Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Sheryl Roberts

Many people have a horizon for when theyll be selling their homes.

It could be a year, two years or five years. The family is growing and they need larger quarters the kids are grown and they want smaller quarters Florida is alluring or whatever the reason. When the time comes to put the home on the market, they go all out painting, updating and replacing.

Why put all that money, time and effort into your home for a new owner? Instead, put that money, time and effort into a home youll enjoy for however long you stay there. When Ive staged homes for clients who are getting ready to put their homes on the market, Ive heard so many say, I wish I had done that sooner so I could have enjoyed it. Dont be one of those people. Do it now and enjoy it now.

Take a good look at your kitchen

The kitchen is the most popular room in the house so it needs style and sensibility. However, an overhaul to your kitchen can be very costly. But there are a few small changes that will make a major difference.

Now, take a look at your bathroom

The appeal of a lovely bathroom can remind you of a luxury hotel or soothing spa. You can create a taste of that in your bathroom.

In and around the home

Take a look around your home to see what else you may be able to update or redo: Are your wooden floors worn or discolored? Is your carpet stained or badly worn? If your wallpaper peeling? These can all be updated for you to enjoy.

Sheryl Roberts of Marlborough is the owner of Inner Space Concepts, an interior decorating and home staging company in Marlborough. She can be reached at sherylroberts@comcast.net.

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Stage your home for yourself - Wicked Local Provincetown

FreshDirect is fast becoming a leading player in the rapidly expanding online grocery ordering market, where they make shopping and delivery fast and easy with high quality food and meals, plus supermarket brand favorites.

Dayton, NJ (PRWEB) August 05, 2017

This success, however, has not come without its challenges. Among the most critical the company faced was a flooring solution for 15,500 square feet at their newest building on 52nd street in Manhattan, where food products are warehoused.

Having previously experienced a flooring failure at its Long Island City location only six months after installation, FreshDirect contacted The Gillespie Group, a NJ-based commercial flooring company. It was through their comprehensive assessment and suggested remedy of the problem that FreshDirect was motivated to contract The Gillespie Group to assess, recommend and install the flooring for their New York City location.

Mike Tuzel, LEED AP, Project Manager Facility Design & Development, FreshDirect needed to resolve a number of flooring issues that plagued the Manhattan facility, including a mix of concrete and plywood flooring substrates that varied throughout each level. FreshDirect wanted the new surface to be seamless and easy-to-clean as well as durable and slip-resistant; and it didn't want to worry about leaks or spillage seeping through to the level below. Because of the project's considerable size, they also needed a cost-effective solution.

John Gillespie, Vice President of Operations for The Gillespie Group, explains the approach: "We applied two test patches, free of charge, at FreshDirect's Manhattan facility. One was PIP and a second in another flooring product to determine the best option. We also do a lot of analysis and background work to determine what type of wear and conditions the floor will be subjected to. This data and information enables us to confidently specify the best product for the project."

The Company chose PIP's Protect UC-RP, a self-priming, three or four (with colorpack) component, slurry grade, Rapid Placement Heavy Duty Urethane Concrete Mortar. Protect UC-RP is formulated specifically for ease of placement and leveling properties, while maintaining the durability required for demanding environments. Protect UC-RP is typically installed at 3/16" to 1/4" thickness, and has tensile strength that is conducive to a plywood surface. Installation over plywood was required for FreshDirect's officesand UC-RP retains its flexibility and does not crack when the plywood contracts.

A Hot Challenge Summer in the City

Scheduling and weather conditions made upfront planning a critical factor in the FreshDirect project's success. Summer heat proved to be the biggest challenge that The Gillespie Group overcame during the installation. Temperatures reached into the 90s and no climate control was available. A second challenge involved a section of the basement level that was owned by another company. The Gillespie Group had to ensure any installation odors would not enter the space during the project. Finally, there was also the issue of working in proximity with other contractors, in the same space, at the same time.

A High Performance Solution

The Gillespie Group partnered with PIP technicians to develop a system for FreshDirect that was not only durable and seamless, but highly functional and moisture resistant at the same time to address the fact that various areas would be somewhat wet. They completed the entire installation with PIP product; 8,500 square feet of PIP on second floor; 7,000 of PIP installed on the basement level.

