Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Bike Lakewood Community Meeting tonight 12.14.2011

7-8.30pm


Come share your thoughts on how we can make Lakewood the Bicycle Capital of Northeast Ohio. 
Click here to view the Bicycle Master Plan.
Lakewood is on the cusp of incorporating the Bicycle Master Plan with the devious goal (its not devious or nefarious, I just want to make it sound so much more involved then it is) of making Lakewood the Cycling Capitol of Ohio.  Not a huge goal, but an important one, especially when examined through the lens of how Lakewood is building upon its strengths.  Come and share your input, look at the proposal and lets discuss how to strengthen our pedestrian and cycling connections to make our city more friendly to the scale of people.

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Sculpture Center Call for Artists [W2S2013]


The Sculpture Center is seeking applicants for its 2013 WINDOW TO SCULPTURE EMERGING ARTIST SERIES with an open Call for Ohio Artists. Through the W2S Series, begun in 1991, The Sculpture Center fosters and promotes the careers of exceptional Ohio sculptors during the first ten years of their profession. Sculptors and installation artists are chosen annually for one-person exhibitions in either the Main or Euclid Avenue Gallery with a full color brochure. The 5 week long exhibitions are held January-May.  

The staff of The Sculpture Center works closely with the artist throughout the development of the exhibition and the writing of the brochure. The brochure includes an artist's statement, checklist, and three images of the artwork. 


ELIGIBILITY IN BRIEF
The sculptor or installation artist must have an Ohio connection by birth, residency, or schooling, but does not need to be currently residing in Ohio. At the start of the W2S Series (January 2013), the sculptor must have completed an artist degree (undergraduate or graduate), apprenticeship, or period of equivalent self-taught experience at least seven months to a year prior and be no more than ten years into his/her career.


THE REQUIREMENTS
  • Up to 15 high resolution jpeg images (set at no larger than 300 ppi and 8 x 10 inches)
  • PDF of image checklist keyed to the images with full information, including title, date, dimensions, and materials
  • PDF of artist's statement of 1 paragraph
  • Optional: Exhibition proposal of no more than 2 paragraphs Indication of interest in a collaboration with FiveOne Experimental Orchestra
  • PDF of resume with contact information on the resume
  • This Application Form in hard copy with application fee of $30
THE PROCEDURE
Click here to upload images and PDFs. All images must be jpegs (set at no larger than 300 ppi and 8 x 10 inches).
Send a hard copy of this application form and $30 (check, cash, or money order) to The Sculpture Center. Applications are not considered without this form and fee.

THE DEADLINES

Online Upload: Midnight of Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Hardcopy Application Form + Fee: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

BikeLakewood Master Plan Planning Commission Work Session - 2011.12.01

City of Lakewood Planning Commission discussion + work session
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
City Hall Auditorium
12650 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio  44107
7pm

The City of Lakewood, Ohio has recently released their Draft Bicycle Master Plan(.pdf) for public review and comment and will be having a discussion and work session and encourage interested parties to attend and comment.

This discussion is further exploration of the master plan which began in late 2010 which is centered around developing a plan to better serve Lakewood's cycling community.

The Draft Master Plan can be viewed until December 2nd.  Comments may be emailed to the Lakewood Planning Department planning@lakewoodoh.net and include in the subject line: "Bicycle Master Plan Comments".

West Shoreway Public Meeting - 2011.12.01

West Shoreway Community Meeting
Thursday, Dec. 1st, 2011
Franklin Circle Christian Church
1688 Fulton Road, Cleveland
6-8pm

Currently ODOT and the City of Cleveland are looking to reduce costs to the West Shoreway Project and the lakefront multi-purpose trail is on the table as one of the components looking to be cut.  Bike Cleveland is looking to rally support for the trail and urges any and all interested parties to attend the public meeting and be heard.

