Month: January 2015

Focused #amazingphotos

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In the volcano Erta Ale, Ethiopia, some shy eruptions warns you about the presence of a lava lake, a rare natural phenomenon on our planet. Gradually, the activity ceases and the murmur becomes a black and opaque silence, mimicking its hardened surface. Time runs slowly, but it’s disturbed by the hiss of the contained pressure; the volcano’s anxiety increases and, in its core, an eruption shatters the crust and, like a divine act, triggers a chain reaction, breaking up the lake’s surface in tens of lava bursts rising in the air, increasing the surrounding temperature up to an intolerable level, capable of drying and cracking our skin. Shortly after, the lava’s drumming begins to slow down; the vibrant yellows and oranges become a dry and viscous hue of these colours, falling slowly into a solid, quiet and calm state. The scars heal and close, ending a cycle that, when this demigod volcano desires, will be repeated until the mother of all eruptions create a new lava lake, somewhere in the hottest place on Earth. © Joel Santos – http://www.joelsantos.net Photograph by Joel_Santos Joel_Santos. NOTE FROM THIS WEBSITE: This photograph is from 500PX unless otherwise stated. The photograph/image is transmitted via IFTT and all mandatory fields have been completed and inserted, on best effort basis, including username and description of the photograph/image as per the information supplied when the photograph/image was downloaded through 500PX and as required by IFTT. This photograph/picture is used here for non-commercial purposes only. We respect the work of photographers and we are glad to promote their work on this site absolutely free. If you are a photographer or an artist or a writer, and if you like us to help you promote your work, please write to us at nordaminv@gmail.com and write “Photography/Art” in the subject line. We are happy to discuss how we can help you through our social media channels and marketing experience to get more exposure for your work. We reserve the right to reject any photographs or artwork which we feel it is inappropriate.

Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects

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Architects: Julie Firkin Architects
Location: VIC, Australia
Area: 105.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Christine Francis

From the architect. This design was developed to maximise the available light and space on an oddly shaped block in the inner suburban setting of Clifton Hill.

The original weatherboard cottage which addresses the street has been maintained while a new, two-level addition at the rear provides new kitchen and dining areas and a master bedroom suite.

The addition is angular and tapered in form with an overhanging upper level which allows for the living spaces to be drenched in light in winter while providing shade in summer.

Inside, a variety of subtly overlapping spatial volumes is achieved within a relatively simple overall form. The character of the natural materials such as timber and concrete is expressed against white surfaces with occasional moments of strong colour.

Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects © Christine Francis
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects Ground Floor Plan
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects First Floor Plan
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects North Elevation
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects South Elevation
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects East Elevation
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects Section A
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects Section B
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects Section C
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects Section D
Fenwick Street House / Julie Firkin Architects Section E

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Focused #amazingphotos

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The Hungarian Parlament Building

(Hungarian pronunciation, which translates to House of the Country or House of the Nation) is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe’s oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube.

It is currently the largest building in Hungary and still the tallest building in Budapest.

More Infos: http://ift.tt/1cwnTSK

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Copyright: Pierre Pachl

Description: Starfield
________________

Camera 5D Mark III
Focal Length – 24mm
Aperture – 8
Iso – 1600
Shutter Speed – 20 sec while i shootetd a in a row arround 1 hour.

Portfolio: Pierre Pachl Photography – http://goo.gl/etfmgI Photograph by PierrePachl PierrePachl. NOTE FROM THIS WEBSITE: This photograph is from 500PX unless otherwise stated. The photograph/image is transmitted via IFTT and all mandatory fields have been completed and inserted, on best effort basis, including username and description of the photograph/image as per the information supplied when the photograph/image was downloaded through 500PX and as required by IFTT. This photograph/picture is used here for non-commercial purposes only. We respect the work of photographers and we are glad to promote their work on this site absolutely free. If you are a photographer or an artist or a writer, and if you like us to help you promote your work, please write to us at nordaminv@gmail.com and write “Photography/Art” in the subject line. We are happy to discuss how we can help you through our social media channels and marketing experience to get more exposure for your work. We reserve the right to reject any photographs or artwork which we feel it is inappropriate.

Hack Like a Pro: Python Scripting for the Aspiring Hacker, Part 2

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Welcome back, my fledgling hackers!

In an earlier tutorial, I introduced you to probably the most popular scripting language for hackers, Python. To become a professional hacker, you need to have some scripting skills and Python is a good choice if you want to master just one. In this latest guide, I will expand your background in Python and offer you a tidbit of Python code to whet your appetite for all of the hacking to come.

Please understand that learning any programming language takes time and much hard work. Be patient with yourself and attempt to master each small module I provide you… more

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World map scaled by population

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Image courtesy of TeaDranks

Image courtesy of TeaDranks

THE STRANGE THING about maps is that much of them are taken up by countries with relatively small populations: Canada and Russia, for example, are huge countries, but their population together makes up less than 3% of the world population as a whole.