Moving Forward

PIP proved to be a true, responsive partner in every aspect of the flooring installation. Their technicians came onsite for several weeks to ensure the successful outcome of the project. "Their reputation matches the efficacy of the products they manufacture," said Gillespie. "From a professional standpoint, you can't ask for a better working experience."The project was completed within the aggressive six-week timeframe and was met with an extremely pleased and appreciative reception from FreshDirect's management and staff. Finished in late August, the results impressed the FreshDirect executives that in December The Gillespie Group was awarded the million-dollar flooring contract for FreshDirect's new facility in the Bronx.

# # # #

About The Gillespie Group

The Gillespie Group, with headquarters in Dayton, NJ, has been a family-owned New Jersey-based business since it was founded in 1985. A leading nationwide commercial flooring and carpet company, The Gillespie Group offers a unique combination of consultation, product knowledge, industry experience, technical expertise, responsive service, and proven reliability. All company representatives have a deep knowledge of carpet and flooring materials and their performance characteristics. The company offers one of the strongest carpet warranties in the industry. The Gillespie Group team of expert technicians and installers are trained and certified by major manufacturers to ensure the highest quality workmanship. For more information on The Gillespie Group, please visit: http://www.thegillespiegroup.com.

For additional press information, please contact:Ed Delia, Delia AssociatesE: edelia(at)delianet.comT: 908-534-9044

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/08/prweb14571342.htm

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A Fresh Look for FreshDirect: The Gillespie Group's Protective Industrial Polymers (PIP) Flooring Installation - Benzinga

Glenn Haege, Special to The Detroit News Published 5:31 p.m. ET Aug. 3, 2017

Floor specialist Steve McNamara says luxury vinyl tiles are softer and more comfortable to walk or stand on than hardwood, stone or tile floors.(Photo: Riemer Floors)

Invented in the 1930s, vinyl flooring soon become the preferred option in kitchens, hallways and bathrooms in the 1950s and 60s due to its low cost and water resistance. And even if you were updating the floor in a kitchen or hallway 25 years ago, there was a good chance that vinyl flooring was still your choice because of its durability and ease of maintenance for such high-traffic areas. But over the years, vinyl floors lost popularity to ceramic tile, hardwood and natural stone as people looked for more stylish flooring options.

Today, however, vinyl is making a comeback with a luxury vinyl tile (LVT) category that provides improved durability and ease of maintenance over traditional vinyl flooring coupled with dramatic new styles that mimic tile or wood at a lower price point without the extensive installation or maintenance costs.

Todays luxury vinyl tile offers more style and design options and is more durable than the old sheet vinyl flooring, said Steve McNamara, vice president of hard surface products at Riemer Floors, (248) 335-3500, riemerfloors.com.

McNamara said LVT is softer and more comfortable to walk or stand on than hardwood, stone or tile floors, and is basically waterproof, making it a great choice for kitchens or other high-traffic areas. He also said one of the biggest advancements in the LTV category is an added wearlayer with aluminum oxide on top of the vinyl flooring that offers superior resistance to stains, scuffs and scratches and makes it much more durable than the old vinyl product.

While LVT with the wearlayer is more durable than traditional vinyl floors for normal wear and tear, it still can be susceptible to scratches if you are moving appliances, McNamara said. But because it comes in smaller sized tiles versus the old 12-foot version, you can replace individual tiles if they get damaged.

He said LVT also comes in a variety of shapes and sizes versus the old standard 12 foot wide sheets including plank, square, rectangular and octagon shapes to mimic hardwood, stone and ceramic tile. McNamara added that it is easier to install than ceramic or stone and there is even an option to have groutable luxury vinyl tiles to give them a more authentic ceramic tile look.

A big part of our business in the past five years has been in the luxury vinyl tile category, he said. It really replicates the look of hardwood or ceramic tile well but it can be 35 percent to 40 percent cheaper when installed versus ceramic tile and closer to 50 percent cheaper if you choose the LVT without the groutable option.

Some manufacturers of luxury vinyl tile flooring include Armstrong, armstongflooring.com, Mannington, mannington.com, and Mohawk, mohawkflooring.com.

Armstrong offers its Alterna line of luxury vinyl tile that looks like ceramic tile or stone, along with a Luxe Plank line that looks like hardwood. Manningtons Luxury Vinyl Sheet line also offers options for ceramic, hardwood and stone looks along with more traditional looking vinyl flooring available in 23 unique designs. And Mohawk offers 17 different styles that mimic tile, stone or wood floors.

