Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

February 7 2020 @ 15:23 by Richard Dawson

Apex Wiring Solutions has recruited a team of industry specialists and invested over 500,000 in a creating a manufacturing facility for the Apex Core a central hub for a households heating, ventilation, electrical, communication and metering services.

The North East-based company, which claimed to revolutionise UK electrical installation is hoping to once again disrupt the construction industry with this new venture.

Key to this drive are prefabricated utility cupboards (PUCs), which are favoured in the construction sector because they arrive fully assembled and ready to install on site.

Apex directors, Mike and Dave Lewis, are creating the UKs largest PUC manufacturing facility at their base in Littleburn Industrial Estate, near Durham city centre.

Contracts and production managers James Moore and Paul Cooper, alongside production supervisor Kaspars Netlis, will oversee design, development and production of the new product.

The team have been recruited by Apex Wiring Solutions for their reputation for PUC innovation.

Company director, Dave Lewis, said: There are moments in industry when there are huge leaps forward in innovation. We saw that with modular wiring in the early 2000s and were seeing it now with these PUC units.

Modular solutions save developers time, reduce waste, cost less and are safe all things that are vital if the Government is to truly address the housing crisis and build more homes, particularly starter homes.

James, Paul and Kaspars have developed the technology. They have spent the last six years refining and perfecting PUC design and development, so when they became available it was a no-brainer for us to recruit them to lead this exciting project.

See the article here:
Apex Wiring Solutions invests in construction industry disruptor - Apex Core - North East Times

This is Part 3 of a 5-part series on the trucking tech shortage and the strategies to combat it. Read Part 1 on the overall issue here. Read Part 2 on youth outreach here.

At Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue in January, John Blodgett, vice president of sales and marketing of MacKay & Company, revealed a survey done by the consulting firm found fleets' top concern going into 2020 was the technician shortage.

He noted the issue "was not new, but is higher in the ranking from where it has been in the past."

Until recently, the industrial trade, like so many others, has only actively recruited men, which comprises a tad less than half the population. Anytime your choices are slashed in half, your quantity and quality are bound to suffer. So while engine complexity, wages, retirements and messaging are critical factors, the most logical area to address the truck tech shortage is where it has been most glaringly deficient: viewing women as viable workers on the shop floor.

By the industry not looking to hire more women, I think theyre missing out, quite honestly, said Tyson Sontag, a former TMC SuperTech winner and current high school diesel technology teacher..

In his classroom, which is at most 3 girls to 12 boys (usually less), he noticed some of the advantages women bring to the trade. He observed they were more detail-oriented, kept tidier work stations with parts sequenced, and while not as fast as the boys, their work is right the first time.

These are stereotypes traditionally associated with women, and even if not always true show how they could balance a shop floor. But its the negative tropes, such as women not being strong enough to do the job, that seem to keep most shops male-dominated.

Not every man, especially those whose bodies have seen decades of wear and tear, is strong enough to do every task by himself. This is where teamwork comes into play.

Theres always some young dumb lug trying to prove his strengthlet him pull the cylinder head, and let this girl take apart the dash and figure out why somethings not working, Sontag mused.

Its not the most politically correct response, but rings true. A woman, whatever her size, might not always be able to lift as much, but can carry just as much of the workload.

About an hour north, TLG Peterbilt-Joplin learned this, thanks to a tech named Aymee Cunningham, a petite woman who often heard customers question her value to the shop since 2011. She recalled how this all changed in 2014 via a YouTube video posted by the business. It started when a concrete pump truck had a check engine light pop on and interrupt pouring operations. No one from the OEM or Cummins could figure it out.

I decided I was going to make my own circuit for it, she explained, believing the wiring was too small to consistently handle the current.

I fixed it, she said, still visibly affected by the small victory for the shop and giant leap for her self-esteem. They havent had a lick of problems since.

That one moment was a game-changer for at least that one shop.

It was an eye-opener for everybody when she solved that, recalled general manager Roger Bartlett. It was a big deal and she gained a lot of respect.

Few women can command respect upon first walking through the garage door. Bonnie Greenwood is one.

While attending WyoTech in Laramie, Wyo., Greenwood became the first female champion of TMC FutureTech, the student version of SuperTech, in 2017.

Greenwood had a college degree (in wildlife biology) but decided shed rather be a grease monkey. She was hired almost immediately by FedEx Freight in Salt Lake City.

And the term grease monkey is somewhat of an anachronism, said Ellen Voie, founder and CEO of Women in Trucking, an advocacy group promoting female representation in the industry.

People have a misconception when you say diesel tech; theyre thinking that youre all greasy, Voie said. Sometimes that is still absolutely true, but you dont need to be six-foot-five and built like a gorilla.

These days theres no reason why women cant do the job, she said. Its not as physically demanding as it once was.

Maintaining trucks isn't always a dirty job, but sometimes it is, which is fine for Ryder Technical scholarship recipient Sabrina Depue, who fell in love with the diesel trade when she was young. "I didn't have the confidence I could do it even though I loved it, but I dove in head first and I have never looked back," she said.

But Voie questions if the industry is doing enough to let women know the trade has become more accessible. She also mentioned womens smaller hands are something of an advantage when working with wiring, and they can get to places many men cant without removing a ton of other components. Its not hard to imagine a giant master mechanic sheepishly asking the new female tech to unscrew a sensor deep within the labyrinth of pipes and hoses so he doesnt have to spend half a day disassembling it.

