Top Ten Essential Architecture top ten Paris Apartment Buildings For a more complete list, see Paris Main List 1 Castel Beranger Never entirely resolved as a total composition, the Castel Branger is nonetheless an important transitional work in Guimard's career. The stem and branch-like character of both the interior furnishing and the exterior ironwork stand in a curious and brittle contrast to the articulate, architectonic but disjunctive elements that make up the cumbersome mass of the building's exterior. With 36 apartments, each different from the next, the Castel Branger is a curious compound of rational planning and non-rational intent and expression. Guimard was to exploit its competition as an occasion for promoting le style Guimard. To this end he staged an exhibition of the building and its contents in the Salon du Figaro in 1899, while simultaneously publishing a book of the work under the title, L'Art dans l'habitation moderne. Le Castel Branger. More acerbic than his flamboyant country houses of the turn of the century and located in the fashionable, fast-growing suburb of Auteuil, the Castel Branger gave Guimard a prime opportunity with which to demonstrate the synthetic subtleties of his style, in which urban and rustic references could be judiciously mixed together. 2 Flats at Rue des Amiraux 3 Les Orgues

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Top Ten Paris Architecture- Apartment Buildings

A fire continues to smoulder at a Kingston, Ont. apartment building as engineers at the site attempt to determine whether a crane that was heavily damaged in the blaze will collapse.

Structural engineers are expected to inspect the crane Wednesday, to determine whether it will fall on its own, and if it does, in which direction.

The crane was engulfed in flames Tuesday afternoon, prompting a dramatic helicopter rescue of a worker who was trapped on it at the time, after fire broke out at a downtown student housing complex construction site.

Kingston Mayor Mark Gerretsen said the heat from the fire caused the metal on the crane to bend.

Thats whats limiting the fire departments capabilities from getting any closer to the source of the fire -- because of that threat of the crane falling and injuring firefighters, he told CTVs Canada AM on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, an evacuation order for the homes surrounding the five-storey building remains in place.

About 150 area residents were displaced Tuesday, after emergency workers shut off electricity and gas in the area.

Utility crews are now tasked with visiting each home in the area to turn certain appliances back on, such as hot water tanks and furnaces.

Its a slow process, but people started to move back throughout the night, Gerretsen said, noting that power has been restored to some areas.

He said the power in the area immediately surrounding the building is expected to be out for a few days.

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Engineers in Kingston, Ont. concerned fire-damaged crane could collapse

Even though construction began a couple of weeks ago, a groundbreaking ceremony was held today for a six-story apartment building just off Union Boulevard.

The 82-unit building, scheduled for completion late next year, will be part of the Central West End City Apartments on Union just north of Forest Park in the DeBaliviere Place neighborhood. Combined, the four buildings will have 400 apartments. Included in the complex are the St. Louis Workout gym and new restaurants Kitchen Sink and 2Schae.

While the new building is under construction, renovations to the older buildings will include expansion of the swimming pool and a new community entrance, according to the owner, Village Green, of Farmington Hills, Mich.

Because it is a private company, Village Green does not disclose development or acquisition costs, a spokeswoman said.

Village Green has owned the Union Boulevard complex for a decade. The company first planned the new project before housing markets collapsed in 2008. Village Green officials have said residents of the new building's south-facing apartments will have views of Forest Park.

Union Labor Life Insurance Co., known as Ullico, provided the construction, renovation and permanent loan for the project. Ullico's chairman, Joe Hunt, and chief executive, Edward Smith, were among those who attended the groundbreaking today.

The ceremony included the flipping of a few shovelfuls of dirt piled on the walk outside Village Green's Westmoreland apartment building, at 245 Union. Construction is going on behind the building, where the new structure will rise on what had been a parking lot.

Tim Bryant covers commercial real estate, development and other business stories for the Post-Dispatch. He blogs at Building Blocks, the Post-Dispatch development blog.

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Apartment building going up near Forest Park

Linsette Hawkins walks back to her apartment near Kentucky Avenue and Dexter Street, where more than 100 windows are set to be replaced as a result of damage from a nearby blaze. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

GLENDALE Federal agents are aiding in the investigation of a weekend blaze that burned so hot that it leveled an apartment building that was under construction and melted vehicles parked across the street.

