Some Walls From Unbuilt Houses opened earlier this month at Kent State Universitys College of Architecture and Environmental Design Armstrong Gallery. The installation consists of a collection of framed spaces surfaced with a millennials dream material palette: Faux pink-and-blue fur, dichromatic vinyl, raw plywood, glitter embellished wood shingles, and monochromatic felt and leather. While these textured walls entice visitors to snap a selfie or two, its what lies behind the surface that matters most.

Different arrangements of walls, or occupiable pochs, slice through their surface materials. (Kyle Troyer)

The installation is a collection of fragments extracted from plan drawings for various houses designed by Endemic Architecture (Clark Thenhaus). Their intersecting recomposition in the gallery creates an enfilade of unfolding spaces, moving between highly articulated surfaces and low-fi unfinished stud walls. The experience gives real meaning to the phrase, inhabit the poch, as one must circulate simultaneously through exposed interior wall cavities and finished rooms. To top it all off, the gallerys large glass exterior wall is activated in one ceremonious section cut through the installation, further revealing interiors full of artifacts from the construction process. The layered, overlapping and assembled qualities of the space, combined with remnants of paint samples, Walmart receipts, and scattered floor plans are suspended in a state of constant negotiation, enticing visitors, as Thenhaus states, to look behind, through, and into the walls in search of more layers or spaces.

The entire frontage of the Armstrong Gallery becomes complicit with the work within, providing another slice. (Kyle Troyer)

As a corollary production to Thenhauss most recent publication, Unresolved Legibility in Residential Types, the installation asks visitors to pay attention to the in-between and the unresolved in domestic layouts. The forgotten closets, utility cavities, and leftover nooks often covered over with black poch in the architects drawing are revealed to become new spaces of discovery and inhabitation.

Detail view of the areas behind the walls. (Danny Wills)

Some Walls From Unbuilt Houses is on display until March 6 at the CAED Armstrong Gallery, located at 132 S Lincoln St, Kent, Ohio 44240. Endemic Architecture would like to thank the following Kent State University students for their assistance: Aiden Crossey, Aileen Lin, Allison Baker, Branden Hudak, Feyza Mutlu, Jonathan Bonezzi, Kyle Troyer, Logan West, Mike Bonezzi, Ryan Lane, Yu-ting Chang.

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Clark Thenhaus inhabits the poch in Some Walls From Unbuilt Houses - The Architect's Newspaper

(MENAFN - GetNews) If you're looking for highly effective, yet affordable carpet cleaning services in Massillon, OH and the surrounding areas, Brahler's Cleaning, Restoration & Remodeling is a great choice.

Massillon, OH - If you're looking for highly effective, yet affordable carpet cleaning services in Massillon, OH and the surrounding areas, Brahler's Cleaning, Restoration & Remodeling is a great choice. Brahler's is a leading contractor in the carpet cleaning industry with over 4 decades of experience offering high-quality carpet cleaning solutions for homeowners and business owners in the region. Their prestigious company is comprised of expert technicians, certified with the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration) which guarantees that their services are performed with the highest-quality products and workmanship.

Owners Todd and Marie Brahler enjoy working with their customers, which are spread all over the area. Todd says, "When we come into your home or business, we want to provide you with a cleaning service that you'll be excited about. Whether you have carpet stains, pet odors, deep dirt, or you just want fresher looking carpets, we can help. We use state-of-art professional carpet cleaning equipment that enables us to work with virtually any situation."

Along with premier carpet cleaning services , Brahler's Cleaning, Restoration & Remodeling offers other services including upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning, tile & grout cleaning, window cleaning and more. They also specialize in home and business restoration after storms, fires or floods. Their expert technicians are available 24/7 for any emergency, offering services such as fire & smoke damage repair, mold remediation, water & flood damage, wind & storm damage, vandalism repair, sewer backups, and crime/death scene clean up.