Updating your flooring can make a huge statement in any room in your house, but especially in areas like the kitchen or hallway. And with luxury vinyl tile becoming a more durable and cost effective option, you may want to visit a showroom to see it up close and compare it to ceramic tile, hardwood or stone.

For more home improvement advice, call The Handyman Show With Glenn Haege" on WJR-AM (760) at (866) ASK GLENN, (866) 275-4536 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday. The Handyman Show can also be heard on more than 135 radio stations nationwide.

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Luxury vinyl tiles rival ceramic and hardwood floors - The Detroit News

Or, more accurately, an overhauled flagship store slash installation from artist Sterling Ruby.

Raf Simons was appointed chief creative officer of Calvin Klein a year agoalmost to the dayand in that time the Belgian designer has done just about everything one could do to overhaul the successful-if-stagnant house. A revamped logo? Check. Refreshed advertising campaigns? Check. A brand new aesthetic for the brand and one that delivers on months of built-up hype? Check and check. Despite all the newness that Simons has broughtand continues to bringto Calvin Klein, there's been just one thing missing: Simons-designed stuff to actually buy.

The good news is that the first drops of Simons & Co.'s renewed C.K. Collection wares (henceforth referred to as 205W39NYC, thankyouverymuch) are trickling into the world's best menswear stores right this very second. The better news is that the entire Raf-imagined Calvin Klein Universe lives in one spaceand its doors are open for business. The building is the much-admired John Pawson-designed Calvin Klein flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City, but what's inside is unlike anything any C.K. loyalist, luxury shopper, or passerby even has ever seen before.

For starters, it's yellow, very yellowand yellow everywhere. The walls are yellow. The ceilings are yellow. The industrial scaffolding that does double duty as display racks and design element off which pom poms, decorative fringe, and vintage patchwork quilts hang are yellow. The reimagining of the once-sedate space comes from the brain of longtime Simons collaborator and artist Sterling Ruby, who decided to jolt the store's three in-use floors to life with the "warning color of cautionary tape and traffic signs," according to a press release. And in case it wasn't clear from the glowing canary yellow interiors that this is a new era in C.K. land, you'll certainly know from the racks and shelves which are stocked with clothes and accessories from Simons's first 205W39NYC runway show (including those CALVIN KLEIN JEANS ESTABLISHED 1978 pieces) for men and women as well as a small selection of curated housewares and the brand's newly-launched crisp white bedding.

Im taking the Calvin Klein flagship store from minimal to maximal, said Ruby. I wanted the store to glow from within, representing a new day for Calvin Klein. But how long this new day will actually last remains to be seen. Apparently, the floor-to-ceiling installation is what the company is calling "an intermediary step...prior to a forthcoming renovation of the building." If this is what Ruby and Raf Simons can do for some temporary digs, we can't imagineor fathom, reallyjust what the hell they'll get up to when it comes time to make things permanent.

Calvin Klein is located at 654 Madison Avenue in New York City.

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Raf Simons's Brand New Calvin Klein Has a Brand New Home - GQ Magazine

This interview began with an uncomfortable question.

"Are you afraid of heights?" Twin Cities artist Eric Rieger asked while ascending 75 feet in a cherry picker. "It shakes when it gets high. Or it bounces. That's the scariest part."

Rieger, known widely as HOTTEA, was heading toward a skylight inside the Mall of America to continue work on a 5,000 square foot yarn piece called "Hot Lunch."

The 60-foot-tall installation is Rieger's largest so far, a milestone in his art career that started with graffiti and has led him into what some call "yarn-bombing."

As a graffiti artist, Rieger's tag was HOTTEA. But he fell afoul of the law. The next time he got caught, someone warned, he'd be looking at some consequences.

He stopped, but found himself missing the creative part of tagging.

So, Rieger turned to yarn-bombing. He began creating increasingly complicated designs by weaving wool into words on chain-link fences. The words last for a while and then succumb to the elements.

In time, he began making bigger pieces, weaving a brilliantly colored yarn roof on the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn, and huge free flowing curtains of color at outdoor concerts. They are hard to describe, but invariably they cause people to pause and stare in wonder.

"I try to create memories with my installations," he said. "I've always tried to do that from day one with my street work."

For the Mall of America piece, Reiger started with 900 pounds of yarn, which came as skeins the large twists of wool favored by knitters.

"It took roughly two months of preparing the artwork," he said.

Reiger needed 60-foot lengths of yarn, and a lot of them enough to fill a 5,000 square foot atrium three stories tall.

