A hybrid Culture

a full year

2008-09-21T03:16:00.008-12:00

I've been on a long hiatus - posting to resume soon under an evolved viewpoint.

desert?

2007-05-23T03:44:00.001-12:00

It's hard to believe that Dubai used to be a desert outpost. This promotional video gets into the guts of what these crazy bastards are doing, and the ideas behind some of the more popular destinations being marketed to....well, the rich, of course.

innovation

2007-05-22T01:47:00.000-12:00

Architecture is becoming extinct as a service profession. More and more, clients are eschewing architecture for more off the shelf product, often induced by builders and developers, who REALLY control design, except for the fortunate few. The process of the profession is slow and not agile. Most of our time is spent documenting our projects in two dimensions. And when we're finished with that, we watch as contractors, subcontractors, clients, and city authorities tear our drawings apart, withering what creativity we've infused into the design with multiple constraints. In a nutshell, we don't have that much control over architecture, that art or craft or whatever it's now called.

The light at the end of the tunnel? technology and business savvy.

al

2007-05-17T04:38:00.000-12:00

Climate change is obviously on everyone's mind these days. Designers and architects have been jumping wholeheartedly on to the sustainability bandwagon - and for good cause. It is essential, however, that politicians begin to understand the importance of this issue, because at the end of the day, the world we live in is a political one. Business deals, planning decisions, and urban management are all subject to political review. Nothing is exempt.

Enter Al Gore. The piece in Time is a very well written, provocative look into Gore's forthcoming book, The Assault on Reason, as well as a timely discussion of his metamorphosis into something beyond politics, beyond the presidency. Because at the end of the day, he's more powerful as a private citizen than as any bureaucrat.

"What would President Gore do? Well, on Capitol Hill in March, Citizen Gore offered his ideas. He advocates an immediate freeze on CO₂ emissions and a campaign of sharp reductions—90% by 2050. To get there, he would eliminate the payroll tax and replace it with a carbon tax, so the cost of pollution is finally priced into the market. "I understand this is considered politically impossible," he told the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "But part of our task is to expand the limits of what's possible." He would adopt a cap-and-trade program that would allow U.S. industry to meet reduction targets in part by trading pollution credits. Critics often dismiss carbon offsets as the green equivalent of religious indulgences, but in fact they stimulate the market—moving entrepreneurs to find dirty plants, clean them up and sell the CO₂ reductions. Gore also wants a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants that don't capture and store their carbon emissions and much higher fuel-economy standards for cars. After Gore presented these views on Capitol Hill, critics assailed them as costly, unworkable economy cripplers. His reply: in a few years, when the crisis worsens, these proposals "will seem so minor compared to the things people will be demanding then." And, of course, he's not running for anything these days. He's in the vision business now."

rem

2007-05-14T03:05:00.000-12:00

A month or so without writing about a Rem Koolhaas siting is a month lost, in my opinion. But alas, as I was doing the morning walk around the web, I confronted this little diddy. I love the idea of architecture and architects branching out to the many other design disciplines, carrying the creative spirit over and beyond one's comfort zone. This, however, seems odd considering Koolhaas' fixation on re-imagining skyscrapers, or examining the potential of future urban experiences embodied within modern shanty towns and squatter settlements.

new (sino)urbanism

2007-05-11T01:39:00.000-12:00

Unveiling the new city of Dongtan, straight out of the ground. And green. Well worth the read:

"Dongtan breaks ground later this year on a plot about the size of Manhattan on Chongming Island. The first condos and commercial space will hit the market by 2010, around the time a 12-mile bridge and tunnel combo and subway extension will link the city to Shanghai's new international airport (45 minutes away) and financial district (30 minutes). By 2050, Dongtan will have a half-million residents, more than Miami or Atlanta today."

cell

2007-05-09T04:30:00.000-12:00

With today's topics centered on sustainable cities and their ancient counterparts, as seen in previous post, I've found an example of a truly unique, seemingly organic growth of a building complex by Moshe Sofdie in Montreal. The cellular division create many different spaces above, below, beside, etc. It also hearkens to modern prefabrication techniques.

"Safdie's dwelling complex 'Habitat' was designed to give 'privacy, fresh air, sunlight and suburban amenities in an urban location.' It was designed as a permanent settlement and consists of 158 dwellings, although originally it was intended to provide 1,000 units. The resulting ziggurat was made up of independent prefabricated boxes with fifteen different plan types."

total.recall

2007-05-09T02:11:00.000-12:00

Does anyone out there remember that martian sci-fil extravaganza starring the green governor himself? This article of an eco-city by Norman Foster conjures up images of that movie, for some odd, and fairly obvious reasons. Check it out. via archinect.

The scale of the project is rather daunting, considering building a city from scratch. One could question how sustainable a city really is if it is designed from scratch rather than organically grown over time, adjusting itself to climate and economic conditions, such as ancient Arabian towns and their related souks.

ephemera

2007-05-07T01:42:00.000-12:00

In New York it is fairly obvious that retail and restaurants are constantly worried about their images, where re-branding is becoming as common as waiting in line for a cup of coffee. The retail scene is as fickle as they come, as stores open and close in a constant domino effect of which-neighborhood-is-cooler. I don't know what the statistics are, nor do I care, but seen from the street, a store can be boarded up one day, selling merchandise the next (profiting over short term trends), then shutting its doors because that trend they were supporting, died off. To counter this annoying process, along comes Grand Opening, a refreshing take on retail that befittingly transforms itself every 3 months. On the website, "Now Storing: Pong," is announced as if the very idea of retail was actually a verb or an action.

Perhaps this is all a sign of things to come: Will we finally realize that design for dis assembly will be necessary in order to perform to market conditions? As is, the construction industry's methods are outdated and heavy. By heavy, I mean they are not conducive to change and manipulation like their counterparts in the aeronautical and automotive industries. Metal studs and dry wall are the heavy, non-malleable elements of choice, but why? Could these materials be replaced with prefabricated elements, or even materials that perform to an entropic point, then signaling to change? I think this little store on the Lower East Side of NYC can help us realize that designing for changing conditions can ensure shop keepers that they must be AGILE in the face of rapidly changing demographics in urban environments.

luxury

2007-05-04T03:04:00.000-12:00

It most certainly is welcome in airplane design.

street art

2007-05-04T02:48:00.000-12:00

I won't explain why streets are in my head right now, but this is a MUST SEE. French graffiti. If you like your latin to be more (South) American, check out this brother from Brazil.

streets part III

2007-05-03T05:32:00.000-12:00

Interesting article to follow on the previous post: "Stopping to smell the roses" may be more poignant than ever.

streets part II

2007-05-03T05:05:00.000-12:00

In New York, we walk everywhere. That or we take the train to a location where we exit the tube and go walk somewhere. It is one of the most appealing aspects to this city. If you're in a car, you'll miss the most fascinating people watching on the planet, you'll miss the vendors, the humanity. Its vaunted "edge" is because of it street life. Sure, there are many European cities that would balk at the above statements, and they would be quite correct. However, here in the states, we really haven't been able to figure out what streets mean to us over and beyond vehicles for vectorizing traffic, i.e. they are there for cars. I write this because of the well written (and quite long) piece over at bldgblog which gives a thoughtful rant about an event in LA entitled "Great Streets," in which, it seems, the whole idea of street as public realm sort of went over everyone's head. Well worth the read.

seeing = feeling

2007-05-02T02:02:00.000-12:00

As usual, the military industrial complex, never ceases to amaze with its unrelenting development of more and more fascinatingly powerful (and useful) instruments and weapons. In this article over at wired, these new binoculars will, "monitor the wearer's neural signals, queuing soldiers to recognize targets faster than the unaided brain could on its own. The idea is that EEG can spot "neural signatures" for target detection before the conscious mind becomes aware of a potential threat or target."

