Tag Archives: First

As Housing Affordability in Australia Remains Low, Containers First Offers Shipping Containers for Sale Designed as Rental Dwellings to Ease Housing Stress

Posted on by
Reply


NSW, Australia (PRWEB) June 27, 2012

The National Housing Supply Council released a report this week reflecting a likely decline in homeownership, as mortgage and property rates still demand for an unreasonable part of most peoples annual incomes even after prices continue to undergo substantial declines. With this nationwide housing stress, a term coined by the Council, Containers First, a 25-year leader in shipping container sales and hires, recently announced that quality and especially designed shipping containers can be an urgent and relevant housing solution.

The innovation offered by Containers First can be optimised to meet demands for safer and long-lasting homes that are within reasonable rates. This is in answer to the Councils findings that the market value of residential dwellings is well above the recommended mortgage-income ratio, a statement echoed in the recent study of property research firm Demographia that estimates Australian homes are valued at 6.7 times the annual average income.

This alarming shortage of available and affordable housing is seen in both Australias urban and regional areas. While it is experienced by households of average incomes, the undersupply is felt on a greater degree by people and families with lower-income levels. This phenomenon is even more critical in the case of renters, as the housing report estimates more than 30 per cent of their incomes are allotted for rental payments, with 40 per cent of them forking over half of their total gross earnings a year just to pay the rent.

Given this market climate, Containers Firsts solution of appropriating shipping containers for sale as rental properties can benefit mutual parties: renters looking for cost-efficient housing options, as well as property owners needing additional income to address mortgage payment requirements.

Homeowners can make extra money by putting a shipping container home on their land and renting it as accommodation. In the meantime, people looking for homes to rent can enjoy the stability and comforts of traditional homes without the unreasonable cost, a Containers First representative says. The potential financial activity from both renters and homeowners can be hugely beneficial to drive market movement.

Far from being mere box-type dwellings, new or used shipping containers for sale from a trusted supplier such as Containers First present the great possibilities of this recycled and malleable material. Inspired by the now-trending cargotecture concept, living spaces made from shipping containers are extremely durable, upgraded to last even extreme weather conditions, and designed to offer the comforts of modern living. With a few architectural and creative design touches, cargo unit homes can even prove to be breathtakingly beautiful, as seen in designer shipping container structures around the world.

Portable buildings by Containers First, for instance, are especially designed for living spaces such as homes, offices and commercial venues. The flexibility of the material allows model specifications to be customised to meet the space, safety and convenience requirements of the customer. With the expertise of Containers First engineers and custom builders, units can also be fitted with modifications such as personal door access, fitted shelving, insulation and ventilation components, security lock boxes, and air-conditioning systems.

For more innovative ideas on how to make modern living more sustainable, comfortable and cost-efficient, interested parties can visit containersfirst.com.au and ask for a free online quote today.







Hospital Joint Venture between LHP Hospital Group, Inc. and Seton Family of Hospitals Establishes First New Hospital in Bell County, TX in 35 Years

Posted on by
Reply


Plano, TX (PRWEB) June 19, 2012

LHP Hospital Group, Inc. and the Seton Family of Hospitals recently celebrated the public unveiling of Seton Medical Center Harker Heights. The 192,400-square-foot facility represents a hospital joint venture between the two organizations and is the first new hospital serving the Bell County, TX, area in more than 35 years. The celebration included a ribbon cutting attended by mayors from the Central Texas region, state representatives, and other civic leaders.

Worlds First Web Competitive Analysis Tool for Singapore Released

Posted on by
Reply


Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 31, 2012

Global marketers targeting Asia and especially Singapore prospects can now use the recently updated SEO Recon 2012— the worlds only widely available commercial software that dynamically maps the unique competitive landscapes for a companys product or service offerings and the first web competitive analysis tool for Singapore.com domains.

One month licenses for SEO Recon can be purchased at http://184.168.68.129/ALM-SEOSoftwareBundle.html.

Priced at only US$ 50/month (single license rate), SEO Recon levels the playing field for companies of all sizes– making it possible for ANY company to dominate their space on the web.

Michael Marshall, developer of SEO Recon explains that this newest version of SEO Recon was developed in response to multiple requests from companies that market to Asia in general, and especially attendees to his advanced courses on search engine optimization.

SEO Recon 2012 uses the modestly priced Majestic SEO from the UK in lieu of the formerly free data feed on site linking that had been available from Yahoo prior to its merger with Bing.

