TJCAIA News Blog

A fascinating display of Renaissance inventions, art and architecture is now showing at the The Tech Museum of Innovation in downtown San Jose . The traveling exhibit from Italy, titled “Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future,” will be at The Tech until January 25, 2009. This will be the only U.S. appearance, so do not miss it.
The exhibit features dozens of large wood and cast-iron machines, modeled to scale, showing the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci and Sienese engineers experimenting with geometry and mechanisms. In the fourteenth century, according to the museum guide, there was less distinction between art and science.

I was reminded of architectural history class when I saw the very large wooden model replicating the dome over the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, located in Florence, Italy. It was interesting to hear a tour guide say that the architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, was as proud of the machinery invented for construction as he was for the architectural design.

-TJC

What are your favorite buildings in the United States? The American Institute of Architects has compiled a pictorial survey of their 150 favorites. Our choices are likely to be based on memories of public buildings. Whereas award-winning houses may not be accessible, except in photographs. A few unique residences have been donated to institutions for tours, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kauffman House, known as “Falling Water” (number 29). Many of our favorites are likely to be buildings to which we have a personal and/or historical connection. Several in the top ten are civic monuments in Washington D.C. such as the White House (number 2).

I think of skyscrapers as being unique American icons. Even before living and working in the man-made canyons of Manhattan, I had been impressed by these steel monuments. For example, the Art Deco details in stainless steel on the Chrysler Building (number 9) are quite spectacular. The Empire State Building (number 1) was the tallest for decades; but the Chrysler Building enjoyed that distinction first.

Go to FavoriteArchitecture.org. Check your personal list of favorites against theirs.

-TJC

Dear Friends,

The profession of architecture has a tendency to be overly zealous about building icons, design trends and personalities. In contrast, the Christmas season presents us an opportunity to be inspired and humbled by a miraculous event that took place in a simple manger 2,000 years ago.

As we make our way through these turbulent times, it is good to look upon those things of true and lasting value—faith, family, and friendship. We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year.

Tom, Valerie, James, and Johanna

Tom Carleton has lined up another group of stimulating guests for this month’s installment of the Your Town television (Channel 24) and radio (KNRY 1240AM) program from 5-6 PM on December 22, 2008.

Bob Perkins, from the Monterey County Farm Bureau, will talk about current challenges and opportunities in our local agriculture industry. Then we will speak to two architect interns who are starting their careers in architecture: Albert Montgomery and Charles Hornisher.

You can also watch the program live on the web at ampmedia.org.

Bill and Clara Keller are enjoying a distinctive addition to their ranch home on the higher properties along San Benancio Canyon Road. You might describe it as living in a pyramid. TJC designed the floor plan of their new guest room as a square (with four walls of equal length at ninety degree angles to each other). Above is a pyramid-shaped ceiling (four triangles sloping toward a peak). Do you remember these shapes from high school Geometry class? The wood trusses, crossing from corner to corner, actually hold up the roof. These were structurally engineered by Rene Bravo P.E. and custom fabricated for this project by Roux Construction. It was particularly enjoyable working with the Kellers. They tell me that they often lounge in their new dynamic space while enjoying the long views toward Salinas Valley through the wall of windows. -TJC

Do you remember returning to school in the fall and being asked by your teacher to write an essay on “What I did on my summer vacation?” You should not be surprised that I spent some of my vacation time looking at buildings. While attending a family reunion in Michigan, we visited the famous Henry Ford Museum. To my delight, they had assembled a round aluminum house designed by R. Buckminster Fuller. This unique design was Bucky’s attempt to provide mass-produced, affordable housing after World War II. The structure is suspended from a central mast without a perimeter foundation, “like an umbrella” our guide explained, while pointing to a rotating vent on the roof that supplied fresh air. Another curiosity is the one-piece molded bathroom, “similar to what might have been used on a Navy ship at that time.” The museum literature explains that in 1946, disagreements between Fuller and his associates led to the collapse of the company after just two prototypes were built. This exhibit is the only surviving example of the “Dymaxion House, a dwelling machine.”
-TJC

More information:

• Henry Ford Muesum Dymaxion Exhibit Website
• Wikipedia article: Dymaxion House
• You Tube Video: Dymaxion House

The thought of sketching in ink may conjure up images of feather quill pens and parchment scrolls. In college classes, I was taught to use ink pens on large pads of white paper. We sat on wood easels set in a circle to view a carefully arranged pile of junk at the center of the room. And no erasers were allowed. After a semester of this, I got pretty comfortable sketching in ink.

Sketching helps me think. I can sketch ideas faster on paper than constructing a model out of paper or on the computer.  Actually they work well together. I will make a few rough sketches first and develop a 3D computer model later. Then I will print a view of the model and trace over it with a felt-tip pen to explore other ideas. I have also learned to draw during client meetings. Sometimes I draw simple diagrams upside down, not to impress anyone, but to let the person across the table see the sketch as I develop it. Sketches can vary from quick doodles on restaurant napkins to intricate renderings suitable for framing.

-TJC

Don’t miss the opening of Keepsake Diamond Center at 1712 North Main Street at Harden Ranch Plaza. The Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce is planning a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, December 4, 2008, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Wine and hors d’ oeuvres will be served. Please RSVP to the Chamber at 751-7725. Working with the owner, Jon Silva, TJC provided construction drawings and processed the building permit for tenant improvements. Baggett Construction was the general contractor; Aurum Consulting Engineers were the lighting designers. Drive by to see the store’s distinctive glow in the evening and stop to say hello.

-TJC

Tom Carleton has lined up three interesting guests for this month’s installment of the Your Town television (Channel 24) and radio (KNRY 1240AM) program from 5-6 PM on November 24, 2008. Peter Scudder of Sun Energy Systems will talk about solar roofing; Chris Bunn Jr. will discuss agricultural trends in the Salinas Valley, and (tentatively) Oly Gomez of Dataflow Business Systems to describe the latest in business technology.

You can also watch the program live on the web at ampmedia.org.

Giving back to the community in which you live only seems right. We belong to several non-profit organizations and volunteer for others. We have discounted or donated architectural services to several faith-based and secular community groups. In looking through our archives, I came across a photo that brings back fond memories. Working with Don Desmond Construction, we designed a playhouse with the theme of Noah’s Ark to be sold for the benefit of Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital.

My family painted the animal cutouts; the kids in the photo are members of the Desmond family.

-TJC