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Shigeru Ban

Innovative design from one of my favorite architects. Shigeru Ban and the Pompidou Metz was the subject of my senior thesis.

Daedalus Update

Athena likes the lamp too.

Daedalus

This is my new lamp. It's named Daedalus, after the Greek architect who created Minos' labyrinth. According to mythology Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned by Minos to protect the secrets of the labyrinth. In order to escape he created wings out of feathers and wax for himself and his son. They flew away from Crete to freedom, but the careless Icarus flew too high and the heat from the sun melted the wax in the wings and he fell to his death. Daedalus eventually landed in Sicily where he built a temple to the god Apollo and offered up his wings as a sacrifice.

Design as beauty and tragedy. It seems apropos to own it.

Vote!

This video is part of the nonpartisan AIGA Get out the Vote ad Campaign. My philosophy has always been if you don't vote you don't have a right to complain.

"What we do here affects the rest of the world. People follow."

Gensler alumn Cameron Sinclair is featured in a new Gap ad. Watch it here. As co-founder of Architecture for Humanity he is one of my design heroes. I met him in Qatar and he is kind, passionate and genuine. (Plus he told me I was a rock star!) If there is ever a day when I don't show up for work it will probably be because I've run off to join him. If you aren't familiar with him here is his Ted Talk.

Spring in the Rockies

Sorry for the lack of posts. Spring has been pretty busy but I'm enjoying a little lull at work. I thought I should catch everyone up before things get crazy again. 

In April I was able to attend my first groundbreaking ceremony for a project I worked on. Speeches were given, project boards were displayed and everyone, including me, took turns posing with shovels. I'd like to tell you all about the project, but it's for the government and if I put up details on the internet I might get audited. But here are a few photos of our presentation boards and some of the people I've been working with. The building is under construction and it will be exciting to see it as it goes up.

In May I participated in a Spring Swap hosted by my friend Susan. I sent a package of my favorite organizing supplies to Marilyn in Utah, and I got this lovely box of goodies from Raphelle in Brooklyn.

It included all her favorite things for spring, from makeup to sidewalk chalk. It was wonderful to come home to a box of spring fun!

In May I was part of my office's IIDA Pret-a-porter team. We were teamed up with an office furnishings dealer in town and our challenge was to turn their products into high fashion. We chose one of their task chairs, tore it apart, and remade it into a dress. It was so much fun, and we won 2nd place in the professional category. You can check out photos of the night here.

Memorial day week I flew home to visit my family. I was there for nine days and had absolutely nothing to do. It was wonderful! My niece Paige turned 8 years old and was baptised. She even asked me to give a talk at the baptism. As you can see she was very excited.

Her message in chalk says "Party on!" I'll post more photos of my week home when I download them from my other camera.

When I got back to work I found out I'm going to be on the IIDA chapter board as the new Student Liaison. For the next two years it will be my responsibility to represent students in four states. I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into, but it should be fun.

After all my hard work this past year I decided to splurge a little and on Saturday I bought myself an oil painting. I went to an art market held by a local art league and fell in love with this painting by George Coll. It was painted in the Denver Art Museum and is finally bringing some color into my beige living room. 

It's much richer in person. You'll have to stop by and see it.

That's my quick recap. I really need to write about my trip to Qatar and a few other things I've been thinking about. Unless I get distracted by the warm weather. 

 

Digital Sketch

My creative exercise for the day. Fifteen minutes with Photoshop and a random word generator. I don't know where the soft colors came from. This would be the perfect poster for the bedroom of an eight year old girl.

Wish List

If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, you can start with these shoes from United Nude by architect Rem Koolhaas.

Peel, like an apple.

Eamz, inspired by an Eames chair.

Mobius, after the strip, and connecting the curves of a Barcelona chair.

Light

When I moved this summer I left most of my old furniture behind. I only brought the basics - a bed, a dining table, and drafting table. I'm content to get by in a bare condo until I can afford to buy pieces I truly love. My new philosophy is that if it's not good enough for my future kids to fight over it when I die, I don't want it. That meant a few months of living on folding chairs, but my resolutions held firm.

