Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Mayor Kennedy Stewart and Housing Minister Selina Robinson refuse to predict whether the citys annual homeless count in March will show an increase or decrease in the number of people living without a home.

But both politicians say they are working together to secure land, build more homes and find housing for the citys homeless, including having 3,500 new homes underway or completed in Vancouver since 2017.

Their efforts come despite more than 2,220 people counted last March as homeless in Vancouver. It was the biggest population recorded since counts began in Vancouver more than a decade ago.

I dont know that weve turned the corner yet, said Robinson, when asked by the Courier at a news conference Monday about what the numbers will reveal after the citys homeless count this year.

Stewart wouldnt speculate whether this years homeless population will see a dramatic shift either way in the numbers. But the mayor urged the federal government to fulfill its promise to reduce chronic homelessness in Canada by 50 per cent by 2027.

The federal government really has to do more, he said, noting hes made that clear with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The mayor, however, admitted the city fell short of its rental housing targets last year, particularly the type of housing affordable to lower to middle-income people.

Stewart had also hoped last year's addition of temporary modular housing sites for homeless people would see a drop in homelessness, but it didn't.

Stewart and Robinson made those comments at a news conference to kick off construction of a 102-unit affordable rental home project on Southwest Marine Drive, near Ontario Street.

The project will see 20 homes go to people with annual incomes of no more than $26,000 per year. Another 51 homes will go to households who earn $25,000 to $73,000 and 31 homes to households with incomes of up to $113,000.

The New Chelsea Society will manage the 102 homes, which will be spread over two six-storey buildings, with studios and one, two and three bedroom homes targeted to families and seniors.

The provincial government is funding the project and the city donated the land, which used to be residential property. The land is worth about $22.7 million.

Robinson said such a project helps reduce homelessness by adding more housing for people currently in supportive housing which, in turn, opens up space for people living on the street.

Supportive housing is housing that gives tenants access to health care and counselling as they stabilize from a life lived on the street, or in other precarious living conditions.

The minister used her opening remarks to criticize the previous Liberal government and accused them of ignoring the housing crisis and as a result, they were leaving people behind.

Homeless count statistics show there were 1,364 people counted in 2005. That statistic rose to 2,223 people in last Marchs count.

Robinson said it was important to understand the state of homelessness in B.C. when the NDP-led government took power in 2017.

She pointed out the governments temporary modular housing program, which saw 605 units built in Vancouver, eliminated the Sugar mountain homeless camp in the Downtown Eastside.

The program had the same effect in other parts of the province, including in Surrey, where a strip in Whalley was notorious for homelessness and drug use.

Weve made significant inroads and theres more to do, which is why our government is committed to building thousands more of the modular supportive housing, Robinson said.

The mayor, meanwhile, said he will travel to Ottawa next month to continue lobbying the federal government for more housing money and to respond aggressively to the opioid crisis.

The high price of housing coupled with the fentanyl crisis, he said, is creating a deadly combination for the citys most vulnerable. The mayor continues to push for a safe supply drug program for chronic drug users.

Im being listened to, Im getting the meetings, Im getting the calls, Im getting the visits, Stewart said. That makes me feel like were very close.

mhowell@vancourier.com

@Howellings

The rest is here:
Vancouver mayor, housing minister won't predict this year's homeless population - Vancouver Courier

Whilst the extraction of marble itself is fraught with its own environmental issues, one studio is looking to ensure each and every slab is being used to its full potential. Salvaging off-cuts, discarded and imperfect slabs from construction sites, factories and homes around London, Marble.Partners are bringing a circular mindset to an industry where waste has previously been left unused.

Marble mining can be very damaging to its surrounding environment often causing an extensive accumulation of Calcium and Magnesium compounds in the soils, sediments, water and vegetations within the area as well as being a non-renewable resource. However, while it is still being utilised within interior design and construction, it is important to ensure we are getting the most usage from each slab reducing the need as much as possible for new marble.

