Proto-Architecture - Latest Comments

Re: Traverse Townhomes (25th and Champa)

Colby Moore — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:32:44 -0000

When I saw the pictures of the town-homes, the first thing I noticed is the combination of concrete walls above and wood sidings below. It seems as if natural and modern materials have come to harmony to produce that building. The design is quite remarkable, but there are areas for improvement, such as the windows.

Re: Day 14 – Mr. Miyama’s Office

NGO website development — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:29:33 -0000

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Re: Trinity Audubon Center

reverse lookup — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:26:47 -0000

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Re: I’m not a Terrorist, I’m an Architect

Jonathan Brown — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:55:37 -0000

I appreciate the comment. It definitely frustrates me because if bad guys were casing the place, they've a whole range of possibilities on how to photograph it that a security guard can't hope to stop. It's just an annoyance.

Now, were I walking about the interior of a bank taking shots, or in the customs at the airport, I'll defer to their authority, but if I'm just shooting an office building...come on...

Re: I’m not a Terrorist, I’m an Architect

Kiff Backhouse — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:09:43 -0000

Yes, this is also a very common problem ober here in Europe too. there was a very interesting article in the Uk edition of Profession Photographer with very similar conclusions to the article you have linked to.

I often get stopped and asked to leave, particularly when I'm clutching a large tripod as well. I can understand that using a tipod in a busy street or mall might be a safety risk but I tend to walk round the corner, looking as if I'm folding up my tripod and then start again.

It's particularly annoying as there are so many facinating modern developments around here in the South of France that I LOVE photographing (like this one http://bit.ly/El-Centre-del-Mo.... And the time and effort to get written approval, kind of, takes away from the impulsiveness of Photography.

Great article - thanks!

Re: Water’s Edge Informational Meeting

Jonathan Brown — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:03:40 -0000

I agree, Legacy is really nice. The problem, though, is projects like Legacy were conceived on huge tracks of open land with the only relationships to maintain were with huge corporate campuses and a tollroad. The Water's Edge will probably need to be more sensitive to the surrounding, existing uses. That said, I really like that the developers cited Legacy as an example, far more than Watters Creek or the West Village, because it has a lot of design elements I feel would definitely be consistent with a successful vision for this site.

Re: Water’s Edge Informational Meeting

Steve Jordan — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:53:54 -0000

Yeah, the landscaping and public space is what I was responding to at Watters Creek. To be honest, I didn't really look at the buildings, other than their scale. I really want to go check it out now.. I have always appreciated the scale of Legacy Town Center (at least the original phase). The height and setback of the buildings, along with the trees and streetscaping has a great pedestrian friendly vibe.

Re: Water’s Edge Informational Meeting

Jonathan Brown — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:56:27 -0000

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment. Watters Creek is at the SW corner of Bethany and Central Expressway. In my view, what's nice about the development is the landscaping and public spaces, the architecture itself is rather appalling. It personifies a guise of eclectic historicism that is neither accurate nor regionally relevant. I also rather thought it's 5-over-1 density might be a little excessive in the Water's Edge...but they may be proposing the "feeling" that the development evokes, not a literal reinterpretation. But I loved the fact that there were kids playing in the creek in an environment that felt warm and inviting. I definitely agree that the "suburban-trying-to-be-urban scale" transition is going to have to be handled correctly.

I'll try to get my comments on those three developments up shortly.

Re: Water’s Edge Informational Meeting

Steve Jordan — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:49:53 -0000

Thanks.. I feel like I was there... It seems all of the examples they mentioned have a suburban-trying-to-be-urban scale to them (which is not a bad thing)...If there were no multifamily units, then there would be no reason to go 4-5 stories high... then that nice scale, which seems "just right" would be sacrificed. They could cry office space all day long, but we know the reality of that scenario... hopefully the groaners can be convinced that not all apartments house criminals....I think it is a critical component... BTW, that Watters Creek project look pretty nice. Where is it exactly?

Re: Guerrilla Urbanism – Part 1: Scale at the Water’s Edge

Jonathan Brown — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:02:59 -0000

I think there's definitely some merit to bringing the water in and increasing the shoreline, and frankly, that's where my thoughts have been heading. The key is going to be for it to enhance the uses that touch it...

Re: Guerrilla Urbanism – Part 1: Scale at the Water’s Edge

Steve Jordan — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:55:22 -0000

http://gallery.me.com/jordan.s...

I am curious to the view from that shoreline, with the train track running right thru the body of the lake.... Is it totally cut off from the round level?
It would be nice if their was some visibility from the main entry to the water...

Re: Guerrilla Urbanism – Part 1: Scale at the Water’s Edge

Steve Jordan — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:26:57 -0000

Ooops... Check out the Inner Harbor in Baltimore....

