Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Improper discharging of a firearm: Kensington Road

At 10:50 p.m. Sept. 15, police were called to a home on a report of shots fired. At the scene, police learned that a male resident of the home, 23, had been murdered in Cleveland Heights two days earlier.

The deceased mans brother, 24, and other family members were on their homes front porch when a car drove up and slowed while a male in the car shouted an obscenity about the dead man. The car was believed to be occupied by several males.

The car drove away, but returned less than a minute later. From the car, a male reached out and fired two shots before the car continued eastbound on Kensington Road. Witnesses were unsure if the shots were fired in the air or towards the home. No bullet holes were found in the home and no one was injured.

Police found two shell casings on the ground and an army fatigue hat in the street, which may have belonged to the shooter. The detective bureau is investigating.

Domestic violence: Bainbridge Road

At 6:55 p.m. Sept. 14, police were called to a home for a reported disturbance involving a family member. Officers arrived to find several people outside the home, and a man yelling at women.

The man then laid down in the front yard as one of the women yelled that he needed to go to a psych ward. The man said to police, You going to take me to jail real quick. He then told his mother to shut up.

The man became aggressive and, as his sister approached him, he took a swing at her. The sister dodged the swing, but was struck on the arm. Police then grabbed the man and took him to the ground. Police arrested the man and charged him with domestic violence and assault.

Upon his arrest, his family members became uncooperative with officers, refusing to complete written statements and telling police they didnt want any action taken.

Aggravated menacing: Blanche Road

At 9:50 a.m. Sept. 11, an inspector with the citys housing department reported that he was completing an exterior inspection of a home when a man came outside and began to berate him. The man said he was going to go to city hall with a machine gun and shoot everyone. A warrant was issued for the mans arrest.

At 4:30 p.m. Sept. 14, police went to an East Cleveland home and arrested the man who made the threats. The man was arrested on charges of aggravated menacing and inducing panic. Cleveland Heights police also wanted the suspect on previous outstanding warrants.

Improper discharging of a firearm: Renrock Road

At 9 a.m. Sept. 11, police were called to a three-floor multiple dwelling where several gunshots had been fired. A woman, 55, called police after being told to do so by a 25-year-old man who lives above her on the third floor.

As officers attempted to enter the closed first floor door, they heard from behind the door the 25-year-old stating that he needed help, that there were people after him, and that, according to the police report, it wasnt him. Police entered and found the man standing with his hands on his head. The man told police he had a knife tucked in his shorts. Police removed the knife and handcuffed the man. The man told officers that an unloaded gun was upstairs. Police found the gun, a rifle, on the second floor stairwell landing.

In the mans third-floor residence, police found several spent shell casings and a damaged window. No one was inside.

The man went on to tell police that he thought he was being followed by his ex-girlfriend and a man he does not know and that he could hear them walking inside the house. He believed they wanted to kill him.

The man told police that, in his head, he could hear the unknown male saying, She wants you dead. I am going to kill you. He also said the couple followed him home from work that morning, and that they could hear and see everything he was doing, and that they tapped his phone. He said he knew what he did was wrong, but that he was afraid they were going to kill him. Police had the man taken to the hospital for a psychological examination, where he was placed in a lockdown facility.

Officers found five gunshots had struck the rear of a neighboring house. Witnesses heard varying amounts of gunshots being fired, but saw no one suspicious in the area. The woman who called police said that the man came to her door and told her to call police.

The detective bureau is investigating.

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Two shots fired at mourning family while on their homes porch: Cleveland Heights police blotter - cleveland.com

I grab my cup of coffee and go sit on the porch while Billie runs around and does what he needs to do. His routine includes circling the house, checking for deer in the yard and smelling all the scents left by anything that may have passed through his yard at night while he was inside.

Jag, the terrier, sleeps in one of the chairs on the porch where he can watch the yard and protect us from invaders. It is fairly common for him to start barking viciously at some time in the middle of the night.

His bout of attentiveness is normally brought on by a passing deer, which is usually chased off by his barking. This saves him the trouble of getting off his chair and actually doing something. It also causes me to get up and go yell at him as he is barking right below our bedroom window.

