tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77169824230124232952024-03-13T09:41:02.558-07:00Insource/OutsourceYour source for sources.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-80171281474411925042010-01-14T06:28:00.000-08:002010-01-14T06:39:29.699-08:00Protecting Bicycles with Innovative Modular Storage SystemsThe Palo Alto, California-based company, <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/" href="http://www.bikearc.com/">Bike Arc</a>, was born out of a shared reverence for the bicycle and the environment. The design evolved from the collaborative efforts of celebrated U.S. bicycle advocate <a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_Arc" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_Arc">Jeff Selzer</a> and <a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bellomo_Architects" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bellomo_Architects">Joseph Bellomo</a>, an architect renowned for his leadership in holistic, green design. Bellomo and Selzer worked together on the Palo Alto Bikestation at the <a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain Caltrain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain">Caltrain</a> depot. Bike Arc is <a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patented Patented" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patented">patented</a> in both the United States and in Europe.<br /><br /><strong>PRODUCTS</strong>:<br /><br />The concept of the <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/halfArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/halfArc.html">Half Arc</a> stemmed from the need to offer cyclists’ security as well as weather protection for their bicycles. Using the Arc design from the original Bike Arc, the Half Arc once again offers outstanding security in a light, small footprint.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426602637104572818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oFNzm58Exu7WB9-ZT2a9o_pe8kHYFFavRNJpPouS_RwSGf4OvCu0v6dlAz8DPAETWdEirGtUL_J8l8uEL1Mh7IT2hCH5dtC6YWRe93eIEUcj64IHd2rBfwBjscPF53v1eSCpENp0sw/s320/Bike+Arc+3.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/umbrelaArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/umbrelaArc.html">Umbrella Arc</a> organizes bicycles in a beautiful and efficient manner. It combines the ease of use of the Rac Arc with sculptural organization. It offers an efficient use of space while providing shelter for bicycles in inclement weather. The Umbrella Arc effectively and securely parks 8 bicycles in less than 25 square feet.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426602847674937986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvmwMwpVxOuAr9U2WfQJqKaae68WP4FXu1lItXjyHydBObbrvBUozxeay0GCiHh8HaviTC5LOj2cARRedcP_noupDsiFiIC4Co1EHk9sn3-ycLvit8veOVBYnXg-czF-ylHt6_R8lOQ/s320/Bike+Arc+4.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/bikeArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/bikeArc.html">Tube Arc</a> is the flagship of the Arc offerings. Each of the other Arcs was born out of this modular elegant design. The Tube Arc offers exceptional security, ease of use, and complete protection for the bicycle from the elements. The design was conceived to offer flexible, easy-to-install (assembled on site) bicycle parking structures with a “light” approach. The Tube Arc is adaptable from 16 bikes to upwards of 60+ per unit.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426603046941721714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 118px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPQCTQmgXlmvAzE8yk6wp12agAciOpAz_qsSVH913dsKE5hu9N9P-reSfdgrjq1U2R7qjz93qbDLz_KZghizlCd4MCE5xOEq5R1-kzoB6x8b8N6JgE6IEK54NMWro49BDrv0Fc3XHcw/s320/Bike+Arc+5.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/rackArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/rackArc.html">Rac Arc</a> was designed to offer basic, affordable, and attractive bicycle parking. It is a unique design that organizes and honors the bicycle while offering superb security. The design offers a variety of configurations adaptable to commercial and public realms, but is equally effective for use in a single-family home. The Rac Arc can also cantilever over existing or proposed landscaped areas.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426603225487130882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAPi8KSpSnKdkpaTZsgm0bMUOIkJq3QSuH9gy92BXqjswr418-jmQNMR1f8g5usLUmcbhjPP0Bi7rBrm-7Va0I0R9o2h_yLLk8EyAfv-0k6_gw2fzL31Bui04z__RkeoEMedh6e2_CQ/s320/Bike+Arc+2.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/loopArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/loopArc.html">Loop Arc</a> offers simplicity, affordability, and usability. Similar to the rest of the Bike Arc family, it maintains the organization of bicycle parking by providing each bike a designated “parking spot.” As the Loop Arc is two separate pieces, one that supports the front wheel and one that locks to the frame and back wheel, it can be used in a variety of locations and situations including sloped areas or on uneven ground. The Loop Arc works with all different types of bikes (including those with baskets) and no lifting is required.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426603378179293954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSK1TfQO9Ud1mnkXi-qOPSx0A7nu-frShK8B0I2jjQi3T38lhBnKPsPkL8rkGN0lAAbqgg__4gpa89vnhqANiXcS1PDdF79_t4fd68QCa1jdTuVEPlyjgBZo2QzuwruA5XHgfOcQ4CJg/s320/Bike+Arc+6.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/carArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/carArc.html">Car Arc</a> provides covered shelter for vehicles including electric cars and electric bicycles. The structure is formed from the same curved 1”x3” tubes as the rest of the Arc family, but further extruded to provide enough protection for the entire length of a car. On top of the polycarbonate roof is a layer of solar film, which captures solar energy and converts it into power for the vehicles. The Car Arc is an affordable solution that has the potential to be used in commercial, public, and residential applications and can also be added to an existing car park to provide shelter due to its light load.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426603564896178818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SKo3-S2TgZce9SY7F0nScZoox7sZ4bJOByvmIAlvBgBqaK0tM4900I8ufndQbUMN3sFDbcrxFxtwEHybmKPbnu9c-Fi6PY0oYrmLBLLVl1DMYDgVEQAZ6ZI-m7RAJruSWF9sqEpSwA/s320/Bike+Arc+7.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/busArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/busArc.html">Bus Arc</a> is a further iteration of the Half Arc, generating both a bike storage facility and a waiting area. Recycled resin sheets are rolled and simply attached to the steel ribs, allowing people to sit under protection. An added benefit are the energy inverters, which produce energy that users can plug into while waiting for the bus.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426603719536765554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLjrSnP6p9c_fDpmobSoNu3zj9vCXUmPqkU1aLvY0sO6SLKLstiZU0DDGi09YVU2QcvnH5-YA5fwRNWH5j3ItBiBYWY6pjh7VB8vYczSG-5qk9SNhNGzE-w2G0LOgs5trHLg-90CU4A/s320/Bike+Arc+8.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/adArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/adArc.html">Ad Arc</a> is a street level barrier screen that has the potential to display a variety of imagery depending upon the use. Each screen is fabricated from galvanized steel flat bars (fixed Ad Arc) or aluminum (removable Ad Arc) framing a transparent polycarbonate printed screen. Each panel can be easily and affordably replaced on a regular basis allowing users to frequently update their display such as a restaurant owner revising a menu or retail products. The size of the seating screen is also flexible, ranging from 2’ to 4’ in length and 3’ to 5’ in height to fit into every application.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426603909815545490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVto1ERltudxdPBuc8_ZQaC5JGrM9B7jEmjsbj7Lynv3UQ96g6ukZgMdsVx9n3zBy2SJKXgFZolGd_Gxg9v99Zx38PQWQwILSroZy3ARMNT9rWBPMuCXjyCMqdMPSGMuT_AkSjwcrR2A/s320/Bike+Arc+10.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/transitArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/transitArc.html">Transit Arc</a> promotes bicycle routes along transit corridors providing safe and continuous bike commute corridors. For example, we believe there is an opportunity for bike connections to exist alongside electrified commuter train corridors with high-speed trains elevated aesthetically beautiful above such as the San Jose to San Francisco new High-Speed Rail and Caltrain.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426604103867069218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhekgNjS3LKrglV6MGzlXIeHqWawcfTofap2g2GWGdj8k6Xleo6PKGlZeQE7sriVeP87ZP2mmPQIvWdLX0FDdbkPGK_PtR_cq8Rwf1XjOfRBDHZL2fwv4dWtwK72ioTeaedghPKL1Kw/s320/Bike+Arc+1.jpg" border="0" />The <a title="http://www.bikearc.com/houseArc.html" href="http://www.bikearc.com/houseArc.html">House Arc</a> is a modular off-the-grid housing solution where the pieces are shipped (ideally, fabricated locally) to the site and erected by the user or community. The first House Arc prototypes to be built will be on the Big Island of Hawaii; completion is anticipated in 2009. We hope organizations dedicated to finding the most affordable off-the-grid modular housing solutions will consider the House Arc.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426604337501057922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1tCJLWbLbwYyUpWaDKSUU7KM3I4fpgNVuZMm8YqCKzkEpS7DbH0qo3cbgo0Lh0Jms4mI9IlnD5qk3gAZjRtT4hxyF8QBdwf6JBifVgcSo0XBUw-bhF8U-lEqQcmsSJRGUdfY6yw3-w/s320/Bike+Arc+9.jpg" border="0" />J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-16201100799274030772009-03-26T06:48:00.000-07:002009-03-26T06:52:36.691-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFPnQ8mOTFqoPQzOAJkI4ezKWjDQCiSD1caS2YXbarR85kjKNGZTErWuoAEReOw39jKsNbh_15pGrptQFy5lOx4zN0kKDG1KzlpH_6MBqXjug_jQapWHSUYVGnyP-__wybKbEDigmpg/s1600-h/Leaning+Molds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 353px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFPnQ8mOTFqoPQzOAJkI4ezKWjDQCiSD1caS2YXbarR85kjKNGZTErWuoAEReOw39jKsNbh_15pGrptQFy5lOx4zN0kKDG1KzlpH_6MBqXjug_jQapWHSUYVGnyP-__wybKbEDigmpg/s400/Leaning+Molds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317493142984158530" border="0" /></a>From <a href="http://www.marujafuentes.com">Maruja Fuentes</a>.<br /><br />I don't know about the elbow rest portion, but the sitting spot has excellent potential for bus stops, DMV's and the like. That is to say, potential for <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> hip versions of those places.