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Amherst tries to aid development in older areas through zoning

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The Town of Amherst has expanded two new land zoning designations that are meant to refocus developers and property owners on the redevelopment of older parts of town.

Town leaders said the changes should continue to help address the complaints of those who feel they can’t make architecturally appropriate or business-friendly property improvements without having to get costly and time-consuming variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“I think it’s very responsive to the public,” said Supervisor Barry Weinstein.

The Town Board this week voted to expand the “traditional neighborhood business” zoning designation to apply to property along the Kenmore and Bailey avenue corridors. This zoning designation previously has been applied to other parts of Eggertsville, including the Main/Eggert and Harlem/Kensington corridors.

The traditional neighborhood business designation promotes a more pedestrian-friendly, villagelike design. It encourages multistory buildings, pushes more buildings closer to the sidewalk, requires more ground-floor windows and limits and screens parking spaces, said Assistant Planning Director Gary Black.

The traditional neighborhood business designation doesn’t change the basic zoning for the older commercial areas, but it does apply new building design standards for everything from signs to landscaping. The new zoning would apply to new or renovated buildings.

The expanded traditional neighborhood business zone approved Monday, called “Eggertsville West” includes the following addresses: 39-71 Kenmore Ave, 3586-3640 Main Street, 3864-4027 Bailey Ave., 225-273 Grover Cleveland Highway, 97 Park Circle and 3 Stevenson Blvd.

The board also applied a new zoning designation called a “live-work district” to property along the Kenmore and Bailey avenue corridors. This area was once entirely residential but was rezoned to a “general business” classification in 1976, Black said. Despite this, most of the properties in this area remained residential.

The live-work zoning designation, first adopted by the town in June, seeks to preserve the homeowner quality of older parts of the town while allowing the properties to house limited commercial uses. It gives residential property owners along major town arteries more opportunities to capitalize on their high-visibility locations while protecting and maintaining the area’s residential status, Black said.

Individual properties in the live-work zone could house one or two families, in addition to the following types of low-intensity commercial businesses: ad agencies, tailor and shoe repair shops, art studios, beauty/barber shops, bed and breakfasts, offices, photography studios, on-site arts and crafts production and sale, and day care centers.

Parking and signs would be restricted, and commercial hours of operation would be limited from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Most general retail uses would be prohibited. Restaurants, drive-thru businesses and any industrial uses would also be banned.

The Town Board unanimously approved both the expansion of the traditional neighborhood business zone and the newly created live-work zone.

email: stan@buffnews.com

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Big-picture plan for Capaha Park will alter landscape

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(Photo)

Although Cape Girardeau residents may not see a fully improved Capaha Park for eight to 10 years, some new amenities are in the works for the city’s oldest and most beloved park.

The newest version of a master plan for improvements in Capaha Park was presented to the city council earlier this week after a months-long process of information gathering and planning by parks and recreation staff and a St. Louis-based firm, SWT Design, Inc.

Julia Thompson, the city’s parks and recreation director, said a first phase of improvements could begin as early as next spring or summer. The park’s lagoon, baseball field, amphitheater and playgrounds are all on the list for upgrades, along with a “destination playground” at the site of the former pool,

The city’s plan, with goals for improving Capaha Park’s nearly 40 acres, combines two concepts presented to the public during meetings in August.

Carrie Coyne, a representative of SWT Design, called the amenities listed in the current plan are “big ideas not set in stone.”

“It’s a big-picture plan, but it’s really going to give the city and Julia a road map for developing these things,” she said.

The city and designers brought together ideas that drew the most positive feedback from the public and parks and recreation staff to create the latest concept.

The lagoon

Capaha Park’s lagoon has had an algae problem for several years because of an out-of-date system for stormwater runoff deposits in and around the lagoon. Other factors contribute to the problem, which often can become unsightly in summer.

The conceptual plan calls for adding buffers to improve water quality and reduce the population of geese, which also contributes pollution to the water. The pond would be dredged and aerated with a reshaping and enlargement. An island would be enlarged and a gazebo added. A bridge would span the water, and an overlook pavilion and a fishing pier would be added.

