Out of the house. Out of your life.


A friend was helping me clean out my cupboards the other day in preparation for renting out the house to fund my return to studying architecture.

"I never realised you were such a hoarder, " he said struggling down the stairs with three boxed crammed full of folder and papers.

"It must be such a weight off your shoulders," he continued, turning his attention to cleaning out my handbag. "Out of your house, out of your life life, " he smiled.

I had to agree. Seeing all the stuff I'd accumulated and diligently storied for years - just in case I needed it - leave the house felt incredibly liberating - freeing me up to begin life anew.

Out went the tatty boxes of paper. Out went the course notes I'd kept for 18 years! Out went over 30 years of photos, out went 40 years worth of CD's. Out went VHS's - too old or too tatty to play. Never mind the fact that technology has rendered them redundant. Out everything that no longer reflected my preferred future - out into the garage! Shifting things from A to B is a strict no, no according to some anti-clutter purists. Still at least it's a start - letting go is hard to do abruptly - what say I 'need them!" But just the fact they are out of sight helps them to be out of mind. It's all part of the letting go process and frees up space to let in new life affirming resources - like my yummy architecture and design books.

Clutter according to zen principals, is a stagnant feature in a room and consequently creates poor chi energy. This stagnant energy can lead to negative feelings, apathy and depression. Perhaps this explains the desire to purge the darkness of winter and embark on a vigorous spring clean - symbolically leaving winter behind and welcoming better, brighter days.


Creating simplicity and serenity

Simply. Enhance feelings of space and serenity by simplifying your selection of furnishings, objects and colour. Less really is more when it comes to creating life enhancing spaces.

A few of your favourite things - resist the urge to pack in all your life's treasures. A few well chosen favorites create more joy then stacks on things piled on top and in front of each other

Pile, Pack or Toss. Start room by room and bundle up everything into a central pile. Systematically sort into 3 piles - "love it, can't lose it"; "love it; but over it" "Don't give a damn." Chuck out, give away or sell things that no longer give you joy, pack up the over it things - if you don't miss then in 6 months-1 year then you don't give a damn and they can go. Give your love it, can't lose it things pride of place.

Eliminate. Edit your possessions vigorously. Throw away stacks of newspapers and magazines that you will never get around to reading. Clear out boxes of photographs - keeping only the choice shots

Affirm who you are. Make a conscious decision about who you are and who you want to be. What do you value? What do you care about? What affirms "you" - surround yourself with objects and furnishing that excite, affirm and inspire.

Get a clutter coach. If you lack objectivity or just don't know where to start get your a nag buddy or clutter coach. Make sure it is someone you trust, respect and "allow" them to oversee/manage the declutter process. I've done this for other people for years but recently I've allowed other people to give me a hand and it's truly awesome!

Create a soul space
Click here to find out how finding your soul colours can help you attract more abundance into your life

For more decluttering tips click here

Create your own Zen interior here

Labels: architecture, happiness

Costa Rica tops happiness, 'green living' poll



SAN JOSE (AFP) — Costa Rica is the happiest place on earth, and one of the most environmentally friendly, according to a new survey by a British non-governmental group.

The New Economics Foundation looked at 143 countries that are home to 99 percent of the world's population and devised an equation that weighed life expectancy and people's happiness against their environmental impact.

By that formula, Costa Rica is the happiest, greenest country in the world, just ahead of the Dominican Republic.

Latin American countries did well in the survey, occupying nine of the top 10 spots.

Australia scored third place, but other major Western nations did poorly, with Britain coming in at 74th place and the United States at 114th.

The New Economics Foundation's measurements found Costa Ricans have a life expectancy of 78.5 years, and 85 percent of the country's residents say they are happy and satisfied with their lives.

Those figures, taken along with the fact that Costa Rica has a small "ecological footprint," combined to push the small nation to the top of the list.

A 2006 New Economics Foundation study designated Vanuatu the world's happiest nation, with Costa Rica at second place.

Sociologist Andrea Fonseca said Costa Rica gives its citizens the "tools" to be happy, but cautioned that happiness cannot be calculated just by looking at life expectancy and environmental practices.

She added that the country's rise to the top of the Happy Planet Index "has a lot to do with social imagination."

Costa Rica has a peaceful reputation because it does not have an army, and is also known for its protected ecological zones and national slogan "pure life," she said.

Read more about this fascinating destination here

Labels: architecture, happiness

Architect Norman Foster discusses his own work to show how computers can help architects design buildings that are green, beautiful and "basically pollution-free.

Labels: architecture

A reminder of what Horowhenua is, or WAS (if my ideas are listened to), planning to do

It's time to break free of the box. Click here to see some of my inspiration as I begin to create a more organic, natural form



Here are a few of the buildings currently influencing my thoughts - the dominant theme is increasing the use of natural materials and adding more visual and textural variety whilst maintaining a simple, understated, elegant feel.


I love the sculptural affect that his been achieved with cedar curves and slates on the Meredian Building in Wellington

I really love the textural variation that has been been achieved with bamboo in this building designed by Ricciotti.




