The Elsternwick House in Melbourne, Australia was a feat to build.

Although there are a multitude of reasons to build prefab and in particular modular construction, there are some circumstances that make it extremely difficult. Setting a house on the edge of a cliff can make it difficult to position a crane, needed to set the modules. If a house is at the end of a very narrow road, this can also pose a tremendous obstacle in getting the units to the property. If there are an abundance of trees on the lot, where the house will be set, it also may be difficult to set the house, unless many trees are sacrificed.

The 100-year-old Victorian house that previously sat on the property was too small for the new ... [+] owners was leaky and had unsteady flooring.

One modular house I came across had several obstacles to its construction but was set defying the odds. A 100-year-old Victorian house sat on a lot in Melbourne, Australia, that is just 24 feet 7 inches wide - presenting a very small space to set a new house.It was also a challenge to demolish the small house on the lot without disturbing the two houses that were so close by on either side. A third challenge were the many wires that crossed in front of the house, meaning the crane would have to lift the modules high up in order to clear the wires.

The module is carefully lifted high above the electrical wires.

Unlike many modular houses currently being constructed, this onee was almost completely built in the factory by Modscape. The plastering, painting, cabinets, tiling, lighting, hydronic heating system, water system, blinds, appliances, flooring, decking, pergola and all internal electrical wiring and plumbing fixtures were installed in the factory. An additional challenge was the staircase that was completed with two modules and had to meet seamlessly when set.

All of the cabinetry and doors were preinstalled before the house was set.

The only items that would be completed on site were the floorboards that sit directly above the join lines between the modules, cladding that covers module join locations, baseboards that run around the bottom edge to prevent rodents from getting in, and a few other minor items. Completely so many parts of a modular house in the factory is highly unusual.

It was a particular challenge to have the stairs meet to the millimeter which the installation set ... [+] crew was able to do.

In spite of all of these difficulties, the house was set with barely a hitch. It was set in two days with everything lined up perfectly and with no damage to the houses on either side of it.

This new house is 2,626 square feet and was built with a steel frame. And miraculously the house was completed in just three weeks, from demolition to move-in.

The rear of the house with exterior decking.

Read more:
Defying The Odds To Build A Modern Modular House - Forbes

This article is part of our latest special report on Design, which is about getting personal with customization.

All happy kitchen renovations are alike and they live mostly in our dreams. The existing space is tight and usually comes with restrictions, said Sami Haxhija, a contractor in New York City, ticking off the difficulties. You have unmovable and unleveled walls, pipes, gas lines and electrical work that often need to be relocated and upgraded according to new codes, and areas where only custom millwork will fit.

A decade ago, when I bought an apartment on the Upper East Side that looked like it hadnt been updated since the Eisenhower administration, I fearlessly set about modernizing the 95-square-foot kitchen. I thought I knew all the rules: arrange appliances in a triangle for easy choreography; build a mock island to make sure its the right size; specify three kinds of lighting: overhead, spot and accent.

Ultimately, the job involved three contractors and more mistakes than I thought possible. All the while I asked myself: How do you know what you dont know? And why doesnt anyone truly guide you through this horrific process.

Bolstered by expert advice, here are some lessons I learned along the painful, exhausting, disappointing and finally happily completed way.

Dont take a contractors previous work at face value. When my first contractor led me through an apartment that he said he was responsible for renovating, the owner wasnt present. Who is to say all the work was his? Perhaps he just painted. See at least three or four examples of a contractors work that you will specifically be hiring him for, especially when the owner is home, Mr. Haxhija advised. If youre doing a kitchen and he only shows you bathrooms, thats a concern. If he says the owners are away or not available to speak to, thats another.

Dont go it alone. My first contractor hired the designer and millworker. Never hand everything over to one contractor. Hire a professional kitchen designer who will design your kitchen, bring you samples and explain everything to you, said Hilary Farr, an interior designer and co-host of the television series Love It or List It. The designer is there to navigate the process and be the liaison between you, the general contractor and his trades, with your interests solely as a priority.

A signed contract is not enough. Nate Berkus, the interior designer and author, recommends that you ask the contractor for a list of every single decision you will need to make, and the names and contact information of the vendors, electrician and plumber theyll be using. Then research them. You should also request a timeline, schedule and list of items that wont be allowed in your building. If you live in a high rise you probably cant have a gas stove, Mr. Berkus noted. You should receive these before you hand over a check.

Design for you. Im a minimalist who rarely cooks. My first contractor insisted that additional cabinets and a hood over my stove were crucial for resale. Im glad I stood my ground and didnt sacrifice the clean, nonclaustrophobic look I wanted. The next owners, who may or may not be cookware hoarders, can easily build storage.

Dont forget the samples. Take home samples of everything you ordered from specific lots so you can make sure the items you ultimately receive are a match.

Stick to one appliance brand. This creates visual consistency, and if something breaks, an authorized repair person from the company can fix whats broken while assessing the rest of your machines.

Make sure the appliances are a standard-enough size. If you build your customized cabinets around, say, an ultranarrow refrigerator, and the appliance dies, you will want to be sure the space can accommodate a replacement. Mine does not.

