Types of paints to choose from

There are different kinds of paints for different jobs. Not all kinds of paint are good on all surfaces. You should make sure that you use the right kind of paint when you are designing your room. If you use the wrong paint on a certain surface, you may have more of a mess than you intended. Check out what kind of paint you should use before you buy it. This will save you money and time in the long run.

There are primers and sealers that you should buy to prepare the surface for the actual paint color. Primers are used to prepare bare or previously painted walls. Sealers are mostly used for bare woods. If you are painting a room that will have kids using it, you should go for a latex paint because it can be cleaned up with soap and water.

There are special paints that are becoming more and more popular with stores. Usually water based paints are different by the additives or the application technique. There is a magnetic paint that contains iron dust mixed with a primer. This type of paint is best for textured finishes for outdoor purposes.

Another type of paint is milk paint. It is a natural and non-toxic paint made from mild protein and earth pigments. It works best for bare wood. Topcoats can be either water or solvent-based coatings. Topcoat finishes create a durable finish on wood floors, furniture, and doors.

There are different finishes for paint also. Flat has no sheen and it is best on walls in rooms that have little use. It will conceal some minor imperfections and is washable but not scrubbable. Eggshell has a smooth finish with a subtle sheen. It is good for walls in family rooms and bedrooms. It is also washable. There is also satin finish, which is a step up from eggshell. It is an all-purpose and popular sheen suitable for almost any room in the house.

Semi gloss is a medium sheen that is good for walls and trim in high abuse areas of the house like the kitchen, bathroom and children’s rooms. It is very durable and washable. Gloss is a paint that is best for doors, trim, and cabinets.

When you are painting, there are a few tips that you should use. When painting walls and trim, use a lower sheen on the walls and higher sheen on the trim. Do not use latex over oil. Latex has a faster drying time so that you can use the room faster. Sometimes when we are painting in our home, we need it to dry fast so that we can put the items back in to that room for use.

When you are painting a room, make sure that you paint the ceiling first. You want to do this so that you do not mark up the walls after they have been painted. This will only cause you more work in the end. When you paint the ceilings, it is best to use a longer pole. This will help you get it done faster and you will not have to worry about getting up and down off of ladders so that you can reach all the areas of the room.

(via Ezilon.com)

How to choose the right interior paint finish

Even after a homeowner has chosen the perfect color for a room, there's another very important decision to make. With 5 or 6 paint finishes to choose from, you should learn the benefits of each and determine the right one for your job. Should you use flat or satin and why? Browse these tips on selecting the perfect paint finishes for your interior home applications.

Matte Finish
Whether called flat finish or wall paint, this type of interior paint has a matte surface. This paint finish is usually used on interior walls. It's expecially good if you have to camouflage small wall bumps, cracks, or other imperfections, as this finish does not reflect light. While some flat paints are advertised as washable today, you may need to touch up scratches or marks by covering with a bit more paint, so be sure you keep some on hand after you've finished painting.

Flat Enamel
Flat enamel is a paint with a durable flat, matte finish. It's a good choice for powder rooms and halls, as it holds up to occasional cleaning.

Eggshell Finish
If you can picture the very low sheen of the shell of an egg, you have an idea of how an eggshell paint finish will appear. With only a slight hint of shine or gloss, it's good for walls and holds up better with cleaning than a flat finish paint.

Satin Finish
Satin finish paint has a smooth, velvety look with a bit more gloss. It is most often used for windows, doors, trim, or ceilings, but can also be used as wall paint. This is particularly suitable for kids' room walls, kitchens, or bathrooms, or in areas which get a lot of traffic. Paint with a satin finish is formulated to hold up to cleaning and light scrubbing.

Semi-Gloss
Semi-gloss paint is most often used on doors, trim, and cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms. It is easily cleaned and lays down a nice, subtle shine, without being too glitzy. Take care with pre-paint preparation work, as poorly prepared surfaces can be a bit distracting when highlighted by a semi-gloss surface.

Glossy
High gloss paints have an almost reflective quality, as their shiny finish mimics the look of enamel or plastic. Though not widely used in home interiors, it is becoming more popular for a dramatic look on cabinets, trim, and furniture in very formal and very contemporary settings. This finish will magnify any surface imperfections, so careful preparation and sanding is essential before painting with high gloss paints.

Read more.

