DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
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TIPS FOR NEW ARCHITECTS BY STUART NAROFSKY
rich brilliant willing a fun, modest (no, really!) furniture design trio
Grenades, uranium, bombs and more
Talking typography Q&A with Jonathan Hoefler of H&FJ
+
9 hot spots
urban outfitters’ massive shipyard campus
lake house living: four modern homes by the shore
la’s vip architect: celebrity homes by robbin hayne
Also inside:
JULY/AUGUST 2011 $8 USA/CAN
a day trip through Southeast London
THERE IS NO BOTTLE BIG ENOUGH
written works by Musicians edited by chris force AND SAGE FR ANCIS
COMING SOON www.thereisnobottlebigenough.com
DESIGN BUREAU
Contents
INFORMER 10 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 22 24 25 26 27 28 30 32 34 36 37 38 40 41 42 44 46 48 50
Made in America: Hearth & Heritage Luminous Chaos DB Cocktail Hour Chicago Spotlight: Scott Wilson, MINIMAL 5 Designers / 5 Questions Illusion-Inspired Furniture On the Rise: Gulla Jonsdottir & Kevin West Total Garbage Design in Weird Places Ask the Expert Jewelry Dualism Smart Product of the Issue, Recommended Reading Map-Like Home Decor Overlooked Design: The Manhole Cover Top 5: Jeffrey Bernett Carbon-Conscious Kicks: Civic Duty Shoes Patterns & Palettes: Angie Hranowsky Design Studio Design of Sports: Evolving Uniforms Small-Screen Style: Christina Tonkin Float Like A... Design Jobs Around the World: Graphic Designers Weekender: Martha's Vineyard Inspired: Jessica Boudreaux, Interior Designer Toys by Design: Ferg Storefront—Life:Curated What is Cast-in-Place Concrete? Glass in Four Ways Advice From an Architect: Stuart Narofsky The Family Five: Jonathan Hoefler, H&FJ How to Buy: Summertime Gear
DESIGN THINKING 51 54 57 60 63 68 72 78 85 87 90 94
Green-Space Conundrum: Keith LeBlanc Inside My Office: Alessandro Orsini Visualizing Wellness: Thinc Design & Urban A&O Fill in the Blank: Stephen Yablon Tear-Sheet Kindling: MR Architecture + Decor Urban Renewal: Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. Living by the Lake: Robert M. Gurney + more Building Doctors: Edmonds + Lee There Goes the Neighborhood: Macy Architecture Celebrity Confidential: Hayne Architects Stairway Centerpiece: Caliper Studio Lush Living: Matthew Blesso FEATURES
98 102 106 120 127 129
The Shape of Design: Elke Walter Rich, Brilliant & Willing to Work For You Explosive Design Trek Across the Thames Redefining Form and Content: Visual Editions This Issue’s Best Albums, Presented by ALARM PLUS
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Letter from the Editor Contributors Letters For Hire
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DESIGN BUREAU
DESIGN BUREAU Publisher & editor-in-chief
Chris Force chris@alarmpress.com ----MANAGING EDITOR
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
copy editor
SALES EXECUTIVE
Kristin Lamprecht kristin@alarmpress.com Kyle Gilkeson
editoriAL INTERNs
-----
-----
Elise Schmitt elise@alarmpress.com -----
design INTERN
Tarra Kieckhaefer tarra@alarmpress.com
----contributors
beyond print. beyond design.
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Archival Clothing, Chris Allsop, Brian Aufdenberg, Jim Bartsch, Ben Benschneider, Simon Berlyn, Murrye Bernard, Shawn Brackbill, Jeremy Brautman, Jessica Boudreaux, Jennifer Brunner, James Chang, Ty Cole, Bruce Damonte, Noah Davis, Josh Dehonney, Ryan Delia, Erika Dufour, Felicia Feaster, Squire Fox, Karla Garcia, Caitlin Gath, Sarah Handelman, Jamie Hartford, Jesse Hora, Noah Kalina, Ralph Kämena, Mikiko Kikuyama, Ellen Knuti, Andy Lai, Brian Libby, Tom Loughlin, Eric Luc, Julia Lynn, Maxwell MacKenzie, Mark Macy, Kaitlin Madden, Silja Magnusdottir, Saundra Marcel, Christopher Moraff, Michael Moran, Scott Morrow, Stephanie Orma, The Reference Council, Caitlin M. Ryan, Kalle Sanner, Jason Schmidt, Stephanie Sims, Lesley Stanley, David Summers, Lara Swimmer, Dan Tobin-Smith, Albert Vecerka, Mosch Vincent, Adam Vorhees, Paul Warchol, Matthew Williams, Sean Yashar, Cyn Zarco, Tom Zoellner
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cover image Photo by Erika Dufour Grenade by Piet Houtenbous, story on page 114
Š 2011 Design Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. DESIGN BUREAU is a trademark of Design Bureau.
DESIGN BUREAU
Rich, Brilliant & Willing to Work For You Get to know the three guys behind the sterling name and ogle their elegant, colorful furniture. Page 102
Living by the Lake: Robert M. Gurney + more Discover four waterfront homes from around the world that inject classically idyllic surroundings with a touch of modernism. Page 68 Top: Rich, Brilliant, Willing, photo by Noah Kalina; Bottom: The Buisson Residence, photo by Maxwell MacKenzie
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DESIGN BUREAU
Building Doctors See why Bay Area husband-and-wife architecture firm Edmonds + Lee likens its work to plastic surgery. Page 78
Explosive Design Discover our jam-packed list of 22 explosive people and things blowing up design. Page 106
Above: Summerhill Residence, photo by Bruce Damonte; Below: hand grenade lamps, photo by Erika Dufour
DESIGN BUREAU
Redefining Form and Content Anna Gerber and Britt Iverson, founders of British publishing companyVisual Editions, are out to create a more textured reading experience. Page 120
Anna Gerber and Britt Iverson of Visual Editions, photo by Tom Loughlin
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DESIGN BUREAU // Letters Informer & Contributors
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
DESIGN BUREAU CONTRIBUTORS
Nutty With A Touch of Fruit My recent favorite question to ask a designer is how they would describe their style, their purpose, their motivation. Designers hate that question. It’s like being asked to describe your favorite smell, or discuss the qualities of a fancy wine—there’s no good way to do it. So instead we’ll naturally start talking about traveling, interesting places we’ve recently been, music we’ve heard, or maybe things we’ve eaten or movies we’ve seen. And slowly, all these little pieces, the casual likes and dislikes (and the carefully crafted reasoning behind them) begin to scratch out a picture of the designer. Right—this is the feeling they’re after. That is the place they’re trying to bring us. Only a few actually get us there. The rest will organically meander, and often that’s enough. I like the term meander. It implies a purpose and destination as well as a course of action, an organic path that changes and evolves as it stretches out over time. We read a lot about exploring, challenging, investigating. That to me is the analytical path, the boardroom decision, the marketing approach—let’s take a straight line to nowhere, but carefully document our steps along the way. “Here, I made a really expensive chair, with absolutely impractical materials. It is completely uncomfortable and cannot be manufactured, but it adds yet another absurd comment to a long discourse on stupid chairs.” Yes. Yes, you did. But, outside of the museum, who cares?
Erika Dufour is a photographer living and working in Chicago. A former ballet student at Columbia College, she continues to incorporate a physical aspect into her imagery. Dufour also spends a large part of her time training in Wushu—Chinese Martial Arts—and learning about the human body in motion. www.erikadufour.com
Caitlin Gath is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison school of journalism and mass communication, and now resides in Chicago. She primarily writes city news and local feature stories, but also enjoys writing about design. Caitlin loves animals and volunteers regularly at her local Humane Society. www.caitlingath.wordpress.com
Sarah Handelman is a writer and designer living in London, where she is pursuing a master’s in Design Writing Criticism. She moonlights as the publisher of two zines—BodyTalk and Not French Cooking. At all hours, she looks for any excuse to cook, eat, and write about food. www.sarahhandelman.com
Tom Loughlin is a photographer, designer, and illustrator. He lives in London, beside the railway line and a family of foxes. www.tomloughlin.co.uk
Why do young, creative, and untethered designers put up with such nonsense? (If you know, please tell me.) Effective designers are trying to take us some place. They might not know how to get there, but we’re welcome along for the ride as they attempt to reproduce a fleeting feeling, a vague memory, or a secret emotion. They’re trying to manipulate us to trust in their destination, for good and for gain. Yes, this product will make you feel sexy. Yes, this restaurant is cute. Yes, both will help you be more charming to your date. And most of all, the good designer uses their style to earn our trust and our confidence (and often our money). So, as I prepare for Design Bureau’s one-year anniversary, I have a question to ask you: how would you define your style? ----Chris Force Editor-in-Chief Tell me about your style: chris@alarmpress.com
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DESIGN BUREAU
LETTERS TO DESIGN BUREAU death’s door Gin Death’s Door wanted its gin bottle to possess a unique shape—they understood that people like to feel a bottle's heft when they lift it off the shelf. So Kaminski and McConkey went all the way to France in order to find a producer who could manufacture the bottle’s perfect, heavy, trapezoidal form.
death’s door vodka death’s door Being able to clearly White Whisky see the spirits within As prohibition era the bottle was very white whiskey is an important Ellison, extremely rare libation and Grip responded to (its specialized aging this request by using process gives the a screen process to spirit its clear color), transfer the graphic Grip felt it required an design to the bottles equally unique bottle. To instead of using stickers. emphasize the whiskey’s The gold floral graphics one-of-a-kind qualities, and old-fashioned type the designers pared treatment (reminiscent down the Death's Door of an apothecary motif) look and instead placed have been individually a simple package design was black-andrife with design flaws, none silk screened onto more conspicuous white graphic than thesticker unrefined typography, each bottle. low on the priced bottle’s unfitting of a product in form the ultra-premium and left the back of the category. The bottle shape, as well, was universally bottle blank, contrasting panned by distributors and mixologists as starkly against the gin unwieldy and off-message for the brand. As for and vodka bottles. the farmers, we’re glad to report that they are happy to be farming more land than ever and contributing to this undeniable success story.”
July/August 2011
Neck piece by Rachel Freire, photo by Fiona Garden, May/June 2011 issue.
Death's Door vodka packaging before the redesign
4.99 - 36.99, www.deathsdoorspirits.com
DEATH'S DOOR PACKAGING: BETTER LEFT ALONE?
ZÜRICH’S HIDDEN CULTURAL HOT SPOTS 5 ReDeSIGN TIPS fRom PlAN DeSIGN GRoUP
9/17/10 11:30 AM
Cool kITCheN ITemS To ShARPeN yoUR STyle
PlUS! ToP 10 DeSIGN SITeS ARoUND The woRlD To vISIT fRom ThINC DeSIGN
Inspiring Dialogue on Design
“The Death’s Door packaging was better before the redesign. This is a classic example of ‘fixing’ something that isn’t broken so that it fits nicely with everything else in the designer’s portfolio—even if it looks pedestrian on the shelf. The best liquor brands never change their labels because this is an industry in which timelessness and tradition often equate with quality. The new identity does succeed in differentiating the product from the competition, but not in the way Wisconsin farmers would like.”
COSMONAUT GHOST TOWN: A PHOTO ESSAY
Sound bytes “The new @DesignBureauMag in my mailbox #idreadthedaythesestopcoming these guys do good work” @PeterPerez via Twitter
“The ultimate judge of a package is product sales, and the positive trend for Death’s Door continues to this day, as the packaging has enabled unprecedented company growth, outside investment, and industry accolades. The initial
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Editor’s Note: A modified serif here, a rounded edge there—very few “timeless” liquor labels today can claim to be entirely unchanged since their first iteration. Still, you make some good points. For the sake of an open dialogue, we brought your thoughts to Grip principal Kelly Kaminski. Here’s what she had to say:
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- Brian Pfanzler, via the web
1/21/11 6:11 PM
ON THE may/june ISSUE
“I love your magazine. It’s a great combination of media. Your interviews and articles are easy to read and not intimidating like other magazines. The content is always interesting and inspiring. I never find myself asking why an artist or designer is a feature. Great work! Don’t change a thing.” - Stephanie Wolf, via the web
BREAKDOWN: information about what went on behind the scenes of this issue
Almost
one
four
Hemingway
The word deemed least helpful to readers by our editor-in-chief. He almost always hates using almost.
Number of planned explosions that occurred during the production of this issue
Number of unplanned explosions that occurred during this issue. (Two blown fuses, Lindsey’s toaster, and Kristin’s space heater)
We celebrated our staff anniversary party at the one-time residence of the famed author. Of note: the backyard shrine to Hemingway made entirely with Barbie dolls.
“So excited to read new @DesignBureauMag and loving the hockey jersey cover even if it’s the leafs” @LaurenGagliardi via Twitter “Wow the interview with Todd Bracher in @DesignBureauMag made my night haha. Must learn more about this dudes work! ” @ASprungle via Twitter correctionS: A photography credit for Brad Gillette, who photographed the Amenity Center by BOX Studios in our “Sustainable Schools” article on page 64, was mistakenly left out of the Mar/Apr issue. Photography credits for the article on Kevin O'Callaghan in our Mar/Apr issue should have read as follows: Yugo Phone student artist Scott Lesiak; Yugo Toaster student artist Piera Digulio, photo by Tia Magallon; Carousel photo by MYKO Photography; Portfolio photo by Mary Sherman; Book cover photo by Lauren Duque with Robert Gill; Kevin O'Callaghan photo by Lauren Duque. We regret the errors.
Have a question or comment? We want to hear from you. Give us a shout at letters@wearedesignbureau.com.
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
MADE IN AMERIca: HEARTH & HERITAGE We teamed with the experts at Archival Clothing, an Oregon-based retailer and staunch proponent of domestic production, to curate a list of rugged products that are made on American soil PHOTO BY ERIKA DUFOUR
RITE IN THE RAIN Based in Tacoma, Washington, Rite-In-The-Rain has been making waterproof notebooks for outdoor professionals since the 1920s. The paper is composed of a fully recyclable, patented substrate. Since we can’t stand being without a pen and paper, we love their sturdy, compact journals for all-weather use.
WR CASE MINI TRAPPER The Mini Trapper is perfectly sized for your whittling or outdoor lunch preparations. Stainless steel blades ensure easy care and long life. LODGE DUTCH OVEN Cast iron is one of the oldest materials used for metal cookware and Lodge still makes these top-notch goods in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. We use its wire-handle dutch oven for braising meats and boiling beans at home and over the fire.
Archival Clothing, www.archivalclothing.com
FILSON WOOL MACKINAW VEST Filson makes this classic vest in Seattle, Washington. Highly functional, stylish and indestructible, the vest is made for men and women in wool and moleskin, with custom options available, too.
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
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FEATHERED FRIENDS 30 DEGREE SLEEPING BAG If we could start over and select all of our camping gear again, we’d go with this bag. Feathered Friend’s best-selling bag received Outside’s “Gear of the Year” award in 2004. It’s down-filled, ultra lightweight and packable, and it’s made here in Seattle, Washington.
Lodge Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven, $43, www.lodgemfg.com Rite-in-the-Rain Journals, Spiral $6.95, Bound $16.95, www.riteintherain.com WR Case Mini Trapper Yellow, $24, www.wrcase.com Filson (Men’s and Women’s ) Mackinaw Wool Vest, $105, www.filson.com Feathered Friends 30 Degree Sleeping Bag, $329, www.featheredfriends.com Archival Clothing Rucksack, $240, www.archivalclothing.com Eastland Made in Maine Collection, Falmouth, $275, www.eastlandshoe.com
ARCHIVAL CLOTHING RUCKSACK We designed our Rucksack to combine the feel and durability of a traditional canoe pack with the comfortable features of more modern backpacks. Made in Springfield, Oregon, using durable waxed-cotton twill, with a reinforced double bottom, this bag is definitely built to last.
made in america: db's picks Peep a few of our favorite domestic designs
Blockheads of State This set of Presidential Blocks from Uncle Goose features facts on the US's 44 past leaders. Together, the basswood blocks form an American Flag.
EASTLAND FALMOUTH CAMP MOC This traditional lace-up moccasin style is hand-stitched in Maine and made with topquality leather. Keep the leather conditioned with Obenauf’s, and you’ll have these forever. Sit and Spindle Made by hand from steam-bent wood in Vermont, Room & Board’s Soren Chair is inspired by Helge Sibast’s 1953 spindleback Model No. 8. .
Tote-ally Sustainable Graphic designer Carrie Hamilton's tote is a nod to the classic plastic-bag phrase and design: (Note the upsidedown “s” at the end.) “By desecrating it in this way, they [the oafish tinkerers] have inadvertently blessed it with a true urban spirit,” Hamilton says. “It’s damaged, but it’s still here, damn it!”
Uncle Goose Presidential Blocks, $98, www.unclegoose.com; Room & Board Soren Chair, $399-449, www.roomandboard.com; Thank You for Shopping With Us Tote, $20, www.thankyouforshoppingwithus.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Luminous Chaos These whimsical light fixtures make controlled clutter look downright classy
Aurora by Nigel Coates The Aurora light features 97 transparent crystals entwined with concentric asymmetrical rings. The unique structure causes light to spread horizontally.
Bang Boom Zettel’z by Ingo Maurer In 2010, Ingo Maurer released the specialedition Bang Boom as part of the company’s iconic Zettel’z hanging-light series. Users can attach poems, pictures, sketches, and documents to the Bang Boom’s clips, creating a truly personalized piece of art that pulls double-duty as a lamp.
Icy Lady by Hudson Furniture Inc. Co-created with Swarovski, the Icy Lady chandelier by Hudson Furniture Inc. marries elegant curves and flower forms with pointed crystal icicles. White, orange, or clear lights illuminate the chandelier base, casting different prismatic light intensities across its setting’s surfaces and objects.
Aurora by Nigel Coates, price upon request, www.nigelcoates.com; Bang Boom Zettel’z by Ingo Maurer, price upon request, www.ingo-maurer.com; Icy Lady by Hudson Furniture Company, price upon request, www.hudsonfurnitureinc.com
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
DB COCKTAIL HOUr The fine folks of lifestyle website The Reference Council whip up a special architecturally inspired drink
THE olmsted This libation is named after Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect who designed Central Park in NYC, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and the grounds for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. It’s the perfect summertime drink to honor the man known for designing some of the most famous outdoor spaces in America. Ingredients: 1.25 ounces Vodka 3 ounces Fresh-squeezed orange juice 2 ounces Pomegranate juice .25 ounces Cherry-infused simple syrup Splash of soda water Preparation: - Combine everything in shaker - Let sit for 30 seconds, then shake - Serve in an 8 oz rocks glass over crushed ice - Garnish with fresh mint
EQUIPPED TO DRINK To make The Olmsted, you’ll need to break out a few tools. Alessi’s “Boston”-style shaker set was developed in the ’70s, following a study of the best bar tools by Italian hotel training school Scuola Alberghiera. Though it consists of nothing more than a steel tumbler, mixing glass, strainer, and whisk, it’s standard issue in bars all over the world. Why complicate things? a
FACTS & FIGURES
Investigating the numbers that make up our designed world.
EXPLOSIVES WORKERS 6,280
The number of explosives workers employed in the United States.
$42,460
The median annual salary for an explosives worker.
THE FED
The Federal government employs the largest number of explosives workers.
520
The number of coal miners still working in the United States.
Montana The state with the highest concentration of explosives professionals. Statistics provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Well Said “Design is for commercial markets by its very definition, in most cases for use in daily life, and without question, cannot live in a vacuum.” – Jeffrey Bernett, Industrial Designer (see Bernett's can't-live-without objects on page 26)
Olmsted cocktail recipe and photography by Brian Aufdenberg and The Reference Council, www.thereferencecouncil.com; Alessi 5050 Boston shaker cocktail set, $232, www.alessi-shop.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
READERS RESPOND
We asked, you shot. Here are some awesome photos submitted by DB fans around the world.
MY VIEW
CHICAGO SPOTLIGHT Sometimes the best work is right under our noses. This month, we aim the local spotlight on Scott Wilson of multidisciplinary design firm MINIMAL.
Alys Mordecai: Liverpool, England
Paul Soullelis: Rome, Italy
Elizabeth Gilmore: Coney Island, New York
Molly Stronczek
Basian Schroeer: Münster, Germany
Bethia Liu: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
$941,718. Just a hair under a million. That’s the amount of money industrial designer Scott Wilson and his company MINIMAL raised for their TikTok and LunaTik watch band designs via online funding platform Kickstarter. These multi-touch watch kits far exceeded their initial goal of $15,000 in an eyebrow-raising 30 days, securing the top spot for most successful Kickstarter project in history.
This isn't the first of his designs to hit the global stage, though. He is a former Global Creative Director at Nike and he collaborated with Microsoft on the Xbox’s popular motionbased gaming accessory, Kinect. Now Wilson and his firm routinely work with Fortune 500 companies to develop just about everything under the sun, including new technology, brand identities, fashion, and furniture. A fine design-scene representative for the supposed “Second City.” a
Left to right: Xbox Kinect (product design by Scott Wilson and MINIMAL, interior technology by Microsoft); Coalesse S1 for Coalesse; TikTok and LunaTik watch bands
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
5 DESIGNERS / 5 QUESTIONS By Stephanie Orma
In the name of investigative journalism, we asked five of the industry’s coolest designers five hard-hitting questions. What did we learn? At least two out of five have a thing for gray.
ARMIN VIT
JESSICA HISCHE
GEOFF MCFETRIDGE Keatra Dean Dixon ERIK SPIEKERMANN
PRINCIPAL, UNDERCONSIDERATION.COM
DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR, JESSICAHISCHE.COM
GRAPHIC DESIGNER, CHAMPIONDONTSTOP.COM
HBIC, FROMKEETRA
TYPOMANIAC, SPIEKERMANN.COM
Which designer would you most like to arm wrestle with? Do you think you'd win?
Erik Spiekermann. Anything you do with Erik is fun. I would lose.
James Victore, he's the most arm-wrestlin'est designer I know. He'd totally kick my ass.
Dick Bruna. I would let him win.
My hubby, JK Keller. Hells yeah, I would win! Okay, no I wouldn't. But a girl can dream!
Giambattista Bodoni. I would win because he’s dead (and I do have strong upper arms).
They're making a movie of your career—who would play you?
Antonio Banderas. He has the same sexy good looks as I do, and his accent is almost as charming as mine.
People used to tell me I looked like early Friends-era Jennifer Aniston (before she got Hollywood skinny)... or Mandy Moore. Ideally though, I think I would want Kristen Wiig to play me.
Computergenerated.
Someone with a round, middleAmerican face—strawberry blonde and klutzy tendency.
John Malkovich.
If you could morph from a person into any typeface, which would you be?
I probably should say It wouldn't take too long; I already have some love handles we can repurpose.
my own typeface! That, or Coquette.
American Typewriter I have never seen a typewriter that actually looks like that, and I like that. It presents itself as one thing, but is actually something totally different.
It's choppy, awkward, and lowbrow, but when mixed with the right crowd and persuaded to take an understated approach, it wields an oldschool/digi charm.
You can dress in only one Pantone color for the rest of your life. Which would you pick?
PMS 186, red. Might as well stand out from the crowd.
Warm Gray 5U (I wear a lot of gray).
Something cool. Like Cool Gray 5.
Neon Pantone 805. I don't want a quiet life.
Pantone Dark Blue
Which web trend are you ready to see die?
Threadless spin-offs. Seriously? Cakes?
Stupid Helvetica poems over generic photos.
Google.
Generic, personal data visualization, which is really more of a general design trend, and it seems to finally be petering out. We just need to stamp out the last embers.
Flash.
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
ILLUSION-INSPIRED FURNITURE These trompe l’oeil furnishings instill a sense of wide-eyed disbelief in the viewer, and bring a layer of sophisticated mystery to the living room Thin Black Lines Chair Japanese designer Akihiro Ito’s wire-frame chair appears two-dimensional from certain perspectives. Produced for Phillips de Pury's Thin Black Lines exhibition in London, Ito translates the substance of a chair into a simple, flat outline. Take a walk around it, and you'll feel like you're in A-ha's video for “Take on Me.”
