Paris plan to fell trees near Eiffel Tower opposed

PARIS, France - Paris is aiming to redevelop the area around the Eiffel Tower in time for the 2024 Olympic Games, but the city's residents are beginning to rebel over a plan that would see 22 trees ripped up. 

The Paris mayor's office wants to build tourist facilities and offices at the foot of the world-famous landmark.

Architect's projections show semi-submerged buildings covered in greenery.

But campaigners have launched a petition urging the mayor's office to ditch the plan, expressing particular concern over the fate of some very old trees.

"We reject the felling and endangerment of dozens of healthy trees, in particular the 200-year-old and 100-year-old trees, which really are the city's green lungs," says the petition, launched by four environmental groups.

Around 35,000 signatures have been gathered so far.

Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire sought to mollify opponents of the scheme.

"No 100-year-old tree will be cut down," he said.

His aides told AFP they were working to reduce the number of trees to be felled for the project, having already cut back from 42 to 22.

They also stressed the redevelopment was part of a plan that involved planting dozens of trees and creating a green space across the clogged centre of the French capital.

But campaigners remain unconvinced.

"They are creating some vegetation, but they are destroying a lot of it at the same time," said Philippe Khayat of the SOS Paris association, one of the backers of the petition.

The tower is one of the world's most famous buildings and welcomes some seven million visitors a year.

Agence France-Presse

Live interactive tool launched to create, brand virtual development kit

SINGAPORE – element14 has launched a global design initiative to discover the ultimate development kit for engineers and makers. The Dream Board project, live now on the element14 Community, allows users to create and brand their own virtual development kit using an interactive tool.

The project will uncover the components and technologies that today’s engineers are looking for, using an innovative crowdsourcing approach. The interactive tool allows users to assemble their ideal development kit online by selecting from a range of technical options relating to board size, processor, memory, sensors, features, interface and connectivity and core architecture.

Once an engineer has configured their desired technical specifications, personalization features allow users to name their board, add a description, upload a logo and choose the board color. The completed design can be saved and shared online, enabling users to show off their designs.

element14 will combine the most popular components selected to create the ultimate Dream Board, which will be unveiled later in the year.

The initiative builds on the results of a survey carried out by element14 earlier this month, exploring the dilemmas engineers face in choosing development kits in the design process. It revealed the most important features and requirements are: physical interface and connectivity, and processor data width and speed.

Memory, the core architecture and on-board sensors being less critical.

Dianne Kibbey Global Head of Community, element14, comments: “Our Dream Board initiative will provide valuable insights into how engineers and makers want to see development kits evolving. We will be able to find out what makes up the ‘perfect’ board for our customers, what that will enable them to do and how they are looking to push boundaries in development kit design.

“We have a 250,000 strong element14 Community that is actively driving innovation and sharing ideas, but we are looking for input from everyone involved in the electronics design and production process. It’s an exciting initiative and there’s a real possibility we can feed these development kit requirements back into the production process to help shape the evolution of the market with our key partners.”

The interactive Dream Board project follows the launch of the element14 Design Center, a new online resource for engineers that offers the most comprehensive range of development tool information, alongside best in class application and product information, all in one place.

To participate in the Dream Board project, please visit the homepage.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Women architects, designers of Las Vegas showcase talent in downtown gallery

There are no talented women designers in Las Vegas.

That’s what Amy Finchem was told by her male peers in the architecture and design field when they heard she was planning an exhibit showcasing the work of local female designers.

She proved them wrong Thursday night with the opening of “Women in Design,” a blind juried exhibition featuring work by such women in the fields of architecture, interior design and landscape architecture. Six designers were ultimately selected from a total of 15 submissions.

“I was pleased with the overall quality of the submissions that we got, especially for the first time out. It was really, really difficult to pick just six,” she says.

The exhibit is the latest effort by COLAB, the local design nonprofit and gallery at Art Square that Finchem founded and directs, to further community dialogue about Las Vegas’ architectural landscape. Finchem, along with judges Alex Epstein of El Cortez, Quentin Abramo of Faciliteq Architectural Interiors and Art Square developer Brett Sperry, provide well-rounded looks at both built and unbuilt work that showcase designers’ overall capability and aesthetics, rather than the details of a single project.

“Women in Design” is not the first time Finchem’s efforts have been met with raised eyebrows: She faced similar skepticism when she founded COLAB earlier this spring.

“People said, well we hire outside of the city [for architecture and design work] because we don’t have any local talented designers,” she says, a sentiment COLAB disproved with “Young Guns,” a curated exhibit of work by UNLV School of Architecture graduates who were subsequently hired by the city of Las Vegas to design Project Neon’s gateway to downtown. COLAB’s Downtown Backyard Project, an effort to design and construct parks and gardens in downtown’s Arts District, is also gaining attention and momentum among locals.

