tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57006728624307454712024-02-26T02:29:10.957-06:00Object GuerillaOn the front lines of sustainable design.wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-21532685336203261572013-05-26T10:08:00.001-05:002013-05-26T10:08:17.445-05:00Movin' On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog and associated work has moved permanently to <a href="http://www.objectguerilla.com/" target="_blank">Object Guerilla dot com.</a> Please change your bookmarks and come visit often! This page will remain up as an archive.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-33000066251626940412013-05-18T15:28:00.000-05:002013-05-18T15:28:05.464-05:00Hale County Revisited<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After last week's discussion of some of the challenges facing Hale County, Alabama, I thought I'd follow up with some of the progress underway in Greensboro and the surrounding towns. I had the chance to revisit my former home for the first time in almost two years last week. <a href="http://www.amandabuck.com/" target="_blank">The lady</a> and I stayed at Spencer House with some old Rural Studio friends, and got a tour of the latest projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like many small rural towns, a lot has changed and yet everything has stayed the same. Our first stop was <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20khouse" target="_blank">Mac's House</a>, the 20K I built with Penny Hagberth,<a href="http://wrkshp.org/" target="_blank"> Clem Blakemore</a>, and <a href="http://wkarch.com/people/bio/danielwicke" target="_blank">Danny Wicke</a> in 2010. The house was holding up well -- the siding was in great shape, the woodwork weathered but shipshape, the underside chicken netting unmolested by creatures great and small. I hadn't seen it without the various trailers removed from the yard and the grass grown back, and it was quite handsome all grown into the landscape. I was curious to see how some of the interior details were holding up, but that'll have to wait for another visit. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, Mac wasn't around, so we took some photos, left a note, and headed north to Greensboro.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mac's House.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back yard, with the foundation of his old house finally grown over.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next stop was PieLab, under new management. We had some delicious pimento cheese and bacon sandwiches (and pie for breakfast the next day) and a nice chat with some folks from Tuscaloosa. The table I built for them was still in good shape, put to raucous use by some luncheon ladies from out of town.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Scrap Table, shining on.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After lunch, we headed across the street to <a href="http://www.projecthsf.org/" target="_blank">Project Horseshoe Farm</a> Community Clubhouse. That space was just beginning construction when we moved, and was now finished and fitted out to provide mental health services and tutoring to the community. Crewed, as always, by a warm gang of Fellows, the space was bright, cheery, and beautiful. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scrap tin logo.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calendar.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kitchen.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Main space.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Behind that block lay my old stomping grounds at YouthBuild. That program, sadly, is defunct, but the garden and fence we built is still there. The garden has not been maintained, empty beds awaiting a little bit of enthusiasm and love. The fence seemed to be in good shape, sturdy and still bold. Adjoining the garden, the old Martin-Stewart School is still an empty hulk, untouched and slowly decaying for the last two years. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The H.E.R.O. garden.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shade structure.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The road sign fence.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tired of the sun, we stopped in and saw Charles the barber, one of the lady's loyal customers at PieLab. He caught us up on goings-on about town, laid a little religion on us, and reminisced about old times.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charles in his shop.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further down the street, we dropped in on Whitelaw and Anne Bailey at Sledge Hardware. Unfortunately, after about a century of operation, Sledge is going out of business. We bought some discounted hardware and listened to a few of Anne's stories of growing up in Hale county. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whitelaw.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chain-cutting station.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bslUdAS2bDtkxc5rR3UfANHeI65N79tGofElK8vsFqMoayx6OE0ugmL0i895SBO-HzlDlmxqHJFENOplQ1_Qi4xHqMmPPZNulaJaf4XexqkE2-M-8sridCZ8Uzwh5rF2TBMFYiqE5120/s1600/IMG_1305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bslUdAS2bDtkxc5rR3UfANHeI65N79tGofElK8vsFqMoayx6OE0ugmL0i895SBO-HzlDlmxqHJFENOplQ1_Qi4xHqMmPPZNulaJaf4XexqkE2-M-8sridCZ8Uzwh5rF2TBMFYiqE5120/s400/IMG_1305.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anne and the lady.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSmx_hvg5fvi9x1YL5yemNYxisDBSW_KrN5Q1_JLxDMHvnWd8MUdSmM7Nm0faS3D_oUS8CwgElnomcfGU8wqNyree2O6Phk6IwS_cCoFwM-gWAeMTxB93E3lrAQPLh0-p9SfdVW4yFJMk/s1600/IMG_1299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSmx_hvg5fvi9x1YL5yemNYxisDBSW_KrN5Q1_JLxDMHvnWd8MUdSmM7Nm0faS3D_oUS8CwgElnomcfGU8wqNyree2O6Phk6IwS_cCoFwM-gWAeMTxB93E3lrAQPLh0-p9SfdVW4yFJMk/s400/IMG_1299.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sledge.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the late afternoon, we headed over to Lion's Park to see the progress there. Lion's Park Play was gorgeous, a spectacular steel-barrel landscape that boomed and pinged in the sun. The skatepark, where I had shoveled many a wheelbarrow of concrete, looked like it had been getting good use. Right nearby, the new Boy Scout pavilion was taking shape, a series of moment frames silhouetted against the sky. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeGjeBN4IKKKxAAkgXMXsmT6bCb8zVylK5TZeB7xnY4x0dPXmGTD4gzdMDqMy71H5W1G5vCMnrY2IDf2n0k0W7rYEeFv9hwF2p2j6YcitvtD6bQ7sQpru054MvuwRka35PsiRDvBIyTzN/s1600/IMG_0869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeGjeBN4IKKKxAAkgXMXsmT6bCb8zVylK5TZeB7xnY4x0dPXmGTD4gzdMDqMy71H5W1G5vCMnrY2IDf2n0k0W7rYEeFv9hwF2p2j6YcitvtD6bQ7sQpru054MvuwRka35PsiRDvBIyTzN/s400/IMG_0869.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lion's Park Play.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODI3PMGWW5SEjIZLOFEOBVizqRjVLHAjjTcCtmfreGhLS89Op4FUaUjTk2cbhgGSlCNykjQ-kKy7Glj1UXo212QDZzp5rBIrjJo7XTF0oGhJP37jSVGZybfRI6NMGLMmLAl-3Io4OsbCm/s1600/IMG_0872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODI3PMGWW5SEjIZLOFEOBVizqRjVLHAjjTcCtmfreGhLS89Op4FUaUjTk2cbhgGSlCNykjQ-kKy7Glj1UXo212QDZzp5rBIrjJo7XTF0oGhJP37jSVGZybfRI6NMGLMmLAl-3Io4OsbCm/s400/IMG_0872.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For kids of all ages.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7I6j0cnKatd42Co7hMMj_xtqR-aWmsL2RI8I2sgFexQIpvnQk2JraL9g3Zc8VnctyZIrlYFoF78NmFveNB8kb1PpniZs3Nr8KRWUrxecw7WvluL5C10OYF7dXk6Gs8_y5D2Vp5fkSIeNb/s1600/IMG_0883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7I6j0cnKatd42Co7hMMj_xtqR-aWmsL2RI8I2sgFexQIpvnQk2JraL9g3Zc8VnctyZIrlYFoF78NmFveNB8kb1PpniZs3Nr8KRWUrxecw7WvluL5C10OYF7dXk6Gs8_y5D2Vp5fkSIeNb/s400/IMG_0883.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Play, dammit!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRxblLcFCI9q93X-Jsl4HOJoGfyU9EaV5UlGrnsQzgduTFMBRrC54FmxBZnyUloDO3zNfGLa5XMkd3E5zjLuxGnTOeF0RKmNj8Gk0aLVC0E2Xaiy8QUdYUM6_lcZrpy6pPkJjM1DCb3zB/s1600/IMG_0887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRxblLcFCI9q93X-Jsl4HOJoGfyU9EaV5UlGrnsQzgduTFMBRrC54FmxBZnyUloDO3zNfGLa5XMkd3E5zjLuxGnTOeF0RKmNj8Gk0aLVC0E2Xaiy8QUdYUM6_lcZrpy6pPkJjM1DCb3zB/s400/IMG_0887.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Graphics.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnnNd5MILHhGT3CBNFroVGBjj-2uPU-MmXoGWc_nl-PMOopCbdh54n1kdmskL_iIvI5vd-9IhKDcayRIIhXuaYGiV3my4xM3VfMWA_-qXkzYzuLDZzvXhCX5zeyqM95EdUzyKMvATtpDo/s1600/IMG_0898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnnNd5MILHhGT3CBNFroVGBjj-2uPU-MmXoGWc_nl-PMOopCbdh54n1kdmskL_iIvI5vd-9IhKDcayRIIhXuaYGiV3my4xM3VfMWA_-qXkzYzuLDZzvXhCX5zeyqM95EdUzyKMvATtpDo/s400/IMG_0898.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Boy Scout hut taking shape.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskTDf_WjofjpidO-bgvajLmk3ZIedMPBkDHAuLewdoSJz-yQsJCe38F_kF09dU302LecSGcs8JdFBe4axLYIoWdXrCkxyxC6i99p3BjD50NohoCrmMJyN_CHkbZGLBOkUbSviQPqnq24b/s1600/IMG_0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskTDf_WjofjpidO-bgvajLmk3ZIedMPBkDHAuLewdoSJz-yQsJCe38F_kF09dU302LecSGcs8JdFBe4axLYIoWdXrCkxyxC6i99p3BjD50NohoCrmMJyN_CHkbZGLBOkUbSviQPqnq24b/s400/IMG_0902.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The skatepark.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After filling up on sun, we drove the familiar road south to Newbern, staying with the Rural Studio junior faculty. We had dinner at Mi Tenampa's for old time's sake, had a few beers, and toured the new projects at Morrisette House and surrounding areas. Barrel construction was being taken to new heights as the Rural Studio seeks to become a small working farm with a huge greenhouse, permaculture landscaping, raised beds, and chickens. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jX_MrL-1BH35MB9UF1ra89DPhlg7dsyok0zozrsNBpU-yoK_D2h-Ku8uSqXyzW-K_0bUoXhkpDs-C9O9i4ejRpJ639QHTlaP419Yd1P9MAngo1zR35DF7oyQGdZEc7QKRX_lpB-bsYnj/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jX_MrL-1BH35MB9UF1ra89DPhlg7dsyok0zozrsNBpU-yoK_D2h-Ku8uSqXyzW-K_0bUoXhkpDs-C9O9i4ejRpJ639QHTlaP419Yd1P9MAngo1zR35DF7oyQGdZEc7QKRX_lpB-bsYnj/s400/IMG_0904.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spencer House interior.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxezLUn4H6T7y7-vuico0ht7pjx9HMDTQXZOzCufAi_QsnvqwAtxq7uJl94AGGaEaj3JqIiwEj5FU1iVD_-0Yg_Apmx69AnO8gxIa9fvEHI0hQTC2kzKek_3hOusMrRnrs440VSeQ7CVi/s1600/IMG_0906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxezLUn4H6T7y7-vuico0ht7pjx9HMDTQXZOzCufAi_QsnvqwAtxq7uJl94AGGaEaj3JqIiwEj5FU1iVD_-0Yg_Apmx69AnO8gxIa9fvEHI0hQTC2kzKek_3hOusMrRnrs440VSeQ7CVi/s400/IMG_0906.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">William Christenberry's green barn.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIvCJksKYG4rKWyaEV0kshKbc4VGFVAYV5lIbz2THb-KE4DjzWnIHomO6IWVARywY_RgHPPmqdxB8hXZcul7oDbVj_320-3rjKHgEiYHbXulFYlu771sTOs6qi3VtQ8uv9VKa43JDGz8q/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIvCJksKYG4rKWyaEV0kshKbc4VGFVAYV5lIbz2THb-KE4DjzWnIHomO6IWVARywY_RgHPPmqdxB8hXZcul7oDbVj_320-3rjKHgEiYHbXulFYlu771sTOs6qi3VtQ8uv9VKa43JDGz8q/s400/IMG_0908.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chantilly.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl_AfJuiLtNZQZfA4M-pDYTy-4d9D4K6T3rW8ETgvUw-dNGlyjXfB5HRbhD4saGKhwk7hEQNrwlP4kIDp0w-DUKKzyWX2U5c5caMBSALl0frWDV2TZy_W4K3idXktCo9RqKGifDJpDX-3/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl_AfJuiLtNZQZfA4M-pDYTy-4d9D4K6T3rW8ETgvUw-dNGlyjXfB5HRbhD4saGKhwk7hEQNrwlP4kIDp0w-DUKKzyWX2U5c5caMBSALl0frWDV2TZy_W4K3idXktCo9RqKGifDJpDX-3/s400/IMG_0919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The greenhouse. The barrels are filled with water as thermal mass.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztipwk4kPKFY91nppUKeoyI8YBUNX_de4nhuKwYo2uXYJnddgFCBdF1qM7yHn6GOY_FZ7TUS-OOME7medtRE99Sg_sfsAmgNJYa6Cef1mExeSPKcqxQxRfv9pIpqOCoo4jgPU5nE6WGF9/s1600/IMG_0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztipwk4kPKFY91nppUKeoyI8YBUNX_de4nhuKwYo2uXYJnddgFCBdF1qM7yHn6GOY_FZ7TUS-OOME7medtRE99Sg_sfsAmgNJYa6Cef1mExeSPKcqxQxRfv9pIpqOCoo4jgPU5nE6WGF9/s400/IMG_0922.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Banked earth on the north side helps retain heat. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EGiDOU1sxNkPuS_eIQy6rXBypibSHQmgyqDuqpe7AX2x_yPJWu7iuQVm5VOnMJgkocFvA_5ukJ-de0Mdl8ItYGC25v6UuvF5faqNrqnz5-ZyO1pgY_Zclw5KvwhoqQScf2LvuI1TuEWK/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EGiDOU1sxNkPuS_eIQy6rXBypibSHQmgyqDuqpe7AX2x_yPJWu7iuQVm5VOnMJgkocFvA_5ukJ-de0Mdl8ItYGC25v6UuvF5faqNrqnz5-ZyO1pgY_Zclw5KvwhoqQScf2LvuI1TuEWK/s400/IMG_0923.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A modernist take on the water tower: a trickle pump fills the column with cistern-ed rainwater to build up water pressure. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our way out of town, we saw the twin crown jewels of recent Rural Studio work -- the sleek log cabin Newbern Town Hall and the gorgeous Safe House Museum. It was a great trip, and we hope to check in again sooner rather than later . . . </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxkLraLmDTQK7SdGWtqEkthVY1QQSf4PxTKp_icfKMJ_LIhfjXzuVamFqXtXlvyxXf0p8bYoZJeITuoBL0VzbeDpZVDwhTQ-648rdK0YnR4VkdOIF07dPfeXOlrYfdL5G9XLAx_B34p5S/s1600/IMG_0932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxkLraLmDTQK7SdGWtqEkthVY1QQSf4PxTKp_icfKMJ_LIhfjXzuVamFqXtXlvyxXf0p8bYoZJeITuoBL0VzbeDpZVDwhTQ-648rdK0YnR4VkdOIF07dPfeXOlrYfdL5G9XLAx_B34p5S/s400/IMG_0932.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Newbern Town Hall.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeRDiCsxyqB-BxNccvzsYNLzWOLzV71RKGja_-g50IIzNIDeup8iLu-ETR7KBMG2nUtZPy8WXoRrXk4YLmgBok4tpuv2z0xY_4m-L0M3HK6n4u4z1YvYLvupZFobcdMgyMKQXS6iX2xMG/s1600/IMG_0935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeRDiCsxyqB-BxNccvzsYNLzWOLzV71RKGja_-g50IIzNIDeup8iLu-ETR7KBMG2nUtZPy8WXoRrXk4YLmgBok4tpuv2z0xY_4m-L0M3HK6n4u4z1YvYLvupZFobcdMgyMKQXS6iX2xMG/s400/IMG_0935.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those timbers!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6W1aPSw7Z6NuS6GgFH7exTnndl8GwkZDIur5WGJklA7K7e4oGDr3ok9vjZG2y2LKBHateAQvSiFjob3E0H9d_u9ckDctonSonkPQGgwxsqJYx3KNlJMqePP-bGulBtO0J4PyYiBG5sPtb/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6W1aPSw7Z6NuS6GgFH7exTnndl8GwkZDIur5WGJklA7K7e4oGDr3ok9vjZG2y2LKBHateAQvSiFjob3E0H9d_u9ckDctonSonkPQGgwxsqJYx3KNlJMqePP-bGulBtO0J4PyYiBG5sPtb/s400/IMG_1169.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Safe House. Legend has it Dr. King spoke from that truck bed in Greensboro.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_VViuFEFbYQ7CUIfbOsZyMbAX3ZPDNuPs4V8oZrZslz01c7aApGEqJf43eYJDhuHXwXN819qfr777kKiQ13xdRbPLMEeAROCFTBP9yMuSLL9L3ttnfqrjEOgQtsRk_MQlwoL8qi9lSqP/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_VViuFEFbYQ7CUIfbOsZyMbAX3ZPDNuPs4V8oZrZslz01c7aApGEqJf43eYJDhuHXwXN819qfr777kKiQ13xdRbPLMEeAROCFTBP9yMuSLL9L3ttnfqrjEOgQtsRk_MQlwoL8qi9lSqP/s400/IMG_1174.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's called the safe house because these two shotguns sheltered Dr. King from pursuers one night a few months before he was assassinated. </span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-22827983737905133722013-05-12T18:45:00.001-05:002013-05-12T18:45:29.980-05:00Hale County and the Poverty-Industrial Complex<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the spring of 2009, I was accepted into the <a href="http://www.ruralstudio.org/" target="_blank">Rural Studio's</a> Outreach Studio, a one-year, post-graduate program for young architects. Two teammates and I spent a year <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20khouse" target="_blank">designing and building a house</a> on a budget of $20,000, the ninth in a series of 20K Houses. This research project is ongoing, year-to-year, with different student teams, all trying to address the under-served problem of <i>rural</i> affordable housing. The default paradigm for that population is a trailer home -- a rapidly depreciating, off-gassing, near-impossible-to-insure albatross slung around the necks of already economically stressed people. We finished our house in June, 2010, for MacArthur Coach, a retired construction worker living on Social Security.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After my stint at the Rural Studio, I stayed in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro,_Alabama" target="_blank">Greensboro, Alabama</a>, the county seat of Hale County, for another year. I worked at a small non-profit called <a href="https://youthbuild.org/" target="_blank">YouthBuild</a>, a job-training and GED program for young adults. The students were paid a small stipend (~$80 a week) to attend 20 hours of GED classes and 12 hours of vocational instruction in carpentry. Most of them had left high school for various reasons, or were court-ordered to attend our program. They ranged in age from 16 to 24, and that $80 represented a significant part of their household income. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwYTuCWr47t3yiKvC97sqN38fFa5zoPU2CUj99BQxa9vQjZfytrippjEsJp7Kt3ru2jWGDu9A42wMBVkcf4-wEy1eixfWm7aTWqMmGqPk5adiiF-3rSZQMKOQWOgg9o0ZOrKWVR7NhOl5/s1600/alabamagreensboro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwYTuCWr47t3yiKvC97sqN38fFa5zoPU2CUj99BQxa9vQjZfytrippjEsJp7Kt3ru2jWGDu9A42wMBVkcf4-wEy1eixfWm7aTWqMmGqPk5adiiF-3rSZQMKOQWOgg9o0ZOrKWVR7NhOl5/s400/alabamagreensboro.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Downtown Greensboro in 1941, via <a href="http://www.censusfinder.com/alabama-historical-museums.htm" target="_blank">The Library of Congress</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I chronicled both of these experiences in <a href="http://places.designobserver.com/feature/lessons-from-the-front-lines-of-social-design/31998/" target="_blank">an article for Design Observer</a> awhile back. They came back to mind as I listened to <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/490/trends-with-benefits" target="_blank">Trends With Benefits</a>, a recent episode on This American Life. A reporter for NPR's Planet Money, Chana Joffe-Walt, visited Hale County to <a href="http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/" target="_blank">investigate why 1/4 of the adult population is on Social Security disability insurance</a>. One of the first people she interviewed was one of my former students Dane Mitchell. He was in a terrible car accident, damaging his body and impairing his memory. She also spoke to Judge Ryan, who was on the board of YouthBuild, and sent many of our students to us through the local probate court. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms. Joffe-Walt's thesis seemed to be that SSI, because of loose oversight and an army of profit-hungry tort lawyers, had become a proxy welfare system in the wake of Clinton-era reforms to the social safety net. As she says, late in the piece: "Being poorly educated in a rotten place has become a disability in itself." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I listen to NPR for my news nearly every day, and normally find their reporting to be balanced, fair, and reasoned, but I was taken aback at Ms. Joffe-Walt's tone. There is a general perception in America that the Deep South is the home of all things ignorant, poor, and backwards, a sort of memory-hole where inconvenient truths about our collective past go to die. But most of America has never been to Alabama. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greensboro today, from roughly the same perspective, a little further up the street, via <a href="http://alabamapossible.org/2009/12/appearances-can-be-deceiving/" target="_blank">Alabama Possible</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are familiar with images of urban poverty -- the blocks of vacants I see every day on the South Side of Chicago -- but rural poverty has remained invisible since the Great Depression. Walker Evans wrote "</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_Us_Now_Praise_Famous_Men" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Let Us Now Praise Famous Men</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" about Hale County and Greensboro in 1941, describing the last gasps of an economy based on share-cropped cotton, a system that was little better than slavery for most of the poor (white and black) folks on the bottom of the pyramid. The cotton market died shortly after the war, which propped up demand and prices. Catfish farming has taken over as the dominant local industry, but it too has come under pressure from foreign competition. These economic problems are a tangled web of issues, caused by federal and state policies from Reconstruction on up through today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At YouthBuild, we were trying to use education as a lever, helping young folks onto the next plane -- college or a job. But really, we were training them to <i>escape</i>, both circumstance and geography<i>.</i> If you don't own land or have an education in Hale County, essentially the only work available is at McDonald's, the Piggly Wiggly, or at the catfish plant (which shut down this year). If you don't own a car, you can't get up to Tuscaloosa or over to Selma, where jobs are more plentiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what happened to YouthBuild? in 2011, the two senators from Alabama joined their Republican colleagues in slashing funding to YouthBuild and associated job-training programs. I lost my job and our students returned to their former lives. <a href="http://votesmart.org/bill/13101/34541/443/2011-budget#.UZAf3iusank" target="_blank">Mr. Sessions</a> and Mr. Shelby voted for (Obama's, to be fair) 2011 budget that cut $400 billion in federal spending. However, federal dollars keep Alabama afloat, a phenomenon known at the<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-19/blame-fdr-and-lbj-for-moocher-paradox-in-red-states.html" target="_blank"> Moocher's Paradox.</a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why are job-training programs so attractive to red-state budget swordsmen? Because it's hard to prove that they work, and the results don't usually show up in neat election-cycle timelines. But, as the NPR folks proved, when you stomp out one program, the same problems will bubble up elsewhere under different names. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no doubt that SSI is a broken system. There is no incentive to ever get better -- you will lose Medicare coverage and the disability payment. Folks need to be better educated about the fact that a disability claim could make it difficult to return to work if they want to (or if they start on SSI as children but grow up to be healthy adults). Systemic changes in health care delivery, agricultural policy, infrastructure development, and education may be needed to create rural jobs and pathways out of poverty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently heard about the concept of</span><a href="http://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Housing-is-Health-Care.pdf" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> <i>housing as healthcare</i></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, or the idea that safe, stable shelter leads to better health outcomes for the chronically ill, disabled, and elderly. It has long been understood that </span><a href="http://www.nber.org/digest/mar07/w12352.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">education helps reduce disease and increase life expectancy</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, YouthBuild and the Rural Studio were working in the rational best interests of the community, with their efforts helping to reduce the disability rate in Hale County. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I guess we can't build 20Ks fast enough, nor train kids long enough, to keep Hale County from being trotted out for a public shaming at the hands of NPR. In the meantime, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">let's not blame the SSI beneficiaries, condescend to their intelligence, or write off Hale County. Every person in this story was operating as an absolutely rational economic actor. None of them are doing anything illegal -- in fact, they are working diligently in their own best interest to obtain health care and income in an economically suffering area. </span><br />
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<a href="http://truth-out.org/news/item/8219-unmasking-the-gops-faith-based-economics" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Republicans love rational economic actors</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">! They just hate it when those actors run away with the script.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A</span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transect?s=t" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> transect </a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is defined as :</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>1. (verb) to cut or divide crossways </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>2. (noun) a sample strip of land used to monitor plant distribution, animal populations, etc, within a given area</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In biology, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transect" target="_blank">transect</a> is a <i>path along which one counts and records occurrences of the phenomena of study (e.g. plants). </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1998, conservationist and endurance junkie Michael Fay undertook the <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2001/08/01/sights_n_sounds/media.5.2.html" target="_blank">MegaTransect,</a> an epic walk across the densely forested interior of Africa. He undertook a comprehensive recording of the uninhabited lands, eventually leveraging that information to a create a string of 13 protected national parks. The effort damn near killed him. He has now taken his National Geographic salary on up <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/nature/How-the-Nomad-Found-Home.html?page=all" target="_blank">to Alaska</a>, contemplating a similar project that will cover the temperate rainforests of Alaska and British Columbia.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A strange spray of a powder-like substance that left an amazing feather pattern on the ground.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hooked railroad tie bolt.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5BYj8FdV6W5smuYkAQ859GlVfPvLoDPYMXo7QWAmwYeFS7BaNTzm9Gql8Mwt2O96mxmScIWLpqYBanx-8lNcMEyX1WAo7D8OkiJPtaybU07yL3GPFCVMhGsTz8ccsJvd1rV3eKB2QsM1/s1600/IMG_0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5BYj8FdV6W5smuYkAQ859GlVfPvLoDPYMXo7QWAmwYeFS7BaNTzm9Gql8Mwt2O96mxmScIWLpqYBanx-8lNcMEyX1WAo7D8OkiJPtaybU07yL3GPFCVMhGsTz8ccsJvd1rV3eKB2QsM1/s400/IMG_0636.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Square nut.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qOW4XhkLuHj7epyPNES5iQ9aoe7m3EhkUqx5Rc41dsm-MPuphZzYCWeCGqR3jPLFf1ERhBLLOZFuwC-HFQ0R1fHjy3OqKyDVSs7pTuut8JGZjZMSgGRbX8hMwW-o3pgVPQDS9PUPpt62/s1600/IMG_0637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qOW4XhkLuHj7epyPNES5iQ9aoe7m3EhkUqx5Rc41dsm-MPuphZzYCWeCGqR3jPLFf1ERhBLLOZFuwC-HFQ0R1fHjy3OqKyDVSs7pTuut8JGZjZMSgGRbX8hMwW-o3pgVPQDS9PUPpt62/s400/IMG_0637.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Washer.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, I undertook a 2-mile ramble under the elevated train tracks between Wellington Avenue and North Avenue, tracing a portion of the Red, Brown, and Purple lines. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The train lines criss-crossing Chicago are ready-made transects, cutting through the urban condition and exposing the ragged infrastructural underbelly of the city. All sorts of organic architectural phenomena can be observed and documented along such a walk. This cross-sectional effect on the city, created by the slicing rails, is what makes a project like the High Line so compelling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google, as <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/09/google-maps-and-design-of-memory.html" target="_blank">I've discussed before</a>, is busy recording an automated, interactive, endless transect of the whole world, using existing paths. As drones turn from weapons of war into boring commercial vehicles, I have no doubt that Google will attempt to transect the world in three dimensions. The tools already exist, they just have yet to be aggregated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rise of smartphones (one of which I recently acquired for the first time) has put all the recording tools of a professional transecter into the hands of amateurs. Besides photos and videos, there are now a number of measuring apps that allow for the generation of fairly accurate maps. I used a GPS-enabled tracking app that recorded a map of the walk. Ground-level obstacles intervene in several places as the El continues above, requiring several alley detours. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMMJIyJPn1WL7Tm__Gat4mPr_Hj0sh_XGtyu7F0l2wKpiiWotmWaptXDNhIWer5AsN0Eigsw0_C3idw8zx7NAcRkhh-wNPsXrHE9TTjenKvm7tt6RJCz6sQ_caC-C60WW-VHICfIB0blr/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMMJIyJPn1WL7Tm__Gat4mPr_Hj0sh_XGtyu7F0l2wKpiiWotmWaptXDNhIWer5AsN0Eigsw0_C3idw8zx7NAcRkhh-wNPsXrHE9TTjenKvm7tt6RJCz6sQ_caC-C60WW-VHICfIB0blr/s400/IMG_0638.