Bat Cave

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase 'bat cave'? You're probably reminded of the fictional Batman himself, Bruce Wayne. The multitude of Batman television shows and big screen films have been ingrained into the cultural identity of the United States for decades.

Because of an amazing project we just completed for the City of Boulder, we have a new referent that comes to mind when we think of a bat cave. We just completed a custom gate to protect the threatened Townsend's big eared bats which have an annual roosting ground in Boulder's Mallory Cave. This 16' wide gate was fabricated in sections for ease of installation, and it took a team of fabricators, city employees and AmeriCorps volunteers to maneuver the tough vertical terrain to complete the install. This ornamental gate is adorned with bats to remind visitors about what is being protected behind the doors. In the past, a thin mesh fence was the only thing keeping visitors out of the cave, and it was often peeled back, denoting cave intruders.

Humans need to stay out of the cave to prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome, a disease that has wreaked havoc on the bat population in the US; killing over 1 million. Our talented team of designers and fabricators are proud to have been a part of a local project designed to save threatened wildlife. It was also pleasure working with the City of Boulder and our local ranger, Burton Stoner, to ensure the bat cave gate will be a part of Mallory Cave for years to come.

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17771353?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

Amazing Find for Shipping Fragile Goods!

As the purchaser and shipper for Living Design Studios I'm constantly dealing with receiving and sending very fragile goods. At times it's been a strenuous uphill battle dealing with the freight companies who've damaged everything from our raw materials (mainly copper sheets) to our invaluable, handmade, one of a kind finished products.

Today I was able to breathe a giant sigh of relief after meeting with Cheryl from ShockWatch. It was only yesterday that I even found this company, which specializes in freight damage prevention. I was immediately intrigued when I read the following phrases from the ShockWatch website

"Implementation of this damage prevention program provides psychological reinforcement of proper handling procedures and changes the behavior of material handlers. It provides a highly visible deterrent to mishandling throughout the supply chain....These effective, attention-getting devices act as a strong visual deterrent to unacceptable handling, no matter what you're shipping."

ShockWatch has a line of various impact indicators, magnetic date/time shock monitoring devices and labels made for attaching to the outside of every shipment (before falling into the hands of often unreliable freight carriers). When a shipment arrives damaged, some sensors indicate the mishandling of freight with a red bar indicating tilt or impact, others tell you the degree of tilt and some the exact time and date the freight was hit with a heavy impact. To be more specific, the MAG2000 attaches to any shipment more than 100lbs and constantly reads the time and date on the screen. When the device records a heavy impact the spring is activated and the clock stops so as to record the exact moment damage to your freight occurred.

After countless hours dealing with shipping claims, denials, resubmissions and the beloved final salvage negotiations over the years, we're hoping ShockWatch will give us some more leverage when trying to recoup costs for damaged freight. Currently the Carmack Amendment to the Interstate Commerce Act affords shippers 30 days to acknowledge a claim and a whopping 120 days to settle up. With such a difficult framework to deal with, clients with damaged goods often end up waiting more than 5 months to get any money for a damage claim.

Freight companies are notorious for initial denials of claims, regardless of their fault. These various affordable sensors can provide a visual cue for carriers to handle with care, and there can be no denial on their part when the MAG2000 let's everyone know the exact date and time damage occurred. Now, we're just waiting for our next big fragile shipment so we can test them out. I just wish we would have found out about ShockWatch sooner, which is why everyone at Living Design Studios wanted to share this product line with all of you !

www.shockwatch.com

Celebrating Spring, Celebrating You !

The 2010 Living Design Studios and Jacbosen Brothers Painting Spring Celebration Party wasn't your average company shindig. Perhaps the unique activities we offered including long distance dart throwing and face painting made it so memorable, or maybe it was just the contrast between fine linens and large power tools.

With about 100 people throughout the night, it was a fun time for all. Some families and children spent the night blowing bubbles and drawing on our shop floor with chalk , while others chose to linger around the open bar and buffet. Several people surrounded the forge and watched our resident blacksmith James work his magic on some steel; transforming a black and cold lifeless square bar into a malleable glowing red flat, which was quickly shaped into a custom garden shovel.

With all of the diverse activities to partake in, everyone seemed able to enjoy the rustic ambiance of our metal shop.

In attendance were some of Boulder's biggest names including Larry Parrish of Parrish Construction, Bobbie McCallum with Architexture Interiors, Diane Ebeling with Studio 3, Tom Altgelt with Altgelt and Associates, Sam Austin of Samuel Austin & Company Architects (thanks for bringing your client!), Harvey Hine with Harvey M. Hine Architecture, Barbee James of Details Design, Channah Hinseth with Grace Interiors, Roy Newton owner of Colorado ElectricWorks, Mac founder of Thurston Kitchen and Bath, and winner of our business card drawing Drew Witham with AduE interior designs (just to name a few!).

We want to thank everyone who came and made the night such a smashing success !