Archive for the ‘architecture’ Category

September 07, 2012

My Speech: From Architect to Community Developer

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Yesterday, I gave a talk to the School of Geographic Sciences and Urban Planning Brown Bag Lunch Series. The talk is about how I went from being an architect to becoming a community developer. I thought I’d share it with you: When I was 8 years old I named my 2 goldfish Gorbechev and Reagan. I remember being an avid watcher of the news back then, shortly after my family emigrated here from Mozambique. I was mesmerized by the Iran Contra Affair, learning about places like Nicaragua and people like Oliver North and John Pointdexter. This was my first…

August 02, 2012

Building Green Communities: Guide to Concepts, Codes, and Innovation

by: Anthony Floyd

Tweet Today’s post is by guest writer Anthony Floyd. Anthony is a licensed architect and Senior Green Building/Energy Code Consultant for the City of Scottsdale. He previously served as building official for the City of Scottsdale from 1988 -1995. Anthony’s responsibilities in Scottsdale include education/outreach, energy performance evaluations and assessment of alternative building systems for building code compliance. He maintains Scottsdale’s regionally based green building program criteria, oversees implementation of the city adopted International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and works with the Public Works division in facilitating Scottsdale’s LEED Gold mandate for newly constructed and renovated city facilities. Anthony teaches…

June 27, 2012

A Visit to the David Wright House Reveals a True Masterpiece in Great Condition

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet There has been a lot of talk about the David Wright House as of late. You may even be sick of hearing about it. But the battle to save it is far from over. Yesterday I had the privilege of going to tour the house which I had heard was in quite a state of disrepair. But our tour proved otherwise. Many of us remarked at how well the house has withstood its 61 years and how it remains in great condition. The new owner, John Hoffman, who is the center of what I’m sure is some unwanted attention,…

June 25, 2012

Preservation vs. Profit

by: Christina Noble

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Christina Noble: “Today we are reminded that architecture is, paradoxically, a fragile art form… The preservation of the Gladys and David Wright house will be our touchstone, our acknowledgement that our history informs our future, our celebration of, and call for, excellence in our community.” – Will Bruder, words intended for the Planning Commission hearing for the Gladys & David Wright house in peril of demolition, Bloomingrock.com Phoenix is not known for its architectural heritage – the climate and the landscape are our most memorable features. Our city’s landmarks are the mountains that…

June 18, 2012

A Preservation Victory: Frank Lloyd Wright House No Longer Under Threat of Demolition

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The decision to initiate a historic overlay and landmark designation process for the David Wright House at the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday June 12 came surprisingly quickly. Only Zoning Attorney and former Phoenix Historic Preservation Commissioner Grady Gammage spoke, though many others had prepared remarks in support of the motion to help save the historic landmark from possible demolition. Among the attendees and those who had prepared to speak were some heavy hitters on the local architecture scene including Eddie Jones, Wendell Burnette, Phil Weddle, Jack Black, and Matthew Salenger. Gammage spoke eloquently, emphasizing that the Commission wasn’t…

June 11, 2012

Help Save this Extraordinary Frank Lloyd Wright House Under Threat of Demolition!

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet We are one of the few places on earth from which Frank Lloyd Wright chose to work. It is a huge point of pride for our region that one of the most famous architects that ever lived designed so many significant buildings here. In 1950-52, he designed and built a house for his son David on 5212 E. Exeter Rd. It is a remarkable house, not only compared to most houses of the era, but even compared to other Wright buildings. Neil Levine, an imminent Wright scholar says about the house: The Gladys and David Wright House is one…

March 29, 2012

Infinite Space, the Architecture of John Lautner

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet John Lautner was a big man who practiced architecture in big gestures. He could not draw very well, or very pricisely I should say, so he drew with a thick pencil in large, sweeping gestures. He then left it up to his staff to figure out the details. He is best known, among midcenturymodernophiles (a term I just made up), for the Chemosphere House, and next perhaps the Elrod House in Palm Springs. But after having watched the movie Infinite Space, the Architecture of John Lautner, I have a feeling that he would not be satisfied in knowing that…

March 27, 2012

What you Might not have Known about Frank Lloyd Wright

by: Jennifer Gunther

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Jennifer Gunther. *Don’t miss the panel discussion tomorrow, March 28, as part of Modern Phoenix week, at the Phoenix Art Museum called Perspectives on Frank Lloyd Wright with panelists Grady Gammage, Emily Talen, Vernon Swaback, David Davis and Eric Anderson.* About one month remains for Phoenix Art Museum visitors to admire and explore the work of American architecture legend Frank Lloyd Wright. “Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture for the 21st Century” will be on view until April 29. The name Frank Lloyd Wright appears everywhere in Phoenix. The name of the Wisconsin-native designer…

March 08, 2012

Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for an American Architecture

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The story of Louis Sullivan isn’t just important for architecture, it’s an important part of American history. He was many years ahead of his time, he continually broke new ground and he was, undoubtedly, an original. His most ardent dream was to establish a decidedly American architecture. At the time he came on the scene as an architect in Chicago in the late 1800’s, the zeitgeist was to emulate European architecture. This young nation didn’t have a voice of its own yet when it came to the art of buildings and it still deferred to Europe to tell it…

March 07, 2012

Canstruction Phoenix: Giving Back to the Community Through Design

by: Andrew Johnson

Tweet Today’s post is by architecture graduate student Andrew Johnson: Dear design enthusiasts and Phoenix community champions! Phoenicians across our communities have certainly faced unique struggles with recent economic woes, and as a group of ASU graduate design students who frequently study community-scale social problems, we feel a sincere desire to help our community. In the architecture classroom, we consistently research and explore solutions to these big problems in an effort to create positive change, but we recognize that we rarely practice what has been preached. Now, in an effort to put this pedagogy to practice, a team of six…