APRIL 19TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Here at BUILD we’re all about modern. We are immersed in the modern lifestyle from the way we design to the way we live and think. Recently, though, we noticed that our small winged friends have not been as fortunate in the way they dwell. Our feathered neighbors have been putting up with all sorts of ridiculous styles and ginger-bread designs and it’s time to offer up some hot, modern alternatives. So with that in mind, today’s post is all about modern birdhouses. Here’s a handful that jumped out at us – let us know what we missed out there.
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APRIL 14TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Recently we were approached to design an urn for an upcoming exhibit curated by Lundgren Monuments which explores the territory of death. We were immediately fascinated by the idea, but having such little knowledge about the process of cremation our initial design concepts were quickly challenged by unknown variables, both technical and psychological.
To better understand the ways of cremation we were introduced to Forest Lawn Crematorium in West Seattle, where we toured the grounds and facilities. The original mausoleum from 1954 is a pristine example of mid-century modern architecture. It has been immaculately cared for over the years and today’s post shares a few shots of this exceptional, emotionally moving space.
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APRIL 2ND, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Not long ago we met up with some buddies who are professors at notable architecture schools around the country. We talked shop, we had many a drink and we got into an interesting discussion about architecture, academics and the profession. Us being architects who get things built and them being architects who teach young people how to become architects, the conversation inevitably hit on an important question; what is happening in academics to prepare the architects of tomorrow? How are they training students to keep their feet on the ground? What is it to think and design in such a way that ideas and drawings can be practical and realistic? How are they teaching the next generation to be the type of architects that get good design built? Not two sentences into their answer the terms pedantic and didactic were employed with professorial authority. <insert rolling of eyes here>
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MARCH 21ST, 2010
By BUILD LLC
The differences between elderly housing here in America compared with elderly housing in Europe has always been alarming to us. The elderly housing typical of American design seems marked by large scale mega-complexes intended to house the maximum amount of people with the minimum amount of effort. The housing is usually pushed out of sight (and out of mind) and the work lacks inspiration, composition and identity. We’ll eventually pay the price for such near-sighted design when the majority of us end up spending the tail-end of our lives in these overlooked, dreary facilities.
In stark contrast, the work in Europe tends toward a human scale and seems to evoke a sense of community. These projects are situated in gorgeous settings with fantastic views; the design seems deliberate and thought-out by good architects. It’s as if the Europeans aim to offer respect and appreciation to those individuals who paved the way before them. How novel.
But enough of our ranting. Today we’re going to give you the scoop on some truly phenomenal elderly housing projects. As always, let us know what we missed out there.
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MARCH 18TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
When we opened up the morning paper and studied up on the plans to construct a new exhibit hall for Dale Chihuly in Seattle our hearts sank. The proposed site resides in the outdated and depressing 74-acre Seattle Center, and while this area of town certainly needs help, another Chihuly exhibit is the last thing Seattle needs.
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JANUARY 27TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
[Photo by Joshua Trujillo]
It is currently estimated that there are between 1.5 and 2 million people in Haiti without homes since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan 12th. Subsequently the design, transport, distribution, functionality, and durability of emergency shelter is one of designs most critical tests. The most primal and basic functions of architecture are being put to task and we (humanity) are in a position where the solutions need to be practical and immediate. In other words, it needs to be well designed. Lately we’ve been scouring the web on information about the situation in Haiti and solutions on emergency shelter. Now that we’ve compiled our homework, today’s post will cover what we believe to be a very good shelter solution. We’re going to get you engaged with the idea of emergency shelter and, should you choose to accept this mission, we’ve filtered our research down to one very effective organization.
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DECEMBER 10TH, 2009
By BUILD LLC
Designy-types are nearly impossible to buy gifts for, even without the pressures of holiday deadlines. They’re an odd bunch, the design-minded. It’s not unusual for them to own but one very nice chair. Or a bookshelf full of expensive hardback texts that you’ve never heard of and have very little desire to open – let alone read. The more minimal their possessions, the more money they seem to spend on them. It’s all very strange. There may be a set of logistics behind what makes for a good gift in their eyes, but nobody outside of the design cult seems to have been able to crack the code yet.
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NOVEMBER 13TH, 2009
By BUILD LLC
It goes without saying that times are tough for everyone –including architects. With few potential job opportunities out there in the residential arena, we’ve noticed some fierce competition amongst design professionals. And along with fierce competition, we’ve also observed some dubious methods of obtaining work. Don’t get us wrong, we relish competition – it’s healthy, it rewards being resourceful and hardworking. A bit of good ol’ fashioned competition promotes firms who deliver on their promise to clients. But, these methods tend to deceive homeowners and diminish the value of the design industry. Using misleading tactics and being inauthentic with clients will produce consequences for all of us.
A rising tide raises all boats and we wrote today’s post in the spirit of forwarding the profession. In so doing we thought it would be good to shed some light on a handful of these diminutive tactics that we’ve noticed –maybe you know of more…
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AUGUST 25TH, 2009
By BUILD LLC
It’s that time of year again; rural Universities have started classes and urban Universities will start soon. Architecture school is an extremely demanding major requiring different skills and a broader range of tactics to successfully navigate. Here at the BUILDblog we’ve put our combined 18 years of university architecture school experience together and we’ve come up with a list of 10 critical items we think you’ll need to tackle academics and shoot out of Architecture school without all the baggage.
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JUNE 20TH, 2009
By BUILD LLC
BUILD recently attended the Urban Trees opening party at 19th Ave E & Yesler and we were delighted to see an urban project that is very much addressing our BUILDblog “Raising the Bar” series. Developed by gprojects and designed by b9 architects the project includes eleven townhomes and a generous shared courtyard. Five of the townhomes are live-work with storefronts facing Yesler. We could go on and on about the modern lines, the cool gritty reclaimed materials used in conjunction with clean sleek finishes, the pleasant city views, but we’d like to focus on something even more important; the sense of community this project is developing. During the party, the shared courtyard was large enough to host a band, dozens of people had the space and atmosphere to meet, talk, soak up some sunshine and enjoy the eats provided by Skillet (thanks for the dog and fries!)
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