March-April 2023

AMAZ NG BU LDINGS WORD FUN

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF GREECE ARTCH TECTURE

MAPPING THE WORLD’S FORESTS AMERICA’S FAVORITE RCHITECTURE

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KN W THE WISDOM OF SOCRATES

HOUSING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BANISHED WORDS MARIST MIND SET

REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE TR E DAT

THE KIDS SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS AT THE BORDER

THE VOICE OF REAL ESTATE

from the pages of

The Best Diversions

Give yourself the gift of smiles. J

A handsome, artbook-style volume with the best Diversions to appear in over the last decade. A compendium you will treasure for years to come.

"This collection is laugh-out-loud funny!"

Kirkland Review of Books

"Prescription: Read 3-4 pages a day for a month. It’ll brighten your day! And make it last a month."

Susan Carnegie, The Montreal Voice

From Where I Sit

The Editor’s Page in is almost totally devoted to humor and wisdom and this is a collection of some of the best of them.

Vertical Lines I and II

Compilations of Sarcasm, Word Play, and Witticisms from the pages of

"This is simply genius. I kept on laughing the whole day when I read it."

Maria Tariq

"...absolutely hilarious! I laughed so hard that it brought tears to my eyes."

Randal Maynard

also from The CREST Publications Group

My Hand Book Leading With My Heart

"Incisive yet expansive - as if the psychology of R.D. Laing encountered the self-exploration of Hugh Prather to help readers delve into their own thought, experiences and behaviours."

The Rockford Tribune

"Curiously intense and ironic. This is a work that will make you think and feel and you will revisit it over and over.

Marion Danziger, The Toronto Town Crier

S.H.I.T. from the Internet

“An often off-color (but always entertaining and almost always hilarious) collection of jokes that you will read, enjoy – and probably tell –over and over.”

Joey Cousins, The Greenwich Times

All available at Amazon, BarnesAndNoble, Alibris and in the Apple Book Store.

"It matters not who we have been, or why, with whom, or how. What matters is that we have met and who we are from now."

Original reflections on new love, its flame, intensity, and all-consuming spirit. Short, poetic expressions of heartfelt longing, passion, and desire. Intimate expressions of tenderness and adoration, accompanied by romantic pictures. A wonderful gift for someone you love.

“So simple. So eloquent and beautiful. Absolutely wonderful!”

Allison Templeton

A Book

"A perfect companion to Vertical Lineshumor in bite-sized pieces.”

Ellen Campbell, Sinclair Book

Reviews

unite! this!

"Dyslexics of the world, untie!”

Punsters of the world, read shit!"

L. Bartow. The Network Bookshelf

See a sample of each of the books at www.crestnetwork.com

16 MAPPING THE WORLD'S FORESTS: HOW GREEN IS OUR GLOBE? A Visual Capitalist Graphic.

20 BANISHED WORDS LIST

Our seventh installment of Lake Superior State University’s “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.”

22 MARIST MINDSET LIST

Our 11th installment of the list-at-a glimpse of the cultural milestones which mold the lives of those who entered college in the fall of last year – the class of ’26.

24 REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE Changchun Airport – MAD Architects wins a design competition for a new terminal.

THE BLUEPRINT

12

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KN W

40 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Part 7 of a pictorial series — the designated sites of Greece.

44 HOUSING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Sylvia King-Cohen opines on today’s approach to providing suitable living facilities for an all-too-often neglected segment of our population.

48 WORD FUN

Contranyms are words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings.

21 WAYNE STATE WARRIORS

Our seventh installment of Wayne State University’s list of words to bring back to common usage.

32 AMAZ NG BU LDINGS – TEN STORIES WORTH REMEMBERING

Contributing Editor Angela O’Byrne looks at a decade of this masterful feature.

37 PROFILES IN REAL ESTATE

Contributing Editor Roxana Tofan interviews Steven Hutson of First American Title.

36 THE KIDS SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS AT THE BORDER?

Contributing Editor T.J. Edwards updates an important story that has not been reported on recently.

30

AMERICA’S FAVORITE RCHITECTURE

Part 7 of a series — a pictorial of #s 91-105 in an AIA survey.

52 ARTCH TECTURE

Abraham Hunter - Painter of Wildlife, Warmth, and Inspiration.

54 THE WISDOM OF SOCRATES

One of the founders of Western philosophy –as relevant today as way back then.

57

Contributing Editor Rose-Mary Rumbley reflects on Andrew Jackson.

MARCH/APRIL 2023 / VOL 31 / ISSUE 2

ABOUT US

Now in our 31st year, reaches architects, engineers, developers, brokers, construction managers, property and facility managers, bankers, lawyers, appraisers, investors, service providers, and many more throughout the U.S. via subscription and social media! We proudly serve and service any and all real estate associations bimonthly. If your group would like to be included, please let us know. Email: editor@crestnetwork.com or call the number above.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

ANDREW A. FELDER: Publisher/Managing Editor. aafelder@crestnetwork.com

XENIA MONTERO: Associate Editor and Art Director. xeniam.design@gmail.com

ANNETTE LAWLESS: Social Media Manager. annettelawless@hotmail.com

MARK ANGLE: Director of Business Development. mark@crestnetwork.com

MARIA TARIQ: Technical Director, Book Division. mariatariq070213@hotmail.com

ADVISORY BOARD

KIM GHEZ, Director of Marketing, Presidio Title.

KIM HOPKINS, Executive Director, CREW Dallas.

LINDSEY KOREN, Director of Communications, American Society of Interior Designers.

JONATHAN KRAATZ, Executive Director, USGBC Texas.

RICK LACKEY, CEO, REAL Professionals Network.

AIMÉE LEE, National Accounts Director, Recycle Across America.

LESLIE ROBINETT, Marketing and Communications Manager, International Facility Management Association.

LAURA MACDONALD STEWART, RID, FASID, IIDA, LEED AP, Editor of Plinth & Chintz.

MICHELLE THATCHER, CEO, The U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce.

JESSICA WARRIOR, Director of Property Management, Granite Properties.

WHAT OUR READERS ARE saying

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

ANGELA O’BYRNE, AIA: Amazing Buildings.

ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY: Herstory.

ANTHONY BARBIERI: Legal.

T. J. EDWARDS : Whatever Happened To...?

ROXANA TOFAN: Profiles in Real Estate

third party, including, without limitation, the accuracy, subject matter, quality or timeliness of any Content. Change of address: Mail to address above or email editor@crestpublicationsgroup.com

Rose-Mary Rumbley

Anthony Barbieri

Angela O’Byrne

Roxana Tofan T. J. Edwards

Andrew A. Felder Xenia Montero

Maria Tariq Mark Angle

Annette Lawless

It means you're in the wrong house; that's what it means. (Henny Youngman)

Our PDF edition is an exact replica of the printed magazine and our web edition has many more articles and features. Browse, search, and save your favorites, or check the archives for something you want to read again!

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

SYLVIA E. KING-COHEN (P. 44) originally from Oklahoma - graduated from Oklahoma State University. During her time in graduate school at OSU, she was the first Black person to be named editor of The Daily O’Collegian, the college newspaper. She went on to become the first Black female editor of a major Oklahoma daily, the prize-winning Weatherford Daily News. She also worked for the Harte-Hanks newspaper chain in Texas and for The Dallas Times Herald before moving to the Atlanta Journal-Constit ution as a sports editor. She moved to New York in 1995 to become the high school and college sports editor for New York City edition of Newsday. She worked for Newsday in various capacities before leaving in 2019. She now is a publicist working for the PR firm Todd Shapiro Associates.

Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness?

BRIGADIER GENERAL

THOMAS J. EDWARDS (P. 36) recently retired from the Army after 30 years of service and moved to San Antonio, Texas in May of 2022. He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Military Officers’ Association of America, and the 82d Airborne Division Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, and master’s degrees from Oklahoma University, the Naval War College, and the Army War College.

ADAM SYMINGTON (P.16) is a geospatial data scientist, leading the data science team at Geollect Ltd. and running the PythonMaps project, which is designed to spread the love of geospatial data through eye-catching visualizations. Prior to his career in data science, he was a computational materials scientist at the University of Bath in England, where he used machine learning and other statistical techniques to predict the properties of materials. Check out his work at PythonMaps Etsy

ANGELA O’BYRNE (P. 32) 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. 57) 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.

ROXANA TOFAN (P. 36) is the owner of Clear Integrity Group in San Antonio, Texas and the company’s principal broker in Texas, Ohio and South Carolina. Her main focus is multifamily commercial brokerage in San Antonio area and property management. She enjoys taking over nonperforming properties and turning them around. She is also a Contributing Editor of and her Profiles of Survival will appear in every issue. In addition to her company, her passion is giving back to the community as she volunteers for various support organizations such as Boy Scouts of America, Special Olympics, Alzheimer’s Association and supporting the military. She loves to travel with her teenage children and supporting their extra-curricular activities.

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNTIME...

Fans of will love these compilations of humor from the last decade. The Best of Diversions is just that – the very best of the hilarious Diversions that have appeared on the pages of the magazine. Vertical Lines is over a hundred pages of wit, witticisms and sarcasm that have appeared between the

the network bookshelf on days off on off-days on rainy Sundays if you’re alone if you need a break to pass the time to brighten your day to sharpen your skills to open your mind to make you smile turn to www.crestnetwork.com

pages (”in the gutter”, as they say). They are both available at your favorite online bookseller and you can see samples at the link here My Handbook is… well… look at the cover comments and a few sample pages. You’ll know soon enough if it’s for you.

BY ANDREW FELDER Managing Editor & Publisher aafelder@crestnetwork.com

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW Editor’s note

GROWING OLD (THANK YOU, GEORGE CARLIN!)

The only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids If you’re less than ten years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!"

You're never 36 and a half... but you're four and a half, going on 5.

You get into your teens. Now, they can't hold you back.

You jump to the next number. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!"

You could be 12, but you're GONNA be 16. Eventually.

Then, the great day of your life. You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. You BECOME 21... YES!!!!!

Then, you turn 30. What happened there?

Makes you sound like bad milk which needs to be thrown out. He "TURNED 30? What's wrong? What changed?

You BECOME 21

You TURN 30

Then you're PUSHING 40. You REACH 50 and then, you MAKE IT to 60.

By then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70. After that, it's a day-by-day thing. You HIT Wednesday.

You get into your 80s. You HIT lunch, you HIT 4:30. My Grandmother won't even buy green bananas.

"Well, it's an investment, you know, and maybe a bad one."

And it doesn't end there...

Into the 90s, you start going backwards!

"I was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens...

If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again!

"I’m 100 and a half."

Happy aging! Remember growing old is only mind over matter.

If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

Say "what am I here for?"

I rack my brain, but all in vain

A zero is my score.

At times I put something away Where it is safe but, Gee!

NO JOKE

My forgetter’s getting better

But my rememberer is broke.

To you that may seem funny

But to me, that is no joke.

For when I'm "here” I'm wondering

If I really should be "there."

And when I try to think it through, I haven't got a prayer.

Oft times I walk into a room,

The person it is safest from Is generally, me!

When shopping I may see someone, Say "Hi" and have a chat.

Then, when the person walks away, I ask myself, "Who the heck was that?"

Yes, my forgetter's getting better While my rememberer is broke.

And it's driving me plumb crazy And that isn't any joke.

I WANT WHAT SHE’S HAVING

I have a delightful new friend, I am most in awe of her. When we first met I was impressed, By her bizarre behavior.

That day I had a date with friends, We met to have some lunch. Mae had come along with them, All in all... a pleasant bunch. When the menus were presented, We ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups. Except for Mae who circumvented, And said, "Ice Cream, please—two scoops."

I wasn’t sure my ears heard right, And the others were aghast. "Along with heated apple pie," Mae added, completely unabashed.

We tried to act quite nonchalant, As if people did this all the time. But when our orders were brought out, I did not enjoy mine.

I could not take my eyes off Mae, As her pie a-la-mode went down. The other ladies showed dismay, They ate their lunches silently and frowned.

The next time I went out to eat, l called and invited Mae. My lunch contained white tuna meat, She ordered a parfait.

I smiled when her dish I viewed, And she asked if she amused me. I answered, “Yes, you do, But also you confuse me.”

"How come you order rich desserts, When I feel I must be sensible?" She laughed and said, with wanton mirth, “I’m tasting all that's possible.”

I try to eat the food I need, And do the things I should. But life's so short, my friend, indeed, I’d hate missing out on something good.

This year I realized how old I am. I've not been this old before. So, before I die, I’ve got to try Those things I have ignored.

I've not smelled all the flowers yet, There are too many books I have not read. There are more fudge sundaes to wolf down, And kites to be flown overhead. There are many malls I have not shopped, I've not laughed at all the jokes. I've missed a lot of Broadway hits, And potato chips and cokes.

I want to wade again in water, And feel ocean spray upon my face. Sit in a country church once more, And thank God for His grace.

I want peanut butter every day, Spread on my morning toast. I want untimed long-distance calls, To the folks I love the most.

I’ve not cried at all the movies yet, Nor walked in the morning rain. I need to feel wind in my hair, If want to faff in love again.

So, if I choose to have dessert, Instead of having dinner. Then should I die before night fall, I'd say I died a winner.