Know whos installing the cabinets. The installation should be done by a representative of the manufacturer, whether its an IKEA installer, or a millworker employed by your contractor whose work you had an opportunity to see. The two subcontractors who installed my cabinets had nothing to do with their fabrication and thus made a hash of the job. They cut an important wall panel too short and used a wrong color piece of wood to correct the problem, later denying that there was any problem at all. Ultimately my third contractor painted the cabinet for a seamless match.

Cardboard should not be used to align a backsplash. Which is how my second contractors lead guy decided to proceed. The cardboard, which was sitting on the counter, wedged under the backsplash, couldnt be removed. The entire backsplash had to be chopped out and replaced.

You may have to halt the project if you instinctively know something isnt right, said Bryan Sebring, owner of Sebring Design Build outside of Chicago. Go online and research how a backsplash should be done. Watch YouTube videos. Bring in a second opinion after they have left for the day to assess the project.

Ask for a preview. When the kitchen tiles were laid, the grout color I chose was not what appeared on the floor after it dried. Oh right, the contractor said. The colors on the package and in-store sample are often misleading. If he had done a patch test with a few tiles and let me see the dried version first, we wouldnt have wasted days scraping out the first color and re-grouting the entire floor.

Inspect everything nightly, especially things you cant easily see. One morning I woke to find an inch of water covering the newly tiled floor and spilling into my office. The subcontractor had neglected to fully turn off the valve of a pipe that hadnt been attached to a sink. It was being used to supply water for the crew and slowly leaked all night. Part of the office floor had to be replaced along with many pieces of now-warped customized cabinets. Another tip: Place water alarms by all unfinished piping.

Take photographs and videos in real time. When my (second) granite countertop was mounted (the first had arrived damaged), the installers took two small chunks out of my freshly plastered and painted walls and deeply scratched the new appliances. If I hadnt documented this while it was happening, I would not have had the evidence that let me be reimbursed for the ruined work.

Ask for what you need as soon as you figure it out. When the new countertop arrived, the installers used white caulking, which contrasted with the black granite surface and my now-warm-gray walls. I asked if they had another color that would blend better and was told yes, just not with them that day.

Painting should come last. Start with a sample test; your wall color may look different once your lighting has been installed. This also gives the team time to clean and let dust settle before applying final coats. It sounds like common sense, but if the correct steps had been observed, my paint probably would not have peeled off the walls.

No one will ever be as passionate about the project as you. I thought I was being specific; my contractors and their teams considered me difficult and controlling. They insisted I was in the way and making the process take longer. Dont let anyone talk you out of being present, or making sure your vision is being executed correctly. That is your right.

Read the original here:
How to Renovate Your Kitchen and Not End Up in Tears - The New York Times

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Smart Thermostat Market by Type, Application and End Use: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

According to the report the global smart thermostat market size was valued at $1.36 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $8.78 billion by 2026, to register a CAGR of 26.0% during the smart thermostat market forecast.

According to smart thermostat market trends, smart thermostats are installed with remote access software and programmed with artificial intelligence. This enables smart thermostats to get programmed for future schedules to control temperature as per the need of users. It also operates in a self-learning mode by the data its software collects over the period.

Infrared technology is the wireless connectivity used in smart thermostat to access it in the line of sight range using remote device. For instance, smart thermostat by Air Patrol that has integrated infrared floor sensors. Room Unit thermostat with infrared floor sensor makes sure that your bathroom floor is set to the ideal and that the more demanding floor surfaces are kept safe, which offers lucrative smart thermostat market opportunity globally.

According to the smart thermostat market analysis, latest smart thermostat is integrated with Wi-Fi technology which allows wireless connectivity from remote devices. For instance, Honeywell 7-DAY programmable thermostat provide the consumer with WiFi connectivity that enables the HVAC systems to be controlled through remote access.

Rapid adoption of smart infrastructure in residential and commercial infrastructure, penetration of IoT and AI based technologies, and in analysis creased use of smart technology in medical monitoring influences the smart thermostat market growth. However, high cost of products in developing countries hampers early adoption. Further, increased advancements and adoption of automated systems in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors are expected to provide lucrative smart thermostat market opportunity for the smart thermostat market growth during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific accommodates major population of the globe. The penetration of smart phones and adoption of smart electronic appliances in residential, commercial and industrial sector is expected to grow smart thermostat market. Owing to technological advancements, the appliances in residential buildings, such as washing machines, heating, and cooling equipment, and refrigerators, are increasingly going smart. This means that they can be connected to the internet.

