Yosemite National Park – California – USA (by Tabitha Kaylee Hawk)
Are you already wavering on your New Year’s resolutions? It’s okay, you’re not alone. If you want this new year to be the year that they stick, you are going to need some proven routines to keep you going. Where better to look than at the habits of highly successful people?
We all know the typical things that successful people do differently – wake up early, set goals, network – but what does the next level of successful behavior look like? No matter whether your passion is baking or real estate, everyone has something which they strive to be successful in.
While there is no one defined behavior for successful people, anyone who has spent extensive amounts of time reading interviews of and articles by successful people can agree that there are similar attitudes and behaviors that they possess. There are universal traits and practices that are common to all successful people regardless of their background and field of influence.
If you want to create a culture of success in your life, here are the most common and effective habits of successful people to get you started.
Most successful people attest to the fact that they do not simply wake up to an agenda filled with random activities. Instead, most successful people come up with large, long-term goals.
American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault, for example, states that “at the beginning of each year, I set the key priorities and key objectives”. These priorities and objectives are part of a larger, long-term vision, and are easily achievable when broken down into smaller pieces. Every day then, successful people take the initiative to set themselves small, daily goals that contribute to the priorities, objectives, and long-term vision. They then plan their day ahead of time to ensure that they have activities and appointments planned that address each of their goals.
The most valuable resource you have is yourself. Successful people, especially those in the service industry, understand that they need to continually work on their personal brand and physical appearance. They also understand that their social life is as important as their finances and, as such, set aside enough time for leisure activities with friends and family. They know when to stop working. They also know that their bodies need good food, hydration, rest, and sleep.
On top of physical maintenance, they look out for experiences and relationships that will enhance their lives. They read widely from good authors and engage in positive conversations. They understand that you cannot change the world if you have not taken care of yourself first.
The concept of remembering to attend to one’s own needs is captured by the term self-care. It was coined by and remains a pillar of the work that mental health professionals do every day. There are countless resources that uphold the importance of the practice as well as provide resources in its pursuit.
If you are unsure of where to start, I recommend an interactive self-care flowchart by Jace Harr entitled, “You feel Like Shit: An Interactive Self-Care Guide”. It walks the user through his or her needs, beginning with the most basic. As the landing page asserts, it is designed “for people who struggle with self-care, executive dysfunction, and/or who have trouble reading internal signals”. It is a simple, straightforward, and effective first step at attending to yourself when you are not feeling your best.
This may seem trivial to many people, especially given the number of things vying for our attention these days. However, successful people always make time to meditate.
What they do during this quiet time varies by personal preference and time of day. If it is the end of a busy day, they might take the time to reflect on their goals as well as the day that has passed: their achievements and failures, the status of their personal relationships and their spirituality.
The successful people who do this understand that when so much is going on that you do not have time to reflect, it is easy to miss out on the lessons. Since they are continually seeking ways to improve themselves, they take the time to reflect on their strengths and areas for growth. If they are feeling particularly drained or negative, they might use the quiet time for positive self-talk. Other times, if they are feeling particularly stressed or overworked, they might choose to focus on their breath and enjoy ten minutes of not thinking at all.
If you are interested in starting a practice but unsure of where to begin, there are many support out there for you, beginning with the mogul Oprah Winfrey. She is a huge proponent of meditation, stating that it has shifted her life in ways that she never imagined. She is such a firm believer in the practice that she has instituted a period of “Quiet Time” twice a day in her network offices. For those who do not work for Oprah, she has collaborated with spiritual guide Deepak Chopra to create a number of free 21-day guided meditations. There are others with free meditations available, including Tara Brach. If you prefer music or silence, there are free apps available that help you to time and keep track of your meditation sessions.
See Also: 8 Success Habits of Wealthy People That Cost Nothing
While there is no script that successful people follow, there are traits that are common amongst them. If you are seeking practices that will give you a boost in your productivity and overall success in life, consider the importance of goal setting, self-care, and meditation. Make each of these practices a pattern of behaviour and you will surely be on the road to success.
