Apartments block plan for site of arson - hit hotel; Victorian building was demolished after blaze

Byline: SONIA SHARMA

It was closed for around six months before the blaze and had suffered a series of vandal attacks.When it was set on fire, it took more than 30 firefighters around four hours to put out the flames. Nobody has ever been caught for the arson attack on the building.The firm will be asked to set aside pounds 9,680 for medical improvements. The Primary Care Trust (PCT) says the money will be used for the Portugal Place Health Centre, which is currently over capacity.After the fire, which badly damaged the structure's roof and windows, it was demolished for safety reasons. The cleared site is currently surrounded by a metal fence.In 2007, the old Carville Hotel was placed on a register of buildings of special interest."The proposal would be to use the contribution to carry out improvement works to the Portugal Place Health Centre, including extending into the courtyard to form two new clinical rooms."A contribution of pounds 9,260 is being suggested for play facilities.The former Carville Hotel, on Carville Road, in Wallsend, was burnt down by arsonists in April last year.If the plans are approved, there will be 16 two-bedroom homes and four one-bedroom apartments spread across two blocks. Some 20 car parking spaces are also proposed.The company hopes the new homes, located near a bus terminal and the Wallsend Metro station, will help towards the town's regeneration.The scheme is to be discussed by North Tyneside Council's planning committee tomorrow and officers are recommending approval of the project, subject to an agreement whereby the developer must pay towards health and play facilities in the area."The proposal is considered to be a positive form of development for the site."A VICTORIAN building that was destroyed in a severe fire is set to be replaced by new apartment blocks.People moving into the new apartments are expected to register at this centre, which would result in greater pressure on its services.In a planning report, officers have said: "There are no objections in principle to the redevelopment of this site for residential development. It makes efficient use of a vacant brownfield site within the existing built-up area.HISTORY LOST Firefighters at the scene of the blaze at the former Carville Hotel in Wallsend last yearThe pub, built in 1893, had been in a derelict condition.CAPTION(S):Now Newcastle-based Taylored Commercial Ltd are planning to build 20 apartments in the area, aimed at single people, couples or small families.

HISTORY LOST Firefighters at the scene of the blaze at the former Carville Hotel in Wallsend last year

Energy Savings with Cool Metal Roofing

More and more, homeowners are seeking out energy-saving building materials for their renovations and new homes, products that not only secure and improve structures but also provide long-term cost-cutting on energy bills while promoting environmental and economic sustainability in the greater community. Among the array of possible upgrades, �cool metal roofing� easily answers this consumer demand offering a solid, attractive roofing solution available in multiple colors, textures, and profiles, for steep-slope and low-slope applications, that can save your household up to 40% of its annual energy costs, depending on your geographical region. The Benefits of Energy Efficient Metal Roofing

Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC provides detailed information about shingles, cedar shingles, fiberglass shingles and more. Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC is affiliated with the National Roofing Contractors AssociationAs reported by the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, installation of reflective metal roofing can save your home up to 40% in summer cooling energy costs while highly emissive metal roofs can reduce urban air temperatures by as much as 12 � F. Combined, these benefits mean less money out of your wallet, less dependence on energy resources and less general air pollution in your neighborhood and across the nation.The secret to metal roofing is energy savings is in its variety of finishes. As shown above, the basic, unpainted metal roof will reflect much of the solar radiation usually absorbed in your attic and home by an asphalt roof. But, for homes in warmer climates, pre-painted or granular coated metal roofing systems not only reflect solar energy but also cool your home by re-emitting most of what solar radiation is absorbed. Where annual cooling loads dominate, a highly reflective and highly emissive painted or granular-coated metal roof is optimal for reducing energy consumption and can actually re-emit up to 90% of absorbed solar radiation.

Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC provides detailed information about shingles, cedar shingles, fiberglass shingles and more. Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC is affiliated with the National Roofing Contractors Association

Hiding the block wall is a lath arcade of hanging plants

Lath seemed the answer, as Sandy and Larry Davidson of Huntington Beach, California, critically eyed the unattractive cinder-block wall behind their 4- by 60-foot planting bed.

During an extensive remodel, Martino decided to make the patio more hospitable for outdoor living. He removed the offending awning, decked over the entire concrete slab, and added a planter.The new redwood deck forms a distinctive platform that seems to float over the lawn. To tie indoors and outdoors together, the deck surface--8 inches above the slab--was set at the same level as the floor of the house.The vine you see climbing over the lath structure is kangaroo treebine (Cissus antarctica), which can be planted in mild-winter coastal areas. For a hardier alternative, plant Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). The baskets and other hanging planters hold fuchsias, begonias, and seasonal annuals.Container plants are watered by drip tubing concealed in a 3/4-inch PVC pipe that runs across the roof of the arbor (the PVC also protects the tubing from the sun).

Container plants are watered by drip tubing concealed in a 3/4-inch PVC pipe that runs across the roof of the arbor (the PVC also protects the tubing from the sun).

