Recently, I participated in a working panel concerning urban growth and development. Led by Roger Millar of Smart Growth America, it highlighted the Portland Streetcar Initiative, with the idea of bringing something similar to our city. The smart growth concept is intended to combat the idea of suburban sprawl “building urban or suburban and rural communities [Read More]
Local Art Reaching for New Heights
There is a new structure in our campus garden. Like most things around here, it has a story. Green beans need a little guidance to grow properly. You’ve heard of “pole beans?” They got their name from their supports. When our beans started to get gangly, our gardener Sam suggested we call his friend Lily [Read More]
A Team in Harmony: Supporting the Arts.
I often hear coworkers referred to as your “work family” and it’s true. We spend a lot of time with our team. Just like family, we may have a few disagreements–where to go for lunch that day, or whose turn it is to empty the community dishwasher–but when it comes to supporting the arts, I’m [Read More]
Our Graduate Gardener
This is the fourth year for our Community Garden. What started with a few tomato plants has expanded to fruit trees and a much larger vegetable patch. New additions this year include: Two large mounded beds. “Melon Mountain” will include six varieties of melons; “Squash Mountain” will be home to 5 varieties of squash and a [Read More]
By Donating Office Space, Community Connectivity Comes to Us
When mapping out our corporate campus back in 2006, we allowed for expansion space in the floor plan. It seemed like a smart move for a growing company, and I stand by the decision. However, challenges the economy has presented the last few years mean the extra space did not fill up as quickly as we anticipated. [Read More]
Civil Rights and the Evolution of Design
Last fall, we broke ground on a project that was more than special. It’s an honor. Independent Living Resources provides community-based, non-residential services and advocacy for those living with disabilities. The new location we are building in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District seems more than fitting. As IRL Executive Director Dan Kessler, told The Birmingham News, [Read More]
A Simple Garden Grows More than Produce
Three years ago we decided to plant a few tomato plants beside our office. That small patch of land has become much more. Our plot has grown into a full garden featuring silver queen corn, rosemary, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, squash, turnip greens, cucumbers, peppers and of course—tomatoes. Beyond the beautiful produce, the beds have [Read More]
A Simple Flower Can Bring A Company Together
Every year, we have a Christmas gathering to bring all the Stewart Perry families together. The first year this reunion was held at our place, we spent one Saturday morning planting several hundred daffodils across the lake on the hillside. We chose that spot because it is visible from our conference room and is a [Read More]
Save Time & Money by Watching ASTM Standards
ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials) is an organization that can have a substantial impact on construction projects, yet quite a few folks are not familiar with it. ASTM was founded in 1898 for the development and delivery of voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide variety of materials, systems and services. ASTM’s [Read More]
Want to Build a Greener Society? Demand It.
I’ve heard it a million times: “Actions speak louder than words.” In a country like the U.S., where we vote with our dollars, that becomes even more true. We make a demand and the supplier who meets it wins the sale. Sometimes the government—the officials we elected to regulate policy—can give a push to make it [Read More]
