Keep Adding Clean Water

Do you want to be changed? Meditate on God’s Word and His marvellous deeds and it will change you! It will begin to drive out old, negative thoughts and fill you with His strength and power. How does that happen? Imagine that you are holding a glass of dirty water in your hand. It’s full of all kinds of dirty particles. If you were to pour fresh, clean running water into that glass continually, and just let it overflow over and over, eventually all the dirty water would be gone. All you would have left is the pure, clean water. And, you wouldn’t have to really do anything to get rid of the dirty water, except allow the new, clean water to flow.

Today your mind is cleansed and renewed in the same way. By getting into the habit of pouring continuously the right thoughts–thoughts of faith, thoughts of victory, thoughts of praise–then before long, your mind is going to be transformed and renewed. You’re going to find yourself positive, hopeful, strong and courageous. You’ll see God’s hand of blessing and increase, and you will live the abundant, victorious life He has in store for you!

“Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvellous deeds, and devoutly praise them.” (Psalm 105:2, AMP)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, today I humbly submit my whole mind to You. Father, I choose to meditate on You and Your promises, so that You can cleanse and renew my mind. I commit to getting rid of my sinful dirty mind, by daily pouring in clean thoughts of faith, victory, praise, kindness and love. God, thank You for working in me, in Christ’ name! Amen.

August 12, 2020August 12, 2020

I Have A Part To Play

Have you ever wondered how amazing it is that God can create so many people in the world, and give us all individual plans and purposes, then set up a plan for us to work together for His purpose to build the body of Christ. We all have a part to play.

Scripture puts it this way: some of us plant seeds, some water, and some bring in the harvest. No matter what role each of us have, when we work together in unity and not in uniformity, we are honouring God. It pleases Him when we partner with one another to share the good news of the Gospel.

Today, you have an important part in the body of Christ. Whether you minister in the pulpit or on the street corner, or whether you sow seed so that others can go, you are important. Don’t ever underestimate the part you play, because together we are building God’s kingdom.

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? …” (Romans 10:14—15, NLT)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I humbly come to You today. Father, thank You for giving me a part to play in building Your Kingdom. God, I dedicate back to You all the resources You have given me. Please Almighty God, use me for Your glory, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

May 8, 2018May 8, 2018

Mental Illness: Are they falling into darkness?

Let’s face it, mental illness is part of a lot of people’s everyday lives. They do their best to cope with it, either at work or at home. But one thing is for sure, it is far from being easy. I’ve been there! It’s not a question of lacking faith, or laziness or whether you come from a poor or rich family. Mental illness touches everyone. And it can come when you least expect it.

It doesn’t mean you did something to deserve it, or that you are weak. It simply means, you are human and in today’s world, having to deal with all the negative that surrounds us, all the bills to pay, all the pressure, the lack of money, not knowing if you’ll ever get out of debt or finally become healthy. It can become very hard for anyone to deal with all of that and sometimes, you just fall into that hole. You know the dark place that no one really wants to talk about!

For some it’s a question of weakness and talking about it is out of the question.

For others, it is a very taboo subject. They feel incredibly ashamed of themselves and they surely do not want to be judge or even worse, for someone to preach to them in a condescending way.

You know when you are having a hard time, you battle the enemy as hard as you possibly can, you pray, you kneel down and just beg Him to take everything because you just can’t anymore, and then that “friend” who has it easier than you, tells you that you need to be patient and all will be fine…

Right then and there, there’s an explosion in your head and you want to scream!!!

That dear friend doesn’t really know what else to tell you, understandably! It’s not easy for them either. But you know it’s making things worse, not better.

Those little tiny things can make you go down even more. You then hear more and more voices in your head, telling you to do this or that. You have difficulty hearing God’s voice, and it sadly seems to be getting a lot more difficult to hear Him. And the enemy is there, always, waiting for the right moment to attack!

That story is about your friend. It’s about mine too. It can also be my story or yours. But this story is repeated millions of times by people just like me and you, all around the world.

It’s not easy trying to confront human misery. It’s even harder when that misery is close to you or part of you. Holding on and asking others to pray for you when you don’t have the energy or the will to do so, will allow God to intervene. Do not throw the towel! Rather, hold on to it as if it were a lifeboat on its way to calmer waters.

