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    Balancer Replacement – Milgard Service Video – Video

    - January 31, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    30-01-2012 13:27 Balancer Replacement - We are going to show you how to uninstall and reinstall a balancer. There is a silver take-out clip on either side of the jamb. With the sash closed, use a screwdriver to pop the clips out at a 45 degree angle. Perform this on action on both take-out clips. Remove the sash stops, which are located in the top corners of the window. Slide the sash up until you feel it disengage. You will want to make sure both sides catch on the take-out clips. Once they catch, you want to be able to see the bottom of the spring loaded balancers and you know you are past the engagement point. Slide the sash to one side and remove. This is the balancer. It is spring loaded, so use caution when removing. To remove, push it down and slide it back up. To reinstall, look for hook at the bottom of the balancer. Place the hook in the window jamb and press down. Remember, the balancer is spring-loaded so you will experience some resistance when pushing it down. Push the top portion up and the tab goes on the outside of the balancer. Next, we will reinstall the sash. Place the sash above the bottom of the balancer. Line up the sash, push it in. Make sure you have clearance on the other side and balance it back and forth until you feel both tops catch. Slide the sash down about an inch or two. Make sure you do not see the balancer or any metal on either side of the spring. Then, push in both of your take out clips and bring down the sash. Finally, reinstall the sash stops.

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    Balancer Replacement - Milgard Service Video - Video

    RUTH FLOWERS MAMY ROCK / BEHIND THE DECKS EP #01 – Video

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    28-03-2010 18:08 BEHIND THE DECKS // EPISODE #01 JANUARY 2010 / PARIS FRANCE You will follow Ruth Flowers aka Mamy Rock on every steps of her international career. Produced by spOa Directed by Orel Simon 69 MAMY ROCK new track is now OUT CLICK HERE : bit.ly Booking : booking@mamyrock.com Website: http://www.mamyrock.com Fan Page http://www.facebook.com Twitter : twitter.com http://www.mamyrock.com http://www.myspace.com/ruthflowers Music: Ruth Flowers / COMING OUT SPRING 2010

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    RUTH FLOWERS MAMY ROCK / BEHIND THE DECKS EP #01 - Video

    Steeple at Portland church gets overhaul

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    PORTLAND, Maine—The steeple on a nearly
    200-year-old Portland church is undergoing its first major
    renovation.

    Stephen Jenks, president of the First Parish Church's
    trustees, says the steeple has deteriorated to the point
    where the renovation is necessary. He says the balustrade, a
    railing just below the belfry, rotted and was removed late
    last year, and other parts of the structure are showing signs
    of wear and tear that need to be addressed.

    The job includes removing the uppermost part of the steeple,
    the belfry, and hauling it to Vermont for repairs.

    He tells The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/ydJV8e) the work is
    designed to be historically accurate right down to the type
    of wood that's used.

    Construction on the church was completed in 1826.

    The work will cost about $220,000.

    Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com

    © Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
    material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
    redistributed.

    More here:
    Steeple at Portland church gets overhaul

    Facility creates 'ordinary' for the homeless

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    More than a year ago, William Pumphrey was part of a choir that
    celebrated the start of construction on an apartment building
    to serve the chronically homeless.

    He didn't realize then that he was looking at his future home.

    Early last week, Pumphrey learned he had earned a spot at the
    Moore Place apartments. Then he saw the second-floor apartment
    he'll move into early next month.

    The news, the 53-year-old said, brought him to his knees.

    On Sunday, Pumphrey and the Voices of Love choir were among
    hundreds of people marking the grand opening of Moore Place, an
    apartment building for 85 people off North Graham Street.

    The $10 million facility was funded primarily with privately
    raised funds, including gifts from corporate and philanthropic
    foundations, the Charlotte Housing Authority, more than 50
    local congregations and the John and Pat Moore family. The
    effort was led by Charlotte's Urban Ministry Center. The first
    eight residents will move in this week, and officials expect
    the complex to be full by the end of April.

    Plans already are under way to add 35 more apartment units on
    the property, said Caroline Chambre, director of Urban Ministry
    Center's HousingWorks program.