However, Reiger's studio is only 40 feet long. So, he set up pegs 30 feet apart and had assistants walking, back and forth, unraveling, clipping and then tying one end to specially cut mesh squares.

"I had like five [people] for like for two weeks just unraveling yarn," he said. "I think we calculated around 14,000 strands of yarn."

Once measured, clipped and attached the yarn was carefully folded into bags. The mesh now hangs from a lattice of cables near the skylight.

Rieger and his assistant spent five days preparing the piece. As they dropped each yarn piece one by one, the work expanded. Each new bag delivers a new batch of color to the growing wall of wool. He calls it a color field.

Mall of America Senior Vice President Jill Renslow helped commission the piece. She loves watching mall visitors stop and stare.

"It's a different view and experience from different perspectives, whether you are on level three and you are right there," she said. "As you move, the color sequences change."

"Hot Lunch" is now on view in the atrium of the mall's northern entrance.

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Yarn rainbow fills skies inside Mall of America - Minnesota Public Radio News

Crews use helicopter to install new AC units in Trapper Gym

Bystanders on the Northwest College campus and residents of surrounding neighborhoods were treated to an unfamiliar sight Tuesday morning: a Bell UH-1 helicopter, commonly known as a Huey, landing in the parking lot of the Johnson Fitness Center.

The aircraft from Sky Aviation in Worland was on hand to assist with the installation of a pair of new air conditioning/heating units in the Trapper Gym.

David Plute, NWC facilities director, said the installation was the first part of a two-phase renovation project for the Johnson Fitness Center complex.

The helicopter portion of the work had been originally scheduled for Monday afternoon. But as you might expect, getting the green-light from the Federal Aviation Administration to land a Huey in a residential area turned out to be a bit of a process.

We encountered a bit of a delay with the FAA processing what they call the restricted area, Plute said. You have to get a congested area plan to chopper in to basically a residential-type setting like that.

At first glace, an industrial crane may have seemed the logical choice for installing the units. However, according to Plute, the helicopter proved to be more cost-effective.

We would have had to bring in a big crane with a lot of stick to be able to get to that high roof and to get the reach from that parking lot, he explained. Bringing in a crane from Billings, with the travel time and setup, it was actually cheaper to the project to use the helicopter for the lift. The cost of the crane and the helicopter were pretty close to the same, but where the contractor saved a lot of money is that his guys would have been tied up pretty much all day [if they had used the crane].

As it was, the helicopter was on site for less than an hour, accomplishing in that time what could have been an all-day process.

That thing went even quicker than we thought it would, Plute said. The contractor is in charge of means and methods as part of our contract. We just assisted with coordinating with the FAA, making sure we had all the insurance and approvals, then coordinating with the campus and the Powell Police Department so that we were able to close off the streets and secure the area.

The contractor for the renovation project is Jims Building Services in Powell; the HVAC project is subcontracted to Schrader Metal and Design in Cody, which enlisted the services of Sky Aviation.

Plute said everything went off without a hitch and, as an added bonus, people in the area were treated to something they dont see everyday in their neighborhood. The helicopter even assisted with a little campus housekeeping.

As a side benefit, they blew some of the leaves on the sidewalks and in the gutters away, Plute said. But if we ever have to do it again, Im bringing the Visine concessions, because it got pretty dusty here standing around.

Other work on the gym this summer involved taking out old, combustible insulation, Plute said.

We have plans next year to re-do the gym floor, make some repairs, as well as improvements to the ceiling of the fitness center, he said. That and some other things will be phase two for next year.

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NWC takes to the skies to install new equipment - Powell Tribune - Powell Tribune

Raf Simons reworking of the Calvin Klein brand reached a new high with the reopening of its Madison Avenue flagship space in New York City. Coinciding with the arrival of Simons debut collection in store, the three-storey space originally designed by John Pawson has been transformed with an immersive floor-to-ceiling installation by the American artist Sterling Ruby.

The artists concept for the boutique plays off two other interiors projects hes previously created for the label the 12th floor showroom and the ground floor space of its 205 West 39th Street headquarters. It also echoes the brands new space at Dover Street Market New York. Filled with artfully arranged scaffolding, hanging sculptures by Ruby and awash with bright, traffic-sign yellow, the boutiques interior is charged with a transient feel that straddles both realms of art and industry.

