tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33055766742817580952011-10-14T13:02:55.375-04:00Architectural Illuminations Through the Eye of the BeholderThe Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.comBlogger1021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-31805624453469806572011-10-13T22:54:00.002-04:002011-10-14T13:02:55.441-04:00

I was in Toronto last week for the 10th annual Greenbuild conference and expo.  Though my short time in the city was spent primarily in the convention center attending seminars and visiting product booths, I took a few hours one glorious afternoon to take a brisk walk around downtown. First stop, the Toronto-Dominion Centre by Mies van der Rohe in the late 1960s. A view up to the Mies

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-81706552068310575612011-09-24T21:39:00.005-04:002011-09-24T21:39:54.546-04:00

The great furniture refinishing experiment of fall 2011 continues . . . After cleaning, patching (dog chew marks on one corner?), and sanding the disassembled parts, things start coming together to look like a chair again after the bits and pieces of the frame are glued and clamped. After the glue dried the frame was feeling sturdy again.  No more soft, wiggly joints!  Additional sanding

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-71461421699755855482011-09-17T17:06:00.001-04:002011-09-17T17:07:49.352-04:00

I have not been able to walk by the English Building Market here in New Haven lately without buying some new (old) piece of furniture.  A few weeks ago, we finally found the twin to a chair we have in our living room allowing us to complete the seating arrangement.  And just this week, I picked up a set of four dining chairs for pretty cheap. These unique three-legged chairs were designed

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-78693725502044143502011-09-11T20:57:00.000-04:002011-09-13T22:52:31.544-04:00

Ten years ago, I was a senior at Georgia Tech studying architecture. Feeling a bit under the weather, I had decided to skip my morning structures class, and I was sleeping when a phone call from a friend startled me awake. I could not believe what I was hearing when she said, "the World Trade Center has been attacked and one of the towers just fell." As an architect, I could not even grasp the

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-32922703993379500372011-07-07T17:23:00.015-04:002011-07-07T20:26:32.185-04:00

Last Sunday before leaving Belo Horizonte, we took a day trip to Inhotim, a stunning garden and contemporary art center about and hour-and-a-half away from the center of BH ("bay-aGAH") in the campo of Minas Gerais. The immaculate and extensive grounds house 17 gallery situated pavilions among lakes, lawns, and spectacular tropical landscaping.I enjoyed the art to be sure. There was the Forty

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-20574398801196784772011-07-04T22:21:00.009-04:002011-07-07T17:58:10.832-04:00

Whenever I travel to Latin America, I feel right at home. There is just something about the people, the sunlight, the landscape, the cities . . . the buildings.Yes, in case you had not already guessed from previous entries, I love Latin American architecture. I love the courtyards, the gates and fences, the colors, the tiles, the lush gardens, the concrete pile fences, the inside/outside living

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-64391639338494438102011-05-02T22:30:00.000-04:002011-05-03T00:21:56.687-04:00

Why, you buy tickets of course!Since my previous post about Kevin Volans set the precedent to step out of the bounds of architecture and design into the realm of music, I thought it would be nice to write a little review of the concert I saw last Saturday at Carnegie Hall.Last fall, my oldest daughter started taking flute at school and has since been expressing a desire to go to a classical

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-27848931004924735582011-04-12T22:00:00.004-04:002011-05-03T00:20:27.726-04:00

(Above - The Haven String Quartet of Music Haven)Music has been an important part of my life, even classical music, from a young age. I can remember special times with my Dad, laying on the living room floor on our backs next to each other, eyes closed, listening to music on the record player. As we would listen to each piece, he would ask me what I was seeing, feeling. A few of my favorite

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-48699423146057343772011-03-20T19:57:00.004-04:002011-03-20T22:27:44.738-04:00

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-12649600612771491012011-03-18T21:11:00.013-04:002011-04-13T13:32:30.570-04:00

This afternoon, I was walking home from work when I overheard a group of three Yale undergraduates ruminating over the design of the Sterling Memorial Library."But is it a church that's supposed to be a library, or a library that's supposed to be a church," said one student to the others.My walk followed them for about a block and I tried to listen in. By the way they were talking, I assumed

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-57539530538741222902011-03-06T21:26:00.003-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.197-04:00

It has been a week since I left Peru, and I have been working on a letter to send to many of the people who have prayed for me or supported me financially on this journey. Below is a copy of that letter.“Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)I returned last week from the mission trip to Peru with Engineering Ministries International (EMI) that I wrote to you

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-52442431063066816292011-02-26T23:50:00.010-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.198-04:00

Our EMI team arrived to Machu Picchu Saturday morning after an early pickup from the seminary where we were staying and a two hour train ride through the Sacred Valley of the Incas from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. There was a light drizzle as we entered the park, and a white mist shrouded the tops of the mountains all around us. As we followed the pathway around the edge of the mountain and

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-74265146935587081932011-02-25T23:50:00.007-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.199-04:00

Visiting Peru during rainy season is sort of like playing roulette with the weather. Though we have had some sunny patches this week, most of our time here in Urubamba has been characterized by drippy rain followed by clouds followed by heavier rain.Then repeat as necessary.Today, however, was glorious for most of the day: white fluffy clouds, clear blue skies, lush green vegetation on the

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-5281613192509027552011-02-23T21:47:00.007-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.200-04:00

...went to the market....ate cuy (guinea pig), a Peruvian delicacy....fixed the sustain pedal on the seminary's grand piano with a broomstick, 4 nails, and a candle....played party games with the natives....had a cross-cultural Portuguese-Spanish conversation with a Peruvian.Don't worry, I also did some work!

