architecture

Sustainability on the Sly

2012-03-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

Sustainability on the Sly

Landscape Architect Project Coordinator | Omaha, NE, USA

When asked to contribute to BLINK, I struggled to decide what to write about. It was a hard decision, but I did some deep thinking, went out and hugged my favorite tree, and came to a conclusion: Sustainability on the Sly.

When I graduated from the University of Minnesota’s Landscape Architecture program, I came out singing the praises of sustainability and how I couldn’t wait to implement its practices. My first real life project started with a lot of sustainable design aspects, but then I came to experience what is known as value engineering. Unlike graduate school, money (shockingly) matters and sustainability apparently is expensive! In the “blink” of an eye (ha!), a lot of the sustainable design aspects of my project were gone.

While on the surface sustainability seemed to be disappearing, I started to notice something amazing. Sustainable design practices were being added back in disguise. The design team for the Institute for the Culinary Arts building at Omaha Metropolitan Community College took advantage of such an opportunity. An area of the school's parking lot was so flat it was almost impossible to drain to the conventional storm sewer system. Instead of devising a series of complicated pipes, the team investigated pervious concrete. Not only would it drain stormwater directly through it, but it also cleans out any grime or chemicals that the water may have picked up from the parking lot. Two years later, Metro Community College is proud to say they have the largest pour of pervious concrete in Nebraska, and it’s working beautifully!

Another example is seen at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The owner’s representative was worried about those crazy college kids jaywalking across a very busy street (hard to believe, but I do hear it happens). The area between the sidewalk and the street was planned to be sod, but we were asked to find something more deterrent. After some research, we found some beautiful shrubs that, although they had no spikes, would keep people from wanting to walk through them. The best part? They are natives and will require less water than non-native shrubs and much less water than sod!

As I adjusted to the realities that exist outside graduate school, I have learned not to lose my enthusiasm for sustainability. If a door closes, look for the energy-efficient doggy door that lets the dog in but also keeps cold air out.

Scale model of the city of Saint-Omer.

2012-03-07T22:12:00.001-08:00

Model Cities

Scale model of the city of Saint-Omer.

PARIS—When defending his realm, Louis XIV not only thought big, but he also worked in visionary 3D. In 1668, his war minister, the Marquis de Louvois, commissioned a large relief map of the port city of Dunkirk to be used in planning the city's fortifications. Others followed—huge exact-scale models of frontier cities and their surroundings—hills, gullies, rivers, forests, villages, roads, farms—that might sustain an enemy siege. The royal collection of scale-model cities grew under Louis XV, Louis XVI and both Napoleons, until modern warfare, post-1870, made them obsolete. Of the original 260, some 100 have survived, most housed in their own museum in the Hôtel des Invalides—28 on display, the rest stored in pieces.

Sixteen models from the reserves, some never before shown in public, have been re-assembled under the immense glass-roofed nave of the Grand Palais for "La France en Reliefs"—a spectacular, beautifully mounted, must-see show.

Encased in glass, many with ramps for viewing from above, the miniature cities (mostly scaled 1:600) include Briançon, Grenoble, Strasbourg and a few formerly French bastions now in bordering countries. The largest is Cherbourg, at 160 square meters.

All were constructed in tabletop sections, like pieces of an enormous puzzle, from detailed surveyor drawings. The topography is formed on wooden slats, with details modeled in papier-mâché. Water is oil paint; surface soil is sand sifted onto glue; tinted silk was shredded for vegetation, and wound around tiny wire stems for trees in permanent springtime. Precisely rendered buildings, from houses to cathedrals, are linden wood covered with painted or engraved paper depicting windows, doors and roofs. They were tools of war, but beyond any doubt they remain works of art.

living at it's best!!

2012-03-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

(via paraty house | Blue Ant Studio)

(via kimihiko okada: toda house)

(via an apartment in paris | the style files)

(via Beautiful Open Plan Home with Different Levels | Modern Interiors)

(via Apartment On Oscar Freire Str. in São Paulo by Felipe Hess | Yatzer)

(via Modern Hollywood Hills Dream Home Overlooking The City | Freshome)

micasaessucasa:

Luxurious Modern Apartment with Splashes of Yellow

homedesigning:

Modern Dining Room Furniture

(via mynameispeter)

micasaessucasa:

(via an apartment in paris | the style files)

homedesigning:

Spectacular House Surrounded By Moat

homedesigning:

Desert House by Marmol Radziner

micasaessucasa:

(via Modern Home in Spain with Fantastic Sea Views: Punta Brava 2 Residence | Freshome)

homedesigning:

Red & White Apartment

2012-03-03T00:55:00.000-08:00

42 Wonderful Works of Water, Snow and Ice Art

What sets works of water art apart from ordinary earth art? For starters, water is an amazingly variable medium with which to work – water flows with gravity, water levels rise and fall with time and water even transforms from a liquid into a solid depending on temperature. From underwater sculpture parks to massive surface installation projects, the possibilities of water art are virtually endless.