Feng Shui for the bedroom

National Grand Theater, Beijing

Located near Tiananmen Square, the 490,485-square-foot glass-and-titanium National Grand Theater, scheduled to open in 2008, seems to float above a man-made lake. Intended to stand out amid the Chinese capital's bustling streets and ancient buildings, the structure has garnered criticism among Bejing's citizens for clashing with classic landmarks like the Monument to the People's Heroes (dedicated to revolutionary martyrs), the vast home of the National People's Congress, or Tiananmen Gate itself (the Gate of Heavenly Peace).

French architect Paul Andreu is no stranger to controversy -- or to innovative forms. A generation ago, in 1974, his untraditional design for Terminal 1 of Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport was criticized for its unusual curves, yet Andreu's groundbreaking, futuristic building later was seen to distinguish de Gaulle from more generic European and international air hubs. (The same airport's Terminal 2E, also designed by Andreu, gained attention in 2004 when it collapsed, tragically killing four people.)

Beijing's daring National Grand Theater is as much a spectacle as the productions that will be staged inside in the 2,416-seat opera house, the 2,017-seat concert hall, and the 1,040-seat theater. At night, the semi-transparent skin will give passersby a glimpse at the performance inside one of three auditoriums, a feature that highlights the building's public nature.

Rajput architecture

Time: the 14th and 15th centuries.

A political vacuum exists in India. The infighting among the various nobles of the Delhi Sultanate has caused many kingdoms and provincial governors to assert their freedom. From this vacuum come the kingdoms of Vijayanagara, Golconda and Bijapur in the south. In the north, in Rajasthan and Gujarat, the proud fighting clans of the Rajputs too seize this opportunity. This will be the time of chivalry, of great forts under the hot sun, of pomp and splendor, the making of a warrior tradition which will provide eventual stiff resistance to the Mughal onslaught.

However, a break in building tradition – caused by the Delhi Sultanate in the preceding years – means that the science of architecture is no longer the same – the ancient texts which were followed in early temple building have either been lost, or forgotten, or need to be modified in response to changing needs. The craftsmen, too, have now practiced on Islamic buildings, and bring with them the tradition of Islam.

The current of cultural exchange now flows both ways – earlier it was Islam which had to forcedly borrow indigenous craftsmen for its architecture – and now it is these very same guilds who return to the service of Hindu kings. Architecture will now be truly a fusion, and will be one of the first, and among the most prominent, tools of a sub-continental identity, a true Indo-Islamic culture.

Meanwhile the principal players in this drama are of course a little less aware of their eventual place in history, and are more occupied by the more mundane aspects in life. This is the old story of kingdoms waging war against each other and rulers erecting palaces and monuments to their glory, and fortresses to preserve their rule.

The legend of Chittor

The Sisodias of Chittor and Rana Kumbha (1433-68) were among the most active patrons of building. The Jayastambha (Tower of Victory) is an odd structure, combining as it does the urge to commemorate a victory (that over Malwa in 1458), with the principles of temple building. The structure thus becomes quasi-religious, a sort of vertical temple.

Chittorgarh today is a sleepy little town, much like many others in semi-rural India. The youth all want to leave, the cows blink stupidly in the ferocious heat of the mid-day sun, and the halwai is the main cultural centre, where politics is discussed over chai. It doesn’t even have a proper train line, the only connection is by an old metre-gauge to Delhi and Ahmedabad.
Nothing spectacular, one would say. Except for the low plateau in the near horizon, and the massive slumbering walls around its top. This is the fort of Chittor, once home to kings and nobles, of beautiful queens and princesses, of stirring tales of manhood and valor, of noble but futile chivalry, and of eventual, glorious death.

Chittor fort, along with Mandu and Chanderi, represent the start of the tradition of synthesis between native and imported ideas, which was to be carried on with increasing skill in the forts of Gwalior, Orchcha and finally Fatehpur Sikri.

Read more.

What causes global warming?

Scientists have determined that a number of human activities are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide accummulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that normally would exit into outer space.

Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming
While many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, human use of fossil fuels is the main source of excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation is another significant source of greenhouse gases, because fewer trees means less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen.

During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 31 percent. Over the same period, the level of atmospheric methane has risen by 151 percent, mostly from agricultural activities such as raising cattle and growing rice.

