Year: 2008

Kiaron

| mjneal

No, this is not becoming a photography blog, but what can I say, I’m in a shooting mood. And we can all use a break from architecture once in a while.

Kiaron works at the grocery store and I’ve been wanting to photograph him for a while, then he shows up with a black eye (from trying to break up a fight he says.) So I ask him if he wants to do a short photo session and he goes, yes, my friends tell all the time me I should do that. So we shot yesterday. He calls me before hand hoping he doesn’t have to smile much because he’s sad. I say that’s even better. In 15 minutes we are in another world. Short session, but we decide to milk the black-eye, street-kid thing I mean, what else…

For what I can see, he’s actually pretty angelic and way sweet, but like I told him, the camera doesn’t know that…

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(Photos and post, Viviane Vives)
All rights reserved, contact Barcelona Films, LLC if interested.

Fashion Teens

| mjneal

This is what I do in my spare time.

What an amazing opportunity:

Veronica, Roma, and Natalie have been getting together for fashion shoots for four years now, they are now fifteen, so do the math. They were joined by EvanA and Aralynne. Veronica is an amazing photographer herself and she chose the setting and orchestrated the get-ups and the do’s. She’s also a beautiful model (she’s the one in the “Kill your TV” t-shirt, a like minded soul!) They all are. Just incredibly talented.

I had such a good time that I’m considering getting back into photography, beyond architectural photography that is. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have shooting them and getting them ready for show. We had so many good pictures that it was quite the task.

Lauren Bard deserves also special credit. She was generous enough to let me participate, as were the girls… Lauren helped me with reflectors and what-not and managed some great shots of her own, on top of it.

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Point Zero

| mjneal

Dr. Ami Ran chats with Tzadik and Elie Eliakim 

I’ve excerpted the following from a conversation with the architects in Architecture of Israel Quarterly #60

(The bold and italics are added by me. Enjoy.)

Tzadik and Elie Eliakim – If youre hinting that the building stands out for its modesty, we accept that as a compliment. Today architects are making every effort to convey uniqueness in order to position their individual world-views at the core of their creations. However, when dealing with a structure that must meet particular needs, one must simply deposit ones ego. Though were as up-to-date as we would like to be, we make every effort to avoid producing a “branded” architecture. In order to do so, we are committed to starting every project from point zero, without recycling ready-made solutions, especially such that might vanish once the “attractive” buildings are out of fashion.

Dr. Ami Ran – Im still having trouble grasping how this illustrates a process that begins at point zero? Do you avoid conveying accumulated knowledge from project to project?

Tzadik and Elie Eliakim – Were referring to our personal interpretation of Adolph Loos concept of architecture reduced to zero. According to him, the encounter between the programme and the context is abstract and has no tangible form. That is, ideas have no specific physical configuration.

 

 

Picking up the National, Loving Boston

| mjneal

girl2

As y’all know and have heard to death, at least from our end, we were awarded a National Institute Honor Design Award this year for the Anthony Nak Jewelry Flagship Store by the American Institute of Architects

Ok, so we went to Boston and picked up the thing.

We were the only Texans at the design awards, but MJ made sure he was wearing his boots. 

This project has won almost every award I can think of so, although the National was a surprise, it didn’t surprise me as much as you’d think… Nevertheless, out of curiosity, I went and researched a bit to see how rare this really was for Austin and wow, as far as I could find here, or here there have only been three other projects in Austin, TX ever awarded a national AIA award… it’s really kinda freaky, actually, they are:

– Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House by Lundgren and Maurer in 1954.  (We think it was demolished, can anyone confirm?)
– The Oaks by R. Gommel Roessner in 1965. (Sadly demolished when the University acquired a vast tract of land east of Memorial Stadium. This guy’s work would be interesting to see, anyone wants to go with me to these archives and see what’s there?)

– Lake Austin Residence by Lake | Flato Architects, Inc., San Antonio, 2005 (hopefully this one is still standing)

– Anthony Nak Flagship Store, by yours truly, M. J. Neal Architects, 2008 

That is not a lot of projects for a whole CITY, F-O-U-R??? It just doesn’t sound right to me… C’mon guys the work in Austin is GOOD, I’m I missing something? Texas architects in general fared a tad better, but besides Lake Flato, not so well, actually…

mj

MJ still can’t believe it, but it’s real, I got in on camera! Slide show to follow, surprise, surprise!

Boston is now officially one of my favorite US cities, and they do have the best fish!!! We had lobster at the no name restaurant one rainy night after enjoying an afternoon at the ICA. 

The most wonderful thing about Boston was seeing Reese Schroeder, one of mj’s oldest and best friends. In the slide show you’ll see us at the opening of the Apple store where strangely and appropriately, we ended up celebrating the win after a dinner at Aquitaine that knocked our socks off. We enjoyed the Metropolis as well, and manager Tim is just too cute!

On the slide show, you’ll find also some pics of the only Corbu building in the USA at Harvard and the Office da’s McAllen building (worth the walk.) plus some bonus material!

We stayed at the Clarendon Square and I HIGHLY recommend the place, quiet, flawless, beautiful, comfortable, it’s all that and more!

On with the show!

(most pics by Viviane Vives (Who doesn’t mind shooting for hire email vvvATbarcelonafilmsDOTcom) some by MJ Neal, AIA and some by Reese Schroeder, AIA. All rights reserved) 

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