Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Taipei, Taiwan GlacialLight, the lighting division of GlacialTech Inc., announces a new 24cm square panel light offering up to 1600 lumens of energy efficient LED light in a compact package - GL-PL24-SM. Consuming only 17.3W, the GL-PL24-SM produces bright, uniform lighting over the entire lighting panel in an easy to install surface mount format. The GL-PL24-SM comes in 3 color temperatures and dimming is available.

Better Light Compared to the uneven, flickering light from fluorescent tube lighting, the GL-PL24-SM creates a much smoother, uniform illumination that is more pleasant to the eye. Light is created across the entire 24 square LED panel creating a smoother illumination ideal for indoor lighting applications. The GL-PL24-SM comes in either Warm White (3000K), Neutral White (4000K), or Cool White (5700K) color temperatures.

Easy to Install A one piece surface mount design makes this panel light easy to install as a replacement or supplement to existing lighting. Made of die-cast aluminum, the GL-PL24-SM is sturdy yet light enough to be wall-mounted. The compact 24cm square dimension fits a variety of modern interiors and the packaged LED driver mean exterior wiring is kept to a minimum. A rod pendant mount allows the light to be lowered from the ceiling, giving an additional installation option.

Energy Saving At only 17.3 watts of energy usage, the GL-PL24-SM efficiently produces up to 1600 lumens of light, making it ideal as a modular lighting solution for kitchens, restaurants, cafes, or other indoor environments. The GL-PL24-SM is RoHS compliant, contains no mercury and emits not harmful UV or IR rays. 3-in-1 dimming capability allows the light to be lowered as needed and for additional energy savings.

Features: One piece, easy installation. Can be mounted on nearly any surface: wall or ceiling. Die-cast aluminum construction - light and sturdy. Color temperatures 3000K/4000K/5700K available. Optional rod pendant mount. 3 different models under this series: non-dimmable, 3-in-1 dimmable, and DC input.

Specifications GL-PL24-SM (non-dimmable)

About GlacialLight GlacialLight, the lighting division of GlacialTech, manufactures LED lighting solutions for indoor/outdoor applications and both residential and commercial uses. As well as having a wide range of finished LED lighting products, GlacialLight also offers its clients the option of customizing products for specific needs. Please visit the company homepage at http://www.GlacialLight.com

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LED Panel Lights produce 24 cm2 of smooth illumination.

Matt McGuire - Architects - C.A.N.C.E.R - Drum Cover
Matt McGuire 21 years old from Brisbane, Australia! http://www.facebook.com/mattmcguiredrums.

By: Matt McGuire

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Matt McGuire - Architects - C.A.N.C.E.R - Drum Cover - Video

Architects - Black Blood (Drum Cover)
Architects - Black Blood from the 2013 re-release of "Daybreaker" is the copyrighted property of its owner(s).

By: Mrton Hajdu

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Architects - Black Blood (Drum Cover) - Video

Englewood is renovating this Yard House Restaurant in Kansas City.

CHICAGOThe nationwide increase in job creation, coupled with the Feds recent decision to continue holding down interest rates, has many in commercial real estate looking toward 2015 with great anticipation. This includes those involved in retail and restaurant ground-up construction and shopping mall renovations.

Confident in the improving economy, national retailers and restaurant owners have been adding new locations this year, and we expect that activity to continue in 2015, says William Di Santo, president of Lemont, IL-based Englewood Construction. Shopping mall owners are also renovating their space to make trips to the mall more experiential.

In 2014, many retailers and restaurateurs added new venues as well as tore down existing stores and replaced them with new ones in order to meet brand standards, Di Santo adds. While there still is ample space for retrofits in empty storefronts, were seeing more focus on ground-up construction.

Englewood recently started three new ground-up projects, a Coopers Hawk Winery and Restaurant in Oak Lawn, IL, a suburb of Chicago, a Seasons 52 restaurant from Darden in Bridgewater, NJ, and a 55,000-square-foot Hobby Lobby at Seabrook Crossings in Seabrook, NH. In 2014, Englewood also completed a ground-up Goodwill store in the Chicago area.

Over the past few years, the majority of restaurant construction has been confined to upscale activity, Di Santo says. That has changed in recent months as consumers are returning in all categories, including fine dining, fast casual and fast food. As a result, we expect a very robust pipeline for restaurant work in 2015.

