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liberty bell

brilliant abra brilliant, as always.

Burgee /= Rem

Apr 12, 06 11:41 am  · 
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abracadabra

going to job site. 98% done building. minus landscape.

Apr 12, 06 11:55 am  · 
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liberty bell

Pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

Apr 12, 06 11:59 am  · 
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Its not another architecture forum at least... bikeforums.net. I'm on my yearly bicycle kick now that the weather is nice. I'm in fixed gear forum of course!

Apr 12, 06 12:03 pm  · 
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aml

pixelwhore, i've been hearing about this fixed gear term just recently, and was wondering if it corresponds to the type of bike that has no changing speeds/gears and no breaks, but you break by pushing pedals in reverse... would that be it? [in south america so not as aware of american trends].

i learned to ride in one of those and then they sort of went away and i've been missing them since i was about 12...

Apr 12, 06 12:09 pm  · 
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vado retro

lb there is a burg just up the road from indy. its called chicago. i hear its nice...

Apr 12, 06 12:18 pm  · 
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myriam

i am thinking of moving to chicago. it's a good town. only downsides are COLD WINTERS and HOT NASSTY SUMMERS.

Apr 12, 06 12:39 pm  · 
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aml:
yup, thats a fixed gear. check out the Bicycle Thread here on archinect for some examples belonging to archinect members.

Apr 12, 06 12:40 pm  · 
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"COLD WINTERS and HOT NASSTY SUMMERS."

sounds a lot like Boston...

Apr 12, 06 12:41 pm  · 
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aml

pixel: cool, thanks! so happy. never liked breaking with my hands, always liked better breaking with my feet. if those bikes are around again it'll be easier to find one, me hopes.

myriam: yikes. don't want to imagine those summers. boston was plenty hot in the summer i was there.

Apr 12, 06 1:50 pm  · 
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A Center for Ants?

mmmm but i miss the humidity of the east coast from time to time. i like and miss the summer evenings there... here on the west coast it's just dry and cool. a little heat and sweat is perfect fodder for a summer fling. and the summer afternoon rainshowers are great.

Apr 12, 06 2:14 pm  · 
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myriam:
nope, haven't been out there but have spent some time out on the Cape. at the beginning of the winter I went to Hampton Beach for the first time. it was desolate and beautiful, and I would never want to ruin it by visiting in the summer... archinect road trip this summer?

aml:
the bikes are easier to find in more urban areas or at a velodrome, as the track is where those bikes are meant to be. there are plenty of websites that you can order the gear from if you're building up a bike on your own. if you need email addresses, etc. send me an email and I'll pass on a lists.

Apr 12, 06 2:16 pm  · 
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A Center for Ants?

pixel-

i'm looking to potentially convert an old bianchi i found to a fixed... any good how-to websites for someone with no experience?

Apr 12, 06 2:18 pm  · 
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e

acfa, i certainly do not miss either the sweltering hot summer or the brutally cold winters of DC. i hear you about the warm summer nights and afternoon rain showers to cool everything off. after living on the left coast for so long i don't think i could move back.

Apr 12, 06 2:19 pm  · 
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Sheldon Brown/Harris Cyclery

is a great place for a ton of articles on different things. After that I'd recommend logging onto BikeForums and searching/asking any specific questions/problems you have in the Fixed Gear/Single Speed forum. There seem to be a number of people with conversions or fixies in Archinect also, so you could always ask around here also.

Apr 12, 06 2:21 pm  · 
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myriam

If you're in Boston my roommie has a fixed gear she NEVER uses and might be willing to sell. I guess if I could figure out how to ride a bike it might be a pretty good way for me to get around town. But then I would need one of those dorky helmet things, and probably some sort of medical insurance, too.

As for weather: growing up in Southern California, I thought hot days/cool nights was the best summer combo anyone could ever wish for; I have to admit, however, the sultry sweaty warmth of the humid East Coast nights has grown on me. It *does* have a certain sexy appeal (and also makes for better sidewalk dining at night! Back at home you always had to bring a light jacket to outdoor dinners). I do like the afternoon showers, too, although we dont' really get those up here in Boston. That was something I liked about DC. Something I disliked about DC was NOT BEING ABLE TO BREATHE LIQUID AIR.

