TECHNOLOGY
DIGITAL FABRICATION IN ARCHITECTURE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR OWN RESEARCH INITITATIVES
TRAVELGRAM
THE FIRST EDITORIAL SHOWCASING TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
GET TO KNOW CADE HAMMERS... HIS FAVORITE BOOK, NETFLIX QUEUE, AND WHY HE GOT INTO ARCHITECTURE
EVOLO LAUNCHING INTO O’BRIEN’S FIRST ENTRY
O’BRIEN NEWSLETTER ISSUE 03 | 2ND QUARTER 2016
IN THE NEXT IS S UE S E E FINAL RENDERS OF THE STAR And other O’Brien project highlights including Grandscape, Lake Highlands Town Center, and more.
MEET THE TEAM
PATRA PHILIPS CO-EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTOR
ANDR EW FI N NEY CO-EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTOR
VAN IA FRA NCO DESIGNER/ CONTRIBUTOR
JOURDAN NEUSTA DT
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LAUNCHING INTO EVOLO
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FEATURED ARTICLE: TECHNOLOGY AT O’BRIEN
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DALLAS ARCHITECTURE FOR THE UNINITIATED: SALVATION ARMY
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: CADE HAMMERS
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TRAVELGRAM
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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WHAT IN THE WORLD IS CANDIDA?
DESIGNER/ CONTRIBUTOR
GU E S T C O N T R I BU TO RS CADE HAMMERS, DEREK DIZON, GEOFFREY BROWN, JOSH HALLETT, PHILLIP CAEKAERT, ROBERT EVANS
ABOUT
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LAUNCHING INTO EVOLO by Geoffrey Brown Team Members: Amador Saucedo, Phillip Caekaert, Vania Franco, Geoffrey Brown, Cade Hammers
The Evolo Skyscraper Competition is an annual exploration aimed at redefining the function of the skyscraper in our ever changing world. O’Brien’s first entry, Launch, focuses on a future where a structural system utilizes the mechanics and capabilities of aerospace technologies to launch a construct into the lower troposphere and land in a predetermined location. LAUNCHING INTO EVOLO 5
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Through a series of discussions in the office (and, of course, at happy hours), O’Brien’s first Evolo team cultivated the ideas and principles brought forth by each member and established a collective narrative for the entry. The competition had no restrictions in regards to site, program or size; which allowed each member of the team to come up with a robust series of iterations into the opportunities presented with advances in technology, the exploration of new habitats, scarcity of natural resources, crumpling infrastructure, and the exponential increase of inhabitants, pollution, and economic division. O’Brien’s entry, Launch, focuses on a future where a structural system utilizes the mechanics and capabilities of aerospace technologies to launch a construct into the lower troposphere and land in a predetermined location, ready to be clad, finished, and used for multiple purposes. The tower employs a recent launch and
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land sequence that two popular aerospace manufacturers have introduced with incredible success in official public attempts. The diagrams and drawings describe the possible outcomes from such explorations. Launch is depicted in three environments that show a great variety of interactions between structural systems and the landscapes. After the launching structure lowers the tower and departs, the remaining structure will be adapted to the ecological fabric and will provide permanent infrastructure to its ever evolving surroundings. The structure will be flexible, modular, dynamic, forceful, and adaptive, but above all, altruistic.
FLEXIBLE, MODULAR, DYNAMIC, FORCEFUL , AND ADAPTIVE, BUT ABOVE ALL , ALTRUISTIC.
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The team learned in this process that it takes twice as long to do anything as well as the importance of time management! In the next competition, the team knows to allow ample time to formulate and refine the design approach and the narrative behind it. Hopefully the team in our next competition “perFORM” can use these newfound insights and apply towards a successful entry.
