Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

AZUSA, Calif., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Oltmans Construction Co., a leading U.S. industrial and commercial general contractor, today announced that it has begun construction on a warehouse building in Azusa, Calif. to house one of Southern California's premier discount outlets, The Outlet by E.L.S.

"Oltmans is pleased to have been selected by The Outlet by E.L.S. to complete its new 47,000- square-foot building at 880 South Azusa Avenue. The new location will feature concrete tilt up construction with a hybrid steel and wood roof," said James Wu, Project Manager, Oltmans Construction Co. "One of the unique features of the new site is an on-site rainwater retention basin under the parking lot. This allows rainwater to naturally seep into the ground instead of immediately going into the storm drains."

The Outlet by E.L.S., a hybrid warehouse store, gets its stock from big box warehouses and major retailers. It is currently located approximately five miles away in Monrovia, Ca. However, the building and land were sold via eminent domain to Metro Gold Line for a rail maintenance yard for the Foothill Extension. The Outlet by E.L.S. will operate in Monrovia until the new building is completed in July 2012.

"While we are sad to leave the location where we built our business, we are excited at this opportunity to grow even more in the years to come," said Mark Charvat, co-owner, The Outlet by E.L.S. "With this new building, we will be doubling our retail space to 40,000 square feet and also expect to double our revenues and add 25-50 employees during the next five years." Along with Charvat, other owners of The Outlet by E.L.S. are his wife, Julie, and sons, Brian and Jason.

"Members of the community have stopped by the site to voice their support for the arrival of The Outlet by E.L.S. not only because it replaces abandoned buildings, but also because it is viewed as a positive influence on the local economy," Wu noted.

During the construction, Oltmans expects to recycle 70-75 percent of materials involved in the construction including cement forms, cardboard, metals, and drywall. Other green features include obtaining concrete from local sources to reduce the amount of concrete truck traffic, construction of secure bicycle storage area to encourage bicycle use and weather based irrigation controllers to control the landscape irrigation.

About Oltmans Construction CompanyOltmans is a leading U.S. general contractor providing quality services and sustainable solutions for its customers. Marking its 80th year in business, the company is based in Whittier, California. Oltmans specializes in constructing warehouse distribution centers, office buildings, worship centers, interior tenant improvements, retrofitting existing buildings and renewable energy projects. For additional information about Oltmans Construction Co., please visit our website at http://www.oltmans.com.

Follow Oltmans on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Oltmans_

About The Outlet By E.L.S.The Outlet by ELS is a premier discount outlet providing a unique mix of merchandise and excellent service that brings excitement and value to our customers. We are a unique shopping experience offering merchandise from major retailers at discount prices. From clothes to electronics and home furnishings, The Outlet serves a wide variety of customers and their needs. Visit our website at http://www.theoutletbyels.com

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Oltmans Construction Co. Begins Construction on the New Site of The Outlet by E.L.S. in Azusa, CA

The main office building of the business park Sofia Airport Center will be opened first week of September, the Bulgarian office of Tishman International announced Monday.

The Class A offices will have overall space of 17 500 sq.meters built up area and is using the latest technologies and high international standards in construction, safety, comfort and environment.

In a further announcement by the company on Monday, Tishman Bulgarian Real Property, GmbH, a member ofTishman International Companies, a leading international commercial real estate development and management company, has acquired GE Real Estate's share in the mixed-use Sofia Airport Center (SAC) located in Sofia, Bulgaria, which was a joint development of the two companies.

Under a new strategy, GE Real Estate is going back to its roots as a major real estate lender in the US with a view to expanding those activities to Europe.

"GE Real Estate is repositioning its owned commercial real estate portfolio to allow the company to focus on its root strengths," said Frank Roseen, GE Managing Director, Central and Eastern Europe. "We are divesting certain assets to enlarge our focus on markets such as the UK and Asia, and we will increase the assets that we manage for third parties," he added.

Tishman has pioneered technological innovation at SAC, and attracted a roster of prestigious international tenants, including Honeywell EOOD, the Bulgarian arm of the leading multinational corporation Honeywell; Colgate-Palmolive Adria D.O.O., a global leader in cleaning products; and the global logistics firm Logwin (Logwin Solutions Bulgaria EOOD) to the Sofia Airport Center's modern office, logistics and warehouse space in its Logistics Center, conveniently located adjacent to Sofia International Airport.

"We have had a long and successful relationship with GE in the U.S. and are proud that they were a partner with us in SAC, our international business park," said Chairman of Tishman International Alan D. Levy.

Tishman International is known for innovation, and the company's work in Bulgaria has been a model for the country's ongoing modernization and economic expansion. "We take pride in the accomplishments we have achieved to date in Europe and in the United States. Following our consistent strategy of investing in Eastern Europe, Tishman will continue to advance along the same successful model, adding value as we continue to develop SAC," he added.

