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Theres no denying the first half of 2017would have been very different had Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. In her current St. Louis gallery exhibition, artistBunny Bursonremembers the future that very nearly was, creating an artwork using the iridescent confetti that was primed to go off on election night this past November 8, had the country elected its first woman president.

A longtime Clinton devotee, Burson was the executive director of thePresidents Committee on the Arts and the HumanitiesunderPresident Bill Clintons administration. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, she hopes her art will helpmotivate women to run for office in 2018.

Bunny Burson, And Still I Rise (2017) installation view at Bruno David Gallery, Clayton, Missouri. Courtesy of Bruno David Gallery, Clayton, Missouri.

I was among her supporters at the Javits Center waiting for the symbolic shattering of the glass ceiling and the shard like confetti to fall down on us. We left the Javits Center at 2 in the morning with profound emptiness, Burson told NBC. The unused confetti had to be removedfrom the air cannons and swept into empty boxes by workers.

I wanted to fill that emptiness with hope by giving voice to my feelings that even in defeat, Hillarys confetti could be used to inspire the next generations of little girls and young women to dream big and to act on their dreams, she added.

Tracking down the unused confetti was no easy task. Burson made calls to Arkansas, Boston, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, and Washington, DC. Though many warned her the confetti she sought had likely wound up in the trash, Bursons quest was ultimately successful.

After about two weeks of searching, she tracked downthe confetti in Chicago and was able to acquire several large boxes of it200 pounds, to be exactfor her work.

Bursons sculpture, titledAnd Still I Rise, takes its titlefrom the Maya Angelou book of poetry of the same name. Pieces of clear, shiny confetti swirl around inthe gallery window, which has essentially been transformed into a political snow globe. The works title is printed on the glass in white block letters. The colorless confetti was chosen for itsresemblance to shards of broken glass, to represent the breaking of the highest, hardest glass ceiling, as Clinton referred to a woman someday winning the presidency.

Bunny Burson, And Still I Rise (2017) installation view at Bruno David Gallery, Clayton, Missouri. Courtesy of Bruno David Gallery, Clayton, Missouri.

For Burson, the artwork is more than just a message of hope, but a call to action in the face of Trump administration policies. We need to think about all of these rights that we have sort of gotten used to, which we may not always havewomens rights, voting rights, shetoldSt. Louis Public Radio.Elections have consequences, serious consequences we need to stay engaged.

The piece is displayed 24 hours a day in the gallerys front window, overlooking Forsythe Boulevard.

Bunny Burson: And Still I Rise is on display through at Bruno David Gallery,7513 Forsythe Boulevard, Clayton, Missouri, May 4August 12, 2017.

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The Unused Confetti From Hillary Clinton's Election-Night Loss Is Now a Work of Art - artnet News

Forney, TX, July 11, 2017-CFIs recently launched floor installation training school is honoring its fifth graduating class.

The CFI Institute offers accelerated training and professional certification to individuals seeking to learn how to install all types of flooring. Graduates of the most recent residential carpet installation class came from across the United States, from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest, New England, and the Southeast.

Through the proprietary class, CFI can take individuals with no prior experience or knowledge in flooring and, after an intensive five-week course, turn out certified residential carpet installers capable of completing a highly professional job in a standard three-bedroom home.

The next accelerated carpet installation class begins at the CFI school in Forney, Texas this month. In addition to the accelerated carpet class, the school also offers long- and short-term training programs in every flooring product category for students at all levels. For more information or to register for the new carpet installation class or another program visit: http://www.cfiinstallers.org/school.html.

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CFI Graduates Fifth Installation Training School Class - Floor Focus

Bill Ervolino(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Last week I painted my stairs in my underwear.

White.

Any questions?

Yes. When you say white, are you referring to your underwear or your stairs?

Both.

You painted a staircase ... white?

Yes. Its an indoor staircase. And I wanted it to be white. Well, off-white. Actually, its called porcelain. But, its OKbecause I am getting a carpet runner installed. So there will be only about 3inches of white, un-carpeted steps on either side.

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And how long did this little project take?

About four months. But I pretty much finished it on Friday.

What took so long?