Because I missed out on nothing, I filled my heart's desire. I had that final chocolate mousse, Before my life expired.

With that, I called the waitress over, I’ve changed my mind, it seems. I said, I want what she is having, Only add some more whipped cream!

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Robert Brault

Crushing pop cans is soda pressing.

I have a chicken-proof lawn. It's impeccable.

ON THE COVER

Despite being a country boy, I love visiting America’s exciting big cities with my favorite being New York City. It’s the place where anything can happen, especially for an artist. While visiting one cold winter I fell in love with the way the lights shimmered on the snow, and it felts like walking in a holiday movie. My imagination went into overdrive, and I went to painting this nostalgic and sentimental scene. Before I finished it, our family dog (that we’d had all during childhood) passed away. I decided a fitting tribute would be to place him strolling along the streets of this magical city of lights.

INB X

The early reviews on Vertical Lines II are starting to come in…

What a riot ... thanks for being such a day brightener!!

So wonderful!

MITCH HEDLUND, PORTLAND OR Awesome!

ANNETTE LAWLESS, WICHITA, KS

TOOOOOO CUTE

Thank you!!!!

CAROLYN JOHNSON FLETCHER

Your new book looks so fun!  "I run like the winded.”— Haha!  I love it so much.

ALEX BUNKER, LAKELAND, FL

(SEE PAGE 3 FOR HOW TO GET YOUR OWN COPY.)

‘CITY LIGHTS’ by Abraham Hunter

ANGIE HARMON

Actress and volunteer advocate for Recycle Across America

IFMA’s World Workplace® is the marquee facility management event for all facility professionals working in the built environment. Whether you’re a facility manager, property manager, work in human resources (HR), construction, or are a vendor or service provider to the facilities management industry, World Workplace is the must-attend event for incredible thought-leadership, networking, education, and lead-generating opportunities.

Grow your professional career or business by connecting with the greatest minds and incredible people in facility management. If you’ve never attended an IFMA World Workplace, it’ll be an experience you’ll never forget.

worldworkplace.ifma.org

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KN W

WHEN/WHY BRITISH HONDURAS BECAME BELIZE

The original name of Belize was British Honduras. The country of Honduras does not share a border with Belize; they do both border on the Bay of Honduras. which was once visited by Christopher Columbus on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. It was he who (in 1502) gave the territory the name of “Honduras” (a Spanish word meaning “the depths”) because of the deep water directly off the coast. Belize was the heart of the vast ancient Maya civilization that stretched from Mexico to El Salvador.

British Honduras was a British colony (as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1783 between Britain and Spain) from 1783 to 1964, then it became a self-governing colony (renamed Belize in June 1973) until September 1981, when it gained full independence as Belize. British Honduras was the last continental possession of the United Kingdom in the Americas. Its name didn’t come from any association with the Spanish colony of Honduras; rather it came from the fact that they both shared access to the body of water that had been named the Bay of Honduras.

British Honduras earned its name thanks to a critical waterway, so it’s only fitting that Belize is named after its most prominent river—The Belize River—which largely traces the territorial line between Mexico and Belize.

BORBORYGMI

The growling or rumbling sound that gas makes as it moves through the stomach and small intestines. Borborygmi can occur when you're hungry, but it can also happen after meals. Associated with hunger, slow or incomplete digestion, or the consumption of certain foods, it’s normal and most of the time no one can hear it, but it can be loud enough to be audible from time to time, because there is nothing in the stomach to muffle these sounds.

CAPGRAS SYNDROME

Capgras syndrome (a/k/a Capgras Delusion) is a rare psychiatric disorder in which a person believes that a familiar person (typically a close family member) or pet has

DOWN SYNDROME

Down syndrome is a chromosome disorder associated with intellectual disability, a characteristic facial appearance, with small nose and an upward slant to the eyes, and low muscle tone in infancy. The degree of intellectual disability varies from mild to moderate. People with Down syndrome may also be born with various health concerns such as heart defects or digestive abnormalities, as well as short stature and a single deep crease across the center of the palm. They also have an increased risk to develop gastroesophageal reflux, celiac disease, hypothyroidism, hearing and vision problems, leukemia, and Alzheimer disease. Down syndrome is caused by having three copies of chromosome 21 (called trisomy 21) instead of the usual two copies and is typically not inherited. Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. There are three types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) accounts for 95% of cases, translocation accounts for about 4%, and mosaicism accounts for about 1%

been replaced by an identical looking impostor. This results in the affected individual experiencing feelings of mistrust and detachment towards the supposed impostor. The disorder is often associated with

brain injury, neurological conditions, or psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia. [It is named after Joseph Capgras (1873–1950), the French psychiatrist who first described the disorder.]

I ate a frozen apple. Hard core.

FROM PERSIA TO IRAN

The Greeks were the first to use the name Persia to refer to Cyrus the Great’s empire. It came from Parsa, the name of the people from whom Cyrus the Great emerged. Thus, the word Persia is an exonym (a name used by outsiders to refer to an ethnic, racial, or social group or its language or even a geographical area, that the group itself does not use). Greek mythology associated the name Persia with Perseus (a son of Zeus), whose son, Perses, was the sire of the Persian people.

The name Iran dates back to the Zoroastrians (1000BC)

In the 1930s Reza Shah Pahlavi undertook steps to formally change the name from Persia to Iran, and, in 1959, Reza Shah’s son announced that the terms Iran and Persia could be used interchangeably in formal correspondence. Despite this, Iran has become the country’s dominant name, and since 1979, its official name is the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word translated as “yoke” or “union.” It is an ancient Hindu practice whose origins are traced back thousands of years to the Upanishads, a collection of yogic texts dating from roughly 800 BC to 400 AD. The word “yoga” was first mentioned in the Rigveda. It involves connecting movement, meditation, and breathing techniques to promote mental and physical well-being and relaxation. There are many different types of yoga, but generally the many physical and mental benefits include building muscle strength, enhancing flexibility, promoting better breathing, supporting heart health, helping with treatment for addiction, reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improved sleep, and enhancing overall well-being and quality of life.

When the smog lifts in California, UCLA.

YOGA

I’M A FAN!

In the summer, ceiling fans should be spinning in a counterclockwise direction to help create a cooling breeze. In the winter, you want the spin to be clockwise to create an updraft and circulate warm air around the room. By recirculating the warm air and distributing it back into the living space. This will save you money on heating and air conditioning, lessen the load on your furnace and improve the average room temperature.

WHAT IS POPULISM?

Populism refers to a range of political stances. The term began in the late 19th century and has since then been applied to various politicians, parties, and movements often as a pejorative. Within political science and other social sciences, a common framework for interpreting populism is known as the ideational approach This defines populism as an ideology which presents ‘the people’ as a morally good force and contrasts them against ‘the elite,’ who are portrayed as corrupt and self-serving.

Populists differ in how ‘the people’ are defined, but it can be based along class, ethnic, or national lines. Populists typically present ‘the elite’ as comprising the political, economic, cultural, and media establishment, depicted as a homogeneous entity and accused of placing their own interests, and often the interests of other groups—such as large corporations, foreign countries, or immigrants—above the interests of ‘the people.’

Populist parties and social movements are often led by charismatic or dominant figures who present themselves as ‘the voice of the people.’ According to the ideational approach, populism is often combined with other ideologies, such as nationalism, liberalism, or socialism. Thus, populists can be found at different locations along the left–right political spectrum, and there is both left-wing populism and right-wing populism.

DIVERSI NS MY I PEE ADDRESS

WHAT IS THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME?

The Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological response to being held captive in which the captive(s) form a psychological connection with their captors and begin sympathizing with them. The condition gets its name from a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden. A criminologist and psychiatrist investigating the event developed the term when, during the six-day standoff with police, many of the captive bank employees became sympathetic toward the bank robbers; and, after they were released, some refused to testify against the bank robbers in court and even raised money for their defense.

In addition to the kidnapper-hostage situation, the term Stockholm Syndrome is now used to describe other types of traumas in which there’s a bond between the abuser and the person being abused. Many medical professionals consider the victim’s positive feelings toward their abuser a psychological response — a coping mechanism — that they use to survive the days, weeks or even years of trauma or abuse.

Some of the same behaviors and feelings are seen in victims of other types of traumas, including: sexual, physical and emotional abuse child abuse; coach-athlete abuse; and human sex trafficking.

The American Psychiatric Association doesn’t officially recognize Stockholm Syndrome as a condition. However, all healthcare providers recognize behaviors that result from a traumatic situation. The criteria for PTSD or acute stress disorder and some treatments are often similar to Stockholm Syndrome.

People who have Stockholm Syndrome have positive feelings toward their captors or abusers, sympathy for their captors’ beliefs and behaviors, and negative feelings toward police or other authority figures. n

MAPPING THE WORLD’S FORESTS: HOW GREEN IS OUR GLOBE?

according To The UniTed Nations (UN), forests cover 31% of the world’s land surface. They absorb roughly 15.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) every year. More than half of this green cover is spread across the boreal forests of Russia and Canada, the Amazon in South America, and China’s coniferous and broad-leaved forests. These carbon-sequestering forests purify the air, filter water, prevent soil erosion, and act as an important buffer against climate change.

This series of maps by Adam Symington uses data sourced from images collected aboard the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite to reflect the ratio of the world’s surface covered with tree canopy to non-green areas. Below we’ll take a closer look at some of the world’s green zones.

ASIA

Home to the boreal forests of Russia, China’s broad-leaved forests, the mangrove forests of Indonesia, and the green belt along the mighty Himalayas, Asia boasts some of the richest and most biodiverse green canopies of the world.

Russia holds more than one-fifth of the world’s trees across 815 million hectares— larger than the Amazon’s canopy. Like the country’s geography, most of Russia’s forests are situated in Asia, but spread into Europe as well.

To the southeast and with a forest cover of almost 220 million hectares, China is the fifth greenest country in the world. However, this was not always the case. In 1990, China’s forests stretched across only 157 million hectares, covering 16.7% of its land. By the end of 2020, this forest cover reached 23.4%, thanks to decades of greening efforts.

On the other hand, the continent’s third most biodiverse country—Indonesia—is losing its green canopy. With a 92 million hectare-wide forest canopy, the country is home to between 10 and 15% of the world’s

known plants, mammals, and birds

Unfortunately, over the past 50 years, 74 million hectares of the country’s rainforest have been logged, burned, or degraded.

Meanwhile, the 72 million hectares of Indian forest cover can be followed closely with the eye. From the rainforests along the Himalayas in the northeast, to montane rainforests of the South Western Ghats, and finally to the coastal mangrove forests.

NORTH AMERICAN FORESTS

Canada, the United States, and Mexico combine for 723 million hectares of the world’s forests. The vast stretches of pine and fir trees in the Great White North, coupled with the United States’ mixed variety of forests, make the continent one of the largest carbon sinks in the world.

With over 347 million hectares of forests, Canada ranks third in the list of greenest countries. Approximately 40% of its landmass is tree-covered, representing 9% of the global forest cover. Its boreal forests store twice as much carbon per unit as tropical forests and help regulate the global carbon footprint.

The United States, on the other hand, holds about 8% of the world’s forests. Spread across 310 million hectares of land, these diverse forests range from the boreal forests of Alaska to pine plantations in the South, and the deciduous forests in the Eastern United States to the dry conif-erous forests in the West. The country is also home to temperate rainforests along its West Coast and tropical rainforests in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

THE AMAZON AND CONGOLIAN RAINFORESTS

In South America, Brazil has the second-largest green cover in the world.

Most of its 497 million hectare-wide forest cover falls within “the lungs of the planet”—the Amazon rainforest.

One of the most biodiverse places on the planet, the Amazon rainforest is said to house about 10% of the world’s biodiversity, including over three million wildlife species and over 2,500 tree species.

On the other side of the Atlantic, extending along the Congo River basin and its many tributaries, are the Congolian rainforests. Spread across nine countries in Central Africa, this collection of tropical moist broadleaf forests is one of the remaining regions in the world that absorbs more carbon than it emits.

THE WORLD’S LOST FORESTS

While China and a few select countries have proven that there is hope for building out the world’s forests, the story is different in other places around the world. This map by Adam Symington uses data from the University of Maryland to track the changes in the world’s forest cover from 2000 to 2021.

Since 2000, the world lost over 104 million hectares of pristine and intact forest landscapes. In 2020 alone, over 2.471 million acres of the Amazon were destroyed for the development of roads.

With 126 million hectares of the world’s green cover, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) contains the largest part of this rainforest, equal to about 60% of Central Africa’s lowland forest cover.

Deforestation and fragmentation are caused by a range of human development activities. But they are also exacerbated by climate change, with increasing forest fires, hurricanes, droughts, and other extreme weather events, as well as invasive species and insect outbreaks upsetting forest ecosystems.

