Timber ventilated facade house (Casablanca, Chile) is a project of renovation of a wooden house organized according to a new helical staircase which, through the overhang of the new room and the extension of an existing deck, allows a visitor to go up to new panoramic terraces on the roof. The function of timber ventilated facade is to avoid accumulations of moisture and water in the structure walls.Architecture: Renewal (2008) Delphine Ding, Jose Ulloa DavetPhotography: Jose Ulloa Davet
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Timber ventilated facade house
The Most Beautiful Houses in the World2 Jan 2012 | 7:29 am -
Form & Forest’s Pioneer Prefab Cabin
Small House Style13 Sep 2011 | 7:00 amCanada’s Form & Forest present this unique cabin built on a pristine five-acre lot in the Rockies. Rather than go the traditional route of log homes, Form & Forest wanted to try something a little different. This 360 degree glass design incorporates a shed roof that opens up one side of the structure, allowing in a cascade of light, quite the reverse of the more conventional small cabin windows set in thickly-logged walls. With two bedrooms and two sleeping lofts, it provides the perfect wilderness retreat for a mid-sized family. Addressing the concerns of the remote locations… -
34 Bad Tattoos: The Awful, The Weird, and The Misspelled
WebUrbanist24 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm[ By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art & Graffiti & Drawing. ] In carpentry they say to measure twice and cut once. In tattooing it’s “choose your tattoo artist carefully, and bring a dictionary.” These mistakes will haunt their owners, and everyone who has to look at them, for a lifetime. (Images via chrocodiles, aimlessdirection, designstattoo, bad-tattoos, defunctonline, awfulink, asheperception) Portraits are difficult no matter what medium one is working with. This is why it’s very important to check out the previous work of any tattoo artist before letting… -
Small Japanese house design
The Most Beautiful Houses in the World10 Jan 2012 | 7:03 amLike a bird’s nest, the small Japanese house design is open to the view of the Hiroshima and Inland Sea and is relief from disturbance. The house is protected from the environment and creates a feeling of safety.Architecture: Kimihiko OkadaPhotography: Toshiyuki Yano -
Contemporary home design, USA
The Most Beautiful Houses in the World5 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amThe contemporary home design evolved from the client’s desire for a house that is a tranquil place for retreat, art and living. This house is seamlessly open to the ridge-top coastal site via operable glazed walls. The client asked for a master suite, a study for two, one guest room and an informal open living space.Architecture: Neumann Mendro AndrulaitisPhotography: Ciro Coelho
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About.com Architecture
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Architecture Updates: Jan 20-27, 2012
27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amAs I re-read The Great Gatsby, I've been taking a new look at the opulent architecture of America's Gilded Age. Also this week: monumental mistakes and a very funny house. New and Updated Pages: Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina Great American Mansions Palm Springs Architecture Words on Monuments: Mistakes on Memorials & Statues The Pod House in New York State New From Our Readers: What's the best American city for exploring architecture? What qualities make a great architect? Facebook | Twitter -
Aussie Pride
26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amG'day! In Australia, January 26 is Australia Day, a national holiday celebrating Captain Arthur Phillip's landing at Sydney Cove. Over the next 200 years, Australia's first European settlement became the ...Read Full Post -
Architecture & Energy in Philly
25 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amDoes energy consumption influence architectural style? Should energy-efficient buildings look different? These are questions being asked—and hopefully being answered—at an architecture and energy symposium on January 27, 2012 in Philadelphia. The "Architecture and Energy" workshop is part of a program funded by US Department of Energy (DOE) grants—part of the money you hear Congress reauthorizing occasionally. ...Read Full Post -
Year of the Dragon
23 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amHappy (Chinese) New Year! January 23, 2012 marks the beginning of 4710, the year of the dragon. The name is apt, since dragons play an important role in Chinese ...Read Full Post -
South Carolina Architecture
21 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amThe January 21 presidential primary in the USA reminds us of the great architecture throughout South Carolina. "My favorite place for exploring architecture is Charleston, SC," one About.com reader tells us. ...Read Full Post
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Cyburbia | Urban Planning Community
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City Planner - New Bedford, MA
27 Jan 2012 | 12:07 pmThe City of New Bedford, Massachusetts is accepting applications for the position of City Planner ($64,765 – $79,000). Responsible for the overall supervisory, administrative, technical and professional work in the current and long-range planning programs of the City. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in land use planning, urban planning, landscape architecture or closely related field, and four years’ experience in municipal planning. Full description and application instructions available at http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/Personn...ty_Planner.pdf. -
Letting out your inner two-year-old
27 Jan 2012 | 11:55 amLately I've been refusing to eat the pointy ends of bananas. For no good reason. It seems like it is something a two-year-old would do. I hope I'm not alone in this kind of thing. In what ways have you been channeling your inner toddler? -
Uses Vehicle auctions vs vehicle dealerships
27 Jan 2012 | 11:13 amRecently we've had someone ask about putting a vehicle auction center on a site that previously held an auto dealership. I've been searching the internet and haven't found many regulations dealing with this use specifically. I also have never been to an auto auction, so I'm not completely sure of the differences. I know they would have auctions 1-2 times a week, so you could expect larger crowds fewer times a week, but thats about it. So do you have any experiences with auctions, any examples of good regulations or any other thoughts on the issue. Thanks. -
Utterly meaningless phrases
27 Jan 2012 | 10:07 amThe fastest growing sport in America -
Twitter's value
27 Jan 2012 | 9:11 amSo this article piqued my interest... http://www.forbes.com/sites/markgibb...ocial-suicide/ His argument is that if Twitter isn't completely open it isn't valuable. If you are using Twitter for personal or work related activities, does it diminish the value if there is a chance that your tweet might be censored or queued? I can't think of many time sensitive tweets that we do, but I can imagine this would be a HUGE blow to how Twitter was used in the middle east uprisings and to news agencies which use it to break news...
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Archinect - News
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Kathmandu architect chronicles a dying culture
27 Jan 2012 | 4:56 pm... much of the capital's ancient architecture will soon be no more than a memory, according to one of the world's leading authorities, Niels Gotschow, as haphazard urbanisation and a desire for modernity change Kathmandu. "To put things into a book is an act of preservation because one day this will be the only way to remember," says Gutschow, who has dedicated the last four decades to chronicling and preserving Nepal's architectural treasures. -
Should architects design buildings as if they were Web apps?
27 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pmDavid Galbraith has embarked on a fascinating journey, exploring the notion that the flow of people and their interactions inside buildings, is similar in design to the flow of data and user interaction of Web apps. Could best practices in Web app design be applied to architectural design? Also, check out Archinect's interview with David Galbraith. -
LOLA, Deltavormgroep and Piet Oudolf to Design Star Maze Park Groot Vijversburg
27 Jan 2012 | 1:10 pmDutch firms LOLA landscape architects, Deltavormgroep, and Piet Oudolf have won the commission for the extension of the historical park Groot Vijversburg in the north of The Netherlands with their submission “Star Maze”. The team has won the commission through a national tender, for which five teams were selected. -
Is There Anything Marc Newson Hasn’t Designed?
26 Jan 2012 | 6:50 pm-- asked what bugged him most. “Ninety-nine percent of all cars,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of all sneakers. Ninety-nine percent of all cellphones. Ninety-nine percent of all door handles.” -
GDS Architects Wins 2nd Phase of Cheongna City Tower Competition - the World's First Invisible Tower?
26 Jan 2012 | 4:41 pmAfter winning Phase 1 of the design competion for the supertall Cheongna City Tower (formerly known as Tower Infinity) in Incheon, South Korea (previously on Bustler), international practice GDS Architects has now also taken the Fist Prize in the invited competition (Phase 2) to do the project through design development.
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Building Design - All News
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Prince's Foundation leads drive to restore Waterloo's heart
27 Jan 2012 | 8:51 amAnnouncement coincides with foundation’s rebranding -
Jeremy Till named new head of Central Saint Martins
27 Jan 2012 | 4:04 amTim Stonor made visiting professor at the Bartlett -
Sense and eccentricity
27 Jan 2012 | 2:40 amPiers Taylor’s midlife crisis may point to an alternative future for the profession -
Olympic projects set to dominate RIBA awards
27 Jan 2012 | 2:40 amMain stadium among schemes to be entered for London accolade -
A more organic regeneration
27 Jan 2012 | 2:30 amThe Outer London Fund, coordinated by Design for London, seeks to boost the built environment through a host of small-scale changes
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Architectural Digest - The Latest
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The Hotel Bel-Air's Second Act
26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmAfter an extensive two-year renovation, the famed Los Angeles retreat debuts a glamorous new look, courtesy of designers Alexandra Champalimaud and David Rockwell -
Auto Focus 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmFrom the buzziest models about to hit the streets to envelope-pushing concept cars, AD spotlights ten designs that will be turning heads this year -
Celebrity Kitchens
25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm(Slide show) Whether sleek and urbane or rustic and homey, the kitchens of stylish stars can be as creative as their famous owners. Click through our slide show from the AD archives for ideas to inspire your next renovation -
At Home with Jorge Elias in Sao Paulo
24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmThe Brazilian architect flamboyantly blends equal parts grand antiques and bold contemporary art at his neoclassical-style mansion -
Rineke Dijkstra's Absorbing Portraits
23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmThe Dutch photographer's captivating work goes on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
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A Daily Dose of Architecture
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Kundig Mechanics
27 Jan 2012 | 10:30 pmOn Wednesday architect Tom Kundig -- of Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects -- spoke at the New York Public Library, conversing with Town & Country editor Mark Rozzo about Tom Kundig: Houses 2, published by Princeton Architectural Press. In the lecture portion of the evening Kundig spoke about his inspirations, ranging from his architect-father to the landscape of eastern Washington state where he grew up and even hot rodding. In line with the DIY mechanics of the latter is Jean Tinguely's fountain in Basel, what Kundig described as straddling the "thin line between highbrow and lowbrow… -
Dear Concept Of Phenomenology In Architecture As Developed By The Norwegian Theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz,
26 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmThis is too funny -- to architects that read history and theory books, at least -- not to pass along. In an issue last September The Onion's advice column was Ask The Concept Of Phenomenology In Architecture As Developed By The Norwegian Theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz. I'll guess this elicits either a smile that something so architecturally esoteric would make it in The Onion, or a "huh?" [Christian Norberg-Schulz | image source] Here's a taste: Dear Concept Of Phenomenology In Architecture As Developed By The Norwegian Theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz, I'm as open-minded as the next… -
Bau des Jahres
25 Jan 2012 | 1:30 pmThe 2011 Bau des Jahres -- Building of the Year -- at Swiss-Architects.com is Janus, the redevelopment the City Museum in Rapperswil-Jona by Biel-based :mlzd. The selection is the result of readers choosing from the 50 projects featured in the Swiss-Architects.com eMagazine last year. -
Today's archidose #553
24 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmHere are some photos of ROC Leiden Lammenschans Park in Leiden, The Netherlands by RAU, 2011. Photos are by Klaas Vermaas. To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool, and/or :: Tag your photos archidose -
Monday, Monday
23 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pmMy weekly page update This week's dose features Shou Sugi Ban in Maarn, Netherlands by BYTR Architects: The featured past dose is Palmwood House in London, England by Undercurrent Architects: This week's book review is Wonderland Manual for Emerging Architects edited by Wonderland - Platform for Architecture, Silvia Forlati, Anne Isopp: american-architects.com Building of the Week: Caterpillar House in Carmel, California by Feldman Architecture: Some unrelated links for your enjoyment: The ArchHive "Critical archive of architecture." (Added to sidebar under Architectural Links » Online…
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Dornob
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100% Storage: Wooden Table Made Up of Secret Spaces
27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am[ Filed under Storage & Shelves & in the Furniture category ] Every kind of conceivable opening is built into this multifaceted rectangular table that swings, slides, pivots and bends open on all sides. Naoki Hirakoso put work, though, not only into the openings but in how they would look and work when closed – subtly abstract lines traced around the sides of this otherwise plain and linear box. Simple light-colored, gloss-finished plywood contrasts with the dark recesses that emerge when the panels and drawers flip open, creating contrast without variations in color. Keep… -
Pebble-Like Wall Switches add Rock-Solid Style to Any Room
26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm[ Filed under Hardware & Fans & in the Fixtures category ] When decorating or re-decorating a home, how many of us think of the truly overlooked interior elements: the light switches? Some homes may have decorative switch plates, but most still have the same plain up-and-down plastic switches. Elo switches, distributed by French company Realitem, are gorgeous wall switches that are enough to make any room shine. The ultra-stylish fixtures come in a variety of finishes, but each is smooth, round and unlike any other wall switches. The gorgeous Elo hardware is also available as sockets,… -
Privacy is Egg-Cellent: Personalized Mobile Solitude Rooms
26 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am[ Filed under Living & Dining & in the Interiors category ] The humble egg: it is delicious, useful, and apparently endlessly inspiring to architects and designers. Italian architect Paolo Maldotti took his cue from the venerable protein source to design a mobile room that can be outfitted whatever way the owner desires. The project is called NU-OVO in reference to “uovo,” the Italian word for egg. The structure’s exterior is segmented into eight parts, four of which are immobile and four that slide open and closed to allow an occupant or two in or out. Inside, the… -
Functional Origami: Double-Duty Living Room Component
25 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm[ Filed under Transforming & in the Furniture category ] There is probably not a single home out there that couldn’t use some extra seating once in a while. Or an extra flat surface for piling things on. This ingenious chair from designer Benoit Lienart is both – but never at the same time. The transforming Sweetch18 is a slick armchair that doubles as a coffee table. Or it it a coffee table that doubles as a chair? Either way you say it, this simple piece of transforming furniture does double duty. With just a simple push or pull of the tabletop/chair back, the piece easily… -
Outside In House: Lively Courtyard Brings Nature Indoors
25 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am[ Filed under Contemporary & in the Architecture category ] Where most architecture strives to be beautiful in some way, it has been argued that man-made structures can never hope to match the loveliness of nature. This house in a residential district in Tokyo was designed by Japanese architecture firm mamm-design to embrace the best of nature and manufactured design. Starting on the exterior with a slight cantilever over a ground-level terrace, the Minna-no-ie house seems greater than the extremely small 4.5 meter-by-12 meter lot on which it sits. The entrance of the home is defined by…
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WebUrbanist
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Billboard House: Reclaiming Sky-High Commercial Space
27 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm[ By Steph in Architecture & Design & Subvertising & Counter-Ads & Urban Images. ] Some billboards are just begging to be subverted, while others take us by surprise with their creativity and ingenuity. But whether you hate these humongous advertising platforms or think they’re an important part of modern society, billboards probably aren’t going away anytime soon. That’s why design team Apostrophy’s has attempted to make them more multi-purpose with the intriguing Billboard House. Currently on display in Bangkok, Thailand for the Baan Iae Suan Fair,… -
Abandoned Hollywood Theater Hidden Above NY Shop
26 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm[ By Steph in Abandoned Places & Architecture & Design & Urban Images. ] As a bodega in New York’s East Village closes and questions arise about the historical building’s fate, a photographer has captured a hidden gem located on the floor above the shop: an abandoned theater, which was in operation between 1926 and 1959. The photos, by Kevin Shea Adams, show what has become of Avenue A Theater above East Village Farm. The exterior, which is a blank wall of windowless brick, gives little clues as to what may be inside, but neighborhood residents who remembered the old… -
Feeling the Earth Move: Urban Sidewalk Liquid Intervention
25 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm[ By Delana in Architecture & Design & Guerilla Action & Art & Urban & Street Art. ] The normal urban environment is hard, angular and not often playful. We go about our business with the type of calculated indifference cultivated through years of city dwelling. But when that cold, hard environment suddenly changes unexpectedly, we have no choice but to snap out of our collective reverie and take notice. That is precisely what happened when residents of Bourges, France came upon a highly unusual section of sidewalk. (all images via: Raum) This urban art installation was… -
34 Bad Tattoos: The Awful, The Weird, and The Misspelled
24 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm[ By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art & Graffiti & Drawing. ] In carpentry they say to measure twice and cut once. In tattooing it’s “choose your tattoo artist carefully, and bring a dictionary.” These mistakes will haunt their owners, and everyone who has to look at them, for a lifetime. (Images via chrocodiles, aimlessdirection, designstattoo, bad-tattoos, defunctonline, awfulink, asheperception) Portraits are difficult no matter what medium one is working with. This is why it’s very important to check out the previous work of any tattoo artist before letting… -
Invisible Edges: 15 Death-Defying Infinity Pool Designs
23 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm[ By Steph in Architecture & Design & Travel & Places. ] The edges of these pools seem to just drop off into space, threatening to whisk swimmers off a cliff, into the sea or over the edge of a skyscraper. Infinity pools, also known as zero-edge pools, use glass walls or waterfall-like overspill troughs to achieve this sometimes vertigo-inducing effect. These 15 particularly scenic infinity pools will have you daydreaming about booking summer vacations. Cliff-Hanging Home with Cantilevered Pool (images via: marc gerritsen) Talk about dream houses – this jaw-dropping…
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anArchitecture
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365 days of a Bike
19 Jan 2012 | 7:35 amGet a bike. Lock it to a post. Take a pic every day for a year. And this is what happens. Nice experiment by Red Peak Branding. [via swissmiss] content by anArchitecture [[ This is a content summary only. Visit www.an-architecture.com for content. ]] -
Morphing Logo - WORKac
15 Jan 2012 | 4:38 amDynamic / morphing logo by Project Projects for the New York city based architectural practice WORKac. The moving shapes playfully reflect the multidisciplinary strategies of the design firm. A grid... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit www.an-architecture.com for content. ]] -
Space Sprawl
10 Jan 2012 | 12:49 amIn the 1970 NASA envisioned possibilities to colonize space: building giant spaceships, orbiting around the sun. The image shows a diorama scene from the Haus der Natur, in Salzburg. For Space... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit www.an-architecture.com for content. ]] -
No bulk mail, please!
