Independence Day 2011 - FIREWORKS!!!

Just in case you haven't noticed...Summer is here!  The 110 degree thermometer reading should have been your first clue.  The upcoming 4th of July festivities are a pretty good 2nd clue.

Sahara...lost in the land of giants

Last month the world-famous Sahara Hotel and Casino closed. It's a bittersweet moment in the history of Las Vegas each time a treasured part of our city's past is removed from its future. Having lived here for several decades, many of us are used to this and understand that it is part of what makes The Strip environment as unique as it is. It is almost expected to be dynamic and never the same when you visit it.

As architects, a view like this one evokes several emotions. The hotel tower, constructed in the 1960s as the tallest building in Las Vegas, no longer fits the scale of its peers. An eclectic mix of scale, use and style in most other metropolises creates an urban fabric that is rich, but it is evident that in the case of the Las Vegas Strip, David doesn't face the same fate against Goliath.

So, we look at this image and imagine the possibilities that the future holds, however far off it may be. Does a Goliath belong at this corner? What form should the north Strip take as it transitions into a blossoming Downtown LV, where the scale is very different and more diverse and independent stake-holders are beginning to flourish?

Reflections on Spring Lighting

There are two times of the year when I think I am truly amazed by light – both natural and artificial light.  Right now, I’m in love with the natural light of the spring equinox that casts a bit brighter of a hue, both white and yellow, and shines at an angle that seemingly makes everything look better, or more important, or just pretty.

 

The BEAUTY Series: An Ongoing Discussion

We recently came across an intriguing article titled What Happened to Modernism? authored by Eric Corey Freed on the GreenExpo365.com blog.  The article coincided with Modernism Week, held in Palm Springs every year, this event spotlights the array of Mid-Century Modern buildings that Palm Springs has to offer.  You'll recall, Caron made a recent trip to PS that ended up being the same weekend as Modernism Week.  Needless to say, several of us are interested in attending next year.

Lest I digress...

The article, along with Caron's tales, got us discussing more about the role of modern, contemporary, non-traditional architectural form in buildings today and how it was so prevalent in the 50's and 60's both in Palm Springs and Las Vegas.  Housing tracts built during that era were unique reflections of the architecture of the time; clean, light-weight and well-connected with its surroundings.  The housing tracts of today don't even come close to making the same connection to current architectural trends.  At one time, even common, "everyday architecture" had pizazz.  Now everything attempts to look like a Tuscan-Villa-Spanish-Mission-stucco-and-concrete tile-hybrid-mashup of nonsense!

So, what happened to Modernism, or even modern-ism, or even being modern?

Going With The Grain: Hardwood Flooring Inspired By Nature

Why does hardwood flooring have to look like a machined product?

Why does does a machined natural product have to lose its connection to its organic roots?

Trees aren't straight, so why do wood floors have to be?