literary excerpt

House-Schuyler VA [wg clark architects]

an excerpt from WG Clark's essay "Replacement", published in the monograph Clark and Menefee:

"...I cannot convince myself that settlement, even the most thoughtful, the most beautiful, is better than wilderness. Even the [grain] mill is not better than no mill; but the mill is necessary for our existence, and therefore worthwhile. It is an image that keeps returning, proof that the use of the Earth need not be destructive, and that the architecture can be the ameliorative act by which, in thoughtfulness and carefulness, we counter the destructive effect of construction. Nothing else is architecture; all the rest is merely building.

The American landscape is being sacrificed to building. The result is dismal, adding up to nothing satisfactory or even significant except as an accurate self-portrait of our culture and ethical dissolution. This is an observation neither rare nor subtle. The condition is one that we all see and feel daily, one that we abhor yet perpetuate, a senseless spread of profit-motivated building that has none of the good characteristics of settlement, and looks remarkably more like a midway, uprooted and designed to be put up anywhere. The comparison becomes more apt with the realization that most of the things built are unnecessary..."

clyfford still museum progress

panorama view from the south

it was announced recently that the new allied works designed clyfford still museum will open its doors to the public on November 18th, 2011. the new facility will house over 90% of the artist's career body of work for display, including paintings, prints, sketches, and the only 3 sculptures ever created by still.

the building recently had the concrete forms removed from the massive exterior walls to reveal a highly textured surface of vertically oriented striations. this same texture will supposedly be carried out through the entire structure, even on the interior walls and ceilings at the main level.

view from the northwest

rendered animation of the completed design by allied works architecture

the interior gallery spaces shown in the animation give us a good idea at the sophisticated ceiling scrim that will filter daylight to the upper level galleries. the allied works museum project page has grown exponentially in the past few months, with depictions of gallery sections, program diagrams, renderings, and other construction images.

we will keep watching this development with great interest...

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studio 804: Center of Design Research

historic photo of chamney dairy farm [studio 804]

dan rockhill & his jayhawks in lawrence, ks are quickly making their new design-build project come to life. foregoing the usual modular house as in past years, the new center for design research is a step up in scope, complexity and sustainability goals:

The new Center for Design Research building, located on the historic Chamney Dairy Farm in Lawrence, Kansas, is a response to the emerging culture and support of sustainability at the University of Kansas. In congruence with the center's mission, which is to provide a location for interdisciplinary work between multiple schools, the new building will provide a facility that aids in the education of the university and community on sustainable strategies, material innovation and building efficiency.

The design for the new building implements sustainable strategies to maximize the potential of existing resources, minimize environmental degradation, create an environment that is safe, comfortable and efficient and provide an iconic representation of sustainability for the University of Kansas. Through the implementation and expression of sustainable systems, the building will provide a space for professional collaboration and community education while displaying a wide range of sustainable strategies. In doing so, it will showcase the advances of green building technologies and products, serving as a standard for the future development of the University and CDR.

existing site [studio 804]

studio 804 intend to reach the same ambitious goal as their last couple projects with a passive house certification. this includes an airtight exterior building envelope, super-insulated walls, roof and floor slab as well as a 90% energy savings [from baseline] by harnessing the southern sun for most of the facility's heat. this strategy is aided by triple paned insulated glass and sunshades and/or deep overhangs to avoid overheating in the summer months. natural ventilation is carefully calculated into the design along with an heat exchanging mechanical system to limit the need for pre-conditioned air.

limestone wall mock-up [studio 804]

a handsome rendering gives us a glimpse of the finished facility, complete with living roof, south facing courtyard, large expanses of glass and stacked limestone cladding. follow the gang's weekly construction progress here. we look forward to seeing more of this great work.

exterior rendering [studio 804]

week 12 construction photo [studio 804]

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event: manifestos on modernism

[click to enlarge]