Friday night was typical. Jag started barking as though the whole Chinese army was coming over the hill. By the time I got up and got to the door, the barking had stopped, and Jag was nowhere to be seen. That was good enough for me. Whatever the problem was, it must have been solved, saving me the trouble of going outside to yell at him.

Saturday morning, as per our routine, Billie and I went out in the early morning darkness. I sat down with my coffee in the chair next to Jag. He looked like the king of the world, propped up in his chair, satisfied with another night of protecting us.

Billie was only gone a couple of minutes, which is unusual. It usually takes 10 or 15 minutes to do a thorough check of his yard. When he came back, he was still tracking something, across the porch, past Jag and me, and around the corner.

The porch wraps around the house on three sides. I could hear Billie trotting to the far side, nose to the floor. A few seconds later, he came back with something brown in his mouth. He was proudly trying to show me his prize, but I was not about to take an unidentified object from him before I found out what it was and if it was alive. I reached into the house and flipped on the light.

Billie was standing there with a muskrat in his mouth. Fortunately for both of us, it was dead. Jag sat proudly in his chair as though he was saying, yes, that is mine, but you guys can have it. I did not really want it but took it anyway.

I am not sure why a muskrat would wander close enough to the house to cause Jag to go after it. I am sure Jag did not venture too far from his chair on the porch in the middle of the night to go hunting. Muskrats will travel away from water at times, but this one will not make mistake again of coming into the yard.

In the middle of the night when Jag is barking and growling, you never know what might be lurking in the darkness. Apparently, Jag knows, and he will take care of it.

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Walter Scott: You never know what may be lurking in the darkness - West Central Tribune

Participants have until this weekend to sign up for most events in the 2020 Valleyfest Parade, but will be allowed some flexibility due to smoke danger, COVID-19 restrictions and going back to school.

Executive Director for Valleyfest Peggy Doering said the smoke has made it difficult for Valleyfest organizers and court to prepare for the event, and she knows it must be challenging for others who are struggling with similar situations.

Because of our circumstances, I am not holding anybody to a deadline, Doering said.

She said participants will be able to do almost every event from home and the deadline to participate in the Marvelous Mini Parade and the Lilly Pad Procession is Sept. 19, but there is flexibility if meeting that is a challenge for most.

Participants can use anything to build shoebox entries into the miniparade including paint, markers, action figures or flowers.

Floats must be at least 12 inches long and 10 inches high, but there is not a maximum size. Themes must be family friendly and cannot include political candidates or issues.

To be eligible for a prize, participants must submit a photo of the float from the front. Organizers also ask that participants post their floats on social media and make videos of around 15 seconds to show how they made their floats, and tag the images with @SpokValleyFest or use the hashtag #MarvelousMiniParade.

Displays for the Valleyfest Lilly-Pad Procession should be up and registered by Sept. 19 at noon as well. Any theme can be used to decorate a porch as long the theme isnt political or religious. A few suggested by organizers include honoring people who have Hearts of Gold, harvest or honoring first responders.

The display should remain up between Sept. 19 and 30, On Sept. 26 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., a procession that includes the festival royal court and community groups will visit the neighborhood.

The first 50 people to sign up will receive a Lilly-Pad Procession sign. Homes selected to be visited directly by the procession will be notified a day in advance and members of the procession will throw candy.

Those in the Lilly-Pad Procession must live in Spokane Valley, but the Marvelous Mini Parade participants can be from anywhere.

Instead of having a walk-through booth event, Valleyfest will have a Virtual Vendor Village. A link will be posted on the Valleyfest website where they will be available for live chats about their products. Live music will be streamed and will be available from Sept. 26 to Oct. 26 from to 4 p.m.

Nonprofits can also sign up for a social service booth, but must register by Sept. 20. Political candidates and political parties will be able to sign up for these types of booths.

Doering said live music will include favorites from past Valleyfest events including the Master Class Big Band and country artist Justin James.