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-70629684668858050392011-02-22T22:12:00.008-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.201-04:00

Last night after reading and preparing for this morning's devotion, I couldn't quite sleep. I flipped on the light and started sketching and fleshing out some ideas that had been rolling around in my head after it became evident yesterday afternoon that my initial idea for the dorms would be impossible given certain restrictions of the site. After a few minutes of drawing, at peace with my

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-85161562921749216472011-02-21T21:45:00.008-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.202-04:00

Today was another whirlwind: programming meetings, site visits, design charrettes, client reviews, late nights at the office. It's almost like work!Unlike my typical work day, however, the design team gathered together for worship time and devotionals. Here's a photo of most of the team singing together--with a few off camera (and yours truly behind the camera). It was an awesome way to start

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-10249537671231281872011-02-20T20:55:00.010-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.203-04:00

Today I attended a programming meeting, visited a site, was taken to lunch by a client . . . and took a shower in a tiny room with a toilet, a shower-head, and a drain in the floor. All in a day's work here in Peru!Yesterday, the EMI team flew together from Lima to Cuzco and were met at the airport by some of the Seminary leaders we will be working with this week. After strapping our luggage on

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-11864000423993879912011-02-19T07:33:00.003-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.204-04:00

I made it to Peru last night for my mission trip with EMI. This morning, I am waking up to my first glimpses of some of the many things I love about Latin America...- The people- Courtyards- Stucco- Tile floors- Single pane glass- Open doors, open windows, no screens- Trees painted white for the first 3 feet- Vegetation, and grass like a carpet!- Mourning doves waking me up- Electric showers (no

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-23912392745483262052011-01-07T13:16:00.007-05:002011-03-18T21:55:23.205-04:00

Next month, I am super-excited to be going on a mission trip to Peru. Published below is an online version of the letter I wrote describing the long journey it has been to get me to this point.God the Persistent GardenerA seed is planted. In December of 2001, after a semester studying abroad in Central America, Kim returned home with stories of her adventures--and a brochure from an

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-86867064433380853102010-09-16T00:00:00.011-04:002011-03-18T21:16:56.119-04:00

The other day I received a drawing from my eight-year old son, Lucas. He really loves to draw and he occasionally likes to draw architecture for me! I was totally impressed when the subject of his artwork this time was the Museu Oscar Niemeyer in Curitiba, Brazil, which we visited together as a family last November.What is most impressive to me is that it was drawn completely from memory, but

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-28854950795907358222010-07-15T22:54:00.009-04:002010-07-15T23:34:32.753-04:00

Today Google celebrated the 125th anniversary of the birth of designer Josef Frank by posting a doodle based on his textile designs. Although I had heard of Josef Frank before, I was not really familiar with his work. Since I quite liked the Google doodle, I searched for more of his work and was really pleased with what I found.I found a bunch of his work represented on the website for the

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-74183864940133695422010-06-15T22:00:00.002-04:002010-06-16T09:00:12.612-04:00

Last week I was in Miami for the first time for the 2010 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention. Since I still had the lenses I rented for my camera with me, I decided to play around with the tilt function of the tilt-shift lens in order to do what Wikipedia refers to as "miniature faking." This is a technique used notably by photographer Olivo Barbieri.Where the shift function I

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-44658920614777729542010-06-05T21:41:00.004-04:002010-06-05T22:51:23.113-04:00

Next week, I am traveling to Calgary on business and will be using the opportunity to take some construction photos of Eighth Avenue Place. In order to capture some more professional-looking images, our office photography guru suggested I rent a couple of lenses for my Canon EOS Rebel XSi. I rented a tilt-shift lens and a zoom lens.After a brief lesson when the lenses arrived at the office on

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-69703639546320046702010-05-28T21:36:00.006-04:002010-05-28T21:57:55.905-04:00

For the past few years, I have been working on a highrise project in Calgary, Eighth Avenue Place. The project is currently under construction, well under way to being completed next year. I visit the site every couple of weeks to meet with our local partner architects in Calgary, the construction manager, and the general contractor.This week was an important week for a site visit. My boss for

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-56138850362120635052010-05-22T00:01:00.001-04:002010-05-22T00:01:00.198-04:00

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-12923119202604668752010-05-19T21:20:00.000-04:002010-05-20T10:14:56.322-04:00

