tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61256700971858094882024-03-13T08:55:36.351-04:00TalkitectThoughts On The Built Environment: architecture, design, transportation, and cities. Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678400561545054929noreply@blogger.comBlogger483125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-82019610382950580262023-09-09T22:39:00.002-04:002023-09-09T22:46:00.596-04:00Unlocking the Potential: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Their Benefits for Homeowners and Communities<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57992160b3db2b82573da7b4/1614178358939-932RRWB62X3G2GJTS9MA/The+Screen+ADU+-+Exterior+1.jpg?format=2500w" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Screen ADU from Modern ADU Plans" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="384" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57992160b3db2b82573da7b4/1614178358939-932RRWB62X3G2GJTS9MA/The+Screen+ADU+-+Exterior+1.jpg?format=2500w" width="640" /></a></div><br />In recent years, a housing revolution has quietly been taking place in neighborhoods across the United States and Canada. The rise of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) has offered homeowners a unique opportunity to make the most of their properties while simultaneously addressing some of the nation's most pressing housing challenges. In this article, we'll delve into why ADUs have become a beacon of hope for both homeowners and their communities, shedding light on the transformative power of these small but mighty living spaces.<p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The ADU Renaissance</h2><p>The term "<a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/news/2020/12/28/types-of-adus" target="_blank">Accessory Dwelling Unit</a>" may sound complex, but in reality, ADUs are relatively simple in concept. They are secondary housing units—often standalone structures—built on residential properties. These units go by various names: granny flats, backyard cottages, guest houses, garden suites, laneway suites, in-law suites, casitas, or simply, "the little house in the backyard." What sets ADUs apart is their versatility and potential to serve multiple purposes.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">For Homeowners:</h2><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>ADUs Can Increase Property Value: </b>One of the most enticing reasons for homeowners to consider ADUs is the potential boost in property value. These additional living spaces can significantly increase the resale value of a home, offering a substantial return on investment.</li><li><b>ADUs Can Generate Rental Income: </b>ADUs provide an excellent opportunity for homeowners to generate rental income. With housing costs on the rise, many people are seeking affordable rental options. Renting out your ADU can help offset your mortgage or provide a reliable source of income.</li><li><b>ADUs Provide Multigenerational Living: </b>ADUs offer a solution for multigenerational living, allowing elderly family members to maintain their independence while staying close to loved ones. They can also provide a space for adult children who want to live independently without moving far from home.</li><li><b>ADUs Can Double As A Home Office or Studio: </b>The rise of remote work has made dedicated home office space more important than ever. ADUs can be transformed into tranquil workspaces, ensuring productivity and work-life balance. Additionally, they serve as creative studios, fostering artistic endeavors. ADUs provide immense flexibility as they can be used for different things as the needs of families change over time. </li></ol><h2 style="text-align: left;">For Communities:</h2><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>ADUs As Affordable Housing: </b>ADUs contribute to addressing the affordable housing crisis by adding smaller, more affordable rental units to communities. This helps diversify housing options and provides alternatives to expensive apartments or large single-family homes. Being built on existing land also reduces the overall cost of development for ADUs. Many cities and states are also allowing ADUs to be condoized and sold separately from the main house. This makes purchasing an ADU as a starter home a great way for young families to start building wealth through equity in their homes. </li><li><b>ADUs Offer Sustainable Living: </b>ADUs are often more energy-efficient and sustainable than larger homes, promoting eco-friendly living. Smaller living spaces mean reduced energy consumption and lower carbon footprints. They also are adding housing units without the need to pave new roads, clear cut forests, or convert fertile farmland into suburban sprawl. They are some of the most sustainable development opportunities available for towns across the country and this is why they have become so popular in states like Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, and others. </li><li><b>ADUs Increase Density Without Disruption: </b>ADUs allow communities to increase housing density without significant disruption to the neighborhood's character. These small-scale additions blend seamlessly into existing residential areas and often can't even be seen from the street. It also adds new neighbors and with increased density neighborhoods can support more amentities like small businesses, increased transit services, and increased revenue through taxes to support local schools and parks. ADUs can be a vital lifeline to create more vibrant, thriving, strong towns. </li><li><b>ADUs Let People Age in Place: </b>ADUs enable seniors to "age in place" by offering a comfortable and <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/news/design-features-of-accessible-adu-plans" target="_blank">accessible</a> living space on the same property as their family. This fosters intergenerational connections and provides a sense of security for older adults. They also can be used for downsizing when kids leave the house and parents no longer need as much space. Rather than moving, building an ADU can provide a great way to have a custom home without leaving the neighborhood you have grown to love. </li></ol><p></p><p>As the demand for ADUs continues to grow, so does the availability of pre-designed ADU plans. Websites like <a href="http://www.ModernADUPlans.com">ModernADUPlans.com</a> offer a wide range of design options, making it easier than ever for homeowners to embark on ADU projects. These pre-designed plans streamline the design process, saving time and ensuring efficiency. They can also save thousands of dollars when compared to a custom designed ADU. Check out Modern ADU Plans to learn more about the benefits of ADUs in general and specifically starting a project with a pre-designed ADU plan. </p><p>In conclusion, ADUs are not just additional living spaces; they are agents of change for homeowners and their communities. With the potential to increase property values, generate rental income, and address critical housing needs, ADUs are a housing revolution worth considering. As we move toward more sustainable, affordable, and adaptable housing solutions, ADUs stand as a shining example of what's possible when we unlock the full potential of our properties and our communities. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-41285565129555440022023-03-25T16:44:00.003-04:002023-07-11T09:47:37.590-04:00Tactical Urbanism: Empowering Communities to Shape the Future of Cities<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SHsomgB7z32zsGJB-lbNE9cHg6lroId0Q5SbPzceLzT_O668MwvpWbZrrjG17uWQssc3KCmrB_RB0q9kwEyzhz8PPAQ5ClvnmCX9chy8ec7vY_2q5nHRgR2aGij3pA-aBYtPBstiluQnyO9JKGfLucRPRcKa9FoIdrl2msjzZVEKeEdrsBEPowuiPQ/s2000/Bonfire%20Street%20Seat%20-%2005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2000" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SHsomgB7z32zsGJB-lbNE9cHg6lroId0Q5SbPzceLzT_O668MwvpWbZrrjG17uWQssc3KCmrB_RB0q9kwEyzhz8PPAQ5ClvnmCX9chy8ec7vY_2q5nHRgR2aGij3pA-aBYtPBstiluQnyO9JKGfLucRPRcKa9FoIdrl2msjzZVEKeEdrsBEPowuiPQ/w640-h384/Bonfire%20Street%20Seat%20-%2005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Tactical urbanism refers to a set of low-cost, temporary, and often grassroots-based interventions aimed at improving the livability of urban spaces. This concept has gained momentum in recent years as urban dwellers seek innovative ways to transform their cities into more vibrant, walkable, and sustainable places.<p></p><p>The term "tactical urbanism" was coined by Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia in their 2011 book, "<a href="https://amzn.to/3z7Uq5z" target="_blank">Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change.</a>" The book describes the practice of using low-cost and temporary interventions to test new ideas and demonstrate the potential for change in urban environments. The interventions are designed to be implemented quickly, with little or no formal planning or approval, and are often executed by local community groups, artists, or other grassroots organizations.</p><p>Tactical urbanism can take many forms, from pop-up parks and temporary bike lanes to guerrilla gardening and outdoor art installations. The interventions are typically low-cost, using readily available materials such as paint, plants, and simple street furniture. They are often designed to be easily removed or modified, allowing for experimentation and flexibility.</p><p>One of the key benefits of tactical urbanism is its ability to quickly and effectively demonstrate the potential for change in urban environments. By implementing small-scale interventions, tactical urbanists can test new ideas and gather feedback from the community before committing to larger, more permanent projects. This approach can also help build support for larger-scale changes by demonstrating the benefits of more livable, people-friendly urban spaces.</p><p>Tactical urbanism can also be an effective way to address specific urban challenges. For example, pop-up bike lanes can help demonstrate the demand for safer and more accessible cycling infrastructure, while temporary parklets can help activate underutilized urban spaces and provide much-needed greenery in dense urban environments.</p><p>Another key benefit of tactical urbanism is its ability to empower local communities and foster social connections. By involving local residents in the planning and execution of interventions, tactical urbanism can help build a sense of community ownership and pride in urban spaces. This can lead to increased social interaction and a stronger sense of place, both of which are key components of a thriving urban environment.</p><p>Despite its many benefits, tactical urbanism is not without its challenges. Some critics argue that the temporary nature of interventions makes them ineffective at addressing long-term urban challenges, and that they may divert resources away from more permanent solutions. Others argue that the informal, grassroots nature of tactical urbanism can lead to a lack of accountability and transparency, and that it may not be accessible to all members of the community.</p><p>Despite these challenges, tactical urbanism has emerged as an important tool for urbanists seeking to create more livable, people-friendly urban environments. By providing a low-cost and flexible approach to urban planning, tactical urbanism can help build support for larger-scale changes and empower local communities to take a more active role in shaping the future of their cities. </p><p><br /></p><p>---</p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-43480285853178626432022-11-16T21:08:00.001-05:002022-11-16T21:08:22.577-05:00Book Review: Cutler Anderson Architects / The Houses<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmrjmTajcxI/YB1fwzdqFoI/AAAAAAAADIc/xuLVyEHXcXIJeERz-sIN9VC5sMd7ac3DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s814/8511_1-814x595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="814" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmrjmTajcxI/YB1fwzdqFoI/AAAAAAAADIc/xuLVyEHXcXIJeERz-sIN9VC5sMd7ac3DgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h468/8511_1-814x595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is a fantastic monograph featuring projects from one of my favorite residential architecture firms, Cutler Anderson Architects. I was particularly enthralled by this book considering I was reading it while in the process of designing a house with my wife for some land we purchased on Bainbridge Island - also home to the firm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The combination of beautiful photography, drawings, and project descriptions was perfect as inspiration for our house project. If you are interested in residential design, are working on a house project, or love seeing beautiful homes that are designed to weave into the natural environment, I highly recommend picking up this book</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aCvHYVWHOSo/YB1fw-WLzgI/AAAAAAAADIU/OCZjncNcfksg3ZWxDkKUtnVF0uP2gIXXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s814/8511_2-814x595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="814" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aCvHYVWHOSo/YB1fw-WLzgI/AAAAAAAADIU/OCZjncNcfksg3ZWxDkKUtnVF0uP2gIXXgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h468/8511_2-814x595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bO5AooT4Q4/YB1fw2tYcmI/AAAAAAAADIY/CmeV-VBJPF0-NEaqG0VfHf9okicNeTnkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s814/8511_4-814x595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="814" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bO5AooT4Q4/YB1fw2tYcmI/AAAAAAAADIY/CmeV-VBJPF0-NEaqG0VfHf9okicNeTnkwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h469/8511_4-814x595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span></span></b></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Cutler Anderson Architects/The Houses Stats:</b></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://oscarrieraojeda.com/books/printed/cutler-anderson-architects/">http://oscarrieraojeda.com/books/printed/cutler-anderson-architects/</a><br /><i><span style="color: #666666;">Edition: Softcover with 3/4 flaps<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Size: 8.5 x 11 in / 215.9 x 279.4 mm<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Format: Portrait<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Pages: 288<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Language: English<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Photographs: 410<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Illustrations: 120<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Weight: 1.60 kg<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Rights: World Rights Available<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">Price: USD $59 / €53 / ₤38<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #666666;">ISBN: 978-1-946226-18-1</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i></p><p><b><span></span></b></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>About Cutler Anderson Architects:</b></h3>Since its founding in 1977, Cutler Anderson Architects has evolved to understand that the ultimate objective of any architectural design is to reveal what is true about all of the circumstances of a project. From place to program, from materials to shape, all components need to be understood and designed into a harmonious whole that reveals each component’s nature. This genuinely rigorous task has been both the focus and the intellectual stimulant of our practice and, it is hoped, will continue to be our passion in the future. | This single-minded attitude has led to successful and award winning projects on three continents. The firm’s staff of fourteen is currently engaged in both residential and commercial projects throughout ten states, plus Poland and the Czech Republic. | Our ultimate goal on every project is to produce projects that are not only beautiful but also emotionally enlightening.