Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The bell alongside S6 Pupils Gregor Holmyard, Isabella Della Sala, Head Teacher David Dempster, CALA Project Manager Craig Donaldson, S6 Pupils Imogen Moran and Greg Manson

Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh has been presented with their original school bell from the 1930s which was discovered during the property restoration of the school's previous home in Viewforth.

The construction team at CALA Homes (East) facilitating the restoration rescued the artefact and has now gifted it to the new school.

A Grade B listed building, the former Boroughmuir High School was occupied from 1913 and was one of the first in Edinburgh to use steel frame architecture.

The recovered bell was produced in 1938, as is inscribed around the body, by specialist bell casters and hangers in Glasgow and Edinburgh, John Bryden & Sons.

Mr Dempster said: Were delighted that CALA has recognised and restored this significant part of our schools long history. The bell will remain with us as a reminder to all of our staff and pupils of the past.

Craig Donaldson, CALAs Project Manager at Boroughmuir, helped ensure the safe delivery of the historic bell to the new school.

He said: As with every restoration project that we undertake, at Boroughmuir we are working to breathe new life in what is an important building for the city.

Externally the building will remain largely untouched. We are sensitively restoring all 430 windows, as well as repointing and painting where required to bring it back to its best.

Inside, were carefully renovating the former school into beautiful modern apartments, with nods back to history throughout.

We were delighted to get to a point where we could safely retrieve the bell. Its a privilege to be able to give something back to the school that spent so many years on this site and it will hopefully give the staff and students a small reminder of their heritage every day.

CALA's work began at Boroughmuir in March 2019 and the final development will comprise 87 one, two, three and four-bedroom contemporary apartments.

Last year Cala Homes (East) hailed a report that its work to redevelop a former school in Edinburgh will deliver an economic boost of more than 45 million to the local area.

Read more:
Small piece of history returned as bell from 1930s makes its way back to Boroughmuir High School - Edinburgh News

Work to restore an A-listed Aberdeen landmark to its former glory could begin in the summer.

Westburn House was built by Aberdeens famous architect Archibald Simpson and has lain derelict for more than 20 years.

The Save Westburn House group set out its vision for the derelict structure at an exhibition at Robert Gordon University yesterday.

It used the showcase to display its own plans for the project as well as the history of the former residence, which sits in the centre of Westburn Park.

Heritage experts also explained the reasons for the scheme and the best way to successfully turn the decrepit building into a cafe, community space and museum dedicated to the life of Archibald Simpson.

Save Westburn House hopes to raise 300,000 to help complete the restoration and believes the bid to reverse the houses fortunes could begin at the end of spring or start of summer.

The project has been split into three different parts phase one is stopping the decay, phase two is the restoration of the building and phase three is opening it up for visitors.

The group is trying to take on ownership from the city council and also secure charitable status.

Gavin Esslemont, founder and chairman of Save Westburn House, said the first major project will be getting inside the building and checking what damage has been caused by the crumbling roof.

He hopes to get things moving within a matter of months.

Mr Esslemont said: We need to work with architects to weed out anything that is in a pile in the basement and make sure we retain anything of interest for Westburn House.

Little bits of cornicing or door panels all that is really important to be able to recreate the building the way it was when it was designed by Archibald Simpson.

Our objective is to put it back to the way it was in 1901.

That is phase one of our plan and we hope to commence in May or June this year, subject to funding.

Once we get that done, by October or November we will try to secure funding for phase two, which is the actual restoration.

Westburn House was built as a private home for David Chalmers in 1839 and was originally part of the 22-acre Westburn Estate.

The city council bought it in 1901 and the house was used as a refreshments room.

Mr Esslemont said yesterdays exhibition at RGUs Garthdee campus was a good chance to boost the project.

He said the group also wants people with experience of heritage and other building projects to join the cause.

We need to get professionals on board and actually help us, like architects and structural engineers, Mr Esslemont added.

If we can get anything for free, we can actually give back to them somehow. We need to keep communicating to say to people this is what we are doing.

That is why forums like this exhibition are important.

This event is essentially a formal launch and fundraiser to make people aware of what we are doing.

Link:
Work to save A-listed Aberdeen building could start in summer - Aberdeen Evening Express

A woman has made a poignant 12,000-mile journey to donate money towards the repair of the historic building where her parents were married.