For each medal winner in the Olympics, there are many others who must lose. In the realm of Olympic logos, there is one logo that is, without a doubt, the biggest loser.London 2012's logo breaks all of the rules when it comes to good Olympic logo design. It is graphically awkward and uncompelling, has nothing to do with what I imagine is current thinking on "good" graphic design, and expresses

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-56579367947717034232010-05-19T21:15:00.000-04:002010-05-20T10:14:44.083-04:00

Part of me really likes really likes Atlanta 1996's logo, and part of me is really bothered by some of its elements. The part that likes it won enough to give this logo a Bronze Medal ranking. I really like the way the 100 (representing the Centennial Olympics) and the Olympic rings fit together to make a Greek column capital and an an Olympic torch. I am bothered by the colors in this

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-14232388202073308672010-05-19T21:10:00.000-04:002010-05-20T10:14:14.383-04:00

Beijing 2008's logo is very nice. To my Western eyes, it looks very Chinese in both design and typography (or is it calligraphy). The human figure is based on the Chinese character for "Jing," which represents the host city. The only reason I did not give it a Gold Medal ranking is because it is less like an icon than I generally like.Torino 2006's logo, on the other hand, is very iconic, and

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-70490385861572475432010-05-19T21:05:00.000-04:002010-05-20T10:13:57.575-04:00

I actually think that Rio 2016's logo is one of the best Olympic logos, and not just because I am a Brazilaphile! It is graphically simple and strong and expresses the spirit of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in a number of ways. Having been to Rio recently myself, the logo instantly brings to mind images of Rio's beautiful landscape of ocean and hills, including the Pão de Açúcar. And the

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-2309889364536919792010-05-19T21:00:00.006-04:002010-05-20T08:15:34.931-04:00

I am a self-proclaimed Olympiphile. In fact, the Olympics are pretty much the only sporting event I ever watch. But in addition to watching the amazing feats of the Olympic athletes, around game time, I always enjoy looking at the Olympic logos, medals, and venues from the perspective of a designer.Given my growing interest in graphic design, in the relatively recent wake of this year's winter

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-12138463380200232302010-05-11T23:00:00.001-04:002010-05-12T14:50:52.718-04:00

Do these buildings look the same to you? Look closely. They certainly look similar: floating slabs with glass railings ringing the building with exterior circulation, exposed stairs along the perimeter, and both situated right on the water. Maybe the first is just the concept rendering for the photo of the completed building. Right?As in many aspects of life, in architecture there is indeed

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-91333679386402814772010-05-11T21:00:00.000-04:002010-05-12T01:22:53.474-04:00

A few weeks ago, we took our first long road trip as a family of six. As we headed down the east coast to see friends and relatives as far south as the Gulf Coast of Alabama, one of our stops was Asheville, North Carolina, where we visited Kim's grandfather. After a nice Sunday morning at church and lunch afterwards, we spent an absolutely beautiful afternoon at the Biltmore Estate.If you ever

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-62154371853828919212010-02-05T23:50:00.003-05:002010-02-06T22:15:24.750-05:00

I recently read Michael Bierut's book 79 Short Essays on Design. Though Bierut, a principal at Pentagram, writes from the perspective of a graphic designer, his essays included enough architectural references and personal anecdotes to keep me turning page after page. In one essay, "Warning: May Contain Non-Design Content" he explains that "not everything is design. But design is about

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-65187785114556500922010-01-27T22:00:00.007-05:002010-01-28T13:31:15.677-05:00

Project: Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM)Project Date: 1967Location: Rio de Janeiro, BrazilArchitect: Affonso Eduardo ReidyDate Visited: 14 December 2009After five weeks in Curitiba, we spent a week in Rio de Janeiro before returning home to the United States just before Christmas. Though we had some business to take care of at the U.S. Consulate, we spent quite a bit of time enjoying the sights

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-55885946352989455792009-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:002010-01-20T21:57:40.972-05:00

We ran upon this nifty piece of good design this year in Curitiba, Brazil's Christmas City. It is made entirely of used soda bottles, some filled with red liquid to add color to the tree. Awesome!

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-63242606240559547572009-12-23T22:00:00.002-05:002010-01-20T21:42:43.941-05:00

In 1954, Modern designers Charles and Ray Eames created their famous House of Cards picture deck. In 2009, I introduced my 4 year old son to the classic toy.It was an immediate hit, although I don't know whether it was me or him who enjoyed playtime more!