Of course the possibilities of water don’t stop with its liquid form. Some of the most amazing works of water art, architecture and sculpture have been done in snow or ice. From massive sculptures and monumental buildings to detailed ice carvings and delicate snow designs, water has at least as much potential at sub-zero than above-zero temperatures. Click to learn and see more about each work of water, snow and ice art:

: Underwater Sculpture Park Art Installation

: Liquid Sculpture Water Drop Art

: Monumental Spiral Jetty Water Art

: Naturally Musical Submarine Sea Organ

: Water Flames – Liquid Photoshop Art

: Flowing Pixels – Cartoon Water Art

: Ice and Snow Palace and Festival

: Creative Snow Sculptures and Structures

: Creative Ice Art and Sculpture

: The Largest Snowman in the World

: Animated Japanese Waterfall Picture Show

: Water-and-Time-Stopping Strobe Lights

: Wave-Powered Water Organ Instrument

: Famous Vortex Water Fountain by Pye

: Over the River Water Art Installation

: Surrounded Islands Historic Art by Christo

: River Ride and More at the Guggenheim

: Guerilla Activism Swimming Pool Painting

2012-03-03T00:23:00.001-08:00

1,000 Door Building in South Korea

South Korean artist and designer Choi Jeong-Hwa used 1,000 old doors to create an unusual ten-storey door building in South Korea.

This colorful public art installation titled “Doors” was built in Soeul back in 2009 and I’m pretty sure it holds the record for the most doors in a single building. The building looks really cool, however I would be scared navigating inside it – one wrong door and you’re flying.

“In 1989. I couldn’t really draw so I didn’t think I could become a painter, but I really liked walking. So I used to walk between streets and narrow alleys and discover garbage piles and construction sites. I realized that “normal” people built and created things better than artists or professionals. Plus, what they were making was more natural. I decided against becoming an artist and decided instead to be an ordinary person who thinks like an artist”, said Choi in his interview to The Creators Project.

2012-03-03T00:07:00.001-08:00

House of the Week 130: Solid & Voids

This is a modern three story Residence in Filothei, Athens, by Gem Architects. The carved volume of the house creates covered terraces and shades to the windows. Constructed of black lava stone and thin wooden louvers the details offer protection to the open and naturally ventilated interiors.

2012-03-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

On the Boards : Dalian Library & Media Centre

The competition entry for the Dalian Library & Media Centre was conceived by 10 Design to be a transformative environment that pulls visitors into a unique landscape. The 55,400 m² building weaves to create a series of courtyards and topographic undulations forming a bold urban landmark. The mass is shaped by dynamic and expansive views toward to the surrounding sea and mountains. The metal proposed for the façade will be a dark grey brass that will develop a rich patina over time and will have natural resistance to the harsh marine conditions.

2012-03-02T23:58:00.000-08:00

House of the Week 132: Casa Paredes Tres Ocho

Designed by Mexican Architect Hernandez Silva, Casa Parades Tres Ocho in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Mexico. The two-story tropical moderne residence attempts to veil itself from the climatically harsh and public exterior. The house utilizes different textures and materials in their natural state - concrete, glass, wood, lava stone and water, to create varying levels of transparencies. Internally, spaces are linked by two circulation spines that cross over large voids within the large container.

conceptual architecture of 2011

2012-03-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

designboom's top ten most viewed conceptual architecture of 2011

this year's top ten most viewed conceptual architecture projects of 2011 give us a glimpse into the future of design in the urban and rural context.
massive iconic structures will incorporate themselves into barren environments creating new spaces filled with energy and the spirit of the individual.
conscious of sustainability and growth trends, these buildings have incorporated methods to offset the destructive nature the construction will have on the site.
as architects continue to push the envelope with technology, concepts and forms, the future looks to be a world filled with projects by forward thinking visionaries
such as zaha hadid, foster + partners, BIG architects and MVDRV.

1. 'solo houses' by pezo von ellrichshausen architects

encapsulating emerging architects design philosophies within a 200m2 vacation home, this year's solo houses series features
chile-based perzo von ellrichshausen architects, monolithic concrete form rises above the landscape providing unobstructed views of the matarranya region of spain.

matarranya, spain
image © solohouses

2. '21st century oasis' by sou fujimoto architects

taking the first place in the taiwan tower international competition for taichung city, taiwan, this proposal is a structure that will become a symbolic landmark and
urban retreat. with a green rooftop 'island' floating 300 meters above the city its shape is derived from the trunk of the taiwanese banyan tree.
the ornate structure will frame a semi-outdoor interior space reintroducing the beauty of nature into the urban fabric.

taichung city, taiwan
image courtesy of taiwan tower international competition + sou fujimoto architects

3. 'st. petersburg pier' by BIG architects

this master plan will organize and harmonize a variety of individual events along a network of paths. the iconic pier structure will gradually merge into
the waters of tampa bay, USA, containing a 'tributary park' that will host native plants of diverse color schemes highlighting the programmatic sectors including a museum, observation deck, playground and forested areas.

st. petersburg, florida
image courtesy of the st. petersburg design competition, image © BIG architects

