Posts Tagged ‘phoenix’

April 20, 2011

At Stake: The Magic of Lux Coffee Bar

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet As you might know, Lux Coffee Bar is my “office” and hang out. I go there almost every morning to work and some times to relax. There are lots of great coffee shops in Central Phoenix, but I choose Lux as my home away from home because it has a certain unique energy to it. It’s not clean or pristine, it’s usually crowded and there isn’t much space to sit, if you’re lucky enough to find a seat. But this particular set of circumstances gives Lux a je ne sais quois appeal, not unlike a messy, busy, crowded city….

April 13, 2011

Meanwhile at the Lexington Hotel: Cycle and Poolside Gallery

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet There’s something remarkable happening at the Lexington Hotel, a place that has sat rather unremarkably on our landscape for quite some time now. Recently, Habitat Metro got control of it and has big plans to revitalize it into a boutique hotel with a focus on the arts community. The Lexington hotel is located at an important crux point of our city. It is between the Roosevelt neighborhood and the midtown museum area that includes the Phoenix Art Museum, Burton Barr and Margaret Hance Park. If done well, it has the potential to act as a connector, catalyst and activator…

April 05, 2011

John Kane on Doing Quality Projects with Less Money and in Less Time

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s – a conversation with architect John Kane, the principal of Architekton who was behind the sustainable and beautiful Tempe Transportation Center and the audacious and amazing Tempe Center for the Arts. If you missed Part I, catch it here. Most big-name architects have a big ego and downplay collaboration. Not John Kane. This is what he has to say about it: “The idea of how to work collaboratively is a really fun one. How to include the consultants and the clients much earlier on in the process to do sustainable projects (is…

March 30, 2011

Car-Free Stories: A Seatless Bicycle and the Stigma of Cycling for Women

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet On Wednesdays, I usually post an update on the Castaway House. But our team is still in the middle of choosing a contractor to work with, so I’ll give you an update next time. Today, I’d like to share a car-free story with you. Yesterday at around 2:00pm, I said goodbye to my friends Kathleen and Doreen and walked over to my bike that was tied to the sign post at La Condesa. I put my computer and gunny sack into my big silver basket and proceeded to unlock my bike, like I usually do. But then it struck…

March 29, 2011

Urban Cycling and the Fetish of Mobility

by: Kevin Kellogg

Tweet Today’s post is by architect/urban planner/thought leader Kevin Kellogg: Phoenix is a great town for mobility. Great swaths of asphalt beckon motorists and the great distances between destinations keep us on the road for a good portion of our lives. In another sense, mobility appears to welcome the hard working and the ingenious, as the relatively shallow roots of society indicate room for ascension and to improve our lot in life. Looking closer beyond the promise of this young city, it begs the question: is anyone really going anywhere? Or, does it matter? For all the focus on transportation…

March 23, 2011

Two Renderings of the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Castaway House Update: The front, rendering by Cavin Costello The courtyard/garden, rendering by Cavin Costello

March 22, 2011

Interview with Architect Marlene Imirzian

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting with architect Marlene Imirzian at her office in Sunnyslope. I’m a big fan of Marlene’s not only because of her fantastic work and embededness in the community but because she is a great example of a premier woman architect here in the Valley. Below is our conversation. Blooming Rock: Can you tell me a little bit about working with Gunnar Birkerts and William Kessler and how its influenced your work? Marlene Imirzian: I am an architect because of Gunnar. Gunnar Birkerts is not well known today but at the…

March 16, 2011

Integrating a Contractor Early at the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A lot of times designers and architects tend to dream big and forget about the budget. And important part of making realistic plans is to put numbers to the design as early in the game as possible, so you know you’re not way off track. So at Castaway House, now that we have solidified a schematic design for the house, both interior, exterior and landscape, we are getting bids from contractors. There are two reasons to do this early in the game rather then when the drawings are complete and into the city for permit review, which is the…

March 14, 2011

Map got your tongue?

by: Jim McPherson

Tweet Prepare yourself for a lot of tan with a bit of green background, courtesy of Google Maps. I am not an employee of Google nor do I play one on TV. I do not own Google stock out-right — dang it! — but I may have a few shares in the bowels of some mutual fund I hold. With that said, I enjoy making Google Maps because I’ve been a fan of maps and flags of countries since childhood. Thank you National Geographic. And it’s true, a picture is worth a thousand words. You’re now reading Blooming Rock, “Your…

March 02, 2011

Retaining the Existing Roof Structure at the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet In this update: I. Claire walks us through the multiple considerations that go into every decision II.The idea of a triple bottom line approach III. An illustration of the stack ventilation concept created by Cavin I. Claire at the Site II. The Triple Bottom Line Approach Claire talked about the multiple benefits of keeping the existing wood roof structure of this 1950s house and actually exposing it as a vaulted ceiling in the remodel. We try to use the triple bottom line to make most of the decisions at Castaway House. In the case of the existing roof…