Happy Lunar New Year!

February 10th is the first day of the new year in 4711 on the lunar calendar.  For many Asians across the globe this day begins with family, colorful decorations, and plenty of food.
To mark the start of the Year of the Snake, the following are some images of the holiday festivities.  Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Happy New Year!

Retrofitting New York after Hurricane Sandy

It has been two weeks since Hurricane Sandy left the New York City area with the huge job of cleaning up and rebuilding neighborhoods, homes, businesses, and infrastructure.  While some of the areas that were affected have a history of flooding due to their low elevation, the storm caused a level of flooding never before seen in the city.  In a city with landmarked buildings and landlords reluctant to renovate, a 100 plus year old subway system with stations prone to leaks, and a sanitation department refusing to recycle PET plastic containers and allowing commercial buildings to pay a fee to avoid setting up a recycling system, this natural disaster created from the hurricane made a clear statement that the city will need to make some changes.

Historically in every coastal city, the waterfront was associated with the docks, industrial activity, and less than favorable inhabitants (think "On the Waterfront" or the infamous Barbary Coast of San Francisco).  The wealthy lived inland while the poor lived by the water and pollution.  It should be no surprise that all the areas badly damaged from this storm also have a number of public housing buildings.  Land was cheap in the low lying areas making them affordable for the government to purchase and place large city run housing projects.  In recent years with land in short supply plus an urban fetish for the industrial and creative mystique have made these places hot alternative neighborhoods for the middle-class to live or have a summer home.  Red Hook, Coney Island, and Rockaway are three neighborhoods that experienced economic decline, a rise in crime and a new found trendy appeal.  

The day after the hurricane Governor Cuomo stated that New York was going to rebuild better and referred to the need for investing in infrastructure.  This urban region has never experienced a storm of this strength before (although hurricanes have occurred throughout history in the east coast).  A few places to look for researching new urban planning ideas are The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and New Orleans.

The Netherlands - land of windmills, cheese, and the world's tallest people.  It is also a country with a large portion of it's geography below sea level.  This reality plus the rising sea level prompted the Dutch government to develop new forms of housing that could sustain flooding.  One case study is the town of Maasbommel on the Meuse River.

  

Floating houses designed by Dura Vermeer introduces the concept of an amphibious house.  Instead of relocating entire towns to higher elevation, the government is looking at the idea of building at sea level.

The idea is that the foundation can rise with the water level keeping homes and residents above water.  


Hong Kong is located on the coast of the South China Sea and is situated in Asia's "typhoon alley" and on average faces six typhoons a year.  Building codes in the city-state require all construction to meet typhoon safety standards and building materials such as glass to meet high wind level standards. A majority of the residents live in high-rise apartment buildings which are constructed of reinforced concrete sheer walls and flat water resistant roofs built with a waterproof membrane.  

Flooding is also an issue in Hong Kong's low lying areas and the city-state have actively been installing a series of major drainage systems throughout flood prone areas.
Over the summer Hong Kong issued a Signal 10 typhoon warning for the approach of Typhoon Vicente.  100 mile hour winds plus heavy rain hit the region for several hours - at the end of the storm with a report of 129 injuries, 30 from flying debris, and flooding reported in the New Territories region, Hong Kong was relatively unscathed in part because of the investment in a new drainage system.  

Bangladesh is underwater half the year and with the rise of sea level the country have had to find creative ways to maintain their livelihood.  Boats have become the financial future for Bangladeshi residents.  Aside from building homes with taller foundations and planting vegetation to absorb the flood waters, farmers have built floating vegetable beds so crops are not lost when the water rises.  School children attend classes on boats fitted with solar electricity and computers.  Floating hospitals have also been introduced as the region will become even more underwater.

Bangladesh's situation is extreme but not far fetched given its reality.


New Orleans is rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  The city had invested in new levees which so far has proven to be effected for the areas they were built to protect but more work needs to be done for the entire region.  Following the recovery New Orleans became the city to also test new green building methods.  Reclaimed wood from damaged homes were used to build new furniture.  

Ideas for new homes were also considered and architecture firms such as Workshop/apd in New York City presented a prefab house using green building methods that is meant to make the house energy efficient.

The home was constructed in 2008 and can be seen here.

Green building, new technology for infrastructure, and adaptability are key elements in not only the rebuilding of a city after a major storm but for the future renovation of all urban environments.