Sculpture pieces by Marble.Partners who salvage off-cuts from construction sites and factories ... [+] around London.

Celebrating imperfections as part of the story from each piece, they bring together a patchwork design to tabletops, art pieces and sculptural forms. Founded in 2018 by partners Mia Castenskjold and Stefan Zschernitz and their co-founder, sculptor Klaus Weiskopf, the team were driven by a personal endeavour when looking for a dining table for their own home. They realised large marble tables were extremely expensive and the cost of moving them between locations was often a logistical nightmare.

Klaus Weiskopf, Stefan Zschernitz and Mia Castenskjold - founders of Marble.Partners.

After researching into the industry further and witnessing the waste from each factory they came into contact with, they realised improvements needed to be made. Each piece they create is designed with functionality in mind and tabletops are split into modular sections to ensure transportation is as convenient as possible.

With a long-term desire to work with quarries at source, where most of the wastage occurs, the studio decided to start in London focusing on the waste they could get their hands on easily. Building direct relationships with nearby factories, they began creating a range of show-stopping designs with a signature patchwork aesthetic made up of various off-cuts.

Modular candlesticks and vases are created with the off-cuts from their own studio too.

Giving each slab they find a new lease of life, regardless of its condition, Castenskjold states they like to celebrate the diversity found in the varieties of marble used. With Weiskopf bringing his talent to the workshop, they also create sculptural art pieces alongside the furniture designs. Over the past year the team have put a huge effort to ensure their own production produces as minimal waste as possible. Their own offcuts are hand-crafted into bespoke candlesticks and vases as well as looking into ways to reintroduce the marble dust into the production cycle. This mindset is allowing them to think outside the box and brings a fresh perspective to the industry, which others need to take note of.

Their signature patchwork aesthetic celebrates the diversity and imperfections found in different ... [+] varieties of the salvaged stone.

Looking forward further into 2020, Castenskjold is excited about what the future holds. Disrupting an age-old industry is a challenge, when altering mindsets steeped in tradition, but they are positive that change can take place. 2019 was spent on investigating, prototyping and identifying where we can make a difference. states Castenskjold, This year we are launching our first functional art exhibition in March, so we are currently deep in production. At the end of last year, the studio completed a prototype of a chair for client which encouraged their bigger mission to create functional art pieces. We didnt envision the chair to be particularly comfortable, Castenskjold continues, but it actually turned out to be a lot more functional than we had predicted.

This functional art piece was created by the studio for a client last year.

While sustainability is strong part of their ethos, the team explain how they want to remain known for the beautiful work they create with the focus on reducing waste being an inherent function of the studio. They are extremely conscious to ensure each aspect of the business represents their values and they have been working closely with a hemp farm (Margent Farm) to develop packaging using the natural material. While still early in the development stages, the team say the journey has been very inspiring so far with a strong desire to set new boundaries within the furniture logistics sector.

The team's meticulous attention to detail ensures each off-cut stands out but complements those ... [+] around, creating a narrative which users can connect with.

The merging of sustainability as an inherent mindset within the brand, with the aesthetic of each piece taking centre stage, is key for designers who want to succeed. Producing an end result for clients which is of incomparable beauty and quality ensures the desire for each piece is maintained, while the conscious production of it underlies each design as a crucial but subliminal message.

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The London Design Studio Making The Most Of Marble Waste - Forbes

Talk about eco homes and some may expect to see unusual designs and baffling heating systems. But the reality is quite different. We take a look at some of Nottinghams greener homes

When The Hockerton Housing Project started life nearly 25 years ago the techniques they were using in their earth sheltered homes on the outskirts of Southwell were ground-breaking - installing wind turbines, solar PVs, recycling waste material.

It may have taken many years, but the systems and principles of the project - building homes that use minimal energy and have little environmental impact - are finally spreading.