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R is for rails.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAh9NGvfo3VzvyI8sEiMqvYDG0J4ftB1pEjt9RLJEU_nTVUdYDH32a1DxRyVh0gQxs6-UCPf-KR7bKFO6DbgABJVLk2mQ1BEJGM7vmnFNidJ0HUMxMzkc6GSsJV-7icNKV0xi5lfmR-oDk/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAh9NGvfo3VzvyI8sEiMqvYDG0J4ftB1pEjt9RLJEU_nTVUdYDH32a1DxRyVh0gQxs6-UCPf-KR7bKFO6DbgABJVLk2mQ1BEJGM7vmnFNidJ0HUMxMzkc6GSsJV-7icNKV0xi5lfmR-oDk/s400/IMG_0641.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right-of-way dead end at ground level.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOsuZqbNh5H5aYGDg4nUOlFkHCG18dq5j4GQwEApt615sT20m79849mP1QXkWjt8MphG24IknnKeFe_vDdkHoOXJJ0i5ujrmfTCbNNWCxhyphenhyphena0UB5gnx-QC032gK8L24SpPJPgt2xyv4-L/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOsuZqbNh5H5aYGDg4nUOlFkHCG18dq5j4GQwEApt615sT20m79849mP1QXkWjt8MphG24IknnKeFe_vDdkHoOXJJ0i5ujrmfTCbNNWCxhyphenhyphena0UB5gnx-QC032gK8L24SpPJPgt2xyv4-L/s400/IMG_0642.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maintenance shack with spray-painted plywood welcome mat.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv1M7Dc2jr3LHKN54cgu1bkTUtsSZ4euIl4DZf5uJcQthjV381naPN2B-9KzeIfF0cfzpEU6H9VzaySBCiWbS9N2UvNvr4ugAZsdL239clK58s_YXerkbRyZ2obq-EdIqBTmCSTgZiFR3/s1600/IMG_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv1M7Dc2jr3LHKN54cgu1bkTUtsSZ4euIl4DZf5uJcQthjV381naPN2B-9KzeIfF0cfzpEU6H9VzaySBCiWbS9N2UvNvr4ugAZsdL239clK58s_YXerkbRyZ2obq-EdIqBTmCSTgZiFR3/s400/IMG_0643.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The machinery of your commute.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP96nqHZlRF3GoiQGZuV1-oXF2CysndC4dwSWMJiGlRSU89l0iY6y7004IMHmDf35TWyZlfd_pxANtHxFvNYyjTJL-BGvCroYXgCifuOk5C7wsjFldPicQWN1UUm62fOWOoi9dzAx-bKcc/s1600/IMG_0645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP96nqHZlRF3GoiQGZuV1-oXF2CysndC4dwSWMJiGlRSU89l0iY6y7004IMHmDf35TWyZlfd_pxANtHxFvNYyjTJL-BGvCroYXgCifuOk5C7wsjFldPicQWN1UUm62fOWOoi9dzAx-bKcc/s400/IMG_0645.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where the El turns underground.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of documenting flora and fauna along the transect, I discovered urban artifacts, photographed architectural phenomena, and recorded the rhythm of the passing trains. Unlike my alley walks, which are meandering and formless, I found myself making a deliberate line with my footsteps, cutting through the urban chaos. In the words of Paul Klee: "A drawing is just a line going for a walk."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so I could imagine a series of walks, fitted to the landscapes in which they are executed, documented, saved, and presented. The focus would be on qualitative aesthetic objectives and the mental free-association that tends to occur when the mind is unshackled by curious forward motion. <a href="http://www.wildmind.org/walking/overview" target="_blank">Walking meditation</a> has been practiced for centuries, and remains one route of access to the unconscious, interrupted only by the passing clatter of the train. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, in the words of Fay himself: "Thoreau wrote about ‘the genius of sauntering,’ of developing a talent for walking, of being persistent in walking, and completely disconnecting from the world,” Fay said by way of introduction. “He wrote, ‘He who sits still in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of all.’ He had the right idea, but he never reached nirvana, that heightened sense of awareness, which isn’t spiritual but physical and mental. It takes months to get there, but once you’re there, it’s a steady state."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU-A2k53T44ScFAlFeyhlcK4C0MaQeFNKKFcFRt3Pu711DApOHmHaQMOjneWuoTBo1YJ5vC5xOOUz__pbAjsTk5soKQbvOvTXW7JRO0RlM718RsGx4eIT1aV9OWoL6Ee4ewhS1ztJXIp6/s1600/IMG_0644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU-A2k53T44ScFAlFeyhlcK4C0MaQeFNKKFcFRt3Pu711DApOHmHaQMOjneWuoTBo1YJ5vC5xOOUz__pbAjsTk5soKQbvOvTXW7JRO0RlM718RsGx4eIT1aV9OWoL6Ee4ewhS1ztJXIp6/s400/IMG_0644.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under-El elevations.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEqMrBTecSAXDBk5zXBs_uY0xtGikMosNiNdjmrKydRbP7G3WcScOigvNICVjqDUqVasS_Dbx33bsXDIA6IENollNUP_iExZ3pIHArU-gXzL-U3TE9P4vcL6TWIsZ2KCp9-z4nuD-zJdy/s1600/IMG_0646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEqMrBTecSAXDBk5zXBs_uY0xtGikMosNiNdjmrKydRbP7G3WcScOigvNICVjqDUqVasS_Dbx33bsXDIA6IENollNUP_iExZ3pIHArU-gXzL-U3TE9P4vcL6TWIsZ2KCp9-z4nuD-zJdy/s400/IMG_0646.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Layers.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LakUYzTqvDd0XgXr4byH9SbXdzXzlDdO4NFAL66B2WCxboahuXJZEccHaHluIsdy6QX6R6SCaQqsj8tazmaQ0KRgxaDQKC8C3REpPkIOcZ5ToReMjBj2pFAOWNXkH9OQyHT9Vp1BUx03/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LakUYzTqvDd0XgXr4byH9SbXdzXzlDdO4NFAL66B2WCxboahuXJZEccHaHluIsdy6QX6R6SCaQqsj8tazmaQ0KRgxaDQKC8C3REpPkIOcZ5ToReMjBj2pFAOWNXkH9OQyHT9Vp1BUx03/s400/IMG_0648.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right-of-way.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHVJlYSY6eHABAj7KxciUfJZXhGt_GKoPMEY-gS71Gv3CS-G1s1xRWtzw2ZJaesxTBXOXnk2OIzoiW7g0exoLS0qw_oDSb3ytcfcJA0JHjw58yjYmFKe2fcWn1fnxfd-KwjhPGxS-gwD8/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHVJlYSY6eHABAj7KxciUfJZXhGt_GKoPMEY-gS71Gv3CS-G1s1xRWtzw2ZJaesxTBXOXnk2OIzoiW7g0exoLS0qw_oDSb3ytcfcJA0JHjw58yjYmFKe2fcWn1fnxfd-KwjhPGxS-gwD8/s400/IMG_0649.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Xs.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8OHJJG8r3ya3_8GqRlrwnbR4vP6PC-Wf29jrHEg3KFsbz0VjX8cfXpmOq5eq43HHyFr_8Bb26GvK-wVHO3Y2rOXYFFzTN_n5zVqTTqjjX4JDWek0I8VoLPnP4pQ8lrGmBi8wu8by2_3q/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8OHJJG8r3ya3_8GqRlrwnbR4vP6PC-Wf29jrHEg3KFsbz0VjX8cfXpmOq5eq43HHyFr_8Bb26GvK-wVHO3Y2rOXYFFzTN_n5zVqTTqjjX4JDWek0I8VoLPnP4pQ8lrGmBi8wu8by2_3q/s400/IMG_0650.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some lines going for a walk (with regards to Paul Klee).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdGdeIcDEIBk2bRpRZzc6Ypi_NAmfOCkd2WsOJ0cwZcHVJXqDRvzfO17yWu6DukcvAJQrw1VievroUKgiQsfB6kw1hrxc5Lo9GxIAwifpQVuLTrjKqio-WIyRaMl_-eWUjRmkQJV-M4Aq/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdGdeIcDEIBk2bRpRZzc6Ypi_NAmfOCkd2WsOJ0cwZcHVJXqDRvzfO17yWu6DukcvAJQrw1VievroUKgiQsfB6kw1hrxc5Lo9GxIAwifpQVuLTrjKqio-WIyRaMl_-eWUjRmkQJV-M4Aq/s400/IMG_0659.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Urban artifacts.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-79199930887074116882013-04-20T10:36:00.003-05:002013-04-20T10:36:54.217-05:00Wind Wagons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stumbling around the web this week, seeking a respite <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/jesus-this-week,32105/" target="_blank">from terrorists and exploding fertilizer plants and rising floodwaters</a>, I came across an article on Harper's about <a href="http://harpers.org/blog/2013/04/peppards-folly/" target="_blank">Peppard's Folly</a>. Back in 1860, 26 year-old millwright Samuel Peppard built a prototype wind wagon. No images of his craft survive, but it was a rather narrow <a href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kajeffer/history/windwagonsmith.html" target="_blank">four-wheeled cart with a seven-foot mast</a> and a canvas sail. He and some friends set out from Oskaloosa, Oklahoma on May 9th, making it 500 miles before a small tornado destroyed the craft just short of Denver. Eventually, Sam gave up on gold mining, served in the Union Army, got married, and settled down back in Oskaloosa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He wasn't the only land sailor, either -- a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_sailing" target="_blank">number of others</a> gave it a shot over the years, trying to sell their creations to the military or to investors for moving freight. I imagine it made more sense when the prairies were literally an inland, grassy sea, uncut by rails, roads, or fences. Reports from antiquity claim the Chinese had similar contraptions for crossing their vast western lands. Here in America, the utility of windwagons was somewhat limited by the prevailing winds -- west-to-east -- which were generally contrary to the desired direction of travel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, folks have taken to racing land yachts. Modern land use and development has restricted the geographic possibilities to dry lake beds, old airport runways, beaches, and deserts. The landspeed record is held by the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.greenbird.co.uk/about-the-greenbird" target="_blank">Greenbird</a></i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which looks like a spaceship with a wing growing out of its roof. This </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airfoil" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">airfoil</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> sail is rigid, steerable, and can generate a lot more force than a cloth sail, especially with indirect wind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <i>Greenbird </i>can move 3-5 times the speed of the propelling wind, due to extreme aerodynamic efficiency. Unlike a boat, which has overwhelming hydrodynamic drag on the hull, a land yacht is relatively unrestrained. However, that same hydrodynamic drag also keeps the boat firmly entrenched in the water. Land yachts are frighteningly prone to overturning -- they are very lightweight, top-heavy, and wind can get under the body, pushing up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other modern sailors have looked to the past as inspiration, re-creating the old wind wagon designs with new hardware. An intrepid Swedish crew built the<a href="http://www.windwagonproject.se/" target="_blank"> <i>Astrakan</i></a> and took it to Burning Man last year, getting up to considerable speed under sail on the playa. It's much bigger than Peppard's machine, with two masts and four sails. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Evonik Wind Explorer crossed Australia on a combination of wind and electric power, using a stowable kite to take advantage of tailwinds. The kite is an intriguing third way (instead of sail or airfoil), as it is easier to take advantage of asymmetric winds. On the other hand, it is only useful in ares without power lines, trees, or other line-fouling obstacles. When parked, the Evonik put up a portable wind turbine to charge its batteries. The mast setup seemed rather complicated and impractical, but it is a demonstration project. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A simpler alternative is the Whike, a three-wheeled recumbent bike with a small plastic sail. Designed by the bike-crazy Dutch, it takes advantage of wind-whipped lowlands by the sea. The sail can fold down if headed directly into the wind, and the pedals make for a viable hybrid power source.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another Dutchman, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Jansen" target="_blank">Theo Jansen</a>, has been building wind-powered walking sculptures for years. He calls his creations Strandbeests (beach beasts), as they rely on strong shoreline wind. Each is a complicated mechanism, made of off-the-shelf PVC pipe parts, that produces a remarkably animal-like walking motion. He's been at this since 1990, and has built hundreds of machines. The latest prototypes use soda bottles and inflatable bladders to store potential energy and keep the beasts in motion after the wind has died. He explains his work in his own words below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know that all these wind machines are practical, but they are inspiring, evoking a sort of freedom that is hard to imagine when I'm hunkered down on my bike, being punished by the Chicago wind on the lakeshore path. Maybe one day I'll have a chance to try one out. Or build one . . .</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-70949077926823535472013-04-14T09:57:00.003-05:002013-04-14T09:57:32.733-05:00Paolo Soleri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I write this, it is a cold and rainy April in Chicago. Forty degrees, slanting drizzle, ugly wind, a winter that just won't seem to pass. Five Aprils ago, I was in Cordes Junction, Arizona, living and working at <a href="http://www.arcosanti.org/" target="_blank">Arcosanti.</a> It was much warmer there, dry and sun-whipped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arcosanti was founded by Turin-born architect and artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri" target="_blank">Paolo Soleri</a>, who passed away on April 9th at the age of 93. I had the good fortune to meet him a few times while I was living there, though he spent most of his time in Phoenix by that point. When I lived at Arco, in 2007-08, Paolo was still president of the board of the Cosanti foundation, and drove up once a week to give lectures. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sketch I made of Paolo at one of his lectures, autumn, 2007.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paolo came to America in 1946 after earning a Ph.D in architecture from Politecnico de Turino. He then joined the </span><a href="http://www.taliesin.edu/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Taliesin Fellowship</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Frank Lloyd Wright's ersatz architecture school and apprenticeship system. The students lived communally, migrating between Spring Green, Wisconsin, and Scottsdale, Arizona to take advantage of the weather. After about 18 months with the fellowship, Soleri returned to Turin and undertook a commission for a </span><a href="http://www.solimene.com/company.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">ceramics factory</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. There, he took up ceramic and bronze casting as an art, and built part of the factory out of pots. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1949, in partnership with <a href="http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/san-luis-obispo/coastal-modern-mark-mills-architect.html" target="_blank">Mark Mills</a>, Soleri designed and built the <a href="http://esotericsurvey.blogspot.com/2012/12/dome-house-soleri-mills.html" target="_blank">Dome House</a> in Cave Creek, Arizona. Borrowing heavily from Wright, including his signature "desert concrete", it was essentially a hole carved in the desert floor, roofed with a dome and a unique rotating sunshade that allowed for passive solar heat and cooling. Soleri ended up marrying the client's daughter, Colly Woods, and settling in Arizona in the mid-fifties.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dome House.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the next fifteen years, Soleri established a home and studio in Scottsdale (back before it was swallowed up by Phoenix and turned into a tony suburb) and made a living by casting bronze and ceramic art pieces and windbells. He worked in a studio partially made from pre-cast concrete sewer pipe parts and experimented with </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW5v3ODyUYQ" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">siltcasting</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> both ceramics and concrete. Silt, or fine, sieved sand, is shaped into a mold, then filled with liquid clay (slip). The dry sand draws the moisture out of the clay, gradually creating a vessel. Soleri translated this to an architectural scale, mounding up desert sand with a bulldozer, compacting it, and pouring concrete on top. Once the concrete cured, he excavated the from from the inside, revealing the structure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1970, Soleri founded Arcosanti. An hour or so north of Phoenix, it is a prototype city, perched on the edge of a mesa. Drawing from Soleri's youth in the dense, pedestrian-oriented cities of Europe, Arcosanti was meant to be a town that eliminated the car from daily use while producing its own food and energy. I first read about it in the<a href="http://reality.sculptors.com/cgi-bin/wiki?WholeFuture/Arcologies" target="_blank"> Kid's Whole Future Catalog</a>, checked out from my elementary school library. Once my family got the internet, I followed their updates. A few months after I graduated college, I went there. I lived there for almost a year, working in the construction department pouring concrete and welding. (Read more about my experience at Arco<a href="http://places.designobserver.com/feature/lessons-from-the-front-lines-of-social-design/31998/" target="_blank"> here</a>.)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms. Taylor's book inspired a lot of dreaming in a young man.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forty years on, Arcosanti is far from complete. Many of the key parts of the city are still only dreams. It is chronically under-funded and under-staffed, without enough permanent residents to make a real, sustainable economy. Currently, construction is funded by donations, workshop fees (from those taking classes in siltcasting and arcology theory), tourists staying the night, and profits from a small organic farm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The board has transitioned to new leadership, but Soleri's shadow is long and dense. Much like the Rural Studio, where Samuel Mockbee's spirit is still a tangible presence, 12 years after his death, Soleri's soul will continue to influence the community for years to come.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paolo at work in his studio at Cosanti, in Scottsdale. He preferred to draw on large, continuous scrolls. Round windows behind him are made from precast concrete storm drain sections.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paolo hated being called a visionary, but many of his ideas were far ahead of his time. He pursued life and architecture in a guerilla fashion, undermining the dominant paradigm with grassroots, ground-up change. The vision was always self-funded, DIY, built with hard labor and secondhand equipment, scratched out of the desert floor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, as we face down peak oil, climate change, and all the rest, his vision of an anti-car city seems no more far-fetched than <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/hurricane-sandy-strikes-east-coast-gallery-1.1194577" target="_blank">canoes in the streets</a> of Breezy Point. The greatest monument to his life and legacy lives on in the Arizona desert, and I hope it continues to grow and thrive. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The project I worked on at Arco, a giant retaining wall/sculpture/inhabitable landscape under the pool. Paolo would come up from Phoenix, we would hoist a pre-cast panel in the air with the crane, and put it where he wanted it to be. We would cast concrete around it, locking it into place, and then he would come up again the next week and repeat the process.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-17618854138303186062013-04-07T10:27:00.001-05:002013-04-07T10:27:44.159-05:00Resilient Design<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hurricane Sandy made landfall on U.S. shores about five and a half months ago. Since, then, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=hurricane+sandy+architecture&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&aq=f&oq=hurricane+sandy+architecture&aqs=chrome.0.57j0.6977&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">reams have been written</a> about reconstruction and resilience. The discourse has, in many ways, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_of_New_Orleans" target="_blank">mirrored the conversation</a> about New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. The most extreme voices advocated <a href="http://www.ornery.org/essays/2005-09-17-1.html" target="_blank">abandoning the city</a> altogether, given its vulnerability to future storms. Nobody is talking about deserting New York City, but the governors of both <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/27/sandy-flooded-homes-buyout/2024177/" target="_blank">New Jersey </a>and <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/storm-sandy-newyork-buyouts-idUSL1N0B4D1T20130205" target="_blank">New York</a> are using eminent domain and buyouts to pull private property back from fragile beach fronts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sandy wasn't as powerful as Katrina, and resulted in far fewer fatalities, but since it hit a much denser population center, the low-to-mid-level catastrophe was more widespread. The New York metro area also has a lot of buried power lines, transformers, subways, tunnels, bridges, and other pressure points that can be crippled by flooding. With trains shut down and power out, the New York economy<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/10/29/the-economic-impact-of-hurricane-sandy/" target="_blank"> took a brutal hit </a>as people couldn't get to work. However, all of the rebuilding activity served as a perverse salve, stimulating demand for construction and design services that have been depressed since the recession started in 2008. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Via <a href="http://lineshapespace./">lineshapespace.</a><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that some time has passed, and some perspective has been gained, the old arguments are calcifying into place: the economy-slaughtering ecos vs. the technocratic problem-solvers. The hippies want to reclaim wetlands, </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/02/15/170459890/after-sandy-not-all-sand-dunes-are-created-equal" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">rebuild dunes</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and replace damaged buildings with </span><a href="http://www.globalgreen.org/articles/global/128" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">new, green construction</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The engineers want to </span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/11/sandy-spurs-talk-of-sea-barrier-for-new-york/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">build seawalls</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/11/01/should-new-york-build-sea-gates/hurricane-sandy-could-force-new-york-to-consider-flood-prevention" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">flood-proof </a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">subway tunnels, and </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/nyregion/new-york-city-plans-disaster-housing-project.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">put up disaster hotels</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Neither side has a monopoly on solutions. Obviously, given population density and other factors, returning large swaths of Staten Island and Manhattan to nature is impossible. Building a giant, hydraulic-powered seawall is also well beyond anybody's budget right now, given that even a</span><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/sandy-relief-bill-heads-to-white-house-86837.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> relatively small relief bill</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> got tangled up in Congress.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's a lot of ice caps.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sparked by Sandy, Metropolis Magazine has been rolling out a really thoughtful series of articles on the emergent discipline of resilient architecture in an effort to change the conversation about disaster relief and reconstruction. We are stuck in a disaster cycle -- extreme weather event followed by hand-wringing followed by restoration of </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exactly what was there before</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Power lines down? Put up new ones -- don't question out centralized electric grid with fragile wires on tall, wind-blown poles. Houses flooded? Build higher levees, put in a sump pump, and re-energize the endless debate about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_insurance" target="_blank">flood insurance.</a> Beaches destroyed? Dredge up the ocean floor with a bunch of diesel-powered barges and put the beach back just the way we want it. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the <i>I Am Legend</i> video game.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20130322/toward-resilient-architectures-1-biology-lessons" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The first Resilient Architectures article</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> talked about key concepts: diversity, redundancy, network structures, and the distribution of structures across scales. These ideas apply to everything from our power grid to individual buildings. People have been thinking about a </span><a href="http://www.nrel.gov/learning/eds_distributed_energy.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">distributed grid</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for years -- replacing centralized, emissions-belching coal plants with a network of small, hyper-local generators that can manufacture heat and electricity, tied in with solar, wind, and geothermal options. At the scale of a single building, structural distribution, diversity, and redundancy kept recent Pritzker winner Toyo Ito's Sendai Mediatheque </span><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/105152/video-from-toyo-ito-s-mediatheque-during-earthquake-unveiled" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">standing in a terrible earthquake</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20130404/toward-resilient-architectures-2-why-green-often-isn%E2%80%99t" target="_blank">The second Resilient Architectures article</a> took on the mid-century modernists and the <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2011/11/leed-and-tyranny-of-statistics.html" target="_blank">silliness of LEED</a>, attempting to slay two giants with one pen. The fundamental thesis is that modernism, and/or the reaction to modernism, has been the basic design paradigm for a century and it is inextricably tied to oil. It is<i>, </i>to borrow the author's phrasing, <i>a petro-chemical architecture.</i> Consequences of car-centered planning are obvious, but oil has soaked into all sorts of other areas of architecture and construction, from material science to our knee-jerk technological reaction to design problems. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As these disasters become more and more prevalent -- droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards -- something is going to have to give. Economics will probably be the primary driver, as it often is. Those who can afford to build a bomb-proof beachfront house will do so. Others will be forced to move. City planners and politicians will reach for low-hanging fruit first -- moving folks out of floodplains, fixing some power lines, putting in pumps, flood-proofing transformers. Eventually, something will have to be done on a comprehensive scale, Netherlands-style. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until that political needle moves, we are left with individual action. But, honestly, riding my bike to work just doesn't seem like enough most of the time. So I'll try, on what scale I can, to incorporate redundancy, resiliency, and distribution into my work; vote smart; and hope for the best. </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-37622947782939350982013-03-23T17:33:00.001-05:002013-03-23T17:33:11.771-05:00Henry Dreyfuss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was first introduced to the work of <a href="http://idsa.org/henry-dreyfuss" target="_blank">Henry Dreyfuss</a> in school, researching my thesis. In search of information on the dimensions of the human body, I was directed to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Measure-Man-Woman-Factors-Design/dp/0471099554" target="_blank">The Measure of Man</a></i>, Dreyfuss' 1959 book on ergonomics and human factors. The Art and Architecture library had a gorgeous, near-original manuscript with big, beautiful drawings. I recentIy bought another book of his, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Designing-People-Henry-Dreyfuss/dp/1581153120" target="_blank">Designing for People.</a> </i>This mid-century masterwork introduced industrial design best practices to the world, one of the earliest examples of applying "design thinking" to general business and quality-of-life problems.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Born in Brooklyn in 1904, Dreyfuss apprenticed himself to the legendary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bel_Geddes" target="_blank">Norman Bel Geddes</a> at the tender age of 20. At the time, industrial design was not entirely recognized as a field in and of itself. Bel Geddes' studio mainly paid the bills by designing sets for theatrical productions in and around New York. Dreyfuss split off to form his own practice (<a href="http://www.hda.net/" target="_blank">still working today</a>) in 1929.