You can overcome the darkness. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s extremely hard. And sadly, not all people will overcome it, but many will and they will come out stronger and victorious on the other side. In the meantime, I suggest we should stop with the smart remarks, the judgmental smirk or that “eye rolling” when we see our friend is still struggling even if it’s been a while and even if we were able to get through our hard times really fast! The worst thing we can do when somebody is struggling, is to tell them how our life is just so great by saying that we got our new boat, we sold our car in less than a day, we got a buyer for our house, we are going on our fifth vacation this year and we won the lottery…while our friend is struggling in all aspects of her or his life! Come on….we’ve all done it! We have all at one point or another, been careless and damage was done!

We need to be careful and just watch our tongue. Not all things are worth saying. Jesus tells us we need to think twice before we speak. Instead, we just might give our friend a hug, a gentle touch, a smile and tell them we can pray with them. If they want to talk, listen or respect if they do not.

Pray, pray and pray for them. Pray for that person to beat the enemy’s schemes. Pray for God to intervene and fast. Pray they get clarity of mind. Pray for the hope of a better life. Pray for joy. They sure need it.

Mental health is not always about the others. It involves you and me. It can be about you and me. The struggles are part of the story and if we take time to listen to the nonspoken words, if we listen with our heart and not always our brain, we can be inspired by those beautiful people, by their pain, by their struggles and wonderful victories, big or small. We have a lot to gain by loving people with the same love, God loves us with!

-Smile.

April 29, 2018January 15, 2024

The Seabin Project: the Debris-Sucking Saviour of the Oceans

This is just the tiniest snapshot of our problem with plastics. Every year an estimated eight million tonnes of the material flow into the oceans.

January 5, 2018January 15, 2024

Garden of Eden is in Singapore!

From vertical farms to living buildings, the city is on the cutting edge of environmentally sustainable urban solutions in the world.

Home to over 5.5 million, Singapore had no choice but to adopt high-density development because of its tight land constraints.

“We take steps to ensure our self-sufficiency,” says Yvonne Soh, general manager of the Singapore Green Buildings Council. “In Singapore, we have a lot of initiatives to promote sustainability.”

As Singapore expands, a novel approach preserves green space. New developments must include plant life, in the form of green roofs, cascading vertical gardens, and verdant walls mandatory since 2008. This has resulted in urban planners literally weaving nature throughout the entire city – visible from across the landscape. Innovative design has created the illusion of space using “green” and “blue” elements. This includes the creation of one of the largest freshwater city reservoirs in the world.

Much of that vision to keep Singapore both sustainable and livable stems from Cheong Koon Hean, the first woman to lead Singapore’s urban development agency (UDA). With a rising population and finite freshwater resources, some positive action was needed fast, so ministers set up a national water agency, PUB, which became the sole body responsible for the collection, production, distribution, and reclamation of water in the city.

The Gardens: look east for Eden, Singapore Style

Symbol of Singapore and its efforts to promote green space, these “Supertrees” belong to a display at the 250-acre Gardens by the Bay. The high-tech structures range from 80 to 160 feet and collect solar energy to power a nightly light show. They have a softer side too: their trunks are vertical gardens, laced with more than 150,000 living plants.
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCA LOCATELLI, INSTITUTE

Throughout the city, there are many green buildings such as the CapitaGreen office tower, the Park Royal on Pickering hotel and the Tree House condo near Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

“Singapore is an island about half the size of London which has managed to preserve its cultural—Chinese, Indian, and Malay—and architectural legacy through a heritage conservation program.”

The futuristic ‘Gardens by the Bay’ in central Singapore, is a revolutionary botanical garden spanning over 100 hectares of reclaimed land. It’s a beautiful asset to the city but may also offer a path to the health and happiness of its citizens.

Garden of Eden is in Singapore!

Transport is another sector that has seen investment recently. On an island of 4.8 million people with limited space. After a series of smart card innovations, people have been able to use e-Symphony, an IBM-designed payment card that can be used to pay for road tolls, bus travel, taxis, the metro, and even shopping.

Have little ones with you? Take them to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, where they’ll learn all about shrubs, plants, and all things green.

Up for a hike? Visit the MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park. Complete the 11-kilometer-long nature trail and don’t miss the Treetop Walk, a 250-meter high suspension bridge that connects two of the park’s highest points.

History buffs can make a beeline for Fort Canning Park. Conveniently located in the heart of town, this site is home to numerous historical landmarks, such as Fort Gate, a remnant of a fortress that was built in the 19^th century.