Susan Innes travelled from New Zealand to Aberdeen to make the touching pledge.

Her parents, Robert and Isobel Innes, tied the knot in Westburn House in July 1954.

In the decades after emigrating, the pair kept up with what was going on in the north-east via Press and Journal cuttings sent overseas.

Mr Innes died in 2012, but Mrs Innes maintained the interest.

She was recently dismayed to see that the venue which holds such a special place in her heart has fallen into ruin.

The former caterer is now unable to travel, but resolved to do her bit towards the campaign to return it to its former glory.

Her daughter instead made the trip and handed over 200 towards the restoration project, which is being carried out by the Save Westburn House Action Group.

Aberdeens historic Westburn House could be sold for just 1

Ms Innes also handed over a handwritten letter from her mother.

She said: When my mum saw the recent article she was really angry that something that means so much could be left to rack and ruin.

She was talking about all of the good times they had as kids being in the area, and how much that place meant to them.

The family moved to New Zealand in 1966 when Ms Innes was three months old, because of a lack of work in the city.

Mr Innes had worked at Cornhill and moved into a job in mental health while Mrs Innes continued to work in catering.

Ms Innes works in airport security and has always been proud to be Scottish, with Aberdeen being her second home.

For 50 years, her fathers sister Auntie Isobel has been posting clippings of the P&J overseas.

After reading about the decline of the historic A-listed site, and attempts to restore it, Ms Innes and her mother went through her wedding album reminiscing about the reception there.

Ms Innes said: Mum wrote the card and the letter so that they knew that somebody 12,000 miles away cared about their project.

The letter described the perfect and sunny day at Westburn Park when the pair were wed.

The family hope that Westburn House will one day host more wedding receptions.

Vice chairman of the action group, Adam Simpson, said: The donation is absolutely amazing, this is what its all about, capturing peoples memories of when they were young.

This is why it should be saved.

Ms Innes added: The story of what happened, and getting to tell mum about it it is going to be recited I dont know how many times.

View post:
Woman travels 12000 miles to donate towards restoration of historic Aberdeen building where parents were married - Press and Journal

A GRADE II listed building in Newport city centre has been bought by Inspired Business Media - and they'll use it as their company headquarters.

The business bought Palace House,in Stow Hill, following a 1,000,000 investment supported by Barclays.

Inspired Business Media was set up in Newport in 2013 by Jason Awatar and Leigh Hussain. Their previous offices were in Gold Tops.

The business now employs 54 staff, producing industry-leading business-to-business conferences, round tables and events, supporting educational learning and strategic meetings for the worlds most innovative and pioneering organisations such as Google, Facebook, IBM and Amazon at luxury venues in London, New York, Amsterdam and Dublin.

READ MORE:

Leigh Hussain, director of Inspired Business Media, said: We are local boys who are passionate about our business and giving local talent the chance to grow and develop.

"We are going to create up to 50 new jobs this year and needed more space, which is when we decided to acquire the 200-year-old Palace House, home to former archbishops and derelict for a number of years.

"This property is part of Newports forgotten history and we are delighted that the local council and surrounding residents have been supportive in this huge restoration project.

Graham Turner, Barclays Business manager, said: As champions of local business, it is essential that we support local growing businesses such as Inspired Business Media. Leigh and Jason are great examples of an entrepreneur using their experience, contacts and skills to develop a successful business.

"By really understanding the business and issues they have faced, Barclays has been able to support the business throughout its development. This is great news for Newport in restoring this historical building back to its former glory while creating jobs for the local community.

Jason Awatar said: "We have faced a number of challenges since starting the business including my own personal challenge when I suffered a major stroke on stage during an event in 2017.

"We are well positioned within the local and international markets and can use this investment supported by Barclays to grow and strengthen our business.

"Running a business is tough but the rewards far outweigh the downsides even after working long hours. Corporate social responsibility is very important to us. We will continue to promote sustainability and ethical working practices, whilst finding new ways to invest in Newport and support our local economy.

The property was marketed through Hutchings and Thomas, of Newport.

Go here to see the original:
Palace House in Newport snapped up by Inspired Business Media - South Wales Argus

Nettie (Greenwell) and James Bunton married in Tennessee before moving to Camano Island, where they raised 11 children.

