A NON-TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO BUSINESS COLLECTIONS
Business-to-business debts require special, focused expertise and finesse... and the selection of your commercial collection service is an important decision. It revolves around Service, Trust and Recovery. Rates are important, and recovery is the objective (the bottom line)... but there is more to it.
The company you choose will be handling your money, talking to your customers, and representing you in the marketplace. You want your money as soon as possible – but you don’t want to lose clients.
At
Arsenal Business Collections (ABC)
, you’re never out-of-pocket for our services. We collect (at prearranged terms) and when – and only when –we succeed (i.e., once we collect money owed to you), do we get paid. There is no fee UNLESS and UNTIL we collect!
Our payment is contingent upon your recovery – so our success is integrally tied to yours.
As a privately-owned company, we make decisions based on what is best for clients, not shareholders or outside investors. Our focus is exclusively on improving your bottom line, and we have the knowledge and experience to deliver exceptional results.
FACILITIES EXPO RECAP
FDIC - AN IMPORTANT REGULATORY CHANGE
THE LIVING ARCHITECTURE OF SANTIAGO CALATRAVA
A pictorial tribute.
THE SHARING ECONOMY IS GROWING
Sarote Tabcum Jr. looks at this growing societal phenomenon.
ZIPSTORED
A profile of a new Texas start-up in the sharing economy.
– TEXAS HAS ‘A THING’ FOR THE OUTLAWS
Contributing Editor Rose-Mary Rumbley looks at Bonnie & Clyde, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Sam Bass, Luke Short and John Wilkes Booth (yes – that John Wilkes Booth).
THE REME AWARDS
IREM’s annual award winners.
METROCON19 RECAP
Laura McDonald Stewart reviews the annual designer tradeshow.
BY TH3 NUMB3RS –THE WORLD’S LARGEST
TR E DAT
Interesting and surprising facts about Texas.
TER CITIES OF ARLINGTON, EL PASO AND NEW BRAUNFELS
The last installment in our six-part series about the international relationships Texas cities develop and maintain.
AMAZ NG BU LDINGS DESIGNING SUN-FIRST
Contributing Editor Angela O’Byrne looks at Studio Gang’s Solar Carving.
REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE
The Gateway Foundation and the Von Braun Space Station.
THE PAGE
The Battle of Palmito Ranch and The Elaine Massacre.
THE GENIUS BEHIND MANY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS BUILDINGS
A pictorial tribute to Renzo Piano.
EGAL VIEW – OPPORTUNITY ZONES & IMPACT INVESTING
Attorney and Contributing Editor Anthony Barbieri introduces a new federal program to drive long-term investing to distressed communities.
ARTCH TECTURE –THE COSMIC AIRBRUSH
Hawaiian artist Dennis Mathewson finds inspiration in his surroundings.
ABOUT US
Now in our 27th year, we’ve outgrown the ability the list all of our real estate affiliated associations and include their logos on just one page. reaches over 50,000 Texas real estate professionals quarterly! We proudly serve and service any and all real estate associations in the state of Texasincluding (but not necessarily limited to) the ones you see here. If your group isn’t shown and you’d like for us to include pictures, information and event-coverage, please let us know. Email: editor@crestnetwork.com or call the number above.
EXECUTIVE STAFF
ANDREW A. FELDER: Publisher/Managing Editor. aafelder@crestpublicationsgroup.com
XENIA MONTERO: Graphic Designer. xeniam.design@gmail.com
ANNETTE LAWLESS: Social Media Manager. annettelawless@hotmail.com
MARK ANGLE: Director of Business Development. mark@crestnetwork.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ANGELA O’BYRNE, AIA: Amazing Buildings.
ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY: Herstory.
ANTHONY BARBIERI: Legal.
JULIE BRAND LYNCH: Professionals on the Move.
ADVISORY BOARD
ANDY GABEHART: President & CEO of Office Interiors Group, 247Workspace.com, United Electronics Recycling.
KIM GHEZ: Director of Marketing, Presidio Title.
KRISTIN HIETT, CAE: Executive Director/CEO – IREM Dallas Chapter.
KIM HOPKINS: Executive Director, CREW Dallas.
JONATHAN KRAATZ: Executive Director, USGBC Texas Chapter.
MYCHELE LORD: CEO, Lord Green Strategies.
DOUG MCMURRY: Executive Vice President, San Antonio AGC.
LAURA MCDONALD STEWART, RID, FASID, ILDA LEED AP: Editor of PLINTH and CHINTZ, an interior design blog and Manager of METROCON Expo and Conference.
JESSICA WARRIOR: Director of Property Management, Granite Properties.
STAFF, EDITORS & ADVISORY BOARD
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AFFILIATE ASSOCIATIONS
...truly a brighter, lighter side of real estate. Marti C. (Freehold, NJ)
A cover to cover gem!
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...entertaining and informative.
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contains facts, views, opinions, statements and recommendations of third party individuals and organizations. The publisher does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information displayed and any reliance upon same shall be at the viewer’s sole risk. The publisher makes no guarantees or representations as to, and shall have no liability for, anyLaura McDonald Andy Gabehart. Kim Ghez. Kristin Hiett. Kim Hopkins. Jonathan Kraatz. Mychele Lord. Doug McMurry. Stewart. Jessica Warrior. Rose-Mary Anthony Andrew A. Felder. Xenia Montero. Annette Lawless. Mark Angle. Angela O’Byrne. Rumbley. Barbieri. Julie Brand Lynch.
TIM ALATORRE, LEED AP (P. 32)
is the CEO and principal architect of Domum, an awardwinning northern California based architecture firm. He is the Senior Design Architect for the Gateway Foundation’s Von Braun Space Station. After decades of research, Tim developed the Space Station Method™ which leverages the rigors of designing for space and the “experience of home” to create designs which yields high financial and lifestyle benefits for his clients. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and lived for two years in Spain as a missionary where he developed his love for people, good food, and timeless architecture. Tim and his wife Becky are proud parents of six children; he currently serves on the Architectural Review Committee and on the Planning Commission with the City of Rocklin, CA.
CONTRIBUTORS
ANTHONY BARBIERI (P. 36)
is a shareholder at Kessler Collins, where he enjoys a broad legal practice. He has been a speaker for ICSC, IREM, and BOMA, has taught continuing legal education seminars, and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star for many years, as well as being a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He and his wife, Cathy, enjoy traveling and spending time with their extended families, getting involved in their church and supporting the community through various programs – including raising awareness of muscular dystrophy, education and exercise to fight heart disease, providing care and treatment for autism, and counseling domestic-violence victims. He is also a Contributing Editor of
ANGELA O’BYRNE
(P. 28)
is the president of national architecture, design-build, and real estate development firm Perez, APC. She champions the principles of smart growth in her home community of New Orleans and in her frequent travels across the country and abroad. Born in Cali, Colombia, Angela is a licensed architect in over a dozen states, a licensed general contractor in Louisiana, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the National CREW Network (Commercial Real Estate Women) Board of Directors. A singer, golfer, music- lover, and globetrotter, she relishes spending free time with her three grown children and large extended family. She is a Contributing Editor of and her Amazing Buildings feature appears in every issue.
ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY (P. 42) holds a Ph.D. in communications from the University of North Texas. She is a well-known speaker in Texas and enjoys researching each and every topic. She is a Contributing Editor of and Herstory appears in every issue.
HELP WANTED
LAURA MACDONALDSTEWART (P. 20)
received a BS in Civil Engineering from Southern Methodist University and an MFA in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art and Design.Afterpracticingcommercial design for eight years, she founded PLiNTH & CHiNTZ, the online magazine that prepares a new generation of designers to enter the workforce. She also manages METROCON Expo & Conference, the annual two-day event in Dallas focusing on the built environment. She currently sits on three interior design department advisory councils and was awarded the designation of ASID Fellow in 2016. Besides traveling and their two cats, she and her husband love good food and wine, which is why they lead the Dallas Chapter of the International Wine & Food Society.
MARISSA SMITH (P. 25)
is a research advocate who focuses on the flow of the generational movement. This USA blogger/researcher works with Harwellness and top stem cell/prp providers all over providing visual communication/marketing expertise. She has been helping successful businesses that are up and coming and will become disruptors in the business area. She was an advisor for Cartque.com and has worked very closely with a massive disruptor called Zipstored.com.
SAROTE TABCUM (P. 23)
is a creative / tech entrepreneur in the media and entertainment industry and the CEO of vfxtechnologies.com. He has helped many VFX shops and studios successfully complete major blockbuster films and TV spots via high-performance computing solutions. His roster of clients includes some of the most prestigious motion picture studios and Fortune 500 companies. He is continuously pursuing new and better ways to bring high-performance computing to the masses.
If you’re reading this, you know people in this industry – people who provide products or services, people who could benefit by broadening their customer base, people who will thank you for introducing them to
You can be employed full time, employed part-time, unemployed, disabled, retired – it doesn’t matter! You can earn generous commissions selling advertising in , Texas’s most widely read real estate publication.
Just call 682.224.5855 or email editor@crestnetwork.com and mention this ad to learn more about this advertising sales opportunity.
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW Editor’s page
ANDREW FELDER Managing Editor & PublisherCHRISTMAS MEMO TO ALL OFFICE STAFF
EffEctivE immEdiatEly, thE following economizing measures are being implemented in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” subsidiary:
1) The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree, which never produced the cash crop forecasted, will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.
2)Two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are, therefore, eliminated.
3)The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French.
4) The four calling birds will be replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.
5) The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals, as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks, appears to be in order.
6) The six geese-a-laying constitute a luxury which can no longer be afforded. Three geese will be let go, and there will be an upgrading in the selection of personnel process.
7) The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. The function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes, thereby enhancing their outplacement.
8) The eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. Automation of the process will hopefully permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring or a-mulching.
9) Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.
10) Ten lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords, plus the expense of international air travel, prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work congressmen. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant as we expect an oversupply of unemployed congressmen this year.
11) Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music, and no uniforms, will produce savings which will benefit the bottom line.
Overall, we can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and related expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved. Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorneys’ association seeking expansion to include the legal profession (“thirteen lawyers-a-suing”), a decision is pending. Deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to remain competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the right number. n
EIGHT GIFTS THAT COST NOTHING
1/THE GIFT OF LISTENING... But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
WAIMEA MOON-GLOW BY
DENNIS MATHEWSONWaimea Moon-Glow is a metal hand-carved mix media 40”x50” piece. The original idea was inspired by a Mathewson art collector (who owns some
2/THE GIFT OF AFFECTION... Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the backs and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
3/THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER... Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”
4/THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
It can be a simple ‘Thanks for your help” note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
5/THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
A simple and sincere, “You look great in red,” “You did a super job” or “That was a wonderful meal,” can make someone’s day.
6/THE GIFT OF A FAVOR... Every day go out of your way to do something kind for someone.
7/THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE... There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
8/THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION... The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. It’s not hard to say, “Hello” or “Thank You.” Friends are rare jewels. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear; they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts. Show your friends how much you care. n
of Mathewson’s colorful Hawaiithemed metal originals) on the north shore of Oahu. It happened one still, dark evening during a full harvest moon over Waimea Bay in Haleiwa, close to where this man lives. He saw the glow of the moon through his home’s beach-front window. Amazed by this magnificent vision of the glowing full moon through the silhouetted tree in his backyard, he grabbed his iPhone and took a few photos. The following morning he asked Mathewson if he could paint it. Waimea Moon-Glow is the finished artwork from that late -night inspiration and it hangs in the collector’s home today.
Not wanting to spar with other readers, but your publication is so much more than a real estate magazine. Otherwise, I and my wife wouldn’t be eagerly awaiting each issue. Please keep your humor coming, no matter which side of the political spectrum it skewers.
Mike Fletcher, Arlington Texas
The magazine is so full of information. I discovered a new building to visit in Geneva and learned a bit more about Greenland, among other things. I also enjoyed the humor. Hearty congratulations!
Robert Charles, Boca Raton, FLAs a bilingual person, I felt a little sheepish entering the ¿Cómo Se Dice? Contest but it was fun, and I didn’t expect to win anyway. (I thought these things were “fixed.”) Imagine my surprise when I won a charging hub for multiple devices. Thank you! And thank you for restoring my faith in honesty – at least in ’s contest. J
Arlenia Alemán, Austin, TXThis looks great – I love the new look!!!!
Ed. More than 75 readers took the time to write this or something similar (and every one favorable) about the ‘new look’ of Thank you all very much!
Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut and still think they’re beautiful.
NORTH TEXAS FACILITIES / MANAGING GREEN BUILDINGS EXPO AND CONFERENCE IN ARLINGTON
ç (L-R) Back Row: Nick Williams, UNT; Past President Christie Clenney, CPM; Secretary Treasurer Amanda Eller, CPM; Past RVP Region 7 Dawn Daffinee, CPM; President Debra Spears, CPM; Executive Director Kristin Hiett, CAE; President-Elect Z Young, CPM; Education VP for 2020 Sharon Simmons, CPM; Matthew Tan (Chair for the Case Competition - Iliana McQuown CPM, not pictured.)
The annual norTh Texas Facilities/Managing Green Buildings Expo and Conference held Sept. 25-26 at the Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center was once again a success, drawing facilities engineers and managers, maintenance engineers and managers, and energy professionals from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Among the highlights of the event was a conference session describing the facilities features of the new Globe Life Field, delivered by the man in charge of the Texas Rangers stadium – Jack Hill. The show floor displayed a very wide variety of equipment and services – the category of roofing systems alone had eight exhibitors – and local technical associations such as AEE, AFE, BOMA, IFMA and USGBC helped spread the word about local resources for facilities engineers, as did . Be sure to mark your calendars for next October, when the free expo and conference will once again return to Arlington. The website is www.facilitiesexpo.com; and the phone number is 800-827-8009.
ç Chapter President Debra Spears swears in the newest designees (L-R) Scott Cessac CPM, Stacey White CPM, Susanne Estrada CPM, ACoM, Lanell Schmidt ACoM.