Well, there was a carpet on the steps previously. Not a runner. The whole staircase was carpeted. A thick blue thing. And it was horrible and about 30 years old. SoI had to pull off the old carpet, which took about an hour. Then I had to remove the staples that were holding the carpet down, which took about four months.

There were lot of staples in there?

Millions. Ive never seen so many staples.

How did you remove them?

I started with a little screwdriver. Id stick the screwdriver into the staple and then yankit out. It was kind of fun. And it made this loud noise like in that Three Stooges movie when Moe pulls out one of Curlys teeth with a pair of pliers.

Ouch.

That first night, I spent about two hours prying staples but it drove me crazy. After that, I just did it when I had a little spare time. Or, when I had company. Friends would stop by and say, What do you feel like doing tonight? And Id say, Why dont we remove staples? It was interesting, because youd rub the step with the palm of your hand to make sure you got all the staples out and there were always more. Someone told me they do this with rugs on staircases to really secure them. I dont know about that, but I think if an atom bomb had gone off in my house five months ago, the rug would have still been there.

And removing the staples really took four months?

No. I started and then left the stairs alone for a couple of months because I wasnt sure what I wanted to do next. At first I thought I would just paint the steps. I thought that would be a nice clean look. Butthen I heard my dog run up and down the stairs without the carpet and it sounded like a stampede of elephants.

Did you consider using stair treads?

I did. But Im not crazy about them. Plus I have a tendency to fall, so I thought a carpet runner would be a better bet.

You fall a lot? Do you have vertigo?

No, Im just a clumsy moron. People always say I go up and down stairs like a 10-year-old. Ive fallen here. Ive fallen in other countries. A few times, Ive even fallen going up the steps and bruised my knees. I hurtmy knee sometimes when Im painting, too.

In your underwear?

Yeah. I used to paint in my clothes. But Im kind of sloppy and Id get paint all over my jeans. So one day I just told myself, Why dont you paint in your underwear? And its fine, really. You can move around easily. And if you get paint on your underwear, who cares?

So did you do the painting last week because you finally got all the staples out?

No, I was still pulling them out as I was painting. The painting went well, though, because I had a plan. I mean, my bedroom, my bathroom and my computer are upstairs and my kitchen and living room are downstairs. So first I painted the left few inches of the stairs, then the right few inches, then the middle. So I always had a little path that was dry, in case I had to run upstairs, or downstairs, or wherever.

Are you putting the carpet down yourself, too?

No, I have a professional doing that. A few weeks ago, I went to the carpet store and picked out this grey carpeting I liked. Thenthe guy came over to measure the stairs and I changed my mind and asked for a tan color. He told me had to order it and would have it after the July 4holiday. I called on Friday to schedule the installation. He wasnt in, but his assistant said it would just be a few more days.

Did you get a good price on the job?

Ithink I did, but I dont know what carpeting costs. I did tell him I had my own staples, though, in case that might bring the price down.

Did it?

No.

Email: ervolino@northjersey.com

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Ervolino: Slowly I paint, step by step - NorthJersey.com

London, UK, July 10, 2017-Carpet Recycling UK held its fourth annual awards ceremony in June to mark the achievements of members who have demonstrated innovation, commitment and best practice in the sector.

Guest host Andrew Bird, Chair of LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) presented the winning individuals and organizations with their trophies and certificates at Aston Villa Football Club in Birmingham.

It was a double celebration for Ellen Petts, managing director of Greenstream Flooring CIC whose ongoing success in the carpet tile reuse sector and ability to create new solutions saw her clinch two awards-Reuse Member of the Year and the 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award.

Carpet Tile Recycling and M25 Made by U Ltd were Highly Commended in the Reuse Member of the Year category for their reuse successes.

Mark Purnell of Fantasy Flooring was named Recycling Champion for his hard work and efforts in setting up systems and processes to increase carpet recycling at their Bristol site. Graham Kempton of Designer Contracts Ltd and Ian Proctor of Winder Carpets were Highly Commended for their on-going promotion of recycling carpet to clients.

