Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Slide Show

Photo by ZGF Architects

King Street Station

----- Advertising -----

With a dual mission to restore King Street Station to its 1906 grandeur while adding modern structural and sustainable upgrades, the project team behind this $55-million renovation and modernization project delivered a transportation hub to Seattle that respects the city's history and reflects its modern sensibilities.

A landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, the team restored the original character of the multimodal train station, including the rehabilitation of the iconic 12-story clock tower as well as the repair and restoration of the main waiting room. Work within the waiting room included restoration of the original 45-ft-high ornamental plaster ceilings and halls, the terrazzo floors inlaid with mosaic tile and the historic operable windows.

In addition to the historic elements, the Seattle-based team, led by architectural firm ZGF Architects and general contractor Sellen Construction, installed seismic upgrades and met LEED-Platinum standards. "We took this historic structure and made it an outstanding sustainable building," says Tim Williams, associate partner and King Street Station project architect at ZGF. "A city that touts itself as being green now has a portal into the city that's a leader in sustainability."

As part of its green strategy, the team installed a geothermal well field and heat pumps, making it one of the first projects in downtown Seattle to do so. The geothermal system also allowed for a reduction in the size of the building's heating and cooling system. The wells allow the building to perform 40% above ASHRAE baseline.

While installing new utilities and the geothermal wells during the first phase of the project, the team came across granite boulders from an adjacent building's old foundation. The foundation granite was a perfect match for the exterior granite originally used in the walls, much of which was removed during previous modernizations. Utilizing the same means and methods used to create the original granite blocks 100 years ago, the reclaimed granite boulders were cut and fabricated into new wall panels for the exterior finishes.

In addition to restoring the building's windows, the team took the opportunity to incorporate them into its sustainability strategy. All of the sashes and trims from the original 1906 windows were removed, refinished and reinstalled using the remaining original glass. The team restored 74 window openings and 199 sashes and replicated 15 window openings and 33 sashes.

Original post:
Overall Best Project

Canton Michigan Kitchen Remodeling
Parko Home Renovations of Canton Michigan Kitchen Remodeling.

By: R Parko

Link:
Canton Michigan Kitchen Remodeling - Video

Bathroom Renovation NYC - Universal Renovation
http://universalrenovation.com Bathroom REMODELING IN NEW YORK CITY requires cautious investigation and hard difficult work. All inclusive Renovation makes y...

By: Michael Kantor

Here is the original post:
Bathroom Renovation NYC - Universal Renovation - Video

Posted: 4:00 pm Fri, January 3, 2014 By BrianJohnson Finance and Commerce Tags: BWBR Architects, Cass Gilbert, HGA, HGA Architects and Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, Minnesota Department of Administration, Minnesota State Capitol, Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission, Mortenson Construction, Senate office building, State Office Building 4:00 pm Fri, January 3, 2014

Renovation work on the State Capitol is shifting from interior wall demolition and abatement to roof, mechanical and electrical upgrades. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)

Construction in and around the State Capitol complex looks to heat up in 2014.

For starters, the $272.7 million makeover of the 108-year-old Minnesota State Capitol is transitioning into a new phase, as work moves from interior wall demolition and abatement to roof, mechanical and electrical upgrades.

And planning is moving forward for a proposed $90 million Senate office building project just north of the Capitol, despite a lawsuit seeking to stop the work on the grounds that the project didnt go through the proper legislative channels.

As for the Capitol, the Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission is scheduled to meet Jan. 21 to approve work packages 2 and 2A, which include roof repair and replacement, mechanical and electrical equipment installation, and removal of concrete floors slabs.

Roof repairs are expected to start in May, said Wayne Waslaski, director of the Minnesota Department of Administrations Real Estate and Construction Services division.

We are doing some lead abatement work at the moment, Waslaski said. For the most part, demolition has been completed.

The multiphase project, scheduled to be completed in late 2016 or early 2017, addresses a host of deficiencies in the Cass Gilbert-designed building, including outdated and inefficient systems, crumbling stone, and lack of accessibility.

Planning is moving forward for a proposed $90 million Senate office building project just north of the Capitol. (Submitted rendering)

See the article here:
State Capitol, Senate office projects move forward

The AT&T San Diego Data Center at 7337 Trade St. in Mira Mesa sold for $134.5 million in December, according to CBRE brokerage. The buyer was Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT of Tampa and the seller, AT&T, which leased back the 499,402-squre-foot facility. It was the fourth largest office transaction of 2013, according to Cassidy Turley brokerage.

Five years after San Diego Countys office market troughed, rents, occupancy and construction are recovering at a slow, not always steady, pace.

The most-watched indicator is vacancy rates they were down to 14.7 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with 15.2 percent a year earlier and 18 percent at the end of the recession in 2009.

That slow climb from a deep hole is not a bad thing, considering the office markets history of boom-and-bust cycles.

The scrutiny on these developments is much more in play than its ever been in the past, said Duncan Todd, senior vice president of Cassidy Turleys office division in San Diego.

Other benchmarks revealed conflicting trends:

The region ranked 10th nationally in posting a 4.3 percent rental increase and is now halfway back from the bottom reached in late 2011.

Only 887,000 square feet was leased countywide, down 29 percent from 2012 a horrible bottom line, said Cassidy Turley broker Brett Ward.

Nearly 1.7 million square feet of office space is under construction, 81 percent more than at this time last year.

The five biggest office sale transactions sold for a combined $772.9 million, including the latest, the AT&T San Diego Data Center in Mira Mesa, which closed escrow last month for $134.5 million.

