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tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:/blog TheSquareFoot Blog 2015-10-06T11:12:42-04:00 tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/536 2015-10-06T11:12:42-04:00 2015-10-06T11:12:54-04:00 Simple ways to stay healthy in the office Carly Gerson From riding the subway to praying that the sketchy person over there did not just cough all over you, living in NYC means the constant exposure to germs. Avoiding illness can be a #struggle and if you're like us, you're willing to do anything to avoid it. We've polled some experts to bring you helpful tips to staying healthy in the office.  Eat well, feel well Eating well is always difficult when something called "dollar pizza" exists. However, in order to avoid the plague (or whatever disease your coworkers are contracting), keeping your diet reasonable is an important factor. We spoke to Michelle Katz, a well known healthcare advocate about her go to health tips. "Don't get caught hungry without a healthy snack stash. This is office snacking 101 here, but sometimes its the simple things that go overlooked. Keep snack-packs of nuts in your desk - my favorites are pistachios and almonds. They're a healthy everyday snack, and are perfect when you're in a bind for a quick and healthy snack. I also like to bring whole fruit from home to keep in view on my desk. It reminds me I have a healthy snack to enjoy later." Besides eating well, staying hydrated is just as important. Although that Red Bull at 10am may seem appealing, Kimberly Petrosino a Certified Holistic Health Coach recommends a reusable water bottle instead of a tiny paper/plastic cup so that you're more likely to drink more and keep track of how much you drink. Take a deep breath Work can become very overwhelming that sometimes we can forget to stop and breathe. Carl Massy, author of The Guidebook to Optimum Health, offers advice on deep breathing. "Meditate or do breathing exercises a couple of times a day. It can be just closing the eyes and doing slow conscious breathing for 2-3 minutes (breath in to the count of 6, hold for 2, and then out to the count of 7, which is a good 15 second cycle, so 8 times equals 2 minutes). This is great for cooling down the sympathetic nervous system." While your day might seem extremely busy, just take a few seconds to breathe. Exercise break Getting restless at work is inevitable. However, just taking a quick break can not only relieve your boredom but keep you healthy. Franklin Antoian, one of SHAPE Magazine's Top 50 Trainers in America and founder of the online personal training website, iBodyFit.com says that find the time to just stand up every 15 minutes. He suggests setting an alarm as a quick reminder. At TSF we've combined standing and  productivity with the use of a standing desk and the TSF team loves it! tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/527 2015-08-24T09:45:06-04:00 2015-08-24T09:45:21-04:00 Guest Post: Why startups should advertise their stories Roger Wu Startups are typically limited by their budgets when it comes to advertising options. The most popular options have traditionally been native formats like Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. Startups are highly focused on converting prospects into customers, however, it's rare for customers to learn and convert in one session. This is where the power of story plays a role. As Simon Sinek's Start with Why mentions, customers in the on demand world care about the story along with price, convenience, and reliability. Here are five reasons you may want to consider investing in sponsored stories: 1) Leverage Yourself Advertising can only be effective for each person that sees it. Each ad unit typically ends at that viewer. Stories, on the other hand, have longevity. You read a story, you hear a story, or you are told a story; it's what we do. Very rarely, unless it's the Super Bowl or a controversial ad campaign do people even talk about ads. Story is the best form of word of mouth marketing. Through stories, your supporters can tell others that may become potential customers, investors, or employees. There is always the possibility that your story can be circulated to the right person! 2) Be Memorable A powerful memory is not as valued as it once was with the advent of smart phones and the Internet. In the 'on-demand' economy, however, our memories help us remember what search terms to use and what brands we should buy. Stories are an amazing way to jumpstart this memory. Stories are what we use to help us remember things throughout history. So not only can you tell your friends the story, but you'll remember the characters, products, and services in the story. After all, we will always remember the branded candy that Elliot led E.T. out of the woods with; not so much the blatant, but cute, ad before the last ten minutes of the movie. 3) Get Emotional We like to think we are rational creatures, but as Dan Ariely from Predictably Irrational reminds us, we act emotionally. Emotions get us to do things that sometimes we normally wouldn't do and emotions originate from stories. If we were rational beings, we wouldn't do the irrational things we might do: buy new prototyped products, use new technologies, or utilize the services of your yet unproven startup. 4) Become Investable While a big part of your story is about your product, a larger part is about your people. In technology, legendary entrepreneurs Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Dean Kamen are more interesting than the products they create. People love to hear of all the things that were tried and that didn't succeed; stories of luck and perseverance; betting it all and winning (or losing); the peaks and valleys that could only be created through entrepreneurship. It's the reason why reality shows like Shark Tank and The Profit are so popular. Stories not only help you win customers but also find potential new investors. As the age old saying goes, invest in the team not necessarily the product. 5) Humanize Yourself Companies have gotten larger and larger through mergers and acquisitions. Customer service has become outsourced. The complaint of many unhappy customers has been that they are simply another number passing through the cog of a nameless, faceless machine. By telling your story, you humanize the company. By talking about your successes and failures you are able to show your empathy and humility, some of the most important entrepreneurial traits, while gaining support and fans. Look at companies like Dell, Apple, and Microsoft: by admitting a mistake they gain more fans that understand that the corporation is made up of people just like them; humans make mistakes. The story creates the ability for you to root for an underdog. Gathering supporters by showing your humanity is important to the success of the venture. Stories are a powerful part of our shared humanity, our history, and our culture. We cannot ignore the power of story in business either and for a startup, stories can be the difference between success and failure. Tell great stories now so you'll never have to tell the latter.  This guest post was written by Roger Wu at  Cooperatize . tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/538 2015-08-20T10:38:34-04:00 2015-08-20T10:38:58-04:00 Around the office water cooler with Arash Sadighi Carly Gerson Today we're around the water cooler with broker Arash Sadighi. Arash was born in Vienna, VA and attended Virginia Tech. We're honored to have Arash on our team because he's a popular guy- he's been a groomsman at ten weddings! Read on to learn about some of Arash's unpleasant experiences (office and food related) as well as his love of music.  What's the worst office experience you've ever had (not necessarily at TSF)? My first office experience was likely the worst one I've ever had. As a 16 year old, I took a job as a telemarketer and they had 30 or 40 young people crammed in a tiny dark trailer. I'm not saying it was a sweat shop for cold calling, but it wasn't far off. Who was your role model growing up? Definitely my mom. She left all her family back in Iran to move to America with my dad and at a young age was able to teach herself English, start a successful business, and raise a family. One food you refuse to eat: Tripe. Did it once...that was enough. What was the best summer vacation you've ever had? I spent 15 days in Nicaragua a few summers ago which was pretty incredible. I went with good friends that I grew up with and we explored the country and surrounding islands. Great people, really affordable, and beautiful and diverse scenery. Go to HBOGO show: Game of Thrones What is the best concert you've ever been to? Kings of Leon at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. Great little venue and they had a great set...this was way before they were selling out stadiums which was cool. If you could be one person in history, who would you pick and why? Leonardo DiCaprio...if you need to ask why then you should just Google, Leonardo DiCaprio. What's the coolest experience you've had in NYC? Last year at Global Citizen's free concert in Central Park. Spent the day at the park for the free concert that had amazing headliners only to close out with Jay-Z and then a surprise performance by Beyonce. I'm not a huge Beyonce fan, but the minute she came out the entire park collectively lost it. It was definitely memorable. What would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?  I'd like to beat  Kevin consistently at Mario Kart. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/528 2015-08-12T21:26:06-04:00 2015-08-12T21:26:22-04:00 Positive time wasting ideas for the office Ian Rankowitz Some employers and employees firmly believe that if a worker isn't at their desk they are not being  productive. In theory this makes sense, but sitting at a table for eight hours does not equal efficiency. In order to maximize their daily potential, it helps to keep them engaged. Even the best employees can be guilty of wasting time. However, time wasting doesn't have to be a hindrance on their work. In fact, time wasting can even benefit an employee's daily output. By getting away from their computer and desk to clear their mind they can remain present and not fall into a rut of complacency. Moving away from your workspace for a brief escape can revive your focus and there are countless ways to do this.  Brief Walk Getting out of the office for a few minutes can enliven your workday. Explore a block nearby your office that you've never seen or an artisanal  coffee shop  you've always said you would visit. Stroll for ten or fifteen minutes and shake off the grind for a bit. You will return refreshed with an overpriced latte and a fancy pastry. Exercise Stretching your legs by going from your desk to the kitchen may not be enough. Whether its small weights you keep near your area, pushups or a couple squats, getting the blood going can do wonders. Don't hurt yourself but a little calisthenics will leave you reawakened for the rest of the day's workload. Video Games If your office allows this take full advantage. A game or two of Mario Kart with coworkers with provide a social and mental boast. Regardless if you win or not, a break from your spreadsheets and emails will benefit your overall day. Cooking Take a simple meal to work that can be prepared in the office kitchen for lunch. The task and reward that comes with it will prove a highlight for the day, even if it's something as simple as oatmeal. The activity will clear your mind of the daily stress that seems pervasive. Some Reading Stay up on current events, look up a blog to follow or bring a book to work. A small article or a few pages of a novel will stimulate you out of any rut you're in. Although tempting, avoid gossip sites that may burn up more time than you anticipated. Things to avoid While some outlets at the office can be beneficial, others can become a unhelpful distraction. Anything but a brief social media check can produce heavy FOMO. Having your phone on your desk all day can eat up tons of your day and a Youtube playlist can quickly became a bottomless pit of "one more video." Avoid these if you want to remain present effective and mostly importantly, happy at the office. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/488 2015-08-07T10:29:33-04:00 2015-08-07T10:29:43-04:00 Office space of the week: ThoughtWorks Carly Gerson This week we're featuring software comapnyThought Works!The ThoughtWorks offices were designed by Morgan Lovell, and is located in London. Morgan Lovell incorporated bright colors to make an office that people would want to go to work to every day.