Bike Cleveland website notice

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Save the Seneca County Courthouse Petition

This found it's way to inbox and I thought I would pass it along for interested parties.  I think it is always a shame to tear down old beautiful buildings (even though sometimes it admittedly makes some modicum of sense).  However a battle was successfully fought in 2008 to save the courthouse so it obviously has some value.
photo by John Hartsock

Link it on Facebook. Tweet it. Tell your friends.


Please see letters attached as well. Building could be demolished as early as Thursday! Our letter below –

Dear Commissioners,
It is with great respect that this letter is submitted by concerned Constituents of Seneca County, Residents of the State of Ohio and supporting individuals beyond Ohio urging the Board of Commissioners to save from demolition the Seneca County Courthouse. The building is a prominent Tiffin, Ohio landmark, a historic Ohio courthouse and a fine piece of civic architecture. The people challenge the Board to consider that difficult decisions in this time of economic hardship must be balanced with our civic responsibility to maintain and restore society’s important edifices that contribute to the history and character of our cities and our nation.


The Seneca County Courthouse has fallen into cosmetic disrepair, but there is much reason to believe that the 1884 courthouse can be given new life and serve the people of Tiffin once again. There have been many studies performed that indicate the building is structurally sound and an excellent candidate for rehabilitation and reuse. It is our recommendation that plans for demolition are abandoned and consideration is given for either immediate renovation of the building or allowing private citizens to fund the costs and responsibilities for mothballing the building in order to maintain it in safe and reasonable stasis until a time at which the once proud courthouse can be restored.



Buildings of this time were designed and built to represent our society’s values, and they evoke the sense of place and permanence that cannot be replicated or replaced. The year the Seneca County Courthouse was opened saw the beginning of construction of the Statue of Liberty and the completion of the Washington Monument, a testament to the grand age from which this building heralds and the historical importance it signifies. If destroyed, the Seneca County Courthouse would become the first Ohio courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places to be torn down.

           With these notions in mind, please reconsider the irreversible decision of demolishing the Seneca County Courthouse so that it can be saved until a later time that it can be restored to prominence and be appreciated by future generations. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.




           Sincerely,

    Citizens

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Architecture+ faculty presentations - KSU CAED [2011.11.18]

Architecture + faculty presentations - KSU CAED
Friday, November 18th
Bowman Hall Room 137 [link to campus searchable map]
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242


Presenters on tap:
Michael Abrahamson - architecture
Ji Young Cho - interior design
Jillian Coorey - visual communication design
Rebecca Cross - art
Jonathan Fleming - architecture
Charles Graves - architecture
Noel Paloma Lavinski - fashion
Elizabeth Murphy - architecture
Steve Rugare - urban design
Jason Turnidge - architecture

*I believe that this is part of the 2011 Lecture Series "Useful Pasts, Fantastic Futures".

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Call for Artists - CLE issues Call for Artists for Temporary Art Exhibit

Submission Deadline:
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 @ 4pm
mailed or hand delivered



The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) Temporary Art Exhibition Program announces a “call for artists” for its upcoming juried exhibition entitled, “Women in Uniform,” running from February 1, 2012 through April 30, 2012. The deadline for artist submissions is Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.

A uniform is a distinctive form of attire worn to communicate the particularity of a group, as well as the specific role of an individual within a network. In honor of Women's History Month, this exhibition considers the past, present and future of uniforms worn by women.

CLE is currently accepting proposals for artwork from artists working in any two-dimensional medium (paintings, oils, acrylics, watercolors, photography and drawings) depicting images of women wearing uniforms. Military, nursing, police, airlines, etc. are eligible.

Selected exhibitors’ art pieces will be on display in Concourse A, ticketing level, and various other areas throughout the terminal where nearly 30,000 passengers will view them daily. The temporary exhibits change quarterly. 

According to Smith, “The Temporary Art Exhibition Program is a free initiative available to all artists in the Cleveland Plus region. The airport wants to showcase the diverse arts and culture of the region.” 

