Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

David Hughes, a landscape architect with an affinity for native flora and natural landscapes, often rips out dead, overgrown or otherwise undesirable plants to make way for new ones.

But he doesn't haul away that nasty Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese white mulberry or Norway maple for delivery to the dump, curb or chipper. Instead, Hughes prizes what other designers and gardeners dispose of -- more so if it's scarred by deer browsing, insect damage or disease.

That's because, in addition to designing ecologically responsible landscapes in the Philadelphia region, Hughes, 46, is a skilled woodworker who makes rustic furniture from garden "debris."

A bench built by David Hughes from red cedar and black locust. (Courtesy of David Hughes/Philadelphia Inquirer)

"To me, it's a nice marriage -- landscaping and woodworking," he says. In fact, his 5-year-old business in Doylestown is called Weatherwood Design. It comprises about 70 percent landscaping and 30 percent woodworking.

Storm-felled trees and gnarly vines make good raw materials, Hughes says. So do pruned branches, old barn boards and stuff plucked, with permission, from the side of the road.

One of Hughes' friends, an arborist, scouts out intriguing branches and discarded trunks. And Hughes helps local preserves thin out invasive or dead trees. Each July 4, again with permission, he rescues unwanted driftwood from death by bonfire at a public beach in Maryland.

The rescued materials might sit for years on the one-acre property Hughes shares with his widowed dad, Merritt, a retired English teacher. Logs, planks, sticks and scraps are stacked along the driveway, in the yard and in and around Hughes' densely packed 8-by-12-foot workshop.

"It's hard to throw anything out," he says a bit sheepishly of the jars of nails, screws and bolts and the saws, planes and other tools of his trade.

David Hughes created this 4-foot-tall garden gate using native Eastern red cedar and Moravian tiles. (Courtesy of David Hughes/Philadelphia Inquirer)

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Craftsman transforms garden debris into outdoor furniture

Award-winning landscape architectural firm Nelson Byrd Woltz achieves beautification and excellence through ecological revitalization, indigenous design, integrity of historical intent, and stewardship of space hallmarks the Memorial Park Conservancy prioritized for Memorial Parks Long-Range Master Plan. It is precisely this synergy of approach and vision that made Nelson Byrd Woltz the perfect partner for planning Memorial Parks sustainable future.

Need for a Master Design Plan for Memorial Park evolved naturally from collective concerns by the City of Houston, The Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #16, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Memorial Park Conservancy. Issues ranged from reforestation, traffic, accessibility, and ecological decline to a need for a way to address growth, improve facilities, and achieve balance for the park as a recreational and environmental asset.

It is very exciting to have Thomas Woltz design the blueprint for the future of Memorial Park, said Mayor Annise D. Parker. His vision, innovation, and influence will render a healthier, more bountiful public amenity for Houstonians near term, and provide a rich, lasting legacy for future generations. Equally as exciting, we hope every Houstonian will be engaged in the process.

The Memorial Park Conservancy secured approval from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department in 2012 to lay the groundwork and embarked on a lengthy research and interview process for the selection of a landscape architect to develop the Long-Range Master Plan. In May 2013, the Uptown TIRZ boundary was expanded to include Memorial Park, which provided much needed financial support.

The selection of Nelson Byrd Woltz not only ensures a healthy, sustainable future for Memorial Park, but also through ecological and landscape transformation, designed with robust public input, can exponentially elevate its asset significance for generations to come.

In 2011, as we began developing a long-term forestry management plan for Memorial Park we experienced a historic drought, said Joe Turner, director, Houston Parks and Recreation Department. This drought was the driving force behind the need for a new master plan for the park. We look forward to a plan that will steward one of Houstons most beloved parks while it addresses the changing environmental conditions and the needs of the daily users.

Already Houstons largest urban-center park and a sentimental favorite for millions of Houstonians, Memorial Park encompasses 1,500 acres that attracts 4 million residents each year. Some 10,000 visitors use the parks Seymour Leiberman Exer-Trail daily, the premier running facility in the city. A highly regarded 18-hole golf course, active tennis, swimming, cycling, bird watching, and fitness facilities are accentuated by the parks wooded character, which has been devastatingly damaged by drought and human interaction.

