Archive for the ‘architecture’ Category

February 16, 2011

On Site at the Castaway House and Why Flexibility is Key

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet On Site with Claire: Flexibility is a key component to our concept: Flexibility is a little-known, but key aspect of sustainability. When flexibility is designed into a house, it makes it easier for it to “flex” as the owner’s needs change or as owners change. Designed flexibility reduces waste and energy when it comes to implementing the inevitable changes that happen in life. A common scenario where flexibility comes to play is when a couple has a child. Is their home flexible enough to effectively house the child, not only in her infancy but as she grows up? What…

February 09, 2011

The Castaway House – A New Project in Collaboration with The Ranch Mine

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The Castaway House Project Synopsis: Address: 3932 E. Fairmount Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85018 An existing 1000sf painted concrete masonry house, stripped to the studs, “thrown away” by a speculative owner during the economic downturn creating a blight in the neighborhood. The Ranch Mine acquired the property with investor Cycle Development in the hopes of revitalizing not only the house, but restoring life and vibrancy to the neighborhood. In collaboration, The Ranch Mine and Blooming Rock will completely renovate the existing building and add about 900 sf to the house, while creating an exceptional desert outdoor space. Project Mission: Inclusivity:…

February 01, 2011

The Contractor and the Architect

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet While browsing through some old Arizona Builder & Contractor Magazines for some research I’m doing for another article, I came across this poem written in 1954 that made me laugh out loud. Those of you not in the industry may not be aware of the “special” relationship between Architects and Contractors. I thought this poem by H.E. Deming sums it up pretty nicely and I thought I’d share it with you. And no, nothing’s changed 55 plus years… The Contractor and the Architect Are special kind of friends, They laugh and jolly at a bar, But on the job…

January 05, 2011

The Musical Instrument Museum – A Great Cultural Treasure in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) has been in the news a lot lately. In fact, it was featured on NPR today. Last week I had the pleasure of personally visiting the Musical Instrument Museum with my out of town family and I absolutely loved it. The building and the surrounding landscaping are fantastic, but that’s not why I love this museum. I love this museum because it celebrates, respects and cherishes every culture in the world in a state that can easily be considered a little xenophobic after the passage of SB 1070. Having a varied cultural background myself,…

December 27, 2010

6 Things Phoenix Could Learn from Bisbee

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet You may think Bisbee, AZ is just a podunk town in the middle of nowhere and what the heck could a big city like Phoenix learn from a no-place like that? Well, to some people’s surprise, they get a whole lotta things right in Bisbee and we could take a few pointers from the tiny town here in our mega metropolis. 1. Go Local There’s a big emphasis on local in Bisbee. I know Bisbee is often seen as a tourist trap, but it’s not. In fact, Bisbee has a very strong and loyal local population that makes sure…

December 20, 2010

FilmBar Phoenix is Approved – the Adaptive Reuse Code in Action

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Read my post on the newly revived Vanishing Phoenix blog about the City of Phoenix’s Adaptive Reuse Code and it’s role in getting Filmbar Phoenix approved: FilmBar Phoenix is Approved – the Adaptive Reuse Code in Action

December 17, 2010

The Ranch Mine Transforms Old Houses into Custom Homes for Generation Y

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Recently I’ve met a few really talented architecture graduates that haven’t been able to find a job at a firm due to the depressed economy. This may sound like an unfortunate thing, but it turns out that these brilliant graduates are making a much bigger difference right out of school then they ever could have if they just found a job at an architecture firm. An example of a very talented architecture graduate I’ve gotten to know this year is Cavin Costello. He is a Master of Architecture graduate from Northeastern University in Boston and he came out to…

December 15, 2010

STUDIO 1to1

by: Evan Ward

Tweet Today’s post is by Evan Ward, a member of a new team of designers and architects called STUDIO 1to1. STUDIO 1to1 actually started as an architecture thesis studio at ASU and has gone on to do some remarkable work with Transit Oriented Development planning around the Light Rail. I was excited to meet Evan recently and asked him to write about the work of STUDIO 1to1. Evan Ward grew up in Holland, Michigan and has lived in Arizona since 2001. He recently earned his M.Arch from Arizona State University. Prior to grad school, he spent 5 years working for…

December 14, 2010

What Would Paolo Soleri Do?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet “The mechanisms channeling life positively may consist of the replacement of comfort and security by joy.” – Paolo Soleri in his book Arcology: The City in the Image of Man This weekend was the public dedication of the bridge designed by Paolo Soleri in Scottsdale on the Waterfront. I attended a special VIP reception before the public dedication and snapped a photo of the man himself. The next day, I attended a lecture on Organic Architecture by Alan Hess and a panel discussion on Soleri’s Principles in Action that included Will Bruder, John Munier, Jeffrey Stein and Peter Zweig,…

December 08, 2010

What Cohousing can Teach Us about Urban Planning

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet About a year ago, I was asked to be a part of a cohousing effort here in Phoenix and everything that I learned about community-oriented design inspired me tremendously and has informed much of my thinking about neighborhoods and our city. Cohousing is a very specific model of community living that was originally created in Denmark. A cohousing community usually consists of around 12 to 36 units, is designed by a participatory process led by future residents, has extensive common facilities usually in the form of a common house and is ultimately managed by its residents. But there are…