SEO Recon 2012:

Weather Central Offers First U.S. Showing of Wind Power Yield Forecast System at AWEA 2012

Posted on by
Reply


San Diego, CA and Madison, WI (PRWEB) June 04, 2012

Weather Central, LP, is presenting its groundbreaking new Wind Power Yield Forecast (YIELD FORECAST) for the first time in the U.S. at AWEA 2012 at the Georgia Congress Center, Atlanta Georgia in Booth 2950. The YIELD FORECAST system is unique because it has been purpose built for the wind industry, which loses $ 500 million annually as a result of inaccurate forecasts that were not designed to the unique requirements of wind parks.

Weather Central also announces that YIELD FORECAST has begun testing at the Madison Gas and Electric Top of Iowa wind park. Similar tests are underway at multiple wind parks in Europe.

Solid forecasting is essential to mitigating the operating risk of wind parks, said Steve Smedberg, Weather Central senior vice president for enterprise. YIELD FORECAST is simply the most advanced system of its kind, bringing together decades of forecast experience, proprietary high resolution data sets, and advanced computing technology. Our exclusive methods of customizing the toolkit at the level of individual turbines are producing unprecedented forecast precision.

Weather Central YIELD FORECAST will provide wind park operators and utilities with more accurate, actionable predictions for the power output for the following 24-48 hours to help them extract the maximum value from the wind-generated power. YIELD FORECAST specifically addresses the need for operators to predict their output on a day-ahead basis and to prepare responses to real-time fluctuations in output. Globally, poor forecasts are estimated to cost wind operators in excess $ 500 million (U.S.) due to: having to sell excess power at low or negative prices, being forced by shortfalls to buy energy from other sources in the real-time market in order to meet commitments, and having to pay penalties and tariffs imposed on them for inaccurate yield forecasting.

YIELD FORECAST is unique because it is the only solution for the wind energy industry where a single company controls the entire forecast chain. This provides Weather Central with unmatched flexibility to optimize the forecast not just for each wind park, but actually at the level of individual turbines for peak precision. The Weather Central YIELD FORECAST solution combines on-site data feedback and input from the customer with proprietary Weather Central technologies including:

MicroCast numerical weather prediction model
-Advanced neural network and other statistical analysis

DataCloud data serving technology
-Interactive map-based visualization tools

For a complete look at Weather Centrals solutions visit http://www.wxc.com/windenergy.html.

About Weather Central, LP Weather Central, LP, founded in 1974 by broadcasters and meteorologists based in Madison, Wisconsin, is the leading provider of professional onair, online, print, mobile and enterprise weather solutions and forecasting to major customers worldwide. Utilizing the Companys dynamic weather graphics, precise forecast models and data, and patented technology, more than 1000 partners and hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide benefit from Weather Centrals attention to weather presentation, detail and insight.

Student Poster Wins First Place at 2012 Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Conference

Posted on by
Reply

Needham, MA (PRWEB) June 08, 2012

Four Olin College juniors, Kristopher Belland, Paul Booth, Jared Kirschner and Seungwhan Moon, have won first place in the Undergraduate Posters category at CSCNE 2012, the 17th Annual Conference of the Northeast region of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC).

The conference is held in cooperation with the ACM SIGCSE and Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honors Society and was hosted by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., June 27-28, 2012. CCSCNE brings together faculty, staff, and students from academic institutions throughout the Northeast for an exchange of ideas and information concerning undergraduate computing curricula.

The category in which the first place prize was awarded, undergraduate posters, includes presentations on research projects. The Olin students research abstract was titled Application of Genetic Programming to Verilog Hardware Design. It summarized groundbreaking research at the forefront of developing an alternative method for the design of computer architecture; in this method, computers self-organize to perform tasks efficiently, even when the ideal hardware implementation is not known to the designer.

The student team was advised by Visiting Associate Professor of Computer Science Ursula Wolz.







NewSchool of Architecture and Design Team Wins First Place at International Competition

Posted on by
Reply


San Diego (PRWEB) May 11, 2012

A NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) team won the MCM Group Mock Firms International Skyscraper Award, the highest honor in the international 2012 Mock Firms Competition collegiate division held in Chicago May 34. The undergraduate team, which also won the titles of Top Sustainable Mock Firm and Top Architecture Mock Firm, was among six finalist teams in the competitions college division, formally called the International Skyscraper division. The finalists also included a second NSAD team composed of graduate students.