Key Findings of the Smart Thermostat Market:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary

2.1. Key Findings

2.1.1. Top Impacting Factors

2.1.2. Top Investment Pockets

2.2. CXO Perspective

3. Market Overview

3.1. Market Definition And Scope

3.2. Key Forces Shaping Smart Thermostat Market

3.2.1. Moderate Bargaining Power of Suppliers

3.2.2. High Threat of New Entrants

3.2.3. Moderate Threat of Substitutes

3.2.4. Moderate Intensity of Rivalry

3.2.5. Moderate Bargaining Power of Buyers

3.3. Market Dynamics

3.3.1. Drivers

3.3.1.1. Rapid Adoption of Smart Infrastructure In Residential And Commercial

3.3.1.2. The Penetration of IoT And Ai Based Technologies

3.3.1.3. Increased Use of Smart Technology In Medical Monitoring

3.3.2. Restraints

3.3.2.1. High Cost of Products In Developing Countries Are The Barriers To Early Adoption

3.3.3. Opportunities

3.3.3.1. The Increasing Advancement And Adoption of Automated Systems

4. Smart Thermostat Market, By Technology

4.1. Overview

4.2. Wifi

4.3. Infrared

4.4. Bluetooth

4.5. Others

5. Smart Thermostat Market, By Application

5.1. Overview

5.2. Split Ac

5.3. Window Ac

5.4. Portable Ac

5.5. Other

6. Smart Thermostat Market, By End Use

6.1. Overview

6.2. Residential

6.3. Commercial

6.4. Industrial

6.5. Other

7. Smart Thermostat Market, By Region

7.1. Overview

7.2. North America

7.3. Europe

7.4. Asia-Pacific

7.5. LAMEA

8. Competitive Landscape

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Top Winning Strategies

8.2.1. Top Winning Strategies, By Year

8.2.2. Top Winning Strategies, By Development

8.2.3. Top Winning Strategies, By Company

8.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player

8.4. Competitive Dashboard

8.5. Competitive Heatmap

8.6. Key Developments

8.6.1. New Product Launches& Development

8.6.2. Other Developments

9. Company Profiles: Smart Thermostat

9.1. Emerson Electric Co.

9.1.1. Company Overview

9.1.2. Company Snapshot

9.1.3. Operating Business Segments

9.1.4. Product Portfolio

9.1.5. R&D Expenditure

9.1.6. Business Performance

9.1.7. Key Strategic Moves And Developments

9.2. Ecobee

9.3. Honeywell International Inc.

9.4. Johnson Controls

9.5. Nest Labs (Alphabet Inc.)

9.6. Netatmo (Legrand Sa)

9.7. Schneider Electric S.E.

9.8. Siemens Ag

9.9. Tado

9.10. Zen Ecosystems

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/eebamb

See more here:
Global Smart Thermostat Market by Type, Application and End Use: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

Wading into water quality, Stacy Levys Collected Watershed at Towson University

Susan Isaacs reviews Stavy Levy's exhibition Collected Watershed, which is currently installed at the Center for the Arts Gallery at Towson University. The display explores issues facing waterways during climate change. Though the gallery is currently closed due to COVID-19, the show's end date has been extended to April 25, 2020, and the show is presumed to re-open before then.

In a world of environmental crisis, Towson University addresses the issue of water quality this spring with a series of free events that are open to the public, including an exhibition by environmental artist Stacy Levy (full disclosure: I co-curated this exhibition along with Erin Lehman, Director of the Department of Art + Design Galleries). However, while planning the exhibition began the conversation, it gradually became only one element in a spring rich with programming, including an environmental conference to open April 16th with a keynote event: A Conversation with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate and author of the book What the Eyes Dont Seef, which tells the story of the Flint, Michigan water crisis. The New York Times named it as one of the 100 most notable books of 2018, and it was chosen as the Maryland One book of 2019.

Large universities, unlike museums, have access to and can take advantage of their own experts and departments, programs, and offices, resulting in rich interdisciplinary programming. In this instance, the College of Fine Arts and Communication (Departments of Music and Art + Design), the Jess & Mildred Fisher College of Science & Mathematics (Department of Biological Sciences), the Office of Sustainability, the Office of Civic Engagement & Social Responsibility, and Cook Library, collaborated to produce extensive programming around the issue of water. Scientists, curators, artists, musicians, librarians, and specialized program directors worked together to address the issue of water quality from their own perspectives.

Levy, who lives in rural Pennsylvania and who holds an MFA in sculpture from Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, and a BA in Sculpture with a Minor in Forestry from Yale University, is familiar with this kind of interdisciplinary approach as she often collaborates with scientists and landscape architects. She regularly creates works in the land and on the water to help mediate environmental problems. In 2018, she won the Henry Meigs Award for Environmental Leadership, and in 2019, the Penn Future Award for Women in Conservation. Readers can see a list of her commissions on her website, along with images of her many projects.

Levy writes: I am a sculptor with an urban forestry background whose interest in the natural world rests both in art and science. My art celebrates the often-unnoticed presence of the natural world in places we experience every day. I work with natural forces like wind, rain, erosion and climate change, plant growth, bird habitats and tides. I have explored the many aspects of urban waters, from the micro to the macro, and I have looked at water from many different angles: from puddles to watersheds.

Watercourse is a large, graceful installation that demonstrates the interconnectedness of local watersheds by mapping them in three-dimensions onto the nearly 2, 500 square foot floor of the Center for the Arts Gallery at Towson University. Students, faculty, and staff accompanied the artist for many days of water collection. In the end, we collected nearly 200 buckets of water from the various waterways in Baltimore County, and their contents filled close to 8,000 recycled jars that form the corresponding waterways of the map. It was a herculean effort.

Levy feels it is important that people know their streams, their names and locations, in order to protect them. Thus, the map includes identifying text in blue-colored Times Romanemployed in official maps of creeks, streams, rivers, bays and other waterways. Today, many waterways underlie roads and suburban developments, but in the past, they were the roadways. The title of her lecture for the opening of the exhibition was Picturing Water: Art as A Verb. A film collaboration between the artist and her videographer, Jonathan Bojan, about the project can be viewed here.