The instrument is appropriately named Luke's Binoculars, because, well, they're about as Sci-Fi as one can get. One can just imagine using these in the city, looking down 5th Avenue from Central Park, and vividly spotting your girlfriend in Washington Square about 70 blocks down.

amusement park urbanism, part IV

2007-04-30T08:07:00.000-12:00

Over the past couple of years, it has become painfully obvious that city centers have become playgrounds for bleach-white collar types. It seems more and more we find blue collars fleeing to the suburbs, while their old neighborhoods get gentrified with luxury condos, luxury boutiques, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Marketers and developers are obviously at the controls of this rapid succession of conspicuous consumption. And yet, they just won't stop. Colors of the streets becoming more and more pale (read white people) and day after day, the gimmicks just keep on coming. Are you kidding me?

street

2007-04-30T05:46:00.000-12:00

Cities are all about people. People interact. Interactions happen on the streets. Streets need less cars. Blog about streets.

brutal

2007-04-26T03:11:00.000-12:00

Having just returned from a long weekend in Portland, Oregon, I am reminded how far design has come as it firmly entrenches itself in the mainstream. That city is so pretty, so cute, so well manicured....that it sort of makes me want to vomit.

Don't get me wrong. I love that place, spent a long time there, but now question whether too much of a good thing is beginning to rid it of its once alluring mix of crack heads, blue collar workers, and the occasional Intel employee. Now everything is cool, everyone is cool, and I'm beginning to think that the city of Portland is forcing all new residents to read Richard Florida.(trigger vomit comment here). Yearning for "ugly" or, I share with you, dear readers, some refreshing brutalism.

float

2007-04-18T06:58:00.000-12:00

With all the recent talk out there about geomagnetic buildings, I though I'd link these photos of cloud stuctures. Fascinating.Maybe aeroscrafts will take off as a building material?

process

2007-04-17T02:03:00.001-12:00

We all surf the internet in copious amounts, looking at imagery, commenting on said imagery, gaining ideas on imagery, and infecting others with our own imagery. Everything we desire can be found on the internet in seconds. Or maybe I should say, IMAGES of everything we desire can be found, be it precedents for a design or ideas for research. The one thing we cannot find much of on the internet are windows into process oriented design approaches, which are few and far between.

solar power on the cheap?

2007-04-13T03:04:00.000-12:00

"New solar cells developed by Massey University don't need direct sunlight to operate and use a patented range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs, window glass and eventually even clothing to produce power" Read. Design ideas in comments section.

geneva international auto show...

2007-04-11T02:15:00.000-12:00

... is getting more and more progressive.

one man's junk is another man's treasure

2007-04-11T01:49:00.000-12:00

I think it is even more challenging to design within an inventory of found objects. How many times have you started a design problem with a client brief and a pile of junk?

Their new web site: Rural Studio
The Sanford and Son of Dutch Design: 2012 Architecten
Interesting article through AMO: @ Archis

a populist nod

2007-04-10T01:14:00.000-12:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been lambasted left and right (figuratively) for even trying to become governor of California. In this, his second term, he seems to have founded an interesting blend of environmentalism and free market capitalism. This article is an interesting read, not only on the methods behind his madness, but also on the politics behind much of Washington's assault on the environment.
Here's one: "He's also negotiating with (reps. from Baja and British Columbia) for a hydrogen highway dotted with liquid-hydrogen fueling stations up and down the 5,300-mile Pacific coastline." I like this idea. In fact, it is a real-world example of an idea laid out in the treatise Ecotopia, in which the whole west coast of America, from California to Canada, secedes to become their own progressive state. In this, a magnetic high-speed rail line, completely carbon free, becomes the main line for trade on the former Pacific Coast Highway.

doing it yourself

2007-04-05T07:29:00.000-12:00

As designers, we pride ourselves in our ability to visualize spaces and objects before they are built. In a sense, we are consistently living in the future of possibility, our visions and representations of visions to be actualized at a "later" time. Having said this, we've probably all heard of rapid prototyping and the optimism that comes along with it, mainly that we can now actually build our ideas in rapid succession, quickly making object, tweaking design, making object, tweaking, and so forth. In theory, what an amazing sequence of events. However, there are limitations: and they are, per ususal, monetary. How much can you get that model built for? Excuse me? In my experience, that one thing standing between a house full of models and prototypes and myself is the almighty dollar.
If you, dear reader, buy any of this, than I must tell you there is hope. Last night, I was able to attend a lecture by a young gentlemen currently researching how to create a rapid prototyping machine for under $400. Desktop style Making, with a capital M.
If that weren't enough, in today's New York Time s there is a wonderful article concerning the subject with links and even more information on how to at the very least buy prototypes on the low end of the price scale. For instance, Great Eastern Technologies, "will make small multicolored copies from a starch-based powder for about $70 using a printer from the Z Corporation."
It seems like desktop manufacturing is beginning to take shape, and if economies of scale begin to assemble, I believe we are in for an evolution in innovation. As we read of those Internet 2.0 geeks setting up shop in coffee shops all across the world, we can take inspiration and create a virtual network of freelancing designer who are open to open-source sharing, and who will disseminate ideas at a much faster and more poignant clip.

urban development

2007-04-04T01:39:00.000-12:00

ReUrbA2 is a European regional organization focused on the re-development of urban areas, specifically within those under-the-radar cities. Although current projects (because of socialized funding) are located in the larger urban areas such as London and Rotterdam, there is an energy in devising methods and practices for re-inventing mining towns and whole city districts, for example. The website is quite successful in communicating how private and governmental funding, along with creative problem solving, can encourage development while preserving a city's soul. In some cases, reinventing latent atmosphere's of experience.

Moreover, ErasmusPC: “Let’s not talk about urban regeneration. Its too problem oriented and too physical. Let’s talk about urban development instead. This is about people, about stimulus, about coalitions and about future.” Scroll down to the bottom of the page and read through the various interviews from developers, scholars, and architects.

