Search / 31 posts tagged urban_architecture

We don’t want to make a habit of blogging about adverse architectures in the northwest but the current “townhouse” model here in Seattle is too appalling to keep quiet about. Sprouting up like weeds, the archetype is identified by their auto-courts, separated 3 story structures, bay windows,

(Photo credit: Peter Parks | AFP/Getty Images) Along with new mega buildings include Bird’s Nest stadium, Aquatic Center, and the 3 million Beijing’s futuristic new airport terminal designed by British architect Norman Foster, the government of China is also trying to create a new, improved population for the Olympic events.

Adaptive reuse used to be a tactic of necessity - people didn’t have the time, energy or money to build something new so they made the best with what they had. Today it is a way to stand out, make a statement, go bold and try something completely different.

Well hello there. It is nice to come back from our little hiatus to see so many fabulous entries, and even some new peeps! Welcome.  This week's challenge was inspired by (Colleen who kindly put the bug in my ear....) our walk through North Beach while we were in San Francisco last week.

Doing research for our previous Google-Earth themed posts (Dwelling-Scapes and Building-Scapes) we began noticing some interesting deviations in the urban fabric of cities. Where there is density and grid, inevitably, there is also the divergence from both.

The U-District and Ravenna are surprising neighborhoods. They are closer to downtown than you might think in both proximity and character, and while they don’t have an abundance of hot, modern design, they’ve got the stuff that makes for great neighborhoods.

Living, working and blogging in Seattle, it was only a matter of time before we felt obligated to post on floating houses. In doing our homework we spoke with Dan Wittenberg, president of International Floatation Systems Inc. (IMF), who was gracious enough to give us a bit of his time and expertise.

The designs proposal of Rumini Waterfront has been presented by Foster+Partners. The design is aimed to make a strong relationship between the town centre and the seafront. The scheme comprises a new seafront promenade with a mix of related activities and public spaces including a hotel tower, which will extend Rimini’s historic beach culture and continue the existing urban grain.

[Photo by Joe Schell] If the graffiti in Seattle were to be graded it would acquire something in the realm of “needs improvement”. Its not an F but it’s substantially shy of a B-. While it appears that graffiti artists here have the time, courage and paint supplies, the level of craftsmanship is at an all time low.

© Flatbush Pigeon Dear Mr. Hotshot, I know you have amassed a huge collection of beautifully composed photographs of most (if not all) faded ads in Brooklyn and beyond. However, I can’t help being visually struck by these relics and instantly thinking of you.