the design blog of lawrence kasparowitz

the Influence of Art on Architecture....

2009-10-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

... and a celebration of
PABLO PICASSO

GREAT QUOTES FROM

PABLO PICASSO

You know, music, art - these are not just little decorations to make life prettier. They're very deep necessities which people cannot live without.

Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon.

When we love a woman we don't start measuring her limbs.

Every child is an artist; the problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.

The purpose of Art is to create enthusiasm.

The important thing is to create.

The chief enemy of creativity is 'good taste.'

Picasso changed the way we look at the world. He changed art from a subject of representation to a subject of time and composition.

He influenced artists of all persuasions by releasing them from having narrow parameters for what they could do.

_____

One of the architects most associated with artists is
Frank Gehry

GREAT QUOTES FROM

FRANK GEHRY

I search out the work of artists, and use art as a means of inspiration.

I want to be open-ended.

There are no rules, no right or wrong.

I'm confused as to what's ugly and what's pretty.

Architect Frank Gehry always has credited artists with inspiring his iconoclastic buildings, famous for their exuberant use of mundane materials, odd angles, wild curves and beautiful light.

. . .

A Style of Architecture called "Monterey" -

2009-10-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Monterey, California is about 45 minutes from here. I have often seen a style of architectural design referred to as "Monterey".

There are not that many adobes around Monterey. What is the style about?

the Monterey adobe style

An architectural style that came into existence in Monterey, California, between about 1835 and 1840; typically, a two-story house with a full-façade balcony supported by plain wood posts and enclosed by wood railings. A modified version of this style was revived from about 1920 to 1960, combining Spanish Colonial architecture with some elements of early New England colonial architecture; in this 20th-century version, the balcony is typically cantilevered rather than supported by wood columns from ground level, as in the earlier Monterey style.

Nineteenth-century houses in this style usually were characterized by: thick whitewashed adobe walls; a low-pitched gable roof or hipped roof with its ridge parallel to the façade, usually covered with hand-split wood shingles, but sometimes with tiles; occasionally a decorative chimney cap or chimney hood; double-hung wood-frame windows with mullions; often, window shutters; occasionally, full-length windows opening onto the balcony; a relatively simple paneled entry door. Doors in 20th-century houses in this style are often imitative of those found in Colonial Revival architecture, including paneling, a fanlight over the door and sidelights flanking the door; occasionally, some elements of Greek Revival are included in the wood trim around doors and windows.

___

representative buildings ...

CASA AMESTI -

LARKIN HOUSE -

CUSTOM HOUSE -

drawings and photos are from the

Historic American Building Survey

(HABS)

. . .

Industrial Age Landscape, part 2 ...

2009-10-13T12:36:00.001-07:00

these are the remnants of a wood milling operation near Felton, California -

Goodbye to Kate's Favorite Building !!

2009-10-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

This is at 6th Street and Mission Street in San Francisco -

For the last twenty years or so, this building has been vacant. An artist put these objects on the outside and coming through the windows of this building.

My daughter Kate has remarked on this building every time we go into San Francisco. Leaving Highway 280 and heading up 6th Street, the building is very prominent.

As John King pointed out in one of his columns, the building has been taken by eminent domain by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and will be torn down.

. . .

Extra Ordinary Houses ...

2009-10-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

During my graduate school at the University of Oregon I took a class called Landscape Perception. We were asked to create a "guide". I decided to sketch the most interesting small houses that I passed everyday on my walk from the housing complex to the campus.

the strong use of bilateral symmetry

is the obvious design tool in these small house facades

. . .

Spatial Composition in Garden Design -

2009-10-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

I came across this plan of a garden designed in 1910...

the following is a spatial composional analysis that I did...

Notice the careful sequenceing, proportions, positional set-ups, etc.

(see my previous posts on Spatial Composition)

http://kasparowitz.blogspot.com/2009/06/spatial-compostionpart-1.html

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6768500309820323415&postID=3998700303331449005

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6768500309820323415&postID=539859829373776122

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6768500309820323415&postID=3998700303331449005

. . .

Ye Shall Know Them By Their Cones -

2009-10-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

During a recent walk to work, I picked up four cones.

Can you name them?

A.___________________

B. ___________________

C. ___________________

D. ___________________

answers -

a. Cedrus deodora

b. Sequoia sempervirens

c. Pinus radiata

d. Psuedotsuga menzeisii

________

SOME OTHER QUESTIONS...

1. What are their common names?

2. Which are California natives?

3. Which come from limited natural ranges?

4. Which come from very small plant families?

. . .

Ye Shall Know Them By Their Buds ...

2009-10-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

I first learned plants in Oregon.

There are a lot of deciduous trees up there and they are difficult to identify in the winter.

To do that, you have to know what the buds look like.

The only way I could do that as a complete novice was to draw them.

Here are a sampling of those drawings dealing with the Maples (Acer) -

. . .

Understanding Materials - Concrete Masonry Units

2009-10-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

As a structural material, concrete masonry units

(often called concrete block) are pretty versatile.

There are a number of factors to consider when selecting block -

1. Block size - 8" high x 16" wide x 8" deep nominal size is standard, but half height is available.

2. Face texture - standard is a precision finish, but split face, combed and textured are available.

3. Block color - grey is standard, but about 12 different tones are available.

4. Aggregate color - can be black and white or multi-color.

5. Block bond pattern - standard is running bond, stacked bond is possible and 1/2 and 1/3 block stagger is possible.

6. Mortar color - light grey is standard, but about twenty colors are available.

7. Mortar joint type - concave is standard, but raked, weathered and reveals are also possible.

____

If you use the cheapest block in the most mundane pattern,
this is what it looks like...

but there are many other combinations of

block sizes, block colors, textures, bond patterns and mortar colors

that can give interesting and attractive block walls -

it is also possible to alternate texture and color on one wall -

these are generated from a downloadable program from Basalite Concrete Products

http://www.basalite.com/california/structural_concrete_block/masonry_designer.html
. . .

Naked Ladies in My Back Yard !!!

2009-10-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yep...right there in my back yard is a wonderful treat -

Amaryllis belladona

Amaryllis belladonna grows in the South Western Cape. The bulb is typically large, brown and rounded and has a moderate growth rate. The large clusters of scented, trumpet-shaped pink or white flowers are carried on a long purplish-red and green stem appearing 50cm above the soil. Up to twelve flowers are produced from the flowering stem. These flowers are 10cm long and apically flare open about 8cm. Protruding from each flower is a long upturned style amongst a group of large curved anthers. The anthers are black and shiny at first, but split open to reveal masses of sticky white pollen. The inflorescence tends to face the direction that receives the most sun. Although most flowers are pale pink, white and dark pink forms occur.

The strap-like leaves are deciduous and are produced after flowering. The leaves remain green throughout the winter period. The leaves produce a starch, which is stored in the bulb. In summer the leaves die back and the bulb becomes dormant. This strange phenomenon of flowering before the leaves appear is known as hysteranthy. The belladonna lily's specific flowering time is late summer, February and March.

Amaryllis is Greek feminine and is named after a beautiful shepherdess. The specific epithet belladonna means beautiful lady. The appearance of the tall, flower stalk without any leaves accounts for the common name "naked lady". Amaryllis belladonna in its natural habitat is found in small dense groups among rocks. Therefore the best place to plant them would be in a rock garden. In a created landscape, Amaryllis can be used mixed in between blue Agapanthus as a good combination, as the evergreen leaves of the Agapanthus provide skirts for the naked ladies. They can also be grown between a ground cover or mixed annual or herbaceous border.

Growing Amaryllis belladonna

The cultivation of Amaryllis belladonna requires very little attention. Amaryllis belladonna can be grown from seed. The soft fleshy white to pink seed should be planted when fresh. Dispersal of seed in winter is normally by wind. Seed dispersal is timed to coincide with the first winter rains in late March and April. Germination can occur in two weeks, but seedlings require three to six years or longer to flower. Large clumps of bulbs can be divided from the mother bulb during the dormant period. The bulbs and offsets can be planted immediately. The bulbs must be planted with their necks at soil level. The belladonna lily can also be grown in large pots using a very porous soil mix. The bulb can also tolerate quite arid conditions. In cultivation flowers are produced almost every year but in the fynbos they emerge prolifically after fires.

There is still some mystery as to what pollinates the March lily. Rudolf Marloth, a famous amateur botanist, believed that the belladonna lily was being pollinated by a hawk moth. It was also noticed that large carpenter bees visited the flowers during the day. On the Cape Peninsula, at least, it seems that bees are the main pollinators of the March lily. Amaryllis belladonna is often attacked by a highly destructive black and yellow striped caterpillar called lily borer. The caterpillar bores into the leaves and stem of the lily causing the flowering stem to collapse. The caterpillar eventually enters the bulb. The caterpillars can be removed by hand or the affected foliage can be cut off.

The family Amaryllidaceae forms a large group of over sixty genera, which are mainly centred in the southern Africa with smaller distributions in Andean South America. Other genera that belong to this family that have horticultural importance and are found in southern Africa include Clivia, Crinum, Cyrthanthus, Nerine and Scadoxus. Hippeastrum, which some gardeners mistakenly call amaryllis, is a large South American genus. Other northern hemisphere genera include Narcissus (daffodils) and Leucojum.

References -

Johnson, S D & Snijman D A, Veld & Flora, Amaryllis belladona, September 1996Doutt, R L, 1994. Cape Bulbs, Timber Press.Duncan G D, 2000. Kirstenbosch Gardening Series, Grow Bulbs, NBI

Barnhoorn, F, 1995. Growing Bulbs in Southern Africa, Southern Book Publishers

Author:

T. Adams Kirstenbosch

March 2001

. . .

The Value of Public Art - part 1

2009-09-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

At the Fifth and Mission Street Parking Garage in San Francisco, the railings at the corner of the structure where the landings of the stairs are, have "art glass" panels between the metal uprights and handrail.
Most people must just climb the stairs and not stop to really view them.

___

But if you get down low and look through them, you'll have views of the city in a way that adds geometry to present you with an artistic scene.

. . .

Fences of Pleasure Point -

2009-09-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have a friend in Berkeley who works as an urban designer for a major landscape architecture and urban design firm. He collects photos of unusual fences. I think I'll join him in collecting photos.

Here are my nominations from the Pleasure Point area of Santa Cruz County...

. . .

Do You Know Where Your POPOS Are...?

2009-09-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

What are POPOS?

(according to SPUR - San Francisco Planning and Urban Research)

The acronym “POPOS” stands for privately-owned public open spaces - publicly accessible spaces owned and maintained by the owner of an office building. POPOS come in many forms: plazas, roof gardens, greenhouses, atriums and others. Some POPOS are easily accessible, while others are tucked away and more difficult to find. What makes a space "public"? The line between public and private spaces is undoubtedly blurry. While it may be true that public spaces are owned by the public and private spaces are privately owned, publicly accessible spaces can be provided, owned and maintained by either private or public entities.