The CLE Temporary Art Exhibition Program requirements must include the following:
  • Completed and signed CLE Temporary Art Exhibit Program application
  • One CD with digital photos of full exhibit (please include name and exhibit title)
  • Identify the theme of your submission
  • A brief written statement explaining how the submission correlates to the theme
  • A self-addressed stamped envelope if artist would like submission returned
  • Any images containing models must be accompanied by a photographic consent/model release form
Artists submitting proposals for the CLE Temporary Art Exhibition Program will be judged on:
  • Capturing the vision of the theme
  • Cultural, educational, and/or artistic merit
  • Originality, imagination, and presentation of content
  • Feasibility of proposal.
Proposals, whether mailed or hand delivered, must be received no later than Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. No postmarks will be accepted.

Mailed:
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
ATTN: Temporary Art Exhibit/Shari Cloud
P.O. Box 81009
Cleveland, OH 44181

Hand delivered:
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Planning and Engineering
ATTN: Temporary Art Exhibit/Shari Cloud
19502 Five Points Road
Cleveland, OH 44135

To download the CLE Temporary Art Exhibition Program click here.
For further information please call (216) 898-5209.


Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Call for Artists - Cleveland Innerbelt Project Mural Art Program

Submission Deadline:
November 21, 2011 @ 5pm

Cleveland Innerbelt Project Mural Art Program


Call For Entries
CPA is issuing this RFQ to find artists to develop concepts and designs for up to four two-dimensional, graphically printed murals to be installed at one of three neighborhood underpasses located in Cleveland’s Historic Gateway and Tremont neighborhoods. The designs should demonstrate understanding of individual locations and context. The final product will be a series of digitally reproducible files. Therefore, artists across disciplines are encouraged to apply. Photographic, painted, graphic and other renderings are all eligible, so long as they can be digitally transposed to the scale of the panels. Qualified third party contractors will be hired to produce and install the final artwork.

Competition brief can be found at the above link on Cleveland Public Art's website.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Call for Applications - Smack Mellon's Artist Studio Program

Submission Deadline:
November 17th, 2011 - 11.59pm
apply online only


SMACK MELLON ARTIST STUDIO PROGRAM

Call for Applications
Application Deadline: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 11:59pm EST
Applications will be accepted through an online process.  Please scroll down for application instructions, and then click on "Begin application" at the bottom.
The 2012 Studio Program will be housed on the lower level of Smack Mellon’s building at 92 Plymouth Street.  The residency will begin May 1, 2012 and end March 31, 2013.
Smack Mellon offers free studio space to eligible artists for an eleven-month period. The program provides artists working in all visual arts media a free private studio space and a $5000 fellowship (dependent upon funding). The program does not provide living space. Artists also have access to shared facilities that include a fabrication shop, 2 Macintosh G5 workstations for video editing, DVD burner and CD read/write capabilities, 2 additional Mac work stations, flatbed and slide scanners, DVD players, video projectors and monitors, wireless Internet access and technical support.
Studios range in size from 250 to 300 square feet. Not all studios have windows. Artists will not be permitted to choose their studio.
Artists who are accepted into the program must be prepared to actively use their studio a minimum of 50 hours a month or they will lose it.
**Please also note that due to the possibility of flooding in our basement studios, we strongly recommend that artists keep anything valuable off the floor at all times; therefore artists accustomed to working on the floor should think carefully about whether our studios will meet their needs. 

Eligibility
All applicants must be United States citizens or legal Permanent Residents of the United States, 18 years or older, may not be enrolled in any degree program, and must be able to demonstrate need for a studio. Applicants may not be a resident artist in another studio program at the same time as the 2012 Smack Mellon residency.