Both of these sites provide a more socialized, heterarchical method of development practices. Instead of developers' money making all the land use decisions, ideas and debate are incubated, spurring more creative and sustainable built fabric.

When one comes to think about it, is there a similar organization in the U.S.? The Congress for New Urbanism maybe? Ugh. We're screwed. Just look at how un-intelligently they're rebuilding New Orleans. Build, build, build. Fast, fast, fast. Pastiche, pastiche, pastiche. This was, above all else, a chance for real change in the way America deals with development. Instead, old architecture was copied, and towns are being "rebuilt" furiously without research into truly sustainable ways of living in swamp land, under sea level.

we did this to ourselves

2007-04-03T15:16:00.000-12:00

As the above image demonstrates, we may be traversing new formed archipelagos of land-cliffs amidst fields that were once deep blue lakes and waterways. The culprits: Las Vegas and other fast-growing cities and towns in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, the more arid states in the Continental U.S.
"New scientific evidence suggests that periodic long, severe droughts have become the norm in the Colorado River basin, undermining calculations of how much water the river can be expected to provide and intensifying pressures to find new solutions or sources." Read.

be afraid, be very afraid

2007-04-02T01:10:00.000-12:00

If you haven't already destroyed your TV in the process of watching Jesus Camp, go do it now. It's worth it, I promise. This movie is an astonishing look at how evangelical christians are (brainwashing) preparing their children for the second coming of jesus, which they feel is imminent in said childrens' lifetimes. The main character, a radical fundamentalist, believes if they are training young kids in Afghanistan to wield weapons for god, then we should do the same, sans guns. But it's the same thing, regardless.

If that doesn't scare you in to watching it, then maybe the fact that in one stanza, a pastor from Colorado Springs looks directly into the camera and, with a straight face, states that the evangelical right is so strong, and gaining so much momentum, that with it's sheer numbers, it could influence EVERY presidential election from here to kingdom come, will.

fuel cells

2007-03-30T01:53:00.000-12:00

It's quite fascinating (and even disheartening to a certain extent) that the automotive and aeronautical industries have gotten the hint and begun testing prototypes using alternative fuel sources, leaving architecture and related disciplines in the dark. Why is there such a lag in our embracing of hydrogen, wind, and sun? Sure, there are few projects out there that seem progressive, but we must understand that considering the building industry uses almost 30% of the world's available resources, those using sustainable strategies or "LEED" are almost minuscule in scale. We do not see the country's largest home builder, TOLL BROTHERS, doing anything about anything pertaining to the environment, or its gigantic ecological footprint. Again, quite disheartening.

But if we turn back to cars and planes, we see that Boeing has released images of a FUEL CELL POWERED MANNED AIRPLANE (!) that they will begin testing soon. All things considered, airplanes use quite a lot of gasoline, and it is refreshing to see the largest airplane manufacturer doing something about their reliance on fossil fuels. Same for BMW, which has gotten in on the hydrogen act as well.

what a trend can do for you

2007-03-29T01:39:00.000-12:00

At the risk of sounding pretentious, this blog is meant to provide links, information, and (some) insight into technologically-related issues. Sometimes, we may talk about other things such as branding, or other issues related to design. But in the end, technology is the salvo.

Which brings us to imagery: Today's world of consumerism has promised "cool" to anyone with a job, meaning anyone who can flip the bill for it. It has also been said that "fashion" retailers are taking it to the streets, so to speak, and stealing ideas from the few creative people out there, meaning now when all you crazy kids go shopping at the flippin' GAP, you can get you street cred on. God help us all.

ryan church

2007-03-27T01:57:00.000-12:00

For your information or inspiration or contemplation or fascination.

simulacra

2007-03-23T01:58:00.000-12:00

Modern day politics has become the stuff of sound bites. Every night on the various, biased news channels and web sites, we see what electronic media has done to real people - they've created avatars - electronic personalities that only exist within the ether. Prime example is our main man, Prince George W. II. With his charming good looks and austere command of the English language, he's become the ultimate symbol of the sound bite. His speeches are to put it nicely, rather clumsily dealt to cringing audiences all over the world, yet what we see back in our "real" existence are bits and pieces of said speeches (sound bites) that make the fool sound like a hero whose eloquence has no bounds.

We could use Comedy Central's Daily Show as a prime example of using the sound bite to spin certain political quandaries. On the other hand, FOX television uses sound bites as if they were wielding military weapons, in such vitriolic spin as to make us wonder what is real and what isn't.
Now You Tube has entered the act, and one is left to wonder who exactly is pulling these puppet strings behind the stage. Is it sheer genius, or is it just a result of the natural evolution of politics towards the simulacra, the fake, the formulated, the surreal.

psychadelic pleasure palace

2007-03-22T02:58:00.000-12:00

Picture this: You take a flight to Dubai (which has become, as all the kids say, the ultimate pleasure escape), you saunter from hotel to casino to restaurant without ever going outside, because, well, it's inhospitable DESERT. You get bored of all the commercial-ness of it and search out a more authentic Arabian experience. You actually go outside into the heat and find a nice little opium den tucked in to a soon-to-be-gone sector of the actual Arab city. You lay on pillows, eat olives and dates, and smoke your personal hookah. Senses enhanced, you then decide to go back to the commercialized world and see this. Now wouldn't that be fun?

new religion

2007-03-22T01:33:00.000-12:00

If you haven't been to the apt, a creative agency in NYC, please do take a little time to browse the consistently great posts on everything from design to religion, even. That said, today a post brings us to a link discussing the many, eerily similar qualities of consumer brand recognition and religion.

Branding is a belief system, so is religion. If we consume based on our allegiance to a particular brand, aren't we lifting said brand into a belief system? Hence, the argument unfolds. Definitely worth a long read.

monument

2007-03-20T02:06:00.000-12:00

I don't mean this to be any sort of doom speak about human pollution, blah blah blah. But haven't you noticed that many of the world's finest man-made monuments are decomposing much faster than nature would allow? Be it through human destruction such as this, or through tourism such as this, dying monuments are in the news. At the rate we're going, maybe this is a closer reality than this:

"Leshan Dafo, or Big Buddha of Leshan, is the largest stone sculpture of Buddha in the world. The colossal 71-meter (233 ft) seated statue of Buddha (dafo) is located on a cliff at the confluence of two rivers, the Dadu He and the Min He, overlooking the town of Leshan, about 50 km east of Emeishan. The Buddha is so big that one hundred people can stand on any one of its feet."

waves

2007-03-19T01:36:00.000-12:00

Cause and effect: As we gain the know-how of developing and nurturing alternative energy sources, they will become more economically viable. Maybe soon we'll see surfers with some sort of device attached to their boards absorbing energy as they ride, then selling it to localized stations when they're finished?