Singapore in 1965

When Singapore became independent in 1965, it was a city filled with slums, choked with congestion and a lack of jobs with limited land and no natural resources.

Singapore’s version of public housing is unique.

In 50 years, it has built a clean, modern metropolis with a diversified economy and reliable infrastructure and has transformed from a nation of squatters to a nation of homeowners with a 90% home-ownership rate, currently the highest in the world.

For vulnerable families who cannot afford a flat of their own, HDB helps them through its public rental program.

PARKROYAL on Pickering | © Patrick Bingham / Courtesy of PARKROYAL on Pickering

All these measures combine to make Singapore a smarter city.

“What we have done is to research and try to distill the principles for Singapore’s success in sustainable urban development – we call it a liveability framework,” says Khoo Teng Chye, executive director at the Centre for Liveable Cities based in Singapore.

Back to Eden

The planet simply can’t sustain current levels of resource use and environmental degradation. It has not a choice; cities have to change.

Cities cover just 2% of the Earth’s surface yet consume about 75% of the world’s resources. By 2050, it is expected that 70% of the world population will live in urban areas. According to a 2014 study by the United Nations, rural living is in decline on a global scale. Whereas just 30% of the world’s population were urban dwellers in 1950, more than half (54%) are now housed in cities, therefore, it’s clear they are key to tackling climate change and reducing resource use.

However, quality of life, environmental sustainability, and competitive economics. These are the components that make cities liveable and there is very strong evidence to show that maintaining a connection to nature is good for our health;

“People are happiest when they’re most connected to nature,” says Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability at Foster and Partners, who believes setting schemes and legislation in this way can create awareness in the mind of both developers and the public.”

Fredi Devas, producer of the Cities episode of Planet Earth II says.

“Many studies show that hospital beds with a window onto greenery result in their patients recovering faster. Schools have better attendance and companies have better staff retention, if they have vegetation close at hand.”

Visitors to Singapore are often surprised by how green the island is considering how large a population it crams onto its small landmass. According to the latest Siemens’ Green City Index for Asia, Singapore is the best-performing city in the region when measured against a range of sustainability criteria.

Singapore stands as a model of sustainability and water management in the region and beyond and is the Eden garden city of the future.

May 25, 2016December 8, 2017

Water Shortages: Is the World Running out of Water?

It covers 71% of the Earths surface and is vital for all known forms of life, and right now it’s giving us a warning

Almost Half the Global Population Could Be Living in Areas of High Water Stress by 2030 with Five of the Top 10 Global Risks Having a Water Element to Them

Ask Americans and in particular, residents of their most populous state California what they think of water. The state gets 75% of it from snow, and in 2014, 70% of its usual snowpack was missing. The year earlier it was the driest on record. Britain’s problem has been exactly the opposite: biblical flooding in recent years. The Thames has been flowing at its highest level, for the longest period, since 1883, and storms across south-western England have left Brits kayaking through their towns.

In 2013, the world had a record number of $1 billion weather disasters – 41, topping the previous-just three years earlier. Almost all of the 41 involve water – flooding, drought or damage from cyclones, and there are three reasons we’re seeing more water issues. The first is population growth. The drought in California is made worse by the fact that the state’s population is one third bigger than in 1990 with 10 million more people living there today.

The American drought has crippled California’s farmers, who grow 60% of the countries produce, and has left the nation with its smallest cattle herd in 60 years, sending beef prices to record highs. Economists estimate that the flooding in Britain could shave a full point off GDP. Water problems are local. England’s flooding has to be fixed in England and the Californian drought in California.

We Have to Learn to Make Space for Water. You’re Not Going to Hold Back the Flood. You Have to Anticipate, and Adapt

Water use in California has already changed dramatically. In 1972, the average resident of Los Angeles used 715 litres a day. Today, the average is 465 litres. The Los Angeles Metro area has 50% more people than it did 20 years ago, but it uses the same amount of water.

Extreme Weather from Heatwaves, to Deluge Increases the Threat of Disease, Ruins Food Stocks, Drives Millions of People into Poverty and Could Lead to War, the International Panel on Climate Change Warned

“Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,” said Rajendra Pachauri, the IPCC chairman.

Unless we act dramatically and quickly, science tells us our climate and our way of life are literally in jeopardy.

