Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Mississauga, Ontario (PRWEB) April 22, 2014

Coswick Hardwood Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of the new Norwegian Wood collection of wide-plank hardwood floors. Norwegian Wood was first presented at Domotex Russia, which took place in Moscow in April 2014; the new flooring line generated much interest from interior designers and attending industry professionals who were looking for innovative products that foretell next years interior design trends.

Norwegian Wood flooring collection comes second in Coswick line of wide-plank European-style wood floors. The floors in the new collection are manufactured using only natural and eco-friendly materials and finishes that emphasize authentic beauty of wood through use of subtle, earthly color tones and gentle wire-brushing of the wood surface.

The new collection is available in four designer colors that were inspired by elements of Northern European nature and history. Describing the choice of color for the collection, Vladimir Ianovski, the founder of Coswick Hardwood Inc., stated that Albion is a gentle and misty off-white hue; Heather is a dry, slightly weathered color that recalls millennia-long ale-making traditions of Scotland. Deep grey overtones of Stonehenge provide an interpretation of the mystery of the world-known prehistoric temple, while the matte black of Polar Night seeks to capture the near total darkness and absence of sunlight that reign supreme in Northern Norway for three months each year.

The Norwegian Wood collection comes with factory-applied Hardwax Oil finish, an innovative combination of environmentally-friendly oils and waxes that protect the flooring surface from ill effects of dirt and moisture without obstructing the look or feel of natural wood.

The notable feature of the collection is the large size of individual flooring planks. Each plank is 7 1/2 (190mm) wide, and has a fixed length of 7 (2100mm).

All floors of the Norwegian Wood collection are manufactured using 3-layer engineered CosLoc 5G technology, which ensures supreme dimensional stability of the floors in a wide range of climates and interiors. CosLoc 5G floors require simple, worry-free installation using the floating method.

All Coswick hardwood floors, including engineered flooring of the new Norwegian Wood collection, are covered by Lifetime Structural Integrity Warranty and are FSC certified.

To request product samples, learn more about the product and inquire about availability, please visit http://www.coswick.com.

About Coswick Hardwood Inc. Coswick Hardwood Inc. is a manufacturer of solid and engineered hardwood flooring, founded in 1995. Coswick manufacturing program includes 13 flooring collections available in over 80 designer colors, meant for both residential and commercial use. Coswick is long-standing member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).

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Coswick Hardwood Introduces Norwegian Wood New Line of European Wide-Plank Hardwood Floors

Conshohocken, PA (PRWEB) April 22, 2014

Philadelphia Floor Store (PFS), a leading distributor of hardwood flooring products and accessories, started the year off with a strong green effort. The company is celebrating Earth Day by continuing its commitment to integrate holistic and sustainable business practices into its daily operations. Joe Glavin, co-owner and sales manager, is leading the charge.

In 2013, Philadelphia Floor Store reassigned Joe to their management team. In his new role, Joe has had quite an impact in just a short time. His number one priority was to introduce business practices designed to improve the customer and employee experience, while at the same time saving energy and enhancing the environment. As Glavin stated, Operational surveillance, energy consumption awareness, and increased safety analysis go a long way in helping to support Philadelphia Floor Stores long-term business objectives.

With that in mind, the company earned the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification from Scientific Certification Systems, one of the worlds leading FSC certifiers and one of FSCs founding members. FSC provides third-party certification confirming that materials sold as FSC certified are harvested from well-managed forest operations.

The company also partnered with TerraSol Energies Inc. to retrofit all the existing lighting fixtures in both their warehouse and showroom. This major undertaking included the installation of new ballasts, long-life fluorescent bulbs, and reflectors. Motion sensors were also installed to provide additional energy savings, while outside lights were replaced with LED wall packs with day-light sensors. Mike Glavin, PFS Founder, was immediately on board. We understand that as business owners we have specific economic, environmental and social responsibilities, and this endeavor strongly supported our sustainable business goals, said Glavin.