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-116852906456979792009-11-27T23:00:00.005-05:002009-11-28T11:31:42.650-05:00

Kim and I have been in Curitiba, Brazil, since the beginning of November when we arrived to adopt our four beautiful children (visit our other blog, Perfect Provision, for details about this adventure). We have enjoyed a number of sites around the city during the month we have been here, but today was especially exciting for me as we went to the Museu Oscar Niemeyer, an art museum designed by and

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-58682047082010518612009-09-26T19:12:00.003-04:002009-09-26T19:44:33.188-04:00

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-13646691671809365112009-09-10T18:34:00.016-04:002009-09-22T08:48:43.410-04:00

"A tree is our most intimate contact with nature." (George Nakashima)A few years ago, Kim's uncle, a woodworker, gave us a couple of large flitches of willow that had been stored in his garage for years but that he had never found a project to use. Being a designer myself and having a deep respect for the work of Japanese-American craftsman George Nakashima, my mind immediately started thinking

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-33038553568781611492009-09-02T12:44:00.012-04:002009-09-03T13:09:27.375-04:00

Well, it has been a long time coming, but today I submitted my application for an architectural licensure. Yes, I am finally going to be a real "architect." (I have sometimes felt like Pinnochio as he wished to become a "real boy"!) With luck, the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Architects will review my application at their next meeting, and I will be licensed in the next month or

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-90061161133249962722009-08-23T13:45:00.003-04:002009-09-10T20:41:28.751-04:00

"It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law." (Louis Sullivan) At the beginning of August, Kim and I were out in northwestern

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-69939150281947132852009-07-08T22:00:00.001-04:002009-07-09T17:38:33.027-04:00

Sometimes you have to plan an architectural pilgrimage well in advance. Like purchasing tickets for a tour of Philip Johnson's Glass House nine-and-a-half months ahead of time. But sometimes it is the unexpected architectural encounters that end up being the most interesting. Sometimes you just get lucky.Say for instance you are visiting Switzerland on a whim on a free day after some business

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-2614905210501476412009-07-06T22:00:00.001-04:002009-07-06T22:47:31.581-04:00

I never imagined that my first opportunity to see an Oscar Niemeyer building would not be in his native Brazil, but instead about 5000 miles away in Europe. But as many times as I have tried to get there, I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Brazil. However, I was recently on a business trip to Italy and had the chance to visit a Niemeyer project outside Milan.After two days of meetings

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-66303923655267588722009-05-22T00:01:00.008-04:002010-05-18T20:33:07.539-04:00

One year ago today, inspired by a trip to Italy and a visit to the Pantheon, I wrote my first post on Through the Oculus. If you have been following my architectural musings all along, thank you for your diligence and your readership. If you are visiting for the first time, I hope you will continue to follow along. Either way, please do not be shy to leave me your thoughts or comments.

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-37249703633935026812009-05-19T13:00:00.001-04:002009-07-06T22:46:52.924-04:00

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-33482814755460719322009-05-15T08:43:00.003-04:002009-05-15T09:18:34.678-04:00

Kim and I have been "nesting" at home over the past few weeks as we prepare to adopt four children from Brazil. (Read about that adventure here.)  We have been painting, rearranging furniture, getting rid of things we do not need, and acquiring things we do need (apparently you need a lot of beds when you have four children).  We made a "Blitz List" last month of all the things we wanted to

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-24667349690561795262009-04-27T00:09:00.006-04:002009-04-27T00:14:19.558-04:00

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-3144267737541395222009-04-21T12:41:00.007-04:002009-04-21T13:55:18.385-04:00

"Terunobu Fujimori has thrown a punch of a kind no one has ever seen before at 'modernism.'" (Kengo Kuma)He spent most of his life as an architectural historian.  He did not design his first building until the age of 45. He uses traditional charred wood siding and plants pine trees and other odd vegetation on the roofs of his buildings.  His friends help him do things that no contractor would

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-39441472739959738222009-04-09T21:00:00.004-04:002009-04-10T10:25:22.739-04:00

I passed “Construction Documents & Services”!I received the score report in the mail today with a nice “PASS” on the top. This leaves only one unknown score for my seventh exam, “Programming, Planning & Practice,” which I took back on March 23rd. NCARB seem to be getting quicker with their score processing, so I hope to see this report within the next couple of weeks.Now that I have pushed

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-9354686887050836032009-03-23T20:00:00.001-04:002009-03-26T13:18:22.547-04:00

Today I took my seventh (and last!) ARE: Programming, Planning & Practice.  I felt pretty comfortable with the material covered so I hope I did well on the exam.  As always, though, I just have to wait for the score.And speaking of scores, when I got home from the testing center, I was happy to see a letter from NCARB informing me I had passed my fifth exam (Building Systems), which I took back

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-19565015414274175812009-03-16T17:50:00.001-04:002009-03-17T08:26:21.787-04:00

Light is an important element in all architecture. Le Corbusier said, “Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.” Louis Kahn said, “I sense Light as the giver of all presences, and material as spent light. What Light makes casts a shadow and the shadow belongs to Light.” Without light, we cannot see form, color, or texture. Light—natural

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-24915077596210280442009-03-15T20:42:00.003-04:002009-03-15T21:28:05.066-04:00

In Islam, water is seen as life-giving, sustaining, and purifying. The Qur’an states, “from water every living creature was created.”Water is used in Islamic architecture for several basic reasons. First, it is used practically to provide cooling in hot, dry climates (e.g. the courtyard fountains and pools typically found in the vernacular architecture of the Middle East and North Africa, the

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-10883600427813971332009-03-15T20:40:00.001-04:002009-03-16T08:41:41.207-04:00

At work we are entering a design competition for a hotel in the Middle East. Even though it is sometimes a bit of post-rationalization for our design concepts, we often research information about the cultural context for a specific site. (I am actually quite interested in the influence of cultural context on Modern architecture. I only wish it was not always a post-rationalization!)