Privately-owned public open spaces are privately provided, owned and maintained — and are characterized by some limitations on public access due to their status as private property. This can result in a somewhat more controlled environment.An important question to consider is this: Do POPOS qualify as “public” space in use, feeling or accessibility? Since many cities and other public entities have budget constraints, particularly in the United States, it is common practice for governments to require open space to be built by the private developer, and operated and maintained by the private property manager.

Do these spaces feel more or less “public” than publicly operated and maintained spaces? If so, how do we know? How does a public space feel?The answer rests, in part, in an understanding of the historic role that public spaces play in our built environment. Public space in the traditional sense was part of the public domain in the form of squares, boulevards and covered passages.

Their common function was that of an open meeting place where any individual could choose to assume an anonymous public role that allowed for interaction and exchange with the other players, often strangers, who coincidentally shared the space. Cultural rules and norms dictated acceptable behavior. Public space was easily identifiable and accessible due to its design and location within the urban fabric. However, what made a space truly public was the experience of the unexpected.

Today, traditional public spaces still play an important role in a city’s fabric for a variety of reasons. However, they are no longer the only places for this kind of public interaction. A significant amount of interaction has moved to informal or even virtual spaces, due to readily available technology and increased mobility.

New public spaces have emerged in places such as airports, shopping centers, and public and private buildings. The public nature of these spaces typically is tied to their function and the extent to which they are limited to specific users.POPOS fall into the latter category since they tend to be dominated by a specific group — office workers — due to their location and accessibility.

The limit of acceptable activities, the established set of rules and the controlled environment may not make a POPOS a true public space in the traditional sense, yet it provides a privately owned and maintained amenity that is publicly accessible. The user may feel more like a guest than a player who appropriates the public stage.It becomes clear that POPOS cannot substitute for true public spaces due to their limitations, but nonetheless they can encourage experiences of exchange. As long as the established rules are not violated and the comfort level of the majority of users is maintained, anyone should feel invited to use the space.

This invitation to use the space needs to be recognizable through good visibility, location and design.

_____

...the map below shows the POPOS in downtown San Francisco -

and here are a couple of images of some of these "privately owned public open spaces" ...

text and photos from SPUR - check out ...

http://www.spur.org/documents/article010109/2009.01Insert.pdf

. . .

Parking Garages - Structures or Buildings?

2009-09-22T13:56:00.001-07:00

One of my projects to review as the Urban Designer was a Medical Office Building with an attached Parking Garage.

This, of course, led me to look at parking garages as a "type". Here are two examples - the first from San Luis Obispo, California.

...the above design is an attempt to surround the structure with a "skin" reminiscent of a downtown building.

The next example is from St. Louis, Missouri. It is an example of "expressed" and "refined" structure - showing the garage for what it is.

I like the more straightforward and refined approach.

. . .

Postcards from the Monterey Jazz Festival

2009-09-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Monterey Jazz Festival closes today...

a wonderful event 52 years strong!

___

I found some great old postcards -

still on sale for 4 for $1 by Earl Newman . . .

____

The surprise musical discovery was :

Wayne Wallace

Rhthym and Rhyme

ya'll dig Afro-Cuban Jazz fusion ??

well, click on his name sweetness for a little lagniappe !!!!

. . .

Factors in Neighborhood Compatibility -

2009-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

One of my most difficult assignments was to list and prioritize the

factors involved in neighborhood compatibility

. . .

Can Neighborhood Compatibility be measured ?

2009-09-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Understanding the terms and concept is the first step. After delimiting what the "neighborhood" really is, a survey of each house can be made in relationship to a pre-determined list of elements.

One method I developed was using "scoresheets" to rate each house. After that the new house would be rated with the same scoresheet and the house would have to rate above the average.

Below is a first pass of what that looked like -

. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study #9

2009-09-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is a small office building on a corner lot -

AS PROPOSED BY
THE ARCHITECT...

AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER...

THE FORM WAS RE-DESIGNED

TO RECOGNIZE THE CORNER POSITION.

. . .

Design Down the Middle -

2009-09-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

We have about 21 median islands on a major road in the county that are in need of upgrade. They need some new trees and all new groundcover. We must design with less water use and for simpler maintenance. I started to create some conceptual design parameters with these sketches - In designing medians, I think of the car and the speed - recognizable pattern and rythym are important components. Included in that are forms, colors, textures and spacing of elements.

In my search for median island designs I came across the

"Islands of Los Angeles National Park"

(click on the above for more information)

is someone putting us on ???

- it is LA, after all!!

YES, an artist with a great sense of humor and public provocation ...

. . .

Long Strange Trip - Part 2

2009-09-13T12:24:00.001-07:00

I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in June of 1974 with a Bachelor of Architecture.

Another recession, so I decided to try to live where it would be pleasant, even if I didn't have a job.

I moved to South Lake Tahoe onto a couch of a friends house and started to look for work. Within three days I found work with a retired architect. We did one house together and he had no more work. Winter was approaching and I had no money. I decided to apply at the casinos for work and was hired by Harrah's. I carried thirty pounds of coins in an apron and made change for the slot machines. Yes, you actually could put coins in the machines! After three months I realized that I was going nowhere and headed back to San Luis Obispo

I did find work at a Civil Engineering and Surveying office for $4/hour. I stayed for about nine months. In the Whole Earth Catalog, I saw a book that was for Owner-Builders, written by a man named Ken Kern. He lived in the Sierra Nevadas at about 5,000 ft. elevation outside of Fresno. I wrote Ken and asked if he needed help and he said "come on up".

Ken Kern, author, builder, mason and surveyor

Ken had written two books by then - the Owner Built Home and the Owner Built Homestead.

____

Besides writing and selling books, Ken would answer questions and even give you a sketch through the mail for $10 !! If you were then interested, he would actually draw up plans for your owner-built home. That's where I came in.

He lived in Alder Springs, a bend in the bypassed old road heading up to Shaver Lake. I stayed in an old mobile home. Ken lived with his wife Barbara and two sons and a daughter in the remodeled house nearby. I stayed up there until I left to live with what would be my future wife.

Ken passed away some years later after a beam collapsed and fell on him.

____

One of the houses I helped draw up was for a single young woman in Salem, Oregon named Eleanor. She believed she could build a small house and actually did it ! She kept in touch with letters, photos and slides describing the whole process.

In future posts, I'll tell her tale.

. . .

Designing the Mundane -

2009-09-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes architects are asked to design very mundane things. Many don't have the time or will. For me, it's a good challenge.

A few years ago, a friend asked me to design a carport. Now, you don't need an architect with twenty five years experience to do that. I told her sure - but I would really work to make it interesting and more than mundane. If when she saw it, she didn't like it... I would understand.

Agreed, she said.

What I thought of was a "covered bridge" type of structure. A simple shed roof and "walls" made of 4x4's that were bolted together with strap connections to form a large truss.

She liked it, but of course the contractor talked her out of it. Ah well.

. . .

Where in the United States is this house....?

2009-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

it's in the city limits of a large metropolitan area...

is it -

A. Los Angeles?

B. Seattle?

C. New Orleans?

D. Boston?

E. Chicago?

F. Dallas?

sadly, the answer is New Orleans !

So, what's wrong? Aretha Franklin said it -

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Consider this article...

Stephanie Bruno / The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)

Three spectacular Arts and Crafts bungalows are the highlights of the 8200 block of Apricot Street, which has a mix of house types and styles, including some that aren't yet renovated.
Sometimes, when I am especially lucky, friends or readers will invite me to visit their neighborhoods and take a walk around. They may have noticed an unusual house they think needs explaining or an especially appealing block they think I'll like.

That's exactly what happened this week, when a neighborhood leader in Northwest Carrollton e-mailed me an invitation to take a Street Walk there. And although she suggested a stroll on Pritchard Place, with its large and handsome homes, I find the 8200 block of Apricot Street irresistibly interesting.

Anatomy of the block

I walk the block a couple of times before I get a handle on it. What I find is a street-scape half-way to perfection. On the Dublin end are three high-style Arts and Crafts bungalows, each beautifully restored. At the Dante end are three more 20th-century houses, each having appealing traits, but none of them have been renovated. And smack dab in the middle is a vacant lot created by a tornado in 2007.

It's an unusual situation, but one that for me makes the block that much more intriguing. I can just imagine how it will shine when the three buildings at the Dante end are restored and a new home rises on the vacant lot.

I start at the corner of Dublin and Apricot and walk west toward Dante. The very first house, a gray-shingled bungalow with white trim and red sash, stops me in my tracks as I study its details. Like the most interesting of Craftsman designs, it has multiple rooflines, gable detailing that serves as attic ventilation, exposed rafter tails, clustered columns atop a pedestal, and a composite entry that includes multi-paned doors and sidelights. The floor plan and facade are asymmetrical, in true bungalow style, the front-gabled entry on the right and the end-gabled wing on one side.

But it's the foundation that really gets my attention. Rather than a smooth stucco, it is embedded with hefty chunks of rock and boulders, a high-style Craftsman treatment. In California, where the treatment originated, the rocks and boulders expressed the preference for using native materials.

Next door, a vivid red bungalow nestles behind a white picket fence and a profusion of blooms and colors. For a minute, I can't decide which to focus on first: the bougainvillea, hibiscus and yellow jasmine in the garden, or the wonderful details on the house. The house wins out, of course. I notice it is shingled like the gray house on the corner, and I even spot a few boulders in the chimney construction.

Unlike shotgun houses, which usually don't have architectural features on their sides, California bungalows are as interesting to look at from the sides as they are from the front. There are bays, banks of windows, elements in the side gables and many more features. I remember this as I walk and make a point of stopping to look at the side of the red house before moving on.

The yellow house that comes next departs slightly from the pattern established by the first two. It is covered in stucco rather than wood shingles, and the columns that support the porch overhang are stucco instead of wood. Like the other two, though, it has an asymmetrical facade and floor plan. The low, wide dormer in the side wing is a hallmark of the style, as are the multi-paned windows.

From the vantage point of the vacant lot, I can better admire the side of the house. The roof overhang is very deep, with angle brackets in place. A bay extends outward and incorporates a bank of three windows. The white bands visible on the front wrap around the side, adding definition and breaking up the expanse of rough-textured stucco. These are details you'll miss driving by in a car; you only can see them from the sidewalk.

The two duplexes and a neoclassical revival double shotgun complete the block. I make note of their promising features, then mentally renovate them. First I remove the damaged siding, then I repaint in colors that will emphasize the houses' best features. I accent the front porches, the arched tops over the doors on the duplexes, the lovely diamond-patterned stained glass on the shotgun. As I leave, I make a note to revisit in a few months to monitor their progress.

. . .

A Tribute to Charles Moore, Architect

2009-09-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

I think you have to see architecture. You have to walk in it, around it, sit in it...it's not conveyed all in photos and plans.