<p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-3083618068599631002021-03-04T10:52:00.002-05:002023-07-11T09:46:00.225-04:00Decoupling revenue from time<h4 style="text-align: left;"><i><span color="var(--print_secondary, #757575)" face="var(--font_family_headings, var(--font_family_headings_preset, "SF Compact Display", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"))" style="background-color: white; font-size: 19px;">This is an excerpt from my newsletter "A Better Built Environment. <br /></span><span color="var(--print_secondary, #757575)" face="var(--font_family_headings, var(--font_family_headings_preset, "SF Compact Display", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"))" style="background-color: white; font-size: 19px;">Subscribe here: </span><span face="SF Compact Display, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol" style="color: #757575;"><span style="font-size: 19px;"><a href="https://lucasgray.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://lucasgray.substack.com/</a></span></span></i></h4><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ygmjwh-9WgA/YEECGYZUBKI/AAAAAAAADJM/rlkNx7wLCGAqf4M1-WYk3pfSCOuFq1EmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/20-ADU-design-development-plans-and-details.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ygmjwh-9WgA/YEECGYZUBKI/AAAAAAAADJM/rlkNx7wLCGAqf4M1-WYk3pfSCOuFq1EmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20-ADU-design-development-plans-and-details.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span color="var(--print_secondary, #757575)" face="var(--font_family_headings, var(--font_family_headings_preset, "SF Compact Display", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"))" style="background-color: white; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span color="var(--print_secondary, #757575)" face="var(--font_family_headings, var(--font_family_headings_preset, "SF Compact Display", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"))" style="background-color: white; font-size: 19px;">Designing a Design Business</span></p><div class="body markup" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Spectral, serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 12px; word-break: break-word;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"></p><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">This <a href="https://lucasgray.substack.com/" target="_blank">newsletter </a>covers the things that I’m thinking about on a daily or weekly basis. From my frustrations with auto-centric city design, to design work that I find inspirational, or people who are doing great things, my goal is to share observations on the built environment, the practice of architecture, and ways design impacts how we live.</p><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Lately my thoughts have been focused on how to improve upon running a design firm. What are the lessons I have learned from starting a firm, working for other people, and serving residential clients over the past 10 years? How can I start a new company that is more successful, more profitable, and most importantly, more enjoyable? What are my design values and how can I attract clients that share these values? How do I design a new business from the ground up to reflect how I want to work and what I want to work on?</p><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">I have a few general thoughts that I’m working through as I design this new business:</p><ol style="margin: 1em 0px;"><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><strong>Selling time is not a good way to run a business.</strong></p><ul style="margin: 1em 0px;"><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">It isn’t scalable - your profit is limited by how many hours you can work.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">It doesn’t value experience - if you are efficient and can get a task done in less time, you make less money.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Hourly fees aren’t associated with value - the value you provide your clients isn’t based on how much time you spend creating a drawing, but rather value is associated with the quality of the end result.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Hourly fees create conflict - clients don’t necessarily understand how long things take and different tasks can take significantly different time commitments to do right. It makes invoicing unpredictable and opens it up to questions and debate. Discussions about money distract from discussions about design ideas and value.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Fixed-fees address many of these issues. It creates cost certainty for both sides. It is predictable. It rewards the designer for their experience and being efficient while it provides the client with the same value regardless of time spent.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">People understand buying products more than purchasing services. How can I make a fee structure that reflects what people are comfortable buying in other places? How can I learn from software subscriptions or how Apple sells iPhones?</p></li></ul></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><strong>Passive revenue streams provide flexibility and freedom</strong></p><ul style="margin: 1em 0px;"><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Generating revenue from products that don’t take up time, allows me to focus on the things I really want to do and be more selective on projects that I take on. This then allows me to better serve the clients I work with.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Selling products can have a bigger impact and make design attainable to a wider market. Not everyone can afford to hire a designer - design services mostly serve the top 1%. Yet everyone can benefit from a nicely designed home. How can I package work I have done into a product and make it available for more people?</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Passive revenue can come from monetizing work you have already completed. Example: an author doesn’t sell a book once, they sell it thousands of times. Designers should do the same.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Having a range of revenue streams makes the business more economically sustainable and resilient.</p></li></ul></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><strong>The Power of Niche</strong></p></li><ul style="margin: 1em 0px;"><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">I’m at a point in my career where I have worked in a range of offices on a wide variety of projects. I now have a clearer understanding of what specific project types I like working on and which I’m good at designing.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">By narrowing in on a niche market it makes it easier to identify and attract better clients.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Saying no. If the project isn’t the right fit and doesn’t reinforce my values I’m going to turn it down. If the client isn’t the right fit or doesn’t share my values, then we shouldn’t work together. If the budget isn’t appropriate or someone is trying to cut corners, that isn’t the project for me. Say no to work that you don’t want to do.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Marketing is hard, especially when trying to set yourself apart in a very crowded and competitive design world. By focusing on core values and specific project types it allows me to target a very defined audience - to build stronger connections to a smaller reach. Now I just need to craft the story that will resonate with this audience.</p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;">Who is my audience? People who want custom homes, vacation homes, or weekend cabins with a strong connection to nature. People who are moving out of the city, or want a weekend escape from the city. People who want to build sustainably with high-quality materials and high-performance systems. Clients who would rather do things right rather than do things fast or cheap.</p></li></ul></ol><div><h4 style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://lucasgray.substack.com/" target="_blank"><i><span color="var(--print_secondary, #757575)" face="var(--font_family_headings, var(--font_family_headings_preset, "SF Compact Display", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"))" style="font-size: 19px;">Subscribe to </span></i><i><span color="var(--print_secondary, #757575)" face="var(--font_family_headings, var(--font_family_headings_preset, "SF Compact Display", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"))" style="font-size: 19px;">"A Better Built Environment"</span></i></a></h4></div><div>---</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Purchase a Modern ADU Plan</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-48892702373474731332020-12-02T21:41:00.011-05:002023-07-11T09:47:55.265-04:00Ways We Are Subsidizing Driving... Why?<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">One of my biggest frustrations with living in America is how we are almost forced to be reliant on cars. Our cities and towns are built to make driving necessary, and our laws are set up to directly encourage and subsidize driving at the expense of other ways of getting around. It is crazy and harmful and something I which we would change.<br /></p><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#"></a><a class="image-link image2 image2-1456-1456" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F465a2bd2-4cc9-457a-8e5b-6152f7def2c8_3024x3025.jpeg" style="border: none; display: inline; height: 0px; margin: 1.6em auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding: 0px 0px min(100%, 1456px); text-align: center; width: 728px;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/465a2bd2-4cc9-457a-8e5b-6152f7def2c8_3024x3025.jpeg","height":1456,"width":1456,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":1233347,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F465a2bd2-4cc9-457a-8e5b-6152f7def2c8_3024x3025.jpeg" style="display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-height: 1456px; max-width: 1456px; width: 728px;" /></a><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Spectral, serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Streetsblog recently posted an article highlighting 12 ways that driving is both encouraged and subsidized by the law:</p><blockquote style="border-left: 4px solid rgb(232, 181, 0); color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Spectral, serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><ol style="margin: 1em 0px;"><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Traffic Laws Soft-Peddle Very Dangerous Behavior</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Land Use Laws Favor Sprawl</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Legal Parking Requirements Subsidize Driving</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Emissions Laws Exempt ‘Light Trucks’</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Emissions Laws Ignore the Environmental Costs of Roadbuilding</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Vehicle Safety Regulations Ignore Pedestrians</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Vehicle Safety Regulations Allow Unsafe Aftermarket Vehicle Modifications</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Insurance Law Limits Payouts to Pedestrians</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Tax Law Subsidizes Sprawl</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Tort Law Protects Dangerous Drivers</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Contract Law Freezes Out Pedestrians</em></p></li><li style="margin: 7.5px 0px 7.5px 15px;"><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px;"><em>Criminal Law Rarely Punishes Dangerous Drivers</em></p></li></ol><p style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em;"><em><a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/03/06/heres-how-driving-is-encouraged-and-subsidized-by-law/" style="color: #00a7e8; text-decoration-line: none;">https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/03/06/heres-how-driving-is-encouraged-and-subsidized-by-law/</a></em></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Considering that almost all Americans drive regularly to the point where it is habit and doesn’t earn a second thought, it is hard to get people to accept the fact that these laws can be changed and probably should be. Politicians are too afraid to lose support from drivers that they rarely consider to make changes that make driving reflect the harm it does to our cities, towns, and personal health.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />Meanwhile, thousands of people are needlessly being killed every year due to dangerous road design, laws that encourage bad behavior, and the lack of enforcement for the safety laws we do have in place.<br /><br />I want to live in a place where walking and cycling is treated equally with driving a private vehicle. If you can drive from any point A to any point B on a dedicated street for cars you should be able to bike from the same point A to the same point B in a dedicated lane for bikes.<br /> <br />We should all be working towards finding a way to make our country safer for pedestrians, bikers, transit riders, and adapt our laws to focus on safety, health, and encourage sustainable transport. Why do we put up with an incredibly dangerous, harmful, and dirty means of getting around? There are better ways and it will just take a bit of political will to make needed changes.<br /> <br />---</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-1807405553668084362020-11-27T11:26:00.048-05:002023-07-11T09:48:03.812-04:00Sell Results, not time. Don't charge by the hour. <p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2c3e50; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 1.1em; margin: 1.1em 0px;"></p><p>A recent post on Seth Godin's blog resonated with my frustration with the common business of architecture and design: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 1.1em 0px;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">We don’t pay surgeons by the hour.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 1.1em 0px;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">And if the person who cuts the lawn shows up with a very fast riding mower, we don’t insist on paying less because they didn’t have to work as hard.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 1.1em 0px;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">Often, what we care about is the work done, not how long it took to do it.