The Consequences of Global Warming As the concentration of greenhouse gases grows, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere and less escapes back into space. This increase in trapped heat changes the climate and alters weather patterns, which may hasten species extinction, influence the length of seasons, cause coastal flooding, and lead to more frequent and severe storms.

How to create a color wash effect

Color Washing can be given a variety of textures and patterns depending on the size and type of brushes. Although this technique involves the application of one color over another, the final result would give an impression of a single color.

The thumb rule being that the glaze topcoat should be tinted in a much darker shade than the base coat.

You can create various shapes and patterns - wavy lines, crisscross strokes, and diagonal trellis designs, just by controlling the direction of the brush stroke.

Light and color

Color representation is dependent on the lighting and reflective abilities of an area. Daylight is the ideal form of lighting. Daylight is often a yellow-red tinge during the mornings and evenings, and blue-white at noon. The season and weather also have a great impact on the manifestation of color.

To describe light, we use the word color temperature. For instance, steel when heated will glow with a reddish light at a certain temperature. If heating continues, the color changes with the temperature. Higher the temperature, the color becomes lighter and clearer, until reaching a blue-white tinge.

We use the relationship between temperature and color tone to characterize a light source. Color temperature is measured in degrees on a Kelvin scale (K).

Artificial light does not contain all the natural sunlight colors, and therefore, does not reproduce all the color nuances as naturally. Different light sources reproduce different colors.

An incandescent light gives off a warm light whilst light from a tube can be cold and bluish.

There is a standard for the “correct” light. It is called “normal daylight” and has a color temperature of 6500 K. It has the following simple definition: “Light measured at noon, midsummer, on a lightly cloudy day – facing north”. All colors are produced and controlled from this standard.

It is important to be aware of the fact that a small variation in hue or light can alter color reproduction significantly. Consequently, always control color samples in the light in which it will be used. Two similar colors in artificial light can appear different in natural daylight.

What does each basic ingredient of paint do?

PIGMENT:

1. Provides color.
2. Provides coverage.
3. Protects binder from weathering (i.e. UVA)
4. Some types of pigment control gloss.

BINDER:

1. Holds pigment together when in dry film form.
2. Acts as a 'vehicle' that carries pigment when applied.
3. Type determines durability of end product.
4. Provides adhesion to the surface to which it is applied.

THINNER:

1. Combines with pigment and binder to control consistency.
2. Plays a roll in film drying.

ADDITIVES:

1. Help control application properties (brush, roll, spray, etc.)
2. Help some product formulations dry
3. Aid in pigment dispersion in manufacturing.
4. Aid in pigment dispersion when adding liquid colorant.
5. Determine various film formation properties.

London's bridge ascendant

London’s Millennium Bridge reopened on February 22, 2002, with its designer, Lord Foster, in attendance, but without its original, notorious wobble. Described by Foster as a "blade of light," the Millennium Bridge was closed just two days after it first opened in June, 2000, because it shimmied and shook uncomfortably.

Two years ago, throngs of pedestrians on the 1050-foot- (320-meter-) long bridge, which arcs between St. Paul’s Cathedral on the north bank of the Thames River and the Tate Modern Gallery on the south bank, helped send the bridge into its swaying state.

More than 150,000 people crossed the bridge that first day, and the engineering firm Arup did not anticipate that the pedestrians would fall into an "unintentional synchronization of walking," according to Tony Fitzpatrick, Arup's chief engineer for the project.

As the 13-foot- (4-meter-) wide bridge swayed, pedestrians compensated by adjusting their gait, which magnified the movement. Officials first tried to limit the number of pedestrians on the bridge, but when that did not seem to help they decided to close the span to allow engineers to study the problem.

Bridge as Art

With or without its bounce, the Millennium Bridge is a breathtaking symbiosis of architecture, art, and engineering. Norman Foster worked closely with sculptor Anthony Caro and Arup to create a thin ribbon of stainless steel and aluminum, raised on just two Y-shaped concrete pylons 36 feet (11 meters) above the Thames.

"Lateral suspension" is used for support, provided by eight laid steel cables, four on each side of the bridge, that gently drape between the pylons and tie back to the river banks. The pedestrian walkway rests on steel transverse arms that hang on the cables. Viewed from any angle, or from either bank, the effect is elegantly spare.

When it opened in 2000, the Millennium Bridge was the first new river crossing in central London since the completion of the landmark Tower Bridge, farther east, in 1894.