Apr 12, 06 3:01 pm  · 
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liberty bell

I actually miss summer nights growing up in Arizona - when it's still 100 degrees out at 9pm.

Hot muggy east coast summers are something I'd be happy to never deal with again. Ever.

Apr 12, 06 3:08 pm  · 
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helmets and brakes are totally optional on a fixed gear.

Apr 12, 06 3:11 pm  · 
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aml

thanks for the bike related offers, i just went down to the garage on a hunch and confirmed that a very old, fixed gear bike my mom used to use way back when is still there- it needs lots of love and care, though. but i've been missing bicycle rides for a while so it sounds like a good idea to work on it.

i'm in south america, so seasons: summer and spring. newer bicycle choices: cheap knock-offs, only multiple speeds.

Apr 12, 06 3:27 pm  · 
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here are some pictures lb, no way 98%. deduct a few... it has been a one long demage control all the way. should be done around end of may. its got electricity now...



Apr 12, 06 8:08 pm  · 
1  · 
b3tadine[sutures]

Sweet!

Mar 24, 22 7:31 pm  · 
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myriam

whoa, what kind of floor is that???

I'm so immersed in CA at the moment that I look at beautiful things all aligned like that and I think, wow, it must have taken SO MANY FIGHTS to get those pieces to be precise and aligned...

Apr 12, 06 8:17 pm  · 
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liberty bell

Wow, Orhan, so beautiful, as is all your work. Sooooo restrained, which is so incredibly hard to do (I love Rick Joy's statement "Less is more work.") and especially to do well. Gorgeous.

I love the push-pull relationship between the big window and skylight. And yes the floor is beautiful what is it? (My guess: eucalyptus.) It's funny that it appears as though groovy modern house numbers are already up?!

Fantastic work. So elegant. Thanks for showing us!!!

Apr 12, 06 8:50 pm  · 
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glossy walnut flooring.
the thing is, nothing really aligned perfectly and placed mis aligned on the plan on purpose it has built by a contractor who thinks any house that don't have a crown mouldings is just a cheap ass apartment.
he got the job against my recommendation because he could build it for 125$ per sq ft. owners are building this to sell it and i have the plans of the mirror image next lot, which they are going to keep that one virtually free of charge from the profits they will make on this. so the next one will be a lot more together with the lessons learned from this.roughly 2500sq ft with 400sq ft garage ion los angeles hillside and nobody believes me about the 125. the reason i it could be build at that price, because it is no more than a box with only 90 degree whatever. and you could buy most of the parts at any lumber yard and get fancy stuff from home depot and hardwood liquidetors etc... at least i know now, it can be done.

Apr 12, 06 8:55 pm  · 
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thanks for the comments.
i really had a bad day today with city of lakewood here in so cal. a working class neighborhood east of long beach. their planning dept. today rejected my design for an addition to a one story house with 5oo sq. ft. add on. ok. i designed to save my clients some money watching for the quantity of lumber used and not demoing the existing but new asphalt shingle roof. and keeping everything one story using no other than stucco and normal building materials.
get this; this planner and architect on the board made a totally subjective decision against my proposed shed roof not being in line with regular roofs next door. i can count a dozen shed roofs in this neighborhood. i have not violated any setbacks, heights etc. and most importantly there is no mention of of what type of roof profile is accepted in this fuckin lakewood and what type of roof profile is not kosher. i can't believe a city can be so subjective. owner who was at the meeting told me that architect member even drew a roof plan and said this is right shape ...!!! i can't believe this mockery of so called planning dept. if they had any indication of what shapes are acceptable i would follow that direction and i know better than that not to fight the city for something they had it in print. but this... they just looked my plan and immediately got offended. arrrrgh. if i had the time and clients wanted this would be a court case. the remodeling is not really about the roof line. however, what they are asking cost a lot more money and resources. and this too, he said a roof like that would leak... arrrrgh again. i have done at least 4-5 versions of this roof and my own house got the same design there is no leakage from any of the jobs. and since when the planner have better knowledge of the roof leaks than an architect. this is not a building and safety plan check. actually my proposal would be the most friendly and modest thing on that street.
i am convinced the reason a lot of cities are just plain have no idea of residential architecture and their planners are just bunch of conservative old boys who are allergic to any word of architecture and usually deal with gingerbread contractors. i hope nobody calls me back until i calm down.

