Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Published: Monday, 3/3/2014 - Updated: 13 hours ago

BY TOM HENRY BLADE STAFF WRITER

Excess fertilizers and raw human waste are hardly new problems for western Lake Erie.

But clean-water advocates are hoping a long-awaited report issued last week by the International Joint Commission will put more pressure on the U.S. and Canadian governments to rally around the issue, one that many see as having been dragged out by painstaking bureaucracy and not enough meaningful action.

In its report, A Balanced Diet for Lake Erie: Reducing Phosphorus Loadings and Harmful Algal Blooms, the IJC a State Department-level commission assigned since 1909 to help the two countries resolve mutual boundary water issues laid out 16 recommendations after collaborating with more than 60 U.S. and Canadian scientists.

The recommendations include: calls for better management practices for agriculture, including better timing for fertilizer application, mandatory certification standards for applicators tying crop insurance to soil-conservation performance, and something pretty basic that lake scientists have been urging for years: a ban on manure applications to cropland when the soil is frozen or has snow on it.

The recommendations also call for better sewage controls, including mandatory septic-system inspections, and more work in wetland restoration, a mandatory elimination of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers, and the establishment of a cap on nutrient pollution under the Total Daily Maximum Load provisions of Americas Clean Water Act, known in environmental circles by the abbreviation TMDLs.

The commissions recommendations differ in scope from others including the latest report issued last fall by the state of Ohios phosphorus task force as well as the number of mandatory actions it seeks. Many state-level efforts, including legislation now before the Ohio General Assembly, continue to be largely voluntary and incentive-laden programs to minimize impact on the farming industry. One of the biggest criticisms of the pending legislation in Ohio is that it does nothing to address growing concerns about manure generated in the Lake Erie basin by livestock farms big enough to be classified as concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.

The binational commissions recommendations came in response to Lake Erie's record algae bloom of 2011.

Last September, Ohio hit a new low in its ongoing battle against algae, though, when the tiny municipal water treatment plant that serves 2,000 customers in Ottawa Countys Carroll Township was so overwhelmed by a toxin called microcystin that the facility was forced offline. Public officials frantically warned people not to drink the water until further notice, using Facebook, Internet Web sites, and any other form of rapid communication they could.

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Activists hope report spurs action

One of the most overlooked factors in the spaceship-like ring design of Apple's forthcoming "Campus 2" is that the building is expected to house some 12,000 employees in a single (albeit enormous) structure -- about the same as Hewlett-Packard, the previous occupants of the land, house in more than 26 buildings formerly on the property. Chief Architect Norman Foster has recently revealed more details about the building's origins.

In addition to housing a staggering number of workers in a single building, the new headquarters will also accomplish this feat using only 13 percent of the space HP used. Foster spoke with the Architectural Record about Apple's new HQ and some of his other well-known projects, including London's Millennium Bridge and "Gherkin" tower, Berlin's Reichstag Dome, Beijing Airport's Terminal 3 and France's Millau Viaduct, among many others. He has long experience working with curved glass, a key ingredient in Campus 2's ring design, and creating spaces on a large scale that feel open and yet communicate a sense of going somewhere rather than wandering.

In the overview of his career, Foster spent some time talking specifically about Apple's Campus 2 and about its inspirations, which largely came from his client, the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Influences on the design can be seen both in Foster's airport work and from Jobs, whom Foster said drew a reference to the Main Quad plaza at Stanford University. While not circular, the quad gives students an open resting spot with islands of palm trees and other flora, surrounded by buildings as one might see in the great plazas of Rome.

"One idea which came out of it is that you can get high density by building around the perimeter of a site, as in the squares of London," Foster told the magazine. "And in the case of a London square, you create a mini-park in the center. So a series of organic segments in the early studies started to form enclosures, all of which were in turn related to the scale of the Stanford campus." The sentiment fits in with Foster's habit of incorporating outdoor influences and spaces into his designs, often through the use of huge glass ceilings or faades.