Perception is still the biggest challenge. Voie alluded to the infamous Snap-On Tool calendars of yesteryear featuring bikini models as a symbolic no girls allowed sign.

Its always been such a good ol boys network, she said. It takes time to realize they need to make changes.

Since 2016, Ryder has supplied 20 women with technical scholarships, up to $2,000 each, to aid in their education. Diesel mechanic school tuition costs around $4,000, according to alltrucking.com.

Ryder is taking the lead in drawing more women to the transportation industry, at a time when the industry needs to grow the pool of qualified diesel technicians and professional drivers, said Patrick Pendergast, vice president of recruiting services at Ryder.

Together with the Women In Trucking Foundation, we are able to make technical education more affordable for women who are striving to make a career in trucking a reality, he continued.

A best practice Roehl Transportation uses is showing trainers the movie North Country, where Charlize Therons character must assimilate into a coal mine, and discussing the movie afterwards.

It sensitizes them to what women are feeling and thinking when they enter a male environment, Voie said.

Any company wanting to address the issue must go all in, though, and be prepared for the challenges, she said.

To get to that point, Voie believed the way trucking markets these jobs must reverse course. [Some companies] just have this mindset that they think that a NASCAR car in their ad or a Dallas cheerleader is what people are looking for, she said. You just eliminated half the population because that doesnt attract women.

And if this is truly as critical a problem as everyone says, and its been going on for decades (as we spelled out in Part 1), its crazy not to at least try.

Read the original post:
How recruiting women can help defeat the tech shortage - Fleet Owner

The first draft of new electrical safety standards for the private rented sector (the Regulations) have now been laid before Parliament. The Regulations will impose new duties on landlords in relation to electrical installations with stringent penalties for non-compliance. The Regulations are due to apply to new tenancies from 1 July 2020 so those operating in the private rented sector should start planning ahead now.

When will the new law apply?

The Regulations are intended to apply to all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and to all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.

However, the Regulations will only apply to specified tenancies, meaning a tenancy where the tenant is permitted to occupy the property as their only or main residence in return for the payment of rent (which need not be market rent). This is a broad definition which catches more than just ASTs. Holiday lettings will not be covered by the definition and there are also some specific statutory exclusions. For example, the Regulations will not apply to social housing, where the landlord shares the accommodation, long leases, student halls of residence, hostels, care homes and tenancies relating to healthcare provision. These types of property will remain subject to the current regulatory requirements.

What is changing?

Landlords are already subject to regulatory requirements in relation to electrical safety. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to keep electrical installations in the property in good repair and proper working order. Local authorities have powers, through the Housing Act 2004, to take action where there are electrical hazards in a property posing a safety risk. All circuits in new or rewired homes would normally need to comply with the relevant parts of the Building Regulations. Five yearly electrical installation checks are mandatory but only for licensable Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

Under the new Regulations, landlords will have to ensure that:

The Regulations define electrical safety standards as being those set out in the 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations (published as BS 7671:2018) which came into force on 1 January 2019. Landlords should note that existing electrical installations installed before 1 January 2019 are very unlikely to comply with the 18th edition in every respect.

The electrical inspection must be carried out by a qualified person and the landlord must obtain a report. The Regulations simply define this as being someone who is competent but the government has previously indicated that it will produce new guidance setting out how landlords could determine competence.

Landlords must provide a copy of the inspection report to any new tenant before they occupy the property. Landlords must also provide a copy to any prospective tenant who requests it within 28 days of a written request from the prospective tenant. Landlords should therefore consider obtaining a report at an early stage (e.g. when preparing to market the property). The Regulations specifically state that landlords must keep a copy of the report until the date of the next inspection so landlords must ensure that their paperwork is in order.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

The local housing authority will be responsible for enforcing the regulations. Local authorities can request a copy of the electrical inspection report and landlords must supply it within 7 days of the request.

A local housing authority has a duty to serve a remedial notice (requiring the landlord to carry out works within 28 days) if it has reasonable grounds to believe that a private landlord is in breach of its duties under the Regulations. However, the Regulations do set out a procedure for landlords to make written representations against the notice. If the landlord fails to comply with a notice then the local authority can do the work itself and recover its costs. Landlords have a right to appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal against the costs recovery.

In dangerous situations requiring urgent remedial action, the local housing authority can arrange for an authorised person to take immediate action (subject to providing the tenant with at least 48 hours notice). Again, the local housing authority can apply to recover its costs in this situation.

In addition, local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to 30,000. The local authority can issue more than one penalty in the event of a continuing failure.

Landlords will already be aware of the requirements relating to gas safety certificates. Landlords are prevented from evicting a tenant using a Section 21 notice if the landlord failed to provide a copy of the gas safety certificate to the tenant prior to occupation. It is worth noting that that the penalties for failure to comply with the new electrical safety regulations are as set above and the ability to serve a Section 21 notice is not affected.

How much is this going to cost?

In the original consultation on this topic (2018), the government stated that they estimated that the average cost of an electrical safety check would be around 160 per property every five years. However, there is likely to be significant variation across the sector depending on portfolio size and geographic location. There will also be hidden costs such as those associated with researching and liaising with electrical testers, preparing the property and overseeing the checks, and one off familiarisation costs.

