Musings of an Urban Designer
Lawrence Kasparowitz
copyright © 2016 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Introduction In March, 2001 I was working in an architectural office in Half Moon Bay, California. It was just another early morning (I was the production manager for the office and would routinely get to the office at 7-7:30 a.m.) and when I got to my desk I saw a flyer on the drawing I had been working on. I read the flyer and it was a job announcement for an Urban Designer at the County of Santa Cruz. I had worked for two public agencies before (the City of South San Francisco as a staff landscape architect and planner as well as the County of San Mateo as a mid-level land use planner) and at first I thought “oh no, I am not working for the government again!” After really reading the flyer I realized they were describing ME! My first day on the job, the assistant director told me to go to the car pool and spend the entire day driving around the county making sure I got into the remote areas. The second day, a senior planner said “come with me - we are going to the beach!” I said “You mean my job involves going to the beach?” Indeed it did. Ten years later I retired from Santa Cruz. During that time I started a blog where I recorded my thoughts about design, architecture, landscape and urban design. This is a selection of those posts.
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Contents 6
Factors in Neighborhood Compatibility
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Can Neighborhood Compatibility be measured ?
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Spatial Composition - part 1
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Spatial Composition - part 2
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Spatial Composition - part 3
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Spatial Composition - part 4
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Examining a single space
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Spatial Composition in Garden Design
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Site Design Review - Case Study #1
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Site Design Review - Case Study #2
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Site Design Review - Case Study #3
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Site Design Review - Case Study #4
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Site Design Review - Case Study #5
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Getting Some on the Side
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Side Elevation - Case Study #1
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Side Elevation - Case Study #2
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Side Elevation - Case Study #3
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reDESIGN - Case Study #1
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reDESIGN - Case Study #2
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reDESIGN - Case Study #3
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reDESIGN - Case Study #4
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reDESIGN - Case Study #5
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Is the "Surf Shack" a Style of Architecture ???
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Good Signs !!
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Court Housing in California
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God is in the Details
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Creek Walks / Creek Thoughts
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Knowing your "Place In Space"
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Understanding Materials - Concrete Masonry Units
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Designing the Mundane
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Cities of Brick
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Design Guidelines... Do they really help?
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The Spiral of Succulents and other plant geometries
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Highway 152 Revisited
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Fences of Pleasure Point
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Factors in Neighborhood Compatibility One of my most difficult assignments was to list and prioritize the factors involved in neighborhood compatibility.
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How can you evaluate if a new house “fits� into a neighborhood? Our attempt began with trying to identify the key factors. They were limited to six and then ranked by order of importance. Another factor which we agreed had to be wieghed was the limit of effect on the neighborhood. Was it just one side of the street, both sides of the street, a few blocks away or the entire neighborhood?
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Can Neighborhood Compatibility be measured ? Understanding the terms and concept is the first step. After delimiting what the "neighborhood" really is, a survey of each house can be made in relationship to a pre-determined list of elements.
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One method I developed was using "scoresheets" to rate each house. After that the new house would be rated with the same scoresheet and the house would have to rate above the average. Below is a first pass of what that looked like -
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Spatial Composition - part 1 Acknowledgment Almost thirty years ago, I attended a series of lectures at the University of Oregon with Professor Earl Moursund. His ideas and theories have stuck with me and I ponder them often. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the big idea of Architecture. I also must give credits to my office mate, Charlton Jones and to Professor Gary Moye for their insights. Introduction People both conceive and perceive space. If a person is located on a flat plane that extends endlessly, they have no reference in order to "place themselves in space". It takes elements situated in relationship to each other using principles of spatial composition that creates meaning to our environmental experience.
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The "Point Reference" -
Adding a column (point reference) provides the viewer with a specific point on the plane that a person can judge distance from.​ As in... I am "X distance from that point"​. The height of the point reference also indicates it's importance. If the column is some quantity less than the height of a person it is less than a reference. If it is very tall , it will provide for a guidepost for an entire city.
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The Campanile in the Piazza San Marco in Venice is an example of a point reference for the city.
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Spatial Composition - part 2 The "Gate" -
Two columns placed in space creates a "gate". The two points of the columns imply a line. Given that, two domains are suggested - one side or the other. Now, the viewer can both be in one of two realms and can also approach the gate in a perpendicular or non-perpendicular manner.