5 Jan 2012 | 11:02 am"No direct mail, please!" - drawn by hand. A Swiss way to avoid bulk mail - seen at the amazing Siedlung Halle, in Bern, by Atelier 5. content by anArchitecture [[ This is a content summary only. Visit www.an-architecture.com for content. ]] -
Hans Hollein is an Artist
5 Jan 2012 | 3:09 am"Hereby I confirm that Hans Hollein is an artist" - Joseph Beuys. (postcard seen at the Hans Hollein exhibition, at the Neue Galerie Graz, Joanneumsviertel). Hollein is the only Austrian... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit www.an-architecture.com for content. ]]
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BLDGBLOG
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Breaking Out and Breaking In
25 Jan 2012 | 10:49 amBreaking Out and Breaking In: A Distributed Film Fest of Prison Breaks and Bank Heists kicks off Friday, January 27, sponsored by BLDGBLOG, Filmmaker Magazine, and Studio-X NYC. [Image: Breaking Out and Breaking In poster by Atley Kasky and Keith Scharwath; view larger!].Breaking Out and Breaking In is an exploration of the use and misuse of space in prison escapes and bank heists, where architecture is the obstacle between you and what you're looking for.Watch the films at home—or anywhere you may be—and then come back to discuss the films here on BLDGBLOG. It's a "distributed" film… -
Landscapes of Dredge
23 Jan 2012 | 9:08 am[Image: The expansion of Manhattan island, via Urban Omnibus].For those of you in New York, consider stopping by Studio-X NYC for a short visual history of geotubes, silt fences, sensate geotextiles, engineered earthforms, and other monuments of the dredge cycle as Rob Holmes and Stephen Becker of Mammoth join Tim Maly of Quiet Babylon to present the work of the Dredge Research Collective (with Brett Milligan of Free Association Design, who, sadly, is unable to attend). In the words of the event organizers: The Dredge Cycle is landscape architecture at a monumental scale, carving the… -
Space Jack
11 Jan 2012 | 3:27 pm[Image: "White Elephant" by Jimenez Lai, via Archinect].Archinect is currently featuring a project called "White Elephant (Privately Soft)" by Jimenez Lai. Lai describes it as "a building inside a building," falling "somewhere between super-furniture and a small house." It's a flippable object, able to be tilted and set on any side. It tumbles, in the architect's words, its cowhide-padded interior offering a place to sit in any orientation.[Images: "White Elephant" by Jimenez Lai].I'm basically just posting this here as eye-candy, but there is something awesomely compelling about the notion… -
Submarine City
11 Jan 2012 | 10:05 am[Image: New York Harbor, mapped in 1966, courtesy of NOAA].Going through old links this morning, I found a story originally published in New York Magazine back in 2009 about the waters of New York City—a maritime metropolis that, many forget, is also an archipelago. "What, exactly, is down there?" the magazine asked, looking out at the urban waters. "For starters, a 350-foot steamship, 1,600 bars of silver, a freight train, and four-foot-long cement-eating worms." There are also the now submerged ruins of "Coney Island’s great early theme parks," discarded in the waters after the fun ran… -
Drone Landscapes, Intelligent Geotextiles, Geographic Countermeasures
7 Jan 2012 | 2:38 pm[Image: The "buried cable intrusion detection sensor," courtesy of G-Max Security].1) The Israeli-based company G-Max Security makes a "buried cable intrusion detection sensor" that is "totally concealed and operates effectively under any type of surface," from open fields and highways to mountains, snow, and ice. It acts as a "perimeter detection ring" that uses "Passive Magnetic Detection" technology—that is, a buried cable-sensor network—assuring "effective Early Warning of any perimeter intrusion attempt."This security geotextile is, in effect, an electromagnetic nervous system in the…
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Integrated Sustainable Design
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Curriculum and California K-12 Schools: Part 2
20 Jan 2012 | 12:04 pmIn our first post about curriculum and construction in K-12 schools, we highlighted the idea that this pairing is really about a thoughtful blend of old and new ideas. Technology, hands on experiences and relevant core values all play a vital role. My last piece was focused on concepts that cross grade and subject boundaries, as with the tessellations—repeated, interlocking shapes that are found in nature, science and math—at Beverly Hills High School (BHHS). Today, we’ll focus more on hands on experiences. Our clients at South Tahoe High School (STHS), in South Lake Tahoe,… -
Sustainable Design: 1980s Style
18 Jan 2012 | 5:54 pmDid you know that LPA has been practicing sustainable design since the 1980s? It’s a fact that our firm is incredibly proud of. We’ve been doing “green” since before it was a movement or a trend. Think about where you were and what you were doing in 1987. Was sustainability on your radar? It was on ours—1987 is the year that: President Ronald Reagan challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall Microsoft releases Windows 2.0 American Motors is acquired by Chrysler Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame… -
Nine Sustainable Lifestyle Tips for 2012
6 Jan 2012 | 1:48 pmWelcome back dear readers. It’s the first week of the New Year, and as our gift to you, we’ve compiled a list of short, actionable sustainable lifestyle ideas you can implement at home, for instant results. May you enjoy them, and enjoy these first few weeks of 2012. Nine of our Best Sustainable Lifestyle Tips 1. There is an interesting new residential thermostat called the Nest. Designed by engineers who worked on the iPod, they include a lot of high tech features (e.g. WiFi, and an iPhone app), to help homeowners manage home heating and cooling energy. You can also simply set… -
Architecture Highlights of 2011
29 Dec 2011 | 5:02 pmAs we’ve done for the past two years, it’s time for our annual year end highlights piece, reviewing the best in architecture and engineering in 2011. 1. Charter Schools and Project Based Learning For school designer Wendy Rogers, one of the best parts of her year, has been working on The Academy—a 320-student charter high school developed by the Orangewood Children’s Foundation. One of the first facilities of its kind, the school will focus on project based learning, technology, and 21st century skills. The 7.2-acre, urban site in Santa Ana, California, will one… -
Sustainable Design Principle #8: Create Value
16 Dec 2011 | 12:47 pmAs we continue our series on LPA’s 10 Principles of Absolute Design, I can’t think of a better theme to end the year on. These tenets help us think more globally about sustainability, and our approach to integrated sustainable design. Today, we’ll delve into Principle #8: Create Value. LPA’s 10 Principles of Absolute Design Inter + Act Do Less Challenge Convention Zoom Out Zoom In Build Smart Enrich Lives Create Value Prove It Step Up LPA Sustainable Design Principle #8: Create Value. The green planning and design process should create value for everyone involved.
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INHABITAT
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Tim Cook Outraged Over New York Times Accusations That Apple Abuses Worker’s Rights in Chinese Factories
27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmToday a leaked internal email from Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed outrage over the New York Times‘ scathing exposé revealing the harsh working conditions of Apple’s many Chinese suppliers. Cook insisted that Apple has done and will continue to do everything they can to improve worker conditions, and he even questioned the validity of the New York Times article, saying “Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It’s not who we are.” Read the rest of Tim Cook… -
Villa Escudero’s Waterfall Restaurant Serves Philippine Cuisine at the Foot of the Falls
27 Jan 2012 | 5:58 pmRead the rest of Villa Escudero’s Waterfall Restaurant Serves Philippine Cuisine at the Foot of the Falls Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: eco restaurant, eco vacation, eco-resorts, Environment, environmental, environmental resort, green resorts, green restaurant, green vacation, labasin falls, Nature, nature restaurant, Philippines, philippines resort, sustainable resorts, sustainable restaurant, sustainable vacation, villa escudero, villa escudero resort, waterfall resort, waterfall restaurant, waterfalls -
PHOTOS: San Francisco’s Southern Pacific Brewing is a Tree-Filled Beer Sanctuary in a Renovated Warehouse
27 Jan 2012 | 5:56 pmRead the rest of PHOTOS: San Francisco’s Southern Pacific Brewing is a Tree-Filled Beer Sanctuary in a Renovated Warehouse Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: adaptive reuse, boor bridges architecture, green architecture, green bar, green brewing company, Green Building, green design, green renovation, industrial renovation, Mission District, San Francisco, Southern Pacific Brewing, southern pacific brewing company, sustainable design -
6 Green Roof Resorts from Around the World!
27 Jan 2012 | 5:54 pmRead the rest of 6 Green Roof Resorts from Around the World! Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: eco lodges, eco lodging, eco resort, eco roof, green roof, green roof cover, green roof hotel, heat island reduction, rain water, roughing it green retreat, storm water retention, vegetated roofs -
Irish Artist Builds the World’s First 1.4 Billion Euro Home From Shredded Bills
27 Jan 2012 | 5:52 pmWhat makes a home worth a million dollars? How about a billion dollars? Irish artist Frank Buckley has taken this question to its logical extreme by building his very own home made from 1.4 billion Euro notes! Graced with very strict permission from the Central Bank of Ireland, Buckley has constructed and now lives in a home made entirely of shredded decommissioned Euros. He formed the bills into 6 inch by 2 inch bricks, each of which contains around 40 to 50 thousand Euros. The three-room house is an amazing exercise in recycled materials as well as a social statement on Ireland’s…
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Pruned
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Where is Alloura Zion?
27 Jan 2012 | 6:08 pm(Where the earth is the sky is the earth, where is Alloura Zion? Image courtesy of NASA. Source.) Read more » -
Gravity Base Stations
26 Jan 2012 | 11:53 pm(Possibly outdated data sheet for a gravity base station in JFK International Airport. Image courtesy of NOAA. Source.) When I first stumbled upon these poorly scanned data sheets of so-called gravity base stations, I thought they were actual “stations,” that is, actual gravity sensing devices that are constantly taking measurements of local geodetic conditions. Compact machines like those humidity monitors you see in museums and galleries that are sometimes mistaken for art installations. To protect them from the environment and public tampering, I imagined each device encased in a metal… -
(Im)possible Chicago #31-40
25 Jan 2012 | 4:53 pm((Im)possible Chicagos is a series of hallucinatory joyrides through one hundred and twenty five asynchronous Chicagos.) -
Mythologizing the Dredge Boaters
24 Jan 2012 | 9:30 pm(Steampunk terraformers draining a swamp. Image courtesy of Walkerton Are Historical Society. Source.) Once the cities established their beachheads, the dredge boaters and their mud-suckers entered the soft, defenseless womb-belly of the Great Dismal Swamp. There was an Empire to be made. (Photo courtesy of Bill Hewitt. Source.) Some began on the margins, gnawing away at the neither solid nor liquid surface, leaving an alien grid of ditches and canals, by which the wetlands were sucked dry. Others were dropped in the middle of the marshy wilderness, carrying planks of timber, bushels of coal,… -
Gardens as Crypto-Water-Computers
23 Jan 2012 | 8:52 pm(Vladimir Lukyanov's water computer, 1936. Image courtesy of the Polytechnic Museum, Moscow.) I only recently found out about Google's reverse image search functionality. Since then I've been busy feeding its search engine some of the more mysterious images that have been littering my archives for years, hoping finally to figure out what they are actually pictures of, and why I even found them interesting enough to keep in the first place. One of those images is the one you see above. According to a translation of this article published by the Russian magazine Science and Life in 2000, it…
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Planetizen - Urban Planning, Design and Development Network
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Boulder Officials Consider Per-Household Transportation Tax
28 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amThe extra $24 a year, tacked onto existing utility bills, would go toward covering a $3 million transportation budget gap and highway and bridge repair. This is the transportation officials' second try in convincing the City Council. read more -
Friday Funny: Take the Kids to Napoleonland
27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pmA new theme park dedicated to all things Napoleon has been proposed for the area south of Paris by former French minister and history buff Yves Jégo, and is being touted as a rival to Disneyland, reports Henry Samuel. read more -
What's Wrong With America's Streets - And How To Fix Them
27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pmBen Goldman reports on a new illustrative guide, Sustainable Street Network Principles, published by the Congress for New Urbanism, that seeks to educate planners and officials on how to create successful streets and neighborhoods. read more -
Green Building Trends To Watch in 2012
27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmClaire Easley talks with the "godfather of green," Jerry Yudelson, about the "megatrends" to watch for in the Green Building industry over the next year. read more -
Next Step in California Redevelopment Saga: More Lawsuits
27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pmIn an effort to seek an 11th hour reprieve from the scheduled elimination of the state's redevelopment agencies, two consortiums of cities have filed lawsuits in Sacramento Superior Court, reports Josh Stephens. read more
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Strange Harvest
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Versioned Chairs at Send To Print
16 Jan 2012 | 4:13 pmVersioned Thonet No. 14 Chair Micheal Thonet / Sam Jacob / Lionel Eid / Kit Bencharongkul I’m showing Versioned Chairs at the Aram Gallery as part of their Send To Print show on 3D printing. Versioned Le Corbusier LC2 Le Corbusier / Pierre Jeanneret / Charlotte Perriand / Sam Jacob / Insoo Hwang / Wataru Sawada Versioned Chairs explores five canonical chairs through acts of translation. Starting with a photograph of the original chair, this was first translated into a textual description. The text was then translated into sketches, drawn by a group who had no idea of the original… -
Helvarial
9 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pm -
Half Timbered Fields
5 Jan 2012 | 3:36 pm -
Untitled Brick Wall
20 Dec 2011 | 6:24 pmA few images of a piece I contributed to a show last month at FFAR in Stockholm as part of a show curated by San Rocco ‘The Even Covering of the Field’ along with Matilde Cassani and Ignacio Uriarte. The piece is a wall drawing of bricks, drawn at 1:1. It is a life size drawing of an everyday construction material and basic construction method in which the brick and its repetitive coursing is rendered as a decorative pattern rather than structure or envelope. Special thanks to Pier Paolo Tamburelli and his steady hand. -
Those Who Walk Through Walls & Other Hertzian Tales
16 Nov 2011 | 1:01 pmI have two pieces out concurrently that in some way speculate on the architectural space of broadcast and communication technology. In a sense, they describe the beginning and the end of what we could call the ‘Hertzian dream’ of liberation from the physical realm into new worlds whose fluid possibilities of geography, time, ownership and identity might offer freedoms that our material domain denies. The other end of this story is the creep of corporate media into our most intimate and private spaces and into the very structures that are intended to maintain civil society, and the…
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we make money not art
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H.O.R.T.U.S. (Hydro Organism Responsive to Urban Stimuli)
27 Jan 2012 | 9:03 amWith HORTUS, the architects from ecoLogicStudio are inviting the public to become cyber-gardeners and "invent new protocols of urban biogardening." There's a bright green carpet on the floor and hundreds of intravenous-style bags are suspended above our heads. The bags are in fact photo-bioreactors and they form a 'greenhouse' that hosts nine different species of algae, from chlorella to algae found in London's canals. Visitors can blow into flexible plastic tubes, fostering the growth of the algae with their carbon dioxide and activating the oxygen production continue -
Interview with Jani Leinonen
25 Jan 2012 | 1:47 amThe Finnish artist is the only person i've heard about who was actually arrested for pretending to guillotine a cheap Ronald Mc Donald statue. With the help of a friend, i got in touch with Jani Leinonen and bombarded him with questions about the beggars signs he's been exhibiting at the Venice Biennale, his crazy sexed-up versions of cereal boxes for children, his successful attempts at selling contemporary art works by the bulk as if they were vegetables and of course i was curious about the aftermath of the Ronald affair continue -
Magazine review - MCD#65 The culture of green tech
22 Jan 2012 | 5:18 amThe culture of green tech is a timely publication. 2009 saw plethora of festivals, exhibitions and conferences dedicated to sustainability, 'greener planet' and ecology. I attended so many of them i ended up turning into a cynical eco-phobic. The following year, culture moved to other issues but the relevance of an artistic reflection on green tech is as high as ever. The magzine proposes an intelligent, critical view that goes beyond the monolithic 'green is beautiful' moto and looks into the dilemma and contradictions of green tech continue -
Samsung Art + Prize
17 Jan 2012 | 10:13 amThe press view for the Samsung Art+ Prize at BFI Southbank in London dragged me out of bed earlier than usual today. I don't know if the prize is the UK's first digital media art competition as it claims to be, but it is remarkably good. The selection of artworks at least. I'm far less enthusiastic about the way it is exhibited continue -
Health & Safety Violations - interview with Ben Woodeson
15 Jan 2012 | 10:24 amA wire brush spins around randomly, threatening your open-toe sandals. A motion activated vacuum pump sucks out the air from a sealed gallery space: the longer the viewers remain inside, the less air for them to breathe. A cobble stone is rotating on a rope. The sole purpose of that kettle is to spread red acrylic paint on your shoes. An electric fence used to control livestock on farms criss-crosses the path that leads to an art gallery or the bar. Elsewhere a randomly activated tripwire awaits visitors... continue
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ArchitectureYP
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Stuart Tanner Architects
20 Jan 2012 | 2:44 pmInteresting projects by Stuart Tanner Architects. to find out more...Image featuring Pirates Bay House via http://www.stuarttannerarchitects.com.au/ -
Tiny Houses
19 Jan 2012 | 12:05 pmSmall Spaces are attractive to its' efficiency and effective organisation of things and fundamental components that built ones' living style. Prefabrications, modulations, flexibility to different characters and spatial needs are sustainable. 'The bare neccessity of live'. Some related links here:- http://www.archdaily.com/160892/the-pros-and-cons-of-cargo-container-architecture/ http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/shipping-containers-a-design-primer/ http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/26/cargo-container-homes-and-offices/ http://www.busyboo.com/tag/shipping-container-homes/… -
Crossbox by CG Architects
19 Jan 2012 | 10:42 amInteresting Crossbox by CG Architects. to find out more... related link: http://www.busyboo.com/2011/08/16/container-home-crossbox/ Image via http://www.cgarchitectes.fr/#/projets/categories/3/4 -
Peter barber Architects
16 Dec 2011 | 9:50 am"West Cromwell Square is a new high density,medium rise urban quarter laid out around tree-lined streets, a beautiful new public square and featuring a 14 storey landmark tower the prominent intersection of West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road." to find out more... Image and Passage via http://www.peterbarberarchitects.com/60_WCR.html -
Kannisto School by Linja Architects
18 Nov 2011 | 7:14 amKannisto school by Linja Architects. to find out more... Image via http://www.linja-arkkitehdit.fi/en/project/30
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ecAr.tumblr
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cosascool: Jaume Fuster Library by Josep Linás & Joan...
