random stuff

since we are hard at work trying to push the fifth LEED platinum building in colorado through the permitting process, here are some random readings that have caught our eye:

-typically, peter eisenmann is not on our radar, but this interview of the man had some good sound bites:

Longing for the Impossible

we're not a regular subscriber to the old man's work, but he sure makes some good points.

-dan rockhill illustrates the trials and tribulations of his kansas university design build program:

"this is not your usual tippy-tappy studio...we kick ass here."

last year, the group went for LEED platinum, now they are shooting for the much higher Passive house standard, defined by germany's housing code. here is a rendering of the new studio 804 project:

the slatted wood rain screen will be douglas fir boards, finished with a japanese technique called "shou-sugi-ban":

photo from pursuing a life of wabi

this process consists of blackening the surface of the boards with a propane torch that will make them resistant to rot and insects:

photo from pursuing a life of wabi

the boards are finally washed and dried and coated with penofin oil:

photo from pursuing a life of wabi

check out the current project status here: studio 804.