Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Target is expected to be the primary anchor for a new shopping center that will rise near the Kaiser hospital in South San Jose.

The new retail complex, dubbed Village Oaks, will total 320,000 square feet. Besides Target, a major supermarket is expected to be one of the anchors. A health club, restaurants, banking and other retail are expected to make up much of the remainder of the tenants.

After stalling during the recession, the center's launch is being bolstered by a rebounding local economy. Principal developer Hunter Storm Properties has teamed up with realty finance and investment firm Pacific Coast Capital Partners.

"We have very strong interest in most retail categories for this site," said

The location of the retail complex, near Highway 85 and Cottle Road, is in a retail void for large shopping centers.

"This area is really underserved for retail," said James Chung, a partner with Terranomics, a real estate firm that is scouting for tenants to occupy the project.

The developers and Terranomics wouldn't identify the anchors that have agreed to move to the center, which will occupy a portion of the former IBM disk drive factory site.

However, marketing materials for the complex and a residential development that will be constructed nearby

The nearest Target stores are at San Jose's The Plant shopping center and on East Capitol Exopressway off Highway 101 to the north, Oakridge mall to the west and a shopping center in Morgan Hill near 101 and Cochrane Road.

The robust job market in the South Bay has helped coax considerable interest out of big retailers for this center and elsewhere in Silicon Valley.

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Big retail center planned for south San Jose to include a Target

NEW YORK, March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Stuart Dean, North America's preferred provider of architectural restoration services, will demonstrate its broad array of facade restoration and commercial-grade grout installation solutions to attendees of the National Facility Management Technology (NFMT) Expo (March 13-15 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD). NFMT is the largest gathering of building owners, facility managers, maintenance engineers, sustainability directors and other facilities management professionals across the country. The expo provides an interactive educational and networking experience that offers ideas to inspire those in the facility management industry.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/NE52388LOGO )

"At Stuart Dean, we have a proud history of restoring, polishing and maintaining some of the continent's most prominent commercial addresses. We are also pleased to mark our tenth anniversary as an exhibitor at NFMT, a key industry show," said Mark Parrish, president and CEO of Stuart Dean. "Our time-tested approaches and innovative solutions help to extend the life, increase the value and enhance the beauty of interior and exterior architectural surfaces for buildings, institutions, retail stores and restaurants of all kinds. We believe the industry will continue to take notice of what we have to offer from the facade outside to the floor inside."

Stuart Dean's Specialty Services Division focuses on the restoration of architectural metal of curtain walls and building facades. Because both function as the long-term weather barrier for the building, they can become dull and weathered by harmful elements. Stuart Dean employs experts in the application of field-applied fluoropolymers and other high-performance coatings to restore the facade and the curtain wall. The company also remains on the forefront of developing and applying the newest technologies and methodologies to protect metal architectural surfaces.

Inside the building, the company's exclusive Marcoat Epoxy Grout Floor System is an innovative solution for grout degradation, one of the most common and costly back-of-the-house problems for the restaurant industry. Marcoat is a nonporous epoxy replacement for conventional grout and eliminates corrosion for the long term by standing up to the rigors of daily wear and tear in commercial kitchens. The material features industry-leading return on investment, with a total cost of ownership four times less than conventional grout.

The company also specializes in stone cleaning and sealing, wood refinishing and glass restoration, thereby providing the total solution for facility managers.

Stuart Dean will be located at Booth #2223 at NFMT.

About Stuart Dean Stuart Dean is the country's preeminent architectural restoration company, specializing in metal polishing, stone cleaning and sealing, wood refinishing, glass restoration, and commercial-grade grout installation. Thousands of clients entrust Stuart Dean to protect, maintain and restore their buildings, retail stores, institutions and restaurants every day. Stuart Dean offers a portfolio of services to enhance the beauty and retain the value of a wide array of architectural assets. The company has been in business for nearly 80 years, with 22 offices in the U.S. and Canada and over 450 employees. Major markets served include New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, D.C./Virginia, Phoenix, Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Tustin, San Diego, Toronto, and Vancouver. For more information, visit http://www.stuartdean.com.