I'm also incredibly passionate and excited by bamboo constructed buildings. This giant grass is a renewable, restorative and versatile building material. Structural bamboo has been certified for international building codes – the first time bamboo has ever been code certified. Now this certified structural bamboo material is available for use by architects and engineers throughout the world. Bamboo has superior ability to create biomass and replenish the earth’s oxygen supply, while creating high quality, beautiful structural material.

The Ancient Spirit of Bamboo
Symbolism. As an evergreen, bamboo is one of the "three friends of winter." Bamboo represents a strong but resilient character.1
Bamboo is quick-growing, high, straight, very strong, and evergreen. Therefore, the Chinese have compared "fair, straightforward, sincere people of high spiritual qualities" to bamboo since the ancient times.2
Garden. Bamboo is used in every traditional Chinese garden for its beauty, the rustling sound of its leaves in the breeze, and the feathery shadows it casts on walls of the garden.3 Traditional Oriental belief holds that a bamboo grove restores calmness and stimulates creativity. Bamboo groves were a favorite dwelling place of the Buddha.

"Three friends of winter". Plum, pine and bamboo symbolize in East Asia the virtues of the ideal scholar, purity of spirit, longevity, and flexibility. The plum tree perseveres through winter, blossoming white afresh through the snow. The pine tree endures evergreen throughout the seasons, and bamboo, always green and flexible, bends in difficulty, but does not break.4

All Pervasiveness. The western world, including Australia, is not yet taking the spectacularly useful bamboo plant seriously, in spite of millions being spent on research in Asia. There, bamboos feed the people, house them, grace and shade their environment, provide musical instruments, cooking and eating utensils, furniture, hunting weapons, ceremonial artifacts, carrying and storage baskets, lampshades, ropes and strings, roof tiles, hats and hundreds of other practical and spiritual uses. Accordingly, the people show great reverence for this wonderful plant, which is the fastest growing renewable resource known.5

Chinese Character for Bamboo: The Appeal of Nothingness. Bamboo is the natural symbol of the wealth of nothingness because it grows into space, which for the masters of Zen represents the subtle centre of spiritual development. More generally it is a symbol of fertility, altruism and a happy family in the image of a mother plant feeding her family around her.

The invention of the 8 trigrams in the YI KING (a sacred work in Asia) has been attributed to the legendary Fou-Hsi in 2900 B.C. The full strokes (YANG) and the separated strokes (YIN) suggest the stem of bamboo and its nodes. The cadences reflect the essential rhythms of life in TAO philosophy.6
source and further information www.bambooliving.com

Japanese architect Shoei Yoh is one of my all time favorite bamboo inspired architects - his buildings are soulfully delicious


The simple cedar slates appeal in this update of Tawa Library

And I definitely adore anything with a green roof.



here is the world's largest "living" roof - sitting proudly above Vancouver's Convention Centre


and another more humble abode with lawn upstairs!






I believe in the power of art to create healing, restorative and inspiring soul spaces for people. Art work can play a powerful role in determining the emotional resonance of a space. A space that envelops the senses (smell, touch, sight, smell, sound) and art work that is well considered (and therefore well designed for) rather than being tacked on is an important of designing for purpose.

Here's a few "natural" sculptures that have caught my eye as I have been driving around researching this project.


This special carving greets people as they arrive at Paraparaumu Library

There is absolutely no reason at all that the building itself cannot be a work of art. Just look at what our legal profession is up to re the new and exciting design for the Supreme Court of New Zealand designed by architects Warren and Mahoney.

The external bronze screen symbolises the strength, and durability of Pohutukawa and Rata trees. The whole building will be surrounded by a stone plinth with outdoor outdoor seating for the comfort of members of the public and visitors to the court - as well as to criminals on their way to a less impressive environment- jail!













Then last, but by no means least, check out this gorgeous sculptural use of cedar.

mmmmm hmmmmmm:)


Most inspiration to be posted shortly!

Labels: architecture

Hopefully I'll be able to get involved in getting Horowhenua library to reconsider the new design to expand the library - have a look and let me know what you think of it as it currently stands. This is how it currently looks - a little tired but still not devoid of style - just needs a good eye to bring out the best of her.


Stage 0ne of the new design

This is what the architect would like to do with her



When I initially saw the plans in the library my reaction was so acute (I hated it with a passion!) I marched on down to the Council buildings and asked if I could have a copy of the plans and, after asking a few questions, they suggested I phone the architect and have a chat with him. Which I duly did.

When I met with the architect who has been appointed to the project he conceded that the exterior design was “harsh” however he maintained any improvements will be too expensive. Of real concern is the fact that the library staff and most of the community hate the exterior design.


The library is expanding into the former Countdown building - they are keeping the front and the architect has said that they have hardly spent any time on the exterior (it shows!). They changes largely involve painting it "mental ward" green and adding towers which he says are for aesthetic purposes only and expensive to build. Apparently these are to show people where the entrance is. Feedback from the community is that these imposing forms look like gun towers. Not a very welcoming association is it?

Here is some of the feedback about the current design I have gathered so far:

Yuk

It could be a petrol station

It looks like Stalag 13

It’s a bit bleak. A bit square

Fits Levin – looks old

The more I think about it the more austere it is. It would be a shame not to revise the design prior to building – a real missed opportunity.

