Architecture

I found this site recently and have been transfixed. He uses long exposure times and turns human existence into ghostly motion. Visit the photographer’s web site here:

Some of my favorites:

This is a very well done video.

Amazing video about Abu Dhabi’s urban planning decisions

Sometimes music can backfire or provide an overly artificial sonic wallpaper to a video or film. I would have preferred Brian Eno’s music, but the video is an interesting look at some new perspectives and buildings.

A different video showcasing some interior sequences with the songs “lyra” and “Ankaa” by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno works much better:

3D Printing

The rapidly expanding market of 3D Printing is something I have been following for a while now. Products range from open source / DIY kits and range from $5000 to $50,000 and all the way into the millions. They are used for prototypes, concepts, product creation, and more. People use them to create 3D sculptures of on line gaming avatars, architectural models, toys and many other things. Major car manufacturing companies like BMW, Boeing and General Motors use them. Various materials can be used to create 3D parts out of 3D design files. Everything from plastic to metal. Anyways, these are pretty cool. So many possibilities. I can think of dozens of applications. I bet all of you do too.

The Process:

Quote from ZCorp – a 3D printer manufacturer:

….a variety of powder/binder/infiltrant systems [can be used] to satisfy varying needs. These include high-performance composites for printing strong, high-definition parts; investment casting material for quickly fabricating parts that can be dipped in wax to produce investment casting patterns; and direct casting material for creating sand casting molds for non ferrous metals. For additional flexibility, models printed with these materials can be sanded, drilled, tapped, painted and electroplated.

I have also read over 12 years ago that the US Navy was experimenting with this technology. Now they apparently keep 3D metal printers on ships that use selective laser sintering to create metal parts on demand. This way they can stock pile the metal used for these pieces and carry more material in the same space normally occupied by the parts. Makes a lot of sense.

Rapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using solid freeform fabrication. The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype parts. Today, they are used for a much wider range of applications and are even used to manufacture production quality parts in relatively small numbers. Some sculptors use the technology to produce complex shapes for fine arts exhibitions.

Resources:

Rapid Prototyping Web Site – A wealth of general information

3D Printing / Prototyping

Z Corp – 3D Printers

Desktop Factory – 3D Printing

Stratasys – 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, Direct Digital Manufacturing

Mcor Technologies – Produces 3D models out of paper

3D Systems – 3D Printing, Prototyping

Voxeljet Technology – 3D Printers

There are many other vendors in the marketplace known as Direct Manufacturing Systems:

Electron Beam Melting (EBM) by Arcam AB of Molndal, Sweden.

LaserCUSING by Concept Laser Gmbh of Lichtenfels, Germany.

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) by EOS Gmbh of Munich, Germany.

High Precision Ink Jet Manufacturing by fcubic ab of Molndal, Sweden.

Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) by Optomec Design Company of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) by POM Group Inc of Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Direct Metal Printing by ProMetal of Irwin, Pennsylvania.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) by Realizer Gmbh of Borchen, Germany.

Sintermask by Sintermask AB of Molndal, Sweden.

Direct Shell Production Casting (DSPC) by Soligen Inc. of Northridge, California.

Open Source Systems:

Fab at Home Kit – from Carnegie Mellon researchers

Reprap is short for Replicating Rapid-prototyper

“Purchasing an original Case Study steel and glass home is the opportunity of a fortunate few” I am probably going to use either this one or Rocio romero’s in New Mexico one day. Pierre Koenig was an early proponent of a modern steel home. One organization, Modernist Modular Homes provides a variety of models for California and the desert / south west. After all, there are only a handful of old ones, so building one is the way to do it.

Pierre Koenig (October 17, 1925 – April 4, 2004) was an American architect.

Born in San Francisco, received his B.Arch. in 1952 from the University of Southern California, apprenticed under Raphael Soriano among others, and in private practice beginning in 1952, Koenig practiced mainly on the west coast and was most notable for the design of the Case Study Houses No. 21 and 22 in 1960 and other steel houses. Both 21 (the Bailey House) and 22 (the Stahl House) were constructed on dramatic, otherwise-unbuildable sites.