When it comes to home remodeling services, Brahler's Cleaning, Restoration & Remodeling is the #1 choice for homeowners in the Massillon and Canton areas, as they offer a comprehensive array of services including kitchen upgrades, bathroom upgrades, roofing & gutter repair & installation, siding & window installation, flooring installation, new addition & decks, drywall & painting, as well as many other remodeling services that clients may need.

Their locally-owned and family-operated cleaning, restoration & remodeling company has become one of the best-voted in its field thanks to their great professionalism and fair business practices. For over 4 decades they have been providing customers with peace of mind for both residential and commercial projects, delivering best-of-class services, day and night.

"Everything about the process was seamless. I was never nervous about not being home while the crew from Brahler's Cleaning Restoration and Remodeling was working, as all of their work was absolutely amazing. They were flexible and communicated well throughout the process." Said a past customer, regarding her experience hiring Brahler's Cleaning, Restoration and Remodeling.

Brahler's Cleaning. Restoration and Remodeling is located at 1929 9th Street Southwest, Massillon, OH 44647. For professional carpet cleaning , contact their team via phone at 330-834-0008 or send online inquiries via email to . For additional information regarding their services or to request a free quote, visit their website http://www.brahlerscrr.com .

Media Contact Company Name: Brahlers Cleaning Restoration and Remodeling Contact Person: Todd Brahler Email: Send Email Phone: 330-834-0008 Address: 1929 9th Street Southwest City: Massillon State: OH Country: United States Website: https://www.brahlerscrr.com

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Brahler's Cleaning, Restoration and Remodeling has Been Providing Carpet Cleaning Services for Over 40 Years - MENAFN.COM

CARTHAGE, Mo. People have admired the Jasper County courthouse from the sidewalks around the Carthage square for more than a century.

Soon, people looking for a venue for hosting events will get a chance to use the courthouse as a backdrop to their celebrations.

Becky Andrews and her family, owners of the Lillian James & Co. Salon on the east end of the north side of the square, have opened the second floor of the former Front Page building, immediately west of the salon, as an event center called The Gaderian.

And now theyre building additional space for events on The Gaderian's roof, which will feature a dance floor, bar and an unparalleled view of the 126-year-old courthouse.

That view is the million-dollar view, Andrews said. This is a nice building, but that courthouse is everything. Without it, were not unique. Were just another rooftop venue.

Plans are for the rooftop venue to be finished late in March, and the first event has already been booked. Miller High School will hold its 2020 prom at The Gaderian on April 25.

Andrews and her son-in-law, Brandon Calliotte, run The Gaderian, named for an Old English term meaning to bring together. The Gaderian occupies the second floor of the building at 141 Third St. that also houses the Fair Acres Family Ys square fitness center and the offices of the McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation.

Andrews and her daughter, Cassandra Calliotte, have operated the Lillian James & Co. Salon at 149 Third St. for the past four years. When they had the chance to buy the building next door, they jumped on the opportunity to bring these two buildings back together.

Andrews said shes working with other Carthage business owners to provide a place where brides can get everything they need for their wedding including a one-of-a-kind venue, places to stay that are close by, flowers and catering all in one place.

Big project

The family has accomplished much of the restoration work itself, cleaning out 10 trash-bin loads of debris from the second floor of the former store, tearing out old plaster and uncovering brick walls that had been out of sight for years.

The building is structurally sound and strong, Andrews said, but the restoration had two big challenges: the heating and air conditioning system, and wheelchair accessibility for the second floor.

Tackling the first required replacing the existing system, which was expensive but straightforward, Andrews said. The second challenge, installing an elevator, required more creativity. An architect designed the elevator so that it goes through the roof and has an exit in a hut there.

It was important to have an elevator because with every family, every wedding, theres someone who cannot tackle the stairs, Andrews said. We had to ask for the variance, and we had to go and get the approval from the Missouri Elevator Safety Board in Jefferson City.

Brandon Calliotte has been working with Andrews husband, Lynn Andrews, to install a rooftop platform, which will include wrought-iron fencing around its perimeter, and other amenities.

