"It will underpin not only my values for environmentally-friendly architecture, but also embrace my career in entertainment."
ah, yes, because building in dubai is very sustainable... they don't have to ship in any construction materials at all... and cheap labor? not being exploited, not at all...
wow. i'm still waiting for my refund from meet joe black, you no-talent ass clown.
From Vanity Fair's article on Angelina Jolie, coming out this month:
"She hopes Pitt will spend more time working on architecture—though he’s in fact not an architect. “He just has an eye for it,” she said. “You hear people talk about design or buildings, and assume, especially when somebody has another career, ‘Oh, that’s a hobby.’ Like somebody coming into money appreciating Picasso. But I have seen him design, with his partners, everything from hotels to studios. Or in New Orleans, with other architects, re-doing a shotgun house with green architecture, bringing light in, angles of the sun in summer and winter, how that would affect the rooms. He’s taught me so much about the homes we live in.”
Sarah, I don't disagree with you. In fact, it brings up a very good discussion, I think. I appreciate the fact that Brad loves architecture so much that he's willing to support it, i.e. in New Orleans. But the simple truth is that he cannot design that building without a REAL architect to sign off on it.
I wonder what people would think if Brad were a Woman Actress doing the same thing. Would they think of her as an interior decorator....or would they think of her as an Architect....interesting question to ponder. I have worked with a woman hollywood actress and she was the decorator type. She did however change some Architectural elements around during the course of the project which I agreed with fully. Actually it was things I would have done in the first place, but she pounded me so hard about being on budget that I restrained myself from spending her money and doing the right thing.
As a result we ended up not using those beautiful granite bases upon which 8x8 Cedar Post were to rest. Instood we ended up
with more ugly oversized French Doors and Tansom windows.
As you regulars all know, in my mind Brad is damn near perfect. We could rename Archinect Brad-archinect and I'd only spend more time here.
But I have to say: I feel pretty strongly that being involved in any way in Dubai is horrendously wrong. Make It Right buys a big truckload of karma points, but I'm afraid, in my opinion, not enough. My Brad just took a misstep.
That doesn't mean we can't still post pictures of him, of course.
Im so sorry, but if someone offered me 1,000,000 to design a hotel in dubai, I'd do it in a damn heartbeat. For an extra 10,000 id hold the damn whip on the construction site so the indonesian slave-laborers don't slack off.
I know, i'm going to hell, and I'm perfectly cool with that.
Well I just came here to tell you that I blogged this because I've been thinking long and hard about it for a while, but now I have to say.....Nicolas, you just drew a big, fat line in the sand. Without going too bonkers about this - I'm trying really hard - but IMHO, good architecture and sustainability go hand in hand. I also don't necessarily think that building in Dubai is totally unsustainable. Just about 20 miles away from Dubai they are building Masdar, which is planned to be a zero-waste carbon-neutral city. This was also covered in the news a few weeks ago.....
The problem with Dubai is that it's a choice to build the way they are building.....the sheiks are throwing money at people saying "please build us a playground" and rather than using the opportunity to build something sustainable and educate the locals in the process, they are taking the money and building shite. And I highly doubt that anyone had to pay Pitt to design this hotel....he might be getting design fees but what they really said was, "hey Brad Pitt, here, design us a hotel and we PROMISE you can take credit for it". Even though we all know he can't.
listen, the first time our Hero gets in a debate about the merits of any design idea, those supposed "real" architects will bend their values, kiss his ass and give him a reacharound. if they don't it be interesting to hear them say; Brad, what the fuck are you talking about???
I just want to know how I can get into a position to design a building without getting my liscense. I want THAT cushy spot of saying 'Make it look like this" and people just doing it, oh, and getting my name published next to the project in every glossy out there.
I imagine this isn't that much different that a lot of other jobs. No one expects Brad to lock into a chair for an all nighter of drawing up building sections and stair details.
With his career and wealth he must be very well travelled, which might give him a good perspective on the design of very upscale hotels, so maybe he can contribute something interesting to the discussion. He'll contribute to aesthetic decisions, not code interpretations.
