May 6th, 2008

An Architecture School Bathroom Wall
jimmy in Life Without Buildings
A Tulane School of Architecture student voices a popular opinion above the men's room urinal. The note on the anti-graffiti device (i.e. legal pad) reads "Reed Kroloff left us as bastard children of his curriculum." The writing, as they say, is on the wall. For those not in the know, Kroloff took over at Cranbrook after frequently seeing his name published as a supporter of post-storm New Orleans and becoming the public face of the School of Architecture. And yeah...some people are still a bit...

New York, Paris, London...Vegas?
Brendan in Where
Fast-forward a bit. Let's say that it's 2050, since that seems to be a popular year for speculation these days. You're living in a stylish downtown penthouse a few blocks from a gleaming transit station servicing three different high-speed lines. You work in an office building as a Chief Innovation Officer -- not a light title to carry, by any means -- for a major technology firm. One day after work, you take a train a few miles west of the bustling commercial hub where you work to a rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood to meet a friend at a sunny sidewalk cafe on a dense street filled with shops and new condos. You are living the American Dream, with a beautiful home and a fantastic job in the heart of a dynamic urban center with its finger pressed firmly against the pulse of globalized culture. You are a proud resident of one of the world's Great Cities, capital letters required.

Architects - John's House
Mohammad Fahmi Tri Wahyudi,ST in Best House Design
A new home in a bush setting, designed by Walker Architects, this house has has been planned to immerse in the spectacular bush scenery with views across rural land beyond, within the strict owner criteria.
A balanced mix of modern, low maintenance materials has helped to create a relaxed, comfortable living environment.
The kitchen is 'the centre of the home' 

Blackwater bubbling under the border skin...
Bryan Finoki in Subtopia
Well, just when you thought Blackwater USA had pulled up stakes in SoCal, news breaks that the private military contracting firm is allegedly setting up a very private little shop just three blocks away from the US-Mexican border, this time in Otay Mesa. Yes, sir. Real sneaky-like, too.
Amy Goodman ran an enlightening interview with Raymond Lutz (responsible for stopblackwater.net and Citizens Oversight, and an important voice in heading off the Potrero shooting range), and California’s Rep. Bob Filner.

New Condos In Multnomah Village
Brian Libby in Portland Architecture
 If you drive around close-in Portland neighborhoods these days it’s easy to find a new condo or apartment project going up, even in the increasingly gloomy economy. A case in point is the new Vanguard condos at SW 45th and Multnomah. I’ve always been more a fan of the east side, downtown and the Pearl than the winding sidewalk-less streets of Southwest. But Multnomah Village is a wonderful little neighborhood that feels like the old town center it used to be when one of the state’s first railroad stops was built here a century ago. I particularly enjoy the Fat City Café for its hash browns and Annie Bloom’s books. And now, the Vanguard is increasing the density of this area, and doing so with a modestly handsome look.

bwall
sabine7 in MoCo Loco
The latest in bricks is a blob, by Greg Lynn FORM, Machinous and Panelite who have created an interlocking tri-lobed shape through rotational moulding. The colourful plastic blob is made of a low-density, recyclable, impact-resistant polymer, and is meant to be an alternative to the traditional brick. The blobs will be available in stock shapes in about 10 different colours, and can also be customized. After the Blobwall Pavilion installation opens in the SCI-Arc Gallery, it will travel to Venice to be part of the Architecture Biennale.

Leaving Atlanta at the Exact Wrong Time
mediabistro.com: UnBeige
Apologies for the sudden disappearance by this writer. While we'd like to claim it was due to some kind of mysterious circumstances, filled to the brim with excitement, danger and in no short supply of massive explosions, the truth is actually quite bland. He was moving into a new house on Monday and Tuesday and then he was off to Atlanta for general visiting and a wedding. But such things don't always have to be non-design-y. Case in point, we visited Richard Meier's High Museum of Art, which, no offense to the good people of Atlanta, nor the fine curators who live in that city, is much more worth visiting for its architecture than the artifacts therein.

Maison EvolutiV Exudes Green Prefab Simplicity
Preston D K in Jetson Green
I've noticed the Maison EvolutiV of late and it's quite the interesting home.  Designed by Olgga Architects as a show house for the Salon Europeen du Bois, this energy-efficient home presents a compelling view of what can be done with only two modules.  The ground module is flush with the outdoors and features a skin made of chestnut stakes of various sizes.  The second module juts out over the first and provides a nice little spot for a green roof area.  In addition, the home features a rainwater recovery system, wool wood insulation coupled with cellulose, solar panels, and a low-energy passive house design.

OptiSolar Planning Largest PV Solar Farm in World!
Preston D K in Jetson Green
 This is big news for the green building revolution, because a solar farm like this could power roughly 190k homes in California.  Referred to as the Topaz Solar Farm, this $1 billion, 550-megawatt plant would cover roughly 9.5 square miles, and if constructed, would be the world's largest photovoltaic solar farm.  Hayward-based OptiSolar is developing plans for the project as we speak.  According to their current time line, OptiSolar will apply for a conditional use permit in May 2008 and begin construction in 2010.  Topaz Solar Farm would then be completed over three years. OptiSolar manufactures the thin-film PV technology that would be used in Topaz Solar Farm.  The solar panels are mounted on ballasts in the ground with the tops at less than five feet off the ground.

Angela Fritsch
Michelle Linden in Atelier A+D
Angela Fritsch Architekten has got some really fabulous designs. Something about the colors and lines of the forms is subtly feminine without being overtly female. I've always like projects with a sharp edge quality... of which I think all three of these apply. While there are many projects with more organic qualities that I like and appreciate, I just really love embracing the man-made qualities of architecture, and I think Angela Fritsch does a great job with that.