City Building is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.
Ghadames, Libya | Photograph by George Steinmetz
Like many of you, I think about design a lot. For me, the most interesting aspect of design is its interface with humans. There are many disciplines with this relationship at their center- web design, product design and home design to name a few.
The Success of Structure
City Building is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.
Ghadames, Libya | Photograph by George Steinmetz
Lebbeus Woods was not a registered architect, but he was ten times the Architect of most who are.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Things to know-
1. During the Japanese economic slowdown of the early 90’s a bunch of architects banded together as Atelier Bow-Wow, doing research and occupying their time while there was nothing to build.
2. Now they do great work, I especially love that copper wall.
Atelier Bow-Wow - Split Machiya, Tokyo 2010 The project is actually two mirrored structures, split at the center to allow light to the middle of the narrow site. Polished copper panels on the interior “pull” the reflected images of the opposite building inward, creating the illusion of a single shared space. Via, photos (C) Manuel Oka.
There is a sad disconnect where most of the US thinks that only architects and rich people can have homes that fit them.I want everyone to have a house that fits them like this one fits the Mayne Family.
Home | Thom Mayne
(Source: fdluxe.dallasnews.com)
Humanity will cling to some vague representation of the past rather than acknowledge the modernizing world around it. The Soviets exploited this at Warsaw, the suburbs demonstrate this in the USA.
New Old Town | 99% Invisible, Roman Mars
Some nice, personal homes- likely constructed by illegal architects.
Ettore Sottsass | India, 1988
Housing is quickly become my favorite architectural type. Nothing is more fascinating than designing a home specifically for a person. No type should be more intimate, yet most of the USA settles for something that is anything but personal. I am often confused by this dichotomy. How have we arrived at this place where one size fits all?
Personal Housing
