On the Radar
ARCHITECTING
A couple of exciting architecture firms were brought to our attention recently. Check out the work of Herriot + Melhuish out of New Zealand for some warm modernism.
-thanks to Josiah
One of the more thoughtful and pleasingly simple structures we’ve seen in a while comes from Finnish architects Marco Casagrande and Frank Chen. The house is located in Sanjhih, Taiwan and you can check it out here.
-thanks to Marco
Andrew Maynard is doing some delicate infill work that we think you’ll get a kick out of.
-thanks to Josiah
Also get your eye-balls on the drop-dead-gorgeous minimalism of Isay Weinfeld out of Brazil. They’re doing some thought provoking furniture work as well.
-thanks to Josiah
BLOGGING
In the blog world, get on over to Space Invading for some fresh material.
-thanks to Josiah
RANKING
A big thanks to Northwest Home, who selected BUILD LLC as one of the Top 50 Architects of 2008.
FORECLOSING
With the sky falling in on the architecture, construction and real-estate industries here in Seattle, new opportunities are opening up. Since all the clients have disappeared out there, you may have to be your own. The Blockshopper website can help you along as it lists all the recent real-estate foreclosures in the area.
-thanks to Gavin
DEVELOPING
Our colleagues over at Hybrid Architects just finished up a very handsome develop-design-build project right in the heart of uber-cool Capitol Hill. Hats off to Hybrid on an admirable project.
FURNISHING
Although the designs have been around – we just came across the Minotti Living White Book that ties a variety of scorching hot couch designs together in a delicious presentation. We find ourselves shaking martinis every time we take a spin through the book.
Deconet is a great digital market place for the exchange of modern furnishings.
-thanks to Brian
Our buddy Adam just released a line of versatile chairs that you should check out at the Digital Pixel Posse.
FALSE MARKETING
It seems there’s a new game in marketing – developing fictional design that has absolutely nothing to do with the product being promoted. That’s how important your eyeballs are. Check out the Pomegranate Phone and tell us you’re not entirely excited about the coffee feature.
WATCHING
Eat your spinach and work a few episodes of World’s Greenest Homes into your schedule. As far as we know, cargo containers are not mentioned.
-thanks to Ben
Remember that film from a few years ago based entirely on the Helvetica font? There’s a new one out on DVD by the same team titled Objectified: “Discover how manufactured objects that surround us such as cars, phones and chairs influence our daily lives with this revealing documentary, which features top industrial designers discussing their creative processes and professional objectives.”
MODELING
Those of you who spend each day working “inside of” digital models probably won’t have much trouble imagining how close technology already is to the World Builder video that came out recently. Look out for the sad ending.
-thanks to Angela
World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.
ANNOYING
It was interesting to entertain the idea of shipping containers as a solution to pre-fab housing for a period of time, that time occurred between 1997 and 1998. Until someone can prove that it actually is more cost effective to retrofit a 14 gauge corrugated steel box for insulation, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, a foundation, windows & doors, and comfortable finishes we’re not buying it. They’re good for backyard storage sheds and large nomadic art galleries assembled at ports around the world. The costs associated with a steel worker performing surgery on a steel box to accommodate all the services required of human habitation does not offset the cost of simple stick framing and siding. Enough with the sexy images – let’s see the numbers.
GRANTING
In 2000, the Vital 5 Productions group here in Seattle developed a thesis that “no institution or individual holds the capacity to objectively judge who should, and who should not receive money to create art”. Since then they have developed an arbitrary art grant program rewarding artists without the mechanics of judgment or competition. The next grant deadline is May 15th and the task is to create a sculpture inside of a steel grocery cart created only from the store inventory. Brilliant! Grocery shopping will have a new angle until mid-May. Read more about it here.
-thanks to Greg
LISTENING
There are some good lectures coming to Seattle in the next month. Keep your eyes open for Lawrence Scarpa at the UW on Friday April 3rd at 6.30pm and Tony Fretton at the Frye Art Museum on Friday April 10th at 6.30pm. Thanks to the UW school of Architecture and Space.city for these.
We’ve added a new category to The Modern List Seattle to conveniently track lectures and exhibits in town, check it out here.
Cheers, and let us know what you’re DOING
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By gus, March 24, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
I love how the New York Times article on shipping containers presents the concept as if the architect was the first one to think of using cargo containers in architecture (in 2009 nonetheless). Couldn’t agree more with you guys – so sick of cargotecture.
By richter, March 24, 2009 @ 5:24 pm
Top 50 architects? Aren’t there only 50 architecture firms in Seattle? Ah just kiddin – congrats guys, well done.
By Knudsen, March 24, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
Does anyone know if Larry Scarpa of Pugh + Scarpa is related to Carlo Scarpa, or is Scarpa the Smith of Northern Italy?
By Adam Crain, March 24, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
I completely agree about the shipping containers! People are trying too hard with the issue.
Thanks for the shoutout on my furniture, I’ll have photos on the website this week of the built prototypes!
By Anonymous, March 25, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
I think cargotecture has its merits because it uses recycled materials already available in many places throughout the world. The finished product also has the ability to be transported to a variety of locations.
By Jim, March 27, 2009 @ 7:11 am
I don’t see what the harm is in speculating or hypothesizing about using shipping containers in architecture.
By Nick Williams, March 28, 2009 @ 8:11 am
Andrew, much thanks for mentioning our project @ Remington Court! It is not quite finished. 2 of 4 units are now complete (1 is under contract). The 2 remaining units are scheduled to be open for viewing in the next few weeks.
We are planning a “Greendrinks” event when the project is 100%. Stay tuned for the date and time, maybe you can post the flier on your blog when the time comes….the more the merrier. In the meantime, if you would like to meet me on site some time this week I would be happy to show you the project….just shoot me an email. It would be great to bring your group out on Young Architects Day if it is not too far out of the way. We had some one come by yesterday from the Seattle Architecture Foundation who is interested in putting it on their architecture tour.
Anyways, keep on kicking ass in that beautiful building you built!
-Nick Williams, HyBrid Architects
By Kevin, April 28, 2009 @ 8:18 pm
I really can’t stand it anymore folks. One of my favorite newsletters featured some silly cargotecture (UNBUILT!) project in Salt Lake City. PLEASE MAKE THIS STOP:
http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature289.htm