Cape Girardeau resident Autumn Watton was walking the path that currently encircles the pond Thursday afternoon. She already comes to the park for its scenery. She said she liked the idea of enhanced amenities, especially being able to visit the center of the pond.

“A gazebo would have me addicted to this place,” she said.

Parks staff members also have been discussing adding paddleboat rentals, which they believe could provide revenue for improvements along the way to the completion of the master plan.

Capaha Field and playgrounds

Another revenue generator could be at the baseball field, according to Coyne. The plan calls for adding a home-run deck, which could be rented for events.

A central pavilion and plaza behind home plate and the grandstand would tie the field to other park features, such as an event lawn on the lagoon’s east side and the destination playground.

The playground would contain modern equipment for several age groups and a splash pad similar to one at Cape Splash. A toddler playground near an existing shelter in the park’s southeast corner near Broadway would be moved closer to the shelter. One located on Cherry Hill Circle in the park’s northwest corner would be relocated near its existing location as parking and trails are added to the area.

Parking, traffic and pedestrian flow

Coyne said the biggest change to the park’s overall structure will be on the east side and will affect traffic flow as a vehicle entrance on West End Boulevard would be eliminated.

“We’re hoping that cuts down on cross circulation through the park,” she said. “Normally you see a lot of people driving through there, almost like a cut-through to get over to Perry [Avenue], so we are trying to eliminate that and bring that green space back into the park.”

Another big change, she said, is reconfiguring parking. The plan adds spaces to the park, but the reconfiguration actually makes parking space less obvious in the overall scheme, she said. “It’s just more organized than it was before,” she said.

Loop trails and landscaping throughout would connect amenities. Kallie Wiese, a Southeast Missouri State University student using sidewalks to exercise in the park Thursday said she thought the park could use more recreation trails. Plans call for eight-foot-wide trails. Another amenity she would like, which is included in the plans, is a defined seating area at the bandshell.

“I would definitely enjoy going to a show there,” she said.

Keeping trees, the train and disc golf

Residents and other stakeholders at the August meeting worried some of the park’s large trees would be removed, but Thompson said there are no plans to do so.

“We will not cut down the large trees,” Thompson said. Trees in the park, for the most part — some small ones could be relocated — will be left alone, she said. The park is undergoing a tree survey with funds from a Missouri Department of Conservation grant designed to improve the city’s tree resources.

Capaha’s “Dinky,” a train engine which is a favorite play fixture for children, also will stay, Coyne said. A disc-golf course also will be kept, although possibly rerouted a bit, she said.

Revenue from a parks and stormwater improvements tax passed by voters in 2008 would fund the improvements in phases that could be completed within 10 years, Thompson said.

The city also is looking at the possibility of gathering funding though grants and sponsorships, and would use its employees for projects within the scope of their abilities to save money. Parks staff members are gathering estimated costs for projects now, which they will present to the city council for approval as it moves through the remainder of planning. Around $350,000 has been designated for work to begin on the initial phase of improvements.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

Capaha Park, Cape Girardeau, MO

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Penn Yan Community Charrette draws 150 visionaries – Penn Yan Chronicle

