CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Guess What This Building Was Inspired By?

casasugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:00:40 -0800

This unusually shaped (and situated!) building in New Zealand will someday function as a treehouse restaurant. While it's still under construction, and halfway across the world, I'd love to check out this place in person, wouldn't you? The design for the restaurant was inspired by something in nature that shares a similar shape. (Hint: It's insect related).

Coveted Crib: The Crater Lake House

casasugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:00:32 -0800

When the owners of this New Zealand home asked architecture firm Pacific Environments to renovate it, the firm created a stunning, minimalist vision for the 40-year-old house. Taking advantage of shipping rigging, stainless steel tubing, metallic finishes, and diagonal lines, the house has been transformed from its prior incarnation. To get the tour, check out the slideshow. Source

Gift Guide: The Architecture Buff

casasugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:30:06 -0800

My sister, who's been drawing blueprints in one form or another since we were little kids, is currently finishing her second year of grad school at the architecture department at UC Berkeley. Since she spends about 18 hours a day in the studio as it is (I'm not even coming close to exaggerating), she probably doesn't want to spend her few free hours browsing through architecture books, at least during the semester. However, once the holiday break kicks in, I'm pretty sure that she'll be curled up on a sofa with a more recreational, picture-heavy architecture book in her hands.

If your family's anything like mine, there are at least a few folks in your immediate circle who can happily pass the evening leafing through books chock full of great facts and even better photos of buildings, architectural details, blueprints, and life stories of famous architects. One good place to start is with the volume Architecture: Celebrating the Past, Designing the Future ($95), a book commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Institute of Architects. I found this book at Builders Booksource's online site, which is an amazing resource for books on architecture and building. Another great place to check for architecture books is at Chronicle Books, whose architecture section is chock full of gems, such as the recently released California Academy of Sciences: Architecture in Harmony With Nature ($29.95).

For more book suggestions,

Do You Have a Coat Closet?

casasugar — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:30:03 -0700

My architect friend who grew up in Florida and now lives in Los Angeles refuses to draw coat closets (or front hall closets) into his plans, because he swears no one wears a coat in those warm climates. While Floridians may not be in the habit of sporting hefty wool coats, I think even a narrow closet should be a requisite for every home. It's simply good manners to offer your guests a place to stow their gear — even if it's just a light cotton blazer. Does your home have one? What are your thoughts?

Do You Have a Coat Closet?

Yes, I have one!

No, no coat closets in my house.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Midday Muse: Vast Bath

casasugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:23 -0700

In this Tuscan farmhouse, the architect designed the bathroom like a lounge, blending styles and eras as you might a living room. The old clawfoot tub is centered in front of the window for a relaxing view, and there's little else, aside from a tall cabinet shelving essentials and an armchair, to clutter up the space. While the blue walls and tub, terracotta tiles, and rustic copper faucet certainly create a beautiful palette, it's not the style or color of the room that attracts me — it's the size. I'd easily sacrifice some square footage in my bedroom or living room to claim this vast bath.Of course the cool tones create a soothing atmosphere, but the room's magnitude puts me in a happy place. In most homes, our bathrooms are not much bigger than a coat closet, and there's something so claustrophobic about that. I suppose in a way the composition of our homes speaks to what we value in our society; in most cases, our garages and living rooms are the largest spaces. Are cars and TV what's most important? Sometimes I think we need to reassess. Forget prime time, if I were the owner of this home, I'd take a nice long soak and curl up with a book in this private retreat any day.
Source

The New Orleans 100: A Look at the Good That's Happened Since Katrina

casasugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:00:33 -0700

The New Orleans 100 is a worldwide initiative to "highlight and encourage discussion among millions about 100 of the most innovative and world-changing ideas to take root in the city since Katrina." Creative maverick think tank All Day Buffet wanted to combat the negative press New Orleans receives in mainstream media by spotlighting the best things happening in the city, and let me tell you, it wasn't hard. There's a wealth of inspiring projects going on these days in the Crescent City in the worlds of art and architecture, culture, music, entrepreneurship, education, non-profit, and social innovation. We've actually talked about some of these art and architecture projects in the past during my New Orleans coverage, so don't be surprised if you hear bells ringing! Source

