#and how historical urban planning concepts still impact cities today. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

citymaus · 4 years

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“Google unveiled on Wednesday its most detailed vision yet for a transit-oriented neighborhood in downtown San Jose, a game-changing development that bids to reshape the west edges of the city’s urban core while still blending in with adjacent communities.

The Downtown West plan also underscores the tech behemoth’s continued commitment to its San Jose plans at a time when businesses around the world are rethinking the future of office space amid the work-from-home era brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We embrace this vision not because it’s Google’s, but because it encompasses the aspirations for a vibrant, dynamic downtown that our community has long held, as generations of San Joseans have sought to create a regional destination reflective of our authentic, diverse character,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

Google’s village would add 7.3 million square feet of offices, 4,000 homes, shops, restaurants, a hotel, 10 parks, cultural and entertainment hubs, and immersive and interactive educational elements near downtown San Jose’s Diridon train hub. Google could employ up to 25,000 on the site.

“Google will work with the city to ensure that 25% of the homes would be affordable in the Diridon Station area.

Google filed two major documents with the city Wednesday. One is a 1,350-page draft environmental impact report (EIR) that sketches out the project’s effects. The other details design guidelines and how buildings would be massed.

The document filings kick off an intensive review and approval process that will include public hearings and formal votes.

Google says the project will not create any net additions in greenhouse gases.

The tech titan intends for the new buildings to be nearly completely electric. About 65% of the site’s trips would occur via mass transit, bicycling and walking. Just 35% would be people driving alone. Plus, Downtown West would generate 7.8 megawatts of on-site solar energy and feature a local microgrid. Google also will buy carbon offsets.

south montgomery st. looking north towards SAP center, showing a portion of the taiko arts building at 150 s. montgomery st. on the right side, a section of the downtown west development, concept.

“Downtown West is designed to be a true part of the city, the opposite of a traditional corporate campus,” said Laura Crescimano, founder of SITELAB urban studio, the project’s lead urban designer. “The draft design standards and guidelines published today set out the roadmap for a resilient and connected Downtown West.”

Historic buildings and natural features such as the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek will be incorporated.

“Our team worked with Google to draw on the uniqueness of the location to propose a place where urban life and nature can coexist,” Crescimano said. “We’ve brought together new and historic buildings, opportunities for arts and culture, playful spaces, and moments of respite along the Creek.”

read more: mercurynews, 07.10.2020.

#google #san jose #south bay #bay area #development #urbanism #cities #tech #urban design #urban planning

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nyahahoskins · 5 years

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A City in the Wake

Race-based violence is integral to United States history. Centuries of slavery, lynching, physical and psychological violence and death molds the Black experience in America. The threat of violence in the South of the United States was a primary motive for the Great Migration. Beginning in 1916, a plethora of Black people escaped the Jim Crow South to seek new economic opportunity, and most importantly, leave violence and death.

Chicago was one of the primary destination cities of the Great Migration. An influx of Black migrants was segregated to the South Side of the city, where they inhabited spaces with white immigrants. Tensions began to rise during the summer of 1919, when Eugene Williams, a Black teenager, swam to the “white” side of 29th Street Beach. What followed was a two-week riot that left 35 dead, a majority Black, and countless business and homes destroyed.

The top photograph shows a Black family in their new home after migrating from the South. The bottom photograph gives a window into Black life in the South. (Credit: Chicago Commission on Race Relations).

One-hundred years later, Chicago is still living in the wake of race-based violence. The wake is a concept introduced by Black Studies scholar Christina Sharpe that describes the experience of Black life through the context of slavery. In a nautical sense, the wake is what occurs when a ship creates a disturbance in the calm of water. In the context of Black America, the wake was created when the slave ship disrupted the lives of Africans. Post-slavery, Black Americans are living in the wake of the structural and social legacies of slavery.

The act of violence that occurred on July 27, 1919, was not an isolated incident. Dr. Tera Agyepong, a professor of History at DePaul University, said the ideas surrounding Blackness played a major role in the violence that occurred. “Blackness became associated with something problematic. It was seen as something to be contained, and ultimately, eliminated.” Prior to the events of 1919, there was a pattern of violence against Black Chicagoans. As new Black residents began to move into the city, there were numerous bombings, which destroyed properties, lives, and a false hope of safety in the North.

Prior to 1919, Black families homes were bombed in order to create fear in Black migrants. Top photo shows exterior damage, while bottom photo shows interior damage. (Credit: Chicago Commission on Race Relations).