..."the costs of producing electricity from wind energy have fallen by 80% over the past two decades as a result of volume and production optimization. With opening costs around half wind energy’s opening costs and a quarter the current cost of solar, a new form of wave energy harvester has the potential to become one of the lowest cost forms of generation in the longer term. The Pelamis is a semi-submerged structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams. These pump oil through hydraulic motors which drive generators to produce electricity. Power from all the joints is fed down a single umbilical cable to a junction on the sea bed. Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable."

Do people dream of climbing electric mountains?

2007-03-16T02:06:00.000-12:00

Bldg Blog has quite the interesting read concerning the rapid depletion of precious metals from the earth. And for what you ask? For our cellphones, flat screens, and other electronic goods. Read the article here, and check out the eerily beautiful photography of post-industrial earth here.

don't let this one pass you by

2007-03-14T02:04:00.000-12:00

People who love design based on it's contributions to the world, or to the environment, or to one's own ego know and understand that one just can't get rich like, say, Wall Street types. We do it for love, not for money, right?

Well, the older I get, the less I believe in the do it for love thing, so I'm not going to sit around while a bunch of geeks get incredibly rich (again) just like in the dot-com boom. I wasn't smart enough back then to understand what the fuss was all about. But this, this I can understand and need to jump on soon. We all do. We should be running the world.

um, uh, ok.

2007-03-13T02:13:00.000-12:00

So, there is a gigantic absolute geek living inside of me, and he can't help but sometimes get the best of me and find this kind of thing, which surprises and inspires the $%^& out of the normal me. Maybe it's just that this whole issue of robots is becoming quite ubiquitous, and everyone out there who grew up jealous of Luke Skywalker because he got his own robots is on the case, spreading the love.

Video: Career in Computer Science - MS Research

Leisure

2007-03-13T01:58:00.000-12:00

It's spring (or it seems like it) and I've been thinking about buying a new bike so I can ditch the subway for 6 months or so. And, no, I don't mean getting - on - my - mountain - bike - and - pedaling - my - ass - off - hunched - over - handle - bars - looking - nowhere - but - straight - ahead, missing all the beauty of New York. I'm more interested in wonderful ideas brought on by wonderful idea makers, who understand those of us that like pedaling at a leisurely pace. Because in the end, no one wants a sweaty, loud bike-shoe wearing jackass meandering in to the office in the morning.

Michael Maltzan on Skid Row

2007-03-12T14:06:00.000-12:00

NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF reviews Maltzan's transitional housing project.

"In a better world, the projects would emerge as a model for a far-reaching architectural and social agenda."

Maltzan's work seems to glide under the radar. It is technologically provocative in its form finding, yet rooted in a deeper context. Hopefully, it stays that way.

making + meaning

2007-03-12T08:46:00.000-12:00

Over the past decade, so much has been made in architecture circles of the cult of celebrity, of the ongoing battle of style over substance. The internet abounds with thousands upon thousands of renderings. Admittedly, we all get caught up in the pretty pictures. Zaha's new project in Budapest is a perfect example.

Serious research aside, are the pretty renderings a result of people looking for their 15 minutes of fame? Be it through archinect, or other on line journals, are images being uploaded for the mere purpose of satiating one's own ego? Many architecture students and firms alike are using the computer as a visualization tool, a "how can I look as cool and cutting-edge-as-possible" tool. We should evolve past this, into a mass customized industry, where the computer can be an engaging partner in making, leaving the architect and designer plenty of room for injecting meaning into constructions and installations.

As Kazys Varnelis writes, "Caught up in a self-validating discourse that is increasingly irrelevant to network culture, design in the academy is falling behind innovators like Architecture for Humanity or Rocio Romero. "

True innovation is happening in places like this and this. Or, for the prefab lovers out there, this.

But then Again...

2007-03-09T03:50:00.001-12:00

Technology blows my mind sometimes.. It's the future kids.

Removing myself from workstation.....Now.

illustrate

2007-03-09T03:13:00.000-12:00

This is that guy who I know you all see doing those fancy "lifestyle" illustrations for booze, phones, and the like. His drawings make me wish I didn't spend so much time on the computer.
Thanks Ray Ray for the wonderful link!

I _Robot

2007-03-08T02:44:00.000-12:00

Robots are cool. Everyone likes robots. Asimov liked Robots. Will Smith liked robots. The Koreans love robots.

"In the end, when the robots rise, it won't be a cool slathering of mud spread across your thermally trackable meat sack which saves you; it'll be a manifesto. Europe's version is expected next month, now our tech overlords in South Korea are working on their version of the "Robot Ethics Charter." The document will govern the manufacturing and use of robots and include ethical standards which will be programmed into their binary souls. Good thing too what with the plan to put a domestic robot in every South Korean Home by 2020. Like the Euro charter, S.Korea's guidelines are expected to reflect the the three laws of robotics proposed in 1942 by Isaac Asimov. The first, and most important law states that "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." Hmmm, so we guess they'll be dismantling the armed robotic sentries coming to guard their northern borders, eh? Of course, all of this is pointless until the one, true robotic superpower -- Japan -- comes on board. Hey Ban Ki-moon, you listening? This could be your UN legacy."

posting to resume!

2007-03-08T02:38:00.000-12:00

It's been a long while since anything has been posted to this site. Been moving across the country, moving once again while on this side of the country. And now, finally, things are rolling again. Lots of things to say, do, and listen to. I'll try and keep up with daily posts and adhere to similar subject matter as I've done in the past. Now if I could only find that perfect job!

Conspiracy Theories

2006-09-06T03:41:00.000-12:00

Interesting.

Banksy

2006-09-06T03:09:00.000-12:00

What with recent work being done to question the cult of celebrity, I thought it poignant to share this man's website. Guerilla Artist, does what he wants, who is he? Brilliant.

Urban Konsumterror

2006-09-05T14:24:00.000-12:00

..." a critique of the condition of architecture in the contemporary city. The use of signature architecture to draw in tourist dollars is nothing more than a game of architectural Pac-Man. Signature architecture begins by consuming the museum: in order to build more and more, funds for exhibits or even routine maintenance are cannibalized. When buildings fall apart as a result, they can be torn down and new ones can be built. Cities also become consumed. When you say “Bilbao,” you refer to a building by Frank Gehry. The city’s identity no longer matters. All imaginative and financial capacity for real urban interventions is consumed by signature architecture."

Total Urban Climate Part I

2006-08-30T09:09:00.000-12:00

I'm curious about the urban evolution of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Here you have a complete industrial sanctuary, where entropy has begun to sneak up on the warehouses and mechanic shops, where cricket chirping almost feels like a foreign, electronic sound bursting from some speaker system, where college educated hipsters co-exist with Puerto Ricans, the true heart of the neighborhood, where fashion trends intermingle with blue collar overalls.

