Hasta La Ideas

Longer days during the summer are a wonderful feature of the season. It’s a great time to tackle tasks that require working outdoors. If you live in a house or townhome, summer is also the perfect time to organize your garage (if you have one).

Putting together a garage organizing list is not that much different than making any other type of task list. The same principles apply to organizing your garage as with cleaning out your closet, and your goal is to make a list that is clear and manageable. When you get back from your wonderfully restful summer vacation, you’ll be ready to take care of this warm-weather task. Remember to keep these six simple steps in mind instead of randomly jumping head first into the garage:

1. Get it out of your head. Jot down the things you need to take care of in your garage. Your list doesn’t have to be massive, though there is nothing wrong if it is.
2. Focus. Pick the one thing (or two things) you’re going to work on first, and break this big task into smaller, actionable steps. Work in short time blocks to maintain focus without feeling stress.
3. Group like items. Put similar items together in categories — tools with tools, car repair items with car repair items.
4. Hold yourself accountable. Select a deadline for completion and put it on your calendar. Be realistic about how much you will be able to accomplish based on how much time you have to work on your project, as well as how much help you’ll have.
5. Get help. Partner with someone or several someones to help you get things done.
6. Pick a reward. This is perhaps the best part of the plan, besides actually completing what you set out to do. It can be very motivating to have something to look forward to when the project is finished. Not everyone needs this, but it can be helpful.

With this plan in place, think about your main goal(s) for getting the garage more organized. Do you want to fit the car(s) inside? Do you need to find things more easily? Would having a place for storing bulk supplies be helpful? If you feel overwhelmed, referring to your main goal will keep you calm, focused, and ready to continue.

Next, have a look around your garage (i.e., pick one area to begin focusing on) and decide:

What you’ll keep

Do you really need everything that’s stored in your garage? How long have the widgets been sitting in the widget box? Substitute “widgets” with things that you’ve been holding on to because you might use them “someday.” And, speaking of “someday,” when was the last time you used them? Do you still remember why you’re keeping them? Does anything in the garage belong to someone not living in your home?

Once you’ve decided what you’re going to keep, gather these items together so they’ll all be in the same location. If you have similar items strewn about in various parts of the garage, it will be more difficult for you to find them when you need them.

What you’ll purge

Along with deciding what you’ll hold on to, you’ll have to figure out what needs to be thrown out (e.g., items with broken or missing parts), what you’ll recycle, and what you’ll donate to charity or give away to someone in need. Be sure to only give away things that still function and are not in disrepair. Ask yourself, “If I saw this in a store, would I buy it in the condition it’s in now?”

What your zones will be

What are the categories of things that need to be stored in the garage? Do you need stroller parking? What about:

• Yard maintenance equipment and gardening supplies
• Tools, ladder, workbenches
• Car maintenance supplies
• Painting supplies
• Holiday storage
• Sports equipment
• Bulk products
• Recycling

Once you come up with your zones, sketch the garage (with wall dimensions) to see where you will store items. For example, you may want to keep bulk paper products closer to the entry door to the garage. By doing this, you will avoid going into the heart of the garage for items that you will use inside your home.

What storage options you’ll use

A popular garage organizing option is to use shelving units (e.g. free-standing units or a track system, like Elfa Utility Garage or Rubbermaid Fast Track System). The benefit of using shelving is that you won’t have to stack containers on top of each other. Stacking means that you’ll have to remove one bin to get to another, a process that would likely stop you from reguarly putting things back where they belong.

Pegboards and slatwall systems allow you to use the walls to hang items that you use often (like brooms, rakes, hammers). Cabinets with or without doors may also meet your needs. Consider adding other components depending on your lifestyle (e.g. a vertical bike hook).

What containers you’ll use

Once you’ve selected your shelving, choose clear, sturdy containers (remember to add labels) to group your like items together. Be sure to get containers with covers to protect the contents from dust and crawling critters. You can choose lids of the same color to store certain categories together (like red lids for all painting supplies).

Armed with a plan, you can attack your garage organizing project in small chunks so that it’s manageable and not overwhelming. Your car and future self will thank you for it.

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These bronze and glass chambers by Estonian studio NOBEL Arkitekter protect two ancient runestones in Jelling, Denmark, from the elements.

Located on a World Heritage Site, the two Jelling stones are over a thousand years old and the largest one was carved to mark Denmark’s conversion to Christianity.

The chambers create a controlled internal environment, with heating and ventilation systems concealed within the bronze walls that fold up and over each stone.

“Our objective was to accentuate the runic stones curved forms with the straight lines of the coverings,” explains architect Erik Nobeland, “and, in a metaphorical sense, to hold our hand over the runic stones”.

