I went down to the San Luis Valley to photograph some of the small village chapels that dot that flat, dusty landscape. So as I was driving around, I was keeping a keen eye out for any structures, like a steeple, that might pop up out of the surrounding buildings or clusters of wind-ravaged trees. As I approached Antonito, one of the larger towns on the west side of the Valley, a shining, luminous vision sparkled in the morning sunlight above the two-story town. Upon closer inspection I found what I later learned was Cano's Castle.
the architecture of heros - Goodness, Nature and Vengeance
I have written a post about evil lairs a while ago and wanted to follow that up with some thoughts on the special domains of superheros. Of course we are not talking about real heroes here, but the pop culture protagonists of comic books and movies. My initial impression was that these places were not as interesting as their counterparts evil lairs, as Dante's Inferno is significantly more interesting than Paradiso. However, some repeating themes in these places are quite intriguing
Evil Lairs - the architecture of imaginary bad guys
Modernism has a mixed reception in the United States. Especially in residential design, it is equally despised and beloved. There are loads of historical reasons for this, filling volumes of treatises and endless hand-wringing by architects. I have always felt that it was corporate America's embrace of the industrial aesthetic of Modernism that most distinctly became the focus of opposition for most folks image of "home"
The Great Gear Dilemma
Boulder is known as an outdoor enthusiast's kind of town. Almost everyone I know has a plethora of outdoor gear - multiple bikes, skis, helmets of every configuration, packs and bags, tents, stoves, and the occasional kayak and canoe. Largely this equipment has usurped the car from its usual haunt in the garage. It is a rare Boulderite who can actually fit their car in their garage because of the ever-expanding collection of bikes if nothing else.
architecture at CU Boulder
architecture and truth and miscommunication
Of the many things that stand between architects and clients, none is so fraught as the architect's quest for architectural integrity which often masquerades as Truth. Please don't get me wrong, I am not asserting that all architects are questing for Truth while our clients really were only looking for a building. I have rarely experienced that. But my more recent experience as a member of the local Landmarks Board has highlighted this difference between how architects and normal people view buildings. Most all architects educated in the last 50 years have been instilled with this idea of Truth in architecture.