    In recent years, the Urban Ministry has piloted another housing
    program that offers people who have been homeless a permanent
    place to stay in sites scattered across Charlotte.

    But Moore Place is considered a bigger shift in how the city
    has addressed the issue of people who are chronically homeless.

    Residents will pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. The
    apartment facility will have on-site case management and
    24-hour security.

    Moore Place also will offer residents services such as job
    training, instruction on how to manage their money and
    counseling. A full-time nurse and part-time physician also will
    offer health care at the site.

    Chambre said the goal is to help residents "go from a life of
    chaos to a life of normalcy." She described the effort as not
    being extraordinary; rather, a way to "create the ordinary" in
    residents' lives.

    Pumphrey, who has been homeless on and off for the past 12
    years, said Sunday he's not sure he'll ever be able to overcome
    all of the issues he's faced in recent years.

    But he thinks the services provided by Moore Place will be
    immensely important for him and others.

    "I feel taken care of, and I haven't even moved in yet," he
    said.

    Charlotte has an estimated 6,500 people who are homeless. About
    10 percent are considered chronic cases, meaning mental illness
    or addiction prevents them from finding housing through
    traditional programs such as shelters.

    Advocates have said providing housing and other services for
    the homeless can save millions because it could cut down on
    those individuals going to "de-facto shelters" in jails or
    emergency rooms.

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg leaders approved a "10-year Plan to End
    Homelessness" six years ago to create more permanent housing
    such as Moore Place.

    Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx on Sunday praised efforts to
    complete Moore Place, noting challenges such as a fight over
    where to put the apartments. But he said even more housing
    facilities are needed.

    He urged attendees at the grand opening event to pay attention
    to upcoming discussions among the City Council about housing
    bonds and a locational policy on where to put affordable
    housing.

    Foxx said the community needs to find a way to create
    additional housing.

    "We don't just need Moore Place," he said. "We need more
    places."

    View original post here:
    Facility creates 'ordinary' for the homeless

    Funds flowing through Newark Watershed power escalating battle over city's most precious asset

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    In 2008, the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development
    Corp. paid the father of one of its board members $15,000 to
    visit facilities, read reports and promote a municipal
    utilities authority, according to agency documents.

    In 2009, the agency paid an interior decorator $9,120 to design
    an office that would never be used.

    The same year, the documents also show, Mayor Cory Booker’s
    former law partners charged the city $22 to read an e-mail,
    $67.50 to read a Star-Ledger article and $267 for a
    dinner for three in a bill that totaled $219,000 to serve as
    the watershed’s general counsel.

    Now, spending at the taxpayer-funded Newark Watershed
    Conservation and Development Corp., or NWCDC, is at the heart
    of an escalating battle over the future of the city's most
    precious asset — 35,000 pristine acres of land and reservoirs
    in Sussex, Passaic and Morris counties that supply water to
    cities and towns throughout northern New Jersey.

    Newark bought the property in the late 19th century and held
    onto it even as residents and businesses fled the city. Newark
    also held onto the brick sewers and aqueducts, built at the
    same time, that now form a creaky infrastructure most agree
    needs millions of dollars in repairs.

    Critics say the NWCDC is a rogue agency that has seized power
    over the water supply and has far overstepped its mandate. They
    claim agency expenses are wasteful payouts to the politically
    connected.

    NWCDC officials say their detractors are unaware of what it
    takes to purify and deliver more than 80 million gallons of
    water a day. They say their costs are a fraction of what is
    needed to prevent a catastrophic failure in a water system that
    serves more than 500,000 residents, as well as wholesale
    customers like Budweiser and UMDNJ.

    The fight peaked recently when the Newark City Council,
    responding to complaints by a group of local activists, formed
    a committee to investigate NWCDC spending.

    In response, watershed lawyer and longtime Booker insider
    Elnardo Webster II incurred what critics said is perhaps the
    most galling expense of all: billing hundreds of dollars to
    file an injunction in court to stop the council committee’s
    inquiry.