The Denver Fire Department, which provides service to Glendale, where the fire broke out late Saturday night, asked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to help in the investigation, Denver Fire Department Division Chief Joseph Gonzales said.

Glendale, which is surrounded by the city of Denver, is in Arapahoe County, and Denver Fire doesn't have the power to issue warrants and make arrests if investigators determine the blaze was caused by arson, Gonzales said.

"We don't know if it is arson," Gonzales said, "but we start every investigation to eliminate arson as a cause."

ATF's National Response Team is working with the Denver Fire Department, Glendale Police and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

No one was injured in the fire which started just after 11 p.m. Saturday at 801 S. Cherry St.

The fire radiated so much heat that it melted headlights, mirrors and body panels on vehicles parked at the Crescent at Cherry Creek apartment complex across the street. The fire melted blinds inside apartments at the Crescent.

"It radiated a tremendous amount of heat," Gonzales said. "It was in the framing stage so it was just like a pile of kindling wood and it just went up in flame."

The three-alarm blaze caused an estimated $12 million dollars in damage, according to an ATF press release.

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ATF joins probe of blaze that consumed Glendale construction site

GLENDALE, Colo. (CBS4) A fire in Glendale that broke out over the weekend was so large that the glow from it could be seen 30 miles away.

The fire started at approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday in a five-story building on South Cherry Street and East Kentucky Avenue that was under construction, and there was quick response from firefighters.

Mohmmed Alfarra lives close to the building and said he could feel the heat from the fire before he saw the flames.

It was really hot, he said. Extremely hot.

Alfarra and other residents of his apartment building spilled out on the street when they heard the sound of sirens. Video he shot on his cellphone showed flames shooting up at least 30 feet in the air.

(credit: CBS)

People were screaming and everybody was shouting Get out, Get out, he said. Also, there was the sound of explosions. Not huge explosions, just the fire (burning) the wood and all that, and that was a little bit scary.

Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade said the rare three alarm fire called for a large response from fire crews.

Essentially there was about 23 emergency response vehicles out here, plus the command staff, he said. We had a good portion of the city here.

Despite the size of the fire, emergency crews were able to prevent the fire from causing any significant damage to buildings next door. The heat from the flames did shatter some windows on cars and buildings nearby, though.

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Cause Of Fire At Building In Glendale Under Investigation

Credit: KCNC

Flames reportedly could be seen for miles. (Credit: KCNC)

Firefighters wet down nearby apartments. (Credit: KCNC)

As flames started to die down, a huge cloud of smoke could be seen. (Credit: KCNC)

Flames could be seen for miles after a three-alarm fire started at a vacant Denver apartment building early Sunday morning.

The fire was reported around midnight at a five-story apartment building at Kentucky and Birch, which is east of I-25 and south of Colfax. The building was completely destroyed.

Sister station KCNC says the blaze was so intense, neighboring apartments were wet down as a precaution. There was some damage to neighboring buildings.

As firefighters began to douse the flames, KCNC says a huge smoke cloud could be seen overhead.

The building was under construction at the time of the fire. No one was living there. There were no reported injuries.

At this time, the cause is unknown.

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Flames From 3-Alarm Fire Seen For Miles

A new apartment building will be built on Athol Street to replace the old one that burned down three years ago.

Port Alberni city council voted to approve a development variance permit that gets the ball rolling for the new buildings construction.

The variances had to do with property parking, setbacks and balconies, a report from city planner Scott Smith noted.

At four storeys and 24 residential units the new building will be slightly bigger than the previous 26-unit building, which was destroyed by fire in 2011.

The variance will allow for the building to have 24 parking spaces rather than the required 30.

The application is unusual in that the owner is only trying to replace the old building, Smith noted.

Having said this, the old building was constructed to old building codes when it was first built in 1964.

The new building must comply with new code requirements, the report notes.

The proposed variances will not result in an increase in density from the previous apartment building, Smiths report noted.

reporter@albernivalleynews.com

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Athol rebuild gets green light

By MIKE KRAFCIK 6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The South Knoxville apartment complex building that burnt to the groundWednesday lacked many important safety features thatfire investigators say could have made a difference.

According to investigators, building D of the Southwood Apartment complex had no firewall and no sprinkler system.

The building was constructed in 1968, when fire codes didn't require many modern safety features.

