch over their desks and stare into computer screens, share a meal with their colleagues, or are in the middle of a meeting in a closed conference room. This sense of intimate observation is present even in large, established offices that accommodate hundreds of employees, such as an empty windowed room in Foster + Partners' Riverside office, which has approximately 1,200 employees.

It's also a treat to know the previous lives of the firms' offices, and how much they have grown into the space since moving in. The firms work in former schools and breweries, a printer of vinyl record sleeves, or in a space tucked inside a building that used to house diplomats.

Altogether, Goodwin's photos showcase the diversity of each firm's workspace just as they are in that point in time. As Goodwin continues to travel around the world, have a look at some of his office photos of architecture practices inLondon, Scandinavia,Beijing,Paris, and Seoul.

M. In present location for: 6 years. Staff: 40. Former use of building/studio: School. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Foster + Partners. In present location since: 1990. Number of employees: 1,200 at Riverside, 1,450 globally. Use: Designed by the firm as a mixed-use. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Erect Architecture. In present location since: 2010. Staff: 6. Former use of building / studio: workshops. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

IMAGINATION. In present location since: 1989. Staff: 360. Former use of building: school. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Zaha Hadid Architects. Staff: 400 globally. In present location since: 2013. Former use of building/studio: Zaha Hadid Design Gallery was previously home to a pop-up hair salon designed by Hadid. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Grimshaw. In present location since: January 2007. Staff: 130 (in office), 180 total in London (co-located teams). Former use of building: Headquarters of The Big Issue. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

BDP (Building Design Partnership). In present location since: 2003. Staff: London: approx. 300 / total approx. 903. Former use of building / studio: Brewery. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Henning Larsen Architects. In present location since: 2001. Staff: 170 in Copenhagen. Former use of building: Department store completed in 1939 by H. Ortmann and V. Berner Nielsen. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Studio Puisto. In current location since: 2014. Staff: 6. Former use of building: Fabric store, supermarket. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Jgneflt Milton. Staff: 7. Former use of building/studio: Stables. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Snhetta. Staff: 119. Former use of building: Storage area for harbor deliveries. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Elding Oscarson Arkitekter. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 8. Former use of building: Brewery. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

C.F. Mller Architects. In present location since: 1981. Staff: 80 in Copenhagen. Building's former use: Part of the School of Architecture. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

3xn. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 85. Former use of building: Boat houses from 1813 used to store naval ships. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

MAD Architects. Staff: 105. In present location for: 9 years. Previous use of building: printing works. Size of office: 660m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Crossboundaries. Staff: 20-25. In present location for: 2 years. Former use of building: auditorium, bar, showroom. Size of office: 350 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

anySCALE (Beijing) Architecture Design Consultants Co., Ltd. Staff: 25. Time spent in current space: 3 years. Previous use of building: Apartments for diplomats. Size of office: 250. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

LISPACE Design Limited. Staff: 10 people. Time spent in current space: 3.7 years. Previous use of building: boiler room in factory. Size: showroom downstairs 100m2, office upstairs 80m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

WAY Studio and PU Architects. Staff: 8 each. In present location since: 2015. Previous use of building: Arsenal, RenMin University student dormitories, Library & reading room. Size: 220 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

ZAO/standardarchitecture. Staff: 25-30. Time spent in current space: less than 2 years. Previous use of building: warehouse. Size: 580. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

LAN. Staff: 27. In present location since: 2009. Former use of building: Clothing workshop. Size: 150 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Staff: 95. In present location since: 1992. Former use of building: art gallery. Size: 1,500m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Architecture-Studio. In present location since: 1973. Staff: 150. Former use of building: Herbalist. Size: 2650 m. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Martinez Barat Lafore architectes. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 2. Former use of building: private dwelling. Size: 100m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Philippe Rizzotti Architecte. Staff: 6. In present location since: April 2016. Former use: CIAT (Centre International des Arts de la Table) Showroom. Size: 110 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

OFFICE ARCHITEKTON. In present location since: 2012. Staff: 6. Building's former use: Industrial Wire Mesh Store. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

IROJE architects & planners. In present location since: March 2002. Staff: 29. Building's use: Designed by and built for the firm's own use. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

KYWC Architects. In present location since: June 2014. Staff: 8. Building's use: Designed by the firm for their own use. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

Moonbalsso. In present location since: 2011. Staff: 5. Building's former use: Commercial Facility. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

UnSangDong Architects. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 15. Building's former use: Private residence. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

WGNB. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 12. Building's former use: Private residence. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

studio_GAON. In present location since: 2009. Staff: 8. Building's former use: Trading company. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

Excerpt from:
Office Still Life: From Renzo Piano to MAD Architects, Marc Goodwin captures the inner worlds of architecture firms - Archinect

PUP Architects has installed a "subversive" duct-shapedpavilionon the roof of a canal-side warehouse in east London, to provoke local planning authorities to reconsider the area's development.