 Technology innovation consultancy ThoughtWorks prides itself on its ambitious missions and disruptive thinking, so it stands to reason that its new 6,945 sq ft London office space reflected this. We worked with ThoughtWorks to design and create an inviting, agile and multifunctional space which accommodates the rolling nature of the staff as teams are rotated on a project-by-project basis. "The idea was to create an inviting space which supports the way in which the company needs to work," says designer Michelle Carr. The bold and bright back-of-house space features lots of alternative work settings, focused spaces and quiet rooms. Standing-height tables enable healthy working practice and there are closed, two- and three-person meeting rooms with coloured windows and a central hub area which doubles as a seminar space. The games room with pingpong and table football lets staff enjoy the cool and relaxed side of the company. There's also a dedicated art wall with a variety of modern prints, as well as space for Thoughtworks people to create their own works of art, should the spirit move them. "I love the idea you can just get up and start writing on the walls," says one employee, "everything has a purpose and it's a fun and exciting space". "Feedback from staff has been excellent," says Maneesh Subherwal, MD UK, "A lot of people are excited about a new start. In the lunch café you really get a sense of people coming together collectively, sharing and getting to know each other." He adds, "Our mandate for the office was a space with lots of colour, lots of light and in line with our brand and I think we got there." Subherwal smiles, "We have 30 offices in the world and this one is the best." TSF loves that the office has  outdoor space. Combined with the bright colors, Morgan Lovell has created a space that is both fun and conducive for teamwork. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/500 2015-08-05T10:57:06-04:00 2015-08-05T10:57:13-04:00 Office Supplies for... The Girly Girl Carly Gerson The typical office space is generally white, lacking any exciting colors. Well if you're a girly girl, that probably doesn't fly. If you don't consider yourself a  trendsetter but rather somebody who loves all things feminine, then you're in luck. Check out our best picks for the girly girl in the office.  1. Lipstick Phone Charger:  Out with the bulky phone charger and in with... the lipstick? That's right! You can now buy a USB phone charger that conveniently looks like your favorite accessory. Portable + fashionable = perfection.  2. Bunny Screen Cleaner:  We all know the pain of finger-printed computer screen and how difficult it is to get off. Now let this adorable bunny come to the rescue.  3. Cupcake Sticky Notes:  Every true girly girl can never resist a cupcake. Why not bring that sugary sweetness into the office? This cupcake will be a no-calorie reminder to eat that cupcake you've been wanting later.  4. Cat Calendar:  We were able to sum up everything cute in the world: cats in hats. If you're not a cat person, this calendar will convert you immediately by proving that there is nothing more precious than animals wearing clothing.  5. Flower Stationery:  Why send a letter on boring white paper when you can jazz up your letters with these pretty delicate notes? These notes will show the recipient that you care enough about them to use your flowery paper (instead of keeping it for yourself).  6. Cake Erasers:  You can have your cake and… erase with it too! These itty bitty cakes will show that cake truly can fix mistakes in all situations!  7. Mermaid Book Ends:  Every little girl dreams about being a mermaid, so why not bring this lifetime dream into the office? These mermaid bookends are not only only classy, but super practical for keeping your books in place.  8. Nail Polish Highlighters:  Do you wish you could paint your nails in the office without getting dirty looks from your coworkers from the smell? These nail polish highlighters are second best! Highlight your work while pretending to paint your nails in gorgeous neon colors.  9. Donut Notebook:  Jot down your ideas (possibly involving donuts…) in this pretty pink donut themed notebook. Say yes… to more donuts!  10. Pastel Pencils:  Last but definitely not least, these pastel pencils will remind everybody in your office that you always are prepared and ready to bring your girly writing utensils wherever you go. It'll be no surprise to everybody when you open the case to expose the flowery inside. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/521 2015-08-03T11:07:42-04:00 2015-08-03T11:07:49-04:00 Around the office water cooler with Ken Quinlan Carly Gerson If you've ever wondered what's going on inside a broker's head, we've got you covered. We spoke to Ken Quinlan- originally from Dallas, TX and graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Economics and History. Ken's claim to fame is that he would willingly eat breakfast for every meal of the day. If that doesn't say "dedicated", we don't know what else does.  What's the worst office experience you've ever had (not necessarily at TSF)? I once was in a cubicle. Never again. Why TSF? What do you love about this place?  We are making the agonizing process of finding quality office space more seamless and transparent. The progress we have made from both a technological and brokerage perspective are incredible and are only going to benefit our clients more in the near future. On top of all this I am fortunate to work with very intelligent people who give it their best day in and out. Its incredibly rewarding to be in an environment where the level of effort and respect for one another are so high. Favorite breakfast food: Eggs Benedict If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Good Will Hunting What actor would play you in a sitcom about your life?  Larry David - He would make my daily life 20X more interesting and comical. Where's your dream vacation?  Patagonia, Chile When did you know you wanted to be a broker?  I feel as though "broker" has a negative connotation to it. I look at myself as more of a real estate consultant. Like most professionals, I fell into this career as a result of networking and have found it to be in line with my long term goals. What's the best thing somebody wrote in your yearbook (or that you wish they would have written…)? Someone wrote that they always wanted to tell me I share a striking resemblance to Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore. To this day, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Three things on your bucket list: 1. Go to The Masters in Augusta 2. Drive across the Kaiser Mountains in Austria 3. Hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/513 2015-07-31T09:55:35-04:00 2015-07-31T09:55:39-04:00 Office space of the week: Kollor Design Agency Carly Gerson This week we're heading out to Helsingborg, Sweden to check out the new offices for Kollor Design Agency Kollor Design Agency designed these offices for themselves in a small space (only a little over 1,000 sqft).

 Located in Helsingborg, a coastal city in southern Sweden, lies the offices of graphic design agency, Kollor. The office is located in the middle of the city centre. Overlooking the harbor and on a clear day all the way over to Denmark, Helsingor (Elsinore), only twenty minutes away by ferry. The house was built in 1882, designed by local architect Frans A Lundvall. In early 2014, Kollor moved in on the first floor of the historic house. The space measures 93 square meters with high ceilings. The white painted walls and ceiling is contrasted by an old hardwood flooring. The office is formed as a square divided into four rooms with large gate-like doors that parts of. TSF loves the use of the color white, much like our previous OSOTW  Designliga . Although the space may be small, white really brightens and widens up the space. What a great office tip! tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/526 2015-07-27T10:53:00-04:00 2015-07-27T10:53:19-04:00 Let's bring the outdoors back Carly Gerson Working in  NYC  can make it difficult to step outside for some fresh air. The combination of long hours and the lack of actual fresh air make the outdoors seem like a thing of the past. However, you can bring the outdoors back to your office. Whether you have an accessible roof or balcony (#fireescape), the outdoors can become a part of your office life.  Psychological benefits Having the outdoors accessible to your work space make it easier for employees to  recharge throughout the day . Australian-American artist Natalie Jeremijenko says that  studies  show that being outdoors prove to make people 50% more creative and will improve memory. Even physicians recommend spending at least 20 minutes outside every day. According to Harvard physician Eva M. Selhub, nature "stimulates reward neurons in your brain. It turns off the stress response which means you have lower cortisol levels, lower heart rate and blood pressure and improved immune response." We all know that stepping outside (even just for a minute) allows you to clear your mind and rejuvenates you to keep on keeping on. Outdoor space will attract talent By 2020, millennials will make up 40% of the workforce. As some of the top talent they value quality of work more than anything. Outdoor spaces can be a form of relaxation. According to  CNN Money "A full 60% of 2015 grads -- and 69% of 2013 and 2014 grads, who were also surveyed -- said they'd rather work for a company that has a "positive social atmosphere" even if it means lower pay." Whether or not the pay is sacrificed for the better work environment, it is clearly a deciding factor. One of the ways companies like  Facebook  make it fun at work is to have outdoor space- for both relaxing and eating (see photo above). Problems with outdoor office space The WSJ examined the general flaws behind having outdoor office space. One obvious flaw is the greater cost of having outdoor space. Outdoor space such as a terrace can cost anywhere from $200 to $400 per square foot in NYC. Another downfall is the practicality of the space. Best described by Gerard Bush, brpr's creative director, "You can't have a PowerPoint presentation in bright sunlight." With outdoor seating as more of an idealistic attraction over a realistic space, there are many pros and cons to consider when choosing whether or not to opt with an outdoor space. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/512 2015-07-24T09:43:30-04:00 2015-07-24T09:46:59-04:00 Office space of the week: Designliga Carly Gerson This week we're heading out to Munich to check out the offices Designliga designed for themselves. The Designliga offices are 6,996 sqft (find out [how much space you need](http://www.thesquarefoot.com/office-space-calculator) for your team.) This office is truly one for trendsetters.