At the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) held in Montréal, nations across the world committed to the 30X30 plan, which called for the conservation of the world’s land and marine ecosystems by 2030. Alongside other commitments to end deforestation and grow the world’s canopies, there is still hope for the world’s forests. n

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This is oUr sevenTh year presenting the lists you see on this page and the next. Now a New Year’s Eve tradition, Lake Superior State University (Michigan’s smallest public university) released its annual “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness” on December 31st. The tradition was started by the late W. T. Rabe, a public relations director at Lake Superior State University, on December 31, 1975. Though he and his friends created the first list from their own pet peeves about language, Rabe knew from the volume of mail he received in the following weeks that the group would have no shortage of words and phrases from which to choose. Since then, the list has consisted of nominations received from around the world throughout the year; it has been so popular among language purists that the university has kept it going. Over the decades, Lake State has received tens of thousands of nominations for the list, which now totals more than 1,000 entries. They copyrighted the concept, “to uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging avoidance of words and terms that are overworked, redundant, oxymoronic, clichéd, illogical, nonsensical—and otherwise ineffective, baffling, or irritating.”

This year, nominations came from most major U.S. cities and many U.S. states, plus Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Portugal, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, India, China, Namibia, South Africa, Nigeria, American Samoa, Malaysia, the British Virgin Islands, Trinidad, and Tobago, and throughout Canada. LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley said, “Irregardless, moving forward, it is what it is: an absolutely amazing inflection point of purposeless and ineptitude that overtakes so many mouths and fingers.”

See all of the banished words since 1976 and learn more about Lake Superior State University <HERE>. Excerpted from the school’s website, what follows is the list of the banished words and terms for 2023:

1. GOAT

The acronym for Greatest of All Time gets the goat of petitioners and judges for overuse, misuse, and uselessness. “Applied to everyone and everything from athletes to chicken wings,” an objector declared. “How can anyone or anything be the GOAT, anyway?” Records fall; time continues. Some sprinkle GOAT like table salt on “anyone who’s really good.” Another wordsmith: ironically, “goat” once suggested something unsuccessful; now, GOAT is an indiscriminate flaunt.

2023

BANISHED WORDS LIST

2. INFLECTION POINT

Mathematical term that entered everyday parlance and lost its original meaning. This year’s version of “pivot,” banished in 2021. “Chronic throat-clearing from historians, journalists, scientists, or politicians. Its ubiquity has driven me to an inflection point of throwing soft objects about whenever I hear it,” a quipster recounted. “Inflection point has reached its saturation point and point of departure,” proclaimed another. “Pretentious way to say turning point.” Overuse and misuse.

3. QUIET QUITTING

Trendy but inaccurate. Not an employee who inconspicuously resigns. Instead, an employee who completes the minimum requirements for a position. Some nominator reasons: “normal job performance,” “fancy way of saying ‘work to rule,’” “nothing more than companies complaining about workers refusing to be exploited,” “it’s not a new phenomenon; it’s burnout, ennui, boredom, disengagement.” On the precipice for next year’s Banished Words List as well for ongoing misuse and overuse.

4. GASLIGHTING

Nominators are not crazy by arguing that overuse disconnects the term from the real concern it has identified in the past: dangerous psychological manipulation that causes victims to distrust their thoughts, feelings, memories, or perception of reality. Others cited misuse: an incorrect catchall to refer generally to conflict or disagreement. It’s too obscure of a reference to begin with, avowed sundry critics, alluding to the 1938 play and 1940/44 movies.

5. MOVING FORWARD

Misuse, overuse, and uselessness. “Where else would we go?” wondered a sage—since we can’t, in fact, travel backward in time. “May also refer to ‘get my way,’ as in, ‘How can we move forward?’ Well, guess what? Sometimes you can’t,” another wit stated. Politicians and bosses often wield it for “semantic legitimacy” of self-interest, evasion, or disingenuousness. Its next of kin, “going forward,” banished in 2001, also received votes.

6. AMAZING

“Not everything is amazing; and when you think about it, very little is,” a dissenter explained. “This glorious word should be reserved for that which is dazzling, moving, or awe-inspiring,” to paraphrase another, “like the divine face of a newborn.” Initially

banished for misuse, overuse, and uselessness in 2012. Its cyclical return mandates further nixing of the “generic,” “banal and hollow” modifier— a “worn-out adjective from people short on vocabulary.”

7. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

Submitters rejected the desire, perhaps demand, for clarification or affirmation as filler, insecurity, and passive aggression. “Why say it, if you must ask? It just doesn’t make sense!” tsk-tsked one. In this call for reassurance or act of false modesty, enquirers warp respondents into “co-conspirators,” deduced another. Needy, scheming, and/or cynical. Let me be clear, judges opined: Always make sense; don’t think aloud or play games! Misuse, overuse, and uselessness.

8. IRREGARDLESS

Sleuth confession: “It makes my hair hurt.” As well it should—because it’s not a word. At most, it’s a nonstandard word, per some dictionaries. “Regardless” suffices. Opponents disqualified it as a double negative. One conveyed that the prefix “ir” + “regardless” = redundancy. “Take ‘regardless’ and dress it up for emphasis, showcasing your command of nonexistent words,” excoriated an exasperated correspondent, adding, “Why isn’t this on your list?” Misuse.

9. ABSOLUTELY

Banished in 1996, but deserves a repeat nope given its overuse. Usurped the simple “yes,” laments a contributor. Another condemned it as “the current default to express agreement, endemically present on TV in one-on-one interviews.” Frequently “said too loudly by annoying people who think they’re better than you,” bemoaned an aggrieved observer. “Sounds like it comes with a guarantee when that may not be the case,” cautioned a wary watchdog.

10. IT IS WHAT IT IS

Banished in 2008 for overuse, misuse, and uselessness: “pointless,” “cop-out,” “Only Yogi Berra should be allowed to utter such a circumlocution.” Its resurgence prompted these insights: “Well, duh.” “No kidding.” “Of course it is what it is! What else would it be? It would be weird if it wasn’t what it wasn’t.” “Tautology.” “Adds no value.” “Verbal crutch.” “Excuse not to deal with reality or accept responsibility.” “Dismissive, borderline rude.”. n

WAYNE STATE WORD WARRIORS

now enTering iTs 14Th year, Wayne State University's Word Warriors series promotes words especially worthy of retrieval from the linguistic cellar. Its list includes public submissions from around the world. (This is our 7th installment.)

This year, the Word Warriors “gasconade about their latest list of words to bring back to common usage. Far from a bunch of claptrap, this collection provides an opportunity for word nerds around the world to enrich their vocabulary”

"Once again, our Word Warriors have provided a collection of words that makes our language a bit livelier," said Chris Williams, assistant director of editorial services for Wayne State Marketing and Communications, and head of the Word Warriors program. "To say someone stravaged under the mogshade as the crepuscular glow filled the forest' is so much more poetic than saying 'he walked in the woods at night.'"

You can see all of the great words selected over the years <HERE> or nominate a word for next year’s list . In the meantime, enjoy the 2023 Word Warriors’ 2023 list of eminently useful words that should be brought back to enrich our language, excerpted from the university’s website.

GASCONADE

Boast extravagantly. As soon as he received his test scores, he began to gasconade about the results across his social media channels.

MOGSHADE

The shadow cast by trees. We enjoyed our ice cream while sitting in the cool of the mogshade.

OVERMIGHTY

Domineering, imperious, condescending, assertive. Prone to take advantage of power. The overmighty zoning officers dismissed the complaint with insulting condescension.

PODSNAPPERY

An attitude toward life marked by complacency and a refusal to recognize unpleasant facts. As the company collapsed around him, the CEO displayed a frustrating podsnappery, collecting his bonus with a smile.

RIZZLE

To relax and digest after consuming a large meal. After Thanksgiving dinner, I plopped on the couch and rizzled for several hours.

STRAVAGE

To roam or wander aimlessly. He left the subway station and spent hours stravaging around the city, gawking at the tall buildings and crowds of people.

TRICE

A brief space of time. The squirrel appeared on the lawn and the dog was after it in a trice. n

BUNBURY

To create a fictitious scenario that provides an excuse for avoiding unwanted engagements. He declined the invitation to the party by saying he had to help his cousin move, a bunbury he kept in his back pocket even though he hadn't spoken to the relative in decades

CLAPTRAP

Absurd or nonsensical talk or ideas. His opinion pieces were a rambling, incoherent bit of claptrap.

CREPUSCULAR

Of, relating to, or resembling twilight. Our last night at the farm, we watched the fireflies as the crepuscular rays filtered through the trees.

THE MARIST MINDSET LIST

The Mindset List was created at Beloit College in 1998 to reflect the world view of entering first year college students.

Yu-Jean Lee, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Vanessa Lynn, the list for the Class of 2026 will be the third iteration fully compiled by Marist The team has established the list as “a cultural compass that tracks the challenges and celebrates the accomplishments of each incoming college class. The goal of the Marist Mindset List is to inspire thoughtful conversation. Each list item on the list was the result of research and discussion, and links to the background sources are included <HERE>. Excerpted the college’s website, what follows provides insight into the perspective of the Class of 2026.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Developed by Ron Nief (right), Director Emeritus of Public Affairs at Beloit College, and Beloit Professor Tom McBride, who later collaborated with Beloit Professor of Sociology Charles Westerberg, the list has garnered national and international media attention. In 2019, the list moved to Marist and became the Marist Mindset List. This is ’our 11th installment of the list- a glimpse of the cultural milestones which mold the lives of those who entered college in the fall of last year – the class of ’26.

SPORTS COMMUNICATION

They have always known LeBron James as the most recognizable sports icon on the planet. LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003 and in 2004, the year many of the Class of 2026 were born, his jersey topped the best-seller list for the first time; in 2022, James’ jersey still tops the list.

To these students, Hillary Clinton has always had a more significant role in American politics than Bill Clinton. Although older Americans may think of Hillary Clinton as primarily First Lady from the 1990s, incoming students born in 2004 only know her as a United States Senator, Secretary of State, and contemporary presidential candidate.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Created in 2004, Facebook has been active for the entire lives of the Class of 2026. Although Facebook is only 18 years old, many incoming students already see the social media platform as outdated, preferring newer platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

Under the direction of Associate Professor of English Tommy Zurhellen, Assistant Professor of Art and Digital Media Joyce

ETHICS

These students are the first generation in fifty years who must include their own reproductive rights as part of their overall

People are making apocalypse jokes like there's no tomorrow.

college decision. The recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will affect so many decisions for young women, who currently make up 59% of college students in America.

GLOBAL STUDIES

The Class of 2026 will be the first since the “Duck and Cover” generation of the Cold War to live with the real possibility of world war and global conflict. The Russian invasion of Ukraine echoes the experiences of growing up during the Cold War, but today’s digital technology makes the images of war much more visceral.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Class of 2026 is the first cohort in recent memory for whom knowledge about a diverse country and world is actually regressing. Thirty-five states have recently introduced and/or passed legislation to either ban or censor teaching about race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and American history in schools.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Incoming students are still recovering from the mental health impact of COVID and COVID fatigue. Mental health has been an issue for some time, but the class of 2026 is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic on their mental health.

EDUCATION

Cows have hooves because they lactose.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The debate on climate change is over. This is the first generation faced with the omnipresent reality to actually effect change to combat global warming. Greta Thunberg has set the stage for youth activism; now, incoming students are part of a new generation increasingly demanding legal reforms to improve future generations’ lives.

These students are the first to realistically see the possibility of canceling or reducing student debt. The Biden administration has publicly announced its determination to tackle the rise of crippling student debt. Will they get results?

FASHION

They are aware of fashion sustainability, but nevertheless social media and influencer culture draw them to cheaper and faster options from online retailers. Students have a better understanding of sustainability than previous generations, but their consumer choices do not reflect a strong commitment to protecting the environment. n

REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE CHANGCHUN AIRPORT

MAD ARCHITECTS WINS DESIGN COMPETITION FOR A NEW TERMINAL

in This feaTUre in our January-February issue, we featured the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Here we turn our attention to the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, and in collaboration with China Airport Planning & Design Institute Co., Ltd. and Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., Ltd. has won an international competition for the design of Changchun “Longjia” International Airport Terminal 3 in China. (MAD has offices in Beijing and Jiaxing in China), Los Angeles in the USA, and Rome in Italy.)

"The future large-scale transportation junction is first of all an important public space in the city. Art, synthesis, diversity, and humanity are all important."

Ma Yansong

The overall site has a footprint of 177.6-hectare (over 440 acres), and a total building area of nearly 2.9 million square.

The terminal will contain 54 aircraft gates and is expected to accommodate 22 million passengers per year after completion; it will become the biggest air transportation junction of Changchun city and entire Jilin Province which is one of the earliest manufacturing industrial metropolises with a population of 23 million. The city is surrounded by rich natural resources like dense forests that are well-known as the most significant in the northeastern of China, as well as the international regional hub in Northeast Asia.

The terminal building was designed to add a human-scaled space with a calming pres-

ence to the airport, both from a distance and from within. As visitors approach from the high-speed rail “Longjia” Station or the parking structure, they will be greeted by the terminal’s unique fan-shaped profile that resembles a floating feather — a nod to the airplanes that will be ascending and descending from its terminals throughout the day.

By adopting a three-fingered corridor structure surrounded by arcs, the terminal will maintain an overall harmonious layout in its connections to the T1 and T2 terminal areas while increasing the number of passenger seats near the aircrafts. Upon

I'm friends with 25 letters of the alphabet. I don't know Y.