The amount of water on earth doesn’t change – no ‘new’ water is being created and no water is being destroyed. It is simply used, it evaporates and is used again. In a world of big problems, water problems are among the biggest. But unlike many other big problems like climate change and economic inequality, most water problems are solvable, and this one requires us simply to consume less.

Despite average rainfall of around 2,450mm a year, twice the amount that falls in the UK, Singapore has historically relied on importing water. All it takes in Philadelphia is 6mm of rainfall for the city’s sewerage network to overflow into the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, polluting its main source of drinking water. In April 2012, the city signed an ambitious agreement with the EPA to spend $2bn over the next 25 years transforming a third of its hard surfaces into 10,000 acres of green spaces.

There are some fundamental issues holding progress back. Water is too cheap and our attitude to finite resources must change.

May 18, 2016April 5, 2024

Concrete Proves Its Versatility Is Endless

March 25, 2016July 1, 2022

10 Proposed Infrastructure Projects for London to Retain Its World Class Status

London hasen’t reached the density of Hong Kong, but it’s certainly heading that way as the cities population continues to expand. The “London Infrastructure Plan 2050″ aims to tackle the problem and outlines the spending needed for the capital to remain one of the world’s leading cities.

London Mayor Boris Johnson Has Said £1.3tn of Investment Is Needed over the next 35 Years in Order for London to Retain Its World Class Status

“This plan is a real wake up call to the stark needs that face London over the next half century. Infrastructure underpins everything we do and we all use it every day. Without a long-term plan for investment and the political will to implement it this city will falter.”

London School of Economics Professor Tony Travers Said: “the London Infrastructure Plan Is a Necessary Step Towards Understanding the Needs of the ‘10 Million City’ Which London Will Soon Become.

Transport is the biggest focus of the “London Infrastructure Plan 2050” as the population hit 8.5 million in 2014 the largest it has been since 1939. By 2050 it is predicted to exceed 11 million, growing at a rate of 41,000 a year.

Some infrastructure project proposals are already in development, others may not be approved at all, however, these are some transport developments suggested for London by 2050.

Bridge House, Croydon

1. Air con on the Tube, £900m

It was find in the beginning, in fact, conditions were so pleasant in 1906 that the city proclaimed the underground ‘The coolest place in hot weather’. But that was before deep lines and millions of passengers.

Better Late than Never, London’s Tube Is Getting Air-con

In summer, temperatures on parts of the London Underground can become very uncomfortable due to its deep and poorly ventilated tube tunnels: temperatures as high as 116 °F were reported in the 2006 heat wave. New Tube trains, which allow better access for customers, are being rolled out on the Circle line as part of the introduction of 53 new trains on both the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. By the end of 2016 there will be a total of 191 walk-through, air-conditioned trains covering 40% of the Tube network running on the District,Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines.

2. Inner orbital tolled tunnel, £15bn-25bn

Mayor sets out plan for 22-mile ring-road tunnel under London, which is considered by many to be one of the most ambitious infrastructure scheme ever proposed in the city.

The tunnel will cost an estimated £30 billion to construct and will remove tens of thousands of cars from the crowded streets of London and avert traffic gridlock. With subterranean dual carriageways linking key routes, from the A40 Westway to the A12 in the east, and the A1 route north to the A2 running south.

London Major Boris Johnson, who commissioned work to develop the idea, believes it could dramatically improve quality of life for residents. He said: “I would love the views of Evening Standard readers on this. There are big arguments in favour. There are obviously arguments against.”

Transport for London is working on the concept.

Transport for London

Transport for London has invited Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Hitachi and Siemens to tender to supply 250 new trainsets for the London Underground

Transport for London

3. Northern Line extension, £1bn

Works commenced on London Underground’s £1bn Northern Line extensionfrom Kennington to Battersea via Nine Elms in the UK in 2015.

Tunnelling work is scheduled to start in early 2017 and will take six months to complete, while the project is expected to be completed in 2020.

The project will reduce journey times to the West End and the city to less than 15min.

4. Cycle Super Highways, £2bn- £4bn

London’s New Superhighway Linking East and West London Will Open on 30 April, Says the Capital’s Mayor Boris Johnson

The route, which links Barking, Canary Wharf and Tower Hill to Westminster, will open less than a week before his term is set to end.

