Friday, May 25, 2007

Denver Design Center


Denver Design District
Announces Our New Access Policy
• You are welcome to browse our 46 showrooms ... anytime!
• Purchasing through designers, architects and builders
• Designers available to assist with purchases
• Learn more about Design Connection (click here)

Rocky Mountain region’s premier resource for fine furnishings for home and office.
• 40 Wholesale Showrooms.
• 6 Wholesale/Retail Showrooms.
• Merchandise available through Interior Designers, Architects and Builders.
• More than 1,800 different lines.
• Fine furnishings for home and office.
• Unique custom products.

Fabric, Furniture, Floor Coverings, Window Treatments, Wall Coverings, Lighting, Accessories, Art, Antiques, Patio Furniture, Building Products, Hardware, Kitchen, Cabinets, Plumbing Fixtures, Ceramic Tile and Stone, Contract

Access/Admittance for Design Professionals
Members of the trade are welcome with their wholesale credentials. Designers, architects and builders may also register as a member of the DDD to avoid the necessity of showing their credentials each time they visit.

Please call 303-733-2455 ext. 21
with questions regarding
• Admittance
• How to apply for membership
• The benefits of membership

Location
595 S. Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80209
Conveniently located near I25 and Broadway. Directions to the DDC.

Hours of Operation
9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday
Henredon and Baker open 11-4 on Saturdays

Contact
303-733-2455
303-777-6104 Fax
Email us

Articulated Wall
The DDD's Landmark
Designed by Herbert Bayer, the 85 foot tall sculpture is a major
Denver landmark.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

SEVILLE’S SOLAR POWER TOWER



Rising out of the Andalusian countryside like a gigantic obelisk, a 40 story concrete tower surrounded by fields of photovoltaic panels is is the first stage of Europe’s first commercial solar power station , which recently went into operation in a sunny region outside Seville, Spain. The eye-popping spectacle bears more than a passing resemblance to Sauron’s Mordor Lighthouse in Lord of the Rings - only shiny, happy and sunny, rather than dark and fiery. Dumb analogies aside, there’s no way that our meager words do justice to the sheer awesomeness of the project, so you’ll just have to check out the photos and video below.


The first stage of the solar power station, known as PS10, is a 300ft tall tower surrounded by 624 solar panels which will produce enough energy to power 60,000 homes. There is also a secondary component, known as Sevilla PV, which is a photovoltaic power plant composed of 154 panels, which will generate enough electricity for about 1800 homes.

Here is how the tower works: the solar panels, a 120m2 mixture of mirrors and photovoltaics, track the sun throughout the year, reflect the energy of the sun to solar receptor at the top of the tower. Water passes through pipes at the top, and is heated enough to turn it into steam by the solar receptor, which in turn passes through a series of turbines to produce electricity.



It is a sight to be seen. The area around the tower becomes so bright, that it actually illuminates the water vapor and dust that is in the air. It becomes necessary to wear sunglasses while you are there. Indeed, the image with the sunlight being thrown into the air? it’s not photoshoped.

This tower, while not a new technology (see CESA-1), is part of a series of projects whose final aim is to provide enough green energy for 180,000 homes, or most of the population of Seville. The final project, able to produce over 300MW, will include a series of towers, two more of which are being built, and standard photovoltaic power plants, as well as a mixture of newer parabolic solar collectors which will be installed at a later stage. The entire power plant will be operational by 2013. And here’s the most impressive part. The entire development, once it’s operational, will generate zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking of sunshine, BBH now has new great modern bedding from Inhabit Living. It's called Ailanthus in Sunshine, and it is great to brighten up your home.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007


La Lumiere is a skyscraper development that is due to commence construction in early 2007 in Leeds, United Kingdom. It is a second phase to the redevelopment of a Royal Mail sorting office which has already seen a 65 m tall former Royal Mail office reclad to become apartments called West Central. The construction of Lumiere will comprise of two towers of a height of 54 storeis / 171 m and 32 storeys / 112 m both of which are to be clad in glass with the taller tower to be predominantly blue and the smaller tower to be of a reddish texture. The developer behind the project is KW Linfoot and the buildings designed by Ian Simpson will comprise of a mixture of apartments, offices, shops, cafes, restaurants and a Winter Garden. The building that is due to be complete by 2009 could potentially become the tallest building in the United Kingdom outside of London a whole 6 feet taller than the current tallest building Beetham Tower (including Beethhams 20m decorative fin on top of the building, which is not solid). On July 21 2006 it was made official that building of these towers would commence in 2007 after councilors gave the proposals approval for construction.

