cozy (wood) blankets

The pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks seems to mark the unofficial start of autumn for the coffee drinking world. Bring on the pumpkin patches, youth soccer and cool autumn nights cozied under your favorite throw. Your favorite wooden throw? Enter these amazing creations by Berlin textile designer, Elisa Strozyk.

credit: elisastrozyk.de

Existing in a created middle ground between wood and textile, this material challenges our notions on what wood can do and what textiles are.

While not directly architecture and sustainability related, these wooden textiles call to mind the fluidity that can be achieved with materials typically thought of as rigid. Plus, they're way too great to pass up chatting about.

branded façade

I just had the chance to spend the weekend in Chicago and got a good look at the new Burberry flagship store, still under construction. First off, it seems a very successful translation of the iconic plaid to the façade. Eye-catching for those that don't know and immediately identifiable for those that do. This new design is second in line for the flagship re-design and I think that the Chicago store definitely comes with some awesome deviations from the original. 

computer programmers are architects?!

Architects or computer programmers? ...computer programmers are architects? 

In this Ted talk, Michael Hansmeyer elaborates on his exploration of architecture forming algorithms. Rather than the more and more whimsical and at times convoluted forms derived from the minds of today's architects, he envisions a shift on the horizon where architectural form is the result of complex algorithms. hmmm... fractals we can live in. 

eat in a greenhouse.

credit: A Chil Summer, Gabriela Herman 

For what occasion isn't this place the ideal location. This gem can be found on Beetlebung Farm in Chilmark on Martha's Vineyard. The ultimate in local food, everything prepared is pulled from the garden or fresh caught for the meal. This intimate gathering captured by Gabriela Herman appears to be one of chef Chris Fischer’s greenhouse dinners. While this location seems to be a trendy must-do for those who summer, I think the premise has a place in the urban setting. 

Picture this not in its tranquil coastal setting, but stories above the bustling streets of Chicago. It seems a feasible idea as a chic money-spinner for urban rooftop gardens. Communal seating and local artists rounding out the scene would tailor the experience for its target audience, an eco-conscious, hip crowd that thrives on the efficiency of the city but craves a direct connection with their food. That said, I haven't given up searching or hope that there is a greenhouse in my future where I will get the chance to sit down with friends for good wine and fresh eats.

reading >> building (in) the future

NOTE TO SELF: Master AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, 3dStudio, Rhinocerous, Digital Project, Archicad, and Maya...and, don't forget the countless plugins associated with these programs. (Though the full Adobe Creative Suite is not a part of this discussion- you'd do well to have them mastered as well.) Well, it seems that while I was braving the ups and downs of undergraduate studio, I did not master all of the above. What to do, what to do? 

What does the future hold for emerging intern architects and our licensed counterparts? Super excited about this book sharing my Nook space right now and getting some insight into the answers. Kenneth Frampton, Coren Sharples, Paolo Tombesi and Mark Goulthorpe are among the 34 contributors shedding light on how advancing technologies and production methods are reshaping the architects' role and relationships. (More on this to come.)

meet collaborative 13.

It's called Collaborative 13. Prepare yourself for things to come. From this desk to your screen, a collection of posts and musings regarding the wide world of architecture and sustainability. More specifically, those bits that pique my interest and keep me informed about my beloved field of study.