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John Gregory '86
Back in the 80's Portledge was a little-known and small school with aspirations to compete at higher athletic levels. Every victory was hard-fought and every loss was a learning experience that helped contribute to the foundation of what is now a very successful athletic program. Invitations to tournaments outside the greater New York area began, and the winning of the Princeton Day School ice hockey tournament in 1986 was a significant moment for the entire athletic program. We had arrived and had the attention of the community and the support of the students and alumni. John was a three-sport athlete who captained the soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse teams. He was surrounded by talented teammates who made him a better player. One such teammate is a fellow hall of famer, the late Paul Sclafani '86, who was on John's side for many years. Almost every goal or assist in John's ice hockey and lacrosse career had a connection to Sclafani, who will never be forgotten. There are other components that contributed to John's successful athletic career at Portledge. The coaching staff of Curt Sawyer and Toby Harwood, the teammates, and the sideline support of students and parents (special thanks to his mother, Mimi) were instrumental throughout his time on the fields and at the rink. John focused his talent on ice hockey and represented Nassau County in the 1985-86 season and continued his ice hockey career at Lawrenceville as a Postgraduate. He then went on to play for four years at Trinity College winning 2 ECAC Div III North/South Championships. His senior year at Trinity he was elected captain and ended his career with an OT victory in one of the championship years. He still continues to play ice hockey in Sydney and has many great memories of his time representing Portledge. Portledge is truly proud of all of John's accomplishments, both on the field and off, and we are proud to welcome him to the 2021 Portledge Hall of Fame.
Chris Adarian '96
Chris won 11 varsity letters during his time at Portledge. A tenacious competitor with a potent blend of skill, smarts, and effort, Chris was a fixture in the starting lineup all four years he was on the Boys' Lacrosse and Soccer teams and had the honor of being named a captain of both squads in his senior year. A versatile weapon on the soccer pitch, Chris was able to play anywhere along the defensive line or in the midfield, his playmaking abilities helped to bring out the best in his teammates. On the Lacrosse field, Chris was known as a rugged and skilled defender who could stop the opposition in their tracks and quickly turn defense into attack for his side. Chris was awarded various Portledge Athletic Awards during his time at the school, as well as earning All-Division and All-League recognition in both Boys' Lacrosse and Boys' Soccer as early as his Sophomore year. After Portledge, Chris went on to join the Lehigh University club lacrosse team. His love of sport continues to this day as displayed by the softball team he started with a group of his fellow 1996 Portledge graduates, becoming an avid golfer, and playing squash regularly. We are thrilled to welcome Chris to the 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame and congratulate him on this momentous occasion.
Pamela (Lee) Van Dina '01
During her athletic career at Portledge, she competed in Cross Country, Basketball, and Lacrosse; receiving a total of 11 Varsity Letters (4 in each basketball and lacrosse and 3 in Cross Country as the team began the fall of her sophomore year). She served as captain of the Cross Country team her Junior and Seniors years, and captain of both the Basketball and Lacrosse teams her senior year. She received multiple awards throughout her tenure at Portledge and was the recipient of the Senior Athletic Award. Lehigh University recruited her for Cross Country, but sadly after competing for a couple of years, had to leave the team due to an injury. Still having the desire to be involved in college athletics, she joined the Crew team where she rowed as part of the varsity open 8 and lightweight 8 and was captain of the team my senior year. Pamela is an incredibly well-rounded athlete and Portledge is extremely proud to induct her into the Portledge Athletic Hall of Fame.
Jessica Lee '01
Throughout her time at Portledge, Jessica played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. Field hockey was the sport she excelled in the most and although she was recruited by various D1 schools to continue in that sport, she chose to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which did not have a team. Still wanting to stay involved in athletics, Jessica was able to walk onto the women's lightweight rowing team. She started as a rower for the team but also competed as a coxswain while being injured during her junior and senior years. In addition, she was also part of the lightweight national championship team her senior year at Wisconsin. After graduating, her love of sports continued and she worked with College Sports Television (now CBS Sports Network) managing feature, studio, and game productions, and MSG Network's "Blueshirts Inside Out." Today, Jessica works with the NFL, as the Senior Director of Studio Operations and Production Management where she oversees all production logistics and budgets for all of NFL Media. Portledge thanks Jessica for all she has done for female sports at Portledge and welcomes her to the Athletic Hall of Fame.
Adam Lanza '06
As part of the Class of '06, Lanza's athletic career at Portledge was defined by his athleticism, hard work, and passion for competing. Lanza received varsity letters for all four years in Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, and Ice Hockey. He excelled at Soccer and Tennis, winning multiple MVP awards, all-region recognition, and helped clinched multiple league titles. His senior year, Lanza earned the Senior Athletic Award. Lanza continued his athletic career at Trinity College, playing men's Varsity Soccer and Tennis all four years, where he co-captained the Men's Varsity Tennis team. Portledge Athletics is excited to have an athlete of Adam's caliber in the Athletic Hall of Fame and we are proud to induct him into the Class of 2021.
Stefanie Bishop '00
Stefanie '00 was a four-sport athlete during her high school career at Portledge. She competed as a starting defender on the Varsity Boys' Soccer Team before there was a Girls' Soccer Team. Starting the fall season of her junior year, she also ran with the newly formed Varsity Cross Country Team when she was not playing in a soccer match. Homecoming was one of her favorite days; she ran the XC meet in the morning, before playing in the soccer game in the afternoon. In the winter, Stefanie competed on the Varsity Fencing Team. The spring season was her favorite of the three, and the sport at which she excelled the most, Varsity Lacrosse. In her senior year, Stefanie captained her main sports - soccer, fencing, and lacrosse. Besides many team championships and varsity letters, she earned multiple MVP and Coach's Awards, as well as the Senior Athletic Award. Stefanie's athlete career was actually only in the beginning phases at Portledge and her experiences helped influence her achievements today. She competed at a high level of triathlon after college, achieving multiple podiums, before moving onto her passion, ultra-endurance racing. Her specialty is in 24-hour to multi-day events, which include either trail running, obstacle course racing, mountain biking, or adventure racing. (Adventure Racing is a team sport of 3-4 people, where teams use a compass and map to navigate to different checkpoints either on foot, mountain bike, or paddling a canoe, kayak, or another style of boat.) In 2010, she jumped into ultras, competing in a unique event called the Spartan Death Race. It is a race of unknown length, usually lasting 1-3 days, with tasks that test the athletes physically and mentally - carrying heavy objects, chopping wood, memory tasks, puzzles, etc. Every race is starkly different and the challenges are created to "break" the athletes so they quit; there is a low number of participants finishing the race. Not only did Stefanie complete 4 of the 4 races she entered, the longest being 65 hours, but she also won 3 of them. In 2016, she won the World's Toughest Mudder, a 24-hour Tough Mudder obstacle course race, where she completed 85 official miles and over 300 obstacles. In 2018 and 2019, she raced in the Wilderness Traverse, a highly competitive 30-hour Canadian adventure race, finishing in 2nd and 1st place respectively. She is the first American to have won that race in its' 10-year existence. Stefanie continues to race and set high goals for herself in the ultra-endurance world and is training towards them daily. Stefanie always loved the beautiful grounds of Portledge, including the nature preserve, and credits much of her success to the atmosphere at Portledge that nurtured her athletic abilities. The committee is ecstatic to welcome Bishop into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 class.
William Bodine III '00
As part of the Class of '00, Bodine was known as a passionate leader and a true team player. Bodine received varsity letters in all four years in Soccer, Ice Hockey, and Lacrosse where he was selected as team captain multiple times. A notable example was during the 2000 League Lacrosse Championship game when after putting up 10 points, Bodine volunteered to suit up and play goal while Frank Hill had to serve out his penalty. Bodine ended that game with 7 Goals, 3 Assists and 1 save with zero goals against and another League Championship. Bodine was also recognized as the fourth/fifth player from Portledge to be named a High School All American Lacrosse player alongside his teammate Marc Perry in 1999. Bodine had amounted scoring records as well as individual and team accolades/awards throughout his tenure at Portledge ending with earning the Senior Athletic Award. Bodine went on to play NCAA Hockey and Lacrosse at Hobart College and continued his hockey career playing professionally for six years in the ECHL and CHL. Bodine continues to this day to pass forward his love of the game through coaching and hockey development programs based here on Long Island. Thus, we are thrilled to recognize this amazing student-athlete as a member of the 2020 Portledge Athletic Hall of Fame.
Mark Dourmashkin '10