ORIGINAL PROJECT STATEMENT: There is a growing gap between our imposing way of life and the deterioration of our earth’s planet. The supply and demand of our built environment is exponentially increasing at a rate greater than anticipated. Collaborative efforts will be common place as industry sectors will cross and the synthesis of creativity, ideas, and discoveries will be integrated into our built future. Advances of aerospace technologies, within privatized programs, will immediately impact our landscapes. Launch focuses on a future where a structural system that utilizes the mechanics and capabilities of aerospace technologies to launch a construct into the lower troposphere and land in a predetermined location, ready to be clad, finished, and utilized for any multitude of purposes. The tower employs a recent launch and land sequence that two popular aerospace manufacturers have introduced with incredible success in official attempts. The diagrams and drawings that follow describe the possible outcomes from such explorations. Launch is depicted in five environments that show a great variety of interactions between structural systems and the landscapes. The remaining tower will adapt to the ecological fabric and will provide permanent infrastructure to developing environments. The structure will be flexible, modular, dynamic, forceful, adaptive, but above all altruistic. Once tested and optimized, our continued growth of infrastructure will not be limited and a new network of resources will emerge that could even lead to a beta test on our neighbor, the red planet.
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TECHNOLOGY AT O’BRIEN by Joshua Hallett
In a previous article, Ryan Gathmann provided us with a studied overview on how emerging trends in technology are transforming the building industry at large. One such trend is augmentation, or how we manage and analyze increasingly complex project data so as to make better decisions. The other is automation; now colloquially referred to as Digital Fabrication within the context of architectural practice. 10 FEATURED ARTICLE: TECHNOLOGY AT O’BRIEN
(Opposite) Josh Hallet and teammate Khang Nguyen prepare to coat their mold with eps foam coating epoxy. This coating with ensure that the concrete does not eat away at the foam. (Top) After the top portion of the mold is removed, numerous post-finish procedures are required. (Bottom) Josh and team are retouching the interior edges of the last panel.
machines, laser cutters, and industrial robot arms can all be used to automate the fabrication of complex 2D and 3D geometry with high precision is not new. Much of the technology that is inspiring Digital fabrication, straightforwardly, excitement in designers and involves the utilization of 3D Printers, architects alike has been around for CNC machines (Computerized many decades. Numerical Control), laser cutters and industrial robot arms to manufacture The first 3D printer was developed in computer generated 2D/3D the late 1980’s and was predicated geometry. Put another way, it’s a upon technology not altogether “way of making that uses digital data different from your typical ink-jet to control a fabrication process.” printer. 3D Systems would release (Lisa Iwamoto, Digital Fabrications) the first commercially available 3D The notion that 3D printers, CNC printer in 1987. Industrial robot The purpose of this article will be to explain what digital fabrication is, why it’s important and what we’re doing at O’Brien to develop our own research initiatives.
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...WHAT’S REALLY MOTIVATING THE RESEARCH IS THE BELIEF THAT ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS SHOULD EXERT MORE INFLUENCE WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING SCIENCE .
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(Above) Diagrams depicting the 3D printed node, its various components and parts, and how all of the nodes work togther to form the rebar cage. (Opposite) The nodal manifold embedded in a transparent resin substrate. The purpose of this exercise was to provide an example demonstrating how the 3D printed nodes and rebar sit inside the cast geometry.
