New York City: High Line & Hudson Yards (The Vessel & The Shed)

May 30, 2019

In a recent trip back East to visit with family & friends, we had the pleasure of exploring NYC’s recent mega-development, Hudson Yards. I was prepared to dislike it, since it’s exposure on social media. I guess I anticipated it being an expensive one-line, architecturally. Must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The Vessel was pretty interesting in how it reflected back at you and created a hive-effect with people swarming it’s network of stairs. My favorite, though, was the newly opened Shed - fascinating building envelope. To round out our glorious Spring Day, we walked along the Highline to marvel at Zaha Hadid’s 520w28 stunner. If I was given the choice to live anywhere in Manhattan, I’d pick residency in this incredible building. Here are a few visual impressions of our visit - worth checking out in person, if the opportunity presents itself.

Palm Springs: Smoke Tree Ranch

March 29, 2019

The most effective way to promote energy efficiency is to design a house that takes full advantage of natural light, passive solar energy, shading, cross-ventilation, and efficient space planning. Doing so — by studying sun angles, prevailing winds, and general site orientation — reduces the overall energy load required to live comfortably.

Material Spotlight: Watershed Block from Rammed Earth

March 29, 2019

Cement has a giant carbon footprint and is the most expensive component in concrete masonry. But, what would you say if somebody could deliver a cementitious product with 50% less cement and a 65% reduction in embodied energy? Though that does sound like a snake-oil salesman, we've been floored by a new product by Watershed Materials called Watershed Block.

AfroFuturism: Photograhic Exhibit

March 29, 2019

Marvel has been churning out movies since 2008 with the release of Iron Man. But, Black Panther made a huge splash last year as the third highest grossing film in North American cinematic history, dethroning Titanic. Not only did its success blow minds at the box office, but Black Panther has re-energized a cultural movement – AfroFuturism.