Magica Chair “I always wanted to create projects that could deceive and play with the customer,” says designer Davide Conti of his Magica Chair. A simple bent line defines a clear block of Plexiglass that disappears into the background, leaving the surface in apparent defiance of gravity. Sharp 90-degree angles and a stiff surface mean this chair is better suited for marveling than kicking back.
Magica Chair by Davide Conti, price upon request, www.davideconti.it; Thin Black Lines chair by Akihiro Ito, price upon request, www.nendo.jp
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Imeüble book storage A dizzying, geometric storage shelf is rooted in a fascination with mental imagery. “There are no actual physical cubes in Imeüble,” says Bjørn Blikstad, who works in Norway. “Only those from the optical illusion.” Playing with depth and dimensionality, the spatial relationships of objects placed within are thrown into question. Blikstad hopes that over time they will form a “simple mind map.”
ALARM PRESENTS
ArchitecturEinspired Playlist
1. Blueprint: “So Alive” (Adventures in Counter-Culture, Rhymesayers)
2. Rob Swift: “The Architect” (The Architect, Ipecac Recordings)
3. Mouth of the Architect: “The Violence Beneath” (The Violence Beneath, Translation Loss)
4. Architecture in Helsinki: “Contact High” (Moment Bends, V2 / Downtown Records / Modular Recordings)
5. The Dillinger Escape Plan: “The Perfect Design” (Miss Machine, Relapse Records)
6. Lymbyc Systym: “Interiors” (Shutter Release, Mush)
DESIGN DICTION
The latest industry buzzword, perfect for dropping during your next museum mixer.
(adj.) Involving the sense of touch. Most commonly used to describe design materials that are textured, patterned, and inviting. When to use it: Explanations in which you need to justify your reason for touching off-limits design details. How to use it: “Every time I see a fabric Kvadrat Cloud installed on a wall, I just have to touch it. I can't help myself—those bright, haptic tiles scream ‘touch me!’ ”
Imeüble book storage, price upon request, www.imeuble.no
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
ON THE RISE Two creative and cool people poised to make big changes in the world of design
Ascending Architect: Gulla Jonsdottir
Crafting Culinary Design: Kevin West Name: Kevin West
Name: Gulla Jonsdottir
Hometown: Blount County, Tennessee
Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland
Occupation:
Occupation: Founding Principal, G+ Gulla Jonsdottir Design
Four years at Richard Meier and Partners and eight years as vice president and principal designer at Dodd Mitchell Design. Past projects of note include redesign of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and a spot on the design team for the Getty Center.
West is the founding blogger at SavingTheSeason.com, a website devoted to the art of home canning of seasonal produce, and he owns his own line of jams, West Sweet Preserves. “I’ve been eating home-canned pickles and jams since I was knee-high to a duck,” he says.
Resume builders:
Recent projects: Rick Bayless’ new modern Mexican restau-
rant, Red O, which earned her the title of Esquire’s “Best Design of the Year” for 2010, and James Franco’s new bar, The Writer’s Room, both in LA.—SEAN YASHAR
Former west coast editor for W magazine and current contributing editor. He also does jam on a case-by-case basis, like when Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg commissioned him to craft jars of marmalade as gifts for guests at one of his Hollywood soirées.
Resume builders:
Recent projects: His first cookbook is due in 2012 and will include recipes
for cooks “from Williams-Sonoma to Williamsburg.” Expect advice on home-preserving, as well as a chronicle of his personal journey from feature writer to foodie.—SEAN YASHAR
Gulla Jonsdottir, www.gplusdesign.com; Kevin West, www.savingtheseason.com Sean Yashar is a writer, marketer, and blogger living in Los Angeles. www.theculturecreative.com
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
MASSIVE SAVINGS!
SUBSCRIBE TO DESIGN BUREAU Inspiring design dialogue delivered to your door As a magazine that delivers a global dialogue on design, we know that you know the field cannot be contained to one discipline. Published six times a year, we feature everything from interior and graphic design to mind-blowing architecture, awesome products and more. Sounds dangerous, but we’re pretty sure the only side effect is an inevitable jaw-drop. With Design Bureau, our goal is simple: discover great work and the people who make it happen. It’s like the ‘cool kids' table’ of design magazines. Except we’ll invite you to sit with us.
Subscribe online and save 75% www.wearedesignbureau.com/subscribe
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Big Ideas:
TOTAL GARBAGE
Giving new meaning to the word “trashy,” these two projects are putting waste to work
8 Million Stories
Haka Living Lab
What looks like an ordinary garbage bin to the naked eye is actually a dynamic musical sculpture created by artist David Ellis and musician Roberto Carlos Lange. Buried beneath a layer of actual trash is a system of processors, solenoids, and speakers controlled by a MIDI interface. The beat machine adapts on the fly, converting the unique sonic properties produced by the movement of paint cans and cardboard boxes into new layers of sound.
Developed by Doepel Strijkers Architects and built by an ex-con workforce, the HAKA Living Lab is a flexible, multi-use office building in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The firm’s goal was to make an entirely waste-free structure with locally sourced, repurposed materials, like the nearly 18,000 pounds of clothing that comprise a moveable partition in the auditorium.
8 Million Stories, www.cargocollective.com/robertocarloslange, www.davidellis.org
8 Million Stories, photo by Jason Schmidt; Haka Living Lab, photos by Ralph Kämena
HAKA Living Lab, www.dsarotterdam.com
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
OFFICE EXPERTS
We turn to one of our colleagues as the go-to source of knowledge for something completely unrelated to their day job
HOT HEADWEAR From marketing manager Elise Schmitt
Pixie Market “If you’re anything like me, finding that perfect TSA-stopping piece has always proved to be a challenge. Not to worry, I’ve stumbled across a veritable fashion crack house. Offering finishing touches for the modern-day grunge goddess, New York’s Pixie Market touts impossible-to-find labels that’ll stop onlookers (or security agents) in their tracks. Fun fact: I really did get stopped by the TSA when wearing a necklace purchased from here. Turns out, wearing faux bullets at the airport doesn’t fly with Southwest... zing! Pun intended.” www.pixiemarket.com
Gold Saturn “Step aside, Gossip Girls; Gold Saturn has redefined your ubiquitous accessory, the headband. This line by designer David Jon Acosta churns out the best of this season’s anti-prepster adornments. While he offers tame-enough turbans for everyday wear, it’s the spiked headband that really caught my eye. Because sometimes, horns aren’t just for Halloween. They work on Mondays, too.” www.goldsaturn.com
Pixie Market photos by Silja Magnusdottir; Gold Saturn photo by Karla Garcia
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
design in weird places We scoured the world and found three of the most curious, well-designed edifices you’ll ever see. Our brief tour takes us to a surprising site in Barcelona, sea level in the Netherlands, and a spot high in the trees in California.—LAUREN DEL CAMPO
Cement Factory, Barcelona Designed and occupied by architect Ricardo Bofill, this factory turned office and residence boasts a model lab, archives, an exhibition space and lush gardens. Its brutalist roots give way to a surprisingly intimate, cavernous space. Inside, engine rooms became guest rooms, and outside, 30 silos are now cloaked in vibrant ivy vines.
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Bunker 599, the Netherlands From 1915 until 1940, the New Dutch Waterline was a major defense point for several nearby Dutch cities, using intentional flooding techniques to stall enemies. Today, these forts and bunkers have become hosts for art expositions, wine cellars, and, in this case, a passageway for visitors to the historic grounds. Rietveld Landscape and Atelier de Lyon exposed this bunker's interior to those passing through, offering a moment of sheltered darkness on the way to an expanse of nature and water.
Banyan Drive Tree House, Nichols Canyon, CA A cement staircase winds up to a floating, light-filled tree house. Inside? An art collection, studio and recreational space. Steel columns, deep-oiled wood siding, mahogany accents, glass and an overhanging butterfly roof comprise this 170-square-foot backyard escape designed by Rockefeller Partners Architects.
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
ASK THE EXPERT
Ever wish there was a design genius available to answer all your queries? Now there is. We asked two design industry experts for the answers to what it is you're wondering.
Q:
A:
I had a client insist to replace all the typefaces with Comic Sans. Obviously a dealbreaker, but how do I say no without seeming insulting? Or maybe the better question here is, where do you draw the line with client requests vs. designer responsibility?
We each expect our concerns to be honored. Inevitably, lines will become crossed at some point.
E.G., Chicago, IL
So here we arrive at your crossroads: what to do with Comic Sans. I believe you should lead by pushing back, albeit respectfully. Mention that, before committing to a new typeface, you’d like to discover what it is that they find appealing (yes, seriously).
As creators, our job is to push: to defy what is imagined, to stretch the other side of the conference table beyond its comfort zone. Remember, they chose you by your portfolio and your reputation—hopefully not your fees. To do our jobs well, we creators require trust above all else. Without trust, our nudge out of the comfort zone comes across as a shove down the stairs. Trust is only earned through the sweat of the creative process with mutual respect, great listening, and an ability to conceal compromise.
Are they responding to the playfulness? The silliness? The youthfulness? Try to discover exactly what is needed. This is where mindreading comes in handy.
Q:
A:
Why is it so hard to make a distinction between lettering and typography when there is a very clear definition of both?
There is a clear definition. But let's be honest, most people who live outside the make-believe world of graphic design often see the final product as a bunch of words that are arranged to communicate a message or idea and don't care about the distinction between lettering or typography.
K.J., Seattle, WA
I usually think of type as fashion...and alphabet styles run deep. Be it timeless or trendy, you've gotta dress the message or idea for the occasion in either something off-the-rack (typography) or custom tailored (lettering). Off-the-rack typography that gets the job done is usually a good look. Custom-made clothing
If they push back, ask for the favor of their patience. Then show them through design—do not attempt to talk it through. Be sure each variation shows real change that addresses their concerns, yet any design compromise is effectively hidden. Highlight what you changed and what is different. What is working, and what isn’t. Be patient and trust that the process will discover the right solution, even if it doesn’t come in the first conversation or even the second. By elegantly addressing their concerns AND concealing any compromises, you’ve won on all fronts and earned more than your share of trust. If it doesn’t work, you can at least walk away secure knowing that you tried. Best of luck. John Pobojewski John Pobojewski is a senior designer at Thirst in Chicago. His client list includes the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Herman Miller among others. Pobojewski has received numerous awards and industry accolades and selections of his work are included in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum and the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum. More information on Pobojewski and Thirst can be found at www.3st.com.
will turn heads but isn't always practical. Knowing how to put it all together without looking like a tool is the hard part. And just like fashion, there's range of beautiful, functional and completely wrong examples of lettering and typography out there. Andy Cruz Andy Cruz is the owner and art director of House Industries, a type foundary that crafts unique fonts and typefaces for a broad audience in many different mediums. In addition to fonts, House Industries also designs and produces a variety of house wares, clothing, and accessories. As the self-prcolaimed “creative nerve center” of House Industries, Cruz uses his calm demeanor to cajole frustrated designers into making something perfect by redoing it “one more time.” More information on Cruz and House Industries can be found at www.houseindustries.com.
year in design
1924
Follow us on a journey of historical highlights in the design world
The famous signature flacon of Chanel No. 5 was designed in 1924 by Jean Helleau
Dutch furniture designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld’s Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht, Netherlands is completed
Influential architect and critic Louis Sullivan dies; he was well known as the creator of the modern skyscraper and was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright
Type designer Paul Renner begins work on Futura
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
SMART PRODUCT OF THE ISSUE
Jewelry Dualism
ekomiko candle
Make a complex statement with dynamic accessories
This candle considers style, skin, and the environment
Designed by environmentalist and actress Izabella Miko (remember her dancing atop the bar in Coyote Ugly?), EkoMiko candles are ideal for both burning and moisturizing. Just light the candle and pour the coconut-butter “wax” wherever your dry skin needs it most (Miko likes to rub it on her cuticles). Best of all, the candles are 100-percent sustainable, using recycled wine bottles as containers, chemical-free wooden wicks, stone “paper” inserts, and biodegradable packaging containing flower seeds. “[It’s] so important that the candle itself is not just green, but that it’s good for you,” Miko says. The candles are available in two enchanting scents: EkoHero, a woodsy blend, and EkoHeroine, a light, floral aroma. —LESLEY STANLEY / PHOTO BY DAVID SUMMERS
Alina Alamorean’s Ars Metallica jewelry collection articulates aesthetic polarities. Some of the jeweler’s pieces, including her brushed silver Fétiches Pendant Necklaces, carve out new shapes in small sizes, while others, such as her blackened silver Tree Ring, play up overexaggerated scales and unorthodox materials. These contrasts are intentionally provocative. States the jewelry designer, “I do not want to adorn anyone, I do however aim to inspire a way of thinking, living and breathing.” Through her bold designs, Alamorean accomplishes just that, presenting a statement jewelry collection that juxtaposes light with dark, small with large, and soft with hard without looking overwrought. a
EkoMiko Candles, $69, www.shopekomiko.com
Ars Metallica, prices upon request, www.alina-alamorean.com
RECOMMENDED READING
Self-Portrait Photography Who better to grace the cover of a book about self-portraiture than the photographer and writer herself? Natalie Dybisz, whose photographic pseudonym is Miss Aniela, balances her striking, frequently nude imagery with pragmatic texts that outline work processes, shot composition, and post-processing techniques. The work of eight fellow photographers (DB's own Noah Kalina, for one) is also included so that readers can learn from multiple artistic perspectives.
MGM's Lion and Columbia Pictures' Torch Lady logos are designed
Under political pressure from a rightwing government, Bauhaus issues a press release announcing the closing of the Weimar school
Soldier Field opens on October 9, 1924 as one of the largest stadiums to date, holding up to 74,000 spectators
Photographer Robert Frank, creator of the famous 1958 photo book, The Americans, is born on November 9
by Miss Aniela Dybisz even gets down to brass tacks and ends with a chapter on how to market, sell, and copyright work—invaluable information for any photographer trying to make it as a pro. Self-Portrait Photography: the Ultimate in Personal Expression, $29.95, www.pixiq.com; photo by David Summers
The ComputingTabulating-Recording Co. is renamed International Business Machines Corporation, or IBM for short
Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz start manufacturing cars under the company name MercedesBenz
On June 15, Ford builds its 10 millionth Model T
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
OVERLOOKED DESIGN
Map-liKE homE DEcor
THE MANHOLE COVER
Wiry, web-like home furnishings based on metropolitan city grids Copenhagen Table by SashaDasha Design The Copenhagen Table is based upon the layout of the city’s subway system. The designers copied and pasted this layout in order to produce the table’s original form.
Most manhole covers are made from cast iron, measures between 22 and 60 inches in diameter, weigh anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds, and yet, they often go unnoticed. When major cities began installing sewer systems in the late 1800s, sanitation officials commissioned artisans to design diverse manhole cover patterns, which often included floral motifs and cityscape sketches. These covers, though pretty, became true traffic obstacles when wet because their surfaces would become extremely slick. Designers quickly introduced the high-traction grid and basketweave patterns, sacrificing design style for practical functionality. These basic patterns became even more commonplace in the early 1900s as automated machining replaced handcraft manhole production.
Moscow Bowl by SashaDasha Design By abstracting formal patterns from Moscow’s drawn city plan, SashaDasha Design created the Moscow Bowl, pictured in mustard yellow, but available in any color upon request.
Today, the ubiquitous grid pattern typically jazzes up the manhole’s street surface, while a spiderweb pattern spans its underside to enhance structural support. Most US cities stick to these standard patterns, but many international cities, including Tokyo and Vancouver, are known for more fanciful manhole patterns. So the next time you’re walking down a street, be sure to look down. You might be surprised by the manhole designs plugging up the street.
TOP FIVE
By Jennifer Brunner
Five objects that industrial designer Jeffrey Bernett can’t live without
1
My great little Nespresso espresso machine that gives me a dose of caffeine to get me going everyday
2
My Schwinn Typhoon bicycle that I use seven months of the year to get to and from my office
3
Anything Apple: iPhone, iPad, iPod, MacBook Air
SashaDasha Design Copenhagen Table, €1000; Moscow Bowl, €400, www.sashadasha.com Schwinn Typhoon image provided by Schwinn. Glasses image courtesy TAG Heuer Eyewear
4
Everyday tools, like the Pentel mechanical pencils that I draw with
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Now that I’m into my middle years, for sure I can't live with out my TAG Heuer glasses
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
carbon-conscious kicks Civic Duty Shoes makes recyclable vegan footwear Reduce your carbon footprint in style with a pair of 100-percent recyclable Civic Duty Shoes. The New Jersey-based company makes fashionable, eco-conscious footwear with Tyvex, the water-resistant, lightweight material commonly seen on construction sites. Owner and designer Steven Weinreb says he fell in love with the material and decided to transform it into a sneaker. The name Civic Duty doesn’t just apply to the environment; each year the profits from one specially designed style are donated to a social cause in the US. And, since the sneaks are earth-friendly, after you’ve worn your favorite pair into the ground, just chuck them into the recycling bin. —LESLEY STANLEY / PHOTOS BY JOSH DEHONNEY
Civic Duty Shoes, $54-59, www.civicdutyshoes.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
PATTERNS & PALETTES Angie Hranowsky Design Studio
Interior designer Angie Hranowsky thinks everyone deserves to be surrounded by happiness, and in her mind, this happiness equates to beautiful colors, patterns and textures. “I like to mix things up, combine furniture styles, patterns, and color palettes,” says the Charleston, SC-based former graphic designer. She does admit that there’s skill involved to blending these elements, however. “A lot of it is just about achieving a balance.” Hranowsky begins each of her projects with an inspiration piece—something spontaneous and unique to each project. “There has to be a beginning to a concept. It might be a rug. It could be a piece of art, or a pillow. Anything to really start some sort of an inspiration or color palette off of which to work.” For one particular project involving a musical client with a vibrant personality and a house from the 1800s, the concept sprung from some abstract artwork, two brown chairs, and a cowhide rug. From there, Hranowsky carried touches of browns and blues throughout the house, on top of a mixture of vintage furniture, new pieces, and plenty of dynamic textures. “I don’t always try to do everything so matchy-matchy, but certainly, if you’re not a professional and you’re doing it on your own, it’s a good place to start,” says Hranowsky. “Find a fabric you like, pick out the colors in it that can work, and try to pull some of it together so it tells a story. There should be a relationship between things.”
Angie's List
Vintage Angora Tulu Rug, price upon request, www.double-knot.com
Hranowsky finds herself constantly collecting items, browsing flea markets and reading about modern architecture for ideas. She aims for each of her rooms to look as though it has been carefully designed over time rather than all at once. “After I’ve done a space, I’m over the moon,” says Hrawnosky. “Every job, I think, ‘Wow, this is the best one!’ People need to be surrounded by beauty and aesthetics. It makes you happy.” —LAUREN DEL CAMPO
1960s black leather wing chairs by Hickory, $6,250/pair, www.assemblageltd.com Above: Hranowsky’s daughter in their Lakeshore Drive residence, photo by Squire Fox; Clockwise from left: Pitt Street residence, Enoteca restaurant, Enoteca detail, Pitt Street living room, photos by Julia Lynn
Vintage Eros coffee table, price upon request, www.lagaleriemoderne.com
T.M. Taylor Construction, Inc. Renovations and new ConstRuCtion, Residential and CommeRCial Mike Taylor, President P.O. Box 488 Ravenel, SC 29470 [P] 843.766.8050 [F] 843.766.8053 [C] 843.693.1374 mtconstruction@bellsouth.net www.taylorconstruction.org Thorton floor lamp in antique brass, $630, www.circalighting.com
Raoul Textiles leopard print in Majestic, www. raoultextiles.com Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa fabric in Confetti Periwinkle www.leejofa.com
Dorothy Goode’s “Untitled II,” egg tempura on panel, 48” x 48”, $4,400, www.emilyamygallery.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
design of sports: Evolving uniforms A look at the current landscape of sartorial aesthetics in athletics With a vocation like “the obsessive study of athletics aesthetics,” ESPN columnist and Uni Watch blog founder Paul Lukas notices design details on uniforms that go unseen by most of the world—even the most sports-savvy. We picked his brain to find out what exactly makes a uniform classically unforgettable or heinously regrettable. In your opinion, what makes a great uniform design? I generally favor simplicity; strong, iconic logos; bold, complementary colors; a strict avoidance of purple; and, ideally, a sense of texture (although that’s largely been lost with today’s modern fabrics). But there’s no formula, no recipe. And like any other design
problem, each uniform solution is distinct, based on the team, the circumstances, etc. Historically, of any professional sport, what is considered the worst uniform design of all time? The best? Lots of designs are in the running for the worst, but I usually lean toward the early-’60s Broncos and the late-’90s Devil Rays. As for the best, I’m a classicist: mid-’60s Packers and late-’60s Cardinals. What is a trend in uniform design that you’d like to see make a comeback? What about one that should disappear? Although it wasn’t a “trend” per se, I pine for the return of baseball stirrups. Football sleeves need to reappear, too. And a trend that’s long past its expiration date: black alternate jerseys.
What is one remarkable detail on uniforms that generally goes unnoticed by the viewing audience? Shoelace colors can have a much greater effect on the look of the game than you might think. Really! What’s your favorite uniform matchup in professional sports? For baseball, give me a sunny afternoon at Wrigley Field with the [Chicago] Cubs hosting the [St. Louis] Cardinals. For football, a snowy late-November game at Lambeau Field between the [Green Bay] Packers and the [Chicago] Bears. NHL: [Montreal] Canadiens hosting the [New York] Rangers. NBA: [Boston] Celtics hosting the [San Antonio] Spurs. a
Oregon Ducks Uniforms are one of those things that are pretty difficult to screw up. Stick to basic colors, stripes, and bold lettering, and you’re in the clear. Many a team has ventured into progressive athletic-sartorial territory— and many a team has embarrassed itself before the game even starts. The University of Oregon football team, once clad in classically styled green and yellow, now has more costume changes than a Broadway show. Lucky for the Ducks, Nike CEO Phil Knight happens to be an Oregon alumnus.
Chain stitching on a Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals uniform.
Green Bay Packers Chicago Cubs
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
STAFF PICKS:
DESIGN PET PEEVES
GAME-DAY GLOSSARY No matter how much (or how little) you know about a given sport, you can always comment on the uniforms. Basic observations are easy enough, but with these terms, you’ll be entering a new level of sports-geek knowledge.
BFBS: Stands for “black for black’s sake,” a reference to teams that gratuitously add black to their uniform design even though black was never one of their team colors. Blood jersey: A jersey with a uniform number not currently assigned to anyone on the roster, and with no player name, to be used if a player’s regular jersey becomes blood-stained, torn, or otherwise unwearable during the course of a game. Sort of an “In case of emergency, break glass” jersey. Chain stitching: A highquality form of textured embroidery stitching that was once common on sports jerseys. Still used by the Cardinals, Astros, Phillies, and Blackhawks, among a few others.
Fauxback: A throwback uniform design that inaccurately duplicates the vintage design it’s supposed to be depicting, prompting much consternation among denizens of the uni-verse. Fight strap: A fabric strap sewn into the back inner side of a hockey jersey, connecting to the back of the player’s pants. This prevents a player from quickly removing his jersey during a fight (which would be a major advantage, since it would give him more freedom of movement and give his opponent nothing to hold onto). Fight straps are mandatory on all NHL jerseys. Tequila sunrise: Preferred slang term for the Houston Astros’ 1970s uniform design. Alternate term is “rainbow guts.”