Sure he got the opportunity because of his name, but who wouldn't enjoy being in on the general design discussions of a major project like this?
A lot of people get opportunities in all fields of work due to their name and relationships. As far as I know, he atleast made himself famous on his own, rather than just being the son of someone famous.
ummm. actually that is a long standing position within the profession. that's kinda what a firm principal does or like a design consultant.........umm, could we move this thingy a little more to the left, maybe a bit more to the right. how about a little taller.....perfect. just like that.
redoing a shotgun house with green architecture. people throw that freakin term around like its nothing...as though green architecture comes down to simple elements that can be bought at lowes or home depot.
''well, i bought me here this shotgun house, applied some green architecture stuff...''
or even better its like its used in the same way people talk about modifications on their honda civic
DubK: I wish you HAD gone a little more bonkers on Nicolas.
Nicolas, you're erroneously compartmentalizing. Within firmness, utility, and delight is a requirement for sustainability: not "sustainability" the trendy catchphrase, but a deep understanding of local conditions (material, cultural, environmental, time) that need to be responded to appropriately. The separation of "sustainability" as a selling point, as if it shouldn't be in there as a basic requirement, is wrong.
The environmental issues in Dubai are but one issue of a bigger overall cultural problem. I see the slave labor and human rights violations as a bigger problem.
jafidler, we didn't have the same knowledge of what is/isn't sustainable when the Seagram Tower was built. I don't hold it to the same criteria as something built in 2008. Seagram is completely of its time and yes, it is sexy indeed.
i just hold that up that to make the point that different architects have different priorities as relates to sustainability. what mies was trying to accomplish was very different than what aalto was. i don't think it's entirely fair to criticize nicolas's initial post; not all great works of architecture took notions of sustainability as their driving force.
[sorry to derail the brad thread...i'll get it back on track.]
sooo...the guys from Graft used to work where I am currently working. Looks like I will be hangin' out with celeb architecture wannabees sometime in the future
Funny that he's designing something "sustainable." Usually, the things that make a building eco-friendly have nothing to do with the apparent design, but with construction practices, product sourcing, mechanical engineering calculations, etc...things I'm sure Mr. Pitt will have nothing to do with.
Maybe the broader theme of this discussion is that we all have a different idea of what sustainability* is and means, and the truth is that it's evolved tremendously over the years. In many ways the Seagram building is "sustainable" or at least environmentally sensitive....it uses minimal ornament to accomplish maximum aesthetic impact, and it's still in use. Many buildings are not built as well as this anymore, which is why we have to talk about it so much.
*On a side note, I am sick of the word "sustainability". I would like to propose replacing it with some completely unrelated word that at least sounds and looks cool, like "halcyon" or "bollocks". As in, "is that house bollocks or what?" "Yeah, it's totally halcyon, it's got solar panels and everything" .....just a thought.
more brad
"It will underpin not only my values for environmentally-friendly architecture, but also embrace my career in entertainment."
ah, yes, because building in dubai is very sustainable... they don't have to ship in any construction materials at all... and cheap labor? not being exploited, not at all...
wow. i'm still waiting for my refund from meet joe black, you no-talent ass clown.
What!!!
Who will sign off on it, Gehry?
Thats so not fair. Where's that thread about how to become an architect...
well, GRAFT does have a few licensed architects on staff. as it states, Brad will be a design consultant, therefore he is taking no liability.
From Vanity Fair's article on Angelina Jolie, coming out this month:
"She hopes Pitt will spend more time working on architecture—though he’s in fact not an architect. “He just has an eye for it,” she said. “You hear people talk about design or buildings, and assume, especially when somebody has another career, ‘Oh, that’s a hobby.’ Like somebody coming into money appreciating Picasso. But I have seen him design, with his partners, everything from hotels to studios. Or in New Orleans, with other architects, re-doing a shotgun house with green architecture, bringing light in, angles of the sun in summer and winter, how that would affect the rooms. He’s taught me so much about the homes we live in.”