Calliotte said the family has contracted with local businesses wherever possible for jobs that were too big for the family to handle.

That courthouse is great, and this entire community has been super awesome, he said. People are getting excited about either bringing a new industry to town or just preserving some of the older places. Weve been getting a lot of positive feedback from that, and it's been surreal. Ive never had that kind of community connection. Its been really neat.

Fireproof door

When Becky Andrews decided to connect the second floor of the two buildings at 141 Third St. and 149 Third St., Carthage city officials said she would need to install a fireproof door to preserve the firewall between the two structures. Andrews said she found three large rolling antique stamped metal doors in a restaurant in New Orleans and moved quickly to buy one of them. .

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Venue with a view: Carthage event center building rooftop space on square - Joplin Globe

Three-and-a-half years after a formal rezoning application was submitted for 619-685 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver, there is now new movement on the proposal, as it is expected to go to public hearing this spring.

This unique project, designed byMusson Cattell Mackey Partnership, squeezes in a 330-ft-tall, 28-storey office tower into a 6,242-sq-ft, ground-level parking lot site with a narrow street front of only 120 ft.

A total of 158,387 sq. ft. of floor area will be created, with office floor plates ranging from about 6,100 sq. ft. at the base to 5,400 sq. ft. in the upper levels. This creates a floor space ratio density of 25.5 times the size of the lot.

Site of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Site of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The tower is broken into three masses that align with the heritage Royal Bank Building, which is located immediately west to the new tower site at the northeast corner of the intersection of Granville Street and West Hastings Street and is part of this project.

As well, the new buildings glass curtain wall and metal fin facade provide a contemporary mirroring of the Art Deco-inspired massing of the Royal Bank Building a 243-ft-tall, 20-storey building with 140,500 sq. ft. of office space.

Artistic rendering of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

The new building is aiming for a LEED Platinum green building certification, with features such as a shared light well punctuated between the two buildings to provide natural light and air for office workers.

Heliostat mirrors installed on the rooftops of the Royal Bank Building and the new office tower will make precise movementsto adjust the mechanisms position, in order to follow the sunspath to reflect light into this well.

Artistic rendering of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Artistic rendering of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

As the site is too narrow to fit a vehicle ramp, 54 vehicle parking stalls within five underground levels will only be accessible by two car elevators from the laneway.

The proposal includes a restoration and rehabilitation of the exterior of the Royal Bank Building, which was built in 1931 during the Great Depression and is deemed an A-listed heritage structure in the citys registry. Significant seismic upgrades will also be performed by physically attaching the east facade of the heritage building to the new tower by installing a series of steel plates into the floors of the Royal Bank Building that are linked to the new structure, effectively creating a structural concept wherein the new building supports the old building.

These heritage and seismic upgrades are expected to cost the property owner $9.63 million, and in exchange no supplemental community amenity contribution will be required. But the rezoning would still mandate $3.3 million in development cost levies and $314,000 for public art.

No other upgrades are planned, as the building is deemed to be in generally good condition. However, a future opportunity for shared use between the structures will be retained, as the floor levels of the new tower will align with those of the Royal Bank Building.

Artistic rendering of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Layout of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

According to heritage consultant firm Donald Luxton and Associates (DLA), when RBC acquired this site in the 1920s, it was the most valuable property in the city.

The Royal Bank Tower is significant as an example of the westward movement of Vancouvers financial district. Originally centred around Gastown, Vancouvers commercial core, and similarly its financial institutions, began migrating west as the city expanded and companies grew through the Edwardian era, reads the statement of significance by DLA, highlighting that this building was once the anchor of Vancouvers financial district.

Businesses began to relocate west to underdeveloped sites on one of Vancouvers primary streets, Hastings Street, including financial institutions that constructed new regional head offices along the corridor. This continued through the interwar era, as exemplified by the prominent siting of the Royal Bank Building.