“Design that 'challenges' function. You know what I want a clock to do? Tell me what fucking time it is.” Chris, Editor-in-Chief “I can't stand restaurants with ugly décor, specifically chairs. I really just don't believe that a restaurant can have good food if they have such bad design taste.” Kristin, Managing Editor “Salsa bottles that are vertically shaped! It should be horizontal so your hand doesn't get in the way during the dip. I know you could pour it in a bowl, but that's just a waste of dishes.” Elise, Marketing Manager “Ugly design websites! The amount of poorly designed sites I have seen from truly talented designers just kills the work. Please, for my eyes' sake, match the level of quality and design of your website to your work!” Tarra, Senior Account Manager “Wasteful packaging. Products encased in plastic, covered in cardboard, and then shrinkwrapped to hell drive me nuts. Not to mention the annoyance just getting into those things.” Lindsey, Design Director “The 'Push Here' tab on Kraft Mac & Cheese boxes that never works.” Kyle, Copy Editor
Well Said “Using a bootlegged font isn't like listening to a borrowed MP3 on your headphones, it’s like using that MP3 in a national television campaign.”—Jonathan Hoefler Chicago Bears Before the familiar blue, white, and orange Chicago Bear's jersey, tan leather stripes were sewn onto a simple blue longsleeve shirt.
(see his interview on p. 48)
ALARM PRESENTS
FIVE AWESOME BAND NAMES
1. Gay for Johnny Depp 2. Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire 3. Odd Future Wolf Gang Kills Them All 4. †‡† 5. Guantanamo Baywatch
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
SMALL-SCREEN STYLE Gossip Girl and Sex and the City set decorator Christina Tonkin gives her tips for achieving a cool, camera-ready look for your place
As a set decorator for some of television’s hippest shows, Christina Tonkin is the master of subliminal design, turning unwitting viewers into her style disciples. Her sleek, monochromatic set decorations for shows like Sex and the City and Gossip Girl fulfill every fly-over fantasy of the luxurious lairs of Manhattan’s beautiful people.
there, however the same design sensibilities apply to both: a blend of sophistication and livability; comfort and beauty combined,” she says. Tonkin’s TV work has been a great advertisement for her real-world services; one Manhattanite contacted her after seeing her work on the living room set for Gossip Girl.
Tonkin tends to favor a kind of meta-authenticity for her sets, as when she used Mikhail Baryshnikov’s own art collection for his Sex and the City character’s apartment, giving it the proper Eurosophisticate vibe. “I shop where the characters would shop,” she says. “Of course, I cheat a bit with regards to the budget.”
In 2012, Tonkin will open what she’s coined a “hip, urban oasis in paradise”—a retail space in Hawaii selling vintage items, Tonkin’s own creations, and pieces from her favorite NYC artists.
Tonkin also has a bevy of residential interior design projects in the works, including a 5,000-squarefoot home in East Norwich, Long Island and an East Village garden apartment. “When I decorate sets for TV, I realize no one has to actually live
As for her own style, Tonkin describes her space as a very “Charlotte York” blend of creams and whites combining affordable and high-end items, like a glossy white console table from Ikea paired with a Todd Hase mirror purchased at the Sex and the City wrap sale. A fashion-forward look that surely both Carrie and Serena would approve of. —FELICIA FEASTER / ILLUSTRATION BY JESSE HORA
Felicia Feaster is an Atlanta-based writer and editor whose work has appeared in Elle, The Atlantan, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Art Papers. Read more at www.culturopolis.blogspot.com
Shopping for TV Style: Here’s where Tonkin finds the goods in New York City Vintage Furniture: Two Jakes Everything Goes Furniture Mart John Koch Antiques Lighting: Maharam Textiles and Fabrics: Joe’s Fabric Warehouse Mood Mxyplyzyk Accessories: Global Table Conran Shop
Shower Doors . Plumbing Fixtures . Decorative Hardware . Vanities . Ceiling Fans . Lighting Fixtures . Medicine Cabinets . Accessories . More
Tonkin’s Hardware Hookup Pat McCarthy is the owner of Artistic Hardware, a high-end hardware and fixtures shop, and has been Tonkin's go-to guy for the oft unnoticed but highly critical details for some of her biggest Hollywood productions. “If Christina’s putting a set together, it’s probably not a common request,” he says of her top-notch tastes. McCarthy has lent his company's decorative glass, doors, and fixtures to so many movie and television sets that he could have his very own IMDB.com page. But McCarthy insists that it’s about getting to work with his friend, Tonkin, whom he’s known for more than a decade. He enjoys rising to the challenge of meeting her needs, whether it’s getting a pricey glass sink on loan for the Meet the Parents set or a perfect reproduction of an NYU dorm-room door knob for Gossip Girl. “It’s a little more exciting than just supplying single-family homes,” he jokes. “Working with Christina and her crew is a nice niche, and we enjoy it. She’s the best.”
Top Five TV Living Rooms Tonkin picks her faves from over the years Dynasty “Looking back at that set, I thought it was so glamorous. Now, not so much—a bit over the top, but oh-so-’80s. Loved how the furniture was broad at the top like the shoulder pads in those suits of Krystle’s.” The Mary Tyler Moore Show “There is an episode where Mr. Grant agrees to have Rhoda decorate his apartment. He comes home to a modern white space, complete with shag rug, Saarinen coffee table and arc lamp. It was meant to be funny, but I thought what the set decorator created was fantastic. That was the very first time I said, ‘Wow, I want to do that.’ ” Angels in America “The sets were incredibly layered, detailed, and beautiful. My friend and coworker, George DeTitta, won a well-deserved Emmy for best set decoration on this.” Sex and the City “Before I was on the team, I was a fan of the show, and then I got to collaborate and create this incredible space for Charlotte’s apartment. I think [it is] one of the most beautiful interiors I have seen on television. We were nominated for a few Emmys, but never won.” The L Word “Bette and Tina’s home, season six, complete with Kiki Smith artwork, was a fabulous set.”
Tonkin’s Tips For Making Your Home TV-Cool
1
Blend textures and materials. Too much of one thing is never a good idea. If you find a table that you like with a stone top, balance the table with warm wood chairs and top it with flowers in a metal or ceramic vase.
4
Place objects on surfaces around the room that catch and reflect light.
2
Do not start collections. And if you do, display them all in one area of the room. Collections spread around a room create chaos for the eyes. Who wants to walk into a room full of porcelain frogs or shot glasses?
5
Frame your art alike. It makes your space (especially a small space) flow and creates continuity.
3
Keep it simple and do things in groups of three: three colors, three objects, three types of material. You will be pleasantly surprised by the result.
PIANO LOUNGE • RICK’S CAFE AMERICAIN • CASABLANCA • MOROCCO
ARTISTIC DECORATIVE HARDWARE 201 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 609-407-7200 www.artistichardware.net
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If you love bright color, use it in objects, lamps, and small accents in the room, and keep it to three colors in each room.
ARTISTIC DECORATIVE HARDWARE 201 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 609.407.7200 . www.artistichardware.net
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
FLOAT LIKE A...
LAUREN DEL CAMPO
High-flying designs inspired by butterflies
WINGING IT in TEXAS Cooper Joseph Studio’s cost-conscious creation for the National Butterfly Center Butterflies are one of nature’s most beautifully delicate designs and a true wonder of economy: a tiny, ethereal creature with dynamically patterned wings. Scientist Jeffrey Glassberg acquired a porous piece of land near the Rio Grande in Texas, and he dreamed of creating a sanctuary dedicated to butterflies, complete with multimedia displays and visitors’ photographs. But when economic times got tough, financial supporters of the center were forced to back out. Glassberg took a page from the butterflies and made something grand with equally great restraint. Cooper Joseph Studio was the architect and master planner for the project. “After working with the client for many years, my partner Chris [Cooper] and I sat down and said to ourselves, ‘Let’s see if we can design a building that’s authentic and playful, but also solves the problem of the place and can be constructed with an economical budget,’ ” says Wendy Joseph, principal of Cooper Joseph Studio. “Limited funding influenced many decisions, but never compromised the overall aesthetic and meaning of the center,” she adds.
The center is sited on land gridded into 22-by-22foot squares in order to keep the spatial sequence meaningful. “Over time, they can keep developing more and more open land into gardens, but they have a process, an incremental unit they can use,” Joseph says. Joseph and Cooper chose a locally sourced Mexican white brick for the exterior, with a standard steel and timber frame structure. “Using the brick in a vertical direction gave it a little more elegance and design cache,” Joseph says. “We imposed lightness by recessing a random pattern in the bricks, sort of like the flutter of a butterfly.” Eventually, dozens of gardens filled with butterfly-attracting plants will extend out from the center and provide an infinite haven for observation.
The 4,000-square-foot center sits on a 200-acre plot. Though it exudes strength, it manages to avoid imposing “Students from far and wide will come here and learn about upon its surroundings. The open interior allows for visi- butterflies and ecology,” Joseph says. “The center has a tors to easily flow from inside to the outdoors. Lime-green highly specific use, but broad-reaching educational conwalls change into different hues in varying light levels. sequences.” a National Butterfly Center, www.nationalbutterflycenter.org
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
TRASH-BIN Butterflies
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WINGS AS CHEMICAL SENSORS
The global research team at GE discovered that thin, delicate butterfly wings might be even more effective than a machine when it comes to sensing dangerous chemicals. Along with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the State University of New York at Albany, and the University of Exeter, GE’s global research arm recreated the scales of butterfly wings. By studying the nanostructures of the scales, the team has been able to create a small sensing platform that mimics the characteristics. GE’s system instantaneously detects chemical threats and could be used in the future for further detections of danger. “GE’s bio-inspired sensing platform could dramatically increase sensitivity, speed, and accuracy for detecting dangerous chemical threats,” says Radislav Portyrailo, GE’s global research principal scientist and investigator. There's no word on whether the GE invention will bear a colorful design like real butterfly wings. -
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“I started to notice these crushed beer cans lying around my neighborhood, so I brought a bunch of them into my studio, and the very thin quality of the aluminum started to suggest butterflies,” says Paul Villinski, whose installations hang in private residences, museums, and even hospitals. “I started from this very specific subject matter, and over a matter of years, it became much more about a generalized up-cycling of littered material into artwork.” Made primarily from disposed-of items such as beer cans and broken records, each butterfly takes Villinski several hours to make. And, like real butterflies, each one is completely unique given the nature of the recycled materials. He cuts the metal, chases the form with sandpaper and files, and uses a jeweler’s grinder to add details before gilding them with 24-carat gold leaf, blackening them, or painting them with a saturated vinyl paint. Each installation ends up with about 150 butterflies in a swarm that Villinski designs on the spot. “I start by installing a single butterfly, and then I install the one next to it, and so on. Often, they want to gather into a certain shape, or fly off on a particular tangent, and I let them. They function both as marks in these abstract, three-dimensional paintings, and as actors in curious narratives.”
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VAN DER GRAAFF
DESIGNERS / BUILDERS Olivier van der Graaff, Principal 820 South Oklahoma, Weslaco, Texas 78596 956.453.4561 www.iluminadesigns.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Design jobs around the world:
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Designing can be a lonely trade. Get to know your global community in these brief snapshots—and find out if your paycheck measures up to the industry standard.
Website: www.aronjancso.com Education: High school, never finished at the
university level
Income: $30,000/year Projects: French Film Festival, Graphic Tees,
Typographic posters
“Always use social media. It motivates me and brings me interesting jobs from around the world.”
Gregor Žakelj
Ander Sánchez Rovira
Location: Slovenia Position: Art & creative director, owner Company: Visual Brain Gravity Website: www.vbg.si/en Education: Self-taught Income: $48,000/year Projects: Ellan Snowboards website and
Location: Leioa, Spain Position: Graphic designer and partner Company: La caja de tipos Website: www.lacajadetipos.com Education: Fine Arts Income: $1,600/month Projects: Branding for Coro Prieto, Aesthetic
graphics, Umek branding, RDYO DJs branding and design, Faculty of Arts rebranding, Music Emotion typography
“Try not to be a freelancer. There will be enough time for that later. Working in a studio will give you discipline and a chance to learn there are other things than design.”
Centre, wedding invitation, 2009 calendar for Guriezo Town Hall
“It is essential not to be swayed by fads and trends. Try to make every decision in terms of typography, color, composition and graphics always justified and caused by a reason.”
Cheyanne Proud Location: Australia Position: Freelance graphic designer Education: Visual Communication at Design
College Australia in Brisbane Income: $150/day Projects: OzCo Williams rebranding
“Never start designing on the computer first; paper and pen should be first choice. Idea generation at the start is most important.”
Lucas Rampazzo Location: Sâo Paulo, Brazil Position: Freelance art director and
Daniel Blackman Location: Philadelphia, PA Position: Graphic designer Company: 160over90 Website: www.dblackman.com Education: Ringling College of Art and Design,
Sarasota, FL
Income: $55,000-65,000/year Projects: Commercial in Seattle, book for
graphic designer
artwork, Trashcovitch TV-show concept book
Website: www.lucasrampazzo.com Education: University of Northern Paraná Income: $500-$2,500/project Projects: Random Movement album
“Believe in yourself and pay attention to what’s around you.”
Loyola College of Maryland, posters for gallery shows
João Bicker Location: Portugal Position: Creative director Company: Ferrand, Bicker and Associates Website: www.fba.pt Education: Self-taught designer; major in
biology Income: $30,000/year, plus share in company profits Projects: Minotauro book series, Fenda book series, Weltliteratur exhibition and catalogue
“No matter if you decide to go to a big design agency, ad firm, or do freelance work, the first few years are going to be hard. Late hours, mind-numbing projects, thoughts of changing careers, feeling taken advantage of, etc. It’s just the name of the game, and everyone has to go through it. Relax, have fun and try to never take yourself as seriously as the designer next to you.”
“Be honest. Only do what you like for people that you like.”
Aron Jancso Location: Job:
Budapest, Hungary Freelance graphic designer
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Weekender:
martha's vineyard
A portable picnic table with built-in wine glass holders, Bamboo Wine Table, $22, www.uncommongoods.com
The perfect pack-and-go tote, Artifact No. 175 bag (Rust Brown), $155, www.artifactbags.com
Design Bureau picks the perfect destination-inspired travel essentials for a weekend getaway PHOTO BY ERIKA DUFOUR
Get back to nature with Walden by Henry David Thoreau, $11.95, www.booksamillion.com
Everyone needs some good goggles. Blue Seventy Element Goggles (Orange/ Chrome Lens), $12, www.blueseventy.com
She wore an itsy-bitsy, teenyweeny, yellow Luli Fama De Fabula Bikini (Lemon Drop), $146, www.lulifama.com
Because it's never a bad idea to coordinate your towel and trunks, Paul Smith Swim Trunks, $130, www.paulsmith.co.uk
Dry off or catch some rays with a nautical beach towel by Paul Smith (Blue MultiStripe), $145, www. paulsmith.co.uk
Capture those capeside memories with Lomography's Diana F+ camera, $95, www.lomography.com
The classic checkerboard picnic blanket, Fat Boy Kn채ps채ck (Brabants Bont), $149, www.shop. fatboyusa.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
“I’ve lived in Miami for 10 years, and it’s completely different now than when I first moved here, mostly for the better. It’s a really vibrant, growing city with a young personality; even older people here have a youthful sense to them. It’s a city that’s filled with color, always noisy, always chaotic, and somehow, it works. Or I’ve gotten used to it; I’m not sure, but it has influenced my work.”
“I love to travel. I don’t get to do it as much now because I’ve stayed pretty busy, but I always find inspiration while traveling. Along with traveling, I always have my phone with me with photography apps on it so I can take photos everywhere—from lumberyards to grocery stores. If I ever see something, I take a photo. I never know where I’ll end up using one of those photos (like the X-ray photo of a flower) or when a photo might remind me of my clients.”
“Nature and spending time outdoors is really inspiring to me. I like peaceful and quiet, and bringing in organic items and natural things in a space to contrast to the chaos outside the doors in Miami.”
Jessica Boudreaux
“I really love colors, textures, and graphics. I’m drawn to them.”
Inspired:
JESSICA BOUDREAUX, interior designer Jessica Boudreaux has always had a flair for the creative. “When I was a kid, I got a plastic camera for Christmas. It created a monster.” Her childhood interest in photography eventually led her to interior design, and now Boudreaux runs her own firm in Miami where she works on a variety of residential design projects. While she’s out and about, Boudreaux says she actively looks for things to be used in her clients’ homes that wouldn’t be easily found in a typical big-box store. She recalls one client who showed her photos of plants and flowers that he liked. Then, while she was vacationing in Seattle, she found a postcard of an X-ray of a flower, and immediately thought of her client. “It took me about a month to track down the artist, a radiologist in California,” she says. “We printed the image and used it for custom wallpaper, and I watched the installation on pins and needles to ensure that the panels lined up. The end result was beautiful!”
This type of custom creation makes the whole puzzle-like process enjoyable for Boudreaux. “[It] was fun because I found something that was just perfect—something unique that no one else will have in their home,” she says.
What’s it like to work with Boudreaux? Just ask someone who has. Zac Knudson of The Glass Artist:
Boudreaux has found stairs to be one key design element that often goes overlooked. “They can really make or break a space. Typically, they are very expensive and not made locally, so there is lots of room for error in the form of lead time, which can affect a client’s ability to access their second floor.”
“The most recent project we worked on was a colored-glass backsplash in a loft space in Miami. One of the things I noticed was that the job site was very organized. Jessica was a pleasure to work with and really knows how to bring everyone together on a project. I have worked with many designers, and I must say that Jessica’s work is among the best. She truly has an eye for style and design.”
No matter the project or client, Boudreaux works hard to build one-of-a-kind spaces. “I strive to offer something unique,” she says. “I like doing more than what they tell me to do—something that puts my signature on their home.” —STEPHANIE SIMS
Inspiration photos by Jessica Boudreaux; project photos by Andy Lai of Andy Lai Photography; photo of Boudreaux by Cyn Zarco of 3F Studios
Kerwood Oaks Drive residence. Top to bottom: living room; office with custom-built desk; pool and meditation room; kitchen/dining room
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
toys by design: FERG By playing with aggression, Clay “Ferg” Ferguson makes toys that are conceptually sinister, but rendered with a Keane-eyed cuteness Austin-based designer Ferg is at the helm of two toy companies—Jamungo and Playge— each of which are responsible for some of the most artfully executed acts of vinyl violence in the collectible toy genre. Ferg makes his figures out of an inherent need to get things out of his head and see them come to life. Although his ideas are plentiful, Ferg's style is minimal. He favors a “less is more” approach to design: clean lines and a limited color palette. Ferg and artist Trevor Van Meter's first foray into toy-making was in 2006 with a series of anthropomorphic bombs inspired by the heyday of Hong Kong vinyl. These early Jamungo BUDS focused on the pent-up energies present inside inanimate objects. When the skull-headed Squadts series emerged in 2009, Ferg had gone solo and was incorporating cut-and-sew into his work. The dangerously perky, heavily armed Squadts made the macabre magnetic, and collectors took note. With impeccable quality and a high playability factor, the figures begged the question: art sculpture or vinyl toy? In response, Ferg asks: “If the piece is a figure or character, with an artistic execution, then why not make it fun to play with?” Seeking to explore a more sinister side, Ferg founded Playge with vinyl veterans, Threezero. The name, Playge, is meant to hint at the dark, yet playful, nature of the toys, and with releases like the Misfortune Cat, they deliver their message. “Collaborations bring new concepts and outcomes,” he says, a philosophy reflected in the success of a recent Squadt cocreated with artist, Brandt Peters. “The toys are full time now...it's awesome, but it's a constant hustle,” he says. It may be hard work, but he’s not complaining. “You guys make it possible, and I am very grateful. Collect and Destroy.” —JEREMY BRAUTMAN
In 2004, Ferg created a gig poster for electronic musician Squarepusher that marked the debut of Sqube, his minimalistic mash-up of a skull and a cube. The interlocking geometry was so aesthetically pleasing that there were even requests for Ferg to turn the design into a Sqube coffee table. Although furniture by Ferg has not yet materialized, Squbes continue to be released as limited edition collectibles in a range of sizes and colors made of plastic, fiberglass and chrome.
Jeremy Brautman is a Bay Area-based toy maven and pop culture writer. View more of his work at www.jeremyriad.com. Sqube, price varies by release; Jamungo, www.jamungo.com; Playge, www.playge.net
Fast Facts with Ferg What inspires you? Family, friends, coffee. What’s your favorite color? Pantone 382U. I also have much love for orange. What are you listening to right now? Odd Future and lots of metal of various genres. Finish this sentence: People would be surprised to know that I’m … The great grandson of the bastard son of the Duke of Buccleuch. Are you having fun yet? Fuck Yes.
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
STOREFRONT LIFE:CURATED See how stellar interior design spiced up a lifestyle boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Life:Curated was designed with its neighborhood and its owners’ lifestyles in mind, a style that has been coined “easy with a bit of edge.” Sarah Meyer, owner of the South Williamsburg storefront, and creative director Ryan Thomann are best friends and graduates of Savannah College of Art and Design. Together, they work to carefully stock the Life:Curated shelves with a constantly evolving collection of fashion, accessories, and housewares. Many of the men’s and women’s clothing collections bear hardto-find labels, including VPL, Petiole, Idol Radec, and Timo Weiland.
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The space features an intense 13,000-foot rope installation that spans the ceiling and forms “walls”—a way to create texture and divide the long, skinny room without taking up floor space or obstructing the visual flow
Domestic Construction mounted display boxes to the wall that showcase Life: Curated accessories and temporary works of art
Inside the boutique, Meyer and Thomann believe in a highlow interior design aesthetic, which manifests through instances such as a Suki Cheema pillow thrown on a refurbished vintage chair or posh upholstered armchairs coupled with a salvaged wood-and-metal coffee table. The duo called upon Domestic Construction to transform the store’s plain white interior into a moody, masculine, industrial space with spotlighting and energetic pops of color unlike any other store in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Appropriately dubbed a “lifestyle store,” Life:Curated offers well pruned collections in a variety of categories at accessible price points. Along with legitimately friendly service, it’s a uniquely approachable atmosphere in the otherwise frenzied New York City shopping circuit. —CAITLIN M. RYAN / PHOTOS BY JAMES CHANG
LIFE:CURATED AT A GLANCE Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn Number of Employees: 6 Year Founded: 2006 Sells: Men’s and women’s apparel, home goods, and furniture Website: www.life-curated.com Interior Design: Domestic Construction www.domestic-construction.com
Owner Sarah Meyer and creative director Ryan Thomann aim to stock only intelligent, designdriven housewares. “We look for the same thing in home goods as fashion: character,” Meyer says.
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Material Investigation
what is cast-inplace concrete?
We explain this traditional building method and how it’s been updated in a New York City skyscraper
Cast-in-place concrete, used for thou- project. “The structural forms are made sands of years, is viewed as an old-fash- of wood and are reusable,” Fontaine says. ioned method and isn’t widely used in “The inside face of each formwork panel has a formliner. So you build the form— modern constructs. in essence a hollow container—with the But Gerner, Kronick + Valcarcel Ar- rubber form liner inside and pour the chitects, a.k.a. GKV, is breathing new concrete into it until it hardens.” life into the once-tired practice with its new residential high rise construct According to Fontaine, the beauty lies in located adjacent to High Line Park in its simplicity. “Both structure and ornaManhattan. The building features a ment are inherent to the concrete itself, façade composed of translucent glass and all of that form work is used again set within an ornamental cast-in-place and again, floor by floor, as the builder makes his way up the building, making concrete frame. it a very ‘green’ process,” he says. Decorative cast-in-place concrete construction, also referred to as archi- The same technique used to build the tectural concrete, is a poured-concrete Parthenon in Ancient Greece has been system. This involves a textured or revolutionized by GKV Architects in patterned synthetic rubber or plastic its luxurious residential towers. Part of formliner, which is placed inside the what makes architectural concrete so formwork, says Michael Fontaine, GKV ideal is the detailed patterns on the liners architect and lead designer on the and the attention to detail that it requires.