Chris Boardman, the former Olympic champion and policy advisor to British Cycling, said: “This YouGov poll shows us, yet again, that the vast majority of the public want to see more cycle tracks on main roads.

“If this kind of evidence isn’t enough to give politicians and transport authorities the confidence to act, I don’t know what is.”

Last month, Boris Johnson pressed ahead with plans for three cycle superhighways.

5. Bakerloo and Overground extensions, £2.5bn-3.5bn

The extension of the Bakerloo line could help regenerate South East London from Old Kent Road to Catford, improve routes into London and relieve congestion on the main rail services into London Bridge.

6. Crossrail 2 and 3, £23bn- £30bn

TRANSPORT chiefs say it is “full steam ahead” for Crossrail 2 after the Government made an £80million pledge towards the project – but it will be months before passengers find out if a station will be built at Balham or Tooting.

Construction work is due to begin on the rail link in the early 2020s, which would enable the service to be operational by 2033.

7. New Stations, £500m and 24/7 Night Tube service

New stations at Cricklewood, Beam Park in Rainham and Thames Wharf could be built to support redevelopment in these areas. It has also been claimed that night services on the Piccadilly, Central, and Northern Lines are then due to start in September, with all major lines being served by the weekend night tube by September 23.

8. Another channel tunnel, £1bn

The “London Infrastructure Plan 2050″ suggests an additional cross-channel rail tunnel would provide high speed links from the UK to the rest of Europe for passengers and freight.

9. 13 new crossings in London, £1-2bn

The vision for east London includes 13 proposed new river crossings include Gallions-Thamesmead, Belvedere-Rainham, Woolwich- Royal Docks to replace the Woolwich Ferry, as well as the Silvertown tunnel.

Boris Johnson states “By creating more links between the north and south of the river, we won’t just improve day-to-day travelling across the capital, we’ll unlock areas for development and create thousands of jobs and homes.

Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf: Pedestrian and cycle bridge (feasibility).
North Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs: a passenger ferry linking North Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs (Blackwall) (conceptual).
Silvertown tunnel: Twin bore tunnel connecting Silvertown on the north side to the Blackwall Tunnel Approach on the south side (preparation).
Charlton: a passenger ferry crossing linking the Royal Docks and Charlton Riverside (conceptual).
Crossrail: New rail line linking Woolwich with Custom House and onward to Canary Wharf, central London and Heathrow Airport (construction).
Gallions Reach: Multi-modal crossing linking Thamesmead with Beckton along a safeguarded alignment (consultation).
Belvedere: Multi-modal crossing connecting Belvedere with Rainham (consultation)
Barking Riverside to Thamesmead: London Overground tunnel extension from Barking Riverside to Thamesmead (conceptual).
Lower Thames Crossing: New road crossing linking Essex and Kent (progressing).
Diamond Jubilee: Pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Fulham with Battersea (planning permission granted).
Crossrail 2: New railway line connecting Hertfordshire and Surrey via central London and providing a new cross river link between Victoria and Clapham Junction (consultation).
Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea: Pedestrian and cycle bridge (feasibility).
Garden Bridge: New pedestrian crossing linking the South Bank to Temple station (planning permission granted).

Thames Estuary Airport

10. Thames Estuary airport, 18bn-25bn

A new Thames Estuary Airport has been proposed at various times since the 1940s. Economic considerations have ruled out a new coastal airport, while political considerations have ruled out a new inland airport, leaving planners with an as-yet-unresolved dilemma.

‘Bizarre proposal’ states Rehman Chisthti, MP for Gillingham and Rainham “The airport in the estuary was not the right thing do so we all worked together to oppose it. It’s really good news and we’re really pleased that common sense has prevailed.”

However,Boris Johnson refloats idea of Thames Estuary airport 18 months after it was rejected by Airports Commission. Mr Johnson believes a hub in the east of the capital would offer around double the number of long haul and domestic routes served by Heathrow while exposing 95 per cent fewer people to significant aircraft noise.

‘Grain isn’t the answer’ states Rodney Chamber, Leader of Medway Council “We have said all along that it should never have even been considered as it would have resulted in the mass destruction of habitat and wildlife that could never be replaced.”

February 10, 2016January 15, 2024

‘Creation From Catastrophe’ a New exhibition looks at how architects are doing more to prepare us for disaster – but is it enough?

