awesomeness #3

Shigeru Ban, one of my favorite architects, is pretty awesome. Just the way he thinks about using standardized, banal materials like paper tubes and shipping containers in poetic ways is very inspiring. Materials to build with are everywhere, and are usually free or cheap. Its the imagination to re-use them that is a rare find. Check out this Nomadic Museum he designed a few years ago. Its moved around from city to city for changing exhibtions.

awesomeness #2 - Architecture 5 cents

The skills most architects posess are invaluable concerning problem solving, space planning, beautifying, greening, etc etc...we make bad spaces good, and good spaces amazing, when you can afford us!.....which doenst happen for 98% of people in the US alone, much less the world. The world of architecture is inaccessible to most normal people. We're kind of a mystery of a profession, a dinosaur some say (Im one of them who says that).

When architect John Morefield got laid off, he decided to share his skills for free, well almost.....for 5 cents at a booth he started called Architecture 5 cents. I love this idea. People come up to him at the farmers market and they just ask him questions about design. I love how accessible it is. Some become his clients, but for the most part, its just about sharing the wealth of knowledge he's got, instead of keeping all that wisdom bottled up. Getting what you know out of your head and onto the street for 5 cents? Thats awesome.

awesomeness 1 - OS House

I want to begin posting some things I would generally refer to as "awesomeness". I have a fodler where I keep these things and ideas, and I want to share them. Here is number 1:

I came across this organization today, called OS-House. I am really into how architecture and building can be tools for peacemaking at home and across the globe. Theyre often the opposite, but there is SO much potential for good its hard to get down about it. The OS House (short for Open Source House) is sponsoring a design competition for sustainable, affordable housing in Ghana, West Africa targeting low and middle income earners. Lots of buzzwords there to salivate over, but it seems like a lot of local knowledge, listening, and front end partnership were put into this. Lots of times these ideas have a real "saviour complex" attached to them, and you end up with 1920's international style modernism in the middle of the bush. Im hoping for something else here. We'll see what they come up with.