Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Ahead of the first official car launch of the year, Lotus has become the second team to issue images of its 2015 contender.

In a brief press release issued today, along with a number of renders of the car, Lotus CEO, Matthew Carter, introduced the car.

"The E23 Hybrid represents a new era for Lotus, not only in the change to a Mercedes Benz Power Unit, but also it is the fruition of a busy winter behind the scenes," he said. "Improvements within our Design, Aero and Simulation departments have all contributed to the development of a car which is a huge step forward.

"As a team we are confident that the new car coupled with additions to the Race team will enable a huge leap forward and we are full of optimism going into the new season. It is time to put the disappointment of last season behind us and benefit from 12 months of hard work; we are ready to return to our rightful place at the pinnacle of the sport."

"The E23 Hybrid represents a massive step forward for us," added Nick Chester, the team's Technical Director. "It's no secret that we struggled with last year's car so we've targeted every area that caused us an issue. We've made strong progress in the wind tunnel as well as in areas such as packaging and cooling. We expect the E23 to perform far, far better than its predecessor.

"In terms of what's new, obviously a massive change for us is a new Power Unit supplier. We made this change as it looked and looks to be the one area of the car which could bring us the greatest performance gain. It's not just performance, but reliability and driveability as well as packaging and cooling too. The E22 did deliver good figures in the wind tunnel, even if it was difficult to unlock its potential, so we've paid more attention to making the characteristics of the car more adaptable. In terms of the suspension, we were delivered something of a blow last year when the front-rear interconnected suspension was outlawed mid-season. The E23's suspension design is specific to the updated regulations so we're not trying to update a system originally intended to work a different way.

"We learnt a lot in many areas of the car over the course of 2014 so there are many lessons which have been applied. We know we've made a big step. We won't know how our car will fare in relative terms until we're out in action at a Grand Prix, but we certainly expect to be much more competitive than last year."

Check out our gallery, here.

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Lotus presents its 2015 challenger; the E23 Hybrid.

There is now just a week to go before the clsoe of the January transfer window. Here, our man with his ear to the ground, Jamie Sanderson, takes a look at the latest rumours...

Andre Schurrle - Chelsea to Wolfsburg Schurrle has told Chelsea he wants to go this month, and while Jose Mourinho doesn't want to sell, Wolfsburg are offering mega money. Talks are progressing well and both the Blues and the player expect this to go through shortly, with Schurrle on standby to fly to Germany for a medical. (Chances of it happening: 9/10)

Juan Cuadrado - Fiorentina to Chelsea With Schurrle departing, Chelsea are going for Colombian star Cuadrado as his replacement. A 20million offer is on the table, and while the player wants to go, Fiorentina are holding out for his 26.8million release clause. This deal is dragging on, but we'd be surprised if it didn't happen before deadline day. Keep an eye on this one. (8/10)

Aleksandar Dragovic - Dinamo Kiev to Manchester United United desperately need a centre-back before the window closes, and having struggled to tempt Mats Hummels or Marquinhos, Dragovic is seenas being next best. Talks have been held over a 14.9million deal, and scouts will now watch him play a friendly this week before deciding whether to make an official bid and push this deal through. (6/10)

Alexandre Lacazette - Lyon to Liverpool Liverpool scouts are now at every Lyon game to watch 23-year-old Lacazette. He's scored 21 goals in 22 games this term and Brendan Rodgers is keen. Rumours say a 25million deal could happen, but Lyon expect him to stay this month, and unless the Reds shock us by making a late raid, don't expect this one to happen. (2/10)

Memphis Depay - PSV to Tottenham Tottenham love Depay and have decided to make an approach this month. PSV would prefer to sell in the summer, when Manchester United should come in and perhaps offer more, but Spurs are putting together a tempting package. Hard to say if this will happen or not, but this is likely to be a deadline day deal if it goes through. Well, you know Daniel Levy...(5/10)

Sergio Busquets - Barcelona to Arsenal Busquets is currently negotiating a new contract at Barcelona, and with talks dragging on, he's being linked with other clubs. Don't buy the hype though, the name dropping is just being used to get the midfield star a better deal. He's not considering leaving and all parties expect he'll commit to Barca soon. This one is a non-starter. (1/10)

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Transfer Insider: Chelsea deals close, Man United plot defender bid and Liverpool eye up striker raid