Top: View of New York City buildings, photo by Matthew Williams Bottom: Close up of decorative concrete designs by GKV Architects
Ryder Construction, a New York-based construction manager, handled every aspect of the project's construction. According to Ryder's president, Frank Mosomillo, the concrete pattern included a series of diamonds and one of a sand finish. Both patterns were used on the exterior columns in various locations.
work, says architectural concrete is a very tough project and there are very few people in the city that could handle it. “It’s hard because of the architectural forms being so cumbersome in terms of the ability to move them from one floor to the next,” he says. “Just imagine putting wallpaper up. We have to match a complete wall of wallpaper.”
But architectural concrete does not come without its fair share of challenges. The Even the project's developer, Equity Resforms have to be stripped within 48 hours idential, knew the construction would be so that they do not adhere to the concrete tough, he stood behind it nevertheless. that was poured, according to Mosomillo. “We felt that it was probably the best for They then have to be lifted to the next the use right here in terms of location, floor and formed again. “In a normal con- and GKV has a lot of experience doing crete project, the exterior concrete gets it,” says Robert Piazza, vice president covered with another finish, whether it of construction management at Equity be masonry or glass,” he says. “On this Residential. “We think it’s coming out project, this is the exterior finish, so as the terrific.” construction manager, we have to make Fontaine could not agree more.“I think it sure the work is perfect. makes a lot of sense,” he says. “We sort of John Martinelli, one of the owners of improve it with each building we do—we Tectonic Industries, the company that get a little bit better with each project.” completed all of the actual concrete —CAITLIN GATH
CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED Construction managers & General Contractors
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Material Investigation
When it comes to glass, architect Hal Goldstein sees sheer possibility
GLASS IN FOUR WAYS
Concrete and steel have their place in Hal Goldstein’s world, but the real chance to experiment comes courtesy of another material. “The opportunities with glass just seem limitless,” says Goldstein, co-founder of Manhattan architectural firm Janson Goldstein. He embraces the challenge of using glass and reaching what he refers to as “the edge of creativity.” Here, Goldstein discusses four of his past projects that employ his favorite material. —NOAH DAVIS
3.
Project: Glass Pavilion Location: Washington, DC Glass Feature: Chrome-hued frit pattern in glass
“The DC project is a specialty glass that, at this point, can only be made in two places in the world. There’s a frit pattern in the glass. In lieu of a white, gray, or a colored frit this version is chrome. Reflected images have a heightened intensity off this chrome pattern. The design simultaneously reflects what is in front of the building and also shows the space inside through the glass facade.”
1.
Project: Andaz West Hollywood, hotel Location: Hollywood, CA Glass Feature: Vintage glass reused within the design
“We did the Andaz West Hollywood, which, in its heyday, was the famous (and infamous) rock-androll hotel and also sometimes referred to as the Riot Hyatt. There are references to the ’60s and ’70s throughout the design, including the glass that forms the backdrop of the wine wall, which was corrugated or fluted sheets of glass common to that period.”
Images 1 and 2 by Mikiko Kikuyama
2.
Project: Urban Apartment Location: Greenwich Village, NY Glass Feature: Dividing wall made
from mirror chrome and misted glass
“For an apartment in Greenwich Village, we used glass to separate public and private spaces—the living room and the guest room. We used mirror chrome, and [the separation] is solid near the bottom of the wall, but mists up and fades. The glass becomes clear about six feet up. You see what’s behind you, but you also see the space beyond.”
“ For the Holt Refrew store, we wanted to use the glass as a reflective material and absorb the city and the sky. ”
CUSTOM FABRICATION AND ENGINEERING
—hal goldstein, Principal
METAL WALL PANEL SYSTEMS
GLASS CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS
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4.
Project: Holt Refrew, department store Location: Vancouver, Canada Glass Feature: Pillowed glass that
was formed in a pan and slumped, creating cells in the façade
“The Vancouver project that we did for Holt Refrew was a brand new, 150,000-squarefoot department store where we developed a custom 'pillowed' glass for the facade. From the exterior, we used the glass to form small 6"x8" cells that reflect the city and the sky. In the interior we achieved an openness and a sense of being outside, but also one that is completely immersed in the indoor environment.”
FIRE SAFING AND SMOKE SEALING
CVT Construction 911 North Fillmore Street, Suite 202 Arlington, VA 22201 www.cvtconstruction.com
P 703.740.9836 F 703.722.9136
moruzzi_proof2.pdf
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5:09 PM
Advice from an architect:
STUART NAROFSKY, NAROFSKY ARCHITECTURE C
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After nearly 30 years in the biz, the New York-based principal architect tells us what makes him tick, what drives him crazy, and what new architects should be doing to get ahead for the future
I wish people would elevate themselves more. What keeps me going is my disbelief in what gets built, and it’s not about style; it’s about building something that has nothing to do with who or where we are economically, technologically, or environmentally today. Every day is a creative block. When I’m home on the weekends, that’s where my mind eases up and sheds away the daily grind. I have sketchbooks of various sizes everywhere, in my briefcase, on my desk, every bathroom, and night stand so it’s easy to jot down notes. Staying fresh is a day-to-day thing. I’m not very routineoriented. I’m constantly looking for new ways to do things— reinvent and prototype instead of copying and pasting.
The worst thing an architect can do is be complacent and comfortable with what they do— the freshness is gone and creativity starts to stagnate.
Serving Long Island P.O. Box 1236 Melville, New York 11747 516.840.9121 / pgicorp@optonline.net www.geothermal-longisland.com
Traveling opens your mind. It frees you up, and you realize your environment isn’t the only environment relative to the way things are done. My first trip to Germany in 2003 really blew my mind. When I landed in Berlin, I was like a kid in a candy store. There were a gazillion cranes and buildings
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
and amazing architecture. I couldn’t believe I was there. Young architects have to draw. The raw creativity and direct translation from head to hand is going to give you the edge. You know when a designer is really thinking and contemplating and sketching, and it’s not all about “the next cool form.” Sometimes a dream project can land on you, but it rests with you to create it. By not being stale, every project is a dream project and a dream for your client, I’m sure. We create a process that enables a dream project to come about. Building relationships and being successful is a slow process that doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to start
slowly and build upon it. Then, each time, you can evolve and change, and get to a different place. Clients become friends, and then clients, again. I’ve maintained relationships with clients for almost 30 years and I’ve worked very hard for these people. We’re there, we care, and that I’ve built that up is a great achievement. Know who you are. Looking back on my career, I think I sold out a little bit when merging my firm with a larger corporate firm. I saw more money to be made and more growth in a bigger firm. I didn’t stick to myself or follow my goals. I’m a creative person, not a corporate person. I did some soul searching, and I learned who I was. What you look for in the day-to-day experiences to inspire you helps you find
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new ideas and expand. Twenty-five years ago, I was inspired by what I saw in art and design books and magazines. These days, inspiration comes from within from collective experiences and desires to do things I haven’t yet achieved. Be careful what you wish for. I set out to be a residential designer, and that’s what I’ve become. Some days are hard, dealing with clients and contracts, but I set that goal, and I got it. My goal today is to use the experience of what’s worked, what hasn’t, and just be as efficient as possible about the way we do things and how that processes into design. We all get tired and road-weary. Sometimes just staying away from daily grind, even for an hour out of the day, helps you deal with it.—LESLEY STANLEY
The Highlights: A look at personal and professional milestones in the career of Stuart Narofsky 1983
1983—Begins private practice and first independent project, NYC Townhouse 1995—Receives American Institute of Architects (AIA) Archi Award, AIA New York State Excellence in Design award, and Sara Award for his work on the Patel Residence
1997
1998—Wins competition to design MCA Corporate Headquarters’ studios and offices in New York City
1998 1999—Receives AIA Long Island chapter leadership award 2000—Wins competition to redesign the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, New York 2004—Founds Narofsky Architecture in cooperation with affiliate, Ways2Design
2007
2007—Wins competition to design student housing at the Pratt Institute in New York City 2008—Publishes book, Narofsky Architecture, Process 25 2008—Wins Architectural Digest’s open audition competition for design of Cooper Residence
2008
2007 2008—Begins work on Greenfield Residence that will be constructed from sustainable materials
1997—Tours Germany and Northern Italy and exhibits work in Milan 1998—Merges with IDT Associates, becomes principal of design
2007—Tours Bolivia; lectures and presents design work to local university students and faculty
2011—Selected to lecture at AIA National Convention in New Orleans a
Lesley Stanley is a writer living in Chicago Photo for 1997: Potsdamer Platz by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in association with Christoph Kohlbecker (Gaggenau), Berlin Germany, photo by Mosch Vincent, courtesy RPBW
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DESIGN BUREAU
THE FAMILY FIVE: Jonathan Hoefler, Hoefler & Frere-Jones One half of the design world’s preeminent typographic duo talks pirating, presidents, and Knockouts There are two of you behind H&FJ. How did you meet? What made you decide to join forces?
Jonathan Hoefler Want more H&FJ? Check out our website, www.wearedesignbureau. com, for an extended version of this interview
I have a good friend who’s worked political media for most of his life, and for 20 years he’s declined the offers of my typefaces because he considers them too “out there” for his candidates. After Obama, Gotham’s become the de facto choice of whichever candidate is being positioned as the most ambitious, which means there have been a few Gotham–vs.– Gotham campaigns, too.
We met in the early ’90s, when the typographic community was considerably smaller than it is today, and the notion that there might be someone out there who does what you do pretty much guaranteed a friendship in advance. We spent those years working independently, but regularly consulting one another for design advice, and quickly recognized in each other the capacity to be both one another’s best advocates and harshest critics. After a few years of this, and also fighting over the same type specimen books that we’d both reach for at antiquarian book fairs, we decided to join forces.
It’s great for the designers who land your accounts after you get fired. The thing is, using a bootlegged font isn’t like listening to a borrowed MP3 on your headphones, it’s like using that MP3 in a national television campaign. You’d be amazed how many organizations call us in a panic to license the fonts their designers never paid for, and they’ll do anything to distance themselves from trouble.
The Post Family loves us some Knockout. What’s the story of Knockout? Boxing? Is it related to Champion?
There is an ever-growing movement in the use of web fonts. When are you guys planning to join in?
Why thank you. Knockout is indeed Champion’s successor, and both have boxing in their veins. Champion Gothic was my first typeface, a set of six headline fonts commissioned by Sports Illustrated in 1990, and its style names —Bantamweight through Heavyweight—are indeed a nod to the sweet science.
We were planning to join in 15 months ago, and have had our fingers on the trigger ever since. We decided that this wasn’t worth doing unless we could make fonts that are better than Arial and Lucida and Verdana. So it’s taken some time to get things to the place where we want them, and we’re now getting close to being able to announce. I really can’t wait to share what we’re working on—I think if we wait much longer, Brian Hennings (our graphic designer) and Meagan Fisher (our web designer) might burst, or mutiny. So, fingers crossed, it’ll be soon. Follow @h_fj on Twitter if you want the inside scoop.
S.I. had a habit of late-night editorial changes, in which a headline greeked as “hed tktktktk” would suddenly be replaced by real text that was too long to fit, so we thought that giving designers a set of ever-narrower fonts to choose from would guarantee them a way to set the type and call it a night. It worked, and it also gave them a broader editorial palette than most magazines have. Each issue, The Post Family interviews a new designer/studio with the goal that they reveal all of their most secret wisdom so we may learn to be as radical as them. www.thepostfamily.com
the website for The White House, is absolutely one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever experienced, and it’s still a little surreal.
What went through your head when you first saw some of the Democratic candidates using Gotham in the 2008 election? Great pride and enormous surprise. Seeing our work in the Obama campaign, and now on
Designers often pass type around like some swap MP3s. What are your thoughts on this?
Serif or sans-serif: that is the question. Serif for evenings, of course.
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H&FJ typefaces from top to bottom: 1. Gotham 2. Knockout 3. Vitesse
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DESIGN BUREAU
HOW TO BUY: Summertime Gear
By Kaitlin Madden
A guide to purchasing quality goods that will last you through the season—and beyond
How to buy:
Quality Sunglasses
How to buy:
A good water bottle
“The determining factors Aside from a leak-proof containbetween cheap and high-quality er, your perfect water bottle will sunglasses are lenses and frame be determined by its material. material,” says Christopher “According to manufacturers, Schmidt of Luxottica Group, the metal will keep your water world’s largest eyewear company. cooler than other materials,” says Kirsten Longnecker, manLook for: aging editor at Gaiam, Inc. ·· Polarized lenses to eliminate glare. “Glare can cause headConsider: aches, and is stressful for our ·· Usage. Will it stand up to your actual eye.” summer activity? ·· Glass Lenses. “They are extremely hard to scratch and have fabulous clarity.”
·· Material. Aluminum bottles are considered safer than the plastic varieties.
·· Titanium Frames. These are the best quality and the most durable.
·· Quality construction. Will it leak?
DB Picks: Ray Bans, $100-200; Tory Burch, $145-200; Mosley Tribes (Oliver Peoples’ sister company), $150-230
DESIGN BUREAU ONLINE POLL
KEEPING IT REAL How much are you willing to spend for sunglasses?
DB Pick: Gaiam’s Charcoal BPA-Free Aluminum Water Bottle, $9.98
$0- $50 $50- $100 $100- $150 $150+
How to buy:
A manly beach bag
“Choosing a beach bag that is functional and masculine is determined by fabric and color,” says Alex Drayer, owner and designer of LexDrey, a line of bags specifically created for men. Choose: ·· A durable, water-resistant bag in earth tones or basic black. ·· Something functional. “It should have enough zipper pockets to safely store keys, money, a watch, sunglasses, and other valuables.” ·· A nice material. “It should be comfortable to carry over a shoulder, even when not wearing a shirt.” DB Pick: LexDray Montauk Bag, check website for pricing and availability
How to buy:
A portable fan
Whether or not the fan comes with a warranty is usually a good indication of quality. Check for: ·· Construction. “Cheap fans are made and manufactured quickly, with only the bottom line in mind,” says Jennifer Gibson, a design consultant at Littman Brothers Lighting. ·· Volume level. Will it be distracting? ·· Precision air blowing. If the fan is on your desk, you’ll want to know the flow before your paper is flying everywhere. DB Pick: Hunter Heritage fan, $69
I sit on my shades too often to spend more. I'm all about the big-box special frames. I care about quality, but let's not get carried away. If they're not designer, then just forget about it.
Kaitlin Madden is a freelance writer living in Chicago, www.kaitlinmadden.com Sunglasses, www.luxottica.com; Water Bottle, www.gaiam.com; LexDray Montauk Bag, www.lexdray.com; Hunter Heritage fan, www.littmanbros.com
DESIGN BUREAU
Green-space conundrum: The Hillside Garden An open-air architect flexes his design skills on a terraced, multi-featured garden site
By Ryan Delia, a writer and landscape designer living in Chicago
For his work on a backyard landscaping project in New England, veteran architect and designer Keith LeBlanc was called in to create a conversation. “We wanted the site to have a dialogue with the new [home] addition, so there was a harmony between the architectural and landscape elements,” LeBlanc says. The project in question was the Hillside Garden, a very accurate description of a residential site in Brookline, MA. The homeowners wanted to balance the overall feel of their recently built, modern office and guesthouse with an equally forward-thinking garden design. They called on LeBlanc for the project, known throughout the Boston area for his clean, contemporary style and attention to detail.
LeBlanc recently received an award for 2011 Best Landscape Architect from Boston Magazine. Above: Padaro Lane, photo by Jim Bartsch
The site of the garden posed many difficulties as it cascaded down a steep slope that seemed nearly impossible to work with. Until LeBlanc stepped in, that is. “This was a great
project to work on because of the difficult site conditions,” he says. “Overcoming the big challenges is where the fun comes in.” LeBlanc addressed the 30-foot grade change by arranging a set of four terraces and connected them with narrow paths and stairs. Custom-cut bluestone pavers and seatwalls provided the space a crisp and orderly descent, while lines of shade-loving plants softened the edges. Natural boulders and native plants also help his design to blend well with the regional New England ecology. Here are LeBlanc's tips for creating your own backyard oasis
1. Imagine how you will use the space most—for a morning cup of coffee? Weekly happy hour with the neighbors? Knowing the amount of traffic on site helps to define seating and circulation requirements. “We try to design at a human scale, which allows
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Garden Concierge at Your Service LeBlanc relies on quality partners when designing his clients’ spaces, and he turns to The Garden Concierge for maintenance. Eric Becker and Craig Lemberger, owners of the Massachusetts company, have worked with LeBlanc on a number of his projects, including the Hillside Garden, which won the 2009 Boston Society of Landscape Architects’ Merit Award. “Working with Keith is great because his designs have a complexity of plant material that often require a higher level of service,” says Becker. “We also work well together because our background in design and horticulture allows us to look at a property and continue both the intentions and the spirit of the original plan. Together, we are able to provide a personal touch and fine polish for our clients that desire a higher level of service.”
the space to feel comfortable for more intimate events, but flexible enough to accommodate a larger gathering.” 2. Figure out your site’s conditions and work backwards. “Do a little research and study things like the amount of sunlight, soil quality, and how much water is retained on site,” he says. 3. For those whose thumbs are more gray than green, LeBlanc recommends using shrubs and evergreens as they need less care and attention than their perennial counterparts. “We like plants that have some structure, like Boxwood or Viburnum,” he says. These plants provide four-season interest and offer big bang for the buck.
“Do a little research and study things like the amount of sunlight, soil quality, and how much water is retained on site.” —Keith LeBlanc, principal 4. If you want a little privacy in your garden, plant a vine like Climbing Hydrangea or Boston Ivy. “It’s always helpful to consider [climbing] vines in a small space; they bring character and are usually low maintenance,” he says. If you’re in need of some serious privacy, go with a dense evergreen like an Arborvitae. 5. Consider using high-quality materials. It can be a bit more expensive on the front end,
but they last longer and need to be replaced less, making it a more sustainable and budget-friendly solution. LeBlanc used natural blue stone for the patios in his Hillside Garden and Cape Neddick projects. “Natural stone is a great choice because it offers such a richness in color and character that just can’t be beat. These products also age gracefully, and can even be restored which makes them very appealing to homeowners.” a
Picture-ready gardens in every season
Far left: Cape Neddick Above: Hillside Garden Photos courtesy of Keith LeBlanc
The Garden Concierge maintains gardens for clientele in the Greater Boston and Newport, RI areas. Our services sustain the health and beauty of gardens affording our clients endless opportunities to experience joy in their gardens for many years to come. Landscape Construction Wht type | PMS Cool Gray 9 bar | PMS Cool Gray 11 bckgrd and Site Development Paragon Landscape Construction, Inc. North Marshfield, MA 02059 tel. 781.834.1000 fax 781.834.3331 www.paragonlandscape.com
Keith Leblanc and other design professionals value The Garden Concierge because our services protect the integrity of their original designs. We tend to the details and thereby ensure that gardens are “picture-ready� at any time.
The Garden Concierge 6 Maybury Road, Sudbury, MA 01776 978.261.5192 www.thegardenconcierge.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
INSIDE MY OFFICE: Architect Alessandro Orsini Speaking with a noticeable Italian accent, Alessandro Orsini makes his one guiding principle crystal clear: architecture is design and design is architecture. The principal of Archi[te]nsions discusses design from his 45th-floor office in New York’s Empire State Building. By Noah Davis Photos by Eric Luc
On...Tactility “We knew we wanted to do something inflatable, and we knew we wanted to create something with a pattern, and that the pattern needed to contain an element of protection from the rain. We came across this very simple packaging material—if I’m being honest, I think the paper was packing for fruit, or came with something from Crate and Barrel. It’s just a flat piece of paper, but it’s cut in a way that it’s an expanding mesh, and it reacts in a different way. We applied the same concept to the Dreams Pavilion; the rigidity of the structure comes from the hexagon, which is a geometric figure that is very stable. Sometimes the starting idea of a project is just a simple thing.”
On...Materials “I learned to be very attentive to materials. It’s very important to get the sense of the materiality. Architecture defines the built environment— you need to know what you’re doing.”
Right: Alessandro Orsini in his NYC office Noah Davis is a writer living in Brooklyn, www.noahedavis.com
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
“Having the possibility to design a coffee table that is expressly made for that space is an incredible thing.” —Alessandro Orsini, Principal
On...NYC “We were looking for a place to put the office, and everybody else wants to be along 10th Avenue or Chelsea. I started to think, for me, my main interest is cities—the way that the urban fabric develops. There is all the reference to New York and to the Empire State Building, so I said, ‘Why not?’ ”
On...Model Building “It’s important to build a physical model; it’s important to see the scale of the object. We always test the element through a simple cardboard model called the “Phenomenology of Cardboard and Paper.” It’s a very simple physical model, but it’s under the sun and it gives you the idea of what’s going on inside. You don’t really achieve that quality through computer modeling, and frequently the client doesn’t get it.”
On...His Enviable View “My office view is very inspiring; it changes with the seasons and with the condition of light. At sunset, the sun hits the buildings and everything becomes red. It’s very inspiring, especially if we talk about phenomenology of architecture, how just the reflection of the skin can change so much.”
On...His Latest Project “For me, architecture is a lot about the sense of proportion and scale within the city, within the space, within a room. The Anti-Gravity Apartment is a small place, but I was very lucky to have the opportunity to design everything: the bookshelves, the coffee table, and the dining table. They are really small details, but they are very important. Having the possibility to design a coffee table that is expressly made for that space is an incredible thing.”
The Anti-Gravity Apartment Orsini’s client owned two adjacent apartments that needed to be combined into one, so naturally he gutted the interior and built a wall. But not just any wall. An anti-gravity wall. “It was a pretty typical Upper East Side building,” Orsini says. “My main concern was to draw attention somewhere other than the ceiling because it wasn't very tall. We thought of a wall that was hanging from the ceiling but suspended from the floor.” The result is an elegant design that both divides and combines the units. The gray wall— modulated on the golden section—plays off the red-stained ground and thickens as it snakes at right angles through the floor plan. The section separating the master bedroom from the living room contains space where the art-collector owner can store her possessions. Not that a casual observer would suspect the tectonic play. “The appearance of the wall doesn’t change,” Orsini says. “What you see is not exactly what it is. The wall is not floating and you can’t tell it contains storage.”
This page: The Anti-Gravity Apartment in New York City
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To emphasize the streamlined digital future of healthcare, towering stacks of paper loom over GE’s Healthymagination exhibit. The floating beds were a way to represent the patients themselves, while the people were reflected in the voluminous stacks of records.
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
VISUALIZING WELLNESS Healthcare as we know it is rapidly changing. See how two design firms made GE’s cutting-edge technologies seem downright friendly.
The Situation:
Corporate giant GE has long been known to “bring good things to life”—a slogan especially fitting for exciting new advances in the company's medical equipment that could change the future of healthcare. The Problem:
GE wanted its significant breakthroughs to have an audience— after all, these advances were poised to change the medical world—but making seemingly banal equipment like MRI machines feel intriguing to the general public was proving to be a feat within itself. “The idea behind this concept is that GE believes we can help create health products at lower costs with greater access and higher quality,” says Linda Boff, GE’s digital and marketing communications leader. The Solution:
In order to hold true to its tagline, GE called in New York architecture and design firms Urban A&O and Thinc Design to develop Healthymagination, an interactive healthcare exhibition to educate and entertain the public.