The Lindbaks arrived in Stanwood from Norway.

In 1910, two pioneer families were united by marriage of Lulla Gulbranson of Cedarhome and Alfred Hatvedt of Stanwood.

Andrew Ellingson was the ferry tender at Stanwood.

William Haatch, a Stanwood graduate, entered the UW, then left to enlist in the U.S. Army, serving during World War I.

The State Bank of Stanwood, established in 1910, paid 4 percent interest on saving accounts.

A storm did great damage at Warm Beach, broke windows and destroyed three boats.

The Vanity Box was advertising permanent waves for $8.

George Mitchell, Stanwoods pioneer attorney, resigned, after serving from the towns incorporation in 1903 until December 1939.

Fifteen inches of snow fell in Victoria Community (3rd Avenue and 300th Street), and all 19 phones were out.

Stanwood schools joined a nationwide program for driver education as a means of curbing teenage recklessness.

Camano Island had three new pay phone booths installed at convenient points along the islands length.

Farmers in the Stillaguamish River Valley assessed the damage done to riverbank property by floods.

Dairymen from Stanwood attended a meeting with Washington State Univeristy officials about the controversy over milk testing procedures.

It became illegal for tank haulers to fill their tanks from town fire hydrants.

Island County Commissioners approved the final plat of the Camano Country Club.

Puget Sounds worst snowstorm in 10 years cancelled school, and stores had a run on tire chains.

Classes began through Skagit Valley College at Camano Center.

Three men who claimed to be carpet cleaners were arrested on Camano when it was discovered there were no carpets in the residence.

The city gave its OK to Candle Ridge II subdivision.

Two new elementary schools were taking shape on Camano Island.

Freeborn and Warm Beach fire commissioners hinted at ending their two-year partnership with Stanwood.

The school board considered athletic participation fees in pay-to-play in order to save programs.

Two older teens were booked into jail for using their truck to spin circles in the school soccer fields, causing over $5,000 damage.

Stanwoods bikini baristas now wear the same amount of clothes to work as everyone else.

Read the original post:
News Files: Stilly ate away farmland in 1960 - goskagit.com

We spoke with IOBAC Ltds CEO, Paul Woolvine, about the future of the flooring industry and how he believes IOBACs Ezy-Install technology can help solve many of its challenges. IOBAC has recently entered into a strategic development, sales and marketing alliance with InstaFloor experts in acoustic underlays to launch its new modular flooring product, Ezy-Install.

An improve not move trend amongst houseowners has contributed to a seven percent overall growth forecast in the UK floor and wall tiles market between now and 2021, according to data from AMA Researchs Floor and Wall Tiles Market Report UK 2017-2021. Undoubtedly good news for the flooring industry. But the inconvenient truth remains that the flooring industry is one with a waste problem; largely due to the fact that more than half of overall carpet waste is landfilled each year. Lets Recycle reported in 2019 that only 61,000 tonnes just 15% of total carpets are, on average, re-used and recycled.

So, can flooring technologies facilitate forecast growth while remaining sustainable and providing householders and tenants with added flexibility and cost-saving benefits? Paul Woolvine at IOBAC believes so

Design flexibility a necessity for tenants and householders

A fifth of the UK population now lives in privately rented accommodation. And those that do own their own properties are tending to improve not move a trend confirmed by research from The Finance and Leasing Association showing that second charge mortgages were up 24% year-on-year in February 2019.

Paul comments: The trends were currently seeing in the housing industry growing rental market, householders tendency to improve not move means that now more than ever people need their flooring to offer quick and easy design flexibility. If householders are staying put for longer then theyll likely need to redecorate and replace flooring multiple times. With traditional methods this can come at a significant expense; yes, in terms of labour costs and materials used, but also at an expense to the environment because adhesives used in traditional methods are likely to contaminate not only the flooring, but the subfloor to which it was adhered.

Magnetic modular flooring is much more sustainable than traditional flooring solutions, continues Paul. With this technology, theres no wet trades it can be loose laid over new or existing floors. And then, theres no waiting you can lay your flooring of choice as soon as the top surface is laid. When the time comes for a design change, the tile can be removed undamaged in a matter of seconds, without the need for external contractors.

