Yet another Chinatown building has been hit with a slew of violations — ranging from rodents, leaks in ceilings and toilets to broken windows and floor tiles — and more residents could be on the streets as new inspections have found possible structural problems, the Herald has learned.
Records show the city’s Inspectional Services Department stormed into 15 Beach St. on Feb. 7 and found dozens of violations, including broken lights, faulty hot-water heaters, ceiling leaks, broken bathroom fixtures and malfunctioning windows. Meanwhile, residents have complained of pests.
“There are a number of problems with the building,” said Mark Liu, deputy director of the Chinatown Progressive Association. “It has really old windows. There’s a rodent problem. Leaky ceilings.”
The building owner, Chinagate Housing Associates, has repaired some problems but new inspections revealed cracks in the foundation that threaten the stability of the building, records show.
The “substandard” condition of the building threatens the removal of more Chinatown residents and has led the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to take steps to terminate its contract with Chinagate, Liu said.
“There could be a structural issue that could make it unsafe for the tenants,” Liu said.
Attempts to reach a Chinagate manager yesterday were unsuccessful.
The problems at 15 Beach St. come just days after the city evacuated a run-down rooming house at 25 Harrison Ave. that was littered with code violations, including broken fire escapes, poor ventilation, no fire alarms and structural problems. The building’s 49 residents were removed and put up in shelters or public housing in South Boston.
City Councilor Bill Linehan, who represents Chinatown, called for a crackdown on slumlords.
“If these sort of things are popping up around Chinatown, then we certainly have to be more vigilant,” Linehan said. “We have to stand by the residents and make sure all landlords are compliant.”
Many of the displaced residents, as well as those from 15 Beach St., spoke yesterday about the devastating impact of the housing woes. Many don’t speak English and are worried about being forced out of Chinatown for good.
Maple Zou, a Chinese interpreter, said of one elderly couple displaced from the Harrison Avenue building: “Neither she nor her husband speak the (English) language. They want to move back into the building or somewhere nearby.”
More than 1,000 new luxury units are under construction in Chinatown and Liu fears working-class residents are being forced out by gentrification.
“What we want to figure out with the city ... is how do we keep those units in the community in good condition and still affordable for folks?” Liu said.
2012年2月29日星期三
2012年2月28日星期二
Real estate maverick goes for sleek, simple spaces
Last Christmas marked realtor Gab Perez’s first year in his bachelor’s pad. His unit at Angelica Manor in San Antonio Village, Ortigas, Pasig City, is a testament to his success as a young entrepreneur.
At 23, and just two years out of college, he already runs Green Asia Real Estate and Development.
Angelica Manor was Green Asia’s first foray into the real estate business, and the soon-to-be-launched Privato Tower is his first venture in the condotel concept.
Perez maintains the flat at Angelica Manor as a bachelor’s pad where he entertains friends, although he did use it extensively during his Masteral classes at Ateneo Rockwell. It was closer to school than the Quezon City family home. But with the Perez residence now an empty nest, he finds himself living there most of the time to keep his parents company.
“I come from a tight-knit family, and I enjoy spending time with them,” he says. His flat reflects his aesthetic philosophy: it’s clean, stark and crisp.
White makes his unit look bigger than its 69-sq-m floor area. The furniture is apt—a white modular sofa on one side and an entertainment console right in front of it. The throw pillows are covered in black, while the center tabletop is also made of black Emperador marble. The flatscreen TV and DVD player enhance the immaculate display case.
On the other side of the room, a dining table for six delineates the dining area. Everything is spic-and-span. The table has a contemporary base in white, while all the seats are upholstered in white leather. Behind it is a mirrored sliding door opening to a cozy kitchen.
The unit has three rooms. The master’s bedroom has a queen-size bed and vanity side tables. A black, upholstered panel stretches from ceiling to floor, serving as the headboard. It breaks the room’s monochromatic look. Lighting comes from the panels behind the bed and the recessed ceiling.
Two other rooms serve as Perez’s mini-gym and spare room.
The space is small and the fixtures are sleek yet basic, but then how much furniture does a gentleman really need nowadays? By keeping clutter to a minimum and utilizing mirrored panels throughout the unit, Perez is able to create a sense of space.
Angelica Manor served as his crash course in real estate development. He wore a number of hats in this endeavor: developer, contractor, purchasing officer, interior planner, and even sales and marketing head. It was a one-man affair. “My dad wanted to guide me throughout the project’s duration,” he says. “But after three construction meetings, he felt that I had gotten the hang of it and decided to give me full control to work it all out.”
He didn’t feel like his dad abandoned him in the middle of the project, though. He says they were raised that way. His dad is a civil engineer and industrialist, while his mom is a pediatrician. His siblings have their own professions.
“We grew up tending to our own affairs,” he says. “That’s why I quickly adapted to working independently.”
Perez found himself in the real estate business by accident. Learning that his parents had no immediate plan for the empty lot that the family owned, he developed his own plan for a mid-rise property. Although he did internship work for Discovery Suites and Sta. Lucia Realty, none of these stints completely prepared him for the actual nitty-gritty of the industry.
While he was not formally trained in construction, he would look at showrooms and display units to see what was in vogue in real estate design. This gave him an idea of the treatments and fixtures to use if and when he finally had his own building. The construction part of the business was what he learned on the job.
At 23, and just two years out of college, he already runs Green Asia Real Estate and Development.
Angelica Manor was Green Asia’s first foray into the real estate business, and the soon-to-be-launched Privato Tower is his first venture in the condotel concept.
Perez maintains the flat at Angelica Manor as a bachelor’s pad where he entertains friends, although he did use it extensively during his Masteral classes at Ateneo Rockwell. It was closer to school than the Quezon City family home. But with the Perez residence now an empty nest, he finds himself living there most of the time to keep his parents company.
“I come from a tight-knit family, and I enjoy spending time with them,” he says. His flat reflects his aesthetic philosophy: it’s clean, stark and crisp.
White makes his unit look bigger than its 69-sq-m floor area. The furniture is apt—a white modular sofa on one side and an entertainment console right in front of it. The throw pillows are covered in black, while the center tabletop is also made of black Emperador marble. The flatscreen TV and DVD player enhance the immaculate display case.
On the other side of the room, a dining table for six delineates the dining area. Everything is spic-and-span. The table has a contemporary base in white, while all the seats are upholstered in white leather. Behind it is a mirrored sliding door opening to a cozy kitchen.
The unit has three rooms. The master’s bedroom has a queen-size bed and vanity side tables. A black, upholstered panel stretches from ceiling to floor, serving as the headboard. It breaks the room’s monochromatic look. Lighting comes from the panels behind the bed and the recessed ceiling.
Two other rooms serve as Perez’s mini-gym and spare room.
The space is small and the fixtures are sleek yet basic, but then how much furniture does a gentleman really need nowadays? By keeping clutter to a minimum and utilizing mirrored panels throughout the unit, Perez is able to create a sense of space.
Angelica Manor served as his crash course in real estate development. He wore a number of hats in this endeavor: developer, contractor, purchasing officer, interior planner, and even sales and marketing head. It was a one-man affair. “My dad wanted to guide me throughout the project’s duration,” he says. “But after three construction meetings, he felt that I had gotten the hang of it and decided to give me full control to work it all out.”
He didn’t feel like his dad abandoned him in the middle of the project, though. He says they were raised that way. His dad is a civil engineer and industrialist, while his mom is a pediatrician. His siblings have their own professions.
“We grew up tending to our own affairs,” he says. “That’s why I quickly adapted to working independently.”
Perez found himself in the real estate business by accident. Learning that his parents had no immediate plan for the empty lot that the family owned, he developed his own plan for a mid-rise property. Although he did internship work for Discovery Suites and Sta. Lucia Realty, none of these stints completely prepared him for the actual nitty-gritty of the industry.
While he was not formally trained in construction, he would look at showrooms and display units to see what was in vogue in real estate design. This gave him an idea of the treatments and fixtures to use if and when he finally had his own building. The construction part of the business was what he learned on the job.
2012年2月27日星期一
2e Adventure Tiles: Dungeon Expansion 02
Mapping out a detailed dungeon for your players to maneuver their minis on can be a chore. With a good gridded battlemat and a handful of wet erase markers, straight rooms and corridors are easy enough to plot out. Large, detailed circular rooms tend to become simple squared halls. Transitioning over to printed tile sets often gets you the same type of rooms you would comfortably draw freehand.
The second dungeon expansion to SkeletonKey Games’ 2e Adventure Tiles provides the GM with a large 75’ circular room. Two versions of the room are provided: a dragon cult room and a “plain” room. The dragon-themed version has a central dais, a dragon statue, worn floor stencils, and copious amount of litter. The plain version has an additional entrance and support pillars. The plain version is designed such that you could print out one side of the room twice and swap the second copy of the side for the opposite wall, giving you a room with four to eight columns. This tile set also contains two special tiles that make this room transition into some of SkeletonKey’s earlier tile sets.
These tiles run 6” square, which means there is a lot of white space left on the page after printing. Most tiles from other manufacturers run 8” square. This means if you take the set out to have professionally printed on cardstock you are getting 56 cents for your printing dollar, compared to other tiles.
At $5.99 this tile set is a bit more expensive than comparable tile sets from other manufacturers. The set’s twenty pages of tiles appear to make only two rooms, the dragon shrine room and the plain room. If you factor in being able to swap portions of each room with each other, as well as combining the corner pieces to make a smaller 35’ round room, the price is much more reasonable.
There are cheaper tiles of similar quality being made by other manufacturers, but if you purchase 2D tiles based only on price you will miss out on a well-designed round room. This particular room fills a void found in many 2D tile offerings.
The second dungeon expansion to SkeletonKey Games’ 2e Adventure Tiles provides the GM with a large 75’ circular room. Two versions of the room are provided: a dragon cult room and a “plain” room. The dragon-themed version has a central dais, a dragon statue, worn floor stencils, and copious amount of litter. The plain version has an additional entrance and support pillars. The plain version is designed such that you could print out one side of the room twice and swap the second copy of the side for the opposite wall, giving you a room with four to eight columns. This tile set also contains two special tiles that make this room transition into some of SkeletonKey’s earlier tile sets.
These tiles run 6” square, which means there is a lot of white space left on the page after printing. Most tiles from other manufacturers run 8” square. This means if you take the set out to have professionally printed on cardstock you are getting 56 cents for your printing dollar, compared to other tiles.
At $5.99 this tile set is a bit more expensive than comparable tile sets from other manufacturers. The set’s twenty pages of tiles appear to make only two rooms, the dragon shrine room and the plain room. If you factor in being able to swap portions of each room with each other, as well as combining the corner pieces to make a smaller 35’ round room, the price is much more reasonable.
There are cheaper tiles of similar quality being made by other manufacturers, but if you purchase 2D tiles based only on price you will miss out on a well-designed round room. This particular room fills a void found in many 2D tile offerings.
2012年2月26日星期日
Windows Phone
Even if Microsoft's revamped software for smartphones doesn't put Redmond back on the mobile map, it's the only glimmer of hope that the mobile market won't always be locked behind an endless grid of apps.
Microsoft doesn't get any points for being very, very late to the smartphone party -- Windows Phone was introduced in 2010 -- but recent software updates point to its product's being a strong rival to Apple's iPhone and Google's Android.
It takes only a second to see that Windows Phone doesn't look like any other smartphone software. The startup screen features a colorful stream of tiles constantly updating with the latest posts from social networks, weather reports and other data-feeds you pin there. Where checking social networks on an iPhone or Android device means opening and closing app after app to get the most recent information, Windows Phone presents it all as one stream. Even the contacts aggregate not only phone numbers and email addresses, but Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
Microsoft didn't set out to make mobile software that looked dramatically different from Android or iPhone, said Jeff Fong, a principal user-experience designer on Windows Phone. But that's exactly what happened when the company unwrapped all the content buried in apps.
"We want to bring information to our user, rather than having our users go look for it," Mr. Fong said.
The problem is that consumers haven't gone looking for the phone.
As market share and momentum climb for iPhone and Android, Microsoft's continues to fall. The company partnered with global handset-maker Nokia -- another ailing giant -- to develop and distribute Windows Phones, but there are no signs that the fruits of that union will be able to gain ground on the reigning smartphones' massive lead.
The first devices from the partnership appeared in Europe and Asia during the holidays, but, as expected, sales were not sufficient to prevent a further decline in Microsoft's smartphone market share, according to research firm Gartner.
The Nokia Lumia 900, coming to the U.S. on AT&T this spring, was a design darling of the Consumer Electronics Show, but consumers will only see the device only if they know to look for it.
Microsoft doesn't get any points for being very, very late to the smartphone party -- Windows Phone was introduced in 2010 -- but recent software updates point to its product's being a strong rival to Apple's iPhone and Google's Android.
