A LITTLE LOVE FOR LEBBEUS WOODS:

... So, last year on this date Lebbeus Woods passed away - He would have turned 73 years old this past May - And thinking of his life's work made me contemplate Architect's legacies and what we leave behind...Naturally, there are the physical buildings that live beyond us - (...well, until developers come in, purchase the land for its innate value and bull-doze the existing buildings to build an AM/PM; what? - Too cynical?) - But what about our ideas, our visions, our concepts and dreams?

What about our drawings, concept models, sketchbooks and notebooks? - What about our essence? - Do those things live on or do they simply get packed away in a box somewhere to collect dust in an attic? - Who is the Shepherd of the Architect's soul after his time has expired?

... Do I really want to know the answer to this question?

I suppose I wanted this post to somehow reflect on the life and times of Lebbeus - HIS dreams and HIS visions, HIS sketches, HIS installations and HIS concepts...Yet I have somehow stumbled onto a larger topic - So, let us reflect.............

R.I.P. Lebbeus Woods (May 31, 1940 to October 30, 2012)

Rest in Peace to the Architect who once sued Hollywood over an idea and won...Here are a few links to his Blog; both eerily frozen in time and sort of in the same vein as my ramblings above:

http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/goodbye-sort-of/

http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/inevitable-architecture/

... Finally, I leave you with some images from Lebbeus Woods' "Neomechanical Tower (Upper) Chamber" concept sketch and the plagiarized version that was used the movie "12 Monkeys" staring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt...This obviously was at the heart of the lawsuit I mentioned earlier - It truly is an interesting juxtaposition when you really think about it:

LEBBEUS WOODS' CONCEPT SKETCH:

A SIDE-BY-SIDE OF THE MOVIE AND THE SKETCH:

A COLOR IMAGE FROM THE MOVIE:

I have to bounce - The Baby is crying; cheers...

B.

NEW STUFF!!!!!

... Come on; help us out here!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeForMunchkins?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Hugs and Kisses,
Hot Mama

REBAR CAGES ARE SEXY:

Caisson (kā`sən, –sŏn) [Fr.,=big box],

Caisson [kəˈsuːn ˈkeɪsən] noun

1.) In Structural Engineering: A type of foundation most commonly used underwater for a bridge, but sometimes used in building construction. It is a large hollow structure that is sunk down through the earth by workers excavating from inside it; ultimately it becomes a permanent part of the pier. There are three types: the open caisson, open at both top and bottom; the box caisson, closed at the bottom; and the pneumatic caisson, with an airtight chamber to accommodate submerged workers. Caisson columns, typically 2 ft (0.6 m) or more in diameter, may be used as an alternative to bearing piles. A round hole is dug or bored to a stable layer of earth and temporarily supported by a steel shell, then filled with concrete poured around a cage of reinforcing bars.

2.) In Civil Engineering: A chamber, usually of steel but sometimes of wood or reinforced concrete, used in the construction of foundations or piers in or near a body of water. There are several types. The open caisson is a cylinder or box, open at the top and bottom, of size and shape to suit the projected foundation and with a cutting edge around the bottom. It is sunk by its own weight and by excavation, then filled with concrete. Pneumatic caissons are usually employed in riverbed work or where quicksand is present. In this type the cylinder or box has an airtight bulkhead high enough above the cutting edge to permit men to work underneath it. The air in the chamber beneath the bulkhead is kept under pressure great enough to prevent the entrance of water, while shafts through the bulkhead permit the passage of men, equipment, and excavated material between the bottom and the surface. At the top of each shaft is an air lock to permit communication with the outside without altering the air pressure in the working chamber. As the working chamber moves down, the caisson above the bulkhead and about the shafts is filled with concrete, and when a sufficient depth or bedrock is reached, the working chamber itself is filled, so that there is a solid block of concrete from base to top. Workers leaving a pneumatic caisson after hours of labor under high pressure are given special decompression treatment to accustom them to the lower atmospheric pressure and thus to prevent caisson disease (see decompression sickness). A type of caisson often called a camel is used to raise sunken vessels. It consists of a cylinder filled with water, which is sunk, attached to the vessel, and emptied by pump or compressed air, so that its buoyancy can assist in raising the vessel. Caissons are also sometimes used for closing the entrance to dry docks or as a substitute for gates in canal locks.

3.) In Civil Engineering: A watertight chamber open at the bottom and containing air under pressure, used to carry out construction work under water.

4.) In General Engineering: A watertight float filled with air, used to raise sunken ships.

5.) In General Engineering: A watertight structure placed across the entrance of a basin, dry dock, etc., to exclude water from it.

6.) In Military/Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery:

    a.  a box containing explosives, formerly used as a mine.

    b.  an ammunition chest.

    c.  a two-wheeled vehicle containing an ammunition chest.

or...

Stone. Cold. Sexy.

...

Okay, peace out,

B.

PRE-FAB...GAME OVER MAN:

... Um, yeah okay - This garbage has got to stop:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/a-dream-house-in-30-days--saving--300k-195001546.html

Do not get me wrong, I have nothing against pre-fab - Building more efficiently, producing less waste and replicating design elements and interchangeable components - But this crap is not 'Kit of Parts' design and I highly doubt (...actually, I know for a fact) that this is NOT what Joseph Paxton had in mind when he designed The Crystal Palace for the 1851 Great Exposition:

"One of these things is not like the other..."

"...One of these things just doesn't belong"

#Facepalm.

Out,

B.

BUY STUFF FROM MY WIFE - KEEP T IN PAMPERS:

... A Link to Sandra's Etsy Account.  Yes, this is shameless self promotion:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeForMunchkins?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Syndication out,
Hot Mama

MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL:

... M'kay, so I am studying to take my LEED BD+C Exam in a few months and I came across the following sentence in one of my Study Guides while reviewing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Credit 4.1, "Low Emitting Materials" - Sheesh:

"All paints and coatings used in the building interior must meet the testing and product requirements of the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-scale Environmental Chambers, including 2004 Addenda."

Wow.

Just Wow.

Oh yeah, and this mash-up of a sentence applies to Credits 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and 4.6 as well - #Facepalm.

Peace,
B.

THESE ARE JUST TERRIBLE:

... Good Grief; what in the heck is Nike thinking??? - Next thing up, 'Hypercolor' Uniforms.

Mark. My. Words.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nike-unveils-pro-bowl-uniforms-140802629--nfl.html;_ylt=AulgFPoua4Q_gSeUXM1aQQEJVux_;_ylu=X3oDMTJhc2N1NzMyBG1pdANBVFQgMyBTdG9yeSBKdW1ib3Ryb24gSG9tZSBDYWNoZWQEcG9zAzcyBHNlYwNNZWRpYUF0dFdpZGdldHJvbkFzc2VtYmx5;_ylg=X3oDMTFkcW51ZGliBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3BtaA--;_ylv=3

Sheesh,
B.