Expert Spotlight: Kate Orff, Founder, SCAPE / LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Kate Orff is a landscape architect focused on sustainable design and urban water landscapes. Her firm specializes in integrating natural systems and infrastr...
By: National Building Museum
See the original post:
Expert Spotlight: Kate Orff, Founder, SCAPE / LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE - Video
Frederick Law Olmsted is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture. However, he contributed much more to the American people than the many public parks he was instrumental in designing.
After graduating from Phillips Academy in 1838, sumac poisoning weakened his eyes so he gave up college plans. His parents wanted young Olmsted to enroll at Yale College; however, he was not able to attend.
Olmsteds disability did not hinder him from accomplishing a great deal of good works that would benefit future generations of Americans.
As a journalist he traveled to England in 1850 to visit the public gardens, where he was greatly impressed by Joseph Paxtons Birkenhead Park. From this experience Olmstead wrote and published, Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England. The publication of his book in 1852 was responsible for Olmsted to receive additional work in landscaping public areas.
It was the charismatic Andrew Jackson Downing, the landscape architect from Newburgh, New York, who first proposed the development of New Yorks Central Park in his role as publisher of The Horticulturist magazine.
After reading Downings magazine article, a friend mentioned to Olmstead that he thought that, with assistance from English-born architect Calvert Vaux, the two of them could design an elaborate park in New York City.
A contest was formed for different landscape architects to submit their plans for building the park. It was Olmsted and Vaux who convinced the landscape committee of New York that their plans should be accepted.
The design of Central Park embodies Olmsteds social consciousness and commitment to giving all citizens equal access to the park when completed. Olmsted believed that the common green space must always be equally accessible to all citizens. The principle is now fundamental to the idea of a
public park, but at that time was not assumed as necessary by the wealthiest citizens of New York City. However, Olmsteds tenure as park commissioner in New York convinced many others of his ideas.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Olmsted took leave as director of Central Park to work as Executive Secretary of the U.S. Sanitary Commission. The
More here:
Little Known Characters in America: Frederick Law Olmsted
The Penn State Center, Pittsburgh Community Services and state Sen. Jim Ferlo have teamed up to combine two Allegheny County grants to leverage foundation support for a green infrastructure project in the East End's 15206 ZIP code area.
Project 15206 and the East End Rain Container Initiative have received $250,000 grants each from the County Infrastructure and Tourism Fund to target 10 sites in five neighborhoods to reduce storm runoff in the Negley Run and Heth's Run watersheds. Rapid runoff in August 2011 contributed to four deaths in floodwaters on Washington Boulevard.
Penn State Center has overall charge of the project and will coordinate site design, construction of wetlands, rain gardens and bioswales and work with TreeVitalize to strategically plant trees through 2015.
Community meetings have begun. The next one is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 28 at the Kingsley Association in Larimer.
Pittsburgh Community Services and Mr. Ferlo's staff have begun outreach and already have 250 households committed to having rain containers installed. There are funds for 400 containers that will be supplied by the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association's StormWorks program. Depending on people's incomes, they will be installed for free or at reduced cost.
Consultant Matt Graham of Landbase Systems estimates that 400 rain containers properly installed and drained of two-tenths of a gallon per hour -- a slow drip -- into a backyard or garden can prevent 2 million gallons of water from entering storm sewers each year.
"Whatever we do," said Deno De Ciantis, director of the Penn State Center in Pittsburgh, "our facilities will have to handle peaks. We need to align all the thinking among policy makers, design people, water scientists and residents so we can be as effective as possible in every opportunity to mitigate storm water," he said.
That likely will require changes to municipal regulations that conflict with rain infrastructure, he said.
The city of Pittsburgh will contribute funds and labor and the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority will monitor the sites. Three of the 10 proposed sites are between North Negley and Stanton avenues in Morningside and Highland Park. One is in East Liberty between South Negley and Centre Avenue -- the former Penn Circle South. A cluster of four straddles Washington Boulevard in Larimer and Homewood. One is above Washington Boulevard in Lemington and one is along Negley Run Boulevard in Highland Park.
Lisa Kunst Vavro, a landscape architect and the sustainable environments manager for the Penn State Center, said Negley Run is "the top priority because of the flooding that claimed four lives. By the end of May we should be full force into design."
Go here to read the rest:
Groups pool grants to reduce storm water in East End
VOL. 129 | NO. 92 | Monday, May 12, 2014
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Whether it was pagers, two-way radios, fax machines or the Internet, Michael Hatcher has always been quick to embrace technological advances as a way to help grow his small business, the landscaping firm Michael Hatcher & Associates Inc.
