Keaton Interiors’ Post

Forward Thinking is not always appropriated.

Building owners Sean McCauley and Ron Harrison are working with city officials to create a new mural on their W. 4th Street building. The original mural was removed due to structural issues, including failing stucco that posed safety concerns. The building owners state they plan to "depict a similar and more inclusive scene for the community". The design for the new mural is not yet finalized, but the owners are working with a muralist who has done work on their downtown Pittsburg buildings. The mural is described as "historic," meaning that it depicts a specific period or events from Antioch's past. The challenge for the designers will be to create a mural that is both historically accurate and more inclusive, potentially by expanding the representation of different groups that were present during the depicted era but may have been overlooked in the original mural. Grant funds have been secured for this mural and others in the area. The building owners are investing $650,000 to $700,000 in improvements to the G Street block between W. 3rd and 4th Streets. McCauley and Harrison have been actively investing in #Rivertown, purchasing and improving multiple buildings and bringing several restaurants to the area. Sylvia's Florist will be opening in one of McCauley's buildings at 101 H Street, further contributing to the area's revitalization. https://lnkd.in/g7WFsdFY?

I love the work we do for non-profits like Junior Achievement USA. Good storytelling doesn't make things more expensive. It stretches budgets further. #nonprofit #architecture #storytelling #design #innovation

Interesting read about the benefits of outdoor space. No one knows this better than the companies of Playpower, world leader of PLAY!

Good morning, SY11 folks! If these walls could talk, eh? A huge 62% of our local homes were built before 1976. Meanwhile, a modest 12% of properties in our neighbourhood are from 2002 onwards. It's wonderful to see the diverse character of our community, from period homes to modern designs. What do we reckon – is the blend of old and new what gives Oswestry its unique charm? #periodproperty #Oswestryproperty #Oswestrybusiness #Oswestrylife

Nate Berkus follows this 3-step process to create a 'well-designed' space – it's simple to apply to any home from Homes & Gardens. https://ow.ly/4S7c50Qo1m9

Many thanks to Sam Baker, Associate at Camlins LA for sharing an intriguing project during our LISE online design discussion last week. Camlins are the Landscape Architects on a current Community Regeneration project called Westbury Estate in Lambeth, working on creating high-quality new streets, green parks, play areas and open spaces. The project encompasses two retained tower blocks, new public realm, family friendly green neighbourhoods and affordable homes. Play areas: Following engagement & interactive sessions with children of varying ages they were able to design in various play areas and play elements, which included doorstop play directly within the communal courtyards of each residential building, as well as local equipment area for play and a larger sports hall and MUGA. Raised vegetable beds: Another interesting element is the inclusion of raised beds for vegetable growing, as was requested by the residents, however only a small quantity of the community was planning to use them. Camlins solution was to include these raised beds into the communal courtyards and adjacent to the play areas, for easy access for the residents. They will be designed with a similar material and finish which fits the aesthetic of the other raised beds within the courtyard, so over time of the designated vegetable growing beds are not fully utilised, then these could be easily planted up with shrubs and perennials. Community engagement: It was fascinating to hear Camlins approach to community engagement, with regards to gathering opinions for these landscaped areas. Sam highlighted that a story board was created with varying materials for the landscape areas and play equipment, which gave opportunity to the children and parents to add varying coloured sticky notes and comments on their preferred options. #landscape #urbandesign #chooselandscape #communityengagement #landscapearchitecture

🌟 It’s #FeatureFriday! BASE recently assessed accessibility & streetscapes within the picturesque city of Squamish, British Columbia. Tasked with reviewing and evaluating the policies and regulations of various municipalities across the province, our objective was to equip the City of Squamish with the necessary insights to develop and publish their Accessibility Regulations. Our approach meticulously examined dimensions, suppliers, and visual representations of street furnishings like benches, picnic tables, lighting, and pavement materials. By curating an archive of examples, complete with imagery and detailed specifications, the City of Squamish was able to make informed decisions regarding the selection of features to be incorporated into their Accessibility Report. Key services provided during this initiative included: 👉 Policy Analysis and Interpretation of Accessibility Regulations 👉 Recommendations for Policy and Regulation Wording 👉 Identification of Key Accessibility Regulations 👉 Design and Specification of Accessible Street Furnishings 👉 Documentation of Streetscape Information Bridging policy to practice, our planning team fosters inclusive urban environments. Contact Baily Lapp, RPP, MCIP today for your policy & regulation assessment needs! #Accessibility #UrbanDesign #BASE #Squamish 

Building Communities : One Brick at a Time. At a Terrace Garden Residential Project Me: (Sipping coffee, admiring the skyline from the 13th-floor terrace garden) Not a bad view for a Monday morning meeting, right? Mr. X: (Whistling while opening his laptop) Beats the fluorescent lights in the room, that's for sure. You wouldn't believe the deals I've overheard down there... Me: (Raises an eyebrow) Deals, or dirt on the new Aunty gossips? Mr. X: (Chuckles) A little of both! But this little green haven here? This is where the real magic happens. Me: Magic? You mean besides the questionable decision to which Kid is doing better than the rest? Mr. X: (Grinning) Exactly! This little terrace garden brought together the Millennial team (who thought kale was "trendy"), the Work from Home engineers (who built that janky trellis), and even the grumpy Uncles (turns out one of them is the whisperer). Me: Seriously? Mr. X: Yep. Every day, it's a negotiations here be it office negotiations or the different age group people conversing their negotiations about games, who cooked better food, or planning the next event. Me: So, what you're saying is... bad architecture can force people together, but good Architecture can actually build a community? Mr. X: (Slaps his knee) Now you're getting it! This terrace might not have won any design awards, but it's the most collaborative space in the building. Makes you think, doesn't it? Me: (Taking a bite of a surprisingly delicious kale chip) You know what, Mr. X? You might be onto something. Maybe the future of architecture is less about awards and more about fostering accidental communities. Mr. X: Now that's a project proposal you can get behind! #CommunityBuilding #TerraceGardenLife #AccidentalCommunities #CollaborativeSpaces #ModernArchitecture #UrbanOasis #LivingGreen #ConnectingPeople #ArchitecturalInnovation

Are we really giving benches the credit they deserve? Benches allow people to loosely belong within the flow of city life, to see and be seen. They offer a chance to be part of a community, to soak in the atmosphere, and who knows, maybe even strike up a chat with a fellow bench-sitter. Benches create a sense of connection to a neighbourhood which is linked to an increased sense of wellbeing. It's the little things like benches that can really make a big difference in how we feel about where we live. Benches fit in most places, and with so many different designs available there's no excuse not to make them a prominent part of any landscaping scheme: https://lnkd.in/emvX5_PQ #greencities #sustainabilitymatters #benches #community #seating #streetfurniture #outdoorspaces #placemaking #urbandesign