Students making music and art will soon have a space to call their own at Saint Michael School.

School administration said the schools basement will be remodeled into a dedicated art and tutoring space called the Fine Art Center as early as next fall.

Upon completion, the space will offer two classrooms for art and music lesions and three smaller conference rooms for tutoring sessions and after-school club meetings. Up to 50 students in total will be downstairs at any one time.

Before the creation of the floor, school Principal Susan Gosselin said art and music classes would take place where the school could find space for them, whether area empty classrooms or cafeterias.

The kids (currently) just use whatever space we have, she said. Turns out were able to build downstairs. Now there will be permanence.

Before repurposing the space, the schools basement was used for storing excess furniture, broken technology and miscellaneous donations.

Elliott Jacobowitz, a music teacher, said hed look forward to setting up a set classroom space and able to keep notes on guitar chords on the board for extended periods.

Not being in a classroom makes it difficult to learn, he said. (The students) really feel a difference.

The new classrooms will feature computer smartboards, expansive corkboards for hanging up art and computers for the teachers.

The project is expected to cost about $500,000 for a full remodeling. The schools parents, alumni and private donors have raised $420,000 since starting a fundraiser last fall.

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St. Michael School to expand art space

MONTREAL--(Marketwire -06/15/12)- Swedish lighting designers Ljusarkitektur have worked with Lumenpulse to turn one of the world's top ski resorts into a magical experience after dark.

Situated close to the Arctic Circle in Sweden, the re ski resort was named one of the "world's top ski resorts" by the British travel magazine Cond Nast Traveller.

The new attraction uses light to create a night-time family experience, increasing the resorts revenue by extending its hours of operation after dark. The scheme is part of a major investment by resort owner SkiStar, which expects to make a return on its investment in two to three years.

Leading Scandinavian design practice Ljusarkitektur created the attraction using the local tales of giants and trolls as their source of inspiration for the lighting.

Ljusarkitektur creative director Kai Piippo had this to say about the project: "This is both a landscape and an experience project. We have been able to use the best available technology both to continue and to reinvent the tradition of storytelling from the area that dates back hundreds of years."

The installation uses 240 color-changing Lumenpulse luminaires to cast an eerie moonlight glow over the slopes to create an attraction that has boosted the resort's night-time economy. A range of Lumenbeam projectors, including the Red Dot Product Design Award winning Lumenbeam LBX, were chosen for the project.

Ljusarkitektur chose Lumenpulse fixtures for their high performance, ease of maintenance and ability to withstand tough weather conditions and sub-zero temperatures.

The project in brief

More about the re Ski Resort project can be viewed at: http://www.lumenpulse.com/en/newscentre/projects/82

About Lumenpulse Inc.Founded in 2006, Lumenpulse develops and manufactures high performance, sustainable architectural LED-based fixtures and solutions for commercial, institutional, and urban environments. Attention to detail in mechanical, optical and fixture design has positioned Lumenpulse as a leader in the global LED lighting marketplace for indoor and outdoor uses. Lumenpulse has a global presence through its Corporate Headquarters in Montreal, Canada, US Headquarters and Global Technology Development Center in Boston, Massachusetts and EMEA Headquarters in London, UK.

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Lumenpulse Lighting Tells a Magical Story at Swedish Ski Resort

Originally published on ArchDaily

Architects: Werner Tscholl Architects Location: Brenner Pass, Italy Project Year: 2010 Photographs: Alexa Rainer, Jrgen Eheim

The Timmelsjoch is the deepest, non-glaciated indentation in the main Alpine ridge between the Reschen Pass and the Brenner Pass.

A road, once a mule track, links the Passeiertal valley and the tztal valley. Over thousands of years, unique similarities between the two valleys evolved, triumphing over the natural boundary created by the mountains.

Since 2010 architectural sculptures located at several stopping places along the road, enlighten travellers about the natural surroundings, the history, the culture, the communities and the economy of the region.

All together there are 5 sculptures to be explored, two on the Austrian side called walkway and smuggler and two on the Italian side of the road named telescope and garnets. On the highest point of the pass one can find the pass museum. The concrete structure on the North Tyrolean side juts out like an erratic boulder into the South Tyrolean side, underlining the cross-border nature of the Timmelsjoch Experience. The Ice Cave inside the museum pays tribute to the pioneers of the High Alpine Road and their remarkable accomplishment.

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The Timmelsjoch Experience / Werner Tscholl Architects

Bellevue Square is expanding up, not out.

The regional mall's owner has filed preliminary paperwork with Bellevue city planners to add 119,000 square feet of retail space and 131,500 square feet of parking with 375 stalls.

The new construction would be on top of part of the existing two- to three-story shopping center and the four-story parking garage to the west, spanning the mall's West Drive.

The expansion would increase Bellevue Square's retail space by about 10 percent. It now has about 1.3 million square feet.

A spokeswoman for Kemper Development, the mall's owner, declined to discuss the expansion, or whether a tenant or tenants has been signed for it.

But Seattle retail consultants Richard Outcalt and Patricia Johnson speculated the space could be intended for a Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's or Nordstrom Rack.

