Showing posts with label Ideological. Show all posts
Doing Good Through Design
04 July 2008
War Victims - 'child soldiers' by Pablo Grand Mourcel, France
Water Scarcity by Rémy Le Rumeur, France
Child Mortality by Behrooz Gorgin, Iran
Global Warming by Sadık Sakin, Turkey
Human Rights Violation - 'freedom' by Napin Mandhachitara, Thailand
Hunting - 'stop commercial whaling' by Cédric Quissola, France
STDs - 'aids' by Onur Gökalp, Turkey
Good 'O8 has created a contest for advertisers and graphic designers to allow them to use their craft for good, rather than sales. They created 7 topics and asked designers all over the world to create 50x70 posters based on these topics. Thirty winners were selected from each category (above are a few of my favorites) and could potentially be used by charities across the globe.
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Check the designs out... there are so many fabulous and thought provoking designs...
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Architecture for Humanity on Frontline
26 June 2008
Architecture for Humanity's work in India is currently being featured on Frontline. Purnima McCutcheon is working on the ground in India, in areas affected by 2004's tsunami to make a difference by providing a village hall. Supported by a team in San Francisco, Purnima is able to change lives through her designs... Check out the rest of the interview with Purnima, as well as an interview with Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr (founders of Architecture with Humanity) -and more info and photos. Purnima's take on sustainable design being beyond prius' and solar panels and absolutely necessary for the developing world is quite interesting. While the special is obviously geared towards the general public, designers and architects should also find it entertaining and thought provoking.
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No Babies Falling Down That Well
27 February 2008
Even though Christian Randall specializes in conservation architecture, the design of the glass cover on this well is quite modern. I'm not exactly sure of the particular location within the house, but I'd love to think that this well is just located in the middle (well, maybe not quite the middle) of some room or hall, and that the inhabitants' daily routine causes them to walk over it, just like any other floor finish. To me, imagining that this well cover is used just like any other floor makes the surprise of what is below all the more special..
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Good Design Can Change the World
26 February 2008
This hippo roller, designed to carry water is a spectacular design that can actually improve lives. These rollers enable family members to carry 3-5 times as much water as previous methods, allowing them to spend their time on more beneficial activities. To sponsor one... click here..
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Pre-Fab to the Extreme
25 February 2008
Rocio Romero has got quite a few interesting pre-fab designs under her belt... Although, I think in practice that most of these designs could be even more streamlined... the plan above is a one bedroom in 625SF. Our house has 2 bedrooms in less than that. While I realize that not everyone want to live in the equivalent of a dorm room, I think that if you're willing to build/buy a house that is only 625, you'd probably be up for making the most of the space..
But whether you think that this particular house could handle some tightening of the spaces, I'm sure that we can agree that RR's latest design is probably a bit oversized! Somehow, 3000SF pre-fab homes just don't make sense to me. I mean, isn't part of the appeal of pre-fab the ecological advantages? And really, unless you've got a family of 12, there is no way that you can justify living in a 3000SF home with a pool as green. Not to mention the fact that so many of the house's aspects are clearly site built... you have to wonder what the benefit is to pre-fab in this case? I'd love to hear opinions...
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Floating Homes
04 February 2008
My dad sent me the link to this article on NPR... leave it to the Dutch to figure out a way to provide homes with modern plumbing, utilities, and foundations to float as required by the rising water levels. The foundations of these are actually basements with the utilities connected with flexible pipes, creating a kind of boat whose bottom sits on the floor of the river (or other waterway). As the water level rises, the buildings rise too, with poles embedded into the sea floor keeping the buildings in place. These will be especially useful in the Netherlands, which is already almost entirely below sea level (before global warming!), but I could certainly imagine the same sort of application in places like New Orleans."Suddenly, climate change is no longer a dire threat, but an opportunity for
innovation."
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Is LEED Green Enough?
13 January 2008
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I'm not yet LEED certified... I keep meaning to take the test, but after finishing the AREs, I'm frankly not all that interested in studying. Besides my lack of motivation for studying in general, I'm just not very motivated to take the exam because I'm not completely convinced of its merits. I consider myself a fairly green person, and try to design green whenever my job allows it (which I must admit is not as often as I'd like), so I've never really understood how LEED would or could help me in my work. I could obviously be even more green in my life and work and perhaps studying for the exam would introduce me to technologies and practices with which I'm not currently familiar. But mostly, I feel like its a lot of added paperwork for a job that's already heavy on the paperwork just to prove that I'm getting the result that we should all be aiming for anyway!.
Last month, there was an article in slate about these very ideas (and even more about the value of the points system) that more clearly expresses my hesitation for bothering with LEED. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the points, effort, and results tied to the LEED process.
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New on the Left
10 January 2008
New on the left sidebar is a list of a few of my favorite do-gooder organizations, so if you haven't already checked them out, please do so and help and spread the love!.