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-1238460987662020312009-03-07T22:30:00.011-05:002009-03-08T16:44:21.623-04:00

"The parking garage is a peculiar twentieth-century phenomenon. The one in New Haven comes from the design of throughways....I wanted to make a building which said it dealt with cars and movement. I wanted there to be no doubt that this is a parking garage." (Paul Rudolph)I have a strange architectural affinity for parking garages.  I suppose I love their simplicity and utility and the fact that

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-45742734094638468862009-03-07T10:37:00.008-05:002009-03-07T11:06:41.058-05:00

I thought I would post a few more images from my photo shoot last week with Ken.  Like those that I posted earlier, these photos are from the Yale Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art and they were contenders for the architectural photography contest I entered last week.Enjoy!Yale Art GalleryYale Center for British ArtThis is the view of the Yale Art Gallery's Swartwout Buildingfrom

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-70187417677757618682009-03-06T12:00:00.002-05:002009-03-07T10:36:50.884-05:00

Yesterday I took my sixth ARE:  Construction Documents and Services.  The multiple choice portion of the test was quite difficult, so I am not sure how confident to feel with my performance.  I studied quite a lot for the exam, but I think there were some nuances of contractual issues that I should have brushed up on a little more.  I hope they will not leave me hanging too long waiting for my

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-5052027619972854282009-03-02T12:11:00.018-05:002009-03-02T20:09:47.056-05:00

On Saturday, my photographer friend Ken (who blogs here) and I went downtown to do a little photography.  Ken and I went to photograph together a few weeks ago for fun, but this time I wanted to take some photos for an architectural photography competition sponsored by AIA St. Louis.  I asked Ken if he would like to join me and he jumped at the opportunity to come and try out some of his new

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-91663027746659338962009-02-19T21:20:00.002-05:002009-02-19T21:31:43.952-05:00

Today I received another ARE score in the mail:  I passed "Building Design & Construction Systems."  This was the quickest turn-around I have experienced so far with the scoring report (about five weeks).I hope this bodes well for prompt scoring on my last two tests, one of which is scheduled two weeks from yesterday.  My mantra these days is "just get 'em done!"  I want my license by summer.

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-38351921731344758762009-02-13T18:16:00.014-05:002009-02-14T11:04:01.674-05:00

Today is Friday the 13th and architecture has been a bit unlucky this past week.  On Monday, the 50-story Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Beijing, still under construction and due to open in May, burned to a crisp when an unauthorized fireworks display celebrating the Lunar New Year went horribly wrong.  One firefighter died in the blaze and six people were injured.  The hotel, designed by Dutch

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-35273387074431484222009-02-12T21:47:00.002-05:002009-02-12T21:58:42.117-05:00

Today I took my "Building Systems" exam. This particular test covers mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems with a couple of calculations and code requirements thrown in for good measure. I left the testing center feeling relatively comfortable with my performance, although there were a few calculations I did not have time to complete in time and so my answers were basically my first

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-57580133031423418552009-02-04T08:43:00.003-05:002009-02-04T08:50:45.775-05:00

This past weekend I got some very good news in the mail:  I passed two more AREs!  This means that, as of today, I have passed 3 of my exams (Site Planning & Design, Structural Systems, and Schematic Design), I am awaiting one score for a test I took in January, and I have 3 more tests to go.  I have been diligent about following my "one test every 4 weeks" schedule and so I will be taking

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-87936258193479161352009-01-28T21:35:00.011-05:002009-03-02T12:22:34.962-05:00

For Christmas this year, Kim and I bought a new digital SLR camera: a Canon Rebel XSi. Although we have had the camera for a while now, I had not really had much time to play around with it until this past weekend when I went with my photographer friend Ken to shoot around Yale. Ken also shoots with a Canon, so I enjoyed getting a few pointers from him to get me back into the swing of shooting

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-69344869150825016892009-01-28T20:40:00.007-05:002009-01-28T21:24:25.899-05:00

Today is action painter Jackson Pollock's birthday (b. 1912-d. 1956).  Although I have not always been a fan of Pollock's work, he was instrumental in the evolution of abstract expressionism, one of my favorite painting movements.Google honored Pollock today with an image of one of his paintings on their search header.  Clicking on the painting resulted in a number of interesting internet hits,

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-64113310588890649922009-01-14T20:00:00.003-05:002009-01-17T17:15:42.979-05:00

This afternoon I took my fourth ARE:  "Building Design & Construction Systems."  I think this was probably the hardest of the tests I have taken so far because the range of topics covered was very broad and so it felt difficult to prepare for.  Also, there were three drawing components to complete in 2 hours 45 minutes, which felt a little tight.  As with the other drawing components I have taken