See Also: 10 Habits of Successful People
The post 3 Unique Things That Successful People Do Differently appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
“Hydropolis” was established in an underground clean water reservoir. It belongs to the Water & Sewage Treatment Company – Wrocław and is one of the architectural monuments of the water supply system.
The clean water reservoir was built between 1890 and 1893 as one of the elements of the water supply system “Na Grobli” and originally served as a filtering system until 1904. The pumping station adjacent to it from the west was built in 1924.
“Na Grobli” is one of the few so well preserved historical water supply plants in Europe. As a site entered in the register of monuments, it is subject to strict protection and conservation. After the building was closed down, its further degradation could only be prevented by adapting it to new general interest functions.
The clean water reservoir, the old filters, and the pumping station adjacent from the west to the reservoir, are part of the “Na Grobli” water supply system. The reservoir cross section has a rectangular shape measuring approx. 72.8 x 63.9 meters. It is covered with a green roof, with air vent stacks which primarily served to reduce the air pressure within the reservoir.
The western and eastern elevations are in the historicist Neo-Gothic style with towers steeples, fortified towers, turrets and gates. The northern elevation includes twelve semicircular arcades, while the southern elevation formed an earthen slope dropping from the roof level. The façades are built of ceramic face bricks with details underlined by glazed bricks and shaped ceramics.
The interior of the reservoir consists of four chambers which, for the purpose of the new function, are connected via openings made in the walls allowing to pass from one section to the other. Each chamber is covered with a three-bay reinforced concrete arched structure resting on the walls separating them and two rows of pillars.
An annexe building was constructed on the southern side of the entrance zone creating a new façade which matches the Water Tower situated nearby.
The predominant material used in the new part of the building is classic copper which due to the process of oxidation darkens in a natural way, harmonising well with the brick – the main material of the reservoir and Water Tower.
The body of the building consists of an entrance with an adjacent ramp leading to the roof and the technical wing. The stairs leading to the roof of the reservoir are located in the green space in between. The whole is crowned with a copper roof.
The building façades were covered with horizontal copper plate panels. Sliding perforated panels were used for covering the glazing at the entrance point, whereas the fixed panels mounted on both sides of the façade together with the roofing are the framework for the water printer measuring 46.5 meters in length. The water falling from the printer creates pre-programmed patterns and captions – a prelude to the theme of the exhibition and the main primary accent of the entrance elevation.
Thus created water curtain fills the front elevation. It constitutes its integral part. It opens up in front of the passing visitors allowing for interaction and first contact with water.
The water printer is made up of twelve modules concealed beneath the copper lining of the elevation, connected with the technical section of the building. Each module has a set of controlled solenoid valves and nozzles responsible for the effects created by the printer. The water in the printer circulates in a closed system.
Copper is also the finishing touch of the entrance hall; it illuminates the interior and harmonises with the matt surfaces of black metal sheets, slabs of concrete and reinforced concrete. The sunlight penetrates through irregular holes in the perforated panels, fills the space and creates a unique interplay of light and reflections. Pre-oxidised vertical panels of copper sheet are used here.
The main accent within this space is a vortex captured within a closed transparent cylinder measuring 2.8 m in height and 1.6 m in diameter. It is located centrally between the staircases on level -1.
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The decision to use copper from the beginning seemed to be the most appropriate solution. Because of its durability, beauty, and natural variability, the new part of the building covered with copper sheets complements the unique character of the historic reservoir at the same time emphasizing its new architecture. Used inside, it intensifies the perception of space in the hall thanks to its subtle glow and reflections.
For their latest fashion show scheme for Prada, AMO has gone “back to basics.” Envisioned for the fashion house’s 2017 Fall/Winter Collection, “Continuous Interior” borrows from domestic design, taking the form of a series of curving wooden partitions paired with ordinary materials and emblematic furniture pieces to create a stage that speaks to the importance of authenticity in the political climate of today.
“In the current moment – when issues of simplicity and essentiality are becoming increasingly relevant – AMO and PRADA felt the need to go back to basics, to abandon the construction of hyper-realistic and fully immersive sets in favor of a modest and domestic design, in which the experience of the audience is triggered more by the relationship with the physical space than by visual impact,” said the architects in a press release.