This simple system allows straightforward interchangeability, meaning design changes and repairs can be carried out with little specialist skills and up to 80% quicker than traditional flooring methods. It also leaves no harmful residue behind it removes cleanly, which means tiles can be recycled or reused, thus reducing flooring waste. Ezy-Install underlay is also made from recycled rubber crumb, and the VOC-free non-toxic resin is plant-based, manufactured mostly from renewable castor oil.

The growing rental market shows no signs of abating. By 2021 almost one in four households in Britain will be renting and, according to The Independent, many millennials are set to rent for the rest of their lives.

Paul comments: Of course, landlords can be understandably nervous about tenants significantly changing the make-up of their properties. But more and more tenants are renting for longer, perhaps even their whole life; they deserve their own design freedom. Modular magnetic flooring can appease both tenants and landlords alike. InstaFloors magnetically-receptive underlay can be loose laid over new or existing floors, providing new tenants with the option to quickly and cost-effectively swap out existing flooring for flooring in line with their own personal taste.

This technology is simply dry-laid onto a prepared base and cut to shape. Magnetically-backed carpet, wood or luxury vinyl tiles are then held securely in place utilising Ezy-Installs unique double grip properties of high grab adhesive tack and magnetic attraction. Alternatively, standard carpet and loose lay tiles can be attached using IOBACs award-winning MagTabs.

A better way

No longer does flooring have to be seen as merely a necessity that once chosen, you are stuck with for many years, concludes Paul. Now with Ezy-Install, installation, repair and maintenance costs are slashed, and flooring becomes a flexible design element that complements todays ever changing housing industry.

For more information, please visit iobac.com/ezy-install

The rest is here:
Modular flooring: easier, cleaner and quicker than ever before - Premier Construction Magazine

This weekend brings a strong lineup of new shows and events in galleries of every stripe, interspersed with performances, big names, an eye on printmaking and plenty of representation from co-ops and collectives not to mention a free progressive art dinner. Head out into the city and try on a few of these for size.

Jeff Horton, Fillingthe VoidKelton Osborn, A Moment, in the Project RoomMichael Warren Contemporary, 760 Santa Fe DriveJanuary 14 through February22Opening Reception: Thursday, January 16, 5 to 7 p.m. Jeff Horton, a newcomer to Michael Warren from Little Rock, Arkansas, mines his background as an architect to create architectonic oil-on-wax-medium paintings, which began as a hobby and later blossomed into an additional career. In the Project Room, gallery artist Kelton Osborn shares a series of gestural works on paper.

Katie Caron and fellow printmaking educators get their due at the Arvada Center.

Katie Caron

528.0 Regional Juried Printmaking ExhibitionImprint: Print Educators of ColoradoArvada Center for Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth BoulevardJanuary 16 through March 29 Opening Reception: Thursday, January 16, 6 to 9 p.m.Free, RSVP recommended in advanceThe Arvada Center opens its spacious galleries to a pair of key printmaking shows in conjunction with the citywide MoPrint 2020 celebration, beginning with the 528.0 Regional, a big group show by artists living within a 528-mile radius of Denver. 75 printmakers were culled from 422 entries for the juried exhibition, while Imprint, on the upper floors of the center, pays tribute to Colorados invaluable teaching printmakers. The exhibition schedule includes a free Print Madness community celebration with workshops and demos for all ages on March 21 from noon to 4 p.m.; RSVP in advance.

Gretchen Marie Schaefer, Folding (detail), 2019.

Gretchen Marie Schaefer

3rd Law Dance, Theater Immersive PerformanceBoulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th Street, BoulderThursday, January 16, 6 and 7 p.m.Admission: $8 to $12Gretchen Marie Schaefers winter show, Folding and Thrusting, ends this week on a high point, with an immersive performance by 3rd Law Dance within an installation of paintings and photographic works commenting on the relationship between humans and the geologic earth. There will be two back-to-back ticketed performances in one evening; registration in advance is recommended.

Lynda Tygart, Stonehenge, mixed-media photography on wood panel.

Lynda Tygart

New Works by Karin Kempe, Liz Lautrup, Lynda Tygart and Clark ValentineSync Gallery, 931 Santa Fe Drive January 16 through February 15 Opening Reception: Friday, January 17, 6 to 9:30 p.m.Four Sync associates share the gallery walls for a month, juxtaposing landscape-inspired paintings and photography by Karin Kempe, Liz Lautrup and Lynda Tygar with spiritually centered minimalist tobacco drawings by Clark Valentine.

