05.25.07

Phantom House

After the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, Diller Scofidio + Renfro strikes again with a theoretical exercise. However theory never sounds so real before. The Phantom House, armed with the latest (and future) sustainability innovations, aims to provide an efficient living space that reacts to the occupants and environment. Some of the common features include photovoltaic, cistern, renewable materials and more. Also mentioned are some conceptual yet logical innovations, such as a bed that harvests body heat for energy, a mobile lawn that moves to where the shade falls, and a fridge that minimized lost cooled air when opened. Some may find it hard to take the proposal seriously. However while people are driving that one extra mile to find cheaper gas, why not take sustainable design one step further?
Find detailed presentation of the Phantom House on New York Times.

05.24.07

Farnsworth House and Chicken Coops

People who bother to read my blog are probably no strangers to the Farnsworth House. Designed by Mies van der Rohe for Dr Farnsworth in the 40s, the house is arguably one of the most significant modernist architectures still standing. The extensive use of floor to ceiling glass was never seen before and brought new meaning to indoor/outdoor space. Today Tom Leader Studio takes another unprecedented step in proposing a new addition made of chicken coops. His logic?

Most of the great monuments of ancient Rome were adapted in the middle Ages for re-use in some "parasitical" way related to their basic form and system. The Coliseum became a large scale apartment block as well as a stone quarry. Domitian's Arena was converted to the hippodrome-shaped Piazza Navona with stores resting their foundations and partitions on the surrounding groins and vaults.

Featured in the April issue of I.D. Magazine, Tom Leader blah blah blah.... I don't get it. I think they probably want to turn the Great Wall into a racing circuit, or something. Anyway Philip Johnson's Glass House, which often draws comparison to the Farnsworth House, is now opened to the public after painstaking restoration. The National Trust for Historic Preservation now owns both the Farnsworth House and the Glass House. Find out if there is any chicken coops worthy building in your area here.

05.17.07

100th MG & V-Ray

So Bandai revealed the highly anticipated 100th Master Grade model kit at the Shizuoka Hobby Show yesterday. Turn A Gundam, originally designed by Syd Mead (Blade Runner, Aliens), received the latest MG treatment. Turn A Gundam has always been controversial since its birth in 1999. Gundam enthusiasts either love it or hate it (personally I think it ruined the multi-generation franchise, so I guess I am hating it). It is very likely that Bandai strategically chose Turn A for publicity purposes. The announcement has already caused an uproar among fans. It will be interesting to see if its sale would match its fame. See more pictures at dannychoo.com.

Now the good news. ASGVIS released their V-Ray plugin for SketchUp 6. V-Ray has been around for a while and this new release is capable of helping the otherwise cartoonish SketchUp produce realistic 3D renderings (supposedly). If it is as good as they claim, it just might be a good alternative for Form Z or 3DSMax. For less than a couple thousands dollars, one can enjoy both intuitive process of SketchUp and great end product of V-Ray.

05.09.07

Windows on Mac & A Great House

OK, I admit I have short attention span. It's been 2 weeks since I last updated the website. I actually have been busy talking to vendors overseas. It is still a thought at the moment, but I am hoping by the end of this year I will be able to offer some hard-to-find-in-th-the-US or cost-an-arm-and-a-leg-in-the-US model kits at an affordable price. Keep your eyes opened and credit card ready!

Anyway, I blogged about Intel Macs and software compatibility days ago. And our office actually bought an Intel Mac last week. With the help of this little software called Boot Camp, the Mac is now running Windows OS natively. So far it has been stable. It is now able to run AutoCAD and 3DSMax which were not designed for Macs. I hope it will help bridging the gap between us and the engineers.

So back to architecture. My boss took me to see one of our houses today. I have never worked on the project and had only seen it in drawings. However it was love at first sight. The house is small (the smallest one we have done I believe) and modest. It sits in a quiet wooded neighborhood, surrounded by houses of similar scale. It does not sport any fancy materials or daring features, but the unassuming and almost anonymous quality is exactly what I love about it. The pleasant proportion and color palette made the otherwise conventional house a serene retreat. Appearance aside, even the program is what I would have asked for. It has an open living space with 2 rooms, a workshop and a BIG wood deck. I can see myself going crazy with my airbrush in that workshop and my friends chugging beer on that deck. Even though it is small and done on a budget, I can't think of anything I would change about it.