Contact: Jeff Donaldson 412-642-7700 jeff.donaldson@elias-savion.com

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Stuart Dean Highlights Restoration and Maintenance Solutions to Building Owners, Facility Managers at NFMT 2012 ...

Radnor Townships Historic and Architectural Review Board gave developer Cas Holloway a 3-0 nod of approval Wednesday night, deeming his plan for restoring Louella Mansions Second Empire architecture and gabled mansard roof appropriate to safeguard the architectural and historical integrity of the iconic building.

Radnor Township commissioners had voted 4-2 in February to approve the final plans of C.F. Holloway III & Co. to convert the existing Louella Mansion apartments into condominiums and construct a new underground parking garage, but the issues heard by HARB Wednesday were considered important enough to be brought back before the board.

Of particular interest to the HARB board were proposed exterior renovations that included the enclosing of the porch at the west end of the building; the removal of a coal chute, two existing at-grade windows and a basement entrance; and the relocation of two windows on the north side of the building.

Also discussed was the roof line, as the plan would opt to continue the mansard roof out and over the enclosed porch, and also shutters, windows, doors and roofing materials.

Holloways architect summarized the history of the 1867 house with its additional wings added in 1890 to accommodate its change of function into a hotel, and the western porch addition somewhat later on, in the 1920s or 30s, when Louella became an apartment building. He noted the original wrap-around porch, which was discarded with the buildings enlargement, the three-story porches that were built onto the south and north facades, and also the fact that enclosed porches have been common additions to many of the homes in the Louella Court historic neighborhood as well as other historic buildings in Wayne and elsewhere.

Holloway plans to reconfigure the existing 25 apartments into 12 condominiums with attention paid to upgrading all of the mechanical aspects of the badly outdated building to conform to code while preserving the historical look and quality, but with modern replacement materials where age and rot have taken their toll.

Neighbors and local historians have questioned and criticized Holloways choice of AZEK molded products for trim, moldings, decks and other architectural features, referring to the proposed restoration as plastic.

HARB board member John Dziedzina noted, however, that three preservation projects he is familiar with, all with no budget for the exterior work, have specified AZEK, which will, apparently, outlast wood.

Board chair Cameron Lacy summarized his opinion on the issues that the board had heard about -- that enclosing the west porch represents an architectural feature that has been done many times before, that removing the coal chute and basement entrance would have no significant impact, and that the relocation of the windows is an improvement.

Louella court neighbors have retained counsel to appeal the Board of Commissioners approval to the townships zoning hearing board. That appeal is expected to come up in April. Continued...

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Approved Louella Mansion plan gets HARB nod

Independent AAMA window and door product performance testing allows homeowners to evaluate products by comparing standardized testing results. Simonton Windows participates in every aspect of the stringent AAMA Gold Label Certification program, providing top-quality products and peace-of-mind to homeowners.

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) March 08, 2012

AAMA stands for American Architectural Manufacturers Association. Why is this organization important to homeowners? Because for almost 50 years AAMA* has provided independent product performance information on windows and doors. And, the AAMA Certification Program is the only program in the window and door industry that requires components used in the finished window and door assembly to pass their own set of performance tests.

AAMAs comprehensive program requires the use of AAMA-accredited labs so that tests are performed by qualified, experienced third-party professionals using properly calibrated equipment. Add to that two unscheduled manufacturing plant inspections each year by AAMA officials and you have a sound program that provides confidence to consumers purchasing AAMA certified products.

AAMA testing provides many benefits for consumers, says Timothy J. Efaw, testing team leader at Simonton Windows. Since the testing is done to a specific industry standard, homeowners can evaluate products by comparing standardized testing results.

