Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Drew Brooks, Military editor

Fort Bragg doesnt have the large clean energy projects of some other military installations.

You wont find sprawling fields of solar panels, like at Fort Stewart, Georgia; or a large biomass plant that supports the installations entire energy needs, like at Fort Drum, New York.

But what the nations largest military installation lacks in scale, it makes up for in diversity.

In addition to power provided by outside utilities, Fort Bragg is creating energy with geothermal wells, solar panels and, in the future, a hydroelectric turbine on the Little River.

Fort Bragg, long a leader in a variety of Army programs, has become a test bed of sorts for renewable energy sources and energy-efficient improvements, according to Audrey Oxendine, chief of energy and utilities on Fort Bragg.

Oxendines office keeps close watch of the installations energy usage, tracking consumption across Fort Braggs more than 55 million square feet of building space. They also manage privatized utilities on post and oversee efforts to encourage recycling and conservation among the installations estimated 54,000 troops.

The biggest driving factors for Fort Braggs clean energy push, Oxendine said, is a desire to cut down on energy costs while also providing more security to the installations utility infrastructure.

Fort Bragg spends about $45 million a year on electricity alone, she said. And the unique units who call the post home including special operations forces and much of the nations quick-reaction force cant afford to be out of power.

At the same time, the installations size a full one-tenth of the Army is housed at Fort Bragg and the space those troops require prevent the post from having more large-scale projects.

Thats the most daunting thing, I think, Oxendine said. The size.

The size comes with big demands, she said. For example, while Fort Drums peak power demand is 32 megawatts, the peak demand at Fort Bragg is 132 megawatts.

But despite its size, the installations relatively low energy rates when compared to other installations preclude some large scale programs.

Its a double-edged sword, Oxendine said.

If a project doesnt pay for itself or pay back significant cost savings over time, she said the installation doesnt pursue it.

Thats why theres not more solar power on post.

It almost makes it impossible, if not at an enormous scale, Oxendine said. And theres no space on post for a sprawling solar farm.

Despite those challenges, Oxendine said Fort Bragg has found other ways to utilize renewable energies and has made significant progress at improving energy efficiency in the last decade.

One of the installations largest projects involved the $13.3 million geothermal heating and cooling systems that were installed in several buildings in Fort Braggs historic district in 2015.

Other efforts have been driven by a Department of Defense program meant to marry new technologies with military energy needs.

The Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, or ESTCP, is a program started in 1995 that encourages outside companies to partner with the Army to find solutions to energy problems.

Officials with the program have called Fort Bragg a critical partner for the program and an instrumental energy test bed.

In recent years, Fort Bragg-based ESTCP projects have included new insulation meant to prevent energy loss in buildings and systems to optimize energy efficiency on post.

Another project, with construction starting next month, will create a microgrid within the 82nd Airborne Division.

The grid will allow the installation to maintain power to a section of post near Ardennes and Campobello streets, even when the rest of Fort Bragg is suffering from an outage.

Another such project is at the Hercules Fitness Center on Pope Field, where officials have installed solar panels on the gym roof to power dozens of lights and several large fans.

Oxendine said there had been complaints that the gym, especially the weight room, was uncomfortably warm and humid during the summer.

The solar panels are providing energy to help solve that problem and eventually will be tied into a new heating and air conditioning system.

Across the entirety of post, Oxendine said Fort Bragg has several solar panels, affixed to gyms, dining facilities and even a parachute drying tower.

But the Hercules panels are unique in that officials are not converting the electricity from direct current to alternating current.

Its more efficient, Oxendine said, explaining that converting the energy would result in a loss of 7-8 percent of power.

Army leaders are unaware of any similar experiment with direct current electricity on another installation. Eventually, Fort Bragg officials hope they can use the more efficient system to power the bulk of the Hercules Fitness Center and could eventually install similar systems on other Fort Bragg buildings.

That ones a good example of what were doing, Oxendine said. Private companies come to us with these ideas.

Fort Bragg leaders have provided Army energy leaders with a tour of their Hercules project in recent weeks, but Oxendine said another project is creating just as much excitement, although its still in the planning phase.

She said a $1.8 million project will install a hydroelectric turbine in the Little River, at the site of Fort Braggs old wastewater treatment plant.