Nelson Byrd Woltz has the extensive experience in ecological restoration we desire, explained Memorial Park Conservancy chair Jim Porter. The sheer beauty of their work masterfully triggers a cascade of positive ecological benefits, where depleted landscapes are brought back to life using native plants and the resurgence of local animals. This expertise is precisely what Memorial Park needs and deserves.

Firm owner Thomas L. Woltz is widely considered the rising star in landscape architecture. The New York School of Interior Design recently awarded him the inaugural Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design. In 2011, he was invested into the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Council of Fellows, one of the highest honors achieved in the profession. Woltz creates models of biodiversity and sustainability, replete with beauty, form, and function, recognized by more than 80 national, regional, and international awards.

This is a rare opportunity to set Memorial Park on a more resilient course; to ensure its longevity for the thousands of people using it every day; to create a rich and varied ecosystem further enhancing the experience of the park for its many users; and to envision and articulate the critical balance between intense and active use and preservation, said Thomas L. Woltz, owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. It is time to celebrate and embrace the unique ecology of southeast Texas and the natural and cultural history of the park. With the help of Houstonians we can create a beautiful and enduring park for tomorrow and for future generations.

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Nelson Byrd Woltz firm creating Memorial Park Master Plan; open house for comment is April 16

It can be hard to know how to turn a traditional turf landscape into a water-saving showcase, but the San Diego County Water Authority is sponsoring several free classes around the region to help homeowners do just that.

The first WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Workshop series will be held in Kearny Mesa starting April 30, followed by a separate series in Encinitas that starts May 3 and another in El Cajon that begins May 10. Each series includes four classes held at the same location over several weeks. Additional series are being scheduled.

Covered topics include analyzing participants landscapes, creating landscape designs, choosing plants and using efficient irrigation systems. Participants will walk through key steps to retrofit a turf area of their landscapes and prepare a WaterSmart landscape design for implementation. Classes are taught by local landscape industry professionals.

Details about class times, locations and how to register are at WaterSmartSD.org

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Free classes for yard makeovers

Many people think of landscaping as a strictly garden venture; however, this is not true. Landscaping principles can be applied to the entire yard for a more attractive and appealing appearance. In this article, we will discuss some ways to give your home greater curb appeal with simplelandscaping tips for the yard. Read on to learn more.

Keeping container plants outdoors on your patio, porch or deck is a great way to give these areas a homey appeal. You can keep more delicate plants this way because these areas tend to be sheltered, and it is easy to cover delicate plants during freezing weather when they are close to the house and contained.

Be sure to pull your homes look together by applying a layer of attractive mulch to your container plants and to all your garden beds and under your shrubs. Having a nice looking mulch on all planted surfaces gives a uniform look that is inexpensive and easy to achieve.

Good landscaping includes pruning and trimming. Be sure to keep your bushes and shrubs nicely shaped and trimmed. Attend to any perennial plantings by dead-heading flowers and spent foliage. Pick up all dead windfall branches and other debris and rake up your leaves. If you have a place for compost, be sure to compost your yard debris to feed your plants and bushes in future.

Another area of landscaping that is often overlooked is water. Be sure to attend to any water features you may have, such as ponds, fountains and birdbaths. Keep them clean and free of algae, bug and mosquito infestations. Brisbane Landscaper improves your backyards and to name a few: they make sure all mechanical aspects of your water system from faucets to water pumps to irrigation are in good working order. If you have leaky faucets, puddles of water surrounding your irrigation or rusty fixtures on your water features, it is unsightly.

Another unsightly thing that can ruin your best efforts at landscaping is grime. Keep your paths, porches, deck and driveway swept. Hose and scrub them as needed. Use a power washer if necessary.

Great landscaping encompasses your entire yard. Follow the tips presented here to keep your outdoor domain attractive.

