Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

New York Times

House Hunting in Sydney New York Times The kitchen and rear portion of the home, which includes an atrium, are more recent additions. From the sidewalk, a gate ... All four bedrooms are on the second floor, along with two full baths (the half bath is on the first floor). The master opens to ...

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House Hunting in Sydney - New York Times

Microsoft RT users had to be content with Windows Store apps and web-based applications. Photograph: Alamy

My wife has used a Microsoft Surface RT tablet for a few years in her job as a tutor. She has found its size and the touch keyboard invaluable in her planning and writing up of lessons, especially as this often happens in the car between pupils. Unfortunately, it is becoming less reliable, and much slower, and she is looking for a replacement. She has looked at the new Surface Pros, but does not want to spend more than 500. She requires Microsoft Office, a long battery life and portability.

By the way, I also wanted to thank you for the advice you gave my daughter in What sort of tablet should I buy for drawing? Niamh bought a Wacom tablet and is very pleased. John

Microsoft launched the Surface RT in 2012 when the tablet market looked promising. It was the first tablet to run Windows on an ARM chip, which provided long battery life. It also made it incompatible with all the traditional software written for Intel x86 versions of Windows, including viruses.

The Surface RT tablets included Microsoft Office, which was good, but it wasnt optimised for touch-screen use, which was bad. Otherwise, users had to be content with Windows Store apps and web-based applications.

While Surface RT users loved their machines, there were not many of them, and Microsoft abandoned the ARM line in favour of the successful Intel-based Surface Pro versions. However, ARM-based versions will return to the market later this year.

Your wifes Surface RT should not have slowed down that much, and a reset might speed it up again. To do this, take a backup of the current system or at least, all the personal data and restore it to factory condition. Run the Settings app (cogwheel icon), select Update & security, click Recovery and then hit the Get started button under Reset this PC.

The drawback is that you will have to reinstall all the updates that have been downloaded previously. This could take some time.

You could also optimise Windows for speed.

Windows has a lot of visual effects: for example, things slide into view instead of instantly popping into view. To change this, type in advanced system settings to find the System Properties sheet from the old Control Panel. In the Performance section, click the Settings button and then select Adjust for best performance.

After that, go through the list of effects and restore any you still want. Enable Peek, Show shadows under mouse pointer, Show window contents while dragging and Smooth edges of screen fonts are worth keeping.

Unfortunately, the Surface RT is a sealed box, like most tablets. You cant get the simple improvement that works with desktop and some laptop PCs: just add RAM.

The whole tablet market is in decline Apple iPad sales are roughly half what they were at their peak and manufacturers are shifting resources to AR (augmented reality, such as the Microsoft HoloLens) and VR (virtual reality, such as the Oculus Rift). Windows PC manufacturers switched to 2-in-1s and then convertibles, where sales are still growing strongly.

Unfortunately, the better products are generally more expensive, including the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, the HP Spectre x2, HP Elite x2, and Dell Latitude 11 5175. Theres a huge gap between pro tablets and convertibles with Intel Core processors, 8GB of memory and proper SSDs and the cheap, casual models with Intel Atom processors, 2GB of memory and 32GB of eMMC Flash storage.

It can be hard to find affordable machines in the sweet spot between the two extremes. These may have Intel Core M processors such as the Core m3-6Y30 and 4GB or 8GB of memory. The best compromise is a Cherry Trail (x3, x5 or x7) Atom-powered machine with 64GB of eMMC storage.

The one Id recommend at the moment is last years Lenovo Miix 310, which has an Atom x5-Z8350 processor, 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage for a current web price of 249.99 (30 off). However, this week, Lenovo unveiled the Miix 320 with 128GB of storage, so it might be worth waiting for that.

The main alternative is the Asus Transformer Book T100HA, which has a Cherry Trail x5-Z8500 processor, 2GB of memory and either 32GB or 64GB of storage. Currently, eBuyer has the 2GB/64GB model for 229.97 with free delivery. The T100HA has been around for a while, and the Miix 310 has twice the memory and a better keyboard.

In both cases, the electronics are behind the screen, so you can detach the screen from the keyboard and use it as a tablet. (The virtual keyboard is built into Windows 10.) The alternative is to keep the electronics under the keyboard and fit a 360-degree hinge. Folding the keyboard behind the screen provides a somewhat thicker tablet. The Lenovo Yoga range pioneered this approach, and your wife could have a look at one to see if the idea is acceptable. Yogas come in dozens of configurations but a Yoga 300 with an Intel Pentium N3710, 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage costs 279.99 from PC World. The N3710 is faster than the x5-Z8500, though not by much.