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There is a ratio that determines whether or not the gate is read as one unit or merely two elements. The further apart that the columns are placed, the more likely they will not form the mental image of "gate". This is related to the height of a person and the height of the columns. This is the beginning of creating spaces and announcing a directional approach.
the Golden Gate...
how do you know if you are in the bay or the ocean? how do you sail through - at an acute angle or at ninety degrees to the bridge?
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Spatial Composition - Part 3 The Wall, Two Walls.....A Room !!!
A single wall is similar to the two columns in that it defines two sides, the approach can be determined by angle and the most "natural" approach is perpendicular to the wall.
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Adding a second wall now creates a space between... the question becomes one of "scale". Architects typically use the term "scale" to refer to the proportion of something to the size of a person. Obviously (as shown below), if the walls are too small or too far apart, they will not create the sense of "room" (enclosure).
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Spatial Composition - part 4 Path vs. Place Spaces in environmental design can suggest "rest" or "motion". It is the ratio of the length to width that determines the perception. A place (where a person is at rest - and has a conceived center) cannot be more than twice as long as it is wide.
Paths are, by their proportion, spaces that suggest movement. Their length to width ratio is over two to one.
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Can a space be both a Path and a Place? - NO !!. If it is ambiguous, that is a design fault. Clarity is the goal. There can and almost always is a combination of paths and places.
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Architects throughout the centuries have used clever combinations and variations of path and place. Here are a few examples -
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QUESTIONS TO ASK - Where are the "places" in the diagrams above? - Are the "paths" clearly indicated? - What role does light play in each of the diagrams? - What would different heights of these spaces mean to the determinationand experience of path and place? - How could you make the experience more "distinctive" and "memorable"?
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Examining a Single Space .... (credit to Charlton Jones) Here's a list of the opportunities that are possible in a single space or room : 1. What is the unit of space in terms of its relationship of height, width and depth? 2. How do the walls, floor and ceiling relate? Are there any particular relationships, i.e. solid to voids, voids to voids, etc.? 3. Is there a center or focus to the space and how is it made? 4. On entering the space, what is your position within the space? 5. What are the parts or pieces, and how does each set of parts relate in their position? 6. In consideration of the parts, and in particular their "spacing" (equidistant, alignment, etc.), are there other spaces formed within the larger place (wall thickness, balconies, beams, etc.)? 7. How are the "spaces" made in the sub-spaces noted above?
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8. How do the sub-spaces relate to each other and to the overall formation of the place (size, shape, direction, proportion - of the volume)? 9. How many ways can the organization of the spaces of the place be understood - are there "multiple readings"? 10. Overall, are there pervading qualities or repeating characteristics which develop "unity" of the experience creating the "spatial image"?
analysis of a plan of a house designed by Bernard Maybeck
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In summary been in any notable rooms lately? Can you remember the experience of being in a room and noting the proportions, the relationship of the elements, the great "sub-spaces"? . . .
"Memories lodge in places that are distinct"
Chambers for a Memory Palace Donlyn Lyndon and Charles Moore
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Spatial Composition in Garden Design -
I came across this plan of a garden designed in 1910...
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the following is a spatial compositional analysis that I did...
Notice the careful sequenceing, proportions, positional set-ups, etc.
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Site Design Review Case Study #1: This project is a remodeled shopping center, that is located at the corner two major streets -
AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEVELOPER ....
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER
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the final result -
So...what's the difference? The two buildings are brought together and the remaining space is not merely landscaping but an interesting plaza. ​Guess where Starbucks decided to go in this shopping center...
...with thanks toJohn Schlagheck, Project Planner who said: "We can't have that on this important corner... go for it Larry and I'll back you all the way"
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Site Design Review Case Study #2: This study involves the center of an affordable housing development with 88 units.
AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEVELOPER ...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER
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...what's wrong with the first illustration, that is resolved with the second? 88 units could result in over 150 children - they need and deserve a place to kick a soccer ball, to throw frisbees, etc. By slightly moving components and not providing three trees, a large enough area was provided for games and other outdoor activities close to the community center.
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Site Design Review Case Study #3 This site is an infill lot, set between a mobile home park and individual residences, on a busy arterial. The planning mechanism for creating any density on this lot could not be a standard subdivision - due to the required street width.
AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEVELOPER ...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER
What turned the project around? The use of common walls and duplex pattern for some of the units opened up more land. Turning the end duplexes at 45 degrees allows less driveway and conformance with the cul-de-sac.
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Site Design Review Case Study #4 This is a large housing site near a busy road -
AS SUBMITTED BY THE ARCHITECTS ...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER
No change in the number of units or amount of parking, but quite a difference in the spatial ordering of the site! Turning the open spaces toward the entry road creates longer vistas and the community center at the end of the entry road now has a rear play yard that can be seen by parents through the rear of the building.
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Site Design Review Case Study #4 This is a portion of a 13 acre site that was proposed for 20 dwelling units per acre minimum density - the illustration shows the for market section of the site. .
AS PROPOSED BY THE DEVELOPER ...
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AS PROPOSED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER ‌
What if the site planning was driven by a connected tissueof plazas and open spaces? Too often, architects design site plans fitting buildings and parking onto a site, letting those elements drive the layout. Looking at a series of buildings and interconnecting driveways and roads as a way to acheive an experience in spatial composition is really the "outlook" of a Landscape Architect.
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Getting Some on the Side... Forgotten facades; Little attention given to side elevations Intelligencer Journal Lancaster, PA, May 9, 2003 Author: Gregory I. Scott
During the reign of King Wiliam III, a window tax was introduced to help curb inflation resulting from years of war and conflict with the British Empire. Landowners were taxed an additional property tariff if their house had more than six windows. The more windows, the higher the assessment. It was not unusual during those times to literally brick up openings to avoid taxes. A recent trend in speculative house construction is the elimination of windows on certain facades of the residence, primarily the side elevations. This phenomenon compromises both the aesthetic and the function of the rooms they represent with regard to daylight, views and interest.
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Bring up the rear (design of side and rear elevations of single-family dwellings) Builder, June 1, 1999 Author: Weber, Carolyn
Just say no to movie set streetscapes. Fully realized side and rear elevations are essential to good design because good design sells. John and Mary Move-Up were charmed by the clever details of the home's front elevation. It had everything: a gabled roofline, big windows, a sizable porch, a mix of materials including faux stone accents, and beautiful landscaping. This use had tremendous curb appeal, and it was beginning to appeal to them. But upon closer inspection, they rounded the corner to discover that the charm, as well as the stone, stopped. They were blinded by a vast expanse of vinyl siding, broken up only by one postage stamp-sized window. What makes a great elevation? Depends on which one you're viewing. There are plenty of well-done front faรงades, of course, but award-winning exterior design is a four-sided affair. Although we show only the street views here, trust us that the other sides are just as carefully considered and dramatic.
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Side Elevation - Case Study #1 : AS SUBMITTED BY THE DESIGNER ...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER...
Attention to details, alignment of elements and articulation (breaking up the long wall with inward and/or outward elements) changes the mundane to interesting.
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Side Elevation - Case Study #2 ... Another example of a single family residence that had a lively front facade and a dead, private side elevation on a narrow lot in an old subdivision.
AS PROPOSED BY THE ARCHITECT... (would the Architect be proud to hang this elevation on the wall of his office?)
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER...
Using elements from the design of the other parts of the building, and with minor planar variations, the design is balanced and enlivened.
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Side Elevation - Case Study #3 another house on a standard residential lot...
AS PROPOSED BY THE DESIGNER...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER...
Seems simple, doesn't it? ...but the problem is not so much in design, but in planning restrictions. The projections into the side setback shown above would not be allowed. One could argue that the designer has no business filling the entire "envelope" if it is going to produce dull elevations that show no relief.
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reDESIGN - Case Study #1: AS SUBMITTED BY THE DESIGNER ...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER
What's wrong with the first design ? Details add life and interest to an elevation. Similarity of elements add unity. Adding the two bays on the upper floor give relief to the plane of the wall. The window layout is more traditional, two windows separated by a column. Having two garage doors scales down the impact of the automobile on the elevation. Having a French door and matching sidelights brightens the entry. The entry column should never be a mere 4 x 4, so adding base and capital gives a traditional feel.
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reDESIGN - Case Study # 2: This is a simple average size house in an older subdivision -
AS PROPOSED BY THE DESIGNER ...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER
- the difference here is adding rich details and the suggestion of historical "style"
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reDESIGN - Case Study #3: This is a gas station on a freeway exit in a rural part of the county -
AS PROPOSED BY THE ARCHITECT...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER...