By Brian Libby Photos by Albert Vecerka
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The design team: ters. Hennes and MacDonald came up with the “We were looking for something that would idea for a large-scale exhibit where a range of cause people to stop in their tracks and say informational and sculptural elements told ‘Wow, I didn’t know GE was involved in this, the story of GE’s healthcare approach to a what a cool way to present this technology,’ range of visitors. recounts Boff. They turned to principals Tom Hennes of Thinc Design and Joe MacDonald The exhibition Elements: of Urban A&O for the task at hand. Together, Information was relayed to visitors via susthey combined architectural, theatrical, and pended pods overhead. Pod 1 was considered multimedia design elements to transform a “the introductory pod,” which informed visiformer bank near Rockefeller Center, the lo- tors about GE and all of the many things that cation of GE’s landmark Manhattan headquar- it does as a company; pod 2 was a story about
The designers of GE’s Healthymagination exhibition sought to create an immersive multimedia experience with an element of storytelling
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
“The notion of records as a physical object became interesting: they could become projection surfaces to tell the counter story.”—tOM HENNES, THINC DESIGN saving lives through speed and technology in hospitals; and pod 3 was dedicated to the actual medical devices themselves. The pods were created using abstract elements like yards of stretchy fabric and clusters of pipes to make them stand out, and constantly changing theatrical lighting by Palazzo Lighting Design brought a striking ambience to the unusual architectural structures. “The fabric and pipes looked, on one hand, skeletal, like the human body,” MacDonald says. “On the other hand, they looked like medical dressings.” Visitors could interact directly with GE representatives and with the technologies. One of the other key issues that GE’s exhibition addressed was how online management of healthcare records can make the whole system more efficient. “The notion of records as a physical object became interesting; they could become projection surfaces to tell the counter story,” Hennes says. “You walk in, and there’s this overabundance of paper work— beds floating in the air at different angles. That was really the beginning inspiration of it.” Video was also a major part of the Healthymagina-
tion design, and the team made it part of the overall exhibit by projecting the imagery onto the sculptural installation. “Our challenge was how to use that physical space as a platform for a series of storytelling experiences that would really immerse visitors,” explains Jake Barton of Local Projects, the company that coordinated the exhibit’s multimedia arm. “In the same way you want to make the stories tangible and concrete and real, you want to make the media physical and sculptural.” The end result:
Although the installation was temporary, its results were lasting and the designers took pride in the finished product. “Each of us had a pretty defined responsibility, but we had an active give and take,” says Hennes. “Everybody was soliciting creative ideas from each other. There were no fences in the project, which made it great to work on. Everyone was excited about contributing.” Adds Boff, “We had everyone from board of directors, to customers, to investors, to the public experiencing it. It was such a powerful way to get our story across in a way that was fresh, unexpected, and informed a lot of people who might not have known GE was in the health business.” a
Brian Libby is a writer living in Portland, OR. Read more of his work at www.brianlibby.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
fill in the blank: Stephen Yablon lets us pick his architectural brain
Stephen Yablon knew from early on that he was destined to be a New Yorker. “The diversity of people here and the opportunity to reinvent yourself—you don’t have that anywhere else,” he says. After working under legendary architect I.M. Pei and Gwathmey Siegel, Yablon founded his own firm, Stephen Yablon Architects, in—you guessed it—New York. Recent projects include the award-winning Central Harlem STD Clinic and the Betances Community Center and Boxing Gym in The Bronx. Here, Yablon plays Fill in the Blank with us, sharing his process, surprising passion (hint: it has nothing to do with architecture), and what he has his sights set on next.
An ongoing sketchbook.
I constantly have:
the boldness and technical invention of Hertzog & DeMeuron and Gehry.”
What I love about architecture:
When designing for a community,
By Brian Libby Photos by Matthew Williams and Michael Moran
“Is that it’s an art, even though it has all these prac- you need to: ticalities and functional problems you have to solve. “Design public places to gather. Look at Egypt—it was Architecture communicates to us who we are. Some- about gathering in the square. It’s the oldest thing in times it’s supposed to be joyful, sometimes somber, the world. No technology can kill the need for places sometimes public, sometimes solitary. It’s how well of public gathering, places that reinforce commuyou communicate an idea. I enjoy the process of nity. Being modern is being part of the community, getting to that.” but also part of the greater world, so there’s views outward from the enclosed space. You need to have My favorite book is: that connection to your past, but you don’t want to “War and Peace. I love the contrast between everyday be constrained. You want to be able to partake of all life and these giant historical events, like Napoleon’s the advantages in the modern world. invasion of Moscow. Plus, it reads like a soap opera. Tolstoy is a real storyteller.” My FAVORITE ARTist is: “Sol Lewitt. Also the Russian Supremacists and conOutside of architecture, I like to: structivists—the sheer inventiveness and the ability “Go surfing—I’m fairly obsessed. I grew up doing to communicate with these minimal means.” it. I stopped for 25 years, and then I learned that you could do it in the New York area. It’s freedom, Sometimes my role is: escape, and feeling one with this pulse of energy “As a designer and other times it's more of an editor: for a few seconds. And the design of surfboards to keep things moving towards a strong idea. I enjoy is fascinating. They’re extremely subtle little pushing people beyond what they think they can do vehicles.” creatively.” My architecture hero is:
“Louis Kahn, for his ability to create profound public spaces and his ability to integrate history and local culture into modern architecture. That was a very profound thing that still resonates with me.” within architecture, i currently like:
“Glenn Murcutt or Patkau Architects with their modernist interpretation of place and sensitivity to local climate. On the other hand, I also admire
Next, I’m working on:
“A renovation of an historic art-deco community health-center building in New York. It’s going to be the largest STD clinic in the country. These community public health centers were built in the 1930s during the New Deal, and some of the best architects were hired as a way of expressing the city’s commitment to public health, but they’ve fallen into disrepair. We’re upgrading these places to allow them to deliver state-of-the-art healthcare.” a
Right: Stephen Yablon in his office in New York City
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
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KONE 623 CFL/CMH | 620 CFL
Designed by Stephen Yablon The Center for Student Affairs, Columbia University, New York When Yablon was designing a new home for the department on the Columbia University campus, he wanted to be sure it was meaningful to the Ivy League school and to the students who attend it. “We look for a simple move that can kind of have a poetic resonance about who the client is and what the site is, but work on a functional level, as well.” So Yablon paid homage to a design found in the most iconic space on campus—the library. He used the paving pattern in front of Low Library, on the steps where students sit outside and gather, as inspiration for the flooring and perforated metal walls within the new student center. “We said, ‘Let’s take that and interpret it.’ ”
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The wall in the student center is made from a powder-coated, perforated steel panel with a reflective stainless surface behind it. “The idea is the students see themselves reflected in the pattern—an appropriate image for the department that guides the students through the university experience.”
Above: Columbia University Division of Student Affairs
w w w. d e l r a y l i g h t i n g . c o m
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
tear-sheet KINDLING Principal architect David Mann finds inspiration the old-fashioned way—flipping through magazines, page by page David Mann has a routine, and he is rather obsessive about it. Every time he gets a new project, he sits in his office, surrounded by thousands of architecture, design, and art magazines, and chooses a select few. He then carefully devours each one. As the president of MR Architecture + Decor—a prominent architecture and design studio based in New York City—Mann is good at finding inspiration. “I go through hundreds and hundreds of magazines for each project,” he explains. “And sometimes I can tell by the tone of the conversation with the client which magazine would be better to get the inspiration from.”
Mann has been captivating the design industry around the globe for several decades, and he doesn’t show any sign of stopping. In late 2010, Mann designed the first American boutique of the prolific French shoe designer, Pierre Hardy. Just like Mann, the intimate shoe outpost is understated yet refined. It is a minimalist’s dream, but amid Hardy’s skyhigh heels, there is a sense of luxurious contentment. In everything that Mann designs, he not only uses an initial survey of the space to bond with the place he is changing, but he also listens to the client’s aspirations and dreams. CONTINUED ON PAGE 66
By Caitlin Gath Photos by Shawn Brackbill
Above: Mann’s work inside the East Side Loft
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ON DAVID What his colleagues have to say “MR is, in my opinion, the highest-end firm, in terms of design and attention to detail. Because of the innovative and design-oriented approach of MR Architecture, it helped us to meet the challenges of a difficult project, as well as acquire new experiences, produce new products, and become innovative in our own right.”—Victor Tsvik,
managing director, Avant Art Architectural Glass, Inc. // worked with David and MR Architecture on the Pierre Hardy store
Garadice Builders, inc. New York Carpentry and Construction 976 McLean Avenue Yonkers, NY 10704 phone 917.701.0157 917.701.0168 fax 914.237.7181 email garadicebuilders@aol.com
“It’s actually quite amazing working with David and his team at MR Architecture. For me, as a vendor, it’s very effortless when I have to do a project with them. It just flows so well because I feel that David and I share the same aesthetics, and with everybody there, we’re all on the same page. David has an incredible eye. He’s just unbelievably talented as an architect and a designer.”—
Soraya Osorio, president, Soraya Ltd. // worked with David and MR Architecture on the Pierre Hardy store
“We worked very closely with David in the best way that we like to work, and that’s partnering through the client and the architect, and working as partners in this competitive world. We get along perfectly. In the old days, Frank Lloyd Wright used to say that a draftsman is a good pencil in the hand of the master, so I kind of like to modify that to say I’m a really good pencil in the hand of the master.”—Joseph Kusnick, president, A.E. Greyson + Company // worked with David and MR Architecture on the Upper East Side residence
“The Pierre Hardy store was a wonderful project. Seeing the whole thing in its completion was my favorite part. David is right on top of his projects and gets problems resolved right away. He’s really on top of his work.”— Brendan Flanagan, owner, Garadice Builders Inc. // worked with David and MR Architecture on the Pierre Hardy store
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
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This page: Piano and furry bench inside the East Side Loft; Opposite page: Interior detail in the East Side Loft
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Left: The Tribeca loft, another design by David Mann and team Right: A look inside the Pierre Hardy boutique in New York
“Our experience is such an intimate one with our clients. Our lives with them just don’t end when the project is over.”—david mann, principal
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
“Frequently [the client] will tell us about this fantastic hotel or park, or that great restaurant or museum, and we use a lot of our own imagery to communicate back with them,” he says.
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AvAnt Art Architectural Glass
Mann’s own imagery includes combining his faithful magazine pages with emotions, stolen moments, or even art to convey the direction of the project. “Based on that, we step back and get all excited and involved in what the result should be,” he says. “And that’s when we really start to focus. We start doing lots of sketches and experimenting with the space and the light, the textures and the objects.” At times, MR Architecture + Decor has a reputation for infusing its projects with a monochromatic block theme, but according to Mann, his firm does not always intentionally work that way. “Some people claim that we’re afraid of pattern, which is not exactly true, but we do tend to color block, and we tend to focus more on textures of things, rather than on the colors of things,” Mann says. “One of the reasons why this has come about is that a lot of our clients have a lot of wonderful art, and the art tends to provide a lot of color.” This is apparent in an Upper East Side residence that Mann recently created. The home can easily be described as quirky and engaging. With a circular bed in one room and a plush blue sofa set atop carpet designed to look like the British Union Jack flag in another, the décor in this project largely came from the client. The clean and simple architectural details of the space, including the fresh neutral-colored walls, however, are purely Mann.
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In the end, no matter what sort of personality one of his designs takes on, it is clear that Mann knows and loves what he is doing. “What I believe is that we have a great deal of experience and taste, and we’re good at what we do,” Mann says, describing his design studio. “Our experience is such an intimate one with our clients. Our lives with them just don’t end when the project is over.” a
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
URban renewal Hip lifestyle brand Urban Outfitters revamped a historical site for its industrial office headquarters
By Christopher Moraff Photos by Lara Swimmer, courtesy MS&R
When you first pass through the gates of the Philadelphia Navy Yard onto the campus headquarters of retail-clothing conglomerate Urban Outfitters, you know you’re on hallowed ground. The former shipyard encompasses more than 350 acres and has nearly 400 structures, five dry docks, and more than seven miles of waterfront. All around, dozens of timeless structures dot the landscape, their diverse façades speaking to more than a century of near continuous expansion that occurred, and continues to occur. The Navy began building ships on this site during the Civil War, and by World War II, more than 40,000 people were toiling here, working on the massive naval vessels. Today, a revival is again putting Philadelphians to work at the Navy Yard, with yet another expansion within the Urban Outfitters 330,000-square-foot headquarters. “We wanted a place that we could make a real physical space, that made a statement to really push creative
thinking,” says Dave Ziel, Urban Outfitters’ chief development officer. “It was about being genuine to the buildings and the architecture that existed.” Since moving to the shipyard in 2006, the company has doubled in size and now employs more than 1,200 people in its six (soon to be eight) operational buildings. Its most recent project, a new home for the group’s Free People brand, was completed last year, and the company is currently repurposing two more buildings that will add another 100,000 square feet to the campus. Minneapolis-based architecture firm Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. has been called in to continue the project that it began five years ago with Jeffery Scherer at the helm. Scherer is a co-founder of MS&R and the project manager in charge of the retrofit. For the project, he put stake in his firm’s enlightened ethos. “Our primary responsibility was to develop a framework for relative meanings over time,” he says. “The authenticity of an old place just cannot be recreated through mimicry.”
Cast-iron columns layered with peeling paint terminate at rusted steel beams and the crisscrossing truss-work of vaulted ceilings
Christopher Moraff is a Philadelphia-based writer and photographer who covers many topics, from foreign affairs to design, for many publications. www.christophermoraff.com Above: Urban Outfitters retail stores; Urban Outfitters fabric swatch detail, photo by Christopher Moraff
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Design Details The Urban Outfitters campus occupies some of the oldest and most unique buildings in the Yard: Building 10, which houses the Anthropologie brand, was built in 1903 in the Renaissance Revival style. It features a brick façade with high arches, 19 bay windows, and maple wood salvaged from a Chicago convent. Building 543 houses production and IT, as well as a cafeteria, coffee shop, gym, and magazine store. It was constructed in 1939 as a pipe-bending facility. Building 15 is known as the “incubator,” as it’s where new concepts take shape. It features the familiar markings of blue and red athletic tape from a school gym. A salvaged diving decompression chamber sits on its side in front of the campus dog park
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Getting Floored: The Various Woods of the Urban Outfitters Campus Urban Outfitters reached out to another Urban for its refurbished flooring—Urban Evolutions, a purveyor of specialty lumber salvaged from unexpected places. The Wisconsin-based company was founded by Jeff Janson and his wife Robin after a fire destroyed their nineteenth-century farmhouse. During the restoration process, the Jansons accumulated a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind doors, beams and floorings that began to draw the attention of local homeowners and businesses. “My first big flooring gig was three Kenneth Cole shoe stores using red barn siding,” Jeff Janson says. “Then the same designer started using us for Anthropologie stores.” To complete the Urban Outfitters campus project, Urban Evolutions brought in 250 tons of salvaged material to cover the existing concrete floors and replace rotting wood. Building 12, home of the company’s corporate offices, features floors that were salvaged from a turn-of-thecentury building that Thomas Edison once used as a factory to make cabinets for his invention, the phonograph. Other woods include pine reclaimed from a Virginia warehouse, redwood from pickle factories, and maple from the American Tobacco factory in North Carolina. “When we choose to reinsert a material, we strive to select those that are not only reflective of our values of honesty, but that come from eclectic places,” says David Ziel, Urban Outfitters’ chief development officer.
rescue as an art form repurposing architectural elements from midwest factories and farmsteads since 1995
“We wanted a place that made a statement to really push creative thinking. And most importantly, it was about being genuine to the architecture that existed.” —dave ziel, chief development officer, urban outfitters With that in mind, the project commenced with a detailed inventory of what features would be kept and which would be abandoned. Scherer’s partner on the project, firm principal Josh Stowers, says that process starts by understanding the DNA of the buildings. “Once we get a real understanding of the structures, it’s about building the program to fit the architecture, not the other way around,” he explains. “It’s about responding to what’s there.” Scherer adopted several rules for the build-out, including never having new and old operate on the same plane, and removing as little of the buildings’ antique patina as possible. The designers have also focused as much as possible on adaptive reuse, using a door found in one building as a table top in another, and, in one case, relocating a two-story steel staircase. For its thoughtful work, MS&R was awarded the National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, among other honors and numerous accolades. Renovations for phase two of the Navy Yard campus are scheduled to be finished in February 2012. When asked about his final goal for the campus, Ziel’s answer is earnest yet honest. “The endgame? I hope there is no endgame.” a
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Living by the lAKE For the summer season, check out these modern takes on the classic lake house
Buisson Residence architect: Robert M. Gurney location: Lake Anna, Virginia
The sharp modern lines and white exterior of the Buisson Residence are in striking contrast to the organic shapes and colors of the lakeside environment that surround it. “We definitely juxtaposed it to the landscape,” says Robert M. Gurney of his design. “I feel like in this case, as with a lot of good modern pieces of architecture, that juxtaposition actually makes the landscape have more of an impact. You’re looking at it as a backdrop to the house, [and] I think that makes the architecture better and the landscape better. It heightens the awareness of each.” Located on a grassy knoll with commanding views of the lake on three sides, the Buisson Residence is accessed via a winding drive through a pine forest that belies its lakeside location. Gurney designed the home to act as a final portal through which visitors must pass before they’re rewarded with a waterfront view. “The idea is, as you approach the house
and drive through the pine forest, you don’t anticipate that you’re going to come out of the woods to a water view,” Gurney says. “We wanted to heighten that orchestration of how you get to the house and hide the water views until you’re inside the house.”
By Jamie Hartford, a writer based in Los Angeles. Read more of her work at www.jlhartford.com
The smaller of two L-shaped brick walls, which make up the primary organizational elements of the house, hides the lake from the drive and encloses the home’s service areas, including the garage, mudroom, and laundry. The larger L fuses with glass to showcase southern and western water views in the living spaces. “We very purposely juxtaposed the rigor of the house with the natural, unrigorous landscape,” Gurney says. True to their name, lake houses really are all about the lake. “You try to design a house that takes advantage of the view,” he says. A good view indeed.
Opposite page: Robert M. Gurney’s Buisson Residence, photo by Paul Warchol
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
BEHIND THE DETAILS IN THE BUISSON RESIDENCE Mike Burger of Burger’s Cabinet Shop brought Robert Gurney’s cabinet designs to fruition. “My specific role is to make the architect’s and homeowners’ visions come to life,” Burger says. He did so by adding unique elements to the house, including a remote-controlled television that rises out of the foot of the master bed. “It’s a hidden compartment that is literally a part of the bed—wicked cool,” he adds. Burger stresses the importance of being a part of the project along the way and communicating constantly. “We do everything we can to keep the satisfaction of both the architect and the homeowner,” Burger says.
Top photo by Paul Warchol; Bottom photos by Maxwell MacKenzie
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
House on Lake Okoboji architect: Min/Day location: Lake Okoboji, Iowa
The shores of Iowa’s Lake Okoboji are cluttered with campy cottages and cabins, so when the architects of Min/Day were charged with designing a home on the cramped shore, they looked beyond the forest of kitsch and drew inspiration from the trees. “There was no point in responding directly to the buildings,” says Jeffrey Day, the firm’s Omahabased principal. “We were more interested in the oak trees on site.” For the exterior, Day and his San Francisco-based partner, E.B. Min, chose vertical slats of reddishbrown ipé wood, a hard Brazilian variety some-
times used on decks, to complement the arboreal surroundings. Located on a small lot, the home is arranged as a series of spatial frames focused on the lake. “We used the house to block out the neighboring two houses,” Day says. “We maximized privacy in the house as you get closer to the lake. Inside the main living area, you don’t see the neighbors at all.” Inside, though, they playfully acknowledged the neighboring structures with a wall outside the kids’ quarters. It’s covered in a raw-looking OSB paneling that resembles wafer board. “It was sort of a nod to the cheap cabins on the lake,” Day says.
House on Lake Okoboji photos by Paul Crosby, www.pcrosby.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Villa Nyberg architect: Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture location: Borlänge, Sweden
The spark for Swedish firm Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture’s Villa Nyberg came from a response that it received when interviewing families about their dream house: “Time…translated to our lives…becomes a house.” The design concept of Villa Nyberg shows a circle divided into 24 segments—one for each hour of the day—with space allotted to various daily activities. A third is devoted to sleep, an eighth to eating, three-eighths to work, and so on.
evolved further as a private lakeside residence surrounded by a fir forest in central Sweden. “First, windows and rooms are positioned to make the most of the view,” says the firm’s co-founder, Joakim Kaminsky. “Secondly, we settled on untreated wood as façade material in order to relate to the surrounding forest and nature.”
The circular design makes the most of the view and affects the way inhabitants use the residence. They move from room to room around the structure, experiencing all 360 degrees in a day. “We can offer The concept was initially developed for a views in all directions,” Kaminsky says. housing fair, then as a line of passive solar “Also, I think that its morphology relates houses utilizing a standardized prefabri- to the shore.” His favorite part? The house cated building system. Finally, the concept has no dead ends.
Lake Union Floating Home architect: Vandeventer + Carlander Architects location: Lake Union, Washington
There’s a reason why so many floating homes look like boxes: zoning laws mean a standard cubic structure will allow for the maximum use of space. So architect Tim Carlander embraced in-the-box thinking while designing a house on Seattle’s Lake Union.“Our intent was to go in there recognizing that we were building this box,” he says. To keep the exterior visually engaging, they color-coded the outside to reflect the functions of the interior. Support structures feature a deep oxblood red, and yellow fiber cement panels highlight the home’s public spaces. Private areas, such as a powder room above the entry, are covered in aluminum panel painted gray. “This was our way to kind of try to de-box the box and make it something that was interesting to look at, but not have it just be arbitrary,” Carlander says. Two internal floors and an upper deck make for a lot of steps, so the team focused on making a spectacle of the stairs. “In the morning time, on the east side of the house, sunlight reflects off the water, so while you’re going up and down the stairs, you get this wonderful little ballet of light,” Carlander says. a
Villa Nyberg photos by Kalle Sanner; Lake Union photos by Ben Benschneider
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
As General Contractors for the Summerhill Residence, Paul White Construction, Inc. congratulates Edmonds and Lee on their continued architectural success.
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DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
Building Doctors Redesigning old structures takes patience and trust. Good thing the partners at Edmonds + Lee are also husband and wife.
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By Felicia Feaster
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“I often think of us as architectural plastic surgeons,” quips architect Robert Edmonds. He is referring to himself and Vivian Lee, his partner at their San Francisco firm, who also happens to be his wife. Edmonds and Lee frequently find themselves taking existing buildings and re-envisioning them for their clients’ more modern tastes. “We’re really able to attack the DNA of a building and transform it,” Edmonds says. Their elegant solutions to preexisting buildings include a lightdrenched bachelor pad in the historic Oriental Warehouse in San Francisco’s South Beach neighborhood, and their own ’50s-era San Francisco home, where a wooden-screen-wrapped façade gives it the look of a vintage View-Master. In contrast, the Summerhill Residence, one of their few ground-up projects, was built for Lee’s brother as a second home. Its series of buildings has served as a backdrop for fashion shoots, and as the cover image for the architecture book California Cool. The design of this home typifies the clean, modern lines of the signature Edmonds + Lee look.
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HEAVY TIMBER CEILING (EXISTING) CURTAIN WALL (EXISTING) BRICK WALL (EXISTING) GLASS GUARDRAIL (NEW) STEEL STAIR (NEW) KITCHEN (NEW) BATHROOM AND SLEEPING AREA (NEW)
Oriental Warehouse Loft Housed in a designated San Francisco landmark from 1867, this loft formerly served as a distribution point for imported tea, rice, and silk. Now it exists as a sleek bachelor pad for a venturecapitalist client. The previously long, dark space was transformed using an open plan and a glass wall in the master bath to pull light from the entrance into the interior. Opposite page: An inside look at the Oriental Warehouse Loft
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
“I often think of ourselves as architectural plastic surgeons. We’re really able to attack the DNA of a building and transform it.” —robert edmonds, Principal
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Working as a Couple
Above: Edmonds and Lee in their studio
Edmonds and Lee met at Columbia University’s architecture school, which they followed with experience at firms including Steven Holl Architects and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. They moved to San Francisco in 2005, when Lee was three months pregnant with their first child, and they had very few contacts in the city. It was, in what sounds like a bit of an understatement, “frustrating,” Edmonds says. But six years later, they find themselves sitting pretty with an enviable array of work in the pipeline. “We’ve never had so many interesting projects as we do now,” Edmonds says. They are working on a ground-up house in the city; a renovation to a home designed by former UC Berkeley architecture school dean William Wurster; a Jin Wang couture wedding-dress showroom; and the renovation of a San Mateo school for children with learning disabilities.