In the News: Green Architecture Has a Ways to Go

casasugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:15:17 -0700

Interested in getting the lowdown about green architecture? Then I suggest you read the Newsweek article, "The Bad News About Green Architecture." For a good while now, the reporting of green architecture practices has been nothing less than greenwashed, and I've been waiting for a mainstream publication to address our country's problem with its perception and definition of "green" architecture. In "The Bad News About Green Architecture," writer Cathleen McGuigan points out that "LEED rating" is an over-trumpeted catch phrase these days ("more than 16,000 projects are now registered with the U.S. Green Building Council as intending to go for a LEED certification"), and LEED isn't stringent enough with its awards — a long-held truth.
But more importantly, she stresses that building green if you're building big (i.e. McMansions), or unnecessarily, isn't green at all. There are various plans to build green resorts in Las Vegas, including the 8.3-million-square-foot Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino, likely motivated by the tax rebates that come with passing LEED certification. While that makes a great talking point in local papers, it still takes "tons of jet fuel that will be used to deliver millions more tourists to Vegas each year," and countless un-green materials to keep the place up and running once it's built. To hear more of my thoughts,

Guess Who Designed This House?

casasugar — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:30:45 -0700

A famous 20th century architect, known for promoting organic architecture, designed this house, the William Ross House, which is up for sale in Illinois. Can you name the architect?

This Just In: Sundance's Architecture School Premieres Tonight

casasugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:00:56 -0700

Tonight at 8 p.m. (CDT), the Sundance channel will premiere an original six-part documentary series, Architecture School, which follows a group of students from Tulane University's prestigious School of Architecture as they compete for the chance to design an affordable home in Katrina-devastated New Orleans. The winning model will be built during the school year and put on the market, giving one recent grad one whopping résume bullet point at the start of his career. Stiff competition! The home will be built as part of Tulane University's URBANbuild program, which was founded in 2005 to restore urban neighborhoods as a response to the storm. Executive Producer Michael Selditch was so inspired by Tulane University's URBANbuild program that he designed and built the show specifically around the 3-year-old program. Tune in tonight to see for yourself!
Source

On the Market: Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House

casasugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:45:16 -0700

The Palmer House — a 2,000-square-foot, one-story home in Ann Arbor, MI, designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright — is on the market for the first time since it was commissioned in 1950. The asking price is $1.5 million. The three-bedroom, two-bath Usonian-style home sits on 1.5 wooded acres, close to the University of Michigan, where its former owner worked. The house includes many free-standing pieces of Wright furniture, including tables, chairs ("Origami" chairs), and ottomans, which are "as much a part of the house as the house is of the landscape," says Brian Reis, assistant curator for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust in Chicago. It also includes a collection of Wright documents, and a lovely teahouse is tucked neatly behind the house. It's certainly a very rare opportunity to own a piece of architectural history, and at a relatively affordable price. I'm sure there will be a lot of interest in the home, particularly from those with an interest in interior design and architecture. And, preservationists should be pleased: The deed to the house "requires any changes to be approved by the nonprofit Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy." Check out this gallery for a tour of the property and the listing for more information.

There's more to see, so

Do You Love Modern Architecture?

casasugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:00:20 -0700

The crisp lines and boxy shapes of modern architecture often inspire a love-it-or-hate-it reaction in people. What's your take? Source

Do You Love Modern Architecture?

I love modern architecture! Clean lines, cool buildings.

Meh — I don't really care either way.

Ugh, no thanks. Give me a Victorian any day!

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

In the News: Revisiting a Modern Home

casasugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:30:01 -0700

Los Angeles is known for its modern architecture and architects, with homes built by the likes of Ralph Rapson, John Lautner, and Pierre Koenig dotting the urban landscape. One such house, which was featured in the LA Times 50 years ago, has just resurfaced in that paper's pages. Dubbed the Times Home Magazine House, it was designed by architect Edward H. Fickett and the interior was designed by Arthur Elrod.

The Encino home, which was built as "a suburban house that embodied forward-thinking design," was, similar to the case study houses, meant to be affordable for a middle-class family. Half a century later, the house still manages to appear private, beautiful, and of the moment. Now owned by Warner Walcott and Jonn Coolidge, whose prior residence was also built by Fickett, the current inhabitants have brought their own sense of coolness to the house while maintaining the home's integrity and original intentions. They also have, as the LA Times article notes, complemented the home's style "with an art and furniture collection that's at once retro yet contemporary — and unmistakably California cool."