Mark Dourmashkin's athletic career at Portledge was defined by his display of athleticism, tremendous work ethic, and excellent leadership skills. Mark, a well-rounded athlete, received 12 Varsity Letters (four each in soccer and basketball, and two each in baseball and lacrosse) and served as captain of the basketball team for two years as well as captain of the soccer team his senior year. Mark's consistent play on the soccer field led the team to capture the league's best record for three straight years while making the NYSAIS Championship Tournaments in all four seasons. On the basketball court, Mark had an innate ability to make those around him better through his playmaking abilities. He led the Panthers to win their first IPPSAL Championship in nearly twenty years and won an MVP award as well as multiple All-League selections. During Mark's senior season on the baseball team, he was the catalyst for securing the baseball program's first-ever championship game appearance. He was also honored as an All-League baseball player. Whether he was on the field or court, Mark was a model example of sportsmanship and always treated his teammates and coaches with respect and dignity. The committee is excited to celebrate Mark and all of his accomplishments and thanks to Mark for being a role model for future Portlege student-athletes.
Nils Youngwall '84
An incredibly well-rounded athlete, Nils Youngwall, lettered in Soccer, Ice Hockey and Lacrosse during all four years of Upper School, captained all three programs as both a Junior and Senior and was selected five times as a team MVP. Nils went on to attend Johns Hopkins University, where he played club hockey and walked on to the Varsity Men's Lacrosse team which resulted in Nils being a member of the 1987 Blue Jays' team that won the NCAA National Championship in Men's Lacrosse. Even with all these athletic accomplishments, Nils has always been known as a quiet and humble person who leads by example and is always kind and supportive of teammates and friends. So it is with the support of those friends, as well as the support of all those who had the opportunity to watch Nils compete as a young athlete, that we recognize Nils Youngwall as a member of the Portledge Athletic Hall of Fame.
Chris Masotto '94
Blessed with significant athletic ability, a tremendous work ethic, and excellent leadership skills, Chris Masotto was the face of Boys Athletics at Portledge in the early 90s. During his Upper School years, Chris received 11 Varsity Letters (four each in ice hockey and lacrosse, and another three in soccer) and served as captain of all three sports during his senior year. Chris' athletic talents were obvious as he was selected All-League in both soccer and lacrosse during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, and as a United States Lacrosse Association All American as a senior. Chris went on to graduate from Hamilton College where he played four years of Varsity Men's Lacrosse, once again serving as a captain for both the '97 & '98 Continental squads. Chris' athletic career was marked by a high degree of sportsmanship as he competed with a determined but calm demeanor and always treated his teammates, coaches, and opponents with great respect. Chris was recognized as the recipient of the Portledge Bowl at the 1994 graduation ceremonies and it is now fitting that he be recognized as a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Willa Sky-Bacon Freer '99
Willa Sky-Bacon Freer was an athlete who Kelly Gottesman had the pleasure of knowing and coaching through Middle School and High School in both Field Hockey and Lacrosse. Seeing a student-athlete like Willa grow in so many ways, skills, confidence, and leadership to name a few, was an absolute pleasure to experience. Willa always worked hard on her individual skills and teamwork. She had the drive to always improve on her skills and was never afraid to try new things. Willa was always upbeat and brought a positive, upbeat attitude to every practice and game. Willa truly enjoyed playing the sports she did, which only made her that much better. She was a dedicated athlete and a supportive teammate. The committee is excited to celebrate Willa and all of her accomplishments and thanks Willa for being a role model for future Portlege student-athletes.
Tamara Simpson '14
While she participated off and on as a member of Coach Corby's Varsity Girls Tennis dynasty, Tamara Simpson's athletic career at Portledge predominantly concerned basketball – and what a career it was. Tamara was the best player on a very good Varsity Girls Basketball team during all three of her years at Portledge. She was team and league MVP sophomore, junior and senior seasons, a McDonald's All American nominee as a senior, and received the Portledge Senior Athletic Award in 2014. Tamara went on to star as an NCAA Varsity Women's Basketball player at Yale University with a long list of school and Ivy League accomplishments including Ivy League Defensive Player of the year in 2016-17 and becoming Yale's career leader in steals, a record she set in only her junior year. While all of these individual accolades are certainly incredible, what really defined Tamara as a player is the success she led the Portledge Varsity Girls team to during her years as a Lady Panther. Portledge was a three-time league champion during Tamara's career and the squad went on to participate in the NYSAIS State Championship Tournament at the close of each of those seasons. In 2013 Portledge was seeded 2nd and reached the semi-finals – this marks the farthest Portledge Varsity Girls Basketball has progressed at the state level in the school's history. There have been many outstanding girls basketball players at Portledge, as there are now, and the team is usually very competitive, but Tamara took Portledge Basketball to another level and did so with dignity, eloquence, determination and tremendous leadership. Thus, we recognize this amazing student-athlete as a member of the Portledge Athletic Hall of Fame.
Inaugural Class of 2018
Paul Sclafani '86
Sclafani was a leader and role model for so many young men at Portledge. He was the captain of nine different teams throughout his career, as he showed an innate ability to lead others and make those around him better. He was extremely unselfish, classy, and a great motivator. Sclafani was the first ever Boys Lacrosse All - American at Portledge. He held the school scoring record for 16 years. He was the Varsity Boys Lacrosse MVP all four years in high school. In hockey, he was the MVP of the Princeton Day School Tournament in 1985 and the MVP of the team his senior year. He was also a standout goalie on the soccer team saving many big penalty kicks throughout his time in net. Sclafani showed those around him how to compete with class and humility through both victories and defeat.
Emily Edwards-Bourdrez '07
As part of the Class of '07, Emily Edwards-Bourdrez was a relentless defender and rebounder on the basketball court. Known as a fantastic athlete who could dribble end to end and finish, she was a four-year starter for the Girls Varsity Basketball team, Edwards-Bourdrez was also captain for three years in a row, and league MVP twice, scoring over 1,500 career points and notching a career-high 38-point game. A leader both on and off the court, she was a pleasure to coach and well-respected by all that played with her, coached her, or watched her play. While Varsity Girls Basketball was always an important program at Portledge, Edwards-Bourdrez elevated the game to a whole new level. People started coming to games just to see her play, her name began appearing in Newsday which brought the Portledge Girls Basketball program recognition, recruiting picked up, and soon championships were being won. Edwards-Bourdrez was also a big part of building the Varsity Girls Soccer program as she was a four-year starter and the goalie on the first squad to make it to the PSAA playoffs (part of the famous girls soccer Class of '07 which had an award created after them). In addition, Edwards-Bourdrez started as a defender on the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team. In her senior year, the lacrosse team advanced to the NYSAIS Quarterfinals. Her senior year she earned the Senior Athletic Award. Edwards-Bourdrez continued her athletic career at Tufts University playing NCAA Div III Women's Basketball.
Siena Falino '09
Know for her incredible elegance, power, and speed on the ice, Siena Falino was a member of the original six players in 2003-04 to start the Girls Hockey program at Portledge School. Falino once scored seven goals in a victory over Lawrenceville, a Portledge record. She captained the only Varsity Girls Hockey team to win the WIHLMA Championship. Although hockey was her main sport, one in which she would go on to play at the Division I level, Siena was almost as dominant in lacrosse as she led the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team to three consecutive NYSAISAA tournament berths, and was an IPPSAL All-League player on Championship tennis teams (2006 & 2008). Her senior year she earned the Senior Athletic Award. Falino continued her athletic career at Northeastern University playing NCAA Division I Women's Hockey.
Aaron Lee '09
As part of the Class of '09, Lee was known as a gritty & determined midfielder who played Varsity Boys Lacrosse for five years. Dominant on faceoffs with a great two-way game that eventually earned him recognition as Portledge School's sixth All American Lacrosse Player, Lee was also a terrific defensive midfielder in soccer and a hard-nosed point guard in basketball. His senior year he earned the Senior Athletic Award. Lee continued his athletic career at United States Military Academy at West Point playing Men's Lacrosse.
Addie Reilly '10
Reilly '10 was a three-sport athlete who captained the 2010 Varsity Girls Lacrosse team that won the NYSAISAA Championship, the only Portledge team to win an NYSAISAA Championship. She played on the Varsity Girls Lacrosse teams that competed in four straight NYSAISAA Championship Tournaments and graduated as the All-Time leading scorer in Portledge Varsity Girls Lacrosse history. Her senior year she scored a NYS Record 132 goals. Reilly was the MVP of the first Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer team to win the PSAA Championship (2009) and was a key member of the only Portledge Varsity Girls Hockey team to win the WIHLMA Championship. Her senior year she earned the Senior Athletic Award. Reilly continued her post-Portledge athletic career playing Division I lacrosse at Fairfield University.


