Archive for the 'Architecture' Category

House on Stilts by NAF Architects

Beautiful house on stilts by NAF Architects in Japan.  For more check out the post by way of dornob.

The Cube by Challenger Living

Love this little house. Its affordable, environmentally conscious and really chic!

For more: TreeHugger: Modern Modular Done Right from Challenger Living and Challenger Living

How Much Does your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?

“How Much Does your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?” Trailer from www.club-construct.com on Vimeo.

I’ve recently been coming across some great videos on Architecture.  Here is another: the trailer for “How Much Does your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?”, a documentary on the career of Sir Norman Foster.  For more have a look at the press release from the International Film Festival Berlin where it premiered in February.


Sports Architecture Round Up

Great round up by Arch Daily of great contemporary sports architecture.  Above an Olympic Ski Jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  For more: AD Round Up: Sports Architecture Part III

Restored Modernist Masterpiece in Maine

From the NYT: Photograph by Anthony Cotsifas.

This masterpiece of Modernism was designed by Wallace K. Harrison and Isamu Noguchi in 1947 on the Maine coast. Designed as a summer home for William A.M. Burden and his wife, Margaret Livingston Partridge Burden, in 1996 it was inherited by their youngest son Ordway Burden and his wife.  In 1999, in the midst of being renovated their was a fire and all that was left was the chimney and some metal frames part of Noguchi’s design.  The family was finally able to move back in in 2006.  For the story and more photos visit the below link.  Its definitely worth the read.

NYT: Catching the Wave

Herzog and de Meuron do Opera?

I love crossover projects.  Here is some news by way of the Architect’s Newspaper Blog about Herzog & de Meuron’s latest project, the stage for Verdi’s Atilla which premiers tonight at the Met.  That in addition to Prada designing all of the costumes for the performance are sure to add some interesting creative energy to the show!  For more: ANB: Pritzkers Take the Stage

New Embassy Design in London

Winning Design by Kieran Timberlake

The design for the new US Embassy in London has been announced and it could not be more disappointing.  This isn’t to say that the architect isn’t a talented architect, its the choosing of this design out of what they had to choose from that makes me question their sanity.  The final four included designs from Morphosis, Richard Meier and Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.

Moving from its current location in a Saarinen building on Grosvenor Square to a new spot on the Thames, the official selection is by architect Kieran Timberlake who to his credit has done some really nice work, including the Loblolly House in Maryland, buildings at Yale and Cornell and a home for the Make It Right project in New Orleans.  Yet, the design for the embassy isn’t great.  It is cold, corporate and very uninteresting, which I can only assume is a result of what the state department asked for.

The disappointment here lies in what this choice projects.  For a building that is supposed to represent not only American strength but its creativity and culture, why choose something that speaks so much to the opposite, a lack of culture and a focus on corporate and capitalism.  I certainly hope that Londoners can look past this choice…

For more:

NYT: A New Fort, er, Embassy, for London

AN: The Strong, Silent Type

Proposed Design by Richard Meier

Proposed Design by Morphosis

Third and The Seventh by Alex Roman


Architecture to me has always been a very hard language to speak in.  As you know if you follow my site, I love anything architecture and design but if you aren’t speaking of function then architecture has always been very hard for me to discuss.  My manner of discussing and conversing architecture is through photography and sometimes film.

There are number of films that showcase great architecture in an interesting way, one being My Architect on the works of Louis Khan.  That said, rarely do you find someone who is able to speak so clearly through film and illustrate the beauty of architecture as well as Alex Roman and his film The Third and The Seventh.

Needless to say that I was floored by this short film.  Very rarely do you come across something you see that makes you sit back and breath easier and just feel inspired.  More after the jump.

Continue reading ‘Third and The Seventh by Alex Roman’

Miami Architecture


As promised (sorry its a little late) her are some pics of some of the architecture I saw in Miami back in December.  Some of these projects look like they are going to end up beautifully.  Most are projects still under construction except for the Icon Brickell by Philippe Starck and Yoo.  See below or for more check out my web album:

Reading room at the Icon Brickell

Continue reading ‘Miami Architecture’

Tree Trunk House

Love this tiny house sent to me by Emily Rose Blank.  Designed by Piet Heim Eek from the Netherlands, its big enough for a very comfortable workspace and could be a great addition to anyone’s home for an at home office/studio.

For more: Hipster Collective: Tree Trunk House