Week #20
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so it begins…
(King theoden, two towers)
I really hope we’re entering the twilight zone of this pandemic. Stay safe out there people!
To round off a particularly interesting year, this newsletter, does not talk about the election/politics and does not talk about the virus.
Whilst last year has been insanely unpredictable, it was still filled with learning and fun.
In the warmth of my apartment with the heat cranking and the snow residue from the storm three weeks ago well and truly melted this week’s has been quite fun to write. I hope you enjoy. We touch on some AI and Prefabricated construction opinions, buildings and a bunch of random things.
& BTW
Merry Belated F****** Christmas. I made pork belly in my ninja cooker and blueberry pie with lemon shortcrust pastry (yes homemade). I went for the rustic look.
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If you're here just for the shenanigans knock yourself out.
Ready for the classics..
A set of Baroque classics all by Bach performed by cellist extraordinaire Yo-Yo Ma.
1.0 architects are apparently “doomed” step aside for an Artificial intelligence opinion.
goodbye architect
Right now we sit at an interesting crossroad where advancements in AI are trying to do away with the banal and mundane tasks of everyday life. Spurred by the slightly contentious opinions by Sebastian Errazuriz from a resurfaced Dezeen article posted back in 2019; I would like to say, Sebsticles, from watching your 4min video I largely disagree.
He believes that only 1% of the current architects who either have experience or have the financial backing will be the ones who actually get to design. At 2:30 he speaks about the dream-pipe design app. Choose your style, plug in the basic inputs, set your budget and hit "MAKE BUILDING". Iterate. Like. Approve. Build. And perhaps this can work in some cases, we already see “kit-set” housing products.
Whilst I do agree that architects should be moving more into tech. We are losing a lot of the finesse and attention to detail that is seen in previous building design. And perhaps this is an outcome of rushed design timelines and tight building schedules. But nevertheless architects should first and foremost address the issue of construction. We should be pursuing efficiencies that will consolidate construction documents and give architectural technicians more power to invent and design innovative details that push building techniques.
In addition, if architects start moving into tech seriously the outcome may be in fact better for the industry as a whole. As opposed to the "1%" becoming the "chosen ones" to design, technology/AI could open up the realm of design for others who may offer more competitive rates that your tried and true, run of the mill designers.
Seb also does not attach a timeline to this AI tech coming to destroy us so judging by the way things are currently going I would say we're at least safe for the next 20 years. I might start getting excited (or worried) the day the Albany registration board moves to a fully digital registration process.
Read here or endure 4mins of AI banter below.
2.0 is this real life?
when your dad is a vfx artist
Found this fun video online.
3.0 they really are coming for us!
opinion: prefabricated buildings
A couple of years ago I attended a lecture at the Cooper Union about automation/customization/prefab/prototyping and all those buzzwords. Not to be the cynic or “debbie downer” in the room but do not be fooled, a lot of it is largely a farce. Don’t be fooled by the sexy renders, trippy diagrams and enthusiasm from your speaker!
I spotted this article on my (trashy covid) LinkedIn feed. And I’m not sure how I feel about it. Feeling much like the hypocrite as my entire masters thesis was on prefabrication/ customization I was sold the pipe dream by what I was reading in all those fancy architecture books. SHoP was one of my dream architecture firms and I was well and truly lapping up everything I had read about generative design and parametric modelling
Having seen things outside of the bubble of academia we face the questions of automation/ efficiency/ customization in real life. So I was in for a rude awakening as it turned out that SHoP’s prototyping arm was disbanded and my fantasy about this was really fiction. One company that I was fascinated by is called Katerra. I can’t recall who was presenting to us, but in essence Kattera is the brainchild of a well connected CEO in tech that has access to incredible amounts of funding and might still be buying out companies to build a full prefab pipeline.
What’s my perspective? In response to the article below, I would hate for buildings (particularly affordable housing) to become a banal new age janky style. And with the article particularly aimed at affordable housing, we could be in for the SIMs literally everywhere. Already we see a lack of integrated public space within developments, and the thought of leaving it up to both AI and prefabricated kit set elements which produce generic spaces is a highly daunting thought.
My suspicions with SHoP’s prototyping demise was spurred by the R&D that is involved on building customized elements. An immense amount of engineering/ design and intelligence is factored into something as small as a bolt, let alone your subgirt system for your metal panel rainscreen. So there are no surprises as to why it was not able to succeed.
But before we completely shut the prefabrication idea down, we need to understand how far this prefabrication really goes. Right now manufacturing has opened up a realm of possibilities to produce completely bespoke (not necessarily all good) pieces of architecture. Forms that have pushed the boundaries of space that have tested new materials forms and manufacturing techniques. It would be a shame to confine designers to a predetermined kitset of parts.
