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Today's archidose #550

2012-01-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple photos of the REM Eiland Restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands by Concrete, 2011. The restaurant is a re-purposed helicopter landing platform from the 1960s, moved from the North Sea to Minerva Harbor in Amsterdam. Photos are by Klass Vermaas.

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Laura Kaeppeler: the new Miss America 2012

2012-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

Miss America 2012

Miss Wisconsin 2011 Laura Kaeppeler, one of 53 Miss America pageant queens, becomes the Miss America 2012. A panel of seven judges was set to pick the Miss America on Saturday night during a live telecast on ABC, the culmination of a week of preliminary competitions and months of preparations for the titleholders from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Miss Winkinson 2011

"There are many of you out there — and I was one of them — but it doesn't have to define you," Kaeppeler told The Associated Press after winning the crown and $50,000 scholarship on Saturday night. To win, she said beauty queens and politicians should remember they represent all Americans, sang an opera song and strutted in a white bikini and black evening gown.

Her looks, smarts and personal vocation impressed a panel of seven celebrity judges enough to give her the next year with the title. Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson came in second, while Miss New York Kaitlyn Monte placed third.

Kaeppeler, 23, replaces Teresa Scanlan of Nebraska, who won last year at age 17 and plans to use her scholarship to pay for law school. As the new Miss America, Kaeppeler will spend the next year touring the country to speak to different groups and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's official charity. She now says she intends to use the scholarship money to pursue a law degree and become a family attorney who specializes in helping children of incarcerated adults.

Kety Perry willing to finish present divorce before dating again

2012-01-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

Kety Perry is not dating until her divoce from British comedian Russell Brand is finished. After split he has filed papers to end their marriage late last year. Over the last week there have been rumours Katy’s mother and father Mary and Keith Hudson have encouraged her to move on. There was speculation Mary hoped her daughter would begin a romance with American football star Tim Tebow, but it’s thought that is untrue.

“Mary told me she never said anything of the sort. I don’t think either of Katy’s parents have even met Tebow,” friend of the family Pastor Paul Endrei told British newspaper The Sunday Mirror. “There is no way that she will start dating again until her divorce is finalized.”

Katy’s parents have been spending time with her over the last week as she tries to come to terms with her marriage breakdown. “Keith and Mary flew from Georgia to Los Angeles earlier this week to be with their daughter. She is doing OK under the ¬circumstances, but this has been a very tough road for her,” a friend added. “Keith and Mary have also been reaching out to Russell and sent him a text telling him he is in their thoughts and that they love him.”

Russell has jetted from London back to Los Angeles where he will meet with Katy. It will be the first time the two have come face-to-face since they announced their separation after 14 months of marriage. The pair are thought to be planning to discuss the terms of their split, although Katy is reported to be hoping they might still reconcile.

“He has agreed to meet her one last time. He wants to sort things out and finalise the divorce,” a friend explained to the publication. “Removal trucks have been moving his things out of the house they lived in and into a new place that Russell is renting. “He needed to be in LA for the Globes [Golden Globe Awards tonight] too, so it was an ideal opportunity to meet. He is determined to move on. But Katy says she is still in love with him and she still has hopes they might get back together.”

She is now trying to cover her wounds of her failed 14-month marriage by coloring her hair which she debuted Thursday in Santa Barbara, Calif. during a shoot for an Adidas ad.

Half Dose #100: Frick Portico Gallery

2012-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

[Looking northeast from the Fifth Avenue Garden.]

On December 13, 2011 The Frick Collection opened its doors with its first major addition in 35 years, The Portico Gallery for Decorative Arts and Sculpture. The small 815-sf spaces is a former outdoor loggia in the Carrère and Hastings original from 1914, then the Frick Mansion. Over time the elements, particularly the exhaust from Fifth Avenue traffic, did some damage to the loggia's limestone, pointing towards eventually enclosing the space as a gallery.

[Looking north from the Fifth Avenue Garden with the library's shuttered windows just visible at right.]

The opportunity to do such a thing came about when collector Henry H. Arnhold promised The Frick a gift of porcelains. With this gift and the institution's recent focus on sculpture it made sense to put the loggia to good use, taking advantage of the southern light the Fifth Avenue Garden affords, a situation that makes the space unsuitable for paintings. Not surprisingly the space's initial exhibition displays a selection of Meissan porcelain from Arnhold's gift.

[Detail of existing building and new glass wall.]

The Portico Gallery, designed by Davis Brody Bond (DBB), is accessed from inside the museum, from the library that is steps away from the covered central Garden Court. Therefore the public will not be granted the above views from the garden, which is closed to the public; these photos go to show how the new glass wall knits itself behind the loggia's three sets of paired columns. The addition required Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approval, so DBB's design lets the original Ionic columns take precedence from the exterior, and the glass wall works such that it can be removed without any physical damage to the existing building.

[Looking west along The Portico Gallery's new glass wall.]

Spanning from floor to ceiling -- but structurally cantilevered from the
floor via a 16"-deep steel shoe -- are the 14'6" pieces of glass in
bronze frames. As can be seen, from inside the glass prevails over the original columns, but reflections of the gallery on the surfaces bring the focus back to the artwork on display. The bronze finish, akin to Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building, also sets up a nice contrast with the limestone in terms of dark and light, yet the two materials work well together, in that up close the bronze is as variable as the stone.

[Looking west down the gallery with new display cases mounted on the limestone walls on the right.]

Since the LPC's approval extended to interior surfaces of the loggia (given that it was an outdoor space), DBB, under the leadership of partner Carl F. Krebs, cleaned the limestone, replaced the paving with bluestone that matches the previous flooring's pattern and finish, and commissioned new lanterns that match the Garden Court's John Russell Pope-designed fixtures.

[Looking east from the Rotunda.]

At the western end of The Portico Gallery is the Rotunda, an elliptical space that is now permanently occupied by Jean-Antoine Houdon's sculpture Diana the Huntress; fittingly the sculpture overlooks Central Park. This sculpture is a strong anchor at the end of the long space, and its presence draws the eye and body towards it and a view of the park beyond. From within the Rotunda the new glass walls disappear (as in the photo above), but even within the gallery space they have a diminished presence that seems appropriate for The Frick and its architecture.

The bronze frames begin to recall Carlo Scarpa's interventions in historic buildings, but without the idiosyncratic ways of accommodating art that Scarpa incorporated. Here the new is paradoxically big in order to have minimum impact; large panes of glass and sizable mullions (scaled and detailed appropriately with the Ionic columns -- not too small, not too big) are used to make as large a visible opening as possible. The new recedes in one's mind as they take in the art and the garden views.

Heather Locklear was taken to emegency as a result of 911 call

2012-01-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

Famous TV show "Dynasty" 1981-1989 star Heather Locklear was hospitalized on emergency Thursday afternoon, Jan 12 after police responded to a frantic 911 call by her older sister. Paramedics and sheriff's deputies responded to the actress's Los Angeles area home around 2 p.m. and determined Locklear needed further medical attention Locklear, 50, was then taken by ambulance to the Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where she stayed overnight and is now said to be resting comfortably, with family by her side.

"She is in no danger and she's going to be just fine," her parents Bill and Diane Locklear said in a statement issued by the hospital. Los Robles spokesperson Kris Carraway-Bowman told People magazine the actress arrived at 2:30 p.m. and by 8 p.m. was sleeping.

Neither the hospital nor Locklear's family are releasing information on what caused her hospitalization, but RadarOnline reports she may have mixed alcohol and prescription medication. She was rehaved two times, once for depression and once for prescription medication.

Depression over the break up from the longtime boyfriend, and former co-star, Jack Wagner in November also can cause physical hazzard. Locklear was previously married to Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, whom she divorced in 2006. Two years after her divorce from Sambora, in 2008, Locklear was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription medication. She pleaded no contest to reckless driving. Two years after that, in 2010, Locklear was cited with a misdemeanor charge for a hit-and-run accident in which she ran her car into a street sign.

