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February 8, 2010

Cycle India trip comes to successful close but still needs donations.

Filed under: General, Travels — Alan @ 2:40 pm

at heal village

Our friend, Mathew Glover, sent me an email announcing his successful completion of the Cycle India (as in bicycle) event. The purpose of this event which is held every two years is to raise money for Heal, an organization whose flagship project is the Heal Children’s Village in Andhra Pradesh, India. The village is home to more than 200 orphaned or destitute children.

Along with the rest of the group, Mathew rode 190 miles in rough terrain that he likened to the highlands of Scotland in temperatures of 30 degree Celsius (86 deg. F). This is a terrific cause and I’d like to encourage everyone who can, to make a donation. Mathew says that they raised over £80,000 for Heal, “which is an excellent achievement considering the recession”, however they are short by about £20,000. “I would like to thank all those who have sponsored me personally on my Just Giving page. I am still a bit short of my target so if anyone else wishes to sponsor me, then I would be very grateful.”

cycling down road

group

participant
These are some pictures Mathew sent of the trip.

Heal has been around for 15 years and is a UK based charitable organization committed to providing shelter, support, education and health care for needy children.

They state: “We are committed to expanding over the coming years with further projects, with the aim of helping up to 1,000 children escape the poverty trap by the end of the decade.” Heal stands for Health and Education for All.

Mathew serves as Head of Fundraising for Heal as well as holding down a his full time job as Managing Director of the Conservatory Outlet, a UK company providing high quality UPC conservatories and windows.

Mathew talks about the highlight of the event visiting the Heal Children’s Village after they had completed the cycling, “… and it was great to see the children who performed a wonderful programme of dancing and entertainment to the Cycle India group and local people. For all of the cyclists, being able to see how the hard work they put in during training, fundraising and cycling made it all worthwhile.”

For future events, Mathew says:
“We are hoping to hold Cycle India again in January 2012 (maybe in Kerala) so if anybody is interested in escaping the cold weather in two years, please get in touch. Also, we are thinking about a trekking adventure in the Himalayas for next January potentially, and maybe a MotorCycle India for those wishing to experience India without all the exercise!”

There is something really appealing to me about this cause and the Cycle India event. Maybe it is the allure of the exotic location but I have wondered why a bunch of young, seemingly ordinary working Brits would be so engaged in this. Of course there is the historical connection between India and England, but I think it is more.

Looking at the pictures, no one in the group looks older than their 30’s and as far as I realized, the fascination we all had with things Indian passed with the 1960’s. Nowadays, I’m much more used to hearing about young people’s business exploits and career concerns.

So where does this interest come from? Did the ideals that were born in the 60’s of worldwide peace, love, brotherhood and understanding really take root in the world in some essential way? Could this be or is there some other mundane explanation.

I have a great deal of admiration and respect for anyone who would undertake to participate in such an event. I just might get it together to do it myself at some point.

The motorcycle idea is particularly appealing.

Alan

January 30, 2010

Riverstone Estate with Tanglewood Conservatory For Sale

Filed under: Conservatory Projects, General — Alan @ 4:19 pm

cover of du Pont registry

The cover of DuPont REGISTRY showing the magnificent Foxburg estate now for sale.

The Riverstone estate, with one of our most loved and commented on custom conservatory projects, is up for sale. It is a magnificent 1,200 acre property located in Foxburg Pennsylvania. The beautiful conservatory is attached to a historic mansion dating back to 1828. It is one of the most historic properties in the area, the original house was built by the Fox family, prominent Philadelphians who were descended from George M. Fox, the founder of the Quaker religion. The Tanglewood conservatory was added during a major renovation of the property in 2000 and has won several design awards and has been featured in numerous publications.

The property encompasses an amazing twenty-six outbuildings including extensive equestrian facilities, greenhouses, an aviary and many additional residences. One of the most notable of the buildings on the property is an original carriage house designed by the well known Philadelphia architect Frank Furness 1839 – 1912. The building is a rare example of Furness’ work outside the Philadelphia and surrounding area and speaks to the exceptional importance of the Fox family, the town of Foxburg and this estate in particular.

