Landscape Architect Articles

LASN PMBR News June, 200306-01-03 | News

Disney Receives Commendation from APA

ANAHEIM, CA. – Walt Disney?EUR??,,????'???s California Adventure Amusement Park Building designed by Walt Disney Imagineering received a commendation from the Architectural Precast Association.

The precast manufacturer was Architectural Cast Stone located in Santa Ana, Calif. The judges remarked that this interesting building is a significant addition to an existing resort center in southern California. This project has been developed with the extensive and creative use of cast stone blocks.

The architects keyed their design expression on the look of the ?EUR??,,????'??Textile Block?EUR??,,????'?? houses that were built in the 20th century in southern California by Frank Lloyd Wright. The designers and precast fabricators were very successful in replicating Mr. Wright?EUR??,,????'???s design themes. Precast units were perfected using white cement and colorants to match sandstone. Some precast units express intricate detail others are simple. There is organized visual interest in the use of the precast units and their relationship to other Wright details, such as cantilevered rooflines and transparent corner windows.

The precast tone was produced by using the ?EUR??,,????'??vibrant dry tamp?EUR??,,????'?? method. This gives the cast unit the finish texture and appearance of sandstone, with sharp edges. It is this crispness, that is necessary for the architectural effect. This type of casting is not dependent on sandblasting to create the texture, of the finish, but is derived from the skill of the fabricators use of hand held pneumatic rammers to consolidate the mix into the rigid molds. The success of the moldings process is evident in the precast product. This project demonstrates that consistent, well made, and well organized execution of the precast stone units of a modest scale can contribute significantly to the overall architectural design.?EUR??,,????'??

Bill Toal, 1943-2003

William ?EUR??,,????'??Bill?EUR??,,????'?? Toal, who had been chief economist for the Portland Cement Association until his retirement in June of last year, died on March 16 at the age of 60.

Toal was a contributor to LASN?EUR??,,????'???s annual Forecast issue and was considered the primary expert on economics and forecasting for the cement, concrete, and construction industries.

Toal attended the University of Notre Dame from 1961-1970, where he earned a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in economics. He worked at the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, then as an economist for the state of Illinois. He was an economist for the U.S. government and as the chief economist for the governor of Minnesota. He began work for the PCA in 1987 and was promoted to chief economist in 1989.

ICPI to Host 2006 International Conference

WASHINGTON – The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute will host the 2006 International Conference on Concrete Block Paving in San Francisco.

The tentative conference date is early November 2006.

The International Conference on Concrete Block Paving is held every three years, and is aimed at design professionals, manufacturers of concrete pavers, suppliers to the concrete paver industry, and more.

?EUR??,,????'??The international conference mission is to educate the industry and design professionals,?EUR??,,????'?? said ICPI?EUR??,,????'???s chairman Bruce Camper.