Bacon and Sausage: adds taste but increase risk of cancer.

2012-01-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

If you eat two slices of bacon — or one sausage — a day can increase a the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in your body is by 19 percent, a study out of Sweden has found.

Pancreatic cancer kills 80 percent of people in under a year of being diagnosed; only 5 percent of patients are still alive after five years, according to The Guardian. Eating 1.8 ounces of processed meat every day — the equivalent to one sausage or two rashers of bacon — increases the risk by 19 percent, and the risk goes up if a person eats more, the paper cites experts from the "respected" Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, as saying.

The findings after examining data from 11 studies, including 6,643 cases of pancreatic cancer, were published in the British Journal of Cancer. "Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates," the Daily Mail quoted Susanna Larsson from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm as saying. "So it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease."

Fox News cited experts as saying the overall risk of pancreatic cancer was relatively low. Most people have only a 1.4 percent chance of getting pancreatic cancer, reported Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News's senior health and medical editor. “If you have a serving of processed meat per day, your risk would go up to 1.7 percent; still very small.”

It is dubbed "the silent killer," as it often does not produce symptoms — such as back pain, loss of appetite and weight loss — in the early stages, according to ANI, which adds that: Little is known about its causes other than that smoking, excess alcohol and being overweight all seem to contribute.

The risk posed by eating meat was substantially lower than for smoking, found to increase the likelihood of pancreatic cancer by 74 percent, according to the reports. Meanwhile, ordinary red meat, like steak, reportedly increases a man’s chance of getting the cancer, but not a woman’s.

Laura Prepon playing in new NBC sitcom "Are You There, Chelsea?"

2012-01-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

Former "That '70s Show" actress Laura Prepon stars a 20-something Chelsea Handler in the new show, NBC's new sitcom, "Are You There, Chelsea?," while Handler herself plays her older sister Sloane. NBC's entertainment chief insists that it wasn't squeamishness over booze that got "vodka" dropped from the television version of Chelsea Handler's memoir.

Prepon stopped by "Live! With Kelly" (weekdays on ABC) to talk about the inherent weirdness of the show's casting. Prepon told Kelly Ripa and her guest co-host, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, that Handler explained the casting by saying, "I'm sick of being myself. You do it." The sitcom premieres on Wednesday Jan. 11 at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC.

Edwards asked Prepon if part of preparing for the role included brushing up on her boozing skills, since the show is based on Handler's book, "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea." Although Prepon said "No," she did say that Handler gave her a case of Belvedere Vodka to prepare for the task ahead.

Prepon added that in addition to copious amounts of drinking on the show, "Chelsea is very open about certain experiences she has with the gentlemen folk." "I've heard that about her," Edwards said, putting himself in the same category as anyone who's ever watched an episode of "Chelsea Lately."

Book Review: ARCHIZINES

2012-01-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

ARCHIZINES edited by Elias Redstone

Bedford Press/AA Publications, 2011

Paperback, 152 pages

Compared to market and professional publications, 'zines are more personal in nature, reflecting an individual or small group's passion for a particular topic. Driven by a love for a subject and the desire to explore it in ways not afforded by other publications, 'zines are as diverse as the people making them. In the realm of architecture these "little magazines" -- as they were called in the 2010 exhibition and book Clip, Stamp, Fold -- are going strong today, as is evidenced by the website, exhibition, and publication ARCHIZINES, curated and edited by London-based Jack-of-all-trades Elias Redstone.

The book is the third installment for ARCHIZINES, following on the heels of a recent exhibition at the Architectural Association and the website that has been online since early last year, and which continues to catalog the growing number of 'zines produced internationally since 2000. The website is the most comprehensive of the archives, presenting snapshots of some of the of spreads inside the various 'zines, not just their covers. The latter is how the various publications are illustrated in the slim book; each 'zine occupies one page, described through a short paragraph, the cover of a recent issue and its stats -- page size, number of pages, and print run.

Interspersed throughout the alphabetical catalog of 60 titles are essays by producers of 'zines: Pedro Gadanho (Beyond), Iker Gil (MAS Context), Adam Murray (Preston is my Paris), Rob Wilson (Block), Mimi Zeiger (Maximum Maxim MMX/loudpaper), and Matthew Clarke, Ang Li & Matthew Storrie (PIDGIN). These essays serve to make the book a unique piece of the ARCHIZINES triumvirate, and they are worth it. Each contribution gives a unique perspective on a different aspect of 'zines, while giving background on how they are made, obviously stemming from them all having done so.

As Redstone recounts in his introduction to the book, ARCHIZINES began as a personal interest, as he started collecting fanzines about architecture some five years before the website. I've had a fondness for 'zines, but never enough to amass more than a few, Evil People in Modernist Homes in Popular Films being the most recent. Nevertheless, being passionate for printed matter in various shapes and sizes (magazines, books, newsprints, maps), I am certainly sympathetic towards a desire to collect something like architectural fanzines. (It should be noted that many of the publications that Redstone catalogs are peer-reviewed academic titles and magazines with advertising, extending the reach of ARCHIZINES beyond 'zines in the limited sense of the term.) ARCHIZINES contributor Mimi Zeiger has opined about collecting collections in the digital realm, but bits and bytes are no replacement for actual 'zines. So Redstone's website and book only whets our appetite for getting our hands on the real things.

US: CA: UK:

Jenelle Evans, "The Teen Mom 2" star, in police custody for harrassing roommate.

2012-01-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

MTV Reality television series 2011 "The Teen Mom 2" star was taken into custody Tuesday morning in Brunswick County for allegedly making "harassing phone calls" and "communicating threats" to her old roommate Hannah Inman, E! News reported, but Evans is denying the accusations.

"Yes I was arrested again. It's okay, Hannah's just calling her own bluffs. How can I harass you with phone calls when you clearly don't own a cell phone? I've dropped this argument weeks ago. Haven't been paying attention to you but you have the balls to tell your little 'fans'.. 'I'mma f--king kill that bitch'?! [Who's] threatening who here?! Lmao. She's mad because I took out charges first on [James Duffy] for cyber stalking," Evans wrote on her Facebook Fanpage.

"Not to mention I REALLY don't give a f--k about Hannah or Duffy when I've been in and out of the hospital for three weeks now with mono/strep and have to get my tonsils out. Yeah as I'm about to walk out the door to go to the hospital the cop is at my door and I got down on my knees and poured out tears. I was so upset. I had to go to jail THEN go to the hospital. I feel like sh-t, would greatly appreciate it if everyone would drop it. K?! Thxxxx!"

Evans with her former roommate in the middle

Evans posted a $1,000 bond and then was able to leave jail, writing on her Twitter account afterwards, "I'm as free as a biiirrrrddddd :D."

According to the Teen Mom 2 star's attorney Dustin Sullivan, "Yes, Jenelle was charged with those charges [Tuesday] after she had taken charges out on James Duffy several days ago. Obviously, I feel that these charges against Jenelle are completely absurd and retaliatory in nature," E! News reported.

Evans was previously arrested for an October 2010 incident in which she and ex-boyfriend Keiffer Delp allegedly broke into an abandoned North Carolina house to smoke pot. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia in April 2011 as part of a plea agreement in which two additional charges that had been pending against her -- breaking and entering and possession of marijuana -- were dropped.

Evans was also arrested in March 2011 for assault after she brutally attacked another girl. Police reportedly launched an investigation after a video of the fight had surfaced online.

Sarah Burke is on the verge of life and death: news not made public.

2012-01-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hope to see the smile again

Freestyle skier Canadian Olympic hopeful Sarah Burke was severely injured in an accident on Jan. 10 crashing herself on a half-pipe course training ramp in Park City, Utah. An update on her condition on Jan. 11 revealed that she is in an induced coma. Although the details of her injuries have not been made public, the medically induced coma indicates that there may be a brain injury.