The current owners pieced the estate back together purchasing the parcels of land that had been sold off over the years and completely rebuilding the historic mansion.

Foxburg is a charming small town about an hour and a half north east of Pittsburgh which has undergone nothing short of a miraculous renaissance in large part due to the efforts of the property’s owners who have invested heavily in the town. An arts center which brings major performances from Pittsburgh, a winery, hotel and restaurants are nestled along the steep banks of the Allegheny river just a stone’s throw from Interstate 80.

I wrote about one of my many visits to the town back in September 2009 when I just happened to be there for an amazing concert by the Harold Betters Quartet.

One of the really unique features of the mansion is that when the owners undertook the renovation, they decided to have each of the major rooms built out in a different species of naturally finished wood.

There is a grand entrance hall with paneling and an amazing staircase made from tiger maple, a library completely finished in Brazilian rosewood, bedrooms of beautifully detailed chestnut and of course the stunning mahogany conservatory. Several Tiffany stained glass panels also grace the home as the owners are avid collectors of art glass and antique lamps.

There are an amazing 17 working fireplaces in the home – all also rebuilt out of different species of woods to match the rooms they are in.

The property itself is more than stunning. Steep wooded banks drop a hundred feet or more to the rivers edge which is completely undeveloped. There is almost ten miles of pristine riverfront as the acreage is bounded by both the Allegheny and the Clarion rivers. Unusual for any private setting east of the Mississippi, from most places along the riverfront, not a sign of human habitation or development is seen.

There are bucolic rolling pastures – evidence of the former fairways of an old golf course, acres of dense woodlands, cool forest glades, gardens and rocky outcroppings overlooking spectacular views up and down the rivers.

You can check out the property which is listed on the market at $25M and view pictures at Riverstone Estate.

There is a page with an amazing aerial photograph of the developed portion of the estate with all the buildings noted with letters. It looks like an entire village somewhere in the French countryside. On the right side of the picture, you can click on the items on the Structures List and see pictures of each of the buildings.

I particularly like the Alpaca Barn and the Dovecote, which is also seen in the picture of the West (alpha) Barn, and the very unusual Aviary (for the peacocks). The aviary was designed and built by the owner and if you look closely you can see he used sawed off end sections of cedar logs set into mortar for the wall structure. It’s really cool.

aviary

equestrian center
The Equestrian Complex with its gambrel roofed barns of course takes the cake.

Anyone interested?

Alan

January 22, 2010

A Village Street

Filed under: General — Alan @ 12:45 am

International Builder's Show Floor
The scene at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas.

This is a scene from the show floor, or rather about 15 feet above the floor. I rode up in the elevator on display at the Inclinator Elevator booth to a balcony overlooking the show floor.

This view goes on and on though I understand it is only about half the size of the show three years ago.

So far, the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas this week is a tremendous success. I understand that attendance has been down substantially for the last two years however, the mood in the hall is quite upbeat. Most people I spoke with report a definite uptick in their business activity and are looking forward to 2010.

I’ve met people from all over the world, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and the Far East all enthusiastic about the new products on display.

One of my favorites was this transparent glass monitor used at the Delta kitchen and bath faucet display. The touch screen displayed phantom-like images much softer than a typical computer screen and was quite captivating.
glass monitor

Another product I liked was a gas fireplace by Napoleon Fireplaces and Grilles that used sparkling Swarovski crystals instead of the usual fake logs in the firebox. It is very smooth and sexy – and expensive at about $12K.
fireplace

One of the most interesting aspects of a show like this for me is to look at the designs of the actual booth spaces. The design of a show booth presents a unique opportunity for a designer to craft a staged environment that if done well, can powerfully convey a subconscious message about a company or a product. If not done well or not thought of at all in these terms, it will also convey a powerful message.