English stone circle Stonehenge has also been in the news this week, as construction began on a new visitor centre.

Photography is by Jens Lindhe, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s some more information from Nobel:

Covering of the runic stones in Jelling ‐ Denmark

The project consists of two bronze structures which covers the unique runic stones and secure and preserve them for the future. The runic stones mark Denmark’ transition to Christianity in year 965, and the monument is also known as Denmark’s “birth certificate”. The monument is included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage. The project was inaugurated in December 2011 and it is based on the winning competition project made by NOBEL arkitekter in March 2010.

The architectural composition emphasizes the experience of the runic stones, and forms a stylized dialogue between the two stones, which represents the first two kings of Denmark – Gorm and Harald Bluetooth. The bronze angles form one gable and the roof for each runic stone, while the other sides are designed with large glass surfaces. The coverings provide an architectural composition and allow spectators to get very close to the runic stones.

Our objective was to accentuate the runic stones curved forms with the straight lines of the coverings and, in a metaphorical sense, to “hold our hand over the runic stones”. The cast bronze emphasize the texture of runic stones and highlights the grey and reddish granite surfaces.

Above: photograph is by the architects

The requirement related to creating a controlled climate around the two runic stones was an integral consideration in the development of the project. Our consulting engineers from Rambøll contribute with the technical details for the heating‐ and ventilation‐system, which ensures a frost‐free climate around the runic stones.

The artificial lighting is made with special designed fiber light sources, which are integrated in the roof structure. The lights emphasize the runic scripture, visual motifs and highlight the shape of the runic stones. Together with the bronze angels the artificial light creates a completely new way of viewing the rune stones and staging the experience of one of Denmark’s most valuable monuments.

Address: Jelling Kirke, Thyrasvej 1, 7300 Jelling
Client: Danish Agency for Culture and Jelling Church

Architect: NOBEL arkitekter a/s
Engineer: Rambøll A/S
Year: December 2011

The post Covering of the Runic Stones in Jelling
by NOBEL Arkitekter appeared first on Dezeen.

Folding steel shutters and bullet-proof glass protect the new reception of the Belgian Embassy in Athens by Buerger Katsota Architects.

The renovated entrance foyer is open to the public by day and leads up to a reception counter and security checkpoint behind a cement panel-clad wall.

Coloured lights line the edges of the glazed facade and reflect onto blinds that fold down for privacy.

The architects won a competition in 2009 to renovate the embassy, which was originally constructed as an apartment block in the 1960s.

We’ve featured a few embassy buildings on Dezeen – see them all here.

Photography is by Charalambos Louizides.

Here’s some extra text from Buerger Katsota Architects:

Embassy of Belgium
2009-2012
Athens, Greece

The Belgian Embassy in Athens is housed in the three lower levels of a prestigious, late 1960’s apartment building. The proposed scheme aims at creating a ‘Storefront’ for Belgium in the centre of Athens.

The new façade is open, transparent, interactive, as well as protective. Behind the full height, clear structural glazing with its stainless steel foldable protective screen, a lighting strip negotiates the transition between outside and inside. During after hours, the illuminated façade marks the embassy’s presence and literally render the arcade with the colours of Belgium. Technically, the entire glazing is designed to withstand acts of vandalism and security threats.

The proposed reorganization of the interiors aims at creating a welcoming, open, well defined public space to flexibly cater for various events and uses. The main elements of the proposed plan are: the front entrance area -the Vestibule- which is intended as a multifunctional public space, the second threshold, the ‘grey box’ incorporating the space for the Receptionist’s Office and the Security Portal, and the staircase area with the lift lobby.

The materials have been selected for their quality, durability, performance and elegance, with their list being purposely limited: white marble for the flooring with reference to the existing. Grey ‘Eternit’ panels for the Receptionist Area and the Security Portal, for its crispness, lightness, ready-made quality and easy assembly. Clear bullet proof glazing, for security reasons and stainless steel finishes for the architectural ironmongery for their elegance, durability and material expression.

Project description: Renovation of the Chancellery of the Belgian Embassy Athens invited competition – 1st prize
Location: Athens, Greece
Built area: 150 m²

Design team: Stephan Buerger, Demetra Katsota, Tasos Govatsos, Flavian Lekkas, Mladen Stamenic
Consultants: A P Kryfos AE (m/e engineering)
Client: Kingdom of Belgium, Federal Public Service-Foreign Affairs

The post Embassy of Belgium by
Buerger Katsota Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

I WILL NOT MAKE ANY BORING ART.

"Sturdy cardboard with a water-resistant coating, comes with a wood dowel for the perch."$..(Read…)