concrete architecture

The fact that every piece of concrete produced by humans will have to be replaced in the next 100 years doesn't bother me at all. I have deep ambivalence about the value of longevity in the built environment. Why should future generations suffer so much from the dead hands of dead architects? I won't live long enough to see the dismantling of the Empire State Building. But, I won't be surprised by the voluntary demolition of some other big-name high-rise. If I had to pick a Boston landmark, it would be the JFK Federal Building. The tower at the Christian Science Center is in tough shape. (This reminds me that I should take some of my students on a field trip to see some of this stuff) We can't make things last forever. Except for Pioneer 10. Godspeed.

tuesday is for retractions

The Everett Recreational Center could stand a renovation or two. I wonder if Wynn will kick in something.

As was expected, the Hong Kong protests continue to evolve. I don't have a clear sense of what is going on, and I doubt anyone does. No pictures of tanks yet, and I don't expect any, but given the prediction success rate at towers of ilium, it can't be ruled out. I doubt Beijing would need tanks to subdue the protests.

By mentioning this topic on this blog I like to think that I'm important enough to warrant attention from some censor in China.

social outreach opportunity

This rusting bridge connects an island in Boston Harbor to the mainland. It is owned by the city of Boston. It has been closed because it has been deemed unsafe and people in the homeless shelter on the island have been removed.

I think the bridge should be torn down, but before that happens, the Catholic Church should lend or lease a building it owns in downtown Boston as a temporary shelter for the people displaced from the island. I sent an email to this effect to the church this morning. Nothing will come of this, but it demonstrates how there are millions--nay, billions--of unused space in this country. They exist in legal or design purgatory. People feel like they have to make long term decisions, but this is a mistake. Short-term decisions can be of greater value to many people when it comes to architecture. Better a roof over a head than a picture of one.

420,000 dollars buys you a home

In Boston at least--if things go according to a plan recently released by the Walsh administration that calls for an investment of 20 billion dollars over the next 16 years to build 50,000 housing units. If I was in some other line of work, or in a different part of the world, I'd loudly proclaim the great cost of this idea. Such a sum of money could only pay for about 15 F-35 warplanes. I'm not sure what will get built first, either.

Based on housing start trends over the last 10 years, this is an achievable goal--especially if you include surrounding urban areas.

probably doomed

The factories along the Connecticut River in Turners Falls are well on their way to becoming archaeology. There economic value has faded, and their romantic value is only enhanced by continued decay. There will be at least two more hopeless schemes to repurpose them, but within fifty years, there will be nothing to save. I doubt that anyone even has the resources to demolish some of the buildings.

The lack of permanence in architecture will continue to be a theme on this blog.

In other news, the towers of ilium prediction market is rushing to a premature celebration over the outcome of the Hong Kong democracy protests. The whole affair seems to be fading--and with no loss of life that I am aware of. I call this a victory for the existing leadership, both in the city and in Beijing.

is it good for boston?

This is a rather attractive and uninformative rendering of an office tower proposed near Government Center in Boston. The design is by Cesar Clarke Pelli and it is proof that the International Style is alive and well. Although this blog is noted for its inconsistency, I would like to point out that contextualism is important when you consider energy use. This curvy, all glass facade will probably will result in high energy costs for the building for as long as it remains standing. Of course, it will get a LEED stamp, but that cannot overcome the fact that glass is not a good insulator.

There are few clues that this building is located where the developers say it is. But, the purpose of renderings is more to confuse than to describe.

grant and sherman

In the pantheon of significant Americans, those two generals earned their place. Both were criticized deeply by the press, fellow officers, and politicians. The legacy of their actions is the proof of their success. What is more troubling is the veneration of the position. To this day we jump to the conclusion that competent leadership can work miracles. Grant did not consider himself a miracle worker. Sherman's march to the sea was a calculated risk. Lincoln's confidence in their abilities is a credit to his character, although it came at great cost.