The turbine will create 275 kilowatts of energy to feed into the installations electrical systems and will pay for itself within 14 years, Oxendine said. Overall, the project is expected to create a total savings of $2.7 million and could open the door to more hydroelectricity projects on post.

Military editor Drew Brooks can be reached at brooksd@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.

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Fort Bragg is on the front lines of the Army's clean energy efforts - Fayetteville Observer

Seven principles of a healthy indoor space include:

Keep it dry.

Keep it clean.

Keep it well ventilated.

Keep it pest free.

Keep it contaminant free.

Keep it safe.

Keep it well maintained.

Keep it dry. Damp and wet environments make it possible for dust mites, cockroaches, rodents, and molds to grow and thrive. Repair all plumbing and structural leaks immediately. Make sure rainwater flows away from the structure. Open windows or use exhaust fans so steam does not build up in bathrooms or kitchens.

Keep it clean. Clean environments help reduce pest infestations and exposure to harmful irritants, such as pollens, dust and toxic contaminants. First, try to keep these things outside. Then, use smooth and cleanable surfaces. Reduce clutter, as it serves as a place for pests to live and dust to accumulate. Always damp mop and dust, to keep from scattering dust into the air and having it settle somewhere else. Always follow label directions on cleaning products.

Keep it well ventilated. A supply of fresh air can help reduce exposure to indoor allergens and asthma triggers as well as other contaminants. The best solution is to install a ventilation system into the heating and cooling systems. If this is not possible, use exhaust fans and open windows, especially when cleaning, cooking, or using chemicals.

Keep it pest free. All pests, including cockroaches, mice and rats, require food, water, and shelter. If these are lacking, then pests will go elsewhere to live. The best approach in combatting pests is to use Integrated Pest Management. The three components of IPM are:

Monitor Know if you have pests, what they are, and how severe the infestation may be.

Prevent Keep the pests from getting inside by sealing all cracks and holes in the outside walls and making certain that food, water, and shelter are not easily available to pests.

Control Once the pest has been identified, first use the least toxic method of control, such as a trap. If pesticides are needed, use the appropriate type, placing it where pests are usually found in cracks and crevices.

Keep it contaminant free. Contaminants that can be found inside include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, environmental tobacco smoke and carbon-monoxide. To keep indoor environments contaminant free, test for radon, install carbon monoxide detectors, use lead-safe practices to fix deteriorating lead paint, establish smoke-free environments and store and use chemicals, paints and cleaning products safely.

Keep it safe. Many injuries occur indoors, especially within the home. These include falls, burns, and poisonings. Prevent injuries by properly labeling and storing all chemicals, including medicines and personal-care products, securing loose rugs, keeping stairs in good repair, removing hard and sharp surfaces and installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Keep it well maintained. Poorly maintained structures are at risk for pests, moisture, deteriorating lead paint and other structural problems. Inspect, clean and repair routinely. Take care of minor repairs and problems before they become large repairs and major problems.

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.

For more information on this or other family and consumer sciences-related topics, contact Shelly Barnes, family and consumer sciences Extension agent for UT Extension in Wilson County. Barnes may be reached at sbarnes@utk.edu or 615-444-9584.

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Shelly Barnes: Providing safe and healthy places to live, work, play - Lebanon Democrat

If you are getting a new ac unit installed, ensure that the installation is perfect. The performance of your ac unit in the long run depends on the air conditioning installation in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe, NM - March 15, 2017 - (Newswire.com)

Irrespective of the fact whether you are in need of commercial or residential air conditioning installation in Santa Fe or in Albuquerque, there is one company that you can rely on. Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is that one name to trust when it comes to taking care of all your air conditioning requirements. Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is different from the other companies in the same field. They employ a design-build concept that is known to be more cost-effective than traditional methods. The concept involves systematic value engineering thus ensuring maximum efficiency.

Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is one of the premier providers of the design-build approach. By following this approach, they ensure that all the services are contracted to a single entity or the design-build-contractor. By assigning any ac related job to this mechanical contractor in Albuquerque, you will have the peace of mind that the job is in good hands. Not only that, the contractor will bear the responsibilities of the entire project right from the start to finish.