In addition to parades, Valleyfest organizers are encouraging participates to get outside if the smoke clears up by event time.

It may impact challenges, Doering said, Hopefully some of this will clear up.

The festival will include a multisport challenge encouraging participants to participate in 10 outdoor challenges over 10 days, from Sept. 19 to 27. The challenges include, run, walk, bike or roller blade down the Appleway Trail and do the same on other trails and parks throughout the area. Registration is $5 plus a $1.58 processing fee.

Valleyfest will also host a free drive-in movie showing of The Sandlot when festivities begin on Sept. 26. Participants are encouraged to sign up in advance because space is limited. The movie will be shown outside of the Hub Sports Center in Spokane Valley. Participants must sign up in advance by going to hubsportscenter.org/events/9-26-movie/.

Registration for all other events can be found atvalleyfest.org.

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Porch and mini Valleyfest parade deadlines near, but organizers say they are flexible due to smoke, COVID danger - The Spokesman-Review

From the porch to the walls of the Glenbow Museum, one Calgary photographer is honoured to have his personal work on display for the city to see.

Neil Zellers #porchrait initiative started as a way to bring smiles to Calgarians faces during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his personal portraits have since turned into Glenbows newest exhibit.

Its so much to take in to be a part of the Glenbow because its such an institution in Calgary and the world, really, Zeller said in an interview with Global News Radio 770 CHQR on Friday.

Me and my family got a sneak peek prior to the opening last weekend, and when we walked around the corner and saw my name on the wall, we were all pretty weepy.

It was an incredible moment.

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Zeller said the idea for the porch portraits came from a similar initiative in Yellowknife, where photographer Pat Kane offered to take photographs of residents through their windows.

Wanting to offer a similar sense of excitement to Calgarians, Zeller began to offer family portraits on residents porches in March while adhering to physical-distancing regulations and public health protocols.

I jumped at the opportunity to do it myself here in Calgary, so I ran down the street to a friends house, took a photo of them on the porch and then started a ticketing site. Then four to five months later, I had photographed over 600 families in Calgary, he said.

It was done with long lenses and they had a scheduled time that I would arrive, so they knew I was coming and I didnt even have to knock on doors.

After seeing his work, Glenbow worked with Zeller to create the first new exhibit since the museum reopened its doors to the public at the beginning of August.

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Jenny Conway Fisher, Glenbows director of communications and marketing, said the museum is excited to host the exhibit as it offers a unique viewpoint of Calgarians amid the pandemic.

Neils Porchrait project captured a historic moment that we all experienced in different ways, Fisher said.

In these photographs, you recognize a kindred spirit, you see people really coming together as families and as friends and finding ways to deal with stress and loneliness and hardship.

The results are heartwarming and funny and poignant.

Since opening on Sept. 5, the exhibit has struck a chord with audiences and brought many visitors back through the museums doors, Fisher said.

We saw all our timed-ticket spots fully booked on the opening three days of the Porchraits exhibition, and this past weekend was almost fully booked too, she said.

Weve had lots of people reconnecting with Glenbow and purchasing or renewing memberships. It feels great to have people back in the museum after five months of closure.

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The exhibit showcases 59 of the more than 600 families Zeller photographed throughout the pandemic.

Zeller said he hopes the images he chose reflects the importance of family and the citys resilience during these unprecedented times.

We co-curated it in a way that showed the diversity of Calgary, he said.

It was a really difficult decision, but we made a diverse show that everyone can grab onto and maybe even see a bit of themselves in some of them.

The exhibit doesnt have a scheduled end date, but officials said Porchraits will run throughout October.

2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Calgary photographers portraits move from porches to the walls of the Glenbow Museum - Global News

Pressure Washing Services market report gives attention to market segmentation, market size, and forecast of 2019-2024 to help stakeholders in making a good decision for the future investments. Pressure Washing Services industry report segmented into types, application, and regions with providing production, revenue, import/export.

