Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

MIAMI When Alan Ket was a teenager growing up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn in the 1980s, he fell hard for the graffiti that still decorated New York City trains. Sometimes he was the one painting, but more often, he was a detective, figuring out the best locations to snap pictures of the art. On weekends, hed meet up with friends at a one-hour photo shop on Canal St. to trade negatives and prints of the graffiti photos theyd taken that week.

Preservation was the key. So many beautiful works of art were being destroyed every week, he said recently. It was horrifying.

At the time, he would cut school to spend afternoons at the studio of Henry Chalfant, who had been the crucial documentarian of 1970s train graffiti. Mr. Chalfant had largely stopped photographing trains, and he implored Mr. Ket and his friends to pick up the baton: He told us it was up to us to document our own movement.

Mr. Ket (born Alain Mariduea) took that mandate seriously, and built a life on it, culminating in the opening Thursday of the Museum of Graffiti, in the Wynwood section of Miami, the first institution devoted to telling the art forms history, as well as documenting its stylistic developments with a curators eye for detail.

We have to be our own authorities, Mr. Ket, who is the museums co-founder, said.

Some graffiti artists of the early era made the transition to galleries, others into commercial design. But for a vernacular art that has seeped widely into popular culture, graffiti especially as represented by the early pioneers has made few permanent inroads into established museums. Perhaps that owes to its oppositional nature, and perhaps to its evanescence.

Mr. Ket known simply as Ket has no patience for that argument. Is it key to the essence or is it a response to circumstance? he asked. I dont know. I think all the guys that painted wanted everything to last forever.

Forever is what he hopes to give them, by way of codifying and organizing the arts history, with a special emphasis on technique. Too often, graffiti is explained primarily through a sociopolitical lens, so the Museum of Graffitis inaugural exhibition, Style Masters: The Birth of the Graffiti Art Movement, focuses on first principles letters as artistic building blocks.

The very first wall is a history lesson on the development of letter-writing styles, accompanied by a photo array of train art from 1972-6 to demonstrate how rapidly the form was changing. (Since there was little documentation within the community, many of the photographs come from journalists who were assigned to capture the emerging art form.)

The rest of the 3,200-square-foot space offers a deeply condensed history of the form, from the early moments in which graffiti writers were applying their talents to canvases on display is the first painting Lady Pink ever did, from her personal collection up through the ways graffiti has been used on clothing, skateboards, album covers and more.

The graffiti aesthetic may be widespread now, but Mr. Kets read is that of a purist. He has a ferocious zeal to protect the legacy of the underrecognized pioneers, especially as street art which borrows some of graffitis immediacy with little of its charm or technique becomes more widely known and collected, destabilizing the marketplace and public perception.

That intense historical fanaticism a desire to regulate, to keep some kind of stability among the chaos, also to keep a standard of quality, he said is, in essence, no different from a formal curatorial approach. For this exhibition, there are no nods to Keith Haring or Jean-Michel Basquiat, widely known graffiti-adjacent artists who Mr. Ket believes are not part of the forms true history. He has even received pushback from PHASE 2, a 1970s pioneer, who believes graffiti is a derogatory word, Mr. Ket said.

Ket respects the disagreement, but moved forward anyhow. Im sorry that Im going to write about you and tell your story and talk about your historical relevancy and your value, he explained. I have a responsibility bigger than the individual artist.

Before moving to Miami two years ago, to manage a gallery connected to the Wynwood Walls, a mural park around the corner from the Museum of Graffiti, Mr. Ket had been a graffiti archivist and advocate in various forms. In the 1990s, he published and edited Stress, a hip-hop and graffiti magazine; he consulted for art exhibitions, and he wrote monographs on important artists.

For decades hed maintained a personal graffiti archive, and had begun to wonder whether it might be better served at an established institution. But what good is it if you give it to the Smithsonian and it sits in their warehouse for the next 40 years? Mr. Ket said. More people see it at my house. (Graffiti has appeared at the Smithsonian, but sparingly.)

Bringing the museum to fruition became a full-time preoccupation about a year and a half ago. He met his business partner, Allison Freidin, formerly a prosecutor with the state attorneys office, as she was doing legal advocacy for graffiti writers. She is his sole outside investor he holds the majority stake and quit her job to focus on the birth of the museum.

Ket is really being called on to tell the story properly. Im also being called on to make sure that were treated properly by everybody, Ms. Freidin said. Mr. Ket is well-connected among graffiti writers, and Ms. Freidin has extensive relationships in Miamis art and civic communities. The marriage of those two Rolodexes is what made this possible, she said.