arms and CNC machines enjoy a with highly variable porosity could storied history older still. be reinforced with steel rebar. The challenge was to develop a dually For many global industries, Rapid novel and intuitive means of creating Prototyping, Automation, Advanced a rebar “skeleton” from geometry robotics, High Performance that could, itself, be subject to a Computing and all of the other great deal of manipulation. Using process technologies are now off-the-shelf 3D printers, we rapidly positively old hat. The skeptical produced a series of custom plastic observer may be caused to wonder joints or “nodal manifolds” that what, then, is the big deal? The big allowed us to map the straight deal is that, for first time, the design segments of rebar to virtually any side of the building industry now 2-dimensional configuration we has widespread access to design so desired. Although these nodes and fabrication technology that functioned in much the same way as once was the exclusive domain of any conventional rebar fastener, the manufacturers. (Reasons abound, ability to 3D Print our own fasteners but the primary reason is that this allowed us to structurally reinforce technology requires significantly a concrete panel that would have, less capital to purchase). Paired previously, been nearly impossible with an overt willingness on the part with conventional fasteners. of designers to use this technology, Likewise, it would have been and to perceive in the utilization extraordinarily difficult to manually of the technology great potential, mill the formwork needed for our we are witnessing something of a concrete panel. By utilizing a CNC miniature renaissance in the way we machine, we were able to mill out of go about designing and constructing 4-inch thick foam slabs the negative building systems. Used in tandem of our 3D geometry without fear of with increasingly intuitive software, error. these techniques are putting building science back in the hands of The speed, precision, and relative architects in a big way. cheapness of using 3D printers and CNC machines allowed us As part of my studies at the to experiment with numerous University of Texas at Arlington, strategies, which was essential given I participated in a team-based our minimal resources. Only recently research agenda investigating have these fabrication tools become whether or not a concrete panel cost-effective enough for schools
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such as UTA to purchase, and much of my own research would not have been possible just a few years earlier. While the outcomes of this research are certainly interesting in their own right, what’s really motivating the research is the belief that architects and designers should exert more influence when it comes to building science. While research of this kind can result in building systems that are cheaper (sometimes), better performing and more aesthetically pleasing, the real takeaway is that architects can (and should) enjoy expanded intentionality in how their designs are realized as finished products. Digital fabrication, the recent availability of this fabrication technology, enables just that. The tilt-wall method of construction is a building system that we believe to possess immense latent potential, potential that has been wholly unexplored by architects, engineers and builders alike. As part of a strategy to jump-start our own research initiatives at O’Brien, we have begun working closely with Brad Bell (Associate Professor at UTA) and a team of student researchers to develop innovative fabrication methods for tilt-wall construction. Specifically, the research is geared toward developing sand-casting techniques that would serve to both obviate the need for an existing
concrete slab, and to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the tilt-wall panel in general. Concurrently, we will be conducting our own research at O’Brien to determine whether we can bring tilt-wall construction into new markets. In pursuing these objectives, we will need to leverage the personal expertise of the many veterans within the firm. The research will, in fact, necessitate it. While the more superficial products of digital fabrication deal mostly in small installations and one-offs, creating a cost-effective product that can meet stringent market requirements will require substantially more input from those with specialized skill and knowledge. In that respect, we are very well positioned to jump start our own innovations.
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WHILE THE MORE SUPERFICIAL PRODUCTS OF DIGITAL FABRICATION DEAL MOSTLY IN SMALL INSTALLATIONS AND ONE-OFFS , CREATING A COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCT THAT CAN MEET STRINGENT MARKET REQUIREMENTS WILL REQUIRE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE INPUT FROM THOSE WITH SPECIALIZED SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE . IN THAT RESPECT, WE ARE VERY WELL POSITIONED TO JUMP START OUR OWN INNOVATIONS .
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SALVATION ARMY TEXAS DIVISION HEADQUARTERS STATUS: ENDANGERED
DALLAS ARCHITECTURE FOR THE UNINITIATED by Patra Phillips
Join us as we embark on an on-going journey around the Greater Dallas Area to highlight some of the top spots that not everyone may know about. Let’s dust off some local buildings that have a rich history to reveal Dallas Architecture for the Uninitiated.
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These panels take on a unique projecting screen of diamond shapes that give the building its distinctive look. This shows how Dallas architects addressed the hot Texas weather before smart windows were born.