Selection Process
A panel of arts professionals and artists will review applications and select artists for the 2012 season. Artists will be selected based on the quality of their work and their potential for making the most of their time in the program. The selection process will be completed by the end of February 2012. All applicants will be notified by email. Please do not call the office for selection results.
Deadline for applications: November 17, 2011  11:59pm 

Monday, November 07, 2011

Call for artists - Tower on Waterloo

Submission Due:
10pm
Friday, November 14th, 2011
via email or dropoff
see below:


Tower
Tower on Waterloo Road
Request for Proposals
Northeast Shores Development Corporation, in partnership with Arts Collinwood, Cleveland Public Art and the City of Cleveland, is requesting proposals from qualified artists for a temporary artwork installation for the Waterloo Tower Revolving Art Program.
History of the Waterloo Tower and the Revolving Art Program
The Waterloo Tower is a three-story stainless steel structure, which sits on a grassy triangle on the corner of E. 156th St and Waterloo Rd in the North Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland. Northeast Shores Development Corporation built the Tower in 2010 in partnership with The City of Cleveland, with support from Councilman Michael D. Polensek and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. The design of the Tower was a collaboration of artist, Christopher Diehl, and the fabricator, Mike Moritz of Moritz Wood & Metal.
Prior to it being built, 50 local residents met at Arts Collinwood Gallery to discuss a plan for the Tower and suggested it should be used as a framework for changing public art and should have a stage for performing art such as concerts, poetry readings and plays. Hence, the Waterloo Tower Revolving Public Art Program was started, which oversees the changing art installations that are housed in or in some way incorporate the Tower.
Christopher Diehl, artist from dielio inc, provides some history regarding the philosophy behind the creation of the Tower concept. "The large area of asphalt intersection at E. 156th and Waterloo streets was created in order to turn street trolleys around. The trolleys served this vibrant working class neighborhood and they, in turn, served the Collinwood rail yards. Visitors also poured onto Waterloo in order to spend the day at the Euclid Beach Park Amusement park just north off of Lake Shore Blvd. After the trolley service ended, the amusement park closed and I-90 cut the Waterloo neighborhood off from the rail yards. This intersection became a large and ungainly place for cars and trucks to pass through and a hazard for the unwary pedestrian."
"The Waterloo placemaking Tower stakes a flag, of sorts, to reclaim that area as a new civic heart for this reawakening district now reprogrammed for the visual and entertainment arts. The tower will act as the centerpiece of the new pedestrian-friendly plaza next to Arts Collinwood Gallery and the Café at Arts Collinwood. As such, the raw stainless steel structure will become a site for temporary public art installations and live music performances. Like the neighborhood around it, it becomes the container to house and display the incredible talent and gifts of the Waterloo community."
Budget
The complete, all-inclusive budget for the program is $3,000, which must include installation fees, artist fees and material cost. If you have an idea and would like help seeking out material donations, please let us know and we will try to provide assistance depending on the nature of the need.
Artwork Requirements
The artwork should be designed to remain in place for up to 7 months. Artwork must be designed to require minimal or no maintenance. All maintenance requirements that cannot be met by the artist must be worked out in advance.
Artwork must be affixed to the tower in a safe manner and designed to withstand stormy weather, including high winds and heavy snow. Artworks consisting of other than soft material may require the approval of a structural engineer.
Please see the attached specification drawings of the Tower. The eyebolts pictured can be used as possible mounting hardware and will be provided if needed. 
Submission Requirements
Submissions should contain as much information as necessary to clearly convey the concept and may include drawings, renderings, or other visual or written devices. Artist identification information should be on the back of the submission and thus out of the view of those who will be evaluating the proposals.
Submissions must arrive at Arts Collinwood no later than 10 p.m. on Friday, November 14th.Proposals may be emailed to a.callahan@artscollinwood.org or delivered/mailed to: Arts Collinwood, 15605 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH 44110
The competition is open to all artists 18 years or older. Collinwood artists are especially encouraged to apply.
Due to the limited budget, time constraints, and the challenging installation space, it is suggested that the installations proposed, be simple in nature.
Selection Process
Entries will be judged by an independent panel of neighborhood stakeholders and art and design professionals. Interested artists are encouraged to visit the park in advance of developing their proposals.
Questions can be directed to Amy Callahan at Arts Collinwood: 216-692-9500 ora.callahan@artscollinwood.org.
Arts Collinwood
15605 Waterloo Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44110