Working with Aztec Mechanical, Inc., along these lines works as being a full-service-design-build company, they become your single point of reference for all ac related requirements. You do not have to deal with the hassles of dealing with numerous independent contractors. There is a single source of accountability, clearer remedies, cost savings, improved quality and greater efficiency.

Commercial air conditioning installation in Santa Fe is a complex process, and it is not easy to find a company that has expert HVAC design-build specialists. Aztec Mechanical, Inc., has the perfect resource to handle the job, and therefore is the best choice for ac installation in Santa Fe.

Call their 24 hour heating and cooling emergency service line at 505-991-7395.

About The Company Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is one of the most trusted HVAC contractors offering air conditioning installation in Santa Fe. They are also the chosen mechanical contractor in Albuquerque providing a wide range of HVAC solutions for both residential and commercial clients.

Press Release Service by Newswire.com

Original Source: Perfect Air Conditioning Installation in Santa Fe Pomises Optimum Performance

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Perfect Air Conditioning Installation in Santa Fe Pomises Optimum Performance - Digital Journal

The project kitchen after BKC has transformed. Photos courtesy of BKC Kitchen and Bath

SUBMITTED BYBKC KITCHEN AND BATH

Browsing through home magazines and design websites, you might see images of beautiful kitchens that leave you daydreaming about what it would be like to make your own kitchen dazzling and functional. Is your kitchen ready for a makeover? Here are some signs that it could be time to renovate.

Your kitchen isnt functionalTodays kitchen designs offer more ease and functionality than kitchens of the past. Once, kitchens were small and designed for a solo cook, with a formal dining area located in a separate room. Now, cooking is much more social. Many couples and families cook together and share meals in the same area. Additional space gained from a new layout will allow you to incorporate convenient storage solutions, to increase efficiency. From blind-corner remedies, to pull-out trash bins, a kitchen remodel offers adequate space for multiple cooks as well as for guests.

The project kitchen before its transformation.

Your appliances are outdatedNot only do modern appliances contain high-tech features, they also run more efficiently, quietly and safely. Todays kitchen appliances offer a diverse range of sizes, colors and functions which can be suited to meet your needs. However, with all of these updates the best appliances for your kitchen may require some space reconfiguration. Consider designing a layout that will optimize how you prep, cook, clean and entertain in your new space.

Youre planning on sellingA homes kitchen and bathrooms are at the top of the list of what people notice first when house-hunting. If your kitchen is outdated, it could easily move your home from first to last place, or make it challenging to receive the offer youre hoping for. Consider investing in a price-appropriate remodel that will entice potential homebuyers.

Whatever your reason is for remodeling your kitchen, doing so will increase the quality of life you experience within your home. A renovated kitchen not only provides improved aesthetic and function, it could also inspire you to entertain more often. With help creating an optimal kitchen that exceeds your expectations, contact us at bkc.co.

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Turn your kitchen dreams into a remodel reality - The Villager

(Family Features) When you renovate an older home, the goal is not always to replace old with new. In fact, some renovations are all about preserving the past with a design that reflects and pays respect to the yesteryear features that make your home unique.

Whether youre planning a renovation for a 60-year-old home, or working to infuse some retro charm into a newer place, the ultimate goal is capturing the nostalgic feel of older homes: the classic lines, hardwood, moldings and woodwork, and features like fireplaces or stonework, bannisters or windows and doors.

The kitchen can be a particularly challenging room to renovate because the blend of old charm with modern convenience and functionality can seem at complete odds. These ideas from the design experts at Elmira Stove Works can help you combine practical function with timeless features for a room filled with character and purpose.

Keep cabinet facades true to the era. Updating the cabinets is practically a necessity for any vintage kitchen remodel. Although many older kitchens lacked the cabinet space modern homeowners desire, you can still achieve a retro look with ample storage by focusing more on the shape and style than on the quantity. With this approach, you can add as much storage and as many functional amenities as your space allows while still capturing the right look for the era. Opt for sleek and understated styles, or for some extra flair incorporate exaggerated angles and curves common to mid-century design. Material and color options abound, so youre free to go bold and glossy or more subdued.