Why bother? It’s just a gas station! The avoidance of country-wide anonymous corporate architecture is vital in giving some sense of place in America. The illustration above could be anywhere and indeed is designed to give an image that is easily "recognizable" as a brand name gas station. In this situation, the gas station is in California, it is on the coast, it is across the street from artichoke fields and very visible from Highway One.
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reDESIGN - Case Study #4: this is a proposal for a park restroom building -
AS PROPOSED BY THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT...
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER...
Why shouldn't our mundane buildings have some design spark? Precast concrete globes added on pilasters, standard metal fireplace flues, and a mix of standard and split-face concrete block transforms the ordinary to something more.
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reDESIGN - Case Study #5: This is a small office building on a corner lot -
AS PROPOSED BY THE ARCHITECT…
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AS SUGGESTED BY THE URBAN DESIGNER...
THE FORM WAS RE-DESIGNED TO RECOGNIZE THE CORNER POSITION.
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Is the "Surf Shack" a Style of Architecture ???
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Maybe I'm sure this is another one of those "Only in California.... would the question come up" kind of things. BUT... Near the City of Capitola, just to the west, is a district of Santa Cruz County called Pleasure Point This is one of the prime surfing spots along the Northern California Coast.
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Pleasure Point has become an extremely desireable neighborhood and the prices started to skyrocket for small homes on small lots. In the heyday of the real estate boom (two years ago), that meant one million for a teardown. Paying that kind of money meant that the character of the neighborhood changed rapidly. Some of the folks who have lived there for a long time (and loved the charm of small streets, small houses, ocean views and great surfing down the block) began to organize and complain. How could their neighborhood character be saved? What is that character? Is the "Beach Cottage" (or "Surf Shack" as it is fondly called locally) part of that character? ....
Here are some vignettes that I prepared to begin the discussion
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the answer is .... "neighborhood zoning"
...this is one way of grappling with the transition, but not intended to be the final answer or total solution.
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Good Signs !! (downtown Santa Cruz, California)
classic applied letters with "gooseneck" lighting
applied signage with logos
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window signage with neon logos
"blade" signs
Downtown Santa Cruz is a walkable area. Fortunately, the signage is designed for pedestrians. 66
Court Housing in California... Lewis Court, Santa Monica There have been architects who have designed attractive affordable housing. One that comes to mind is Irving Gill. Gill worked for Adler and Sullivan in Chicago, and then left to make his mark in Southern California.One of his masterpieces is Lewis Court in Santa Monica.Gill seems to have captured some California essentials in this project - a derivation from Spanish/Moorishinfluences in terms of courts as a central focus, the "parti" (organizational theorem) in the design. The architecture of the complex is both modern and timeless, as the architecture of the Greek islands.
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Beach Court, Santa Cruz -
This complex was a motel complex design for beach goers who wanted to stay longer than one night. It is currently rental studios.There is no parking on site, however it is a corner lot and there appears to be street parking (whenever I have visited). Modern planning would prevent this wonderful place from happening. Parking would stop it cold. Density would stop it cold.
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Building codes would wreak havoc with the units. Yet they are lovely, warm, and really beloved by the inhabitants.
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Lincoln Court, Alameda -
This project is a series of condos in an "English Village" style of architecture. The units are small and organized on both sides of this delightful landscaped path.The site runs between two streets and what you don't see is that there are alleys on both sides which hide the garages in the rear of each unit​. So, why go on about these? I heard an urban designer from Seattle say that "there is one-third of the housing market which is grossly under served - the three S's - Seniors, Singles and Students".
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God is in the Details‌ This is the famous quote from Mies Van der Rohe, the Modernist architect of the 40's to 60's. His concern was that to have clean, simple lined buildings meant very carefully thought out minimal connections. The Victorian residences of the nineteenth century had just the opposite ideal -
(drawing from the Victorian Alliance)
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I feel fortunate to live in Northern California for many reasons. One reason, for an architect, is that there are so many incredible Victorian houses around the cities. While I love the whole facade layout of these structures, I have begun to be really intrigued by the insane details. I add digital effects to these photos to emphasize the design.
These photos come from San Francisco and Alameda, but you'll find great examples all around the bay.
