When you embark on an architecture project, no matter if you are renovating a bathroom, or building a new house, you are setting off on an adventure! Think of it as your own person Lord of The Rings – without the orcs. But, instead of trying to get rid of […]
Fun
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I became an architect to help people, to solve their problems artfully with buildings. In this video I tell the story of my first encounter with architecture as a profession. Every architect has a different story. This one is mine. And, for the record, I now have my very own […]
Architects get their inspiration from many places. In my experience, our day to day life is spent with our attention focused on very pragmatic things: water proofing details, code compliance, worrying about your budget, dealing with building officials. None of those things is the reason I, nor most of my […]
The local landmark, generally referred to as “the Flintstone House”, which is visible from highway 280 in Hillsborough, is in the news again. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/06/flintstone-house-dinosaur-owner-hillsborough The article, linked above, is in the Guardian, the London based newspaper. The house itself hasn’t always been painted as it is now. I recall when […]
This week, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things. I’m interpreting this loosely. But you’ll get the idea. It is offered up as a glimpse into my life and my way of thinking. Here are pictures and brief discussions about 5 of my […]
I almost never do this, but I LOVE this commercial from Apple for their new iPhone XR – whatever that is, I’m not an Apple person. But the way that they have visualized “running away from the humdrum” and the music, by Cosmo Sheldrake, is just outstanding. It is joyous. […]
Sometimes you have to take a step back from the chaos of daily life and deadlines to take a deep breath. This post is a “social media zen moment”; watch this video and be amazed and simply enjoy the skill. I have never seen balanced stacks of rocks, called “cairnes“, […]
This past weekend, I went to see The World of Charles and Ray Eames exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California. It was great! It covers their careers in design from the 1940’s into the late 70’s. Several of their chair designs are considered modern icon’s and even classics of […]
It is a crazy thing, the relationship between an architect and his or her pens. We all have our favorites. We all have those we loath. This article from NY Magazine popped up on my news feed this week: 100 Best Pens Oh, the joy! I’m like a kid in […]
We’re coming up on the holidays. Giving gifts can be so stressful. But I have some solutions to help relieve that stress: Great modern gifts, available on Amazon, so shipping happens quickly and customer service is great. (Just a disclaimer: Each of these links is through my Amazon Associates account, […]
This post is my digital May Basket for you! There was a time, like when I was growing up, when on May 1st, we would go and hang home made baskets full of flowers on the doors of friends and neighbors. It was a way to welcome Spring by offering […]
Next Monday, August 21st, we will experience a solar eclipse. Although the Bay Area is not in the path of “totality” – where the sun will be completely covered by the moon – we will still be able to see about 80% coverage. This is one of those “only once […]
Do you like watching HGTV or DIYTV? If you do, you are going to LOVE Grand Designs, a British TV series now in it’s 17th season. I discovered it streaming on NetFlix. I believe the current season may be available on Hulu. Some episodes are available on YouTube. It’s worth […]
Any successful architectural project needs three quality partners and one healthy attitude. The successful partners are The Client, The Architect, and The Builder. The healthy attitude is that designing and building any architectural project is An Adventure. This post is about The ADVENTURE. These 4 essential pieces to a successful […]
I like movies with architects in them. No surprise, really. In most cases, it is clear that the writers had no idea what an architect does, or what construction is really like. But the 1948 classic, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, is the exception to that rule. Staring Cary […]
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that one of my recent projects was making a very special cake for Thanksgiving. I thought that I would share the process and offer some tips learned. While there may not seem to be a connection between cake and architecture, I hasten […]
For something different – a TED talk by Roman Mars, about the design of city flags. (Just skip the ad that’s attached at the start.) Not only is this talk interesting, entertaining, and informative, it is also a great talk about design. Talking about design is hard to do. Roman […]
This picture, on the right, showed up on my FaceBook news feed today. This is a unique design idea. Yes. That is a wine cork floor. I am a fan of cork flooring. But usually, it comes in sheets or rolls. The wine cork floor looks pretty nice. I’m not sure […]
I’ve got a new t-shirt available for only 10 days. It proclaims the subtle truth, that architects make dreams, not drawings. It is available in short sleeve, long sleeve and as a hooded sweat shirt. Personally, I like the white lettering against the blue background, but it’s available in a range of […]