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Tag Archive for landscape

Posted April 10, 2014

Publicly, coaches and players reacted with unanimous support for Derrick Gordon (above). How will crowds react next season? (Guillermo Hernandez/SI)

Some time next winter, Massachusetts will visit Fordham and Rose Hill Gymnasium will open its doors to college basketballs first openly gay male player. Derrick Gordon will be a junior guard for UMass and will be months removed from Wednesdays public declaration of his sexuality. The initial tremors accompanying the news will have subsided. He might seem like just another guy. And Fordham coach Tom Pecora, like many other coaches and administrators, believes thats how Gordons peers will treat him. But Pecora also vowed to act if hes proven wrong.

Our responsibility as people and coaches in the world of college athletics is obviously to support him in any way we can, Pecora said. I cant imagine here at Fordham there being an issue with a person in the stands and certainly not with a player on our team. But if there was, Id go into the stands on behalf of the kid. Thats gotta be the mindset. Its important for that young man to know people have his back.

The reaction to Gordons announcement, which the 33-game starter made via ESPN and OutSports early Wednesday, suggested that would be the outcome. There was a pervasive belief that college students, basketball players included, are accepting that its almost remarkable how little of an issue this will be. While coaches, especially in the Atlantic 10, expected to address the news with their teams, they also guessed their players would judge Gordon by his jump shot and defense and not by any other standard. He was a player on the scouting report this past season and would be again next season, and little more.

WERTHEIM: Why Gordons announcement represents a different kind of progress

The only concern is about the unpredictable nature of crowds, but coaches and administrators are optimistic still.I guess well be the first ones to find out and maybe be able to tell some others at some point what to expect and how to deal with it, Massachusetts coach Derek Kellogg said in a phone interview. While people think it may be hostile and people are going to say some vulgarity and how it might be, I also think we may have some people who respect who we are and how we do things. There could be a lot of different things that well have to address as they come, if they actually come. We talked about people and kids being a little more astute than they once were Im hoping thats the case.

Its anticipated to be the case on the court for Gordon, who averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 rebounds last season.

The ball goes up I know our guys are like this guys dont think about color, orientation, creed, any of that stuff, Towson coach Pat Skerry said. They think its time to compete, and how are we going to win the game?

Most programs, like Skerrys, will observe Gordons experience from afar. But A-10 programs will definitely cross his path, and coaches in the league expectedtheir players to be open-minded.

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Across DI landscape, support for UMass' Gordon

Bulldozers and workers with chainsaws have been moving dirt and clearing land around the old gas station site at Gilberts Corner in recent months. The activity is the result of a complicated 12-year process (so far) thats led to the consolidation of a 400-acre swath of land, parts of which will be used as a public park, open spaces for agricultural use and what could be one of the areas premier farmers markets.

Over the past dozen years, Middleburgs Scott Kasprowicz, the Piedmont Environmental Council and others under the banner of Green Project LLC and Roundabout Partners LLC have quietly been purchasing property that now extends from Gilberts Corner, at the intersection of Rt. 15 and Rt. 50, going east all the way to the historic Mt. Zion Church.

The land has since been given either to the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority or the Piedmont Environmental Council, to preserve it in its current pristine state, while also keeping it out of the hands of developers or other commercial interests.

What makes this area so uniqueis that [travelers] breathe a sigh of relief when they see that scenic and historic landscape around Gilberts Corner open up before them, Mike Kane, PECs Land Conservation Officer for Loudoun County, said. Our goal is to conserve that landscape and preserve that experience.

Bottom line: no fast food arches or big-box retail store will ever blight one of the areas most well-traveled crossroads, and the surrounding land will be preserved for future generations.

Its really good news for the community, Kasprowicz, a former telecommunications executive who moved to Middleburg in 2000, said. Ever since, hes been an active participant in local preservation and conservation organizations, serving as past vice chairman for the PEC board. And the Gilberts Corner project clearly has been his great passion, pride and joy.