4. 'kuwait international airport' by foster + partners

this state-of-the-art terminal building intends to provide ultimate comfort despite its positioning within the arid desert amidst one of the hottest habitable climates on earth.
the trefoil plan will accommodate the projected increased influx of transient visitors, growing from an initial 13 million to over 25 million per year with
future development to accommodate 50 million annual travelers.

kuwait
image © foster + partners

5. 'barcelona rock' by UGO architecture

a hostel in the mountainous region outside barcelona, spain, this project stands 100 meters tall, conceived for the international competition 'bohemian hostel for backpackers.'
containing 50 rooms, a swimming pool, spa, gym, cinema, pub and small climbing wall for beginners, the space aims to become both a symbol for the city and a welcoming,
place for young travelers.

barcelona, spain
image courtesy of UGO architecture

6. 'national gallery of greenland' by BIG architects

conceived as a projection of a geometrically perfect circle on the sloped site, the new 3000 m2 museum is a courtyard building that combines a comprehensive layout with
a sensitive adaption to the landscape. the resulting form resembles a melted ring that follows the natural topography to imply the metaphor of a glacier.

nuuk, greenland
image courtesy of bjarke ingels group

7. 'NYbillboard' by prechteck

this proposal for a new urban structure in manhattan, USA, recognizes the necessity for architects to address the issues of density and sustainability within the city.
the design seeks to recognize the conventional solution of a high-rise by creating a horizontal layer that provides elevated links between towers.
distinguished by a crystal-like skin, the project serves as a gateway to brooklyn, liberty and staten island.

manhattan, new york, USA
image courtesy of prechteck

8. 'apple campus' by foster + partners

situated on a plot measuring approximately 708,200 m2, the new apple headquarters located in a suburb in santa clara county, USA, will accommodate 13 000 employees,
housing offices, an auditorium, research facilities and a generating plant for the campus' electricity. aiming to provide a unified headquarters that promotes collaboration and communication, the building is a simple circle form that has been extruded to four stories above grade to maintain a human-scaled sense of space.

cupertino, california, USA
image © foster + partners, apple inc.

9. 'china comic and animation museum' by MVRDV

the application of one of the most iconic cartoon motifs - the speech bubble - allows this building to be instantly recognized as a place for comics, animation and cartoons.
composed of eight balloon shaped volumes, the design looks to create a complex measuring 30,000 m2. the proposal is part of a larger master plan that will include a series of parks, a public plaza and an expo center in the hangzhou area of china.

hangzhou, china
image © MVRDV

10. 'hongqiao soho / linkong economic park' by zaha hadid

located within the great hongqiao business zone in shanghai, china, this is the second building complex designed by zaha hadid for the largest property developers in the city.
conceived as a meandering ribbon-like form, the design aims to bring together the surrounding community with this mixed-use 'park'.
iconic and bold the design creates a series of dynamic spaces that reflect the energy of the city, standing out from other neighboring plots with a highly visible identity.

shanghai, china
image courtesy of zaha hadid architects

Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi

2012-03-01T07:00:00.002-08:00

Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi

It was decided in the Delhi Durbar of 1911 that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. Thus was born the city of Delhi, designed by the great architect Edwin Lutyens, along with Herbert Baker. It took approximately 20 years and 15 million pounds to build New Delhi. Built as the Viceral Lodge, Delhi Rashtrapati Bhawan comprises of four floors and 340 rooms. Now known as the President House of New Delhi, it is spread over an area of approximately 200,000-sq-feet. It took 18 years to construct this building and on the on the 18th year of its completion, India became independent.

The Jaipur Column, a gift from the Maharaja of Jaipur, stands at a height of 145 m in the middle of the main court in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Another one of the impressive features of the Delhi Rashtrapati Bhawan comprises of the outstandingly beautiful Mughal Gardens. Then, at the base of the building, is a spacious square, known as the Vijay Chowk. The massive neo-Buddhist copper dome of the President House of New Delhi is splendid and can be seen even from a distance of a kilometer. Underneath this fabulous dome is the circular Durbar Hall, housing the Viceroy's throne, measuring almost 22.8 m in diameter. Before the National Museum was completed, it served as a museum for a number of years. All the official ceremonies such as the swearing in of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Members of Parliament, etc., take place in this hall only. Also, the Arjuna Awards for Excellence are awarded by the President from here itself. On the ground floor of the Rashtrapati Bhavan are a number of state apartments. Then, there is the State Drawing Room, State Ballroom, State Dining Room and a number of other such rooms inside the building. The Delhi Rashtrapati Bhawan consists of 54 bedrooms, along with additional accommodation for guests.

Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the Rashtrapati or the President of India. Prior to Indian Independence, this great palace belonged to the Viceroy and was known as the Viceroy House. The huge palace belonged to the Viceroy of India till the year 1950.

