"From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever."
Concord "Plug Table"
A table that features two circular sockets in the center that can accept any number of modular plug-in pieces including electrical outlets, light fixtures, and various containers.
Retro Bullet Planter
Faithful reproductions of the original bullet planters from the 50's. Available in 9 colors.
LIKEaBIKE
If I had kids and they didn't yet know how to pedal a bike, they'd totally have LIKEaBIKES. Except I'd put a motor in it and aim them at a big jump. Oh, and beware of knock-offs!
Fly Lamp
Film the flight path of a household fly, plot it, then make a lampshape from the design.
Borris Bally
We've always had a fascination with the bold graphics and colors of road signs, but not so much in the frat house aesthetic kind of way... though we have to admit there is something intriguing about the idea of bringing signs into the home. Now we've found a way to satisfy that desire: road signs re-purposed as functional objects!
The Oculas
For only $45,000, you're nest can have it's own egg, complete with a Playstation.
Increasing the volume of architectural discourse... now blogging!
It's back! We just got word from Loud Paper editor Mimi Zeiger saying that after a lengthy hiatus, Loud Paper is back... as a blog! Mimi says:
In this new incarnation loud paper is part per-zine, travelogue, marketing machine, and wunderkammer, but it will also remain true to the original mission to provide a forum for multiple voices.
Maybe you didn't know about Loud Paper before... or perhaps you even forgot... in either case bad! Very bad you! Well, Loud Paper was (and is) an independent architecture zine "dedicated to increasing the volume of architectural discourse." It was started in 1997 when Mimi Zeiger was a graduate student at SCI-Arc... back when a couple of us from the L+L crew were in the house too.
We're glad to see Loud Paper back and online. And Mimi says to get ready for a new call for submissions later this fall. We'll keep y'all informed.
CA|Boom I
Can you believe its been three years since CA|Boom burst onto the design scene? Check out our coverage from the design show's freshman year.
Teardrop Vase from Derek Chen
Veneered plywood vase shell, bent in a teardop shape. Sealed and weighted with opaque colored resin. Exposed resin bottom, fully waterproof with a satin lacquer finish.
Favela Chair
Wood scraps never looked better. Designed by Fernando and Humberto Campana.
Fix Lighting
Simple, elegant, and modern. Light fixtures designed by Wonderwall.
Wing Lounge Chair from LYX
If Ray and Charles worked at the Sci-Fi channel, perhaps this would've been their creation.
Porch House
"With a solid understanding of modern design and its application in residential architecture, Greg Lavardera has put together several plans that definitely take the bland and boring out of stock plans."
We've discussed IKEA here in the past and some our our topics have touched on the topic of altering those inexpensive pieces we purchase from our favorite blue and yellow big-box store. Little did I know that there was a blog dedicated to such exploits. Anyway, look closely at the photo on the right and you'll see an IKEA Effectiv cabinet topped by a quartz-slab countertop in this Eichler remodel. Perhaps not quite a "hack" but still I think it looks pretty slick.
Entering the realm of the longboard culture is Canadian upstarts Boardeli Longboards.
Hailing from the most unlikeliest of longboard destinations (Edmonton, Alberta)this undettered group has compiled a roster of 15 designers worldwide to create their introductory Series 1 line. The kicker is that these will be limited run pieces at 100 along with a variant design at a low, low run of only 10!
Designers for the start-up line hail from a variety of locations such as Canada, England, Australia, U.S. and Iran. With talents like Dan May, Motomichi Nakamura, Blake Marquis and Jeff Kulak, The group should have no problem generating some decent buzz for this launch.
An integrated noticeboard that documents activity within a space
A functional wallpaper designed by Duncan Wilson in collaboration with Sirkka HammerSirkka Hammer... and Duncan Wilson? Now we're not sure... anyway. the once collaborative team of Duncan Wilson and Sirkka Hammer, Pixelnotes is comprised of a grid of post-it-note-like sheets with four layers of graduated grey tones mounted over a bright primary backing. The result is a constantly changing grided matrix as notes are written and removed revealing different layers. "Pixelated formations and shapes develop according to our patterns of use."
This just may be America's most wanted cooler. Ice down those libations and Express Yourself by adding some chill atmosphere to your par-tay...
Designed by Danny Venlet for Belgian outdoor furniture company Extremis, Ice Cube is made from white polyethylene with fluorescent bulbs inside. But priced around $1650 (without lightbulbs, by the way)... it's All About the Benjamins, baby.
Drink It Up, yo.
Designer: Danny Venlet
Manufacturer: Extremis - Ice Cube
Architect and digital designer Dr. Margot Krasojevic has worked with Zaha Hadid and run studios at the A.A. and Bartlett as well as schools around the world. Her research and design practice is focused on time sequence, palimpsest and spatial narratives. During the past five years she has been engaged in work, publications, exhibitions and research on "pathological space" as displayed on her websites: Decodeine.
Dr. Krasojevic explores the perception of context as an environment of force and motion, a continuous seamless contextual metamorphosis rather than as a neutral vacuum, to question auto-pilot responses to our built environments. Both websites explore elements of projects which look at criteria's such as chemical imbalances in the brain, genetics and subjective interpretations of space, altering our perceptions and appropriations of the physical world.
Rediscovered 11 years ago, one of the world's oldest and rarest trees on display
A public exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, is currently running through October 22, and will culminate in an international Sotheby's auction of the Collectors Edition trees on October 23, 2005.
