Plants, Water, Microwaves, and Wo-Built: Quality of Space = Better Quality of Life

Image: Grade 6 Science Project: Microwaved water kills plants.
Image Credit: Arielle Reynolds

"I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time."
- Steven Wright, American comedian, actor and writer
Source: BrainyQuote

Microwaves. They are ubiquitous, indispensable tools in our busy lifestyles. How could we ever live without them? Well, I for one have lived quite comfortably without one since 2008, as have my retired parents, and numerous friends and acquaintances. Why? What’s the big deal with microwaved food?

Do a Google search for “microwaved water” and see for yourself. It seems to “kill” some unknown quality of water that seems to be essential to life (plants anyway).

Now certainly, microwaving water doesn’t change the fact that it’s water — H2O. But scientists are discovering that there’s more to water than just its fundamental molecular structure. Water, it seems, has structure. What’s more, its structure appears capable of storing information … “memory.”

youtube.com: Water has Memory
Uploaded by oasishdchannel on Feb 3, 2011

It appears what water is exposed to affects its structure; and, microwaving water appears to have adverse effects on plants which consume it.

Is it possible that there’s more to the question of water quality than “purity?” Now, we know that traditionally, water quality is affected by the physical environment: impurities that are absorbed in the water. But what about the energetic qualities of the environment; the “space” water occupies?

youtube.com: Human Emotions Alter Water Molecules!
Uploaded by LotusLinkIntl on Nov 16, 2009

All of this is purely observational at this point, since serious scientific investigations have yet to be conducted to determine what, if anything, is going on in the above uncontrolled experiments.

But it begs the question: what are the effects of microwaving food? Or holding a cellphone against one’s head? Or walking around harboring negative emotions all day? People have observed plants growing better when they talk nicely to them. What is going on here?

Wo-Built knows that space has a quality to it that cannot be measured scientifically yet, but can be directly experienced. This “intangible quality” affects (and is affected by) everything: water, plants, people, lighting, decor—energy.

That’s why Wo-Built “feels” our designs as much as think them through. It’s why we are the Vision Builder: we help you envision what the look n’ feel of the design will be. And you can always see and feel the results. This whole other dimension of quality is another way Wo-Built builds your life better.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Here is more links to helpful information:
wikipedia.org: Quality of life

aesop.euss2011.net: Quality of space – quality of life
AESOP European Urban Summer School 2011

ace-cae.eu: The Conference "Designing the Future: The Market and Quality of Life"
The Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) Conference 10th April 2008 at Flagey - Brussels, Belgium

wobuilt.com: Adding Value to Your House – How About Adding Value to Your Life?!

Using LinkedIn as Our Social Media Tool

Collage: LinkedIn Answers
Ask a Question - Answer Questions: wobuilt q&a
Credit: LinkedIn

Martina Ernst @ LinkedIn
CEO - Design & Build General Contractor - Renovations with a Woman's Touch
Toronto, Canada Area
Connections - 122 connections
Industry - Construction
Websites - Company Website + Blog

Everyone in the business world knows that LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 80 million professionals using this social networking platform to exchange information, ideas and opportunities. LinkedIn Answers is a great place to connect with other professionals to share business knowledge and expertise. Here are a few of my latest answers to the questions on the LinkedIn Answers:

"new years resolutions" Are annual goals too long of a timeframe? would having semi-annual resolutions be a better idea?
Asked by Issamar G. The Entrepreneur's Best Friend at Monetized Intellect Consulting
in Business Development, Career Management

Martina E. @ wobuilt answer:
Actually I have found that you need five year resolutions/goals or longer as well to steer your company in an overall direction. Sometimes ideas and initiatives will take a couple of years to come to fruition. A long-term goal needs to be divided into smaller time frame goals and strategies, which might be yearly or semi-annual goals, or even monthly ones. They have to be reviewed and evaluated on a predetermined frequency to make sure that they are still on track or need to adjusted. We get so wrapped up in day to day activities that we loose focus of the bigger picture.