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  • Penn Yan — The 2020 Vision committee’s community planning charrette last weekend at the Penn Yan Middle School was not only productive, it was an unqualified success and stands as an exemple of what such community planning sessions are supposed to be, say the event’s organizers.
    One of the charrette organizers was Sampson Theatre representative Grace Knapton who says, “As we were leaving, one of the facilitators came to me and said it was the best charrette she had ever participated in!”
    Committee member Gary Pinneo describes a charrette as “an intensive planning session where citizens, designers, and other contributors can collaborate on a vision for development. Some of the solutions to problems can be simple, but many issues are very complex and need creativity to be solved.”
    By the last count, 150 local people participated the charrette. 2020 Vision organizer Brian Zerges says “These seemed to be mostly motivated and intelligent participants all committed, like us, to see the Penn Yan area become a better place. Ideas that came from the groups were surprising, creative, valuable and worth incorporating into the Vision Plan.”
    The 2020 Vision group, an ad hoc committee made up of interested citizens with different backgrounds and interests, enlisted the help of the Rochester Regional Community Design Center, a non-profit organization that promotes development of healthy, sustainable communities by encouraging quality design and thoughtful use of natural resources. They have been meeting with Joni Monroe, the Executive Director of the RRCDC, and Roger Brown, the Creative Consultant, for over a year, discussing the Penn Yan area’s future and what needs to be done to prepare for the changes coming in the years ahead.
    They proposed hosting a “Community Charrette” to invite all of the community members to participate and voice their thoughts and ideas.
    The charrette began the night before with a presentation by Tom Hylton, a small town and open land preservationist from Pennsylvania and author of the book “Save Our Land, Save Our Towns.” Citing examples of small communities that have turned back the tide of economic blight and commercial sprawl, Hylton showed photographic proof of their success. Rethinking how traffic patterns work and the atmosphere of downtown streets to make them inviting to both residents and visitors is essential to the success Hylton has seen. The example of Hershey, Pa. was of special interest, having many parallels to Penn Yan.
    Saturday morning, committee member Ryan Hallings of Lyons National Bank welcomed those 150 people to bring the community’s ideas together with facilitators from the RRCDC, specialist professionals in community planning, architecture, and design. “Their multiple skills at one table with a wealth of experience from other communities’ successes and failures are a key benefit,” says Zerges.
    Breaking into seven specialized focus groups, facilitators worked with the community residents, business leaders, developers, non-profit leaders and activists, government officials, and anyone with an interest and love of the community. Participants included Mayor Robert Church, School Superintendent David Hamilton, County Legislator Mark Morris, Penn Yan Trustees Dave Reeve and Rich Stewart, Don Naetzker of the Finger Lakes Museum, Kathy Waye from Keuka College, and developer Chris Iversen.
    Each group had a particular area to examine, plan, and then report on by the end of the day. Previous planning efforts, some going back to the 1940s, were closely examined in this process to coordinate them with new developments like the Finger Lakes Museum, waterfront development plans, the growth of Keuka College, the Route 54A Corridor, and the Branchport Hamlet Plan.
    Specific ideas for Penn Yan included the planting of new trees downtown that would grow to provide shade and not obstruct business fronts, new on-street parking strategies, directional and business signage, improved municipal parking both with better signs and landscaping, more direct connection between the downtown area and the waterfront, and improvement of the parks for residential and visitors use.
    The enthusiasm of the participants was evident, and their willingness to give eight hours on a Saturday to that effort was proof of the community’s willingness to work together for a coordinated improvement plan. The RRCDC will be processing the results of from the charrette and present them at the committe’s meeting in December. A public presentation will follow.
    On behalf of the 2020 Vision Committee, Zerges thanks everyone for working so hard to make the charrette a success, saying, “It was truly amazing to see us all work so well together and to see our effort and time we spent in many meetings pay off.”

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    Hesitant parents warm up to idea of their children going into trades

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    EDMONTON – What do you want to be when you grow up is a question that’s asked frequently from a young age. Quite often the answer says more about the parents’ aspirations than anything else; that is, a push to the academic world, with no thought to a career in the trades.

    Tom Welling of Calgary said he had “great ideas� of his son Colin going to university. The possibility of a trade entered the picture when an automotive teacher asked Welling and his wife if they knew about the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).

    “We had no idea (about RAP),� Tom Welling said.

    The teacher explained the program and the parents talked to their son, who had heard about RAP, but wasn’t sure if it was for him. After thinking it over, Colin applied to train as an auto-service technician and was accepted shortly before finishing Grade 11.

    Shortly into summer break, he got a call from his RAP supervisor who had lined up a job for him at ULS Maintenance Landscaping Inc. Colin put in 10-hour days working on the company’s large fleet of vehicles — and enjoyed it. Back in school, he kept up his automotive theory work and passed the written exams in January. The landscaping company wanted him back, so after completing Grade 12 this spring, the 18-year-old returned to his former workplace, until his next school session at SAIT in Calgary.