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-67420666175924410982008-12-23T13:00:00.005-05:002008-12-24T13:26:48.838-05:00

Today in the mail I (finally!) received the score for my first ARE (Site Planning & Design), which I took back in October.  I am pleased to report that I passed!According to NCARB's website, Prometric recently experienced some scoring delays related to the new ARE 4.0.  I am hoping these kinks are worked out now and it will not take more than two months to grade each of the other tests.  Perhaps

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-82037846563271503222008-12-16T17:00:00.005-05:002009-01-17T16:58:04.075-05:00

I just got back from taking my third registration exam: Schematic Design. The test material was not really difficult, but the time constraints made it feel a bit difficult. In the first of two exercises, I had one hour to lay out the interior partitions and furniture for a suite of offices. In the second, I had four hours to lay out the schematic plans for a two-story building given a

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-54078571302562416582008-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:002009-02-14T19:52:19.468-05:00

If you have ever met me, you probably figured out that I love Modern architecture.  If you know me well, then you probably know that I love Latin American Modern architecture in particular.  If you know me really well, then you have probably heard me talk about my admiration for the great Brazilian Modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer.  And if you know me really, really well, then you know that my

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-86152989436742345812008-11-30T10:00:00.005-05:002008-12-24T15:23:50.453-05:00

Today is my 29th birthday. Today is also the 500th anniversary of the birth of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio (d. 19 August 1580).Now, if an architect wanted to share a birthday with another architect, Palladio's not a shabby option.  He is one of the most well-known and influential architects of the Renaissance in Italy and is most famous for his projects in and around Venice,

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-7171652090659519392008-11-29T22:00:00.018-05:002008-12-16T09:34:33.939-05:00

"I like to be on the edge of the possible." (Jørn Utzon)Danish architect Jørn Utzon (b. 19 April 1918) died today at the age of 90.  Utzon, who is most famous for his design for the Sydney Opera House, won the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2003.  In their award citation, the Pritzker jury commented that Utzon "proves that the marvelous and seemingly impossible in architecture can be achieved.  He

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-89360731090853344832008-11-18T21:54:00.004-05:002008-12-17T13:11:00.136-05:00

Today I took my second A.R.E.: Structural Systems. I must say, it was much better than I had expected. Going into the test, I was thinking "bloodbath," but I am cautiously optimistic that I sustained only a few minor flesh wounds in this battle! I certainly was not over-prepared for the test, but I definitely was not under-prepared either.Now it is a matter of waiting for my score.

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-51600060018907948842008-10-22T20:00:00.006-04:002008-12-17T13:10:35.542-05:00

Well, I did it!  Yesterday I took my first ARE:  "Site Planning & Design."  This was the first of seven tests I will have to take in order to achieving my architectural registration.  Though I feel pretty comfortable with my performance, I will have to wait a few weeks until I receive my official score (pass or fail) in the mail.The test included 65 multiple-choice questions over 1.5 hours and

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-17587798068037241242008-10-11T10:15:00.006-04:002008-10-12T08:51:59.416-04:00

"Design is not making beauty. Beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love." (Louis Kahn)Back in July, my friend James asked me at a dinner party, "what's so special about Louis Kahn."  James is not an architect, but he was a high school student at Philips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he remembers architects coming from all over the see the Academy's

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-69309937776260764862008-09-26T18:41:00.007-04:002008-12-17T13:13:26.835-05:00

Today I did it!  I registered for my first ARE (Architect Registration Exam)!After seven years of school and three-and-a-half years of full-time employment, it has been a long time coming.  So, on October 21st at 12:30 in the afternoon I will sit to take the the first of seven registration exams:  "Site Planning & Design."  As I am still completing some final IDP (Intern Development Program)

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-1360844044899200942008-09-25T08:28:00.007-04:002008-09-26T23:09:43.342-04:00

Today is the 409th anniversary of the birth of the Italian Baroque architect Francisco Borromini (September 25, 1599).While Kim and I were in Rome this past May, we had the opportunity to visit a couple of Borromini's buildings, and I must say I was quite pleased.  Generally, I am a bit turned off by Baroque architecture as I find that it is simply too much of too much.  But Borromini's work,

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-40731190076448370102008-09-23T09:30:00.008-04:002008-12-16T09:35:25.270-05:00

"Architecture is the art of how to waste space." (Philip Johnson)Tickets went on sale this morning at 9:00 to visit Philip Johnson's Glass House and estate in New Canaan, Connecticut, during the 2009 season (May-October). Though I intended to visit the house in 2008, tickets sold out quickly when they went on sale last year. Having learned my lesson from that experience, this time I was not going

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-47024328788162064602008-09-21T15:26:00.012-04:002008-12-16T09:37:29.333-05:00

This past week, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on business. Although I learned several years ago that business travel and leisure travel are not really synonymous, I have had some pretty amazing opportunities to travel while working at Pickard Chilton, including trips to Canada, Denmark, Italy, a number of cities around the United States, and, now, Malaysia.

