two percent group

Paz

2011-12-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

More Nonsense...maybe... is it really us against them or are there are more them than us? Seasons Greetings.

99%

2011-10-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

I appreciate contrast. Its about time.

Guns

2011-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Libya, New York Times Photo

If you go into the hills here in Washington and ran across folk trying out their firearms, I'd wagger it would not look much different than this view in Libya. There is the fellow in the back taking some photos and of course, exchange the huka with a Marlboro.

Empowerment vs. Participation

2011-09-15T07:42:00.001-07:00

Washington Redistricting Options

One of the most pressing concerns involving the organization of communities has alway been boundaries or the lack there of. Property for the most part is treated as an indicator of economic activity in this country. Unfortunately, economies of scale, along with antiquated zoning decisions, incentivize the consolidation of tracts of property.

Political consolidation is surprisingly similar in fashion as the power brokers parley the high stakes game of redistricting. If one were to equate political redistricting to the manner in which we legislate community development we might have a landscape as the one shown below, but would it be fair?

Re-dundant

2011-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Using a word heard frequently this week in the unveiling of Windows 8, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer laid out a "re-imagined" Microsoft. If the contrarian had a penny for each time he heard "re-something or other"...

A dilemma because society finds itself adverse to comprehending change or progress by any measure, by "re-ining", we assuage that we are mostly only molifying existing situations. Redundancy trumps innovation. "Imagine" Microsoft?

Choices

2011-08-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Private studio c. 1978

I've admired Philip Johnson's work and had the chance to visit New Canaan. The piece above has been a favorite of mine, but I was unaware until I arrived that Johnson and his partner David Whitney had a change of mind later on and repainted it a more muted brown. Not to pass judgement on these two aestheticians but I find myself partial to the original design intent. Interesting too, the guide discussed that Johnson never had the desire to modernize or modify any of the buildings he created on his property over all those years. Case in point, the sculpture house has become a beautiful decaying relic. We were told the private studio was one of his most used structures in the compound and I wonder what brought on the change of heart? So be it.

Private studio today

Annus Duos

2011-08-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

After two years the pace of blogging has mellowed a bit, well maybe a bit more. Part of this is the energy required to produce content, and one can not blog all day. One needs a day job as well. Since the contrarian is not a social networker we still plan to waste our time on the blog as a means to explore our existence... So onto year three.

Tunisia

2011-04-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

I read a lot and still find it difficult to fathom what is going on in other parts of the world. This story of what has happened in Tunisia as many flee Qaddafi, is that rare bit of sanity which also seems hard to fathom.

mmmmm....

2011-04-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

A few people in the news after their passing struck a chord with the Contrarian. Max Mathews was considered the father of computer music. In 1957 he wrote a program for a computer to play a 17-second composition, proving that sound could be digitally stored and retrieved. Have we traveled a bit since then, or have we? Commenting recently, Mr. Mathews discussed the vagrancies of music, "What we have to learn is what the human brain and ear think is beautiful. What do we love about music? What about the acoustic sounds, rythms and harmony do we love? When we find that out it will be easy to make music with a computer." And therein lies the rub, what our brains and ears hear are by no means constant.

In another passing, Arthur Lessac, the famous Hollywood voice coach and educator discussing language once said, "if only one knows what to listen for. With their sustained, purring timbre, the consonants "m" and "n" are stringed instruments. Luxuriant "w" and "zh" are woodwinds, raucous "r" a trombone. "L" is a mellow saxophone; "ch" a clash of cymbals; and the small explosions "p", "b" and "t" are percussion." A wonderful explanation of the music in words.

I bring these wonderful morsels of thought because in my profession some consider architecture to be frozen music. And its difficult to understand what our eyes view as beautiful without knowing what to listen for.

For Sure...

2011-03-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything."

From the father of the interstate highway, Dwight Eisenhower, a prescient quote conveying the current condition of Seattle politics battling the replacement of the Highway 99 viaduct with a new tunnel.

Grid vs. Parcel

2011-03-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

New York city 1861. Owners complained, but property values soared.

On the anniversary of the map that created New York City, this interesting piece in the New York Times, frustratingly over focuses design intentions on the grid, over the laying down of individual parcel boundaries. We like to believe, its the parcels in blocks, that create or mediate the perception of good or bad communities.

