Not in the 19th century Industrial Revolution mode anymore

Wednesday November 11, 2011. Metropolis magazine office.  We are expected by Editor in Chief Susan Szenasy who welcomes us at the door.  It is quite impressive to walk into the head offices of Metropolis magazines, and not because of the design which is surprisingly very humble, but because this is where some of the most progressive people create one of the most forward thinking sustainable architecture magazines. Here in the unpretentious small space unique talents such as writers, editors, graphic designers, craft the next issue each month.
We gather around the conference table and the Editor in Chief is ready for our get together and sharing with us her beliefs on architects’ and designers' role which we have to play in the future of the world.
"We are not in the 19th century Industrial Revolution mode anymore" says Szenasy. Haaaa!.... This sounds so refreshing and hopeful. Like the world of consumerism, as we know it, is officially molting its old fossil fuel energy embodied shell, which belongs to the Stone Age after all. We can finally embrace the thought of the “Living building” challenge where the built environment takes care of the human and nature’s needs.  Szenasy raises the questions: How do we make things that are as naturally built as possible? How do we create that closed-loop consumption? How do we build buildings that are self-supportive?  As we develop on sustainability I particularly enjoy listening to her thoughts on the "smell of no smell" in a building: no VOC, no off-gassing, no "faux" smell of clean from cleaning products... just pure fresh air that marks that something different is going on: sustainable design.  Buildings need to be connected to nature, and it starts with the smell of the interior and then continues with light, temperature etc.
Szenasy is an optimistic. She is hopeful because as she puts it “human intelligence is always hopeful”.  When talking about the economic crisis she states that in this time of recession, "a symptom of our misfits", a shift is taking place; a makeover of who we are has become the central point of social identity. “We live in a nature-less environment which will change with the people of the next generation”. But for this to happen “we need to connect on a social level. Connectivity is the key”. She adds that the chemists and psychologists can’t do it on their own; they need to connect and look at the big picture by joining forces.  
I agree and I also personally think the generation "I" (internet) and "text" are growing more mature everyday around the globe: Twitter, chat, cell phones and cameras. They take pictures which they upload instantly on their Facebook, or use to report offenders (on the streets of Cairo or MTA subway transit), they record protests as a way to protect their rights and document police and military brutality. These tools are extremely powerful as they allow people to create their own media to by-pass the mainstream media. They represent themselves instead of allowing distribution channels to wrongly represent their groups, actions, visions, distinctions. 
So we are not in the industrial mode anymore. And that’s not thanks to new technologies only but to the people who learn how to use it as a powerful tool to make changes. 

I found this interview of Susan Szenasy which I thought complemented our conversation with her  on sustainability and our role to play. Enjoy.

Turkey Day at the beach

So we all survived the gargantuan meal. Turkey was cooked to perfection and the in-laws showed us again how important family dinners are but only if it comes with good food.  

Though Thanksgiving is only part of the custom of my country of adoption I do enjoy celebrating this tradition.

Chesapeake Bay. This is where my husband’s folks bought a house to retire and enjoy the view of the Bay.  This is where, probably for many years to come, I will celebrate family reunions.  

6:00 am. I get out of bed just to watch the beauty of nature unfold outside the window

As a tradition part of the tradition, the day after we go stretch our legs on the beach. Lots of fun. The primary excitement is looking for fossils and remnants of horseshoe crabs and Miocene age sharks (pretty ancient), precisely shark teeth.

So here is the 1^st one we found. Sophie was the lucky one. It’s a very competitive hunt, just so you know, so when you find one, you can be proud and show off. 

Here Gus, who was on another kind of hunt, displays a recently shed horseshoe crab shell. Note that the species is actually as old as the ancient sharks that use to leave and die on this beach. Only that, this species survived. It actually is considered a living fossil.

 
Here, we are on a different mission:  Sadly, other things can be found on this bounty that looks at first untouched by humanity: remnants of humans from the Anthropocene age, known for their global impact on the Earth’s ecosystem: plastic bottles, bags, toys and even a colander!!

