Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -03/06/12)- Zephyr Agent Julie Reber has listed San Francisco's most eco-friendly 19th Century home, located at 1566 Sanchez Street in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood.

eco+historical homes is dedicated to the acquisition and restoration of historic San Francisco homes and leads the green residential revolution in its progressive series of rehabilitation and expansion projects. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom 1889 Victorian showcases mindful reconstruction while maintaining San Francisco's distinctive historical style.

Designed to achieve the pinnacle of green recognition, the LEED Platinum certification, this home reflects green building principles and materials. From the easily expandable solar photovoltaic system on the roof to the first residential use of Aquatherm Greenpipe, this home's green features minimize environmental impact while positively influencing occupant health. The renovation preserved many of the home's unique attributes and utilized a great deal of reclaimed materials from rafters to brick. A gray water system sends shower and tub water directly to the garden.

LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

"The exceptional appearance of the monochromatic and original faade belies the magnitude of a contemporary, re-engineered and thoughtfully-designed home," commented Reber, a Top Producer for the past five years and Premiere Property agent in Zephyr's Pacific Heights office. "With a sense of personal privacy, the atmosphere also creates an enticing space for classic social events," she added.

In addition to the five bedrooms (including two master suites) and four baths on three well proportioned levels, the property features a two-car garage wired with 220V for electric car charger plus abundant storage; professionally-designed gardens; private decks with breathtaking views; nine-foot, tri-folding French doors throughout to bring nature indoors; a built-in home theater; a custom wine cellar; a gourmet kitchen and great room featuring a preparation island, fireplace and breakfast nook; and an exquisite dining room providing all the right elements for gracious entertaining. The lower level includes an additional private entrance and contains two bedrooms and a bath, ideal as au pair or in-law quarters.

The home is listed at $2,395,000. For further information on this remarkable property, please contact Julie Reber at 415-609-3677 or visit http://www.juliereber.com.

About Zephyr Real EstateFounded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Francisco's largest independent real estate firm with $1 billion in gross annual sales and a current roster of more than 200 full-time agents. In 2010, Zephyr launched its new website, which has earned two web design awards, including the prestigious Interactive Media Award. Zephyr Real Estate is a member of the international relocation network, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World; the luxury real estate network, Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate; and the local luxury marketing association, the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco. Zephyr has six strategically located offices in San Francisco, a business center in Marin County, and serves a large customer base throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit http://www.zephyrsf.com.

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Zephyr Lists San Francisco's Most Cutting-Edge, Eco-Restoration Victorian

A former vendor who pleaded guilty to taking part in a kickback scheme by performing home improvements for former staffers at the Memorial Healthcare System was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison on Tuesday.

Joseph Badalich, 67, of Hollywood admitted that he tacked on an extra $70,000 to a bill for remodeling the interior of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at the taxpayer-assisted Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. The money was in exchange for insider help in getting awarded lucrative contracts, prosecutors said.

Badalich used the money to pay for marble floors installed at the Lake Worth home of hospital maintenance manager, Eliot Gordon. Badalich also converted a garage into a game room for another maintenance manager, Anthony Merola, who also lived in Lake Worth. Gordon and Merola are both serving federal prison terms for related crimes.

Badalich, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, has to turn himself in to begin serving his prison sentence on April 9. He was also ordered to pay $457,274 in restitution during the sentencing in federal court in Miami. He had faced up to five years in prison but agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testified at trial against other members of the conspiracy, according to court records.

pmcmahon@tribune.com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @SentinelPaula

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Former Memorial hospital vendor sentenced in home remodeling bribery scheme

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

From the company that brought you the first full line of smart grid-enabled appliances, GE is now launching additions and enhancements to its innovative suite of Brillion home energy solutions and laying the foundation for an energy-saving connected home.

Weve leveled the playing field by providing a product that communicates a homes continuous real-time energy consumption to consumers without a smart meter, said William Paul, product manager, home energy, GE Appliances. Our new Whole-Home Sensor connects to the consumers electrical panel and allows them to understand their energy consumption without waiting for their electricity provider to install a smart meter.

Whole-Home Sensor: The new Whole-Home Sensor, an integral part of home-energy solutions, is being used in several utility test pilots, including test homes in Warner Robins, Ga., as part of Flint Energies recently announced pilot project. It will be available broadly in the second quarter of this year.