While I'm a bit too scattered and cluttered to ever make a modern home like this work to its full advantage, I do admire the "California cool" look of these homes. There's something soothing in their clean lines, placid pools, and deliberate blurring of indoor and outdoor spaces. To see the house in all of its splendid glory, check out the whole article.

Source

Midday Muse: Bright Lights in the Darkness

casasugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:44 -0700

This building, which was part of the Archstoyanie Summer festival, had thousands of holes drilled into the planks that compose its walls. The result? In the daytime, anyone standing inside the building has tiny dots of light filtering onto their bodies, and at night, the light pours into the dark, Russian night. Beautiful, isn't it?

Source

Ranch-Style Homes

casasugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:42 -0700

Many of us grew up in ranch-style homes. At the very least, you're probably familiar with their shape and layout. Test your knowledge of ranch-style homes with my quiz!
Source

Cool Idea: Useful Moldings

casasugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:30:52 -0700

French industrial designer Mathieu Lehanneur created Useful Mouldings, modular units made of resin-reinforced plaster meant to be fixed to the wall, which double as ornamentation and a shelf, CD organizer, odds-and-ends holder, or a bench. The design combines elements of both design and architecture, merging pieces of furniture with the structure that supports them (kind of like a built-in), making the object disappear into their environment. Useful Mouldings gives something that's traditionally been an ostentatious ornamentation a function beyond aesthetics; that's something I'd like to see more often in the design world. Lehanneur's designs are certainly modern, but there's no reason why the same product couldn't be designed with traditional taste.
Source

In the News: Redefining an Architect's Legacy

casasugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:00:44 -0700

Many of us have seen architect John Lautner's modern, unusual work — we just didn't realize it. The bachelor pad that Charlie's Angels's villain Eric Knox inhabits is based on the design for the Chemosphere. This eight-sided home was built in the Hollywood Hills in 1960, and sits atop a 30-foot-tall concrete poll, which was Lautner's solution to building on the steeply pitched site.

A recent New York Times article, "Bonding Humanity and Landscape in a Perfect Circle," reviews a current exhibit on Lautner at LA's Hammer Museum. The exhibit attempts to remedy misunderstandings about Lautner's body of work, which some people interpret as space age-y and removed from the landscape. Instead, we discover through the exhibit an architect who possesses, according to the article, "a keen structural knowledge wedded to an environmental sensitivity — a seamless bond of nature, space and humankind."

While the Chemosphere may not be your cup of tea, it's undeniable that the building solution for this piece of property reflects Lautner's understanding of site-specific construction. My favorite Lautner home is probably the Mar Brisas House, which was built in 1973 in Acapulco, Mexico, and whose lines echo the beach and water below (seen in this photo).

To see some gorgeous images of Lautner's homes, and to find out how to visit one yourself,

Before and After: A Floating Home

casasugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:01 -0700

Architect Vladimir Plotkin recently showcased his design for a floating residence at Archstoyanie, an architecture festival in the small village of Nicola-Lenivets, located in Kaluga, Russia. Plotkin explained that the raft and house portions are meant to be separate, with the raft platform used for sunbathing, barbecuing, and socializing during the day. After the resident has had her fill of fun, she can then retreat to the elevated house portion of the structure to rest and sleep off the fun and sun. Here's what the floating home looked like in a computer rendering:

To see it in real life,

Definition: Breezeway

casasugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0700

A breezeway is an architectural feature similar to a hallway. It allows the passage of a breeze between structures, which allows aeration, accommodates high winds, or simply provides aesthetic design variation. Often a breezeway is a simple roof connecting two structures.

Source

Midday Muse: Incongruous Additions

casasugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:00:24 -0700

This 5th Ave. Apple Store-esque extension was added to a humdrum McMansion, giving it not only additional space but loads of light. In this case, I think the addition was a success, and added value, especially because it's in the rear of the house and doesn't appear to be visible from the street. But, often I see modern additions going up on older, period homes that don't take into account the history of the space, and I cringe a little. If you own a historic Victorian or even 20th-century Colonial, why not hire an architect who can build something to coordinate? If a modern home is really what you want, why not sell your country cottage and buy one instead? I know things are never as straightforward as that, and there are a lot of factors involved when you're considering buying, selling, and renovating. But sometimes I worry that we'll look at our landscape in 50 years and realize that Mr. Potato Head or Frankenstein may have actually been city planners. Do you agree, or is my thinking just hopelessly traditional?
Source

Midday Muse: Flooded London

casasugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:44 -0700

Some climate change models indicate that many of the planet's coastal regions will be underwater in the next 50 to 100 years. Deciding to put a positive spin on this rather dreary prediction, media production company Squint/Opera used a combination of photography and digital modeling and manipulation to create an altogether surprising vision of the future.