    "The citizens are paying for the NWCDC to sue the council to
    prevent this investigation," said Columbia economist Dan
    O’Flaherty, the author of a scathing report on watershed
    expenses titled "Hog Wild."

    O’Flaherty and a coalition of residents called the Newark Water
    Group, along with several council members, are fighting for the
    watershed to be returned to direct city control.

    "Some major concerns have been expressed," said committee
    chairman Augusto Amador. "I would like to see more control
    exercised by the council in order to avoid the type of behavior
    that we’ve seen lately."

    Watershed officials said the city council is on a political
    witch hunt and accuse members of hypocrisy. If council members
    were paying closer attention, Webster said, they would have
    been aware of the expenses they now decry.

    "It is impossible for me to believe that the council did not
    know what’s going on," Webster said. "They vote on these
    contracts year in and year out."

    The NWCDC was formed in 1973 by former Mayor Kenneth Gibson to
    manage the city’s land and reservoirs. Today, the agency runs
    the entire water operation, from the hills of the Pequannock to
    the drains of the Ironbound.

    The NWCDC’s $10.7 million budget is funded through tax dollars.
    The $105 million water and sewer utility that it manages is
    funded through customers in Newark, as well as East Orange,
    Elizabeth, Belleville, Bloomfield, Pequannock and parts of
    Nutley.

    According to a Star-Ledger review of agency documents,
    the NWCDC has dramatically increased spending in recent years.

    Its budget was $10 million in 2010, up from $6.7 million in
    2005.

    Roughly a third of the $3.8 million spent on consultants and
    lawyers between 2008 and 2010 went to planning Booker’s failed
    municipal utilities authority — the quasi-independent agency
    that would have run the city’s waterworks.

    Of the 36 contracts awarded, 16 of the vendors donated to
    Empower Newark, a political action committee with close ties to
    the mayor.

    "Many of the contractors are Newark-based businesses, and no
    quid pro quo has ever been required," said Webster.

    One of the biggest contracts went to Webster and his West
    Orange-based firm, Trenk DiPasquale, which billed the NWCDC
    $812,000 between 2008 and 2010.

    Webster said his firm has widespread experience in utility law,
    with the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority, the city of
    Trenton, PSE&G and T-Mobile among their client list.

    NWCDC Executive Director Linda Watkins-Brashear was a campaign
    volunteer for Booker and former Councilman Oscar James and has
    donated $5,225 to Booker-backed candidates since 2007. She is
    paid at least $215,000 annually, according to recent agency tax
    returns. Andrew Pappachen and Joseph Beckmeyer, the two men who
    together run the water and sewer operation, answer to her.

    James — whose father received a $15,000 contract — still serves
    on the board as a council representative, despite losing his
    council seat in 2010. Critics say not only is the operation
    inefficient, but no one answers to City Hall.

    "They should reduce overhead costs and set up a transparent
    organization. Who the water and sewer director works for and
    what their conditions of employment are shouldn’t be a
    mystery," said O’Flaherty.

    Watkins-Brashear, a 30-year veteran of the watershed, said she
    is being attacked for her political support of Booker.

    "This started out to be a public policy debate," she said.
    "Somehow it’s descended into a lot of innuendo and personal
    attacks."

    Watkins-Brashear and Beckmeyer said it is impossible to find
    licensed, full-time engineers to work at rates the city can
    afford, hence the need for project-specific consultants.

    "We’re holding it together with bubble gum and paper clips,"
    Beckmeyer said on a recent tour of the watershed.

    The water and sewer system relies on pipes, many of which are
    more than 100 years old.

    The NWCDC’s treatment plant in West Milford is one of only a
    few in the country still using chlorine, making for a dangerous
    scenario if it should ever be damaged.

    "You’d have a cloud of chlorine coming down the valley,"
    Beckmeyer said.

    Technicians monitor quality using outdated equipment. Engineers
    sit amid diagrams and wooden drafting tables, fashioning a
    computer model that can track the complex system of aqueducts,
    reservoirs, dams and pipelines.

    The system loses 26 percent of its water a year to leakage and
    theft.

    Beckmeyer said the infrastructure needs $547 million in
    improvements over the next 10 years, requiring a rate hike.