Maryland is rich in bodies of water. They are the result of a large glacier melt beginning about 10,000 years ago. The Chesapeake Bay was formed from the increased size of the Susquehanna River and the eventual mixing of salt and fresh water.* While this exhibition looks at Maryland waterways, Pennsylvanias decisions on water pollution also affect the Chesapeake Bay. A recent report by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation concluded that Pennsylvanias proposal to combat water pollution was not adequate, prompting Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to send a letter expressing his concern to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.**

Information about the dissolved salts content (conductivity) and acid-base quality (pH) of stream waters collected by biologist Susan Gresens of Towson University and her students are included in the watershed map installation, on display through an aesthetic visual representation designed by Levy of jars filled with varying amounts of marbles to represent salt content. Gresens explains that conductivity measurements are a useful representation of the total amount of salts dissolved in the water. These salts represent different compounds, some natural from local bedrock, others introduced by humans. In watersheds with winter snow and ice, road salt is the major contributor to conductivity.

While these salts keep road surfaces safe for drivers, conductivity is also a fingerprint of urban development; the more roads there are, the more driving there is, the more road salt is used. Levy explains that just as we cannot drink salty ocean water, microorganisms and other life forms, like fish and salamanders, cannot tolerate an overly salty environment.

The artists map design also demonstrates her fascination with dendritic patterns (branch-like structures) found not only in waterways, but also throughout all life forms, including the human vascular system. Levy comments that This complex of streams and rivers create capillaries of life-giving fluid. To allow for more viewer space, vinyl dots mark some waterways in the installation, generally forming the tail end of a curving river or creek, completing a dendritic pattern. This exhibition is an excellent representation of how Stacy Levy brings together science and art to express visually one of the most profound issues of our time: water quality. Visitors see how art makes science accessible while the science makes the art, at least in this case, richer in meaning and purpose.

Stacy Levy: Collected WatershedCenter for the Arts Gallery, (GPS: 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, Maryland)Towson, Maryland 21252Towson University MapsOn View January 31 April 25, 2020 (closed March 13 22)The University is currently closed through April 4 due to COVID-19Gallery Hours: Tues. Sat., 11 a.m. 8 p.m.

* James DiLisio, Maryland Geography (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014) 9.** Jenna Miller, Chesapeake Bay: Pennsylvania called weakest link by Bay Foundation. Maryland weighs in, The Daily Times May 30, 2019

Read more here:
Wading into water quality, Stacy Levy's Collected Watershed at Towson University - theartblog.org

SOUTHLAKE, Texas, March 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Artisan Design Group ("ADG"), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group, today announced the acquisition of Value Plus Flooring, LLC ("Value Plus" or the "Company"). ADG is a dealer of flooring products and services, providing design, procurement, installation and quality control of flooring and complementary products for homebuilders and multi-family developers.

Value Plus is a leading provider of installation services for flooring and complementary products, primarily serving multi-family new construction and multi-family relay/aftermarket segments. Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, the Company serves the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region and surrounding areas, and has been a trusted partner to its general contractor, multi-family developer and homebuilder customers since 1996.

"Value Plus' established presence in the industry and strong customer relationships are a welcomed addition to Artisan Design Group and we look forward to partnering with them," said Larry Barr and Wayne Joseph, Co-CEOs of ADG. "The Company will help ADG build scale and extend our national reach to the Midwest region, allowing us to better serve our multi-family customers."

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, ADG operates more than 90 distribution, design and service facilities and coordinates installation through over 1,300 independent contractors across 17 states. ADG was formed in 2016 through the combination of Floors Inc. and Malibu Floors. The acquisition of Value Plus represents ADG's sixth acquisition over the past thirteen months under Sterling's ownership. The company has completed fourteen total acquisitions since its founding in 2016. ADG continues to seek local and regional market leaders to add to its family of flooring specialists.

About The Sterling Group

Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity investment firm that targets controlling interests in basic manufacturing, distribution and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies range from $100 million to $750 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 56 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $10.0 billion. Currently, Sterling has over $2.0 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit http://www.sterling-group.com.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artisan-design-group-a-portfolio-company-of-the-sterling-group-completes-the-acquisition-of-value-plus-301015791.html

SOURCE The Sterling Group

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Artisan Design Group, a Portfolio Company of The Sterling Group, Completes the Acquisition of Value Plus - Yahoo Finance

Filling offices, cubicles, and spilling into the hallways of theold Ralph Lauren headquarters in New York, the SPRING/BREAK Art Showdid not disappoint in its ninth year with the over-the-top installations for which the fair has become known.

The theme for this years fair, as selected by founders and directors Andrew Gori and Ambre Kelly, is IN EXCESS. And given the fairs penchant for elaborate, immersive presentations in unconventional environments, its no surprise that artists and curators embraced this brief wholeheartedly.

Here are nine of the most show-stopping installations at this years fair.

Super Future Kid Two for Me, None for You: A Narrative on Excess and Wishful Thinking,curated by Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami, andCh Morales. Photo by Sam Sachs.