The sensor sends consumption data from large 240-volt applications, such as a panel box or pool pump, to the homes Nucleus energy manager, which then communicates that data to a consumers existing smartphones or personal computers helping them make smarter energy choices.

Knowledge of whole-home energy consumption provides consumers with insights into their electricity costs before the bill arrives; offers them feedback on electricity-intensive activities, such as water heating; and allows them to quantify the benefits of their personal energy-efficiency efforts.

Smart-Plug Controls: On a more granular level, GE is also adding Brillion-enabled Smart Plugs, which act as sensors for electronics and non-smart devices that plug into standard 120-volt outlets. These sensor plugs communicate with the Nucleus energy manager, enabling consumers to track electrical usage by the outlet for most 120-volt appliances and devices.

These sensors turn any standard 120-volt consumer good into a smart home capable device. The sensors can be moved from device to device, enabling the consumer to perform an audit of their electrical appliances and electronics or to monitor them continuously for ongoing feedback providing critical insights to help consumers reduce energy consumption.

Energy data and energy monitoring are GEs first steps toward a fully connected home, Paul said. We fully expect to expand our products beyond energy, bringing more convenience and control elements to the consumer. The beauty of having built-in communications features in our products means that we can also add functionality that makes peoples lives easier.

More Connected Communications Features: GEs Brillion-enabled thermostats help consumers easily adjust heating and cooling schedules from their Nucleus software interface and alter household temperatures and operating modes remotely from their iPhone.

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GE Unveils More Brillion™ Ideas for Consumer Energy Savings

With three teenage kids and two dogs, Kris and Jeff Westall have a lot of activity in their Edina, Minn., home. But their kitchen wasn't keeping up.

"It was so ugly, and there was no place to sit," said Kris. The Westalls, who had lived in the 1964-built rambler since 1996, had outgrown a minor kitchen-remodeling they'd done years earlier. Kris was eager to make the space more appealing and up-to-date.

She wanted a complete overhaul someday, but for starters, she thought she'd just warm up the plain-vanilla kitchen with new paint colors and accessories. "I wanted it cozy and warm," Kris said. "I am not a winter person, so that was a big deal to me."

But she realized that warm-colored walls would still leave the kitchen with stark-white cupboards and countertops. "Then, I thought new cabinets would be nice," she said.

The kids urged their parents to renovate the entire kitchen now rather than later, so they could enjoy it while all were still living at home. "They said, 'You're not going to fix it after we go to college,' " Kris said.

So the couple agreed to a total makeover, with the goal of making their kitchen more functional and family-friendly. To help with the project, Kris enlisted designer Sue Hunter of Home for a Change. "She had worked with a friend of mine, and I had been hearing about Sue forever," Kris said.

Kris was leaning toward an Italian-style makeover. "Tuscany was my muse," she said, but Hunter nudged her toward a lighter French look. "I was trying to pull her away from wine colors," Hunter said.

And Kris ultimately agreed. "It's the dark side of the house, and we knew we needed light."

But that didn't mean Kris had to abandon her dream of warm, rustic colors. Copper is the dominant accent hue; the light-painted cabinets were antiqued with copper glaze and finished with copper-finish hardware, and a ceiling medallion was painted copper.

The long, narrow kitchen (about 11 by 23 feet) posed several challenges. To make the most of the space visually, Hunter decided to cover the appliances with wood panels to match the cabinets. "It gives it a consistent look, which helps it look bigger," she said.

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A French-inspired kitchen renovation cooks up some fun

TYRE, Lebanon: The reconstruction of the Fishermen Unions office building in the area surrounding Tyres old port has met with objections from an association dedicated to preserving the citys historical heritage.

The International Association to Save Tyre is protesting mutilating the Phoenician port and bridging parts of it, which contradicts the principle of preserving heritage sites, and has led to UNESCO threatening to take Tyre off the list of World Heritage Sites.

Meanwhile, Tyres municipality is stressing the need to reconstruct the unions building, which was built in the late 1980s.

According to the construction manager at Madnat Contracting Company, Adham Mahmoudy, the new building is being constructed on the ruins of the old building according to standards that take into consideration the character of the place and the maritime facade.

We are not going anywhere near the historical [heritage] site and we are not building on any heritage spot. We are only constructing a new building instead of the old one. We are not destroying ruins or digging any up, Mahmoudy added.