Unfortunately today, zoning and financial economies encourage parcel consolidation within the grid arguing efficiencies are only achived with scale. And the discords stem from mature neighborhoods introducing development over or on top of original platting efforts that are out of sink with the scale of those original parcels. Originally, defining parcels within the grid was the way to provide for multiple, individual (unique), people (stakeholders) to coexist. Today, more often, entire blocks are owned or controlled as one entity. Community can not be established solely block by block. There requires an ingrediant to be in between. Abutting constituents, stakeholders and even vacancy make up the solids and voids inherent in mature successful neighborhoods. Maybe its time to reconsider the block to parcel as an important mediator of community as much as the underlying grid. Time to get back to the future.

...Sign of the times, Denny Regrade, Seattle 1910.

Thank Heaven...

2011-03-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Whenever the Contrarian leaves for a road trip, his first stop always, is grabbing a good cup of coffee at a close by 7-ELEVEN (check specs in associated piece). Here, in the land of Starbucks, our tradition might be biased actuarially growing up on the Slurpee. But the piece in the Denver Post about buying the "Kool Aid", experiencing these ubiquitous shops just reinforces our decision.

This week the 40th anniversary at Starbucks produced a new nameless logo. Citing global recognition, they negated their previous worded brand graphic. We'll predict by the semicentennial they'll have drank the "Slurpee" and return to the named identity.

Spirit

2011-03-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

GREG GILBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES

I was struck hearing the Indian tradition that speaking about the recently deceased for a period of time was frowned upon as disturbing the newly transitioned spirit of the individual. The tragic death of John T. Williams and the ensuing coverage of the circumstances has created a paradox with tradition and the need to comprehend what occurred. As the city supports a tribute in the form of a totem pole, I wonder if such a totem located in front of an appropriate and acceptable police precinct as a needed reminder of the incident and whatever story told on the totem could be a positive message and memory of Mr. Williams and not disturb his sprit.

Gray

2011-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

My favorite color is white, but an article caught my eye about the quality of gray, in this case about using gray's as opposed to white as back ground exhibiting art. That contrast inherent in white can overpower or manipulate the way we take in the color of the art. Most artists do not create work against primarily white backdrops (at least not the studios I've visited). Does art get perceived differently as its placed on white walls? Or make lessor art any better? Thinking about nature here in the northwest during periods of gray make a compelling argument. It strikes me, that more galleries do not work more with gray, myself included, but that will change having read that piece.

I Met The Walrus

2010-10-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Lest we forget, this John Lennon tribute which has been in the ether for awhile but recently in the news again as a finalist for a juried exhibition at the Guggenheim, "YouTube Play, a biennial of Creative Video". The argument that the YouTube video environment is "complex beyond comprehension" or "video art equally hard to fathom", it is a testament to the power of words underlying the video 40 years later, that still resonate.

Reaching vs. Pointing

2010-10-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Willis Tower, Chicago

The Contrarian was in Second City recently. The skyscraper is better appreciated on flat midwest terrain. Actually, I believe one of the easier structures to design, except for the ground floor, which few designers are able to overcome. Many enthusiasts play with hats to compensate for the lack of body that many of these buildings project. There is always a subtle distinction between ornament and decoration. I would argue one requires purpose. As one looks below at Trump tower, the naked pole seems to point to an attitude whereas in the case of Willis Tower (formerly Sears) the communication poles reach for the skies in a more egalitarian gesture.

Trump Tower, Chicago

YES!

2010-10-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

A nod to an influence who for me epitomizes the phrase for those whom the gods love die young. Happy 70th...

Exactly

2010-09-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Exactitudes is dedicated to what I would describe as human typology. By framing subjects in similar poses it distinguishes individuality assuming group identity, whether intentionally or not. The practice of architecture is no different, with style and generation being arbiters. The contradiction between individuality and uniformity may not be more than six degrees of separation. Architecture might even have less division.

Color IQ

2010-09-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Another chance to waste a few moments with this color IQ site. I was surprised how well I am able to get it right, but my favorite color is still white.

Become Pollock

2010-09-02T14:53:00.001-07:00

Jacksonpollock.org has been around many years, reminds me the best work is usually the simplest. I met Miltos Manetas years ago at a IDCA conference where as a painter (known for painting electronic gadgets) he successfully noodles in other media. Waste a few minutes...

Theatre?

2010-08-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Exit stage right...

Industrial Morphology

2010-08-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

A cool time-lapse video of the preparation for launching the shuttle showing us a glimpse of the depth of effort required to put one of these birds in orbit. Equally amazing, is the lack of advertising on this bus.