Melanie Clemmons and Zak Loyd, "SensoryGarden."

Melanie Clemmons and Zak Loyd

Brutal RealitiesDairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street, BoulderJanuary 17 through February 23Opening reception and performance: Friday, January 17, 5 to 8 p.m.Artist and curator Drew Austin joins forces with CU Boulders legendary new-media pioneer Mark Amerikaat the Dairy for a four-gallery multimedia spectacular exploring technologically derived alternate realities. Dig the future now and meet the artists at the free opening, where an evening of discussion with live performances in the Carsen Theater will hammer home the brutal realities intimated by the entire exhibition series. Check your disbelief at the door.

New works by Lui Ferreyra, Ryan Magyar, Emmett Culligan and Jenny Day go on view this weekend at the Havu Gallery.

William Havu HGallery

Lui Ferreyra and Ryan Magyar, New WorldsEmmett Culligan, Formal Inflations Jenny Day on the MezzanineWilliam Havu Gallery, 1040 Cherokee StreetJanuary 17 through February 29Opening Reception: Friday, January 17, 6 to 9 p.m.At Havu, Lui Ferreyra builds geometrically formed figures and landscapes on the canvas, while Ryan Magyar manipulates hot colors and live-wire brush strokes for another interpretation of the fleeting landscape, and Emmett Culligan brings powerful steel sculptures to the floor in counterpoint. Meanwhile, Santa Fe painter Jenny Day brings a whole new look to the gallery mezzanine, where her collages and collage-like paintings rewrite the landscape of nature and everyday life.

Alicia Ordal: Marginal SliceRhinoceropolis, 3553 Brighton BoulevardOpening Reception: Friday, January 17, 6 to 10 p.m.Versatile multimedia artist Alicia Ordal, a former Redline resident with underground appeal, might bring anything to the table, walls and general airspace of Rhino. Just go and appreciate the artists aesthetic imagination.

Kevin Sloan, "A View of All Souls Pond."

Kevin Sloan

Kevin Sloan, CathedralKelly Duffield, HavenNatalee Marquez, Your Body Knows the TruthNaropa University, Nalanda Campus, 6278 Arapahoe Avenue, BoulderJanuary 17 through 31Opening Reception: Friday, January 17, 5:30 to 8 p.m.Pop-surreal painter Kevin Sloan contributes dreamy views of sacred spaces, mixed-media collage artist Kelly Duffield places well-drafted figures and symbols in strange juxtaposition, and Naropa grad student Natalee Marquez contributes mixed-media acrylic paintings and installation work to this trio of exhibitions opening on the same night at Naropas Nalanda campus.

Celebrating Corn Mother Rita WallaceCHAC Gallery, 222 Santa Fe DriveFriday, January 17, 6 to 8 p.m.The local Chicano community celebrates folklorist Rita Wallace (aka Rita Flores de Wallace) an expert practitioner of indigenous arts and crafts and a key member of the Corn Mothers club, which honors women making contributions to cultural preservation with a reception hosted by the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council. The evening begins with refreshments and remarks by CHAC director Lucille Rivera, followed by a paper-cutting workshop led by Wallace, and finishes off with a biscochito tasting and contest. If youre an aficionado of the tasty anise-inflected cookie native to New Mexico, test your baking mettle and bring a dozen for the judges.

Justin Beard, "The Pull and the Calling."

Justin Beard

Justin Beard, The Pull and the CallingJulien Palmilha, ThirdPirate: Contemporary Art, 7130 West 16th Avenue, LakewoodThrough January 26Shows by Justin Beard and Julien Palmilha opened a week ago, but if you missed the opening, Beards installation of a jerky magic carpet and a manipulated landscape viewed through a hole in a black curtain is a mysterious standout you wont want to miss. It remains on view this weekend and next.

BYOB* (Bring Your Own Buddy) ShowKanon Collective, Pasternacks Art Hub, 6851 West Colfax Avenue, LakewoodThrough January 26 Artists Reception: Friday, January 24, 6 through 10 p.m.Kanon Collective members invite friends to show work alongside theirs at this annual show, an exercise in fellowship with the artist community. As is often the case, expect to find affordable works to add to your collection.