    Booker’s office said, barring an independent authority, the
    current system is the best way to manage water.

    "The administration’s goal is to see that the watershed is run
    efficiently while providing residents the same level of
    high-quality service they expect," said Booker spokeswoman Anne
    Torres, adding the watershed holds the same mission.

    Critics agree on the need for improvements but insist that the
    council could do better.

    "These are important things that should be debated," O’Flaherty
    said. "There is money that needs to be spent, and there are
    things you need to worry about."

    Read more:
    Funds flowing through Newark Watershed power escalating battle over city's most precious asset

    Eastday-Anger at demolition of renowned architects' home

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    BEIJING - The latest demolition of a siheyuan, the traditional
    Chinese courtyard home, in the capital's Dongcheng district,
    has triggered a huge public outcry, as it once belonged to two
    architects famed for protecting the country's ancient
    buildings.

    Residents at the Beizongbu Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng
    district on Saturday talk about the demolition of Liang
    Sicheng's former residence to a reporter with China Central
    Television. 

    Between 1931 and 1937, Liang Sicheng (1901-72) and his wife Lin
    Huiyin (1904-55), both regarded as among the most distinguished
    modern Chinese architects, lived in the courtyard house located
    at 24 Beizongbu Hutong, Dongcheng district. It was here they
    finished their groundbreaking study on traditional Chinese
    architecture.

    Liang and Lin probably never imagined that one day their home
    would meet the same fate as many other ancient buildings in the
    country had faced - being demolished to make way for real
    estate development.

    Over the past decades, high-rising office buildings, apartment
    blocks, and sprawling shopping malls have mushroomed in the
    heart of Beijing, replacing the maze of siheyuans and hutongs -
    the narrow lanes that used to characterize the city.

    In 2009, some parts of the courtyard were demolished to make
    way for a commercial development project, but the cultural
    authority stopped the demolition in response to public anger.
    Since then, the site has been designated as a cultural relic,
    though a low-level one, requiring approval from the cultural
    heritage authorities for any redevelopment.

    However, what remained was "furtively torn down" during the
    recent Spring Festival.

    "When I was at home on Thursday, I read a post on a heritage
    protection forum, which said Liang and Lin's former home had
    already been destroyed," said Zeng Yizhi, a cultural relics
    protection activist.

    Zeng, who lives in Heilongjiang province, asked a friend in
    Beijing to visit the site to confirm the news.

    "When I found the news was true, it broke my heart," Zeng said.
    "Liang and Lin made such a great contribution to the protection
    of Chinese ancient buildings; if their home can be torn down,
    then developers can do the same thing to hundreds other ancient
    houses in the country."

    Zeng reported the situation to the Beijing municipal
    administration of cultural heritage and the Dongcheng district
    cultural heritage committee submitted a report to the municipal
    cultural heritage bureau on Saturday. In the report the
    committee quoted an unidentified developer saying that the
    demolition was "in preparation for maintaining the heritage
    site".

    "The developer should have consolidated the ancient buildings
    instead of pulling them down." Zeng said. "According to the
    law, even if the courtyard was a dangerous building that needs
    repair, the project should have been carried out by a
    certificated construction company, which wasn't the case."

    Media reports named the developer as Fuheng Realty, a
    subsidiary of China Resources.

    The municipal government has said that Liang's residence will
    be rebuilt and that it has ordered the developer not to remove
    anything from the rubble.

    "But if we replace every ancient building with a new replica,
    we will end up with a pile of meaningless fake antiques," Zeng
    said.

    "Protected relics cannot be rebuilt once demolished, according
    to international cultural heritage protection principles," Chen
    Zhihua, professor with the School of Architecture at Tsinghua
    University, and a former student of Liang and Lin, told
    reporters.

    "Building a replica only makes things worse. So I suggest that
    the government build a monument or a park on the original site
    in memory of Liang and Lin," Chen said.

    As of 5 pm on Sunday, an online survey by the popular
    micro-blogging site Sina Weibo showed that 90 percent of the
    8,360 participants said Liang's siheyuanshould not be
    demolished because it is of great historical value.

