ION Architecture - NEWS

There’s a lot of information out there on how to make your home more energy efficient. While it’s all meant to be helpful, some of the advice is not the most practical. Not all of us can afford to install solar panels or to buy all new appliances. With that in mind, we’ve brought you a few budget-friendly ways to save on energy. Read on to learn how to start lowering your utility bills. An energy audit will take stock of your home’s strengths and weaknesses. Image: tommaso79/Shutterstock Get an energy audit If you’re unsure of where to start with making your home more energy efficient , having an energy audit done is a great first step. Also known as an energy assessment, these audits are designed to take stock of how much energy your home is currently using, to identify problem areas where energy might be being wasted and to offer suggestions on how to solve those issues. As for how to get an auditor out to your home, calling your electric or gas utility company may be your be

Submitted by an anonymous member: A beautiful little cabin in Kolašin, Montenegro . It is located next to a river and it has a beautiful little garden. I visit it every time I go to Kolašin. It looks so small but inside there is everything you need - a kitchen, a bathroom and enough beds for four. via Cabin Porn http://bit.ly/2IYfe6d

Abstract 09/10 Scott Marble (Editor) with Jordan Carver and Jason Roberts Columbia GSAPP, December 2010 Paperback w/slipcase | 7-1/2 x 11 inches | 316 pages | English | ISBN: 978-1883584689 | $X.00 Publisher Description : Abstract is the yearly publication of student work from Columbia University’s GSAPP. The catalog is produced through the office of Dean Mark Wigley. The archive of student work, containing documentation of projects selected by faculty at the conclusion of each semester, is utilized in the making of Abstract. dDAB Commentary : As mentioned in my review of the most recent Abstract from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), the annual publication of student work has taken a different form depending on the dean. Both Bernard Tschumi (dean from 1988 to 2003) and Amale Andrao (dean since 2014) use(d) consistent formats, with the former relatively slim and modest by today's standards and the latter marked

In the U.S., fire departments respond to one fire every 88 seconds, according to the National Fire Protection Association . Cooking is the most common cause of home fires and smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths. But there are many other ways that you could inadvertently start a fire. These are some of the hidden fire sources in your home. Don’t store batteries near metal. Image: Mariva2017/Shutterstock Batteries All batteries pose a fire risk, even those with a weak charge, according to Craig Gjelsten, VP of Operations at  Rainbow International , which restores damage caused by fire, water and mold. Gjelsten says that 9-volt batteries are the biggest fire culprit. Since their terminals are in close proximity, they can easily short. “I recommend a battery storage case or just leave batteries in their original packaging instead of lying around loose.” Gjelsten also recommends storing batteries standing upright and placing electrical tape over the ends of each battery

We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. There’s a new stone that’s taking over marble’s popularity — and it’s onyx. Are you wondering what the difference is between onyx vs. marble? Onyx is actually a type of marble  and it has many of the same properties. The difference is the stunning patterns and veining in each slab. Onyx comes in varying degrees of patterns and a rainbow of stunning colors. Many of the most popular onyx colors — like jade, mint, light pink and warm tan — work well with today’s on-trend colors. Dusty pastels and earth tones are the hottest colors at the moment and the warm tones of onyx stone tie in with the look. Image: Philipp Shuruev/Shutterstock An interesting quality of onyx is its lack of opacity. Onyx is more translucent than marble, making it a great stone for lighting or for creative purposes like a backlit wall or surface that casts a glow and enhances th

We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. When designing a home office, it’s common to get completely focused on what you’ll put in it and where everything should go. You might worry about what kind of desk you should get, how many chairs you should have, if you need a sofa and how the shelving will work in the space. These are all important considerations. However, another large part of your home office is the color scheme. The color scheme will define the look and feel of the space, so it’s important to think about it as you plan or redesign a home office. Below, we’ll look at home office color schemes for some inspiration. White is a classic go-to for any room. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock White Monochrome in Home Office Color Schemes If you want your office to look modern, you can’t go wrong with a white monochrome color scheme, like in the photo above. White monochrome color

Built in 1927, Hargreaves Shelter sits nearby Berg Lake in British Columbia,  Canada .  It’s used as a day-use shelter equipped with a wood stove and a beautiful view of Mount Robson. Photo by Kali Wexler . via Cabin Porn http://bit.ly/2XdaVIm

In contrast to the big, privately owned banks in the U.S., public banks are owned by government entities; theoretically, they could operate at the city, state, or federal level. They’re funded with revenue from constituent taxes or from the federal government, and as such, are intended to be accountable to public interest and demands, as opposed to big private banks, which are beholden to shareholders. Critics of the Green New Deal often decry that the transformative effort aimed at aggressively decarbonizing the American economy will be expensive to pull off.  The answer, according to a report in Fast Company , could lie in how preliminary Green New Deal legislation is written. The initial Green New Deal legislation forwarded by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Oregon senator Ed Markey reads in part: "Providing and leveraging, in a way that ensures that the public receives appropriate ownership stakes and returns on investment, adequate capital (including thro

Metro Oregon and Portland's TriMet are studying the possibility of creating a new below-ground transit route through the city's downtown.  Planning for future growth, the organizations are working to link the Lloyd Center shopping mall on the eastern banks of the Willamette River with Southwest Portland through downtown. The transit authority currently runs approximately 40 trains per hour during the busiest times of the day across the downtown area, a figure that will need to increase by at least 50% in coming decades to accommodate projected population growth.  The new route could, according to Metro Oregon, reduce travel time through downtown Portland by up to 15 minutes while adding 15,200 daily riders to the city's transit system.  TriMet is planning to hold community meetings as it moves to initiate a formal process for approving and constructing the tunnel.  Antonio Pacheco via Archinect - News http://bit.ly/2YkNttQ

In a letter Monday to Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council, Maersk, the global shipping giant, announced it will move ahead with introducing driverless cargo carriers at its port terminal, the nation’s largest, regardless of the outcome of a City Council vote on the project scheduled for Friday. Thousands of dockworkers at the Port of Los Angeles could be put out of work as Danish shipping giant Maersk moves to automate its operations at the terminal against the wishes of local unions and politicians. In a letter explaining the decision, APM Terminals, the Maersk subsidiary that operates the port, writes, “[Maersk] has the undisputed right under its lease and its collective bargaining agreement to introduce automated technology of this sort and does not require any permit or any other port, city or state approval.” The operator is planning to replace its diesel-fueled operations with 130 electric automated cargo carriers that will run 24 hours per day, The Los Angeles Tim