Sarah Burke is a freestyle skier who has won several medals during her career. Burke won the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships gold medal in 2005 and has won the gold medal at the X Games four times. She fought for the inclusion of the superpipe in the 2014 Olympic Games. On Jan. 10, Sarah Burke was transferred to the University of Utah hospital after sustaining an accident at the Park City Mountain Resort. The information on her accident has been limited, but she was training while it occurred and hurt her head during a fall.

Burke's family has asked friends and fans to show their support on her official Facebook page. Sarah's page has been inundated with messages of love and grief. Fans from around the globe are beginning to flock to her Facebook page and leave statements for Sarah Burke.

"What I've heard, relatively directly, is that she landed a trick down in the bottom end of the pipe, and kind of bounced, from her feet to her head," Judge told the Toronto Globe and Mail. "It wasn't anything that looked like a catastrophic fall, so I'm a bit mystified."

Architecture Within Reach

2012-01-11T20:30:00.000-08:00

Head over to ELLE DECOR for a feature on my Guide to Contemporary New York City Architecture. After a brief intro (screenshot below) comes a slideshow with excerpts from some buildings featured in the book.

Cup cakes, an attractive and tasty food for all

2012-01-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

Cupcake, a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup: Where did they come from? The first mention of the cupcake can be traced as far back as 1796, when a recipe notation of "a cake to be baked in small cups" was written in American Cookery by Amelia Simms. The earliest documentation of the term cupcake was in “Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats” in 1828 in Eliza Leslie's Receipts cookbook. In the early 19th century, there were two different uses for the name cup cake or cupcake.

There are two possible theories are circulating in the food world. Both theories are based on cupcake recipes found in cookbooks from eras long ago.

The first theory is that cake batter was cooked in teacups and other small containers since it took such a long time to cook cakes in hearth ovens. The small teacups cut the cooking time of cakes dramatically. The second theory is based on how the ingredients in the cupcake recipes were measured. (1 cup flour, 2 cups sugar, etc.)

However they first came about, these wonderful creations we call cupcakes are still near and dear to everyone's heart whether we're young or just young at heart. Our cupcake recipes are here to help you recreate your fondest childhood memories or to create new memories using more grown-up cupcake recipes. Enjoy!

Easy Cupcake Recipe Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.

Add eggs to the mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed. Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting recipe or decorate as you desire.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/3 cups sugar

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 large eggs

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, and scrape bowl. Mix at high speed for 3 minutes.

Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely. Frost when chocolate cupcakes are completely cool.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 3/4 cup water

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 4 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate

Other cupkakes are:

• Coca Cola Cupcakes

• Vanilla Cupcakes

• Angel Food Cupcakes

• Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes

• Devil's Food Cupcakes

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

• Key Lime Cupcakes

• Banana Walnut Torte Cupcakes

• Carrot Cake Cupcakes

• Applesauce Cupcakes

• Orange Cupcakes

• Pound Cake Cupcakes

• Red Velvet Cupcakes

• Sponge Cake Cupcakes

Today's archidose #549

2012-01-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos taken by ken mccown of the Agave Library in Phoenix, Arizona by Will Bruder + Partners, 2009. See also Today's archidose #304 from April 2009.

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Hyundai Elantra: the winner of the car of the year in International Auto Show.

2012-01-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

Hyundai Elantra, The Car of the year 2012

The Hyundai Elantra wins the 2012 North American Car of the Year award. The Range Rover Evoque won the 2012 North American Truck of the Year award beating the BMW X3 and Honda CR-V. The awards was announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. It is Hyundai’s second win. The Hyundai Genesis was named North American Car of the Year in 2009.

“Elantra speaks to the success of our recipe of bold design and great fuel economy,” said John Krafcik, president and chief executive officer, Hyundai Motor America. “In a year with some truly breakthrough competitors, we are honored that the jury recognizes Elantra’s far-reaching impact on the industry.”

Fifty automotive journalists voted on the winning vehicles from a group of finalists, and the vehicles must be all new or substantially changed to be eligible. Organizers accept no advertising, though automakers capitalize on the marketing value of the honors. John Krafcik, Hyundai's North American CEO, said the award won't help the compact's sales much because the company already is selling as many Elantras as it can make at its factory in Montgomery, Ala. But the award should help solidify the brand's image in the eyes of the American public, especially in the highly competitive compact car segment.

"It should be helpful for our brand going forward," he said. The Elantra, which starts at $16,445, gets an estimated 33 mpg. The company is looking at ways to boost production at the Montgomery plant, but Krafcik said Hyundai plans to focus on maintaining quality at the factory before deciding on any increases. Hyundai sold more than 186,000 Elantras last year, nearly a 41 percent increase over 2010 figures.

Ex WFSB anchor Gayle King goes to be a part of CBS Morning show.

2012-01-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

Former WFSB anchor Gayle King turnes up her sparse,temporary office in New York City and make herself ready to taker on the world. She is stepping out of her home in Connecticut to join a newly formatted “CBS This Morning.”.

King said of her new career “I am nervous, pressured, exhilarated, thrilled and very humbled. I’m so glad to see you” smile. “It is a very different kind of morning news show, and from the moment you see the way it opens Monday, you will be hooked and intrigued.”

CBS is teaming her up with PBS’ Charlie Rose and Erica Hill for a new hard hitting news format that will hopefully save the morning show from its awful ratings. The show has consistently been among the lowest rated in the 7-9 am slot.

“The thing is, CBS hasn’t been number one in that time slot since ‘Captain Kangaroo. We are all very mindful of that, and I feel tremendous pressure because there is a lot at stake here. We all want to be part of turning the train around.”

King will be anchoring the 8-9 am time slot with limited appearances before that. She will not be leaving her position of Editor At Large of “O” The Oprah Winfrey Magazine. It is the close relationship with Oprah Winfrey that has caused her a tabloid headache as of late. The gossip pages have been suggesting that she was only offered the CBS job because of her close connection with Oprah.

King addressed the issue saying, “CBS is not giving out jobs because you are a person’s friend. It doesn’t work that way.” She is more than content with her qualifications, her three Emmy awards and her long list of qualifications to show that she didn’t just get thing job, she earned it. ” I don’t take this for granted. This chance is a win, lose or draw. I plan to win,” she added.

Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, hosts of the brand new CBS News morning broadcast

Monday, Monday

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

My weekly page update:

This week's dose features Kindergarten (KIGA) in Neufeld an der Leitha, Austria by SOLID architecture:

The featured past dose is Living Tebogo in Johannesburg, South Africa by BASEhabitat:

This week's book review is Occupying Wall Street: The Inside Story of an Action that Changed America by Writers for the 99%:

american-architects.com Building of the Week:

Little Owl Preschool in Long Beach, California by Architecture M:

Unrelated links will return next week.

War Horse premiere: Kate Middleton participated for charity cause.

2012-01-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton amazed the audience at the "War Horse" U.K.premiere in a sexy, floor-length lace dress Sunday in London's West End. The Duchess and hubby Prince William, also 29, walked the red carpet at the premiere, which benefited the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

The royal couple mingled with War Horse director Steven Spielberg and the film's cast, including star Jeremy Irvine. The evening's biggest attraction might not have been the Duke and Duchess. Joey the horse, who plays the title character in War Horse, also walked the red carpet and mingled with the stars.

More: Kate Middletons way of charity.

Middleton, who will turn 30 today Jan 9, has carefully selected a group of children's hospices, along with an art therapy and addiction charity, and a world-famous art gallery to receive her sought-after attention. The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly personally sifted through "a few hundred" potential charities before making her selection of which honorary positions to accept.

For her 30th, the woman who got what girls across the world dream of last year with her lavish royal wedding, has even taken her charity one step further and reportedly asked that all gifts be made in the form of donations to the charities she is now involved with.