The installation at Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens will replicate the secret grove where the Pines were first discovered.The auction will feature fewer than 300 first generation Pines grown from cuttings taken from the wild population. Each Collectors Edition tree can be traced back to its parent tree in the wild. Proceeds will benefit conservation efforts of the Wollemi Pine and other rare species. In addition, six groves of five trees each will be dedicated to conservation organizations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany and Japan.
The general release of smaller Wollemi Pine pot plants will take place internationally in April 2006.
This installation by Griffin Enright Architects featured at SCI-Arc (12/03 - 2/04) consisted of over 1,000 square feet of sod laid on an hovering armature.
The concept resonates with me on a variety of levels, not the least of which is that it reminds me of a project by Nicolas and me from SCI-Arc where we created a warped landscape plane called the "Berm-Bender" which was lifted and sliced to create openings to the parking structure below... hmmmm... were they on that jury, Nico? ;-)
The ubiquitous lawn is the subject of a heuristic exercise about our cultural relationship to that thin plane of suburban carpet... exploring the tectonic nature of this plane by emphasizing its tissue-like thinness, flexibility, and texture, while commenting on its negative impacts on our larger environment.
Giant Bucket Wheel Excavators: the next generation
If you're a civil engineer this picture is probably on your desktop, but for the rest of us the Giant Bucket Wheel Excavator from ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik is enough to make us rub our eyes in disbelief. The Giant Bucket Wheel Excavator is the largest of it's kind used for mining. The mining capacity of giant excavators makes them desirable despite the cost and length of time needed to build and transport them.
It takes 5 years to put a Giant Bucket Wheel Excavator together, so taking it apart when it needs to change sites is out of the question. Instead, it is driven to the next site traveling at approximately 1 mile every 3 hours, and everything in its path i.e. telephone wires, needs to be removed or risk being destroyed. Again, the production rates justify the coordinated efforts needed for its transportation.
Brownfield reclamation is on the rise, and soil analysis and remediation is becoming an art form of its own. The ability to analyze soil in-situ means considerable time and cost savings, and Niton's new XRF Analyzer series is designed to do just that. Armed with the technology to analyse soils for levels of lead, lead paint and heavy metals, it is a valuable tool that happens to be extremely portable at only 3lbs. It also has the added option of being fitted with Bluetooth wireless connection. Niton was recently awarded the IDEA (Industrial Design Excellence Award) Gold medal award for its XRF Analyzer family.
Can't get enough Corbusier? The Fondation Le Corbusier and Codex Images International - Birkhäuser are offering a series of DVDs that chronicle the work of Le Corbusier from 1905-1964. Broken into series of 4 sets, October heralds the arrival of the second set of 5 DVDs covering the years 1930-1945. The complete set features roughly 300 projects that will no doubt serve as an important archive for researchers, students and enthusiasts.
Each project is accompanied by expert commentary and fully printable images. Fortunately for us they were not shy about including shreds of plans either. Series one: 1905-1930, a 4 DVD set, is currently available, but at the rather steep price of € 1600 or € 5800 for the series (approximately $1300 and $7000 US), it's probably best to harass your local library or university into making the purchase.
The new Pop Series guitars from RKS take guitar lust to a whole new level. These brightly coloured electric beauties carry the names Rockwork Orange, Pink Lipstick and Fine Lime are hand-crafted from maple and alder, and have CNC machine aircraft aluminum alloy ribs with chrome hardware finishes.
Founded by industrial designer Ravi Sawhney and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Mason this young company takes design, quality and sustainability seriously. In a recent move driven by the concern surrounding the use of non-renewable materials for their guitars, RKS tried to reduce the total amount of tone wood typically used in guitar production, and then sought domestic woods instead of opting for the more traditional rain forest varieties. The result is as good for the environment, as it is music to the ears.
Due to the large number of inquiries regarding the "super fantastik" skateboard designs by Tony Larson from Agents of the Area, we decided to investigate a bit.
The findings might shock you, so if you have a "mobilia eamesis heart condition", or any kind of bladder weakness when it comes to issues of design excellence, please, STOP READING NOW!
For the rest of us, we are sorry... The designs we featured are a couple of years old, and apparently they have already reached cult status. Your best bet would be to try Ebay or something similar, but good luck with that one.
HOWEVER, fear not, since Tony has provided us with a sneak peek at what promises to easily be as hot a collection of mid-century modernist design artifacts on decks as his first version. He tells us they are to be released sometime this fall. So, I dunno about the rest of you, but I am gettin' in line! And I might buy a couple of the Eames stickers that they feature on Crailtap, just to make the wait bearable.
Last, but not least: PEOPLE! "GIRL" Skateboards are not "skateboards for girls..." It's a cool and hip name of a brand, kinda like "Blind"(not exclusively for visually impaired children),"Bones" (no, not an indication of the materials used), "Birdhouse"(sounds oh so tame and civilized...but guess what)... And then there is "Uncle Touchy" and "Sick Stick." 'Nuff said.
I'll be honest, I don't know jack about speakers or what qualities to look for when purchasing a new set - other than if they sound good - so I won't try to wow you with all sorts of techno-gibberish about ohms and impedance except to say that these are some of the most attractive looking speakers I've ever seen. The QUAD ESL 57 (featured at right), with its ribbed fabric grill, has a 50's retro feel and looks more like a finely crafted piece of furniture than an audiophile's dream. Considering that they were first produced in 1955, I guess that sort of makes sense.
Skateboards AND Modernist Furniture combined... woah!