Apr 12, 06 9:31 pm  · 
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aml

i like...very nice work. also, it's nice that you get to do it over again and correct the mistakes you made the first one.

also, makes me wonder... do we get some sort of virus in arch school that makes us like tasteful and restrained, while the rest of the world would probably prefer mr. landry? i know that must sound a bit snobby, but damned, why don't people like a nice simple window? why? ok, mini-rant over.

Apr 12, 06 9:40 pm  · 
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ether

Happy Birthday lb. Sorry. I'm a waaaay behind on my TC news.

And yes you are definately Archinect cheerleader. I can across this today and couldn't help but smile. I think that was my first thread. You definately have a part in my being here.

We're winding up to wind down - the home stretch. I am oddly looking forward to summer break and no studio. I think I need it. Maybe I'll have time to catch up here and post something meaningful other than reminisce about my undergrad hangouts.

Apr 12, 06 9:41 pm  · 
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ether

oh and adso, I do still want to continue the jig conversation. Your insight so far has helped me greatly. Unfortunately it's just nuts around here.

Apr 12, 06 9:46 pm  · 
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this picture comes up under city of lakewood beautiful homes award.

Apr 12, 06 10:09 pm  · 
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liberty bell

Orhan I'm sorry to hear about your frustration. I can relate as I had the exact same thing happen recently: our proposal for a townhome development was rejected (based on one sketch) as being "too contemporary". The zoning commission wanted to see "something more traditional" on the site. Nowhere in the Township's zoning code is there any section or even a word addressing aesthetic appearance of projects as "tradtitional" vs "contemporary".

Granted this was not a formal hearing, it was the developer testing the waters. But the fact that a few people who honestly have no training in design can make a decision based on nothing more than personal opinion....infuriating.

Nice frilly curtains. perhaps if we had drawn those on our "contemporary" townhomes we would have been approved.

Apr 12, 06 10:15 pm  · 
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myriam

Oh man, abra, that BLOWS. I'm sorry you had such a rough time. Reminds me of some choice excerpts from the book i'm reading on planning ("Communitas"). It's written by an architect so it is a very entertaining look at the world of planning.

I hope the client at least is on your side. Any way to debate the city decision?

Also, I know Lakewood, it's not really a city that has any weight to throw around!

Apr 12, 06 10:15 pm  · 
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b3tadine[sutures]

happy belated birthday libertybell...39?

god, that reminds me, i turn 38 in a month, fuck.

Apr 12, 06 10:37 pm  · 
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abracadabra

i left a messege for the planner and i will contest their decision. i don't think this is right and like to hear them tell to my face what their decision based on. they have no documents or requirements to my knowledge that renders my proposal out of tune with the neighborhood.

this one also got a beautiful lakewood home award.

Apr 12, 06 10:46 pm  · 
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myriam

I think their standards for the beautiful home award are: "no bulletholes"

And the town slogan is: "We're not just like Compton anymore"

Apr 12, 06 10:48 pm  · 
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garpike

Damn! Walnut floor. Nice!!

Apr 12, 06 10:48 pm  · 
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abracadabra

they call themselves "the sports city."
anyway here are the people should have more of a working relationship with architects, instead they see architects as trouble making unnecessary professionals who can't design a roof. in all their homeowner tips they don't mention anything about architects, only the contractors.
forget about pritzkers and grad schools guys. this is the level of most of our cities and small towns when it comes to deal with architecture and architects. these are the supposingly educated peoples's choices for beautiful homes.
as architects they don't value us much outside of the design intelligentsia world. be prepared...

Apr 12, 06 10:58 pm  · 
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abracadabra

hey garpike, how's your foot?

Apr 12, 06 11:01 pm  · 
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sporadic supernova

wow .. it was LB's b'day ??

happy beleated birthday !!....