One afternoon last month, the exhibition was about halfway installed, and Ms. Freidin had just returned from a meeting with the local review board, looking to address concerns about the museums sign. Wynwood comes with built-in tourist traffic, thanks to the Wynwood Walls, but it is not especially known for graffiti, at least not anymore.

In the mid-1980s, graffiti writers flocked to the area. Eventually, the more established art scene followed. They saved this part of town, Ms. Freidin said. But now, their work, sanctioned or otherwise, competes with corporate-commission murals, and the industrial spaces that gave way to art galleries are now ceding to clothing stores and luxury dessert spots.

Many local graffiti artists view Wynwood with skepticism, Mr. Ket said. They may also view his project as a kind of carpetbagging. To mitigate those concerns, there is a section of the museum given over to Miamis graffiti history. Weve invited everybody back, he said.

But Mr. Ket is also counting on the way the graffiti community looks after its own, something he experienced firsthand when in 2007, he was arrested and charged with 14 criminal counts, including trespass, criminal mischief and making graffiti. He eventually pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal mischief and paid $15,000 in fines and restitution. Shepard Fairey, Jose Parla, Futura and others donated art to sell to pay for his defense.

At the museum, he looked around at the people bringing the space to life and noted that the electrician and various maintenance workers are all graffiti writers. He likened it to El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem, founded in 1969 by Puerto Rican educators, artists, and community activists: I think of those guys and think, were doing that, we have to do it for ourselves. Hes also brought in a full-time curator, Carlos (Mare 139) Rodriguez, to focus on future exhibitions.

We want to try to keep adding value not just to history, but to living history, Mr. Rodriguez said. That part of this is the advocacy part, right? How do you create value for the art and the byproducts of this art, and also for the artists?

Given the museums focus on the founding generations, youre gonna learn about artists that have no fine art career, like zero, Mr. Ket said, noting that there might be a ripple effect. Its not my intention to affect the marketplace, but if thats the result, I welcome it.

The Museum of Graffiti just took on its first corporate sponsors: Levi's and Charlottes Web, a CBD company. Stein Paint Company, a local firm, has offered donations of materials for murals.

The museum will generate three revenue streams ticket fees, the gift shop, and a gallery that will feature new work from a rotating cast of artists who straddle graffiti and fine art. (The first one is Shoe Neils Meulman from Amsterdam, whos developed a style he calls calligraffiti.) There are also 13 new murals, on the museum exterior as well as on nearby walls.

Last month, the graffiti writer turned fine artist JonOne was painting one across the street from the museum, applying layers of pastel blobs to create a festive abstraction. Mr. Ket first encountered his work in 1986, when JonOne was painting train cars with brushes (in addition to aerosol) he was the king of the trains, Mr. Ket said.

JonOne John Perello still uses graffiti lettering as the foundation for his work, even as he pushes it toward increasingly abstract ends.

The museum, he said, had a personal meaning as great as its historical meaning: Were trying to make sense of all this madness, everything that went on. Were doing our own little therapy within ourselves.

Its like were repossessing our history and our culture, JonOne added. Finally giving it its just value.

The Museum of Graffiti opens Dec. 5 at 299 NW 25th Street, Miami; (786) 580-4678; museumofgraffiti.com.

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A Graffiti Museum Where the Writers Are in Charge - The New York Times

Technology group Wrtsil, and Silverstream Technologies announced the signing of a Licence and Co-operation Agreement for future sales and servicing of the Silverstream System.

As an authorized sales and service partner, Wrtsil intends to fully integrate Silverstreams air lubrication system within its propulsion solutions.

By offering the Silverstream System as an integral part of Wrtsils propulsion solution for newbuild vessels, compliance with the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) will be further improved. Under the agreement, the Silverstream System will also be available through Wrtsils sales channels for retrofit installations on existing vessels where Wrtsil is a primary solution provider. The integrated Silverstream System is expected to realize synergies in capital and operational savings across the propulsion chain by increasing fuel efficiency, and optimizing engine loading.

The collaboration agreement will enable current and future Silverstream customers to access Wrtsils global service network for the maintenance of their Silverstream System installations. Wrtsils network of service centers, workshops, and service professionals is the most extensive in the maritime industry, with 4500 field service professionals located in 70 countries around the world.

The agreement means that more ship owners will have easy access to Silverstreams proven air lubrication technology. The system has been proven to reduce fuel burn and associated emissions by 5 to 10%, depending on vessel type.

Noah Silberschmidt, CEO, Silverstream Technologies, said: With the global sulphur cap almost upon us and decarbonization targets on the horizon, the commercial case for proven clean technology has never been stronger. Now is the time for ship owners to take action to reduce their operational costs and their impact on the environment, and todays agreement will help unlock the power of air lubrication technology for more vessels across our sector.

