Archive for March, 2011

Tweet On Wednesdays, I usually post an update on the Castaway House. But our team is still in the middle of choosing a contractor to work with, so I’ll give you an update next time.  Today, I’d like to share a car-free story with you. Yesterday at around 2:00pm, I said goodbye to my friends Kathleen and Doreen and walked over to my bike that was tied to the sign post at La Condesa. I put my computer and gunny sack into my big silver basket and proceeded to unlock my bike, like I usually do. But then it struck…

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March 29, 2011

Urban Cycling and the Fetish of Mobility

by: Kevin Kellogg

Tweet Today’s post is by architect/urban planner/thought leader Kevin Kellogg: Phoenix is a great town for mobility. Great swaths of asphalt beckon motorists and the great distances between destinations keep us on the road for a good portion of our lives. In another sense, mobility appears to welcome the hard working and the ingenious, as the relatively shallow roots of society indicate room for ascension and to improve our lot in life. Looking closer beyond the promise of this young city, it begs the question: is anyone really going anywhere? Or, does it matter? For all the focus on transportation…

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March 22, 2011

Interview with Architect Marlene Imirzian

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting with architect Marlene Imirzian at her office in Sunnyslope. I’m a big fan of Marlene’s not only because of her fantastic work and embededness in the community but because she is a great example of a premier woman architect here in the Valley. Below is our conversation. Blooming Rock: Can you tell me a little bit about working with Gunnar Birkerts and William Kessler and how its influenced your work? Marlene Imirzian: I am an architect because of Gunnar. Gunnar Birkerts is not well known today but at the…

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Tweet On Saturday I attended the first Annual Bicycle Summit of Phoenix at the Burton Barr Library put on by the City of Phoenix. It was wonderful to hear about proposed bike infrastructure improvements, existing safety and traffic laws, and programs and events concerning cyclists. It was also a great opportunity for the biking community to get together and be heard. I commend the organizers – City of Phoenix bicycle coordinator Joseph Perez and traffic engineer Kerry Wilcoxon for making a concerted effort to listen to what the bikers of Phoenix need and want. Although the summit this Saturday was…

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Tweet A lot of times designers and architects tend to dream big and forget about the budget.  And important part of making realistic plans is to put numbers to the design as early in the game as possible, so you know you’re not way off track.  So at Castaway House, now that we have solidified a schematic design for the house, both interior, exterior and landscape, we are getting bids from contractors.  There are two reasons to do this early in the game rather then when the drawings are complete and into the city for permit review, which is the…

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March 14, 2011

Map got your tongue?

by: Jim McPherson

Tweet Prepare yourself for a lot of tan with a bit of green background, courtesy of Google Maps. I am not an employee of Google nor do I play one on TV. I do not own Google stock out-right — dang it! — but I may have a few shares in the bowels of some mutual fund I hold. With that said, I enjoy making Google Maps because I’ve been a fan of maps and flags of countries since childhood. Thank you National Geographic. And it’s true, a picture is worth a thousand words. You’re now reading Blooming Rock, “Your…

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Tweet Today I’m posting the final part of my video interview with Eddie Jones.  If you missed the first and second part, go back and take a look.  In today’s post, Eddie talks about 3 aspects he considers that make good architecture.  And lastly, he talks about what every young prospective or already in the field architect should know. Part V: Eddie on what makes good architecture   Part VI: Eddie’s advice to up and coming architects

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Tweet Last week, when I interviewed architect Marlene Imirzian (I’ll be posting the interview next week), she said that every project has a public aspect to it, even private residences.  What she meant was that even houses have a way to address the street, have a front yard that the public can see, and has a front door for the public to knock on.  Good architecture addresses the public face of the house with intention. At the Castaway House, we have layers of space that lead from the public to the private.  The diagram below, created by Cavin, illustrates what…

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Tweet Today’s post is the second third of my interview with Phoenix architect Eddie Jones.  I promised that I would post the entire second half today, but there is too much goodness and I don’t want you to miss out on any of it. So I’ll post the rest of the interview in a special edition of the blog this Thursday.  Tomorrow I’ll give you an update on the Castaway House. If you missed the first two parts of this interview, go back and watch here. Below, find out why Eddie says that being named a key figure in the…

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