Steffi Super Future Kid Homa has turned her corner of SPRING/BREAK into a candy-colored fantasy land that guests enter through a giant gingerbread house, built from 300 cookie bricks and expandingpolyurethane foam icing.

The artist, who conceives of her surreal paintings as sort of emotional self-portraits, created all new work for the occasion, inspired by the medieval poem The Land of Cockaigne.

Its a meditation on excess and abundance and how this belief in the possibility of abundance can bring hope, gallerist Mindy Solomon told Artnet News.

The gallery enlisted curator Ch Morales, a SPRING/BREAK veteran known for presenting immersive installations, to help design the booth, which features toadstool beanbag chairs and a bright red bridge over a pink stream. Adding to the feeling of bounty, the floor has been covered with 2,500 pounds of salt, which reads as sugar in Super Future Kids candy land paradise. Her paintings are priced between $4,500 and $8,000.

Artist Jeila Gueramian and curator Emily McElwreath with Jeila Gueramian: Belly of the Beast,curated by Sidel & McElwreath at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo by Sarah Cascone.

At the entrance to the fairs 10th floor, you cant miss Jeila Gueramians massive crochet installationBelly of the Beast. The piece is a cacophony of pattern and color that opens up to a darkened cave where you can sit in a cozy swing. Its an opportunity to get away from the stress of the fair, if only for a moment.

Its a womb-like space have a meditative experience within this excess, co-curator Emily McElwreath told Artnet News.

Gueramian went to art school, but only recently returned to making work after starting to raise her children. I came to this through craft, just making things for my family, she said. I decided to merge the two worlds.

In a commentary on waste, the artist incorporates found textiles into the work, giving fabrics a second life. The work is site-specific, but could be reconfigured to suit any space, should you wish to buy it for a cool $25,000.

Artist Jen Dwyer and artist Lauren Hirshfield with Jen Dwyer: Dreamers Delight at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo by Sarah Cascone.

Growing up in Oakland, Jen Dwyer saw a lot of ceramic art. I didnt realize until I was in my 20s that it was considered a minor art form, she told Artnet News. Now, her work in the medium looks to shatter gender hierarchies.

Her booth at SPRING/BREAK harkens back to the age of rococo, presenting her ceramics in a beautiful parlor space, table set for an elegant afternoon tea. During the rococo period, porcelain was called white gold, said Dwyer, pointing out how well the historical opulence ties into the fairs theme of excess.

We wanted to challenge that notion of ceramics as a lower value object, added curator Lauren Hishfield, who has priced the work at $1502,000.

Though the space is feminine and beautiful at first blush, a closer inspection reveals quirky, unsettling details, like the disembodied, witchy-looking blue finger on the tarot cards at each place setting, or the sprawling, cartoon-like female nude on the ornate vase centerpiece.

Kate Klingbeil: Burrowed curated by Rachel Frank, Kristen Racaniello, and Jacob Rhodes for Field Projects at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo courtesy of Field Projects.

Kate Klingbeils paintings already leap off the canvas, populated with sculptural elements she makes from molding paste and acrylic paint.

At SPRING/BREAK, shes extended that approach to the entirety of her booth with a 3-D mural that transports the viewer underground, to the secret world of ants, roots, and small burrowing mammals.

I was doing this residency and you had to do 12 hours of physical labor, Klingbeil said of her inspiration. I was doing a lot of digging in the dirt.

She sees the underground as an unappreciated wellspring of life. The female energy is a big part of the work,Klingbeil added.

The booth was fast on its way to selling out during the fairs VIP hours, butKlingbeils mural, at least, will live on. The artist will reuse the sculpted elements, returning them to her cache until the opportunity arises to incorporate them into another canvas, each painting almost serving as a backdrop for an elaborate choreographed dance.

I have a large collection that I pull fromits constantly evolving, she explained. Each work is essentially a collage made out of paint.

Jessica Lichtenstein: Do They Make a Sound? curated by Indira Cesarine for the Untitled Space at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo courtesy of the Untitled Space.

Jessica Lichtenstein may have the most Instagram-friendly booth at the fair, with pink leaves piled up on the floor against a backdrop of white birch trees with pink foliage reflecting in a serene lake. But look a little closer, and youll see theres a deeper message.

Each leaf in the digitally painted scene is actually a womans body, a 3-D model that Lichtenstein has posed in thousands of positions, falling from the trees to the ground below. She was inspired by the old saying if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The question Lichtenstein poses harkens back to the old problem of he-said-she-saidif a man and a woman have an intimate encounter and come away with two different stories about what happened, who do you believe?

On each tree, the artists has written relevant messages, replacing carved initials with quotes about women from pornography, Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, and even romantic poetry. These are the mixed messages were sending to each other,Lichtenstein said.

Though Lichenstein works on a computer, she hand-dyed and cut the mulberry paper leavesalso in the shape of female silhouettesthat add an interactive element to the space, which decorates both the walls and floor. Smaller versions of the scene are available for sale in the form of acrylicface mounted prints, priced at $8003,600.

Its the artists biggest installation to dateshes done wallpaper before, but this is the first time Ive done the whole floor, leaves, a room that I dont want to leave ever!