    “It’s been a brilliant program for him,� Tom Welling said.

    May Picardo of Drayton Valley is equally enthusiastic about the 4th class power engineering pathway and mentorship program her son, Daniel Meadwell, 16, is taking, while earning his high-school diploma. Being university educated herself, she expected Daniel to follow in her footsteps, and because he is strong academically, she was thinking more along the lines of business or medical school.

    At an information night she learned about RAP’s stringent requirements and the opportunities and changed her mind. She was “initially hesitant, but now I would rave about what he’s doing.�

    Her reluctance sprang from the heavy workload Daniel would be undertaking.

    However, he’s doing well in school and in the apprenticeship program, as well as participating in sports and volunteer work in the community.

    Now in Grade 11, Daniel started the program in Grade 10 via computer from school. Last summer, he worked at Drayton Valley Power, where he gained excellent hands-on experience while accumulating the required work hours to continue with the program.

    As of January, he is registered at NAIT and Frank Maddock High School. When he graduates from Grade 12, he will have his 4th class power engineering certificate as well as his high-school diploma – “a workable diploma,� Picardo said.

    He can then take courses to upgrade his trade certificate, and branch out to business and management opportunities at a young age.

    “What a fantastic start for a high-school student,� Picardo said, and if he decides to go to university, he will have a backup career.

    Whatever lies ahead, the trade he’s pursuing is a career, not a job, she stressed, and one that’s in demand.

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    Third Annual idea ShowHouse Is The Charm

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    ROCHESTER, Mich., Nov. 5, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — Arteva Homes has joined forces with more than 50 trend-setting building industry sponsors again this year to create the “Downtown Rochester Edition” of the idea ShowHouse. Headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Arteva Homes pioneered the idea ShowHouse concept three years ago to bring together the latest design trends, colors, homebuilding products and construction technology in one cutting-edge model home for everyone to see, touch and feel.

    “We are very proud of the outstanding trades and material suppliers who have chosen to introduce all their latest and greatest concepts in this year’s idea ShowHouse,” said Arteva Homes Partner, Brian Szliter. Major local sponsors include Dillman Upton, a family-owned and operated lumberyard and home center that has been a fixture in Downtown Rochester since 1910. Other sponsors include Kohler, Carrier, HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams, KSI Kitchen Bath, Jeld-Wen Windows Doors, Ron’s Carpet Design, Visions of Paradise Landscaping, Design Lines and 911 Mechanical Heating Cooling.

    The 2012 idea ShowHouse is located in Cumberland, an intimate new community with 27 custom home sites located off South Castell Avenue between 1st Street and Harding Avenue in Downtown Rochester. Several are already completed or under construction with the balance expected to be sold before the end of next year.

    The newest idea ShowHouse reflects Arteva’s emphasis toward old-world craftsmanship and the company’s comfortable, hands-on business style, both in construction and design. Earlier this year, Arteva’s hard work was recognized with a Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. Joining other well-known recipients including Donald Trump, Mercedes Benz and Delta Airlines, Arteva is the first custom home builder in the nation to achieve this honor for upholding the highest standards of excellence among luxury brands.

    Since Arteva introduced the first idea ShowHouse in 2010, more than 25,000 visitors have toured the home along with thousands more who have taken virtual tours at ideashowhouse.com, the event’s website. “Our three concept homes have generated far more traffic and interest from new home buyers than any other model in Michigan,” said Vito Terracciano. “Our goal is to introduce something that is totally fresh every year, a concept that shows a new direction. This year, we focused on the growing shift to downtown living – where everything is walkable.”

    The 2012 idea ShowHouse features approximately 3,670 square feet of living space on three floors including a finished lower level. The four-bedroom home is built around an open floor plan that creatively blurs the line between indoor and outdoor living spaces. “The unobstructed sight lines in this home are just amazing,” said Terracciano. “Everywhere you turn there is a wall of glass that opens to an outdoor space including the covered loggia and center courtyard. The entertainment area, family dining and island kitchen all flow together seamlessly,” he commented.

