Is design even a critical factor for the average end user, my guess is no. Why do I say this with so much conviction, well just take a look at the selection of the buildings around,… building economics perpetuates homogeneity.
It doesn’t take an expert to guess the answer to this question:
What does design mean to the end user vs. the architect?
This question doesn't get asked often enough, even though we live in a society full of opinionated people. Agree or not, if you don’t have an opinion then why are you reading? The process of Architecture today has no choice but to take millions of opinions from all different sides, mesh them into a cohesive design and ultimately form one big gigantic monumental decision (literally).
Have doubts, compare an architect’s initial concept and compare it to what is actually in the ground. The myriad process and the reality of price makes real estate easier to admire than to indulge; end users typically seek the combination of size and price than a building’s architecture merit....Again, one word: Economics.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Personal Style vs. Market Style
My fascination with culture theory questions how the fashion industry really manages the phenomena and demanding needs of "independent styles" in an era of global mass production homogeneity.
Independent style is usually thought of as a dissident reaction to mass consumption. My style, though in my mind is unique; it is not truly unique, it simply has a unique interpretation of the trends of the time because it is still dependent on the products provided by the market.
In my short life experience, I have learned that constraints are a natural part of everyday life. The art of fashion design relies on the ability of a designer to mix creative span with the constraints of raw material access (such as textile type, color and quality), budgets, product marketing and sales, and of course profitability maxims.
Fashion designers provide us with tools to create our independent style and like them the art of our independent style relies on our ability to mix our creative span with the constraints of product options, market access and spending budgets. Because let's face it, we all want that hot Chanel or Gucci something or other, but can we all really afford them...the answer is no.
In the imperfect utopia outside of our little perfect world there exists an effervescent presence of constraints on our style choices. Fortunately, our style will not be compromised even if we do not always get our optimum fashion preferences because we will always still go with something that captures the general essence of our preferences.
What you wear will define your value system. The question is, how much are you willing to compromise because of constraints? The answer should be: Not Much.
So, how much do you compromise?
Independent style is usually thought of as a dissident reaction to mass consumption. My style, though in my mind is unique; it is not truly unique, it simply has a unique interpretation of the trends of the time because it is still dependent on the products provided by the market.
In my short life experience, I have learned that constraints are a natural part of everyday life. The art of fashion design relies on the ability of a designer to mix creative span with the constraints of raw material access (such as textile type, color and quality), budgets, product marketing and sales, and of course profitability maxims.
Fashion designers provide us with tools to create our independent style and like them the art of our independent style relies on our ability to mix our creative span with the constraints of product options, market access and spending budgets. Because let's face it, we all want that hot Chanel or Gucci something or other, but can we all really afford them...the answer is no.
In the imperfect utopia outside of our little perfect world there exists an effervescent presence of constraints on our style choices. Fortunately, our style will not be compromised even if we do not always get our optimum fashion preferences because we will always still go with something that captures the general essence of our preferences.
What you wear will define your value system. The question is, how much are you willing to compromise because of constraints? The answer should be: Not Much.
So, how much do you compromise?
Thursday, April 26, 2007
So what do I wear?
Every day we have to make many decisions, there are certain decisions that we must make everyday, one of those decisions requires figuring out what to wear. How will you face the world?Think about it, is there ever a day that you don't ask yourself:
"So what do I wear today?"
No
Unless you're a nudist, but even if you are a nudist you probably don't live in a nudist colony so you still have to face this question when you decide to leave your 'humble' abode and roam the non-nudist world.
So how do you figure it out? How do you make that oh, so important decision, of what to wear?
My decision is usually based on my mood, where I'm going, and what's clean & available.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
$$$ Architectual Design Influencers $$$
An architect's inspiration or duty, there is a difference. The overlooked designed influencer: Money.
The architect has a vision but the owner has the money. The owner's money comes from various sources that generally fall under two categories: general operations (and its profits) and donations. The owner's general operations define their purpose and the donors tend to identify key stakeholders that are in one way related to the function and impact of a particular owner. I know it sounds a bit convoluted, and if it were portrayed in a diagram it would be one of those circular ones that show the arrows pointing in both directions. In a way the donors are almost like the president's cabinet, they have an immeasurable influence to the general public; only those in certain inner circles can decipher an idea of their true influence and what may end up on the street.
Even though the building will be in the public eye, the public does not have much say into what it will look like, because even if tax dollars are helping pay for it, the public is not the client, nor is it a big $$$ influencer. In the case of donations and their impact the differences between quality and quantity are very blurred.
So the big question is: How much does money and who is providing the money influence the design of a particular building structure?