Ali Shrago-Spechler: Eine Friedliche Industriecurated by Tahl Mayer at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo by Sarah Cascone.

Ali Shrago-Spechler trained as a painter before moving into sculpture and performance art. Now, cardboard and papier-mch represents yet another new direction for the artist. We had moved and there were tons of boxes, curator Tahl Mayer,Shrago-Spechlers husband, told Artnet News. Rather than letting it go to waste, she started to play with it.

At SPRING/BREAK, the artist has built an entire cardboard environment in which to house her sculptures, creating a maze inside former cubicle spaces.Shrago-Spechler envisions the installation as a period room, imagining what her Jewish familys home in Karlruhe, Germany, might have looked like before they fled for the US in 1938.

Shrago-Spechlers grandmother always refused to talk about life in the old country. With this patchwork of cardboard, shes rediscovering her familys past, Mayer said. Shesconstructing this using her own memory and through research.

The works start at just $200we honestly struggled with how to price cardboard! said Mayer.

Bobby Anspach:Place for Continuous Eye Contact curated by BRIC, Brooklyn, at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo by Taylor Maatman.

Dont be alarmed by the somewhat clinical feel of Bobby Anspachs installation Place for Continuous Eye Contact. The interactive artwork requires lying down on a hospital bed to view it, but dont worry, you wont be undergoing medical testing. The piece is designed to induce a deep meditative state by gazing into a mirror, staring continuously at your own eye for three and a half minutes. (Yes, youll have to wait in line to check it out.)

Anspach first became intrigued by the strange effects of continuous eye contact during an acid trip, and then became aware of Eastern traditions of eye contact meditation. His series ofContinuous Eye Contact workswhich you may have spotted at SPRING/BREAKs 2018 edition or at last yearsPortal: Governors Islandseek to heighten the experience with a score commissioned from composer Eluvium, a pulsating light show, and by filling the rest of ones field of vision with brightly colored pom poms.

The piece, which Anspach estimates features some 4,000 LED lights and 10,000 pom poms, is for sale for $100,000.

Valery Estabrook, The Impeachmint curated by Ambre Kelly and Andrew Gori at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo by Sammy Sachs Photography.

SPRING/BREAK veteran Valery Estabrook is serving double duty at this years fair, curating a booth by Kat Ryals while presenting her own project The Impeachmint. Since 2018, Estabrook has been designing and manufacturing commemorative coins to immortalize the misdeeds of President Donald Trump and his administration.

She was inspired by Trumps apparent fascination with making his own commemorative coins, which you can buy on the White House gift website(there was even one made for a North Korean peace talk that saw the US walk away from negotiations). These coins are basically pure propaganda, Estabrook told Artnet News.

Her concern was that with the current 24/7 news cycle, every two weeks theres a new scandal and the last scandal gets buried. Estabrook wanted to make a literal, material, factual record of events that cant be ignored.

To that end, there is no commentary on the coins, just factual descriptions of actual events, like a coin that lists every single lie told on the job by former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, or another that lists the Trump campaign operatives, including Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner, who attended that infamous Trump Tower meeting with Russian operatives looking to undermine Hillary Clintons campaign.

You can buy the full set of Impeachmint coins for $1,200, or individual ones from $90 to $250.

It was Gori and Kellys idea to present the work in an installation format. I thought the most natural setting would be a collectible shop, said Estabrook, who designed the store to feel like small town America, dusty and dated. Shes carefully considered every detaileven the video tapes for sale are clues to her feelings about Trump, with titles likeClueless.

Alonsa Guevara with her installation Alumbrados por la Misma Luna (Lit by the Same Moon), curated by Anna Zorina Gallery, New York, at SPRING/BREAK 2020. Photo by Sarah Cascone.

Born in Chile and raised in Ecuador, New York-based artist Alonsa Guevara has drawn on childhood memories for her SPRING/BREAK installation, which transforms a drab Midtown office into a moonlit jungle on the edge of the ocean, with palm trees, sand and seashells surrounding her paintings. The artist has covered the windows with black fabric, save for a single cutout that allows the light of the presentations titular moon to shine through.

I thought SPRING/BREAK would be about the excess of the contemporary world, but this is the natural excess that I think people should embrace, said Guevara.

Her paintings range from $1,500 to $22,000, topping out with a large-scale self portrait. But Guevara wants her figures, seen in the darkness under moonlight, to read as universal. Theres more of a tribal feeling, and they all blend with nature world, she explained. It means were all the same, in the end.

The SPRING/BREAK Art Show NYC will be on view at625 Madison Avenue, New York, March 49, 2020.

Excerpt from:
Here Are 9 of the Zaniest Installations at SPRING/BREAK 2020, From a Candy-Colored Fantasy Land to a Moonlit Jungle - artnet News

New Lactation Pod Has Been Installed on Campus

Savanna Eickerman

Were thrilled to support breastfeeding mamas at Everett Community College, says Mamava Co-founder and CEO Sascha Mayer.

Last quarter a $23,000 state-of-the-art lactation space was installed on the first floor of White Horse Hall (WHH). The newly designed lactation pod was built and installed by the company, Mamava. Based out of Burlington, Vermont, Mamava celebrates and supports the 21st century breastfeeding mama on-the-go.