27 Jan 2012 | 9:08 pmcosascool: Jaume Fuster Library by Josep Linás & Joan Vera. (by Wojtek Gurak) -
lifeonsundays: The fathers of modern design - George Nelson,...
25 Jan 2012 | 11:11 pmlifeonsundays: The fathers of modern design - George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames, and Jens Risom in the July ‘61 issue of Playboy. -
archdaily: Orchard Library by HMC Architects (via ArchDaily)
24 Jan 2012 | 10:37 pmarchdaily: Orchard Library by HMC Architects (via ArchDaily) -
theabsolution: ‘Pabellón Polideportivo Alcobendas’ (Madrid,...
23 Jan 2012 | 10:44 pmtheabsolution: ‘Pabellón Polideportivo Alcobendas’ (Madrid, Spain) by Aguinaga y Asociados Arquitectos -
theabsolution: ‘Menzis Office Building’ (Groningen,...
22 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pmtheabsolution: ‘Menzis Office Building’ (Groningen, Netherlands) by De Architekten Cie
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Architecture +
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Paul Rudolph
22 Jan 2012 | 12:01 pm“Urban Retreat” in New York city by Paul Rudolph (Video) via: http://www.homedsgn.com/2012/01/12/iconic-urban-retreat-in-new-york-city-by-paul-rudolph-video/Bookmark this: -
The High Line
29 Dec 2011 | 5:26 pmSome pieces of architecture change a city and some change architecture. I believe the High Line is on of these rare projects. I first featured this on ~woot~ last week http://jeanricard.tumblr.com/post/14628074507/high-line-section-2-before-and-after. Here is a video that explains why I am taken with this work.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifHigh Line Phase Two from arbuckle industries on Vimeo.If it does not display See it here: http://vimeo.com/26340409Bookmark this: -
$25 Computer
25 Dec 2011 | 4:29 pmvia: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439on another note a Press releaseFXI DEMONSTRATES ANY SCREEN CONNECTED COMPUTING USB Companion Adapter Enables Screens to Access the Cloud and Mobile Content New York, NY and Trondheim, Norway – November 17, 2012 - FXI Technologies, a hardware and software startup based in Trondheim Norway, demonstrated today the world's first any screen, connected computing USB device. Codenamed "Cotton Candy", this sweet little device serves as a technology bridge between any display, the Cloud, and any input peripheral. The vision for Cotton Candy is to… -
Technology & Money
21 Dec 2011 | 8:49 pmThis story starts in the 1850s with the founding of Western Union Telegraph and the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution. When Morse was approaching his eightieth birthday it was felt among the telegraph fraternity at Western Union that a formal testimonial in the U.S. should be given to honor him - Saturday, June 10th, 1871 Morses final message was:" Greeting and thanks to the Telegraph fraternity throughout the world.Glory to God in the Highest, on Earth Peace, Goodwill to men." S ... F .-. B -... M -- O . . R . .. S ... E . Ezra Cornell’s story is the story of the telegraph in… -
CS101
7 Dec 2011 | 12:38 pmComputer Science 101 Nick Parlante Class starts February 2012CS101 teaches the essential ideas of Computer Science for a zero-prior-experience audience. Computers can appear very complicated, but in reality, computers work within just a few, simple patterns. CS101 demystifies and brings those patterns to life, which is useful for anyone using computers today. In CS101, students play and experiment with short bits of "computer code" to bring to life to the power and limitations of computers. Everything works within the browser, so there is no extra software to download or install. CS101 also…
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Design feed
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Modular Hydroponics System Works in Any Indoor Space
28 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amThis modular design, inspired by vertical gardens, allows for extra green space in small apartments and offices. -
Could Cities Benefit from Small-Scale, Local "Urban Acupuncture" Projects Like This? (Photos)
27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amWoven from bamboo, this inviting structure transforms an empty lot in busy Taipei into a haven where neighborhood residents can relax and gather over a fire. -
Saving Food From The Fridge: It Will Taste Better, May Even last Longer, And Reduce Your Energy Bills
27 Jan 2012 | 5:45 amA Korean designer shows how we can keep food fresh and good tasting without refrigeration, learning from people who didn't have the choice. -
Jobless Man Builds House That's Literally Made of Money
26 Jan 2012 | 5:35 pmWhen life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you a global economic crisis, a gloomy real estate market, and an uncertain currency future, make a house out of shredded-up money. -
A NYC School Teams Up with Columbia to Build a Rooftop Garden and Classroom
26 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmA public school in New York City is doing amazing things to promote a love for gardening and local food, and is working with Columbia students to build a garden on its roof.
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Jetson Green
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Passive House Retreat in Rhode Island
27 Jan 2012 | 5:55 pmRecently I realized that we neglected to follow up on a Passive House project discussed in pre-construction way back in March 2010. It turn out the New England Passive House, or Little Compton Retreat, received LEED Gold certification from the USGBC in recent months. The background is this is a home by ZeroEnergy Design, who performed mechanical and architecture services, and Aedi Construction, who built the home. Located in Little Compton, the 1,200 square-foot retreat has three bedrooms, one of which is a kid’s loft, two bathrooms, a tub room, and an open kitchen, dining and living… -
Solar Decathlon Takes Talents to the OC
27 Jan 2012 | 12:58 amFor the Solar Decathlon enthusiasts and early planners, here’s a heads up that Solar Decathlon 2013 will be held at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, according to the Department of Energy. In August 2011, we mentioned that the DOE was shopping around for a new location. Turns out the new location is the site of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which Irvine will convert into sustainable parkland for family recreation. Teams will install their homes on the paved runway. In addition, the DOE announced the 20 teams that will participate in the solar-powered… -
The Environmental Value of Building Reuse
26 Jan 2012 | 7:40 amIt turns out that “building reuse almost always offers environmental savings over demolition and new construction,” according to a new study published by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Green Lab published its findings after a life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of various buildings located in four cities around the country. Green LAB compared building reuse and renovation with new construction in four environmental areas (climate change, human health, ecosystem quality, and resource depletion), six building types… -
Students Build Greenest Home in Canada
25 Jan 2012 | 11:44 pmWhat’s planned for construction by students on an infill lot and aiming to meet the Living Building Challenge with LEED Platinum certification? That would be Canada’s Greenest Home in Ontario. Students enrolled in The Endeavour Centre’s Sustainable New Construction: Building a New Future program will build the 2,000 square-foot home during a five-month period this summer. The home is expected to use a fraction of the energy of a conventional home and will have an energy-efficient foundation, prefabricated straw bale walls, grid-tied photovoltaics, solar hot water,… -
Plugwise Eliminates Excess Energy Use
25 Jan 2012 | 12:34 amCalifornia-based kWh Power is tackling phantom energy loss by introducing the Plugwise system in the United States. Developed by Dutch company Plugwise in 2006, this system allows you to monitor, track, and control unnecessary energy use throughout your home or office. The system consists of “Circles” which are plugged into standard wall outlets to measure load on that outlet, and a “Stick” that wirelessly relays data from the circles to your computer, where Plugwise Source, the monitoring and management software, allows you see and control usage. Data can also be uploaded to the web…
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The Whispering Crane Institute
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Warren Buffet, on your Chosen Profession
4 Jan 2012 | 3:54 pmThis quote from Warren Buffet seems to make a lot of great sense to me, I mean how hard is it to become a expert in one field, let alone a expert in two fields. The CENTS show is coming up in OHIO, and the ANLA Mgmt Clinic is coming up in Louisville, KY. Two great events to sharpen some skills, do some networking, and learn about some new possibilities in our great profession. For most people, the bulk of their income is going to come form earning power in their chosen profession. Therefore, from the standpoint of building wealth, free time is better spent sharpening one’s professional… -
2011 in review
2 Jan 2012 | 9:30 pmThe WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 200,000 times in 2011. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 9 days for that many people to see it. Click here to see the complete report. Filed under: Blogroll, Einstein, landscape design, pergola -
2012
30 Dec 2011 | 8:46 pmWell what’s going to happen this year? The housing market seems to be recovering in a few areas but most areas the market is still depressed and most folks see no sign of an upturned market. If folks do not believe there house is going to appreciate or at least stay at least level there will not be much enthusiasm to put money in those backyards which means no money in our pockets for sure. We can only hope for a bottoming out of the market and a real start to the rise in the unemployment numbers putting Americans back to work, and a more positve outlook on the future. Good luck to us… -
December 29th
30 Dec 2011 | 7:14 pmDear Readers Today it was 54 degrees and sunny. The cats were grateful and played outside most of the day, it was a great day to get some good fresh air and just enjoy an amazing December day. It was so great I’d have to call it a Chamber of Commerce kind of day here in beautiful East Central Ohio. Here’s to wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a great 2012. Will I post more in 2012? I sure hope so Rick Anderson Filed under: nature, stuff -
June 6th, 1944
6 Jun 2011 | 3:03 pmSoldiers helping soldiers The story Okay I pulled this account from Blonde Housewife, who pulled it from BlackFive(dot)net I’d been looking for something to post about today and this seems the most appropiate. On a day when so many gave the last full measure for the United States of America. I pulled this from the D-Day website, some startling numbers of involvement Operation Neptune 195,701 – Number of personnel assigned to Operation Neptune (sailors and soldiers) 25,000 – Number of Navy allies crews engaged in the framework of Operation Neptune 15,500 – Number of…
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CONTINUITY IN ARCHITECTURE
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Stair hack
22 Jan 2012 | 8:34 amSteps up to the rampart. Castelvecchio, Verona. Architect: Carlo Scarpa (more...) -
Adam Khan Architects at Brockholes
12 Jan 2012 | 10:31 amMy article in Architecture Today on Adam Khan Architects’ Brockholes floating visitor centre is available at this LINK (more...) -
Redemption
1 Nov 2011 | 4:04 amIl Redentore from Zaterre. (more...) -
Piazza San Marco meets Preston Bus Station
13 Oct 2011 | 10:52 amIn the spirit of the Collage City Unité/Uffizi comparison: Piazza San Marco transformed into Preston Bus Station. (more...) -