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 1.1em 0px;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">And yet, some jobs, from law to programming, charge by the hour.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 1.1em 0px;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">When you sell your time, you’re giving away your ability to be a thoughtful, productivity-improving professional.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="color: #999999;"><i><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "PT Serif", serif;">Sell results.</span> </span></i> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><a href="https://seths.blog/2020/08/selling-your-time/"><span style="color: #999999;">https://seths.blog/2020/08/selling-your-time/</span></a></p></blockquote></blockquote><p>Designers create value based on years of experience, and the creative solutions to people's problems, not by how many hours we work. In fact, selling services by the hour punishes us for our experience or ability to complete work quickly and efficiently. And by selling our time we are capping revenue on the hours we can work in a year. </p><p>This is why I firmly believe all architects and designers should offer services for fixed fees or some other metric based on the value we provide and not how long it took to design. What is the value of a custom home that responds to a family's lifestyle? How much is an a healthy office space that reduces sick days worth? Educational spaces that encourage learning and result in higher test scores is worth what to those students and communities? The value isn't in the hours it took to create the drawings, but in the quality of spaces we create for the end users. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTpy2gdFbI8/X8FYTHxFX2I/AAAAAAAADGg/fjmo4FBsy-gZTK0-N1QjZ-NTG6p-tTxBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Aridagawa%2B-%2BLucas%2Band%2BNick%2BSketching.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTpy2gdFbI8/X8FYTHxFX2I/AAAAAAAADGg/fjmo4FBsy-gZTK0-N1QjZ-NTG6p-tTxBQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Aridagawa%2B-%2BLucas%2Band%2BNick%2BSketching.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678400561545054929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-56089434549683380772020-05-08T10:37:00.002-04:002023-07-11T09:47:24.843-04:00The World Feels SmallerFor the past 20 years the world progressively became smaller. I lived and worked in cities around the world from Montreal to Bangkok, Shanghai to Eugene, Berlin to Portland and now New York City. In each location I also traveled frequently for both work and pleasure. Exotic destinations were just a couple fights away. I could wake up in Portland, hop on a plane, watch a few movies and land in Tokyo. I flew to Shenzhen and Singapore for conferences, Quito and Vietnam for an adventure, Japan for work and fun, and to destinations across the US for architecture events. Planes made the world small. <div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, things dramatically changed with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Travel shut down, businesses closed, people hunkered down in their homes, and the world we experience on a daily basis quickly shrunk to how far we could conveniently walk. From our new apartment in Park Slope Brooklyn, our world is now a couple mile radius. We walk to the park for exercise, to the grocery store a few blocks away for food, and occasionally the liquor store for wine and cocktail ingredients. We found a coffee shop that is open for to-go drinks and a butcher that brings in meat from family farms in the area. We work from home, learn to cook from cookbooks and youtube, and read or eat lunch on the rooftop of our building. Twice we hopped on CitiBikes to explore a bit further afield, but for the most part our lives are confined to a the geography within a short walk from our apartment. With flights grounded, trains hardly running, and lockdown orders keeping us off the subway, the lack of transportation keeps the world small. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G2j8Jdi8Rqo/XrVuJBn8buI/AAAAAAAADEY/XO8ERh8NV9M8wG3Ykna4td-XWCBc2FziwCK4BGAsYHg/trains.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="2482" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G2j8Jdi8Rqo/XrVuJBn8buI/AAAAAAAADEY/XO8ERh8NV9M8wG3Ykna4td-XWCBc2FziwCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h360/trains.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trains in the West Side Yard on Manhattan.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-67144705732084993102020-03-30T19:39:00.007-04:002023-07-11T09:48:15.305-04:00City Guides: BerlinTo kick-off this new series of Google Map City Guides, here my recommendations for visiting Berlin, Germany. I lived in Berlin for 2-years from 2006-2008 after graduating with a Master's of Architecture degree. I worked for a couple of architecture offices there while exploring the city and enjoying life in the vibrant German capital. This map includes top museums, sightseeing, great architecture, recommended places to stay, and great places to eat and drink around the city. It also includes some places a bit outside the city center that would make great day trips. I've also asked some friends who still live in Berlin to add their favorite places as the city is constantly changing. If you have any recommendations on places to add leave a comment below. Enjoy! <div><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8iiwSf0b-p4/XoKGRfkFlOI/AAAAAAAADDU/F5M73Nwb-Eo01SRVSA4xorfFzPLxDrEIACK4BGAsYHg/Berlin.JPG" />
<iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1eMODCz8B5rkkWXSPL_ZuKIsGKtRCDMNK" width="640"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-18299823485679802922020-03-13T21:19:00.007-04:002023-07-11T09:48:23.141-04:00From Portland to New York City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n67XVLBLxzE/XmwudDvxoNI/AAAAAAAADC0/wtDTSnV_Xa8UfiRds35MsswwGl2Iny2TACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PDX-NYC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n67XVLBLxzE/XmwudDvxoNI/AAAAAAAADC0/wtDTSnV_Xa8UfiRds35MsswwGl2Iny2TACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/PDX-NYC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After 10+ years living in Portland, Oregon, I am relocating to New York City.<br />
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My wife got a job at Sidewalk Labs, and she will be working to bring smart timber cities to the world. I sold my shares of Propel Studio Architecture to my business partners, and will be looking for new architecture/design/development opportunities once we arrive in NY (Let me know if you have any job leads). In the meantime, I'll be occasionally updating this blog as I get inspired, coordinating our move, managing a renovation to our condo in Portland, and working with students at the PSU Center for Public Interest Design to get one of their prototype ADU designs permitted and build.<br />
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There are many aspects of this move that excite me as I will be able to explore a new city, make new friends, wander through new neighborhoods, eat great food, experience great architecture, and pursue new career opportunities. However, one small thing that will kick off this adventure is a three day train ride from PDX>NYC. 10 years ago I moved to Oregon from Albany, NY by train, and I'll be making the round trip complete in a few weeks when I take an Amtrak Sleeper car back to the east coast. Three days with nothing to do by read, watch the incredible American landscape roll by, and disconnect will be wonderful way to mentally reset as we make this transition.<br />
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If you are ever traveling through New York and would like to meet up, please <a href="https://www.lucasgraydesign.com/contact" target="_blank">let me know</a>.<div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-37557190109112306432020-01-21T18:09:00.002-05:002023-07-11T09:47:12.206-04:00Opportunities in Underutilized Urban Spaces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As I explore both my home city and those I wander through on my travels, I find it fascinating how many opportunities there are to better utilize land if only people had some creativity. This is one reason why I loved stumbling upon this incredible project designed by <a href="http://www.is-architects.com/leftovers" target="_blank">ISA </a>in Philadelphia. The XS House is a 6-story apartment building with seven units squeezed onto a narrow sliver of land only 11 feet wide and 93 foot long. One of the best parts of this project is that it replaced a few parking spaces to create much needed housing. Utilizing creative design moves like bump outs, mezzanines, and a single egress stair, the architects were able to create beautiful, light-filled units despite the tiny footprint. They also creatively used spacial gymnastics to create a 6-levels with only 3-stories to meet code requirements. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6x_qRX7DeDM/XiY8OMfI_pI/AAAAAAABELU/JCzO5kXIils-2kizD7NueBYHGfHaFh-BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/xs-house-isa-architecture-housing-philadelphia-pennsylvania-usa_dezeen_2364_col_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6x_qRX7DeDM/XiY8OMfI_pI/AAAAAAABELU/JCzO5kXIils-2kizD7NueBYHGfHaFh-BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/xs-house-isa-architecture-housing-philadelphia-pennsylvania-usa_dezeen_2364_col_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I would love to see more project like this, where we find leftover remnants of land and create innovative housing developments. This is also a great example of how tight constraints can actually contribute to creating great architecture. After seeing this project I checked out other work by ISA and am impressed by their ability to design really fun architectural projects on leftover land. This is a trend throughout many of their projects which can be seen here: <a href="http://www.is-architects.com/leftovers" target="_blank">http://www.is-architects.com/leftovers</a><div><br /></div><div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678400561545054929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-68208165716268571722020-01-14T02:40:00.004-05:002023-07-11T09:48:36.916-04:00While Car Free Streets Proliferate Around the World, Portland Doubles Down on Highways<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5DbAwk60Pw/Xh1l_A5AE2I/AAAAAAAAAnY/ZUXvKVUzk-wHVQat7-0NROA_wwyMz3IWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pedestrian_Zone_in_Boston.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="800" height="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5DbAwk60Pw/Xh1l_A5AE2I/AAAAAAAAAnY/ZUXvKVUzk-wHVQat7-0NROA_wwyMz3IWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Pedestrian_Zone_in_Boston.jpg" width="320" /></a>While cities struggle to maintain balanced budgets, provide basic services to their citizens, keep housing affordable, and address climate change, one of their most valuable resources is being squandered - land. As Cities grow and become more dense there is less and less logic in giving so much of our land away solely for the use of cars. It doesn't make functional or financial sense. Land values just don't justify allocating such a large percentage of our urban land to roads, while space for pedestrians and other means of transportation are given slivers of space. By squandering so much land, and thus subsidizing driving, cities are missing out on utilizing this asset for the public good. Reclaiming this underutilized space can create incredible value, address climate change, and make cities more enjoyable and livable. Redesigning roads for multiple uses, creating car-free zones, and giving space back to people will only make cities better and more enjoyable. Over the next decade this will be a growing trend in urban design, as more and more cities realize they need to rethink how they allocate their limited land resources.<br />
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Cities have limited space, and how it is allocated is tremendously important for people. The denser a place, the dearer each square foot is. Yet all over the world, cities were retrofitted to accommodate cars, giving them an outsized portion of urban space and limiting the area in which people could walk, sit at cafes, or play games with friends.</blockquote>
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- <a href="https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2019/12/car-free-streets-plans-sf-market-street-new-york-europe-us/603391/">https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2019/12/car-free-streets-plans-sf-market-street-new-york-europe-us/603391/</a></blockquote>
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One of the interesting things that is causing planners to rethink how we allocate limited street space is the rise of micro-mobility and the sharing economy. With bike share, electric scooters, ride share, expanding public transit systems, and other ways of navigating the city reliance on cars and the space dedicated to them is not needed as it once was. I love seeing so many cities around the world starting the transform spaces once dedicated to cars, back into places dedicated to pedestrians, and other transit options. From the redesign of Times Square in NYC and the traffic-free zone in Madrid, to the current plan to make Market St in San Francisco pedestrian only, it is great to see cities around the world following this growing trend.<br />
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My only complaint is that a city like Portland, who prides itself on and markets its image as a sustainable city with progressive planning, is taking the opposite approach. Rather than investing in public transit and bike infrastructure, and finding ways to reduce reliance on cars and rededicating street space for pedestrians, they are doubling down on roads with the State about to invest over $500,000,000 on an expanded freeway through the city center. What a waste.<br />
<br /><div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-12597916937246651422020-01-12T15:56:00.003-05:002023-07-11T09:48:46.254-04:00Visualizing a Decade of Change in the Built Environment<br />
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The movement of shadows is noticeable over the course of a day. Seasonal change is visible over a few months. However, urban scale change takes many years or decades to see the impact of new construction. The map above visualizes the newly developed land over the past decade. Often it is hard to comprehend just how much the city or town we live in evolves over time because of the slow pace of development. That is what makes the map and the images in articles like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/27/upshot/america-from-above.html?searchResultPosition=2" target="_blank">this</a>, so fascinating. By stitching together before and after images over 10 years, it visualizes just how much some areas of the country have transformed over the past decade.<br />
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I encourage you to click the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/27/upshot/america-from-above.html?searchResultPosition=2" target="_blank">link to the article</a> and scroll through the various topics that discuss themes of the decade of transformation in america.<br />
