vado retro is moved to wonder "with the rash of notable building demolition that has and continues to occur, is there a checklist of what makes a building valuable enough not to demolish?...is it because buildings are more about image and visuals than spatial experience that we are willing to rid ourselves of award winning pieces of architecture/art?...maybe buildings don't really matter that much"
The latest edition of ShowCase: features Pocinho Rowing High Performance Center by Alvaro Andrade.
Mohammad Hadi Ataei really liked it commenting "Great minimalist work".
Additionally, - Mike "The Poet" Sonksen, @mikethepoetLA published Take a Walk: on L.A.'s Grand Avenue. Eric Chavkin posted a critique "As much as I like poetry I m dont read any poetry in this.Maybe because there are no poetic devices like metaphors or simile. Maybe because there isn't any 'poetic' mood or poetic structure in the form of presentation...I dont see much difference between this and straight descriptive reportage".
News
Mark Lamster, architecture critic for The Dallas Morning News, decried the 3-2 vote, by Oklahoma City’s Downtown Design Review Committee, green lighting destruction of the Stage Center aka Mummers Theater designed by the late John M. Johansen.
He writes the building which "will be replaced by a glassy office tower of no particular distinction... is the second major blow to a regional landmark of modern architecture in recent months, following the rejection by Houston voters in November of a plan for the adaptive reuse of the Astrodome".
vado retro is moved to wonder
"with the rash of notable building demolition that has and continues to occur, is there a checklist of what makes a building valuable enough not to demolish?...are we to expect a shorter life for any building given our changes in taste and the ability to build new more complex buildings much faster than in the past? should we just put an architectural expiration date on all our buildings and when that day comes knock them down? is it because buildings are more about image and visuals than spatial experience that we are willing to rid ourselves of award winning pieces of architecture/art?...maybe buildings don't really matter that much".
Following consistently increasing demand for design services throughout most of 2013, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has posted its first consecutive months of contraction since May and June of 2012. AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. also noted that "In spite of improving conditions in the broader economy, as well as in the design professions, architecture firms have a long list of concerns for 2014".
SpatialSojourner believed "The incredible thing is that these are just a small selection of the firms nurtured at OMA...I'm continually astonished when looking up architects and seeing that they went through the doors of OMA". However, snail lamented "I wish the article had more deeply explored some of the underlying structural reasons for OMA's effect rather than just turning into a collection of short puff piece profiles of the different firms".
Sam Lubell penned an editorial regarding the U.S.'s architectural brain drain. boy in a well wasn’t wasn’t buying it "that's some very well penned nationalism with just the right amount of aesthetic conservatism cum rational anti-intellectual-elitism and a nice patina of ‘oh the children.’...Truly impressive".
On the other hand toasteroven argued "In developing countries - there is much more interest in creating CITIES that advertise to the world that they have arrived on the global scene...These governments (and the elite merchant class) are taking great pains to show the world that this country is cosmopolitan...Buildings here are largely utilitarian, or about selling something (identity, products) to very local populations - not for a global audience".
Firms/Blogs/Work Updates
Housing Project in Cessange, Luxembourg by Metaform
and Soho Penthouse in New York, NY by Andrew Franz Architect, PLLC were just two of the projects found in the post Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Stairs" Pinterest Board.
As part of the Think Space MONEY cycle, dpr-barcelona announced the deadline for the second competition 'MONEY — Culture and Society' curated by Pedro Gadanho - January 31, 2014.
The author of Leedscape Design’s blog writes about the "red metamorphosis" of Chinese cities in celebration of the upcoming Spring Festival.
School/Blogs
Noam Saragosti one of the school-bloggers from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona began his first post since May 2013 with the words "no shame !!...Yes, shame".
He also gives a summary of his 2013, when amongst other things he traveled to an island of Scotland named Orkney, explaining "I had received a traveling scholarship last year, and my proposal was to visit Neolithic ruins and landscape structures in Orkney".
Cameron Rodman posted Part 2 of his interview with landscape architect Peter Walker’s. Resulting from a recent visit of Mr. Walker to The University of Tennessee the two discussed his views on Modernism and Minimalism within landscape architecture today. If you missed it, make sure to check out Part 1.
Discussions
BulgarBlogger has a birthday coming up and is looking for suggestions on Architectural Literature, to ask for as gifts. Specifically, "a list of books that you think a theoretically-inclined architect MUST own".
jw468 was first to chime in "I greatly enjoyed ENCOUNTERS and ENCOUNTERS 2 by Juhani Pallasmaa (whose name I can now spell without looking up!)". archetecton thinks "Log is great for au courant essays by practitioners".
Larchinect has been "self employed successfully for almost two years", but still can’t help wondering if their Too young/Inexperienced to run own practice?
quizzical offered some good advice "In your narrative above, you seem to recognize that you may not be as strong in all areas as you may think prudent or necessary. If you work hard enough, you probably can learn much of what you don't already know -- but, you may never be as competent in every area as you might need to be. For that reason, you might want to consider taking on one, or more, partners who strongly complement what you bring to the table".
yEAh saw some of themself in Larchinect "I may not have the same years of experience but in your first post, the last paragraphs hits home with regards to the entrepreneur's psyche and all. I can't help but compare myself to others. I think we're our own worst enemy when it comes to that attitude".
Finally, Jefferson started a thread to discuss Cheap Clients and Permit Drawings. wurdan freo responded "I do ‘permit’ drawings all day long for $1000. Takes me about 12 hours to complete a set. Client is happy and I am happy. You don't like doing it, hire a draftsman to do this ‘bread and butter’ work while you find new clients that are more fulfilling".
for his part gruen was glad "to hear (on the one hand) that I'm not the only small time architect suffering through this. On the other hand, this work is my bread n butter. Yes, I do hope one day to be bringing in larger dollar & larger size projects, but in the meantime..."
TokenAE cautioned "The amount of money that you are getting paid for the drawings themselves should be miniscule in comparison to the amount that you are getting paid to assume the liability from stamping those drawings" and mightaa agreed "I do architectural construction litigation expert work (usually on the plaintiff side).. Yes, your stamp on the drawing opens you up to a world of liability".
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