By John R. Delaney

When we reviewed the Nest Learning Thermostatback in 2012, it was the very first digital homethermostat we had tested (not to mention one of the first we had seen). Fast forward to 2015, and there are now numerous smart thermostats out there from companies such as Trane, Ecobee, LockState, and Honeywell. We got our hands on the $279 Honeywell Lyric, a slick Wi-Fi thermostat from the company that invented the puck-shaped thermostat more than 60 years ago. The Lyric is controlled and monitored via an iOS or Android smartphone app, and uses your phone's location services (geofencing) to save energy. Although it doesn't use a conventional scheduling menu to heat your home, it is very easy to configure, and the app is well-designed and colorful. A Web app would be a welcome addition, however, as would detailed heating and cooling usage reports.

Design and Features Measuring 3.7 inches in diameter and 1.3 inches in depth, the Lyric is a tad larger than the Nest (3.2 inches in diameter and 1.3 inches thick). The thermostat's white, glass-covered, touch-sensitive face and shiny chrome trim give it a stylish, Apple-esque look that will work with any dcor. In the center of the Lyric is a round 1.4-inch (diameter) LCD that, by default, displays the current temperature. Pressing the weather cloud icon to the left of the LCD changes the display to a 12-hour weather forecast with the time, expected temperature, and expected humidity levels. Pressing the home icon on the right launches an Away menu that lets you inform the Lyric that you'll be out of the house for X amount of hours (up to 24 hours), which in turn resets the heating or cooling temperature to your specified Away setting. A small motion sensor at the top of the thermostat wakes the Lyric up when you approach; otherwise it remains dimly lit to conserve energy.

Above the main display is a smaller display that shows you the temperature setting and either a sun icon for heating or a snowflake icon for cooling. You can use these icons to turn the system on or off. A halo ring at the rear of the Lyric briefly glows orange when the thermostat goes into heating mode, blue when it goes into cooling mode, and green when it enters energy saving mode. As with the Nest, you can manually raise and lower the temperature setting by turning the Lyric like a dialleft to lower the temperature and right to raise it. An audible tick accompanies each degree mark, making it easy to adjust to an exact temperature.

The Lyric can be controlled from a smartphone using an iOS or Android app, but you can't control it from a PC using a Web browser. The mobile app is colorful and makes it easy to configure the thermostat to fit your schedule. When you launch the app, you're presented with a screen that contains a dial (orange when in heating mode and blue when in cooling mode) that you can swipe to the left or right to change the temperature setting. The Lyric doesn't offer a typical scheduling procedure; instead you set Home and Away temperatures, and create shortcuts with triggers that tell the thermostat what to do. You can create a shortcut with a trigger that has the heat come up and go down at a certain times of the day. You can also create shortcut buttons that reside on your home screen. For example, you can assign a button that turns the heat down five degrees for when you're working out, or have the air conditioning kick in early if you're expecting company. Each button is listed on the main screen to the left of the dial.

Above the dial are the same readings found on the actual thermostat, including the current temperature, the temperature setting, and the icons for the weather forecast and the Away menu. Tapping the settings wheel in the upper right corner takes you to a screen where you can adjust your Home and Away temperature settings, adjust screen brightness, and enable the Fine Tune and Adaptive Recovery features. The Fine Tune feature uses local weather information, indoor conditions, and factors in things like humidity and the temperature outdoors, to make sure your home is heated or cooled correctly. The Adaptive Recovery feature, also found on the Honeywell Prestige IAQ thermostat, will have your heating or cooling start early so that your house is up to temperature at the time you scheduled.

The jewel in the Lyric's crown is its geofencing feature. Geofencing uses your smartphone's location services to automatically trigger the thermostat depending on where you are in relation to your home. For example, you can have the Lyric switch over to Away mode when you leave the geofence perimeter and switch to Home mode when you re-enter the perimeter. You can choose one of four geofence perimeters, including a quater-mile, two miles, four miles, and seven miles. With geofencing you never have to worry about turning off the heat or air conditioning when you leave, and you'll always return to a comfortable home.

The Lyric lacks the comprehensive power usage reports and multiple alert options that you get with the Ecobee3, but it does offer a Smart Cues feature that will send a reminder when it's time to change your filters or when someone has left or entered the geofencing perimeter. Additionally, the Message center keeps a log of activities, including when the thermostat is not responding, has lost its Wi-Fi signal, has lost power, or is offline.