Reddit user TeaDranks put together this cartogram of what the world map would look like if we sized the world’s countries in terms of their total population rather than in terms of their total land area.

A map with higher resolution is available here.

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Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower

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Construction has commenced on Pei Cobb Freed & Partners’ 61-story condominium tower in Boston’s historic Back Bay. The $700 million development will be the tallest residential building in the city, and the tallest tower to rise since the 1976 John Hancock Tower, also designed by Pei Cobb Freed.

“The project allows us to consider once again how a tall building, together with the open space it frames, can respond creatively to the need for growth while showing appropriate respect for its historic urban setting,” says Henry Cobb of .

Taking shape from its triangular site, between Christian Science Plaza and the Prudential Center, the tower will rise from a granite-and-glass podium containing a condominium lobby and public restrooms for hotel guests. In total, it will be comprised of a 211-room luxury hotel, occupying the lower 18 floors, and 188 residential condominiums. Glass-screened incisions in the structure’s facade will allow for operable windows and the upper residences will feature balconies.

The tower, a collaboration between Pei Cobb Freed and Cambridge Seven Associates, is part of a masterplan that includes 30 Dalton – a 27-story residential building designed by the same team and developed by Pritzker Realty Group – and a 5,000-square-foot park designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. It was selected following a national competition.

Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates
Pei Cobb Freed Breaks Ground on Boston’s Tallest Residential Tower © Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Cambridge Seven Associates, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

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Jourdan Dunn stuns in half-revealing dress during Atelier Versace show

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Jourdan Dunn stuns in half-revealing dress during Atelier Versace show 02

Jourdan Dunn is perfectly used to luring plenty of eyes in her direction without much if any effort, and the British supermodel certainly twisted more than a few necks when she put nearly half her svelte figure on display at the Atelier Versace show on Sunday (January 25th).

The twenty-four year-old stunner, who recently become the first black mannequin since her fellow countrywoman Naomi Campbell to land a solo cover of Vogue UK in more than twelve years, was spotted alluring the audience as she strutted her stuff up and down the Atelier Versace runway spectacle which took place during the first day of the French capital’s biannual Haute Couture Fashion Week.

Rocking smokey cat-lined eyes and her ombre-colored bob cascading down the sides, Dunn hit the Parisian catwalk in a jaw-dropping black number from the Italian luxury fashion house’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection which was part floor-trailing dress and part full-length sheer bodysuit that put one side of her statuesque form on full display an was teamed with a set of complementing high-heeled footwear.


By Theo

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BLUEPRINT: Curated by Sebastiaan Bremer and Florian Idenburg & Jing Liu of SO – IL

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Post by Storefront for Art and Architecture.

BLUEPRINT is the latest exhibition on display at the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York. Curated by Sebastiaan Bremer, Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu, the exhibition features 50 blueprints from participating artists and architects, ranging from as far back as 1961 to 2013.

From the Curators: “BLUEPRINT at Storefront has its curatorial blueprint at a show Sebastiaan Bremer and Pieter Woudt put together in 1999 in a DIY gallery called Spark in Chelsea, New York. The show brought together a bunch of young artists, ambitious and broke, trying to find their voice and an audience for their work. The original Blueprint show was conceived foremost as an opportunity to present this group’ s work together as a whole. The only way to the work conceptually was, it seemed, to come up with a  theme or constraint – for instance, that all the works had to be the same color. Blueprints were easy to make, quite beautiful, and cheap – an advantage, since money was an issue. This ‘concept’ gave the structure for the exhibition, which ran for a few months in the gallery. Fifteen years later, this old idea seemed newly relevant. The funding for art institutions in Europe is drying up at the same rapid speed at which prices are soaring at the auction houses, giving the low cost of producing blueprints new relevance. In the meantime, many of the artists included in the original show have gone on to impressive careers, making wonderful works in incredibly diverse media and environments—and many of them started to find their signature styles around the turn of the century, the time of Blueprint. A second iteration of BLUEPRINT took place at Kunsthal KAdE in the and at MOCA Tucson where many of the original BLUEPRINT artists—as well as some others, and architects were selected by Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu of SO-IL—to look back at their practice and identify one “fundamental” work: the first piece that could serve as a blueprint of their mature work. Again, this extended group was only bound by the same constraint, yet one might be able to discover a set of affinities between the works. The exhibition at Storefront is born out of the same constraints: blueprints of or based on that “generative” work.”

Title: BLUEPRINT: Curated by Sebastiaan Bremer and Florian Idenburg & Jing Liu of SO – IL
Website: http://ift.tt/1zPYlky
Organizers:
From: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:00
Until: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 00:00
Venue:
Address: 97 Kenmare Street, New York, NY 10012, USA

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How to Focus on Professional Growth in 2015

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how to build your career

how to build your career

Was your 2014 as fulfilling as it was exciting? It certainly was a standout year for many companies and the professionals that drive behind them, especially for those in the online space and high technology industries.

Now, however, we’re well into the New Year and 2015 beckons. This is the year for your professional growth spurt! This is the year you hone your skills, broaden your hermeneutic horizons, and improve your value. At least that’s what your New Year’s resolution said — the problem is you don’t know how.

Interestingly, the “how” of the matter is both simple and complex. It’s as simple as following three steps: find, filter, and focus. But each of these steps can be remarkably deep:

Find and Identify Your Annual Goals

Growth is one of the most important factors for a professional — it’s so important, in fact, that within a brand, a gap between what executives expect in terms of career development and what the employer can provide can lead to retention issues. It’s so important that employees constantly yearn direction from their companies and mentors.

This is the first step: find and identify the overall goals you want to accomplish this 2015. It might be a little tricky to drill down to specifics, so break it down into chunks:

  • Identify three to five long-term goals you want to achieve. You can subtract or add to this list later once you have an understanding of how long it will take to achieve each.
  • Be realistic about the goals and time frames. There are only so many working days in a year, and time off of work is just as important.
  • Subdivide your goals into steps, with each successive step being a mini-goal of its own leading to the greater goal.
  • Then, assign realistic time frames to your subdivided goals.

Focus on the Steps You Need to Take to Accomplish Those Goals

To be able to truly focus, you also need to be specific. Like the projected growth plan of a company, you likewise need to be laser-focused on realistic, concrete goals. Luckily, unlike finding the abstract meaning of life, professional growth is a lot more measurable, for instance:

  • You want to get a 40% raise by the end of the year
  • You want to be the top performer of your team for at least half the year (remember, stay realistic)
  • You want to learn a new language and become conversant in it before year end

Luckily, there are tools you can use to minimize the time you spend on other tasks that are not your primary focus. For instance, if you still have marketing goals to achieve — which is always the case — but you also need time for other professional development goals. Using lead generation automation tools can keep your marketing going without requiring too much time from you.

Filter Out what’s Unnecessary to Your Goals

In the same vein as minimizing time on other tasks (as in the case above, by using automation solutions), you also need to clearly delineate the tasks that absolutely require your attention from those that you can simply drop.

Saying “no” is just as important a facet of focusing on your goals.

This, however, is harder than it sounds. It’s like when you’re trying to work but the internet throws an endless stream of distractions at you, preventing you from performing your tasks in a timely manner and satisfactory quality.

Only it’s much bigger than that. All the little things you do that take time away from your focus and annual goals can and will accumulate — so know when to say “no.”  Of course, don’t get carried away and ignore everything else for your goals.

Remember: find, focus, and filter — these are the simple yet complex steps you need to take to light the path to your professional growth this year.

 

The post How to Focus on Professional Growth in 2015 appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

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In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects

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Architects: Hariri Pontarini Architects
Architect In Charge: Siamak Hariri – Hariri Pontarini Architects
Local Architect: BL Arquitectos
Client: National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chile, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
General Contractor: Desarrollo y Construcción del Templo Bahá’í para Sudamérica Ltda.
Area: 1200.0 sqm
Year: 2016
Photographs: Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America

Nearly four years after the start of its construction, South America’s first Bahá’í temple is beginning to take shape. Designed by Canadian firm Hariri Pontarini Architects, the temple is being constructed at the foothills of the Andes in Santiago, Chile. The building is comprised of “nine translucent wings, rising directly from the ground, and giving the impression of floating over a large reflecting water pool,” describes the project’s website. Each wing is designed like a leaf, with a steel “main stem” and “secondary veins of steel” supporting its cast glass exterior. During the day, the cast glass will filter sunlight into the temple, while at night the temple’s interior lighting will produce a soft glow on the outside.

The structure’s steel columns are now fully self-supported on its concrete foundation, and the steel frames and interior marble panels of each of the nine wings have been completed. In October, the project reached an important milestone as the installation of the cast glass cladding began on the outside of the wings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 1,200 square meter temple will have two prayer and meditation areas: a central area under the dome with seating for 600 people, and nine alcoves built into a wooden mezzanine circling the building’s interior. Six hectares of gardens will also surround the temple.

Due to Chile’s seismic activity, the building is built over elastomeric seismic isolators and is designed to absorb ground movements.

The temple uses traditional craftsmanship materials, complementing the cast glass and steel with stone flooring and the wooden mezzanine.

Currently there are seven Bahá’í temples located around the world, including Fariborz Sahba’s Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India.

In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America
In Progress: Bahá’í Temple of South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects Courtesy of Bahá’í Temple of South America

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