Opposite page: Exterior and interior views of the Oriental Warehouse Loft
With five- and one-year old boys to raise and their office and living quarters on different floors of the same modern Twin Peaks home, Edmonds and Lee
are clearly close collaborators. “We try to keep a very clear separation: one is work and one is home time,” says Lee, with their one-year-old’s coos audible in the background. Such are the best laid plans. “It’s pretty difficult to do,” Edmonds concedes. “We end up talking shop until we fall asleep.” The couple approaches their work with an awareness of each others' strengths. “When you decide to start an office and work together as a couple, you really have to be confident professionally and know what you are good at and what you are not good at,” Lee says. “Very seldom will we both be attacking the same portion of a project. I understand spatial relationships very well, and then I’ll give it to Rob to see if it works for larger more technical, practical issues,” Lee says. “I tend to be a little more in the project management side, in terms of running the day-to-day,” Edmonds says. “I hate to make it sound like such a stereotypical scenario where the male is in charge of the structure and the female is in charge of the interiors,” he says. “But it does tend to fall along those lines.” a
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Summerhill Residence A very personal project, this iconoclastic vacation home built for Lee’s brother in California wine country was intended to connect inside and outside spaces. A series of three separate buildings— main house, guest house, and garage—juxtapose the stark-white and warm-wood cladding with the rolling green hills in the distance.
Who better to quiz edmonds and lee than Each other? Lee: Past aesthetic influence on contemporary design? Edmonds: Having grown up in the suburbs, my
exposure to architecture with a capital “A” was nearly nonexistent. As a result, the first time I entered the courtyard space at Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute was like a religious experience for me.
Edmonds: Guilty pleasure that runs counter to your usual good taste? Lee: Project Runway. It reminds me a lot of being in architecture school. Make it work! Lee: Favorite San Francisco building? Edmonds: Old: Crown-Zellerbach building. New: de
Edmonds: First place you like to take out-of-town guests? Lee: The Twin Peaks observation area, which is up on the hill, right behind where we live. From there you can see views of the entire Bay Area.
Young Museum.
Lee: Favorite architecture-centric film? Edmonds: Tron. The film was directed by a classmate
Lee: Building pet peeve? Edmonds: I can’t stand new buildings that are made to
of ours from Columbia. I thought the movie was very atmospheric, and it reminded me a lot of the work that was coming out of Columbia at the time we were there. Edmonds: Workplace bad habit? Lee: I work too fast, but I think you work too slow.
Edmonds: Architectural superpower? Lee: Mental superpowers to see the solution to a
problem almost instantly.
look old. The overuse of bay windows in San Francisco new architecture is especially troubling.
Edmonds: What would you most like to be doing when you’re not working? Lee: Playing with our kids. Edmonds: Same answer.
Jackson Street Residence “A classic example of architectural plastic surgery,” Edmonds says. This residence in the historic Presidio Heights neighborhood offered no possibilities for expanding its façade or footprint. The result of taking the space back to the studs: a house scrubbed clean of extraneous details that balances a striking interplay of black and white.
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DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
All of the cabinetry and woodwork in the house was completed by the homeowner, Eric Macy, a skilled woodworker. The garage had to be finished first so that Eric could move his wood shop in and begin work.
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
There goes the neighborhood Take a look inside the design process of the Point Loma residence, a San Diego home that caused a stir by going against the grain
By Chris Allsop Completed photos by Scot Conti Construction photos by Mark Macy
The San Diego location, combined with the net-metering photovoltaic system, means that the Macy’s annual electricity bill is just $100. All of the heating systems are in the floor, and it is designed so that the exterior never needs to be repainted. “He can just hose it down,” Mark Macy says.
Opposite page: The Point Loma Residence, San Diego, California
When Eric Macy and his wife Gaye wanted a new house built in San Diego, they contracted Macy Architecture—Eric’s brother’s San Francisco-based firm—to do the work. Of course, it wasn’t all politics; Mark Macy’s firm is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm experienced in blending eco-friendly and modern styles—things that the Macys desired for their “terminal house,” real estate parlance for a home for life. “They wanted a low-maintenance, light-filled, simple home,” recalls Mark of the project, entitled Point Loma. “The site is close to the ocean, and they wanted to capture that view.” Doing so would allow Eric to see what was happening on his favorite beach volleyball court, and decide whether he should run down the hill and get involved. “My brother lives a very charmed life,” Mark adds.
But it wasn’t a quick process for the Macys; approval for the residence’s plans dragged on for a couple of years. Mark’s proposed design for Point Loma contained a steel frame, which was in drastic contrast to the wood-frame homes that primarily fill the neighborhood. His avant-garde idea had more than just earthquakes to stand up to; Mark describes how they received certain vituperative comments from neighbors due to the non-conformist nature of the design. But after a year of construction, Eric was receiving neighborly compliments rather than criticism on the finished design, and the Point Loma project received the title of “Home of the Year 2009” from San Diego Home and Garden magazine. a
Chris Allsop is a writer based in California. You can view more of his work at www.callsop.com
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General Impressions: Working with Macy Architecture
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For Jim George, owner of Cityscape Builders and the general contractor working with Mark Macy on his brother’s Point Loma residence, this was a perfect project for a variety of reasons (forward-thinking design and collaborative approach notwithstanding). On George’s advice, the roof changed from sloped concrete to a lighter and less expensive insulated PPO roof. Challenges were still presented by the galvanized steel in terms of finish work and the absence of cavity space to run wires through, but all problems were successfully solved through collaboration and Macy’s detailed planning. “[I’m] not kissing Mark’s ass,” George says. “But I will when I see him again.”
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Celebrity confidential Malibu-based Hayne Architects follows a fullservice model for its list of celebrity clients. Just who are they? That is the real question...
It takes a lot to hold architect Robbin 12,000-square-foot complex, complete with Hayne’s interest. “I get bored pretty easily,” an art studio, guest house, and amphitheater. admits the principal and founder of Hayne “The question became ‘How do we keep the Architects. Fortunately, Hayne has amassed cottage feel?’,” Hayne says. His approach ina unique portfolio that keeps him engaged, volved integrating the new structures within including a celebrity clientele befitting of his the lush landscape. He captured water flowing California-based practice. But don’t even try through the site and created a small lake, over to get him to sell out his client list—he’ll never which he positioned a modern art studio clad tell. “In this day and age of obsession with ce- in corrugated metal walls, finished to look old lebrities, it has become all that more impor- and rusted. tant to protect the privacy of their domestic life from public scrutiny,” he says. “This Similarly, the main home’s interior spaces should be a basic right for anyone, whether exude a patina well beyond their years. The actress purchased reclaimed materials and they are a celebrity or not.” shipped them from her native state of MisPart of the reason Hayne’s celebrity clients sissippi. Hayne collaborated with southern may seek him out is that his firm is full-ser- interior designer Ann Carter, and together, vice. He and his team design every aspect of a they incorporated the antique doors, salvaged project, from the interior to landscaping, and pine flooring and beams, along with locally in some cases, they build and stage speculative procured stone, in order to create a rustic and homes. “I’m picky when it comes to taking on inviting interior reflecting a canyon retreat. clients because residential work tends to be very personal. I appreciate clients who enjoy Bonsall West the process,” he adds. Through this approach, The process of obtaining a permit to build on he has cultivated a loyal clientele that values the bluffs along the Pacific Coast Highway can its privacy, but also appreciates a daring archi- take up to two years, not to mention that there tectural approach that affords dramatic views. are few empty lots available. Therefore, most of Hayne’s work in the area involves extensive remodels to existing structures. “Successful Stone Canyon An actress and long-standing client of Hayne remodels begin with a house with good bones,” purchased a 3,000-square-foot home tucked Hayne says. He saw potential in an “old-style away in Bel Air’s Stone Canyon and tasked modern” brick home with a simple shed roof, Hayne Architects with expanding it into a and resolved to develop it as a spec house.
By Murrye Bernard Photos by Simon Berlyn with Berlyn Photography
Murrye Bernard is an architecture writer living in New York City.
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“I’m picky when it comes to taking on clients because residential work tends to be very personal. I appreciate clients who enjoy the process.” —Robbin hayne, principal
Bonsall West was originally built by a brother and sister, so it lacked a designated master bedroom. Hayne made it more marketable by adding a master suite, as well a chef’s kitchen and landscaped gardens accentuated by a trellis and swimming pool. He inserted large sliding-glass doors along the home’s perimeter to open the interior to views of the gardens and ocean. Hayne Architects staged the Bonsall West home for sale, and it was eventually purchased by a well-known actor. Encinal House
Another renovation by Hayne Architects along the PCH is the Encinal House. The 1960s-era home was originally a kennel and part of the Disney family’s residential complex. The concrete structure features a distinct double-T slab roof. Hayne transformed the shell into a luxurious modern residence, adding a wing to create a V-shape that wraps a landscaped courtyard. He installed a rolling glass garage
door to further draw the outdoors into the home, and the view of the ocean is reflected in its dark-stained bamboo floors. Hayne also maximized views by designing a new deck that features a glass railing with a base-mounted connection system. Since the home is positioned precariously on a bluff, Hayne consulted Scott Walters, principal engineer at Geo Concepts, Inc., to update the existing structure to meet modern safety codes. “Robbin considers the site characteristics in his design and comes up with the best design to fit the specific situation,” says Walters, who has worked with Hayne for 20 years. And typical of a Hayne project, the Encinal House was sold to a famous actor. The star appreciated the privacy offered by the estate, as well as its mid-century-modern aesthetic. The only change he made? Covering the custom glass shower roof to prevent paparazzo from spying via helicopter. a
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
Clockwise from far left: Stone Canyon Residence, Bonsall West Residence, and Encinal House.
GeoConcepts, Inc. GeoConcepts, Inc. provides superior geology and geotechnical engineering services beginning with the initial investigations through planning stages and construction for residential, commercial and industrial developments and land use planning. Geology and Geotechnical services are provided by in house professional geologists and soils engineers. These services include geologic, geotechnical, seismic and groundwater investigations. Our goal is to surpass all expectations set by our clients by offering exceptional customer service and greater value.
14428 Hamlin Street, #200 Van Nuys, CA 91401 818.994.8895 www.geoconceptsinc.com
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Caliper, which takes its name from a tool used to measure distance, has designed, built, and renovated dozens of residential and commercial spaces since its launch in 2003. Its fabrication work has found its way into many award-winning projects, including Interior Design’s 2010 Apartment of the Year.
DESIGN BUREAU // Design Thinking
STAIRWAY CENTERPIECE The feature stairs of Caliper Studio
By Christopher Moraff Photos by Ty Cole
If ever someone endeavored to build Led Zeppelin’s legendary “Stairway to Heaven,” there’s a good chance they’d ask Caliper Studio to do the work. The Brooklyn-based company—founded by Columbia University graduates Stephen Lynch and Jonathan Taylor and their friend and colleague, sculptor Michael Conlon—has had its hand in more than a dozen feature staircases and is fast garnering a reputation for pushing the envelope in ways that seem to defy the laws of physics. From the beginning, Taylor and Lynch were determined to use their fluency in the latest 3D-rendering technology to take control of a facet of design that most architecture firms are forced to outsource: fabrication. “Rather than a more conventional architecture practice that doesn’t get too involved in the making of things, we were always drawn to getting our hands dirty and trying to produce the things that we were designing,” Lynch says.
West Side into a single 3,000-square-foot apartment; and second, to design a central staircase that would connect the two floors and serve as a conduit for light from a glasswalled terrace on the upper floor. “Our effort was to be as minimally invasive as possible, and the stair was our opportunity to do something sculptural, which the clients were on board with from the beginning,” Taylor says. “I think because they were collectors, they liked the idea that it would be fabricated, that we would be doing this in our shop.” The staircase was named after a genetic algorithm that mimics natural evolutionary patterns to create optimal solutions to structural problems. Vastly simplified, it works like this: using computer code known as Rhinoscript, a number of individual staircases are modeled and reproduced over and over until a single, refined structure emerges. According to Lynch, the finished design was the culmination of nearly a thousand iterations, each one a little more perfect than the one before.
The firm has been getting a lot of attention for its unique staircase designs, particularly with its chef d’oeuvre, the Genetic Stair—a “We always try to bring in this idea of a disproject for two Manhattan-based art collec- covered space or an unexpected element and tors. Caliper was contacted by the owners to think creatively about the materials that to work on a two-part project: first, to merge are around us,” Lynch says. “It’s about untwo adjoining duplexes on Manhattan’s Upper derstanding the world we live in.” a
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Drawing by Nicholas Desbiens
The freestanding staircase—which effects a 270-degree turn with no intermediary supports—is composed of 48 individual stainless steel pipes with 1,400 holes. Low-iron glass frames the stairs, which are made of translucent white Corian. Pennsylvania-based laser-cutting firm PBZ, LLC was tasked with preparing the pipes. Troy Freeman, a manager with the company, says Caliper’s unique business model helped to streamline the process.“We received the 3-D-modeled parts from Caliper and downloaded them directly into our system,” Freeman says. “That direct information is not always presented, but when it is presented, it makes a big difference. It definitely helps dealing directly with the architects on projects like this.”
“We were always drawn to getting our hands dirty and trying to produce the things that we were designing.” —stephen lynch, co-owner, caliper studio
Caliper Studio is actually composed of two separate entities: the design firm itself and a 7,000-square-foot fabrication facility that contracts work from a number of notable architectural clients. Both are housed in a nondescript former box factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
We were delighted to work for Caliper Studios on their elegant Genetic Stair! Many respected clients have used our state-of the-art structural laser cutters and metal fabricating capacity, from creating highly visible fencing for the city of Philadelphia to fashioning unique stage parts for the biggest music acts in the world. Our precision cutting, design services, and custom fabrication capabilities can create your distinctive concepts with ease.
Above: 457 Residence in New York. Says Berry, “We did a custom bar that’s tall and narrow so it fits into the space. Because it’s a really small kitchen, you can also use the bar as a prep area.”
PBZ LLC 295 Wood Corner Rd, Lititz, PA 717-738-7365 www.laserpipecutting.com
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LUSH LIVING A
Green abounds in this urban apartment s the president and founder of New York-based real estate development firm Blesso Properties, Matthew Blesso knew he needed a place to go to escape the wilds of the concrete jungle. “I have a very hectic life and a high-stress career, so I wanted a place that was a sanctuary, [but still] right in the heart of the city,” Blesso says. “The city is a harsh place to live, and I love all the excitement it offers, but it’s very hard to find any connection to nature, which is something I crave.”
Leaving only the refrigerator, radiators, and windows alone, Blesso gutted his 3,100-square-foot penthouse in New York’s NoHo neighborhood and filled it with natural light and materials. He even brought the outdoors in by using a simple irrigation system
and low-maintenance plants in an indoor garden around the central staircase. To top off his pad, Blesso designed a 2,200-square-foot roof deck. “I designed this for myself completely,” he says. “I went with my gut instinct and with what I felt was beautiful.”
Blesso added a few special touches to his home that make the space even more individualized, including a Priva-Lite wall between the shower and the staircase that becomes opaque at the flip of a switch. “It was meant to be a little sexy,” he admits.
The interest generated from his uniquely designed space has been an added bonus, Blesso says. He has even received offers from people to buy it, despite it not being for sale. The positive response has encouraged him to keep making risky design decisions. “We are always trying to execute unique designs for our projects. We don’t want anything cookie-cutter.” a
By Lauren Del Campo Photos by Matthew Williams
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About the Graffiti Artist: Doze Green Amidst the calming and natural elements in Matthew Blesso’s penthouse, a bold, blue graffiti design dances along the wall. “I’ve always loved graffiti art,” Blesso says. He commissioned graffiti artist Doze Green to add a mural to his new home. Blesso asked Green to consider the relaxing qualities of his home for his design, which inspired Green’s monochromatic color scheme. “I wanted it to have a little bit of rawness to it, but also wanted it to be tranquil and refined,” says Blesso. “It’s pure stream-of-consciousness painting.”
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THE SHAPE OF DESIGN Fashions by Elke Walter
DESIGN BUREAU
“As a self-taught designer, I work differently…more like a sculptor or an architect. I used to be a writer for popular women’s magazines before I became involved with fashion. Maybe there are still some hidden stories in my mind, which, one day, I will translate into wearable things. In the early ’90s, without a plan, my family and I moved to Southern France. I did not like the fashion there. One day I discovered beautiful fabrics in a tiny store in town and was struck by the idea making clothing out of them. It took me a while before I succeeded in making my first dress, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. All of the inspiration exists in my mind. As a result, sometimes the outcome is decadent, sometimes crazy or exciting, sometimes artistic, sculptural, seductive, but never boring. Life is boring with all its rules, and a lot of people think they have to live and dress to be everybody’s darling. Or even worse—to disappear in the crowd, to be invisible. I wanted to be different.” —Elke Walter, as told to Jennifer Brunner
Jennifer Brunner is a design professional and writer living in Chicago www.elkewalter.com
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“I fold it up to the volume I want, I pin and look on it from all sides, and stitch when I am happy with the result. Oftentimes it takes days until a one-of-a-kind piece is finished.” —Elke Walter
DESIGN BUREAU
Q&A with Elke
The German designer answers some questions about the changing landscape of fashion.
Your designs not only hang in some of the finest boutiques, but are also seen on the stage and in museums. How did you became involved with the performing arts and art scene? Somebody told somebody about my work, handed over some photos, and then Xin Peng Wang, a Chinese choreographer working in Germany, called and asked me to design for his ballet, War and Peace, in Dortmund.
How do you think technology will influence fashion in the coming years? Technology has changed the fabric world. Today we can have a silk-looking dress made from polyester or any other yarn that has much more positive properties than the natural yarn. For so long we have focused on the “green” side of natural materials; the new green should respect the recyclability of materials. Recycled polyester is just the beginning. A lot of new technologies are already used in interior design—why shouldn’t they be suitable for fashion?
Do you believe men’s fashion can be as influential as women’s fashion? Yes, but most men are much more conservative than women. Their garments do not only have to look beautiful, but they have to be practical at the same time. We are planning [the launch] of our men’s line this year. Maybe this will be a new kind—revolutionary and influential.
What else do you have in the works? A basic line called TOKYO made out of a sheer black Japanese micro-fiber and the ADAN collection, with easy to wear pieces all wrapped in different black and white fabrics. Also, I’m designing a new line consisting of only cocktail and evening dresses. And some one-of-a-kind pieces. And I’m working on bags. And still have a men’s line on my mind…
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Rich, Brilliant, Willing from left: Theo Richardson, Charles Brill, and Alexander Williams
rich, brilliant & willing ...TO WORK FOR YOU With a name that belies its humility, this furniture-designing trio is making waves with its modern wares
By Saundra Marcel Photos by Noah Kalina
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Branch Floor Lamp All elbows or just a few elbows, the Branch floor and hanging lamps are customizable with removable arms to taste. Three, four, five, or six bent plywood pieces are attached with bolts to a steel center spine.
Appalachian Dining Chair The studio’s first chair is made-to-order with a number of choices: red, black or customcolor steel frame; maple or walnut backrest; with a seat made out of wood, cotton, or nylon. For free spirits (or control freaks) who want to choose their own seating adventure.
Clinker End Table It is named for an ancient shipbuilding technique, which overlaps wooden planks for an airtight hull. Recommended for a living room accent, bedside table, or a colorful entryway feature. Not buoyant in water.
T
he partnership of Rich, Brilliant, Willing is a dichotomy of ambition and modesty. Even while the designers’ pristine Bias Clock sits on a shelf at the MoMA Design Store, they still manage to keep their sneakered feet grounded.
Rich, Brilliant, Willing is composed of partners Theo Richardson, Charles Brill, and Alexander Williams. Collaboration is nothing new for them; the men have been working together professionally since 2007. Before that, they were members of the same graduating class at the Rhode Island School of Design. Now, their studio is located on the fifth floor of an industrial building in New York’s eclectic East Village neighborhood. The tight quarters have enough room for just two windows, four computers, and a small circular table with mismatched chairs, but they aren’t bothered by the snug space: they move deftly
among wood scraps, foam models and material samples. Their office is modest, but their goals, it appears, are quite lofty. On one wall of the studio is a whiteboard, and written on it in large, black letters is this statement: “Make $100 Grand in the next six weeks.” It is underlined. It is not this space, however, but rather their very first one that they found most inspiring. “It was like a laboratory,” Brill says. It was a dark basement, which they shared with contractors and an array of construction tools. The Internet connection was touch-and-go, with a distinct lack of “go” that they recall with fondness. Since then, the trio has moved three times in the last four years before settling here. With humble beginnings, it appears RBW has come quite far. But the whiteboard message, as it turns out, is not entirely serious. Although they have had some enviably successful designs, it may take the trio more than its allotted six-week timeline to live up to the first part of its company name. But in the mean time, they are certainly willing. a
DESIGN BUREAU
Behind the Ballsy Name: RBW
Rich Blue-eyed Theo Richardson is a Canadian import, but shows no sound of a home-country accent. He recalls an idyllic childhood of building toy boats out of wood and looking up to his big sister, Sarah, who is a decorator and well-known television personality. “Don’t do it for the money,” he cautions aspiring young designers. Strangest thing in his home: Six-foot-tall inflatable zebra Interviews make him: Die He wishes he could: Fly
Willing
Brilliant “I don’t know why people sometimes assume that we’re Brooklyn-based,” says Charles Brill, who also answers to Chuck. The unshaven Minnesota native favors flannel shirts and distressed jeans, and his very red beard is also very shaggy. Strangest thing SAVED: Retainer from high school TABLE OR CHAIR: Bench HIS MOM SAYS THAT HE: Needs more sleep
According to Alexander Williams, he grew up in “the most beautiful place in the world,” a remote resort town in Maine. If he hadn’t gone down this career path, he would have become an interior designer, an architect, or a fine artist. Possibly a filmmaker. But most definitely a chef. Strangest thing IN HIS REFRIGERATOR: Stale loaf of bread from a long-ago trip to Sweden all designers want to be: Famous he's in the mood for: A beer
Bias Clock The one and only (so far) plastic product from Rich, Brilliant, Willing, this beveled clock has eight hang holes in the back, so a discriminating time-teller can choose their own orientation. The face is numberless, a good thing for creative types who adore simplicity, not so good for those who crave precision.
Excel Floor Lamp Lovingly hailed as their “first-born child,” this seven-foot-tall floor lamp is constructed with thin oak and steel dowels, strategically positioned to support an oversized, drum-like shade. Good for a rustic look.
Russian Doll Coffee Table A bright centerpiece with highlighter flair, the Russian Doll coffee table is available in peacock blue and lime green. Or ink black. Neither fragile nor flimsy, this piece collides industrial-strength aluminum with table-top glass. Like the doll series that it’s named after, multiples can be nested inside each other.
Saundra Marcel is a writer and graphic designer living in New York City. View more of her work at www.saundramarcel.com.
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Dominic Truckee, 1962, B-52 Airdrop from 6,970 feet, 10 miles south of Christmas Island. This was a development and verification test for the Polaris A2 missile.
OM DESIGN BUREAU
22 EXPLOSIVE DESIGNS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
Text by [LD] [KG] [EK] [CM] [KFR] [TZ]
LAUREN DEL CAMPO KYLE GILKESON ELLEN KNUTI CHRISTOPHER MORAFF KATHRYN FREEMAN RATHBONE TOM ZOELLNER
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URANIUM BY TOM ZOELLNER This book explores how the modern world came to rely on a mineral once thought useless, and now recognized as catastrophically dangerous and wildly unstable. Below, Zoellner discusses the enchantments of explosions.