Yeah, but still, WK....
this could be a good thing, though what other licensed profession lets untrained (no degree/"apprenticeship") people dabble?
we're our own worst enemies…especially when someone outside the profession is a better spokesman for some of our most pressing issues.
but still its Brady Brad Brad Brad and he can do now wrong. Sorry...my man crush was getting out of hand again
I think I'll have to watch Snatch tonight
I had a little run in with that hot bird from GRAFT a few weeks ago.
Sarah, I don't disagree with you. In fact, it brings up a very good discussion, I think. I appreciate the fact that Brad loves architecture so much that he's willing to support it, i.e. in New Orleans. But the simple truth is that he cannot design that building without a REAL architect to sign off on it.
he's quoted as saying "whilst" which proves that he's truly a serious architect-type
People tell me I look like Brad Pitt...must be my abs
I heard he is using rammed earth. And by heard I mean made up just now.
i heard that the design is loosly based on Angelina's vagina
^ You always amaze me with your comments. Can we be friends? Like seriously.
I wonder what people would think if Brad were a Woman Actress doing the same thing. Would they think of her as an interior decorator....or would they think of her as an Architect....interesting question to ponder. I have worked with a woman hollywood actress and she was the decorator type. She did however change some Architectural elements around during the course of the project which I agreed with fully. Actually it was things I would have done in the first place, but she pounded me so hard about being on budget that I restrained myself from spending her money and doing the right thing.
As a result we ended up not using those beautiful granite bases upon which 8x8 Cedar Post were to rest. Instood we ended up
with more ugly oversized French Doors and Tansom windows.
i wonder what his sketches/drawings look like...
The is like building a Martin Luther King memorial with slave labor.....
just absurd. There is not a single "green" thing about Dubai
let him stop by the D for a coffee break.... i'll make sure he falls in a pothole....
As you regulars all know, in my mind Brad is damn near perfect. We could rename Archinect Brad-archinect and I'd only spend more time here.
But I have to say: I feel pretty strongly that being involved in any way in Dubai is horrendously wrong. Make It Right buys a big truckload of karma points, but I'm afraid, in my opinion, not enough. My Brad just took a misstep.
That doesn't mean we can't still post pictures of him, of course.
Im so sorry, but if someone offered me 1,000,000 to design a hotel in dubai, I'd do it in a damn heartbeat. For an extra 10,000 id hold the damn whip on the construction site so the indonesian slave-laborers don't slack off.
I know, i'm going to hell, and I'm perfectly cool with that.
^graft
'you mean vagina?'
a lot of great works of architecture are not 'sustainable'
we should strive for sustainability and environmental friendliness, but we should not let it overpower our thinking and get in the way of ARCHITECTURE
Well I just came here to tell you that I blogged this because I've been thinking long and hard about it for a while, but now I have to say.....Nicolas, you just drew a big, fat line in the sand. Without going too bonkers about this - I'm trying really hard - but IMHO, good architecture and sustainability go hand in hand. I also don't necessarily think that building in Dubai is totally unsustainable. Just about 20 miles away from Dubai they are building Masdar, which is planned to be a zero-waste carbon-neutral city. This was also covered in the news a few weeks ago.....
The problem with Dubai is that it's a choice to build the way they are building.....the sheiks are throwing money at people saying "please build us a playground" and rather than using the opportunity to build something sustainable and educate the locals in the process, they are taking the money and building shite. And I highly doubt that anyone had to pay Pitt to design this hotel....he might be getting design fees but what they really said was, "hey Brad Pitt, here, design us a hotel and we PROMISE you can take credit for it". Even though we all know he can't.
listen, the first time our Hero gets in a debate about the merits of any design idea, those supposed "real" architects will bend their values, kiss his ass and give him a reacharound. if they don't it be interesting to hear them say; Brad, what the fuck are you talking about???
I just want to know how I can get into a position to design a building without getting my liscense. I want THAT cushy spot of saying 'Make it look like this" and people just doing it, oh, and getting my name published next to the project in every glossy out there.