 A former industrial complex from the mid-20th century, with 650 square metres of hall space and visible traces of its previous use as a machine shop: an elevated foreman's office once used for supervising shop-floor operations tells a tale of order, streamlining and clear-cut hierarchies. For Designliga, this legacy of German industrialization is a mirror reflecting the quintessence of work, and an inspiration to examine the meaning of work in our contemporary age.  Munich. Designliga, the bureau for visual communication and interior architecture and design, took a former industrial machine shop and created a new working environment for its own staff and for Form & Code, its strategic partner in Web and application development. Starting-point The hall has a rectangular footprint and ceilings over 10 metres in height at their highest point. The east and west sides are built of glass bricks and incorporate a row of windows at eye level. The hall is thus flooded with a consistent level of glare-free light. Flooring combines areas of cross-grained larchwood parquet with concrete, adding visual structure to the hall. Exposed crane tracks and heating elements extend throughout the entire hall. Part of the interior is two-storey; what was once the foreman's office overlooks the hall and the entrance, which is flanked by two brickwork walls. Existing features and changes  The floors, brickwork and crane tracks from the former machine shop were retained and merely cleaned and painted. A pair of two-storey ridge-roofed 'house' enclosures now stand at the heart of this atmospheric setting, forming the most striking architectural contrast. A key component of the space planning concept, they establish distinctive areas and give structure to the hall space around them without the need for formal boundaries. The 'houses' are used by staff involved in extensive telephoning, planning or working with confidential information. Workspaces are distributed around the outside walls of the central brass-finished 'house'. They are bordered by an 85-metre length of sideboard, which serves as a reception desk at one end and separates work areas from the circulation space at the other. The area between the two houses forms a 'village square'. This point is the intersection of both axes of the interior: from entrance to conference rooms, and from workspaces to kitchen. The 'square' extends into an open-plan library area'. The two foreman's offices on the upper floor were converted into conference rooms with contrasting styles – a functional room with classic conference equipment, and a salon for informal meetings. The solid wall between the two offices was removed and replaced with glass. The kitchen and toilets are situated on the ground floor immediately underneath the conference rooms. A steel door separates these private areas from the hall's work area. The basement houses a model-building workshop, a screenprinting press and a photographic studio and can be viewed through a glass section in the floor. TSF loves the modern approach to the architecture firm. How cool would it be to have a house in your office? tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/529 2015-07-22T10:43:04-04:00 2015-07-23T15:49:51-04:00 Guest Post: Best resources and tools for workers who move around a lot Darren Buckner at Workfrom  Being untethered from a desk and a traditional office space has many advantages. It also comes with some challenges. Mobile workers, business travelers, remote employees and entrepreneurs often find productivity while on the go takes some planning and good tools. As a member of a fully distributed team, I've compiled a list of tools used to keep my nomadic workstyle on-track and effective. Use the Right Gear for the Job  External keyboard Comfort is very important when your workspace varies greatly. Laptops and tablets make it easy to set up shop quickly, but they can put unwanted strain on your body with prolonged use. Keep a good external keyboard with you to keep the aches and pains away. I personally prefer the smaller wireless  Apple keyboards. A Mountie Staying productive can often come down to effective multi-tasking and having more additional screen real estate helps a lot. To get that, use a Mountie. It makes adding a phone or iPad as an extra screen a snap, literally. A Good Bag This one seems obvious, but I can't tell you how hard moving around can be on an average bag. Find one that offers protection from weather, accidental drops (your important devices are in there!) and the weight of carrying around a mobile office. I recently splurged on the Citadel and I love it. Bonus: if you ride a bike often, find a bag with reflective components for safety. Headphones You can't do without a good pair of headphones, and I suggest carrying two. Remember that you'll want durability and versatility. You'll be making calls, playing music and video conferencing. Your headset should have a built in mic, noise canceling and if it's corded—one long enough to stand up if you need to. I use the simple wired Apple headphones and the Senheiser MM 450-X. External battery Batteries die and that's going to keep you from getting stuff done. Keep a fully charged external battery with you at all times. I set a reminder on my calendar to charge mine every few days to ensure it's ready when I need it. A good external battery can get you hours of extra productivity when in a pinch. I love Battery Box. WiFi Hotspot Finding reliable WiFi may not be as easy as you think. Many places advertise free WiFi but that doesn't mean it's of quality. Having a wireless hotspot with you as insurance can save you. It's also more secure which can be important. I've been using the first version of Karma  and am excited for their latest version. Get Smart About Software Tools  Trello   Kanban style project management software that's great for keeping things moving along. I've used it for personal and team projects.  Buffer  Automation is your friend and this tool makes it simple to schedule content to be posted to many popular social media channels. I use it daily and it save a lot of time.  Slack Communication is king when you're on the go and working with others who are not next to you. Slack makes it simple to communicate with others through group chat, file sharing and one-on-one rants.  Wunderlist There are many task management tools out there and Wunderlist is a proven winner. Easy to use, fast and sharable. All very important when you want to spend time NOT creating tasks. Workfrom Workfrom is a community curated guide to the best places to get work done all over the world. If you've ever relied on Yelp or Foursquare to find a good workspace, you know it's hit-or-miss at best. Leveraging the collective knowledge of others who work from anywhere makes finding a great spot much easier. Full disclosure: I'm a founder and think very highly of our awesome community and product :) Nomadlist If you're looking for a great city to work from, Nomad List helps compare lots of useful data about an area before you visit. This kind of information helps you get to know an area quickly so you can get back to work when traveling. Speak Slack was mentioned above as a great tool for chat-based communication. Speak makes audio-based communication a breeze. They provide near instant voice connectivity to teammates, clients and anyone else you need to speak with directly. Darren Buckner is a Founder and CEO at Workfrom, helping us all find great spaces to get work done wherever we roam. Join the movement at workfrom.co  tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/519 2015-07-20T09:40:45-04:00 2015-07-20T09:46:16-04:00 Where to get your coffee fix: Midtown West Carly Gerson If you're like us, most mornings you need coffee, and you need it now. While there are hundreds of places surrounding your NYC office to get a coffee fix, it can be difficult to navigate the sea of cafes that will get your almond milk latte exactly right. From quick on the go cups to cafes perfect for hosting afternoon meetings, here's 8 coffee spots to try if your office is in Midtown West. Not in Midtown West? Don't worry, we've made you a guide for Flatiron/Chelsea, FiDi, and Midtown East. 1. Culture Espresso  Looking to try a new drink? The flat white is a fan favorite. 72 W 38th St 2. Ramini Coffee  Ramini Coffee filters the water before it goes into their hot beverages and uses alkaline water in the cold ones (dedicated, we know). It's a great place if you're looking for something organic. 265 W 37th St 3. The Jolly Goat  Some days you might need an ice cream sandwich with your coffee even if its for breakfast. Featuring ice cream sandwiches from Melt and ice cream from Blue Marble, The Jolly Goat will promise you a good day. 515 W 47th St 4. Simon Sips  Are you the person that your coworkers depend on to surprise them with coffee in the morning? Simon Sips offers coffee in catering sizes. At $3 per person for "premium coffee service" you could possibly make it a habit. 1185 Ave of the Americas 5.Rex Coffee  Coffee might be our best friend, but like anything sometimes we need to change it up. If you're looking to spice up your coffee experience, try Rex. Rex has original flavors such as "Hologram" and "Slow Motion." We won't say you'll ditch your bodega coffee immediately, but you'll absolutely think about it. 864 10th Ave 6. Financier Patisserie  Financier Patisserie uses authentic French recipes to transport you on the vacation you deserve. 1211 6th Ave 7. Milk Bar  Previously featured for their Cereal Milk, we love Milk Bar for their coffee too! Their drip coffee is just $1.75 and worth every penny. 15 W 56th St tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/511 2015-07-17T10:27:57-04:00 2015-07-17T10:28:16-04:00 Office Space of the Week: Confidential Tech Carly Gerson This week we're keeping it TOP SECRET by featuring the offices of a confidential tech company in Mountain View, California (right near San Francisco). The 42,632 sqft office was designed by NicholsBooth Architects in 2013. We recently took at look at NicholsBooth for the cafeteria they designed for  Zynga .

 Project description: Our Client knew that to attract and retain the best talent in the tech sector, they had to update this building to create an inviting, efficient workplace. No more dark and uninviting spaces in the core of the building. New collaborative and break-out areas. No offices that cut people off from the rest of the workforce. NicholsBooth removed the central staircase walls, and made extensive use of glass walls, doors, and partitions to visually connect the center of the building with the exterior. Brightening the finish palette throughout the building also helped lighten the feel of the entire space. To foster a more collaborative environment—reflecting the way teams work today—we added more collaborative and break-out spaces throughout the building. The result? 42,000 square feet of friendly, efficient space that invites people to come and to stay. Inspiration: Inspiration for the space came from both hospitality and residential design. We incorporated elements of both into a commercial office setting to create a comfortable and inviting environment where someone would feel at home. Comfortable seating areas with visual elements offering privacy resemble one's own living room and invite the user to relax and enjoy the space. Soft lighting further helps to create a tranquil environment. We love how opening up the staircase and bringing light into the building has transformed this space and created a truly beautiful environment. The core areas surrounding the open stairs are the focal points of the building and showcase this transformation. TheSquareFoot loves how light is incorporated into the design of the office. The minimalist approach created a beautiful office! Photos by Chad Ziemendorph tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/524 2015-07-15T10:08:06-04:00 2015-07-15T14:27:13-04:00 Guest Post: Protect Your Company's Growth with Load Testing Grant Engle Working for a small company is a lot of hard work, but the rewards can be life-changing. Whether you're a startup founder or a member of a small team, it's likely that your No. 1 business concern is growth. That means finding product-market fit through a ton of research, understanding your audience and marketing specifically to those people. If you do all of those things right — which is much easier said than done — then you'll have a chance to achieve the growth you so desperately desire. But wait! What happens if a sudden influx of website visitors, app downloads or API calls completely wreck your product and infrastructure? There are hundreds of  horror stories  out there about businesses that achieve sudden popularity only to have their website and servers "break" under the pressure of high traffic. And on a larger scale, think about the mess with healthcare.gov  in 2013. The first step companies should consider is implementing load testing early in the development process. It seems that many people think, "I'll load test when the product is fully developed because that's what the customer will be experiencing." But that plan is flawed — at best. Throughout the development process, there a plenty of changes and updates which seem minor but could have a major affect on performance. In recent years, the methodologies of  DevOps  and  Continuous Delivery  have grown exponentially in popularity. In those processes, developers are often pushing new code to a staging area right away and testing functionality. The idea behind the processes is to deliver a functional product and get it in the hands of consumers as quickly as possible. The surge in DevOps and Continuous Delivery led many performance testers to the practice of  Continuous Testing . Load testing every build and iteration of your website, app or API allows you to locate patterns of performance degradation or improvement and more easily validate the performance impact of code and infrastructure changes. This is commonly described as " Performance Trending" in the load testing space. While we know it'd be nice to have several dancing-cat GIFs around the border of your website, it's good to remember that can cost you a few valuable milliseconds of user load time. No matter what features you want your users to see, there's one sure-fire way to protect your website, app or API from crashing the moment you have major traffic — and that's to test early and test often. — Grant Engle is the PR and Community Manager for  Load Impact. He leads marketing and advertising initiatives for Load Impact in the United States. — Load Impact is a cloud-based load and performance testing software-as-a-service (SaaS) used by developers and DevOps teams to understand the real capacity limits of their websites, apps and APIs, and to validate the performance impact of code and infrastructure changes over time.  tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/515 2015-07-13T12:00:12-04:00 2015-07-13T13:17:24-04:00 Around the office water cooler with Kevin Wisniewski Carly Gerson  Kevin Wisniewski has been a Customer Experience Advocate at TSF since February 2015. He is originally from St. Louis, MO, but is now a well-oiled Brooklynite. Although his degree from Colorado State University is in Psychology, Kevin continues to school everybody at TSF in Mario Kart. We sat down with Kevin to learn about his love of travel and very original role model.   What's the worst office experience you've ever had (not necessarily at TSF)? The worst office experience was definitely when I was interviewing for a job back in St. Louis 2 years ago. I had made it to the final round of interviews which consisted of a half-day shadow of a few members of the team… My friends thought it would be fun to have a tequila night before and of course I couldn't say no. Needless to say, this was the LONGEST interview of my life. I felt like death the entire time and I'm sure I looked miserable. But hey, I got the job! Why TSF? What do you love about this place?  I've always been interested in real estate through one form or another and TSF has a great platform and business model that caught my eye. I think TSF has a lot of growth potential and I'm excited to be a part of that process. What's your biggest pet peeve?  I actually have a lot of pet peeves… But I'll limit my response to just one. I'd have to say my biggest pet peeve is people chewing food with their mouths open. I don't understand what is so difficult about eating like a normal person. What was your favorite childhood TV show?  FRIENDS  for sure. My family watched it pretty religiously every Thursday at 7:00pm CST. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where and why?  That would have to be somewhere in Central Asia. Probably Kyrgyz Republic. I studied this area during my VERY brief stint in grad school and the whole region has fascinating history, culture, language and landscapes. Who's your celebrity crush?  That would definitely be Jamie Dornan. Especially in The Fall. Favorite song lyric? I've never really thought about this… It would take me too long to come up with a good answer. Who are your role models?  Can I be my own role model? I think I'm pretty great. What's one thing you're looking forward to?  I'm always looking for to my next big travel adventure. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/486 2015-07-10T14:42:34-04:00 2015-07-10T14:42:36-04:00 Office space of the week: Just Eat – Borehamwood Headquarters Carly Gerson This week we're heading out to Borehamwood, England to check out Just Eat offices. The Just Eat offices were designed by The Interiors Group, and are just over 40,000 sqft (find out [how much space you need](http://www.thesquarefoot.com/office-space-calculator) for your team.)