The company's images, which were presented as part of London Festival of Architecture 2008, show Londoners fishing from parking structures, playing near submerged sidewalks, and completing high dives from St. Paul's Cathedral. What's your take on these images?

Source

Cool Idea: Le Petit Paris

casasugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:00:00 -0700

Gerard Brion took up the challenge of building a miniature model of Paris 15 years ago. With 18,000 hours of painstaking work logged, he has crafted a miniature city, known as Le Petit Paris, in his garden in Vaissaic in the South of France out of salvaged items like old concrete blocks, baby food jars and soup tins. 150,000 visitors a year experience over 40 Paris monuments, such as the Champs Elysées, Montmartre, the Seine River, and the Eiffel Tower on a 1:130 scale set in a French-style garden planted with 400 bonzais. Year-round, the miniature city keeps up with the times, too: a miniature military-parade along the Champs Elysées on Bastille Day; Easter Eggs in the Bois de Boulogne in April; a true French Cancan show in Little Moulin Rouge featuring animated dolls; and demonstrations and traffic-jams along the little Paris boulevards keeping with typical French social unrest. After Princess Diana's car crash, Brion even smashed a miniature Mercedes car with a hammer and exhibited it under the Alma Bridge. In 2004, Brion opened the Little Louvre Museum, exhibiting 100 pieces of his own work and personal collection, including paintings, drawings, models. The small capital, open to the public on weekends and holidays, takes an hour to visit. How about that for backyard décor? Only in France . . .
Source

In The News: A Daring Museum Design

casasugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:30:54 -0700

On Sunday, San Francisco added another well-designed, eye-catching museum to its roster of cool, well-designed museums (my favorite up to now has been the de Young). The design of the Contemporary Jewish Museum took what was once a power company substation and births something completely different. Architect Daniel Libeskind, who previously built the Jewish Museum Berlin, shows a talent for merging the old and the new in his winning, playful design for San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum.

The San Francisco Chronicle covered the details behind the museum's aesthetic development in a number of articles, and together these pieces tell a fascinating story. An abundance of thought and consideration went into this building's design. Deep grooves across a wall of the lobby, which are lit for emphasis, are an acronym for "orchard" in Hebrew. Interior spaces feature elements such as open staircases, soaring ceilings, playful use of light, and magnetic walls. But of course, these features are just the very beginning. To find out all about this bold new design, read more here.
Source

Before and After: A Charmer in Charlottesville

casasugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:00:31 -0700

I recently read about architect Madison Spencer's renovation of his own 1950s Charlottesville, Virginia home (known as Rabbit Run), which was featured in the April issue of Southern Accents, on Style Court. I was bowled over by the drastic change, which took advantage of existing features like tall windows and Chippendale accents, but made changes inspired by Thomas Jefferson's designs for the University of Virginia (Spencer's alma mater). The renovated building is impressive and elegant, rather than gauche and unremarkable, as it was before. To see the after,

This Just In: Brad Pitt's Eco Designs For Dubai

casasugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:06:54 -0700

It seems as if the Jolie-Pitt family must thrive on activity. Between settling into a French mansion, preparing for the birth of his twins, and various public appearances, charity work, and acting roles, Brad Pitt is, according to People, designing a green hotel in Dubai.

Green building and Brad Pitt are certainly no strangers. He helped build green housing in NOLA and also narrated a PBS series on green design, among many other green-related projects.

"Selecting this development as my first major construction project has been a simple decision," said Pitt. "It will underpin not only my values for environmentally-friendly architecture, but also embrace my career in entertainment."

Apparently, plans for the resort will be revealed over the next few months. While I'm pleased that Dubai has adopted a green building code, the fact remains that Dubai itself is essentially an unsustainable place to build. However, green building is the best type of construction to pursue in an area, such as Dubai, which is lacking natural resources. Regardless of the building controversy surrounding Dubai in general, I'd be thrilled to stay in a Pitt-designed hotel. Would you?