According to the head of the municipal union of Tyre, Abdel-Mohsen Husseini, they [the association] are against development. We are the protectors of the city and its heritage. Where were they living when we protected Tyre from all the mutilation it underwent during the Israeli occupation? I regret that those who issued the statement are against Tyre. They increased destruction in Tyre.

In light of the dispute, a meeting was held last week at Tyres municipality, which included Tyre Mayor Hasan Dbouq, and a number of figures involved in the project. In the meeting, it was decided that construction should continue, while making an amendment to reduce the size of construction and focus more on aesthetics.

The building will represent a professional and social front and show the citys character and heritage by preserving the profession of fishing and fishermens tools which will be displayed to tourists and visitors in the lower part of the building, Dbouq said.

According to Dbouq, there is no alternative location for the facility, with the municipality unable to acquire any building in the area.

The building will take into consideration the aesthetic and heritage side and will be in harmony with the surrounding, Dbouq said.

Originally posted here:
NGO says Tyre reconstruction ‘mutilating’ historic port

BOSTON, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Margulies Perruzzi Architects, one of Boston's most innovative architectural and interior design firms, and Cutler Associates, an East Coast integrated design and construction management firm, today announced that the firms have been selected to design and construct a new medical office building in Holden, Massachusetts for Oriol Health Care.

As owners of the former Holden District Hospital property, Oriol Health Care launched a long-term collaborative process with the Town of Holden to develop a healthcare campus on the hospital site. The addition of a patient care building to house cutting-edge medical care was deemed a perfect fit for the expansion. Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) and Cutler were selected for design and construction management services for a new three-story 36,000 square foot medical office building at the entry to the Boyden Road campus. The building, which will house a family medical practice and other healthcare providers, will complement Oriol's other medical arts buildings and a skilled nursing facility on the site.

"As healthcare design becomes more patient-centered with an ever-increasing focus on healthy outcomes, we are thrilled to be working with an innovator like Oriol Health Care," said GarthJohnson, LEED AP, vice president of senior living and healthcare at Cutler Associates, Inc. "Cutler has enjoyed a long working relationship with the Oriol family, and we are thrilled to be a part of the design and construction team as this project continues to take shape."

"Patients have become savvy consumers regarding their healthcare, and Oriol's focus on patient concerns has been paramount in the design of this new building," said Marc Margulies, AIA, LEED AP, principal at Margulies Perruzzi Architects. "Drawing on our prior experience working with Cutler, MPA is excited to partner again with Cutler on the clinical design of Oriol's new patient care building."

About Margulies Perruzzi ArchitectsConsistently ranked as one of Boston's top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi Architects creates buildings and corporate interiors for clients who value design. The firm services the corporate, professional services, healthcare, research/lab, and real estate communities with a focus on sustainable design. Clients include Manulife/John Hancock, Nuvera Fuel Cells, Fallon Clinic, Sapient, Hobbs Brook Management and Forrester Research. For more information, please visit http://www.mp-architects.com.

Media Contacts:Michele Spiewak Rhino PR for MPA 617-851-2618 MPArchitects@rhinopr.com

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Oriol Health Care Selects Margulies Perruzzi Architects and Cutler Associates for New Medical Office Building in ...

Rainier Medical Investments (RMI), a Dallas-based firm, has announced that the construction of the River Walk Medical Park I, an 82,000-square-foot medical office building that is fully connected on three levels to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound is fully underway.

This medical office building is anchored by Texas Oncology and is the first of several medical office and retail buildings that will ultimately form the medical campus to be known as River Walk Medical Park in Flower Mound. The building will be completed late summer 2012.

We are very pleased to see the River Walk Medical Park vision begin to materialize, said Tim

steel beam structure growing everyday. A project that has been a vision for the town of Flower

Mound and its residents to have a premier medical campus is now becoming a reality.

Dallas-based Ridgemont Commercial Construction is the general contractor for the project.

Ridgemont is very excited to be the general contractor for the new River Walk Medical Park I

medical office building, added Jason Lillard, president of Ridgemont. This building will be

attached to the existing Hospital and will be an integral part of the new healthcare campus. This is a tremendous opportunity and we look forward to growing our relationship with Rainier and the Town of Flower Mound.

The River Walk Marquis, a second 27,000-square-foot building located at the highly visible

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River Walk medical park campus construction in full swing

Molder.com has released its new mold remediation products that help mold contractors save thousands in remediation costs. The non toxic mold kit is formulated specifically to reduce the labor in a mold remediation project. To prove the effectiveness, Molderizer.com is releasing complimentary samples to mold professionals for a limited time this week.

