An Open Letter to Dwell MagazineBy Jeff Speck
Monday, June 22, 2009 11:02 am
Dear Dwell:
Love the magazine. As a favor, I have rewritten the Table of Contents of your July/August issue:
Cover House with Horizontal Wood Slats Page 43 House with Vertical Wood Slats
Page 52 House with Horizontal Wood Slats
Page 58 Ice Cream Makers
Page 66 Pavilion with Horizontal Wood Slats
Page 70 Philadelphia
Page 80 House with Horizontal Wood Slats
Page 88 House with Horizontal Wood Slats
Page 96 House with Vertical Wood Slats
I hope you find this useful.
Fondly,
Jeff Speck, AICP
Washington, DC
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Architectural Humor
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I've always had a bit of a protestant mindset when it comes to places of worship... The simpler the structure, the better for communing with a higher being. This temple to catch the forest by Tezuka Architecture is a really lovely example of ecclesiastical architecture. Simple forms and materials allow you to be at peace. Without overstimulating your eye, your mind is allowed to venture beyond.
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I really like the simplicity of the form and playfulness of the colors in this cabinet by A2..
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Sweden
by Michelle Linden
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The Fusion Solar System by Custom Bilt Metals is leaps and bounds ahead of the old fashioned solar panel systems. I don't want to hear anyone talk about how ugly the panels are on your roof anymore! The film can cover all or part of your roof... so you could even avoid the two-tone affect that we see in the photo!.
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Architectural Products,
Green
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For some reason, I've had Paris on the brain for the last month... I keep planning my escape to Paris, even knowing that it won't happen for quite some time!.
I just can't stop thinking about it!
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France,
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Photography
by Michelle Linden
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Clearly the owners never got a permit for this project... I can't see any way that this stair is up to code. Still, its a fantastic solution, and combined with the bookcase railing above provides a lovely space. The entire renovation is nice, but the stair and bookcases are by far my favorite part..
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This is a pretty fantastic interior design for a dog spa! over,under is a multi-disciplinary firm that designed not just the space, but the identity and graphics too. The result is a lovely and completely cohesive design that the dogs, their owners, and the spa workers can all enjoy!.
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Oh... and sorry for the lack of posting. My parents were in town for the last few weeks!
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Sometimes the blogosphere is so cool... Who knows how long it would have taken me to come across these fantastic lights and tables by i&m if Jamie hadn't left a comment on one of my posts... Not only is their work fantastic, but its local! How great!.
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Seattle Art
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Marco Casagrande (what a great name for an architect!) sent this project (the Chen house)along.... a fantastic home in a rural area of Taiwan.
How nice!
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Finland,
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A friend of mine knows how much I love coat hooks... and sent me this photo. I'm not sure where its from, but I love the whimsy of the design!
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I love the imagery of this italian garden design by nabito architects.... it reminds me of a japanese dinner presentation..
I can't wait to see the finished result...
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Italy,
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by Michelle Linden
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The interiors of this apartment by Tham & Videgard Hansson Arkitekter sure are really bright and lively! The herringbone pattern is carried throughout the rooms and up the wainscot on the walls, which give a dynamic energy to the apartment. The variety of colors is wild, with colors relating to the rooms while bleeding beyond the typical boundaries of the individual spaces. The open doorways and bleeding colors draw your eye (and energy) beyond the room you are occupying into the rooms beyond. The architects were also lucky enough to select the furniture, too. They selected (and designed) some really spectacular pieces of modern furniture, sticking to an all white palette of furniture in order to not compete with the flooring and walls. You can see some of the furniture in a few photos... Still, I'd love to see photos of the home once its being occupied. I can imagine that children would really love this place!.
Via Stylepark (and a friend!) - Also, check out the architects' website. I love the format of their about section! .
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What is a quaint and unassuming house from one angle makes quite a statement from another...The Maracon House by Local Architecture via Mimoa
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Switzerland
by Michelle Linden
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I really wonder what it would feel like to ride this strida bike...
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by Michelle Linden
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Very simple and clean table and bench by Marek Gut
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by Michelle Linden
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I don't really like vessel sinks... but I do like the combination of materials in this bathroom.
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by Michelle Linden
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Now that the house is nearly complete... I'm starting to think about the yard. I had some ideas originally, but I think budget (and energy!) are going to force me to rethink the original design! I really like all of these images - all via flikr. If anyone knows of any other nice images of small backyards, I'd love to see them!.
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This one really make me laugh...
One of the
'Beautiful Buildings for the Dirty Minded'
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Rather than charge $5K for a piece of furniture (although, he'll do that too) Ronen Kadushin is giving away the autocad files needed to make his furniture. Pretty cool!Via Wired..