 


Well, and I also found not 1 but 3 shark teeth!!!  
I know, you’re jealous.

Michigan State students risk arrest for clean energy

Another "small group of citizens": 

Video | October 24, 2011 Michigan State University has the largest on-campus coal plant in the nation, burning over 200,000 tons of coal each year. 

Source: Greenpeace

Yes we can... make a difference.

Today, a small group of environmentalists and activists were cheering up.

They have been protesting around the White House to ask the government to reject the Keystone XL pipeline permit, which was granted earlier this year,  and finally they were heard. Our President sent the XL pipeline project  back to the State Department for re-review. Though this is not a victory yet, this is a huge step that shows that " (...) a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world." (Mead)... One "oil pipe" at a time!

Source http://www.tarsandsaction.org/ 

Botanicals and slugs

What a great field trip - witnessing the rain turning to snow while visiting this "green" building made it even more powerful.  

The technology was there: grey waters and waterless toilets to name a few; Yet the most influential part of the design was that we were connected to the outside all this time we were inside. Thanks to the abundant fenestration allowing vista to the garden, pools of water and sky, we were continually linked to the outside and the “rapid” change of seasons.  

Like Jessica, I also appreciated the personal touch of our tour guide, Peter.

I definitely related to how as a kid he did not understand his father's efforts in keeping water free of pollutants and recycling organic matters. 


I remember asking my dad why he bothered spending hours fixing up an appliance when he could just go to the store and buy a new one (shame on me!); or when his vegetables were ravaged by "out of control" slugs I would question why wasn't he was not using pesticides like everyone else? (double shame on me!!!).

Was I a victim of consumerism? or just not aware of the consequences of our actions on the planet? :0( 

 

For info, I now know a great trick for our friendly slugs: sprinkle brittle eggs shells around your favorite greens. They just won't like it and turn around. Easy.

Experimenting with the limits between inside and outside

 

Forget Green Roof, go Glass roof! (just kidding...)
Experimenting with the limits between inside and outside is truly what makes me tick! Connectedness... among people, to the outside... aside from making you want to use an umbrella to access to the bathroom, this building makes you want to take a deep breath of fresh air, doesn't it?

Check the beautiful video of the building here - Enjoy...

Atelier Tenjinyama / Ikimono Architects

Source: http://www.archdaily.com/145462/atelier-tenjinyama-ikimono-architec 

With an earth floor and a glass roof this building, design by Takashi Fujino of Ikimono Architects, experiments with the limits between inside and outside. This is a reoccurring theme among many of Ikimono Architects’s projects. Tradeoffs are enviable in a building of this kind, such as having to use an umbrella to access to the bathroom when it is raining and the hassles that come with an earth floor. The payoffs come in the form of being able to grow plants inside through the floor, gaze at the clouds and stars, listen to the sound of the rain and smell the scent of spring flowers.

Architectural Design: Takashi Fujino / Ikimono Architects
Location: Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
General Contractors: Kenchikusha Shiki Inc.
Landscaping: Atsuo Ota / ACID NATURE 0220
Structural Engineer: Akira Suzuki / ASA
Roof: Safety glass shatterproof
Structure: Reinforced concrete
Use: Office + Residential
Exterior: Reinforced concrete
Project Area: 177.18 sqm (site), 61.93 sqm (building area), 61.93 sqm (floor area)
Design Year: 2007-2010
Project Year: 2010-2011
Photographs: Takashi Fujino / Ikimono Architects

Mapping...

1st map

2nd map

3rd map

Does that make me a minimalist?

Social Norms

I have been wracking my brain about what could I do to "break the norms" so I could share the exciting experience with my classmates. Actually I've been wondering about what makes norms, norms, more than anything, so I could break them.  I find New Yorkers pretty relax when it comes to "do's and don'ts" so that has not helped.