Charles Willard Moore, architect, educator, author

. . .

Chares Willard Moore was born in 1925, on Halloween, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. A former school teacher, Moore's mother recognized his gifts early on, and through encouragement in self-education and frequent trips across the United States.

Too young to serve in World War II, Moore instead spent those years as an undergraduate student of architecture at the University of Michigan. There he came under the wing of Dean Roger Bailey, who would expand his cultural horizons. In Ann Arbor, Moore also initiated what would become a lifelong friendship with Dona Guimares, who would eventually become the Home Design editor at the New York Times. Upon graduation in 1947, Moore went to San Francisco, attracted by the "European" qualities of the city, and the legacy of the Bay Region Vernacular. He apprenticed for several offices: Mario Corbett, Joseph Allen Stein, and Clark & Beuttler. Moore was registered as an architect by his 21st birthday.

. . .

Hoping to teach, but not having been to Europe, Moore applied for and was awarded Cranbrook Academy's Booth Travel Fellowship. Between 1949 and 1950, Moore travelled throughout Europe and Northern Africa, where he watercolored, photographed, wrote, and even executed 16mm films of various architectural monuments. At this time, Roger Bailey, back in the United States, left his post at the University of Michigan and went to Salt Lake City, where he established Utah's first architecture program. With his first teaching job waiting for him, Moore left Europe and drove his imported Citroen 2CV to Salt Lake City. Moore reveled in this teaching experience, which he later described as special, because he and his colleagues were able to invent an entire architectural curriculum, without an established orthodoxy to counter their efforts.

Anticipating a draft notice in 1950, Charles Moore enlisted, trained, and was sent to Seoul, Korea, serving as a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. Some of his work included the design and construction of simple structures such as schools and chapels. His trips on leave to Japan, however, would profoundly shape his work to come, after experiencing architectural and landscape works of tremendous spirit and subtlety. In the hopes of advancing his own studies, Moore, with the aid of the GI Bill, enrolled at the University of Princeton after discharge. He arrived there in 1954 where he immediately formed important relationships with fellow students who would remain lifelong friends and collaborators, including William Turnbull, Jr., Donlyn Lyndon, Richard Peters, and Hugh Hardy.

. . .

Moore's work at Princeton was influenced by its Dean Jean Labatut, professors Enrico Peressutti, George Rowley, and especially Louis Kahn, for whom he served as a Post Doctoral Teaching Assistant. Moore completed a Master's Degree and Ph.D. in only three years, writing his dissertation on Water and Architecture.raduating in 1957, Moore returned to the Bay Region, where he commenced a remarkable 35-year odyssey of design, teaching, writing, collecting, and travel. He would teach and lead departments at UC Berkeley, Yale, UCLA, and the University of Texas, he would establish seven architecture firms, and write a dozen books, all while indefatigably traveling the world, frenziedly amassing an exuberant collection of folk art and toys.

. . .

While at Berkeley, Moore commenced a collaboration with William Turnbull, Jr., Donlyn Lyndon, and Richard Whitaker. Their firm, MLTW, soon began producing work of international distinction, including Moore's own house at Orinda; small houses and cabins along the California coast, and, most notably, the Sea Ranch Condominium in Sonoma County. (This structure would later be recognized with the prestigious AIA 25 Year Award.) When Moore accepted the chairmanship of the Yale School of Architecture (later to become Dean when the department was reorganized), he continued his collaborations with the Berkeley group, establishing a satellite office in New Haven known as MLTW:Moore/Turnbull. Eventually, however, Turnbull established his own practice, whereupon Moore established a new firm in New Haven, Moore Grover Harper, with William Grover and Robert Harper. This firm eventually grew into Centerbrook Architects and Planners, ultimately settling in Centerbrook (Essex), Connecticut, where today it continues its work.

. . .

In 1975 Moore returned to California, this time to lead the department of architecture at UCLA. In Los Angeles Moore began working with Urban Innovations Group, a teaching practice associated with the school, focused primarily on planning and urban design projects. It was with this firm that Moore completed the Piazza dÕItalia in New Orleans. At the same time, Moore also established yet another independent architecture practice with John Ruble and Buzz Yudell. International in scope, Moore Ruble Yudell, continues to operate in Santa Monica.

At the invitation of the University of Texas at Austin, Moore once again relocated in 1984 to teach in its School of Architecture. In Austin, Moore's collaboration with Arthur Andersson led to Moore/Andersson Architects, which is today known as Andersson-Wise. Among his many distinctions and honors, Moore is the only American architect to be awarded the AIA Gold Medal (the nation's highest accolade in the profession); the Topaz Medallion (which recognizes achievement in teaching and scholarship); an AIA 25-Year-Award for Sea Ranch Condominium, as well as two AIA Firm of the Year Awards. Having coped with diabetes for many years, Charles Moore died in his house of heart failure on December 13, 1993.

____

I have been in three of Charles Moore's works -

Condominium 1

Sea Ranch, California

Kresge College

University of California, Santa Cruz

Piazza d' Italia

New Orleans, Louisiana

Moore was a master of the theatrical in architecture. His deep knowledge of history was woven into his work. See http://www.charlesmoore.org/

. . .

Two Methods for Creative Problem Solving -

2009-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

BRAINSTORMING

developed by Alex Osborn

The Rules for Brainstorming

1. defer judgement (criticism comes later)

2. free-wheel (hang loose, don't get caught up)

3. tag-on (change someone else's idea by modifying it)

4. go for quantity (quality is judged best with a lot of ideas to choose from)

for an update and continuation of the discussion see http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2006/id20060726_517774.htm

____

SYNECTICS

developed by William Gordon

The Four Paths to Creative Behavior

1. detachment and involvement (getting outside the problem as well as inside the problem)

2. deferment (having consideration and tolerance for all manner of input)

3. speculation (having fantasies, posing questions, making suppositions)

4. object autonomy (allowing the product being sought to become the process being experienced)

for a more detailed description see http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/charles57/Creative/Techniques/synectics.htm

____

DESIGN

IS A

PROCESS

FOR

MAKING

DREAMS

COME TRUE

- Don Koberg

. . .

Another look at the California Missions -

2009-09-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

I've had a long fascination with the missions of California.

On the one hand, they memorialize a takeover of the natives.

Architecturally however, they are key to the historical roots of this state, a clear response to the climate and natural materials and an organizational pattern which is classic for their location and purpose.

____

Using adobe for the major structural material requires understanding the limits and inherant logic of unit masonry:

1. use in compression only

2. thick elements are the only expression

3. use of round arches for larger openings

4. details can be created through "corbels"

5. keep opening in upper walls to a minimum width

6. limit use of independent straight walls (connect walls to each other)

7. cover with a protective coat (cement plaster) and use overhangs

8. provide solid footings to resist the weight of the walls

My local favorite is -

Mission San Juan Bautista

In June, 1803, the cornerstone was laid for the present church. With three naves or aisles, it became the widest of all the mission churches. It was dedicated on June 23, 1812. Padre Esteban Tapis is buried in the sanctuary of the church. He was, at one time, Presidente of the Missions and he is founder of the Mission Santa Ines. When he retired from office he came to San Juan Bautista where his musical talents brought fame and a new name to San Juan, "THE MISSION OF MUSIC." Two of his handwritten choir books can be seen in the Museum.Interior completion of the church continued through 1817 when the floor was tiled and the main altar and reredos (which holds the six statues) were completed by Thomas Doak, an American sailor who jumped ship in Monterey. He painted the reredos in exchange for room and board.

When visiting the Mission, pay special attention to the church floor tiles. There are animal prints in the tiles that were made while the tiles were left outside to dry in the sun. Also, note the "Cat Door" carved into the blue side door in the Guadalupe Chapel. This allowed cats access at all times to catch mice. In the 1800's mice were serious pests eating much of the harvest. The present museum rooms were the padre's living quarters and the work areas for the Native Americans. Over the years the rooms were used for storage and for Mass after the 1906 eqrthquake.The gardens were the center of activity. Here were learned the skills of carpentry, tanning, weaving, and candlemaking.

The present Gift Shop was a storeroom. In 1847, it was a temporary home for the Breen family who survived the Donner Party tragedy. Their family Bible is in the Museum. The San Andreas Fault runs along the base of the hill below the cemetery. In 1906, there was a violent earthquake that shook the greater part of central California. The side walls of the church collapsed. They were restored in 1976. Vestiges of the original El Camino Real can still be seen north of the cemetery.

The "convento" wing is all that remains of the quadrangle that had enclosed the gardens. The kitchen served 1,200 people three times a day. The mission's collection of books and art works are in many cases older than the mission. Some of the fine vestments in the museum are from China, Russia and Venice, and were used at the mission as recently as the 1930's. The cemetery on the north side of the church contains the remains of over 4,000 Christian Native Americans and Europeans. Ascencion Solorzano, the last pure blooded Native American of this mission, is buried in the cemetery. Her grave is marked by a red cross and a plaque has been placed on the wall above her grave in her memory.

The church was secularized in 1835, when much of the mission property was seized by the Mexican government. In 1895, the present mission buildings and 55 acres were given back to the Church by Federal decree of the United States government. San Juan Bautista has the only original Spanish Plaza remaining in California.

from http://www.oldmissionsjb.org/history.html

. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study #8

2009-09-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

this is a proposal for a park restroom building -

AS PROPOSED BY

THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT...

AS SUGGESTED BY

THE URBAN DESIGNER...

Why shouldn't our mundane buildings have some design spark? Precast concrete globes added on pilasters, standard metal fireplace flues, and a mix of standard and split-face concrete block transforms the ordinary to something more.

The Balinese say

We Have No Art -

We Just Do Everything As Well As We Can !!

. . .

Artist as Anarchist / Anarchist as Artist - BANKSY

2009-09-05T11:08:00.001-07:00

Graffiti Art -

Gallery Art -

Banksy is a quasi-anonymous English graffiti artist…

He is believed to be a native of Yate , South Gloucestershire, near Bristol and to have been born in 1974, but there is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details.

According to Tristan Manco, Banksy "was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier technician, he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s." His artworks are often satirical pieces of art on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art, which combines graffiti writing with a distinctive stenciling technique, is similar to Blek Le Rat, who began to work with stencils in 1981 in Paris and members of the anarcho-punk band Crass, who maintained a graffiti stencil campaign on the London Tube System in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His art has appeared in cities around the world.

Banksy's work was born out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians.

Banksy started as a freehand graffiti artist 1992–1994 as one of Bristol's DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ), write Kato and Tes. He was inspired by local artists and his work was part of the larger Bristol underground scene. From the start he used stencils as elements of his freehand pieces, too. By 2000 he had turned to the art of stencilling after realising how much less time it took to complete a "piece." He claims he changed to stencilling whilst he was hiding from the police under a train carriage, when he noticed the stencilled serial number and employing this technique soon became more widely noticed for his art around Bristol and London.