“They also advocate a return to reality and to the possibility of an intimate, unmediated experience between audience and fashion.”
AMO has created the sense of domesticity through the use of familiar materials such as terrazzo, tile and formica – the warm, smooth textures of the chosen materials contrasting with the rough, cool surfaces of Milan venue’s interiors – and through the introduction of key furniture pieces such as beds and benches. Together, the elements “define a rhythm for the overall composition.”
Audience members are accommodated along the structure, the curving walls giving each guest a unique perspective from which to view the show.
“The partitions, with their limited height, act as a screen between the different rooms, providing an individual perspective to each observer, while still allowing views of the models behind the boiserie,” explain the architects. “All the guests share the same personal yet collective experience.”
News via OMA/AMO.
OMA/AMO’s Latest Prada Runway is Inspired by 17th Century Auto-Da-Fé Trials
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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) have named 18 architectural and interior projects as recipients of the 2017 Institute Honor Awards, the profession’s highest recognition for excellence in design.
According to the AIA, “the 2017 Architecture program celebrates the best contemporary architecture regardless of budget, size, style, or type. These stunning projects show the world the range of outstanding work architects create and highlight the many ways buildings and spaces can improve our lives.”
The awarded projects were selected from nearly 700 submissions. The winners will be honored at the 2017 AIA National Convention in Orlando.
Aspen Art Museum / Shigeru Ban Architects
Associate Firm: CCY Architects
Founded in the late 1970s as a non-collecting institution, the Aspen Art Museum worked in tandem with the design team to determine programmatic needs and to ensure its new home completely supported the art it hangs. Adhering to a strict 18-month construction schedule, the new museum opened in 2014 and has seen a 400 percent increase in visitorship and a 1,140 percent increase in the number of students served by the museum’s educational outreach initiatives. Three floors—two above ground, one below—are dedicated to gallery space, while the top floor includes an ample multiuse space, café, and public terrace with sweeping views of the Rockies.
Winner of the 2012 adAPT NYC competition for New York City’s first micro-unit apartment building, Carmel Place represents a new housing paradigm for the city’s growing small household population. The design of the 9 story building’s 55 units aims for spaciousness and luminosity through the implementation of 9’-8” ceilings, 8’ tall sliding windows and Juliet balconies. With a goal of conveying the residents’ nested scales of community, afforded by varied interior and exterior shared spaces, the building’s brick exterior massing resembles four slender “mini-towers” – a microcosm of the city’s skyline.
Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project / Iu + Bibliowicz Architects LLP
The Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project centered on: renovation, reorganization, and repurposing of 167,000 square feet of non-performance venues at the National Historic site. The 7-year project encompassed the creation of a Music Education Wing, new roof terrace, consolidation of administrative offices, expanded backstage space and functionality, and façade lighting to showcase the landmark. Substantial interior structural modifications and infrastructure upgrades aided in the success of the renovation. The project was awarded LEED Silver Certification, one of the oldest and most notable buildings in the country with such distinction.
The Cotton Gin at the CO-OP District / Antenora Architects LLP
The reuse of the two existing cotton gin structures is the first piece of a 2012 master plan to revitalize the site, which was purchased by the City of Hutto. Both structures were selectively deconstructed and reused to create a single open-air 6,500-square-foot public events space. The new building is wrapped in perforated stainless steel that reflects the hot Texas sun during the day and provides intriguing transparency at night. The design team succeeded in creating a flexible space for public and private events that complements everything from programmatic functions of the local library and farmer’s markets to artisan fairs and wedding receptions.
Grace Farms / SANAA
Associate Firm: Handel Architects
Grace Farms was established with the idea that “space communicates” and can inspire people to collaborate for good. To realize this vision, Grace Farms Foundation appointed SANAA to create a porous, multipurpose building nestled within an 80-acre landscape that would encourage people to engage with nature, the arts, justice, community, and faith. The River building emerged as a new kind of public space that embodies these aspirations. Its sinuous structure is comprised of 203 individually curved glass panels containing five volumes: a sanctuary; library; commons; pavilion; and partially submerged Court.