The Silverstream System creates a carpet of microbubbles that coat the entire flat bottom of the vessel. This carpet reduces frictional resistance between the hull and the water, dramatically reducing fuel consumption and related emissions. The technology works in all maritime conditions, is not weather dependent, and does not constrain or negatively impact the normal operational profile of the vessel.

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Wrtsil and Silverstream to Collaborate - MarineLink

Diamond Princess is one of the vessels to have been fitted with Silverstreams air lubrication system (Image: Princess Cruises)

Technology group Wrtsil is to fully integrate Silverstream Technologies air lubrication system into its propulsion solutions for passenger ships and other vessels.

The partnership will accelerate the deployment of the system, which creates savings across the propulsion chain by increasing fuel efficiency and optimising engine loading. The system operates by creating a carpet of microbubbles that coats the entire flat bottom of the vessel. This carpet reduces frictional resistance between the hull and the water, reducing fuel burn by 5-10%, depending on vessel type.

Cruise ships that have already made use of the technology include Princess Cruises Diamond Princess and Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Joy.

At Wrtsil, we are committed to fully supporting our customers as they strive to reduce operating costs and improve the environmental sustainability impact of their operations, said Lars Anderson, director of propulsion at Wrtsil Marine. Todays agreement enables us to facilitate the building of better vessels that meet tomorrows challenges today, and Silverstream are the ideal partners to help us realise this goal.

The agreement will give Silverstream customers access to Wrtsils global service network for the maintenance of their installations. The network employs 4,500 service professionals located in 70 countries around the world.

Todays agreement with Wrtsil reinforces our position as the shipping industrys leading clean technology manufacturer, said Noah Silberschmidt, CEO of Silverstream Technologies. With the global sulphur cap almost upon us and decarbonisation targets on the horizon, the commercial case for proven clean technology has never been stronger. Now is the time for shipowners to take action to reduce their operational costs and their impact on the environment, and todays agreement will help unlock the power of air lubrication technology for more vessels across our sector.

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Wrtsil to use lubrication system from Silverstream Technologies - Cruise and Ferry

Holidays are centered on traditions and the history of a familys home plays a role. The Gill-Wampler residence in Southeast Portland is an architectural gem that receives extra sparkle in December.

Set back from the street and surrounded by greenery, the jewelry box-like structure seems small. But, like a precious stone, the details are dramatic: Shutters are a series of chevrons painted in various shades of orange and red, and a decorative, fluted chimney pokes through the slightly flared, slate roof, which rests on exterior brick walls like a crown.

Open the diamond-paneled front door and youll see vertical mahogany beams that dress up the lath-and-plaster walls and a fireplace mantel displaying heirlooms and homemade decorations.

Youll also be embraced by orchestrated light, either streaming through expansive windows or emanating from a dozen vintage lamps, of various shapes and styles. During the holidays, star-shaped bulbs and tiny strings of twinkle lights add extra illumination.

Owner Rosalie Wampler gestures to the rich mahogany paneling, which was installed when the house was new in 1932.

A home with a lot of unpainted wood can seem dark, says Wampler, who lives here with her husband, Michael Gill, and their sons, Lee, 7, and Raleigh, 3.

Preparing for the holidays are Michael Gill and Rosalie Wampler with their sons, Lee, 7, and Raleigh, 3. Portrait by Adrian Klein Photography

Each year, Wampler and Gill rearrange the sofa, tables and Stickley-like Craftsman chairs in the living room to make room for the Christmas tree. Sometimes, the tree fronts windows that rise to the 11-foot-tall ceiling. Last year, visitors participating in a fundraising holiday home tour saw the tree in the middle of the large room.

Another tradition: The family makes colorful ornaments by drying slices of grapefruits, limes and oranges, then looping a candy cane-striped string through each one to hang on a branch.

Other decorations are also crafted at home. Bottle brushes dipped in food coloring or dye become miniature Christmas trees and empty toilet paper rolls, stacked into a tree shape, are dressed with tiny homemade ornaments and golden garlands.

Wampler says she doesnt spend money on store-bought decor unless its super sentimental. Besides, she adds, We all love crafts."

As for gifts, they will assemble necessity kits for people in need and exchange white elephant presents with their big, extended family.

Winter is a reflective time for Wampler. Trees have shed leaves, its a slow growing season and theres the long nighttime darkness, she says.

She counters the cold weather and black skies by decorating inside with a mix of natural cedar branches and mossy twigs, nostalgic items like thick blankets, smile-producing kitsch Christmas ornaments and lots of lights.