 The Interiors Group has designed and fitted out 40,000 sq ft of brand new interior space for Just Eat, set across two floors at Imperial Place in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Just Eat is an award winning, world leading online takeaway ordering service acting as a web based intermediary between independent takeaway food outlets and customers. Due to company growth in the UK, Just Eat decided it was time for an office expansion and refresh. The Interiors Group were briefed by the client to create a dedicated meeting room suite made up of a dynamic group of meeting room spaces in one wing of the new floor they have taken. The remainder of the floor was to be made up of cellular offices and open plan workspace, broken down by congregational spaces with soft seating and breakout furniture. While a large central teapoint would provide a unifying space bringing all the teams together with a modern, fun and energetic interior that would reflect the company image. This project was fitted out over two phases so as to minimise disruption to staff. Work to the new floor was classed as Phase 1, while Phase 2 consisted of the refurbishment of their existing floor two stories below. The challenge of this project was to create a unification between a light refurbishment on the first floor and the brand new fit out on the third floor. The Interiors Group met this challenge by creating a central gathering space on each floor, this area is visible through the central atrium which runs throughout the whole building. The tea-points on each floor provide a bright fresh space and have been executed using similar finishes for the units, counter top and splash back but differing flooring. Michelle Weiss, Facilities Manager for Just Eat commented: "The Interiors Group came up with a fantastic design for our office, the communal areas work very well and allow us flexible use of the space. The project was complicated and involved moving people around the office as areas were refurbished, The Interiors Group were not fazed by this and did everything they could to minimise disruption to the business. It felt like our site manager was part of the Just Eat team because he was so engaging and helpful with everyone. They worked closely together with us and any issues that came up during the project were quickly identified and put right. The Interiors Group offer a professional, personalised service and I'd happily recommend them. " The Interiors Group wanted to create design with a story representative of their client's identity. When you walk into the reception you are greeted within the first open area which appears like an intersection of a street. You can then follow the path along the street complete with stylized trees, this leads you into the meeting room suit which is broken up staggered individual doors or you can cross the bridge to the open plan work space. Individual doors on the 'avenue' reflect the interior of its respective meeting room, all of which represent the different entrance ways and clients Just Eat have where the food is delivered. Every meeting room has its own identity and purpose from rooms like the 'Granny Suite' with velvet sofas and floral wall paper, to the functional 'Boardroom' with flip top tables and full AV. The 'avenue' also incorporates a large breakout space for informal meetings, the area is designed to look like a park with swings in it and a roller door conceals a large bar. Another area of the Avenue hosts two curtained rooms which can be opened up to expose another informal meeting area. The suite was designed to also serve as a conference space and a clever use of sliding folding walls and curtain walls enable the opening up of space from the boardroom to the breakout space to fit in a large quantity of people for either 'Town Hall' meetings or other events which happen a few times a month. The wallpaper, carpet and style was carefully chosen with the client who then filled each room with equal careful consideration, personalising each space with furniture, picture frames, and small details identifying the brand. This allowed them to truly bring a personality to each room while maintaining a clear design intent. To carry this story across the two phases and both floors The Interiors Group used a few elements like flooring, a variety of domestic style doors and wall features to tie everything together. Feature art work played an important role within this unification, international artist Anna Rewinska was commissioned to create a large graffiti wall mural and two smaller pieces on the floors. The graffiti mural is located in the on the third floor tea-point spanning across the majority of the wall. It embodies the spirit of Just Eat, encapsulating what they wish to project into the future and encompassing past advertising campaigns. Finished, textures and colours were also utilised to convey the story. A sense of nature was pulled through with natural timbers in flooring, worktops of tea-points and timber details within the furniture provided by the client or sourced through Interion. While the majority of the open space was fairly neutral using grey tones with pops of colour, the interiors of the rooms were bright, colourful and full of pattern added with the use of wall coverings and flooring. Greenery was brought in through tones using abstract green carpets in areas on both floors and abstract shapes at the base of trees on the third floor. While a multi tone flocked flooring within the first floor tea-point represents grass in the park. The Interiors Group have over 27 years of experience delivering stunning commercial environments. They are widely proven and trusted by both clients and professional project managers to deliver business environments on time and on budget. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/525 2015-07-09T11:10:08-04:00 2015-07-09T11:13:33-04:00 Lessons that need to be relearned when it comes to productivity Carly Gerson and Emily Elliott One of the hardest parts of any job is staying focused and on task throughout the day in the face of  endless distractions (especially in the warmer months when you'd rather be at the beach.) The constant flow of texts, social media, and emails can make us feel both stuck and like we're wading through sand to get things done on some days. Luckily, there are "hacks" for being more productive throughout your day and most everything we assume about productivity is incorrect. Here are three lessons about productivity that need to be relearned.  More hours= more productivity One lesson that needs to be relearned is that working extra hours does not mean better quality work. According to  CNBC , working more than 50 hours a week can actually lessen the quality of your work with workers who spent more than 55 hours a week on a task showed degraded quality in work. While the average person is working 47 hours each week in the U.S. compared to the standard 40, some of the most productive people in the office are working less than  40 hours per week . This could be because most people are only really productive for a short amount of time during the day. A  study  published from  Vouchercloud.com  found that on average people are only truly productive for two hours and fifty-three minutes each day. So what else are they doing with the 8+ hours they are in the office? Vouchercloud.com found the following: 1. Checking social media – 47% (44 minutes, spent doing this during working day). 2. Reading news websites – 45% (one hour and five minutes). 3. Discussing out-of-work activities with colleagues – 38% (40 minutes). 4. Making hot drinks – 31% (17 minutes). 5. Smoking breaks – 28% (23 minutes). 6. Texting and instant messaging – 27% (14 minutes). 7. Eating snacks – 25% (eight minutes). 8. Making food in the office – 24% (seven minutes). 9. Making calls to partners and friends – 24% (18 minutes). 10. Searching for new jobs – 19% (26 minutes). The mornings are for tedious tasks and catching up According to Dan Ariely, a Duke University professor of psychology and behavioral economics, generally people are the most productive during the first two hours after becoming fully awake. Unfortunately, most people use these crucial morning hours to do things such as check emails, clean up our desks, browse through the news or twitter, and other mindless tasks. Relearning to save mindless tasks for later in the afternoon can actually help you use these morning hours for more productivity and organization. Taking one, long lunch break will help clear your head With all this information on what makes people unproductive, how exactly do workers stay productive? A known way to increase productivity is to make sure that you avoid the eating lunch at your desk trap and take proper  lunch break  (where you actually step out of your office.) Many people feel that if they do take a lunch break, they need to power through the rest of the day without stopping. A  study  conducted by the University of Toronto found that 10% of employees with the highest productivity didn't put in longer hours than anyone else, didn't even work full eight-hour days, and surprisingly took more, regular breaks than anyone else. Specifically, they worked for 52 minutes then took a 17 minute break. Those 17 minutes were not spent scrolling their instagram feeds, watching a youtube video, or checking their personal emails either. Taking a walk, speaking with coworkers about non work related tasks, or relaxing reading a book were some common activities the most productive employees did while on break. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/523 2015-07-07T11:30:35-04:00 2015-07-07T11:52:09-04:00 Office cafeterias we want for lunch Carly Gerson Ordering or bringing your own lunch can be a very stale part of your daily routine and tech companies are taking note by providing cafeterias as part of their perks to draw in great talent. Here are 6 companies that excel at dining options. Google

