Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud of: The Wow Factor Approach!

Photo Collage: Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud of
The WOW Factor Approach! Making a Statement with The Stairs
2010 @ wobuilt.com

Making a statement with the stairs

We talked about innovative design using a trapdoor design in a previous posting. How about the wow factor in the space?

Every renovation needs at least one wow factor and when designing a room any feature can be emphasized and highlighted to create the wow in the space. In this case the clients and us made the stair one of the focal points and a main attraction. When entering the building the staircase is the first prominent element that is seen in the room, hence it was a natural element to be accentuated.

However, it was important to convey lightness and openness even with a solid element such as stairs. We achieved this by having the stairs open tread and the railing glass. This allows the eye to pick out the rest of the room. The glass railing makes the stairs look very special.

The main wow is created through colour. The dark colour of the steps gives the contrast to the walls of the space that are light coloured. This is what I call an integrated wow: as the colour is the same as the cork flooring (a green product) the stairs and the floor are visually connected giving continuity in the space.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
(416) 402 2679
wobuilt.com
facebook.com/wobuilt
twitter.com/wobuilt

links:
Wo-Built: Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud of
Part 1: Innovative idea: Trapdoor to the basement
http://tinyurl/wobuilt15
Part 2: The Wow Factor: Making a statement with the stairs
http://tinyurl/wobuilt16

Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud Of

Photo Collage: Another Addition Renovation We Are Proud Of
Innovative Idea: Trapdoor To The Basement
2010 @ wobuilt.com

Innovative idea: Trapdoor to the basement

We are always looking to introduce a special design element and often the best ideas come late in the project. As long as it hasn’t been build it can still be changed (within reason). Often drawings don’t convey the whole picture and once the spaces take shape we need to find innovative solutions in keeping with the spirit of the design.

In one of our recent projects we encountered the question of what to do with the railing for the stairs opening to the semi-finished basement (great utility space, clean, large and comfortable, but not a living space). The drawings called for a fixed railing and anything other than the elegant glass railing installed to the second floor would not have been in keeping with the aesthetic look. However, continuing the glass railing for the basement opening was found to be too expensive and the owners and us felt that the permanent railing around the opening would be too intrusive and make the passage from the kitchen to the living room too tight.

So we put our minds together and came up with a TRAPDOOR solution. The owners loved the idea of just being able to close the opening and preserve the feeling of spaciousness in the open concept living room. In addition, a closed opening hides the view to the basement and makes the whole space look more finished.

Our challenge was how to build it. We had to make it sturdy enough so that the trapdoor could be walked on, but thin enough that it would not be too heavy to lift. It had to be secured safely in the upright position to satisfy the building inspector, but we did not want to introduce vertical elements above the top of the trapdoor. It had to have a railing at the proper height in its upright position and had to look integrated with the floor when closed. Not easy.

The construction: The baseboard is the handrail for the trapdoor and can be extended to the proper height when in the upright position. The trapdoor is secured to the staircase via strong magnets and at the mouth of the stairs it has a reinforcing steel bracket that can be lowered when the trapdoor is closed. The trapdoor sits securely on a wooden frame and has a pulley system for easy opening.

The result: Very happy clients! Very proud contractors in having solved a difficult problem!

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
(416) 402 2679
wobuilt.com
facebook.com/wobuilt
twitter.com/wobuilt

Can Renovation Help You to Refresh Your Branding?

Screenshot: The Globe and Mail: Eaton Centre to get $120-million makeover
by Cigdem Iltan
Image: The Eaton Centre renovation will include environmentally friendly dining areas.
by Giannone Petricone Associates
Published Jun. 18, 2010
Credit: theglobeandmail.com

In April we posted Can Renovation Give You Good ROI? Ask Kijiji in which we stated that your commercial space is part of your company's image and a coherent branding will help persuade your customers to hire you or buy from you.

In the news on Friday June 18th the Globe and Mail published a story about the Eaton Centre getting a $120-million makeover. The reason for this renovation project: "to make the building bright, clean and inviting" to meet the "shoppers’ increasing expectations" and to compete in "a changing retail landscape", in other words to improve the Eaton Centre’s appeal and branding.