Moxie

2010-08-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

As I was reading an article in the NYT on Russian Peat Fires, I could not help notice the remark referring to Vladimir Putin as ..."taking to the skies to serve as co-pilot of an amphibious firefighting jet...on a dive-bombing run over a burning forest in central Russia, though he has no known pilot training." No pilot training? Really?

How often we create persona's for ourselves or project them onto others as we deem fit. It is not only politicians who hold high the ability to be alchemists. Can we see the peat beyond the smoke?

Annus Unus

2010-08-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

If one writes a blog and no one reads it, does it really matter? We're (I'm) a year into this, and as far as I can tell, few have ever looked at this thing. And yet, I am optimistic. I hear trees falling in the forest even though I live in the city. After a year, the first post may have been our best. Reminders are a better value than judgments. Its never easy to communicate, and of the 30 or so posts, one, maybe two stand out. But like working out, the more one takes the chance with a few words, the better you understand yourself... And yes, remember to vote! (If you live in Washington)

Alice, one of these days... I'mmmm gonna send you to the moon!

2010-07-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Its very Seattle what is happening with the proposal to replace the Highway 99 viaduct with a new tunnel. To paraphrase the oft maligned Spiro T Agnew, in Seattle today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. While our mayor is against the burden of cost overruns being forced on his constituency, he is clearly against the notion of the tunnel itself. There is another constituency here as well. But, building or delaying the project are both knowingly expensive solutions. As a constituent, we get taken either way.

Back in the day, when the original viaduct was proposed there was still controversy, but the project was green lighted by one powerful city council member who wanted a quicker commute from his West Seattle home, bollox the notion of any greater good to the community. Its really no different today, just different players with a similar narrow focus. Lately, the luddites want to put it to a vote, as if the majority can know what's better for the community than politicians. Where are the intellects?

Chihuly's reach...

2010-07-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

Dale and the Museum...

Any reservations about the privately controlled Chihuly shop of horrors being proposed for the very "public" Seattle Center Fun Forest site? The heart of the matter, the pivot to approve such a venture leans toward financial viability. Privatization of any public space is the last consideration members of the Century 21 Committee need to be forwarding to the Center director. Even the viability of the site to cover expenses should not necessarily preclude a more "public" function. Of course, it would be better if a solution could take care of itself fiscally, but again, there must be larger purpose. A private company taking control of public property, celebrating one individual, in a narrow medium, and charging a $15 dollar entry fee smacks somewhat patronizing. Remarkably, in short order the community has circled its wagons to propose more democratic solutions. Hopefully, intelligence will prevail over recognized surnames.

Monterey

2010-07-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

I've written in the past about my reluctance of the value of housing the wild as a means of explaining it, but a recent visit to the Monterey Aquarium gave me room to pause. Do jelly fish have souls? Can they understand or feel the boundaries within the tank? I don't know. But the presentations in this aquarium were impressive. I don't know that the flamingos or the otters have that same understanding enclosed in their "habitats". The irony was the immediate context of the location in a converted fish cannery where so many of their brethren were put in tin cans and the beauty of the ocean setting. So close, yet far away.

SJC

2010-07-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

By coincidence we traveled through the new San Jose Airport on its very first morning in operation. This piece of public sculpture graces the mezzanine entrance to the gates, randomly recording (with cameras and video screens), rotating, and flapping, but alas the poor thing can't fly. A mechanical hybrid albino flamingo penguin. A keeper!

FLW

2010-07-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

A chestnut archival interview with the grand don of American architects; Frank Lloyd Wright with Mike Wallace. Is there anyone in our profession today that speaks with as much authorship as Mr. Wright? Herbert Muschamp once described the architectural scene back in the 70's as a time with very few professionals, that most practitioners were in fact merely brokers. Reflecting on this interview one may feel the same way today.

The message is the medium...

2010-06-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ground Zero Subway

Its make perfect sense that construction workers working in isolated environments deserve common amenities. Up a hundred or so stories in a skyscraper counts as one of those. Taking up to an hour to descend and ascend these buildings takes the bite out of lunch, so through the kindness of Jared, a Subway Shop in a doublewide serves food at floor sixty. A weird necessity but practical. The weirdness lays in the BRAND! One can never escape the BRAND. Another parallel, at the Kandehar Airfield, Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanly McCrystal recently shut down a number of American Brand restaurants (TGI Fridays, Burger King, etc..) located in this war zone as not an appropriate message to convey in the Afghan war.