 It's well known that Google offers its employees great perks and we would add their cafeteria to the list. At Google, the cafeteria is referred to as a "cafe" and features many different types of cuisines as well as eating experiences. Options span from "Root" an organic and root themed cafe to "Baadal" a luxurious sit down restaurant.  Facebook

 Facebook has it's own  Facebook page  for the culinary team at its cafeteria (obviously.) According to posts on the page, deserts such as Blueberry Limoncello Mascarpone Pavlova and Key Lime Macaroon Pie are fan favorites. The cafe was designed by  Roman and Williams  and is a lot like your old school cafeteria except rustic and upscale.  Twitter

 Just like Facebook, you can find Twitter's menu through their own account,  Bon Appetweet . The cafeteria features glass walls and miniature log cabins to eat in. To celebrate the Fourth of July, Bon Appetweet offered a full BBQ meal with ribs and mac and cheese and for Canada Day they made loads of poutine.  Zynga

  NicholsBooth  has designed a cafeteria for Zynga that is like living in a game complete with neon colors. The food also fits the theme, with ice tea served in the space featuring a picture of Rapper Ice T. SAS Institute

 SAS aims to have their organic ingredients be the star of their food with an emphasis on natural and healthy options. Lunch options include pesto burger with herbed sun-dried tomato goat cheese spread on focaccia bread and grilled peach, blueberries, and honeyed goat cheese tossed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette on a garlic herb wrap, you can tell there's attention to detail for the freshest and finest ingredients. Designed by  Davis Kane Architects, the actual cafeteria is very sleek and modern with wood furnishing.  Apple

 Apple's cafeteria fits the modern, bright aesthetic the brand is known for. The most popular spot on Apple's campus is Caffe Macs. With floor to ceiling windows and skylights, the cafeteria is one of the best views of Cupertino, CA (just under an hour from  San Francisco). Besides the gorgeous setting, the food is pretty spectacular. If you're interested in being healthy there's poached egg over quinoa hash but if you're not try the double bison burger with cheese. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/522 2015-07-06T11:04:46-04:00 2015-07-06T11:04:48-04:00 Why we think Slack is one of the best productivity tools around TheSquareFoot At TSF, we use Slack and have found it to be an integral part of not only our community culture, but also our day to day functioning and productivity. At TheSquareFoot, we opted for an open floor plan. We love how this layout fosters a strong sense of community and openness for our team. It encourages daily check-ins, collaboration, and creativity. Still, there are plenty of drawbacks in the form of endless possibilities for potential distraction, from casual conversation to eating noisy snacks to our personal favorite: Nintendo 64 breaks. This is why we rely on Slack. Thanks to Slack, we've been able to overcome many of the challenges of having an undivided workspace without having to sacrifice what we love. Slack chat rooms are our private offices, and direct messages our check-ins and one-on-one meetings. Our development team doesn't need separate conference rooms to go over last week's models; they can simply meet in their designated chat. Rather than everyone talking across the room and creating excess noise and a mash of conversation, we keep it online and organized.  However, like anything, using Slack is not without its challenges. One of the challenges we've faced in using Slack in lieu of meetings is that many times things can get lost in the noise of the rooms and notifications are missed, which would not happen in face to face meetings. Product ideas and important announcements were getting lost amidst our stream of conversation in the general chat. Additionally, it became difficult to reference specific conversations and notes from the past. A way we've overcome this and in fact have become more organized is by being more granular with our channels. We've gone so far as to have even a "snacks" channel where people can list the snacks they wanted ordered for the office, but also obviously marketing specific, general chats, and even general product chats for brainstorming sessions. The more specific our rooms are, the easier it is to make conversations productive and reference previous discussions. In Slack we are able to create a private sphere without threatening the sense of community. For our team, it's personal relationships that form the web of a team-wide sense of connection. Nobody ever has to feel excluded because everyone is equally accessible on Slack. To maximize our sense of community, we encourage everyone to contribute to the general chat with ideas, articles (work-related or not), and funny things that have happened to them during the day. Additionally, our Slack avatars are not headshots but whatever we feel best reflects our personality (toad from Mario Kart, Kevin from Home Alone, Louis Stevens from Even Stevens, etc). We also frequently use giphy whenever the moment is right. Being able to share fun, funny moments and things of interest on Slack has really fostered a company-wide sense of community throughout the day. It can be hard to form one-on-one relationships in an open-layout office where group conversation prevails, especially at a startup where everyone is totally engrossed in their work. It's difficult to find that golden mean between work and personal as well as group and one-on-one, which is why our team relies on Slack. We've been able to find that golden middle between work and personal by having spaces that are literally designated for one or the other. Overall, Slack has fostered a company culture that is more productive, more creative and more sociable. We knew going in that it would help to organize inter-office communication and serve as a place to share documents, collaborations and conversations, but the additional benefits for our team on a more personal level has been a wonderful bonus. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/483 2015-07-02T09:34:01-04:00 2015-07-02T09:43:00-04:00 Office space of the week: Arkwright – Oslo Offices Carly Gerson This week we're featuring the Haptic Architects who recently designed a new office for Arkwright in Oslo, Norway. The office was completed in 2014 and features a beautiful modern and simplistic design.

 The office is entered on the top floor. A new reception "sculpture" incorporates back offices, reception desk and a large stair/amphitheatre that straddles a double height space. The design is inspired by "svabergs", large granite stone formations that are typical for the area, rounded and polished by icebergs thousands of years ago. Special effort has been made to create a variety of spaces within the offices, incorporating green walls, double height spaces, and a special "James Bond" room. The "James Bond" room is a windowless bunker-like space, sitting deep in the building - a difficult space to work with. This seemingly unpromising space has been transformed into an executive lounge, for quiet contemplation, creating a private, intimate and calming atmosphere. TheSquareFoot likes the use of open space and minimalistic colors. This allows the beauty of the room and design to speak for itself. Photos by Inger Marie Grini tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/517 2015-07-01T10:15:13-04:00 2015-07-01T10:15:20-04:00 Where to get your coffee fix: Midtown East Carly Gerson If you're like us, most mornings you need coffee, and you need it now. While there are hundreds of places surrounding your NYC office to get a coffee fix, it can be difficult to navigate the sea of cafes that will get your almond milk latte exactly right. From quick on the go cups to cafes perfect for hosting afternoon meetings, here's 7 coffee spots to try if your office is in Midtown East.  1. Ninth Street Espresso  You know when a coffee shop only has 4 items on the menu (brewed coffee, iced coffee espresso, and espresso with milk) each of them is bound to be spectacular. You can save some time trying to decide what you want when there are no fancy flavors to choose from- just quality coffee. Although the original shop was on ninth street (hence the name) you can enjoy this delicious cup o' jo before you head to work in Midtown. 109 East 56th St. 2. 2 beans   Sometimes even coffee just isn't enough in the morning (we're looking at you 8am meetings.) If that's the case for you, pair your cup of coffee with some chocolate. No you're not dreaming- 2 Beans has got you covered. 100 Park Ave 3. Gregorys Coffee  If you're the kind of person that likes a coffee brand that you can depend on, then Gregorys is for you! Become a "Gregular" (yes, we love that name too) and use a punch card to save up for free coffee. You can use your card at all of their locations. 48 East 33rd Street 4. Hole in the Wall  The Australians win coffee at Hole in the Wall Coffee. They have a wide variety of drinks to choose from and you can even order online to pick up in store if you're trying to squeeze a cup in between meetings. 420 5th Ave 5. Bluestone Lane   When it's really a treat yourself day (you know the type: 180 emails yet to be answered, meeting after meeting, anything and everything that happens after 4pm on a Friday) , go with an Aussie Ice Coffee. It's coffee with ice cream, and it will really perk you up. 805 3rd Ave. 6. Ground Central Coffee  We know the name is a terrible joke, but Ground Central still has killer coffee and a great atmosphere. Additionally, Ground Central boasts an awesome mural and the perfect location to stop by and do some work when you just really need to step out of your office for awhile. 155 E 52nd Street tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/510 2015-06-30T10:20:49-04:00 2015-06-30T10:43:16-04:00 Around the office water cooler: Emily Elliott Carly Gerson, Emily Elliott For our second TSF team member spotlight, we're introducing our Marketing and Content Manager, Emily Elliott. Emily joined our team in January 2015. NYC is her favorite city in the world, but her home state of Oklahoma still has a soft spot in her heart. We sat down with Emily to talk about her first concert, all things Harry Potter, and why she wishes she could have had Nora Ephron over for dinner.   What's the worst office experience you've ever had (not necessarily at TSF)? I guess I would say when I was freelancing that was definitely my worst office experience since my office was my couch or my bed. It became really hard to not only focus, but also to have a work life balance (since I lived at my office… literally). I finally bit the bullet and rented desk space daily or went to work at coffee shops/cafes. Why TSF? What do you love about this place?  I love how TSF is shaking up what can be a very antiquated space by incorporating technology. In my role particularly, there's a lot of opportunity to take this same idea towards our content. With our content strategy the challenge is making commercial real estate less "meh" and less (admittedly) boring to the general public and make it interesting and exciting, all while while educating people in the process and providing value to people who work in offices. What's the last book you read?  This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz What was your first concert?  The first concert I can remember going to was Aerosmith when I was in 4th grade and being way, way too young to be there. My parents probably regretted taking me...but I had a blast and will definitely not forget it. You're 5 years old, what do you want to be when you grow up?  The Queen of England. Tell us about a unique or quirky habit you have:  Just one? Um, I drink an insane amount of diet coke (including for breakfast), I am a huge Hanson fan and have seen them in concert more than 15 times, I own a replica of Hermione's wand from Harry Potter, I have an irrational fear of balloons… I should probably stop there. What's your first memory?  Creating an "art wall" in my room in which I colored pictures and glued them to the walls when I was around 3. Favorite quote? "What's coming will come and we'll meet it when it does." -Hagrid (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) Invite three people (dead or alive, celebrities or not) to dinner who do you choose?  I think I would definitely go with Nora Ephron first because she's been a hero of mine for as long as I can remember. I adore her writing and movies, and especially her creation of quirky, neurotic, and relatable female heroines. There's just so much I love about her. I feel like she would have a ton of wisdom to impart about being a woman in NYC and also would be able to hold a conversation and share fascinating stories from her life. My second invitation would go to Joanna Goddard who writes Cup of Jo. I've been reading her blog every day since 2008 and she was my inspiration to go into this field in the first place. Her blog has shown me the power of writing as a uniting force, and I love the way she's created such a sense of community through it. I trust her advice on everything from what nailpolish I should be wearing this summer to writing strategies and understanding your audience to how to grieve the loss of a loved one. I think we'd be great friends. And the third? Probably my sister. She would remind me not to embarrass myself in front of Nora and Joanna, and also tell me if I had something on my face. What's one sentence you want to hear from your founders?  Summer Fridays. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/518 2015-06-29T11:33:13-04:00 2015-06-30T10:35:28-04:00 Building spotlight: The Woolworth Building Carly Gerson Standing 792 feet tall, the Woolworth Building is truly one of NYC's original masterpieces. When it was built in 1913, the Woolworth Building was the tallest in the world until it was replaced in 1930 by the Chrysler Building . Although the Woolworth Building can't compete in height anymore (it's now the 54th tallest building in the United States), it remains a legend based on the architectural skill behind it.  Nicknamed "The Cathedral of Commerce," the building cost $13.5 million to build in 1913. If built today, the building would have cost over 324 million. At its grand opening on April 24th, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson illuminated the building by pressing a button in the White House.  The building's namesake the Woolworths were a retail company who became famous for the first real "five and dime store" (better known as a variety store). The Woolworths owned the building until 1998 when the Witkoff Group bought possession of the building.  TSF spoke with Helen Post Curry, whose grandfather Cass Gilbert was the architect behind the iconic NYC location to find out what she loved the most about the building: "Architecture at its best should function to raise our spirits, and I think everyone would agree that the massing of the spaces, the level of craftsmanship, the use of materials and the obvious sense of humor displayed in the lobby of the Woolworth Building give us one the best examples of this." You can still <a href= "tour the Woolworth building today with 30, 60, or 90 minute tours. The Woolworth Building is located at 233 Broadway in FiDi. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/481 2015-06-26T08:39:40-04:00 2015-06-26T08:39:51-04:00 Office space of the week: Jelly Button Games and Hamutzim Studio Carly Gerson This week we're featuring a coworking space: Jelly Button Games and Hamutzim Studio in Tel Aviv, Israel. This coworking space was designed by Roy David Studio. Although the space is only 7,534 sqft (find out how much space you need for your team), Jelly Button Games and Hamutzim Studios share the same founders, making it easier for them to share the space.