Out of the ashes rises great opportunity. That is the theme of the new exhibit “Creation from Catastrophe — How Architecture Rebuilds Communities” at the Royal Institute of British Architects. Featuring a number of impressive projects dedicated to rebuilding communities after a disaster, the exhibit explores the evolving relationship between man, architecture, and nature.

In an interview with Dezeen magazine, curator Jes Fernie said the exhibit reveals an “expanded idea of what architecture is and what architects can do.”

From Floating Schools to Unseen Plans for an Alternative London, a New Exhibition Showcases the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Architectural Responses to Urban Disasters

The exhibit, which opened on Jan 27 and runs through April 24, spans nearly four centuries riddled with successful disaster relief projects. It features designs for rebuilding after London’s Great Fire in 1666 as well as plans for water communities in Nigeria, which could be affected by unpredictable coastal water levels in Africa’s near future.

Here are five other unique projects you can follow up on when visiting the Catastrophe exhibit this spring:

1. The Reliance Building, Atwood, Burnham and Co., North State Street, Chicago, 1890-1895
While devastating, Chicago’s Great Fire of 1871 paved a new way for architectural design. Considered by many to have birthed the Chicago School architectural style, the disaster also led to a new type of architectural design: the skyscraper.

In an effort to create fire-retardant buildings, designers utilized tools such as steel frames and sheet glass coverings. The Reliance Building, constructed by Atwood, Burnham, and Co, is one of the first post-fire buildings that fathered a design very similar to the modern day skyscrapers we know.

The Architect Bringing Cheap, Super-Light Disaster Shelters to Nepal

2. Housing for Nepal earthquake victims, Shigeru Ban, 2015
Simple, traditional homes in Nepal were the ones that withstood the catastrophic earthquake in 2015. As a result, Pritzker Prize-winning, disaster-relief architect Shigeru Ban designed housing structures for the victims.

Ban’s modular housing concept is modelled on the traditional homes that survived the earthquake. His design uses wood frames for the structure, cardboard tubes for the truss system of the roof, and debris from the disaster as infill for the wall. Thatch and plastic sheeting provided an extra layer of protection on the rooftop.

3. Women’s Centre in Darya Khan, Pakistan, Yasmeen Lari, 2011
Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari (the first woman architect in Pakistan) showcases architecture’s role and influence in society. Throughout her career, the 75-year-old designer has built over 36,000 homes for earthquake and flood victims throughout Pakistan. She is also the founder of Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which allows architecture students to train local residents to rebuild their homes and communities after a disaster using natural resources like bamboo and mud.

One of her well-known projects includes the Women’s Centre in Darya Khan, Pakistan. Lari holds a deep affection for Pakistani women, who are typically displaced and struggling with the care of their children following a natural disaster. The layout allows women to unite and socialize and keep their children safe. And in the event of a flood striking, the first floor is high enough so that waters cannot reach it.

Sustainable post-tsunami reconstruction master plan for ConstituciÃƒ³n

4. Post-tsunami sustainability plan for ConstituciÃƒ³n, Chile, Elemental, 2014
After 2010’s deadly earthquake shook the coastal cities of Chile, plans for rebuilding and protecting cities like ConstituciÃƒ³n became a priority. In an effort to work with nature and the community, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Alejandro Aravena’s firm Elemental, proposed the intriguing method to plant more trees along the coast to absorb waters and prevent flooding.

The idea is that there is an opportunity to do something that would have long-term positive impacts, rather than a temporary fix that might be ruined by another major earthquake or tsunami in the area. The project will hopefully address short-term needs as well as potential long-term problems.

Ideas for rebuilding Hoboken, New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.

Resist. Delay. Store. Discharge. A Comprehensive Urban Water Strategy

Resist. Delay. Store. Discharge. A Comprehensive Urban Water Strategy

5. Rebuilding of Hoboken, New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, OMA, 2012
Following the disastrous Hurricane Sandy that struck the Northeastern United States in 2012, about 80 percent of Hoboken, New Jersey homes were flooded, leaving the community wondering how to rebuild itself with an emphasis on flood defense.

That’s when Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ firm OMA offered a solution that would combine hard infrastructure and soft landscaping, integrating coastal defense and natural drainage to protect against future flooding. The ideas between OMA’s and Elemental’s projects are very similar in that they look to work with nature rather than avoiding it.

Fernie told Dezeen that OMA offers a multi-pronged approach: resist, delay, restore and discharge. It acknowledges the complex water system and works with it, he said.

