Austin Architecture Timeline – We’re the Present?

February 10, 2009June 28, 2009 | 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

February 8, 2009 | 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

Urban Farming in Detroit

January 25, 2009January 25, 2009 | mjneal

Image from http://detroitagriculture.com

MJ and I love the idea of urban farming. We also turned practically vegetarian last year, with an emphasis in macrobiotics. We both enjoy cooking and make it up as we go, exploring all kinds of new dishes. Right now, we are on a diet of greens, grains, fruits, legumes, miso soups, etc of Japanese and Mediterranean influence. We’ve always eaten “healthy,” we thought, but we realized that eliminating most of meat from our diet was not only the sustainable way to go but drastically helpful to our health. We do eat sometimes a bit of meat or eggs coming from local farms like Food you can Trust, Alexander Family Farm or Betsy Ross that we have personally visited and that we trust a 100%.

This morning we listened to NPR’s program on Detroit and rejoiced, profoundly. There it is! The new world peeking…

Sustainable Homes in the USA

January 19, 2009January 21, 2009 | mjneal

We are proud to be in this fine book and I’m particularly happy that my pictures are getting published all over the place. I’m enjoying photography more and more, as I have been mentioning in this blog. I’m preparing an exhibition… I’ll post about it soon.

Anyway, the focus of the book is sustainability. I encourage you to review the Texas Architect article by Richard Wintersole, AIA:

Conserving energy is important to Neal, thus the SIPs serve as a thermal umbrella and air is encouraged to circulate through the building from end to end. The Farleys plan to add a large, low-velocity fan to improve the air circulation. When ambient air breezes through the home, the Farleys and their guests are truly in touch with the natural world.”

or by going to the Dwell article by Sarah Rich

In a climate like this, air-conditioning seems indispensable, but to cool the entire structure artificially would be inefficient and costly. Neal devised a solution by building a 540-square-foot box nested within the superstructure, which contains the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, as the only air-conditioned space in the building. The two-story plywood envelope has sliding walls on all sides that can be closed to keep cool temperatures in or left open to the fluctuations of the natural ventilation throughout the building.”

Larkey Rocked

January 14, 2009January 14, 2009 | mjneal

The interior gyp board is in at the Larkey residence and the cabinets have started to be installed. The tile work for the baths progresses also.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “larkey rocked“, posted with vodpod

Interloping

January 14, 2009January 14, 2009 | mjneal

There is a parakeet colony in Austin. Apparently a pretty large one. I’ve seen the squawking green beasts from time to time. I had no idea where they lived. The other day my son and I where on a walk and ran across the vocal squatters nests.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “interloping“, posted with vodpod

Robert Bruno

December 30, 2008December 30, 2008 | mjneal

I received very sad and shocking news today. Robert Bruno died on the 9th December.

We were just at his wonderful house a few months back. It filled me with joy. Made me want to sit at the big window and have tea and sandwiches with him so we could talk about architecture, life, whatever.

Poetry can fill one with hope and the beauty of life and being.