 The new workspace designed for, Jelly Button Games and Hamutzim Studio, two companies sharing the same roof & founders, was a great challenge for the Architect Roy David, founder of the Tel Aviv based Architecture and Interior Design Studio. The offices are located in an industrial lofts building in Schocken Str., which is situated in the South Tel Aviv district that is well known for its "low-fi" industrial urban style. Following the initial brief provided by the companies, the main challenge was how on the one hand to create a workspace that allows each of the companies the solitary, functional privacy and unity required for each of the working teams. On the other hand being able to share knowledge and experiences with each other in a fluent sequential environment which inspires its inhabitants to dream, imagine and create. The 700 sqm., 3.5 meter high loft, was originally used as the residency and art studio of its former owner. The main design idea was to create a three segment plan of public, semi-public and private areas. It resembles the ripple effect, which in its core stands the public space, serving as a knowledge sharing center inspiring interaction between the office's various professionals. As the ripple effect fades out to the peripheral areas, the private areas of the working spaces are revealed. Those areas house various office functions such as meeting rooms, a gaming room and workspaces. Such arrangement emphasizes the central as a core entity. The overall space is divided into two levels by three wooden stairs which separate the two companies working areas, but still allows its inhabitants to visually communicate. The idea was to create see-through, free standing wooden walls, which will allow the different spaces to dynamically be weaved into each other, providing the fluent sequential environment that its inhabitants desired. Upon entering the space, one is impressed by the clean white walls, white industrial ceiling and grungy concrete flooring which serves as a blank canvas for the custom-made wooden furniture and elements situated in the reception and the intimate library areas. The infrastructure challenge was solved by constructing large iron pipes from the ceiling down to each of the working stations to enable electricity and communication. The material palate chosen dictates a use of minimalistic, eclectic and industrial approach. All the furniture, décor elements and lighting-fixtures in the office were custom-made, mostly crafted with natural materials such as oak wood, iron and OSB wood plates. The existing support columns were selected to be drawn by famous street artists, where their nearby studios are situated. The "ink injection" took place on the same day in a small gathering of the architect, the office team and the various street artists. The library is furnished with various types of couches, an ancient Persian rug, a huge iron and oak wood book shelves and a dark glass window allowing a view to the small meeting room. The kitchen and dining areas were designed also with industrial pipes, coming down from the white concrete ceiling, supporting the top kitchen shelves and creating a unique furniture composition. A large communal dining table was situated at the center of the space to encourage interaction and allow ideas to emerge. The minimal industrial and eclectic design reflects the office's culture that aspires to perfection, creativity and joyfulness. This transcends into the companies' products and the interaction with their clients. Photos by Yoav Gurin tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/516 2015-06-25T10:10:45-04:00 2015-06-25T10:46:47-04:00 How to stay productive on a business trip to NYC Carly Gerson and Emily Elliott As the most visited city in the United States, it's clear that New York can be an amazing place to vacation. However, traveling to NYC on business presents a different experience, and it can be difficult to stay productive and on task in the midst of all the activity and noise. Here are a few places we've found, from coffee shops to hotel lobbies, with trusty WiFi and great settings conducive to productivity so you can stay focused while visiting NYC for business. COFFEE SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS 12 Corners Coffee - It's a must to take advantage of the great coffee shops and cafes in NYC. 12 Corners is an ideal place to work, with fast WiFi and comfortable booths where you can spread out. Grab a latte and settle in for a few hours if you're on the Lower East Side or in Little Italy. 155 East Broadway, New York, NY, 10002 and 121 Mott Street, New York, NY, 10013.  Nam Nam - If coffee isn't your thing and you're in need of a quick lunch while you work, try Nam Nam just over the bridge in Williamsburg. The friendly owners of this tiny Vietnamese restaurant doesn't mind if you set up shop there for the afternoon, and the sandwiches are to die for. 109 Montrose Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11206.  HOTELS Yotel - Yotel is a hotel in Chelsea with a futuristic feel. Head past the self check-in screens and up to the fourth floor, which has the hotel's restaurant, terrace, lounge, and main lobby area. The WiFi is both free and fast - the perfect combination. 570 10th Ave, New York, NY, 10036.  Indigo Chelsea - Besides being centrally located in Chelsea, Indigo offers an incredibly conducive work environment. The lobby hosts not only free WiFi, but also printers and scanners. 127 W 28th St, New York, NY, 10001.  COWORKING SPACES Deskcamping - If you're looking for a desk of your own for the day, head over to Deskcamping to find desks in your area being rented out for the day, week, or month. Rates start at $25 a day and are located all around Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.  Breather - If you need an office setting that's more than a desk, check out Breather. Breather allows you to rent out a beautifully decorated, private room for any length of time, whether that's a short 30 min recharge or an entire day. They also have locations all around the city so you can work anywhere.  This post was originally written by TSF for Rocketrip. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/506 2015-06-23T11:24:19-04:00 2015-06-23T11:24:21-04:00 What TV office is most like your office? Carly Gerson Offices are our thing at TheSquareFoot, and trust us when we say that they come in all shapes and sizes with team members of all different personality types. Since Tuesdays are tough, we've come up with a list of some of our favorite TV offices of all time. See how you and your team compare: The Office  You'll know it by: Forget the popular industrial, open office feel, when you look up "office" in the dictionary, a picture of your office might as well come up. The space screams "meh." and you share it with your favorite (and least favorite) people. Also, your boss is borderline offensive while still being funny. You're address is probably in Scranton, PA.  Mad Men  You'll know it by: Your team is serious, smart, blunt and does whatever it takes to close a deal even if it includes getting their hands dirty once in awhile. You work in a beautiful building on Madison, and if you're lucky enough to be the boss you have a huge office with doors and you're own bar cart. 30 Rock  You'll know it by: Your boss' opinion may or may not be a little outlandish, as well as your coworkers egos. Everyone might love themselves, but you love them anyway. Your boss' office is like a mansion compared to your 5ft by 5ft office and you don't mind working in a space that's a little monotonous. Your team is funny and creative, while being slightly zany. The Big Bang Theory  You'll know it by: In your office, everything is laid out on the table -- literally. There's whiteboards and random papers scattered everywhere, and everyone brings ideas to the table. You may or may not be trying to change the world or "shake up an industry" (basically, you work for an NYC startup.) Friends  You'll know it by:You're friends have no idea what you do for a living (and you don't either.) You work in a cubicle so you can avoid everyone you work with, keep your desk messy like you like it, and fall asleep on the job. Hi Chandler. Parenthood  You'll know it by: Your office isn't quite an office (it's attached to your recording studio), and your coworkers aren't quite coworkers (they're your family.) The Luncheonette describes your office perfectly, and who knows, maybe you're redefining what it means to work in an office or you're a freelancer. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/503 2015-06-22T09:18:42-04:00 2015-06-22T09:18:43-04:00 NYC: The best city now and then Carly Gerson New York City is our favorite city for its endless perks: great restaurants, bar scenes, bodega cats, and the possibility to have sushi delivered at 4am... just to name a few. There's also, obviously, some really incredible buildings seeped in history. Here are a few of our favorite places around the city then and now, check out how the scene has changed: Barclays Center: Whether it's a Brooklyn Nets Game or your favorite concert, the Barclays Center is Brooklyn's newly founded treasure. In 1917, however, this area was mostly residential.