Villa Romana del Casale
10 Oct 2011 | 5:08 amA model of the uncovered villa. Sicily. (more...)
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Blisstree » LIVE
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Afternoon Links: Prep A Quick And Healthy Dinner
27 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pm• Master the art of resilience. (HuffPost Fitness) • Ways to prep a quick, healthy dinner. (fitsugar) • A quick fix for feeling down in the dumps. (The Stir) • Can you make your husband change? (YourTango) • How to handle your debt. (HuffPost Women • How to handle difficult people. (YouBeauty) • Vegetable cocktails you should try. (Organic Authority) • Health and fitness books you should buy. (Well + Good) Post from: Blisstree -
6 Reasons Why Your Period Might Be Irregular
27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmContrary to what you may be inclined to believe by the period-shaming media, your monthly flow is not embarrassing, not blue, not consistant, and often, not monthly at all. In fact, for most women, at some point in their lives, unusual menstruation is the norm–and that perfect, 28-day cycle is an illusive creature, like a hormonal unicorn leaping over rainbows of body-positive tampon ads off on the horizon. But even with that knowledge, when your period does something unpredicted, it can still be worrisome. I asked Heather Corinna, Founder and Executive Director of… -
Why Snooki Should Promote Exercise And Diet Instead of Zantrex3
27 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pmI’ve already written about how amazing it is that Snooki‘s new Zantrex commercial features the same music as Jessie Spano‘s caffeine pill breakdown. Now it’s time for me to have a serious talk about her new body and why I’m so bummed that she’s peddling diet drugs instead of focusing on all the other hard work she’s been doing to get healthy. Snooki has been showing off her newly toned (albeit badly photoshopped) body on Twitter since December, and she even appeared on Ellen reporting on her new—dare I say it?—healthy habits, like working out… -
Anti-Obesity Program Horrors: They May Cause Eating Disorders
27 Jan 2012 | 10:40 amA new poll says 30% of parents have seen at least one worrisome behavior in their children that could be associated with an eating disorder—and they’re blaming it on school-based anti-obesity programs. Of course, lowering childhood obesity rates is a good thing, but it seems a lot of school programs are taking a dangerous approach: Instead of teaching kids how to life a happy, healthy lifestyle through positive role models, they teach them how not to be obese. The difference—inspiration vs. fear—makes all the difference between controlling obesity and, it appears, eating… -
Obese Docs Less Likely To Diagnose Obese Patients
27 Jan 2012 | 9:50 amWhether a doctor’s weight interferes with his or her ability to diagnose patients is a question I would normally consider stupid and insulting. But new research shows this actually might be the case—at least when that diagnosis is obesity. According to a study published this month in the journal Obesity, doctors who were overweight or obese were far less likely to diagnose obesity than docs in the normal weight range. The study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, surveyed 500 doctors across the United States. Researchers found doctors with a ‘normal’…
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Roundtable: Research Architecture
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Speculative Realism (Annex to Collapse II)
8 Jan 2012 | 4:09 amSpeculative Realism: A One-Day Workshop took place on 27 April 2007 at Goldsmiths, University of London, under the auspices of the Centre for the Study of Invention and Social Process, co-sponsored by Collapse. Rather than announcing the advent of a new theoretical ‘doctrine’ or ‘school’, the event conjoined four ambitious philosophical projects – all of which boldly problematise the subjectivistic and anthropocentric foundations of much of ‘continental philosophy’ while differing significantly in their respective strategies for superseding them. read more -
G. Harman - The Road to Objects
16 Dec 2011 | 2:52 pm"Turning to space, one thing we know is that space cannot be located entirely within the sensual realm. John Locke noted that our experience of space is in some way an illusion. Everything in experience itself is flat and equidistant, as seen from the fact that babies reach with equal confidence for nearby toys, distant doorways, and the moon. Space is not directly accessible to our senses, but inferred, and this skill must be acquired at a specific point in child development. Despite what Leibniz claims, space is not the realm of relation, but of both relation and non-relation. read more -
G. Harman - Networks and Assemblages: The Rebirth of Things in Latour and DeLanda
16 Dec 2011 | 2:48 pm"Bruno Latour and Manuel DeLanda are not entirely unknown to contemporary philosophy. [...] Both authors have large international followings and can safely be described as “famous,” though I have sometimes had to explain their identities to friends otherwise familiar with the latest philosophical trends. Yet even for those who do know their books, Latour and DeLanda are usually regarded as interesting figures who lie somewhere near the fringes of current debate. Neither of them currently leads anything like a school of international philosophy, though others of their generation already… -
Projection -- Lorraine Daston
20 Nov 2011 | 5:03 am"Although the concept of “projection” is ubiquitous in psychology, political theory, anthropology, sociology, and, thanks to the popularization of psychoanalysis, in colloquial conversation, it is not an obvious choice for a historian of science like myself. Yet I hope to show that the concept of “projection” cannot be fully understood – neither its history nor its hold on modern thought – without recourse to the history of science. This claim has both a specific and a general aspect. read more -
The End of Oslo by Judith Butler (LRB)
10 Nov 2011 | 5:48 pmAmong the many astonishing claims that Barack Obama made in his recent speech opposing the Palestinian bid for statehood was that ‘peace will not come through statements and resolutions.’ This is, at best, an odd thing to say for a president whose ascendancy to power itself depended on the compelling use of rhetoric. Indeed, his argument against the power of statements and resolutions at the United Nations to achieve peace was a rhetorical ploy that sought to minimise the power of rhetorical ploys. read more
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The Antiplanner
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Warren Buffet’s Secretary Needs a New Accountant
26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am“Asking a billionaire to pay at least as much [tax] as his secretary is plain common sense,” says President Obama. When Warren Buffett announced that his secretary paid a higher rate than he did, some people calculated that he must pay her at least $200,000 a year to put her in an (average) 19 percent [...] -
Building Eyesores Creates Jobs, Especially When You Tear Them Down
25 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amHonolulu has the best bus system in America, taking a higher percentage of commuters to work and carrying more daily riders per capita than any other bus system. But just having the best bus system isn’t good enough for some people, who just have to have a rail line to have “real transit.” So the [...] -
To the Moon, Alice
23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amThe Economist suggests that sending a woman to the moon would have a more positive impact on the economy than building high-speed rail. Certainly, a trip to the moon would use more modern technology as the first high-speed rail line was built in 1964 but we didn’t send a man to the moon until 1969. -
Self-Driving Cars in the Pipeline
21 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amThe hit of last week’s Detroit Auto Show was the 2013 Ford Fusion. This was a surprise because the car was merely a stylistic upgrade of an existing model. The real significance of the Fusion is not the “strong personality” or the fact that Ford will offer both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, but that [...] -
Is the Tea Party Falling Apart?
20 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amThe New York Times Magazine has discovered what everyone who has ever been to a Tea Party meeting already knew: tea parties are a coalition of social conservatives and libertarians. Both are fiscally conservative and so the tea parties focus on fiscal issues and agree to disagree on social issues. Does this mean the tea [...]
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Art Deco Buildings
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former Sanitarium Factory, Warburton
28 Jan 2012 | 5:59 amI used to spend quite a lot of time in Warburton and have loved this metal gate from the first time I saw it.The gate is looking a bit worse for wear now as is the building that it leads to, the former Sanitarium Factory. They used to make Weet-Bix here which explains the stylised stalk of wheat worked into the design of the gate.The Sanitarium Health Food Company, owned by the Seventh-Day Adventists, had built an earlier factory on the banks of the Yarra River in Warburton next to their Signs Publishing complex but it was damaged by flood in 1934 so architect Edward F Billson was… -
Wade Building, Hastings
27 Jan 2012 | 4:35 amWade Building, Hastings, NZSee my prints and t-shirts at www.redbubble.com/people/dct66 and tees and other giftware at www.zazzle.com/davidt66*. -
115 Cressy Street, Deniliquin
25 Jan 2012 | 2:51 amAs you can see this a simple clean stylish deco shopfront. It has a nice use of contrasting tiles and very simple design elements such as the two horizontal bands of cream tiles to the right of the doorway.What I find interesting is that the rest of the building is older at least by a decade or three. Commercial pressures probably lead to the redesign of the building at street level and here again in April 2011 when I took this picture the commercial forces are looking for a new owner for this fine building.See my prints and t-shirts at www.redbubble.com/people/dct66 and tees and other… -
Caister Road Bus Depot, Great Yarmouth
21 Jan 2012 | 5:23 amI was looking through some old photos today and came across the Caister Road Bus Depot in Great Yarmouth. According to the memories of Patrick Burnside it was the garage for the blue & cream buses of Great Yarmouth Corporation Transport. By the time these photos were taken in around 2001 the buses were still blue and cream (although more cream than blue) but 'The Corporation' was long gone.The red brick bulk of the building is broken up by vertical fins running either side of the garage openings and there are three panels showing different forms of transport.There's ...a carriage ...a very… -
House, Frinton-on-Sea
20 Jan 2012 | 3:11 amA modernist house in Frinton-on-Sea.See my prints and t-shirts at www.redbubble.com/people/dct66 and tees and other giftware at www.zazzle.com/davidt66*.
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SEI Design Group Blog
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Sock Mojo
23 Jan 2012 | 1:17 pmOne of our favorite sites, A Daily Dose of Architecture, had a post about J. Crew including Charles Renfro in an ad campaign showing how different men personalized one of their suits. As you can see from the picture, it was all about the socks. Question to all readers: do you rock your socks? If so, send us a picture of your socks by 1/31/12. One lucky winner will get some new socks in this deal. SEI friends and family may participate in this contest. Let’s hear it for the socks! -
Happy Holidays from SEI
26 Dec 2011 | 8:44 pmWe hope you are enjoying the holidays and preparing for a great New Year. We thought you might enjoy some moments from the Rochester and Albany holiday parties earlier this month. The hit of the Rochester party was “Architect Barbie”, as demonstrated by Bill. Nancy Mountain did the Michael Jackson walk and it got her a visit to Next Door Restaurant. Jimmi rocked the hat for a while and Karin had to actually bake after attending the party. Kelly also rocked the hat, but seemed to enjoy air hockey much more, and it looks like Tom Caruso… -
Different Type of Schools Addition
15 Dec 2011 | 12:11 pmThe Albany crew recently had a baby shower for Matt Schools and his wife, Sarah. The Schools are anticipating a new female arrival this February. -
Congrats Brasher Falls CSD!
14 Dec 2011 | 9:18 amAn $8.2 million capital improvement project was approved by Brasher Falls Central School District voters last night. The project includes replacement of the heating system, repair and replacement of old, deteriorated infrastructure, and replacement of 60-year old electrical distribution systems. These improvements will increase both the safety and usefulness of the school facilities. -
Saranac CSD Bond Vote Passes!
14 Dec 2011 | 9:11 amCongratulations to Saranac Central School District! Last night, district voters approved Saranac CSD’s $5.6 million capital improvement project which focuses on energy, health and safety items including window and door, HVAC and generator replacements. This project takes advantage of EXCEL funding.
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ArchDaily
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Alma Hotel Residence / Coz Polidura Volante Arquitectos
28 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amCourtesy of Coz Polidura Volante Arquitectos The main idea of the proposal for the Alma Hotel Residence by Coz Polidura Volante Architects takes us back to archaic structural typologies inherent to the Atacama culture, easily distinguishable in areas like Turi ruins, Lasana or Pucara de Quitor in San Pedro de Atacama. The layout of the building takes advantage of the program modules of rooms, repeating this form of modular design of fullness and emptiness, which means an operation sensible to light and shadow, as occurs at the site between streams and mountains. More images and architects’… -
‘Polikatoikea’ / Filipe Magalhaes and Ana Luisa Soares
28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amCourtesy of Filipe Magalhaes and Ana Luisa Soares Filipe Magalhaes and Ana Luisa Soares shared with us their first prize winning proposal in the open ideas competition organized by Origami Competitions. The competition focused on an empty plot in Oporto, Portugal, where they were asked to develop a fresh and contemporary residential proposal that could be spread through the city. ‘Polikatoikea’ does just that in seeking a compromise between a greek rule (polikatoika) and a swedish philosophy (ikea). More images and architects’ description after the break. Courtesy of Filipe… -
Cyclone Shelter / Lindsay Bremner and Jeremy Voorhees
27 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmCourtesy of Lindsay Bremner and Jeremy Voorhees The proposal for the international competition for a cyclone shelter in Bangladesh by Lindsay Bremner and Jeremy Voorhees is conceptualized as a boat-building, referencing two local typologies – the boat and the landing ghat. Located in Ranggabali, a small village in the Patuakhali Province, the building is half submerged in water in times of cyclone flooding while beached against a concrete ghat in dry seasons. Sheltering its occupants in the liminal zone between land and water, it makes place by transitioning from depth and section to… -
Seaside House / A2 Architects
27 Jan 2012 | 7:30 pmCourtesy of A2 Architetcs Architect: A2 Architects Location: East Coast of Ireland Project Area: 150 sqm Project Year: 2010 Photographs: Courtesy of A2 Architetcs Courtesy of A2 Architetcs A new seaside holiday house occupies the former site of a longstanding summer chalet with existing private access to a beach. Resonating with the scale and placement of neighbouring mobile homes, two untreated douglas fir timber enclosures rest on a cast concrete podium over a drift geology. Shelter unfolds between parallel wall planes to embrace views east over the Irish Sea and west over potato fields. -
Remodeling On Apartment Of New York / INNOCAD Architektur ZT GmbH
27 Jan 2012 | 5:30 pm© Thomas Schauer Architect: INNOCAD Architektur ZT GmbH Location: 459 West 18th Street, 10011, New York, USA Project Year: 2011 Project Area: 250 sqm Photographs: Thomas Schauer © Thomas Schauer Situated between the Meatpacking Districts at the borders of Highline Park the rooftop appartement was remodelled to meet the needs of its new inhabitants. Innocad Architecture changed it functionally and enhanced the design by mixing European design and New York lifestyle and thus creating a fresh atmophere. Materials and choice of colours represent both high quality standards and relaxed…
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Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter
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Tropical Hideaway Near Bali”s Valley of the Kings: Viceroy Resort
28 Jan 2012 | 3:55 amNestled on a hill near Bali’s Valley of the Kings, Viceroy Bali Resort&Spa offers accommodation units that combine comfort and privacy. The 25 villas of the resort are integrated within this scenic landscape, allowing each of the guests here to enjoy exquisite views from the comfort of their cottage-like dwelling. Despite their partially-rustic appearance, the villas come with the latest electronic amenities, as well as a pool and private outdoor spaces for relaxation. Some of the features of the resort include a bar with a famous collection of scotches and cognacs, a restaurant… -
Charming Madrid Residence With Feminine Touches
27 Jan 2012 | 11:35 amBy using various bespoke furniture items, interior decorator Maria de la Osa managed to create a stunning feminine appeal to this Madrid house, turning it into a space filled with patterns, serene colors and bespoke furniture. A mirror table adorns the middle of the living room, gently reflecting the colors and textures of its surroundings. The spotlight in the living space is on the beautiful transition between the space used for entertaining and the space used for dining – a double-sided furniture item that shelters books on one side and kitchen cabinets on the other. The dining area… -
A Rough Door Knob Design: Bang Bang Handle by Nikita Kovalev
27 Jan 2012 | 9:20 amFew people love guns. However, this unusual door-knob entitled Bang Bang Handle and designed by Nikita Kovalev does not necessarily appeal to the violent type, but rather to the extravagant persons, the ones who like to stand out of the crowd. I did not find any information about this design actually being produced, so I imagine it is currently just a concept. It is also not clear how exactly the product works. Does pulling the trigger have anything to do with activating the handle mechanism and opening/closing the door, or is it just there to intimidate? All in all, this door knob is… -
Exquisite Tribeca Loft Featuring Must-See Details
27 Jan 2012 | 6:05 amDisplaying a stylish collection of furniture and furnishings, this Tribeca loft fascinates with its 3, 428 square feet of charming living spaces. Occupying the entire fourth floor of a residential building on Hubert Street, this safe house features not only exceptional interiors, but also a state of the art security system via private key locked elevator. Stepping inside the light-flooded collection of spaces, one can see that high-tech features help in offering the inhabitants a comfortable lifestyle, like the programmable lighting system, screening facilities, sound system or electric… -
Versatile Structure Housing Living and Working Spaces
27 Jan 2012 | 5:02 amLocal architectural studio Fitzsimmons Architects designed the versatile structure that is not only a home, but also an architectural office and design workshop. A budget of $290K went into constructing this dream modern home located in downtown Oklahoma City. Rising two stories in the air, the OKasian House occupies what used to be 3 buildings demolished in the 80′s. This amazing versatile structure might remind you of the Oklahoma Case Study House featured on Freshome. According to the architects, “The form is mathematically influenced by numerals important to the owners, and…
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Dezeen
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Flight Assembled Architecture by Gramazio & Kohler and Raffaello d’Andrea
28 Jan 2012 | 2:12 amImagine if our cities were built by fleets of flying robots. A group of robot helicopters were programmed to lift and stack 1500 polystyrene bricks into a six metre-high tower at the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France. Watch the movie » (more…) -
One year ago…
27 Jan 2012 | 6:10 pmThis time last year an orchestral academy designed by Frank Gehry opened in Florida, while architects Scott Brownrigg completed the London offices for internet giant Google. Meanwhile, Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am was appointed director of creative innovation at technology company Intel, OMA published a report claiming the world could be free from fossil fuels by 2050 and a restaurant designed by Tom Dixon opened at London’s Royal Academy of Arts. Dezeen readers debated whether designs for a power plant that will blow smoke rings and double up as a ski slope… -
Jameson House by Foster + Partners
27 Jan 2012 | 12:44 pmArchitects Foster + Partners have attached a 35-storey tower onto the side of two renovated 1920s buildings in Vancouver’s financial district. (more…) -
This week on Dezeen
27 Jan 2012 | 10:05 amOur most controversial story this week announced writer Alain de Botton’s plans to erect temples for atheists across the UK – read the story and join the debate here. It also emerged that Disney were selling a T-shirt inspired by the 1979 album cover of Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, but don’t rush to order one as they’ve all sold. We also showed a robe made of golden silk harvested from over a million wild spiders and a tower built by flying robots. Our most popular story featured a blackened timber house surrounded by sheep on a Portuguese island and… -
Sports Concert Complex by GMP Architekten
27 Jan 2012 | 8:47 amFollowing their Eurovision Song Contest win last summer, Azerbaijan rushed to commission German firm GMP Architekten to design a new stadium that will be complete in time to host this year’s competition. (more…)
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BLDGBLOG
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Breaking Out and Breaking In
25 Jan 2012 | 10:49 amBreaking Out and Breaking In: A Distributed Film Fest of Prison Breaks and Bank Heists kicks off Friday, January 27, sponsored by BLDGBLOG, Filmmaker Magazine, and Studio-X NYC. [Image: Breaking Out and Breaking In poster by Atley Kasky and Keith Scharwath; view larger!].Breaking Out and Breaking In is an exploration of the use and misuse of space in prison escapes and bank heists, where architecture is the obstacle between you and what you're looking for.Watch the films at home—or anywhere you may be—and then come back to discuss the films here on BLDGBLOG. It's a "distributed" film… -
Landscapes of Dredge
23 Jan 2012 | 9:08 am[Image: The expansion of Manhattan island, via Urban Omnibus].For those of you in New York, consider stopping by Studio-X NYC for a short visual history of geotubes, silt fences, sensate geotextiles, engineered earthforms, and other monuments of the dredge cycle as Rob Holmes and Stephen Becker of Mammoth join Tim Maly of Quiet Babylon to present the work of the Dredge Research Collective (with Brett Milligan of Free Association Design, who, sadly, is unable to attend). In the words of the event organizers: The Dredge Cycle is landscape architecture at a monumental scale, carving the… -
Space Jack
11 Jan 2012 | 3:27 pm[Image: "White Elephant" by Jimenez Lai, via Archinect].Archinect is currently featuring a project called "White Elephant (Privately Soft)" by Jimenez Lai. Lai describes it as "a building inside a building," falling "somewhere between super-furniture and a small house." It's a flippable object, able to be tilted and set on any side. It tumbles, in the architect's words, its cowhide-padded interior offering a place to sit in any orientation.[Images: "White Elephant" by Jimenez Lai].I'm basically just posting this here as eye-candy, but there is something awesomely compelling about the notion… -
Submarine City
11 Jan 2012 | 10:05 am[Image: New York Harbor, mapped in 1966, courtesy of NOAA].Going through old links this morning, I found a story originally published in New York Magazine back in 2009 about the waters of New York City—a maritime metropolis that, many forget, is also an archipelago. "What, exactly, is down there?" the magazine asked, looking out at the urban waters. "For starters, a 350-foot steamship, 1,600 bars of silver, a freight train, and four-foot-long cement-eating worms." There are also the now submerged ruins of "Coney Island’s great early theme parks," discarded in the waters after the fun ran… -
Drone Landscapes, Intelligent Geotextiles, Geographic Countermeasures
7 Jan 2012 | 2:38 pm[Image: The "buried cable intrusion detection sensor," courtesy of G-Max Security].1) The Israeli-based company G-Max Security makes a "buried cable intrusion detection sensor" that is "totally concealed and operates effectively under any type of surface," from open fields and highways to mountains, snow, and ice. It acts as a "perimeter detection ring" that uses "Passive Magnetic Detection" technology—that is, a buried cable-sensor network—assuring "effective Early Warning of any perimeter intrusion attempt."This security geotextile is, in effect, an electromagnetic nervous system in the…
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archiCentral
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The True Beauty of Architecture
20 Jan 2012 | 6:57 amThere are some fields in the world which students are hesitant to study. Architecture is one of them. People basically do not understand this field properly, hence they assume wrong. Just like any other field, if you have strong desire in you to become an architect only then should you opt for it. This field is so much time consuming that you would have to give up all of your social life. If you are interested in this field then such a compromise would start to eat you up and you would not be able to concentrate on work. People who love the study of architecture take it to be an art and… -
Architecture is Science Not Drawing
15 Jan 2012 | 5:52 amThe work of an architect requires creativity of extreme levels. However, creativity is not the only thing required for becoming an architect. Proper education and a certain level of experience is required if you want to become and architect. Many people give examples of great architecture being built without any accredited degree. They point towards the wonders of the world to establish their claims. You need to remember that the times have changed. And even in the older days not everyone could be an architect. There is certain level of knowledge of science required to design structures. -
How Has Architecture Developed?
