June 2009 Blog Posts (18)

Southlake Town Center

Southlake Town Square is at the forefront of a new architectural and urban planning movement in the Dallas/Fort Worth area I will simply dub it the Town Square Revival Movement, because to be honest, it's not like this is an entirely new concept to civilization, it just hasn't been used in so long that it's a lot like the Romanesque Revival Movement in the late 19th century. Anyway, in case it hasn't officially been named yet, I call… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 30, 2009 at 11:42am — No Comments

Friday Feature Interview: Archidose's John Hill

This Friday we have the honor of interviewing author, architect, and critic John Hill from what is perhaps the world's most popular architectural blog site A Daily Dose of Architecture which is nearing the 4.5 million mark on views. He also runs A Weekly Dose of Architecture and wiki-style architectural catalogue The Archi-Tourist. John comes to us from New York City, and some how in addition to all that, he is also currently curating a selection of… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 26, 2009 at 9:31am — No Comments

Lessons From Nature's Architects

(for the full article, click here)

Human hubris often gives the impression that great architecture is and was our idea. But animals have been pulling off architectural miracles hundreds of millions of years before humans decided to even build the first lean-to out of some fallen branches. In examining only a few natural feats of civil and… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 25, 2009 at 10:10am — 2 Comments

E. Fay Jones: Marty Leonard Chapel (Interior)

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In part two of this week's main photo spread, we explore the interior of E. Fay Jone's "Marty Leonard Chapel" and witness the sublime beauty within.

As one steps through the door of the Marty Leonard Chapel, there is an ever present aura of peace and light. The glass ceiling and crossbeams… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 24, 2009 at 5:40am — No Comments

E. Fay Jones: Marty Leonard Chapel (Exterior)

(for the full story, click here)

Fort Worth, Texas is blessed enough to have four buildings designed by AIA Gold Medalists Philip Johnson, Louis Kahn, I.M. Pei, and E. Fay Jones. On the Southwest corner of I-30 and Hulen, is one of these remarkable gems of brilliant architecture, landscaping, and design recognized worldwide: The Marty… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 23, 2009 at 9:03am — No Comments

Three Great Architectural Father's Day Gifts

To view the entire story, click (here)

No dreaded tie for me! Three architecturally-related Father's Day gifts made this the best one ever: The Sims 3, a book on Frank Lloyd Wright, and a 2008 Kia Rondo. But what do these have to do with architecture? Trust me, my friends, and read on. (… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 22, 2009 at 11:16am — No Comments

Friday Feature: Interviewing Bouler Design Group

(for the full story, click here)

For our Friday Feature, we interview Bouler Design Group for tips on how to achieve success in architecture and design. Students and Professionals alike will have an interest in this firm's ability to withstand an increasingly competitive market, and how they managed to achieve it through modern… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 19, 2009 at 8:29am — 2 Comments

Historic Dallas Part 4: Founder's Plaza

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In Part 4 of of "Historic Dallas" we visit one of the most controversial sites in Downtown Dallas: Founder's Square. The hotly debated, roaming alleged log cabin of John Neely Bryan, Dallas's founder, rests here now. Founder's Plaza is directly across the street from The Old Red Courthouse and the JFK… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 18, 2009 at 8:28am — No Comments

Historic Dallas Part 3: Dealey Plaza

(for the full story, click here.)

For most people, the name "Dealey Plaza" is a grim reminder of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But it has a rich history and is the true birthplace of Dallas, Texas. Part 3 of "Historic Dallas" shows this National Landmark designed by landscape architects Sidney J. Hare and S. Herbert Hare of Kansas City, Missouri. The choice… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 17, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Historic Dallas Part 2: Old Red Courthouse

(for the full story, click here)

In Part 2 of our ongoing series of historic Dallas architecture, we see the grand "Old Red Courthouse," or locally known as "Big Ol' Red". It's currently a museum for Dallas County History & Culture, and "Big" doesn't really do it justice. The thing takes up an entire city block, and looks built to withstand… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 16, 2009 at 8:24am — No Comments

Historic Dallas Part 1: JFK Memorial Plaza

(for the full story, click here)

This begins a series of architectural photos I'll be doing on Historic Dallas buildings, monuments, museums, etc. Our journey begins with the Historic District in Dallas, at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza.

It occurred to me last week that I may not live in Rome, Greece, Egypt, or some other… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 15, 2009 at 12:29pm — No Comments

Old-School Green: 3 Sustainable Super Stories

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What do Paolo Soleri, Michael Shealy, and Dennis Holloway have in common? Before LEED Certification, the Kyoto Protocol, and public awareness of Global Warming, these three visionaries saw the potential benefit of--and even requirement for--sustainable architecture with low environmental impact. Their… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 12, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

My Newish Blog

http://avarboretum.blogspot.com/

Feel free to have a look around, leave comments, get excited!

Added by Aviva Novick on June 12, 2009 at 2:05pm — 2 Comments

To Be or Not To Be...a Genius in One's Own Field

(for the full article, click here)

I can't help but compare Wright to Einstein. Both were once-a-generation geniuses. Both physically and ideological reshaped the world. And both had terribly disastrous personal lives. Now I have to ask myself if I even remotely had the same Spark within me, would I really want to achieve this magnitude of… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 11, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

An Uncommon Architectural Pop-up Book: "The Architecture Pack"

(for the full article, click here.)

So I'm wandering through the architecture section of the local Half-Price Books looking for anything cheap and interesting, and I come across the coolest thing: an out-of-print, architectural pop-up book!

The Architecture Pack : A… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 10, 2009 at 4:33pm — 6 Comments

My Photographs and Analysis of Louis Kahn's "Kimbell Art Museum"

(see entire article now)

This last weekend I went to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. It was designed by Louis Kahn, one of the more prolific and celebrated architects of the 20th century. Despite having made repeated trips to see exhibits at the Kimbell for over 20 years now, and spending years hanging out in the… Continue

Added by Brandon Safford on June 8, 2009 at 4:20pm — No Comments

Forever beautiful

Aluwood Projects’ new aluminium garage door is ready to set the market ablaze with its revolutionary design and wood look finishes. This door is second to none in the current market. The ALDoor is backed by the well-known “Wispeco Aluminium” brand.

With enhanced features this door is a must have for every home owner:

- The door is lightweight, strong and beautiful

- Low maintenance

- Easy to… Continue

Added by Specifile on June 2, 2009 at 3:52am — No Comments

Striking an early blow for women builders' rights

The houses Kate Gleason built are still structurally sound – 90 years later, writes Jan de Beer.

Ever heard of Kate Gleason? Probably not, especially in a country where the sight of a skirt on a building site is still often regarded as unexpected and unusual. This is despite Eunice Forbes and Elsabe Kearsley striking major blows for the fairer sex as presidents of Master Builders SA and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering respectively, and Women for Housing (now… Continue

Added by Specifile on June 2, 2009 at 3:49am — No Comments