Complexity over Substance

2010-06-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

WYSIWYG! Seattle Municipal Code Update

In the years since the notion of urban villages were first introduced in Seattle, the political debate remains predictably partisan. Developers argue there is too much regulation. The community responds saying development is actually proof municipalities should have more control over building.

But the real issue has to do with neighborhood assessment; where a complex regulatory system meets human psychology. We’ve come to depend on an ever-expanding array of zoning regulations to monitor the built environment. These regulations are too complex for any single person to understand. Yet every day, municipalities are asked to manage the health of our neighborhoods, weigh the risks of growth and take appropriate measures to reduce the impact of new development. If there is one thing we know, it’s that politicians are unable at measuring and responding to growth when placed in situations too complicated to understand.

To begin, people have trouble imagining how small failings can combine to lead to catastrophic disasters. When the latest Low Rise zoning regulations were codified in Seattle, politicians trying to grapple with the impact of growth had in mind to appease their constituencies, by forcing multi-family development to imitate the notion of single-family housing. These poorly designed regulations defined poorly designed development. The series of seemingly minor regulation changes failed quickly by the saturation of so many projects taking advantage of rules with no manner of adjustment, as the community clearly saw disasters unfolding. It was the interplay between these seemingly minor events that led to an unanticipated blight.

Second, people have a tendency to get acclimated to their own environs and if there must be change, its o.k. as long it’s not in their back yard. Developers on the other hand like playing Russian roulette. Success in the last economic boon is not a good predictor of success in weaker economic times. Nonetheless, as things seemed to be going well, people unconsciously adjust their definition of acceptable change and risk.

Third, politicians place elaborate faith in their own truths. More pedestrians die in cross walks than when jaywalking (that’s why we have sky bridges…). That’s because they have a false sense of security in crosswalks and are less likely to look both ways. Politico's selling urban villages and growth, created this illusion of community that encouraged developers to behave in more reckless ways by encouraging less diversity.

Fourth, people match complicated neighborhood politics with complicated governing structures. Zoning changes in Seattle have been completely muddled, with council members, developers and stakeholders hopelessly tangled in confusing lines of authority and responsibilities with blurred definitions of who is ultimately responsible for what.

Fifth, politicians tend to spread good news and hide bad news. Everybody wants to be part of a decision that succeeds and nobody wants to be responsible for the reverse. For decades, has anybody checked on promises by developers and politicians after what was built? A culture of malaise has settled upon all concerned (I'm including myself), from politicians who don’t want to lose face, to developers who do not wish to compromise profits.

Finally, people with similar motivations begin to think alike, whether they are in oversight roles or not. In the years that the city council was compelled to make a series of decisions about what sort of density we might support, they made decisions without a clear sense of the risks, in an environment that encouraged overconfidence. The city council has constructed a world in which the potential for catastrophe is embedded in the fabric of regulations, and changes quickly become irrelevant because the group of politicians and certain stakeholders are so much in each other’s pockets.

So it seems important, as new Seattle zoning regulations become codified, to not only focus on details of design minutia, but also more broadly on helping the community to deal with potentially catastrophic complexity. There must be better methods to improve architecture and ultimately evolve as a community; to help people guard against risk creep, false security, groupthink, the good-news bias and all the rest.

This isn’t just about zoning. It’s a challenge for people living in complex social environments.

apologies to david brooks

Spiral Jetty

2010-05-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

What do rocket ships have to do with Robert Smithson's seminal work, Spiral Jetty? A whole lot. After a number of years the lake has left the art piece land locked and the white salt patina that once covered the piece has worn off to return it to the original volcanic darkness. A few years back we went and took a look and some video.

Frozen Music

2010-05-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Musicians Village, Ninth Ward

Having just come back from this Habitat for Humanity project again after seeing it two years ago, it remains in my view the best example of affordable, sensible, housing to be constructed in the United States in long time.

wtf?

2010-05-07T12:21:00.001-07:00

Thom Mayne/Brad Pitt

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Brad Pitt in the Lower Ninth Ward. Martin Mull once said "Hollywood is high school with money"

Naw Oleans

2010-05-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Contrarian recently returned from New Orleans where I had the chance to see some of the reparation work being done in the Ninth Ward. These photos were taken a few days before the off shore oil rig catastrophe. I mention this, because my perception of the progress since Katrina is still a fragile effort, at best, in certain areas. Will this new evironmental disaster reach as far as to affect the reconstruction still ongoing from the previous event. In the distance in the photo below is the canal that failed in the Ninth Ward. There is still much to do.

La Vida Loca

2010-03-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Many Chickens...

A Chicken Processing Plant...

That age old question which came first, the chicken or the egg seems moot at this point. Lately it's been difficult keeping this blog thing fresh, but we still have so many thoughts to pass on. Work and career have become paramount so the blog has suffered. Not as much as the chickens or those who must place them in packaging, but I sympathize. I feel the same way sometimes.

Pareto

2010-01-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

Pareto is my new years resolution. A mentor mentioned it over the course of a discussion on my ability to get work (or not get work) and where to focus. Pareto principle, known as the 80-20 rule, states that for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. As I participate in the ponderous new economy, it serves as a efficient method and reminder to prioritize to achieve a level of success.

A case in point, is supplying glasses for the worlds poor. Some put the estimate as high as two billion who do not have corrective lenses that would allow them to lead better, more productive lives. Now efforts are under way to find a means of distributing inexpensive glasses on a wide scale. One promising technology is self adjustable lenses, that untrained wearers can set the right focus themselves in less than a minute, reducing the need for trained optometrists, who are rarely available in many parts of the world. Though these adjustable glasses cannot yet help conditions like astigmatism, at least 80 percent of refractive errors can be fixed. Ergo Pareto!!!

Fake Real...

2010-01-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

I recently visited the new Platinum-level LEED certified Academy of Sciences Natural History Museum and Steinhart Aquarium building, designed by Renzo Piano in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. It is purported to be the worlds "greenest" museum. From radiant heat to bike racks to photo voltaic cells, it is all but painted green. Nothing $500,000,000 can't buy. Really, its a wondrous structure combining divergent activities- museum, aquarium, planetarium, zoo, restaurants, shops and so on. What bothered me though, is the underlying environment didn't seem to to be satisfactory to any of the nature that have to live there. From the big albino crock to the lightest butterfly, all still run into a net or high wall and know it. The beasts with gills circle the perimeter in search for that ever elusive cove to the way out. Only the taxidermy animals at best(above) look to be at peace.

A year ago I chaperoned a middle school group of immigrant students to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. I had never been there after all these years here. I quickly understood why, because those animals in my mind, know better about the boundaries they are given. In this time of fantastical internet and media along with capacity to include the disenfranchised into nature better than any other time in memory, why do we continue to house the wild as a means to explain it? I was struck by the kids too, who also seem to see the resignation in the Sloth's as they lumbered about their "habitat". The one twinkle in the eye that struck out was the tall girl as she noticed the Giraffe's and turned, "we eat those where I come from..."

Alpha Role...

2009-11-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

I've been riding horses for a number of years now. I ride Rose(above) most of the time and the stable owner Gary would say about Rose, she's "bullet proof", not easily spooked, tame and easy to control. Gary also trained me each time I get on an animal, even though I may have ridden the same horse many times, to always start anew; whoa, left, right, back, etc... as if I've never been on the animal before. This is to assure the horse and yourself that you are both on the same track. Never assume anything. It's respect. There are few things as exhilarating as being on a 1200 pound horse(with a golf ball size brain) moving at a fast clip, and with a simple movement of the wrist, one can control these wonderful beasts.

I volunteer in a middle school teaching ESL. That same practiced patience while horseback to achieve an initial sense of control works wonders enabling students to understand their own responsibilities in the classroom. It works with clients and contractors too. So it was not much of a surprise when the NY Times had an article on "Becoming the Alpha Dog In Your Own Home", parents are taking the methods for inspiring animal discipline, order and devotion used by Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, on their own children. Move over Dr. Spock...

Can we all just get along?

2009-11-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

A new exhibit at the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Los Angeles sheds light on a little known attribute of the region, which is its urban oil fields. This industry successfully operates hidden behind fences and camouflaged into the architecture in the midst of the suburban sprawl.

On a local note, businesses in the industrial Ballard neighborhood of Seattle have been fighting tooth and nail to prevent the continuation of the Burke-Gillman bicycle trail along side a minor stretch of rail spur citing safety concerns. The reality though, is businesses feel the bicycle right of way will impede commerce. I'm sure if the bicycle trail could become a revenue source, these same pundits would take different view. If only we could monetize sanity.

Change is certain, progress isn't...

2009-11-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks, Seattle can finally put a face to a Mayor. It may take a bit longer before we embrace the new mail voting system. Being unable to monitor voter counts over the day to gage the pulse of the election is frustrating. And the value of uncertified electronic tally's from precincts at the end of the evening that can identify successful candidates is no longer available. Live action on election day has become usurped by snail mail! Evening news accounts only offered tiny fractions of voter counts, with the results trickling in over the course the following week. An anti-climatic end. It was odd to see campaigns hustling for votes after the traditional 8PM voting cut off(and after seeing early returns), because the airport post office took mail till midnight. The day's end tally from closing precincts is a much better system, especially since the new format shows no signs of improving voter turnout. Knowing the winners of these elections sooner easily trumps mail balloting.

I don't remember whom I voted for mayor in the primary. I do remember voting against Mr. Nickels. And admit, as it turned out, with Nickles completely out of the field the remaining newbe's were not of my liking. As the election proceeded, the candidates differentiated them selves both in style and content not much different than what we might expect with career politicians like Nickels. And, when have we in the recent past elected lessor known civic stewards? I made choices, I'll admit to being 0 and 2. Maybe this experiment only lasts 4 years, thats o.k. too. This was a chance to realize government is not a professional vocation.

As a community we showed we are willing to seek solutions outside the box for governing our constituency. I hope the new mayor's tenure works out great without it becoming a career. And sooner than later, someone else who I may know little about or not, steps up to the table. Personality is more important in government than face. Best wishes, Mayor McGinn!

Art Imitating Life?

2009-11-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Ellen M. Banner / Seattle Times

The Green River here in the Puget Sound has been threatened by flooding this winter and as a precautionary measure, sand bags have been placed along the banks near major industry. Perfectly ephemeral opportunity with miles of canvas and no environmental impact statements to complete. Would graphics, color or maybe even words made more of an impression? I'm more inclined to accept art-imitating life, in place of the notion of inspired originality.

Vancouver

2009-11-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

The Contrarian visited Vancouver recently and was briefly reminded how provincial Seattle seems compared to its neighbor up north. Borders and boundaries are always a good thing. Urban grids here in the downtown are steeped with blocks that are full of individual structures with FAR's and du/acre(unit density per acre) that would make any NIMBY explode! In Seattle, entire blocks are built as one structure(one yard), purporting their "mixed uses"; whereas in Vancouver they're unabashed about letting other stakeholders owning a piece of the block. The photo above of the Main Library by architect Moshe Safdie looms like Roman ruins in the dark winter rain feeling very much like an urban place.

The event of the evening was U-2 at BC Place. A good show, although I can remember when the smoke and light shows didn't compete with the music quite so much.

This is not architecture...

2009-10-19T16:00:00.001-07:00

Only in Seattle. Well... maybe that's a little harsh, but this small gem of ludicrous thinking is part of our public sponsored subsidized housing. Whatever the architect or architects were thinking when they came up with the design below is truly a bit of obfuscation! Part of a small cluster of apartment units in an area chock full of other traditional brick walk up apartments. Seems the designers motives were to create the impression that this structure is really just a larger single family residence. At a passing glance you might think to enter this bucolic residence through the green front door. You could use the knocker, but alas, it is missing a knob. If you live here, you need to remind your friends that the glass door to the left or right is actually the way to get into either one of the two units. The non functioning green door is really just part of the exterior siding. Huh?....

Content vs Context

2009-10-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

This winter Seattle faced a major snow storm and because our city is not quite used to such events, the public transportation department response was wholly inadequate and obviously unprepared. Simply, there was lack of organization, combined with too few plows serving the community. Normalcy returned in a week or so. After the storm the city spent some 400,000 dollars on consultants to determine what had gone wrong. Read the second sentence.

Seattle has also been facing a storm of criticism for its horrible multi-family housing standards. The Department of Planning has been trying to figure out a way to change rules to create a better denser community. Past administrations and council members (one even an architect) have been dealing with this issue at least as long as I've been in the Puget Sound, some 25 years. And its only gotten worse, especially when the architect got on board. The problem is, politicians are more context players, not content providers. Invariably the political decision making process naturally leans toward pleasing the masses within the context of the community in place of understanding what the community really needs.