For the third year running, Designer Contracts Ltd was named Take Back Partner of the Year for its continued success in working with its supply chain to recycle carpet installation waste. Cullingford Carpets and Fantasy Flooring were Highly Commended for their successful take back schemes.

Recycler of the Year went to James Robinson Fibres for their innovative work in driving carpets up the waste hierarchy and development of new systems to recycle carpet waste. Emerald Trading Waste Solutions Ltd and Milliken were Highly Commended for their sustained recycling efforts.

Emerald Trading Waste Solutions Ltd took the Best Newcomer Award for proactively demonstrating their carpet recycling activities to others-having made a significant dent in the post-consumer waste carpet mountain - and encouraging best practice in the industry. The company recycles post-consumer carpets into their Carpet Gallop all-weather equestrian surfaces.

One of CRUKs core funders, Lifestyle Floors/Headlam Groups long-term commitment to sustainability in the carpet industry and support for CRUKs activities was recognized with the Longstanding Support award. CRUKs other core funders are Cormar Carpets, Desso, ege, Milliken, Balsan and Marlings.

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Carpet Recycling UK Recognizes Top Members - Floor Focus

Slowing down and watching the grass grow sounds good. In theory. But the reality is that if your lawn needs renewing, you'll be looking at a big patch of dirt for weeks. And why wait, when summer can begin right now with a lush green carpet underfoot?

When it comes to getting a thick, healthy lawn, nothing beats sod for instant gratification. Sure, it costs a bit more: about $400 to cover a 1,000-square-foot backyard (double that installed). But lay it right and in a couple of weeks you've got a dense, well-established lawn that's naturally resistant to weeds, diseases, and pest infestations.

"You're basically buying time," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "You're paying for turf that someone else has coddled for 14 to 18 months."

You're also buying convenience. Sod can be installed spring through fall (and even in winter in mild climates). In areas of the country that favor cool-season grasses, like the Northeast, it avoids the problem of sprouting a nice crop of weeds when seeding a lawn in spring. And in southern states, which favor warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and centipedegrass, sod is the best way to cover the yard at any time of year, since these turf types cannot be grown from seed.

"Sometimes sod gets a bad rap, but that's usually because of mistakes people make while laying it," says Roger. "Put down on properly prepared soil, it will thrive." Turf likes a well-aerated base that's slightly acidic (with a pH between 6 and 7.5) and nutrient-rich. And the only way to know what kind of soil you've got is to test it. For about $15, your local extension service will send a soil sample to a lab for analysis; results will come back within a week or two and indicate precisely what amendments you should add and in what quantity.

Then it's time to buy your sod. Depending on where you live, you can order it from a garden center or directly from a sod farm. It will generally be a mix of two or three turf grasses, chosen for optimal color, texture, and heartiness (be sure to tell your supplier if your yard's in partial or full shade). Ideally, sod should be delivered within 24 hours of being cut and be laid the same day. Measure your yard carefully so you can order the right amount, with some overage (about 5 percent) to account for cutting around curves.

Count on one weekend to prepare the soil and another to lay the turf. If your yard is covered with patchy grass, you'll need to remove it first. This is best done with a sod cutter (available from your local rental yard for about $70 per day), which slices it off below the roots. While you're at it, you'll want to rent a rototiller (about $55 per day). You'll also need a sod-cutting knife with a 2-inch blade, a spreader, an iron rake, compost, and other soil amendments, including fertilizer and lime, depending on what your soil analysis dictates. Two people should be able to cover 1,000 square feet in a day; get extra hands if you plan to lay more than that.

Read on for our step-by-step instructions for rolling out a lasting carpet of green.

Slowing down and watching the grass grow sounds good. In theory. But the reality is that if your lawn needs renewing, you'll be looking at a big patch of dirt for weeks. And why wait, when summer can begin right now with a lush green carpet underfoot?

When it comes to getting a thick, healthy lawn, nothing beats sod for instant gratification. Sure, it costs a bit more: about $400 to cover a 1,000-square-foot backyard (double that installed). But lay it right and in a couple of weeks you've got a dense, well-established lawn that's naturally resistant to weeds, diseases, and pest infestations.

"You're basically buying time," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "You're paying for turf that someone else has coddled for 14 to 18 months."