A unique site of industrial heritage replaced by bland showpiece architecture. In 1999, Shell decided to leave most of its premises in Amsterdam-North. While the redevelopment plan encouraged a mixture of functions, the inclusion of the area's aged buildings was rejected.
Capital ebbs and flows, as rivers do. The same way industry found its way to the northern bank of the IJ at the end of the 19th century, it started moving away at the end of the 20th century. In 1999, the Shell laboratory decided to free a large part of its terrain in Amsterdam-North, enabling the urban redevelopment of this centrally located area. While the mixture of functions is usually encouraged in urban regeneration projects, the inclusion of aged buildings is often rejected, clashing as it does with the interests of a capitalist economic system. As many other redevelopment projects, the former Shell-terrain fell victim to the increased visual importance of its privileged location, and so its industrial heritage was rapidly erased to give way to a new luxury neighbourhood.
A Shell employee shows a scale model of the Shell terrain to his family in the early 1970s.
Amsterdam-North has always been known as Amsterdam's backyard, conveniently separated from the city centre by the river IJ and yet sufficiently close to be fitting for an array of unpleasant, peripheral urban functions, amongst others a gallows field and polluting industry. Paradoxically, at the beginning of the 20th century, the district came into vogue as the stage of progressive recreational events, such as open-air music concerts and dance parties at the Toll House (Tolhuis), the First Dutch Exhibition in Shipping Technology (ENTOS) and the First Aviation Exhibition Amsterdam (ELTA).
The industrialisation of the riverbank led to the gradual construction of workers housing at the district's core. After the Second World War, the lack of suitable building ground elsewhere intensified urban sprawl, subsequently turning North into Amsterdam's largest district when measured in square kilometres. Yet, the area remained persistently one of the poorest of the city, lacking social diversity, cultural facilities and other amenities, even after the construction of two bridges and two tunnels for automobile traffic. Besides, without a convenient pedestrian and bicycle connection crossing the IJ, the district's population still had to rely on the ferryboat to travel back and forth to the city centre. While Amsterdam North has been called the city's ugly duckling, its relative isolation contributed to a strong identity and sense of community, proudly rooted in its working class traditions.
The former Shell terrain as seen from the city centre, with the Overhoeks Tower and the new EYE Filmmuseum.
In 1914, the zoning of the northern bank of the IJ for industry allowed Shell to set up a laboratory in a privileged spot on the waterfront, just across the Central Station and city centre. What is more, it gave the company the opportunity to expand until they owned a total of 27 hectares of ground, including the Toll House Garden (Tolhuistuin), once a public facility. To define the site's spatial and functional structure, the company chose to frequently work with the same architects, in particular Kees Abspoel and Arthur Staal, who are responsible, respectively, for buildings dating from the interbellum and post-war periods.
Kees Abspoel (1899‐70) was the company architect from 1924, and was responsible for the vast majority of Shell's pre-war structures. Most notably, he designed a monumental string of buildings alongside the Buiksloter Canal, and a few smaller edifices amongst the greenery of the Toll House Garden. After the war, the Shell laboratory developed into an extremely wealthy and prestigious research facility, and when local authorities sought to change the contour of the river IJ, the company grabbed the unexpected opportunity to 'redo' its façade on the waterfront, using architecture as a means of corporate self-representation. While Abspoel had delivered an essentially functional but nonetheless contextual architecture, the younger Staal (1907‐93) brought disruption and spectacle to the industrial northern bank with iconic buildings such as the IJ Lab, the Overhoeks Tower and the company restaurant.
Workshop with saw-tooth roof, presumably designed by Kees Abspoel, 1936-38.
Development Lab, Kees Abspoel, 1940.
Throughout the 1970s, as Amsterdam's port moved downriver, the gradual deactivation of the central and eastern harbours resulted in large swaths of industrial wasteland on both sides of the river IJ, plus a waterfront virtually devoid of public functions and spaces. At the beginning of the 1980s, Amsterdam, like many other 'post-industrial' European cities, was toying with the idea of reconnecting with its riversides while using waterfront redevelopment as a medium to revitalise its inner city. The ensuing regeneration of the banks of the IJ, which is still in progress, is the city's largest and most important urban transformation process in recent times.
During the 1990s, while the regeneration of the southern bank became tangible, Amsterdam North was still seen as 'the other side'. The turning point came in 1999, when Shell decided to move to a new facility on the north-west end of the site, freeing 20 of the 27 hectares formerly occupied. This move would not only make the long-desired urban redevelopment of this central area possible, but triggered the wider regeneration of the entire northern bank. Indeed, local authorities promptly acquired the newly available ground and commissioned the Master Plan for the Northern Bank of the IJ, including a cultural-historical impact report (CHER).
Even today, the two banks of the river IJ have fundamentally distinct identities. While the southern bank became strongly metropolitan due to its proximity to the city centre, the northern bank borders the garden villages of Oostzaan, Buiksloot and Nieuwendam, and connects with nature further away. Moreover, the northern bank still has operating industry, although currently shifting towards more office-based (creative) businesses. The municipality hopes to further develop it into a different kind of urbanity, with a visible industrial but also green character. Hence, the master plan for the northern bank relies on a gradual and flexible transformation process within a coherent network of roads, green and water, and without a previously set blueprint.
New Lab, Kees Abspoel, 1939-51.
Technical Services building, Arthur Staal, 1959.
In spite of the knowledge that longer transformation processes result in better quality neighbourhoods, which profit from specific qualities bound to social, formal and spatial characteristics, the local authorities opted for a fast-paced – nearly tabula rasa – approach for the former Shell terrain. The privileged location of the site in relation to the city centre combined with the new visuality of the waterfront made it extremely valuable for the introduction of housing and other urban functions, as well as to act as a catalyst for the more gradual transformation process envisaged for the northern bank. In fact, the site's renewed centrality had the potential to attract new residents, visitors and businesses alike.
In 2003, the local authorities formed a public-private partnership with ING Real Estate Development (ING RED) to act as the site's single developer. Together they commissioned the Urban Design Plan Shell terrain (2004), which maximises the available ground with a high-density building program of which 70 percent is reserved for housing (circa 2,200 units) and 30 percent for other urban functions. Disregarding the recommendations of the CHER report concerning the cultural and historical value of some of the existing buildings, the plan sketched a situation in which the industrial past was practically erased – with the exception of a few noteworthy buildings clustered on the southwest end of the Buiksloter canal – to give way to a brand new neighbourhood. The arguments used to justify the demolitions were that many of the former industrial buildings could only be transformed into housing at a high cost, while their unmodified preservation would make it impossible to achieve the ambitious housing program aimed at luring in Amsterdam's middle and upper classes.
IJ Lab, Arthur Staal, 1969.
The new neighbourhood was named Overhoeks after Staal's charismatic tower, one of the few buildings to survive demolition, and was designed as four distinct areas: the residential Campus on the northern side of the terrain, the mixed-use Strip on the southern side, the Schegpark in the middle and the Oeverpark on the west, the latter providing a long desired promenade alongside the river IJ. Although Overhoeks is being marketed as a mixed-use neighbourhood, its largest section, the Campus, is not only insipidly mono-functional but also socially exclusive as it aims blatantly at higher-income groups, with large apartment buildings placed in such a manner as to enclose luxury private courtyards separated from the public space by uniform fences and gates. In contrast, the Overhoeks Tower was transformed into A'DAM Toren, a multifunctional cultural hot spot with a rooftop observation deck that will forefront a bold line of tall buildings labelled the Strip, set to become a busy part of Amsterdam with a mix of trendy apartments, offices, schools, restaurants and several hotels.
Following a strategy popularised by Bilbao in the 1990s, when the Basque government commissioned an offshoot of the Guggenheim Museum as 'anchor' attraction to lead the urban regeneration of the city's decaying port area, the intersection point between the Schegpark and the Oeverpark was reserved for the construction of a similarly high-profile cultural institution. At the time, the Filmmuseum Amsterdam was struggling to find a new location, and it teamed up with the local authorities and ING RED to commission a new venue in Overhoeks. The move from the museum's existing pavilion in the Vondelpark to the still largely disregarded North was both risky and visionary, and all the involved parties understood the importance of a spectacular building – the type of building that works in media reproductions and is capable of drawing in large amounts of visitors.
Their collective effort resulted in the sculptural EYE Filmmuseum by Delugan Meissl Architects, which opened in 2012 to great success, becoming at once a new cultural and architectural landmark. The museum's name is both a pun with the Dutch pronunciation of IJ[read 'eye'] and a reference to the cinematic experience, embodying thus specificities of place and of building function. But more than that, the name also ironically sums up the deliberate transformation of the waterfront into a site of 'spectatorship', a process which derives financial gain from the stunning view and the area's increasingly attractive image, leading to inflated land values, class transition and the unfortunate demolition of less glamorous industrial heritage.
In 2016, residents participated in 'Volksopera Van der Pek', mockingly protesting local gentrification tendencies.
Overhoeks was conceived as an instant extension of the inner city. Its growing popularity is leading to rapidly changing demographics in the district and huge pressure on the ferryboat services across the IJ. In 2014, the situation was dramatic enough to inspire the directors of the EYE Filmmuseum, the Tolhuistuin and the A'DAM Toren to publicly plea for a bridge, forcing the municipality to realize that connections for cyclists and pedestrians needed urgent improvement. In early 2017, after passionate discussions, the municipality announced a set of measures to be implemented until 2025, including the construction of a bridge between Java Island and Amsterdam-North.
It is relevant to note here that it was not the local population, but the commuting newcomers, who argued for a bridge across the IJ. Overhoeks, with its luxury homes, creative industries and cultural and tourist amenities is fuelling the redevelopment of the northern bank in a similar fashion and is successfully attracting the crowds to the other side of the IJ, causing major concern among the locals who fear the negative consequences of gentrification. These people treasure their village-like lifestyle, rely on the completion of the new North/South metro line to improve their connection with the rest of the city, and worry that a bridge will only bring in the hassles of the inner city.
The rapid transformation of the former Shell terrain brought a new centrality to the IJ, which has been reinforced by the comprehensive renovation of the Central Station. Now that the station has two equally important front sides, the monumental nineteenth-century building facing the historical centre and a fundamentally modern new station hall facing the IJ, it is possible to experience Amsterdam from both sides of the river. However, as the chosen redevelopment strategy rested on the capitalisation of that same centrality/visuality, and led to the regrettable demolition of many modernist (industrial) buildings with cultural-historical value, it is also contributing to the loss of identity of a district long defined by its industrial heritage and social makeup.
Sandra Guarda is a licentiate of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Aveiro, holding an MA in Architectural History from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She works for an urban planning office in Amsterdam.
I never realised that beautiful buildings were demolished for Overhoeks, because the area, former terrain of Shell was closed for public. So, I couldn't see much of it. Same as for others. It was not open for public and thus the buildings remained largely unknown. That made it even more easy to demolish them. Although...the former postoffice on the other side, east of the station was known and even then demolished...The investors and building companies only think of commercial gain, once more...And at that time modernist buildings were not much cared for. Even Monumental Care didn't protect them at the end of the century, in the nineties.