I think one of the best displays at this show has to be the MASCO building products area. Masco is the corporate parent company for such well known brands as Delta Faucets, Kraftmaid and Merilatt Cabinets, and Milguard Windows and has taken a large presence at the show.

But it is what they have done with the space that is really exciting. Someone imagined that the myriad brands that make up this large corporate entity are like shops lining a narrow winding lane in a small urban village. The path winds past shops and forks at a bench with a large tree reminiscent of a tiny city park.

street

Shop windows open into inviting interior spaces filled with attractively displayed merchandise, in one case high tech – as with the delta faucets, in another, old-world – as in the kitchen cabinetry. They have done a skillful job in creating an experience that subconsciously implies that Masco is not some big anonymous corporate giant (which of course it is) but a collection of recognizable old friends who just happen to live in the village named Masco. Great job.

street

Alan

January 19, 2010

International Building Show in Las Vegas this week

Filed under: General — Alan @ 11:28 am

exhibition hall

This week I’ll be posting from the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas.

The show is the largest annual building industry tradeshow in the country. It’s billed as “THE place to see and discuss the hottest products on the market and network with friends and allies.” More than 175 education sessions taught by industry experts as well.

This a huge show with expected attendance of 70,000 from all over the world. The exhibitors go all out to display their latest and greatest products and I am looking forward to seeing the cutting edge of American building technology.

The show begins on Tuesday the 19th and runs through Friday the 22nd. You can get preview information on the show at: http://www.buildersshow.com/Home/Page.aspx?sectionID=1505

I was in the main exhibition hall today and was astounded by the colossal size of the place and the scope of some of the display stands.

I’ll have more on all of it as the week progresses.

Alan

January 13, 2010

Tanglewood Conservatories project featured on Luxist.com

Filed under: Conservatory Projects, General, Magazine Articles — Alan @ 2:32 pm

One of our new conservatories that encloses a large indoor swimming pool has made it onto the website LUXIST.COM, a watch listing of all things luxurious. We’re at the top in a section titled “The Classicist”. There’s all kinds of interesting and semi-interesting stuff on this website. The site is:

http://www.luxist.com/2010/01/11/the-classicist-tanglewood-conservatories-turn-of-the-century-s/

January 11, 2010

George Acock’s Calendar

Filed under: General, Uncategorized — Alan @ 3:18 pm

image1

image2
Pages from George Acock’s desktop calendar series.

For the second year in a row, a lovely little calendar has shown up at my office, sent to me by our good friend, George Acock, who is an architect.

George’s firm, Acock Associates Architects in Columbus Ohio, designed a new home for a client of ours a few years ago. Acock Associates is a full service architectural firm specializing in custom high end residential as well as commercial and institutional projects. George came to Tanglewood Conservatories searching for a company to design and build the custom conservatory that the owner of the property had envisioned being attached to the new kitchen.

The owners, the general contractor and George visited Nancy and I at Tanglewood to “kick our tires” and to plan the new room. Over the course of the next year, Tanglewood designed, fabricated, installed the room and became friends.

In addition to being a very talented architect, George it turns out, is also an excellent painter who has a very unique way of sharing his exquisite works with friends and associates.

Each year, George and his wife travel someplace interesting for a vacation and George paints watercolor scenes of the notable buildings and landscapes he finds there. Upon his return, he prints the images on small cards that fit into a CD jewel case along with a calendar of each month and sends them out as New Years presents. The plastic CD case folds back and becomes a stand that all the cards sit in and as each month passes, the cards are rotated. Very clever and very beautiful.

Two years ago, George and his wife traveled to Tuscany and last year to Puerto Rico. So I was not surprised when the little gem showed up but I was taken by the quality of the images. George paints with an expressive touch that draws one deeply in.

He has some of his watercolors from years past on his website that I’d like to recommend to everyone. The images are in the Gallery section of his company’s website.
http://www.acock.com/Gallery/tabid/83/Default.aspx

Alan

January 4, 2010

Hot Rods and Conservatories?