Fortunaetly it didn't take long for me to fall in love. First I found an Artimide Mega Tolomeo floor lamp for a steal. The tag said there was a scratch on the shade, but there isn't. Even the salesperson couldn't find the defect and she gave it to me for the clearance price anyway. I took it right home and set it up in my living room.



It makes me happy, even with a folding chair.

I was even happier to find the perfect sofa at the same store. It took weeks for my order to arrive, but it was worth the wait.



The beige walls and vertical blinds will be going away soon, but until I find the perfect wall and window treatments, I'm content.

Address At The Heavenly End

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then this weekend I've caught up on months worth of posts. I hope you don't mind a few more.

I love cemeteries. Either you love them too, or you think I'm weird. There isn't much in between. I've always found them to be peaceful and fascinating places. Back in Utah I used to take friends around on cemetery tours in the fall and tell stories about all the interesting people. Now that I've moved I'm cut off from the familiar names and traditions I know. Near my home in Denver is a large cemetery named Fairmount, and last week I spent an afternoon wandering through. Apparently it's a popular thing to do because there were many others walking or biking along the lanes. There was even a group of people sitting next to a grave playing the guitar and singing.

I was also joined by a bus from a retirement center. The bus slowly drove around and stopped in front of a monument. Then a minute later it would drive around the corner and stop again. No one ever got off, but it slowly made the rounds as each person inside must have had a turn giving directions.



It was a beautiful fall afternoon. The weather was perfect.



According to the Fairmount's website, the 285 acres was opened in 1890.

Designed by German landscape architect, Reinhard Schuetze, the layout incorporates sweeping vistas in broad curved lanes thus creating a beautiful and serene park like setting.

Brett, is this the type of work you want to do?

It does, indeed, have sweeping vistas and some very curious monuments. There is also a different section for every religion and affiliation you can think of. There is a section of physicians, of veterans, of Catholics, of Greeks, of Jews, of Elks. If you belonged to it, you could be buried among it. Here are a few of the more interesting things I came across.

Most unusual monuments, in a contemporary art sort of way.



The inscription ad astra per aspera is Latin for "through adversity to the stars".





(The white building in the back is the mausoleum. It's huge!)

Best Nick-Names




Furthest Distance Travelled to be Here



Most Melodramatic Carved Image



Most Apropos Decoration



Idea I'm most likely to steal



Most "Colorado"



If this were Utah it would be red rock.

Most Cliche, but Still Touching



Coolest Headstone Calligraphy





Accompanied by
The Most Poetically Over-wrought Inscription



It's a little hard to read but it's by Tennyson.

"Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,
and slips into the bosom of the lake."

Most Appropriate Landscaping



Loveliest Carving





Best Name - Ever!



Most Intriguing Offerings



At the base of the candle is a pile of coins. Does anyone know the meaning behind this?

Coolest Religious Offerings



Most of the Jewish headstones were covered with rocks.

Best Monogram



Best Carved Name



Oddest Headstone



Cheesiest Amateur Poetry



Best Inscription and Carving Combination



Most Overly Sentimental Sentiment

If Tears Could Build a Stairway
And Memories Were A Lane
We Would Walk Right Up To Heaven
And Bring You Back Again

I wish I knew some of the stories of the people buried here. I bet they are fascinating.

Here Comes the Bride

My sister Shannon was married to Brian on May 11th.
It was a beautiful day.




With a beautiful luncheon.



And a beautiful reception.





The fish all made it through.



This is my three year old nephew Colin. He helped decorate.



And then there was the food.




It tasted even better than it looks. But not everyone agreed.



Apparently Oliver doesn't like ice cream.



Aiden wasn't too excited about it either.



And Cameron was being shy.



Their sister Paige isn't shy.



Neither is Kaylee!

There was dancing.

They cut the cake . . .

And Shannon threw the bouquet.

It was caught by Mekenzie.

On her sixteenth birthday!

Ethan had a little too much fun.

He hit his ear on a chair.

Ouch!

The bride and groom are off to Mexico.

I'm sure they'll live happily ever after . . .

More photos here.