Artistic rendering of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Artistic rendering of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

The banks regional offices remained at this building until 1973, when the new Royal Centre development at the northwest corner of West Georgia Street and Burrard Street reached completion. Royal Bank has retained a RBC branch on the main and lower floors of the heritage building, which represents the companys enduring relationship with the site.

The building was originally designed bySumner Godfrey Davenport, who was the chief architect for Royal Bank between 1920 and 1942. His design echoes the banks headquarters in Montreal, which had just been completed at the time.

Model of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Model of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Model of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Basement layout of 619-685 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. This shows the old bank hall in the lower level of the heritage building, and one of the underground parkade levels accessible by car elevators in the new tower. (Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership)

Continued here:
Vancouver's historic RBC Building could be restored by new 28-storey office tower | Urbanized - Daily Hive

Commercial facilities often install carpet to create a comfortable, visually pleasing environment for visitors and occupants. You can choose from numerous types, including plush, bold carpet perfect for an at-home feel in an upscale hotel or modern carpet tiles that make for easy installation and maintenance in large airports. Although carpet can be a more cost-efficient solution compared to hard flooring options, it is a significant investment for most organizations and requires regular maintenance to keep it in great shape.

Carpet in high-traffic facilities can face unique challenges over time. To maintain appearance and avoid costly issues, its essential to implement a carpet care program that incorporates the best tools and methods.

With so many types of carpet care equipment, chemicals, and tools on the market today, it can be overwhelming to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each. Additionally, frequent staff turnover can complicate training, resulting in standard operating procedure lapses that can negatively impact the look and lifespan of carpet.

Consider the following donts of carpet care:

DontPerform carpet care infrequently. In some facilities, carpet cleaning is considered an afterthought. It isnt until a large spot or stain appears that employees take action. However, caring for carpet goes beyond reacting to spills and other problemsit requires daily maintenance and care.

DontFail to install a proper matting system. Matting is crucial to keeping carpet clean, especially considering that 85% of the soil that enters a facility comes from visitors shoes, according to a cleaning guide from Whittaker Co. A comprehensive matting program can help to absorb liquids, such as muddy water and snow slush, and capture the first 5 to 6 footfalls of soil before shoes meet carpet. Many facilities only utilize indoor or outdoor matting, but not both, which can significantly impact floor cleanliness. Additionally, failing to regularly clean or replace matting can make matters worse.

DontUse the wrong vacuum. Routine vacuuming removes 90% of all dry soil, according to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). Not all vacuums are suited for the same carpet type and construction, so its important to select and regularly use the right vacuum. Using the wrong vacuum could leave large amounts of dirt and other debris in carpet fibers, leading to soiling and difficult-to-remove stains. Vacuums should be certified by the CRI to effectively remove dirt, even from thick carpet pile. Its also important for facility managers to establish a vacuuming schedule that aligns with traffic volumes in specific areas, as well as weather conditions. Employees should empty vacuum bags once they are half full to keep the vacuum running at peak performance.

DontFrequently use large volumes of water. Some hot water extraction methods require hundreds of gallons of water. If that water isnt properly removed and quickly dried, it can lead to disastrous results. A study commissioned by DPM Floor and Upholstery Care found that traditional hot water extraction can cause a 150% increase in the growth of microbial content, impacting the cleanliness and health of a facility. In addition to causing mildew and dry rot, over-saturating carpet with water during cleaning can also degrade the backing system and unravel seams.

DontFail to match the type of chemistry to the stain or spot. From wine and coffee to paint and oil, spills happen. Your cleaning approach and chemistry should depend on the type of stain. For example, removing an organic stain caused by urine or vomit requires a chemistry that is specifically formulated to eliminate odor-causing contaminants, whereas oil and grease stains require a formula that is water-based and nonflammable. However, facilities often use multipurpose cleaning chemistries to address all spills and spots, often resulting in resoiling or permanent stains.