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-51031581464072970132009-03-09T05:52:00.000-07:002009-03-09T05:55:54.781-07:00Chew with your lights on...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH3cbQPnYelAv04RmV5R_JoihqEP5dPk3YzOh0rs8iLkR2_5h5yt-A3oZNKfEPXZ1Fgo-XhxMUl69waxhzgI668Iiyec_UzBl8tgdve6MbGWzssTdRJ3-ivWvBT1kVyMDPQhXJgVsBg/s1600-h/Gummi+Bear+Lights.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH3cbQPnYelAv04RmV5R_JoihqEP5dPk3YzOh0rs8iLkR2_5h5yt-A3oZNKfEPXZ1Fgo-XhxMUl69waxhzgI668Iiyec_UzBl8tgdve6MbGWzssTdRJ3-ivWvBT1kVyMDPQhXJgVsBg/s400/Gummi+Bear+Lights.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311170056658278418" border="0" /><br /></a>Gummi Bear lights:<br /><br />Around 7" by 4" wide and come in various colors. They have a 20-hour lithium battery, so no cord is needed. Place them anywhere in your German candy factory.<br /><br />via <a href="http://www.propertyfurniture.com/PROPERTY_GIFTS.html">Property Furniture</a>.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-30264282899353197232009-01-06T07:12:00.000-08:002009-01-06T07:14:49.789-08:00Develop : Make : Object<p style="font-style: italic;"><em>Objectified</em> is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. It’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.<br /><br /></p> <p style="font-style: italic;">Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?</p><br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S9E2D2PaIcI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S9E2D2PaIcI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-13913391860259953852008-12-02T04:40:00.001-08:002008-12-02T04:41:48.181-08:00If only it were this easy...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2VAmaK1Ew8rzbaV9KdGYCi6UPUKKcuTppSf-1vhFxaNB0v84Vv5deqsh9_PI62isD7MDuL2s7irEOONbqn9GSKmuRT9ylGS1lgtf-FqcJ9w1iPtsJZ40qURhN5o4zoaFqhyypEC0Tg/s1600-h/Green+wind+turbine+in+a+box.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2VAmaK1Ew8rzbaV9KdGYCi6UPUKKcuTppSf-1vhFxaNB0v84Vv5deqsh9_PI62isD7MDuL2s7irEOONbqn9GSKmuRT9ylGS1lgtf-FqcJ9w1iPtsJZ40qURhN5o4zoaFqhyypEC0Tg/s400/Green+wind+turbine+in+a+box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275171841175479570" border="0" /></a>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-70554109668500538502008-11-05T12:20:00.000-08:002008-11-05T12:27:39.196-08:00It's a whole new world, hopefully...<a href="http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/new-president-climate-change">Obama: the post-environmental president</a><br /><div></div><div><em>What does the election mean for climate change and energy policy?</em><br />by Adam Stein – November 5, 2008 </div><br /><div></div><div><em>There’s been a bit of chatter in recent weeks about whether an Obama victory would truly be as transformative as many progressives hope and expect. Some have quietly suggested that nothing in Obama’s record, temperament, or platform should make us expect dramatic gestures. They say that those who think otherwise are letting the man’s remarkable personal story cloud their judgment of his governing philosophy, or discounting the extent to which every president is constrained by Congress.<br /><br /></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em>There’s something to this, and ultimately any president’s legacy is determined as much by events as by his or her personal qualities. That said, I think that Obama’s presidency has a good chance of being a transformative one, particularly in the area of climate and energy. Circumstances have delivered up a set of interlinked crises — economic, environmental, and security-related — at just the moment that we’ve elected a person who seems to fully grasp the scope of the problem and the proper shape of the solution.<br /><br /></em></div><div><em></em></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265272106268000178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 230px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcUDuHqOUlKBZspRdwRhzBQsUbuNutJHfIpyoM9cN_HSsGdjadfedLXWJqHr-t2PpAW8TY2dBNhisApwsXZl0VJoHGFkS0WUD-f30KdNFme0pArpbEEYWSNG_2-5Um4pxg9EU3IlxqQ/s400/Obama+Seed+Tree+Progress+Growth.jpg" border="0" /> <div><em>Obama has often been referred to as the first post-racial politician. When we someday evaluate his tenure, we may come to see him instead as the first post-environmental president, the leader who was able to connect the dots on energy, the economy, and security in way that elevates these issues above narrow interest group concerns and places them at the center of the political agenda. <br /></em></div><div></div><br /><div>Read the rest of the article <a href="http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/new-president-climate-change">HERE</a>.</div>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-87217493696486865572008-11-04T04:08:00.000-08:002008-11-04T04:09:18.621-08:00Happy November 4th...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5dbls5qUeBg-rGdtE5lnJWCQHlpZqQsB9Z3-brwMxFx2TM2zWJJqpsrVpPV16QWyXDuQGxfIa3QdqFUaFNeMbOsxOfIZKbmvj_0WcAZBD-DAMssv2Ev76xlfBYFsujIryYFjTjI2XQ/s1600-h/War+is+over.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5dbls5qUeBg-rGdtE5lnJWCQHlpZqQsB9Z3-brwMxFx2TM2zWJJqpsrVpPV16QWyXDuQGxfIa3QdqFUaFNeMbOsxOfIZKbmvj_0WcAZBD-DAMssv2Ev76xlfBYFsujIryYFjTjI2XQ/s400/War+is+over.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264773230102082322" border="0" /></a>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-31394003747347305212008-10-13T05:03:00.000-07:002008-10-13T05:19:49.955-07:00Google gives your ideas an allowance...<h1><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></h1><p><a href="http://www.project10tothe100.com/">Project 10 to the 100th</a> is a call from Google for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible. On February 27, Google will choose the best 200 ideas, donating $10 million to help with their implementation. Deadline for submissions is October 20th.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NgSRwOZtDQ8&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NgSRwOZtDQ8&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Categories: </span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don't fit into any category at all. </span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Criteria: </span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Reach: How many people would this idea affect?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Depth: How deeply are people impacted? How urgent is the need?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Attainability: Can this idea be implemented within a year or two?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Efficiency: How simple and cost-effective is your idea?</span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Longevity: How long will the idea's impact last?</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span> </p>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-25721089923466719462008-09-19T05:47:00.000-07:002008-09-19T06:18:05.784-07:00You spin me right round...Look closely, tell me what you see...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghug9YRxw1sNrrna_mq1f4rTHCIz-jv66AQXB7fdRX8V9gwhrj8u6RlByCJNqAQX7MTuG74SQ417194j0V3CIEukVMUrgASCVwW4dLIqcJF2WsN_YcCRORbt1Lw56R99ZCdThcdbjocA/s1600-h/Diller+Scofido+Renfro+Arbores+Laetae+Joyful+Trees+Liverpool.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247716027484482066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghug9YRxw1sNrrna_mq1f4rTHCIz-jv66AQXB7fdRX8V9gwhrj8u6RlByCJNqAQX7MTuG74SQ417194j0V3CIEukVMUrgASCVwW4dLIqcJF2WsN_YcCRORbt1Lw56R99ZCdThcdbjocA/s400/Diller+Scofido+Renfro+Arbores+Laetae+Joyful+Trees+Liverpool.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/liverpoolbiennial/2787403216/">Liverpool Biennial's Flickr Page</a></span><br /><br />Launched on August 20th, 2008, Diller Scofidio + Renfro's Joyful Trees was a hit at the <a href="http://www.biennial.com/">Liverpool Biennial MADE UP</a>.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Celebrating 10 years of commissioning ambitious and challenging new work by leading international artists, the fifth edition of Liverpool Biennial’s International exhibition is MADE UP, an exploration of the power of the artistic imagination.</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOM3WIZ1Ey8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOM3WIZ1Ey8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />What's more to this than just a simple installation are the eerie sounds that escape the city in the background as the trees spin, complimenting the mechanical movement of the organic landscape. You can't help but think of the cars and buses as factory noises, pushing steam and popping hydrolic lifts, spinning the tress in circles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln-7yDWVw9hQ1HHVzFosNhyzaQQhjIDO5AyUWSBSsmMwZEtRcbBYyviNPcedTSeuEnnNUq6w8_QsPmUGQtXl3fk0djiy66d1aAx5m8F4ZTzyFHboMEOPMBDZk2TuVSX_gvYp5QlrtFg/s1600-h/Diller+Scofido+Renfro+Arbores+Laetae+Joyful+Trees+Liverpool+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247716451160607202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln-7yDWVw9hQ1HHVzFosNhyzaQQhjIDO5AyUWSBSsmMwZEtRcbBYyviNPcedTSeuEnnNUq6w8_QsPmUGQtXl3fk0djiy66d1aAx5m8F4ZTzyFHboMEOPMBDZk2TuVSX_gvYp5QlrtFg/s400/Diller+Scofido+Renfro+Arbores+Laetae+Joyful+Trees+Liverpool+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/liverpoolbiennial/2787403216/">Liverpool Biennial's Flickr Page</a></span><br /><br />As a practical concept, think of the installation in terms of blocking heat gain. Perforated steel and other materials could be replaced with waltzing trees and spinning shrubs. It's a stretch, I know, but what really isn't in this day and age?J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-79138937033412546082008-09-18T06:10:00.001-07:002008-09-18T06:14:27.046-07:00I've landed...I've been in Seattle all week, posts will resume shortly....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUSUcnu4bTn50yeuvlRM_aheh2MXlHK79v2zdSGA0Ldj_f_2BqltqkFeh_c-p8bplNtkihfcOr7oWLoMaY77cajrmp0385ly30WDG16BmOc4W5sdn6o1PpOHZGLzP7T_h7-LRU2aXeA/s1600-h/Golf+Outing+and+Seattle+065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUSUcnu4bTn50yeuvlRM_aheh2MXlHK79v2zdSGA0Ldj_f_2BqltqkFeh_c-p8bplNtkihfcOr7oWLoMaY77cajrmp0385ly30WDG16BmOc4W5sdn6o1PpOHZGLzP7T_h7-LRU2aXeA/s400/Golf+Outing+and+Seattle+065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247348734108587490" border="0" /></a>Von's in Seattle, with over 450 bottles of booze behind the bar.