For chemists, alcohol is not a problem, it's a solution.

entering, passengers will encounter a large, uninterrupted ground floor that provides direct access to the subway, automobile road and other methods of transportation connecting the terminal to the larger site. Additionally, passengers arriving without checked baggage will benefit from smart airport facilities such as self-service check-in machines and smart security checks. The overall spatial layout will save land and reduce the amount of earthwork, while the roofline uses height differences to reflect the cross-connections of different transportation modes from above.

The subway station hall, in particular, is seamlessly integrated into the central space of the terminal building to reduce the number of transfers between the subway and the airport by reducing the distance between the terminal entrance and the east expansion station hall of “Longjia” Station to less than 220 yards. Given that nearly one-third of passengers have entered and exited the airport via high-speed rail since 2018, the intercity railway will become an increasingly important means of inbound and outbound transportation for Changchun Airport.

The terminal also reflects the charm of Changchun as a "Garden City'' through the creation of what the design team has referred to as a "garden airport." The exterior space area is characterized by forests, lakes, meadows, and undulating terrain, while the indoor garden system combines trees, ground covers, and water features to create a "cold zone garden" that reflects the local climate.

Natural light is brought into the departure hall through the feather-shaped roof to create a bright and warm interior space that provides much-needed sunlight to the garden spaces within. The structural system continues the rhythm of the building's skin to express the logic of force transmission, which converges toward the center together with the skylight, guiding

My relationship with whiskey is on the rocks.

the direction of passengers naturally. The unique wooden ceiling also combines with the structure, skylight, and sunlight to create a dynamic interior space.

The terminal’s approach to green design at an intimate scale is a response to the timeless human need for connection to human and plant-life alike—all within a shape as light and airy as a feather floating in the breeze. n

All images courtesy of MAD Architects

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AMERICA’S FAVORITE RCHITECTURE

as parT of The commemoration of the organization's 150th anniversary in 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the list of the 150 highest-ranked structures as "America's Favorite Architecture". It was based upon a study by Harris Interactive over the course of two years polling a sample of the AIA membership and later polling a sample of the public. The public's preferences were ranked using a "like-

ability" scale developed for the study. AIA president R.K. Stewart acknowledged that the rankings did not represent architects' professional judgments, but instead reflected people's "emotional connections" to buildings. As a result, many buildings that architects consider highly significant did not make the list. In our last six issues, we presented the top ninety. This is Part 7 of our 10-part series and here are 91-105. n

I try to eat healthy, a chocolate bar looks at me and Snickers.

BY ANGELA O’BYRNE

AMAZ NG BU LDINGS

WORTH REMEMBERING: A DECADE OF AMAZING BUILDINGS

TEN STORIES

for Ten years, This column has explored the architecture world’s inventive, artful, and sometimes baffling angles. Amazing Buildings toured the world’s tallest buildings, peeked around its most sustainable offices, and celebrated its most daring restorations.

With this installment, that series comes to an end. It’s been a real pleasure to share these tales with you. To celebrate the journey, I decided to revisit ten of the most memorable Amazing Buildings topics—and to provide some updates on what happened next.

THE REFLECTION THAT LAUNCHED A COLUMN

CONTEXT:

The first-ever installment of Amazing Buildings—published in early 2013— chronicled a design flaw in Dallas’s gleaming Museum Tower, whose reflective windows were causing unintended problems for some nearby artwork.

AN EXCERPT:

The south-facing glass acts as a mirror, reflecting Dallas’s harsh sun—much to the chagrin of the building’s neighbors. The Nasher Sculpture Center, which sits adjacent to Museum Tower, has complained that the focused, reflected glare from the building has put some of its pieces at risk of damage, both in the exterior garden and in the center itself.

AN UPDATE:

Ten years later, Museum Tower still presents a glaring problem—and has seemingly given up on finding a solution. In 2013, Dallas changed its building codes to prevent similar headaches in the future.

Electricians have to strip to make ends meet.

APPLE’S REFRESHINGLY GREEN CAMPUS

CONTEXT:

As part of a series featuring innovative corporate headquarters, we chronicled the ambitious, environmentally friendly plans for Apple Campus 2 back in 2014—roughly 8 generations of iPhones ago.

AN EXCERPT:

Variously called “the Mothership” and “the Donut” by observers and critics, the fourstory Kubrickian structure is set to rise over 176 acres of prime Silicon Valley real estate. What’s surprising, however—considering the substantial cost and hassle of wrangling all of that land—is how much of it will remain green. Whereas a year ago, the site consisted of only 20% landscape and 80% asphalt and building, the Apple campus will reverse the ratio and create

a plot that is 80% green-space and 20% developed.

AN UPDATE:

Now called Apple Park, the Cupertino headquarters was completed in 2017 at

AMAZON’S DOWNTOWN TAKEOVER

CONTEXT:

While Facebook and Apple opted for giant destination complexes, Amazon pursued a different approach by spreading its workforce across a number of downtown Seattle offices—all centered around three distinctive sphere-shaped buildings.

AN EXCERPT:

This kind of rapid, city-changing expansion has made some observers nervous—and exposes one downside of urban headquarters. A crash for the company would mean more than an abandoned suburban campus. Unless development is diverse and sustainable, we could be building a new Detroit—and Amazon’s biodome will look more like a giant, ironic bubble.

an astronomical cost of $5 billion. It’s still considered to be one of the most impressive corporate complexes in the world and has itself become an iconic Apple design.

AN UPDATE:

When the pandemic upended real estate and ushered in a new era of Work From Home, Amazon’s prospects started to look more complicated. Just last month, the company announced it would move 2,000 employees from one of its downtown Seattle office buildings. Similar techfocused downtowns, like San Francisco, are experiencing serious reckonings.

AN OLD METHOD FINDS NEW HOMES

CONTEXT:

Rammed-earth architecture is one of our oldest building techniques. In 2016, we noted the re-emergence of the practice, now supplemented by modern technology.

AN EXCERPT:

Today, pneumatic rams have significantly reduced build-times and labor costs, ushering in a small renaissance of rammed earth construction among those seeking a unique and sustainable building method. Modern manufacturers have supplemented the construction process with various modes of stabilization, including rebar, waterproofing agents, and the addition of a small percentage of cement to the soil mixture. Nevertheless, the fundamental principles of rammed earth remain the same: fill a mold with soil, tamp it down, and repeat.

AN UPDATE:

This year, architect José Cubilla was listed as a finalist for the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize for his rammed-earth Valois

A NEW HOPE

CONTEXT:

A long time ago, in a column not so far away, we chronicled the political wrangling behind George Lucas’s quest to create a home for his collection of rare artifacts.

AN EXCERPT:

For at least seven years, Lucas has been pitching and lobbying for his Museum of Narrative Art, a sprawling monument to all visual art that tells a story, from ancient painted Greek amphora through to modern digital animation. On January 10, 2017, it was announced that Lucas had finally found his Hollywood ending. The site for the museum would be South Los Angeles’s

Housing Building in Asunción, Paraguay. By 2030, the alternative building materials market is expected to reach $330 billion.

Exposition Park, near the Natural History Museum and the campus of the University of Southern California.

AN UPDATE:

Delays spurred on by COVID-19 pushed the Museum’s opening date from 2023 to 2025. However, progress has been steady, as the distinctive imposing building rises like one of Lucas’s spaceships.

Dogs can't operate MRI scanners, but Catscan.

Our mountains aren't just funny, they're hill areas.

AN ICONIC TOY GETS A PERFECT HOME

CONTEXT:

In 2017, we visited Denmark’s Lego House, a Bjarke Ingels project whose clean, geometric white facade conceals a world of imagination and play.

AN EXCERPT:

A bird’s eye-view reveals terraces that pop with the vibrant hues of a kindergarten toy chest. A series of ramps connect the building’s colorful rooftops, turning the top of the building into a kind of playground. In the center of the ziggurat is a single, giant white Lego block (the brand’s signature 4x2 rectangle] complete with eight studded, circular skylights to give inquiring eyes a peek inside.

AN UPDATE:

Despite the pandemic, Lego House has assembled an impressive collection of design awards and become one of Billund’s signature tourist attractions. Last year, it hosted a 90th anniversary celebration of the brand with a 94,128-piece Lego birthday cake.

AN AIRPORT HOTEL BECOMES A DESTINATION

CONTEXT:

In 2019, we checked into the TWA Hotel at JFK International. The boutique affair incorporates Eero Saarinen’s 1962 Head House and offers visitors 512 rooms—all done up in a decidedly retro style.

AN EXCERPT:

The hotel’s Instagram-ready interiors are tailor-made to suit today’s Mad Men-abetted obsession with all things mid-century modern, anchored by an attention to detail that borders on the fanatical. The rooms will feature only Saarinen-designed Knoll furniture and period-perfect terrazzo tiling in the bathrooms. Retro-obsessed guests will even have the opportunity to order room service on 1950’s rotary phones.

AN UPDATE:

In its quest for continued quirkiness, the TWA Hotel added a curling rink this past winter. Guests, however, will have to contend with construction noise as massive renovation efforts continue at JFK. Last year, officials broke ground on Terminal One, a $9.5 billion, 2.4 million square foot expansion scheduled for completion in 2030.

A VESSEL MEETS TRAGEDY

CONTEXT:

Four years ago, we reviewed a high-profile [and high-budget] piece of public art in New York City.

AN EXCERPT:

Designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, The Vessel is part sculpture, part viewing platform, and part poster from the M.C. Escher gift shop. It rises above Hudson Yards’ plaza, widening like a cone, clad in resplendent copper and glass—a marvel of symmetry and geometry. Assembled from 75 giant modular pieces manufactured in Monfalcone, Italy, the Vessel feels expensive. And it was. The monument cost a reported $200 million. But in simplest terms, The Vessel is an intricately-conceived, very shiny staircase to nowhere in particular. And while one can catch a view of the Hudson River from many of its 80 landings, The Vessel is its own self-justifying destination. One goes to the Vessel to marvel at its construction and snap Instagram photos of its 154 interlocking flights of stairs.

AN UPDATE:

Unfortunately, the Vessel’s story has been a sad one. Due to a string of suicides at the structure, the structure has been closed indefinitely.

LOS ANGELES GETS (ANOTHER) WORLD-CLASS STADIUM

CONTEXT:

Four years ago, we chronicled plans for two California sports complexes. While the Oakland A’s are still mired in negotiations for a ballpark at Howard Terminal, Los Angeles did end up getting the stadium of its dreams.

AN EXCERPT:

Neither an open-air stadium nor an enclosed dome, LA Stadium will be an open-air environment, crowned by a permeable

A STATE-OFTHE-ARTIFACT MUSEUM

metal canopy-style roof that lets in plenty of natural light and cooling Southern California breezes. In the middle of the stadium will hang a 70,000 square-foot, dual-sided screen made by Oculus, ensuring fans are able to see every second—and every angle—of the action. The dramatic teardrop-shaped form of the structure, designed by HKS Architects, feels ready to make a strong first impression both from the ground and the air, with millions of passengers landing annually at the neighboring Los Angeles International Airport.

AN UPDATE:

Since our column’s publication, LA Stadium was christened SoFi Stadium, and its Oculus screen was renamed Infinity Screen by Samsung. In 2022, SoFi Stadium hosted the Super Bowl, which saw the Los Angeles Rams clinching a rare host city win.

90-something “percentage complete” estimates have been tossed around by officials, the Coronavirus pandemic proved to be the final nail in the project’s 2020 sarcophagus.

Whenever it does open, the massive building will house some of the world’s most famous treasures, including the complete collection of Tutankhamun artifacts (together again for the first time since their excavation) and a 30-foot, 83-ton granite statue of Ramses II that used to stand above a Cairo roundabout.

CONTEXT:

In 2020, we examined the Grand Egyptian Museum, which will ultimately house 18,000 precious artifacts in Giza, Egypt.

AN EXCERPT:

The $795 million project is hurtling toward an early-2021 opening date—though smart money would leave the door open for another postponement. While various

AN UPDATE:

As predicted, the GEM did encounter additional delays. However, optimistic sources project the Museum will open at some time this year. n

Life and beer are very similar. Chill for best results.

Angela O’Byrne, FAIA, is President of Perez, APC, a 70+ year-old architecture, planning, interior design, and construction firm. She is also a Contributing Editor of aobyrne@e-perez.com

Cow stumbles into pot field. The steaks have never been higher.

PROFILES IN REAL ESTATE

STEVEN HUTSON, FIRST AMERICAN TITLE

“BUILDING GOOD AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS IS KEY.”

how many of yoU grew up dreaming you would work in real estate? Not me. And I certainly haven’t met any elementary or middle schoolers that talk about working in real estate. Then when people hear that you work in real estate what do they say? They simply respond with a big smile, “Ahh, real estate—where the big bucks are made.” Sure, if all we did in real estate was cash checks all day, I think everyone would sign up. Over the last twenty years, I have been surrounded by a variety of real estate professionals. What makes this industry unique is the enormous number of duties and titles that make the commercial real estate machine work. This time I was intrigued to interview someone who works for a title company.