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-91626343825222243902008-09-11T08:40:00.003-04:002008-09-26T23:09:43.344-04:00

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-38256721636966199772008-09-09T15:39:00.004-04:002008-09-26T22:59:08.297-04:00

This summer, Pickard Chilton announced a new initiative to have all of our designers become Accredited Professionals in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program by the fall. After a few nervous weeks of reading and studying, I passed the exam earlier today and am now officially a LEED AP!Hopefully this past month of preparing for my LEED exam will help me get in the habit

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-30500165623356426352008-08-21T13:42:00.010-04:002008-09-26T23:09:43.345-04:00

"Choose your corner, pick away at it carefully, intensely and to the best of your ability and that way you might change the world." (Charles Eames)Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Charles Eames and the 20th anniversary of the death of his wife Ray. This iconic husband-and-wife team made incredible contributions during the 20th century to Modern architecture and design. Their vast

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-53637174125921998172008-08-21T12:45:00.018-04:002008-09-26T23:07:40.193-04:00

"God is in the details." (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)To complement my new "Distinguishing Details" series, I though it would be appropriate to also start a series of posts on "Disappointing Details." Disappointing Details in my mind range from the well-intended but badly-executed to the just plain bad! Sometimes disappointing details are overdesigned and sometimes they are underdesigned. Either way

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-43373551560216048822008-08-17T11:30:00.009-04:002008-09-26T23:09:43.346-04:00

Today in Beijing, American swimmer Michael Phelps surpassed Mark Spitz to take the title of the athlete with the most gold medals won in a single Olympic Game. Including one very exciting finish only 1/100 of a second ahead of second place, he has won 8 gold medals in one week!OK, so this post is not exactly architectural, but I have been glued to the TV and his races this year, and, believe it

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-11940131757469947352008-08-16T20:57:00.018-04:002008-09-26T23:01:48.849-04:00

In June of 2006, I had the opportunity to travel to Copenhagen on business. After my meetings were over, I stayed in Denmark for two additional days and guided myself on a whirlwind tour of the area architecture (including even a brief trip to Malmö, Sweden, to see Santiago Calatrava's Turning Torso building). It was exciting for me to be able to visit Copenhagen not only because of the great

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-59898033085086055442008-08-13T23:47:00.015-04:002008-09-26T22:59:08.301-04:00

Though I do not follow sports in my "normal" life, every few years I catch Olympic fever! This year, in addition to the amazing displays of athleticism we have seen during the first week of competition, we have seen some fairly amazing display of beautiful and innovative architecture. The key players in Beijing are the National Stadium (the "Bird's Nest") by Swiss firm Herzog + de Meuron and the

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-42578163052968811242008-08-13T22:29:00.018-04:002008-09-26T23:06:46.043-04:00

For the past three summers, Kim and I have met her parents and one of her brothers for a relaxing long-weekend of tent-camping at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware. Though I am not a major camping- or beach-fanatic myself, the weekend is all about family and is usually filled with books, bikes, frisbees, games, campfires, yummy food, s'mores, leaky air mattresses, and the traditional

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-3661184310278171282008-08-13T21:30:00.005-04:002008-12-16T09:51:08.745-05:00

Last Wednesday Kim and I went up to Boston to spend the day with our good friends Jay and Autumn. The day was a bit gray and drizzly, but after a yummy lunch at their place, we decided to take the T downtown to visit the Institute of Contemporary Art nonetheless. Although our visit to the ICA was primarily to see the artwork, I was excited to see the new ICA building, which was designed by

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-5165579226706973062008-07-24T19:28:00.011-04:002008-09-26T23:09:43.348-04:00

Ninety-seven years ago today, Yale professor Hiram Bingham III "discovered" the lost Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru. Recently counted among the "New Seven Wonders of the World," Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing places I have ever had the privileges of visiting--and one of the places I would love to visit again.

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-11991548683670217792008-07-22T22:15:00.011-04:002008-09-26T23:08:26.628-04:00

It used to be that Philadelphia's City Hall was the tallest building in town. Until 1987, when One Liberty Place broke the "gentlemen's agreement" not to exceed the height of City Hall, the statue of William Penn atop City Hall's tower was, literally, head and shoulders above the rest of the city. (Even the 33 story P.S.F.S. Building is shorter.) In the last 20 years since One Liberty Place was

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-11553613963145594942008-07-17T22:25:00.002-04:002008-09-26T23:06:46.046-04:00

Ok, so that is not what P.S.F.S. really stands for, but it is true that the P.S.F.S. Building in Philadelphia is one of my favorite skyscrapers--P.S.F.S. in its case standing for "Philadelphia Savings Fund Society." The 33 story building, designed by George Howe and William Lescaze, was completed in 1932, only a year after the completion of the Empire State Building in New York City. And while

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-26350086438340662122008-07-15T12:46:00.011-04:002008-09-26T23:08:37.100-04:00

