blog.strakt

We have just uploaded our brand new site. Hope you all like it, any feedback is warmly accepted… even the bad stuff… we can take it! www.substrakt.co.uk

We are pleased to be working with our friends at Jibbering to develop their new web presence. The development will include an updated version of Jibbering records web site (cms, e-commerce, catalogue management… the lot!), along with new sites for their live events element and art gallery. We are also welcoming Jibbering onto the blogosphere by setting up a blog to act as a portal to their sites and a one-stop Jibbering news feed. Due to launch end of April.

Dear Chris, Michelle and Stas,Well done for submitting your entry and coming second place!

On Monday, 5 distinguished jurors viewed the entries; Martin Field (ULI), Marc Reeves (Birmingham Post), Mary Martin (Pro-Vice Chancellor, UCE), Kenny Brown (Turley Associates) and Nicola Hopwood (Glenn Howells Architects). I attach their comments below.

Martin Field, who will be co-ordinating the publicity suggested a celebratory reception to congratulate you all, and an opportunity for you to explain your scheme to the audience. The date, time and venue will be confirmed but it will be around the last week of March. Moreover, Terry Grimley, arts and culture columnist for the Birmingham Post, will interview you for a piece he is writing on the competition and the Wholesale Market site.

Well done for your achievement. Here are the judge’s comments:

Strengths:

• Good integration of archaeological site with public park
• Broad range of uses
• Good use of water and varied grain with the finer grain emulating the historical patterns
• Similarly, block structure follows historic grain
• powerful masterplan image
• masterplan models surrounding area
• Phasing achievable

Weaknesses:

• Judges led to believe that new development sunk below street level and would be detrimental to connectivity
• 3 blocks on ridge felt to be inappropriate in height and location
• The creative hub on wrong side of development, not addressing Digbeth Media Zone
• Parts of the masterplan work better than other parts, such as the finer grain is commendable, but three long buildings on the block further north creates unusual geometry
• Overall, masterplan doesn’t come together as a ‘piece of city’
• No link to the church
• No environmental consideration

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Hooray!!! The long awaited CS3 set to be launched at a special party in New York at the end of the month.
Speculators are saying that the possible applications might be: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash and Fireworks marking the first truly integrated suite since Adobe bought Macromedia.
Check out this six color/product teaser video.
Intel Mac owners rejoice!

We are pleased to announce Subspace, a service dedicated to providing high quality 3d visualisations.
We have only just got going, and have just today won our first client, an architectural firm based in the jewellery quarter.
Watch this space…
www.subspaces.co.uk

Strap this crazy device to your finger and you can easily control your mouse movements. It works on almost all surfaces except reflective glass; like most. the big down side to this device is it still runs on a usb cable.

Pick it up from Xoxide or visit Logisys to find a different online retailer selling the finger mouse for around $20.