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts / Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Associate Firm: Holabird & Root
Sitting on the southern edge of Chicago’s Midway, the Center houses the University of Chicago’s visual arts, film, music, and theater programs, finally uniting the programs under one roof. The building comprises a 10-story tower and an adjacent two-story “podium.” Both are clad in Missouri limestone cut into four-foot lengths and laid as bricks. The material echoes the limestone found on the University’s neo-Gothic structures as well as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, also located on campus. Bathed in natural light, the smaller building is lit by north-facing skylights throughout its many creative spaces.
St. Ann’s Warehouse / Marvel Architects
Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, Marvel Architects has brought the brick and mortar ruins of the historic Tobacco Warehouse back to life, creating a new theater space for renowned presenter St. Ann’s Warehouse. Leading a team of Silman, Buro Happold and Charcoalblue, Marvel created a controlled acoustical environment using natural state materials – concrete, blackened steel, Douglas fir plywood. With a respectful sleight of hand, a new roof floats atop a ribbon of solid glass brick. Adjacent to the theater is a trapezoidal garden designed with Michael Van Valkenberg Landscape.
The Six Affordable Veteran Housing / Brooks + Scarpa
The SIX is a 52-unit LEED Platinum affordable housing and support services building for disabled veterans. Located in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles which has one of the highest densities in the USA with a total population of 120,000 people in 2.72 square miles. The SIX breaks the prescriptive mold of the traditional shelter by creating public and private “zones” in which private space is deemphasized, in favor of large public areas. The organization is intended to transform the way people live-away from a reclusive, isolating layout towards a community-oriented, interactive space.
Stanford University Central Energy Facility / ZGF Architects LLP
The Central Energy Facility is the heart of Stanford University’s transformational campus-wide energy system, projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68%. The centerpiece of this composition of large, industrial components is a central courtyard pivoting around a 2.5-million-gallon hot water thermal storage tank, showcasing the energy plant’s mission. The architecture takes its cues from Stanford’s rich heritage: the Stanford arcade is reimagined as PV trellis; integrally colored cast-in-place concrete nods to the prevalent limestone; and weathered CorTen steel accents suggest terra-cotta tile roofs that give the campus much of its character.
THREAD: Artists’ Residency and Cultural Center / Toshiko Mori Architect
Located in the remote village of Sinthian, Senegal, this project offers multiple programs for the community, including a gathering space, performance center, and residency for visiting artists. In the design, a parametric transformation of the traditional pitched roof inscribes a series of courtyards within the plan of the building while also creating shaded, multi-purpose areas around the perimeter of the courtyard. The inversion of the roof creates an effective strategy for the collection and storage of rainwater, capable of fulfilling substantial domestic and agricultural water needs for the community. Relying exclusively on local materials and construction techniques, the building’s traditional structure is formed primarily of bamboo and spaced-brick walls that absorb heat and promote airflow through the building interior.
Yale Center for British Art Building Conservation Project / Knight Architecture
Following nearly forty years of continuous operation, the Yale Center for British Art, designed by Louis I. Kahn and recipient of AIA’s Twenty-five Year Award, faced mounting programmatic, infrastructural, and operational pressures which threatened to degrade its extraordinary architectural character. The multi-year conservation project renewed interior finishes that had grown tired and worn; restored and expanded teaching spaces that were oversubscribed and underequipped; fortified spaces for exhibition, storage, and study of the growing collection; and replaced vital building systems which had reached the end of their practical life.
30 Rockefeller Plaza: 65th Floor, Rainbow Room, SixtyFive / Gabellini Sheppard Associates
Associate Firm: Montroy Andersen DeMarco
Gabellini Sheppard Associates opened a new chapter for the 13,160-square-foot Rainbow Room and 65th floor, blending contemporary needs with design that rekindled the room’s original Art Deco-inspired spirit and radiant notoriety of 1934. In the Rainbow Room, the revitalization of the rotating dance floor, addition of mesmerizing crystal window veils, and restoration of the chandelier and central dome, reinforce the modern-day grandeur. In Bar SixtyFive, a faceted ceiling composed of glass-reinforced gypsum panels anchor the space, reinterpreting the open-air height the room once had as a sun parlor.