Right over the concrete, a curvey new deck

A concrete rear partio with an awkward metal awning: these were two features that architect David Martino didn't like about his 1950s tract house in Lafayette, California. The hard barren slab could get blindingly hot in the summer. A pink-and-white aluminum canopy blocked light from the house and looked out of place with the shake roof.

The deeply lobed, dark green leaves of Japanese aralia (Fatsia japonica) and the lacy foliage of dwarf tree fern (Blechnum gibbum) lend a tropical look. These thrive in areas with mild summers and winters. Other shrubs are evergreen azaleas.To support the structure, 8-foot-long 4-by-4 posts were set in concrete footings placed 80 inches apart and anchored with metal straps. Horizontal 4-by-4 beams rest on these posts. To bring the cinder-block wall up to the same height as the new front wall, a short extension of 2 by 4's and 2 by 6's went over the top row of blocks (see above). Nailing strips (2 by 3's) for the lath facing were fastened to the block wall with lag bolts in lead plugs. Lath was painted white before assembly.

To provide shade without cutting off too much light from the house, Martino built a rectangular trellis at one end of the deck. Eventually, vines will cover the trellis, adding more shade.

San Jose students learn as they build a house

Hands-on experience can be a most practical learning tool, as 47 high school students in San Jose, California, learned over a 14-month period.

Photo: Glowing with sunlight diffused through its taut umbrella cap, airy garden pavilion defines seating area near retaining wall wedged into steep Los Angeles canyonAt the gazebo's base, they bolted fourturned wood columns to metal L-brackets set in the corners of a concrete slab. For further stability, L-brackets connect the back columns to the retaining wall.To hold the duct length firmly in place,metal straps pop-riveted to the duct are nailed to the roof and ceiling framing. Outside, the duct rises a few inches above the surface of the roof to create a curb which is sealed with asphalt emulsion. Capping the shaft is a round piece of 1/4-inch-thick clear acrylic held in place with a thick bead of silicone caulk.The project drew many willing participants. Citation Builders sold a corner lot in a planned development area at the builder's cost. The Santa Clara Building Trades Council not only endorsed the project, but provided apprentice program assistance in the fields of plastering, gypsum-board taping, and bricklaying. Energy consultants donated their services, and plumbing, lumber, and electric companies pitched in with building materials. Predictably, construction took longer than with professional builders. "We took our time to teach the kids how to do it right," says Carl Hefner, supervising instructor from CCOC. He and other teachers patiently checked, praised, or corrected each phase. Building inspectors then double-checked and approved the work.Photo: Up on top, silicone caulk holds flat acryliccap to duct; asphalt emulsion seals roof. Inside powder room, open-ended sheetmetal shaft makes natural downlight

The program is intended to be self-perpetuating; money raised by the sale of the house will go to buy land and services for the next project.

Simple daylight for a small room

Simple daylight for a small room

Under careful supervision, they built a 1,190-square-foot passive solar house, giving them the chance to deal with all phases of construction: foundation work, framing, electrical wiring, plumbing, sheet-metal work, insulating, gypsum-board installation, masonry, roofing, cabinetry, even landscaping.Inside the house, the duct fits flush withthe ceiling; taping compound fills the seam between gypsum and metal. Left unpainted, the galvanized interior surface of the shaft bounces maximum light to the room below.Photo: Light aluminum frame seems to float abovemassive column. Hidden V-shaped bracket actually links center pipe with postThe program is intended to be self-perpetuating; money raised by the sale of the house will go to buy land and services for the next project.This pyramid-roofed gazebo sits at oneend of a small canyon garden. Santa Monica landscape architects Pamela Burton and Katherine Spitz designed the structure to provide a shaded spot for outdoor seating.

Photo: Inside attic, metal supportstraps are pop-riveted to duct and nailed to roof framing members. Arrangement of supports in your attic would depend on framing structure, length and angle of duct

Canvas top for a garden gazebo

Canvas top for a garden gazebo

Photo: Inside attic, metal supportstraps are pop-riveted to duct and nailed to roof framing members. Arrangement of supports in your attic would depend on framing structure, length and angle of ductPiping daylight into this windowless powderroom is a short length of galvanized sheet-metal heating duct. Phoenix architect William P. Bruder designed and installed several of these inexpensive ceiling shafts in Linda and Chuck Redman's Tempe house.For the roof, an awning maker stretchedsailcloth over an arc-welded frame of aluminum pipe. The vanvas wraps tautly around aluminum struts fastened to the horizontal pipes with sheet metal screws. Bolts through L-brackets bent into a V secure the frame to the columns.Construction was simple. Using a sabersaw, Bruder cut aligned holes in the rolled roofing and decking and the gypsum board ceiling. These holes measure only slightly larger than the diameter of the duct. (A steeply pitched roof would require an elliptical hole; for a hole-cutting template, use a section of the duct cut at an angle to match the pitch of the roof.)

Photo: Light aluminum frame seems to float abovemassive column. Hidden V-shaped bracket actually links center pipe with post