Tawa library is brilliant – they kept the early 70’s design and tinkered with it – added a bit more.

Ugly

Boring. Dead.

Oppressive

It looks like what you’d expect

The design is harsh. It has to be rectangular because that’s how the materials come – curves (or other visually interesting forms) would be too expensive. To be honest we have hardly spent any time on the outside. The design will NOT be changing. (The architect.)

Had a good look at the design - uninspiring. I know they probably have cost and functionality issues but it doesn't speak to me of the community and culture it is a part of.

I think it will frighten children

It amazes me that councils all over Aotearoa have no concept about Architecture & Urban Design and the effects it has on the community. I am no Architect but I know what works. Check out attached for the Papamoa Library. At least this building talks to its people and opens dialogue. The proposed concept was aimed at engaging and energizing the existing urban fabric by integrating it with the beach landscape. Anyway, thats my rant... ;)

Boring. Blocky. Old. Like a barrier. It’s an abortion – not very nice at all.


When I met with the architect he challenged me by accusing me of imposing my own views on others (interesting comments given that many people involved in this project say they don't feel like they have been listened to!) The feedback above gives me the passion, courage, confidence and hope to challenge the current design and press for something way more inspired and human/e.

A yearning for something more natural
I'm interested in natural architecture - so going to see if we can soften a bit without blowing budget (which is the "excuse" for the current sterile design). It will be a good project for my end of year portfolio anyway. Meeting with one of the councillors tomorrow to see how open they may be to revising design slightly.


The need for change

By far this was the strongest reaction that I witnessed first hand: “That bloody Hitler building! I’ve seen better looking bunkers on the north coast of Denmark. Those gun towers - that’s what the German’s built all around the edge of Berlin...gun towers with slits in them. How the hell does that motivate anyone to come in here.” The poor man looked so distraught I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He was so angry and upset I felt sick at the thought of this building ever being built.

Thoughts to ponder:

“Good urban design creates great communities”

“The Library was not only a book collection but also a sanctuary....for travellers...the building was a landmark...”it will prove a spring from which only blessed waters will flow.” (Source, Levin The Making of a Town pg 1001)

“Bad architecture is in the end as much a failure of psychology as of design.” Alain de Botton, author of The Architecture of Happiness.

“One eye sees and the other feels.” Paul Klee, artist

“It’s hard to tackle change if you don’t realize you have a problem.” Andrew Barclay, architect

“In a world that has grown rational and cold and has lost much of its meaning, architects and designers, like other people, are looking back to ancient archetypes for more direction and inspiration.” David Pearson, architect

“Returning to the roots of design as a way of enriching people’s lives.” Yves Behar, designer.

“Design is many things, but to us it’s essential that it will help you to ease your mind and eyes.” Design Denmark


“Many people are saying that this is a landmark building, a work of art and our people are saying, “that’s where I go to work, and I think that is special.” Snr employee working in London’s “Gerkhin.”

“Sustainability makes life easier, is more economical and it has to be the way we think in the future.” Peter Stutchbury, architect.


“We would be blaming a lack of inspiration on poverty by proposing that a tight budget always condemned a building to ugliness – as a visit to the wealthy suburbs of Riyadh and the shopkeepers houses of Sienna will rapidly and poignantly attest.”
Alain de Botton, author of The Architecture of Happiness.


The call for something more natural

As you may know from earlier posts I have a real passion for organic, natural architecture. Like Frank Lloyd Wright my passion is stirred by my affinity to the land. Perhaps, as the quote below suggests, it also stems from my innately challenging and fun loving nature.


“Organic architects are often very individual characters. Some like to be maverick, provocative and even anti-establishment. Their architecture feels youthful and playful with a childlike love of fun.” Renzo Piano, Italian Architect.

I think the reason my passions have been so stirred by the Horowhenua project is because of my acute sense of fairness and democracy - something that appears to have been neglected in the current design process. Lack of community consultation, marginalisation of local IWI and a feeling by Library staff that they are not listened to seeps out of this design - it's ugly through and through.

Architecture should be of the people, for the people - I see the role of an architect as facilitating hopes and dreams not imposing his or her world view on an unsuspecting public. I feel design should be a collaborative process where ever possible 0 hence the reason for finding out how people feel and what to feel about THEIR library.

As organic architect Balkrishna Doshi powerfully attests:
"Buildings are meant for people - this includes literate, illiterate, young and old...each individual, each community has it's own preferences. Hence they should be allowed to express themselves symbolically...form should not be finite but should be amorphous so that the experience within is loose, meandering and multiple."

He also goes on to say:

"Organic design places special emphaisi on developing a sensitive and creative relationship with both the client and the users of the building. Designing from the "inside out" means that instead of having preconceived ideas about form and structure design begins with the community and the people and expresses their needs and wishes, even their personal idiosyncrasies."

Funky furniture, listening hubs, a grass roof and an mini grand piano - no it's not the latest Big Brother house but Cardiff's spanking new library. Check out how funky a library can be here:


In case you are thinking that great aesthetics are a luxury cash strapped economies can't afford check how an organically designed toilet transformed one New Zealand city.