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Tag: Hotel Verde
Zanzibar to get tourism boost with a 'green hotel'
Tanzania-based Bakhresa Group has appointed Verde Hotels from South Africa to develop and manage the total overhaul and upgrading of the old Mtoni Marine Hotel in Zanzibar
The brand new five-star property will be known as Hotel Verde, Zanzibar's greenest hotel.
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Bakhresa Group chairman Said Salim Awadh Bakhresa said,"We are serious about being the leaders of the Green Economy sector and therefore we approached the developers of Africa's Greenest Hotel, Verde Hotels to ensure that Hotel Verde Zanzibar will be the greenest hotel in East Africa."
Bahkresa has commissioned the Verde Hotels Group to manage the development and operate the hotel as a certified sustainable establishment that offers a carbon neutral hotel experience. Verde Hotels will work with Estim Construction while pursuing independent certification, utilising the Green Star rating tool from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).
Sustainability strategies that will be implemented in the redevelopment phase include passive and active designs that optimise resource efficiency. These include – renewable energy generation; regenerative drive elevators, a grey water recycling system, responsible procurement, waste minimisation and management and indoor environmental quality optimisation.
Verde Hotels intends to integrate sustainability into every facet of their involvement in the construction, as well as throughout the hotel's daily operation.
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How to use product life cycle analysis to your advantage. (David Baggs)
Source: africanreview
Posted in Tourism ArticlesTagged green building, Hotel Verde, Sustainability strategies, Verde Hotels Group, Zanzibar
Africa leads responsible tourism according to #WRTA16 longlist
Cape Town – Conservation has become a prominent and important factor in global tourism, and the move to responsible and sustainable practices is long overdue.
But while legislation and planned shifts are admirable, the move to more sustainable tourism practices globally has been slow. This, mainly because it's difficult to change an already-operational hotel or tourism establishment from the top down.
This is where South Africa and the whole African continent has an ironic advantage on sustainable tourism – tourism growth is behind that of first world countries with leading economies.
In Africa, for example, the hotel industry grew nearly 30% over the past year and is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. With the high pressure and great rewards that come with going green, this means that new developments will be able to lay foundations for green hotels from the ground up, instead of having to adopt existing infrastructure to slot in with green practices.
It's a concept that's already gaining international recognition.
Hotel Verde in Cape Town serves as a prime example. This hotel opened in 2013 and was built on green-only principles. Within one year of existence, the hotel was already named a World leading establishment when became the very first hotel in the world to be awarded double platinum for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
But more and more African and South African establishments are being recognised for their sustainable achievement.
So much so that an incredible one-third of tourism organisations – 28 out of 75 – that have been longlisted for the 2016 World Responsible Tourism Awards can be found on the African continent. Of these, 11 establishments are South African.
The longlist was announced on #AfricaDay2016.
Learn more and network with the best
Source: city-press.news24
Posted in Tourism ArticlesTagged Energy, global, green building, green practices, Hotel Verde, Sustainable Tourism
Hotel Verde – Cape Town Airport
Review from Vania Reyneke, Alive2Green
I was extended an invitation to spend a weekend at Hotel Verde, known as the greenest hotel in Africa for quite some time, but who wants to spend a weekend at or close to Cape Town International Airport if you are not flying, right?
Last weekend an opportunity came about where I could eventually take them up on the invite, packed my case, and grabbed a friend to join me.
As we got out of the taxi at the door, we felt the tranquillity and peace and commented on how quiet it was, especially considering we were a stone's throw away from the airport.
Check-in went smoothly and we took the lift up to the first floor. Instead of staring at one's own reflection in a mirror, you are met by Verino, the hotel's environmentally friendly rhino and mascot who makes one aware of one's contribution to all green initiatives starting with the lift which uses regenerative braking on its "light" travel cycles saving 30% of the energy it would normally use.
The rooms are spacious with one's shower, a wet room forming part of the bedroom. Without continuously being monitored or worrying about being a responsible tourist, it is all done automatically, however one is reminded just how responsible one is being as a traveller. All lights are energy efficient LEDs. Taps and sanitary fittings are "low flow" and aerated to minimise water usage. The dual flush toilet is supplied with biologically recycled grey water from showers and baths. All bedrooms are kept at a comfortable, energy efficient temperature. Our room was at such a comfortable temperature there was no need for us to use the airconditioner. Actually, now that I think of it, I was comfortable throughout the hotel at all times. The advanced system achieves extraordinary efficiency using a geothermal loop field coupled to ground source heat pumps for central heating/cooling and domestic water heating.
Because we used our towels more than once, we were awarded with a Verdino, an in-house coin to a certain value that one can credit towards one's account, buy a snack or beverage from the deli, save and collect to use next time or cash in against your invoice.
Throughout the weekend, I was continuously amazed at the peace and quiet. Windows are double glazed and sound proof. Where one looks out, from all angles the yellow daisies were in full bloom, planted on all levels around the hotel. I have always found daisies to be uplifting and positive.
I am the worst critic for any hotel, as I am myself an international trained hotelier and find that most South African Hotels fall short on the breakfast buffet.
When my eyes fell on the platter of salmon roses and lemon, I knew I would not fault this hotel and I could not. What a pleasure to have your butter served in a dish at a temperature that makes it easy to spread and not struggle with little plastic tubs and lids one can never get to peal off easily. Preserves and jams were served in glass jars and I smiled when I lifted the glass sugar pourers that took me back to the days of jorr. Again, no paper to tear, the sugar poured out in perfect measurement, just as one would remember from the '50's diners.
There was bergamot water which assists one with a hangover, double apple juice, orange juice and real juice I'll add. Fruit displays, yogurts, cold meats, cheese platters and on the hot side, egg cooked to your choice, lamb and pork sausages, lightly spiced tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and more.. a lot more.. a cheese platter with every cheese you could imagine and nuts and seeds to your choice.
Not only was the food excellent, the décor, the tranquility and friendly staff make the hotel homely and comfortable, also giving it a homely feel. All facilities are easy to access, the business centre, bar and lounge all open plan.
There is a music corner in the lounge with a piano and other musical instruments for the use of anyone who may want to play a tune.
The eco pool is right next to the wetlands area where at night the frogs do a song and dance. Walking along the eco-trail you can't help but get the feeling that here, nature is in balance, making a happy medium between eco friendly and stress of travelling.
By Sunday only did I start relaxing and decided to extend my stay by one more day. I just had to go to sleep to the sound of the frogs and wake up to the merry chirping of the birds one more day.
Hotel Verde, congratulations! If you can do it, so can the rest of the world!
Thank you for a wonderful experience and 100% for taking the extra mile on going green!
I can honestly recommend a stay at Hotel Verde for any occasion or event or even just a one night sleep-over
Posted in Green Building Articles, ReportingTagged Africa, eco-friendly, Energy, Hotel Verde, International Airport
The big, green hotel
Cape Town – With global warming on everyone's mind, thanks to the Paris climate change summit, it seemed a good time to visit Cape Town's Hotel Verde.
The venue markets itself as Africa's greenest hotel and the first hotel in Africa to offer carbon-neutral accommodation and conferencing.
Is it just me or does anyone else get annoyed with green jargon? What exactly is carbon neutral accommodation?
Deciphered, this means that guests leave an invisible carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is an estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organisation, event, product or individual. Whereas wasteful energy and water practices create a big, dirty carbon footprint, energy and water-efficiency minimises the carbon footprint. Currently a guest's one-night stay in an average room at Hotel Verde generates the equivalent of about 54kg of carbon. Hotel Verde offsets this carbon usage by donating carbon credit purchases to an environmental project in Zimbabwe.
There has been huge interest in the venue since it rolled out the green carpet and the hotel was fully booked on the evening of our visit. A news clippings agency estimates the value of the media exposure that the hotel has generated at R25-million, which nicely balances the green budget of R22m.
Hotel Verde focuses on efficient energy use, rather than using renewable energy. In an efficient system, waste products become resources. A slogan on the wall reads "Come shower so that we can flush the toilet", referring to the fact that used bath and shower water is channelled to the grey water plant, where it is filtered, sterilised and used to flush toilets.
Edged with gleaming silver pipes and decorated with funky murals, the underground parking is surely Cape Town's most inviting car park. Our guide informs us that instead of concrete pillars that are usually used to hold buildings aloft, the hotel used 46 000 Cobiax void formers. "You must have had a seriously qualified structural engineer" remarks one man in response to the intricate explanation about Cobiax void formers. Basically, because Hotel Verde uses less concrete it is 34 percent lighter than a conventional building.
Above the car park, green roofs and living walls are incorporated into the hotel. I love the idea of picking my spinach from the wall. Who said that vegetables have to be grown in the ground? One wall is a dedicated vertical aquaponics garden where small edible plants, like fennel and parsley, are grown, picked and used in the restaurant.
Everything at Hotel Verde is incredibly controlled – except for the guests. The hotel sends only 13 percent of all its waste to the landfill and most of that waste is created by guests. Other than sifting through their luggage, which visitors don't really appreciate, there is no way of ensuring that clients don't import heavily packaged goods or chemical-laden toiletries. The hotel provides environmentally friendly products in rooms and hopes for the best.
Hotel Verde's gym brings attention to how much effort it takes to generate energy. The exercise bike shows that despite the most frantic pedalling, users only manage to produce enough energy to boil water for a cup of coffee.
This is a variation of the demonstration by Olympic track cyclist, Robert Forstemann. Even with his 74cm thick legs, generating enough energy to power a 700w toaster to create golden-brown toast left Forstemann lying on his back panting. All the talk of Cobiax void formers and complicated cooling systems makes me hungry and I'm keen to tuck into the earth hour buffet. Adapted from the global annual Earth hour, this regular Wednesday night buffet style braai allows guests to dine by candle and solar lighting.
Thankfully, green dining is delicious. Organic food sourced within a 360km radius ensures that the salads are fresh and crunchy. The best thing about the buffet is the conversation it inspires about how to save the world, or at least set up an aquaponics system. My companions are visionaries, people who want to change the world, one bunch of spinach at a time. They include Sheryl Ozinsky who runs the Oranjezicht City Farm at Granger Bay, and Fiona McPherson, who is spearheading the aquaponics movement in SA.
Hotel Verde is sandwiched between carbon guzzling capitalism to the left and poverty to the right. I can't help but think as I nibble on my organic celery stick that any carbon savings guests might make during their stay are obliterated the moment they step into the airplane. One 8 000km round-trip flight from Europe creates a warming effect equivalent to two or three tons of carbon dioxide per person.
Then there is the awkward fact that township residents have a much more negligible carbon footprint than all the privileged people scuttling about the globe.