Change is happening in the hood on a daily basis. The city is calling for immense change in Williamsbug and other Brooklyn neighborhoods, including new condos so out of scale and energy, that they seem like alien spaceships landing on a peaceful derelict undustrial waterfront. What is the price of change? Why is no research being done on a true evolutionary process of BROOKLYN, not Manhatten?

To understand a pattern for the inevitable development of Williamsburg, designers and architects need to understand and study the intense figure ground relationships that exist throught the neighborhood. There are a number of very small scale infill lots, brown fields, decaying industrial buildings. But, what matter most is that the scale and process of real estate speculation, Neighborhoods must put out criteria, size, scale, and quantity relationships for a successful evolution to take place. Designer must wonder aloud for a continuation of a brilliant mix of culture and use, taking it further along the evolutionary track without completely changing the very nature of its existence.

The city moves, it is not stagnant.

National Design Awards

2006-07-20T05:16:00.000-12:00

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

2006-07-17T05:03:00.000-12:00

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

2006-07-13T09:29:00.000-12:00

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

2006-07-13T09:22:00.000-12:00

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

2006-07-12T04:58:00.001-12:00

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

2006-07-11T04:23:00.000-12:00

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

2006-07-10T05:33:00.000-12:00

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

2006-07-06T07:57:00.000-12:00

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

bored?

2006-07-05T11:26:00.000-12:00

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

Amusement Park Urbanism

2006-06-30T11:19:00.000-12:00

Part III: The Crusaders have marched into Scotland, lads!!!

Mind Reading Computers

2006-06-29T05:01:00.000-12:00

I know part of psychoanalysis is the ability to "read" facial expressions and how they represent the subject's underlying feelings. Now scientists are developing computers that do just this. And how will the technology be used? For consumption of course.

"Our research could enable websites to tailor advertising or products to your mood..."

Global Cooling - Sci Fi Issue

2006-06-27T04:31:00.000-12:00

Since the '60s, when scientists had first understood that global warming would creep up and bite us in the ass one day, research has been moving toward technologies that would help cool the planet. As such, the most prolific of the ideas either reflect or absorb sunlight. From biotechnologies to Synthetic Technologies, these new gadgets are quite interesting. Could you imagine a bunch of plastic saucers in space, floating still and reflecting sunlight? Great Article from the New York Times.

Kool

2006-06-26T05:07:00.000-12:00

I am a fan of Mr. Koolhaas because his vision is not just aesthetic or selfish. His desire to change paradigms and systems (from building to political and social) puts him in a class by himself. Could this article say the same about Zaha or Gehry? I seriously think not. The key term here is at the beginning of said article. Invisible Cities, the latent and virtual possibilites inherent in any given problem of discovery. Through intense research, analysis, and speculation he and his people are able to realize hidden potential.

AMO and OMA seek hybrids of design, planning, architecture, politics, socialism, and economic development. Impressive.

Amusement Park Urbanism

2006-06-23T05:27:00.000-12:00

Gulf Coast Part II:

Are New Urbanists planning a takeover of the American Gulf Coast? Aside from a slew of casinos and condos in Biloxi, it seems as though they are off to a strong start.......The Biloxi workshop looked like an attempt by New Urbanists to hijack the biggest urban planning and regeneration project in America’s recent history – the rebuilding of the Gulf coast. Indeed, they thought there was something almost sinister in the speed with which Duany mobilised his allies and secured the support of Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi, after Katrina.

More on the Middle Class

2006-06-22T09:11:00.000-12:00

Our middle class is getting smaller. The indications are that the rate of high and low incomes is rising steadily, while the numbers in the middle are dwindling. Along with the decrease, housing stock in typically middle class communities is becoming delapidated, as upwardly mobile former middle classers move to new developments outside of cities in exurbs. What happens to the neighborhoods left behind? What happens to those that gentrify in non-sustainable ways?

"As upper-income Americans are drawn to the new houses, neighborhoods become more homogenous,..... The zoning is such that it prevents anything other than a certain income range from living there. It is our latest method of discrimination."

To follow or not to follow.

2006-06-21T12:30:00.000-12:00

I'm really impressed with the anti-ipod advertising going on. Seems Microsoft will be allying with Toshiba, Victor, NTT DoCoMo and five other companies to release music playing services and players that will challenge the iPod. Microsoft will be developing the software while Toshiba and Victor develop the players, and DoCoMo will add mobile phone functionality to this system

I'm personally interested in this:

Amusment Park Urbanism

2006-06-21T09:39:00.000-12:00

I've written about this before, but here's a recent and intensely poignant article in Slate reminding us of the evils of large-scale projects with little or no public input.

I'm going to pick up where Jonathan Lethem left off by including the fact that all large scale public housing complexes of the 60's have failed miserably, in part because of their scale. They swallowed hole smaller urban areas, and became monstrosities in reputation and proportion.

At what point are developers' objectives too big? I agree with Mr. Lethem on the fact that if Mr. Gehry had just assigned a Guggenheim for basketball(The New Brooklyn Nets Stadium, which is what was orginally planned,) Brooklyn would have gained a sort of cultural and economical jewel, just like Bilbao did. But greed took over and the project ballooned to points of no return.

Architects don't get paid much money, and the usual reply is "We do it for the love of the work." What do you think is going through Gehry's mind right now? I would go on a limb to say that he does not need the money. So why do this project?

Finally, I must harken to city design in Europe, where incremental, scaled development has been happening for centuries. The centers grow organically, buildings arise and converse with one another, fitting in to their place (modern and historical juxtapostions abound). Once in a while, a grand gesture arises, its impact lessened by research and study. Research and study of ground related activities, of information flows, of infrastructure, of building stock, of population intensities and time-based activities. I don't see that happening here at all. This has "God Complex" written all over it. Maybe if we knew the architects' process, we wouldn't think it were so arbitrary and ill fated.

When Frank Gehry offers the crown jewel of a 16 tower mega development, and calls it "Miss Brooklyn" after a wedding he saw in Brooklyn once, I wonder a) how many drugs he did in the 60's, b) should we consider that he really does design by crumpling up pieces of paper, and c) what kind of incentives is Bruce Ratner really offering?

Graffiti?

2006-06-20T10:09:00.000-12:00

...Or art? Or social commentary?... I love it. A bit design, a bit gorilla-taggin, a bit political..
Bansky is the man.

Frontera

2006-06-19T04:15:00.000-12:00

The border between Mexico and The U.S. has always been a one-sided political debate: Keep illegal Mexican citizens out of this country at all costs. It's even more poignant an issue now, as the Bush administration calls for more and more technology to be thrown at the problem. Most recently, he called for a "Virtual" wall that would use sensors and cameras to detect illegal crossing and other goings-on.
The question, then, is what can design do to help the situation? There has already been a competition to devise a new border crossing at Anapra via the wonderful Mexican online journal Arquine. Now the New York Times (it's about time) asked 5 architects to propose their own ideas of The Fence.