The fourth annual Mock Firms Competition was held by Chicago Architecture Today, an LLC online publication reporting on architecture in Chicago and beyond. The winning team members, who named their mock firm Capsule Architecture Lab, are all undergraduate students in NSADs Bachelor of Architecture program: Monika Banakaite, Wilfred Briones, Brandon Nash, Lam Thanh Nguyen and Carlos Sandoval. The groups NSAD faculty mentor was Raul Diaz, an associate with Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects. As the overall winner of the competition, the student team receives a $ 1,000 prize sponsored by the MCM Group International, an award-winning studio of planners and architects that has developed more than 2,000 projects around the world. Their primary practice areas include sustainable design, leisure and tourism and cultural and heritage projects.

The other NSAD finalist team, SALT (Sustainable: Architecture: Landscape: Technology), was made up of graduate students in the Master of Architecture program: Ann Capinguian, Kevin Colbert, Daniel Kwak and Rodrigo Villalon. The groups NSAD faculty mentor was Daniela Deutsch of the architecture firm exitecture.

We are proud of our two student teams that demonstrated as finalists the quality and professionalism that we encourage in all our students, said NSAD President Steve Altman. At NSAD we have made global experience part of our mission. This competition, with its focus on a hypothetical project in China, was an opportunity for our students to show how they can successfully apply their technical and creative backgrounds at an international level.

The competition, which includes a separate category for secondary school students, provides students with practice in creating and participating in a simulated architectural design firm in preparation for the work environment. Other finalist teams at the collegiate level were from Cornell University, Drexel University, Higher Technical School of Architecture (Spain), and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. NSAD was the only school in this years college competition with more than one team represented in the finals.

For the competition, the collegiate teams developed a mock design/build firm and prepared a project proposal for a skyscraper based on the competitions theme of versatility, which was defined as varied building uses and adaptability. The site of the conceptual project was Beijing, China. During the final competition, teams pitched their design concepts directly to some of the industrys leading design/build professionals to receive immediate feedback and critique. The collegiate teams competed in the categories of marketing, construction, organization, engineering, architecture and sustainability, in addition to the top overall mock firm.

About NewSchool of Architecture and Design

NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD), founded in 1980, is located in San Diego, California. NSAD is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. NSADs Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NSAD also offers a pre-professional Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, a Bachelor of Science in Digital Media Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management, a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, a Master of Landscape Architecture, a Master of Construction Management and a Master of Science in Architecture. NSAD was ranked among the top 10 undergraduate architecture schools in the western United States, according to the DesignIntelligence report Americas Best Architecture & Design Schools 2012. For more information, visit http://www.NewSchoolArch.edu.

# # #







Related Landscape Architecture Press Releases

Filta Franchise Owners Complete their First Franchise Advisory Council Meeting

Posted on by
Reply


Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 13, 2012

The Filta Franchise Network recently held its first Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) meeting for the 2012 2014 session. The FAC is made up of seven Filta Franchise Owners elected by their peers for a two year term. The 2012 2014 Filta FAC members are: John Lopez from Atlanta, GA, JJ Paul from Birmingham, AL, Allen Whitehead from Philadelphia, PA, Terry Walkerly from Cleveland, OH, Quinn Holub from Austin, TX, Ethan Cohen from San Diego, CA and Bob Smith from Chicago, IL. The FAC members and Filta meet multiple times throughout the year to share best practices, develop new products, offer suggestions to improve the business model and ultimately enhance the communication between the franchisor and Franchise Owners. The elected members have a voice in the strategic plan of franchise and promote common interests among Franchise Owners. Tom Dunn, Filtas COO and Certified Franchise Executive said, The Filta FAC is comprised of individual business owners that volunteer their expertise to grow and develop the brand. This is critical to the success of any franchise company.

A Franchise Advisory Council provides many benefits to the franchise system; the main benefit being candid and open communication. In addition, it ensures Franchise Owners are an integral part of the planning process as the franchise system develops. The FAC annual meeting will be held in Orlando, Fl right before the annual Filta Franchise Conference in July.

About Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions

Established in the United Kingdom in 1996 and brought to the USA in 2002, Filta is the worlds leader in commercial fryer and cooking oil management services and offers its services through a worldwide franchise network. Filta is dedicated to saving its clients money, creating a safer working environment, and providing customers with the tools to increase the quality of their product, all while preserving the environment. Filta services over 5,000 customers every week and has recycled over 1/3 of a billion pounds of oil and counting! http://www.gofilta.com







Curry Subaru-Hyundai Celebrates Opening of Areas First Green Automobile Dealership

Posted on by
Reply


Westchester County, N.Y. (PRWEB) June 18, 2012

More than 150 guests including family, friends and dignitaries were in attendance at the Curry Subaru-Hyundai in Cortlandt Manor for the recent grand opening of its state-of-the-art, 30,000 sq. ft. LEED

Academy of Art University and Berghs Launch First of Its Kind International Summer Program

Posted on by
Reply


San Francisco, California and Stockholm, Sweden (PRWEB) June 18, 2012

Today, the Academy of Art University, the largest private school of art and design in the United States, and Berghs School of Communication, based in Stockholm, announced the launch of an international collaboration that provides students from both Universities with a unique opportunity to work on real-world creative projects with industry professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area this summer. The program brings together students from multiple disciplines, including Graphic Design, Advertising, and Web Design/New Media, and provides them with a unique opportunity to learn about all aspects of the creative process directly from industry professionals. The program starts today in San Francisco and will conclude on August 10, when students will exhibit their completed projects from the session.

Academy of Art University President Elisa Stephens said, This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for students to work together with their peers around the world on real projects with guidance from industry leaders. Not only will students leave this program with hands-on experience, but they will get a real feel for the pressures and challenges that creative firms and executives face everyday in meeting deadlines and producing impactful work. We are very excited about partnering with the prestigious Berghs school and welcome their students and staff to the great city of San Francisco this summer.

A class of 25-30 students, half from Berghs and half from the Academy, will be divided into teams of five, where each student will have a specific role as a Project Director/Manager, Strategist/Planner, Copywriter, Art Director, Web Designer, Interactive Designer, or Graphic Designer, depending on project needs.

The semester is broken into two projects with the first focusing on international marketing, planning, and cultural diversity and using a real-life communications case for a local start-up as a base for learning. Students will make a real agency pitch and create strategic plans for an international communication challenge targeted at a diverse audience. The second project, which involves technology industry leader Adobe, covers the entire communication spectrum from insight and strategy to execution and presentation, following a five-step model from real-life agency work. The students will work on a real-life project for Adobe and at the end present their solutions before their client and instructors.

We are thrilled to provide our students with an opportunity to learn from the industry leaders right here in San Francisco, said Camilla Wallander, CEO of Berghs School of Communication. We have always believed that teamwork and collaboration leads to the most creative work and we are looking forward to seeing what students from thousands of miles away come together and produce this summer.

For more information on the summer program, visit http://www.berghs.se/content/berghs-co-academy-art-university.

About Berghs School of Communication

Berghs School of Communication offers strategic and creative educational programs within marketing communications at several levels and formats. We offer Professional Diploma Programs and an International Bachelor Program for full-time studies, more than 80 part-time courses, and customized programs for corporate clients. Every year about 3000 people study at Berghs in one type of program or another, either in Sweden or abroad. An additional 3000 guests attend our inspirational seminars. Berghs School of Communication is located in central Stockholm, Sweden, and is owned by the Norwegian corporation Anton B. Nilsen, which also runs several other schools, among them Westerdals School of Communication and NITH University in Oslo.

About Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University, the largest private university of art and design in the United States, is educating students for the art and design jobs of the 21st Century. Established in 1929, the Academy is an output-based higher education model that provides open admissions to all students, but imposes a rigorous curriculum that requires the students to produce a portfolio of work that demonstrates a mastery of their field in order to graduate. Students are taught by a faculty of professionals from the existing marketplace, which provides them with an understanding of what it takes to succeed in todays business environment. The Academys hands-on curriculum produces graduates that possess great artistic and design skills — and equally as important, the ability to put those talents to work immediately after graduation. As a result, Academy graduates are ready to compete for and win the jobs of the 21st Century in the fields of Acting, Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture, Art Education, Fashion, Fine Art, Game Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Landscape Architecture, Motion Pictures & Television, Multimedia Communications, Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media, Photography and Web Design & New Media. Academy of Art University is accredited by WASC, NASAD, Council for Interior Design Accreditation (Formerly FIDER), (BFA-IAD), and NAAB (M-ARCH). Visit http://www.academyart.edu for more information.

##