10 Jan 2012 | 8:10 amAt first, structures were constructed for mere survival. Though there was no beauty in the design but there was some purpose to the specifics of a structure. It is not just man who resides on structures for survival, animal use such methods as well. You all would be familiar with the beaver; it constructs a dam and secures the surroundings of its habitat by the water. Looks are important but they do not summarize the vast field of architecture. No matter how unattractive a structure might be, there is a reason for its outlook. There is no exact date from which the field of architectural… -
How Architecture Connects With the World We Live In?
5 Jan 2012 | 9:53 amThe combinations of arts and science extend to some various fields, including architecture. This professionally organized system renders to design and construction of a building so that mankind can utilize land. The traditions, religions, trends, and particular dates are embedded within the architectural designs of countries. Architecture is sub-classified into modern architecture, religious architecture, responsive architecture, domestic architecture, and sustainable architecture. The designing plans, interior and exterior views show different themes of architecture. The modern architecture… -
Mughal Architecture
30 Dec 2011 | 9:03 amMughal Architecture refers to the style of building adopted by the Mughal Dynasty in Northern Indian Subcontinent. It is a unique mix of Indian and Turkish architecture along with Persian and Iranian touches to it. The Mughal Dynasty contributed to the architectural scene in India from the 16th to the 18th century. Akbar contributed a lot to the architecture of India. He single handedly added cities; most prominently Fatehpur Sikry, near Agra. The tomb of Humanyoun, in Delhi was another masterpiece delivered during the tenure of Akbar. The Lahore Fort was also started during the tenure…
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Revit3D.com / BIMbuilder.com - BIMBoom Revitlution - BIM Unfiltered
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Using Annotation from Linked Views & Troubleshooting Missing Annotation - Revit Clinic
27 Jan 2012 | 5:01 pmSource/Link: Using Annotation from Linked Views & Troubleshooting Missing Annotation BIM -The Revit Clinic By default you can utilize annotation, such as dimensions \ room tags \ text \ etc, from a linked model view in the host model view. Under Visibility \ Graphic Overrides > Revit Links, you can set the link to By Linked View or Custom: When you select a linked view that contains annotation, it should display in the host model: However if you find the annotation missing from the linked view, there are a few common items to confirm which I have organized below: 1. Is the… -
Two New Free Addins available for Project Vasari
25 Jan 2012 | 10:26 pmSource/Link: Two New Free Addins available for Project Vasari BIM -It is Alive in the Lab On the heels of the update of the Parametric Sliders add-in for Project Vasari, the team has provided two additional add-ins: Automatically Update Export for Solar Radiation This WIP adds a check box to the Ecotect Solar Radiation tool to allow automatic update of an exported .csv file when analysis results are updated. // Download // Wiki help Dynamo for Vasari Build parametric functionality on top of Vasari with a graphical user interface. Autodesk has extended the open source effort of Ian… -
SAuBIM - Code Calculations for Revit - On Sale!
24 Jan 2012 | 11:27 pmHey Jeff, the Revit users at my company use your product. Why isn't everybody else?Source/Link: SAuBIM - Code Calculations for Revit - On Sale! BIM -The Revit Kid! In honor of the semester starting again SAuBIM is on sale for 30% off starting today and ending in one month... Click here to get the software now for less than 14 dollars! Posted by: Jeffrey A. Pinheiro, LEED AP at The Revit Kid.com!
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New Urbanism Blog
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Why are we so fat?
14 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pmToday’s quick interlude comes from an info graphic at fastcodesign.com. The info and piece focuses mostly on how much money (as a percentage of income) that Americans spend on food relative to other countries. For me, the more interesting information is a comparison of the average caloric intake of Americans vs other countries. You see, we really don’t eat that many more calories on average than Italians, Germans, or others. And yet, we are far more obese.I’ve no doubt that food quality plays a small role in this, as some of the piece argues. But the real truth is quite… -
Resolutions for America – 2012 edition
11 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pmNew Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition of mine. Sometime within about 24 hours of January 1st, I like to make that extensive list of my goals for the year ahead, even if the world will be coming to an end this year. I know someone could say this is a silly or arbitrary measure, but I think it’s important to find time to reflect on myself, and ask, “how can I do better?” Or, “what else can I do with my life?” And, since we don’t accomplish what we don’t measure, I generally try to add some level of measurable accountability to these annual goals.When we make such… -
How to Destroy Your City, in 3 Easy Steps
21 Nov 2011 | 9:57 amEXT: A NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER STOREA lively setting: people walking, talking. Store owners chat with customers on the sidewalk.EXT: A NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER STORE20 years later, same location. A lonely street: buildings boarded up or turned into low-rent uses. Few people seen walking around. Generally dismal.It’s a common theme or scene in so many movies. (The movie Back to the Future comes to mind for me) The old neighborhood, once thriving and lively, is now a virtual ghost town. We’re left to think this simply is how life is. The sands of time turn what was once something good into something… -
Saturday interlude: Incubator Retail in Japan
12 Nov 2011 | 4:25 pmA quick interlude between college football games:Today’s Wall Street Journal has a front page article describing one man’s efforts at rebuilding in Japan, following the tsunami earlier this year.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577007550569072874.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLETopStoriesWhat struck me more than anything were the images of his temporary store. See below: Now, this isn’t the first time someone has used cargo containers for architecture. In fact, it’s quite the rage these days. -
Make bus service free
9 Nov 2011 | 6:51 pmIn the urban planning profession, we talk a lot about the importance of public transit. At any given public presentation or meeting, you’ll hear people talk incessantly about how we need to offer real alternatives to driving, and how all development should make itself either accessible to transit or transit-oriented.Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of the talk ends. We don’t offer much in the way of new thinking in terms of how to actually provide the service, or how to encourage people to do the one thing that is the mainstay of all transit in the U.S. – ride the bus. We don’t do…
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CoolHunter RSS Feed
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Weekend Playlist 7
20 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmTo listen to previous weekend playlists - click through to our music page -
TA-ZE Premium Olive Oil Store - Toronto, Canada
18 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmToronto’s latest TA-ZE store, at 120 Adelaide Street West, is only 800 square feet in size, but it is airy and uncluttered. TA-ZE is a chain of retail stores focusing on premium olive oils and related product. Ta-ze means fresh in Turkish, and the company is rooted in the long traditions of olive-oil production. Its product comes from six provinces in the Aegean region of Turkey, from 33 co-operatives that include more than 28,000 olive producers. The purity and clarity of the oil is reflected in the minimalist store concept designed by Toronto-based Burdifilek, led by managing partner… -
Coffee Time, L'Hotel de Vendome, Paris
17 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmWine tasting is passé and the English have already perfected the High Tea, and nothing surpasses the Japanese tea ceremony. So what’s next? The creative minds at L'Hôtel de Vendôme in Paris set their eyes on “High Coffee.” They don’t call it that, but it certainly looks and feels like it. Every afternoon, superior gourmet coffee varieties are served according to the expertise of France’s Best Roaster of 2011, Antoine Netien, and Tom Clark, owners of Paris’s high-profile Coutume Café, and importers and roasters of vintage… -
Luzi Bombon - Madrid
12 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmLuzi Bombón in Madrid is the latest restaurant creation of the Barcelona-based Grupo Tragaluz. The group’s beginnings date back to 1987, when mother and son, Rosa Maria Esteva and Tomas Tarruella, opened El Mordisco in Barcelona. Now, 20 restaurants and one hotel -- OMM in Barcelona -- later, their brand is a strong, established player in the Spanish hospitality market. Luzi Bombón on Paseo de la Castellana offers madrileños Mediterranean brasserie food from early lunch in the garden to late-night drinks in the bar with live DJs. The mid-century minimalist interior… -
Dr. Seuss Told By The People of Burning Man 2011
9 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmBased on Dr. Seuss's final book (Oh, The places You'll Go) before his death, this is a story about life's ups and downs, told by the people of Burning Man 2011. Genius idea Teddy Saunders
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Gemma Went
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Social media management systems: A comparison
6 Jan 2012 | 7:21 amI just read a very handy post on We Are Social’s blog detailing a recent report by Altimeter’s Jeremiah Owyang comparing Social Media Management Systems. “A Social Media Management System (SMMS) is a software tool that uses business rules and approved employees and partners to manage multiple social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. … Read more -
Looking backwards and Forwards: What we’ve learnt in 2011 vs what’s next in 2012
21 Dec 2011 | 10:48 amThis time last year I ran a ‘looking backwards and forwards‘ post and it was pretty popular. So it made sense to give it another airing and ask some clever comms folk the following questions: What was your biggest learning from a comms perspective in 2011? What is your one key comms forecast for 2012? … Read more -
My tool de jour: Buffer
19 Dec 2011 | 4:51 amMost social folk tend to have their own special way of doing things. A suite of favourite platforms, a certain way of using them and the tools that tie it all together. I’m no different. A big part of my social strategy is to curate and share interesting content and I have a list of … Read more -
Infographic: The psychology of social commerce
5 Dec 2011 | 5:45 amNow this is a nice infographic that looks at the psychology of social commerce (or in other words, it looks at our behaviour and what drive us to purchase online). I can certainly relate to this and rely on reviews and recommendations of my peers for most purchases. In fact I rarely search for anything … Read more -
The best advent calendar. Ever.
2 Dec 2011 | 8:03 amI had to share this. Had to I tell thee. The master of finding awesome stuff (aka James Whatley) shared this on Twitter yesterday and I fell in love. It’s brilliant. It’s now on my bookmark bar so I can visit it daily and smile. I suggest you do the same. Click here to see … Read more
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New Urbanism Blog
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Why are we so fat?
14 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pmToday’s quick interlude comes from an info graphic at fastcodesign.com. The info and piece focuses mostly on how much money (as a percentage of income) that Americans spend on food relative to other countries. For me, the more interesting information is a comparison of the average caloric intake of Americans vs other countries. You see, we really don’t eat that many more calories on average than Italians, Germans, or others. And yet, we are far more obese.I’ve no doubt that food quality plays a small role in this, as some of the piece argues. But the real truth is quite… -
Resolutions for America – 2012 edition
11 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pmNew Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition of mine. Sometime within about 24 hours of January 1st, I like to make that extensive list of my goals for the year ahead, even if the world will be coming to an end this year. I know someone could say this is a silly or arbitrary measure, but I think it’s important to find time to reflect on myself, and ask, “how can I do better?” Or, “what else can I do with my life?” And, since we don’t accomplish what we don’t measure, I generally try to add some level of measurable accountability to these annual goals.When we make such… -
How to Destroy Your City, in 3 Easy Steps
21 Nov 2011 | 9:57 amEXT: A NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER STOREA lively setting: people walking, talking. Store owners chat with customers on the sidewalk.EXT: A NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER STORE20 years later, same location. A lonely street: buildings boarded up or turned into low-rent uses. Few people seen walking around. Generally dismal.It’s a common theme or scene in so many movies. (The movie Back to the Future comes to mind for me) The old neighborhood, once thriving and lively, is now a virtual ghost town. We’re left to think this simply is how life is. The sands of time turn what was once something good into something… -
Saturday interlude: Incubator Retail in Japan
12 Nov 2011 | 4:25 pmA quick interlude between college football games:Today’s Wall Street Journal has a front page article describing one man’s efforts at rebuilding in Japan, following the tsunami earlier this year.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577007550569072874.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLETopStoriesWhat struck me more than anything were the images of his temporary store. See below: Now, this isn’t the first time someone has used cargo containers for architecture. In fact, it’s quite the rage these days. -
Make bus service free
9 Nov 2011 | 6:51 pmIn the urban planning profession, we talk a lot about the importance of public transit. At any given public presentation or meeting, you’ll hear people talk incessantly about how we need to offer real alternatives to driving, and how all development should make itself either accessible to transit or transit-oriented.Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of the talk ends. We don’t offer much in the way of new thinking in terms of how to actually provide the service, or how to encourage people to do the one thing that is the mainstay of all transit in the U.S. – ride the bus. We don’t do…
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Talkitect.com
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Floating Parks Hold Big Potential for Cities Near Water
24 Jan 2012 | 10:55 pmWritten by Bradley Bailyn from Okeanos Aquaskaping Pick any random city on planet earth, and take a look at it on Google Maps. Odds are, that city will be near the ocean, next to a lake, or have a river running through it. There are exceptions, of course. Las Vegas is out in the middle of the desert, and Atlanta doesn’t have much water around it. There’s a very sensible reason for this trend. Most cities began in a time before cars and planes, so people needed water to get around. Bodies of water are economically useful and beautiful to look at, but by and large most city folk… -
Slideshow: Alvar Aalto Studio - Helsinki, Finland - Designed by Alvar Aalto
23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 amAgain, it is the introduction of natural light which captures the essence of Aalto as one of the most respected architects of the 20th century. Visiting his studio gave some insight into his design process and showed small elements that he explored in some of his larger projects to such fanfare. Tweet check out the main site here: www.talkitect.com -
Links for 2012-01-22 [del.icio.us]
23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amWicker Membranes / Andrea von Chrismar Rural Studio 2011 – Joanne’s House -
Links for 2012-01-21 [del.icio.us]
22 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amExtension Of A Barn / PPA beautiful design tucked into theside of a hill Hiroshi Senju Museum / Ryue Nishizawa suck a pristine space. perfect for art Bookshop And Coffee Bar / Plural, Totalstudio love this. i want to sit on those steps and read -
Slideshow: 10 Am Kupfergraben - Berlin, Germany - Designed by David Chipperfield
16 Jan 2012 | 11:00 amOne of my favorite buildings in Berlin, this small gallery sits unassumingly across the river from Museum Island. It is beautifully proportioned and although contemporary, it fits wonderfully into its historic context. It will be great to see it hen Chipperfield's new museum opens directly across the river. Tweet check out the main site here: www.talkitect.com
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Buildipedia - Latest Stories
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The Critical Nature of Specifications When Bidding and Billing Contract Work
26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmWelcome to the On Site channel’s Construction Administration Column. Who should pay when work is done out of contract? Here David A. Todd, P.E., CPESC, gives his opinion. Columnist David A. Todd, P.E., CPESC, has 37 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and has performed much construction administration during that time. He will answer questions from our readers or from his own practice and will provide answers based on his understanding of the construction process and administration of the construction contract. The focus will be on the… -
House of the Month: Kent House by Gray Organschi Architecture
25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmA second home in Connecticut features an earthy materials palette that is detailed to look clean and contemporary. Architect Alan Organschi’s experience as a cabinet maker and carpenter colors his firm’s thoughtfully detailed designs, which celebrate materiality. He believes this hands-on approach has set the ethos for his practice, Gray Organschi Architecture, which he founded with partner Lisa Gray in New Haven, Connecticut. The duo has designed a range of institutional, commercial, and residential projects, such as the Kent House. The design of this home exemplifies the unique balance… -
Sourcing Materials Locally
23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmNo matter where you live, you are bound to find a unique building material that is made close to home. Generally speaking, I’m not much of a shopper. Like a lot of guys, I like to dodge into a store, make a quick purchase, and then skedaddle. Things change a little when I head to my local home center or hardware store. More than once I’ve come home from what was supposed to be a short jaunt to pick up some lumber to hear my wife ask, “What took you so long?” OK, maybe I was perusing the new LED lighting or trying out a new multi-tool. I was definitely NOT shopping. -
An Interview with Stuart Silk Architects: What Makes for Commercial Design Success?
