LifeBridge Church in Rancho Bernardo is one of three worship facilities designed by domusstudio architecture expected to be completed in time for Easter services on April 4.

“It will be a very special day for all three congregations in many ways,” said Lew Dominy, principal of domusstudio architecture, whose firm has specialized in designing religious facilities since 1986.

“All three of these new worship spaces incorporate key design aspects that build a greater sense of each church’s community,” Dominy continued. “Each has informal environments, like patios, lounges and courtyards, that encourage members to hang out socializing and connecting with others. A courtyard or lobby becomes the heart of a church campus, where the paths of all members and visitors intersect. At domusstudio we consider the whole church campus as a part of the worship and fellowship experience, not just the church building itself. The exterior spaces are equally important to Christian fellowship and a church’s growth and ministry.”

Highlighted by Spanish Revival style architecture, the remodeled Village Community Church in Rancho Santa Fe features a two-story, 25,420-square-foot main sanctuary and administration building. With seating for 592, the new main worship space offers improved community worship, visibility and audibility from all areas of the sanctuary. The existing sanctuary has been converted to a 120-seat chapel, which also is expected to be ready for prayer and worship as soon as April 4.

According to David Keitel, an Associate with domusstudio, “The entire Rancho Santa Fe Village Church community is extremely excited as they are about to take over the facility. This building will allow the church to reach more individuals and families in the Village and the surrounding area.”

Severely damaged by the wildfires that ravaged Rancho Bernardo in 2007, the Life Bridge Church remodel by domusstudio architecture also is expected to be completed in time for Easter services. The project includes a newly rebuilt sanctuary, patio area and new lobby reception area with coffee service and lounge seating for increased social interaction among church members.  Formerly known as Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church, the new name reflects a more contemporary worship style and has been adopted by the church to embrace the new facilities in the newly rebuilt community.

“We’ve designed a whole new entrance sequence that allows for greater interaction, casual seating and social time among church members and guests,” said Dominy, who donated much of his firm’s fees to the church’s post-fire rebuilding effort. “The friendly way in which church members and visitors interact before and after church is key to the bonding and growth of the church community.”

Featuring contemporary style architecture, domusstudio’s LifeBridge Church project is highlighted by a new slate-clad tower, glass entry and stainless steel cross that is visible from Interstate 15.

Thirdly, the final building in the total redesign by domusstudio architecture of the La Canada Presbyterian Church campus is nearly complete. The Prayer Chapel, the last of six buildings on the campus, will be dedicated on Palm Sunday. The chapel will seat 100 people and face a quiet contemplative garden at the very back of the four-acre campus.  The church is located on Foothill Boulevard, below the San Gabriel Mountains foothills, where wildfires threatened homes in 2009, and recent rains have created much publicized mudslides as a result of last year’s fires.

domusstudio architecture is a 23-year-old award-winning architectural design firm specializing in religious facilities, fire stations, educational buildings, senior housing and custom residential projects. Founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates Architects, the firm strives to enhance the lives of people through architecture, interiors, planning and service.  For more information about its projects and services, call 619-692-9393 or visit domusstudio.com.

A. Potential followers/followees:

1. Builders

Ex: PardeeHomes, SheaHomesSD, WilliamLyonHome, 4SRanch

1. PR/Industry people

Ex: MariaSwanson, ScribePR, Carondg, JonJonBailey, NewHomesSection, etc.

1. News
   1. This may include the publication itself
   2. Industry reporters
   3. Trade publications
   4. Organizations affiliated with the market:

Ex: BIASanDiego

1. Real Estate Professors

B. Twitter can be used in 2 ways:

1. As a listener
2. As a listener and contributor

1. Listener:

Look for tweets about the housing industry/market, trends in real estate, good business, changes, expansion, community events surrounding your projects, etc.

Use search.twitter.com to search for trending topics. You can type in any keywords here to see what people are saying.

2. Listener and Contributor (what you want to be doing!)

As a contributor, you should Tweet about opportunities and news. You should also re-tweet (RT) positive news from your competitors.

Your followers, and if you’re retweeted, additional followers, will see your name/thoughts/news in their Twitter feed.

Convinced?