"It has to be one major destination retailer," Outcalt said.

In malls, "You can't get people to go up. People move horizontally," he said. Shoppers need a powerful incentive to climb to another level, he added, and a nationally known retailer would provide that.

A Saks or Bloomingdale's would be either chain's first store in the Seattle area, and Bellevue Square owner Kemper Freeman has said he'd like to land one of the upscale retailers.

The 119,000 square feet of proposed retail might not be enough for Bloomingdale's or Saks, Johnson said, but more could be provided by also leasing them the space directly below and creating a two-level store.

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Bellevue Square plans to expand

The cherry-wood cases are freshly stained, curing in a row, and other pieces of Don Normans latest big project, a custom kitchen island for a Lake Stevens home, are lined up nearby.

Hes set to deliver them today to the job site. Once this is done, doubtless another project will come up, like that long-delayed kitchen table restoration waiting near the door.

These woodworking jobs would provide a fun challenge for a man 20 or 30 years Dons junior. Yet, one might be surprised that a man of 82 is still this involved in the woodworking business. Then again, thats Dons way.

His wife Barbara would love to see her husband hang up the businessId rather he retired and did the yard, she says.

But Don loves the smell of sawdust. His adult life, and a good part of his teens, were spent in and around woodshops. After more than six decades, he still finds satisfaction in something crafted with his own hands and tools.

A northwest life

Dons local history and talents have earned him recognition as the Fall City Days grand marshal for 2012.

Don and Barbara have lived in Fall City for 25 years.

Their life together dates back to their teen years in the Bellingham area.

Barbara, maiden name Brys, grew up in Ferndale, Wash., living on a dairy farm in her teens. She didnt care for farm life. Don was the son of a college engineer; his mother was a seamstress and draper.

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The work of his hands: Craftsman Don Norman is Fall City Days marshal

By Amy R. Remo Philippine Daily Inquirer

Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras

MANILA, PhilippinesAmid persistent rumors of a Cabinet revamp, Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras on Friday said he would stay put at his current post for as long as President Benigno Aquino III wants him there.

In a briefing on Friday, Almendras said rumors of him being assigned to another post likely surfaced because apparently, some people probably want me out of the job or some people think probably I will be better in another job.

It will be the President who will be the one to make that decision, and until such time that the President makes that decision, I think we should all wait. Until that decision is made, I will continue to do my job as best as I can. There is no certainty that I will stay, there is also no certainty that I will leave, Almendras said.

Almendras said he would not stay one minute longer in his position once President Aquino decides to replace him.

I will not do anything to try to hold on to this job. I have no qualms of staying. I also have no qualms of being replaced. There are rumors that I am being demoted and I have no problem with that. That will even be a very welcome relief. It will be up to the Malacaang team if there will be any changes. But as far as I am concerned, I have not been formally advised if there will be changes, he explained.

The energy chief, however, admitted that while there has been no official communication regarding his transfer, he has had informal talks with President Aquino about the things that can be done to improve the way things are being implemented.

Almendras, however, did not say whether these talks involved his possible transfer.

At the National Bureau of Investigation, President Aquino has also yet to find a replacement for former NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula, who was sacked early this year.

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I’m staying–Almendras

Approaching Chris Ridgway's house a few blocks from the ocean in Half Moon Bay, visitors naturally slow down to soak in all the fantastical details.

The curvy roof dips and then rises in a parabola over the front door. A nine-sided living room topped by a cupola opens into the back garden. The yard is a riot of color, as poppies, nasturtiums, geraniums, roses and more summer bloomers compete for attention. Even the custom-made gutters, which undulate with the roof, have a swirly, wavelike pattern on them.

"The house is meant to be organic, in a sense," says Ridgway, an architect who designed and built this house over a three-year period. "I'm often inspired by nature."

That's why, in the nearly round living room that is the focal point of his home, all the windows and the two sets of double-doors open fully to the south-facing yard, and there are potted geraniums and a bougainvillea in the room, mirroring the ones just outside. An apple tree and a plum tree in the garden are espaliered above the windows and will show off their fruit in summer.

"I didn't have a great view, but I wanted to create my own, a view into the garden and into the sky," Ridgway says.

That sensibility about the presence of nature is one that draws many residents to Half Moon Bay and keeps them there contented. The town recently was named in Coastal Living magazine's "America's Happiest Seaside Towns" list, which took into account beach towns' weather,

But Half Moon Bay, a San Mateo County town of about 13,000 people that's known for its flower-growing industry and pumpkin festival, is not exactly one of those sun-baked-beaches-and-balmy-nights kind of seaside towns. Like much of the Northern California coastline, it frequently features fog and chill, even -- and sometimes especially -- in summer.

Nonetheless, many longtime residents say they love life in Half Moon Bay.

Jeri Dansky, a Half Moon Bay resident for more than 20 years and editor of the local magazine CoastViews, says locals love the weather, being close to the ocean and the small-town feel of downtown Half Moon Bay.

"We're close to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, but still a world apart," she says. "There are lots of people involved in high tech, but many who aren't -- lots of artists, for example."