Steven Hutson Jr. is a Commercial Account Manager for First American Title National Commercial Services, a national title firm who does title and escrow work for closings in the commercial real estate industry all over the United States. From California to Florida, from land deals to retail centers, the firm has 18 locations and employs about 4,000 team members. The individuals range in background and experience from financial, accounting, legal degrees, real estate brokers to real world experience in the real estate market.

So, how did Steven Hutson get my attention in the title world? He was the 2022 Commercial Real Estate Women (CREWSA) award recipient for “Networker” on the Year. I met Steven a few times at events, and I have always noticed that he was upbeat and genuinely interested in helping people. I thought, networking award for a title guy? This interview will help you understand why.

Roxana: What are your main responsibilities as an account manager?

Steven: My responsibilities include procuring new clients and retaining existing ones. I am the point of contact from beginning to end of a commercial real estate transaction and work side by side with underwriters and escrow officers to finalize them.

Roxana: What is your favorite part of the job?

Steven: It is the PEOPLE! Getting to help the people in the commercial real estate world, whether it be a young commercial agent or a seasoned attorney, is the best part of my job. I love to interact and help them any way I can. Everyone has a story to tell in how they got to where they are and how they plan to work their business. To have this opportunity to do what I do is amazing, and I am thankful every day for it.

BY ROXANA TOFAN

Roxana: What is your perspective of the current commercial real estate market?

Steven: I am optimistic for the future especially for the end of 2023 and the start of 2024. There are several sectors in the industry that are still showing growth, and there will be certain areas of the United States that will be able to handle any downturn better than the others. To that end, those are the areas we are turning more of our attention towards like medical and multifamily to continue our growth in the market.

Roxana: Where do you see as the future of title firms?

Steve: The future of title will be driven by innovation and technology. Knowing this, First American has invested a considerable amount of time and resources into software and technology to remain in the top of its field. First American uses these resources to not only make their employees the best that they can be, but also to provide our clients with tools that will make them even more successful in their businesses.

Roxana: I must ask. What did it take to get the CREW Networking award?

Roxana: How does one get to work for a title company?

Steven: I worked in a variety of engineering positions in the Dallas area including developing large irrigation systems for golf courses. I was also a franchisee for Bush’s Chicken and built eight successful stores in San Antonio as well as the Dallas area. Then I worked for a short time as a residential real state agent for a large brokerage. My family always follows this motto “The Good Lord will put you where He wants you.” And in this was the reason for my transition from owning my own business to working in title today. The restaurant industry is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of work, time, effort, patience, and prayer. There were a series of events in my personal life that led me to selling my successful business, but I still wanted to be a part of the commercial real estate world. It was a blessing that soon after selling my business I was introduced to my boss, Karen, who offered me a position at First American, and I have never looked back.

Steven: This award was an honor and a complete surprise. Networking with others and making connections, again, is something that I love to do. These connections allow me to bring others together to help grow their businesses and for some of them, fulfill their dreams. It is a gift to do it and to be awarded for it is a true blessing, especially coming from such an outstanding organization. I cannot say enough good things about CREW and what it does for its members. I am just thankful I can participate.

Whether you meet Steven at a CREW, YCRAN, Real Estate Council, ULI, BASA, ILINCP, TEAMability or other chamber event, he is always learning about people and remarkably upbeat. He easily learned that he grows his client base by networking, cold calling, emailing, following up, and helping others. All that leads to business growth.

Roxana Tofan is a commercial real estate and business broker and the founder and owner of Clear Integrity Group in San Antonio. She is also a Contributing Editor of roxana@clearintegritygroup.com

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO...?

BY T. J. EDWARDS

THE KIDS SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS AT THE BORDER?

did yoU ever geT lost from your parents as a kid? Perhaps you became separated at an amusement park, a shopping center, or at a large public event. You couldn’t find your parent(s) or they couldn’t find you. This is something most never forget. I still have memories of getting lost from my parents as a very young kid. I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. I became lost and separated from my parents at a very busy retail shopping complex. Apparently, it seemed like a good idea to sneak away from my parents and hide inside a clearance clothing rack.

After a long period of waiting and wondering why my parents hadn’t yet found me, I emerged to discover my parents had vanished. I frantically searched the store. Minutes felt like hours. I was all alone. This was likely my first experience of feeling anxiety and panic. They were the same feelings I felt on 9/11 when terrorist flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon near my Army office cubicle. Anxiety. Panic. It was horrifying! Strangers ultimately recued me and the store made a “lost child” announcement. Panic shifted to joy as my mom arrived to reclaim me. But that short-lived joy returned back to panic when my Mom swiftly spanked me on the spot!

Since 2017, large numbers of children have been separated, even completely lost, from their parents at the southern border between the United States and Mexico. In fact, according to a PBS News Hour program on February 6, 2023, some 5,000 children have been separated from their parents at the southern border. To be clear, children separated from parents at the border doesn’t compare to a kid lost at a shopping mall. But as a kid or a parent, you can probably relate to the nightmare feeling of not knowing where your family member is located and have no way of contacting them.

Illegal immigration is a difficult subject, as well as an absolute “hot potato” political issue. On the right, America needs to enforce laws against illegal immigration. And on the left, America should take a more humanitarian approach.

In 2014 during the Obama administration, hundreds and thousands of illegal immigrants surged across the U.S. southern border. This immigration surge was said to have started because of violence in El Salvador. That violence spread to Honduras, Guatemala, and into Mexico. The Obama administration permitted temporary protections for undocumented and unaccompanied minors—a

policy that was called, “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” or DACA. The Republicans blamed the Democrats for the surge in illegal immigration. Anti-immigration sentiment surged in mostly Red or Republican leaning states.

In the meantime, the U.S. Border Patrol were making record number of illegal

immigration arrests. Large camps and facilities were erected, and once detained, families were allowed to stay together. The numbers became so great however, that many families were released and allowed to stay with relatives or friends in America to await asylum court hearing dates. This was often called, “Catch and Release” which candidate Donald Trump politically leveraged based on the growing anti-immigration sentiment in America. Building “a wall” to separate the U.S. and Mexico even became a central campaign promise for Donald Trump.

“Catch and Release” was terminated during the Trump administration. In 2017, a new “pilot project” at the southern border took effect. It called for zero tolerance for illegal immigrants. Children were separated from their parents at the border. These parents were either detained for a court hearing or returned to their country of origin. Meanwhile, children were separ-

ately detained. They were often released to a family member who was living in America or to a willing foster care family.

If you watched any television news during the summer of 2018, you’ll remember seeing the shocking images of distressed children being held in custody at the southern U.S. border. These kids were often detained in fenced-in enclosures. They were seen clustered together on bare concrete floors and wrapped in shiny silver foil blankets for warmth. In June 2018, Propublica released an audio tape of several of these children crying as they were separated from their parents. It triggered a huge political up-roar, with demonstrations and protests in over 700 cities. Two days after Propublica’s tape release, President Trump signed an Executive Order that ended involuntary separation of children and parents.

Despite your political point-of-view, it was unfortunate and perhaps even immoral to know that our country had a border policy that

pulled children away from parents without any plans in place to reunite them. The last time that happened in the U.S., according to research, was during the darker times of relocating Native Americans or during the days of the slavery trade. In 2023, 5 years after the fact, we still do not know “whatever happened to” many of these children that were separated from parents at the border. Many remain unaccounted for today. Lost or completely missing.

The Biden administration took on the task of reconnecting children with their families after they were split at the Southern border. While the Biden White House has succeeded in uniting some 600 children with their parents, roughly 1,000 children remain separated. My hope is this difficult work continues until all families are reunited, regardless of who sits in the White House next. n

tjedwardsjr23@gmail.com

Irony — the opposite of wrinkly.

T. J. Edwards recently retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service.

The UniTed naTions edUcaTional, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries that are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural heritage is defined as natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty. Greece ratified the UNESCO Convention in 1981.

As of 2021, there are 18 properties in Greece inscribed on the World Heritage List, 16 of which are cultural sites and two (Meteora and Mount Athos) are mixed, listed for both their natural and cultural significance. There are no transnational sites in Greece. In addition, there are 14 sites on the tentative list, all of which were nominated in 2014 which can be viewed <HERE>.

GREECE

WORLD HERITAGE LIST

01/ The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was built in the 5th century BCE in the mountains of Arcadia. It is considered by UNESCO to be one of the best-preserved monuments of classical antiquity. It is the earliest monument that features all three classical orders—Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. After falling out of use, the temple was forgotten for nearly 1700 years. It was rediscovered in the 18th century, attracting the attention of scholars and artists.

02/ The Temple of Apollo at Delphi, located at the foot of Mount Parnassus, was a Panhellenic sanctuary, and in Greek view the "navel of the world" (the Omphalos). Pythia, the oracle, resided in the temple, receiving pilgrims from all Greece. In the 6th century BCE, Delphi was seen as the religious center and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world.

03/ The Acropolis of Athens stands on a steep hill above the city. Originally a fortification, it gradually developed into a religious sanctuary, associated with the cult of the goddess Athena. In the 5th century BCE, following their victory over the Persians, the Athenians under Pericles constructed a large number of monuments including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the Temple of Athena Nike. The monuments in the Acropolis have prominently inspired the Neoclassical architecture.

04/ Situated on a narrow peninsula, Mount Athos has been governed as an autonomous entity since Byzantine times. An Orthodox spiritual center since the 10th century, it is home to about 20 active monasteries. Mount Athos has exerted lasting influence on the development of religious architecture and monumental painting.

05/ Meteora is a rock formation of sandstone peaks, hosting 24 Orthodox monasteries. Many of them were built on the almost inaccessible peaks during the revival of the eremeric ideal in the 15th century. The monasteries are decorated by 16th century frescoes, which represent a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.

The problem with political jokes is that sometimes they get elected.

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

06/ The Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki were among the first bases for the spread of Christianity. This site comprises several churches (including the Church of Hosios David and Hagios Demetrios (pictured)), constructed from the 4th to the 15th century, city walls from the early Byzantine period, and the Rotunda, commissioned in the 4th century by the Roman Emperor Galerius and later converted into a church.

07/ The Sanctuary of Asklepios (the god of medicine) at Epidaurus was developed in the city-state of Epidaurus at the latest in the 6th century BCE. The principal monuments at the site include the Temple of Asclepius, the Tholos, and the Theatre, which is considered to be the finest ancient Greek theatre. The

sanctuary is important in the history of medicine, marking the transition from the belief in divine healing to the science of medicine.

08/ The island of Rhodes was occupied by the Order of St John of Jerusalem (Knights Hospitaller) from 1309 to 1523, who transformed the city of Rhodes into a stronghold and surrounded it with a 2.5 mile wall. The fortifications were built upon the existing Byzantine ones. The Upper town features several buildings from the Gothic period, including the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital, and the Street of the Knights. When the Ottomans took the island, they converted most churches to mosques. Reconstruction took place during the Italian occupation in the early 20th century.

09/ The town of Mystras developed around the fortress erected in 1249 under the Prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin, on the slopes of Mount Taygetus. In 1262, it was surrendered to the Byzantines and saw a great prosperity during the Palaeologan Renaissance era. It was later taken first by the Ottomans and then by the Venetians. After 1834, the inhabitants started leaving Mystras for the modern town of Sparta, and Mytras became a ruin.

CHURCH OF SAINT DEMETRIUS, THESSALONIKI BY C. MESSIER IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-ND 2.0.

ON THE MOUNTAIN OPPOSITE THE ACROPOLIS BY LENNIEZ IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-ND 2.0. BY TAKEAWAY AT THE ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA, CC BY-SA

BY ASGOZZI AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA, CC BY-SA

10/ In the 10th century BCE, Olympia became a center for the worship of Zeus. It was a Panhellenic sanctuary and the location of the ancient Olympic Games, beginning in 776 BCE. In addition to numerous temples and sanctuaries, it contains the remains of several sporting structures, such as its stadium.

11/ The birthplace of Apollo and Artemis according to Greek mythology, the sacred island of Delos was one of the most important Panhellenic sanctuaries during the Archaic and Classical periods. The sanctuary of Apollo on Delos attracted pilgrims from all over Greece, making Delos a prosperous trading port. It fell into decline after 69 BCE.

12/ The monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios, although located in different parts of Greece, are representative examples of the middle period of Byzantine religious architecture and they share the same aesthetic characteristics. All three churches share an octagonal plan; Nea Moni has a plain octagon while the two have the central space surrounded with a series of bays. The monasteries were decorated with marble works and mosaics in the 11th and 12th centuries. The Monastery of Hosios Loukas is pictured.

13/ The island of Samos has a strategic position in the Aegean islands near Asia Minor. It was a strong nautical and commercial power, reaching its peak in the 6th century BCE. The site consists of the fortified ancient city (Pythagoreion) and the ancient Temple of Hera (Heraion). Samos is linked with important philosophers and mathematicians of the ancient world, including Pythagoras, Epicurus, and Aristarchus of Samos.

14/ The Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina) was the first capital of the Kingdom of Macedon. In addition to the monumental palace, lavishly decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes, the site contains a burial ground with more than 300 tumuli, some of which date back to the 11th century BCE. One of the tumuli has been identified as that of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.