    Upstairs, creativity takes center stage with an owner’s suite that feels like a “home within a home” thanks to its coffee bar and spa-like bath. The children’s rooms and modern loft are brimming with ideas for everyone who’s considering building a new home or remodeling.

    The finished lower level incorporates the latest trends in entertaining such as a wine grotto and tasting room with brick walls and a sliding barn door, a multi-function recreation zone with wall-to-wall video monitors, a bar room and games area. “This home is built for families and individuals who love to entertain,” said Terracciano. “There are dozens of unique spots throughout the home where family members can enjoy every minute of their time spent at home.”

    The idea ShowHouse is open daily from noon to 5 p.m., closed Thursdays. Admission is free. The address is 858 Cumberland Ridge Court, Rochester, Michigan 48306. For additional information, call 248-341-3455 or visit ideashowhouse.com.

    Contact: Vito Terracciano Arteva Homes Direct: 248-835-4796 vito@arteva.com

    SOURCE Arteva Homes

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    Review: ‘Catastrophe, Inc.’

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    Examiner.com is the inside source for everything local. We are powered by Examiners, the largest pool of passionate contributors in the world.

    Examiners provide unique and original content to enhance life in your local city wherever that may be. Examiners come from all walks of life and contribute original content to entertain, inform, and inspire.

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    Third Annual idea ShowHouse Is The Charm

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    ROCHESTER, Mich., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —
    Arteva Homes has joined forces with more than 50 trend-setting building industry sponsors again this year to create the “Downtown Rochester Edition” of the idea ShowHouse. Headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Arteva Homes pioneered the idea ShowHouse concept three years ago to bring together the latest design trends, colors, homebuilding products and construction technology in one cutting-edge model home for everyone to see, touch and feel.

    “We are very proud of the outstanding trades and material suppliers who have chosen to introduce all their latest and greatest concepts in this year’s idea ShowHouse,” said Arteva Homes Partner, Brian Szliter. Major local sponsors include Dillman Upton, a family-owned and operated lumberyard and home center that has been a fixture in Downtown Rochester since 1910. Other sponsors include Kohler, Carrier, HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams, KSI Kitchen Bath, Jeld-Wen Windows Doors, Ron’s Carpet Design, Visions of Paradise Landscaping, Design Lines and 911 Mechanical Heating Cooling.

    The 2012 idea ShowHouse is located in Cumberland, an intimate new community with 27 custom home sites located off South Castell Avenue between 1st Street and Harding Avenue in Downtown Rochester. Several are already completed or under construction with the balance expected to be sold before the end of next year.

    The newest idea ShowHouse reflects Arteva’s emphasis toward old-world craftsmanship and the company’s comfortable, hands-on business style, both in construction and design. Earlier this year, Arteva’s hard work was recognized with a Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. Joining other well-known recipients including Donald Trump, Mercedes Benz and Delta Airlines, Arteva is the first custom home builder in the nation to achieve this honor for upholding the highest standards of excellence among luxury brands.

    Since Arteva introduced the first idea ShowHouse in 2010, more than 25,000 visitors have toured the home along with thousands more who have taken virtual tours at ideashowhouse.com, the event’s website. “Our three concept homes have generated far more traffic and interest from new home buyers than any other model in Michigan,” said Vito Terracciano. “Our goal is to introduce something that is totally fresh every year, a concept that shows a new direction. This year, we focused on the growing shift to downtown living – where everything is walkable.”

    The 2012 idea ShowHouse features approximately 3,670 square feet of living space on three floors including a finished lower level. The four-bedroom home is built around an open floor plan that creatively blurs the line between indoor and outdoor living spaces. “The unobstructed sight lines in this home are just amazing,” said Terracciano. “Everywhere you turn there is a wall of glass that opens to an outdoor space including the covered loggia and center courtyard. The entertainment area, family dining and island kitchen all flow together seamlessly,” he commented.

    Upstairs, creativity takes center stage with an owner’s suite that feels like a “home within a home” thanks to its coffee bar and spa-like bath. The children’s rooms and modern loft are brimming with ideas for everyone who’s considering building a new home or remodeling.