Re: Guerrilla Urbanism – Part 1: Scale at the Water’s Edge

Jonathan Brown — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:07:47 -0000

Hey now...ixnay on analcay...you're stealing my thunder! Although I must admit...I did emphasize the restricted amount of waterfront for a reason...

Thanks, man.

Re: Guerrilla Urbanism – Part 1: Scale at the Water’s Edge

Steve Jordan — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:03:05 -0000

You're a good dude.... I think there are some interesting mixed use examples in Baltimore that might be worth reviewing... I think some of them actually create some additional waterfront with canals....

Re: Rowlett Comprehensive Planning Charrette

Jonathan Brown — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:36:49 -0000

Nothing terribly legible. You can see them here though:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5...

Red - Downtown & Waterfront Districts
Purple - East side of Hwy 66 Corridor
Yellow - Northern undeveloped regions
Blue & Green - Areas of the "North Shores" where all the undeveloped land runs the length of the PGBT

Re: Rowlett Comprehensive Planning Charrette

Steve Jordan — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:29:07 -0000

By any chance, do you have a pic of the entire city plan, which shows all of the different "areas" or zones?

Re: Rowlett Comprehensive Planning Charrette

Jonathan Brown — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:14:39 -0000

Sure. I'm glad you liked it. I'm heading to the open forum tonight at 7pm. I think they are doing a synopsis of the whole charrette. My write up here is really just our group. There were a lot of good ideas about the other parts of the city too, and I'm interested to see what the planning team gleaned from our discussion...if they present that at this time.

Re: Rowlett Comprehensive Planning Charrette

Steve Jordan — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:10:50 -0000

Thanks for posting this... I really wish I had been there...

Re: Rowlett Comprehensive Planning Charrette

Jonathan Brown — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:53:07 -0000

I definitely hope sooner that later! Thanks for the comment.

Re: Rowlett Comprehensive Planning Charrette

erin — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:40:12 -0000

Thank you for the excellent article about the Charrette in Rowlett. I was unable to go to the charrette but feel I have a good understanding of the possibilities now. I agree with your opinions about what Rowlett needs to do to make the most of this opportunity. I am glad others are seeing Rowlett's potential. I hope it is a reality sooner rather than later.

Re: Just a few More Hours…

Jonathan Brown — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:18:34 -0000

I really hope not.

Re: Just a few More Hours…

Justin — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:22:45 -0000

"...My concern, though, is if fees have dropped enough that we need to sacrifice more personal time to meet the bottom line. "

My first response to this is "yes", so long as we are fighting to survive and thrive in a bad economy. I think that it will continue like this until the profession as a whole can begin to raise their fees back up. Could this be an affirmation that great design is a luxury? that it is on the chopping block first when the wallet gets thin?

Re: Just a few More Hours…

Jonathan Brown — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:36:04 -0000

I appreciate the comment. I suppose this rather illustrates my concern. Architecture isn't just a "job", it's a profession, and it isn't something that ever leaves you. Architects in their off time are always taking photography of buildings, or exploring their spaces, whether they mean to or not. It's in our blood. It's who we are.

That said, I don't feel that it should be the reason we work, in and of itself. Many people martyr themselves for their art, in architecture and elsewhere, but I think most architects work during the week so they can enjoy their evenings and weekends. I don't think we should need to sacrifice a personal life to achieve a quality of profession. In reality, we do sacrifice a lot, from time to time, to get the job done. Architecture is never "done", it can always be refined, the documents can always be further clarified, but if we don't draw a line, we work ourselves out of profitability.

That has always been the case with the profession, definitely not anything new. My concern, though, is if fees have dropped enough that we need to sacrifice more personal time to meet the bottom line.

Re: Just a few More Hours…

Justin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 17:35:31 -0000

I think it's just the nature of the profession in general to commit all of yourself to a project. Especially in the case of a down turned economy and increased competition. The ones in school that did well were the ones that devoted all of their time to making the best product that they could. Even if the design wasn't award winning, the level of discovery that a person could obtain from immersing themselves entirely was priceless in earning respect from a jury of critics. I used to tell myself constantly that I need to learn the ability to cut myself off from a project to make a profit at the end of the day, but now, as I work from home, I've been telling myself that sleep is overrated and I've got to create a more beautiful product than the architect down the road (no matter how much it cuts into my personal life )so the clientele keeps coming back and/or referring me to others. I think the goal is to make it to the point where the clients are willing to pay a high enough percentage to afford you the chance to commit countless hours happily instead of competitively.

Re: Advocates for Architecture Summary

Jonathan Brown — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:05:34 -0000

Yeah, definitely should have done a tweet up. Problem was, I woke up at like 3:30am that morning to get down there on time...wasn't thinking straight at all.

Definitely next time.