Private owners, builders and councils around the country are adopting various eco measures for some of their latest projects. Air and ground source heat pumps, high levels of insulation and solar panels are just some of the features that are now increasingly being used in Nottinghamshire homes.

The City Council has already installed solar panels on more than 4,000 council houses and has plans to roll-out the pioneering Dutch housing system, Energiesprong, to create net zero carbon homes. The plan proposes to make use of untapped heat from water in disused local mines, look into ways to ensure new buildings have sustainability features and aims for high energy efficiency standards for homes on council land.

While the council has its sights on tackling climate change - based on its pilot scheme in Sneinton of 10 refurbished homes - over at Blueprints Trent Basin site, private ownership low energy homes are being built alongside a Community Energy project - a pioneering renewable energy storage system.

The project team, which includes a large consortium headed by the University of Nottingham, created what is the largest Tesla community battery in Europe and the first in the UK.

The responsible developer anticipates using other technologies in its forthcoming project, The Elms, where it aims to include air source heat pumps (a heating system that draws warmth from the air). The firm is also currently researching the possibility and feasibility of building Carbon Positive Homes.

Nottingham based modular house builder, Positive Homes has launched its latest development of energy efficient new homes at The Newlands in Fernwood, Newark.

Nine, three-bed modular houses, all with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of A are currently being built. These homes will have solar panels, LED lighting, high levels of insulation and mechanical ventilation as standard.

Manufactured off site in a factory, the modules are delivered to the development, lifted into position and then joined up with the other modules and roofed, laying the guttering and commissioning the power services inside.

Build time is much quicker on a site of this type. For instance, modules were delivered to the Newark site on Monday, January 13, 2020 and the firm aims for a mid-February completion.

Martin Valentine, CEO of Positive Homes said: "We are passionate about building energy efficient, sensibly priced homes at a time when the climate change agenda is at the forefront of everyones minds.

"These new builds in Newark, like all our houses, are a revolutionary design that will not only help save money, but also make a perfect home for first time buyers hoping to get onto the property ladder."

A mid-terrace is priced at 175,000 and end-terrace at 180,000.

But eco saving measures arent restricted to new build homes. Theres a wave of homes in Nottingham undergoing eco retro fits.

Gil Schalom, principal at GSD Architecture, which specialises in ecoficient design, has turned older housing stock into Passive, near Passive and energy efficient homes.

A Passive house (or Passivhaus) is an ultra-low energy building that requires little energy for space heating or cooling. It is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency.

Gil says that many people, when looking to improve or extend their existing home, regardless of its age, are now very conscious of both the environmental and monetary benefits of doing this sustainably.

He says that even if they cant afford to carry out a whole renovation project at one time, they are looking to carry out stepped renovation. Taking a fabric first approach, and making sure each step is to the best standard possible before embarking on the next element, when they have perhaps saved up another pot of money.

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With clients across the county and beyond he has undertaken renovation to a near passive house level in West Bridgford and a Certified Passive House renovation in Cheshire.

One West Bridgford homeowner, who had commissioned Gil to extend as well as undertake a whole house energy refit, added what Gil calls The icing on the cake - a green roof. A living roof planted with sedum and native flowers and herbs.

Home owner Tim Saunders said: We have always wanted to have a warm, cosy and energy efficient home, with low energy bills and to be able to power it using renewable energy at least in part, so that is what we set out to achieve working with Gil.

"We already had solar panels and the opportunity to secure some grant funding, which was available at the time, kickstarted us into getting the insulation installed and that was also the perfect time to replace the ageing windows with new triple glazed ones.

"Gil then drew up very detailed plans for the extension to provide a larger kitchen and dining room space which we did to a very high standard of energy efficiency working with experienced builders to provide a very comfortable home."

A mechanical ventilation and heat recovery was also included in this deep energy efficient retrofit.

Tim added: "The green roof over the extension is ever changing with each season providing year round interest, it slows the runoff of rainwater and is awash with bees in the warmer months this was the perfect opportunity to create my own piece of wildlife habitat."