Action points

The Regulations are still in draft form so landlords should continue to monitor this topic. However, given the cross-party support for this initiative, the details are unlikely to change significantly. The changes also bring England into line with the mandatory requirements for electrical inspections that already apply in Scotland. Landlords may wish to start researching suitable electrical testers now so that they are ready to comply with the new Regulations in relation to new tenancies later this year. Landlords may consider reviewing their existing properties now in order to assess whether they comply with the electrical safety standards as defined in Regulations.

Landlords will no doubt want their electrical installations to be safe in order to ensure tenant safety and help prevent fires. For further clarification of how the new regime will operate in practice landlords should also review the governments guidance on the Regulations (when this is released).

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Landlords - something to spark your interest - Lexology

If your latest renovation project includes a new ceiling, don't panic at the thought of overhead drywall work. In the right situation, a suspended ceiling offers some real advantages over the permanent variety. First, ducts, pipes and cables hidden above a dropped ceiling remain accessible for repair or modification. And second, suspended ceilings are better sound barriers than drywall ceilings.

For the do-it-yourselfer, though, the real bonus is easy installation that requires only simple household tools. Comprised of a metal grid that supports lightweight panels, a suspended ceiling is well within the capabilities of most homeowners. If you're worried about the institutional look, drop-in ceiling panels have become more attractive in recent years, with a wide range of designs to choose from.

While suspended ceilings are not for everyone, or for every situation, they make a lot of sense in basements and in first-floor rooms with bathrooms overhead. If a leak appears in the overhead plumbing, a suspended ceiling can mean the difference between a costly, time-consuming repair job and a minor inconvenience.

All you need for a suspended ceiling is sufficient head clearance. Requirements vary, but most codes stipulate a minimum 7 1/2-ft. ceiling height in new construction. Some codes, however, will accommodate a lower ceiling height if it's part of a renovation project, so it pays to ask. You'll need roughly 4 in. of space between the old and new ceilings to tilt the panels in place, and an additional 2 in. if you intend to install drop-in, full-panel fluorescent ceiling lights.

We installed our suspended ceiling in a wood-frame drywalled room, though concrete or concrete-block basement walls wouldn't have changed the installation much. In this case, simply use masonry screws instead of nails to secure the perimeter molding that supports the ceiling at its edges.

Choosing a system

The installation steps vary from one manufacturer to the next, but not significantly. We chose an Armstrong Tegular Ceiling (Armstrong World Industries Inc., P.O. Box 173058, Denver, CO 90217). Tegular ceiling panels have a recessed flange that allows them to protrude below the grid roughly 1/4 in. While these panels are more attractive, they do require careful trimming when a smaller panel is needed.

Once you've chosen a ceiling package, give some thought to the grid layout. While home centers and retailers will be happy to work up a parts list, based on a scaled drawing of your space, you should have a general sense of how the components go together before getting started.

Typical systems have an L-shaped perimeter bracket, or molding, to support the suspended ceiling at the walls. From this molding, long stringers, called main runners, are installed every 4 ft. and run the length of the room. The ends of the main runners rest on the perimeter moldings and everything in between is suspended with wires secured to the joists above. Cross tees are installed across these runners at intervals of 24 in. This grid is all that's needed to support 2 x 4-ft. ceiling panels. With 2 x 2-ft. panels, an additional set of connectors divides each 2 x 4-ft. area.

The first step is to determine the maximum height of the new suspended ceiling. If you don't plan to install a drop-in fluorescent fixture, measure down about 4 in. from the existing ceiling joists and mark the wall. The 4-in. space is just enough to angle the tiles into place. (If you do plan to install a drop-in fixture, place the mark 6 in. from the joists.) At this mark, draw a line around three sides of the room using a 4-ft. level.

Measure down from the joists at several locations around the room to ensure that you'll have enough space above the panel grid at all points across the existing ceiling. If your ceiling joists don't lie on a level plane, make sure to measure down 4 in. from the lowest point on the lowest joist. When the three perimeter lines are level and at the correct height, connect them with a chalkline on the remaining wall.

With the perimeter established, locate the wall studs and nail the perimeter molding in place so that the top of the molding aligns with the perimeter lines. Use 6d nails and avoid scuffing the painted surface of the molding. Cut the molding to fit with tin snips. For long walls, butt the ends of two pieces of molding.

When you come to an inside corner, install the first length of molding tight against the corner and butt the second length against the first.

For outside corners, a mitered joint is more attractive. Using your tin snips, cut both moldings at a 45 degree angle and secure them in place with 6d nails.

With the perimeter molding in place, install the main runners perpendicular to the joists and 4 ft. apart. The trick here is to lay out the panel grid so that the ceiling appears balanced from side to side. Most rooms will accommodate a number of full-size panels plus an edge gap that will require partial panels.

Measure across the room parallel to the joists and divide by the panel length to get the number of full panels that will fit in the space. To determine the perimeter gap at each wall, subtract the sum of the panel lengths from the room dimension. If the gap is only 1 or 2 in. short of a full panel, you may be able to start against one side wall and continue across to the opposite wall with full-size panels. If the gap is anything less, it's best to divide it in two, placing half on each side. If the gap is 18 in. wide, for example, it will look better if both sides of the room have a 9-in.-wide row of partial panels. In this case, start your first main runner 9 in. from the wall, continue across the room with full panels, and end with a main runner 9 in. from the opposing wall.

A similar calculation should be made in the opposite direction. Here, intersecting members, called cross tees, are positioned in slots on each main runner. If you need to trim a few inches from the lead ends of the main runners to accommodate a row of partial panels, be sure to trim the same amount from each runner so that the cross tees will be parallel to the wall and the panel openings are square.

To install the main runners, measure out from the starting wall the determined gap distance and snap a chalkline across joists. Then, measure 4 ft. from this line and snap a second line. Repeat this procedure in 4-ft. increments until you reach the far wall.

To support the main runners, screw small eyebolts into every third joist along the chalklines. Then, fasten lengths of 16-gauge wire to each eyebolt. Twist the wire at least three times around itself at the top. Then, stretch string tightly across the room between perimeter moldings, about every 8 ft., so that the string is aligned with the bottoms of the molding. Use this string to level each main runner as you hang it from its wires.

Set the lead end of the runner on the perimeter molding and lower it until it touches the first string. Sight across the runner to determine where to bend the first wire support. Bend the wire, feed it through the nearest hole in the runner, bend it up and twist it at least three times.

Continue hanging the runners in this fashion until each is supported every 4 ft. If your room is longer than the runners, join them end to end, using the slots and tabs built into the ends of each.

Place an additional wire support near each of these joints. Trim the excess from the last length of runner with tin snips.

With the runners in place, tie them together with the cross tees spaced 2 ft. apart. The cross tees have a hook on each end that fits into a slot in the runners.

If the system you've chosen has 2 x 4-ft. panels, install the panels in the center of the grid now to help square the assembly. If your system has 2 x 2-ft. panels, install the 2-ft. connectors before moving on. These connectors parallel the runners and fit slots in the cross tees. With the 2-ft. connectors in place, install enough of the center panels to square the grid.

With the grid more or less square, cut and install pieces to connect the grid with the perimeter molding. Again, the factory ends hook into the runner and cross-tee slots while the cut ends rest on top of the perimeter molding.

If you plan to install a full-panel, drop-in fluorescent light fixture, you'll need to provide some protection for the wiring that extends between the the electrical box connected to a ceiling joist and the fixture. Codes will require that these wires be encased in flexible metal conduit.

Starting with the fixture, mount a 90degree conduit/box connector in one of the channel knockouts in the fixture. Then, feed three 14-gauge insulated wires (black, white and green) through a length of flexible conduit and into the channel box. Fasten the conduit in place by tightening the connector's set screw. Join these lead wires to the fixture's leads as you would normally, connecting like-colored wires.

Set the fixture in the grid in place of one of the panels, and connect the remaining end of the conduit to a blank, junction-box cover plate. Break the knockout from the plate and join it to the conduit with a standard box connector. Finish by making the wiring connections and fastening the plate to the box.

Heating ducts will also require special attention. In most cases, the job requires bringing the ductwork down to a level just above the top of the panel, cutting an opening in the panel and inserting a diffuser.

If your duct ends in a rectangular boot, make sure the boot has side tabs that will allow you to screw through the diffuser and panel and into tabs in the duct boot. This may require a bit of custom sheetmetal work on your part, but it won't need to be fancy.

If your ductwork ends in a downward facing elbow, or if you've had to bring your own duct to the room, you might opt for a round diffuser with adjustable output. These plastic or metal diffusers are sold at most home centers. Again, the trick is in bringing the duct to the panel.

To determine the best position, lay a level or a straightedge across the grid. Then, extend the duct down to a point just above the panel. You'll also need to frame a structural support across the joist space containing the duct so that it doesn't settle under its own weight.

With the duct ready, measure carefully from two sides of the grid and position the diffuser on the panel accordingly. Trace around the diffuser with a pencil and cut along this line to make the opening.

Finally, install the panel, push the diffuser into the duct and screw it to the duct by working through an adjacent opening in the grid.

When it comes to cutting panels to fill the smaller perimeter openings, always cut with the finished side of the panel facing up and always use a sharp utility knife. Avoid using power equipment--you'll create far too much cellulose dust and the job won't get done any faster.

Begin by measuring the grid opening and adding about 3/8 in. for the new flange. Slice through the panel completely, using several passes if needed.

To create a new tegular flange, lay the flange of a complete panel over the cut piece and scribe the new flange line.

Cut along this line, but only to half the panel's depth.

Then, lay the knife on its side and slice into the panel from its edge, at the same height as the factory flange. This will remove just enough material to produce a custom flange. Install the cut panel so the new, unpainted flange faces the wall.

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How To Install Suspended Ceiling Tiles Easily

The MAS-A100 Delivers Hands-free and Hassle-free Lectures and Presentations with Acoustic Feedback Prevention

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Sony Electronics Inc. today announced the U.S. launch of its new beamforming1 microphone, MAS-A100, providing enterprises an advanced audio solution to enable flexible and creative "hands-free" lectures and presentations.