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-36776348279834027962008-09-10T12:05:00.000-07:002008-09-10T12:19:48.758-07:00Jennnnnnga...From <a href="http://abitare.corriere.it/Architecture/2008_07/fujimoto/fujimoto_eng.shtml">ARBITARE</a>.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Next Generation House is a small housing module for weekend use, located on the edge of a forest overlooking the River Kuma at Kumakura, opposite the temple of Shibatatehime.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSpsA0khyphenhyphen3ZXSy7_eMTNjKNu4Ha8T0EdOZTT8KBac7ORAppXKFdNqW0XEhhX7lbSUJj-HX05XFb_uuwqCmQSUf0gZ-TtZElxcLum_K1FyhlLcJ0at7XLeuLg4cs0PMHsrpsTr9JIQfA/s1600-h/Next+Generation+Jenga+House+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSpsA0khyphenhyphen3ZXSy7_eMTNjKNu4Ha8T0EdOZTT8KBac7ORAppXKFdNqW0XEhhX7lbSUJj-HX05XFb_uuwqCmQSUf0gZ-TtZElxcLum_K1FyhlLcJ0at7XLeuLg4cs0PMHsrpsTr9JIQfA/s400/Next+Generation+Jenga+House+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244474177396350690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The client is a timber merchant. The small pavilion, a 4x4 m cube, is made by assembling solid Japanese cedar blocks kept in place by their own weight and connecting metal cables running through vertical drill holes. Some of the inside cubes are laid off-centre to create shelves, small living areas and even steps to move from one level to another. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgConZxgp2uoL5UMho7Er-frBte1VsBTcTnvc863pBDh-0DVzZLAtFw_ZLTNGI10C7p1UthvUVUcni-5qMF7CnZqsAUHlqkhdw1hsBZeydxTv5hyphenhyphenER7OjQzE4UfXYgG-z7kel8OG8fquw/s1600-h/Next+generation+Jenga+House.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgConZxgp2uoL5UMho7Er-frBte1VsBTcTnvc863pBDh-0DVzZLAtFw_ZLTNGI10C7p1UthvUVUcni-5qMF7CnZqsAUHlqkhdw1hsBZeydxTv5hyphenhyphenER7OjQzE4UfXYgG-z7kel8OG8fquw/s400/Next+generation+Jenga+House.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244471454075045970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Offsets in the wall cubes also create windows with views of the surrounding countryside. The oblique glass windowpanes are held in place with plastic plugs. The mobile sheets are in transparent acrylic. Two roof skylights provide extra natural light – an architectural feature over which Fujimoto takes special care. At night, artificial light visible from the outside helps to dematerialise the cube by mixing the warm tones of wood with the amber glow of incandescent bulbs, emphasising the ways in which a structure made up of heavy wooden elements can seem so light and airy. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0i2qRz-KgMAz8yrkzJ05heZampC-U5MUK5ToDMRAn7PjBwpXT5dyPEeCkXI0udMgkwXmBdpK-LCmVl4FkefkZ7HluGgZ7YsNTaAJ6jd5Oo9Tq5OS830BaAg069YWdHRpwfz4n3d1jg/s1600-h/Next+Generation+Jenga+House+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0i2qRz-KgMAz8yrkzJ05heZampC-U5MUK5ToDMRAn7PjBwpXT5dyPEeCkXI0udMgkwXmBdpK-LCmVl4FkefkZ7HluGgZ7YsNTaAJ6jd5Oo9Tq5OS830BaAg069YWdHRpwfz4n3d1jg/s400/Next+Generation+Jenga+House+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244471462734037810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/3616/sou-fujimoto-architects.html">Sou Fujimoto</a> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(Japan, 1971) architect. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">He lives in Tokyo, Japan. His children’s mental health centre won an AR Award in 2006. He has taught in several Japanese universities. In addition to his work as an architect, he writes for international magazines like A+U. He is currently working on a series of housing projects: House N, Tokyo Apartment and the Future Primitive House.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrdRQCYYnAslW5JNfX0d6Vy71lRevJTdUnhF4LnR3fx4PxyVtSg0NmKUWrKZajdqY8iH7jeN5xKyHb1X3GEP85qjCKl1NNrfMv7tXa8uLxFJW8D5Wc2p_pQ8D0Jc_yMCz9CUXl6ttRw/s1600-h/Next+Generation+Jenga+House+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrdRQCYYnAslW5JNfX0d6Vy71lRevJTdUnhF4LnR3fx4PxyVtSg0NmKUWrKZajdqY8iH7jeN5xKyHb1X3GEP85qjCKl1NNrfMv7tXa8uLxFJW8D5Wc2p_pQ8D0Jc_yMCz9CUXl6ttRw/s400/Next+Generation+Jenga+House+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244471505295933202" border="0" /></a>He had a pretty interesting start at the ripe age of 20. Worthe a quick read <a href="http://archrecord.construction.com/features/designvanguard/07dv/07SouFujimoto/07SouFujimoto.asp">HERE</a>.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-9991307959282018672008-09-10T08:16:00.000-07:002008-09-10T08:22:10.587-07:00Let's go throw the proton around...<span class="title-buildings">Over at DVICE, they've got <a href="http://dvice.com/archives/2008/09/exploring_the_l.php">30 stunning images of the Large Hadron Collider</a>. Judging by a quick <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Hadron+Collider">summize of Twitter</a>, we're all alive and (still) cracking jokes, albeit poorly written ones.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBCt7-JgmApHOYI6oRTnFJLluFcp4zYobMPY6IXaM2pgxXjSuFSqoP41QcnAWptnXBW0nRJZCQLyKb7gVZIftPp7gyhe0QRg5NvXGB4f-hnUhkT-OB4RlblqY_YCchDpIvh6ZghALWQ/s1600-h/Large+Hadron+Collider.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBCt7-JgmApHOYI6oRTnFJLluFcp4zYobMPY6IXaM2pgxXjSuFSqoP41QcnAWptnXBW0nRJZCQLyKb7gVZIftPp7gyhe0QRg5NvXGB4f-hnUhkT-OB4RlblqY_YCchDpIvh6ZghALWQ/s400/Large+Hadron+Collider.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244412540582810226" border="0" /></a><span class="title-buildings">Be careful not to step in any strange matter.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFs5Rj2ZakyNIoldHbuxe80mp_QUkJl18CJYS1NqXDvwyj5tdRBiDNDc8J69ufIttxbmbogTaGtQZeMCUovbxfZYjNQVfSkiRJeppxQu16ZDr6Y2R_ueELFdcvCl5Qlhh0eIffBAsBw/s1600-h/Large+Hadron+Collider+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFs5Rj2ZakyNIoldHbuxe80mp_QUkJl18CJYS1NqXDvwyj5tdRBiDNDc8J69ufIttxbmbogTaGtQZeMCUovbxfZYjNQVfSkiRJeppxQu16ZDr6Y2R_ueELFdcvCl5Qlhh0eIffBAsBw/s400/Large+Hadron+Collider+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244412761223743186" border="0" /></a>String cheese theory and hard-on jokes seem to be especially popular.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-68387096335579625822008-09-07T06:18:00.000-07:002008-09-07T06:26:21.915-07:00It's raining regulatory code, hallelujah...<a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4001252"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catching rain water is against the law</span></a><br /><br />August 12th, 2008 @ 11:49pm<br />By John Hollenhorst<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Who owns the rain? Not you, it turns out. You're actually breaking the law if you capture the rain falling on your roof and pour it on your flower bed! A prominent Utah car dealer found that out when he tried to do something good for the environment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rebecca Nelson captures rainwater in a barrel, and she pours it on her plants. "W</span><span style="font-style: italic;">e can fill up a barrel in one rainstorm. And so it seems a waste to just let it fall into the gravel," she said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Car dealer Mark Miller wanted to do pretty much the same thing on a bigger scale. He collects rainwater on the roof of his new building, stores it in a cistern and hopes to clean cars with it in a new, water-efficient car wash. But without a valid water right, state officials say he can't legally divert rainwater. "I was surprised. We thought it was our water," Miller said.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuydJ32oE_u8zBN2Isb1OY8tN72YeQ_EoOvmb10ngG4xVWWWaO241Xud5WnKylao-uFyIdveTlsaGnJjZ-Rcgsuh2IJA6QL5nn9QtzLb4IWwYJaYdhRHLTONjB7OQ6jLHRRNiXYig0cA/s1600-h/rain+on+window.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuydJ32oE_u8zBN2Isb1OY8tN72YeQ_EoOvmb10ngG4xVWWWaO241Xud5WnKylao-uFyIdveTlsaGnJjZ-Rcgsuh2IJA6QL5nn9QtzLb4IWwYJaYdhRHLTONjB7OQ6jLHRRNiXYig0cA/s400/rain+on+window.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243270019894001010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">State officials say it's an old legal concept to protect people who do have water rights. Boyd Clayton, the deputy state engineer, said, "Obviously if you use the water upstream, it won't be there for the person to use it downstream."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Utah's the second driest state in the nation. Our water laws ought to catch up with that," Miller says. </span><br /><br />Read the rest of the story <a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4001252">HERE</a>.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-44649903986066658182008-09-05T23:12:00.000-07:002008-09-05T23:16:37.747-07:00It came with a wrench...Building with the Swedish system of closed panel wall elements in Sigtuna, Sweden.<br /><br /><embed src="http://jumpcut.com/media/flash/jump.swf?id=149A224E32C511DDB63A000423CF037A&asset_type=movie&asset_id=149A224E32C511DDB63A000423CF037A&eb=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="408" height="324"></embed>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-12667608422967195832008-09-04T05:20:00.000-07:002008-09-04T05:36:46.872-07:00Want.My new guilty pleasure...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57JzKDzfOLUPAMSCmyeg96jEoOrp4EA0C9heTEYOvKrQ8HnBwcqsvgzExesr_fNTpH-1p8sHcPn-IVmu1fBSyMHdDNPthSBxkswDjnhVvMDaRM_jhPvc0E93oChnRDIAvJi98iCTavg/s1600-h/Wood+Bookcase+Stairs+Books.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57JzKDzfOLUPAMSCmyeg96jEoOrp4EA0C9heTEYOvKrQ8HnBwcqsvgzExesr_fNTpH-1p8sHcPn-IVmu1fBSyMHdDNPthSBxkswDjnhVvMDaRM_jhPvc0E93oChnRDIAvJi98iCTavg/s400/Wood+Bookcase+Stairs+Books.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242140090099784082" border="0" /></a>...is surfing the web...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGs3s1o9u4PFBiW5w5PXxBgml_z8pBGCSH9VrlJiHwTN49pTbtdKY9J6ndb7-tc5l8qLbuyekmd4tvVv7Kxeou6ywVEfeMWqvGbKVj2po2_va5jyHm6lQvwlNLD7mD-Dxv3TJ6A2LRA/s1600-h/Cantilevered+Concrete+Exterior+Stairs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGs3s1o9u4PFBiW5w5PXxBgml_z8pBGCSH9VrlJiHwTN49pTbtdKY9J6ndb7-tc5l8qLbuyekmd4tvVv7Kxeou6ywVEfeMWqvGbKVj2po2_va5jyHm6lQvwlNLD7mD-Dxv3TJ6A2LRA/s400/Cantilevered+Concrete+Exterior+Stairs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242140567185187298" border="0" /></a>...for a different kind of porn...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBYRZ7S7awGnZJrCVWyI0eIuiMdE9ZZQJO5fvbydhFdy8TmJwtj4HJsHHFv4ZxEwXTB2bWwNYpg9M2D2Bd42tDPsx11iYnmAX0uGZk-Zs98-16g6LexqRIr9azR99eoBVq3O4kwQCUg/s1600-h/Roarockit+Skateboard+Company+Deck+Stairs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBYRZ7S7awGnZJrCVWyI0eIuiMdE9ZZQJO5fvbydhFdy8TmJwtj4HJsHHFv4ZxEwXTB2bWwNYpg9M2D2Bd42tDPsx11iYnmAX0uGZk-Zs98-16g6LexqRIr9azR99eoBVq3O4kwQCUg/s400/Roarockit+Skateboard+Company+Deck+Stairs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242140991225861730" border="0" /></a>...known as stair porn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuwa1UlHsDeVeC6-VZ7n2CRGhGOGPoNyjBxmEPGwngxVWNrOU_YdPpP6DNpyOYYvzQJw57u_cKDebGzHuI9vPNwN9-ptVnE1ekB69luoZSpcmKnzvvRE-Z-yZohn06hXOAAk7HE06hQ/s1600-h/Hanging+Spiral+Stairs+Didden+Village+MVRDV.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuwa1UlHsDeVeC6-VZ7n2CRGhGOGPoNyjBxmEPGwngxVWNrOU_YdPpP6DNpyOYYvzQJw57u_cKDebGzHuI9vPNwN9-ptVnE1ekB69luoZSpcmKnzvvRE-Z-yZohn06hXOAAk7HE06hQ/s400/Hanging+Spiral+Stairs+Didden+Village+MVRDV.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242141066444623474" border="0" /></a>Thanks to <a href="http://www.stairporn.org/">this website</a>, I don't have to look very far...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqhyphenhyphenWKuj-6rbVYO05pNEvxcHQ7HAsjJMLGxtFws7RsG6e9igwAM5NCXRHhkMRRzkriF7Il6eZnON_JP5qwtIxUwMpGm2c1PnvHpquWGJWH1y0X8DlBJuajPtnJEDhMDB5nRUtOBYGvQ/s1600-h/Wexford+Hotel+Montego+Bay+Jamaica.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqhyphenhyphenWKuj-6rbVYO05pNEvxcHQ7HAsjJMLGxtFws7RsG6e9igwAM5NCXRHhkMRRzkriF7Il6eZnON_JP5qwtIxUwMpGm2c1PnvHpquWGJWH1y0X8DlBJuajPtnJEDhMDB5nRUtOBYGvQ/s400/Wexford+Hotel+Montego+Bay+Jamaica.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242141156687465682" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.stairporn.org/">Stair Porn</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">1. <em>Wooden bookcase images from <a href="http://www.livingetc.com/">Living Etc</a>, <a href="http://www.elleinterior.se/">Elle interiör</a><br /></em>2. </span><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Tolo House, Alvaro Leite Siza<br />3. Roarockit Skateboard Company Deck Stairs<br />4. Hanging Spiral Stairs, Didden Village, MVRDV<br />5. Wexford Hotel, Montego Bay, Jamaica </span><br /></em>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-56267258021389734192008-08-18T05:39:00.000-07:002008-08-18T08:56:20.588-07:00A homegrown post...<div><div><div><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">When we die, let's donate our land to the city with the hopes that they turn it in to a field of cement corn. Think of it, Eulalia...cement corn as far as the eye can see! </span></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235856303094382482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 292px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 430px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="445" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESN0HUa9etZTkTg77RwUPg3dfw9NJz0EkoLQSKlnr6LLfyAt5aw4mgZGndkXhtvChDog0H35uJJ33bhfPBgRnz-AY76p5NzKiZy4mrPPn3eAQoE_ZenL0pi-gxIEfdV4Jqunha7mYPw/s400/Sam+Frantz+Field+of+Corn+Dublin+Ohio.jpg" width="283" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">Flickr user </span><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jflauer/2264457167/"><span style="font-size:78%;">jfsl3</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">.</span><br /><div><br />I'm not sure that that's exactly what Sam and Eulalia Frantz envisioned for their land before passing from this life to the next. Actually, I'm sure <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">nobody</span> envisions such an image. Regardless, that was the fitting tribute they gave this corn farmer and his wife. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235882494324300930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 288px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="223" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PEgF06xWeXTMfswfYSBjJQCQTCkQnMmrQJK1DonE_CzJnNf04lF94SJQ_MGRdXFjdziyXENLiUxskGnSImBGkd2_E31oIlD2eG1OQZP-7-20OcHwz-ilhHh_ar4B9JEua8mD_Ti48g/s400/Sam+Frantz+Field+of+Corn+Dublin+Ohio+3.jpg" width="342" border="0" />Sam Frantz had/has a rich farm history in Dublin, OH. He is most well known for his corn hybridization techniques, most notably from the 1930's to the 1960's. And from my perspective, as a child, Frantz road really <em>was </em>the heart of Dublin. Aside from the upper-echelon houses and neatly-cropped golf courses, there wasn't much in the area but expansive farmland and soccer fields, all of which stretched along the perimeter of Frantz Road.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Today, however, farm titles have been bought Sam Walton-style in favor of track housing, "upgrade-available" condos, and malls, malls, malls - I can even remember (a number of years ago) one of our independent papers running a contest to come up with a new city motto, and a jaded reader submitted the wonderful, "Columbus: Malltastic!"</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235886394905349858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rrK_Uj874EKAl3zcyViRMZLGbJPOVvYjtA7FxNy7xxMagwDDG94Tfg2gvv1FYUutpYtpgJL6rlWn4M0IXj2YG-boHZemLUj1uZsS7uFzfQBHA4uU6B-Wn3hRMc3Go54tyIyvT_5JcQ/s400/Sam+Frantz+Field+of+Corn+Dublin+Ohio+4.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>Such is the feeling for a good portion of Columbus development, including but not limited to, the outskirts of Dublin in the mid-1990's. Many other areas, such as Hilliard, Gahanna and Westerville experienced the same sort of development. Some fared the storm, while others folded in favor of the next housing development or mall expansion.</div><div></div><br /><div><strong><em>The Field of Corn</em></strong></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Also known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornhenge">Cornhenge</a>, the <em>Field of Corn with Osage Orange Trees</em> was conceived by artist Malcolm Cochran, and commissioned by the Dublin Arts Council in 1994. The site sits in a large grass field adjacent to Nationwide Insurance. Around the time of completion, 1,500 employees had relocated from Nationwide's downtown office in Columbus to the Dublin suburb - a trend omnipresent with the Central Ohio business model of that time. In fact, many other companies did the same, opting instead for the bright lights of the highway outer belt, over the parking-choked commute nightmare that was/is downtown Columbus. </div><div></div><br /><div>Given the influx of residents to the suburbs, the decision was an easy one for most executives, even if it meant driving the city to one of the highest downtown vacancy rates in the nation, <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07E6DB163FF93AA25755C0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">a trend that reached its worst from 00-02</a>. </div><div></div><br /><div>Now, however, with the development of the Arena District and surrounding areas --in addition to 10-year tax abatement programs for housing and other businesses-- Columbus is seeing a reurbanization of sorts. </div><div></div><br /><div>So why the corn fields for a post? </div><div></div><br /><div>Well, I've lived in Central Ohio for 80% of my life and never really explored some of the established attractions. As a result, Malcolm Cochran's cornfields caught my eye (or <em>recaught</em>, for that matter) because I've seen it surface every now and again on the interweb; from <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/field-of-corn-in-dublin-ohio/">Scott Beale's</a> experience at Laughing Squid to <a href="http://www.neatorama.com/2006/03/28/malcolm-cochrans-field-of-corn/">Neatorama's post</a>, even <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9527">Roadside America</a>. Some people have even made videos of the field, like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOIdLusE3XQ">this one</a> of a crazed man running through the corn sculptures. So it obviously catches a lot of peoples' attention, whereas I've kind of mentally written it off.</div><div></div><br /><div>So again, why the fields? </div><div></div><br /><div>They're odd, but they're the good kind of odd, and we don't get much of that good-kind-of-odd in Ohio. Not to mention, I think Cochran was trying to make a statement about the suburbanization of of our culture by permanently establishing a cornfield as, well, a cornfield!?!? And an absurd cornfield at that! 109 pieces of 8'0" friggin' tall corn. </div><div></div><div> </div><div>From plaques on the site:</div><div></div><br /><div><em>Corn has been cultivated in Ohio for approximately 1800 years. It was known to prehistoric Native American Hopewell peoples (A.D. 100-500). Prehistoric and historic Native Americans combined plantings of corn, beans, squash, and gourds in their fields and small garden plots. Two important varieties of corn were Northern flint corn, which had 16 to 20 rows of kernels on long, thin cobs, and Southern gourdseed corn, which had short, stubby ears with up to 32 rows of kernels. By the mid-1700s, Native Americans in Ohio grew great quantities of corn, often in larger fields. Particularly along the Scioto and Miami River valleys, it was not uncommon to see thousands of acres of cornfields. The Wyandot Indians, who are known to have camped on scenic Indian Run just north of Dublin village, were prominent among the historic Native American cultivators of corn.</em><br /><br />OK, so the installation's plaque might not expound on my theory of cornfield-as-a-development-statement, but I still thought it was worth a post. And given the recent influx of cheap condos, loft-style apartments and plastic buildings going up in our fair city, who knows? Maybe one day we'll see a public park downtown with 109 strategically-placed tiny buildings scattered across a grass field - a fitting tribute to the over-development currently taking place. </div><div><br /><span style="font-size:+0;">Check it out when you have time:</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:+0;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:+0;">Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees)<br />4995 Rings Rd<br />Dublin, OH 43017 </span></div><div><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=4995+Rings+Road,+Dublin,+OH&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title">Try it out in Google Streetview</a>.</span></div></div></div>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-69153703317328606262008-07-30T05:42:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:40:26.446-08:00They have a FLARE for kinetic movement...Some of you might know <a href="http://insourceoutsource.blogspot.com/2007/08/coolest-product-in-universe.html">my obsession</a> for the pneumatically actuated installation known as <a href="http://hyposurface.org/">Hyposurface</a>. I can't figure out if it's the flow or limitless functional possibilities that intrigues me more, but I'm fascinated by every color, click and wave.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228798999154259538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vxgRKnKwSaRwMFNE2If353gqTXQeRQQ_lKtPblzQ8WTCaD53i9DAWuDBsyAyfmnbCDjevG3F-i26ZwtZvxTmLu3ULc_PzGl5qqmqWQjxw1vwoKrx5YuKUXyTK-BsAmlX8yjIhTShMw/s400/Hyposurface+Pneumatic+Wall+Installation.jpg" border="0" /><br />Recently, <a href="http://cmess.tumblr.com/">a robot junkie peep of mine</a> in San Fransisco pointed me to the water sculptures of <a href="http://www.williampye.com/">William Pye </a>and, for whatever reason, I was reminded more so of the mechanical movement in Hyposurface than the organic, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=TUhiQk9jvcI">hypnotic movement of Pye's water sculptures</a>.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228799140327119298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BZLFRiIn8TW0PiPE8V83A9THttIN1g9k75ZAM118rFs6KoQokkGL0__5YBPrDjyYbS-SezfCLEJwITyvrm6RDxGRB8hvZkmXNyBbqyQ0RJwmbOkYCjwIU0LcNRcYN3yO6SwEqSnAlw/s400/William+Pye+Water+Vortex+Sculpture+Charybdis.jpg" border="0" />Call it an obsession with simulated movement, but for whatever reason, I'm more impressed with technological mimicry than its natural brethren. So I decided to go back to the Hyposurface concept and see if there was anything new on the market.<br /><br />Needless to say, I'm in love with a new piece of technology. Take one part wall curtain, two parts stealth bomber, multiply by peyote and you've got:<br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.flare-facade.com/">FLARE: Kinetic Ambiant Reflection Membrane</a></em><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228799984423085618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU3emjGTD9MWiMlZGqdSs8h8NdFxDQiS_rw4BfWXwD_Dbr8RFP06EBav4wmlnpa0OxjcOG2n-0W4pROyiTyB2m2KIbcpYRvQwlDyjk8OFBbO7OLTLQS34mi7NNdVkeJ21JCY2o2dCWw/s400/Flare+Facade+Kinetic+Ambient+Reflection+Membrane.jpg" border="0" /><em>FLARE turns the building facade into a penetrable kinetic membrane, breaking with all conventions of the building surface as a static skin. The FLARE system consists of a number of tiltable metal flake bodies supplemented by individually controllable pneumatic cylinders.<br /><br /></em><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228799875335103346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEyClOmQLfeObm_RSycVlL_v19Gm_DK4Iz2E9wVKSYiyhqEKZWbmnxBcU4myCHeFobyhID1x_nE-h5aXcIpK9RFqCCnRvyrSfi-arCn_OmnvicWJ3pEw3V_wdJ57fjOjVy-KZIVOQaw/s400/Flare+Facade+Kinetic+Ambient+Reflection+Membrane+2.jpg" border="0" /><em>Due to the developed pattern, an infinite array of flakes can be mounted on any building or wall surface in a modular system of multiplied FLARE units.</em><br /><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228799713343885970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLVqlJxazplln79KSbvmjlZYq8Nn5Pwj0jmTbzIr6wmP56-e9BDJHKRjpQ2wATgeamFRsoZtgtQcYOoGcjG5GKiIw_gON2BZMG9hWK7pfHcYGQGqW5RNOLH1OKXzbw-RfZ9I8egCnlg/s400/Flare+Facade+Kinetic+Ambient+Reflection+Membrane+3.jpg" border="0" /> Each metal flake reflects the bright sky or sunlight when in vertical standby position. When the flake is tilted downwards by a computer controlled pneumatic piston, its face is shaded from the sky light and this way appears as a dark pixel.<br /><br /><div><embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://static.ning.com/contemporary/widgets/video/flvplayer/flvplayer.swf?v=" width="448" height="328" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="config_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myarchn.com%2Fvideo%2Fvideo%2FshowPlayerConfig%3Fid%3D672283%253AVideo%253A65144%26x%3DiQv3FGKrCa8y85kWif4s9cSenZW72mTz&video_smoothing=on&autoplay=off&layout=external_site" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed><br /><br /><em>By reflecting ambient or direct sunlight, the individual flakes of the FLARE system act like pixels formed by natural light. The system is controlled by a computer to form any kind of surface animation. Sensor systems inside and outside the building communicate the buildings activity directly to the FLARE system which acts as the buildings lateral line.</em><br /><br />Read more about FLARE Facade <a href="http://www.flare-facade.com/">HERE</a>. </div></div>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-81092424521245972642008-07-23T04:51:00.000-07:002008-07-23T05:02:47.361-07:00Gary Fisher hits nail on head...“Cars are the new smoking.”<br /><br />-Gary Fisher<br /><br />via <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2008/07/22/update-from-california-a-speeding-ticket-lunch-with-gary-fisher-and-bike-dancing-in-between/">Bike Portland</a>, via via <a href="http://a.wholelottanothing.org/">Matt Haughey</a> on Twitter.<br /><br />If cars are the new smoking, then SUV drivers are the new meth addicts.<br /><br />Like Matt Haughey, I <span style="font-weight: bold;">love love love</span> this Gary Fisher quote. Can't wait to use it in a bar.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-24234524653739306322008-07-22T05:27:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:40:27.209-08:00It's diamond-polished on the soles of your shoes...As we all know, <a href="http://insourceoutsource.blogspot.com/2008/05/walking-on-flowers-permanently.html">I like my concrete</a>. OK, so maybe not in a like-like sort of way, but a simple like.<br /><br />Raw? It really does nothing for me raw. But inherent simplicity of the material, <a href="http://www.concrete-blond.com/home.htm">when spiced up a bit</a>, can have a dramatic effect on a room (throw in a heating element and I'm sold!). Given its widespread use as a base in both residential and industrial design, I've yet to figure out why it is so underutilized as a final application.<br /><br />So as we began tearing up 800 sf of carpet and began the process of prepping the concrete for an impending acid stain, I couldn't help but wonder what else was on the market to just treat treat/finish the floor <span style="font-style: italic;">as is</span>; the term<span style="font-style: italic;"> acid stain</span> don't necessarily scream "chemical free" now, does it? One company that repeatedly surfaced in the blogosphere is the Utah-based <a href="http://www.retroplatesystem.com/">Retro Plate Concrete Polishing System</a>. They take an old floor, polish it up, and make it super shiny. Easy, eh?<br /><br />Well, as it turns out, treating a raw concrete floor has other advantages I didn't know about:<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/productsByCsiSection.cfm?csiMF2004ID=787">BuildingGreen.com</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Covering concrete with cosmetic layers can increase environmental and financial costs significantly over the lifespan of a structure as compared with using concrete in a structure-as-finish capacity. Polished and densified concrete floors (old or new) combine diamond stone-polishing technology with silicate chemical treatment to provide a significantly better alternative to film and wax coatings—highly durable, nearly maintenance-free, noncombustible… and the improved reflectivity can also reduce lighting requirements.</span><br /><br />Who knew?<br /><br />Neato.<br /><br />More on Retro Plate and their <span style="font-weight: bold;">sustainable</span> polishing system:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t6peF3nOyit38Pe79iDbV9U3ZeW7yiw8fzu3MAMiqIKAN_OtN2PodQuSnuSCk0Y5-6MsPfs6TvpnMey_7LjsgdjCrh5z2rSs6UwgYabm0SYd1B0b5EP5xoN0Xk2K0rmFdVcXWh4uHg/s1600-h/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Retail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t6peF3nOyit38Pe79iDbV9U3ZeW7yiw8fzu3MAMiqIKAN_OtN2PodQuSnuSCk0Y5-6MsPfs6TvpnMey_7LjsgdjCrh5z2rSs6UwgYabm0SYd1B0b5EP5xoN0Xk2K0rmFdVcXWh4uHg/s400/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Retail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225815981981296818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Concrete in its “natural” state is a porous product that is susceptible to efflorescence, spalling and dusting; and it does not provide an aesthetic finish, nor is it easily cleaned.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AQPQowLMzOLs8Hf9JoKCPzMteMTVwhI7JjwDHuhpjv2dHdshs9KJttZSVGhHxFquVATcTv9bDaW67jaL4rGVd8_h01iorWKOxLDuakaR3RvdSEp7EYHzRH8ki2CHeLLS0l-JX45_Rw/s1600-h/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Residential.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AQPQowLMzOLs8Hf9JoKCPzMteMTVwhI7JjwDHuhpjv2dHdshs9KJttZSVGhHxFquVATcTv9bDaW67jaL4rGVd8_h01iorWKOxLDuakaR3RvdSEp7EYHzRH8ki2CHeLLS0l-JX45_Rw/s400/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Residential.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225815940240203890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">That's why Advanced Floor Products has created a science and art that revolves around the conversion of concrete from being a plain, boring, and porous industrial floor, to being one of strength, longevity and beauty.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvz64UQlLx9m4HAW0Tqjfh4i4q28ZGiwspsyl788BcfJX2EsrvjFsqiZ7IT9PbuN9h6-lI6pOJifAz213MKMrmblqhucFtcHqdtgRzUi5EJzUqUUbMhgCC4g0jf0zkNUySMGIWRxWVw/s1600-h/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Office.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvz64UQlLx9m4HAW0Tqjfh4i4q28ZGiwspsyl788BcfJX2EsrvjFsqiZ7IT9PbuN9h6-lI6pOJifAz213MKMrmblqhucFtcHqdtgRzUi5EJzUqUUbMhgCC4g0jf0zkNUySMGIWRxWVw/s400/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Office.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225815887187403170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Rather than continually having to cover up the floor and trying to hide the inherent problems, only to create new ones, our skilled Certified Applicators create a floor that meets your long-term needs.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzQMiaF37n86LMcoqQmsg4R7QK0Anlb06NeCnamoCcCV7l6nUg6FOVWXGTgCPyLietTLtwYl_oJEMERmUE2sRBgFqTrlAKKRM5Fpdp4Je3GiWdLLpUNhIYtkK2JoO-OQRLRmJmAP0Lg/s1600-h/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Industrial.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzQMiaF37n86LMcoqQmsg4R7QK0Anlb06NeCnamoCcCV7l6nUg6FOVWXGTgCPyLietTLtwYl_oJEMERmUE2sRBgFqTrlAKKRM5Fpdp4Je3GiWdLLpUNhIYtkK2JoO-OQRLRmJmAP0Lg/s400/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Industrial.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225815850777775858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Through the use of our patented process of diamond grinding and polishing, in conjunction with the specially formulated RetroPlate, we eliminate your need for all topical sealers. We eliminate moisture vapor problems.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XoF5TJHTjYxnaJIy_Fbkpue3H0-9SF35LxEply2FHsRzbGdr3tItWXt5gWdq5jHvsxj9ouiZ-_DKUzfh25ISW45Sabs8Q0alobW0TnmZhVBF4oLOs-goqzeQJiCwoEurKtFysjw4Ug/s1600-h/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Automotive.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XoF5TJHTjYxnaJIy_Fbkpue3H0-9SF35LxEply2FHsRzbGdr3tItWXt5gWdq5jHvsxj9ouiZ-_DKUzfh25ISW45Sabs8Q0alobW0TnmZhVBF4oLOs-goqzeQJiCwoEurKtFysjw4Ug/s400/Retro+Plate+Concrete+Polishing+System+Automotive.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225815802245811506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bottom line: Look at the true costs of the product that you choose…and RetroPlate will generally be your cost effective choice. Short term or long term: we deliver the best!</span><br /><br />-<a href="http://www.retroplatesystem.com/">Retro Plate Concrete Polishing System</a><br /><br />Anyway, now that the carpet is gone (<a href="http://www.carpetrecovery.org/">but not forgotten</a>) it amazes me to think how much acoustic insulation we will need. Even for a room that small, there is a tremendous echo. Such an echo would be minimized in residential applications (given the softer furnishings), but how do you make up for such a void in industrial applications? Where does the trade-off begin to level out of sound vs. durability?J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-20514077987074829882008-07-17T11:48:00.000-07:002008-07-17T12:00:15.664-07:00Put it away after using the restroom...Insanely busy at work/home right now, so the posts have been few and far between. Here's a quicky for ya...<br /><br />As someone that used to live in an 750 sf house --yes, house-- I can appreciate the size of a bathroom. Every single square inch counted as we bumped morning elbows with one another, sometimes reaching for the faucet while the other was spitting. Well, two of these would have made a world of difference.<br /><br />But think bigger.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib35-6se501Wx8NStJWpQ0grVHHMmJiJb-6dnUZJmdyEg4BePkAhyvRYkntAeFJ90acKyDO4x1Krso1Hiksw4108mvgc7pzIiJexcpomOF8r28aScA4M3LtaHWIQFH0iyHvDiHsN0x4Q/s1600-h/Vertebrae+vertical+bathroom+for+small+homes.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib35-6se501Wx8NStJWpQ0grVHHMmJiJb-6dnUZJmdyEg4BePkAhyvRYkntAeFJ90acKyDO4x1Krso1Hiksw4108mvgc7pzIiJexcpomOF8r28aScA4M3LtaHWIQFH0iyHvDiHsN0x4Q/s400/Vertebrae+vertical+bathroom+for+small+homes.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224059712953841202" border="0" /></a><br />Airplanes, trains, metro stops...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nMSv7e0iDvA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nMSv7e0iDvA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-60230353781262569102008-07-02T10:12:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:40:28.470-08:00Freedom Towers aren't free...Looks like even a bake sale couldn't save the proposed retractable roof for the World Trade Center transit hub, that is, unless you can sell about $40,000,000 worth of snickerdoodles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85s-2sHJnJoK0VraV8BaNzR3yHVw13oaAPlyC5vuBApYcEWJG-C_5yjD_n1BFDSXiaM84FQtmBxevdAe9oGaKt61Zn4PD-7Bk1RifUhFWDwLOOTYp5Uq29n18nT1tUWbl06fcIyrPhg/s1600-h/World+Trade+Center+Transit+Hub+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85s-2sHJnJoK0VraV8BaNzR3yHVw13oaAPlyC5vuBApYcEWJG-C_5yjD_n1BFDSXiaM84FQtmBxevdAe9oGaKt61Zn4PD-7Bk1RifUhFWDwLOOTYp5Uq29n18nT1tUWbl06fcIyrPhg/s400/World+Trade+Center+Transit+Hub+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218468277074927602" border="0" /></a>Due to ongoing budget woes, it looks as though the Santiago Calatrava-designed structure will need to undergo a post-design facelift. Some might find this sad, but judging by the comments section in the story below, NY locals think the money should obviously be spent elsewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRFaFXv08lM4wnbLbaH07XOQFHn2CxVETPNdXEW3og72xdLcFiJikgIkRxSw13dZXEMO8xvpcsqRPwap1GQU3Zwy71PqIUO2qXsRjLlTqjb-oTJfGP70yEUCy2EIc_sqykDFbutCVvw/s1600-h/World+Trade+Center+Transit+Hub+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRFaFXv08lM4wnbLbaH07XOQFHn2CxVETPNdXEW3og72xdLcFiJikgIkRxSw13dZXEMO8xvpcsqRPwap1GQU3Zwy71PqIUO2qXsRjLlTqjb-oTJfGP70yEUCy2EIc_sqykDFbutCVvw/s400/World+Trade+Center+Transit+Hub+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218468584114179314" border="0" /></a>From <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/07/01/no_retractable_roof_for_proposed_wt.php">Gothamist</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now that everyone knows rebuilding efforts at the World Trade Center are </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://gothamist.com/2008/06/30/port_authority_confirms_delays_bill.php">over-budget and very delayed</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, Port Authority executive director Christopher Ward announced that the Santiago Calatrava-designed transit hub would undergo some changes. Namely, the hub's "wings" will no longer close and open.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBB1qLfmirL10jmEsccXHYpGyCO4ong_1Sfvp_lGeUZXyya8griu37X-09DE3eQL8H6WNoEFScui8TdlGodk14lpwan1W5GUFqFPNa2F2DzrYQnQEO2FOzqSGQ1d2c8CVtIiTu2lN-Q/s1600-h/World+Trade+Center+Transit+Hub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBB1qLfmirL10jmEsccXHYpGyCO4ong_1Sfvp_lGeUZXyya8griu37X-09DE3eQL8H6WNoEFScui8TdlGodk14lpwan1W5GUFqFPNa2F2DzrYQnQEO2FOzqSGQ1d2c8CVtIiTu2lN-Q/s400/World+Trade+Center+Transit+Hub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218466113677296002" border="0" /></a><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/these-wings-will-not-fly/">CityRoom notes</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> Calatrava had previously said of the hub, "On a beautiful summer day, the building can work not as a greenhouse but as an open space,” on beautiful days and the anniversary of September 11 each year. Now, the Port Authority says, “This is a tough choice, but it is the right choice. It’s reflective of the kinds of choices we simply must make in the coming weeks and months if we are to establish priorities and milestones, to which we can be held accountable.”</span><br /><br />Read the rest of the article <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/07/01/no_retractable_roof_for_proposed_wt.php">HERE</a>.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-30336348440116115192008-06-26T04:50:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:40:29.812-08:00Bringing the Green Indoors: Beyond Humbolt CountyFor centuries, naturalists have want to live, work and play among the flowers.<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Well, the answer is simple.<br /><br />The mere presence of nature in an indoor setting acts as a powerful agent of calm, emboldening the porliferation of atmospheres contradictory to that of a-typical office/home/leisure habitats. Add a few plants and a water feature, and what was once a "daily grind" is now a workplace oasis. Spruce up a wall treatment with live foliage and open some windows for natural ventilation, and what was once flourecent and cold is now lush and tropical. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_building_syndrome">Sick buildings</a> are getting better, and good buildings are getting great.<br /><br />With the growing resurgence in the popularity of greenspace --in addition to the numerous quests for modernity and LEED points-- I was interested in seeing how much decoration and design was now being centered on the interior, rather than the landscaped, space.<br /><br />Not surprisingly, there are literally thousands of new products catering to the urban gardener/ horticulturalist/resident/emplyee/designer. Some are unique, some enhance user experience, and some even heal.<br /><br />Others are, well, just a little loopy.<br /><br />This post samples 10 concepts or products that bring the green <span style="font-weight: bold;">behind</span> your front door (and I need to say that I've had so much fun visiting and revisiting some of these concepts, that I might just do this again).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.krejci.nl/">Eco Ball Garden Chair by Krejci</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmxPadSLiO00oMiVwkycG5u9SyNukeEe_Vlk9dKbKFUtfYMYhu5eQAM4_kNSFG3UTvUmPmAe0FoTy_uBHEvIFtEqG4T8LVwwhcRiv-bvbGJ1r1VlnawrC0lYM1XzZhZhZIaCWfizknQ/s1600-h/Krejci%E2%80%99s+Eco+Ball+Garden+Chair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmxPadSLiO00oMiVwkycG5u9SyNukeEe_Vlk9dKbKFUtfYMYhu5eQAM4_kNSFG3UTvUmPmAe0FoTy_uBHEvIFtEqG4T8LVwwhcRiv-bvbGJ1r1VlnawrC0lYM1XzZhZhZIaCWfizknQ/s400/Krejci%E2%80%99s+Eco+Ball+Garden+Chair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216195735968227330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Dutch designer's dual-purpose Eco Ball will be offered in eco-friendly materials: recycled plastic, biodegradeable plastic and shredded wood, binded together with biodegradable adhesive.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.greenfortune.com/plantwall.php">Green Fortune Plantwall at Uppsala Konsert & Kongress</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qTyQt05UsuP_QFR9fjpcTYIH9tOo5MI7GKN8dhDXGzW7e3KzL8d1hYAYGXRevdIa99faJycEALC4sd3289nkSUX4ra2n6nbjW5dk00S7rpHSVZtHy1JoRHyCaahcDUeO_mgPLGndfw/s1600-h/Green+Fortune+Plantwall+at+Uppsala+Konsert+%26+Kongress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qTyQt05UsuP_QFR9fjpcTYIH9tOo5MI7GKN8dhDXGzW7e3KzL8d1hYAYGXRevdIa99faJycEALC4sd3289nkSUX4ra2n6nbjW5dk00S7rpHSVZtHy1JoRHyCaahcDUeO_mgPLGndfw/s400/Green+Fortune+Plantwall+at+Uppsala+Konsert+%26+Kongress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216191670979554370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This vertical application of greenery provides a powerful impact on the envirnonment where it is built. It is almost like being outside inside. Plantwall can be varied both in size and shape. Depending on the size of the wall and the impact you want to create the choice of plants can be adjusted. It is possible to create a sophisticated wall that keeps its look over time, as well as a wild, heavily growing wall.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fungandblatt.com/f_bp/index.htm">The Fung + Blatt Lawnchair</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbw8qyAn56yxdHLH4-HQiGWH9gkHIDmM8W8ncO01H0mT_EbnP1ncB88vWtCihofRQlcxGHM0Moc4ArfHdCA72EhLBqvipT1FMJKhmZNa26yIZEPMGfTyAC-R1oDhBpfIgyOsgeoK7Bg/s1600-h/Fung+and+Blatt+Lawnchair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbw8qyAn56yxdHLH4-HQiGWH9gkHIDmM8W8ncO01H0mT_EbnP1ncB88vWtCihofRQlcxGHM0Moc4ArfHdCA72EhLBqvipT1FMJKhmZNa26yIZEPMGfTyAC-R1oDhBpfIgyOsgeoK7Bg/s400/Fung+and+Blatt+Lawnchair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216173258743139794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">...fabricated from renewable materials of steel, rubber and felt, and then finished with a layer of sod or ground cover. It is contoured for comfort and fully functional. Before sod, the chaise body weighs 25 lbs. and can be shipped dissembled from its base. When “upholstered” with sod, the lawnchair is easily movable by two people. The lawnchair is equipped with a built-in “moisturizing” system that promotes even distribution of moisture under the sod, thereby minimizing evaporation and run-off.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.gardeners.com/Living+Wall+Indoor/37-085RS,default,pd.html">Living Wall Planters</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4h3yE9ByslLWIzmuhiYArKk1DuH4mFsp0qWwWqhB4TfmQXZ4YfaO87D58F30tZXwh1xxK4YK5JBpjAnMn7HEwHMozgg8eOmP_SFpmsFqVOW7m3dht6B7bFYMNSQvuucUbUg4kB4e8uw/s1600-h/Living+Wall+Planters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4h3yE9ByslLWIzmuhiYArKk1DuH4mFsp0qWwWqhB4TfmQXZ4YfaO87D58F30tZXwh1xxK4YK5JBpjAnMn7HEwHMozgg8eOmP_SFpmsFqVOW7m3dht6B7bFYMNSQvuucUbUg4kB4e8uw/s400/Living+Wall+Planters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216175030640413010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This innovative growing system graces penthouse apartments in Paris and chic restaurants in Italy. It's easy to see why; no other plant display creates such drama while being so easy to maintain. These wall-mounted and freestanding models are an easy way to add a breathtaking plant display to your home. Each kit includes the planting grid, top and bottom trays, a cedar frame, mounting hardware and complete instructions.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.arwinsontwerp.nl/">Interior Weeds by Arwin Caljouw</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qMA9ShOOBcTn7k8KgiCdCO0iDhxH6BwoRhOYVvIy_Nr30T2yN2jj-ba3APtYKBTP_v2tntpze8xzxk_mvkSOW5H8g0H0e8ydY0yr0P2Dtb9JU3L_THPQH2veUAnJAUUeIeSG5HN7Yg/s1600-h/Interior+Weeds+by+Arwin+Caljouw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qMA9ShOOBcTn7k8KgiCdCO0iDhxH6BwoRhOYVvIy_Nr30T2yN2jj-ba3APtYKBTP_v2tntpze8xzxk_mvkSOW5H8g0H0e8ydY0yr0P2Dtb9JU3L_THPQH2veUAnJAUUeIeSG5HN7Yg/s400/Interior+Weeds+by+Arwin+Caljouw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216176326548436866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Interior Weeds is a project about nature. The way that weeds emerge and grow in the streets, are for designer Arwin Caljouw a beautiful thing. It shows the power of plants in the human environment. With the center piece you can create an interior plantation from street weeds or other personal selection of plants. The graphic tiles are an addition to a plain tile collection, which you might apply in a random and unique way. Being aware of our environment is the starting point for this project.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.metaphys.jp/">Indoor Grass Planters by Metaphys</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib03xyfJiAu_oeY5CVuZMaul6zr1okgvhqGPryhPBNFk9_2ZITFByRqRiwqGla_1CW7JZHPZvmNdZc4Rp1Mt-zYfbkknWhqmRwN1Gl9OxlmYUCZOgXXZ9VqDWJd_CbkPkrtMAeOWhKxA/s1600-h/Indoor+Grass+Planters+by+Metaphys.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib03xyfJiAu_oeY5CVuZMaul6zr1okgvhqGPryhPBNFk9_2ZITFByRqRiwqGla_1CW7JZHPZvmNdZc4Rp1Mt-zYfbkknWhqmRwN1Gl9OxlmYUCZOgXXZ9VqDWJd_CbkPkrtMAeOWhKxA/s400/Indoor+Grass+Planters+by+Metaphys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216198503445593810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Metaphys products are designed with the common idea and they are consistent with the idea even though different companies produce the products: the idea is that all the creative process should start from "observation." By observing things, you have the perspectives of the second and the third persons, and thereby you can avoid being subjective.</span> [<a href="http://www.style-pd.com/en/pages/contents/product/metaphys.php">Here</a>]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wallplants.com/">Wallplant Presentations by Christopher Steele</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcqJx_cTp-QlSBwpM7SzD_P4z3DMRW8qdozpFIfkDync9gNFK4I7COiQ6OJzdG7ICVbxq3aeW_Crlonj9GzgiVfvsRevMSeLXnlIk15mCDbPMpxk_IH5xl6VQHbKG3SX-2-rfXtOeLQ/s1600-h/Wallplant+Presentations+Houseplants+by+Christopher+Steele.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcqJx_cTp-QlSBwpM7SzD_P4z3DMRW8qdozpFIfkDync9gNFK4I7COiQ6OJzdG7ICVbxq3aeW_Crlonj9GzgiVfvsRevMSeLXnlIk15mCDbPMpxk_IH5xl6VQHbKG3SX-2-rfXtOeLQ/s400/Wallplant+Presentations+Houseplants+by+Christopher+Steele.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216179214554997170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Metal objects used around plants must be selected very carefully and prepared for planting. Many metals form toxic salts on their surface when exposed to air and water. These salts may build up and kill any plant life that comes in contact. </span><p style="font-style: italic;">So why plant on metal anyway? For me it represents the wabi-sabi nature of existence. Changing and decaying. The persistence of life transcending technology.</p><a href="http://www.stevenharrisarchitects.com/">The Outdoor Room - Steven Harris Architects</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_grn1pMPhuIaxKpsc0T4-s8Mp1rTCid8cn9rj4arLroohMYyhj4yqxFwqvEyeXXEfrLpP26yp5xG-enPxs2eNFwYxGDuLMlOUV1pDw3OZaRJdU5CDbnoxMk7fA8jpKgOlbyxbIzBcYQ/s1600-h/The+Outdoor+Room+92+Jane+Street+Steven+HArris+Architects.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_grn1pMPhuIaxKpsc0T4-s8Mp1rTCid8cn9rj4arLroohMYyhj4yqxFwqvEyeXXEfrLpP26yp5xG-enPxs2eNFwYxGDuLMlOUV1pDw3OZaRJdU5CDbnoxMk7fA8jpKgOlbyxbIzBcYQ/s400/The+Outdoor+Room+92+Jane+Street+Steven+HArris+Architects.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216182746676614050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The building's interior organization is driven by its unique south facing rear yard which is enclosed by blind 35 foot high walls, creating a condition of total privacy. This allows the rear façade to be completely transparent. It also makes a private outdoor room that serves as an extension of the living and dining spaces; entry to it is across a marble slab that bridges a reflecting pond.</span> [$16.5 million]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.danielschipper.nl/">Folding Greenhouse by Daniel Schipper</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M9yeq1a3l4RpKOf4vJosPivvUQB64rzj5UFybp-AM9E5d98z8Vbjn490tO96dDJBmLLPclNwBoZDmKAukjRaLu08jZF0cNJGhtdh5r-3jBJHnG9ciCs2eAlZoBNIpKY2UC68eCFMEQ/s1600-h/Folding+Indoor+Greenhouse+by+Daniel+Schipper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M9yeq1a3l4RpKOf4vJosPivvUQB64rzj5UFybp-AM9E5d98z8Vbjn490tO96dDJBmLLPclNwBoZDmKAukjRaLu08jZF0cNJGhtdh5r-3jBJHnG9ciCs2eAlZoBNIpKY2UC68eCFMEQ/s400/Folding+Indoor+Greenhouse+by+Daniel+Schipper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216187477221882194" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">A light-weight, flexible, modular greenhouse especially suitable for small spaces like cityhouses, balconies, roof terraces or town gardens. My folding greenhouse is a frameless folding construction made of different components of recyclable plastic which can be folded flat or </span><span style="font-style: italic;">expand when required.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.schiavello.com.au/verticalgarden.htm">Schiavello Vertical Garden by Joost Baker</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDfbT8H5T4PRQMeQ9ALCdRJDgSr3uDKwcjvl0eAe_EvzaHfebqmAPZn6lXWQy-_9MUlrf0tqyFdu41eBlwPJWfdSSxgy0lJDSHmEES2vWMmyPEEwBrHvySmPnGkluEaB5I5pzvu9IWw/s1600-h/Schiavello+Vertical+Garden+by+Joost+Baker.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDfbT8H5T4PRQMeQ9ALCdRJDgSr3uDKwcjvl0eAe_EvzaHfebqmAPZn6lXWQy-_9MUlrf0tqyFdu41eBlwPJWfdSSxgy0lJDSHmEES2vWMmyPEEwBrHvySmPnGkluEaB5I5pzvu9IWw/s400/Schiavello+Vertical+Garden+by+Joost+Baker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216190458938464562" border="0" /></a><p></p><span style="font-style: italic;">The ethereal beauty of the found product... metals and petals. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Joost Bakker, a sculptor who uses leaf and flower, raw steel and discarded objects among his construction materials. "I'm not really into luxurious finishes, I like using things that people perceive as ugly", says Joost. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Vertical Garden is a sculptural, almost architectural form, allowing leaf and flower to inhabit spaces, to create spaces, with a natural raw beauty.</span><p></p>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-51904312323509903972008-06-19T05:02:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:40:30.630-08:00Callebaut, take me away!Still healing, still taking waaaay too long to type shorts sentences, so please pardon my mess. In the meantime, here's some more eye candy that's been floating around (sorry) the interwebs for the last week or so.<br /><br />Seems Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut isn't expecting any of us to change our ways any time soon, and is developing a prototypical auto-sufficient amphibious city to float our future away. While I have no architectural/design background, I find myself questioning the feasibility of these 50,000-person eco-dorms, but fully embrace the wonderful futurist concepts presented in the following images.<br /><br /><a href="http://vincent.callebaut.org/">Vincent Callebaut's Lily Pads</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ-cIYmtda7PAU-OyjIa-G2U3it5Kp1OAvczr5YtdpeY2EI16iSa-EpUbnuxEA5HrAHNJ_G1cydN8ATaA6p11x9zeAkhMfEH0FP9aZNdP4fNiacggN0-3OKB_et93v6SXBfHjC9ELfA/s1600-h/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ-cIYmtda7PAU-OyjIa-G2U3it5Kp1OAvczr5YtdpeY2EI16iSa-EpUbnuxEA5HrAHNJ_G1cydN8ATaA6p11x9zeAkhMfEH0FP9aZNdP4fNiacggN0-3OKB_et93v6SXBfHjC9ELfA/s400/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213565981775381746" border="0" /></a>This form of Aqua Urbanism --from <a href="http://weburbanist.com/2007/11/24/sink-or-swim-5-submerged-and-floating-seaworthy-hotels-for-the-adventurous-urbanite/">underwater hotels</a> to <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18480769">floating foundations</a> to <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13316942/">power stations</a> to <a href="http://www.freedomship.com/">epdimic outbreak barges</a>-- has really begun to take off.<br /><br />But you need look no further than the floating marketplaces like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjarmasin">Benjarmasin</a>, <a href="http://www.thailandguidebook.com/floatingmarket.html">Damnoen Saduak</a>, or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgrmNJvsm90">Cai Be</a> to see that the burdens of over-crowding and limited space have, indeed, taken us to see on more than one occasion. That being said, I'll take a Lilly Pad over Cai Be anyday, but only if I can choose my other 49,999 floaters.<br /><br />Here's a view of two different levels...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZjsAXZ2Dn1gSl4aixUElGkZA1xlyYOZGOWX8J8st8nPrvCENVLDaD3WSxZ169Dfsd9BTZeZAjYcBSWFf32amiN2y_iG_6LAKzYyeJIsNrZxzG9uDYhrgB0ALwLait5DP-dJkfPCGpA/s1600-h/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City+Levels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZjsAXZ2Dn1gSl4aixUElGkZA1xlyYOZGOWX8J8st8nPrvCENVLDaD3WSxZ169Dfsd9BTZeZAjYcBSWFf32amiN2y_iG_6LAKzYyeJIsNrZxzG9uDYhrgB0ALwLait5DP-dJkfPCGpA/s400/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City+Levels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213565932442666146" border="0" /></a>Green mountain walls, solar panel roofs, submersed sea beds, palm lagoon rainwater purification systems, and a Co2-processing tiatium dioxide skin all help to maintain and improve the surrounding conditions without introducing any further degredation to natural resources. And if you live to 2100, you just might see it...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyvpe1V0c-MHbFA8Ej8T9Ghf2jgYXbVOX6MdYvTCRHBaFpTR6V7CdIxrQe9ZrMX2xjr3shkqEneBbxGA_Woz0bVvj8PdC0isl03_OyC8pyo1o48XSBL5vzvcX922-_OV_MVavS9uAYg/s1600-h/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyvpe1V0c-MHbFA8Ej8T9Ghf2jgYXbVOX6MdYvTCRHBaFpTR6V7CdIxrQe9ZrMX2xjr3shkqEneBbxGA_Woz0bVvj8PdC0isl03_OyC8pyo1o48XSBL5vzvcX922-_OV_MVavS9uAYg/s400/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213565843302614658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">According to the less alarming forecasts of the GIEC (intergovernmental group on the evolution of the climate), the ocean level should rise from 20 to 90 cm during the 21st century with a status quo by 50 cm (versus 10 cm in the 20th century). The international scientific scene assesses that a temperature elevation of 1°C will lead to a water rising of 1 meter. This increase of 1 m would bring ground losses emerged of approximately 0.05 percent in Uruguay, 1 percent in Egypt, 6 percent in the Netherlands, 17.5 percent in Bangladesh, and up to 80 percent approximately in the atoll Majuro in Oceania (Marshall and Kiribati islands</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">[my former Peace Corps locale]</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">and step by step the Maldives islands). </span>- Vincent Callebaut<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqB63_pV5R0IzWkL94VwG-r0-6n3xf4IMT-5TgNq1f-TIYZZNUyz0UJdljTORC_wBoQUHEvbAjaWOJCZpEDfvGVJOzXVepqaV1nM6IbDDKjeksuzv2Y4-SNvpbKHRWP0eZXIhEFuJ8iA/s1600-h/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City+Ocean+View.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqB63_pV5R0IzWkL94VwG-r0-6n3xf4IMT-5TgNq1f-TIYZZNUyz0UJdljTORC_wBoQUHEvbAjaWOJCZpEDfvGVJOzXVepqaV1nM6IbDDKjeksuzv2Y4-SNvpbKHRWP0eZXIhEFuJ8iA/s400/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City+Ocean+View.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213565784086250530" border="0" /></a>And it's kind of purty at night...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuV-r7gMwRc6mPPVbqd_iG2PjOD1bNFhj19qgIr37zUDQAaj_TUFpajbk4WYk16i4DtKsyLmXlt9xJVVheSGRsepficT8o-W1rLFpqVrIAdg2-4p4EyLIoUW6JThYN0SraWhfINnb5Q/s1600-h/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City+Night+View.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuV-r7gMwRc6mPPVbqd_iG2PjOD1bNFhj19qgIr37zUDQAaj_TUFpajbk4WYk16i4DtKsyLmXlt9xJVVheSGRsepficT8o-W1rLFpqVrIAdg2-4p4EyLIoUW6JThYN0SraWhfINnb5Q/s400/Vincent+Callebaut+Lilly+Pads+Floating+City+Night+View.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213565730702652290" border="0" /></a>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-39360886449421154882008-06-12T05:32:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:40:34.075-08:00Skin your car...Alas, my elbow is still broken and my arm is still casted, so the slacker posts shall continue. One of these days, I'll be able to type my standard 40 wph...yes, hour.<br /><br />Actually, I wish I could write more because design-wise, BMW is currently on crack. Wonderful, tremendously addictive crack. Crack that makes you see illusory possibilities and make them concrete. Crack that turns design on its head.<br /><br /><blockquote>If you are in a shipwreck and all the boats are gone, a piano top. . .that floats by makes a fortuitous life preserver. But this is not to say that the best way to design a life preserver is in the form of a piano top. I think that we are clinging to a great many piano tops in accepting yesterday’s fortuitous contrivings.<br /><br />-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucky_Fuller">Bucky Fuller</a></blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucky_Fuller"></a><br /><br />Have you ever ripped the side of your car? I didn't think so.<br /><br />Behold, the BMW GINA Light Concept Car!<br /><br />Instead of the standard aluminum, plastic or steel, BMW is experimenting with a textile fabric skin stretched around a metal and carbon fiber wire frame, thus allowing the car to be lighter in both performance and production footprint.<br /><br />The concept is so flexible, in fact, that a design could conceptually change its shape. Imagine a Bugatti Veyron that pops up a spoiler to act as an airbrake. Now imagine something similar, only this time the airbrake is actually the shape of your car.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP3G921oSrhZFrLhGa4nJnxWppxlv0PoIgYOO5oABc9LO7YuRYSlNmGJvWm8floR7EYCqrxWNc3x7AoHnu75pmrki7R8BgbDAvENojgthw0m1YSrpoZOarGpl9IdAkbIx_27pSU6X9g/s1600-h/BMW+Gina+Concept+Model+Doors+and+Headlights.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP3G921oSrhZFrLhGa4nJnxWppxlv0PoIgYOO5oABc9LO7YuRYSlNmGJvWm8floR7EYCqrxWNc3x7AoHnu75pmrki7R8BgbDAvENojgthw0m1YSrpoZOarGpl9IdAkbIx_27pSU6X9g/s400/BMW+Gina+Concept+Model+Doors+and+Headlights.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210974873084353682" border="0" /></a>This innovative approach also affords other advantages for a clean design. Lighting can actually be placed subcutaneously, exposing itself through the transparent skin when needed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJF27GjYQMCisXna3bWHy9dpGBoL-c5MMEBGk-XMQdvATZVIQNGv94VYFKKXdnTchx2bVmzSLZ5y3HkE4tc-e1QNcRsVlPIgWsGUPkSIvV5uqy74pguLhyphenhyphenNtS-55nqlb0IfZi8f8ihHA/s1600-h/BMW+Gina+Concept+Model+Lighting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJF27GjYQMCisXna3bWHy9dpGBoL-c5MMEBGk-XMQdvATZVIQNGv94VYFKKXdnTchx2bVmzSLZ5y3HkE4tc-e1QNcRsVlPIgWsGUPkSIvV5uqy74pguLhyphenhyphenNtS-55nqlb0IfZi8f8ihHA/s400/BMW+Gina+Concept+Model+Lighting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210974932374778530" border="0" /></a>The GINA Concept is based on the Z8 chassis -- a chassis where the frame carries the crash and structural load-- so the the addition of steel instead of textile skin would not improve, nor detract, from GINA's protection inside of the cockpit. The rider would be just as safe in a GINA as a Z8.<br /><br />Watch as Chris Bangle, Director of Design BMW Group, explains the craziness behind the GINA concept...<br /><br /><object height="349" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kTYiEkQYhWY&rel=0&border=1&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kTYiEkQYhWY&rel=0&border=1&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="349" width="425"></embed></object>J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7716982423012423295.post-89198437282468330822008-06-05T12:07:00.000-07:002008-06-05T12:14:09.969-07:00The carrot or the stick?My typing abilities aren't what they used to be since I've broken my elbow, but Ill try to get the occasional one-armed post to the Insource/Outsource front page.<br /><br />Behold: <a href="http://www.carrotmob.org/">The Carrot Mob</a>!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Carrotmob will be a non-profit organization. Our goal is to improve the world by helping companies embrace socially responsible choices. Our primary focus is the environment. We recognize that corporations must keep profit as their top priority. Historically, this fact has meant that the environment has suffered, since companies have made more money by harming the planet. We are going to put rewards in place that will make environmental responsibility the more profitable choice. Companies will do what we want, not because of negative pressure, or morality, or a boycott, or a petition...there are enough sticks out there. We need a big juicy carrot. They will do what we say because they won't be able to resist the profits. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We will create a large network of consumers. We will form partnerships with other larger advocacy groups to use their research and infrastructure. Together we will identify opportunities for improving corporate behavior. For example, let's say there's an environmentally harmful chemical in common brands of soap. We would approach several competing soap companies. We will explain the problem, and see which of them is willing to eliminate the harmful chemical. They will bid for our support. Each company will raise the bar with how much good they are willing to do. Perhaps Company X pledges to remove the chemical. Then Company Y pledges to remove the chemical and reduce factory emissions 20%. And so on. The bigger our network, the further they will be willing to go. We accept the best offer. Company Y agrees to take the steps that we want, and then we make it worth their while with a carrot: Everyone in the network buys millions of dollars worth of their soap, and in the process Company Y gains a wealth of reputation capital as well. The most responsible business decision also gets the most profit. Delicious!<br /><br /></span><p></p><object height="302" width="400"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=925729&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"> <embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=925729&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="302" width="400"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/925729?pg=embed&sec=925729">Carrotmob Makes It Rain</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/carrotmob?pg=embed&sec=925729">carrotmob</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/?pg=embed&sec=925729">Vimeo</a>.J Thornburghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12275909740570067161noreply@blogger.com