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man at work.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the next thirty years, he worked in everything from automobiles to safety razors to farm tractors. Many of those designs joined a canon of mid-century classics, among them the Western Electric 500 telephone and the Polaroid Land Camera. During World War II, he teamed up with Raymond Loewy and Norman Teague to design the war room for the Joint Chiefs of staff, including a set of 13' diameter globes for the British, Russian, and American high commands. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Model 500.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His war experience turned out to be formative, as he gained access to reams of data collected about the millions of men and women pressed into service for the fight. This information, collated and sorted, provided the anthropological basis for </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Measure of Man. </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A massive sample size made </span><a href="http://randomux.tumblr.com/image/176085062" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">mean and median measures</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> truly accurate for the first time. This book contained some of the first modern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic" target="_blank">infographics</a>, startling in their clarity.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Measure of Man</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was also flawed. It was based on the fittest portion of the population, mostly white males in their late teens and twenties. There was little or no accounting for the old, the young, the disabled, or variations in minority populations. At the time, human factors was a new field and the term </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ergonomics</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> had just been coined, so certain shortcomings can be forgiven. Now, the information is also somewhat out of date. The average WWII-era man weighed about 161 pounds; today, the average American male is <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/150947/self-reported-weight-nearly-pounds-1990.aspx" target="_blank">196 pounds</a>, which is its own problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Designing for People</i>, his other well-known book, is about a broader design philosophy. In the introduction, he lays out the basic task of the designer, which was posted on the wall in his offices:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What we are working on is going to be ridden in, sat upon, looked at, talked into, activated, operated, or in some way used by people individually or en masse. If the point of contact between the product and people becomes a point of friction, then the industrial designer has failed. If, on the other hand, people are made safer, more comfortable, more eager to purchase, more efficient -- or just plain happier -- the designer has succeeded. . . . And if he designs enough things in good taste, he brings better living and greater satisfaction." (p. 25-26)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue like 'ol Charles Eames' pithy <i>the best for the most for the least</i>, but it does shed light on the role of the dignified designer, toiling away to make thing better for the rest of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dreyfuss was on the technological edge when he was working -- designing the electronics and vehicles of the future. The first phones, record players, and cameras had to take <i>abstract</i> functions and make them tangible. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An ax is an ax; a hammer is a hammer; many objects in the world inescapably telegraph their function.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dreyfuss bridged this gap between strict functionalism and abstract reality, bringing communication, information, and a lack of friction to everyday living. His legacy lives on in the smoothly integrated world of Apple products, or the satisfying balance of a Makita drill, easing the points of contact between us and the world.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-36843705160942457802013-03-16T12:08:00.001-05:002013-03-16T12:08:50.280-05:00Alley Walking II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winter is dying a slow, slushy death here in Chicago, full of ugly wet snow and matte gray skies. While comparatively mild this year, winter does seem to drag on forever. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a good time to go for a walk. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two recent articles ( <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/03/get-fit-with-haruki-murakami-why-mohsin-hamid-exercises-then-writes/273722/" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/07/30/maira-kalman-thinking-feeling-interview/" target="_blank">2</a>) brought my own fondness for walking into focus. The slow, rhythmic pace of travel allows the mind to both wander and focus. A lack of speed allows for close observation of the surroundings. Dense urban conditions allow for the majority of errands to be done on foot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A collection of alley photos from the last week or two, mirroring a<a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2011/10/alley-walkin.html" target="_blank"> post from a year ago</a>. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YgNf-MsYzvP5jF6Rpr1_sM4k9I5E2zQogkbqlTyHa5PW_5XvpIMi4WcByehU6JFjdxGaDivtMSsetqsEKqBq0abELBXgr4mt0hkwuOGbQkFbWxkCJbsz3jKAiSB2jsZR1cyVCWy_Hgf5/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YgNf-MsYzvP5jF6Rpr1_sM4k9I5E2zQogkbqlTyHa5PW_5XvpIMi4WcByehU6JFjdxGaDivtMSsetqsEKqBq0abELBXgr4mt0hkwuOGbQkFbWxkCJbsz3jKAiSB2jsZR1cyVCWy_Hgf5/s400/IMG_0066.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beautiful red garage, reminded me of the Rural Studio's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-jac/5183387376/" target="_blank">Red Barn</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yza3pe5PVAPBeswWbtXZIomPoAQcyH2GvCd1tvwCMMNxfW0JUaevgJsSkzk6eBsnHD9qYCJi_b3O6EBJF7XZ8rCZ3HFEevKe7IzBfcGH4y4Ml2EjtM-esXJGW0c5uecETFaUNo4RGhMA/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yza3pe5PVAPBeswWbtXZIomPoAQcyH2GvCd1tvwCMMNxfW0JUaevgJsSkzk6eBsnHD9qYCJi_b3O6EBJF7XZ8rCZ3HFEevKe7IzBfcGH4y4Ml2EjtM-esXJGW0c5uecETFaUNo4RGhMA/s400/IMG_0067.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still life with extinct technology.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMYKP6FP5oYIt9qWkiqAT-qAUVDv-C6dfs3JfHee9CImLgP0p1icIdzd2NtRY0WsWqwCY8NBaB77Iidczauc-lWZ1PiySRVvpV7Ek1H_zo1IXkyObExkVxXyh0btV5aWoa6MkkkDIR2Ki/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMYKP6FP5oYIt9qWkiqAT-qAUVDv-C6dfs3JfHee9CImLgP0p1icIdzd2NtRY0WsWqwCY8NBaB77Iidczauc-lWZ1PiySRVvpV7Ek1H_zo1IXkyObExkVxXyh0btV5aWoa6MkkkDIR2Ki/s400/IMG_0065.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wheat paste graffiti, sans body.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pXY_wkyMCedWY-pWJeTwrS5UQVkp_c9jW90g1fAbZ50_m4Dwe_VslT1C_U6_M8fek3k6L1Tj70ixNSeqDXbLkXSRTG89EYdNETrXAgNncE31TPR4uNUcftGMMvTOCtrLLhfa8y3E2vjm/s1600/IMG_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pXY_wkyMCedWY-pWJeTwrS5UQVkp_c9jW90g1fAbZ50_m4Dwe_VslT1C_U6_M8fek3k6L1Tj70ixNSeqDXbLkXSRTG89EYdNETrXAgNncE31TPR4uNUcftGMMvTOCtrLLhfa8y3E2vjm/s400/IMG_0068.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Industrial orange.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebenBDpWcv3-Kvfsq9ICMi4S_69YZFR_AD6cQhYQjN1jcQx76XnSaS3EMcBXrpLvzUR1iec3HZ-rKJa7Isu-wf3kUE9PaZfXty2JoZVJhry9DqC3fYVtgHCTSibn-RGfXI99KqXvfrMX_/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebenBDpWcv3-Kvfsq9ICMi4S_69YZFR_AD6cQhYQjN1jcQx76XnSaS3EMcBXrpLvzUR1iec3HZ-rKJa7Isu-wf3kUE9PaZfXty2JoZVJhry9DqC3fYVtgHCTSibn-RGfXI99KqXvfrMX_/s400/IMG_0070.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Circles, squares, and rectangles.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO60UN55YEewrDZvxhsnUB-uv9ymzgvsNFye4hF5g_xbvfxjD0rRiiLzRKB025jatzR4WWDC0TSjHhcUz-b8gSs7DWD6S1v_CfILPYc9HtGG6KGrJIZvkHtq-0DBpP6qNmDzcNyvk5g2W/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO60UN55YEewrDZvxhsnUB-uv9ymzgvsNFye4hF5g_xbvfxjD0rRiiLzRKB025jatzR4WWDC0TSjHhcUz-b8gSs7DWD6S1v_CfILPYc9HtGG6KGrJIZvkHtq-0DBpP6qNmDzcNyvk5g2W/s400/IMG_0069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rectangles.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZGLl5fp29Uhozy-919G4mABS276Z9hsmiFPOuKkgV_auseQnq6Xcm1LS2JVw8EXAkBgAAUTO_nF5Z0zzKRBkqXW0SW4trSc7lBdl4O8YO-uwhyXAHT3JFiJo5USShWHCPPaMOAi7Wsbd/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZGLl5fp29Uhozy-919G4mABS276Z9hsmiFPOuKkgV_auseQnq6Xcm1LS2JVw8EXAkBgAAUTO_nF5Z0zzKRBkqXW0SW4trSc7lBdl4O8YO-uwhyXAHT3JFiJo5USShWHCPPaMOAi7Wsbd/s400/IMG_0071.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This alley-facing address, with a very ordinary-looking deck structure, had been embellished with the address drilled into the structure, in Helvetica no less.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70VE2oEKk5FudHAaKOLb1br6Ctd9As9yPHxLX064wJ1rjRH4RFjakbfuqcSxx83gTboaFvQWWOanNWCQWePATUXnvQuv3dbgEAudqhDowXpjxVQk98nU7pKQerp-OWKUhTDKWIIMie0Mo/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70VE2oEKk5FudHAaKOLb1br6Ctd9As9yPHxLX064wJ1rjRH4RFjakbfuqcSxx83gTboaFvQWWOanNWCQWePATUXnvQuv3dbgEAudqhDowXpjxVQk98nU7pKQerp-OWKUhTDKWIIMie0Mo/s400/IMG_0072.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuyT1DgttE0yShiZeBwh-Y_XqYODFVq8yt6eA1tXe1VegP7k7n9kbvae9sjH1QpAI8MXd_9_k34NV2AK7ZJn3HLQ3pam2Px_1w6YtUyiJC3X1IcGNv2F8xRM34EMosugjO5FvKsInNtLx/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuyT1DgttE0yShiZeBwh-Y_XqYODFVq8yt6eA1tXe1VegP7k7n9kbvae9sjH1QpAI8MXd_9_k34NV2AK7ZJn3HLQ3pam2Px_1w6YtUyiJC3X1IcGNv2F8xRM34EMosugjO5FvKsInNtLx/s400/IMG_0073.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A curious garage -- the roof appears to rest entirely on a clerestory of glass block, and there was a roofed metal-mesh coop, presumably for pigeons.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6xpbndd3gFR8-67BB9PFSRk6ho2dswMMfl4bAxNdPuySxQW-hVQJ6iiOoI4uLCOuX3rsM_HFkQ0aE16ibLLG9BTtjFNfvC7T375xEWoL5hLWN9aF_Mwztwong0lj24cIEy6S2dRZubTi/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6xpbndd3gFR8-67BB9PFSRk6ho2dswMMfl4bAxNdPuySxQW-hVQJ6iiOoI4uLCOuX3rsM_HFkQ0aE16ibLLG9BTtjFNfvC7T375xEWoL5hLWN9aF_Mwztwong0lj24cIEy6S2dRZubTi/s400/IMG_0075.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Red.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74Y61eJEvkVhd3fDyvipfaCx_Qr4mLuqOXhYrzo6oBD_um8OjNSmoHxGEg4x7ER7JXsjo42CJ-Ea7MSkAsG5_J5m6h7kpsJU0JhRH5oQWMURf0CjXwLDLdRRkKVQGQaXCLYtizvcF66eL/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74Y61eJEvkVhd3fDyvipfaCx_Qr4mLuqOXhYrzo6oBD_um8OjNSmoHxGEg4x7ER7JXsjo42CJ-Ea7MSkAsG5_J5m6h7kpsJU0JhRH5oQWMURf0CjXwLDLdRRkKVQGQaXCLYtizvcF66eL/s400/IMG_0076.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facade with tarps.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBLE5p2MXHw9JVj7mIRfxmOExUGxbgI-O-LIgFrBAxWm3kDQ2PjmbcBcmCVfvQMD0fzLK2cb4fNp4MGeNlMPW6HMy4rD7i2mJllbApae1bWbWF8QWJ5tE7uV8YYevW9nkEbJokJfFlzkh/s1600/IMG_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBLE5p2MXHw9JVj7mIRfxmOExUGxbgI-O-LIgFrBAxWm3kDQ2PjmbcBcmCVfvQMD0fzLK2cb4fNp4MGeNlMPW6HMy4rD7i2mJllbApae1bWbWF8QWJ5tE7uV8YYevW9nkEbJokJfFlzkh/s400/IMG_0074.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Geometrically pure marble table.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyb9AB4Hd1clWOGF5Y3ozwvqoRuxsnjT96CDftdFR5PFuoDC2eMWKZSxjA5QRXZlNKCpakYfXQmSSbseuxFhfiR7ZXko8-urv5nK0Owqn_AmrDrvl9-rEiX7tYOmxaeHeNaMpXGSEDdnp/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyb9AB4Hd1clWOGF5Y3ozwvqoRuxsnjT96CDftdFR5PFuoDC2eMWKZSxjA5QRXZlNKCpakYfXQmSSbseuxFhfiR7ZXko8-urv5nK0Owqn_AmrDrvl9-rEiX7tYOmxaeHeNaMpXGSEDdnp/s400/IMG_0079.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wet pallet and dirty snow. A perfect picture of March in Chicago.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJflObSxPuasSqFyRSe_zgyFTft0lTXgYxg-UHhV9TWETcm6nHoXKyszcHTgDVJyChRXp6WurGYr55t0N9cYaEb5Rx7jMQwPPwi2cVBlW-WOzaMR-6QU2uhgKRQ0UhV0bXLcPTh4yan_Tr/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJflObSxPuasSqFyRSe_zgyFTft0lTXgYxg-UHhV9TWETcm6nHoXKyszcHTgDVJyChRXp6WurGYr55t0N9cYaEb5Rx7jMQwPPwi2cVBlW-WOzaMR-6QU2uhgKRQ0UhV0bXLcPTh4yan_Tr/s400/IMG_0078.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Primary sawhorse.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPf_6ozR2I5rEQ6qb1Ptkp3DDc3KBNJV6eFByzdY3QZfMWruFGR7789W5b4AG5d-Jzjlz0iA4LYIDSY6t33xMLV64QBPlQidjISVQcgy40ke1rnfWq7_M9SrUicwOfGnhxTSRlnD-5ec4C/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPf_6ozR2I5rEQ6qb1Ptkp3DDc3KBNJV6eFByzdY3QZfMWruFGR7789W5b4AG5d-Jzjlz0iA4LYIDSY6t33xMLV64QBPlQidjISVQcgy40ke1rnfWq7_M9SrUicwOfGnhxTSRlnD-5ec4C/s400/IMG_0153.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spiral staircase with security wings at top.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQGVRxR5MYpW15XvGIOSfK0bHAnKq2nk3T82rKCcImzQfHT3yOLNOODRbplPb-xIWZ4YUULg82TcaolQKQ56DnK2eOqasya-aqqnbRJFZxSDLJL3zPYeSx-Y1xSftVHwRSTp2zIx7tu9c/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQGVRxR5MYpW15XvGIOSfK0bHAnKq2nk3T82rKCcImzQfHT3yOLNOODRbplPb-xIWZ4YUULg82TcaolQKQ56DnK2eOqasya-aqqnbRJFZxSDLJL3zPYeSx-Y1xSftVHwRSTp2zIx7tu9c/s400/IMG_0077.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iceberg drift and trusty boots.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-116732092611176722013-03-09T10:23:00.004-06:002013-03-09T10:23:37.400-06:00Made Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, I <a href="http://www.objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-culture-of-curation.html" target="_blank">put up a post</a> about Tumblr, Pinterest, and this current fetish for <i>curation </i>on the internet. With so much content out there, it's easy to get trapped into an endless cycle of re-posting and recycling without respecting the source.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago, I finally joined the smart-phoned ranks. Inspired by a <a href="http://jspenceholman.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">few Tumblrs</a> of <a href="http://tiptopinternational.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">original content</a> that I enjoy, and the new tool at my disposal, I've hammered out a new addition to the Object Guerilla family: <a href="http://madenow.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Made Now</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Made Now is a Tumblr of what I make, daily, in real time. The caption is the date and time. The tags explain in a few words what it is, but, in the spirit of Tumblr, it is meant to be consumed as images. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smartphones and technology are often blamed as carriers of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=yourbrainoncomputers&adxnnlx=1362585262-+3EFnwP8/28V0MH7F3vk4Q" target="_blank">distraction, destruction</a>, and desperation. I am often one of those cranks, shouting silently at the hooded hunchers on the train -- </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">look around you! </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to turn this computer in my pocket into a tool for mindfulness instead of a twittering, Facebooking tyrant. Hopefully this practice will discipline my making, focus my energy, and serve as an accessible record of my education as a craftsman, designer, and architect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subscribe now! <a href="http://www.madenow.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Made Now.</a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC1ZMvNakrSKWp1GF2pHEzWx5CrKRo8sz2k008Hoqw8bxiUM1uVrz0ZMQcN1NN4SGoZwxVuqBGdSLpXZhHzXwfMLwV-8A1O4D4s1UAntxwj7dEX1pb6eVqjIvRyHLTVG5TkgmR5XcROTM/s1600/Circle+Cutting+Jig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC1ZMvNakrSKWp1GF2pHEzWx5CrKRo8sz2k008Hoqw8bxiUM1uVrz0ZMQcN1NN4SGoZwxVuqBGdSLpXZhHzXwfMLwV-8A1O4D4s1UAntxwj7dEX1pb6eVqjIvRyHLTVG5TkgmR5XcROTM/s400/Circle+Cutting+Jig.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.5.13 / 11:51 AM. Circle cutting jig.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-44407947271671398762013-02-24T12:45:00.002-06:002013-03-06T10:10:50.366-06:00The 2 x 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My work for the last few months has involved close daily encounters with standardized stud lumber. The logic of these standards -- width, depth, and length -- seems baffling on its face. A 2 x 4 is actually 1-1/2" x 3-1/2". It gets even more curious as these lumber standards interface with a whole universe of other measures -- sheet goods, nail lengths, insulation batting widths, and non-structural accessories. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 by 4</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> has become a colloquialism, slipping into common speech as a stand-in for </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wood</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, regardless of size or shape. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Europeans arriving in America faced a forest of epic proportions. It had been managed with fire and agriculture by Native Americans, but it had never been logged with steels tools and draft animals. An abundance of timber informed the the building choices of early settlers, who were coming from a lumber-scarce continent that had largely been logged over by the 1600s. The first buildings erected by settlers -- in Jamestown and New England -- replicated building methods from the Old Country. Timber frames, made of braced posts and beams, were mortised and tenoned together. The notching, pegging, and extreme weight of the members made slowed construction and required skilled labor.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cYdPR6siCtFXpKHbNsEu49yx0xq-H1jd4nLTEZRoLiKlwhExc7XNIsxgl8vxRO7JhWkW7dxwvXuSA582sjJ6553GNFPMxuYXBPZP94c_X6qgzqHUn3J2wB8-6ZRuSjpJry-whtyBo_VE/s1600/Lin-2x4Landscape-2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cYdPR6siCtFXpKHbNsEu49yx0xq-H1jd4nLTEZRoLiKlwhExc7XNIsxgl8vxRO7JhWkW7dxwvXuSA582sjJ6553GNFPMxuYXBPZP94c_X6qgzqHUn3J2wB8-6ZRuSjpJry-whtyBo_VE/s400/Lin-2x4Landscape-2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maya Lin, <i>2 x 4 Landscape.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colonists from Northern Europe </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_cabin" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">introduced the log cabin</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as early as the mid-1600s. This method was quicker than post-and-beam, requiring less dressing of the raw logs. It was, however, more timber-intensive, requiring a lot of labor in harvesting and drying trees. Though log cabins are lodged in the popular imagination, they were generally considered a rude form of dwelling, and were replaced with brick, stone, or timber frame once a family had time and money to spare. Timber-framing remained in use for barns for centuries, as it allowed for large interior clear spans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the early 1800s (ca.1810), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_(fastener)" target="_blank">nail production was mechanized for the first time</a>. These <i>cut nails</i> were sliced off the end of a rectangular iron bar, then hammered to a taper. In the 1890s,<a href="http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/nail/bibliography.pdf" target="_blank"> wire machines</a> were able to extrude and slice the round nails we find ubiquitous today. This innovation greatly increased the speed of production, and allowed the nails to be made of harder steel instead of soft wrought iron.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up until the Civil War, lumber was a locally-produced commodity. Forests were everywhere, and timber was heavy and difficult to ship. There were <a href="http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/miscpub_6409.pdf" target="_blank">no national standards </a>as to sizes, and pieces were milled-to-order for builders. In the postbellum era, railroads drove down shipping costs, eastern forests were logged out, and steam-powered sawmills began to turn lumber production into a massive industrial process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A related development, <i>balloon framing</i>, was developed in Chicago in the 1830s. Continuous studs, roughly 2" x 4" inches, ran 16' from the foundation sill to the eaves. Erected much as a post-and-beam house would be, the studs were put up individually instead of pre-nailed into a wall assembly and tilted up. Diagonal boards, or <i>girts</i>, braced the corners. Suddenly, houses could be put up frighteningly fast -- a few fellas with hammers and handsaws could get a building framed out in a week. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU_CdWpa6bbpi21uPdjGBU0rvc7Y9iOnlT39rnhnf7KqQRvlUG86gv7Dgxt3Ns27KcWpyvGEwcBjF-uBBvAX32DrsJlGB-i9sF5M7WZ-lPozdYSoVUSYIp5LuivkTTDoCjWSc9KL9SG2I/s1600/Balloon+Framing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU_CdWpa6bbpi21uPdjGBU0rvc7Y9iOnlT39rnhnf7KqQRvlUG86gv7Dgxt3Ns27KcWpyvGEwcBjF-uBBvAX32DrsJlGB-i9sF5M7WZ-lPozdYSoVUSYIp5LuivkTTDoCjWSc9KL9SG2I/s400/Balloon+Framing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balloon framing, via <a href="http://mjobrien.com/Papers/OBrien_article_hybrids_on_the_way_to_the_western_platform_frame.pdf" target="_blank">Michael J. O'Brien.</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balloon framing fell out of favor in the early 1900s, when </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">platform framing</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was developed. This system allowed for much shorter (and more economically/fiscally efficient) studs. It also made a progressive series of flat platforms, allowing for a level surface on which to build the next level of the building. Diagonal boards covered the studs, creating a </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragm_(structural_system)" target="_blank">diaphragm wall</a></i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> system, where rigid sheathing serves as lateral shear bracing. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stud spacing began to be standardized at 16" O.C. for load-bearing 2 x 4 walls. There is </span><a href="http://forums.finehomebuilding.com/breaktime/general-discussion/origins-16-stud-spacing" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">not a clear reason</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> why this number became the standard; some say it was the length of a hammer handle, others a forearm. I think it has to do with strength of materials, as trial-and-error developed the strongest system. After World War II, plank sheathing was replaced with plywood, as wartime production of plywood aircraft and </span><a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq60-5.htm" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">PT boats</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was turned to peacetime purposes. The dominant sheet size was 48" x 96", which tiles neatly onto either 12", 16", or 24" joist and stud spacing. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuVogap_gcaiRZzjuHlh-YUWSuz6w_LECcnWFVbRGFmmCnsd1kJIPVDkvGL8ErJdDdfIgMUT0CiPBORgmKG-lMFw5kheGAgZtkOMuhXjyIbHMEnX8yhPdv2KTGcXoDaeGmFhv42npmA-b/s1600/Platform+Framing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuVogap_gcaiRZzjuHlh-YUWSuz6w_LECcnWFVbRGFmmCnsd1kJIPVDkvGL8ErJdDdfIgMUT0CiPBORgmKG-lMFw5kheGAgZtkOMuhXjyIbHMEnX8yhPdv2KTGcXoDaeGmFhv42npmA-b/s400/Platform+Framing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Platform framing, also by <a href="http://mjobrien.com/Papers/OBrien_article_hybrids_on_the_way_to_the_western_platform_frame.pdf" target="_blank">Mr. O'Brien.</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this is all a roundabout way of explaining the 2 x 4. A uniquely American way of building, based on available materials, speed, efficiency, and low skill, grew up on the back of the continent's vast forests. Dozens of lumber standards were developed in the 20th century, beginning in the early twenties.</span><a href="http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/miscpub_6409.pdf" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> The main concerns for the industry</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> seemed to be reducing shipping costs and opening regional markets to national competition. Again, some of the origins of 2 x 4, as a name, are lost to history, but it generally refers to the green size of the blanks before kiln drying and surfacing. Boards lose about a 1/4" all around due to shrinkage while drying, and another 1/4" for surfacing. Bigger boards lose more moisture and require more surfacing the flatten them out, so a 2 x 12, for instance, is actually 1-1/2" x 11-1/4". They are then graded, in descending order: Premium/Select, #1, #2, Stud, Economy, Utility. Grades are based on straightness, knottiness, and the presence of other defects that might degrade structural integrity. The finished stick is marked with </span><a href="http://forestry.about.com/b/2012/09/03/interpreting-lumber-grade-stamps.htm" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">a stamp</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> detailing grade, species, moisture content, and mill of origin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back when I lived in Alabama, attending the Rural Studio, I went on a field trip to a lumber mill. Turns out, surprisingly enough, that Alabama is the largest timber-producing state outside of Alaska, which explains the predominance of southern yellow pine in stud stock across the country. The whole production was fascinating. First, logs were de-barked, then sliced into blanks by a huge bandsaw that used 3-D scanning to divine the most efficient way to render the round cross-section into rectangular pieces. These blanks were then further sorted, surfaced, and dried. The heat for the kilns was generated by burning sawdust. Nothing was wasted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I use stud lumber in a lot of my furniture projects, not for its beauty, necessarily, but because it is cheap, readily available, and <i>in standard sizes</i>. Every house in America may be different, but it's built from the same kit of parts, snatched off the shelf and nailed up. I like the idea of my furniture built from the same bones as my apartment, the invisible brought out of the walls and into the living room.</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-84014656585435926742013-02-17T17:23:00.000-06:002013-02-17T17:23:29.627-06:00Kitted Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've always been entranced by kits. As a kid, I had a science kit full of little vials and electronic bits, all of which were gradually swallowed by couch cushions and carpet seams. <a href="http://www.lego.com/" target="_blank">Legos</a>, the gateway drug to my architectural lifestyle, are the apex of modular, reconfigurable toys. I also had <a href="http://www.thisoldtoy.com/fisher-price/dept-7-playsets/f-construx/a-construx-index.html" target="_blank">Construx</a>, now defunct, which used plastic bubbles and bars to make assemblages. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erector_Set" target="_blank">Erector Sets</a>, <a href="http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-play/channel-knex/" target="_blank">K'NEX</a>, and <a href="http://www.froebelblocks.com/" target="_blank">Froebel Blocks</a> are all part of the same genre, attempting to fracture the ultimate geometry of the world into a set of discrete, elemental pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I find myself investigating the erector sets of the adult world. A <a href="http://places.designobserver.com/feature/the-emergence-of-container-urbanism/37672/" target="_blank">recent article on Design Observer</a> laid out the history and rationale of <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2011/09/containers.html" target="_blank">my old nemesis</a>, container architecture. The author ties it into a larger history of capsule and modular architecture, linking Buckminster Fuller's <a href="http://www.bfi.org/about-bucky/buckys-big-ideas/dymaxion-world/dymaxion-house" target="_blank">Dymaxion House</a> to the modern shipping container iterations of <a href="http://www.lot-ek.com/" target="_blank">Lo-Tek</a>, <a href="http://www.dma-ny.com/site_sba/?page_id=307" target="_blank">Shigeru Ban</a>, and <a href="http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/silodam/index.html" target="_blank">MRDV</a>. This push towards rationalization, modularity, and a set of common dimensions has created a whole class of "standard" industrial objects: shipping containers, dimensional lumber, concrete masonry units, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_barrier" target="_blank">Jersey barriers</a>, oil drums, tires, etc. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingagae6Q4V52zWhW6dLsQ-_xsHlwnavg6nO3z8pdmCur8yIHVXNRfRBchxFMRSccIKfFycgoNgGmuKahnnLb2trnN2pgYIKdJn1uOVTPWJJ8zDioDjv9m1FDCSY6zMn7gKLnerZXtFsk9/s1600/ikeaannouncedsellingcars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingagae6Q4V52zWhW6dLsQ-_xsHlwnavg6nO3z8pdmCur8yIHVXNRfRBchxFMRSccIKfFycgoNgGmuKahnnLb2trnN2pgYIKdJn1uOVTPWJJ8zDioDjv9m1FDCSY6zMn7gKLnerZXtFsk9/s400/ikeaannouncedsellingcars.