Without meaning to burst Hotel Verde's carbon neutral bubble, I feel compelled to point out that the easiest way for guests to lessen their carbon footprint is to simply stay at home. Air travel is the biggest carbon sin. As the poet Gary Snyder said: "The most radical thing you can do is stay home." Elaborating on this theme, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit writes: "The word radical comes from the Latin word for root. Perhaps the most radical thing you can do in our time is to start turning over the soil, loosening it up for the crops to settle in and then stay home to tend them."
Source: sbeta.iol
Posted in Green Building, Tourism ArticlesTagged accommodation, Africa, carbon footprint, Hotel Verde, Organic food, Paris climate change
Hospitality Industry Joins the Green Revolution
It has become quite common to hear big corporations talking about their environmental and sustainability responsibilities. Various bodies seeking to validate and give awards or certification for these noble activities have also come into existence. And so, there's now a race to become the greenest business operation around.
The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), is a member-driven non-profit entity formed in 2007. It certifies buildings according to a number of green building rating tools. GBCSA, with a membership of more than 1000, is in turn a member of the World Green Building Council. The council rates buildings according to nine separate environmental impact categories which include: management, indoor environmental quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use and ecology, emissions and innovation. GBCSA awards certification for 4-Star, 5-Star and 6-Star, Green Star SA ratings. Since the council was started, it has certified more than 100 buildings across South Africa.
A number of hotels have also joined the green revolution by embarking on sustainable operations. It is now, not surprising to walk into a hotel where you have to separate your trash; paper in one bin, bottles in another and so on. A number of hotels have also taken to cutting their power bills by installing energy saving lighting systems and appliances. Whilst many hotels and other accommodation facilities are always striving to earn as many stars as possible, there's a new recognition they're also now vying for – a green building or green operation rating. Sustainability has become a buzzword among hoteliers.
Just a stone's throw from Cape Town International Airport is the 4-Star Hotel Verde which has earned itself the title of the greenest hotel in Africa. In June 2015 the hotel became the Green Star SA's first 6-Star rated hotel.
Hotel Verde has taken going green to a whole new level in the hotel industry. The design, construction and operating practices have made the hotel an award winning one literally from underground to the rooftop. These innovations helped Hotel Verde to become one of six hotels to receive a LEED Platinum award for a new construction. LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognised rating tool for green buildings from the United States Green Building Council. Since the start of operations, the hotel has scooped numerous accolades including another Platinum award from LEED for existing building operations & maintenance in July 2015. This made the Hotel Verde the first hotel to achieve a double LEED Platinum award globally.
Some of the features that have placed Hotel Verde a cut above the rest include an air conditioning system in the form of a geothermal installation. This provides the hotel with an efficient heating and cooling system. The geothermal installation works as a heat pump that doesn't use cooling gases found in conventional air conditioning systems. The heat pump, which helps the hotel save about 25% on their power bill, comprises of one hundred 70m deep boreholes. The boreholes circulate water underground making use of the constant 19.4°C underground temperature to shed off heat picked up from rooms that need cooling. The water also picks up heat to warm up rooms that need warming.
Hotel Verde has set up other facilities to reduce its energy bill. Photovoltaic solar panels on its roof and northern façade are producing just over 700 000kWH of electricity per year. The hotel also has three vertical wind turbines that greet you as you arrive at their main entrance. These turbines have a combined capacity to produce 9kW of electricity.
Not only is Hotel Verde producing some of the electricity it needs, the hotel has also installed efficient equipment to minimise their electricity usage. The equipment includes intelligent lighting in all rooms and outside, regenerative drive elevators, energy star rated office equipment and washing machines, and water saving taps and shower heads. Double glazed windows in all rooms, not only help keep out the noise from planes at the nearby airport, but also help with managing the temperature in the rooms, reducing heating or cooling needs.
Another area the hotel has proven its seriousness in going green is water. Hotel Verde has a rainwater harvesting setup with a 40 000 litre underground tank used to store the water. The hotel has an onsite grey water recycling system, which recycles the grey water from showers and bathtubs. The resulting clear water is then used for irrigation and to flush toilets, saving approximately 1.5 million litres of municipal water per annum.
Hotel Verde's commitment to sustainability is reflected in their day to day operations. Supplies are procured from producers who are within a certain radius of the hotel. A reward system encourages guests to reuse their towels. Their outdoor swimming pool is a natural pond which uses natural filtration rather than chemicals. Their state of the art gym has treadmills and spinning bikes that generate electricity when they are being used. And on top of that, Hotel Verde has teamed up with some international organisations to ensure that their guests' stays are carbon neutral. This is achieved by offsetting carbon emissions through responsible carbon capturing and reduction projects.
Whilst Hotel Verde has scored a first not only in South Africa, but across the continent, there are other hospitality industry operators that are also taking sustainability seriously. The GBCSA is reporting a year on year increase in its membership and the buildings it is certifying. And this is good news for our Planet.
Source: enca
Posted in Green BusinessTagged emissions and innovation, environmental and sustainability responsibilities, green building, hotel, Hotel Verde, South Africa
2015 Top Green Star Leadership Award recipients honoured
Three deserving Professionals and South Africa's top rated green building picked up the coveted established Green Star SA Leadership Awards at the recent annual Green Building Convention held in Cape Town.
Sponsored by Old Mutual Property, the awards comprised of four categories. For buildings, there are the Highest Rated Building and Best Quality Submission awards, while individual professionals are recognised as either a Rising Green Star or an Established Green Star.
Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), comments: "Our convention this year aimed to Inspire Better Buildings, and this is exactly what our leading building professionals and projects are achieving. Like us, they constantly work towards designing, building and operating better, greener buildings that tread lightly on our stressed planet. These winners are at the forefront of making a difference in the built environment. They are leading by example in the greening and sustainability space."
As the sponsors of the Green Star SA Leadership Awards this year, Regional Manager for Old Mutual Property, Faieda Jacobs, says they are proud to be a part of the event.
"Old Mutual Property is committed to sustainable development, and the breadth and quality of entries submitted only serves to prove there are many corporates out there starting to come on board too. We see our participation in the awards as an important step in building a better future for South Africa," she says.
Hotel Verde in Cape Town was officially named the winner in the Highest Rated building category for its Existing Building Performance (EBP) Pilot tool rating. Hotel Verde is owned by Mario Delicio, with Andre Harms from Ecolution as the project's Accredited Professional (AP).
Wilkinson explains: "This award is given to the project that attains the highest points in the final rating for the 12 month period under consideration. Hotel Verde, with its 6-Star Green Star SA EBP rating, showcases some of the most advanced, environmentally conscious technological installations, construction methods, procurement and operational practices of any hotel in the country."
Runner up in this category, Upper Grayston Building in Sandton Central, Johannesburg was recognised for its 6-Star Green Star SA Office v1 As Built rating. It is owned by Tower Property Fund and its Accredited Professionals were Annelidé Sherrat and Marloes Reinink of Solid Green.
The best quality submission award was won by Solid Green's Dash Coville, for his work as the green building Accredited Professional on the Monte Circle Building A development. The development received a 4-Star Green Star SA Office v1 Design rating and achieved a score of 98% of points targeted. Monte Circle is owned by Abland.
The runner up in this category was Sally Misplon for her work as the green building Accredited Professional on the Gatehouse Building at Black River Park in Observatory, Cape Town. The building received an EBP Green Star SA rating and is owned by Redefine Properties.
Acknowledging outstanding and ongoing contribution to green building in South Africa, Alison Groves of WSP was awarded the Established Green Star. Jaco Kemp of Arup was named the runner up in this category.
"We consider it very important to recognise those who have continually contributed to the green building economy and, in particular, through Green Star SA buildings," says Wilkinson.
Mauritz Kruger of RHDVH was named this year's Rising Green Star and Nick Gorrie of Agama was the category's runner up.
"The future is indeed bright with professionals like these working together for a better built environment." Wilkinson says.
In 2009 the country's first green certification was awarded by the GBCSA. In April 2014 the country celebrated 50 Green Star SA ratings; and, to date, the number of Green Star SA ratings has nearly tripled to 140 certified projects.
Wilkinson concludes: "The significant growth in green building is thanks, in part, to the support of our sponsors. Having achieved 100 certifications in April this year, we have been overwhelmed by the commercial property sector's commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency."
Source: sacommercialpropnews
Posted in Green Building, Green BusinessTagged green building, Green Star, Hotel Verde, Old Mutual Property, sustainability, Upper Grayston
Cape Town's Hotel Verde achieves a global first
Posted on July 22, 2015 September 16, 2015 by admin
Hotel Verde, has just been awarded a second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum Green Building Certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) making Hotel Verde the first hotel globally, to achieve a double Platinum certification for LEED®.
The first Platinum certification was awarded in May 2014 for New Construction in the Green Building Design & Construction category. This established Hotel Verde as one of only six hotels in the world and the only hotel in Africa, to receive this accolade, at the time. The second and most recent certification was awarded for the Existing Building Operations & Maintenance of the hotel, giving Hotel Verde their double Platinum status and proving that Hotel Verde is, in fact, Africa's greenest hotel.
Sustainability consultants for Hotel Verde on the LEED submission, André Harms of Ecolution Consulting and Jutta Berns-Mumbi of Ecocentric, targeted several strategies to obtain the second Platinum Certification in the category for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (v2009).
Hotel Verde's ardent team have collectively gone above and beyond conventional industry practices by dedicating themselves to a sustainable work lifestyle. From stringent waste management and procurement policies to corporate responsibility campaigns, departmental sustainability, biodiversity maintenance and offering a carbon neutral hotel experience. Most importantly, it is the hotels aim to create an eco-friendly working environment in which staff health, happiness and productivity is optimized.
"I quickly realised that my dream to provide something luxurious and sustainable was not only possible, but it was also a business model worth sharing, with the potential to change lives and the industry as we know it," says Mario Delicio, owner of both Hotel Verde, Cape Town Airport and Verde Hotels.
Launched during the World Travel Market Africa tourism trade show, Verde Hotels is leading hotel management solutions that are not just sustainable, but thrivable. Thrivability is the new frontier of sustainability. It encompasses all that is associated with sustainability but supersedes it by maximising the triple bottom line of people, profit and planet. It is on these principles that Verde Hotels bases its core foundation.
"We had the opportunity at Hotel Verde, Cape Town Airport, to look at everything from the ground up with regard to sustainability and efficiency with the commitment to operate sustainability. But The latest accolade showcases that Verde Hotels is ready to also optimise the operation and maintenance of existing buildings" said Harms, sustainability manager and founder of Ecolution Consulting, a trained mechanical engineer and the expertise behind some of the more technical aspects of Hotel Verde.