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Change can seem slow. A new building rises, one floor at a time. A new subdivision breaks ground with two homes, and then four. A new transit line is planned, and years pass. What it all adds up to can be hard to see. </blockquote>
<i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/27/upshot/america-from-above.html?searchResultPosition=2" target="_blank">- A Decade of Urban Transformation, Seen From Above</a></i><br />
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One quick takeaway is how these transformations are related to our growing climate crisis. You can see green yards and pools pop up in the dessert, farmland scraped clean for suburban sprawl, and giant data centers replace forest. Most of this development is making matters worse and not the sort of development we need to see in order to combat climate change. </div>
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At least some of the image show densification of urban areas, replacing parking lots with new housing, and some infrastructure, like the Tilikum Crossing in Portland, that is dedicated to public transit hopefully helping us more away from car-centric lifestyles. Let's hope that more of this sort of change is what we see in the decade to come.</div><div><br /></div><div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-43497060403141262272020-01-11T18:30:00.003-05:002023-07-11T09:49:04.232-04:00Housing Affordability vs Rent Control <div>
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In today's polarized world, a common theme I experience is noticing smart people ignoring the possibility of unintended consequences. People get so focused on one potential solution to a problem - say rent control keeping some units affordable - that they fail to even consider that it might do more harm than good - for instance rent control causing people to take rentable units off the market. In relation to the rent control debate, one question I ask is does rent control actually make housing more affordable overall? Based on some recent reading, I think the answer is generally no, when you look at the macro affect it has on housing markets. </div>
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"Rent control appears to help affordability in the short run for current tenants, but in the long-run decreases affordability, fuels gentrification,<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span> and creates negative externalities on the surrounding neighborhood. These results highlight that forcing landlords to provide insurance to tenants against rent increases can ultimately be counterproductive. If society desires to provide social insurance against rent increases, it may be less distortionary to offer this subsidy in the form of a government subsidy or tax credit. This would remove landlords’ incentives to decrease the housing supply and could provide households with the insurance they desire."</blockquote>
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Quote is from this article from the Brookings Institute:<br />
<a data-sigil="MLynx_asynclazy" href="https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brookings.edu%2Fresearch%2Fwhat-does-economic-evidence-tell-us-about-the-effects-of-rent-control%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR011S9650U7SyXDhKkCQrzcmQqW7hAj93fbrL4KQ_a3gGXQpZLGYPMqw8M&h=AT3kzqZdMPBQGuzEoRxfUgjNPJEuLADwlUVW0bcwVhKsjm24FFVhLczr3RCcUGCuITlHhZiteiA_dbn_TL_tzlzX76E9KU4Hew4rjMokoqvy0Cv9T3c7NVNtnvtZlWzDIoc" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>www.brookings.ed<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>u/research/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>what-does-econom<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>ic-evidence-tel<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>l-us-about-the-<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>effects-of-rent<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>-control/</a></div>
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I'm not convinced that rent control is helpful. It may provide short term relief, but over the long haul it disincentivizes the creation of new housing, while forcing up the rent of other market rate rental units. It also causes property owners to consider other options than renting out their units - condoization of apartment buildings for example. In doing so, rent control limits people's choice and flexibility on where to live, and overall drives up the cost of housing. </div><div><br /></div><div><p><br />---</p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">We are posting new content to our blog at <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/" target="_blank">Lucas Gray Design</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you are interested in hiring us for design services <a href="https://lucasgraydesign.com/contact">contact us here</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to build an ADU purchase plans from <a href="https://www.modernaduplans.com/" target="_blank">Modern ADU Plans</a></span></i></p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-6764449572387918372019-04-19T14:07:00.001-04:002019-04-19T14:07:07.264-04:00Curatorial Team of 2019 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Shenzhen) Announced<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Organizing Committee of Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Shenzhen) (“UABB (Shenzhen)”) announced the team of Chief Curators of 2019 UABB (Shenzhen), which includes Architect and Director of MIT Senseable City Lab Carlo Ratti, CAE Academician Meng Jianmin and famous curator and art critic Fabio Cavallucci.<br />
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In addition to the three Chief Curators, the South China-Torino Collaboration Lab (a joint research center of Politecnico di Torino and South China University of Technology) will join as Academic Curator in the persons of Directors Sun Yimin and Michele Bonino.<br />
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The Science and Human Imagination Research Center of Southern University of Science and Technology, in the person of Wu Yan and the Politecnico di Milano, in the person of the Vice–Dean of the School of Architecture Adalberto Del Bo will take part into the curatorial team as Co-Curators.<br />
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Since March 2018 when the Call for Curators of 2019 UABB (Shenzhen) was launched, the Organizing Committee has received dozens of excellent proposals from home and abroad. After careful deliberation, the Organizing Committee and the Academic Committee finalized the members of the chief curators. Integrating the top energy from such fields as urbanism, architecture, technology, contemporary art and science fiction, the curatorial team of 2019 UABB (Shenzhen) represents a remarkable cross-disciplinary combination that aims to present a highly pioneering, creative and inspiring biennale. Carlo Ratti is the director of MIT Senseable City Lab which explores “new technologies’ impact on global urban life and design”. He is also a founding partner of the world’s leading international design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati. He visited the first UABB (Shenzhen) in 2005 at the invitation of then Curator Yung Ho Chung and has been following the biennale ever after. Meng Jianmin is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Chinese Architectural Design Master, and Chief Architect of Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co. Ltd. He is also one of the initiators for the first UABB (Shenzhen) and has served several times at the Academic Committee. Fabio Cavallucci, one of the most important contemporary art critics and curators worldwide, has directed multiple European contemporary art centers and coordinated such world-renowned biennales as the European Biennial of Contemporary Art (Manifesta). He holds a keen interest in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta Region for many years.<br />
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Members of UABB Academic Committee spoke highly of the proposal submitted by the curatorial team. Director of the Academic Committee Zhang Yuxing commented, “ 2019 UABB (Shenzhen) will be a turning point for UABB. The curatorial proposal has initially presented a multi-dimensional structure that is full of tension. I believe this edition of UABB will be able to lead the urban space researches into a broader technology innovation field, and inspire visitors to rethink the subjectivity of human based on the exploration of new forms that people interact with the space, technology and city. UABB is no longer an event-based catalyst that activates a certain location within the city. Instead, it will be a generator of ideas that provokes the infinite imagination at people’s hearts”. Director of Design Society and curator of 2013 UABB (Shenzhen) Ole Bouman said, “the curatorial proposal for this edition of UABB is very strong in contents of public art. They are based on thoughts about international public obligation. This is not just art, but more an intervention approach for the city. This is the best part about the proposal. ” Associate Dean (International and Mainland China Affairs) of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong Du Juan said, “this year’s UABB curatorial proposal is a great experiment and a kind of collision as well. It is the collision between international experiences and local architecture, and the collision of art, architecture and literature with technology and science fiction. I look forward to seeing the exploration of digital technology in the fields of urbanism and urban issues could be expanded globally. ” <br />
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The theme of 2019 UABB (Shenzhen) is “Urban Space + Technological Innovation”. Shenzhen’s unique geopolitical status, rapid urbanization process and excellence in technological innovation have made it one of the most ideal carriers for discussing such topics as city, technology and future. 2019 UABB (Shenzhen) will explore the new phenomena brought about by digital revolution that has unfolded in parallel with the urbanization process, and directly confront the most relevant key topics in today’s cities. Taking the attention to “people” as an important premise, it will reflect on urbanism and architecture in ways beyond physical boundaries, and discuss how human could take more initiative to be the true subject of technological cities. The biennale will focus on the improvement of urban experiences as result of modern science and technology; meanwhile conduct a critical rethinking on the institutional constraints thus caused.<br />
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2019 UABB (Shenzhen) will adopt a methodology that transcends the boundaries of architecture, urbanism, technology, art and science fiction. For the first time in UABB (Shenzhen)’s history, these fields will be integrated in a varied yet holistic way to mark an exploration trajectory for future cities. In the biennale, a smart city platform will be built to showcase the possibility of producing brand-new interactive modes through the integration of digital and physical spaces, study the reconciliation between nature and cities driven by technology, and profoundly tap into the big data applied to cities. Moreover, the contemporary art and sci-fictional narratives will bring about a broader thinking framework that connects technology, art and humanities and involves the visitors and citizens into the biennale in a more intuitive, representational and resonating way.<br />
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During the biennale, thinkers and practitioners from different cultural fields and different disciplinary backgrounds such as architects, planners, artists, writers, philosophers and sociologists will meet for brainstorming and produce multi-perspective and brand-new creative works. It is tentatively decided that Liu Cixin, the famous science fiction writer and the author of The Three-Body Problem, and Wlodek Goldkorn, Polish journalist and writer will act as special academic advisers and create original works for the biennale, and that China’s important contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang will also present a tailored work for 2019 UABB (Shenzhen).<br />
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UABB (Shenzhen), with seven editions already launched, has made itself a global open platform of the Pearl River Delta for innovation and a popular cultural event for the general public. The 8th UABB (Shenzhen) will open in December 2019. Such details as the theme, venue and exhibition period will be announced at the first press conference scheduled in early 2019. Stay tuned.<br />
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Members of Curatorial Team</h2>
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<b>Chief Curators: </b></h3>
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Carlo Ratti</h4>
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An architect and engineer by training, Professor Carlo Ratti teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he directs the Senseable City Lab, and is a founding partner of the international de- sign and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, based in New York City and Torino. He graduated from the Politecnico di Torino and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, and later earned his MPhil and PhD at the University of Cam- bridge, UK. A leading voice in the debate on new technologies’ impact on urban life and design, Carlo has co-authored over 500 publications, including The City of Tomorrow (Yale University Press, with Matthew Claudel), holds several technical patents, and has contributed to the foundation of several high-tech startups in Europe and in the United States. His work has been exhibited worldwide at important museums and biennales.<br />
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Carlo has been featured in Esquire Magazine’s “Best & Brightest” list and in Thames & Hudson’s selection of “60 innovators” shaping our creative future. Blueprint Magazine included him as one of the “25 People Who Will Change the World of Design”, Forbes listed him as one of the “Names You Need To Know’” and Fast Company named him as one of the “50 Most Influential Designers in America”. He was also featured in Wired Magazine’s “Smart List: 50 people who will change the world”. Two of his projects – the Digital Water Pavilion and the Copenhagen Wheel – have been included by TIME Magazine in the list of the “Best Inventions of the Year”.<br />
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Meng Jianmin</h4>
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Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Architectural Design Master, Vice Chairman of ASC and Chief Architect of Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design Research Co. Ltd. Graduated from the Southeast University with a Ph.D. degree, he is also Distinguished Professor of Shenzhen University, Distinguished Professor of City University of Macau, and Vice Chairman of the Architectural Society of China (ASC).<br />