The company's achievements in Sofia include the design and construction of the Sofia Airport Center to modern western standards of sustainability, earning recognition as the first LEED-certified commercial office building in Bulgaria.

The logistics center, comprised of three office and logistics warehouse buildings of approximately 28 000 sq. m., is nearly 100% leased and was recently honored as the Best Industrial Buildings and Logistic Centers in the Building of the Year National Contest, says Julian R. Edwards, Tishman's Managing Director of Europe.

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Sofia Airport Center Office Building to Open in Sept 2012

When my family moved into our first home in 1995, we thought we had adequate space. My husband Carlo and I had two young kids, but with 1,300 sq ft of living area, the home was almost twice the size of the two-bedroom apartment we had just vacated. Still, after a couple of years, the stuff we accumulated had us craving more room. The bedrooms were tiny, and two of them didnt even have closets. That led to our first renovations: a finished basement playroom, complete with two full walls of storage cupboards, as well as a small bathroom.

We were contentfor a while. But soon we found ourselves longing for an extra room on the main floor for a large-screen TV and comfy couchesas well as a small home office. And what I really craved was a walkout to the garden for year-round barbecuing.

As we discovered, upgrading your home is like putting together the pieces of a challenging jigsaw puzzle. One small renovation usually leads to another, then another, until finally you feel the picture matches the vision you had in mind. Well, five years and $60,000 later, our renovation puzzle is complete.

Despite the hefty price tag, renovating for more space is usually well worth it. By mining every inch of our home for more space we not only got to stay in familiar settings in a neighbourhood we love, but we also saved ourselves $20,000 or more in moving costs that wed have faced if wed bought a new home. What follows is a guide to how you too can turn underused space into functional areas that will make day-to-day living at home a joy. Whether you have $100 or $100,000 to spend, were sure youll find something that suits your budget. You may even discover the last piece of the puzzle that makes your home complete.

Pricepoint: $2,000 or less

No amount of money is too small when it comes to decluttering your living space. Start by sorting through your closets and main living areas. Create three pilesone for stuff you plan to keep, a second pile for stuff you plan to give away to a thrift store, and a third for junk that can be tossed out or recycled. (A good rule of thumb is if you havent used it in two years, or if your kids have outgrown it, give it away.) Then consider these tips to make your space more livable: Put it on a shelf. Whatever you do, dont leave stuff on the floor, says Michael Lawrance, co-owner of M-Squared Contracting Inc. in Toronto. Organize it in boxes on neatly stacked shelves. Pick a spot in your garage or basement and spend a few hundred dollars adding some basic shelving units. Stand-alone shelves made of reinforced plastic (typically 4 ft wide, 6 ft high, and 20 inches deep) sell at local hardware stores for about $90. These can easily be used to organize and store all your seasonal stuff, says Lawrance. If youre handy, they should be fairly simple and cheap to install.

Pick up a paintbrush. Painting is great for giving the illusion of space, says Francesco DiSarra, co-owner of Capoferro Design Build Group in Toronto. Its cheap and will give you plenty of bang for your buck for a very small investment of time. Dark rooms always appear smaller than lighter ones, so opt for shades of white or beige for an airy feel to your room. A coat of white paint on your ceiling can also work wonders, and by painting the crown moulding too, you will create the impression that the ceiling is wider than it is, minimizing the tunnel-vision effect. Consider using top-rated Benjamin Moore Aura paint ($55 per gallon). Its a one-coat paint that dries in an hour or less, scrubbable and mildew-resistant, and contractors swear by its beautiful finish.

Tear down a wall. If your house has two cramped rooms side by side, consider removing the wall between them to open up the area. The wall between the kitchen and the dining room is a popular one for removal, since this reno creates a wide-open area thats great for both family meals and entertaining.

Before you pick up the sledgehammer, the first step is determining whether its a load-bearing wallif so, it cant be removed without expensive reinforcements. If the wall also hides electrical, plumbing or duct work, or if youll have to repair the flooring, this could turn into a major project. But if its just a partition wall of drywall and studs, a contractor can take it down in one day for about $1,000.

Pricepoint: $5,000 to $20,000

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The space race

If you repair your own appliances you know that success or failure can often hinge on whether or not you can find small plastic or metal parts that may no longer be produced. Finnish hacklab site P0RV00 H4CKLAB was able to successfuly replicate a small broken plastic part otherwise unobtainable for their Matsui MF654EWN dishwasher using a 3D Printer.

Popular 3D Printing design site ThingVerse has over 2,765 3D printing plans for replacement parts currently available. When you consider that 3D printers have only been popularly available for the past few years, it seems to me that in the near future we may be able to find many replacement parts quickly and efficiently using this method.

