Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Carmel Loise Matus |Inquirer Visayas

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LOBOC, BoholLike many of the parishioners here, 67-year-old Amy Ladaga felt her heart tear to pieces when she saw the devastation on their church caused by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake last year.

We were all sad when we saw the extent of the damage. If you were the one looking at it, you would also feel the devastation, she told the Inquirer.

Ladaga was one of over 1,000 parishioners who attended Mass at the alternative church, as well as its blessing, which was built 5 meters from the old St. Peter Parish Church. Many were teary-eyed when the famous Loboc Childrens Choir sang Light of a Million Mornings and Rise Up Again.

The church in Loboc town, built in 1602, was the second oldest in Bohol province. It was heavily damaged when the earthquake shook the province on Oct. 15, 2013.

Its walls on one side remain standing but the convent-turned-museum, sacristy and facade went down in crumbles.

For almost a year, parishioners have been attending Mass under tents set up beside the ruins. They would bring their own chairs, sometimes umbrellas when it rained.

Church repair would have cost at least P200 million, an amount church officials didnt have, so they decided to build a substitute house of worship. Through donations, they were able to raise at least P15 million, mostly from Loboc residents now based in other countries.

With the funds, the officials led by parish priest Fr. Andres Ayco bought a 2,000-square-meter lot for about P5 million and built the 1,000-seat church made of concrete with steel beams and iron sheets. It would be where the 1800s-era pipe organ would be placed instead of the old one.

Here is the original post:
Beside church ruins, a new place of worship in Bohol town

Johannesburg - The City of Johannesburg has obtained an interdict ordering a halt to construction activity at the Alleluia Ministries International church in Lyndhurst, the city said on Monday.

The order was granted by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday.

It stated that the church was barred from holding services there, said member of the mayoral committee for development planning, Roslynn Greeff.

The church would only be allowed to continue with its construction and use of the building once it was issued an occupational certificate and a certified engineering report which stated that the building was safe to occupy.

Greeff said the city applied for the interdict after a newly built section of the Johannesburg church collapsed last week.

She said the collapse came after the church ignored the city's calls to stop its alleged illegal construction.

"It is unfortunate that the church chose to ignore these notices and continued with construction," said Greeff, adding that the church had no approved plans and had no permission to be operating as a place of worship.

The church, however, denied any illegal activity.

"Alleluia Ministries International has been shocked by media reports that we are busy constructing our church building illegally," church spokesperson Ndivhuwo Khangale said in a statement last week.

"All our architectural plans, including the soil analysis, are in place."

See the original post here:
News24.com | Court orders church to stop construction

LG Appliance Repair Summerville SC
Are you searching for LG appliance repair in the Summerville area? Aviv service is the company for your LG appliance. We offer a 5 year warranty on parts and the best service in the Summerville...

By: Aviv Service Today

See more here:
LG Appliance Repair Summerville SC - Video

The tallest apartment building in New York has reached its peak of 425 metres but the spectacular views over the city don't come cheap.

The penthouse, which is currently under construction at 432 Park Avenue, sold for $US95 million ($108.7 million) and the sub-penthouse on the 95th floor is currently listed for $97.3 million.

Prices in the 104-apartment tower more than half of which have sold start at $8 million.

But given the super-tall skinny tower is located at the southern end of Central Park, an area colloquially known as the 'billionaire's belt', it is likely that many of the remaining apartments will sell before it opens next year.

Advertisement

"It's almost like the Mona Lisa," said Harry B. Macklowe, the developer building the $1.49 billion tower.

"Except instead of it looking at you, you're looking at it wherever you are. You can't escape it."

Not that everyone agrees the building, developed with the CIM Group, based in Los Angeles, is a work of art.

"God, does it stand out," said New York resident Marlene Rosenthal.

"It's a status symbol, and that's the name of the game in this city."