Analyzing the article it seems that the owners Cadillac Fairview have not only included art (artistic light fixtures by UnitedVisual Artists, new ambient lighting and interesting tiling patterns) but have also included a very important element: being more energy and green conscious. As part of the makeover the Centre will include "environmentally friendly dining areas equipped to reduce waste" and to produce "savings in electricity and water".

Talking in general terms, being environmentally conscious and green is important to many potential customers in all areas of business. Any new branding projects and renovations will have to include green elements and have to be genuine about them. For us we will always consider reuse, reduce and recycle as a starting point.

We can only hypothesize; according to the article the Eaton Centre is making a substantial investment, the biggest since its opening 33 years ago, but their ROI calculations must have been favourable.

An interesting sidebar comment in the article underscores the importance of renovation for your business. "Nino D’Arena salon manager …said she noticed an increase in business after her salon was recently renovated".

So, can renovation give you good ROI? The article seems to affirm the statement and we encourage all business owners to consider renovations to update their branding efforts.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
(416) 402 2679
wobuilt.com
facebook.com/wobuilt
twitter.com/wobuilt

links:
torontolife.com: Shop Talk: How the Eaton Centre is spending its $120 million in make-over money
...Here’s what shoppers can expect from the transformation...
by Carley Fortune

thestar.com: Toronto Eaton Centre set for $120-million upgrade
First major revamp since it opened in 1977
by Dana Flavelle

Wobinna’s Dream Home Contest: Submission #1 Conservatory

Image: Design Competition 2010
Wobinna Wants to Know: What's Your Dream House? Is It ...
#1 ... Maybe Lots of Glass, Like a Conservatory ...
Illustration by Dawn Palfreyman
Copyright 2010 © Wo-Built Inc.

Earlier this year we resurrected our intention of hosting a Dream House contest and bit by bit it is taking shape. The contest explores the notion of the dream house or home and we want to see the many forms this can take.

Over the next several weeks we are going to publish several dream house designs concepts and stories from our staff. As much as we want to see your design ideas we want to hear the reason and the stories behind the dream.

Dream House Ideas Which Will Be Featured from the Wo-Built Staff

We are influenced by popular culture or movies. Many of our ideas come from the images we see. My personal favorites are often the designs of futuristic movies, such as the set for Blade Runner. Creating environments for the future apparently gives us the leeway of dreaming big, different or out of the box.

In an age where we as a society excel in mediocrity and where often the lowest common denominator rules this contest will push the envelope of home design, of ideas, of finding out what is important to you. Dream houses do not have to be realistic or obtainable. Part of the joy of dreams is that one works towards an ideal.

We will feature:

• the conservatory
• the tree house
• the grand staircase
• the condo
• the houseboat

The Conservatory

My idea for a conservatory started when I went with my sister to Doi Angkhang in the northern parts of Thailand close to the Burmese and Cambodian borders in 1999. Doi Angkhang is a research station which studies the viability of different crops that can be farmed successfully in the area.

When we visited, the facility had grown to several large garden compounds, cultivating fruit trees, vegetables and other crops and a simple resort. One of my favorite places was large tented area with its own stream/pond and walkways. Since then I wanted to own a conservatory, but not a small one attached to the house, but a small house attached to a large conservatory.

Even though the Thai facility did not have buildings attached to the green houses, the idea is really an extension of the court yard one. Court yards were used to regulate temperature, used for relaxations and other purposes.

I don’t like large living spaces for the sake of being large, but I love the idea of a large garden you can live in through out the year.

Therefore my dream home is a conservatory with satellite buildings.

The satellite buildings would house small bedrooms, offices, kitchen and bathroom facilities, but the bulk of the central area would be used for growing food (hydroponics), lovely dining experience and the relaxing living area (no TV) amongst the plants.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

Next design idea: The Tree House

Wo-Built Inc. is dedicated to women in the trades. We created Wobinna & Friends to encourage women to look at the construction industry as an alternative career choice with a multitude of options. Wobinna & Friends is interested in all aspects of the construction industry. We would like to see more women explore the many opportunities open to them and become successful.