Calvin Kleins NYC boutique is flush with dazzling traffic-sign yellow. Photography: Elizabeth Felicella/Esto Photographics

Rubys sculptures, which are made up of everyday objects and materials, also occasionally feature Calvin Kleins 205W39NYC logo, reiterating the Peter Saville-designedmoniker for Simons new vision. Vibrant, youthful and concurrently capturing the gleam and grit of American culture, the boutique visually epitomises the progressive energy of the iconic brand.

Filled with Simons A/W2017 mens and womens collection for the label, and new denim, underwear and accessories offerings, the boutique brings the previously disparate facets of Calvin Kleins universe effortlessly under one roof. A specially selected assortment of home objects, which include Homer Laughlin coffee mugs, ceramic vessels by ceramicist Rose Cabat and vintage Italian glassware, are mixed in throughout the store. One-of-a-kind vintage quilts also serve as a contemporary foil for the brands new all-white bedding collection.

Simons says, I wanted the store to generate a very immediate physical experience that could as well be intimately connected to the collections. It is also a continuation of the language I am creating with Sterling for Calvin Kleins visible and physical identity.

RAF SIMONS, NEW YORK ARCHITECTURE, RETAIL DIRECTORY, CALVIN KLEIN

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Reborn in the USA: Raf Simons unveils Sterling Ruby-designed Calvin Klein flagship - wallpaper.com

Truck suppliers are preparing for when clients decide to make the move

Its no secret that most sports broadcasting still features stereo sound, and there might be more mono listening going on than some in the industry would like to think. But the mixes from the onsite production need to remain at the cutting edge, and discrete 5.1 on-air sound has been the standard for the basic mix for at least major-league shows for the better part of a decade. However, sports broadcasting is on the cusp of its next transition: from multichannel to immersive sound.

Such systems as Dolbys Atmos, Fraunhofers MPEG-H, and Barcos Auro are competing to deliver seven to 22 channels into the home. Atmoss 5.1+4 iteration (a standard surround array plus four overhead channels) has been the leading contender in the U.S. since the inclusion, in late 2015, of Dolbys object-capable AC-4 format as part of the ATSC 3.0 standard.

The audio compartment in production trucks like Game Creeks Madison will have to be retrofitted with additional speakers for immersive sound.

Consumers, many of whom have been confounded by surrounds six channels, seem to be embracing soundbars as an alternative to adding even more loudspeakers into the living room. But, in the trucks on the front lines of sports production, immersive sounds extra speakers will have to go somewhere.

Just Talk for NowAt Game Creek Video, a few sports clients have expressed passing interest in immersive audio, according to VP, Engineering, Paul Bonar, but thats as far as the category has gone in remote-productiontruck design. Weve had no requests for anything concrete and just limited discussions about the topic, he says.

Many truck audio compartments already house seven or more speakers: the standard L-C-R and L-R rear arrays, plus more subwoofers on the floor (the .1 channel) and, most recently, more transducers dedicated to production input from producers and directors.

[A1s] want to hear that kind of audio coming from dedicated speakers in different parts of the room, Bonar explains, so they know whos talking just by the direction its coming from.

Sometimes another stereo pair is installed just for pre-fader monitoring. (Speakers can take the form of either conventional bookshelf types bolted to walls and ceilings or speakers embedded in A/V monitoring units, such as Wohlers AMP Series rack-mounted systems.)

Other key hardware and software elements to support immersive audio, such as audio consoles, are also still over the horizon, notes Jason Taubman, VP, design and technology, Game Creek. Clients are also still working on how they want their audio monitors configured in relation to their video monitors [in the audio compartment]. There are a lot of pieces still being moved around, so adding more for immersive audio will complicate that.

However, Bonar says, its not inconceivable that Game Creek could make at least provisional accommodation for additional immersive speakers in the near future in designs. Its something we might consider. And it would not be a big deal to retrofit [our trucks] for the extra speakers in the ceiling. We know where theyd go if they want them.

A Large Number of VariablesNEP Broadcasting also has had little direct customer input on the immersive front. VP, Systems Integration, Joe Signorino says his team has been considering various approaches to speaker placement in the event that the call comes for an Atmos- or Auro-capable audio compartment. The number of variables is considerable, he notes, ticking off the different form factors of various speaker brands and models, how much more bulk the powered versions of speakers take up, and how the installation of ceiling speakers the signature piece of next-gen audio is complicated by how dense things get behind each compartments ceiling.