Photo by Michael Cage
Our stop this quarter is the Salvation Army’s Texas Division Headquarters tucked away between Mockingbird and Inwood in the Medical District. Designed by Grayson Gill and completed in the 1963, this midcentury building was called “one of the best of a new generation of garden office buildings that sprang up in Dallas during the 1960s.”1 However, it is best known for its outstanding use of aluminum brisesoleil. Don’t worry, I googled it for you: brise-so-leil [brezso ‘la]
It’s definitely one to see QUICKLY. The building is currently under contract to be sold and the new owners may not see its history as one of value. It’s not in any historical districts so it’s not under any historic protection. Fred Deal, who brokered the sale, states that the building is “aged. It’s extremely difficult to convert to any other use, including multi-tenant. It has some physical problems. It’s an unusual design with a sanctuary. While I can appreciate the historic potential and historic background of the building, the functionality in the real world is not there. The usability for anyone else is not there.”2 Preservation Dallas, with Preservation Texas, have added the AIA Award–winning building to its 2016 Texas’ Most Endangered Places list.3 Deal has stated that this has made finding buyers difficult. “Anything that inhibits the sale of that building is not a positive thing, no matter what it would be.”4
to be considered:
The Salvation Army has mentioned that they totally get why there is public backlash, but they have outgrown the building. In order to afford their new building, the global non-profit must be able sell it. If a judgment is made where any new owner is restricted from razing or significantly altering the building (even though it’s not under any preservation laws), this puts an undue hardship on the current owner’s ability to sell the property. While it would be a shame to have this building destroyed, here are a couple of questions to consider:
1. Should any owner be subject to this kind of restriction when it is not in a historical district? How might this change if it results in financial distress? 2. Should any organization be able to litigate rules and regulations on a property that isn’t under its protection? 3. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
No one wants to be the bad guy who destroys a famous building. And, although it’s outside the purview of the Downtown Historic Preservation Task Force, they have been able to get the City Attorney’s Office to consider a “stay of execution”… or a demolition delay ordinance. Whether that will pass is still pending.
noun - a device, such as a perforated screen or louvers, for shutting out direct or excessive sunlight.
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CADE HAMMERS EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT by Lorelei Mewhirter and Cade Hammers
It’s great to love what you do, and Cade embodies that sentiment. This technology expert loves a challenge and adapts to changing needs and trends very quickly.
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He’s great when it comes to listening to clients and then collaboratively transforming their design needs into drawings, digital models, renderings, and fly-through animations. His excitement throughout the building process is contagious, as is his commitment to delivering an excellent project. Cade’s credentials include both a B.S. and a Master of Architecture Degree from Texas Tech University, as well as a Certificate in Urban and Community Design from his alma mater. Hailing from Mesquite, he loves building furniture and spending time with his girlfriend, Jigna, and their chocolate lab, Opie.
What made you want to work in the architectural field? I always had an interest in drawing, especially geometrically. But it really comes from working on house projects with my mom and dad. We had something to do almost every weekend: sheds, decks, pergolas, renovating rooms, building bunk beds, I fell in love with understanding how things were put together. Which actually got me in trouble when I couldn’t put most of those things back together. But even through college, I’d go home and we’d have some project that needed to get finished and now they’re having the house I designed for them built which is a complete dream come true. I think it’s always been my parents.
design and how materials are put together or the problem solving that takes place in drawing details is looked over.
What is your favorite book? My favorite has to House of Leaves. It’s an eclectic collection of suspenseful stories that center around one primary narrative called The Navidson Record. It follows a new family that move into a house when after a weekend away, the mother and father, little by little, find a door in their house for a closet that wasn’t there before. They discover over a period of time that the house expands infinitely on the interior but retains the same size on the outside. This phenomenon eventually leads to a multitude of issues between family members including an overarching view of a person’s descent into insanity. Not for the faint of heart. The book also arranges it’s layout through the text in order to accentuate or visualize the emotion being conveyed through the text. It’s hard to explain but there are footnotes long enough to be short stories with their own footnotes, text scrambled all over the page, rotated text, it’s really best to just read it or at least flip through the pages to understand.
What project is the most memorable in your career? The Star! It’s the only project I’ve been deeply embedded in for most of my time at O’Brien. This project has benefited my own understanding on how interactions happen between all parties involved in the building process. It’s been atypical most of the time but definitely requires me to adapt and make quick but well informed decisions in design.
What is the one thing that should be taught in school that isn’t already? Put simply: limits. In school, it’s fantastic that every project allows for as much freedom as possible but when you enter the profession, there may be little to no freedom on what materials are used, geometries, scale, or even how much time you have to design. Another component would be detailing. I think schools typically focus on a larger building
There were so many parts that resonate with architecture, our mind’s ability to bend preconceptions, there was horror, suspense, love. It’s incredible. One quotation I always think about is “What real or isn’t real doesn’t matter here, the consequences are the same.” I can apply that reminder to almost everything I do or anything I see in the world.
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Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled to? In the fall of 2012 I participated a travel study program called Land Arts of the American West. It consists of 10 students and a professor that take 2 vans and camp for 2 months across the American Southwest. We hit landmarks like White Sands National Park, Chinati weekend in Marfa, the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Double Negative by Michael Heizer, and the Chiricahua Mountains. One of the most interesting spots was Spiral Jetty in Utah by Robert Smithson. Imagine walking half a mile in 2 feet of saltwater with no wind so that the cloudy water reflects the evening sky color for color so that you have no perception of distance. You feel as if you can see the end of the earth but you’ll never reach it because everything around you folds upon itself until you eventually fall backwards from vertigo, splash the water, and the illusion shatters. Once the water settled, I could’ve been convinced I was knee deep in clouds.
What’s next on your Netfilx or Hulu queue? The Master. I’ve seen it before but it’s one of those movies where you see something different every time in the way it’s shot, a subtle nod a character makes, colors setting the tone, it’s just a joy to watch because of the thought that went into every aspect of it. There are camera paths, pan movements, and character gestures that all seem to compliment or work in tandem with each other as well as the scenery or architecture around the characters. Not a family film by any means but great for fans of Paul Thomas Anderson.
Who would play you in the movie adaptation of your life? First I want to be sure to deserve a movie based on my life and maybe give it a couple decades to see if I do any great things. I feel like everyone would leave the theater if it was about my life up to now. If I had to choose on looks, I’d have to say Jon Hamm but not in his Mad Men getup. I’ve been told that’s how I’ll look in 20 years and he can pull of the beard better than any of us! If I had to go on who would fit the character or who could actually pull of my incredible charm and sharp wit, I may have to favor Joseph GordonLevitt. Probably not the most diverse actor but he seems like a good fit for my personality. Maybe not…
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Seoul
Siem Reap
Ketchikan Great Salt Lake
New York Montreal
TRAVELGRAM THROUGH THE EYES OF ARCHITECTS by Vania Franco
Traveling allows us to experience first-hand other places and cultures. You can immerse yourself in everything from traditional food to architecture. Travelgram showcases peoples experiences through photography, attempting to capture the essence of various places around the world. This first series of photographs are from several O’Brien employees who share snapshots from their travels . TRAVELGRAM 19
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TRAVELING -- IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS , THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER.
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- Ibn Battuta, The Travels of Ibn Battutah
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I had the opportunity to travel in 2013, so I took a cruise to Alaska. One of the more memorable experiences on the cruise was seeing Mendenhall glacier and Alaska’s first city. - Derek Dizon
Ketchikan, Alaska
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This image is at the Bayon Temple in Cambodia. It is Khmer architecture and built in the late 12th/early 13th century. Being in the temple is like stepping into an ancient world...it’s amazing! - Jourdan Neustadt
Siem Reap, Cambodia
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Mullae-dong is an industrial neighborhood that iscurrently transforming into an art district. Young artists and designers are setting up studios in abandoned steel and iron foundries and filling the area with street art and color. This image captures a 6-year old artist standing next to the mural she created, depicting herself and her beloved dog (also pictured). - Vania Franco
Seoul, South Korea
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Imagine a rocky beach at the end of the earth where the saltwater is so calm, it mirrors the sky color for color. Spiral Jetty is an earthwork sculpture completed in 1970 and is quite the feat in itself but it’s context and scale next to the Great Salt Lake makes it the incredible piece that it is. - Cade Hammers
Great Salt Lake, Utah
Every summer my family and I visit family in New York and Connecticut. This image is a view of lower Manhattan from the Empire State Building. - Robert Evans
New York, New York
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The Palais de Congress in Montreal, QC is so magical at manipulating light that you feel like you’re walking through a photoshopped space. This photo was taken on a Nikon, with no special filters or lenses. No editing has been done to the photo. - Andrew Finney Montreal, QC, Canada
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MAY A PEEP AT THE COOPS
For one day only, nine thoughtfully selected chicken coops located throughout East Dallas will be open for map holders to explore. May 1st at 11:00, Moss Haven Farm
THRIFT STUDIO
is a shopping event like no other. This pop-up shop featuring vignettes by leading designers showcases furniture, housewares, accessories, and high end designer finds, all for sale. Proceeds support Dwell with Dignity.