More on bike safety...Bike Theft Prevention Seminar in Detroit Shoreway Tonight

But when I say bike safety I actually mean safety for your bike.  Getting around town is important.  For those of us who like to keep the car in the garage (or not even have one) and would rather move through our city at a speed and level that allows us to enjoy the wonderful storefronts and sights, see friends, catch local sales, discover that the new sunroom at our favorite wine/beer shop is now open for visitors, etc. walking or cycling is the best way to do it.  However, despite the bicycle being classified as a vehicle by the state of Ohio and having to abide by all the traffic laws there is one distinction that give cycling it most noticeable disadvantage.  When someone ganks your bike, it is probably gone forever.

The sad truth is that bicycle theft isn't one of the easiest or productive ways for our police to spend their time.  Bikes can easily be stripped down, repainted, shipped all over the place, etc. and very few of the parts have any sort of tracking information (such as VIN numbers on cars).  Most communities highly suggest (eg. require) that you register your bike so possibly help with any sort of reclamation if it goes on "walk about" without your knowledge which can help at least show proof of ownership if the police manage to discover it (like the giant warehouse in Toronto full of stolen bikes the police discovered a few years back).

As cycling discovers its resurgence many communities are stepping up their involvement such as Detroit Shoreway in Cleveland with it's...

7pm
A representative from "Assessments and Licenses will also be available to help register your bike for a $5 fee.

Personally I have some tips that I think are very important.

  • park where you can see your bike (or at least it is highly visible)
  • have and use a decent lock (like a u-lock)
  • if you see someone stealing a bike, take a photo with your cellphone, call the police, etc.  Don't just be silent and watch it happen.  Be part of your community and help others, its harder to be a miscreant when the community cares about what happens.
  • (I got this idea from a TV show) kid gps locator hidden in the frame, they cost $50 and up.  Also it gives you another reason to put a fun gps app on your phone.  Also the police will know exactly where to go.  You may end up busting a giant bike theft ring and becoming a superstar hero.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Francis Halsband Lecture Canceled - Reed + Stauffer conversation to take place

Word has come down the pike that this Thursday's lecture at Kent State University to be given by Francis Halsband has been canceled.

A substitute lecture has been announced, Ron Reed of Westlake Reed Leskosky, a national firm based in Cleveland, will be chatting with Thom Stauffer of Thom Stauffer Architect [and professor at Kent State University CAED].


Ron Reed + Thom Stauffer
Thursday, Oct. 27th
Michael Schwartz Center Auditorium
7.15pm


Sorry for the late notice, I personally do not have my shizzle together.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Gary Hustwit introduces "Urbanized" in Columbus, Wed., 2011.10.12



Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011
Wexner Center Film/Video Theater
7pm

I completely adored the film Helvetica as well as Objectified and have been waiting with baited breathe for the third part of the trilogy by Gary Hustwit known as Urbanized, a look at policies and strategies behind urban planning in order to "provide(sic) a compelling framework for a global discussion about the future of our cities". There has been all sorts of fun discussion regarding suburbia's toll on our society, a frightening look at what is poised as humanity self destruction, but are denser urban areas really the saviors, from a sociological or environmental perspective that many claim.  Urbanized will have to do what the tongue in cheek mockumentary "Radiant City" could not, create a discussion about suburbia that isn't instantly polarizing, something all but impossible to achieve in today's America.  And while it may be possible to open the eyes of the viewer regarding the detail and passion contained in a seemingly mundane object such as a pencil or toothbrush it may prove nearly impossible to change anyone' interpretation of the concoction of less dense living, lovingly called sprawl, which has manifested itself as the subsidized development known as suburbia.