St Louis, MO (PRWEB) March 06, 2012

Initially, Molderizer.com special formula was licensed to select few large environmental companies in the United States. Now after rigid testing and renewal of their agreements, the creator of the mold remediation product is releasing a complimentary sample for a limited time to the rest of the public.

The director of relations explains, "Currently, Molderizer.com is extremely excited with it's huge success with other mold professionals. The company has helped professionals drastically reduce mold removal costs and labor costs when involved in a mold project. To prove it's amazing results and labor saving abilities for mold remediation companies. Molderizer.com for a limited time is offering a complimentary sample of its two flag ship mold cleaners andprevention products. Be sure to visit Molderizer.com for more information and to grab your complimentary sample."

The mold help site is releasing a complimentary sample of its mold kit, which includes Molderizer and Safe Shield. One may be able to visit the website and claim both samples for a limited time.

To receive your complimentary sample be sure to visit http://www.Molderizer.com

Janice Iquina Molderizer 1 (888) 440-3826 Email Information

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New Non-Toxic Mold Remediation Products Only Available To Select Mold Companies Now Being Released To The Public ...

(John Prieto, Denver Post file photo)

Calling it the most reasonable and cost-effective option for rapid transit along the northwest corridor, Regional Transportation District staff on Monday recommended running commuter rail north to Church Ranch Boulevard in Westminster and a bus transit system the rest of the way to Longmont.

The new plan relies on a 0.4 percent sales tax increase for the metro-wide FasTracks rapid-transit system - not yet approved by the RTD board of directors - that could go on the November ballot and raise about $160 million a year.

Reaction from area officials who attended the Monday meeting of RTD's FasTracks Monitoring Committee was strong and unified: promises were made.

"Everyone is seemingly getting their stuff except us," Rep. Matt Jones, D-Louisville, told the board. "We can get rail by 2042? I'll be 98 years old."

Said Superior Trustee Debra Williams: "RTD does not have the right to usurp the voters and create a division in the northwest corridor."

The new rail and bus system would be completed by 2022.

Rail would be extended by about six miles on a line already is being built to Westminster. It leaves open a number of extensions, to be built in segments as funding allows, that eventually could extend to Longmont.

The RTD board is set to decide March 20 what to do with the northwest corridor. Its choice must be approved by the Denver Regional Council of Governments before RTD can put a tax increase before voters.

Voters initially approved a 0.4 percent sales tax in 2004 to fund FasTracks, with the guarantee of several commuter-rail lines to be finished by 2014, an estimate that later adjusted to 2020. Support was strong in Boulder County, where 64 percent of voters approved FasTracks. Voters in Broomfield and Weld counties also approved the plan.

Originally posted here:
RTD staff recommends rail to Church Ranch, bus rapid transit to Boulder, Longmont

A city planning commission stalled in making a decision on a proposed apartment complex on North Brooks Street Monday because of conflict between city and university building guidelines.

Property owner Joseph McCormick presented a proposed plan to tear down two existing apartment buildings at 202-206 N. Brooks St. and replace them with one five-story apartment complex.

The apartment complex is designed for students with two-, three- and four-bedroom units, bicycle and moped parking and a modern design.

Its going to serve the students at UW and is very attractive and will serve the market for years to come, project architect Joe Lee said.

The Plan Commission referred the proposal to the Urban Design Commission, which will review the proposed apartment plans for a third time. The Plan Commissions concern included the proposed buildings height and how far it would be set back from the street.

McCormicks proposal also conflicts with guidelines for future construction projects set in the Campus Master Plan, Regent Street South Campus Neighborhood Plan and the citys Comprehensive Plan.

UW Facilities Planning and Management Director Gary Brown said the campus master plan calls for academic and research facilities, including an addition to the Educational Sciences Building to be built the on the corner of Brooks and Dayton streets.

Although the city and universitys plans direct the type of construction in the southeast campus area, Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said they are recommendations and more of a should-do this than a must-do this.

Resnick said although he understands the conflict, the new apartment complex would be replacing the current dilapidated structures, which were built in 1905 and have no other historical relevance to the neighborhood.

In situations similar to this, developers have compromised and built less-concrete structures with a shorter life span, according to Resnick. However, no agreement has been reached.

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City stalls on proposed apartment complex on North Brooks Street