Banksy's stencils feature striking and humorous images occasionally combined with slogans. The message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. Subjects include rats, monkeys, policemen, soldiers, children, and the elderly.

See also -

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/14/070514fa_fact_collins?currentPage=all

http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/banksy/banksy.htm

. . .

A Great Architect, A Great Client and A Great Site -

2009-09-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

that's what it takes to make GREAT ARCHITECTURE !!

(photos by Lawrence Kasparowitz)

I'm convinced that it takes all three

(and a great landscape architect) -

Architect:

Ehrlich Architects, Culver City, CA

Landscape Architect:

SSA Landscape Architecture, Santa Cruz

Client:

Leland and Marion Zeidler, Aptos, CA

for a nice article with great color photos, go to: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/100/steven_ehrlich/ehrlich_article_012009

. . .

DETACHED Medium Density Housing ??

2009-09-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yep... it's possible with very clever design !!

METRO SQUARE
Sacramento, CA

Located in downtown Sacramento, Metro Square was developed through a partnership between a merchant builder and the local redevelopment agency. This infill market-rate single family housing project single-handedly transformed the Central City housing market.

The project features 45 single family homes on 2.2 acres (20.5 dwelling units per acre) ranging in size from 1,250 square feet to 1,550 square feet. Each unit has a front porch, a small private backyard, and a one or two car garage tucked under the unit. The two-story homes offer two to three bedrooms, up to two and one-half baths. Some plans feature dual master suites, den-library or private decks. The Redevelopment Agency loaned the developer $1.2 million to reduce the land costs and mitigate the risk of building in the Central City rather than in the suburbs.

The street appearance of the project conforms to that of an early 20th century residential neighborhood, while the interior emphasizes community interaction and the scale of contemporary development. Architectural design balances contemporary construction needs with the existing character of the neighborhood. A central courtyard serves as a focal point for community interaction.

Project Details:

Owner/Developer: Sares-Regis Homes / SHRA
Architect: Mogavero Notestine Associates
General Contractor: Sares-Regis Homes
Total Site Area: 2.2 Acres / 60,750 Square Feet
Previous Use of Site: Vacant lot
Resident Profile: Professionals and Families 100% For-sale
# Of Units / Density: 45 units; 20.5 Units/Acre
Unit Size: 2BR: 1,250 Square Feet; 3BR: 1450-1550 Square Feet
Construction Details: 2-Story; New Construction Wood Frame and Stucco
Project Budget: $6.1 Million
Date of Completion: June 1998

(information from the architect's website -

http://www.mognot.com/)

I review medium density housing, that is attached, three stories and at this density...

this project shows how it can be done without the stigma of "projects".

. . .

The Italian Hilltown That I Didn't Visit ...

2009-09-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

I was extremely fortunate to spend my fourth year of architecture school in Florence, Italy. For the weekends, I would take a bus or train to some of the great hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. There was one amazing town I would pass on the way to Siena but never visited -

MONTERIGGIONI

Siena transformed Monteriggioni into the imposing fortress you see, for the protection of its northern boundary in the wars against the enemy - Florence. Inside Monteriggioni in the fourteenth century were 150 families with about 600 inhabitants.

The circle of walls, dating from the thirteenth century is the largest of its kind in Tuscany to have survived practically intact. There is a main street which crosses the village, joining the two gates in the walls. A few houses and a pretty Romanesque church face onto the piazza, and other houses surround a small public garden. Inside the walls are other private gardens.

The walls were built from 1213 (see the headstone on the Romea Gate) until 1219 and then they were strengthened in various years (1260, 1279) until 1545. The walls of Monteriggioni are over 500 meters long, twenty meters tall and surrounded with 14 towers.

Monteriggioni is mentioned by Dante:

Divina Commedia. Inferno, xxxi. 41-44

'...come in su la cerchia londa Monteriggioni di torri si corona'

What is the attraction of these towns?

Here's a comparision to the communities of today by BuildLLC -

TRACT HOUSING vs. ITALIAN HILLTOWNS

1. After a napkin-sketch analysis; the density of the tract housing development would be equal to approximately 5,352 dwellings per square mile, whereas the density of the hilltown would be equal to approximately 16,500 dwellings per square mile, more than 3 times as many dwellings within the same area.

2. The hilltown seems to have grown into the landscape whereas the tract housing has situated itself with disregard to the landscape.

3. Internal and private gardens exist at random within the hilltown whereas green space (the yard) is equally distributed in the tract housing.

4. There are many more anomalies amongst dwellings in the hilltown, whereas the tract housing is much more regular in form.

5. There is a messiness about the hilltown that the tract housing lacks.

6. There is greater articulation and more penetrations in the tract housing – more doors and windows. The walls of the dwellings in the hilltown are more solid and massive.

7. There appears to be variations of zoning in the hilltown as church steeples mix in with the dwellings. The tract housing allows for one type of use.

8. The streets of the tract housing are much more generous indicating that the automobile is more prominent. The hilltown seems to be calibrated for pedestrians and bicycles.

9. The volumes of tract houses are much larger in plan view than the volumes of the hilltown dwellings.

10. The hilltowns have occurred over decades and generations whereas the tract home developments were probably built from start to finish in less than two years.

____

But, I am also reminded of the lessons from

"Chamber of A Memory Palace", by Charles Moore and Donlyn Lyndon -

. . .

Good Signs !!

2009-08-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

(downtown Santa Cruz, California)

classic applied letters with
"gooseneck" lighting

applied signage with logos

window signage with neon logos

"blade" signs

___

Downtown Santa Cruz is a walkable area.

Fortunately, the signage is designed for pedestrians.

. . .

Side Elevations - Example #3

2009-08-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

another house on a standard residential lot...

AS PROPOSED BY
THE DESIGNER...

AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER...

Seems simple, doesn't it? ...

but the problem is not so much in design, but in planning restrictions.

The projections into the side setback shown above would not be allowed. One could argue that the designer has no business filling the entire "envelope" if it is going to produce dull elevations that show no relief.

Both are true - perhaps the value of better design might prevail over the "no crossing the line" attitude of the planners.

. . .

In Contempt of Context -

2009-08-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure anyone outside the architectural world really cares, but there is a great debate circulating regarding a notable British architect losing a major commission due to a letter from the Prince of Wales to the client (a prince of Qatar).

The site is called "Chelsea Barracks" located in Westminster.

The blueish triangle is the area to be redeveloped.

This was the proposal from Richard Rogers' firm.

This image is a sample building in the scheme.

So, what's wrong with that?...

C-O-N-T-E-X-T

here is what is around the area...

Chelsea Hospital

So, not too surprisingly, the new architect is a traditionalist and this is his proposal.

The melodrama continues...

Richard Rogers was knighted by the Queen for his architectural accomplishments. He is now Lord Rogers of Riverside.

He is a member of the House of Lords, more properly called "The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled".

Lord Rogers wants to abolish the monarchy...hmmmmmmmm....a man of privilege created by the monarchy system !!

____

But my issue is that he did not adequately respond to CONTEXT. Most "starchitects" don't. Consider Frank Gehry...

Here's the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in context.

Here's the model in Gehry's office.

check out the debate ; http://blog.pps.org/smackdown-with-frank-gehry/

and

http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/07/fifty_nine_and_a_half_minute_o.php

and

http://blog.pps.org/moving-beyond-the-smackdown-towards-an-architecture-of-place/

Before the first sketch is made on any project large or small, designers, clients and the community as a whole need to ask basic questions about its impact:

How will it generate vibrant public life?

How will it honor its context in the community?

How will it create a community place and draw on local assets? (Cultural, ecological, historical, social, and economic)

How will it delight people, bring them together and enhance their lives?

The challenge in creating great cities for the future is enormous, yet critically important. Our attention needs to be focused on many levels of urban life: livability, local economies, community health, sustainability, civic engagement, and local self reliance. Good architecture and design, broadly defined, must be at the heart of all these efforts. When all of these goals are aligned, we’ll see a world-changing movement to repair the environment and improve living conditions for everyone living upon it.

____

there is a long tradition of not giving in to the existing context...remember Frank Lloyd Wright and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City??

Here is the building (on Fifth Avenue) with the surrounding buildings and Central Park in the foreground.

Here is the model in Frank Lloyd Wright's studio.

draw your own conclusions...

should architects consider and respond to the context that their site is in?

____

Palladio's Children -

"The architect was traditionally occupied with the monumental palace, villa or church. Yet, during the past century, architects became fully immersed in the entirety of the field. This signaled a fundamental and unprecedented shift. The demands of the everyday environment are vastly different from what is required to create the extraordinary. Nevertheless, the profession's self-image, publications and ways of working still cling to its roots in monumental architecture."

N. J. Habraken

Professor Emeritus, Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

. . .

Window Walls -

2009-08-28T11:06:00.001-07:00

I was reviewing a Medical Office Building (designed by an internationally known architectural firm), when we got on to the issue of the window wall system. Their design was boring - more like standard store fronts.

I decided to photograph good examples of interesting window wall systems.

The following are from St. Louis, Missouri -

Using various widths and thickness' give shadows
and a sense of depth to the facade...

Corner elements are of particular concern...

Patterns of glazing and mullions and the base of the wall
make these designs interesting and rigorous...

. . .

What If ...

2009-08-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

...in designing subdivisions the landscape elements

were considered on a larger scale??

Even in one standard cul-de-sac subdivision, trees could be grouped and repeated to form major landscape elements.

As I walk to work, I notice the taller trees in the neighborhood - Coast Redwood, Port Orford Cedar, Monterey Cypress, London Plane Tree, etc. They are scattered and not in any particular pattern.

But what if you arranged them in larger scale patterns as subdivisions were added. You would see grand "hedge rows" ... giving a form, color and texture that ran through a part of town.

. . .

Here Comes The Sun ...

2009-08-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is a simple way to start thinking about solar orientation and sun and shade:

1. What hemisphere are you in?

If you are reading this in Australia, the sun at noon will be due North. If you are reading this in the United States, the sun at noon will be due South.

2. What is your latitude?

Check some good maps or an atlas. The USGS maps have longitude (lines from north to south) and latitude ( lines from east to west). Look at how much above or below the Equator you are located. Santa Cruz, California is approximately 37 degrees North latitude.

3. Where is North on your site or building?

This example works best when things are oriented north- south.

You will need to know the approximate tilt of the earth -

23 1/2 degrees!

SO, HERE ARE SIMPLE SUN ANGLE FORMULAS

at Summer Solstice, June 21st at noon, the sun is:

90 - latitude + 23 1/2 (degrees above the horizon)

at Winter Solstice, December 21st at noon, the sun is:

90 - latitude - 23 1/2 (degrees above the horizon)

for the Equinox, March 21 and September 21, at noon)

90 - latitude (degrees above the horizon)

___

I was recently asked to look at a "building envelope" and the effect it would have on giving the neighboring residence sun in the windows. Here are the two diagrams -

What conclusions would you make from the drawings above?

you could also model this in SketchUp !