Stabilizing the Bridge

The Millennium Bridge was built at a cost of more than £18 million, and the cost of corrections (which have been borne by Arup) are estimated at an additional £5 million. Movement has been mitigated using two techniques: mass dampers and shock absorbers.

An early proposal was to add more supporting pylons, which would have ruined the buoyant esthetic that Foster sought. Thankfully, the dampers and shock absorbers do their job without being easily visible, taking away nothing from Foster’s "blade of light."

The viscous dampers are installed in the central span between the deck and the transverse arms. These X-shaped stiffeners counter lateral movement. Tuned mass dampers with springs are placed between the underside of the walkway and the steel transverse arms below it. A total of 37 viscous dampers and 54 tuned mass dampers were placed across the span.

This past January, with corrections in place, more than 2000 local architects and engineers were enlisted to test the bridge while it was monitored for movement. They walking briskly across it, then slowly, then stopped and started at mid-span.

On the day of its public reopening, crowds once again thronged to the Millennium Bridge. Walking from St. Paul’s to the Tate and back again, I detected not the slightest sway — the bridge seemed rock solid.

The bridge's commissioning pains remind us how important and still potentially unpredictable human factors are in any type of engineering for people. Now well-adjusted after its unexpected period of "beta-testing," the radically slender construction is settling into the London scene.

Do the successful corrections mean the bridge has lost part of its charm? Is it now a Tower of Pisa without its lean? I don’t believe so. The Millennium Bridge and its initial troubles have just reminded us that even with the assurance of technology, we also need humility to glide on a blade of light.

(via Architecture Week)

How to paint the exterior of your house

Step One

Repair or replace any damaged surfaces, whether wood, stucco, masonry or metal.

Step Two

Wash off all surfaces. Use a high-pressure water sprayer (available to rent) to reduce labor. Make sure that surfaces dry thoroughly.

Step Three

Use sandpaper or a paint scraper to remove any loose, cracked, chipping or blistered paint - down to raw surfaces if necessary. Use a small drop cloth as you go to catch loose bits of paint and debris. If you decide the exterior needs to be sandblasted, hire a licensed professional.

Step Four

Patch all nail or screw holes, gouges and cracks.

Step Five

Caulk such places as seams and corners, above door and window trim, and where trim meets siding - or where any material meets a different kind of material, such as trim over masonry. (Exception: Don't use caulk where siding or shingles overlap or between shingles.) Use high-grade exterior caulk. Better caulks (such as silicone) actually bond to surfaces like glue and resist breaking down.

Step Six

Use epoxy filler (the material used for car bodies) to repair serious problems in woodwork.

Step Seven

Cover dark stains - a wood knot, old paint, wood stain - with a stain-blocking primer. The same goes for mildewed areas; you can find primers and additives made especially for mildew.

Step Eight

Sand all rough or glossy surfaces; paint needs a slightly roughened surface to stick to. You can also use paint deglosser on all glossy surfaces. Remove sanding dust and debris.

Step Nine

Remove or cover all light fixtures, plumbing outlets, electrical covers and house numbers.

Step Ten

Remove all screens. You don't want to get paint on them; it's difficult (or impossible) to remove.

Step Eleven

Use drop cloths to cover everything you don't want to paint, such as plants, walkways, cars and your neighbors' property.

Step Twelve

Apply primer over all raw surfaces. Note that different surfaces - paint, metal, wood, stucco - require different primers.

Step Thirteen

Allow the primer to dry, then apply at least two coats of exterior paint. Let each coat dry between applications according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use a brush on all woodwork and a paint roller or spray machine for everything else.

• You can't paint vinyl or plastic. If there's a problem with any of these surfaces, you'll probably have to replace them.
• If the exterior was painted before the 1980s, you may be dealing with lead-based paint, which is extremely hazardous, especially for kids and pregnant women. Call the National Safety Council's Lead Information Center at (800) LEADFYI for instructions on how to deal with it safely.
• If you're using anything other than water-based latex, never put paint-soaked or cleaner-soaked tools or rags in an enclosed area of any kind - even a trash can with a lid. This is a recipe for spontaneous combustion.

(via ehow)

Herman Miller sees 32% ROI in energy efficiency investments

Herman Miller’s investments in areas such as energy efficiency have resulted in a 32 percent rate of return according to a case study by Forrester Research (via SeekingAlpha).