About the Rashtrapati Bhavan:

Rashtrapati Bhavan is a major attraction of Delhi. It is a marvelous structure built with the purpose of sheltering the head of the state. This humongous monument has been a piece of attraction not only to the people of India but also tourists from all over the world. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is splendor with its different architectural designs and styles. The monument has the Mughal architectural designs, Persian art forms,Indian designs and the European architectural styles as well.Located in the Raisina Hills, this monument is the main eye candy of New Delhi.

History of Rashtrapati Bhavan

After Calcutta was removed as the capital of British India, Delhi was chosen as the next capital. British Government chose Delhi as its ruling capital and devised plans to adorn the city with some offices and a palace for the Viceroy. To put these plans into action, the official architect of the British Government, Edwin Landseer Lutyens was summoned. He and Herbert Baker designed the Viceroy Home or what is known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Initially, these two renowned architects of the British Government started their work on the Rashtrapati Bhavan on good terms, but later they got into arguments.

Inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan:

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the biggest residence of the Head of the State in the world. It not only has a spectacular exterior, but is adorned with beauties on its interiors too. The Rashtrapati Bhavan consists of 340 rooms and is a four storied building. The building is built with stone and bricks. It has an attractive dome shaped roof which is peaked at the top of the building. There were chajjas, stone water basins, jaalis and so on, which indicates the use of Indian style of architecture in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Although, the dome of the building is said to have been influenced by Roman architecture, it indicates an influence of the famous Sanchi Stupa.

The temple bells adorned at the pillars of the Rashtrapati Bhavan also indicates the presence of Indian style of designs at this great monument.

Main wings of Rashtrapati Bhavan:

The main areas of the Rashtrapati Bhavan are:

The State Library
The State Drawing Room
The Private Apartments
The State Dining Room
The State Ballroom

Hotels near the Rashtrapati Bhavan:

Some of the hotels around the famous Rashtrapati Bhavan are:

The Metropolitan Hotel
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Taj Palace Hotel
Sri Nanak Continental
InterContinental The Grand

Visit to this amazing monument in Delhi is a must. You may not be allowed to explore the interiors of this great palace. But you can certainly have a look at this splendid Rashtrapati Bhavan from far. This beautiful President Palace looks the best at night and when decorated on National events like, Independence Day and Republic Day.

2012-02-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Gaps Between Interior Design and Architecture

Henry Hildebrandt

“ ‘Imaginary’ universes are so much more beautiful than this
stupidly constructed ‘real’ one,” wrote English mathematician
G. H. Hardy, more than 60 years ago.
Hardy was acknowledging the messy business of figuring out the complexity of the world we think we know and live in with the world we don’t fully understand; a world of abstraction involved with the interrelationships of particle theory as the smallest component and seemingly ordered system of the cosmos. The dilemma of modern physics and the more disputed concepts of contemporary metaphysics in explaining our world is, in many ways, similar to the confusion between the terms interior design and interior architecture. Both imply the act of designing within either a building or a space and have been adopted to differentiate unique foci of work of the interior environment. But the free use of the terms and the casual interchangeability of them by both professionals and academics establish a confused state that creates ambivalence in the conceptual framework of this specialized design focus. This is a between and in-between situation producing a disparity of clearly defined roles and services for the comprehensive design of an interior environment; a complexity of space, human experiences, and comfort.
A critical need in both architecture and interior design is to realize that their roles, methodologies, and service expectations are continually evolving within a shifting social, economic, and political culture. As such, a professional stature develops within a dynamic state of examination and critical re-examination related to a professional culture, economic system, and contemporary social value system. This specialized status of professionalism is buttressed by an intellectual rigor and continual evaluation of its theory and process. Equally important is the fundamental requirement of ongoing examination to facilitate interrelated participants in a setting conducive to sharing and clarifying current issues that impact all design related professions and professionals dedicated to the environments that exist within and around the building shell and the particular architectural condition.
Traditionally, the disciplines of architecture and interior design view themselves as distinctive and singular; being both boundary-tied by professional legislation as well as seeing themselves as offering specialized service roles. This is reinforced by a protective “turf mentality” advanced and guarded by their respective professional and licensure organizations. While the line between services appears simplistically clear to the public—architecture is about mostly the outside of buildings, interior design directs itself to the inside—the complexity of an in-between ‘interior architecture’ obscures this view. What should be clear (and is to a small number of professionals, academics, and journalists) is there is a new set of circumstances in contemporary society that demands a shift in thinking: new problems require new approaches for creative solutions.
If we understand that the goal of design is to make our world better, disciplinary boundaries melt away and territorial squabbling dissolves. What emerges is a common core of design knowledge and a design methodology of problem solving geared toward analytical (problem definition) and outcome processes (problem solving) connected to human and environmental needs. This core is layered with communication skills sets that are both particular to individual design disciplines and shared between them. This common language provides for the transfer of abstract conceptual thought (and symbolic content) to a practical and applied language understood by practitioners and /or by the public on several levels. Legitimacy for each discipline is then validated on understanding of the broader parameters and the specific use-needs to be served. Architecture, interior architecture and interior design are now subsets together with graphic, industrial, landscape design, and so on—of an activity focused to solving problems for individuals and their collective societies to house, enhance, and prepare for a better future.
But the need for clarity on what differentiates interior design from interior architecture is a critical question to avoid confusion and misrepresentation in professional roles and academic curricula structures. Most importantly, this issue needs to be grounded in a forum to bring moral legitimacy to these design activities in separating their use from a serious, well guided use linked to finding optimal design solutions from a consumer marketing objective removed from the actual concept or service to be purchased.