The architect has a vision but the owner has the money. The owner's money comes from various sources that generally fall under two categories: general operations (and its profits) and donations. The owner's general operations define their purpose and the donors tend to identify key stakeholders that are in one way related to the function and impact of a particular owner. I know it sounds a bit convoluted, and if it were portrayed in a diagram it would be one of those circular ones that show the arrows pointing in both directions. In a way the donors are almost like the president's cabinet, they have an immeasurable influence to the general public; only those in certain inner circles can decipher an idea of their true influence and what may end up on the street.
Even though the building will be in the public eye, the public does not have much say into what it will look like, because even if tax dollars are helping pay for it, the public is not the client, nor is it a big $$$ influencer. In the case of donations and their impact the differences between quality and quantity are very blurred.
So the big question is: How much does money and who is providing the money influence the design of a particular building structure?
Monday, January 29, 2007
Defined by The "Authorities"
As defined by the Oxford Dictionary
Fashion: the popular style of dress, customs, etc. at a given time
Architecture: the art or science of designing buildings
Design: a combination of lines or shapes to form a decoration
Culture: the appreciation and understanding of literature, arts, music, etc.
Technology: the scientific study of mechanical arts and applied sciences
As defined by Wikipedia (abbreviated)
Fashion: a prevailing mode of expression, but quite often applies to a personal mode of expression that may or may not apply to all. Inherent in the term is the idea that the mode will change more quickly than the culture as a whole
Architecture: the art and science of designing buildings and structures
Design: the process of originating and developing a plan for a product, structure, or component
Culture: refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance
Technology: a broad term dealing with the use and knowledge of humanity's tools and crafts
Fashion: the popular style of dress, customs, etc. at a given time
Architecture: the art or science of designing buildings
Design: a combination of lines or shapes to form a decoration
Culture: the appreciation and understanding of literature, arts, music, etc.
Technology: the scientific study of mechanical arts and applied sciences
As defined by Wikipedia (abbreviated)
Fashion: a prevailing mode of expression, but quite often applies to a personal mode of expression that may or may not apply to all. Inherent in the term is the idea that the mode will change more quickly than the culture as a whole
Architecture: the art and science of designing buildings and structures
Design: the process of originating and developing a plan for a product, structure, or component
Culture: refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance
Technology: a broad term dealing with the use and knowledge of humanity's tools and crafts
Monday, January 22, 2007
If there was ever a doubt...
From the new architecture curator at the MOMA, Barry Bergdoll, on the power of urban and architectural symbols as recent catastrophic events have demonstrated:
World Trade Center & Hurricane Katrina
" The World Trade Center was clearly chosen by the terrorists because of the place it had gained in the public imaginary, just as the flood in New Orleans struck a very particular cord with the imagination of the world. Even if much of New Orleans was terribly ordinary, its appeal was for its very distinctive culture, architectural and otherwise—a quality that’s growing ever more rare in a world of increasingly homogenized spaces, forms and experiences. It remains to be seen in both cases whether something genuine, with the potential for creating new vitality and new resonance—rather than a controlled themed environment—can be achieved."
World Trade Center & Hurricane Katrina
" The World Trade Center was clearly chosen by the terrorists because of the place it had gained in the public imaginary, just as the flood in New Orleans struck a very particular cord with the imagination of the world. Even if much of New Orleans was terribly ordinary, its appeal was for its very distinctive culture, architectural and otherwise—a quality that’s growing ever more rare in a world of increasingly homogenized spaces, forms and experiences. It remains to be seen in both cases whether something genuine, with the potential for creating new vitality and new resonance—rather than a controlled themed environment—can be achieved."
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New Year's Resolution ~ 2007
What's in store for 2007?
What design concepts will make me a better person?
hmmm...I wonder, but I am always a sucker for chic and sexy.
What design concepts will make me a better person?
hmmm...I wonder, but I am always a sucker for chic and sexy.
Monday, December 25, 2006
3 Key Elements of Notable Architecture
1. A Vision
2. Artistic Talent
3. Power Brokers
If you read between the lines in this article on design in Los Angeles there is plenty of evidence.
2. Artistic Talent
3. Power Brokers
If you read between the lines in this article on design in Los Angeles there is plenty of evidence.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
In the Mist of Holiday Parties, Land Development Projects Prevail
In the past two weeks I have been bouncing from one holiday party to the next. I can't even eat the food. The other day in my delirious holiday party craze I craved cheetos and now my stomach hated me and continually muttered "never again" under its breath.
It is sometimes a mystery how any work gets done around the holiday season, especially around government bureaucracies or universities, but it does, or so certain news stories give that impression. Does it matter if this work got done before or during the holiday season? No. Is it a good idea that it gets news coverage during the holiday season? Yes, because this the time of year people get yearn for the case ADD and look for valid distractions. In my case I am a sucker for news stories from respectable publications such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
This story from the NY Times deserves a mention just because it talks about a Mexican architect, Enrique Norten, on his way to the revered status of an international signature architect and in turn probably national hero, and his participation in Rutgers University's growth vision.