Dried slices of grapefruits, limes and oranges with a candy cane-striped string dangle from Christmas tree branches. Beth Nakamura/Staff

A collection of wooden fairy-tale characters dangle from a key rack over a lighted vintage Champale sparkling beer sign and an Advent calendar is propped up on a dish cupboard underneath an antique kitchen light fixture.

I have a penchant for old, Wampler says, who grew up in Portland. The idea of an old-time Christmas sounds wonderful to me.

What were Christmas celebrations like in the 1930s when this house was new?

Many of todays traditions began during the pivotal decade in which the Great Depression ended and World War II started: The image of Santa Claus in a red suit came from a Coca-Cola advertising campaign; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared as a promotion for Montgomery Ward department stores and children were taught to think of others by leaving cookies and milk out for Santa and carrots for his reindeers.

More than the refined aesthetics of this residence are remarkable. The single-story home was designed by Herman Brookman, one of Portlands most influential architects, and it was radically modern for its time.

The minimalist approach still stands out among larger European-inspired, Period Revival and Craftsman houses in the neighborhood.

Brookman, an expert in elite residential architecture and landscaping, was living in New York City when he moved to Portland in 1923 to design a 63-acre estate south of downtown Portland for M. Lloyd Frank of the Meier & Frank department stores. The brick Fir Acres manor, aligned on its axis with Mount Hood, is now the centerpiece of the Lewis & Clark College campus.

With a rising reputation, Brookman was commissioned to plan the 1927 Mediterranean-style Harry A. Green residence, also known as the Bitar Mansion, in Laurelhurst , which cost $6 million in todays dollars.

Throughout his 50-year-career, Brookman designed landmark buildings, mansions and cottages, as well as contributing to the Neo-Byzantine, 1928 Temple Beth Israel in Northwest Portland.

Val Ballestrem of the Architectural Heritage Center wrote that Brookmans work has long been recognized as much for its artistry as for its design quality.

From Art Deco to modern, English to Moorish, regardless of the size or budget, Brookmans signature style materialized: Recessed entrances, leaded-glass windows with colored jewels and precision ornamental ironwork, often by metal artist Oscar B. Bach of New York, whose work appears in the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building.

Architect Herman Bookman designed the 1932 house to be modern for its time. Photo by Beth Nakamura/Staff

Brookmans breakthrough modernist style, as seen in the Gill-Wampler residence, influenced architect John Yeon, who trained in Brookmans office, and others who perfected the Pacific Northwest modern style, which employs native wood, rough brick and glass to achieve elegance.

As important, Brookmans highly livable modern homes prefigured the post-World War II ranch-style dwellings that dominated the 1950s and 1960s, according to historians who successfully campaigned to elevate the architects buildings onto the National Register of Historic Places.

In the early 1930s, Brookman accepted an ambitious commission: To establish high-end, modern homes in a new tract east of the Willamette River.

The goal to build 21 houses was derailed as the Depression lingered, yet three of Brookmans plans were completed in 1932 and remain, lined up on one street, with newer structures since erected in between.

One of the plans became Brookmans personal residence, another was a model home and the third is the Gill-Wampler house.

The three modern homes were praised in print in 1934 by Architecture Magazine and The Oregonian for their attractive design and the way they complemented the landscape.

The Gill-Wampler residence was first occupied by Thomas Greene, Jr., his wife, Dorothy, and their son, Thomas III. In 2012, Gill and Wampler became the second owners of the 87-year-old house.

They bought the property sight unseen.

Although they were grateful so much of the original materials had survived, the property wasnt pristine. When they walked inside for the first time, they found rooms packed with unwanted items, even though no one had lived there for three years.

Some of the custom wood-pane windows needed to be replaced, but fortunately the oak floors had been protected under layers of carpet.

The kitchen still has original counters made of old-growth Douglas fir and peach cabinetry with dovetail drawers and glass knobs. Photo by Beth Nakamura/Staff

The kitchen still has original counters made of old-growth Douglas fir and peach cabinetry with dovetail drawers and glass knobs. When Wampler starts the project to repair the wooden apron board, she believes Pratt & Larson could hand make pieces to match the existing turquoise subway tiles.

Its funny how modern this old house is, says Wampler, even the way the subway tile is laid out. It has aged well.

She has sentimental items on display in the kitchen: Vintage wood canisters sit on top of her grandfathers lazy Susan and an antique porcelain Kaffee hand-crank coffee grinder is mounted on a wall.

Having an authentic old kitchen was something I sought my entire life, says Wampler, who manages and restores Portland apartments built in the same era as her house.

