Similar to the 2020 Dubai Expo theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, Belgium’s urban planning prospects include creating smart mobility systems for the future. The expo will be combining Belgian thinkers and entrepreneurs to display their visions for the year 2050, based on today’s creative innovations of smart, clean, and secure mobility. Its presence at Expo serves as an aspiration to convince international visitors to visit the country and invest in it through collaborations with Belgian institutions and initiatives.

The 500m² exhibition space will offer visitors a gaze into the future of Belgian technologies. Visitors will be guided by narrations of the country’s notable Comics, which play an integral role in the heritage and culture of the European country. In addition, the pavilion will act as a window into “the heart and soul” of Belgium and its citizens through the experience of enjoying good food and good company. Belgian brasseries and kiosks will be installed at the exhibition space and its rooftop so visitors can indulge in the delicacies of the country.

The pavilion is designed by Belgian architects ASSAR ARCHITECTS and Vincent Callebaut Architecturesand is conceptualized by Belgian international contractors BESIX and Vanhout. BelExpo also collaborated with the Belgian Buildings Agency for the structural aspect of the pavilion.

Era is located at 251 West 91st Street, and offers 57 residences with two- to five-bedroom homes, ranging between 1,252 to 3,524 square feet. The building is designed by ODA and developed by Adam America Real Estate and Northlink Capital.

The design proposed by C+S Architects and Citizenstudio creates a system where colour becomes an orientation device, found at the façade level, but also marking the pavement of public squares and community spaces. Two complementary colours signal the two main of the Metrogorodok site: green defines the spaces and buildings in the vicinity of the Losiny Ostro National Park, and red marks the areas along the Otkrytoye Shosse Boulevard, with the areas of interference rendered in neutral shades of light and grey.

In refurbishing the facades, the design carves out loggias, intended as greenhouses, or expands the floor area of the apartments with protruding volumes, depending on the spatial relationship of the building with the forest or the boulevard. The project makes use of fibre-cement panels with ceramic tiles, as well as various brick solutions.

Titled “HELMUT JAHN: LIFE + ARCHITECTURE“, the exhibition is a career retrospective that celebrates his life’s achievements following his death in May. The event will include several scale models of the architect’s innovative ongoing projects and post-modern designs, such as the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago, which is expected to be sold by the State of Illinois without protection for its historic design. The CAC and the Chicago Architectural Club created the James R. Thompson Center Design Competition that challenges architects to imagine a new future for Jahn’s post-modern architecture, and debate on the future of his works. The exhibition will also include personal and professional items loaned by the architect’s family and office.

Helmut Jahn passed away in mid May of this year in a cycling accident. He was struck by two vehicles while riding his bicycle in Campton Hills, in the Chicago suburbs. The German-American architect first came to Chicago in 1966, after starting his architecture degree at the Technical University of Munich. Without formally graduating, he joined CF Murphy Associates, which was renamed Murphy/Jahn in 1981, and then Jahn in 2012. The firm’s global projects include the Sony Centre complex on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin in 2000 and the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. He is labeled as part of the so-called “Chicago Seven”, known over the years for joining modernism and historical references.

1. Mold remediation

If the initial home inspection turns up a potential mold issue, a mold specialist needs to be brought in to analyze the issue. Serious mold issues can cause health issues, some of which can be quite serious—including lung irritation, headaches, and skin rashes—and are exacerbated in people with allergies and compromised immune systems.

2. Well water/septic system inspection

Another contingency that should never be slashed is the well water/septic system inspection.

“Surprisingly, this one often gets overlooked or waived, but I would never encourage a client to do that,” DeSimone says. “This is water that you’ll be drinking and bathing in. We’ve seen the health consequences that bad water has had in communities across the country in recent years. As with mold, this is an issue that can be very expensive to fix—a septic system can cost tens of thousands of dollars—and it has serious ramifications for your health.”

3. Financing

The financing contingency is one of the most misunderstood contingencies in the homebuying process, and one of the most important for buyers to negotiate carefully, says Dave Herman, president of EZ Surety Bonds in Oakwood, GA.