15/ Mycenae and Tiryns were two of the most important cities of Mycenean Greece, which flourished between the 15th and 12th centuries BCE. The cities were palace economies with monumental architecture, such as the Lion's Gate and Treasury of Atreus. The Linear B tablets are the first testimonies of the Greek language. Both cities are linked to the Homeric epics Iliad and Odyssey, which have influenced the European literature and arts ever since.

World Peace. Visualize using your turn signal.

OLYMPIA: PALAESTRA BY BGABEL IS LICENSED UNDER GFDL-1.2-OR-LATER.

I'm Pining for a good tree pun. I wish they were more Poplar.

16/ The Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian is dedicated to St John, who wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse on the island of Pátmos, according to Christian tradition. It was founded in the late 10th century, and it has been a place of pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox learning ever since. The old settlement of Chorá, associated with the monastery, contains many religious and secular buildings.

17/ The roots of the Old Town of Corfu, on the eponymous island, date back to the 8th century BCE. Located at the entrance to the Adriatic Sea, the town was important in view of the defense of the maritime interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire. The Venetian engineers constructed three forts in the town. The Old Town buildings are mostly from the Venetian period and from the 19th century, when the island was a part of the British protectorate.

18/ Philippi was founded in 356 BCE by Philip II of Macedon. The city was a stop on the Via Egnatia and the site of the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE. The Romans reshaped it into a "small Rome," adding public buildings including a Forum to Hellenistic ones. Following the visit of the Apostle Paul in 49–50 CE, the city became an early center of the Christian faith, as demonstrated by the remains of Christian basilicas and an octagonal church. n

VIEW OF THE MONASTERY OF HOSIOS LOUKAS BY JEAN HOUSEN IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 3.0.

HERAION OF SAMOS. NEAR PYTHAGOREION, SAMOS, GREECE BY TOMISTI IS LICENSED BY-SA 4.0.

ANCIENT THEATRE OF PHILIPPI CAROLE RADDATO IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-ND

OLD FORT, CORFU TOWN BY IAN PITCHFORD LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA

VIEW OF THE CHORÁ ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS BY VALERIA CASALI LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 3.0.

LION GATEMYCENAE BY JOYOFMUSEUMS IS LICENSED BY-SA 4.0.

FACADE OF PHILIP II OF MACEDON TOMB BY PANEGYRICS OF GRANOVETTER (SARAH MURRAY) IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 2.0.

BY SYLVIA E. KING-COHEN

HOUSING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

percent of adults or approximately 1 in 45.

“The model wasn’t cheap,” Pfeifer says. “And things have gotten worse as funding is rolled back. When you have an increase in need and an increase in cuts, it is a recipe for disaster. What you’ll end up with is a bunch of mini-Willowbrooks if you’re not careful.”

Sometimes, you can’t see the future clearly, unless you look through the prism of the past. This is especially true when it comes to the issue of housing members of the special-need community.

“You have to go back to the 1970s to understand what is happening now,” says John Pfeifer, chief officer of operations for Life’s WORC, a special-needs organization headquartered in Garden City, N.Y. “Life’s WORC originated after the closing of Willowbrook. We learned two fundamental lessons: the detriment of overcrowding and of budget decreases.”

Vicki Schneps-Yunis, whose daughter Lara was housed at Willowbrook State School in Staten Island in 1971, joined with other parents to protest the warehousing facility for special-needs individuals. She was integral in the effort to shine a national light on the atrocities inside those walls.

You can’t look at the elevation of housing special-needs individuals without understanding the bad old days of warehousing, which left many spending the day semi-naked, banging their heads against walls and existing in squalor. There were no classes, no socialization, the barest of medical care, and no attempt to integrate them into society. Thanks to the efforts of some determined parents and a young television reporter named Geraldo Rivera, these types of inhumane living conditions were outlawed. In a landmark 1975 federal court settlement, New York agreed to move

Willowbrook’s residents into the group homes with which people are now familiar. It took until 1993 to fully close the facility, which housed more than 5,000 patients.

Schneps-Yunis, founder of Life’s WORC, raised funds to purchase the first group home in Little Neck, Queens. Today, Life’s WORC runs 45 group homes across Long Island and New York City.

“The civil rights and trends in deinstitutionalization we started here in New York were adopted across the United States,” Pfeifer says. “This included parental involvement and the proliferation of group homes in residential settings.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates Autism Spectrum Disorder affects roughly 5.4 million people in the United States 18 and older. This translates to 2.21

Pfeifer says that community inclusion comes at a hefty cost. These homes are outfitted to the needs of the residents. This can mean special beds, custom bathrooms, and other accommodations. While facilities are only allowed to pay market price, they are competing with prospective home buyers who can – and often do – offer more.

This model, while costly, does work. During the warehousing days, the average lifespan of a special-needs individual was in the 40s. Healthdirect.gov reports that in the 1940s, a child with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of 12 years. Now, the expectancy is 60 years, and some even live into their 80s. Those with autism spectrum disorder live well into their 50s, longer depending upon the care they receive. This is shorter than the average population, but still longer than during the days of warehousing. Again, this puts strain on the system to house and care for this population.

This longer life span is good news for both the client and their families. It also brings along the challenges of an aging popula-

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they open their mouths.

Making sure that the property and renovations are attractive and in tune with the neighborhood is always a consideration. These homes are designed to age with the population. In addition, the organization wants to be a good neighbor. Making sure the property is well-maintained is vital to this process.

This home in Rosedale, Queens, was purchased and remodeled specifically for those with mobility issues. In addition to a ramp, the home has wide hallways, larger doorway openings, kitchen counters with space for a wheelchair and a roll-in bathroom. These are the accommodations that are becoming more common as the population ages.

I always take life with a grain of salt. Plus, a slice of lemon. And a shot of tequila.

tion. Couple this with clients of all ages needing additional accommodations for wheelchairs and other locomotion devices and additional hands-on assistance. Those who make decisions about the care of this community must constantly think ahead to what the population will need.

“We have to be aware of the need for a continuum of care,” Pfeifer adds. “Our group homes are for ages 18 to seniors. Conventional group homes do not meet all the needs of this [aging] population.” Pfeifer explained that the state sets the threshold for purchasing a prospective group home, and those figures haven’t changed in four years, which included the housing frenzy during the Covid 19 pandemic years.

“Housing on Long Island has changed drastically,” Pfeifer said. Where once they could purchase a house for around $300,000, during recent times prices for ranch homes could shoot up to $750,000 and that didn’t include any renovations. In addition, ranch-style homes are harder to find and are being priced at a premium. There is also the issue of whether a home is accessible by public transportation and has a decent-sized yard and other amenities.

“You have to have such things as fire alarm systems, room in the yard for ramps, individualized bedrooms, things that are disability- appropriate,” says Pfeifer, who adds that “different special-needs populations age differently. As the need [for age-appropriate housing] continues to

increase, the government has just not kept up. We’re not talking opulence here. We’re talking about the need to stretch a dollar both for our clients and our staff.”

Someone who understands the difficulties is architect Jean-Pierre Lardoux, who has worked with Life’s WORC for nearly two decades and specializes in designing housing for special-needs populations.

This includes designing housing that addresses the future needs of the residents as they age.

“It can be something as simplistic as a ramp to something more complicated like a modification of a bathroom or kitchen,” says Lardoux, whose company Fusion Architecture is headquartered in Plainview, N.Y., and who works extensively with not-for-profit organizations.

“We design for the inevitable,” Lardoux says. He explained that a home that is ideal for someone who is young may need revamping for someone in their 70s and, by the time they’re in their 80s, depending upon their physical capabilities, they may have no choice but to hire someone for home assistance or move into a retirement community or assisted-living facility. The firm’s goal is to allow individuals to stay in their homes and “age in place,” as long as possible by anticipating their needs. His firm also advises clients on the suitability of investing in a property to meet the needs of the proposed residents.

“There is only a certain amount of money available from the state for acquisition and renovations,” Lardoux explains. “It’s a delicate balance. The best-case scenario is a single-story home with good bones that is easily modified to meet the agency’s program and objectives. There are multiple factors to consider. For example, a single-story home is more affordable the further you are from New York City, but access to public transportation becomes more challenging.

“The pros and cons need to be considered within the context of the agency’s goals,” Lardoux says. “The issue of staffing is a challenge. On Long Island, the further east you go [into Suffolk County], the more housing options you may have for perhaps a lower cost, but you need to consider how difficult it may be to secure staffing.”

Why is access to public transportation important? Because it allows greater options for hiring staff. While organization-owned transportation is provided for client purposes, not all staffers own cars. Locating a group home near public transportation widens the prospective staffing pool.

Choosing a home closer to more populated areas may mean greater access to public transportation, but it may mean having to sacrifice yard space and other amenities. Being near public transportation does mean having a larger pool of staffing possibilities.

While ranch homes are ideal, a split-level home can work, especially of there are differing levels of mobility among clients. For some, stairs may not be the issue, but they may still need wider hallways and roll-in showers.

In addition, Lardoux must factor in the cost of renovations, which can be up to 10 percent higher for retrofitting for an aging population. Some necessary renovations include accessibility ramps; bathroom renovations can include a large, roll-in shower; a kitchen may include raising or lowering cabinets, adding serving stations, and under-counter space for accessibility options.

“If you’re designing to save money, there are things you can do,” Lardoux says. “You have to look at your return on investment, lifespan and life cycle of the products used.” For example, you could specify a less expensive countertop material, but you may have to replace it in a few years. Or specify a more expensive material, that will mean more cost upfront, but it’s more durable.

“We try to help clients understand the benefits and drawbacks of whatever grade material they choose,” says Lardoux, who has been in the business more than 30 years and started his career in School and Municipal Projects. Lardoux says the concept of aging in place is not new. “What you want is to create a house that is flexible to accommodate all ages and abilities,” Lardoux says. “Our goal is not just to design housing for special-needs populations, but to create homes that allow individuals to age in place and maintain their independence for as long as possible.”

Pheifer agreed about the livability of any group home Life’s WORC provides. “We want both our clients and our staff to be in a home-like setting,” Pfeifer says. “In addition, you have to consider how the home fits into the neighborhood. Is the

lawn well-manicured? How is the upkeep? You don’t just buy and renovate and you’re done. This is their home, and you have to maintain it just as any homeowner would.”

Another consideration is who controls the placement of clients. In previous years, the placement ratio was 50 percent state controlled and 50 percent from the organization’s waiting list. Now, placement is 100 percent state controlled. Beds now go to those who are considered Priority 1 or clients who are aging out of existing living situations.

“It sounds noble,” Pfeifer says, “but that boxes out those with moderate needs.” Those moderate needs may include those clients who are living with aging parents and will eventually need to be placed. You also have clients who need to prepare for more independent living. Sometimes clients need to be in a more structured environment and need to learn to live with others who are not family or immediate caregivers.

“What we’re hoping for is a smoother transition,” Pfeifer says. “We don’t want them to experience the distress of being dropped into a situation where their caregivers are gone, and they must maneuver that along with a new living situation. The important thing is that this is a population that is more difficult to mobilize; they need others to advocate for them. They also need help learning to advocate for themselves.” n

Sweet dreams are made of cheese. Who am I to dis a brie?

Sylvia E. King-Cohen is a publicist with the PR firm Todd Shapiro Associates. Skingcohen2021@gmail.com

A ramp is usually the most common renovation that indicates those with special needs are in residence. While safety is the first concern, having a ramp that complements the home is a consideration.

Multi-story group homes were the first transition away from warehousing where thousands of individuals shared common spaces and existed on overcrowded wards with too few staff.

Single-story homes are ideal as group home because they require less renovation as the residents age. This home also considers sustainability with solar panels and low-maintenance plants. It is important that the home mesh with the aesthetics of others in the neighborhood.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIFE’S WORC AND FUSION ARCHITECTURE

I danced like no one was watching. My court date is pending.

A DIK-DIK IS THE NAME FOR ANY OF FOUR SPECIES OF SMALL ANTELOPE THAT LIVE IN THE BUSHLANDS OF EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA. THEY STAND 12–15.5 INCHES AT THE SHOULDER, ARE 19.5–27.5 IN LONG, WEIGH 6.6–13.2 POUNDS, AND CAN LIVE FOR UP TO 10 YEARS. DIK-DIKS ARE NAMED FOR THE ALARM CALLS OF THE FEMALES. IN ADDITION TO THE FEMALES' ALARM CALL, BOTH THE MALE AND FEMALE MAKE A SHRILL, WHISTLING SOUND. THESE CALLS MAY ALERT OTHER ANIMALS TO PREDATORS.

A glisk is sunlight that is glimpsed through a break in the clouds, a fleeting glance at a glittering sight, a brief glow of warmth from a fire that's burned low. It can also mean a sudden flash of hope in the heart.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE 1 MILLION DOGS IN THE U.S. HAVE BEEN NAMED PRIMARY BENEFICIARY IN THEIR OWNERS’ WILLS.

BORING, OREGON, AND DULL, SCOTLAND, HAVE BEEN SISTER CITIES SINCE 2012. IN 2017, THEY ADDED BLAND SHIRE, AUSTRALIA, TO THEIR “LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITIES.”

On an island off the west coast of Australia lies Lake Hillier. It’s not the only colored lake in the world, but it is the only one where scientists have not yet determined what causes it to be such a bright bubble gum pink.