Here’s how to use Twitter:

1. Sign-up at www.Twitter.com
2. Create a user-name, etc. Your user-name is also your Twitter name, so select this name carefully.
3. Tweet from your Home page in the “What’s happening” section. The tweets of those you follow also appear here.
4. To view your tweets only, visit your Profile page.
5. To write to someone, about someone, or to reply to someone, use “@”. For example, if you want to say something to user SDUT, type @SDUT in your “What’s happening” field, and proceed with your message.
6. To re-tweet what someone has said because you want to share it with your followers, type RT@SDUT [copy and paste their tweet here] OR, you can just click on the little re-tweet symbol in the lower-right corner of a tweet you like.
7. To re-tweet what someone has said and comment on it, type your comment, RT @SDUT [copy and paste their tweet here].
8. You can send and receive direct messages (DM). Visit your Home page, and view DM’s in the right hand column.
9. You can change your page settings (colors, design, etc.) by visiting settings (upper-right hand corner).

10. You can also decide to protect your tweets or leave them unprotected. Most people do not protect their tweets because twitter is really just a stream of status updates (as you would see on Facebook). Picture sharing is available, but profiles have not been as fully developed as they are on Facebook. Its up to you…

How to track tweets:

1. Go to bit.ly and register for an account. You can Tweet straight from this site, use the URL shortener, or both. Because you are limited to 140 characters, it is wise to shorten all URL’s you are linking to.

You can return to bit.ly to see how many RT’s and clicks your post received.

2. Use Search.Twitter.com and plug in keywords to see where you have been mentioned.  This only stores tweets from the last 8 days.

10 Etiquette Tips:

1. Post useful, relevant information.

2. Do not use this tool as a “bull-horn”/for blatant advertising.

3. You don’t have to follow all of your followers. Follow those who interest you.

4. Remember that Twitter is a PUBLIC forum.

5. Keep personal conversations private. Utilize DM (direct message) tool.

6. Spread the good news of others, including competitors.

7. Don’t post multiple tweets in a row. They clog up Twitter feeds.

8. Make sure to post a photo and bio on your profile page.

9. @replies should have a lot of detail. For example, @SDUT Yes! would be better as @SDUT Yes! The housing market is picking up. This will clue your other followers in.

10. Don’t send a generic, mass-produced message to new followers. Rather, personally thank them for following you, and show interest.

Recommended people/organizations to follow:

Builders

1. @PardeeHomes
2. @SheaHomesSD
3. @WilliamLyonHome
4. @4SRanch
5. @Lennar

PR/Industry people

1. @MariaSwanson
2. @Carondg
3. @JonJonBailey
4. @ScribePR
5. @NewHomesSection
6. @NewHomesinCa
7. @Vanessa_Linn
8. @Jwalcher
9. @Peter_Dennehy (from The Sullivan Group)
10. @PRProSanDiego (Gayle Falkenthal)

News/Industry News

1. @richtoscano
2. @kellyrbennett
3. @KPBSnews
4. @SDNewsNetwork
5. @PCBC_TheShow
6. @Inmannews
7. @EmmetPierce

Organizations affiliated with the market:

1. @BIASanDiego
2. @homebuildrs (NAHB)

Download Scribe’s Twitter Guide here (PDF)

Construction is under way at Alcéa at The Foothills in Carlsbad by D.R. Horton in anticipation of a model home grand opening in May.

D.R. Horton’s Alcéa at The Foothills features 84 detached condominium homes with approximately 1,753 to 2,052 square feet, three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to three bathrooms. Each two story Spanish or Italian-inspired residence also boasts breathtaking architecture. Phase One pricing is expected to start in the low $500,000s. For more information, call the Alcéa sales information center at 760-434‑2651.

Brookfield Homes, the only builder in San Diego to offer homes exceeding California’s energy efficiency standards by at least 35 percent, will debut its eco-savvy Rockrose at The Foothills model homes March 27. Rockrose will offer 101 eco-savvy new homes in Carlsbad, ranging from approximately 2,116 to 3,167 square feet. The single-family detached homes will have three to four bedrooms and two to 4.5 bathrooms. Rockrose Phase 1 homes are expected to be priced starting in the low $600,000s. For more information, call the Rockrose sales information center at 888-284-8861.

Blossom Grove by William Lyon Homes just celebrated its successful model grand opening and first sales release at prices starting from the mid $500,000s. Offering limited time Phase One Specials, buyers are encouraged to tour these one- and two-story detached homes that feature approximately 1,992 to 2,840 square feet, three to five bedrooms, two to three bathrooms and up to two-car garages plus storage. With plenty of first and second floor bedrooms for every family member and bonus rooms where kids can hang out with friends, these floorplans have the flexibility today’s buyers are looking for. Call the Blossom Grove Sales Gallery today at 760-994-0380 for more information on Phase One Specials.

