Ohio State

As you know, I'll be headed up to Columbus, OH with Katie and Amanda to see my two sisters this weekend. Who knows what we'll find to keep ourselves occupied, but I'm hoping we'll be able to hop over to the campus for just a little bit so I can grab a few pictures. While I was looking for things to do online this morning I found a few buildings on campus that, as if I ever had any doubt, hold up to the excellence that is Ohio State.

This is the School of Architecture Library- by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects. I read a little bit about it this morning and it brought back flashbacks from our days in studio- "When considering this library as part of the program for their school of architecture, the faculty wanted to create an information and knowledge resource that also could serve as a reflective space away from the work environment of the design studios." I think that's what they were starting to develop in our resource library at UNCG- not sure if you got a chance to see it built, erin- with the chaise lounges and space to relax and read-up. This is my favorite part: "This two-story glass-box, book-lined 'room' accommodates 30,000 volumes and seating for 70 people in 40 table seats and 30 lounge chairs- each designed by a famous architect or designer." I'm so jealous.


This building, I really found by accident... I took these pictures while I was there a couple of years ago of it being constructed. We were driving around the night I got into town, just as Meagen was starting school there (so proud!) and kind of stumbled upon it. I LOVE the red band- buckeye pride!- and am really crazy about the way this place looks at night. After coming home and doing a little bit of research recently on it, I found out this building is the Recreation and Physical Activites Center- RPAC- and is up and running, fully functional. This picture I definitely borrowed from it's website, but I'm hoping to grab a few of my own this weekend. Nonetheless, still gorgeous, as expected.

yellow??

So a few months ago the yellow fever was going around. I thought you had caught it too. I remember a conversation that we had that about doing your room in red, YELLOW, grey and black. hmmm, anyway here is a site that might get your brain working... Style Files. I really like the idea of the plain yellow canvases. You could do a series of those as a minamalist statement, maybe all different shades of yellows or shapes of canvases but real graphic.

OR, i know you like all those retro vintage prints. what if you found images of a bunch of those, maybe even some with yellow and red, then frame them in the Ikea silver Ribba frames. to stay with your grey theme.

iPod Touch

Ummm...hello... remember that dream I have of one day owning the iPhone? Well, it just got a little bit closer to becoming reality. I don't know if you saw the release yesterday, but Apple has come out with a few tricks up their sleeve.
First, they introduced this little number, the iPod Touch, which is basically the iPhone without the phone. I'm not sure how I feel about this- kind of seems like a cop-out. Actually, I really like the idea of the touch-screen iPod, I just wish they hadn't designed it to live in the shadow of the iPhone quite so much. I picture myself walking down the street, jamming out to my new iPod Touch, and someone stops me and says, "is that the iPhone?!?! SWEET!" and there I am, head down, and I have to say, "nope... no phone... just the touch..." I know it's cheaper, and I know sometimes you don't want the phone, let alone the forced AT&T contract, and you just want the touch, but... does that make sense?
Also, SPEAKING of the iPhone, Apple did something they rarely do. They cut the price. Originally, you had two options when purchasing your little piece of treasure: 4GB, $500; 8GB, $600. Now, they've completely done-away with this 4GB option (sorry to those of you that spent your life's savings on it, only to have it phased out within months...) and they've changed the price of the 8GB to $400 ($399 to be exact). So, we're looking at more bang for your buck, months after the release, and a copy-cat version.
I kind of wish Apple had stuck to their guns a little bit more, and I REALLY wish they'd come out with a different looking iPod Touch- this is like the iPhone's cousin- still cool, still smart, still worth being friends with, but not QUITE as good as the first guy. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

gray & red? am I crazy?

