April 2007
American Society of Landscape Architects honors 38 projects
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has announced the recipients of its 2006 Professional Awards. The jury considered over 500 entries and selected 38 projects to receive awards. The awards will be presented on October 8 at the ASLA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
The top "Awards of Excellence" are awarded in several categories:
Link: ASLA 2007 Professional Awards
(complete awards list and project profiles)
IMAGE: The Red Ribbon - Tanghe River Park, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China
Turenscape (Beijing Turen Design Institute) and Peking University Graduate School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing, China.
Art — April 11, 2007
Posted by James
Abstract Oklahoma artist
We were contacted recently by a L+L reader who, while offering compliments, also had a request: more art, please! While not exactly what she had in mind, we are pleased to present the work of that very L+L reader.
I was immediately drawn to Betty's woodcut prints. There is a wonderful quality of space and movement to these pieces, and the craft displayed in creating the prints is marvelous. Betty is based in Cushing, Oklahoma where, in addition to creating her own work, she has the vital and admirable job (especially in this day and age) of expanding the minds of young people as a Middle School Art teacher.
Link: Betty C. Bowen
Architecture and Technology for Intelligent Living
An exhibition at Art Center College of Design's South Campus in Pasadena (right down the street from my office) is running April 14 – July 1, 2007.
Open House: Architecture and Technology for Intelligent Living envisions the house of the future as a place for new spatial experiences, new systems of sustainability and new sensory enhancements. This open-ended exhibition and multi-faceted research initiative, incorporating Art Center research studios, as well as a series of public programs, encourages creative individuals to make a substantial contribution to the dialogue on how we will live in the future.
Link: Art Center - Open House
Article: Pasadena Star News - Architecture of the future on display
Photo gallery: Pasadena Star News
Designed by Minarc-Architects, seen at CA Boom 4
As promised, the good folks at Minarc-Architects have passed along photos of the Greenfield residence which was part of the Sunday CA Boom 4 home tour.
Be sure to read Nico's full report, and enjoy this exclusive Greenfield Residence featuring the amazing Greenfield residence.
Firm: Minarc-Architects
Photo Gallery: Greenfield Residence (L+L)
Reference: Kaboom 4 - Judgment Day, The Closing Chapter
Events — April 8, 2007
Posted by James
Let's wrap this puppy up... mmm mmm tasty CA Boomage
OK, let's get our hands around this whole CA Boom thing... for your convenience, we'll wrap it up right here so you're good to go.
After the jump we'll serve up a hearty scoop of linkage topped with some final pics, hold the babble.
But first a light appetizer to whet your appetite -- CA Boom V will be held March 28-30, 2008, again at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. You heard it here first.
OK then, hungry?
The final word on the Sunday CA Boom Home Tour
Less talk, more walk you say? Well what are ya waitin' for, buckaroo?!
(You know the drill, click project name for photo galleries, descriptions after the jump):
Reference: Kaboom 4 - Judgment Day, Part 1
The Sunday CA Boom Home Tour with galleries and inconsequential unsubstantiated archi-babble...
It is not in our tradition to pull punches. Unlike Washington, our opinion is not easily bought by lobbyists or big business (ok, ok, Time Warner has not tried yet, nor have they returned our numerous phone calls... but, hypothetically speaking...).
Fine, we do not have any deep-pocketed sponsors or sugar parental units, so we can pretty much say what we want.
It is in this context that we feel obligated to state the undeniable: CA Boom 4 ROCKED! We are not sure how they manage to get better and better every year, but Charles and the crew are doing it, and doing it well.
This last day featured 5 prime examples of the Schindleresque idea of California living (except none of the examples suggested sharing your kitchen and your wife with your arch nemesis that lived in the next room over...). Inside outside living, the blurring of boundaries, new usage of materials and products, and a most noticeable green trend were a common theme throughout the abodes. You want specifics you say? Okiedokie then, check it
(click project name for photo galleries, descriptions after the jump):
Reference: Kaboom 4 - Judgment Day, The Closing Chapter
Urban — April 5, 2007
Posted by James
1972 documentary film
How else would Reyner Banham tour Los Angeles but by car? Take a circa 1972 ride through Los Angeles with the architectural critic and author of Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies as he visits the Plains, the Foothills, Surfurbia, and (of course) Autopia. It is amazing to see how much Los Angeles changed in the last 35 years, and yet how relevant Banham's observations still are. Awesome.
We'll get back to modern day Los Angeles with more coverage from CA Boom 4 shortly... stay tuned.
Link: Google Video (51 min 58 sec)
Homes designed by Design Universal, Touraine Richmond Architecture, XTEN, Translation of Space, and Sant Architects
Well, for the first time in CA Boom history, L+L missed the first day of home tours... sorry kids. But not to worry, we have days 2 and 3 covered. And besides, we've already Clipped links to 2 of the 5 homes from the first day -- the Living Homes design by Ray Kappe as reported by Curbed (previously on L+L here and here) and the LA Times article covering the Beitcher residence designed by W3 Architects.
OK then, on to day two... overall this was a solid tour line up. Visually, day two featured variations on a theme with materials consisting of white plaster, steel and concrete... with one loud exception, pretty obvious from the thumbnails at right, eh? Let's break it down in chronological order (click project name for photo galleries):
Descriptions after the jump
Let's talk CA Boom
Some random musings on CA Boom 4 so far... (readers of my ramblings will be rewarded with links to home tour galleries, as yet un-posted content)...
I really like the new metal CA Boom sign hung in the entry area this year. Nice touch, and impressive to those of us who are easily distracted by shiny objects.
Speaking of easily distracted, did anyone else notice the use of cleavage employed by a few vendors to lure people into their booths... or was is just me? You vendors who weren't packing them in, take note.
Bottled water. This is what I was handed as I checked in yesterday morning. A simple and thoughtful gesture. It always seems to be a perfect sun-shiny California weekend when CA Boom rolls around, and it is nice to stay hydrated out there on the home tours. Stocked coolers were on hand at every stop on the tour. Nicely done, CA Boom. Corona in those coolers would work too... I'm just sayin'...
I got a free t-shirt from the Eames Office... I'm wearing it right now. Thanks Eames Office!
It is always interesting to see who is attending CA Boom... what architects are lingering about, any faces in the crowd.... not that I'm not very good at spotting people, but the name tags always help. Yesterday was pretty much a bust compared to years past, though the people watching was interesting. I spyed some architects below rising-starchitect caliber touring the homes... it is fascinating to watch architects looking at someone else's work.