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Half Moon Bay house reflects style and sense of town

Children at the nonprofit Kids In Distress have an expertly designed activity center, courtesy of the Lifetime TV show "Designing Spaces: Spaces of Home A Labor of Love."

At the unveiling on Friday, a stampede of excited kids poured through a single front door. It was the first time they were allowed to see the changes.

About 60 children ran from room to room, yelling in astonishment at the computer room, lounge, reading room and other enhancements.

One of the children's favorite space was the art room, a brightly lit room with a desk, supplies and clotheslines where they can hang their pieces of artwork.

"I feel I can come in here and create," said Destiny, 10.

Eleven-year-old Ian shared Destiny's excitement.

"This room used to be full of art supplies, but now it's beautiful," Ian said, "We don't like, we love."

Kids In Distress declined to provide children's last name to protect their privacy.

The show, produced by Pompano-based O2 Media, Inc., travels through the country remodeling houses. Once a year the show chooses local organizations and designs much needed spaces. Along with sponsors, the show donates time, expertise, furniture and materials.

Last year, "Designing Spaces" remodeled a wing at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital in Hollywood, adding an area for families, a music room and a kids' area, said Lysa Liemer, vice president of programming and creator of the show.

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Lifetime show remodels a Kids in Distress center

Children at the nonprofit Kids In Distress have an expertly designed activity center, courtesy of the Lifetime TV show "Designing Spaces: Spaces of Home A Labor of Love."

At the unveiling on Friday, a stampede of excited kids poured through a single front door. It was the first time they were allowed to see the changes.

About 60 children ran from room to room, yelling in astonishment at the computer room, lounge, reading room and other enhancements.

One of the children's favorite space was the art room, a brightly lit room with a desk, supplies and clotheslines where they can hang their pieces of artwork.

"I feel I can come in here and create," said Destiny, 10.

Eleven-year-old Ian shared Destiny's excitement.

"This room used to be full of art supplies, but now it's beautiful," Ian said, "We don't like, we love."

Kids In Distress declined to provide children's last name to protect their privacy.

The show, produced by Pompano-based O2 Media, Inc., travels through the country remodeling houses. Once a year the show chooses local organizations and designs much needed spaces. Along with sponsors, the show donates time, expertise, furniture and materials.

Last year, "Designing Spaces" remodeled a wing at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital in Hollywood, adding an area for families, a music room and a kids' area, said Lysa Liemer, vice president of programming and creator of the show.

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Kids in Distress center gets makeover from Lifetime TV show

The desire for constant connection among the Millennial workforce is exactly the characteristic most valuable for businesses that operate globally. Having a workforce that delights in instantaneous communication, that is always on and always reaching out to new social contacts, can furnish a tremendous competitive advantage to businesses today.

While the Millennial generation hoards the headlines that declare the latest trends in technology and their applications to the workplace, it's worth remembering that it was the Baby Boomers who put the "e" in email, e-learning and e-commerce . The foundations of the Digital Era that forever changed the way we work, shop, learn and play were built by innovators born from the mid-1940s through the 1950s.

The past half century has been a period of building great businesses founded on technology- driven processes that run by the clock and the calendar. In the new millennium, however, technology has been redefined -- as has the employee. It's no coincidence that employees entering the workforce today wear no wristwatch and carry no calendar in their wallet.

As the great entrepreneurs of the Boomer generation flock to retirement resorts, the great innovators of Gen Y move into their positions, a joyously different breed of human being in a corporate landscape where Millennials seem strange to management and managers seem hopelessly antiquated to their new employees.

Many organizations traditionally have tracked progress and success in terms of hours billed, rates charged, quantities delivered or facilities expanded. Millennials, on the other hand, can't grasp the concept of a "clock watcher." For the most part, they do not distinguish between work hours and personal hours -- it's all one life for Millennials.

That's because they carry the digital devices they use at home into their work. Their preference is to work whenever and wherever they are most productive, and technology has allowed them to succeed in that pursuit, with handheld devices that place an office full of capabilities in their pocket. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) phenomenon is creating security headaches for IT staff, but it's helping 21st century companies experience their own boom.

Millennials shun museum pieces like land lines, conference room calendars, time sheets and "The 6:00 News." Rather, they thrive on instant messaging, Skype and Kinect, social networks and texts. More than any previous generation, they are totally comfortable with talking to strangers and colleagues half a world away -- they probably already are friends on Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) or followers on Twitter.

Social networks, furthermore, provide a communications path for a generation who could care less about privacy issues and readily declare and share every aspect of their lives, from breakfast to business proposals.

"Communicating" is not a function or activity for Millennials -- it's an environment. It's just always present, always available, and always necessary. These workers may never have heard a dial tone. They grew up with a mobile phone on their belt and at their ear.

These are the students who drove English teachers nuts with insertions like "IMHO" and "LOL" throughout their compositions. They are the first generation in a century not to plead with parents to take them to the Department of Motor Vehicles on their 16th birthday -- and to buy them a car, as well. These young adults live the majority of their lives in the virtual world, and they don't need to drive to stores, to movie theaters or even to schools. It's all "e- vailable" to them on that device in their pocket.

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Remodeling Corporate Culture for the Digital Era