23 Jan 2012 | 8:49 amWhat are some of the challenges – and pathways to success – when it comes to designing commercial architecture? Stuart Silk Architects, based in Seattle, Washington, has more than 25 years of experience producing residential and commercial architecture. We spoke with John Adams, AIA, Principal of Stuart Silk Architects, to learn more about the latest challenges associated with commercial design. Although commercial design certainly has its nuances, his firm has successfully bridged residential and commercial design with a simple and unified insight: the client is always passionately and… -
Framing Out Openings
19 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmContractor to Contractor: Follow professional interior contractor Robert Thimmes as he demonstrates how to frame-out openings. This third installment in a series of articles, Framing Walls With Light Gauge Metal Studs, visits the common practices for the framing of window and door openings. When plumbing your openings and transferring your layout to the top track, turn your stud 90 degrees and attach your level high on the stud flange. Align the bottom edge of your stud with the edge of your opening, get the bubble "dead-on" and mark the top. Attaching your level to the flange rather than…
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Design Under Sky
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Neo-Nature | Neo-Wilderness
25 Jan 2012 | 10:01 pm[Image: "Howl" (2007) by Amy Stein; from The Altered Landscape edited by Ann M. Wolfe] Nature / wilderness are human inventions. We put them on the fringes of our inhabitation because we've defined them as separate entities. We like the idea of both because through them we believe we understand where we come from and they serve as a datum of where we need to be, how we need to live. Nature makes us feel good. Nature is a connection. Nature is green. Green equals healthy. It's hard to argue with these statements because my intuition assigns similar value. But if we were to remove the notion of… -
Metabolic Tectonic I
17 Dec 2011 | 9:55 am[Image by Vince Guallart. Denia Mountain.] My recent work at RISD has led me to a final proposal in which I will be looking at the formal and chemical transformation of waste heaps to build a new landscape tectonic, particularly using the deployment of protocell and soil bio-technology. RISD has dominated the schedule as of late so posting has been sparse, but this will begin a series of posts on my exploration and research of metabolic landform. We'd like to consider a post-natural agenda that accepts the implausibility of recovering a pristine version of nature, but understand that… -
RISD Facade Media Festival
20 Mar 2011 | 9:23 pmWe're pretty excited for an open student proposal event to be put on by the AIAS here at RISD; The Media Facade Festival: This Spring RISD’s newly formed American Institite of Architecture Students(AIAS) brings you the Facade Media Festival – an event exploring building scale projections, the relationship between media and space. This event will follow an afternoon symposium presented by the architecture deparment, Teaching Architecture Beyond the Desktop Horizon. The event will showcase selected works projected onto the north facade of the BEB, viewed from the parking lot. -
Zones of Contention
13 Feb 2011 | 2:08 pm[Image by Adam E. Anderson] Zones of contention, borders, and transboundary parks have continued to be an interest of mine. Recent rising tensions and legislature in regard to the US/Mexican border and illegal immigration render this particular zone a terribly awesome area of conflict.The idea of reinforcing the border with 2,000 miles of physical barrier seems an impossible idea, and futile. By the time one generation feels they have the solution, and a construction is implemented, the next generation comes to power, equipped with their own ideologies, new circumstances, and technologies. -
The Agency of Botanical Counter Terrorism
13 Feb 2011 | 12:10 pm[Photo: Noah Shachtman] Plants are living. If they do not receive one of their requirements for life they physically change alerting a caregiver if present the need for intervention. This ability naturally has environmental quality implications. If a plant is subjected to an overdose of pollution it signifies that maybe things are not suitable for humans as well. The unfortunate part is that this is not a real time process and does not really allow anyone to react appropriately. But what if plants were trained to visually respond to their environments immediately? Even enhanced to broaden or…
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Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog
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EVstudio joins the Apartment Association of Metro Denver (AAMD)
19 Jan 2012 | 2:59 pmWith the turn of the new year EVstudio has embarked on a new emphasis in the multi-family residential market. Seen as a growing field and coupled with a recent up-tick in architectural billings, multi-family is poised to represent a large portion of the construction market here in the Front Range. EVstudio recently inked a major multi-family commission in Colorado Springs. With 288 units on roughly 6 acres the development is targeting the Colorado College and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs populations. We also have two 100 plus unit projects in Central Texas slated for the… -
Understanding R-Value and Insulation
31 Dec 2011 | 3:20 pmThis post is provided by Earthcore SIPs. There are many conditions that determine the effectiveness of any building material to provide comfort and energy efficient performance. R-Value is only one of these factors or measurement tools. R-Value is the measure of resistance to heat flow through the defined material. The higher the R-Value the less heat will transfer through the wall, making the system more energy efficient. R-Value is determined by testing or by the addition of tested components. When “effective” R-value is used, it represents that at a given condition or circumstance, the… -
The Fulfillment of Being an Expert Witness
31 Dec 2011 | 3:20 pmA statement is made to all college students interested in the architecture or landscape architecture profession. That is that 'they will learn more in the first month of real experience on the job during an internship or their first year out of school that they learn in an entire year during college'. True statement. The amount that you can learn in real situations, with real clients and real mentors is incredible. Last fall, I was asked to be an expert witness for a landscape architecture firm who was the defendant in a lawsuit which claimed negligence against the company. Initially, I was… -
Planning for Housing and Community Development
31 Dec 2011 | 3:20 pmThis post comes from Stephanie O'Hara, Planner Analyst for EVstudio. Immediately prior to joining EVstudio she worked for Jefferson County, Colorado for 6 years in various planning roles. EVstudio looks for planning opportunities in both the public and private sector: While working at Jefferson County I developed the 2005-2010 Consolidated Plan which is a strategy for housing and community and economic development. The plan outlines goals, objectives and policies based on the housing and community needs for low to moderate income, homeless and special needs populations. The plan was developed… -
Community Based Clinic for US Army Medical Command
31 Dec 2011 | 3:20 pmIn an effort to provide our US Army Soldiers and their families with better access to health care services, the US Army Medical Command (USMEDCOM) has initiated the Community Based Clinic program. As the name would imply, this program takes the health care facilities that would normally be located on the US Army Installation and places them "outside the fence" in the communities surrounding the installation. Our Copperas Cove office of EVstudio recently completed the architectural and engineering design service phases for the USMEDCOM Community Based Clinic located in Killeen, Texas near…
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Flavorwire » Architecture
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Stunning Views of Detroit Snapped from Above
25 Jan 2012 | 12:30 pmWhen architect Louis Sullivan began cultivating Chicago’s vertical growth with some of the world’s first skyscrapers, he famously cloaked his steel high-rises with images of vegetation. Embellishing the tops of his multistory buildings with iron-cast flora, Sullivan sought to evoke the image of a novel breed of architecture sprouting upwards from the fertile American soil. He quickly recognized how the skyscraper would change the experience of the city, how a soaring building would be read from street level, and how Americans could gaze upwards and project their nation’s values… -
Is This the World’s Most Pristine Subway System?
24 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pmA post over on Gizmodo tipped us off to the new Altmay Metro in Kazakhstan, a project that, thanks to a long delay following the fall of the Soviet Union, took a whopping 23 years to complete from start to finish. Apparently now that it’s finally open, it has become quite the attraction for tourists looking to take advantage of the photo opp. And who can blame them? Look how clean and shiny those marble floors are! How about those sharply-dressed attendants? Even the microchip-enabled fare cards make us inexplicably happy. They look just like casino chips. Click through to take a tour… -
Underground Architectural Marvels and Oddities Around the World
17 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pmMost people wouldn’t expect to see Romanesque Revival architecture, fancy pants Guastavino tile, and brass chandeliers in a New York City subway station, but the City Hall stop (opened in 1904) along the Lexington Avenue Line features all that and more. Longer trains, longer platforms, and low ridership caused the city to close it off to the public in 1945, but its elegant architecture has endured for over seventy years. You can still catch a glimpse of it while rounding the loop heading back uptown, or during a tour (book ahead). We felt inspired by the ghost station to take a look at… -
The Creation of “The World” Commences
11 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pmIt would be superfluous to go on about the conceptual and social vacuity of “The World” in Dubai. That much has become the standard, even knee-jerk critique of the project – expounded by notions such as the ideological perils of “Google Earth Urbanism” and the woeful exploitation of migrant workers – of which matters little to the absurdly wealthy patrons who will shore up on one (or two!) of the project’s three hundred man-made archipelagos. The large, vaguely urban scheme, which spans an area of 6 by 9 kilometers, was debuted nearly 10 years ago, yet has… -
Check Out the View from the New World Trade Center
14 Dec 2011 | 4:30 pmWhile One World Trade Center (aka the building formerly known as the Freedom Tower) is still under construction, we can already see that the giant, 105-floor skyscraper is going to have some seriously breathtaking views thanks to the WTC Progress Twitter account. Here’s a peek at the city from the 80th floor, looking east into Brooklyn. Find some additional, equally postcard-perfect images over on BuzzFeed.
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Home Design Find
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This Jungle Treehouse Apes Trees
27 Jan 2012 | 8:28 amThis amazing open-air bedroom could only be in the tropics. Full length windows slide all the way back to make sleeping completely open to the air. The contemporary treehouse in Nigeria is audacious in its embrace of completely open air architecture throughout, with a roof that hovers above the structure itself. So, what does hold the roof up? The amusing idea of the house is that the roof canopy is supported by the “tree trunks” like the top of a tree — and is entirely unsupported by walls. In fact, some the interior spaces do have glass clerestory windows, but their… -
You Just Snap Together the MIMA House
26 Jan 2012 | 8:47 amA revolutionary modular housing invention from Mima Architects could change the way we buy houses. The approachable appeal of clean universal design is just one aspect of the genius of their invention; the MIMA House. Their beautiful prefab – inspired by the traditional Japanese house, the perfect paradigm for lightness, flexibility, comfort and pleasing lines – is very easily re arranged, in any way that you want, to change the layout. The exterior window panels can be interspersed with solid panels, in any combination. The restrained order of Japanese standardized building… -
White Cube Vacation Home Zips Closed When Not in Use
25 Jan 2012 | 7:39 amHow to design a luxurious and large vacation home – that only gets use for a few months each year? It needs to be securely locked up when not in use. The architect, Jose Kos, makes use of one of the most industrial of solutions to zip it up when not in use – the roll up industry-sized garage door. Several huge rollup doors completely seal up the home like a gigantic warehouse. Sited near the city of Rio de Janeiro, the house sits on a hillside sculpted into flat lawns so the family’s children can play games. It is a perfect white cube, at 10 meters by 10 meters by 10… -
Design Dilemma: Understanding Undertones in Paint Colors
24 Jan 2012 | 4:11 amYou’d think you couldn’t go wrong choosing a selection of beiges to coordinate throughout your home, right? But then you get those beiges on the wall, and somehow they manage to clash horribly. Or they clash with your beige couch, or your beige carpet. Why does this happen? In a word, undertones. Every paint color, even neutrals like whites, beiges and grays have tones. These include mass tones and undertones. Mass tones are the predominant color you see when you look at a color. So the predominant color you see in a beige might be beige. The predominant color you see in a white… -
Curved-Roof Guest House Avoids the Hobbit Look
23 Jan 2012 | 8:01 amCurved houses can be at risk of being just a little hokey. But here is one from Sarasota, Florida, that carries it off. There is nothing hobbit-like about this confidently executed structure. From TOTeMS, this guest-house is sited overlooking a wide river and it offsets a bold, modern curved roof with squared-up structure at the ground level. There is an element of the “rockabye cradle in the tree tops” here in this mezzanine bedroom, open to the living room behind the bed. What a superb bedroom! Like an upended boat, the bed appears to be surrounded by water. But the sleeping…
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Peter Larson & Blue Design
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The Ant Watcher
27 Jan 2012 | 7:55 amHere in the darkness of winter in the Finger Lakes, I like to think of the bright days of summer. There’s an annual summer event at my house which is not memorialized on any calendar, although it means more to me than quite a few of the federal holidays. I wasn’t the one that discovered this event; it was my son Henry, who is watching me in the photo above. Henry is three years old, fascinated with all things that roll or float, and quite a resourceful little guy. I imagine his resourcefulness is a product of having two older and more vocal sisters. Henry is also one of the finest… -
Speaking at the Onondaga Historical Association
21 Jan 2012 | 6:12 amEd McGraw and I will be speaking at the Onondaga Historical Association on Wednesday, January 25 at noon as part of the Onondaga Historical Association’s “Landmarks of New York” lecture series, 321 Montgomery Street in Syracuse. The event is free and open to the public. We will be talking about the ways we connect our future and our past, as well as giving an overview of Blue Design. Hmmm…talking about the future at a historical association; how ironic! Should be fun; hope to see you there. -
Subjective and Proud of It!
20 Jan 2012 | 12:41 pmI experience the world emotionally. Reason may kick in to confirm or change my emotional response, but the emotional response is the first and most permanent reaction. I have matured to trust my emotions. I have a strong emotional reaction to the ways the things we make meet our natural environment. Lately I have been focusing on how trees are treated in urban environments. Take a look the next time you are out walking in the city. You’ll find trees are treated many different ways where they meet the ground. I see each case as a small expression of our relationship to nature. Paving running… -
Rhythms
20 Dec 2011 | 4:08 pmRhythms: The sun’s angle, the weather’s bite, the garden’s cycle. Repeating arcs, long and short. We are rhythmic; internal beats syncopating and disassociating with what surrounds, synergy and discord. Never long at equilibrium; leaning and alive. There is no stasis, no single arrangement to be sustained. There is only our harmonization with the ebb and flow of the systems surrounding us. A relationship is sustained and always in transition, rhythms searching for synchronization. Rhythms move me; I am a passenger in transition. Though I long for my favorite phases in rhythm, I know… -
Evolutions & Applications
7 Dec 2011 | 12:52 pmYou may have noticed a change in the character of recent posts, and I have some explaining to do. The last three posts especially: Material Matters, Good Design, and Energy Landscapes continue a theme that has been evolving since last summer and break BD away from a rigid structure and toward a topical exploration. There are several sub-themes that have been at work since last spring’s posts about higher purpose. The discussion about our relationship with the earth is always changing, and I feel two main trends are occurring. We are learning to have better non-empirical, non-quantitative…
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Architecture News Plus
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Star Maze
27 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pm -
Jameson House
27 Jan 2012 | 11:33 am -
Komoda House
25 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pm -
Andreas Murkudis Store
25 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pm -
House with a Capsule
24 Jan 2012 | 1:20 pm
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Slow Home Studio
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Staircase Design – San Francisco Case Study
27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amToday John and Matthew profile a staircase design by Cary Bernstein Architect in San Francisco. Today’s Slides: -
Best of Slow Home Studio: How to Combine Storage and Stairs
25 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amJohn and Matthew look at successful examples of millwork storage solutions implemented into staircase designs. Slow Home Studio will be back with a brand new episode on January 27th! Designers showcased in today’s episode: splyce design build Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects YH2 Architecture Battersby Howat Nimmrichter CDA -
How to Detail Glass Guards
23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amToday we profile the variety of ways in which a glass guard can be detailed. Today’s Slides: -
How to Design Stairs for Decks
20 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amToday we look at how homeowners can design stairs for decks. Today’s Slides: -
How to Detail Interior Step-Ups
18 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amJohn and Matthew look at how “Step-Ups” can be used as architectural details in a home. Today’s Slides:
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Architecture
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Living roofs enhance urban living spaces
26 Jan 2012 | 5:21 pmRoofs are vegetated to create additional living spaces as well as insulation and a place to grow vegetables in urban environments where greenspaces are rare -
The Passive House - A Building With Minimal Energy Use
30 Dec 2011 | 1:28 amPassive houses are built to minimise energy use through intelligent architecture, clever technologies and sound heat insulation. -
Urban Planner and Architect Arturo Rodriguez in China
13 Dec 2011 | 11:36 pmAs an American architect in China, Arturo Rodriguez discussed at interview the phases of his development as an architect and urban planner. -
London Reaches for the Sky
8 Nov 2011 | 2:45 pmThree new skyscraper developments, The Heron Tower, The Shard and The Pinnacle are spearheading London's high-rise ambitions. -
Thailand Architecture News
20 Sep 2011 | 9:37 pmContemporary Thai architecture is as varied and diverse as the vibrant and colourful country of Thailand itself.