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kitted out. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-CTkbHnpNQ" target="_blank">Always be knolling</a> . . .</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In many ways, standardization is something to be cheered. It drives down costs by making dissimilar items interface more easily, smoothing the transit of people and goods. However, the dream of mass-manufactured, pre-fabricated, standardized housing, voiced by modernists from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Corbusier" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Le Corbusier</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> on down to </span><a href="http://www.marmol-radziner.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Marmol Radziner</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, has been stubbornly difficult to realize. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea of a turn-key, deliverable box is so <i>neat</i> and <i>clean</i>! Modernists love it! Architecture on a truck! But pre-fab robs architecture of context and specificity, turning our most cherished bastions of individuality -- our houses -- into the sort of monotonous set-pieces we see in commercial buildings. Every McDonald's looks more or less the same. Every Wal-Mart is a repetition on the same theme, regardless of climate, topography, or urban situation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pre-fab has also never been able to truly deliver promised cost savings. Sure, trailer homes are cheaper at point of purchase, but they depreciate like other consumer durable goods, whereas a house is an asset that grows in value over time. The rigidity of pre-fabrication usually means modifications, renovations, and <a href="http://www.mymobilehomemakeover.com/" target="_blank">changes are difficult</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's why some folks, like the <a href="http://www.ruralstudio.org/" target="_blank">Rural Studio</a>, are more focused on creating a sort of kit house, where detailed material inventories and cut lists can streamline the site-built construction process. <a href="http://www.strongtie.com/" target="_blank">Simpson Strong-Ties</a> systemize certain construction joinery into fool-proof, structural connections. <a href="http://www.wikihouse.cc/about" target="_blank">The WikiHouse</a> is taking advantage of still-nascent 3-D printing and CNC-milling technologies to make downloadable, printable homes that can be put together by a novice. <a href="http://earthship.com/" target="_blank">Earthships </a>use industrial refuse -- tires, aluminum cans, and bottles -- and a modular floor plan in concert with adaptable blueprint sets to make self-sufficient habitats.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WikiHouse.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Furniture is different. It is smaller, cheaper, lighter, and more adaptable than whole houses. IKEA has built an international empire on this assumption. Oft-derided for their incomprehensible cartoon directions, IKEA has still created a market for simple modern furniture, put together with nothing but a hex key. A thriving online community has grown up around </span><a href="http://www.ikeahackers.net/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">hacking these designs</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, re-inventing the kits into a sort of post-modern blonde-wood collage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've long thought that there must be a kit out there that can convert standard lumber into furniture, and a little searching brought up dozens of attempts. Here are a few to browse:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1270906/make-your-own-erector-set-furniture-mekano" target="_blank">Mekano</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gridbeamwiki.org/projects/start" target="_blank">Grid Beam</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://inhabitat.com/loose-joints-is-a-fun-diy-kit-for-making-furniture/" target="_blank">Loose Joints</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.shakerworkshops.com/about-shaker-workshops-furniture-kits.htm" target="_blank">Shaker Workshops</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3118543.pdf" target="_blank">Industrial Joint Furniture Kit</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.duckloe.com/duckloe_collection_furniture_kits.asp" target="_blank">Windsor Chairs</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Ten-Green-Coffee-Table-from-reclaimed-timber-and/" target="_blank">Ten Green Wine Bottle System</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.unistrut.us/" target="_blank">Uni-Strut Mounting Systems</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://popupcity.net/2009/07/free-classic-how-to-build-your-own-living-structures-by-ken-isaacs/" target="_blank">Ken Isaacs</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671068/an-open-source-kit-of-parts-for-making-any-gadget-from-scratch#1" target="_blank">Open Structures</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://publicworkshop.us/buildit/" target="_blank">Build-It</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Project-RE-by-Samuel-Bernier/" target="_blank">Project RE__</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sketchchair.cc/" target="_blank">SketchChair</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://uncrate.com/stuff/ply90-bracket/" target="_blank">Ply90 Brackets</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.designboom.com/design/metal-furniture-inflated-using-a-bike-pump-puff-by-moran-barmaper/" target="_blank">Puff Metal Inflatables</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.indie-furniture.org/" target="_blank">Indie Furniture</a></span><br />
<a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/03/open-source-ecology.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Open Source Ecology</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am still chewing over possibilities. I would love to create a furniture </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Esperanto</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of sorts, allowing bits of wood, bamboo, electrical conduit, what-have-you to all click together into living assemblages. This universal grammar is elusive, structurally sneaky, visually inelegant, refusing to be named. But someone will find it. Mark my words . . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">500-odd years ago, Leon Alberti published <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Building-Ten-Books/dp/026251060X" target="_blank">On the Art of Building</a></i>, a series of ten pamphlets on the then-fledgling (formal) field of architecture. Mr. Alberti was writing about design, but called it <i>building.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I am apt to do, I tugged on this thread a bit, and it led me down an internet rabbit hole. The <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=architect&allowed_in_frame=0" target="_blank">etymology of <i>architecture</i></a>, and <i>architect</i>, derives from the Greek <i>arkhitekton. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Arkhi- : </i>chief</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=arkhi&searchmode=none" target="_blank">Arch</a> - : </i>principal, extreme, ultra, early, primitive</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Tekton - : </i>builder, carpenter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An <i>architect</i>, then, is a <i>master builder</i>. Today, an architect is certainly a chief, a director of works, and a builder of the virtual (drawings, models, plans), but not a <i>builder</i>, in the physical sense. Centuries of evolutionary specialization have codified the role of the architect into a remarkably narrow scope of responsibility. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Considering it for my first tat.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same winnowing down has affected the building trades. We no longer have </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">carpenters</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, in a general sense, but framers, roofers, drywallers, floorers, and so forth -- successive waves of workmen cresting over the building, depositing built layers like the ocean laying sand on a beach. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As buildings, and construction processes become ever-more complex, it is harder and harder to have any sort of comprehensive view of the process of <i>making</i>. A modern skyscraper, for instance, requires many thousands of hands in just the engineering of the structure, not to mention all of the designing all the sub-systems and developing the sexy renderings that sell units.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Specialization revolutionized the building industry, allowing experts to invade every nook and cranny of the field, executing a single core competency with speed and efficiency. It has also balkanized the process, both practically and legally, providing circuitous routes for mistakes to travel until blame dissipates into a sort of <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=general%20malaise" target="_blank">general scheduling and budgetary malaise.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am currently working on the design and managing the build-out of small cafe and restaurant on the south side of Chicago. I worked up the basic drawings; contracted and helped with demolition; and am now engaged in the simultaneous design and construction of a small but highly complex two-level space. Almost a dozen folks collaborate with me, as carpenters, designers, apprentices, and food folks. The project evolves daily, in response to changing programatic needs, economic realities, and scheduling issues. It is an <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/improvisatory" target="_blank">improvisatory</a> process, in the best sense of that word. Skilled craftsmen circle and retreat, handing off lines and picking up on cues, hammering out a built narrative. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next door, a building has just been completed. I was over there today for a meeting, and a fella was fixing the door. Two other guys were installing rubber stair treads. Their trucks told their story: specialists, consigned to tiny, discrete tasks, endlessly repeated, a Sisyphean nightmare reenacted in building after building. Building, an individual, site-specific task, is being stripped of context and forced into assembly-line production. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On these long, cold days, chewing my gums, I have a lot of time to think. One article, in particular, has been gnawing at me. Richard Olsen, a writer and editor, <a href="http://www.richardolsen.org/blog/2013/01/07/the-invisible-craftsman-builder/" target="_blank">posted an entry on his blog recently lamenting the <i>invisible craftsman</i></a>, the builder who is subsumed by the blinding light of some starchitect. Some of his commentary is devoted to stabbing my sacred cows -- the mid-century architects I've spent years studying -- but he makes a number of valid points about the contributions of the craftsman. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know not every building can be made this way -- contemplative, contextual, careful. But I do know that the result of this process will be more than a product. It is an artifact-in-the-making, forged with human hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will install the doors. I will build the stair treads. I will build the bookshelves, the bar, the kitchen. I will proudly call myself a generalist, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_of_all_trades,_master_of_none" target="_blank">jack-of-all-trades</a>, a <i>master builder</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Monday, President Obama took the oath of office and delivered his <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/text-obamas-inaugural-address-165950611.html" target="_blank">second inaugural address</a>. Many expected an optimistic, bipartisan appeal, similar to his speech in 2008. Instead, he came out of his corner swinging, directly addressing a number of progressive goals. He became the first president to mention gay Americans in an inaugural address, he defended the social safety net, and, to the surprise of many (including me) he devoted seven whole sentences to climate change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, as this was an inaugural address, it was pretty slim on actual policy proposals. Spokesman Jay Carney was </span><a href="http://junkscience.com/2013/01/22/jay-carney-climate-not-a-singular-priority-for-obama/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">quick to tamp down excitement</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> on Tuesday, noting that climate change was not a "singular priority" of the administration, and a carbon tax was not in the works. Carbon taxation has become a toxic political topic, derided by the right as an economy-killer and feared by the left because of its regressive nature. Despite popular perception that such a tax is the product of spendthrift, regulation-loving liberals, carbon taxation was actually the </span><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Presence-of-Mind-Blue-Sky-Thinking.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">brainchild of Republicans</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which suggests at least some basis for negotiated common ground.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But truly combatting climate change, as the president suggested, is a lot more complicated than pricing carbon. Superstorm Sandy, and Katrina before her, highlighted glaring problems with our emergency readiness, flood control systems, seawalls, underground transportation networks, and electrical infrastructure. Alternative energy sources need to be designed, tested, and implemented. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/12/04/pol-algae-fuel-co2-smokestacks.html" target="_blank">Carbon capture systems</a> need to be scaled to a point where they can make a difference. Heavy transportation -- railroads, ships, and trucks -- need to become more logistically intelligent and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/science/earth/cargo-ship-designers-turn-to-wind-to-cut-cost-and-emissions.html?_r=0" target="_blank">energy efficient</a>. Emergency housing <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/nyregion/residents-in-storm-damaged-homes-struggle-to-keep-out-of-the-cold.html?ref=nyregion&gwh=689EC5A4D9C49C974DD2101CFCF65768" target="_blank">needs to be built</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Design Observer's Nancy Levinson recently <a href="http://places.designobserver.com/feature/climate-change-and-public-works/37648/" target="_blank">published an article</a> arguing for a robust government role in addressing these challenges. I agree. In 1933, it took Congress <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps" target="_blank">four months</a> to sign a law and mobilize a quarter-million young men into an economic stimulus program, the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC undertook projects in ten categories, mostly focused on erosion control, wildfire suppression, road building, and tree planting. <i>Four months</i>. Today, it takes Congress longer than that to decide what it wants for lunch. The CCC lives on, in a neutered form, as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmeriCorps" target="_blank">AmeriCorps</a>, which provides young, service-minded folks an opportunity to work for a local non-profit for up to two years. In exchange, they receive a couple grand in college loan forgiveness and a stipend so small it is supplemented with food stamps.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphYAo2ZUOF9d71naZn42-aOwVuqUv-v8NDTEekdAyzXqBbOCHgXwn2Ytr5vHh7bzeJzwySiXjHIaGMGdz4spaifC6xlGMmYj9693_id8jCrp0KvD7qniovAmugVyfNoBA82wOC9ZcY9A0/s1600/civilian-conservation-corps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphYAo2ZUOF9d71naZn42-aOwVuqUv-v8NDTEekdAyzXqBbOCHgXwn2Ytr5vHh7bzeJzwySiXjHIaGMGdz4spaifC6xlGMmYj9693_id8jCrp0KvD7qniovAmugVyfNoBA82wOC9ZcY9A0/s400/civilian-conservation-corps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Start with a rebranding: the Climate Change Corps. Follow up with a commitment to hire the same amount of people originally employed in the thirties -- capped at 300,000 at any one time, or one percent of the population. Pay folks a living wage, offer health insurance, and give meaningful college loan forgiveness, up to $50,000. Divide this new labor pool into four divisions: Infrastructure, Engineering, Architecture, and Conservation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Infrastructure can get started on modernizing our electrical grid, building high-speed rail, and making our transportation systems resilient in the face of super storms. Engineering can begin the long process of flood control, wetland design, and biofuel production. Architecture can design and build emergency shelters, green low-income housing, stilted buildings, and renovate federal facilites to the latest energy efficiency standards. Conservation can weatherize homes, deconstruct abandon buildings for material salvage, start urban farms, and plant trees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stimulus </i>has become a dirty word, turned into an epithet by conservatives eager to discredit government's role in averting economic disaster in 2008. But, almost five years out, data is slowly emerging that proves the stimulus<a href="http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/big-book/giving-credit-government-bailout" target="_blank"> may have worked much better than anyone expected</a>. That said, a big new government program cannot go unfunded. Since a carbon tax is too far-reaching to be politically palatable right now, how about a small increase to the federal gas tax? Americans <a href="http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=23&t=10" target="_blank">consume 367 million gallons of gasoline <i>per day.</i></a> Currently, federal excise tax is 18.4 cents per gallon. Round it up to an even 20. That's $214 million a year, with the added benefit of curbing consumption a touch. That pot of money will cover payroll, Medicare could enroll employees for healthcare, and money for construction could be raised through local bond issues or other federal agencies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is our world war, our moon shot, our fight. It's about time we did something <i>big.</i></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-66799302948731349232013-01-17T17:35:00.001-06:002013-01-17T18:06:13.370-06:00The Culture of Curation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apologies, all, for the long gap between posts. I was felled by illness, as folks often are this time of year. Laying in bed, coughing, got me thinking about the nature of <a href="http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2012/03/15/symptoms-of-epidemic-web-design-trends/" target="_blank">epidemics</a>, viruses, and the spread of ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came by the following quote in a roundabout way -- a footnote in Matthew Crawford's </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shopclass as Soulcraft. </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Josie Appleton, </span><a href="http://spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/reviewofbooks_article/5026" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">in reviewing Benjamin Barber's book <i>Consumed</i>, writes</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not so much that we have an ethic of consumption, but that – by default – it remains as one of the few meaningful experiences in our lives. There is a tangibility and satisfaction to buying – to picking out a new shirt or a new album and taking it home – that means that shopping remains for individuals a confirmation of their power to make things happen in the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The power of consumption has been usefully theorised by the Marxist sociologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Simmel" target="_blank">Georg Simmel</a>. In<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Philosophy-Money-Georg-Simmel/dp/0415046416" target="_blank"> <i>The Philosophy of Money</i></a>, he looks at how buying an object is an act of individual subjectivity, the person stamping himself on a thing and claiming his right to its exclusive enjoyment. Simmel cited the example of a friend he knew who would buy beautiful things, not to use them, but to ‘give an active expression to his liking of the things, to let them pass through his hands and, in so doing, to set the stamp of his personality upon them’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shopping remains a way in which our choices have a tangible effect, in which we can make something in our lives new and different. It also becomes the primary way in which people can enjoy the creativity and efforts of others, even if this is done unconsciously, without knowing who made something or how.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dead shopping cart, courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/schmegs/" target="_blank">Schmegs' photostream</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rise of <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and </span><a href="http://www.tumblr.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> has brought these questions newly to the fore, as they amount, in many ways, to little more than virtual shopping. Certain </span><a href="http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/tumblr-threat-or-menace/Content?oid=6023401" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">critics</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> are uneasy with this "curation culture", finding it to be nothing but content recycling and unfiltered opinion vomit. Certain design Tumblrs that I enjoy, like </span><a href="http://www.freecabinporn.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Cabin Porn</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, are troubling in just this way: single photos captioned by one link, no text, magnets for re-posts, pins, and tweets while offering no commentary other than </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the fact they were chosen to be in a particular canon of images</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Mere selection, it seems, bestows a certain glimmer of glamour upon these projects, while offering an </span><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/03/what-it-means-that-urban-hipsters-like-staring-at-pictures-of-cabins/254495/" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">escapist fantasy</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to armchair woodsmen -- the same sort of fantasy and self-mythologizing available at the local mall. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo by <a href="http://www.stephanieschuster.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Schuster</a>, via <a href="http://www.freecabinporn.com/" target="_blank">Cabin Porn</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cabin Porn, is in fact fundamentally pornographic: a procession of images that hit the same sensory pleasure points -- snowy forests, spirals of blue-grey chimney smoke, weathered clapboards -- over and over to the point of dull, self-obsessed saturation. It is the same with celebrity gossip magazines, <i>Playboys</i>, or the endless parade of selfsame movie stars pretending to be someone else in each new film -- another set of hyper-inflated breasts, tousled blonde hair, and artificial tan attempting to be something new while only sinking deeper into a morass of </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sameness, </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reflecting our own narcissism in our eagerness to become </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">them. </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curation, part of the </span><a href="http://gigaom.com/2012/01/04/you-are-what-you-curate-why-pinterest-is-hawt/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">next wave of the internet</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, by some accounts, is an interesting phenomenon. The darlings of this next wave include o</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ne of the founders of <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, Evan Sharp, who has a master's degree in architecture. He has spoken about </span><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/39788357/working-out-of-the-box-pinterest-co-founder-evan-sharp" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">his decision to leave the field</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -- part of a greater, </span><a href="http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20110103/lost-generation" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">recession-driven trend</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -- as an "opportunity to </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">build things that would be used by hundreds of millions of people immediately." But has he built anything, really? Tumblr, at least, is a platform for making websites; Instagram is based on folks taking their own pictures; Facebook and Twitter facilitate communication; Pinterest has become a copyright-free graveyard of <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/179510735117584709/" target="_blank">wedding gowns</a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/122863896054386375/" target="_blank">unattributed photographs</a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/158048268142544989/" target="_blank">French braids</a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/33777065924791279/" target="_blank">puppies </a>, and <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/204702745532872894/" target="_blank">boys in underwear</a>. I find scrolling through Pinterest a little weird, like paging through a massive catalog of unrequited desire pulled directly out of people's memories.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even my favorite soapbox topic -- making -- gets infected with all this sometimes. I can justify my making all my own furniture with the usual reasons -- expediency, economy, sustainability, joy -- but there is some truth in the idea that I want furniture that no one else has. I want to be surrounded by things I made, that I can tell the story of, <i>that tell the story of me</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best design, be it graphic, architectural, or industrial, communicates a narrative. But the narrative is running away. The stuff has become the story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a new year. Set some goals. Stop <i>curating</i>. Start <i>creating.</i></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-16104243167647314152013-01-02T20:45:00.000-06:002013-01-02T20:45:59.918-06:00Repair & Replacement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a long and consumptive holiday hiatus, OG is back on the soapbox.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel a need to offer penance after a holiday like Christmas. On this blog, and in my life, I love to go on about <a href="http://spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/reviewofbooks_article/5026">consumerism</a>, <a href="http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2010/06/the-birth-of-america%E2%80%99s-disposable-culture.html">planned obsolescence</a>, and unintended consequences. But, on December 25th, these things are abandoned, shouted down by cultural fiat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family has made some attempt to address <i>the true meaning of Christmas</i>, instituting a five-dollar limit on gifts. This is great, but it doesn't help my own craven failings . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to the mall last week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not proud of it. But hey, I needed some things, and there were sales, and sometimes you need to try things on . . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so the penance. A New Year's purge has cleared closets and enriched Goodwill. Insufficiently sated, I went on a repair binge.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QgCOdG3bmO7fwI3wWpt7edMN8pjzxmoLYOLQIY0KQ3WQ5gS8fW-i0_P3i1-uraiQ4V_WadPsRvF1bxxZYc4fCJnGg0ah7kIt0NeWq1UaQxk6bnNcn32y1kT_7knwZYrcrnsYxWsOsQvc/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QgCOdG3bmO7fwI3wWpt7edMN8pjzxmoLYOLQIY0KQ3WQ5gS8fW-i0_P3i1-uraiQ4V_WadPsRvF1bxxZYc4fCJnGg0ah7kIt0NeWq1UaQxk6bnNcn32y1kT_7knwZYrcrnsYxWsOsQvc/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Damaged goods.