The bathroom has original pink hexagon tile and an elongated diamond-shaped window. The stained glass was removed long ago, and a new vanity and light fixtures were installed in the 1950s.

In the master bedroom is a matching headboard, footboard, gentlemans chest and nightstand set made of birdseye maple in the 1930s that the Greenes left behind.

An old clock has also long been a part of the house. Wampler repaired it and it now sits on the living rooms mahogany mantel underneath a century-old photograph of Mount Hood she found at a Goodwill store.

A framed portrait of the houses architect, Herman Brookman, is displayed in the dining room. Photo by Beth Nakamura/Staff

A framed portrait of architect Brookman rests on a sideboard in the dining room, against a horn speaker from a crank record player that her brother, Sam Wampler, salvaged and repurposed.

Her mother, Joclyn Wampler, owns the Montana Antique Mall in Missoula, so not only does Rosalie Wampler know style eras well, she can shop second-hand stores and estate sales to find authentic pieces.

Especially during the holidays, she says she hopes to evoke a feeling far away from the present time. Maybe our Christmas decorating is to create one big distraction and a vacation from everyday life, she says.

Its a time, when she and her husband talk about loved ones who have passed away and Christmases when they were young. We take stock of the world around us, she says.

Another tradition: On Sundays, they take their sons to a place where they can appreciate the natural world. There, she says, they are together and can "reset our standards of kindness.

-- Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.

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Historic Southeast Portland gem of a house sparkles with holiday decorations - oregonlive.com

When Yvonne Lawley wrote her research proposal for a study of cover crops, she was specific about the wording of the title: Testing the cover crop hypothesis across Prairie Canada.

Its the word hypothesis that grabs you. What could be theoretical about cover crops? Some farmers have been using them for decades to help build soil, reduce erosion, graze animals and more. The practice is common in Ontario and Quebec, as well as in the Northern Great Plains region of the U.S. Whats not to know?

Well, when it comes to the Canadian Prairies, quite a bit, says Lawley, an assistant professor in the department of plant science at the University of Manitoba. Our prairie environment is much more variable and more prone to extremes compared to other areas where cover crops are regularly used.

Lawley says the thinking behind cover crops on the Prairies has shifted since the time they were considered only for green fallow. The reasons why we might want to add cover crops are very diverse soil health, reducing erosion, extending grazing, reducing inputs so there is now a very diverse range of goals.

And thats why I put the word hypothesis in there because farmers are hearing about cover crops everywhere, but here in this environment, we dont have a lot of data to show how they actually work. So with funding from Western Grains Research Foundation, Lawley is leading a team of scientists and graduate students for a new five-year project that aims to find some answers.

To generate this data, Lawley has set up a large-plot crop rotation experiment at four sites across the Prairies (Carman, Man.; Lethbridge, Alta.; Saskatoon and Redvers in Saskatchewan) representing a range of soil types and moisture conditions.

There are two main treatments at each site a four-year annual crop rotation that includes cover crops and the same rotation without cover crops. Third and fourth treatments will act as checks and reflect typical farming practice a two-year short wheat-canola rotation and a four-year planting of alfalfa or alfalfa-grass mix).

For the first two treatments, cash and cover crops were chosen to reflect regional practices, with wheat and canola at every site, plus a second cereal crop and a legume suited to each location (soybeans in Manitoba and pea in Alberta and Saskatchewan, for example). Cover crops include legumes (like clover), brassicas (such as radish) and grasses (fall rye, for example). All sites will use direct seeding and minimum till, although the Saskatoon site includes one high-disturbance crop (potatoes) for comparison.

In some ways its very simple were comparing two rotations, one with and one without cover crops, Lawley says. Whats not so simple is that the rotations are fully phased at each site. This means that all crops will be present in all years of the study, thereby removing weather as a factor in the results.

Lawley and her team believe this work will help to definitively show if cover crops can be reliably grown on the Prairies in the first place and if so, their effect on subsequent crops in terms of yield, nutrient availability, input costs, pest control and soil health. Were going to be doing an economic analysis and look at the impact on crop production and the soil, she says. Whats the benefit of that living root? Were going to try to put some numbers to that.

The experiment also offers a golden opportunity to study the effect of cover crops on nitrogen cycling. Nitrogen needs to be available in the soil when the crops need to use it, and researchers want to know if cover crops help or hinder that process.

The study will also look at the effect of cover crops on greenhouse gas emissions. We want to know if storing nitrogen in cover crop biomass living or dead impacts nitrogen loss in the early spring, which is when most N2O emissions are generated, Lawley says.

In some ways, we already know we can do this, Lawley says, explaining that early adopters of cover crops have shown it can work on their farms. But others are still wondering if its worth their time to grow cover crops, so were doing this work for them, and also to produce information for agronomists, who get asked questions about cover crops all the time, and need local research to refer to.