Art Hub Progressive DinnerPasternacks Art Hub, 6851 West Colfax Avenue, LakewoodSaturday, January 18, 6 to 9 p.m.All of the galleries at the Art Hub Next Gallery, Core New Art Space, Kanon Collective, Edge Gallery and Flourish will chip in with appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, desserts and drinks at each consecutive space. Its the Art Hubs way of saying thanks to friends and supporters and a great way to take in a lot of art (and food).

Marie-Dolma Chophel, "Beginnings," for Spirit Resonance.

Marie-Dolma Chophel

Spirit Resonance: The Vitality of PrintmakingDearly DisillusionedEcosistema 06050McNichols Building, 141 West Colfax AvenueThrough April 5 (Ecosistema 06050 runsthrough January 31 only)McNichols Project: Spirit of the People reception: Saturday, January 18, from 5 to 8 p.m.Three floors of art grace the McNichols Building this month, with Spirit Resonance, an early entry for this springs citywide MoPrint 2020 printmaking biennial, and Dearly Disillusioned, a quartet of feminism-related installations by four local art collectives that coincide with the centennial of women's suffrage in America and Denvers fourth annual Womxn's March, both running through April 5, and Ecosistema 06050, a show of images of Mexico City by Jacob Prado, on display through January 31. All three will be showcased during The McNichols Project: Spirit of the People, an opening celebration with live music on Saturday, January 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is free, but an RSVP is requested in advance at eventbrite.com.

Paul Pfeiffer, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.

Paul Pfeiffer

Paul Pfeiffer, Revelation 21Mary Harris Auditorium, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, 1600 Pierce Street, LakewoodTuesday, January 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.Free, RSVP required in advance at eventbrite.comRMCAD continues its year-long Visiting Artist, Scholar and Designer Series on the theme of Patterns with a public talk by sculptor and multimedia artist Paul Pfeiffer, whos studied the rise of media-driven spectacle and global populisms effect on world cultures. Plug into an ongoing conversation relevant to artists and everyone else.

Interested in having your event appear in this calendar? Send the details to editorial@westword.com. For more events this weekend, find details in this weeks 21 Best Things to Do in Denver.

Susan Froyd started writing for Westword as the "Thrills" editor in 1992 and never quite left the fold. These days she still freelances for the paper in addition to walking her dogs, enjoying cheap ethnic food and reading voraciously. Sometimes she writes poetry.

Read more here:
Things to Do Denver: Art Openings and Gallery Shows in Denver - Westword

Brampton, ON, January 16, 2020/InsPress/ Highland DKI is pleased to announce their newest location in Brampton, ON. Highland DKI is a full-service restoration contractor providing professional cleaning and insurance restoration services for over 40 years. Highland DKI services areas located in: Dufferin County, Peel/Caledon & Wellington Region has been serving the areas of Mount Forest, Shelburne, Dundalk, Alliston, Palgrave, Bolton, Caledon, Caledon East, Brampton, Arthur, Grand Valley, Erin, Acton, Guelph, and Orangeville.

Highland Restoration DKIs newest location is located on the Brampton/Mississauga border at 2 County Court Boulevard, Brampton, ON. This second location is perfectly situated to better serve the community with immediate access to major highways allowing Highland Restoration to provide industry-leading response time combined with their trusted technical expertise to their clients. This new location also delivers full restoration services to our clients such as; water damage restoration, fire and smoke damage restoration, mould remediation, asbestos abatement, air duct cleaning, carpet and furniture cleaning, and even kitchen design and installation services!

This branch is being managed by Jason Cousins and Jessica Bradley. This well seasoned Project Management team has hit the ground running with a combined 30 years of industry experience and are thrilled with the prospect of this new endeavour.

Our clients can expect the same expert level of quality workmanship and reliability as always and with this new location, our clients can trust there will not be any job too large that the team at Highland DKI cannot handle. Says Shane Bradley, Owner/President of Highland Restoration DKI.

Highland DKI s Brampton office:

2 County Court Boulevard, Unit 400Brampton, ON L6W 3X7(877) 941-8141Info@HighlandRestoration.ca

About DKI Canada

DKI Canada is the leader in the Canadian property restoration with 90 locations from coast to coast. The restoration services that DKI provides to insurance, commercial and residential clients include: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mould remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI has pushed forward a green program focused on using environmentally sustainable cleaning products and mitigating risk in environmentally sustainable ways. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently.