Consumers should look for windows and doors that meet the AAMA tests for structural integrity that withstand wind loads. A key tip for consumers is to be suspicious of any window or door product that is not tested. This may mean that the units cant or wont perform to the minimum threshold of standards laid out by the AAMA program. That could be a big red flag when shopping for windows.

Efaw explains that there are various levels of AAMA testing, with the highest, most dependable level being AAMAs Gold Label Certification. While some companies choose to participate in selective parts of the AAMA curriculum, Simonton Windows participates in every aspect of the stringent Gold Label Certification, says Efaw.

This is the highest testing level possible from AAMA and ensures that all aspects of manufacturing, quality, training, component certification and overall product certification are in line with all documented AAMA standards. Meeting Gold Label Certification assures a homeowner of purchasing the highest standard of window available in the marketplace that has been rigorously tested according to AAMA requirements for structural strength and resistance to air leakage, water penetration and forced-entry.

What You Get with AAMA Gold Label Certification

In order to receive the AAMA Gold Label Certification, windows and doors must pass independent AAMA-accredited test lab requirements that meet these criteria:

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What to Know Before Buying Replacement Windows

Concerns over the Robinson School window replacement project led the towns municipal building committee (MBC) to appear before the board of selectmen on Wednesday.

MBC chairman Maureen Doherty addressed the questions about $375,000 voters approved at last springs Town Meeting to replace the windows in the school. The confusion among residents and elected officials seems to be over what exactly the $375,000 was to cover.

Doherty said she was not present for the school department presentation last year.

When it came to the building committee we always knew it was just phase one, Doherty said.

I never remember phase one ever being said, selectmen Chairman Jess Aptowitz said. People thought when they voted at Town Meeting that amount was the total amount needed for all windows. I dont think that was clear at the meeting.

Doherty said her committee was there to work for the best value on the project and did not want to get caught up in a disagreement between the selectmen and the school department.

Doherty also said the committee received 15 proposals for a design professional for the project, something she said is required by state law.

She said it was important to hire someone because of the scope of the project, a 35,000-cubic-yard facility, and the fact that it was not just a matter of popping out old windows and installing new ones.

Its window wall systems, its not a window replacement, Doherty said. They interface with masonry walls. We cant go to Home Depot and get a window.

MBC Vice Chairman Bob Barry said the window replacement may not be able to be completed in the summer but could go into the fall.

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Robinson window project discussed in Mansfield

SAN MATEO, Calif., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pythagoras Solar, provider of the industry's first solar window to simultaneously deliver energy efficiency, high power density and optimized daylighting, today announced its participation and contribution of solar window technology to the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) Building Technology Showcase, a first-of-its-kind research and demonstration building for sustainable technologies in the City of Boston's Innovation District. Pythagoras Solar is one of 35+ partners contributing a combined total of $2.7 million in advanced building energy technologies and services for the new "living laboratory."

"We are delighted to incorporate Pythagoras Solar's innovative solar window technology into our facility," said Fraunhofer CSE Building Energy Efficiency Group Leader Kurt Roth. "Building-integrated solar PV is an important technology for commercial construction, and we're excited to enter into a partnership with Pythagoras to benefit from and help refine the technology's energy production potential as well as impacts on lighting, heating, and cooling."

"Pythagoras Solar is excited to contribute its technology to the Fraunhofer CSE Showcase to help raise awareness for sustainable innovations and in particular solar window technology," said Udi Paret, VP Marketing and Business Development, Pythagoras Solar. "We are proud to have our technology demonstrated alongside industry leaders, such as Guardian Industries. Together, we can show that products that truly stand to change the way buildings are built are available today. Forward thinking building developers and architects can now see our solar windows in action firsthand and better understand how they can turn facades into energy generating assets."

Pythagoras Solar's Photovoltaic Glass Unit (PVGU), or solar window, provides significant and simultaneous benefits including energy efficiency, optimized daylighting, and high density solar power generation in a standard double-pane window form factor. This PVGU is easy-to-install, designed to meet advanced building codes and standards, can be optimized for a variety of uses and offers attractive economics with a typical ROI of 3-5 years. The first products are designed for curtain wall and skylight applications. Currently, Pythagoras Solar is shipping products for commercial projects and starting to deliver on a full pipeline of projects across the United States.