Kelly Clarkson’s album “Stronger” sales reportedly grew Stronger after Ron Paul Twitter endorsement

2012-01-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

The “American Idol” alum Kelly Clarkson’s album “Stronger” sales reportedly grew Stronger after her Twitter endorsement of Ron Paul, but her political views had little to do with the sales jump, The Hollywood Reporter writes.

The week before Christmas, a flurry of stories online said that Clarkson’s album sales jumped anywhere from 200 to 400 percent, depending on the report. The album of the "Miss Independent" singer did climb to No. 17 from No. 39 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Billboard reported that other albums experienced a greater decline in sales as shoppers cut back on spending the week after Christmas. The overall album market dropped 49% that week.

Ron Paul himself was proud about what the endorsement did for her sales. At a campaign stop before the caucuses earlier this week, the presidential hopeful bragged to a group of Iowa high schoolers about his popularity among Clarkson fans.

“They went up and bumped up her sales on her records by 600 percent,” Paul said. No offense to Paul, but the bump had more to do with iTunes promotions rather than her libertarian views:

…it wasn’t Clarkson’s political preferences that pushed digital sales of Stronger — its $7.99 sale price (which was matched by Amazon MP3) and iTunes’ advertising were the real reasons behind the gain. Those spikes were usually cited as evidence of the sales gain in the “Ron Paul Sales Bump” articles. In fact, Clarkson’s album, “Stronger” sold 40 percent fewer (41,000 to 25,000) copies than the week before the endorsement. Even though it moved from No. 39 to No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, this was due to Clarkson’s album selling better than the other titles on the list.

Kelly Clarkson and Ron Paul

First child for Sienna Miller and her boyfriend Tom Sturridge.

2012-01-07T23:59:00.000-08:00

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "Interview" actress Sienna Miller and her boyfriend "Pirate Radio" actor Tom Sturridge are expecting their first baby togethera source confirms to Us Weekly. The 30-year-old actress and Sturridge, 26, have been together for a year and "don't have plans right away to marry, if at all," the source says.

According to Us Weekly magazine, the couple announced the pregnancy to friends in London over the holidays and those they told were "not surprised by the news." "Friends are really happy with her relationship with Tom," a source tells Us. "He's younger, yes, but he's mature and he's a good guy."

"They just spent the holidays in Paris together after they announced the news in London," says the source. Miller's rep could not be reached for comment. A rep for Sturridge tells Us: "We don't comment on our client's personal lives at all."

In September, the duo went on a double date with Sturridge's pal Robert Pattinson and girlfriend Kristen Stewart. The foursome knocked back drinks at London's Groucho Club. "They looked happy," a witness told Us. In filming "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "Alfie," she met her on-and-off boyfriend "Sherlock Holmes" actor Jude Law. Last February, the pair split up for the second time.

Today's archidose #548

2012-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos I took of the Woman's Home Companion House in Warson Woods, St. Louis County, Missouri by Paul Rudolph, 1956. I learned about the house at B.E.L.T. and found it via Triangle Modernist Houses.

Per a link on this page at the UMass Dartmouth site Paul Rudolph & his Architecture, the below rendering by Rudolph is for the same project. I can see the similarities in the open gable roof at the front of the house, but it is also quite different. I can't help but wonder what happened as the project was realized, turning it into a hybrid between the original and a fairly traditional suburban ranch house. This is a Rudolph design that is not very well documented, so the details will probably remain a mystery.

To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:

:: Join and add photos to the archidose pool, and/or

:: Tag your photos archidose

Heidi Klum: going to be serenaded on "The Price of Right"

2012-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

German-American model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer Heidi Klum is appearing on “The Price is Right” today but CBS has released a special teaser.

It’s been an interesting week on “The Price is Right.” Snoop Dogg kicked of celebrity week by playing Plinko and rapping on the morning game show, Drew Carey and Neil Patrick Harris were tackled by an over-excited fan mid-week, and today, a contestant will serenade supermodel Heidi Klum with the sweet sounds of German Opera.

Contestant Benjamin told Drew Carey that he was an Opera singer from Kansas and the talk show host gave him the chance to sing to Heidi. Since Klum is German, Benjamin decided to sing a German opera.

See Heidi Klum Ice-Skates With Daughter:

The 38 year-old the model mom decided to get creative by simply utilizing a stroller to take to the ice with her 2 year old daughter, Lau as it is pretty difficult to find a pair small enough to fit Lou's little feet.

Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy

2012-01-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is a "stop-motion tour of Castiglion-Fiorentino, Italy, where [Brandon Vento, an environmental design student at Texas A&M], and fellow study abroad students created proposals to revitalize a piazza in the medieval city; the video includes time-lapse views of students at work and images of their design proposals."

Study abroad students in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy from TAMU College of Architecture on Vimeo.

This is also where I spent a semester in early 1995 in KSU's study abroad program. The memory floodgates have opened.

(via Jeff S. and Bradley S. on Facebook)

NBC‘s Celebrity Apprentice:Lou Ferrigno, Adam Corolla, Penn Jillette, Aubrey O’Day talks

2012-01-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

Lou Ferrigno

NBC‘s Celebrity Apprentice 2012 has been announced. The new season of Celebrity Apprentice premieres Sunday, February 12th. Among them are Lou Ferrigno, Adam Corolla, Penn Jillette, and Aubrey O’Day. Said quartet gave an interview to Reality TV Magazine, in which they reflected (they’ve already shot some of it, y’see) on the season.

Mostly it’s a love-in (Ferrigno’s only contribution is talking about “a bunch of great talent, great people,” which suggests he may be talking up a different show), and Penn Jillette gushes for an almost awkward length of time about the merits of Paul Senior.

Aubrey O’Day modestly said she was way better at ‘real-life’ jobs than she expected (thanks for coming down to our level, Aubrey), and noted her strongest point was being able to manipulate the men. Adam Corolla came across as unnervingly similar to, err, me when he said:

“I found out that I was basically a puss who couldn’t handle 6-1/2 hours of sleep six days a week and needed a TiVo and/or DVR apparatus not more than 3 feet away from me no matter where I was.” Penn Jillette admitted Celebrity Appearance, sorry, Apprentice was even beyond his magical powers, saying the only mind game he engaged in was “being in a tiger cage and numb,” which sounds dramatic. Disappointingly, none of them were pressed for their true views on His Wigginess and Future President of the United States of America Donald Trump.

Celebrity Apprentice 2012

Smoldering Speelhuis

2012-01-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

BOLLES+WILSON, whose City Library Helmond I featured previously, informed me yesterday that the nearby 't Speelhuis (Playhouse) designed by Piet Blom in the 1970swas burned down in a recent fire. Their library was not touched by the fire, but some of Blom's adjacent Tree Houses were damaged. Below are some screenshots from a video at ED.nl.

Even though a lot of news articles about the fire can be found on Google News, they are just about all in Dutch, so the details are filtered by Google's crude translation. Most of what I can glean focuses on whether to rebuild Blom's design -- a notable structure that is echoed in his more well-known Cubic Houses in Rotterdam -- or build a larger theater elsewhere. About a week after the fire nothing is certain, not even the cause of the blaze.

Here is a photo from the web page of 't Speelhuis:

And I did finally find an English-language account of the fire at Foxcrawl.com with more video and photos (including below). Click over for more information, whatever little there is, on the unfortunate fire.

[Aerial view of Helmond's "Speelhuis" fire disaster which threatened also the cube houses around. Foto:Peter Warmerdam | image source]

Sarah Burge, a human barbie, wants her daughter Poppy Burge to be like her by liposuction.

2012-01-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

Poppy Burge

Sarah Burge, a Brit who is known as The Human Barbie as she has had so much plastic surgery as "The Human Barbie," gave her seven-year-old daughter Poppy a gift 0f $11,000 voucher for liposuction as a Christmas present.

