Carren's Pitch

A Look Back on 2011, Hello 2012!

2012-01-03T04:52:00.000+08:00

2011 was an unbelievably crazy year. I had found myself writing for some of my favorite publications (you know who you are) and walking away feeling a bit more hopeful at the way the world is working out. Architects, designers, creative people, you have all been an endless source of inspiration.

Inspired by the amazing Alissa Walker, I thought a nice way to cap off the year was to take a look back some of the stories I've written and pinpoint just what made them stick out in my mind. Here goes!

Best reminder that anyone with the will to share can make a difference: Iconathon Lets Regular Joes Design for Fast Co.Design

Most craft jargon and street talk I had to parse in one interview: Cast Off Wood Becomes Artful Longboards for Fast Co.Design

Best konk on the head on the importance of self-reliance: Recipes for Living for GOOD

Most satisfying opening paragraphs (because somehow I squeezed in a Bones reference in there and Alissa kept it in the copy!): Jurassic Park Meets CSI at NHMLA for GOOD

Best in-depth look marketing mumbo jumbo: Playing the Rating Game for Bluprint Magazine

Most satisfying article to follow. I eventually got to paddle the LA river in my neighborhood too! How to Paddle the Los Angeles River for GOOD

Best opening exhibition ambiance: Bestor Unleashes Disco Silencio at SCI-Arc for The Architect's Newspaper

Most inspiring vision of Los Angeles' future: Two Wheelin' Ambition for The Architect's Newspaper

Best sink or swim moment. It was my first time to live blog and boy even I was amazed at how much work you can finish when you set your mind to it! Dwell on Design coverage

Best community engagement. I had never received so much feedback as when I post for GOOD Los Angeles. Angelenos, thank you for reading!

Best reminder of just how much there is in the world to see: Surface Asia and Dwell Asia coverage

Amazing 2011. See you all here again in 2012!

Changing Rooms

2011-11-15T04:03:00.000+08:00

I have lately found myself fascinated by homes. It's a new fascination, one that I think is fueled by age. For my first appearance for Dwell Asia (as part of Dwell magazine's Asian expansion), I found an innovative company redefining what it means to create your home. Though the home is packed with features, what endeared me to it was its flexibility. One can add rooms by simply dragging walls around, like a leaf table that expands or contracts according to your family's needs. Neat.

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Melinda Williams

Published: September 2011, Dwell Asia

Fashion Conscientious

2011-11-06T03:42:00.000+08:00

The bottomline of every business should be profit, for everyone. That means being financially profitable, but also socially profitable. Rags 2 Riches in the Philippines is a great example of a company that thinks not just of the financial ramifications of building a business, but its effects on a person's whole way of living. Kudos to Reese and her dedicated team of eco-ethical entrepreneurs.

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Text by: Carren Jao

Published: 15 September 2011, Surface Asia Magazine

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz is a woman beyond her years. At 26, many people are just beginning to find themselves, but Fernandez-Ruiz already has her eyes set on a prize. “I knew what I wanted right from the beginning,” she says.

Fernandez-Ruiz is part of a new generation of entrepreneurs who are in business not just for profit, but also to create positive change. The Rolex Young Laureate awardee is president and founding partner of Rags2Riches, a revolutionary eco-ethical enterprise that uplifts and empowers women weavers (mostly mothers) living near Payatas, one of Philippines’ largest dumpsites.

Rags2Riches (as its name implies) helps turn the lowly cloth used for dusting or washing into stylish sartorial pieces fit for upscale boutiques around the world, helping the artisan-mothers who create them earn a living wage. [read more]

Future uncertain for Watts Towers

2011-10-30T03:23:00.000+08:00

Watts has been on my mind a lot lately, which is probably why I find so many reasons to write about it. Here's another clip on Watts, this time for British paper, The Art Newspaper, my first for this publication.

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Year-long partnership with museum is up for review

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Charlotte Burns

Published: October 2011, The Art Newspaper

A year-long partnership between Los Angeles' department of cultural affairs and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) to take joint responsibility for the restoration of the Watts Towers is up for review in January 2012. At that point the museum must present its plans for the site and give an estimate of the funds needed, expected to be around $5m, according to Olga Garay, the executive director for the cultural affairs department which is footing the bill for the year-long project. A Lacma spokeswoman said that a large future donation is being discussed, but has not yet been confirmed. An announcement is scheduled before the end of the year.