Recently, the City Council spent the astronomical sum of 15,000 dollars for three architectural consultants($5,000 each) on a multi-family study. Obviously snow storms are a bigger priority. They were asked to produce 3 good schemes and 3 bad schemes for small infill sites. One over zealous consultant produced 18. During their presentations, the chair of the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhood committee, council member Sally Clark presided over the proceedings seemingly trying to grasp the material in front of her.

Politicians have a habit of needing information presented in the form of an elevator speech to grasp concepts. Let alone numbers and graphics. More disappointing, was the information itself, pictures of Spain, Brooklyn and London were offered as examples of good planning stewardship. I know, I know, context! But, what about Seattle? Architects have a tendency to define things visually. The reason we're dealing with these issues is that the regulations in place have created a single building typology that is both intolerable and inflexible to different site situations. Planning has become a beauty contest. You could see in the presentations, each offered a meager fix all solution of what new development should look like. Spending much more effort to design something instead of developing ordinance. By not fully understanding issues related to the specific existing community infrastructure(not London or Brooklyn) of right of ways, siting, setbacks, and open space, we are only creating another specific building example that will replace the previous disaster.

Politicians believe that if they simply address issues, progress will ensue. Scarier are the lack of intellectual voices that are not politically connected. Its hard to tell which might be worse, a layperson politician trying to grasp the complexity of city development or politically connected consultants in the pockets of politicians working to forward narrow specific agendas. The real issue is the lack of intellectual content available to make viable decisions and politicians reluctance to think outside the box. Read the second sentence.

Deep Soul Heaven

2009-09-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is not a contrarian disposition. This is deep soul heaven. This is Sir Shambling, a person I know little about except his commitment to share this music. This is amazing stuff.

LEEDing to What?

2009-09-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those who subscribes to the notion that I would prefer to not belong to any club that accepts people like me as members. Being "green" is the latest club. Now in architecture there is a new subset of available credentials above and beyond our professional licenses, called LEED certification.

This organization (if you're a member) essentially quantifies your buildings by scoring points of what somebody considers a "green" or "greener" aspect of the structure. Indeed there is a LEED Silver and Gold certification, and even a Platinum LEED certification. Apparently, only certain among us have the credit available to hold a Platinum rating.

To paraphrase Gerry Brown who when many years ago became the youngest governor of California explained, "... sometimes not doing something in government is actually accomplishing something." With sustainability in mind, we are actually better off not creating any new architecture, instead use the over capacity already in place. Unfortunately, under capitalism this is very difficult to achieve.

So environmental pundits with good intentions, I guess, created a kit of parts point system to evaluate and score the worthiness of a building to qualify and carry this branded label called LEED. Presumably there is a premium. During the last design awards program (AIA Seattle) one of the winning solutions discussed with the jury that the decision making process to include some feature was... well, it added some 2 points each to achieving LEED certification. I'm old enough to remember Green stamps.

Good design is not something you score. Neither is sustainability. Its bad enough the political beauty contests that occur at the annual design awards. As a licensed architect myself, I reject the notion that I need to belong to any organization to design and behave in a ecological manner. I believe I've been doing this all along. What's my license for?

Painted Ladies

2009-09-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of the U-District (college district) here in Seattle. It is one of the better examples of neighborhood plurality left in Seattle. I temper that thought with the atrocities that have occurred in the adjacent South Campus of the University. Thats another blog post. But the commercial University Avenue is still urban muscle. They're trying to destroy it, but haven't succeeded yet.

I've admired the above building for a long time. Back in the day, it housed a used bookstore run by a long time U-District character. There were always intriguing women there amongst the musty books and a number of cats. I bought my "used" mint condition copy of Graphic Standards (the architectural bible) for an absurdly decent price. How could he do that? It was also painted during his tenure in this wonderful painted lady hippy kaleidoscope of colors. Today, as its faded it still provides a glimpse of what was a less branded time, albeit the Sub shop.

The power of Paint!

Also around the corner, the above piece of wasted lumber was for years this painted blueish grey and white slug of structure that has this weird doughnut style setback from the street. Its never worked (for me anyway) until now. The audacity of the carnival paint job almost completely disguises the problematic structure itself. Almost... Who would of thought?

Edward Rondthaler

2009-08-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

From typesetting to Foenetics, Mr Rondthaler had interesting parallel vocations. In the typesetting industry he was more renown for the mechanics of delivering type than designing it. And from the graphics of typesetting carried forward, to the interaction of sounds implied in the images of those letters. He embraced rationality and simplicity. He recently passed away at 104. It might be interesting to compare the new languages used in phone texting with Soundspel, a simplified English spelling system he championed.