Can we assume to all agree on the premise that skateboards are cool, and that the act of skateboarding is even cooler? And Eames furniture, veeery cool indeed, right? So, if everyone at any design school knows about these icons of coolness, then how come nobody has come up with combining the two until now?! Shame on all of you!
We salute Tony Larson from Agents of the Area, who has managed to design some decks within his Girl Skateboards line that will thrash your hearts out. He even managed to throw on some Roadside Architecture, or Venturi's duck, if you may. Design geeks in the black and grey uniforms now can get a skateboard that does not clash!
Prophecy magazine is looking for submissions to include in a section of their mag titled "The Lab". The Lab usually features anywhere from 3-5 projects of theoretical architectural ideas and renderings. If you're itching to get your undiscovered brillance out to the world, look them up. Prophecy Magazine is an internationally distributed bi-annual magazine of architecture, art, fashion, music + culture.
In a nature reserve in Lewes, East Sussex, internationally renowned land artist, Chris Drury has created a bed of reeds in the shape of a heart — not the “I-heart-you” heart, but the anatomical cross-section of a human heart. This “cardiac twist” is a form that is mirrored everywhere in the geometry of nature, a double vortex that in this case channels water from natural springs into the reed bed and then out to surrounding meadows.
Heart of Reeds has been in progress since 2000, helped along through consultation with environmentalists, botanists, landscape architects, and Lewes locals (of which Drury is one). The four-acre piece is formed primarily of organic materials already present at the site, and all man-made materials used in the construction are made of local, recycled plastics and natural wood.
DWR contest to identify the architect of a 1952 modern home
The recent DWR newsletter features a contest to identify the designer or location of a 1952 house by an "influential but relatively obscure" architect. The first 20 responses to either name the architect or the location of the residence will receive a book devoted to the architect in question.
The images are worth a peek even if the contest doesn't appeal to you.
Your feeble CAD skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side
According to entertainment gossip that is circulating (see 1, 2, 3, etc.), actor Hayden Christensen is considering giving up acting (and the Dark Side) to become... an architect." Psst... Hayden... I've got news for you... architecture IS the dark side.
Funny, so many people would say that they would like to be an actors. And for some reason, actors want to be architects (i.e. Brad Pitt). I think that neither profession is quite as exciting as the wannabes suspect.
But, Hayden, if you want to trade your Star Wars earnings for my MArch and CAD workstation, you've got a deal... as long as I get the lightsaber too.
I used to work with a couple of guys who were pretty hardcore gamers. They'd spend all hours of the night playing online games such as Half-Life and Unreal Tournament. One of the cool things about these games is that end-users can modify the "worlds" in which these games are played. With that in mind, here's what happens when you have a few gamers that also happen to know how to create an architectural rendering or two. Ah, now just imagine being able to take a sniper position in Pierre Koenig's Case Study No. 22 House.
I was browsing our server logs and noticed quite a bit of traffic coming from a certain Chinese design site. Turns out, they weren't sending us traffic, but instead, simply stealing images. In the past, I hadn't really thought it was that big of a deal, I mean, sure, we are paying for bandwidth and all, and by linking directly to our images, you are consuming our bandwidth, but since it's common for blogs to show their love for other sites with a "Via" link, I never really paid much attention to it.
So then I come across this Chinese site and notice that, while they've got our images, they've also got our text. Except it's in Chinese. And without any "via" or other link thanking us hard-working folks here at L+L for the find. A quick Google translation would reveal that it was translated by someone named "Janel" with an origin of "china-idc". Janel, we're honestly flattered that you found some of the items we've featured likeable enough to put on your site, but not too happy about the way you've gone about it. Since you decided to not give us credit, I decided to (manually, for now) swap out the images with some that do give us credit. In the future, try being like (most) everyone else in the world of design blogs by giving proper credit and hosting the images on your own server. The world will be a much happier place if you do. :-)
Update 4/21/2005: Well, that didn't take too long. Looks like Janel has decided that our "Visit Land+Living" images weren't appropriate for her site so now she's simply linking directly to the manufacturer's site. Hey Janel, what about that Via link I mentioned above? Since you're still using our text, it's only appropriate. And do the same for all the Moco Loco images and text you grabbed as well.
Green wristbands raise awareness for National Landscape Architecture Month
It seems to us that the whole colored wristband thing has gone a bittoofar. Then again, the concept is to raise money and awareness for "good causes" and to provide a way for people to contribute to and display their support for these causes. So really, what's wrong with that?
The wristbands are available for $5, with the proceeds benefiting the ASLA Library and Education Advocacy Fund.
When my niece and nephew are visiting there is always a flurry of activities… I get to go places I would never otherwise go… and yesterday we had LEGOLAND California on the agenda.
LEGOLAND on the whole was not overly impressive as a theme park (the rides and shows were just OK), but the things that they did with LEGO bricks... cars, boats, animals... you name it… oh yeah, my childhood LEGO fantasies were realized. Especially in the Miniland section which was by far the highlight of the park. Here they have recreated seven regions of the United States out of 20 million LEGO bricks.
A fair amount of modern architecture was represented, especially in the New York scene including the yet unbuilt Freedom Tower. So, what the heck. Here is a Land+Living modern tour of LEGOLAND California.
Virtually located - "brings the Yellow Pages to life"
This is an interesting concept, a web-based directory where you can actually see the block where a business is located, and browse the surrounding neighborhood. You got to wonder if this will actually work (especially fiscally). But I really like the idea of being able to find what else is located in the surrounding neighborhood, and seeing it is pretty cool too.