You dont say if your wife is using a stylus. I hope so, because a Surface-style device, Microsoft OneNote and a stylus is a terrific system for educational use. However, adding a stylus and a pen-capable screen bumps up the price, usually beyond your budget.

The main exception is the Asus Transformer Mini T102HA (x5-Z8350/4GB/64GB) with a stylus, which costs 449.95 at John Lewis, or 398.46 on Amazon. However, Microsoft currently has a Signature Edition (ie crapware free) version for only 349.

I believe the Mini T102HA is the cheapest current 2-in-1 with a stylus, unless you are willing to risk a Chinese product such as a Teclast X3 Pro or X5 Pro. These arent even included in Tablet PC Reviews invaluable spreadsheet of pen-capable Windows 10 systems.

The other possibility is Microsofts Surface 3 not the same as a Surface Pro 3 if you can still find one at a reasonable price. Microsoft has some at a student price of 449.99, if you pre-qualify as a student.

Lenovos very innovative Yoga Book is also worth a look at 549.99.

Windows 10 is a mobile operating system, like Android, and also runs on ARM chips in smartphones, which arent expected to run traditional x86 Windows programs. Later this year, however, we expect to see ARM-based tablets and small laptops running Windows 10 on the next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. Qualcomm has a Microsoft demo video on its website.

These new devices wont be the same as the Surface RT. The main difference is that they have enough power to run traditional x86 programs under emulation. The Snapdragon 835 also supports touch, pen and the latest wireless standards: LTE, 802.11ad and Bluetooth 5.

Early models will probably be designed and priced for corporate use, but consumer versions should follow.

Have you got another question for Jack? Email it to Ask.Jack@theguardian.com

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Are there any good Windows 10 tablets to replace an old Surface RT? - The Guardian

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San Antonio, Texas, March 1, 2017 (Newswire.com) Terry Wolf is entering his 35th year at the helm of TASCO Air Conditioning this spring. While many AC companies are preparing for the industrys peak season roughly April to October in part due to increased AC usage in hotter months, Terry is training his staff and technicians on the nuances of residential indoor air quality.

Company President and founder, Terry Wolf shared his vision on the topic: This year we are committing resources to ensure our existing, and new customers understand the complex issue of indoor air quality. As an AC repair, service and installation company, TASCO Air Conditioning is a large supplier in each of our customers homes in terms of indoor air quality. The AC systems we service and install can filter, clean and vent particulates from a home. Our technicians who specialize in indoor air quality consult customers on a range of issues that impact the air quality, such as filter capacity, cleaning products compatibility with systems and so on.

Indoor air quality has the potential to enhance your familys comfort and very likely their health in your home.

Terry Wolf, President & Owner

TASCO Air Conditionings focus continues with a tradition of providing high quality service, and installing the best systems in the HVAC industry. Adding indoor air quality to the conversation with routine topics like service plan schedules, system life span, two-stage motors, when to replace filters, and air load, is only fitting for an entrepreneur serious about the AC repair, service and installation industry in San Antonio.

Many our clients are long-term thinkers. Said Terry Wolf. Indoor air quality has the potential to enhance your familys comfort, and very likely their health in your home. The technology we have access to through our vendors helps filter out particulates that would otherwise travel around your home with the possibility of entering your lungs. Theres a lot of studies on indoor air quality produced by my industry that probably would confuse a health professional. However, I care and think about my family and neighbors. If for a little more investment in their AC system I can install technology that has the slightest chance to improve their comfort and health, then its something Im prepared to offer. The logic is there filter out as much particulates as possible.

Terrys company is one of a few San Antonio AC companies continuously out leading the local market as home comfort technology advocates. In recent years, TASCO Air showcased energy efficient two-stage motors, that over the systems lifespan saves on energy and service costs. A few years after the introduction of two-stage motors came UV light filters. Fast forward and consumers can connect AC systems to home management software.

Terry remarked on his customers choices today: Its certainly a longer conversation today compared to 15 years ago. My team finds themselves consistently wearing two hats. One hat is that of a service and installation technician. The other hat is that of a home comfort consultant. A typical conversation with a customer tackles topics to determine whats wrong with the current AC system. We move on to detailed questions such as what rooms are hotter or colder, placement and size of air intake vents, system efficiency and air quality. Each system we repair or install is highly customized to the customers needs based on our discussions.

TASCO Air Conditioning & Heating is a San Antonio, Texas heating and air conditioning company serving residential and light commercial clients. For more information or to schedule your service call visit http://tascoair.com or call 210-684-6200.