Filed under: General, Insights, Uncategorized — Alan @ 9:52 am

hot rod

What do Hot Rods and conservatories have in common?

One of our shop guys brought this magazine article to my attention recently. He is an avid owner and builder of Hot Rods, souped up classic stock cars, and he reads the magazines on breaks and lunch.

cover

I’ve been aware of the resurgence of interest in both great classic conservatories and great classic cars but I’ve never connected them before.

Both of these have a home in my heart. As a youngster, I like many boys my age, loved cars. The freedom of having your own car – at a time when not every kid had a car, was intoxicating. Most of us could not afford anything very nice or very new so we had to learn how to take an old clunker and fix it up into a really sweet rod. We’d swap out the engines and trans to get something with more power, add a hood scoop and a custom paint job, cool wheels and we’d be set to show it off.

It was a terrific creative outlet. Before I knew anything about “creating art”, the cars and bikes that I built myself, were my pieces of art. Their creation required the same sensitivity that any designer exercises. I also learned to use my own hands to make things and to discipline myself so that I could accomplish some really big projects which took a lot of time.

Later in life, when my interest turned to conservatories and building a company, many of the skills and lessons I learned applied.

The great classic conservatories were also an inspiration to me as we set about figuring out how to create Tanglewood’s buildings. I loved the sense of novelty and the creativity that their builders evidently had. After all, back in the nineteenth century, conservatories were a new building type and it was up to the architects and builders of the time to figure out how to create such fantastic structures.

They had use of the new technology of the Industrial Revolution which made iron, steel and large pieces of glass available and their ability to devise structural systems and express them as architectural designs was limited only by their imagination.

I realized however, as I set about essentially the same task 100 years later, that times had changed. No longer, for example, were custom made parts such as cast iron widely available at low cost. Modern building systems, themselves highly standardized (think 2 x 4’s and 4 x 8 sheets), render it impossible to create the kind of conservatory I wanted. I tried in the beginning but could not come close to the look of the beloved “old ones”.

Often, people come to us looking for just a glass roof system to go onto standard construction walls. I always feel that an opportunity to create a really great room has been missed. Usually it is the result of budget constraints.

Now however, I find ourselves in the midst of another Industrial Revolution. It seems to me that for years, the systems that developed to achieve the efficiencies of mass production and led to standardization, have forced everyone to build basically the same stuff. There are lot’s of different ways to arrange all those standardized pieces (windows, bricks, pieces of steel, plywood), into varying shaped buildings but if you’re limited to using these standardized pieces, it’s very difficult to invent something really new.

With the arrival in the last ten years of relatively inexpensive CNC (computer-operated) machinery, the equation has been changed and short runs of highly custom items are feasible again – maybe for the first time in 100 years. It might have been Henry Ford who put an end to it last time and we’ve been thinking that more and more standardization is best ever since!

I think the reason people love conservatories is just because they are so unique, so different from every other room in their house. By placing the classic car in front of the conservatory, the author makes a great point. It’s not just that interest has been rekindled in many things that embody classic design but the creative inventiveness and ingenuity of the guy customizing the car is akin to the creative inventiveness and ingenuity embodied in these great old conservatory buildings.

I’d take it a step further and say that the creative inventive spirit behind the car and the conservatory is also behind our company as well.

The author says of the cars’ creator, a man named Alex Test: “…his passion has always been custom work. As far back as he can recall, he has had the urge to modify. His “mad scientist” mentality hasn’t stopped yet.”

I read that and thought of our work here at Tanglewood Conservatories.

By the way, the conservatory is in Detroit.

Alan

December 27, 2009

Holiday Greeting

Filed under: General — Alan @ 1:02 pm

holiday greeting

Holiday Greetings to All.

Picture Courtesy of Franz Wurm, Executive Director of Wintergarten-Fashverband of Germany Austria

December 21, 2009

Art, some thoughts…

Filed under: General, Insights — Alan @ 11:29 am

a round

a round 2

My earlier comment about “most books being like skeletons in a graveyard…” is related to my experiences as an artist.