Design with a focal point in mind. In a retro kitchen, standout elements such as colorful appliances can enhance the space and act as a focal point in the room. Stainless steel has become almost default in kitchens from coast to coast. Whether your home is on the beach, in the mountains or in a suburban neighborhood, for those who find beauty in the past, choosing a retro refrigerator or a vintage stove might be a better choice. These appliances act as a major design element in the space, and fortunately there are plenty of options when it comes to retro appliances with exciting pops of color. One example is the Northstar line offered by Elmira Stove Works, which offers the ideal blend of form plus function: soft lines, rounded corners and refreshing colors including a dazzling Robins Egg Blue along with the premium performance you'd expect from the most modern appliances. Visit elmirastoveworks.com to explore a product catalog and find more design inspiration.

Let the details bring it all together. Vibrant color is the signature of any retro kitchen, so dont forget to carry that design element through the space with accessories like dishes, cookbooks and vintage relics that celebrate bygone days. Other details like hardware, small appliances and utensils that harken the past can bring a cohesive look to the kitchen for a seamless style that feels like stepping back in time.

Bringing old character to life can be a tricky proposition when it comes to remodeling, however, with the proper focus on appliances, major features like the cabinetry and small details that make a big difference, you can confidently create a new space that takes you to another time.

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Tips for a Vintage Kitchen Remodel - Wayne County Journal Banner

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Kitchen and bath remodeling companyKitchen Places recently celebrated the grand opening of its new showroom during a bash with about 200 former customers.

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Staff reports Published 1:00 p.m. PT March 15, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

STAR FILE PHOTO(Photo: STAR FILE PHOTO)

Kitchen and bath remodeling companyKitchen Places recently celebrated the grand opening of its new showroom in Ventura during a bash with about 200 former customers.

Owner Jeff King has witnessed a massive evolution in the remodeling world since their company began business in its old Front Street location.

We used to just have three types of cabinets to offer, all in oak and in your choice of natural, dark stain or the newfangled whitewashed finish. Now we have exotic woods, back-painted glass door styles and environmentally friendly options, he said.

Kitchen Places has an in-house design staff.

After 25 years of business, we have the process down to a science, King said. We interview our clients about the style and features they would like to incorporate into their homes. We have 3-D software to present photorealistic options on a big-screen TV as we assist the clients through the shopping process. Once we have the materials selected and priced, we order the products. We dont start demolition until we have our materials. This helps us minimize the length of the remodeling process and be more efficient in offering a turn-key experience for the homeowners.

Kitchen Places new standalone showroom is at Callens Road and Market Street.

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Kitchen, bath remodeler opens new showroom - Ventura County Star

With the Great Recession now finally in the rearview mirror, many homeowners and their bank accounts are suddenly a bit more flush. And thats good news if their homes are sorely in need of more than a fresh coat of paint.

Some new flooring, maybe? How about brand-new kitchen countertops? And while youre at it, maybe an entire HVAC overhaul?

Homeowners spent $361 billion more than ever before on home improvements, maintenance, and repairs in 2016, according to a recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Thats a nearly 13.5 percent jump from the previous peak, in 2007, just before the housing market crashed.

The report looked at U.S. Census data on the 25 largest U.S. metros. Most of the data in the report was from 2015, except for the 2016 statistic on overall spending.

Homeowners just feel like they have more equity built in their home so they can invest in their homes in bigger ways than they could in the past, said Abbe Will, one of the contributors to the report.

Less unemployment, higher salaries and rising home values are leading many homeowners to pimp out their homes, or at least fix them up a bit before putting them on the market. Renovations are also popular among new homeowners who want to customize their new pads.

A lot of remodeling tends to happen around the time of the sale, Will says.

So instead of only paying for things that need to be done, like replacing a leaky roof or repairing a cracked foundation, theyre creating outdoor oases and splurging on new granite countertops.

Millennials really put a lot of value on personalizing something so it is an expression of themselves, said Brad Hunter, chief economist at HomeAdvisor, a website that connects consumers and contractors. They may not have the money to do it all at once, but they can do it over the years and they can also do it themselves.

Over the past few years, investors also spent a pretty penny fixing up residences they bought in the downturn to get them ready to rent out to tenants.

What are homeowners spending money on?