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BuildingGreen.com LIVE
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The End of Greenwashing? Five Myths about Product Transparency
27 Jan 2012 | 8:47 amWill environmental product declarations end greenwashing for good? Not so fast. This is Part 3 in our series on transparency. Part 1: Why We Care About Product Transparency Part 2: Why We Need "Nutrition Labels" for Building Products We developed this visual tool to help us keep track of what EPDs really are--and what they aren't. Click the image for a larger version. Click here for a printable PDF. We all want to know more about where our building products come from and what's in them. Finally, with the emergence of environmental product declarations, we're going to find out! Aren't we? The… -
Green Walls for Greener Cities
25 Jan 2012 | 2:22 pmContact with nature is not just an amenity: it's important for well-being. Green walls liven up urban spaces while improving building performance. This green wall covers the exterior of Whole Foods in Vancouver, BC. I live in Vermont, where agriculture is an integral part of our culture. I drive past the farms as the seasons change and see when the corn is high or when too much rain has made plowing impossible. And the family sees the results at the local farmer's market. Whenever I visit urban areas, I inevitably end up at the local park or waterfront for my early-morning runs. I value this… -
Resilient Design: Emergency Renewable Energy Systems
24 Jan 2012 | 3:20 pmOur pellet stove has DC fans and a kit that allows us to hook it up to a battery to power those fans in the event of a power outage. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge. House location and design are the starting points in achieving resilience--where the house located, how well it can weather storms and flooding, and how effectively it retains heat and utilizes passive solar for heating and daylighting. Beyond that, we should look to more active renewable energy systems for back-up heat, water heating, and electricity. This week we'll review these options. Wood stoves In rural… -
Choosing the Best Housewrap: A New Standard for Weather Barriers
19 Jan 2012 | 5:56 amThere are more than 20 different standardized tests manufacturers can invoke to "qualify" as a code-accepted weather-resistive barrier (WRB); with our GreenSpec section on WRBs, we've picked just one that we think does the job. It's not easy being a weather-resistive barrier (WRB): it has to stop liquid water, be tough and not tear, but also be flexible to wrap around building elements. And it often needs to be vapor-permeable to promote drying. Finally, water-tight standards In the past, manufacturers could cherry-pick the standardized test to use to "qualify." That's how we ended up with… -
Resilient Design: Natural Cooling
17 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmThis exterior window shade in Florida blocks most of the solar gain, yet allows some view out. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge. Over the past month-and-a-half, I've been focusing on resilient design--which will become all the more important in this age of climate change. Achieving resilience in homes not only involves keeping them comfortable in the winter months through lots of insulation and some passive solar gain (which I've covered in the previous two blogs), it also involves keeping them from getting too hot in the summer months if we lose power and our air conditioning…
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Reed Construction Data: RSMeans News
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Membrane Roofing
24 Jan 2012 | 11:15 amMembrane is defined in Means Illustrated Construction Dictionary as: The impervious layer or layers of material used in constructing a flat roof. This definition allows for the inclusion of the many different materials and installation methodologies used in today’s low slope roofing solutions. -
Electronic Access Control
19 Dec 2011 | 10:00 amElectronic access controls can pose both physical and psychological barriers and should be capable of recording details of access for audit (for example, time and date of arrival and departure). Unlike mechanical locks, electronic keys can be deactivated when lost or stolen. Electronic access systems can also alert security personnel of potential breaches. As these controls may be expensive, such options as personal recognition, use of I.D. cards, and mechanical locks should be considered first. -
Membrane Roofing
13 Dec 2011 | 7:45 amMembrane is defined in Means Illustrated Construction Dictionary as: The impervious layer or layers of material used in constructing a flat roof. This definition allows for the inclusion of the many different materials and installation methodologies used in today’s low slope roofing solutions. -
Types of Paint
6 Dec 2011 | 8:45 amThe four main groupings for painting and coating are transparent finishes, primers, undercoating, and finish coats. -
Automatic Temperature Controls
29 Nov 2011 | 9:15 amTemperature control systems range from simple thermostats and boiler or furnace operating and limit controls to complex electronic HVAC controls integrated with energy management systems that are a part of the “intelligent building concept.” To regulate indoor temperatures, the control system responds to indoor/outdoor temperature changes by opening, closing, and modulating valves and dampers in heating and cooling piping or ductwork.
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v2com.biz _ Fil de presse, Newswire, Press wire : architecture, design, art - Home / Accueil
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Dévoilement des célébrations du 50e anniversaire de Place Ville Marie
27 Jan 2012 | 3:08 pmDévoilement des célébrationsdu 50e anniversaire de Place Ville Marie Canada Place Ville-Marie, grande depuis le premier jour. L’heure du jubilé a sonné pour la grande dame ! Montréal, le 27 janvier 2012 – Place Ville Marie a marqué aujourd’hui le coup d’envoi des festivités visant à souligner son 50e anniversaire en présence des partenaires associés ainsi que de nombreux intervenants clés du milieu des affaires, de l’architecture et de l’urbanisme. This press release is only available in French. -
Musée Stewart du Fort de l'Ile Ste-Hélène PAR / BY LES ARCHITECTES FABG Canada
27 Jan 2012 | 12:16 pmMusée Stewart du Fort de l'Ile Ste-Hélène PAR / BY LES ARCHITECTES FABG Canada Montréal, le 30 janvier 2012 – Devant à l'origine servir d'entrepôt à munitions et de pièces d'artillerie, l'Arsenal du Fort de l'Île Sainte Hélène fut construit entre 1820 et 1824. Il a été aménagé en musée militaire en 1956, devenu depuis le Musée David M. Stewart. Le Musée Stewart présente grâce à une collection importante de plus de 30 000 objets et d'artéfact l'Histoire de la Nouvelle France et l'influence Européenne en Amérique du Nord. Montreal, January 30, 2012 – L'Arsenal du… -
39 social apartments PAR / BY Ateliers O-S architectes
27 Jan 2012 | 9:44 am39 social apartments PAR / BY Ateliers O-S architectes France Ce communiqué est uniquement disponible en anglais. Paris, January 24, 2012 – Located on a former industrial site, the project of 39 social apartments is part of a master plan of three housing projects organized around a generous garden. The project stands along Rue Pierre Vaux made up of two volumes of three and four floors. Its corner situation implies a specific work on this urban link. -
2012 AIA Institute Honor Awards Recognize Excellence in Architecture, Interiors, and Urban Design
26 Jan 2012 | 4:12 pm2012 AIA Institute Honor AwardsRecognize Excellence inArchitecture, Interiors, and Urban Design États-Unis / United States Ce communiqué est uniquement disponible en anglais. Washington, January 27, 2012 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the 2012 recipients of the Institute Honor Awards, the profession’s highest recognition of works that exemplify excellence in architecture, interior architecture and urban design. Selected from over 700 total submissions, 27 recipients located throughout the world will be honored at the AIA 2012 National Convention and Design… -
Lapointe Magne à la Maison de l’architecture du Québec
24 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pmLapointe Magne à la Maison de l’architecture du Québec Canada Vernissage et lancement jeudi 26 janvier 2012, 18h - Du 27 janvier au 05 mai 2012 Montréal, le 24 janvier 2012 – La Maison de l’architecture du Québec est fière de présenter LAPOINTE MAGNE ET ASSOCIÉS (1992- 2012) vus par Marie-Paule Macdonald : Dialogues avec la ville en transformation. Cette exposition monographique doublée de sa publication poursuit sa série des MONOGRAPHIES MAQ par laquelle la Maison de l’architecture du Québec veut analyser en profondeur le travail d’architectes québécois…
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The Most Beautiful Houses in the World
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Ocean front home
18 Jan 2012 | 3:02 pmThe ocean front home situated in California on the Pacific coast. At the upper level are four en-suite bedrooms, open plan kitchen, living and dining rooms, powder room and three-car garage. Lower Level has en-suite bedroom, offices, gym, screening room, bar & lounge and game room.Architecture: Sagan PiechotaPhotography: Joe Fletcher -
Small Japanese house design
10 Jan 2012 | 7:03 amLike a bird’s nest, the small Japanese house design is open to the view of the Hiroshima and Inland Sea and is relief from disturbance. The house is protected from the environment and creates a feeling of safety.Architecture: Kimihiko OkadaPhotography: Toshiyuki Yano -
Contemporary home design, USA
5 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amThe contemporary home design evolved from the client’s desire for a house that is a tranquil place for retreat, art and living. This house is seamlessly open to the ridge-top coastal site via operable glazed walls. The client asked for a master suite, a study for two, one guest room and an informal open living space.Architecture: Neumann Mendro AndrulaitisPhotography: Ciro Coelho -
Timber ventilated facade house
2 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amTimber ventilated facade house (Casablanca, Chile) is a project of renovation of a wooden house organized according to a new helical staircase which, through the overhang of the new room and the extension of an existing deck, allows a visitor to go up to new panoramic terraces on the roof. The function of timber ventilated facade is to avoid accumulations of moisture and water in the structure walls.Architecture: Renewal (2008) Delphine Ding, Jose Ulloa DavetPhotography: Jose Ulloa Davet -
House without walls, Japan
27 Dec 2011 | 7:40 amThe house without walls (Japan) has 240 sqm total floor area and is supported by a central core and several extremely thin steel columns. The absence of exterior walls on the ground floor allows the internal area to extend to the surrounding garden on 360 degrees.Architecure: Tezuka ArchitectsPhotographs: Katsuhisa Kida / FOTOTECA
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Small House Style
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Small Sustainable Cabin – Ragged Island, Maine
17 Jan 2012 | 1:23 pmThis small, off-grid, sustainable cabin on Ragged Island twenty miles from the coast of Maine was the brainchild of the owner’s architectural designer daughter, Alex Scott Porter, who designed the structure for her retired father, Bruce Porter, former professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The exterior is clad in corrugated steel, with rolling storm shutters to cover the windows for when the blustery squalls so common to this region strike. Thanks to the extremely remote location of the site, 90% of the materials and all of the work crew had to be shipped… -
Smallworks Studios/Laneway Housing Arts & Crafts 750
14 Nov 2011 | 9:00 amA laneway house, as I’m sure you’re all aware by now, is a house built on existing lots (typically in the backyard of an existing house) that face onto the back lane or alley. Their popularity rose on the west coast of Canada, particularly in metro Vancouver, but have since spread across North America as a chic development in crowded residential areas, which is where Smallworks Studios/Laneway Housing comes in. Obviously space is at a premium on metro lots, so small house sensibilities are often applied in tandem with the obvious economic advantages of building with a small… -
Form & Forest’s Pioneer Prefab Cabin
13 Sep 2011 | 7:00 amCanada’s Form & Forest present this unique cabin built on a pristine five-acre lot in the Rockies. Rather than go the traditional route of log homes, Form & Forest wanted to try something a little different. This 360 degree glass design incorporates a shed roof that opens up one side of the structure, allowing in a cascade of light, quite the reverse of the more conventional small cabin windows set in thickly-logged walls. With two bedrooms and two sleeping lofts, it provides the perfect wilderness retreat for a mid-sized family. Addressing the concerns of the remote locations… -
Small House A/C – The NewAir AC-10000H
10 Aug 2011 | 2:46 amWe recently received a NewAir AC-10000H Air Conditioner to review from Air and Water, Inc.. Although many people prefer window units to portable air conditioners, people that live in small homes, apartments, etc. or in neighborhoods that restrict window units from being used (mostly for aesthetic reasons) turn to portable air conditioners to cool their homes. Others prefer portable air conditioners because they are easy to install and don’t require heavy lifting (other than getting it out of the box!) And some prefer a portable units because they are still able to enjoy sun light coming… -
Karo Cabin by Karoleena Homes: Modern, Smart, Green, Efficient
28 Jul 2011 | 8:00 amThe eco-friendly, small home movement marches on with this offering from Karoleena Homes, the Calgary builder’s first move into prefab and modular housing. Advertised as a holiday home, backyard studio or laneway house, the Karo Cabin will be factory-built and shipped to a site of the client’s choosing anywhere in North America accessible by road. What’s a “laneway house”, I hear you cry? In Canada, specifically the west coast in and around the packed metro area of Vancouver, The EcoDensity movement is attempting to increase the residential population per square…
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Tabor Design Build, Inc.
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2011 Toys for Tots
16 Jan 2012 | 2:57 pmShea Hasan delivers “Toys for Tots” presents to the Marines at Norbeck Country Club. -
Article in the Darnestown Patch
22 Dec 2011 | 10:04 amOriginally Posted: 12/9/2011 John and Tabor Design Build were featured in today’s North Potomac-Darnestown Patch. The article highlights John’s 3-story addition to his Darnestown, MD home. We are very excited to share details of this project with the local community. Click here to read the full article! -
Holiday Deja Vu
22 Dec 2011 | 10:03 amOriginally Posted: 12/1/2011 In the midst of the holidays, you are reminded of last year’s plans to renovate your home. The kitchen addition to give your family and guests more space to connect during the holiday festivities, was never built. The basement renovation that will add bedrooms for overnight guests is still on the back … -
Nobody Likes Surprises
22 Dec 2011 | 10:00 amOriginally Posted: 10/12/2011 I have said many times that the hardest part of my job as a professional remodeling contractor is estimating accurately. Remodeling contractors are not magicians and we don’t have magic pricing wands. The profession of remodeling entails so many facets of construction from surgical demolition, preservation of wall finishes, general construction know how, … -
The Future of Remodeling
22 Dec 2011 | 10:00 amOriginally Posted: 10/31/2011 Having been a remodeler for over 30 years, I have seen tremendous changes in the industry. As new technology is developed I research and implement its use in our projects. This month I had the honor of being asked to participate in a summit meeting of Dow Building Solutions North American Remodelers Council in …
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Visual Remodeling Blog | Fixr
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Rethinking the Product!
25 Jan 2012 | 11:14 amRethinking the Product is a unique joint venture between design industry professionals from different design sectors with the ambition to create advanced products from new methods. All the companies involved along with the design team and young up and coming designers collaborate their ideas and knowledge to devise new techniques of production away from traditional methods. The project began back in 2008 and this year exhibited some of their creations at 100% Design in London. Below are some of their showpieces! This aluminium lamp is made of LED lighting so it has very low energy… -
East Meets West by Rachel Laxer!
21 Jan 2012 | 7:13 amThe stunning interior design of this home is the result of a collection of creative minds, international influences and a fine eye for detail. Rachel Laxer takes the credit for the relaxed ambiance but her inspiration for the carefully chosen items, color schemes and accessories came from the clients themselves and also the architects who constructed this generous 10,000 square foot Californian dream home. Rachel was involved from the beginning of the framework and actually changed the design of the original entryway after a chance visit to London’s National Portrait Gallery. Throughout… -
A Glass Act From the Livinglass Duo!
10 Jan 2012 | 7:08 amThe earth friendly company Livinglass was founded on the basis of a number of influences and inspirations. This unique design company was developed by Mike Skura and Rachel Hoffman who after 15 years in the design industry noticed the need to freshen up the use of quality materials that could be versatile. Rachel’s design experience and Mike’s extensive engineering and technology knowledge has given Livinglass a modern and aesthetic approach to design. 100% recycled glass and resin from the ‘Light’ collection! It all started by experimenting with forming a laminated… -
Elegant Holiday Table Settings on a Budget!