To me, the most important aspect of creating art, is the experience that I encounter as I confront the creative process.

Years ago, I discovered that there were several ways that my mind could work. At the “lowest” level, the ideas that come out are simply an automatic regurgitation of preconceptions. In this way, I am not really seeing anything about the particular project itself or anything new, but just working from memory of things I’ve seen or heard before with no sense of what is appropriate at this moment.

It seemed to me that a good word to describe this level of interaction was: automatic. I also saw that unfortunately, most “artistic” endeavors happen at this level.

I thought: “If I want to design a chair for example, where do I usually begin? Where do most of us begin something like this? With what we already know. I have seen hundreds of chairs in all sizes, shapes, designs etc., so presto, into my mind comes a favorite and off I go with my design!

A step or more up from this is what seemed to be denoted by the word: sensitive. Suddenly, my mind would “see” the relationships that were specific to this particular thing and I was able to use my sensitivity to arrange them in a way that made it more itself in a way. It was as if I woke up. I can see that what I was doing before was only working from something very automatic.

So I might suddenly begin to think about the question: What is this thing, a chair? What need is it trying to fulfill? How can I design something that best fills that need, even if it looks nothing like the “chair” in my mind, and I start to solve the problem of “a chair” for and of itself, not related to the hundreds of preconceived notions of a chair that are in my “automatic” mind. This can not only lead to some very interesting and creative outcomes, but is also an interesting exercise to be tried for itself.

Most of the time, I find it very difficult to make this mental leap and get below the surface. Even when I am thinking about it and trying to do it, I am just only “thinking” about it, not “doing” it. Even when I see this, other preconceived thoughts come up to take their place.

Something usually has to happen to jolt me into seeing it in a different way. I think that many good artists are able to work at this level with out the struggle, it just seems to come about naturally.

For me, the process of challenging myself is far more important than the final result of the creative process, no matter how great the outcome. That is why the result, the finished design or piece of “art” I consider really only incidental. It is only what remains after the spark of creativity. It is the just the skeleton left over.

On some rare occasion, another way of “seeing” appears by itself and there is something so new that it would be as if it did not come from my mind at all. This is what I thought to call true creativity.

Happy Holidays to all.

Alan

December 12, 2009

We have the BEST team!

Filed under: General, Insights — Alan @ 10:47 am

Set to lift cupola with crane
Set to lift the cupola into place with crane.

ice on trim of conservatory greenhouse
Icy trim parts.

I was inspired this morning when on opening my email, I found these pictures of a conservatory greenhouse project we are currently building in the frigid Northeast along with a note from our lead installer on the project, Jim.

Our clients, hopeful that we could design, manufacture and actually complete the installation of their new greenhouse before winter set in begged us to work expeditiously towards that end. They dearly wanted to be able to start to use the room this year. It might actually have been a Christmas present for someone – I don’t know, but that has been requested of us before.

His note: “Team, Crane arrived on time and lift (of cupola) proceeded without incident. Started exterior cornice and pilasters. Had a big daytime high of 28 degrees (F) with a significant wind chill. That stuff you see hanging off the pilaster is solid ice. Jim”

Normally, we would not tackle an installation of one of our conservatory projects in wintery weather unless there was an overriding reason. A project can be successfully built in the cold, even in the snow (we completed an installation in a blizzard once), however the going is much slower and extra special attention must be paid to everyone’s safety and the sequence of assembly steps. Our extremely dedicated team however is up to the challenge when required.

All of us here at Tanglewood realize that the satisfaction of our clients is the most important thing in the end and we are willing to pull together to do what ever is asked and to work a little extra to make them happy, even if it costs us a bit more to do. This is the way I believe a business needs to treat people if it wants to build itself into a great company.

One of the next jobs the team is scheduled to tackle is in Hawaii so we hope that thought helps to keep them warm.

Great job, everyone on the Tanglewood team, thank you!

“Enlightenment is not about becoming something different than we are, but seeing what we already are.”

Alan

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