Mamavas goal is to create a healthier society through a changed cultural perception of pumping and breastfeeding that allows every woman the opportunity to nurse her child regardless of her circumstances.

Were thrilled to support breastfeeding mamas at Everett Community College, says Mamava Co-founder and CEO Sascha Mayer. We believe that all mamas deserve a clean, comfortable and dignified place to use a breast pump or breastfeed distraction-free anywhere, anytime.

The mastermind behind the installation of the pod on campus was Vice President of College Services Patrick Sisneros. The idea came to him last year when he saw a Mamava pod at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Washington.

College campuses represent an environment that often has many breastfeeding students as well as employees, says Mayer. Supporting breastfeeding community members is important to help normalize breastfeeding in our culture.

There is no way of knowing how many EvCC students, staff or faculty are nursing mothers but the installation of the new pod can also benefit the entire community. Since EvCC is a state institution, any mother who is in need of using the space will be able to come on campus and use its facilities free of charge as long as the building is open.

The pod that was constructed in WHH is called Mamava A.D.A. which means that its A.D.A certified (Americans with Disability Act). Mamas will be able to stretch out in the 50 square-foot wheelchair accessible pod which features dual grab bars, two benches, occupancy-activated lighting, ceiling vents, an exhaust fan and much more.

The school had originally looked at placing the pod in the Parks Student Union (PSU) building, but since the pod is designed for easy accessibility, the narrow hallways in PSU made the installation less favorable.

Savanna EickermanAn interior look at the new Mamava lactation pod. Using the app, a mother would be able to dim the lights, reduce airflow and listen to numerous sounds. If you are out and need to pump, the app will guide you to the nearest pod.

Mothers will be able to locate and unlock the pods via Bluetooth-enabled SmartLock through a free app. With this app, a mother would be able to dim the lights, reduce airflow and listen to numerous sounds. If you are out and need to pump, the app will guide you to the nearest pod. If someone is using it, the app will let you know how long they have been in there and will notify you as soon as the pod is open.

Sisneros explained that the installation is a part of a pilot program. If successful, the school plans to incorporate two more Mamava pods on two of the three floors in the new Learning Resource Center once construction is completed.

There is also a lactation room located on the second floor of Rainier Hall. The room is conjoined with the womens restroom and remains locked. Any students or staff who plan to use the space on a regular basis can receive a key by the campus Security office. If you are a visitor on campus and want to use the room you can call security at (425) 388-9990 and be let inside. The room consists of a two-seater sofa with a coffee table, a rocking chair and an electrical outlet.

If youre a nursing mother who would like to use the new pod, the free Mamava app is available on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android).

More:
Breastfeeding in Public - The Clipper

ADAMS TWP Mars Area Middle School work is on track, said John Hays, general manager of construction for Thomas & Williamson Program Management of Pittsburgh.

The punch list process has gone very well, Hays said.

Hays told the board completed punch list items are being reviewed. He reminded members that contractors hired for punch list items are responsible for their work and get one chance to correct any issues associated with it.

We do not babysit them, Hays said. We don't expect you to pay us to babysit them.

A punch list is a document prepared near the end of a construction project listing minor work that must still be completed.

Hays asked the board to approve $88,761 in additional change orders Tuesday night.

It sounds huge, Hays said. Budget-wise, you're still good.

Among the things Hays asked the board to approve was $47,779 for the installation of ceramic tile to cover drywall in the corridors. The drywall has gotten marked from student use, Hays said.

He also asked the board to approve having a contractor grind and polish all terrazzo flooring.

In November 2019, Hays suggested that the district consider purchasing a diamond blade that would cut through years of wax and dirt build up. He asked the board Tuesday night to approve contracting the work.

Hays also told the board that people have asked when the terrazzo flooring will be shiny, or waxed.

They don't get waxed anymore, Hays said.

Waxing contributes to dirt buildup, according to information provided by Hays.

Other proposed change orders included the installation of new ceiling tiles, relocating signage, and work that needs to be done on sinks.

Hays said the change orders are possible because the district planned ahead. All the change order work will be done at night, Hays said. He anticipates presenting two other change orders to the board in April.

The board unanimously approved the change orders.

View post:
Serving the Cranberry Twp, Mars, Evans City, Zelienople areas - The Cranberry Eagle

By: Bia Malaspina on March 4, 2020.

Students who frequently eat in Dana may have been shocked to find that the beloved booths were removed from the dining hall this past January and replaced with sets of small tables and chairs. This temporary layout will remain in the dining hall until spring break, when Dana will install brand new furniture throughout the space. The Echo spoke with Marietta Lamarre, General Manager of Dining Services, about what prompted the changes to Danas layout and design.

Danas got an old look to it, Lamarre said. The furniture looks a little outdated, so the goal was to make it more modern.

Lamarre recounted the work thats been done in Dana over the past several months by Colby Facilities.

They did the carpeting in the lower level during the summer. They took out the carpeting in the meeting rooms and the booth area, and closed the wall up on the booth area because theres going to be a new booth configuration. They also completed all the painting.

The Echo also spoke with Mina Amundsen, Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Campus Planning, about the recent renovations in Dana. She also shared that Facilities wanted to give Dana a more modern look.