2012-02-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

Technology & Money

This story starts in the 1850s with the founding of Western Union Telegraph and the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution.

When Morse was approaching his eightieth birthday it was felt among the telegraph fraternity at Western Union that a formal testimonial in the U.S. should be given to honor him - Saturday, June 10th, 1871 Morses final message was:

" Greeting and thanks to the Telegraph fraternity throughout the world.
Glory to God in the Highest, on Earth Peace, Goodwill to men."

S ... F .-. B -... M -- O . . R . .. S ... E .
Ezra Cornell’s story is the story of the telegraph in America. Always confident of its great commercial future, he enthusiastically demonstrated it, enlisted capital, and built lines. Although doing so frequently left his family destitute, he always took a large part of his pay in stocks, and invested in the first telegraph company, which connected New York and Washington. He built lines from the Hudson to Philadelphia and from New York to Albany, as well as lines in New York, Vermont and Quebec, and west to Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee. He was involved in the rapid construction of subsidiary lines, especially in the midwest, where the telegraph preceded rather than followed the railroad.
The early days of the telegraph industry were tumultuous. Many companies were formed, operated briefly and died. Stronger companies managed to survive despite conflicts, deception, and numerous lawsuits. Service on the hastily built lines was frequently unreliable. In 1851, the New York & Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company was organized in Rochester by Hiram Sibley and others, with the goal of creating one great system with unified and efficient operations. Meanwhile, Cornell had bought back one of his bankrupt companies and renamed it the New York & Western Union Telegraph Company. Originally fierce competitors, by 1855 both groups were finally convinced that consolidation was their only alternative for progress. The merged company was named The Western Union Telegraph Company at Cornell’s insistence. Western Union rapidly expanded operations to most parts of the United States and Canada. While Cornell now took a less active role, he continued to have great faith in the telegraph. He held on to his Western Union stock, and for more than fifteen years was the company’s largest stockholder.

via: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Ezra-exhibit/EC-life/EC-life-6.html

Western Union bought out smaller companies rapidly, and by 1860 its lines reached from the East Coast to the Mississippi River, and from the Great Lakes to the Ohio River. In 1861 it opened the first transcontinental telegraph. In 1865 it formed the Russian American Telegraph in an attempt to link America to Europe, via Alaska, into Siberia, to Moscow. (This project was abandoned in 1867.) The company enjoyed phenomenal growth during the next few years. Its capitalization rose from $385,700 in 1858 to $41 million in 1876. However it was top-heavy with stock issues, and faced growing competition from several firms, especially the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company—itself taken over by financier Jay Gould in 1875. In 1881 Gould took control of Western Union.

It introduced the first stock ticker in 1866, and a standardized time service in 1870. The next year, 1871, the company introduced its money transfer service, based on its extensive telegraph network. In 1879, Western Union left the telephone business, having lost a patent lawsuit with Bell Telephone Company. As the telephone replaced the telegraph, money transfer would become its primary business.
When the Dow Jones Transportation Average stock market index for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) was created in 1884, Western Union was one of the original eleven all-American companies tracked.
By 1900 Western Union operated a million miles of telegraph lines and two international cables.

via: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Union

Image: Cornell 1910 via: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rummell,_Richard_Cornell_University.jpg
In 1862 the Morrill Land Grant Act had been passed, appropriating public lands to aid state agricultural and mechanical colleges. By 1864, Cornell’s family, his personal philanthropies, and the Public Library required only a small part of his considerable fortune. He had been elected to the New York State Senate, where he made the acquaintance of Andrew Dickson White of Syracuse. Through discussions with White, the idea of a university grew in Cornell’s mind. When the Legislature met in 1865, White introduced a bill in the Senate “to establish the Cornell University and to appropriate to it the income of the sale of public lands granted to this State.” After much political maneuvering, the bill was passed in the Assembly on April 21, in the Senate on April 22, and was signed by Governor Reuben E. Fenton on April 27. The first meeting of the Board of Trustees was held on April 28. Cornell endowed the university through an outright gift of $500,000, to which would be added the sum realized by Cornell’s purchase of the Morrill land scrip from the state.
Cornell was closely involved in all aspects of the new university. He superintended construction and purchased equipment, books, and collections. On October 7, 1868, Inauguration Day, 412 students, the largest entering class admitted to any American college up to that time, came to Ithaca. Cornell gave a brief address, concluding with the University’s newly adopted motto: “Finally, I trust we have laid the foundation of an University—an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”

via: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Ezra-exhibit/EC-life/EC-life-11.html