In response to this "blue and green" argument you seem to be fighting with yourself- I'm nowhere near convinced that you've kicked the habit, I started thinking about what my new scheme is. I might need some help on this- my old fave's were...lime green with black / white? I can't figure it out. Either way, that seemed a bit out-dated and a little too vibrant to be able to take myself seriously... so I've revised the scheme. I wish I had pictures of my room, or I wish it was clean enough to TAKE pictures to show you right now, but I'm in need of some help for this huge, massive, empty wall I've got in there.
I've still got the light wood- maple?- bed frame from IKEA - the MALM - and those two vintage / retro pieces- the desk & the antique sewing table (which holds my TV for now). I painted the wall behind the desk a really nice gray & have a collection of black frames with white matts, holding black and white photos, all varied sizes.
Basically, I'm going with the gray / black - white / and RED scheme to go with my varied shades of wood- call me crazy, but its starting to take shape. I bought this bedding from EQ3 and I REALLY like the white / gray simplicity of it- the gray almost matches my wall- a little darker, but same family.
Here's the challenge: I have the opposite wall from the gray one- nothing sits against it, nothing hanging on it.. it needs some lovin. I've got a lot of the gray paint leftover- I was thinking some kind of retro flower graphic painted on the wall? Maybe some mirror design instead? I really like this bamboo situation from BLIK, but I feel like the bamboo craze is a little asian / played-out for my taste... make sense? Help!

blue and GREEN...

Ok, you are right... not over the blue and green phase (yet) but I did find this very "green" dinnerware on the HG website that I thought was very cool. It is made of ocean glass from VivaTerra. Very pretty and recycled material. love it! I'll keep workin on the green and purple thing... I'll let you know when I've moved on.

katie's been published!

That building from the Modern looks awesome- I've got to make it out there at some point...

Kind of as a continuation of the whole Virginia Tech thing, Katie's newspaper, The Pilot, asked her if she'd write an article on her experience there this past weekend, and has published it in today's paper! (So proud of her... such a heart-felt letter from such a die-hard VT fan):
______________________________________________________________________________________________

KATHRYN GALLOWAY: Tech Triumph: First Hokie Game Helps Healing Process

A tear rolled down my cheek and over my orange and maroon stick-on Virginia Tech tattoo on Saturday, as I was able to gain a sense of peace over the loss of so many fellow Hokies this past April.
This was the first time I was able to make it up to Blacksburg, Va., after the tragic multiple murders occurred, and although I expected it to be more than an emotional roller-coaster, I don't think that I could have anticipated the overwhelming sense of pride and love that filled the air of that beautiful mountain town.

I arrived on Friday night and walked into The Hokie House, a local bar and restaurant that my family and I have frequented since we began going to games about 15 years ago. About five minutes after we had sat down and begun settling into our long night ahead, a voice somewhere on the other side of the room suddenly began the familiar chant starting, "LET'S GO" and like clockwork, the opposite side of the bar responded, "HOKIES!"

The back-and-forth chant shook the small building and the souls of the fans and students therein. It was just a glimpse of the day ahead of us -- and a reminder that there was no animosity toward our opponents, no underlying anger toward the events of last April, but the feeling of moving on.


game day was upon us. At this time in the foggy morning on the Tech campus, my dad fired up the grill under the two orange and maroon tents. I was dressed from head to toe in my game day best: orange and maroon pompom earrings, VT ribbon in my hair, maroon shirt and orange belt.
We spent the next four hours celebrating and looking forward to the next four hours of what was to be a terrific season opener. Of course we talked point spreads, starting line-ups, and future opponents, but still we knew that this day was about more than just a football game.

The field was perfect, adorned with two new additions: orange ribbons with the maroon VT centered in them.

The Highty Tighties took the field, followed by the Marching Virginians, to proudly play the national anthem. The majestic words of our nation's song began, and then there was a beautiful tribute video played over the Hokie Vision screen, filled with images of the 32 victims, the aftermath, and the coming together of a community.

Thirty-two orange balloons were then released into air and drifted into the sky over Lane Stadium. With those balloons also floated away the pain of so many, and peace was found.