"In addition to making the Building Technology Showcase the premier research and demonstration laboratory for clean energy technologies, we are committed to making the building a venue where everyone -- from seasoned architects and construction executives to students still deciding their future career paths -- can visualize the performance and potential of the technologies incorporated into the building," said Nolan Browne, Managing Director of Fraunhofer CSE. "Our goal is to present the information in innovative ways that engage visitors and create demand for these energy-saving systems and sustainable products in the market."

For more information please visit http://cse.fraunhofer.org/bts.

Industry Partners Contributing to the Showcase:Controls and Building Management:Siemens Cimetrics OutSmart Power Systems

Interior Products / Systems:Dorma ThyssenKrupp Elevator nora systems, Inc DuPont Curava Artaic

Envelope:Guardian Industries Pythagoras Solar Roxul Cooley Group Dow Corning Erie Architectural Products

Solar Energy Systems:Schueco USA TIGI

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Pythagoras Solar Announces Solar Window Technology Contribution to Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems ...

CROSSVILLE Students in the building construction technology program at Tennessee Technology Center at Crossville have completed the 2015 Energy Star Concept Home and are ready to show their work to the community.

A dedication is set for noon Friday, followed by an open house during the weekend, coinciding with the annual Home Builders Association of Cumberland County Home Show.

"We know this is the first net-zero home in the county," said Steve Lane, instructor. "It may be the first in the state."

Net zero home means that, over the course of a year, the home will produce more energy than it uses. That's accomplished through a combination of energy generation with solar panels and energy efficient technology and building practices.

A 4 kilowatt solar system has been installed at the home's location across the street from the TTCC campus on Miller Ave. That will stay at the site and allow TTCC to be a Generation Partner with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

"We're the first Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) facility to be a Generation Partner," explained Lane, who said TBR and TVA lawyers had to work out several points in the standard contract that would allow a state facility to take advantage of the program.

As a Generation Partner, TTCC will sell all of the power produced by the solar panels back to TVA at 12 cents greater than the current energy price.

The solar array will allow students at TTCC to learn how to install and care for solar panels. They can also change the tilt of the array and perform experiments.

Another unique feature is the geothermal heating and cooling system, donated by Water Furnace. One was installed in the classroom and the other in the student-built home. TTCC students are training on installing, de-installing and servicing the geothermal units.

The city of Crossville partnered with TTCC to dig 300 linear feet of trenches about five feet deep. Tubing was buried in the trenches and coolant is circulated through the tubing to provide a heating or cooling source for the home.

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TTCC students build net-zero energy home

While avocado and harvest gold appliances are nowhere to be found in most kitchens in 2012, some classic color trends, such as a black-and-white kitchen, are unlikely to ever fade from popularity. In addition to classic color schemes, homeowners and interior designers are looking for ways to wash their kitchens in light and color that are both neutral and innovative.

Nadia Subaran, senior designer and co-owner of Aidan Design in Bethesda, said, Some customers come in with a color palette in mind or are focused on a particular selection, such as hardwood flooring to connect with other floors in the home. Other customers want a specific tile or cabinet color to establish the theme for their kitchen.

People still love the classic white, black and beige palette, but they are adding a more contemporary flair with colors like gray, mushroom, oyster and slate.

Homeowners today are remodeling their older kitchens to open them up to the family room, to the outdoors or both, said Patricia Tetro, a principal and owner of Bowa in McLean.

Everyone wants their kitchen to be light and open, so were seeing more people wanting white cabinets instead of dark woods, Ms. Tetro said. Our customers are looking for clean lines, with fewer details on the cabinets. Sometimes in a larger kitchen well still see a more elaborate center island, but in general people are less formal now and they want to keep their kitchen in line with the furniture in other rooms.