Retrofitting existing trucks could be especially challenging, he explains. And, with more and more speakers into the same amount of space, you could start to encounter problems having enough space to achieve proper imaging.

Gerling Associates fabricates most of the rack-ready and turnkey production vehicles used in the U.S. President Fred Gerling says he has not heard any specific inquiries about speaker-array designs for immersive audio. However, he notes, the instructions coming from his clients, including NEP and Game Creek, lately increasingly specify more provisions for speakers that is, the trimmed cutouts into which the finishing companies will install the actual speakers than in the past and for more monitors in the audio compartments ceilings, which would be the location for most dedicated immersive-sound speakers for broadcast applications. Its a trend that might hint at what the future holds.

The number and locations of additional speakers is changing lately, he says, adding that that can complicate the esthetics of the trim around those additional speakers, as different configurations for these new audio monitors get worked out. Audio is changing, but what doesnt change is that they still want these trucks to look good.

Truck developers waiting to see what their audio compartments will look like in the future have little definitive to go on at the moment. But they are aware that there only will be more speakers in them than ever before. For now, theyll be mostly cutting virtual holes in the ceilings of CAD designs while waiting for their clients to make some long-range strategic decisions.

Click here for Tech Focus: Audio Monitoring, Part 2 Speaker Options for Road Warriors

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Tech Focus: Audio Monitoring, Part 1 Road Warriors Transitioning ... - Sports Video Group

If youve been thinking that you just cant go on, darn it, without the Bobcat Den and its soup and salad bar, breakfast buffet, Bates Burgers, midnight confabs, etc. take heart.

Its predicted that the Den will reopen for business by Sept. 1, as the HVAC upgrade that has kept the semi-subterranean eatery closed since June 11 will be largely complete by then.

The silvery metal box above the ceiling rails is one of four fan-coil units that will heat or cool the public area of the Den. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The Chase Hall project has entailed the installation of new heating and cooling equipment serving both the Den and Memorial Commons, upstairs. From the comfort standpoint, that will mean a substantial improvement to air conditioning in the Den and, for the first time, the delivery of AC to the old high-ceiling dining room, now a multipurpose space.

Under the direction of John Rasmussen, who is wrangling the HVAC project and is also the colleges energy manager, the undertaking will also loop Chase Hall into the campus-wide monitoring and control system for space heating.

Finally, the project will unify all of Chase under a single heating technology, rather than the dual systems forced hot water and steam heat that have done the job for more than a decade.

This is one of two new HVAC units in the Den that will bring in, and heat or cool as needed, air from the outside. They replace units installed in 1950, when Memorial Commons was added to Chase Hall. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The current project has touched much of the building, but the Den has gotten the brunt of the attention. Technicians for Damon Mechanical progressed by leaps and bounds (unfortunately, we took no pictures of the leaping and bounding) through July.

They put two new air handlers into closets, flanking the Den entrance facing the Library Quad, that had housed the 67-year-old original units. (The obsolescence of those old warhorses, in fact, is what precipitated the entire project.) The air handlers pull fresh air into the building and heat or cool it.

Damon also hung from the ceiling several fan-coil units that, employing so-called hydronic technology, use hot and cold water to heat or cool the ambient air. Four were installed in the Dens public area, along with one each in the Den prep kitchen and staff lounge, sultry spaces that had never been air-conditioned.

Much of the HVAC work in the Bobcat Den had been completed when this photo was taken on July 26, 2017. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

When we visited on July 26, all the pipes connecting the fan-coil units had been fitted and the wiring was about done. Sheet metal workers were fabricating air ducts that will move air where its wanted, and boxes of pipe insulation awaited installation.

In short, Rasmussen expected all the mechanical work in the Den and environs to be finished this week. Then comes the end game: Jackies Cleaning & Maintenance of Lisbon, Maine, will come in to dust and clean floors; the furniture and fixtures will be put back where they belong; and Dining Services staff will come in to sanitize the dining room and service spaces. That will take about a week.

Shown are new and old openings providing outdoor air for one of the Dens air handlers. The old vent, at right, simply allowed air into the air handler space. Dirt, dead leaves, and other detritus tended to clog it, and it will be closed. The new vent, at left, will be louvered and ducted directly to the handler. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

Still outstanding is the implanting of sensors and controls for the campus heating control network. Deferred to avoid disrupting Bates Dance Festival classes scheduled in Chase for six summer weeks (the dancers are noisy too, but at least they have rhythm), that work will be finished after the festival season ends this weekend. Ditto the installation of fan-coil units in Memorial Commons.