The results were astounding. According to TerraSol Energies, Philadelphia Floor Stores average increase in light level is 4 to 4.5 times the original output, while the companys energy savings is conservatively estimated to be 40%. According to Joe Glavin, In addition to the numerous benefits from a cost-savings and energy efficiency standpoint, proper lighting and an open organized space also has a direct impact on our team members perception and productivity. Lighting also affects the customers ability to accurately detect the characteristics of the wood, thereby minimizing observation mistakes. The company estimates an overall annual energy savings of more than $6,000.

PFS also recently introduced a single-stream recycling program, and the company is always on the lookout for business practices that can substantially reduce their carbon footprint. According to Mike Glavin, This is just the beginning. Throughout the remainder of 2014 and beyond, we will strive to implement sustainable practices that enhance our management systems, streamline operations, reduce costs, and stimulate innovation in all aspects of our business.

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About FSC Scientific Certification Systems is the leader in environmental and sustainability certification. One of the first certification bodies accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council in 1996, SCS has since certified more than 30 million acres of well-managed forests and 3000 companies in the FSC supply chain worldwide. Philadelphia Floor Stores trademark license code is FSC-C114766.

About PFS PFS is a leading provider of unfinished and prefinished hardwood flooring and accessories including stains, finishes, abrasives, flooring tools, and sanding equipment. Family owned and operated, PFS has been serving hardwood flooring contractors for more than 20 years and provides the expertise needed to install and maintain hardwood floors. The company offers all the top name manufactures including, Aacer, Century, Norton, Lagler, 3M, Clarke, Bona, Basic, Primatech, Bostick, and more. The companys in-house resources include a top-ranked Machine Repair Center, Rental Center, In-house Chemist, and Gym Floor and Wood Floor Consultants. PFS educates customers via personalized service, online training materials, videos, and free events. Visit the PFS showroom in Conshohocken, PA or shop online at http://www.phillyfloor.com.

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Philadelphia Floor Store Focuses on Sustainable Business Practices in 2014

DEQ survey says city's accessory units have found a home

There arent a lot of grannies living in Portland granny flats.

And there arent a lot of mother-in-laws living in local mother-in-law suites, either.

But thats just fine with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, which recently completed the first comprehensive survey of accessory dwelling units, as they are officially known.

ADUs, as they are commonly called, are essentially small second homes built on lots with existing homes under certain conditions. Construction is exploding in Portland since the City Council waived development fees for them in 2010.

Despite the conventional wisdom that ADUs are being built for relatives, including aging ones, the DEQ survey found that only 17 percent of the people living in them in Portland are related to the owners. The majority 57 percent were strangers when they moved in.

Whats more, most ADUs 52 percent were built primarily to generate extra income from rent.

And thats all right, says Jordan Palmeri, a DEQ employee who works to reduce the environmentally harmful effects of homes by increasing their efficiency. According to Palmeri, research shows that the greatest benefits result from building small. The smaller the home, the fewer natural resources are consumed by its construction and the fewer greenhouse gases it emits.

Smaller homes have significant environmental benefits compared to other green building strategies. Building small is a very green thing to do, says Palmeri.

More than anything, Palmeri is impressed by the surveys finding that 79 percent of ADUs in Portland are occupied year-round. According to Palmeri, when the City Council first considered encouraging the construction of ADUs, some people worried they would end up being used as garages, workshops or entertainment rooms.

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This ain't granny's house anymore

Carpet Installation | Luna Carpet | Empire Carpet -Majestic Flooring
http://majesticfloorings.com For Luna and Empire Carpet Installation, Majestic Flooring is the only innovative company to work completely around your schedule for your convenience. For more...

By: Sal Abraham

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By Helen Nicholson

Published: 02:19 EST, 22 April 2014 | Updated: 05:31 EST, 23 April 2014

A Dutch artist has created a mind-bending optical illusion in a Japanese shopping centre to highlight the ongoing devastation caused by a huge earthquake and tsunami in the north east of the country in 2011.

The natural disaster triggered a triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, forcing around 160,000 people from towns nearby to evacuate their homes. Many residents still havent been allowed to return.

Viewed from a distance, Jeroen Bisscherouxs Pool, Loss of Colour looks like a two-dimensional painting of a swimming pool.

