Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

HOUSTON, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirius Solutions, L.L.L.P. (Sirius Solutions), an independent business consulting firm, today announced further expansion in its London office through the addition of Mark Saunders. Saunders joins Sirius Solutions as a Director in the firm's Energy Trading and Risk Management (ETRM) Services practice. In his new role, Saunders will work with clients in delivering ETRM technical services, including software architecture, development, interfacing and system testing.

Saunders possesses a deep level of technical acuity within utility and commodity trading and risk management environments, including energy trading support, deal capture, confirmations and utility operations. He has designed and implemented numerous interface products using energy industry-recognized standards such as Trayport, SWIFT and EFET eCMS. He possesses extensive knowledge of inventory control, research information, networking, access control, imaging and graphics systems, along with functional experience in IT strategy consulting, performance improvement, enterprise risk assessment, risk mitigation, project management, business analysis and software development.

Prior to joining Sirius Solutions, Saunders served as Associate Director at OpenLink International London, a leading developer of software solutions and support for trading, risk management, financial and operations professionals in financial, energy, agribusiness and technology markets. In this capacity he led a technical services team, developed operational procedures, and recruited, trained and managed personnel resources in support of client needs. Project services included software architectural guidance, technical reviews, IT systems performance tuning and software feature customization.

In addition, Saunders has previously held technical leadership positions at Signal Computing Ltd., Medelec Ltd. and Akebia Ltd. He graduated from the University of Sussex with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Electronic Engineering.

About Sirius Solutions Sirius Solutions, L.L.L.P. is an independent business consulting firm specializing in the areas of Financial Advisory, Business Operations, Compliance & Controls, Legal & Economic Advisory and Technology. Our mission is to integrate commercial business experience and deep subject matter expertise for senior management, providing sustainable solutions to complex business challenges. With a base of professionals averaging more than 15 years experience, we serve clients in over forty countries across a wide range of industries, including construction, energy, financial services, health care, manufacturing and transportation. Sirius Solutions is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in London, New York, Dallas and Denver. Sirius Solutions is not a CPA firm. http://www.sirsol.com.

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Sirius Solutions Welcomes New Director in Energy Trading and Risk Management

News and Notes on Trends, New Projects and Construction In the Commercial Real Estate Development Pipeline Around the U.S.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained in positive territory for the fourth consecutive month in February, despite continued difficulty for developers in accessing construction financing.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the February ABI score was 51, following a mark of 50.9 in January, reflecting a slight increase in demand for design services. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.

The new projects inquiry index was 63.4, up from mark of 61.2 the previous month and its highest reading since July 2007.

As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

"This is more good news for the design and construction industry that continues to see improving business conditions," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "The factors that are preventing a more accelerated recovery are persistent caution from clients to move ahead with new projects, and a continued difficulty in accessing financing for projects that developers have decided to pursue."

Among U.S. regions, the Midwest led with a 56 average, followed by the South, 51.3; Northeast, 51; and West 45.6.

The commercial/industrial posted an average 55.1, followed by multifamily residential at 53.3; institutional, 50.3; and mixed practice, 46.3. The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average.

The new building about a quarter mile from Route 128/I-9 is designed to meet the technical requirements of companies seeking redundant power feeds and fiber connectivity, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, which is serving as the leasing agent.

Each floor will have about 20,000 square feet of raised flooring and 2 megawatts of IT load. The space will also include HVAC systems and security optimized support advanced datacenter operations.

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In The Pipeline: CoStar Development & Construction News for March 25 - 31

Published on Mar 27, 2012

A file picture taken on March 20, 2012 shows a statue of Britain's Queen Victoria outside Kensington Palace in central London during a photocall to showcase a 12 million GBP (14.4m euros/19m USD) restoration of the historic palace. Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana and the future abode of her son Prince William and his wife Catherine, reopened to the public on Monday after two years of renovation. -- PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana and the future abode of her son Prince William and his wife Catherine, reopened to the public on Monday after two years of renovation.

Officials said new exhibitions, including a display of the late Princess Diana's dresses, had seen ticket sales far exceed those expected on opening day at the 407-year-old red-brick palace.