    An unidentified executive with China Resources' Beijing branch
    told Xinhua on Sunday that his company "could not agree" that
    the demolition was against related regulations.

    Liang is considered "the father of modern Chinese architecture"
    for his pioneering role in advocating the preservation of the
    country's ancient architecture.

    Liang was particularly known for his proposal with another
    architect Chen Zhanxiang to preserve the ancient city of
    Beijing and build a complete new city to the west of it after
    the Communist Party of China made Beijing the capital of the
    new republic.

    But the country's leaders back then opted to build a political,
    economic, and cultural center within Beijing's historical core.
    Traffic jams, air pollution, and disappearing ancient
    architecture linked to poor urban planning in recent years have
    led more and more people to feel nostalgic for Liang's
    ill-fated plan.

    The rest is here:
    Eastday-Anger at demolition of renowned architects' home

    Student architects to build residence from of recycled boxes

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    January 30, 2012 by Rochel Leah
    Goldblatt 

    Constructing building models with materials from Rebel
    Recycling saves green in two ways

    Architecture students plan to use 25,000 recycled boxes this
    semester to build models — and construct a full-size house.

    Rebel Recycling donated hundreds of cardboard boxes to the UNLV
    School of Architecture and the students are using the boxes to
    build all their models throughout this semester.

    At the end of the semester, the class hopes to submit a
    life-size living space built out of recycled cardboard to
    RecycleMania, a competition among universities in the United
    States.

    The project will be completed by Earth Day and the final model
    will be displayed in the Student Union courtyard.

    “I don’t know how far we are going to go with this project,”
    said graduate assistant Nathalia Ellis, “but we do have
    furniture designs made out of cardboard.”

    Using old boxes shrinks the students’ carbon footprint, but it
    increases their workload because the cardboard is more
    difficult to work with than the modeling board they are used to
    using.

    However, that doesn’t stop the students from trying their
    hardest.

    “It’s like a challenge,” said junior David Magdaluyo. “If we
    can do this, we can do whatever we put our mind to.”

    He said that the partnership between the architecture school
    and Rebel Recycling benefits students in that it lets them
    “deal with recycled goods hands-on.”

    And in a field where sustainability is a major focus, that
    means a lot.

    “This will assist our architectural careers by being
    environmentally friendly and responsible,” Magdaluyo said.

    The first project the students undertook was to build
    four-by-four cubes out of the cardboard. The task was made more
    difficult by inevitable inconsistencies in the material that do
    not exist in the typical modeling board.

    Despite difficulties with using the material, students have a
    positive outlook on the project.

    “I was a little bummed out at first,” said freshman Josue
    Arevealo. “[But] if anything, I am glad to be using some kind
    of material instead of using a book.”

    The cardboard also saves the students money, because they are
    not responsible for buying their own material to use in the
    models.

    Any unused cardboard will be re-recycled through Rebel
    Recycling.

    Contact Rochel Leah Goldblatt at
    rochelleah.goldblatt.ry@gmail.com.

    See the rest here:
    Student architects to build residence from of recycled boxes

    Chink of light for embattled architects

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Monday, January 30 10:24:38

    The first in a series of surveys of members of the Royal
    Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) shows that a majority
    (52.8pc) say they are expecting work levels to increase or
    remain the same during 2012.

    Architects are considered lead indicators for the construction
    sector as they are involved in the drawing up of plans and
    applying for planning permissions before the commencement of
    construction.

    The Q1 2012 survey of RIAI practices, which was carried out by
    the RIAI in the 2nd week of January 2012, was answered by 242
    practices across the country - around half of all practices.
    15.2pc of practices are expecting an increase in work. 37.6pc
    are expecting activity to remain the same - an aggregate of
    52.8pc - while 47.2pc are expecting a decrease in work.