Englewood also recently began an expansion at white tablecloth restaurant The Purple Pig in Chicago, as well as the renovation of a Yard House in Kansas Citys Power and Light District. Englewood is also working with Red Robin and Buffalo Wild Wings in the fast casual arena to roll out several new restaurants in 2015.

Stratford Square Mall in suburban Bloomingdale, IL, has been a popular retail destination in its market for decades, but its owners recently tapped Englewood to manage the malls redesign, construction and tenant coordination, a good example of the recent trend to revitalize and revamp existing malls. The traditional mall has faced an uphill battle as competition from lifestyle centers and online shopping has only increased in recent years, says Di Santo. To draw shoppers to malls, investors will be adding entertainment venues, fine dining and other features that cannot be recreated online.

People are willing to go out and spend money on services they cannot get at home, he adds. Entertainment options, such as new theater and bowling concepts, are both trending for 2015.

And increased confidence among consumers has resulted in more foot traffic in malls, leading retail tenants to relocate from tucked-away corners to more expensive center-court locations. To offset the higher rent, many national retailers have decided to take smaller floor plates. And for shopping mall owners, this has meant reconfiguring areas with renovation projects.

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Retail Construction Set to Rise in 2015

A $38 million plan to put up a three-building complex of offices, storefronts and apartments along East Third Street in south Bethlehem got approval Thursday to receive tax benefits through the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone.

The centerpiece of the Greenway Commons would be a five-story building between Fillmore and Pierce streets that would have ground-floor retail space and 95 luxury apartments above.

To its east there would be a four-story building with more ground-floor retail and 15 apartments. To its west, there would be another four-story building with retail and 63,000 square feet of Class A office space.

With conditional approval from Bethlehem's CRIZ authority board, developer Bethlehem Renovations can take that to banks to help secure private financing for the project. The project received approval from the city Planning Commission in October.

Several lenders have expressed interest in investing in the project, not only because of its inclusion in the CRIZ but also because it represents another step in the "rebirth of south Bethlehem," said Rob DeBeer, a development director for Bethlehem Renovations.

Among the conditions attached to the approval is proof of private financing for the project. The developer and authority also must negotiate the "level of increment," or the percentage of tax deferment the project will be allowed to leverage.

The CRIZ covers 130 acres in Bethlehem, including large portions of former Bethlehem Steel land, and allows developers to use certain state and local taxes to offset construction costs, so long as new jobs are created.

According to the developer's CRIZ application, the project would create more than 200 temporary construction jobs, more than 200 office jobs and 300 retail jobs.

DeBeer told the authority some prospective tenants have expressed interest and that Bethlehem Renovations may have announcements regarding anchor lessees by the time construction begins in March. He anticipated construction would take nine to 12 months.

Bethlehem Renovations is a company of BethWorks Now, one of the original investors in the redevelopment of the Bethlehem Steel brownfield.

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Three-building multi-use complex gets approval from Bethlehem CRIZ authority

Even before the front door is opened - even before one climbs the outside steps of the Spinelli home in Riverton - the dazzle begins curbside.

The wraparound porch, the gazebo - and in this season, the lights and decorations - all suggest that something magical is unfolding.

This is an exceptional place in any season, but at Christmas, the pre-Victorian home takes on a glow with an aura of yesteryears that blur present and future.

The soaring ceilings, the woodwork, the fireplaces and arches and crown moldings all explain why 700 visitors poured in for a holiday tour sponsored by the Riverton Free Library last year.

The tale of how the Spinellis came to own the Second Empire period home is one of patience and persistence.

It was in 1986 that the couple, both educators - she at St. Joseph's University, he as a corrective reading specialist in South Jersey - first saw the home. Back then, it was almost completely hidden by overgrown shrubs.

"It was definitely not very inviting," Cathy recalls.

Still, they considered what the three-story house, divided into several apartments, could be as a unified whole.

But then they learned there was no high school in Riverton, and with four kids ages 4 to 10, it was a deal-breaker - at least for the moment. They bought it anyway, knowing that someday they would not be landlords with rental apartments.

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Wonder restored

LOUISDALE If Yvonne Sampson didnt have a prosthesis in her throat, silence would rule the little house she and her husband built 40 years ago.

Raymond Sampson is deaf and mute, and Yvonne had throat surgery more than four years ago after a bout with cancer.

Sampson, 76, was fitted with a voice-restoration prosthesis that allows her to talk, but it requires special cleaning and care several times a day.

