Posts Tagged ‘taz loomans’

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 07, 2011

An Interview with Josiah Cain of Design Ecology

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Josiah Cain and his firm Design Ecology, based in Petaluma, California, do something I had never heard of before. They design living built environments. The work they do includes things like living roofs, living walls, rain harvesting, natural swimming pools, graywater recycling, stormwater management, urban agriculture and sustainable landscapes. Josiah and his multi-disciplinary team are breaking new ground in adding to the things we build an element of natural nourishment, whereas traditional buildings normally deplete their natural environment without giving anything back. I’m so excited to hear Josiah speak at Rogue Green this Thursday! See the end of this…

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 31, 2011

In Search of the Perfect Shade Tree

by: Lysistrata Hall

Tweet This is a special guest post by Lysistrata “Lyssa” Hall, a Landscape Architect I with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and one of the principal authors of the Tree and Shade Master Plan. Lyssa is an Arizona native that was born and raised in Jerome, Arizona. So often, I am asked what is the perfect shade tree for Phoenix? There really isn’t one perfect tree that can be planted in every place and meet everyone’s needs. Trees are living organisms that have diverse growing habits and needs, so it is critical that we apply the concepts…

January 26, 2011

How Phoenix became a City of Freeways and not Rail Transit

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Believe it or not Phoenix was one of the last major cities in the country to complete its freeway system. By the 1960s Phoenix still didn’t have many freeways other than the 1-17. Starting to learn lessons from other parts of the country, especially LA, many in Phoenix weren’t sure that adding freeways would be a good answer to our people-moving dilemma. “…by the later 1960s, people in many cities were beginning to see that near total reliance on the automobile for transportation imposed significant unanticipated costs. Many people now regretted the decisions to bulldoze older neighborhoods that resulted…

January 24, 2011

Car Free Stories: The Virtue of the Bell and the Hazards of Intersections

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet This is the second installment in my Car Free Stories series. Check out the first here. Recently I got a bell for my bike and what a transformative experience it’s been! Before, when people were in front of me on a sidewalk, I yelled (respectfully), “excuse me! excuse me!”. Nine times out of ten this wouldn’t work and I’d just have to slow down and wait for an opportunity to pass the seemingly deaf pedestrian. Now that I have a bell, I’ll ring it once and the astute ones will hear it and get out of the way. I…

January 10, 2011

Maricopa County’s Sustainability Manager Talks about the Green Government Program

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Did you know that Maricopa County has a Sustainability Manager and has adopted a Green Government Program? I didn’t either. Once I met the Sustainability Manager, Jonce Walker, and he told me about their Green Government Program, I was very impressed with what the County has been able to accomplish in a few short years in regards to sustainability. I interviewed Jonce and asked him about the program he’s been instrumental in creating and implementing. Below is part I of our interview, touching on Jonce’s role in the County, the general characteristics of the Green Government Program, its triple…

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 29, 2010

Reverse Lanes Place Cars Above Community

by: Yuri Artibise

Tweet Today’s post is by the avid urbanist, community activist and my friend, Yuri Artibise. Yuri Artibise—aka the Incurable Urbanist—has spent the past four years creating community in the urban desert that is better known as Phoenix. Through his Yurbanism brand, Yuri explores the ‘Y’ of urbanism by sharing ways to make our cities more livable, community-oriented places one block at a time. Find out more at yuriartibise.com. On December 14th Phoenix City Council voted 5-1 (with 2 absences) to accept the report of the Ad Hoc Task Force on Reverse Lanes. (A summary of the report is found at…

December 28, 2010

Car Free Stories: An Old Bird and a New Bird on the Canal

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet This is the first post in a new series called Car Free Stories which will document my various experiences riding my bike, taking transit and walking in Central Phoenix. Today I’d like to share two stories about my daily bike commute on the Grand Canal. One is about an old bird named Bob and another about a new bird on the scene. An Old Bird Named Bob There is an old gentleman dressed in a track suit that walks for exercise on the canal. I see him almost every day. Once we realized we were regulars on the canal,…