It takes only a second to see that Windows Phone doesn't look like any other smartphone software. The startup screen features a colorful stream of tiles constantly updating with the latest posts from social networks, weather reports and other data-feeds you pin there. Where checking social networks on an iPhone or Android device means opening and closing app after app to get the most recent information, Windows Phone presents it all as one stream. Even the contacts aggregate not only phone numbers and email addresses, but Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
Microsoft didn't set out to make mobile software that looked dramatically different from Android or iPhone, said Jeff Fong, a principal user-experience designer on Windows Phone. But that's exactly what happened when the company unwrapped all the content buried in apps.
"We want to bring information to our user, rather than having our users go look for it," Mr. Fong said.
The problem is that consumers haven't gone looking for the phone.
As market share and momentum climb for iPhone and Android, Microsoft's continues to fall. The company partnered with global handset-maker Nokia -- another ailing giant -- to develop and distribute Windows Phones, but there are no signs that the fruits of that union will be able to gain ground on the reigning smartphones' massive lead.
The first devices from the partnership appeared in Europe and Asia during the holidays, but, as expected, sales were not sufficient to prevent a further decline in Microsoft's smartphone market share, according to research firm Gartner.
The Nokia Lumia 900, coming to the U.S. on AT&T this spring, was a design darling of the Consumer Electronics Show, but consumers will only see the device only if they know to look for it.
2012年2月23日星期四
Construction to start for low income housing
At last word, there were two thousand people on the waiting list for Section 8 Housing in the Lake Charles area. As well, the difficulties for residents when Crestwood Trailer Park recently closed, show what a challenge it can be to find safe, affordable housing in the Lake Area.
Seventy two of 92 units at Booker T. Washington at 1901 Mill Street are to be torn down, though they will be replaced. In all 102 new units are being built at three locations which will provide an increase of 30 new residences
Today the Lake Charles Housing Authority is holding a ground breaking fo two new communities: Kingsley Court, at 2331 Cline Street and Bayou Bluff at 2228 Old Highway 171.
Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court are being constructed on two parcels of previously vacant housing authority owned property. The planned development will offer two, three and four bedroom units with energy efficient appliances and lighting. The property will also offer dishwashers, washers and dryers in each unit, garbage disposals, ceramic tile, and a community center. 16% of all units will be fully accessible to people with disabilities and compliant with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 504 regulations.
When completed, the combined projects will consist of 54 single family units. Each residential unit will be reserved for residents whose incomes fall below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the Lake Charles area. The project is scheduled to open for occupancy in fall 2012.
"Today, we break ground on the site of former vacant land that will be transformed to a vibrant, attractive residential community." said Lake Charles Housing Authority Executive Director S. Ben Taylor. "Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court demonstrate the housing authority's ongoing commitment to build quality affordable housing that residents regardless of income would enjoy."
Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court are being developed in collaboration with Lake Charles Non Profit Housing Development Corporation and Centerpointe Regional Housing Development. Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court are the first phase of a large scale, multi-year initiative to replace aging and deteriorating public housing in the City of Lake Charles.
"We are once again pleased to partner with the Lake Charles Housing Authority in this important effort to develop much-needed affordable housing. We congratulate our partners from Capital One, Hudson Housing Capital, HUD, and the housing authority for making this public-private partnership such a huge success," said Art Schuldt, managing partner of Centerpointe Regional Housing Development.
HUD's Section 901 program, through the Lake Charles Housing Authority, will provide development funding assistance to support the 54-unit development. Additionally, HUD, through the Lake Charles Housing Authority, will provide operating financial support through public housing operating subsidy and Project Based Section 8 voucher programs.
On the private sector funding side, Capital One Bank is providing construction financing and is also providing equity generated through the purchase of low-income housing tax credits. Hudson Housing Capital partnered with Capital One Bank as syndicator for the project. The Louisiana Housing Finance Agency awarded both projects Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocations in December 2010.
"At Capital One Bank, we recognize the tremendous impact that developments like this can have on the local community," said Greg Webb, Capital One Bank's Lake Charles Market President. "We are proud to partner with the Lake Charles Housing Authority and its nonprofit subsidiary Lake Charles Non Profit Housing Development Corporation to bring this worthwhile housing development to fruition."
The total cost of the two affordable housing developments is $14.4 million. Funding sources include $10,622,938 of tax credit equity provided by Capital One Bank through Hudson Housing Capital and $3,780,471 of Section 901 funds provided by HUD.
Seventy two of 92 units at Booker T. Washington at 1901 Mill Street are to be torn down, though they will be replaced. In all 102 new units are being built at three locations which will provide an increase of 30 new residences
Today the Lake Charles Housing Authority is holding a ground breaking fo two new communities: Kingsley Court, at 2331 Cline Street and Bayou Bluff at 2228 Old Highway 171.
Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court are being constructed on two parcels of previously vacant housing authority owned property. The planned development will offer two, three and four bedroom units with energy efficient appliances and lighting. The property will also offer dishwashers, washers and dryers in each unit, garbage disposals, ceramic tile, and a community center. 16% of all units will be fully accessible to people with disabilities and compliant with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 504 regulations.
When completed, the combined projects will consist of 54 single family units. Each residential unit will be reserved for residents whose incomes fall below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the Lake Charles area. The project is scheduled to open for occupancy in fall 2012.
"Today, we break ground on the site of former vacant land that will be transformed to a vibrant, attractive residential community." said Lake Charles Housing Authority Executive Director S. Ben Taylor. "Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court demonstrate the housing authority's ongoing commitment to build quality affordable housing that residents regardless of income would enjoy."
Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court are being developed in collaboration with Lake Charles Non Profit Housing Development Corporation and Centerpointe Regional Housing Development. Bayou Bluff and Kingsley Court are the first phase of a large scale, multi-year initiative to replace aging and deteriorating public housing in the City of Lake Charles.
"We are once again pleased to partner with the Lake Charles Housing Authority in this important effort to develop much-needed affordable housing. We congratulate our partners from Capital One, Hudson Housing Capital, HUD, and the housing authority for making this public-private partnership such a huge success," said Art Schuldt, managing partner of Centerpointe Regional Housing Development.
HUD's Section 901 program, through the Lake Charles Housing Authority, will provide development funding assistance to support the 54-unit development. Additionally, HUD, through the Lake Charles Housing Authority, will provide operating financial support through public housing operating subsidy and Project Based Section 8 voucher programs.
On the private sector funding side, Capital One Bank is providing construction financing and is also providing equity generated through the purchase of low-income housing tax credits. Hudson Housing Capital partnered with Capital One Bank as syndicator for the project. The Louisiana Housing Finance Agency awarded both projects Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocations in December 2010.
"At Capital One Bank, we recognize the tremendous impact that developments like this can have on the local community," said Greg Webb, Capital One Bank's Lake Charles Market President. "We are proud to partner with the Lake Charles Housing Authority and its nonprofit subsidiary Lake Charles Non Profit Housing Development Corporation to bring this worthwhile housing development to fruition."
The total cost of the two affordable housing developments is $14.4 million. Funding sources include $10,622,938 of tax credit equity provided by Capital One Bank through Hudson Housing Capital and $3,780,471 of Section 901 funds provided by HUD.
2012年2月22日星期三
Grant and Laura Clouston see the light in basement Edinburgh apartment
SEEING potential in some properties can require a huge amount of imagination. In December 2009, when builder and developer Ian Murray viewed an A-listed garden apartment at 31a Heriot Row in Edinburgh’s New Town for potential clients Grant and Laura Clouston, he needed all the imagination he could muster.
The previous owner had been a taxidermist and 31a was his home and workshop. Each room in the basement level flat had one tiny access window, and all were boarded up so there was no natural light.
Ian is managing director of the Edinburgh-based SI Construction, which specialises in everything from refurbishments to extensions and new builds. Grant Clouston, had asked for his thoughts on the property. Was it possible to transform a tired, gloomy, partially subterranean apartment into a vibrant, design-led, aesthetically exciting second home for himself and his wife, Laura? And could Ian tackle the project, working closely on the design concept with Grant and Laura, while the couple were based 3,600 miles away in Dubai?
The answer to both questions was yes. Looking at this immaculate interior, it would be easy to overlook the work required to create this five-bedroom home. Number 31a is the lower two levels of a Georgian townhouse and, because the building is A-listed, various permissions were required before work could begin.
The property was rewired and replumbed, and new drainage was laid. Light wells were built at the front, with large iron grilles inserted into the stone patio, pulling light into the two guest bedroom suites.
The master bedroom was reconfigured to create an en-suite bathroom behind a wall of bespoke storage. This involved losing some bedroom space but it improved the proportions, while adding wardrobe space and a striking en suite. French doors were also installed here, opening onto a stone patio and the rear garden.
There was substantial structural work involved in the refurbishment, both at basement level – especially the master bedroom – and above in the new L-shaped kitchen-dining-living space. The most problematic task was removing the wall between the dining-kitchen and the snug, as this wall formed the main spine that extends up the townhouse. Ian says: “The structural work to achieve this opening was staggering.”
The kitchen-dining-living area, the master bedroom suite and the drawing room at the front were the three areas that took priority in Laura and Grant’s brief to Ian. “We both had quite a clear vision of what we wanted, and in particular with the kitchen, which Ian created exactly as I wanted,” says Laura.
Ian, Grant and Laura shared ideas via the Dropbox app, enabling Ian to take progress or product photos on his iPhone and share them with the couple, which in turn allowed Grant and Laura to upload images for Ian to view. Between them they shared just under 4,000 photos during the whole process.
“It was a fantastic way to watch the photographic progress and milestones that Ian was achieving,” Laura agrees. The couple, who have a nine-month-old son, Henry, and a daughter due in May, scoured online sites and magazines for design ideas, plus, as Laura says: “Living in a city full of amazing interiors and architecture gave us inspiration.”
The kitchen was inspired by photos the couple spotted online, and reproduced in detail, down to the handles and chrome edging under the worktop, by bespoke kitchen designers Murray & Murray. The cabinetry is painted in Strong White by Farrow & Ball (the company’s paints were used throughout), and contrasted with dark walnut cabinetry and Ceasarstone Misty Carrara worktops, while retaining the original range was part of the planning consent.
The bold chrome pendants came from Marks & Spencer, and the couple added individual touches, as with the colourful mismatched dining chairs from Annie Mo’s. Laura says: “Opening up the kitchen and snug absolutely made it for us; it’s our favourite room.”
The previous owner had been a taxidermist and 31a was his home and workshop. Each room in the basement level flat had one tiny access window, and all were boarded up so there was no natural light.
Ian is managing director of the Edinburgh-based SI Construction, which specialises in everything from refurbishments to extensions and new builds. Grant Clouston, had asked for his thoughts on the property. Was it possible to transform a tired, gloomy, partially subterranean apartment into a vibrant, design-led, aesthetically exciting second home for himself and his wife, Laura? And could Ian tackle the project, working closely on the design concept with Grant and Laura, while the couple were based 3,600 miles away in Dubai?
The answer to both questions was yes. Looking at this immaculate interior, it would be easy to overlook the work required to create this five-bedroom home. Number 31a is the lower two levels of a Georgian townhouse and, because the building is A-listed, various permissions were required before work could begin.
The property was rewired and replumbed, and new drainage was laid. Light wells were built at the front, with large iron grilles inserted into the stone patio, pulling light into the two guest bedroom suites.
The master bedroom was reconfigured to create an en-suite bathroom behind a wall of bespoke storage. This involved losing some bedroom space but it improved the proportions, while adding wardrobe space and a striking en suite. French doors were also installed here, opening onto a stone patio and the rear garden.
There was substantial structural work involved in the refurbishment, both at basement level – especially the master bedroom – and above in the new L-shaped kitchen-dining-living space. The most problematic task was removing the wall between the dining-kitchen and the snug, as this wall formed the main spine that extends up the townhouse. Ian says: “The structural work to achieve this opening was staggering.”
The kitchen-dining-living area, the master bedroom suite and the drawing room at the front were the three areas that took priority in Laura and Grant’s brief to Ian. “We both had quite a clear vision of what we wanted, and in particular with the kitchen, which Ian created exactly as I wanted,” says Laura.
Ian, Grant and Laura shared ideas via the Dropbox app, enabling Ian to take progress or product photos on his iPhone and share them with the couple, which in turn allowed Grant and Laura to upload images for Ian to view. Between them they shared just under 4,000 photos during the whole process.
“It was a fantastic way to watch the photographic progress and milestones that Ian was achieving,” Laura agrees. The couple, who have a nine-month-old son, Henry, and a daughter due in May, scoured online sites and magazines for design ideas, plus, as Laura says: “Living in a city full of amazing interiors and architecture gave us inspiration.”
The kitchen was inspired by photos the couple spotted online, and reproduced in detail, down to the handles and chrome edging under the worktop, by bespoke kitchen designers Murray & Murray. The cabinetry is painted in Strong White by Farrow & Ball (the company’s paints were used throughout), and contrasted with dark walnut cabinetry and Ceasarstone Misty Carrara worktops, while retaining the original range was part of the planning consent.
The bold chrome pendants came from Marks & Spencer, and the couple added individual touches, as with the colourful mismatched dining chairs from Annie Mo’s. Laura says: “Opening up the kitchen and snug absolutely made it for us; it’s our favourite room.”