Nano-technology

2006-06-16T07:24:00.000-12:00

And you thought the self cleaning oven was convenient. By 2011, we'll be cleaning our toilets with the flip of a switch using nano-tech. I'll be anxiously waiting for the day.

Which brings us to the whole concept of nano-technology. Will this be the end of the world as we know it? A proper understanding of the science behind the technology will give us better clues as to how to use it. What about building skins that change material properties seasonally?

Scenario Planning

2006-06-16T04:38:00.000-12:00

At long last, I've come across a condo development where experience comes before maximization square feet. LWPAC out of Vancouver, CA has created a wonderful little jewel box of a housing complex where air, light, public an private space come together, while still turning a profit.

Yes, it CAN happen. "...scenario planning means that each unit can be configured to suit the lifestyle of a variety of occupants, from single entrepreneurs to professional couples to multigenerational immigrant families." The idea of actually designing condos for the types of people who will occupy them seems revolutionary in today's world of multi-family design.

The megalopolis List

2006-06-15T06:06:00.000-12:00

...And the problems that persist in these modern city-states:
Check out the price of a movie ticket in Japan.
And you thought they were a ripoff here.

Herzog and DeMeuron

2006-06-14T12:19:00.000-12:00

The work speak for itself. Now they've gotten their first commission in Western Switzerland... And it's a pyramid.

Fuck the Monorail

2006-06-14T11:59:00.000-12:00

....Or... I wish I could see this headline when some sharp shootin' planner with ideas presents us this.

It's about time people just move the monorail into a museum and relish that it worked for Michael Graves' Hotel in Disney World, as well as various World's Fairs in the sixties.

Transportation + Water

2006-06-14T04:55:00.001-12:00

Well, I have been out roaming the streets for a while, taking the break from posting, searching, researching, seeing where this little blog will take me. Sensing change, I imminently came right back to where I started from: Damn how I love the transporation design out there. Why is it that the process of architecture takes so long and seems so archaic? For all of the architects out there, only a few have tranformed their processes, taking cues from automotive and transportation design. Well, Doug Garofolo is one of them. His work creates a hybrid between transportation design, architecture, and digital media.

Are you hiring Doug?

Strategies of the middle class

2006-06-07T06:09:00.000-12:00

If you're strictly middle class, knowingly you probably shop for "deals" on ebay, and hit-up Target every now and again for beddings, etc. Well, interestingly enough, the "mid-market" brands such as Old Navy, Macy's, Kraft, Comfort Inns are starting to lose steam in place of highest and lowest end goods. The increasing middle class is starting, "... to be more cost-conscious; but simultaneously more willing to splurge money on luxury items."

"Until the 1990s, broadly speaking, shopping choices tended to reflect spending power. The rich bought expensive things, and accounted for most luxury-goods sales. The poor tended to buy cheap, low-quality stuff. And the middle classes stuck to the mid-market. Today, however, middle-class shoppers around the world are not content to be marooned in mediocrity. Instead, these consumers, who earn between $50,000-150,000, are “trading up and trading down” both at the same time."
To me, it seems we're trading up for status goods, like automobiles, clothes, organic food, yet trading down for household goods at Target and Ikea, to name one segment. What happens to design? Will Target keep costs down while they contemplate an ever-increasingly design-savvy middle class? Will other big box retailers, such as WalMart (which is here to stay) change their tune, knowing there is a bevy of middle class consumers waiting for them to launch new small-scale stores within cities, not out in exurbia? What about dwellings? Will Target begin to offer its own Pre-Fab?

In short, the middle class is fast becoming the beacon of the new culture of consumption, and retailers might want to respond. To start things off: In-city locations (the new capitals of consumption), more sustainable products, more appealing shopping experiences (start with lighting, for example), and more commitment to contemporary design. As Koolhass put it, shopping space is the new public space so, aside from the obvious moral issues, when is branding going to respond?

On the other hand, and rapidly adding to the middle class' spending power, are on-line stores. Who needs physical space when you can purchase goods at lower costs while sitting at home in virtual space? Of course, the discussion starts out with a poignant question: Are on-line spaces really places? And if so, are we ready? What about the design of the interface? Can on-line retailers really provide a pleasant space to shop? If the notion of shopping space as public space holds its power, will we completely transform into a network of individuals where "village" is replaced by "network?"

"The developed world has been experiencing for over a century a shift away from communities based on small-group-like villages and neighborhoods and towards flexible partial communities based on networked households and individuals."

Much potential exists here for designers such as product and package design, advertising, urban design, and architecture, all the while having strong political and economic ramifications.

interstice

2006-06-06T05:37:00.000-12:00

One of my favorite blogs, Archidose, offers us a wonderful project exploring interstitial spaces. The space between things. The thickness of building materials.

How can designers exploit the seemingly ordinary, mundane space between?

The firm Airesmateus gives us one idea, as they take advantage of the large interstice offered by an old winery and convert it into a residence. The design causes an almost dangerous feeling "teetering" of new private volumes cantilevered into the large open, public space. The effect can only be achieved with the thickness of those walls.

Which leads me to think about a project in the works which exploits the poche of precast concrete panels and home design. More later.

Density

2006-06-05T04:39:00.002-12:00

With all the talk about how suburbs are destroying our country via an inexplicable land grabbing parade, Michael Wolf's photographs of Hong Kong are nothing short of refreshing. Yes, the work can be daunting at times, but the success of Hong Kong is a direct result of stewardship, ie they have no choice. With a mass far smaller than the U.S., architects and planners have to build up and close. As far as sustainability goes, isn't this a good start? Albeit not to the crowded extent represented here, I think we can learn a great deal from the urbanism of the former city-state, and that is another subject unto itself.

One more thing: a small tradition in Hong Kong is to grab every little chunk of buildable land, (even if it's 3 or 4 meters square) and extrude straight up. They call them pencil towers.

Hydro Wall

2006-06-02T06:12:00.000-12:00

Metropolis Mag online has a great article on the Next Generation Prize winner, Virginia San Fratello's Hydro Wall concept. The idea that building components can by multi-functional is wonderful.. Integrate.

Urban Atmospherics

2006-06-01T05:43:00.000-12:00

Over at Bldg Blog, a posting about noctilucent clouds, or clouds that glow in the dark because of their extreme height. He provides an interesting conjecture into how an urban situation might harness this strange natural occurence into experience or even infrastructure (harnessing light energy?)

I have personally been interested in atmospherics and their affect on urban environments since graudate school. What is fascinating are the ways with which, beyond LEED sustainability $%^&, we can harness energy such as light, wind, water. There is an abundance of energy in various forms in our atmosphere, existing as virtual phenomena (Please note that I would deem oil as physical phenomena, ie we know it's there, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see it).

For example, what if there were a Nicola Tesla-type of device, suspended 300o feet up, that could harness turbulence, or lightning, then deliver it to our power system? We could be looking at technologies thought of only in Science Fiction.

