Architecture Addiction, The Official Blog of

by Katy Purviance on 05/30/10 @ 09:45:54 am
Categories: Events, Building | 397 words | 309 views

Biblical in origin, the sukkah is an ephemeral, elemental shelter, erected for one week each fall, in which it is customary to share meals, entertain, sleep, and rejoice.

Ostensibly the sukkah’s religious function is to commemorate the temporary structures that the Israelites dwelled in during their exodus from Egypt, but it is also about universal ideas of transience and permanence as expressed in architecture. The sukkah is a means of ceremonially practicing homelessness, while at the same time remaining deeply rooted. It calls on us to acknowledge the changing of the seasons, to reconnect with an agricultural past, and to take a moment to dwell on–and dwell in–impermanence.

Historically, the sukkah’s permanent recurrence is not as a monument, archetype, or typology, but as a set of precise parameters. The basic constraints seem simple: the structure must be temporary, have at least two and a half walls, be big enough to contain a table, and have a roof made of shade-providing organic materials through which one can see the stars. Yet a deep dialogue of historical texts intricately refines and interprets these constraints–arguing, for example, for a 27 x 27 x 38-inch minimum volume; for a maximum height of 30 feet; for walls that cannot sway more than one handbreadth; for a mineral and botanical menagerie of construction materials; and even, in one famous instance, whether it is kosher to adaptively reuse a recently deceased elephant as a wall. (It is.) The paradoxical effect of these constraints is to produce a building that is at once new and old, timely and timeless, mobile and stable, open and enclosed, homey and uncanny, comfortable and critical.

‘Sukkah City: New York City’ will re-imagine this ancient phenomenon, develop new methods of material practice and parametric design, and propose radical possibilities for traditional design constraints in a contemporary urban site. Twelve finalists will be selected by a panel of celebrated architects, designers, and critics to be constructed in a visionary village in Union Square Park from September 19-21, 2010.

One structure will be chosen by New Yorkers to stand and delight throughout the week-long festival of Sukkot as the Official Sukkah of New York City. The process and results of the competition, along with construction documentation and critical essays, will be published in the forthcoming book “Sukkah City: Radically Temporary Architecture for the Next Three Thousand Years.”

Register by July 1
Enter by August 1

Find out more

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/25/10 @ 12:51:33 pm
Categories: Videos | 5 words | 295 views

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/24/10 @ 12:47:56 pm
Categories: Videos | 3 words | 456 views

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/20/10 @ 12:43:23 pm
Categories: Grad School, Videos | 819 words | 369 views

What’s your favorite structure on campus? It’s a logical question to ask August Miller, an outstanding graduating senior in architectural studies.

Miller diverges from the norm when asked to name a preferred MU landmark. Most students point to Jesse Hall, Memorial Union or the Columns as most-attractive features, but Miller waxes poetic about the Life Sciences Center, added in 2004.

He likes the building’s sweeping lines, functional space, light-filled atrium and the ground-floor walkway that invites visitors to stroll through the building.

Miller may be slightly prejudiced in his pick because he has a special connection to the architectural firm that designed the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center.

After a national search, Anshen + Allen architects selected Miller for a prestigious internship for spring semester 2009 at the international company’s headquarters in San Francisco.

Miller worked on in-design and under-construction projects with the educational-facilities team, including a dormitory renovation for the University of California—Santa Cruz. Interns typically serve at the whim of an architect as an extra pair of hands to do the work.

“August was more than just an intern,” says Al Lee, senior project director. “He was a junior member of the team and able to handle real drafting assignments. We treated him as a team member. Lots of interns come, and it’s a hand-holding session. He required very little attention. He’s self-initiated and understands quickly.”

Drawn to design

Miller knew when he applied for the internship it was unlikely he would be chosen. It’s difficult for students from small programs (MU architectural studies has seven full-time faculty members) to compete successfully against students from schools with 60 to 70 faculty members. But he was determined to try.

Creating designs that evolve is Miller’s normal operating procedure. He worked at least 40 hours on a portfolio for the internship application, then spent another month making changes.

“Clearly, August is the standout student in the department,” says Ronald Phillips, associate professor of architectural studies. “His strength is he’s an incredible diagnostician. He has an unbelievable way of looking at the world and has the skills to match.”

Faculty members and fellow Mizzou students consider Miller a young man of few words who doesn’t make a big deal of his achievements. He’s not much on social activities or athletics either, so as attractive as the new Student Recreation Complex is, he doesn’t spend much time there.

Class time and free time are pretty much the same for Miller, who prefers to work on his architectural designs through sketches or computer applications. “I’m a nerd. I read and draw,” he says.

He figures the constant drawing he did during classes, particularly in high school in his hometown of Springfield, Mo., may have annoyed some teachers. But the sketching — an intersection of mathematics and art — keeps him focused.

Miller’s notebook demonstrates artistic talent mixed with architectural form. There are pages of details of curves and angles; views of chairs with u-shaped backs; intricate metal work; roofs with solar panels; soaring vertical lines on exterior walls; a pavilion for outdoor classes; and complete buildings with topography.

He likes the whole problem-solving process of architectural studies. What could be more fun than producing designs to fit a client’s need, staying in budget, understanding the engineering and creating a beautiful building that is structurally sound?

Building plans

Miller loved playing with building toys, particularly Legos, as a kid and may have inherited an interest in architecture from his grandfather, who drew designs for several houses in a small Alabama town.

After Miller’s high school record and national test scores brought scholarship offers, he opted for a Mizzou education, funded through Curators and Bright Flight scholarships.

By his senior year, Miller had demonstrated his ability to work independently. He received permission to do an individual capstone project rather than a studio project with several students presenting designs for a terminal building at Columbia Regional Airport.

Miller’s capstone expanded a project he had begun in 2008, an animated computer segment of a design proposal for a $30 million education and resource innovation center targeted for construction near Boonville, Missouri. Fundraisers, marketing specialists and an architectural firm already are using the animation, Phillips says.