From a sleepy hollow just off the tourist track through the Bay of Islands, the Kawakawa township has burgeoned into a "must see" mecca for Hundertwasser devotees worldwide.

It all happened as a result of a public toilet - probably the most unlikely building to have ever captured international visitor attention anywhere. The project has already attracted both French and Japanese television documentary teams to Kawakawa, together with international visitors already beginning to number in the thousands. Bus tours pull up outside for photo sessions, travelers familiar with Hundertwasser's work in Europe are making special visits to the Bay of Islands rural township, and domestic visitors are making a stopover for both practical and philosophical reasons. Already there are clear indications of an economic impact in the small town's retail sector and this very public loo has given people san experience like no other!

What other libraries are doing

I have already been touring around some of the regions other libraries - including the ultra modern Paraparaumu Library, recently restored Tawa Library (Athfield Architects); and Newtown Library (which is a really lovely, warm, light filled space) where many people seek comfort, connection and education -as they do in many libraries.

A friend posted me these images of Papamoa Library."At least this building talks to its people and opens dialogue. The proposed concept was aimed at engaging and energizing the existing urban fabric by integrating it with the beach landscape. " he wrote in his email.


Libraries overseas
If these libraries can get funky Levin can too!

These images are of Cardiff Library.



Sweden's library is funky and friendly too:
Here are images of Hjørring Library by Bosch-fjord. I like the rounded shapes and playful ribbon like thread that weaves around the interior.

Then there is Kansas City Public Library. They've run with the book theme - literally!








A reminder of what Horowhenua is, or WAS (if my ideas re listened to), planning to do

It's time to break free of the box. Click here to see some of my inspiration as I begin to create a more organic, natural form

Labels: architecture

I was pretty excited to sell another painting the other day through Millwood Gallery in Thorndon - a nice positive sign in a climate filled with talk of recession. Business is good for Murray so he's keen to take a few more of my pieces - a lovely floral still life, a pastel sketch of the Grand Canal while I was in Venice and a landscape. Yay! Unlike other artists who churn out the same thing year after year I like to keep my work fresh by engaging in new techniques and subject matter. One artist who doesm't do this admitted that painting for him has got to the stage where it is paint by numbers - can't imagine there is much passion in that! Right from the start Murrray has been a great supporter of my work. When I first approached a gallery (after reading Julia Cameron's The Artists Way and summoning up courage the gallery I approached was really rude and told me my work was too "naive." Murray at Millwood loved them and took all three - promptly selling them too! Interestingly his business is still thriving and the other gallery has closed.

Art sales are booming in other parts of the world too - particularly in the Middle East. While up in Auckland last month I heard of several NZart galleries setting up shop over there.

I thought you may be interested to learn what's going on over there in case you want to get in on the action or just need a good news boost.


The Middle Eastern market – Sotheby’s arrives in Doha [Feb 09]
(source: http://web.artprice.com/ami/ami.aspx)

In August 2008, the Art Market Insight published an overview of the boom in Iranian art. The United Arab Emirates, the new eldorado of cultural tourism, is building its Louvre in Abu Dhabi and its Guggenheim in Dubai, the city that has established itself, in two years, as the new capital of the Middle Eastern art market. In 2008, auction revenues in Dubai amounted to USD 34.9 million, a +70% increase on 2007.

In the Middle East, the number of collectors has increased (investing, as a priority, in their compatriots) and the market has rapidly become international. Following its first auctions in Dubai in 2006, Christie’s has included a greater representation of modern and contemporary artists in the London and Paris sales. In 2008, Bonhams followed the lead set by Christie’s in opening a local branch, while Sotheby’s plans to follow suit in Doha.

The first Sotheby’s Doha contemporary art sale is planned for 18 March 2009, the opening day of the Art Dubai fair (18 to 21 March). In order to attract both local art lovers and international collectors, the auction house’s strategy is to mix leading Western contemporary art figures such as Andy WARHOL, Damien HIRST and Gerhard RICHTER with the fastest-growing Iranian artists in the market, Farhad MOSHIRI, Charles Hossein ZENDEROUDI and Mohammad EHSAI already having achieved fairly spectacular auction results during the 2008 first half.

Charles Hossein ZENDEROUDI of the 10 up for auction found favour with collectors despite the fact that the artist had exploded a pre-sale estimate of USD 20,000 in April 2008, setting a new sale record of USD 1.4 million (Tchaar-bagh, Christie’s Dubai).

Farhad MOSHIRI, has also been seriously bid up by collectors since 2006. Sotheby’s bought in its two Moshiri canvases at its London sale on 6 February 2009. On 18 March, Sotheby’s hopes to achieve USD 250,000 to 350,000 for Moshiri’s Diamond Head, the work featured on the cover of the catalogue. Will the highly symbolic nature of this work be enough to tempt collectors? It depicts a falcon, the iconic emblem of the Persian Gulf, crossed with the eagle, the more universal symbol of courage and strength. The head of the bird is adorned with the famous crystals often used by the artist. In March 2008, these same crystals were to ensure a new sale record of USD 900,000 for the work Eshgh (Love), compared with a pre-sale estimate of USD 200,000 (Bonhams, Dubai).