2012年2月21日星期二
2012 Monaco Diplomat 43DFT Walk Through
The mating of Navistar’s more than 100 years of heavy transportation experience with Monaco’s 40-plus years of luxury RV design has resulted in an exciting lineup of innovative motorhomes. At first glance, you might not recognize the elegant new Diplomat because of its significant facelift inside and out, but rest assured that the luxury and high-end appointments in this bath-and-a-half tag axle have only been enhanced.
The exterior’s all-new front and rear chevron grilles in fiberglass wraparound caps (now equipped with LED lighting), improve body seam weather resistance — it also suggests a growing familial likeness to Monaco’s sporty Vesta.
The entry door has been moved forward, closer to the A-pillar, creating improved access past the redesigned cockpit. Here the Navistar influence is prominent with an updated automotive-style dash with hooded instrument cluster capped with a glare-reducing dark dash pad. The multifunction steering wheel not only controls the expected cruise and music functions but includes a three-stage engine brake at your fingertips. Maybe more importantly, the wheel is now connected to a redesigned steering column, no longer straddled by the driver’s legs.
Full-power Ultraleather seats afford a clear view of the Driver Information Screen that provides continuous status of the Diplomat’s torquey MaxxForce 10 turbodiesel engine, the Allison 3000MH six-speed push-button transmission, trip and distance features, and a host of monitored operating parameters.
Atop the handsome Oxford Burl instrument panel is the dock for the optional ($614) 7-inch GPS/Bluetooth unit for full-featured navigation and hands-free connectivity.
Polished 12-by-24-inch porcelain tile leads you from the cockpit into the most unexpected and surprising feature in the Diplomat’s lineup. This plan places the free-standing dinette and sofa bed, or the optional ($3,671) sectional sofa bed/dinette ensemble, in the curbside slide offering the rare opportunity to dine while overlooking your own campsite and not your neighbor’s. The entire galley, including the 12-cubic-foot two-way refrigerator, optional ($2,352) washer and dryer combo, the 68-inch sofa and the bedroom dresser and overhead cabinet module are all contained within the 28-foot-long, full-wall, streetside slide creating a wonderfully open floorplan well suited for entertaining.
Handsome Italian Sienna mid-tone hardwood cabinets surround the cabin and galley. The intricate and striking basketweave trim on the cabinets is accented by the galley’s Corian backsplash and countertops. A useful pullout countertop extension next to the dual-basin sink adds to the galley’s utility when deployed and helps define the cabin’s seating area.
The wall-mounted 40-inch LCD TV with surround sound and media storage above and below can be comfortably viewed from anywhere in the elegant cabin. The TV shares a common wall with the half bath, which separates the cabin from the master suite. A countertop integrated sink, storage vanity and porcelain commode complete the half bath eliminating family or guest’s late-night trips through the occupied bedroom to reach the rear master bath.
The Diplomat comes standard with a queen-size platform bed in the curbside slide, but was wisely designed to accommodate the preferable and optional ($1,470) Select Comfort platform king. Yet, there’s still room for the matching eyeglass nightstands, hidden book storage and 120-volt AC outlets. Add a 26-inch LCD TV mounted between the dresser and overhead cabinet module, which is part of the full-wall streetside slide, and the suite is complete.
Above the bed is a ceiling fan that will come in handy when the ducted, triple 15,000-Btu roof air-conditioning units or the silent Aqua-Hot heating systems aren’t needed. Leaving the family pet behind is no problem using the coach’s auto-start feature on the 10-kW AC generator to accommodate the owner-set climate controls.
For boondockers, the Diplomat comes prewired for solar panels and a controller.
The step-up rear bath has become a popular feature in full-time coaches and the Diplomat doesn’t disappoint. Highlights here include his-and-hers countertop-integrated sinks with brushed-nickel fixtures, matched medicine cabinets and additional drawer storage. A full-width, rear-wall mirrored wardrobe offers nearly 6 feet of clothes rod with 20 inches of additional adjustable or removable shelving at one end of the closet if more hanging space is needed.
The exterior’s all-new front and rear chevron grilles in fiberglass wraparound caps (now equipped with LED lighting), improve body seam weather resistance — it also suggests a growing familial likeness to Monaco’s sporty Vesta.
The entry door has been moved forward, closer to the A-pillar, creating improved access past the redesigned cockpit. Here the Navistar influence is prominent with an updated automotive-style dash with hooded instrument cluster capped with a glare-reducing dark dash pad. The multifunction steering wheel not only controls the expected cruise and music functions but includes a three-stage engine brake at your fingertips. Maybe more importantly, the wheel is now connected to a redesigned steering column, no longer straddled by the driver’s legs.
Full-power Ultraleather seats afford a clear view of the Driver Information Screen that provides continuous status of the Diplomat’s torquey MaxxForce 10 turbodiesel engine, the Allison 3000MH six-speed push-button transmission, trip and distance features, and a host of monitored operating parameters.
Atop the handsome Oxford Burl instrument panel is the dock for the optional ($614) 7-inch GPS/Bluetooth unit for full-featured navigation and hands-free connectivity.
Polished 12-by-24-inch porcelain tile leads you from the cockpit into the most unexpected and surprising feature in the Diplomat’s lineup. This plan places the free-standing dinette and sofa bed, or the optional ($3,671) sectional sofa bed/dinette ensemble, in the curbside slide offering the rare opportunity to dine while overlooking your own campsite and not your neighbor’s. The entire galley, including the 12-cubic-foot two-way refrigerator, optional ($2,352) washer and dryer combo, the 68-inch sofa and the bedroom dresser and overhead cabinet module are all contained within the 28-foot-long, full-wall, streetside slide creating a wonderfully open floorplan well suited for entertaining.
Handsome Italian Sienna mid-tone hardwood cabinets surround the cabin and galley. The intricate and striking basketweave trim on the cabinets is accented by the galley’s Corian backsplash and countertops. A useful pullout countertop extension next to the dual-basin sink adds to the galley’s utility when deployed and helps define the cabin’s seating area.
The wall-mounted 40-inch LCD TV with surround sound and media storage above and below can be comfortably viewed from anywhere in the elegant cabin. The TV shares a common wall with the half bath, which separates the cabin from the master suite. A countertop integrated sink, storage vanity and porcelain commode complete the half bath eliminating family or guest’s late-night trips through the occupied bedroom to reach the rear master bath.
The Diplomat comes standard with a queen-size platform bed in the curbside slide, but was wisely designed to accommodate the preferable and optional ($1,470) Select Comfort platform king. Yet, there’s still room for the matching eyeglass nightstands, hidden book storage and 120-volt AC outlets. Add a 26-inch LCD TV mounted between the dresser and overhead cabinet module, which is part of the full-wall streetside slide, and the suite is complete.
Above the bed is a ceiling fan that will come in handy when the ducted, triple 15,000-Btu roof air-conditioning units or the silent Aqua-Hot heating systems aren’t needed. Leaving the family pet behind is no problem using the coach’s auto-start feature on the 10-kW AC generator to accommodate the owner-set climate controls.
For boondockers, the Diplomat comes prewired for solar panels and a controller.
The step-up rear bath has become a popular feature in full-time coaches and the Diplomat doesn’t disappoint. Highlights here include his-and-hers countertop-integrated sinks with brushed-nickel fixtures, matched medicine cabinets and additional drawer storage. A full-width, rear-wall mirrored wardrobe offers nearly 6 feet of clothes rod with 20 inches of additional adjustable or removable shelving at one end of the closet if more hanging space is needed.
2012年2月20日星期一
Quadra Shareholders to Decide on Bid Giving KGHM Global Reach
Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. shareholders will meet to decide on a C$2.87 billion offer by KGHM Polska Miedz SA, in the nation’s biggest bid abroad designed to deepen the Polish copper producer’s global reach.
The proposal by the Lubin, Poland-based company, with Europe’s largest mine output, is “attractive,” Quadra Chief Executive Officer Paul Blythe told Polish daily Rzeczpospolita on Feb. 16. Institutional Shareholder Services, which advises pension and mutual funds on proposals in shareholder meetings, backed the bid, Quadra said on Feb. 6. The shareholders meet today in Vancouver after Warsaw markets close.
“This is the first spectacular takeover deal by a Polish company and it’s being noticed,” said Leszek Iwaszko, a Warsaw- based analyst at Societe Generale SA. “KGHM still has a long way to go to join the world’s premier league, but this purchase will help it become a global player.”
Companies from Poland, the biggest post-communist country in the European Union, have stepped up expansion plans in the last decade, fighting for supremacy in central Europe. PKN Orlen SA bought Czech and Lithuanian refiners, Asseco Poland SA acquired software developers in most countries in the region, while Rovese SA, Poland’s largest ceramic tile producer, expanded into Romania, Ukraine and Russia.
Quadra is KGHM’s second Canadian transaction since 2010 after the company bought a stake in a joint venture with Abacus Mining & Exploration Corp. for $37 million. KGHM, which is buying miners outside Poland to cut production costs and raise output, will pay for Quadra with its own cash as it is set to report a record 11.2 billion zloty in net income for 2011.
KGHM shares climbed 1.7 percent at 1:11 p.m. in Warsaw, extending their advance to 5.4 percent since Quadra’s deal was announced on Dec. 6 and valuing the Polish company at 28 billion zloty.
“It’s a huge deal for KGHM,” Tomasz Krukowski, a Warsaw- based analyst at Deutsche Bank AG said by phone. “We won’t probably see more transactions of this size as KGHM now needs to focus on efficient management of its purchased assets.”
KGHM may seek further purchases outside Poland, Chief Executive Officer Herbert Wirth told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna on Dec. 27. It is looking for companies in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and does not rule out the purchase of copper reserves in Canada, the newspaper reported.
Quadra was created in 2010 when Quadra Mining Ltd. acquired FNX Mining Co. for about C$1 billion. The company owns the Robinson mine in Nevada, Carlota in Arizona, Franke in Chile and the Morrison and Podolsky operations in Canada’s Sudbury basin.
Its purchase will help KGHM raise annual copper output from its own deposits by 50 percent to 635,000 tons by 2018. KGHM estimates it will have 37.4 million tons of copper in deposits, more than BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest mining company, or Anglo American Plc after the acquisition, according to a presentation on its website.
The proposal by the Lubin, Poland-based company, with Europe’s largest mine output, is “attractive,” Quadra Chief Executive Officer Paul Blythe told Polish daily Rzeczpospolita on Feb. 16. Institutional Shareholder Services, which advises pension and mutual funds on proposals in shareholder meetings, backed the bid, Quadra said on Feb. 6. The shareholders meet today in Vancouver after Warsaw markets close.
“This is the first spectacular takeover deal by a Polish company and it’s being noticed,” said Leszek Iwaszko, a Warsaw- based analyst at Societe Generale SA. “KGHM still has a long way to go to join the world’s premier league, but this purchase will help it become a global player.”
Companies from Poland, the biggest post-communist country in the European Union, have stepped up expansion plans in the last decade, fighting for supremacy in central Europe. PKN Orlen SA bought Czech and Lithuanian refiners, Asseco Poland SA acquired software developers in most countries in the region, while Rovese SA, Poland’s largest ceramic tile producer, expanded into Romania, Ukraine and Russia.
Quadra is KGHM’s second Canadian transaction since 2010 after the company bought a stake in a joint venture with Abacus Mining & Exploration Corp. for $37 million. KGHM, which is buying miners outside Poland to cut production costs and raise output, will pay for Quadra with its own cash as it is set to report a record 11.2 billion zloty in net income for 2011.
KGHM shares climbed 1.7 percent at 1:11 p.m. in Warsaw, extending their advance to 5.4 percent since Quadra’s deal was announced on Dec. 6 and valuing the Polish company at 28 billion zloty.
“It’s a huge deal for KGHM,” Tomasz Krukowski, a Warsaw- based analyst at Deutsche Bank AG said by phone. “We won’t probably see more transactions of this size as KGHM now needs to focus on efficient management of its purchased assets.”
KGHM may seek further purchases outside Poland, Chief Executive Officer Herbert Wirth told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna on Dec. 27. It is looking for companies in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and does not rule out the purchase of copper reserves in Canada, the newspaper reported.
Quadra was created in 2010 when Quadra Mining Ltd. acquired FNX Mining Co. for about C$1 billion. The company owns the Robinson mine in Nevada, Carlota in Arizona, Franke in Chile and the Morrison and Podolsky operations in Canada’s Sudbury basin.
Its purchase will help KGHM raise annual copper output from its own deposits by 50 percent to 635,000 tons by 2018. KGHM estimates it will have 37.4 million tons of copper in deposits, more than BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest mining company, or Anglo American Plc after the acquisition, according to a presentation on its website.
2012年2月19日星期日
KVS Interior Design creating and executing interiors
KVS Interior Design's Tina Margrander, ASID, NCIDQ and Design Assistant Julie Oswald, ASID, NCIDQ are creating and executing interior designs for two model residences being built by McGarvey Custom Homes in Quail West.