General Motors Design Auditorium / SmithGroupJJR
In 1956, the General Motors styling team moved from Detroit to a new design space. The complex, originally designed by Eero Saarinen, has become a legendary corporate master piece of planning and design. For SmithGroupJJR, the overall design intent was to modernize the facility but to do so in a manner consistent with the original Saarinen detailing. Technologies of materials, lighting and audio/visual have progressed dramatically and the revised Design Dome is now poised for General Motors to re-establish the relevance of this significant space for the design community.
George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health / Payette
Associate Firm: Ayers Saint Gross
Located on iconic Washington Circle Park in the heart of the nation’s capital, this School of Public Health is a rigorous, innovative response to site and program. With its most sustainable solutions so deeply embedded as to be nearly indistinguishable, it keenly demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between sustainability and public health. The building’s unusual skylit atrium, in which classrooms and study areas overlook the city through an open latticework of floor openings, invites exploration and discovery. The building supports a highly effective learning and interaction environment that is equally memorable for its intimacy and transparency.
In Situ / Aidlin Darling Design
Located in the recently reopened San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), In Situ represents a unique intersection of art, design, food and community. The restaurant features a curated collection of culinary innovators from around the world to make their contributions accessible for greater public engagement. Its design operates at many scales from urban to the intimate, and is intended to engage all of the senses with an emphasis on tactility and acoustics. The exposed interior shell of the building provides a backdrop for discreetly placed “artifacts” which include commissioned art, custom designed lighting, custom furniture and a sculptural wood ceiling.
Pinterest HQ / IwamotoScott Architecture with Brereton Architects
The new Pinterest headquarters is inspired by the redesign of the company’s web platform — clean, simple, intuitive. It occupies a concrete structure in the SOMA district that previously housed a John Deer factory. A key aspect of the design extends the existing atrium through to the ground floor, spatially connecting all four floors. The Knitting Stair occupies this newly-activated heart of the building. The workspace program is organized as porous, concentric layers around the atrium and Knitting Stair, opening up to the city at the ground floor’s lobby, café, all-hands space and maker lab.
University of Massachusetts (UMass) Dartmouth, Claire T. Carney Library / designLAB architects
Associate Firm: Austin Architects
Conceived in 1963 as a utopian community by architect Paul Rudolph, the UMass Dartmouth campus remains a tour de force of late 20th-century architectural exuberance and optimism. The Claire T. Carney Library is the 160,000-square-foot centerpiece of the concentric campus plan. designLAB’s transformation celebrates the historic architecture, while creating a state-of-the-art learning environment, improved group study spaces, a cafe, a lecture space, and a new campus living room. Inspired by Rudolph’s original design intentions, the renovation included the re-introduction of a vibrant color palette, bold supergraphics, and dynamic social spaces.
While functional requirements of performance venues often dictate opaque volumes, the 36,000-square-foot Writers Theatre is instead a transparent cultural anchor that embraces its community. A double-height lobby provides a flexible space for outreach, gatherings, and performances, with glass doors that open to the adjacent park. Clad in wood hewn from the site, box office and concessions are treated as furniture, integrated into flexible lobby tribune seating. A canopy walk hung from timber trusses provides an open-air gathering place before, after, and between shows. The two stages are configured to enhance the intimacy for which Writers is known while creating new opportunities for innovative performance.
More information on the awards can be found here.
New and project descriptions via AIA.
From the architect. Carried out in a residential area of the Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie borough, the project consisted in renovating and expanding a duplex built in the 1920s that housed three dwelling units. The added storey harmonized the building with the size of the surrounding constructions.
The intervention was minimal on Dandurand Street, rather extending along the perpendicular street. In the existing section, the brick was replaced, but the original openings were mostly retained, while large angled windows were built on the addition, multiplying the views on the urban landscape. The glass and white steel volume that was added on top of the first two levels stands out through both its angular shape and its materials. On each level, spacious decks equipped with glass railings lighten volume perception. A shared deck was inserted into a breach made in the volume, which also captures light.
Saving money is hard for most people. First of all, there are so many tempting things to spend it on! Also, in this current climate of ongoing economic uncertainty, job transitions have adversely affected many people’s savings and emergency funds. And if you have kids or pets, you already know what they can do to the best-laid financial plans.