The London studio run by Theo Molloy, Chloe Leen and Steve Wilkinsondrew up the design for the Architecture Foundation's new Antepavilion programme, an annual commission sponsored by the property developerShiva.

The structure joins a collectionof other pavilions commissioned by Shiva in recent years for the roof of its Columbia Wharf studios.

These buildings have all been designed asprototypes for alternative ways to live in the city. They aim to challenge decisionsby the local planning department to allowa spate of luxuryhousing blocks to be built along Regent's Canal while other types of projects are very difficult to win approval for.

For instance, Shiva was denied planning permission to builda simple"beach house" on the roofback in 2016 although it went ahead and built it anyway.

PUP Architects decided to model the pavilion on a duct after finding a loop-hole in local planning laws that allowed for a two-storey service structure to be affixed to the top of the roof.

"We wanted to provoke a conversation aboutwhy, if you can build this type of strange plant equipment on the rooftop, why can we not use it in a more positive way, to inhabit and liberate all these hundreds of thousands of square metres of rooftop space?" the architectsexplainedduring a press preview of the pavilion.

"It's a sort of hypocrisythat rooftop plants or things which support buildings that end up on or around them are not subject to the same stringent scrutiny of design even if it's a huge ugly thing, it's seen as a practical thing, you can just put it there, no one cares," they continued. "But to say, I'd love to build a little fun summer house on my roof, you're not allowed to do that."

"The project is meant to provoke conversation around these issues. For that reason it will be interesting if Hackney [council] come back to us and try to challenge the idea because, what is it? Is it inhabitable, is it servicing the building?"

"Hackney [council] don't really take the planning process too seriously,"added the trio.

"[Shiva]is quite provocative, they're opposite a building the 19th-century Haggerston Baths which is now out of use and has fallen into disrepair, and I think their mindset is that perhaps council attention could be better used on that than challenging these prototype buildings on the rooftop."

The timber-framed pavilion is covered in a skin of silvery shingles made from recycledTetra Pak,a material more typicallyused for drinks cartons.

Molloy discovered the laminated paper, metal and plastic materialcould be used as arainscreen while leading a student building project at a Latvian brewery.

Pieces of the Tetra Pak material are folded into squares to conceal raw edges and overlapped like scales to coverthe outer walls.

The lower corner of each shingle is left loose, allowing the breeze and natural light into the pavilion. The inner walls may later be insulated and a kitchenette installed to make the space habitable for longer periods of time.

A hung staircase leads up a second-floor artist's studio through a snaking corridor to a viewpoint at the top of the pavilion, where "jumbo proportioned" louvres open to allow visitors to take in views of the canal and theapartment blocks that are replacing smaller houses and pubs along its banks.

"Although it was a practical aspect to enter from below, it really added to our concept of the structure being something a little bit subverting what a roof duct is, and this idea of covertness and secrecy," said the architects.

"It means that you can use it without ever going on the roof, which is obviously not made to be accessible."

"It's provoking local authorities in general about how open-minded they are to good ideas," the Architecture Foundations'sdeputy director Phineas Harper told Dezeen.

"It's a legal project, but it's pointing out all these problems with the planning system in a hopefully quite a fun and friendly way. But you can't get away from those problems."

"We thought if you're going to build a pavilion you might as well give it a political slant. Hopefully another impact of the Antepavilion project will be that other pavilion projects will start to take on a bit of a platitude," he added.

"The Serpentine Pavilion programme has been an amazing programme for a long time but it does feel like it's run its course or run out of a steam a little bit, and people are looking for something a bit more vigorous in its political outlook."

Antepavilion is open to the public at 55 Hoxton Docks on 6-7 August and again on 16-17 September during Open House London.

London-based think-tankThe Architecture Foundationand Shiva plan to continue theAntepavilion Commissionannually, to give emerging architects, artists and designers the chance to create further experimental rooftop structures.

Photography is byJim Stephenson. Drone footage is byTapio Snellman.

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PUP Architects builds rooftop pavilion disguised as warehouse air duct - Dezeen

A state commission has made a fitting choice in naming architect Thomas Rogers Kimball (1862-1934) as the next addition to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. Its a fitting choice, in that Kimball contributed to Nebraskas progress in major ways over the course of his career.

Consider Kimballs first significant architectural commission, in the early 1890s the original Omaha public library building at 1823 Harney St.

With its ambitious Renaissance revival style and bas-relief depictions of philosophical and literary figures, the library was hailed at its dedication as a symbol of Omahas determination to be a stronger, more ambitious city moving into the 20th century.

Kimballs subsequent architectural works included major structures that stand out for their creative vision and continue to do Nebraska proud.