I think architects first and foremost need to start really learning about budgets/ costs and knowing where to pick their design battles. A true understanding of material costs and detailing will enable designers to design buildings which are less heavily “VE-ed”. Designers need to be empowered with knowledge to be able to pick and choose elements of the building to “spend” money on and work with fabricators to create a well built/ clean detail. Because remember some poor bugger may need to get a screw driver or hammer in there.
4.0 Food for thought…
the ______ lead.
Have you ever found it offensive to be automatically put into a group or committee based on a gender or ethnicity based assumption?
5.0 old school mechanical heating systems
heating & cooling in the times of covid
Forwarded by my neighbour (Caroline) is an interesting read from Bloomberg which talks about the invention heating/ventilation systems incorporated in buildings to combat disease.
Following the influenza pandemic a century ago, architects and engineers began looking at new ways on heating and cooling buildings to fight airborne pathogens. The use of steam powered radiators, were intentionally positioned by operable windows to facilitate the flow of fresh air into a space and cooling it at the same time.
Dan Holohan was interviewed by Bloomberg and has written and researched extensively about the topic. Many engineering books from the 1920s spoke about the need for boilers and radiators to function with windows open, and a full fresh air movement became a part of life. This mechanical system was adopted in many cities in other cold climates, including, Denver, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Whilst these heating systems continue to function across generations, other items such as better performing windows have helped to deal with heat loss in a building. Furthermore boilers, instead of running on coal now run off natural gas and are considerably oversized when paired with other insulative measures leading to overheating. (Yes I can testify that they work almost too well).
Click here for a more in depth read on steam radiator systems! and a well written Bloomberg article 😉
6.0 covid christmas time
Light up the shawarma
Location: hudson yards, new york city
With my job site directly adjacent to Hudson Yards and my Blue Bottle coffee habit its hard not to resist the temptation to visit. Mid-Thanksgiving I had the rude awakening to some aggressive Christmas decorations. Not going to lie I definitely was having a Grinch moment but it just didn’t feel like the right time to be celebrating. Not to mention the eerie-ness of being in a completely empty shopping mall.
So as I had visited during the day time I had never seen the full blown Christmas decos. But you should all know that they did indeed decorate the shawarma aka. the vessel aka. the pinecone aka. the pineapple aka. the beehive. But the burning question I have is, what does Thomas Heatherwick think of his pimped up staircase?
7.0 a golden oldie to break up your reading.
Lou Reed’s, Walk on the Wild Side.
8.0 make through learning
the mind & the hand
An interesting video posted by MIT bringing me back to thesis days. The video is about the process of learning through making things with your hands and the pioneers of the workshop. There is an almost unteachable skill when you are committed to making something with your hands; understand the physical limitations of materials, their texture, finish and adjacencies to other materials.
9.0 door porn.
120 broadway’s vault
Location: 120 Broadway, New York, 10005
If you ever wanted to see a bespoke door, well check this out. This vault door belongs in the basement of 120 Broadway, located in the Financial District and owned by Silverstein Properties. The door was designed by E.A. Strauss with York Safe & Lock Co.
10. open streets barcelona
taking it next level!
So for the New Yorkers on this newsletter, I’m sure you’ve all noticed by now the closed off streets around the city, to help facilitate social distancing and bring more life from the footpath onto the street.
I would say that without thoughtful programming (having observed my own Open Street street) nothing new happens on it. But I do enjoy some form of rebellion when walking down the middle of a stretch of land sealed for cars.
Now Barcelona have decided to take the “Open Streets” concept to a whole new level and have decided to expand their ‘superblock’ idea that trialed in 2016. Mayor Ada Colau has announced that the program will be expanding to include 21 streets in a big pedestrianized superblock expansion. Vehicular traffic will be possible only around the perimeter and within the superblock, confined to only essential services, deliveries and residents. By doing so the city will open up 21 new plazas at intersections.
Work will commence in 2022 and hold a budget of 32 million euros ($45 million). See below for the full article from Bloomberg City Labs.
11.0 masonry special
USPS morgan north - part I
My current project is a pretty crazy masonry building. And not small to say the least! It’s official address 341 9th Avenue is also known as the Morgan North General Mail facility. The building was completed in 1933, however has had a number of additions and face lifts during the past few years. Morgan North occupies an entire city block, 9th to 10th Avenue between 29th and 30th streets (not including the extension to the second facility on the south block).