Pierre Koenig – Opens New Window

Steel Home Builder Site – Opens New Window

Convertible City – German Language Site

Hmmm – I wonder which strata councils / co-op boards would approve of this? It would give some people vertigo, but its a neat idea anyways.

Located between art and architecture, the backpack house is a walk-in sculpture with their own spatial quality: a floating, lighted room, as a temporary scaffolding and a “minimal sculpture” also appears. Universally used as a mini-backpack, this house adds extra space at the front of each residential building attached. The design consists of a welded steel cabin, using steel cables on the roof or on the facade of the existing house is attached. The sculpture consists of a cube-made element with the dimensions width 2.50 m, 2.50 m in height and 3.60 m deep. The height of the top floor of the cube element is approximately 10.50 m, and the total weight of the sculpture is approximately 2.0 t. In conclusion if you want an extra room for your apartment this might be a great idea to take in consideration.

For a while now I have been entranced with modern homes. I prefer a blend of hand made and wooden furniture that contrasts with the often stark austerity of the structures. I like the clean minimalism of modern structures. I like the way these structures can harmoniously blend into the landscape while offering large expansive views. They often can blend the boundary between outside and inside.

Anyways, about 5 years ago I was in New York City on business, and while I was walking through the city I happened to notice a gallery in SoHo that was showing some modern home displays. I went inside and learned about an architect, Rocio Romero, who is based in Missouri. I then began visiting her web site over and over.

When you order a home like this, you get a kit that comes on a truck. You need to prepare a site, have permits in place with a foundation or footings setup. She sells homes that can withstand 150 mile per hour winds, and that have minimal upkeep. I also like a home that is between 1000 and 2000 square feet. Huge homes are bad for the environment. I can see if someone lives with a large or extended family, but for me – the larger the home the more cleaning required. Her kits start at 45,000 or so. You can join them together for larger homes and she has some options as well. Its a really neat way to build a home. I do love a rustic post and beam home, stone or log home as well. I am not some fanatical modern absolutist.

Rocio Romero LLC is a multidisciplinary firm. We design, manufacture, build, ship, and sell our kit homes. By marrying all these disciplines we are able to better deliver quality design easily and affordably. It is through prefab efficiencies that we are able to control the cost and quality of our homes.

Rocio Romero is the owner and principal of Rocio Romero, LLC. Rocio received her Masters of Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Design with a major in Architecture from UC Berkeley.

Having been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, CBS Sunday Morning News, and the Wall Street Journal, the LV home was acknowledged by Paul Goldberger of The New Yorker as “an exceptionally beautiful house… Romero’s designs stand out for their clarity, simplicity, and grace”.

For more information on Rocio Romero, download her PDF biography

Rocio Romero LLC Web Site

12►

This home definitely brings some visual interest to the home movie theater concept. I like modern homes, but also like rustic or ancient homes as well. This looks like it has to be in Los Angeles. I could imagine serving up some drinks and watching movies in the evening. Life as a movie. Perfect.

I really hate touristy knick-knacks. For years while I was a child I would stare at one of the worst offenders, displayed triumphantly in a prominent place on the family mantle. It was a horribly painted split open wooden pineapple shell from Hawaii that said ALOHA in pink and yellow. It had a scene of some man surfing, and a few hula girls painted on the inside. It was the wooden equivalent of a velvet painting. Only with crudely applied varnish. The varnish scent would remain in the air near it for years.

It was a gift from a well meaning friend of my mothers. My mother was too polite not to realize how horrible it looked. Eventually I realized I could throw it behind the large entertainment unit. Years later when my parents moved out of that house they found a pile of cassettes, the pineapple and a few other odds and ends. Frozen in time. My mom would play music over and over for days at a time. I would snap eventually, and place the cassette behind the entertainment unit. In my defense, I was relatively helpful around the house / property.