View post:
Highland DKI Opens Their Second Location in Brampton, ON - Canadian Underwriter

Concerns over the aging Clinton library have prompted Central Huron council approve a repair to the building's roof. Daniel Caudlejpg, CN

Concerns over the aging Clinton library have prompted Central Huron council approve a repair to the buildings roof.

Council on Jan. 13 agreed to replace the roof, while asking engineering firm R.J. Burnside to begin the tendering process.

Evidence of worsening leaks in the roof of the library one of the towns designated heritage properties has led councillors to agree the roof is well past its service life.

Librarian Michelle Carter said there are a small series of leaks that have appeared in the roof. They have caused minimal damage inside the second-storey childrens play zone area, she said.

Based on a report from Burnside engineer Peter Mensinga, the roof replacement and engineering fees would cost $262, 846.

The work includes new sheathing, fascia, soffit repairs, front tower window repairs, comparable roof material and additional insulation.

Carter said she is pleased to see the repairs approved before any serious damage was incurred.

Aside from exterior shingle damage, minor leaks have caused the discolouration of the roof, walls and carpet.

The repairs come one year after the installation of a rear-door wheelchair access ramp, the cost of which was roughly $100,000.

Go here to see the original:
Clinton library roof to receive repairs - Clinton News Record

In their debut solo exhibition, Built to Scale at Murmurs, Los Angeles artist Emily Barker offers a glimmering, surrealistic entry into an interior world. Built to Scale is an atmospheric installation of objects and light with a continuous soundtrack. Barkers approach is as sharp as it is generous, commanding space to trouble ideas of disability and accessibility, reflecting the construction of both. In the artists words: People do not yet realize that being able-bodied is a temporary privilege.

The only two-dimensional work in the exhibition is a mirrored wall text that verges on impossible to read. The words double and echo: Death by a million paper cuts. Imagine being loved. Imagine space being built for you. Imagine being a light to those around you. Imagine being a force to be reckoned with Barker certainly is. We spoke during the run of their exhibition.

Could you tell me about the shows title, Built to Scale? This show is built to scale my daily experience for the able-bodied. It has been built to scale the feelings I have within environments designed for the average person. This is a forced perspectiveone that comes across as being livable for everyone. Im asking why and how we have decided upon what is standard, and wondering if people can understand that creating a standard means that someone like me who deviates from it is also oppressed by it.

Standardization is the effort to create larger profit margins, and to keep service cheap. Ramps are generally cheaper than lifts, but without proper mobility devices or help, I cant use them, even though they are effectively built for me. Space is constructed toward an idea of what a person should be, not what they necessarily are. Even the idea of access is constructed by the able-bodied.

The kitchen, for instance, historically was standardized to the measurements of the average able-bodied man. It is replicated in factories at that scale as the cheapest means to install a kitchen by builders who are no longer skilled as carpenters. Before the 1950s, nearly everything was custom-built or customizable, and so older homes have varying countertop heights.

These are conceptual ideas about intimate space. Each piece in this show stems from a system forced on the abnormal, and each is an idea that is scalable.

Installation view of Built to Scale. Courtesy of Murmurs.

Where did this project begin? What was the arch of these works coming to be? My collaborator Tomasz Jan Groza and I were looking to build a home that showcased solutions to some of these invisible concepts. We wanted to show that these are constructs that were created and that can change.

Everything that I do is the tip of a very large iceberg. I have relatively impractical ideas of what can be done within a certain budget and with my own physical capacity. The same goes for my writing and activism. This show is about the systems that prevent me from being able to actualize the reality that myself and others need to thrive.

I see this project as being much like the painted trope of interior spaces, like Van Goghs bedroom or Matisses LAtelier Rouge (The Red Studio). This is the spirit of my environment, how I experience it daily. The soft light in the main gallery space mimics the lighting in my apartment. The hold tone of different insurance companies and doctors offices is endlessly playing in the background.