When studying in Calabria, IT, a friend and colleague devised what he called the shade tree: Nets strewn on trees to trap moisture and dissipate it into water vapor which would in turn replenish crops and provide livestock with an essential element. As part of a study we did, this solution, albeit quite theoretical, was exactly what we're talking about here. Water was absolutely scarce, and gathering inspiration from olive harvesting, with its netting, we devised this method of trapping cloud roll-over in higher mountain areas.

Another idea posted is the Air River,
"If groundwater or rain is not available, there are several little-known alternative methods to obtain fresh water by condensing atmosphere humidity. We live in a dilute ocean of aerial moisture. There are also real "sky rivers" full of fresh water from which we can draw."

Fascinating information. Want more? Please share.

Dust to Dust

2006-05-31T04:23:00.000-12:00

If you were listening to NPR this morning, you may have heard the piece on the surmounting dust storms of the American Southwest. Unfortunately, and to no surprise at all, humans are destroying a key layer of crust which protects us:

"Dust storms are largely the result of tires and hooves, which are destroying natural biological barriers that once kept dust on the ground."

In fact dust kills reefs in the Caribean while contributing to rapid snow melt in the Rockies. And it all leads back to us. Is the desert a place we should be inhabiting with our version of reality?

All this trauma compounds the fact that we continue to build outward. As the sprawl of Phoenix, AZ grows, it will engage Tucson, AZ, once a city almost 2 hours away. Remember the biosphere project? That sustainable eco-experiment in the early nineties? Well, all 1658 acres of it have been sold to Fairfield Homes of Tucson, which will, you guessed it, create more single family, stick built, energy eating, dust creating, sprawl.

A little research on Fairfield homes leads to a long list of environmental destruction.
"David Williamson, the Scottsdale Baby Boomer who owns Fairfield Homes, is fighting conservationists and residents who oppose his plan to build a city of suburban houses and strip malls on the 5,954-acre ranch."

Once a key migratory area for jaguars, the ranch will now become part of the Phoeno-Tucson Megaburb. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Aerotropolis

2006-05-30T09:19:00.000-12:00

Over at archinect, a post on the current situation of certain airports in the world. Out of competitive advantage, select businesses have located themselves around the periphery. The catch phrase is aerotropolis, a city with airport as center, rings of business and support services radiating out from the center. A certain radiant city by Le Corbusier and/or Broadacre City by Frank Lloyd Wright come to mind with visions of utopian cities, built around and with new forms of transportation.

What I'm contemplating is the affect on the design profession. The idea of an aerotroplis opens up a virtual pandora's box of architecture, transportation design, housing, infrastructure, and business innovations waiting to be realized in the physical world. There are ideas already out there, attempting, rather successfully, to implement new visions of "personal" flying devices such as the jetpod.

We've all seen the sprawling highways and office parks extending from aiports. In some cases, such as at O'Hare International in Chicago, it can be nothing less than catasrophic to both the built and natural systems in place. I liken it to the suburbs. As residential real estate has evolved, with modern suburbs being located next to highways for instance, the same has happened. Natural and built systems are compromised for ease of highways usage. What methods worked and what didn't work? How do we handle energy needs?

What happens when we need a short landing pad instead of a driveway adjacent to our homes? What if "mini" airports take the place of driveways all together? If "mini" airports arise, how is housing re-fomulated? Cities such as Memphis , which is already making a splash as a cargo hub, could give us some interesting clues.

Spin Doctor

2006-05-30T04:55:00.000-12:00

Interesting interview, interesting, man.

While I will not spin this into anything political, I can now understand why he got elected.

Archispeak

2006-05-26T06:03:00.000-12:00

Via Archinect, now you can speak over-intellectualized archi-babble too!!!

Projecting at the Frontera Part 1

2006-05-26T05:16:00.000-12:00

Estudio Teddy Cruz has been studying, documenting and projecting solutions on improving the situation along the border between San Diego and Tijuana for many years. I'd call his work high-design meets scavenger, where junk and the organic, shanty-li ke (good pix in this article)building culture of the Mexican border country meet the world of the American avante garde. His solutions are rich with the chemistry of two cultures, a hybrid of architectural techniques, yet they also provoke a wonderful criticism of the politics of the border. Very relevant at this time.

A selection from the post over at Archrecord.com:
"“Living Rooms at the Border”, is a mixed-use high-density 14,000-square-foot plan built around an old church. It will be transformed into a community center–including an office for Casa Familiar in the attic. There will also be 12 housing units, a community garden, and a central market. The second, for senior housing and child care, is connected by an alleyway and includes a semi-public lobby, a restaurant counter, and small private living spaces."

I think the above quote is rather poignant here. Would this mix of uses be absurd in the U.S.?

Interactive urinals

2006-05-25T12:52:00.000-12:00

Gentlemen, I'm positive you've been in a bar or club and had to put up with the stench of some drink hooligan pissing everywhere except in the toilet. Now with the help of the interactive urinal, your pissing experiences will be nothing short of pleasurable. Just think, you can point and play a game at the same time!! So much fun, so much concentration!!! I would undoubtedly think that said drunkards will never miss the target again! Enjoy.

Sao Paolo Street Art

2006-05-25T04:32:00.000-12:00

I'm at a loss for words here. Poetic, strange, relevant, fill in the blanks. I could use some of this on my walk to work, that's for sure. I can't seem to save any images off their server to tease you, so you'll have to trust me and check out the website.

Sent to me from a certain Brazilian fellow I know. Go through them all, you will not be disappointed.

Damn I need to get to Brazil, and not just for the graffiti.

North American Auto Show

2006-05-24T05:07:00.000-12:00

This is a real crappy web interface, but plenty of pix of concepts as well as production vehicles. I am particularly fond of the efficiency of the Japanese firms.

Golf Anyone?

2006-05-24T04:49:00.000-12:00

Just kidding. But can you argue with this photograph?

An article in today's New York Times discusses Andres Duaney's rebuttle to criticism of his Congress for New Urbanism, currently reaking havoc on the Gulf Coast. He seems to think the avante garde (or in his mind anyone that designs in a non-traditional style I might add) should only design "civic buildings" because there are no constraints. Are you kidding me, Andres? Maybe you and Prissy Alexander should get together and wrestle to see who really has the largest ego. ugh.

100 People 100 Apartments

2006-05-23T09:56:00.000-12:00

Via Archinect, great photo blog of people in their tiny apartments in Hong Kong.

Sweden free by 2020

2006-05-23T07:33:00.000-12:00

This just made my friggin day. Very cool indeed .

Thanks Joe

For those of you who drive

2006-05-23T07:13:00.000-12:00

Green Car Congress is an informative website on emerging technologies, hybrid vehicles, etc.

Worth the visit. I've added it to the links section.