Installation and Performance Installing the Lyric is fairly easy, but if you're not familiar with thermostat wiring, Honeywell provides step-by-step illustrated directions. To start, download the iOS or Android app. You have to create an account which requires your name, email address, and a password. Once you've received the verification email, click the Activation button to complete the account setup.

After you log in using your email address and password you are taken to a setup page that is broken up into four sections: Install, Configure, Connect, and Personalize. The Install section walks you through the process of removing your old thermostat, including cutting power to it. The instructions advise you to take a picture of your current wiring to help you with wiring the Lyric. You are also presented with a list of wires containing common terminals and additional auxiliary connections. Check off a box for each wire so the app knows what your wiring system looks like. Once you've recorded your wiring you can remove the old wall plate from the wall and replace it with the Lyric wall plate and optional trim ring (included). The wall plate has 12 push-in connectors for power, heating, and cooling, a one or two wire selection switch, a switch for heating only or heating and cooling (R, RC), a AAA battery, and a small level to help you mount the wall plate properly.

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Honeywell Lyric

By John R. Delaney

When you think of digital homethermostats, the Nest Learning Thermostat is probably the first product that comes to mind. But before Nest burst onto the scene in 2011, Canadian-based Ecobee had already introduced a smart thermostat two years earlier. The company has been at it ever since, and recently released the $249 Ecobee3, an attractive Wi-Fi thermostat that you can control from your iOS or Android phone and from your PC via the Web. The thermostat is easy to install and even easier to program, and it's loaded with features including a remote sensor for heating and cooling rooms outside of the thermostat zone, numerous reminders and alerts, a capacitive touch display, and a Home IQ system monitor that tracks heating and cooling usage. It's our new Editors' Choice for smart thermostats.

Design and Features The Ecobee3 eschews the puck-shaped design of the Nest and the Honeywell Lyric. Instead, the thermostat has a stylish 3.9-inch square housing with rounded corners that is under an inch (0.90-inch) thick. Behind the Ecobee3's black faceplate is a 3.5-inch full color capacitive touch display, and behind that is a white wall plate with 11 terminal connections for heating, cooling, heat pumps, air handlers, and accessories. The Ecobee3 is compatible with most 1- and 2-stage HVAC systems and can control compatible dehumidifier, humidifier, and ventilation devices.

In the middle of the display is the current temperature, and to the right is a vertical slider for manually setting the temperature. I found the slider to be a bit too sensitive, forcing me to slow down my finger swiping to land on the desired degree mark. Other than that, the screen is very responsive and easy to navigate. A snowflake icon appears above the temperature readout when the system is in cooling mode, and a flame icon appears when it's in heating mode. Below the temperature readout are icons for the Main Menu, Live Weather, and Quick Changes. Quick Changes lets you override your current heating, cooling, and ventilator settings without changing your programmed schedule. Live Weather shows the current local weather conditions with temperatures and icons for snow, rain, clouds, or sun. It also displays the extended weekly forecast.

The Main Menu is where you go to enable and disable your HVAC system and set fan runtimes. Here you can also set Comfort settings for when you're home, away, or asleep, and create daily and weekly schedules using these settings. You can also set a vacation schedule based on your departure and arrival dates and times, and set a temperature for that timeframe. The Ecobee3 offers a nice selection of alerts and reminders for things like maintenance, filter replacement, UV lamp replacement, low and high temperature, and low and high humidity. You can have notifications pushed to your smartphone and sent to an email address.

The iOS and Android apps offer the same basic functionality as the thermostat menus, but you can't configure the remote sensors from the app; that must be done directly on the thermostat. The Web app looks similar to a Windows 8 desktop, and is populated with tiles for Weather, Quick Changes, Vacation, Settings, Reminders and Alerts, Schedule, and Home IQ. The Home IQ feature, which is only available on the Web app, offers colorful graphs that show you a historical track of HVAC usage for the entire system. You can also see what the outside temperature was during a specific time to see how it impacted your HVAC system.

Included in the box is a single remote temperature and motion sensorthatcan be placed in any room. The sensor measures the temperature in the room and sends a call to the thermostat to ensure that the room is heated or cooled to the house temperature setting. It also works with Ecobee's Smart Home/Away feature, which uses the sensor's motion detector to bring the room up to temperature (Home mode) when it is occupied, and suspend heating and cooling (Away mode) when it is empty. Additional sensors go for $79 for a two-pack, and the Ecobee3 supports up to 32 sensors.

