Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

MANSFIELD -- Public input has resulted in several changes in the plan to convert Diamond Street to two-way traffic through the downtown.

City engineer Bob Bianchi went over the changes Tuesday during a Mansfield City Council streets committee meeting.

Bianchi said the new ideas all came from a Feb. 11 public meetingabout the conversion.

"It was a great meeting and we had a lot of great input," Bianchi said. "We looked at every comment at what we could possibly incorporate, considering costs. Most of them we can incorporate into this plan."

The conversion proposal, first presented to City Council on Jan. 21, is another part of the Mansfield Rising downtown reinvestment plan, which suggested the city adopt and implement a complete streets policy in the downtown area.

It would be similar to Mulberry Street, one-way southbound for many years, which was was converted to two-way traffic in August 2019.

The changes Bianchi outlined Tuesday were:

-- creating a right-in-right-out driveway at the gas station at the corner of Diamond and First streets. Bianchi said he spoke to the owner of the property who said it would be difficult to turn left out of the driveway closest to First Street. "'Right-in-right-out' features are great for access management and managing how vehicles enter public right of way," Bianchi said.

-- installing an ADA-compliant curb ramp at the corner Diamond and First.

-- installing a concrete "bump-out" for sight distance improvement along the east side of Diamond Street, north of Second Street.

-- prohibiting turning right on red from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for southbound Diamond Street traffic at Second Street.

-- creating a dedicated left-turn "split-phase signal" for traffic northbound on Diamond Street at Third, Fourth and Fifth streets.

-- moving four planned on-street parking spaces into the Municipal Parking Lot due to a utility conflict just before Fourth Street.

-- constructing four on-street parking spaces along the east side of Diamond Street, just north of Fourth Street.

-- constructing three on-street parking spaces along the east side of Diamond Street, just north of Fifth Street.

-- widening the northeast intersection radius for truck turning movements at the Diamond/Fifth street intersection.

Bianchi said the cost of the project, first estimated at about $360,000, will rise by $40,000 to $60,000, depending on the quantities of asphalt, concrete and curb are needed.

The engineer said the city has the funds to pay for the project. Mayor Tim Theaker has said no general funds will be used. Instead, funds for the project would come from four sources -- the permissive sales tax, the street fund, road resurfacing fund and the Downtown Improvement Fund, which began when City Council approveda $5 increase inmotor vehicle registration feesin May of 2018.

That increase generates about $220,000 annually and was used in 2019 to help fund a downtown beautification effort, the Mulberry Street conversion and the addition of amid-block, brick crosswalk on Fourth Streetbetween Main and Diamond streets.

The Downtown Improvement Advisory Board recommended on Feb. 20 that City Council spend $50,000 from the downtown improvement fund on the conversion.

City Council is expected to have three readings on the proposal -- March 18, April 7 and April 21. A vote on the conversion is expected April 21.

Bianchi has said concrete work could begin in May, followed by paving in July and in signal installation in August, if the signal poles are available.

Also on Tuesday, City Council:

-- gave second reading to an ordinance that would require council approval for any multi-vendor projects exceeding $50,000. Bidding will not be required except if an individual contract exceeds $50,000. The change will also require the city's board of control to approve all multi-vendor projects totaling more than $25,000.

-- approved a resolution honoring detectiveRonald Packer Sr., who recently retiredafter more than 31 years with the Mansfield Police Department.

-- approved the appointment of Russ White to fill an unexpired term on the city's utility appeals board.

-- approved a $1,200 payment to Michael Connolly for damage caused by sewer backups at his 48 N. Brookwood Way property in June and July of 2019.

-- approved demolition of dilapidated properties at 91 Lind Ave., 148 Willow St., 195 Sycamore St., 249 W. Fifth St., 345 Cedar St., 648 W. Fourth St. and 720 Burns St.

-- voted to accept $3,600 in donations for Cyclops Field, including $3,000 from Warren Rupp Inc., $500 from Larry Abrams and $100 from Skybox Packaging, LLC.

-- discussed in caucus the city's proposed 2020 final budget, which was the focus of a lengthy finance committee meeting on Monday night.Under state law, the budget must be adopted by the end of March.

-- heard an update from Public Works Director David Remy on the city-wide water meter replacement program. Remy said the mass replacement process should begin by mid-May. City residents will receive a booklet about the conversion later this month.

During the public participation portion of the meeting, Council heard from:

-- Kathleen Boyle, who repeated her request that the city construct a pavilion at Liberty Park that would allow senior citizens an indoor facility for events and gatherings.

--Jodie Perry,president & CEO ofRichland Area Chamber & Economic Development, who updated council on the countywide-branding campaign effort.

-- former 4th Ward CouncilmanWalden "Butch" Jefferson, who said he was concerned council members were losing losing their authority as an oversight group in allowing the mayor's administration to announce the Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center would be closing.