Another influence on the design that came directly from Jobs, he said, was the desire by Jobs for the aesthetic of both the building and the land around it to reflect back on the less-developed California of Jobs' youth, when agriculture was one of the leading industries of the area where he grew up and had a big influence on life in general there. Jobs himself worked on various farms as a teenager and college student, and was periodically known to go on all-fruit diets.

"These studies finally morphed into a circular building that would enclose the private space in the middle-essentially a park that would replicate the original California landscape," Foster said, "and parts of it would also recapture the orchards of the past. The car would visually be banished, and tarmac would be replaced by greenery, and car parks by jogging and bicycle trails."

Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed hopes that the project will be complete sometime in 2016. The costs of the project have mushroomed from an initial estimate just under $3 billion to over $5 billion, but in the meantime numerous refinements and additional modifications have been made, including more above-ground parking (that will double as a solar collection energy factory), a larger underground "Town Hall" auditorium for future presentations, a visitor's center and bus depot for employee transit and more.

by MacNN Staff

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Architect of Apple Campus 2 reveals Jobs' influence

LONGWOOD, Fla.

A Longwood man is in a fight with the city over the looks of his front yard. Sean Law says his yard is an eco-system and everything that grows there can be eaten. The city and some of his neighbors see it as an overgrown mess. "Nothing here is weeds, nor is it high grass," Law said. Law said the city has hit him with more than $140,000 in fines.

A neighbor expressed frustration over the fight between the city and Law that has gone on for more than two years.

"It's unbelievable that it has gone on this long," said neighbor Kathy Ettman.

Law was at Monday night's City Commission meeting when commissioners once again discussed his property. Deputy Mayor Joe Durso told Channel 9's Kristyn Cadell that he plans to meet one-on-one with Law to discuss the problem.

"He has brought this upon himself. It is his choice. It's his choice to fix the problem," said Ettman. Law said he has no plans to change the looks of his yard. The city will continue to fine him $300 a day.

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Longwood man in battle with city, neighbors over edible landscape

Elaborate Faux Finishes : Interior Design
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ASIAN PAINTS APCOLITE INTERIOR DESIGNER

By: Deb Medhekar

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ASIAN PAINTS APCOLITE INTERIOR DESIGNER - Video

Monday, March 3, 2014, by Lily di Costanzo

Photo via Domaine

Despite the fact that NYC-based interior designer Joe Nahem has a ridiculously enviable contemporary art collection at his Amagansett, N.Y. beach housethere's a Warhol print of Jackie Kennedy and a Richard Prince collage, to name a couplethe home somehow manages to dodge that pristine, white-walled museum quality, in favor of a breezy vibe that feels both relaxed and welcoming. "A lot of people who work with art collections are so afraid of them that they make everything beige or white," explains Nahem to Domaine. "I didn't do that. I didn't want it to intimidate me, so I found a fine balance."

The five-bedroom, 4,200-square-foot spreadwhich the designer rented out for $490K in the summer of 2012sits on a luxe acre of oceanfront property and relies on natural materials like mahogany windows, reclaimed wood floors, barn-wood doors, and knotted pine paneling to complement the surrounding beach landscape. The decor is a similarly cool, eclectic mix of neutral-colored midcentury and vintage furniture which Nahem modestly describes as just "a bunch of stuff that looks good together."

Despite this laid-back attitude, the home is not without its swanky amenities. According to Curbed Hamptons, each of the en-suite bedrooms comes outfitted with its own mini-refrigerator, like the world's most decadent dorm rooms. Outside there's also a steam room, a 50-foot swimming pool, and a cabana with a fireplace and changing rooms. Domaine has more photos, right this way.