Apr 13, 06 12:44 am  · 
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liberty bell

Thanks sporadic. It was a good day. So listen, help me get my bearings: it's almost 1am in the Midwest of America. Where are you and what time is it? Just starting the work day? (I'm up late for a meeting in the morning. Typical.)

Apr 13, 06 12:51 am  · 
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sporadic supernova

yep .... just starting work ... 9 am here in Dubai
and it's the weekend too (see, in the middle east, the holidays are thursday-fridays)

you should get to bed now... right ?

Apr 13, 06 1:01 am  · 
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liberty bell

I'm up for at least another hour. My print shop doesn't know what to do when I email them drawings any earlier than 2AM! And they know to have the door unlocked right at 8:30 for me to come pick them up.

So you're working the weekend, that's too bad.

Apr 13, 06 1:03 am  · 
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sporadic supernova

actually no ... I take friday - saturday off that's why my posts are non existent during these days ... I have a good weekend lined up ..

tonight - jamiroquai concert

then friday morning we (couple of friends) go off for a desert safari


followed by some quad biking

and then saturday ... snoozzzzzzz... lol .. it's gonna be a fun weekend ..

sorry about the rambling .. thought i'd keep you entertained till my boss walks in .. :)

Apr 13, 06 1:13 am  · 
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sporadic supernova

or for an hour .. whatever comes first ...

Apr 13, 06 1:15 am  · 
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liberty bell

No, it's not just rambling. It's nice to hear weekend plans. And the biking, though I'm not a huge fan of this kind of sport, looks a lot more fun than what I'm working on right now!

Get through the next few hours of work and then go have fun!

Apr 13, 06 1:21 am  · 
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sporadic supernova

yep .. thanks ..

now to get to those darn shop drawings ... will be back after a while !!

I guess I should be here when you wake up in the morning ( in your part of the world !! )

Apr 13, 06 1:27 am  · 
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liberty bell

Oh my oh my I sense a fight brewing over on the CD swap thread! Manamana goes mano-a-mano with vado retro! I'm scared to see what happens (though I'll probably miss it as I'll be in my meeting anyway dammit!)

Apr 13, 06 1:35 am  · 
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garpike

abra, the foot is good. I am up and walking. I am finising PT this month. The ankle is still swollen making it hard to get into certain shoes, but that is the worst of it.

Apr 13, 06 1:40 am  · 
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Orhan, I'm sorry they're such dicks. For some reason, all the tiny cities in CA are like that. I worked on a project in Downey once that quibbled with out choice of paint color, like that was what mattered about the project. They forced pink on us (we were going for a nice shady green originally), and I imagine that it now looks like somebody took too much pepto bismol and barfed all over the building. But I've never been to see.

Apr 13, 06 1:45 am  · 
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garpike!

glad to hear foot is better!

i got off crutches last month too, and finally can get my foot into (almost) all my shoes. freakiest bit is that i can feel the screws through my skin...looking forward to their removal next year...

did you lose any height from the fracture? when my bro broke his femur into 5 bits a few years back his leg ended up a few centimetres shorter....

abra, you should move to japan. there is as far as i know NOTHING like that kind of review board here. the cities here are def ugly though. nice project above, btw. almost as good as the inestimable m. landry.

Apr 13, 06 2:51 am  · 
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manamana

Relax, LB, it was a joke.

apparently my attempt at fight-picking humor fell a little flat.

I was being excessivly meta - to really get the joke you'd have to be somewhat familier with radiohead's (actually, thom with members of the posies) version of wonderwall.

...which has never been released, or heard by anyone outside of the live/rare trading comunity.

so...yeah...

Apr 13, 06 3:12 am  · 
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French

Orhan,
I think it's tough to get nice stuff built anywhere, from the people you must convince to let you build it to the clients to the contractors. In some place it's obviously tougher than in other. That's why it's such a nice performance to get this beautiful house built. And I guess that's why it sucks to be an architect sometimes... But as you probably all know, here in France it just sucks to be born after the 60's...

Apr 13, 06 5:22 am  · 
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