The Pressure Washing Services market report covers the key trends overseeing the industry growth across the regional contributors. It provides insights about the restraints as well as opportunities to assist in better decision making and execute further business expansion. The study also delves into the ever-changing competitive scenario by profiling the leading industry players. Furthermore, it covers the latest developments, comprising the COVID-19 pandemic, to help market participants identify the opportunities in this business sphere.

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1. Global Stormwater Management Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-stormwater-management-market-report-2020-by-key-players-types-applications-countries-market-size-forecast-to-2026-based-on-2020-covid-19-worldwide-spread

2. Global Cognitive Assessment and Training Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-cognitive-assessment-and-training-market-report-2020-by-key-players-types-applications-countries-market-size-forecast-to-2026-based-on-2020-covid-19-worldwide-spread

Contact Us:Corporate Sales,Market Study Report LLCPhone: 1-302-273-0910Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: [emailprotected]

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Pressure Washing Services Market Trends and Prospects by 2026 - algosonline.com

A veteran Upper Valley car dealer is starting up a novel way to sell and service cars.

Rick MacLeay, who owned and operated the former Subaru dealership in Norwich known as The Car Store and had a Hyundai dealership in White River Junction, has launched UV n GO, a mobile car detailing and used car sales service based in West Lebanon.

UV n GO is taking over the mobile car cleaning business of Upper Valley startup Zippity, which operated workplace car cleaning and detailing services at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Hypertherm before the pandemic suspended those operations.

Based at the former Avada Hearing Care Center location behind McDonalds in West Lebanon, UV n GO is also applying for a license from the New Hampshire DMV to sell pre-owned vehicles, MacLeay said, which it will provide largely through an assist-and-search service on behalf of buyers for a flat fee.

It will be tell-me-what-you-want-and-well-find-it, said MacLeay, who closed his Hyundai dealership on Sykes Mountain Avenue last year and sold his Subaru dealership to Prime Motor Group in 2016. Were not going to have a lot of cars on a lot.

MacLeay said technology is radically reordering the car service and sales business, and the days of car dealerships and drive-to repair garages are going to have as much appeal for consumers as, well, that old beater rusting on the used car lot.

Car buyers are increasingly doing their research online and showing up at a dealership only to take delivery of the vehicle a new online sales platform piloted at White River Toyota was designed with just that reality in mind.

Meanwhile, Zippity, co-founded in 2017 by Lebanon High School grad and Tuck School of Business alumnus Ed Warren, has been pioneering an at-home car repair service that can do many routine service jobs, such as brakes, mufflers and tune-ups, in the customers driveway.

In the old days we called it a relationship-based business, but we dont do that anymore. The culture has changed, MacLeay said.

UV n GO will use Zippitys proprietary software to power its online appointment bookings platform, but Zippitys car cleaning and detailing service will now be marketed in the Upper Valley under the UV n GO name, according to MacLeay.

Zippity did not respond to messages for comment.

MacLeay said his latest venture allows him to take advantage of the knowledge that hes accumulated since he was a teenager washing cars at a dealership in Windsor while at the same getting a foothold in the industrys technology-enabled next phase.

Most of my career has been doing the same-old, same-old for decades, he said. This is different. I like shiny new objects.

For a long time it was a roller skating rink. For a short time it has been a dog day care and boarding kennel.

This time its for sale (again).

Peter Martin, who nine months ago converted his Great View Roller Skating rink in Enfield into Chosen Valley Pet Resort, is winding down the pet boarding business and is looking for someone to buy the 4-acre, 16,000-square-foot facility.

Asking price: $875,000, knocked down 27% from what Martin was seeking a few years ago when he last sought to sell the property.

When we first opened in January we were getting a lot of dogs and then we ran smack into COVID, Martin said of the pandemic that has leveled countless businesses. We need 30 dogs a day to break even but with the pandemic it was three to five.

When Martin converted the site, which had been a roller skating rink for 42 years, into a pet care resort, it was as a last resort to find a new use for the facility that had seen dwindling numbers of skaters over the years.

Martin envisioned that, with Mascoma Valley residents traveling Route 4 to jobs at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Dartmouth College, Hypertherm and FujiFilm, the location was strategically placed to entice dog owners who wanted to drop off their beloved on their morning commute and then pick up their wagging tail on the way home at night.

