the imagery of the 1970's

It did not seem to be a happy decade. Vietnam, Chicago, Watergate, New York City Bankruptcy, Inflation, Oil Crisis, Jonestown, and bell bottoms. Women's rights made considerable advances, but in the context of retrograde positions that persist to this day (see Schlafly, Phyllis and Trump, Donald)

The architecture continued the awfulness of the 60's.

houses are a good idea

Why would this even be phrased as a question? Even the most hardcore modernists loved houses--especially when they were located in remote areas uncorrupted by neighbors. A house encourages some degree of social isolation, which in proper doses is necessary for sanity.

So, forward exterior insulation!

are houses a good idea?

Let's look at this question from a slightly different angle. Assume that houses (detached, single family, car dependent) are indeed a good thing. Then what about having more than one house? What is the limit to the number of houses a person could own and still derive use or pleasure from? The very wealthy probably limit themselves to two or three, even though they could own a few dozen.

Costs associated with travel and upkeep become more burdensome with multiple properties. 

At what density level do single family homes become miserable? In some large cities property developers made the decision that density pays. Do all apartment dwellers yearn for a yard?

one good thing perhaps

It is getting hard to keep track of the natural disasters in the Americas of late. Harvey, Mexican earthquake, Irma, Maria, Jose, Mexican earthquake.

This building was damaged in the most recent quake in Mexico city. It does not appear to have collapsed although it probably cannot be repaired. We can speculate that arched windows helped to even out the stress distribution and save the walls from buckling. The diagonal shear cracks in the stucco and brick are very typical.

not quite the truth

The problem with sketches is not that they lie, but that they reveal the truth. (Picasso said that)

The rougher a sketch is, the more it is appreciated by people who speak the same language--i.e. belong to the peer group of the artist. The rough sketch captures emotion and relieves the creator of having to solve fussy details. Clients and consumers are frequently overwhelmed by the sketch--or unappreciative of the subtlety of its intent. Feedback tends to focus on what is left unanswered.

Don't stop sketching, though.

tribute post monday

Occasionally--nay, frequently, towers of ilium has to acknowledge the genius of others. In this case, it is Katerina Kamprani.

https://www.theuncomfortable.com

Her efforts are in some cases more practical than common items at Ikea.

a fantastic sense of style

Towers of ilium is adding Bruce Lee's iconic film Enter The Dragon to its architectural movie list.

This shot from the panoramic scene of Hong Kong's Aberdeen Harbor is particularly relevant. It captures a moment in history that hints at the explosive power of the city. The film is a careful mix of order and chaos--Bruce Lee demonstrates the discipline essential to his execution of the martial arts. His enemies pretend at discipline, but are ultimately a bunch of poorly organized rabble. Characters frequently crash through walls and windows, or use the architecture around them as strategic props. An example of this is when Lee evades the gaze of a guard by hiding (improbably) behind pieces of furniture. The climactic fight in a room of mirrors is a heavy handed metaphor of the limits of deception in combat.

respecting thorstein veblen

If something is efficient but inconvenient then people won't use it. If something is inefficient and inconvenient, then people will use it simply as a demonstration of consumption. An example of this is all fashionable clothing. High end restaurants are also a good example. Value is not assigned on the basis of logic.

purity

Some forgotten industrialist was once asked by some forgotten architect what the ideal building for manufacturing would be. The answer was "no building at all." While such honesty is atypical of client/designer relationships the realization of that desire has distinguished a line of building types that is remarkably persistent. The single story "big box" model is as close to this ideal as we can achieve--and possibly represents a case of terminal design.

If the industrialist had been asked what the ideal worker would be the answer would have been: "not human." Progress is being made on that front as well.

it came and went

Sixteen years is not such a long time. The terrorist attacks resulted in a disastrous escalation of brute force American policy and the rebuild of the WTC site displayed the typical weaknesses of modern civic design methods. The recent hurricanes that pummeled the U.S. owe some of their intensity to human impact on the climate. A cynical reading of this recent history leads to some grim conclusions of what the future holds. Even our ruins seem to lack any romantic value. Yet, the end times of an empire don't have to be dramatic.

in the eye of the beholder

The house to the left of this one had a kumquat tree in the backyard. It may still be there, but we can be certain that many other things have changed here in the past thirty years. Currently, Irma is wrapping up its tour of mid-Florida and heading north. The destruction will be felt for at least ten years. In that span of time another storm is likely to pass over the state, bringing more change.

The Dutch don't have flood insurance--they spend their money on seawalls. The U.S. is too big to get a seawall. 

the rebuild

At this time damage from Harvey is still being assessed and Irma has yet to make landfall in Florida. In a previous post it was noted that not much will change as a result of a hurricane. Things will be rebuilt in much the same way as they were before. Specifically, houses in Texas and Florida will be site-built from conventional wood lumber. We might see an uptick in some pre-fabricated components, but more exotic and robust construction methods will not make appreciable gains. 

Curiously, even people with considerable wealth will probably not make an investment in elevated structures, concrete framing, or enhanced energy efficiency systems. Price point considerations will overwhelm memory of the storms, and few people--and organizations--will be able to change course.

the endless detail

In architecture there is never just one way to do things. In the realm of detailing a major challenge involves balancing standard methods with evolving knowledge. One seemingly simple question to ask is: Did it work last time? Unfortunately, "last time" may be too recent to have fully tested the successes and failures of the design. Forensic awareness of critical parts of the building system is a responsibility of a designer who specializes in detailing. This specialist also has to be cautious about falling into the trap of prioritizing graphic excellence over an appreciation of the information that a builder actually needs in the field.

nesting

Odds and ends here....

-Lack of zoning probably did not enhance the damage caused by Harvey in Houston. In terms of pervious surfaces the metro area is in better shape than New York City. 

-Kim Jong Un does not have a deathwish. He knows that every provocation improves his bargaining position--up until the point that China grows tired of him.

-On the subject of deathwishes, the reputation of Sigmund Freud continues to get more complicated. His theories of the division of the human mind are not original and he had no scientific rigor. He was downright unethical, in fact. Should his monuments be toppled? Civilization and its Discontents is still compelling.

-This staircase is non-conforming.

tempered skepticism on indoor farming

Because it works in the Netherlands does not mean it will work everywhere. Such is the case with indoor agriculture--which is making considerable strides. It is a form of growing that makes sense for high value crops like lettuce, tomatoes, and marijuana. The excitement over this growing method will not translate into a feasible replacement for conventional farmland. Even if LED lighting continues to improve in efficiency and fall in price the intensive costs of indoor agriculture will not result in a proliferation of vertical urban farms. A metric that such a system cannot overcome is calorie units produced per acre per unit of cost. An examination of this would reveal that cattle grazing on the American plains are a cheap source of food. (The fact checking department at towers of ilium accepts challenges on this point).

the week ahead behind

Although this blog is strictly apolitical and avoids all controversy a few items should be noted:

-Trump will rescind DACA. It's easy for him to do and carries little risk. Steve Miller rules Bartertown.
-Harvey will delay the recession. The surge in demand during rebuilding will have positive nationwide effects.
-Gas prices will stay elevated through the fall.
-The proposed museum for North Adams by Frank Gehry will die slowly
-None of these items can be considered predictions.

but does it look good?

Windows are one of the most important and frustrating features of architecture. The Parthenon did not have any, and ongoing revolutions in artificial lighting relieve many modern interior spaces of the need for them. Windows persist because people like them. The ongoing infatuation with all-glass buildings shows no sign of diminishing. From an energy use point of view windows are a mixed bag--too many is bad and not enough can also be bad. It's curious that modernism never managed to kill the traditional looking window.