Until we get to that point if you have a similarly broken small part for which you can't find a replacement, you may want to find a local student or amateur hackspace or makeshop; the users there would probably welcome the challenge and design and print your part for a small fee.

Dishwasher Hack | P0RV00 H4CKLAB via Hack A Day

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Replicate Broken Appliance Parts with a 3D Printer [3D Printing]

Hundreds of Ottawa residents skipped the beer-fuelled St. Patricks Day celebrations at bars Saturday evening and instead descended on area churches for a chance to learn more about Irish culture.

Watering holes all over downtown Ottawa were packed with partiers looking to celebrate the annual holiday that honours Irelands patron saint. Patios were opened and people flocked to grab seats outside in the early spring sunshine thanks to temperatures that stretched into double digits.

The thermometer hit a high of 14 C for the day at around 4 p.m., Environment Canada said, which is just shy of the record 16.3 C set in 2010. It was still far higher than the average for the day, though, which is 3 C.

Other revellers, however, took to the basements at area churches for a chance to learn some Irish dance moves, listen to live bands playing traditional music and sample some of the food popular on the Emerald Isle as part of their St. Patricks celebrations.

Im not fussy about the green beer and the whole craziness about it, but I think its pretty cool though that even if youre not Irish and you have no Irish heritage, people think that this is a great time to celebrate, said Sheila Scott, a first generation Canadian whose parents came to Canada from Ireland in 1957.

She estimated they were going to have about 120 people for the ceilidh a Gaelic word that means gathering at the Blessed Sacrament Church in the Glebe.

Were competing with every pub in town and we still manage to get a pretty good crowd, she said.

Over at St. Patricks Basilica on Kent Street, dozens of people sat down in front of tables covered in green cloth in preparation for a meal of Irish stew and potatoes. A man wearing a green kilt greeted people at the door while cutouts of green shamrocks hung on the basement ceiling.

It is people coming together and having a good time, said Brendan Hennigan, one of the events organizers. Thats what its about.

Others, including a young child wearing a green shirt and an older man wearing a green sweater, were going through some slow-motion steps to learn a dance in preparation for the performance by the Cape Breton Session Fiddles later in the evening.

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Warm weather adds to St. Patrick’s Day festive spirit

A seminar titled Building lighting systems; designs, best practices & QSAS compliance, was organised yesterday by Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) Institute, in collaboration with lighting consultancy Hoare Lea, as part of a QSAS Certified Green Professional (CGP) programme. The seminar, the first installment of a series, discussed two main topics: The indoor environment and complementing interior architecture and external facades, which included two sessions titled The art of light - natural & artificial and The science and technology of natural and artificial lighting. The second topic: Compliance with Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS) - covering lighting pollution, lighting controls, indoor environment and daylight also covered two sessions titled Artificial lighting QSAS compliance internal and external and Daylight and QSAS compliance. Addressing an assembly of engineers, architects and other professionals at a seminar, Yousef Mohammed al-Horr, founding chairman of Gord, said: The seminar is strategically important because it offers an interactive platform that brings together international experts in lighting design and compliance strategy with QSAS. Optimising the use of daylight is now one of the most important criteria in building architecture and design, a trend that has been influenced by growing concerns over environmental preservation and energy conservation. Gord has organised the seminar to help certified green professionals expand their understanding of natural and artificial lighting as part of their continuing professional development. Axel Jacobs, Daylight Principal, Hoare Lea Lighting, said: The seminar provides an excellent opportunity to discuss the recent advances in lighting technology and techniques that are reshaping the way we incorporate lighting components in the design of buildings and other structures. We certainly look forward to collaborating with Gord for similar programmes in the future that will support the continuing professional development of QSAS-Certified Green Professionals (QSAS-CGPs) and other green practitioners in Qatar and across the Middle East. Also speaking at the seminar were David Linville-Boud, executive lighting designer, Hoare Lea Lighting; and Axel Jacobs, Daylight Principal, Hoare Lea Daylight joined by Tony Kinsey, export manager, Mode Lighting; and Juan Ferrari, executive lighting designer and Lead Interior Lighting Designer Mode Lighting. Gord will be holding between five and seven CPD seminars a year.

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Focus on optimum use of daylight in buildings

March 17, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL) Pittsburgh Power The Pittsburgh Power has partnered with New Castle, PA based fireworks company, Pyrotechnico, to bring the largest indoor pyrotechnic fireworks show ever staged in Pittsburgh at the Power's 2012 home opener at the CONSOL Energy Center.

Included in the plans for the event are precision choreographed pyrotechnics and flames to cover the entire field, coordinated with various special effects and a full range of colored laser lights through out the area. The display pushed the limits of new pyrotechnic innovation for indoor pyrotechnics and integrates with the CONSOL Energy Center's state of the art lighting, audio and high definition video capabilities.