Our attempt at ironic humor didn't quite register in our post about Ikea's destructive habits earlier this week... OK, so comedians we are not.
But these third year product design students at the Academy of Arts in Iceland were charged with transforming Ikea products into something that Ikea would not represent. And some were successful in adding humor and
irony into their designs. ;-)
If you haven't noticed already, we here at Land+Living are huge fans of good design. Functional, aesthetic.....it's all good. In addition to that, we love seeing students of design putting their skills to good work. Which is why I was pretty stoked to get an email from Fans-Yu and Dan showing me their newly designed IV pole.
Granted, I don't know much about IV poles but after seeing the problem they presented with existing IV poles and comparing it to the one they've designed, it's pretty obvious that IV poles were in dire need of some rethinking. Nice work!
Now, we always like beer... and during the holiday season we're all about "holiday cheer" if you know what we mean. So imagine how excited we were today to see TWO different blogs about beer over at our friends MoCo Loco and Treehugger. We just couldn't resist the chance to jump in with a beer blog of our own. Heck, how often do we get to talk about beer at Land+Living?!
First, MoCo shows new beer packaging by Philippe Starck for 1664, a European lager by French brewer Kronenbourg. The packaging includes a bottle in the shape of a traditional pilsner/lager glass (pssst... Harry, it's beer, not champagne), the can has a screw top and then there is, of course, a pilsner/lager glass to pour the beer into.
Next Treehugger points us to an article at Satya Magazine where Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Stephen Hindy talks about social responsibility, green design and his organically brewed Brooklyn Sustainable Porter.
In June we discovered that one of our favorite magazines, Dwell, was being translated into a television show. And since that time, we have waited with baited breath to see if Dwell the TV show can live up to Dwell the magazine... and the wait is nearly over.
Tomorrow (Sunday, October 3rd) Dwell will premier on the Fine Living network. There are only two episodes currently listed, but both sound promising.
Furniture, Misc — September 27, 2004Posted by Anthony
Multi-purpose isolation pod
We're not quite sure what to make of this, but if you're looking for isolation while in the surroundings of comfort and technology, the Oculas might be for you.
The Oculas can be outfitted with a flat-screen monitor, 5.1 surround sound, PC, Playstation, XBox, and much, much more.
Now if only this thing could fly (think Jetsons....)
"Relax inside an Oculas and experience pure luxurious comfort whilst enjoying the intensity of its brilliant sound and cinematic vision.
WORK inside a secure Oculas environment on the fastest pc computer seamlessly installed for enhanced network conferences and all your business needs wherever you are in the world.
REST in the pure luxury of the comfy interior whilst listening to your favourite sound tracks and bathing in waves of rejuvenating light. Heated leather seating that massages your entire back invigorates your body back to life.
PLAY against other competitors inside the sound booming, vibrating experience of your Oculas. You can see, feel and hear the excitement of fully immersed gaming with live racing, flight simulations and the full range of game console variations."
We found this cool little "almost bicycle" while browsing over at Sparkability and liked its look and design. The manufacturer doesn't have the English language section of their website up yet but here's a Babelfish hack/translation of some info:
The LIKEaBIKE are an unique houten bicycle without pedals for children between 2 and 6 years. The design and the technique of the LIKEaBIKE have been exactly coordinated on the motorieke skills and the natural bewegingsdrang of this age group. Spelenderwijs Spelenderwijs the child gets acquainted with its first bicycle, is LIKEaBIKE or too, however, is "almost bicycle"! At its first careful bicycle attempts the child will play ahead pushing and the possibilities firstly with the LIKEaBIKE, to discover Self-confidence Already rapidly discovered the child that it can and it will be run live already sitting on the saddle first mobility. Within very short time balance and manoeuvre and goes it learns the child always more rapidly and more rapidly. The LIKEaBIKE go too fast or threaten he to fall then the child instinctively correct by putting itself both feet on the ground or and this way recover it the control concerning the LIKEaBIKE. Spelenderwijs the child passes through these steps and becomes it within some days an expert in "bicycles". This is tevens a development in feeling of independence.
A beautiful collection of images in a well designed immersive web environment.... it reminds me of a class at SCI-Arc, Seeing LA (which no longer seems to be part of the curriculum). Actually, Piperboy reminds me of the damned over achievers in my class who always went above and beyond not only capturing some of the nicest images, but blew everyone else away with their presentations... the ones from who the rest of us would steal inspiration.
I always enjoy seeing another designer's perspective and understanding of physical environments. Thanks for sharing, Piperboy.
Article by Neal Peirce of the Washington Post Writers Group
Renewable energy supporters cheered when John Kerry, in his Democratic convention acceptance speech, called for an American energy future that relies on our "own ingenuity and innovation and not the Saudi royal family."
Maybe grass-roots America understands already. Coast to coast, for example, states are setting minimum percentages of renewable energy -- solar, wind, geothermal -- that they require utilities to achieve. About half the states are funding energy efficiency programs.
Design Observer recalls Eero Saarinen's landmark TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport
Speaking of things Saarinen, the Design Observer has posted an article about Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal with a bit of history of the building along with links to photos, facts, etc. Also today, a New York Times article outlines plans for Jet Blue to use the currently shuttered facility.
"The Michael Graves-Target partnership is the very model of a successful designer-retailer collaboration. But getting there was an occasionally bumpy ride."