Designed for a range of meeting, lecture and presentation environments, the ceiling-mount microphone offers advanced clear audio for both speech reinforcement and recording with a unique combination of beamforming technology and Intelligent Feedback Reducer function. The microphone has a dual-channel output for simultaneous recording that captures the speaker and student's/participants' voices.Together with the support for Dante2 and Power Over Ethernet (PoE) for easy installation, the MAS-A100will significantly improve the audio experience in education and corporate organizations.

Hands-free presentation with speech reinforcement The MAS-A100 achieves hands-free speech reinforcement without requiring hand-held or body-worn microphones and subsequent batteries or device management. This is enabled by a unique combination of beamforming technology and an original feature called Intelligent Feedback Reducer, which canextract speech soundwhile suppressing unwanted feedback with Sony high-performance digital signal processing. After capturing voice, the microphone's Automatic Gain Control function automatically adjusts the output volume to be consistent regardless of the presenter's location, making lectures and presentations easier to hear.

Wide-area recording with clear low-noise sound qualityThe beamforming microphone has dual-channel output that enables simultaneous speech reinforcement and recording. It covers a wide range and can record not only the speaker's voice, but also the students and participants. The microphone also has auto-noise reduction capabilities to minimize background sound from air conditioners and projectors, which makes it ideal for lecture capture and meeting recording.

Simple installation and management The microphone can be easily integrated into existing A/V setups and used with a wide range of products thanks to support of Dante, the digital audio-over-IP networking standard. The model also supports PoE, enabling installation and power management with a single network cable. The MAS-A100's unique Automatic Calibration function automatically optimizes the parameters of the audio processing for speech reinforcement by generating and capturing the test signal during the installation process. Sony's free-of-charge Microphone Array System Manager software (MASM-1) can help centralize configuration and management of multiple microphones in various rooms via an IP connection.

"Lectures, speeches, and corporate meetings can contain priceless wisdom. Yet, recording them has too often been mired by unintuitive, ineffective recording technology," said Theresa Alesso, Pro division president, Sony Electronics. "At Sony, we work in close cooperation with our customers and partners to address the real-life challenges they face every day. With the MAS-A100, we're offering our customers a powerful yet cost-effective solution that completely transforms the style of lecture and presentation. With its advanced speech reinforcement and clear audio recording features, we're setting a new benchmark for what organizations can expect from microphones."

Story continues

Derek Rabuck, IT Consultant and Project Manager at Rice University, is eager to test the new technology: "I heard the impressive Sony Beamforming Microphone prototype at InfoComm 2019, and I'm looking forward to hearing the final product. The hands-free, location-free features make it very appealing."

The beamforming microphone is expected to be available in spring 2020.

Recap of key features:

About Sony Electronics' Imaging Products and Solutions - AmericasSony Electronics' Imaging Productions and Solutions - Americas group develops and manufactures video and audio technologies and solutions for a range of professional applications. These include broadcast television and motion picture production, live event production, corporate presentations, meeting rooms, ENG/EFP, digital cinematography, and more. Sony professional technologies are used in market segments including media solutions, imaging solutions, education, corporate A/V, visual simulation and entertainment, theater, healthcare, and sports. Visitpro.sonyfor more information.

About Sony Electronics Inc.Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Corporation (Japan), one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming, robotics and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs. Visit http://www.sony.com/news for more information.

1: Beamforming is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception.2: Dante is trademark of Audinate Pty Ltd.

Sony logo (PRNewsFoto/Sony Electronics)

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Sony Launches IP-based Ceiling Beamforming Microphone with Speech Reinforcement and Clear Audio Recording - Yahoo Finance

Gray Area is a politically-minded nonprofit arts venue focused on dissolving boundaries between art and technology, performance and life. The End Of You, open through March 1, is an exemplar of their mission.

The immersive art exhibition, designed to take around an hour and experienced with a staggered stream of other people, is the product of 12 artists work in Gray Areas incubator, the Experiential Space Research Lab, a collaboration between Gray Area and Gaian Systems, a planetary cognition lab. Artists took leading roles on different installations. The result is a collection that functions as a chaotic, yet cohesive, whole exploring humanitys abusive and inextricable relationship with the environment.

When you first enter, there is no clear path to follow, no indication of what you can and cant touch. Theres information availablea fold-out pamphlet distributed at the door, a seated exhibition guide to answer questionsbut the power of The End of You comes from the process and uncertainty of slowly discovering the space and unraveling your relationship and responsibility to nature through it.

Your first or last stop in the exhibition is likely the RegisTree, by lead artist Romie Littrell, a mutated bio-abstraction of a tree set off from the other two rooms. The RegisTree provides a photo of yourself blended with your choice of microscopic matter, a fun visual kickoff or cap-off that makes the overarching theme of the journey explicit. Past the tree, you find The Room of Revelations, by lead artist Kelly Skye, which is small and sterile, featuring a bizarre but entrancing mix of animal portraits, floating video panels with flowing images of wilderness, and printed legal news of efforts and successes to win protections and personhood for nature.

The main room begins with The Luxuriant Prolific Undying, by lead artist Yulia Pinkusevich, a slice of white-rock shore beneath red, fruit-like orbs hanging from the ceiling. Its an otherworldly surface with two hunks of tree and roots suspended in the air. Grab a headset and sit down on a shaved stump, run the salt rocks through your fingers, and gaze out on the twisted colors and hallucinatory imagery of The Uncanny Forest, by lead artist Stephen Standridge. Experience large panels of abstract, psychedelic color like flowing lava. Youre led on a quasi-meditation by a strange ethereal voice, Thoughts do not exist without bacteria. The voice is omniscient and judgmental but nurturing. Were reminded of our stardust beginnings, invited to re-examine the wasteful reality we participate in, and then are offered the freeing solace of considering our ultimate insignificance in the history of the universe.