The woman beside me in the stands stood looking up in the sky as the balloons soared higher, and just as my first tear hit the ground, she laid a hand on my shoulder. She, too, had felt the same emotion. And as I looked around me, every face then seemed a little more familiar, and I knew I wasn't alone.

Of course, the sweet sounds of my favorite chant then echoed across the stadium, just as the night before. Only this time, it was 66,000 voices strong. "Enter Sandman" played, the crowd jumped, and the game began. It was everything that I could have expected and more.

Thirty-two memorial stones lay in a semicircle in front of Burgess Hall, each stone bearing the name of each victim. I approached the site only to stand in a quarter-mile line of orange and maroon shirts, most with flowers and watery eyes. It was a silence completely opposite of the game day crowd just a couple of hours before.

The stones were adorned with keepsakes from the friends and family of each, and it was as if I could see their faces and knew who they were. Each carried such character and life, and though to me they were strangers, I walked away feeling like a sister to each.

I did not attend Virginia Tech, though 19 people in my family dating back in the early 1900s attended and graduated. The roots of my family's passion and spirit for this team and school have extended to me.

One might think that such a love for a team and a college campus is a little odd. I would say to those people that it is more than a football team. It's about family. It's about 66,000 of your closest friends. It's about tradition. This past weekend, I was assured of the ability of a community to be a shoulder to lean on, and to heal.

This is a letter of confidence, writing to report that the Hokie Nation is still just as strong, and forever will be. I do believe that through adversity comes strength, and I have never witnessed a better testimony of unwavering strength than that of my weekend in Blacksburg.

If one phrase was engrained into every heart last weekend, it was the powerful message delivered from Distinguished Professor Nikki Giovanni at the memorial ceremony on April 17: "We will prevail. We ARE Virginia Tech."

Kathryn Galloway is a graphic designer with The Pilot.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Katie told me that one of her bosses asked her, after reading this article / letter to the editor, if she'd be willing to be a little bit more regular in the opinions section of her paper- way to go, katie!

so real

Benihana and I went to the Kimbell and The Modern in Fort Worth on Sunday. I got duped... well not really. We went to the Kimbell first and I offered to pay there if he paid at the Modern. He reluctantly agreed thinking that I knew I was getting the better deal. As the lady was running my card, Ben starts making small talk about how busy it is that day. The lady then informs us that it is free day at the Modern... I got duped.

We did a quick tour of the Kimbell as we really wanted to go to the Modern more. The architecture was pretty ingenious as to how they were able to let natural light in, while still protecting the art. The Modern was really fun. There was an exhibit by Ron Mueck. It was disturbing, thought-provoking and very cool all at once. The picture below is one of the statues on exhibition. So, lifelike. I thought they would turn and talk at any moment. and he was a creator of puppets in the Labyrinth.... I knew I liked this guy!!

The building itself was very cool I'd rate it in my top ten favorites. Good thing Robert made us research that one! It was strange knowing the floor plan and never having been there. It would be a great place for a special event.

To make up for the admission fiasco I got a book out of it. World Changing:A Users Guide for the 21st Century. Its a big book... but i'm thinking I'll get alot out of it.

virginia tech tribute

Not so much related to design, but still worthy of a mention:


This past weekend I was at the Virginia Tech / ECU football game- the first game of the season- and it was pretty intense. Erin, knowing you're a huge hokies fan, trying to keep up the spirit over there in Texas, I know you'll appreciate this. Well, we started tailgating at the crack of dawn, as was expected from the crowd I was with, and then went into the game about an hour before it started. Well, about half an hour before kick-off, there was a tribute that had been prepared, part of a series of dedications to those that were injured and killed in the shooting back in April. There was a little movie that was prepared- not a dry eye in the house after that one, and then select members of the marching band / whoever on the field held 32 balloons with that VT / Ribbon graphic that's been used throughout the country to symbolize support of those victims. The balloons were released, ceremoniously "letting go," if you will.