The changes to the dining hall furniture were part of an overall refresh of the dining hall, responding to student feedback about the space and experience, she said

The furniture installation is the third phase as the pieces take a few months to arrive after they are selected and ordered, Amundsen continued. The vision was to have a contemporary space that felt inclusive, and was flexible to accommodate a range of seating needs and choices.

Both Lamarre and Amundsen wanted students to play a major part oin the selection process for new furniture. Several examples of seating, fabrics, and other materials were brought to Dana during a lunch period in the fall semester. During this time, students were able to give their feedback and vote for the furniture they preferred.

They brought in samples and I cant even tell you how many we looked at, Lamarre exclaimed.

They also wanted to be sure that renovations made cleaning and other maintenance easier on the dining staff. Amundsen explained that this was accomplished through a collaboration with Facilities, Dining Services, and Campus Life. Basic criteria were aesthetics, durability, as well as ease of use, ability to stack, and clean surfaces thoroughly. The shortlisted choices, along with options for colors and patterns, were reviewed in the dining hall with students.

Lamarre added that the new furniture was also chosen with sustainability in mind. Facilities made sure that all of the new furniture was sustainable, she said. The fabric on the booths can be washed. It has a finish on it so that it can be cleaned very easily. Taking the carpet out over the summer was a big move because the new flooring is much easier to take care of.

Student reaction seems to be fairly mixed. Some are excited for a change of scene, while others are skeptical about the introduction of new furniture.

In a recent interview, the Echo spoke with Artricia Nou `21 and Laura Sokoloski `21, two Dana-loyalists who have frequented the dining hall since their first year at Colby.

I eat at Dana one to three times a day! Sokoloski remarked.

When asked how she felt about the changes in Dana during January she replied, I like that you can fit more people at the tables, but I miss the booths. You could grab a few friends and just sit and talk.

Nou also described her fondness of Danas booths but added that she was looking forward to some of the changes to come after spring break.

We used to sit at the booths for hours! If no booths were available, wed be really disappointed. I think the new set up will be cool because it wont split the booths up, itll be an open space, Nou said. When the booths are back, I think Ill probably spend a lot more time in Dana. Its comfortable to sit in.

Sokoloski, however, seemed a bit more worried about the changes to come. During January, Dana staff put out photos of what the new furniture will look like.

In response to these photos, Sokoloski said, it looks a little hospital-y. But Im sure itll all turn out well. I feel good as long as it doesnt decrease the amount of seating. Theres already not enough seating as it is. According to Amundsen, the seating capacity in Dana will remain the same and may even include a few more seats than before.

Overall, students will have to wait until the end of March to judge if they enjoy the new Dana furniture. At best, they should hope to see a new dining hall with a contemporary and colorful look.

Read more:
New furniture to be installed in Dana dining hall over spring break - The Colby Echo News

Some Walls From Unbuilt Houses opened earlier this month at Kent State Universitys College of Architecture and Environmental Design Armstrong Gallery. The installation consists of a collection of framed spaces surfaced with a millennials dream material palette: Faux pink-and-blue fur, dichromatic vinyl, raw plywood, glitter embellished wood shingles, and monochromatic felt and leather. While these textured walls entice visitors to snap a selfie or two, its what lies behind the surface that matters most.

Different arrangements of walls, or occupiable pochs, slice through their surface materials. (Kyle Troyer)

The installation is a collection of fragments extracted from plan drawings for various houses designed by Endemic Architecture (Clark Thenhaus). Their intersecting recomposition in the gallery creates an enfilade of unfolding spaces, moving between highly articulated surfaces and low-fi unfinished stud walls. The experience gives real meaning to the phrase, inhabit the poch, as one must circulate simultaneously through exposed interior wall cavities and finished rooms. To top it all off, the gallerys large glass exterior wall is activated in one ceremonious section cut through the installation, further revealing interiors full of artifacts from the construction process. The layered, overlapping and assembled qualities of the space, combined with remnants of paint samples, Walmart receipts, and scattered floor plans are suspended in a state of constant negotiation, enticing visitors, as Thenhaus states, to look behind, through, and into the walls in search of more layers or spaces.

The entire frontage of the Armstrong Gallery becomes complicit with the work within, providing another slice. (Kyle Troyer)

As a corollary production to Thenhauss most recent publication, Unresolved Legibility in Residential Types, the installation asks visitors to pay attention to the in-between and the unresolved in domestic layouts. The forgotten closets, utility cavities, and leftover nooks often covered over with black poch in the architects drawing are revealed to become new spaces of discovery and inhabitation.

Detail view of the areas behind the walls. (Danny Wills)

Some Walls From Unbuilt Houses is on display until March 6 at the CAED Armstrong Gallery, located at 132 S Lincoln St, Kent, Ohio 44240. Endemic Architecture would like to thank the following Kent State University students for their assistance: Aiden Crossey, Aileen Lin, Allison Baker, Branden Hudak, Feyza Mutlu, Jonathan Bonezzi, Kyle Troyer, Logan West, Mike Bonezzi, Ryan Lane, Yu-ting Chang.

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Clark Thenhaus inhabits the poch in Some Walls From Unbuilt Houses - The Architect's Newspaper