The Luxuriant Prolific Undying. Photo by Naveed Ahmad for Gray Area.

On the other side of the room The Archive of Human Nature, by lead artists Celeste Martore and Jonathon Keats, is a collection of tagged inventory from the whole spectrum of human usagefrom moisturizers to mopeds to presidential campaign buttons, there are a playground-sized childrens slide and an aluminum duct hanging from the ceiling, everything open for touch and examination. There is a messy but eerily stark quality to their arrangement, the products we live by separated from their context and power.

After considering our cosmic origins and viewing the refuse of our daily life, we turn to absorb the horrors of active, specific environmental injustices. This Hammer by lead artists Kevin Bernard Moultrie Daye, is a smaller and more personal installation, but no less abstract. It explores the botched cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard Superfund site. Dangling from the ceiling are flickering tubes of large rolled-up newspaper headlines from the San Francisco Bayview, unheeded warnings and coverage of the fraudulent cleanup. The installation conveys a murder-scene feel, flashing emergency lights, the ghosts of marginalized human lives and poisoned nature.

Terminal Blurring by lead artist Orestis Herodotou is experienced by lying under a patchwork tent of connected triangles displaying organic textures, from recognizable foliage to spores of inverted colors all running and cycling at different speeds. Once the novelty of lying on the floor watching trippy images fades, the videos begin to hypnotize and disorient as you lose yourself in their seemingly endless loop.

Termina lBlurring. Photo by Beth LaBerge for Gray Area

At the end of the main room, the final installation An Immersive Game of Life, by lead artist Stephanie Andrews, is modeled after Conways Game of Life, a game from the seventies created by Mathematician John Horton Conway in which a player selects a formation of cells and watches without further input as they grow and evolveillustrating how complex systems can develop from simple rules.

In the modern interpretation of the game, one stands in an empty U-shaped space, surrounded and grounded in a projected world. Youre small, looking up at fungi of varying heights, scattered patches of digital plant growth. The landscape reacts to people and configurationsmore people and movement and the growth emerges, existing life twitches to new heights, weather changes, colors grow more vibrant. When theres too many people, the ecosystem is overwhelmed, it darkens, life recedes. The balance of this system is not readily apparent and its tellingly difficult to understand your role and impact. For the installation and for our planet, a little patience and self-reflection is essential.

Artists Featured: Brenda (Bz) Zhang, Celeste Martore, Jonathon Keats, Kelly Skye, Kevin Bernard Moultrie Daye, Orestis Herodotou, Rena Tom, Romie Littrell, Stephanie Andrews, Stephen Standridge, Yulia Pinkusevich

Dates: Now March 1, 2020Location: Gray Area at 2665 Mission StreetSocial Media Tags: @grayareaorg @endofyou.io #endofyou

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12 artists collaborate at Gray Area to immerse you in the environment - Mission Local

The art world descends on Tinseltown this week as the sophomore edition of Frieze Los Angeles gets underway. Local galleries and museums have pulled out all the stops to capture visitors attention. But sinceFrieze, Felix, and other LA fairs are arguably the center of it all this week, here is our guide to how to navigate them. Good news for those of you who dont want to spend all your art-buying money on Uber: This time around, the fairs are more concentrated and easier to travel between now that the Art Los Angeles Contemporary has moved to Hollywood from Barker Hangar. Happy fairgoing.

Gretchen Andrews Frieze Los Angeles information guide. Courtesy of the artist.

When: February 1316;Thursday, February 13, preview,invitation only; Friday, February 14, preview, check ticket and invitation time; Saturday, February 15, 11 a.m.7 p.m.;Sunday, February 16, 11 a.m. 6 p.m.

Where: Paramount Pictures Studio

What to Know: The second edition of the anchor fair, which attracted considerable buzz (not to mention celebrity cameos) in 2019, features 70 international exhibitors, making it considerably more manageable than the sprawling New York or London editions.This year, the fair boasts anew curated sectiondedicated to emerging art spaces in LA and new curatorsforFrieze Projects, which returns to transformthe Paramount backlot into an outdoor artistic showcase.

On the backlot, keep an eye out for a collective dance performance fromBlack Lives Matterco-founder and artistPatrisse Cullors thatinvites visitors to participate and reclaim time, space, andenergy, according to organizers. Other anticipated projects include those byLorna Simpson,Jibade-Khalil Huffman,andGary Simmons. Inside the fair, highlights include new paintings by art star Avery Singer at Hauser & Wirth and an immersive LED ceiling installation by James Turrell presented by Pace and Kayne Griffin Corcoran.

Tickets:Admission to Frieze LA is not for everyone. Tickets to the Friday preview range from $500 (including a curated tour, magazine, and tote bag) to $175; general admission on Saturday or Sunday is $125. Tickets to view the special programs only (outside the tent) are $60 on Friday and $25 over the weekend.

Coady Brown, Spellbound. Image courtesy 1969 Gallery, New York.