Miller will receive a bachelor’s degree May 14 from the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences. Going from wearing a mortarboard to working in the world of brick and mortar is part of his personal master plan. He will attend the University of Cincinnati School of Architecture and Interior Design — one of several schools that accepted him into their master’s programs.

He expects to complete a degree in three years and will then follow some advice from Anshen + Allen to get back in touch.

Source

Would you like to be profiled here? Send me a YouTube link of yourself and/or your work, along with a narrative.

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/19/10 @ 04:52:37 pm
Categories: Articles | 1205 words | 744 views

Some time ago I wrote about how some developers like to plop the same kind of house down in all climates. Which is DUMB.

So I was delighted to read this article in my latest issue of Natural Home Magazine called Climate Control by Carol Venolia. It’s about the which housing typologies are approriate for different climates. THANK YOU.

In the hot Southwest, thick adobe walls help keep heat out.

The first time I flew into Honolulu, I was surprised to find buildings that could have been air-lifted from Los Angeles built on distinctly Hawaiian beaches and volcanoes. Only at tourist attractions did I see replicas of native tropical homes – raised above the ground on posts with deep overhanging roofs and air-permeable walls – designed to maximize the cooling effects of shade and breezes. Honolulu isn’t unusual. Nationwide, we’ve divorced ourselves from the specifics of climate and place through massive consumption of fossil fuels. Furnaces and air conditioners keep us warm or cool as we forget the energy-saving role of building design itself.

Before the industrial era, people built with local materials in response to local climate, topography, vegetation and culture. They looked to the sun for heat and light, augmenting it with fire. For cooling, they used shade, breezes and evaporation. This gave rise to regional styles as distinct as the Southwest’s adobe pueblos, the New England saltbox, the Southern dogtrot home and the Nebraska sod house.

“Design in response to local climate is the most powerful thing you can do to save energy and restore a sense of place,” says John S. Reynolds, professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Oregon.

Climate regions

Climate is defined by the combination of sun, wind, water and topography in a given area. In broad terms, the continental United States has four basic climate regions: cold, hot dry, hot humid, and temperate mixed.

A climate region is named for its most challenging season – for example, “hot dry” to describe the Southwestern desert. The Southwest also has cold and wet seasons, and the cold northern Midwest has hot summers. If you design to meet the greatest climatic challenge, it will take less energy to address other challenges.

Climate challenges

Your particular climate may offer additional challenges. Living near a large body of water, in a canyon, in dense forest or in hurricane country makes a difference.

Your local building codes may include climate-related criteria. Current codes typically incorporate minimum energy-efficiency standards linked to local climate challenges. A local energy-efficiency consultant can help you navigate these codes – preferably exceeding minimum standards.

Cold North

In cold northern states, the main challenge is to get heat indoors and keep it there. You need efficient heat sources, tight construction, thick insulation and solar heating. When you keep warm by preventing fresh air from entering the home, attention to indoor air quality is a must.

Passive solar heating – letting the sun shine directly onto interior thermal mass so it can radiate its stored heat when temperatures drop – is a boon in winter if your site receives sufficient sunshine. This strategy involves three main components: south-facing glass to admit midday sun; interior thermal mass (stone, earth, concrete, brick, tile or thick plaster) to store solar heat; and insulation to retain the heat.

Designing for cold climates

• For passive solar heating, get south-facing windows with a high Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, or SHGC (check labels).
• On east, north and west sides, use high-performance low-E glass to retain heat in winter and reflect solar heat in summer.
• A compact building form will minimize heat loss through exterior walls and roof.
• Deflect cold winter winds by planting windbreaks and sloping your roof low on the windward side.
• Locate the garage and storage areas to the north or on the house’s windiest side for further insulation.

Hot dry Southwest

Dry summer heat is the thing to beat in the desert. The region’s traditionally thick-walled adobes were built to keep heat out. Natural cooling and passive solar heating work well in this climate.

Designing for hot dry climates

• Shading walls, windows and even the ground surfaces around the house with trees or overhangs will minimize solar heat gain in summer. Shaded windows don’t let in direct sun, and shaded ground doesn’t reflect sunlight toward the house.
• Light-colored exterior walls and roof reflect solar heat outward.
• Use shading devices that are either movable or designed in response to the difference between the high summer sun and the low winter sun.
• Small, well-insulated skylights—especially the tubular type—save on lighting energy and avoid heat generated by light fixtures.
• Courtyards combine shading, thermal mass and evaporation to aid natural cooling.
• Adding insulation to the walls’ exterior makes the home even less subject to outdoor temperature swings.
• In a dry region, evaporation can help cool you. Place a misting hose, greenery or damp curtains between you and an incoming breeze.

Hot humid Southeast

In the Southeast, hot, muggy summers are the issue. Climate-responsive design emphasizes shading and ventilation, supported by good insulation. The same shading and reflection techniques that help in a hot dry region apply here, with special care to invite cooling breezes. Traditional Southern buildings maximized natural ventilation.

Designing for hot humid climates

• Energy-efficient paddle fans augment natural airflow; sit directly beneath them for maximum effect.
• High ceilings collect warm air away from dwellers.
• Cupolas and transom windows let hot air escape.
• Long, narrow buildings with windows on both sides are easily flushed by cooler night breezes.
• Louvered shutters admit air while blocking the sun’s heat.
• Moisture control is crucial. Make sure water vapor doesn’t condense on cold surfaces and get trapped in walls.
• Avoid vinyl wallpaper, which blocks moisture transfusion.

Temperate mixed Midwest

The challenge in the middle regions of the United States is that there isn’t an outstanding challenge; summer heat and winter cold can be equally uncomfortable. All of the strategies mentioned above may be applicable at some point.