"As a hotel management company, this certification has been fundamental in allowing us to provide our potential clients with the assurance that we deliver truly sustainable and commercially viable hospitality solutions," says Delicio, "Managing a thrivable hotel means a higher return on investment, lower operational costs, better environmental quality, a lower carbon footprint and a higher PR and marketing value, all whilst safeguarding natural resources and uplifting local communities."
"On behalf of the Western Cape Government and 110% Green, I would like to congratulate Hotel Verde on achieving double platinum LEED and receiving the first ever 6 Star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). I am delighted to know that under our 110% Green Campaign, companies such as Hotel Verde have not only committed to doing business which contribute to economic growth, and continue to lead in innovation in the green economy. I have no doubt that these ground-breaking achievements will lead to many more while inspiring many other businesses to follow suit and adopt these best practices " stated Helen Zille, Premier of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Source: mediaupdate
Posted in Green Building ArticlesTagged Cape Town Airport, eco-friendly, Green Building Council, green building design, Hotel Verde, sustainability
Spotlight On The Hotel That Claims To Be Africa's Greenest: Hotel Verde
There are not a lot of hotels near Cape Town International Airport. Most business and leisure travellers are in a hurry to get to Cape Town, or reluctant to leave, and understandably so, given the city's many attractions.
That's why the 145-room Hotel Verde, located about a three-minute drive to Cape Town International Airport, feels like such a game changer. I stayed there my last night of a recent trip to Cape Town and it felt like a glimpse into the future of the hotel industry.
Hotel Verde claims to be Africa's greenest hotel, built from the ground up according to eco-friendly principles. Staying there, you are practicing conscious, sustainable tourism. It's the first hotel in Africa to offer a carbon-neutral stay, meaning you know exactly how much or how little your stay impacted the environment, and that makes it an amazingly feel-good experience.
Being accountable for its footprint is the guiding principle behind this hotel, which opened in August, 2013. South Africa's green building certification wasn't sophisticated enough for Hotel Verde, said General Manager Samantha Annandale, so they applied for — and got – LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Annandale reckons the hotel got about 30 million rand (2.57 million USD) in free publicity just for being green.
Pulling up to the hotel, I knew it was going to be unlike anything I'd ever experienced when I saw the massive wind turbines spinning in the parking lot. But as big as they appear to be, they aren't big enough, Annandale said. Though these are the most visible signs of green technology at the hotel, the wind turbines turned out to be probably its least productive investment.
"Return on investment (of wind turbines) is 20 years," Annandale said. "We'd need to build (the wind turbines) bigger to make it worth it. We've learned from our mistakes. But they make a huge statement."
Eco Pool
Annandale spent a lot more time talking to me about the hotel's eco pool, which uses plants and natural soil filtration to balance bacteria without chlorine. Water is clean and clear, but nothing like the hotel swimming pool international guests are used to, and some find it a bit weird, Annandale said.
Getting used to it requires a new mindset. "We cannot build hotels the way we used to build them," she said.
Hotel Verde owners Mario and Annemarie Delicio have a 10-year lease on the wetland adjacent to the hotel where they built the eco pool. They took what amounted to a rat-infested swamp and turned it into an outdoor gym, with plants that attract birds and bees, owl houses and beehives that the hotel harvests. Kids staying at the hotel can go on a treasure hunt there.
Born in Italy and raised in Germany, Mario is a longtime South African resident and the shareholder in another hotel in Ethiopia.
One of Mario's goals at Hotel Verde was to have zero waste to landfill. "We wanted to revolutionize that," Annandale said. So far, the hotel manages to divert an 91-to-94 percent of waste from the landfill and they do that by recycling. The hotel has a composting room. Packaging is returned to suppliers. "One thing you can never control is what guests bring in," Annandale said.
About 30 percent of the hotel staff's time is spent educating school children, guests, tours and site inspectors.
Hotel Verde construction cost about 240 million rand ($20.5 million) and building it green cost about 20 million rand ($1.7 million) more than an ordinary hotel would have cost, Annandale estimates. It will take three to five years to see a return on the investment, she said.
Annandale is particularly proud of the room where gray water from guest showers is recycled. It's fed into tanks, filtered by ultraviolet light, and then piped back up into the building to flush guest toilets.
The hotel also has a 40,000-liter rainwater harvesting tank for car washing, irrigation and cleaning.
To save energy on water heating, a geothermal loop system 90 feet beneath the surface of the hotel taps into the natural water in the earth, acting as a heat sink for the hotel water.
Engineers from the University of Cape Town visit the hotel, which serves as a model for the Stellenbosch municipality.
Art designed by local school children and South African artists is used to decorate the hotel. School children in the nearby townships don't get art education, according to Annandale. Mario agreed to fund an art education project on condition the children learn about sustainability. In return, they created the designs for stunning tapestries that decorate the common areas on the floor I my room was on.
Using Recycled Products
One wall in the lobby was textured with recycled glass. The hotel's carpet runners are made of recycled plastic. On the outside of the hotel, a five-story mosaic art installation was designed by Svenja, Mario's youngest daughter.
There is free unlimited Wi-Fi and sensor lighting throughout Hotel Verde, and my room was paperless, in that all hotel information was on the TV.
One of my favorite places in the hotel was in the basement garage, where graffiti artists had been invited to come in and paint. This turned out to be a moneymaker for the hotel. Guests loved the basement art and some have paid to have banquets there, Annandale said.
But you probably want to hear about the rooms. I loved that the butter cookies I found on the coffee tray in my room were made by a local woman in Mitchell's Plain, one of South Africa's largest townships.
"We helped her become compliant in food preparation and now she employs two people," Annandale said.
When you check out of Hotel Verde, you have the option to offset your carbon footprint and you can track where and how it was offset. Just knowing that made me feel good.
Source: AFK Insider
Posted in Tourism ArticlesTagged Africa, Cape Town, carbon footprint, eco pool, eco-friendly, gray water, green building, green technology, hotel, hotel industry, Hotel Verde, landfill, LEED, rainwater harvesting, Recycling, Responsible Tourism, sustainability, Sustainable Tourism, waste, zero-waste to landfill
Voice Tours Offer Green Tourism Alternative
Responsible tourism is about growing a booming industry and at the same time applying the "handbrake" so that it will remain sustainable, says Jan Hutton of Deloitte South Africa.
Speaking at the Responsible Tourism conference hosted by the City of Cape Town last week, she cautioned: "The travel industry is under attack; for everything from its carbon footprint to its social costs. How do we align our desire to travel in a more thoughtful way with our conscience? We are all aware that tourism has an impact. It can be positive because tourism has benefits of job creation and preserving heritage, but it also has a negative impact on carbon emissions and the trading of wildlife."
Councillor Roxanne Hoorn, chairwoman of the city's tourism, events and economic development portfolio committee, agreed.
"Tourism today is facing a period of growth, but with this exciting development comes some challenges. The reality is that the fast-paced expansion of tourism in Cape Town, as well as South Africa as a whole, has often ignored the social, economic and environmental impact on our city and our people.
The city, with VoiceMap and Cape Town Green Map, launched Africa's first Responsible Green VoiceMap at the conference.
Green Point Urban Park will be the inaugural route, and people will be able to use their smartphones to connect to a "guide" that will explain how a dysfunctional space has become one of the most popular parks in the city.
These voice tours will soon include other attractions such as Khayelitsha Mall, Muizenberg to Kalk Bay and Cape Point.
Garreth Bloor, mayoral committee member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, said a Slave Route walk was also on the cards.
The app can be downloaded on an iPhone from the App Store, by searching for VoiceMap or by visiting bit.ly/voicemap on the iPhone. An Android version will be available soon.
Hutton said South Africa was already recognised as a world leader in responsible tourism. And next year, Cape Town will host the International Responsible Tourism Conference with the World Travel Market Africa.
Global travel was changing, with greater emphasis being placed on the "how" and the "why", rather than the "where". Travellers no longer wanted to tick items of a travel to-do list. Instead they yearned for "authenticity" and to "get under the skin" of their destinations, she said.
"Responsible tourism is about (creating) better places for people to live in, and better places for people to visit."
Future travel scenarios included carbon caps for all airlines, with a return to "slow travel" via bike, boat or train.
Samantha Annandale, the general manager of Hotel Verde, said responsible tourism had to move beyond sustainability to "thrivability". Hotel Verde, "Africa's greenest hotel" recently scooped the World Responsible Tourism award.
Annandale said: "We've decided to show that the rewards outweigh the costs. It's about doing the right thing. We worked on a concept of 'thrivability' as the next logical step of sustainability.
"It's about actually succeeding – that being sustainable naturally will enable (one to thrive)."
The hotel, located 400m from Cape Town International Airport, has won numerous awards since it opened last year. It lists photovoltaic panels, energy-efficient lighting, natural ventilation, power-generating gym equipment and an eco-pool among its "green" interventions.
Posted in Tourism ArticlesTagged Green Tourism, Hotel Verde, Responsible Green VoiceMap, Responsible Tourism
SA lauded at World Responsible Tourism Awards
South African tourism shone under the global spotlight during the World Responsible Tourism Awards held in London on Wednesday.
Hotel Verde in Cape Town won Gold in the Best City Hotel for Responsible Tourism category, the V&A Waterfront walked away with Gold for Best Destination for Responsible Tourism and South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance received Gold for being the Best Global Animal Welfare Initiative. Mdumbi Backpackers was a finalist in the Best for Poverty Reduction category.
Every year there is also a winner of winners – a Gold winner amongst the Gold winners. The South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance won this Overall Winner category award
Now in their 11th year, the awards aim to develop quality tourism products that promote cultural integrity and environmental protection.
"These awards are significant for the entire Tourism industry in South Africa. It shows that South Africa is taking its place as a world leader in responsible tourism," said Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom.
"Many travellers are now making decisions based on fair trade, community benefits and sustainable development practices. In response to this, more of our destinations are implementing sustainable principles like recycling greywater and reducing energy use. These establishments are an inspiration to others to follow suit."
The need for tourism businesses to look after the environmental, economic and social elements of their enterprise is a key pillar in the recently revised Tourism Act of 2014.
South Africa has become the second country in the world, after Brazil, to develop National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism.
"I believe we can do more to educate and activate travel consumers to support responsible tourism. This will accelerate the implementation of responsible tourism principles by destination operators even further," Hanekom said, adding that they will be looking at ways to incentivise the retrofitting of tourism attractions and accommodation facilities to make them for energy saving, water efficiency and accessibility for travellers with physical limitations.
Posted in Tourism ArticlesTagged Hotel Verde, sustainable practices, Sustainable Tourism, World Responsible Tourism Awards