Installation and Performance Installing and configuring the Ecobee3 is fairly easy. If you're not familiar with thermostat wiring, you can refer to the comprehensive and easy to follow printed installation guide. It does require a C (common) wire, which supplies power to the thermostat, but if your system doesn't have one, don't despair: The Ecobee3 comes with a Power Extender Kit that supplies power to the thermostat. The power kit is not difficult to install, and Ecobee provides explicit instructions. It does require tinkering with your furnace wiring, so if you're not comfortable with that, you might want to bring in a professional.

After powering down my HVAC system I removed my old thermostat, labeled the wires, hooked up the Ecobee3, and attached it to the wall (I have a C wire and did not have to install the power kit). Upon powering up the system, the Ecobee3's display showed a wiring diagram and asked me to verify if it was correct. It then asked if I had any dehumidifier, humidifier, or ventilator devices installed, and asked me to choose Fahrenheit or Celsius and to verify my heating system type. Next, I was prompted to enter my ideal home temperature (for when the home is occupied), and I enabled the Smart Home/Away feature. Now it was time to connect to my Wi-Fi; I chose my SSID, entered my password, and was connected within 15 seconds. At this point a registration code (required to create a user account) was generated. I went to the Ecobee site to register the thermostat, and was asked to enter my 4-digit registration code, my name, email address, and password. I was then asked if I wanted to set up my weather, which involves accessing my location and supplying an address, and if I wanted to enable the Home IQ feature. I answered yes to both and that was it. The entire installation process took less than 30 minutes.

Enabling the sensor was simply a matter of standing in front of the thermostat and pulling out the battery tab. The sensor was identified and paired with the Ecobee3 in just a few seconds. I named it and placed it in my office, which is on the other side of the house from the thermostat and is usually a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house.

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Ecobee3 Smart WiFi Thermostat

Media Credit: Rendering courtesy of GW's Office of Media Relations

Preparation work has begun for a new construction project on Pennsylvania Avenue, although an official date for breaking ground has not yet been announced.

Updated: Jan. 26, 2015 at 3:44 p.m.

The University could break ground on its newest construction project by as early as next fall, transforming a portion of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Preparation work is beginning for the 11-story office building, though a date has not been set for demolition of the existing buildings, said University spokesman Kurtis Hiatt. He said the project will last about two and a half years.

And as the construction date looms, the project's developer will now have to begin the process of selecting tenants to fill the 250,000-square-foot space.

Potential anchoring tenants in the building which would use a significant amount of the space and lure ground-floor retailers could include law firms or health care companies, said John Katkish, an executive in residence professor at American University.

Katkish said officials should aim to fill at least half of the building by the time construction begins a signal that the space inside will be in-demand.

If you can find only 10, 20 or 30 percent, then thats a sign you may be building the wrong product. What the market demands is key. You dont want to build a building a market doesnt want, Katkish said.

Finding a main tenant for the building will also be a critical step toward filling the 7,000 square feet of street-level retail available, said David Versel, a senior research assistant at George Mason Universitys Center for Regional Analysis.

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GW prepares to break ground on Pennsylvania Avenue office building project

Mankato, MN (PRWEB) January 26, 2015

Since 1994, Brennan Construction has been constructing quality buildings throughout Minnesota. By effectively providing design/build, general contracting, and construction management services, Brennan Construction have established thriving relationships with satisfied clients and strategic, solution-oriented partnerships with key professionals and tradesmen. In 2000, Brennan Construction added Brennan Properties, both functioning under the Brennan Companies umbrella.

It is our unwavering commitment to these clients, the strength of great partnerships, and our philosophy of building structures for success, prosperity and preservation that ensures client satisfactionour measurement of success, says Project Manager Joe Brennan.

Brennan Companies has two primary divisions, Brennan Construction and Brennan Properties. Brennan Construction is a general contractor for commercial building projects ranging from roughly $50,000 to $10,000,000 in cost.

Brennan Companies excels at fostering your business growth, both as a general contractor and landlord. We offer design/build and construction management services, and have all types of commercial spaces available for lease to fit any business, says Brennan. Brennan Construction manages each trade involved in completing a project, including excavation, masonry, mechanical, electrical, interior finishes and more. They are ultimately responsible for schedule, cost, and workmanship. As a General Contractor, they provide project estimating, on-site carpentry with supervision, and office management. Brennan Construction is a member of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC.)

As a builder, we act as an extension of our customers, putting their needs first. We always deliver on promises, and find creative solutions to challenging problems, says Brennan.