When:February 1316; Thursday, February13, opening reception, 6 p.m.9 p.m.; Friday, February 14, 11 a.m.7 p.m.; Saturday, February15, 11 a.m.7 p.m.;Sunday, February16, 11 a.m.6 p.m.

Where:Hollywood Athletic Club,6525 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood

What to Know:After years on the far west side of the city at Santa Monicas Barker Hanger, the11thedition of the long-running Art Los Angeles Contemporary fair is relocating to the historic Hollywood Athletic Clubon Sunset Boulevard. Although it has lost a number of heavy-hitting exhibitors since the arrival of Frieze LA, such as David Kordansky Gallery andSusanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, this years lineup boasts50 exhibitors from 11 countries, including New Yorks the Hole and Los Angeless Luis De Jesus. The fair will also hostindependent publishers, special projects, and on-site artist interventions.

Keep an eye out for a project by Gozi Ojini presented by Court Space, a curatorial platform that pops up at Los Angeless public and private sports courts. Ojini will present installations and sculptures made from repurposed sports equipment, referencing the athletic history of the Club.

Tickets:$25 for a one-day pass; $30 for a three-day pass; $65 for opening night

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Courtesy of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

When:February 1316;Thursday, February 13, 11 a.m.6 p.m., preview by invitation only; 6 p.m.8 p.m., public preview;Friday, February 14, and Saturday, February 15, 11 a.m.8 p.m.; Sunday, February 16, 11 a.m.4 p.m.

Where: The Hollywood Roosevelt, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles

What to Know:If Frieze LA is the art-fair equivalent of the Oscars, Felix is the Independent Spirit Awards. The hip hotel fair, now in its sophomore year, was founded by collector and television mogul Dean Valentine with art dealers Mills Morn and Al Morn of Morn Morn gallery. Taking inspiration from the historic Gramercy International Fair, which kicked off the art-fair phenomenon in the mid-1990s, Felix invites dealers to set up shop in individual hotel rooms. This years edition will feature 60 exhibitors fromChina, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Poland, and the UK, bringing back a majority of last years galleries and welcoming 25 new ones.

This time around, the fair has tweaked its structure to avoid overcrowding near the entrance, which frustrated some visitors during its debut. Felix is also hosting a series of special projects organized byWilliam J. Simmonsthat will appear in the lobby, ballroom, and outdoor bungalows. Highlights include a display of work by Judy Chicago selected by TV producer Jill Soloway and a video by Martha Wilson that shows the artist gradually transforming into Melania Trump.

Tickets:$25

Spring Break LA. Courtesy of the fair.

When: February 1416; Friday, February 14, 11 a.m.4 p.m., press preview and VIP afternoon first look, 4 p.m.9 p.m., VIP opening night; Saturday, February 15, 11 a.m.9 p.m.; Sunday, February 16, 11 a.m.7 p.m.

Where:Skylight ROW DTLA,757 S Alameda Street, Downtown Los Angeles

What to Know:You can expect a freewheeling, immersive experience at this fair, which was founded in New York in 2012 but expanded to LA last year to coincide with Frieze. As in New York, the LA version offers curators a free space to exhibit inside a disused urban building. (Transactions take place online through the Spring/Break site, which takes a final cut from the sales.) This years fair hosts 45 nearly exclusively Los Angeles-based artists, curators, and artist-run spaces, all responding to the fairs 2020 theme, In Excess. By keeping overhead costs for participants low, the fair hopes to encourage experimentation, meaning you are more likely to see an ambitious installation or new media work at Spring/Break than at some of the weeks other fairs.

Tickets:$2550

A visitor interacting with Camile Magrane. Image courtesy stARTup Art Fair.

When:February 1416; Friday, February 14, 7 p.m.10 p.m., opening night party; Saturday, February 15, 12 p.m.9 p.m.; Sunday, February 16, 12 p.m.7 p.m.

Where: The Kinney, 737 West Washington Boulevard, Venice Beach

What to Know:The opening night party is open to anyone with a general admission ticket ($15 in advance and $20 at the door). The scrappy fair hosts more than 80 artists who will transform the rooms and grounds of the Kinney Hotel in Venice Beach with painting, photography, sculpture, and installation. In addition to unrepresented artists, fair organizers give free exhibition space to local community nonprofits who show their art in hotel rooms or hallways, includingArt Share LA, theLos Angeles Center of Photography,the Los Angeles Art Association, and theLos Angeles Childrens Project.

Tickets:$10100

Image via Art Palm Springs.com

When: February 1317; Thursday, February 13, 5 p.m.9 p.m., opening night preview, VIP ticket holders only; Friday, February 14, 11 a.m.7 p.m.; Saturday, February 15, and Sunday, February 16, 11 a.m.6 p.m.;Monday, February 17, 12 p.m.5 p.m.

Where: Palm Springs Convention Center,277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs

What to Know: If you are looking to take a trip to the desert before or after Frieze Week, but cant stand to be too far away from an art fair, Art Palm Springs is for you.The ninth edition of the fair, which coincides with Palm Springs renowned Modernism Week, brings together 70 international art dealers with an emphasis on American art.Eckert Fine Art, which presents work from founder Jane Coats Eckerts collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art, is bringing works by Alexander Calder, while Swiss gallery Imago Art will present Cy Twomblys mixed-media piece Untitled (La Compositioni) (1964) from the collection of Baron Giorgio Franchetti.