References:

Dura Vermeer

Hong Kong Weathers Typhoon

The History of Wind Damage in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Drainage Service Department

NPR Story - Dutch Architects Plan for a Floating Future

The Yale Globalist - Living on Water

The Washington Post - In Flood Prone Bangladesh, a Future that Floats


http://inspirationgreen.com/floating-homes.html

http://inhabitat.com/six-flood-proof-buildings-that-can-survive-rising-tides/arcology4-2/

http://dornob.com/fantastic-flood-proof-house-designed-to-break-free-float/

http://practicalaction.org/flood-resistant-housing-5

http://www.wri.org/stories/2011/04/adapting-climate-change-bangladesh

http://friendship-bd.org/page/floating-hospital-21

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/12/30/how-green-building-can-bring-new-orleans-back

http://www.thegreenproject.org

http://www.gogreennola.org

Architecture, Nature, and Tradition - Building a Sukkah

This time of year a common scene in Brooklyn neighborhoods are the assembly of hut-type structures being built on balconies, sidewalks, backyards, and rooftops.  The structures are called Sukkahs and used during the weeklong celebration of Sukkot that follows five days after Yom Kippur.  This year Sukkot begins on September 30 and ends October 7th.

For those unfamiliar with the structures, they are made of various materials, from wood, veneer paneling, canvas, or plastic.  The roofs are covered with vegetation, bamboo poles, corn stalks, reeds, or other branches.  The purpose is for the sky to be visible.   Typically during this time of year I see sukkahs similar to the ones shown above - generally not heavily influenced by design but more so on function and practicality.  

Louis Kahn, one of America's most revered architects proposed a design for Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia.  Although it was built in the end by another architect, Kahn developed his spiritual approach toward designing architecture during his work for this project.  The above sketch gives a glimpse of his idea for a classically inspired sukkah.


In 2010 New York City hosted the design competition Sukkah City which challenged designers to create a modern sukkah within the basic rules of how the structure should be built.  The results were a variety of modern designs that successfully incorporated nature and the senses.  

While these designs won't necessarily become a common aesthetic for many Jewish families in Brooklyn, they do present a conversation on what makes a spiritual space.

Reference links:

http://www.sukkahcity.com

http://www.sukkahville.com

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/14889/sacred-space

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/420823/jewish/How-to-Build-a-Sukkah.htm

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday5.html

http://www.sukkahdepot.com

  

learning from history

Historically we are a nostalgic society.  Throughout the course of human progress and advancements in industry and technology we still hold onto the past while looking forward.  The Ancient Romans borrowed from Greece when building their empire, the European Renaissance looked to Greco-Roman history when creating new cities and art, and the founders of the United States turned to classical Greece when designing the Capitol Building. 


Today, in every city you can find newly developed high-end residential towers where apartments have interior details with crown molding, baseboards, and wainscots – details that have been around in the US since colonial times.  The presence of these details in an expensive condo apartment is meant to represent history, a better time, a sense of class, a by gone era that we only can imagine and make attempts to connect with while finding a place to install our new smart tv and iPhone accessible security system.

Dining room at George Washington's home in Mt. Vernon, Virginia.

Historical colors are another way of connecting with the past while designing new spaces.

Historical residence in Brooklyn, NY .

The presence of Corinthian columns refers back to ancient Rome and culture.

A newly developed residential lobby decorated with ornate greco-roman details.

We can also replicate these ornate details in our existing homes by making a visit to Lowe’s where all sizes and designs are available for us to purchase and attach to our walls.

The downside is that we can get a bit over board with the decorative details.

In colors we see paint companies offering color lines such as “Historical Colors” from Benjamin Moore or the historical colors offered at Farrow & Ball.  Color is a simple and inexpensive way to update  room and to have a variety of colors to test.

Farrow & Ball

Colors from Benjamin Moore 

Our nostalgia also extends to furniture and furniture design today still refers to history for ideas, a connection to the past and relevancy.  Furniture that is called “modern” for the most part isn’t new.  The ever popular Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen has been replicated many times over and can be purchased from a legitimate dealer or as a reproduction under another name. 

The Egg Chair available from Fritz Hansen

The "Copenhagen Chair" available from Restoration Hardware.

The chandelier once graced only the homes of the wealthy and can now be found in varying forms from historical reproduction to contemporary and range in prices for different budgets. 

1920s bronze chandelier in the Baroque style from 1stdibs.