Tsundoku is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them. The term originated as Japanese slang and combines elements of the terms tsunde-oku ("to pile things up ready for later and leave"), and dokusho ("reading books").

Salvador Dalí would often get out of paying for drinks and meals by drawing on the checks he used to make payment. This, of course, made them priceless works of art and therefore they went uncashed. Dalí believed he was the reincarnation of his dead older brother.

A group of goldfish is called a "troubling."

APOLOGY:

A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one

AUGHT:

All, or nothing

BILL:

A payment, or an invoice for payment

BOLT:

To secure, or to flee

BOUND:

Heading to a destination, or restrained from movement

BUCKLE:

To connect, or to break or collapse

CLEAVE:

To cling or adhere, or to separate

CLIP:

To fasten, or detach

CONSULT:

To offer advice, or to obtain it

CONTINUE:

To keep doing an action, or to suspend an action

CUSTOM:

A common practice, or a special treatment

DIKE:

A wall to prevent flooding, or a ditch

english spelling and grammar rules can be inconsistent and difficult to master, but here’s a complexity you may never have thought of before. Contranyms, also known as auto-antonyms or antagonyms, are words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings. They demonstrate the richness and complexity of language and the many ways in which words can be used to convey meaning, but they also can be a source of confusion and can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, so it is important to use them carefully and in the appropriate context.

DISCURSIVE:

Moving in an orderly fashion among topics, or proceeding aimlessly in a discussion

DOLLOP:

A large amount (British English), or a small amount

DUST:

To add fine particles, or to remove them

ENJOIN:

To impose, or to prohibit

FAST:

Moving rapidly, or fixed, unmoving, as in holding fast.

FINE:

Excellent, or acceptable or good enough

FINISHED:

Completed, or ended or destroyed

FIRST DEGREE:

Most severe (like in a murder charge), or least severe (like in a burn)

FIX:

To repair, or to castrate

FLOG:

To promote persistently, or to criticize or beat

FOUNDER :

A person who builds something up, or the act of sinking something down

GARNISH:

To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with wages

GIVE OUT:

To provide, or to stop because of a lack of supply

GO:

To proceed or succeed, or to weaken or fail

GRADE:

A degree of slope, or a horizontal line or position

HANDICAP:

An advantage provided to ensure equality, or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement

HELP:

Assist, unless you can’t help doing something, when it means prevent

HOLD UP:

To support, or to hinder

INCORPORATE:

to be a distinct legal entity, or to be a small part absorbed into some other whole

LEASE:

To offer property for rent, or to hold such property

LEFT:

Remaining, or departed

When my uncle died, he wanted his remains pressed into a record. It was his vinyl request.

I still remember my first date with my wife. She gave me butterflies— which I thought was a rather odd gift

LET:

Allowed, or hindered

LIEGE: A feudal lord, or a vassal

LITERALLY:

Actually, or virtually

LIVID: flushed with anger, or pale with fear

MEAN:

Average, or excellent

MODEL:

An exemplar, or a copy

OFF:

Deactivated, or activated, like an alarm

OUT:

Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights

OUT OF:

Outside, or inside, as in working out of a specific office

OVERLOOK:

To supervise, or to neglect

OVERSIGHT:

Monitoring, or failing to oversee

PEER:

A person of the nobility, or an equal

PIT:

A hard and very solid seed, or a gaping hole

PRESENTLY:

Now, or soon

PUT OUT:

Extinguish, or generate

PUZZLE:

A problem, or to solve one

QUANTUM:

Significantly large, or a minuscule part

QUIDDITY:

Essence, or a trifling point of contention

QUITE:

Rather (as a qualifying modifier), or completely

RAVEL:

To entangle, or to disentangle

REFRAIN:

To desist from doing something, or to repeat

RENT:

To purchase use of something, or to sell use

RESIGN:

To quit, or to sign up again, but it’s pronounced differently

ROCK:

An immobile mass of stone or a shaking or unsettling movement or action

SANCTION:

A penalty for disobeying a law or official permission/approval for an action

SANGUINE:

Confidently cheerful, or bloodthirsty

SCAN:

To peruse, or to glance

SCREEN:

To present, or to conceal

SEED:

To sow seeds, or to shed or remove them

SHOP:

To patronize a business in order to purchase something, or to sell something

SKIN:

To cover, or to remove

SKINNED:

Covered with skin, or with the skin removed

SPLICE:

To join, or to separate

STAKEHOLDER:

One who has a stake in an enterprise, or a bystander who holds the stake for those placing a bet

STRIKE:

To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit

TABLE:

To propose (in British English), or to set aside

TEMPER:

To soften, or to strengthen

THROW (OR ‘TOSS’) OUT:

To dispose of, or to present for consideration

TRANSPARENT:

Invisible, or obvious

TRIM:

To decorate, or to remove excess from

TRIP:

A journey, or a stumble

UNBENDING:

Rigid, or relaxing

VARIETY:

A particular type, or many types

WEAR:

To endure, or to deteriorate

WEATHER:

To withstand, or to wear away

WIND UP:

To end, or to start up. n

dUTch archiTecTUral sTUdio mvrdv completed a unique and angular skyscraper in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The 807,000-sf mixeduse development was designed for real estate developer EDGE. It is comprised of 200 apartments, as well as offices and restaurants. The tallest of the buildings (about 230 feet), according to the founding partner of the architectural firm, was designed as a “symphony of life,” because it required considering what was necessary to make an office district livable. “Instead of a one-note business center, this site (has) people working, barbecue yes, but also barbecuing on their terraces, visitors relaxing in the Valley, shopping in the grotto, eating dinner by the street, and even the window cleaners and the gardeners scaling the heights above,” said Winy Mass.

Valley, which took four years to complete, is comprised of three connected towers of different heights with glazed and contrasting façades with a multitude of terraces and balconies that overlap one another and filled with 370 planted areas with around 13,500 plants.

All pictures courtesy of EDGE. n

THE FACTOR VALLEY

I got my first date of the year lined up. It's a court date, but, hey, it's still a date—and I'm dressing up.

© MARCEL STEINBACH

© OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE

© OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE

© OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE

MENTAL HEALTH, SUSTAINABILITY, AND DESIGN FOR THE METAVERSE

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS REVEALS KEY TRENDS IMPACTING DESIGN IN 2023

articles from design publications have urged interior designers to “get on board,” even going so far as to creating Metaverse design awards for interior and architectural firms to showcase their work done within the digital space.

The american socieTy of Interior Designers (ASID) released its 2023 Trends Outlook report, examining societal shifts and economic trends impacting the design profession and the role of design in addressing issues in our world.

In 2023, ASID’s research finds that health and wellness continue to be top priorities in both residential and commercial design, with an emphasis on design solutions for the changing lifestyles and needs of older Americans. ASID’s research also explores how design is being impacted by the global mental health crisis, consumers’ demands for sustainability, and a new wave of technology that brings with it the need for artificial intelligence and designing for the metaverse. Key findings include:

A global reckoning with mental health needs is driving a new ethos in design. Modifications can make interior environments more suitable and supportive for persons with mental health issues and can help aid in reducing environmental factors that can contribute to feelings of stress and unease.

Health and wellness remain top priorities in the built environment. ASID’s report identified a growing trend towards holistic healthy living, and interior design that addresses both the mind and body. New design choices can range from the choice of colors, lighting and daylighting, and the use of plants and natural materials to adding spa-like bathrooms and retreat spaces for exercise and meditation.

Consumers want to protect the planet and are making sustainable

choices Consumers, including home buyers, are placing increasing emphasis on sustainability as a value guiding their purchasing choices, with increasing numbers of consumers saying they are willing to pay a purchase premium for sustainability.

Older adults are rethinking their post-work lives, opting for “rewirement” instead of retirement. Of all retirees, ASID found that 61 percent end up returning to work at least part-time. About half of those who return to work prefer a hybrid work arrangement. Workplaces are adapting to support a multigenerational workforce.

Design for video conferencing, social media content creation and influencer marketing ASID found that an increasing number of residential and commercial spaces are being modified to make them Instagram- and Zoom-worthy. With an ever-growing reliance on videoconferencing for remote work and the proliferation of photo and video apps, content creators desire backgrounds that showcase their personal brand, and designers are supporting this trend with accent walls, decorative objects and other visual features that show off their clients’ personalities.

Designing in and for the metaverse is gaining momentum as a design specialty. Forward-thinking companies are already exploring how they might use the metaverse to engage with customers. Lifestyle and fashion brands are using graphic and interior designers to create innovative, stunning artificial reality (AR) environments such as retail spaces, hotels, restaurants, and pop-up spaces. Recent

Some offices are being converted, while others are becoming more inclusive and accessible for neurodivergent employees. ASID’s research examined the “adaptive reuse” trend in offices being converted into residential spaces. Elsewhere in workplace design, the Outlook Report shows that design for neurodiversity is increasingly popular, as employers are providing flexible and adaptable work environments that support neurodivergent workforces.

"Perhaps at no other time in history has interior design played such a significant role in addressing some of society's most pressing challenges,” said Khoi Vo, ASID CEO. “Designers are responding to changing needs in their communities by creating new spaces or adapting existing ones to make a positive impact on places where people live, work, play, heal, or learn."

Khoi Vo

The Trends Outlook is the first report in ASID’s three-part Outlook report series; parts two and three, the Economic Outlook and State of Interior Design, will be released later this spring. The series is sponsored by Sherwin Williams. The Trends Report is included in ASID membership and is available for download for $150 for non-members.

See related article on page 44. n

ARTCH TECTURE

ABRAHAM HUNTER

PAINTER OF WILDLIFE, WARMTH, AND INSPIRATION

“If my art can give someone peace, happiness, make them feel home and put a smile on their face, then my life’s work at my easel is worth it!”

as early as he can remember, Abraham was busy drawing and coloring on anything he could get his hands on. Wildlife and history were his favorite subjects to draw, and he often blended the two subjects by having critters like squirrels and songbirds play the roles of the characters in the stories he would write and illustrate.

He began painting when he was 12 with a watercolor paint set from Walmart. To help with family finances, he began to sell his art for $20 dollars apiece, going door to door where local restaurants and gift shops became his first “galleries.” He juggled high school and work, entering as many contests as he could in order to get his art out there.

In 2012, he found a publisher and opened his own gallery, inspiring him to make each new painting better than the one before. He tries to paint or sketch every day, learning from masters before him and from his own experiences.

In his art, he tries to express his deep longing for a perfect world, full of peaceful homesteads, villages, and wildlife and he also loves to paint images that express his faith. He’s a completely self-taught artist, and he’s most concerned with how his art makes viewers feel when they step in to his oil and acrylic paintings.

Abraham and his wife Whitney, and their son live in Knoxville, Tennessee where they

I’m so poor, I can’t afford to pay attention.

I’m in shape. (Round is a shape.)

Abraham is partnered with Infinity Fine Art and Master’s Editions galleries. To see more of his beautiful work, go to facebook.com/ abrahamhunterart  and/or instagram.com/abraham_hunter_art_ and/or www.abrahamhunter.com. To purchase his fine art limited edition canvas giclées, contact www.infinityfineart.com or to purchase one of his original oils or acrylic paintings visit Masters Editions Galleries at www.masterseditions.com.

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.

work, raise a family, and explore the mountains around them, with visits to the beach as often as they can. An award-winning artist with a Federal Jr. Duck Stamp win, and multiple wildlife conservation groups’ Art Print of the Year designations, young Abraham has a brilliant career ahead of him. n

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.)

socraTes (469 Bc To 399 Bc) was one of the most influential philosophers of the ancient era and is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure and left almost no writings. Most of his teachings are known from

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.

Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.

To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.

I KNOW THAT I AM INTELLIGENT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I KNOW NOTHING.

Be as you wish to seem.

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.

I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.

the writings of his students (particularly Plato and Xenophon). At the time, many thought that his teachings threatened their way of life because he didn’t conform to local traditions, He was sentenced to death, and died after being forced to drink poison hemlock.

A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.

The unexamined life is not worth living.

Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.

Sometimes you put up walls not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

DEATH MAY BE THE GREATEST OF ALL HUMAN BLESSINGS.

Envy is the ulcer of the soul.

SOCRATES

THE HIGHEST FORM OF HUMAN EXCELLENCE IS TO QUESTION ONESELF AND OTHERS.

There is only one good—knowledge and one evil—ignorance.

I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. To find yourself, think for yourself.

Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love.

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.

Those who are hardest to love need it the most. Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of.

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore, avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.

THE WISDOM OF

Beer nuts for sale — $1.25 per bag. Deer nuts are under a buck.

and I'm taking steps to avoid them.

REMEMBER WHAT IS UNBECOMING TO DO IS ALSO UNBECOMING TO SPEAK OF.

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.

Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat.

Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.

Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior.

Only the extremely ignorant or the extremely intelligent can resist change.

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

PEOPLE DEMAND FREEDOM OF SPEECH TO MAKE UP FOR THE FREEDOM OF THOUGHT WHICH THEY AVOID.

Wisdom begins in wonder. When the debate is over, slander becomes the tool of the loser.

Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue-to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak.