-- Geron Tate, president and CEO of G. Tate and Associates, an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment organization that has an office in Ocie Hill, who again expressed an interest in keeping the facility open. He invited council members to attend a public art event at Ocie Hill April 23 to 25 to learn more about what is going on at the center. He also urged city officials to talk to residents in the neighborhood to discuss what kind of programming they would like to see at the facility.

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Changes in Diamond St. 2-way conversion plan unveiled to Mansfield City Council - Richland Source

Evelyn Mae Boswell was reportedly last seen in December 2019. She was reported as a missing child on February 18. Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.Evelyn Mae Boswell the Tennessee toddler missing since December was born into chaos to a teen mom whose childhood had been marred by domestic violence, family upheaval and isolation, a Knox News investigation of court and public records shows.

Evelyn, a 15-month-old girl with wispy reddish-blonde hair and big blue eyes, remains nowhere to be found despite almost two weeks of intense media coverage across the nation of her reported disappearance. Authorities say she hasnt been seen since mid-December.

Evelyns mom, Megan Maggie Boswell, is now behind bars after an arrest warrant statedshe refusedto tell the truth about her babys whereabouts. Shes been spinning yarns the sheriff's office called them "inaccuracies" in television interviews, too.

Evelyns maternal grandmother, Angela Mae Boswell, was just released Friday from that same Sullivan County Jail, accused of fleeing town in a stolen car with a boyfriend after her ex-husband Evelyns grandfather reported the toddler missing Feb. 18.

And Evelyns grandfather, Tommy Boswell Sr., isnt talking publicly especially to journalists.

Background: Mom arrested, North Carolina pond searched: Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell still missing

Evelyn Boswell: Why did it take months to issue an Amber Alert for the missing Tennessee toddler?

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Youre all vultures, he told the USA TODAY Network's Knox News this week in an encounter at the Boswell family compound in the tiny town of Blountville where Evelyn once lived.

The Sullivan County Sheriffs Office has been working around the clock with help from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI to figure out where Evelyn is and, more importantly, whether shes safe and alive.

Sullivan Sheriff Jeff Cassidy and Captain Andy Seabolt said Evelyns mother's story has changed multiple times.Cassidy'sagency isnt saying much else, though. Search warrants have been obtained, authorities have confirmed, but remain sealed. Cassidy has said the agency remains hopeful the toddler is alive but has quashed the idea of citizen searches.

Knox News has been sifting through court and public records this week to glean a portrait of the Boswell clan into which Evelyn was born.

Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy gives an update on the case of 15-month-old Evelyn Boswell. Knoxville

Angela Boswell was just 16 when she gave birth to Tommy Boswell Sr.s first son Tommy Jr. in 1993. A background check shows Tommy racked up an assault charge in Sullivan County a few months after the boys birth, but the specific details on the arrest are no longer available. A Tennessee Bureau of Investigationreport shows he was convicted of misdemeanor assault a year later in that case.

The couple, records show, eventually moved to Bulls Gap, Tennessee. In March 2001, Angela Boswell gave birth to the couples second child Megan Boswell, Evelyns mother. Angela married Tommy Boswell Sr.a few months later.

By 2009, the couple was back in Sullivan County, settling the kids in a manufactured home atop a hill on a family-owned plot of land.

But there was little harmony inside those walls, court records show. In March of that year, Tommy Boswell Sr. told deputies his wife attacked him, stabbing his neck with an ink pen, and struggling with their then-14-year-old son, Tommy Jr., as he tried to rescue his dad.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation gives an update on the Amber Alert case of 15-month-old Evelyn Mae Boswell.(Photo: PKNS)

Months later, records show, an angry Tommy Boswell Sr., showed up at the home of his wifes father, David Lynn Jones. Jones would later tell authorities Tommy Boswell Sr.accused his son of theft and had been drinking when he sped away in his Chevy Camaro.

Less than three minutes later, Jones stated the power went off at his house, a warrant stated.

Angela Boswell was with Jones and claimed her husband called her minutes later to say hed crashed the Camaro and ran away. She initially told authorities she was driving but under prodding by Jones later insisted she lied to protect her husband, court records show.

Tommy Boswell Sr. refused to return to the crash scene but eventually paid a fine for leaving the scene of an accident.

Less than two years after that incident, Tommy Boswell Sr. was angry again this time because another man was inside his home with his wife, according to an affidavit of complaint.

It was a cold February morning in 2012 when Brandon Yates and Angela Boswell awakened to shouts from outside the Muddy Creek home in which they had been sleeping, court records stated.

Angela Boswell was naked and said she could hear her husbands truck and his voice outside. When Brandon Yates went to the door, the Boswells'son, Tommy Jr., threatened him with some type of wooden club and told him to come outside, arrest warrants state.

Yates did, heading down the steep driveway leading to the exit of the Boswell family compound.