“This clause asserts that your offer is dependent on being able to secure financing. If you remove it, you may not get your deposit back if you cannot obtain a loan,” says Herman.

4. Home inspection

A home inspection is the foundation on which all other real estate contingencies are built. In the inspection, a neutral expert assesses the home for roofing, plumbing, structural, electrical, and other major problems. Waiving it entirely is the equivalent of agreeing to buy a ticking time bomb, says Annie Kou, a Los Angeles–based brokerage owner and attorney at AK Luxury Properties.

“By the same token, buyers should never waive [their right to] requests for repairs at the outset for the same reason,” Kou says. “Everything may look OK on visual inspection, but you won’t really know how much you’re facing in repairs once inspections are done.”

When considering improving your home’s exterior appearance, updating your bland-looking garage door can be a good investment.

“Your garage door is likely the most frequently used entrance to your home and makes up a large portion of your home’s exterior appearance, so replacing it can increase your home’s curb appeal and value,” says Michelle Nichols, an expert in garage doors and openers at The Home Depot.

The top three reasons why people replace their garage door are not liking the look of their existing door, needing to replace a broken door, and wanting to add an automatic door opener, says David Steckel, a home expert at Thumbtack. If you fall into one of these camps, here are a few things you should know before replacing your garage door.

1. The cost to replace a garage door varies

The average cost to replace your garage door is $3,900, according to Remodeling magazine. However, the true cost “depends on the size and material of the door,” says Bailey Carson, home care expert at Angi, the home remodeling recommendation site formerly known as Angie’s List.

2. The material you choose should fit your climate

“Your climate will impact whether you’ll want an insulated door, especially if it’s attached to your home, or if you plan to use the garage for more than just parking cars. An insulated door can also improve energy efficiency for your home, lowering your monthly bills,” says Carson.

3. Replacing a garage door can pay off

Replacing your garage door has a return on investment of nearly 94% and can help improve your home’s resale value, according to Remodeling magazine.

Plus, a functional garage door can help you save money.

“Older doors with poor seals and deteriorating insulation could lead to your HVAC system working harder and your energy bills increasing,” says Nichols.

4. Garage doors come in a variety of materials

“Garage doors have come a long way and have become a major component of a home’s exterior. From aluminum to wood, with glass openings or intricate panel designs, there are dozens of options for you to choose from,” says Steckel.

The four most common materials for garage doors are aluminum, steel, wood, and composite wood, and each has its pros and cons.

Carson says aluminum is rust-resistant and a great option for homeowners in more humid climates, while steel is very versatile, with lots of options regarding color, insulation, and price.

5. Don’t forget the garage door opener

In addition to maintaining the garage door itself, it’s important to keep the garage door opener in tiptop shape.

Nichols recommends performing maintenance checks on the garage door tracks at least twice a year and to pay attention to springs, cables, rollers, and pulleys to check for damage, to inspect any breakdown of garage door materials, and to ensure that the door is lubricated regularly and clear any debris.

Were they only royals? Were they magnates and billionaires whose identities would never be revealed? Were the houses all empty?

As we approached the tower, we were stopped at the entrance where a guard verified our details, the car plate number and allowed us access. The valet – a service offered complementary to all residents and guests – then takes over.

As we walk through the huge, impressive lobby, marked by a unique drum-cymbal decor, we get past the glass doors, which can be opened only with an access card, and take the lift to the 76nd floor. There one has to change lifts to go higher.

Now, for the first time, we take you inside two of the homes at the Burj Khalifa.

Now how do you think living in Burj Khalifa would be like ?

Location: On a clear day, Burj Khalifa is visible from most of Dubai. At night it’s glowing like a Christmas tree. Everyone in Dubai, and most people around the world know about your place of residence.

Guests: Visiting friends are called guests. You need to let the concierge know ahead of time the name of your guest. More often than not you’ll need to spell it out. They’ll notify the security guards at the gate. You can choose to have your guest wait for you in the lobby or be escorted to an upper level lobby or all the way up to your apartment.