You're also buying convenience. Sod can be installed spring through fall (and even in winter in mild climates). In areas of the country that favor cool-season grasses, like the Northeast, it avoids the problem of sprouting a nice crop of weeds when seeding a lawn in spring. And in southern states, which favor warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and centipedegrass, sod is the best way to cover the yard at any time of year, since these turf types cannot be grown from seed.

"Sometimes sod gets a bad rap, but that's usually because of mistakes people make while laying it," says Roger. "Put down on properly prepared soil, it will thrive." Turf likes a well-aerated base that's slightly acidic (with a pH between 6 and 7.5) and nutrient-rich. And the only way to know what kind of soil you've got is to test it. For about $15, your local extension service will send a soil sample to a lab for analysis; results will come back within a week or two and indicate precisely what amendments you should add and in what quantity.

Then it's time to buy your sod. Depending on where you live, you can order it from a garden center or directly from a sod farm. It will generally be a mix of two or three turf grasses, chosen for optimal color, texture, and heartiness (be sure to tell your supplier if your yard's in partial or full shade). Ideally, sod should be delivered within 24 hours of being cut and be laid the same day. Measure your yard carefully so you can order the right amount, with some overage (about 5 percent) to account for cutting around curves.

Count on one weekend to prepare the soil and another to lay the turf. If your yard is covered with patchy grass, you'll need to remove it first. This is best done with a sod cutter (available from your local rental yard for about $70 per day), which slices it off below the roots. While you're at it, you'll want to rent a rototiller (about $55 per day). You'll also need a sod-cutting knife with a 2-inch blade, a spreader, an iron rake, compost, and other soil amendments, including fertilizer and lime, depending on what your soil analysis dictates. Two people should be able to cover 1,000 square feet in a day; get extra hands if you plan to lay more than that.

Read on for our step-by-step instructions for rolling out a lasting carpet of green.

View post:
How to Lay Sod | This Old House

Renovation projects giving West Feliciana High's stadium a facelift

Summer is generally a time for maintenance and work on facilities before high school football practice gets underway at the beginning of August. This summer, Lee Hammer, West Feliciana Parish school system director of facilities and maintenance, has been busy overseeing some much-needed renovations to West Feliciana High School's stadium and field.

One of the projects is a nearly complete makeover of the press box. The extensive work includes larger windows, flooring and countertops and glass partitions. The seating will be improved, and the exterior of the box will be repainted.

Were reusing any materials they can, but the whole thing basically needed upgrading, said Hammer, who is beginning his second year in his position. The windows are taller for better viewing and will provide a full view of the field. It was claustrophobic. Anywhere you go now in there, youll have a better view.

The stadiums sound system will be completely overhauled to improve the audio for announcing, music, entertainment and graduation ceremonies.

All the stuff was old, Hammer said. Weve hired a company and given them a fresh canvas. The main speakers will be mounted on the press box, and there will be a couple more off the side.

Hammer said the revamped press box work will cost roughly $40,000, but it wont include adding space.

Well be able to accommodate what we need currently, Hammer said. Its more cost effective to do what weve done now. It would be nice to have more space up top, but this work will give us a modern, efficient press box.

The second major summer project on Hammers to do list is recrowning the Saints football field which includes some drainage improvements and new grass. Catch basins were improved for excess runoff rainwater.

We removed the old sod and crowned it twice, Hammer said. We added some new sprinkler heads for full water coverage of the whole field. We also were required to install a backflow valve.

In addition, the field has a new more resilient grass called Celebration Bermuda Grass, which is specifically designed for the rigors of heavy usage, such as a normal football season. Celebration Bermuda Grass also is used in other sporting venues like soccer fields and golf courses. To expedite growth, instead of laying new sod, the field was planted with sprigs of grass.

Will it be ready for the Saints first game of 2017 on Sept. 15?

Absolutely, Hammer said. Were going to let it grow, and itll be a great field. Its very durable and has more of a sand base, which is also good for drainage. It comes back quickly from divots and ruts.

Hammer said the total cost of the work to the football field is $42,000.