Wobinna & Friends and any associated characters, storylines and/or merchandise are the sole property and copyright of Wo-Built Inc. This includes all media.

Does Your Rental Property Need Repairs? RRAP Info Sessions for Landlords

Screenshot: Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program 2010 - 2011
The RRAP Information Sheet
Credit: toronto.ca

Please find information about two upcoming Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program sessions:

Does Your Rental Property Need Repairs?

Through its Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) provides financial assistance for Toronto landlords to repair or rehabilitate rental or rooming house properties to a minimum level of health and safety, or to convert non-residential properties onto affordable rental or rooming house accommodations.

The City of Toronto's Affordable Housing Office, which administers the program, is holding two information sessions to provide details to landlords about RRAP:

June 15, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Metro Hall, Room #303
55 John Street
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6
South-east corner of King and John (two blocks east of Spadina)
Public Transit: subway to St. Andrew, then walk through "PATH" to Metro Hall or walk above ground 2 blocks west.


June 17, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 pm
North York Civic Centre, Committee Room #1
5100 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2N 5V7
On the west side of Yonge Street, five blocks north of Sheppard Avenue
Public Transit: subway to North York Centre Station.

For more information about RRAP, please visit:

toronto.ca/housingportal

or call 311

Credit: City of Toronto
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Attend this information session to find out more about the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program.

links:
cmhc-schl.gc.ca: Rental Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program — Rental RRAP
cmhc-schl.gc.ca: Programs and Financial Assistance: [the renovations programs were extended for two years, until March 31, 2011]
toronto.ca: Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program 2010 - 2011
toronto.ca: The PDF RRAP Information Sheet:RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 2010-2011
toronto.ca: The power point presentation: Affordable Housing Opportunities Information Session April 7, 2009 at Metro Hall.

Wobinna and Friends: A Summer Job Project Like No Other

Comic Strip: Wobinna and Friends: A Summer Job Project Like No Other

Illustrations and story by Dawn Palfreyman
Copyright 2010 © Wo-Built Inc.

... summer has arrived ...

Panel 1

Wobinna and her friend, Micki enter Tamie’s Place, the local hangout where all the students from the neighborhood high school meet. As they enter, Wobinna turns to Micki and asks ...

Wobinna (curiously): How’s your summer job going?

Micki (smiling): Well ... you know ...


Panel 2

While having a cup of coffee Micki and Wobinna talk enthusiastically about Micki’s Project Management position for the summer.

Micki (excitedly): Let me tell you about my office reno, it’s gonna be like ... soooo sic!!

As Micki talks about her mental picture of the project, she explains its progress. During their conversation they both envision all the building activities.

Micki (giving building directions with vigor): I need this here ... Oh, and here ... And I want this here ... Especially there!

Builder (rolling his eyes in confusion and thinking Blah! Blah! Blah!): Where do you want the door?!

Wobinna (captivated by all the details): With all your explaining, building should be a breeze!

Panel 3

Micki takes Wobinna to the job site to show her the progress. To her dismay she realizes that her instructions where not completely understood.

Micki: LOOK! ... After all my explaining he still put the door in the wrong place!!!

Builder (looking more confused than ever, thinking to himself with a shrug): That’s what you told me you wanted.

Wobinna (thoughtfully): Maybe we have to draw pictures!!

Hope you enjoyed this strip.
Look for a new Wobinna adventure next week.

Wo-Built Inc. is dedicated to women in the trades. We created Wobinna & Friends to encourage women to look at the construction industry as an alternative career choice with a multitude of options. Wobinna & Friends is interested in all aspects of the construction industry. We would like to see more women explore the many opportunities open to them and become successful.

Wobinna & Friends and any associated characters, storylines and/or merchandise are the sole property and copyright of Wo-Built Inc. This includes all media.

links:
Wobinna Is Born
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna
Wobinna Built a Fabulous Doll House
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna1
Wobinna and Friends Built a Fabulous Lemonade Stand
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna2
Wobinna and Friends: The Joys of Shop Class!
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna3
Wobinna and Friends: A Summer Job Project Like No Other
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna4

HST Is Everywhere, Even in Movies

Fat Man in Hat 2
The Encounter (statue of two businessmen in hats), McElcheran, Commerce Court, Toronto
Originally uploaded by fortinbras.