Plywood black lacquered chandelier with 21 light bulbs (15 watts each) by Piet Hein Eek.

The use of colors and materials can “update” a classic look, making it more suitable for present living.  Instead of bronze metal, plywood can be used and the end result can be a new idea based on historical reference.  New technology such as improved lighting quality and energy efficiency also plays a role in how we design.

History is the reference, and adaptation is the creative direction.  Whether a design appeals to everyone or just one, historically we have been borrowing ideas and presenting them in new interpretations since the beginning of recorded western history.  Modernism got rid of the tradition of ornaments and focused on craftsmanship and truth to materials.  Present day "modern" design picks up where the early modernists left off, using color and materials as the canvas and design to communicate concept.

Light fixture by Lindsey Adelman

Wiggle side chair by Frank Gehry

Wishbone chair by Toby Howes

Balloona side table (table made of 500 balloons) by Natalie Kruch

Chair by Zaha Hadid

Fractured coffee table by Matthew Hilton

Cluster chandelier by Iacoli & McAllister

Additional links:

D for Decorator by Steven Heller: http://maharam.com/stories/9

Elle Decor "Color Lessons from the past" : http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/5747?pause=0&page=5

Arne Jacobsen: http://www.arne-jacobsen.com/en/arne-jacobsen.aspx

knitting circles

The craft of knitting has been practiced from as early as the first millennium in ancient Egypt as a way to create textiles and clothing.  Hand knitting eventually fell out of fashion with the arrival of man-made knitting machines, capable of producing large volumes at a quick pace.  But the craft of making something by hand and hand-knitting would come back in fashion in several waves, including times of war such as during WWII and most recently in the early years of the 21st century.

Yarn is the most commonly thought of material to be used when we talk about knitting.  Sweaters, scarves, hats, and blankets come to mind when we're thinking of someone knitting.  But the craft of knitting is a weave of loops to create rows of stitches.  These stitches can be guided to create patterns, effects, and shapes that can be used to for various applications.  The material used will have a part in the texture of the weave and the overall effect of the finished design.

Knitted furniture is not dowdy or boring.  With materials, texture of the weave and color, a knitted ottoman can be an interesting addition to the home.

CB2 offers this knitted ottoman in several colors (blood orange, graphite, and pool blue), 18"dia x 14"h.  The cover is 100% cotton with a dense pellet fill and sell for $89.95.


A play in a traditional pattern is a fun way of remembering history and applying it to a modern life.  This ottoman is 23 1/2"dia. x 12"h, designed by Donna Wilson and made from 100% lambs wool in the traditional Fair-Isle technique.  The filler is made from recycled plastic bottles.   It's offered by Design Within Reach for $585.

A knitted rug can also offer texture to your floor while keeping with its utilitarian function.

This is a close up of a cable rug offered by Room and Board.  Made from 100% hand woven wool in several sizes and colors. 

Some deconstructed approaches to knitting and furniture pieces can be found in the newspaper yarn creations by Studio Greetje van Tiem.

Architecture firm Tezuka Architects deconstructs the weave and the principle of knitting with their design of  Woods of Net at the Hakone Open Air Museum.  The outer structure is "woven" from wood timbers and traditional wood joints.  The interior space comprised of a colorful woven net allowing for an interactive and engaging space.

And some artists have used the craft of knitting to create works for reaction and dialogue.

Artist Agata Olek takes crocheting to another level through her performance piece/installation of crocheted interiors, objects, and people.

And let's not forget the Knitted House at the 2006 London Architecture Biennial.  Over scaffolding, a group of women knitted together various garbage bags, shopping bags, and rope.

Phat Knits by Bauke Knottnerus are large scale knits for interiors.  Made from thick ropes of thread that are hand knitted with the use of two "needles" and the work of two people.  

You can see a video on how they're made here.

For additional information on knitting and knitted designs:

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/search?includes%5B0%5D=tags&q=knitted+ottoman&ref=related&page=1

Imaginary Office: http://www.imaginaryoffice.se/?page_id=11

Claire-Anne O'Brien: http://claireanneobrien.com/index.php?/work/knit-stools/

Dezeen: http://www.dezeen.com/2007/10/21/yarn-from-old-newspapers-by-greetje-van-tiem/

Stitch 'n Bitch: http://stitchnbitch.org/

Lion Brand Yarn: http://www.lionbrand.com/

Textiles Art Center: http://www.textileartscenter.com/