According to the study, Herman Miller has already reduced land fill waste by 80 percent, hazardous waste by 91 percent, overall emissions by 87 percent, and water usage by 67percent, while doubling sales to more than $2 billion.

The company uses techniques such as lean manufacturing and the Cradle to Cradle Design Protocol to improve overall efficiency of manufacturing and reduce cost. The company is aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2020.

Herman Miller’s CEO Brian Walker recommends companies that want to green their supply chains should design products with sustainability as a core principle, put the goals on paper and embrace transparency and meaningful metrics.

(via Environmental Leader.)

Happy 61st, India

Happy 61st Independence Day from all of us at Snowcem Paints.

15th August, 2008.

Remote Rajasthan village gets lit by solar power

Around 500 residents of a Rajasthan village now have lighting from solar power, thanks to an initiative by international renewable energy major Conergy, in partnership with the Masonic Trust here.

All 98 homes, two temples and a school in Dewri Gowda village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district now have solar powered lighting, a total of 940 watts, a Conergy spokesperson said here on Tuesday.

The project is a part of Conergy Renewable Energy Village initiative, supported by India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Funding for the project was raised through a charity golf tournament last November.

Conergy India managing director Rajesh Bhat said: "Through our subsidiary SunTechnics, we have already installed several hundred renewable energy systems for environmentally-friendly solar power and thus improved the living standards of more than 100,000 people in 250 Indian villages.

"Till now, more than 13 per cent of the 600,000 remote villages in India lack electricity. Like Dewri Gowda, most are located in remote territory, which proves expensive and technologically-challenging for power supplied through a public grid. Off-grid renewable energy products such as solar-powered home and street lighting systems thus serve as affordable and efficient alternatives, while also being environment-friendly."

Venkittu Sundaram, chairman of the Lodge Elysium Masonic Trust and managing director of EPURON India, said: "India's potential for renewable energy projects far exceeds the current installed capacity. Of the current 144,913 megawatts of energy produced in India, only 8.4 per cent comes from renewable sources."

The initiative's advocate, former India cricket captain Kapil Dev, said: "Businesses and non-governmental organisations can play a key role in sustainable development. This act of commitment, dedication and compassion is both inspiring and also a role model for environmental leadership. We need to do more and I ask more organisations and businesses to follow this example."

(via Economic Times.)

The architecture of India

One of the most enduring achievements of Indian civilization is undoubtedly its architecture, which extends to a great deal more than the Taj Mahal or the temple complexes of Khajuraho and Vijayanagara. Though the Indus Valley sites of Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Lothal provide substantial evidence of extensive town planning, the beginnings of Indian architecture are more properly to be dated to the advent of Buddhism in India, in the reign of Ashoka (c. 270-232), and the construction of Buddhist monasteries and stupas. Buddhist architecture was predominant for several centuries, and there are few remains of Hindu temples from even late antiquity. Among the many highlights of Buddhist art and architecture are the Great Stupa at Sanchi and the rock-cut caves at Ajanta.

By the eighth century, with the consolidation of Hindu kingdoms, the southern Hindu school of architecture was beginning to flourish. The most notable achievements of the Pallavas were the rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram and the temples of Kanchipuram. The subsequent history of South Indian temple architecture takes us, over the next eight centuries, to Thanjavur (Tanjore), to the brilliant achievements of the Hoysalas (as seen in the temples at Belur and Halebid), and the temple complexes, which represent the flowering of the Vijayanagara empire, of Kanchipuram, Thiruvannamalai, and Vellore. The most stellar achievement of the later Vijayanagara period may well be the Meenakshi temple in Madurai. In Kerala, however, a distinct style of architecture took shape. In Ellora in western India, Hindus added a new series of temples and carvings at what had once been Buddhist caves, culminating in the majestic Kailasa temple, constructed in the reign of the Rashtrakuta monarch Krishna I (757-73), while the rock-cut caves in Elephanta and Jogeshvari, in the proximity of Bombay, were most likely executed in the sixth century.

In north India, meanwhile, architecture was to be a more contentious matter. The fabled temple at Somnath, renowned for its purported riches, is said to have been destroyed by the Muslim invader Mahmud of Ghazni, and after the attainment of Indian independence, the restoration of this temple became a matter of national pride for more ardent defenders of the faith. The story of Somnath points to the manner in which histories, whether political, cultural, or architectural, have become communalized. But the period from 1000-1300 was, in any case, a time when Hindu architecture flourished throughout India.