COVID-19, however, threw a bone into the business plan.

With people working from home, or stranded at home because they are out of a job, or wary of traveling and thus removing the need for boarding, there is diminished demand for pet-sitting services, Martin said.

People are home and they want to be with their dog; thats understandable, Martin said.

As a result, Martin said he had to curb hours he is open to three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Martin has tried to sell the property before the difference this time is Ive got a broker and Im not trying to sell it myself but many thought the $1.2 million asking price at the time was a bit steep.

Martin said he and his wife, Diane, are both 70. Lifes too short, so lets give someone a chance where we left off.

As for what use the property could be put to it is zoned as a community business district Martin said if a buyer did not want to continue with a dog kennel, then it could be easily re-converted back into a skating rink.

I still have 1,000 skates, at a minimum, in the store room, he said.

Alternately, the cavernous structure could be utilized for a business that appears always to be in demand in the Upper Valley, at least based upon the number that have sprouted in recent years.

I hear theres a need for storage space, Martin speculated.

Throw a hungry reporter a news treat. Contact him at jlippman@vnews.com.

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Bottom line: Cleaning service, used car dealership gets the showroom on the road - Valley News

Perkins and Will

The New York studio of Perkins and Will has announced the promotion of interior design director Brent Capron to principal. He joined the firm in 2017 and has influenced the design of over 1 million square feet of interior space in Manhattan alone, and another 500,000 feet nationally, including corporate interiors projects for Penguin Random House and Viacom. Capron was promoted through the Perkins and Will Leadership Program, which recognizes individuals who have a positive impact on the firms culture and client work through innovation and design excellence.

BIFMA

BIFMA, the not-for-profit trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers, has appointed Deirdre Jimenez as its president and chief executive officer. Jimenez is an architect and interior designer with over 25 years of leadership experience focused primarily on the workplace environment. Jimenez will succeed Thomas Reardon, who is retiring after a 22-year tenure as executive director during which time he played a major role in shaping BIFMA for the future

ZGF Architects

ZGF Architects has announced the appointment of Sharron van der Meulen (left) to managing director in the Portland office. She joined the firm in 1987 as an interior architect and grew into design leadership roles on project teams, eventually becoming co-leader of the ZGFs interiors practice. Van der Meulen has been at the helm of many of the firms most significant local projects of the past decade, including the current expansion of Portland International Airport

SHoP Architects

New York-based firm SHoP Architects has announced the elevation of three associate principals to the role of principal. They are Angelica Trevino Baccon, John Cerone and Dana Getman. The three are the first new principals to be appointed at the firm since 2012. SHoP has also promoted two project directors, Steven Garcia and Shannon Han, to associate principal.

TEF Design

TEF Design has made two promotions in their San Francisco studio. Marketing director Glynis Nakahara has been promoted to associate principal, and firm controller Terry Buer has been promoted to associate.

IA Interior Architects

IA Interior Architects is launching their first in-house hospitality practice, led by Veronica Givone (right) as managing director. Givone is a seasoned studio leader and design director with 20 years of experience in the hospitality market, specializing in the boutique, luxury hotel market.

Lake|Flato

Dan Stine has joined Lake|Flato as director of design technology, bringing over twenty years of experience managing design technology and implementing BIM-based workflows. He also teaches graduate architecture students at North Dakota State University and maintains the blog BIM Chapters.

Ware Malcomb

Sergio Valentini has been promoted to director, architecture in the Los Angeles office and Douglas Gullo has been promoted to director, architecture in the Phoenix office of Ware Malcomb.

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On the Move: Perkins and Will Promotes Brent Capron to Principal - Interior Design

Spending more time at home recently? If so, you may be reaching for your interior designers number to address a few flaws (or opportunities for restyling) that escaped attention back before house arrest. Luckily, interiors guru Nate Berkus has your back. We asked him to correct three common mistakes to help elevate your space and make it a more habitable hideaway.

