January 07, 2013

10 Best Things About Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet As my move date approaches, I’m starting to feel the sadness of leaving all the wonderful people and places of Phoenix. Though I am excited about my new adventures, I’m mournful about leaving behind my wonderful life here. I might complain about Phoenix, but the truth is, this city has given me the chance to realize my dreams and become the person I’ve always wanted to be. It’s nurtured me and my work and has been a home to me and I am forever grateful for that. Below are some of the things I consider best about Phoenix and…

January 04, 2013

My 5 Favorite Things about Visiting the East Bay

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I really enjoyed my New Years trip to the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area. I had the pleasure of staying in Emeryville, a tiny city that abuts Oakland and Berkeley. In fact, it’s only a few minutes walk to those cities from Emeryville. I spent the majority of my 5-day vacation exploring the East Bay and just briefly visited San Francisco proper because the East Bay has so much to offer. Below are a few of my favorite things about my trip. 1. It was easy to get around without a car. As usual, I did…

December 31, 2012

A Year of Profound Change Leads to a Big Move

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet 2012 has been a year of profound change for me. I went through a divorce after being married for seven years. If you’ve ever been through a divorce, you know that it feels like the rug (actually, it feels more like the entire ground you walk on) has been pulled out from under you. Nothing looks or feels quite the same. Your old assumptions and your old paradigms don’t make sense anymore and you’re left with a blank canvas (whether you want one or not) on which you must build a new life with new assumptions and new paradigms….

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 26, 2012

What is a “City?”

by: Kirby Hoyt

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Kirby Hoyt: There are a number of people writing on this blog about cities, especially our city, Phoenix. But just how do they define the term “city?” What does it mean to them? How does their city live, function and on what systems? And let’s not forget about the term “urban.” What is their definition of urban? Many of these urban theorists would like to say that cities require a certain density to be urban, or a certain F.A.R. (floor-area-ratio) i.e. tall buildings, or even certain transportation systems. But is this the case?…

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…

November 10, 2012

“Perspectives” offers deeper look at preservation, advocates greater need for architecture appreciation

by: Jennifer Gunther

Tweet In a multidisciplinary panel discussion held Monday night at the College of Design North building on the ASU Tempe campus, a group of design and development professionals shared their takes on the greater issues behind the ongoing push to preserve the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed David and Gladys Wright House in the Arcadia area of Phoenix. The discussion was moderated by Craig Barton, director of the Design School that is part of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Speakers included practicing architect and ASU architecture professor Paul Zygas; director of the ASU Master of Real Estate Development program…

November 01, 2012

Layers of Place: The Connected Oasis in South Central Phoenix Part I

by: Beth Johannessen

Tweet Today’s post if by contributing writer Beth Johannessen. Beth is a recent graduate of University of Arizona’s Masters of Landscape Architecture program. Currently, she is the landscape designer at Phun:Design Studio a sustainable design and development firm here in Phoenix. Her approach to design includes a focus on urban infill, placemaking and community based design that celebrates the native Sonoran Desert habitat. We can all exhale a collective sigh of relief; another hot summer is coming to a close here in Phoenix. With the end of summer comes the promise of spending some much needed time outdoors. However, now…