Ivar's Clam Chowda

2009-08-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

In the Seattle Times...

Talk about visionary. If what is said about Ivar Haglund and his forward thinking that submarines could become a viable mode of transport is correct. What better way to get the point across than underwater billboards. For Real?

Watch your eye...

2009-08-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Google has never been unabashed about the aesthetic design of their web pages. In fact, at Google, aesthetic decisions must always be approved by technical engineering justification. Google does spend a inordinate amount of time tracking your eyeballs. Making sure they know where your eyes take you as you parse any page, allowing them to maximize the information experience. Woe is the creative type in that place. But in this fun site one can track ones own ability to master eye to mind coordination. It has been told that Leonardo Da Vinci could draw a perfect circle by hand. Leonardo would also wear pink to make his complexion look fresh. Which is also true. But, at least now we can enjoy challenging our senses with The eyeballing game. I don't think it will turn anyone into a Da Vinci or Sergey Brin, but it might.

Where's the beef?

2009-08-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Recently here in Seattle there has been a heated discussion over the expansion of Seattle Children's hospital as a Hearing examiner deemed the project too "aggressive" to the surrounding community. Predictably the arguments involve the scale of the development and the associated impacts on congestion and property values, so on and so on. If there are any precedents in the area, one could view the UW Medical Center located on the South Campus or the Swedish Hospital in Capital Hill. With medicine, bigger is better, this is intrinsically the nature of the beast. But the bucolic Laurelhurst community is arguing the expansion will go beyond the benefit of the institution, to the point of destroying the community's livability. The community at large in Seattle has reacted by countering this to be a myopic self serving constituency. But of course, they don't live there. Maybe as egregious, was the the chief administration officer saying, "... if we're not able (to move forward) or we're delayed significantly, that puts our region's children at risk." Defending his territory by striking terror in the hearts and minds of those who wish to embrace the care of children but are uncomfortable living in an area where one might not want to nurture a family. The reality is, that there is a valid argument against institutional scale redevelopment. Fred Hutch, which is a wonderful community institution, fundamentally affected the delicate balance of a industrial/residential community in the downtown Cascade neighborhood. And this happened not because of the size of the institution, but the manner in which it was designed. There is usually plenty of space to place these facilities, but designers have a tendency to choose outlying suburban models and plop them smack dab in more urban, or in this case, residential areas. Beginning with the vacation of right of ways, they become walled off fortresses with blockbusting cartesian structures that have no affinity with the neighborhoods they are expected to coexist with. Looking at the quick sketch above without out any labels, one could mistake that project with Northgate Mall or another Fred Meyer. Would anyone really want to live next to this? By not fully understanding issues related to the existing community infrastructure of right of ways, siting and setbacks, landscaping and construction sequencing, the institution is doomed to become an isolated island, in spite of its wonderful intentions. In this case both sides are justifiably correct. Children's hospital needs to expand and the community needs a better design. The problem here is not the size or the scope of the institution, but in the manner the architects and planners have laid it out.

Now you see it...

2009-08-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Now you might not...

My calendar came up with this wonderful Eames photo of a circus contortionist this week which reminded me of a series of world war 1 camouflaged ships. I'm a pattern Guy! In both instances, the simple use of alternating panels help distort the physical form to create a enhanced distraction. I would of loved to see that fellow in action with that outfit, but the photo is enough and shows the bandwidth the Eames's embraced in all manner of design and culture.

Our First Post

2009-08-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Remember to post your vote by the 18th!

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote."-Benjamin Franklin. After 15 years of working the election polls here in the Emerald City, it is with some sadness to not be able to experience the community bonding that occurs in polling precincts despite opposing individual political agendas. On the other hand, it just may be that more of us will get involved by the ease of mailing in a ballot. Like the results, we'll just have to wait and see.

Welcome

2009-08-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

We're about to start running some posts toward the end of the month as I am still doing some additional noodling on how to best utilize the blog. We're going to be mostly about design and planning (as that is my profession), but I will also venture into other arenas as I see fit. As the site implores we will seek a unique perspective. A big topic will address authorship in creativity and the notion of boundaries as a metaphor for community plurality. But enough seriousness, we also hope to include commentary on anything we deem important from baseball to Bosnia. We also plan to keep things simple and brief. And not to confuse anyone, we are not really a "we", but actually a "I". Hopefully, an interesting eye.