As architects and designers we reference a lot of books, some are quite transient and leave just as quickly as they arrive, others stay on our desks and on our shelves. The BUILD Book Report aims to share our favorites, some of them are brand-new and others have been around long enough to pass the test of time.
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, The Nature of Circumstance, Rizzoli, $95.00
There is a certain caliber of book that the internet will never be able to replace. The latest book on BCJ has been masterfully designed by Pablo Mandel of Circular Studio and published by ORO Editions. Wandering through this book is a gratifying experience – it exemplifies both how architecture should be designed and how the text should communicate built-work and ideas. At 400 + pages, the book is filled with drop-dead gorgeous images, each shot with a clarity that teaches about the mechanics of architecture. A masterful, inspiring book; it has become an immediate favorite of ours.
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BUILD LLC just wrapped up a sharp, modern residence in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood and it’s a perfect time to share some materials, methods and design ideas. We decided years ago that the BUILDblog would be dedicated to transparency and getting useful information out there in the world about design and architecture. This project, in particular, is an excellent means to do so as the owner, Mike Davidson, has kept the most thorough journal/blog we’ve ever seen on a residential project. A HOUSE BY THE PARK documents everything from talking to realtors about buying the land, through the design and construction process, all the way down to the punch list. It’s an objective, accurate look at home construction and you should check it out. Give the owner some kudos for the achievement and supporting architecture!
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We had so much fun with the last textures post that on a recent trip to Alaska and Vancouver Island we couldn’t stop thinking about how the texture of a place should be unique and special. Texture should tell you something about the people, the place, the weather… and Alaska didn’t let us down. In addition to taking in some visual eye candy – consider how your favorite places have textures all their own.
L: Forest near Juneau
R: Glass façade of the Anchorage Museum
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Ever heard of Mark Bennett? We hadn’t until recently, but here’s 3 things we know about him; 1) He’s brilliant. 2) We’re 90% inspired and excited by his work. 3) We’re 10% green with envy that we didn’t think of it before he did.
Bennett, an L.A. artist, takes the residences of our childhood television memories and drafts up the floor plans with surprising accuracy. His work has been on display around the Northwest in the past and we love that the hand drafted prints are reproduced with the authentic method of blueprints – genius. Did we say 10% jealous? Make it 20. Here’s a primer on Bennett’s work with some supplementary information we rounded up to help jog your memory.
Brady Residence
Location: Los Angeles
Owners: Mike & Carol Brady with children Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Greg, Peter, Bobby and housekeeper Alice
Architectural style: Suburban Ranch
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Lately team BUILD has been working on an exciting project that will be released later this fall. Not too long ago we were contacted by Arcade Magazine to be the guest editors on the first issue of their 29th volume. That’s right Arcade will be turning 29 years old this year – a huge kudos for that. We’re honored to lead the charge on this issue and we’ve been hard at work rounding up an exceptional group of design conscious thinkers and do-ers. You might not have heard of some of these sharp-shooters… but you will. They’re already leading the charge not just on design, but in defining our culture.
Alex Calderwood is a cultural engineer and owner of the incredibly successful Ace Hotels. Anyone who’s stayed at an Ace Hotel in New York, Seattle, Portland or Palm Springs knows that the design experience starts at the front door, continues with a cappuccino at the coffee shop and keeps right on course all the way to the vintage record player in the room and the subtle signage on the lobby stair reminding us all that “everything is going to be alright”.
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Recently we did some traveling up north; to Vancouver Island, then up through the inside passage to Alaska. While the natural wonders of this part of the world are well known and well documented, we had very few expectations in terms of the architecture and urban design. We were thrilled to reach Anchorage and find handsome design, ambitious ideas and forward thinking construction. Admittedly, we didn’t think Alaska would be pushing the architectural envelope; however we found several project types that rival, if not beat, most of the architecture here in the northwest. Here’s our top 5, hit that comments button if you’ve got others.
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The design industry can be an elusive place. By the time a designed object is revealed to the world, be it a house or a toaster, the entire process is typically represented with a few polished and highly refined images. As if to suggest that every line drawn was one genius stroke after the next, as if each model simply improved on the last. These glossy photographs suggest that there was no backtracking or mistakes. No head-scratching, no F-bombs thrown around, no plan B.
The fact of the matter is that this sort of perfection is rarely the case. Not only are failures and unintended results part of the process, but we’d go as far to say that they’re necessary to the sequence of designing something. BUILD LLC recently designed and fabricated an urn for the show The Architect and the Urn and it’s a good example of the messiness of design. Today’s post covers the struggles and the grittiness of achieving an end product.
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BUILDblog Senior Field Correspondent Josiah Johnson is taking the reins today with another roster of scorching architecture and design resources, enjoy.
Austrian firm Caramel is up to some work that pushes the envelope and develops new ideas that are very exciting to look through.
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Wrapping up the Cardboard Fort series, we present part 3, which delves further into the basic DNA of our design influences. Give most kids an appliance box and a roll of duck-tape and you’ll see creative genius unfold before your eyes. Join us as we provide a critical analysis of some (mostly) admirable cardboard forts.
[Photo by Stronger than Dirt]
17. The design pays homage to the clean, linear work of Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. This institutional project, apparently a school, upholds a high degree of design integrity with its symmetrical façade; it also preserves the natural look of the materials used in the construction. Grade: B+
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We’ve got a rock-star buddy who, at the drop of a hat, will go climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, navigate the crowded streets of Mumbai or, in this case, head to Haiti to help with the earthquake relief efforts. Team BUILD was fortunate enough to be able to financial contribute to his trip and in return he brought back images and a first-hand account of the work being done in Haiti. As a structural engineer with HSV Engineers here in Seattle, Aaron Pambianco was flown into Léogâne to assess the structural damage to homes and buildings and he was generous enough to get the scoop for the BUILDblog.
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