Brandon said that he was about half way down the driveway to Muddy Creek Road when he observed a grey colored Chevrolet pickup truck with Tommys Paving on the side heading straight for him, the warrant states.

Brandon stated that he was in fear for his life, and he began running toward a fence that was in the yard, it continued. Brandon stated that he was unable to outrun the truck and was struck by the vehicle and was flipped over the hood and landed on the driveway.

He later told Sullivan County deputies Tommy Boswell Sr., his son and a third, unidentified man surrounded him, kicking and punching him, before he broke free and ran to a neighbors house for help.

When detectives called Tommy Boswell Sr., he confessed the three of us did work him over but hung up, a warrant stated. The two Boswell men Tommy Jr. was 19 by then were arrested.

Seventeen months later, a reunited Tommy Boswell Sr. and his wife celebrated the birth of another son, Elijah. Tommy Boswell Sr. and his son soon struck plea deals in the Yatesassault, garnering probation.

But it didnt take long for trouble to erupt once again in the Boswell home.

Angela Boswell filed for divorce from her husband in September 2014 two months before Elijahs first birthday. Megan Boswell was 13. She wanted custody of both. She got the divorce over with a year later in an agreed settlement entered at a hearing Tommy Boswell Sr. didnt attend.

A year later, the couple were celebrating another birth Charlotte Boswell. By the time Charlotte was 2 years old, the Boswells were again in turmoil, records show.

It was early fall of 2018 and the Boswells were separated again. Angela Boswell was shuffling the three children a pregnant Megan plus Elijah and Charlotte between the Muddy Creek compound, her fathers home in Kingsport and an apartment in Johnson City, records show.

Angela Boswell appears in Wilkes County District Court in Wilkesboro, N.C., for her extradition hearing on Monday, February 24, 2020.(Photo: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel )

Her drivers license was suspended. The tags on her car were expired. Police repeatedly stopped her, often finding her children unrestrained, records show. She was repeatedly jailed.

Tommy Boswell Sr. insisted she was endangering their children, including Megan, and asked a judge to award custody to him.

(Angela Boswell) is currently in jail, Tommy Boswell Sr. wrote in a petition for a restraining order against her. She has stated that she is out for blood and she will get revenge on me when she is released from jail.

I am in fear for myself and my children, Megan, Elijah and Charlotte Boswell, he wrote. She is using illegal drugs in front of our children. She is exposing our children to criminals.

Tommy Boswell Sr. won his request and moved the children back to Muddy Creek. Angela Boswell, nabbed trying to sneak stimulant pills into jail, was behind bars when Megan's baby Evelyn was born, records show.

Evelyns father, Ethan Perry, joined the military before she was born. So far, he has remained largely silent about her disappearance. There isnt much known about the relationship between Perry and Megan Boswell when it began and when it ended.

Photographs of Evelyn suggest she and her mom were living at the Boswell family compound with Megan Boswells two younger siblings at some point before she disappeared.

Tommy Boswell Sr. operates with Tommy Jr. a paving company from the compound, which now includes three manufactured homes, a double bay garage, a work shed and a stable of dump trucks, heavy equipment and personal vehicles. A Sullivan County Sheriff's Office captain says Elijah and Charlotte are living there now with Tommy Sr.

Angela Boswell was continuing to rack up arrests in 2019 for shoplifting and driving offenses. Sometimes, she told authorities she was living at Muddy Creek. Other times, she listed her fathers address or the Kingsport apartment.

Megan Boswell lamented in September 2019 in a Facebook post that her life was tough but Evelyn made it bearable.

I'm not the best mom in the world, but I try so hard for this little beauty, she wrote. I can't even explain the love I feel for her, and I know she loves me too. Lately my lifes been really sucky but she'll come reach for me and say mom mom and my heart melts and I'm reminded of her unconditional love.

You can say whatever you want about me being a young mom, but I promise you my life is so much better with this angel, she wrote. My life wasnt ruined when I had her, she gave me a purpose and a reason to wake up every day and to better myself. Theres no love like the love from your child!

Five months later, Megan Boswell hasn't explainedwhere her angel is.

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Missing Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell was born into family racked by chaos, violence - USA TODAY

Featuring original, architecturally integrated artwork, a recently-completed renovation project brings all of Yale Child Study Centers (YCSC) operations and staff together under one roof, in a setting that supports outpatient treatment and research related to childrens behavioral health.

Now occupying a 55,000-square-foot former telephone company building at 350 George Street in New Haven, CT, YCSC functions as the Department of Child Psychiatry for both Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine. Intensive-outpatient services are located on the first floor, patient care and family support services are located on the second floor, and administrative and research offices are on the third. The new facility consolidates all of YCSCs operations under one roof for the first time since it began serving children and their families in 1911.