Bauer-Griffin Online and Source

Coveted Crib: An Updated Tudor

casasugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:30:47 -0700

Architecture firm Martinkovic Milford converted an English Tudor home in Califronia from a two-bedroom, one-story residence to a four-bedroom, two-story residence, doubling the owner's living space. To check out the changes, explore the slideshow. Source

Coveted Crib: Frank Lloyd Wright's Massaro House

casasugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:45:00 -0700

Perhaps the most famous architect of the 20th century, Frank Lloyd Wright left behind a legacy of fascinating houses, as well as amazing sketches for homes that were never built. In 2007, one of these sketches, for a home to be built into a large piece of bedrock on Lake Mahopac in upstate New York, was finally designed and constructed. Owner Joe Massaro hired architect and Wright scholar Thomas Heinz to flesh out the design from only five original sketches. To see the results, check out the slideshow. Source

Midday Muse: Fleur-De-Lys on the House

casasugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:00:56 -0700

On a recent stroll through San Francisco, I was delighted when I spotted a fleur-de-lys used as an architectural element on the exterior of a Victorian house. As you may remember, I rounded up some fleur-de-lys home furnishings during my February New Orleans coverage, seeing as it has been a symbol of the city since its birth. The lily-inspired shape is also a symbol of French royalty, and some argue it has Italian roots, so it's not quite a surprise to find it outside of the Crescent City. I always loved seeing them top wrought iron fences in NOLA, but I think the shape works well as an architectural ornamentation, too. Have you seen any in your 'hood? Are there any similar ornate details on the exterior of your home?

Casa Verde: the Lighthouse

casasugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:30:41 -0700

Dwell recently featured the Lighthouse, a London-area show home by British architects Sheppard Robson, which uses the sky as a resource for temperature control. The primary feature of the house is its windcatcher, "the ultra-modern descendant of an ancient Middle Eastern cooling tool," which allows residents to "directly manipulate the flow of air into and out of the home," (hot and cool air) by opening and closing its shuttered apertures, depending on the season — without the use of electricity. The building's structure also gets natural, floor-to-ceiling daylight, light wood, white walls, and plenty of glass which keep it bright, and the traditional placement of sleeping and living quarters have been switched, so that high traffic areas (living areas) get maximum exposure to its large windows and rooftop light shaft upstairs. Once a few of its kinks are worked out, the Lighthouse’s total energy bills will be roughly $60 a year. While "the Lighthouse" is certainly a fitting reflection of Sheppard Robson's efficient use of light, its name is also a metaphor for the structure, which serves as a beacon, guiding the way for energy-efficient residential design.
Source

Architect Stories: Hugh Newell Jacobsen

casasugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:00:39 -0700

Hugh Newell Jacobsen is a prominent American architect best known for his modern pavilion-based residences, which are mostly simple, gabled structures, rectangular in plan. His projects have been built and published worldwide, and he's won 114 awards for excellence in design, six of which are National Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects and 20 from the professional journal Architectural Record. Jacobsen graduated from Yale’s School of Architecture in 1955, held an apprenticeship with Philip Johnson, and then opened a practice under his own name in 1958. In the 50 years since then, he has designed several large buildings, including the libraries for the American Colleges of Greece (Athens), Gettysburg College (Penn.), two museums for the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, the Renwick Gallery, the Arts and Industries Building, and an addition to the US Capitol, but his forté is residential architecture.
To hear about his design philosophy and see some of his projects,

In the News: A Richard Neutra in Dire Straits

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:30:05 -0700

The Los Angeles Times' "The Clock Is Ticking For Richard Neutra's VDL Research House II" is a story about the "fabled glass box on Silver Lake Boulevard in Los Angeles," designed by renowned midcentury modernist architect Richard Neutra and owned by nonprofit Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, and faces sale if upward of $2 million is not raised by supporters by the end of the year. Saturday tours of the landmark have recently begun to raise money for the cause, and awareness of its need for restoration. Visitors can witness firsthand some of its problems, including termite damage, asbestos, cracked and dried reflecting pools, jammed sliding doors, and an electric system that no longer functions. While midcentury modern design is experiencing a boom, and people like Diane Keaton are restoring equally important homes, you wonder why an architectural landmark could be in dire need of preservation. Neutra's son, Dion Neutra, who once worked to rebuild the house after a fire, says, "It’s a result of benign neglect for the 20 years since my family donated the house to Cal Poly." While it's understandable that a home that's been uninhabited for so long could be overlooked, the thought of it selling to a private party, and becoming unavailable to the public, is a glum one.
Source