Follow this link:
SD's offices recovering, unsteadily, in 2014

by T.W. Budig ECM Capitol Reporter

One proposed bonding project under fire is the Senate office building.

A provision for the project was contained in last years tax bill, exactly where it should not have been, argued former St. Cloud lawmaker Jim Knoblach, who has filed suit, claiming the language is unconstitutional.

Senate DFL leaders are sensitive about the project, recently sending out a fact sheet about the office building.

In it, its stressed that only part of the proposed $90 million price tag, $63 million, would be spent on the building. About $27 million would be spent on tunnel-level parking for people with disabilities and on a separate parking ramp to serve the Capitol complex and public.

A mock-up of the proposed building, for some reason, brings to mind a ships superstructure perhaps the determined lines of a tugboat.

The buildings glassy facade gently arcs, and though old sea dogs may convulse when spotting white shimmers in the glass, it wouldnt be ice but reflections of the state Capitol across University Avenue.

One criticism is the proposed building does not aesthetically fit into the Capitol campus. Thats in the eye of the beholder. Anyway, unless Capitol architect Cass Gilbert championed a form of aesthetic vivisection, I-94 doesnt exactly fit either, and that didnt stop anyone.

The proposed building, of course, is political catnip.

In a fundraising appeal, Annette Meeks, of the conservative Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, depicted the proposal as the handiwork of liberal legislators, now controlling all of state government, who snuck a pet project into a bill at the eleventh hour.

See the article here:
Column: New Senate office building keeps ‘oracles’ fuming

Do it yourself home roof repair guide was designed to equip homeowners with information and a few products to fix their own roof leaks. The most common roof repairs will be discussed along with pictures demonstrating simple methods of repair. For those who are just curious about what is involved before undertaking an unfamiliar project, this do it yourself DIY roof repair manual should be helpful as you proceed. Some normal roof maintenance issues will apply and be included as well.

YOU MAY VIEW PICTURES FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU ABOVE.

Inspecting the roof for signs of damage is something homeowners should do every year, but in my experience not enough people do it, says Connecticut builder John Provenzano. They think just because their roof is only a few years old, they dont have to worry about it, but theyre wrong.

If a leak is found, isolating the cause of your leak may not be all that difficult. The most conclusive means would be to look in the attic during a rain if that is possible. When that option is not available, a look outside at the roof over the troubled area may reveal the culprit. Do It Yourself DIY Roof Repair features the common problem roofing areas such as, fan caps, ventilation pipes, rotting facia near gutters and shingle layers, etc.

Roof leaks are usually located around penetrations such as:

If you find damage to your asphalt shingles, fixing the leak does not have to be costly, nor do you need to be an expert or professional. Most projects require simple tools and materials to patch the problem.

Our Do It Yourself DIY Roof Repair Guide site provides doityourselfers with the basics to easily conduct your own small quality repairs by helping you prevent common mistakes with simple instructions. From remodeling to cracked shingles to caulking adhesive, we guide you through the entire process quickly.

Take a look at any of these subjects along with corresponding pictures from the above dropdown menu to determine your best course of action.

Visit link:
Roof Repair Guide | Do It Yourself Home Roof RepairDo It ...

Slide Show

Photo by Chelsea Macco

Fort Detrick Chiller Replacement and New Chiller Plant

----- Advertising -----

The Fort Detrick chiller replacement and new chiller plant design-build project included the demolition and subsequent replacement of an existing chiller plant for the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. To complete the mission-critical project, the team faced strict security requirements and worked within a tight location. Two ongoing and concurrent construction projects were located adjacent to the chiller project.

The chiller job included extensive work in the facility's interstitial spaces and its penthouse, which were located directly above fully operational, high-containment laboratories.

Turner, the general contractor, recorded daily safety inspections and tracked corrective actions for all non-compliant items using software that measures trends in subcontractor performance. That strategy allowed the project team to identify negative trends and proactively deal with them before they became actual issues in the field.

Because of the building's small footprint, safety was a major consideration when scheduling work to ensure there was no stacking of trades. Just-in-time materials deliveries and prefabrication were used to limit congestion and reduce clutter. That process created more free space for safe access to work areas.

The team's safety solutions helped it achieve zero recordable incidents and no lost-time accidents on-site, ensuring that all workers went home safely each day.

Originally posted here:
Safety: Award of Merit

PHILADELPHIA For the second year in a row, Philadelphia recorded a modern-day record-low number of fire deaths in 2013.

Fires caused 24 fatalities last year, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers reported Thursday.

The city recorded 25 deaths in 2012, seven fewer than the year before and less than half the 52 that occurred in 2005 and 2006.

The new figures are a stark contrast to the fatalities suffered in Philadelphia in the 1970s and 1980s, Ayers said.

Fatalities last topped 100 in 1989, Ayers said. The city's records date to the early 1950s.

Ayers attributed the turnaround to improvements in the way buildings are made - including the required use of smoke alarms - enforcement of fire codes, and fire-prevention education.

The Fire Department suffered one on-duty casualty in 2013: Capt. Michael Goodwin, 53, died in April battling a blaze in Queen Village. His death is recorded separately from those of the 24 civilians.

Of the 24 deaths, six resulted from fires caused by electrical wiring.

View post:
Phila. has record-low year in fire deaths

Window Genie Vero Beach | Window Cleaning | Window Tinting | Pressure Washing
Residential commercial window cleaning, window tinting pressure washing services in Vero Beach. We #39;re a locally owned, operated fully insured nationall...

By: Window Genie of Vero Beach

Link:
Window Genie Vero Beach | Window Cleaning | Window Tinting | Pressure Washing - Video