    The finished lower level incorporates the latest trends in entertaining such as a wine grotto and tasting room with brick walls and a sliding barn door, a multi-function recreation zone with wall-to-wall video monitors, a bar room and games area. “This home is built for families and individuals who love to entertain,” said Terracciano. “There are dozens of unique spots throughout the home where family members can enjoy every minute of their time spent at home.”

    The idea ShowHouse is open daily from noon to 5 p.m., closed Thursdays. Admission is free. The address is 858 Cumberland Ridge Court, Rochester, Michigan 48306. For additional information, call 248-341-3455 or visit ideashowhouse.com.

    Contact: Vito Terracciano Arteva Homes Direct: 248-835-4796 vito@arteva.com

    SOURCE Arteva Homes

    Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

    Filed Under: landscaping ideas

    Tools for change

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    Four years, ago during his senior year, Darren Cotton moved into a house on Lisbon Avenue with a few friends. He thought his new home would be safe, secure and problem-free.

    It wasn’t.

    About four months after moving in, his house was broken into and his TV was stolen.

    “When we originally moved in, [our landlord] was like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s a security system so you don’t have to worry about that,’ except he never got it hooked up so our house got broken into,” Cotton said. “The first thing I did was call him and be like, ‘Hey, thanks a lot, asshole. Our house just got robbed.’”

    His landlord wasn’t distant or out of state; he lived a few miles from the Heights in Cheektowaga. Still, problems that should have been fixed within a day or two would take months, so Cotton decided to take the matter into his own hands.

    He would drive back home to his parents’ house in Colden, N.Y. – a town about 40 minutes south of his University Heights home – and he would steal their tools. He was determined to fix things himself, even though he wasn’t always quite sure what he was doing.

    “I thought, ‘Holy sh*t, the last time I used a chop saw was eighth grade shop class,’” Cotton said. He used that chop saw, among many other tools, to fix his landscaping and issues within his home – most notably, the bathroom. It was in disrepair – peeling wallpaper, water-damaged baseboards and broken tile racks.

    “It was pretty self-explanatory stuff, but it made a big difference,” he said. When he was finished with the work, he deducted the amount of money he spent on materials from his monthly rent.

    Cotton graduated from UB’s master’s of urban planning program in May 2012 after receiving his undergraduate degree in international studies and linguistics in 2009.  He has come a long way from stealing his parents’ power tools; he’s helped make tools and other home improvement needs available to students in the University Heights through the University Tool Library. He wants to help empower students to take control of their homes when landlords aren’t responsive, just like he did as an undergrad at UB.  

    Birth of the Tool Library

    Cotton knew students who rent homes in the Heights can’t afford and simply don’t need a toolbox of their own, so he sought to bring the tools to them in a convenient and cost-effective way.

    The idea? A tool library.

    Cotton got the idea from sitting on meetings with activist groups, such as Buffalo ReUse and People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH). Buffalo ReUse and PUSH had started the Buffalo Tool Library, and Cotton wanted to bring their ideas to the Heights. The Buffalo Tool Library has since disbanded, but Cotton is working with the two groups to bring the system back to the city.

    “It was really interesting because I pretty much had no idea what I was doing, Cotton said. “And it really was almost like starting a small business.”

    Cotton started the University Heights Tool Library in May 2011, located on Main Street, with the help of Buffalo Councilmember Bonnie Russell. Cotton knew students, new homeowners and community renters could fix a lot of their homes’ problems by themselves, but most don’t have the means to do so. Russell was able to give Cotton $15,000 in start-up funding to get the Tool Library set up and running.

    “Darren came to my office with the idea several years ago, and once he had it tightened a year later, he came back and I granted [the Tool Library] our discretionary funds,” Russell said. “[The Tool Library] is a great place where students and homeowners can get the tools they need for very cheap.”

    Since opening in May 2011, the library has moved to 5 W. Northrup Place, next to Just Pizza, and is housed within the University Heights Collaborative (UHC), a community-based group within the Heights – comprised of individuals, block clubs, UB, elected officials and businesses – that is interested in enhancing the quality of life within the neighborhood.

