design, architecture, urbanism… with a grain of salt

As I try to establish the Grain of Salt blog on Blogspot, this one continues to pick up momentum at an alarming rate. 

If you are visiting this blog still, make sure you get over and check out some of the new posts that I’ve listed below;

Two time lapse videos were posted.

Some photo montages from downtown Milan are up

Two articles that I’m working on are as follows. I hope to get these up by the end of the day.

Web Urbanist has posted some great photos on abandoned airfields. An short musing on the conversion of airfields and airplanes follows.

Dezeen recently posted a forum on comments (through the comment section). I’ve expressed my point of view, and paraphrased some of the best ones.

…to a bigger network of blogs, and a better support system with more flexibility.

Google Blogger! 

Google are yet to allow cross-pollination of blogs, so for now all the old posts will remain as they are, and the new posts will be at this link;

http://dau-grainofsalt.blogspot.com/

You can also access the new blog directly from http://www.grain-of-salt.net. The first post in the new environment has a couple of youtube time lapse video. Check it out here.

WE ARE MOBILE.

Thanks to Tumblr, we have an iPhone/Blackberry/other mobile device interface. To read the posts without all the sidebar jazz, add this to your phone’s bookmarks.

[image via arqui.tectura]

Architect: Eduardo Souto de Moura

Completed: 2001/2002

Location: Ponte de Lima, Portugal

Just over 500 unique visits this month for the first time. Thanks to all the visitors. I’ll keep it interesting.

Barrio Venecia Bogotá on Flickr - Photo Sharing.

Lisbona Expo, ‘98, Alvaro Siza. via Flickr (zeneize)

Is sustainability boring?

click the link to read the article. via Arbitare.

yes. sustainability is boring. It is boring and uninspired. Well put Michael Braungart. 

The counter argument to the most reductive movement known.

Well done Mr Rem + team | via ArchDaily.com

At the risk of over-blogging a single subject (all too common on Design/Archi blogs) I’ve sourced and relayed from the depths of designboom images of an exhibition on Australian vernacular/nostalgic/romantic guru, Mr Glenn Murcutt. 

A self-proclaimed man-of-the-hand (to quote “I do not use a computer other than word processing and probably will never.”), this exhibition appears as a wonderful display of design-process and its relationship with an exquisitely crafted build-process adapted precisely to its environment.

[Photo: Nacása & Partners Inc, sourced from GALLERY MA website]

….Unfortunately for those that aren’t actually in Tokyo between now and August 9, you’ll have to enjoy the images on the Gallery Ma (Tokyo) website.

[Photo: Nacása & Partners Inc, sourced from GALLERY MA website]

One final quote from Glenn:

I have established a miniscule practice. I have no staff whatsoever. No secretary, no typist, no tea maker, no draftsperson, no computer operator and a body of clients waiting for work in the order of two years. 

The method of practice compliments the project.

Church San Benedetg: Zumvitg, Switzerland, by Peter Zumthor.

Arguably, one of those projects where everything is perfect. (Well, except for those ugly cupboards they´ve put near the door. I won´t be showing photos of those.)

We set ourselves a limit of 5 of the most basic moments:

(1) form : impression

_photo by artist Hiroshi Sugimoto

(2) door : threshold

(3) window : light

(4) structure : materiality

(5) quiet : context

Is my summary. In short, if you find yourself lost in the mountains of Switzerland, make sure you find this little place, it´s incredible.

Now for some other links from people who took better photos than me and did more research:

http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6708&page=4

http://kubuildingtech.org/cooltour/gallery/sumvigt/index.html

http://flickr.com/photos/roryrory/2458139391/in/set-72157604836784920/

http://www.artnet.com/artwork/425010786/1158/hiroshi-sugimoto-saint-benedict-chapel—peter-zumthor.html