contributed by Katie March 10, 2010, 8:23 am  Future Plaza Rendering by Michael VanValkenburgh . Courtesy MVV For anyone who has been in Landscape Architecture school in the last 10 years, I am sure you are familiar with the plaza in front of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in lower Manhattan. I came across an article this morning that announced that once again Jacob Javits Plaza will be redesigned again. Initially, the plaza was home to the Richard Serra sculpture, Tilted Arc, but due to controversy, it was removed in the late 80s. The plaza was then transformed into a post-modern creation with memorable S-shaped, bright green benches by Martha Schwartz. From what I understand, the plaza is rarely occupied; which is hard to understand since it resides in the most densely populated City in the US. Michael Van Valkenburgh has been commissioned to redesign the plaza, as well as repair the leaky parking garage, which is located under the plaza.
This seems to remind me of another project located in downtown Denver, Skyline Park. Skyline Park was initially designed by Lawrence Halprin and recently redesigned by Thomas Balsley to make the site more safe and accessible. The debate continues of finding a balance between form and function. Functionality is truly KEY to creating a space for people.
Read the full article about Jacob Javits Plaza.
 Original Plaza -Tilted Arc by Richard Serra . Photo © 1985 David Aschkenas
 The current plaza is designed by Martha Schwartz . courtesy of archidose
contributed by Nathan March 8, 2010, 8:22 am  SketchUp is a 3D modeling program used by many designers as a way of quickly exploring simple and complex design projects. Over the past 6 years, I have had the opportunity to become intimate with this program and now I would like to share some of that knowledge. So for all you power users and novices of SketchUp, this is an introduction to a periodic series of blogs where we can explore some of the tricks and tips that will make SketchUp even more fun.
For more info visit Google Sketchup.
There is a plethora of good online and published resources out there and since I don’t want to waste time reinventing the wheel, my quest is to provide a resource where others can post questions, hypothetical quandaries that keep you up at night, real life projects or anything you can come up with to challenge the boundaries of SketchUp. From your inquires I will do my best to come up with a solution or two. Until then, I look forward to hearing from you and learning some new tips along the way.
 Tip #1 – Shortcuts
Typically, project deadlines are often not as generous as we would like, so to increase productivity, amaze onlookers and to keep life as stress free as possible I recommend using shortcuts.
Most of us in the design world are accustomed to using both hands while at the computer, but often times when I observe other people using SketchUp, they usually go for the icons. This is interesting because many of those same people know the most bizarre AutoCAD LISP Routines and can type those in their sleep. So why not do it in SketchUp? Luckily, there aren’t as many choices in SketchUp, so it is fairly straightforward and easy to remember. For example “B” is the shortcut for using the Paint Bucket, and “M” for the Move Tool. Brilliant!
SketchUp is built with many preset shortcuts and those can be enough, but depending on your technique, these may need to be modified/enhanced. Here is a link to a list of the built in Shortcuts. Some of those work well for me, but I have also reprogrammed my preferences to reflect the way I work. The ones I use frequently are:
C – Close Group/Component
G – View Hidden Geometry
H – Hide Selected
Q – Previous Camera View
U – Unhide All
Alt+X – Hide Rest of Model
Ctrl+/ – Intersect Selected
Customizing your machine to fit your modeling style is by no means difficult. To do this follow the instructions. I hope this has been helpful and look forward to hearing from you.
contributed by Bob March 4, 2010, 11:55 am
 Rooted in prehistoric man, “man caves” are back as the newest trend in home remodeling and design. The man cave, or mantuary, is a place where men can have a comfortable, solitary place to unwind from the day and to play or engage in hobbies. It also acts as a place to socialize; watch games on television, play pool, or video games. Man cave provisions may include wetbars, kegerators, large screen tvs and entertainment centers, and are themed for the man’s interest – sports, music, or vintage memorabilia. It generally is a place where men can have a place created without feminine touches or input on the design.
The man cave trend has inspired websites and blogs devoted to this subject and the DIY Network has a weekly show on which they create a man cave and offer tips on creating your own mantuary. Some of these man caves are too refined for my taste but each man has his own vision for his ideal space.
Bob’s Man Cave n. A dedicated area out of the house, or garage, where a man can be alone or socialize with his friends.
My man cave is in an unattached studio behind the house. I have populated my man cave with tools, vintage furniture, and Denver Bronco memorabilia including orange stadium seats taken from the former Mile High stadium. Retro cowboy curtains keep the elements out. While out hunting recently, I scored – a vintage Eames-style leather chair and ottoman and a Danish lamp. The wall paintings include western art knickknacks. My man cave gives me the opportunity to behave like a wild man, unleashing my creativity while living outside of civilization. Just outside my man cave are horseshoe pits, where along with the daily ritual of cultivated liquid refreshments (a glass of Spanish Tempranillo wine or Bordeaux), I am able to reconnect with that prehistoric need to stake one’s claim and tinker at will.
contributed by Laura February 25, 2010, 12:03 pm 
When my son was in second grade, his teachers had him keep a doodle notebook. The kids were allowed/encouraged to use their doodle notebooks whenever the teachers were reading aloud. My son’s doodle notebook is exquisite and one of my favorite possessions, but more than that it helped him focus on the delivery of new material. It may sound a little crazy but look at these findings as reported in the Washington Post:
“Researchers think doodling may help boost concentration and recall in one, or both, of two ways. It might prevent us from sliding fully into day-dreaming mode, keeping us anchored in a concrete activity. Doodling might also help us maintain just the right level of mental “arousal” that keeps our brains just interested enough to gather what we need from a conversation or phone call.” Findings from this study indicate marked improvements in recall by participants who were doodling over those who were not. Read the Washington Post article.
So go ahead keep doodling. And if you are looking for a little inspiration, check these out:
Jackson Pollock . org
Squidoo-Doodle Art
Doodlebug
contributed by Pamela and Caitlin February 22, 2010, 2:31 pm
For the last year or so you may have begun noticing a phenomenon around Denver and other cities, colorful knitted or crocheted work hugging door handles, signs, bicycle racks and even a tree skirt! It is known as knit graffiti, guerilla knitting or “yarn bombing”. I am a knitter and thought it was fascinating. The temporal aspect is much like landscape architecture. The finished work is beautiful and colorful, then ages gracefully until it has finally lived its life and is removed or replaced. Yarn Bombing was originally started by “Knitta, Please” in Houston, TX…they have tagged everything from city buses to the Great Wall of China!
The following pictures, taken in Oak Park, Illinois, are one example of community efforts to awaken storefronts with guerilla knitting. Trees are dressed to reflect the goods and services offered by shops along a primary thoroughfare…such as a cake sitting on a tree in front of a bakery and margaritas dangling from a tree in front of a Mexican restaurant.
The pictures below were taken right here in Denver, Colorado:
Recently, the Ladies Fancy Work Society made some leg warmers for the dancing “martians” on Speer. The City removed them after 3 hours, but they were donated to a women’s shelter. Read about it on their blog.
For more information, check out: Magdasayeg.com, Ladies Fancywork Society, and Yarn Bombing
|
|