    How it works

    The Tool Library on West Northrup is housed inside of an old movie theater – a historic building with drop-vaulted ceilings, an aluminum-plated roof and original, real hardwood floors. The space was previously used as computer repair store before Cotton and his crew acquired the space – the move from Main Street to West Northrup was mainly due to cheaper rent and a need for a more customizable space, according to Cotton.

    Now, Cotton and library volunteers are working to restore the building to its original state by ripping out the carpets and reworking the different rooms into workshops. He has found improving the physical library building is one of the most rewarding experiences.

    “A lot of the time, what I do here, I really enjoy so I don’t think of it as work,” he said. “Instead of going out to Chippewa and getting wasted, I can come here and rip up carpet and refinish a hardwood floor. It kind of gives me a distraction from the craziness of life.”

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    Clemson designs latest building to make smart researchers smarter

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    CLEMSON —
    Clemson University’s newest academic building, at $50 million and 100,000 square feet, is the largest such structure the school has completed on its central campus in the past decade.

    Those who will be occupying the Bio Life Science Building’s three floors of research and teaching labs in coming weeks have said they expect the building itself to inspire new ideas and collaborations heretofore difficult, if not impossible.


    • Tim Boyd pressure washes the sidewalk in front of the new Bio Life Science building at Clemson University.

    • Liliana Guzman cleans the cabinets in a break room of the new Bio Life Science building at Clemson University.

    • This is a teaching lab in the new Bio Life Science building at Clemson University.

    • DPR Construction employee Joey Weir demonstrates the wi-fi capabilities of a television in a video conference room of the new Bio Life Science building at Clemson University.

    • Glover Painting employee Bruce Johnson paints the walls of the Clark Lab in the new Bio Life Science building at Clemson University.
    • See all
      21 photos
      at full size


    Tamara McNealy is a microbiologist who specializes in infectious disease and will be moving her lab in sometime this winter.

    “Right now the microbiologists on campus are spread out among four or five buildings,” McNealy said. “When we move in here, the people you think of when you get an idea will be right there.”

    Bill Tracy of DPR Construction, site superintendent for the building, said it’s designed to last 100 years.

    Glass walls and open lab bays provide a long view of each floor. Even offices are sectioned off with glass walls.

    Workers late this week were hauling office chairs and desks off delivery trucks and affixing wood paneling to concrete pillars in the foyer. The building’s brick-and-glass exterior, meanwhile, is finished and most of the landscaping is done.

    The roughly 20 faculty members who are coming together in the Bio Life Sciences Building share a general interest in biomedical research and ecology. Geneticists, cancer and aging researchers, microbiologists and food-science experts will also share equipment and meeting spaces, said Joe Kulin, the assistant dean for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

    Researchers are now sorting out when they can break away from current projects to unplug their machines and move them to the new building.

    Harry Kurtz, a microbiologist, will be moving from Jordan. He has researched how microbes — invisible to the naked eye — stabilize sensitive environments such as the desert in southern Utah.

    “We are finally for once going to be right next to our peers,” Kurtz said. “It’s very important. Otherwise, you are yelling into the wind in a dark forest. You try to come up with an idea and need somebody you know to bounce that off.”

    Barbara Campbell, also a microbiologist moving from Jordan, studies how microbes in the environment cycle important nutrients and what happens to microbes when the environment changes. She has ridden in a submarine to the bottom of the ocean to collect samples for her work.

    “We are using modern molecular techniques to look for sources of contamination,” she said.

    Campbell said the office space and labs designed in clusters will also encourage interaction among postdoctoral students, graduate students, the faculty and undergraduates.

    “Most of these are people who have collaborated in the past,” Kulin said. The building has no classrooms, but undergraduate students will be spending time in the new microbiology teaching labs opening there.

    “Good students will be able to wander down the hall and talk to faculty,” Kurtz said.

    Tracy said his construction team is pursuing a gold-level recognition from the “Leader in Energy and Environmental Design,” or LEED, program.