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Meng Jianmin is one of the representative figures of architectural creation in China since the Reform and Opening-up. He has long been engaged in architectural design and theoretical research. He has presided hundreds of projects, won over 80 awards, and summed up the "Primitive (Benyuan) Design" theory. His publications include Primitive (Benyuan) Design, Implementation of Innovative Healthcare Design, Zero Gravity and many other works. He has a unique perspective on urban macro research, and was an early pioneer to advocate and explore smart city/architecture in China, with a series of research and practical achievements. He published On "Singular Architecture"; proposed a forward-looking theory of "Beyond Architecture" this year; and also led key national project New Methods and Tools of Goal and Effect Oriented Green Building Design.<br />
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Fabio Cavallucci</h4>
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Fabio Cavallucci is one of the most important international contemporary art critics and curators. He is based in Milan, Italy. From 2001 to 2008, he directed the Galleria Civica of Contemporary Art of Trento. He coordinated Manifesta 7: The European Biennial of Contemporary Art (2008); he directed the 14th edition of the International Sculpture Biennale of Carrara (2010) and the Polish-Ukrainian section of the 1st Biennale of Kyiv (2012).<br />
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From 2010 to 2014, he oversaw the Contemporary Art Centre of Ujazdowski Castle (Warsaw); he directed the Luigi Pecci Center for Contemporary Art in Prato from 2014 to 2017, that he re-opened with the large exhibition The End of the World after the realization of an extension in 2016. He worked with many of the most important international artists and architects. Among them Cai Guo-Qiang, Maurizio Cattelan, Paul McCarthy, Mario Merz, Zaha Hadid.<br />
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<b><br />Academic Curator: </b><br />
South China-Torino Collaboration Lab (SCUT - Sun Yimin; Politecnico di Torino - Michele Bonino)<br />
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<b>Co-Curators: </b><br />
Science and Human Imagination Center of Southern University of Science and Technology (Wu Yan), Politecnico di Milano (Adalberto Del Bo).<br />
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<b>Executive Curators:</b><br />
Daniele Belleri [CRA], Edoardo Bruno, Chen Qiufan, Manuela Lietti, Wang Kuan, Xu Haohao, Zhang Li<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-55612924657577380112019-04-16T20:32:00.002-04:002019-04-16T20:32:44.189-04:00Layers of lines, the Artwork of Lucas Gray<span style="font-size: large;">While I focus much of my attention on the world of international architecture and design, staying up to date with news, new projects, events, and other happenings, I spend what little spare time I have creating artwork. It is therapeutic, as it allows me to check out from the stress of day to day life, and narrow my focus on experimenting with textures, geometry, patterns, light and shadow. Although I began drawing as a personal hobby, I've recently started showing my art publicly with more frequency and am working on growing this part of my life. </span><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A couple of years ago I was awarded a grant from the Portland Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), to develop a website to showcase my work. I've also had a few gallery shows of my work, including at the 920 Gallery in NW Portland and the Living Room gallery on NE Alberta Street. I've also shown my work at local businesses and sold a collection of my drawings to Portland Community College for their permanent collection, and is on display in Cascade Hall. I'm now currently looking for new opportunities to show work I've completed an to create commissioned work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My art falls on the abstract spectrum, even when they may evoke interpretations of landscapes or other images. My drawings are simple compositions of geometric shapes - sometimes sharp and angular, other times more flowing with circles or loose curves. As I develop each drawing I layer thousands of pen marks in complex cross-hatching and explore what feelings or imagery the work can evoke. How can simple lines on a page create depth? How can the natural development of a an image resemble waves, light falling on water, silhouettes of hills, or dark clouds? How can I weave color into the composition?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As experiments, most of my drawings to date have been quite small. This allows me to work through different ideas and see the results of new approaches quickly. However, I'm now moving into larger scale work. First, I explored how taking a series of the smaller drawings can be woven together in larger installations. I first attempted this at the 920 Gallery show and then reworked the installation for a permanant installation at the Portland Community College. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Still these exhibits contained the small scale drawings. I'm now working on singular large-scale drawings. These require more thought and planning than the smaller experiments and I'm excited to see how this new work will grow from my previous work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Along with the images in this post, you can see more of my drawings and some installation design on my website: <a href="http://www.lucasgrayart.com/">www.lucasgrayart.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-size: large;">The images depicted in this post are a series of drawings that are part of the permanent collection on display at Portland Community College, Cascade Campus in Portland, Oregon. The site-specific installation combines 22 drawings of various sizes, arranged along the length of an entire corridor. The images are laid over a backdrop of angled lines created with black string, that unify the individual pieces into a larger composition. <br /><br />Photography of work by </span><a href="https://www.stevenvaughanphoto.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">Steven Vaughan</span></a></i></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-26559207181826791402017-12-04T13:00:00.001-05:002017-12-04T13:00:55.963-05:00David Hammons, Chang Yung Ho, Yona Friedman, and others gather at the 2017 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen to discuss “Cities, Grow in Difference” <div>
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<i>December 4, 2017, Shenzhen</i></div>
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The <b><a href="http://en.szhkbiennale.org/" target="_blank">Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB)</a></b>, the only exhibition in the world to explore issues of urbanization and architectural development, will be opening for its 7th edition on December 15th, 2017. UABB will be held at Nantou Old Town in Nanshan district, an urban village that was once the administrative center of the Bao'An County. Hou Hanru, Liu Xiaodu, and Meng Yan (in alphabetic order) make up the curatorial team, all known for notable accomplishments in their respective fields. UABB is thrilled to host more than 200 award-winning exhibitors from 25 countries to share their perspectives on diversity and urban villages at this year’s biennale. </div>
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Exploring Integrated Diversity in the Urban Context</h3>
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Cities, Grow in Difference, organized into three sections, will represent the interpretation of Chinese/global urbanization and the future prospects of cities. Shenzhen’s urban villages are a combination of top-down urban planning and bottom-up spontaneous growth, making up 45% of the population while occupying only 16.7% of the space. Cities, Grow in Difference seeks to embrace diversity at different levels of society while resisting cultural centralism by creating alternatives to mandatory planning. UABB’s main venue is Nantou Old Town, an urban village that embodies the past and present, East and West. The exhibition will be spread throughout the community of Nantou, creating an interactive experience for locals and visitors alike. UABB is both an exhibition of the urban site witnessing the most dramatic urbanization in the 20th and 21st centuries.<br />
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This year UABB will be partnering with architects, artists, and designers to share their thoughts about urban culture through its first ever art exhibition. UABB 2017 aims to gain examples of urban development in Shenzhen and create a broadened discussion of urban issues. Despite the distinctive venue and topics, this year's biennale is only not restricted to discussions of urban villages in China, but it also serves as an opportunity to experience resistance and find alternatives to mandatory planning. </div>
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Two Worlds Collide: Architecture and Art Connoisseurs Gather at UABB 2017</h3>
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Under the theme of Cities, Grow in Difference, there will be three sections to provide context, real examples, and interventions to further understand and improve quality of urban villages in China. The first section World | South, curated by Liu Xiaodu, will provide a background for the theme Cities, Grow in Difference. To share a spectrum of perspectives on the relationship between geographical space and urban development, World | South will present the Southern world from dimensions of natural evolution, historical change, geopolitical shift, and world development. It will also explore local-global governmental dynamics and its effect in modern society. This section features Chinese architect Liu Jia Kun whose works have been featured in Germany, France, and Italy.<br />
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The City | Village section is curated by Meng Yan and will detail the situation of China’s urban villages. Urban | Village consists of four sections: the Archive, featuring architectural photographer Zhang Chao, who has been featured in multiple international magazines, present the origin and development of urban villages; the Armoury details archived cases and proposals; with Iranian-American architect Nader Tehrani alongside Dutch architecture team MVRDV who will exhibit The Why Factory installation. UABB’s premier curator Chang Yung Ho will also be working to make Nantou a cultural stop for the future. <br />
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The Art Making Cities marks UABB’s first ever art exhibition, directed by co-curator Hou Hanru, and opening new grounds in the art design world. Art Making Cities explores the unorthodox city-making approaches and its effects on villages. A series of urban art intervention projects will be conducted by exhibitors who have organised their own social experiments: World War II survivor Yona Friedman, will be arriving for his first time to Shenzhen; David Hammons, known as one of the most expensive artists in the world, will be joining UABB for his passion in social issues; Cinthia Marcelle, will bring her award-winning pieces to interpret urban villages; Brazilia artists Boa Mistura will colour the streets of Nantou, while Tatzu Nishi will transform it as he has done with landmarks in Manhattan and Amsterdam.<br />
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Rejuvenation and Preservation Intertwine at Nantou Old Town</h3>
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Experiencing immense pressure from rapid urban growth, the urban village of Nantou underwent spontaneous development due to its historical legacy and local policies. In a rush to meet growing housing demands, villagers built higher levels atop the regulated two-storied residential buildings resulting in high-density blocks of “hand-shaking towers” in the urban village. This presents local governments with a dilemma between protecting historical heritage and renovating to improve quality of life. Refurbishing the venue according to villagers’ feedback serves as an alternative to the demolition old spaces. The exhibition will place art works throughout the village, including lanterns and plants, to create a spontaneous atmosphere for the space. UABB’s design team hopes that their efforts of art and architecture in the venue will help to reestablish opportunities for Nantou Old Town. </div>
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UABB History: Past, Present, Future</h3>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyClxxwoOFQ/WiWM8lU8sWI/AAAAAAAAAdU/ag18Xwy33aAvvAuiVKwvFlg1lfHZIyTcwCLcBGAs/s1600/UABB2017_Nantou%2BOld%2BTown%2BCity%2BGate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyClxxwoOFQ/WiWM8lU8sWI/AAAAAAAAAdU/ag18Xwy33aAvvAuiVKwvFlg1lfHZIyTcwCLcBGAs/s320/UABB2017_Nantou%2BOld%2BTown%2BCity%2BGate.jpg" width="320" /></a>Initiated in 2005 by Shenzhen and later co-organized by the two neighboring and closely interacting cities of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, UABB situates itself within the regional context of the rapidly urbanizing PRD. Curated by China’s “Father of Architecture” Zhang Yung Ho, the first UABB was themed “City, Open Door!”. Since then, UABB has gathered crowds from all over the world, making it an internationally acclaimed event. 2007’s edition was themed “City of Expression and Regeneration” and was curated by Qingyun Ma. As UABB moved from passive observation to active intervention, 2009 was themed “City Mobilisation” and was curated by Ou Ning. Terence Riley was the first non-Chinese curator for UABB in 2011 and curated it under the theme “Architecture creates Cities. Cities create Architecture”. The 2013 exhibition themed"Urban Border" curated by Ole Bouman, Xingning Li, and Jeffrey Johnson explored the distinctions between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the biennale transformed two neglected industrial sites in the Shekou. 2015 had Aaron Betsky, Alfredo Brillembourg, Hubert Klumpner, and Doreen Heng Liu guiding the biennale under the theme “Re-living the city”. This year, the curatorial team will lead UABB 2017 to greater heights under the theme of Cities, Grow in Difference.</div>
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<i>The Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture 2017 (Shenzhen)<br />December 15, 2017<br />Nantou Old Town, Shenzhen<br /><a href="http://en.szhkbiennale.org/">http://en.szhkbiennale.org/</a></i></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-69427761426999773792017-11-21T12:00:00.000-05:002017-11-21T12:00:29.730-05:00VIDEO: Starship Chicago | The State of Illinois Center by Architect Helmut Jahn<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/241413433?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Architect Helmut Jahn’s kaleidoscopic, controversial State of Illinois Center in Chicago, which shocked the world when it opened in 1985, may not be long for this world. Today the building is a run down rusty shadow of its former self, occupying a lucrative downtown block and deemed expendable by the cash-strapped state legislature.
Despite initial construction flaws and hefty refurbishment costs, this singular architectural vision of an open, accessible, and inspiring civic building—defined by its iconic, soaring atrium--remains intact. Four years after the stinging loss of brutalist icon Prentice Women’s Hospital, Chicago preservationists, along with the building’s original champion, Governor James R. Thompson, are gearing up for a major battle to save the city’s most provocative architectural statement.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comChicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-29326340279340020812017-11-18T19:46:00.000-05:002017-11-18T20:28:01.751-05:00Portland Design Events Launches Lecture Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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PORTLAND, OR – On a typically cold and rainy November evening, Portland Design Events launched its inaugural lecture series event, Designing for Change, featuring Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects from San Francisco, with an introductory lecture by local architect Amanda Petretti founder of Studio Petretti Architecture.<br />
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Portland Design Events is proud to launch this new initiative - a quarterly lecture series, bringing innovative designers from around the world to share their work and process with the Portland, Oregon community. Presentations will range on a variety of topics/interest, with this first lecture focusing on resiliency and equity with LMS Architects. Each lecture will also highlight a local emerging designer, giving them an audience to share their work.<br />
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A sold-out event crowd of 175 filled the Ziba Auditorium on November 16, 2017, beginning with a social hour with food and beverages provided by Portland-based Matta Turkish Cuisine.<br />
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As guests took their seats, Lucas Gray – co-organizer of the lecture series and founder of Propel Studio and talkitect.com – introduced opening speaker Amanda Petretti of Studio Petretti Architecture. Amanda inspired the audience with examples of her work and philosophy of balancing small and large scale projects.<br />
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Michael Norton of Presenting Sponsor Jeld-Wen introduced the evening’s headlining presenters - William Leddy, Marsha Maytum, and Richard Stacy, principals of San Francisco-based Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects.<br />
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The LMS Architects principals, winners of the 2017 AIA Firm of the Year Award, spoke at length of examples of their work illustrating how architecture can help lead the way toward a just, healthy, and regenerative future for all. Examples of their work included education-based projects including UC Berkeley Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation, and the very recently completed San Francisco Art Institute at Fort Mason Center.<br />
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The lecture continued with Maytum and Stacy highlighting their Sweetwater Spectrum Community and Plaza Apartments housing projects. Maytum and Leddy closed the lecture with inspiring stories behind their North Beach Branch Library and Ed Roberts Campus projects – a wrap up that drew cheers and applause from the audience before an inspiring session of questions and answers from the crowd.<br />
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The event was filmed and will be available to view on Portland Design Events shortly. Additionally, the event was the first of what will become a quarterly lecture series, continuing in Spring 2018. For more information and updates, please visit <a href="http://portlanddesign.org/">portlanddesign.org</a>.<br />
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<b>Presenting Sponsor:</b><br />
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<b>Sponsors:</b><br />
Energy Trust of Oregon<br />
Ziba<br />
Propel Studio<br />
Arbuckle Industries<br />
Architecture Videography Academy<br />
Matta Turkish Cuisine<br />
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">About Portland Design Events</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">Portland Design Events is the premier website for finding and sharing architecture and design-related events in Portland, Oregon. We are a master calendar, posting and actively sharing events for dozens of local organizations and individuals through our website, weekly email digests, and social media channels. Our mission is to make it easy for members of our community to find and participate in conversations about the impact of design in our everyday lives.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://portlanddesign.org/">http://portlanddesign.org/</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">About Studio Petretti Architecture</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">Studio Petretti Architecture is a design-driven office focused on thoughtfulness of execution, service, and sustainability. With an extensive background working on significant projects for public and private clients, we embrace opportunities to develop simple, elegant solutions to complex design problems. Our staff experience is fresh and comprehensive across all phases of design and construction. We have led projects large and small, including spaces for higher education, civic engagement, multi-family housing, and creative office use.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://www.studiopetretti.com/">http://www.studiopetretti.com/</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">About Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">LMS Architects is a teaching practice committed to developing complete, well-rounded architects, leaders in the profession and effective global citizens. Recognizing no distinction between design and the other elements of practice, we encourage staff to become skilled professionals within an open office environment that promotes an educational transparency of purpose, process and action.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://www.lmsarch.com/">http://www.lmsarch.com/</a></span><br />
<br /><i>All images by Carlos Camarena</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-26801254545687974572017-10-07T18:56:00.000-04:002017-10-07T19:01:26.081-04:00VIDEO: Camp MINOH designed by William Kaven Architecture<i>Portland, Oregon</i> - William Kaven Architecture presents Camp MINOH, a short film unveiling the site and surroundings of a rural family retreat located on Lake Michigan. The two-minute film visually explores Camp MINOH in the context of Michigan’s rugged terrain, diverse weather systems, and supernatural winter shores - juxtaposing detailed material studies of the structure’s polished finishes against the powerful forces of the massive lake.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/227464533?color=ff0179&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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The film is the 3rd installment of William Kaven’s “Modern Condition” film series, which Kaven says was “born from our desire to communicate our design aesthetic in a much more experiential manner. Too often architecture is relegated to static images, even though the inherent art of architecture is three-dimensional and fluid. In film, one can hear and move from one space to the other, which is much more like living and breathing in a space.”<br />
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Located near Charlevoix on the shores of Lake Michigan, CAMP MINOH embodies the rugged ethos of Midwestern life. A legacy of French trappers, Ojibwa Indians, Chicago mobsters, and even Ernest Hemingway adds to the diverse heritage of the site. Nestled among the pine and birch trees, Camp Minoh is positioned to face the strong winter winds that head south across the lake from the Upper Peninsula and Canada.<br />
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Designed as a refuge for extended family gatherings, the interior plays between solid and open spaces. The ground floor acts as the main gathering space, with a long linear connected floor plan. Formal polished concrete floors and rugged exposed Doug Fir beams make up the ceiling while a dark and rich palette further anchors the space. The upper floor uses light-reflective oak accents, creating an intentional contrast between the harbored ground floor below. A cantilevered living section and framing views of the lake add to this concept of airiness, serving to connect the interior space with the dramatic exterior environment.<br />
<br /><b>About William Kaven Architecture:</b><br />
William Kaven Architecture is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Portland, Oregon, working in architecture and interiors. The studio was officially formed by brothers Daniel Kaven and Trevor William Lewis in 2004, continuing a lifetime of collaboration that began as children in their home state of New Mexico. Collectively, the brothers have amassed a significant portfolio in their design careers that includes award-winning residences, energy-efficient high-rise buildings, mixed-use buildings, and environments for corporate clients such as Nike, Converse, Microsoft, and NAU.<br /><br />Learn more about their work here: <a href="http://www.williamkaven.com/">http://www.williamkaven.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comPortland, OR, USA45.5230622 -122.6764815000000245.167192199999995 -123.32192850000003 45.8789322 -122.03103450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-29516213513722550272017-06-15T12:34:00.000-04:002017-07-17T20:57:08.386-04:00Continuing Education: Mass Timber Construction<div>
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Portland, Oregon is leading the country in designing innovative buildings with mass timber. We currently have the tallest wood building in USA in Carbon 12, designed by Path Architecture, which is 8 stories and about 85' tall. However, this record won't last long as another Portland firm, Lever Architecture, recently received the permit to start construction on the first high-rise wood building, called Framework. <br />
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Being based in Portland, I'm familiar with both of these projects and was excited to see one of them, along with Albina Yard, a local low-rise CLT project, being used as a case study in a Continuing Education course through Architectural Record.<br />
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Continuing Education: Mass Timber Construction</h3>
Although only four stories tall, Albina Yard, a spec office building, stands out among its one- and two-story neighbors in the scrappy residential and commercial district in north Portland, Oregon. Looking up from the street through the horizontal bands of the glass facade, the ceilings of each level—planes of warm Douglas fir—are visible. These elements are not just finish material but the building’s exposed floor plate. Designed by Portland’s LEVER Architecture, Albina Yard, completed in 2016, is one of a handful of buildings in the U.S. constructed using a mass-timber structural system.<br />
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The divide between the new office building and its grittier context is bridged by the architect’s use of understated formal moves and a humble material palette. The scale of the street elevation is modulated and delineated in a subtle dance of cantilevers. The second story projects straight out to form a shallow protected zone over the storefront at the ground-floor retail space. The facades of the third and fourth floors twist a few degrees off the grid in opposite directions. The effect is like a stack of books slightly askew. Dark corrugated-metal siding, which clads the side walls and other opaque parts of the building, complements the nearly complete two-story office annex (also designed by LEVER) made of shipping containers and located in the rear courtyard of the L-shaped lot.<br />
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Although timber-framed construction has been around for thousands of years, mass timber is a more contemporary spinoff. Instead of solid wood beams and columns made from large trees, mass-timber frames incorporate engineered wood products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and nail laminated timber (NLT). Such components bind together small wood elements to form strong structural units.<br />
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<i>To Continue Reading the article and to earn CE credits follow this link: <a href="http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12757-continuing-education-mass-timber-construction">http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12757-continuing-education-mass-timber-construction</a></i></h4>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678400561545054929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-63905794225938278202017-03-10T17:21:00.000-05:002017-03-10T17:21:32.637-05:009/11 15 Years Later - Global Memorial Visions for a Global Event<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>by Lester Levine, author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476665087/" target="_blank">9/11 Memorial Visions: Innovative Ideas from the 2003 World Trade Center Site Memorial Design Competition</a>”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2003, a global competition was held to design the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan – 5,201 entries from 60+ countries from architects, artists and inspired amateurs. Each entry was photographed and put into an online archive, where they exist today: </span><a href="http://www.wtcsitememorial.org/submissions.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.wtcsitememorial.org/submissions.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> .</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Until 2011, no one since the jury had ever explored these ideas. I became curious, searching for memorial ideas beyond traditional greyscale structures with water, flowers and trees. After more than 7 months of review, I narrowed it down to a few hundred. They were colorful; they were “powered by” technology, they engaged and involved visitors in unique ways, a few categories that later became the book chapters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They just made me more curious: Why did these people believe a memorial should be dramatically different? How did they come up with these designs? Was it something about 9/11? I decided to ask them…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Four years searching and interviewing enabled me to learn their stories and compile them into a book. It was a soulful journey. Some people had died and I wound up talking to family and friends. Some people I never found. Very few did not want to be involved.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So a few examples to whet your curiosity...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stuart Math told me his inspiration was something that focused on “people, not murders” with memory represented as “ephemeral, not concrete.” Stuart’s design envisions a means for a visitor to select a victim’s name and then…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“…reads the name into a microphone…software randomly plays back the recorded names...At the same time the name is being played back, the name is highlighted on…computer monitors (as if lighting a candle). The audio is processed on playback so the playback sounds like a whisper.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ehren Joseph envisioned lighted vertical beacons to represent the dead, the colored lights for each being unique through their “Southern Blot DNA patterns”, using red, white and blue glass lights:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The idea mainly came from his work with the victim’s families, knowing that DNA patterns were being used to identify remains. He and they struggled with “how could they create memories” if there were no remains.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps even more interesting, Ehren told me that his family came from Iraq and he was fascinated by the use of mathematical constructs in Islamic art – the DNA patterns are similar…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christopher Wright’s design features a “people-powered turntable” engaged by visitors to symbolize working together for “peace, hope and progress – the opposite of terrorism, grief and loss.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The memorial is…a symbolic tool for changing the world – pointing out that each individual plays a role in determining the direction of the world.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My editor asked me to write an “ending” – asking “what did you learn?” Thinking about my journey, I wrote that these creative responses to 9/11 were wrestling with a few basic questions:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is a memorial for?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is a memorial for?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What about 9/11 required a different kind of memorial?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What will (or should) 9/11 mean in 10 years, 50 years or more?</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ff7044eb-ba4a-ef0f-7d79-4a3e6ac4243a"></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-45876142842111286462017-02-20T14:17:00.000-05:002017-02-21T14:36:15.074-05:00Where We Stand: AIA Statement on Immigration and Travel Restrictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As discussion on immigration continues, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) today joins with many American businesses, industries and universities in calling for fair and impartial immigration policies, and in expressing deep concern about policies that restrict immigration from specific countries or regions based on overly broad factors, including religion.<br />
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“Beyond the essential considerations of fairness and equity, restrictions targeting specific areas of the world can have profoundly negative business impacts,” said AIA President Thomas Vonier, FAIA. “Professional service exports are a key contributor to AIA member firms and their earnings. In fact, the entire international building development, design and construction sector relies heavily on reciprocal treatment and on the fair and ethical ability to travel, reside and work across national boundaries.”<br />
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In addition to the need for regular legal travel by employees, clients and associates, many American architecture firms—like other industries and businesses—must be able to attract and retain qualified, skilled people from other countries in order to remain competitive. Targeted immigration restrictions, particularly when applied unfairly and without warning, can thwart recruiting efforts. They can also greatly inhibit business activity.<br />
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Finally, unilateral travel restrictions can damage the future of many professions, from medicine to architecture. In higher education, international students and faculty are essential to the future of our profession. The AIA also participates in international professional bodies which sponsor programs and activities that rely on the necessary movement of all parties.<br />
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The following statistics further support AIA’s concern about the impact any newly imposed immigration or travel restrictions will have on the broader design and construction industry:<br />
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<li>Immigrant labor accounts for 23% of the total construction workforce in the U.S. (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, American Community Survey.)</li>
<li>In 2015, billings by U.S. architectural firms for international projects totaled $1.6 billion. Projects in Middle East countries accounted for 18% of those billings. (Source: AIA Firm Survey Report, 2015.)</li>
<li>Half of U.S. large architectural firms have offices in the Middle East/North Africa, which is the largest reported share of international offices. (Source: AIA Firm Survey, 2015.)</li>
<li>In the 2014-2015 school year, 4,283 architecture students at accredited programs were nonresident aliens. This represents 18 percent of the total—up from 6 percent in 2009. (source: NAAB annual report)</li>
<li>In 2015, 889 of the 6,348 total degrees (14 percent) were awarded to nonresident aliens. (source: NAAB annual report)</li>
<li>The AIA has 1,538 members licensed outside U.S. (887 International; 651 within U.S.).</li>
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The AIA stands for values and principles that promote free movement and association. Our profession, like the entire building industry, benefits from the contributions of immigrants and others outside of the United States, and from visa and immigration policies that are uniform, transparent, fair and free from arbitrary implementation.<br />
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<b>About The American Institute of Architects</b>Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently work to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit <a href="http://www.aia.org/">www.aia.org</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678400561545054929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-49961067807872157312017-02-01T11:00:00.000-05:002020-06-06T10:52:06.052-04:00Portland Zoning Code Limits Affordability, Diversity and Design freedom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Conventional zoning is downright sinister in the ways that it forms a barrier against good urbanism. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Anthony Flint </span><br />
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Despite the best intentions and goals of zoning codes for cities in general and Portland in particular, it is clear that our current code is grossly complex, beneficial only for a few at the expense of the many, bogging down the permitting process, and vastly increasing the cost of new construction (making it impossible to build affordable homes without government subsidies, in a time of an affordable housing crisis). The purpose of codes should be to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Our current zoning code goes so far beyond those simple straightforward goals that it is a burdensome rule book without much benefit to the city or it’s residents. It often has racist roots, implemented to prevent certain people from living in certain neighborhoods, or creating land values that keeps the wealthy and low-income residents separated. Our zoning code is broken and not enough people are talking about ways to fix it.<br />
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To address some of these issues, I believe we need to review our existing zoning code and streamline it significantly. It has to be easy to read and easy to understand for everyone - not just trained architects and the code reviewers in the Bureau of Development services. Even these “experts” are often wrong when interpreting the code or have different interpretations, further muddying the permitting process and giving people wrong or misleading information. When multiple people in the city permitting office interpret the rules differently something is terribly wrong.<br />
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Our zoning needs to be simple, clear, concise and be based on common sense, not layers of rules that have changed over time, adding more and more restrictions on what people can build. The majority of our existing building stock wouldn’t even meet our current zoning requirements. Most importantly, it needs to be universally applied in all neighborhoods and districts across the city. We don’t need any special neighborhoods and confusing overlays, rather we need one rule book for the entire city.
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An example of the absurdity of our current rules is the small part of the zoning code that guides the design and construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). These code requirements don’t focus on health and safety of the building, but rather dictates what the building should look like - forcing designers to match the style of the existing house (regardless of the design quality of that house). This has absolutely nothing to do with protecting the health, safety or welfare of the public, and it actively prohibits property owners from designing and building a project that meets their stylistic preferences. It puts the desire of NIMBYism and the status quo over that of individual choice and innovation. This not only stifles creativity but also lengthens the review process and thus cost of projects for no beneficial reason. There is absolutely no legitimate reason that the zoning code should dictate the size or shape of a window, the siding material, the slope of a roof, trim size, etc. I could somewhat understand limitations on size, height and building within a property setback, but dictating style is just plane wrong.
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Even property setbacks have questionable value. Yes, you could argue that they might prevent the spread of fire, or solar access for each property, or views. However, they also waste the usability of a vast area of land within our city. And by dictating minimum and maximum front setbacks the city limits the ability to create innovative new property layouts. Why does the house have to be in the middle of the property with both front and back yards? What if a property owner wanted to build a house against the rear setback (perhaps along an alley) and have a larger front yard for gardening or creating a green break in the street front? Would this be bad for their neighbors? Or conversely, why can’t we build right up to the front property line, where the spread of fire isn’t an issue? This would allow for larger contiguous backyards. It would also limit the distance we need to run plumbing pipes, electrical wires, driveways and other infrastructure. Even a savings of 10 feet, when multiplied by the thousands of houses built in the city would be a huge savings of cost and resources. This would also create a more European street feel where the sidewalks and building edges create an urban street that tends to be focused on pedestrians, rather than setback houses with driveways and garage doors more typically reminiscent of suburban developments. I would argue that Portland has too much of the latter and not enough of the former within the Urban Growth Boundary.
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Further complicating the zoning code impact on our city is the ability for each neighborhood or some developments to impose further regulations as an overlay above and beyond regulations imposed by the city. Again, this limits an individual's right to use their property as they like. I had a client who wanted to build an ADU only to find out that the neighborhood where her parent’s property was and where the ADU was going to be built, had a rule against detached ADUs. This unnecessary regulation prevented her from building an affordable home for herself near her aging parents. Who does this benefit? Why does the city allow or support these sorts of cumbersome rules? It is clearly a case of wealthy individuals trying to prevent change and limit who and what can be built in their neighborhood. It is a restrictive rule that limits affordability, equity and freedom.
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In a city with an urban growth boundary and a growing population it is ethically questionable to enforce single family residential zones, particularly R7, R10 and even R5 within the UGB. You can’t have a sustainable and affordable city without vastly increasing the density of our city. Density also creates a more vibrant and diverse place to live and helps small businesses and commercial streets thrive. At the very least, allowing for multiple units within existing houses, multiple ADUs (attached or detached) within a property, or tiny houses on wheels on residential lots should be allowed and even incentivized within Portland. We can’t give in to the loud voices of NIMBYism and wealthy people trying to protect their property values at the expense of everyone else. We need to think progressively and open up our zoning to allow for a wide range of buildings in all neighborhoods.
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If we don’t just get rid of the zoning code altogether, I think we could simplify our city’s zoning code to have 2 zones: Industrial - meant for uses that are hazardous to human health, and mixed use - for everything else. <span style="line-height: 20.24px;">At the same time this new zoning should be performance based rather than use based. </span>Within the mixed use zone for instance there could be simple overlays that dictate performance aspects of a project that would impact the safety of the public. For instance, height limits for safety within the airport approach lanes, limits to how far shadows are allowed to encroach on adjacent properties, limits on the decibel level of noise at a given property line, or limit the measure of light overreaching the property line at night. By moving to a performance metrics, rather than a restrictive use metric, we can allow for more variety of uses within our city without drastically impacting the quality of life.