An an interview with Michael Graves by Linda Tishler in Fast Company about his partnership with Target to create an affordable line of designer products. The arrangement with Graves paved the way for Target's future collaborations with other designers and making Target the budget outlet for designer products.
As structured visual record of the contents of one person's house.
Ever take a look inside someone else's medicine cabinet? How about rummaging through someone's entire house online? Not exactly the usual L+L fare, but it is quite an interesting anthropological kind of cross section of a contemporary American home.
mc.clintock.com was originally developed as a way to test Apache configurations.
Really.
But it also comes down to an appreciation for documentation and lists, as well as a keen appreciation for the absurd aspect of "revealing" the contents of my home to the entire world. There isn't much in my house that isn't also in everyone else's house, and precious little that's not visible to the casual visitor, but almost everyone I've spoken to sees this project as either an incredible intrusion, or as an invitation to be robbed.
An article in the Pitch (Kansas City's local news and entertainment weekly) makes the pitch (ha) for "Gehry Glitter" when it comes to the design of the proposed downtown arena. Kansas City is home base to four well known for sports-architecture firms -- HOK, Ellerbe Becket, CDFM2 and Heinlein Schrock Stearns -- who have banded together to land the commission.
A master planning approach to landscape design serves up a system of healthful opportunities
A feature at ArchNewsNow by Jack Rubinger looks at environments for healing and the master planning for seven Samaritan Health Services facilities in Oregon. Macdonald Environmental Planning of Portland and Bend, Oregon, facilitated a process that went beyond just the physical facilities to shape an overall philosophy and vision for Samaritan Health Services.
A David Letterman inspired "Top 10" list from Jerald Schnoor, editor of the American Chemical Society publications, about the harmful policies of the United States.
Honestly, do you need a Hummer branded flashlight? Well... perhaps if you drive an (FU) H2 you do.
The thing works by shaking it for 30 seconds which provides three minutes worth of light, no batteries... which is actually kinda cool. But really, we'd take the technology sans-lame, thank you. Both available at Sharper Image.
Historic home in Michigan is purchased over the internet, dimantled and moved to California
This is definitely not modern... the house is 173 years old... but we're all in favor of reuse and the story is just interesting.
The owners had originally planned to build a replica Victorian (shudder) but they purchased a 1831 Greek revival house from Michigan which was slated for demolition instead. Better. Dismantled piece by piece, the home is now being reconstructed in Sonoma County, California.
Starck strikes again, this time for Microsoft. Always a little slow on the uptake, the computing giant goes for a little high design.
We know that people want products that are as beautiful as they are functional. Because of that great design is no longer reserved only for luxury cars or concert halls, but is evident now in common items and places. We've found that people today demand products with exceptional design, as well as performance.
Airstream trailers by San Francisco designer Christopher C. Deam
Clean. Efficient. Elemental. The Airstream trailer is the epitome of modernity. The CCD line features updated interiors by interdisciplinary designer Christopher C. Deam. "The International CCDs are aptly named because they can be towed cross-continent or cross-county," actually we were thinking that CCD stood for Christopher C. Deam... but anyway, "anywhere an automobile can go and still have all the facilities for comfortable living. Yes, even luxurious living!"
We like that the designs bring the flowing lines of the exterior, and even the riveted aluminum skin, inside.
From this weekend's Fourth of July cornerstone laying ceremony for the new World Trade Center Freedom Tower in New York, a panorama by Jook Leung shows the scene from ground zero. The tower was designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill based on Daniel Libeskind's master plan.
...they may actually create significant buildings. Neutra's Cyclorama Center slated for demolition
According to John Latschar, superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park, the architects hired during the Mission 66 program "ran amok." The Mission 66 program implemented under Eisenhower produced, in addition to Neutra's Cyclorama Center, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis by Eero Saarinen.
The LA Times ran an article yesterday by Mark Rozzo entitled Who Chooses History?
The National Park Service Has Decided That L.A. Architect Richard Neutra's Landmark Cyclorama Center--Which Has Stood at the Gettysburg Battlefield for More Than 40 Years--Now Detracts From the History.
Richard Neutra's son Dion, who is also an architect, is fighting the impending demolition of the "Abraham Lincoln Shrine of the Nation." Besides running amok, the other great quote from the LA Times article is this one from Mr. Latschar, "Mr. Neutra had the idea that this would be his monument to Lincoln and freedom and all that stuff." Yeah, why bother with all that stuff?
So bad it's good. Yeah, there is some bad stuff in here, but then again, we kind of dig some of the ideas. It begs to be said... totally groovy. Can we help it if we are children of the ´70's? Just wait until we are looking back at 2004 in thirty years. Seriously.
The ability to get from point A to point B makes a "Great City"
More on urban planning issues... if you live in an urban area, then you most likely know how bad traffic can be (and how it is getting worse) and how it impacts your quality of life. We certainly make decisions about where to go, and where NOT to go based on the ease of travel and the congestion we will encounter. We ran across this article about the future of Houston based upon planning decisions the city is facing today. It is an interesting look at a typical American city and the issues of sprawl, increasing population and quality of life.
Looking back, the critical turning point was when people realized mobility investments were crucial enablers of quality of life, not detractors. Mobility is the lifeblood of our city. When it deteriorates and going places becomes just too much of a hassle, the loss is subtle but significant: the lunch with a friend not taken, the handshake business deal not made, the romantic dinner forgone, the family outing canceled, the volunteer or charity event missed, or that great little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that slowly dies because customers can't get to it. Real quality of life is when people can make connections to other people the true essence of any city. Great cities — world-class cities — are not a closed collection of isolated islands. They are open cities. Connected cities.