    Lab equipment is hot, runs 24-7 and burns electricity, Kulin said. The building is designed to capture as much of that energy as possible. Freezers and computers — they put off heat.

    Localized air-intake vents will maximize temperature controls, and lab exhaust that is vented away from the building will warm radiators on its way out.

    “We are not asking for all the building’s air to go back to the chiller,” Tracy said. “That saves a lot of energy.”

    Outside, rain water will be captured and channeled into rock gardens that are designed to filter out impurities before the water spills back into a local creek.

    All the lab space is infused with natural light and overhanging fluorescents that dim — for energy savings — according to where the daytime’s shadows fall. Motion sensors will cut off lights when people walk away. Angled ceilings painted white will also direct sunlight into rooms.

    Overhangs and exterior walls jutting out at angles let little direct sunlight pour through the quarter-inch-thick windows that wrap around the building.

    McNealy said she has thick blinds in her old lab at Jordan to prevent sunlight from getting in — both because it is hot and because it creates a glare on computer screens.

    Kulin said he’s open to requests now for faculty to modify the new spaces where needed, but he said he’s heard very little.

    “Scientists are incredibly adaptable,” McNealy said.

    Filed Under: landscaping ideas

    Ask Deb Nelson: Enjoy the view

    by Leave a Comment

    Hi Deb. My wife and I, with our two daughters, moved into our ‘forever’ home this summer in the beautiful South Shore of Nova Scotia. We bought a home with unique large windows and a front deck, which is raised, over our front door. There has not been a lot of landscaping done to the seven-year-old property. We love the home but we are also a bit puzzled as to what we could do to the front of the house. Suggestions have been everything from a block retaining walls, a sloped flower bed in front of the home, roman-like pillars on the deck, and a slate walkway.

    We aren’t sure which direction to start with.

    Thanks for your help,

    Mike

     

    Hi Mike. Thanks for your question. At first glance I was a little perplexed myself about what to suggest for your home. After really studying the picture, and looking at homes with upper level decks, I think I have a great answer for you.

    The first thing I noticed about what’s happening, is that this looks like a back deck stuck on the front of your house. The front of your house is large, you have lots of big windows, and the scale and proportion of this deck is not working with the rest of your home. These are my ideas to remedy the situation and create some cohesion between the deck and your house.

    The upper deck

    First off, I would consider adding glass panels instead of spindles to the sides of the deck. Like in the inspiration picture, the glass panels make the deck look more open, and will certainly open up the view for you. In my opinion, the glass panels feel better suited to the front of a home.

    The deck from below

    When it comes to the deck from the ground level, this is where I think you can make some drastic improvements. First of all, you need much chunkier posts supporting the deck. Like in the inspiration picture, I would consider adding a large, white square column around all the posts, and I would also do the bottom section of the column in the stone detail. The stone really adds another layer of visual interest to the front of the house. You could use real stone for this, or a stone veneer to be placed around each column.

    The next issue is also on the ground floor, and I would suggest you build a porch on the main level. As you can see in the inspiration picture, the ground level has a stone terrace that really improves the look of the posts and the deck. I would suggest you build a similar porch across the ground level of your house. This helps to make everything start to come into proportion and creates better balance at the front of the house. I would place a couple of front steps on this porch to the ground to add a very welcoming entry to the house.

    I would also focus on the finishing details of the deck. Add some nice wide trim and beams across the front of the deck so it looks thick and substantial in relation to the size of the house. You also probably would finish the ceiling of the deck from the lower level, either with a bead board, or a wooden detail to make it look nice from the ground-level front door. I would finish the underneath of the deck, the posts and trim in an opaque white exterior stain.

    Landscaping

    One of the last important stages would also be the landscaping around the front. Using some of the low stone to create a walkway to the front stairs, or around the driveway, would also help create some definition. This will give the house a cosmetic boost and create some entry and driveway distinction with the correct landscaping.

    Mike, I hope these give you some ideas for improvements to the front of your house. I think the key is to bring the deck in proportion with the house, and once you make the changes, you can sit back and enjoy the view.

    Filed Under: landscaping ideas
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