Tickets:$25 for a day pass; $100 for the VIP preview plus a four-day pass

Link:
Heres Your Go-To Guide to All the Fairs Taking Place in Los Angeles During Frieze Week 2020 - artnet News

SnapAV just announced the Signature by Episode custom install speaker line. Signature by Episode offers 32 models across three series, one and two-step installation options, with seven optional cradle accessories that can be paired with pre-construction brackets, back boxes, and a plethora of grille options. The Signature by Episode 3 Series models feature polypropylene woofers and silk dome tweeters for all-purpose performance. Models in the Signature 5 Series are a step up and feature polypropylene woofers and adjustable silk dome tweeters, both with vacuum-deposited titanium for added performance. The Signature 7 Series features honeycomb fiberglass Nomex woofers and pure titanium tweeters for discerning listeners.

Crafted with premium components and tuned based on the sound principles of the National Research Council (NRC), Signature by Episode delivers lifelike sound that does not cause listener fatigue while providing more bass extension, and the ability to be played at louder volumes without distortion. Signature by Episode also gives integrators a completely tool-less speaker solution with Push Lock by Swarm technology, securing in-wall and in-ceiling speakers with the simple push of a button. And, for more challenging installations involving uneven sheetrock or popcorn ceilings, the dog ears can be cinched an additional 6 millimeters to ensure a perfect fit.

The Signature by Episode 3 Series starts at 195 or 225, Signature 5 Series starts at 260 or 300 and the Signature 7 Series starts at 345 or 400.

More information on the Signature by Episode 3 Series is here.

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SnapAV to Release the Signature by Episode Custom Install Speaker... - rAVe [PUBS]

The curtain wall is steadily rising up1059 Third Avenue, a 481-foot-tall mixed-use tower on the Upper East Side.Designed byManuel Glas Architectsand developed byReal Estate InverlandandThird Palm Capital, the slender reinforced concrete superstructure topped out at 30 stories andwill yield a total of 127,000 square feet. The development will contain 38 condominiums spread across 103,900 square feet, averaging around 2,740 square feet apiece.

Photos from street level show the state of progress. It is likely that the exterior could be completed by the end of 2020.

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

The first large sections of continuous floor-to-ceiling glass have been installed on the top floors of the northern elevation.

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

More work on the southern elevation is needed. Several balconies hang over the side and will give residents views of Central Park and the Midtown skyline.

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

Meanwhile on the wide northern profile, the metal frames that will hold up the panels in between the tight grid of rectangular windows are mostly in place.

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

The columns and edges of each floor plate have been painted gray.

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

Installation has yet to begin on the curtain wall on the ground floor and first several stories of the podium.

1059 Third Avenue, photo by Michael Young

The residences begin on the sixth story and go all the way to the top of the building. Some will have private outdoor terraces. The development will also contain 7,100 square feet of office space on the second floor and a hospital facility measuring around 9,700 square feet on the third and fourth floors. Amenities include a fitness center, a spa, and a residential lounge. The closest subway is the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station, serviced by the Q and F trains. Also nearby are the 4, 5, and 6 trains at the 59th Street-Lexington Avenue station by the Bloomingdales flagship store. Central Park is four avenues to the northwest, while access to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is three streets to the south going along 59th Street.

So far, YIMBY has not heard of an official completion date for 1059 Third Avenue, though sometime in 2021 may be a safe estimate.

Subscribeto YIMBYs daily e-mailFollowthe YIMBYgram for real-time photo updatesLikeYIMBY on FacebookFollowYIMBYs Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews

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Curtain Wall Continues to Ascend at 1059 Third Avenue on the Upper East Side - New York YIMBY

"Submerge" installation at Artechouse, New York. Photography by Alkenz.

Calling all influencers: Pantone and New York art space Artechouse have teamed up on an immersive, eye-popping installation to kick off New York Fashion Week. The exhibit, named "Submerge," does feel a bit like taking an underwater plunge thanks to 17 projectors affixed to the ceiling. Together, these transform the enormous room into a canvas for shimmering animations celebrating "Classic Blue," the Pantone 2020 Color of the Year.

It's the second-ever exhibition at the multimedia artvenue, which opened last September in the former boiler room of Chelsea Market.This particular space, with its past life on display in a labyrinth of overhead ductwork, follows two other Artechouse locationsone in Washington D.C., the other in Miamiin what has become something of a chain. Since the D.C. location opened in 2017, Artechouse hasshownrenowned media artists and collectives likeRefik Anadol, National Cherry Blossom Festival, and Rhizomatiks.For this show, the venue and Pantone called in Mexico Citycreative collective INTUS Interactive Design to create the audiovisual experience.

"At Artechouse, we try to connect audiences to art in an entirely new way," says Sandro Kereselidze, art founder and chief creative officer at Artechouse. "Just as musicians use the notes to evoke feelings, we as artists use color to affect the psyche and elicit powerful emotions."

Continue for more photos of the installation, open to the public through February 23.

Read next: Classic Blue is Pantone's 2020 Color of the Year

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Pantone and Artechouse Kick Off New York Fashion Week with Immersive Installation - Interior Design