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January 2019
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How to Plant Grapes10/27/2017 The key to growing grapes will depend on several factors and elements. Understand the issues involved in planting grapes and the types you can nurture and cultivate. Use the right methods for preparing the land prior to planting any variants.
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![]() Designed by Foster + Partners, Bloomberg's new London facility sets a new benchmark for green architecture and design When Bloomberg, the news and financial tech giant, decided in 2010 to build a new European headquarters in London, it had a chance to not just build a home, but make a statement for sustainability. After all, that's one of the pet causes of founder and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. According to one of the architect who helped design the new facility, which has been in the works since 2010, the company embraced the opportunity, not just aiming to be environmental stewards, but investing in bespoke technology to showcase a new level of energy efficiency. One of the key objectives was for it to be an exemplar of sustainability in every aspect of its design and operation, says Michael Jones, a senior partner and project architect at Foster + Partners, who designed the facility. The recently opened new facility, set on 3.2 acres located between the Bank of England and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, has achieved the highest-ever BREEAM score for office buildings, earning a 98.5 percent rating according to the a global sustainability standard. The exceptionally green project got there by utilizing traditional sustainability solutions, such as a grey water collection system on the roof and vacuum-drainage toilets-just like the ones found on passenger jets-that dramatically reduced water usage. But the commitment to new, custom technology pushed the building from merely commendable to record-breaking. ![]() Bloomberg The 'living wall' in the Bloomberg pantry, a space for impromptu meetings and social interactions. The opportunities and constraints of the site were such that to set new industry benchmarks in sustainability, the building would require a significant investment in design and technical innovation, says Jones. Bloomberg embraced without hesitation. Locating on a full city block the center of a busy part of London offered extensive mass transit options for employees, but also created challenges. To integrate into its site and encourage foot traffic, the 10-story buildings were connected by an arcade that happens to run over an ancient Roman road that used to bisect the site. Connected to ground-level stores and restaurants and intersects with adjacent Cannon and Queen Victoria streets, the Bloomberg Arcade, now allows pedestrians to travel through the campus. A series of public spaces, including a city square that connects the front entrance of the building with the Bank Underground Station, directly links the office to the subway. ![]() Bloomberg Due to its location in an historic area, and a desire to preserve neighboring views of nearby St. Paul's Cathedral, height restrictions limited how many traditional floors could fit within the building. The solution Jones and his colleagues devised, in large part, focused on the ceiling. Squeezing as many floors into the space as possible meant achieving exemplary vertical efficiency. To help maximize space, architects, designers, and engineers devised an integrated ceiling panel system, a series of high-tech aluminum petals that combined different features and building functions into a slim, 150 millimeter space. Taking a cue from the classic pressed metal ceilings found in New York, the bespoke ceilings at the new Bloomberg HQ were shaped to maximize surface area, which both dissipates sound and reduces glare from the energy-efficient LED lights set within. The petals also help cool the building. Their larger surface areas allow them to both lower temperatures more efficiently, using less energy, while reducing condensation that might results from natural ventilation. ![]() Bloomberg The interior layout also maximized space horizontally. A triangular grid, with columns set at double the spacing of typical office buildings, preserved open space across each floor plate. A custom elevator system also helped eliminate interior supports. By placing the shafts near the exterior up against the facade, additional structural supports on the interior become unnecessary, making more rooms for workers and their desks (which, like so many aspects of the project, were custom-built and adjustable with 120-degree footprints). On the exterior of the building, a series of breathable bronze fins, shaped according to solar exposure and orientation, also help modulate temperature, energy use, and airflow while providing a rippling surface effect. Anchored in the building's sandstone frame, the fins function like gills, opening to allow air into the building's interior based on the external temperature. They're also constructed to block noise-built-in acoustic baffles line the interior-allowing for natural ventilation that doesn't let in the distracting sounds of the loud, bustling cityscape. Like other impressive green designs, it works by following a simple rule: work with, not against, the environment. ![]() Bloomberg
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![]() When you don't know how to connect with a deaf or hard of hearing person, you can complicate the process-or worse, shut them out entirely. If you need to communicate with a deaf person, here's what you should do.
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Snow Contractors Are Undercover Heroes10/12/2017 I'm writing this as Hurricane Irma batters Florida, and Houston is still assessing the damage and work ahead to normalize lives and livelihoods following the largest rain event in U.S. history. As troubling as it is to watch the devastation roll in and the misery of the aftermath, there are stories of redemption and heroism that contrast the dire surroundings. In Houston, many residents with their own means took to the streets to save their neighbors. There were surgeons and other medical professionals who canoed their way into flooded neighborhoods to mend critical patients. People on jet skis and flat-bottomed fishing boats helped emergency responders answer calls from sick, elderly and incapacitated to clear nursing homes and other facilities. When their boat bottomed-out, they waded through waist-high water amid debris and disease to follow calls for help in the distance. Do-gooders from Dallas and other surrounding cities came to Houston to help. Bakery owners who were trapped in their shop during the flooding fired up the ovens to help feed people pouring into area shelters. The Cajun Navy, a collection of hunters and sportsmen, deployed as many resources as they could muster to help rescue people and deliver food, water and supplies to people in need. A man in Florida gave the last generator to a woman who needed to keep her father's oxygen supply running. People from around Texas, Florida, and throughout the South sacrificed their own time, money, equipment and well-being because they couldn't just sit around and watch tragedies unfold. These stories have made the suffering a bit more bearable, and I get emotional every time I hear another person say, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't rescued me. Snow plow operators are accustomed to this gratitude often felt from helping customers dig out of a storm or random motorists that need pulled from a ditch. We help elderly maintain their independence. We help business stay open, and collectively, we allow society to continue to function safely at its all-too-hectic and demanding pace. There should be mountains of gratification in doing that. Sure, it's a job, but it's a rewarding one, and not many people can say that. Toledo Lawns, based in Toledo, Ohio, took its people and equipment on the road to help the East Coast, which was in a state of emergency after Winter Storm Jonas in 2016. They plowed their way across toll roads and abandoned interstates from Ohio to Maryland when state crews couldn't clear the way fast enough. They helped plow the road to recovery. But you don't need to seek out a disaster zone to make a difference. Bob Grover of Pacific Landscape Management says I just want to be a hero, referring to the clients he helps on a daily basis. We are all poised to help make life more tolerable for people during the course of our business. We might not have the lifestyle and resources necessary to make a difference in Houston or Florida, but we all can make a difference in our communities. To that end, PlowSite proudly supports Project Evergreen's Snowcare for Troops, which has served more than 5,000 military families who have service men and women deployed overseas, and it provides services for wounded and disabled veterans as well. This program is always looking for contractors who are willing to add an extra stop along their route. Something interesting happens when you volunteer: You feel guilty because you are so gratified by your contribution. If you've never experienced it, I can tell you it is an unparalleled feeling of humility, pride and achievement. Google Snowcare for Troops to sign up in your area, and look for other ways to give back to your community. We can be heroes, and it's OK to feel like one, too. Visit PlowSite.com for more forums on equipment, business management and technical information. Join the conversation in the largest community of snow and ice business professionals. The post Snow Contractors Are Undercover Heroes appeared first on Turf. |