Amongst the other headline lots in the 18 March sale: a calligraphic composition by Mohammad EHSAI, estimated at between USD 300,000 and 400,000. The artist proved resilient during the autumn auction round, achieving sales of between USD 400,000 and 430,000 in Dubai followed by London and may benefit from the renewed confidence of market players (AMCI) whose buying intentions are very high (70% of voters).

In London, Charles Saatchi has opened his gallery to young Middle Eastern artists with a three-month exhibition Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East (30 January to 9 May). His trend-setting role can only be beneficial for Diana AL-HADID, Sara Rahbar and Marwan RECHMAOUI, who have yet to make their saleroom debuts.


The race for art island: Louvre and Guggenheim battle it out

Already, the giant of the art collection world, the Guggenheim Foundation, has signed up to build a museum in Abu Dhabi designed by the architect Frank Gehry that will open in 2012. Now, in a race of cultural brand names, the Louvre is attempting to beat them to it, with the leading French architect Jean Nouvel to create a new museum that will display works from the Louvre.

Abu Dhabi, which has more than 9% of the world's oil reserves, plans to make the museums the centrepiece of a £14.5bn cultural and financial quarter set on an island named Saadiyat, Arabic for "isle of happiness". There will be three other museums, luxury hotels and golf courses. But the government is aware that in its competition to lure tourists away from the shopping haven of Dubai, the Louvre could be the deciding factor. More than 7.5 million people trooped through its doors in Paris last year. Abu Dhabi is said to be prepared to pay Paris more than €750m (£500m) for the jewel in its cultural crown.

Delicate diplomatic negotiations to transport the Louvre to the Arab world have taken place for more than a year in Abu Dhabi and Paris, with the French daily Libération asking whether the project was the "most novel and controversial deal in the history of French cultural politics". Like the Guggenheim, French curators will not exhibit nudity or religious subjects likely to offend in the location. But some in the arts world say the deal is less to do with culture than political and economic interests, and France trying to flex its muscles on the international stage. Already, French curators are advising on the construction of an Islamic art museum in Qatar designed by I M Pei, who created the Louvre's glass pyramid.



Backstory

They were once little more than oil outposts in the desert, wealthy but remote, seven emirates bound together in a federation on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. But the United Arab Emirates are fast reinventing themselves as a cultural and recreational hub, with tens of billions of dollars of investment transforming Abu Dhabi and Dubai in particular. Abu Dhabi, whose petrodollars give it one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, is styling itself as the cultural alternative to Dubai's more ritzy holiday and retail destination.

The emirates capital plans an "upscale cultural district" on Saadiyat, with the $400m Guggenheim museum part of a $27bn government-funded development that will include museums, a concert hall and art galleries alongside two golf courses, hotels and an "iconic 7-star property". The Dubai plans include indoor ski slopes, an underwater hotel, a $4bn theme park, and the elite island development known as The World.

Business is booming in NZ!
Check out Deanna Gracies’s order book – this amazing jewllery designer says business has never been so good. Her order book is jam packed. If you’re in the market for a custom designed work of art contact Deanna now before you have to go on a waiting list! Recession? What recession? There’s always a market for quality pieces of art that sets the soul ablaze with joy.

To get hold of Deanna and view her latest works click here

Labels: architecture, Cultivating Creativity

This organic eco building is so cool I just had to share it with you.







Here's the original commentary uncovered by me while researching organic archtiecture - i've bolded the points of interest to me

Ricciotti Designs Bamboo 'Pterodactyl' Nest
December 17, 2007
By Robert Such
“A bird’s nest for a greedy pterodactyl” is how French architect Rudy Ricciotti describes a bamboo building he has designed in Paris. The $41 million project, dubbed T8 after its plot number, will provide offices, shops, and some 40 apartments overlooking an irregular-shaped courtyard pool. Built on a concrete platform astride a railway line, the seven-story, 47,684-square-foot building will occupy a two-acre rectangular site in the up-and-coming Tolbiac Chevaleret quarter, opposite the French National Library.



Images: Courtesy Rudy Ricciotti
Rudy Ricciotti surrounded the exterior of the T8 apartment building in Paris with a screen of bamboo, resembling a bird’s nest. Unlike typical French multifamily blocks, the building’s interior features an irregularly shaped courtyard garden and pool.


Wrapped in a bamboo latticework skin, the building is divided into three principal parts by a T-shaped courtyard. Ricciotti, who won the French Grand Prix d’Architecture in 2006, offers here a different approach to traditional Parisian courtyard design. Most courtyards are square or rectangular and lack greenery. In Ricciotti’s project, plant life will hang from green roofs in what he describes as an “imaginary Eden.” The building depth will range from 39 feet to 66 feet, creating an undulating surface of green-tinted glass around the central pool.

In terms of materials and colors, Ricciotti chose a somber palette for the street-side facades. Shop and cafe signs will be made of bronze, brass, or copper. Floor deck profiles will be made of rough black concrete. To bounce daylight throughout the interior, on the other hand, oyster shell-based plaster will line entry halls.