In any case, last week while on my way to class, a school professor was in front of me pushing a cart full of art supplies. You may call it "being a good Samaritan" or just "Proactive Behavior", but I walked up in front of her to hold the doors. Simple. I was not even thinking about until she gave me that astounded look! Had I just broken a norm? She not only looked quite surprised but with a big grateful smile she soundly thanked me and told me that this NEVER happens "here". Was I breaking an FIT social norm?! a student norm? (or a "too cool to be nice" norm?)

with my mom, sister and cousin

I think we all get the point. Norms are different in every places, cultures... They are unwritten rules that go beyond "The French kiss on the cheeks while Americans give a hug..."

I actually have a tendency to break a New York social rule on a regular basis: I like chatting with people I don't know. I talk to strangers on the subway, at the cashier line, just walking down the street, I talk to the dogs too but that’s another story.  When I met my husband he thought that was a little quirky. He was not sure if he liked all the attention we were getting here because of my "Chatty Cathy" habit. But he quickly learned that it could be quite entertaining. While some people get a little nervous, most get into the conversation. For me it's just a way to make everyday life more fun.

To be frank, I got this from my mother. I was not always like this. As kids, my sister and I would get so embarrassed when she would start chatting people up. But as I grew older I started appreciating this side of her. I realized this is what makes her so great, bubbly and fun to be around. That's also why she has this incredible ability to make friends anywhere she goes and  in record time.  And I got that from her as well!

Breuckelen Diaries

          It's the weekend again and it's just plain gorgeous outside so I went for a stroll and really felt like I was living in some fantasy "sustainable" land.  Indeed while picking up my share of organic veggies from CSA  (Community Supported Agriculture), I noticed how popular the locally baked hand crafted "Sweet Melissa" seasonal pies were. I saw kids running around on wooden "skuut" bikes, young parents relaxing at the local joint, teenagers kicking around eating locally made ice cream from Blue Marble...  the seltzer truck was delivering its refillable blue glass bottle which he brings to your stoop...

Other than watching people I've been working on my "Green Mission Statement" today which is probably why I see the world so full of promises and so Green! 

I was so inspired that I decided to watch the No Impact Man documentary. What a hoot! This is a documentary not to miss! 

No Impact Man

The Documentary: A Fifth Avenue family goes very green when writer Colin Beavan leads his wife, Michelle Conlin, and their baby daughter on a yearlong crusade to make no net impact on the environment in this engaging documentary. Among their activities: eating only locally grown organic food, generating no trash except for compost and using no carbon-fueled transportation. Laura 

Gabbert and Justin Schein's film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Global Revolution

It's the weekend and finally I am sitting in my backyard. I put on my big sweater and I am enjoying the almost chilly weather. Fall is here. There is a lot going on outside in NY and more than just pumpkins appearing on porches or cats and bees observing each other.  As some of you may have heard or noticed or even be part of, there is an ongoing demonstration in big cities around the country. I am bringing this up because as Paul Hawkins suggests in Blessed Unrest, it's all connected: "social, economic and environmental movement should all be seen as one movement"
The Wall Street occupation* and the Global revolution are connected to what we have been learning and we are back in school for.
 
We have been talking in EBR class about the new generations of kids versus older generations and how much each knew, cared or fought for our environment and sustainable ideologies. How much connected to nature and environment are they? will they care about sustainability as much as we do? etc.
I would like to share with my colleagues two videos: one from the nineties (that would be our generation) and one from few months ago. Both are speeches from young teenagers. See for yourself:


The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0


School Student speech- London protest retrospective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNticyiDaDM 

*If you want to follow the Wall Street occupation, check here:  
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

I love NY more than ever

9.11.2011 

I made it to the front page of my local newspaper in France - A journalist had contacted me to write an article about 9/11.  

I was not only happy to share my testimonial (I was at home in Soho when the attacks took place), I was glad to participate in marking the10th anniversary of the sad event that changed the life of many New Yorkers.

One of the many questions the journalist asked me is how differently do New Yorkers behave than before 9/11. I thought that was a very EBR question! I said "The same - we are very resilient to changes and we adapt to our ever changing environment". The truth is we would not be in NY if we did not love it. Actually, "We love NY MORE THAN EVER", and that's only one of the many things we share.

"Field Photos" new tab!