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May 3rd-7th, opens at 10:00 AM, 1444 Oak Lawn Ave #545
Cottonwood Arts Festival
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MOTHERS DAY 08 Dallas Architecture Forum presents Meejin Yoon, at the Magnolia Theatre in West Village on May 18th. Meejin Yoon is Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture at MIT. She is also a licensed architect and founder of MY Studio and Höweler + Yoon Architecture, LLP. Visit Dallas Architecture Forum’s website for more information May 18th, 7:00 with reception at 6:15 PM
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LAVISH 2016
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Come see the O’Brien Team’s “coffeehouse” inspired vignette from 6:00-10:00 PM on May 6th. All items in the “Restaurant Row” vignettes are up for auction & the proceeds benefit Dwell with Dignity, a charity that helps families escape poverty and homelessness through design. For tickets, visit: iida.ejoinme.org/IIDATXOKLavish2016
ASPCA’s 11th annual Strut your Mutt is North Texas’ largest dog walk fund-raiser! If you & your dog are runners or you want to run with your 2 legged friends, the 5K is perfect for you! For slower paced dogs (and humans), there is a Family 3K.
STRUT YOUR MUTT
May 14th at 8:00 AM, Continental Bridge at Trinity Groves Cade Hammers Jourdan Neustadt 28 Lorelei Mewhirter 30 Gloria Prentiss
TASTE ADDISON
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Join the Dallas Center For Architecture as they present the Lost Dallas Walking Tour. 14th at 10:00 AM. Main Street Garden.
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birthdays Wildflower! arts & Music Festival
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SCARBOROUGH RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
Memorial DAY
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JUNE RE-IMAGINING FAIR PARK HAPPY HOUR
As you may know, Fair Park will be on the City Council Agenda in the coming weeks and we need to let our representatives know that we’re ready for a change. Let’s meet to
strategize, discuss, and take action on making Fair Park our park over drinks! Thursdays from 5-7 pm at the Craft & Growler
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Texas Trees Foundation Tree Tenders
Help the Texas Trees Foundation make a difference by paying it back; plant, mulch or weed nursery trees at the TXU Energy Urban Tree Farm & Education Center, which is one of the largest urban tree farms in the nation.
FATHERS D AY
birthdays 06 18
June 18th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the TXU Energy Urban Tree Farm & Education Center.
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Bercy Chen Studio LP is an architecture and urban planning firm with design/build capabilities based in Austin, Texas founded in 2001 by partners Thomas Bercy and Calvin Chen. Thomas is from Belgium and Calvin is from Taiwan by way of Australia; the partners’ European and Asian backgrounds form a design philosophy of unique perspectives.
JULY WHERE TO WATCH FIREWORKS
INDEPENDENCE DAY KABOOM TOWN: Addison Circle Park, evening of the 3rd FAIR PARK FOURTH: Fair Park, the 4th from noon-11:00 PM PLANO’S ALL-AMERICAN FOURTH: Oak Point Park and Nature Reserve, the 4th from 9:30-10:00 PM FRISCO FREEDOM FEST: Simpson Plaza at City Hall, the 4th from 4:00 to until the Firework Extravaganza ends
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AIA LECTURE SERIES #2
09 Learn more about the architecture of the city you live in! The Dallas Center for Architecture Main Street District Walking Tour will begin at 10 AM at the ceremonial entrance to the Dallas Museum of Art.
18 Mark Guest David Hoff Billy Batac Tien Ngo
DALLAS CRITICAL MASS is a ride that brings public awareness of bicyclists to Dallas. This ride is for all cyclist, and all are welcome. We ride at a slow pace to make sure anyone can keep up. 7:30 PM Main Street Garden
Fourth of July
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Robert Evans Steffen Staiger 06 Amador Saucedo 19 Josh Hallett 02 05
birthdays
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JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS CANDIDA?? by Patra Philips
If you Google Candida, you will be bombarded with images of yeasty overgrowth in the girly or manly parts. I want to stress that, although it can certainly manifest this way, this is NOT what I’m writing about today.
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WHAT IN THE WORLD IS CANDIDA?
