design, architecture, urbanism… with a grain of salt

…so you browse, you surf, you find nothing. You go have a glass of tea. Then you come back. You browse, and surf. Then by chance you hook on to something and then it takes you somewhere. Then you see something different. From one individual from another place somewhere else in the world. You are amazed at the amount of man hours this thing you’ve discovered would have taken. Not just to construct the media in which you view the work, but the hours to construct the work. Or the planning, and study that goes into creating such a thing.

There is a high possibility that there are a lot of people that may already know of this one individual. But you don’t care. It still blows your mind.

Then you absorb what you need and drift off again, heading off on another journey through a maze of links and clicks learning about something you didn’t think existed. Once again, you have something to do. Something to critique. Something to share with someone else.

There lies the rhizomatic nature of the web. It is natural. Its not constructed, no one could have ever planned the internet.

This image is from Tom Sach’s website. I found it just clicking away. I found this model of Unite’. I love Le Corbusier. I used to loathe learning about him. I don’t know why. I just found other people more interesting. Now I love his work, and totally respect this fantastic reconstruction. It blows my mind.

I’m further refining what I feel is needed within this discourse we call Architecture. I’m trying to find what I can bring to the attention of many through a blog. The more I think about it, the more I feel we as a profession tend to take ourselves a little too seriously. That is what this post is going to be about. I believe it’ll end up a recurring theme on this blog. All the little images that come with this blog are from a post on the AIA first seen on lifewithoutbuildings.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe what we as a profession are doing is serious. I wouldn’t have committed over a third of my life to it if I didn’t believe this is so. There is something beautiful about how Architecture can affect us in ways that we are aware of, and subconsciously. Though this is another topic for another time.

The point I’m fumbling over (because I only ever fumble when I write. My hands clumsily fall across the keyboard in some irregular manner. As Architects we are taught to convey through drawing. I took this all too seriously, abandoned grammar and picked up the roll of trace losing a large part of what they taught in High School English in the process) is that sometimes we need satire in this profession.

There are 100’s, no wait 1000’s, of blogs on Architecture. There are discussions and comment sessions going on that make the head of any “normal” person spin. We as Architects know we are not “normal”. I don’t know too many “normal” people that stay up for days, striving toward an unforseeable end to a project. Here lies a small but significant problem with Architecture. I find that through our rantings we isolate the very people we set out to effect.

So satire, yes. It is important. I’m not 100% sure why just yet. 

It’s tagged on youtube as… “Technoviking Berlin Mitte Kneecam Dancing Viking Fuckparade 2000 Hardcore Techno Videoart subrealic”.

I don’t give a rats. Its so cool. John Conway got me onto this and I haven’t been able to stop watching it since. The furiousity in his dance moves, the fact that it isn’ staged.

Stay tuned until the 1:30 mark then it gets awesome.

Its great. So great.

This article got me ticking. It really did. I loved it so much. You know that feeling where you read something and it clicks?

When an article clicks with me it just makes you want to read it again and again. You relate to the text, you relate to the author. Then you can’t stop thinking about it. You try, but you can’t.

The article in question is on LA. If you don’t know what article I’m talking about, the article is in this link. The author talks of his love for LA, for the isolation of it all, the futility of it all. I read the first few lines and started thinking, wtf? Why? and “hang on, this isn’t supposed to be a good thing”
I mean I’ve grown up in Perth. An Architect I used to work for, Tim Wright, not only loved LA, but used to refer to Perth as LA 40 years ago.

This is a pic of LA’s crap skyline. Look at the sprawl.

I’m sure I was of the opinion that growing up in such a disjointed city like Perth really sucks. I thought that everyone that lives in Perth loved the proximity and longed for the little bars and the alleyway culture of places like Melbourne and some traditional DENSE European cities? No? Yes?

The last week I’ve been agreeing with BLDGBLOG more and more and more (…and more). Sprawled cities are great. You get a car, fuel is cheap, we are on the coast. For instance, when it comes to surfing and there are no waves where you are, then fuck it. Hop in the car, and drive North. There is always waves north. Well, I’m not going into detail on this. BLDGBLOG already has. 

For weeks and weeks I’ve been speculating on if its such a good idea to kick start this little blog, this, social commentary if you will and after reading this article it sealed the deal. I’m on it, I’m starting and I’m not looking back.