KUCHING: MJC City Development Sdn Bhd (MJC City) is offering a haven of not-to-be-missed property investments via its comprehensive township, which is complete with a variety of amenities, facilities, innovative homes, high rise residences, and attractive commercial properties.

As a pioneer in the largest strata development in Kuching, MJC City has developed Batu Kawah New Township, located at west side of Kuching City Centre and a mere seven kilometres (km) away from Kuching International Airport, which has made convenient accessibility to the township.

One of its project in this booming township include a resort-styled SkyVilla Residence. The high-rise residence is a gated and guarded condominium standing at 17-storeys tall behind bustling business hub.

According to a press statement, one of the unique features of SkyVilla Residence is its semi-detached design intention centred on the philosophy of freedom, relaxation, leisure, comfort and style. It also emphasises on lush greenery and details throughout the development.

On its indoor architectural design, units at SkyVilla Residences are equipped with high ceiling which provides spaciousness and grandeur.

At the Facility Deck, take a dip into the turquoise blue aqua-therapy pool or play with your kids at the wading pool. Other facilities include gymnasium, mini theatre, kids playground, outdoor Jacuzzi, BBQ pits, reading room, function room, poolside cafe, Daybed Island, mystic trail, poolside pavilion, and many more.

The layout range from 1,001 square feet (sq ft) to 1,367 sq ft with three or four bedrooms units which offers a options from singles, bachelors, couples, small to big families.

Currently, the completed Block A of SkyVilla Residences has 65 per cent occupancy while Block B is still under construction and expected to complete this year.

Both blocks are fully sold out. Homebuyers and investors are now grabbing the chance to own units at Block C. As there are limited units left, MJC City is offering early birds discount up to RM45,000, while still valid. It is also offering early bird discount of five per cent, an additional three per cent.

In addition, the vibrant township is set to welcome its first 24-hour McDonalds drive-thru restaurant, making it a more attractive township to invest in.

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MJC City offers a haven for investments

STILLWATER, Okla. Plans and construction of new offices for the Department of Public Safetys driver license testing office are expected to be finalized at Mondays City Council meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Stillwater Muncipal Building, 723 S. Lewis. The Stillwater Utilities Authority Board of Trustees will meet immediately following the council meeting.

In September, the city and state agency finalized an agreement to convert space in a building at Couch Park, 702 E. 12th Ave., from a conference room to a driver license testing facility.

The state agency needed to find a new Stillwater location because a rent increase made the office more expensive than allowed by state guidelines.

The Couch Park office also is bigger, has its own entrance and a larger waiting area. It also will allow the DPS to offer commercial driver license testing several days a week. Enid is the closest commercial driver license testing facility.

Monday, the City Council will review bids and award a construction contract. The city had budgeted $135,000 for the project, and $6,800 already has been spent for architectural services, according to a report by Director of External Services John McClenny.

Five companies submitted bids.

McClenny recommends the city award the contract to low bidder, Diversified Labor and Construction. The contract will authorize expenditures of up to $88,000, including a built-in contingencyfund of $88,000.

If the city doesnt use all of the $135,000 budgeted for the project, the unused portion will be returned to the citys general fund budget, according to McClennys report.

The Department of Public Safety will pay a $1,416.66 license fee to Stillwater monthly for the office.

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Council to consider contract for DPS office at Couch Park

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 31, 2014

Los Angeles architecture and construction firm Marmol Radziner announced a new office in San Francisco. A growing number of commercial and residential projects in Northern California, as well as increased interest in Marmol Radziners design philosophy and process, led the firm to establish a Bay Area location. The San Francisco Marmol Radziner office is located at 333 12th Street in the South of Market district central to downtown and other key neighborhoods.

Studio Director Jason Davis, FAIA, leads the San Francisco office, and will oversee projects in the Bay Area region. The firms Northern California client base includes private residences in the city, South Bay, wine country and Tahoe, as well as commercial projects, such as a winery in Napa and the new Oliver Peoples boutique in downtown San Francisco (opening this spring).

