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?

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?

Recycled-Content Rubber Bands!

Architect's all seem to have some kind of interesting relationship with rubber bands.  There must be something in our DNA that attracts us to them.  Here at TRPinc, we're no different.  From Alex's 5" diameter rubber band ball to Steve's uncanny ability to shoot a rubber band at velocities approaching the speed of sound with the accuracy of a laser beam, our hearts are clearly bound by these little rubber hoops.

Last week we came across these little jewels out of Switzerland...rubber bands made from recycled bicycle innertubes!  The product, called Plattfuss, is beautiful, no matter what you're appreciation level is for rubber bands.  The packaging is well designed and the idea itself is simply brilliant.  Designed by Brigitta and Benedikt Martig-Imhof of SEED Peoples Market for tät-tat

 

{images courtesy of notcot.org}

UV Self-Sanitizing Door Levers

COME ALL YE GERMAPHOBES!!!

Recently we came across this blog post describing an award winning product design by Choi Bomi for red dot. In a nutshell, it's a door lever equipped with a UV light that sanitizes the door lever when its not in use. Genius, right?

Sustainability Through Urban Agriculture

This week’s blog post may be a bit of a departure at first glance. It doesn’t directly discuss the typical topics of architecture, building design or building products. Instead, we are taking more of a macro view of the built environment and its sustainability.

One of the side discussions of sustainability and your ‘carbon footprint’ has returned us to a discussion on local food versus food that is shipped thousands of miles to end up on your plate. All those miles that produce are trucked/shipped expands your carbon footprint incredibly and also makes for produce that is harvested too early to prevent spoilage and product loss for the produce distributors. So now we’re seeing restaurants that tout local food, farmer’s markets, food co-ops, community gardens and in some areas of the country, community supported agriculture (or CSAs).