This Wednesday, the 12th of October, Mr. Hustwit will introduce Urbanized at a screening at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, dangerously near to OSU (as in the crowd should be full of OSU architecture students).  I will not be able to attend and it makes me sad.  Mostly because Cleveland so desperately needs more conversation of this sort, as our inner ring suburbs are torn apart for byways and highways to connect the ever expanding homogenized greenscape of the expanding suburbs.  Having spent the weekend in DC and Arlington it is easy to see just how destructive shoddy and malicious planning can be.

lifted from Arts in Ohio website:

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 (7:00 pm - 10:30 pm)
Following his hits Helvetica (about the ubiquitous font) and Objectified (a survey of product design), Urbanized is the final doc in Gary Hustwit's "design trilogy."

Featuring some of the world's foremost architects, planners, and policymakers-including Rem Koolhaas, Oscar Niemeyer, and Amanda Burden-Urbanized examines the issues and strategies behind urban design. Hustwit follows a diverse range of design projects around the world, providing a compelling framework for a global discussion about the future of our cities. (Gary Hustwit, 2011, 80 mins., video)

Cosponsored by Ohio State's Department of Design.
PRICE
$8.00 - $10.00
DISCOUNTS
Student: $8.00
Senior: $8.00
Member: $8.00
ORDER & BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
Box Office: (614) 292-3535
http://www.wexarts.org/info/tickets/
VENUE
Wexner Center Film/Video Theater
1871 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43210
http://www.wexarts.org



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Jorge Otero-Pailos Lecture Tonight 9.27 - KSU CAED


Jorge Otero-Pailos Lecture
Kent State University
Student Center Kiva
09.27.2011
7pm

Roadtrip (12)! Kent State Fall 2011 Lecture Series


Alright, finally found a poster with dates for Kent's CAED fall 2011 lecture series and parsed the poster to put up text information below for your viewing pleasure.

I am not a fan of how lectures at this institution are promoted or information is handed out, I prefer copy paste techniques, especially because doing this sort of promo is a favor for institutions, you think they would spend some time figuring how to distribute information better.  Yes, I am grumpy.

9/6
Peter Q. Bohlin (FAIA, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects)
7:15 PM at Cartwright Hall Auditorium. Toguchi Memorial Lecture

9/12
Mosé Ricci (Riccispaini Architetti Associati, Rome)
6:30 PM at Cartwright Hall Auditorium

9/27
Jorge Otero-Pailos (Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation, Columbia University)
7:00 PM at Student Center Kiva

9/28
Jorge Otero-Pailos (Seminar + Workshop)
8:30 AM at CUDC (space is limited — rsvp to srugare@kent.edu)

10/3

Jimenez Lai (Bureau Spectacular)
7:00 PM at Student Center Kiva

10/4
Jimenez Lai (Seminar + Workshop)
See call for participants for more information

10/27
Frances Halsband (FAIA, Kliment & Halsband Architects)
7:15 PM at Michael Schwartz Center Auditorium

11/x
KSU Architecture + (Faculty Presentations)
Powered by PechaKucha, Cleveland (time and date to be announced)

11/15
Filippo Caprioglio (Carpioglio Associati, Venice)
6:30 PM at Cartwright Hall Auditorium

Yes Is More: Bjarke Ingels Group

Yes Is More
BIG [Bjarke Ingels Group]
American release by Taschen Books

I am rarely willing to leaf through any modern monographs, most are photos or illustrations of projects lacking any sort of process or context, a form of self congratulatory masturbation.  My stomach is much more willing to accept pseudo intellectual meanderings found in most modern criticism then vapid explanations of window location or careless asides towards materiality (wood is natural, so we used it!).  Lately, my views have taken a more professorial role as I search for tomes that can be dissected and easily assimilated by the 2nd year architecture design studio I have taken to teaching lately.  The fundamental class rests mostly on convincing the students that developing an organization and language for their design, based upon some sort of studied intent will allow them to explain their design in a logical and concise manner instead of relying on replicating historical styles or architectural moves.  Sure we rely on a standard palette for solid and void, point/line/plane, etc. but we deviate from classical orders and proportions so that the students can practice space making on their own.