After that the game went on as usual- the players seem to be a little bit down-and-out at the start of the season, especially on offense, from what I hear. Virginia Tech did beat ECU, but it wasn't by much. By the way, before I forget, a huge thanks did go out to ECU as they impressively presented VT with a check for $100,000 to help with their relief efforts. Nicely done, ECU.

After the game & tailgating, we made our way over to the new memorial constructed for the victims of the incident. The line was down and across the drill field- pretty impressive. Each person killed that day was represented by a stone marker in a semi-circle formation, and each was decorated with flowers and personal items from friends and family- it didn't really set-in until we saw those markers, with the names, and the personal notes and whatnot from these people's friends. Seeing photos, game-day stuff, beads, bouquets of flowers, etc... all of it was really impressive.

charleston charrette

Sorry I've been kind of slack on posting / beginning to post- this will be my first of many, I hope! Last week I was in Charleston with a few people from the firm I work for, as well as a few from another firm we collaborate with a lot. We have a really great alliance with another firm, also with several offices around the country- and internationally, I've recently discovered. It's really interesting to get to know the people I work with, as well as the people we work closely with- two birds / one stone situation, if you will.

Either way, we had a design charrette in Charleston, SC last week. Basically, the client- a developer with some pretty valuable land on Johns Island- is looking for a group to help him come up with a product for a developement / series of developments he's looking to build. I'd never been down there before, and have only worked with this company for a few weeks, so I was pretty intimidated. We were working on the master planning and architectural design work for a few different products- some flats, some condo's, some townhomes, and some village / community use. Everything was designed with the attempt at keeping that Johns Island vernacular- I think they described it as "well-proportioned, modestly appointed," all with a really coastal / georgian / colonial feel to it. Hard to describe, but when you see it, you know.




We were working out of this guy's sales center- one of the previously designed / built units- and we kind of blew in like a storm. We made a huge mess- probably went through a dozen rolls of trace- but in the end, accomplished a huge amount of work for just under a week. It was an amazing trip- even though we just graduated recently, and likewise started working within the last year, it was great to be able to soak it all in- the personalities & skills of the people I work for.

saturday street art

One thing I love about you kel is your shared love of street art and graffiti. I was perusing through pictures of where I was this time last year. I found a couple a pictures of art in Ocean Beach California. Love it! I also found a blog that focuses simply on graffiti and street art. Check it out here.

Architectual Zen...

I have learned a lot about Bruce Goff today. On the photo shoot we were on location at one of the houses he designed. This is the gate to the garden. I am truly inspired by the organic nature of this house. Ironically enough, I described it to someone as “boogie nights meet Flintstones meet Graceland.” (In a graceful, so wrong it’s right sorta way.)

This house is in Dallas but I honestly think it belongs somewhere further on the West Coast. Never the less I am glad I got to see it and think is uber-groovy… it’s on the market, take the virtual tour on the realty website. Too bad I’m not $1.3 million richer.

Ps. we chose the petit fours.

Cupcakes and Petit Fours, so girly!

I love cupcakes! I mean come on! What girl doesn’t? So, on the mantra of “we like to eat, it’s what we do!” I went to Dallas’ very groovy new installment of Sprinkles, Beverly Hills. And man, are they pretty, not to mention the very sleek interior. They have their cupcakes for everyday then they also have a schedule of special cupcakes they do only once, twice or three times a week.

I also discovered this very posh little place called Petit Fours. And they serve what else… but petit fours. Its very much a modern tea shop. It makes me thank my mother for sending me to Cotillion and etiquette class.

This all came in very handy because we are doing our photo shoot this week and needed to some props for some new cake stands we are shooting. So what will it be, the very pretty petit fours or the oh, so groovy cupcakes. I bought two from each shop tonight so that I could “try” them. i.e. bring ‘um in tomorrow and get opinions from the rest of the design team.

I’ll let you know the results tomorrow!