Sadly someone thinks it's a good idea to block blogger from work.
I'm sure it's coming from high up (*cough* partners *cough*) because our IT guys wouldn't do something without being told. I've told the top guys that there is a future in blogger and they should hop on the band wagon (Innovative Award anyone) Don't ask, that's a different post.
Anyways, I won't be posting much unless someone decides to use some grey matter and stop blocking blogger. Maybe I should have a chat with a partner... Hmmm, the ideas are brewing.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Concierge.com crash course on 11 of the top Architects in the world
I usually save my links for Fridays, since it tends to be more of a slack day and I really don’t want to spend time writing up a hard to digest building code piece. If you’ve been following along, I push for Technologists to understand design as well as being technically proficient. You have to get into the Architects head space or you can have troubles when it comes to detailing (trouble as in redraw over and over again)
The Article on Concierge.com is a crash course on 11 of the top Architects around the world (gee and Cohos Evamy isn’t one of them…). The site gives you a glimpse of their vision, a description of their claim to fame project and look at a future project.
I guess you could consider them as STARchitects, the list: Norman Foster, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Richard Rogers, Thom Mayne, Rem Koolhaas and finally Herzog & De Meuron. There are a couple that didn’t make the list, which I found surprising: Tadao Ando and Richard Meier I guess they don’t spend time in the public lime light like the others.
The Article on Concierge.com is a crash course on 11 of the top Architects around the world (gee and Cohos Evamy isn’t one of them…). The site gives you a glimpse of their vision, a description of their claim to fame project and look at a future project.
I guess you could consider them as STARchitects, the list: Norman Foster, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Richard Rogers, Thom Mayne, Rem Koolhaas and finally Herzog & De Meuron. There are a couple that didn’t make the list, which I found surprising: Tadao Ando and Richard Meier I guess they don’t spend time in the public lime light like the others.
Friday, October 12, 2007
One more notch in Al Gore’s belt – co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
Al Gore and the UN’s IPCC won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for spreading awareness of global warming and their efforts in fighting it.
“We face a true planetary emergency. ... It is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity," he said. "It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level."
Hopefully this coverage will help snowball into something bigger towards global warming. US president Bush and Canadian PM Harper both are against the Kyoto Protocol, thinking it will harm their economies. We’re not going to have much of a world to have an economy in, if something doesn’t happen fast.
Al Gore’s camp is claiming he will unlikely run for the 2008 presidency. One way it’s good, one way it’s bad. Bad because I think he would do a much better job than Bush and he could make a huge impact on the global warming front in the US, one of the world’s big contributors to green house gas emissions. It’s good he might not run because who would further push global warming awareness that he has done over the past few years? There is no way he could juggle both and splitting his attention would slow everything down that he has done up to this point.
Keep pushing the fight against global warming, keep pushing for LEED certified projects and maybe just maybe, we’ll reverse the effects that global warming has caused.
“We face a true planetary emergency. ... It is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity," he said. "It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level."
Hopefully this coverage will help snowball into something bigger towards global warming. US president Bush and Canadian PM Harper both are against the Kyoto Protocol, thinking it will harm their economies. We’re not going to have much of a world to have an economy in, if something doesn’t happen fast.
Al Gore’s camp is claiming he will unlikely run for the 2008 presidency. One way it’s good, one way it’s bad. Bad because I think he would do a much better job than Bush and he could make a huge impact on the global warming front in the US, one of the world’s big contributors to green house gas emissions. It’s good he might not run because who would further push global warming awareness that he has done over the past few years? There is no way he could juggle both and splitting his attention would slow everything down that he has done up to this point.
Keep pushing the fight against global warming, keep pushing for LEED certified projects and maybe just maybe, we’ll reverse the effects that global warming has caused.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Do you have a lisp?
Well our office got with the times and we got ADT2007 installed on our computers. I know, 2008 is out but the partners didn’t want to take that big of a hit on the pocket book. One disadvantage of working in a large firm is it’s tough for them to shift gears when it comes to technology.