The first new master-planned community in Carlsbad since 2006, The Foothills is located off Cannon Road, just east of El Camino Real in Carlsbad.

For information on new homes for sale at The Foothills at Carlsbad, visit www.FoothillsCarlsbad.com.

When completed, The Foothills will have 404 homes on 157 acres. A 2.6-acre residents-only Swim Club will include a resort-style swimming pool, children’s pool, picnic area with barbecues, paddle courts, grass playing areas and a yoga exercise circle.

Along with recreation center and neighborhood construction, Brookfield Homes will build several neighborhood pocket parks and a trail system at The Foothills. Across the street from the community, Carlsbad Unified School District proposes to break ground in 2010 on a new high school campus that would open in fall 2013. Future phases are expected to include a fourth single family new home neighborhood, a commercial office building and an RV storage facility. Another future amenity is a new 13.5-acre City of Carlsbad community park, planned as a lighted, multi-field soccer complex.

Nearly half of the property at The Foothills master planned community in Carlsbad will be preserved as permanent open space, providing a key connection to the habitat management program for the City.

Rockrose at The Foothills by Brookfield Homes will celebrate a model grand opening March 27 for the new Carlsbad neighborhood.

“We are excited to be the first builder in San Diego to offer production homes at this level of efficiency,” said Lora Heramb, vice president of sales and marketing for Brookfield Homes. “We are proud to be saving valuable resources, and prouder still to have Rockrose homebuyers saving money. As a result of the many eco-savvy features throughout these homes, homeowners will see a difference in their utilities bills as soon as they move in.”

Opening for the first time to the public for tours at 10 a.m. on March 27, the three model homes at Rockrose at The Foothills showcase six areas of eco-savvy concentration. Throughout the grand opening weekend, Brookfield Homes representatives will be present at each of the homes to answer questions and to point out key features. The model home tour also includes a self-guided Rockrose Education Garden tour highlighting attractive drought-tolerant landscaping.

The six areas of eco-savvy concentration for each Rockrose home are:

1. Energy conservation. Brookfield is incorporating numerous tactics to make Rockrose homes more energy efficient, including radiant barrier roof sheathing; tight ducts with less than 6 percent leakage; quality installation of insulation; tankless water heaters; improved ceiling insulation (per plan); increased insulation of duct work (per plan); and installed furnaces with an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 92 percent (per plan). In addition, standard appliances in the homes will be Energy Star rated.

2. Water conservation. Inside and out, Brookfield’s approach to being water-wise at Rockrose includes: tankless water heaters; WaterSense faucets; low-flow shower heads; recirculating hot water system; insulated hot water loop line; and water sensitive landscaping. Eighty percent of the plants featured in the Rockrose Education Garden won’t need supplemental watering, once established. And almost all of the plants showcased are extremely low water intensive.

“Water is a valuable resource here in San Diego, and restrictions on usage have become more and more common,” said Heramb.  “We know buyers are conscientious about using less water and we know they are worried about water bills going up, so our eco-savvy approach for the new homes at Rockrose includes numerous ways they will save both water and money.”

• ·3.  Waste reduction. Intensified recycling efforts started at Serenity by Brookfield Homes continue at Rockrose, where 70 percent to 80 percent of construction waste is being diverted from local landfills to certified recyclers.

• ·4.  Indoor air quality. Rockrose homes feature a number of environmentally friendly amenities that improve air quality, including: Merv 8 air filters; low VOC carpets and paints; and formaldehyde free insulation. In addition to these standard features, buyers may selection additional options like electrostatic air filters.

• ·5.  Sustainable building materials / wood conservation. Rockrose homes are framed using only Sustainable Forestry Initiative Certified Lumber and engineered wood products for added strength. Homeowners also have the option to choose recycled flooring.

6.  Renewable energy / solar power (optional). Photovoltaic solar panels that convert the sun’s rays into electricity will be available as an option at Rockrose.

The single-family detached homes at Rockrose range from approximately 2,116 to 3,167 square feet. The four floor plans have three to four bedrooms and two to 4.5 bathrooms. Pricing is anticipated to start in the low $620,000s.