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 City Hall: Just as you would have thought, City Hall looked just as official in 1860 as it does now.

 Columbus Circle: We know you either work there, love to shop there, or both. Here's a picture of Columbus Circle when it was being built in 1900.

 Grand Central: We've all run through Grand Central many a time catching trains or the subway (or even popping into the apple store.) But have you really stopped lately to notice how stunning it is? Grand Central Station: making the commute bearable since 1893.

 Times Square: Even though many New Yorkers avoid Times Square at all costs, its still our favorite place we love to hate. While Times Square is known for its flashing lights, back in 1903 this attraction was way more low key.

 Yankee Stadium: Going to a game at Yankee Stadium is many New Yorker's favorite pastime (unless you're a Mets fan...) The game featured here took place in 1928.

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 Chrysler Building: Check out the Chrysler Building while it was still under construction in 1929, it had its turn as the tallest building in the world before it was knocked out by the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building is home to many including Blank Rome, Intermedia Partners, Regus,and YES Network.

 Empire State Building: The NYC skyline wouldn't be what it is without the Empire State Building. Here's our beloved tourist attraction the Empire State Building being built in 1930. While the Empire State Building is home to many companies, some of the most notable include LinkedIn, Human Rights Foundation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,Boy Scouts of America, and Air China.

 Woolworth Building: Once the tallest building in the world, the Woolworth Building in one of NYC's architectural masterpieces. Check out the Woolworth Building in 1924 during its reign as tallest building in the world.

 Rockefeller Center: When you know Rockefeller Center from 30 Rock, The Today Show, or from iceskating one frigid winter, Rockefeller Center holds a special place in every New Yorker's heart. Here's this NYC cornerstone in 1932:

 TheSquareFoot: Last but definitely not least, we had to feature TheSquareFoot's office in Chelsea. Over time, Chelsea has become a hub for all different types of companies, people, and interests. So whether it's 1927 or 2015, we think Chelsea is definitely the place to be:

 photos from OldNYC, who just released an interactive map to see what NYC looked like in the past through old photographs. tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/485 2015-06-19T08:49:12-04:00 2015-06-19T08:51:16-04:00 Office space of the week: Wild Card- Culver City Offices Carly Gerson This week we're featuring the offices of creative advertisement firm Wild Card in Culver City, CA. The Wild Card offices were designed by Christopher David Associates and were inspired by the creative aspects of the company.

 20,000 sqft (find out how much space you need for your team) of creative office space for a theatrical advertising agency located in the Hayden Tract neighborhood of Culver City. The design approach for the client was to create a warm and urban loft like space that juxtaposes the progressive architecture of the building. Eclectic furnishings and unique art installations fill the multiple lounge areas, private offices and a 20 seat screening room providing inspiration to employees and reflecting the culture of the work environment. Unlike other creative companies filled with seas of open workstations, Wildcard provides intimate private spaces for each talent so that workflow is highly focused and detailed oriented for each discerning client. Open spaces have multiple amenities such as a custom designed screening room, multiple kitchen /café areas, lounge seating and game room. Los Angeles based artist Augustine Kofie was commissioned to create an expansive custom mural that reflects the clients brand while being inspired by the industrial yet radical form of the building by the famed architect Eric Owen Moss. Furnishings, artworks and accessories were sourced from highly admired local furniture retailers and makers such as Lawson Fenning and Environment along with catalog retailers, West Elm and Restoration Hardware. TheSquareFoot can't get enough of how the space embraces Wild Card's love for movies. We wish we could watch a movie in that theatre! Photos by James Wong tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/509 2015-06-18T10:54:46-04:00 2015-06-18T11:00:55-04:00 30 Vandam sublease opportunity Sublease opportunity in Tribeca! TheSquareFoot We have a new sublease opportunity!

 Offering 4,500 sf space in prime Tribeca neighborhood. Full floor presence with minimal loss factor. High end finishes including class fronted offices and custom lighting, Full industrial grade kitchen with stainless steel appliances and large island. Two large executive sized windowed offices, large open area, large conference room, as well as glass enclosed meeting room. Space comfortably fits 40+. Asking $65 psf tag:www.thesquarefoot.com,2005:Post/508 2015-06-17T10:27:35-04:00 2015-06-17T10:28:06-04:00 5 interesting pieces of lobby artwork Emily Elliott First impressions are incredibly important, and that sentiment absolutely extends to office space. Visitors and clients alike get a sense of an office environment and a company's culture the first time they enter a space. One of the best ways building owners can attract potential tenants is by featuring unique artwork in the lobby, adding character, distinction, and a little flair. These pieces of art are sometimes commissioned from artists specifically for the building; other times they are purchased from private collections or are on loan. Here are 5 interesting pieces of artwork that are featured in some of NYC's most distinguished buildings: 1. 51 Astor Place, Jeff Koons, Balloon Rabbit (Red)  The Balloon Rabbit (Red) by Jeff Koons is located at 51 Astor Place, a 13 story, 430,00 sq ft. building where rents are reportedly as high as $115/sqft. The work is in the collection of Edward J. Minksoff, whose company installed the piece. 2. 915 Broadway, Installation by Sen2  Sen2's pastel graffiti adorns the lobby of 915 Broadway, home to companies including Union Square Ventures, Feneral Assembly, and PayPal founder Peter Thiel. These two large pop art paintings were selected as part of a $1.5 million investment to decorate the lobby of the building. 3. One World Trade, José Parlá, One: Union of the Senses  The 1,766-foot One Word Trade tower commissioned 13 pieces of unique, thought-provoking art. The five artists selected included José Parlá , who painted one of the largest abstract murals in the city–measuring 90 feet! 4. 4. 1001 6th Avenue, Installation by Desire Obtain Cherish (DOC)  The Melted Lollipop by Desire Obtain Cherish (DOC) has been bringing a lot of attention to 1001 Sixth Avenue. You might think that the rent (which is approximately $70/sqft) calls for more distinguished lobby artwork, but the building wanted to add humorous pieces that would make it stand out. In addition to the giant grape lollipop, the lobby is decorated with several large food items including a massive melted ice cream cone and other colored confections. 5. 20 West 38th Street, LA Roc, Electrocat  Electrocat, a graffiti work by Keith Haring protégé Angel Ortiz (now known as LA Roc) sends a subversive, anti-establishment message. The placement of this work in a corporate space offers an interesting commentary on capitalism in an entirely unexpected and surprising venue. Electrocat hangs in a gold frame in perfect view for all who walk into its 38th street home. This post was originally published by TheSquareFoot on the Lofty blog. Lofty is the trusted marketplace for buying and selling art and antiques online.


text:
Join us Sunday September 20th for our annual Ducks Unlimited Shoot and Auction.
This is a beginner-friendly event. Even if have no equipment and have never shot trap or sporting clays, we can and will accommodate you.
This is the perfect event to get your feet wet. There is something for everyone - Non-shooters are welcome to participate in the raffles and auctions.
Admission is free and the public are welcome.
Download a flyer here
We are located on 200+ acres of beautiful New England woods and wetlands on the banks
of the Squanacook River. Our club features an informal atmosphere, reasonable dues,
and a strong hunting tradition. The membership consists of a friendly and diverse
group of avid hunters, fishermen, archers, and shooting enthusiasts.
Please browse our web site to learn more about our club, facilities,
and events; then visit our membership page and
learn how you can join.
2015 Calendar of Events
We've published the Calendar of Events for 2015.
Shoot Schedule
Please click here to see a schedule of upcoming shoots and range closure information.
Policy for Dogs Visiting the Club
If you plan on bringing your dog to the Club, please read our Dog Policy first.
We are currently accepting new members!
Visit our Membership page for instructions on how to join up. Do it soon though: Once we
reach our membership limit of 400 members, we'll put new applicants onto a waiting list.
Keycard-Operated Gate
We have reactivated the gate at the entrance to the parking lot to restrict access to the club.
Only members with keycards will be able to drive onto club property. We've issued cards to most
active members. If you have not received your card, please come to one of the monthly meetings to pick it up.
We are sending Club news, meeting minutes, and event notices to the membership via email. If we have your
email address on file, you are on the distribution list. If you haven't been getting the meeting minutes and wish to receive them
via email,
please use the form on the right (above) to sign up.
* required