Kitchen and bath remodels still top the list of most popular home improvements.

Spending may be back, but many homeowners still arent throwing money around with quite the abandon they did before the recession. In 2015, discretionary spending made up just a third of all home improvements compared to more than 40 percent in 2007.

The most common work done wasnt glamorous necessary improvements such as replacing systems that keep a home humming along, like plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, took the lead, according to the report.

This was followed by necessary upkeep on home exteriors, like roofing, siding, windows, and doors; interiors, like carpeting, flooring, and insulation; and improvements to lots and yards, such as fixing fences.

The most popular discretionary home improvements were bath remodels followed by kitchen remodels. Next up were outdoor living additions, like porches, decks, patios, terraces, garages, and carports, and then room additions.

Were seeing a lot more [demand for things like] painted cabinets, a tuxedo finish, which is light on the bottom dark on the top, quartz countertops versus granite, said Joanne Theunissen, vice president of the custom home building and remodeling firm Howling Hammer Builders. We still see a lot of [people wanting] stainless appliances.

Baby boomers are leading the charge, with those 55 and up making up about 52 percent of the home improvement spending in 2015. Thats because many of them want to stay in their homes as long as possible, and theyre willing to spend some serious moolah to do that.

Another area of growth is energy-efficient and smart-home renovations, remodels, and improvements. This can be anything from water-, power-, and cash-saving appliances to home technologies like the Amazon Echo.

Home automation is the emerging market thats really starting to take off, Will said. As the technology has improved, the price has come down.

It shouldnt come as a surprise that those under 35 spent the least on improvements likely because they dont have the higher incomes and equity built up in their homes, if, in fact, they own one at all.

For example, homeowners younger than 35 spent an average $8,702 on their individuals projects in 2015. Those in the 3544 age range spent $10,294, while the 4554 age range plunked down $10,553.

Homeowners in the 5564 age range spent an average of $11,207, and those 65 and up spent $9,058.

Those in their mid-30s to mid-50s spent the most, because theyre the most likely to have families.

Despite the surge in home renovations, remodeling spending is expected to grow by just 2 percent annually through 2025, according to the report. Thats a little lower than the 2.5 percent each year that homeowners paid from 1995 to 2015.

Blame the anticipated slowdown on rising home prices and mortgage interest rates and not enough properties on the market to meet demand. That means fewer millennials will become homeowners. And if they dont own homes, they cant remodel them.

However, when they do buy, their homes are likely to be cheaper and need more work. Thats expected to help drive the market in the future.

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More homeowners spending money on remodeling - Ahwatukee Foothills News

DURHAM -- The office campuses in Durhams Research Triangle Park are often monolithic and uninviting, but nonprofit research giant RTI International is aiming to make its campus more accessible to the public with its newest office building.

Already under construction, the new office building will be the largest on RTIs campus, standing six stories tall with 190,000 square feet of space. The organization officially completed the steel framing of the building Wednesday and used the occasion to detail its plans for the building, which will provide workspace for around 670 of its 2,200 employees based in RTP.

The building will cost $60 million.

RTI President and Chief Executive Officer Wayne Holden described the new building as the organizations public face.

This building is going to help us not just bring our staff together on this campus, but also interface with the public and other organizations, he said. ... There is going to be a heritage area that allows the public to come interact with what RTI is and learn more about it.

We are also going to change the way you get into campus, so that there is a public access road that people can come in on and have that experience of interacting with us, so we can be part of a facilitator and a magnet for the park.

The first two floors of the building will be used as interactive space, including areas for meetings and collaborations as well as a coffee bar and a 300-person cafeteria. A four-story parking deck is also being built with 650 spaces.

The sprawling campus, which will have 22 buildings upon the completion of the newest construction, has not had a centrally-located area for employees to collaborate previously and a goal of the building is to create more creative interactions between RTI employees.

Duda Paine Architects is designing the building and interiors, and DPR Construction is constructing the building. Stewart Inc. is providing the civil engineering and landscape designs.

