HERC: sculpture + short list

i can't believe i haven't posted these yet.

i was invited to join a competition team as a design consultant/catalyst.

a group of five [including my self] hammered out a charrette in just one night [more or less].

summer

the prompt was to re-develop a neglected piece of property at a jewish community center. the program outline called for a sculptural anchor.

our design re-interprets the idea of sculpture to include the landscape.

more insight to come.... i needed to post the images asap.

winter

oh, by the way. we were short listed. finalists. no biggie. the comp ran out of steam however, kind of sad, but i've heard insider information that is rather disturbing regarding the dissolution of the competition....

design team [studio 400]:

j.cordell steinmetz

natalie dulka

alex harm

eric barch

[presenting]

many of you may know about the little endevour i got myself into for about a year before i left the third coast and sojourned to the east coast:


i now proudly present: studio deep end.

we're off an running - have been for some time - the group is set, the build out works, and the galleries are ready to fill! last friday the deep enders launched analog blog: our gallery space. the show: Nostalgia, Logic and the In Between runs from 10.8 - 10.22. the show holds various objects with a range of themes. mostly incorporating objects with wry commentary, they are aimed at evoking a broad range of emotional responses using minimal materiality.


the opening night was really exciting and we're looking forward to keeping the engery flowing and doing what we can to inspire milwaukee!


please keep visiting. we will continue to fill the webpage and introduce the [digital] blog as the weeks go on! rock on!

come get struck by lightning

[when]: this weekend!

fri and sun

[what]: lightning bolt - presented by jackpot gallery!

[where]: [studio deep end]

315 n plankinton

check em out! it's going to be a stellar party.

plus you can support a local band and local gallery

... and hear good music!

hope to see you all there!

5 student films_ re: design

hooray! thanks to spirit of space, each of the groups participating the mp3: forecasting mke for the urban age now have video 'cuts.' these short clips help explain the five projects a little more clearly, cogently and succinctly than if you were to ask any of us point blank. all five are embedded below, please do some clicking.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

forecasting mke for the urban age

below is the 'commercial' for the 2010 marcus prize studio i've been participating in this semester.

MARCUS PRIZE 2010 from Spirit of Space on Vimeo.

as i've stated in a previous post; the title of this year's marcus prize is: FORECASTING MKE; for the urban age. this title was spurred on from discussions with Alejandro Aravena - the 2010 recipient of the marcus prize and our 'professor' for this semester [ along with the helpful guidance of mr. ryan o'connor ].

we are to propose projects that have the potential to attract 'knowledge creators' or the 'creative class' in an effort to put mke back on the map...

there's quite amazing potential in this city, from repurposing abandoned or outdated infrastructure [the many grain silos that dot the urban landscape or envisioning a new life for our iconic hoan bridge], to harnessing mke's claim as the 'freshwater capital of the world' and the 'city of festivals', to projecting the future of the working environment.

5 groups, 5 projects, 1 opportunity, 10 more weeks....

thanks to red mike and adam goss at spirit of space for all their hard work.

feedback loop

out now on lulu:

"Feedback Loop is an introduction to the ideas underlying recent experimentation with complexity in architecture. it presents key concepts such as prototyping, non-linear order, emergence, bottom-up thinking, parametric thinking, generative scripting and biomorphism, and it does so in plain language for students of architecture and others who seek an entry point into the discussion of recent design work. many of these ideas, which arose in other fields of study, are interpreted architecturally, in order to help designers leverage them in the creative act. by showing how the key concepts work together to define a coherent view of architecture, Feedback Loop supports the conclusion that the pursuit of complexity is poised to expand beyond the avant-garde to become a broad-scoped, long-term architectural movement."

kyle talbott

you can check out more of the ongoing studio work on the microcosm blog.

we're #12

came across this article on mothernaturenetwork. it's a great article that highlights some of the city's best green locations, markets, and activities.
among the highlights are;

"reclaiming wisconsin’s largest brownfield for energy-efficient buildings and greenspace produced 2,100 new jobs, and a similar effort is planned to renew the 30th street Industrial corridor as a "greenlight district" for jobs."




they also remark on some the city's 'greenest architecture.'