One of the models, McGarvey's Bardane villa in Quail West's La Caille neighborhood, is nearing completion.
The Bardane's two-story great room floor plan offers 3,788 square feet under air and includes an oval-shaped foyer, four bedrooms, a study, a staircase leading to the loft, three-and-a-half baths, a gourmet kitchen, a free-form pool, spa and landscaped pool deck and a covered outdoor living area.
The model includes an optional outdoor kitchen and fireplace as well as an optional wine cooler in the kitchen. The large master suite has a sitting area that opens to the outdoor living area and offers golf course and water views.
The classic-transitional design style features a color palette that includes light, creamy backgrounds with chocolate browns and aqua blues as well as gold and white contrasts. Tropical style art selections include a piece by Quail West resident Carol Weber. A combination of classic and clean-lined furnishings mixes wood tones with painted pieces to bring character to an interior design that is sophisticated, elegant and comfortable.
"The furnishings reflect simple lines with light fabrics and finishes to give the home a fresh feeling," said Margrander. "The combination of the simple wood tones with painted accent pieces provides additional interest in spaces throughout the residence."
Ceramic tile floors, crown molding, distinctive ceiling treatments and other elegant features and finishes are found throughout the Bardane.
The kitchen includes raised panel wood cabinetry, granite countertops, under-cabinet accent lighting and a Bosch stainless steel appliance package.
Granite or marble countertops are also found in the master bath along with his-and-her vanities, a tiled walk-in shower, a separate tub and his-and-her walk-in closets with built-in cabinets.
The four-bedroom with study Casa Fiore is being constructed in Quail West's Sunnyslope neighborhood. This home features cutting edge architectural details, ceilings that soar to 20 feet and floor-to-ceiling windows that amplify pool, golf course and lake views.
A soft-modern design style plays clean-lined neutral furniture pieces with darker finishes against accessories and artwork. Windows are stacked all the way to the island kitchen's 25-foot ceiling. The natural light enhances the room's rich palette that includes taupes and backsplash details that compliment lighter toned walls.
"McGarvey Custom Homes is known for its attention to detail," said Margrander, "and that will be evident throughout the Casa Fiore. The clean-lined trim package will include beamed ceiling details, 12-inch baseboards and two-piece crown molding around the perimeter and in the ceiling coffers in the dining room, kitchen, leisure room and master bedroom. A morning bar in the master suite, indoor and outdoor fireplaces with pre-cast concrete surrounds, a wet bar and a five-car garage with a motor court will be included. Mud-set stone flooring with numerous inlays and details will be featured in the kitchen, dining room and leisure room. Decorative stone or ceramic tile will be used in the bathrooms.
The study will be finished with hardwood flooring and will include custom built-in cabinetry. The leisure room will feature a custom built-in entertainment cabinet. An airy island kitchen will be equipped with a Viking and Sub-Zero appliance package. The breakfast nook will feature a view of the outdoor living area and pool and include a built-in breakfast bench. All of these features and finishes work beautifully with our soft-modern design style."
The Casa Fiore is perfectly suited to Southwest Florida's outdoor lifestyle. An outdoor living area will include an outdoor kitchen with a 36-inch grill, sink and refrigerator. The 615-square-foot pool will feature a heated spa. The pool deck will be surrounded by an aluminum fence.
One of the models, McGarvey's Bardane villa in Quail West's La Caille neighborhood, is nearing completion.
The Bardane's two-story great room floor plan offers 3,788 square feet under air and includes an oval-shaped foyer, four bedrooms, a study, a staircase leading to the loft, three-and-a-half baths, a gourmet kitchen, a free-form pool, spa and landscaped pool deck and a covered outdoor living area.
The model includes an optional outdoor kitchen and fireplace as well as an optional wine cooler in the kitchen. The large master suite has a sitting area that opens to the outdoor living area and offers golf course and water views.
The classic-transitional design style features a color palette that includes light, creamy backgrounds with chocolate browns and aqua blues as well as gold and white contrasts. Tropical style art selections include a piece by Quail West resident Carol Weber. A combination of classic and clean-lined furnishings mixes wood tones with painted pieces to bring character to an interior design that is sophisticated, elegant and comfortable.
"The furnishings reflect simple lines with light fabrics and finishes to give the home a fresh feeling," said Margrander. "The combination of the simple wood tones with painted accent pieces provides additional interest in spaces throughout the residence."
Ceramic tile floors, crown molding, distinctive ceiling treatments and other elegant features and finishes are found throughout the Bardane.
The kitchen includes raised panel wood cabinetry, granite countertops, under-cabinet accent lighting and a Bosch stainless steel appliance package.
Granite or marble countertops are also found in the master bath along with his-and-her vanities, a tiled walk-in shower, a separate tub and his-and-her walk-in closets with built-in cabinets.
The four-bedroom with study Casa Fiore is being constructed in Quail West's Sunnyslope neighborhood. This home features cutting edge architectural details, ceilings that soar to 20 feet and floor-to-ceiling windows that amplify pool, golf course and lake views.
A soft-modern design style plays clean-lined neutral furniture pieces with darker finishes against accessories and artwork. Windows are stacked all the way to the island kitchen's 25-foot ceiling. The natural light enhances the room's rich palette that includes taupes and backsplash details that compliment lighter toned walls.
"McGarvey Custom Homes is known for its attention to detail," said Margrander, "and that will be evident throughout the Casa Fiore. The clean-lined trim package will include beamed ceiling details, 12-inch baseboards and two-piece crown molding around the perimeter and in the ceiling coffers in the dining room, kitchen, leisure room and master bedroom. A morning bar in the master suite, indoor and outdoor fireplaces with pre-cast concrete surrounds, a wet bar and a five-car garage with a motor court will be included. Mud-set stone flooring with numerous inlays and details will be featured in the kitchen, dining room and leisure room. Decorative stone or ceramic tile will be used in the bathrooms.
The study will be finished with hardwood flooring and will include custom built-in cabinetry. The leisure room will feature a custom built-in entertainment cabinet. An airy island kitchen will be equipped with a Viking and Sub-Zero appliance package. The breakfast nook will feature a view of the outdoor living area and pool and include a built-in breakfast bench. All of these features and finishes work beautifully with our soft-modern design style."
The Casa Fiore is perfectly suited to Southwest Florida's outdoor lifestyle. An outdoor living area will include an outdoor kitchen with a 36-inch grill, sink and refrigerator. The 615-square-foot pool will feature a heated spa. The pool deck will be surrounded by an aluminum fence.
2012年2月16日星期四
Officials Say in Manslaughter Case Against Architect
An $11 million mansion in Hollywood Hills was a deathtrap, officials are contending in an unusual criminal case brought against its architect after the death of a Los Angeles firefighter.
Despite the home's hefty pricetag, the fireplaces in place at the time of the blaze did not meet building standards and presented an "extreme immediate and imminent hazard," according to an affidavit attached to an article in the L.A. Now blog of the Los Angeles Times.
Architect Gerhard Albert Becker, 48, was arrested over the weekend when he arrived at the Los Angeles airport from Spain and initially held without bail. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment yesterday in the involuntary manslaughter case, and his bail was set at $2 million, the Associated Press reports.
Court documents (PDF) linked to the newspaper article include a search warrant and affidavit that describe the alleged cause of the Feb. 16, 2011 fire and say Becker was both the owner and designer of the home.
He told fire investigators he is licensed as an architect in Germany and Spain and planned and built the fireplaces himself because he wanted to be sure the job was done right, the affidavit says. According to officials, the home had no fireplaces when a building inspection was performed and Becker said at that time he didn't intend to install any, although plans called for a standard gas fireplace.
The affidavit says a building inspector determined that the fireplaces in the home were not constructed in a typical manner, which would have involved the use of noncombustible materials such as brick or stone, liner material that was resistant to high temperatures and an angled design intended to help vent heat and ash through a flue leading out of the building.
In the Hollywood Hills home, by contrast, the fireplaces were built of wood framing and lined on the bottom, sides and top with combustible drywall that ordinarily is used for standard walls, according to the document. Ceramic tile or slate was glued to the drywall.
Among other ways in which the building inspector found that the construction "fails to meet any standards for approved fireplaces," the affidavit says, one of the fireplaces was vented into the interior of the mansion. It appears from the affidavit that all of the fireplaces were gas, rather than wood-burning, and allegedly were manufactured for use outdoors rather than indoors.
Becker allegedly told investigators that he considered his installations architectural or decorative features, rather than fireplaces.
Glenn Allen, a Los Angeles firefighter, was buried in debris after the ceiling of the home collapsed during the fire, the affidavit says. Unconscious and not breathing when he was rescued several minutes later, he died in a hospital two days after the fire. An autopsy determined the cause to be mechanical asphyxiation.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said that the fire started as a result of gross negligence, the AP article reports. As far as he is aware, the case against Becker may be the only one in which alleged building defects resulted in an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Despite the home's hefty pricetag, the fireplaces in place at the time of the blaze did not meet building standards and presented an "extreme immediate and imminent hazard," according to an affidavit attached to an article in the L.A. Now blog of the Los Angeles Times.
Architect Gerhard Albert Becker, 48, was arrested over the weekend when he arrived at the Los Angeles airport from Spain and initially held without bail. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment yesterday in the involuntary manslaughter case, and his bail was set at $2 million, the Associated Press reports.
Court documents (PDF) linked to the newspaper article include a search warrant and affidavit that describe the alleged cause of the Feb. 16, 2011 fire and say Becker was both the owner and designer of the home.
He told fire investigators he is licensed as an architect in Germany and Spain and planned and built the fireplaces himself because he wanted to be sure the job was done right, the affidavit says. According to officials, the home had no fireplaces when a building inspection was performed and Becker said at that time he didn't intend to install any, although plans called for a standard gas fireplace.
The affidavit says a building inspector determined that the fireplaces in the home were not constructed in a typical manner, which would have involved the use of noncombustible materials such as brick or stone, liner material that was resistant to high temperatures and an angled design intended to help vent heat and ash through a flue leading out of the building.
In the Hollywood Hills home, by contrast, the fireplaces were built of wood framing and lined on the bottom, sides and top with combustible drywall that ordinarily is used for standard walls, according to the document. Ceramic tile or slate was glued to the drywall.
Among other ways in which the building inspector found that the construction "fails to meet any standards for approved fireplaces," the affidavit says, one of the fireplaces was vented into the interior of the mansion. It appears from the affidavit that all of the fireplaces were gas, rather than wood-burning, and allegedly were manufactured for use outdoors rather than indoors.
Becker allegedly told investigators that he considered his installations architectural or decorative features, rather than fireplaces.
Glenn Allen, a Los Angeles firefighter, was buried in debris after the ceiling of the home collapsed during the fire, the affidavit says. Unconscious and not breathing when he was rescued several minutes later, he died in a hospital two days after the fire. An autopsy determined the cause to be mechanical asphyxiation.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said that the fire started as a result of gross negligence, the AP article reports. As far as he is aware, the case against Becker may be the only one in which alleged building defects resulted in an involuntary manslaughter charge.
2012年2月15日星期三
Olsons ‘take show(room) on the road’
Executive Interiors takes its product on the road, arriving at destinations via a motorbus so customers can view flooring and tile at its destination – not merely in the showroom.
“Anyone can have a flooring business. We cater to the needs of the client,” sales representative Chris Gatewood said the unique marketing niche.
Matt and Alyssa Olson offer all types of flooring, countertops and Amish cabinetry at the showroom at 506 Henrietta North – ceramic, porcelain, tile, carpet, vinyl, stone and wood.
But parked in the garage, is the bus, loaded with samples.
“It’s the nicer of the uglies,” Alyssa joked of the truck they found in Brainerd in 2009, the decision to buy following prayer on the matter – and lunch for the kids.
A home’s lighting is often much different than a showroom’s, Matt explained of bringing samples on site. “This saves time for both.”
Matt’s experience in the industry began 11 years ago, working with Keith Blumberg. He attended seminars to learn the “tricks of the trade.” He began Lakes Area Tile in Park Rapids in 2003, but subsequently moved to Rochester, where he opened a store.
Matt was returning to Park Rapids with samples when the idea of a mobile showroom emerged. “It started from necessity,” he said. “But it’s worked out well.”
The move to Rochester proved pivotal, not from a business perspective, but for the twins Alyssa was pregnant with at the time. Alexander and Aiden, now 4, were not sharing blood and oxygen properly. The Mayo doctors detected the problem and corrected it.
“Meanwhile, the economy dipped,” Matt said. “We still had our home, so we moved back.”
Executive Interiors products are backed by warranty. They offer free estimates, with installation completed on residential and commercial properties – from restaurants to grocery and bookstores, to hotels, apartments and churches. References will be supplied on request.
They also will complete custom showers and concrete countertops. And their service radius ranges from Rousseau to Minot and points in between.
“No job is too small,” Matt said.
“Anyone can have a flooring business. We cater to the needs of the client,” sales representative Chris Gatewood said the unique marketing niche.