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Seriously, Enough is Enough
Polish Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 2010 by Wojciech Kakowski, Natalia Paszkowska, Marcin Mostafa.
Pavillion in Orchard Road by U:phoria Architects.
As I mentioned before, I getting a bit sick of these lacy facades. It seems like there are a lot of architects just phoning it in... using a simple folded mass concept draped in a perforated lace skin. Hardly any of these projects have even been built yet, but I'm already sick of this concept. Its sad to see so many architects creating so many similar (and no longer creative or innovative) projects.
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Both via Dezeen
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Any thoughts?.
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Looks Familiar
06 January 2008
I have no idea which came first, this sense light swing by Lervik Design or this other similar swing... Its just funny how different designers can come up with two very similar and yet original ideas. It happens all the time... with designers/architects/artists working on similar programs and projects (but working completely separate from each other), coming up with similar design solutions. It always makes me wonder how many original ideas there are in the world....
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Not Your Grandmother's Lace
26 December 2007
I've been noticing a recurrence of lacy designs both on my own blog, as well as others'. Clearly, advances in technology are enabling architects to design lighter skins, with more delicate detailing... and this seems to be frequently put into use in simple boxy forms with light lacy exteriors. You could almost say that many of these designs seems to be cut from the same cloth...
Previous posts include the Museum of Mediterranean Civilizations by Rudy Ricciotti, Tjep at the NAI, Town House Wimbergergasse by Delugan Meissl, a20's Qatar embassy in Brussels, an inhabited bridge at Jebel Al Jais Mountain Resort in UAE by OMA, and the Sfera Building by Claesson Koivisto Rune..
The United Arab Emirates Shanghai Expo Pavilion by Foster and Partners is yet another simple box with a lacy exterior skin. The Arabesques create a semi-transparent screen that envelope the octagon inspired building. The ideas of Islamic art and design are reiterated over and over...
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While still possessing lace-like qualities, this project is a bit more organic than many of the others. Airspace Tokyo by Beige Architecture and Proces2 attempts to create a layering system that blends the artificial with the natural, while maintaining a response the programmatic requirements of the inhabitants.
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The O-14 Commercial Tower in Dubai by Reiser + Umemoto is a less classic use of lace in design, but its still certainly retains the same qualities of some of the other more delicate lace designs. The various sizes of openings remind me of a handmade piece of lace and its imperfections.
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The first few projects that I saw using this idea of a lace screen were very intriguing to me. I was particular interested in the use of arabesques by western designers. However, its now starting to worry me, that perhaps these lacy skins are a bit of a cop out... While I recognize the excitement in using new technology and old imagery to create a new building form, I'm concerned that its becoming the easy solution, particularly in the case of western architects designing in the middle east. If you look at the projects above, several of the projects are located in the middle east, or are designed for middle eastern clients, and these are the projects that are most similar to each other. While I have always loved Islamic art and architecture, I wonder if these western interpretations of Islamic design have received the time and attention in the design process that they deserve... I have to wonder what force in the architectural community is driving this new prominence of lacy skins and arabesques. And I have to ask, if this solution of decorating a box is becoming too easy.
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I need a new dentist
30 November 2007
One of the things that I often find distinguishes European and Asian design from design in the United States, is the respect for the mundane. Almost, if not just as much attention is paid to the design of a refrigerator, phone booth, or in this case a dentist's office, as more glamorous projects. Although, the credit can not be given to the designers alone, as clearly the cultures devote more time and energy to design as an ideal and necessity. Without willing clients, well designed (and often expensive) projects would never be completed.This project (a dentist' office - KU64) by graft lab really amazes me. I can't imagine this kind of progressive design being implemented at my local (or any other US) dentist. While I realize that I'm generalizing... and that not all Berlin dentist offices look like this one, and there very well could be a well designed American dentistry... I'm just always surprised and impressed by other cultures' willingness to create something lovely out of the mundane.
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I'm not saying that this is a perfect project... I don't really find the color very soothing, and let's face it, who needs anxiety at the dentist. Also, I think that the amorphous forms are a bit overdone... But overall, I think its an interesting design for a seemingly uninteresting program. I'm particularly drawn to the entry hall, and the seating around the fireplace, which provides a very warm environment for a office that would typically be cold and sterile. The graphics also add an interesting touch... I wonder if you can look up at them from your chair?
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If I lived in Berlin, I'm pretty sure I'd be changing my dentist. Who cares if they might charge a bit more for a cleaning?! They've managed to create a space that I wouldn't dread visiting, which is quite a feat for a dentist (and their architect!).
