I Don't Understand Diy

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Architectural innovation leading up to South Africa's 2010 hosting of the FIFA World Cup is not just limited to modern football stadiums, infrastructure projects and expansive hospitality centers.

An innovative, eco-estate development in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal is bringing bold, enviro-friendly home design to the charming and picturesque Midlands Meander near Michaelhouse, one of the country's most prestigious private schools.

Occupying a very low profile and smaller carbon footprint, some exciting building innovations and aesthetics in the new Reeds at Balgowan eco-estate (http://www.reedsenviroliving.com/) are likely to give urban refugees, foreign buyers, returning expatriates and affluent parents of local private boarding school students a good reason to invest in the sylvan settings around the towns of Balgowan and Nottingham Road.

Acclaimed international architect Stan Field of Palo Alto, a leader in green building design in California and other parts of the world, has teamed with two South Africans, Marita Nell of Elements Architecture in Stellenbosch and Torro Contracting of Hluhluwe, to architect a home that doesn't stand out, but rather blends in to its natural surroundings.

“We are building Homes in Harmony with Nature,” said developer Donovan Neale-May, who noted how well the first residence combined panoramic views, abundant deck areas and elegant and distinctive architectural accents. “We have taken a completely non-traditional approach to creating simplicity, sustainability and clarity of form, function and user-friendliness in a bio-diverse and sensitive wildlife area.”

Neale-May, a South African based in Silicon Valley and working globally, heads the Global Renewable Energy and Environmental Network (GREEN), among a number of other worldwide affinity networks. He has spearheaded a number of international programs to promote green technology and more responsible environmental management practices. The Reeds at Balgowan is his first residential development project.

Just a short drive from South Africa's most prestigious private schools, the 44-hectare eco-estate is located close to the N3 motorway from Johannesburg to Durban, overlooking the valley around Nottingham Road with sweeping views to the Drakensberg Mountains. Homeowners can enjoy the serenity of trout-filled dams, abundant hiking and mountain biking trails, and the solitude of walks through adjoining indigenous and commercial forests.

The Reeds' first custom, luxury home is ready for viewing with quality, enviro-friendly materials used throughout the interior and decking areas. Subdued earth-tone colors are combined with rich natural woods, contemporary concrete structures, high-beam ceilings, airy decks, contemporary fixtures and well-positioned lighting.

The home also features energy-efficient appliances, tasteful shutters for privacy, full-vista windows, floor heating, comfort zone fireplace, and a state-of-the-art home security and property surveillance system linked to a nearby armed-response unit based in Balgowan.

According to Marita Nell, The Reeds at Balgowan is a low-density development with the preservation of the natural landscape in all its facets as the guiding factor. The design methodology of the buildings demonstrates a holistic approach to the environment and the use of eco-sensitive construction techniques and materials, combined with energy efficiency and general conservation, push the boundaries to limit the impact of man-made structures on the landscape. “It is a true eco-estate without any artificial concepts imposed on the landscape such as a golf course, a vineyard, an equestrian centre, or agricultural activity,” Nell noted.

The Reeds at Balgowan exemplifies the spirit of “UbuntuLiving” with unique, enviro-sensitive homes built to stay in harmony with nature. Celebrating the bio-diversity of KwaZulu-Natal's picturesque Midlands Meander, The Reeds is a verdant, forested nature reserve featuring internationally acclaimed architectural designs that blend into the landscape and maximize active living in a pristine outdoor setting.

Nine free-hold plots of 2,000 square meters are on the market priced from R1.5 million to R1.8 million. The first 380-square-meter model home — priced at R7.2 million, plus VAT — has been completed, along with a security gatehouse to provide controlled access to the properties. An estate architect, on-site project manager, and green building team are available to new owners seeking to develop plots within the eco-estate guidelines.

Local Contacts:

More information is available at http://www.reedsenviroliving.com/. Local real estate agents include Peter L. Green at Meander Real Estate and Rob McKenzie at Pam Golding Properties, both in Nottingham Road.

Press Information:

Donovan Neale-May, The Reeds at Balgowan
650.433.4200 (o) or 650.222.5260 (m)
Email: Donovan@reedsenviroliving.com

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE The Reeds at Balgowan

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http://www.reedsenviroliving.com

A few months ago, my friend Christian Lindholm, partner at Fjord, a convergence design agency, and father of the Series 60 interface (at Nokia) stopped by for one of our quarterly idea sessions. Our conversation eventually veered towards a topic that’s near and dear to both of us: design. I spend an inordinate amount of time contemplating design and its eventual impact on products and companies. Lindholm’s visit coincidentally was a few days before we launched the redesigned GigaOM. I wanted his opinion. Instead he offered great insight. Most companies (including web startups), he said, are looking to “wow” with their products, when in reality what they should be looking for is an “’of course’ reaction from their users.”

Puzzled, I looked at him. And then it hit me: Great design means that one look and the end user reacts by knowing what to do with a knob or a button, without as much as even thinking about it. Of course this knob is what turns the volume up, or brings up the home screen, or in case of our own site design, a hypertext link that brings up posts by Stacey or Liz or me.

This of course factor is at the heart of every great design — from the iPhone to the Braun alarm radio. And it’s an important lesson that every startup and entrepreneur should remember. Whether your company is making a physical product or a web service or mobile application, it’s essential for you to think about design.

This was brought home to me earlier today when I was watching “Objectified,” a documentary film by director Gary Hustwit, who’s well-known for his last film, “Helvetica.” (Both are available for download on the iTunes Store.) Hustwit explores objects around us, how they’re designed, and what they do. It was the best 75 minutes I’ve spent watching a movie, for it not only educated me about design, but it also helped me understand how great designers such as Marc Newson; Dieter Rams, Braun’s former design chief; and Apple’s Jonathan Ive think of and design products.

“In my experience users react positively when things are clear and understandable,” Rams told the Filmmaker. Rams, a veteran designer, is well-known for designing iconic products for Braun. He’s said to have been a major influence on Ive, Apple’s senior VP of Industrial Design.

When talking about the iPhone, Ive told the filmmaker:

When we are designing a product, we look at the various attributes of a product. Some of those attributes are the materials it is made from and the form that is connected to that material. Other issues is physically how do you connect to the product. For example in iPhone, everything defers to the display.

A lot of what we seem to be doing in a product like that is getting design out of the way. With that sort of reason, it feels almost inevitable, almost undesigned and it feels almost, like of course it is that way. Why would it be any other way?

I think this is what Apple’s competitors fail to understand. Many confuse features — aka feeds and speeds — with what really connects with customers: user experiences. (That’s a primary reason why I’m not a fan of Droid, the much ballyhooed Android device. And it’s also the reason why I have growing respect for HTC and what it’s doing with its Sense technology.)

Explaining Apple’s design philosophy behind MacBook Air, Ive told the filmmaker:

We push ourselves to ask, can we do the job of those six parts with just one? One part that provides so much functionality that it enables one product. It wasn’t design of the physical thing, but it was figuring out the process. It is about what’s important and what’s not important.

It is important to remember things that are important and not important and then removing things that are vying for your attention.

Similarly, all features have to have a reason, Ive explained. He gave the example of the indicator light on a MacBook which simply goes away when the laptop is in use.

Indicator has a value when it is indicating. So you spend a lot of time making things less obvious, less conspicuous. When indicator comes on, it is not a feature. It is a calm and considered solution and focus on how you are going to use it.