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During the heyday of the Victorians, San Francisco had over 200 mills which produced thousands of patterns of wood carving and turning (ah...the lathe was invented just before -an American named David Wilkinson (1771-1852) developed a screw-cutting lathe that may have been based on drawings by Leonardo da Vinci - Wilkinson eventually produced a general purpose lathe in 1806.)
How about a button...?
no touching ! 74
Creek Walks / Creek Thoughts.... When the weather was good, I liked walking to work. It's about two miles and for some of my journey I walk along a path next to Branciforte Creek. In the beginning the walk is behind the fenced rear yards of houses and along a beautiful riparian landscape.
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Soon the creek is in a concrete channel, for flood control purposes I'm told. The difference is staggering! I love walking, I love getting away from the street and cars, but this is not my creek anymore.
I know better - there are urbanized creeks that are a delight. Two of these in California stand out......
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The one I know best is the creek walk in San Luis Obispo (population 50,000).
It was not only channelized, it was ​under Monterey Street.
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The other creek "make-over" is in San Jose (population 1,000,000)
Guadalupe River Parkway
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Knowing your "Place In Space" How you live, garden or design within the section shown below will vary significantly due to the specific microclimate you are in and your particular solar orientation. The section below is typically a west to east section for most of the California coast. For my location however, it is a south to north section​ (see last image below to view the coast curving to form the top of Monterey Bay - North is at the top of the image).
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When the environmental movement really started there was a sense that one should know something about their surroundings. I used to live in Santa Cruz, California. It sits on the North side of the Monterey Bay. I live between two marshes - Pescadero marsh to the north and the marshes of Watsonville to the south. My watershed is the San Lorenzo River Watershed.
Some fundamental questions (I'm fortunate to have volunteered for the California State Park system at Pescadero marsh, where I learned some of the following information)
1. Name three native trees that grow in your area: a. Coast Redwood b. Coast Live Oak c. California Bay Laurel
2. Name three native shrubs that grow in your area: a. Coyote Bush b. Coffeeberry c. Pacific Wax Myrtle
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3. Name three native riparian trees or shrubs: a. Arroyo Willow b. Box Elder c. California Cottonwood
4. Name three sea birds if you are near the coast: a. California Gull b. Cormorant c. Brown Pelican
5. Name three raptors: a. Red Tailed Hawk b. Swallow-Tailed Kite c. Northern Harrier
6. Name three marsh birds if there are marshes nearby: a. Common Egret b. Great Blue Heron c. Black Crowned Night Heron
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YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOUR WATER COMES FROM....
(Loch Lomand Reservoir)
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AND WHERE YOUR SEWAGE GOES !
(Water Treatment Facility, Ocean Street Extension)
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Understanding Materials Concrete Masonry Units As a structural material, concrete masonry units (often called concrete block) are pretty versatile.
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There are a number of factors to consider when selecting block 1. Block size - 8" high x 16" wide x 8" deep nominal size is standard, but half height is available. 2. Face texture - standard is a precision finish, but split face, combed and textured are available. 3. Block color - grey is standard, but about 12 different tones are available. 4. Aggregate color - can be black and white or multi-color. 5. Block bond pattern - standard is running bond, stacked bond is possible and 1/2 and 1/3 block stagger is possible. 6. Mortar color - light grey is standard, but about twenty colors are available. 7. Mortar joint type - concave is standard, but raked, weathered and reveals are also possible.
____ If you use the cheapest block in the most mundane pattern, this is what it looks like...
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but there are many other combinations of block sizes, block colors, textures, bond patterns and mortar colors that can give interesting and attractive block walls -
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it is also possible to alternate texture and color on one wall 88
these are generated from a downloadable program from Basalite Concrete Products
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Designing the Mundane A few years ago, a friend asked me to design a carport. Now, you don't need an architect with twenty five years experience to do that. I told her sure - but I would really work to make it interesting and more than mundane. If when she saw it, she didn't like it... I would understand. Agreed, she said. What I thought of was a "covered bridge" type of structure. A simple shed roof and "walls" made of 4x4's that were bolted together with strap connections to form a large truss. She liked it, but of course the contractor talked her out of it. Ah well.
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Cities of Brick....