The towers, which took more than 34 years to build and were finished in 1954 by Simon Rodia, are a well-known part of the Los Angeles skyline. Nonetheless, they have historically been somewhat neglected by the city and overlooked by tourists reluctant to travel to Watts, a part of the city most famous for the riots of 1965

The city has been responsible for the site since 1978 when the land on which the towers stand was handed over to the State of California. However, the budget for the towers' maintenance fell from $361,500 in 2009 to $150,000 this year. "All of a sudden I didn't have anybody on my staff that was responsible for the towers," says Garay.

She approached Lacma, which stepped into the breach in December 2010. "Lacma has a level of expertise that is much deeper than anything we can afford to do," says Garay, adding: "They can provide scientific expertise, fundraising expertise, programming. There's no way we can mirror that in a cost effective manner." The James Irvine Foundation gave $500,000 to the museum to go towards the project in February.

Garay is hopeful that the partnership will continue, as is the museum. The towers are one "of the more monumental, important works of art and are in Lacma's backyard", says Brooke Anderson, Lacma's deputy director for curatorial planning

There are plans to redesign the nearby 1904 Watts train station to include a visitor centre. The cultural affairs department won a $250,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in July to pay for designs, which are due by the end of 2012. The grant will also cover an "artists pathway" between the station and the towers.

Lacma and the cultural affairs department are taking steps to gain local support. The museum operated a shuttle bus to and from the towers twice a month between July and September and has also arranged tours of the towers for presentations to potential donors.

A Peek Inside A Noise Within

2011-10-25T02:49:00.000+08:00

Perhaps it's the thespian in me, but I love small theater companies that obviously put a lot of heart in what they do. A Noise Within is a now-Pasadena based company that continually comes up with great productions. I've been following their progress since they started construction and now I'm glad to see they now have a home where they can expand creatively.

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 19 October 2011, The Architect's Newspaper blog

Interior of the theatre with architectural detail over the walkway and seats.
Photo by: Michael Gutstadt.

Longtime repertory company A Noise Within (ANW) will complete its move to Pasadena at the end of October. Formerly located inside an old Masonic Temple in Glendale, it now calls Edward Durell Stone’s midcentury modern Stuart Pharmaceutical Company home. The project was carried out by John Berry Architects, Robert J. Chattel, and DLR Group WWCOT. You might remember back in May when we showed you the project still under construction. ANW staffers have now started to move in and perform technical runs for their inaugural showing of Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night. [read more]

An Eames Trifecta this Saturday

2011-10-18T04:51:00.000+08:00

An Eames bug bit me, so you'll be seeing more Eames from me in a couple of months. Here's the first.

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Text by: Carren Jao

Published: 15 October 2011, Los Angeles, I'm Yours

Good things come in threes, especially when it comes with an Eames theme. This weekend, get a 360 Charles and Ray Eames experience by planning a full day of activities from Miracle Mile to Pacific Palisades.

Start your day at LACMA’s “California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way” where the Eameses’ living room (with all 1,865 objects) is recreated in all its glory. Some objects may even be in better condition that it was at the original site, says Lucia Dewey Atwood, grandchild of Charles Eames.

“As part of the move, LACMA’s responsibility was to bring back the objects in at least as good, if not better shape. [LACMA] needed to do some repairs on very fragile and delicate things that would have ripped more if they tried to move them as they were,” says Atwood. [read more]

LACMA's First-Ever History Of Cali's Material Culture

2011-10-04T04:46:00.000+08:00

Some California lovin' at great new LA website, "Los Angeles, I'm Yours."

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Published: 04 October 2011, Los Angeles, I'm Yours

Living in Los Angeles, many of us are probably living the California modern lifestyle, whether we know it or not. Blurred lines between indoor and outdoor living, an appreciation for bright, saturated colors and openness to cultural influences around the world. These are all hallmarks of design that grew as a consequence of California’s history and, dare I say it, climate.

September 29, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art unveiled the first ever major survey of California design at mid-century. Encompassing California from the 1930s to 1960s, it attempts valiantly and beautifully to curate the objects that together captivated the world and led to Wallace Stegner’s famous 1959 observation that California is “America, only more so.” [read more]

What's Up With Watts

2011-10-04T03:01:00.000+08:00

The Watts Towers is an amazing Los Angeles landmark and people have been trying to revitalize it for sometime now. When last I looked there were so many planned developments, one can only hope at least some of them become realized.

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LA's historic Watts Towers may get a few new neighbors.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 30 September 2011, The Architect's Newspaper

A proposed skatepark across the Watts Towers. Photo courtesy of California Skateparks.