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Via Pimp Your Life
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2007 Seattle AIA Honor Awards - Unbound
08 November 2007
Montecito Residence, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen - Commendation
Stirling Residence, Pb Elemental - Commendation
Centre for Music, Art and Design, Patkau - Commendation
Bellevue City Hall, SRG - Commendation
Outpost, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen - Merit Award
Rolling Huts, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen - Merit Award
Olympic Sculpture Park, Weiss Manfredi - Honor AwardC & I attended the AIA honor awards this past monday (with a few friends)... Having never attended the Seattle honor awards before, I was a bit surprised about the format. The first part of the evening was a bit of a mingling period, with drinks and food, a few models, and a slide show of all the evening's entries (not just the winners). Once we entered the theater, we could see that the stage was set with a couch and chairs, with the format of the evening becoming ever more clear. The jurors were invited on stage (Jeanne Gang, Joshua Prince-Ramos, and Frank Harmon) where they presented the winners in a discussion format, all moderated by the UW's dean of Architecture, Daniel Friedman.
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I was a bit surprised at how critical the jurors were of architecture in Seattle. While I myself can often be quite critical of the cities strict reliance on regionalism (sometimes I think that if I ever seen another timber framed structure with exposed bracketing I might die of boredom), I found it a little odd for the jurors to be so overly critical. I mean, this was an awards show after all. Its not to say that the jurors has nothing positive to say, but they certainly found issues with each and every project, and especially with Seattle architecture as a whole. It made me wonder what they thought of the non-winning entries.
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To me, the strangest part of the criticism, was that the final selections didn't seem to reflect that critique. I actually agree with the jurors' main statements... Seattle Architects are masters of craft (or grammarticians, as one juror said). With nearly unlimited budgets, this architectural community has created some of the most exquisite jewel boxes I've ever seen. Perfecting an idea of craft, and a regional design aesthetic that has become stronger and more refined over time, architects and designers in the Pacific Northwest have created some immaculate spaces.
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However, as the jurors repeatedly mentioned (and I wholeheartedly agree) this regionalism is lacking a consistent exploration of concept. Furthermore, many architects in this area seem to be too timid to push an idea or diagram that diverges from the local aesthetic. While I concur with the juror's statements up until this point, I disagreed on one of their last... The jurors all implored local architects to use their skill as master craftsmen and designers to create a beautiful space for the community, rather than creating a multitude of single family residences for wealthy homeowners. This seems like a valid request, except for the fact that its already been done, and the jurors seemed to ignore this fact.
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The city of Seattle has put a great deal of money into the local library system, building a number of neighborhood libraries (not just Rem's SPL) by local architects. Many of these libraries are magnificent pieces of architecture, not just for their craft and design, but also for the ways in which they engage the community. In many neighborhoods, these libraries are quickly becoming icons and destinations in their own right. Now, I know that at least 3 of these libraries were entered into the AIA Honor Awards, and yet, not one of them won. While the jurors continuously asked us to create significant architecture for the entire community and not just the individual, they proceeded to select 4 single family 'jewel box' homes (of the 6 built projects). Personally, I would have liked to have seen them back up their statements with appropriate selections.
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Thoughts?
Tradition in Kärsämäki
16 October 2007
I have seen this project a few times on various websites and blogs, but until today I had really never read up on the project. I knew that this wooden church located in Kärsämäki, Finland was the result of a student competition (won by Anssi Lassila of the University of Oulu) in conjunction with the parish of Kärsämäki (and additional funding from the EU). However, until I noticed the admittedly older post on 2 or 3 things, I had never checked out the webpage for this church.Apparently, this wooden church replaces one that was built in the 1700s, and subsequently lost in the 1800s, using traditional 18th century building processes. The church was intended not just as a place for worship, but as a place for learning, too. Using these historic building techniques, older craftsmen were able to pass on their trades to a younger generation through volunteer participation in the construction process.
This is truly a special project... incorporating a very simple, modern, and beautiful design with volunteerism, learning, and community traditions.
Takes Your Breath Away
03 October 2007
And not in a good way.
These images clearly show the divide between the wealthy and poor inhabitants of some of South America's largest cities (Sao Paulo and Caracas respectively). Sadly, slums like this exist all across the globe, hovering on the outskirts of our rich cities. It certainly makes you think about how we as architects can effectively help change lives in these cities.
These images clearly show the divide between the wealthy and poor inhabitants of some of South America's largest cities (Sao Paulo and Caracas respectively). Sadly, slums like this exist all across the globe, hovering on the outskirts of our rich cities. It certainly makes you think about how we as architects can effectively help change lives in these cities.
Sao Paulo
Another Example
09 September 2007
Last night a bunch of us went to the Justin Timberlake concert (and no, I'm not ashamed! It was a fantastic show). During one of the songs, there was a series of buildings flashing over the screens, including the CCTV by Rem Koolhaas. I pointed this out to C as yet another example of the mainstream being exposed to architecture... While I am sure that very few people in the arena recognized the building, someone obviously thought it was cool enough to include in the show!Is Architecture Becoming Mainstream?