“For this show I think it’s the same as ‘Young Guns,’ where there’s a perception that we don’t have local talent here, period, and certainly not women designers. So this has really given the platform to show that we have really great, talented women in this city,” Finchem, 35, says.

While visibility and local employment opportunities are issues faced by Las Vegas’ design community at large, the struggle is particularly challenging for women, who often must juggle the fast-paced fieldwork and round-the-clock schedule that architecture demands with raising a family. While working at a large firm, where meetings often ran late at the end of the day,  Finchem began noticing that women were the only ones who got up to leave when time went over.

“They had to go pick up their kids,” says Finchem, a single mother of three. “It truly does impact the perception of those women in their ability to fulfill their jobs — that they’re distracted, or they’re not reliable. Those are misconceptions because any woman that I’ve worked with in this field works harder and is more persistent, constantly trying to prove themselves to live up to the standards. They don’t automatically get that respect when they walk in the door — you know you’re going to be doubted from the get-go, so you have to be on your game all the time.”

Finchem hopes that exhibits like “Women in Design,” which is open through February, will help shed light on those challenges and catalyze more open discussion about them in both the workplace and the community. In the coming months, she plans to incorporate events such as a film screening about women in design, guest lectures and panel discussions with women in related fields including construction and engineering.

“What it looks like to be an employee for somebody doesn’t have to look the same [from person to person],” she says. “We really want to get in the habit of these exhibit launches being a start to dialogue about whatever the topic is.”

Women in design features the work of local designers Lindzay Green, landscape architecture; Gina Grillo, architecture; Renee Smith, architecture; Alice O’Keefe, interior design; Kim Daoust, interior design; Briana Tiberti, interior design.

COLAB Las Vegas is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and also available by appointment.

source: lasvegassun.com

Putting Asian touch to Filipino homes

MANILA, Philippines – Asians are known for their close ties with their families which can easily be seen inside their homes. For instance, a typical Filipino household looks like this: a child beyond 18 still stays in the parent’s house even after getting married; relatives live in the same compound with the other members of the clan; having a relative live in the same roof as yours.

Extended families are common among Asians where the family house is open to all members and even sometimes seen as a property to be passed on from generation to generation.

Empire East’s The Rochester is designed to accommodate every Filipino family’s needs for a decent and quality home thriving in a well-lived community. It follows the principles of Asian modern architecture that speaks of practicality, functionality and beauty to suit every Filipino’s tastes.

Beauty and function combined. The Rochester in San Joaquin, Pasig City strictly follows the clean and simple lines that are common on Asian modern structures while carrying earth-tone colors that exude simplicity, elegance and classical look. Decorative wooden brackets doesn’t only increase the aesthetic value of the tower’s facade but provides support to the entire structure while the wide glass windows allow more light and air to enter each structure. The scenic view from the outside of the window also encourages residents to appreciate nature’s beauty more.

Embracing spaces. Asian homes are known for abundant living spaces. In here, residents are entitled to spacious residential suites, with a choice of 1BR for single occupant, 2BR and 3BR suites with balcony ideal for average families and combined units to accommodate bigger families. The square-type unit layout of each suite gives owners more leeway to move around furniture, add decorations, or simply go around the house freely.

Supporting green. Involving nature is also typical in Asian architecture where concrete structures are built in nature-rich environment, creating a more harmonious and relaxing community. Upon entering, residents are welcomed by 60% open landscaped gardens where the sight of the luscious greeneries not only provides a healthier and fresher environment but also gives calming effect to the mind and spirit.

Playtime. Recreational amenities like adult and kiddie pools, basketball/tennis court, children’s playground, jogging paths, lounge area with mini-bar, gym and fitness area and game rooms provide quick entertainment and leisure to residents while the Wi-Fi enabled clubhouse and 100-seating capacity multi-purpose hall are perfect venues to socialize or hold special events.

Outside this serene community are a number of offices found in major business districts, commercial establishments that appeal to both the masses and elites, premiere schools and universities and hospitals looming around the corner, providing convenience in accessing the key important places in Metro.

Invite the whole family to come home to The Rochester where they’ll get to experience the best things in life that come at a very affordable price. Call 810-3333 today and discover a new paradise in the city.

source: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/47609/putting-asian-touch-to-filipino-homes

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Google Doodle 2012

Internet Search Giant Google commemorates the 126th Birthday of German Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with a cool Doodle on it’s home page that shows a building similar to the designs made by the great awesome architect.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe born as Maria Ludwig Michael Mies on March 27, 1886 in Aachen, Germany. He died on August 17, 1969 at the age of 83.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is a great architech without any formal academic architectural training. Together with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, they are very well known as the pioneering masters of Modern Architecture.