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Even a form-based zoning, which is more concerned with building size and how they relate to each other to form a streetscape, rather than the use within the buildings, would be a huge improvement over the mess we currently have. For more information on Performance based Zoning check out this fantastic article: <a href="http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/08/braving-the-new-world-of-performance-based-zoning/375926/">http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/08/braving-the-new-world-of-performance-based-zoning/375926/</a>. It is also worth becoming familiar with the Form-Based Code Institute: <a href="http://formbasedcodes.org/">http://formbasedcodes.org/</a>
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Further, many people have to understand and accept that just because a single family residential neighborhood gets rezoned to allow for more uses doesn’t mean that all of the existing building stock will all of a sudden transform. Our single family residential neighborhoods will stay intact for generations. However, over time these neighborhoods will evolve into higher density neighborhoods, giving more people choice in where to live and making our city more affordable and equitable in the process. A city, like any organism, transforms over time and adapts to new needs, stresses, and influences. Residents have to accept and help guide change rather than fight it to preserve what is theirs at the expense of future generations.
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These sorts of dense mixed-use neighborhoods are often the most desirable places to live in cities around the world. The alphabet district in NW Portland is a perfect example. There are small apartment buildings and condos interspersed with single family houses. There are small restaurants and cafes dotting the urban fabric. There are primary commercial streets and corner stores. This makes the streets vibrant, safe and the neighborhood more diverse. This same ambiance is seen in cities across America and around the world, and it usually representative of the neighborhoods that people want to visit and live in. However, our current laws prevent this sort of neighborhood from developing in any other part of the city. Why do we accept that as the best solution to our city? I know that I would much rather have my neighborhood in NE Portland off Alberta become a more more dense and diverse place to live.
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I haven’t even gotten into the issues regarding parking requirements which further stifles affordability and forces people to spend money on building parking whether they want it or not. Again, this has nothing to do with the safety and health of the pubic and a rule that needs to be struck from books despite the complaints of our car centric neighbors. Parking should never be a requirement as it is a luxury, not a need. It can be suggested but if someone wants to build a house or development without a garage or driveway why should the city say that it isn’t allowed? Not everyone owns a car or needs a parking space and we are forcing people to pay for them. (more arguments against parking requirements: <a href="http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/06/06/americans-cant-afford-the-high-cost-of-parking-requirements/">http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/06/06/americans-cant-afford-the-high-cost-of-parking-requirements/</a>, and this one about how “poor people pay for parking even when they can’t afford a car”: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/15/why-free-parking-is-a-big-problem/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/15/why-free-parking-is-a-big-problem/</a>
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Currently our zoning codes prohibit developments of neighborhoods that offer a range of housing types. They also increase the cost and time needed to build new developments. This does everyone a disservice and is indicative of over regulation to the detriment of urban quality. I think the Bureau of Development Services and our city council is failing our city by enforcing an overly complex zoning code that doesn’t benefit the majority of people. We need performance based regulations and a much simpler streamlined code that gives people choice and allows for creative developments and innovation within the city.
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is an interesting white paper on issues caused by zoning: </span><a href="http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume1/v1i1a4s1.html#ottensmann_intro" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume1/v1i1a4s1.html#ottensmann_intro</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is an article on “How Zoning Laws Exacerbate Inequality”:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/11/zoning-laws-and-the-rise-of-economic-inequality/417360/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/11/zoning-laws-and-the-rise-of-economic-inequality/417360/</span></a></div>
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Here is a great article focusing on the “Problems with Parking Requirements in Zoning Ordinances”:
<a href="http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/ProblemsWithParkingRequirementsInZoningOrdinances.pdf">http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/ProblemsWithParkingRequirementsInZoningOrdinances.pdf</a>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“After about 1970, though, zoning’s negative economic effects began to grow. Before then, housing prices were more or less the same across the country. Since then, prices in the metropolitan areas of the Northeast and West Coast have risen much faster than in most of the rest of the nation -- in the process increasing inequality, thwarting residential mobility and slowing economic growth. Ever-tougher zoning rules and restrictions on growth appear to be a major cause. Fischel has a long list of explanations for this intensification of zoning that I won’t go into here, other than to mention the one that drives me the craziest -- the dressing-up of self-interested economic arguments in the language of environmentalism and morality.” </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i> -<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-27/zoning-has-had-a-good-100-years-and-that-s-plenty">https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-27/zoning-has-had-a-good-100-years-and-that-s-plenty</a></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comPortland, OR, USA45.5230622 -122.6764815999999945.167186199999996 -123.32192859999999 45.8789382 -122.03103459999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-21820039002672120572017-01-31T19:35:00.000-05:002020-06-06T10:51:24.785-04:00Why Architects should consider the use of steam energy on their next building<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By Lucas Gray</div>
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In 2015, about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption was consumed in buildings. A large percentage of that energy use was for heating. Architects have a tremendous opportunity to dramatically impact our societal energy consumption by designing buildings that are more efficient. One strategy to achieve this is to look at systems on a much larger scale. Rather than thinking about one building at a time, district or city-wide heating systems could quickly and cheaply increase the efficiency of buildings, saving money and resources, and better addressing climate change.<br />
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One strategy to consider when designing a new building in a major city is to consider utilizing steam to heat the building. Cities like New York, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, St-Louis, Denver and others have central steam plants which can be routed to individual projects. City-wide, or district-wide systems can be more efficient and affordable than having individual furnaces and heating systems in each building. Using steam along with a technology called a Vertical Flooded Heat Exchanger, has many design advantages including not needing chimneys and vents - saving space within the building on top of the energy savings. </div>
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Cities aren't the only places you can find steam systems available. Major hospitals, big university campuses, and other institutions often have steam available on site. It is also worth considering this sort of shared system when designing and building larger scale projects, corporate campuses, new urban districts or neighborhood developments. It is important to consider this sort of technology early on in the planning phases of larger scale developments. </div>
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Using a vertical flooded steam heat exchanger is basically using a Steam Fired Boiler - heating a complete hot water or glycol loop with high pressure steam instead of using natural gas or oil. This is a great way to move away from carbon based heating systems.<br />
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There are many advantages to using high pressure steam and a vertical flooded heat exchanger including the following:<br />
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<li>Takes up to 40% less space in the mechanical room</li>
<li>The unit is built with a high pressure ASME stamp to avoid the need for a steam pressure safety valve, meaning no need for a safety vent to the roof or exterior wall.</li>
<li>The vertical flooded steam heat exchanger design (VFSHTD), does not require any condensate pump, again there is no need for a vent to the roof or exterior wall for the flash tank.</li>
<li>Because there is no combustion, there is no chimney and no gas vents needed on the exterior</li>
<li>LEED Credits: Central Steam is most often produced by burning natural gas to generate electric power through a steam turbine or gas turbine. It is a relatively green energy and qualifies for LEED points.</li>
<li>The VFSHTD requires much less maintenance that conventional steam heat exchanger designs.</li>
<li>Steam is very reliable. In particular, if there is a steam leak it is relatively safe on not considered an emergency. You can continue to run the building heat or domestic hot water system and wait for the next scheduled shut down. </li>
<li>Because the flooding design works at a constant steam pressure, they don’t need any vacuum breaker. Meaning that they don’t inject O2 in the condensate return time, resulting in about 5 times less corrosion than a conventional design.</li>
<li>It requires much less maintenance than a natural gas boiler or domestic heater</li>
<li>EPA Rules: The Environmental Protection Agency has been increasing regulations for air pollution control. Major cities and universities are required to produce air pollution reports for every chimney they have, including smaller ones. This mean more tasks for facility managers. With a chimney free design, this can save a lot of time and money.</li>
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By integrating a steam energy system, an architect can deliver a better looking building with less demand on access to the facade or roof, saving space with a smaller mechanical room to produce building heat, and offering a system that requires less steam to do the same job, with lower maintenance than conventional steam system design. Architects often look to design their buildings with minimal interuptions on the facade and don't want to have exposed mechanical units on the roof. Utilizing a shared steam system would be a great opportunity to increase the freedom for design expression. </div>
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Maxi-Therm offers a complete solution with easy start-up and shut-down sequencing, web access to the control panel, thus offering immediate assistance, complete custom made skid packages which are easy to install, energy savings and a complete technical support for engineers and building owners.<br />
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To learn more about Maxi-Therm’s Vertical Flooded Steam Heat Exchanger visit: <a href="http://www.maxi-therm.net/" target="_blank">www.maxi-therm.net</a> or call (514) 351-1001</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125670097185809488.post-12203723673852032882016-07-13T16:23:00.000-04:002016-07-13T16:23:12.714-04:00Emerging Professional Exhibit 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1mtjrajeGo4/V4aiwoch3sI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/y_HNWZOsQfoJr4QmbL7g2UcQryrg5Zn6wCLcB/s1600/Bamboo%2BSushi%2BStreet%2BSeat%2B4000x2200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1mtjrajeGo4/V4aiwoch3sI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/y_HNWZOsQfoJr4QmbL7g2UcQryrg5Zn6wCLcB/s640/Bamboo%2BSushi%2BStreet%2BSeat%2B4000x2200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>Bamboo Sushi Street Seat - Designed by <a href="http://www.propelstudio.com/" target="_blank">Propel Studio</a> an emerging firm in Portland, Oregon</i></span></td></tr>
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<strong>AIA spotlights young designers for their solutions to issues facing communities around the world</strong></div>
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<strong>Projects showcased at AIA National Headquarters and online exhibit</strong></div>
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The AIA’s new emerging professionals exhibit honors the most creative new projects from architecture’s rising generation. The exhibit theme, “It Takes a Community,” highlights how collaboration and community engagement improve the design process for greater positive public impact. The selected projects provide design solutions for affordable housing, shelters for homeless, schools for special needs children, reducing energy and water consumption, earthquake mitigation, along with many other issues facing communities around the world. Selections were chosen by a jury based on the quality of their graphical and written elements, as well as their relationship to this year’s theme. To preview this exhibit and get more information <a href="http://new.aia.org/resources/14606-emerging-professional-exhibit-2016" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /><br />The exhibit will be on display at AIA National Headquarters:<br /><br /><strong>WHERE:</strong> </div>
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AIA National Headquarters, Second Floor Gallery<br />1735 New York Ave, NW<br />Washington, D.C. 20006<br /><br /><strong>WHEN:</strong> </div>
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The exhibit is open to the public <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_371710420" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">9:00am to 5:00pm</span></span>, <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_371710421" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span>-<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_371710422" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Friday</span></span> until <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_371710423" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">September 2, 2016</span></span>.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Subscribe to https://lucasgray.substack.com/ for more thoughts and content related to the built environment. </div>Lucas Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616918415912541188noreply@blogger.com