The second story of wealth & philanthropy

LVMH to Buy Duty-Free Empire for $2.47 Billion
NYT Published: October 30, 1996

LVMH Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton, the French luxury goods conglomerate, has signed an agreement to buy a controlling interest in DFS Group Ltd., the lucrative empire of duty free shops, for $2.47 billion, DFS announced yesterday.
But Robert W. Miller, the high-flying billionaire who holds a 38.75 percent stake in DFS, is seeking to block the sale of the stake by his longtime partner and co-founder of the company, Charles F. Feeney, and Alan M. Parker, the company’s tax lawyer. Together they own 58 percent.

via: http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/30/business/lvmh-to-buy-duty-free-empire-for-2.47-billion.html?ref=charlesffeeney

Rumpled by habit, limping on old knees, smiling faintly after a night of celebration, Chuck Feeney stepped out of a building on Park Avenue Monday night and vanished, carried away on a river of passing strangers who knew nothing about him. Perfectly disguised as an ordinary man, Mr. Feeney, one of the most generous and secretive philanthropists of modern times, had dropped from sight once again. It is a skill he mastered over decades.
Last year, the foundation Mr. Feeney created, the Atlantic Philanthropies, gave $458 million in grants around the world, more than any United States charity except two, the Ford and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations. Atlantic, and small predecessors also started by Mr. Feeney, have given $4 billion since 1982; the plan is to give away the remaining assets — now $4 billion, but growing every day — by 2017.
Despite this record, Mr. Feeney is little known, a result of the web of intrigues that he fashioned to disguise his identity, his wealth and his giving. Atlantic does not appear in the annual rankings of the biggest American philanthropies because it was set up in Bermuda, to avoid the disclosures required in the United States. A rare glimpse of Mr. Feeney’s story emerged a decade ago during a business dispute, but he quickly disappeared from the news.
Now, however, Mr. Feeney, who is 76 years old and grew up in Elizabeth, N.J., is stepping out from behind his veil. He cooperated with a biographer, the journalist Conor O’Clery, whose book, “The Billionaire Who Wasn’t,” is being published by PublicAffairs. In it, he describes how Mr. Feeney and his partners went into business nearly 50 years ago selling five-pack boxes of liquor to American sailors in ports around Europe, and expanded into a worldwide empire of duty-free airport shops — often one quick step ahead of police or immigration authorities.

via: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/nyregion/26about.html?ref=charlesffeeney

It is also reported: Then, by the use of off-shore cutout corporations, he gained anonymity to pursue his philanthropic goals. To further protect his identity, he did not even take a tax deduction for his charitable contributions.

For a great read of the History of DFS Group Ltd read more here:
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/DFS-Group-Ltd-company-History.html

2012-02-29T07:59:00.006-08:00

A stylish apartment

This past weekend I had the pleasure of having dinner with DC based designer Sally Steponkus in her charming apartment. She graciously allowed me to take a few pictures with my camera phone to share with you.Sally's apartment shows her loves very strongly, as everyone's home should. Greek key trims, chinoiserie touches, inspiring design books and art of Venice fill the space.It's always fun to go to a friend's house and see they have so many of the same books as you!I loved this bowl of seashells on a sidetable as a reminder of past vacations.Two 60's club chairs from her childhood home have been recovered in a neutral linen as a great update. Notice the chinoiserie throw pillows added for comfort (and flair). The pineapple lamps do a great job of separating the dining room from the seating area as well as light the space in a beautiful way.

Her dining table doubles as an entry console when not in use. I loved the turquoise Spitzmiller lamp and greek key placemats.And I can't forget the delicious shortribs served on her grandmother's china for dinner which hit the spot on a cold evening. Thanks for a wonderful evening, Sally!

Early American House Styles

2012-02-29T07:52:00.005-08:00

Even if your house is brand new, it draws inspiration from the past. This simple guide traces important housing styles from Colonial to modern times. Learn how houses have changed over the centuries, and discover interesting facts about the design influence that helped shape your own home.

Early American House Styles

Colonial Architecture in the New World

The pilgrims weren't the only people to settle in North America. Between 1600 and 1800, men and women poured in from many parts of the world, including Germany, France, Spain, and Latin America. Each group brought their own cultures and architectural traditions.

Using locally available materials, the colonists built what they could and tried to meet the challenges posed by the climate and landscape of the new country. They constructed the types of homes they remembered, but they also innovated and, at times, learned new building techniques from Native Americans. As the country grew, these early settlers developed not one, but many, uniquely American styles.

Centuries later, builders borrowed ideas from early American architecture to create Colonial Revival and Neo-colonial styles. So, even if your house is brand new, it may express the spirit of the America's colonial days. Look for features of these early American house styles:

1. New England Colonial

Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington, Connecticut, circa 1720. Photo by Staib/CC Share-Alike

1600s - 1740
The first British settlers in New England built timber-frame dwellings like the ones they had known in their home country. There's a medieval flavor to the enormous chimneys and diamond-pane windows found on many of these homes. Because the British colonists built with wood, only a few of their houses remain intact today. Still, you'll find charming New England Colonial features incorporated into modern-day Neo-Colonial homes.