In central India, the Chandellas built a magnificent complex of temples at their capital, Khajuraho, between 950-1030 A.D. These temples, which show Vaishnavite, Shaivite, and Tantric influence, have acquired a renewed reputation today as indices of India's libertine past, allegedly indicative of India's relaxed sexual mores before puritanical Muslims made India a sexually repressed society. The sexual postures depicted in many of the sculptures that adorn some of the temples appear equally on the posters of the Government of India's Tourist Office and the pages of gay and lesbian magazines.

The cultural politics of Khajuraho, as indeed of Indian architecture, still remains to be written. In the north-west, the Solanki kings spent lavishly on buildings, and the Surya or Sun temple in Modhera, some 3 hours from Ahmedabad, stills provides striking testimony to their achievements. More stupendous still is the Surya temple at Konarak, built by Narasimha-deva Ganga (c. 1238-64), though masterpieces of Orissan architecture from the reign of the Gangas are to be found in Bhubaneshwar and Puri as well. The weakness of Muslim dynasties in the north enabled Rajput kings to assert their independence; the results of this Hindu revival are to be seen in Chittor, and elsewhere in Rajasthan where massive forts dot the landscape.

Read more.

Can you paint over an oil-based paint with latex paint or is it vice versa?

The rule of thumb is that, given proper surface preparation, for exterior use you can apply quality latex paints over oil-based, but not the reverse. However, if you have many layers of oil based paint, stick to using oil on oil.
For interior use, generally you can use one over the other. Some manufacturers of latex products will recommend a primer when going over oil-based paint.

Beijing's strange Olympic Stadium

Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron collaborated with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei to design the Beijing Olympic Stadium, the National Stadium.

The innovative Beijing Olympic Stadium, the National Stadium, is often called the Bird's Nest. Composed of a complex mesh of steel bands, the Beijing Olympic Stadium incorporates elements of Chinese art and culture.

Adjacent to the Beijing Olympic Stadium is another innovative new structure, the National Aquatic Centre, also known as the Water Cube.

Builders and Designers for the Beijing Olympic Stadium:

• Herzog & de Meuron, architects
• Ai Weiwei, Artistic Consultant
• China Architecture Design & Research Group

Beijing National Stadium Statistics:

• 36 km of unwrapped steel
• 330 metres (1,082 feet) long
• 220 metres (721 feet) wide
• 69.2 metres (227 feet) tall
• 258,000 square metres (2,777,112 square feet) of space
• Usable area of 204,000 square metres (2,195,856 square feet)
• Seating for up to 91,000 spectators during the Olympics. (Seating reduced to 80,000 after the Games.)
• Construction cost approximately 3.5 billion yuan ($423 million USD)

(via About.com)

Green buildings don't have to be new

Just about every month, a glitzy tower rises somewhere in the country, boasting the latest in "green" design and technology. To many people, that is an encouraging trend, especially when considering that commercial buildings account for more than 60 percent of the nation's electricity consumption, according to government estimates, and generate 30 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet these buildings represent a small fraction of the nation's estimated 4.5 million commercial properties, many of which were erected decades ago before sustainable, or green, designs became de rigueur. This vast stock of older buildings presents a much bigger opportunity to cut down on energy consumption and carbon emissions that contribute to the warming of the planet.

The real estate industry has recently begun to turn its attention to "greening" existing buildings. The United States Green Building Council - whose Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, or LEED, program has become the de facto standard for sustainable building - has guidelines that address older buildings. Called LEED for Existing Buildings, or LEED-EB, the three-year-old program provides a laundry list of steps that building owners and managers can take to operate and manage their properties more efficiently.

"With an existing building, you have to make the most of what you've got," said Doug Gatlin, the vice president for market development at the Green Building Council. "We recognized that most buildings are not going to go through a gut rehab," he said, adding that there were basic actions building managers could take to greatly improve a building's energy efficiency and effect on the environment.

Like the certification program for new buildings, the program for existing buildings assigns points for various steps, including efforts in recycling, water and energy efficiency and air quality. (If a building will be more than half vacant during a renovation, the council considers it new construction.) There are four levels of certification, from basic to platinum, which is awarded to the highest-scoring buildings.