Does a pop up make you more likely to sign up for a newsletter when you visit a website or does it irritate you? I am curious as to what your habits tend to be...
Asked by Lisa L.: Social Media Specialist - Teaching you how to grow your business via online connections and engagement
in Lead Generation

Martina E. @ wobuilt answer:
I find pop-ups very irritating and they have never enticed me to sign up for or buy anything. Generally I do not sign up for newsletters, mailing lists etc since I am inundated with e-mails I do not want in the first place. I hardly read the newsletters from people i know due to lack of time. Therefore what would entice me to give out my contact info? Usually only if there is something I need right at that moment and I usually only want a one time answer, not a longstanding flow of information. Maybe active social media campaigns would be better lead generators than mailing lists.

I'm doing a little survey for a bunch of my friends. If you're self employed and sell a service - what are your PROVEN tips for getting gigs?
Asked by Isabella M.: Co-Organizer at MentalHealthCamp
in Business Development

Martina E. @ wobuilt answer:
It depends on what your service is, what your client profile is, if your service local or covers a wider area. However, regardless of the above it is important to have a web presence. A website more static, general information, a blog, tweets, facebook etc for more dynamic timely information are a minimum nowadays. However maintaining a successful web presence will require persistence.

What's the worth of a "Like" for your business?
Asked by Hanan G.: Managing Director, 2creativ - a Digital Marketing Agency
in Business Development

Martina E. @ wobuilt answer:
Hi Hanan, I generally agree with Erica's answer and her blog since I believe that clicking the "like" button takes the least effort and that at this point one does not have a relationship with the reader. I also agree that the quantity of likes are meaningless and give a faulty sense of popularity.

However, I consider likes a start to a relationship as they are first points of contact. The content of a post stood out enough that the person reading it noticed it and thought enough of it to press the like button. It is up to me then to develop the relationship by answering the "like" and start a conversation, after all there seem to be some common ground for a conversation. Similar to other forms of contact they need to be acknowledged and maybe something unexpected might be the outcome.

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

Renovation Question and Answers: How Do I Choose My Contractor?

Collage: How Do I Choose My Contractor?
The Most Common Question during the National Home Show 2010
2010 @ wobuilt.com

During the National Home Show I volunteered at the Bild booth (Building Industry and Land Developer Association), trying to be a good member. The purpose was to help people visiting the show with renovation questions. Interestingly one of the most common question was: how do I choose my contractor.

Here is the advice:

[1] Look at the Bild directory for contractors. We are all following the Renomark Code of Ethics.

[2] Choose three to five contractors and start interviewing them.

[3] Most important: Do you like the contractor, do you have a good feeling about them, do you have a rapport. Renovations can be lengthy and are like a marriage: lots of up and downs. If you don’t have a rapport your renovation might become a nightmare for all parties.

[4] Look at the estimates – are they detailed and comprehensive, can you compare them.

[5] Ask questions about the estimates, clarify details, lowest cost is not always the best, make sure you compare apples with apples.

[6] Ask for construction processes and have them explained to you.

[7] Look at the contracts – are they fair and equitable? Both parties have to have a win/win situation.

[8] Payment schedules – are they fair?

[9] Have several interviews – If the contractor asks a lot of question about you, this is also a good sign. They need to be comfortable with you as well.

[10] Ask to see the people who will be in charge of your project. Do you like them.

[11] Ask for references only for the ones you have shortlisted.

I cannot stress enough the importance of liking your contractor, and vice versa. In any renovation will be issues, problems and set-backs as much as great successes and highs. It is a roller coaster which can be much better endured when you and your contractor are a good team and work on the issues together.

This can bring out the most amazing design and construction solutions.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

technorati tags:
national home show
building industry
renovation
construction
design and build

How About a Design Competition? Design Your Dream House

How About a Design Competition? Design Your "Dream House"

I would like to talk about a new idea we are toiling with at the moment.