Across the country, the LA Times reports on the 3 Mega-Projects that could, if their visions achieve what they promise, reshape the car and urban culture that defines Los Angeles today. From my cynical realism it sounds like certain big egos are trying to make a legacy in the city’s historic suburban fabric and convert parts of the city into urban hubs. Considering the locations, 2 in downtown and the other by Universal Studios, of the 3 projects (L.A. Live, Grand Avenue and Universal City) I can’t help but wonder if they build it, will they come? And how long will it take for them to come?
It is sometimes a mystery how any work gets done around the holiday season, especially around government bureaucracies or universities, but it does, or so certain news stories give that impression. Does it matter if this work got done before or during the holiday season? No. Is it a good idea that it gets news coverage during the holiday season? Yes, because this the time of year people get yearn for the case ADD and look for valid distractions. In my case I am a sucker for news stories from respectable publications such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
This story from the NY Times deserves a mention just because it talks about a Mexican architect, Enrique Norten, on his way to the revered status of an international signature architect and in turn probably national hero, and his participation in Rutgers University's growth vision.
Across the country, the LA Times reports on the 3 Mega-Projects that could, if their visions achieve what they promise, reshape the car and urban culture that defines Los Angeles today. From my cynical realism it sounds like certain big egos are trying to make a legacy in the city’s historic suburban fabric and convert parts of the city into urban hubs. Considering the locations, 2 in downtown and the other by Universal Studios, of the 3 projects (L.A. Live, Grand Avenue and Universal City) I can’t help but wonder if they build it, will they come? And how long will it take for them to come?
Friday, December 01, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Take Note: What I want for Christmas
All I want for Christmas is at least a week at the new Hotel Marques de Riscal that just opened in the town of Elciego.
It was designed by Gehry, one of my favorite 'signature' architects, over an ancient winery and holds a wine therapy spa. The mere thought is relaxing.
It was designed by Gehry, one of my favorite 'signature' architects, over an ancient winery and holds a wine therapy spa. The mere thought is relaxing.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Fashion: the Mode & DNA
I just saw a great exhibition at the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) - "Breaking the Mode"- the pieces were great and no where near the commercial fabrics we see on a regular basis or the ultra magical haute couture wear that would otherwise be expected to be on display. To me it seemed as though a geometric theme, or rather genius, defined the pieces within the exhibition. My favorite contrasts were the particular pieces displayed in two different modes: one on a hanger and the other on the shape of the female body. It was clear; the pieces had a life of their own. The exhibition included designers that have challenged the traditions of shapes and forms in fashion.
There is another great exhibition on fashion across the pond. "Fashion DNA" is currently in process at the Nieuwe Kerk Museum in Amsterdam until October 22nd. Here the theme is Identity; the role of fashion on human identity, also known as human nature. I would go if I had the vacation days.
There is another great exhibition on fashion across the pond. "Fashion DNA" is currently in process at the Nieuwe Kerk Museum in Amsterdam until October 22nd. Here the theme is Identity; the role of fashion on human identity, also known as human nature. I would go if I had the vacation days.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
East Coast perspective on West Coast Cultural Elitism
Must read: Washington Post article about architectural differences and basically cultural snobbery between the OC and LA: Rhapsody in Orange County
The piece compares concert halls, architects (Pelli and Gehry) and the nouveau riche's insecurities and contributions to the art world.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
"Visitors from Los Angeles, the older and more glam neighbor to the north, scoffed with condescension...what would you expect from Orange County, an insufferably vulgar place of rich old men and trophy wives and idle youth bored with dropping C-notes in the Louis Vuitton shop? It's a wannabe place."
"But even if the two buildings are in different leagues, it's worth comparing them, and what they tell us about American cultural life. You might say that Pelli's [in the OC] hall and Gehry's hall [in LA] are bookends on a continuum of American cultural life. One building is an efficient space for a young orchestra, the other a destination venue for an institution that has effectively worked its way into the top ranks of American musical life. Pelli's hall marks an exuberant stage of naive youth, while Gehry's suggests the self-confidence of a cultural organization that has long outgrown the kind of civic bluster one heard in Orange County."
And let us not forget:
"Almost every institution in the rarefied world of American High Culture was built by exactly the same forces that have come together in Orange County's new concert hall: big bucks from the nouveau riche and a huge cultural inferiority complex."
Car culture turning up the need for architectural symbols:
"Orange County is building new cultural institutions because traffic has choked off its access to old ones."
All that being said:
"[While] Gehry hall, despite its dramatic exuberance, exudes a kind of Apollonian calm...Pelli's concert hall captures the energy and brusque pragmatism of art in the age of unsentimental capitalism."