. . .

The Perfect Street Tree -

2009-08-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

probably doesn't exist !

What characteristics would the "perfect street tree" require?

- Appropriate size

Just like the fable; not too big, not too small, but just the right size. Too big would probably mean a large trunk and large roots. Too small is just out of scale with the streetscape. In some situations, tree canopies could block signage for commercial buildings.

- Appropriate form

Some like them rounded, some like them columnar. What it can't be is "droopy", i.e. the branches cannot curve downward. Hopefully, it would naturally be branching upward and give a lot of trunk height.

- Adaptable to pruning

Some trees don't like being cut. Maintenance crews will come along and make sure people, cars and trucks can pass under the lowest branch(es). Utility crews will come along and top branches right at the power and/or phone lines.

- Climate specific

Trees, like people, need to thrive and not merely survive. Here on the coast of California, that means the choices of trees should probably come from one of the five Mediterannean climates of the world (California, Northern Mediterannean, Chilean coast, Australia and South Africa). Natives often don't work well as street trees (because most natives like well-drained soils).

- Drought tolerant

Irrigation (if there is any) will probably not work or not work well in a few years after planting. Irrigation will get run over, may never get adjustment or simply may not have been put in well. Don't count on it for your street tree to thrive (see above).

- Available without custom growing

Nurseries simply should have them in stock. Size is not that critical and a University of California study showed that smaller stock will catch up with larger stock in a relatively short time - tell that to your City Council !!

- Minimal maintenance

America is short on the budget for maintenance, let's face it. Park budgets may contain provisions for new parks, but all too often do not contain money for new employees to maintain the urban forest. Choose the right tree, and plant it well and that will help.

- Smog tolerant

It's only getting worse, rarely better. Some trees choke or develop diseases easier in dense urban settings.

- Tolerance of compacted soils

Good planting requires all trees have loose soil for their roots. Too often the ground has been compacted and then we can't figure out why the trees don't survive well. Trees grow in soil, never in concrete. Don't scrape the side of the tree planting area. Avoid heavy machinery in the areas that are to recieve plants.

- Well- behaved roots

Trees need water - one of the few basic requirements. Roots seek out water. If the water is under the sidewalk, that's probably where the roots will head. Don't pick a tree that requires large amounts of water to survive and provide watering tubes with bubblers for each tree.

- Medium growth time

Maybe it's okay to have your grandchildren appreciate the large street trees you selected, but most officials don't think that way. On the other hand, if the tree grows like a weed, it IS a weed.

- Insect and disease resistant

Keep up with what is attacking trees in your area. I check with the local Agricultural Extension agent.

- Lack of fruit drop

People can slip on tree fruit and big leaves. Cars can be stained due to fruit juices. This really limits the trees you can use, but cuts down on the complaints.

GOOD LUCK !

___

STAYING ALIVE: STREET TREE SURVIVAL IN THE INNER-CITY

FRED SKLAR and RICHARD G. AMES
California State University, Hayward

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted from 1978 to late 1984 of the survival of inner-city street trees planted by the Oakland, California urban forestry program.

The tree survival rate of approximately 60 to 70 percent from the trees planted in neighborhood parkways through urban forestry sponsored block parties contrasted sharply with less than one percent survival of trees planted earlier by the Model Cities program without community participation or ceremonial plantings.

Explanations for the high tree survival were tested using participant observation, interviews with residents, and a small panel. Tree survival was not found to be related to the explanations provided by urban forestry ideology; namely, that residents had been educated to hold both instrumental and expressive values toward trees. Rather, the explanation appeared to be the function of an unintended solution to the issue of parkway ownership. The tree planting process which included species selection meetings and tree planting ceremonies tended to define the parkway trees as a resident's property, thus decreasing the significance of the parkway-property barrier.

. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study #7

2009-08-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is a gas station on a freeway exit in a rural part of the county -

AS PROPOSED BY
THE ARCHITECT...

AS SUGGESTED BY

THE URBAN DESIGNER...

The avoidance of country-wide anonymous corporate architecture is vital in giving some sense of place in America. The illustration above could be anywhere and indeed is designed to give an image that is easily "recognizable" as a brand name gas station. In this situation, the gas station is in California, it is on the coast, it is across the street from artichoke fields and very visible from Highway One.

Repeating the masonry image of the California Missions, using real clay tile roofs, giving the entry a formal archway and breaking down the scale of the window wall system aids in bringing the design within the local context.

. . .

A Tale of Two Cities ...

2009-08-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

...and two buildings

...and two plazas

...and two architects

Federal Building
San Francisco

Thom Mayne, Architect

____

City Hall
San Jose

Richard Meier, Architect

Two public buidlings - full of beauracrats. Both architects are of world class stature and absolutely brilliant. The Federal Building in San Francisco, however, is unwelcoming. The San Jose City Hall is lively, fascinating and the plaza is a welcome city-wide attraction. The plaza in front of the Federal Building (when I visited it) was depressing, cold, windy and strewn with litter.

While I love both buildings for their intellectual rigor, the San Jose City Hall brings a quality and life that the Federal Building doesn't. I fault both buildings for the lack of a grand entry lobby that is clearly visible from the street - isn't that a prerequisite for a public building of any size in any location?

. . .

Side Elevation - Example #2 ...

2009-08-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Another example of a single family residence that had a lively front facade and a dead, private side elevation on a narrow lot in an old subdivision.

Does the side really matter in this case? ... of course it does !

AS PROPOSED BY

THE ARCHITECT...

(would the Architect be proud to hang this elevation on the wall of his office?)

AS SUGGESTED BY

THE URBAN DESIGNER...

Using elements from the design of the other parts of the building, and with minor planar variations, the design is balanced and enlivened.

. . .

Getting Some on the Side...

2009-08-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Elevation, that is !

INTRODUCTION:

Forgotten facades;
Little attention given to side elevations

Article from: Intelligencer Journal Lancaster, PA
Article date: May 9, 2003
Author: Gregory I. Scott

During the reign of King Wiliam III, a window tax was introduced to help curb inflation resulting from years of war and conflict with the British Empire. Landowners were taxed an additional property tariff if their house had more than six windows. The more windows, the higher the assessment. It was not unusual during those times to literally brick up openings to avoid taxes.

A recent trend in speculative house construction is the elimination of windows on certain facades of the residence, primarily the side elevations. This phenomenon compromises both the aesthetic and the function of the rooms they represent with regard to daylight, views and interest.

Bring up the rear
(design of side and rear elevations of single-family dwellings)

Article from: Builder
Article date: June 1, 1999
Author: Weber, Carolyn

Just say no to movie set streetscapes. Fully realized side and rear elevations are essential to good design - because good design sells.

John and Mary Move-Up were charmed by the clever details of the home's front elevation. It had everything: a gabled roofline, big windows, a sizable porch, a mix of materials including faux stone accents, and beautiful landscaping. This use had tremendous curb appeal, and it was beginning to appeal to them. But upon closer inspection, they rounded the corner to discover that the charm, as well as the stone, stopped. They were blinded by a vast expanse of vinyl siding, broken up only by one postage stamp-sized window.

Great Elevations

Article from: Builder
Article date: January 2006
Author: BUILDER Staff

What makes a great elevation? Depends on which one you're viewing. There are plenty of well-done front façades, of course, but award-winning exterior design is a four-sided affair. Although we show only the street views here, trust us that the other sides are just as carefully considered and dramatic.

___

EXAMPLE #1 :

AS SUBMITTED BY

THE DESIGNER ...

AS SUGGESTED BY

THE URBAN DESIGNER...

Attention to details, alignment of elements and articulation (breaking up the long wall with inward and/or outward elements) changes the mundane to interesting.

. . .

Northern California Landscapes...as seen by two artists

2009-08-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

I would not say that the built environment of Northern California is special, but the natural environment is a true gift. The geography of the coast, bay and coastal ridge, combined with the Mediterranean climate is magnificent. While many artists have captured this area, here are two of my favorites in different media.

Oil Paintings by
Jim Caldwell -

Woodcut prints by
Tom Killion -

. . .

knowing your "Place In Space" -

2009-08-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

How you live, garden or design within the section shown below will vary significantly due to the specific microclimate you are in and your particular solar orientation.

The section below is typically a west to east section for most of the California coast.

For my location however, it is a south to north section (see last image below to view the coast curving to form the top of Monterey Bay - North is at the top of the image).

Introduction -

When the environmental movement really started there was a sense that one should know something about their surroundings.

I live in Santa Cruz, California. This is on the west coast of the United States. Santa Cruz is near midway on the coast of California. It sits on the North side of the Monterey Bay. I live between two marshes - Pescadero marsh to the north and the marshes of Watsonville to the south. My watershed is the San Lorenzo River Watershed.

Some fundamental questions -

(I'm fortunate to have volunteered for the California State Park system at Pescadero marsh, where I learned some of the following information)

1. Name three native trees that grow in your area:

a. Coast Redwood
b. Coast Live Oak
c. California Bay Laurel

2. Name three native shrubs that grow in your area:

a. Coyote Bush
b. Coffeeberry
c. Pacific Wax Myrtle

3. Name three native riparian trees or shrubs:

a. Arroyo Willow
b. Box Elder
c. California Cottonwood

4. Name three sea birds if you are near the coast:

a. California Gull
b. Cormorant
c. Brown Pelican

5. Name three raptors:

a. Red Tailed Hawk
b. Swallow-Tailed Kite
c. Northern Harrier

6. Name three marsh birds if there are marshes nearby:

a. Common Egret
b. Great Blue Heron
c. Black Crowned Night Heron

YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOUR WATER COMES FROM....

(Loch Lomand Reservoir)

AND WHERE YOUR SEWAGE GOES ...

(Water Treatment Facility, Ocean Street Extension)

WHAT LATITUDE ON EARTH ARE YOU ?

(about 37 degrees North)

(you can't work on solar design if you don't know this.. but that will be a future post !)

. . .

The Esplanade / Las Ramblas ....

2009-08-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

A tale of two boulevards....

The Esplanade is a street in New Orleans. It's one of those lovely boulevards that has a wide right-of-way and a wide central median. The street tree is the same as used in the entry drives to some of the great plantations.. Southern Oak (Quercus virginiana) -

The other great thing about The Esplanade is it's location. It runs from the River, alongside the edge of the French Quarter and pretty close to the Fairgrounds, where the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is held every year.

____

The other grand boulevard I remember walking down the middle of is Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain. It also goes from the water, perpendicular into the heart of town. But what a street !!

Notice some of the things that make Las Ramblas great.... wide walking area, little shops (flowers, news, etc.) and the row of trees. Granted there is plenty of life in the shops on the street.