YCSC research and services had been spread out over multiple New Haven locations, including Yale School of Medicine, said Svigals + Partners associate principal Lynn Brotman, NCIDQ, IIDA, who led the project. Adapting 350 George has produced a single facility to serve as a home for both treatment and study. Not only is this more user-friendly for patients and their families, it creates a supportive research and work environment that fosters collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas.

Svigals + Partners faced multiple challenges in delivering a healthcare facility capable of supporting YCSCs mission and range of services, particularly given the building was originally designed to support use by a telephone company. Miles of cables had to be removed, and the structure limited the architects options for where to raise ceiling heights. The buildings walls also severely limited the number and locations of windows that could be added to the faade.

Our strategy was to take advantage of any opportunity to make the building more human-centered, said Brotman. We allowed the existing architecture of 350 George to inform the programming and design solutions by locating the second floor waiting room and main street corridor in the spaces where the ceiling could be raised, and placing circulation in areas where the new window openings introduce natural daylight.

Because the new home for YCSC needed to be a suitable environment for staff, caregivers, and children of varying ages and behavioral needs, the design team incorporated themes, patterns, integrated artwork and wayfinding elements inspired by nature. Applying a core Svigals + Partners philosophy that informs the firms work in healthcare as well as workplace, institutional and residential projects, this biophilic approach similar to those shown in studies to produce positive behavioral changes is designed to instill a sense of calm and comfort.

For example, the stair leading up from the double-height lobby to the main waiting area features a colorful overhead sculptural installation curated by consultant Nancy Samotis of Art for Healing Environments, LLC, depicting a shimmering school of fish. For children and families arriving at 350 George the sculpture introduces the nature theme that continues throughout, while also encouraging use of the stairs instead of the elevator.

The waiting room features a palette of colors and finishes that subtly evoke the natural world, including a ceiling installation of white curvilinear acoustic panels hung below a blue ceiling to suggest the sky and a single overt gesture: a full-height tree sculpture composed of brown and green wood veneer and laminate that hides a structural column. Combined with natural wood-finished reading nooks and donated books, the waiting room was designed to relax, reduce stress, and welcome all into the healing environment.

The nature themes continue into the hallways, with wayfinding elements such as names for exam and treatment rooms like Forest A-227, and ornamental light-boxes in the hallways that reinforce the themes. Smaller family waiting rooms in treatment wings also feature thematic finishes, built-in banquettes, whimsical pouf seating, and patio furniture to emphasize the connection to the outdoors.

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Art, Light, And Nature Inspire New Home For Yale Child Study Center - Facility Executive Magazine

(Bloomberg) Singapore is chasing a new tagline: It now wants to be a City in Nature.

To do that, its planting 1 million trees over the next 10 years double the current pace as it prepares for a world that is getting hotter. To cool itself, the city-state is not only seeking shade from trees, but also cutting emission of hydrofluorocarbons by restricting the supply of refrigerators, air-conditioners and commercial water-cooled chillers that use the chemical from 2022.

Some forms of HFCs trap a much larger amount of heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said in Parliament Wednesday.

The newly announced plans come as Singapore readies a warchest of at least S$100 billion ($72 billion) to counter global warming and protect its coastlines against higher sea levels. The city-state has already been warming twice as quickly as the world average over the past six decades, according to the government weather service, and just notched its hottest decade on record.

Planting trees aside, it will also add 200 hectares of nature parks by 2030, two and a half times the size of the Botanic Gardens that has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said in Parliament Wednesday.

Over that same period, its also implementing species recovery plans for 70 more native and plant species, restore 30 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats and improve habitats in at least 50% of Singapores gardens, parks and streetscapes. We want to transform Singapore into a City in Nature to provide Singaporeans with a better quality of life, while co-existing with flora and fauna on this island, said Desmond Lee, the second minister for national development.

Read More: Singapore Prepares for a Far Hotter World Than Experts Predicted

With climate change seen as an existential threat, this is just Singapores latest attempt to counter what could become a crisis. It imposed a carbon tax and just days ago, it pledged to halve the amount of greenhouse gases it emits from an expected peak in 2030 within the following two decades.

The Southeast Asian nation expects the emissions ceiling to be 65 million tons of carbon dioxide around 2030. The plan is to cut that to 33 million tons by 2050. It has also set up a Coastal and Flood Protection Fund and plans to phase out vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2040.

Reducing emission of hydrofluorocarbons which could leak during installation, maintenance and disposal is a step toward that direction. As it moves to restrict products with that chemical, the government will provide grants for companies making an early switch to more climate-friendly commercial water-cooled chillers, Masagos said.

Halving its emissions may be an ambitious target given Singapore lacks alternative energy sources but, according to the minister, the city-state will continue to raise our ambitions.