View original post here:
New York's tallest apartment tower tops out

SINGAPORE - Imagine an apartment block built by stacking separate rooms together, complete with finishings and fittings. That is how a new executive condominium at Canberra Drive will be assembled, using an advanced construction method that is expected to raise productivity by more than 40 per cent.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here is the media statement from Singapore Press Holdings:

Transforming construction productivity through innovative technologies at BuildTech Asia 2014

BuildTech Asia's exhibition showcase and conference sessions span across the 'hardware and software' of the built environment - from construction technology to facilities management solutions

SINGAPORE - The fourth edition of BuildTech Asia 2014, the region's leading trade show for the built environment, opens today as part of a week-long series of events under the Singapore Construction Productivity Week.

Organised by Sphere Exhibits and hosted by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the three day trade exhibition is held from 14 to 16 October at Singapore Expo Halls 3 and 4.

The event was officially opened by Ms Grace Fu, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Over 200 exhibiting brands from nine countries including Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan will be showcasing a wide array of products, machineries and cutting edge technologies from Autodesk, Bonco Enterprise, Higa Trading, Hydro Dynamic Engineering, Shinhan Tech-Engineering, Straits Construction, and Zuuse Australia among many others.

To address the productivity challenges faced by the industry as it copes with a tightened supply of foreign workers and evolving standards, this year's BuildTech Asia provides a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas for a more streamlined workflow, from sourcing of building materials to management of building facilities.

See the original post here:
More funding, facilities and training for construction productivity drive

DBOX for CIM Group/Macklowe Properties432 Park towers over neighboring buildings.

On Friday, construction topped out at 432 Park, a luxury condominium that's now arguably the tallest building in New York City. It even has the new One World Trade Center beat, not counting that building's spire.

At 1,396 feet, 432 Park towers above a row ofsuper-tall buildingsrising on the southern end of Central Park, an area that's already earned its "Billionaires' Belt" nickname.These skyscrapers are so tall theyneeded approval from the Federal Aviation Administrationbefore construction could start.

Its almost like the Mona Lisa, developer Harry B. Macklowe said Friday, The New York Times reported.Except instead of it looking at you, youre looking at it wherever you are. You cant escape it.

The building, which cost $1.3 billion to construct, hastwo penthouses, one on the 96th floor that sold for $95 million and another on the 95th, currently priced at $85 million.

The building's architect Rafael Violymade news back in September 2013 when his Walkie Talkie building wreaked havoc on London's streets, emitting a reflection so hot itmelted carsandliterally fried eggson the sidewalk. But if these renderings are any indication, this building should be more of a success.

We recently saw renderings of the apartment building's interiors, and the designs are magnificent.

Designer Deborah Berke says her focus was to make the most of the apartments' perch above the city. Double-height ceilings and beautiful oak flooring are highlights, while huge square windows provide an unparalleled view.

432 Park contains 104 apartments, which start at $7 million.

From the outside, rows of six 100-square-foot windows give the building the square look of a waffle iron.

Originally posted here:
432 Park Is Officially New York City's Tallest Apartment Building

BRANSON, Mo. -- The Branson Board of Aldermen may vote on an ordinance that would ban indoor smoking at public places in the city.

The revisions include moving the distance smokers can be from doorways to 10 feet rather than 25 feet, while also lightening the smoking restrictions on outdoor areas like restaurant patios and golf courses.

Other revisions to the draft include the definition of a serving area, additions to the definition of public place, and additions to prohibitions of smoking in the city.

Those opposed say the city is overstepping it's boundaries - with the ordinance being considered despite a handful of businesses allowing smoking inside.

Others argue that enforcement of a ban would take away from more "pressing" issues in the city and that many tourists would no longer come to Branson if it was smoke-free.

Branson City Aldermen and proponent, Rick Davis, has voiced in the past that surveys have shown 87% of visitors support smoke-free environments in restaurants and hotels.

Davis has also said that restaurants in other cities, with similar ordinances to the one being considering in Branson, have seen an increase in business.

Public comment periods have already been held on the ordinance. The Board could vote tonight. The meeting is at 7 pm at Branson City Hall.

Read the original post:
Branson Aldermen to Vote on Smoking Ordinance Tonight

Enmax should have power restored to all of west downtown by midday Thursday "if all goes according to plan," power company CEO Gianna Manes said on Monday.

The utility has pulled out 3.5 kilometres of cable damaged in an underground vault fire Saturday night, and has begun to replace it, the CEO told reporters at an Emergency Operations Centre briefing.

