VAST Enterprises, LLC Expands Distribution into the Chicago Area with Illinois Brick Company

January 23, 2010 Filed Under: Architecture, Construction
VAST Enterprises, LLC Expands Distribution into the Chicago Area with Illinois Brick Company

Today in Chicago, Ill. at the Mid-America (Mid-Am) Horticultural Trade Show, Illinois Brick Company and VAST Enterprises, LLC announced that Illinois Brick now supplies VAST composite masonry products to builders and contractors in the Chicago area. The expanding line of VAST composite masonry products — manufactured in VAST’s patented blend of recycled car tires and plastic containers — includes Composite Landscape Pavers, Composite Permeable... 

The James New York to Debut Summer 2010

January 22, 2010 Filed Under: Architecture, Construction, Real Estate
The James New York to Debut Summer 2010

Denihan Hospitality Group (DHG) announced the summer 2010 opening of The James New York. A newly built hotel anchoring the southwest corner of SoHo at Grand and Thompson Streets, The James New York features 114 guestrooms and suites bathed in natural light and unobstructed views of Manhattan. DHG was awarded the management contract for The James New York by owner and developer Brack Capital Real Estate (BCRE). DHG will bring the same attributes found... 

Recycling Brings Treasured Times for Children and Families in Trumbull (CT)

October 25, 2009 Filed Under: Construction, Real Estate
Recycling Brings Treasured Times for Children and Families in Trumbull (CT)

Children in Trumbull (CT) have one more reason to go outside, play and get dirty – a sustainable playground – thanks to Wilton-based Sun Products Corporation, makers of fabric care products including all®, Wisk® and Snuggle®. Sun Products’ FULL CIRCLE playground initiative utilizes “plastic for playgrounds” representing the equivalent of 50,000 Sun Products plastic (HDPE#2) laundry containers recycled and saved from landfills.... 

John Portman Recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award

October 23, 2009 Filed Under: Architecture, Construction, Real Estate
John Portman Recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named John Portman, Founder and Chairman of John Portman & Associates (PORTMAN), the 2009 Lynn S. Beedle Award Winner. The award was presented on October 22, 2009 at a special awards dinner hosted as part of the CTBUH’s annual conference held this year in Chicago. The Lynn S. Beedle Award honors an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings... 

Greenplay Children’s Furniture from Skyline Design

June 22, 2009 Filed Under: Construction, Home Improvement
Greenplay Children's Furniture from Skyline Design

Skyline Design’s Greenplay furnishings for children’s environments include tables, seating, shelving, and play spaces. Products are made with environmentally responsible and healthy materials and finishes, including post-consumer recycled plastic, sunflower hulls, and FSC-certified wood. All paints and coatings are zero- or very low-VOC; adhesives are entirely avoided in favor of mechanical attachments, improving end-of-life recyclability. Skyline... 

7-Eleven Plans Aggressive Expansion

May 17, 2009 Filed Under: Construction, Real Estate
7-Eleven Plans Aggressive Expansion

While many retailers are contracting or limiting expansion, 7-Eleven is aggressively growing and expects to add more than 200 new stores this year. Plans call for the company to accelerate store development over the next several years through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. 7-Eleven has a multi-pronged approach to growth that includes in-line, end-cap space in shopping centers, freestanding stores, urban locations... 

Orlando’s Willows Neighborhood Gets Single Day Garden Makeover

December 23, 2008 Filed Under: Construction
Orlando’s Willows Neighborhood Gets Single Day Garden Makeover

Where yesterday there was a vacant lot, dotted with struggling bushes, today the Willows neighborhood boasts a lush garden. Brightly flowering ground cover holds the fragile soil, while palm trees blow in the wind and bold colors peek over a new white picket fence. The most amazing part: the entire transformation took just a single day – thanks to the combined efforts of a determined team. Fiskars with support from The Home Depot Foundation helped... 

Aqua Tower, Chicago by STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS

December 12, 2008 Filed Under: Architecture
Aqua Tower, Chicago by STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS

In an increasingly dense city like Chicago, views from a new tower must be negotiated between existing buildings. Aqua tower considers criteria such as views, solar shading and function to derive a vertical system of contours that gives the structure its sculptural form. Its vertical topography is defined by its outdoor terraces that gradually change in plan over the length of the tower. These terraces offer a strong connection to the outdoors and... 

Columbia College’s Media Production Center by Studio Gang Architects

December 12, 2008 Filed Under: Architecture, Construction
Columbia College's Media Production Center by Studio Gang Architects

Architect’s rendering of Columbia College Chicago’s Media Production Center (MPC). Designed by Studio Gang Architects, one of Chicago’s hottest firms, the 38,000 square foot MPC features a transparent facade and an innovative design. The $21 million MPC, which includes two sound stages, a motion capture studio, animation lab, classrooms and space for production design and costumes, is the first new construction project for the college.... 

America Votes Chicago Home “Ugliest House of the Year” for HomeVestors®

December 4, 2008 Filed Under: Construction, Real Estate
America Votes Chicago Home "Ugliest House of the Year" for HomeVestors®

Chicago has the ugliest house in America. That’s according to thousands of people who voted online at www.theugliesthouse.com in HomeVestors’ Second Annual Ugliest House of the Year contest. The “winner” was announced today at the company’s annual convention at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. “People know us for our famous ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’® billboards, and this contest is proof that we mean what we say,” said John Hayes, president...