Bloomberg.com

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Singapore to Target Air Conditioners That Make the World Hotter - Financial Post

in northeastern beijing, nearby the citys thriving 798 art zone, 123 architects has converted an old factory into a contemporary photography studio. the project, titled masquerade, respects the existing building fabric, while adding contemporary materials and architectural details in contrast to the original industrial feel of the factory.

the main faade

all images jin weiqi

the new program converted the first floor into a large double-height photography studio. on this level, there is also a welcoming entrance lobby and reception, and a bathroom and dining room. the second floor of the old factory has been transformed by 123 architects into a social activity and meeting space for VIPs, which includes a special VIP room and VIP bathroom.

first floor entrance lobby

the overall aesthetic of the renovation is described by the architect as rendering a surrealistic atmosphere. the design layers new elements within the backdrop of the industrial building, allowing visitors to see the past and present interlaced liked fingers. the interior has been envisioned to appear as an art gallery, one which stimulates the senses and invites people to explore the space and interact with one another.

first floor entrance lobby

the new faade makes reference to the existing structural framework with the use of brickwork, which speaks to the buildings former life as a factory. the organic surface curves away from the original elevation, creating space for a balcony at second floor level, and the arched elements forming a dialogue with the domed windows. the new faade is finished with silver paint, allowing the characteristics of the brick to be visible. in this way, the polished exterior already creates visual interest at street front, offering individuals visual cues of what they can expect on the interior.

first floor reception

the walls of the entrance lobby are vaulted, forming a domed space whose curved framework contrasts the existing industrial ceiling which is exposed above. their fluted surfaces reference the architectural details of classical columns. a bespoke star-shaped pendant light hangs from the centre of the lobby, anchoring the space. it provides a soft light that gently illuminates the interior, welcoming visitors into its warm, bright interior.

first floor photo studio

the reception area is a white room that complements the orange entrance lobby. it features a more restrained design composed of right angles and functions as a lounge. the photo studio is a more conventional design a white double-height space that visually and spatially connects with the balcony of the workspace on the second floor through arched cut-outs. curtains are used to divide the room offering functional flexibility that allows it to be used in tandem with the entrance lobby if required.

first floor bathroom

the dining area has been conceived to evoke the feeling of an exhibition space. lighting and mirrors are housed within classic picture frames, which are arranged along the walls, similar to an art gallery. a makeup room with a shower is located next door featuring classical details.

first floor dining

the entire second floor is dedicated to VIPs, with the primary program being that of a circular-shaped lounge. the walls are covered in a luxurious fabric that has been cut into bold graphic shapes. custom sofas that span the length of the room offer ample amounts of seating, while the eye is drawn upwards to an installation of convex traffic mirrors on the ceiling that form the focal point of the room.

second floor VIP floor

the second-floor VIP makeup room features lighting that dots the walls, like a constellation of stars. a built-in dressing table displays a scalloped edge that is reminiscent of a cloud formation, with the lighting fixture resembling a floating star, overall expressing an intergalactic minimalism.

second floor VIP room

next to the makeup room is a long, narrow, over-sized bathroom. the color and reflective qualities of silver serve as the inspiration for the room, with an installation of mirror balls above adding another dimension to the space. the silvery hue also relates to the new arched faade, effectively unifying the interior and exterior architectural expression.

second floor VIP bathroom

detail of the faade

diagram

project info:

project name: masquerade

location: beijing, china

architect: 123 architects

year: 2019

built area: 5167 ft2 (480 m2) / 2 floors

principal: kazushi miyamoto

project team: cao xiyangzi (project architect), aisha

contractor: beijing zhenbangyuanjing decoration engineering co., ltd

photography: jin weiqi

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readershere.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom

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123 architects applies arched silver faade to photography studio in beijing - Designboom

Inside the cavernous back room of Creative Arts Unlimited, an otherwise nondescript Pinellas Park warehouse with a 25-foot ceiling, creative director Roger Barganier is leading a walking tour of jigsaw puzzle pieces cut, lathed and polished wood, all shapes and sizes, stacked up neatly down each side of the corridor. Some are as tall as the building itself.

Here, Barganier indicates, are segments-in-progress of what will soon be some of the bay areas most visited hotspots: The J.C. Newman Cigar Factory in Ybor City (among other things, theyre building a customized, walk-in humidor), the new exhibit for Winter the dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, sconces, doorways, an art deco bar and faade pieces for St. Petes re-imagined State Theatre, fully articulated sections of the interior of Teaki, one of the new restaurants going up at the St. Pete Pier.

If you can dream it, Barganier likes to say, his company can make it. Creative Arts work is in museums, libraries, hospitals, retail and restaurants, theme parks and corporate centers all over the world. Its a full-service firm design, build and installation of public spaces. Conceptual spatial design.

The company has 25 full-time employees, from designers art school graduate-types, hunched over computers and drafting tables in the upstairs offices to the skilled fabricators, woodworkers and finishers on the workshop floor.

We have a great collection of cabinet builders and woodworkers here, because they dont want to build boxes and normal things, Barganier says gleefully. Theyre only here because they get to make weird stuff every day. Thats the draw.