</span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been a repairer for many years, mostly engaged in fixing up old buildings. Despite the costs (and risks), fixing up something old is a fundamentally sustainable choice, as it takes advantage of the time and energy already embedded in the structure. Repair cannot </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">defeat</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/entropy" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">entropy</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, but it </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">can</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> trick the universe for a time. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xRyr0PMYZDXoKySO5fYGobO1mbSpfiICGzxGTZfd2usOPr1ad5EQ8QxD0Htm9oXvSopZPzbaI_nl7tXaPrLOCm-cK9fukm6xFAOO6lFo7nulR_z7dkghcdue6zT9s3FYhtAwSx-7BMp7/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xRyr0PMYZDXoKySO5fYGobO1mbSpfiICGzxGTZfd2usOPr1ad5EQ8QxD0Htm9oXvSopZPzbaI_nl7tXaPrLOCm-cK9fukm6xFAOO6lFo7nulR_z7dkghcdue6zT9s3FYhtAwSx-7BMp7/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dirt of a thousand vanquished joists.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Repair is a forgotten art. Once a nation of rural handymen accustomed to building whatever they needed, Americans are now a nation of urbanized consumers. Cars are about the only major consumer product we spend much time repairing. Everything else, especially electronics, we throw out. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flat-screen cracked? It's </span><a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090116091055AAzBstH" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cheaper to get a whole new TV</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> than to replace the damaged parts. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clothes go unpatched, TVs go dark, bikes rust themselves immobile, nations drown under waves of </span><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2010/02/united-nations-add-mobile-phones-to-the-world-e-waste-crisis/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">discarded phones</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOFEivvBWmgtM15iQqRwhiqDcOp2-OoUAd23dvw2VG4c_NAhSS0SXRs6FJrB37rqcLUUuWotjzOY8C7NGBTaOeohDPBufE3dnb7F9nnInm3Rl-oRtQ0npCe0uqwvmVZRonZh4jre5Dfvs/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOFEivvBWmgtM15iQqRwhiqDcOp2-OoUAd23dvw2VG4c_NAhSS0SXRs6FJrB37rqcLUUuWotjzOY8C7NGBTaOeohDPBufE3dnb7F9nnInm3Rl-oRtQ0npCe0uqwvmVZRonZh4jre5Dfvs/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A tale of the needle and the damage done . . .</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few months ago, I got a new pair of work gloves from a big orange store that sells hardware. They began developing holes within days. Given similar experiences in the past, I consciously spent a couple more dollars on the slightly nicer ones. So, in the spirit of the season, I darned my damn gloves instead of giving in and spending another twenty bucks.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nXIFzVRejJ2KvJrbmsVmnVe23b0u6xXR2_ItuuASgiWipUGDmNqA6tZ6hTR54eIL-Q7xJP42kTBAiI-xwxJNFTpE8tSlYWeg-tefBuO2EXgURTDQpdJftJQ0HB_tGJqbRHsaR874YRCF/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nXIFzVRejJ2KvJrbmsVmnVe23b0u6xXR2_ItuuASgiWipUGDmNqA6tZ6hTR54eIL-Q7xJP42kTBAiI-xwxJNFTpE8tSlYWeg-tefBuO2EXgURTDQpdJftJQ0HB_tGJqbRHsaR874YRCF/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High and tight. I look good in black.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days later, I melted a huge hole in the left middle finger when trying to dry them in front of the kerosene heater on our job site. I'm not sure what the lesson is here -- damned if you do, damned if you don't? Buy more anyway? Quit trying to live your life within a neatly framed ethical and political worldview? Have cold, filthy hands?</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC49MbW8oy2QEVGvhhggpWUozBflWBQpQebmgSffSffELEx8s2v5J4SjvZgvDhCmQe3cBUbyMIqhUR5OOaJsv2OUp6bxJlkDJYJYHJGhqQSpE1okcHNYZXJQQ6ZdGYmc3HgChFdy2iaItY/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC49MbW8oy2QEVGvhhggpWUozBflWBQpQebmgSffSffELEx8s2v5J4SjvZgvDhCmQe3cBUbyMIqhUR5OOaJsv2OUp6bxJlkDJYJYHJGhqQSpE1okcHNYZXJQQ6ZdGYmc3HgChFdy2iaItY/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An ill-fated trip to the roof, in the rain, and subsequent hypothermic travails renders my repair, well, un-repairable.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, I turned, as I often do, to the consoling arms of the internet. I found a few sweet examples of design interventions, meant to turn repair to art.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://sugru.com/manifesto">Manifesto</a> philosophizes the fix-it. Paulo Goldstein makes some <a href="http://design-milk.com/repair-is-beautiful-by-paulo-goldstein/#more-124303">Rube-Goldbergian repairs</a> to common objects. Soojin Kang <a href="http://www.soojinkang.net/">knits it all back together</a>. Sigurdur Gustafsson <a href="http://dornob.com/cut-paste-chair-4-seats-spliced-into-1-piece-of-furniture/">splices the split</a>. John Preus <a href="http://art.nmu.edu/department/museum/exhibitions/2012/youcompleteme.htm">furnishes the far reaches</a>. <a href="http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-darn-a-sock/">Darning</a> is not yet dead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25165196@N08/8231825155/in/set-72157631752450638/">And all good things come to an end</a>. <a href="http://rebuildingexchange.org/">Until they are reborn</a>.</span><br />
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</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-11007146118835722312012-12-16T21:25:00.000-06:002012-12-16T21:25:18.141-06:00On (Design) Failure II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost exactly a year ago, I shared a <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2011/12/on-design-failure.html">story about failure</a> in the shop. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps, after 12 months of <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/11/road-sign-lounger.html">middling successes</a>, I was due for another one. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unlike the previous failure, the Barrel Chair, this one </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">works</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, in some sense of the word</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last few weeks at work, at the <a href="http://rebuild-foundation.org/blog/">ReBuild Foundation</a>, we've been in the middle of shuffling our studio and shop as leases change and new spaces come on line. As we <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/03/pallets.html">palletized</a> piles of material, we chewed through dozens of rolls of packing plastic -- a sort of industrial cling-wrap. It came on 3-1/4" diameter cardboard rolls. I found a few more tubes of a similar diameter in a dumpster in our building.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRRA7bnxVAAoCowgm2FO04sPuCeX0Jk9N4LNDRuFbFf4ZR1AkJJ1FOe9DjwNjTNHc8lePnW5WaZgVDSZDxciXyOzMDFSGTmt8n7HhRsTjZ5RCT30rRBZC9BeXWPlakBo2U_9xw3sj1t_y/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRRA7bnxVAAoCowgm2FO04sPuCeX0Jk9N4LNDRuFbFf4ZR1AkJJ1FOe9DjwNjTNHc8lePnW5WaZgVDSZDxciXyOzMDFSGTmt8n7HhRsTjZ5RCT30rRBZC9BeXWPlakBo2U_9xw3sj1t_y/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The raw materials.<br /></span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've messed around with tubes before -- and who hasn't? They are strong, free, and easily workable. One of my architectural heroes, <a href="http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/SBA_WORKS/SBA_PAPER/SBA_Paper_index.htm">Shigeru Ban</a>, had built whole buildings from them. I have made a few projects out of architectural plotter tubes, none of which were terribly successful. In an attempt to redeem myself, suddenly surrounded by tubage, I started thinking . . .</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbz-IsYSR-jk3-Wcx3F2WiS4yxlwGJ0d0vdDQwTpiYlf8zsfCeeyjvQY2ypXZ3EATyKA3mrNSD4p9-jyCqgaI6AKf7lFUzdDVRGxI38YccfR12s_OseDeGx0kigPu4k73OhlKl-vWsgtLK/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbz-IsYSR-jk3-Wcx3F2WiS4yxlwGJ0d0vdDQwTpiYlf8zsfCeeyjvQY2ypXZ3EATyKA3mrNSD4p9-jyCqgaI6AKf7lFUzdDVRGxI38YccfR12s_OseDeGx0kigPu4k73OhlKl-vWsgtLK/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poppin' caps.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My original intention was to create a pure tension structure: a series of tubes threaded onto a strap, pulled into a "C" shape by the tightening said strap. I bought some webbing online, found some buckles in my toolbox, and built a simple jig for cutting slots into the tubes. A cradle of plywood and two spring clamps held the them in place while also providing a flat surface at the exact centerline of the tubes. I used a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">biscuit joiner</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, usually used for joining wood, to punch slots in each end of each tube.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_HicCOW4pvoz3sBk_6fDq8L4o7RLH5TXEwQALq8PqyP7XRiT01xZ93tdgGu-awv0fGSO1bM4PBPZ_XPlbjx6TxRkf6Lc3vSuoj07fmqj11gZ-3VpVSW4uKqEuJJ5yjSmHavrniTxNqcF/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_HicCOW4pvoz3sBk_6fDq8L4o7RLH5TXEwQALq8PqyP7XRiT01xZ93tdgGu-awv0fGSO1bM4PBPZ_XPlbjx6TxRkf6Lc3vSuoj07fmqj11gZ-3VpVSW4uKqEuJJ5yjSmHavrniTxNqcF/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I <i>love</i> a good jig. Hot damn.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once I threaded the webbing through, and pulled it tight, nothing happened. The tubes were too roly-poly. Without anything firm to bear against, they wouldn't wedge against themselves, and so just sort of flopped and twisted into a vaguely organized pile.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNb5E5Jgtquy58tI9gKHCJJwQSABGwGE-CT5jDZsMHH1Tx-NEy0tv2YLGDNxZOX5c85LlXH9MFGYuHbLPp5ORd-r4xGYFvNHkoNf9IRlkSWptDp8SwSLAbR0j3zqVAf5roAi31mvYnhPy/s1600/5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNb5E5Jgtquy58tI9gKHCJJwQSABGwGE-CT5jDZsMHH1Tx-NEy0tv2YLGDNxZOX5c85LlXH9MFGYuHbLPp5ORd-r4xGYFvNHkoNf9IRlkSWptDp8SwSLAbR0j3zqVAf5roAi31mvYnhPy/s400/5a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wedgin'.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought a few wedges might solve the problem. I cut a bunch of tiny triangles on the bandsaw and forced them between the tubes, so that when I tightened the straps, they would stay oriented to one another in an shapely fashion. Needless to say, that failed as well. Even gluing the wedges in place didn't help.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDpD3sRBaAtAU9p4i2ADatBuXn65dA40f0H_b5kELFB2YBC4P1IWWgH0tZE-Vt8wLLf1AbK3KIOF9PrzT7Umh1Aexjx1dvhRPdSQZIAOW1dRc1PjyaKDf8Jda3RdzXcYor2A0xYPM8iOB/s1600/5c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDpD3sRBaAtAU9p4i2ADatBuXn65dA40f0H_b5kELFB2YBC4P1IWWgH0tZE-Vt8wLLf1AbK3KIOF9PrzT7Umh1Aexjx1dvhRPdSQZIAOW1dRc1PjyaKDf8Jda3RdzXcYor2A0xYPM8iOB/s400/5c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wedges didn't want to stay put . . .</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found myself stumped. In my mind's eye, the tubes made a perfect bow, with the webbing as the string. After experimented, I had discovered that the tension I was applying was failing to work as I had hoped. So, I reversed it -- running the webbing down the back of the tubes, around a wooden frame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cut and made a frame out of some scrap OSB from some crates left in the hallway, then fit the tubes to it. The straps run along the frame, sucking the tubes down to the wood.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdtaQPcgrEWJ7nb-poEAhu27i-l0uv4Zjc3VzEn5-ilD4rQIyVAwDOkRpcCnyZUcOQpyh4eh6j1A4lTkanrodtZuSd00aVVcc0avZUJ3Q7fV22YlUEM2NxHXkvRnBe4KlFLL5oQDa-YWo/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdtaQPcgrEWJ7nb-poEAhu27i-l0uv4Zjc3VzEn5-ilD4rQIyVAwDOkRpcCnyZUcOQpyh4eh6j1A4lTkanrodtZuSd00aVVcc0avZUJ3Q7fV22YlUEM2NxHXkvRnBe4KlFLL5oQDa-YWo/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Framin'.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In some ways, this was a success. Everything stayed put. A whole chair of eleven tubes, two straps, and two chunks of wood. It was lightweight, flat-pack, with a relatively elegant resolution of competing physical forces, rendering a comfortable surface.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsF6m-bHoyFSkCZ82VgERp1ZyNwdWIaONx5m8TSfbH9_v3h8Mx9GVDDO-H5hlsX8FnxnXg0oGuMsAJk72iAMvA9B8G6k_u62i_O-A1SAzmajUUIHzyKdF0F00hGbAT51ZEq8Zi3ApI5di/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsF6m-bHoyFSkCZ82VgERp1ZyNwdWIaONx5m8TSfbH9_v3h8Mx9GVDDO-H5hlsX8FnxnXg0oGuMsAJk72iAMvA9B8G6k_u62i_O-A1SAzmajUUIHzyKdF0F00hGbAT51ZEq8Zi3ApI5di/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Profile.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's ugly. It's raw and ungainly, like a knob-kneed newborn calf stumbling away from its mother. The structural system has potential. The jig is neat. The material is intriguing. But I haven't solved this.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1-S-p6b0Q7ElW2v_H4xnKz1HpeHXIlI7lRToXlpmn96XuhkLiYyuVoSOOak9NjiigiWO7NCFPuuH-4upraJGa4EdIUJD8dxGYFLUVVpdAXQfmFaN0Fh2Ml3Kki4dK5-o96JcIf_QGJ9v/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1-S-p6b0Q7ElW2v_H4xnKz1HpeHXIlI7lRToXlpmn96XuhkLiYyuVoSOOak9NjiigiWO7NCFPuuH-4upraJGa4EdIUJD8dxGYFLUVVpdAXQfmFaN0Fh2Ml3Kki4dK5-o96JcIf_QGJ9v/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQLUe3NVLi-UNukGsFexyGbI5tFGP-m9RMqtBuUy5dW_j-8JbFOxPtBJsjsElKlWnpjotKx7oYyJ95VDYRNBodttvlj14r0kkH3OXu4qT5FPDEcW4PFK-aaFFph6pNcwZ1oLyQONavksS/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQLUe3NVLi-UNukGsFexyGbI5tFGP-m9RMqtBuUy5dW_j-8JbFOxPtBJsjsElKlWnpjotKx7oYyJ95VDYRNBodttvlj14r0kkH3OXu4qT5FPDEcW4PFK-aaFFph6pNcwZ1oLyQONavksS/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strappin'.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwybheW1pgpqQGso8rFzlmbqyGKq6y_2u0RPd4td4XTv3LNHe6e4i0VEGLQHh1qae5Lqy8BGwJJllKpKAe4CqdBsSkx5MW_CM5QSQPr1hbClpC8yosuAQhO_e4gHg-Ov1K5b9v9SELU_c/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwybheW1pgpqQGso8rFzlmbqyGKq6y_2u0RPd4td4XTv3LNHe6e4i0VEGLQHh1qae5Lqy8BGwJJllKpKAe4CqdBsSkx5MW_CM5QSQPr1hbClpC8yosuAQhO_e4gHg-Ov1K5b9v9SELU_c/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is actually really comfortable.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42iJrAcJ1MAk8Vi_8JS9FlRcPcrW9tkSOhQ3o31BwlnK8Uq504pP0HkuNGvKKviiqU_-tE_HEBkO7dePmYaynjQisEeMZJCF2-NszHQFy0vb8rtuSvVO76GHTtDs8LvsU6PSix5pRqPG3/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42iJrAcJ1MAk8Vi_8JS9FlRcPcrW9tkSOhQ3o31BwlnK8Uq504pP0HkuNGvKKviiqU_-tE_HEBkO7dePmYaynjQisEeMZJCF2-NszHQFy0vb8rtuSvVO76GHTtDs8LvsU6PSix5pRqPG3/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bit low to the ground. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Ray Bradbury said, about writing: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">“Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomorrow, next week, next month, it's back to the barricades. There is work to be done.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-6577748970102745022012-12-09T15:14:00.000-06:002012-12-09T17:41:01.051-06:00The Organized Guerilla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We modern Americans are quick to pathologize. With all the pharmaceutical ads, covering a broad spectrum of real (<a href="http://www.webmd.com/depression/symptoms-depressed-anxiety-12/antidepressants">depression</a>, heart disease) and imagined (<a href="http://www.latisse.com/">short eyelashes</a>) disorders, everyone is familiar with the language of diagnosis and treatment. Those terms have quickly become part of our everyday lexicon, as people toss off armchair opinions about bosses, spouses, and co-workers <i>-- bi-polar, <a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/">Asperger-y</a>, </i>and, my favorite, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_disorder">OCD</a>.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every designer and craftsman has <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/04/neuroticism-of-craft.html">got a touch of the neurotic</a>. A dose of intensely-focused, self-critical thinking is key to pushing the intellectual process forward. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a specific type of neuroticism, focused on unhealthy, repetitive behaviors (rituals) that bring a measure of calm to an anxious person. OCD, when used in a slang context, is usually wrongly attributed to someone who is (overly) organized or clean. While certain cleaning activities may be ritualized by a true OCD sufferer, <i>merely being neat is not a mental disorder</i>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitIMzDbW8Pli7tjSCI0zNeikBxPrQ2WMP8MrCF6v4eUw_zqS9lL9f7-UkrtQUVWUkUDs1rf_Qm2p7XRUElz7ljK-VisKitdSzlCU8gzu_Uz0SKqVdpNiv5_9X9WOTkXp6YE4JZVN65mo8/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitIMzDbW8Pli7tjSCI0zNeikBxPrQ2WMP8MrCF6v4eUw_zqS9lL9f7-UkrtQUVWUkUDs1rf_Qm2p7XRUElz7ljK-VisKitdSzlCU8gzu_Uz0SKqVdpNiv5_9X9WOTkXp6YE4JZVN65mo8/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A small portion of the mess.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can probably guess, I think all this pathologizing is unhealthy and a bit cruel. It does a disservice to those that are actually ill by trivializing their troubles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which brings me to three hours on a recent Saturday morning. I have been a nomad the last few years, living in five states in the last six years. Through this time I have gradually been acquiring more tools to pursue my craft. I am a reluctant collector of <i>stuff</i>, as I have an inborn aversion to clutter. Stuff holds you down; stuff hampers your movement; stuff hates freedom. But I need stuff, and much of my stuff (a drill) requires other stuff (bits, screws, batteries). It can be downright exhausting.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYS_WD24puWhGU7AObdt3vbLAtgeU-XPgKrM_A1li4H3aUg3x0BDR9NZaWDPy4H9xpQvXJ-9K3yeSLmoskX0GPX9HRwdOEGH6309zpS8vDUOK_LKHQIjiMFq6dLtHCAad8raTrYRObEnCk/s400/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breakpackin'. That thing was filthy.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYS_WD24puWhGU7AObdt3vbLAtgeU-XPgKrM_A1li4H3aUg3x0BDR9NZaWDPy4H9xpQvXJ-9K3yeSLmoskX0GPX9HRwdOEGH6309zpS8vDUOK_LKHQIjiMFq6dLtHCAad8raTrYRObEnCk/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided to handle it, at long last. Instead of all my tools living in a broken-down assortment of bags, milk crates, and cardboard boxes, I would consolidate and organize. I ended up using three old </span><a href="http://www.uline.com/BL_312/Round-Trip-Totes" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">break-pack totes</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, the bright plastic boxes used for merchandise in drug stores. I found a couple in the back of the </span><a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/12/currency-exchange-ii.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currency Exchange</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Don't take them from behind stores; much like milk crates, they are owned by the shipping companies and store owners are liable for their loss.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAltskNhyphenhyphenxdl_qRd0PfpLC8kJBCWBRH7gDm8JKdPIfGlci0X64plETZSFRtZNAs6STY6huQ7Ei8SB-Yxcjph35q-GqogFIXeaMBhsWHqLSgaHsXxpmerJLOsFT8m3upvOgQdM7u48vzM9/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAltskNhyphenhyphenxdl_qRd0PfpLC8kJBCWBRH7gDm8JKdPIfGlci0X64plETZSFRtZNAs6STY6huQ7Ei8SB-Yxcjph35q-GqogFIXeaMBhsWHqLSgaHsXxpmerJLOsFT8m3upvOgQdM7u48vzM9/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organization can be so divisive.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4wmWrOfRZRs_sM9cdWBOhn3Z4KVeQnWGUEe_q__zkOs8lE2AW73rKmN8atoMHEAra895z07pKI6S46EOknV7BzSV82EVXljij4gmPobPNPQBdHAvThkghqsALvnGBsP85v5T-4tIze1w/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4wmWrOfRZRs_sM9cdWBOhn3Z4KVeQnWGUEe_q__zkOs8lE2AW73rKmN8atoMHEAra895z07pKI6S46EOknV7BzSV82EVXljij4gmPobPNPQBdHAvThkghqsALvnGBsP85v5T-4tIze1w/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soothing.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made a few plywood dividers, and bought a lot of little plastic containers at the grocery store. Now I have three totes: power tools, hand tools, and fasteners. It is a portable, stackable guerilla shop that can handle a wide variety of projects. About all I still need is a circular saw.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6msdZFrkw39yNbfKTVR5t_9jyl_LVXOxKBedh8IrGAH94WX3lJEoRBYmVz5iSsYB8SNzPp6YhrcA7PGdko877MtaMyyne8XKp0KJ9mO1QKjdfhFpEwRHD1t8kSFaLwQoQNm85UfIdhlU/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6msdZFrkw39yNbfKTVR5t_9jyl_LVXOxKBedh8IrGAH94WX3lJEoRBYmVz5iSsYB8SNzPp6YhrcA7PGdko877MtaMyyne8XKp0KJ9mO1QKjdfhFpEwRHD1t8kSFaLwQoQNm85UfIdhlU/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that's a handsome box of bolts, fella.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other value in undertaking a project like this (wait for a rainy day), is that it allows one to edit one's possessions. When all laid out on a table, duplicates and broken things and sentimental favorites all quickly become apparent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This organizing and packing will keep me streamlined and efficient in the field, everything close at hand and easy to find. Or maybe this organizing and packing is just a ritual that brings me some measure of comfort . . .</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-57562308942070028252012-11-25T19:09:00.000-06:002012-11-25T19:10:59.008-06:00Road Sign Lounger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few years ago, down in Alabama, I led a group of students in the construction of a <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Sign-Fence/">fence made of scrapped road signs</a>. I had long been fascinated by road signs -- the graphics, the reflective surface, the raw materiality of 1/8" solid aluminum -- and finally had a stockpile, donated by the county, to play around with. The fence was fairly straightforward: we just cut the signs into strips, which then served as pickets on a conventional wood frame. Offcuts and stop signs were pieced together to make gates, doors, and roofs for shade structures. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The daycare fence and <a href="http://www.wholman.com/index.php?/architecture/hero-community-garden/">H.E.R.O. community garden</a> gave me a chance to experiment with techniques for cutting the signs. Aluminum is fairly soft, and I found a carbide-toothed finishing blade (60 teeth) jacked into a regular circular saw to be a simple, effective solution. We also tried a similar blade in a table saw, but the kickback and strain on the motor was kind of nasty. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKyZJjVUmeEQgLHR0Xpb9WcZh3KWybRH-hFovDP915_bOxnggyC9l_Nfsv_sRfMAsfi4IL2GUXDSntbElSM-Qo3t-qD-0RaWg0p1EhyIJZWMaoIyyR_rfwhzLZVSAj-Nhd095CTyAA6eN/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKyZJjVUmeEQgLHR0Xpb9WcZh3KWybRH-hFovDP915_bOxnggyC9l_Nfsv_sRfMAsfi4IL2GUXDSntbElSM-Qo3t-qD-0RaWg0p1EhyIJZWMaoIyyR_rfwhzLZVSAj-Nhd095CTyAA6eN/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Road Sign Lounger.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving forward, I wanted to bend signs to make more complex forms and stiffen the sheets, which are rather floppy in their flat form. I had built a </span><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Flagman-Table/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dining table</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> out of a flat sign when I lived at Arcosanti, and engineered </span><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Nine-Square-Chair/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a folded chair with a single bent sign</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> back in Baltimore, but both of these were kind of amateur iterations. Experience had shown that a series of 3/8" holes, drilled 1" on center, could form lines of weakness that allowed the signs to bend. However, this was time-consuming, hard on the drill, chewed up bits, and left a ragged edge that had to be laboriously hand-filed smooth. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkh8vKNfFI5RmCdX9iT2zLwi6kdyrThdFxuUlyF_Wx5edUAOLameCMrqdUCT-rbo6gwkUKqjBTHQOXjOGo23GD5FRPH9B2ERJpccJFfGm7u-v1JUf9VtSQdQBi9RdD7GgGOv3q877HqH0/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkh8vKNfFI5RmCdX9iT2zLwi6kdyrThdFxuUlyF_Wx5edUAOLameCMrqdUCT-rbo6gwkUKqjBTHQOXjOGo23GD5FRPH9B2ERJpccJFfGm7u-v1JUf9VtSQdQBi9RdD7GgGOv3q877HqH0/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forget the chair, that's a pretty handsome model . . .</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPHMVb6irnOwSFZhQg583ycJn_toks6tDfsgiAc2uzs35GvhxMF6ID0W0n4grgMCT5Lf8A6vUuC3CnesCPC4o7BPxf0gQBhvTUm3oK1AM1qtkmsZB8SoLLbDxp1zafe1PH1TABdW7y3ZZ/s1600/2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPHMVb6irnOwSFZhQg583ycJn_toks6tDfsgiAc2uzs35GvhxMF6ID0W0n4grgMCT5Lf8A6vUuC3CnesCPC4o7BPxf0gQBhvTUm3oK1AM1qtkmsZB8SoLLbDxp1zafe1PH1TABdW7y3ZZ/s400/2b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Side view.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could </span><a href="http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_metal-fabrication+benders+manual-bending-brakes" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">use a brake</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -- a conventional sheet-metal bending tool -- but it only allows for bends in one axis, preventing the sort of origami-esque contortions I had in mind. </span><a href="http://www.borisbally.com/#" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other folks working with road signs</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> have run up against this one-axis problem, which means they have to do a lot of overlapping and joining of pieces, which is time-consuming, un-ergonomic, materially wasteful, and, well, kind of ugly.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_clHVChQOynQG3028vDWN4njEDYpAOvNTi8D8S3E5o0GR5kg35GxdmnoUAiCVFc06l2gZhIgsAYOUFIxLtLDbzn-NlTDsagtKWwa_kRVV8tjrj26pHhdioIXLVCVqQZYlCfIbxhq2wGsH/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_clHVChQOynQG3028vDWN4njEDYpAOvNTi8D8S3E5o0GR5kg35GxdmnoUAiCVFc06l2gZhIgsAYOUFIxLtLDbzn-NlTDsagtKWwa_kRVV8tjrj26pHhdioIXLVCVqQZYlCfIbxhq2wGsH/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back-seat joint, with velcro for cushions.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28dqT2NJP5NKzgrMPR4OLQAVc6JQ25zXILYIfyIPzXOx0KaLMd9sDAZEeNpaku8wj3Wfb40XpWaY2AWYAK_EyCnVtELgTA1Fy6nlNuxJa1Zd7oDRwiiK7pRhvApu8lryCEX7CedQidgC_/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28dqT2NJP5NKzgrMPR4OLQAVc6JQ25zXILYIfyIPzXOx0KaLMd9sDAZEeNpaku8wj3Wfb40XpWaY2AWYAK_EyCnVtELgTA1Fy6nlNuxJa1Zd7oDRwiiK7pRhvApu8lryCEX7CedQidgC_/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Armrest and cushion. Recycled soda-bottle felt, by the way.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I pursued a new method, which used the circular saw, set very shallow, to cut grooves into the metal. I then held the signs over a sharp edge (table, stairs, etc.), and beat it with a hammer until it bent. The result was much cleaner and faster than the line-of-holes method. I made a </span><a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/04/neuroticism-of-craft.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">series of chairs</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> this way, as well as </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wholman?ref=si_shop" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">metal fruit bowls</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This technique -- cutting slits, overlapping triangular flaps, and pinning the folds with machine bolts or rivets -- has led me down a whole new avenue of iterations, each a little more refined than the last. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, I came into a sign, former decor in a friend's apartment. He was moving, and upgrading his look from that dorm-room aesthetic. I took the opportunity to put together a little armchair. Using some of the lessons learned from the <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/10/bent-cardboard-ii.html">Bent Cardboard chair</a>, I designed a plywood "box" frame, made up of four pieces. The two sides come up higher, in this case, to make armrests. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The frame was treated with pickling stain, a sort of whitewash, and then polyurethaned. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGgc_MQQewATf4l0cE-QGlYg4Xx64O65FCeryS1jFHOvsutGJLPiNQTDfygsg2p3wHXSkoyAIuL7q1EzOavPWQMB1JbSetRhxDR3iHkOnhQ66PYhx2fcozQB9RvkvDg9AZiZrU8eAmmF-/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGgc_MQQewATf4l0cE-QGlYg4Xx64O65FCeryS1jFHOvsutGJLPiNQTDfygsg2p3wHXSkoyAIuL7q1EzOavPWQMB1JbSetRhxDR3iHkOnhQ66PYhx2fcozQB9RvkvDg9AZiZrU8eAmmF-/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutting out the frame -- circular saw for long straight cuts, handsaw to hack out the corners.