The building is expected to be finished in early 2018, a year that coincides with the 60th anniversary of the founding of the organization. RTI was started in 1958 with support from the North Carolina government as well as education and business leaders, and the research nonprofit still maintains close ties with N.C. State University, Duke University, N.C. Central University and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Its been an active year for RTI, which started off 2017 by acquiring two different firms: Washington, D.C.-based International Resources Group (IRG) and Colorado-based Riverside Technology Inc.

Holden told The Herald-Sun in January that RTI was likely to make more moves in 2017 a testament to the organizations steady growth over the past few years.

Over the last five years, in comparison to some of our competitors across the country, we have continued to grow at a pretty good rate, Holden said. We have done pretty well despite some of the challenges that we have had to deal with. ... We've got resources and we are able to use those resource pools to do acquisitions (and) to bring in other groups.

Part of those challenges stemmed from decreases in federal funding that occurred during the U.S. budget sequestration in 2013. RTI gets a large majority of its funding from research contracts with the U.S. government though it has been working to diversify its revenue flows, especially as more cuts are expected under President Donald Trumps administration.

I think it is starting to become clearer which parts of the federal government are going to have more significant cuts across time, Holden said. What helped us over the last several years is we have a very diversified federal portfolio across lots of different parts of the government.

We are figuring out what parts of (the federal government) are going to prosper and also how we can continue to diversify our partnerships and resources outside of the federal government in the commercial sector, in foreign government funding ... and the foundation and (non-governmental organization) sector as well.

RTI employs around 4,700 employees around the world and had $885 million in revenue in 2016, which was up 6.4 percent from 2015.

Zachery Eanes: 919-419-6684, @zeanes

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RTI International's new six-story office tower will be the 'public face' of the company - Durham Herald Sun

Two-and-a-half years ago, Columbia County Supervisor Andy Ross of Poynette let out a quiet whoop as Supervisor Susanna Bradley of the town of Caledonia cast the 21st and deciding yes vote on a $45.51 million building project the biggest in county history.

On Wednesday, Ross walked the hallways cluttered with construction materials of the two-story Health and Human Services Building, and reflected.

I always expected that Id be here someday, he said, and that these buildings would look as good as they do.

Most of the 28 county supervisors, and some of the countys department heads, got an inside look at the nearly completed three-story Administration Building and the HHS building, which is on the other side of the Portage Canal.

The structures are connected by an enclosed walkway that, on Wednesday, had more traffic than usual, though construction workers have been using it for months.

As County Board Chairman Vern Gove of Portage sat down at a table in the County Boards new meeting room in the Admin Building for a sub sandwich lunch provided by J.H. Findorff and Sons, the firm managing the buildings construction he declined to speculate as to whether the County Board might hold its first meeting in the space in June or July.

Theyd better, said Supervisor Kirk Konkel of Portage, because all of the countys departments, including the courts, need to be out of the courthouse at 400 DeWitt St. by July 10.

Non-court-related departments will start moving out of the Courthouse and the Annex at 120 W. Conant St. in May, and are expected to be settled in sometime in June.

The HHS Building wont be occupied by HHS (except for HHSs accounting and public health divisions) right away. It will be the temporary courthouse, while the courthouse undergoes renovations so it can be used for court-related purposes only.

County Clerk Susan Molls first-floor office in the Administration Building didnt look move-in ready yet. But its definitely taking shape.

Moll showed supervisors the counter and adjacent waiting area, where the public can go to obtain services from the clerks office, such as marriage licenses.

The clerks office itself will be for employees only, and Moll said she likes what she sees.

My staff will be along those windows, she said, and my office will be over there in the corner.

The Administration Building has plenty of windows, but not all the vistas are glorious.

The tall, vertical windows of the County Board room, for example, look out onto the backs of buildings on East Edgewater Street.

Boy, you cant say that the County Board set itself up in a room with a scenic view, Ross deadpanned.

But Supervisor Jo Ann Wingers of the town of Courtland saw only one thing when she walked into the new County Board room, and she liked it.

We have windows! Its fantastic! she exclaimed.

Thats not all there is to like about the space, Gove said.

It includes moveable walls, so that the room can be divided into smaller meeting rooms that are still more spacious and conveniently located than many of the rooms where County Board committees meet now.

And, he said, the County Board room will be furnished with the latest in technology, including video screens and a machine to tell how each supervisor voted on each issue.

All our votes will be roll-call votes, he said.