DontAssume employees know everything. The world of jansan sees high turnover rates, averaging around 200% annually, according to a whitepaper from 4M Building Solutions. For a company with 100 janitorial employees, thats 200 new hires every year. Some new hires may be new to the world of cleaning and all will require proper training. Assuming your staff knows everything and forgoing proper carpet care training can result in incorrect chemistries or improper machinery for everyday challenges.

When incorporated into a full carpet care program, low-moisture encapsulation can lead to cleaner carpet and a better overall indoor environment. Image courtesy of Whittaker Co.

Carpet care requires a calculated approach and involves not just the right equipment and tools but also proper training. Carefully adhering to best practices will help employees be more productive and ensure that carpet looks its best.

The following recommendations will set your operation up for success:

DoIncorporate low-moisture encapsulation. The low-moisture encapsulation method helps maintain consistent appearance, extends carpet lifecycles, and reduces the dry time to as little as 20 to 30 minutes. It can be repeated regularly to remove soil particles from carpet and prevent resoiling, while also extending the time between wet extractions. When incorporated into a full carpet care program, low-moisture encapsulation can lead to cleaner carpet and a better overall indoor environment.

DoRegularly conduct visual inspections for spots and stains. Keep a sharp eye out for spots and stains and make sure to address spills immediately. Train and remind staff to properly address and remove different spills to prevent permanent soiling.

DoHave a range of chemistry on hand. A comprehensive carpet care program includes a wide range of chemistry that is suited for any challenge. Look for low-moisture encapsulation chemistry that prevents the buildup of sticky chemical residues and soils. Chemistries should be environmentally friendly and safe for all carpet types, so consider chemistries with the Green Seal Certification, WoolSafe Approval, and Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval.

DoPrioritize proper care and maintenance of equipment. After cleaning carpet, its important to properly care for equipment. This can include washing and disinfecting brushes and addressing any buildup in the spray nozzle that may interfere with cleaning. Whenever equipment requires replacement or updates, make sure to follow the manufacturers instructions and conduct this maintenance quickly to prevent future downtime.

DoCheck in with employees to ensure they are following procedures. Once you have implemented a proper carpet care program, its critical to follow up with staff after some time has passed to keep best practices top of mind. Schedule regular check-ins with your workers to follow up on any challenges they may be facing and address problems as soon as possible.

Proper carpet care has numerous benefits, including increased productivity, faster dry times, and cost savings. To properly maintain carpet and extend carpet lifecycle, identify best practices that dont harm carpet in the long run. By using a four-step program that focuses on preventative, daily, interim, and restorative cleaningand avoiding the aforementioned carpet care mistakesfacilities can protect carpet color and texture, improve its overall appearance, and reduce the buildup of dirt and sticky chemical residues.

The rest is here:
The Dos and Don'ts of Carpet Care - CMM

The worlds top banks are sending hundreds of staff to disaster recovery sites in preparation for coronavirus outbreaks, Financial Times reports.

JPMorgan, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs have reportedly tested sites in London and the US recently, spreading staff between head offices and off-site locations to ensure a single coronavirus incident doesnt cripple their ability to trade.

[Read:Morgan Stanleys $13B E-Trade buyout is the biggest bank deal since the financial crash]

Citigroup has even gone so far as to install extra screens in employees homes so that they resemble a trading floor, FTs sources said.

It comes under our judgment the decision has got to be made every day, one source told reporters. These are pretty extreme contingency plans []. Its unlikely to happen, but its possible.

Working from home while an option for many bank workers could be a problem for traders who require the ability to instantly open and close positions. Senior bank execs are reportedly concerned their children could slow down their internet connections by streaming Netflix while schools are closed.

Some disaster recovery sites are said to be lacking in appropriate infrastructure to fulfil regulatory requirements, such as telephone lines that can be reported, leading some banks to push for flexibility as the situation unfolds.