PRINT THAT POPS
On the allure of explosives If you believe in the Law of Entropy—and there are very few ways to wiggle around it—you know that thermodynamics always tend to move toward equilibrium. In other words, hot objects become cool over time. Nature tends to favor a balance. And one of the ways that it does is through an explosion, an instantaneous version of the imperceptibly slow decay that is always taking place in the physical world. There are few other dynamic mechanisms that draw the eye so quickly—that seduce the viewer with a sense of alarm and fascination (What boy does not love to blow stuff up?) Things fall apart, Yeats told us. But he never set a rate. To freeze an explosion is to capture life concentrated, in all of its conflicting libido and destrudo. There is a reason why the mushroom cloud became one of the enduring images of the Cold War and still resonates as a symbol of death and the apocalypse—a gaudy and alien vegetable growing where a city used to be, this bulbous parasite. It is ugly, but we can’t look away. An explosion transforms. Matter flashes into energy and matter changes into less-intact matter. It represents a tension unleashed. This is the physical principle at work in a nuclear explosion. The fragile electromagnetic coils that bind together an atom of Uranium-235 are snapped by the introduction of a neutron, and the entire edifice flies apart, scattering protons and electrons and other subatomic debris in all directions. The trick that we figured out is to pack enough of these particular atoms together in one globular mass. They burst into each other and shatter in exponential waves, releasing a blast that can level a city. This has not been done in anger since 1945. But we remain conscious of the imprints of this power; the threat of nuclear destruction contributed to the development of our far-flung suburbs (Eisenhower wanted the Interstate highway system, in part, to evacuate the cities) and in the fortified bunkers in backyards and public buildings. These may seem like dated throwbacks to another era, but the impulse that produced them—the awe and dread of the ultimate explosion—still has not gone away. [TZ] Tom Zoellner is the author of Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World (Viking/Penguin), which recently won the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. $26.95, www.us.penguingroup.com
EXPLODED VIEWS ADAM VOORHES Simple items like wire, glass, and tape helped photographer Adam Voorhes create and capture explosions in a controlled setting. But he quickly admits, “The Etch A Sketch involved a hammer, screwdriver, and a big mess.” After assisting an art director at a stereo equipment magazine with photographing the insides of amps and tuners, Voorhes thought he’d take explodedview photography one step further. “You know what all these things are, you know what they do, but have you ever thought about how they work?”
EXPLOSIVE DESIGN
CAPTURING EXPLOSIONS IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD
POWDER KEG THE AGE-OLD ADVERTISING STRATEGY OF BLOWING THE PRODUCT TO SMITHEREENS Departing from the standard “Hot Girls and Good Times” rhetoric of your average beer advertisement, Mojo Sydney created this modernist print campaign for James Boag’s brew, Pure. The three-part photographic series, shot by Dan TobinSmith, transforms beer’s traditional ingredients—hops, yeast, and barley—into epic art pieces. These controlled combustions confront consumers with the ingredients and processes that comprise the final product. Unsurprisingly, the abstract, minimalist campaign sparked its fair share of confusion, but perhaps that’s its intended effect—to become as mysterious and exotic as its country of origin, Tasmania. [KG]
Seeing Voorhes’ exploded-view experiment answers that question with a striking and straightforward explanation of relatively complicated inner-workings. After separating the objects—the gun being the easiest one—they are suspended in air. “It’s like an installation piece,” he says. “I take a photo and then clean up any fishing line or wire that is showing.” The resulting images, some printed as large as two and a half by three feet, range from scientifically cool (a dissected frog) to technologically complicated (an old rotary-dial phone). But Voorhes sums them up the best: “Rad.” [LD] www.voorhes.com
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HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH AN ATOMIC BOMB ONE FILMMAKER'S ADVICE ON CATCHING AN EXPLOSIVE SHOT
Most people will only ever know atomic bombs through the eerily alluring photographs that document their detonation. Thousands of these images exist, and yet, until recently, little was known about the people and technologies that went into documenting these explosions. Peter Kuran, famed documentary filmmaker and author of the book How to Photograph an Atomic Bomb, delves into some specifics of this mysterious process. Why are atomic explosion photographs usually black and white, and why do they look like they were shot at night? Most of the photographers worked in black and white because color film fogs more easily, so the images wouldn’t be clear. Typically, detonations would be scheduled for 4am so that the atomic cloud could be caught in the sunrise. The majority of the photos were
Right: Sergeant Kelly, Operation Hardtack II, 1958 Opposite (top to bottom): Cameramen photograph Grable, the atomic cannon, 1953 Aerial photo of the secret studio in the Hollywood Hills of Southern California Plumbbob Hood - July 5, 1957 Plumbbob Hood, a 74 Kiloton test detonated on a balloon. Hood was the largest atmospheric test conducted at the Nevada Test Site.
taken in broad daylight, but the bombs were so bright that they would make daylight turn into night. When the photographers were on site photographing the explosions, how close could they place their cameras to the detonation? Well, that depends on the size of the bomb. In Nevada, where they exploded the smaller bombs, the closest the cameras would be placed was about two miles away, in the trenches with the troops, but typically, they would be placed eight miles back. For the bigger bombs exploded in the Pacific, the cameras were usually placed about 20 miles back—any further back, and the image goes below the horizon. [KFR] Peter Kuran’s How to Photograph an Atomic Bomb, $25.95, www.atomcentral.com/book
EXPLOSIVE DESIGN
DYNAMITE VOCAB
Rapatronic Photography Photographer Harold Edgerton invented the rapatronic camera in the 1940s, when the study of nuclear explosions was high on a scientist’s list of priorities and capturing said explosions was nearly impossible with a standard camera. Unlike its mechanicalshuttered counterpart, Edgerton’s single-use camera sandwiches a Kerr cell between polarized filters to expose the film in just 10 nanoseconds, or one-billionth of a second. With a charge of electricity, the Kerr cell changes light’s polarization plane like a shutter, so that the explosion can be captured. Edgerton had previously used strobe photography to capture the explosions caused by balloons and bullets before discovering rapatronic technology. [LD]
Argon Flash An argon flash is a very short and extremely bright flash of light produce by an explosion-induced shock wave. In order to capture the immense quantities of light emitted during an atomic explosion, a camera’s flash has to send an even stronger level of light so that the visual effect isn’t lost in the heat of the moment. Scientific photographers have used argon gas along with high-speed photography to capture explosions for years. “These are not very sophisticated devices,” says Andrew Davidhazy, professor of Photographic Arts and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. “The explosion that results destroys the contraption, but that’s beside the point. If you want to capture sharp images, you will need a lot of light, and that’s where the argon flash bomb comes in.” The flash consists of a cardboard or plastic tube with a transparent window on one end, filled with argon and attached to an explosive charge. The explosion generates a shock wave, heating the argon to unusually high temperatures—more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the gas emits the flash as it turns incandescent and reflects off the window. The dangerous qualities of argon have limited its flash bomb use to science research and engineering companies like Sandia Labs and ballistic ranges, causing many of the produced images to remain top-secret. [LD]
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SPLISH BOWL American crystal-ware designer Steuben captures the evanescent instant when a drop of water hits a calm pool with its Splish bowl. The bowl’s edge is heated and draped over a fin mold, which produces the scalloped effect, heated again, and then spun quickly around by hand. According to Steuben, “The quick spinning mixed with the heat causes the long ends of the scalloped lip to elongate and create a splash look.” [LD] Splish bowl by Steuben, $3,000, www.steuben.com
URANIUM GLASSES Look out—uranium glassware is back. At one point it was a common colorant in glass, but it fell out of vogue due to limited availability during the Cold War. That and, if used in high enough concentration, uranium oxide can be radioactive. But designer Andrew O. Hughes wasn't afraid of the potential danger. “I wanted to make something that referenced the era when uranium glass was at its most widespread application, and [uranium’s] radioactivity and explosive capabilities,” Hughes says. “I thought a cutcrystal bar set would work well as a device to get ‘bombed’ with.” L’chaim! [EK] www.andrewohughes.com
HOT SEAT MELTDOWN BY TOM PRICE The Meltdown Chair appears as if it has given birth to a bomb, with its charred, hollowed-out seat planted amidst a pile of pristine PVC hoses. The unconventional chair is created by pressing a heated seat-shaped form into a pile of clear hoses; this sears the plastic and leaves a burnt-out black hole in its place. Despite the abrasive production and deflated appearance, the seat is actually quite flexible and surprisingly comfortable, according to the designer. And its just one of many meltdown-inspired creations by the designer. Each one is made from interesting materials: clothing, cable ties, and rope are among his arsenal of strange seats. [KFR] www.tom-price.com
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STICK CHAIR SAMWOONG LEE
INFLATABLE BIKE HELMET
The chaotic form of Samwoong Lee’s Stick Chair looks confusing on purpose. “The lines that start from a single point can be transferred into any shape or meaning,” Lee says. “They express me, who is trying to enter into a new world by moving actively.” Stick Chair translates Lee’s movements through an assemblage of ash planks that intersect at an origin point to form a seat and back, mimicking an explosion of wood. The chair can be positioned as either a high-back chair or mid-length bench, but no matter its orientation, the piece certainly makes a visual statement. [KFR]
HOVDING t veles aut faccabo. Am a veribus aperspit ut faccum que di ut ratem fuga. Et faccum rerepudae quibus estempor res aut eum restem. Imus doluptatus vento berro quodi de alitinis sum eos illaut aut veliqui conseni hicipsapiet dolor accatur aceate porestinus doluptatur, sitione ctest, vent eles cum reped mi, nobita deliquo magnis untum fugia sam facid quaere re pro facid quaere re pro facid quaere re pro facid quaere re pro facid quaere re pro aceate porestinus. BY KRISTIN LAMPRECHT
SCATHINGLY STYLISH HOME-DECOR FINDS
LEADED DIAMONDS WITH ENOUGH FORCE, YOU TOO CAN MAKE YOUR OWN BLING American geologists Paul S. DeCarli and John S. Jamieson conducted experiments back in 1961 that could have made the business of mechanical pencils worth its weight in diamonds. The scientists exploded pure artificial graphite— yes, the kind found in mechanical pencils—by compressing it at an astronomical pressure of 300,000 atmospheres during one microsecond. They then ran the explosion’s aftermath through a battery of X-rays, magnifications, and refractions to look for changes in the graphite’s basic structure. Much to their excitement, they found that the graphite had morphed into a diamond. Too bad the sample was so miniscule that it could only be seen under a microscope. Although DeCarli and Jamieson never turned a profit from their explosive discovery, it doesn’t mean that the idea lacks potential. It might not be a bad idea to start stockpiling your Bic lead just in case. [KFR] The study's findings are in the article titled “Formation of Diamond by Explosive Shock,” originally published in Science journal, June 9, 1961
PRINT THAT POPS
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME
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GRENADE OIL LAMPS THE ULTIMATE EXPLOSIVE DESIGN GETS A HIP FACELIFT FOR YOUR HOME
During his freshman year at RISD, Piet Houtenbos received an assignment that would shape his future as a designer: take something and turn it into something else. He didn’t think too much about it until he was strolling by an Army Navy surplus shop in Providence and noticed an old hand grenade in the display case. He asked to hold it and was amazed by what he felt. “The sheer weight of it, and knowing that I had something in my hand that was used to kill people, was shocking,” he says. “It’s just this rusty, wrought-iron steel, and, in the end, it looks so pretty. It has all these details, but it was designed to blow up into a million pieces. It’s a massively devastating object.” Houtenbos flirted with the idea of turning the grenade into a lighter, but settled on an oil lamp because of the attention it brought to the grenade’s natural beauty. It was an instant hit, and although Houtenbos’ art-school days are behind him, the grenade oil lamp continues to elicit powerful emotional responses. He now produces the oil lamps in three shapes of actual US Army grenades, each designed for a specific purpose—fragmentation (pineapple), smoke/flash bombs (lemon), and high-impact explosives (ball)— and gilds them in gold and silver. At $65 a pop, you might just want to collect them all. [EK] Grenade Oil Lamps, $65, www.piethoutenbos.com; photo by Erika Dufour
Photo by Erika Dufour Model: Kel from Factor Models Make-up and hair: Lillian Sakamaki Wardrobe: Rachel Maltz from Ford Artists Wardrobe assistant: Aggie Hewitt
EXPLOSIVE DESIGN
PRINT THAT POPS PACKAGING PYROTECHNICS A LOOK BACK IN TIME AT SOME OF ENGLAND'S FINEST FIRECRACKER ART
If you think fireworks are strictly an American indulgence, think again. People the world over have been fascinated with blowing things up, lighting things on fire, and generally marveling at intentional destruction for many millennia. In Mark Fleming’s book, Firework Art, he collects the graphic imagery associated with fireworks’ commercial explosion in twentieth-century England. In the book, the labels’ artwork is showcased and preserved as a significant cultural artifact. Fleming calls it a “cottage-style
industry,” full of small, family-run companies. As a result, the artwork was often produced in-house, which led to some vibrant, truly original packaging, the likes of which may not have existed had the manufacturing been as commercialized as it is today. A seasonal and unpredictable industry, many of the British firework makers weren’t in it for the money, but rather a passion for explosive entertainment. Their enthusiasm and childlike exuberance is on display in these colorful, eye-catching designs that only seem to get better with age. [KG]
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Build Your Own Rocket In seven short steps you, too, can go from earthbound to rocketeer. Just be warned that rocket construction isn’t as easy as YouTube makes it seem. Step 1: Figure out how high, far, and fast you want your rocket to go. This will determine the amount of impulse— the fancy physics term for force—required to propel your rocket, which in turn determines the rocket’s other design details, including length, fin surface area, etc.
AIR-POWERED ARTILLERY DESIGNED TO MIMIC THE CLASSIC GATLING GUN, THIS MINIGUN IS AN AIRSOFT MENACE With 33 pounds of solid metal, six rapid-fire barrels, and a magazine capacity of 1700 BB rounds, the Echo1 Minigun skirts the line between actual weapon and recreational toy. The Minigun fires 6mm BBs at an astonishing rate of roughly 400 feet per second. Drop $3,500 on this high-powered trump card, and you’ll be ready to make quick work of all those Mountain Dew and Red Bull cans that you’ve been hoarding. [KG] Echol Minigun, $3,500, www.airsoftgi.com
Step 2: Pick your propellant. Most home rocket builders choose Ammonium Percholate Composite Propellant (APCP) because it combines fuel, oxidizer, and binder catalysts all in one nice, pre-manufactured package. Step 3: Decide on your special effects. Want your rocket to spit orange flames or leave a giant smoke trail? Just mix in the correct additives to your prepared propellant base, and voilà, these effects become realities. Step 4: Load your propellant into your rocket motor, a cylindrical case usually made of aluminum. For frugal and/or lazy rocket engineers, cardboard can be used in a pinch. Step 5: Assemble all the parts for your rocket body. You will need: some fins, a body tube, the prepared motor, a parachute, and a nose cone. Now put the motor into the tube, pack the parachute on top, and attach the fins to the tube. Top it all off with the nose cone, which will keep your rocket aimed upward once it blasts off. Step 6: Add your fuse to light the propellant. The most popular way to accomplish this is through the use of an electric match: a wire coated in igniter that, when electrified, will send your rocket skyward. Step 7: Flip the switch. Hook your fuse up to a power source, turn the power source on, and watch your rocket blast off. If you manage to not set yourself, your house, or the surrounding vicinity on fire, congratulations: you’re a rocket-building genius. [KFR]
DAREDEVIL DIY
READY, AIM, TASER 5,000 VOLTS OF CANDY-COLORED POWER What do you get when you connect two tiny camera batteries to two nitrogen propelled prongs and put it all together in a flashlight-sized, neon-colored plastic housing? Let’s just put it this way: you don’t want to be on its business end. TASER’s C2 personal defense device is the company’s most popular consumer product, and now it comes in a variety of fun colors, including Hot Red and Fashion Pink. But don’t let the pretty packaging fool you. Milan Cerovic, a designer in TASER’s Top Secret Projects department, explains that although the C2 may look like a sorority girl’s accessory, its still able to produce thousands of volts of explosive whoop-ass force with the push of a button. “There’s a nitrogen canister contained in the firing mechanism in the cartridge,” Cerovic says. “High voltage initiates the propellant, which basically moves the canister onto the puncturing mechanism; once it’s punctured, the probes fly out, they remove the blast covers and the wires start unwrapping behind them.” And if you ever find yourself in the position of having to leave your device behind to get to safety, don't worry. The fine folks at TASER will send you a brand new one to replace it. [CM] TASER C2, $379, www.itaser.com
EXPLOSIVE DESIGN
Bad-Ass Fireworks Festivals
EXPLODING FACTOID Fireworks date back all the way to 200 B.C., when citizens of China’s Han dynasty discovered that green bamboo would explode when thrown directly into a campfire.
Here are six of the loudest, brightest, and most awesome annual fireworks displays that provide a huge amount of pop to audiences all over the world. Hanabi takai, Tondabayashi and Osaka, Japan Each August, Japan shoots off daily fireworks festivals across the country. The Tondabayashi and Osaka shows, the two largest of nearly 200 hanabi takai, light up more than 120,000 fireworks alone. Guy Fawkes Night, England On November 5 each year, England commemorates Guy Fawkes’ 1605 attempt to blow up Parliament by throwing major fireworks festivals across the country. Last year, London lit up more than 31 big-production shows in celebration of the day.
PRINT THAT POPS
Montreal Fireworks Festival, Canada Considered the Olympics of fireworks competitions, the Montreal Fireworks Festival pits sophisticated international professional fireworks teams head-to-head each June and July. This year, eight countries will attempt to outdo each other in front of a projected audience of three million people. Las Fallas festival, Valencia, Spain Every year in March, the city of Valencia becomes obsessed with all things fire. Here, the fireworks are just a sideshow, albeit an impressive one; the government sponsors two daily shows
HOW TO BUILD A FIREWORK
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, United States Fireworks are the centerpiece for most Fourth of July celebrations, but Boston really takes it to the max. Each year, the city stages an enormous fireworks spectacular from the Charles River to honor the birth of America. A concert by The Boston Pops anchors the threehour show, and more than 500,000 people attend the event annually. [KFR]
MAIN FUSE
Today’s pyrotechnicians achieve breathtaking shows by packing stars—condensed explosive compounds that produce bright colors—into shells filled with gunpowder. An electric current controlled from a switchboard then ignites the gunpowder, which in turn propels the shell skyward and ignites the stars, causing the firework to explode into its colors and patterns. Multiple explosions, known as “breaks,” occur in most contemporary fireworks, producing the sophisticated designs that make people ooh and ahh. [KFR]
The technicolored brilliance of fireworks is associated with a particular natural compound, which produces a specific color upon explosion. Remember, though, the exact chemistry is definitely a science best left to the professionals.
Chinese New Year, China Chinese citizens have used fireworks to ring in the new lunar year since the original firework explosion (see above). Since then, the Chinese have prided themselves on developing some of the biggest, loudest and most spectacular fireworks displays recorded in history.
Basic Aerial Single-Break Shell
WE DON'T RECOMMEND IT, BUT...
What makes fireworks different colors?
that feature thousands of fireworks each. The frenzy culminates on the last day, when Valencianos use fireworks to ignite 800 papier maché sculptures— some as tall as 75 feet—scattered across the city.
SHELL CASING TIME-DELAY FUSE STARS BLACK POWDER BURSTING CHARGE BLACK POWDER LIFTING CHARGE
ALUMINUM 13
STRONTIUM 38
Al
MAGNESIUM 12
Sr
SODIUM 11
Mg Na
LITHIUM 03
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BARIUM 56
COPPER 29
CALCIUM 20
Ba Cu Ca
TITANIUM 22
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EXPLOSIVE DESIGN
POP-UP STRUCTURES INFLATE Not all inflatable buildings are of the primarycolored, children’s play-palace variety. Just check out the creations by Inflate—a company that designs temporary structures with slick, modern style. The buildings, made from recycled nylons and fabrics, pop up with the flip of a switch: turn it on, and within minutes you have a structure ready for almost any use. Some, like the half-shell Luna, provide the perfect closed space for small gatherings—think instant bar or convenient crash pad—while others, like the minimalist Airoof, can be linked together in order to tent off large areas for huge events. Their versatility seems nearly endless, so if you ever need a structure stat, consider Inflate’s blow-up buildings. [KFR]
CAMPING IN A BUBBLE
PRINT THAT POPS
BUBBLETREE STRUCTURES
Created by French designer Stéphane Dumas, BubbleTree’s CristalBubbles provide the perfect shelter to nature enthusiasts who want to sleep outside but don’t enjoy pitching a traditional nylon tent. Dumas manufactures all CristalBubbles from transparent plastic, but three distinct models, the CristalBubble, BubbleRoom, and BubbleLodge, offer occupants a range of privacy and floorspace options. A silent, energy-efficient turbine inflates the globes, while a vent and blower system controls interior temperatures. Bubble dwellers can even equip their shelters with a solid wood floor, electrical conduits, and a hot-water heater. Suddenly, 'roughing it' seems a lot softer. [KFR] CristalBubble Range by BubbleTree, €7,796-9,590, www.bubbletree.fr
Inflate, www.inflateusa.com (USA) or www.inflate.co.uk (worldwide)
EXPLOSIVE DESIGN
A BURST OF JET-POWERED AIR BREATHES LIFE INTO THESE SMART INFLATABLE DESIGNS
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TRAIL BLAZER
JIM SANBORN DESIGNER OF INVISIBLE FORCES
Jim Sanborn is like no other sculptor/technician/ scientist we’ve ever met, and yet he’s profoundly modest. “I’m not the first artist who’s worked with dangerous machines,” he concedes. Of course he’s not, but he’s the only one we know of who’s achieved nuclear fission. Of uranium. He did so by dutifully constructing the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism particle accelerator.
INFLATABLE BIKE HELMET HÖVDING Leave it to the Swedes to create a smart bike helmet that only pops into action at the first signs of danger. At first glance, the Hövding helmet appears to be just an unassuming neck collar, but it instantly morphs into a puncture-resistant airbag for your head at the first detection of distressed movement. The Hövding packs a large amount of technology into its compact design: the world’s smallest helium pump inflates its airbag, and its tiny battery-powered motion sensors recharge using a universal USB port. Even its patterned collar shells can be changed out, making the Hövding a fashionable, cutting-edge cranium protector that won’t leave you with a bad case of helmet hair. [KFR] Hövding Helmet, pre-sale only, www.hovding.com/en
Sanborn, famously known for his as-yet-unbroken CIA code-sculpture, Kryptos, has spent the last decade concerning himself with nuclear energy and the dynamic period in the 1930s when the world’s leading scientists raced to build the first atomic bomb. For his latest project, Terrestrial Physics, he studied the Carnegie Institution’s archives—plans, photographs, and original notebooks— before building a replica of the original 28-foot tall particle accelerator used to fissure uranium by Enrico Fermi and Niels Bohr and other physicists in 1939. “One of the reasons I did it was that there was more or less an across-the-board memory lapse for that period, but it’s extremely important to contemporary history,” Sanborn explains. “I felt there was a vacuum that needed to be filled.” Motivated by the historic repercussions of nuclear fission and the stoic, otherworldly beauty of the straightlimbed particle accelerator, it took Sanborn an entire year of tinkering to stir his reproduction to life. In 2010, Terrestrial Physics was mounted at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, and not only had Sanborn succeeded in smashing a uranium atom (“U-238. I bought it on the Internet.”), but he had also soundly positioned his oeuvre at the crux of energy and aesthetic power. [EK] www.jimsanborn.net
Ellen Knuti is a writer and photographer living in New York.
Deptford High Street is one of the many busy and vibrant roads that cut through Southeast London. The popular stretch is home to local butchers and green grocers, as well as the weekly Deptford Market.
DB FIELD GUIDE
Trek Across the Thames A Day Trip Through Southeast London t’s market day, and the vendors are yelling. AfroCaribbean music blares from the speakers of a used electronics shop. A man wildly claps his hands and breaks into a fluid dance of flamboyant gestures. Jehovah’s Witnesses cross the street. The pavement is crowded and nothing smells good. Behold, the wonders of Peckham High Street. This is Southeast London.
posed of Deptford, New Cross, Peckham, and Camberwell is not yet a full-fledged destination. However, the 10-minute train ride from London Bridge and accessible London Overground stops make getting across the river an easy way to experience Southeast London’s unbridled edge. Beckoned by the promise of cheaper rent, young creatives are even making the move from the busier, “scenester” neighborhood of Shoreditch, adding yet another layer to the vibrant mix of high and low culture that warrants this area a second look.