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So... Robert Stern recently gave an interview, where he stated that he thinks the major reason that women comprise only 20% of the architectural workforce, while they comprise 50% of architectural students is essentially because women feel a desire to have a family which is very difficult while maintaining a career in architecture. .
OK.
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I mean, I guess that is true to some degree. But, I think its a really simplistic view.
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I think there is a myriad of reasons why female architects don't reach the same levels of stature in the field as men... To start, women still don't earn as much as men. And in a field like architecture, where our pay is not at all commiserate with our workload and liability, a woman earning less is going to feel the hardship of underpayment even more. It would be easy to abandon the profession for a better earning one... or at least one with a better work/life balance.
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Whether R Stern thinks so or not, architecture is still very much a boys club. A white boys club to be more specific. The leaders of the profession are more often that not, white men. So, when these leaders are working with younger architects, mentoring those architects, they are much more likely to offer guidance to those architects in whom they see a little of themselves. They are much more likely to be helping out other white male architects, rather than their minority counterparts.
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Not to mention, women still have to deal with all sorts of inequalities that men just don't have to think about at all. How many women architects have been asked to help answer the phones, or get coffee, or clean up, while their male peers merely continue with their daily work? While sometimes these tasks can be considered a contribution to the team, women are constantly faced with tasks like these, wondering if they were asked to help out as part of the team, or simply because they are a woman. Add to that, working with contractors and consultants calling you sweetie... always having to prove that you are just as talented, if not more so. Most men, never have to prove they are equal, its assumed they are unless proven otherwise.
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Is it any wonder that many women don't complete their careers in architecture? And its not just women... the percentage of minority architects is pitiful. And unless dinosaurs like Stern realize they are part of the problem, this isn't going to change.
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Because frankly, we don't all have babies on the brain. Thoughts?
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Ideological
by Michelle Linden
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Resign has some really interesting designs... part art piece, part furniture, and most requiring a sense of humor!.
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by Michelle Linden
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This is one of my favorite Seattle projects currently under construction. Unfortunately these photos of the Bridge Way Townhomes by Johnston Architects don't really do the project justice. This project is all about the details - simple wood siding delineated with metal strips, custom designed gutters and downspouts, and clean lines. When the project first started construction, I have to admit that I was a little concerned about the form... it seemed like there were an inordinate number of jogs in the concrete formwork. But, I must admit, that these jogs add a welcome relief to an otherwise plain facade. If there had been more material changes, then the jogs would have been too much... but instead they are a nice design element..
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Seattle Architecture,
US
by Michelle Linden
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Sandra at smosch has some amazing photography of her walks through Goteborg, Sweden.
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So cool...
via picdit
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Installation Art
by Michelle Linden
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At least once a month.
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Architectural Humor,
Life
by Michelle Linden
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I really like this led touch activated lamp by tunto....
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by Michelle Linden
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Its official. The website is FINALLY up and running. Please feel free to check it out! .
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Site News
by Michelle Linden
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Evangeline Dennie's design for the Oulu Bar and Ecolounge is really quite spectacular. Whenever I've seen images of other green walls, I've thought they they are interesting as a spectacle, nice as a green solution, but generally a little over the top aesthetically. I find this design so appealing because it incorporates the great idea of a green wall with a minimal and modern design! Fantastic! In addition to the green wall, the interiors are all designed with sustainability in mind (and eco-friendly materials!)..
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US
by Michelle Linden
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This installation by Coordination and diephotodesigner is made of high polished steel with matte black contrasting surfaces. The pieces were moved around Berlin and photographed to show the new and old structures of the city....
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Germany,
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by Michelle Linden
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A quite large live/work space in San Francisco by Boor Bridges Architecture. The space is both an adaptive reuse project as well as an adaptable and reusable design. The living space is located upstairs, with a large gallery/boutique and sewing area downstairs. The studio spaces are separated from the living spaces by partial height walls and curtains. This keeps the space open, yet maintains privacy for the couple..
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by Michelle Linden
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I love this bubble chandelier by jean pelle. In addition to the fantastic design, its made from off the shelf parts and could be constructed by anyone at home. Pretty cool! I've been looking for some sort of feature pendant lamp for my new office... this might work perfectly!.
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US
by Michelle Linden
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Daily Photo
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Daily Photo
by Michelle Linden
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I think the AIA might be behind this public relations push... but its still nice to see a case made for Architects on a mainstream website. Client education often seems to be half the battle...
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Architecture News
by Michelle Linden
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I can totally understand paying for high design... but $28 million for a chair?! and this chair?! It just doesn't quite seem worth it.... In this current economic climate, you could probably buy an entire country for that amount! .
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Retro
by Michelle Linden
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I love these Japanese Postcards....
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Japan
by Michelle Linden
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