You Can’t Have Architecture Without ‘Art’
It’s important as an Architect or any professional involved in design, to expand your aesthetic references. I’ve shared in this blog in the past my travels throughout California and how in all cases I’ve taken in those experiences and improved my own perspective and ‘art’ as an Architect.
Read MoreModern Architecture in the Deserts of Palm Springs
I recently returned from Palm Spring’s Modernism Week, which is an annual celebration of midcentury modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture in the Palms Springs area of Southern California. Modernism Week encourages education through lectures, exhibitions, films, and home tours of Palm Springs’s architecture. Palm Springs has one of the highest densities of mid-century modern architecture, in particularly midcentury modern homes. At one point, Palm Springs was known as having the most swimming pools per capita in the country! Celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Lucille Ball flocked to the area and sought out architects to create their highly distinctive desert getaways.
Read MoreWayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes
After a recent client meeting in Rancho Palos Verdes, I had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite places, the Wayfarers Chapel. A creation of renowned architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Chapel is considered one of the most notable examples of organic architecture. Situated on a bluff, much like the future home of our clients, the structure emerges from the hilltop and is barely differentiated from the now mature landscaping of trees, rose bushes, and other greenery. Perched above the Pacific with views of Catalina Island, the blue sky backdrop to the nearly all glass chapel, blurs the distinction between inside and out—the defining trait of organic architecture.
Read MoreLessons Learned off the Beaten Path in Southern California
Los Angeles is notorious for being a hodge podge: a region with a rich history from the days of the Native Americans, through the gold rush and World Wars, the Hollywood Glamour days, and now into modern California. A collection of different cultures and lifestyles makes for a showcase of architecture in my backyard.
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