Ricciotti intentionally limited the number of materials in the project, and employed a simple palette, but maximized the ways in which each one was used. “No other material will be used, such as aluminum, PVC, or other rubbish that’s in vogue in the French (construction industry),” Ricciotti says. Residents of this iconoclastic bamboo building should be able to feather their nests when construction finishes in 2011.

Labels: architecture

When I tell people that I am studying organic architecture most people ask me, "you mean like tree houses?"

Close, and some designs like the ones above just outside of Kaikoura, are tree inspired. But organic architecture is far, far more expansive than trees.

While doing some research I came across this entry which sums things up nicely:


WHAT IS ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE?
More than green, beyond individual, Organic Architecture describes a way of thinking about design that transcends the common, everyday buildings around us.

ecological + individual = organic

While Organic Architecture does describe environmental concerns, it also embodies the human spirit, transcending the mere act of shelter into something which shapes and enhancesour lives. 

While Organic Architecture does describe an expression of individuality, it also explores our need to connect to Nature. 

Using Nature as our basis for design, a building or design must grow, as Nature grows, from the inside out. Most architects design their buildings as a shell and force their way inside. Nature grows from the idea of a seed and reaches out to its surroundings. A building thus, is akin to an organism and mirrors the beauty and complexity of Nature.

Understanding the systems of Nature, architects like Eric Corey Freed regard each design as an organism and each component as an interrelated extension of that organism. He designs the proper organism for its environment in accord with the relationships of each piece to the whole, and the whole to the surroundings. Through an extensive interviewing process, Eric begins to shape this new creature and provides the biology. The clients are an integral piece of this development as they are the the true designers of their building. (this I like!)

Through this process we feel our clients are "designing their autobiography."

The result produces unique and original forms that reflect the personality and needs of the client that also happen to be environmentally friendly. With a tendency toward natural forms and materials, these buildings often resemble organic creatures or plants, but are wholly new and inventive. This creative approach to design results in the opportunity to create an autobiography for yourself which lives in harmony with its surroundings and the environment.


WHERE DID THE TERM COME FROM?

The term "Organic Architecture" was invented by the great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959).

"So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal and the teaching so much needed if we are to see the whole of life, and to now serve the whole of life, holding no traditions essential to the great TRADITION. Nor cherishing any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future, but instead exalting the simple laws of common sense or of super-sense if you prefer determining form by way of the nature of materials..."
Frank Lloyd Wright, An Organic Architecture, 1939

Frank Lloyd Wright used the word "organic" to describe his philosophy of architecture. It was an extension of the teachings of his mentor, Louis Sullivan, whose slogan "form follows function" became the mantra of modern architecture. Wright changed this phrase to "form and function are one," claiming Nature as the ultimate model.

Although the word "organic" is now used as a buzzword for something that occurs naturally, when connected to architecture, it takes on a new meaning. Organic Architecture is not a style of imitation, but rather, a reinterpretation of Nature's principles to build forms more natural than nature itself.

Just as in Nature, Organic Architecture involves a respect for natural materials (wood should look like wood), blending into the surroundings (a house should be of the hill, not on it), and an honest expression of the function of the building (don't make a bank look like a Greek temple).

The Philosophy of Organic architecture continues today through the work of hundreds of students of Mr. Wright.

source: http://www.organicarchitect.com/organic/

Labels: architecture

Does bad design really kill? Does it create killers? Can truly great design at life to individuals, communities and environments. Intuitively I say "yes!" The curious me is heading off to see world acclaimed expert Dr Janis Birkeland tackle this critical topic in Wellington on Thursday.

Take a look at the state of our mental health services in Wellington - healing or killing? The whole place looks toxic - if you weren't mentally disturbed before you got there, in my view you'd take a turn for the worse just approaching this wretched looking place.

SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED BY JANIS:

• Why ‘positive development” – explanation of the principles of “ positive development with an emphasis on the outcomes sought and its value case

• Explanation of the different form of design required to implement the principles of “positive development” and achieve sustainable urban form

• Examples and case studies of design projects in an urban context that have implemented or embody principles of ‘positive development

• Details of the design process required to incorporate the principles of “positive development’ within urban development, and retrofitting of urban form

If you are not able to head off and see her in person check her out here:

Listen to Dr Janis Birkeland's interview on Nine to Noon, Radio New Zealand - http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/20090216

See Dr Janis Birkeland's interview on Sunrise, TV3 8.10am tomorrow, Tuesday 16th

Labels: architecture

Why do we live in boxes? The question had never crossed my mind before. Until I came across this thread on an architectural dicussion board:

"I cannot stress how important it is to have people like Thom Mayne because otherwise we'd be living in rectangular boxes (which most of the times are not functionally or formally organic, and I wonder why no one criticises those) and thinking thats the way where our children should be taught, civilians are being judged, food is served ... etc. No architect can give an definate answer as to how those spaces should be, but they (the ones who are not regressive) spend all their life contributing possible answers to those questions, and that is why I think they courage is admirable. "

To see the rest of this discussion click here:

Do you know why we live in boxes? I love to hear your views? My theory is that largely it's because we lack imagination and mistakenly believe that square houses are cheaper and more efficient to build. IF this were the case why didn't Eskimo's or African tribes people, and other low income groups, build boxes to live in?