The Watts Towers have always been an icon of Los Angeles, or, as LA Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Executive Director Olga Garay says, “a beacon to the power of the individual.” Created over three decades—between 1921 and 1954—this National Register Historic Listed landmark created by untrained artist Simon Rodia may soon have a few new neighbors in its shadow. They include a new skate park, a spruced-up train station, a theater, a shopping center, and a new series of walking paths, helping to turn the neighborhood surrounding the towers into a real destination after years of neglect. [read more]

Iconathons Design Icons For City Problems

2011-09-27T05:22:00.000+08:00

I've always been all for public participation in public good and Iconathons encapsulate many of the things I wish this world could work--open source, welcoming and collaborative. Best of all, I found this story while simply hanging around my neighborhood. Everything about this story feels very close and palpable to me.

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Code for America and The Noun Project host nationwide events to create new symbols for the public.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Cliff Kuang

Published: August 2011, Fast Co.Design

Despite a wealth of images available on the Internet, finding a good, copyright-free vector graphic is like looking for a needle in a haystack -- especially if you’re talking about symbols for public services.

That's a problem. “Our demographics are changing rapidly and these kinds of symbols help people communicate across language barriers," says Chacha Sikes, a 2011 fellow at Code for America, a “geek peace corps” that pairs web developers with city governments. "When building applications for government, we began to notice that ‘Oh! There’s not a symbol for health. There’s not one for education.’” So Sikes set about hosting nationwide, five-hour design marathons to produce much-needed symbols for public use. [read more]

Cast-Off Wood Become Artful Longboards

2011-09-23T05:08:00.000+08:00

I have found myself with a strange fascination for wood and all its qualities. I remember being intrigued covering Knowhow Shop for GOOD LA. When I spied Loyal Dean's work at Dwell on Design's Home Tour, I knew I had to find a way to cover it, so here it is :)

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The two founders of Loyal Dean didn't set out to make longboards. But a happy accident led them to create some of the most unique, beautiful rides on the market.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Cliff Kuang

Published: August 2011, Fast Co.Design

L.A. is rotten with longboard riders carving down the streets, but few can boast boards as beautiful as those of Loyal Dean. Made of 40% reclaimed hardwood and wholly crafted in L.A., the boards are the product of a longtime friendship between Greg “Loyal” Perry and Dino “Dean” Pierone . [read more]

Touring LA architecture...by bike?

2011-09-05T09:31:00.000+08:00

With year-long sunshine, Los Angeles is a great place to ride around in two wheels. These architects put their two loves together and help other Angelenos explore their city (and its architecture) in a new way.

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 16 August 2011, The Architect's Newspaper blog

Bikers visiting Pierre Koenig's Case Study House 22.

Los Angeles is a great city for architecture. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to breeze past landmarks inside our cars with barely a moment’s notice. A group of young designers and cyclists in LA are looking to slow you down and up your appreciation level by setting up regular free bicycle tours to some of the city’s most iconic architectural sights. [read more]

Red Light, Green Light

2011-09-03T09:20:00.000+08:00

If there's one thing I've learned from the stories I've had dealing with governments and public agencies, it's that "it's a long process." I hope that plans to push through for the Cleantech corridor. LA (and the world) needs cleaner technology.

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False start for Cleantech Corridor and Green District in Los Angeles.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 16 August 2011, The Architect's Newspaper

Early rendering of the Arts District Park courtesy of JFAK.

The Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) continues to face roadblocks in creating a Cleantech Corridor and Green District, a 2,000-acre development zone on the eastern edge of downtown Los Angeles conceived as a manufacturing base for sustainable industries.

The area was first envisioned in the fall of 2008 and was heavily supported by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as “the cornerstone” of his “vision to put Los Angeles at the forefront of the clean tech revolution.” The corridor runs from the Los Angeles State Historic Park to Santa Fe Avenue and 15th Street.

CRA/LA has two anchor projects in the area: the Cleantech Manufacturing Center, where CRA/LA hopes to house green manufacturing and technology companies, and the La Kretz Innovation Campus which will include offices for several clean technology-related companies. The former is on the skids, while the latter may finally be getting some traction. [read more]

A Walk on the Wild Side

2011-09-01T09:07:00.001+08:00

It is a pleasure to work with friends, which is why when I got a message from a dear friend and now Editor-in-Chief of AsianTraveler Magazine, I couldn't say no. Nina gave me the "tough" task of exploring Venice Beach and its colorful environs.

I had been there a few times before (and even covered it for Mega's Travel section a couple of years back), but I was looking forward to seeing how the neighborhood has changed. I tell you, it's probably gotten better.

Check out my favorite outtake from my day trip to Venice Beach.