Couldn't the same thing occur on the Esplanade? Wouldn't it be easy to start with maybe one block by the French Quarter?

There are some great pre-fabricated street accessories which would help...

public toilets (as used in San Francisco)

Kiosks for people to set up shop selling tourist items, or better yet Nawlin's cooking !!

Solar powered bus shelter

. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study #6

2009-08-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is an elevation study for a medium density housing project surrounded by single family residences -

AS SUBMITTED BY

THE DEVELOPER ...

AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER ....

Removing just one unit changes the scale

to being more pedestrian oriented and neighborhood friendly.

___

When doing research for attached housing prototypes I ran across this image from Philadelphia ...

7831 Winston Court

Architect: H. Louis Duhring, 1925

Drawn By: Donna Lisle

What is it about this image that seems attractive? Each unit, although attached, is unique. Follow the main roofs and you can begin to see the widths of each unit. It also appears that each unit has an enclosed court - nice touch.

Thanks to Bryn Mawr College for providing the scanned images

of Philadelphia rowhouses !

These scans were taken from a set of measured drawings of Philadelphia houses done by first-year architecture students at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Fine Arts in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981.* They were produced for a course conducted by John Blatteau and Paul Hirshorn, with an assignment directing students to record a dwelling in a standardized format on a 11 x 17-inch piece of paper combining a specific set of plans, sections, elevations, and details

. . .

City Skylines....

2009-08-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

I collect postcards... I admit it. Most are architecturally related.

Some of them are the old fashioned city skyline shots.

Can you name these American cities ?

a ____________________

b ____________________

c ____________________

d _____________________

e _____________________

f _____________________

Here's a hint - it's either San Antonio, Louiville, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, or San Francisco...

What was it that gave some of them away?

Why are the others not easily identified?

___

Want to see an incredible website and see

the skyscrapers compared for different cities?

check out...http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/links/

. . .

Art by Children / Modern Art

2009-08-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

DAD by Lara -

DAD by Katie -

Montessori school painting -

I have two daughers and both have attended Montessori for pre- school. The teachers provided them with wide brushes and basic color tempera paints. I love the work that they produced...

Paintings by Lara

Paintings by Katie

(Lesson: bright colors are naturally appealing)

"Fold-up" paintings at home -

We would work with the kids to do crafts and painting at home. One of the fun things we did was to let them put paint on the paper in dabs and then fold the sheet in half. Here's a few of the best of those :

(Lesson: bilateral symmetry is almost always appealing)

The other type of "fold-up" painting -

We also used colored glitter with the dabs of glue to make the fold- up paintings:

(do these look like animals or insects? why?)

. . .

the obvious parallels to Modern Art -

wire sculpture by Alexander Calder

painting by Joan Miro

Why is it that children's art is so direct and expressive? Why do we lose that joy as adults when we are more serious? Why do some people say (after seeing Modern Art) - that "my kid could do better than that".

Notice they never say -
"I could do better than that"

to understand more about the psychology of children's art see http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~kbroom/Lectures/children.htm
. . .

Prickly Mountain Project Update ....

2009-08-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

from David Sellers -

Oh my God........How are you?
I remember you.

I was in Santa Cruz with Peter Calthorpe a year ago, I love what is going on there.

We are assembling a anthology of Prickly stories and what influence it had with various people who passed through... Got one?
When we get enough I will send you some.

Meanwhile check out Sellersandcompany.com

Dave Sellers

from Nans Kelder -

Hello Lawrence,That was a long time ago!!!

Many adventures later...

Please, remind me what you did at Prickly Mountain Project.
Were you one of the students that lived in the old abandoned farm house where I was the cook?

How did you find me?

Cheers
Nans

Caravan Stage Company
Tall Ship Theatre presents Utopian Floes
2009 Tour includes Greece, Albania, MontenegroGreek
Mobile Phone Numbers:+30 695 509 9230+30 694 349 3011

http://www.caravanstage.org/

. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study # 5

2009-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

This is a simple average size house in an older subdivision -

AS PROPOSED BY
THE DESIGNER ...AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER ...

- the difference here is adding rich details and the suggestion of historical "style"

. . .

Teaching Architecture - Two "War Stories"

2009-08-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have taught both Architecture and Landscape Architecture for many years. These types of curricula have a studio teaching methodology. It comes from the guild system which was translated to the Ecole des Beaux Artes in Paris. The design studio is typically 16-20 students with their own permanent stations. These are often in a "cubicle" arrangement. You are expected to do a primary portion of your work in the studio. In most universities that have environmental design type studios, the buildings are open 24 hours. I remember coffee makers, hot plates and hammocks being stored in compartments in peoples cubes.

In the studio the instructor gives lectures, but most time is spent in desk critiques. These sessions may be fifteen minutes each or stretch to more. At intermediate points, the work is put on the walls and there is a larger critique, often with outside professionals and/or professors. Students present the work, and then there is time for the critics to give opinions and comments. The end of the term review is a major event.

I present these two scenarios out of years of teaching as examples of the way design instructors are direct, opinionated and passionate.

Scene One -

It is a normal desk crit type of day for me in a middle level studio (second and third year of a five year curriculum). One of the students on my list to see today is M. He listens to me explaining some principles that he needs to pay attention to about his design. Then he grabs his eraser, erases a portion of the drawing and starts to redraw. I say "whoa, listen and absorb what I am saying". I explain more and he erases and draws again, telling me "okay, then I will do this". In frustration, I pick up his pencil and throw it across to the other side of the room.

I tell him "don't pick that up until you have really thought about the changes you are about to make!" I suddenly feel like ...wow, I blew it. As I look at him, he starts laughing. I said "what is so funny?" He tells me that I am the second professor to throw his pencil away!

I asked him who else did that...he says Professor K. and I said, "at least I am in good company!"

Scene Two -

It is the final review of the quarter in a first year studio. One of my students is a transfer from a junior college. Even though he had two years of design, they made him take one quarter in beginning studio. He's not a happy camper because of that.

I invited about four or five reviewers and each had to be rotated every 45 minutes so that all the students could get individual critiques that afternoon. I was too busy to hear all the reviews. There was always a summary at the end of these. The studio professor and the outside reviewers sum up the impressions of the student work. After that I went to see T. (the student) and asked him how is review went. I had assigned a particularly talented and experienced professor to him because he had the junior college experience.

He tells me that "Professor P. did not like the design, but that was only his opinion". I tell him that Professor P. has thirty years experience as an architect, has taught for fifteen years at major universities, that he worked for one of the greatest architects of the twentieth century, and has a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania! - and that HE (the student) is a beginning architectural student.

I said "his opinion and your opinion are not equal! -- If they were, there would be no need for you to go to school."

. . .

Site Design Review - Case Study #5

2009-08-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is a portion of a 13 acre site that was proposed for 20 dwelling units per acre minimum density - the illustration shows the for market section of the site.

AS PROPOSED BY

THE DEVELOPER ...

AS PROPOSED BY

THE URBAN DESIGNER ...

What if the site planning was driven by a connected tissue

of plazas and open spaces?

Too often, architects design site plans fitting buildings and parking onto a site, letting those elements drive the layout. Looking at a series of buildings and interconnecting driveways and roads as a way to acheive an experience in spatial composition is really the "outlook" of a Landscape Architect.

. . .

Joseph Eichler / Ernest Braun - creating the image of modern housing

2009-08-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

I have known about Eichler houses for quite some time. A structural engineer that I knew, lived in one in Palo Alto. Many years later, I met a talented writer who suggested that some of her favorite houses were Eichlers. It caused me to renew my interest in the Eichlers as a model of how to design and build modern tract housing....

Joseph Eichler,
developer

Ernest Braun,
photographer

During Braun's 14 years as a photographer for Eichler Homes, Inc., his photographic canvas typified not only the homes' architectural features of expansive walls of glass and their sharp, clean lines of post-and-beam ceilings; but it also portrayed the lifestyles of the homes' inhabitants. Images of families doing practical everyday activities -- like cooking in the kitchen or even frolicking in the backyard over a game of badminton.

But who is Ernie Braun? How did he bring his images to life? And how did he achieve such astounding results during those one-and-a-half decades of Eichler photo sessions?

The son of Maurice Braun, one of California's greatest Impressionist painters, Ernie, 80, is still very much in love with shooting and teaching photography. The key to photography, he says, is capturing "what you want to say" about a subject. "Then if you are versatile, and know how to use the equipment, it's just like a message that you write -- it emits kind of a graphic image," he told us recently from his San Anselmo home and studio, perched high on a hillside overlooking a lush Marin valley.

"In the non-human world, everything is designed from a practical point of view -- the leaves on a plant, the fruit," Braun explained. "And that relates to the Eichler homes in the sense that their whole design was functional and artistic," having that same kind of well-designed symmetry.

"When I was doing a photo shoot for Joe Eichler," Braun remembered, a dreamy look on his face as if traveling back in time, "I'd visit the house we'd be shooting, before I would actually photograph it, to get an idea of the best time of day for certain shots, the models that would be needed, and the props."

- from Eichler Network

Joseph Eichler built over 11,000 homes during his lifetime (most of which were in California). He created plans for these homes by hiring young architectural firms who designed one-story modern homes. Ernie Braun, a young photographer was asked to photograph the early houses for the Eichler advertising. These are some of his brilliant shots:

___

Ernest Braun still does photography -

Check his website: http://www.ernestbraun.com/

. . .

Lately It Occurs to Me ... What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been -

2009-08-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Prickly Mountain Project -

In 1965 David Sellers and Bill Rienecke, freshly graduated from the Yale School of Architecture, came to Vermont looking to build something. They were attracted to Vermont as much by the skiing and partying as the opportunity to build without the restrictions of zoning regulations or planning commissions. They discovered 450 acres, mostly abandoned farmland and unimproved forest that they were able to buy for $1,000 down apiece. The name came when another architect friend, John Lucas, sat down on a raspberry bush and—ouch!—Prickly Mountain was born.

Sellers, amazed that so much land could be tied up with so little money, immediately began to think big. He returned to Yale and did what he has so often done throughout his colorful career – he got people excited about his vision.

The problem, as Sellers saw it, was that “Architects didn’t learn to build things in school, but only to draw pictures.” The opportunity to actually build something, he told classmates, was too good to pass up. Come to Vermont, he said, and we can build things all summer. We’ll find you a place to live, feed you, and even pay you $500.

Thirty students took the offer. Sellers rented a house, hired a cook, and arranged for credit at the local lumber yard and the IGA food store. (He still smiles when he thinks about how he managed to pull this off.) His motley crew, long on energy and creativity but short on cash and experience, began building houses. The theory was that by the end of the summer the houses could be mortgaged and the debts settled. Decades before Nike ever made it a slogan, Sellers developed the philosophy of “Just do it.”

The crew was intoxicated with a combination of energy and trust and went to work with hammer and nail. As the buildings went up and then as the building season wound down, Sellers hit the road to recruit others from other architectural schools.