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Galaxy S is Samsung's first high-end Android handset and an ambitious one at that. Samsung ambitiously aimed at releasing this phone in as many markets as possible, and they have largely succeeded with that goal. This version is the original and most ubiquitous, as it can be found in most places outside the US. When it came time for a possible US release, the carriers wanted to customize the phone in order to make it unique for them, which resulted in the Captivate, Vibrant, Epic4G, Fascinate and Mesmerize.
The Samsung Galaxy S boasts impressive specs, including:
- 4-inch Super-AMOLED screen
- 5MP camera
- Android 2.1 (Eclair)
- 1GHz Hummingbird processor
- 8GB internal memory
- MicroSD
Top Samsung Galaxy S Stories
Recent Samsung Galaxy S Forum Threads
- Hi can anyone tell me how big a flash drive I can put in my Samsung Galaxy S?
- What is this Please check Network connection?
- My Samsung Galaxy Duos 2 gts7582 shows a screen select boot mode, what should I do?
- How can I get the front camera of my Samsung Galaxy working?
- Why is my sm G900I not updating?
- How can I confirm pictures upload?
- Why is my Samsung Galaxy running so slow?
- How do I reinstall the Galaxy app on my Samsung S1?
- How do I get rid of widebroid.org on explorer on Samsung phone?
- How do I save photos sent to me on my gmail account to the gallery on my Samsung Galaxy?
- See All Threads


text:
making the jump
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- Hello all,
I am a homebrewer of 12 years, considering the jump to distilling. I would like
to make a quality bourbon to call my own.
I have been lurking for sometime, reading as much as I can here and around
the web on the subject. After all that, I think I need one of two things; either
someone's proven step-by-step procedure for bourbon making or a distiller's
mantra similar to "relax, don't worry have a homebrew."
Any pointers, suggestions or written hand-holding appreciated.
Thank you.
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text:
The clear coat on a car can be restored by using painters masking tape, 800 grit sandpaper, 1,000 grit sandpaper, 1,200 grit sandpaper, an aerosol can of clear coat paint and cotton towels. It is important when restoring a clear coat that the temperature is roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity and the car is not in direct sunlight.Know More
Begin by washing the car. Allow it to dry for one hour before applying painter's masking tape to the joints where each panel of the car meets. Cover the door handles, mirrors and key holes with tape as well to avoid spraying clear coat paint on them. Next, spray down the panel where the clear coat will be restored. While the panel is still wet, dunk a piece of 800 grit sandpaper in a bucket of water, and proceed to gently sand the panel with soft, even strokes. Do not sand all the way down to the primer. Stop sanding if color begins to appear on the sandpaper.
Once the entire panel has been worked over with the 800 grit sandpaper, take the 1,000 grit sandpaper and repeat the process. Make sure that the panel and the sandpaper are both wet. Next, repeat the process again with the 1,200 grit sandpaper. This will remove all of the old clear coat. Dry the panel with the cotton towels. Take the aerosol can of clear coat paint and proceed to spray the panel horizontally from one side of the panel to the other. Do not spray vertically. The layers of paint should overlap each other halfway. Let the clear coat sit for an hour to dry. Repeat the process with the rest of the car.Learn more about Cleaning
To clean glass shower doors, coat them with baking soda and vinegar, rinse them with water, scrub stains with hydrogen peroxide, then rinse and dry the doors. This 25-minute process requires gloves, baking soda, vinegar, a bowl, a spoon, hydrogen peroxide, a grout brush, a toothbrush, a squeegee and rags.Full Answer >
Garden ponds can become cloudy for many reasons. Algae growth, mud running off the garden into the pond, dirt stirred up from the bottom, and decomposing leaves can all contribute to clouding the water. A number of different solutions may need to be implemented before the pond becomes sparkly clear, says Green Vista Water Gardens.Full Answer >
Begin cleaning your car upholstery by thoroughly vacuuming to remove loose dust and dirt. Next, remove stains and wipe the seats with a mixture of dish-washing liquid and water before applying conditioner.Full Answer >
Clean leather car seats with a homemade remedy made from linseed oil and vinegar. Prepare for cleaning by wiping away any debris and removing stains.Full Answer >


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Publication date
|Aug 16, 1881
|Filing date
|Aug 30, 1880
|Publication number
|Offici frank A. Huntingdon
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Classifications (1)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
M .oo
GRP mm Tm Nm Uw Hm AS ,.m F.A D E Q IY Wifi-125525 I N. PETERS. Phwumomphnr. wmingem n, c.
(No Model.)
2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. A. HUNTINGTON.
FEED AND SET WORKS FOR SAW MILLS. No. 245,632.
Patented Aug. 16, 1881.
Y Mw@ 13y1li 5 f1 y N. PETERS, Pnuwuumgnpw. Mmmm, n. a
UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.'
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,632, dated August 16, 1881.
Application filed August 30, 1880. (No model.)
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, FRANK A. HUNTING- TON, ofthe city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed and Set Works for Saw-Wills, which invention is fully set forth and described in the following specification and the accompanying drawings therein referred to.
My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for feeding and setting logs in sawmills. The mechanism by which I obtain these results is fully set forth and illustrated in the following description and the drawings accompanying it.
In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a front ele vation of the stationary frame-work that supports the saw-arbor and the mechanism adjacent thereto and not connected with the logcarriage. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing also a portion of the log-carriage and its track. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the friction` wheel and its connections. Fig. 4C is an elevation in transverse section through the log-carriage, showing the headblock and its automatic setting mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7, S, and 9 are detail views of the machine.
The frame-work A has suitable bearings for both ends of the saw-spindle b, and also for an intermediate shaft, C, to which motion is continuously imparted from the spindle by means of the cone-pulleys D E and the beltf. The spindle has the drivin g-pulley G upon its outer end, and is the principal shaft of the feed mechanism, besides operating the saw. Between these two shafts b C, I arrange a long shaft, H, the outer end of which turns in a bearing, t', fixed on the frame beneath the carriage I, and carries a pinion, t', that engages with a rack, t2, on the under side of the carriage, while the other end of this shaft is mounted in a swinging bearing or box, J, upon the frame A, so that this end of the shaft can be moved laterally, the object of which will be seen more clearly hereinafter. At this end of the shaft, also, I fix a large wheel, K, having a rim with a frictional surface designed to engage and run iu contact with a friction-pulley, L, on the shaft C, so as to be driven thereby. By this means the shaft H is rotated and caused to move and feed the carriage forward i against the saw.
In order to eect a reverse movement of the shaft H, so that the carriage can be run back from the same forward movement or rotation of the two shafts I; C, I interpose the loose pul` For the purpose of bringing and holding the friction-wheel K in contact with the pulley N, to feed backthe carriage, I mount the inner end of the shaft H in the swinging box J, as before mentioned, so that a slightlateral movement can be given to the wheel K,sufciently to bring it against the pulley N. This lateral movement is given to the wheel by means of the rock-shaft Q,its upright hand-lever P,th`e arm rupon the rock-shaft, and the connectingrod r', pivoted to the end ofthe arm r and at-v tached to the pivoted bar e', carrying upon its lower end the box Jfor the shaft H. This bar o is pivoted at J to the framework A. These parts are so arranged that the lateral movement required for the wheel K is very slight, and by pressing upon the lever P in a direction as indicated by the arrow, Fig. l, the Wheel Kand pulleys M N will be brought together and the carriage moved backward. By releasing the lever the wheel K will drop back into position against the pulley L, and the carriage will resume its feeding movement.
The means for setting the logs upon the carriage I, io regulate the thickness of board to be cut, consists of a friction feed device combined with the feed-screwR of the head-block, and arranged to be operated Vat the backward movement of the carriage. The feed-screw R l is geared to a cross-shaft, s, extending alongside of the carriage from one block to the other, by means ofthe wheel and pinion t t, and this shaft carries and is fixed at one end to awheel, U, having upon its inner face a projecting Bange, w, concentric with the hub of the wheel. Against this side of the wheel and fixed to a IOO hub or collar which turns freely upon the shaft I arrange an upright rocking-lever, T, having upon its sideand in a loose socket a frictiondog, X. The lower end of this dog rests upon the wheel-hub, while its upper end works in contact with the inner surface of the annular flange w. It is placed in position somewhat diagonally to the radius of the wheel, and it has behind it a spring, y, that acts to press forward the upper end. Now, by the forward movement of thelever this dog cramps or binds in between the flange w and the hub, and as the lever is drawn forward the wheel turns with it and rotates the shaft s. At the backward movement of the lever the end of the dog willslip on the flange, and no movement of the wheel U will take place. Thus every forward movement ofthe lever T will turn the wheel and cause the feed-screws to rotate and move the head-blocks.
The extent ofthe forward movement of the lever is regulated by the adjustable and automatic mechanism employed to effect the feed at the backward travel of the carriage, and described hereinafter more partieularly,while its backward movement is governed by the fixed stop z, projecting from some convenient part of the head-block frame, and the downwardly-projecting arm y' on the hub or collar of the lever.
I produce the forward rotation or feeding movement of the screw-shaft R automatically and at the backward run of the carriage I by means of the lever-arm X', fixed to and projecting from the hub of the lever T in a downward direction and out beyond the wheel U, so as to run upon and over a fixed incline, S, secured to the floor alongside of the carriage.
This arm, then, at the backward run of the carriage, comes in contact with and runs up over the incline, and is raised up thereby the required distance to turn the lever T forward and give motion to the friction feed-wheel U.
I make this incline S capable of adjustment to a greater or less height or inclination by hinging its lower end to the floor-plate S' and by keeping it elevated by means of a movable and adjustable bar, w', beneath its outer end. The length of feed of' the log on the carriage is then regulated by varying and setting this incline at a greater or less angle. The end of the arm X' runsin contact with the face of The movements of one feed-screw are communicated to the other head-block by extending the shafts to and gearingit into that feedscrew at the opposite end of the carriage. In this manner I provide a simple and effective means for reversing the movements of a logcarriage and for feeding up the logs automatically to produce any thickness of board, as the carriage "feeds7 or runs back after each cut.
I attach a pull-rod, V, to the upright bar of" the lever T, in order to permit the head-blocks to be fed up by hand when desired-as, forinstance, when it is required to cut one or more boards of greater thickness than the automatic feed will set i'or. This rod runs through a slot in thefXed bar YV, and its forward movement is regulated by the movable stop o, so that its movement can be measured and controlled.
Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-
l. In a saw-mill feed and set works, the combination, with the head-block feed-screw R, of the shaft s, geared into the feed-screw, the friction-wheel U, with its annular flange w and hub, and the lever and feed-dog X, controlled and operated by means of t-he stops z y', and the fixed incline S and arm X', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination of the lever-arm X', lever T, friction-dog X, spring y, flanged wheel U, shaft s, wheel and pinion t t, and fixed in eline S, constructed and arranged as described, for feeding the screw-shaft R automatically forward at the backward run of the carriage I, as described.
In witness whereof' I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 4th day of August, A. l). 1880.
FRANK A. HUNTINGTON. [L. s l In presence of- EDWARD E. OsBoRN, W M. F. CLARK.
|Cooperative Classification