Its pretty quiet now, said Sampson, pressing a finger to the stoma or hole in her throat.

The prosthesis in her neck essentially replaces her voice box, which was removed during a total laryngectomy.

If I didnt have that, you wouldnt hear me, she said.

The couples daughter, Janet Martell, was shown how to clean and care for the prosthesis just after the surgery in Halifax and was sent home to Richmond County to provide the daily care her mother needs.

She is worried about what could happen if her mother needs emergency care. There are no medical staff in Cape Breton or in the Guysborough Antigonish Strait health district trained to provide the specialized care needed for a throat prosthesis.

Martell works in a local kitchen three days a week and goes to her parents house before work, during breaks and after work to make sure her mother hasnt choked on a piece of food or had her airway blocked by infection or a buildup of blood.

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Family needs help as Cape Breton woman fights cancer and silence

You are here: Home > Proper cabinet reshuffle looms December 19, 2014 in News

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is likely to reshuffle cabinet soon after returning from his annual holiday in the Far East, despite last weeks changes, which will see several ministers and their deputies, most of whom are linked to former vice-president Joice Mujuru, dumped. Faith Zaba/ Elias Mambo

The reshuffle which will follow last weeks replacement of dismissed pro-Mujuru ministers would likely see First Lady Grace Mugabe enter cabinet as Womens Affairs and Gender Development minister, taking over from Oppah Muchinguri. Mugabe did not appoint anyone to the portfolio when he announced new cabinet ministers last week despite initially drafting in Victoria Chitepo before she was inexplicably dropped.

Muchinguri was reassigned to the Ministry of Higher Education, replacing Olivia Muchena who was dismissed together with Mujuru and seven other ministers, accused of plotting to topple and assassinate Mugabe.

Senior government sources said Grace was already preparing to take up the post as she has ordered department heads from the ministry to submit reports to her.

The First Lady is preparing to take up the post. She has told all department heads to submit reports related to programmes and staffing to her, which they have done, he said.

Grace cant wait to come in. The norm has been that the party secretary for Womens Affairs is appointed Minister of Womens Affairs.

Grace was recently confirmed as the Womens League boss at the just-ended congress (December 2-7), making her the most powerful woman in the ruling party after the recent ejection of Mujuru from the politburo and government.

Constitutional expert Lovemore Madhuku said Mugabe has to drop one of his five appointees in order to accommodate Grace.

According to the constitution, ministers or deputy ministers are supposed to be members of parliament; however the president has the leeway to appoint five individuals into parliament.

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Proper cabinet reshuffle looms

Arthur Sinodinos has told the Prime Minister he is resigning as Assistant Treasurer, paving the way for Tony Abbott to reshuffle his Cabinet.

Senator Sinodinos stood aside from his ministerial duties in March after being called before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

He was questioned about his former role as a director of Australian Water Holdings (AWH), which ICAC has been investigating over corruption allegations.

At the time, Mr Abbott indicated he expected Senator Sinodinos to resume his duties once the ICAC case had concluded.

But the report from ICAC has been delayed from January 2015 to March, which Senator Sinodinos said he was "extremely disappointed" about.

"I believe I'll be vindicated in terms of no corrupt conduct or illegality and I look forward to those reports coming out in due course but, as I've said, that could be some time yet," he said.

In recent weeks, he had been discussing his position with Mr Abbott and Liberal Party federal director Brian Loughnane.

"The Prime Minister has advised me that I cannot resume ministerial duties until the ICAC matters are completed and reported upon," Senator Sinodinos said.

"On that point the Prime Minister and I agree.

"We, as a government, need to have a full-time assistant treasurer, so it was by mutual agreement that I should resign.

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Arthur Sinodinos resigns as Assistant Treasurer, paving way for possible Cabinet reshuffle

Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., chairs, stools and sofas) and sleeping (e.g., beds). Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work (as horizontal surfaces above the ground, such as tables and desks), or to store things (e.g., cupboards and shelves). Furniture can be a product of design and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. It can be made from many materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflect the local culture.

