Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

CLARE (AP) Having grown up in Clare, Amy Shindorf knows about the luck of the Irish. She also believes that every small Irish community should have a brewpub.

Shindorf believes in living life with luck, and she has a vision of what should be included in downtown Clare.

Shindorf and brewmaster Brad Bellinger are in the process of bringing a brewpub to the Gateway to the North, the Morning Sun reports.

Located in a century-old building at 412 N. McEwan St., Four Leaf Brewing named for the lucky four-leaf clover in the Irish tradition will offer 12 craft brews on tap, including six regulars and six seasonal and experimental beers.

Shindorf and Bellinger, who have been friends for years, were at the building recently looking over how the renovation is going and discussing what they see in the business, which they hope will be open this spring.

Or, as Bellinger said, in time for people to start their northern adventures.

Although Four Leaf Brewing wont be a classic Irish brewpub, it will feature stout and Irish ale.

Shindorf said renovations are about three-fourths finished on the custom brew house.

Shindorf, a former manager at Isabella County Recycling who is still passionate about being green, said that being friends with Bellinger over the years has been a learning experience because of his expertise in beer brewing.

Wanting to be her own boss and stand behind a product she believes in prompted Shindorf to go into the beer business with Bellinger.

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Friends work to open brewpub in downtown Clare

GOLDEN South Jefferson County will soon see an indoor beach volleyball event center along with a restaurant and brew pub after county commissioners voted Tuesday to approve rezoning a parcel of land next to Jared's Nursery.

Commissioners were split but passed the measure with some conditions with a 2-1 vote. Board Chairman Casey Tighe voted against the measure with Don Rosier and Libby Szabo siding with the applicant, Loren Bauman, a co-owner at Jared's.

The event center will be built at the intersection of West Bowles Avenue and South Oak Street and include a 27,000-square-foot building with 5,000 of it going toward the restaurant and brew pub, with hours from about noon to 10:30 p.m. The initial plan calls for seven indoor sand volleyball courts.

Dozens of people living near the area came to the meeting to speak against the site, citing concerns about noise, parking, alcohol consumption, lighting and previous offenses by Bauman.

"We are opposed to the events center because of the real impacts to homeowners and the quality of life of the homeowners," resident Al Nemes said during public comment.

The nearby Light of the World Roman Catholic Church was also opposed to the rezoning, stating problems in the past with Bauman and Jared's Nursery. Father Michael Pavlakovich spoke at the meeting stating that he represented 10,000 parishioners who were opposed.

"Loren suggests that a brew pub and volleyball would be great for kids I don't see how alcohol would be great for kids," he said.

Baumann said the center would be good for the community and that local schools could use the courts for volleyball teams or for training for other sports.

Jefferson County staff had recommended that commissioners approve the rezoning based on Baumann changing some of the plans, however the Jefferson County Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend that commissioners deny the rezoning, stating that it was not in conformance with the South Plains Area Plan.

Rosier asked for and received changes that would eliminate the opportunity for Baumann to construct outdoor courts and limit parking lot light structures to 12 feet tall rather than 20.

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Jeffco board OKs indoor volleyball center, brew pub despite opposition

Ottawa, Canada (PRWEB) March 17, 2015

Leapfrog Lighting's new managed LED retrofit service is a unique solution developed for businesses ready to convert to energy-saving LED lighting. The Leapfrog Lighting No-Trouble LED Retrofit bundles a site assessment, savings and payback report, planning, installation, rebate management and warranty management. The simplicity of the program begins with a no-obligation site assessment.

"The No-Trouble LED Retrofit removes the last barrier to entrycomplexity. This is not only about return on investment analysis," explained Stephen Naor, CEO of Leapfrog Lighting. "Of course the savings on electricity costs is critical. However many businesses are held back by the complexity of auditing, planning, installing and managing rebates."

The program was developed after years of working on retrofits with clients. "What we found was that our clients definitely want an LED lighting retrofit, but didn't want to spend time on it," said Mr. Naor. "A No-Trouble managed program allows our clients to focus on their core business."