The trick is to be able to switch between different strategies—to have what John Reynolds calls a “switch rich” house. A switch is anything that can be used in more than one position, offering different benefits. A retractable awning or operable shutters can be open or closed, depending on the season, and deciduous vines provide shade when you need it most.

Resources

Builder’s Guide to Cold Climates by Joseph Lstiburek

Builder’s Guide to Hot/Humid Climates by Joseph Lstiburek

Builder’s Guide to Mixed-Humid Climates by Joseph Lstiburek

Builder’s Guide to Hot-Dry & Mixed-Dry Climates by Joseph Lstiburek

Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies by G.Z. Brown and Mark DeKay

Climate responsive architecture: A design handbook for energy efficient buildings by Arvind Krishan, et al.

Climate Responsive Design: A Study of Buildings in Moderate and Hot Humid Climates by Richard Hyde

Climate Responsive Building: Appropriate Building Construction in Tropical and Subtropical Regions by Paul Gut

Desert architecture: Climate responsive design as a means to energy efficient homes and buildings by Pat Guthrie

The Climatic Dwelling: An Introduction to Climate-Responsive Residential Architecture (Eur (Series) by Eoin O. Cofaigh

Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight by John S. Reynolds

Source

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/18/10 @ 08:52:33 pm
Categories: Articles | 1813 words | 1227 views

I just read this article called “At Home in the Future: An Urban Warehouse Renovation” in a recent copy of Natural Home Magazine by Jessica Kellner. I thought you might like it too.

Frances Whitehead and Jim Elniski’s Chicago warehouse-turned-home is filled with artwork, antiques and oddities they have collected during world travels or inherited from family.

Frances Whitehead and Jim Elniski’s revamped warehouse home in Chicago houses an array of art and artifacts from around the world and is also a contemporary artist’s studio. Part Swiss Family Robinson tree house, part greenhouse and garden, the home integrates nearly every type of alternative energy technology available—thanks to a concept Frances coins “radical multifunctionality,” the ability to solve more than one problem at a time.

Living in a Rubik’s cube

Jim considers their home “a moving Rubik’s cube” because the spaces constantly change their relationship to each other. Inside the simple square building, rooms shift in and out of each other and around a central interior courtyard. Above the front living area, a single bedroom and half bath float on a mezzanine. At the home’s core, an outdoor courtyard spills light into a hallway leading to the ground-floor studio. From Frances’ cool, concrete-floored workshop, a winding metal staircase leads upstairs to a small guest bedroom. Outside is a greenhouse, and beyond it an extensive roof garden surrounding sleek solar panels. An outdoor boardwalk overlooks the courtyard below and connects to Jim’s bright, airy studio. Above, sculptural wind turbines rise from the green roof.

“Once we figured out that there was going to be this circulation, we also became conscious of designing different climatic experiences, different light and space experiences,” Frances says. “Downstairs, it’s sonorous and private, cool and moist. Upstairs in summer, it’s sunny and bright. It’s like a trip to the Mediterranean. There are tomatoes and cacti, and it’s sunny and hot and windswept.”

Capturing the sun

One of Frances and Jim’s motives for renovating a decades-old warehouse is to show that, with a little imagination, abandoned city buildings can be reused. In a neighborhood sitting between industrial and residential areas, their home demonstrates the elegance of reuse, the power of good design and the promise of new energy technology.

The central courtyard was crucial to the vision. As a young artist, Jim lived and worked in a small Nigerian community for a year and a half. “In Nigeria, family compounds typically have an inner place, and families live around this central area,” he says. “I also taught in Mexico and spent some time in Spain, and the inner courtyard is the breathing mechanism, and the well of light comes in there. It gives a kind of open-air container of social engagement.” In Jim and Frances’ building, the atrium is also a crucial source of interior light; tall neighboring buildings block any potential windows on the building’s long sides.

Solar panels were also a must-have. “We love the way solar panels look. We think they’re beautiful,” Frances says. “I was excited to live with them and learn with them for my own intellectual pleasure. Some people want a fur coat; for me, it’s solar panels. I think they’re a symbol of the future.”

A green home collection

While discussing with the systems engineer whether to install solar thermal collectors (for hot water) or photovoltaic panels (for electricity), Frances and Jim had a seminal moment. “We opted for one of each,” Frances says. “And as soon as we said ‘one of each,’ we thought, one of each what? What is the full range of things you could do? That’s the moment when this became a demonstration home. That’s when the light bulb went off for my husband and me. That’s when the house became an art project.”

Frances began researching sustainable building and decided to create “a complete set” of potential green building elements. “If you collected Harlequin Ware, you would want the whole set—cups, saucers, plates—and you could say you had ‘the complete set,’” she says. “This concept of the collection is something we’ve played with in our art practice.”

The complete set

Jim and Frances’ home has two types of solar panels, a green roof, geothermal heat, wind turbines, a greenhouse and a wide range of locally sourced, consciously made materials. “I tracked the miles from every source material,” Frances says. “That also kind of became a game—who is making ceramic tile here? Is it all coming from Spain or Mexico? We found glazed brick from Nebraska, tile from Ohio…we began sleuthing.”

Through Horigan Urban Forest Products, the couple sourced wood flooring from elm trees that Chicago metropolitan municipalities had to take down. For the rainwater cisterns, Frances tapped a long-term relationship with a local tank fabricator. After years of asking for help on sculptures, “we went to him and said, ‘OK, Fred, for the first time ever you get to make the thing you’re really in business to make,’” Frances says. “That was really fun—it was like the investment in this relationship with a local family business came full circle.”

Living art

Just as they transformed their home, Jim and Frances’ home transforms them.

Jim, who collaborates with human service organizations and neighborhood associations on community-based art projects, sees his home as a way to model alternative energies and engage the community. The wind turbines, solar panels and green roof are physical representations of a sustainable world, he says. “Sustainability is a regenerative, ongoing process of give and take.”