    The biggest increase in work is expected in domestic
    renovations and extensions (27.3pc) while the biggest fall is
    forecast to be in broader housing (43.9pc). Many architectural
    practices have re-focussed on sustainability and conservation
    and 46.5pc of practices that answered the anonymous online
    survey said they expect to see an increase in work in these
    areas during the coming year. This increase in advice on
    'green' issues is reflected in the responses given when asked
    whether 'practices have changed or expanded their services in
    response to the current climate in the construction industry'.
    57pc of practices say they have expanded their services as a
    direct response to the downturn.

    Commenting on the results John Graby, Director of the RIAI,
    said, "This is the first such survey that we have carried out.
    In other jurisdictions, particularly in the US, this type of
    survey of architect practices has become a very important lead
    indicator for economic commentators reviewing construction
    activity in the economy. In an industry that has been
    absolutely decimated we are taking some small comfort in that a
    small majority, but a majority all the same, are saying that
    things don't look like they're going to get worse for them and
    just over 15pc say things are on the up. This will be a key
    figure to watch in future surveys.

     

    See more here:
    Chink of light for embattled architects

    WSP and PES-Architects design Dancing Bridge in Wuxi

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    WSP and
    PES-Architects have won a competition to design a ‘Dancing
    Bridge’ for the central park of Huishan New City in
    Wuxi,
    China. The cable-stayed bridge will be suspended from
    two inclined pylons resembling a pair of dancers.

    (PRWEB UK) 30 January 2012

    Following success in a design competition, WSP and
    PES-Architects have been selected to
    design a new pedestrian bridge in Wuxi, China. Entitled ‘The
    Dancing Bridge’, the cable-stayed bridge will span a small lake
    close to the new bullet train station in the central park of the
    Huishan New City area.

    Professor Pekka
    Salminen of PES-Architects invited WSP Finland’s bridge
    designers to join the design team for the competition, based on
    WSP’s reputation for its design of iconic bridges.

    The bridge is suspended by two independent and inclined pylons
    located on a man-made island in the centre of the lake. “Our
    design proposal merges minimalistic Finnish design with a
    traditional Chinese story,” says Pekka Salminen. “We called our
    design ‘the Dancing Bridge’ because the inclined pylons
    resemble a pair of dancers.”

    “The bridge design features a gentle S-bend which, according to
    Chinese tradition, ensures that the traveler will face no
    danger, as evil spirits will eventually lose their way in the
    curved shape,” adds WSP’s Sami Niemelä. “The bridge deck is a
    steel-concrete composite structure and the girder is covered
    with stainless steel cladding.”

    Construction of the bridge will begin at once and is expected
    to open later this year.

    In recent years, WSP Finland has won numerous design
    competitions for bridges and urban planning projects in
    Finland
    and Asia. Bridge sites in Finland include Turku, Helsinki,
    Tampere, Pori, Joensuu and Kajaani. In Asia, WSP has designed
    bridges in Vietnam and India.

    ”Winning this competition is an important milestone for us in
    China. The collaboration between PES-Architects and WSP Finland
    is proof that top Finnish design firms can also succeed
    in the world’s most important growth areas,” says Kirsi
    Hautala, Managing Director of WSP Finland.

    For more information:


    Bridget Kennerley, Group PR Manager, WSP Group, tel. +44 207
    314 4631


    bridget.kennerley(at)wspgroup(dot)com

    Sami Niemelä, Head of Unit, Bridges, WSP Finland, tel. +358 400
    157 998, sami.niemela(at)wspgroup(dot)fi

    Professor, Chairman of the Board Pekka Salminen, PES-Architects
    Limited, tel. +358 40 545 6845

    Notes to Editors:

    WSP Finland is a multi-disciplinary consultancy company that
    provides research, planning, consulting and design services to
    Finnish and international companies operating in the
    construction, urban development, transport, environment, energy
    and industry sectors. The company employs 350 experts in
    Helsinki, Oulu, Järvenpää, Tampere, Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi.


    http://www.wspgroup.fi

    WSP Finland belongs to the international WSP Group, with 9,000
    experts working in 200 permanent offices in 35 countries.
    Established in the 1970s, WSP Group is listed on London Stock
    Exchange.