'We're expecting a thousand visitors a day, but today we had that many just in the first two hours,' a spokesman for Historic Royal Palaces, the charity which manages the building, told AFP.

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Princess Diana's home Kensington Palace reopens to public

MIAMI SPRINGS, Fla., March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --City of Miami Springs and Curtiss Mansion, Inc. announce a "Sneak Preview" of the restored historic South Florida home of famed aviator, inventor and visionary Glenn Hammond Curtiss originally built in 1925. Curtiss, the "Father of Naval Aviation," moved to South Florida from Hammondsport, New York during the land boom of the 1920s. From 1920-1930, Curtiss developed the cities of Miami Springs, Hialeah and Opa-locka, Florida before his death in the 1930 at age 52. Before his untimely passing, Curtiss made a significant impact in the South Florida landscape. His vision of creating three different geographic areas among the cities allowed him to partner with James Bright creating landmarks such as Hialeah Race Track. On Sunday, April 1st, 2012 the community will have the opportunity to gain a "Sneak Preview" of Curtiss' home, now a center for education, preservation and inspiration.

The legendary Curtiss Mansion, damaged by multiple fires, has taken thirteen years of perseverance and a true community effort to rebuild to its original grandeur. Curtiss Mansion, Inc. (CMI), a Florida not-for-profit organization, was established to take the leadership role in restoring the home. "I fell in love with the story of Glenn H. Curtiss, and felt it was my duty to be involved in its restoration and share the stories of all unsung heroes," says JoEllen Morgan, President of CMI. "We are also excited by our partnership with Captain Barrington Irving's STEM academy to be located at the Mansion in Miami Springs."

"The City of Miami Springs is proud to partner with CMI; they have done an outstanding job in the restoration of the Mansion," says Mayor Zavier Garcia. "Our community can only benefit from restoring this national treasure by our Founder and we want to share it with the world," says City Manager Ron Gorland.

The "Sneak Preview" of the Glenn Curtiss Mansion located at 500 Deer Run in Miami Springs is scheduled Sunday, April 1st, 2012 from 1 p.m.-5:00 p.m. The focus of the event is to share the mission of the restored Curtiss Mansion as a center for education and a venue of historic significance and beauty. Be one of the first in the country to tour the home of Glenn H. Curtiss and enjoy afternoon music, food and the outdoors with your family, friends and neighbors.

For more information and detailed directions to the venue and parking, visit http://www.curtissmansion.org.

CONTACT:

Lily Saborit Contact Number: (305) 710-1219 Email: tpgmami@aol.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

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Historic Florida Estate of Inventor, Developer and 'Father of Naval Aviation' Glenn H. Curtiss Restored After Thirteen ...

25-03-2012 18:40 A Major Renovation - Custom Kitchen Remodel completed in 4 weeks in San Diego

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The Remodel Process - Video

Phoenix Suns update:

Off-day Orange Slices ...

* It has been almost five years since the 2007 playoff suspensions of Boris Diaw and Amar'e Stoudemire. Is all forgotten?

That ruling hangs in Suns fans' memories like a haunting shadow but the flashbacks will come before their eyes Tuesday night. Diaw returns as a San Antonio Spur, of all things, and NBA Commissioner David Stern will attend the game.

Stern has been back in the arena fora private All-Star Game announcement in 2008 and the All-Star Weekend itself in 2009 but the former was a controlled business environment on a non-game day and the latter was more of a national, corporate crowd than a Phoenix crowd. This will be Stern's first time to walk among and be seen by Suns fans at their purple palace, although Stern will watch the game from a midcourt suite and likely not be introduced to the crowd.

Stern is in town on other league business unrelated directly to the Suns.

* You can tell the Suns are back in the playoff hunt when the networks are adding their games.

Earlier this season, two Suns games' national telecasts were dropped as they struggled. Today, ESPN has added the Suns' April 13 game at Houston and TNT added the April 24 game at Utah, changing the Utah game time to 7:30 Phoenix time.