It's in the theatres and it's full of action. The Prince of Persia is a tale of all the usual things - kinship, love, lust, war, greed, envy, virgin princesses and more all set in the period of the Great Persian Empire. The big story is good, full of excitement, Shakespearean styled twists and is further punctuated by evil spirit warriors run by the bad guy (I'm giving no hints so I won't spoil the plot for you). So... that part is all pretty much straight up and easy to follow and worth the $12 bucks to get in.

But, what is more interesting to me is the sub-story. In it, if you hear what the characters are saying, it sounds like a story about the HST!!

In an effort to scrape out a little existence in his own corner of civilization, a simple scoundrel runs a small business, marketed as a real bad guy just to keep government from over-reaching too deeply into the pocket of his purse or that of his customers. He is really a personable scallywag who grows on you even though he does try to cash in and capture the hero for bounty. But for the most part, he just runs a little off-track-betting business with his racing ostriches. But alas, with all the corruption in governance - the bad guys (part of the government) trying to exterminate the good guys he is caught in the middle and his entire business as a race promoter is ruined. As he says, even a great promoter can't make a living with only one suicidal ostrich.

So, taxed near to death, government messing up his business and ultimately having to battle the evil spirits sent upon him by one particularly evil Persian, he becomes the adorable little comic relief. Much like Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (opposite Ricardo Montalban).

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

link:
theprovince.com: HST could drive black market for construction contractors
Business down due to looming HST and loss of home-reno tax credit
June 06, 2010

Toronto by Night: It Was a Hot Night on the Town

Photo Collage: The Full Moon Fire Jam at Kensington Market in Toronto
2010 © wobuilt.com

Ever wonder what happens in Toronto after the sun goes down? Well this week, I visited with some people at Bellevue Square Park in the Kensington Market, who enjoy the night and who have a passion for fire and play. It was a "fire jam" where fire spinners, fire jugglers and other flaming entertainers come together for an evening of showing their skills on one of the city's dry splash pads. Flaming poi, staffs and fans and eating torches were all well represented there - even a flaming bull whip.

In the safety of bright twilight, before the real talent lit up, I tried the more simple manoeuvres of the practice pois. After about a half hour and with nightfall rapidly approaching, I decided the little bruises I acquired were a sign that I should not try this with fire. However, I was not disappointed because the performances that evening were....illuminating.

With J9 on the staff, Scarlet on the poi, Ari (another one, not me) on the bull whip and JQ on the flaming balls it was a hot night on the town. Actually, it really was. Each time the fire eater blew out flames, it warmed the air all over the splash pad.

There was also another skill demonstrated that night. It was a fire jam spa session where the girls lined up for depilation. Not hot wax, not razor and cream, but flaming hair removal! it was fast, painless (so they told me) and smooth as a baby's bum when done. I'll just have to take their word on it. For a brief moment, I thought about having them try to tidy up my Ignatieff eyebrows, but that was a really brief moment.

It's really dark when the show gets into its rhythm, so there are more bad pictures than good ones. Also, given that the performers are all playing with fire, I stayed a respectful distance from the action. That said, here are some of the highlights of what you can find in Toronto late at night when the kids are in bed.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

link:
youtube.com: Kensington Market June 1, 2010: Fire Fan Dance: New Model Circus Army Fire Jam
from: StreetHeatStoryNMCA | June 02, 2010

Planning a Large Renovation: Get Your Design Ideas on June 30

Flyer: Wo-Built Inc. Home Design Workshop June 30, 2010
Planning a large renovation: What do you need to know?

Wo-Built Inc. Invites You
to Our Next Home Design Workshop

Planning a large Renovation
What do you need to know?

When: Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Time: 7 – 9 pm

Location: 1287 St Clair Ave West, #3, Toronto, ON M6E 1B8
(St Clair Ave West and Greenlawn – Corso Italia)

You should attend this workshop if you are thinking of or planning a renovation that may involve many trades, permits, designers and engineers, want to be eco-friendly and green or is bigger than you want to handle by yourself.

We will explore the different stages of renovation, any pitfalls you may encounter and you will receive any general and specific advice you may need.