Matt and Alyssa Olson offer all types of flooring, countertops and Amish cabinetry at the showroom at 506 Henrietta North – ceramic, porcelain, tile, carpet, vinyl, stone and wood.
But parked in the garage, is the bus, loaded with samples.
“It’s the nicer of the uglies,” Alyssa joked of the truck they found in Brainerd in 2009, the decision to buy following prayer on the matter – and lunch for the kids.
A home’s lighting is often much different than a showroom’s, Matt explained of bringing samples on site. “This saves time for both.”
Matt’s experience in the industry began 11 years ago, working with Keith Blumberg. He attended seminars to learn the “tricks of the trade.” He began Lakes Area Tile in Park Rapids in 2003, but subsequently moved to Rochester, where he opened a store.
Matt was returning to Park Rapids with samples when the idea of a mobile showroom emerged. “It started from necessity,” he said. “But it’s worked out well.”
The move to Rochester proved pivotal, not from a business perspective, but for the twins Alyssa was pregnant with at the time. Alexander and Aiden, now 4, were not sharing blood and oxygen properly. The Mayo doctors detected the problem and corrected it.
“Meanwhile, the economy dipped,” Matt said. “We still had our home, so we moved back.”
Executive Interiors products are backed by warranty. They offer free estimates, with installation completed on residential and commercial properties – from restaurants to grocery and bookstores, to hotels, apartments and churches. References will be supplied on request.
They also will complete custom showers and concrete countertops. And their service radius ranges from Rousseau to Minot and points in between.
“No job is too small,” Matt said.
2012年2月14日星期二
Milwaukee/NARI Members Suggest Tweaking Your Home to Suit Your Aging in Place Needs
The number of homeowners between the ages of 55 and 74 is set to increase by 10.2 million from now until the year 2020 and nearly 90 percent of those 65 and over prefer to stay in their home as long as possible. This trend, called aging in place, has area remodelers busy with modifications that can help homeowners remain in their homes as long as possible.
Remodeler Rick Bartelt is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and owner of Bartelt - The Remodeling Resource in Delafield. “Homeowners don’t want to have a handicapped-accessible home when they don’t have any physical limitations. But we can make improvements so it isn’t a difficult transition if somebody were to have a serious situation develop. We encourage them to think about what will help them stay in that house down the road without making it seem institutional,” he said.
“Every home and every homeowner’s needs are different, but being aging in place specialists, we always make suggestions that could help in the future,” said Mark Brick, CR, CAPS, owner of B & E General Contractors, Glendale.
“Many things a homeowner can do are simple and inexpensive. There are subtle elements such as decorative grab bars in the bathroom, softer flooring in the kitchen, motion sensors that automatically turn lights off and on, timers on bathroom humidity/exhaust fans, and levers on doors and faucets to name a few,” Brick said.
“As specialists, we do suggest aging in place principals, but some homeowners are not ready. We urge them to look at the big picture whether they are in their 40s or their 60s,” said Jim Klappa, CGR, CAPS, owner of JDJ Builders, Inc., Greenfield.
“We address the current needs of the individual as well as what they will need in the future,” Klappa said. One of the best things when remodeling a bathroom is to have enough flexibility so if a wheelchair is needed, there is a proper turning radius. It is easy enough to do by taking space from a closet or an adjoining bathroom. If we are bumping out a wall, we can create enough space for a laundry room as well. A main floor laundry gets more important as a person starts to age,” he said.
There are many things on the market now that are more user-friendly to individuals of all abilities, such as front controls on stoves, microwaves in drawers, pull-out cabinets, and a plethora of lighting options.
“We’ll be seeing more of this as the population ages, even window treatments,” said Bartelt. He referred to the option of having shades that are not controlled by strings, but by side levers. “It’s easy for someone who has strength issues and it’s nice because you don’t have to worry about a toddler getting caught up in strings,” he said.
“Suppliers like plumbing and cabinetry manufacturers are making more products available,” said Brick, who has seen more of a presence of these things at builder and remodeler trade shows. “We are seeing more interest in this trend.”
Remodeler Rick Bartelt is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and owner of Bartelt - The Remodeling Resource in Delafield. “Homeowners don’t want to have a handicapped-accessible home when they don’t have any physical limitations. But we can make improvements so it isn’t a difficult transition if somebody were to have a serious situation develop. We encourage them to think about what will help them stay in that house down the road without making it seem institutional,” he said.
“Every home and every homeowner’s needs are different, but being aging in place specialists, we always make suggestions that could help in the future,” said Mark Brick, CR, CAPS, owner of B & E General Contractors, Glendale.
“Many things a homeowner can do are simple and inexpensive. There are subtle elements such as decorative grab bars in the bathroom, softer flooring in the kitchen, motion sensors that automatically turn lights off and on, timers on bathroom humidity/exhaust fans, and levers on doors and faucets to name a few,” Brick said.
“As specialists, we do suggest aging in place principals, but some homeowners are not ready. We urge them to look at the big picture whether they are in their 40s or their 60s,” said Jim Klappa, CGR, CAPS, owner of JDJ Builders, Inc., Greenfield.
“We address the current needs of the individual as well as what they will need in the future,” Klappa said. One of the best things when remodeling a bathroom is to have enough flexibility so if a wheelchair is needed, there is a proper turning radius. It is easy enough to do by taking space from a closet or an adjoining bathroom. If we are bumping out a wall, we can create enough space for a laundry room as well. A main floor laundry gets more important as a person starts to age,” he said.
There are many things on the market now that are more user-friendly to individuals of all abilities, such as front controls on stoves, microwaves in drawers, pull-out cabinets, and a plethora of lighting options.
“We’ll be seeing more of this as the population ages, even window treatments,” said Bartelt. He referred to the option of having shades that are not controlled by strings, but by side levers. “It’s easy for someone who has strength issues and it’s nice because you don’t have to worry about a toddler getting caught up in strings,” he said.
“Suppliers like plumbing and cabinetry manufacturers are making more products available,” said Brick, who has seen more of a presence of these things at builder and remodeler trade shows. “We are seeing more interest in this trend.”
2012年2月13日星期一
NSF International offering environmental certification
NSF International, an independent global organization that writes public health standards and certifies products for food, water and consumer goods, now offers Green Squared Certification for sustainable ceramic tiles, glass tiles and installation materials.
NSF’s Sustainability division is a leading developer of sustainable standards and certification programs for building and furnishing products such as furniture, wallcoverings, and furnishing fabrics, carpets and flooring.
Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), Green Squared certification provides accurate, third-party verified information on the environmental impacts of certified tile products.
Green Squared certification through NSF Sustainability helps manufacturers and suppliers of tiles and installation materials distinguish their products from competitors, earn preferred vendor status by environmentally-minded consumers and companies, and demonstrate compliance to state and federal purchasing requirements.
The NSF certification process includes a comprehensive documentation review and onsite facility audit to verify conformance to the standard upon which the Green Squared certification program is based -- ANSI A138.1 American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials.
This consensus-based standard requires an evaluation of products in five categories of performance: product characteristics, manufacturing, corporate governance, innovation, and end-of-life.
“Green Squared provides a standard of excellence in sustainability for the entire industry as it covers not just tile products but also the materials required for their installation,” says Bill Griese, TCNA standards development and green initiative manager. “We are pleased that the certification bodies we have participating in Green Squared are leaders in the realm of developing sustainability standards and certification programs for interior furnishing products, and these organizations have the expertise and industry experience necessary to provide high quality certifications under the Green Squared program.”
Tiles covered by the Green Squared program may include mosaic, quarry, pressed floor, glazed wall, porcelain, specialty, cast glass, fused glass, and low-temperature coated glass tiles.
Installation materials may include mortar adhesives, mastic adhesives, reactive resin adhesives, grouts, tile backer units, crack isolation membranes, waterproofing membranes, water containment membranes, and sound reduction membranes.
NSF’s Sustainability division is a leading developer of sustainable standards and certification programs for building and furnishing products such as furniture, wallcoverings, and furnishing fabrics, carpets and flooring.
Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), Green Squared certification provides accurate, third-party verified information on the environmental impacts of certified tile products.
Green Squared certification through NSF Sustainability helps manufacturers and suppliers of tiles and installation materials distinguish their products from competitors, earn preferred vendor status by environmentally-minded consumers and companies, and demonstrate compliance to state and federal purchasing requirements.
The NSF certification process includes a comprehensive documentation review and onsite facility audit to verify conformance to the standard upon which the Green Squared certification program is based -- ANSI A138.1 American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials.
This consensus-based standard requires an evaluation of products in five categories of performance: product characteristics, manufacturing, corporate governance, innovation, and end-of-life.
“Green Squared provides a standard of excellence in sustainability for the entire industry as it covers not just tile products but also the materials required for their installation,” says Bill Griese, TCNA standards development and green initiative manager. “We are pleased that the certification bodies we have participating in Green Squared are leaders in the realm of developing sustainability standards and certification programs for interior furnishing products, and these organizations have the expertise and industry experience necessary to provide high quality certifications under the Green Squared program.”
Tiles covered by the Green Squared program may include mosaic, quarry, pressed floor, glazed wall, porcelain, specialty, cast glass, fused glass, and low-temperature coated glass tiles.
Installation materials may include mortar adhesives, mastic adhesives, reactive resin adhesives, grouts, tile backer units, crack isolation membranes, waterproofing membranes, water containment membranes, and sound reduction membranes.
2012年2月12日星期日
Local Artist Donates Fireplace Tiles to Westfield Historical Society
Renowned ceramic tile artist and former Westfield resident Stacey Farley created and donated more than a dozen tiles that tell the story of life in Westfield in the early 1900s.
Members of the Westfield Historical Society gathered Saturday morning for the unveiling of the tiles that frame the fireplace inside the former home of the Reeve family, which currently serves as The Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center on Mountain Avenue.
Farley, who has been making ceramic tile art for over 25 years, has had her work installed at train stations—including the Westfield station—museums, gardens and parks. The work of the artist, who holds a BA from Brown University and an MFA from the University of Illinois in Chicago, often reflects a bygone era and such is the case at The Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center.
Spending countless hours pouring over hundreds of photographs, Farley created a narrative that pays homage to a time and place in Westfield, using a timeless material – clay.
"My plan is that this will last for hundreds of years," said Farley, who noted that many times the only thing that withstands the test of time in an older building is the tilework. "I try to make it to last forever and I try to make it relevant to the site."
The tiles include a glimpse at Ralph Reeve, who grew up in the home which dates back to the 1870s, on horseback. Another tile displays a postcard from 1901. Above the fireplace, a panoramic tile depicts a large group of children in front of the Rialto Theatre.
"It was nice to find such a fabulous picture," said Farley, who added that is rare to find photos of women and children from that period in history.
Historical Society President Nancy Priest welcomed and thanked guests for attending the 11 a.m. unveiling. Priest said it was Lee Hale who first suggested contacting Farley, whom all deemed a "perfect match" for the project. Priest said Farley "graciously agreed" to undertake the endeavor, which the artist called "a pleasure."
Betty Jane Kowalski, Vice Chair of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, said it is wonderful to see the beautiful restoration work that has been done to the home over the past decade.
She added that the County was "pleased and proud" to have contributed its support through the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
Historical Society curator Stan Lipson suggested that those who didn't want to crouch down to look at the tiles could view the photos they depict in the dining room via a digital picture frame.
Other recent improvements include the replacement of half the windows at The Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center, Priest said. The other half will be updated as soon as additional funding is procured.
"It's coming together little by little," said Priest, who added that the Historical Society hopes to construct an archives building on the property to house the artifacts that are currently stored at the Board of Education building.
Following the unveiling, guests were able to tour the home and enjoy refreshments.
Sherry Cronin, vice-president of the society, said upcoming events will offer the community a chance to learn more about the rich history of the building and the Reeve family, who resided in the home from 1906 until 2001.
A basement sale on Saturday, Feb. 25 will be held to raise money for the society's continuing efforts. Tours and exhibits will also be offered in March and April.
Members of the Westfield Historical Society gathered Saturday morning for the unveiling of the tiles that frame the fireplace inside the former home of the Reeve family, which currently serves as The Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center on Mountain Avenue.
Farley, who has been making ceramic tile art for over 25 years, has had her work installed at train stations—including the Westfield station—museums, gardens and parks. The work of the artist, who holds a BA from Brown University and an MFA from the University of Illinois in Chicago, often reflects a bygone era and such is the case at The Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center.
Spending countless hours pouring over hundreds of photographs, Farley created a narrative that pays homage to a time and place in Westfield, using a timeless material – clay.
"My plan is that this will last for hundreds of years," said Farley, who noted that many times the only thing that withstands the test of time in an older building is the tilework. "I try to make it to last forever and I try to make it relevant to the site."
The tiles include a glimpse at Ralph Reeve, who grew up in the home which dates back to the 1870s, on horseback. Another tile displays a postcard from 1901. Above the fireplace, a panoramic tile depicts a large group of children in front of the Rialto Theatre.
"It was nice to find such a fabulous picture," said Farley, who added that is rare to find photos of women and children from that period in history.