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Q: Unable execute POST query with inserted JSON data over CURL I need to create POST query to application ( https://exampleapp.com/ms/auth ) over CURL utility. But query is:
login=MyLogin&password=MyPassword&firstEnv=0&SecondEnv={"device_id":"23","device_os":1,"device_os_version":"1.2.3","a
pp_version":"2.3(4)"}

How i can do this via CURL utility (Windows) ?

A: *

*put the entire thing you want to post into a file, call the file 'blob.txt'

*invoke curl -d @blob.txt https://example.com/blabla/bla

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
This Map will Help You Understand More about Culture of the Countries!
Cultures are complicated, and anyone attempting to explain or group them will struggle to avoid giving offense.
Political scientists Ronald Inglehart of the University of Michigan and Christian Welzel of Luephana University in Germany put forth their best effort by analyzing data and plotting countries on a "culture map." Their system stems from the World Values Survey (WVS), the largest "non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed," which dates to 1981 and includes nearly 400,000 respondents from 100 countries.
The latest chart, published several years ago, includes data from surveys conducted from 1995 to 1999, 2000 to 2004, and 2005 to 2009.
So what's going on in this chart?
On the y-axis, traditional values emphasize the importance of religion, parent-child relationships, and authority, according to WVS. People who embrace these tend to reject divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. These societies usually exhibit high levels of nationalism and national pride, too. In the U.S., these values would likely align more with conservative ideologies. Oppositely, secular-rational values represent the other extreme and tend to relate to liberal ways of thinking.
On the x-axis, survival values revere economic and physical security and safety and are linked to low levels of trust and tolerance. On the other side, self-expression values give high priority to protecting the environment, promoting gender equality, and tolerating foreigners and gays and lesbians.
The chart also groups nearby countries with shared characteristics such as "Islamic" or "English Speaking," showing how much things like language and religion shape culture.
Here's how WVS explains the main trends:
A somewhat simplified analysis is that following an increase in standards of living, and a transit from development country via industrialization to post-industrial knowledge society, a country tends to move diagonally in the direction from lower-left corner (poor) to upper-right corner (rich), indicating a transit in both dimensions.
However, the attitudes among the population are also highly correlated with the philosophical, political and religious ideas that have been dominating in the country. Secular-rational values and materialism were formulated by philosophers and the left-wing politics side in the French revolution, and can consequently be observed especially in countries with a long history of social democratic or socialistic policy, and in countries where a large portion of the population have studied philosophy and science at universities. Survival values are characteristic for eastern-world countries and self-expression values for western-world countries. In a liberal post-industrial economy, an increasing share of the population has grown up taking survival and freedom of thought for granted, resulting in that self-expression is highly valued.
For example, Morocco, Jordan, and Bangladesh (all Islamic countries) score high in traditional and survival values, while the U.S., Canada, and Ireland (all English-speaking countries) score high in traditional and self-expression values.
Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Moldova (all Orthodox countries) score high in secular-rational and survival values, while Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland (all protestant Europe countries) score high in secular-rational and self-expression values.
In their 2005 book "Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy," Inglehart and Welzel argue that "socioeconomic development tends to bring predictable changes in people's worldviews." Notably, these developments tend to democratize countries, and modernization — "a syndrome of social changes linked to industrialization," as the duo define in a 2005 Foreign Policy article — kick-starts the process.
For example, Inglehart and Welzel link industrialization with a move from traditional to secular-rational values, leading to separation of religion and authority. Next the post-industrial phase of modernization produces a shift from survival to self-expression values, which brings greater freedom from authority.
But cultural and historical traditions, like Protestantism or communism, matter, too. They "reflect an interaction between driving forces of modernization and the retarding influence of tradition," Inglehart and Welzel write in their book.
WVS is currently preparing data from wave six with surveys conducted from 2010 to 2014.
Another attempt to explain world cultures, the Lewis Model based on observations from linguist Richard Lewis, charts countries in terms of "reactive," "linear-active," and "multi-active" tendencies.
reference: BUSINESS INSIDER
Tags: Culture
Next story Check it Out: What to Do during Traveling?
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text:
Q: How to capture video in Android? I would like to create a video recorder and so far haven't figured out how to set parameters in order to successfully go through MediaRecorder.prepare() method.
Executing the following method
public void start() throws IOException{
    String state = android.os.Environment.getExternalStorageState();
    if(!state.equals(Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED))
    {
        throw new IOException("SD card is not mounted. It is " + state + ".");
    }
    File directory = new File(path).getParentFile();
    if(!directory.exists() && !directory.mkdirs())
    {
        throw new IOException("Path to file could not be created.");
    }

    recorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
    recorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.THREE_GPP);
    recorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.H263);
    recorder.setVideoFrameRate(15);
    recorder.setVideoSize(176, 144);
    recorder.setOutputFile(path);
    recorder.prepare();
    recorder.start();
    this.state = VideoRecorderState.STATE_RECORDING;
}

it throws an exception on line recorder.prepare().
How to set parameters in order to be able to capture video?

A: I am exactly answering this question in the following tutorial:
http://integratingstuff.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/writing-code-that-captures-videos-on-android/
The reason why your code is failing on prepare() is because you didn't set all the necessary properties. For example, you also need to set maxDuration.