"The Pilkington Activ glass has a special nano-scale - extremely thin - coating of microcrystalline titanium oxide which reacts to daylight.
"This reaction breaks down filth on the glass, with no need for detergent. When water hits it, a hydrophilic effect is created, so water and dirt slides off."
The work of legendary California Arts and Crafts architects Charles and Henry Greene
If you have a few hours to kill and an interest in Arts and Crafts architecture, here is something to keep you occupied. This online archive is an exhaustive collection of photographs, drawings, sketches, paintings, correspondence and documents related to the work of Greene & Greene. The website is quite advanced and is geared towards scholars... bit it isn't too hard core for someone with a passing interest. Isn't the internet cool?
Harvard Picks Frank Gehry's team to Plan New Campus new 200-acre campus in Allston
Gehry's team includes landscape architect Laurie Olin, and the New York urban design firm of Cooper, Robertson & Partners. The team will draw up broad guiding principles for developing the land over the next 50 years including issues such as traffic, land use, and the site's relationship to the Charles River.
And the quote of the article: "I always wanted to be an urban planner, not someone who designed iconic buildings for rich people."
A television show from the creators of Dwell Magazine
If you are like us, you are just dying for something to divert your attention from the train wreck parade of so-called design and make-over shows that currently abound... and we have to watch, don't we? Painful as it can be, we watch... like a junky who needs a fix. But save for the very rare morsel of inspiration, we are just not satisfied with what we see.
Well, there may be hope for the home design genre of television. A television program by the creators of Dwell Magazine is currently in production and will air on the cable television network Fine Living this fall. So hold your breath along with us, won't you?
Photo documentation of the natural and built Japanese landscape
A photographic documentation of the travels in Japan of two scholarship winners; Roche Scholarship winner Colin Franzen and SOM Traveling Fellowship recipient Zane Karpova. Four "sections" cut across the island were chosen as paths of travel and documentation. The images are keyed to these lines of investigation revealing a wonderful array of landscape, architecture, culture and space.
A chronicle of bad conversions and storefronts past
Driving around LA, we've certainly seen our share of converted Taco Bells. This site now confirms that what we've witnessed is in no way unique to LA. Imagine that.
"It is not without the bitter taste of self-awareness, specifically about the overwhelmingly crass and commercial (and, indeed, downtrodden and dreary, bleakly suburban, and economically grim) nature of the content of this site, that we at NFA embark on our quest to document bad conversions. That said, it is perhaps best that we look at this phenomenon as a delightful yet sad part of our culture's clattering landscape: it is an amusing diversion, it is an economic gestalt, it is a crime of design, it is a confusion to the would-be consumer. Let us rejoice in bad conversions and seek to amuse ourselves with them wherever possible, taking utmost pains to observe the careful, hopeless touches of their renovation and their indelible flourishes of nonsense on our landscape. Embrace blight! We have no other hope."
Over at Designboom, we stumbled across this fantastic poster. It has been in production for quite some time, but we still think it's pretty cool. It features everything from early Egyptian and Chinese folding stools, to contemporary chairs by James Irvine, and just about everything in between. 196 chairs in total.
The illustrated folding chairs history poster is printed on white coated cartoon 210 gr.
dimensions:
70 x 100 cm.
27 3/4 x 39 1/2
Architecture community launches new version of website
The architecture community website started in 1997 by Paul Petrunia lanched a redesigned site today.
"Welcome to Archinect v2.0. The "2" stands for the 2nd version, the long overdue redesign of the original Archinect from 1997. The ".0" stands for the first iteration of this new version. There still a lot of details that needs be worked out but I'll let you all play around for a while before I start the tweaking process. Comments and feedback are alway appreciated - they can be sent to us from the "contact us" link at the top of the page, or the "about us" section. I will provide much more information about this redesign in the coming days."
From what we've seen so far, they've done an outstanding job. Now, if they'd only get their RSS feed fixed.....
Over at Dwell, the user, "Junkyard", asks the question, "I'm just curious what everyone's definition of "sustainable" is."
"It seems to me most things in life end up being sustainable if economics are a consideration. Things get used until it's too expensive to use them then something else gets used. That doesn't mean that the first thing neccessarily got used to extinction, just that it's not economically viable to use so it gets passed on or passed up. I'm starting to think that people are using the word sustainable as a purely asthetic reference, i.e. "I wish those old WalMart buildings were more sustainable, then they wouldn't be so ugly."
A nonprofit corporation that "deconstructs" old buildings and sells the materials for reuse.
"The ReUse People of California reduces the solid waste stream and changes the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse."
The Bay Area storage yard is open to the public for retail sales. On-site sales are also held in the Bay Area as well as in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas for specific deconstruction projects. They salvage everything including lumber, doors, windows, fixtures, appliances, hardware and much more.
"BARNSLEY, England (Reuters) -- A British man has covered up his lewd garden gnomes with painted-on swimwear after police warned him he faced arrest for causing public offense."
"While most garden gnomes fish or enact scenes of bucolic tranquility, ex-army Sgt. Tony Watson's models in the northern English town of Barnsley bared their breasts and buttocks, prompting complaints from the public."
Obviously, the little fella featured here is not behaving like his fellow brethren in the UK.