The team has just wrapped up its second field season, so its an exciting time for the data crunchers. In the first year we got baseline samples, says Lawley. Were at the point now where grad students are coming on board to do the intensive sampling and getting all our measurements.

And farmers dont have to wait until 2022 to find out what Lawley and her team are learning along the way check out #PrairieCoverCrops. Social media is a real enabler of cover crops and soil health information for farmers, Lawley says. Its key for knowledge transfer and for researchers to know what questions farmers are asking. People with good ideas could be so isolated before social media its been a game-changer.

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Finding the value of cover crops for Western Canada - Country Guide

The Census Bureau reported that residential construction spending fell 0.9% to $508.2 billion in October from Septembers $512.6 billion.

New single-family housing construction rose 1.6% from September to $279 million but is down 3.1% year-over-year from October 2018s $288 million.

Single-family spending has been increasing month-over-month from June 2019 when residential spending was $264 million.

The National Association of Home Builders reported last month the average single-family lot price reached a new high in 2018, with half of the lots selling at or above $49,500.

Data shows the biggest rise in lot values was in the West South Central division, where median-lot values more than doubled since the housing boom years.

Lot values, however, adjusted for inflation have not reached housing-boom peaks. Lots sold for more than $43,000 during those years, which is over $53,000 when converted in 2018 money.

The West South Central Divisionmade up of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisianahistorically has had the lowest lot values in the nation. The NAHB states that lot values began rising in 2013 and reached the national average by 2015.

According to the NAHB, as of 2018 lot values in the division sell for more than $62,000, which is $25 above the national average. Lot values were outpacing prices during the housing boom when lots were under $30,000.

New England had the most expensive lots in the nation, with half of all sold single-family homes had lot values higher than $140,000.

New England is known for strict local zoning regulations that often require very low densities. Therefore, it is not surprising that typical single-family spec homes started in New England are built on some of the largest and most expensive lots in the nation, said the NAHB.

Black Knight revealed last month that home-price appreciation had its largest single-month increase in two years in September, rising 0.2% to 3.95% for the monththe highest its been since March when home-price growth was in a 16-month slow trend.

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Residential Construction Spending Dips to $508B - The MReport

Hidden behind high hedges and aging trees there used to be a substantial detached, red brick property on this large plot of suburban land.

Located on one of the most popular streets connecting the Cardiff suburb of Lisvane with a main route into the city centre, the house had a garden so large that it has now been transformed into a site of 13 new homes, created within a gated community.

But the former detached period property still remains and has become three new homes making up plot C of four phases of this development.

This original Lozelles House has been converted into two modern apartments and an attached new-build two bedroom duplex coach house.

The ground floor garden apartment in this block has just been reserved. The remaining flat in this block has just gone on the market for a guide price of 435,000. The coach house is currently on the market for 485,000.

Wander further down the former generous garden and there is a brand new block of six, two bedroom apartments on plot B.

Each level of accommodation in this block has its own unique design feature.

The three-storey block contains two garden flats for sale for 435,000 each, both have two sets of glass doors into a private garden space.

The two first floor flats are on the market for 425,000 and feature bay windows with an integrated Juliet balcony.

On the second floor the two penthouse apartments also have a Juliet balcony, surrounded by large windows that stretch into the roof apex ensuring that the internal space is flooded with light. They are both on the market for 425,000 each.

According to the estate agent selling the properties, all the apartments have a spacious open-plan kitchen/living room.

The contemporary kitchens are custom designed from Sigma 3 and the interior styling is contemporary and high spec.

The show apartment within this block has just been launched and is available to view via an appointment with the estate agent.

At the very end of the garden there is a smaller block of apartments due to be built as the final phase of this mini development, called plot A.

But arguably the main event of this development is the largest new build property located on plot D.

On the corner of Church Road and Heol-y-Delyn this property is a new, five bedroom detached home.

This architecturally-designed house has been named Lozelles House as a connection to the past but its design and specification is very much in the present and future.

The bespoke, L-shaped contemporary home has high technology fibre broadband, its own private gated entry and top of the range appliances within the Sigma 3 kitchen.

On the ground floor there are two spacious reception rooms, one overlooking the courtyard garden through large glass doors.

The other living room is a cosy space, with warmth provided by a contemporary log burner, and provides access to the adjacent room; the heart of the home.

The kitchen/diner is a sociable space that not only boasts a very fancy kitchen but easily enough space to seat at least eight dinner guests.

And if the weather is warm there's easy access via one of two sets of glass doors to the garden, should the cooking go al fresco via a BBQ.