"I put the voucher in her stocking - there's nothing wrong with that," Sarah tells Mail Online, adding that Poppy asks "for surgery all the time. She asks for surgery all the time. She wants to look good and lipo is one of those procedures that will always come in handy."

"She wants to look good and lipo is one of those procedures that will always come in handy," says Burge. Well, sure. Jumper cables, emergency cash and liposuction. Every girl's survival kit. "I see these vouchers as investing in her future - like saving money for her education," Burge continues. She also gave Poppy a voucher for a boob job for her seventh birthday.

The Daily Mail reports that The Human Barbie has had more than $750,000 of plastic surgery on herself and is determined to turn her daughter into a beautiful piece of plastic.It perhaps the grossest thing for a human life. The mom wishes and forces her daughter Poppy Burge though a little girl to be like her mother. Poppy was given pole dancing lessons.

Slow Posts

2012-01-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

As is readily apparent, posts have been slow to nonexistent this new year. I've been traveling this week and will resume posting soon. Stay tuned.

Desperado actress Salma Hayek is honored with french knighthood

2012-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Mexican-born Hollywood actress Salma Hayek has been selected by the French government to be inducted into the National Order of the Legion of Honor "Legion d'Honneur" with the grade of Chevalier, or "Knight," Fox News Latino reports. She will be honored with the title at a ceremony in Paris later this year. Hayek was chosen by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to receive the honor and will be given the medal -- the highest in the Legion of Honor -- sometime in the next two months at the Elysee Palace in Paris, a source told People magazine.

The tradition was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to honor outstanding military and civilian conduct. Joining Hayek will be Francois Pinault, her wealthy tycoon father-in-law, who has also been awarded the same honor. British newspaper The (London) Daily Telegraph reported that some in France have accused Sarkozy of using the awards as a political move in advance of presidential elections. The tabloid also pointed out that Hayek's husband, Francois-Henri Pinault, is close

friends with Sarkozy.

Former French Budget minister Henri Torre was also nominated, but he refused to accept the honor because "too many people were nominated who do not deserve to be honored," Torre told the French magazine Marianne.

600 Pounds Mom Donna Simpson: her daughter is her feeder Jacqueline.

2012-01-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Guinness Book Of Records holder to give birth a child Jacqueline Donna Simpson has added more

weight to her in her four year motherhood. At the time she weighed 532 pounds (241 kg). She wished to reach 1000lbs but the last stage she reached is 630lbs (290 kg) in 2008. She is now trying to loose her weight. The 44 year-old mom has already lost 85lbs on her long road to weight loss.

After splitting from long-term partner and feeder Philippe Gouamba, the 50st mother is relying on her four year-old daughter Jacqueline to bring her food to help her reach her goal. "She helps me cook and comes shopping. I use a scooter to get around the store and she runs ahead to get my favorite foods."

Simpson had a website where men paid $19 a month to watch her eat. The underground community is involved in a rare form of masochism known as feederism.People gain satisfaction by watching others eat and become overweight.

Simpson says some of the people who watched her were rich attorneys, accountants and college students who wanted to see women whom they believe are attractive.One man from California sent her $200 a week through Western Union to buy groceries. For about six weeks earlier this year, he would call her to find out the list of foods she bought, .A man from Germany sent her a credit card to with specific instructions: Buy pizzas, Chinese food and other takeout.When she told him that she was done in the fantasy world, the man became angry."It's not like these were toothless trolls who live under bridges".

But as the year winds to a close, Simpson has moved on from the fantasy world, replacing her pre-recorded videos of her with a blog about her journey to health. She already has lost about 85 pounds. For the record nobody is making fun of this woman. Perhaps this will inspire some of you to keep those New Year's Resolutions.

Oprah Winfrey with OWN, her new network: hopes doing better this year.

2012-01-02T06:10:00.000-08:00

With the new year Oprah Winfrey took to start a new chapter for her with new network new series and new expection to her fans. She converted her media charisma into a monogramed TV channel. Now she's the one tasked with rescuing OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, after a disappointing first year.

Fighting to turn OWN's fortune around, she says, "Yes, some mistakes were made. Who hasn't made mistakes? The real beauty is you can say, 'I learned from that,'" Winfrey said. "I don't worry about failure. I worry about, 'Did I do all I could do?'"

The original primetime series, Oprah’s Next Chapter, debuted on OWN (naturally) on Jan. 1 with a two-hour special featuring Steven Tyler…holding hands with Oprah, and walking around his beautiful lakefront home in Sunapee, New Hampshire. (And wow, nice house, Steven Tyler!)

Seeing Oprah outside the familiar studio set takes some adjusting, as does seeing Winfrey so relaxed in jeans and a sunny yellow sweater. But once she got settled into interview mode with Tyler — and I think I like the behind-the-scenes feel of seeing producers scurrying about readying cameras, etc., in moderation at least– we saw Oprah being Oprah and doing what she does best. This woman is a master interviewer. It’s easy to take for granted, but Winfrey has both an innate ability to get celebrities to open up to her, and zero hesitation over asking tough questions.

The two-hour format felt a little long, but the show will be just one hour going forward — future Oprah’s Next Chapter segments will focus on Oprah with Sean Penn in Haiti; a dinner with a Hasidic Jewish family in which none of the children had ever seen television; a trip with Deepak Chopra to India; a sleepover with Paula Deen; and a tour of Skywalker Ranch with George Lucas.

Favorites of 2011

2012-01-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

I'm starting 2012 by taking a quick look back at the projects and books featured in 2011 on my web pages. Here are my dozen favorite projects from the 70 that were featured on my weekly and daily pages last year, listed in chronological order:

And below are my favorite books from the 85 that I reviewed in 2011 on my weekly and daily pages, 13 of them in chronological order. Note, these books weren't necessarily released in 2011; for my list of Notable Books that were released in 2011, with some overlap below, see my list at Designers & Books.

Grammy winner Beyonce is on the list of new 2012 mom

2012-01-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

"Dangerously in Love" singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress Beyonce revealed back in August at the VMAs that she was pregnant - Internet is abuzz that she is now ready to give birth (or in some cases, that she already has).

Media Take Out reports that on Dec. 27, the staff at New York's St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital were put on high alert about a high profile patient checking in to give birth. The hospital hasn't confirmed anything, but MTO says Beyonce and Jay-Z are who the entire hospital is "buzzing" about.

Meanwhile, the U.K.'s Daily Mail is saying there are reports that Beyonce has already given birth - to a daughter, named Tiana May Carter. But the paper offers no actual names or websites of where these "reports" are coming from.

Neither Beyonce nor Jay-Z have officially made any comments, though Beyonce did say in her Live at Roseland DVD that she was filming the "Countdown" video on Sept. 23 and she was six months pregnant. That would put her due date right around now.

Emily Watson was brought up withot a television

2012-01-01T04:34:00.000-08:00

War Horse actress Emily Watson believes that television is not a good thing for young children's development. Although a great many folk will have been watching re-runs of her old films over Christmas, Emily Watson, the War Horse star, says she has no intention of letting her own children, Juliet, six, and Dylan, two, become couch potatoes.

The 44-year-old actress, left, points to research that shows too much screen time for children – be it television or a computer – endangers their ability to develop empathy with real people. “Credit to my own parents for bringing me up without a television,” the 44-year-old actress says, empathetically.

More: Emily Watson talks about Steven Spielberg and his "War Horse"

Recently she has been chatting about the experience of shooting ‘War Horse’ with director Steven Spielberg, who she says she’d have done anything to work with. Speaking to On the Red Carpet, the British actress simply stated: “It’s Steven Spielberg,” and admitted she would have played a “meek mouse” if asked.