Marmol Radziners distinctive modern design sensibility is deeply rooted in an appreciation for proportion, light and materiality, whose beauty lies partly in the expression of materials and construction methods. The firm emphasizes a strong relationship of indoor and outdoor spaces. In each case, a singular vision unites the building, landscape and furnishings with a shared design philosophy and language.

The firms award-winning in-house landscape design expertise allows the architects to integrate the design of the indoor and outdoor environments. In the same way, the firms own team of craftsmen gives rise to furniture designed and handcrafted by the architects, as part of the overall design vision.

Were excited to bring our design sensibility to Northern California with the opening of a San Francisco office, says Marmol Radziner Managing Principal Leo Marmol. The increasing interest in our design approach is a testament to an audience that is responding to our firms interpretation of California modernism.

About Marmol Radziner:

Established in 1989 by Leo Marmol, FAIA and Ron Radziner, FAIA, Marmol Radziner is an award-winning Los Angeles-based architecture and construction design-build firm that integrates architectural design with a full range of construction services, including programming, master planning, historic restoration, landscape design, interior design and furniture design.

Projects range from high-end residential architecture for clients such as Tom Ford, former creative director of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, to community-related civic buildings, as well as award-winning historic restorations such as Richard Neutras Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. The firms work has been featured in "The New York Times Sunday Magazine", "Architectural Digest", "Architectural Record", "Wallpaper", and "Dwell".

The firm was named by Architectural Digest to the prestigious AD100 for 2014, 2012 and 2010. In 2009, the principals were inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. In 2004, the American Institute of Architects, California Council awarded Marmol Radziner the Firm of the Year award. Visit http://www.marmol-radziner.com.

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Award-Winning Los Angeles Architecture & Construction Firm Marmol Radziner Opens Office in San Francisco

Minneapolis (PRWEB) January 27, 2014

The Minnesota Green Roofs Council (MGRC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing green roofs as a building strategy in Minnesota, announced the election of its nine-member board for 2014. "The Councils leaders are a diverse, dynamic team with strong professional backgrounds and a shared commitment to green roofs for their many environmental and aesthetic benefits," said Karen Jensen, environmental analyst, Metropolitan Council (St. Paul, Minn.) and outgoing president of the MGRC. "I will continue to support their efforts because green roofs help improve the quality of our regions critical water resources, particularly by reducing stormwater runoff in highly urbanized areas."

Elected to serve as MGRCs executive committee are Kevin J. Slattery, president; Jeff Rosenquist, vice president; Angie Durhman, secretary; and Gary Leatherman, treasurer. Other returning board members include Angela Anderson, Erika Spande and Kent Harris. Kris Radford and Lucas Alm were elected as new board members.

Kevin J. Slattery is vice president, architectural sales, Edwards Sales (Chaska, Minn.), a manufacturers sales agent for insulation, waterproofing and building envelope products. Jeff Rosenquist is the founder and president of Rosenquist Construction (Minneapolis, Minn.), a commercial roofing contractor specializing in hot-applied waterproofing, built-up asphalt roofing and EPDM membrane systems. Angie Durhman is the founder and president of AD Greenroof, LLC (Minneapolis, Minn.), a green roof consulting firm that services all aspects of design, development, implementation and maintenance. She has been in the green roof industry for more than ten years. Gary Leatherman is a digital media producer, exhibit developer and owner of macMonkey Digital Studios (St. Paul, Minn.).

Angela Anderson is retired from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), where she served as the natural resources management program coordinator for the Division of Trails and Waterways. Before joining the DNR, she worked for private landscape architecture and construction firms in Germany, where she was involved in green roof projects. Erika Spande is a landscape design professional in the Twin Cities metro area and a certified master water steward with the Freshwater Society. Kent Harris is vice president and business developer with Arteka Companies (Shakopee, Minn.), a commercial landscaping, hardscaping and irrigation firm.

