It’s not so much that it’s a bridal shop - what I appreciate is how much the architecture elegantly reflects the style and minimalism of the products being made (dresses).
Observations: a. this project is in Vietnam, yet all the text/signage inside and out is in English b. the thick front door is made of the same material (stucco?) as the rest of the facade and swings inward c. it appears there are fewer than 15 dresses on display throughout the shop. Read more.
Through a solar means of heating salt water and collecting the evaporated fresh water, this company is trying to make this historically high energy and massively destructive industry, sustainable. It takes 2 gallons of salt water to get 1 gallon of fresh water. So what happens to all the salty brine that’s left over? At great cost it typically is dumped back in the oceans and ends up destroying ecosystems. Some potential solutions with this approach include using the salt byproducts in the production of lithium batteries, grit for roads, fertiliser or detergents. See short video here showing the basic idea of how the desalination plant works.
I imagine this project will look extremely different in a few years, once the vines have overtaken the fencing material. Interesting way of thinking about a residence in a mostly hardscaped area of the city. The soft sketchy drawings also are lovely. Read more here.
After skipping last year, we were back on the balloon arch for the 14th year of the Highlands Parade. Felt good to see many of the neighbors again.
I like when this happens.
This temporary display was created for the 2020 Shenzhen Flower Show, it was so popular it was voted to become a permanent part of the park where the show is held. Read more.
I’d put this in my top 10 films of all time with perhaps the most beautiful ending. If you haven’t seen it yet, add it to your summer queue, eat some Italian food, have a glass of wine and enjoy.
This graphic takes a minute to decipher. The gist is that migratory birds have a protein in the back of their eyes that allows for them to see the earth’s magnetic field to help with navigation. Read more.
Designed by local Burkina architect Francis Kéré, this school is that great blend of modern meets vernacular. With the locally sourced materials and the smart systems this Institute stays cool in the hot months and dry in the wet season. Read more.
It’s time to finally change out the frame/trim on two windows from our house addition from 5yrs. ago. The wood frames aren’t holding up to the elements so with the help of Hayden and his welder, we’re making 5/8” steel replacements. I’m eager to see how this detail works and hopefully can incorporate it into future projects (from scratch, I’ll likely lean toward 3/8” steel). Keep an eye out for updates, install should be in about two weeks.
Great textures throughout this renovated building and the garden balances the modern moves. Read more.
Finally made the coaming (wood band around cockpit) and tried to get more of the wrinkles out of the nylon - will maybe try spritzing and ironing on the next hot day. It’s a lovely Sunday in Denver.
This is the area in the south of France where van Gogh did much of his art. A beautiful part of the country I was fortunate to visit in my early 20s, while hitchhiking around with Greg Burns.
Gehry says the design references Arles' Roman architecture, the nearby mts. and Starry Night, which was painted nearby. Clad with 11,000 irregular stainless steel panels, the tower was designed to be a landmark structure for the arts centre. Read more.
Nicely crafted sustainable townhouse project in Brunswick. The thoughtful downspouts tell me everything about the rest of the design. Read more.
The Swiss Microlino is a tiny electric car that’s just gone into production. It gets up to 200 miles on a full charge and is expected to sell for around $14K US. A fleet of these in the right place would be very fun, especially on an island full of clowns.
Fay Jones was an American architect/designer and began as a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. In the latter part of his life and career, he was architecture instructor at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville). In the early 90s, I was fortunate to work with Lars on a Fay Jones house a mile or two from the University. Louis DeMarco, the original owner of the house (maybe in her 80s at the time) was friends with Fay - she and her husband had approached him early in his career to have him design their house. When she showed us the original blueprints from the 60s I asked if she’d mind if I made copies (she said yes). I studied the dwgs and compared them to the final built structure and was blown away by the mastery of the design/hand-drawn documents + the high craft of the construction. Those copies live in a box in our basement - I will revisit them for a later post.
in 2015, when up in Crested Butte with Dave, Brynn, Seth, Cindy and all of our kids, Seth would take me on a bike ride around the idyllic mt. town and swing me by a Fay Jones house he had discovered years earlier. We both walked around it for some time and marveled at the boldness and elegance of the design. On that same weekend, I would sneak away for a few hrs. and help Lars finish a small deck project (which was my favorite way of hanging out with him, making stuff) and he would share tidbits that he had learn about the Jones house over his years from doing carpentry in CB. Read more.
Shaheen-Goodfellow Cottage, known as Stoneflower is nestled in the gently rolling foothills of the Arkansas Ozarks and surrounded by pristine Greer's Ferry Lake
This is the day Emily and I got married at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, CO (18yrs ago) surrounded by so many of our favorite people. We found a place where everyone could come and stay for a few days and eat, drink, play and friends/family could make connections. We had not decided our wedding needed to fall on the summer solstice - things luckily just worked out that way - a new season and a new phase in our relationship. So grateful to so many for joining us along the way.
I hope everyone has a lovely first day of summer this year.
I so look forward to watching this new project by the highly inventive and fun British filmaker Edgar Wright. I know little to nothing about the Sparks Brothers but can see from the trailer that they’ve inspired a generation of musicians I love.
One of my favorite bridges. In the early 90s when I lived in NYC (Lower East Side) I worked in Brooklyn for the Board of Ed. and often road my bike crossing the bridge before and after work most days. I began noticing the fellow bikers crossing daily and became acutely aware of the patterns we all create for ourselves. Most of us waved at one another while passing, something I would also later noticed in other VW bug and van drivers and people jogging around lakes. It was warmly bonding.
I look forward to seeing DXA studio’s reimagination of the Brooklyn Bridge that aims to better serve the greater needs of the area. Read more.