The Federal deposiT insurance Commission has determined that banks making home mortgages will no longer need to obtain an appraisal for mortgages under $400,000. With the increased threshold approved by the FDIC, a total of 72% of home mortgage transactions will be exempt from the Dodd-Frank Act's rules protecting the integrity of appraisals. The vote, quietly supported by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), raised the existing threshold for mandatory appraisals from $250,000. Congress first required banks to get appraisals in 1989, after the savings and loan crisis, and gave banking regulators permission to exempt loans below a dollar-value threshold. But in 2010, after shoddy appraisal practices were found to play a major role in the Great Recession, Congress required the CFPB to first sign off on any plans to increase the threshold.
THE FDIC DOES A 180º TURN
The CFPB’s support for this plan is a reversal of the Bureau’s 2017 objection to an identical plan. The Bureau, then led by Richard Cordray, shared concerns that the higher threshold posed a risk to consumers. That objection forced the regulators to drop the plan because the Dodd-Frank Act bars federal banking regulators from increasing the threshold unless the CFPB concurs that the new threshold provides reasonable protection for consumers.
The exemption expanded by the FDIC will allow banks to use lightly regulated “evaluations” instead of federally regulated real estate appraisals. Inflation and falsification of real estate valuations contributed to the national foreclosure crisis that led to the Great Recession ten years ago. This change will mean that rules added by the Dodd-Frank Act to protect the integrity of appraisals will not apply to 72% of home mortgage transactions.
“Appraisals protect consumers and the economy,” said National Consumer Law Center Staff Attorney Andrew Pizor. “Without them, consumers can be cheated by mortgage brokers, home sellers, real estate agents, and anyone else who gets paid based on the size of the loan. Shoddy property valuations helped cause one of the biggest financial crises in our nation’s history. The FDIC’s vote is a step backwards.”
“This rushed rule change is both disappointing and dangerous,” said Jennifer S. Wagner co-director of Mountain State Justice in West Virginia. According to Wagner, who is the consumer representative on The Appraisal Foundation Board of Trustees, “In 2017, regulators held multiple hearings and decided that raising the threshold was not a good idea and would likely be harmful to both consumers and the economy. There is no justifiable basis for this sudden change of direction.” n
The Appraisal Foundation (Foundation) is the nation’s foremost authority on the valuation profession. The organization sets the Congressionally authorized standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers and provides voluntary guidance on recognized valuation methods and techniques for all valuation professionals. This work advances the profession by ensuring that appraisals are independent, consistent, and objective.
THE FACTOR
MEIXI URBAN HELIX
Merging The naTural eleMenTs of water with the urban development, the Meixi Urban Helix is a beautiful new structure, uniting the two worlds of nature and man-made constructions. Located in the southwest of Changsha, China, this new urban axis, designed by German architects KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten, is a multi-functional public space where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Lake Meixi, as well as the planned city expansion that it overlooks. The structure ascends above a man-made plateau on the lake, spiraling to a height of over 100 feet. Lighting for this impressive structure comes courtesy of New York-based lighting designers Office for Visual Interaction (OVI). n
I’m so depressed. I went to the doctor today, and he refused to write me a prescription for Viagra, saying it would be like putting a new flagpole on a condemned building.
AFFILI TE NEWS
01 / (L-R): Lydia Rudy (San Antonio), Jennifer George (Austin), Melinda Payne (Fort Worth), Lindsay Konlande (Houston), Kristen Hiett (Dallas)
02 / (L-R) Bethany Stregles, CPM, Pattie McClean, CPM, Dr. John Baen of UNT, Connie Ackermann, CPM
03 / Brittney Wacasey (center)
IREM’s Top 30
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KN W
THE ORIGIN OF 9 -1 -1
The Three-digiT Telephone number “9-1-1” has been designated as the “Universal Emergency Number,” for citizens throughout the United States to request emergency assistance. It is intended as a nationwide telephone number and gives the public fast and easy access to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). In the United States, the first catalyst for a nationwide emergency telephone number was in 1957, when the National Association of Fire Chiefs recommended use of a single number for reporting fires.
In 1967, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended that a “single number should be established” nationwide for reporting emergency situations. The use of different telephone numbers for each type of emergency was determined to be contrary to the purpose of a single, universal number. As a result of the immense interest in this issue, the President’s Commission on Civil Disorders turned to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a solution.
In November 1967, the FCC met with AT&T to find a means of establishing a universal emergency number that could be implemented quickly, and in 1968, AT&T announced that it would establish the digits 9-1-1 (nine-one-one) as the emergency code throughout the United States.
The code 9-1-1 was chosen because it best fit the needs of all parties involved. First, and most important, it met public requirements because it is brief, easily remembered, and can be dialed quickly. Second, because it is a unique number, never having been authorized as an office code, area code, or service code, it best met the long-range numbering plans and switching configurations of the telephone industry.
On February 16, 1968,Senator Rankin Fite completed the first 9-1-1 call made in the United States in Haleyville, Alabama. The serving telephone company was then Alabama Telephone Company. This Haleyville 9-1-1 system is still in operation today.
Great Britain was the first country to establish a universal emergency number (999) in 1937. It was established after five people died in a fire.
By the end of 1976, 9-1-1 was serving about 17% of the population of the United States. In 1979, approximately 26% of the population of the United States had 9-1-1 service, and nine states had enacted 9-1-1 legislation. At this time, 9-1-1 service was growing at the rate of 70 new systems per year. By 1987, those figures had grown to where 50% of the US population had access to 9-1-1 emergency service numbers.
In addition, Canada recognized the advantages of a single emergency number and chose to adopt 9-1-1 rather than use a different means of emergency reporting service, thus unifying the concept and giving 9-1-1 international stature.
At the end of the 20th century, nearly 93% of the population of the United States was covered by some type of 9-1-1 service. Ninety-five percent of that coverage was Enhanced 9-1-1. Approximately 96% of the geographic US is covered by some type of 9-1-1. n
according To peggy noonan, “James Burnham was a significant mid-20th century figure, a public intellectual and political philosopher” who famously (and amongst other things) was co-founder of the National Review. Daniel Kelly in his biography of Burnham (James Burnham and the Struggle for the World) says he was “the living embodiment of what would later become known as political incorrectness.” And, as appropriately noted by Roger Kimball, in his “essay on one of the greatest, and most underrated, polit-ical and social commentators of the twentieth century”…“Daniel Kelly’s book vividly reminds us, (that) Burnham’s insights and attitudes – above all, perhaps, his allergy to political sentimentality – are needed now more than ever.
Among the things for which Burnham is best known are his series of (10) observations about the world that provided the basis for living honestly.” They are: 1. Everybody knows everything 2. Who says A must say B. 3. Just as good, isn’t. 4. You cannot invest in retrospect. 5. Wherever there is prohibition there’s a bootlegger. 6. In every project there’s a Schlamm. 7.You can’t divorce yourself. 8. Every member must pay his dues. 9. No excuse, sir. 10. If there’s no alternative, there’s no problem. We particularly like #1 and #10. If you like to read more – specifically “Second Thoughts on James Burnham,” George Orwell’s 1946 essay, go to: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/orwell/george/james_burnham
Houston Chapter President Pareena Trochesset honored three members at the September 9th meeting. Sandy Field won the Hall of Fame, Award. Kathy Ceronsek was named Member of the Year and Angela Robbins won the Leadership Impact Award.. Sandy Field, a past president of NAWIC National, also won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Luna awards.
THE LIVING ARCHITECTURE OF SANTIAGO CALATRAVA
sanTiago calaTrava valls (1951 - ) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges, railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculptural forms often resemble living organisms. His best-known works include the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Turning Torso tower in Malmö, Sweden, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, Texas, and his largest project, the City of Arts and Sciences and Opera House, in his birthplace, Valencia. His architectural firm has offices in New York City, Doha, and Zürich.
Calatrava gained a reputation for his ability to blend advanced engineering solutions with dramatic visual statements, in both bridges and buildings. When Expo ’92 was going to Sevilla, Spain, the city needed to have bridges constructed to allow access to an island that would be used for exhibitions. His Alamillo Bridge, built for this purpose, instantly received international attention. The dramatic structure, resembling a harp, transformed bridge engineering into a form of sculpture that can invigorate its surrounding landscape.
In his architectural commissions, Calatrava uses his knowledge of engineering to create innovative, sculptural structures, often in concrete and steel. He has said that nature serves as his guide, inspiring him to create buildings that reflect natural shapes and rhythms - waves, wings, or sun-bleached skeletons, just to cite a few. In 1997 he wrote that “architecture and sculpture are two rivers in which the same water flows. Think of sculpture as a pure plastic art while architecture is a plastic art which is submitted to function, taking into consideration the human scale.” Calatrava also noted the influence of the sculptor Auguste Rodin, citing Rodin’s words in his 1914 book Cathedrals of France: “The sculptor only achieves the greatness of expression in concentrating his attention on harmonic contrasts of light and shadow, exactly as an architect does.”
1/ The Bac de Roda Bridge, known locally as the Calatrava Bridge, is a road bridge that links the districts of Sant Andreu and Sant Martí in Barcelona in Spain. It was constructed between 1984 and 1987 as part of the preparations for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
2/ Turning Torso is a neo-futurist residential skyscraper in Malmö, Sweden and (at 623 ft tall with 54 stories and 147 apartments) is the tallest building in Scandinavia. It officially opened in 2005 and is regarded as the first twisted skyscraper in the world. In 2015, it was announced that the building was the winner of the 10 Year Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. It also won the 2005 Gold Emporis Skyscraper Award.
3/ The City of Arts and Sciences is a cultural and architectural complex in Valencia, Spain - the most important modern tourist destination in the city. The first stages of the project construction were completed in 1998 with the opening of L’Hemisfèric (the centerpiece of the City of Arts and Sciences), an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and laserium. The building is also known as the “eye of knowledge).
Photo credits: By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34921514
4/ The Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe – a part of the City of Arts and Sciences -opened in 2000. It resembles the skeleton of a whale.
If you open your eyes in a pitch-black room, the color you’ll see is called eigengrau (a/k/a dark light or brain
5/ Designed as an entrance to the City of Arts and sciences, L’Umbracle (2001) is a sculpture garden and landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to Valencia. In its interior, The Walk of the Sculptures is an outdoor art gallery with sculptures from contemporary artists.
6/ Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, the final structure in the City of Arts and Sciences, opened in 2005. It is an opera house (the tallest opera house in the world) and cultural center and rises 14 stories (246 feet) above ground and includes three stories below ground. Picture credit: By Diliff - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? curid=1544987
7/ The Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum (2001) was Calatrava’s first building in the United States, and his first museum. It displayed the technical innovations and forms he had first used in his
railway stations and airports, but with more freedom of form and architectural theatrics.
8/ First opened in 1998, the Gare do Oriente,in Lisbon, Portugal is one of the main intermodal transportation hubs in Portugal. It was built as a part of the celebrations marking the opening of the Expo ‘98 world’s fair.
9/ Auditorio de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was completed in 2003 in the Canary Islands. The majestic profile of the auditorium has become an architectural symbol of the Canary Islands, and it is regarded as the finest contemporary building in the Canary Islands and one of the most emblematic buildings of Spanish architecture.
10/ The Bodegas Ysios Winery in Laguardia, Spain (2001) was designed as a symbol of the Rioja wines made by that winery. Built on a
sloping site surrounded by vineyards, the 643 ft long building has an aluminum roof and a facade covered with laminated wood panels, alternating between convex and concave, with a roofline that ripples like a series of waves.
11/ The Liège-Guillemins Railway Station for high-speed trains in Liege, Belgium is covered with a lace-like roof of glass and steel 520 ft long and 105 ft high, covering the nine tracks and five platforms. The transparent roof seems to eliminate the distinction between indoors and outdoors.
Photo credit: 16 Miles of String - https://www.flickr. com/photos/sixteen-miles/4305809704/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ index.php?curid=50165940
12/ A dramatic bridge over the Trinity River in Dallas, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, opened in 2012. The bridge, carrying six lanes of traffic, is 686 ft long, and has the appear-
ance of being suspended from an arc-shaped tubular steel pylon forty stories (446 ft) high by fifty-eight cables, ranging in length from 390 to 643 ft.
Photo credit: By Gus Rios - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? curid=18005796
13/ The Peace Bridge in Calgary, Canada was opened in 2012 to accommodate (the 6000 people per day) people walking and cycling across the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
It has the popular nickname “Finger Trap Bridge” due to its visual similarity to the finger trap puzzle.
14/ As reported earlier in , the World Trade Center Hub was completed in 2016 for a cost of $4 billion, twice what was expected and seven years behind schedule.
Calatrava was paid a fee of 80 million dollars. Critics seem to either love or hate the structure – particularly The Oculus, which the New York Post compared to a “giant gray-white space insect.”
Picture credit: By Antony-22 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? curid=48610343
15/ In Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Tomorrow opened in 2015, in time for the Olympics the following year. It includes a number of ecological features, including the fact that water from the sea is used to regulate the temperature inside the building, and to refill the surrounding reflecting pools. The Guardian described it as “an other-worldly edifice that looks like a cross between a solar-powered dinosaur and a giant air conditioning unit”, and declared “it must already rank as one of the world’s most extraordinary buildings.”
Photo credit: By Cristina Índio do Brasil/Agência Brasil - Agência Brasil: http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com. br/cultura/foto/2015-12/rio-de-janeiro-inaugura-omuseu-do-amanha, CC BY 3.0 br, https://commons. wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45744097
16/ The Alamillo Bridge is in Seville, Andalucía (Spain) was constructed as part of infrastructure improvements for Expo 92, which was held on large banana farms on the island. Construction was completed in 1992. With no economic constraints on construction, the goal was to create a bridge of symbolic importance. This bridge represented the soaring aspirations of the city of Seville in preparation for the Expo. n
IREM announced the 2019 winners of the annual REME (Real Estate Management Excellence) Awards in September. These individuals and companies have established exceptional practices and initiatives that not only stand out in a field of their peers, but improves the quality of their work environment, their client experiences, and their communities at large. The talent, ingenuity and, above all, the passion demonstrated by these winners speaks volumes about the quality of real estate management professionals in the industry today.