The national media took notice. First The New York Times, later Life Magazine, but most influentially, Progressive Architecture gave credibility to the developments on Prickly Mountain. The trickle of pilgrims to Prickly Mountain became a march.

At the time, the cultural revolution of the 1960s was in full-swing (some might even say out of control). This was a time when Stewart Brand, in Berkeley, Calif., was re-inventing book publishing with the Whole Earth Catalog. Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters were pounding up and down the West Coast in their psychedelic bus. John Todd, in Woods Hole, Mass., was mulling over the concept that would become The New Alchemy Institute. Greenpeace and Public Citizen were gleaming in the eyes of their founders. And in Vermont, David Sellers was leading bright, wide-eyed, would-be builders to the edge of the building envelope in the appropriately named Mad River Valley.

The houses that were built were beyond unconventional. There were no blueprints. Plans were scratched in the dirt or scribbled on the plywood and 2x4s being assembled. The houses soared into the surrounding forest, some of them resembling ships more than homes. The landscape, once virgin forest, then cleared pasture, then scraggly hardwood/softwood mix, had witnessed another evolution. Windows and decks appeared where they wanted to be. Solar and renewable energy were part of the gospel.

- from Wishtank

....now here's MY side of the story -

In May of 1966, I was finishing the last year of my Associates degree in Construction Technology at the State University of New York at Delhi (NY). I picked up a copy of Progressive Architecture and it contained a story called "Architecture Swings Like A Pendulum Do". It had a picture of the Tack House (see photo below - this is a very enlarged version of what was built at the beginning), and a sketch of a site plan labeled "Prickly Mountain Project, Warren, Vermont". I tossed in a letter, with that simple address, asking if they needed help for the summer. They said simply "come on up, we'll give you food and housing and $500 for the summer. I don't even remember how I got there, but I arrived.

___

Warren was a town of 50 in the middle of nowhere Vermont. I had never heard of it. But nearby was Sugarbush ski area. I had heard of that (seemed like I heard of it in connection with "snow bunnies from New York City"). I made my way up the road to the "Tack House"

and met the two partners Dave and Bill (called Ringo because of the physical likeness to a popular drummer at the time). They told me I could stay at an old farmhouse down the road and there would be a cook fixing meals. It was an OLD farmhouse...early 1800's, I would guess now.

There I met four other architectural students that I would work and live with for the summer. One was from the University of Illinois, one from Columbia University (he came with his girlfriend and lived elsewhere) and two were from the University of Pennsylvania. I was already accepted at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Our cook was a lovely young woman named Nans (Dutch from Quebec), who made incredibly hearty breakfasts and delicious soups every evening!

___

There was a large hole in the floor next to the kitchen. An old (75 plus or minus) man was down there every morning. His name was Mr. Livingston - and his job was to single handedly rebuild the old stone foundation below the farmhouse and put in tie rods to straighten the frame. Totally Yankee - I thought!!!. Every morning was the same with Mr. Livingston - we would say "Good morning, Mr. Livingston!". He would reply the usual way - "Good morning - that is, if it doesn't rain!" We would then agree. Mr. Livingston told us he had one more project to build - he promised a friend he would build him a new barn. We assumed that meant he would do it alone.

___

We would walk every morning after an amazing breakfast cooked by Nans (I had a great crush on her) up the dirt road to the building site past the Tack House. This was a three story ski house that was designed by Ringo. There were no plans. He laid a cardboard model on the ground and the foundation was laid out. While others were doing some rough framing, I remember he had a big rectangular metal tank welded up. I was dipping wood siding into the creosote filled tank and then stacking the wood to dry.

___

Later, I helped on the rough framing and then went on to put up the siding using flimsily constructed scaffolding. I remember that the scaffolding was so bouncy, that I complained to Ringo. I must have weighed about 120 pounds. I think Ringo was close to 200 and he walked on those flat 2x's like a cat, and said a real construction worker likes the "bounce".

We would frame the house just like the model. Sometimes Ringo would walk up and look at where we were in the rough framing. He would see a great view on the second or third floor, grab a Skil-saw and cut an opening through the just nailed wall studs, instructing us to order a window and finish framing the opening.

___

The Ringo crew decided to have a plywood carrying contest. I said that with my body frame, I was not entering. The architecture student from Columbia University was a large African-American man. He put three sheets of plywood over his head at once, carried them away and won the contest.

___

David was up on the mountain doing some work and we all heard him screaming as loud as he possibly could -

FUCKING SOLVED !!!!!!!

very Sellers ....
___

David was on the Mad River Valley Planning Commission or something like that, and they were about to hire some New York person to develop a plan for the Mad River Valley. He stopped them and said that they should interview this incredible man from the University of Pennsylvania named Ian McHarg.

Mr. McHarg spent a day meeting the commission and an evening at the Prickly Mountain Project. He sat with all of us over dinner and explained his process of planning with the environment. There may also have been some wine drinking involved. They agreed to hear him, but decided not to hire him - I think they were intimidated by his brilliance.

___

At the end of the summer, Dave and Ringo decided to throw a big barbeque. Dave said "let's roast half a calf". We dug this deep pit, lined it with stones and built a fire.

Since we were all city kids, Dave decided that we had to go to the farmer down the road, pick a calf and watch it killed (YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM, I think he said). We did just that. The farmer took us to the herd, we picked a sweet looking calf, and he led it to his butchering shed. One smack with a ball peen hammer to the center of the forehead and the calf dropped and started shaking. In two minutes, he stopped. The farmer tied the calf's feet and raised him with a winch. He slit the belly, cut the head off and pulled all the guts out. After the bleeding stopped he pulled the skin off and sawed the body down the middle. We wrapped half the body (the farmer froze the other half in his walk- in freezer) and brought it back to Prickly Mountain to cook.

We had a great barbeque.

___

When the summer came to a close, I found a 1960 Ford Falcon station wagon to buy in Warren for $100. It was white with big black splotches on it where there used to be rust spots. We all called it the "spotted heffer". I started to drive across country to California.

___

That itself is a long story, but I'll give a quick summary:

I picked up a college friend in upstate New York. We then drove to Fallingwater House, near Ohiopyle (yes!), Pennsylvania to see Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece. I drove my buddy to Lawrence, Kansas where he attended the University of Kansas and then I continued on my journey across the country. My car broke down in the middle of the Mojave Desert between Needles and Barstow. I sold the car to a "desert rat" type of guy for $25 (left most of my belongings in the car) and flagged down the bus to Los Angeles and continued on to San Luis Obispo.

___

Oh, I did get to see Nans (Kelder) and her brothers in Montreal the next summer for Expo 67 (the World's Fair).

(you get extra points if you can tell me the song that the title of this piece is based on - Larry)

. . .

The Very Best Chair (drum roll please)....

2009-08-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

Mine eyes have seen the coming of the best chair made....

I'm not into interior design and furnishings, but I sit a lot.

I have a book called 1,000 CHAIRS. It's amazing to me to see the variation in "sitting devices" -

This past weekend I went to Berkeley and stopped in Design Within Reach,
a store that specializes in modern furniture.

I sat in....

THE EMBODY CHAIR
BY HERMAN MILLER

how does it work?
why is it so good?

The Embody Chair, designed by the Herman Miller team, was developed after long research and design to provide not only a function platform from which to work, but one that would actually be healthy to the individual by restoring balance between the human/computer relationship by enhancing the intake of oxygen and cellular exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is designed to adapt to the individual's unique spinal curvature allowing you to move freely and naturally to improve blood flow thus eliminating both discomfort and distraction.

The back of the chair is designed to be narrow in the back, allowing your arms to move back and forth naturally thus opening up the chest cavity which allows your lungs to take in more air and send more oxygen to the brain.

The pixilated seat moves with you and provides a 3-layered construction of materials whose technology conforms to your various micro movements while distributing your weight evenly. This then also removes stresses on your body at every contact point, reducing pressure and improving circulation. The Embody Chair has a unique tilt mechanism, which actually encourages the worker to recline while stabilizing the pelvis in the seat pocket no matter what your body position may be. This then supports your thoracic back while correctly aligning your eyes with the computer screen.

The theory is that without continuing discomfort your mind is freed to focus on the task at hand.

- review by Steve Douglas

(as you can tell by my blog setup - I don't do advertising)

but the thought of a chair that actually will fit to YOU

and give your entire back and butt the support you need...

ahhhhhhhh, where have you been the past 50 years ????

. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study #2

2009-08-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

AS SUBMITTED BY
THE DESIGNER ...

AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER ...

What's wrong with the design above this one ?
You see them everywhere...

Details add life and interest to an elevation. Similarity of elements add unity. Adding the two bays on the upper floor give relief to the plane of the wall. The window layout is more traditional, two windows separated by a column. Having two garage doors scales down the impact of the automobile on the elevation. Having a French door and matching sidelights brightens the entry. The entry column should never be a mere 4 x 4, so adding base and capital gives a traditional feel.

. . .

industrial landscapes / Gas Works Park

2009-08-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

CEMEX cement plant
Davenport, California

I have to admit that I find something really fascinating about industrial plants - the tubes, pipes, catwalks, supports...

Was it the Erector sets or the Tinker Toys I played with as a child? Maybe it's deeper and it's the symbolism of 19th and early 20th century engineering. These are like sets of science fiction movies...

On the other hand, take a look a the Pompidou Center in Paris !!

______________________________________

In Seattle, there is a large park set on the former site of the Seattle Gas Works.

Richard Haag, Landscape Architect
decided to keep the "works" as monumental sculpture in a park setting...

Urban reclamation has no greater monument in Seattle than Gas Works Park. The former power station here produced gas for heating and lighting from 1906 to 1956. The gas works was thereafter understandably considered an eyesore and an environmental menace. But the park's beautiful location - with stellar views of downtown over Lake Union - induced the city government to convert the former industrial site into a public park in 1975.

Rather than tear down the factory, landscape architects preserved much of the old plant. Painted black and now highlighted with rather joyful graffiti, it looks like some odd remnant from a former civilization. It also makes a great location for shooting rock album covers and music videos.

The soil and groundwater beneath the park still contain chemical contamination. Though this apparently poses no health risks to humans, state government and environmental agencies occasionally close the park to complete various cleanup and research projects.

Despite its toxic history, this is still one of Seattle's best-loved parks. People come here to fly kites, picnic near the lake, or simply to take in the view. And it is like nothing else you've ever seen. Be sure to climb the small hill in order to see the sundial at the top, one of the best places from which to photograph Seattle's skyline.

- from Lonely Planet review

(The photos above are from Jessica Palmer and
are available for sale)

Jessica Palmer is a biologist & artist currently based in Washington, DC.
She received her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from
UCBerkeley, spent the last few years teaching at a small state college out West,
and is now exploring science policy and communications.