"Fireworks and arena football is the perfect marriage," stated Power COO Michael Gorham. "The AFL is most know for high scoring explosive action and cutting edge family entertainment, now our football games will; have figurative and literal fireworks. Our fans will be treated to a unique entertainment event which will set the bar for AFL events."

The game starts at 8:00 PM EDT on March 23rd and will air on the NFL Network. It can also be followed on Trib Live Sports Talk Radio at http://www.sportstalk.triblive.com.

Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Power to Stage Pittsburgh's Largest Indoor Fireworks Show

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Children talk with Waste Management s robot Cycler during the Builders Show in Waynesboro on Saturday.

Vendors offered products ranging from bathroom tiling, rainwater harvesting, flooring, landscaping, kitchen cabinets as well as financial services to fund future projects.

Bill Mooney, president of Appalachian Energy Systems, LLC, was at the show promoting the latest in solar energy - evacuated tube solar collectors to heat homes.

"They're the most efficient solar collectors on the market," Mooney said. "Inside the tube is a heat pipe, which was invented by a Pennsylvania company in the 1950s."

Inside the tubes are two drops of water in a vacuum that boil at a low temperature, he said.

"As soon as the sun's energy hits the collection plates on the tubes, it boils the water," Mooney said.

With a 92 percent efficiency rate, Mooney said they are working on developing the tubes to use the energy for air conditioning as well.

"Using evacuated tubes for air conditioning is probably going to be next summer's hot buzz thing," he said.

Also for outside the home, Clean Energy Homes was demonstrating how homeowners can harvest their rainwater to use again.

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Energy savings a hot topic at Franklin County Builders Show

A SCULPTURE on the banks of the Maribyrnong River will be flying the coop while it gets a full restoration and new home.

Everybird (right), near The Boathouse restaurant in Moonee Ponds, will be removed and treated for wood rot by a timber conservator.

>> Does Moonee Valley need more public art and where would you like to see it? Tell us below.

The restoration will cost about $24,000, including the cost of removal, relocation and improvements to site fixtures.

The costs are on top of the original $60,000 that Moonee Valley Council paid artist Bruce Armstrong for several sculptures in the city, including Everybird.

The sculpture will be installed at a new home in June.

Mayor Jim Cusack said it was vital to take care of the citys cultural assets for future generations.

The nest will still be in a public area but will hopefully be more protected from the elements than its current home, he said.

Afton Street Wetlands has been considered as a possibility along with another area alongside the Maribyrnong.

Everybird will still remain in a public place in its new home.

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YOUR SAY: Bird to fly again on the banks of the Maribyrnong

BUILDING PERMITS

Boulder

Building construction permits over $10,000 in value that were approved in Boulder between March 5 and March 11, 2012. Listed below are: the case number; address; total project valuation; owner name; contractor (if applicable); and description.

PMT2012-00358; 1990 Eighth St.; $32,215; Vanatta Limited; Silver Lining Builders; Tenant remodel of 500 square feet -- includes associated electrical, mechanical. Modify walls at existing single-occupant restroom to comply with ANSI accessibility requirements.

PMT2012-00567; 1315 Ninth St.; $23,000; Tom Hoyt; Carl Scott Construction LLC: Addition of 18-square-foot bay window and installation of 196-square-foot covered deck both off rear of residence. Interior remodel through separate permit PMT2012-00566.

PMT2012-00687; 5050 Pearl St.; $30,000; City of Boulder; Installation of a ballasted roof mount grid-tie 224.64-kilowatt photovoltaic system at a 5-degree tilt. Array to remain below parapet walls. See engineer's letter and drawing for specific information. Building B3 requires structural enhancements prior to array installation.

PMT2012-01004; 400 Terrace Ave.; $29,638.80; Donald Lieberman; Basement finish of 360 square feet to create a recreation room and full bathroom on existing rough-ins (rough-ins accounted for under PMT2006-00330).

PMT2012-00662; 2727 Pine St.; $53,984; Baxt Family; Sand Construction; Tenant remodel of chiropractic office including relocation of non-bearing walls, upgrade bathroom to meet accessibility requirements, install ramp for accessibility, associated finishes, electrical and plumbing work.

PMT2012-05533; 2955 Fourth St.; $350,000; Matthias Brehler and Lucille Sylvester; Smiley Inc.; Addition and remodel of existing home. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing included. Permit request does not include fences or walls.

PMT2012-00102; 736 18th St.; $271,255.28; Seven Thirty; Two-story addition with finished basement to existing duplex. One unit will have five bedrooms with four bathrooms and the other unit will have four bedrooms with three bathrooms.

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Boulder building permits: March 19, 2012