(image of brick bond patterns from Architectural Graphic Standards, Third Edition, 1932)
Spending most of my adult life in California, I don't get to see large areas of brick buildings. They don't resist earthquakes very well. In my travels, however I have seen a few cities where brick was the primary building material.
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About 10 years ago, I visited Philadelphia and it seemed to be one of those cities. It was surprising to see so much brick used, sometimes even for sidewalks and streets.
Another one of the "brick cities" is St. Louis, Missouri It is in the way the brick turns and extends that the mason's knowledge and craft come together. The use of the "corbel" (extending rows of brick out to hold something up and create a projection) in the photo on the left shows a deftness and art. The extensions of the brick in the semi-circular pattern around the arched bricks at the top of the window is shear genius.
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Another noteworthy part of brick architecture is the cut and carved stonework that integrates so beautifully with the brick. The triangle in the photo on the left is an unusual pattern and one which obviously requires very careful cutting of the brick. The photo on the right shows a somewhat typical entry detail with the projecting capital band (which helps shelter the doorway from rain) and the egg and dart band below, and the floral pattern in the corner. Recently I came across an article from PLANETIZEN on "brick rustling" in St. Louis. I've known that used brick costs more than new brick (for the "look"), but I didn't imagine that people would knock down buildings illegally to retrieve the bricks.
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While these buildings are abandoned, many have real historical value - some have been in the ​HABS​ (Historical American Building Survey) ......
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Design Guidelines... Do They Really Help? I have to say ​yes​...having been in three planning agencies and seen some of the most mundane designs possible. I've been on all three sides of the fence - as an architect, as a planning commissioner and as a planner. Architects may know (but hardly acknowledge) that an enormous amount of what is submitted to agencies (city and county planning departments) is NOT prepared by licensed individuals. I like to say that design review is similar to the high jump in track and field. If you set the bar at 18", even a short person like myself could walk over it. If you set the bar at 7', very few people in the entire country could jump over it. So, what is the right height?....For Design Review, I think it's about three feet. Normal designers should have to jump and get off the ground, but you should not have to be a super star architect to get over.
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How does someone know where that bar is set in the nebulous world of design review? By a really good set of ​Design Guidelines. I've worked on guidelines for twenty years. I think they work best when to an architect, they look like motherhood and apple pie. Who would think these are revelations? - many design people AND the general public. The best quote I have heard about the guidelines I produced was from a county counsel who said "I get it, it's like Architecture 101! ". Here are some sample pages - presented only for illustration....
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After years of teaching both architectural and landscape architectural design, I have learned that the basics matter. It is like an athlete who practices and practices. When they get into competition, they are in the "zone".
Ask Michael Jordan or Jerry Rice.
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The Spiral of Succulents.... and Other Plant Geometries One benefit of walking is that the pace of travel allows one to see the detail of ordinary things....
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The pattern above is a typical spiral...similar to that of the Chambered Nautilus and probably based on the Fibonacci series and the Golden Ratio.
Many flowers are especially representative of a radial symmetry.... "Honeybees favor the radial symmetry of daisies and clover and sunflowers, while the bumblebees prefer the bilateral symmetry of orchids, peas and foxgloves" The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan
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Highway 152 revisited... (with apologies to Bob Dylan for the re-numbering of his song and album title)
Every month for the last eight years I have crossed the width of California, from Santa Cruz to Auberry. That's from the coast to the foothills of the Sierras. One part of my journey is across the San Joaquin Valley from Highway 5 to Highway 99. It's not that long a section...75 miles maybe, but it is very straight and very flat. For a long time, I yearned for something else to look at but almond orchards and cornfields. Don't get me wrong, the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains can be incredibly beautiful, but too often recently the valley has terrible smog and you can't see the 10,000 ft. peaks ahead.
There are some features of the journey that I do love...
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Robertson Boulevard, Chowchilla
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Dairy Barn on Turner Island Road
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The House of Many Colors
I owe a great debt to Professor Kenneth Helphand of the University of Oregon for turning me on to the idea of Landscape in the bigger sense, and for having me read the great Cultural Geographers - John Brinckerhoff Jackson, Yi-Fu Tuan and Pierce Lewis.
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Fences of Pleasure Point I have a friend in Berkeley who works as an urban designer for a major landscape architecture and urban design firm. He collects photos of unusual fences. I think I'll join him in collecting photos. Here are my nominations from the Pleasure Point area of Santa Cruz County...
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