Reduction in lighting operating costs vary, but Leapfrog's past clients have saved 45-85 percent. Simple payback on the investment can be as short as 4 months, and generally around 2 to 2 years. Most projects are also eligible for government rebates. For example, one Leapfrog retrofit project for a hospital resulted in an 87% reduction in lighting operating costs, payback in only 4 months, government rebates of $7,500 and a projected 5-year cash savings of $153,000.

Most businesses have decided to go ahead and retrofit to LED lighting. According to Leapfrog Lighting's own survey of 200 business owners, 83.5% planned to install LED lighting, or already have. This is strikingly similar to a Commercial Lighting Survey from KRC Research*, where 81% of business respondents are looking to install energy-efficient lighting solutions.

"Reducing complexity for our clients definitely matters," said Mr. Naor. "We found the demand for our expert LED retrofit services increased dramatically after we developed the No-Trouble concept. We're making that model available to everyone. Small business are equally motivated as larger enterprises."

For example, a typical small business case analysis on Leapfrog Lighting's websitean install of 100 LED lamps replacing equivalent halogen bulbs in a retail storethe overall savings per year on energy costs alone would be $2,906, based on 11 cents per kWh. With the entire cost financed, eliminating the $1,800 (approximate) upfront install cost, and factoring in expected electricity company rebates, the net savings per year still works out to $2,414 annually on this example.

Although the Leapfrog Lighting No-Trouble Retrofit can be customized to use any LED bulb or fixture, the program is designed around spec-quality lighting. Spec quality ensures consistent quality and color temperature that enhances work and retail environments. Installed bulbs are manufactured by Leapfrog Lighting and carry 5 year warranties.

LED lamps contain no hazardous gases. Leapfrog Lighting's architectural specification quality bulbs provide consistent, non-flicker, light. The current Leapfrog Lighting line of LED lamps includes PAR20, PAR30, PAR38 and MR16 lamps that provide industry-leading output power through high-efficiency LED source and driver electronics. The innovative lens design creates a pleasing, glare-free light suitable for use in all indoor and unexposed outdoor down-lighting applications. The lamps also deliver the high CRI and ultra-consistent color temperature control critical to multi-lamp applications in hotels, restaurants, schools, office buildings, museums, galleries, retail operations and other public spaces. With a life expectancy of 40,000 operating hours, these UL-registered lamps will provide more than 27 years of service at 4 hours per day.

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Leapfrog Lighting No-Trouble LED Retrofits Make It Easy for Businesses to Lower Electricity Costswithout the Hassle ...

LED industrial lighting market to reach US$2.366 billion in 2015, says report

Press release, March 17; Alex Wolfgram, DIGITIMES[Tuesday 17 March 2015]

The LED industrial lighting market scale will be worth US$2.366 billion in 2015, and by 2018 will reach US$3.935 billion, according to findings from LEDinside.

Compared with home lighting products, industrial lighting products operate for longer periods, so switching to the energy-saving LED technology is more cost-effective. As a result, LED high and low bay lighting fixtures have become more attractive for industrial lighting users for replacement purposes. Furthermore, LED lighting products have seen additional increases in performance and decreases in pricing. These improvements, together with industrial lighting products' high profit margins, have made industrial applications the most competitive market for LED package and LED luminaire companies for the 2015-2016 period, the firm said.

Among different fixture types, LED high/low bay lighting products are the largest in terms of market share. This category is further subdivided into mining and general applications (or for use in warehouses, gyms, and other indoor settings), making LED high/low bay lights a major focus in the development of industrial lighting market.

LEDinside expects 80W-250W LED high/low bay light products will become the mainstream in the market as improvements are made to the LED technology and to thermal dissipation. Current 80W-250W LED high/low bay lights have around 10,000lm-30,000lm in terms of luminous flux as well as 275-300lx in terms of illuminance. Pricing strategies for high/low bay lights vary according to product lines and market regions as these products have yet to be standardized. China-based makers tend to have lower product prices and fewer product lines. Hence, prices in the China market are expected to only show minor price fluctuations, the firm added.