So after much troubles with the install yesterday, our IT guys finally got it up and running on my computer – AutoCAD and windows, what a lovely combination. So late in the afternoon I started tweaking and fine tuning the program to my liking. Of course I’m in knee deep of crap trying to change my hotkeys and things aren’t working according to plan. I finally resorted to using an old lisp routine that I used in 2004 to remap the keys without touching the pgp file. I should have just used it from the beginning.
Below is a lisp routine that I call lisp.lsp (just a text file) and I store it on my dedicated part of the hard drive the office gives us.
(defun c:c () (command "copy"))
(defun c:ci () (command "circle"))
(defun c:r () (command "dist"))
(defun c:d () (command "line"))
(defun c:rt () (command "rotate"))
(defun c:ff () (command "offset"))
(defun c:rec () (command "rectang"))
(defun c:ex () (command "extend"))
(defun c:dimlin () (command "dimlinear"))
(defun c:-xr () (command "-xref"))
It looks like a bunch of programmer language that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s really quite easy to copy and modify. If we take one line for an example, you just need to concern yourself with the bold parts:
(defun c:c () (command "copy"))
AutoCAD starts off with “c” as the shortcut for circle. Doesn’t make sense to me when I’m trying to draft quickly as I don’t use circles all that often. So I’m going to remap “c” as being copy. So the first bold letter is what you want the hotkey to be when we’re all said and done. “c” is copy for me, “ci” is circle, etc. The second bold word in the line is what AutoCAD uses to call up the command as if you were typing it in the command line. The lisp file is pretty simple and straightforward.
So how do you get this work every time AutoCAD starts up. Again, fairly simple. If you type “ap” in the command line this will bring up the Load/Unload applications dialog box. In the lower right part of the box is a button that says “Contents”. It is right below the briefcase. Push the button and you get another popup called Startup Suite. This is where we ADD the lisp.lsp routine that you created. Close out of all the dialog boxes and AutoCAD. Restart up AutoCAD and you’ll be good to go with your freshly mapped hotkeys.
Now you don’t have any excuses for being one of the fastest Technologists at your office. Well, when your working with AutoCAD that is.
So after much troubles with the install yesterday, our IT guys finally got it up and running on my computer – AutoCAD and windows, what a lovely combination. So late in the afternoon I started tweaking and fine tuning the program to my liking. Of course I’m in knee deep of crap trying to change my hotkeys and things aren’t working according to plan. I finally resorted to using an old lisp routine that I used in 2004 to remap the keys without touching the pgp file. I should have just used it from the beginning.
Below is a lisp routine that I call lisp.lsp (just a text file) and I store it on my dedicated part of the hard drive the office gives us.
(defun c:c () (command "copy"))
(defun c:ci () (command "circle"))
(defun c:r () (command "dist"))
(defun c:d () (command "line"))
(defun c:rt () (command "rotate"))
(defun c:ff () (command "offset"))
(defun c:rec () (command "rectang"))
(defun c:ex () (command "extend"))
(defun c:dimlin () (command "dimlinear"))
(defun c:-xr () (command "-xref"))
It looks like a bunch of programmer language that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s really quite easy to copy and modify. If we take one line for an example, you just need to concern yourself with the bold parts:
(defun c:c () (command "copy"))
AutoCAD starts off with “c” as the shortcut for circle. Doesn’t make sense to me when I’m trying to draft quickly as I don’t use circles all that often. So I’m going to remap “c” as being copy. So the first bold letter is what you want the hotkey to be when we’re all said and done. “c” is copy for me, “ci” is circle, etc. The second bold word in the line is what AutoCAD uses to call up the command as if you were typing it in the command line. The lisp file is pretty simple and straightforward.
So how do you get this work every time AutoCAD starts up. Again, fairly simple. If you type “ap” in the command line this will bring up the Load/Unload applications dialog box. In the lower right part of the box is a button that says “Contents”. It is right below the briefcase. Push the button and you get another popup called Startup Suite. This is where we ADD the lisp.lsp routine that you created. Close out of all the dialog boxes and AutoCAD. Restart up AutoCAD and you’ll be good to go with your freshly mapped hotkeys.
Now you don’t have any excuses for being one of the fastest Technologists at your office. Well, when your working with AutoCAD that is.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Links - Advanced Buildings
I hope everyone had a great long weekend. For our American counterparts, this weekend was our Thanksgiving weekend. Lots of turkey, smashed potatoes, gravy and yams. I've also been nursing a cold for the past week or so, which is why there wasn't very many posts the past couple of days.