Kris Radford is president of KMR Design Group (Minneapolis, Minn.), a landscape solutions company specializing in commercial interior and exterior design and construction. Lucas Alm is a licensed architect and the principal of ALM Design Studio (St. Paul, Minn.), which provides integrated architectural design services for energy-smart and ecologically sound building. He teaches architecture design as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota.

A green roof is a supplemental system that covers a structural roof with a layer of vegetation. Green roofs reduce stormwater runoff, filter air pollutants, sequester carbon dioxide, moderate the urban heat-island effect, add green space to the built environment, shade and insulate rooftops to improve buildings thermal performance, and extend the service life of structural roof systems.

The Minnesota Green Roofs Council maintains a Minnesota green roof database for installations throughout the state. According to Angie Durhman, to date the database includes 160 green roofs that total more than 900,000 square feet.

About the Minnesota Green Roofs Council (MGRC)

Founded in 2006, the Minnesota Green Roofs Council (MGRC) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that promotes green roofs as a building strategy in Minnesota. The MGRC seeks to support statewide and local initiatives so that accurate information about green roofs is accessible to all Minnesotans; the general public and leaders in government and the private sector are aware of the environmental issues that green roofs address; and supportive policies encourage the installation of green roofs. Donations to the MGRC are tax deductible and welcomed through giveMN.org. More information is available online at http://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaGreenRoofsCouncil and http://www.mngreenroofs.org.

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Minnesota Green Roofs Council Elects New Nine-Member Board

Design demand ended 2013 on a low note, with the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) posting its first consecutive months of contraction since May and June of 2012. The December ABI score of 48.5 dropped from a 49.8 reading in November. New project queries, however, did see a bump to 59.2 from the previous months mark of 57.8.

What we thought last month was an isolated dip now bears closer examination to see what is causing the slowdown in demand for architectural services, American Institute of Architects (AIA) chief economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, said in a statement. It is possible that some of this can be attributed to the anxiety in the marketplace caused by the shutdown of the federal government, but it will be important to see how business conditions fare through the first quarter of the new year when we no longer have end of the year issues to deal with.

The commercial/industrial and institutional sectors struggled with scores of 47.1 and 44.8, respectively, as mixed practice reported a 51.0 mark. The West (53.2) and South (51.2) came out ahead of the Midwest (47.0) and Northeast (42.8).

Continued here:
AIA Reports Another Dip in Architectural Billings

Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 23, 2014

When beginning an interior commercial architecture and design project, the initial programming phase has long served to guide the direction of the design. But according to the commercial architects and design professionals at OTJ Architects, becoming increasingly popular and effective is the idea of taking the programming phase one step further by conducting a vision session.

The firms architects and designers have seen first-hand that one of the best ways to learn about an organization and its space needs is through full client interaction; conducting interviews with key personnel is fundamental to obtaining information regarding space usage, projected growth or organizational changes including the following:

And while a program summary details all space requirements, a vision session can help to visually communicate design aesthetics for those same space requirements. The vision session, which showcases photos, drawings and specifications from previous projects, helps to determine various options for the overall look and feel of the new space. This collaborative meeting allows the project team to effectively discuss and target design objectives. Once the priorities of an organizations vision are fully understood, the project team can apply this knowledge to the design and ensure the vision aligns with the overall project goals as well as the established budget.

We use feedback from the vision session to document the projects future direction with keywords and images and also update the programming materials if necessary, said Lance Jaccard, Partner at OTJ Architects. This session gives us a real-world glimpse of what type of space the client is looking for with direct comparisons to previous project work.

Which is just what happened with OTJ client, Analytic Services, Inc. OTJ held a vision session for the group to review images from previous projects exemplifying the following areas of design: transparency, open areas, specialty spaces and company branding.

Staff members tagged each photo with a colored sticky note based on his or her preference - red for dislike, blue for like and yellow for lets discuss leading OTJ to discover that employees enjoyed the concepts of writeable surfaces, subtle finish palettes, a variety of seating types, workstations as communities/enclaves, library workspace and a reception area that doubled as meeting space. This vision session helped the project team understand the design goals of the organizations employees, while also promoting ways to effectively utilize the space and achieve a decrease in square footage.