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assembled with glue and plugged screws.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcGQgF8ekfsE-zqnBt_O93p2lpRP8iTAsIwE1iOxASpNq0_1U8fdNaS3zMdB0stM7OdtlPCeUO0-lXj7DLeKz0P7Uzw0e15UatXqxVc8-6eUyu-_VA_iJZBl5zsyRkpkJfwaZ9bb5YUe5/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcGQgF8ekfsE-zqnBt_O93p2lpRP8iTAsIwE1iOxASpNq0_1U8fdNaS3zMdB0stM7OdtlPCeUO0-lXj7DLeKz0P7Uzw0e15UatXqxVc8-6eUyu-_VA_iJZBl5zsyRkpkJfwaZ9bb5YUe5/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The box takes shape.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The road sign itself was 30" square, allowing me to divide it out into two 15" halves. I followed the same general folding scheme as my previous road sign chairs, only adding a small back cutout. However, this sign was of thinner, crappier aluminum, and I had some minor cracking that required the addition of some steel "L" brackets to beef up the back-seat joint. It was then attached to the frame with isolating rubber washers and machine bolts and upholstered in charcoal-gray felt. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The shell, ready to join with the frame.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntm7zD5HrCfuEHstMjqh5FXlD9a8XNTewiq3NYf_LCdexQ29CJGEkh0V48B62gQCLIEnTLEs6rDphXmQL3-pFyqFH4T4-JN8HmdiskzAJJm1UYrK113MUD4LT9nBHIBIbxBg7HfAsJxmY/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntm7zD5HrCfuEHstMjqh5FXlD9a8XNTewiq3NYf_LCdexQ29CJGEkh0V48B62gQCLIEnTLEs6rDphXmQL3-pFyqFH4T4-JN8HmdiskzAJJm1UYrK113MUD4LT9nBHIBIbxBg7HfAsJxmY/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hand-sewing the cushions was rather laborious and a bit messy.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. In the front elevation, it is a bit wide, but looks graceful from the side. The back projects, unsupported by wood, allowing for a comfortable amount of flex. It is super-lightweight, with a nice interplay of colors on the sign, the wood, and the cushion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not happy with the arms, which are too low, and the cracking in the back that necessitated the "L" brackets. Some of the sanding was a bit sloppy, careening through the veneer. In the future, I am going to steer clear of crappy big-box store birch plywood, which is expensive and has super-thin veneers, and just stick with construction-grade BC stock. I'll also avoid the back cutout, which weakened the sign without adding to the comfort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still love signs, and can't wait to get my hands on another one. Or three. Or twenty.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-84550404997379319752012-11-18T08:52:00.001-06:002012-11-18T08:52:23.056-06:00Knolling (Orthogonal Joy)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, America voted. <a href="http://www.designobserver.com/">Design Observer</a> published an interesting piece on the <a href="http://observatory.designobserver.com/feature/knolling-your-polling-place/37278/">arrangement of polling places</a>. The layout of these school cafeterias, church basements, and VFW halls are up to the individual poll workers, and often follow no particular order. That said, people instinctively tend to set up space in certain ways -- for instance, arranging the voting booths parallel to the walls of the room, or figuring out paths for lines of people that make ninety-degree turns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The author, <a href="http://designobserver.com/author/alexandra-lange/527/">Alexandra Lange</a>, then moved on to riff about "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoll_(verb)">knolling</a>", a term coined twenty-odd years ago by <a href="http://andrewkromelow.com/">Andrew Kromelow</a>, then working in <a href="http://www.foga.com/">Frank Gehry's</a> fabrication shop. It refers to the practice of placing objects in squared arrays, aligned with the surface they rest on or the walls of the room that contains them. Kromelow, cleaning up the workshop each night, would neatly lay out all of the tools on the pegboards and work benches. As legend has it, Gehry was then working on a <a href="http://www.knoll.com/designer/designer_detail.jsp?designer_id=57">line of furniture</a> for modernist heavyweight <a href="http://www.knoll.com/knoll_home.jsp">Knoll</a>, and so Kromelow named his practice after the angular pieces. Another artist, <a href="http://theselby.com/galleries/tom-sachs/">Tom Sachs</a>, popularized the term and made a video about it, <i>Always Be Knolling.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, in the era of </span><a href="http://statigr.am/tag/knolling" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tumblr</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://pinterest.com/search/?q=knolling" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinterest</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and all the rest, we are besieged with knolling. Just this week, an </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/magazine/how-to-survive-societal-collapse-in-suburbia.html?ref=magazine&gwh" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">epic knoll</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> made it into the New York Times magazine, showing a family with all their "</span><a href="http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">prepper</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" survival supplies. The practice has turned into a show of hipster force, with twee photographs of vintage cameras, facial hair grooming supplies, and old video games. The barrage of images, like a lot of things on the internet, quickly exhausts me. These arrangements hover uncomfortably between information and art, trend and iconoclasm. Unfortunately, they usually veer off into garden-variety dumbassery.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb5GBCnBa4LAa0ED-B8u0I7SjhWxOG_HIE-BOHbC77bciqNdcacVc5YjeXsndrcAZzLieLx-kMV7nwBMVr7vvNNekiRWU98ERUDmAhLhhEEn_WiWARuFRTziwK62oxG06U5yfJmsfS_2l/s1600/survival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb5GBCnBa4LAa0ED-B8u0I7SjhWxOG_HIE-BOHbC77bciqNdcacVc5YjeXsndrcAZzLieLx-kMV7nwBMVr7vvNNekiRWU98ERUDmAhLhhEEn_WiWARuFRTziwK62oxG06U5yfJmsfS_2l/s400/survival.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Douglas family, a-knollin' and a-preppin'. In the original photo, via the New York Times, each circled number relates to a caption (rice, dehydrated mashed potatoes, first aid kit, etc.), including one that says "Douglas family".</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That said, the term knolling also has firm mid-century roots. </span><a href="http://www.marymeyerclothing.com/blogs/blog/3307822-knolling-pt-ii" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vintage Knoll catalogs</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> use a strong visual language of primary colors and orthogonal arrangements of handsome line drawings, fabric swatches, and clean, hard-edged photographs. Their </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandiv999/4267990172/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ads</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and graphic identity from the fifties and sixties was visually stunning and has aged remarkably well. The Eames' were famous for their </span><a href="http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/search/eames" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"knolled" photographs</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://s3.hubimg.com/u/975886_f260.jpg" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exploded diagrams</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for catalogs and advertisements. The New York Times cooking blog, under venerated food writer </span><a href="http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mark Bittman</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, has adapted a </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/03/18/magazine/anytime-egg-recipes.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">precise, clean aesthetic</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at least partly based on knolling.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99XY-lNixl63welt0NOv-5G9wXMY60SK2TPjRlzOAk7s2azs65QAZGtmIatOUZC43shPt02HH_BbniFeW-xCuybUZ-AbAgNJ_0Tr6PIMG_XqLJk2LLve7wBBaYHaYmM69Zv6ZdwPF3kKk/s1600/12eat1-articleLarge-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99XY-lNixl63welt0NOv-5G9wXMY60SK2TPjRlzOAk7s2azs65QAZGtmIatOUZC43shPt02HH_BbniFeW-xCuybUZ-AbAgNJ_0Tr6PIMG_XqLJk2LLve7wBBaYHaYmM69Zv6ZdwPF3kKk/s400/12eat1-articleLarge-v2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Mark Bittman's "Eat" column in the Times.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe718u4aJso_y_k5h5TrDHtThJMJdqfVGQCShHEIEtoRi2AQcjHJmBEkD5i4bHSGr2o1LgFQu80JhDpdMM-rXjtBhBZ1q49QETzh5IiVvMiqrqTSspZwpaqhAApqL2cMVfukEO768OJ7D/s1600/6a00e5506da99788330133f4fa6acd970b-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe718u4aJso_y_k5h5TrDHtThJMJdqfVGQCShHEIEtoRi2AQcjHJmBEkD5i4bHSGr2o1LgFQu80JhDpdMM-rXjtBhBZ1q49QETzh5IiVvMiqrqTSspZwpaqhAApqL2cMVfukEO768OJ7D/s400/6a00e5506da99788330133f4fa6acd970b-800wi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vintage Knoll ad.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W2N9ZVRAp8OzxwqwHjXPv3ArKXRqwVcWSeJcaT6OQUUbevqiMlK2sTHSzptVhagtl1Kb7H8aXelnv5yWwju6URUwat20EC_RtZcKoSEjPt0KPzr-xJQxZRj9WO-ApXWwPC3OczTL_ybA/s1600/eames-furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W2N9ZVRAp8OzxwqwHjXPv3ArKXRqwVcWSeJcaT6OQUUbevqiMlK2sTHSzptVhagtl1Kb7H8aXelnv5yWwju6URUwat20EC_RtZcKoSEjPt0KPzr-xJQxZRj9WO-ApXWwPC3OczTL_ybA/s400/eames-furniture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eames!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is the appeal? Why does this visual rubric persist? I am engaged in </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">informational</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> writing, often attempting to illustrate processes through photographs and words. In the woodshop, while working on an Instructable, or just documenting a piece I'm building, I've often wished for some version of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skycam" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NFL SkyCam</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that would take neat overhead photos of every step. Instead, the views are often perspectively skewed, clouded by dust, and muddied with visual background noise. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iUeHfbSrCjFLBmeILTW0g2cpEVdS6bE5tYBvj-B9N19hmmh498tk80yC1Iecp9PVPU6wFqHpkftuSzFJneZQlUx0iWigIzi2rJEJJhRFY3IvWyqJsOS4_PIu_XWeu5ENf-SD21uqXOft/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iUeHfbSrCjFLBmeILTW0g2cpEVdS6bE5tYBvj-B9N19hmmh498tk80yC1Iecp9PVPU6wFqHpkftuSzFJneZQlUx0iWigIzi2rJEJJhRFY3IvWyqJsOS4_PIu_XWeu5ENf-SD21uqXOft/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my attempts, from the<a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/10/bent-cardboard-ii.html"> Bent Cardboard Chair post.</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First of all, knolling makes complex information simple and relatable without diluting the amount of information. The simple act of organization makes things accessible. Second, the strict orthogonal logic allows the eye a logical path through a dense field. Third, anyone can do it! Unlike infographics, or other forms of visual organization that require more complex tools and training, knolling is available to anyone, anytime, anywhere, with anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the old knocks against modernism is its reliance on the grid, simple angles, and rigid geometry. Many a hippie architect <a href="http://207.190.82.172/fullcircleshelters/why_round_buildings.htm">has argued in favor of round buildings</a>, following some sort of <i>the-earth-is-round-nature-is-curvy</i> line of reasoning. But orthogonal logic is relentless. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Gravity acts perpendicular to the surface of the earth. Our bodies fold into ninety-degree patterns -- at knees, hips, and elbows. Round shapes are fiendishly difficult to build with any degree of accuracy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe our reliance on the grid is innate, an inborn dependance on reliable, measurable visual information that helps us navigate a confusing world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so we knoll.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-23647660123327244352012-11-11T18:29:00.003-06:002012-11-11T18:30:22.220-06:00Black Cinema House III<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From late April through August, as previously reported <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/05/black-cinema-house.html">here</a> and <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/08/black-cinema-house-ii.html">here</a>, I had been working as a carpenter on the <a href="http://www.blackcinemahouse.org/">Black Cinema House</a>. One of the buildings in <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-13/entertainment/ct-ae-0916-fall-preview-art-20120913_1_cultural-blueprint-tricia-van-eck-smart-museum">Theaster Gates' </a><a href="http://dorchesterprojects.tumblr.com/">Dorchester Projects</a>, BCH is a place to archive, study, and present films of the African diaspora. The basement has space for classes; the first floor has a kitchen, an office, bathrooms, and screening space; and the second floor is a private apartment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just recently, BCH finally got its final coat of paint, landscaping, and other finishing touches. Two weeks ago, they premiered the space with two screenings -- <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_a_Three-Day_Pass">The Story of a Three-Day Pass</a></i>, directed by Mario Van Peebles, and a Halloween event for neighborhood kids. This weekend, BCH and Dorchester Projects were host sites for the <a href="http://rebuild-foundation.org/the-art-of-placemaking/">Art of Placemaking Conference</a>, sponsored by the University of Chicago, the <a href="http://rebuild-foundation.org/">ReBuild Foundation</a>, and the <a href="http://www.brunerloeb.org/">Bruner-Loeb Forum</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pN24xSs4D9t2D3CzxZxmFJir09e9umHPOnZgr-0_Un4tjqasp-kTWH_ON4vY4Jx7NJObejPqvRERt5V5MLV50mx__o2DPNXRt6_NndHY2SOJBKBADqcRiXtzef0VxD4TM5nrqzh76bEi/s1600/6190823861_d5cd643db0_b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pN24xSs4D9t2D3CzxZxmFJir09e9umHPOnZgr-0_Un4tjqasp-kTWH_ON4vY4Jx7NJObejPqvRERt5V5MLV50mx__o2DPNXRt6_NndHY2SOJBKBADqcRiXtzef0VxD4TM5nrqzh76bEi/s400/6190823861_d5cd643db0_b.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black Cinema House, as it once was.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was fortunately able to catch some of the speakers on Friday morning before being called away for chair-moving and other conference logistical duties. Friday night was a beautiful reception, featuring performances by </span><a href="http://thelowtidetrio.wordpress.com/about/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Low Tide Trio</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/clownspit/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marvin Tate and Friends</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://chicagoweekly.net/2012/04/30/out-of-context/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orron Kenyetta</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-19/entertainment/chi-hornswagglers-cocktails-20111019_1_art-donations-art-openings-collection">Hornswagglers</a> provided handcrafted artisanal cocktails. We feasted, we listened, we drank, we danced. Saturday, after cleaning up, we had a little staff party. It was great to meet some of the folks from Nebraska and elsewhere working on ReBuild projects.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LUVgZ6iqYwgpOjjo-LonB-O_bwtysgSF9nFjuwrCXnAt8B0XtZ6BSmasqU9Ys6ChkXGTORmhInpJI4wwKfBjzYGcRwWqn5TX2eYA5OGY3CnPOhkr2kcr9yzdE6fKfVyQzs8aQTL83TtG/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LUVgZ6iqYwgpOjjo-LonB-O_bwtysgSF9nFjuwrCXnAt8B0XtZ6BSmasqU9Ys6ChkXGTORmhInpJI4wwKfBjzYGcRwWqn5TX2eYA5OGY3CnPOhkr2kcr9yzdE6fKfVyQzs8aQTL83TtG/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finished.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was happy just to see the space I had labored on so long (along with dozens of other talented, dedicated folks) being used. It is one of the unique joys of this line of work: seeing your craft inhabited. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, please enjoy these pictures of the space, finally finished. And check out the ReBuild <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebuildfoundation/6190823861/in/set-72157627646487751/">Flickr</a> for documentation of the evolution of the building.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Main space. Woofer under grate to right; speakers and screen straight ahead.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTzwO0Yo0AF9gOvA9w0cZ69j-E741Y8mKU3cbNBZ6eEs7JZ-OMHL9dXIeyTnPKsF-_X2fJ0i9EOZHHTHr6A3k2THH78SvOqEfhGmW6INaXeE1NvgM03ofl_U31kxsWpmMe_Mr9PLtJpXe/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTzwO0Yo0AF9gOvA9w0cZ69j-E741Y8mKU3cbNBZ6eEs7JZ-OMHL9dXIeyTnPKsF-_X2fJ0i9EOZHHTHr6A3k2THH78SvOqEfhGmW6INaXeE1NvgM03ofl_U31kxsWpmMe_Mr9PLtJpXe/s400/3.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of Theaster's fire hose tapestries, complemented by an antique work bench.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZaYs8mz6-vrjla1W5V6VUNmdXZ0usJCAfXlnwRfFEYmPrMXgdkk0vrQ8SUbpZQXmzePOWjzq5lzZ115vFl9maLJs-aEfEYdlwieGpyS1LAB9DKj1QxIts86ubtcfM78GrhXyMkzxTjln/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZaYs8mz6-vrjla1W5V6VUNmdXZ0usJCAfXlnwRfFEYmPrMXgdkk0vrQ8SUbpZQXmzePOWjzq5lzZ115vFl9maLJs-aEfEYdlwieGpyS1LAB9DKj1QxIts86ubtcfM78GrhXyMkzxTjln/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking up the light well from the first floor. The frosted glass is the backside of the shower in the master suite (and an adventurous install). It perfectly frames and reflects a carved wooden art piece.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinaQ0s8Cg9J_IK3otXx5DJesi57Oao9mQV0TzimNC1BR_Rn8rsgWCfjZRASyL-PQq_42p5lshRcZ6v58YykLlOJT3gyxYFkxlbb2GagDFFqN1H3mG6-wWMO1L3DYzfqKb6PKUGBhEOuWA/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinaQ0s8Cg9J_IK3otXx5DJesi57Oao9mQV0TzimNC1BR_Rn8rsgWCfjZRASyL-PQq_42p5lshRcZ6v58YykLlOJT3gyxYFkxlbb2GagDFFqN1H3mG6-wWMO1L3DYzfqKb6PKUGBhEOuWA/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking straight up.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIUKLZb-4iHqaSPr_KkHgr6fyP0byce8DRrud_P6fLLO2iolMeyY83FOnPkwVjhdWd_jUFT2yM1obc4f9fu8sVE1DNd86hsF1eh7ANBkKuqB9JRg6UDxz7dsYOURzYgLSY7EGXmGMdzsc/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIUKLZb-4iHqaSPr_KkHgr6fyP0byce8DRrud_P6fLLO2iolMeyY83FOnPkwVjhdWd_jUFT2yM1obc4f9fu8sVE1DNd86hsF1eh7ANBkKuqB9JRg6UDxz7dsYOURzYgLSY7EGXmGMdzsc/s400/6.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front stair. Redwood paneled wall at top. Sure glad I'm done <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/03/material-witness.html">milling all that stuff</a> . . .</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7bezp7vrVobjlsnPjcDCbCwO-olstFvW3yBSfb8sQI8IuoNpFksLc0YBrREZwknpWLJ47w6IDAh8tADhaigr7ARyUGzYww57zV9MrSGlacN1cyYWMvm5kOCE9wd7f2XWPrCg2v8MjmeA/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7bezp7vrVobjlsnPjcDCbCwO-olstFvW3yBSfb8sQI8IuoNpFksLc0YBrREZwknpWLJ47w6IDAh8tADhaigr7ARyUGzYww57zV9MrSGlacN1cyYWMvm5kOCE9wd7f2XWPrCg2v8MjmeA/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Folks take their seats for the first screening.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlfnkzNOtp0fGNb8Q1pjmMZMhVIJK46TWwzSTDUk-HGCEftRJERnbjrwUWAj_Oxx4Ojj3RoucOr42Fo9wD8YkCWXUbRnxm2fKBtTUoFTBBpG81E6Jc86mnZ1w0wNaCvVelQnr8tx3VJbv/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlfnkzNOtp0fGNb8Q1pjmMZMhVIJK46TWwzSTDUk-HGCEftRJERnbjrwUWAj_Oxx4Ojj3RoucOr42Fo9wD8YkCWXUbRnxm2fKBtTUoFTBBpG81E6Jc86mnZ1w0wNaCvVelQnr8tx3VJbv/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Night shot of front door during Placemaking conference.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcrhn_YsAU_X4iL0Pyx2Qg5NWfbXn1ogByWZRzCT3m-H6VoZ6guadFWJDHbkBztGlhRCJ1g9Jih3vSyCpSYrhHy5A1tnzsS2cGekJ_kyhb4t65GIuFhL2KJuvu3SIurC7Wb7dDaBRAr08/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcrhn_YsAU_X4iL0Pyx2Qg5NWfbXn1ogByWZRzCT3m-H6VoZ6guadFWJDHbkBztGlhRCJ1g9Jih3vSyCpSYrhHy5A1tnzsS2cGekJ_kyhb4t65GIuFhL2KJuvu3SIurC7Wb7dDaBRAr08/s400/9.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coat rack and bench in use.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxwAgfxGWbpt4ewvxDEFImIKKR39N_IAi2dI62TsRPNwo82cAxESo8-NKKIHJ51BezLpzO4DFdBGHoSjkDjgSy62SMZjZNDDn8dMfdy8zSFsqcQ5j8Aaiwf_2Hz3LxZPVuE20Xxuyam8n/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxwAgfxGWbpt4ewvxDEFImIKKR39N_IAi2dI62TsRPNwo82cAxESo8-NKKIHJ51BezLpzO4DFdBGHoSjkDjgSy62SMZjZNDDn8dMfdy8zSFsqcQ5j8Aaiwf_2Hz3LxZPVuE20Xxuyam8n/s400/10.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Low Tide Trio.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsiXUL1bzR0dyTG_-1GJ42IAY10QKSqRo1v68YU-b6bNF9fWKT8HU94DVDvf6iaePq_SucDvol2fI5gLV866YFwnQZaI4UcnvcwgfmfHPP53f7l0mwv29Au75MVB90S3lkI_b1ELpSr3s/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsiXUL1bzR0dyTG_-1GJ42IAY10QKSqRo1v68YU-b6bNF9fWKT8HU94DVDvf6iaePq_SucDvol2fI5gLV866YFwnQZaI4UcnvcwgfmfHPP53f7l0mwv29Au75MVB90S3lkI_b1ELpSr3s/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Party!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FVExAGCVMHMI8QLtA5GDcKzGWQoW9VrsC7h2AiuZcn4sA7bP2MNatTN31HVNgqSDhxxMyIqMD0-DoK9LZq0_daCrfMbTPTJ2Y87-LDYroUsL9TaZkKHORse4Uo09O38LgdWIwetw3XuA/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FVExAGCVMHMI8QLtA5GDcKzGWQoW9VrsC7h2AiuZcn4sA7bP2MNatTN31HVNgqSDhxxMyIqMD0-DoK9LZq0_daCrfMbTPTJ2Y87-LDYroUsL9TaZkKHORse4Uo09O38LgdWIwetw3XuA/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The future library space across the street from BCH was host to a DJ and desserts. The back wall has a huge glazing system leading to a sunken courtyard.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAi3v4FnLzAjpSVe7boNLWqsoGb-jrqQPzgWodYr7ppNsB4f006yZ0LKPmgfcZ0DGqy2gxe7iSr_Wzwel96wfE_JxKSGHfwRFY7m2_9yi40qD3XAohwJPNfXHn61YVwacRxLpXvBqNsC7C/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAi3v4FnLzAjpSVe7boNLWqsoGb-jrqQPzgWodYr7ppNsB4f006yZ0LKPmgfcZ0DGqy2gxe7iSr_Wzwel96wfE_JxKSGHfwRFY7m2_9yi40qD3XAohwJPNfXHn61YVwacRxLpXvBqNsC7C/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fire pit finally in use.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7Uou8dN0wgTdzjWzqT4qc0ynFHR_nrnWEapvYY7hfpSDZ72aHQqIsBmT7FIGwYpPKqeYswoXVEiz_f06dgPuzBW9Q1igA0xKQWt9W85DhzVUEtxWJ9aWaCGTJ5-IWntnCCekWoYdazb5/s1600/Chalkboard+Room+Joiner+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7Uou8dN0wgTdzjWzqT4qc0ynFHR_nrnWEapvYY7hfpSDZ72aHQqIsBmT7FIGwYpPKqeYswoXVEiz_f06dgPuzBW9Q1igA0xKQWt9W85DhzVUEtxWJ9aWaCGTJ5-IWntnCCekWoYdazb5/s400/Chalkboard+Room+Joiner+Web.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somewhat fractured collage of my baby, the chalkboard room.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZufsGq8JkCdHsTITKe8enGbtqgo7OnbhP8KCXumpBehUUuOrQ1xxHmbSRxwWRto0k9ijYpG7Bt3KiJcs_wut8vIR4rTh4hlbP8c7U1D6VqtGGglXh6N973ghrAGdBhz7VxboF5eAyOJ4/s1600/Staircase+Joiner+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZufsGq8JkCdHsTITKe8enGbtqgo7OnbhP8KCXumpBehUUuOrQ1xxHmbSRxwWRto0k9ijYpG7Bt3KiJcs_wut8vIR4rTh4hlbP8c7U1D6VqtGGglXh6N973ghrAGdBhz7VxboF5eAyOJ4/s400/Staircase+Joiner+Web.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little difficult to see due to uneven exposures, but <a href="http://johnpreus.com/">John Preus</a> finished out the back staircase with a dramatic sculptural wall.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-39367490071055665032012-11-03T17:45:00.002-05:002012-11-03T17:45:51.104-05:00Lebbeus Woods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was saddened this week to hear of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/arts/lebbeus-woods-unconventional-architect-dies-at-72.html?hpw&_r=1&">passing of</a> <a href="http://lebbeuswoods.net/">Lebbeus Woods</a>, on October 30th, at the age of 72. He was an architect, professor, writer, and theorist. Few of his designs were ever built. Other visionary, experimental designers -- Buckminster Fuller, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid -- eventually, however late in life, made the leap from paper to built reality. Woods was different. The force of his imagination was such that many of his ideas are simply impossible to realize with the technologies and cultural conditions of today. His drawings and paintings -- massive, stark, violent, beautiful -- present visions of a world unmoored from history, time, and space.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVpLzWibQ0KqjQLFpOfl1nytnSfnWmmC9xEE7_zl5vtTYNH69Plk2ycUeLj4k5TVF-6-_tkjOwzwL5GxCZKOosruB7aEgE_4WBYTQ99UEYGWr8L4HDBFXniLdmvUpAmZLS1_g3hNDuQpp/s1600/high+houses.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVpLzWibQ0KqjQLFpOfl1nytnSfnWmmC9xEE7_zl5vtTYNH69Plk2ycUeLj4k5TVF-6-_tkjOwzwL5GxCZKOosruB7aEgE_4WBYTQ99UEYGWr8L4HDBFXniLdmvUpAmZLS1_g3hNDuQpp/s400/high+houses.jpeg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High Houses.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He wrote extensively, publishing </span><a href="http://www.egs.edu/faculty/lebbeus-woods/bibliography/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">almost thirty books</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, untold articles, and a </span><a href="http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lovely blog</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. His practice, in his own words, is described thusly: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past thirty years, my thoughts have followed a single line, in many parallel ways. lt can be summarized in a single question: what is the place of one person - any individual - in the complex, ever-changing landscape of the world? lt is a question without a fixed or universal answer. Still it must be asked. Answers, however provisional, must be attempted. This is particularly urgent for the apportioning and use of space, which every person needs, and which the work of architecture explicitly provides. The installations I have designed and made in collaboration with others explore the phenomena of change in material and spatial terms. . . . The aim is not to disturb the stability, but to provide strategies for adaptation when transformation occurs. Even more, they celebrate change and the energies driving it, as the essence of existence."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuM2XXwKwMc7Ra6-bXPr2XIpjhyWe2p2XcDFivCZE6isrlN2HS0br8zYgIE1tA_rsjwL4l61-Y6AQhPt2zHOmn5rFuq0UQwvAzfArW4HJP95e0uTokPHi2XEmQjk3bYE8mCHRmW304XUG/s1600/lwblog-w-c5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuM2XXwKwMc7Ra6-bXPr2XIpjhyWe2p2XcDFivCZE6isrlN2HS0br8zYgIE1tA_rsjwL4l61-Y6AQhPt2zHOmn5rFuq0UQwvAzfArW4HJP95e0uTokPHi2XEmQjk3bYE8mCHRmW304XUG/s400/lwblog-w-c5.jpeg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cityscape.</span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woods passed just as Hurricane Sandy devastated New York. It was a strangely apt time, as his work celebrated and explored disruption, violence, impermanence, and change. His Wikipedia page includes this quote from his book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Reconstruction-Lebbeus-Woods/dp/1568982860/ref=la_B000APBAUE_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351816524&sr=1-1">Radical Reconstruction</a></i>, which explored post-war Sarajevo, embargoed Havana, and fault-lined San Francisco: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Architecture and war are not incompatible. Architecture is war. War is architecture. I am at war with my time, with history, with all authority that resides in fixed and frightened forms. I am one of millions who do not fit in, who have no home, no family, no doctrine, no firm place to call my own, no known beginning or end, no "sacred and primordial site." I declare war on all icons and finalities, on all histories that would chain me with my own falseness, my own pitiful fears. I know only moments, and lifetimes that are as moments, and forms that appear with infinite strength, then "melt into air." I am an architect, a constructor of worlds, a sensualist who worships the flesh, the melody, a silhouette against the darkening sky. I cannot know your name. Nor you can know mine. Tomorrow, we begin together the construction of a city."</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPYdwvt9qPwtn9CnHRmsjTdXbyzl3B4J5j6PdQIySBf5OsyC2ULW4WuyRm2Pe8h0hNjbWoXc7w5zMwLhyphenhyphenPyszkcokoTcxZhQvBm5unKE-75i2FivBdXwOPs1BXg7BiKtz9b0-dlcZcFaH/s1600/lebbeus-woods_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPYdwvt9qPwtn9CnHRmsjTdXbyzl3B4J5j6PdQIySBf5OsyC2ULW4WuyRm2Pe8h0hNjbWoXc7w5zMwLhyphenhyphenPyszkcokoTcxZhQvBm5unKE-75i2FivBdXwOPs1BXg7BiKtz9b0-dlcZcFaH/s400/lebbeus-woods_1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A project for Havana.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woods' work has affected my thinking in several ways.