Trick of the eye: A child appears to be floating in mid-air as she poses for the camera

Making a splash: The giant artwork is on display in a shopping centre in Osaka

But if you stand in the right spot the pool's walls appear to drop sharply, making the space feel 3D and giving the illusion that you are floating in mid-air above it.

The artist described the installation in the Osaka shopping centre as a carpet; an inviting, soft, warm place that he hoped guests would explore.

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Dutch artist Jeroen Bisscheroux creates 3D optical illusion in Japan to highlight Fukushima disaster

After an ill-advised binge-watching incident a couple of years back, I became obsessed with Game of Thrones both the acclaimed HBO series and the original epic fantasy novels by author George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire. I tried plowing through the books, but soon became hopelessly lost in the storys infamous scope and complexity. I didnt blink for nine days straight, and I think I sprained a frontal lobe.

So I could have really used this interactive Game of Thrones map, which renders the vast continents of Westeros and Essos in familiar Google Maps format, with all manner of useful tools and overlays. Assembled by hardcore Game of Thrones fans (are there any other kind?), the map is designed to orient followers of the TV series or the book series, using the familiar Google Maps interface.

The Science of Game of Thrones

Toggle between Chapters or Episodes and the interactive map switches to accommodate, adjusting the ingenious Spoilers sliding pop-up tool. Simply indicate the book chapter or series episode youre currently at, and the map automatically obscures locations and map elements that might spoil future story developments.

From there, you can explore the maps other tools. The Show Regions buttons identify which noble house currently controls which city or region. Show Character Paths traces the travels of two dozen major characters. Click on a particular location, and youre shuttled to the vast fan-administered wiki project, A Wiki of Ice and Fire.

How Game of Thrones Resurrects Ancient Wolves

Its a clever and generous piece of work, useful for anyone brave enough to grapple with the impossibly huge fictional world of Game of Thrones. I applaud the civic engagement if were going to wrap our heads around this thing, we have to work together.

via Gizmodo

Credit:quartermaester.info

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Game of Thrones Gets Ported to Google Maps

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

22-Apr-2014

Contact: Tom Abate tabate@stanford.edu 650-736-2245 Stanford School of Engineering

In the quest to make sun power more competitive, researchers are designing ultrathin solar cells that cut material costs. At the same time they're keeping these thin cells efficient by sculpting their surfaces with photovoltaic nanostructures that behave like a molecular hall of mirrors.

"We want to make sure light spends more quality time inside a solar cell," said Mark Brongersma, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and co-author of a review article in Nature Materials.

Brongersma and two Stanford colleagues -- associate professor of materials science and engineering Yi Cui and professor of electrical engineering Shanhui Fan -- surveyed 109 recent scientific papers from teams around the world.

Their overview revolves around a basic theme: looking at the many different ways that researchers are trying to maximize the collisions between photons and electrons in the thinnest possible layers of photovoltaic materials. The goal is to reveal trends and best practices that will help drive developments in the field.

Solar energy is produced when photons of light collide with the electrons in a photovoltaic crystal. As loose electrons move through the crystal, they generate an electrical current.

Today's solar cells are already thin. They are made up of layers of photovoltaic materials, generally silicon, that average 150 to 300 micrometers, which is roughly the diameter of two to three human hairs.

As engineers continue to shave down those dimensions they have to develop new molecular traps and snares to ensure that photons don't simply whiz through their ultrathin solar cells before the electrical sparks can fly.

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Like a hall of mirrors, nanostructures trap photons inside ultrathin solar cells

3D Indoor Lighting Compositing - J.P. Meyer
Short 3D indoor scene with breakdown. Realistic indoor lighting with interesting colors. Responsible for Lighting, Rendering, Compositing. - Made by Jan Patr...

By: Offcial Jan Patrick Meyer

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3D Indoor Lighting & Compositing - J.P. Meyer - Video

Sang Architects Company Limited
This New Zealand firm #39;s Farm Cove House project is a delight for the eyes.

By: vectorworks

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Sang Architects & Company Limited - Video

Nehru one of the architects of Indian democracy: LK Advani
Senior BJP leader LK Advani has praised former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in an election speech in Madhya Pradesh. He called Nehru one of the architects...

By: IBNLive

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Nehru one of the architects of Indian democracy: LK Advani - Video