Beauty

2006-05-23T04:40:00.000-12:00

The age-old dilemma: Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder, or, as Mr. Alexander thinks, an objective reality.

The dangerous architect reveals his astounding ego in the new manifesto, going so far as to say that modern architects have "ruined" civilization, placing ego above organic building.

I must ask, then:
Seeing as this volume is so full of absolutes, who exactly has the largest ego?

Amusement Park Urbanism

2006-05-23T04:25:00.000-12:00

Only in America can a city be hijacked like this: "MA Architecture Studios and Development Design Group, in partnership with Executive Home Builders, envisions "The Village" as an Old World European town. There will be Jerusalem limestone, Dolomite and Alicante marble from Spain as well as pilasters, domes, cobblestones and statues. The development will feel like an aging complex that has evolved organically over several hundred years."

2006-05-22T10:55:00.000-12:00

Leisure Cities

2006-05-22T07:54:00.000-12:00

I noted some interesting research about Chicago in a previous post, but after this past weekend, I'm compelled to keep up with the topic of the evolution of cities:

Joel Kotkin, Urban Theorist, in an article for SFGate.com , described the "ephemeral city" as, "a kind of city that makes its living selling luxury services." He argues that San Francisco has lost its middle class due to rising land values and job exports, and that once a city of healthy fisheries, industry, and warehousing, it has become a leisure city, afforded by, and lived in by, wealthier types with multiple incomes. With a gorgeous natural setting, liberal politics, and hundreds of cool restaurants and shops, the city has become less a commercial hub than one large white collar neighborhood, with few exceptions.

With an immense interest in the evolution of cities, I've undertaken travel to 5 American cities surfing the new wave of urban renewal over the past year: Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle. Most recently, I was in Portland, a city noted for its progessive urban design, and rightfully so. It is remarkably green, clean, and community oriented. Every neighborhood close-in to the downtown area is witnessing gentrification, and on top of its progressive policies, it is now becoming a city with good architecture, with blogs to boot.

Neighborhoods dangerous by any measure as recently as five years ago have been turned into lively Art Districts, with art this, that, and everything. In the three days I was there, I experienced at least a dozen absolutely wonderful new constructions and/or renovations of older buildings. However, even with all the eye candy, I missed the scent of the bygone Weinhard's Brewery in the middle of town, I missed the gritty port town.

I better watch what I wish for, but dirt and graffiti are good things. They provide layers to experience and understanding once found in abundance, now few and far between.

In the spirit of Projective Architecture, I'd like to think that Portland could make itself into a research hub for urban design, giving the city some substance to go along with its stylish appearance. OHSU is a world-reknowned research facility on the edge of town, and seemingly a good starting point. Having a satellite Architecture program of the University of Oregon already in place, I'd like to see money granted to lure theorists such as Kotkin, and project solutions into creating a hybrid blue and white collar city, call it a "sky blue" city. Blue collar types could feel comfortable living and working within the city, finding a way to coexist with creative types, instead of retreating to outward suburbia.

More later.

Micro Architecture

2006-05-18T07:56:00.000-12:00

Kinetic Architecture at MIT

Frontera

2006-05-18T04:30:00.000-12:00

A while back, two colleagues and myself traveled to Ciudad Juarez on the Mexican border with El Paso, TX. We went down to immerse ourselves in studying the city for an international border crossing, contemplating politics, economics and social structures of the maquiladora assembly faciltities. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is immensely helpful to American companies who can manufacture parts here and have them assembled down in Mexico for bottom-feeder prices. They then ship the product back up to border areas and store them until they're shipped to American consumers at marked-up prices. Who wins? American Corporations. Who loses? Mexicans working for nothing, made to believe their lives have been eradicated of any potential poverty.

But, though all this exists as the "normal" workings of capitalism, G.W. still insists on his own way.

See some interesting pictorial observations here. And if you want even more stories, drop me a line.

Pre Fab

2006-05-17T12:41:00.000-12:00

This competition is a start for innovation within prefab housing. Getting away from the shipping container #$%^ that's proliferated for a while, these designs are getting closer to a hybrid of architecture and industrial design. Architecture product.

Wind

2006-05-17T05:40:00.000-12:00

Because of my interest in network theory, I am conistently being led to Chicago. What grew as a railroad hub, the city with big shoulders has consistently re-invented itself as a hub. Railroads have been replaced by O'hare international, one of the busiest airports in the world, but far more interesting is the fact that Chicago has positioned itself as a global (think: much bigger than continental) hub for information techonology business.

Re-inventing cities with arts and culture and such has been the M.O. of the post-dot-com world, aided by Richard Florida's bogus claims of "cool" factors in cities. His "Creative Class" musings are aiding-and-abetting the crime of extreme real estate costs. Think what you will about his theories, but I find them shallow.

On the other hand, Chicago has completely circumvented this easy way out by investment in telecommunications infrastructure, positioning itself as both a cultural as well as businss mecca of the new millenieum. So, when other cities, such as Seattle and San Francisco invest heavily in gentrification without business-oriented solutions, they may lose their pizaazz after the trend dies down. Chicago will move forward with a plan which also includes an avante garde green strategy, making it powerful politically, economically, and culturally. Good work King Daley.

Amusement Park Tourism

2006-05-16T04:54:00.000-12:00

Vertigo: Complete with cafe, and judging from the enclosed structure, maybe even souvenirs, you now get to experience an amusement park without paying admission.. And it's only the beginning. Read on. Via Popular Science.

Cliff-HangerWant a more thrilling view of the Grand Canyon? Take a stroll over the all-glass Skywalk, and you can hover above it.

Step out onto the new Skywalk, and only a few sheets of glass will stand between you and a 15-second free-fall to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Set to open late this year, this horseshoe-shaped footbridge (commissioned by the Hualapai Indian tribe, which owns the land) will jut 65 feet from the cliff edge and suspend 3,800 feet above the canyon floor, a height more than twice that of the world’s tallest skyscraper.
If you’re a bridge, the Grand Canyon is probably the last place you’d want to be: 90mph vertical winds whip upward with tornado-like force, a condition endured by no other bridge in the world. To secure the Skywalk, Lochsa Engineering in Las Vegas has cantilevered it atop the cliff with 94 steel rods that bore 46 feet into the limestone rock. As a result, it can support 70 tons of weight, equivalent to roughly 700 hefty men, although the maximum occupancy is set at 120 people. Three oscillating dampers—steel plates, each 3,200 pounds—inside the hollow bridge beams act as shock absorbers, moving up and down to neutralize the vibrations from foot traffic and wind gusts. For further support, the walkway itself will be constructed of three-inch-thick, heat-strengthened glass and enclosed by five-foot-tall glass walls.

Too tame for you? Lochsa hints at future plans to ratchet up the thrill factor by turning a maintenance car designed to run on a track along the bottom of the Skywalk into a trolley ride for visitors.