Architect Stories: Selldorf Architects

casasugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:30:40 -0700

Selldorf Architects is an internationally-recognized firm with a portfolio of institutional, commercial, high-end retail, and residential work, as well as art spaces, that is quintessentially modern. They also offer full-service interior design, and own a company called Vica, which sells modern and traditional handcrafted furnishings, including case goods, tables, seating, lighting, and hardware. Principal Architect Annabelle Selldorf was born and raised in Germany, received degrees from Pratt Institute in NYC and Syracuse University in Florence, and established the firm in 1988. Associate Partner Randall Goya joined the firm in 1994, followed by Partner Sara Lopergolo and Associate Partner Julie Hanselmann Davies in 2004. Based in New York, Selldorf's portfolio lists mostly properties in Manhattan, although they've also renovated and modernized properties in Majorca, Spain and London. Check out the gallery below to see some of their work.

Source

Cool Idea: Rooftop Bedrooms

casasugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:41 -0700

Since many families choose to build their bedrooms onto a separate wing, or far end, of a home, doesn't it make sense to put them on another level altogether — such as on a rooftop? Built in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, by the firm MVRDV, is this very cool rooftop house extension, which was added onto an existing home. I love the look of these little house bedrooms, which offer privacy to each family member, and appear to be a tiny village growing atop the existing home's roof. I'm also completely in love with the unexpected, brilliant blue color of this addition.

Other features of these rooftop bedrooms include open-air showers, benches, trees, and parapet walls with windows. I find this addition so charming, and though I'm sure some fuddy-duddy neighbors may be complaining, I certainly wouldn't be one of them. In fact, I'd be the first one over with a basket of cookies, asking if I could get a closer look at the addition.

Source

In the News: Ralph Rapson Dies at 93

casasugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:00:59 -0700

Ralph Rapson, one of the most prolific and oldest practicing architects, died of a heart attack on Saturday at 93. Modernist in style, he was best known for his design of the former Guthrie Theater, which included "a thrusting stage and asymmetrical seating that made the audience seem like part of the dramatic action." In the 1940s, he designed his own line of furniture for Knoll, including a popular rocking chair, the Rapson Rapid Rocker. From 1954 to 1984, Rapson led the architecture
school at the University of Minnesota as dean. Other visible projects of his include US embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen, as well as several buildings throughout Minnesota. Rapson also took part in the legendary experimental program, the Case Study Houses, which ran from 1945 until 1966, with his Greenbelt House design. The design was never built, but he recently developed a line of prefab modern houses called the Rapson Greenbelt based on the original design. The day prior to his death, Rapson had been in the office, "working on design projects and writing." His son, Toby Rapson said, "He always joked that he would be carried out on his drafting board." Check out some of his designs below, then read the whole story at the New York Times.

Source, Source, and Source

Casa Quiz: La Nouvelle Tour Eiffel

casasugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:30:15 -0700

I recently shared some interesting news with you about the Eiffel Tower, which many of you weren't too thrilled about. The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel has decided to restructure the iconic Paris building.

Can you remember some of the details of my post?

In the News: Modern Design Meets Farmhouse

casasugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:45:19 -0700

Los Angeles Times' "Not a Scrap of Gingham" shares the story of Vanessa Choy and Andrew Wong, a couple from Hong Kong who closed their architecture practice and moved to LA. They bought a lot in Studio City, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley in LA that earned its name in the 1920s when a number of picture studios popped up there. Then, they drew up plans for an unmistakably modern farmhouse. The exterior seems a distant relative of the traditional barns we've come to know but its concrete wall, unusual lighting, and lack of ornamentation suggest that its interior deviates from the classic form as well. Inside though, the architect couple balanced unfinished wood and rustic ceiling beams with "Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs, a glossy grand piano, and the sleek Poggenpohl kitchen" for what I see as the best of both worlds. Furthermore, what I find interesting is that this melding of architectural types was not a renovation of one of America's veteran barns, but was built from the ground up. For a couple new to the wild, wild West, fresh off the commercial landscape of Hong Kong, this mélange seems impossibly ideal. To see an interior shot,