Canadian Design keeps getting better and better

Gus Modern Design Group does it again with their Delano Chair! Black or White leather for only $900

Inhabit at Sundance Film Festival™



Inhabit was featured this year at the Sundance Film Festival™. Their amazing new Inhabit Wall Flats were used in a viewing room. The great think about these wall flats is that there isn't any major issues installing them. They stick right to your wall and you can paint them any color you want. They really add that something different to your home.

What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas


The new Cosmopolitan project in Vegas is turning out to be quite spectacular. Stunning if I must say.
Completion: 2009
Condos managed by Grand Hyatt
Hotel managed by Cosmopolitan
Conventions managed by Hyatt
1.8 billion dollars or more.
Footprint: 330,000 square feet
6,660,000 square feet of development
41,000 tons of structural steel
750,000 cubic yards excavation
Two hotel and condo towers rising 600 feet (180 meters)
2,000 condos 1,000 hotel rooms.
250,000 square feet of convention and meeting space
79,000 square foot casino
360,000 square feet of retail
12 restaurants
1,800 seat showroom
5-acre pool deck
3,910 car underground parking garage

Here is a quick link to their site http://www.cosmolv.com/

New Modern kids furniture at BBH



















I was at ICFF(International Contemporary Furniture Fair) this week and ran into my great friends at Oeuf NYC. They have the most beautiful new kids line coming out called The Sparrow Collection, by Oeuf NYC.

It has a beautiful modern crib, toddler bed, dresser, night stand and wardrobe. They come in White, Grey, and Rose. They will start shipping in July, but you can pre-order on www.bobbyberkhome.com by calling 1-866-965-9793.

Why Organic?





Gentle on skin and the environment

Conventional agriculture destroys biodiversity and renders the soil barren.

More than 2.3 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year on US farms alone. Unfortunately, pesticide use is steadily increasing, in the US and worldwide. In conventional agriculture, chemical pesticides are used to eliminate all other plants and unwanted insects. This also kills the beneficial micro-organisms that normally bring nutrients to the soil, making it necessary to add synthetic fertilizers. As pests build immunities, the soil becomes stripped of nutrients and the need for more chemicals increases, creating a spiral that eventually leaves land barren and unable to grow.

Organic farming brings balance to the field and strength to the plant.
The philosophy of organic farming is about bringing life to the soil, and managing the balance of a diverse ecosystem. When left alone, insects and plants in nature keep each other in check by thriving off of one another. Organic farming uses this diversity to its advantage, and keeps fields in balance using natural predators against pests. Without chemical treatments, the plants grow stronger, and are better able to fend for themselves. As a result, organic fruits and vegetables are higher in antioxidants and nutrients, and organic cotton fiber is stronger than conventional cotton.

"All natural fiber" isn't necessarily chemical-free.
The conventional processing of cotton textiles relies heavily on chemicals, many of which are acutely toxic, and classified by the World Health Organization as hazardous. Our groundwater is increasingly polluted by wastewater from textile manufacturing. Traces of these chemicals can remain in fabrics, even after washing. This can cause an array of health problems that affect the nervous system, respiratory system and the skin, including; head-aches, dizziness, and irritations to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as difficulties with sleep, concentration and memory. Some chemicals are stored and collected in the body, called bioaccumulation. These chemicals attack and weaken the immune system.

Pesticides used on conventional cotton end up in our food.
During ginning, the cotton plant is separated to utilize its different parts. Cottonseed oil is commonly found in snack foods like potato chips and cookies. And the cottonseeds themselves, high in protein, are used to feed beef and dairy cattle. Fortunately, organic cottonseed is being sent to organic dairy farms as feed. So when you purchase organic cotton, you are also helping to provide the much needed chemical-free seed to organic dairy farmers.

One great way to support change is by the consumer choices you make.

http://www.bobbyberkhome.com offers many different brands of Organic bedding like Amenity Living

Do your part to save our environment.