    http://www.wspgroup.com

    PES-Architects Limited is one of the leading and most
    international architectural design firms in Finland. The firm’s
    most recent projects include the design of underground railway
    stations for the new Kehärata (Ring Rail Line) railway in
    Finland, the enlargement of the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, and
    the design of the Wuxi Grand Theatre and a 192m high skyscraper
    in the Chengdu High-tech Zone. Professor and architect Pekka
    Salminen founded the firm in 1968, and is currently the
    chairman of the board of PES-Architects. The other partners in
    the firm are architect Tuomas Silvennoinen and CEO Jarkko
    Salminen (M.Sc.).


    http://www.pesark.com

    ###

    Bridget Kennerley
    WSP Group Plc
    +44(0)20 7314 4631
    Email Information

    Continue reading here:
    WSP and PES-Architects design Dancing Bridge in Wuxi

    City Creek on schedule, only shopping center opening in U.S. during 2012

    - January 30, 2012 by Mr HomeBuilder

    SALT LAKE CITY — The clock is ticking
    toward the highly anticipated opening of Utah's top retail
    development.

    Less than 60 days remain until the
    scheduled March 22 grand opening of City Creek Center, a $1.5
    billion downtown project that is expected to revitalize Salt
    Lake City's central business district.

    Upon completion, City Creek will
    feature approximately 700,000 square feet of shopping and
    dining space, along with 536 new condominiums or apartments.
    Among the unique features of the 23-acre development are a
    30,000-square-foot fully retractable glass roof, a sky bridge
    over Main Street and a re-creation of City Creek, the snow-fed
    stream that once meandered through the city.

    City Creek general manager Linda
    Wardell of Taubman Centers Inc. said the project is on schedule
    for its planned March opening.

    "The construction of the core (retail)
    building is really already complete," she said. "We've been
    (testing) all of our systems and know how they are going to
    operate."

    She noted that the individual retail
    stores are in their "crunch time" as they work to meet their
    own deadlines for the impending opening.

    Experience is a big part of shopping today. Shopping really
    is entertainment for a lot of people, so it has to be an
    experience every time they visit.

    –- Linda Wardell

    "Usually, everything is simultaneously
    constructed," she said. "With City Creek, because of its
    mixed-used nature, the core part of our building was built
    first and then the stores were built in."

    Taubman will operate the retail portion
    of the project, which will contain approximately 80 stores and
    restaurants. Wardell said one-third of the stores at City Creek
    will be unique to Utah, which will "keep bringing people back
    over and over again."

    Headquartered in Bloomfield Hills,
    Mich., the company currently operates 26 retail shopping
    centers across the country, with six others in development —
    including properties in Asia and Puerto Rico.

    To date, Taubman has invested about $76
    million into the project.

    The International Council of Shopping
    Centers has said that City Creek Center will be the only retail
    center opening in the U.S. in 2012, meaning the opening will
    likely garner national and even global attention, Wardell
    said.

    Inquiries have come from media
    worldwide to attend the grand opening as well as other retail
    developers from around the globe. One local industry analyst
    said the new development would likely help bolster the overall
    strength of the entire downtown retail sector, including The
    Gateway.

    "Retail growth will be slower at the
    beginning, but overall both projects will in time will become
    thriving destination projects in the downtown area," said J.R.
    Moore, vice president of retail properties with commercial real
    estate firm CB Richard Ellis in Salt Lake City. "They'll fuel
    each other and make downtown an even more attractive place for
    shoppers and retailers."

    Meanwhile, the finishing touches are
    being made on one of the more fascinating retail centers of its
    kind, she said.

    "Experience is a big part of shopping
    today," Wardell explained. "Shopping really is entertainment
    for a lot of people, so it has to be an experience every time
    they visit."

    She noted, however, that providing the
    "right collection of stores" is also essential to the overall
    shopping experience. In addition, the project will also include
    some of the best residential properties in the region — making
    City Creek a destination for visitors from across the Mountain
    West.

    "You can come to this one central part
    of the city and be engaged with the city in such a unique way,"
    Wardell said.

    Email:jlee@ksl.com

    Read the rest here:
    City Creek on schedule, only shopping center opening in U.S. during 2012

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