Check out the article and an extended photo gallery here.
Image Source: Inhabit.com
I had written a blog post a couple of years ago about Pocket Towns. Recently Brent Martin of SRKM Architects sent me a link discussing Pocket Neighborhoods by a different architectural firm with a similar concept. Brent alluded to this as a possible Affordable Housing solution for Culver. As with my previous blog post, I can see this having potential in Culver and for Sand Hill Farm. Currently there is a similar concept, though not an attempt at Affordable Housing, winding its way through a PUD approval at the Culver Plan Commission. It is a development under consideration on the north side of town that I’m watching with interest. The PUD framework would allow for the necessary zoning adaptations, but does require a commercial element. I think the PUD under current consideration is stretching that concept, but technically meets it. I think it can be done more effectively though.
I continue to think the pocket neighborhood idea is intriguing and while I do not see this working for a large development, I do see how it can be a part of a larger development and could be adapted to an Affordable Housing model. Below is a sketch from the Pocket Neighborhood website that shows the concept. Very interesting.
Picture sources: Pocket Neighborhoods
A few years ago phones were getting smaller and smaller to the point that they were hard to read and the idea of a phone/watch ala Dick Tracy didn’t seem too far away. In the last few years we’ve seen the trend in phones go the other direction, to the point that one handed texting and app control is just about impossible. The Phone/Watch has now evolved to become one of the myriad of phone accessories that are accessed via Blue Tooth or other means. My wife, Dr. Rebecca Berger, wears ReSound hearing aids which are wirelessly linked to her phone for streaming music and even cooler, making the phone work to isolate conversations in restaurants. (No, not other people’s conversations – the conversations at our table! Less repeating for me… though no less repeating for her…)
Phones continue to get thinner, but they are getting larger and larger screens. Great for watching videos, but that’s not why I have a phone nor how I use it most of the time. The last go round I got a new Droid Razr Maxx replacing my previous Droid Razr Maxx that I loved. Even though the increased size is minor, it’s enough to make it almost impossible for one handed use. My thumb just won’t reach that far!
So though it pains me to admit this, maybe Steve Jobs got it right with the size of the original iPhone… At least that’s what this article at Quartz posits. The rise of the tablet has caused this and I’ve already opined on why I think that’s a step backward here. I am pleased with the Swype feature for texting and typing on my phone (Something sorely missing from Apple products), but any additional growth in screen size will make this a two handed operation. That’s not what I want in a phone. I want a phone that I can put in my pocket.
As with most trends, there will probably be ups and downs over time. I hope functionality wins out or at least “optionality”… so I can have a phone that does what I need at a size that doesn’t split pocket seams and cause thumb strain…
Source: Dick Tracy Image from www.pmag.com
Source: Thumb Reach picture from www.qz.com
Source: Thumb Strain picture from www.hartchirocenter.com
Honeywell’s AirBRIGHT is a 24-V UV air purifier that installs within HVAC ductwork. According to Honeywell, the system will remove potentially harmful viruses and bacteria from the air as well as eliminating odors from cooking and pets.
For germaphobes such as myself, this is just the ticket. This is a whole house system that has a similar effect to the Arcalux HRMS disinfecting fluorescent fixture discussed in a previous post here.
The AirBRIGHT system can be installed in existing ductwork. If this is something that interests you, we can put you in touch with qualified installers.
I attended the PIDCO (Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation) Annual Meeting today and was voted into a position on the Board of Directors. I have voiced some disappointment with PIDCO’s squandered potential the last few years and I guess now I have to put up or shut up! Easterday Construction has long been a shareholder in PIDCO. We’ve believed in the mission and the work they have done for Plymouth and Marshall County has been impressive. I look forward to helping them recapture and advance their agenda for the betterment of the community.
There was a presentation from Dan Zuerner of Garmong Construction regarding his thoughts on economic development and the new shell building that is being built on PIDCO property. This project is a combined effort with PIDCO, MCEDC, City of Plymouth and the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission. This will give us a flexible state of the art building to offer on the market. The presentation was interesting and hopefully a wake-up call to the PIDCO members and city officials that were there. He chastised the City for high fees and difficult requirements that have added costs and slowed the project. If this is a difficulty for a company we’re partnering with, just imagine the view from a new business looking to expand here…