Earlier, the city-owned utility had estimated it could take until the weekend to restore power to several high-density blocks of the downtown. Manes said the clearer timeline has come after 20 Enmax workers have worked continuously in confined underground spaces.

The city's roads should all be back and running during Tuesday morning rush hour, Mayor Naheed Nenshi told the briefing. There will be some lane reductions in the area where the fire occurred.

Seventy per cent of residents in the blackout zone have self evacuated, fire chief Ken Uzeloc said. City crews are doing checks on the many seniors who have chosen to stay in their buildings.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Mobile users, view live updates in our ScribbleLive blog:http://bit.ly/oct12fire

For much of the morning and early afternoon Sunday, residents of the area's condo towers and apartment buildings could be seen hauling belongings out of their homes in suitcases, grocery bags, and trolley carts. Others sat on the curbside, waiting for suburban friends or family members to pick them up.

Many of these residents had spent the night in their powerless apartments, fully expecting life would be back to normal when they woke up. It was only Sunday morning, as news began to trickle in, that they realized it might be a good idea to find another place to stay.

Taara Smith sat outside her Calgary Place apartment building, waiting for the friend who has offered to take her in for a few days.

Read more:
LIVE: Power could be restored Thursday to thousands in downtown Calgary after underground fire

A respected construction consultant warned that the high-tech, million-dollar gym floor being built for the new Police Academy was doomed to buckle but he was ignored, The Post has learned.

The revelation surfaced as the city prepares to rip up and replace the botched polyurethane floor at an extra cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I saw the story in The Post, and I said, Holy moly! I consulted on this thing! said flooring expert Janos Spitzer, referring to the papers exclusive report on the floor fiasco earlier this month.

Sources had told The Post that the flooring at the new Queens facility was buckling because of the citys cost-saving decision to forgo installing a protective vapor barrier under its plywood base.

In January, a sub-contractor hired Manhattan-based Janos P. Spitzer Flooring Consultants, Inc. to evaluate work on the 45,000-square-foot floor.

On Jan. 24, Spitzer inspected the in-progress construction and found subfloor assembly, too springy and too damp for the polyurethane surface being planned, he wrote in a report.

The city Department of Design and Construction, which is overseeing the project, countered in a statement, The subfloor is absolutely usable ... Additionally, an analysis by DDC has found that the subfloor performed, and continues to perform, as designed.

View post:
City could have avoided police academy gym floor flop

After four years of raising funds and seeking the support of elected officials, Arbutus Recreation Council treasurer George Kendrick will finally see a new floor in the Arbutus Recreation Center.

The 92-year-old who serves as treasurer of the Arbutus Recreation Council, an outspoken advocate for his community for many years, organized an effort to replace the vinyl tile floor of the recreation facility with red maple wood.

The installation will begin this week and is expected to be complete in six weeks, said Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who was among the officials to announce the new flooring at a ceremony held last Saturday.

A check for $74,000 was presented to Kendrick by Kamenetz, who accepted the funds on behalf of the recreation council. The council raised the other $25,000 needed to complete the work.

"As soon as we heard the words George Kendrick we knew we had to get involved and make this happen," Kamenetz said before a group of about 20 people seated in the recreation facility.

Kendrick is known by residents as the "unofficial mayor" of Arbutus.

A $30,000 bond to fund the project was also secured by Dels. Steven DeBoy and James Malone, and state Senator Ed Kasemeyer in the spring legislative session.

"I'm so thrilled that we're getting a new floor here. I think I've worked tirelessly in the last four years to put a bug in everybody's ear," said Kendrick, known well by his neighbors for coaching the Arbutus Big Red amateur men's football team since 1946. "Because anybody who plays basketball or volleyball or any other sport playing on concrete is not conducive to good leg muscles."

Kendrick said the floor, which is concrete covered with polyvinyl tile, is too hard to comfortably play impact sports like basketball.

"You stand here for 10 minutes and it makes your leg muscles tight," Kendrick said standing in the center of the facility.

Read more from the original source:
Wood floor to be added to Arbutus Rec Center