The building was originally connected to the highline and was designed to create a path that was able to service the 8,000 delivery trains that arrived in the city throughout the year. The building is named after Edward M Morgan who was the postmaster from 1900 to 1917. It is the main distribution and processing center in New York City. Now with the distribution services of USPS shrinking, USPS has leased floors 5 up to 10 to bigtime New York developer Tishman Speyer.
The new design accommodates, two new lobbies at the ground floor, office space and a completely revamped roof terrace. The original roof terrace was designed by landscape architect Elizabeth Kennedy in order to help reduce the amount of stormwater waste into the city’s sewerage system. The rooftop when completed in 2009 was New York City’s largest green roof. The new design is by Shimoda Design Group (design architect, based in Los Angeles, California) and Montroy de Marco (Architect of Record, New York)
Like any old school masonry building, Morgan North is mix’n’match of multi wythe walls mostly consisting of terracotta and brick. The facade of the building is historic, and large limestone units adorn the bottom two floors, with brick used for a majority of the facade. A highly decorative stone cornice sits at the 9th floor.
More to come next time on the actual construction on some facade elements!
Roof terrace designed by HMWhite and Shimoda Design Group
Looking like a cool Brooklyn warehouse
13.0 architectural spotlight. this is…
Enric miralles
12 February 1955 - 3 July 2000
Is Spanish architect from Barcelona. Was half of famous architecture firm EMBT that he had started with his wife Bendetta Tagliabue. Miralles built his reputation from his first marriage to female architect Carme Pinos.
Apart from Charles Jenck’s quote Wiki provides a terrible definition of his architecture. My personal discovery of Miralles work was when I went to Iberia a decade ago. Miralles work diversified into more sculptural forms, from his Spanish counterparts. His projects use large structural gestures comprised of simple materials, to express many unique forms. To paraphrase Jencks, Miralles like other postmodernists of his time pilled motifs and ideas onto his work. These motifs and ideas are expressed in upturned boats, keels, deep window reveals etc. which are translated to a huge scale.
Miralles passed away aged 45 from a brain tumor.
Let’s see his architectural legacy below.
Santa Caterina Market, Barcelona, Spain.
Is a rehabilitation project. EMBT won a competition to assist with the reprogramming and masterplan of the project. Part of the original structure remains as the new canopy fuses with the old creating a wonderful curation of maze-like space for this unique market.
This regeneration project revitalises an old Roman Necropolis, church ruins from 1241 and the ruins of a monastery that was torched back 1835.
The colourful canopy is comprised of 325,000 tiles which aim to create a sense of identity and place with its continuous shape as a wave.
The ruins under the marketplace.
Scottish Parliament Building
This building was under development at the time of Enric’s death.
It is now heralded as his finest building before his untimely death. The project was a controversial competition which was opened to International architects. Rafael Vinoly’s design heralded more public support, however EMBT’s submission was awarded by the committee.
Miralle’s completely adventurous design was part of the huge appeal to the committee which was striving to redefine political resurgence of Scottish Nationalism. The project was infamous for being very over budget and over schedule. Most likely not assisted with Enric’s passing.
Rather than a single united structure the building consists of a series of smaller structures which form a campus of interconnected spaces. The debating chamber is the only program which is separated from the rest of the campus.
The building is said to be a luxury for the senses as everything is tediously detailed. Miralles juxtaposes large cavernous spaces with smaller intimate spaces and the design overall seems completely random yet is organised through deliberate sightlines and themes.
The high level of detail is universal throughout the project which led to the budget and schedule of the project to suffer. The original quoted budget (by the project curmudgeons) of the building was at £40 million offered a boring standalone box. At the commencement of construction Miralles’s design budget stood at £109 million, however the budget increased with the client’s ever burgeoning spatial and programmatic demands. In total the project cost £414 million. (But hey it was worth it).
A small nook in the parliament complex
Gas Natural Building, Barcelona, Spain
I think we saw this building in passing…on our double decker bus.
But one building I do remember very clearly is the: Iguadala Cemetery in collaboration with Carme Pinos.
This was another competition, and here Miralles and Pinos challenger the idea of a traditional cemetery which was not only to consider the dead but their family who still remain. The cemetery took 10 years to complete and is located outside the city of Barcelona.
Miralles and Pinos wanted visitors to consider the cemetery as place where visitors were able to accept the circle of life and its link to the past/present/future.
Round 2 Old School song to further distract you and lighten the mood.
Otis Redding’s Try a Little Tenderness. So. Good.
shenanigans
1.0 a canine friend
Melissa and Corey’s dog Riley. ❤❤❤😍
My adopted canine BFF for the weekend.