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, shelter is fundamentally a response to crisis. I am cold, I am wet, I am unprotected from beasts and marauders, <i>I must find shelter</i>. But <i>architecture</i> is more than shelter. It is an intellectual construct. It is a spatial experience. It is shelter, <i>rationalized.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">disruption drives the world forward. Woods' ideas were prescient in many ways, imagining a future world destabilized by war, climate change, resource scarcity, and overpopulation. Most of today's architecture, if one can call it that, is a series of silly antics performed for folks who won't live long enough to see them fail. Hurricane Sandy is an all-too-fresh example: just scroll through the <a href="http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/">pictures on the New York Times</a> to see architectural absurdities floating down city streets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third, there is no substitute for <i>beauty.</i> I am in the business of making beautiful things -- objects, buildings, and the drawings that describe them. Woods' drawings crush my soul! They are so raw and complex and gorgeous it makes me want to give up trying. This beauty, in his drawings, is what keeps his work from sliding into nihilism. It would be easy, from some of his writings, to caricature him as an apocalyptic crank. But the drawings anchor the writing, softening his bellicosity. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdflOjwQEkqgMnXRxCfMH7kx9DGbA9h-P2xvOlUKbQHrsbrYbWm7pVN9kARrGg_CrSJCTukah9y4MzZ6o3jV41lgxs61GM08PNNQjFm1sWS3-5Vd7-WFTKmC6-Lpn8Ye-_DMMExONk0KCk/s1600/lebbeus+woods+-+the+chair.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdflOjwQEkqgMnXRxCfMH7kx9DGbA9h-P2xvOlUKbQHrsbrYbWm7pVN9kARrGg_CrSJCTukah9y4MzZ6o3jV41lgxs61GM08PNNQjFm1sWS3-5Vd7-WFTKmC6-Lpn8Ye-_DMMExONk0KCk/s400/lebbeus+woods+-+the+chair.jpeg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This drawing, The Chair, was partially the basis of a successful lawsuit against the creators of the movie <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/">12 Monkeys</a></i>, whose dystopian film sets borrowed heavily from Woods' work.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first came across his work on </span><a href="http://www.bldgblog.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BLDGBLOG</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Geoff Manaugh's fantastic architectural archive. Manaugh has long been a champion of Woods' work, posting this </span><a href="http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/without-walls-interview-with-lebbeus.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">great interview</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with him back in 2007. He also posted </span><a href="http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/lebbeus-woods-1940-2012.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this eulogy</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which is a very powerful piece of writing. Please read it in its entirety, but, in the meantime, here's a short excerpt: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I say that Lebbeus Woods and James Joyce and William Blake and so on all belong on the same list, I mean it: because architecture is poetry is literature is myth. That is, it is equal to them and it is one of them. It is a way of explaining the human condition—whatever that is—spatially, not through stanzas or through novels or through song.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Architecture is about the lack of stability and how to address it. Architecture is about the void and how to cross it. Architecture is about inhospitability and how to live within it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lebbeus Woods would have had it no other way, and—as students, writers, poets, novelists, filmmakers, or mere thinkers—neither should we."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KW0LXr1vjhD0iCUyDHwoUJQoYwudSZFUBby2EbVomCQ5ZOpyy5gDKlV0TZISH-0a_cHEblOpuDAl3ElbHsOOgAryVJkmKbYE7zsbXVeUycvMIyhyphenhyphenYgWUuTYw1X2KwCgvfVp_DbDgOxLO/s1600/berlin+free+zone.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KW0LXr1vjhD0iCUyDHwoUJQoYwudSZFUBby2EbVomCQ5ZOpyy5gDKlV0TZISH-0a_cHEblOpuDAl3ElbHsOOgAryVJkmKbYE7zsbXVeUycvMIyhyphenhyphenYgWUuTYw1X2KwCgvfVp_DbDgOxLO/s400/berlin+free+zone.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Berlin Free Zone.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, I will leave you with an essay Woods wrote for his project for the </span><a href="http://www.makcenter.org/MAK_Schindler_House.php" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Schindler House</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> garden in 2003, examining the nature of resistance. Since much of this blog tends to register as objections, I thought it wise to toss my notions in the air and re-examine them, as one must do from time to time. (Bear with it and read the whole list, it's brilliant . . .)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lebbeus Woods </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY WAY OF RESISTANCE</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until now, I have not thought much about the idea of an architecture of resistance. Although many people might judge that my work in architecture has been nothing if not a form of resistance, I have never considered it as such. To say that you are resisting something means that you have to spend a lot of time and energy saying what that something is, in order for your resistance to make sense. Too much energy flows in the wrong direction, and you usually end up strengthening the thing you want to resist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems to me that if architects really want to resist, then neither the idea nor the rhetoric of resistance has a place in it. These architects must take the initiative, beginning from a point of origin that precedes anything to be resisted, one deep within an idea of architecture itself. They can never think of themselves as resisters, or join resistance movements, or preach resistance. Rather (and this is the hard part of resistance) they must create an independent idea of both architecture and the world. It is not something that can be improvised at the barricades. It takes time and a lot of trial and error. This is only just, because the things to be resisted have not come from nowhere. They have a history built over periods of time, a kind of seriousness and weight that makes them a threat to begin with. They can only be resisted by ideas and actions of equivalent substance and momentum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The word resist is interestingly equivocal. It is not synonymous with words of ultimate negation like ‘dismiss’ or ‘ reject.’ Instead, it implies a measured struggle that is more tactical than strategic. Living changes us, in ways we cannot predict, for the better and the worse. One looks for principles, but we are better off if we control them, not the other way around. Principles can become tyrants, foreclosing on our ability to learn. When they do, they, too, must be resisted.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RESISTANCE CHECKLIST:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist whatever seems inevitable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist people who seem invincible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the embrace of those who have lost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the flattery of those who have won. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist any idea that contains the word <i>algorithm</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the impulse to draw blob-like shapes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the desire to travel to Paris in the Spring. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the desire to move to Los Angeles, anytime. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that architecture is a building. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that architecture can save the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the hope that you’ll get that big job. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist getting big jobs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the suggestion that you can only read Derrida in French. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist taking the path of least resistance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the influence of the appealing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the desire to make a design based on a piece of music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the growing conviction that They are right. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the nagging feeling that They will win. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that you need a client to make architecture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the temptation to talk fast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist anyone who asks you to design only the visible part. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that drawing by hand is passé. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist any assertion that the work of Frederick Kiesler is passé. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist buying an automobile of any kind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the impulse to open an office. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist believing that there is an answer to every question. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist believing that the result is the most important thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the demand that you prove your ideas by building them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist people who are satisfied. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that architects are master builders. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist accepting honors from those you do not respect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the panicky feeling that you are alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist hoping that next year will be better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the assertion that architecture is a service profession. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the foregone conclusion that They have already won. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the impulse to go back to square one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist believing that there can be architecture without architects. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist accepting your fate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist making models from chicken-wire. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist people who tell you to resist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the suggestion that you can do what you really want later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist any idea that contains the word <i>interface. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the feeling of obligation to subscribe to <i>Domus. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that architecture is an investment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the feeling that you must explain everything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the claim that history is concerned with the past. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the innuendo that you must be cautious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the illusion that it is complete. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the opinion that it was an accident. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the judgement that it is only valid if you can do it again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist believing that architecture is about designing things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the implications of security. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist writing what They wish you would write. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist assuming that the locus of power is elsewhere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist believing that anyone knows what will actually happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the accusation that you have missed the point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist all claims on your autonomy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the indifference of adversaries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the ready acceptance of friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the thought that life is simple, after all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the belated feeling that you should seek forgiveness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the desire to move to Berlin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the notion that you should never compromise. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist any thought that contains the word <i>should. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the lessons of architecture that has already succeeded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the idea that architecture expresses something. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the temptation to do it just one more time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the belief that architecture influences behavior. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist any idea that equates architecture and property. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist the tendency to repeat yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resist that feeling of utter exhaustion. ...........</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-11981712624744452852012-10-20T20:21:00.002-05:002012-10-20T20:41:18.319-05:00The Brothers Bouroullec<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I took a bike ride down the side of Lake Michigan for my inaugural visit to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mcachicago?fref=ts" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art</a> in Chicago. Despite having lived here for more than a year, I've never made it down to the MCA. Sitting in the shadow of the Hancock building and <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/59487/ad-classics-860-880-lake-shore-drive-mies-van-der-rohe/" target="_blank">Mies' Lakeshore towers</a>, the building is a strict concrete box.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjwJOeyXTQq7Dow2gWYQh1NMVHOYmjmJgbHlYg0-BZZ4MsqMK5BM9Z6x_ZWPFSZS3l4vpqHmpWBj-wlmEixaev3bzLiJ38ubyzJXkbBsO1xkR3VUyO7gNTSIuZuEpoGOIbGM4CrUCHovo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjwJOeyXTQq7Dow2gWYQh1NMVHOYmjmJgbHlYg0-BZZ4MsqMK5BM9Z6x_ZWPFSZS3l4vpqHmpWBj-wlmEixaev3bzLiJ38ubyzJXkbBsO1xkR3VUyO7gNTSIuZuEpoGOIbGM4CrUCHovo/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They seem to favor the blue and green.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show that finally lured me downtown was <i><a href="http://mcachicago.org/exhibitions/next/2012/305" target="_blank">Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec: Bivouac</a></i>. The <a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/" target="_blank">Bouroullecs</a> are French brothers, born in the early 1970s, who have been practicing since the mid-nineties. They first started garnering some serious attention around the time I was an undergraduate studying architecture, popping up in the design glossies and various museums. By 2009, when they appeared in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Hustwit" target="_blank">Gary Hustwit's</a> industrial design documentary <i><a href="http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/" target="_blank">Objectified</a></i>, they had ascended to a rare plane, working across the borders of art, architecture, furniture design, design theory, and mass-market manufacturing. They have produced pieces for </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><a href="http://www.cappellini.it/portal/page/portal/new/webpages/cappellini/designer/detail?p=id:81362&lang=en" target="_blank">Cappellini</a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><a href="http://www.ligne-roset-usa.com/Products/default.aspx?designerId=99" target="_blank">Ligne Roset</a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, <a href="http://www.alessi.com/en/1/394/ronan-erwan-bouroullec" target="_blank">Alessi</a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, and </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><a href="http://www.vitra.com/en-us/home/designers/ronan-and-erwan-bouroullec/" target="_blank">Vitra</a>, amongst others.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L-R: Michael Darling, Erwan Bouroullec, Ronan Bouroullec.</span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Their approach unselfconsciously hearkens back to the mid-century masters referenced so often on this blog: </span><a href="http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/side-chairs/eames-wire-chairs.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" target="_blank">Charles and Ray Eames</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">,</span><a href="http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/side-chairs/nelson-swag-leg-chair.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" target="_blank"> George Nelson</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, and </span><a href="http://www.vitra.com/en-us/prouveraw/#gallery--fauteuil-direction" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" target="_blank">Jean Prouve</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> (un-coincidentally distributed by Vitra as well). Each piece is meticulously iterated, stripped to its essentials, and made with physical and aesthetic durability in mind. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-qKpnfjBqZ47n0FIxvoQtb0gDYloOzpWiIZzQO29rJkD9X3DQ1P6Wtgvevvh8C1l9SqQx_O-9TNrF7VSCthlWYiCDnCmdQ_0qINmoYKNwvoL3mtW05TTwC2JTDnV0zrESKLJf6fFWPmg/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-qKpnfjBqZ47n0FIxvoQtb0gDYloOzpWiIZzQO29rJkD9X3DQ1P6Wtgvevvh8C1l9SqQx_O-9TNrF7VSCthlWYiCDnCmdQ_0qINmoYKNwvoL3mtW05TTwC2JTDnV0zrESKLJf6fFWPmg/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rug, hand-dyed and knitted in Pakistan. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4RtITbEn84sjmTLIXiGA2mItegEbtjoHha4qjjr2VLvCmqrDuoAmm0CTdxyCJY6Nxo6kRCK8HTecYv2SBU_Mdn10tgmYZQSZVuspLckc06gZbLnm3LGTSMswdy6aXcDG_rS-b4dvwmty/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4RtITbEn84sjmTLIXiGA2mItegEbtjoHha4qjjr2VLvCmqrDuoAmm0CTdxyCJY6Nxo6kRCK8HTecYv2SBU_Mdn10tgmYZQSZVuspLckc06gZbLnm3LGTSMswdy6aXcDG_rS-b4dvwmty/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Joints are often exposed, but impeccably machined. Metal and wood interact crisply. Humble materials are elevated through honorable treatment. Complex structures are made out of small, repeated organic units. An implicit trust is granted the consumer with self-assembled, flat-pack pieces. Micro-architectural elements -- screens, dividers, furniture with walls -- define space and develop a private-public dynamic.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNV18_KRqWaOP0K96EMQA1waBcPH0vviLAT7IOfZOoAQisJWzv0cAEBr7p1BMcepr1n32MJvAicN_-S_KXS5G95vEQZdyuBoHoykCaAgQ-IRlAsOJp780-IHB254OFNFQFKsCW4zvguIQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNV18_KRqWaOP0K96EMQA1waBcPH0vviLAT7IOfZOoAQisJWzv0cAEBr7p1BMcepr1n32MJvAicN_-S_KXS5G95vEQZdyuBoHoykCaAgQ-IRlAsOJp780-IHB254OFNFQFKsCW4zvguIQ/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their take on a vase.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk7S04lfqfZnoxvblnSei2nZmSGWnIriw04nscpc8laTKt7ckJgOyq7J7tsH3ElQuwg0qQUz0P2RqrGexJsOZSxsdec2k39Hk-4jtFq8yWSOVQRaNDPkhfGYoAIpPKylauFqTgBNSYzGy/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk7S04lfqfZnoxvblnSei2nZmSGWnIriw04nscpc8laTKt7ckJgOyq7J7tsH3ElQuwg0qQUz0P2RqrGexJsOZSxsdec2k39Hk-4jtFq8yWSOVQRaNDPkhfGYoAIpPKylauFqTgBNSYzGy/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anchor for stem detail.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNcgItZ0uvokTvexuNdL2S8SKvAuwlct1rWH48F24BtFU9WNe3StZaO9fb9lx4C0zd0SxQoUcaeD7Mz5pDGSKDL1LYhLrhBuZjh5J9speg3aEnKo4k8MsE7YL5ky5l1QkuteH41U_PJFm/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNcgItZ0uvokTvexuNdL2S8SKvAuwlct1rWH48F24BtFU9WNe3StZaO9fb9lx4C0zd0SxQoUcaeD7Mz5pDGSKDL1LYhLrhBuZjh5J9speg3aEnKo4k8MsE7YL5ky5l1QkuteH41U_PJFm/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The light and blue background make the flowers pop.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6JRaKvBDXZWsCwRNqOhkf3yx1aA3JsOwB1J8apds6xSpxennCYsz6FI7ayQwLkuzavAd6Pb8OIHckwy5tCym7I17Sh9-4HO3alBGnxaQee6AWI1CrP84w4boHdBtCjsoCMV9K7UYN4-p/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6JRaKvBDXZWsCwRNqOhkf3yx1aA3JsOwB1J8apds6xSpxennCYsz6FI7ayQwLkuzavAd6Pb8OIHckwy5tCym7I17Sh9-4HO3alBGnxaQee6AWI1CrP84w4boHdBtCjsoCMV9K7UYN4-p/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=220" target="_blank">Piani Lamp</a>, carved out of basalt.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">In conversation with curator </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Darling_(curator)" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" target="_blank">Michael Darling</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> (whose master's thesis was on George Nelson), the Brothers dropped a lot of memorable quotes in sharply accented English. Erwan, the younger brother, looked an awful lot like a bearded </span><a href="http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/130" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" target="_blank">Edgar Allen Poe</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">. Like many such design talks I've attended, this one was kind of cryptic and rambling, (in a good way). Some quotes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Erwan: "We couldn't really cope with society." (on their pieces of furniture with walls)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "We don't do bespoke furniture. It is for the universal man."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "We try to erase the sign that says 'use this thing in this certain way . . .'"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "A dark-top table means for everyone 'management.'"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "We want to come into a space, completely change it, and leave no trace. Like a </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> circus." </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">(in response to a question about the name of the show, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Bivouac</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "A chair is a pop song."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "I quite like the lightness of consequence of object design."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "Better production. Less consumption."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Ronan: "The world is quite ugly. We are here to define a certain way of living."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> "100 years ago, a family of four was surrounded by 200 objects. Now, it's 2,000. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> The quality has gone down." </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t0nBmNhKMcZx2rTsMkCP661KoVM2Dz1N5zbVDI-RPgVfMR09VP-6I_DG69RqnkQqX8Ur5JgrcNteMo4z0FlSKrIfP0hT2KpO7Taxt62WeODLSyQBArYUsqKHbt15Upw8LtK5v3bEANiq/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t0nBmNhKMcZx2rTsMkCP661KoVM2Dz1N5zbVDI-RPgVfMR09VP-6I_DG69RqnkQqX8Ur5JgrcNteMo4z0FlSKrIfP0hT2KpO7Taxt62WeODLSyQBArYUsqKHbt15Upw8LtK5v3bEANiq/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=114" target="_blank">The North Tiles.</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_o36rT-JWboQKjrCRKmZUHYT-f9yPJA6UdX7iNF8NEiJUGxcWa58ePS4Y4ANFbchTyV04qPBA4Rfsbpt4slVJ03dVSbYdKwuhNFCIWBJzms7acqNiEOVr66GI3edzliQ_L2nqOtwZgg9/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_o36rT-JWboQKjrCRKmZUHYT-f9yPJA6UdX7iNF8NEiJUGxcWa58ePS4Y4ANFbchTyV04qPBA4Rfsbpt4slVJ03dVSbYdKwuhNFCIWBJzms7acqNiEOVr66GI3edzliQ_L2nqOtwZgg9/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Erwan, 36, and Ronan, at 41, are just entering the middle of their careers. I think it is not too early to christen some of their work iconic, or classic; <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/garden/the-classics-circa-2050.html?_r=1" target="_blank">others already have</a>. Hopefully I'll get a chance to own some of their pieces. In the meantime, I'll settle for a monograph. Autographed.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQYxlhGhtrx9wUkNYfbl60w62FBazdt6pNAp8ku4bdxyXUFynWpcON6D0sR9hNherMmf7kyR1VbVTIJY1aHxhAL5BjODHXccKNeGItJEEIOJfRoNhWgLturQesYjC-QphaC33AH4gCoeq/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQYxlhGhtrx9wUkNYfbl60w62FBazdt6pNAp8ku4bdxyXUFynWpcON6D0sR9hNherMmf7kyR1VbVTIJY1aHxhAL5BjODHXccKNeGItJEEIOJfRoNhWgLturQesYjC-QphaC33AH4gCoeq/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Process sketches.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2EQUX0wRDqQj2Ws9HjV3emZUboHoLUdQ5ikfYhc7ifee2BY3FrCjvQs80-y2WnuwENWIuCfcVXXaTVbaqL3O2-TtnEsU097G-ZUE8TtEvFo4WIceqAhRNPAcIk92yxz8WrEe1XsVA9vy/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2EQUX0wRDqQj2Ws9HjV3emZUboHoLUdQ5ikfYhc7ifee2BY3FrCjvQs80-y2WnuwENWIuCfcVXXaTVbaqL3O2-TtnEsU097G-ZUE8TtEvFo4WIceqAhRNPAcIk92yxz8WrEe1XsVA9vy/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Material study.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz53Q8srDaVhoihcv-HJJVoOCBDVYvmg4hULx5WO4cHO3aVQUL19pOacSXQUMlpSeRjNcWxZBCkxBoRrsdBJfQe_ukbyRiytnOXs-uuXgOn6O7sh7LmZoyyewWTrBPeMcDmvjZtEGh1gWq/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz53Q8srDaVhoihcv-HJJVoOCBDVYvmg4hULx5WO4cHO3aVQUL19pOacSXQUMlpSeRjNcWxZBCkxBoRrsdBJfQe_ukbyRiytnOXs-uuXgOn6O7sh7LmZoyyewWTrBPeMcDmvjZtEGh1gWq/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Color study.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS-VdV1CKKP-ktqrPQdT-gSPdK2NK-wcVPrCnOyO4a6cV6SQQZnpDvegkDTbQFUqu3lb8EtdgoWfY-_KdxafJh0Tikk70zaN-SnR8BsykbsEwmjpkmxHcikbrid9UVU8WYbNus0hJEE6i/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS-VdV1CKKP-ktqrPQdT-gSPdK2NK-wcVPrCnOyO4a6cV6SQQZnpDvegkDTbQFUqu3lb8EtdgoWfY-_KdxafJh0Tikk70zaN-SnR8BsykbsEwmjpkmxHcikbrid9UVU8WYbNus0hJEE6i/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sketch for Vegetal Chair.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEINVIVnkosxYOH-NgB5HYApgTbJ_VowQ6ql8YzYDQXVfL9s4M3AMY_Sil9e5-pK_ggmwuVb4a9BTUCt6M1Dp0EZP0mfX1GP0UGQXF-whBjpwxnLvhoSG-JGY1vK9k2N3I4sePxUFhBvga/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEINVIVnkosxYOH-NgB5HYApgTbJ_VowQ6ql8YzYDQXVfL9s4M3AMY_Sil9e5-pK_ggmwuVb4a9BTUCt6M1Dp0EZP0mfX1GP0UGQXF-whBjpwxnLvhoSG-JGY1vK9k2N3I4sePxUFhBvga/s400/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=182" target="_blank">Vegetal Chair</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRi9ZCTB0DAxQjw38wHjUNL0qkS9kmKZA5vZiueLMKrsRnES_UrznArifJwTVuD2C0sOmF3PbENLklQb5EfwjLCOjTrgnDRjYvdtbGTB6rP1w-qY6XWorlVJUzX9ah0vof-7Ze2tJMY4s/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRi9ZCTB0DAxQjw38wHjUNL0qkS9kmKZA5vZiueLMKrsRnES_UrznArifJwTVuD2C0sOmF3PbENLklQb5EfwjLCOjTrgnDRjYvdtbGTB6rP1w-qY6XWorlVJUzX9ah0vof-7Ze2tJMY4s/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=176" target="_blank">Cloud Modules</a>, made of styrofoam, one of their first widely-remarked-upon pieces.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF___DhnJyKTFxHFu_egCjmync5dOCqQlvO3NuRXeC0LDQM-gQ6h92Sx5qnnMpCd8MMMYZzm4QJD1UH0ZXX6FxngHir1rIKNkWiCLADvrvp976-Kg5mE-86JnQvZfxF7iqovCDUmLfYpz/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF___DhnJyKTFxHFu_egCjmync5dOCqQlvO3NuRXeC0LDQM-gQ6h92Sx5qnnMpCd8MMMYZzm4QJD1UH0ZXX6FxngHir1rIKNkWiCLADvrvp976-Kg5mE-86JnQvZfxF7iqovCDUmLfYpz/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Titus maxin' in the <a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=162" target="_blank">Alcove Sofa</a>, one of their micro-architecture pieces.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuA7LILWsDMipEU7sWrUQ_Yat5iBwYoXm8CEC-k4v4tGAFs9eLQ8w1hobZRd-N5lOq8bSbosid4CLdXMso550dlyqnLwD6FL1IuIM02d0tIol6eAFDaAnFlMTnFvdluAXgnDag1cHB2TKr/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuA7LILWsDMipEU7sWrUQ_Yat5iBwYoXm8CEC-k4v4tGAFs9eLQ8w1hobZRd-N5lOq8bSbosid4CLdXMso550dlyqnLwD6FL1IuIM02d0tIol6eAFDaAnFlMTnFvdluAXgnDag1cHB2TKr/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The walls can zip down to open up the space.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyumwrU2L6syt7nR96BtwfgSuilhOUI0kl4qfFPhUP-i1s5tXuYdfTJI22sW56PK2MYNYT-Vb7VKg6vMl7ZJCK2xUvb2SpsBi0hDvT0E8alHBzTjIsaNe8ym-lVlDjrRTDS-6DUPOfgGOL/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyumwrU2L6syt7nR96BtwfgSuilhOUI0kl4qfFPhUP-i1s5tXuYdfTJI22sW56PK2MYNYT-Vb7VKg6vMl7ZJCK2xUvb2SpsBi0hDvT0E8alHBzTjIsaNe8ym-lVlDjrRTDS-6DUPOfgGOL/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=151" target="_blank">The Steelwood Chair.</a> Gorgeous interaction of steel and wood; one stamped shell and five structural wood members. Hearkens back to my boy Prouve.