Nothing to do today? Check out this Dirty Girl piece on Remodelista.com.
Changing the Who
Zaha Hadid's Sleuk Rith Institute, Cambodia
One of the architects I work with on a regular basis sent me an piece last night from the NY Times with his own words: Note the comment re the construction industry... kindly remember us during your ascent Joan :)
With the passing of Zaha Hadid in March, there is much talk about the role of women in architecture. After reading the article (link below), I realized two things — I have never worked with a female architect (though I have met two and know of several), and I have never truly pondered the obvious absence of women in the architectural field or the ramifications of said absence on the industry.
Considering I am one of very few women in the country who work as a general contractor, I am well-aware, and know nearly all, of the handful of women who work in my capacity in Los Angeles. I also know what it means to build a company and blossom in a male-dominated field, though I've never thought of "construction" as a male-dominated field. I don't see the gender confines or a glass ceiling because, in my personal movie, they don't exist. I've simply thought of the building industry as a challenging place where I could bring something different and new to the table and, if I'm lucky, satisfy my internal creative. And I have.
Just like the women around me, and those who have come before me, I've changed things in this industry simply by being me. I hear it every day from clients, designers, architects, and the crews I stand side-by-side with in the field. I hear it from the young women who are coming up in the industry asking for direction, and from my peers who come to me for advice or a good venting. It's hard to name what "it" is because "it" is so many things. A softness that comes with being born a woman? A hardness that comes with living in the world as a woman? An openness? A determination? An understanding? A presence? A force? The ability to multitask? Communication skills? A hardy laugh? A gentle shoulder? Yes. All of that. And more. Just by the very nature of how women act and react, what we bring to the table, and to the field, changes the how and why of the industry. I suppose it's now time to get busy changing the "who."
I'm going to get on that. Stay tuned.
The Brewery Artwalk 2016
The Brewery Artwork is the longest-running original event of its kind in the country. Held in Spring and Fall, at The Brewery in Downtown Los Angeles, it is an event not to be missed.
Over the years, Dirty Girl Construction has been involved with several of the resident artists in creating custom pieces for our residential and commercial projects... and, of course, buying a few beautiful pieces of art for Joan's own personal collection.
This year, on April 2nd & 3rd, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, over 100 artists at The Brewery Arts Complex will open their studios to the public. Located northeast of downtown Los Angeles, The Brewery Arts Complex is 16 acres of creative energy, artistic dreams, and a little piece of historic LA. It was an operating brewery from 1897 through 1979. Its rebirth as an arts complex began in 1982 with the passing of the Artist-In-Residence code that legalized renting live/work space in industrially zoned buildings.
The Artwork is free and open to the public. Free parking is available immediately adjacent to the facility. Visit http://www.breweryartwalk.com for more information, directions and parking details.
Check out one of Dirty Girl Construction's favorite team members and artisans (also a longtime resident of The Brewery and former Artwalk President) giving a bit of history about The Artwalk in this video:
Barry Goldberg on The Brewery Artwalk
Windows to the World
“I was surprised, as always, how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.” – Jack Kerouac, On The Road
Vaulted
This former local bank branch in Spring City, Penn. was converted into a private home, replete with the two vaults now used as a full bar and a sauna.
It's a Bird; It's a Plane; It's a...
Skateboard Guitar?
Yup!
Enjoy.
I know I did.
When Lighting Strikes You
When I was a little girl, my sister and I shared a room with Colonial floral-patterned wallpaper, matching canopy beds draped in starched tulle, and her imaginary friends – Hodo, Mucca, and Francie. They lived in the wall next to her bed. I envied their late night conversations and secrets. Recently, I recalled all of this when I came across a cute and sturdy upcycled little robot of a lamp on the interwebs. The Lampster. He’s like a buddy for your desk, or perhaps the bedside table. I imagine him having a cup of tea with me while I bid plan sets, or watching late-night reruns of Family Feud together. My sister recently informed me that Hodo, Mucca, and Francie currently reside in the attic next to her bedroom. I believe her. I mean, where else would they live now that she’s married with children? And I’m quite sure, given the right circumstances, my lamp would shout with glee every number one answer to “survey says!”
It’s always nice to have a friend to talk to who lights up your life a bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHZpxptwCno
It's also nice that this wallpaper is not on my bedroom walls.
TRANSFORM
TRANSFORM fuses technology and design to celebrate its transformation from a piece of still furniture to a dynamic machine driven by the stream of data and energy. Created by Professor Hiroshi Ishii and the Tangible Media Group from the MIT Media Lab,
TRANSFORM aims to inspire viewers with unexpected transformations, as well as the aesthetics of the complex machine in motion.
Caged
Sierra Mar Hillside Pool
Having finished the design of our latest pool project a few months ago, we're now in full construction mode. All boots were on the ground during October and November to get up and out of the ground before any real rain hits. Here's a cool progress photo. Can you count how many cages are rising up through the trees to elevate the pool?
The Music of Architecture
"Laurie Baker is an award-winning British-born Indian architect and humanitarian, considered the "Gandhi of Architecture". He is renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and for his unique space utilisation and simple but beautiful aesthetic sensibility building in brick, mud and locally available materials. He is widely considered the father of sustainable architecture." — Author Unknown
Symphonies In Brick