Steve Klaven, Findorff general project manager, said the buildings technological features will be among their many assets.

I think youre going to have counties (officials) coming from all over to see them, he said. This is going to be a landmark project, I think.

County Board Vice Chairwoman Mary Cupery of the town of Fort Winnebago observed that seeing the structures interior was, for her, an eye-opener.

With all the floor plans and blueprints, she said, you cant imagine it until you see it.

Follow Lyn Jerde on Twitter @LynJerde

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Supervisors get inside view of new Columbia County buildings - WiscNews

The Architectural Leagues Emerging Voices award and lecture series spotlight individuals and firms with distinct design voices thathave the potential to influence the discipline of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. The jury, composed of SunilBald, Mario Gooden, Lisa Gray, Paul Lewis, Jing Liu, Thomas Phifer, Bradley Samuels, Billie Tsien, and Ian Volner, selected architectsand designers who have significant bodies of realized work that creatively address larger issues in the built environment.

The Architects Newspaper featured theEmerging Voices firms in our February issue;stay tuned as we upload those articles to our website over the coming weeks.The firm featured below (Portland, Oregonbased LEVER Architecture)will deliver its lecture on March 16, 2017, at The Architecture League in New York City. Click here to learn more!

Architect Thomas Robinson kick-started his career with Joseph Esherick, the architect best known for designing the Hedgerow Houses at Sea Ranch, California, followed by stints leading institutional and cultural projects at Herzog & de Meuron in Switzerland and Allied Works in Oregon. In 2009, Robinson, a graduate of UC Berkeley and later Harvard (studying under Peter Zumthor), decided to branch out on his own, launching LEVER Architecture from his Portland basement.

Over the past eight years, his firm has grown to 18 employees. A winner of the USDAs U.S. Tall Wood Building Prize, LEVER Architecture has found a niche working with cross-laminated timber (CLT). Timber is often hidden away, Robinson said. Wewant [timber] to be part of a greater architectural experience. While mass timber construction isnt newaccording to Robinson it has been around since the 1930sthere is a rediscovering and understanding of the technology coupled with modern advances in fire safety, seismic engineering, and acoustics that has made it more feasible.

Framework is a 12-story mixed-use building that is expected to be one of the first tall timber structures in the world. (Courtesy LEVER Architecture)

LEVER Architecture is currently working on a 90,000-square-foot, 12-story CLT high-rise in Portland. The project, Framework, incorporates a wood-core structure. When completed in 2018, it is expected to be the first mass-timber high-rise in the United States. The design relies on a post-tension CLT rocking wall, which, as Robinson explained, is aresilient low-damage design that takes advantage of the lightness and strength of wood. Wood moves and can re-center itself, he said.

Other recent LEVER projects also feature mass timber: There is Albina Yard, the first office buildingin the U.S. built with domestically manufactured CLT (LEVER Architecture recently moved its offices to this four-story, 16,000-square-foot building), and LAngolo Estate, a winery tasting room in Newberg, Oregon.

Albina Yard is the first office building in the U.S. built with domestically manufactured CLT. )(Courtesy Jeremy Bittermann)

At the core, Robinson explained that LEVERs design projects are about the transformative power of materials. Its almost akin to product design at the level of a building.

With funding from the National Science Foundation and a $1.8 million grant through the U.S. Tall WoodBuilding Prize, LEVER is implementing a performance-based design process throughout its projects. The grants help pay for additional research costs to demonstrate that CLT high-rise buildings are equivalent to traditional steel construction.

Treehouse is a six-story residential building clad in metal panels that fit into its wooded context. (Courtesy Lara Swimmer)

LEVER advocates mass timber as a more sustainable way of building while encouraging economic growth in the Pacific Northwest. We look to the farm-to-table model, where people are connected more directly to the producer, Robinson said. Translated from the culinary scene to the architecture world, the forest-to-frame approach is about building stronger relationships between architects, contractors, and the people growing the timber.

We focus on simple materials and how to put them together to form transformative experiences, Robinson said. Were interested in an economy of means. Its rare being both at the cutting edge and having a seat at the table.

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LEVER Architecture is bringing mass timber construction into the ... - The Architect's Newspaper