.... be sure to see some of her remarkable
biologically based illustrations (click here)

. . .

Site Design Review - Case Study #4

2009-07-31T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is a large housing site near a busy road -

AS SUBMITTED BY
THE ARCHITECTS ...

AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER ...No change in the number of units or amount of parking,
but quite a difference in the spatial ordering of the site!

Turning the open spaces toward the entry road creates longer vistas and the community center at the end of the entry road now has a rear play yard that can be seen by parents through the rear of the building.

. . .

Hat's Off To Larry !!! ..........

2009-07-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

No, not me...

Lawrence Halprin
who recently turned 93 -

Lawrence Halprin (born July 1, 1916 in New York City) is a prolific and accomplished American landscape architect and educator.

Halprin grew up in New York and spent three of his teenage years in Palestine on a kibbutz. He earned a degree in plant sciences from Cornell University. In 1935 Halprin returned to the US to attend the Harvard Graduate School of Design under Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and landscape architect Christopher Tunnard. In 1944 Halprin was commissioned in the US Navy as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He was assigned to the destroyer Morris in the Pacific which was struck by a kamikaze attack. After surviving the destruction of the Morris, Halprin was sent to San Francisco on leave. It was here he would stay following his discharge.

Following an apprenticeship with landscape architect Thomas Church, collaborating with Church on the seminal Dewey Donnell Garden (El Novillero) in Sonoma County California and helping to develop the contemporary California Style garden concept, Halprin opened his own office in 1949. Since 1976 he has been a partner with Sue Yung Li Ikeda.

Halprin's wife, accomplished avant-garde dancer Anna Halprin, is a long-time collaborator, with whom he has explored the common areas between choreography and the way users move through a public space. They are the parents of Daria Halprin, an American psychologist, author, dancer, and actress.

Halprin's work is marked by his attention to human scale, user experience, and the social impact of his designs, in the egalitarian tradition of Frederick Law Olmsted. Halprin was the creative force behind the interactive, 'playable' civic fountains most common in the 1970s, an amenity which continues to greatly contribute to the pedestrian social experience in Portland Oregon, where "Ira's Fountain" is loved and well-used.

He is the co-creator with his his wife of the RSVP Cycle, a creative methodology that can be applied broadly across all disciplines.

- from Wikipedia

Among the major works of Lawrence Halprin's office
are open spaces and fountains -

(perhaps his major contribution to Landscape Architecture)

FDR Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Levi Strauss Plaza, San Francisco, CA

Freeway Park, Seattle, WA

Ira Keller Fountain, Portland, OR

..and where did all of this come from? Halprin loves to walk in the Sierra Mountains of California and sketch waterfalls and boulders... His sketchbooks are legendary -

I heard Larry Halprin say at an ASLA conference ...

"I don't work FOR architects,

I work WITH them !!"
. . .

reDESIGN - Case Study #1

2009-07-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

Part of my job as Urban Designer invloves reviewing the design of houses in the Coastal Zone. Our jurisdiction does not have a Design Review Board. I am an in-house design reviewer. Often, I will take the drawing submitted and make minor revisions which I think helps the design and better fits in the neighborhood.

I offer the suggested revisions for discussion with the designer and the owner. Being a full-time staff member, I am available for meeting with the project planners, the designers and architects and the general public.

The following is one example.

AS SUBMITTED BY
THE DESIGNER ...

AS SUGGESTED BY
THE URBAN DESIGNER ....

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO ? ... look carefully -

A flat roof is atypical of the neighborhood and only increases the appearance of greater height. The arches over the window and door are now similar. Two simple revisions give the design some unity.

. . .

Bucky's Three Questions ....

2009-07-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

When I was an undergraduate student in Architecture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, we had a visit by Buckminster Fuller.

Buckminster Fuller had one of the most fascinating

and original minds of his century.

Born in 1895 in Milton, Massachusetts, he was the latest
--if not the last--of the New England Transcendentalists.
Like the transcendentalists, Fuller rejected the established religious and political notions
of the past and adhered to an idealistic system of thought based on
the essential unity of the natural world and the use of experiment and intuition
as a means of understanding it.

But, departing from the pattern of his New England predecessors,
he proposed that only an understanding of technology in the
deepest sense would afford humans a proper guide to
individual conduct and the eventual salvation of society.

Buckminster Fuller was one of our world’s first futurists and global thinkers.
His 1927 decision to work always and only for all humanity led him to
address the largest global problems of poverty, disease and homelessness.
He realized early on that by examining global problems in the
context of the whole system—the whole planet—
he would have the best chance of identifying large-scale trends
that would allow him to anticipate the critical needs of humanity.

BUCKMINSTER FULLER INSTITUTE

"Bucky" came to the archictecture exhibition room and talked to the students for almost three hours. His wife dragged him away to go to dinner. He came back around 9 pm to talk to the entire university at the large lecture hall. Around midnight his wife came on stage and said it's late and time for Bucky to get some sleep!

I don't remember all of what he said, but I remember the three questions he wanted architects to answer -

1. How many pieces are in your building?

2. How much does your building weigh?

3. How many BTU's did it take to produce every thing required for your building?

Bucky was searching for the greatest covering he could produce with the most minimal of effort and effect on the environment. He believed that if you wanted to do that - you would work with the most minimal number of elements, that weighed the least amount and took the least amount of energy to produce.

This kind of thinking led Bucky to develop the geodesic dome...

... while I don't think that kind of structure is the answer,
I do believe that the questions are still worth pondering.

. . .

Architecture as "Service" - Remodels and Additions

2009-07-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Introduction -

Most architects with small offices that I know, assist people with remodels and additions. Many years ago, I had a conversation with an architect in San Francisco whose work I greatly respect - Jeremy Kotas.

I complained about the fact that as a two person office, my partner and I had a large share of additions and remodels between the new houses that came in. He told me that most small offices he knew did the same thing, and that in fact they never turned away a remodel or addition for a former client. In his thought, it was something architects did as a "service".

EXAMPLE #1

Santa Cruz Zen Center Priest's Residence -

The existing building had been badly treated over the years. Aluminum sliding windows replaced original wood, the porch had been allowed to crumble and the porch roof sagged.
The center wanted a minor, but sensitive upgrade and a new single car garage. The proposal was relatively simple: rebuild the porch and add capitals to the columns, replace the roof with a small gable pitched as the main roof, build a garage with doors that fit the period of the little cabin (c. 1870) and replace all windows with real wood windows that had real divided lites.

. . .

Is the "Surf Shack" a Style of Architecture ???

2009-07-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe -

I'm sure this is another one of those "Only in California....
would the question come up" kind of things.

BUT...

Near the City of Capitola, just to the west, is a district of Santa Cruz County called
Pleasure Point

This is one of the prime surfing spots along the Northern California Coast.

It's also the home of Jack O'Neill, the inventor of the wetsuit !!

(why is there no plaque for this guy?)

Pleasure Point has become an extremely desireable neighborhood and the prices started to skyrocket for small homes on small lots. In the heyday of the real estate boom (two years ago), that meant one million for a teardown.

Paying that kind of money meant that the character of the neighborhood changed rapidly. Some of the folks who have lived there for a long time (and loved the charm of small streets, small houses, ocean views and great surfing down the block) began to organize and complain.

How could their neighborhood character be saved? What is that character? Is the "Beach Cottage" (or "Surf Shack" as it is fondly called locally) part of that character? ......

Here are some vignettes that I prepared to begin the discussion -

the answer is ....
"neighborhood zoning"

...this is one way of grappling with the transition, but not intended to be the final answer or total solution.

. . .

If You're Going to San Francisco....

2009-07-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

...be sure to visit
Pier 7

and give some thought to the planner who championed having a purely public pier -

RANDALL ROSSI, Ph. D.

Randy was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. He attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and recieved a B. A. and M. A. in Regional and City Planning, and subsequently attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he received his Ph. D. in Geography.

After graduation from Berkeley, Randy worked for a private planning firm preparing environmental impact reports and ended up essentially spending all his time working with the Port of San Francisco. He made the Port Director an offer he couldn't refuse. He became the Planning, Environmental and Regulatory consultant to the Port with a reserved parking space directly in front of the Ferry Building. Every week he and the Director had a meeting with Mayor Diane Feinstein (the Port - although not very active as a port - is the biggest money maker for the City of San Francisco).

Randy contracted AIDS and became very ill. He passed away in November, 1992 at the age of 43.

As part of his work for the Port, he fought for the exclusive right of the public to use one of the piers for strolling, fishing, etc. He never saw his dream realized, but the Port of San Francisco completed the project. There on the pier is a plaque describing the effort made by Randall Rossi.

The Rossi family in front of the plaque

Ever see a plaque dedicated to a Planner?

(Randy was a close friend and
my older daughter's godfather)

. . .

Architects in Film / Fact and Fiction....

2009-07-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

You might think that Hollywood is fascinated by
the life of an architect....

AND THERE IS THE ULTIMATE
CLASSIC TALE
OF ARCHITECTURE AND POWER....

ya gotta love the pencil....!!!

But there are really good documentary films about architects, architecture AND their personal lives. I'm recommending three -

My Father, The Genius

My Architect

Sketches of Frank Gehry

rent them...you'll like the personal stories -
and the architecture !!

. . .

for yet another view ...

http://archrecord.construction.com/community/blogs/ARBlog.asp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3aac946cd0-ba4a-4e0e-8da4-47c9e7c5d923Post%3a8cc2df8b-0a90-4fba-afc4-ff24cfbeefe4

The Passing of One of the Greats....

2009-07-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

AIA Los Angeles joins the Architecture + Design Community

in mourning the loss of

JULIUS SHULMAN, Hon. AIA/LA 1910 - 2009

Julius Shulman's luminous photographs immortalized many of the mid-20th century modernist architects whose homes and buildings he so lovingly photographed throughout his career. As a result of his photographic masterpieces, Julius himself became a superstar in the architectural world. He was a giant in the field and giant, indeed, is the void he left upon his passing last week. Thankfully, he also left an enduring legacy for future generations to cherish and enjoy. His archive of over 260,000 negatives, prints, and transparencies was acquired by the Getty Center in 2005.

"I was lucky to be doing the right thing at the right time. So, anytime someone wanted a photograph of a modern house, Uncle Julius provided the picture."

Julius Shulman, 1994

Julius Shulman's most celebrated work -- a black and white photo of a glass and steel frame home built by architect Pierre Koenig in the Hollywood Hills as the sun was setting on May 9, 1960 (Case Study House No. 22). Here are some links to various perspectives from around the country of Mr. Shulman's extraordinary life and career: The Los Angeles Times The New York Times The Chicago Sun-Times. If you have personal remembrances that you would like to share with the AIA/LA membership, please forward them to michael@aialosangeles.org, and we will be happy to reprint them.

American Institute of Architects Los Angeles

(photos and text)

forwarded by Josef Kasperovich, Architectural Photography

. . .