Archeological research shows that Neolithic people used stone to build cupboards, dressers, beds, shelves and seats. Ancient furniture from the 8th-century BC includes tables and serving stands. The furniture of the Middle Ages was usually heavy, oak, and ornamented. Furniture design expanded during the Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The seventeenth century, in both Southern and Northern Europe, was characterized by opulent, often gilded Baroque designs. The nineteenth century is usually defined by revival styles. The first three-quarters of the twentieth century are often seen as the march towards Modernism. One unique outgrowth of post-modern furniture design is a return to natural shapes and textures.[1]

Furniture has been a part of the human experience since the development of non-nomadic cultures. Evidence of furniture survives from the Neolithic Period and later in antiquity in the form of paintings, such as the wall Murals discovered at Pompeii; sculpture, and examples have been excavated in Egypt and found in tombs in Ghiordes, in modern-day Turkey.

A range of unique stone furniture has been excavated in Skara Brae, a Neolithic village located in Orkney. The site dates from 31002500 BC and due to a shortage of wood in Orkney, the people of Skara Brae were forced to build with stone, a readily available material that could be worked easily and turned into items for use within the household. Each house shows a high degree of sophistication and was equipped with an extensive assortment of stone furniture, ranging from cupboards, dressers and beds to shelves, stone seats, and limpet tanks. The stone dresser was regarded as the most important as it symbolically faces the entrance in each house and is therefore the first item seen when entering, perhaps displaying symbolic objects, including decorative artwork such as several Neolithic Carved Stone Balls also found at the site.

Ancient furniture has been excavated from the 8th-century BC Phrygian tumulus, the Midas Mound, in Gordion, Turkey. Pieces found here include tables and inlaid serving stands. There are also surviving works from the 9th-8th-century BC Assyrian palace of Nimrud. The earliest surviving carpet, the Pazyryk Carpet was discovered in a frozen tomb in Siberia and has been dated between the 6th and 3rd century BC. Recovered Ancient Egyptian furniture includes 3rd millennium BC beds discovered at Tarkhan as place for the deceased, a c. 2550 BC gilded bed and two chairs from the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, and many examples (boxes, beds, chairs) from c. 1550 to 1200 BC from Thebes. Ancient Greek furniture design beginning in the 2nd millennium BC, including beds and the klismos chair, is preserved not only by extant works, but by images on Greek vases. The 1738 and 1748 excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii revealed Roman furniture, preserved in the ashes of the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius, to the eighteenth century.

The furniture of the Middle Ages was usually heavy, oak, and ornamented with carved designs. Along with the other arts, the Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth and fifteenth century marked a rebirth in design, often inspired by the Greco-Roman tradition. A similar explosion of design, and renaissance of culture in general, occurred in Northern Europe, starting in the fifteenth century. The seventeenth century, in both Southern and Northern Europe, was characterized by opulent, often gilded Baroque designs that frequently incorporated a profusion of vegetal and scrolling ornament. Starting in the eighteenth century, furniture designs began to develop more rapidly. Although there were some styles that belonged primarily to one nation, such as Palladianism in Great Britain or Louis Quinze in French furniture, others, such as the Rococo and Neoclassicism were perpetuated throughout Western Europe.

The nineteenth century is usually defined by concurrent revival styles, including Gothic, Neoclassicism, Rococo, and the EastHaven Movement. The design reforms of the late century introduced the Aesthetic movement and the Arts and Crafts movement. Art Nouveau was influenced by both of these movements.

This design was in many ways rooted in necessity and emphasizes both form and materials. Early American chairs and tables are often constructed with turned spindles and chair backs often constructed with steaming to bend the wood. Wood choices tend to be deciduous hardwoods with a particular emphasis on the wood of edible or fruit bearing trees such as Cherry or Walnut.

The first three-quarters of the twentieth century are often seen as the march towards Modernism. Art Deco, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Wiener Werksttte, and Vienna Secession designers all worked to some degree within the Modernist idiom. Born from the Bauhaus and Art Deco/Streamline styles came the post WWII "Mid-Century Modern" style using materials developed during the war including laminated plywood, plastics and fiberglass. Prime examples include furniture designed by George Nelson Associates, Charles and Ray Eames, Paul McCobb, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Harvey Probber, Vladamir Kagan and Danish modern designers including Finn Juhl and Arne Jacobsen. Postmodern design, intersecting the Pop art movement, gained steam in the 1960s and 70s, promoted in the 80s by groups such as the Italy-based Memphis movement. Transitional furniture is intended to fill a place between Traditional and Modern tastes.

Great efforts from individuals, governments, and companies has led to the manufacturing of products with higher sustainability known as Ecodesign. This new line of furniture is based on environmentally friendly design. Its use and popularity are increasing each year.[2]

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Furniture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia