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Third Major Post: Another “Bilbao Decade”

photo: http://rawartint.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/theguggenheimmuseumbilbao1.jpg

American architect Frank Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in 1997. This massive sculptural museum covered with shiny titanium caught the attention of the world instantly. It’s perceived as a masterpiece by the general public and attracted billions of tourists. Bilbao, which used to be noted for steel mills and shipyards in northern Spain, become a tourist magnet over the night. Bilbao attracts tourists from around the world, and 80 percent of them declared that they came explicitly for the Guggenheim. Dating back to 2004, more than 6 million visitors have visited. In 2001, the Financial Times estimated that 500 million euro of economic activity was generated in Bilbao by the museum during its first three years, in addition, 100 million euro in taxes. It’s called the Bilbao Effect. This effect not just change the economical situation in Bilbao, it also change the world’s perspective to architecture. Since then, every city wants to have its own iconic, stunning, avant-garde architecture. And they are usually skyscraper, library, exhibition space or museum. Another example is the Seattle's Central Library. Designed by architect Rem Koolhaas, the library opened in May 2004. Immediately, tourist crushed to it. On opening day, 28,000 people were queuing outside the library. Since then, it's been averaging an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 guests per day. In the library's first year, 2.3 million individuals came to visit the library. It is definitely good news to the library and the architect, but also to the local business. Local newspapers reported that revenues rose 30 to 50 percent for the nearby business and for the first year, it generated $16million of economic activities for the surrounding area.

However, according to critic Robert Campbell, the age of iconic architecture may be ending. In his article, he thinks that the recession is a major factor for the end of the Bilbao decade. And much of the shift may be due to changing perceptions about what architecture is supposed to do for a place. He stated in his article: “The Bilbao Decade produced some wonderful buildings, but it was a time when the social purposes of architecture were sometimes lost. Architecture is supposed to be about making places for human habitation - rooms, streets, parks, cities - not merely skyline icons or beachfront palaces. In a time of limited resources, architects and their clients will focus again on solving the practical problems of making an environment, that is, in every sense of today's overused word, sustainable.”

It is true that due the current economic status, many of the iconic projects done by the famous architect are either on hold or even cancelled. "The downturn is spreading. It's getting worse. It hasn't hit bottom yet," says Kermit Baker, the American Institute of Architects' chief economist. In the near future, probably there will be less iconic architecture be completed. But I think the Bilbao decade is not ending. We have been under bad economic situation before. By studying the previous economic crisis (1980–82, 1989–93, and 2000–02), they all shared similar characteristics that there are reasons to believe that recession will not last forever. Once the economic situation gets better, companies will have the capital again and the projects will be funded. Besides financial factor, with the advanced technology and the aid of computer design, structural engineers could almost be able to figure out any crazy shape to stand up. There will only be fewer limitations on structure. Architects are allowed to be more creative in terms of building forms. Architects could study and research on new construction method much more easily with the aid of the internet. They could also use the new computer programs to investigate and invent new forms and shapes. Tools are getting stronger and designers are having more freedom. The architects will definitely generate more surprises to the public. With the aid of technology, architects could also address sustainability in more perspectives. It is getting popular to support the electrical usage of the building by solar, wind or other renewable energy. Precise calculation could be done to provide maximum natural ventilation and minimize solar heat gain in hot areas. Iconic designs can also be sustainable.

What do architecture is supposed to do for a place? Architect Thom Mayne said: “Architecture is a public act. It can only finally be about our social space: connections between people, a public space, the connective tissue.” Arhcitect Lebbeus Woods said: “It has to do with the relationships between people and how they decide to change their conditions of living. And architecture is a prime instrument of making that change – because it has to do with building the environment they live in, and the relationships that exist in that environment.” Both of them mentioned about connection, connecting people to the space and to the environment. Designing iconic architecture does not drive architects away from serving the purpose of connecting people and the environment. The Guggenheim Museum and the Seattle Public Library worked very well by bringing people together. Their social purpose is served by acting as a functional library and museum. In addition, their aesthetic qualities can also be appreciated by the public.

What I am looking forward to see is another “Bilbao Decade”. Not only museums or skyscrapers are made to be recognizable, but also residential buildings, schools and hospital. There are too many buildings that are built by contractors who relatively care less about design, and the purpose of architecture. With the help of the fast growing technology, there should be more thoughtful and iconic designs that could create more “Bilbao Effect”. The public could therefore enjoy quality spaces, aesthetics appearances, and be environmental friendly at the same time at more locations.

House of Parts

photo:http://www.dezeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/house-of-furniture-parts-by-studio-makkink-bey-2.jpg

photo:http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/6744/dsc013858gy.jpg

I used to be a great fan of toy model making when I was a kid. There are different between architectural model making and toy model making. For architecural making, I have to cut my own building parts and for toy model making, parts have already been cut and what I have to do is break the tiny bondings between the piece and the frame. What Studio Makkink & Bey does made me think that architectural buildings can also be made like toy model, with precut building parts. What they did is combaining architecture, furniture and storage together. They used standard sheets of plywood and and laser cut the parts precisely, forming a encloseure that could be place in offices or lofts. Benches, tables and chairs are parts of the walls and could be easily come out and assemble. By using more or less furniture, the functionabily of the encloseure will be changed. “If it is a studio, tables and desks will come out. If it is a film house, a projection screen with benches and stools will come out. If it is a children’s home, small furniture with cars, animals and a playground will come out,” suggests Jurgen Bey.

Another way to see the sky

from: http://www.dezeen.com/2007/07/23/dezeen-loves-type-the-sky/

Type the Sky by Lisa Rienermann is a collection of alphabet formed by the buildings against the sky photographed from below. The alphabet was created by Rienermann while studying at the University of Duisbury-Essen. “It began with the Q,” she said. “I was in a kind of courtyard in Barcelona. I looked upward and saw houses, the blue sky and clouds. The more I looked, I saw that the houses formed a letter Q.” Then she started looking at other alphabets. I think it is always nice to see things in another way. We always only pay attention to the buildings and ignore the space surrounding by. It's like a figure and field relation. Good designs should also care about the space they created not just inside the building, but also how they shaped the surroundings.

Second Major post: While times are tough, people come up with great ideas

from:http://architecture5cents.com/welcome/

In December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the United States has been in recession since December 2007. Certainly the financial crisis has affected the architecture and construction field. The Architectural Billings Index, a key indicator of design activity, took a negative turn one year ago and has continued its descent. In January, it hit the all time low in its 13-year history. Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry’s first major project in Britain was discarded, making it the first big loss in the architecture field, of the financial crisis. When firms lose work, people lose jobs. World famous Foster + Partners, which have 15 offices worldwide, announced it was laying off about 25 percent of its staff, which was about 300 employees. Considering all these big names were affected quite seriously, we could imagine that the whole industry was undergoing a hard time. It was stated in Architectural Record issue 03 of 2009, architecture firms have cut 17,000 positions in the past five months.

While times are tough, people come up with great ideas. At the farmers’ market in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, there is something other than organic apples or homemade jam. A plywood booth which is built to mimic Lucy’s psychiatry stand from the Peanuts comic strip, titled “ARCHITECTURE 5¢”, was standing there. As you might expect, people walking by see the 27-year-old John Morefield behind his booth, will probably stopped by out of curiosity and ask what he is selling. Then Morefield will talk about his idea: “We’re selling architecture!” he answers. “Have questions about your house? Kitchen too small? Bathroom not working? Drop a nickel into the cup.”

John Morefield was laid off twice last year. There were no jobs available therefore he decided to go at it on his own. He worked at a farmers’ market selling fruits and vegetables when he was in architecture school and he loved the idea of farmers’ markets. And with limited money and resources, starting his firm in the form of a booth at the farmers’ market might be a good way to go. Architectural advice is obviously not a usual service to be found at a farmers’ market. And a nickel is also a relatively low fee for advice on such a professional field. However, during such an unusual time, Architecture 5¢ might be a good way to fight against the economic crisis. Charging 5 cents for architecture is only an impression. John is not issuing legal drawings from his booth. Paying 5¢ is just his way of starting conversations with strangers, or we should call potential clients. That nickel will hopefully turn a thought into a real project at the end of the day. Setting up a booth at the farmers’ market is just a way to publicize the idea and he can sit there and talk to people. They leave their e-mail address and he follows up with them.

He had this idea for years and there are two goals he wants to achieve, which is stated in his website: “Bring architecture to the people, get architects off unemployment and out on their streets engaging their communities.”

Generally people think that employing architects is something only rich people would do. This leads to the result that only 2 percent of the homes in the United States are designed by architects, according to Morefield. Most of the homes are done by developers and contractors and they mostly aimed at being economical and pay less attention to design. Many people find architects hard to approach, or they think that the scale of their houses or projects are too small and do not need an architect. But Morefield thinks that a lot of architects like him are approachable, especially at this time, while some of them are unemployed. A lot of the people he talked to have small projects that could be done a lot better with just need a little bit of advice. John is trying to change that and so that architects are designing homes for the more people, so there will be better designs everywhere.

There are many other jobs that associate with architects. Contractors, construction workers, electricians are all jobs that highly depend on architectural projects. Under the recession, they all need a job as desperate as an architect. When John talks to people in his neighborhood about architecture he probably starts a ripple effect that can impact his local economy. With his booth, 5¢ leads to a discussion. The discussion might result in a design job which requires a contractor and an electrician. Every decision made will lead to a series of job opportunities. Morefield said, ”If I can start as many ripples as possible in Seattle and assist others, like me, in starting other ripples in other cities in the U.S., we can start a wave of opportunity to carry us through this. The ripple effect is real and it will be a driving force in what fixes this economy. The construction industry especially—the more money that goes to construction, the more money that goes to designers, to municipalities, to suppliers, to contractors, to painters, to delivery truck drivers, to concrete pourers. The list goes on and on, and all those people take their money and buy groceries and pay their gas bill and buy new trucks.”

His goal is achieved by starting with projects that are all small but are relatively fast. For example, he had project that was budgeted for under $200. He gave advice to a couple for their condo, finalized some of their drafts and let them finished the rest. Later on, some people found him through some local media and finally went to his website with a design job of an entire 3,000 square foot addition for a house. They told John that wanted an architect, but they didn’t know where to look until they heard about him. John definitely provides a way for people to approach an architect and ultimately bring architecture to people.

Morefield’s idea has brought him attention across the nation. After achieving the basics, he wants to go further. His further goal is to take the booth to a national level and have “Architecture 5¢” in other cities. So far, according to the website, there are 3 other architects respond to John’s idea and started the “ARCHITECTURE 5¢” in other neighborhood.

What made John Morefield’s idea successful is his enthusiastic approach to the community. By putting himself out there talking to people might not be the most efficient way, but definitely is the most direct way of communication. From that people see his passion and ideas. Setting up a booth at the farmers’ market sounds easy but the hard part is to start doing something no one did it before while you are probably not sure if the idea is going to work. The recession has made John Morefield got laid off two times but also allowed him to transform a clever gimmick into an entrepreneurship.

Trash comes alive

We produce more than we can imagine amount of trash every day. Sometimes we just don’t think what we can do with it so we throw it away. But if you can be creative and think of an alternative way to use it again, you might be able to bring trash alive, and even become a great business.

http://www.urbanremade.com/catalog/

Above and Below London design this truly unique and exciting footwear - the collection exclusively incorporates iconic retro textiles from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's reclaimed from seats on London's Underground tube carriages and buses.

www.freitag.ch/

Freitag design products made from original recycled materials – used truck tarps, used car seat belts, used air bags and used bicycle inner tubes. They produce messenger bags, wallets, backpacks, etc. And because it is made from an original piece of tarp, every single product is unique. And by knowing the materials, you will know that the products are tough too.

http://weburbanist.com/2008/07/13/7-more-examples-recycled-urban-architecture/

Besides fashion, there’s also re-use example in architecture. The Nomadic Museum designed by Shigeru Ban is one of the most innovative shipping container architecture projects. The building spans 45,000 feet in length. It used the cargo containers to make up its structure. It can be easily demolish and rebuild, therefore it can be display in various cities around the world.