On a brighter note, we got our new 2006 Alberta Building Codes. 2 volumes nice and shiny. I seem to be in the code on a regular basis so our healthcare copy is going to be permanently reside at my desk. I haven't had the chance to break the cellophane wrapper that holds all the pages together, but I pretty sure I will in the near future.
Today I'm linking to an interesting website. Advanced Buildings Technologies and Practices take 10 categories and within each category there are between 4-17 topics. Each topic is defined, describes it's building use, type and development status, describes it's benefits and limitations and on and on. There are a variety of topics from Transparent Insulation in the Building Structures to Variable Speed Drives in the Motors & Equipment category.
I don't think there is too much new in the Building Structure category that you couldn't find else where, but there is some good info in the M&E portion.
On a brighter note, we got our new 2006 Alberta Building Codes. 2 volumes nice and shiny. I seem to be in the code on a regular basis so our healthcare copy is going to be permanently reside at my desk. I haven't had the chance to break the cellophane wrapper that holds all the pages together, but I pretty sure I will in the near future.
Today I'm linking to an interesting website. Advanced Buildings Technologies and Practices take 10 categories and within each category there are between 4-17 topics. Each topic is defined, describes it's building use, type and development status, describes it's benefits and limitations and on and on. There are a variety of topics from Transparent Insulation in the Building Structures to Variable Speed Drives in the Motors & Equipment category.
I don't think there is too much new in the Building Structure category that you couldn't find else where, but there is some good info in the M&E portion.
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Official Release
Sustainability begins at home:
Cohos Evamy integratedesignTM passes the LEED® Silver test
Calgary, October 5, 2007 – Customspace, the new home of Calgary’s Cohos Evamy integratedesignTM, has been recognized by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as having achieved LEED® Silver certification. LEED® (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design), the North American sustainability measurement system, rates the building industry in terms of its applied sustainable design principles and practices. Customspace is located in the transitional Victoria Park area of Calgary’s urban core in the historic Customs House building. The new studio reflects the firm’s passion for design, its focus on collaboration, and its commitment to community and a sustainable future.
A key design mandate was to reflect the firm’s core belief in green design. As a result innovative and environmentally responsive strategies were utilized throughout design and construction. Examples include an effective construction waste management plan, the use of finishes and materials selected to protect indoor air quality, the use of low flow, dual flush and waterless plumbing fixtures to reduce potable water consumption, and the combined use of daylight with high performance lighting to reduce energy consumption.
"Designing our own space was an excellent opportunity to clearly demonstrate to ourselves and our clients the firm's commitment to sustainable design. But perhaps the most satisfying element was the level of enthusiasm, pride and ownership our design professionals took in the process. They took it upon themselves to build a greater understanding of what sustainability means in the work environment and certainly delivered a product that has been universally applauded by the rest of the staff."
Janice Liebe, AAA, OAA,Partner
Beyond green design, Cohos Evamy embraces environmental practices in its studio culture. The new location is in close proximity to mass transit and related business support destinations. A program of subsidized employee transit passes promotes the use of alternate forms of transportation helping to reduce automobile usage. The addition of secure bike storage and employee showering facilities encourages cycling. Further studio efforts include recycling, green housekeeping, and an education program to raise awareness around sustainable design for both company employees and client groups at large.
Established in 1960, Cohos Evamy integratedesignTM has a track record of integrated design excellence through more than 47 years of practice. With over 45 LEED accredited professionals available in all disciplines, Cohos Evamy is committed to the practice of sustainable design on all projects. Working from studios in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, Cohos Evamy credits its strength to its 300 people who deliver excellence and an integrated approach to the provision of architectural, interior design, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering services. For information visit: www.cohos-evamy.com
Customspace Green Facts:
60% of construction waste was diverted away from the city landfills
48% more water efficient than a standard office space
100,000 toilet flushes are saved each year
90% of space has visual access to natural light
I'm not young enough...
Short quote for a Friday.
I'm not young enough to know everything. - J.M. Barrie
I'm not young enough to know everything. - J.M. Barrie
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