So, what are the results of thoughtfully designed office spaces that take into account the needs and wants of its employees? According to YFS Magazine, when employees enjoy a workplace concept that appeals to their senses and is conducive to smooth operations, they feel proud of working at a company that caters to their needs and values an environment that aids them in successfully accomplishing their work.

So when looking to renovate or re-design your existing office space, consider a vision session as a way to keep employees happy and spirits high the dividends will be seen in increased productivity and improved recruitment and retention.

Contact OTJ Architects to discuss your architectural needs today.

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Commercial Architects at OTJ Share Benefits to Conducting Vision Sessions

Arroyo Grande Planning Commission. Meets Tuesday. Consider architectural and landscape revisions to plan to construct a 6,000-square-foot commercial building for use as Christians Mattress Xpress at 150 El Camino Real.

Grover Beach City Council. Meets Tuesday. 473-4567. Public hearing on Grover Beach Lodge and Conference Center project (staff recommends continuing the hearing to Feb. 18); consider appointing a committee to draft a proposed city charter; discuss long-term strategies for street repair; appoint an alternate representative to the county air pollution control district board.

Lucia Mar Unified School District. Meets Tuesday. 474-3000. Budget update; consider returning special education programs to the district from the county office of education for the 2014-15 school year.

Nipomo Community Services District. Meets Wednesday. 929-1133. Accept work completed for portion of project to build a pipeline from Santa Maria to Nipomo for supplemental water; review board bylaws and policies and propose edits.

Oceano Community Services District. Meets Wednesday. 481-6730. Presentation on Oceano community health plan; committee meeting assignments.

Paso Robles City Council. Meets Tuesday. 237-3960. Consideration of an interim ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on private water well drilling; consideration of a proposal to consolidate the citys public transit services with the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority.

Pismo Beach City Council. Meets Tuesday. 773-4657. Establish the Chapman Estate Advisory Commission to provide advice to the city council on all aspects of operation and maintenance of the property at 1243 Ocean Ave.

San Luis Obispo City Council. Meets Tuesday. 781-7100. Infrastructure financing analysis of the Economic Development Strategic Plan; discussion of a contingency plan if the citys half cent sales tax ends;

San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District. Meets Wednesday. 781-5998. Extension of Air Pollution Control Officer employment contract from Jan. 22, 2014 through Feb. 1, 2016; presentation on a greenhouse gas reduction exchange and consideration of district participation in it.

San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission. Meets Thursday. 781-5611. Consideration of a minor use permit for a beachfront house on Studio Drive in Cayucos.

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Government meetings in SLO County the week of 1/20

Edward Chang has been elected partner, consumer financial services and commercial litigation, at Blank Rome L.L.P., Philadelphia. He had been of counsel.

Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., Chicago, a professional-services firm focused on serving the leadership needs of organizations globally, has named Alyse Bodine as principal-in-charge of its Philadelphia office. Bodine also is a member of the firm's financial officers practice. The University of Pennsylvania alumna has been a principal with the firm for nearly 10 years.

The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry, Malvern, named Guy Ciarrocchi president & CEO, effective Jan. 27. He had been chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, director of public affairs for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Region III director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach.

TD Bank named Judith N. Exantus vice president, store manager of its Old City branch. She had been store manager of a branch in Feasterville.

DLA Piper said Carl Buchholz will become the chair of the firm's Philadelphia Litigation Group, stepping in for Carl Hittinger, who recently became cochair of the firm's U.S. Antitrust and Trade-Regulation Group. Buchholz joined DLA Piper in late 2012 from Blank Rome L.L.P., where he served as managing partner and CEO from 2006 to 2010.

James Bradley has been appointed professor of surgery at Temple University School of Medicine and chief of the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery in the department of surgery at Temple University Hospital. He held multiple titles at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, including director of craniofacial surgery, Bernard Sarnat chair of craniofacial research, chief of the division of plastic surgery at UCLA Olive-View Medical Center, and chief of pediatric plastic surgery at Mattel Children's Hospital.