After a slow start, and the release of a second, streamlined version of the guidelines last October, the program has gained momentum, with hundreds of buildings lining up for LEED-EB certification. According to the Green Building Council, more than 60 buildings, including Adobe Towers in San Jose, Calif., the Discovery Channel headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., and the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, received certifications, and 840 more are in the process of doing so, representing more than a half-billion square feet of space.

In addition, the Clinton Climate Initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation in 2006 created the Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program to facilitate the retrofitting of existing buildings. Last fall, the foundation announced a partnership with the city of Chicago, as well as one with GE Real Estate to retrofit buildings in its portfolio.

As more companies look to reduce waste, along with their carbon imprint, they find that their buildings are one of their most immediate opportunities. For their efforts, they typically get a healthier, cleaner work environment, improved efficiency and lower operating costs, all of which can help attract tenants and employees. A 2006 Green Building Council study found that by retrofitting buildings, owners can save 90 cents a square foot annually, on average, in energy and other costs and earn back their investment in 2 to 2 ½ years. "It just makes good business sense," said George Denise, the general manager of Cushman & Wakefield's client solutions group.

In its role as property manager, Cushman & Wakefield worked on one of the most successful retrofits to date: the headquarters of the software maker Adobe Systems, which received a platinum LEED-EB rating for its three towers in December 2006. Adobe spent $1.4 million on the project, but earned that back in savings in less than 10 months, the company said. It conducts tours for neighboring high-tech companies and visitors from as far as Japan and China.

"We're seeing building managers, developers and property managers wanting to come in and talk to us," said Randy Knox, the director of real estate at Adobe. "That's where this thing is going to be turned around."

Indeed, it can be much easier to undertake a retrofit of a building that is owned and occupied by a single corporation or government agency. It's a bigger challenge for large, multi-tenant buildings, which requires the participation of owners, leaseholders, occupants and contractors.

In addition, market activity of the last several years - when buildings were bought and sold at a frenzied pace - discouraged long-term initiatives.

For those reasons, LEED-EB is just gathering steam in the broader market. "We're seeing a lot of companies that want to be LEED-certified across their portfolios," Mr. Gatlin said. The council is working with 40 or so big companies - including CB Richard Ellis, Cushman & Wakefield and corporations like Citigroup, to apply LEED standards across their buildings, he said.

David L. Pogue, a senior managing director of asset services for the Western division of CB Richard Ellis, said, "We can make the buildings perform as well as new buildings through proper management processes." The company said it would develop plans to certify more than 100 buildings in its portfolio over the coming months.

Early adapters are making a compelling case. Consider the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Not only is it one of the largest buildings ever to get LEED certification (a silver rating), it is also one of the world's largest commercial buildings. At 4.2 million square feet, it takes up two city blocks in downtown Chicago and even has its own ZIP code. It has nearly 6,000 tenants, many of which have design showrooms that are often remodeled, and is host to trade shows.

When Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., which manages the building, decided to seek LEED-EB certification in early 2005, it had to work with and train hundreds of designers, architects, contractors, painters and even demolition crews. "Working through that was super-complicated," said Christopher Kennedy, the president of the company, and a grandson of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. The building was owned by the Kennedy family until 1998, when it was acquired by Vornado Realty Trust.

The Merchandise Mart had already taken several steps to become more environmentally friendly, such as work in recycling and energy conservation, thanks in part to the prodding of Mr. Kennedy's brother, Robert, who is known for his work with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. But the LEED-EB program "gave us impetus to improve," Christopher Kennedy said. "Having clear rules and goals helps," he added.

Much of the effort came down to documenting the building's operations and training staff, tenants and contractors, Mr. Kennedy said. The effort, he added, has been worth it, especially given the Mart's design-oriented clientele, which tend to be at the forefront of the green design movement.

"The response from our tenants has been more than we could have expected," Mr. Kennedy said. "LEED certification is crucial to the mart and its future. It helps us compete, recruit employees and attract tenants."

U.S. Green Building Council

Lunchtime atop a skyscraper

These 1932 photo by fearless photographer Charles C. Ebbets shows workmen eating lunch and relaxing (one is a night picture) on the 69th floor of the GE Building during the construction of Rockefeller Center. The photo was originally published in the New York Herald Tribune.

In additions to his daring work as a photographer, Ebbets worked as a pilot, a race car driver, and a professional wrestler.