EMPLOYEE & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
RMR Group
Denver, Colorado
CPM® OF THE YEAR
Shannon Longino, CPM®
Suntrust Community Capital
Atlanta, Georgia
ARM® OF THE YEAR
Jesse Miller, ARM®, ACoM
Greystar Real Estate Partners, AMO®
Portland, Oregon
AMO® OF THE YEAR
United Plus Property Management, AMO®
Troy, NY
CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CAHEC
Raleigh, North Carolina
CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Southwest Clinical Center
Brasilia, Brazil
CORPORATE INNOVATION
Shenzhen Unova
Commerce Management
Shenzhen, China
LAURA MCDONALD STEWART
laura@plinthandchintz.com
Laura
PROFESSIONAL, PRODUCTIVE & PERSONAL
Were you one oF the 1,800+ members of the built environment who registered to attend METROCON19 Expo & Conference August 8 & 9 in Dallas? If not, then you missed out on an amazing opportunity to learn from and establish connections with regional interior designers, architects, engineers, consultants, students, representatives, contractors, etc. from over 900 firms, manufacturers, dealers, service providers, organizations, and academic institutions.
The event, which is the largest not-for-profit, self-produced, volunteer-driven, design specification-focused regional expo and conference in the USA, celebrated 17 years of industry collaboration, and for the third year in a row, five associations joined forces to plan and execute a more expansive event for their members and beyond: ASID Texas Chapter, ASID Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, CSI Dallas Chapter, NEWH Dallas Chapter, and USGBC Texas Chapter.
This year’s conference delivered 43 hours of premium education on timely topics presented by 69 industry experts. Offerings included two Student Programs, two outstanding Keynotes that doubled as CEUs, and 41 other continuing education courses. All CEUs were IDCEC-approved, 41 qualified as CEPHs to meet requirements for Registered Interior Designers and Architects for the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, and many also were approved by AIA, EDAC, and GBCI.
We offered two outstanding keynote addresses this year for extra inspiration.
Thursday Keynote: “Smart Buildings, Smart Cities and their Effect on Design” presented by Paul Doherty, AIA, CDT, IFMA Fellow, President & CEO of TDG – the digit group, inc. | Paul’s visionary content generated several comments like “I didn’t really know what to expect but this session blew my mind. The speaker brought truly new and innovative ideas!”
Friday Keynote: “WELLness is Universal” presented by Jessica Rose Cooper, WELL AP, NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C, Chief Commercial Officer of the International WELL Building Institute | Jessica’s engrossing style produced reactions like “Great speaker. She knew the material and engaged the audience. I knew little of WELL having only seen LEED, and this was very informative to a WELL beginner.”
The planning Committee made up of 19 dedicated volunteers wholeheartedly thanks Landmark Sponsor Dallas Market Center, Media Sponsor Modern Luxury Interiors Texas, and the 40+other METROCON19 Sponsors, as well as all of this year’s Exhibitors, for their incredible support.
Some Exhibitors stood out among the rest: Congratulations to the recipients of the 2019 Pegasus Exhibitor Awards!
Best of the Best Award: Woodwright Hardwood Floor Company
People’s Choice Award: Interior Resources Group
Lean & Green Award : TimberBlind MetroShade
Allstar Award: SmithGroup [Workplace Vignette]
Sizzle Award: GRAFF
Instagram-Worthy Award: LDF Silk
Mission Award: Gebesa
Be sure to visit metroconexpo.org to find links to view photos from this year’s show! n
1.
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW BY TH3 NUMB3RS: WORLD’S LARGEST
8 LARGEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD BY AREA
Every organization is perfectly designed to get the results they are getting.
2. China 3. Japan 4. Germany 5. India 6.
19.
THE 30 LARGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD
1. Russia (6,599,921 square miles)
2. Canada (3,854,083 square miles)
3. China (3,746,887 square miles)
4. United States (3,617,827 square miles)
5. Brazil (3,287,086 square miles)
6. Australia (2,969,121 square miles)
7. India (1,269,010 square miles)
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW TR E DAT: TEXAS FACTS
THE CAPITOL BUILDING IS MADE FROM TEXAS PINK GRANITE
THE FIRST SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN THE UNITED STATES WAS THE WACO BRIDGE WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1870 AND IS STILL IN USE TODAY AS A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING OF THE BRAZOS RIVER
TEXAS HAD THE FIRST DOMED STADIUM IN THE COUNTRY. THE STRUCTURE WAS BUILT IN HOUSTON AND OPENED IN APRIL 1965
like MosT places in The us, Texas Was inhabiTed by naTive people FroM diFFerenT Tribes beFore The europeans caMe. The largesT oF The Texan naTive Tribes Was The caddo
The Flagship Hotel on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built entirely over water.
The capitol in Austin opened May 16, 1888.
The dome of the building is seven feet higher than that of the capitol building in Washington, D.C.
USTIN IS CONSIDERED
THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
The Alamo is the cradle of Texas liberty and the state’s most popular historic site
Texas includes 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation’s total area
You can be considered legally married in Texas by publicly announcing a person as your wife/husband by saying it 3 times
DR PEPPER WAS INVENTED IN WACO IN 1885.
THE DUBLIN DR PEPPER, 85 MILES WEST OF WACO, STILL USES PURE IMPERIAL CANE SUGAR IN ITS PRODUCT. THERE IS NO PERIOD AFTER THE DR IN DR PEPPER.
El Paso is closer to Needles, California than it is to
Dallas
THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN THE STATE WAS 120° F.
THAT’S SIMILAR TO TEMPERATURES OF THE SAHARAN DESERT
TEXAS IS THE SECOND MOST POPULOUS STATE IN THE UNITED STATES (BEHIND CALIFORNIA)
Texas has its own power grid – ERCOT. It is run by Electric Reliability Council of Texas. If the power grid of the US collapsed, Texans wouldn’t be without
electricity unless its power grid collapsed as well. It is tied to the US power grid, but the Texan grid is not under federal regulations.
ALMOST 10% OF ALL AMERICANS LIVE IN TEXAS
The highest mountain in the state is Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 ft.
“You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.” Davy CrockettJALAPENO PEPPER JELLY ORIGINATED IN LAKE JACKSON AND WAS FIRST MARKETED IN 1978 SAROTE TABCUM sarote@vfxtecnhologies.com
THE SHARING ECONOMY IS GROWING
in all-Too-recenT times, buying a house, owning a car and the concept of allocating possessions was the pinnacle of “making it” in life. But with sweeping changes in technology, a lessis-more, collaborative standpoint has gained ground and is leaving ownership behind.
Underutilized assets are abundantly available in a world with too many people that have too many things. As smart folks have begun to figure out, sharing lonesome assets kindles economic growth, turns stale resources into money and relieves cost burdens of ownership while chaperoning sustainability. Emancipation from owning is becoming an increasingly freeing notion, and sharing is fostering seeds of community -- sharing is caring, right?
The sharing economy is projected to grow from $15 billion in 2014 to $335 billion in 2025. Quicker than ever, we’re shifting to the world of a shared economy.
WHAT IS A SHARED ECONOMY?
A shared or sharing economy is an economic system in which assets or services are shared between peers or businesses for free or for a fee. The concept is to enhance the usability of assets, making their lifespan more worthwhile. Sharing isn’t quite a new way of life. Rentable or shared goods have been around for ages, but technology and ease of connections through the digital world have boosted accessibility and convenience to users who now have a better ability to seek things out — often through apps — and obtain them easily.
WHO’S INVOLVED?
(AND HOW YOU CAN JOIN THEM?)
Need a cheap, fast way to get around town?
Bird Scooter’s got your wheels. Ride-hail with Uber or rent someone’s extra bedroom or temporarily available apartment space on Airbnb for cheaper than a hotel. Get professional cameras gear to shoot your next indie film from lensrental.com. Rent Apple computers for your newly hired team of designers to finish a month-long project -- no need to buy.
There are thousands of companies and individuals with assets waiting to be used. I believe entrepreneurs should start looking at alternative ways their clients could access and use the products they are currently selling. For example, if you sell high-priced luxury goods, maybe you want to consider a rental/
subscription option. Another tip would be to examine current assets where the usage rate is low. For instance, if you run a video production company but only use your camera gear five months out of the year, you could use services like sharegrid.com to rent out and make revenue with your underutilized cameras.
That’s exactly how I got started renting high-performance computer systems. Creatives that wanted them couldn’t afford to buy them, and the rental model really stood out to me as the ideal solution. Especially because in the entertainment industry, most projects scale up and down very fast; investing in specialized hardware for a short time doesn’t make sense for a lot of companies.
Is there a similar need in your industry? If you’re not convinced yet, here are several reasons your business should consider the potential of joining the shared economy:
COST-SAVING INCENTIVES
Most cars sit idle 95% of the time. For some, owning a car that comes with interest, fees and insurance can become a more significant cost burden than utilizing ride-hailing networks, public transportation and the occasional rental fee. Travel prices may be reduced and often come with a better experience when you tap opportunities like Airbnb, home-swapping networks and ride-hailing methods. And, as I’ve learned from building our business, expensive equipment is usually not worth the price of ownership — but many companies make it readily available through a quick and cheap rental. Low-cost shared-economy options save consumers and companies money while contributing significantly to individuals on the other end.
Many of us have a lot of things that we don’t need -- according to one estimate, 80% of items in our home are used less than once a month, and yet self-storage rates are rising. Furthermore, things have a shelf life and become outdated quickly. When we share among ourselves for a small fee or rent from businesses or individuals, equipment or assets actually get used, more people can enjoy them, and there is money to be made.
SHARING MAY BE ‘GREENER,’ TOO
Sustainability has become a prime focus of the quickly emerging sharing economy. One hundred scooters that sit in a garage for a year aren’t getting a fraction of use (or monetary income) of a single scooter that companies like Bird are providing, and ride-hailing is removing
thousands of cars from the street and curbing emissions to boot. It has upsides for businesses too: If you are purchasing computers for your company based on growth forecasts that don’t pan out, you may be sitting with many idle computers. It makes much more sense to rent these computers as you scale up; this strategy will ensure your projects are profitable and you will also significantly reduce the amount of e-waste that will later end up in landfills.
WHY SHARING?
THE MILLENNIAL ANSWER
Millennials, who are driving most of the growth in the sharing economy, have adopted new values. Efficiency is the utmost priority, material yearnings are starting to fade, and accessibility to experiences (like eating out at restaurants with friends, not spending money on possessions like expensive jewelry or new furniture) takes precedence over ownership.
With many millennials going to college or just exiting school during a severe recession, resourcefulness surfaced — it wasn’t necessary or even feasible for some to own a car anymore, and material possessions increasingly took on an air of unimportance. For this generation, ownership is more of a burden than a source of pride — not suffering under the weight of a car payment, sharing Netflix accounts, cooking food for each other or acting in different ways that chaperone more community is the foundation of the average millennial mentality. Right behind them is Generation Z, which already has the collective spending power of $44 billion and will soon surpass millennials.
With 75% of the workforce estimated to be comprised of millennials by 2025, there’s going to be a major shift in purchasing decisions. As the newer generations take over the consumer and business world, their needs and values must be met; otherwise, your business may suffer the fate of companies like Blockbuster and Toys “R” Us. The sharing economy is taking flight, and consumers have made it clear that significant and small-scale sharing operations are here to stay. n
THE SHARING ECONOMY COMES TO YOUR HOUSE
as a generaTion oF millennials finds itself enamored with the minimalist movement, companies like the Container Store and California Closets are becoming more popular while tv shows like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo have gained a cult following. And as people continue to move towards urban and metro areas, an ever-growing problem is that of stuff versus spaces.
That’s where ZipStored comes in. The Texas-based startup is the brainchild of Asker Ahmed, a businessman with decades of experience turning ideas into profitable companies in lucrative spaces including education and healthcare. ZipStored jumped onto the gig economy scene in August with a storage sharing service that allows for anyone in Texas with extra garage or storage space to connect with people looking to store belongings.
The company was founded by a team of experts in supply chain logistics and technology, who hope it will change the way people use self-storage and allow for greater convenience at a much lower price point than traditional storage
solutions. The concept behind it is to change the way people use self-storage by opening up spaces that aren’t being utilized for that purpose.
The company encourages its hosts to list their unused square footage on their platform; homes, garages, office spaces and warehouses are all fair game. And customers can be as varied as college students who are moving into a dorm to empty nesters looking to downsize to companies who want to store their inventory.
ZipStored is all about convenience and lower prices. Instead of having to sign long-term leases and drive inconvenient distances to store belongings, a subscriber can find a ZipStored location close to their home or office, and have the company pick up their items and deliver it back when needed.
The startup ensures a high standard of quality by vetting hosts and storage locations to ascertain they meet the standards required to provide safe and secure storage. The system also allows all host locations to set their own pricing and availability for pick-up and drop-off of items.
How do subscribers know they’re getting the best deal? Host locations listed as ‘Lowest Price’ on the site indicate that the price listed is lower than all self-storage locations in a 10-mile radius for the same type of storage space.The app also has other handy features that elevate it beyond your typical storage solution. For exampleyou can inventory all your stored items by location with images uploaded to the app.
The sharing economy is projected to grow to $335 billion by 2025, if it hasn’t already surpassed that number. It’s a growing market with no signs of slowing and this company is well-positioned to be part of fueling that revenue generation.
Founder Asker Ahmed is excited by the possibility of disrupting a market that has seen little to no change in the past few decades. “By using non-traditional spaces like homes, garages, and offices, they bring low cost storage to their customers and helps their hosts pay their bills.”
The company will be scaling up in Texas through the new year and plans to release an app on iOS and Android shortly. For more information, visit www.zipstored.com n
TER CITIES OF ARLINGTON
BAD KÖNIGSHOFEN
SINCE EVEN BEFORE THERE WAS A SISTER-CITY PROGRAM
in The suMMer oF 1951, Kurt Zühlke, city manager of the German town then called Königshofen (later Bad Königshofen), visited Arlington. (In German, ‘Bad’ means ‘bath’ or ‘spa’.)
He was in the U.S. as a participant in an adult education exchange program. While visiting with the Howell family in Arlington, he told them about his home town, a small Bavarian town about the same size as Arlington at that time, and about problems it was having. Königshofen was located just a few miles west of what had become the border between East and West Germany, and hundreds of refugees from the communist East had overwhelmed the town. There was a real shortage of food and clothing.
Mrs. Howell took Mr. Zühlke to meet then-Mayor Tom Vandergriff and to various community clubs and churches. As a result, the City of Arlington and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce decided to “adopt” (the 1532-year-old town of) Königshofen and began a drive among local organizations and individuals to collect clothing, food and gifts for the people in need in that German town. In June 1954, Königshofen named its city park “Arlington-Park” as an expression of thanks and to honor Arlington for its generous help during its time of need. Seven months later, Arlington sent a fourth shipment.
Although Arlington and Bad Königshofen have changed a lot since the 1950s and city and community leaders have come and gone, the friendship between the two cities has continued. (Today, Bad Königshofen is a town with 6,949 inhabitants. Arlington has a population of over 400,000 – not counting of course, the rest of the surrounding Metroplex.)
Bad Königshofen had named a city park “Arlington-Park”, so the City of Arlington decided that one of its parks should commemorate its sister city. On April 14, 1988, the Bad Königshofen Recreation Area in S.J. Stovall Park in Arlington was dedicated.
A group of residents of Bad Königshofen visited Arlington to commemorate the 50th anniversary in 2001. A boulder was unveiled in S.J. Stovall Park as a counterpart to the boulder that had been placed in Bad Königshofen’s city park in 1954. The boulder in Arlington bears the logo of each of the cities and the phrase “Sister Cities Since 1951.”
September 17, 2011 marked the 60th Anniversary of the Arlington/Bad Königshofen partnership, and both cities commemorated this special anniversary throughout the year. n
Ed: This issue is the last in our series about the sister cities programs between Texas cities and cities around the world.
(If you missed any of the previous articles, they are all available in the archived pages of at www.crestnetwork.com)
The sister cities concept started in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed linking (“twinning”) American cities with cities in other countries to exchange people, ideas and cultures. His purpose was to involve individuals at all levels of U.S. society in citizen diplomacy in the hope that these people-to-people relations would lessen the chance of future world conflicts. Twinning has fostered friendship and understanding between different cultures while also promoting trade, tourism and forming international business links between two twin cities.
Formed in 1956, Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonpartisan 501(c) nonprofit which serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the U.S. encompassing over 2,000 US cities and counties, states and partners in over 140 countries worldwide.
EL PASO AND CIUDAD JUÁREZ:
MORE THAN BORDER CITIES
el paso and ciudad Juárez are more than just neighboring U.S./Mexico border cities; they are sister cities with a strong, working relationship. In 2015, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez Mayors signed a Sister Cities agreement to reaffirm their commitment to each other. Through the Sister Cities agreement, both cities have been working to maintain a vibrant regional economy, and to promote cultural activities and tourism.
As part of Sister Cities International, El Paso along with the support of Ciudad Juarez, will host the 2020 All Mexico-US Sister Cities Summit from February 26th through the 28th at the Paso del Norte
TER CITIES OF EL PASO
Hotel. This summit will be the 4th binational series of Summits to reaffirm and strengthen sister city relationships in key countries, by providing opportunities to discuss ways to advance sister city programs and initiatives between the United States and Mexico. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect and network with leaders from across the globe, while experiencing the unique binational culture and economic structure the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez region has to offer.
Located in the southwest of the U.S., the Borderplex region is made up El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, and Las Cruces. This unique geographical location is what provides an exceptional opportunity for economic development and growth. With a combined population of over 2 million people, El Paso is the largest border city on the U.S. side and Ciudad Juárez is the second largest city in all of Mexico. Approximately 70 percent of the population in El Paso is bilingual, creating the largest binational and bicultural workforce in the Western Hemisphere.
Key industries in El Paso include advanced logistics, advanced manufacturing, business services, defense and aerospace, life and sciences and healthcare, and tourism. The Borderplex region is the 4th largest manufacturing hub in North America with $103 billion in U.S./Mexico trade, over 360 manufacturing operations, and $35 billion in annual purchases.
El Paso and Ciudad Juárez complement each other economically in the manufacturing industry. To keep the momentum going, both cities have joined forces to help local business keep succeeding. One way they are making this happen is through the
The Bridge of the Americas consists of two bridges, actually four separate structures: two two-lane bridges for truck traffic, northbound and southbound, and two four-lane bridges for passenger vehicles, with two sidewalks for pedestrians. The bridge is one of four international points of entry connecting Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, forming the binational metropolitan area of El Paso–Juárez, alongside the Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge, Paso del Norte Bridge and Stanton Street Bridge.
Bridge Accelerator program. This program is a partnership spearheaded by the Technology Hub in Ciudad Juarez and supported by the Hub of Human Innovation in El Paso. Together, they created the first binational supplier development program, which has assisted established companies on both sides of the border grow their business. In only a 12-week period, they began reaping the economic benefits by creating 33 new jobs and achieving over $1.4M USD in purchase orders.
With over 7 million pedestrian crossings and 13 million vehicle crossings annually, El Paso serves as a retail and tourist destination for Mexican nationals. In 2018, the City of El Paso renovated Paseo de las Luces, one of the city’s most iconic corridors located in the downtown shopping district, to reconnect both cities at the Santa Fe International Bridge. Paseo de las Luces renovations included decorative archways and string lights along South El Paso Street ending at San Jacinto Plaza, helping create a welcoming and positive experience for both residents and visitors. In addition, the City of El Paso is under-
With over 2.7 million people, this binational region is the 2nd largest metropolitan area (San Diego–Tijuana being the largest) on the United States–Mexico border. The El Paso–Juárez region is the largest bilingual, binational work force in the Western Hemisphere.
I don’t do drugs anymore. I can get exactly the same feeling by standing up too fast.
going a downtown revitalization, which includes renovation of historical buildings, hotel investments, and the newly remodeled original streetcars from the mid-1900s.
El Paso and Ciudad Juárez are more than economically driven; they are rich in history and culture, and both cities are committed to sharing their stories. First Lady of El Paso, Adair Margo, is big ambassador of these efforts, as she highly engaged in tourism and the cultural aspects that unite El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. Mrs. Margo works closely with the Tom Lea Institute to provide free walking historical tours of Ciudad Juárez. Tours are held monthly and sites include the Cathedral, Mission of Guadalupe, Municipal Palace and the Revolution Museum.
El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, hold an exemplary Sister Cities relationship, which helps provide a high quality of life and place for residents on both sides of the border. n
TER CITIES OF NEW BRAUNFELS
Several New Braunfels board members go to Germany each year, and specifically to Braunfels. There is a partnership committee of 15 members that is charged with promoting cooperation and relations between the two cities. Also, several people from Germany come to New Braunfels each year, often in the fall during Wurstfest.
BRAUNFELS – NEW BRAUNFELS
There is probably no village in Germany with stronger ties to a U.S. city than Braunfels, in Germany. Long after Prince Carl’s trip to Texas in 1844-45, New Braunfels adults continued to speak Deutsch to their kids. Church services, Sunday school and public notices were said or written in German well into the 20th century.
Situated between San Antonio and Austin, New Braunfels today has 3 German restaurants, a German-language newspaper and the Schlitterbahn, rated as the best water park in America. And there are annual events with a distinctly German flavor, from the Wein and Sängerfest in May to the Wurstfest in November.
The original settlers of New Braunfels in 1845 came from Braunfels, Germany, and its surrounding areas. So, becoming a sister city to Braunfels was a natural fit. Although the current sister city agreement between the two cities was formalized in 1925 with a cultural exchange program, there has been a special relationship since the founding of New Braunfels.
The Texas city communicates often with Braunfels in the old country because there are many descendants of the original founding families in New Braunfels. Many of these interchanges have included exchange students, communications between local officials, and even German bands coming to New Braunfels during Wurstfest. 2020 is expected to be a banner year for the relationship as New Braunfels celebrates its 175 birthday. n
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW AMAZ NG BU LDINGS
ANGELA O’BYRNE aobyrne@e-perez.comDESIGNING SUN-FIRST
STUDIO GANG’S SOLAR CARVINGTradiTionally, a building’s design is dictated by its purpose. Its footprint, facade, and layout are planned to house a certain kind of resident, accommodate a type of commerce, or even to signify the values of the building’s owner. In bestcase scenarios, considerations around a building’s immediate surroundings, the cultural context of its neighborhood, and its impact on the environment will also enter the equation. To most, these concerns and inquiries form the first principles of architecture.
Gang’s philosophy, artistically termed “solar carving,” challenges designers to create wildly-angled structures that are exact about redirecting sunlight, optimizing for climate, and even minimizing unwanted shadows cast by the structure. The resulting projects are beautiful buildings that boast deferent, oddly-shaped silhouettes that resemble intricately-cut diamonds from up close and weathered stones from afar. Imagine if the sun had the same gradual eroding power as water and you start to get the idea.
and optimizes its surface. The effects vary from building to building but can range as far as helping to minimize adverse effects of seasonal differences.
However, Jeanne Gang—one of the world’s most prominent female architects and winner of MacArthur “genius” fellow—is designing structures that address an even more fundamental concern: the influence of the sun. While simple orientation is nothing new—every real estate agent in the world knows about good light and ideal facing directions —Gang’s firm, Studio Gang, has developed a more in-depth approach to our interaction with natural light.
At the heart of solar carving is a simple idea. A flat, vertical pane of glass isn’t optimized for either a building’s residents or its neighbors because at some point in the day it might generate an excess of glare and heat. Traditionally, we solve this problem through types of glass and interior window treatments. Solar carving, however, attempts to solve the problem with an obsessive eye for detail, some software, and a bit of clever astronomy. By carefully considering the sun’s path throughout the day, designers can “sculpt” an intricately considered, responsive facade that takes into account the building’s specific latitude
In Chicago, for instance, where weather can dictate much of residents’ day-to-day reality, Studio Gang’s Solstice on the Park project incorporates solar carving to maximize light in the winter and minimize heat gain in the summer. The twenty-six-story residential building is clad with windows angled inward at 72 degrees, creating a striking impression and essentially acting as “smart windows” by predicting seasonal light extremes.
However, it’s almost certainly Studio Gang’s newest solar carving project that will grab all of the attention. 40 Tenth Avenue is an office building on Manhattan’s west side with some high-profile considerations: the West Side Highway nearby and the buzzy High Line Park—the city’s hugely influential elevated adaptive reuse park—at its feet. For the High Line, a new tall building could spell disaster and darkness.
However, instead of being imposing, Tenth Avenue is deferent. The ten-story building appears tapered, using solar carving to reduce glare (sparing drivers on the highway), minimize birdstrike (the building is not far from the Hudson River, where migratory birds pass through), and to optimize its relationship with the High Line. Making use of twelve types of glass, the varying windows are both handsome to look at and, one would imagine, incredible to look out of, offering an observation deckstyle view of the city below.
40 Tenth’s diamond-shaped windows benefit both building tenants and park passersby, generously bathing the High Line in sunlight instead of dominating it in shadow. Over the course of a year, the design nearly triples the amount of sunlight the park would receive in comparison with a more conventional building.
In an era of increased density, when builders are crowding cities with ever-taller structures casting ever-longer shadows, solar carving may be a worthy addition to our design quiver. If current trends hold, the sun isn’t going away any time soon. We may as well plan around its predictable paths with the best tools we have. n
“As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.”
Norman FosterXerox and Wurlitzer plan to merge to manufacture reproductive organs.
Q3 2019 Office MarketViews AUSTIN: Searing demand drives fundamentals to record highs
Vacancy: 9.9%
Net Absorption: 446,637 sq. ft
DALLAS/ FORT WORTH: DFW office market boasts positive growth in Q3 2019
Vacancy: 20.4%
Net Absorption: 506,989sq. ft.
HOUSTON: Positive absorption sparks the Houston office market
Vacancy: 19.3%
Net Absorption: 227,757 sq. ft.
Net Absorption and Occupancy
Historical Absorption and Occupancy
Houston Office Market Trends
E. Michelle Miller Research Operations Manager michelle.miller@cbre.com
To learn more about CBRE Research, or to access additional research reports, please visit the Global Research Gateway at www.cbre.com/research.
All roads lead toTexas
Millennials look for job opportunities, affordable housing and quality of life
Texas & DFW have been adding significant jobs. Since 2010, DFW alone has added more than 900,000 jobs. While job opportunities are critical, affordability directly impacts quality of life and an area’s “livability”. Texas & DFW come to the top due to their dynamic economies that drive above average incomes. After adjusting for cost of living, Texas millennials have up to a $9,400 advantage in spending power over the US average.
Dallas/Fort Worth
The cost of living of these markets erodes that apparent spending power, essentially positioning these young professionals with “corrected” incomes below the US average
That lower cost of living in Texas & DFW compared to other major markets it’s attractive to millennial households
Millennial migration patterns in the US.
REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE
TIM ALATORRE talatorre@thegatewayspaceport.comTHE GATEWAY FOUNDATION AND THE VON BRAUN SPACE STATION
The gaTeWay FoundaTion Was Formed to build the first spaceport – and one that is self-sustaining. To do that it is necessary to first build a few smaller structures, one of the most important of which is the Von Braun Rotating Space Station. This will likely be the first commercial space construction project in history.
You could call it a destination hotel, a low Earth orbit cruise ship, or a city in space with a spaceport. But the best way to understand this complex piece of infrastructure is to look to its namesake: The Gateway. Humankind will explore and colonize our solar system and then reach for the stars.
But every time terrestrial travelers will venture outside Earth’s atmosphere to worlds and destinations afar, we will stop at The Gateway and change from our earth shuttle to a true spaceship, and the same for people visiting Earth, they will stop at The Gateway and board a shuttle to Earth. This space station will be our Gateway to the stars and for those born on our Moon, Mars, and beyond, it will be The Gateway to Earth
Humankind will return to the Moon. We will colonize Mars and mine the asteroid belt. We will walk on Europa, Io, and later Titan, but before we do any of that – we will build The Gateway. It will be the first important step to colonizing space and other worlds.
Just about the time you think you can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends.
THE VON BRAUN SPACE STATION
The Von Braun Station will be a rotating space station designed to produce varying levels of artificial gravity by increasing or decreasing the rate of rotation. The station will be designed to accommodate both national space agencies conducting low gravity research and space tourists who want to experience life on a large space station with the comfort of low gravity and the feel of a nice hotel. It will comfortably accommodate nearly 1500 guests and staff.
The space station structure will consist of two concentric structural rings fixed together with a set of spokes supporting a Habitation Ring made-up of large modules: 1) an un-pressurized ring structure with docking arms and 2) stabilizers designed to capture and lock in place a visiting spacecraft to unload passengers and cargo. All passenger and cargo access to the station will be through a set of pressurized access tubes connecting the Docking Hub to the Outer Ring Truss.
Videos of the station are available at:
vimeo.com/showcase/ 6257288
Learn more: gatewayspaceport.com/vonbraun-station and youtube.com/channel/ UCfq9IoUJBIKORP6Q0Zp4dIg/ videos
All images and videos: Courtesy of The Gateway Foundation
THE OUTER RING TRUSS
A triangular unpressurized ring truss supported by a network of spokes to the Docking Hub. Set inside this truss is an Access Tube that will allow people to move about the station freely. The truss will be the backbone of the station and provide mounting for habitable modules, solar panels, radiators, and a rail transport system.
THE HABITATION RING
Below the Outer Ring Truss are a series of large, connected, pressurized modules. This is called the Habitation Ring. Modules will come in a variety of configurations including:
• Air Water Power (AWP) Module
• Gymnasium and Assembly (GA) Module
• Kitchen, Restaurant and Bar (KRB) Module
• Crew Quarters Module, which will be configurable for gravity and micro-gravity habitation.
• Privately owned modules used for villas, hotels, or commercial activity
Government owned modules used for scientific research, training and staging facilities. n
Rose-Mary Rumbley has written three books about her native city – Dallas. She has also written “WHAT! NO CHILI!” and a book about the 300th anniversary of the invention of the piano. She has appeared on the stage at the
TEXAS HAS ‘A THING’ FOR OUTLAWS
The Words shaM and outlaw seem to go together, but not always in Texas. Texans have been known to celebrate outlaws in many ways. Let’s look at the town, Gun Barrell City, a city that developed on the Eastern shore of the Cedar Creek Reservoir.
In the 1930s on a small street - Gun Barrel Lane – in Henderson County, there was a haven for outlaws and bootleggers. In the 1970s after the lake was built, there were over 5,000 people living in lovely homes on the lake. Today, there are over 7,000 people living there. These people decided to adopt the name Gun Barrel City. It is one of the five cities in the country that requires every citizen to own a gun. The law is not enforced. But the citizens cherish their “outlaw” past.
Dallas Summer Musicals and at Casa Mañana and was head of the drama department at Dallas Baptist University for 12 years. Today she is on the speaking circuit and teaches drama classes at Providence Christian School. Her loving views of Texas history appear in every issue of
Days. Some of the scenes in the film that glorified the killer duo were filmed at Pilot Point. My mother was alive during the 1920s when the pair were out doing their evil deeds. She called them “low down common trash!” My mother condemned anyone if they were ‘common. This is a southern term. I lived in fear of being common.
My mother had levels of commonness. There was “common”, “common trash” and “lowdown common trash.” Bonnie and Clyde were at the lowest level. Nevertheless, they were celebrated in the film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. They were admired, and the film is considered a classic. I take people in Dallas on a Bonnie and Clyde bus tour. Both of them are buried in Dallas, where their grave sites are shrines!
and the other is in Hico, Texas. He lived on and on in Texas.
Then there were the James Brothers. I visited the museum in Missouri and saw a film of Jesse being shot. At the museum there is a model of Jesse’s mother sitting in a rocking chair reading the Bible. She has only one arm. A Pinkerton detective, upon learning that Jesse was home, raided the place and accidently shot the mother in the arm. The youngest son was also killed. The story says that Jesse later did come home and was shot in 1882 by John Ford. NOT SO! Jesse lived and went to Granbury, Texas, where he met and married a charming girl, had children and grandchildren, and died peacefully in a nursing home. He’s buried in the Granbury cemetery with a dedicated headstone.
Then there is Sam Bass, infamous train robber. He robbed his first train in Allen, north of Dallas.
It is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.
The folks there celebrate Sam Bass Days.
Let’s go to Pilot Point in Denton County, Texas. During the second weekend of October, the people there celebrate Bonnie and Clyde
What about Billy the Kid? He was shot and killed in New Mexico by Sherriff Garrett. NO, HE WASN’T! He escaped and went to Hico, Texas, where he lived to a ripe old age. There is a museum in Hico with his life story on display. And in the center of town there is a bronze statue of the Kid. New Mexico is not happy with this story. Nevertheless, there are two graves of William Bonney. One is in New Mexico
By the way, his brother, Frank James, was a shoe salesman at Sanger Brothers Department Store in Dallas in the early 1900s. My mother (who was born in Dallas in 1894) loved to tell this story of Frank fitting shoes on a man who was not happy with his service. Frank said, “I am Frank James. You may know my brother, Jesse?” The man completely changed his attitude. “I love these shoes,” he said.
Sam had a sad childhood in Indiana, so he turned to robbing banks and trains. He was successful for a number of years, but the Texas Rangers were a little too much for him. He and his gang planned to rob the bank in Round Rock, Texas, but the Rangers were waiting for him and his gang, and at age 27, he was shot and killed. There is a fine monument at his grave site in Round Rock and a street has been named for him there.
Let’s go to Dodge City, Kansas, where Luke Short was running the Long Branch Saloon - not Miss Kitty. (She was made up!) Luke had prostitutes at the saloon and the people of Dodge City objected. “Get rid of the prostitu-
tes,” they insisted. Luke replied, “They are not prostitutes; they’re are singers! Sing girls! Sing!”
Well, the two marshals, Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, told Luke to “GET OUT OF DODGE.” He did. He came to Ft. Worth and opened the White Elephant Saloon, which still dominates the Stock Yards! There he shot a deputy sheriff - Long Hair Jim Courtwright. That shoot out is still staged in the Stock Yards on special occasions. Luke got off! Those who were there claimed it was a fair fight! Long Hair was buried in Ft. Worth, and through some mix up, Luke Short was buried next to him. Do you think they are “resting in peace?”
Now, for the most bizarre story of all. Did you know that John Wilkes Booth, who shot Lincoln, was pursued, and then was trapped in a barn, and then escaped and came to Glen Rose, Texas, where he tended bar? There are pictures of him in the Glen Rose Museum. Then he went to Granbury, which is turning out to be a haven for outlaws and tended bar there. He became friends with an attorney in town who was with this “so called Booth” when he died.
THE BATTLE OF PALMITO RANCH
(a/k/a The baTTle oF palMiTo hill) is considered by some to have been the final battle of the Civil War. It was fought May 12 and 13, 1865, on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas and a few miles from the seaport of Los Brazos de Santiago. Since the Confederacy had ceased to exist, some historians say that this battle should be classified as a postwar action.
THE ELAINE MASSACRE
In what is known as the “Red Summer of 1919,” hundreds of African Americans died at the hands of white mobs, from Chicago to Texas to South Carolina. Red Summer refers to a series of approximately 25 “anti-black riots” that erupted in major cities throughout the nation in 1919, including Houston, Texas; East St. Louis and Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; Omaha, Nebraska; Elaine, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Charleston, South Carolina.
The attorney had the body mummified and the mummy of John Wilkes Booth traveled with a circus. Actually, he traveled with various carnivals. Every carnival owner who featured the mummy went broke. The mummy was last seen in 1970 in a circus. Then it disappeared–probably purchased by an individual who loved the bizarre!
Yes, I do believe that Texas has “a thing” for outlaws! n
Union and Confederate forces in southern Texas had been observing an unofficial truce since the beginning of 1865. But Union Colonel Theodore H. Barrett, newly assigned to command an all-black unit, and never having been in combat, ordered an attack on a Confederate camp near Fort Brown for unknown reasons. The Union attackers captured a few prisoners, but the following day the attack was repulsed near Palmito Ranch by Colonel John Salmon Ford, and the battle resulted in a Union defeat. Union forces were surprised by artillery, said to have been supplied by the French army occupying the nearby Mexican town of Matamoros.
Casualty estimates are not dependable, but Union Private John J. Williams of the 34th Indiana Infantry Regiment is believed to have been the last man killed in this engagement. He could then arguably be considered as the last man killed in the war.
Many African American soldiers returning from World War I were outspoken against racial discrimination, inequality, and violence that continued to plague black communities, and they played an active role in defending their communities during Red Summer. “By the God of Heaven,” W.E.B. Du Bois said of returning veterans, “we are cowards and jackasses if now that the war is over, we do not marshal every ounce of our brain and brawn to fight a sterner, longer, more unbending battle against the forces of hell in our own land.”
In Elaine, Arkansas, white mobs in caused some of the most blood spilled. Death estimates run to hundreds of murdered black residents, the largest number in the “Red Summer.” To mark the 100th anniversary, a memorial to the victims of the Elaine Massacre was unveiled in September in Helena, Arkansas.
This 20-minute documentary, narrated by Ossie Davis, tells the story of the 1919 race riot in Elaine, Arkansas. Through this important early chapter in the Civil Rights Movement, African American farmers in the Delta region experienced great tragedy, fought for social justice, and ultimately found vindication in the US Supreme Court. https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=EM7XTg2tSDo
RENZO PIANO
THE GENIUS BEHIND MANY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS BUILDINGS
iTalian archiTecT renzo piano (1937 - ) is known for his delicate and refined approach to building - in museums and other buildings around the world. Awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1998, the Pritzker Jury compared him to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Brunelleschi, highlighting “his intellectual curiosity and problem-solving techniques as broad and far ranging as those earlier masters of his native land.”
Born in Genoa, Piano was originally expected to follow the family tradition and become a builder but instead chose design, studying architecture in Milan. After working for Louis Kahn between 1965 and 1970, personal success came early in his career. At the age of 34, he and Richard Rogers won the design competition for the Centre Pompidou in Paris. After the completion of the building, Piano spent four years working alongside Peter Rice, the engineer of the Pompidou, before founding his firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop in 1981.
The groundbreaking success of the Pompidou led Piano to a number of other museum commissions, including another of his most widely-praised works, the Menil Collection in Houston which opened in 1987. Today Renzo Piano is perhaps the world’s most prolific museum designer, but in his own practice, his designs became markedly different from the flamboyant structural display of the Centre Pompidou; he has instead become revered for his light designs and precise detailing. Piano refutes the idea that his work displays any single style, saying, “I think it [‘style’] is a trap. But what I don’t hate is ‘intelligence’ or ‘coherence.’ Because coherence is not about shape, it is about something stronger, more humanistic, more poetic even.”
This reputation for sensitivity and coherence has enabled him to build alongside some of the greatest architectural works of the 20th century: in recent years, he has completed buildings adjacent to Le Corbusier’s Chapel at Ronchamp and Carpenter Center at Harvard, and Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Art Museum.
The 1998 Pritzker Prize praised Piano’s sensitivity and also his versatility, citing projects such as his Kansai Airport Terminal in Osaka as evidence that he was capable of more than just museums—a fact that would be reinforced in the decades to come with projects such as the Shard in London. The jury stated that “by choosing a career as an architect rather than contractor, he may have broken with a family tradition in one sense, but in fact, he has enhanced that tradition in ways his forebears could only have imagined.”
01/ The new home of the Whitney Museum of Modern Art, which opened in 2015, combines the maturity of an architect who has been honing his craft for half a century with a jolt of New York City energy. “I wanted the building to fly above the street,” said Piano.
02/ In the 1970’s architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, both unknown at the time, collaborated and erected one of the most famous and radical buildings of our time, Centre Georges Pompidou. The cultural center in Paris, France began with Georges Pompidou, President of France from 1969 to 1974, who wanted to construct a cultural center that would attract visitors and be a monumental aspect of the city.
03/ In Aix-en-Provence, France, the Château La Coste Art Gallery was built (in 2017) for both displaying art and preserving wine. Due to the natural topography of the soil, it was decided to carve a 20 feet deep valley in the earth so as to fully incorporate the building into the vineyard.
is
It’s not hard to meet expenses. They’re everywhere.
04/ A 95-story skyscraper, London’s The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom and in the entire European Union. It was completed in 2012. Piano was inspired by the London spires depicted by the 18th-century Venetian painter Canaletto, and the masts of sailing ships.
05/ Completed in 2017 in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, Centro Botín is a space for art, culture and education (named for Emilio Botín president of Banco Santander and financed by his foundation). It is half based on the land and the other half suspended over the water on stilts.
06/ In April 2009, the central Italian city of L’Aquila was devastated by a crippling earthquake, claiming lives and causing extensive damage to thousands of buildings, including the leveling of the city’s main auditorium venue. Nearing the fourth anniversary of this tragic disaster, the Italian city of Trento donated the new L’Aquila Auditorium, which was open in the fall of 2012, in an effort to aid the reconstruction of the medieval city.
07/ Completed in 2013 in Fort Worth, TX, the Kimball Art Museum Expansion (a/a/a The Piano Pavilion) accommodated the museum’s growing exhibition and education programs, allowing the older (1970s Kahndesigned) building to revert to the display of the museum’s permanent collection.
08/ In the outskirts of Naples, Italy, Volcano Buono is a mixed use center which is integrated into the landscape. The central piazza of the Volcano includes an outdoor theater and market, while a series of concentric rings form the center’s commercial areas. Piano explained that the Volcano is “a contemporary take on a Greek marketplace, a void as a place for events, meetings, dialogue and the gathering of people”.
09/ The California Academy of Sciences (in San Francisco) is one of the most prestigious institutions in the US, and one of the few institutes of natural sciences in which public experience and scientific research occur at the same location. This “living roof” is covered with 1,700,000 plants d in specially conceived biodegradable coconut-fiber containers. The roof is flat at its perimeter and, like a natural landscape, becomes increasingly undulating as it moves away from the edge to a series of domes of various sizes rising up from the roof plane.
10/ Astrup Fearnley Museet in Oslo Norway opened in 2012. The timber cladding, with its soft silver-grey color prepared for exposure to the weather, highlights the dynamic shape of the glass roof and contributes to the friendly welcoming of the Museum. It is meant to be a place for silence and meditation, but also somewhere to meet people or just enjoy a cup of coffee, while looking at boats sailing in the fjord.
11/ The Harvard Art Museums are university museums, a place to collect and exhibit art, a great workshop to study, in direct contact with the artworks. The extensions took place in 2014.
12/ The Central St. Giles Court was completed in London in 2010. The proposed concept for the site was to transform a single-use office building into a genuinely mixed-use development incorporating office, retail, restaurant and residential use, seeking to create a new destination integrated within the local area.
13/ Nouméa is the capital and largest city of the French South Pacific islands of New Caledonia. the transformative economic effect of this project on the city has be Centre Culturel JeanMarie Tjibaou. Since its completion in 1999, New Caledonia has found itself in the international architectural spotlight, as the graceful, ephemeral design of the building’s iconic shells has brought fame and business in equal parts to its island and to Piano’s firm. n
AFFILI TE NEWS
2019 BUILT DESIGN AWARDS
on ocTober 10, the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Dallas) gathered members, allied professionals, community leaders, and architecture enthusiasts at the Architecture and Design Exchange (AD EX) to celebrate outstanding design. At the event, they announced five projects to receive 2019 Built Design Honor Awards, the organization’s highest recognition of works exemplifying excellence in built projects by Dallas and Northeast Texas architects, as well as three Juror Citations.
This year’s AIA Dallas Design Awards were selected by a jury composed of internationally renowned architects, Jorge Ambrosi, co-founder of AMBROSI ETCHEGARAY, an architecture studio based in Mexico City; Patricia Patkau, co-founder of Patkau Architects in Vancouver; and Jonathan Ward, FAIA,
EIGHT PROJECTS LAUDED FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Honor Award WINNER
design partner at NBBJ in Los Angeles. The jury deliberated 73 entries and selected the recipients based on each project’s programmatic and experiential innovation, thoughtfulness, and response to its climate, context, and community.
“The Built Design Awards program aims to celebrate the outstanding work being performed by AIA Dallas architects with projects built both here and internationally,” said Ricardo Munoz, AIA, of Page, 2019 AIA Dallas Design Awards Committee Chair. “The jury’s selections this year once again demonstrate the importance of good design and the positive impact it can have. We hope this program continues to encourage excellence in design and pushes the architecture community to innovate and develop solutions that help make lives better.”
The juror-selected winners are built projects from around the globe. Photographs and photo credits for each winning project can be viewed and downloaded from this link: https://dropbox.com/sh/6rz04arljukpbka/AADVjZBy5NUonuEyT0x9y92ta?dl=0 View the entire 2019 gallery of entries and recipients here: https://aiadallasdesignawards.com/winners.php?event=built
Honor Award WINNER
Honor Award WINNER
SMALL PROJECTS
Photographer: James F. Wilson, Wade Griffith, Danny Fulgencio.
Dallas, TX (3,700 square feet): Informed by the owner’s fondness for reclaimed materials, and inspired by the vernacular architecture of the historic Texas Blackland Prairie homestead, the residence embraces the architectural heritage of the earliest Dallas settlers by blending the simple forms and materials of the original prairie dwellings with the contemporary planning and crisp detailing. The organization of the plan is conceived as a series of individual “buildings” linked together by a continuous hallway. This linear configuration of spaces allows the building to stretch all the way from the front porch to the back garage. Outdoor patios are integrated into the plan to separate building functions and create usable outdoor spaces animated by natural light.
é DSGN Associates. Cliff House.
SMALL PROJECTS
Photographer: Barry Snidow
Dallas, TX (4,250 square feet): Originally constructed in 1936 by the congregation of the Davis Street Baptist Church in 1936, it was sold in 2008 and in 2016, leased to a local event firm. An extensive renovation was undertaken to reactivate the derelict church, accelerating the ongoing revitalization of TyPO, its neighborhood in Oak Cliff. An entry porch and party deck were added, compatible in detail and scale with the original building. Original roof trusses were exposed, refurbished and highlighted, vertically extending the chapel into once-hidden space above the original ceilings. Finishes, furniture, lighting, and detailing are appropriate to the character and simple craft of the original building, including extensive re-use of original interior shiplap. Accessible restrooms, storage, catering kitchen, and modern systems were added. The Cliff House hosted its first event, a wedding, in 2018.
é Beck Architecture, LLC. Harim Group Headquarters
LARGE PROJECTS
Photographer: YumSangHoon
Seoul, South Korea (107,640 square feet): One of Korea’s largest food companies, the Harim Group, sought a prominent new headquarters with a strong public presence – both on the Seoul skyline, and at the street level of the vibrant Gangnam district. In addition, they wanted sustainable features to respond to South Korea’s climate. Restaurants on the first two levels invite pedestrians, and the public space flows to a large inner courtyard, where more food and event venues are planned. Sixteen stories house new corporate offices, with a crowning circular conference space and garden at the roof level that afford sweeping city views. The project’s most significant feature is a curved slot that snakes up the street façade, creating a negative pressure zone to facilitate natural ventilation. Lining that opening are custom stainless-steel panels that are backlit at night to create a shimmering backdrop to for Gangnam’s energetic street life.
Did you ever notice that anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, but anyone driving faster than you is a maniac?
Honor Award WINNER
é Merriman Anderson Architects, Inc. Old Dallas High School
LARGE PROJECTS
Photographer: James Steinkamp
Photography
Dallas, TX (102,000 square feet): Constructed in 1907 with a rear 1911 addition by Chrisman and Nesbit and designed by the local firm of Lang and Witchell, the architecture is of Classical Revival style and required significant structural improvements and overall restoration. The Old Dallas High School is one of the oldest institutional buildings on the Dallas Independent School District property list and remained in continuous use until 1995. The auditorium/ classroom building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of Dallas Landmark. The building was historically renovated into office spaces, and the design objective included the restoration and preservation of all historical features while improving all systems and the environment to current standards.
Honor Award WINNER
fosters collaboration and exchange between the diagnostics, treatment, and rehabilitation zones. Layered, transparent spaces and circulation paths erase the division between program types and put simultaneous activities on display. The visual interconnectivity of spaces filled with abundant natural light, lend a human quality to the otherwise data-driven realm of sports medicine. Opening a massive, 30-foot-tall, retractable glass wall allows the football field to extend outside and invites the public into the game.
Juror Citation
Juror Citation WINNER
é Buchanan Architecture.
Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion at the Dallas Arboretum’s A Tasteful Place
SMALL PROJECTS
Photographer: Charles Davis Smith, FAIA
é OMNIPLAN.
The Boardwalk at Granite Park
SMALL PROJECTS
Photographer: Eddie Fortuna
Plano, TX (31,000 square feet): Granite Park is a rapidly growing mixed-use development located in an area experiencing unprecedented growth with the Legacy District, Hall Office Park, and the Frisco Star all within a mile of the site. The conventional approach would be to create a series of chain-restaurant pads with large signage facing the highways. However, the client desired a more experiential approach that would serve as an amenity to both the office park, the adjacent hotel and to visitors throughout the area. The solution was to flip the restaurants around, turning their back on the highways, and facing the existing retention pond. The new Boardwalk clusters six unique restaurant concepts together with interconnected patios that spill out onto an authentic boardwalk that wraps the pond and activates it as a water feature. The result is a vibrant hub of activity consistently programmed with a multitude of activities from sunset yoga, outdoor spin classes, live music events, food drives, and more.
Juror Citation WINNER
é
Perkins
and Will. Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy and Research at The Star
LARGE PROJECTS
Photographer: James Steinkamp, Nick Merrick, Daniel Creekmore
Frisco, TX (300,000 square feet): Creating a nexus for athletes and their caretakers, this facility is a collaborative first for the Dallas Cowboys and a major health system. Its innovative program combines sports medicine with sports wellness and sport performance. The architectural plan strategically supports the identity of each program group and
Dallas, TX (3,700 square feet): The Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion overlooks a 3.5 acre garden filled with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. A demonstration kitchen in the pavilion serves as a site for cooking classes, demonstrations, educational programs, and special events for adults and children. The building is composed of a simple limestone box inserted into a glass enclosure. A faceted wood ceiling extends diagonally outward from the top of the stone box to the exterior soffit. Low iron glazing allows natural light from the north to animate the space and provide clear views toward the gardens. Large wood rolling doors provide a variety of functional options at the demonstration kitchen depending on the event. The pavilion also contains a broadcast-ready audio/ visual production capability which allows a direct feed to television networks around the world. This allows the arboretum to share educational programming with institutions worldwide.
é HKS, Inc.
U.S. Bank Stadium
LARGE PROJECTS
Photographer: Joe Aker/ Corey Gaffer
Minneapolis, MN (1.75 million square feet): The goal of U.S. Bank Stadium was to create a recreational resource that welcomes all the people of the state of Minnesota, and to provide that resource in a physical environment in which all of its users can see themselves reflected. The form of the stadium is a reflection of the specific location and climate of its site. The structure’s sharp, angular shape arises out of the necessity of having a steep, sloping roof to shed snow. The form is highest, with the sharpest peak, at the western edge of the site which faces the downtown skyline, and it tapers to a lower height at the eastern end of the site, transitioning from the scale of large high-rises to that of the less dense area in the immediate vicinity of the stadium. The result is an iconic, sculptural shape on the Minneapolis skyline that evokes ice flows colliding together on a frozen lake, but whose shape is in fact grounded in practical, functional considerations. n
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW EGAL VIEW
ANTHONY J. BARBIERI ajb@kesslercollins.comOPPORTUNITY ZONES & IMPACT INVESTING
-Knock, knock!
-Who’s there?
-Opportunity!
-That is impossible. Opportunity doesn’t come knocking twice!
real-esTaTe “iMpacT invesTing” is not a new concept. Impact investing focuses on real-estate assets that can produce financial returns with simultaneous environmental and social impact. Some of these strategies include green real estate, affordable housing, and sustainable communities.
However, when President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, he created a new type of impact investing: opportunity zones. There was great bipartisan support of the opportunity-zone program – more than 100 legislators sponsored the bill across both houses of Congress. It has also been heavily championed by Senators Tim Scott and Cory Booker, the two Senators who introduced the Investing in Opportunity Act to the Senate, and Sean Parker, the ex-Napster and entrepreneur and activist investor who founded the Economic Innovation Group, an independent think tank that helped create the framework of the system.
The opportunity zone program is a new federal program, commonly referred to as an “o-zone” or “OZ”, or “o-fund”, which establishes a reinvestment vehicle designed to use tax incentives to drive long-term investments to rural and low-income/ distressed urban communities. Although criticized by some skeptics and political pundits as only benefitting “the rich”, the intent of this new program is to increase private investment in low-income census tracts by providing capital-gains tax deferral, and tax-free appreciation, when an investor makes a specific type of investment in qualified o-zone project.
O-ZONE BASICS:
Since the IRS tax code gave birth to the opportunity-zone program, the opportunity-zone laws are about as confusing and ambiguous as any other tax law! Be forewarned: don’t expect clear, precise and straight-forward laws and regulations on how opportunity zone funds operate and the overriding tax treatment. The IRS responded to this need for additional guidance by issuing the first set of proposed regulations on October 29, 2018 (REG115420-18). While this set of regulations provided taxpayers with a great deal of guidance, many practitioners’ and potential investors’ questions were still unanswered, and, further, as of October, 2019, these regulations are not finalized.
O-zones are essentially defined by the tax code as low-income census tracts, or census tracts contiguous with a low-income census tract(s), which were identified by each state, commonwealth or territory of the United States. Up to 25% of low-income neighborhoods that meet the income qualifications of the program (and up to 5% of non-low income tracts that meet other income and geographic requirements) in each state, district, or territory could have been designated as Opportunity Zones. In states, territories, and districts with fewer than 100 census tracts, up to 25 census tracts can be designated as Opportunity Zones. Areas certified as opportunity zones retain their designation for ten years. More than 8,700 Qualified Opportunity Zones have been qualified in the US and US territories. Not every jurisdiction has the same process for identifying o-zones, but typically the governor (upon guidance and input from various committees, legislatures and, of course, lobbyists) chose which parts of her or his state or territory to be classified as an opportunity zone for federal-tax purposes. Once identified, the
United States Treasury Department has to certify each o-zone. Texas designated 628 census tracts in 145 counties as opportunity zones.
An opportunity-zone fund (or “o-fund”) is an entity created and operated to invest in “qualified opportunity-zone property” or “QOZP”. Typically the QOZP is a corporation or partnership, but some scholars believe that a limited liability company can serve as a QOZP. Hopefully the IRS regulations will clarify this issue once finalized. An o-fund must hold at least ninety percent of its assets in a QOZP, which is measured every six months of each calendar or fiscal year of the o-fund. If the o-fund fails to maintain this ninety percent threshold, then the tax code subjects the fund to various penalties. The penalty calculation, while difficult to calculate, is severe. An o-fund can include both capital gains and other funds, but only the capital gains are eligible for the o-zone tax benefits of deferral, reduction and exclusion.
TIMELINE & TYPES OF INVESTMENTS:
The o-zone laws have some tight timelines. Those familiar with “1031 exchanges” will see some similarities with the o-zone timelines. To qualify for the tax benefits under the statute, an investor must invest her capital gains in an o-zone fund within 180 days from the date the capital gains are realized. Because of the ninety percent requirement described above, the o-fund must timely utilize its investors’ money in a qualified business located in an o-zone or into a QOZP, or else they will blow the tax incentives for their investors. This may be problematic for the o-zone fund because they will not only have to manage the assets, but they must constantly “do the
math” to make sure the investments are timely deployed to comply with the rules, including the ninety-percent rule.
Qualified opportunity-zone property has to expressly qualify under the tax code. This property has to be located or used in an opportunity zone. The property must have been acquired after 2017. Additionally, the property has to be either “substantially improved” by the o-zone investment, or the original use of the property in the o-zone has to commence with a qualified o-zone business. Based on the proposed regulations, “substantial improvement” means an o-fund must increase the basis of the property by the amount of the original basis. For example, if the o-zone fund acquires real estate in an o-zone for $500,000, they must make at least $500,001 worth of investment into that property. The o-zone fund has 30 months to complete the “substantial improvements”.
In addition to real estate, an o-zone fund may acquire a qualified business. This acquisition can be in the form of acquiring assets or ownership, so long as the ownership was acquired after 2017 for cash (and not stock or other ownership). A qualified opportunity-zone business is any business in which:
• substantially all of the tangible property owned or leased by the business was purchased after 2017,
• substantially all of the property used is located in an o-zone,
• at least half of the total gross income of the business is derived from the active conduct of the business,
• a substantial portion of the intangible property of the business is used in the active conduct of the business,
• only a small portion of the business’s property is financial instruments, and
• the business is not a disqualified business, which, for the most part, are typical “vice” businesses, such as gambling, racetracks, liquor stores, and the like.
BENEFITS OF OPPORTUNITY ZONE INVESTMENTS:
The most obvious and long-lasting benefit to opportunity-zone investing is the social and economic impact that an investment can have on a part of the country that needs it. Beyond that, investors can receive substantial capital gain tax incentives immediately and over the long term. If an investor reinvests a qualifying capital gain into an o-zone fund, they can defer and reduce their tax liability on that gain. Additionally, they can also potentially receive tax-free treatment for all future appreciation earned through the fund. A proper investment in an opportunity zone fun can defer paying capital gains tax for those earnings until April 2027 for investments held through December 31, 2026. If an investor holds his/her o-zone investment for at least five years prior to December 31, 2026, he/she can reduce their liability on the deferred capital gain principal invested in the o-fund by 10%. If the investment is held for a minimum of seven years prior to December 31, 2026, the tax liability can be reduced by 15% total.
You may be asking yourself “so what? Do I really save money by making an opportunity zone investment?” That’s a good question. Let’s try to answer it by using a hypothetical investor, named Ralph Mader, and his hypothetical investment strategy. Suppose Ralph Mader owns stock in a social-media company called FaceChatGram. Ralf Mader is mad at FaceChatGram because of their indifference towards consumer protection, so he sells all of his FaceChatGram stock in 2018. Suppose that as a result of such sale, Ralf would have had $500,000 in capital gains in 2018, but instead of pocketing all that gain, Ralf, who lives in Beverly Hills, wants to revitalize economically distressed communities, so he invests his $500,000 in an o-zone and QOZP. Accordingly, Ralph’s $500,000 gain from the sale of FaceChatGram is not subject to tax in the year he sold the stock (2018), and the gain on that $500,000 is deferred until Ralph’s investment in the o-zone fund is sold, or December 31, 2026. However, if Ralph maintains his o-zone investment for five years, then 90 percent of it is taxed in 2023, and if he maintains the investment for seven years, then only 85 percent of the $500,000 gain ($425,000) is taxed in 2025. But if Ralph sells the investment in the o-zone fund at least ten (10) years after the original investment for, say, $1,000,000, then no tax is paid on the $500,000 of appreciation of the original $500,000 investment.
CONCLUSION:
To take full advantage of the statute’s current benefits (i.e., deferral of tax until 2026 and 15 percent reduction in taxable gain), investments must be made by the end of 2019. This does not mean taxpayers cannot make investments after 2019 to take advantage of the benefits, including the appreciation exclusion that many believe is the greatest benefit of the new law.
O-zone investing isn’t for everyone. But for those with a large sense of social responsibility and capital gains to boot, then that “knock, knock” you hear may be your conscious knocking on your wallet. As more guidance comes down from the IRS, this will only further encourage taxpayers to get involved in these opportunities and increase awareness about some of the more distressed areas of our communities. n
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”
Thomas A.Edison What do Opportunity Zones Mean? Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than it does to get tired.
THE COSMIC AIRBRUSH OF DENNIS MATHEWSON
haWaii arTisT dennis MaTheWson always seeks inspiration from his surroundings. What artist couldn’t be constantly inspired by erupting volcano’s, breathtaking ocean surf, a bounty of tropical flora, an abundance of vibrate sea life and islands rich with Polynesian history and culture?
Many artists learn art and painting in school, while others are born with a gift. Dennis Mathewson has been a professional artist since the age of fifteen and through all of his adult life, he has been blessed with artistic talent. He has lived and breathed in the creative world around him as long as he can remember.
Having grown up with the custom hot rod and motorcycle trends of the 1970s and 80s still inspires his work today – creating and painting from his passion of what he sees in his mind and what life surrounds him in his island lifestyle. Mathewson showcases the realistic, liquid style of the ocean, tropical jungle landscapes and a bounty of diverse subjects in his
skillfully hand-carved mixed media metal art along with his exclusive signature color combinations.
His unique original art begins with an aluminum blank or other metal surfaces. Utilizing special tools, he carves the images directly into the metal, giving them a magical 3D appearance in various lighting environments. These almost halo- graphic images become three-dimensional and strikingly lifelike to the viewer’s eye. His work is the culmination of diversity derived from bringing years of experience to this contemporary art form. His fun and whimsical storytelling tiki as well as edgy pieces are sure to bring a smile to local folks and visitors alike.
In addition to being an acclaimed fine artist, Mathewson is also a master refinisher with decades of experience in award-winning motorcycle, automotive and industrial custom painting. He had successfully owned and operated his diversified commercial art studio in Honolulu
for over 35 years and is considered one of the world’s “top guns” in the custom automotive painting industry. Presently, Mathewson mainly focuses on his highly demanded fine art painting to supply the Hawaii art galleries that display his work.
Mathewson is also a certified scuba diver, photographer, freelance writer for numerous trade magazines and a gifted speaker, instructor and featured artist at major events worldwide. He is currently working on a book of his complete art history and works. His unique style is highly prized and collected by enthusiastic fans, celebrities and devoted art collectors worldwide. You can see more of his artwork at www.dennismathewsonart.com or visit his work in person at one of his art gallery locations. n
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW ARTCH TECTUREMarriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.
When first experiencing Mathewson’s artwork, you will find yourself embracing and sharing his passion for the true island lifestyle in Hawaii. His mesmerizing three-dimensional metal art appears to dance under any lighting environment. His underwater images are like liquid magic and his whimsical storytelling tiki images bring a smile to anyone’s face.
WHY ARTCH TECTURE ?
Great art is among the most sublime, meaningful, and redeeming creations of all civilization. Few endeavors can equal the power of great artwork to capture aesthetic beauty, to move and inspire, to change perceptions, and to communicate the nature of human experience. Great art is also complex, mysterious, and challenging. Filled with symbolism, cultural and historical references, and often visionary imagery, great artworks oblige us to reckon with their many meanings.
Architects and designers (many of our readers) have a lot of influence on the way we perceive the world. A structure often plays a significant part in how we experience a place. (Think of a restaurant, a museum, an arena, a stadium... even an office building - virtually anywhere!) The interior design impacts our sensory perception, our comfort, and our physical connection and there is also artistry in the exterior design. (That’s why we call it artchitecture.)
2019 SAFETY FAIR & BARBECUE COOK-OFF WINNERS
I try to take one day at a time…but sometimes several days attack me at once.
SHOWMANSHIP
Q: Why do scuba divers fall backwards into the water?
SAFE GENERAL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR, CATEGORY I
SAFE SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR, CATEGORY II
AFFILI TE NEWS
SAFETY AWARDS
SAFE GENERAL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR, CATEGORY
SAFE SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR, CATEGORY I
A: If they fell forwards, they’d be in the boat.
CENTRAL PARK TOWER
Central Park Tower on West 57th Street in New York City is now officially the tallest residential building in the world, surpassing 432 Park Avenue (also in Manhattan), which previously held the title. At 131 stories and 1,550 feet high, were it not for the spire on top of One World Trade Center, it would be the tallest structure in the City. Designed by Chicagobased Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill Architecture, the building will be completed in 2020. It will be home to a seven-floor Nordstrom with 179 condominium units on top (ranging from
THE FACTOR
$1.5 for a studio to $95 million for a penthouse unit with four bedrooms and an outdoor pool). Not surprisingly, it is the most expensive condo project in the country.
Real estate in the U.S. remains a favored asset class, even as economic uncertainty looms and forces of change related to the environment, infrastructure, demographics, consumer behavior, and technology are necessitating flexibility in space design, development and business operations, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® 2020, co-published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC. The report’s findings suggest that a willingness to embrace change and rethink growth strategies is beneficial for cities as well as the industry: Austin is ranked first out of 80 cities in the U.S. for overall real estate prospects for 2020. See the whole report here: https://ulidigitalmarketing.blob.core. windows.net/emergingtrendspdfs/ ET2020FallMeeting.pdf
THE RES URCE PAGE
Census data shows that seniors will out number kids by 2035. With such a major shift in the US population, it’s important that our communities are prepared to meet the physical and mental needs of older adults. The 2019 Senior Living Report from Caring.com ranks the Best and Worst Cities for Seniors to Live based on healthcare, housing options, community engagement, transportation, quality of life and workforce development. How does your city rank among the Best and Worst Places for Seniors to Live? Go to: https://www.caring.com/senior-living/texas
The impact that rising temperatures and excessive heat waves are having on urban development, and strategies to mitigate urban heat island effects are explored in a new report, Scorched: Extreme Heat and Real Estate, published by the Urban Land Institute. The report explores how extreme heat is emerging as a growing risk factor and planning consideration across the United States, and how the real estate industry is responding with design approaches, technologies and new policies to mitigate the impacts and help protect human health.
Once considered a niche offering, flexible office space has become a prominent component of building owners’ and corporate occupiers’ real estate strategies. Landlords are finding increased demand for flex offerings, and investors’ support for this new form of real estate income will ensure further growth of the sector. This CBRE report explains how flexible offerings have caused a structural shift in the real estate industry and explores the potential growth opportunities and the sector’s likely prospects in a recession scenario.
https://www.cbre.com/research-andreports/US-Flexible-Office-Market-2019
Dr. Francesca Ortegren, a Clever researcher, dug into the immigration issue, and discovered that crime rates do not increase relative to immigrant population and undocumented immigrants don’t commit crimes at a different rate than national averages. There are many common misconceptions about immigrants, documented and undocumented, many of which don’t hold up under scrutiny. Access the study here: http://listwithclever.com/real-estateblog/illegal-immigration-home-valuesand-crime
Businesses benefit by having more women in senior leadership roles, yet women remain underrepresented in all facets of commercial real estate leadership. CREW Network’s latest white paper, Accelerating the Advancement of Women in Commercial Real Estate, examines three areas where women continue to be underrepresented in the industry—the talent pipeline; senior executive leadership; and at the corporate board level—and presents an action guide to advance women in each of these critical career areas. The publication also identifies the unique barriers women of color face in advancing, and strategies to ensure all women have equal access to opportunities, pay, and recognition.
DIVERSI NS POLITICAL CORNER
IT’S ALL NOT GOOD!
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW IN THE N WS
With home values up 5.2% from last year but affordability dropping as mortgage rates get higher, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2019’s Best Real-Estate Markets as well as accompanying videos. To determine the most attractive real-estate markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared 300 cities across 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from median home-price appreciation to home sales turnover rate to job growth. And here, North Texans, are the top ten: 1} Boise, ID; 2} Frisco, TX; 3} Overland Park, KS; 4} Cary, NC; 5} Denton, TX; 6} McKinney, TX; 7} Carrollton, TX; 8} Durham, NC; 9} Allen, TX; 10} Fort Wayne, IN. To view the full report and your city’s rank, visit: https:// wallethub.com/edu/best-real-estate-markets/14889/
SH UT-OUTS
Congratulations to Tessie Nolan, Senior Director of the Property Experience Team at Granite Properties, the winner of Globe Street Forum’s Silver Award for Property Management at its Inaugural Women of Influence in Commercial Real Estate Broomfield Colorado in September. GlobeStreet,com took into account, amongst other things: the nominee’s impact on, and reputation within, her firm and broader professional community; the nominee’s professional career highlights, from deal-making savvy and innovation to client satisfaction and personal growth; a proven ability to achieve goals and display ingenuity in terms of creative thinking and problem solving; her dedication to furthering the development of her field and the role of women within it; accomplishments and involvement in her company, the CRE industry and broader social community; and a personal commitment to the highest ethical standards, service and excellence.
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) will launch a Case Study Library resource in late 2019 displaying the very best examples of sustainable building worldwide, and they would love to see your green building showcased. As a global network committed to achieving a sustainable built environment, WorldGBC recognizes the continued appetite market demand to highlight buildings that excel in key areas of sustainability as well as the role of green building certification schemes to provide third party assurance of performance.
A joint initiative between Advancing Net Zero (ANZ) and Better Places for People (BPFP), two of WorldGBC’s global projects, the resource will showcase the ‘best in class’ buildings that demonstrate enhanced performance in relation to health benefits and net zero operational carbon, as verified by established certification schemes, rating tools or other verification systems. Over time, it will develop to respond to the changing nature of sustainability and the work of our member Green Building Councils (GBCs), to become more closely linked to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2019
Congratulations to Pattie McClean on being named as a 2019 REME Award Finalist by the Institute of Real Estate Management for Commercial Property Manager of the Year. She was recognized along with three other finalists at the 2019 Real Estate Management Excellence Awards Gala in San Francisco at the Global Summit Conference, and was the only nominee representing Texas in her category. Criteria for this award include: advancing the real estate management industry; providing transformational service to clients, tenants, and residents; demonstrating personal commitment to community service; demonstrating leadership through innovative initiatives, programs, or business practices that resulted in business advancement and/or property success; demonstrating leadership by mentoring of others; demonstrating commitment to ethical business practices based on the IREM Code of Professional Ethics; engaging in IREM, either directly or through support of employees, colleagues, and industry peers; and promoting the CPM through personal and business relationships.
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW PROFESSIONALS ON THE
JULIE BRAND LYNCH julie@LYNOUS.comJulie Lynch is the principal of LYNOUS, a talent management firm that provides recruiting, interim staffing and training to the real estate industry. She is also a contributing editor of .
Did you recently take a step in your career?
We want to know!
editor@crestnetwork.com
01/ George Hinchey rejoined Haynes and Boone, LLP as a partner in the firm’s San Antonio office.
02/ Andrea Levin Kim joined Daniels & Tredennick in Houston as a litigation partner.
03/ Thomas Moss joined Daniels & Tredennick in Houston as a litigation associate.
04/ Nate Stricklen was promoted to Executive Vice President at CBRE in Austin.
05/ Hanna Rochelle joined CBRE in San Antonio as an Associate with the Office Occupier team.
The Three Dogs
Three handsoMe Male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female poodle. They fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first but end up arriving in front of her at the same time.
Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she decides to be kind and tells them, “The first one who can use the words ‘liver’ and ‘cheese’ together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me.”
The sturdy, muscular black lab speaks up quickly and says, “I love liver and cheese.”
“Oh, how childish,” said the poodle.
06/ Jonathan Bryan was promoted to Executive Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.
07/ Jeremy Faltys was promoted to Executive Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.
08/ Michael Austry was promoted to First Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.
09/ Tommy Nelson was promoted to First Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.
10/ Ben Davis was promoted to First Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.
11/ Andrew Lehner was promoted to Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.
DIVERSI NS
“That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever.” She turns to the tall, shiny golden retriever.
“Ummm. I HATE liver and cheese,” he blurts out.
“My, my,” says the poodle. “I guess it’s hopeless. That’s just as dumb as the lab’s sentence.” She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, “How about you, little guy?”
The last of the three, tiny in stature, but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell chihuahua. He gives her a smile, a sly wink, and turns to the golden retriever and the Lab and says, “Liver alone. Cheese mine.” n
12/ Trevor Atkins was promoted to Senior Associate at CBRE in Dallas.
13/ Campbell Puckett was promoted to Senior Associate at CBRE in Dallas.
14/ Zach Ballenger was promoted to Senior Associate at CBRE in Dallas.
15/ Ryan Stempf joined Weitzman as Chief Investment Relations Officer.
16/ Tracy Clark joined Colliers International as Operations Manager.
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW IN THE L P
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW THE COLLECTORS
As we told you in the July-August issue, the You’re Going to Call Me What feature will occasionally share the space with quizzes or other pieces of interest. Here’s one of those times.
If you collect postcards, you’re a deltiologist. Can you match the collectors on the left with what they collect? (Yes! There’s a word for that!) Answers on backpage (p.54)
It’s amazing that the amount of news happening in the world every day always just exactly fits in the newspaper.
The TrusT For public land works to protect the places people care about and to create close-to-home parks— particularly in and near cities, where 80 percent of Americans live. Its goal is to ensure that every child has easy access to a safe place to play in nature. They also conserve working farms, ranches, and forests; lands of historical and cultural importance; rivers, streams, coasts, and watersheds; and other special places where people can experience nature close at hand.
Founded in 1972 with the goal of protecting land in and around cities and pioneering new
land conservation techniques, its work has expanded to include projects from the inner city to the wilderness. In cities, they’re turning vacant lots into community-designed parks and playgrounds. And we’re addressing the looming climate crisis with strategies to help reduce greenhouse gasses, promote climate adaptation, and create park-rich, climate-smart cities.
The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore® index is the most comprehensive tool available for evaluating park access and quality in the 100 largest U.S. cities. Over the next
several issues of , with permission from and thanks to The Trust for Public Land, we will publish the results of that study for 13 Texas cities: Arlington, Austin (which appeared in our the last two issues), Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Garland, Houston, Irving, Laredo, Lubbock, Plano and San Antonio. If you can’t wait to see all of the results – or want to see where your or another city rates, go to: https://www.tpl. org/node/110916 n
YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW LINK : MARKET PLACE AND DIRECTORY
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A handsome, artbook-style, personalized volume (with your dedication page and advertisement) with over 100 pages of the best Diversions to appear in over the last decade. A waiting room or coffee table book (s)he will treasure for years to come.
Call today for availability, pricing and requirements: The CREST Publications Group: 682-224-5855
THE BACK PAGE
ANSWERS FROM THE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER CONTEST – ¿CÓMO SE DICE?
Song Titles (Spanish / English)
Loco Enamorado / Crazy In Love
Rojo rojo vino / Red Red Wine
Lluvia de noviembre / November Rain
Bajo el puente / Under the Bridge
Beso de una rosa / Kiss from a Rose
Ayer / Yesterday
Dulce niña mía / Sweet Child o’ Mine
Viviendo en una oración / Living on a Prayer
Ojo del tigre / Eye of the Tiger
Cuando un hombre ama a una mujer / When a Man Loves a Woman
Besé a una chica / I Kissed a Girl
Escalera al cielo / Stairway to Heaven
La casa del sol naciente / The House of the Rising Sun
Esta tierra es tu tierra / This Land is Your Land
Corazón de vidrio / Heart of Glass
Somos jóvenes / We Are Young
Mujer americana / American Woman
El león duerme esta noche / The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Camina como un egipcio / Walk Like an Egyptian Navidad blanca / White Christmas
TV Shows (Spanish / English)
Sexo y la ciudad / Sex and the City
Dos hombres y medio / Two and a Half Men
Días alegres / Happy Days
Gran hermano / Big Brother
Las chicas doradas / The Golden Girls
Amigos / Friends
El ala oeste / The West Wing
Ley y orden / Law & Order
Parque del sur / South Park
La Liga de justicia / Justice League
Perdidos / Lost
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR PRIZE WINNERS!
Arlenia Alemán of Austin won a Home Base Charging Hub. // Matt Galpin of San Angelo won Proptech 101 (our featured book review). // Roberta Marcum of Houston won a set of TikiTunes wireless speakers. // Dionne Walker of Sarasota, FL and Brett McDaniels of Rockport each won an IQConnect Wi-Fi Smart Plug. // David Randall of Wichita Falls and Cindi Cunningham of Arlington each won 6’ Nomad premium connector cables.
Juego de tronos / Game of Thrones
Rey de la colina / King of the Hill Sangre verdadera / True Blood
Casa de cartas / House of Cards
Bailando con las estrellas / Dancing with the Stars
Castillo / Castle
Tocado por un ángel / Touched by an Angel Cómo conocí a vuestra madre / How I Met Your Mother
Hijos de la anarquía / Sons of Anarchy
El precio justo / The Price is Right Persona de interés / Person of Interest
ANSWERS FROM PAGE 49: THE COLLECTORS
DIVERSI NS THE PASTORAL LIFE
In France, the young assistant pastors do not live in the main rectory. That is reserved for the Pastor and his housekeeper. One day the Pastor invited his new young Assistant Pastor to have dinner at the rectory. While being served, the young Pastor noticed how shapely and lovely the housekeeper was and he wondered….
After the meal was over, the middle-aged Pastor assured the young priest that everything was purely professional and that she was the housekeeper and cook and that was that. About a week later the housekeeper came to the Pastor and said, “Father, ever since the new assistant came for dinner, I have not been able to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don’t suppose he took it, do you?”
The Pastor said,” Well, I doubt it, but I’ll write him a letter.” He wrote, “Dear Father, I’m not saying that you did take the gravy ladle and I’m not saying you did not take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that it has been missing since you were here for dinner.”
The young assistant received the letter and answered it as follows: “Dear Father Pastor, I’m not saying that you do sleep with the housekeeper and I’m not saying that you do not sleep with the housekeeper, but I do know for sure that if you slept in your own bed, you would have found the gravy ladle by now!” n
COMING NEXT ISSUE
In Herstory, Contributing Editor Rose-Mary Rumbley tells the story of the Alexander Procter’s statue of Robert E. Lee which was dedicated in Dallas in 1936 by Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Teaser: Rose-Mary was there!) and is now on a golf course in La Lajitas. (The 18th hole of that course is actually in Mexico - and a very wealthy man owns the town.) In Amazing Buildings, Contributing Editor Angela O’Byrne explores several high-profile, intriguing structures intended to draw visitors and offer up opportunities for views, including China’s Lucky Knot Bridge and NYC’s Vessel Stairway. Contributing Editor Tony Barbieri’s Legal View will examine legal issues involving service animals.
With permission from and thanks to The Trust for Public Land, we will continue to publish the results of their study on parks for the fifth of thirteen Texas cities – this time for El Paso. We will present a pictorial tribute to the architecture of Antoni Gaudí, the architect of Barcelona and Eero Saarinen, Finnish-American architect and industrial designer noted for his neo-futuristic style. A new way of looking at brick and mortar shoppers is offered by Zenreach Attract and a new approach to connecting the commercial design and construction industries is introduced by Mortarr.com
Of course, we will have our affiliates’ news and events, the Wow Factor, Diversions, By the Numbers, True Dat, You Need to Know, Political Corner, Professionals on the Move, The Resource Page, Shout-Outs, In the Loop, Real Estate of the Future, our bimonthly contest and much MUCH more.
C NTEST: A NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES
There are countless ways in which we use numbers (See what we did there?) – sometimes more memorably than others. Each one of the clues below is linked to a number between 1 and 66. Can you match them up? No two answers are the same.
Write the number in the space provided. Then, scan or copy this page and send your entry to editor@crestnetwork.com or fax it to 817.924.7116 on or before December 2nd for a chance to win a valuable prize. (The answers will appear in our January-February issue.)
# of strikes and you’re out.
# of seasons.
Century - real estate company.
# of continents.
# of days in a Beatles’ week.
Cat-O- Tails.
Dollar value of the bill with Alexander Hamilton on it.
# of original colonies.
# of days in a fortnight.
The square root of 225.
# of pairs of human chromosomes.
Hour Fitness (gym).
# of letters in the English alphabet.
Age at death of Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse .
# - a song by the Dave Matthews Band.
F- , the most lethal fighter jet ever produced
Flags Amusement Park
Oceans movie #
The age at which Elvis Presley died Seconds of Summer (Australian pop band)
# on jerseys worn by Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O’Neal
Presidential number of George H.W. Bush
19 - the first year of the Ford Mustang
# of cards in a deck
# of the amendment with provisions for replacing the president
“At ” song by Janis Ian
The voting age
# of countries in the Eurozone Questions (game)
# of days in February
Closest number to the number of days in a lunar month
Most common mortgage loan length in years
# of days in the longest month
# of candles in a song by the Crests days of Christmas
# of teams in the NFL
Car Where Are You? (TV sitcom in the 60s)
The th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) by Simon & Garfunkel
The loneliest number according to Three Dog Night
How many “it takes” in a duet by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston
The lowest passing grade
# of the famous route - the 2-lane, 2448-mile highway linking Chicago to Los Angeles
# of Inches in a yard
XLVI as a cardinal number
The national Maximum Speed Law prohibited speeds higher than this from 1974-1987
1984 film about the brutal murder and rape of Kitty Genovese
Any revolver chambered for the Smith & Wesson Special
Steve Carrell’s virgin age
The age at which Jack Benny stopped counting
The golden Spanish liqueur Vicks formula cough suppressant
# of RPMs on a pre-digital single record disc with a large center hole
AK- - a Russian made assault rifle
# of countries in Asia
# of ways to leave your lover according to Paul Simon
# of countries in Europe
Maximum # of players on an NFL roster during the season
In 1941, Joe DiMaggio had a hit in this many consecutive games (which is still a record)
# of varieties in former Heinz campaign slogan
The minimum wind speed (mph) needed to issue a Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Minutes (CBS news show since 1968)
# of home runs Roger Maris hit to break Babe Ruth’s record in 1961
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 19
Will You Still Love When I’m (this old)? asked Ringo Starr
# of Magnum handgun
ers – San Francisco football team
THE ARSENAL
COMPANIES
...BECAUSE SOMETIMES IS WHAT YOU KNOW
We Speak Real Estate
The Arsenal Companies are a diversified consulting, educational and publishing group, dedicated to service in the real estate industry. With national reach, regional strength and local sensibilities, we serve and service large and small companies as well as governmental entities in acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, licensing, contracting, procurement, insurance certificate tracking, educational program development, mediation services and collections.
Our Contracts and Procurement Services Division provides solutions and services that help real estate owners and companies effectively manage their contractual needs and commitments. We provide industry knowledge and we practice deal facilitation rather than obstruction. Whether you are a property, facility or asset manager, your functions are integrally related to real estate contracts. Quality management is all about contracts.
Leasing
Acquisitions, dispositions, renewals, surrenders, amendments, abstracting, administration, interpretation – our professionals are experienced in residential, commercial, industrial, professional and retail leasing issues of all kinds.
Highly focused.
Highly specialized.
Highly respected.
Procurement
Supply Chain Management
Procurement Administration
Supplier Recognition Programs
RFI, RFP, RFQ Administration
Vendor/Supplier Resourcing
Vendor Reduction Programs
Customized Purchase Orders
Are the contracts for services and supplies which your organization uses prepared for your organization – or are they the vendor’s or contractor’s agreement forms? Wouldn’t you be better off if those agreements and purchase orders were revisited from your perspective? Isn’t it time you fortified your real estate related contracts?
Contract Negotiation and Drafting Services
Do you have contract issues that call out for review, interpretation and the advice of a specialist? Do you have a service contract which is about to expire and will need to be renewed or replaced? Do you have oversight of a real estate or facilities function which has been given savings targets? Have you considered ‘outsourcing’ this part of your real estate function but fear a loss of control?
Don’t assume that problems won’t occur. Plan what you can do to avoid them. A small reduction in costs can be the equivalent of a substantial increase in value. We suggest ‘refinements’ to improve language and reduce direct and indirect costs. Our attorneys have successfully resolved leasing issues for both small and Fortune 100 corporations – effectuating $millions in savings.
We analyze the details of your proposed service contracts before they begin - while you still have leverage. Or, we can review your existing service contracts, help reveal cost efficiencies and/or savings opportunities. We look for pragmatic solutions that are sensitive to your business interests, anticipating issues that may arise, and we assist in minimizing those risks that cannot be avoided.
The Arsenal Companies
2537 Lubbock Avenue Fort Worth, TX 76109 Tel: 682.224.5855 Fax: 817.924.7116
www.thearsenalcompanies.com
Leases are highly specialized documents. A few words can make a world of difference.
Anyone with experience.