When choosing a color palette for a kitchen, consumers need to be aware of the variations in color created by natural light versus artificial light.

If a kitchen doesnt have a lot of windows and doesnt have under-cabinet lighting, its better to choose a lighter backsplash, said David Benson, part-owner and vice president of sales for Architectural Ceramics in Rockville. A kitchen with a lot of natural light offers more options.

Eve Fay, a colorist with Farrow & Ball, a paint and wallpaper manufacturer in the District, said lighting is important for safety in the kitchen as well as aesthetics.

Natural light is great, but if you have a darker space, you need to bring in additional lighting and lighter paint colors, Ms. Fay said. You should also eliminate the lines of contrast between where colors begin and end. For instance, in a small, dark space, you should paint everything the same color, from the trim to the walls to the ceiling.

Not only does natural light influence color choice, but so do other colors within a room. In the kitchen, the appliances, flooring, walls, counters, cabinets and backsplash must be considered together.

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Cover story: Lightening up in the kitchen

Written by Susan Shultz Thursday, March 08, 2012 09:00 AM

The Ring's End office building was included due to a "clerical error," Darien Housing Authority Commissioner Cyndy Ashburne said.

In the certified letter dated Feb. 29, obtained by The Darien Times, notice was given that "Viking Construction, Inc. has filed an application with the Town of Darien Building Official for approval to demolish existing dwellings at 1-30 Allen O'Neill Drive, 190, 194, 198, 202, 226, 234 Norotan Avenue [sic], 186, 234 West Avenue, and 3,5,9,11,21 Elm Street, Darien, CT."

Project developer Arthur Andersen also told The Darien Times there was no actual risk of demolition to the building.

The redevelopment, which would double the developments' homes in density, finally received approval from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority in late August and broke ground last month.

The state had turned down the Housing Authority twice before on the request for $2.47 million of 9% low-income tax credits that will come in two parts.

The plan would double the current 53 single-family home units to 106 townhouse-style units.

Anderson said the demolition notice "should have read 186 Noroton (corner of West and Noroton)."

"We are correcting the notice and sending new ones. Sorry for the mistake," he said.

Ashburne said "we did not file a request to demolish the wrong building."

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‘Clerical error’ had Ring’s End slated for demolition

JUNEAU The Dodge County Board of Supervisors will consider spending up to $6.2 million to renovate Clearview North facility and possibly demolish the countys office building when it meets later this month.

The five-member Clearview North study committee will give a special presentation on its proposed plans to the board at the March 20 session. Those plans include moving the human services and health departments, creating a specialized community based residential facility, and creating a central storage area for the maintenance department, all at the Clearview North facility on Home Road in Juneau.

The members of the study committee were appointed in April of 2011 to consider the options available for the building when residents of the facility are moved to new quarters currently under construction across the street.

The building options that committee members considered included selling the building; razing the structure and selling the property; renovating it entirely for human services and health department; or renovate the building for multiple uses.

The committee hired Engberg Anderson in December 2011 to prepare a report on the building. After receiving the report, the committee opted to study renovating the building for multiple uses.

Selling it did not seem to be an option, study committee Chairman Glenn Stousland of Beaver Dam said. No one wants it. If we leave it for Unified Services, we still have to heat it. It did not make good economic sense not to use this building, he added.

After 11 meetings, the committee is suggesting the county consolidate all programs and operations of the Dodge County Human Services and health department into the north building. The Unified Services are currently located in the facility. That would move all the operations now being conducted in the Dodge County Office Building, 143 E. Center St., Juneau, to the Clearview North building.

The committee states in the resolution the county would make efforts to sell the vacated office building, but in the event those efforts are unsuccessful, razing the four-story structure would be considered.

Human Services Director Eric Pritzl discussed with the committee his presentation to the board on the benefits and challenges of a move to Clearview North.

In December I assembled a building team to talk about design, Pritzl said. There will be several benefits to the consumers, he added.

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Dodge County to consider use for Clearview North facility