The final major summer project is the replacement of the stadiums running track. Hammer said work on it will begin as soon as the field is released. Ideally, hed like to see it completed for the first home game, but if that doesnt happen, contingencies will be in place so inconveniences will be kept at a minimum. The color will be royal blue, and it will be a similar rubbery surface texture to the current track.

It all depends on the weather, Hammer said. Were going to do our best to have it ready, and it should definitely be finished by the end of September.

Another project on the football practice field, a sand pit for athletes to train, is being completed by the Saints Quarterback Club.

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Xtra Sports for July 13, 2017 - The Advocate

Bridget Fonseca and her dog Henry on the farm. photo by Carly Matthew

Early morning is Bridget Fonsecas favorite time of day even if she and her partner Jake Kundert dont get their coffee until after all the chores are done.

At 6:45 a.m., the usually quiet flock of Suffolk sheep bleats loudly into the cool June morning. The sheep spot Fonseca and Kundert and immediately anticipate breakfast. The lambs follow their mothers to the feeders, trying to nurse along the way.

Fonseca and Kunderts dog, Henry, gazes at the sheep skeptically from outside the fence as if, after all his visits, he still has not decided whether or not to fear the flock especially as the budding rams grow to reach more than 60 pounds.

Fonseca met Kundert two and a half years ago in a non-profit management class at the University of Iowa. As part of the first class exercise, students were asked to introduce themselves and share their dream job. Both said they dreamed of becoming farmers.

Although their grandparents were Iowa farmers, Fonseca and Kundert said their parents are part of a lapsed generation that moved into town, abandoning farming. Fonseca said her parents came from a nouveau hippie era and were very conscious about food, but not its production.

Before they knew each other, Fonseca and Kundert worked as farmhands outside the U.S. Fonseca worked on farms throughout Europe during a gap year after high school and Kundert worked on a farm in South America after finishing his undergraduate studies.

It was only inevitable that we would move out to a farm eventually, Fonseca said.

In fact, Kundert said, it wasnt even a conversation.

They discovered the land they now rent in The Mount Vernon Sun. Just one mile north of Solon, a right hand turn and one mile more down the road, lies their white, two-story farmhouse. There in the state of Iowa where they had lived all of their lives they experienced a fresh wave of culture shock. Still, they never questioned their decision.

Jake Kundert tends to some of the crops the couple planted this year. photo by Carly Matthew

When they moved out of their one-bedroom Iowa City apartment with its postage-stamp yard in December last year, Fonseca still had one fully-loaded semester left before she would finish her degree in interdepartmental studies with a focus in social work. Kundert was about to start a full-time position helping small-scale vegetable farmers connect with local businesses at Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development.

The couple had a long way to go to transform the property into their ideal farm.

This spring, on a 76-degree Easter Sunday, they set about breaking ground on two strips of earth to plant their onions by hand, without the help of their friends overbooked sod-cutting machine. As Kundert cut into the soil with a drain spade barefoot, Fonseca followed behind, pulling up patches of grass. Luckily, the sod-cutter made it there in time for the remainder of the 1,500 square-foot plot that now contains artichokes, watermelon, kale, potatoes, peppers, zucchini and half a dozen varieties of tomatoes.

In early spring, when their land began coming to life, the large fields around them were still barren and grey. Now planted, those fields will easily produce thousands of bushels of corn and soybeans by fall.

The way conventional farming so sharply contrasts with their methods fascinates the couple. Fonseca said she sometimes worries chemicals from other fields, including those distributed by crop dusting planes, could wipe out their vegetable plot. They joke that other farmers machinery is bigger than their house.

To them, our style of farming is gardening, Fonseca said, although Kundert was quick to add that the methods they use are also far from perfect.

Even after Fonseca graduated and transitioned into a full-time position organizing mobile food pantries for the Crisis Center of Johnson County, the couple continued their work on the farm. Despite obstacles, the two have complete faith in their endeavor. And theyve had help.

At around 7 a.m., after feeding their sheep, Fonseca, Kundert and Henry hop in their SUV and drive to a nearby farm to tend to their second-ever group of broilers: 200 Freedom Ranger chickens, specially bred for their foraging abilities. They pay the landowner to use the space, not with money but with chickens and, often, with their time.