Historical Society President Nancy Priest welcomed and thanked guests for attending the 11 a.m. unveiling. Priest said it was Lee Hale who first suggested contacting Farley, whom all deemed a "perfect match" for the project. Priest said Farley "graciously agreed" to undertake the endeavor, which the artist called "a pleasure."
Betty Jane Kowalski, Vice Chair of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, said it is wonderful to see the beautiful restoration work that has been done to the home over the past decade.
She added that the County was "pleased and proud" to have contributed its support through the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
Historical Society curator Stan Lipson suggested that those who didn't want to crouch down to look at the tiles could view the photos they depict in the dining room via a digital picture frame.
Other recent improvements include the replacement of half the windows at The Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center, Priest said. The other half will be updated as soon as additional funding is procured.
"It's coming together little by little," said Priest, who added that the Historical Society hopes to construct an archives building on the property to house the artifacts that are currently stored at the Board of Education building.
Following the unveiling, guests were able to tour the home and enjoy refreshments.
Sherry Cronin, vice-president of the society, said upcoming events will offer the community a chance to learn more about the rich history of the building and the Reeve family, who resided in the home from 1906 until 2001.
A basement sale on Saturday, Feb. 25 will be held to raise money for the society's continuing efforts. Tours and exhibits will also be offered in March and April.
2012年2月9日星期四
By Martha Marteney - ReminderNews
In honor of Black History Month, Manchester Community College is hosting the art exhibit, “Present,” by two local artists, Chotsani E. Dean and Howard el-Yasin, in the Hans Weiss Newspace gallery. Dean grew up in Windsor and now lives in Hartford. Currently a resident of New Haven, el-Yasin lived in Hartford as a teen. At the opening reception on Feb. 2, the artists described their works and the connection they feel to their history.
“A lot of work that I make comes out of my communal ancestry,” said Dean, whose pieces feature ceramic tiles hung on the wall, reminiscent of quilts. She explained that quilting provided an outlet not only for creativity and resourcefulness, but as a way to communicate through the symbols used in the quilts. This was especially important during the antebellum period, when many plantation mistresses taught the women slaves how to quilt. Dean noted that the women sometimes also learned to read and write, which was prohibited, but the men did not pay attention to the women during their quilting bees.
“I’m particularly honored to be part of show for Black History Month,” said el-Yasin, even through he said he does not consider himself as an Afro-American artist. Rather, he likes his forms to give a connection to history both through the discarded materials he uses and through his work process, which often involves, for example, adding color and taking it away. “Things are built up, changed, erased,” he said, much like each person’s individual history.
According to MCC professor Susan Classen-Sullivan, Dean and el-Yasin were selected for this exhibit because they are both important, contemporary artists. She also felt there would be a good conversation between Dean’s and el-Yasin’s pieces, a sentiment with which both artists agreed.
This is the first exhibit specifically for Black History Month, which was first suggested by Dean of Student Affairs G. Duncan Harris more than a year ago, but took some time to coordinate into the exhibit schedule. Harris said he felt is would be important for African-American students to see they can succeed in the arts, “to see that dream become a reality,” he said.
Referring to the multitude of Dean’s ceramic tiles that make up the “quilt” installations, Melissa Steward, an MCC social services student, said, “Her pieces are talking to me.” Steward was looking for inspiration for a Drawing II project that requires her to draw the same subject 50 times.
During el-Yasin’s opening remarks, MCC adjunct professor Anthony Billard observed el-Yasin’s “Verboten” (“Forbidden,” in German), saying, “I was having a dialogue with ‘Verboten’ of the entrapment and cage-like structure.” The hanging piece is made of twigs, twine, nails and hair. According to el-Yasin, that form reminds him that in Africa, the woods is a place where people are forced out into.
“I really like the tiles,” said Linda Bradley, who teaches Drawing I at MCC. “I usually work in black and white, so I admire people who work in color.” She also appreciated the apparent simplicity and spontaneity of the installation. Dean explained that the installations change each time the tiles are hung.
We Wilmoth’s favorite piece was el-Yasin’s “Layer Weight #1,” which features the layers of paint built up and removed. “There’s so many things you can see in it,” said Wilmoth, an MCC general studies student.
“A lot of work that I make comes out of my communal ancestry,” said Dean, whose pieces feature ceramic tiles hung on the wall, reminiscent of quilts. She explained that quilting provided an outlet not only for creativity and resourcefulness, but as a way to communicate through the symbols used in the quilts. This was especially important during the antebellum period, when many plantation mistresses taught the women slaves how to quilt. Dean noted that the women sometimes also learned to read and write, which was prohibited, but the men did not pay attention to the women during their quilting bees.
“I’m particularly honored to be part of show for Black History Month,” said el-Yasin, even through he said he does not consider himself as an Afro-American artist. Rather, he likes his forms to give a connection to history both through the discarded materials he uses and through his work process, which often involves, for example, adding color and taking it away. “Things are built up, changed, erased,” he said, much like each person’s individual history.
According to MCC professor Susan Classen-Sullivan, Dean and el-Yasin were selected for this exhibit because they are both important, contemporary artists. She also felt there would be a good conversation between Dean’s and el-Yasin’s pieces, a sentiment with which both artists agreed.
This is the first exhibit specifically for Black History Month, which was first suggested by Dean of Student Affairs G. Duncan Harris more than a year ago, but took some time to coordinate into the exhibit schedule. Harris said he felt is would be important for African-American students to see they can succeed in the arts, “to see that dream become a reality,” he said.
Referring to the multitude of Dean’s ceramic tiles that make up the “quilt” installations, Melissa Steward, an MCC social services student, said, “Her pieces are talking to me.” Steward was looking for inspiration for a Drawing II project that requires her to draw the same subject 50 times.
During el-Yasin’s opening remarks, MCC adjunct professor Anthony Billard observed el-Yasin’s “Verboten” (“Forbidden,” in German), saying, “I was having a dialogue with ‘Verboten’ of the entrapment and cage-like structure.” The hanging piece is made of twigs, twine, nails and hair. According to el-Yasin, that form reminds him that in Africa, the woods is a place where people are forced out into.
“I really like the tiles,” said Linda Bradley, who teaches Drawing I at MCC. “I usually work in black and white, so I admire people who work in color.” She also appreciated the apparent simplicity and spontaneity of the installation. Dean explained that the installations change each time the tiles are hung.
We Wilmoth’s favorite piece was el-Yasin’s “Layer Weight #1,” which features the layers of paint built up and removed. “There’s so many things you can see in it,” said Wilmoth, an MCC general studies student.
2012年2月8日星期三
House Hunting in ... Croatia
This eight-bedroom stone villa, built in 2005, was designed to house a large extended family or to function as an owner-occupied vacation rental. In addition to the owner’s two-bedroom unit on the second floor, the four-story structure has a one-bedroom apartment and five studios, each with a bath and a kitchenette. Made of gray stone, with a red-tiled roof, the house has a one-car garage and a gated courtyard with a swimming pool. The one-bedroom apartment is on the first floor; it faces the pool and adjoins an exercise room. The main entrance, which opens onto a patio with a tiled roof, is one flight up. It is reached via a stone staircase.
The entire second floor is taken up by the owner’s two-bedroom apartment. The kitchen has a cream-colored ceramic tiled floor and windows overlooking the patio (also called a gloriette). The wood cabinets are painted white, and the hardware is stainless steel. The living room has an oak floor and pale yellow walls mounted with contemporary rectangular light fixtures. A sliding glass door opens onto a balcony with stucco arches overlooking the garden and the Adriatic Sea. The master bedroom, off the living room, has orange lacquered closet doors. The adjacent hall bath has a tub with a hand-held shower nozzle. The bathroom, its walls lined with yellow and white tile, has a bidet. The other bathroom, near the front door, has a shower stall and glossy turquoise tile.
The property is on a hillside cul-de-sac 15 minutes north of Dubrovnik in the village of Zaton. A small downtown, within walking distance, has restaurants, shops, a newsstand and a post office. The harbor, where you can swim and moor a boat for the day, is a five-minute walk. For longer-term boat moorings, the marina at the Adriatic Croatia International Club is about 10 minutes away.
The property market in Croatia is “generally steady, but coastal areas have slightly picked up since August,” thanks in part to foreign buyers, said Ivo Perkovic, a sales agent for First Property Croatia in Split. Prices in some areas are still off as much as 25 percent from their 2007 peak; Mr. Perkovic believes prices have stabilized at this new lower level. He said that although interest among Croatian buyers was strong, high mortgage interest rates were impeding purchases. Foreign buyers almost always pay cash, he added, because banks in Croatia generally will not lend to them.
“Prices in Dubrovnik are the highest in Croatia,” said Tatjana Tosic, director of property marketing and sales for the Dubrovnik Sun Gardens Resort. And Mr. Perkovic says homes in move-in condition in Old Town Dubrovnik start at 3,000 euros per square meter (about $365 per square foot, at 0.76 euros to the dollar).
Ms. Tosic says prices in the Dubrovnik region can go as high as 6,000 euros per square meter. The home profiled here is priced at 4,375 euros per square meter.
Before the financial crisis hit Europe, Dubrovnik was a popular second-home destination for residents of Britain. There are still some British buyers, Ms. Tosic said, but now the market is dominated by expatriate Croats who want vacation or retirement homes in Croatia. There are also many buyers from former Soviet bloc countries like Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, Ms. Tosic said.
Mr. Perkovic cited the area’s popularity in recent years with buyers from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Austria. He has also noticed an increase in the number of Americans, encouraged by a stronger dollar and a perception that property in Croatia will hold its value.
If a foreigner’s home country welcomes Croatian property buyers, Croatia will reciprocate. “This depends on bilateral agreements between Croatia and that particular country,” said Vedrana Kelleher, sales director for Savills Croatia.
“At this point in time, besides Croatian citizens, all citizens of E.U. can also buy without any restrictions,” she said.
Transaction costs include a 5 percent transfer tax paid by the buyer, and legal fees of about 1 percent of the purchase price, Ms. Kelleher noted. Legal fees cover the cost of obtaining government approval, which for American buyers is typically a straightforward process. Some agencies charge buyers a real estate agent commission of up to 2 percent, though Ms. Kelleher said that was not routinely the case.
Foreign buyers are urged to make sure the agent they use is licensed, as there are otherwise few legal protections, Mr. Perkovic said.
Real estate prices are advertised in euros, but the transaction takes place in kunas, according to Ms. Kelleher. The final exchange rate is determined on the day of sale.
The entire second floor is taken up by the owner’s two-bedroom apartment. The kitchen has a cream-colored ceramic tiled floor and windows overlooking the patio (also called a gloriette). The wood cabinets are painted white, and the hardware is stainless steel. The living room has an oak floor and pale yellow walls mounted with contemporary rectangular light fixtures. A sliding glass door opens onto a balcony with stucco arches overlooking the garden and the Adriatic Sea. The master bedroom, off the living room, has orange lacquered closet doors. The adjacent hall bath has a tub with a hand-held shower nozzle. The bathroom, its walls lined with yellow and white tile, has a bidet. The other bathroom, near the front door, has a shower stall and glossy turquoise tile.
The property is on a hillside cul-de-sac 15 minutes north of Dubrovnik in the village of Zaton. A small downtown, within walking distance, has restaurants, shops, a newsstand and a post office. The harbor, where you can swim and moor a boat for the day, is a five-minute walk. For longer-term boat moorings, the marina at the Adriatic Croatia International Club is about 10 minutes away.
The property market in Croatia is “generally steady, but coastal areas have slightly picked up since August,” thanks in part to foreign buyers, said Ivo Perkovic, a sales agent for First Property Croatia in Split. Prices in some areas are still off as much as 25 percent from their 2007 peak; Mr. Perkovic believes prices have stabilized at this new lower level. He said that although interest among Croatian buyers was strong, high mortgage interest rates were impeding purchases. Foreign buyers almost always pay cash, he added, because banks in Croatia generally will not lend to them.
“Prices in Dubrovnik are the highest in Croatia,” said Tatjana Tosic, director of property marketing and sales for the Dubrovnik Sun Gardens Resort. And Mr. Perkovic says homes in move-in condition in Old Town Dubrovnik start at 3,000 euros per square meter (about $365 per square foot, at 0.76 euros to the dollar).
Ms. Tosic says prices in the Dubrovnik region can go as high as 6,000 euros per square meter. The home profiled here is priced at 4,375 euros per square meter.
Before the financial crisis hit Europe, Dubrovnik was a popular second-home destination for residents of Britain. There are still some British buyers, Ms. Tosic said, but now the market is dominated by expatriate Croats who want vacation or retirement homes in Croatia. There are also many buyers from former Soviet bloc countries like Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, Ms. Tosic said.
Mr. Perkovic cited the area’s popularity in recent years with buyers from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Austria. He has also noticed an increase in the number of Americans, encouraged by a stronger dollar and a perception that property in Croatia will hold its value.