Candida, or Candidiasis, is a fungus. It is a form of yeast and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption. When we die, it helps the body with decomposition. However, when overproduced, Candida produces very long rootlike structures that penetrate intestinal walls leaving microscopic holes which allows toxins, undigested food particles, bacteria and yeast to enter the bloodstream. This condition is known as “Leaky Gut Syndrome” which can cause food allergies and many health problems. These root-like structures also cause considerable damage to the walls of the intestines resulting in malabsorption of nutrients.
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YOU COULD ALSO DRINK A GLASS OF RED WINE AT NIGHT, JUST BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.
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HOW CAN I TEST FOR IT TO SEE IF I HAVE IT?
Your doctor can order a blood test, stool test or a Urine Organix Dysbiosis test (a fancy name for checking for candida waste product). You could also drink a glass of red wine at night just before you go to bed. The next morning, when you wake up, go look at your tongue in the mirror. If your tongue is white then there is a very high chance that you have Candida. OR you can do the Spit Test.
YUCK THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE! WHAT ARE THE most common SYMPTOMS? 1 2 3 4
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Skin and nail fungal infections. Feeling tired and worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of
ACK! I HAVE MANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keeps your Candida levels in check. However, several factors can cause the Candida population to run amok. The top 5 factors are: 1 Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast) 2 Eating a diet high in beneficial fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut and pickles 3 Drinking alcohol 4 Living a high-stress lifestyle 5 Taking antibiotics that kill too many of those friendly bacteria
Put a clear glass of water by your bed the night you want to do the test. When you wake up in the morning, before doing ANYTHING else, collect some saliva in your mouth and spit into the glass of water. Make certain to spit out saliva only, not mucus. Watch the water for a few minutes and see if the following starts to occur. Look for: 1. Strings or legs hanging down from the saliva. 2. Heavy looking saliva at the bottom of the glass. 3. Gloomy specks suspended in the water. If, within 3 minutes after spitting into the water, you see “strings” hanging down looking like an octopus with tentacles or “particles” sinking to the bottom, you most likely have an overgrowth.
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HELP! I HAVE IT!! WHAT DO I DO?
I’M SOLD!
You can adapt your diet. This involves changing to a low carbohydrate diet and eliminating as much sugar as possible. Sugar is Crack to Candida. It seriously goes into withdrawals when it doesn’t get it. You will start to have severe cravings for refined carbohydrates like candy, desserts, alcohol and breads. Other names for sugar are:
Aspartame, carob powder, corn starch, crystalline carbohydrate dextrin, dextrose, disaccharides, galactose, glucose, levulose, malts of any kind, maltitol, maltodextrin, maltose (malt sugar), manitol, mannitol, mono-saccharides, sucrose, Nutrasweet, polydextrose, polysaccharides, ribose, saccharin, sorghum, suamiel, succanat, xylitol....
Candida doesn’t care. It sees them all as FOOD. Using diet alone could take three to six months before the candida is back under control. Taking a probiotic will help speed this.
GREAT! I WANT TO START RIGHT AWAY!!
While Candida is dying off, you may experience “dieoff” symptoms. Die-off symptoms are caused by high numbers of yeast being killed off, which releases a high number toxins into the system. This is also known as the Herxheimer’s reaction, or yeast die-off phenomenon. Die-off symptoms resemble the flu and can be very uncomfortable. If the symptoms become too much to bear, it can be temporarily alleviated by taking an Epsom salts bath. Epsom salts draws toxins out through the skin and helps minimized die-off symptom. (add two cups, or 500 grams, of Epsom salts to warm bath water).
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JUST STICK WITH IT! TAKE YOUR PROBIOTIC, AND YOU WILL GET WELL!
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There are many sites on the Internet to help you with your lifestyle change. My favorites are: http://www.personaltrainerfood.com http://drjennsrecipes.com/ http://www.mindbodygreen.com/
For more information on Candida, watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xraG0ulMkqw
HAVE A CREATIVE MIND? NEED A CREATIVE OUTLET?
THEN HOP
WE NEED WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND DESIGNERS TO JOIN OUR TEAM! IF INTERESTED, CONTACT:
patra.philips@obrienarch.com
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