Photo via Domaine

Photo via Domaine

Home Tour: A Hamptons Ocean Front Art House [Domaine] All Joe Nahem Coverage [Curbed Hamptons]

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That's Rather Lovely: Designer's Art-Filled Beach Pad Doesn't Feel Like a Museum

By: Wayne Czybora/Licensed Home Inspector

You flip a switch and the light goes on. You open the refrigerator door and your food is cold. You press the TV remote button and you get to watch your favorite show. All is well with your electrical system, right? Dont count on it. There could be an electrical fire just waiting to happen.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately 46,500 home fires occurred in 2010, resulting in $1.5 billion in property damage, 420 deaths and 1,520 injuries. Faulty wiring is the leading cause of residential fires and the older your house is, the greater the chances that the wiring might be unsafe.

Here is a list of some of the warning signs that homeowners should pay attention to:

-Breakers that trip or fuses that blow repeatedly -Flickering or dimming lights -Deteriorated wire insulation -Sizzling or buzzing sounds emanating from the electrical system -A tingling sensation when you touch an appliance- -Warm, discolored or sparking outlets -Sparks observed in the electrical system -A persistent burning smell from a room or appliance -No ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets at the required rooms

If your house has old knob and tube wiring, which dates back to the early 1900s, it is not uncommon to replace it with modern wiring. At the very least, it should be inspected annually by an electrician to ensure its safety. This type of wiring can become brittle in some areas due to its age and can heat up and cause a fire. It is also very possible that there are exposed wires in some areas that will result in a shock, if touched.

If you do have modern wiring, make sure you have the proper over-current devices (breakers or fuses) in the electrical panel. A breaker or fuse that is too large for the corresponding wire that leads to it can allow the wire to overheat and cause a fire.

Houses built in the 1960s and 1970s may have aluminum wiring instead of copper wiring. The reason for this is because aluminum was cheaper than copper during that time period. There is a greater chance of thermal expansion with aluminum wiring which can cause loose wire connections at the panel, switches, outlets and junction boxes. This can result in a fire, as well. One recommended approach to aluminum wiring is to replace it. Although it is possible to live safely with aluminum wiring but it needs to be inspected by an electrician to ensure the proper steps have been taken to eliminate the possibility of a fire.

Do not overload your circuits with too many power strips or extension cords. If this type of situation exists, there is a good chance you need to upgrade your electrical system.

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Is Your Electrical System Safe? - Real Estate Talk Boston - Boston.com

Ideally, you want to be able to take your home's electrical system for granted. It should power your lights and appliances reliably, safely and invisibly.

But it's important to notice warning signs that an experienced professional should examine a system. Our researchers compiled these indicators, based on interviews with highly rated electricians:

_Flickering lights, a sizzling sound when lights are switched on or off, plugs that spark, plugs that fit loosely in receptacles or lights that dim when appliances start. These may signal a loose wiring connection, which can be a fire hazard.

_Warmth in a wire, extension cord or fuse box. This may indicate a faulty or unsafe wiring connection, which could cause an overload and lead to fire.

_A breaker that repeatedly trips, indicating an overloaded circuit.

_A breaker that never trips, especially in an older home. That may be a sign that your wiring system lacks adequate electrical safeguards.

Also, make sure you know what kind of wiring winds through your home. Copper is the ideal material. Pre-1940s knob-and-tube wiring and 1960s-era aluminum wiring are associated with greater fire risk.

Knob-and-tube systems feature porcelain knobs that anchor wires to studs and floor joists and insulated tubes that carry wires through walls and other obstructions. Such systems have separate hot and neutral wires that run parallel to each other and dissipate heat into the air. They can become a fire hazard if overburdened, improperly retrofitted or come in contact with insulation.

Problems with aluminum wire generally occur at connections, where exposed aluminum wire may rust, resisting current flow and generating heat. Aluminum also expands and contracts in response to load and temperature changes differently than copper or other materials, so connections between aluminum and other metals can lead to problems that reduce conduction.

If you live in an older home and aren't certain of its wiring type or safety status, schedule an inspection by a licensed, experienced electrician.

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Living Smart: Electrical system

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