The Problem

The deskor a second or third one, for families on a virtual school scheduleoften gets shoved in a corner or space with no windows or fresh air.

The Fix

Improvise. Install a stone shelf along the wall with brackets or legs, in a hallway across from a door, creating a dedicated zone for a laptop or homework.

We Recommend

Cairn chair from Roche Bobois. Taking cues from the man-made piles of stones for which the seat is named, its so quirky that its oddly motivating.

Roche Bobois Cairn chair.Courtesy of Roche Bobois

The Problem

Living rooms used to be furnished for good looks, not hanging out or relaxing. Now form and function are equally important.

The Fix

Group furniture in ways conducive to conversation. Place one comfortable chair to the left of the sofa at a 90-degree angle and another angled toward the grouping.

We Recommend

Camaleonda from B&B Italia. A reissue of Mario Bellinis classic adds cheer and whimsyplus bragging rights among the design set for having one.

B&B Italias Camaleonda. sofa.Courtesy of B&B Italia

The Problem

It can become a catch-all for busy people, and the design can get sorely lost. I like a bedroom to be serene, clean and edited.

The Fix

Reimagine the bedroom as a place to sleep and recharge, and remove what isnt beautiful, restful or useful.

We Recommend

Miro bed from Design Within Reach. Just one look and you shift from noisy mind to tranquil comfort.

Design Within Reachs Miro bed.Courtesy of Design Within Reach

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A Designers Guide to Optimizing Every Room of Your Home During the Pandemic - Robb Report

Fuel your imagination with our new bi-monthly edit of creatives and photographers who take Instagram to a whole new level. From interior stylists and architects to visionary image-makers, we bring you a curation of global talent that will elevate your feed and inspire your own creative output.

Jennifer Bin, UX designer and photographer

Shanghai-based creative Jennifer Bin works as a UX designer by day and documents the dark side of architecture and urban exploration in her spare time. With her mix of noir-tinted sceneries and futuristic cityscapes, this pink-haired Toronto native conjures Blade Runner vibes with her grid.

Aysha Sow, blogger

Interior design, fashion and lifestyle intertwine in New York blogger Aysha Sows earthy-toned feed. Were big fans of her understated elegance, which translates into a carefully-curated combination of modern and retro vibes.

Marina Denisova, photographer

Barcelona-based editorial photographer Marina Denisovas masterful use of colour and light puts her in a league of her own. Her feed is a sophisticated journey across architecture, portraiture, interiors and landscapes, where simplicity and minimalism are the protagonists.

Hilton Carter, plant stylist

Plant and interior stylist Hilton Carters plant-packed feed is a feast for the eyes. Hailing from Baltimore, hes a constant source of inspiration when it comes to all things green from inviting snaps of his leafy home to dreamy spaces captured on his many travels.

Florian Touzet, photographer

Paris-based Florian Touzet has a penchant for capturing moody atmospheres. His photos mostly taken between Paris, the South of France and Italy have a cinematic feel that makes Florian one of our all-time favourite creatives on Instagram.

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The Spaces Selects: 5 inspiring creatives to follow on Instagram - The Spaces

In 2018, celebrated Danish architect Bjarke Ingels completed the Dortheavej Residence in Copenhagen, a residential development featuring his characteristically innovative touch. The building consists of prefabricated units stacked together to create a subtle checkerboard effect, all at angles that make the curved structure appear to undulate. Its a striking example of Ingelss workmade all the more interesting by the fact that its not a luxury complex aimed at architecture aficionados willing to shell out top dollar. No, the project, designed by one of the countrys most famous living architects, is low-income housing.

The Dortheavej Residence in Copenhagen, designed by Bjarke IngelsRasmus Hjortshoj

In America, meanwhile, low-income housing is largely designed to be ignored. Government-subsidized residences are created to be functional and durable, but almost never beautiful. Its hard to imagine a government housing project in an American city being included on an architectural tour, like the Dortheavej Residence could well be. The idea of prioritizing function over form in this sector is something that interior designer Kia Weatherspoon, who spoke yesterday at Business of Homes Future of Home conference, is trying to chip away at.