Published March 4, 2020 16:22 UTC

Link:
Banks are turning homes into trading floors to prep for coronavirus outbreaks - The Next Web

My wife and I were worried. Before our baby arrived in early February, we took frequent road trips up and down the eastern seaboard. That meant lots of driving, with lots of stops. Hauling a growing infant, strapped into a car seat, in and out of vehicles is a fairly hard-core workout, especially with my wife recovering from a C-section. So we needed the right gear baby gear to keep our newly-formed trio mobile. The solution: The ultra-portable 8 pound Nuna Pipa car seat, a sleek, AAP-approved safety carrier thats the most lightweight rear-facing car seat on the market. We clip Cleo in. We hoist her out. And we do so without needing to see an orthopedist.

The list of AAP-approved car seats is long, but so were our requirements. And the Pipa punches way above its admittedly low weight. Its made without the use of fire-retardant chemicals, which the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has linked to endocrine, developmental, and neurological problems. Any reduction in potential chemical exposure was a plus in our book. And the car seat has serious side-impact protection, and installs quickly, thanks to the brands true lock system. The car seat clicks into place, and youre done.

This 8-pound car seat takes seconds to install, and is made without the use of any fire retardants.

It has a sun-blocking dream drape, to make sure your baby stays asleep and isnt bothered by mother nature or germ-wielding looky-loos, and a mesh peek-a-boo window so we could gaze upon the wonder that is our child. Theres an infant insert that is removable and washable. And if youre taking a cab, as we often do, you can use it with a seatbelt, without having to buy an extra base. The car seat can be used for babies from 4 to 35 pounds.

Before I became acquainted with the Pipa, I had always assumed a baby would weigh us down, but the Nuna accessories have proven to be nearly weightless. The Pipa car seat out of the base weighs 8 pounds, and with the 7-pound baby Cleo in it, that amounted to a manageable 15-pound load for me and, more importantly, my wife, who had undergone a C-section.

But heres the thing: Despite its very light load, the Pipa is made from aerospace aluminum and the shell is made from foam; it has a crumple zone within the stability leg that absorbs impact in the event of a crash. The Pipa has a heavy-duty shell with excellent side collision protection, its 20-pound base is constructed like a Sherman tank and has a thick stability leg.

Now, to be clear, Nuna makes an even lighter car seat, called the Lite, and it weighs 5.3 pounds. However, thats without the canopy or insert. So we opted for the very slightly heavier option, since the canopy is pretty critical for protecting the kiddo from the sun.

One last thing worth noting: Were new parents and by definition, were paranoid. Or vigilant, if you want to be polite. So Im happy to report that attaching the Pipa base was simple. The back of the base connected to the brackets in the passenger seat of our SUV the middle seat in our vehicle doesnt have those brackets, despite recommendations online to use the middle seat when placing car seats, so we chose to put the base where the brackets wereand the stability leg popped out and fit securely on the floor.

The leg has an indicator that signals green when the placement is correct, and the base has a built-in level that shows when it is even. The install took a few minutes, with me following along with a Nuna install how-to video (there are many) from YouTube. I then took the added step of driving it to the local fire department, where a firefighter verified that the installation was done correctly. And now, we pop the car seat in, and Cleo is ready to ride.

Every product on Fatherly is independently selected by our editors, writers, and experts. If you click a link on our site and buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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The Nuna Pipa is the Toughest Lightweight Car Seat and It's a Tank - Fatherly

WATERTOWN With the project sitting idle for months, work will resume this summer on restoring the exterior of the historic Masonic Temple building on Washington Street.

The owners will focus on two big projects restoring the front portico and installing an elevator in the landmark at 242 Washington St.

Work also will include repairing the soffit, the overhang near the roof thats now covered by netting to prevent pieces of the building to fall from above.

The project has been stalled while owners Augusta Withington and Robert J. Campany, who co-own Fourth Coast Inc., a renewable energy company in Clayton, figure out how to go about completing the exterior work.

Youre going to see some activity there this summer, Mr. Campany said,

For months, orange scaffolding has surrounded one of the six fluted Doric columns on the front of the Greek Neoclassical style building after workers carefully removed its outer layer last year.