On this ground floor there is also a cloakroom and handy utility room.

Upstairs the five bedrooms have been designed to give the master suite a whole wing of the property.

With a double-height ceiling open to the roof space, huge picture window overlooking the garden, ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, this area is the prize sleeping quarters for the bosses of the house.

But the rest of the family can't complain, as bedroom two also has an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe and the remaining three bedrooms are all doubles.

Lozelles House is currently on the market for 895,000.

The final phase of the development is plot A, a block of three two-bedroom apartments with a very similar open-plan design as the current flats for sale within the next door, larger building.

All of the homes are being sold by estate agent Jeffrey Ross, call their Llanishen branch on 029 2159 0036 to find out more.

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Inside the luxury homes of a new gated community being built in a posh Cardiff suburb - Wales Online

High-spec over-basements in Clontarf from 610,000

Independent.ie

With Copeland Place, ODOS Architects set out to create a modern twist on the two-storey over-basement period houses that dot the start of the Howth Road.

https://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/new-homes/highspec-overbasements-in-clontarf-from-610000-38735683.html

https://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/homes/article38735682.ece/dee47/AUTOCROP/h342/2019-11-29_lif_55184998_I1.JPG

With Copeland Place, ODOS Architects set out to create a modern twist on the two-storey over-basement period houses that dot the start of the Howth Road.

Copeland Place is made up of eight terraced and semi-detached three- and four-bed houses and one two-bed duplex apartment. The first three homes have already been reserved: 610,000 for the sole duplex and 875,000 for the four-bed houses available. Three-bed houses and four-beds with a study will go on the market in the new year.

Each home has alu-clad tripled-glazed windows, as well as two parking spaces in a cobble-locked driveway and a rear garden with a patio.

There are Spanish floor tiles throughout the ground floor and natural wood flooring on the other levels.

The uber-contemporary kitchen with soft-close doors from Kube Interiors comes with a stone worktop, a chrome cooker hood, an oven, a hob and an integrated fridge-freezer and dishwasher. There's also a separate utility room.

All the bedrooms come with high-quality wardrobes, while the bathroom and ensuite have Spanish sanitary ware from Porcelanosa, floor and wall tiling, and polished chrome heated towel rails.

The A-rated properties are equipped with underfloor heating on all floors, thanks to a low-energy heat-pump system, and are wired for an electric car charging point.

Copeland Place is within a five-minute walk from Clontarf Road Dart station and the seafront promenade. Dublin city centre is just 3.5 km away.

Viewings are by appointment.

Indo Property

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High-spec over-basements in Clontarf from 610,000 - Independent.ie

Industry experts estimate the United Statesneeds 500,000 electricians to fulfill the growing construction demands. To alleviate the skills gap, EmersonsGreenlee business is working with electrical contractor FSG to integrate GreenApple Labs curriculum into its free training program. FSG recently opened its Dallas, San Antonio and Austin locations, where more than 150 students attended the event to advance their trade career.

GreenApple Labs is a natural fit with our program, says Cory Bruner, director of risk management for FSG. The partnership brings a professional classroom setting into an FSG training site, giving the apprentice the ability to learn how to use a tool in the classroom and then apply the technique to their on-the-job learning opportunity.

We are proud to partner with FSG and others to inspire and train people who want to pursue a career in the trades, said Paul McAndrew, vice president and general manager of Greenlee, Emerson. GreenApple Labs is about providing training to students in the classroom ensuring they are ready to work when they arrive on the job.

GreenApple LabsGreenApple Labs was created and introduced to all students to develop key trade profession competencies with the equipment they will use as employees on the job site. Greenlee developed a series of standardized competency-based, hands-on modules that provide key skill sets required by employers as they enter the workforce. In partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), students that successfully complete courses in the five core electrical trade categories: bending, cutting and termination, fishing and pulling, test and measurement, and wire pathways, are awarded a certificate signifying their knowledge and hands-on competency. Completed certificates meet Industry-Based Credentials (IBC) requirements, which are recognized by the local, state and several national certifying entities (BICSI, ETA-I). The hands-on program includes a series of training modules that not only educates students on new technology that an electrician may need to know but reinforces fundamental skillsets while in the controlled environment of a classroom.

People interested in learning more about GreenApple Labs need to connect with Steve Lehr, director, vocational education business development at [emailprotected]; learn more about GreenApple Labs at greenlee.com/green-apple-labs.

