Mason Jar Light Fixtures – an ideabook from our Houzz
January 18, 2012
The custom Mason jar chandelier designed by Mason Kirby for a project on Valencia Street in San Francisco is consistently a fan favorite. The following ideabook showcases some other creative ways that designers and homeowners have used Mason jars as light fixtures. For a real life example, take a stroll by our office windows!
“Shelves as Partitions” – An Ideabook from our Houzz.com account
January 12, 2012
Open shelves that divide a space provide both storage and partitioning – two birds with one stone! Below are some lovely examples of shelves that are not only furniture but spatial elements providing visual access as well as room definition.
Watch This Lady Make Models of Famous Buildings Using Junk
December 8, 2011
Watch Spanish designer Luis Urculo’s video here, a must see for architecture buffs & laypeople alike.
Bernal Heights Coloring Contest Winners!
December 8, 2011
The moment you have all been waiting for! And the winners are…
Ages 0-3:
1st Place – Sebastian
2nd Place – Elsa
3rd Place – Adelaide
Ages 4-6:
1st Place – David
2nd Place – Soren
3rd Place – Miel
Honorable Mentions – Vivian, Leslie
Ages 7-10:
1st Place – Martin
2nd Place – Luc
Ages 11-105:
1st Place – Sophie
2nd Place – Todd
Big thanks to all who entered – Bernal Heights has never looked so colorful!
Bernal Heights Coloring Contest Entries
December 5, 2011
We had too many great entries for our Bernal Heights Kids Coloring Contest to fit in our office windows! Winners to be announced soon…
Bernal Heights Kids Coloring Contest
November 22, 2011
I just overheard a young couple outside my office window: “… a four day break from school next week?? What the hell are we going to do??” My sentiments exactly. So just in time for a rainy Thanksgiving break, we are launching a kids coloring contest.
Client Wanted: Polka-Dot Aga
August 5, 2011
Truck Step turned Soap dish
July 8, 2011
We’re a bit late to the party on this one, but we’ve just come across an unlikely combination of durability and functionality in the novel repurposing of a tractor/trailer foot step turned flush mounted soap dish. This comes our way via Todd Lappin, a Bernal Heights industriophile who has more than his fair share of creative gems lurking beneath his “Telstar Logistics” brand. Read more about it here.
Architects in their own words: Desert Infill?
November 27, 2010
Architects Take On Museums in Doha and Abu Dhabi – Interactive Feature – NYTimes.com.
This interactive feature presents four architects describing recent museum commissions in the Middle East. The architect engage both the lack of physical context as well as the contemporary aspirations of their surrounding societies.
Its refreshing to hear architects in their own words. Much like the The Chicago Tapes or The Charlottesville Tapes, this excerpt helps to demystify the nature and intention of the design process that is otherwise left behind closed doors.
Robert Moses and the Bikelane Backlash
November 22, 2010
Bike Lanes’ Growth in New York Brings Backlash – NYTimes.com.
While New York City appears at the forefront of a national trend to increase access to its scarce pavement, a review of the chronology dating to back to the beginning of the 20th century reveals this “forefront” to be more of a “crest” in a cyclical wave of politics. Somewhere in that mush of time Robert Moses transformed New York– how he did it is as important to cyclists today as what he did.
Cyclists should review the techniques and strategies of Mr. Moses for clues as to how to implement their vision through parallel political and a-political processes. Here are my three cents:
First, frame the message: Moses was ‘giving’ parks and parkways to the people. Cyclists appear to be ‘taking’ from the auto and pedestrians. Since there is little debate as to the future demand, need or desire to implement a healthy and sustainable alternative to the auto, the onus will rest squarely on cyclists to reframe their message as a giving and not a taking.
Second, make no small plans: Develop and sell the entire network–not just the individual intersection. Its too easy for individualized local fights to overwhelm the value of an entire network.
Third, follow the money. Moses gave us toll roads (aka “parkways,” ahem) while Bikes remain basically free. Bike coalitions have largely been self financed and their respective political results suggest this meager purse power. Municipalities that want to encourage the muli-tmodal use of their roadways should immediately enforce a drivers/riders license requirement and impose a new use fee for cyclists that use the road (and not just ‘share’ or ‘borrow’ it). The use fee should start out high and decrease with the actual mileage traveled (or perhaps number of consecutive years renewed.)
I’d value your continued comment and thoughts.