Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Cal trans
Los Angeles
Last weekend I had the pleasure of going to Downtown Los Angeles. The city was absolutely beautiful on Saturday, and if it wasn't for the pollen infesting the entire area, it would have been perfect. Regardless, I got to visit a building by Thom Mayne: The Cal Trans Headquarters.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of going to Downtown Los Angeles. The city was absolutely beautiful on Saturday, and if it wasn't for the pollen infesting the entire area, it would have been perfect. Regardless, I got to visit a building by Thom Mayne: The Cal Trans Headquarters.
A beautiful sight/site to behold, and it was incredible to see the intricate details and elegance that were put into the design.
And of course, thanks to my wonderful and beautiful girlfriend for coming along, after I dragged her to see it.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The Art of Learning Art.
I started taking an art class and architecture class at a nearby community college. While it seems like an awesome idea, the art class is intimidating and somewhat scary. In other words, I have no idea what I'm doing in that classroom. To make things worse, I am surrounded by a bunch of "advanced" students, or art majors who are taking the class for fits and giggles. Sigh.
As much as it scares me...I do think this class will help me immensely. All the different supplies are expensive and probably worthless after this class, but at least I will know how to use them, or how they can be applied in the impossible case that I become a world renowned artist. I do think I will have a good time, at least when I look back on this class next year when I don't have to sit next to smelly hippies expressing their anger at the 1% by drawing banks on fire and inevitably judging my rudimentary sketches. Yes that's right, we have to present our drawings and take criticism. A presentation I am not looking forward to. Still, it is part of the process. Creating is always judged, and so being an architect (fingers crossed) will require the same type of presentations to clients/instructors. So it will be a good skill to hone.
In any case, wish me luck as I dive into the abyss of art and artists for a semester. Hopefully I will make it out alive.
As much as it scares me...I do think this class will help me immensely. All the different supplies are expensive and probably worthless after this class, but at least I will know how to use them, or how they can be applied in the impossible case that I become a world renowned artist. I do think I will have a good time, at least when I look back on this class next year when I don't have to sit next to smelly hippies expressing their anger at the 1% by drawing banks on fire and inevitably judging my rudimentary sketches. Yes that's right, we have to present our drawings and take criticism. A presentation I am not looking forward to. Still, it is part of the process. Creating is always judged, and so being an architect (fingers crossed) will require the same type of presentations to clients/instructors. So it will be a good skill to hone.
In any case, wish me luck as I dive into the abyss of art and artists for a semester. Hopefully I will make it out alive.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
A Well Light Oil Refinery and a Suggestive Power Plant.
Every time I drive down from LA, I count landmarks. Mostly, these are pretty mundane and forgettable to most people that trek down the 405/5, but there are a couple that I always look forward to. The first one is a Nuclear Power Plant in San Onofre, that is mostly known to the residents for its anatomical resemblances:
What interests me the most about power plants in SoCal are their locations: Right on the Beach. There are literally people in beach chairs right on the other side of this massive, nuclear structure. As a kid, I remember going to a beach in Carlsbad, and we would park outside of a power plant, and swim in the water beneath it. I'm not suggesting the water was polluted or it was an environmental hazard, but I immediately accepted it as part of the surrounding. In other words, I saw it as a rock on a cliff, an inherent part of the beach.
The next landmark that I always look forward to is the main focus of my trip: The Long Beach Oil Refinery.
While it's not much to look at in the daytime, at night, it's a dystopian dream that's about to turn into a nightmare. A Borg Civilization or mechanical society. Total Recall. Death Star. etc.
The structure reminds me that buildings don't have to be beautiful to elicit emotional responses. The refinery here demands attention, and is almost impossible for me to look away from when I drive by it at night.
While both of these buildings are disturbing (in the sense that I wouldn't want to work/live at them), they are also marvelous. They make me think and reflect on the world we live in today, and how structures reflect the current state of humanity. Power Plant Beach. Long Beach Refinery. The world is evolving around us, and we must design to accomidate. But how we choose to design these structures tells a story of our civilization. The beach plant reminds me that Power and Energy are so ingrained into our quotidian lives that we just overlook and assume it's there. Just like a rock in our yard, we don't think it's going anywhere or wonder where it came from. And in a sense, we don't care.
The refinery reminds me of the limited resources we have, and how our society, that is so dependent on oil, has the potential to turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare.
In any case, both of these structures are a symbol to me. Not just of our society, but how close to home I am as I drive down the freeway. Perhaps that is a metaphor in itself, but I have drifted away from the point I want to emphasize right now: design gets its message across, whether intentional or not, or disturbing or wonderful (or both).
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| The Ocean's Boob Job |
The next landmark that I always look forward to is the main focus of my trip: The Long Beach Oil Refinery.
While it's not much to look at in the daytime, at night, it's a dystopian dream that's about to turn into a nightmare. A Borg Civilization or mechanical society. Total Recall. Death Star. etc.
The structure reminds me that buildings don't have to be beautiful to elicit emotional responses. The refinery here demands attention, and is almost impossible for me to look away from when I drive by it at night.
While both of these buildings are disturbing (in the sense that I wouldn't want to work/live at them), they are also marvelous. They make me think and reflect on the world we live in today, and how structures reflect the current state of humanity. Power Plant Beach. Long Beach Refinery. The world is evolving around us, and we must design to accomidate. But how we choose to design these structures tells a story of our civilization. The beach plant reminds me that Power and Energy are so ingrained into our quotidian lives that we just overlook and assume it's there. Just like a rock in our yard, we don't think it's going anywhere or wonder where it came from. And in a sense, we don't care.
The refinery reminds me of the limited resources we have, and how our society, that is so dependent on oil, has the potential to turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare.
In any case, both of these structures are a symbol to me. Not just of our society, but how close to home I am as I drive down the freeway. Perhaps that is a metaphor in itself, but I have drifted away from the point I want to emphasize right now: design gets its message across, whether intentional or not, or disturbing or wonderful (or both).
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