Most of my time is spent dealing with bureaucratic systems that grant me basic human needs. A stack of medical documents and bills takes up too big a space in an oppressively fluorescent-lit room. Its a history of the labor that goes into navigating the bureaucracy, austerity and systems of eligibility of a healthcare industry that capitalizes off of horrible events beyond ones control, while placing the blame back onto the individual. The first page is from the day after my accident and totals nearly $100,000 in spine surgery. This represents only three years of this type of billing and medical history. If I were to print out everything, the stack would fall over.

The kitchen is built to the surreal sculptural scale that I experience my own kitchen at. The ramp sculpture is excessively steep. I cannot move on any surface that isnt hard and flat. Most people dont know that a manual wheelchair becomes useless in grass, on sand, snow, dirt or on thick carpet. This show is really just a painting that I couldnt paint because it wouldnt give you the full scale of experience.

Death by 7865 Paper Cuts 2019. Xeroxed medical bills and life-care plan from 2012-2015, 7865 sheets of paper. Courtesy of Murmurs.

A lot of these objects and materials are translucent Im trying to be transparent. Translucent plastic is a stand-in for mass production: packaging, commodity, industrialization. It is ethereal and lightweight. The most common material used in the medical industry is plastic. My world is made of plastic.

The translucency also speaks to the invisible standards that make up our lives. My existence is heavily politicized, and people find ways to write these ideas off as identity politicsas if its not possible to have intelligent conversations about aesthetics, art, functionality, scale and plastic space as being in tangent with and related to each persons consciousness and privilege. I do not need to compromise form and content to do so. My experience is not at all unique.

This show is for people who can stand and walk without mobility aids or having undergone dozens of surgeries. It is a glimpse into my experience. Most people cannot fathom the interior space of a home being so inaccessible, or ramps and wheelchairs not being the best solutions.

Built to Scale is a window into another world that enables someone to have an embodied proprioceptive experience of reality. This is a conversation about ways of seeing.

Could you speak about some of the materials used? They are highly texturedsome suffused with a sense of violence or corrosion. The grabbers were cast, dipped in copper, and oxidized. The grabber is a material extension of my body, the only tool I have to navigate interior spaces. I hope that it will become a relic of an inaccessible world that will change. The iron oxide turns to rust when it meets oxygen, like blood turns red in an IV.

The arm is weighed down and eroded. My reality is violent. I am expected to take a submissive, appreciative role. What I say and how I act is policed daily. The night after my opening I was threatened with physical violence because I asked someone who was parked without a placard across three disabled parking spots to move.

The art market is just as violent. Most artists go without health insurance and proper compensation for their labor. On the other hand, art can be something so beautiful that it removes you from the mundane treachery of daily experience. But even this feeling is a luxury.

The butterfly night light is significant. Perhaps we can learn from its disturbing transformation from a caterpillar to a beautiful winged creature. Its my hope that we can take what we have and make something more of it.

Whats behind the design of rug? The rug is made of 25,000 feet of IV tubing and was handmade by myself and my friends, which is how most good things in my life are accomplished. Ive spent much of the past seven years hooked up to IVs, relying on them to save my life. Copper is a great conductor of heat and electricity, and it is found in bones. Here it brings warmth and contrast to the plastic. There is an iPhone headphone running through it that was trashed after getting caught in my wheels. And a doggy bag for dealing with shit, literally and figuratively.

Untitled (Rug) 2019. Plastic IV tubing, copper electrical wire, doggie bag, headphones, shoelace on steel mesh. Courtesy of Murmurs.

How has your work in other forms interacted with or informed your artistic practice? It has all been a matter of convenience and communication. In previous years, having undergone 20-something surgeries and with many untreated illnesses, I could not have done what I have done this past year. What I need to say cannot be done through one platform only. I also use the algorithm (Instagram) to bring attention to these experiences. I wouldnt say I do acting and modeling so much as I enjoy helping friends see their visions come to fruition and normalize my body. I would call all of this a form of community involvement, since it doesnt pay and visibility hardly does much to change actual policies and standards.

Text is incredibly important and powerful. I do not particularly enjoy writing, talking or explaining myself. If I could, I would upload my experience and implant it into another person, although I would probably get sued for abuse. But at any moment you could be me. There is just so much to communicate, and words are a bridge.

Go here to see the original:
Death by a Million Paper Cuts: An Interview with Artist Emily Barker - Cultured Magazine