05 September 2007
Lately, it seems like there has been definite increase in architectural awareness of the general public. Magazines like Dwell have been becoming more and more popular with every year. Brad Pitt espouses the virtues of architecture in between making movies and collecting children. Companies such as Banana Republic and Special K (see their current commercial on tv) have been using architects in some of their more recent ads...
Americans have always been impressed by architects; impressed, but completely disinterested in Architecture. Is is possible that this is changing? It sure seems like I've been seeing an increase in exposure of architects and architecture in mainstream media, both ads and magazines.
Home fix-it and 'design' shows have been extremely popular over the last few years (or decade). Unfortunately these shows like Trading Spaces seem to have devalued architecture for the average American. Everyone seems to think that they can do it just as well as the next guy, so why would we need architects? I think the real problem is a lack of education... As a culture, we don't tend to value good design and architecture as much as we can and should and we certainly don't make any effort to educate the public about the importance of good design. We take ceramics, drawing, and music classes in school. Why not study architecture/urban planning/design, too? After all, its the art form that we most often experience and arguably the one that effects our lives most often and most significantly.
Home fix-it and 'design' shows have been extremely popular over the last few years (or decade). Unfortunately these shows like Trading Spaces seem to have devalued architecture for the average American. Everyone seems to think that they can do it just as well as the next guy, so why would we need architects? I think the real problem is a lack of education... As a culture, we don't tend to value good design and architecture as much as we can and should and we certainly don't make any effort to educate the public about the importance of good design. We take ceramics, drawing, and music classes in school. Why not study architecture/urban planning/design, too? After all, its the art form that we most often experience and arguably the one that effects our lives most often and most significantly.
Seeing architectural references in mainstream magazines (and other media) excites me. The reference can be serious (the fashion editorial in Men's Vogue featuring prominent architects in the Glass House), tongue in cheek (see Gehry on the Simpsons), or casual (a short reference to the Herzog and deMeuron Olympic Stadium in Vanity Fair), but at least we are seeing some sort of attention paid to architecture. I've also seen recent articles on Frank Gehry in Martha Stewart and various architectural features in GQ's design section... I'd like to think that this increase in exposure is linked to an increase in awareness. Maybe that's a little hopeful, but the more knowledgeable the public is on the importance of good design, the easier our jobs will be (and the more productive).
Here's hoping that we continue to see an interest in architecture!
Here's hoping that we continue to see an interest in architecture!
Gary Comer Youth Center - Part 2
30 August 2007
One of the greatest things about the Gary Comer Youth Center is the services it provides. I've always been a huge fan of architecture that really serves people, and this building truly exemplifies that idea. Rather than serving as a testament to an architect's ego, this project actually helps to improve the lives of the community members it serves.
The Youth Center is an impressive facility that is primarily home to the famous South Shore Drill Team. The Drill Team is known for its abilities as well as for its record of keeping its members off of the streets and in school. Specifically serving a neighborhood the residents refer to as 'the pocket', students are required to maintain a C average and are strongly encouraged to attend college.
Now that the Team has a brand new facility, their programs have only grown. Students have access to heath facilities, tutoring, mentoring, dance classes, art, college preparation, and more. Counselors will even help alumni figure out their college tuition bills. Clearly, the people running and using the center are so much more spectacular then the building could ever be.
In my opinion, this is when architecture is at its most exciting... You can see how this building will engage its occupants, providing them with a fabulous center to learn and grow, and hopefully in turn allow them to give back to the community.
The Youth Center is an impressive facility that is primarily home to the famous South Shore Drill Team. The Drill Team is known for its abilities as well as for its record of keeping its members off of the streets and in school. Specifically serving a neighborhood the residents refer to as 'the pocket', students are required to maintain a C average and are strongly encouraged to attend college.
Now that the Team has a brand new facility, their programs have only grown. Students have access to heath facilities, tutoring, mentoring, dance classes, art, college preparation, and more. Counselors will even help alumni figure out their college tuition bills. Clearly, the people running and using the center are so much more spectacular then the building could ever be.
In my opinion, this is when architecture is at its most exciting... You can see how this building will engage its occupants, providing them with a fabulous center to learn and grow, and hopefully in turn allow them to give back to the community.
A Difference in Opinion
12 August 2007
This article/photo about what to do with the eyesore next door gave me a chuckle. Admittedly, the house on the right (which I assume, is what they consider the eyesore) is a little worse for the wear... But honestly, I actually think its less of an eyesore than the other two homes. At least it has decent bones and could be fixed up into a great home with a bit of work. The other homes are destined to be terrible forever, with no real hope for any aesthetic improvement. Obviously the people over at msn just don't share my opinions about design...