As a result of living in her home, Frances has connected deeply with urban environmentalism. She initiated an “embedded artists” program within the Chicago city government, seeking new models and solutions for environmental problems. Working with the Chicago Department of Environment, she’s remediating gas station brownfields (formerly industrial land tracts that have been polluted and abandoned) through phytoremediation, or plant-based remediation.

Frances is seeking ways to make remediation efforts even more beneficial, both culturally and ecologically. “The basic idea is to connect a few more dots: If we do phytoremediation, what else can we achieve at the same time?” she says. “If we’re planting plants to clean up, can we simultaneously create habitat? Can we make it beautiful? Now it’s remediating, it’s habitat, it’s beautiful—can it be educational?”

And, full circle, the project has personal significance for Frances. “Our own house is on a brownfield,” she says.

It’s a dilemma

How do artists build the space they needwithout making it so eccentric no one else can use it in the future?

For Jim Elniski and Frances Whitehead, this puzzle was fun to ponder. They solved it with a few simple design modifications such as detaching bathrooms from bedrooms to avoid overly determining space function. They envision a family of four filling their space when they’re gone. The large back studio and bathroom could become a family room and bedroom suite with the addition of one wall. The front room could become a large dining room. Jim’s studio could be converted into one or two bedrooms. The mezzanine could become an office, yoga room or library.

With a few tweaks to conventional design, Jim Elniski and Frances Whitehead made the first floor of their home more accessible and multigenerational. Following accessibility guidelines, they widened doorways to 36 inches, installed grab bars and chose lever-style door handles. Frances’ favorite part is having ramps instead of stairs. “We don’t know why people don’t do it more often,” she says. “It makes us more ‘visitable,’ and it’s fun. We slide around in our socks like in Risky Business!”

A chat with the homeowners

Which room aligns most closely with your artistic viewpoints?

Jim: The nested levels of social interaction, activity and physical space reflect my community-centered art practice.

Frances: I love the “radical multifunctionality” of the bathrooms. The “industrial chic” studio sinkroom converts into a punchy guest bath.

What’s great about where you live?

Frances: Our home is in the middle of a Chicago neighborhood, a short public transit ride to the city center. And we have great neighbors. We are within walking distance to everything we need: local and ethnic foods, parks, banks, copy shop, great pizza and coffee cafes.

What’s always in your refrigerator?

Jim: Orange juice from Florida and limes from our greenhouse. Italian white bean soup made around the corner at Bari market is a staple.

What’s your favorite activity on a spring morning?

Frances: Coffee in the courtyard to see what spring flowers are coming up.

The good stuff

Architect: William James (lead architect), Mhari McVicar, Matthew Snethen (project architects), James and Kutyla Architecture, Chicago
Builder: William James, Greenworks Construction
Interior Design and Landscaping: Frances Whitehead and Jim Elniski
Systems engineering/installation: Lesch Heating and Air (HVAC systems engineer—geothermal and solar thermal); Tangarie Energy (wind system); Standby Power System Consultants (photovoltaic system)
House Size: 4,500 square feet
Bedrooms: 2, could convert to 5
Bathrooms: 2 1⁄2
Cost per Square Foot: $180

Energy

Heating/Cooling System: GeoComfort Heat geothermal pumps; geothermal de-superheaters for domestic hot water; 4 Solargenix solar thermal panels; zoned heating; energy recovery ventilator; 5 Sharp photovoltaic panels; 2 Windside wind turbines; OutBack wind turbine inverter; radiant floors; passive-solar design
Electricity: grid-tied 1-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array; grid-tied 2-kilowatt wind turbines, tiered systems use all energy produced onsite before importing
Lighting: fixtures manufactured within 10 miles of site; compact fluorescents and dimmable incandescents; passive natural light in all spaces; central atrium and north-facing skylights;
airtight cans and fixtures
Appliances: Energy Star
Insulation: formaldehyde-free recycled cellulose
Waste Reduction: reused 90 percent of original brick building and 25 percent of original roof structure; reusable materials donated or saved for future projects; beams made with engineered materials; reused 2-by-10 lumber; trusses made with small-dimension lumber; designed for future reuse
Water Conservation: rainwater harvesting with cisterns and rain barrels; Wisy diverters; onsite storm management; low-flow showerheads; dual-flush toilets; low-flow faucets; undersink water filter
Site and Land Use: reclaimed brownfield site; alternative energy systems demonstration on roofs; upstairs decks encourage neighborhood interaction; roof gardens and greenhouse
Landscaping: pervious materials for paving and walkways; natural fertilizer; trees for summer shade; edible plants and fruit trees; native landscaping; green roof

Exterior: reclaimed stone pavers; Endicott Clay Products glazed façade brick from Nebraska; garage door fabricated in Detroit; paint-free exterior; recycled-content Galvalume metal siding; 100 percent recycled HDPE plastic deck lumber from within 50 miles of site
Roof: Greengrid extrinsic roof system (minimum 30- to 50-year); extrinsic xeriscape green roofs; Texas Greenhouse Company rooftop greenhouse
Floors/Walls: locally milled flooring from salvaged Chicago-area trees; concrete floors with moisture barrier; zero-VOC floor finish; 40 percent recycled ceramic wall tile from Texas and Ohio
Fixtures: Kohler bath fixtures from Sheboygan, Wisconsin; low-E, double-glazed Quaker Windows from Freeburg, Missouri; low-formaldehyde flatpack IKEA cabinetry

Source

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/17/10 @ 12:16:02 pm
Categories: Architects | 58 words | 344 views

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time I’ve seen Edward Killingsworth work, but I just saw one of his buildings in an ad in the Dwell on Design preview book. Historic preservation architect Kelly Suthland McLeod’s office lives in one of Killingsworth’s designs:

Let’s take a moment of silence to enjoy a few photos of his work:

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/16/10 @ 12:07:32 pm
Categories: Architects | 55 words | 253 views

I just read about Kelly Sutherland McLeod in Dwell on Design’s preview book. She’s an architect in Long Beach who does historic preservation. Check out her site for some incredible before and after photos of historic homes. (I particularly like her work with the Gamble house and other relics of the Arts and Crafts era.)