There are lots of apartments around East Tennessee, with different prices for rent and different amenities. But what do they offer when it comes to safety? What should you be looking for and what are property owners required to have?

"Most people looking for apartments are looking for aesthetics and costs. They're not really considering the danger of what might be," said Fire Marshal Danny Beeler.

According to fire marshals, the age and size of the building will determine what features are required for an apartment building.

Current fire codes require that apartment buildings with 16 units in one building have certain safety features like fire walls, monitored alarm systems and sprinkler systems.

"I think sprinklers save lives probably better than anyother single feature that there is as far as fire prevention," said Beeler.

Apartment managers should know what kind of safety features they offer, and theyare required to keep an up-to-date maintenance record.

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Renters need to look closely at apartment fire safety features

Apartment fire

Firefighters in Williston work in cold temperatures Friday after two large apartment buildings that were under construction caught fire overnight. Amy Dalrymple / Forum News Service

Firefighters in Williston work early Friday to extinguish fires at two large apartment buildings that were under construction in the Harvest Hill subdivision. Amy Dalrymple / Forum News Service

WILLISTON, N.D. Firefighters here are working in cold temperatures after two large apartment complexes under construction caught fire early Friday morning.

Volunteer Fire Chief Darwin Stevens said one three-story apartment building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived about 2 a.m. Friday.

Wind coming from the east caused the fire to travel along the rooftops and destroy a second building, but firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to a third building also under construction.

This is by far the biggest fire Ive ever seen, said Stevens, who has been with the fire department for 23 years.

The buildings are in the Harvest Hills subdivision in northwest Williston. The first building destroyed was the furthest along in construction and was expected to open in February, Stevens said.

About 40 volunteer firefighters took turns warming up in vehicles as they fought the blaze. No injuries or frost bite had been reported as of 9 a.m. today, Stevens said, but there had been some slips and falls on the thick ice that has developed.

Firefighters expect to remain on the scene for at least today. Volunteer firefighters from the neighboring community of Ray are at Willistons fire hall to respond to other calls.

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Fire destroys two Williston apartment buildings

NEW YORK - Here's how a 1932 guide to Manhattan describes the view of Central Park from the 43-story Essex House: "an unbroken vista - unequalled anywhere in the city. ... Few apartment buildings in the world are more ideally located."

Today, here's how visitors typically describe the park view from One57, an apartment building a block south of the Essex House and more than twice its height: "Wow!"

The same can be said of the building itself. One57 exemplifies a new type of skyscraper - very tall, improbably slender, ostentatiously opulent - that is reshaping a famous skyline composed mostly of bulky office buildings.

One such apartment tower under construction, 432 Park Avenue, will have a top floor higher than the Empire State Building observation deck. Another will have a top floor higher than any in One World Trade Center, which is officially (by virtue of its spire) the nation's tallest building.

The 432 Park penthouse has sold for $95 million; two duplex apartments at One57, now nearing completion, also are under contract, each for more than $90 million. Even a studio apartment on a lower floor at 432 Park (designed for staff - a maid or butler) costs $1.59 million.

What's most striking about these towers is their shape. The boxy old World Trade Center twin towers had a ratio of base width to height of 1-to-7 (209 feet-to-1,368 feet); an apartment house about to begin construction next to the Steinway piano showroom on 57th Street will be a feathery 1-to-23.

Such towers, also found in Hong Kong and Dubai, are shifting the focus of high-rise construction. Twenty years ago, only five of the world's 100 tallest buildings were at least partly residential, compared with 31 today. They include the Princess Tower in Dubai, at 1,358 feet the world's tallest apartment house.

Carol Willis, director of the Skyscraper Museum here, says this pencil-thin phase in American high rise building is dictated by "the logic of luxury."

These towers are built for a trans-national nouveau riche looking for a second (or third or fourth) home. Having made fortunes in nations less regulated economically and less stable politically than the USA, these buyers want a safe investment as much as, or more than, shelter. And they don't want to pay New York resident income taxes.

As a result, mansion-size apartments with 30-mile views will go unoccupied much or most of the time. Not since the Gilded Age, when Vanderbilts and Astors spent only a few months each summer at their marble Newport "cottages," will so much expensive space be so little inhabited.

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High-rise living, pricetags shoot for the stratosphere in NYC