Riley and I
2.0 babe
Currently resisting the temptation to put Uma Thurman again, due to the fact I’ve just re-watched both Kill Bills… but this issue we have…
Sara Blakely, founder and creator of Spanx! A while ago I listened to her on “How I Built This” and was thoroughly gobsmacked at her perseverance, ingenuity and fearlessness. Blakely has since created a billion dollar business, with the Spanx product. She is also a part owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team.
Her ultimate dream is to create the world’s most comfortable high heel. (I’d be a good test group).
3.0 boy
Keanu Reeves. Why does everyone love Keanu? Well he seems like he’s really just a solid Good Character.
I recently read something cheesy on LinkedIn (my only social media) that was a highly truncated version the adversity he’s faced yet is still such a nice humble guy. I don’t think I need to reiterate so here you go. Keanu in the Matrix and Keanu in John Wick. Because no one should kill your dog AND get away with it.
BTW Matrix 4 is scheduled to come out December 2021 (and that’s updated as of December 17, 2020). SO. Get. Excited.
4.0 art
So I think I missed the boat on this one, but would like to pretend that “I did this first…”
But Sho Shibuya’s painting’s on New York’s sunrises on top of the daily New York Times has attracted the attention of the art world. Shibuya is a graphic designer by day and has his own studio called “Placeholder”. The inspiration behind the paintings was spurred by the lockdown time at the beginning of the pandemic to capture a moment in time.
5.0 object
Very much into everything by the design company Hay Design.
I think the photo below sums up why. Simple clean designs, with not too many curves and not too many sharp angles.
6.0 brontosaurs is still a dinosaur (in case you were wondering)
Not ‘new’ news by any means but just in case anyone had heard the rumours that Brontosaurus wasn’t actually a dinosaur species. Well it’s back on the tree!
Brontosaurs (Thunder Lizard) was first discovered in 1879 by renowned Paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh. However the genus was disputed by Elmer Riggs, claiming that Brontosaurus was the same as a previously discovered species in 1877 by Marsh called Apatosaurus. Since 2015 Brontosaurus has been reinstated as its own species following a 300 page study which identifies 477 physical features of 81 different sauropods (long-necked dinos).
Kenneth Carpenter director and curator of Paleontology at the Utah State University Eastern's Prehistoric Museum still begs to differ…
7.0 wanderlust
The best single day hike that I still have not done. Tongariro Crossing. New Zealand. Home of Mount Doom.
8.0 translator boss: sharon choi
Remember last year how Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture? Do you remember Bong Joon Ho’s incredible translator? Probably not? Alerted to this article by Sunjae, Sharon Choi writes for Variety about her experience as the dedicated interpreter for the award filled season for the Parasite team.
A beautifully crafted article by Choi herself describes the full journey through the awards season and her own personal identity as being Korean and closely tied to American culture through her profession and the way cinema can transcend language.
9.0 pandemic luxury - indulge in caviar, because why not?
A very cool ad for Pearl Street Caviar by two talented friends, Tori Nygren and Matt Stanton.
Check out their studio website, Hogwash studios.
10.0 robots can ballerina!
Forwarded by Leetee, here is a video by talented Professor (& Ballerina) Merrit Moore.
I really have no words to explain genius and talent. You should just watch the video and be stunned by someone who has it all! (Yes she programmed the robot by the way).
11.0 brrrr its c-c-c-cold
Great advertising by this air conditioning company below. Much better than “Buy Buy Baby” (yes that is the name of a baby store on 7th avenue, near where I live) which definitely sounds like something else rather than a store to buy items for your baby…
12.0 nom nom nom…
No harsh realities this episode, because the world is dark enough that we need to be reminded of what makes life fun.
See below of our Christmas feast (for two). And how well the Ninja Foodi pulled through with the Pork Belly.
Menu:
Appertisers: Cured meats and cheese
Main: Pork Belly, Sweet Potato Mash, Beetroot Salad
Dessert: Blueberry Pie with Lemon Short Crust Pastry
Beverages:
Red Wine (lots of red wine)
13.0 what i’m reading
Currently in my library are the following:
the lean startup by eric ries
Recommended by Lee, I’m still in the early chapters but excited for what the rest of the book has to say!
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND BY CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON
Recommended by the trusted advisors at the Union Square Barnes & Noble. I wasn’t quite ready to commit to Obama’s new book. So far so good in this fiction classic.
HOOKED by nir eyal
A suggested read by Amazon. So we’ll see how this one works about. But intrigued to see if there’s anything new that it might share.