January 24, 2016July 1, 2022

Small Projects Often Mean Greater Innovation

Small projects often embody more innovation than larger more costly or high profile ones.

Innovation is a wide concept that includes improvements in processes, products and services. It involves incorporating new ideas which generate changes that help solve the needs of a company and so increase its competitiveness. That’s hardly big news. But what may be surprising to some is that innovation has itself, well, innovated and it isn’t what it used to be.

New materials and energy, design approaches, as well as advances in digital technology and big data, are creating a wave of innovation within the construction industry. These new ideas are increasingly often tested and proven on smaller and agiler projects. Investing time and money is well spent on these ideas and technical improvements can then be used on large-scale developments.

Here are three exciting small projects:

Vanke Pavilion - Milan Expo 2015 / Daniel Libeskind — Vanke Pavilion – Milan Expo 2015 / Daniel Libeskind

VANKE PAVILION Milan, Italy — VANKE PAVILION
Milan, Italy

1. Vanke Pavilion – Milan Expo 2015

The corporate pavilion for Vanke China explores key issues related to the theme of the Expo Milano 2015, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”.

Situated on the southeast edge of the Lake Arena, the 800-square meter pavilion appears to rise from the east, forming a dynamic, vertical landscape.

The original tiling pattern would have resulted in thousands of ceramic tiles of different sizes and shapes. The resulting complexity and lack of repetition could have led to high costs and a longer erection time.

Working with Architects Studio Libeskind, Format Engineers (Engineering Designers with backgrounds in structural engineering, coding, mathematics, and architecture) changed the pattern from thousands of different tiles to less than a dozen and simplified the backing structure generating huge cost savings. Format Engineers also proposed ‘slicing’ of the building and then fabrication of the primary structure of steel ribs using low tech flat steel plate elements. These were then used in a series of long span portalised frames reminiscent of the ribs and spars in traditional boat building resulting in a column-free area for the display of Chinese Cultural Heritage.

The frame was built to a budget and without difficulty ahead of the neighboring Expo buildings.

Building Size
12 meters high
740 mq gross floor area (exhibition, service & VIP levels)
130 mq roof terrace

Architect: Studio Libeskind

Engineer: Format Engineers

2. Oxford Brookes Rain Pavilion

The Rain Pavilion is an urban forest sculpture forming the front entrance to Oxford Brookes University’s Architecture Faculty.

“Rain Pavilion artwork is a sensory experience for the community.”

The complex form required extensive wind modeling and comprehensive structural analysis within a generative 3d model. This was allied with Format Engineers in-house code for the self-organization of voids and their subsequent redistribution.

.At each stage of the design process different modeling and analysis techniques were used to exploit the form and to optimise the structure. The considerable challenges posed by the slenderness of the structure and its dynamic behavior under wind were resolved by combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) (a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows) with a generative design environment. Conceptual design introduced the ideas of tubular stems and folded steel canopies, both of which were perforated by circular holes arranged to allow the interplay of light and water through the structure. The voids were generated using a self-organizing process.

Grasshopper (a graphical algorithm computer 3-D modeling tool) was used to produce a mesh that could include the voids in both the stems and the petals.

The Rain Pavilion is designed to celebrate the sound of rain, and the noise of water interacting with different sections of the installation is part of the experience of passing through it. The structure has a design life of five years and can be transported to other locations.

Architect: Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

Engineer: Format Engineers

3. KREOD Pavilion

The KREOD pavilions were first erected on the London Greenwich Olympic site in 2012. Easily rearranged, three pod-like pavilions were formed with a wooden structural framework comprised of an open hexagonal composition.

Standing three meters tall, each double-curved wooden shell enclosed a footprint of 20 square meters, totaling 60 square meters. A waterproof tensile membrane sealed the interior from the elements fully portable with demountable joints, the individual components can be stacked for efficient transportation.

Chun Qing Li the architect required a temporary exhibition or function space that could be erected and demounted mostly by hand and by untrained staff. The quality of finish needed to echo that of handmade furniture and had to be low cost and quick to erect. The continuously changing double curved form of the enclosure meant that in theory, every nodal connection was different. A conventional bolted solution would have cost hundreds of pounds per fixing. Format Engineers suggestion of a ‘reciprocal’ jointed timber grid shell required standard bolts which equated to a fraction of the normal cost. It also allowed the structure to be built from simple and light flat timber elements.

