October 03, 2013

Le Corbusier’s Studio Apartment in Paris, 1931 – Part II

by: Alison King

Tweet Today’s post is the second in a series about Learning from Le Corbusier by guest writer Alison King of Modern Phoenix. If you missed the first part, catch it here. Learning from Le Corbusier, a Series – Part II In our previous installation (link here) we encountered the first of Le Corbusier’s three Points of New Architecture: piloti, open floor plans and ribbon windows. We left you at the threshhold of Corbu’s apartment and were just about to enter his studio space, pictured above, showing you details you just can’t find in coffeetable books. Now we enter his most…

September 25, 2013

Why We Should Save Camelview Theater, One of the Last Remaining Historic Theaters in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I was writing an article on endangered animals when I heard news that Camelview Theater in Scottsdale, Arizona is in danger of being torn down in favor of making room for a 2000+ seat megaplex theater, which would be part of an expansion of Fashion Square Mall. Just like endangered animals will be gone forever if we don’t save them, the same is true for historic buildings. According to Nick Blumberg of KJZZ, “Camelview may be on the chopping block. Dan Harkins leases the land from Camelview’s neighbors, Scottsdale Fashion Square. The mall wants to expand, and that might…

September 10, 2013

Phoenix is Making Way for Bicyclists

by: Paul Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is by guest writer Paul Loomans. Paul was raised in a small town in Wisconsin and got his MBA at UW-Madison. He helped design new products for John Deere in the Midwest and then moved to Phoenix in 1998. Paul is a LEED accredited marketing and development professional , with a focus on community and seniors. He serves on the Administrative and Strategic Planning Committee and the Research and Legislative Committee of the Phoenix Spokes People, a bike advocacy organization. He is car-free, relying mostly on his bike and transit to get around town and he wants to help build…

August 29, 2013

Le Corbusier’s Studio Apartment in Paris, 1931

by: Alison King

Tweet Today’s post is the first in a series about Learning from Le Corbusier by guest writer Alison King. Alison is the founding editor of ModernPhoenix.net and Associate Professor of Graphic Design and History at the Art Institute of Phoenix. In 2013 Modern Phoenix celebrated its first ten years of publishing original articles, photographs and primary sources. Alison wrote “Everyman’s Modernist”, the authorized biography of Ralph Haver AIA, and is currently creating a definitive inventory of all buildings designed by Arizona architect Al Beadle with the assistance of his family and friends at BeadleArchive.com. Learning from Le Corbusier, a Series – Part 1 Charles-Édouard Jeanneret…

August 28, 2013

Why Portland’s Visionary Olmsted Park Plan of 1903 Yields Big Benefits Today

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet When you hear the name Olmsted, you typically think of Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City. But another set of Olmsteds played a big part in the open space planning of Portland in the turn of the century – Frederick’s sons, John and Charles Olmsted. Between 1885 and 1915, Portland’s population grew by 300%. Due to concerns over this astronomic growth, and also because of the City Beautiful Movement of the time, the Olmsted brothers were commissioned to come up with a long range open space plan in the early 1900s. The City Beautiful…

August 26, 2013

Interview with Portland’s Museum Lady, Carye Bye

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Artist Carye Bye, or the Museum Lady as she’s known to many, has an indomitable curiosity. So she began Hidden Portland for the Curious, a platform to share all the hidden curiosities of Portland, which are all over the place Carye will tell you. As part of Hidden Portland for the Curious, Carye leads a variety of walking and bicycle tours around the city. Check out Hidden Portland’s For the Curious’s Facebook Page. This Friday, August 30, she’s leading a “City Treasures” tour with Know Your City. It will begin at 10am at Director Park and will end at 12:30pm….

August 21, 2013

12 Reasons I’m Still in Love with Portland After 6 Months of Living Here

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I moved to Portland from Phoenix about 6 months ago because I fell in love with this city and I was in need to of a fresh start. Portland hasn’t let me down. I’m still in love with it and here are the reasons why: 1. I love that I can be outside almost all year round I just returned from a visit to Phoenix. Because it is August, you can’t really spend any time outside, since it’s too hot. You’re relegated to going from your air-conditioned home to your air-conditioned car to the air-conditioned store. The blazing sun…

July 29, 2013

Post-War Architecture Task Force Seeks to Actively Protect Midcentury Modern Buildings in Phoenix

by: James Gardner

Tweet *We’d like to mark the passing of architect Frank Henry on July 28, 2013, a Taliesin Fellow who was instrumental in saving the David Wright House. Our condolences to his friends and family. His passing is a true loss for the architectural community in Phoenix.* Today’s post is by contributing writer James Gardner: A group of citizen experts involved in historic preservation in Phoenix have formed a task force specifically to protect post-war (1945-1975) architecture. Led by Modern Phoenix mastermind Alison King, the aptly named Post-War Architecture Task Force (PWATF) just held its first face-to-face meeting on Monday, July 15th….

July 24, 2013

Vesta Communities Works to Bring Cohousing to Phoenix

by: Nichole Reber

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Nichole Reber: “What would it look like if we lived in a community-oriented neighborhood?” Claudia Hartman asks. For her and Donna Niemann, real communities are places filled with different generations, socio-economic diversity, and sustainable daily living practices. They’re hoping to manifest this in an eco-hybrid model known as Vesta Communities. The duo took their search for best practices in design, affordability, sustainability and governance on a 2,500-mile journey across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico—and of course the cohousing communities in Tucson and Prescott. They studied 20 private developments such as cohousing, pocket…

July 22, 2013

Can we Keep Earth from being the Next Krypton? Sustainability Lessons from Man of Steel

by: Lucky Sharma

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Lucky Sharma: It is summer, and when I am in Phoenix I find myself looking for things to do indoors. Last weekend, when I stood in line to buy tickets for a movie, I was not sure which of the summer blockbusters would entertain me. A split second decision led me to choose “Man of Steel”. I have always loved Superman, the Marvel Comics character from Krypton, and I thought it would be the perfect movie to watch. The theater was packed and I was early enough to grab a good seat. Little did…