We Call it Home: a history of State Housing in New Zealand
State houses in New Zealand subscribe to the box theory of pracitical design. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage iuntertook a history of State Housing in New Zealand. 'We Call it Home' was an online exhibition designed to get past tenants and suppliers of state houses to tell their state house stories. Visit the website for further information at
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/state-housing-in-nz: and see if this shed's further insight. It's not that living in a box is necessarily a bad thing - let;s face it, much of the world's population is grateful just to have a roof over there heads. I just wonder if, given money is being spent in creating these box homes, living in something more organic (derived and inspired by nature) could be better.

research confirms that building organicially pays off check out this thread here

What do you think? Feel? Believe?

Here's what one organic architect believes:

“Non rectangular spaces are more life enhancing both inside and outside. But they are much harder to work with as enclosures of pace- harder but possible. The issue is not between rectangles and non-rectangles: why do something differently unless there is good reason? The issue is between living and lifeless forms and spaces, life-renewing and life sapping environments.”

Christopher Day, architect (designer Steiner Kindergarten in Wales)

I also learned that London's very iconic Gherkin (as it is affectionally known), designed by Foster and Partners was originally going to be a rectangular shape - why? Because all the office furniture had right angles and it would be easier to pack in more people! Says it all really. Thank goodness good design and the courage to break out of the box prevailed. The Gerkhin is London's first ecologically designed building! Well done!

Labels: architecture

Organic architectural maestro Frank Lloyd Wright once famously decreed that houses should be of the hill, not on the hill. Look around you and see how many architects get this so wrong. Like wind farms so many houses stick out on the landscape like sore thumbs - irritating not consoling. Offending not inspiring.

For years I've had an "irrational" passion for hills. I paint them, I photograph them, I sit on them, I walk barefoot upon them, I touch them. I've had a similar passion for wood, nature, rocks, rivers and skies.....but oooohhh the joy of discovery when I realise I can blend my passion in the wonderful forms of organically created architecture - of the land, non on the land.

It still seems incredible to believe that after many years dreaming of indulging my passion for healthy, happy homes and organic design that the opportunity to study architecture full time should have come up. That is real-time testimony to the creative power of passion.


Partly it began when over eight years ago I picked up a book “New Organic Architecture: the breaking wave” at the library, by best selling author, organic architect and city planner David Pearson. I still remember the thrill I got each time I read the text and poured over the images. Here was something that fed my soul, something I understood, something I believed in with such a passion that now, eight years, later designing organic homes will become my reality.

Two years prior to this I had abandoned my interior architecture degree to support my daughter after the ending of my relationship. Now she is happily settled at Canterbury University I am free to create again – only this time with a focus on both the exterior and interior architecture of space.

Pursuing ones passion is not easy. It often requires great sacrifice – I’ve had to rent out my home to make my shift to full time study affordable. The good news is, tho, that I couldn’t have wished for better tenants – a wonderful family from Rome.

“Organic architecture”, says David Pearson, “is rooted in a passion for life, nature, and natural forms, and is full of the vitality of the natural world with it’s biological forms and processes. Emphasising beauty and harmony, its free-flowing curves and expressive form are sympathetic to the human body, mind and spirit, in a well designed “organic” building we feel better and freer.”


This is so true. There is something inherently “right” about houses designed around organic principals – the materials are less poisonous, the angles less vicious, the air less toxic.... and oh the beauty of being safely enclosed within its walls.

You can follow this exciting journey as I take a big career leap and pursue my passion for architecture here
- there's lots of real time tips to help anyone contemplating a big change in career

What to see someone who is living and working with his passion for rocks? No one is more passionate about stones than my dear friend Carl Gifford – affectionately known as Carlucci. Check him out here or visit him in person at the fabulous Carlucci Land!


Great links

Check out the following organic architecture sites:
California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture www.calearth.org

Ecological Design Association – http://www.edra.org/

Ecological Design Institute – http://www.ecodesign.org/

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation – www.franklloydwright.org

San Francisco Institute of Architecture – www.sfia.net

The Earth Center www.earthcentre.org.uk


Want to know more about “The soft and hairy house?” Intrigued by Salvador Dali's provocative statement about architecture of the future, the clients - a young couple of architectural journalists - had commissioned a "soft and hairy" house from Japanese architect Eisaku Ushida and English architect Kathryn Findlay, “Covered with a carpet of wild grasses - the same species growing on the surrounding wasteland - the house, which is entwined around its patio, was conceived as an embodiment of the couple: the body of the man and the body of the woman coiled around the body of the child represented by the womblike shape of the bathroom.” Click here to learn more



For other useful information, search the Internet under “Organic Architecture.”

Stay posted as I begin my own organic architectural project to convert my garage to a studio and apartment! Very exciting!