These homes are only a snapshot of what is changing in the housing industry right now and potentially there are exciting innovations innovations and changes ahead as technologies become more available and affordable.

Read more:
The homes in Nottingham that are helping to tackle climate change - Nottinghamshire Live

The way of life is that everything gets demoed.

When it comes to demolition in your home the goals are to be surgical, precise, clean, and efficient.

Trickier than it looks, but it can be easier than it looks.

The secret to a successful demolition project is to understand that things are only strong in limited ways

So Dean Sharp decided to share all sorts of tips, tricks, and techniques to demoing. Check them out below:

Safety gear:

Enough but not too much

Breathing protection

Gloves

Long sleeves

Hard hats and visors

Steal toed boots

The safest item for demo a friend

Prep:

Dig Alert - 811

Power off

Water off

Gas off

Ventilation

Cleaning:

Shop vacs

Plastic

Brooms & dust pans or shovels (debris, coal, snow)

Tools:

It's better to use tools of precision than blunt instruments

Hammers - demo, sledge

Saws - sawmill, circular

Wonder bar, cats paw

Breaker bar

Large hand held cutter pliers

Technique:

Drywall - pull it off or push it off from the back side

Framing - slam studs sideways, cut nails with saw

Plumbing - cut threaded pipes unless theres a union

Electrical - test for power

Cut wires first

Concrete - the most intimidating of demo tools

Brittle is the key

Begin at edges so cracked pieces have somewhere to go, room to move

Have water ready if using a saw

For more information, listen to Dean explain it all below:

See the article here:
The Art of Demolition | Home with Dean Sharp - KFI AM 640

Alison Bosma abosma@wickedlocal.com @AlisonBosma

FridayJan24,2020at7:38PMJan24,2020at7:39PM

TOPLINE: It could cost the town $160,000 to demolish a vacant and badly run-down warehouse at 72 Depot St., according to early estimates.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND: The town has been trying to take a wrecking ball to this building for years, but the owner is in failing health and company funds necessary for demolition are tied up in court, the town's attorney has said. The town took matters into its own hands at the beginning of the year, after the property owner failed to meet a final deadline. That means the town will have to take on the cost of the demolition, but will try to recoup money through litigation or foreclosing, owning, then reselling the property.

WHAT'S THE HOLDUP? The town is working through a checklist of things that need to be done before demolition, from shutting down utilities, to working with the state on asbestos, to eradicating an out-of-control rodent infestation.

WHAT'S NEW? An estimate for getting rid of the asbestos came back for $9,835, but that's only for the part of the building that inspectors could access. Based on that and quotes from other companies on the rest of the work, Highway Surveyor Scott Crisafulli said partial demolition could cost the town $160,000. If officials want to take down more, the town is going to have to figure out how to get a more complete estimate.

CRUCIAL QUOTE: "As soon as I get the OK from the finance director, we should be able to move forward," Crisafulli said.

TANGENT: This isn't the only worrisome property in town. Milford is trying to get a handle on a backlog of more than 100 foreclosed or soon-to-be foreclosed properties in town, many of which are vacant. For a couple dozen properties, the town isn't even sure who owns them. Read about that here.

Read more:
Cost estimates come in for demolition of blighted Milford warehouse - Milford Daily News

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) The vacant Shoreline Apartments now have a set demolition date, January 23.

Mayor Byron Brown announced the plans Wednesday afternoon. It's been a long time coming for this project. 7 Eyewitness News checked in on the development over the summer , learning that the hold up was a result of an ongoing lawsuit.

In December , things looked optimistic for the project moving forward.

Early January, owners at Norstar Development told 7 Eyewitness News the buildings were set to be torn down in January of 2020. Members of the community complained about the eyesore that leads you to Downtown Buffalo.

"We know we're a gateway and we want to do our part, have this really welcoming and very nice aesthetic to the housing that's going to be here and the people that are going to live here so they can be really proud of their homes," said Norstar's Senior Vice President Linda Goodman.