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/15/10 @ 12:02:39 pm
Categories: Events | 138 words | 273 views

The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles is pleased to announce the opening of the 2010 2x8 Student Exhibition on Saturday June 26, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s exhibition will be held in conjunction with Dwell on Design, the west coast’s largest modern design event, and Mobius LA.

2x8 is an annual exhibition sponsored by the AIA|LA, showcasing exemplary student work from architecture and design institutions throughout California. Each of the participating academic programs selects two projects that exemplify its core vision. The students’ design work will be judged by a noteworthy panel of architects and designers, who will then announce the winners at the exhibition opening and convene in a forum to discuss the successful work.

I won a scholarship at the 2008 2x8 exhibit and am looking forward to seeing this year’s entries!

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/14/10 @ 09:52:42 pm
Categories: Observations, Events | 82 words | 236 views

Read this. Thought of you. It’s a tiny excerpt of Dwell’s interview with ceramist Adam Silverman in the Dwell on Design Preview Guide.

Dwell: “Sounds like a nice life as a potter, but do you miss working as an architect?”

Silverman: “You know, I keep paying my dues to stay licensed. It was so painful to get it that I just can’t give the damn thing up.”

I’m going to Dwell on Design, June 25 - 27 at the LA Convention Center. Are you?

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/08/10 @ 08:36:43 am
Categories: Events | 1052 words | 420 views

So yesterday I went to AltBuild 2010 in Santa Monica.

This… art? … is out front of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I think it’s a… bomb explosion? Made out of chain.

This is from cedg. It’s called the Apex block that provides three times the insulation of typical construction. It’s 80% recycled and is naturally resistant to mold and termites, and also acts as a 4-hour fire wall. It’s just styrofoam and cement.

cedg has another product that’s 80% syrofoam and 20% cement. They’re notched bricks that even unskilled labor could assemble.

Microview:

Macroview:

Also they had a photo of this table that you can slide through a wall to create either more kitchen prep space or more dining space:

Next I saw a booth for the Building Industry Association with a bright yellow sign that read, “The Builder is in!” There was a man and a woman there, so I said, “Okay, who’s the builder?” The woman pointed to the man.

I told them how I’m an architecture student and that I consider the fact that architecture schools just teach you how to sound smart when discussing ideologies and how to make pretty pictures on our computers is a failing of architectural education. “I just want to learn how to build!”

“Okay,” the woman said. “How can we help?”

“I don’t know.”

She handed me a flyer for WE Build – a volunteer day for women to build on a Habitat for Humanity project in Pacoima on Monday, May 24th. The builder, Gus, tells me that he’ll make me a deal. If I go, he’ll go.

“Okay, I’ll see you there.”

Then he tells me that he can take me around to construction sites and help me to learn how to build.

“You know,” I said, “becoming an architect is like becoming a doctor. It takes so long and is so expensive. I don’t want to talk about ideologies or spend all day staring at my computer. I want to get dirty and build!”

“Become a builder,” he smiled. “I’ll help you.” He handed me his card.

I’ll tell you, that was the highlight of the AltBuild for me. Here are some other things I saw.

The Building Doctor will tell you where your house leaks energy.

You can see where the home isn’t insulated and the energy loss here:

Here’s the latest in fireplaces:

Oh, here’s a couple that makes these odorless plumbing-less toilets – the Enviro Loo. They have installations in 15 states and say that their toilet is good for rural areas, camps, parks, and even your own home.

The people at California Solar have this set up to heat your pool:

But what I really liked is their integrated PV panel/solar thermal panel. It has channels on its backside for the water:

handmade, whyrHymer, and The LA Box Collective were there with their awesome furniture:

Okay, this is funny. That morning, I shared a link on the Architecture Addiction page about a rocking chair that powers its own lamp. So I said to the admin, what if you had a bike that would power your tv. And here it is:

The lady at the booth said that Ed Begley Jr uses his to power his tv.

SCI-ARC adn Caly Poly were on hand to show their work for the Solar Decathalon.

Wait. What’s this? It looks like after you make your way up the wheelchair ramp you have to push a heavy piece of furniture out of your way. What?

I had lunch, which was hosted by a company called “lemonade.” Guess what they specialize in? The guy rambled through half a dozen flavors that I forgot as soon as he said them so I told him to surprise me. I got cucumber mint. Which was very very good. And then a marinated tofu avocado on a cibatta roll.

Then I went to a talk called “AIA COTE: Beyond PreFab - Containers, Dirt, & Other Affordable Green Strategies for Residential Construction.” Now, I know a few people who are very interested in building with containers. I am not. But I was very interested in the dirt architecture segment by Polly Osborne, AIA, Principal of Osborne Architects.

Here’s a comparative analysis of the steps involved in manufacturing gypsum board v. adobe bricks v. pise walls:

Here’s what you make your adobe bricks out of:

Here’s the test they do in Africa to make sure their adobe bricks are good:

And here’s how you can try to make sure that your rammed earth walls are okay around here (good luck):

Here’s how you make a rammed earth wall:

Here’s what your rammed wall could look like if you vary your material:

The power of the arch!

Here’s a slide from the container guy during the requisite Complaint About the LA Building Code portion of the presentation:

After that I left for a walk. Here’s the fire department:

I walked to the 3rd Street Promenade,

took pictures of the chia pet dinosaurs for you,

and inadvertantly gained the advice of an elderly “Community Ambassador” who recommended I try Santa Monica’s new library.

Which cost $70 million dollars to build.