When it came time to process the first group of birds, other local farmers volunteered to help during the nine-hour-long chicken butchering process in exchange for meat. Some didnt want to be paid at all.

I dont know what I would do without a village to help out, Fonseca said.

Both have dreams for the future. Kundert aspires to experiment with raising other kinds of livestock, beyond sheep and chickens. Fonseca envisions raising an alpaca on the land to the east of her landlords grain bins and adding a flower patch alongside their vegetable plot. She hopes that one day visitors, maybe kids, will stop by to learn about food production and she can share all she and Kundert have learned.

The empty lawn, to her, is a blank slate.

Carly Matthew recently graduated from the University of Iowas journalism program. She resides in Iowa City. This article was originally published in Little Village issue 224.

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Solon couple follows their dream of a sustainable farm life - Little Village

Herman the German still stands defiantly atop his domed pedestal in New Ulm, Minn.

The legendary German hero, whose actual history is somewhat obscure, is the mascot of New Ulm, a German settlement since before Minnesota was a state.

Were here this week because my 84-year-old brother-in-law has been diagnosed with cancer.

So what could I do but tell her that if she wanted to come up and see him, Id bring her?

Actually, were in the small town of Hanska, about nine miles out in the county, where the Nelson family settled.

Hanksa is a Norwegian settlement. Although the sign at the city limit says the population is 402, Im told that it actually consists of 449 Norwegians and one Swede.

The Swede is master of ceremonies at the annual celebration of Norwegian Independence Day on May 17.

Whats he doing in Hanska? Well, he married a Norwegian. Unlike me, he stayed and assimilated.

And from whom, youre sure to ask, did Norway win its independence? The answer is Sweden.

In the upper Midwest, you catch glimpses of the glorious history of this nation that were largely missing in the almost uniformly Scots-Irish South where I was born and reared.

When I lived in North Dakota, we had people of both German and Scandinavian descent, along with other groups.

There is a state park there which commemorates the coming of people from Iceland. Before I went there, I never knew that Icelanders migrated to America.

These people from northern Europe were a sturdy breed, who had learned to face bitter winters in the old countries.

In America, they were the first to break the sod of the prairie grass and discover the deep, rich, alluvial soil of the Red River Valley (yes, the one in the song).

There were miles of open grassland with scarcely any trees, definitely not enough to provide lumber for building barns or homes.

They used blocks of sod as bricks for raising small houses that lacked any of the comforts we have come to expect, but which served as homes for the first generation of children reared on the seemingly endless expanse of open space.

They were quite at home with the deadly temperatures of the northern winters and the long summer days that brought forth crops abundantly.

They prospered, and realized the American dream.

When the railroads came, towns were planted, territories became states, crops could be moved to market quickly and cultural institutions were founded.

No sod houses remain, except the few on exhibit in museums.

Exhausting hand labor was replaced by big old iron steam machines, which have now been replaced by diesel-powered ones and have also become museum displays.

This progress has not been without continuing difficulties, and changing times have brought global markets, corporate land ownership, unheard-of government regulation and other factors that have squeezed many a small farmer off the prairie.

There is nothing like travel or, better still, taking up continuing residence in different parts of the country to develop a real appreciation for all the different national groups that have come to America and become part of our nation, e pluribus unum.

Currently, we have many problems with illegal entry into our boundaries, conflict over border policies and even basic law enforcement.

Battle lines are drawn between political parties, and we have reached the point at which disagreements become personal hatred, which makes civil debate impossible.

I believe it would help greatly if more people traveled and took time to listen to the stories of the many different kinds of folks who make up this great nation.

Our present debates could be conducted far more successfully if we entered them, remembering the long, glorious history behind us.

Getting acquainted with Herman the German would be a good place to start.

THE REV. C. ERNEST WILLIAMS is a Paris native and retired Presbyterian pastor now living in Washington State. He can be reached by email at erniewil@msn.com.