NBN Group, a home health-care services company in Cherry Hill, named William J. Begley general counsel. He was a founding partner in Begley, McCloskey & Gaskill, later Begley & Gaskill.

Bancroft, a Haddonfield nonprofit provider of programs and supports for children and adults with autism, acquired brain injuries, and other intellectual or developmental disabilities, named Sean Ramsden director of communications and brand. He had been director of editorial services in the office of university communications at Rider University.

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People in the News

A venue for one of Sir Peter Jacksons early films is in line for a New Zealand commercial project award.

The University of Canterburys Ilam Homestead, where much of Sir Peters 1994 movie Heavenly Creatures starring Kate Winslet was filmed, is entered into the awards which will be announced in May.

Many scenes for the film were shot in the homestead and its grounds. The listed heritage building was built around 1911-1918 as a replacement for the original 1860 building which was destroyed by fire.

Following its substantial damage in the earthquakes, the building has been sympathetically restored and strengthened. UC elected to strengthen Ilam Homestead to 100 percent of new building standard. It is now one of the few heritage buildings of its era in Christchurch strengthened to this level.

While the University contributed to upgrades to some utilities and services, over 90 percent of the cost of re-instating the heritage building was covered under the universitys comprehensive material damage insurance policy.

The homestead is built in an English Domestic Revival style. The architectural heritage of the house rests largely on the existing staircase, internal timber panelling and fire places.

Notable architectural features include the grand porte cochere entrance, red English bond brickwork cavity walls with tuck pointing at the ground floor, roughcast plaster to the first floor, the timber balcony and veranda to the northwest, and slate roofing.

The immaculate post-quake restoration, with wood panelling and period wallpaper, includes one of the few open fireplaces still permitted in Christchurch.

The New Zealand Commercial Project Awards have been established by a group of commercial contractors.

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Venue for an early Jackson movie in line for an award

The Somerville Arts Council and the city planning and community development office are looking to play a new role in the city: Real estate broker.

Since December, according to Arts Council Executive Director Gregory Jenkins, the council has been inviting artists and other creative industry workers in the city to detail the kind of studio or live-work space they need, in order to potentially connect them with commercial spaces that fit the bill.

Some 50 people have already responded to the questionnaire at http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/spaceinitiative, Jenkins said, and the city is now going through commercial real estate listings in search of available space. Any commercial landlords with space to offer should contact the Arts Council at 617-625-6600 x2985, or the planning and community development office at x2500.

The city is stepping in because development pressure is making it difficult for everyone who wants studio space in Somerville to find it, Jenkins said.

Theres still a lot of studio workspaces out there, but more and more, the price is going up and theyre getting converted to residential, Jenkins said. The question is, how can we provide a more proactive role and support the cultural community?

On the landlords side, many commercial property owners have vacant space they would like to lease, but their parcels are either extremely developed or in need of extensive redevelopment, driving rents up so high that only larger tenants can afford them, Jenkins said.

A lot of commercial landlords are looking for tenants that have a very strong business model, and depending on where theyre located, sadly, theyre probably looking for chains, Jenkins said. I think landlords can be slightly hesitant when its not a traditional lessee, so the question is how can we help?

The city may be able to connect artists so they can pool their resources, possibly form an LLC, and lease larger spaces, Jenkins said. Options to ease extensive redevelopment costs could include setting up a fundraising campaign, seeking outside foundation support, securing pro bono architectural services, or checking with the city planning and inspectional services divisions to see what help may be available.

The city may even be able to find a commercial developer open to working with members of the creative community seeking live-work spaces, Jenkins said.

Somerville is in a unique situation right now with its amazing socioeconomic, ethnic and creative diversity, and I think we as a city should cherish and acknowledge it and do what we can to make sure we dont lose some of it, Jenkins said. The creative cluster provides so much benefit to the city form a social, civic, economic and cultural standpoint.

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Somerville looks to connect artists with landlords