"Manufacturing a greenhouse / household appliance is an original, useful idea that is in no way odd. Made of steel and tempered glass, Serra Domestica by Smeg offers a new way to enjoy greenery in one’s home. In the Serra Domestica, aromatic herbs can be planted in pots, along with cactus plants and green and flowering plants that are acclimatized to an apartment. Temperature, humidity and luminosity sensors recreate environments that are suitable for the growth and upkeep of plants of all types, whether extant or seedlings. A special function allows the user to heat the earth in the pots, thus making it easier for cuttings to take root. Serra Domestica can be placed on any top or on its own pedestal."
Via: Domus (Registration Req'd)
Design: Piano Design
Looking for a small space to put inside your small space?
Elaine Louie of the NY Times writes:
"The wood and rice-paper J.room can be assembled in 40 minutes and comes with a tatami mat. 'It's designed to create a tranquil Japanese atmosphere within a small apartment,'' said Tadashi Mori, president of the Morisho Company in Japan, which makes the room. The kit was designed by Hiroyuki Keshida and will be introduced next week at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. The room — 6 1/4 feet high, 7 3/4 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide — sells for $3,600 to $5,200, plus shipping and duty."
We've discussed 
A functional wallpaper designed by 
This just may be America's most wanted cooler. Ice down those libations and Express Yourself by adding some chill atmosphere to your par-tay...
Architect and digital designer Dr. Margot Krasojevic has worked with Zaha Hadid and run studios at the A.A. and Bartlett as well as schools around the world. Her research and design practice is focused on time sequence, palimpsest and spatial narratives. During the past five years she has been engaged in work, publications, exhibitions and research on "pathological space" as displayed on her websites: Decodeine.
A public exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, is currently running through October 22, and will culminate in an international Sotheby's auction of the Collectors Edition trees on October 23, 2005.
This installation by Griffin Enright Architects featured at SCI-Arc (12/03 - 2/04) consisted of over 1,000 square feet of sod laid on an hovering armature.
If you're a civil engineer this picture is probably on your desktop, but for the rest of us the Giant Bucket Wheel Excavator from ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik is enough to make us rub our eyes in disbelief. The Giant Bucket Wheel Excavator is the largest of it's kind used for mining. The mining capacity of giant excavators makes them desirable despite the cost and length of time needed to build and transport them. 
Brownfield reclamation is on the rise, and soil analysis and remediation is becoming an art form of its own. The ability to analyze soil in-situ means considerable time and cost savings, and Niton's new XRF Analyzer series is designed to do just that. Armed with the technology to analyse soils for levels of lead, lead paint and heavy metals, it is a valuable tool that happens to be extremely portable at only 3lbs. It also has the added option of being fitted with Bluetooth wireless connection. Niton was recently awarded the IDEA (Industrial Design Excellence Award) Gold medal award for its XRF Analyzer family.
Can't get enough Corbusier? The Fondation Le Corbusier and Codex Images International - Birkhäuser are offering a series of DVDs that chronicle the work of Le Corbusier from 1905-1964. Broken into series of 4 sets, October heralds the arrival of the second set of 5 DVDs covering the years 1930-1945. The complete set features roughly 300 projects that will no doubt serve as an important archive for researchers, students and enthusiasts. 
The new Pop Series guitars from RKS take guitar lust to a whole new level. These brightly coloured electric beauties carry the names Rockwork Orange, Pink Lipstick and Fine Lime are hand-crafted from maple and alder, and have CNC machine aircraft aluminum alloy ribs with chrome hardware finishes. 
Due to the large number of inquiries regarding the "super fantastik" skateboard designs by Tony Larson from Agents of the Area, we decided to investigate a bit.
I'll be honest, I don't know jack about speakers or what qualities to look for when purchasing a new set - other than if they sound good - so I won't try to wow you with all sorts of techno-gibberish about ohms and impedance except to say that these are some of the most attractive looking speakers I've ever seen. The QUAD ESL 57 (featured at right), with its ribbed fabric grill, has a 50's retro feel and looks more like a finely crafted piece of furniture than an audiophile's dream. Considering that they were first produced in 1955, I guess that sort of makes sense.
Can we assume to all agree on the premise that skateboards are cool, and that the act of skateboarding is even cooler? And Eames furniture, veeery cool indeed, right? So, if everyone at any design school knows about these icons of coolness, then how come nobody has come up with combining the two until now?! Shame on all of you!
Prophecy magazine is looking for submissions to include in a section of their mag titled "The Lab". The Lab usually features anywhere from 3-5 projects of theoretical architectural ideas and renderings. If you're itching to get your undiscovered brillance out to the world, look them up. Prophecy Magazine is an internationally distributed bi-annual magazine of architecture, art, fashion, music + culture.
The recent DWR newsletter features a contest to identify the designer or location of a 1952 house by an "influential but relatively obscure" architect. The first 20 responses to either name the architect or the location of the residence will receive a book devoted to the architect in question.
Link: 
According to entertainment gossip that is circulating (see 
I used to work with a couple of guys who were pretty hardcore gamers. They'd spend all hours of the night playing online games such as Half-Life and Unreal Tournament. One of the cool things about these games is that end-users can modify the "worlds" in which these games are played. With that in mind, here's what happens when you have a few gamers that also happen to know how to create an architectural rendering or two. Ah, now just imagine being able to take a sniper position in Pierre Koenig's Case Study No. 22 House.
It seems to us that the whole colored wristband thing has gone a 
When my niece and nephew are visiting there is always a flurry of activities… I get to go places I would never otherwise go… and yesterday we had LEGOLAND California on the agenda.