A: I had the same question. I was going from a background audio recording service, and hoping to create a background video recording service. You can't truly record background video, but you can make the video preview very small in your existing UI. I followed the tutorial: http://integratingstuff.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/writing-code-that-captures-videos-on-android/ and the sample Camera Preview demo. But ultimately the sample code in http://www.apress.com/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/39/ was simple enough to tweek, but also complete enough to work with setCamera. I will post my solution here to save others time in their progression from toy examples, to a complex example with good quality background video recording (using front facing camera if necessary).
This is the source for an Android video recorder with "no" preview (the preview is a 1x1 pixel which simulates an unobtrusive recording led), to record video without distracting users. To use your own UI, simply change the video_recorder.xml to your layout (be sure to keep the VideoView). It was tested on Android 2.2 and 3.0 devices.
Suitable use cases:

*

*eye gaze tracking library to let users use eyes as a mouse to navigate a web page

*use tablet camera(s) to replace video camera in lab/clinic experiments (psycholingusitics or speech pathology)

Layout xml:
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- This file is /res/layout/video_recorder.xml based on listing 9-6 in Pro Android 2 -->
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent">

    <RelativeLayout android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:gravity="center">

            <VideoView android:id="@+id/videoView" android:layout_width="1px"
                    android:layout_height="1px" />

    </RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Java class:
import java.io.File;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.media.MediaRecorder;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.widget.Toast;
import android.widget.VideoView;
/**
 * Android video recorder with "no" preview (the preview is a 1x1 pixel which
 * simulates an unobtrusive recording led). Based on Pro Android 2 2010 (Hashimi
 * et al) source code in Listing 9-6.
 *
 * Also demonstrates how to use the front-facing and back-facing cameras.
 * A calling Intent can pass an Extra to use the front facing camera if available.
 *
 * Suitable use cases:
 * A: eye gaze tracking library to let users use eyes as a mouse to navigate a web page
 * B: use tablet camera(s) to replace video camera in lab experiments
 * (psycholingusitics or other experiments)
 *
 * Video is recording is controlled in two ways:
 * 1. Video starts and stops with the activity
 * 2. Video starts and stops on any touch
 *
 * To control recording in other ways see the try blocks of the onTouchEvent
 *
 * To incorporate into project add these features and permissions to
 * manifest.xml:
 *
 * <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera"/>
 * <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus"/>
 *
 * <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
 * <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
 * <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
 *
 * Tested Date: October 2 2011 with manifest.xml
 * <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" android:targetSdkVersion="11"/>
 */
public class VideoRecorderSubExperiment extends Activity implements
        SurfaceHolder.Callback {
    public static final String EXTRA_USE_FRONT_FACING_CAMERA ="frontcamera";
    private static final String OUTPUT_FILE = "/sdcard/videooutput";
    private static final String TAG = "RecordVideo";
    private Boolean mRecording = false;
    private Boolean mUseFrontFacingCamera = false;
    private VideoView mVideoView = null;
    private MediaRecorder mVideoRecorder = null;
    private Camera mCamera;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.video_recorder);
        mVideoView = (VideoView) this.findViewById(R.id.videoView);

        //mUseFrontFacingCamera = getIntent().getExtras().getBoolean(
        //      EXTRA_USE_FRONT_FACING_CAMERA, true);
        if(mUseFrontFacingCamera){
            // If caller wants to use front facing camera, then make sure the device has one...
            // Hard coded to only open front facing camera on Xoom (model MZ604)
            // For more universal solution try:
            // http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2779002/how-to-open-front-camera-on-android-platform
            String deviceModel = android.os.Build.MODEL;
            if (deviceModel.contains("MZ604")) {
                mUseFrontFacingCamera = true;
            } else {
                Toast.makeText(
                        getApplicationContext(),
                        "The App isn't designed to use this Android's front facing camera.\n " +
                        "The device model is : " + deviceModel, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                mUseFrontFacingCamera = false;
            }
        }

        final SurfaceHolder holder = mVideoView.getHolder();
        holder.addCallback(this);
        holder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
    }

    public boolean onTouchEvent(MotionEvent event) {
        // can use the xy of the touch to start and stop recording
        float positionX = event.getX();
        float positionY = event.getY();

        switch (event.getAction()) {
        case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:
            // Screen is pressed for the first time
            break;
        case MotionEvent.ACTION_MOVE:
            // Screen is still pressed, float have been updated
            break;
        case MotionEvent.ACTION_UP:
            // Screen is not touched anymore
            if (mRecording) {
                // To stop recording attach this try block to another event listener,
                // button etc
                try {
                    stopRecording();
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    Log.e(TAG, e.toString());
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            } else {
                // To begin recording attach this try block to another event listener,
                // button etc
                try {
                    beginRecording(mVideoView.getHolder());
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    Log.e(TAG, e.toString());
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
            break;
        }
        return super.onTouchEvent(event);
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
        try {
            beginRecording(holder);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, e.toString());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int width,
            int height) {
        Log.v(TAG, "Width x Height = " + width + "x" + height);
    }

    private void stopRecording() throws Exception {
        mRecording = false;
        if (mVideoRecorder != null) {
            mVideoRecorder.stop();
            mVideoRecorder.release();
            mVideoRecorder = null;
        }
        if (mCamera != null) {
            mCamera.reconnect();
            mCamera.stopPreview();
            mCamera.release();
            mCamera = null;
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        try {
            stopRecording();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, e.toString());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        super.onDestroy();

    }

    /**
     * Uses the surface defined in video_recorder.xml
     * Tested using
     * 2.2 (HTC Desire/Hero phone) -> Use all defaults works, records back facing camera with AMR_NB audio
     * 3.0 (Motorola Xoom tablet) -> Use all defaults doesn't work, works with these specs, might work with others
     *
     * @param holder The surfaceholder from the videoview of the layout
     * @throws Exception
     */
    private void beginRecording(SurfaceHolder holder) throws Exception {
        if (mVideoRecorder != null) {
            mVideoRecorder.stop();
            mVideoRecorder.release();
            mVideoRecorder = null;
        }
        if (mCamera != null) {
            mCamera.reconnect();
            mCamera.stopPreview();
            mCamera.release();
            mCamera = null;
        }

        String uniqueOutFile = OUTPUT_FILE + System.currentTimeMillis() + ".3gp";
        File outFile = new File(uniqueOutFile);
        if (outFile.exists()) {
            outFile.delete();
        }

        try {
            if (mUseFrontFacingCamera) {
                //hard coded assuming 1 is the front facing camera
                mCamera = Camera.open(1);
            } else {
                mCamera = Camera.open();
            }

            // Camera setup is based on the API Camera Preview demo
            mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
            Camera.Parameters parameters = mCamera.getParameters();
            parameters.setPreviewSize(640, 480);
            mCamera.setParameters(parameters);
            mCamera.startPreview();
            mCamera.unlock();

            mVideoRecorder = new MediaRecorder();
            mVideoRecorder.setCamera(mCamera);

            // Media recorder setup is based on Listing 9-6, Hashimi et all 2010
            // values based on best practices and good quality,
            // tested via upload to YouTube and played in QuickTime on Mac Snow Leopard
            mVideoRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
            mVideoRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC);
            mVideoRecorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.THREE_GPP);// THREE_GPP
                                                                                // is big-endian,
                                                                                // storing and
                                                                                // transferring
                                                                                // the most
                                                                                // significant
                                                                                // bytes first.
                                                                                // MPEG_4 as another option
            mVideoRecorder.setVideoSize(640, 480);// YouTube recommended size: 320x240,
                                                                            // OpenGazer eye tracker: 640x480
                                                                            // YouTube HD: 1280x720
            mVideoRecorder.setVideoFrameRate(20); //might be auto-determined due to lighting
            mVideoRecorder.setVideoEncodingBitRate(3000000);// 3 megapixel, or the max of
                                                                                // the camera
            mVideoRecorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.H264);// MPEG_4_SP
                                                                                // Simple Profile is
                                                                                // for low bit
                                                                                // rate and low
                                                                                // resolution
                                                                                // H264 is MPEG-4 Part 10
                                                                                //is commonly referred to
                                                                                // as H.264 or AVC
            int sdk = android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT;
            // Gingerbread and up can have wide band ie 16,000 hz recordings
            // (Okay quality for human voice)
            if (sdk >= 10) {
                mVideoRecorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.AMR_WB);
                mVideoRecorder.setAudioSamplingRate(16000);
            } else {
                // Other devices only have narrow band, ie 8,000 hz
                // (Same quality as a phone call, not really good quality for any purpose.
                // For human voice 8,000 hz means /f/ and /th/ are indistinguishable)
                mVideoRecorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.AMR_NB);
            }
            mVideoRecorder.setMaxDuration(30000); // limit to 30 seconds
            mVideoRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(holder.getSurface());
            mVideoRecorder.setOutputFile(uniqueOutFile);
            mVideoRecorder.prepare();
            mVideoRecorder.start();
            mRecording = true;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, e.toString());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

A: Maybe the Camera application's source helps you debug this.

A: Have you checked this out?
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=5050
These guys suggest that it is a timing issue, and that the MediaRecorder state machine may require some delay (hardware dependent?) between states.
It would be nice if there were callbacks for when each state was fully achieved - then we could just put prepare in that.

A: Here is a snippet that works:
m_recorder = new MediaRecorder();
m_recorder.setPreviewDisplay(m_BeMeSurface);
m_recorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC);
m_recorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.DEFAULT);
m_recorder.setOutputFormat(MediaRecorder.OutputFormat.THREE_GPP);
m_recorder.setAudioEncoder(MediaRecorder.AudioEncoder.AMR_NB);
m_recorder.setVideoEncoder(MediaRecorder.VideoEncoder.MPEG_4_SP);
m_recorder.setMaxDuration((int) MAX_TIME);
m_recorder.setOnInfoListener(m_BeMeSelf);
m_recorder.setVideoSize(320, 240);
m_recorder.setVideoFrameRate(15);
m_recorder.setOutputFile(m_path);

m_recorder.prepare();
m_recorder.start();

THE most important thing is the surface.   You don't have it, so without it it fails.
Regards
BeMeCollective

A: This could be a permissions error. Do you have the android.permission.CAMERA permission set in your AndroidManifest file?

A: In my case, copying and pasting the samples above didn't work.
Then, viewing the methods in MediaRecorder, I found setPreviewDisplay.
I called this method passing the surface used in Camera.setPreviewDisplay, the IOException in .prepare is gone and I was able to record video.
Try yourself and post your results.


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Chris and I are traveling to visit family this week, but wanted to share just a few images from our trip to Colorado! We're definitely planning on sharing more later, but here's a few for today! Hope everyone is having a great week!