Concierges: The concierge brigade is a team of 20 to 30 people. They’re from different nationalities and take turns occupying various posts throughout the building. They’re from all nationalities: Chinese, Philippinos, Egyptians, Syrians, Russians, etc. Concierges will help you with internal stuff like room service or getting someone to help you bring down your luggage.

Armani Prive: Armani Prive is the ground level nightclub that’s relatively more accessible to people than At.mosphere. Yes, that’s the same Armani as the fashion designer. Come here during the monthly Fashion Overdose. The format is usually a short catwalk followed by a night of boozing. That’s where finance types from nearby DIFC (Dubai’s Wall Street wannabe) come to meet models.

At 1,778 sq ft you are paying Dh2,812 per square foot – well above the February average of Dh2,023 per sq ft for Downtown, according to figures from Bayut.com. Prices in the area have fallen 8.43 per cent in the past year.

The address of course adds to the price here, though a quick look out of the floor-to-ceiling windows explains those extra dirhams pretty quickly.

The views take in the Dubai Fountains, the roof of the Dubai Mall and the Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary is visible in the distance.

Its dark wood floor is pillar-free, unlike other units in the tower, so the views are uninterrupted. The crescent-shaped lounge-diner means you can see the twinkling lights of the surrounding skyscrapers from all angles, including from the kitchen, unless the huge rail of automated curtains are called into action. It’s fair to say concentrating on the television while sat on the sofa wouldn’t be easy with that panorama.

The city’s top tower naturally comes with top amenities, such as indoor and outdoor pool and direct access to the mall an Armani Hotel.

Located in a century-old campus, the project inserts a contemporary structure within historic brick-clad Gothic buildings; therefore, the design aims to express a certain monumentality. The main building material, concrete, is left apparent and will be cast in place using formwork made of different essence of wood, creating a vibrant texture. The design team experimented with different casting solutions to obtain a varied concrete surface.

The light-grey textured surface transitions into a softer natural clay plaster at the interior. Within the chapel, reinforcing the connection with the campus, is a glass opening framing the view towards an oak tree. The interior is organized as a series of interconnected circles circumscribed by a larger cylinder. While the chapel will be a Catholic liturgical venue, the Benson Jesuit Center is set to be a community space for people of all faiths.

The chapel is Trahan Architects’ second notable religious building, after the 2004 design of the Holy Rosary Complex, a parish in South Louisiana, which features similar inquiries into cast-in-place concrete and the use of natural light.

The proposed building is situated near the scenic Beidaihe coastline in northeastern China. From a distance, it appears as though the building is a “cloud floating in the forest”. The structure’s polished white-stained glass exterior reflects the sunlight, sky, and landscape, changing light and color with respect to its surroundings. At its entrance, visitors are met with a reflective pool amidst the lush landscape.

The floating effect is supported by a series of structural overhangs, with some reaching 30 meters high. The cloud’s mass is balanced and suspended from the building’s central core, which provides support for the entire structure and its open plan column-free interior. A low circular wall surrounds the building’s exterior, forming a tranquil landscape that “detaches visitors from reality”.

Construction of the Cloud Center began in March 2021, and is expected to be completed and opened in 2022.

The percentage of consumers who said it is a good time to buy a home declined in May to 35% from 47%, Fannie Mae said in its monthly survey of the U.S. housing market. This reading, the lowest since Fannie Mae began the survey about a decade ago, marked the second straight monthly decline and represented a drop of 18 percentage points since March.

In comparison, the percentage of consumers indicating that now is a bad time to purchase a home increased to 56% from 48% last month.

The data is part of Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), which increased by 1.0 point to 80.0 last month and is up 12.5 points from a year earlier. The index’s record high was 93.8 in August 2019.

“The ‘good time to buy’ component fell further – hitting another all-time survey low – as consumers appear to be acutely aware of higher home prices and the low supply of homes, the two reasons cited most frequently for that particular sentiment,” Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan said in a statement.

The improvement of a U.S. economy that had been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic has left a challenging environment for home buyers.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported last Wednesday that its seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 4% from a week prior to the lowest in more than a year.