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6w-0X-ptCc9LQYHWEHYXXYk6XPoxfs7jujnATOX4IyFgMxOwACyOC1_zFQw3Ip737lsKFKPhEOsskXTSYiH76D9_4x_WE_GlB_P6yYDNMw3WDVB80l3YlRbhZrAtftdXwKWW4p67DulP/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6w-0X-ptCc9LQYHWEHYXXYk6XPoxfs7jujnATOX4IyFgMxOwACyOC1_zFQw3Ip737lsKFKPhEOsskXTSYiH76D9_4x_WE_GlB_P6yYDNMw3WDVB80l3YlRbhZrAtftdXwKWW4p67DulP/s400/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=218">Algues</a> screen in front of <a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=230" target="_blank">Textile Field</a>, which kids seemed to enjoy rolling up and down.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SBQnvWem-AbgLSRhqYKJlWHRtIMTCi-ekBBcWvmZXRYGKcVIOh-gByXFRCs_1ldU9jEv59S7FHx18w7Up5c703MxiR-sA38MeGwMbxnzztR-V92jef-ziiqAdUFED_upr6HPj_hWUMh7/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SBQnvWem-AbgLSRhqYKJlWHRtIMTCi-ekBBcWvmZXRYGKcVIOh-gByXFRCs_1ldU9jEv59S7FHx18w7Up5c703MxiR-sA38MeGwMbxnzztR-V92jef-ziiqAdUFED_upr6HPj_hWUMh7/s400/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bouroullec.com/index.php?p=218" target="_blank">Osso Chair</a>. Straight legendary status. Eight pieces, machined perfectly.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3Skx3U1ju4bGo2xqEX5iPjCkETKnkWhgs155DzpnyVzpPtiAEO4Hv47C07xP1dP0pikEB6HK80ftOeIZtKAyWiF_GAU53p_4dhs8-Ge4mZq-Ji5LJuNjM3ARuuIso3MLhZ0E3t-LDUaV/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3Skx3U1ju4bGo2xqEX5iPjCkETKnkWhgs155DzpnyVzpPtiAEO4Hv47C07xP1dP0pikEB6HK80ftOeIZtKAyWiF_GAU53p_4dhs8-Ge4mZq-Ji5LJuNjM3ARuuIso3MLhZ0E3t-LDUaV/s400/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assembled.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRYD-Jg5DmVQTVqQLGlUrUB_Dtwugyd52aYiYmqsBcD56jENBPJLNyC-dwLNOwA4xIZ8ozLEWTOGmlcb7UKETiyXHYY21RMYXXtYpSO2jUwUNG47KkWjYvDok4nG90rwRLOsq7vFr4Dls/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRYD-Jg5DmVQTVqQLGlUrUB_Dtwugyd52aYiYmqsBcD56jENBPJLNyC-dwLNOwA4xIZ8ozLEWTOGmlcb7UKETiyXHYY21RMYXXtYpSO2jUwUNG47KkWjYvDok4nG90rwRLOsq7vFr4Dls/s400/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ronan-Erwan-Bouroullec/dp/0714848603/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350782358&sr=1-2">Monographic.</a></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvgphD3egimwG2XxQfR-79EksW-WKguTCMMEUwy15DM8UwGQV3kKrBvjki7LBeFjGb2s5kUgvt4LQJqEDmrPrIMKK0yS74R3_8TjnmBnpNHhOCIsycVh9ybIbWRHdCwxKMXPYb61ci_lb/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvgphD3egimwG2XxQfR-79EksW-WKguTCMMEUwy15DM8UwGQV3kKrBvjki7LBeFjGb2s5kUgvt4LQJqEDmrPrIMKK0yS74R3_8TjnmBnpNHhOCIsycVh9ybIbWRHdCwxKMXPYb61ci_lb/s400/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ronan's signature.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsgrZ6PP1I7zsXkmheytPyF8JerKNIlrmGrLvdeVXtR-zFpQcbfwR8I0viFxz-mcXcfb5kVIze06OZY2wE9eJxg46TEBuHkvAFpV2470ykYxHWiNo3p8ethCRqod2Syc3LvyoSvxkoqNr/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsgrZ6PP1I7zsXkmheytPyF8JerKNIlrmGrLvdeVXtR-zFpQcbfwR8I0viFxz-mcXcfb5kVIze06OZY2wE9eJxg46TEBuHkvAFpV2470ykYxHWiNo3p8ethCRqod2Syc3LvyoSvxkoqNr/s400/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Erwan's signature.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-52969938859359825172012-10-13T17:15:00.000-05:002012-10-13T17:15:36.271-05:00Bent Cardboard II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks back, I began an experiment, attempting to create curved, structural panels of laminated cardboard. <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/09/bent-cardboard.html" target="_blank">The first shells</a>, adhered with wheatpaste and cured in a mold, came out quite well. I buried some strips of Masonite in the edges so that they would hold a fastener, then trimmed them neat and square on the table saw.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dx5Yx2tlgOe83UQ8OUNAP_yQ0D9ldI1jxEbBsj7wQ0l52tSDNOENkwIvRN7RSeaf4lOHcbQOKF-rKJs5BFLMTHnzb1cc3b5_kR2tqFkcE6zBVb5ep1FafSHXXskY5LyJcc6vkWztry2h/s400/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frame layout. Designed it in AutoCAD, then sketched on paper because I don't have a printer.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dx5Yx2tlgOe83UQ8OUNAP_yQ0D9ldI1jxEbBsj7wQ0l52tSDNOENkwIvRN7RSeaf4lOHcbQOKF-rKJs5BFLMTHnzb1cc3b5_kR2tqFkcE6zBVb5ep1FafSHXXskY5LyJcc6vkWztry2h/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next loomed the question of a frame. Cardboard chairs tend to acquire quite a bit of bulk as they try to solve structural problems with a weak material. I wanted to make a visually light, slim-lined frame that would highlight the cardboard shells, so I turned to plywood. Ken Isaac's book, <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/09/ken-isaacs.html" target="_blank">which I recently wrote about</a>, had a lengthy investigation of plywood stress-skin structures, which gave me some ideas about how to make a stiff structure out of a thin, flexible material. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8E9Y8G5pQyABGQbMQOQZ8xz_3mUh6ua4QtaAFDLgoMYL_BDGEw1cr096MbWQyrbmI8ucOT7cwXUayNLuZJnzdysOT7SNg_6yfUv8b7ZhVCkMkhsfTfxQb9AzFXFiauVEGtL5pIgAhI75-/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8E9Y8G5pQyABGQbMQOQZ8xz_3mUh6ua4QtaAFDLgoMYL_BDGEw1cr096MbWQyrbmI8ucOT7cwXUayNLuZJnzdysOT7SNg_6yfUv8b7ZhVCkMkhsfTfxQb9AzFXFiauVEGtL5pIgAhI75-/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Otherwise obsolete hand-drafting skills still come in handy sometimes . . .</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I settled on a "box" scheme: two identical parallel plywood frames are braced apart by two "U"-shaped leg units, essentially forming an open box that the shells then fit onto. The frames are composed of two layers of 1/2" plywood, laminated together. The legs interlock into the parallel "L"-shaped seat frames, making one solid unit. The whole system is remarkably strong and light. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl_0tUUBpjHjmjiRNfGeGujrLM4p25UB63yJkBI7lSrT6WDGNb7pSYSZ1oq816WEG9Y2AWk16T5QkhxO6BO0pcAWLGgJc-cR4iQIbNeYjXYUinGyeaOsxKbTAot1ZIKcpDP2Sq_FzNlqI/s1600/Cardboard+Shell+Exploded+Axon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl_0tUUBpjHjmjiRNfGeGujrLM4p25UB63yJkBI7lSrT6WDGNb7pSYSZ1oq816WEG9Y2AWk16T5QkhxO6BO0pcAWLGgJc-cR4iQIbNeYjXYUinGyeaOsxKbTAot1ZIKcpDP2Sq_FzNlqI/s640/Cardboard+Shell+Exploded+Axon.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exploded diagram.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DFVCOYjUT-K53Jbqm1vTx_ezWtbsRxTAdztGUizex8ybNi3HxI2lsCOyTBelRpa1OlTRV7e6vJUnevR0p1tsnpEaZ9F2eNG164S4eKRuqFTyPAE_ztvIkE4nYOl0kWW-cZLQfwxYTw01/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DFVCOYjUT-K53Jbqm1vTx_ezWtbsRxTAdztGUizex8ybNi3HxI2lsCOyTBelRpa1OlTRV7e6vJUnevR0p1tsnpEaZ9F2eNG164S4eKRuqFTyPAE_ztvIkE4nYOl0kWW-cZLQfwxYTw01/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutting out seat frames. Hard to tile efficiently into a sheet, unfortunately.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVd1txaVkVr-sT_MvSW2Htf4Z1JKca5V4pg5QHHVs9pkyzf3JEMqy_OKqepca_OyKTQiYy8hRQXD_wuaCZ568ta4pYp1pAZ2eaoSKBkyvmVGThpx7hmsxWzeqscgRurZH7GnVkAFuWzN2/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVd1txaVkVr-sT_MvSW2Htf4Z1JKca5V4pg5QHHVs9pkyzf3JEMqy_OKqepca_OyKTQiYy8hRQXD_wuaCZ568ta4pYp1pAZ2eaoSKBkyvmVGThpx7hmsxWzeqscgRurZH7GnVkAFuWzN2/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Laminated the frames with glue and staples.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxabXW9FnriaZCjGwL0Lu93wAo4ZABHRohBxXZk1nqt0h7-Hju6yE_W8j7rFgzO6PKJ7zKEPWFkOh2MVsSDVZU6SMBYCxR5Xd3Z3PyiqIWC7VOd-wD2vxTE1O-jYO1OQxzaMMdlUoxNLq/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxabXW9FnriaZCjGwL0Lu93wAo4ZABHRohBxXZk1nqt0h7-Hju6yE_W8j7rFgzO6PKJ7zKEPWFkOh2MVsSDVZU6SMBYCxR5Xd3Z3PyiqIWC7VOd-wD2vxTE1O-jYO1OQxzaMMdlUoxNLq/s400/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabbetin'. Plywood's hell on a chisel, try to avoid it . . .</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The shells are screwed in from the back, sitting on rubber shock mounts, just like its Eames predecessors. Once the shells were added, the chair stiffened up considerably. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The posture is pretty upright: the seat is reclined at 2 degrees off of the horizontal, while the back is 3 degrees off of the seat. Together, the whole assembly gives about 5 degrees of recline. With a flat back and seat, this would be too straight up-and-down. The slight curve and flexibility of the panels mitigates the uprightness of the posture, combining good desk ergonomics with back and butt happiness. Contrasting colors and thicknesses in the frame and the surfaces successfully articulate the shells without running away from their essential cardboardiness. It is super-light and sturdy. Two coats of water-based polyurethane (on legs and cardboard) add a nice, low-key sheen.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIz66VYbVoxVv3fgWRXi_t0XTd3wl7g_okn1LWcRMY2-gaJCfflbyFJ1cyi28eqe8IN57A1NNJms7WUPqsost_Ds6VPjWlNNTwD_iGPOzyJtcQWR9XXEjMcgwYfF0e8k4VVDJ1rgHGEk3/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIz66VYbVoxVv3fgWRXi_t0XTd3wl7g_okn1LWcRMY2-gaJCfflbyFJ1cyi28eqe8IN57A1NNJms7WUPqsost_Ds6VPjWlNNTwD_iGPOzyJtcQWR9XXEjMcgwYfF0e8k4VVDJ1rgHGEk3/s400/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attaching the legs. Where the legs stuck out over the seat frame, I routed it flush after the fact.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVa_gCj04Tma6NrJHY9sB6yOO7bmR6FoJukyfk_tQ3AEt6fOytb1wgC4SRxrbGq-6Bx6qnykSBu71nxJuxZFQ_CjWiqMBIpZN6tAr7Kxof3Q2mrMnPyNJC2J2E5NJlD_bMHw0lar4RUT2/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVa_gCj04Tma6NrJHY9sB6yOO7bmR6FoJukyfk_tQ3AEt6fOytb1wgC4SRxrbGq-6Bx6qnykSBu71nxJuxZFQ_CjWiqMBIpZN6tAr7Kxof3Q2mrMnPyNJC2J2E5NJlD_bMHw0lar4RUT2/s400/23.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assembly.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUno9Gf9-RfvniB1GqXTar8QpVISleu9JvBTU6VJhKD_wP7PMi-B2juu57m0HD2FngQ4dW_kc4mF6mmFAwCPQhtFhGTcE6MpUI5HQsn3uoehz6KGNLHapgFi8-VlmhPr8VULnBl3dp1wdE/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUno9Gf9-RfvniB1GqXTar8QpVISleu9JvBTU6VJhKD_wP7PMi-B2juu57m0HD2FngQ4dW_kc4mF6mmFAwCPQhtFhGTcE6MpUI5HQsn3uoehz6KGNLHapgFi8-VlmhPr8VULnBl3dp1wdE/s400/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail of rubber shock mount.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not happy with the front and rear elevations. The base looks narrow and knock-kneed, while the legs themselves look too thick. I also should've counter-sunk and doweled the screw joints; instead I used nice brass screws, with careful placement. Even so, a screw head is a screw head, and it looks unfinished. In a few spots, I sanded through the veneer of the plywood in my haste and because of careless glue stains.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR8gnJv4GEQaKRT0Qri5xtJvLckEyzvEN57J9RAE07zyVr6SccdJDPUTVsyqNcw8lbAbqCFdnma4TF1nBjG-ovrSGSnrb-CaRnmAPibvLUourY-oBrkUxVIguME5bOTbpM4U8GKLLL8dh/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR8gnJv4GEQaKRT0Qri5xtJvLckEyzvEN57J9RAE07zyVr6SccdJDPUTVsyqNcw8lbAbqCFdnma4TF1nBjG-ovrSGSnrb-CaRnmAPibvLUourY-oBrkUxVIguME5bOTbpM4U8GKLLL8dh/s400/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Side elevation.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEZXdiQA8_rqRs-5LjqsNNSMPlN7KENeUiO0bHqUBFwPFeu8WwrjKX_58hqK9_H62os5vFY_X__bKyS13G1uo3c9DbiKK96ThlSe8CmBrjsaUemyI4iMNJetRz5lEaR3-9Tcew17cd88v/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEZXdiQA8_rqRs-5LjqsNNSMPlN7KENeUiO0bHqUBFwPFeu8WwrjKX_58hqK9_H62os5vFY_X__bKyS13G1uo3c9DbiKK96ThlSe8CmBrjsaUemyI4iMNJetRz5lEaR3-9Tcew17cd88v/s400/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front 3/4.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8g7TLjlis7yI4o4eiuWXZhG_XGkQ-5IHaB0iFq70UxXvBsKxBtJoD5wJiMGezVQquktK2dY7bSaIzYr803LIjFQ7C9qAxEZd0NPINzx8ntw2H4ZJzh6M1i_d4OFMxqtHV4GAJnlyRMW/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8g7TLjlis7yI4o4eiuWXZhG_XGkQ-5IHaB0iFq70UxXvBsKxBtJoD5wJiMGezVQquktK2dY7bSaIzYr803LIjFQ7C9qAxEZd0NPINzx8ntw2H4ZJzh6M1i_d4OFMxqtHV4GAJnlyRMW/s400/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cropped the eyes out because they're so magnetic.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVcgkqp_CvPegrNmuuNMOpOQma3YfakD3qLvtKbOs7pN8svY_kZn_VZoj6cBPP0dJcpIWBzoJMhzELdrkRtVjIWGgAii2SO2GzFtXCR64u3j1bXcoBvcpWyLuFjrAVlb6sIkFlFpKAfff/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVcgkqp_CvPegrNmuuNMOpOQma3YfakD3qLvtKbOs7pN8svY_kZn_VZoj6cBPP0dJcpIWBzoJMhzELdrkRtVjIWGgAii2SO2GzFtXCR64u3j1bXcoBvcpWyLuFjrAVlb6sIkFlFpKAfff/s400/29.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheeky. (May be a bit much . . .)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinseCin23S0XPGugI-ieNof5zUHmE2tfHjZFPp1u2jvexMzthyphenhyphenFVbjgtXi81vs17XZYuW4TblpKM4pdwneOcgn9IQC_uq-dUEOzD_Wtj9JumGAMNJJQVJNNqpv-ItY_NRD3OuLWIxZMgsN/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinseCin23S0XPGugI-ieNof5zUHmE2tfHjZFPp1u2jvexMzthyphenhyphenFVbjgtXi81vs17XZYuW4TblpKM4pdwneOcgn9IQC_uq-dUEOzD_Wtj9JumGAMNJJQVJNNqpv-ItY_NRD3OuLWIxZMgsN/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Backside.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxljKc9pklJ7Ww2upt0qxl0nzyo2U2jaRu2uqxpGJvhvdrAZJ0ziJmSdA5AYqX6km93n2ueu6CB48IgEEVpXv-5XEX9DnFTEqdQetdSGPiDaTTqWQKaZjK1BglZ1OIfoNn5wZ5HAVLukeM/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxljKc9pklJ7Ww2upt0qxl0nzyo2U2jaRu2uqxpGJvhvdrAZJ0ziJmSdA5AYqX6km93n2ueu6CB48IgEEVpXv-5XEX9DnFTEqdQetdSGPiDaTTqWQKaZjK1BglZ1OIfoNn5wZ5HAVLukeM/s400/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Front corner, can see the embedded Masonite and alternating cardboard grain.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That said, I think the design has promise. I will be making more shells, refining the methodology, and working on a new base design. The shells themselves are adaptable to a lot of possible frames -- more plywood, hardwood, and an all-cardboard solution. I would also like to revisit a college-era experimentation with masonite/cardboard hybrid structures, which would be one possible way to cut down on the bulk of a pure cardboard support system. This current plywood design is well-adapted to CNC production, with a little refinement, and it would be great to find a local small-run CNC mill to test it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shall report on these experiments and many others in the future. Now, at least, you will know from what chair these dispatches appear . . . </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700672862430745471.post-37216738535710535982012-10-07T19:07:00.002-05:002012-10-07T19:12:22.825-05:00The Paper Cycle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, just as I was working on <a href="http://objectguerilla.blogspot.com/2012/09/bent-cardboard.html" target="_blank">a new cardboard chair</a>, there was an article in the <a href="http://www.chicagoreader.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Reader</a> called <i><a href="http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/us-wastepaper-travels-roundtrip-to-china/Content?oid=7470141" target="_blank">The Floating Forest</a></i>, about the strange trip undertaken by our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_recycling" target="_blank">wastepaper</a>. Thirty years ago, most of America's recycled paper was processed domestically, including a number of large mills throughout the Midwest. Beginning in the nineties, a Hong Kong entrepreneur, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/30/090330fa_fact_osnos" target="_blank">Cheung Yan</a>, began filling empty shipping containers with wastepaper and shipping them back to China. There, her factories turned them into cardboard to make boxes for TVs, computers, cellphones, and so the cycle continued.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baled wastepaper is now an internationally traded commodity. In 2008, <a href="http://www.interpack.com/cipp/md_interpack/custom/pub/content,oid,11631/lang,2/ticket,g_u_e_s_t/~/Waste_Paper_Market_under_Global_Pressure.html" target="_blank">prices plunged</a> as the global recession put a crimp in consumer spending. Newspapers, another large paper consumer, have seen their readership shrink as news moves online. Recently, however, prices are back up in the face of Asian demand. With one ton trading at about $100, New York has seen a rise in the <a href="http://newyorkgarbage.wordpress.com/recycling-theft/" target="_blank">theft of baled paper</a>. China, whose forest cover suffered over the last fifty years of industrialization, has a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704360404576206250585521170.html#articleTabs%3Dcomments" target="_blank">seemingly insatiable demand for the stuff</a>. T</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he paper-less society promised by the internet </span><a href="http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3005/whatever-happened-to-the-paperless-office" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">hasn't materialized</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and, worldwide, consumption doubled between 1980 and 2000.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBrEGbcpGWXllG6PAF3BYuBixCH3NiB3xcfEKmSjC0OX-aBA1Ww_2_Dg3CzPRPXl7pszYuggykujk7Cg0zlR4Vd7slLjNRL1jX6CB_H3ugFuZw9FYgo60nQUT_lkquVPiP_s-vmthVybu/s1600/wastepaper0001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBrEGbcpGWXllG6PAF3BYuBixCH3NiB3xcfEKmSjC0OX-aBA1Ww_2_Dg3CzPRPXl7pszYuggykujk7Cg0zlR4Vd7slLjNRL1jX6CB_H3ugFuZw9FYgo60nQUT_lkquVPiP_s-vmthVybu/s400/wastepaper0001.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wastepaperin'.</span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems to be a net gain for everyone: China gets raw materials; American scrap companies and collectors get jobs; our trade deficit with China closes a little; and trash is kept out of the landfill. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thepaperlifecycle.org/" target="_blank">But our paper is making a 10,000 mile round trip</a>, slurping up a lot of fuel and chemicals along the way. And, when it is recycled, it can only move down the quality chain, transforming refined papers into low-quality cardboard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />All of this nonsense is partly responsible for my fascination with <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=cardboard+furniture&hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1CHFA_enUS485US486&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=TRZyUNCiA4SVyAGwqIDoCw&ved=0CCoQsAQ&biw=1230&bih=577" target="_blank">cardboard furniture</a>. It seems to be a local, logical use for one of our most abundant waste streams. Above all, for the guerilla maker it is cheap and requires few tools to work with. It is well adapted to lightweight, portable designs, temporary solutions, and is found everywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two weeks ago, I posted about an on-going experiment in bent cardboard. This line of thinking got me researching<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papier-m%C3%A2ch%C3%A9" target="_blank"> </a></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papier-m%C3%A2ch%C3%A9" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paper-m</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">âché</span></a>, <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">another technique for making strong thin shells out of wastepaper. One thing led to another, and soon I was winding my way down some weird, papery seam of the internet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before plastics were invented, paper-mâché was used to make a lot of household goods -- baskets, boxes, chairs, even <a href="http://vimeo.com/42812845" target="_blank">pianos</a>. In 1772, Englishman <a href="http://www.papiermache.co.uk/articles/history-of-papier-mache/" target="_blank">Henry Clay</a> patented a process for making sheet with paper pulp, adhesive, and linseed oil, making lightweight, waterproof doors and body panels for stagecoaches. In the mid-1800s, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennens_and_Bettridge" target="_blank">Aaron Jennens and T.H. Bettridge</a> formed a housewares company in Birmingham, England. <a href="http://www.si.edu/mci/downloads/relact/papier_mache.pdf" target="_blank">Their process</a> involved pressing paper pulp in molds and forms, creating compound curves. Once dry, pieces were <a href="http://www.basiccarpentrytechniques.com/Handbook%20On%20Japanning/Handbook%20On%20Japanning.html" target="_blank">japanned</a>: </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">heavy coats of shellac-based black lacquer were applied, dried under heat, then polished to a created a flawless surface. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Persian cultures also have strong </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paper-m</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">âché traditions, making everything from snuffboxes to coffins.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_W4tnVX1OiVoe-hXAX-vRT-clvRWc3UBLYYyEIYy_mpiDZAcXd1gUkGqxZW2s3ehGjkB4SvyZuvJ9JxkT76ZG87LRo26pYTvTcCGWlBj8ReDsUglXq_DjMy5nb6uTC56AifDq8AM0cLD/s1600/_08269__Paper_mache_tray_on_stand.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_W4tnVX1OiVoe-hXAX-vRT-clvRWc3UBLYYyEIYy_mpiDZAcXd1gUkGqxZW2s3ehGjkB4SvyZuvJ9JxkT76ZG87LRo26pYTvTcCGWlBj8ReDsUglXq_DjMy5nb6uTC56AifDq8AM0cLD/s400/_08269__Paper_mache_tray_on_stand.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japanned tray on faux-bamboo stand. Via <a href="http://www.arthursmithantiques.com/paper-mache-tray-faux-bamboo-stand" target="_blank">Arthur Smith Antiques</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the Civil War, </span><a href="http://www.cupery.net/SH.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Elisha Waters</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of Troy, New York, began </span><a href="http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/04/s/excerpts/maib/17/index.htm" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">experimenting with paper boats</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Using an existing canoe as a form, he layered manila paper, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">adhered with shellac</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Once dry, and separated from its form, the sides were braced with some cedar gunwales, resulting in a light, cheap boat. Refining the process, he turned it into a successful business, producing lightweight racing shells for crew teams. The process is </span><a href="http://apapercanoe.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">easy enough to recreate</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, if a little time-consuming. The Waters enterprise eventually expanded into </span><a href="http://www.cupery.net/dome.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">paper domes</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, including an observatory at West Point. In 1901, the whole enterprise burned to the ground. The two partners dies shortly thereafter, and the company and its techniques did not survive.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8VVVmOYUe-ImmAJY7VJpb2gYLgqfpkQ3392EpVuV1-Hb_wnOBuMphbKsfWzsxmLwfsh4G0eIaCEN4-E8XIftTMakL43QnRsOWI3RUo3id_XhhDJ9RHkmC8bFaZ8V9_ifRdQmPhenmhM6/s1600/BishopCanoe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8VVVmOYUe-ImmAJY7VJpb2gYLgqfpkQ3392EpVuV1-Hb_wnOBuMphbKsfWzsxmLwfsh4G0eIaCEN4-E8XIftTMakL43QnRsOWI3RUo3id_XhhDJ9RHkmC8bFaZ8V9_ifRdQmPhenmhM6/s400/BishopCanoe.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.eldritchpress.org/nhb/paperc/intro.html" target="_blank">Bishop paper canoe</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bJ16HgctIrEOrzEdvbLve9mXPQzbOMKZqrvuRGhAZROm_9tywI3Zt1-HHjKNVUSa6AXTHC0S3po4Q-kyDHTcsvUCL7fZJTa9EckYtPGbWjcxO2VcMqfw5TwmQQrv86p5x86ar5mVVzy9/s1600/BelDome.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bJ16HgctIrEOrzEdvbLve9mXPQzbOMKZqrvuRGhAZROm_9tywI3Zt1-HHjKNVUSa6AXTHC0S3po4Q-kyDHTcsvUCL7fZJTa9EckYtPGbWjcxO2VcMqfw5TwmQQrv86p5x86ar5mVVzy9/s400/BelDome.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Observatory" target="_blank">Beloit College Observatory.</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Advances in metal-stamping technology, enameling, plywood production, and plastics eventually killed off the tradition of japanning, and now old </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paper-m</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">âché furniture pieces are prized antiques. And now, our modern reliance on plastics (which eventually replaced nearly every conceivable use for </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paper-m</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">âché) has become an environmental liability.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are innovators out there pursuing new methods of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paper-m</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">âché. One of the most promising, and easy to execute, is <a href="http://www.livinginpaper.com/" target="_blank">papercrete</a>. Mostly pursued by enthusiastic DIYers at this point, papercrete is still a fringe building material. Basically, you mix up shredded paper, with sand, cement, and water, <a href="http://www.doityourself.com/stry/papercrete#b" target="_blank">at a ratio of 60-20-20</a>. The resultant material is stronger in tension than traditional concrete, due to the interlocking paper fibers, and insulates to about R-2 per inch (the same as softwood pine). It can be formed into blocks, panels, and be poured in place. <a href="http://earthship.com/" target="_blank">Earthship Biotecture</a> has developed a <a href="http://www.madamekunterbunt.net/buildinggreen/earthships/training_jamaica/jamaica.html" target="_blank">dome construction method</a> using cement-saturated rags laid over a rebar armature.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVYbPVDnF7Vb2g7BEWaf3nC0JYL4uyPMS9mkvgQgCxoLY3ht2pA-sIn_3VBZCrHnFzvgdyxqupGcc_WYBpu6wyXw25hI8CnImsSIhVQ1Xmp7g-1mVbUGjobu8cLw2L408lsT7sOAjp9Ll/s1600/carriagehouseS.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVYbPVDnF7Vb2g7BEWaf3nC0JYL4uyPMS9mkvgQgCxoLY3ht2pA-sIn_3VBZCrHnFzvgdyxqupGcc_WYBpu6wyXw25hI8CnImsSIhVQ1Xmp7g-1mVbUGjobu8cLw2L408lsT7sOAjp9Ll/s400/carriagehouseS.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Papercrete carriage house, via <a href="http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/papercrete.htm" target="_blank">Green Home Building.</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPZ8lwCXlf-ik_lrhBmeXUGF6Ih4ZmA2mux7MPVqwoyQel3d7ja2kSHRzkd0ldOnvttSjBt0D4CKFoxE9n1mQ4-K1D5olNp5adNfA8_Oqv2b2_WtCAMShN76ONV5zyu8MLumm8vAcKA8O/s1600/Domeready.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPZ8lwCXlf-ik_lrhBmeXUGF6Ih4ZmA2mux7MPVqwoyQel3d7ja2kSHRzkd0ldOnvttSjBt0D4CKFoxE9n1mQ4-K1D5olNp5adNfA8_Oqv2b2_WtCAMShN76ONV5zyu8MLumm8vAcKA8O/s400/Domeready.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earthship dome, via <a href="http://www.madamekunterbunt.net/buildinggreen/earthships/training_jamaica/jamaica.html" target="_blank">Madame Kunterbunt.</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Modern designers are starting to re-examine </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">paper-m</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">âché. Paper pulp can be <a href="http://inhabitat.com/recycled-paperpulp-cabinet-by-debbie-wijskamp/" target="_blank">pressed into molds</a>; <a href="http://prudentbaby.com/2012/07/prudent-home/diy-how-to-make-a-paper-mache-lamp/" target="_blank">laid over forms</a>; or made into <a href="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/20557/harry-allen-design-paperwork-for-hive.html" target="_blank">snarky little puns</a>. Unfortunately, most folks seem to be working in non-structural applications, designing small lamps or table top pieces instead of chairs, tables, and trays. Everyone is thinking small. I could imagine a whole vertically-integrated cycle, where a big retailer like Target recycles its shipping boxes into furniture it then sells in its stores, turning a waste stream into a profit center.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhRoMpUguhA2wKCF_tw7L59B_tgVKv92XG1CC36RyjWuiK3lpckC7fRszo-ETs3sGFQIeOL9_HytNEWOmjQ6gWZ_wI0_buBYTHwzWhtX35c0piidDhbPFkqEQql-Jnym-no2PvruG6xQQ/s1600/paperpulp-ed01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhRoMpUguhA2wKCF_tw7L59B_tgVKv92XG1CC36RyjWuiK3lpckC7fRszo-ETs3sGFQIeOL9_HytNEWOmjQ6gWZ_wI0_buBYTHwzWhtX35c0piidDhbPFkqEQql-Jnym-no2PvruG6xQQ/s400/paperpulp-ed01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper pulp furniture by Debbie </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wijskamp</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, via <a href="http://gadgetsin.com/green-and-recycled-paper-pulp-cabinet.htm" target="_blank">GadgetSin</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until that happens, I am trying my own little experiments. Start small and local and see where the discoveries lead. Stay tuned for the next installment of bent cardboard, coming next week.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObjectGuerilla" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p></div>wholmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002909287386829907noreply@blogger.com0