Author Archive

December 20, 2012

The David Wright House has Been Saved! (For Real this Time)

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Tis the season to be jolly! After an epic 6-month long saga that has been nothing short of a roller coaster, the David Wright House is finally in good hands with plans in place to preserve it in perpetuity. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the organization that first brought the threat of demolition to our attention, has come to the rescue! The preservation organization facilitated the purchase of the property by an anonymous benefactor that will transfer it to an Arizona nonprofit. The new owner will push forward a landmark designation by the City that will protect the…

December 18, 2012

Is Boosterism Good for Phoenix?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Boosterism: The enthusiastic promotion of a person, organization, or cause (in this case of a city) If you don’t have only good things to say about Phoenix and you purport to be an activist, you might be considered cynical or worse, a hypocrite, lazy or ineffective. But I think boosterism is dangerous to the progress of Phoenix because it leads to delusion, which may feel good now but isn’t conducive to moving forward. Knowing where you are now is the first step to making constructive change. The same goes for Phoenix. We have to know where we are now,…

November 27, 2012

Dear Architects, Please Stop Trying to Impress other Architects and Just Be More Human

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I ran into this quote today in my research for another article: “We are eager to share the shedkm ethos of clear, award winning, design led, deliverable space that transforms perceptions and works for the community.” – Hazel Rounding, Director of shedkm Architects Whaaaa? Nobody cares about “design-led, deliverable space that transforms perceptions.” This is mostly because nobody, except other architects, even knows what that means. Architects love to talk about how their work will positively impact the community but how could it if they can’t even find it within themselves to speak like regular human beings? I don’t…

November 13, 2012

With New Buyer Backing Out, Phoenix City Council Must Designate David Wright House Regardless of Owner Permission

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I had a feeling it was too early to celebrate. Many media outlets reported two weeks ago that a preservation-minded buyer had purchased the David Wright house from the existing owner – 8081 Meridian – who wanted to demolish it in order to build two McMansions on the site. This meant that the house was going to be saved for sure. Why? First, the new owner had no plans to demolish it. And second, the new owner would most likely give his permission for the city to put a landmark designation on the house. But alas, the Business Journal…

October 26, 2012

Top 5 Places to Make Out in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet When I was in Mexico City a few years ago I was taken aback at the number of young lovers making out everywhere – in parks, plazas and on sidewalk benches. The amorous were everywhere! I realized that there are lots of public spaces in Mexico City that are perfect for smooching. What makes a spot perfect for smooching you ask? It’s romantic, it’s inspiring, and it’s beautiful. It’s a place you can actually hang out for a while, relax and and feel comfortable. And oddly enough, a perfect place to smooch offers privacy in a public space through…

October 17, 2012

Free Historic Building Tours at the 4th Grand Avenue Festival and a Chance to Win Cupcakes!

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The 4th Annual Grand Avenue Festival is this weekend! It’ll run from 11 am – 8 pm, with an After Hours event from 8 – 10pm on Saturday October 20th! My favorite part of the festival is the Historic Commercial Building and Adaptive Reuse Tours. There are 3 awesome buildings on the tour this year: Phoenix Laundry and Dry Cleaning (now Milum Textiles), OS Stapley Hardware buildings, and 1205 Space (now housing John Coll P.L.L.C). The best part is that the tours will be FREE courtesy of sponsorship by the Phoenix Revitalization Corporation (PRC)! The tour promises to be…

October 15, 2012

Propinquity Deprivation Disorder – A Real Downer in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Since I’ve been boasting a great deal about how much I love Portland, some people have rolled their eyes and glibly said it’s not that great, especially in the winter months. It’s rainy and cloudy and people are prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) there. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a kind of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter.” I have no doubt this is true. I lived in Pittsburgh for a year and it was cloudy there on most days for all the long and…

October 12, 2012

Why I Fell in Love with Portland, Part III

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I’ve been telling you the tale of my love affair with Portland. Today I will tell the third and final part of the story. If you missed the first and second part, please go back and check them out. The third part of my story coincides with my third day in Portland. As you’ve noticed from my constant complaining in the first two posts, I was not up for a third day of walking so I bit the bullet and decided to make my third day transit day. Thank God for Google Map’s transit option! So instead of walking…

October 10, 2012

Why I Fell in Love with Portland Part II

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Yesterday, I started to tell you about my love affair with the city of Portland. Today I’ll tell you the second part of the story. Monday in Portland was even better than Sunday. My friend Anna George who knows how much I love tea recommended this great tea bar called Tea, Chai, Te. What better place to have breakfast, I thought. So again (and thank goodness for Google Maps on the iPhone!) I punched in the address and saw that it was in a (what ended up being a very cute) neighborhood northwest of where I was staying. At…

October 09, 2012

Why I Fell in Love with Portland, Part I

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet You know that feeling when you fall in love? You know…your senses are heightened, food tastes better, the air feels crisper and your knees feel weak. I didn’t think I could feel this way again, especially since I am wading through the pain of the recent breakup of my marriage. But lo and behold, my heart started beating hard with joy and an ecstasy began percolating in my gut. It wasn’t for any wonderful guy that I had met though. It was for the city of Portland. I went there for a visit last week and it changed my…