Over Independence Day weekend this year, Kim and I went to Philadelphia with our Korean friend Sujeong. Sujeong is a college student who came to the United States back in April as an intern at Kim's school. Since Kim and I love Philadelphia (and wish we had more excuses to go there already), we thought it would be fun for the three of us to go together. What a better way for Sujeong to get a

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-25914485765693066512008-07-10T13:11:00.018-04:002008-09-26T23:08:00.175-04:00

Eeek! It has been a month since my last posting. How time does fly during the summer. There is nothing "lazy" about my summer days! Work has been intense (but exciting) this past month as I have been keeping up with Construction Administration duties on our Eighth Avenue Place project in Calgary and have also been working on a team to develop several concepts for a office building in Johor Bahru,

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-73670575184657235792008-06-12T16:09:00.002-04:002008-09-26T22:59:08.310-04:00

It's official! As I have now passed 100 visitors to my blog, I wanted to say "thank you" to all who have stopped by and especially to those of you who have left comments. Thank you for being patient with me as I have gotten this site up and running, and I hope that you will continue to enjoy reading my architectural musings!

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-66030145251900751282008-06-12T08:20:00.011-04:002008-09-27T11:05:48.124-04:00

It is no secret that I am not exactly a fan of the Art History addition to Yale's A+A building, but lately I've been trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. Construction is coming along nicely, and the massing of the building when viewed from York Street near the Yale Repertory Theatre is actually not bad. Though I am still disappointed that the panoramic view to campus from the architecture

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-71769825384898473612008-06-10T21:31:00.004-04:002008-09-26T22:59:08.312-04:00

Thanks, James, for your comments on image licensing and intellectual property on the internet.  A your suggestion, I have now figured out how to place an image on my blog with a link rather than having to download the image first.  Hopefully this system will allow me to show images that are not explicitly mine while still still leaving full control in the hands of the images' author (or at least,

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-25705565405938538022008-06-10T09:52:00.004-04:002008-09-26T22:59:08.313-04:00

When I started my blog, I made the conscious decision to try to be sensitive to the use of copyrighted images. I promised myself that I would only upload photographs or images that I had generated myself or that I was given permission to use, thus steering away from the rampant internet image “borrowing” that I face (and, dare I say, participate in) at work.As another way to show that I was

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-14795571301554309092008-06-06T08:51:00.011-04:002008-09-26T23:08:04.583-04:00

I do not get asked this question much anymore but early on in my architectural education, whenever someone would hear that I was studying architecture, they would invariably ask me who my “favorite” architect was. This dreaded question was frequently followed by “You must love Frank Lloyd Wright.” No matter who asked me, I always admitted that, though I did appreciate Wright’s work, I could not

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-832864301080016382008-06-05T01:52:00.015-04:002008-09-26T23:08:23.358-04:00

"All forms that create beauty have a function." (Oscar Niemeyer)Yesterday on a flight to Calgary I read The Curves of Time: the memoirs of Oscar Niemeyer. First published in English in 2000, the book was recently re-released in December of 2007 to celebrate Niemeyer’s 100th birthday.I have admired Oscar Niemeyer’s work for quite some time. At 100 years old and still practicing in his native

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-40677795471515560842008-05-27T20:27:00.016-04:002008-09-26T23:08:40.181-04:00

A few days ago I wrote about the ongoing controversy surrounding Richard Meier's Ara Pacis Museum in Rome. At the end of my entry, I made a comment about the previous building to house the Ara Pacis on that site, a Fascist-era construction dating from 1938. Thanks to the astute observations of my good friend and fellow New Haven architect, Kyle, I am now able to include a little more information

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-31954141166746821492008-05-26T20:53:00.033-04:002011-03-18T22:29:09.434-04:00

"A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means when it is being designed, and in the end must be unmeasurable." (Louis I. Kahn) I mentioned Louis Kahn in my previous post. Though New Haven is lucky enough to have Kahn's first museum (Yale Art Gallery, 1953) and his last museum (Yale Center for British Art, 1974) sitting across the street from one another, I

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-40570263831367494212008-05-26T14:53:00.022-04:002008-09-27T11:05:48.125-04:00

Yale's commencement ceremonies were today. Since we have a few friends graduating this semester from the Master of Architecture program at the Yale School of Architecture, Kim and I went to show our support. YSOA graduation usually takes placed in the 4th floor "pit" of the famous (or perhaps infamous, depending on your point of view) A+A building, a Brutalist structure designed by Paul Rudolph

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3305576674281758095.post-71926446169140897412008-05-25T16:22:00.028-04:002008-09-26T23:08:40.182-04:00

I read an editorial the other day about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome. The Museum was designed by Richard Meier to house the Ara Pacis, an Altar of Peace dating from 9 BC and the emperor Augustus. The building opened in 2006 and has apparently been a sore topic for some Romans since. The mayor of Rome has even suggested that it be torn down, his argument being

The Beholderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07391265179451409903noreply@blogger.com0