The value of a man is measured in the number of those who stand beside him, not those who follow.

Strong minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Weak minds discuss people.

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.

The mind is everything; what you think you become.

IT IS BETTER TO CHANGE AN OPINION THAN TO PERSIST IN A WRONG ONE.

Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they’re fools, and fools who think they are wise.

They are not only idle who do nothing, but they are idle also who might be better employed.

Beauty comes first. Victory is secondary. What matters is joy.

The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

DO NOT DO TO OTHERS WHAT ANGERS YOU IF DONE TO YOU BY OTHERS. EVERY ACTION HAS ITS PLEASURES AND ITS PRICE.

Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual.

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

Nothing is so well learned as that which is discovered.

Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.

In childhood be modest, in youth temperate, in adulthood just, and in old age prudent.

I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live.

Speak, so that I may see you. What I do not know, I do not think I know. Wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.

Smart people learn from everything and everyone. Average people from their experiences. Stupid people already have all the answers.

It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong.

HE WHO WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD SHOULD FIRST CHANGE HIMSELF. THE MIND IS THE PILOT OF THE SOUL.

I am likely to be wiser than he to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know.

I'm terrified of elevators

THE FACTOR

KING POWER MAHANAKHON SHANGHAI ASTRONOMY MUSEUM

The world's largesT mUseUm dedicated to astronomy is now open in Shanghai, China. Designed by New York-based Ennead Architects, the museum has three primary elements: the inverted dome, the planetarium sphere, and the Oculus.

"The foundational design concept... was to abstractly embody within the architecture some of the fundamental laws of astrophysics, which are the rule in space," said design partner Thomas J Wong. "To the extent possible, we wanted this building to echo the essence of the universe and there are no straight lines or right angles in space!" n

formerly known as mahanakhon, this is a mixed-use skyscraper and the tallest building (1,031 feet with 77 floors) in Thailand. Located in the central business district of Bangkok, it features the unconventional appearance of a glass curtain walled square tower with a cuboid-surfaced spiral cut into the side of the building. It includes a hotel (155 rooms operated by Standard Hotels as well as a rooftop observation deck), 110,00 sf of retail space and residences (209 units of The Ritz-Carlton Residences which, when it opened, were priced between $1,200,000 $14,000,000). Prior to its opening in 2016, the project received three major awards including Best Mixed Use, Best Residential, and Best Residential Highrise at the Asia-Pacific Property Awards.

I don't have a beer gut.

I have a protective covering for my rock hard abs.

MAHANAKHON, THE TALLEST SKYSCRAPER IN BANGKOK BY NINARASLICENSED UNDER THE CC ATTRIBUTION

INTERNATIONAL LICENSE.

ANDREW JACKSON

my son's BirThday is on January 8th, and I always proclaimed, "January 8, the date Andy Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans." However, January 8th is also Elvis Presley's birthday, and for some reason, the King's birthday was always the more important to my son and all of his buddies.

preacher to work with the boy. He wasn’t a scholar, but he had a winning personality, and he was later elected to the House of Representatives from Tennessee, and he also married the most beautiful girl in town—Rachel Robards. Then he bought prize property in Tennessee naming his estate The Hermitage. It is still a gorgeous place and always filled with visitors!

BY ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY

Nevertheless, New Orleans celebrates this grand and glorious victory on January 8th right there in the middle of town on Jackson Square, named for the victor. And in times past, I'm sure they all downed a couple of Jax Beers, the popular refreshment (no longer brewed) that also bore Jackson's name. Why all this love for Jackson? Because good old Andy not only saved the city from the British, but he also saved the nation. Had the English gotten control of the Mississippi River, the history of this nation could have been very different. General Andrew Jackson feared that Madison's men were overlooking this most important target of all—New Orleans. The Louisiana Purchase offered the country dreams of expansion, and Jackson was determined to preserve those dreams.

Andy was born in the Carolinas. Before he was born his father died in a logging accident, so his mother took baby Andrew and his brothers to live with relatives. He learned to hate the British, since his family was taken captive and he was forced to polish the boots of British officers. An English officer attempted to slash Andy with his sword, but Andy raised his hand as a shield, and the officer slashed his arm leaving him with a permanent scar— and a permanent hatred for the English.

Jackson's mother made certain her son could read and write by asking a

Jackson engaged in several battles during the War of 1812, and he proved to be a fearless leader in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Georgia. There he defeated the British and the Creek Indians. A well-known phrase came from this battle, "I'll be there if it don't rain and the Creek don't rise!" (Creek refers to the Indian tribe—not a stream of water.)

Also, during the battle of Horseshoe Bend, Andy met another fearless fighter—Sam Houston. The two fought side by side until Sam was horribly wounded, and it was over for him. Houston went back to Texas still suffering from his war wound. Jackson assembled a coalition of frontier militiamen, French speaking Louisianan, Cherokee and Choctaw Indians, freed slaves and even some pirates to fight in the Battle of New Orleans where he became so

admired and loved that he was elected President of the United States.

From Washington, President Jackson contacted Houston in Tennessee, "Run for the House of Representatives and get up here. I need you," he told him.

Sam did run and he won. After serving several years in the House, Sam ran for the Senate and won easily. Under President Jackson, many states were annexed; later, he sent Houston down to Texas to win the war with Mexico and bring Texas in as a state. Sam didn't do what Andy requested. He won the war at San Jacinto and declared Texas a free Republic, not a state. He went ever further. He—Sam Houston—would become the President of the Republic. Texas remained a Republic for ten years with Sam serving as President

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also known as Tohopeka, Cholocco Litabixbee, or The Horseshoe), was fought during the War of 1812 in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. On March 27, 1814, United States forces and Indian allies under Major General Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Sticks, a part of the Creek Indian tribe who opposed American expansion, effectively ending the Creek War.

two separate times. And when Texas did join the union in 1845, Houston became the first Governor of the State of Texas.

Sam married Margaret Lea, a beautiful girl from Alabama, and they had eight children, the first child being Sam Houston, Junior. Houston wanted Sam, Jr. to meet the "greatest American that ever lived, Andrew Jackson,” so the two traveled from Texas to Tennessee so that this eldest son could meet Andy.

Unfortunately, on the way, Houston heard that Andrew Jackson had died. Nevertheless, they trudged on and the two paid tribute to "the greatest American that ever lived." 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 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 . rosetalksdallas@aol.com

é Andrew Jackson

é Rachel Robards Jackson

é Margaret Lea Houston

é Sam Houston

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.

It’s

How many egomaniacs does it take to screw in a light bulb? One. The egomaniac holds the light bulb while the world revolves around him.

Research Papers Here Research Papers Here

Research Papers Here Research Papers Here

CREW NETWORK, ICSC, NAIOP, NAREIT, NMHC, MBA AND THE REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE JOIN TOGETHER TO EXPAND SUPPLIER DIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES

The Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier (CREDS) Consortium is a first-of-its-kind coalition to provide more opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses in the industry’s supply chain.

an indUsTry-wide groUp of seven real estate trade associations announced a firstof-its-kind alliance to foster supplier diversity in real estate. The Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier (CREDS) Consortium aims to expand economic opportunities for businesses owned by minorityand women-owned businesses (MWBEs) in the chain of providers that supply the real estate industry.

CREDS Consortium associations include CREW Network, ICSC, Mortgage Bankers Association, NAIOP, Nareit, National Multifamily Housing Council and the Real Estate Roundtable. These associations will highlight tools that their members can use to identify, track, report, and procure products and services from MWBEs and companies owned by veterans, LGBTQ+ persons, and persons with disabilities.

“As a global organization focused on accelerating success for all women in commercial real estate, CREW Network supports this partnership and initiative as an important business strategy to elevate ESG and DEI and create a more equitable industry for all,” said CREW Network CEO Wendy Mann. “Women- and minority-owned businesses are a driving force behind economic growth and bringing this diverse talent to the industry is a business imperative. Companies that increase their diverse spend also see an increase in innovation and market share. It’s a win-win.”

The CREDS Consortium has launched a two-year pilot program that will run through the end of 2024 with SupplierGATEWAY, a leading supplier management software platform and minority-owned firm

that automates and simplifies supplier and vendor management. Their products include supplier sourcing, registration, risk management, compliance, and management—and provide support for corporate social responsibility, diversity, and inclusion goals.

Members of the CREDS associations can subscribe—at a discounted price—to SupplierGATEWAY's software platform to search for, connect with, and potentially hire MWBEs as contractors, service providers, vendors, and joint venture partners. CREDS associations’ subscribing members can access the vendor management software and a comprehensive database of MWBE suppliers.

Hiring companies can also post their purchase orders and other contracting opportunities through the CREDS portal. Tools available on the platform

that measure and track MWBE procurement spending will support companies that intend to advance environmental social, and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals. During the pilot program, the Consortium also hopes to gain broad insights into supplier diversity trends across the commercial real estate industry.

Visit creds.suppliergateway.com to learn more about the CREDS Consortium pilot program. An FAQ document can be found here n

YOU

TO KNOW LINK : MARKET PLACE AND DIRECTORY

ASSET | PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE

JANITORIAL SERVICES:

DIVERSI NS 9/11 COINCIDENCES???

PAVING: 9/11 COINCIDENCES???

LEGAL:

· The emergency phone # in the USA is 911 which was the day of the attack on the towers.

· Date of the attack: 9/11 =9+1+1= 11.

· September 11th is the 254th day of the year: 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.

· After September 11th there are 111 days left to the end of the year.

· Twin Towers - standing side by side, looks like the number 11.

· The first plane to hit the towers was Flight 11.

· State of New York - The 11th State added to the Union.

· New York City - 11 Letters.

· The Pentagon - 11 Letters.

· Afghanistan - 11 Letters.

· Ramzi Yousef - 11 Letters (convicted or orchestrating the attack on The WTC in 1993).

· Flight 11 - 92 on board - 9 + 2 = 11.

· Flight 77 - 65 on board - 6 + 5 = 11.

DIVERSI NS NOT THE BEATLES

NEED (OR MIGHT WANT)

is wrong. Man with four balls, impossible to walk!

Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cathouse.

Man with hand in bush not necessarily trimming shrubs.

Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.

ANSWERS FROM THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY CONTEST: CATCHPHRASES

1 "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" (Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind)

2 "Book ‘em, Danno." (Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O)

3 "Here's looking at you, kid." (Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca)

4 "What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?" (Cary Coleman as Arnold Drummond on Different Strokes)

5. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" (Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather)

6 "You can’t handle the truth." (Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men)

7 "Oh My God! They killed Kenny! You bastards!" (Stan Marsh and Kyle Broflovski in South Park)

8 "What’s up, Doc?" (Bugs Bunny)

9 "I'll have what she's having." (Dani Minnick in When Harry Met Sally)

10 "Go ahead, make my day." (Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry)

11 "Stupid is as stupid does." (Tom Hanks as Forrest Gum in Forrest Gump)

12 "Where's the beef?" (Clara Peller for Wendy’s)

1 "You talkin’ to me?" (Robert DeNiro as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver)

14 "I pity the fool." (Mr. T in The A-Team)

15 "Would you believe…?" (Don Adams as Maxwell Smart [Agent 86] on Get Smart)

16 "Shazam!" (Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle on Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.)

17 "Eat my shorts!" (Bart Simpson on The Simpsons)

18 "Did I say that?" (Jaleel White as Steve Urkel in Family Matters)

19 "I’ll be back." (Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator in The Terminator)

20 "Show me the money." (Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire in Jerry Maguire)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR CONTEST WINNERS!

Elena Anderson of Portland, OR, Rafael Guzmán of Albuquerque, NM, Ellen Easton of Scarborough, NY Larry Leveridge of Canton, OH, Danielle Fordham of Toronto, ON, and Damian Wagner of Jacksonville, FL Each will receive a copy of Vertical Lines II, the newly released compilation of the one- liners that appear on most pages (like this one) of (See Page 3 for how to get your own copy.)

DIVERSI NS CELLULLITE

BOLO (BE ON THE LOOK OUT) FOR WHAT'S

Our cover and Artchitecture pages will be graced by the incredible photo-manipulation artwork of Hansruedi Ramsauer, a self-taught digital artist who lives near Zurich, Switzerland.

We will bring you pictures of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of France in the eighth installment of our series, and we will continue our series on America’s Favorite Architecture according to the AIA.

In Herstory, Contributing Editor Rose-Mary Rumbley takes on the history of publishing

COMING NEXT

to explain what makes a best seller. One of our Wow Factors will introduce you to King Power Mahanakhon, the tallest building in Thailand.

Sarah King-Cohen will contribute part 2 of her multi-issue series of profiles of highly specialized real estate organizations that cater to the needs of the disabled population, and we will tap into the wit of Henny Youngman whom Walter Winchell called ‘The King Of One Liners’. (A sample: “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”)

Want more? Of course, there will be other specially contributed articles from various segments of the real estate industry as well as our affiliates, You Need (or might want) to Know, Wow Factors, Real Estate of the Future, Diversions, Tru Dat, Vertical Lines, The Resource Page, Whatever Happened To...? and much MUCH more. We get a lot into 64 pages!

...BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S 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.

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.

Leases are highly specialized documents. A few words can make a world of difference. Anyone with experience.