About the film she says, “I think it’s such a potent combination of an animal, an innocent animal and a savage, savage war. A savage and pointless war and putting this animal into the middle of it. And an animal we’ve learned to love, because we’ve learned to love him through the eyes of a boy. They’re like star-crossed lovers in a way, and we desperately want them to be together.”

The year 2011 is fully for Kate Middeton.

2011-12-31T07:01:00.000-08:00

2011 has been momentous for news of revolutions,toppled dictators, dead public figures, scandals and expensive natural disasters. With all these world-changing events, it can't be easy to forget on the part of Princess Kate Middleton.

The newly minted Duchess won the heart of both Prince William and the world, with her easy grace and shiny — so shiny! — hair. She was runner-up for Time Magazine’s Person of the year (“The Protester” won), and was recently named 2011’s best-mannered person (The worst? Kim Kardashian.) Her uterus even made our year-end list of what’s in and out, replacing her sister Pippa’s posterior as the royal body part fueling national speculation.

But mostly, we just envied the way she looked, the dresses and hats she wore and the ease with which she adapted to her new role in the public eye. When it comes to fashion, the Duchess hasn’t made a single misstep. Here are some of her most memorable looks.

Emma Watson and Justin Bieber: the owner of the most influential haircuts of 2011.

2011-12-30T05:52:00.000-08:00

Hermione of Harry Potter series Emma Watson and heart throb teen pop singer Justin Bieber have erned the honor of owning the most influential haircuts of 2011. American newspaper The Wall Street Journal named Emma’s pixie crop and Justin’s swish fringe the most requested styles of the year.

The two looks have garnered a great deal of interest both in salons and on the internet. "Hairstylists are being inundated with requests,” the publication reported. “The enthusiasm plays out online, where the fastest-rising searches for celebrity haircuts on Google are for Ms. Watson and Mr. Bieber."

The paper noted that the two hair styles were surprisingly similar despite being for different genders. They praised Emma for bringing back the short style.

"This is more of a change for women - for whom short hair hasn't been trendy since the 90s - than for men, who may justifiably feel sheepish about asking for the cut," it reports. The 21-year-old actress famously chopped off her long brunette locks after she wrapped filming on the eighth and final Harry Potter movie last year. Emma said at the time that going for the chop was incredibly liberating. "The stylist just grabbed the back of my hair and took a whole ponytail of hair out. It felt amazing. I love it," she told Entertainment Weekly.

"I've wanted to do this since I was about 16, so as soon as I had the chance I was like, 'Right. This is it.'"

Bieber, 17, shocked many of his mostly teenage female fans when he debuted a cropped cut that made the cover of trade publication The Hollywood Reporter in February. He had previously sported side-swept bangs that framed his face.

See them in different haircut:

Book Review: New York Dozen

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

New York Dozen: Gen X Architects by Michael J. Crosbie

Images Publishing, 2011

Hardcover, 224 pages

The following review appears in slightly edited form in Yale School of Architecture's Constructs, Fall 2011 issue.

A June 2011 report by the Center for an Urban Future on the economic impact of New York City’s architecture and design fields asserts, not surprisingly, that the city has “the largest collection of architecture firms of any city in the U.S.” With 8 percent of the nation’s architects, over 1,300 architecture firms call NYC home; as well the number of designers working in the city has almost doubled in the last decade. This density and diversity of talent make singling out particular architects above the rest a difficult task, but Michael J. Crosbie, Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Hartford, has taken it upon himself to highlight a dozen young offices that are emblematic of their generation in these still early days of the 21st century.

Inspired by the popular 1972 book Five Architects: Eisenman, Graves, Gwathmey, Hejduk, Meier—what then New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger called the “New York Five,” a moniker that has stuck—Crosbie’s “New York Dozen” includes Andre Kikoski Architect, Architecture in Formation, Arts Corporation, Christoff:Finio Architecture, Della Valle Bernheimer, Leroy Street Studio, LEVENBETTS, MOS, nARCHITECTS, Studio SUMO, Work Architecture Company (WORKac), and WXY Architecture. In a different way Crosbie is also inspired by another former Times critic, Nicolai Ouroussoff, who asserted, when Charles Gwathmey of the New York Five passed away in mid-2009, that in the ensuing decades since the New York Five the country’s creative energy shifted to Los Angeles to nurture a younger generation of architects without equal in New York. (The next day New York Dozen’s Andrew Bernheimer penned an open letter to Ouroussoff at Design Observer, challenging the critic’s assertion.) This collection of 50 projects by 12 firms clearly shows that some of the best architecture of their generation is being created in New York, be it installations, interiors, houses, apartment buildings, or ambitious unbuilt projects of various types. Crosbie’s list, like any, is definitely open to debate, but his semi-objective methods (referencing MoMA PS1’s Young Architects Program and AIANY’s Oculus journal, in particular) have yielded a diverse yet representative crop of architects who embrace collaboration, social and environmental responsibility, and experimentation.

In his introduction Crosbie calls Five Architects “the first self-promotional publication to appear in the new age of media attention to architecture.” Self-promotion in architecture is at an apparent saturation point today, with print and online media encompassing monographs, contemporary collections (of which New York Dozen is a part), magazines, blogs, and architects’ own web pages. In essence, Crosbie’s book resembles the last, in the way it collects photographs, drawings, and the architects’ own words, sometimes adding more than a firm’s own online documentation. Concise statements by the Dozen on their values, philosophies, and practices are helpful lead-ins to the projects, but pushing the content even further beyond what can be found online would have been appreciated; of course, in the print-to-digital content shift underway, that is becoming harder every day.

US: CA: UK:

Drew Brees record breaking brouht him appreciation from Dan Marino

2011-12-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

The quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League Drew Brees broke the NFL's 27-year-old single-season passing record Monday night, and the feat immediately attracted a flurry of congratulatory tweets, including one from previous record holder Dan Marino. Rap star Lil Wayne also congratulated him for his success.

"Congrats to @drewbrees. Great job by such a special player," tweets Marino on December 27.

"Kongrats to Drew Brees but Aaron Rodgers is the NFL MVP hands down. Green & Yellow!!!!!!!!!!," Lil Wayne says.

Marino also spoke about Drew Brees, “Most of the time, that offense, he has under such control, he’s going to get rid of the ball on time, so he isn’t going to take any shots. You give him a lot of credit, man. He’s been playing at a really high level for, not only this year, but for four-to-five years in a row, six years in a row, playing at a really high level. Statistically, he’s maybe the best statistical quarterback in the past five years. Better than [Peyton] Manning, [Tom] Brady, [Aaron] Rodgers and everybody else.”

On the record he says, “I mean, it lasted a long time, and you knew it was going to happen, sooner or later. It just goes to show you that what we did as a team, as a group—you know, you were part of that, too—was just so special that year. Yardage, touchdowns, all those guys, [Mark] Duper, [Mark] Clayton. Clayton breaking the touchdown record, just the things we were able to accomplish. I think ESPN did a pretty good job overall with it. It happens, man.”

Emily Watson in Steven Spielberg's new project "War Horse"

2011-12-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

The Proposition (2005) and The Breaking the Waves (1996) actress Emily Watson is back on the silver screen in "War Horse" which depicts a connection between a boy and his horse that she compares to that of "star-crossed lovers." The film is derected by Steven Spielberg, who she jokes with On The Red Carpet she would have done anything to work with, including play a "meek mouse" if he asked.

But 44-year-old actress says of "War Horse" that the boy who loves the horse and the horse itself are almost like star-crossed lovers.

"I think it's such a potent combination of an animal, an innocent animal and a savage, savage war. A savage and pointless war and putting this animal into the middle of it. And an animal we've learned to love, because we've learned to love him through the eyes of a boy. They're like star-crossed lovers in a way, and we desperately want them to be together," says Watson, who plays the boy's mother. Jeremy Irvine plays the boy in question and he agrees that the stakes are that high.