Ive had a lifelong belief in land conservation and the preservation of local agriculture, he said. There should be a balance between development and retaining open land for farming. This effort is helping to achieve that balance. Its private citizens, creating public parkland and preserving farmland in a multi-year collaborative effort.

It began in 2002 when Kasprowicz, a native of upstate New York and a Forestry and Environmental Science graduate of Syracuse University, took a call from Brad Bradshaw on behalf of the historic Mt. Zion Church off Rt. 50. Bradshaw said hed heard about a plan to develop nearby land and wondered if anything could be done to preserve the land. Kasprowicz, with the support of the PEC, spearheaded the effort to help Mt. Zion Church acquire the land, which is now known as the Gilberts Corner Regional Park.

It will include walking and nature trails, open space, farmland and picnic areas. To keep the property in its natural state, there will be no soccer or baseball fields or tennis courts. The PEC believes the now-protected land will restore agricultural vitality, enhance wildlife habitat and protect streams and water resources.

Also, the boarded-up building right at Gilberts Corner that housed a gas station from 1927 through the mid-70s, owned originally by the corners namesake, William A. Gilbert, has been stabilized. Kasprowicz said that the station would be renovated as funding permits, perhaps for a regional visitors center. It also will be the focal point for what Kasprowicz envisions as a thriving farmers market that will allow local farmers to sell their products directly to the public.

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Farm Fresh & Much More At Gilberts Corner

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Interior Designer in Malaysia - Video

A bigger, better show that is less expensive for exhibitors is part of the master plan for a revised Powell River Home and Garden show this year.

In the wake of the cancelled home show presented by Evergreen Exhibitions, Leah Rourke, owner of Relish Interiors, has taken a lead role in organizing a new show slated for May 10 and 11 at Hap Parker Arena, Powell River Recreation Complex.

Rourke has seen the show from the inside out as an exhibitor and has now undertaken to organize and promote it on her own.

Its all what you make of it, Rourke said. As a new business owner the home show was an excellent opportunity to meet thousands of pre-qualified potential clients and to grow my business. I planned a sale to run through the week of the show and those were some of my biggest revenue months to date.

The turnout for previous years was estimated by organizers at around 8,000 people over the weekend. Its an excellent opportunity to connect, she said. I still have clients today that I met at the first show.

Rourke stressed that exhibitors need to get creative in how they market for the show. Just hanging a shingle out will not necessarily net the best results, she said. Its important to plan for the event to benefit most. Rourke explained that having a Facebook page isnt enough to drive small business. Getting out and meeting people is a key part of building relationships in the community, building on existing relationships and roping in new customers.

Of 52 exhibitors at the last home show, Rourke said 30 of them were from out of town. She plans on focusing more on local business at this years event. We will develop a presence of local businesses at the show rather than an overabundance of those from out of town. Were not excluding out-of-town businesses but we want to make sure local businesses are well represented.

Proposed changes this year are bigger booths that are less expensive, a possible contest challenging students to build something out of recycled material that would relate to home and garden, and a $5,000 home makeover giveaway. It will be free for those who attend the show, Rourke explained for anyone interested in the giveaway. Five businesses will each donate $1,000 to the makeover and somebody will win it after the weekend.

There will also be the Valley Building Supplies stage where workshops and demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the weekend. Planet Cleve will be running a concession on-site, and Rourke is trying to organize an indoor garden with seating where people can sit down and grab a bite to eat.

We are looking to bring some new creative changes to the show, change that will reflect the changing needs in the marketplaceboth from the consumer perspective and from the view of the business owner, she said. We are looking to engage our audience here and bring in more attendance from the community.

