9.17.06. New York Times | [H]aving traveled to neighborhoods all
over the country, from Milwaukee to Louisville, Fayetteville to
Portland, Ore., what I’ve come to realize is that what makes a
neighborhood a neighborhood is evidence of continual evolution and
reinvention. Old houses, brand new ones and all those in between merge
in a balance of past, present and future that makes a place feel vital.
(This mix also helps guarantee a diversity of ages, ethnicities, income
levels and backgrounds.) One architectural era isn’t necessarily better
or worse than another — it’s the mixture of ingredients that makes a
delectable dish.
Arch. & Design >>
9.13.06 | New York Times | I [Allison Arieff] was saddened to learn of the passing of industrial designer Bill Stumpf
over the weekend. He’s best known for the ergonomic Aeron chair (which
he designed with Don Chadwick) . . . . Equally significant was Stumpf’s thoughtfully
articulated philosophy on the purpose and importance of design in our
culture, exemplified by his collection of essays on how design shapes
our lives in his book, “The Ice Palace That Melted Away.”
When lecturing or writing about design, I’ve often referred back to
a particular quote from Stumpf: “If your shoes are comfortable you’re
not aware they’re on. If the water is pure you can’t taste it.
Similarly when a chair is a perfect fit for your body, it becomes
‘invisible’ and you’re not aware of it at all.”
. . .
Stumpf opted to demystify design. In both his words and the objects
he made, he highlighted design’s potential — to do good, to be socially
responsible, to be comfortable, to have a sense of play, to be useful —
while avoiding its perils. . . . Take, for example,
Stumpf’s notion of sustainable furniture: not something crafted from
sunflower seeds or wood reclaimed from a high-school gym floor, but
simply something beautifully designed and well-constructed that you’d
enjoy for years before passing it down to your children and they to
theirs. . . .
Arch. & Design >>, People >>
1.17.06 New York Times Now that many of the new residential buildings come with a big-name designer or architect attached to them, I am even more curious: What do these famous, sophisticated and cutting-edge people bring to a building that was once defined only by location and square
Arch. & Design >>
8.28.05 | NY Times | WHEN a federal judge ruled this month that a lawsuit brought by Thomas Shine,
formerly a student at the Yale School of Architecture, against David M. Childs, a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill,
could proceed, the architecture world was caught off guard. It wasn't
the accusation - that Mr. Childs appropriated one of Mr. Shine's
student projects in a 2003 design for the Freedom Tower at ground zero
- that seemed puzzling. The surprise was that Skidmore's motion for
dismissal had been unsuccessful. For once, an accusation of
architectural plagiarism had taken on a life beyond cocktail party
chatter and snippy blogs.
Arch. & Design >>
8.27.05 | NY NewsDay | Even as 7 World Trade Center nears completion, it has only one committed tenant to date -- Silverstein Properties. And critics have viewed the new Freedom Tower design more as a bunker than an accessible office building. ut when it comes to actually building the new office towers on the 16-acre site, private developer Larry Silverstein, 74, is perhaps the single most prominent force moving the construction forward. In an interview with NY Newsday, Silverstein said many of the problems that once mired progress are over now that Pataki named his chief of staff, John Cahill, to serve as the governor's point person for downtown redevelopment.
Arch. & Design >>
7.29.05. Detroit Free Press | Gensler
unveiled preliminary designs creating a bright, airy look that will replace the dimly lit hallways
and low ceilings of the Smith Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport. The design for the half-mile-long terminal, a $443-million project, appears similar to
the McNamara Terminal's. The intent is to allow natural light into the terminal, said Bill Hartman,
Gensler's design principal and principal in charge of the project.
"People ... are at ease when they have natural daylight," Hartman said.
A light glaze on the glass means that even on overcast days, the
terminal will be flush with light, he said.
Arch. & Design >>
