Urban — September 25, 2006
Posted by James
International Style urban community in Detroit
Modern urban redevelopment projects generally have a bad rap, with conclusions batted about of the failure of modernism to produce livable communities. Not all modernist developments met the same fate as Pruitt-Igoe, however. Shining examples of modernist planning are scattered around the world which deliver on the promise that modern visionaries hoped to fulfill.
One such example is the highly successful Lafayette Park (Gratiot Park Development) in Detroit Michigan designed by architect Mies van der Rohe, planner Ludwig Hilberseimer, and landscape architect Alfred Caldwell.
Link: National Park Service - Mies van der Rohe Residential District
Article: Detroit Free Press - 50th Anniversary of Lafayette Park
Photos: Flickr Lafayette Park photo set
Events — September 24, 2006
Posted by James
Exhibition exploring the common principles that underlie both fashion and architecture
An exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles running November 19, 2006 through March 5, 2007.
This exhibition explores the common visual and intellectual principles that underlie both fashion and architecture. Both disciplines start with the human body and expand on ideas of space and movement, serving as outward expressions of personal, political, and cultural identity. Architects and fashion designers produce environments defined through spatial awareness—the structures they create are based on volume, function, proportion, and material. Presenting the work of international fashion designers and architects, the exhibition examines themes such as shelter, identity, tectonic strategies, creative process, and parallel stylistic tendencies including deconstruction and minimalism.
Link: MOCA
Behind the scenes prefab production tour in Los Angeles
LA based architecture firm Marmol Radziner has launched full scale production of their award-winning, green, modern prefab homes... and they are offering tours of their new modular factory. Of course they intend for this to be a preview for petential prefab homeowners, but I am sure a few of you prefab geeks will slip your way in just to chek it out.
The "Utah House 1" design is currently in production. Marmol Radziner Prefab's 65,000 square foot factory accommodates the fabrication of 20 prefab modules at once, including a cabinet shop, metal shop, and door and window shop.
Two tour dates are currently offered:
Sunday, September 24, 2006, noon to 5pm
Sunday, December 3, 2006, noon to 5pm
Mandatory RSVP to rsvp@marmolradzinerprefab.com or (310) 689-0089. Free to the public. Children must be over 12 years of age.
Link: Marmol Radziner Prefab
Link: Marmol Radziner + Associates
Landscape — September 13, 2006
Posted by James
American Society of Landscape Architects honors its student members
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has announced the recipients of its 2006 Student Awards. Awards were given in seven categories to 24 projects representing 15 schools.
The ASLA website features full descriptions and slide shows for each project. Just a few excerpted images shown after the jump to whet your appetite.
And props to Brett Milliga from the University of New Mexico who made all of his classmates look bad by scoring two awards...
Link: ASLA 2006 Student Awards