What is New Urbanism?

New Urbanism is an approach to designing cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Although the term New Urbanism emerged during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the principles of New Urbanism are actually quite old. New Urbanist town planners, developers, architects, and designers try to reduce traffic and eliminate sprawl.

A New Urbanist neighborhood resembles an old European village with homes and businesses clustered together. Instead of driving on highways, residents of New Urbanist neighborhoods can walk to shops, businesses, theaters, schools, parks, and other important services. Buildings and recreational areas are arranged to foster a sense of community closeness. New Urbanist designers also place importance on earth-friendly architecture, energy conservation, historic preservation, and accessibility.

The Congress for the New Urbanism is a loosely formed group of architects, builders, developers, landscape architects, engineers, planners, real estate professions, and other people who are committed to New Urbanist ideals. Founded by Peter Katz in 1993, the group outlined their beliefs in an important document known as the Charter of the New Urbanism.

Although New Urbanism has become popular, it has many critics. Some people say that New Urbanist towns are too carefully planned and feel artificial. Other critics say that New Urbanist towns take away personal freedom because residents must follow strict zoning rules before they build or remodel.

Also Known As: Neo-traditional Planning or Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND).

Examples: The first New Urbanist town was Seaside, Florida, built in the early 1980s. The most famous New Urbanist town is perhaps Celebration, Florida, which was built by the Walt Disney Company. There are now at least 600 New Urbanist neighborhoods in the United States, including:

• Harbor Town, Tennessee
• Kentlands, Maryland
• King Farm, Maryland
• Addison Circle, Texas
• Orenco Station, Oregon
• Mashpee Commons, Massachusetts
• The Cotton District, Mississippi
• Cherry Hill Village, Michigan

Now, sell real estate on YouTube, Facebook

YouTube and Facebook have now become the latest tools to buy and sell real estate, with agents showcasing videos featuring property on these websites.

According to Corine Richards from Coulson Real Estate in Inala, who runs marketing training for real estate agents, YouTube was one of the best ways to sell real estate.

“One of the problems with virtual tours is that they lack personality. With YouTube you can add a song as well as area shots and area profiles," The Courier Mail quoted Richards, as saying.

He added: "And you can send a link anywhere, and it is quick and it is free. You can also link it to a MySpace page where you can advertise a lot of properties."

Ray White agent Chris Hinds is one more tech-savvy agents turning to cyberspace. He produces high-quality moving videos, which include a description of the property, narrated in his voice.

Later, the property videos are uploaded on to his website and on to YouTube.

YouTube proved to be beneficial to him because it was easy to use, cheap and gave him access to international buyers.

(via sify.com)

Blind painter

University of North Texas (UNT) student John Bramblitt paints beautiful works of art in vivid colors, despite the fact that he's been blind for years.
We at Snowcem Paints salute the indomitable spirit of Mr John Bramblitt.

Commercial high-performance buildings

If you wanted to target a single building type in the United States to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable design and construction, commercial buildings would be a good (if not the best) place to start. Commercial buildings today have become the preeminent workplace, and their load on our energy consumption is substantial. There is a growing interest today on the part of building owners, facilities managers, architects, engineers, and others in the construction industry to design and construct commercial structures to get the most out of the least.

What Are High-Performance Buildings?

In a nutshell, a high-performance commercial building is energy efficient, has low short-term and long-term life-cycle costs, is healthy for its occupants, and has a relatively low impact on the environment. In terms of real-estate economics, a high-performance commercial building can help attract desirable tenants. These principles of whole-building design and construction can be applied to commercial buildings of any size.

High-performance building design is an all-inclusive philosophy, and such buildings are often the products of a team approach to the design of the building and its various systems. This design team should include not only the architects, engineers, occupants and owners, but also, from the project start, specialists in indoor air quality, materials, energy, costs, etc.

This design process also takes into consideration the interaction of the whole building structure and systems, and its context. In the past, research into isolated building components did not take into account how individual systems affect other systems. For example, a building that uses extensive daylighting techniques will reduce the amount of heat given off by lighting fixtures, thus allowing a smaller air conditioning system to be used. This whole-building philosophy considers site, energy, materials, indoor air quality, acoustics, natural resources, and how they are all interrelated.

One way to balance these many issues is to use a comprehensive building rating system such as the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED™

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The paintings of Claude Monet

Claude Monet

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