Source: TASCO Air Conditioning & Heating

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TASCO Air Conditioning & Heating: San Antonio Heating and Air Conditioning Company Leads Local Industry in ... - Satellite PR News (press release)

When Wendy Morris was looking for a new home in 2005, she knew what she wanted.

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I was looking for an easy lifestyle and the space really worked for me, she said. I wanted a doorman building too.

A one-bedroom unit in Independence Place was the perfect spot. In addition to a doorman, the building features parking as well as proximity to lots of local amenities.

The gym is literally behind my building, Morris said.

After moving in, Morris began her upgrades.

Ive completely remodeled, she said.

By the time she finished, she had a new kitchen, new bathrooms and new flooring.

The kitchen renovation included custom 42-inch cabinetry, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. There was also new tiling.

I love my kitchen, especially the Italian glass tile backsplash, Morris said. I fell in love with it.

Her master bathroom now features an oversized shower, which she also counts among her favorite features. The master bedroom includes a walk-in closet and neighborhood views.

The formal dining room features built-in cabinetry and is adjacent to the living room with its floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors that lead to a private balcony.

Morris said her work means new owners can take it easy.

There is nothing left to do, she said. They just need to move in and unpack.

While Morris said she has enjoyed her time on Washington Square, her reasons for listing the 1,200-square-foot-home are happy ones.

Im getting married and moving in with my fiance, she said.

The home is currently listed by Pam Butera for $495,000.

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On The Market: Remodeled Washington Square condo for $495000 - Philly.com

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Hammes Headquarters Construction

Work has begun on a controversial five-story office building in downtown Milwaukee.

Under construction on land cleared by the demolition of the Park East Freeway, the 94,000-square-foot building will be anchored by the Hammes Company,a Brookfield-based real estate firm that is developing the building. Miron Construction is serving as the general contractor.

Approximately 80 Hammes employees, including founder and CEO Jon Hammes, will occupy 36,000 square feet on the top two floors of the building. The remaining space, including street-level commercial space, is available for lease. The firm will relocate from their Brookfield office to the building at 210 E. Knapp St. when construction is complete in 2018.

Hammes acquired the 1.5-acre parcel in 2015 from BMO Harris Bank for $1 million. The triangular-shaped lot is bordered by E. Knapp St., N. Market. St. and N. Water St.

The design of the complex has sparked an extensive debate about new classical architecture and its role in an urban area. That hasnt stopped Mayor Tom Barrett and area Alderman Nik Kovac from endorsing the privately-financed project. The city approved the projects design with little objection. Hammes himself has noted the design was inspired by founding father Thomas Jefferson. The building is being designed by DGP Architects of Virginia, who specialize in classical architecture, with Eppstein Uhen Architects serving as architect of record.

A second phase is planned immediately north of the building.The second building, planned as another office building, will range anywhere from five to eight floors according to Hammes, with 90,000 to 100,000 square-feet, depending on market demand. Hammes told Urban Milwaukee in October that he anticipates building the second building within three years.

The firm is one of many moving from the suburbs to the city. Immediately north of the Hammes project crews are putting the finishing touches on a new office building dubbed 1433 Water that will be anchored by Brookfield-based marketing firm Bader Rutter.

The real estate firm is still pursuing a minor modification to the buildings design that would lower the domes height.

For more information on the project, see our extensive past coverage.

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Hammes HQ Starts Construction - urbanmilwaukee

Charlotte Observer (blog)

Check out this new office building planned for Charlotte Charlotte Observer (blog) Charlotte real estate firm New Forum is marketing a new office building in the Ayrsley area of southwest Charlotte, next to doormaker Jeld-Wen's new headquarters development. Named Two ... Jeld-Wen's new building is under construction. The 120,000 ...

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Check out this new office building planned for Charlotte - Charlotte Observer (blog)

Photo: Brian A. Pounds / ST

The office building at 1000 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport.

The office building at 1000 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport.

The commercial building at 112 Quarry Road, in Trumbull.

The commercial building at 112 Quarry Road, in Trumbull.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Stamford, Conn. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Property Rounds: Area unlikely to see office-building boom

Area workers dont have to look beyond the buildings they see every day to envision the future of local office space. The landscape probably wont change much in the next few years.

Almost eight years after the end of the last recession, the region still grapples with swathes of vacancies. Given the persistence of the empty spaces, developers and realtors are focused on filling those gaps, while expanding the office inventory represents a longer-term proposition.

My view is that the office market does not justify new construction at the moment, said Jim Fagan, Stamford-based market leader for commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. Its very soft. But were starting to see a demographic shift in the population, which could cause the office market to become vibrant and healthy again.

