Billboard House

A friend directed my attention to this un-built concept house designed by a Thai architecture firm. It is a house as advertising space. It is portable and has an overwrought structural system and very little privacy. My friend was critical of this as a good model for residential design. I agree with her, but as a homeowner, we both can reflect on ways that our houses are advertisements for a whole array of things. They symbolize our relative wealth, they showcase products that inspire desire and envy in visitors and they serve as a marker of the general economic condition of our nation.

rail transit

This is a rendering of the proposed rail transit line in Honolulu, Hawaii. I have never been to Hawaii, and I have no sense of urgency to visit the place. I know a little bit about the transit project and in my opinion, it's a good idea. Honolulu highways are incredibly congested and although we might look forward to a future state where automated cars move more people more efficiently and safely, the present need is considerable.

The main objection to the rail line is cost. This line of argument does not impress me, because even though the constructed price tag for the project is over $5 billion, the rail line will serve a great many commuters. The Honolulu metro region has a clearly pronounced linear geography that is well suited to the use of a rail system like this one.

All improvements to human life cost money. It is the process making improvements that creates wealth and not spending money is a sign of poverty. If the U.S. government had spent a little bit more money on a thing called RADAR in 1940 the attack on Pearl Harbor might have turned out differently than it did.

$5 billion buys approximately 2 Stealth Bombers.

The BPL experience

If I go to the BPL and do not borrow a book that only reflects poorly on me, not the library. It is a very curious place, and vital to the city, in my opinion. Over the years, I've observed how more and more space is being relegated to computer stations with internet access. This phenomenon could be seen as proof of the following things:

1. A physical space for cyber experiences is still important.
2. The quality of that space can be poor and still attract people if the service is free.
3. Demand is not levelling off.

winterland in Boston 2012

I took this picture over five years ago. This is what snow looks like.  We've had precious little of it in the Boston area this year, and for the record, I don't miss it. I'm starting to look at my garden bed with a sense of anticipation, and I'm mildly worried about the daffodils that are starting push their way out of the ground around the house.

How would development and settlement patterns change in New England if winters started to get consistently milder? Energy costs would still be higher than in the Sun Belt states, but summers here would always be more bearable for outdoor activities--unless precipitation increases.

This line of inquiry demonstrates that despite advances in interior environmental technology, the climates of areas determines the type of architecture and the density of development. While I don't think that any modern society could be destroyed by a series of bad droughts--supply lines are robust enough to compensate for that--a persistently bad climate will drive people to nicer places.

whither canada?

Canada has a housing bubble. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out, because even though Canada is small compared to the U.S. it isn't like one of our states or a Spain or Ireland. I predict that when the bubble starts to pop the Canadian government will make a serious effort to devalue their currency to boost exports and make up for the decline in construction spending. One of Canada's chief exports is oil and if expanded production lowers world oil prices, so be it.

I'll end up being wrong about this.

the dwell phenomenon

I don't think I've ever mentioned Dwell magazine on this blog. Since I work for a firm that is thoroughly traditional in its design aesthetic (whatever that means), I've tended to approach Dwell and its brand of modern residences with a "ho hum" attitude. When I've flipped through it, or seen its projects second hand on Unhappy Hipsters, I've only occasionally seen things that I would feel proud to copy. Maybe I haven't worshipped at the altar of Mies and Corbu hard enough.

Dwell does serve as a good example of how architectural photography is in the business of falsehood, diversion and capturing unlikely and idealized moments in designed spaces. In photo spreads in shelter magazines there is no dirty laundry, no real service areas, and hardly any people, unless they happened to be posed in contrived positions. This sleight of hand is necessary. Perhaps we do not want to be reminded of all the mundane things that we do with architecture and how fleeting some of our most memorable experiences are.

why 10 million s.f.?

I'm reading Eric Darton's book Divided We Stand and although I'm enjoying it, I'm still perplexed by the history and purpose of the towers. Were the three major players who initiated the project, Nelson and David Rockerfeller and Austin Tobin, motivated by a conviction of futurism? Why Yamasaki? Also, without Corbu, would the aesthetic of the tower and the superblock even existed?

The history of the development would make any red-blooded libertarian choke on his or her lunch. The blatant land grab by the Port Authority, the displacement of the last true port facilities to New Jersey, the hard cash subsidies, and the economic sketchiness of the plan are simply astonishing. And why so large?
I turn to Cool Hand Luke:
"Why fifty eggs?"
"Don't know, seemed like a nice round number."