Posts
Open Source Furniture
30 March 2009
Rather than charge $5K for a piece of furniture (although, he'll do that too) Ronen Kadushin is giving away the autocad files needed to make his furniture. Pretty cool!Via Wired
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Rather than charge $5K for a piece of furniture (although, he'll do that too) Ronen Kadushin is giving away the autocad files needed to make his furniture. Pretty cool!Via Wired
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Are you kidding me?
29 March 2009
So... Robert Stern recently gave an interview, where he stated that he thinks the major reason that women comprise only 20% of the architectural workforce, while they comprise 50% of architectural students is essentially because women feel a desire to have a family which is very difficult while maintaining a career in architecture.
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OK.
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I mean, I guess that is true to some degree. But, I think its a really simplistic view.
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I think there is a myriad of reasons why female architects don't reach the same levels of stature in the field as men... To start, women still don't earn as much as men. And in a field like architecture, where our pay is not at all commiserate with our workload and liability, a woman earning less is going to feel the hardship of underpayment even more. It would be easy to abandon the profession for a better earning one... or at least one with a better work/life balance.
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Whether R Stern thinks so or not, architecture is still very much a boys club. A white boys club to be more specific. The leaders of the profession are more often that not, white men. So, when these leaders are working with younger architects, mentoring those architects, they are much more likely to offer guidance to those architects in whom they see a little of themselves. They are much more likely to be helping out other white male architects, rather than their minority counterparts.
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Not to mention, women still have to deal with all sorts of inequalities that men just don't have to think about at all. How many women architects have been asked to help answer the phones, or get coffee, or clean up, while their male peers merely continue with their daily work? While sometimes these tasks can be considered a contribution to the team, women are constantly faced with tasks like these, wondering if they were asked to help out as part of the team, or simply because they are a woman. Add to that, working with contractors and consultants calling you sweetie... always having to prove that you are just as talented, if not more so. Most men, never have to prove they are equal, its assumed they are unless proven otherwise.
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Is it any wonder that many women don't complete their careers in architecture? And its not just women... the percentage of minority architects is pitiful. And unless dinosaurs like Stern realize they are part of the problem, this isn't going to change.
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Because frankly, we don't all have babies on the brain. Thoughts?
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Camilla Housell Halvorsen
28 March 2009
I love these furniture pieces by Camilla Hounsell Halvorsen - eco friendly, playful, and modern! What more could you ask for!?!?!
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Resign
26 March 2009
Resign has some really interesting designs... part art piece, part furniture, and most requiring a sense of humor!
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Bridge Way
24 March 2009
This is one of my favorite Seattle projects currently under construction. Unfortunately these photos of the Bridge Way Townhomes by Johnston Architects don't really do the project justice. This project is all about the details - simple wood siding delineated with metal strips, custom designed gutters and downspouts, and clean lines. When the project first started construction, I have to admit that I was a little concerned about the form... it seemed like there were an inordinate number of jogs in the concrete formwork. But, I must admit, that these jogs add a welcome relief to an otherwise plain facade. If there had been more material changes, then the jogs would have been too much... but instead they are a nice design element.
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Beautiful Goteborg
21 March 2009
Sandra at smosch has some amazing photography of her walks through Goteborg, Sweden.
Launched.
15 March 2009
Its official. The website is FINALLY up and running. Please feel free to check it out! .
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Green and Minimal - I love it!
11 March 2009
Evangeline Dennie's design for the Oulu Bar and Ecolounge is really quite spectacular. Whenever I've seen images of other green walls, I've thought they they are interesting as a spectacle, nice as a green solution, but generally a little over the top aesthetically. I find this design so appealing because it incorporates the great idea of a green wall with a minimal and modern design! Fantastic! In addition to the green wall, the interiors are all designed with sustainability in mind (and eco-friendly materials!).
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Shiny
04 March 2009
This installation by Coordination and diephotodesigner is made of high polished steel with matte black contrasting surfaces. The pieces were moved around Berlin and photographed to show the new and old structures of the city...
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By Nicola from Bern
03 March 2009
A clever flat pack coat hook...
By Boor Bridges
A quite large live/work space in San Francisco by Boor Bridges Architecture. The space is both an adaptive reuse project as well as an adaptable and reusable design. The living space is located upstairs, with a large gallery/boutique and sewing area downstairs. The studio spaces are separated from the living spaces by partial height walls and curtains. This keeps the space open, yet maintains privacy for the couple..
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Bubble Chandelier
02 March 2009
I love this bubble chandelier by jean pelle. In addition to the fantastic design, its made from off the shelf parts and could be constructed by anyone at home. Pretty cool! I've been looking for some sort of feature pendant lamp for my new office... this might work perfectly!.
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