National Design Awards

The Firm 2 X 4 out of NYC recently won the Cooper Hewit National Design Awards for examplary American design. The firm's work is far-reaching and wonderfully detailed at the same time. Their work has been included within works by Neil Denari and Rem Koolhaas, to name a couple.

As a result of winning the above award, the First Lady sponsors a little gala in the winners' honor. 2 X 4 shunned it, and here's the letter.

City-States

Important and interesting read on the wave of urban immigration and its affect on countries' economies. When one thinks about this, the question arises, "Is New York really American?" Or did it start as an American ideal 400 years ago, transforming itself through the years into its own animal, separate from the rest of the US?

The Body Electric

Speaking of Science Fiction, this electric concept car called Zoop is designed by French fashion design house Maison de Courrèges. It's form is interesting, its mission is interesting. Shows that hybrid design firms exist out there.

But I digress as we all know that the most advanced technologies usually get designed and tested for the military complex. At least the Swedes have made a go at innovative green technologies, satisfying their inner hippies.

Space Colonites Part II

Robert Bigelow's commercial space agency has just launced an inflatable space ship into orbit, beginning a process eventually culminating in a full fledged space hotel. His company has a whole lot of ideas for the future of air travel in this atmosphere as well as the other one. NASA, of course, is competing. Americans do, as it turns out, have to be first at everything, or else.

It's about Time

Providing basic shelter for US armed services is a tough task, considering we're spread ever so thinly across the globe. Halliburton has been feasting as of late on soldiers' basic necessities as they maintain the front lines. I'd be interested in seeing the conditions first hand. Can we equate Halliburton barracks to slums in Sao Paolo? Or bathing conditions? Or clean water? Some reading on squatter cities might begin to make connections.

As is, the US Army has finally let go of Hallibuton as their only contractor. They will be dismissed of their duties providing basic life support for US soldiers such as housing, food service, and sanitation services. At a time when Iraq reconstruction is slowing down, it seems kind of ironic that the Army would finally get a clue of the crooks from Texas.

To note: "Government audits turned up more than $1 billion in questionable costs. Whistle-blowers told how the company charged $45 per case of soda, double-billed on meals and allowed troops to bathe in contaminated water."

Shelter in a Cart

The folks over at designboom (now added to links section) put on a socially impressive design competition to address the needs of the transient and homeless population. It reaches into a realm we should think about more often, money aside. Very relevent.

Understatement of the Century Part I

Frank Ghery, on the design of the New Guggenheim Abu Dhabi UAE, "I want to play off the blue water and the color of the sand and sky and sun..."It's got to be something that will make sense here. If you import something and plop it down, it's not going to work." This should make it onto Mind of Mancia on Comedy Central for its sheer comedic brilliance.

Moreover, The project brought striking cultural juxtapositions: A museum named for a major Jewish-American family and designed by a Jewish-American architect would rise in the capital of an Arab country that refuses diplomatic ties with Israel. A foundation that has become a pillar of U.S.-European culture would establish its largest presence in a Muslim country with no world-class art museums.

This is at once Shakespearean Tragedy as well as a serious political and cultural act.

Updates

I've updated links into sections, etc., while adding a bunch of new stuff: enjoy.

bored?

Back from 4th of July Vacation and bored? These programs that simulate art by clicking and dragging your mouse are a nice respite from the type click-type click-type click action of the modeling / drawing routine. It definitely got me: Virtual Jackson Pollock