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Interior designer renovates home show

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 10, 2014

Forum Studio, a full-service architecture firm, announces the addition of international entrepreneur design expert, Josh Tremblay. Tremblay joins as a Principal and Director of Interior Design focusing on Forum Studios portfolio of corporate and institutional clients in the U.S. and abroad. With 19 years of experience in the field, Tremblay has led workplace design for blue-chip brands including Haworth, HSBC Bank Holdings, US Cellular, Abbott Laboratories, Volkswagen Credit, Discover, Purdue University, University of Illinois and others. Tremblays unique design approach adds value by increasing space utilization while decreasing operation costs in the delivery of smart environments. He is also passionate about workplace strategies tailored to his clients supporting their culture and brand.

As top design leader in the 70+ person firm, Tremblay will play a key role in business development and interior design. In addition to leading a growing team, Tremblay will oversee a studio of diverse interior architecture experts between St. Louis and Chicago.

Increasingly, were finding that companies want to do more than just design a building. They want to build great environments, said Chris Cedergreen, President and Senior Principal at Forum Studio. Our integrated delivery approach, coupled with our focus on attracting and maintaining top talent like Josh, ensures were able to consistently exceed clients expectations.

A sought-after designer and relationship building expert, Tremblay has led interior practices of Chicago-based Wright Heerema Architects, HOK and Cubellis Associates in Boston. Tremblay also worked at GMB Architecture + Engineering in Michigan, where he developed and collaborated on Haworth showrooms nationwide, implementing branded solutions and demonstrating workplace strategies and knowledge in a physical space.

Expanding Practice Forum Studio also recently added Senior Designers Amy Edwards and Kyle Baker, and welcomed back Valiha Strecker, to its interiors practice. A skilled interior designer with more than 16 years experience, Amy Edwards will collaborate closely with Forum Studio staff and clients, primarily focusing on institutional projects with a deep knowledge in the healthcare world. Grand Rapids native, Kyle Baker joins the practice with a portfolio of sustainable and innovative projects in corporate and retail sectors; most recently, Baker collaborated with furniture giant Steelcase on the design of its North American showrooms. Interior Designer Valiha Strecker, who rejoins Forum Studio after a personal leave, will continue to focus on healthcare, financial, and educational projects.

Forum Studios interiors group recently completed BJC @ The Commons, a transformative new facility for the St. Louis-based BJC Healthcare. Other current projects include technology incubator spaces in St. Louis and Chicago, and a major redesign of online pioneer CareerBuilder.com.

About Forum Studio Forum Studio is an award-winning design firm that harnesses the power of integrated design and collaboration. Offering comprehensive solutions across multiple disciplines including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning and engineering, we build important and complex environments for our national and international clients. With a vision to become the firm of the future, Forum Studio utilizes best practices while relentlessly pursuing new innovative thinking. Focused on the specialized needs of each client, we elevate design solutions to maximize value through responsive leadership, creative visioning and mission-critical expertise. Forum Studio is the art + science of building.

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Renowned Designer Josh Tremblay Joins Forum Studio

Phenix City soldier surprises daughters with early homecoming Phenix City soldier surprises daughters with early homecoming

Updated: Thursday, April 10 2014 9:52 PM EDT2014-04-11 01:52:01 GMT

Sergeant First Class Donnie Hendrix came home early from South Korea today, April 9, surprising his two daughters.

Updated: Thursday, April 10 2014 9:46 PM EDT2014-04-11 01:46:35 GMT

Updated: Thursday, April 10 2014 9:44 PM EDT2014-04-11 01:44:18 GMT

Updated: Thursday, April 10 2014 9:30 PM EDT2014-04-11 01:30:09 GMT

More than 100 elderly residentsat the John Knox Manor retirement tower on Narrow Lane Road are now displaced.

Alabama Power says an electrical problem caused the sprinkler system to come on. That flooded the basement, which caused the transformer to fail on Sunday. The repairs are expected to cost at least $200,000.

"It has been a traumatic event for all involved," said Terri Howell, administrator for John Knox Nursing Home. "We've kept it fully staffed with security on site, police on site. We have people work through the night, around the clock getting it done so we can get people back as quickly as possible."

Now it's just a race against the clock to get the power back up and running and each resident safe and sound under one roof.

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Montgomery retirement home residents displaced