Author: mjneal

FIlm and Architecture anyone?

| mjneal

We, us, MJ Neal, AIA and Viviane Vives, taught a graduate advanced design studio at the University of Texas, Arlington.

This video explores how the use of film as a research tool in architecture informed the students’ projects and changed them. The students achieved a completely different relationship to the site by the use of documentary filmmaking.

Film was also used as a creative expression medium and a presentation element but the emphasis was on it’s use as a knowledge base tool. All self-consciousness was left at the door. We wanted truth, passion, we particularly fought any “architect’s preciousness.”  Focus was on obliterating mythologies and keeping it real, to open them up and to make them reach the bottom of the reality of the site and the people that inhabited it.

All students shared a pool of footage and learned from each other, sharing their findings and drawing their own conclusions.

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Devil’s Backbone’s Taking Shape

| mjneal

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more about "Devil’s Backbone’s Taking Shape", posted with vodpod

Larkey Addition + Remodel Progress Report

| mjneal

The house is really fleshing out and I think these shots reflect how the house is starting to feel! We are excited about how this project is turning out.

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Presenting: The Wolfe Den

| mjneal

This is the result of the first photo-shoot. We had to pare it down to 25 shots for a presentation but we will post a wider selection soon. Enjoy, and let us know your thoughts! 

BTW, the project has won its first award. Well, the vanity did. MJ and John Newbold collaborated to create this fantastic white concrete counter and sink.

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more about “Presenting: The Wolfe Den“, posted with vodpod. Photos by MJ Neal, AIA and Viviane Vives for M. J. Neal Architects, LLC

Port O

| mjneal

Long ago, MJ and I visited Port O’Connor. Kilean was little and was afraid of going to the water. I just go wild by the water. We just went back last weekend. As an aside, we may collaborate with our friend Toni Bravo with her production design for her apocalyptic piece at the Umlauf. We may be hanging some pictures. A couple of them may come from this shoot.

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La Segarra

| mjneal

Two years ago, now. My father still alive, barely, I visit my friends; I’ve known them since I was nineteen. My brothers, really. I wish I was there with you.

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Devil’s Backbone

| mjneal

Beginnings of a new project in the hill country located along the Devils backbone.   

The images are the schematic study model showing a series of walls that define circulation and garden areas as well as indicate where the habitable structures might occur. 

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Austin Architecture Timeline – We’re the Present?

| mjneal
click on picture to go to a bigger size, then, click on the Magnifying glass symbol to read.

This has been out for a while. I’m just not sure on how to blog about it… Basically the nice people at Austin Monthly Home created a timeline for Austin Architecture since well, the beginning, pre 1840, to present-day, choosing MJ Neal as an example of the present; in what what they call “neomodern.”

Alofsin, an architect and profesor at UT seems to have coined the “neomodern” moniker and although I disagree with his take of “it” not having a idelogical base, who am I to argue.

I’ll say this, one day, we need to put a book out. We’ll do it in collaboration with Thomas and Powei, we’ll dig into our archives and bring out the emails we wrote in dialogue with the neighborhood and amongst ourselves, eh boys?

We are definitely not the only ones that should be mentioned in the timeline, but I guess there wasn’t much space.

so… WOW, have we come a long way since the neighbors were calling the news on us complaining that we were building Texaco stations on their street. Let’s celebrate! I’m ready to party! Oh wait. There’s a WILD recession going on and, right, soon, maybe.

Thanks Austin Monthly! and thanks to my now most favorite person of all times, Rhonda Lashley, the writer.

Posted by Viviane

PS: Unfortunately and for reasons beyond our control, we don’t live in the Ramp House anymore, not since 2005… me miss you, house!

Sunday Morsel 6

| mjneal

“It is evident that “life-enhancing” architecture has to address all the senses simultaneously and fuse our image of self with our experience of the world. The essential mental task of architecture is accomodation and integration. Architecture articulates the experiences of being-in-the-world and strengthens our sense of reality and self; it does not make us inhabit worlds of mere fabrication and fantasy.

 The sense of self, strengthened by art and architecture, allows us to engage fully in the mental dimensions of dream, imagination and desire. Buildings and cities provide the horizon for the understanding and confronting of the human existential condition. Instead of creating mere objects of visual seduction, architecture relates, mediates and projects meanings. The ultimate meaning of any building is beyond architecture; it directs our consiousness back to the world and towards our own sense of self and being. Significant architecture makes us experience ourselves as complete embodied and spiritual beings. In fact, this is the great function of all meaningful art.”

Juhani Pallasmaa

The Eyes of the Skin