The owners are working with the state Historic Preservation Office, or SHIPO, on finalizing the drawings for the project. Theyre also looking at what type of material should be used to restore the columns at the front of the building, he said.

Last week, Mr. Campany met with Carolyn Meunier, the citys code enforcement supervisor, and City Engineer Michael DeLaney about the project. Fourth Coast officials wanted to get feedback on plans to possibly install the elevator within the buildings footprint.

Mrs. Meunier said shes excited about the project. I think its a beautiful building, she said. I think its great theyre going to be working on it.

The project was one of the recipients of the citys $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. The Masonic Temple was awarded $2.2 million in DRI funding and $500,000 each in the states Restore NY and Consolidated Funding Application programs.

While the facade work will resume this summer, Mr. Campany stressed that the $10 million to turn the building into multiuse performance and event venue is a multiyear project.

Plans also call for turning the basement into some kind of food business and possibly creating loft apartments in the former gym on the third floor. The first floor has professional offices, with The Tunes 92.5 FM WBLH radio station and a handful of other tenants now occupying space on the main floor.

He would not speculate how long it will take to complete the entire project, saying it will depend on the availability of additional funding.

State DRI folks have not been pressuring Fourth Coast to get the Masonic Temple project done, Mr. Campany said.

I think everyone is anxious for it to begin, said Michael A. Lumbis, the citys planning and community development director.

The Masonic Temple is one of 10 DRI projects getting funding. The projects are in varying stages of planning to completion.

Read more:
Exterior work on Masonic Temple building to resume this summer - NNY360

A plate is dually useful, holding food or church collections, and so, too, is the cup, at once a trophy and a grail. But the vase has always simply held flowers, the vessel and its mate inseparable. Inside, greens stand upright, just as they grow in the fields, the reservoir of water at the bottom a magic trick that prolongs the illusion of life.

But what if the bouquet breaks free to snake up the edge of a door, lies on the tile floor like a thick, knotted carpet or gathers above our heads an unruly poof of twisted, thorny stems and palm fronds laced improbably with purplish-black hydrangea like a stop-motion explosion, miraculous and disorienting? What if we allow flowers to transmogrify into a sculptural medium like clay or marble or steel, unique in their ephemerality but ultimately just another organic formation?

I almost cant remember the time when I was a slave to the vase, says Ruby Barber, 31, among the floral artists who have in recent years rendered the word arrangement quaint. The daughter of contemporary art gallerists, Barber moved from her native Sydney, Australia, in 2012 to Berlin, where, in her studio, Mary Lennox, she often crafts monumental Rorschach-like installations that seem not merely to defy gravity but to openly taunt it: armfuls of dried pampas grass, amaranth and loopy hops that hang from hooks on the ceiling; a geyser of translucent lunaria seedpods glinting like silver dollars in place of a chandelier in a Paris apartment; a staircase banister wrapped with cherry and orange boughs braided with Queen Annes lace. While she works with fresh flowers in the spring and summer, Barber finds herself increasingly using dried materials; their stiffness lends itself to abstraction and frees her from using imported commercial flowers from the Netherlands or China in the autumn and winter. More and more, people want something that can be reused and have another life, she says. I have hardly been asked to do a regular table centerpiece lately, which I think is indicative of change in the air.

It makes a certain sense that the once ubiquitous symmetrical dome of roses, clonelike in its perfection, seems to have vanished. Lets face it, they were like a salon blowout, says Alex Eagle, who often features Barbers concoctions in her eponymous clothing and furniture boutique in Berlin. The demise of conventional floristry has been hastened as well by the rejection of toxic floral foam; its replacements chicken wire or recycled coconut husks have spurred creativity. At a recent dinner Eagle hosted at her London home, the florist Simone Gooch of Fjura placed rose plants in large cubes of exposed soil at the center of the table, their roots fanning out in all directions. They were so transfixing, so beautiful to look at. Afterwards, I took them and planted them in my garden, Eagle says.