"perhaps the most notable is hotel metro, located in a historic art deco building on the corner of milwaukee and mason streets downtown. The first hotel in wisconsin to apply for LEED certification, hotel metro features bamboo planking and cork public area flooring, recycled carpeting in guest rooms and architectural features made from reconstituted forest products and recycled glass."

"nature lovers can observe the local flora and fauna at the city’s many parks, take a hike at the schlitz audubon nature center or explore the gardens, natural habitats and trails at the wehr nature center."

... i was surprised to notice the city's urban ecology center, and will allen's growing power failed to make mention... the article also overlooks a lot of the cities more local attractions, like the riverwest farmer's market, sweetwater organics and others that are more neighborhood related [local] attractions. these are, in my opinion, the city's greatest contributions to green living.

meltwater

this post is long over due, but i'd been helping construct uwm's first entry into the solar decathlon. this is building competition that 'joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.'


© stefano paltera

the project is the culmination of two years of design and execution. i jumped in during the last 6 months of the project as a builder. not really having much formal training in carpentry, i learned on the job, fast. we all did. the house was showcased in dc from october 9 - 18, 2009.



the project - meltwater - uses nature as a model. much of the region around milwaukee has been shaped by glacial forces. the earth's shaping strength is articulated in the butterfly roof and along the south facade. the design was stimulated by a desire to harness the limitless power of solar energy and our finite fresh water resources.



the rain screen ungulates over the surface, giving depth and allowing shadows to paint its surface. 'the topographical facade sweeps across the front of the building reminding the building and its maker where we come from, and our indelible ties to our region.' we worked closely with the aldo leopold center, many of the materials used in the house were sustainably harvested from the foundation's grounds - including the rain screen.



the form and potential of the home takes on the strength characterized by the natural process that reworked our regional landscape.

we constructed in multiple locations around milwaukee, including our newly renovated kenilworth building - with historical ties to milwaukee's long tradition to industrial processes - and the courtyard of the school of architecture and urban planing. we had eight days to reconstruct the house on the mall - the heart of washington dc. we were in the early morning shadow of the us congress and the evening shadow of the washington monument.



there, we ran into some snags and our competition scores reflect. it began after we were re-routed around indiana and later getting into washington dc. the deliveries put us two days tardy... growing pains. it's all a learning process.

shining brow [east]

after brief stops for lake louie's 'kiss my lips' ipas and pbrs, and procuring fresh wisconsin cheese curds, we take the scenic route to the hillside school compound. over the waterfall, around the 'house', through the corn fields [which i heard was a golden sea of wheat during the first growing season], past midway's silo steeple [surrounding apprentice russell mahoney's jewel of an installation], we received the shade of an ancient oak.

over the weekend, i was realized a long awaited visit to the fabled taliesin [east]. a local legend and personal hero's compound of living, learning and laughing. the school's 2009 summer box celebration - a festive event marking the final presentations of the idealistic, optimistic, exuberant students as well as a gathering of some fellows, well-doers and characters from all the old stories i've heard of this pastoral paradise. originally, this event marked 'Mr. Wright's' birthday, today its meaning has been reincarnated. if you want to hear some great stories from the day's of 'Mr. Wright' minerva montooth is your lady. this sweet matriarch has been involved with the taliesin fellowship since 1947 and personally assisted 'Mr. Wright' for nearly 23 years.

during the afternoon we caught ourselves up with the student's projects, made introductions, and heard stories from past visits. a few apprentices have succeeded in a major undertaking - red squared art gallery. this place is has some innovative use of materials - peg boards clad the walls, making hanging exhibitions quickly and neatly. additionally there are some accordion walls that break the space up with great connections: zip ties. the evening included trips between the gallery turned dance hall and the shed for pizza, beers and conversations added depth to the evening.

our tent pitched, a bright orange folly on the landscape, we awake to the birds calling and the sun filtering through the screens. earning our keep; sweeping, dusting, picking tomatoes for the dinner salads, preparing tables, and tableware we passed the afternoon exploring midway and swinging in the hammock.

as the sun set we continued showing our appreciation for the invitation by serving drinks, cooking food, and serving - we all helped out to make the event. after a dinner that had those who knew remembering the 'old country' we retired to an incredible dance party - in the assembly hall. learning to salsa, box step and bachata we spent the night shuffling our feet, cutting and mixing.

the migration to the winter complex happens this weekend... we await spring.