Landscaping, it was never considered to have much technology and was always thought of as a more hands-on business, said Hatcher, who founded the company in 1984. But weve always welcomed technology and thats where we are now, embracing the technology with the (applications) available on the smartphones and smart pads.
The company recently reinvented its entire office system to integrate it with smart mobile devices. Today, his employees no longer punch an old-school time clock. Instead, they check into work with their mobile devices. The new system helps him know exactly where his employees are, what they are doing and what type of materials theyre using, which helps with everything from ordering supplies to deploying employees.
Michael Hatcher, right, of Hatcher and Associates reviews order details with Hubert Turley in one of Dabney Nurserys greenhouses. The two businesses have been neighbors for 30 years.
(Daily News/Andrew J. Breig)
They actually clock in with their phone or pad, Hatcher said. Then when they get to a location they log in and it overlaps with a Google Earth system so we know where they are at all times. All of that information goes back to a software program so they know exactly how long they worked on a yard and what they did, what materials theyve used.
The company is currently beta testing an irrigation application where his employees can come into a clients property, take pictures and use GPS technology to show on a Google Earth map where each piece of irrigation infrastructure is located.
Read this article:
Technology Keeps Hatchers Landscape Business Booming
Tracey Fowler, Reporter Saturday, May 10, 2014 2:00 PM
A PORTISHEAD resident has appealed to councillors and the local community to stop illuminated signs blotting the Portishead landscape.
To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.
Speaking at the town council meeting, former councillor, Martyn Cruse highlighted 21 metres of orange fluorescent lights proposed for the roof of the new Sainsburys garage which will be built in Serbert Way.
He said: From Naish Hill to Avon Way, these signs will dominate what is at the moment a picturesque landscape. I have seen the consequences of these signs when in similar circumstances they were installed in Kelso. The people of the town fought to have the signs removed but I hope we can put a stop to them before they are installed.
Work has just begun on the building of the long-awaited supermarket, which will include a much-needed second petrol station for the town.
Full details of the application and site plan can be seen on the North Somerset Council planning page.
Also at the council meeting, members heard Sainsburys has applied for permission to sell footwear at the store. Councillors objected to the application on the grounds that it could take trade away from the High Street.
Follow this link:
Call to ban illuminated signs
Surgical Land Clearing-Slocomb job
Terex PT110 Forrestry-Loftness G3 Mulching head w/ Quadco planer teeth.
By: John Pierce
See more here:
Surgical Land Clearing-Slocomb job - Video
Hanoi Hammered
Land Clearing...making room to finish welding Mikey #39;s Racks to make area rodent-free by improving access for the neighborhood feral cats... All Rights Reserved (C) Kohala Iron Works 2013.
By: Kohala Iron Works Case
See original here:
Hanoi Hammered - Video
Kati Curtis
Learn how Strategic Business Transformation helped successful interior designer Kati Curtis.
By: Gail Doby
Read the original post:
Kati Curtis - Video
Slender The Arrival- PART 1 : Expert Interior Designer
I hope you guise enjoyed this video!!! Like, share and subscribe for more content :D.
By: WinterVixen
Read more:
Slender The Arrival- PART 1 : Expert Interior Designer - Video
Former Labor senator Mark Arbib says he takes responsibility for "his role" in the Rudd government's failed home insulation scheme, but claims he was unaware of the inherent safety risks involved in the program.
Mr Arbib gave evidence on Monday at the royal commission investigating what advice the then-Labor federal government received about the $2.8 billion scheme and whether the deaths of four installers could have been avoided.
Queenslanders Matthew Fuller, Rueben Barnes, Mitchell Sweeney, and Marcus Wilson from NSW, lost their lives during the rollout of the stimulus scheme in 2009.
Michael Windsor, QC, who is representing insulation companies at the inquiry, asked Mr Arbib whether he was aware of what was in the roof cavity of his own home.
"Well, I haven't been up there ... I couldn't tell you," Mr Arbib replied.
"Did you know, prior to 2009, that wiring ran through roof spaces?" Mr Windsor asked.
"I don't think I did, no," Mr Arbib replied. "I have had no experience in terms of electrical wiring."
"But isn't it just common knowledge?" Mr Windsor said.
"I'm not sure how a roof is configured in terms of wiring," Mr Arbib replied.
Three of the four installers who died were electrocuted.
Read more:
Home insulation royal commission: Mark Arbib doesn't recall if safety concerns raised