Plumbers, meanwhile, have been piping their way southeast from the Den toward the Chase mechanical room, where a new heat exchanger will extract heat from the campus steam loop to feed the fan-coils. (Cold water for cooling the air comes from a chiller that serves several buildings.) In a sort of Promontory Point moment, albeit without the golden spike, that connection was made within the last week.

The black pipes at top center will carry water from the Chase Hall mechanical room to fan-coil units that will heat and cool the Den and Memorial Commons. Project manager John Rasmussen is standing by the fiction section of Bates former bookstore. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The installation of the heat exchanger and related machinery is about half complete, Rasmussen says. With pressure on to reopen the public spaces, weve been trying to get everything done except the mechanical space.

The history of heat in Chase Hall is nearly as convoluted as the building itself, which has been much altered and added onto during its 98 years of existence. For instance, the failure of a steam pipe from Muskie to Chase in 2013 cut the building off from campus steam until last year, when the bad pipe was replaced. During the intervening years, a backup boiler in Chase heated the building.

Whatever the primary heat source, campus steam or backup boiler, two different technologies have been distributing warmth throughout Chase for years. A heat exchanger installed about 15 years ago provided hydronic heat to the older section of Chase, facing Campus Avenue, while radiators driven directly by campus steam served the Den and Memorial Commons.

Visually underwhelming, this 6-foot-long heat exchanger will nevertheless play an essential role in heating Chase Hall. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The fan-coil units and new heat exchanger will supplant that system, as well as the Dens old and feeble air conditioning. So Chase henceforth will be all hydronic. (And just to confuse things even more, domestic hot water in Chase the water for sinks, dishwashers, etc. is supplied by a separate heater.)

Much of the new heating equipment has been moved into the mechanical room two red-painted pumps that will circulate water for heating around the building, the deceptively plain heat exchanger, a large expansion tank that will buffer the water pressure created as cold water, heated by steam, expands. But Rasmussen expects that it will take most of September to finish connecting and testing the machinery.

That means the new air treatment system will likely not come to life until the end of September, hopefully by the time we need to turn the central steam plant on. And so, just as Den fans have had to delay gratification until late summer, we may not get to experience the comforts of an effectively air-conditioned Den until late spring.

Can we talk? Campus Construction Update welcomes your questions, memories, and comments about campus improvements. Please e-mail Doug Hubley, stating Construction Update or Could you explain that again? in the subject line.

Rolls of insulation ready to be wrapped around pipes serving the Dens new HVAC system. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

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Campus Construction Update: Aug. 4, 2017 - Bates News

following extensive renovations, calvin klein reopens their 654 madison avenue flagship store in new york city, with the interior now completely covered in a bright yellow color. as a fresh re-imagination of the american brand, artist sterling ruby as chosen by calvin kleins new creative driector, raf simons has created a floor-to-ceiling installation, which displays the high end clothing within an under-construction environment. these outfits, including calvin klein jeans est 1978, underwear and accessories, announce the debut of raf simons 205W39NYC collection that was first and only seen at his fall/winter 2017 runway.

the bright yellow interior creates an eye-catching contrast onthe grey stone madison avenueall images courtesy of calvin klein

Im taking the calvin klein flagship store from minimal to maximal; my design should be seen as a marker to celebrate the future of the brand, says sterling ruby. I wanted the store to glow from within, representing a new day for calvin klein.

the installation presents a fresh re-imagining of the american clothing brand

I wanted the store to generate a very immediate physical experience that could as well be intimately connected to the collections,raf simons explains. it is also a continuation of the language I am creating with sterling for calvin kleins visible and physical identity. the use of very direct and familiar references common to the american visual experience creates a simple and emotional connection with the brand.

raf simonsfall/winter 2017 collection debuts at the flagship store

sterling rubyscolorful and bright transformation of the calvin klein madison avenue store contrasts uniquely and boldly with the grey stone exterior that defines the new york boulevard. on entry into the store, the radiant yellow is seen to adorn not only the floor, walls and ceiling, but also the make-shift scaffolding shelves. continuing this theme of building work, construction platforms that are painted in primary colors, display items such as handbags, shoes and additional accessories.

primary colored construction blocks provide a platform for shoes, handbags and other accessories

under-construction scaffolding has been used for shelving

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raf simons & sterling ruby makeover calvin klein's madison avenue store - Designboom