This is an interesting concept, a web-based directory where you can actually see the block where a business is located, and browse the surrounding neighborhood. You got to wonder if this will actually work (especially fiscally). But I really like the idea of being able to find what else is located in the surrounding neighborhood, and seeing it is pretty cool too.
Our attempt at ironic humor didn't quite register in our 
If you haven't noticed already, we here at Land+Living are huge fans of good design. Functional, aesthetic.....it's all good. In addition to that, we love seeing students of design putting their skills to good work. Which is why I was pretty stoked to get an email from Fans-Yu and Dan showing me their newly designed IV pole.
Now, we always like beer... and during the holiday season we're all about "holiday cheer" if you know what we mean. So imagine how excited we were today to see TWO different blogs about beer over at our friends 
Here is a beautifully designed line of handles from Italian handle maker Valli & Valli. The design speaks for itself... very nice.
In June we discovered that one of our favorite magazines, 
We're not quite sure what to make of this, but if you're looking for isolation while in the surroundings of comfort and technology, the Oculas might be for you.
We found this cool little "almost bicycle" while browsing over at Sparkability and liked its look and design. The manufacturer doesn't have the English language section of their website up yet but here's a Babelfish hack/translation of some info:
This is the nicest web photo log we've seen since 
Speaking of things 
An an interview with Michael Graves by Linda Tishler in Fast Company about his 
Ever take a look inside someone else's medicine cabinet? How about rummaging through someone's entire house online? Not exactly the usual L+L fare, but it is quite an interesting anthropological kind of cross section of a contemporary American home.
A feature at ArchNewsNow by Jack Rubinger looks at environments for healing and the master planning for seven Samaritan Health Services facilities in Oregon. Macdonald Environmental Planning of Portland and Bend, Oregon, facilitated a process that went beyond just the physical facilities to shape an overall philosophy and vision for Samaritan Health Services.
Stressed? Need to squeeze something? Made from polyurethane resin, these squeezable heads are just what the doctor ordered for relieving stress.
Honestly, do you need a Hummer branded flashlight? Well... perhaps if you drive an 
This is definitely not modern... the house is 173 years old... but we're all in favor of reuse and the story is just interesting.
You've seen it before, but now you can stamp your mail with it.
Starck strikes again, this time for Microsoft. Always a little slow on the uptake, the computing giant goes for a little high design.
Clean. Efficient. Elemental. The Airstream trailer is the epitome of modernity. The CCD line features updated interiors by interdisciplinary designer Christopher C. Deam. "The International CCDs are aptly named because they can be towed cross-continent or cross-county," actually we were thinking that CCD stood for Christopher C. Deam... but anyway, "anywhere an automobile can go and still have all the facilities for comfortable living. Yes, even luxurious living!"
From this weekend's Fourth of July cornerstone laying ceremony for the new World Trade Center Freedom Tower in New York, a 
According to John Latschar, superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park, the architects hired during the Mission 66 program "ran amok." The Mission 66 program implemented under Eisenhower produced, in addition to Neutra's Cyclorama Center, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis by Eero Saarinen.
So bad it's good. Yeah, there is some bad stuff in here, but then again, we kind of dig some of the ideas. It begs to be said... totally groovy. Can we help it if we are children of the ´70's? Just wait until we are looking back at 2004 in thirty years. Seriously.
If you have a few hours to kill and an interest in Arts and Crafts architecture, here is something to keep you occupied. This online archive is an exhaustive collection of photographs, drawings, sketches, paintings, correspondence and documents related to the work of Greene & Greene. The website is quite advanced and is geared towards scholars... bit it isn't too hard core for someone with a passing interest. Isn't the internet cool?
If you are like us, you are just dying for something to divert your attention from the train wreck parade of so-called design and make-over shows that currently abound... and we have to watch, don't we? Painful as it can be, we watch... like a junky who needs a fix. But save for the very rare morsel of inspiration, we are just not satisfied with what we see.
A photographic documentation of the travels in Japan of two scholarship winners; Roche Scholarship winner Colin Franzen and SOM Traveling Fellowship recipient Zane Karpova. Four "sections" cut across the island were chosen as paths of travel and documentation. The images are keyed to these lines of investigation revealing a wonderful array of landscape, architecture, culture and space.
Driving around LA, we've certainly seen our share of converted Taco Bells. 
Over at Designboom, we stumbled across this fantastic poster. It has been in production for quite some time, but we still think it's pretty cool. It features everything from early Egyptian and Chinese folding stools, to contemporary chairs by James Irvine, and just about everything in between. 196 chairs in total.
The architecture community website started in 1997 by Paul Petrunia lanched a redesigned site today.
"The ReUse People of California reduces the solid waste stream and changes the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse."
"BARNSLEY, England (Reuters) -- A British man has covered up his lewd garden gnomes with painted-on swimwear after police warned him he faced arrest for causing public offense."
"Manufacturing a greenhouse / household appliance is an original, useful idea that is in no way odd. Made of steel and tempered glass, Serra Domestica by Smeg offers a new way to enjoy greenery in one’s home. In the Serra Domestica, aromatic herbs can be planted in pots, along with cactus plants and green and flowering plants that are acclimatized to an apartment. Temperature, humidity and luminosity sensors recreate environments that are suitable for the growth and upkeep of plants of all types, whether extant or seedlings. A special function allows the user to heat the earth in the pots, thus making it easier for cuttings to take root. Serra Domestica can be placed on any top or on its own pedestal."
Elaine Louie of the NY Times writes: