happy anniversary

It looks like Architectural Systems celebrated quite the milestone last night: 20 years in business!

Our hats off to you.

The company  held its fourth "Pop the Cork" event last night in its NYC showroom to commemorate the achievement, with drinks, hors d'oevres, dessert, and special guest Cathy Hobbs (TV host and founder of Brooklyn, N.Y.-based design firm aphereä). They also celebrated a brand new product launch with ASI Eco-Porcelain™ tiles.

The company was founded by husband and wife tag team Ron and Nancy Jackson, who are still going strong in love AND in business. The couple celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this past May.

Shown above from left to right are:

Matthew Cooper, Gabrielle Jackson, Nancy Jackson, Cathy Hobbs, Andrew Cooper, Rachel Cooper, Ron Jackson

 

iBoom

So it  looks like Benjamin Moore is not the only one jumping on the iPhone band wagon. I.D. Wood is an app brought to us by our friends at Double Dog Studios that allows you to access more than 50 different woods from around the world with full screen samples, raw cut and non-finished.

It also includes species and botanical names, origins, descriptions, and properties. I.D. Wood even offers common uses and information about durability and sustainability.

But that's not all. The app also features a wood glossary of more than 70 terms, illustrations of lumber cutting techniques, dimensional lumber conversions, a thickness measuring screen, a pilot hole reference, and a nail size reference.

You can browse by wood samples, species names, or other names for quick identification -- so you can find a wood by a particular use, durability or sustainability status.

New woods will continue to be added.

For those of you with iPhones, check it out and let us know how useful it is. Thanks!

a different experience

These are some crazy hotel rooms! Check them out: World's Weirdest Hotels.

hip to be a circle?

I was forwarded this article a couple of days ago: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-11335-NY-Interior-Decorating-Examiner~y2009m8d19-Circle-is-the-new-square

Let us know what you think! Is the circle really the new square tile? We want to hear it from the horse's mouth...

Have a great weekend!

back in session

I'm sure this is old news to you, our readers, but the NYT featured an article yesterday about the now AIA-required four hours of continuing education courses in sustainable design each year (through 2012).

Just wondering how members going about fulfilling it? Are you mainly sticking with the courses offered at AIA conventions, or have you branched out to the referenced "private, registered providers that set their own fee." If so, tell us about any particularly interesting courses you've come across.

baby steps

I'm loving these small examples of urban redevelopment that continue to pop up -- many of them mysteriously seem to be in the form of bus shelters, but that's OK. We don't judge.

This one from 3form is particularly cool. The San Francisco Transit Shelters challenged 3form's Material Technology team to come up with a structure that was capable of energy generation. With a rolling red roof of 3form-encased photovoltaic panels, the shelters use the sun's rays to power their intercom, LED lighting, and even provide WiFi!

Look for more coverage soon to come on www.contractmagazine.com . In the meantime, click on these links to check out stories on similar projects...

design agency

a look ahead

NYC cleans up its streets

big honors

archiculture draws near

On Sept. 2 at 5:45 p.m., the Center for Architecture in New York City (just a hop skip and a jump away, in fact, from the Contract offices), will host a round table and trailer premiere of Archiculture -- a feature length documentary that chronicles five architecture students during their final thesis semester.

The roundtable entitled, “Architectural Education vs. Professional Practice,” will focus on how generational recessions have affected design training in the past and how we can evolve the profession under the current economic landscape for a better design future. The panel will include one of the directors, as well as two of the students featured in the film, and select members of architectural academia and established professionals.

After the discussion, the Archiculture film trailer will be shown.

And here’s the good news: there will be an open bar through out the night.

A $10 donation is asked for entrance, and proceeds will go towards the funds needed to finish the film. It has not been completed yet but is scheduled to be released at film festivals in spring and summer of next year, followed by independent theater releases in the fall.

for your amusement

I couldn’t resist. This is too funny and it’s Friday. Let’s keep it light.

So my cat Ronald will soon have to be admitted for a 5-10 day hospital stay thanks to a condition he has called hyperthyroidism. As a cat mom, this sent me into worry hyper-drive (no pun intended), wondering how he would survive without my special doses of TLC!? That is until I checked out the clinic’s website and saw this under the FAQs:

What are the facilities like where my cat is going to be kept? Is the cage large?

Once your cat is judged to be medically stable, he or she will be admitted to the Hypurrcat radiotherapy ward. This unit is specially constructed, and houses only hyperthyroid cats receiving radioactive iodine. These comfortable, quiet accommodations (barking dogs are not allowed in this room!) include "Southwest" décor and housing in spacious and cheery cat condos. The condos have separate "bathroom" compartments and shelves for snoozing. Our timid patients are offered a special cat box placed in the main compartment of the cat condo where they can hide.

The ward has bright, natural lighting and contains many plants. For your cat's entertainment, we offer a wide selection of cat videos that are shown on the widescreen TV located within the Hypurrcat treatment room. Birds, squirrels and other creatures stimulate our feline patients as they watch, swat, and stalk the screen. There is also an aquarium containing large, colorful fish, lizards, and small mammals in the Hypurrcat treatment room. For relaxation, soothing classical music plays throughout the day; occasionally we listen to DogCatRadio.com, an Internet radio station that has been a favorite with some of our feline patients.

“Southwest décor?” You’ve got to be kidding me.

I guess design really does pervade every aspect of life.

I’ll keep you posted on Ronald’s condition and let me know if anyone wants me to find out who designed the “cheery cat condos.”

Needless to say I’m not feeling sorry for the little brat anymore.

Have a great weekend!

Reuse, reuse...and then reuse again!

As we put the finishing touches on our September issue -- which happens to focus on adaptive reuse -- I thought it appropriate to call out a perfect example of it, which I came across yesterday in the New York Times.

The Sacramento western terminus of the first transcontinental railroad which had spanned across the country, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, will come back to life within the next 20 years thanks to a $5.3 billion redevelopment plan by Newnan, Ga.-based developer Thomas Enterprises. The group intends to build up 12,000 residential units, 800,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, scattered small parks, a railroad history museum and a performing arts center.

According to the NYT article, the site is commercially viable because the city's central business district and the State Capitol complex lie south of the old train yards. The core of the retail district will be set in renovated workshops, where locamotive engines used to be assembled. Construction is set to begin in 2011.

Toasty Tuesdays

Yay for alliteration! Toasty Tuesdays are back – courtesy of NEWH – and so are the New York Chapter’s efforts to connect and inspire design industry professionals. This year’s first (finally!) was held last night at Union Square Lounge in Manhattan.

If you’re not involved with NEWH (which formerly stood for National Executive Women in Hospitality but now simply goes by The Hospitality Industry Network) then you should be, especially if you’re new to the industry and looking to meet some new faces. Toasty Tuesdays started last year when they decided they wanted to do more casual events that would allow people to come together and learn more about their peers and about the organization and its goals.

Not only does it hope to make connections for people but, to date, NEWH has also given in excess of $2,050,000.00 in scholarships to young people wishing to pursue careers in the hospitality industry.

The next TT will be on Sept. 8 at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square and will include a hotel tour. Membership is not necessary to attend or participate but if you are interested, the New York chapter offers these three types:

General membership ($150): for those who have been actively involved in hospitality or related fields for one or more years.

Associate membership ($50): for those who have completed an accredited area of hospitality related studies within a 12 month period.

Student membership (free): for any student in the greater New York area studying in a hospitality field.

Pricing is different for each chapter. For more information please visit www.newh.org and for questions regarding the New York Chapter please contact Samantha Mittler at 330.518.7320 or smittler@hotelinteractive.com

Planning a new networking event or attend a good one this summer? Post a comment and tell us about it!