The structure used Kebony timber throughout, a sustainable alternative to tropical hardwood. As this material had not previously been used in a structural context Format Engineers undertook load testing of the material and the connections at the University of Cambridge. The timber was fabricated using CNC routing (a computer controlled cutting machine) allowing a highly accurate fit between members and basic erection on site.

Architect: Chun Qing Li

Engineer: Format Engineers

October 13, 2015July 1, 2022

34 Thought Provoking Change Management Quotes

Change is good. It’s also often hard. The status quo can be so much more comfortable. But to succeed in business, you must run toward change. Companies most likely to be successful in making change work to their advantage are the ones that no longer view change as a discrete event to be managed, but as a constant opportunity to evolve the business

Here are 34 thought provoking change management quotes:

It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change — Charles Darwin
One key to successful leadership is continuous personal change. Personal change is a reflection of our inner growth and empowerment — Robert E. Quinn
Change before you have to — Jack Welch
You must embrace change before change erases you.
— Rob Liano
Change before you have to — Jack Welch
Too few leaders have the emotional fortitude to take responsibility for failure.
— Paul Gibbons, The Science of Successful Organisational Change: How Leaders Set Strategy, Change Behaviour, and Create an Agile Culture
People don’t resist change. They resist being changed! — Peter Senge
If you want to make enemies, try to change something — Woodrow Wilson
The key to change is to let go of fear — Rosanne Cash
The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress — Charles Kettering
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things — Niccolo Machiavelli
Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future — John F. Kennedy
Even those who fancy themselves the most progressive will fight against other kinds of progress, for each of us is convinced that our way is the best way.
— Louis L’Amour
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times — Niccolo Machiavelli
Your success in life isn’t based on your ability to simply change. It is based on your ability to change faster than your competition, customers and business — Mark Sanborn
Change your thoughts and you change your world — Norman Vincent Peale
If you don’t like change, you will like irrelevance even less — General Eric Shinseki (U.S. Army Chief of Staff, 1999-2003)
We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn — Peter Drucker
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times
— Niccolo Machiavelli
All is connected, no one thing can change by itself
— Paul Hawken
Learn to adjust yourself to the conditions you have to endure, but make a point of trying to alter or correct conditions so that they are most favorable to you — William Frederick Book
We would rather be ruined than change
We would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die — W. H. Auden
Every generation needs a new revolution — Thomas Jefferson
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has — Margaret Mead
I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s forward — David Livingstone
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself — George Bernard Shaw
Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win— Max McKeown
You can’t build an adaptable organization without adaptable people–and individuals change only when they have to, or when they want to — Gary Hamel
People will try to tell you that all the great opportunities have been snapped up. In reality, the world changes every second, blowing new opportunities in all directions, including yours — Ken Hakuta
A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it — Chinese Proverb
The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change — Bill Clinton
Each of us has the opportunity to change and grow until our very last breath. Happy creating — M.F. Ryan

Change or die? we choose life! How about you?

September 12, 2015April 5, 2024

Water Bottles and Construction

August 25, 2015July 1, 2022

Momo Apartments

Zero defects are the primary battleground between traditional and modern construction methods. A relative concept, zero defects is, however, a target that the construction industry has set for itself. Primary considerations are structural stability and keeping the water out. Proper functioning of services, components, fixtures, and fittings are essential.

Energy and sound performance are also vital, as well as issues of safety, access, and security. This is a campaign which will be fought in years to come… and in the meantime here is another prefab scheme which feature’s in these skirmishes.

Mobile Modular (MoMo) is a research development project for a relocatable system of mass housing constructed from specially fabricated shipping containers. This type of system allows flats to be erected speedily on short-life sites and to be demounted and re-assembled in different configurations on other sites in the future.

The key objectives:

Remove MoMo apartments from a site where housing has been provided for 5 years.

Refurbish Each module at the supplier’s yard or an alternative temporary site.

Re-locate The apartments in any new configuration to provide decanting, short-term housing, permanent apartments. This type of system can also become a permanent housing solution.

Originally commissioned by the Peabody Trust, after feasibility stage, the team was invited to take the project forward with their own initiative. The team formed a consortium with the aim of developing a prototype to demonstrate the principles, and to market the MoMo scheme as a one-stop shop package to interested parties.