Social media is behind some of this change, of course, altering how we perceive beauty, freezing it in place, giving an afterlife to a cluster of blossoms that might wilt overnight, but floral artists have also tapped into an inchoate desire in recent times to cultivate imperfection and even a touch of chaos. As the world beyond seems to spin out of control, we try to soothe ourselves for a while with the illusion of order and symmetry. But at a certain point, we simply let go.

Violeta Gladstone, 40, whose floral studio is in Barcelona, Spain, appreciates the raw geometries of the artist Richard Serra, whose recent series of sculptures, exhibited at Gagosian in New Yorks Chelsea neighborhood last fall, featured 50-ton forged steel cylinders of varying heights and diameters. You want strength and courage in your forms, says Gladstone, who listens to Chet Baker and Claude Debussy, among others, as she works, letting their riffs inspire her floral imagery. For an installation last year, she stacked philosophy books amid a jungle of magnolia leaves, grasses and snapdragons, punctuating the scene with newly sprouted grape hyacinth bulbs caked with dirt, like tiny purple pearls in the wreckage. In another of her arrangements, a mass of tissue-petaled ivory peonies is disrupted by an alabaster anthurium, its spadix jutting up from the flowers platelike surface.

Are there limits to floral abstraction, as the vase recedes further and further into the distance? Perhaps only those of nature; the New York-based floral designer Emily Thompson, 46, a pioneer of sculptural interpretation, cautions us not to stray too far from what makes a flower bloom: a source of water. Flowers, she says, remind us of what it takes to sustain life. At the Pool, one of two restaurants inside the landmarked Philip Johnson-designed space that was once the Four Seasons, her massive revolving installation was erected for nearly a year in the dining rooms 14-by-14-foot pool, transforming it into a giant vase. Like a volcano, it seemed to spit forth its arrangement: a 14-foot-high foundation of gloriously twisted mountain laurel branches covered in lichen, wrapped in foraged invasive greenbrier vines. Each week, Thompson altered its identity, dappling the mass with local flowering quince, velvet philodendrons or autumn foliage and berries, depending on the season. The flowers spilled, they climbed, they drenched one another. There is a balance between pushing the boundaries of art and retaining identity, the very essence of what makes flowers so powerful, Thompson says. Its as much a moral question as an aesthetic one.

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How Floral Arrangements Began to Take Over the Table and the Entire Room - The New York Times

When you walk through the doors at Station Gallery in Whitby, Ont., you're immediately hit with a warm, creamy scent emanating from the inner gallery. It might not be obvious when you see it, but artist Noni Kaur's brightly coloured installation is made using 200lbs of pure desiccated coconut.

Her exhibition "Microbial Feasts" has taken over Station Gallery, and includes her multimedia works, windowcoverings, and the show-stopping coconut installation that covers almost the entire floor of one room.

Kaur has created her coconut installations around the world, from Tokyo to Havana (you can also currently find another one at the Ottawa School of Art until March 28) and no two installations are ever the same. "What you see here is only going to be shown in this space and every time the work is shown in a different space it takes on a different form," she explains.

The installation references the tradition of rangoli where colourful designs in rice, sand, pigment or flowers decorate floors in homes and public spaces. Rangoli is practiced in India and Singapore, where Kaur grew up, but she has put her own mark on the practice by using coconut and her signature abstract designs.

"It takes a long long process for it to even get to this stage," says Kaur. She uses her own formulas to hand-dye the coconut for maximum saturation. After several weeks, when the coconut is completely dry, she spends hours pouring out the design on the floor of her installation space.

The design evokes the female reproductive system, and like the human body, it breaks down as time goes on. The show will be up for almost two months (until March 22, 2020), and Kaur welcomes bacteria and decay to take over the coconut hence the name "microbial feasts."

When the exhibition is over, Kaur sweeps up the coconut and moves on to the next show. The installation is ephemeral just like life.

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You'll never guess what this installation is made of...until you smell it - CBC.ca