Contact (416) 402 2679 to reserve your seat
or e-mail info@wobuilt.com.

See you there!

Wobinna and Friends: The Joys of Shop Class!

Comic Strip: Wobinna & Friends: The Joys of Shop Class!

Illustrations and story by Dawn Palfreyman
Copyright 2010 © Wo-Built Inc.

... as time goes by ...

Panel 1

Wobinna must choose her course selection for grade 11. She and her Mom get comfortable on the couch and go thru all the options available to her.

Mom (excitedly): Oooh, wood shop, you should take that!!!

Wobinna (happily responding): That would fit!! PERFECT!

Panel 2

After finishing her first shop class, she puts her tools away into her locker. The girls just finishing their home economics class are whispering.

Blonde girl to her brunette friend (incredulously): Can you believe she has shop class?!

Two of Wobinna’s classmates spot her: There she is!!

Panel 3

Wobinna and her two (male) classmates are joking around in the school hallway while the Home Ec. girls look on enviously.

Brunette to her blonde friend: …and that’s not all she has!!

Hope you enjoyed this strip.
Look for a new Wobinna adventure next week.

Wo-Built Inc. is dedicated to women in the trades. We created Wobinna & Friends to encourage women to look at the construction industry as an alternative career choice with a multitude of options. Wobinna & Friends is interested in all aspects of the construction industry. We would like to see more women explore the many opportunities open to them and become successful.

Wobinna & Friends and any associated characters, storylines and/or merchandise are the sole property and copyright of Wo-Built Inc. This includes all media.

links:
Wobinna Is Born
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna
Wobinna Built a Fabulous Doll House
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna1
Wobinna and Friends Built a Fabulous Lemonade Stand
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna2
Wobinna and Friends: The Joys of Shop Class!
http://tinyurl.com/wobinna3

Explore the George Brown House: Restored and Well-Preserved Residential Heritage

Screenshot: Doors Open Toronto: George Brown House
186 Beverley Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1L4
Architect and year: William Irving / Edward Hutchings, 1874-76
Credit: toronto.ca

Do you remember the music that introduces the Harlem Globetrotters? Well that tune is called Sweet Georgia Brown and during Doors Open Toronto, I visited his home – one recognized as being the best preserved example of Second Empire homes in Ontario. There is no denying it. Looking at this home and its details, George Brown was a very important part of our history.

Located at the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Beverly Street, near the Italian Consulate and Toronto's China Town, this building has a formidable square footprint with almost 9000 feet of interior space with 16 foot ceilings. The doors to each of the rooms on the main floor are adorned with walnut canopies that include the lion from this Father of Confederation's family crest. All in all, there are 15 fireplaces in the house that spans 3 floors and basement. And the space that used to be the kitchen for this house now is used as a mid- sized board room.

George Brown was a proponent of the anti-slavery movement and was also the owner of the Globe newspaper (now the Globe and Mail). A number of years after Canada's confederation, the senator, father of confederation and paper baron, was shot and wounded in the leg by one of his employees. It was a minor wound but infection set in and he subsequently died from his injury. Hanging on the wall of one of the salons is a line-art drawing of his funeral with thousands of attendees in a throng about his home and the corner of Baldwin and Beverly.

Following Brown's passing, the house was purchased by Duncan Coulson, president of the Bank of Toronto, who renovated the dining room to reflect the current trend of Art Nouveau style. And, at the end of Coulson’s life, the house was purchased by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind for office space.

Wrapped on two sides by Victorian gardens and flanked on two sides by a school for children with special needs, the house is a national historical site operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust, its library collection of books preserved and maintained by Parks Canada and the rooms on the second and third floors now generate revenue – rented as offices to pay for the house's good repair. Uses for the common areas of the house include weddings and conferences and during Doors Open Toronto, it will receive more than 800 visitors each day.

George Brown's house is an important part of Canadian history and our local heritage. It is wheelchair accessible, open to the public during Doors Open Toronto and should be visited by anybody with an interest in the grand days of Canadian architecture, seeing the home of one of our founding fathers or just to see what life was like in the middle 1800's.

_____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.