We created the "Dream House Assessment" that helps the home owners to communicate their ideas of an ideal renovation and home; hence over the last year we had a lot of time to think about what a "Dream House" is. People spend a lot of money to have additions to their homes, but the situation, the existing house and the bylaws often result in constraints. So, do we really achieve "Dream Houses" or are we falling short?

My idea of a "Dream House" consists of a large greenhouse with living quarters and office space attached. Our supervisor’s idea is to have a tree house. One of our staff considers a condo her "Dream" environment. We all have stories to tell, why we have these visions of a perfect home.

Hence we are thinking of having a design competition which explores the concept of the "Dream House". And we are interested in hearing the stories about them.
Over the next few weeks we will announce the rules for the completion and there will be a price, a photo op and a byline at the end of the competition. So stay tuned.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

links:
guggenheim.org: Design It: Shelter Competition

"On the occasion of the exhibitions Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward and Learning By Doing, the Guggenheim and Google SketchUp invited amateur and professional designers from around the world to submit a 3-D shelter for any location in the world using Google SketchUp and Google Earth.

Winners for the People's Prize and the Juried Prize have now been announced. Congratulations to David Mares of Setúbal, Portugal, winner of the People's Prize for CBS – Cork Block Shelter; and David Eltang, hailing from Aarhus, Denmark, winner of the Juried Prize for his design, SeaShelter!"

metropolismag.com: 2010 METROPOLIS Next Generation Design Competition
The Metropolis Next Generation® Design Competition was created in 2003 to promote activism, social involvement, and entrepreneurship in young designers.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: DEADLINE: January 29, 2010

theArchitectureRoom.com: Architecture Competitions

Competitions: If you have details of a competition you would like us to publish, then please email us with brief details, the closing date, and the web address where further details can be found. We are happy to add your details free of charge: mail@thearchitectureroom.com

dexigner.com: Design Your Dream House Contest

"Dream House": You have traveled the world, seen wondrous sights, and still, when you approach this habitat, you have to stop and gaze! Never before have you seen such a well designed home. A house so aesthetically mesmerizing and completely at peace with its surroundings. This residence instills a sense of awe and you find yourself suddenly envious of its owners. Mentally your "creative drive" vows to design something equally as captivating! No, even surpassing! You set off to "Design Your Dream House".

Are Preconceptions About the Skilled Trades Stopping Women to Become Apprentices?

Image: MS Office

Keywords: construction, industry, occupations, tools, women

I started off this week wanting to write about two topics:

1. Wo-Built’s "Your Dream House" Design and Build Program – our new service package
2. My meeting with the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute (Patinstitute for short)

But while I was writing about the Patinstitute and their aspiration to attract more women to their training programs, I started to wonder why so few women think of the trades as a viable alternative.

These are the questions:

"Do we (as a society) have misguided preconceptions about the skilled trades and their suitability for women? Is this the reason why so few women think of the trades as a viable alternative? Or is it just a matter that the training and job opportunities are not known? And regardless of reasons, how can we attract more women to enter the skilled trades?"

I would love to have your opinions on this and I guess the two other articles will have to wait.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc

technorati tags:

No blog posts tagged patinstitute
No blog posts tagged pre-apprenticeship
183 blog posts tagged apprenticeship
2,591 blog posts tagged apprentice
14 blog posts tagged skilled trade

Posts that contain women apprenticeship per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

Why do so few women choose the skilled trades as a career?

Image: MS Office
Keywords: construction, industry, occupations, tools, women

Why do so few women choose the skilled trades as a career?

We really would like to have your feedback for the above question. Wo-Built Inc is committed to help women enter and succeed in the trades and we would like to know what is holding women back in choosing the career. We have our own ideas on the reasons why, but we want to know what you think.

Comments please. It would be great to have a discussion on the subject.

technorati tags:

15 blog posts tagged gender difference
36,787 blog posts tagged career
21,663 blog posts tagged construction
222 blog posts tagged construction industry
6 blog posts tagged construction career

Posts that contain Construction per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!