The Architecture of Happiness – “One of the great, but often unmentioned, causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kind of walls, chairs, buildings and streets we’re surrounded by.” Read, watch and listen to more about philosopher Alian De Botton’s research into the architecture of happiness

Labels: architecture

I had been pondering the prospect of entering some design competitions in preparation for my portfolio at year end for entry into the 2nd year of architecture when lo and behold while flicking through a magazine I discovered a competition for furniture and home objects.

Without delay (closing date is 2 days away) I sent away my entry

Here's what I included by way of a brief:


About the furniture:


This hall table was inspired by the architectural and design work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Like Macintosh I was also influenced by Japanese design and the Chinese principals of Feng Shui.

In the Japanese arts furniture and design focused on the quality of the space, which was meant to evoke a calming and organic feeling to the interior. The hall table has been created with these qualities in mind.

It is crafted from Jarrah and has routed squares of Tawa inserted. The glass top is etched with squares and is a half moon shape – symbolising the ebb and flow of life. Metal elements have also been incorporated in the design. Metal is an element used by many practitioners of Feng Shui to pull energy together. It is believed to stimulate the brain's intellectual abilities while bringing the energy of the room together. Increasing the metal energies of a room will allow one to focus one's thoughts.


Like Mackintosh’s work the hall table employs a simple and solid massed form with little ornamentation, yet it exudes light and space, and the use of colour and decoration is carefully conceived using natural forms and materials.



About the designer:

Cassandra Gaisford
Cassandra is an architect, artist, stylist and author. She has an intense passion for art in all its guises. She believes in the power of creativity to transform people’s lives, making them feel refreshed, playful, inspired and adventurous.

As fellow artist Paul Klee says – "one eye sees and the other feels" Cassandra’s creative collections are echoes of our culture when we are at our most happiest. Sometimes all it takes is one sensual piece of furniture, one evocative image or one sensual painting to evoke a radical reinvention of one’s life.

Handcrafted in Aotearoa, New Zealand Cassandra’s pieces all embody the essence of her beliefs and speak to her soul mission: to live life to the fullest, to take risks, to be playful, to create beauty and to always have fun and to help others achieve the same.

Visit Cassandra’s website to learn more about who she is and what she creates

www.cassandragaisford.com



You can learn more about these awards here

The winning entries and a selection of the finalists in the April/May 2009 issue of HOME New Zealand magazine.

Labels: architecture

Yellow! My personal favorite, and now according to global colour experts Pantone a world favorite too!


This from their website:

Pantone, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.

"The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."

Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. Mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. Look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue.

If yellow is not your thing don't despair....here's some of the other top colours for the year ahead.

COLOR MARKETING GROUP PREDICTS
HOT COLOR TRENDS FOR 2009

Choices Driven by Concern for Economy and Optimism for the Future


Color Marketing Group, the leading international non-profit association of color design professionals, has been accurately predicting color trends for more than 45 years. CMG predicts more evolution than revolution in color trends for the coming new season.

"We're finding comfort in colors that are familiar, and yet, at the same time, we're embracing colors that make us happy -- especially as accents," said executive director, Jaime Stephens. "Everyone’s concerned about the economy, yet the spirit of the country coming together after the election is powerfully reflected in these choices. Also, the demand for colors and products that reflect an environmentally 'greener' world goes way beyond a trend. It's now 'a given.' "

According to CMG, look for these color trends in 2009:

Purple, Purple, Purple! - Emerging as a hot fashion color last fall, purple is not just a fad -- it's an entrenched trend, strongly influenced by the election. (After all, red plus blue equals purple.) Look for a greyed-out violet that works equally well as an accent or a neutral, as well as redder, plummier purples and bluer-influenced fuchsias in a huge range of products. Purple is 2009’s “must have” color.


Blue is the New Green - Various greens have symbolized "green living” over the last few years, but in 2009 the "green" environmental message is delivered by the color blue. There are watery blues, sky blues and a whole range of blues that now represent our commitment to living on a greener planet.

Cooled-down, Greyed-out Browns and Greys - Complex neutrals satisfy our urge toward classic colors in an economically challenged time. They also bridge the area between black, which seems harsh, and brown, which doesn't seem strong enough.



Yellow for Energy – The neutrals may have greyed, but look for lots and lots of bright vivid yellow to give us energy as we re-build the economy. It's the stand-out accent color for 2009.



Bright Accents from India, China, and Turkey – The exotic has become the familiar. Oranges, turquoises and teals, reds, and yellows will abound in hues from far-away countries that now seem very near. They are the optimistic touches we crave.



White is now a Business Color – Technology has produced amazing new (and very practical) finishes, which helps explain why white is showing up everywhere, even in corporate board rooms. The contrasts are all in the finishes: matte versus gloss; shine and shimmer on reflective surfaces; textured whites versus smooth -- all washable and cleanable. White also represents purity of thought, motive and result – exactly what we want from businesses now.

The Return of the "M" Word - It's mauve. Remember mauve? An old color that looks new again, in dusty violet shades, mauve works as an accent but also serves now as a neutral, punched up by those bright Asian accents (orange, turquoise, teal, red, and yellow.)


Here's hoping that the power of colour can heal the world -expect a miracle.

Labels: architecture, Colour, Exhibitions and competitions, happiness