2. German Colonial

De Turck House in Oley, PA. LOC photo by Charles H. Dornbusch, AIA, 1941

1600s - mid-1800s
When Germans traveled to North America, they settled in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. Stone was plentiful and the German colonists constructed sturdy homes with thick walls, exposed timbering, and hand-hewn beams. This historic photo shows the De Turck House in Oley, Pennsylvania, built in 1767.

Learn About German Colonial Houses

3. Spanish Colonial

Colonial Quarter in St. Augustine, Florida. Photo by Flickr Member Gregory Moine/CC 2.0

1600 - 1900
You may have heard the term Spanish Colonial used to describe elegant stucco homes with fountains, courtyards, and elaborate carvings. Those picturesque houses are actually romantic Spanish Colonial revivals. Early explorers from Spain, Mexico, and Latin America built rustic homes out of wood, adobe, crushed shells, or stone. Earth, thatch, or red clay tiles covered low, flat roofs. Few original Spanish Colonial homes remain, but wonderful examples have been preserved or restored in St. Augustine, Florida. Travel through California and the American Southwest and you'll also find Pueblo homes that combine Hispanic styling with Native American ideas.

Learn About Spanish Colonial Houses

4. Dutch Colonial

Philipsburg Manor House in Sleepyhollow, NY dates from 1693. Photo by Clifford's Photography/CC 2.0

1625 - mid-1800s
Like the German colonists, Dutch settlers brought building traditions from their home country. Settling mainly in New York State, they built brick and stone houses with rooflines that echoed the architecture of the Netherlands. You can recognize the Dutch Colonial style by the gambrel roof. Dutch Colonial became a popular revival style, and you'll often see 20th century homes with the characteristic rounded roof.

Learn About Dutch Colonial Houses

5. Cape Cod

Historic Cape Cod house in Sandwich, New Hampshire. Photo @ Jackie Craven

1690 - mid-1800s

A Cape Cod house is actually a type of New England Colonial. Named after the spit of land where the Pilgrims first dropped anchor, Cape Cod houses are one-story structures designed to withstand cold and snow. Centuries later, builders embraced the practical, economical Cape Cod shape for budget housing in suburbs across the USA. Even today this no-nonsense style suggests cozy comfort. Browse our collection of Cape Cod house pictures to see historic and contemporary versions of the style.

Learn About Cape Cod Houses

6. Georgian Colonial

Georgian Colonial House. Photo courtesy Patrick Sinclair

1690s - 1830
As the thirteen original colonies prospered, more affluent families built refined homes that imitated the Georgian architecture of Great Britain. Named after English kings, a Georgian house is tall and rectangular with an orderly row windows symmetrically arranged on the second story. During the late 1800s and first half of the 20th century, many Colonial Revival homes echoed the regal Georgian style.

7. French Colonial

French colonial plantation home. Photo cc Alvaro Prieto

1700s - 1800s
While the English, Germans, and Dutch were building a new nation along the eastern shores of North America, French colonists settled in the Mississippi Valley, especially in Louisiana. French Colonial homes are an eclectic mix, combining European ideas with practices learned from Africa, the Caribbean, and the West Indies. Designed for the hot, swampy region, traditional French Colonial homes are raised on piers. Wide, open porches (called galleries) connect the interior rooms.

8. Federal and Adam

1780 - 1840
Federalist architecture marks the end of the colonial era in the newly-formed United States. Americans wanted to build homes and government buildings that expressed the ideals of their new country and also conveyed elegance and prosperity. Borrowing Neoclassical ideas from a Scottish family of designers--the Adam brothers--prosperous landowners constructed fancier versions of the austere Georgian Colonial style. These homes, which may be called Federal or Adam, were given porticoes, balustrades, fanlights, and other decorations.