FSG TrainingCurrently, 200 students are enrolled in FSGs program. Instructor-led courses usetraining from GreenApple Labs, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, and on-the-job training. Apprentice programs consist of four levels of electrical training through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and help fulfill the necessary hours of on-the-job experience. Apprentice opportunities are offered at nine FSG locationsincluding Austin, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Chicago, Indianapolis, Southern California and New York. Individuals interested in learning more about the FSG apprentice training program should visit www1.fsgi.com/careers/training.

Emersons Professional Tools businesses include Greenlee as well as the RIDGIDand Klaukebrands and provides the industrys broadest portfolio of advanced, reliable tools and technologies for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades globally. Visit emerson.com/professionaltools for more information.

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Hands-On Training Helps Solve the Labor Shortage - Transmission & Distribution World

Calling all English majors and lovers of literature! Finally, there is a play that covers all 37 of Shakespeare plays in just 97 minutes! Is it possible? Come find out as just five madcap actors in tights weave their raucous way through all of Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies--not to mention 152 Sonnets--in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) opens at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) Department of Theatre on Tuesday, December 3rd at 8:00PM. The production runs from Dec. 3 through Dec. 7, every night at 8:00PM with a 2:00PM matinee on Saturday, Dec. 7. Theatre major Kori Ligon makes her collegiate on-stage debut as one of the five players; she portrays iconic characters such as Romeo, Sampson, Laertes, and more! Sophomore Jack Storm plays all of the female roles throughout Shakespeare's body of work. Storm goes out one door, his bodice barely laced up, and appears through another, his long feminine wig clinging to life on his head. The production also boasts newcomer, freshman Liam Welsh, who acts as the "eminent Shakespearean scholar" until we realize. . . the book he holds of Shakespeare's complete works is the closest thing he has to knowledge on the subject. The production is an irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard's plays that is full of energy and ridiculous theatrical "solutions," as the characters run across the stage and keep you guessing how they will pull off each new play.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a production built from the relationship between SCSU Theatre and company-in-residence Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven, CT. Elm's Producing Artistic Director, Rebecca Goodheart, directs her third production at SCSU. She has directed over 30 professional and 50 educational productions in her career including: Comedy of Errors and Love's Labour's Lost (Elm Shakespeare Company); Much Ado About Nothing and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (SCSU Theatre). A long-time company member at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, Rebecca has also worked with numerous Shakespeare theaters around the world, and is a proud lifetime member of Shakespeare Theater Association, as well as an associate member of both the Society for Directors & Choreographers (SDC) and the Voice and Speech Teachers Association (VASTA). Associate Director and adjunct professor of Theatre, Benjamin Curns, makes his directorial debut at SCSU; he will be directing the production of Red Velvet in February 2020. As a fierce lover of Shakespeare, Benjamin has appeared in all but six of the canon's including the title roles in Richard III, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Henry VIII, and Hamlet. Benjamin received his MFA in Acting from the Professional Actors Training Program at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was also awarded the David Hammond Award for Excellence in Dramatic Art.

The production boasts a talented team behind-the-scenes as well. One of the five players in the show, Ariana Harris, also works as Props Crew Manager for Crescent Players. SCSU Theatre graduates Amelia Pizzoferatto ('17), Cailey Harwood-Smith ('17), and Katie Brown ('18) have returned as Scenic Charge Artist, Props Master, and Master Electrician, respectively. Pizzoferatto and the entire paint crew's exceptional work can be seen in the detailed set piece reminiscent of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, a detail noted on by Scenic and Lighting Designer, Assistant Professor of Theatre Douglas Macur.

The mission for the department is to provide comprehensive theatre training of the highest quality, to foster students' personal and artistic development, and to emphasize experiential learning and access to the profession. This can be seen through SCSU Theatre's involvement with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, New England Theatre Conference, and its continued partnership with Elm Shakespeare Company. The 2019-20 season returns in Spring 2020 with Red Velvet (Feb. 28-Mar. 7) and the festival of Student-Directed One-Acts (April 28-May 2).

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will be performed in the Kendall Drama Lab (LY 141) in the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts Main Stage (501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT). Performance dates/times: December 4th through 7th at 8:00PM; and December 7th at 2:00PM. Tickets are general admission: $15 for the general public; $10 for faculty/staff, senior citizens, and alumni (2 tickets with valid alumni ID); and $5 for students (2 with valid ID). Reserve your tickets here or call the Lyman Box Office at 203-392-6154. On Wednesday, December 4th, there will be a talkback after the performance with professors from SCSU's English Department and Elm Shakespeare Company.

To keep up with SCSU Theatre, visit the SCSU website or follow on Instagram and like on Facebook @scsutheatredept.

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Calling All Lovers Of Shakespeare! SCSU Theatre Presents THE COMPLETE WORKS - Broadway World