But there are still ways to save – practical, achievable methods you can use to sock away something for the future. In this post, learn how to build a solid savings fund by following these saving money basics.
Your credit report will tell you if there are any outstanding issues or merchant disputes that are negatively affecting your credit score. This is important since your credit score directly impacts your interest rate for major purchases such as a home or car. Your credit score also impacts which credit cards you can apply for and what you will pay for basic necessities such as insurance.
By keeping your credit report squeaky clean and working with the best credit repair companies to resolve disputes, you will have more money available to save.
Thanks to the internet explosion, you now have a new menu of savings apps to choose from. These apps can help you save without even thinking about it. Even if the app you choose only saves pennies per day on your behalf, that still adds up to dollars by the weekend and tens of dollars by month-end.
Before you know it, you will have a tidy little nest egg going!
One of the keys to a successful savings plan is to automate your savings so that you save money before you get your hands on it. One of the handiest tools to do this is also one of the simplest – the automatic bank draft. If you have your checking and savings account linked and you have elected to have your paycheck deposited via auto-draft, savings will be a breeze for you.
Just set up an automatic transfer to your savings account that occurs on the same day your paycheck gets deposited. Experts suggest saving 15 percent of your paycheck monthly if you can swing it, but any amount is better than nothing.
Where this will help you to save the most is when your employer has a contribution matching program (where your employer will match your contributions up to a certain percentage annually). But even if this isn’t available, you can sock away some saved funds on a tax-free basis by participating in your employer’s retirement savings plan.
Saving this way also helps you keep from accessing the funds on a whim, since there is a penalty for withdrawal before you reach age 59.5.
See Also: Seven Top Tips for Retirement Planning
If you need a percentage of your saved cash to remain accessible, you might want to put it in a savings account where it won’t earn much interest but it will always be there if you need it. As for the rest, put whatever you can spare into your investment portfolio so it can start multiplying.
See Also: 5 Financial Emergencies Everyone Must Be Prepared For
As you do this, be sure to choose a blend of risk-levels so you never risk losing all your savings to an investment gone bad.
By following these basic tips faithfully, you will start to notice your little pool of saved funds growing and growing and then growing some more. All you need to do is get the ball rolling and then you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having savings in the bank!
The post Saving Money Basics: How to Build a Solid Savings Fund appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
This project consists of a new child and teenager campus, comprising a kindergarten, a primary school and a secondary school. The building location for this new project lies in Antwerpen-North, along the Hardenvoort street, on the edge of the Park Spoor Noord.
The building has two faces: a city side with higher building volumes and the tower, and a ‘softer’ park side with several levels, making the building a transition zone between the park and the Hardenvoort street side, and linking it to the education facility building. The plan is to create a central lobby to connect the street and the park sides and provide double access to the complex. There is a student entrance on the park side and an entrance for visitors, neighbours and students who are late on the street side.
The site has a twofold relationship with the park: on the west side, a part of the park is focussed on teenagers (skating bowl, graf ti, part-time art education), while the south side is connected to the facilities for younger children (playground, recreational water features,…). Therefore, the basic concept is to situate the secondary school and the general rooms on the west side, and the kindergarten and primary school on the south-east side. This will create a logical connection to the park. The general rooms, such as the gym, will be located in the head of the building, the hinge between park and city. The neighbours can use this gym after hours.
The separate departments can be clearly seen within the building, just like the cascade of accompanying outside areas.
The kindergarten is oriented towards the inner area that offers more cover, while the departments for the older children are more open to the park and street sides of the project. The ground oor will include a separate play ground for the toddlers, which will be closed to the other students. Large stairs will lead to another, communal playground, on the level of the cafeteria and the entrance to the primary school. As the child becomes older, the approach will become more open. Once the child becomes a teenager, they will have a wide view over the city and its surroundings. Because the plot is relatively small for the number of students that has to be housed here (680 students), most of the roofs will be used as playgrounds.
The building can be considered a passive school because of its thick insulation, the meticulous attention to soundproo ng, sun screens, a ventilation system with heat recuperation, and exterior carpentry with triple glazing.
Sig Nordal 