"I think when this horse comes into his life, it fills the place of a brother. The stakes need to be that high for him to then go off to the first World War to try and get him back. So I imagined when he's being taken away from me, I kind of imagined what it would be like to have one of my younger brothers being taken away like that," says Irvine.

"War Horse" is now playing nationwide and has been nominated for two Golden Globes (Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Score) and seven Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

Posts will be slim for the next week or so as I enjoy the holidays.

MERRY XMAS + HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Two Exhibitions

2011-12-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Two exhibitions worth checking out are now on display in New York City: Design with the Other 90%: CITIES, organized by the Cooper-Hewitt yet exhibited at the United Nations, runs until January 9, 2012; and Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City is on display at the Noguchi Museum until April 22, 2012. The first "features sixty projects, proposals, and solutions that address the complex issues arising from the unprecedented rise of informal settlements in emerging and developing economies," while the second exhibits "new approaches to development in this area of Long Island City [where the Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park are located] that [artists Isamu] Noguchi and [Mark] di Suvero helped to shape." In the number of ways that each is different -- in terms of population, geography, diversity, etc. -- they are also very similar, especially in how bottom-up approaches are embraced for urban change. Some thoughts on my visits to each exhibition follow.

Design with the Other 90%: CITIES:

Design with the Other 90%: CITIES is a follow up to the Cooper-Hewitt's 2007 exhibition Design for the Other 90%, which presented "cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them." In that exhibition the canvas was broad, looking at design from the small and the personal (the cover of the companion book shows a tool for drinking from standing water) to the large and infrastructural. In the successor it's clear that cities are the focus, yet this does not mean that small interventions are not to be found; instead they are situated within the context of the growing urban population -- over half of the earth's roughly 7 billion people live in cities, close to one billion in informal settlements.

The exhibition is structured into six themes -- Exchange, Reveal, Adapt, Include, Prosper and Access -- which are inserted into the public lobby of the United Nations Visitor Center (the Cooper-Hewitt is closed until 2013 for renovation). Given the efforts of the UN towards transforming informal settlements and their residents, especially through its Habitat and Development entities, it makes perfect sense for the exhibition to be housed at the UN, which is actually undergoing its own renovation. A series of parallel walls sit perpendicular to the flow of traffic, with plenty of room between the walls for models and full-scale prototypes; the latter are some of the best aspects of the exhibition.

A couple architectural projects that are illustrated via full-scale mock-ups include "Make a House Intelligent" by Arturo Ortiz Struck and others (above) and the "10x10 Sandbag House" by architect Luyanda Mpahlwa (below). The first responds to the necessity in parts of Mexico City to occupy a lot within 30 days; the architects designed a flexible system of sand, concrete blocks, gabions, and steel beams, which can be erected by five people in less than a week. The second consist of two-story, wood-frame houses with sandbag infill that are replacing dwellings of corrugated metal and scrap materials in Cape Town, South Africa's Mitchell's Plain township. In each case an understanding of the construction that comes from the mock-ups increases an appreciation of the designs and applications.

On a much larger scale is the "Medellín Metrocable and Northeast Integral Urban Project," which also addresses informal housing but does it differently than the two construction schemes above. Instead of tackling housing, the project focuses on access, such that by improving the connections between informal settlements and other parts of the city, "an inclusive metropolis" is created. While this is a top-down approach requiring government spending to build on a large scale, it has as much merit as bottom-up approaches that enable residents to improve their immediate living conditions. Ultimately the two types of development need to happen -- perhaps converging at some ideal point -- for informal settlements to lift themselves up above their origins. The exhibition implies that even though these and other designs are site specific they offer lessons that can be applied in other places in need.

While Design with the Other 90%: CITIES is closing soon, it is "available for travel" in the US and abroad from February 2012, so it may be coming to a city near you. Regardless, a catalog accompanies the exhibition.

Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City:

Across the East River, inside the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens, sits the Civic Action exhibition that presents ideas for transforming the neighborhood around the museum and the nearby Socrates Sculpture Park. The two arts institutions collaborated to develop the initiative, in response to new development, rezoning, and an increased residential population. I live nearby in Astoria, but my neighborhood is primarily residential with a little light industry on certain streets; the area around Noguchi and Socrates is much different, marked by more substantial industrial buildings, big box retail, large open spaces, and the Big Allis power generator. The striped stacks of the last are obviously a point of departure for artist Mary Miss and her team's installation, pictured above and below.

Miss's "City as a Living Laboratory" uses floor-to-ceiling poles and tubes to provide a strong visual image and to structure displays for the various phases of the plan: 1-Using the Big Allis stacks as beacons to display the city's energy usage; 2-Repurposing utility poles and other vertical infrastructure in Big Allis-like banding to let visitors know about the new "Research Zone" in the city; 3-Re-purposing everyday elements in the area, such as scaffolding, blank walls of industrial buildings, and trailer-truck containers for, respectively, green walls, park slices, and incubator studios for developing ideas and projects about the city. I'll admit that this project in particular made me see the context around the Noguchi in a new light, as the trucks and other elements seemed to stand out more than normal after my visit. Miss's ideas are the most digestible, stemming from the striped branding and the simple yet thoughtful graphics and composition of the installation.

On the other hand, George Trakas's "Shoreline Walk" is a great idea -- bringing the community to the water's edge -- that is varied and sporadic in execution. The installation is a mix of mapping, history, and music (above) that offers suggestions for knitting the various plots along the waterfront, including Big Allis. This is not surprising to me, as Trakas is responsible for the Nature Walk at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (PDF link) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. There Trakas wends the walk past the industrial infrastructure and directly to the water, turning it again 90 degrees to a path planted with native trees. It is a good illustration (and worth a visit) of how connecting to the water can be achieved in a small amount of space and from a point removed from the water.

Natalie Jeremijenko's "UP_2_U" spreads itself across a couple spaces with a variety of ideas on the walls and on tables (above) as part of her "Environmental Health Clinic Civic Action team." This installation reminded me of the Architectural League's Toward the Sentient City, because both integrate technology into the city in various ways. But Jeremijenko proposes more than "real-time 'smart-city' technologies...to close feedback loops and radically upgrade environmental health;" she also proposes fairly low-tech solutions, like "AgBags," that would hang from buildings to "create arable land for new edibles." In the case of the latter I like how it was presented in front of one of the museum's windows (below). The rest of the installation is also thoughtfully put together, be it the X-shaped tables, wall graphics, or the shadows cast by the solar awnings (above).

The most minimal installation is easily "GreenWay and Community Kitchen" by Rirkrit Tiravanija and team (below images). Their plan proposes to re-pave Broadway in Queens, which runs from the N/Q elevated station to Socrates Sculpture Park one block south of the Noguchi. This street is documented in the Ed Ruscha-esque photomontage below, but it is presented as a serrated composition instead of flatly, which emphasizes the smaller pockets of space that can then be closed off for special events, such as markets or film screenings.

Tiravanja's project also features the most overt piece of architecture, a Community Kitchen that would initially be placed in Socrates Sculpture Park. The design (below) is a scaled-up version of Noguchi's YA2 table lamp, a point of reference that links two arts institutions which people might not otherwise see as working together. In that regard it makes sense that Socrates will host the exhibition after it closes at the Noguchi in April next year.

Conclusion:

These two exhibitions may vary in a number of ways -- 90% is international, Civic is local; 90% presents realized examples, Civic is all speculation; 90% comes from various authors, Civic is only four teams -- but they share many qualities, particularly placing a value on creative design for addressing urban problems and prioritizing bottom-up initiatives for making change. Each exhibition requires slow, in-depth visits to best appreciate and understand the various ways of intervening. The Cooper-Hewitt show benefits from an accompanying catalog, so here's hoping the Noguchi and Socrates assemble the ideas from their show in print form, both as a way to share the projects to a larger audience and to help instigate change in their own backyard.