The Rockrose model homes and sales information center are located at 3538 Glen Ave., in Carlsbad. Builder Brookfield Homes anticipates the first homes to be available for sale soon. For updates as more information becomes available, join the interest list at www.brookfieldsd.com. Information also is available by calling 888-284-8861. Model homes and sales information center hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday.

Brookfield San Diego Builders, Inc. builds new homes in San Diego and Riverside counties. Brookfield currently is building in the master planned communities of The Foothills in Carlsbad, Windingwalk in Chula Vista, The Estates at StoneBridge east of Scripps Ranch in San Diego, Old Creek Ranch new homes in San Marcos and Morningstar Ranch in Winchester.  For more information about Brookfield communities and to learn about the company’s signature construction differences, visit www.brookfieldsd.com.

Madeira Plan 3 at Del Sur

As of Feb. 28, 15 homes have sold at Madeira, four homes have sold at Bridgewalk, 11 homes have sold at Pasado and five homes have sold at Mandolin, according to Del Sur’s sales report.

“Del Sur’s guest builders are seeing positive impacts from favorable buying conditions like tax credit eligibility, low mortgage rates and stabilizing home values, and they are reacting accordingly by stepping up construction to meet demand,” said Bill Ostrem, president and CEO of Black Mountain Ranch LLC, developer of the 1,800-acre amenities-rich community. “

New homes at Del Sur (www.delsurliving.com) are now selling in the following neighborhoods:

•  Madeira at Del Sur by Shea Homes celebrated a grand re-opening of its model homes Jan. 30 and started sales Feb. 13. The first eight homes released for sale were sold that weekend.  Seven more homes released in Phase 2 also were reserved upon release. Madeira’s six floor plans span approximately 1,779 to 2,415 square feet and have two and three stories, up to five bedrooms and four bathrooms and two-car garages. Madeira prices start from the low $500,000s.

•  Bridgewalk at Del Sur by Standard Pacific Homes released a new phase of homes for sale in late January and has since sold four. Priced from $489,900, Bridgewalk homes range from 1,702 to 1,969 square feet and have three to four bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a two-car garage plus work space. Bridgewalk is perfectly located between two neighborhood parks and close to Del Sur Elementary School. The three floor plans available are all two stories. With move-ins expected in June, the new homes at Bridgewalk at Del Sur may qualify new homebuyers for the federal tax credit of $8,000.

•  Pasado at Del Sur by William Lyon Homes released a new phase of homes for sale Jan. 16, five of which sold the first weekend. The builder sold 11 homes in January and February. Priced from the low $500,000s, the single-family homes at Pasado have approximately 2,047 to 2,360 square feet, three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to three bathrooms. The two-story homes have two-car garages. With move-ins expected in June, the new homes at Pasado at Del Sur may qualify new homebuyers for the federal tax credit of $8,000.

• The attached-home neighborhood Mandolin at Del Sur by Shea Homes has five homes sold since Jan. 1. Priced from the mid $400,000s, Mandolin offers five floor plans ranging from 1,643 to 2,333 square feet. The homes have two to five bedrooms, 2.5 to four baths and attached two-car garages. Set along one of the highest hilltops within the master-planned community, Mandolin is the only planned condominium community at Del Sur.

Del Sur has a strong environmental ethic, which is evident throughout its residential neighborhoods, within its construction practices and in its recreational amenities, including eight proposed private parks and 18 miles of hiking trails spread out over 1,800 acres of dedicated open space.  All of the parks are designed to be energy efficient, with solar-heated pools, and attractive landscaping featuring drought-resistant plantings that use only reclaimed water.  Cost savings from these conservation efforts are passed along to residents. The pedestrian-friendly community of Del Sur eventually will have 2,500 homes.

Recognized by local civic, planning and environmental groups for its environmentally conscious design and “smart growth” principles, Del Sur is now open for model home tours. For more information on new home neighborhoods, visit www.DelSurLiving.com.

Despite my initial thought to whip up a batch of margaritas, my roommate said this mega-purchase was for green smoothie-making. I found the idea of a “green smoothie” somewhat off-putting. If leafy greens do find their way into my diet, it’s from a salad or steamed broccoli. Taking something I really enjoy- a smoothie, and making it “green” left me in a bind…

BUT in true fashion, I was suckered in. Day 1 consisted of an entire blender full of fresh spinach, lemon, cucumber, banana, apple, berries and water…no juice, no added sugar.

Now I’m on day 6, and the recipe changes a little each day.  It can be a bit of a hassle to keep fresh produce in the house, but freezing fruit before it goes bad saves on waste. Finding good places to buy affordable produce is also helpful. There are several farmers’ markets throughout San Diego county, in addition to a great Korean market, Zion Market, with low-priced produce, located in Kearny Mesa.

Not an attempt to lose weight, drinking green smoothies has been a simple way to add nutrients to my diet. My roommate turned to green smoothies after tirelessly taking iron supplements…and I started drinking them because she’s a good salesman! So far we’ve noticed increased energy, especially during workouts.

To learn more about green smoothies or to find recipes, here are some good links:

IncredibleSmoothies.com

GreenSmoothieGirl.com

OhSheGlows.com

~AH

Conservation Science Saturday

Date: March 20, 2010

Time: 9am-11am

Location: Encanto Canyon (meet in the east end of the Malcolm X Librar­y parking lot)

With the help of Groundwork San Diego members, students from Millennial Tech will be planting native plant seed, which will eventually provide a home for the cactus wren, a native bird. Cactus wren habitat restoration is taking place right in our backyards, in Encanto and Radio Canyons. These canyons are some of the richest bio-diversity hotspots in the county.

Please support your son, daughter or community member in their effort to restore native habitat and to protect disappearing species. Information stations will be available for community members.

The event is free, and no RSVP is needed. Please call Jean-Luc at Groundwork (619-543-0430) for more information. If it is raining on the morning of the event, it will be rescheduled.

Roseville

1125 Rosecrans Street, Point Loma 619-450-6800

333 Pacific

333 North Pacific Street, Oceanside 760-433-3333

The Red Door

741 West Washington Street, Mission Hills 619-295-6000

West Coast Tavern

2895 University Avenue, North Park 619-295-1688

Cucina Urbana

505 Laurel Street, 619-239-2222

To read more, visit the San Diego Magazine website.

Market Creek Plaza, a ULI Smart Growth Award winner in 2008, will be competing in this year’s Best of the Decade program on May 12. Deadline for nominations is March 19.

Unlike past competitions, this year’s event will encompass the “Best of the Decade,” welcoming nominations from projects that were entitled, built or significantly remodeled between 2000 and 2010. Leaders, policies, events, plans, programs and initiatives from the past 10 years also may be nominated. Past Smart Growth Award winners and nominees also may resubmit.

Nomination forms are online at: http://www.ulisd.org/smartgrowth2010.php. The process is easy, free and open to anyone and any qualifying project. Projects, plans, policies, leaders, events and initiatives in the field of Smart Growth and Sustainability are evaluated for their response to ULI’s Smart Growth Principles. Nominees for the award may be submitted if they represent smart growth ideals, as described online. The Smart Growth Awards jury will select three to six winners.

According to ULI’s Call for Nominations: “In the past decade we have come a long way in dispelling the long held belief that ‘the right thing to do’ is too expensive and not consistent with the pragmatics of the development industry. Today leading edge planning, design and development projects are built around principles of sustainability. Increasingly smart decisions are made about where and how development occurs that lead to the building of community, the growth of culture and the realization of a healthy environment.

“In focusing on these principles the ‘smart thing to do’ has grown synonymous with ‘the right thing to do.’ This year ULI seeks to recognize those projects that have, over the past 10 years, sought the right thing to do and have thus reflected the growth of a vision for a sustainable urban future for our region.”

Submit a free, easy, online nomination at www.ulisd.org

Deadline for online entry: March 19, 2010 by 5 p.m.

Madeira at Del Sur Plan 5

“It was a busy week at Shea Homes neighborhoods across the county, and we ended the month strong,” said Vanessa Linn, vice president of sales and marketing for the builder. Shea Homes San Diego had 28 net sales and five closings in February.

The Shea Homes neighborhood with the most sales last week was Madeira at Del Sur, with four homes sold in the just-released Phase 2. Traffic to the San Diego neighborhood increased by a third as well. Two attached home neighborhoods in Chula Vista, Mosaic at Lomas Verdes and Clover at Windingwalk, logged two sales each. Single-family detached neighborhood Estrella at San Miguel Ranch, also in Chula Vista, reported two sales as well. With one sale each are Shea Homes nieghborhoods: Agave at Windingwalk, Mandolin at Del Sur and Maravilla at San Miguel Ranch.

Shea Homes offers new homes ranging from affordably priced condominiums and townhomes to traditional single-family detached homes and magnificent luxury residences.