Report from McGraw Hll for 2011 Commercial Construction

Below are three charts by McGraw Hill that show the current state of the economy with regard to Commercial Construction, where it has been and the projections for 2011/12. Things are looking slightly better with an upturn in most areas but the recovery is still a long way from what it was a few years ago but headed in the right direction.  McGraw Hill Report on 2011

Cooper Lighting>New LED accent lighting

Cooper lighting has introduced new accent light fixtures that have reduced the wattage used and heat produced by standard spots. They will help in the battle to reduce overall operational costs for retailers.

Nike at Selfridges

An interesting piece from Retail Design Blog about Nike's placement in Selfridges and how they are able to adapt their concepts to the immediate customer and their current experience.Retail Design Blog

Tommy Bahama Beach House/Laguna Beach CA

Interesting article in the latest edition of Visual Merchandising that discusses Tommy Bahama's return to roots in their newest store in Laguna Beach CA. They have used a beach house theme throughout very effectively in both the resturant and retail areas. Visual Merchandising:Tommy Bahama Beach House

Using Google Sketch-up program

One of the more useful software systems available for use in showing items in 3-D is Sketch-up available for a free download from Google. They have some good tutorial videos on how the system works and best ways to set up your own processes. It is very intuitive and with some practice and patience, fairly easy to learn. It is  useful in the design of store fixtures through doing an entire store and the ability to change camera angles and to actually walk through areas is very helpful in client presentations.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. Please take a look at the initial information available and more will be posted.