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Text and Photos by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Nina Terol

Published 2011 July, AsianTraveler

The Giving Tree

2011-08-29T09:49:00.000+08:00

Lately, I've been seeing the insides of more and more houses. Doing so fuels a few of my own homebuilding dreams. At least, when I'm ready to think about building a home, I'll have a few ideas.

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Diana Budds

Published: 03 August 2011, Dwell

A bright idea blossomed close to home for Modal Design principal Daniel Monti. Tasked to create a low-maintenance, multi-generational home for his parents, his family, his brother’s children and their many pets, Monti looked to a massive century-old stone pine tree with a vast canopy growing right on the property as an endless source of inspiration.

Despite the challenges the tree’s location presented, Monti never considered removing it from its native Venice, California, location. “The pine tree is such a special piece of the lot that you can’t help but fall in love with it,” says Monti. Instead, he worked around it to create a three-bedroom 2,700 square feet home that echoes the same comfort and beauty as the sight of that majestic age-old tree. "The tree is really the inspiration for the whole house." Here’s a look: [read more]

Recipes for Living

2011-08-27T09:42:00.000+08:00

Self-reliance. That's what most describes this wonderful Silver Lake couple. I got a chance to interview them about their new book, "Making It" and I was inspired to do a little more than just shop the grocery aisles.

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Making It Features Tips from L.A.'s Most Famous DIY Couple

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Alissa Walker

Published: 27 July 2011, GOOD

Erik Knutzen and Kelly Coyne exude the warm confidence you might expect from a couple who shares their Los Angeles home with chickens. Best known to many as Mr. and Mrs. Homegrown on their popular blog Root Simple, Knutzen and Coyne have spent years passing along their wit and wisdom on urban homesteading issues and beyond to eager, enthusiastic readers. Now they're the authors of Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World, a cookbook-style DIY manual that covers everything from making your own household cleaner to keeping your own bees. [read more]

The Art of Parking

2011-08-25T00:35:00.000+08:00

I am extra proud to show this off to you guys. I chased this story for a few months before finally being able to get all the facts down. I came away from this story with a better appreciation for how parking contributes (or detracts) from street life.

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Los Angeles City Planning Commission approves modified parking requirement district.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 04 August 2011, The Architect's Newspaper

Los Angeles skyline behind a parking lot. Ben + Sam/Flickr.

In a sprawling city like Los Angeles, cars are of course still the primary means of transportation. More cars mean more parking. Sometimes too much, other times not nearly enough.

In an effort to remedy the situation, LA’s City Planning Commission on July 14 recommended the creation of a Modified Parking Requirement (MPR) District aimed at solving the city’s varied parking needs.

“Generally, we have a one-size fits all parking code for all land uses in the city. Sometimes, that doesn’t work,” summed up Tom Rothmann, the Los Angeles city planner in charge of shepherding the proposed policy through the public process. [read more]

Hirsuta's Rawhide: The New Shingle Style

2011-08-23T10:05:00.000+08:00

I'm a sucker for curls, so this one could not be missed. Yes, architecture is about solving problems in an environment, but it is also about beauty. This one was certainly a marvel.

~*C

Text and photos by: Carren Jao

Edited by: LinYee Yuan

Published: 03 August 2011, Core77

Casual passerbys stop in their tracks, fascinated by the shingles that curl without care in SCI-Arc's current exhibition of Jason Payne/Hirsuta: Rawhide - The New Shingle Style.

A partial reproduction of a planned Utah renovation, Jason Payne, principal at Hirsuta and SCI-Arc alum, attempts to "pervert" the shingle-style architecture, or rather, swerve it. [read more]

Rethink LA Imagines a New LA

2011-08-21T00:21:00.001+08:00

I have come full circle. The people behind Rethink LA were one of the few people I met when I first began covering Los Angeles. Now, little more than a year later, I interview them again, this time for a new venture and a new imagining of Los Angeles.

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 02 August 2011, The Architect's Newspaper

Architects Taalman Koch re-imagine LA's Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant as a recreation ara and animal habitat.

Los Angeles is a shifty creature, ever-changing and re-inventing itself. As memories of the perfect weekend (aka Carmageddon) fade into memory, a collaboration of creative professionals is looking to re-focus our collective consciousness on Los Angeles’ past, present, and what it might look like in fifty years. Opening this Thursday at the A+D Museum on Wilshire Boulevard, Rethink/LA’s Perspectives on a Future City captures the voices of local Angelenos—writers, city planners, policymakers, and artists—through sound installations, collages, and videos. [read more]

Tour L.A.'s Real Art in the Streets

2011-08-19T08:46:00.000+08:00

It's an interesting thing to see the interplay of art and urban life, which is what made this event so appealing to me. I'd like to see more art in the streets please. Here and back home in Manila.