I heart my apartment! It "fits" me. It's quiet, private, big kitchen to cook, a big window that makes me feel I am outside even when I am inside. It's on the ground level and there’s a little backyard which is my new "room with a sky". 

Since school started, I set up shop in the living room area.  I can look outside the bay-window to rest my eyes in between reading and writing assignments. I watch the birds who now know to come and beg for seeds when they see me. Sometimes if the window is open they'll just come right in!

So I love my apartment... But there is just one thing that doesn't quite fit the picture: the entrance under the stoop. Check my "Field photos" new tab, you'll understand!

Room with a Sky

“Room with a sky”

Last year, I closed the door of my “singlehood life” apartment for the last time.  I made closure to 12 years of living in a tiny 6 floor walk-up apartment in SoHo New York.  For the last time I heard the squeaking hinges and the faint “ding” of the bell when the door would close on the jamb. For the last time, I walked down the ironwork staircase that I had climbed up and down, often with bags of groceries, all these years.  The 3 rooms were cleared out and, except for the kitchen cabinets, fridge and stove, the apartment was empty. I left behind a decade of memories with friends, roommates and family; memories of glorious cooking in the tiny kitchen and of numerous sleepless nights wrapping up schoolwork. Even though, this tenement apartment was loaded with stories to tell from tenants of previous generations, I was grateful for the many memories it had brought to me. 

Nestled in lower Manhattan, the apartment had never really been renovated and the cracks on the walls and the ceilings betrayed the age of the one-hundred year old low-rise building. The whitewashed exposed bricks, original moldings, doors and electric wirings were reminiscent of an earlier era that belonged to New York history. Perched on the corner of Broom Street and 6^th Avenue, and despite the persistent ongoing traffic, I had made it an oasis of calm and plenitude. Six floors up, I was sheltered, away from the bustle of the city’s streets. It was my home, my retreat, my hideaway. It felt safe here.

Potted flowers on the kitchen window sill were my pretend garden. Every spring I would choose different plants and color themes. The windows were facing south and throughout the day, the abundant sunshine would immerse the space in a soothing glow.  The sun would pierce from above the top of the buildings across the street, warming up the rooms instantly.  In the morning when sitting at the kitchen table, the sun would cast on the floor and I could feel the warm tiles under my feet.  At other times of the day, the linen fabric shades would filter the rays and create an effect of light and shadow. 

The pillows on the low slouchy sofa always invited me to curl up with a good book and unwind. The tactile textures of the contrasting soft silk velvets, slubbed linen and knitted wool teamed with soft hues would imbue the den with a casual and comforting atmosphere. With a limited almost monochrome palette, simple lighting and clean lines, the whole apartment was designed to be a calming haven. I made sure to keep it spare.  The three tiny rooms and no closets called for great organization and while everything had its place, no clutter was permitted. I had kept the décor humble so that the focus would fall on the restful hues of the furnishings. Wall to wall open shelves were only for cherished pieces and favorite books. The display of the scarce treasured possessions would change according to my moods and would turn the space into a dwelling where I could enjoy every moment. 

Living away from home, France, I would amass family photos and plop them across the apartment where they would liven up the walls and create a mini gallery giving a sense of culture and belonging.  

With its homely atmosphere for cooking and entertaining, the apartment did serve as a place to welcome friends. At night, the rooftop often became an extension of the flat. I would invite friends over and we would bring up lounge chairs, lean back and stare at the still yet very lively panoramic view of midtown Manhattan skyline. It provided the perfect backdrop for an evening brainstorming while sipping on a glass of wine or setting up an impromptu dining room for friends’ gatherings.  Occasionally we would bring up glasses and plates and arrange chairs, table, sofa, pillows and rugs. We would run extension cords and bring up floor lamps to light the improvised “room with a sky”. My singlehood life apartment would be whimsically recreated on the roof much the same way it was inside.  Dinner would be served and we all felt that life could not get better than that.

Stop the Pipeline

http://www.tarsandsaction.org/

I just wanted to bring this to your attention if you haven't heard about it yet.