Not a good photo, but a good day. It was fun to go down to the canterbury today to watch the inauguration (I don't have a tv). Although, its hard to enjoy the bar atmosphere at 8am!.
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This bridge (the Slauerhoffbrug) is located in Leeuwarden, Netherlands and is seriously cool... Unlike most drawbridges which open at the center, pivoting at the street level (or even others that have only one operable piece pivoting at the street level), this bridge is lifted up and over the street using a cantilever system. I'm not sure who did the bridge, but its asymmetrical design is not something I've seen before, but I like it!.
Via Jalopnik
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Its always difficult to ensure that there are enough electrical outlets when renovating (but not gutting) and older building. Add to that the difficultly in making sure they look good and it may seem an impossible problem. I really like the way Koray Duman incorporated the outlets into a decorative run around the apartment. The whole apartment is lovely and relatively affordable, but this was just one of those details that makes all the difference.
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This is an interesting concept... create your own nighttime bike lane, when none is available. The idea is that you could still ride on the street, but that cars would see and respect your bike lane. Who knows, they might even think its real?! At the very least, the lasers would help to illuminate the riders so that they are more easily visible.via Gizmodo
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These chairs are more art than furniture, but I love them. Can you imagine hanging four of these side by side on the wall and only taking them down when you had guests?!? I love multi-function designs (these really only have one function as a chair - but are lovely as wall hangings, too), and space saving designs also always make me happy, so I think these are fantastic. I'd love to be able to check these out up close, because its hard to imagine that they are strong enough to support adults and yet flexible enough to be hung on the wall with just a flick of the wrist.
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So... I forgot my camera when we went downtown today, but I thought I'd take a picture with my phone. I knew the quality wouldn't be great, but there was an interesting composition made up of new boats and a matson ship, so I thought I'd give it a try.
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Don't ask me why the picture is inside a frame next to some fruit. I have absolutely no idea how that happened and probably couldn't replicate it if I wanted to...
So, this morning I got up at an ungodly hour to speak to my sister in law's high school students about being an architect. It was actually a fun time and the kids asked good questions... I tried to give them a realistic view of what an architect does on a daily basis. I just didn't mention the current state of affairs, which for too many architects means they are looking for employment. I didn't want to scare them away before they even started!.
Also, I wanted to mention my new daily photo feature... This is obviously today's photo, and I'm sad to acknowledge that 1-1/2 weeks into January, I've already missed a few days of photos. Believe it or not, I haven't actually forgotten to post or take a photo any of those days... and the missed photos aren't due to the usual excuse - laziness. I been plagued by two problems in trying to take a photo each day; one I should have been prepared for and the other was totally unforeseen. First the unforeseen - the lcd screen on my camera broke on Jan 1. I realize that I can take photos looking through the viewfinder, but the bright white light emitting from the screen blinds me every time I look through the viewfinder. So, I don't exactly feel like setting up the right shot. The other problem is Seattle's abysmal weather. It is rainy and grey every single day. I hate taking photos with the flash, but there never seems to be enough light otherwise. Its not exactly inspiring. I originally thought taking a photo a day would help me to improve my photography (something I quite enjoy), unfortunately I think my photography skills are suffering. But, enough complaining from me. I'm going to continue to try and take a daily photo... and on days when the photo is boring, or I miss one (one of these has been true every time so far), you all will just have to deal. Or skip that post.
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Here's hoping there are some nice photos in our future!
Lior Vaknin is a young Israeli designer doing some interesting work. This barbershop looks like a fun place to get your hair cut! .
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Can someone explain to me why women find male architects so sexy, but it doesn't work the other way around? Could it possibly be that men are intimidated by smart women? Normally, I wouldn't be all feminist about it... but when actresses are the second sexiest profession for women (as voted by men), you've got to wonder...
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Via Swiss Miss
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The new Seattle City Hall by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Bassetti Architects is one of the nicer new civic buildings in Seattle. The project has won several awards and is LEED Gold certified, although according to the PI its an energy hog. Still, its a pretty nice design, with a cohesive plaza, attempting to tie in directly with the citizens it supports. Today was the first time I had actually been inside the building (the top photo is my daily photo for today). I didn't get to see much of the building beyond the foyer (for lack of another word - but the entire first floor is almost completely void of program) and the one room and hall where the City Council meeting was being held. The views from the hall were spectacular and the room, which resembled a college lecture hall served its purpose well. I'd like a chance to wander the halls more, and perhaps even make it up to the green roof. Maybe on another visit..
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Annoyed - As in, I'm annoyed that I had to borrow a mac to do the work that neither of my pcs could managed. Or annoyed - as in, my sister in law is probably annoyed that I came over so late to borrow her mac. Sorry again!
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A simple form made from standard containers for an alpine transit station by andreas fuhrimann, gabrielle hächler architects (afgh).
I've been thinking for a while that I might try to take and post a new photo every day this year... Of course, nearly all of today was spent painting the house, and I almost entirely forgot about my resolution. I did manage to take one shot, documenting today's efforts, but if this is any foreshadowing for the rest of the year, I'm not sure how long this daily photo will last.That said... At least I managed day one.
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