Lots of capacity

Fairfield County posted a 24.2 percent vacancy rate in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with 21.5 percent during the same period in 2015, according to data from commercial real estate firm Newmark Grubb Knight Frank.

In Norwalk, the figurative line in the dirt on new office construction was drawn in 2013, after Spinnaker Real Estate Partners abandoned its long-standing 95/7 proposal to build an office complex totaling 600,000 square feet at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 7. Spinnaker sold the property to General Growth Properties, with GGP moving ahead with plans for an upscale mall for the site.

More recently, the former headquarters of U.S. Surgical was demolished to make way for the Grist Mill Village apartments of developer Building and Land Technology. BLT chose to invest in a residential project rather than new offices despite its success with The Towers complex just down Glover Avenue, which General Electric last year made the center of its operations in southwestern Connecticut.

In northern Fairfield County, major office properties have experienced mixed fortunes. Lee Farm Corporate Park, with five floors and 216,000 square feet, is full. Building owner Felix Charney, of Summit Development, said he has to turn away companies.

There is positive activity in the area, Charney said. We have buildings all over Fairfield County, New Haven County and Hartford, and the overall leasing market is slow. But in certain spots the leasing is up. Its very local. It depends where your buildings are.

Danburys Matrix Corporate Center looms as a 1.2 million-square-foot behemoth with huge tracts of vacant space. It is undergoing foreclosure proceedings, adding to questions surrounding the future of the property.

The Matrix was rattled by the recent departures of large tenants Praxair and Boehringer Ingelheim. But it scored a win when transportation company Odyssey recently signed a 10-year extension.

Growth potential?

Developers have shown little interest in building new office developments in the area anytime soon.

We have no regrets about not proceeding with (the 95/7) office project, Spinnaker CEO Clay Fowler said in an email. Although the older buildings have maintained high occupancy, our cost basis on a new office at 95/7 would have been significantly higher 30 (percent) or more thereby putting us in an untenable market position in a weak market largely dominated then and still today by small tenants.

In Greenwich, the office market has fared better than its neighbors. But even with a vacancy rate of about 10 percent, the inventory likely will not expand by much soon.

Few new companies are moving in, and few are looking to increase in their size and space,said Ron Brien, of Alliance Commercial Property.

Meanwhile, the owners of some of Greenwichs most desirable office spaces are working to maintain their grasp on the market by investing in renovations and updates. The Pickwick Plaza at the top of Greenwich Avenue is undergoing the final stages of overhauls of its lobbies, restrooms and corridors, according to Marilyn Cafone, of Kensico Properties, which owns the property.

In Stamford, BLT owns a 14-acre peninsula off Bateman Way in the South End. On that site, hedge fund Bridgewater Associates proposed several years ago a new headquarters. It would later scrap that plan after it attracted intense opposition.

BLT officials have not said how they plan to develop the peninsula. They were not available to comment for this article.

An influx of millennials could eventually increase the local workforce and fuel demand for more office space, said Cushman & Wakefield. That trend is already underway in growing cities such as Stamford, Norwalk and Danbury. Fagan said he expects the migration to accelerate.

Youre going to see these millennials streaming out of the cities into the suburbs, and our market will be the beneficiary of that population shift, Fagan said. As they start having kids, theyre going to move to the suburbs.

Macaela Bennett, Chris Bosak and Alexander Soule contributed reporting to this article.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott

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Property Rounds: Area unlikely to see office-building boom - The Advocate

Not one, but two construction projects are expected to be up and going by early 2018 in the area around the Interstate-95 interchange at Taylorsville Road in Lower Makefield.

Both projects will be financed by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

The first is the previously announced construction of a new, dual-span $430 million Scudder Falls Bridge, which carries I-95 over the Delaware River into Ewing, New Jersey. The project, which also includes improvements to adjacent roadways, is expected to begin this spring and be completed at some point in 2021. The 56-year-old current Scudder Falls Bridge, which serves about 59,000 vehicles a day, will remain in use until the first of the new dual replacement spans is finished and open to traffic in 2019, DRJTBC spokesman Joseph Donnelly said.

The second project in the Taylorsville Road/I-95 area, which will begin in early 2018, will be the construction of a new office building that will serve as the transportation agency's administrative headquarters.

The commission plans to build the approximate 25,000-square-foot building on a 10-acre tract off Woodside and Taylorsville roads that it bought from Lower Makefield last year for $800,000.