Leaders in LED industrial lighting include GE Lighting, Cree, and Cooper Lighting, as well as their Japan counterparts IWASAKI and Toshiba, and China LED maker Ocean's King Lighting. Among these competitors, CREE has made advances with high-power LEDs that save costs and simplify product designs. GE Lighting by contrast focuses on LED module adoption and thermal dissipation design. Their luminaires can have a life of up to 100,000 hours.

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LED industrial lighting market to reach US$2.366 billion in 2015, says report

Cabinet Refacing Phoenix - Toll Free (855) 696-5751
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Pier Solar and the great Architects #51 - Riesenspinne
Nix mehr verpassen: http://goo.gl/iYz3bn Playlist: http://goo.gl/mZJVbh VLogs: http://goo.gl/EGdeMp ------------------------------------------------------...

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Pier Solar and the great Architects #51 - Riesenspinne - Video

Architects are always in a precarious position. Unlike doctors and lawyers, their services are never required. (There are only a few exceptions.) If you need design services, its just as easy to hire a contractor or engineer to slap something together. Architects are an additional expense, and they have a reputation for being difficult and impractical. (Case in point: President George Washington had to fire Pierre LEnfant, the brilliant planner of the nations capital, for insubordination.)

In the past, architects overcame this challenge by demonstrating the superiority of their skills and knowledge. Their buildings were simply better. Now, however, few people believe that. The reputation of architects is at its lowest point ever. They are perceived as being problem-causers, not problem-solvers. They are purveyors of the ugly and dysfunctional, of the emotionally detached and culturally disconnected.

As I previously noted, the profession is collapsing from within as more and more insiders have been admitting the failure of contemporary architecture. The latest obituary is an essay in Architectural Review by mainstream critic Peter Buchanan, who writes, Future architects will look back at our times astounded byour confusions, gullibility and inability to exercise critical judgement [M]uch contemporary architecture is sh*t.

Likewise, Alastair Gordon, contributing editor for architecture and design attheWall Street Journalsmagazine,comments in the Miami Herald, Its hard to find much in the way of inspiration or direction from mainstream architecture these days. Indeed, the profession seems largely on the defensive, lurching towards a nervous breakdown.

With the reputation of architects in free-fall, the American Institute of Architects, the main trade organization for the profession, recently launched a three-year public relations campaign called I Look Up. According to Robert Ivy, the organizations CEO, the chief message of the campaign is Architecture has a beneficial effect to change our lives for the better. Observe its not Architects are changing our lives for the better. Is that too hard of a sell?

More broadly, Ivy said the campaign aims to Reach not just clients but a woman whos going to serve on a school board, the person who may run for public office, the developer who is right now in graduate school, and also people who pass through public spaces (i.e., everyone else).

The centerpiece of the campaign is the AIAs first ever TV spot. Ninety seconds long, it has all the trappings of a Generic Brand Video: the hipster with funky hair, contemplative scenes of nature, time-lapse photography, urgent strings and echoing piano, pretentious blather in a sonorous voice: The world is counting on us to look ahead. What the commercial does not show is a single client or a person using a building. It suggests that architects build for no one but themselves. The video is all too accurate.

As the name of the campaign suggests, the AIA believes that by encouraging people to look at buildings, they will somehow see the value of architects today. But the AIA is oblivious to the fact that the more that ordinary people consciously observe new buildings, the more they will see the bad in them. People will ask themselves, Why does that school look like an office park? Why does that courthouse look like a prison? Why is that concert hall an alien spacecraft? Why does that brand-new house look like its been damaged by a hurricane? Whats with all the boring glass box commercial buildings? Why cant I find the entrance to the building? Why is the Freedom Tower so uninspiring?

The AIAs cluelessness is further evident from the website for I Look Up. It features a video paean to the John Hancock Tower in Boston, which was designed by the world-famous architect I.M. Pei. Its hard to see how the building, completed in 1976, can be lovable since it is nothing but mirrored glass panels on a sharply angled slab. The tower is a Modernist 60-storey skyscraper slammed next to the human-scale Copley Square and historic Romanesque Trinity Church by Henry Hobson Richardson. The tower does not engage with its surroundings in any meaningful way, and it has no relation to Bostons history or urban fabric. It is a faceless, uncivil design that is as friendly as a state trooper staring at you in reflective aviator sunglasses. The former dean of MITs school of architecture called the building a monster.

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The American Institute of Architects' Outreach Campaign Is Doomed to Failure

-- @landarchitects need you to share photos of your favorite green spaces #WLAM2015

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Landscape architects are the people responsible for designing the parks, plazas, bike trails and other green spaces that make the outdoors fun, healthy, and sustainable. If you had to pick a favorite designed green space to photograph, which would you pick? That's the question asked by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) as it launches World Landscape Architecture Month in April.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7474051-asla-world-landscape-architecture-month/

Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140325/DC90161LOGO-b

ASLA is unveiling the eventformerly National Landscape Architecture Monthin collaboration with the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA). Participants will celebrate landscape architecture by engaging their communities through the #WLAM2015 social media campaign. ASLA's chapters will also introduce the profession to schools and connect with IFLA member organizations in other countries via Skype and social media.

"We're excited to celebrate landscape architecture on a global level," said Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. "We look forward to working with IFLA member organizations around the world and helping to develop the next generation of landscape architects."

"At a time when the globe faces major challenges caused by industrialization, urbanization, climate changes and the depletion of natural resources, World Landscape Architecture Month shines a light on our progressive profession," said Professor Kathryn Moore, IFLA president. "We are pleased that international collaboration such as this will illuminate the solutions landscape architecture offers."

Celebrate #WLAM2015 and help us go viral: asla.org/wlam

How to share your photo for #WLAM2015:

- Download the wallet-sized card that reads "Designed by a Landscape Architect" here: http://asla.org/uploadedFiles/CMS/Events/WLAMcard8.5x11.pdf

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Landscape architects are diversifying their efforts and need your help for World Landscape Architecture Month in April

Union Stations entrance, normally snarled with personal vehicles and taxis, could become an open plaza with fountains and caf seating, across Union Avenue from a demolished or rebuilt Church Street South housing complex.

That vision emerged at a charette, or brainstorming design session, about how to improve the train station, New Havens gateway to much of the outside world.

Participants envisioned car traffic minimized by lower speed limits, and taxis lining up behind the station rather than out on the street.

As they dreamed up a new vision at the session, which took place Friday, engineers and architects invoked the names of early 20th century urban planners Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and Cass Gilbert, and the comprehensive plan they drew up in 1910 for the city, which would have connected the station with downtown. (Click here for a story on that plan.) They spoke of restoring he grandeur that Olmstead and Gilbert had envisioned for the city.

David Panagore, executive director of Park New Haven (pictured), said Fridays workshop was a visioning process, including ideas New Haven might want to pursue before the state builds a promised second parking garage.

Were not headed from here to construction, he said. It is important to start feeding ideas now.

Divided into three teams, the architects and engineers were tasked with ways to better organize Union Avenue, enhance the visitor experience to the station, and promote transit, walking and cycling.

Architect Howard Hebel of Newman Architects (pictured) and his group tackled the design of Union Avenue and providing elbow room for all the current forms of transit at the train station as well as increased numbers of people walking and biking to the station. Their plan called for keeping the drop/off and arrivals out front and having the taxi line at a different end of the station. Instead of valet parking out front, they would relegate it to one of the parking garages. A potential traffic-calming idea would be to create an island much like the one in the Broadway district for Union Avenue. The group envisioned the front of the station connecting to the future Union Square envisioned for the Hill-to-Downtown project.

Before tackling the visitors experience outside Union Station, architect Patrick Pinnells group could not resist addressing the inside, which he described a big space that is not coherent. The group would start with an information kiosk with a person inside to help people get their bearings and information.

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Architects, Engineers Reimagine The Train Station