For years, the area has struggled to shirk its notorious reputation for high crime, and now it is transforming. Populated by a diverse immigrant population, lifelong South Londoners, and art school hipsters, the rough but glimmering landscape com-
Yes, there are curious instances of extreme gentrification: on Bellenden Road, historic Desmond’s Barbershop shares space with a “yummy-mummy” (otherwise known as cute, rich, young mothers) craft center. Still, anyone who lives here will tell you
By Sarah Handelman Photos by Tom Loughlin
that they love the village life. Visits to the green grocers, butchers, and fishmongers are not novelties, but rather daily occurrences. M.Manze, the famous eel and pie shop, has made Peckham its home for more than a century. In many ways, untapped Southeast London is what remains of the true capital city. The 2012 expansion of the East London Overground line will make waking up in your Hoxton hotel and having breakfast at the South London Gallery an easy ride. Music and art festivals such as Deptford X, Bold Tendencies, and Yes Way fill this summer’s calendar. For now, Southeast London grows on those who visit. Here is a list of colorful, not-to-be-missed spots for those willing to get to know the complex cultural layers of London.
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STOP 02
South London Gallery Beyond the brick and stone façade, the South London Gallery is a modern space that has collected contemporary works of British artists and South London art since its inception in 1891. A trio of new exhibition spaces are the result of the gallery’s growing scope. Completed last year, London-based 6a Architects transformed an adjacent abandoned house into a group of galleries, a café, an education studio and an artist's flat. The new, light-filled spaces are a haven for visitors, students, and South London residents. It’s anything but a white cube. Make sure to tuck into the café, No. 67, for a post-gallery snack. The cozy, refurbished Victorian can fill up fast, but with a communal table in back and sun-drenched outdoor seating, there’s plenty of room to indulge.
STOP 01
Bellenden Road For South London, Bellenden Road is a continuous stretch of dreamy village moments in a vast city. Down the way on an unassuming corner sits Review Bookshop, which houses a well-stocked collection of books and organizes the annual Peckham Literary Festival. Across the road is the eccentrically well-puttogether Victoria Inn. The local favorite boasts an impressive selection of beers, including some of its own, brewed in Herne Hill. Teal bookshelves and plush, pintucked nooks give this pub and hotel its cozied elegance. If you’re too comfy to leave, book a room in the hotel upstairs. Not far from the cozy cushions of the pub is Flat Time House, a jarring fixture on Bellenden. A massive sculptural book cuts through the front windowpane of the home where the late artist John Latham lived, worked, and exhibited until his death in 2006. Flat Time House is now an open exhibition space, education center, and archive.
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On Bellenden Road, visits to the green grocers, butchers, and fishmongers are not novelties, but rather daily occurences.
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Top: Flat Time House Above: Review Bookshop
Bellenden Road: www.reviewbookshop.co.uk; www.capitalpubcompany.com/the-victoria-inn; www.flattimeho.org.uk South London Gallery: www.southlondongallery.org
Though recently renovated, the South London Gallery maintains much of its architectural history in the exterior and foyer
DESIGN BUREAU // Field Guide
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The gallery and bar hosts a wide range of short exhibitions as well monthly craft days, film nights, and Twin Peaks watching parties
STOP 03
New Gallery Catty-corner from the South London Gallery, the relaxed atmosphere of New Gallery makes it a point of entry for stereotypical art students at Camberwell and the more vibrant Peckham crowd, but anyone is welcome. Open all day and late-night, this space holds short exhibitions of local artists and collectives.
STOP 04
Hannah Barry Gallery After the success of curating the Peckham Pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale, the Hannah Barry Gallery has made itself quite the darling of Southeast London art spaces. Although tricky to find, the gallery exhibits large-scale works by new artists and has tapped into and realized Southeast London’s abundant offering of warehouse and industrial space. This summer, in conjunction with the local arts council, the Gallery hosts the fifth annual Bold Tendencies Sculpture Project, held on the top floors of an unused carpark. While a parking-lot takeover is a sight to behold, the pop-up restaurant, Frank’s Café and Campari Bar, has become a not-to-miss summer favorite. The internationally renown gallery makes its home in an industrial park in Peckham, not far from Rye Lane
New Gallery: www.newgallerylondon.co.uk; Hannah Barry Gallery: www.hannahbarry.com; www.boldtendencies.com; www.frankscafe.org.uk
DESIGN BUREAU // Field Guide
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Limelight Gallery Limelight Gallery
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Indian Mischief Indian Mischief Thai Corner Thai Corner Café Café Blue Brick Blue Brick Cafe Cafe
Tank Gallery Tank Gallery Crofton Park Park Crofton
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Ladywell Ladywell
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CueB Gallery CueB Gallery
Horniman Museum Horniman Museum
rne rne Hill Hill Dulwich Dulwich Picture Picture Gallery Gallery 8 ON N L OO 8 Contempary Contempary Arts Arts & & Learning Learning H MO LA F M AN LF AL HA NE
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South London Art Map Honor Oak Honor Oak Park Park
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Southeast London is a growing creative center, but with the area’s overwhelming number of galleries and pop-up spaces, a bit of helpful guidance is necessary. Enter the South London Art Map (SLAM). Launched earlier this year, the map lists organizations scattered around this side of the Thames, mainly targeting three areas of interest: Deptford, Peckham, and Bankside. LLoo rrd dssh h
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Visitors making the trek South can visit the SLAM website to customize and print personal itineraries for the day, pinpoint areas of interest, avoid galleries that might be closed, and plan their transportation routes.
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Originally started by BEARSPACE director Julia Alvarez as a guide to galleries and art hubs in Deptford, the cultural growth and creative output of nearby areas suggested the map should expand. “The Deptford Art Map came out of knowing how wonderful the area is and the need to provide a comprehensive guide to people who visited,” says Alvarez, a Goldsmiths graduate and now-SLAM director. “With an intriguing history, vibrancy, and the presence of leading art colleges, South London is alive with galleries of all sizes and styles—from exhibitions in local authority car parks to old schools and shop spaces.” SLAM hosts free walking tours of galleries and artist studios, giving visitors a more intimate look at South London’s art scene. Alvarez, who is one of three designated Gallery Champions for SLAM, says that galleries are another layer of the South London business trade, and should feed into how the whole community views its future. She hopes that by seeing and engaging with the map’s three cultural hubs, designers, gallerists, and curators will be inspired to help the blossoming community grow into other areas.
Greenwich Royal Greenwich Royal Park Park
Greenwich Greenwich
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Son Gallery Son Gallery
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Goldsmiths College Goldsmiths College
Narrative Arts Narrative Arts
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Greenwich Maritime Greenwich Maritime Museu Museu
Greenwich Picturehouse Greenwich Picturehouse
Core Gallery Gallery 83 Core Hatch Space Space 87 Hatch
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LABAN LABAN Dance Dance Centre Centre
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Flat Time Flat Time House House
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Albany Theatre Theatre Albany
Amersham Arms Arms Pub Pub Amersham
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Hannah Barry Hannah Barry Gallery Gallery
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The Montepelier The Montepelier
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The Sunday The Sunday Painter Painter
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Bar Story Story Bar
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Red Gate Red Gate Gallery Gallery
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Deptford Project Project Café Café Deptford
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The Sassoon The Sassoon Gallery Gallery The Arches The Arches Arcadia Missa Arcadia Missa
SE8 Gallery SE8 Gallery
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New Cross New Cross Gate Gate
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Ganapati Indian Indian Restaurant Restaurant Ganapati
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The Bun The Bun House House
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The Sun The Sun & & Doves Doves
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The New The New Gallery Gallery
Vanguard Court Vanguard Court
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M2 Gallery M2 Gallery
Cafe Como Cafe Como
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Denmark Place Denmark Place Studios Studios
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The House The House Gallery Gallery
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Camberwell Camberwell College College
Angels & Angels & Gypsies Gypsies Tapas Tapas Bar Bar
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Acme Studios Acme Studios
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Masthouse Terrace Masthouse Terrace Pier Pier The Agency The Agency
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STOP 05
The Deptford Project Café A mix of young, old, working-class, and art students share tables at The Deptford Project Café to make room for more. The café, gallery, and community space sits in a converted 1960s Southeast London train carriage. In summer it is an ideal retreat after walking through the High Street market. Within its metal shell, the Deptford Project’s frenetic atmosphere echoes its previous history. And with the expansion of the East London Overground line just down the road, the café is a symbol of Deptford’s rough past and glimmering future.
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The Deptford Project Café is a symbol of Deptford's rough past and glimmering future.
" Above: South London Art Map (detail): www.southlondonartmap.com; Deptford Project Café: www.thedeptfordproject.com
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DESIGN BUREAU // Field Guide WO OO O LLW W W II C CH H RO RO A AD D
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The market stand of fresh produce and the iconic red telephone booth outside Frog on the Green exemplify the village life of Southeast London. The deli/ grocery is a favorite among Nunhead neighbors, whom the staff knows by name. Scoop up some marinated olives for a midnight snack—they’re the best you’ll find this side of the Thames.
Located on a quiet road near Rye Lane, the patio of the deli/ café is a summertime coffee haven
BEARSPACE Don’t be fooled by the limited square footage of BEARSPACE. Focusing on exhibiting the best of talented emerging artists, the gallery has become a leader in the South London art scene. Still, BEARSPACE is anything but exclusive. Because of its Deptford High Street location, parents with school children, "coolycools" from nearby Goldsmiths, and the occasional market vendor will pass through the gallery’s doors. In addition to exhibiting cutting-edge work, BEARSPACE sells limited runs of books, t-shirts, and prints made by local designers.
BEARSPACE is a major art gallery hub in South London
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Catch the Deptford Market on a sunny Wednesday or Saturday for bizarre finds. Afterwards, retreat to The Deptford Project Café for an afternoon of snacks and people-watching.
Frog on the Green: www.frogonthegreen.com; BEARSPACE: www.bearspace.co.uk
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DESIGN BUREAU // Field Guide
STOP 08
Colour Makes People Happy Colour Makes People Happy is a shop of a different color. It sells a uniquely shaded spectrum of Siecle Dutch paints that are developed and mixed locally by shop owner Simon March. Sitting alongside paints with names such as Rubberband are various sizes of authentic Dutch wooden clogs that can be custom-painted. The shop follows in the vein of many other Southeast London workspaces, housing the almostobligatory exhibition space and author-in-residency studio. Dubbed an activity center, it holds clog-painting events for schoolchildren. March’s favorite is the airplane-making clog workshop, which offers waffles and chocolate milk for snack time. Clearly, this shop lives up to its name.
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CMPH Owner Simon March's favorite event is the airplane-making clog workshop, which offers waffles and chocolate milk for snack time.
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The local East Dulwich paint shop storefront is a breath of fresh air on an otherwise ordinary South London road
STOP 09
Dulwich Picture Gallery
The historic gallery is further from Peckham and Deptford, but it is a South London must-visit
Colour Makes People Happy: www.makespeoplehappy.co.uk; Dulwich Picture Gallery: www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
This year the Dulwich Picture Gallery celebrates its bicentenary as England’s first public art gallery. Connoting the interior of an eccentric period home, the walls inside are hardly ever white, and the vast permanent collection of Dutch masters fills the small, intimate rooms from floor to ceiling. The accompanying gardens and café are ideal for slow walks or a lazy afternoon in the sun. Admittedly, the affluent scene of Dulwich lacks the edge of neighboring Peckham and Camberwell, but a day trip to Southeast London wouldn’t be the same without making a visit.
DESIGN BUREAU DESIGN BUREAU // Field Guide
Redefining Form and Content The book publishers behind Visual Editions
By Sarah Handelman Portrait by Tom Loughlin
Anna Gerber (left) and Britt Iverson (right) are the founders of Visual Editions, a book publishing company that explores the history and future of storytelling through visual writing
ritt Iverson and Anna Gerber are the young, unexpectedly propelled Visual Editions to the forefront eccentric, many-hat-wearing pair of minds of not only literary and publishing spheres, but also drew behind the London-based book publisher accolades from design communities. Visual Editions—a printer that exclusively releases books that use visual elements as storytelling tools. “We want to champion our authors as much as our readers,” says Gerber, in a mix of acquired British and the incontroTheir first release was a reissue of Lawrence Sterne’s vertibly laid-back Los Angeles accent of her childhood classic, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentle- home. “And our designers too,” Iverson adds in light, man, arguably the first example of a book that employs languid Danish-English. “It should never be about one or visual writing as a literary device. Folded pages, neon the other. It’s about that collaboration coming to life, and orange, and reinterpreted diagrams and dashes breathe how we treat it.” new life into the 700-page work, which Iverson and Gerber personally proofread seven times. Essentially, the The pair partially attributes Visual Editions’ success to book was a soft-launch, but publishing Tristram Shandy its collaborative, process-driven focus, and partially to the illuminated visual writing’s rich history, and its positive fact that the books also fill untapped needs in readers. “Culreception by designers and Shandy scholars set a founda- turally, we are visual people, and we need to read in a visual tion for future Visual Editions projects. way,” Gerber says. “But we also have a continued need to interact with physical objects. How do people respond to Last year, Visual Editions reached a broader international these books?” audience with the release of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Tree of Codes, a die-cut masterpiece of form and content. The It’s a question that Visual Editions continues to ask as publisher’s insatiable quest to redefine reading is what the publisher prepares to launch Composition No. 1 by www.visual-editions.com
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We want to champion our authors as much as our readers. And our designers too.
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Marc Saporta. Originally published in 1961, the reissue is a spineless tome of unbound pages that can be read in any order. It’s a book contained in a box, and according to Visual Editions, one of “infinite possibilities.” Already unconventional and interactive in form, the book’s unbound pages inspired Iverson and Gerber to commission Sheffield-based digital design studio Universal Everything to encourage engagement with Composition's naturally disruptive elements in a fresh design. Knowing that the studio had never designed a book was even more reason to collaborate. Visual Editions makes trying new things its business. After selling through its first run of Tree of Codes, it might make sense to label the publisher as a print advocate, but by embracing the interactivity of visual writing, Gerber and Iverson are exploring how Visual Editions might bridge the gap between the physical page and the screen. Still, the pair emphasizes that using digital applications
From outward appearances, the standard-size paperbacks of both Visual Editions releases are deceptively normal. The pages tell a different story. Above: As a starting point, Jonathan Safran Foer looked to his favorite book, Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles, to write Tree of Codes. By cutting out words in Schulz's original story in the order that they appeared, Safran Foer wrote new content from Schulz’s content. It was important, though, to show where the original story had been cut away. Gerber and Iverson spent countless hours working with the author and Sarah DeBondt Studio to determine how someone might read the die-cut pages. After being turned down by every printer they approached, Belgium-based Die Keure agreed to help realize the impossible. Left: Through its collaboration with London-based APFEL, Visual Editions released a fresh reissue of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, which was originally published at the end of the eighteenth century. The new edition is a dynamic departure from the leather-bound tome that it once was. As the publisher's first launch, Tristram Shandy explores the rich history of visual writing and how it can be translated in new works.
is very much like visual writing; it is a literary device that should be used for a reason. More than anything, however, Visual Editions is a model for continually asking questions and pushing the boundaries of writing, designing, and reading books. “There are questions we want to ask from scratch from every single project,” Gerber says. “It’s about thinking through what’s best for each book. That goes for everything—how we tell the story of the book, down to which designers we work with.” a
DESIGN BUREAU
This issue's best Albums
Presented by
NEW VILLAGER
s/t (Bloodshot) As a captivating yet mystifying merger of music, art, and performance, NewVillager is an otherworldly project revolving around an elaborate mythology and still-unfolding allegories, denoting three colors—red, green, and blue—as past, present, and future, respectively, while offering black and white as catabolic and anabolic forces.
With these as background, the project’s principals—Ben Bromley and Ross Simonini—use a large cast of contributors to depict different aspects of its creation myth via songs, videos, and installation art. One such video for the song “Lighthouse” features ornately costumed crimson- and sapphire-hued characters and draws inspiration from Papua New Guinean tribal aesthetics. On the group’s debut album, each song focuses on one of the ten aspects of its mythology’s transformations. With rich, multi-layered results, the music intertwines reverberated indie-rock guitars with skittering hi-hat beats, synth grooves, and Beck-style falsettos with baritone weirdness and singalong refrains. /01 02/
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THE DEAR HUNTER
The Color Spectrum 9-EP collection (Triple Crown) The Dear Hunter, begun as simply a side project, has since blossomed into a theatrical prog-pop band that now has multiple multialbum concept cycles. The group’s newest completion is a nine-EP project called The Color Spectrum, inspired by the colors of the rainbow (plus black and white). Released as individual 10-inch records and as a single CD with limited selections, the music is as assorted as its inspirations. Black is sonorous, martial, deep, and reverberating; White is ethereal and hymn-like in places, but also doggedly cheerful. Blue is playful, youthful, and driven, churning and giddy; Green is ebullient, relaxed, and expansive; Red is sexy and insinuating as well as aggressive. /02
GRAND PIANORAMAX
Smooth Danger (ObliqSound) Conceived as a live piano-and-drums experiment, Grand Pianoramax is the principal project of pianist Leo Tardin. Once “a New Yorker from Switzerland” and now “a Berliner from America,” Tardin uses a small arsenal of instruments—grand piano, Fender Rhodes, K-Station, harmonium, Phillichorda—to achieve a diversity of sounds for his duo’s spacey, funky, classically infused music. Smooth Danger is the duo’s third and newest album. It cuts back a bit on guest vocalists, allowing the duo’s music to better stand on its own. And it deserves to, thanks to its combination of killer melodies, synthesized grooves, and classical piano that overlays tight, rapid rock and boom-bap beats. /05
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13 & GOD
Own Your Ghost (Anticon) In 2005, the members of American indie-rap group Themselves and German experimental post-rockers The Notwist combined for a side project called 13 & God. The self-titled release meshed the nasally delivery, super-fast rhymes, and synthesized production of the former with the gentle singing, acoustic guitar, and piano melodies of the latter—while retaining both groups’ affinity for uncommon sounds.
On Own Your Ghost, the successor that’s been six years in waiting, the group is joined by Themselves collaborator Jordan Dalrymple (also known as Antonionian). This addition, on top of further musical maturity, helps 13 & God to become more than the sum of its parts—and more than a collection of beats and melodies with alternating vocalists. /03
GANGPOL & MIT
The 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club (Ipecac) French animation/electronic duo Gangpol & Mit makes music for a playful cartoon world. On its newest album, the bizarrely titled The 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club, G&M expands its zany video-game aesthetic with a conglomerate of textured, glimmering Tinkertoy instrumentation. “The 1000 People Band (Part 1),” one of the album’s first “singles,” demonstrates this Mario Kart-meets-Architecture in Helsinki-meets-The Books musical collage. The rest of the album is a strange and lighthearted romp through airy and electro-classical orchestrations, drum-and-bass distortions, wandering keyboard melodies, and other oddities, using mallets, flute, harpsichord, harp, oboe, and other “standard” sounds alongside the twenty-first century additions. /06
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DEAD RIDER
The Raw Dents (Tizona) A few years ago, the underground rock world was treated to a strange and refreshing new project called D. Rider. The group’s debut album was a delirious mixture of overlapping rhythms and quirks, blending dirty garage-rock licks with dark electronica and breathy, creepy vocal intonations. Now the group is back, without the abbreviation, as Dead Rider. The Raw Dents, its sophomore album, again emphasizes its strength: shifting instrumentation and unusual progressions, with synthesizers playing a large and diverse role, shifting between thick, buzzing grooves and resonant bass sounds. Pulsating backdrops make way for those electric-guitar licks as well as plaintive acoustic guitar and stabbing trumpet and sax lines. /04
A LULL
Confetti (Mush) Building off its early buzz for the single “Weapons for War,” Chicago quintet A Lull has drawn plenty of early attention for its debut album, Confetti. Composed of five multi-instrumentalists who each have a hand in its percussive style, the band unites assorted characteristics of contemporary indie electronica with textured timbres, humming ambience, and melodic hooks building over pitter-pat beats and thumping toms. The vocals are equally as multi-layered and harmonized, alternating between soft pop refrains, “rat-tat-tats,” and other percussive utterances over waves of deep, distorted low end. /07
Scott Morrow is the music editor at ALARM and author of This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic weekly column and podcast presenting exceptional music. Visit www.alarmpress.com for more.
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FOR HIRE DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
For Hire: Chris Burnett FOR HIRE FOR HIRE DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE Design Talent Fresh On the Market
Enthusiasm and diligence outweigh trendiness in this graphic designer’s portfolio
FOR HIRE
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
Design Talent Fresh On the Market
FOR HIRE DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE
How did you pick graphic design as your area of expertise? I was initially curious because my older brother had been doing it for a while; I even remember watching him mess around on the computer DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON“How THE MARKET while I asked, did you do that?” So when I had the chance to explore it for myself in high school, I realized it was something I wanted to learn and take to the next level. It really became apparent when I DESIGN TALENT FRESH DESIGN FRESH started seeing that I could do design forTALENT the rest of my life. ON THE MARKET ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FOR HIRE: Laura Allcorn DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET
FORFORHIRE HIRE
How did you pick the schools you attended? I was looking for a smaller school that had a substantial undergraduate graphic design program, and CalArts was the best fit. The program here is one of the best in the country, and the atmosphere of an arts community really resonates around the campus. Describe your aesthetic to us. It is really meticulous because I like to nudge things down to the last minute. I will move something around a composition a million times, at the smallest increments of movement, until I think it’s perfect. Is there a particular style of design that you absolutely despise? There are always these huge club/party events going on around LA. To promote them, people make these horrible postcards with an overabundance of information and lo-res images. It also doesn’t help that the color scheme is all wacky and they are printed on this super glossy card stock. Why should somebody hire you? If you’re looking for a cool, hip, and trendy designer who will produce clichéd work, do NOT hire me. I’m a hard-working, idea-challenging, and very passionate graphic designer. I take criticism very well, and I am always welcoming of mistakes because they always lead to learning something new. a
Chris likes... 40% gray, optical illusions, practical jokes, The Office, 8-bit illustrations, iPhones, those old Mentos commercials, an ice cold Arizona Sweet Tea, skateboarding, Lil Wayne, screen printing Chris dislikes… Cheesy advertising gimmicks, messy desktops, socks that fall past your ankles, chicken pot pies, Jersey Shore, the sound made when two pieces of styrofoam are rubbed together, sweatpants, Twitter, sesame seeds, wHeN pEoP1e Wr!tE LiKe tHiS 0nLiN3
RESUME SNAPSHOT: CHRIS BURNETT EDUCATION California Institute of the Arts BFA, Graphic Design, 2009 - Present Expected Graduation: 2013
Work Experience FISK, Administrator A graphic design collective based out of CalArts, FISK is an online/printed publication founded in 2009
exhibitions & PRESS Work featured in the STRRRIKE 2 Group Show at the Simple Space Gallery Interviewed online by Proxart magazine Selected works featured in MIX magazine, Issue No.22
Interested in being featured in For Hire? Email us at forhire@wearedesignbureau.com
Wanna hire Chris? Check out his website: www.chrisburnett.us
DESIGN BUREAU // Informer
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CHROMATIC The Crossroads of Color and Music
A New Book from ALARM Press
WWW.ALARMPRESS.COM
Work featured by Andy Gilmore.
“Everything is designed,” notes Brian Graham who, conversely, designs almost everything. “When I begin a project, I consider the problem and the goal, the materials and manufacturing process, where the product will be used and by whom. Design doesn’t end with aesthetics. It’s a very effective business tool.”
Brian Graham, IIDA, IDSA member since 2001
The Future of Design. 888-799-IIDA | www.iida.org