I was awash in righteous indignation until he told me that the library has a courtyard with a cafe. So we’ll let the $70 million dollar thing slide.

I walked over to Santa Monica Blvd and 6th and said to myself of its blase exterior, “So this is what $70 million dollars looks like.” And I walked right in. And when I walked right in, I was delighted. Because when I walked right in it was as though I had walked right in to a new kind of outside.

The entrance orientated me to the corner of the courtyard, the enormous windowed doors had been rolled back,

and I walked right out into the sunny xeriscaped courtyard.

It even had a sparkly faux stream thing, with a little bridge over the sparkly faux stream thing to a cafe.

I went back into the library, grabbed the December 2009 copy of Architect magazine (The Education Issue),

then headed outside, across the bridge to the cafe, and soon thereafter was enjoying a unique libraristic synergy: free periodical + iced tea + sunshine. Beat that, every other library in the world.

And thank you, residents of Santa Monica for your $70 million dollars in taxes.

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/06/10 @ 09:56:55 am
Categories: Events | 2031 words | 2689 views

I’m so excited! AltBuild is TOMORROW, May 7 and runs through May 8th.

This year it’s at the Santa Monica Civic Center, a couple of blocks from the Promenade. Here’s how to get there.

And did I mention it’s FREE?!

The only thing you might pay is $8 for parking, but I suggest taking your bike (they have free bike valet) or taking the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. I think just about all of their lines converge over there.

Here’s the schedule:

Friday, May 7, 2010
9:30 AM Developers Go Green
Panel will demonstrate how real estate developers are currently and successfully developing highly sustainable projects, proven to be cost effective and well received within a competitive marketplace.
Moderator:
Wally Geer, President, Greymar Associates
Panelists:
Dennis Allen, President, Allen Associates
Jonathan Budner, Manager of New Construction & Sustainability, Southern California Edison
Peter DeMaria, AIA, Principal Architect, DeMaria Design Associates
Mike DiGiovanni, CEO, Comstock Homes

10:00 AM
West Lobby Take the LEED: The New Landscape & Irrigation Standards in Santa Monica
Discover how the new water-efficient landscape & irrigation standards in Santa Monica set a new bar for green building landscapes. Learn how building to our local code can gain LEED points. Also find out how greywater and rain harvesting fits in the sustainable landscape.
Presenter:
Russell Ackerman, Water Resources Specialist, City of Santa Monica

11:00 AM CalGreen: What Does It Mean?
This panel will explain the development process of the code, the first in the nation, including particular challenges that this code faced from environmental groups, industry trade groups, and other associations. These experts will explore the relationship of the code measures to LEED: how different code requirements map to LEED credits and what the implications are for jurisdictions with LEED mandates. In addition, the panelists will cover an abbreviated technical review of the code requirements and the implementation of this code, drawing on collaborations with the City of Los Angeles and the experience of the City of Santa Monica, which has had green code requirements since 2000.
Moderator:
Brenden McEneaney, Green Building Program Advisor, City of Santa Monica
Panelists:
David Walls, Executive Director, California Building Standards Commission
Osama Younan, P.E. Chief of Mechanical Engineering Section & Green Building Unit, City of Los Angeles

12:15 PM BIA: Financial Rebates & Agency Incentives for Green Building
Hear the top experts in the industry discuss the most-up-to date news on governmental and utility company financial incentives for green building and green remodeling. This presentation and Q & A will include the many programs – some new, some old, and some about to begin – that provide financial incentives and rebates that can make an investment in green remodeling more feasible. The panelists will help explain how all in the building industry can understand the myriad of programs that exist and how you can help your clients achieve the best results from their construction or reconstruction.
Moderator
Holly Schroeder, Director, Building Industry Association (BIA)
Panelists:
Jonathan Budner, Manager of New Construction & Sustainability, Southern California Edison
Howard Choy, Office of Sustainability, County of Los Angeles

1:00 PM
West Lobby AIA COTE: Beyond Prefab - Containers, Dirt & Other Affordable, Green Strategies for Residential Construction.
This one hour panel discussion will include three presentations and open Q & A sessions from the state’s most innovative and green leading architects and contractors. Presentation will include discussion on the use of indigenous dirt and cement materials to form and build blocks to construct affordable housing; the use and retrofit of recycled ISO containers to build contemporary and affordable homes, and the use of panelized construction on home building.
Moderator:
Walter Scott Perry, AIA, Co-Chair COTE; Ecotech Design
Panelists:
Eric Engheben, President, 44 West Construction Inc.
Polly Osborne, AIA, Principal, Osborne Architects
Kevin Radanovich, President and CEO, Green Walls-US

1:30 PM Legal Issues for Green Buildings - Issues and Solutions for Success
This one-hour presentation will touch on the legal issues in four different areas:

* Design Professionals
* Construction Professionals
* Real Estate Developers and Project Managers
* Property Management / Leasing

The panel will identify some of the most significant legal issues in each of these areas and offer practical risk management solutions.
Q & A Session will follow.

Moderator:
Douglas White, Esq., Weintraub Genshlea Chediak
Panelists:
Steve Jones, Esq., Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
Shawn Kraatz, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.

2 :00 PM
West Lobby Build It Green: Green Retrofitting & Remodeling
Expand your business. Prepare to take advantage of the robust, energy retrofitting and green building industry being created in California. Federal stimulus money is being used throughout the state to design and implement energy efficient retrofit programs. Learn about the Southern California program being developed now. You will learn:

* What is the local retrofit program and how do I participate?
* What financial options will be available to my clients?
* How to make an energy efficient retrofit into a green home?
* What training and certifications are available?