There is now construction tape and heavy machinery in what's left of the Shoreline Apartments as they're finally being torn down this week. The $34 million-dollar plan is to replace them with new, subsidized housing, to match the apartments further down Niagara Street, per developers.

"It's going to work very nicely for affordable and middle income right in the downtown core when we're losing a lot of affordable housing," said Goodman.

Those who were evicted from the apartments in three years ago will now have the opportunity to apply to move back in when the project is finished.

Buffalo Police have gone in to make sure no one is living in the apartments, as there had been reports of squatters. There's red tape lining the apartments warning of asbestos, but city officials say that is nothing to worry about.

Developers expect the project to take a few months, the goal is to be done by Memorial Day of 2020. The entire re-development project could take up to two years to complete.

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Local News Demolition of Shoreline Apartments will begin Jan. 23 Taylor Epps 7:36 PM, Jan - WKBW-TV

PARAMUS, NJ An architect retained by the manager of a historic borough home one of Paramus last ties to black history told the Planning Board Thursday evening that the dilapidated Jersey Dutch house, which dates back to the mid-19th Century, could not be easily restored to its true glory.

For the past month, the planning board has been hearing a request by applicant, 113-117 West Midland Avenue LLC, for a demolition permit concerning the site of the 170-year-old Van Dien-Ruffgarten House, located at 117 West Midland Avenue which sits in a Historic Preservation Zone in the borough.

On Thursday, the board heard testimony from Charles Baldanza, an architect with Baldanza Build + Design and a Paramus resident of more than two decades, on his two-hour stay at the home, providing a thorough investigation of its status. Baldanza was retained by Bill Twomey, the applicants manager, to investigate.

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I strongly disagree with the conclusion that this house is intact and can be easily restored to its true glory, said Baldanza to the board.

Looking at the western end of the home at the oldest portion of the building at a structure entitled the mud house, Baldanza said the wall, which is 11 feet from Midland Avenue, is in imminent danger of collapse. He said the stone rubble is covered with a strapping that was put in place by a contractor that Twomey hired in response to a complaint he received from the boroughs quality of life officer.

When this house was built back in the 1840s, Midland Avenue, if it existed at all, was a little country lane or a carriage way, said Baldanza to the board. Now, unfortunately, Midland Avenue has become a major thoroughfare to county roads and I feel that the vibration from the traffic is the major cause that has led to the deterioration of this wall. The wall is bulging significantly outward. It is structurally unsound. Pedestrians pass by every day down the sidewalk and I think its a safety concern.

Baldanza explained that attempting to repair and restore such Jersey Dutch houses would be difficult considering that the home was made with low-grade materials and that bolstering the repair with steel would bastardize the historical integrity and yield more of replica of the original home than a restoration to its former state.If youre looking at a structure and youre saying is it worth preserving or does it have historical value, you have to look at how much is still left, Baldanza said, pointing to stucco that was added in the early 20th Century and the asphalt shingle roof.

This house is in very rough shape. Theres the beaverboard, the plaster, everything is just cracking and falling down, he said. It would take a lot to restore it to any kind of usable condition.

A historian will appear at the planning boards March 5 meeting to provide rebuttal testimony on the homes historic credentials, Planning Board Chairman Peter Caminiti Sr., said.

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Hearing On Demolition Permit For Historic Home Tied To Black History In Paramus Is Carried To March 5 - TAPinto.net

Crews continue work on what is considered one of the most difficult elements of the $341 million Interstate 35 project the demolition and replacement of bridges over the Brazos River.

Workers with Webber LLC started hammering away the decking from the southbound bridge last Friday and soon will be cutting away the metal beams underneath, said Clayton Zacha, Waco area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation.

The delicate work over the Brazos River is part of what could be a four-year project to rebuild and expand Interstate 35 from 12th Street north to Loop 340.