14.0 what i’m watching
So I’m not particularly a huge tv show person (except for GoT) till it got to the end of the books. And before you ask, Yes I have watched the Queen’s Gambit. Personal (controversial?) opinion. Overrated and probably could have been 2-3 episodes shorter… (I think I was just bored watching a female chess prodigy stare at the ceiling for probably a consolidated total of 40 running minutes 😶). I guess it was not the type of feminist portrayal that I really needed. 😮
I will also add that I got through three painful episodes of Hulu’s rendition of “The Act” based on the true story of Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. (Read here).
So to combat the plethora of bad tv shows out there I have been turning to some old classics with the help of Anna, who I swear has watched almost every good movie on the planet.
Here’s the recent list of 10 movies I’ve just watched:
Reservoir Dogs [10 outta10] (now I understand why everyone is obsessed with Steve Buscemi, the opening scene about tipping is hilarious).
The Usual Suspects [10 outta 10] (Kevin Spacey at his finest, just pretend you didn’t know anything about real life Kevin Spacey).
There Will Be Blood [10 outta 10] (Daniel Day Lewis, also at his finest. You’re in for a long ride, but Lewis is just so good you will definitely not get bored even when you get to the final scene).
The Florida Project [8 outta 10] (Reminds me a lot of Taika Waititi but has its own special take as it follows a simple storyline of children in poverty, spending their summer break on the outskirts of Disneyland Florida).
Kill Bill [8 outta 10] (amazing but not as amazing as)….
Kill Bill 2 [10 outta 10] (neatly wraps up the storyline, with my favourite Uma Thurman playing a total crazed heroine, stylistically gory and true art!)
Hummingbird aka. Redemption [2 outta 10] (do not watch this. It’s Jason Statham as the Z-grade transporter, with a conflicted storyline that includes a nun who’s having a quarter/mid-life crisis) (should’ve listened to IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes on this one)
S.W.A.T [7 outta 10] (the young Colin Farrell & Jeremy Rener, and a slightly younger looking Samuel L. Jackson, star in easy to watch action packed film)
Bird Man [6.5 outta 10] (mainly featuring Michael Keaton, a definite quirky film, enjoyable, but started losing my patience towards the end, I guess it sucks not being famous and relevant anymore)
Pulp Fiction [10 outta 10] (I recognise completely how it is a travesty that I have not watched this movie before till now. But the beginnings of the Tarantino style and of course the collaboration between Thurman and Tarantino. Amazing. “Honey it’s chopper not a motorcycle”).
**BONUS Logan Lucky [6.5 outta 10] (a very stupid movie, that fashions a comical take on an Ocean’s 11 styled robbery. A little slow moving at times, but so stupid and so ridiculous you just have to literally laugh in disbelief).
15.0 what i’m listening to (and on that note… I’m out!) here’s to a fantastic 2021.
So below are some albums and grooves that really pulled me through this pandemic. So thank you to the artist who’ve kept on creating some incredible stuff.
1.0 mordechai by khruangbin
If you know me, you will know about my obsession with Khruangbin (the Houston founded funk/soul/electronic band of silky sounds). I won’t rant on this too much but I have talked about this earlier in the year.
2.0 magical thinking by shallou
More heavy handed on the electronic beats and bass, Shallou brings a solid album that should be listened to from start to finish. I’m hoping I’ll be able to catch him live come June of this year!
3.0 wild by Tourist
Another electronic album, of pure ecstasy for your ears. You won’t regret playing this in its curated order. Multiple times.
4.0 DISCO BY KYLIE MINOGUE
So was definitely not into rap Kylie, or country Kylie. But here she sticks to what she’s best at. DISCO. Also appropriately named. It’s the party album we really needed to finish 2020 in preparation for 2021.
OTHER BEATS
A bit of a laugh but most played song of 2020 was none other than JoJo’s, Baby It’s You. I guess that’s what happens when it makes its way onto the running playlist. But hey no shame. Nothing like a good 90s flashback of a two maybe three hit wonder?
HAVE IT ALL - COSMO’S MIDNIGHT
TAKE ME WHERE YOUR HEART IS - Q
Problems - a r i z o n a (THEY’RE NOT ACTUALLY FROM ARIZONA THEY’RE FROM NEW JERSEY)
LION (JAMIE XX REMIX) - FOUR TET
3AM (TORO Y MOI REMIX) - HAIM
WE WERE YOUNG (ROBOTAKI REMIX) - PETIT BISCUIT
LIVE LIKE WE’RE DANCING - mura masa
buying time - lucky daye
If you want to hear them all (plus others) they’re all here! I’ll be back soon, and hopefully have got my A into G with another portion of Threethirty-itis open! Stay tuned.
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Till next time my friends.
I hope that I have credited everything. If not images are not mine unless stated, please click on the images and hyperlinks to their original sources :)