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Herman the German, a legendary hero, could help us get along better as Americans - Paris Post Intelligencer

The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) monthly survey shows signs of a steady demand for architects in the UK. The Future Trends workload index - a tool used to measure RIBA members' confidence in the market for architectural services - changed little in May 2017, rising to +23 (up from +22 in April). London-based practices were again the most cautious about increasing workloads (balance figure +12), compared with practices in North of England (+36), South of England (+37); practices in Northern Ireland were by far the most positive with a balance figure of +50.

"The picture in May was one of broadly stable workloads rather than significant growth," commented Adrian Dobson, RIBA Executive Director Members. "The market for smaller-scale residential projects appears to remain buoyant, but some of our respondents reported a cooling of the larger-scale commercial sector market."

Practices of all sizes retained similar levels of confidence. Large practices (51+ staff) were slightly more positive (balance figure +25), with small (1-10 staff) and medium-sized (11-50 staff) practices both recording a balance figure of +23.

The private housing sector and commercial sectors were again expected to be the strongest performing sectors (balance figures of +22 and +7 respectively). The public sector forecast rose slightly but remained in negative territory at -2; the community sector forecast fell to zero, indicating no anticipated change in workloads.

The RIBA Future Trends staffing index fell in May 2017 to +7 (down from +9 in April). Large and medium-sized practices remained similarly upbeat about increasing future staffing levels (both recording balance figures of +13). Small practices were somewhat less confident but still positive (balance figure +6).

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RIBA Future Trends Survey for May 2017 Shows Signs of Steady Demand for Architects - Dexigner

BOSTON Commuter rail service is off to a running start near the new Boston Landing campus, world headquarters of New Balance Athletics, in Bostons Brighton neighborhood, thanks to the planning and design work of STV, a leading transportation engineering firm.

The new Boston Landing Station was designed by STV as part of an approximately $25 million public-private partnership (P3) between NB Development Group and Massachusetts transportation officials.

The station provides a vital link to the popular shoe and athletic apparel companys 250,000-square-foot world headquarters and the overall Boston Landing development, encompassing 2.15 million square feet of office/lab, sports, entertainment, retail, hotel, and residential space, including practice facilities for the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics.

The station will serve customers along the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authoritys (MBTA) Framingham/Worcester Line and its opening will mark the return of commuter rail service to the Allston-Brighton neighborhood for the first time since three stations were eliminated in the 1960s to make way for the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The station is designed to provide easy access for employees, visitors and residents of the 15-acre Boston Landing development and surrounding Allston-Brighton neighborhood. The station is initially expected to serve about 2,400 daily passengers.

The completion of this station provides a vital transportation link to the overall development of Boston Landing and the immediate neighborhood, said Keith Craig, director of development at NB Development Group. We were able to make a strong finish with the help of clear communication and coordination between the design and construction team and our DOT and MBTA partners.

The station features a state-of-the art 785-foot, high-level, center island platform with two platform canopies, accessible stairs, pedestrian bridge, and glass-enclosed elevators that provide easy access to the Boston Landing campus, Arthur Street and the Everett Street bridge overpass. NB Development Group pursued the rail station as part of an overall Transit-Oriented-Development (TOD) initiative to maintain and attract a high-quality workforce along with first-in-class tenants to fill the commercial and residential components.

The addition of transit also fulfills New Balances sustainability commitment its corporate headquarters achieved the highest LEED status of Platinum and the overall campus is intended to be a first of its kind health and wellness district that focuses on fitness, sustainability, and support of the local economy.

STV has been involved with the project from the very beginning, developing the master plan for the commuter rail station and working with both the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA on one of the Commonwealths first P3 projects. The use of the P3 allows NB Development Group to create a TOD that will provide access to an expanded workforce and give the MBTA the needed resources to reinstate service to the Allston-Brighton area.

STV went on to provide extensive engineering services for the design and construction of the new station while working with the MBTA and freight rail operator CSX to keep trains moving with minimal disruption.

Founded more than 100 years ago, STV is a leader in providing engineering, architectural, planning, environmental and construction management services for transportation systems, infrastructure, buildings, energy and other facilities. The firm is ranked 40th in Engineering News-Records Top 500 Design Firms survey and 11th in its Transportation category. STV is 100 percent employee-owned.

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Rail Service Gets off to Running Start With Support From STV - Boston Real Estate Times