Two examples are St. Cecilia Cathedral, in which Kimball pioneered the use of the Spanish Renaissance style in the United States, and the powerful design of the Hall County Courthouse in Grand Island.

The capstone for Kimballs contributions to Nebraska came in the selection process he established in the 1920s to select a designer for the Nebraska State Capitol. The double-blind competition process eliminated the possibility of favoritism and enticed nationally respected architects to submit proposals.

The winning design, by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, resulted in one of the most lauded state capitol concepts in the nation, a source of Nebraska pride to this day.

President Theodore Roosevelt named Kimball in 1909 to serve on a national commission overseeing design ideas for public monuments. Kimball was president of the American Institute of Architects during 1918-20.

Kimball whose postsecondary education included studies in Boston and Paris was an adviser for projects such as the state capitol in Missouri and a state war memorial in Indiana. His commissions included designs for 167 residential buildings and 162 nonresidential structures.

The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission had a set of 12 impressive finalists to consider. Given his laudable contributions to the development of the state, Kimball is unquestionably a worthy addition.

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Editorial: Architect Kimball a good choice Nebraska Hall of Fame - Omaha World-Herald

A pair of Augusta University professors is making sure the citys latest public art venture doesnt lose sight of what matters most the community the art represents.

Augusta voters approved $1 million to install public art such as larger sculptures along city gateways, and tax payers dollars helped fund Greater Augusta Arts Councils new public arts master plan, which was approved by the Augusta Commission. The plan calls for numerous forms of public art to go in various locations in and around downtown Augusta.

Public art might be a sculpture or group of them, monuments, murals, displays of light or water, fountains, mosaics, paintings, public music and performance or something interactive that moves, said Scott Thorp, chairman of the art and design department at Augusta University.

Public art occupies a public space and is publicly owned, or at least very publicly visible, Thorp said. It provides a free experience for the public, and is generally publicly supported, he said.

In a lot of peoples minds, what public art means is that its paid by taxpayers money, he said, but beyond that, public art may be controversial as it seeks to be memorable.

Its telling people this is who we are; this is what we want you to remember us by, Thorp said. Its not going to appeal to everyone, and its not expected to do so, but it is expected to attract attention.

Before Augusta can launch the program, it has to figure out what it is, and has employed AU Associate Professor William Hatcher, director of the Masters of Public Administration program, to ensure the public is engaged.

Hatcher said all public policies, including public art, must be effective, efficient and fair.

With public art decisions you want public input that is both meaningful and representative of a community. You want public art to be based on a communitys identity, he said.

The department continues to solicit input through surveys and forums, including a Tuesday forum for local artists, who have been among the programs critics.

Augustas slim stock of existing public art has made development of the new program a slow process, Thorpe added.

We havent really had a lot to appreciate, so were having a hard time getting going with what our community wants, he said.

The master plans survey of existing public art found just 42 examples across Augusta ranging from 19th-century monuments and murals on the city waterworks to the citys last large foray into public art, Springfield Village Park.

The survey found only 13 examples downtown, far fewer than art-infused cities such as Asheville, N.C., and Greenville, S.C. Downtown Augustas public art examples included the James Brown and James Oglethorpe statues, the Confederate Monument and the Haunted Pillar, which a driver knocked down last year.

The list did not include 11 Art the Box painted downtown traffic signal boxes commissioned by the Arts Council that are among the citys most popular, Thorp said.

If theres a lesson to learn from Springfield Village Park, Thorp said it might be to budget a maintenance plan.

Built as part of a 1990s downtown revitalization, the $6 million publicly and privately-funded park features two sculptures by renowned Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt, Tower of Inspiration and And They Went Down Both to the Water, yet the bronze fountain and reflecting pool dont function and most days the park sits empty.

The park adjoins historic black Springfield Baptist Church and opened in parallel with the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and botanical gardens, which the state shortly defunded and the city ceased to maintain.

With the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center going up rapidly at the former gardens, Springfield Village Park is being eyed in the master plan for more installations tied to others across Reynolds Street. The master plan also suggests a sculpture garden surrounding historic Trinity CME Church, which preservationists are fighting to save, or sculpture trails lining the Augusta Canal or around downtown. The plan posits that Augusta Recreation and Parks would maintain the carefully curated installations.

The master plan also suggests a monumental piece with a big budget, such as an abstract representation of James Brown and his music, or a Savannah rapids fall-line theme, done by a nationally-recognized artist.

Public art can include whats currently a more controversial element, the Art Car project being funded by local golf car manufacturer Textron thats sure to drive discussion Tuesday.

But a more accessible piece can help enamor the public as Augusta develops its public art program, Thorp said.

You have to walk people up the ladder. You dont start like New York and Chicago by putting large-scale controversial works up, he said.

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Augusta arts plan needs public to define it - The Augusta Chronicle