Today's archidose #547

2011-12-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

casa bromélia, 02, urban recycle architecture studio, salvador, bahia, brasil, 2011, originally uploaded by M. Correia Campos.

Bromelia House in Salvador, Brazil by Urban Recycle, 2011.

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Monday, Monday

2011-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

My weekly page update:

This week's dose features Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) in Wageningen, Netherlands by Claus en Kaan Architecten:

The featured past dose is Lewis Center for Environmental Studies in Oberlin, Ohio by William McDonough + Partners:

This week's book review is Spatial Agency: Other Ways of Doing Architecture by Nishat Awan, Tatjana Schneider, Jeremy Till:

**NOTE: Due to Christmas and New Years, the next dose on my weekly page will be on 2012.01.09. I will still be posting to my daily blog here in the meantime, but probably not too frequently. Happy Holidays!**

american-architects.com Building of the Week:

Nakahouse in Hollywood Hills, California by XTEN Architecture:

Sorry, still no unrelated links this week. I'll resume those in 2012.

Half Dose #99: Lake Union Float Home

2011-12-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

[All photos by Ben Benschneider]

In a recent ideabook on Houzz I looked at four houses adjacent to water; the last one is literally on water, a houseboat in Vancouver's Coal Harbour. Similar in vein, but on the southern side of the US/Canadian border is the Lake Union Float Home by Designs Northwest Architects. Docked in Seattle, Washington, the two-story residence with rooftop deck was actually built in Vancouver and floated down to a ship repair yard by Seattle's famous Gasworks Park before it was completed and towed across Lake Union.

The fairly modern home occupies a slip in a water-based neighborhood with a diversity of architectural styles. The architects contend they looked to the "marina warehouses that have adorned the docks for centuries...large, box-like structures [that] dominate the Seattle waterfront and reflect the utilitarian roots of Seattle and men like: Doc Maynard, Arthur Denny, and Ivar Haglund." The exterior expression is a blend of expansive windows, cages on the roof and spiral stair, Western red cedar boards with vertical banding, and Trespa panels.

Much of the interior, like the top floor above, may not indicate that the house is docked, but the way the windows open on the lower floor like garage doors makes the context explicit to various senses. As can be seen in the floor plans at bottom, the lower floor is fairly open, containing the main entry and living spaces, while the top floor is more compartmentalized with a couple bedrooms. It may be located on the water, but the house has all the amenities of one inland, if in a more compact and efficient plan.

[Click image for larger view]

Notable Books of 2011 - My List

2011-12-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Designers & Books has posted my list of Notable Books of 2011. Of the nine titles I selected, some have been reviewed on my web page*, and in other cases reviews are forthcoming. Thanks to the folks at Designers & Books for asking me to contribute and for adding these books to the Notable Books of 2011 list, now 88 titles strong.

[Screenshot from my Notable Books of 2011 list | Click over for full list with my descriptions.]

Note that the Designers & Books list will not supersede my own list of favorite books that I round up the end of each year (see last year's list, for example), since the former is restricted to titles released in 2011 and the latter is culled from reviews during the calendar year, and therefore may include books released before 2011. That list of this year's favorites should be posted here in a couple weeks.

*Those titles, linked to my reviews, include:

» By the City/For the City

» Combinatory Urbanism: The Complex Behavior of Collective Form

» The Embodied Image: Imagination and Imagery in Architecture

» Pamphlet Architecture 11-20

» Reveal: Studio Gang Architects

» Urban Design Since 1945: A Global Perspective

Siza Sings

2011-12-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

Well, hums might be more accurate. Nevertheless it's interesting to get this sort of view of a master architect in action.

Siza sings | Film by Fernando Guerra from últimas reportagens on Vimeo.

A film by Fernando Guerra from Ultima Reportagans.

Today's archidose #546

2011-12-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of new buildings in Paris, France. Photographs are by JP2H.

[Two views of Biscornet by [BP] Architectures, 2011]

[~~An unknown building in the 13th Arrondissement; please comment if you know it.~~ A 41-room student residence by Antonini + Darmon Architectes and Louis Paillard, 2010]

[~~Another unknown building in the 13th Arrondissement; please comment if you know it.~~ The M9C mixed-use project by [BP] Architectures]

[M3A2 - Cultural and Community Tower by Antonini + Darmon Architectes, 2011 - see this week's dose]

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Elsewhere

2011-12-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

This week has been quite busy, so my attention to this blog has been on the back burner. Nevertheless here are a handful of projects I've come across elsewhere that have struck my fancy for one reason or another; the old, the new, and one I've been looking forward to for a while. Click over to learn more about each.

[Dark Lens by Cédric Delsaux, 2011 | featured at The New York Times]

[Inntel Hotel in Amsterdam by WAM architecten, 2010 | featured at Architonic | photo by Roel Backaert]

[Sorrento House in Australia by Robert Mills Architects, 2010 | featured at World-Architects.com | photo by Earl Carter]

[Wohnüberbauung Allmend Baden in Switzerland by Burkard Meyer Architekten BSA, 2010 | featured at mapolis | photo by Susanne Willmer]

[Mile End Park Ecology Pavilion in London by Gardner Stewart Architects, 2000 | featured at Inhabitat | photo by Roel Backaert]

Today's archidose #545

2011-12-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of the Suitcase House Hotel at the Commune by the Great Wall in Beijing, China by Gary Chang/Edge Design Institute, 2002. Photographs are by BEN+_+.

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:: Join and add photos to the archidose pool, and/or

:: Tag your photos archidose

Monday, Monday

2011-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

My weekly page update:

This week's dose features M3A2 - Cultural and Community Tower in Paris, France by Antonin + Darmon Architectes:

The featured past dose is Palace Fouquet's Barriere in Paris, France by Edouard Francois:

This week's book review is Small Houses: Contemporary Japanese Dwellings by Claudia Hildner:

american-architects.com Building of the Week:

Lakeside Retreat in Adirondack Mountains, New York by Peter Gluck and Partners:

Unrelated links will return next week.

Apple Store, Grand Central

2011-12-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday the Apple Store in Grand Central Terminal opened. It occupies the east balcony, a portion of the north balcony, and attached smaller spaces, all adjacent to the station's main concourse. It's a great setting for a store, one that architect Bohlin Czywinski Jackson responded to with a restrained design that does very little beyond inserting furniture into the various spaces.

The top two photos are looking from the north balcony to the east balcony, from the Genius Bar to the main floor for the store. It's quite apparent that very little happens above the heads of the crowd. If we leap over to the east balcony (below), the familiar Apple store tables can be seen occupying the space, most capped by slender lights at about head height. These lights are a foil to the bulky yet clean-lined tables, and they create a datum of sorts that connect the various spaces together. But with crowds -- and the employees as well, all 350 of them! -- the lights fade away.

A close-up of one of the tables (below) shows the simple and slender design of the T-shaped light fixtures, barely visible in the center of the table. This image also illustrates how the tables are located in relation to the context; this one is on axis with the opening beyond.

A portal at the south end of the east mezzanine (below) is a strong draw, owing to the perception of vertical movement and the white walls beyond.

The portal leads to a couple rooms, including one devoted to accessories. This room looks through a glass wall to Vanderbilt Hall. It's a small space but one made all the more impressive by the presence of this glass screen. Here and elsewhere in the store, it's clear that BCJ not only respects the architecture of Grand Central Terminal, but appreciates it enough to celebrate it at every opportunity.

On a Roll in Capital New York

2011-12-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Today I'm featured in an article at Capitial New York, a newish web page (read: still in Beta) that bills itself as "an online news publication about how things work in New York, founded in 2010." The piece, well written by Ian Volner, stems from the recent publication of my Guide to Contemporary New York City Architecture. Ian and I enjoyed some pints at Fanelli's after the McNally Jackson book launch on Monday, and then four days later, voila!