Holiday Party 2017! [PERSIAN GARDEN]

December 11, 2017

On December 1st, we kicked off the holiday season with festive cocktails, live harp music by 14-year-old, Carla Mory, sweet treats and even sweeter friends. The SZ Gallery was adorned with twinkly lights, paper flowers & holiday ornaments creating a magical vibe within our Persian Garden exhibit, by Monir & Mehdi Ghanbeigy.

Monir & Mehdi Ghanbeigy
PERSIAN GARDEN

11.03.2017 - 12.31.2017

‘Persian Garden’ is an exhibit that tells culturally rich stories of Persian culture through contemporary and classically-influenced pieces. Monir and Mehdi Ghanbeigy from Iran have created multimedia artwork together since 1970, combining Mehdi’s detailed work with Persian miniatures and painting, Monir’s background in ceramics and pottery, and their mutual love and appreciation for the history of Persian art.

‘Persian Garden’ showcases a variety of Mehdi and Monir’s collaborative pieces: plates inspired by historical Iranian ceramics, large ceramic panels with modernized miniatures in gold and platinum foil, sculptures of oxen and horses inspired by ancient cave drawings, and unique vases fired in temperatures up to 2500°F heat. Handcrafting their own clay, glaze, and even their kilns all from scratch, their ceramic pieces have a distinct quality that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

First Friday [11.03.17]: PERSIAN GARDEN - Event Photos!

November 6, 2017

PERSIAN GARDEN, by Artists Monir & Mehdi Ghanbeigy, opened on Friday with warm accolades on a brisk November evening. This curated exhibit of almost fifty porcelain/ceramic works of art were imported from Iran and inspired by ancient and modern-day history, throughout various Asian & European cultures. With each piece comes a specific story or poetic reference.

The works were complimented with Persian and Middle Eastern sweets, hot tea and a variety of wines to taste. The SZ Gallery was quickly filled with art collectors and enthusiasts, resulting in the sale of thirteen pieces on opening night. SZ is proud to be the first gallery in the US to show the works of such renowned artists. To learn more about the Ghanbeigys' background & influences, check out this Q&A and live interview (to the right).

PERSIAN GARDEN will be exhibited at the SZ Gallery until December 31.

[Proceeds donated to Art with Heart]

Learning from the Case Study House Program

November 2, 2017

We previously made a list of the architects who inspire our work the most, and now we're shining a spotlight on a group of architects and a famous program that especially provides inspiration to our residential design concepts: The Case Study House program from 1945 - 1966. Famous architects like Charles Eames and A. Quincy Jones were part of this program, and we hold many of the architects of the Case Study House program in very high regard. Their houses still hold much cultural value, delivering a "wow" factor over 60 years later.

The Case Study House program was created in response to the demand for single-family residential housing in the post-World War II era. This call for housing led to what is now referred to as suburbia. A group of architects came together in January 1945 to create the Case Study House program, where they announced in Arts & Architecture magazine that each architect will take it upon themselves to build a house that is capable of duplication. Each house would then be on display for the public to walk through and determine how successfully the job had been done. Many of these houses are still standing in Los Angeles, CA.

These houses represent how architects had a voice during the 1940s - 1960s, especially when it came to residential development. Developers back then took cues from the architects, which is vastly different compared to today's market. The Case Study House program embodied a spirit of curiosity from that era, which is a spirit that we at SZ always strive to maintain.

Low Impact Development Techniques for Mercer Island and Seattle Residents

October 26, 2017

As of November 1st, Mercer Island's new Residential Code is in effect. While there has been a lot of focus on what these codes mean to residents, another code that homeowners and developers may not be aware of (but is something that should be emphasized even more) is the Updated Stormwater Management Standards.

These updated standards come directions from the Federal Clean Water Act and Washington's Department of Ecology, requiring cities to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for stormwater control standards. Mercer Island is behind on adopting these standards, but as of this past July, the new standards have been approved and are now in effect.

What this means for Mercer Island residents is that the city will be holding them accountable for having better storm management systems in place at their home, and these standard will affect building new structures as well. Homes must now use a system of Low Impact Development (LID) to ensure that stormwater is being drained in a way that does not cause polluted water runoff. This essentially comes down to needing a certain amount of land for water to slowly flow into the ground (otherwise known as bioretentive land or surfaces, like rain gardens), compared to the square feet of impervious, hard surfaces on a property.