The piece compares concert halls, architects (Pelli and Gehry) and the nouveau riche's insecurities and contributions to the art world.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
"Visitors from Los Angeles, the older and more glam neighbor to the north, scoffed with condescension...what would you expect from Orange County, an insufferably vulgar place of rich old men and trophy wives and idle youth bored with dropping C-notes in the Louis Vuitton shop? It's a wannabe place."
"But even if the two buildings are in different leagues, it's worth comparing them, and what they tell us about American cultural life. You might say that Pelli's [in the OC] hall and Gehry's hall [in LA] are bookends on a continuum of American cultural life. One building is an efficient space for a young orchestra, the other a destination venue for an institution that has effectively worked its way into the top ranks of American musical life. Pelli's hall marks an exuberant stage of naive youth, while Gehry's suggests the self-confidence of a cultural organization that has long outgrown the kind of civic bluster one heard in Orange County."
And let us not forget:
"Almost every institution in the rarefied world of American High Culture was built by exactly the same forces that have come together in Orange County's new concert hall: big bucks from the nouveau riche and a huge cultural inferiority complex."
Car culture turning up the need for architectural symbols:
"Orange County is building new cultural institutions because traffic has choked off its access to old ones."
All that being said:
"[While] Gehry hall, despite its dramatic exuberance, exudes a kind of Apollonian calm...Pelli's concert hall captures the energy and brusque pragmatism of art in the age of unsentimental capitalism."
Monday, September 18, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Design & Political Aid
My new building was designed with attached parking, how convenient. The parking spaces are somewhat difficult to get into on a first try, but at least I do not have to worry about finding a parking spot every night on the streets.
I have learned that even though most apartment buildings in West Hollywood have incorporated parking amenities to their residential structures, parking is still in high demand; and on certain streets it is more than just a commodity, you must have a parking permit and a parking permit can only be obtained if you legally own or lease living quarters in the appropriate parking district. I know it is nonsense, but this is the result of living in a capitalist society that is run on democratic principles and that constantly pretends to offer fair solutions that really only translate into adquiring payments for the sake of convenience.
It seems to me that at one point a group of people must have felt entitled to have more convenience no matter the price and then everyone else was manipulated to comply. I don't want to inconvenience my guests so I was suckered into using the beauracractic establisment and paid for parking permits.
I have learned that even though most apartment buildings in West Hollywood have incorporated parking amenities to their residential structures, parking is still in high demand; and on certain streets it is more than just a commodity, you must have a parking permit and a parking permit can only be obtained if you legally own or lease living quarters in the appropriate parking district. I know it is nonsense, but this is the result of living in a capitalist society that is run on democratic principles and that constantly pretends to offer fair solutions that really only translate into adquiring payments for the sake of convenience.
It seems to me that at one point a group of people must have felt entitled to have more convenience no matter the price and then everyone else was manipulated to comply. I don't want to inconvenience my guests so I was suckered into using the beauracractic establisment and paid for parking permits.
Monday, August 28, 2006
WeHo (aka West Hollywood)
I moved from one saturated housing market to another saturated housing market, oh yes, I did this on purpose.
As a femme of le monde my standards are higher than most; I want to live in West Hollywood, but the problem with this aspiration is that I am not the only one, and the places on the market are not up to my standards (at least none of the ones I have seen) and I really don't want to pay New York City prices (because this is just a whole other philosophical discussion). Basically once you get a place in West Hollywood, you don't want to move for two main reasons, the neighborhood is adorably accomodating and RENT CONTROL (need I say more).
Until I find a place of my own, I will keep to the basics and repeat the following words:
Safe Chic Spaces
As a femme of le monde my standards are higher than most; I want to live in West Hollywood, but the problem with this aspiration is that I am not the only one, and the places on the market are not up to my standards (at least none of the ones I have seen) and I really don't want to pay New York City prices (because this is just a whole other philosophical discussion). Basically once you get a place in West Hollywood, you don't want to move for two main reasons, the neighborhood is adorably accomodating and RENT CONTROL (need I say more).
Until I find a place of my own, I will keep to the basics and repeat the following words:
Safe Chic Spaces
Friday, August 18, 2006
The Perfect Gift: The September Edition of VOGUE
Georgie is definitely a man after my own heart...
I'm moving to LA and he decided to get me the new VOGUE, you know the September issue, the huge 700-pager that covers the latest and greatest styles for the next two seasons to help keep my nerves under control during my long flight back to the left coast.
I was tempted to flip through it, but then I told myself....RESTRAIN, IT WILL BE WORTH IT
I'm moving to LA and he decided to get me the new VOGUE, you know the September issue, the huge 700-pager that covers the latest and greatest styles for the next two seasons to help keep my nerves under control during my long flight back to the left coast.
I was tempted to flip through it, but then I told myself....RESTRAIN, IT WILL BE WORTH IT
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
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