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CRAFTSMAN STYLE

Reaching the height of its popularity in the first decades of the 20th century, the
Craftsman style in America was informed by both European and Japanese architectural
design. The Craftsman style and the Arts and Crafts movement, of which Craftsman was
a part, hearkened back to medieval times, when the creative labor of human beings rather
than the constant hum of machinery was the driving force behind the built environment
and craft objects. The Craftsman movement would reinvigorate handicraft, return the
skilled artisan to a position of respect, and serve as a reminder that honest labor could be
joyful rather than dehumanizing. In England the Arts and Crafts movement originated
with such thinkers and architects as John Ruskin, William Morris, C.R.Ashbee, and
M.H.Baillie-Scott. On the Continent, Craftsman buildings tended to use more masonry
than wood, to incorporate tiled roofs, and to use half-timbered exterior ornamentation
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with Tudor overtones. The American Arts and Crafts movement drew on these influences
while adapting itself to liberal capitalism and the varying climates and landscapes of the
United States. The movement and its design principles were popularized through such
publications as Gustav Stickley’s magazine The Craftsman. In contrast to the Victorian buildings that
preceded them, Craftsman structures eschewed applied ornamentation in favor of the
natural beauty of construction materials and a simplicity of line. Perhaps the greatest
irony of this preference for simplicity and honesty of materials was the reality that much
Craftsman joinery, in both architecture and furniture, was extremely elaborate and
difficult to execute.
The Craftsman style reached its fullest expression mainly in domestic rather than
public buildings. The style was characterized by the use of natural building materials,
such as brick, stone, and regionally available woods. A hallmark of Craftsman design was
the use of exposed joinery on both the exterior and the interior of buildings, an art
arguably brought to its most dra-matic realization in the Blacker House (1907) and
Gamble House (1908), designed by Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene in
Pasadena, California. It is in the work of the Greenes that the Japanese influence on the
Craftsman style is most apparent, particularly in the roof supports, lanterns, and reflecting
pool on the rear terrace. In addition to natural building materials and exposed joinery,
Craftsman domestic structures generally featured low-pitched roofs that served to anchor
the buildings to their surrounding landscape. Even the three-story Gamble House appears
relatively low to the ground. In addition the tasteful use of stained and art glass as well as
prominent fireplaces (often incorporating handmade tiles as a decorative element)
surrounded by inglenooks or seating areas were components of the style. The homes
typically (although not universally) worked toward an open plan, minimizing obstacles
between rooms. Craftsman style was also characterized by a belief in comprehensive
design where it was possible. In homes designed for wealthy clients by Frank Lloyd
Wright and the Greene brothers, for example, furniture, lighting fixtures, textiles, and
accessories were all designed as integral parts of the domestic space rather than as
afterthoughts.
In the United States the work of the Greene brothers is perhaps most frequently
associated with the Craftsman style at its best. Indeed, David P.Handlin (1979) has
argued that California was the most active region of the country for Arts and Crafts
design. The Greenes’ “Ultimate Bungalows” in Pasadena and additional projects
throughout the state, such as the Thorsen House (1908) in Berkeley, provide the bestpreserved
and most fully articulated examples of the style. Peter Davey describes the
Greenes’ style as one “in which complexity was built up from elements of great
simplicity, an architecture of timber in which beam was piled upon beam, rafter upon
rafter to form ordered nests of smooth sticks with great overhanging eaves and projecting
balconies to provide shade from the sun. Every member and every joint is made explicit”
(1980, 212). Craftsman-style buildings on the West Coast tended to draw on the work of
the Greenes and on Stickley’s Craf tsman designs, incorporating more wood than stone, including
shingles, and ample porches enhanced with rough stones or masonry.
In addition to the Greenes, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style is recognized as a part
of the Arts and Crafts movement despite the visible differences between Wright’s designs
and those of other Craftsman architects. While the Greenes were busy on the West Coast,
Wright was changing domestic architecture in the Midwest. His own home and studio
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(1889) in Oak Park, Illinois, exhibit many of the features described previously, such as
the tasteful use of art glass, prominence of natural woods, and fireplace inglenook.
Further, Wright’s Robie House (1906–09) in Chicago demonstrates the clean horizontal
lines, spectacular woodwork, free-flowing space, and dramatic central fireplace which
were key elements of Wright’s Prairie style. An excellent example of the Craftsman style
applied to a public building is Bernard Maybeck’s First Church of Christ Scientist (1909–
11) in Berkeley. The exposed brackets supporting the low-pitched roof and dramatic
windows exemplify the Craftsman style on a large scale.
With the onset of World War I, the Arts and Crafts movement in America began to
decline in popularity. The ideals that gave rise to the movement were losing their appeal
for many, and the allure of mass-produced housing components made pos sible in part
through the advances of wartime construction became increasingly hard to resist. The
simplicity of the Arts and Crafts movement was gradually replaced by the even more
simplified International Style, with its clean lines and blank facades. Even so, in almost
any town in the country, one can still feel the influence of the Craftsman style and its
domestic architectural ideals.

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The Blue Planet, Kastrup

The Blue Planet

Location : Kastrup

Client : The Blue Planet Building foundation

( Realdonia , Knud HΦjgaards Fond , Tarnby Kommune )

Architect : 3XN

Project Date : 2008

Status : Ongoing

Completion Date : 2013

Project Floor space : 9000 Sq.M.

Cost : 85,000,000 Euros.

Function : Aquirium.

The blue planet, the new aquarium designed by 3XN, will be a key attraction in Φresund . Its shape is inspired by a 3D-whirlpool. Walls and roof form a continuum creating a wave-like profile. Its sinuous convexity follows the undulating landscape, tailing off to disappear underground. The design deliberately intends to build visitors expectations about whats inside. They will have the sensation of being swept up bya vortex and transported to an underwater world. The feeling of being in a different universe starts right from the entrance hall for the glazed roof is also the bottom of an enormous fish tank.

The sky and sunrays filter through the water and onto the foyer walls and floor. This is the Round Room, pivotal point of the aquarium and the start of an adventure of discovery.

Externally , the low =level volume rising only a few meters above the ground blends effortless less into the low-laying landscape near the sea. The blue planet has been designed to accommodate possible future extensions without jeopardizing its original sculptural structure.