Every project starts with Barganier, a 59-year old native of Mobile, Alabama, trained as an illustrator at the Ringling School of Design in Sarasota.

Spatial design, or experiential design, as its known in the business, is all about telling a story, he says.

When youre a book illustrator, your read the script, use your imagination, make your image. We do the same thing. The environment is our book.

So everything we do thats a visual tells a story it may be a sculpture, it may be woodworking, or a painting or something else and its not just graphics, its motion design, its digital maps, its holograms. The best thing that you can do is get this seamless environment thats all about your vision, and all about that story.

And for 20-plus years, some of the most compelling three-dimensional spatial storytelling has come out of this boxy green building three blocks west of U.S. 19.

We have a setup here where we can create all those pieces for that story, says Barganier. Weve got a very wide range of skills, so within that were not just one flavor. We can put many flavors into that space, telling that story.

Before the Grand Staircase crafted for the Titanic Museum in Tennessee, before the holographic shipboard pirates at the Tampa Bay History Center, before the countless number of nature center exhibits, themed restaurants and hospital education centers, there was Maas Brothers.

After his 1985 graduation from Ringling, Barganier whod been a professional artist even before he went to the creative college was snapped up by the Florida department store chain (more than 40 stores statewide) to create its visual merchandising. Thats when they did fun sales promotions, he recalls. Id do Valentines Day, Halloween and Christmas, and have all kind of manufacturing and collateral done.

Dreaming up and fabricating themed environments wasnt exactly what he had in mind when he first took up the brush and the pencil, but Barganier found that he liked the work. Nobody that I know in the art field starts out wanting to do what they wind up doing, he explains. Thats not how it works. With retail, once you got in the door and you saw it, then you saw all the potential for it.

I liked to sell things, I liked the drama and theatrics of a retail setting, I liked the corporate-ness of it. I have never not worked on major national accounts, from the time I was 22 years old.

In the 1980s and early 90s, he stresses, it was a different world. This was all pre-internet. They had big, glamourous department stores every city had its retail palace. And when I talk to my 22-year-olds here (at Creative Arts), they have no clue what any of that was. If you dont have it, you dont miss it.

When his employers (strongly) suggested he leave his home in St. Petersburg to be closer to their South Florida headquarters, Bargainer married with a child on the way balked.

Instead, he became art director for the St. Pete-based Creative Foam Designs, with whom hed often contracted for custom shapes and pieces. Creative design, he explains, was no longer the domain of department stores and theme restaurants. Museums, theme parks, corporate designers, even retailers went to each others trade shows and exchanged ideas. The lines between design types were blurring and merging.

He designed and built the retail stores adjacent to Walt Disney World rides, then did some work at the parks resorts. Universal Studios sought him out next, for movie launch events. And this led to work in New York, California and elsewhere.

I had learned, over seven years, to apply what I know to the country that was department stores. And that went into theme parks, then into museums, and it spread out after that.

In 1993, Creative Foam Designs became Creative Arts Unlimited. Barganier is creative director and president (he says his business partner, Chuck Stanmore, is the left brain of the operation).

As an artist, Bargainer says, the starting point for any job Creative Arts is hired to do remains the same: Its just like going back to the illustrator thing: What tells the story best? Thats why you choose what you choose. Weve got a very wide palette.

So when the client comes in, you listen, and theyll tell you everything you need to know. Even though they dont know they know it. When they describe who their audience is, who the visitor is, all that determines what it looks like.

Kevin Chadwick bought St. Petersburgs historic-but-crumbling State Theatre in 2018, and immediately set out to locate a designer who could bring what he envisioned a stylish, art deco theater to fruition.

We were doing our research and found this company, Creative Arts, Chadwick recalls. Had no idea that they were right here in Pinellas Park. We were looking at some projects they had done in New York, and Washington, D.C. I said Thats the quality of work Im looking for lets look them up and see where we can find them.

Chadwick was stunned, he explains, to discover that Creative Arts was literally in his own back yard. He reached out to Roger Bargainer.

He may be one of the most creative guys Ive ever met, Chadwick says. He walked through it and immediately started visualizing what it could look like. I told him I really wanted to do an authentic art deco theater that will stand the test of time. And he graciously said Im in. I get it, lets do it.

Bargainer, too, is enthused about the State Theatre project, which could no promises be ready for a late-spring unveiling.

It was never like an opulent, old art deco theater, ever, he says. I think this is going to be more in the realm of the niceness of the Tampa Theatre, but for St. Petersburg.

In a section of the big warehouse, he points to a palette of ornate wooden sconces, cut and polished into shapes that suggest an old-time, Hollywood-style nightclub. They have yet to be stained, painted or embellished in any way.

Theres a lot of nice stained dark wood art deco-type shapes in the new State Theatre, he explains. Their accent pieces, like the bar and the sconces, are very much in the traditional, classic art deco motif but not overpowering. Not as ornate as Tampa. But you dont need that. Its a lot cleaner.