* Today's news that Amar'e Stoudemire is out indefinitely after a MRI revealed a bulging disk goes back to the point made in this story that Managing Partner Robert Sarver perhaps was just in making a maximum-salary contract offer with stipulations that protected him against Stoudemire's health issues.

* The best part of the ongoing free throw swish competition has been the celebrations that now include a championship belt to the winner of the post-practice or post-shootaround contest. Ronnie Price has added a new element. After winning the last swish showdown on the road (first to five swishes wins), Price enlisted rookie Markieff Morris to be his hypeman. Pricegreeted the team once this weekendwearing a robeasMorris carried the belt walking behind him.

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Stern visit, TV additions, more slices

GOTHENBURG, Sweden and MILAN, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

On Tuesday Swegon presented the innovative ventilation system TELLUS at the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort in Milano, Italy.

TELLUS can help a property owner save up to 30 percent of the energy needed to ventilate, heat and cool a building, compared with a conventional ventilation system. Everything is also integrated in one single unit, making it easy to install and operate.

"The earlier in the planning process of a building we can come in and help our customers with the total solution, the greater the opportunity to save energy and get a total economic positive solution. The cost of TELLUS is lower than purchasing and installing separate components," explains Markus Kalo, Product Manager at Swegon, and continues:

"It's the same components, except that they are packaged in a compact and quality assured manner. We have run a number of systems for nearly two years now and are confident in our design. When we introduced the compact ventilation unit with built-in control, GOLD 1994, many felt that they were two completely different contracts that could not be combined into one product. Now, compact unit with built-in control is the obvious choice and has become industry practice. What we do now with TELLUS is to also integrate heating, cooling and hot tap water in a compact, energy-optimized manner."

There are many ways to temper and ventilate a building. Sometimes the cooling is only distributed by air, sometimes in combination with water-based modules that can both cool and heat the room it is placed in. TELLUS can solve both problems, although it prefers to use air and water.

In the future TELLUS will probably be exported to the US, the Middle East, India and China. Investment company Latour's wholly owned subsidiary Swegon opens towards the end of the year a plant in India and offices in Shanghai, China.

Mats Holmqvist, CEO of Swegon, says:

"TELLUS is a fantastic example of Swegon's holistic and systems thinking. We lead the industry with innovations and new benchmarks, and thus creating the world's best indoor environment for man and environment."

Please find pictures and graphs here: http://db.tt/QNfzJFYQ

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TELLUS Reduces Energy Consumption up to 30 Percent

(ARA) - This year's winter weather has been unpredictable, but homeowners can take a few simple steps now to ensure chilly temperatures and monthly heating bills don't take a bite out of their wallet.

Seeing your home through the lens of an infrared camera is one simple way to evaluate heat loss - an infrared lens is able to capture thermal energy emitted from weaknesses in the home's "thermal envelope," the barrier created between the exterior of a home and outdoor temperatures.

"What you're seeing in an infrared photo of a home is not unlike what you might see from the human body - the most substantial loss of heat is from the top," says John Smith, leader of Environmental Construction for Johns Manville, a building products manufacturer. "Similar to a winter hat, the proper level of attic insulation combined with air sealing helps trap heat inside, increasing comfort and efficiency and decreasing money wasted on energy bills."

Homeowners can contact a local energy auditor to have a thermal image taken of their home. If you don't have access to an infrared camera, evaluating home efficiency can be as easy as taking a trip to the attic with a measuring tape and measuring the depth of attic insulation - the average home needs up to 19 inches of fiber glass attic insulation for maximum energy efficiency.

Investments made in home energy efficiency pay dividends for the lifetime of a home and improve the home's resale value. For every dollar saved in annual utility costs, homeowners can expect to add $20 to their home's market value, according to the Appraisal Institute. Homeowners can reduce their homes' heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 percent through proper air sealing and insulation techniques, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) or Do-it-for-me (DIFM)?

After evaluating their existing level of attic insulation, homeowners can identify the best approach to completing the project based on available resources, such as time, their personal skill level and budget. DIY-savvy homeowners can install insulation themselves, whereas other homeowners may be more comfortable with a DIFM approach.