Presenters:
Tenaya Asan, GC - Program Manager, GreenPoint Rated, Build It Green
David Blanke, Division Director, Southern California, Build It Green

2:45 PM AIA: A Focus on Performance, Instead of Points
A performance centered approach to designing and retrofitting buildings will not only improve a building’s overall quality, with regard to aesthetics, livability, and utility, it will also obviously reduce the amount of energy and water it consumes to the benefit of the environment. This presentation, A Focus on Performance, Instead of Points, is an acceptance and acknowledgment that California’s new green building code, Cal Green, is a performance-based approach to sustainable building. Hear discussions on the design and the proper installation of a thermal boundary (thermal envelope) for both new and existing single-family (Type V) homes, plus much more.
Moderators:
Scott Young, Associate AIA, LEED AP, GC, CGBP, GPR, GPR-EH, President, Restore 2 Green
Robert Meiklejohn, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Partner, Hablinski+Manion Architecture
Panelists:
Wes Harding, CEO, Harding Construction & Sustainable Solutions
Judy Rachel, HERS, CGBP, GPR, Green Achers Sustainable Solutions

3:00 PM
West Lobby Effectively Selling Green Homes
Talk confidently and effectively with customers about the benefits of a green house. Learn marketing and advertising techniques and best practices. Research shows your customers are looking for healthier, more comfortable homes that are affordable to operate and easier to maintain. Do you know how to speak with them about how your green home can deliver the goods? In this session we will address:

* The benefits of green building
* The value of a green label - GreenPoint Rated and LEED-H
* Effective selling and marketing techniques

Presenter:
Marc Richmond, LEED AP, HERS, CGBP, GPR, President, Practica Consulting

4:00 PM Green Building Council - LA Chapter: Living in LEED… Or Not?
Green Homes, LEED Rated or Not - a Designer’s and Home Owner’s Perspective.

Moderator:
Erik Lerner, Real Estate Broker, AIA, CGBP, LEED AP, RealEstateArchitect.com
Panelists:
Glen Boldt, LEED AP, CGBP, GBWorks
Marco DiMaccio, Principal, PUNCHouse ecodesign group
Kyle Moss, AIA, LEED AP. Principal, Levitt & Moss Architects
Warren Wagner, AIA, Principal Architect & Founder, W3 Architects
Carl Welty, Principal, Claremont Environmental Design Group

More info

Saturday, May 8, 2010
11:00 AM Detroit & Despotism: a plan to save a City
After all of this talk in the past decade about the need for green buildings, the question is no longer WHY we need to go green, the question is HOW. American cities are confronting serious issues and are they are in dire need of tangible, deployable & affordable solutions.

This talk explores the lost city of Detroit by analyzing its decline from the once great “American Dream City and mapping out a plan for transforming it into an urban oasis of sustainability. The lessons learned here could be applied to every rust belt and industrial city in the country.

This “bullet-point free” talk is presented by the acclaimed author of “Green Building for Dummies.”

Presenter:
Eric Corey Freed, Principal, organicARCHITECT

11:30 AM Sustainable Remodeling & Adaptive ReUse
Today’s homeowners and commercial property owners wish to remodel in a sustainable, responsible and cost effective manner. This panel will presents ways of integration of recycled materials, building components and building systems that go a long way towards cost effective sustainable remodeling and retrofitting. This panel will also demonstrate cost effective solutions to integrate salvaged and recycled materials into remodeling or adaptive reuse projects.
Moderator:
Wally Geer, President, Greymar Associates
Panelists:
Eric Corey Freed, Principal, organicARCHITECT
Ted Reiff, President, The ReUse People of America
Leland Walmsley, Principal and Founder, everGREEN landscape architects, inc.

1:00 PM Integrating the Whole System - The practice of Living System and Regenerative Design
Sustainability is ultimately about sustaining all life. The current trend of making buildings, cars, light bulbs, products and processes more efficient is simply the beginning point for achieving this goal. Bill Reed introduces the practical concepts of integrating technical and living system design. This is not as hard as it may seem; but it is a real change in the way to think. Learn about it all from the expert.
Keynote Speaker – Bill Reed, AIA, LEED, Hon FIGP
Internationally Recognized Green Building Expert: Proponent & Practitioner in Sustainability and Regeneration

2:00 PM Making the Dollars Work - Practical Financial Analysis for Energy Efficiency Retrofits.
Distinguished members of the US Green Building Council, Commercial Real Estate and Finance Sub-committee (CRE&F) will offer their perspectives of “Making the Dollars Work", as well as provide outreach, education and networking opportunities. The panel will address the sustainability business case and discuss how residential and commercial property owners may yield a higher return on investment in connection with green building and retrofit initiatives.
Moderator:
Roger Williams II, Director - Finance Services, SPC Building Services
Panelists:
Jeff Bricmont, CGBP, Lighthouse Capital Group
James Finlay, VP, Wells Fargo Bank
Dan Thomsen, President, The Building Doctors

3:00 PM The Facts about Cisterns, Greywater and Drip Irrigation for Home Gardens
These experts will share the information you need to know if you’re thinking about installing cisterns, greywater systems or drip irrigation in your garden. Making these changes can save you thousands of gallons of water each year. But a beautiful and sustainable garden can only be achieved when you choose the right products and plants for your garden, understanding laws governing landscaping and irrigation and installing and maintaining it properly.
Moderator:
Kim O’Cain, Water Resources Specialist, City of Santa Monica
Panelists:
Pamela Berstler, Founder, Flower to the People, Co-Founder, G3 - The Green Gardens Group
Pam Bottaro, Principal, Red Lemon Landscape Design
Paula Henson, Designer, Terra Bella Landscape Design
Sam Milani, Managing Director, Advanced Waste Water Systems (AWWS)