The commission hired USA Architects, Planners & Interior Designers during its regular monthly meeting on Monday to provide architectural, engineering, landscape architecture and interior design consulting, as well as preliminary, final and post design services on the new one- or two-story building. The headquarters is expected "to include energy-efficient features such as daylighting, sustainable materials and systems, and other life-cycle cost features," Donnelly said.

The Easton-based architectural firm was hired at a cost not to exceed $1,376,451 to provide the design services, agency representatives said.

The new facility, expected to be completed in mid-2019, will replace the commissions current headquarters off Route 1 in Morrisville.

"Our Morrisville building is 65 years old and has serious space and operational issues," DRJTBC Executive Director Joseph J. Resta said in a statement. "It has reached the end of its functional life."

Once the new headquarters is completed, the old DRJTBC facility will be converted into a regional maintenance hub by the agency that oversees seven toll bridges and 13 toll-supported bridges along the Delaware River from Bucks County north to the New Jersey/New York border.

The agency, in its land acquisition from Lower Makefield, assumed ownership of the park-and-ride lot on the parcel near the I-95 interchange. The DRJTBC plans to reduce the parking spaces in the under-utilized area from the current 170 to 103 while constructing the new administration building on a portion of the tract.

The commission also plans, as part of the construction project, to build a connector path to link the park-and-ride lot with the nearby Delaware Canal towpath and an access ramp to the pedestrian/bicycle walkway that is part of the bridge replacement project, the spokesman said.

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Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission plans two construction projects in Lower Makefield - Bucks County Courier Times

Chicago Sun-Times

MJ statue centerpiece of new United Center office building Chicago Sun-Times The MJ statue that has long been a tourist attraction unto itself is now located in the atrium of the new, five-story office building that officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday. I would look out here in January and see some of ... and more »

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MJ statue centerpiece of new United Center office building - Chicago Sun-Times

The Public Works and Facilities Committee discussed four major topics at Mondays meeting, ranging from short-term issues to a six-year plan of sorts.

In terms of more immediate issues discussed, the first was an amendment to the ADEC low interest loan for the Biosolids Project for $10 million. This loan would provide funding necessary to construct the Biosolids Dryer at the Mendenhall Waste Water Treatment Plant, and brings the total loan amount to $20 million. The loan will be repaid through Waste Water Utility revenues, according to a CBJ memo.

The MTP produces more than 5,300 tons of biosolids broken-down sewage sludge produced for fertilization purposes per year, according to a Powerpoint presented Monday. The loan discussed at the meeting would go toward constructing a new dryer, which evaporates moisture from the biosolids.

Secondly, the committee discussed an appropriation of $142,000 of Jensen-Olson Arboretum revenues from the Jensen-Olson Arboretum fund balance. These funds would be appropriated in two ways, as $127,000 would create the Jensen-Olson Arboretum Residence Deferred Maintenance Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and $15,000 would go to the Jenson-Olson Arboretum Parking & Conservatory CIP.

The Deferred Maintenance CIP would fund repairs to the residence in an attempt to prevent further structural damage from moisture to the building, including replacement of floor and wall framing, window, exterior siding and the installation of a ventilation fan. The funds headed to the Parking & Conservatory CIP would supplement funding for a new gravel parking lot for the arboretum.

The committee also discussed the usage of the Channel Vista Drive/Egan Drive Bike Path as an ambulance access route in the event of traffic stoppage on the Egan Drive Retaining Wall section of the highway. The CBJ will coordinate with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in the event of a traffic backup. Those on the committee acknowledged that this scenario is rare, but wanted to be prepared to use the path if the situation does arise.

Earlier this month, representatives from multiple local organizations met at Channel Vista Drive to examine the viability of the plan and see if an ambulance could successfully navigate the path. During the test, an ambulance made it through without incident, traversing the entirety of the path for its entire length from Channel Vista Drive to the Hospital Drive intersection. If necessary, the ambulance could also exit earlier in the route, reaching Egan at the Salmon Creek Reservoir exit/entrance.

The long-term topic at the meeting was the preliminary CIP for the fiscal years 2018 through 2023. The CIP serves as a strategic plan, developed by the CBJ Assembly, its boards and commissions, CBJ staff and the citizens of CBJ. The plan isnt set in stone, but establishes a series of long-term goals and budgetary estimations that will be approved by the Assembly as funding is secured. The committee reviewed the plan during Mondays meeting.

The committee is set to meet March 20, though due to multiple committee members possibly being absent that date, theres a possibility the next meeting wont be until April.

Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com.

Originally posted here:
City committee talks arboretum money, emergency route, sewage, future budget - Juneau Empire (subscription)