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Roger Bargainers Creative Arts: Everything we do tells a story - St Pete Catalyst

The artist Ana Vizcarra Rankin is sitting under a blanket of stars. From her vantage point, she can see both Orion and the Southern Cross. Polaris shines from its position in Ursa Minor and in the distance, there are the twinkling lights of Mexico City.

The Philadelphia-based artist, who was born in Uruguay, can almost hear the constant fireworks exploding in the night sky from the festival celebrating the Lady of Guadalupe from her spot on a floor pillow in the upper-level of the gallery at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.

The blanket of stars above her is her piece Untitled Starmap (Mexico), which is part of Holding Space, an interactive installation, a mediation room with star art and pillows. Holding Space is part of Rankins Butterfly Effect exhibit, which runs at PCA&D through April 12.

By inviting people to gaze into the night sky of Mexico, she is playing with perspective. The viewer is in two places at once. Rankin is in Mexico in her mind and in Lancaster in her body. Rankin envisions the Holding Space as a place for students and visitors to let their thoughts drift.

Im a big advocate of just sitting around in the dark, Rankin says. Its super nice to sit outside and relax and not be staring at a screen. Enjoy the darkness, enjoy the silence.

The blanket of stars that hangs overheard on the gallerys ceiling represents the approximate location of the night sky from a trip Rankin and her husband took to Mexico. She made the work by sketching the night sky with her naked eye while in Mexico and using various star gazing apps to check her positions. Rankins work takes on vast subjects like the universe or the planet and makes them personal.

For instance, the night sky above her reminds her what she was looking at during her trip to Mexico. Constellations and single stars have long been used as a navigation tool. As an artist, Rankin uses the night skies to navigate her position in the world, as well as her memories and emotions.

Butterfly Effect features art based on star maps, world maps, changes in ocean temperatures, the amount of planes in a sky in a given location on a given moment in time and paintings of different nebulas. Theres plenty of room to think, explore and engender curiosity.

The Butterfly Effect is from chaos theory, Rankin says. Its this idea that a seemingly infinitesimal and inconsequential occurrence can affect its surroundings in ways that are extraordinary and supermassive. The guy that coined the term used as an example that a butterfly flapping its wings in the U.S. could cause a typhoon in the Pacific Ocean.

Rankin admits shes taken liberties with some of the scientific material, but shes allowed, she says. Shes an artist, not a scientist, and artists are allowed to be biased, she says.

One of her pieces, Warm Acid Bath, shows the change in ocean temperatures due to acidification.

These heat maps are all rainbow-colored, and I am particularly partial to the idea of the rainbow as a symbol of diversity and inclusiveness, Rankin says. Im using this imagery that is hopeful and positive even to indicate a lot of the things that are going wrong, because I think its not too late. I think we can dig ourselves out of this. Weve just got to plant more trees.

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She may be speaking as an artist and not a scientist, but shes about as close to a scientist as an artist can get. Her father is a professor of animal sciences and her mother a professor of literature.

Dinner conversations were like freewheeling lectures for Rankin and her family. There was often dry ice in the freezer. Rankin and her siblings would go to her fathers lab and gaze into the microscope at the tiny worlds on the slides. Her mothers influence drew her into making art about mythology.

I have always been an artist from when I could speak, Rankin says. Theres a little Super 8 film of me going Yo quiero ser una artista! My hands on hips saying I want to be an artist!

Rankin moved with her family from Uruguay to Oklahoma when she was 11. Later, she moved to Philadelphia and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Temple University and her Master of Fine Arts from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Her work in Butterfly Effect offers a chance to view our world through a different perspective. For example, her piece El Sur is an inverted world map.

You think about your position on the planet and if youre always on the bottom and suddenly it gets flipped, it changes the way you think of yourself and where you are with respect to the rest of the world, Rankin says. I mean, you have to think of the world in some way, and it makes sense to homogenize things to a certain degree, but I think theres a danger to this idea that everything has to be so standardized.

The standardization of things is something Rankin is obviously fond of playing with.

I think one of the biggest disservices we do to ourselves is this idea of standardization up to a point where you dont even know the questions you are not asking, Rankin says. The more you are bombarded by the same image over and over again, the less you even consider that an alternative is possible. So, as an agent of chaos, I can be like Hey, but what if, this were quote-unquote upside down. And its not even upside down. Theres no upside down in space.

Here she pauses.

Thats what I love about making this kind of art, Rankin says. Every day is like an existential conundrum.

What: Butterfly Effect.

Where: Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, 204 N Prince St.

When: Through April 12. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Cost: Free.

pcad.edu/gallery-exhibit/butterfly-effect-by-ana-vizcarra-rankin.