When was first handed a copy of Yes Is More by a GA two years ago I was immediately taken aback by the how the projects were very simple diagrammatic structures coupled with a healthy dose of post rationalization (the balcony view) and iteration, all topics that I find fundamental to good design creation (and explanation).  Stumbling across the video for 8-House I was convinced, here was a source I could share with the students.  There in lies the power of Yes Is More and BIG.

Based upon a showing of work at the Danish Architecture Center, the Yes Is More compendium is a supplement to an exhibit, edited to stand alone as a cartoon walkthrough of projects.  Instead of merely showing finished projects, there is explanation of context, relationships and iterations which illustrate how important constant development and flexibility can be.  The intent of the project is always evolving, consuming new information in a manner that allows the project response to be specific, not just to site but also to society in an easily digestible manner.

That is BIG's largest strength and most powerful tool in the propaganda box (don't get me wrong, this is propaganda at it's very base and very well executed).  People, society loves to feel clever, we loathe things that make us feel weak and stupid.  If an architect can explain their project (no matter the complexity) in a manner that allows the public to not only understand but possibly anticipate, the public feels as if they can understand this obtuse thing, architecture.  This can be done without the dangerous democratization of design as BIG illustrates in the Yes Is More work.  Simple diagramming, obvious slight of hand with imagery, brief synapses of explanation in lieu of drawn out treatises make the work not only accessible but quite easy to like.  All this is accomplished without sacrificing the design intent, which makes it all the more impressive.  While many of the projects are unbuilt quick renderings lacking structural significance, there is enough expressed to understand the creation of the spaces, which is what the architecture is really about anyway.

Yes Is More coupled with the BIG Vimeo channel is showing the marketing savvy of Ingels, making architecture (that pushes the boundaries to some extent) accessible to the general public which in turn is good for all of us struggling with how to explain what we want to do with our big words and oversized glossy images.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Roadtrip (11)! - the Ohio State University KSA Lecture Series: Autumn 2011 "Precision"


KSA Lecture Series: Autumn 2011Precision

All lectures are free and open to the public. 
Unless noted, all lectures will be held at the Knowlton Hall Auditorium (KN 250) at 5:30 PM.
Craig Scott / ISAR 
Wednesday, October 5
Stephen Kieran / Kieran Timberlake 
Wednesday, October 12
Henry Smith-Miller / Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects 
Wednesday, October 19
Matthew Coolidge / Center for Land Use Interpretation 
Friday, October 21
Laura Hartman / Fernau & Hartman Architects 
Wednesday, October 26
Michael Blier / Landworks Studio 
Wednesday, November 2
Dan Kildee / Center for Community Progress 
Wednesday, November 9
Liz Diller / Diller Scofidio + Renfro 
Monday, November 21
Mershon Auditorium

About the KSA Lecture Series

As part of the Knowlton School's commitment to bringing the highest level of design thinking to its students and the community at large, the KSA lecture series invites prominent researchers and practitioners of architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning to present their work in a variety of areas. These lectures offer technical, cultural and theoretical understanding of the contemporary built environment and represent the contemporary and future state of the art in design thinking.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Roadtrip (10)! - Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape + Design 2011-2012 Lectures

Oh, Daniels at University of Toronto, I wish you were so much closer.  Physically I mean, I carry you in my heart.  Following has been lifted directly from the school lecture website (because I am lazy and still have this horrid cough for which I am blaming my studio students for infecting me with).  I am also having a rather difficult time convincing upon them the importance of lectures and visiting schools and places, etc.  Remember when  you were in architecture school and all those far away places sounded so exotic?  Those schools full of your burgeoning competition?  I remember visiting Portland for a school conference and a bunch of environmental geeks from across the country and I were all staying at the same hotel, we would talk about how one school was better then another and architecture and of course how we would save the planet through architecture, etc.  Sigh, the days.

Go visit a campus and live the glory of youth, explore, learn, find fellow geeks with which to converse and convort.  Fill the mind with ideas and the heart with hope.

Besides, Toronto has a decent music scene, I liked it.