"Handy homeowners can add insulation in their attics by placing batts or rolls on top of existing insulation or they can rent an insulation blowing machine to install loose-fill insulation," says Fred Stephan, vice president and general manager of Insulation Systems for Johns Manville. "For those who prefer to hire someone to perform the work, major retailers such as Lowe's offer Installation Services programs, which connect homeowners with qualified contractors in their area. With one stop, a homeowner can select products and a reputable third party to handle the project."

When adding insulation, homeowners should also consider air sealing their attic to help eliminate any holes or gaps that may exist in the floor or walls. By using caulk, spray foam or weather stripping to close such gaps, homeowners can further decrease wasted energy.

"As homeowners tighten up their homes to improve energy efficiency, they should consider using products that are free of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds," says Stephan. "Products such as Johns Manville Formaldehyde-free fiber glass insulation help improve indoor air quality and achieve a healthier, safer home by reducing your overall formaldehyde exposure."

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How to avoid scary heating bills this winter

New athletic fields and the future construction of Pioneer Parkway connecting to a new Peoria Notre Dame High School in Northwest Peoria will not affect the American Mausoleum, officials said Monday.

The mausoleum, which faced difficulties during a bankruptcy in 2008 but is currently maintained by the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office, will not be removed from its location along Allen Road to make room for nearby construction.

"We might need some of the land adjacent to it," Public Works Director David Barber said, "but I don't believe we'll touch the mausoleum."

The building itself, which suffered from disrepair before its former owners declared bankruptcy, has a new roof to keep it secured. It's only heated as necessary, but there are about 2,300 caskets interred inside the building, and 700 urns.

New furniture also is on its way, as part of a recent court settlement with Illinois Furniture for operating fraudulent "going out of business" sales. About $3,000 in furniture will be placed inside the facility.

"We've accepted a duty and will not abandon our responsibility to the community to maintain those interred there," State's Attorney Jerry Brady said. "We would assure them that the dignity of their loved ones interred at American Mausoleum is maintained and preserved regardless of whether the road does or does no go through."

The future of development around the mausoleum goes before the Peoria City Council at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, with elected officials voting on a special use permit to allow Peoria Notre Dame to build its football, soccer, track and field and baseball facilities on residentially zoned land at 7600 N. Villa Lake Drive.

Charlie Roy, principal at Notre Dame, said he believes the school's construction, and Pioneer Parkway's extension, will be "respectful" toward the mausoleum. Fifth District City Councilman Dan Irving, who represents the area, also says he doesn't believe there will be any problems.

The biggest concern with Notre Dame's development comes from Villa Lake Condo Association members, who didn't want heavy construction equipment traveling along Villa Lake Drive. Irving and Roy both said that issue has been resolved because there will be two other entrances into the property - one off Allen Road and the other off Willow Knolls Road.

Randy Yaiser, board president of the condominium association, said residents have existing concerns about safety for people who attend a football game, especially with limited entrances into the facility.

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Construction would spare mausoleum

Browse > Home / General, News / Research building construction to begin in June

ANGELO FICHERA TTN The area near 12th Street and Polett Walk will house the new science and research building in coming years.

A new building will change the landscape of the east side of Main Campus.

The Board of Trustees voted to begin construction on a $137 million project for the new science and research building as part of the universitys 20/20 plan. Construction will begin in June.

The $137 million budget was a $37 million increase from the original cost, which left at least two of the floors an uncompleted shell space. The newly allocated funds will allow all seven floors to be completed with classrooms, faculty offices and research space.

The [facilities] committee basically felt lets invest more university money in it so we can finish the building. Their view was: Lets get this thing done right now, James Creedon, senior vice president of construction, facilities and operations, said.

Construction for the building is slated to start this June, with groundwork beginning on the project site along 12th Street in front of Gladfelter Hall. Work is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2014.

Construction will eventually narrow 12th Street down to one lane, and lunch trucks parked on the alternate side of the street will have to be moved.

The new building was designed by USA Architects in collaboration with the universitys Office of Planning and Design and representatives from CST.

CST Dean Hai-Lung Dai surveyed his faculty to help create ideas for the project.

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Research building construction to begin in June