More info

AND here are the Exhibitors!
Acme Environmental, Inc
Acorn Engineering
Acrylatex Coatings & Recycling
Advanced Waste Water Systems
AIA
AirLab
All American Energy Products
Alternative Environment
Angelus Block
Aqua-Flo Supply
The Architect’s Newspaper
Arto Manufacturing
Axiom Home Resources
BIA
Build It Green
The Building Doctors
Bushman
California Energy Commission
California Green Designs
California Solar
Carlton’s Custom Floors
Caseandgrain
City of Santa Monica - Green Building Department
City of Santa Monica - Office of Sustainability and the Environment
City of Santa Monica - Watershed Management
Claremont Environmental Design Group
Clark Adams Co.
Cliff Spencer Furniture Maker
Cyber-Rain
Danmer Custom Shutters
D.A. Foster Construction
Denizen Design Gallery
Dwell
Eco Safety Products
eco stucco
EcoSmart
Edward Pine Stevens
Environmental Solar Design
Environmental Specialty Products
Freelite Skylights
General Electric Appliances
Go Green Construction
Green Energy Barrier
Green Planet Building
GreenGrid ®
GreenRock
Greymar Associates
Habitat for Humanity - ReStores
Handmade
Haven By Design
Hennessey + Ingalls
Invest Green
Jill’s Paint
Kingspan Insulated Panels
LA Box Collective
LifeSource Water Systems
Livingreen
Loll Designs
Los Angeles County Smart Gardening
Marilyns’s Own
Neoporte Modern Door
Oxygen Ozone
Pacific Coast Teak
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
PermaCity Solar
Progressive Insulation & Windows
Real Goods Solar
Reclaimed Woods of the World
Rent-A-Green Box.com
The ReUse People
Riiska Design
Robert Apodaca
Royal Plywood
Samuel Moyer Furniture
San Diego Gas & Electric
SCI-Arc / Caltech Solar Decathlon Team
Sempra Energy
Sidecar Furniture
Southwest Septic Loo
SolarCity
Southern California Edison
Southern California Gas Company
Stranger Furniture
Sun Aire Skylights
Sustainable Industries
Sustainable Works
SYNLawn
Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants
TimberSIL Wood California
Timbron International
Topher Paterno
TORO
Trex Company, Inc.
Tri-C Organics
TRU Architectural
Urban Woods
U.S. Green Building Council - LA Chapter
Vast Pavers
Vernare
Waste Management
Western Roofing Systems
Weston Solutions
whyrHymer
Woca Oils

More info

Send Feedback | Permalink

by Katy Purviance on 05/02/10 @ 06:21:16 pm
Categories: Field Trips | 633 words | 592 views

Learn more and enroll now.

Day 1
Fly to Peru.

Day 2 Hola Lima
Arrive in Lima.

Lima Guided Sightseeing Tour – Experience the vibrant culture and breathtaking architecture of this capital city overlooking the Pacific Ocean. See the vast neo-colonial Governmental Palace, the towering Cathedral of Lima with its 14 side doors and main “door of forgiveness”, go past the upscale San Isidro district and visit the San Francisco Convent

Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology visit – Get a thorough grounding in Peru’s history and culture in this fascinating museum. Exhibits trace the country from prehistoric times through the present with collections of weapons, carvings, textiles, Inca jewelry, and ancient mummies and funeral objects. Check out the interactive model of Macchu Picchu, which explains the various sectors of the mysterious city.

Day 3 Lima – Cuzco
Fly to Cuzco

Cuzco Guided Sightseeing Tour – Colorful Cuzco was an important Inca center, and sites surrounding the town testify to the power of the empire. Begin your tour at Tambo Machay, the ritual baths probably used by nobility. Underground water bubbles up over the intricately carved stone platforms, creating a shower as it tumbles over the edge. The impressive stone at Qenko had a slightly less cleansing purpose – each year, priests would pour llama blood over the top and watch its progress through the complicated zigzag pattern to determine the luck for the coming planting season. Puca Pucara was likely a hunting lodge or vacation home for the emperor; from its high position, you can gaze out at the glaciers in the south.

Think of the photographs you’ll take and the memories you’ll make.

Day 4 Sacred Valley
Travel to Pisac via Ollantaytambo & Urubamba Valley – Built to resemble an ear of maize, Ollantaytambo is one of the few remaining examples of Inca urban grid architecture. Get an overhead view from the fortress, still impressive all these centuries later. Continue on through the lush Urubamba Valley before reaching Pisac, which hosts a renowned crafts market three days a week. Ollantaytambo Fortress – Travel to this old town surrounded by the stunning snowcapped Andes Mountains to see the best surviving example of Incan town planning. The fortress itself is encased in impressive terrace walls that served the Incas well against the Spanish Conquistadors.

Day 5 Cuzco – Machu Picchu
Explore Machu Picchu – Get the best view of the most impressive site in South America as you arrive at Intipunko, or the “Sun Gate,” overlooking Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is a stunning complex of buildings clinging to the surrounding mountains and above the Urubamba River. Much of the extensive city is still intact, showcasing the agility and skill of Inca stone work. (Legend claims that the Inca knew of leaves that would dissolve rock, allowing them to meld stones together when building; birds in the surrounding jungle have been known to melt nesting holes in the mountains themselves, supporting the theory, but the leaves have not been identified.) Archaeologists disagree about the purpose of Machu Picchu – many believe it was a country retreat, others think it may have been a university.

Hike to Intipunko – Climb the steep stairs up to Intipunku, or “The Gate of the Sun”, for a gorgeous aerial view of Machu Picchu below.

Want some free time in Machu Picchu? Okay.

Day 6 Machu Picchu – Cuzco
Machu Picchu free time

Transfer back to Cuzco

Day 7 Cuzco
Rafting excursion down the Urubamba River – Raft through the Sacred Valley, which winds through major Inca sites and beautiful scenery. Ancient fortresses loom on cliffs high above, while the river makes its slow way into the jungle.

Day 8 End Tour
Fly Back to Lima

Fly home – In most cases, your flight home is overnight. You will return home on Day 9.

Day 9
Return Home

Just do it.

Send Feedback | Permalink