The biggest hurdle, as I see it, is getting developers to understand that good design is not a luxury, its a necessity, says Weatherspoon, whose Washington, D.C.based firm Determined by Design was founded with the mission of bringing beautiful design to marginalized communities. Nine times out of 10, she says, developers contracted for affordable housing dont use an interior design firmnot even as a consultant. It usually takes one or two initial meetings with a developer on an affordable housing project to make the case for our work, to show them that I can do good design within their budget, she says.

For the most part, many developers are too far removed from the end user to bring a lens of empathy to the project. Our industry is very whitewashed, and its my belief that people dont advocate for these communities because they dont have a loved one who might live there, says Weatherspoon. I think thats what it takes for someone to say, This isnt good enough. If your team isnt diverse enough for you to take an empathetic view on this [type of work], thats a problem. And thats not to say that every designer of color has a connection to low-income communities, but they can understand it because it is primarily Black and brown people who are the end users of these developments.

Kia WeatherspoonCourtesy of Kia Weatherspoon

For example, Weatherspoon has been on projects where the developer was fighting for only uncomfortable hard surfaces or vinyl to be installed as seating in community areas. And I say to them, If your mother lived here, would you want there to be no soft seating for her to sit on? Thats also when we have a chance to explain how far performance fabric has come and how the technology on those textiles has evolved. It doesnt have to be all vinyl to last.

Convincing a developer of her value as an expert is just the first challenge. Once Weatherspoon lands the project, she has to not only design to an inflexible budget, but also comply with guidelines and requirements from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which include a federal set of policies in addition to regulations that vary from state to state. At Future of Home, Weatherspoon gave the example of a requirement for high-use, industrial cabinetry in affordable housing apartments, a policy she says dates back nearly 40 years. Outdated requirements often wind up costing the developer more, as the materials can be harder to find and more expensive to source than modern ones.

Manufacturing has changed and theres a premium on these high-use cabinets, she says. If you have a building that has 125 units, thats a lot of cabinetry; thats a big-ticket item. In addition to being pricey, heavy, box-style cabinets come with serious aesthetic constraints, as they usually only come in a certain door style or a few colors. But theres also an implication in that requirement that because these people are poor, theyre going to tear things up, she adds.

The Archer Park apartments, an affordable housing development that Weatherspoon designed in Washington D.C.Jennifer Hughes Photography

Decades-old materials requirements such as these are, sadly, the norm in HUD housing. The quality standards for carpeting, for instance, havent been updated since 1993, which is actually fairly recent compared with the standard for wooden doors, which dates to 1975. For HUD-funded units, Weatherspoon is required to use plastic laminate countertopsanother outdated material that isnt just unattractive, it may also be less healthy than other options, as they can contain formaldehyde, which may cause cancer. Indoor air quality is [negatively] impacted by materials like carpet and plastic laminate countertops as they age, she explains.

The outright lack of care for inhabitants health is a disturbing trend across affordable American housing, one thats been institutionalized by outdated, uninformed policies. A number of reports show that rates of chronic asthma are higher in low-income communities, a condition that a 2014 National Institutes of Health study directly attributes to low-quality housing. These policies dont consider the health and wellness of the residents, says Weatherspoon. Think about the year that weve all had and that there are people quarantined in low-income housing that was built 50 years ago that still has lead paint, that lacks energy efficiency or natural light. There are people living like that.

Weatherspoon is passionate about bringing long-overdue change to HUD policies, but feels that the first step is for the wider A&D community to acknowledge the fundamental problem in how we approach affordable housing. We need architects and designers to speak up and do their jobs, she says. Even if its not a sexy luxury project, you have to approach low-income or community-focused projects with the same zeal and integrity as you would a market-rate job. Were just one firm with this mission, but this is something we all should be rallying around so that we can do better.

Watch Kia Weatherspoon at the Future of Home conference here.

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The low-income housing system is broken. Designer Kia Weatherspoon wants to fix it - Business of Home