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Artist Ana Vizcarra explores a sense of being from a personal perspective and scientific observations - LancasterOnline

The five-star hotel is close enough for those all-important business meetings, but feels a satisfying world away when it's time to unwind

Apparently you should never mix business with pleasure however, a truly exceptional five-star hotel does exactly that.

The Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai is located at the edge of Dubais Downtown district and it does both rather well. Located just moments beyond the low-rise Arabian architecture of the areas exclusive Old Town neighbourhood, the hotel, which opened its doors just over two years ago, is close enough for access to those all-important meetings, with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) just a short taxi journey away.

And yet its setting, on the edge of the Dubai Water Canal, where joggers and cyclists breeze by without a single care in the world, appears a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

There is an air of calm as soon as you pass through the revolving doors, where you are greeted by an art installation of Dubais impressive skyline; a hand-blown chandelier lends the space an impressive majesty.

Locally inspired art features throughout reception and into the elevators, with natural wood finishes and Arabesque patterns offering a touch of style that references the local culture and artistic heritage.

The hotel is large enough to feel a sense of privacy, but intimate at the same time to experience the personal touch from staff. It boasts 166 king rooms and 65 suites including 32 corner suites, 15 deluxe, 13 executive suites, four VP suites and one presidential suite. The deluxe suite is huge at 65 square metres and the floor-to-ceiling windows offer stunning views. A striking feature is Picassos camel sketch above the bed, re-interpreted into a 3D iron rod sculpture, it brings a sense of personality and avoids the anonymity that often pervades even five-star hotel rooms.

For those looking to burn off some energy there is the option to use the hotel bicycles and join the cyclists around the canal, or visit the gym on the third floor, which boasts a selection of Technogym equipment, weights and striking images of Burj Khalifa.

Indulgence beckons at the Six Senses Spa which is located on level five and features six treatment suites that are each dedicated to a different sense skilled therapists will knead and massage away the last of your business traveller fatigue, instilling a sense of profound contentment and relaxation.

And in terms of food, there is more than enough to satisfy your appetite.

Enjoy the sunset view with live entertainment and shisha at Bhar, with flavours from Chef Mohanad Al Shamali and sample his trademark Black Cod Syadieh, as well as other creations such as Crispy Soft-Shell Crab Saj with garlic mayo and harissa and duck fat chips. Basta! the brainchild of celebrity chef David Myers, combines the feel of a Roman trattoria, Florentine steakhouse and Neapolitan pizzeria into one restaurant. The new brunch is another highlight.

The Renaissance is also home to Chef Masaharu Morimotos first UAE outpost of his famed-eponymous restaurant.

And then theres the signature restaurant, award-winning Bleu Blanc. A creation of Myers, it combines French chic with the warmth of a farmhouse and is considered something of a gastronomic destination by the citys food cognoscenti.

While its location on the edge of Business Bay leads one to conclude it is a business hotel, the truth is the property is much more. It ticks all the boxes in that respect, but also offers free shuttle services to Dubai Mall, Kite Beach and La Mer and it is just a five-minute walk to Downtown, the citys de facto entertainment and lifestyle centre.

Renaissance-hotels.marriott.com

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Combining business and pleasure at The Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai - ArabianBusiness.com

Beginning Thursday, tree removal work on Bridge Avenue will require the intermittent closure of Bridge Avenue to allow the safe removal of large trees, according to a press release. The tree removal contractor will work in the general area between Hawthorne Avenue and Marshall Street on Bridge Avenue.

The public is asked to honor the detour and follow the signed route to ensure the safety of both the public and the crew working on the trees.

The road closures will be lifted at the end of each working day so that Bridge Avenue is open to traffic in the evenings and overnight. The work will take about a week and half, weather permitting.

Anyone with questions about the closures or nature of the work can contact Phil Wacholz, assistant director of Public Works, at 507-377-4378.

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Tree removal work begins on part of Bridge Avenue - Albert Lea Tribune - Albert Lea Tribune

GENESEE COUNTY, MI The removal of trees as part of preparation for a road widening project will impact a section of Hill Road for several days.

The Genesee County Road Commission announced trees will be removed beginning Monday, March 2 in the right-of-way on Hill Road, between Saginaw and Center roads in Grand Blanc Township.

Daytime lane closures are scheduled from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 2 and Tuesday, March 3.

Motorists are advised to slow down and allow additional time to reach their destination.

The same portion of road will be fully closed to all thru traffic from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day beginning Wednesday, March 4 for approximately one week, per the county road commission.

Motorists will need to seek an alternate route.

Gerrad Godley, the county road commissions construction department manager, said the widening project is scheduled to begin in April and be completed by end of August.

He noted the work is being done as the portion of Hill Road is heavily traffic, a main thoroughfare for Grand Blanc Community Schools, two cemeteries in the area, and experiences a high volume of commuter traffic to and from Interstate 475.

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Tree removal to impact traffic along Hill Road in Grand Blanc area - MLive.com