23 Dec 2011 | 5:19 amIf you are doing some entertaining during the holidays then take a look at these easy and inexpensive ideas for holiday table settings. By using your imagination even the simplest ideas can turn a table into an elegant masterpiece! To make simple yet chic place settings, collect some pine cones, spray paint them silver, gold or ice blue, and add touches of greenery. Make the name tag out of flimsy paper for an elegant finish! Inexpensive, chic and natural! Head off to your local thrift store and purchase an old fashioned music book to create a unique yet nostalgic place setting. Team with… -
Angelic White Creates Ethereal Beauty!
14 Dec 2011 | 10:15 amStylish New Yorker Barbara Dent has created a chic, heavenly all white home. This dramatic scene of sophistication is illuminated by the large paneled windows on the west side of her apartment in this brand new tower style building designed by famous architect Jean Nouvel. Barbara has always loved and lived in contemporary modern style and her past homes were models of excellence in the minimal, contemporary design world and featured in many magazines. Her apartment has stunning views of the Statue of Liberty thanks to the buildings location and the sinuous curves in the architecture. The…
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WATG RSS Feed - WATG.com Blog
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Architecture Blog: Vietnam and China in 13 Days
17 Jan 2012 | 12:49 pmAbout a year ago I saw a short movie made by someone who travels a lot for his work. Inspired by what I saw, I decided to make my own to show my family what it's like on one of our trips. Last November I had a long trip to Vietnam & China which seemed like a good opportunity to make a movie. This is the result. -
Architecture Blog: Combating Concrete with Strip Appeal
12 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pmStrip Appeal is an ideas design competition and traveling exhibit, intended to stimulate and showcase creative design proposals for the adaptive reuse of small-scale strip-malls. They asked designers to answer the question, "how might the small-scale strip be reinvented and redeveloped to local advantage?"My submission focused on re-designing an existing strip mall in Minneapolis, introducing fresh food, public art and community green space to a neighborhood in need of these shared assets.To view my official submission, click here. -
Architecture Blog: The Kohler Southeast Asian Golf Challenge
16 Dec 2011 | 2:16 pmThey say that Pete Wimberly was an "outdoors" person and hated air-conditioning. Hopefully he would have approved of our day out of the office enjoying the sun and tropical breezes at the Kohler Southeast Asian Golf Challenge held at the Tanah Merah Country Club representing WATG. On the 10th of November 2011, Robertino Limandibhratha, Nora Kaichung Pui and I had the great pleasure of enjoying a day with colleagues in the design industry on one of the top courses in Singapore, courtesy of our hosts Kohler, who have richly combined their pursuits in hospitality, design and golf.The… -
Planning Blog: Reflections on a staff swap
5 Dec 2011 | 3:31 pmIf you go to another WATG office halfway around the world, what would be different? This was the context of my trip as I embarked to London on a four month exchange this summer. Earlier this year, WATG wanted to initiate a staff swap program to foster greater interaction between offices. I think it took me less than a minute to write my request after it was announced. The exchange was discussed and agreed between the Managing Directors and senior leaders of each office. Afterwards, Kirsty Rutherford, my partner in the swap, and I agreed on our exchange date and off we went.WATG just set up a… -
Interior Design Blog: One day in Shanghai
3 Nov 2011 | 2:04 pmOne of the joys of our line of work is that we get to combine our passion for travel with our work. When those two interests overlap on the same trip, it's even better. Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Shanghai for the fist time for a project. Not only was this a client presentation but it was also an opportunity to work across offices with the Singapore interiors team and the interiors team in Irvine. Prior to our client presentation, Zia Hansen and I met up, booked a car for the day, and armed with a list of hotels, we set off to see what Shanghai has to offer. Alas, our driver…
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All Photos - Land8Lounge.com
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1 con firma
28 Jan 2012 | 6:44 amby Mauro Melis -
IMG_7277
28 Jan 2012 | 2:27 amby Joseph tan -
constuction plan
27 Jan 2012 | 5:47 pmby Kevin Foo -
Ecological Design
27 Jan 2012 | 5:40 pmby Kevin Foo -
Ecological Design
27 Jan 2012 | 5:40 pmby Kevin Foo
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Land8 Blog
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Eisenhower Park: Let All the Children Play
24 Jan 2012 | 1:02 amKOMPAN, in partnership with Let All the Children Play Foundation, developed a universally inclusive playground to promote stimulating, healthy, and fun interactions between children of all abilities. Eisenhower Park is one of KOMPAN’s Universally Inclusive Playgrounds: Letting all the … -
Your Portfolio is More than Project Work
10 Jan 2012 | 12:13 amWe all want to stand out as unique designers while at the same time hoping that our portfolios will be accepted as meeting expectations, right? We hope that our portfolio is good enough gives the right number of samples, contains … -
Resolve to Stand Out in 2012
30 Dec 2011 | 9:34 pmMy New Year’s Resolution is to sketch more. This decision was inspired by a couple of things from the ASLA 2011 Conference in San Diego (last post on that here): First, I attended an education session given by … -
James Corner Field Operations to Design London’s Olympic Park
27 Dec 2011 | 5:57 pmJames Corner Field Operations and erect architecture have won a competition to design Olympic Park in Stratford, East London, for post-Olympic public use. The competition, which was launched in July 2011, split the site into north and south sections; Corner … -
In Memory of Wolfgang Oehme
21 Dec 2011 | 11:33 amOn December 15th, 2011 the Landscape Architecture community lost one of its finest. Wolfgang Oehme, co-founder of Oehme van Sweden and Associates, passed away in his home in Towson, MD at the age of 81. Oehme has often been …
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The Shouting Hare
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A Call to Urban Agriculture
26 Jan 2012 | 3:25 pmI first became interested in urban agriculture in graduate school when a discussion about how to make cities more ‘sustainable’ turned to the topics of food security and food deserts. This pushed me to explore how landscape architecture can and should not only be about aesthetics but also about achieving ecological, social and functional objectives. Urban agriculture does this by adding a layer of productivity to our urban spaces. I, along with a team of classmates who shared my enthusiasm for productive landscapes, applied this strategy in a competition entry called… -
When Designing Planters, Remember the Plants
19 Jan 2012 | 4:58 pmEvery now and then in our travels we get a kick out of finding design solutions that are at the opposite pole of how we approach something. So as a firm that prioritizes horticulture in the public realm – and by the way, Lynden Miller’s book called Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape is a good read on this topic – we had to scratch our heads at this bunker, ummm I mean planter: Though it’s potentially well irrigated, judging from the irrigation tubing extending from it, there’s very little room for the main event – plants! This… -
Engaging Plants in the Garden
12 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pmCamp Rosemary is a garden designed in the 1920s by Rose Standish Nichols. On a tour of the garden this summer, I took time to reflect on the formal and evocative qualities of several types of plants. Two opposing elements; the vertical and the planar, are used in this garden to generate several playful vignettes and engage the design components of the garden. In this collection of Actaea matsumurae ‘White Pearl’, whimsical blooms float above fine leafy foliage. ‘White Pearl’ throws a veil of vertical punctuations in front of the distant border, providing a visual anchor… -
A Green Roof Threesome
5 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pmWe’re excited that the Illinois Chapter of the ASLA just awarded its highest honor for our design of three green roofs at one of the largest mixed-use complexes on Michigan Avenue. Green roofs in Chicago are hardly a new phenomenon. The city has been at the forefront of cities promoting and installing green roofs for several years and still retains the ‘lead’ as the city with the highest square footage of roofs covered by vegetation. But even here, it’s unusual for a building owner to develop three roofs on a single complex that utilize the space for both… -
Holiday Reading List: Great Books on Landscape Architecture and Design
19 Dec 2011 | 5:27 pmStumped on a gift for someone interested in landscape architecture, design, or garden design? Here are some of our faves, for a wide variety of skill levels and interests, ranging from monographs on the hottest landscape architects practicing today to a simple guide for organic composting. Let’s hear it for last-minute shoppers! Piet Oudolf: Landscapes in Landscapes, The Monacelli Press Peter Schaudt’s favorite for this year, Oudolf’s monograph is a generous and inspiring compilation of this Dutch master’s best works. Oudolf is known for his planting design that…
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Vista Window Film RSS
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Advanced Window Film Technology: The Evolution
17 Jan 2012 | 3:39 pmCountless technologies have steadily evolved throughout generations of advancements: computers, automobiles, cameras and even window film. Whatever the field, behind most established brands are well-established companies that started out as innovators and never lost their zeal for improvemen That’s certainly the pattern for a leading brand in advanced window film technology Vista™ offered by Solutia, a market-leading performance materials and specialty chemicals company. The innovations that led to the brand’s present technology began with a fundamental breakthrough more than a… -
International Building Code 2012: Key Updates
7 Dec 2011 | 1:22 pmWhile there are a host of codes and standards that govern commercial buildings (ANSI, ASTM, ASCE, etc.) the document with arguably the greatest influence is the International Building Code (IBC). The IBC emanates from the International Code Council, which is also the originator of nearly a dozen other major specs (including the International Residential Code and the International Energy Conservation Code). But the real weight of the IBC comes from the fact that it’s used by all 50 states as the basis for their own Statewide Uniform Building Codes. Consequently, each three-year revision to… -
Solutia Completes Acquisition of Southwall Technologies Inc.
28 Nov 2011 | 6:00 amSolutia Solutia has completed the previously announced acquisition of Southwall Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SWTX), a leading innovator of energy-saving films and glass products for the automotive and architectural markets. The $113 million transaction was funded by Solutia with existing cash on hand and is expected to be accretive in the first year. -
Solutia's EnerLogic Window Film Recognized for Product Excellence
17 Nov 2011 | 6:00 amSolutia Inc. announced that it's EnerLogic window film was recognized for its product excellence in the following categories: Solar Control Protection, Moisture/Thermal Protection and Windows/Doors/Openings. -
Winterize Your Home in 5 Easy Steps
16 Nov 2011 | 7:00 amWith the warmer season coming to an end, it’s time to begin preparing for winter. As temperatures start to decrease, home heating costs begin to rise. However, winter doesn’t always have to drastically increase your expenses. From sealing air leaks to applying house window tinting, a few simple solutions could make a big difference on your monthly heating bill. This season, try implementing these five steps to winterize your home and keep energy costs low. 1. Seal Air Leaks Air leaks allow cold air to enter the home while also letting heat slowly filter out. This can drive up costs…
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Timothy Pflueger Blog
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Streamline Moderne gem a quiet star in “Dark Passage” at Noir City Film Festival
20 Jan 2012 | 11:34 amMalloch Building on Montgomery St, where Lauren Bacall lives in “Dark Passage” Rain has finally descended upon a parched San Francisco, casting a perfect gloomy backdrop just in time for this year’s Noir City Film Festival. Aficionados of the dark film genre are looking forward to this year’s program, where San Francisco plays a role in some of the films, starting tonight at the Castro Theatre. Both familiar and long-gone buildings and structures can be spotted in several films, where our fog-drizzled streets, covert alleys and stairways, and lust-inducing… -
The El Rey Theatre to come back as a movie palace for a night
1 Nov 2011 | 1:37 amAd for the El Rey Theater in November 1931 in the "San Francisco News" The El Rey Theatre, the former movie palace that still towers over Ocean Avenue and parts of Ingleside Terraces, is turning 80 next month. To celebrate the anniversary, the Voice of Pentecost, which bought the building in 1977, is hosting a fund-raiser, and the organizers will be showing the same film that was featured during the Moderne theatre’s gala opening on November 14, 1931. This time, the movie, “The Smiling Lieutenant,” starring Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert, will be shown in… -
It’s de-lightful, it’s de-lovely, it’s Deco in New York
20 Aug 2011 | 4:56 pmCeiling mural in the lobby of the Chrysler Building Cole Porter please forgive me for messing up your lyrics, but last month I had a kind of late 1920s, early 1930s week in New York. After seeing the Broadway revival of “Anything Goes,” I still can’t get Porter’s witty lyrics out of my head. And they meld so well with many of the city’s glorious Art Deco icons, the most glamorous of all, of course, is the Chrysler Building, designed by architect William Van Alen and completed in 1930. The race between the builders and the architects of the Chrysler Building,… -
The mystery of the Gilded Age architect and his artist brother
18 Jun 2011 | 2:59 pmThe Pissis brothers worked together on the 1905 Sherith Israel Temple Albert Pissis was one of San Francisco’s most respected architects from the Gilded Age to the post-fire building boom. To me, he is also one of the era’s more quietly fascinating figures in local architecture, described after his death as having been a man of “dominating will power,” “naturally reserved,” but frank in expressing his opinion, even to “the extent of criticizing his own work.” Pissis was born in Guaymas, Mexico in 1852, but his family moved… -
Some good architecture reads for spring
4 May 2011 | 11:01 amCover of John King's very portable book, "Cityscapes" Let’s face it. You can’t really lug a serious book about architecture to the beach, or even on the bus. Typically they are either hefty, hardback tomes, made even heavier by glossy, full-color pages of photography of the work being discussed, or they can venture into dry, academic treatises that often aren’t really fun to read. This spring, though, fans of architecture can find some good books on our city, including one that you can easily carry on local walking expeditions. San Francisco…
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Life of an Architect
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No, it’s all about me
26 Jan 2012 | 12:01 amLife of an Architect contributor Scott Taylor wrote an article, It’s all about me introducing himself and explaining a bit about who he is and what makes him tick. He accomplished this by preparing a list of things that he felt defined his design sensibilities. In that post, Scott called me out to prepare a similar list (as if I could be so easily defined…) I have prepared these sorts of lists before and I absolutely HATE doing them. Sadly, I don’t have many things that stay my favorite for very long. Does that mean I’m fickle? Does it mean I can’t commit? Maybe…
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DesignBuild Source
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2012’s Green Urban Policy Australia
26 Jan 2012 | 7:24 pmWith the release of the federal government’s newest Urban Policy Forum the green building community will feel a new found sense of confidence in the future plans for urban development in Australia. Planning for a sustainable urban community has come as a priority in the new policy, which has been influenced by a wide range of experts across different industry sectors including Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) Romily Madew.Upon his latest announcement, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese has assured the future planning processes will… -
The Program Behind the Young Australian of the Year
26 Jan 2012 | 7:06 pmMarita Cheng accepting "2012 Young Australian of the Year Award"In 2008, Marita Cheng identified a problem: too few girls in engineering, the field of her passion.Deciding to do something about it, Cheng and a number of her peers formed Robogirls, a student club which would set up and run LEGO robotics competitions for girls’ schools around Melbourne, with teams receiving training and support in the lead up to the completion.What started from there has now grown into an organisation introducing girls to engineering in schools not just across Australia but also in England, Ireland,… -
Buildings Collapse in World Cup City
26 Jan 2012 | 6:52 pmbuilding collapse i Rio De JaneiroThree buildings – one twenty storeys high – have collapsed in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, killing at least five people and injuring many others.The collapse occurred late on Wednesday (Rio time), near the municipal theatre on the city’s Cinelandia square. The tallest of the buildings was twenty storeys high, says the city’s mayor Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, whilst the second tallest had ten floors and the third had three or four.Though the cause of the crash remains unknown, police spokesman Rodrigo Pimentel told reporters that illegal work had been… -
World’s Tallest Solar Array Complete
26 Jan 2012 | 6:15 pmDeutsche Bank- Tallest Solar ArrayThe sustainable building world has been buzzing this week with the latest news that the world’s tallest solar photovoltaic array system has been completed in New York.Located at the very top of the Americas headquarters building at 737 feet on the city’s iconic Wall Street, the array is predicted to reduce carbon emission outputs in the dense and populated major city by 100 metric tonnes per year. This will help reduce the carbon offset of the company, who are currently on a mission to reach a carbon neutral status across all banks.Owned by Deutsche Bank,… -
Small and Medium Business Blindsided By Carbon Tax
26 Jan 2012 | 4:19 pmThe carbon tax is a reality that the Australian industry can no longer avoid. Although we have grumbled about the unfairness of it, we’re over a decade behind some European countries in the implementation of it – and it is now impossible to ignore.While the tax and associated scheme have been deemed as one of the world’s best, there can be no denying that the communication of the taxing process has been stilted at best. This lack of understanding and clarity has provoked three main negative responses. Fear, anger and apathy.One key issue that is being lost in the stir created by…





