If a foreigner’s home country welcomes Croatian property buyers, Croatia will reciprocate. “This depends on bilateral agreements between Croatia and that particular country,” said Vedrana Kelleher, sales director for Savills Croatia.
“At this point in time, besides Croatian citizens, all citizens of E.U. can also buy without any restrictions,” she said.
Transaction costs include a 5 percent transfer tax paid by the buyer, and legal fees of about 1 percent of the purchase price, Ms. Kelleher noted. Legal fees cover the cost of obtaining government approval, which for American buyers is typically a straightforward process. Some agencies charge buyers a real estate agent commission of up to 2 percent, though Ms. Kelleher said that was not routinely the case.
Foreign buyers are urged to make sure the agent they use is licensed, as there are otherwise few legal protections, Mr. Perkovic said.
Real estate prices are advertised in euros, but the transaction takes place in kunas, according to Ms. Kelleher. The final exchange rate is determined on the day of sale.
2012年2月7日星期二
Birmingham developer plans luxury apartments near Winchester
A Birmingham developer plans to erect 328 luxury apartments near the southwest corner of Winchester and Forest Hill-Irene.
The $29 million plan for Miller Creek Apartments has started making its way through the regulatory process.
The project will require a change to the 16-year-old Forest Hill Heights Planned Development for commercial and office uses to allow multifamily housing.
Red Mountain Development has a contract to buy the 20 acres.
The firm builds townhouses, apartments and condos throughout the South, including Birmingham, Charleston, S.C., Huntsville, Ala., Chattanooga and Little Rock.
Finishes and amenities for Miller Creek’s dozen buildings will include granite countertops, ceramic tile in the bathrooms, faux wood floors, resort-style pool, fitness center with cardio and theater equipment, a bocce ball court, garden space for residents, a recycling center, a yoga and spinning room, a cyber cafe and coffee bar, three to four acres of green space, and a community grilling area with outdoor kitchen and fireplace.
“This property will definitely raise the bar for the quality of multifamily housing in the Memphis area,” Red Mountain Development president Robb Crumpton said.
Red Mountain wants to build in Memphis because there’s been a lack of a new supply of apartments and because it feels it has found an ideal spot.
The Winchester/Forest Hill-Irene intersection is surrounded by jobs, Crumpton said, including Southwind office park, FedEx World Headquarters, FedEx Technology Center in Collierville, and Nonconnah Corporate Center.
The site is in unincorporated Shelby County, but within Memphis annexation reserve area.
Blake Pera, who analyzes the multihousing market as vice president for CB Richard Ellis Memphis, agrees it’s a good time to build these apartments.
“Market fundamentals have been improving in the Memphis market for the last few years, and operations at Class “A” properties have shown strong growth,” Pera said.
“This has been a compelling story nationally for the last 12-24 months, and apartments will continue to perform very well against the stagnant single family market,’’ he said. “Red Mountain builds a beautiful product, one that should be well received by the market.”
The site is on Winchester, 1,165 feet west of Forest Hill-Irene Road.
The Memphis/Shelby County Office of Planning and Development staff recommends approval, but with some conditions.
Multifamily housing is compatible in an area that already has major apartment developments just west on Winchester, the staff report states.
The $29 million plan for Miller Creek Apartments has started making its way through the regulatory process.
The project will require a change to the 16-year-old Forest Hill Heights Planned Development for commercial and office uses to allow multifamily housing.
Red Mountain Development has a contract to buy the 20 acres.
The firm builds townhouses, apartments and condos throughout the South, including Birmingham, Charleston, S.C., Huntsville, Ala., Chattanooga and Little Rock.
Finishes and amenities for Miller Creek’s dozen buildings will include granite countertops, ceramic tile in the bathrooms, faux wood floors, resort-style pool, fitness center with cardio and theater equipment, a bocce ball court, garden space for residents, a recycling center, a yoga and spinning room, a cyber cafe and coffee bar, three to four acres of green space, and a community grilling area with outdoor kitchen and fireplace.
“This property will definitely raise the bar for the quality of multifamily housing in the Memphis area,” Red Mountain Development president Robb Crumpton said.
Red Mountain wants to build in Memphis because there’s been a lack of a new supply of apartments and because it feels it has found an ideal spot.
The Winchester/Forest Hill-Irene intersection is surrounded by jobs, Crumpton said, including Southwind office park, FedEx World Headquarters, FedEx Technology Center in Collierville, and Nonconnah Corporate Center.
The site is in unincorporated Shelby County, but within Memphis annexation reserve area.
Blake Pera, who analyzes the multihousing market as vice president for CB Richard Ellis Memphis, agrees it’s a good time to build these apartments.
“Market fundamentals have been improving in the Memphis market for the last few years, and operations at Class “A” properties have shown strong growth,” Pera said.
“This has been a compelling story nationally for the last 12-24 months, and apartments will continue to perform very well against the stagnant single family market,’’ he said. “Red Mountain builds a beautiful product, one that should be well received by the market.”
The site is on Winchester, 1,165 feet west of Forest Hill-Irene Road.
The Memphis/Shelby County Office of Planning and Development staff recommends approval, but with some conditions.
Multifamily housing is compatible in an area that already has major apartment developments just west on Winchester, the staff report states.
2012年2月6日星期一
Regency imports ceramic tiles to sustain brand equity
Hyderabad-based Regency Ceramics Limited has started importing ceramic tile products, besides sourcing in part from
Indian manufacturers to ensure continuity in terms of market share and its brand name in the aftermath of the closure
of its factory at Yanam in Puducherry.
The company has declared lockout of the manufacturing facility, along with ancillary units, after it was subjected to
large-scale vandalism on January 27.
“We are importing the products from countries like Italy as well as sourcing them from domestic manufacturers to
sell under our brand name. We have built our brand in the marketplace by putting in a lot of efforts, commitment
towards quality and money over the decades. We cannot afford to lose any of these, including our market share,” GN
Naidu, chairman of Regency Ceramics, told reporters here on Monday.
While the company maintains that the lockout was a temporary measure to facilitate the ongoing police investigation
into the attack and destruction of factory premises, assessment of the damage done to plant and machinery apart from
allowing the situation to get back to normalcy, it is yet to get a clear picture on how much time will it require for
a possible revival of operations at Yanam.
“We have no clue as to whether the machinery can be brought back to original shape and the conditions prevailed in
Yanam are far from normal even today. We are bringing technical experts from Europe to evaluate the status of the
assets at Yanam as the equipment and machinery in the plant were imported from countries like Italy and Spain,”
Naidu said.
Responding to a question, he said the government of Puducherry had not approached the company with any concrete
proposal for facilitating the revival of the plant.
Stating that the hand of outsiders in the attack on the factory and even the killing of the company president
(operations) KC Chandrasekhar on the fateful night was established beyond any doubt, the collusion of a section of
the factory employees in this destruction was also needed to be investigated before restarting the operations,
according to the company chairman.
While reiterating his demand for a CBI probe into the incident, he said that some of the workers were recruited
without their antecedents being thoroughly verified and this had to be rectified. He alleged that the attack was
planned one year ahead.
Though the company initially said that the loss would be about Rs 150 crore, a detailed assessment of damage for
claiming insurance has still been under way.
The production came to a halt ever since about 1,200-odd workers joined the tool-down strike on December 5. Efforts
to arriving at a negotiated settlement under the supervision of Yanam collector fell through on January 3, leading to
a complete stalemate between the management and the workers on demands such as announcement of an interim increment
culminating into large-scale violence on January 27, according to the company management.
The company is suffering Rs 8-10 crore net loss a month due to loss of production, Naidu said. The factory was
running at 60 per cent of its installed capacity of 44,000 square metre a day on account of natural gas shortage
during the past couple of years.
Indian manufacturers to ensure continuity in terms of market share and its brand name in the aftermath of the closure
of its factory at Yanam in Puducherry.
The company has declared lockout of the manufacturing facility, along with ancillary units, after it was subjected to
large-scale vandalism on January 27.
“We are importing the products from countries like Italy as well as sourcing them from domestic manufacturers to
sell under our brand name. We have built our brand in the marketplace by putting in a lot of efforts, commitment
towards quality and money over the decades. We cannot afford to lose any of these, including our market share,” GN
Naidu, chairman of Regency Ceramics, told reporters here on Monday.
While the company maintains that the lockout was a temporary measure to facilitate the ongoing police investigation
into the attack and destruction of factory premises, assessment of the damage done to plant and machinery apart from
allowing the situation to get back to normalcy, it is yet to get a clear picture on how much time will it require for
a possible revival of operations at Yanam.
“We have no clue as to whether the machinery can be brought back to original shape and the conditions prevailed in
Yanam are far from normal even today. We are bringing technical experts from Europe to evaluate the status of the
assets at Yanam as the equipment and machinery in the plant were imported from countries like Italy and Spain,”
Naidu said.
Responding to a question, he said the government of Puducherry had not approached the company with any concrete
proposal for facilitating the revival of the plant.
Stating that the hand of outsiders in the attack on the factory and even the killing of the company president
(operations) KC Chandrasekhar on the fateful night was established beyond any doubt, the collusion of a section of
the factory employees in this destruction was also needed to be investigated before restarting the operations,
according to the company chairman.
While reiterating his demand for a CBI probe into the incident, he said that some of the workers were recruited
without their antecedents being thoroughly verified and this had to be rectified. He alleged that the attack was
planned one year ahead.
Though the company initially said that the loss would be about Rs 150 crore, a detailed assessment of damage for
claiming insurance has still been under way.
The production came to a halt ever since about 1,200-odd workers joined the tool-down strike on December 5. Efforts
to arriving at a negotiated settlement under the supervision of Yanam collector fell through on January 3, leading to
a complete stalemate between the management and the workers on demands such as announcement of an interim increment
culminating into large-scale violence on January 27, according to the company management.
The company is suffering Rs 8-10 crore net loss a month due to loss of production, Naidu said. The factory was
running at 60 per cent of its installed capacity of 44,000 square metre a day on account of natural gas shortage
during the past couple of years.
2012年2月5日星期日
Solvay house built in 1845 has 4,362 square feet
Paul Salvatore bought the 1845 Tudor Revival house at 400 Scarboro Drive in 1997. It was a fixer-upper he's been fixing ever since, he said.
"There is still a little bit of work to be done, but a lot has already been done," he said.
Salvatore and his wife, Michelle Salvatore, are temporarily merging their households in the six-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home in the Piercefield section of Solvay. Once they sell the 4,362-square-foot home, on the market for $279,900, they plan to build on land they purchased in Pompey.
The Piercefield neighborhood is known for mansions built in the late 1800s on the former Hazard family estate. Frederick Hazard, former president of the Solvay Process Co., contributed land and resources to the village of Solvay, including the lot for the Solvay Public Library.
The home, on a corner lot, has two asphalt driveways that intersect. The lower, straight driveway ends at the attached two-car garage, and the upper, circular driveway allows passengers to be dropped off at the covered main entrance. Behind the house, with its stucco and half-timber exterior, there is an asphalt basketball court and a fenced area, ideal for a play yard or garden.
The covered double front door is a mover's dream with its level approach and combined opening -- 8 feet high and nearly 5 feet wide. The doors have leaded glass insets, as do the sidelights, and open to a spacious foyer with a triple-width coat closet.
Double French doors in the foyer open to the front-to-back living room which has a leaded glass bay window, a wood-burning fireplace, crown molding and an oak parquet floor.
On the other side of the foyer, another set of double French doors open to the formal dining room. The room has hardwood floors beneath wall-to-wall carpet, a chair rail, crown molding and a built-in Arts & Crafts-style china cabinet.
A third pair of French doors divide a small workout room from the foyer. Beyond the workout room, a glass pocket door slides open to a three-season Florida room with jalousie windows, perched above the garage.
Paul gutted and updated the eat-in kitchen with lots of raised-panel maple cabinets; solid surface, bevel-edged counter tops and new appliances, which will stay in the home. The ceramic tile floor has a rectangular border of river rock outlining the large island. There is a powder room adjacent to the kitchen and the dining room.
The first floor also has a TV room, which could be a home office, between the kitchen and the foyer. There is also a large room with a wood-burning fireplace at the back of the house that the Salvatores use as a gaming room.
The main oak staircase has an Arts & Crafts-style chandelier overhead as well as a leaded glass skylight. There is a second staircase in the back of the house.
There are two master suites in separate wings on the second floor. The suite the Salvatores use has hardwood floors, a walk-in closet and an adjoining sitting room. The sitting room has a generous walk-in cedar closet with access to the unfinished attic. The attic has a brick fireplace, exposed brick walls and a vaulted ceiling. Paul calls that part of the attic the "someday room" because he had hoped to someday remodel and annex the space and incorporate it into a stunning master suite.
The master sitting room also has access to an outdoor deck on the roof above the Florida room and to a full bath with a combination tub and shower.
There are two other full bathrooms on the second floor, one with seafoam green glass wall tiles and another with black and white glass tiles.
The second-floor bedrooms include a petite nursery, decorated and ready to accommodate a child or grandchild.