Waco residents and local businesses already are growing weary from the inconveniences and delays from the massive highway project, but officials promise they are doing everything they can to minimize the pain.

Any time you work over water, it presents unique challenges for sure, Zacha said. Overall, it typically causes slower production and workflow because of environmental protections that have to be in place, plus access obviously is completely different from working over dry land.

Crews are using large barges under the bridge to catch falling debris to prevent it from getting into the waterway.

While this weeks rains have slowed the pace of the work a bit, it has helped workers minimize and control dust from the debris. But the rain also has quickened the pace of the water flow, Zacha said.

Without the rain, crews keep the work area watered to control dust debris, he said. But there are other measures that must be taken, such as fences or filters, to prevent debris that gets into the waterway from flowing downstream, Zacha said.

Before the southbound bridge demolition started, workers removed lead paint from the pair of main-lane bridges, causing closures along parts of the east and west riverwalks. Signs are out warning that the riverwalks remain closed, but TxDOT and city parks officials will work together to open them for special events, Waco parks director Jonathan Cook said.

No-wake boating also is still allowed under the bridges, Cook said.

Interstate traffic is being diverted to the northbound bridge during this phase of the project, TxDOT spokesman Ken Roberts said. After that, traffic will be shifted to the new southbound lanes while the northbound bridge over the river is taken down and rebuilt.

The river bridge projects should take about two years, officials said.

All signs at this time point to everything proceeding like we would like it to, Zacha said.

He said it is normally easier to remove a structure over water than to build one. However, when you introduce a waterway into the equation, both operations become a little more complicated.

Particularly when you have equipment on the water that you are using to do both, Roberts added. When equipment is on the water, there are a considerable number of safety concerns that have to be addressed at all times.

After the deck is removed with jackhammers, crews will cut the metal beams in pieces and remove the parts with a crane.

Link:
Brazos River bridge demolition among most complex parts of I-35 overhaul - Waco Tribune-Herald

If you hear a loud boom and a cloud of dust, dont panic. An11-story tower will be imploded next month to make way for a new development.

The former Affiliated Computer Services building at 2828 N. Haskell Ave. is slated for demolition Feb. 16 at daybreak.

Traffic will be stopped on Interstate 75 approximately 10 minutes before the implosion. Pedestrians and vehicles will have limited access to the area for several hours before and after.

The demolition is expected to last no more than five minutes. However, falling debris will produce a cloud of dust that, with wind, could travel beyond the demolition zone.

The owners and contractors are aware of the dangers of such an operation and have been working for months to create a design and plan for this implosion that is with the utmost thought to safety, the developers said in a letter to the city.

Building owner De La Vega Development is destroying the building to build a mixed-use development with offices, a hotel and retail space on the 20-acre site.

Anyone with questions can contact Scott Finnell at De La Vega Development at sfinnell@delavegadevelopment.com or 214-750-7688 ext. 209.

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This East Dallas tower slated for demolition is your chance to (safely) see an explosion - Advocate Media

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. A recent contract for demolition work at the Morgantown Municipal Airport comes with a refreshing difference- the contractor, Dilliner, Pennsylvania-based Safeco Environmental, Inc, will pay $500 for the opportunity to do the work.

Airport director Jon Vrabel says the T-hangar structures are part of the original airport configuration.

The old T-hangars are about 80 years-old. theyre no longer being used,Vrabel said,A couple years ago we built a new T-hangar facility on the property, on the east side of the property, opposite of the terminal building.

Vrabel says the buildings are in disrepair and have a plethora problems making it cost prohibitive to remodel, but in this case thats a good thing.

The buildings are all steel and the steel is very high quality due to the age,Vrabel said,When you look at reusing that steel, it has a value. So, were actually being paid to take the buildings down because of the value of the steel.

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'Recycling pays' on Morgantown demolition project | 104.5 FM & 1440 AM | The Voice of Morgantown | Morgantown, WV - wajr