Do My Bidding Peons!
I imagine this isn't that much different that a lot of other jobs. No one expects Brad to lock into a chair for an all nighter of drawing up building sections and stair details.
With his career and wealth he must be very well travelled, which might give him a good perspective on the design of very upscale hotels, so maybe he can contribute something interesting to the discussion. He'll contribute to aesthetic decisions, not code interpretations.
Sure he got the opportunity because of his name, but who wouldn't enjoy being in on the general design discussions of a major project like this?
A lot of people get opportunities in all fields of work due to their name and relationships. As far as I know, he atleast made himself famous on his own, rather than just being the son of someone famous.
ummm. actually that is a long standing position within the profession. that's kinda what a firm principal does or like a design consultant.........umm, could we move this thingy a little more to the left, maybe a bit more to the right. how about a little taller.....perfect. just like that.
I wonder if he flips thru magazines looking for ideas?
redoing a shotgun house with green architecture. people throw that freakin term around like its nothing...as though green architecture comes down to simple elements that can be bought at lowes or home depot.
''well, i bought me here this shotgun house, applied some green architecture stuff...''
or even better its like its used in the same way people talk about modifications on their honda civic
but what do i know...
snook, LOL!
DubK: I wish you HAD gone a little more bonkers on Nicolas.
Nicolas, you're erroneously compartmentalizing. Within firmness, utility, and delight is a requirement for sustainability: not "sustainability" the trendy catchphrase, but a deep understanding of local conditions (material, cultural, environmental, time) that need to be responded to appropriately. The separation of "sustainability" as a selling point, as if it shouldn't be in there as a basic requirement, is wrong.
The environmental issues in Dubai are but one issue of a bigger overall cultural problem. I see the slave labor and human rights violations as a bigger problem.
that lady from graft is a hottie
now back to Brad
not very sustainable, but damn is it sexy.
time for the sustainability freaks to go all ken frampton on my ass.
is graft actually designing the 800+ room hotel or are they just interiors consultants?
flipping through their projects it certainly doesn't look like they have the horsepower to do a big project in dubai...
jafidler, we didn't have the same knowledge of what is/isn't sustainable when the Seagram Tower was built. I don't hold it to the same criteria as something built in 2008. Seagram is completely of its time and yes, it is sexy indeed.
i just hold that up that to make the point that different architects have different priorities as relates to sustainability. what mies was trying to accomplish was very different than what aalto was. i don't think it's entirely fair to criticize nicolas's initial post; not all great works of architecture took notions of sustainability as their driving force.
[sorry to derail the brad thread...i'll get it back on track.]
sooo...the guys from Graft used to work where I am currently working. Looks like I will be hangin' out with celeb architecture wannabees sometime in the future
Hi lb!
fuck sustainability
No, MDLER, sustainability is great. As long as it doesn't replace Architecture.
Funny that he's designing something "sustainable." Usually, the things that make a building eco-friendly have nothing to do with the apparent design, but with construction practices, product sourcing, mechanical engineering calculations, etc...things I'm sure Mr. Pitt will have nothing to do with.
, you make an excellent point.
Maybe the broader theme of this discussion is that we all have a different idea of what sustainability* is and means, and the truth is that it's evolved tremendously over the years. In many ways the Seagram building is "sustainable" or at least environmentally sensitive....it uses minimal ornament to accomplish maximum aesthetic impact, and it's still in use. Many buildings are not built as well as this anymore, which is why we have to talk about it so much.
*On a side note, I am sick of the word "sustainability". I would like to propose replacing it with some completely unrelated word that at least sounds and looks cool, like "halcyon" or "bollocks". As in, "is that house bollocks or what?" "Yeah, it's totally halcyon, it's got solar panels and everything" .....just a thought.
archi.....damn, I only wish I could zoom her!......like a pdf file.
"Cugat."
And since Diane Keaton is a patron of architecture, I think it's really appropriate.
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