All windows have been replaced and the home has a security system. Paul replaced the steam heat boiler, powered by natural gas, a month ago. The home is on public water and sewers.
"There is still a little bit of work to be done, but a lot has already been done," he said.
Salvatore and his wife, Michelle Salvatore, are temporarily merging their households in the six-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home in the Piercefield section of Solvay. Once they sell the 4,362-square-foot home, on the market for $279,900, they plan to build on land they purchased in Pompey.
The Piercefield neighborhood is known for mansions built in the late 1800s on the former Hazard family estate. Frederick Hazard, former president of the Solvay Process Co., contributed land and resources to the village of Solvay, including the lot for the Solvay Public Library.
The home, on a corner lot, has two asphalt driveways that intersect. The lower, straight driveway ends at the attached two-car garage, and the upper, circular driveway allows passengers to be dropped off at the covered main entrance. Behind the house, with its stucco and half-timber exterior, there is an asphalt basketball court and a fenced area, ideal for a play yard or garden.
The covered double front door is a mover's dream with its level approach and combined opening -- 8 feet high and nearly 5 feet wide. The doors have leaded glass insets, as do the sidelights, and open to a spacious foyer with a triple-width coat closet.
Double French doors in the foyer open to the front-to-back living room which has a leaded glass bay window, a wood-burning fireplace, crown molding and an oak parquet floor.
On the other side of the foyer, another set of double French doors open to the formal dining room. The room has hardwood floors beneath wall-to-wall carpet, a chair rail, crown molding and a built-in Arts & Crafts-style china cabinet.
A third pair of French doors divide a small workout room from the foyer. Beyond the workout room, a glass pocket door slides open to a three-season Florida room with jalousie windows, perched above the garage.
Paul gutted and updated the eat-in kitchen with lots of raised-panel maple cabinets; solid surface, bevel-edged counter tops and new appliances, which will stay in the home. The ceramic tile floor has a rectangular border of river rock outlining the large island. There is a powder room adjacent to the kitchen and the dining room.
The first floor also has a TV room, which could be a home office, between the kitchen and the foyer. There is also a large room with a wood-burning fireplace at the back of the house that the Salvatores use as a gaming room.
The main oak staircase has an Arts & Crafts-style chandelier overhead as well as a leaded glass skylight. There is a second staircase in the back of the house.
There are two master suites in separate wings on the second floor. The suite the Salvatores use has hardwood floors, a walk-in closet and an adjoining sitting room. The sitting room has a generous walk-in cedar closet with access to the unfinished attic. The attic has a brick fireplace, exposed brick walls and a vaulted ceiling. Paul calls that part of the attic the "someday room" because he had hoped to someday remodel and annex the space and incorporate it into a stunning master suite.
The master sitting room also has access to an outdoor deck on the roof above the Florida room and to a full bath with a combination tub and shower.
There are two other full bathrooms on the second floor, one with seafoam green glass wall tiles and another with black and white glass tiles.
The second-floor bedrooms include a petite nursery, decorated and ready to accommodate a child or grandchild.
All windows have been replaced and the home has a security system. Paul replaced the steam heat boiler, powered by natural gas, a month ago. The home is on public water and sewers.
2012年2月2日星期四
Backsplashes - How to get started.
Backsplashes are one of the easiest ways to add pizzazz to your kitchen or bathroom, yes I said bathroom, most people don't do this but, if you can afford it do it. It would make a big impact with buyers, because you don't see it done much. Kitchens and bathrooms still sell homes, make yours as great as it can be with your budget. Beware though backsplashes are not that easy to install and can cost you time, frustration and most of all money. If you aren't very handy but want to try and put up a backsplash, their are new products on the market like Bondera that make the process easier and quicker. Again planning and research are the first items on your list to tackle. You first have to take measurements of the area you would like to tile, then choose your tile, decide how you are going to install your tile and choosing a grout colour.
When taking you measurements be sure to measure the entire surface of the wall that you would like to cover, right up to the bottom of the upper cabinets. Another area that people have a question about is how far do I install that tile behind the stove. I suggest that you end the tile between the top height of your countertops backsplash and the stove top surface, this will finish the area so that the untiled area isn't showing. If you don't have a backsplash attached to your countertop, then just tile from the countertop surface.
Choosing your tile for your backsplash is the next task, and will probably not be easy due to the selection and types of tile available. In Peterborough, I can think of at least 10 different places to purchase tile. So take a good look around, know your budget and stick to it, tile is the one part of the project that you can go overboard. Obviously you need to think about what type of tile would go well with you decor in your kitchen or bathroom. Try and bring all the colours in your room together, use those colours to choose your tile. Remember that the light in the stores will not be the same as at home, purchased some tiles, bring them home and look there. You don't have to purchased ceramic tiles, there are other options, such as: peel and stick tiles or tiles in a sheet. These options have their advantages and disadvantages, peel and stick tiles are small and put on individually. They can give you a different effect but you have to know where you are putting them, they are permanent. As for the sheet variety, they glue to the wall and you caulk the joints between panels. These panels don't come in many colours, so look at all the options available to you.
After you purchase your tiles, installing them is the next task. There are two different methods that are affordable. The first is the old traditional method of using mastic (adhesive), trowels, grout and a grout float. The other affordable method is a product system called Bondera. Its new to the market in Peterborough, its an adhesive backed roll of mastic, comes in different sizes and can be used for backsplahes, countertops or showers. I will go into more detail on both methods in my next blog.
Choosing your grout colour is of the utmost importance, the colour could make or break you tile project. I suggest to my customers that they choose a colour that complements the tile selection. Making the tiled area seem more continuous and streamlined, if it was a different colour your focus would be on the grout and not the tile. Don't forget to budget for grout and tile sealer if necessary, depending on the type of tile it could cost a small sum.
This is only a short guide to the steps of choosing and installing a backsplash, as always if you aren't comfortable with the labour aspect of this project, please seek the help of a professional contractor. Do your research in all aspects of your projects, not just this one and make sure the contractor knows what he/she is doing, a bad installation makes the project look bad.
When taking you measurements be sure to measure the entire surface of the wall that you would like to cover, right up to the bottom of the upper cabinets. Another area that people have a question about is how far do I install that tile behind the stove. I suggest that you end the tile between the top height of your countertops backsplash and the stove top surface, this will finish the area so that the untiled area isn't showing. If you don't have a backsplash attached to your countertop, then just tile from the countertop surface.
Choosing your tile for your backsplash is the next task, and will probably not be easy due to the selection and types of tile available. In Peterborough, I can think of at least 10 different places to purchase tile. So take a good look around, know your budget and stick to it, tile is the one part of the project that you can go overboard. Obviously you need to think about what type of tile would go well with you decor in your kitchen or bathroom. Try and bring all the colours in your room together, use those colours to choose your tile. Remember that the light in the stores will not be the same as at home, purchased some tiles, bring them home and look there. You don't have to purchased ceramic tiles, there are other options, such as: peel and stick tiles or tiles in a sheet. These options have their advantages and disadvantages, peel and stick tiles are small and put on individually. They can give you a different effect but you have to know where you are putting them, they are permanent. As for the sheet variety, they glue to the wall and you caulk the joints between panels. These panels don't come in many colours, so look at all the options available to you.
After you purchase your tiles, installing them is the next task. There are two different methods that are affordable. The first is the old traditional method of using mastic (adhesive), trowels, grout and a grout float. The other affordable method is a product system called Bondera. Its new to the market in Peterborough, its an adhesive backed roll of mastic, comes in different sizes and can be used for backsplahes, countertops or showers. I will go into more detail on both methods in my next blog.
Choosing your grout colour is of the utmost importance, the colour could make or break you tile project. I suggest to my customers that they choose a colour that complements the tile selection. Making the tiled area seem more continuous and streamlined, if it was a different colour your focus would be on the grout and not the tile. Don't forget to budget for grout and tile sealer if necessary, depending on the type of tile it could cost a small sum.
This is only a short guide to the steps of choosing and installing a backsplash, as always if you aren't comfortable with the labour aspect of this project, please seek the help of a professional contractor. Do your research in all aspects of your projects, not just this one and make sure the contractor knows what he/she is doing, a bad installation makes the project look bad.
2012年2月1日星期三
Mob-hit Regency Ceramics says revival uncertain
Regency Ceramics, floor tiles major, whose unit in Yanam, Puducherry, was turned into ashes by workers, is now facing uncertainty over the revival of the company.
While the loss is estimated to be at Rs150-200 crore, it is still not known if the Rs450-crore insurance cover the company has for the factory bails it out.
“I am not sure if we can revive the operations. We are still undecided. We are assessing the loss and the top management has still not visited the factory since the burning down of the unit,” GN Naidu, Regency’s chairman and managing director, said.
Though there was no formal union activity in Regency in its three decades of existence, the setting up of a union a year back is believed to have spoiled the bonhomie between the workers and the management.
The continued friction between the management and the union resulted in a non-agreement on several issues including reinstatement of some of the ousted workers and paying out of interim increments.
“We had agreed to pay a bonus of Rs5,000 to all the employees though the union demanded Rs6,000. However, the Rs5,000 proposal was approved by the union as well. Though we had paid an increment for 2011-12, the union was insisting on interim increment for the current year. That was not acceptable to us since the company is facing tough times in terms of profitability,” he said. The Yanam facility is Regency’s sole unit.
With the employee-management negotiations hitting a dead-end, the management was trying to ensure continuity in production by seeking police protection. Agitated by this, on January 27, the workers resorted to violence by torching the factory, warehouse and the vehicles owned by the company. In this free-for-all situation, a mob attacked the residence of K C Chandrasekhar, the company’s president (operations), and hit him with sticks and rods. Chandrasekhar, also Naidu’s niece’s husband, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh after battling for life for about three hours.
“The mob looted everything from the factory including cows and buffalos from the Goshala (cowshed). We had invested about Rs1.5 crore on the cowshed and the cattle. Tile inventory worth Rs20 crore was either looted or burnt down,” he said.
Regency had revenues of Rs200 crore for the last fiscal and has been running in losses due to lower capacity utilisation.
“The gas supply from ONGC was inadequate and we were not able to operate at full capacity. Currently, we have an accumulated loss of about Rs35 crore and a debt of about Rs80 crore. We were pinning hopes on the fourth quarter to break even and start booking profits. Now, the situation is back to square one,” Satyendra Prasad Narala, Regency’s executive director, said.
According to him, with the availability of gas improving, the company was moving towards value-added products, including vitrified tiles, duro and large-format wall tiles. “Next financial year, we would have turned around,” he said.
Regency is a leading player in floor tiles market and is said to be one of the top three exporters of tiles from the country. Though a ceramic tiles major, the company currently gets about 60% of its revenue from vitrified tiles.
While the loss is estimated to be at Rs150-200 crore, it is still not known if the Rs450-crore insurance cover the company has for the factory bails it out.
“I am not sure if we can revive the operations. We are still undecided. We are assessing the loss and the top management has still not visited the factory since the burning down of the unit,” GN Naidu, Regency’s chairman and managing director, said.
Though there was no formal union activity in Regency in its three decades of existence, the setting up of a union a year back is believed to have spoiled the bonhomie between the workers and the management.
The continued friction between the management and the union resulted in a non-agreement on several issues including reinstatement of some of the ousted workers and paying out of interim increments.
“We had agreed to pay a bonus of Rs5,000 to all the employees though the union demanded Rs6,000. However, the Rs5,000 proposal was approved by the union as well. Though we had paid an increment for 2011-12, the union was insisting on interim increment for the current year. That was not acceptable to us since the company is facing tough times in terms of profitability,” he said. The Yanam facility is Regency’s sole unit.
With the employee-management negotiations hitting a dead-end, the management was trying to ensure continuity in production by seeking police protection. Agitated by this, on January 27, the workers resorted to violence by torching the factory, warehouse and the vehicles owned by the company. In this free-for-all situation, a mob attacked the residence of K C Chandrasekhar, the company’s president (operations), and hit him with sticks and rods. Chandrasekhar, also Naidu’s niece’s husband, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh after battling for life for about three hours.
“The mob looted everything from the factory including cows and buffalos from the Goshala (cowshed). We had invested about Rs1.5 crore on the cowshed and the cattle. Tile inventory worth Rs20 crore was either looted or burnt down,” he said.
Regency had revenues of Rs200 crore for the last fiscal and has been running in losses due to lower capacity utilisation.
“The gas supply from ONGC was inadequate and we were not able to operate at full capacity. Currently, we have an accumulated loss of about Rs35 crore and a debt of about Rs80 crore. We were pinning hopes on the fourth quarter to break even and start booking profits. Now, the situation is back to square one,” Satyendra Prasad Narala, Regency’s executive director, said.
According to him, with the availability of gas improving, the company was moving towards value-added products, including vitrified tiles, duro and large-format wall tiles. “Next financial year, we would have turned around,” he said.
Regency is a leading player in floor tiles market and is said to be one of the top three exporters of tiles from the country. Though a ceramic tiles major, the company currently gets about 60% of its revenue from vitrified tiles.
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