Bridge Plaza, will have 4 stories of Class A office space, and 3 stories of luxury apartments/condos, including a roof-top terrace, which is the first in Mankato,. They are currently looking for tenants; construction is slated to begin in spring 2015.

Brennan Properties owns and maintains five commercial buildings in Mankato and North Mankato. They currently have 67,000 sf of leasable space divided amongst 30 tenants.

For more information:

Brennan Companies 5275 Edina Industrial Blvd Suite 201 Edina, MN 55439

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Brennen Companies Announces Bridge Plaza, Seven-Story Mixed-Use Building In Mankato

The Past Weeks Biggest Leases Include: Equity Office, Impinj, Lantronix, MANE USA, Shire and Simpson Thacher

The company expects to occupy 167,000 square feet of office space at 8000 W. Sunrise Blvd. by Sept. 1, 2016 and an additional 55,000 square feet commencing May 1, 2017.

The lease is set to expire Feb. 28, 2029. The company may extend by up to two successive 5-year terms. By Mark Heschmeyer

Paired with its adjacent 650,000-square-foot campus at 300 Shire Way, the new space will establish the Shire's operation as the largest suburban biotech campus in the Boston region. Shire is planning to move up to 600 employees currently based in suburban Philadelphia to Lexington.

Shire relocated its Boston-area operations to Lexington from Cambridge several years ago after buying four buildings in the Lexington Technology Park in 2010.

Earlier this month, the biopharm company announced it will buy New Jersey-based NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc., for $5.2 billion. Shire has not confirmed whether if any or all of NPS's 400 employees would be moved to its Lexington campus.

An affiliate of Waltham, MA-based Hobbs Brook Management acquired the Two Ledgemont property in 2012. A former BOMA Building of the Year winner, the building occupies a 36-acre site next to the Rt. 2 and Rt. 128 intersection in Boston's Lexington/Arlington submarket.

Robert Richards and Brian Cohen of Transwestern RBJ represented Shire in lease negotiations and secured interim office space at 235 Wyman St. for the company's near-term growth plans. Chip Batchelder, managing director of Wyman Street Advisors, represented Hobbs Brook Management in the Shire transaction. By Bryce Meyers

Simpson Thacher will be joined by Herman Miller after the office furniture retailer agreed to become the new building's retail anchor tenant, leasing 11,030 square feet.

900 G St. is within walking distance of the Verizon Center and offers immediate access to the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro Station. The building is expected to qualify for LEED Certified Gold status.

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Office Lease Up (Jan. 26) AmSurg Signs for 222,000-SF South Florida HQs

Fans of thick burritos and sustainable ingredients take note: Chipotle Mexican Grill is planning to open its new Billings restaurant in April.

Spokesman Chris Arnold of the Denver-based company said the new fast-casual restaurant should open this spring in front of Luckys Market at West Park Promenade.

The Denver-based company isnt ready to announce a specific date yet, he said.

Workers for Langlas Construction began construction of the $563,300 building at 1601 Grand Ave. last September. Chipotle will be joined in the building by another business that has yet to be announced, according to NAI Properties, which is marketing the property.

Founded in 1993, Chipotle is one of the countrys fastest-growing chains and enjoys an impassioned following. The restaurants, which are all corporate-owned, serve Mexican-style burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, chips and salsa and salads.

The chain has made efforts to distinguish itself from regular fast food through its ingredients. According to its website, Chipotle uses only naturally sourced pork and chicken from animals raised antibiotic-free on a vegetarian diet.

In January, the company stopped serving pork at hundreds of its restaurants nationwide after discovering a supplier was not meeting its standards.

The new Billings restaurant would be Montanas first Chipotle. A Missoula restaurant is also under construction.

Baker-based biz in spotlight

A Baker businesswoman is getting big exposure for one of her body-care products.

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Have You Heard: Chipotle restaurant nears opening date

Tampa FL Garage Remodeling Ideas - Garage Conversion Costs - Call (813) 518-8822
Tampa FL Garage Remodeling Ideas - Garage Conversion Costs - Call (813) 518-8822; visit http://www.GarageRemodeling.org What are the best remodeling ideas for your ...

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Pool House / Workshop Addition - 1st Texas Remodeling (817) 845-7635
New Pool House / Workshop Addition to rear yard. 1st Texas Remodeling Southlake, Texas (817) 845-7635.

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