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Text and photo by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Alissa Walker

Published: 22 July 2011, GOOD

Long before MOCA's Art in the Streets show opened, Los Angeles's Downtown Arts District already had more than a few monumental works of street art on display with a little help from a group named LA Freewalls. Anyone can see this art in its natural environment for free, but this Saturday at Bloomfest LA, a guided tour of the neighborhood's many elaborately embellished industrial buildings will be led by Daniel Lahoda, curator of LA Freewalls. [read more]

Jurassic Park Meets CSI at NHMLA

2011-08-13T08:33:00.000+08:00

I am by far not a natural history fan, but the new Dinosaur Hall does make it exciting. As you can probably tell by this piece, my inner geek was seriously piqued.

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Text and photo by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Alissa Walker

Published: 19 July 2011, GOOD

What did dinosaurs eat? How do they sound? Did they ever get sick? Instead of parading around the same old reconstructed skeletons, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s new 14,000-square-foot Dinosaur Hall that opened last weekend is more akin to stepping onto the set of Bones or CSI. [read more]

L.A. Startups Strut Their Stuff

2011-08-10T04:38:00.000+08:00

We may not be Silicon Valley, but LA has some great tech gems. Glad I found this series of events and I look forward to seeing some names emerge from LA soon.

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Alissa Walker

Published: 12 July 2011, GOOD

Northern California may be top of mind when it comes to tech start-ups, but it isn't the only place under the California sun with its share of forward-thinking entrepreneurs. Co-founders Dustin Goot and Efren Toscano are casting the limelight further south with Spotlight LA Tech, a semi-regular demo-based event where local start-ups get a chance to show off their wares in a fun, casual environment. [read more]

LT Design Week Brings Japan to Downtown L.A.

2011-08-06T04:42:00.000+08:00

I'm a walking East meets West story, so I'm drawn to cultural cross pollinations just like these.

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Text and Photo by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Alissa Walker

Published: 13 July 2011, GOOD

This weekend, the largest Japanese cultural district in California will host the first ever Little Tokyo Design Week, a free four-day showcase of Japanese design and technology with a heavy dose of L.A. ingenuity. With Little Tokyo acting as a lively bridge between the burgeoning Arts District and a revitalized downtown, there's maybe no better place for a global exchange of ideas. "Little Tokyo offers a perfect venue to showcase Japanese innovations to Los Angeles and the world," says founder Hitoshi Abe, who also serves as director of UCLA's  Department of Architecture and Urban Design. [read more]

A Contemporary Quadrangle

2011-07-29T04:23:00.000+08:00

I go the East Valley because of the Chinese food. I had never thought of it as a destination in itself, which is why I was glad to see this architectural standout in the middle of the area. Now, perhaps there's another reason to stop by.

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Arquitectonica does East Los Angeles.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 20 July 2011, The Architect's Newspaper

East LA, usually off the city’s cultural radar, gets back on the map with the opening of East Los Angeles College’s new $65-million, 160,000-square-foot Performing and Fine Arts Complex designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica. The project is the second largest in the LA Community College District's $6 billion Sustainable Building Program, which includes 85 new structures and more than 500 total projects. The program came under fire for corruption and mismanagement this spring, leading to the firing of its director, Larry Eisenberg. But controversy notwithstanding, it has produced some impressive architecture. [read more]

Playing the Rating Game

2011-07-25T04:52:00.002+08:00

LEED rating was something I always took care to note down when writing about a building or a development. But Frank Gehry's criticisms put a few niggling questions in my brain about a rating system I had always taken for granted. This assignment is certainly a challenge and parsing through so much information made my head hurt, but the article I think turned out to be informative and meaty...at least that's what my editor told me! What do you think?

~*C

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Jennifer Cristobal

Published: July 2011, Bluprint

The Search for a Silver Lake Sign is Over

2011-07-22T04:19:00.004+08:00

Silver Lake is an awesome area and I know many great people who live there. It was exciting to hear how this eclectic neighborhood would be home to another landmark soon.

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Saddle-shaped structure wins Envisioning Silver Lake competition.

Text by: Carren Jao

Edited by: Sam Lubell

Published: 28 June 2011, The Architect's Newspaper

The search for a new neighborhood symbol in Silver Lake is over. Earlier this month Silver Lake residents selected LA firm All That Is Solid’s “Bloomrs” as the winner of the Envisioning Silver Lake competition. The contest, organized by LA City Council President Eric Garcetti, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, and Silver Lake community groups called for designs for a plaza and permanent installation at the corner of Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards. [read more]

Photo credit: Respective firms