Daniels 2011-2012 Public Lectures

09/27/2011 - 04/02/2012
Gregg Pasquarelli / Elizabeth Meyer / Catherine Mosbach / Finn Geipel / Didier Faustino / Fernando Romero / Jeanne Gang / David Gissen / William Morrish / Hrvoje Njiric / Liz Diller
Lectures are open to the public and admission is complimentary.
09/27/2011
Gregg Pasquarelli
SHoP Architects, NYC
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
This lecture is presented as part of the bulthaup 2011-2012 Public Lectures
The John H. Daniels School of Architecture, Landscape, and Design is pleased to welcome Gregg Pasquarelli as the first speaker in its 2011/2012 Public Lecture Series. Pasquarelli will discuss SHoP Architects' current projects, with a focus on how the firm seeks to reinvent the business model of architectural practice.
10/11/2011
Elizabeth Meyer
University of Virginia School of Architecture
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
2011 Michael Hough / Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Visiting Critic
Elizabeth K. Meyer is one of the leading landscape architectural theorists in the United States. In 2010, she was on the MVVA team that won the City+Arch+River design competition for the St. Louis Gateway Arch Grounds and their surroundings. In 2011, she was one of two landscape architects included in the annual DesignIntelligence rankings of Most Admired Educators in the United States.
11/08/2011
Catherine Mosbach
Landscape Architect, Paris
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
Catherine Mosbach is a renowned French landscape architect. She graduated with a DEUG (Master’s-level degree) in Natural and Life Sciences (Physics and Chemistry section) from the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, and subsequently obtained a degree in Landscape Architecture from the Ecole nationale supérieure du paysage in Versailles (1987).
11/15/2011
Finn Geipel
LIN, Paris
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
Finn Geipel is co-director of LIN, a European agency for architecture and urbanism, based in Berlin and Paris. He worked for Labfac Stuttgart in association with Bernd Hoge and Jochen Hunger from 1983 to 1987, and Labfac Paris in association with Nicolas Michelin from 1987 to 2001. He has been a guest professor at the École Spéciale d’Architecture ESA, Paris, the École d’Architecture Paris la Seine EAPS, Columbia University, New York, and the Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura ESARQ, Barcelona.
11/22/2011
Didier Faustino
Bureau des Mésarchitectures, Paris
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
This lecture is presented as part of the bulthaup 2011-2012 Public Lectures
Didier Faustino is a Licensed Architect and visual artist, and the co-founder of Bureau des Mésarchitectures.  He lives and works in both Paris and Lisbon.
01/31/2012
Fernando Romero
FREE, Mexico City
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
Kohn Shnier Lecture
02/07/2012
Jeanne Gang
Studio Gang, Chicago
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
This lecture is presented as part of the bulthaup 2011-2012 Public Lectures
Jeanne Gang is the founder and principal of Studio Gang Architects, a rising international practice based in Chicago whose work confronts pressing contemporary issues. Driven by curiosity, intelligence, and radical creativity, Jeanne has produced some of today’s most innovative and award-winning architecture.
03/06/2012
David Gissen
California College of the Arts, San Francisco
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
David Gissen is a historian and theorist of architecture and urbanism. He is associate professor of architecture and visual studies and coordinator of the  history/theory curriculum for architecture at the California College of the Arts. His recent work specifically focuses on developing a novel concept of nature in architectural thought and the parameters for an experimental form of practice in architectural history.
03/20/2012
William Morrish
Parsons The New School For Design, NYC
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
2012 Michael Hough / Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Visiting Critic
William Morrish is an urban designer and Dean of the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons The New School For Design in New York.
03/27/2012
Hrvoje Njiric
njiric+ arhitekti, Zagreb
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
This lecture is presented as part of the bulthaup 2011-2012 Public Lectures
04/02/2012
Liz Diller
Diller Scofidio + Renfro, NYC
6:30 PM | 230 College Street, Room 103
This lecture is presented as part of the bulthaup 2011-2012 Public Lectures