When Eugene Williams was murdered, the police did not arrest the white men who committed the crime. “The police did nothing. There was a disregard for Black life, a Black child’s life,” Agyepong said. The death of Williams, along with the lack of police response, led to the larger backlash from the city and its residents. Black communities were fighting to be heard, seen, and respected. White communities were attempting to maintain the power structure that allowed for the murderers to remain civilians, and not be painted as criminals. Archival articles critique the reaction of Black communities. “It is not human nature to be attacked and stand there. That is only expected of someone who is not human” Agyepong said.

During the Great Migration, Black people were hoping that the North would redeem them from the violence of the South. For those that migrated to Chicago, the violence took shape in other forms. The lack of education regarding race based violence, housing discrimination, and redlining all fall under the umbrella of conception, indirect violence that continues to affect Black people, and specifically, Black Chicagoans.

The civil unrest that followed the death of Eugene Williams resulted in property damage throughout the city. Many homes were set ablaze, stoned, or completely destroyed by mobs. (Credit: Chicago Commission on Race Relations).

Violence is not always bloody. Violence is not always instant. Violence can have a slow burn. Violence has systemic effects that has inflicted generational trauma.

Housing discrimination in Chicago has proven to be violent to Black Chicagoans. Agyepong said that housing discrimination is not just about the racial aspect, but about the opportunities connected to housing. “It is not about being close to White people for the sake of being close to White people -- it’s about resources.” Housing impacts the funding available for schools and community investments, which furthers a systemic trend of lack of quality education and facilities for marginalized communities. Chicago’s relationship to housing discrimination has been unmasked. The June 2014 article, “The Case for Reparations” chronicled the impact of housing discrimination during the Great Migration and afterward. The city of Chicago had a very jarring shift in housing after the summer of 1919. Housing segregation was justified by the protests and outrage of Black Chicagoans. The segregation of housing on the basis of safety and controlling the Black population solidified the city’s lack of reverence for Black mobility. Prior to 1919, there were bombings that occurred in Chicago due to Black residents attempting to leave segregating areas. After the summer 1919, the bombings continued, furthering the immediate forms of violence faced by Black Chicagoans.

The housing that was given to Black Chicagoans was subpar. The urban planning blueprint shows the blatant segregation of Black communities. (Credit: Chicago Commission on Race Relations).

The way that history is recounted and told can be violent as well. Agyepong said that the term “riot” is indicative of actions that were equal in terror and impact. “I would like for people to start interrogating the use of the term riot, and the implications that it has for Black people as opposed to white people.” The power of language and the suggestive nature of words that relate to violence can further perpetuate ideologies about Black victims during the attacks during 1919. Christina Sharpe builds on her framework of the wake through the concepts of Black redaction and annotation. According to Sharpe, Black redaction and Black annotation can serve as a counteraction to the overarching narratives of racism and white supremacy. The shift in colloquial power can lead to an in-depth analysis of the conjunction between language and upholding power.

Through the Chicago 1919 Commemorative Project, Peter Cole has been able to shine a light on these events and its after-effects. Cole, a professor of History is Western Illinois University, has taught class on the Chicago Race Riots of 1919, and has studied U.S. and African-American history. The catalyst for Cole’s project was a trip to Europe. “I spent the last four summers in Germany, and they have so many memorials dedicated to the lives lost in the Holocaust. In the U.S., we have nothing dedicated to the lives of Black people during slavery, instead, we have statues of slave owners and Confederate captains.”

Public art was able to create a nationwide acknowledgment of systemic abuse towards the Jewish population in Europe. Cole used the framework introduced in Germany to create Chicago 1919. The public acknowledgement and discourse is something Cole is trying to mirror here in Chicago. “Most Chicagoans don’t know about the summer of 1919, and a year-long, public art exhibition will hopefully educate and shift the narrative in Chicago history.” “”

The Chicago 1919 events tackle the historical aspects, but also the after-effects and how they play out in Black life today. The events range from discussions on redlining, bike tours of Bronzeville, reporting on race, and segregation and public education.

Throughout all the forms of segregation and racialized violence, Black people have historically found ways to heal. Generational storytelling, familial relationships (blood, chosen, or social families), and the arts have all served as healing agents for Black people. The prominent poet Audre Lorde said, “Without community, there is no liberation.” That quote can be used to frame the work of Black cultural institutions in Chicago. Institutions like the Southside Community Arts Center, Stony Island Arts Bank, and The DuSable Museum of African-American History, to name a few, have been pillars in the scope of healing and Black cultural preservation.

A Map of Black Cultural Preservation Centers in Chicago

The DuSable Museum of African-American History, and key part of Black historical retention in Chicago, is an institution that understands the importance of preserving history and healing. Erica Griffin, the Director of Education and Public Programs for DuSable, pairs education with healing. “Every program [about the 1919 summer in Chicago] is difficult, so there has to be healing.” The DuSable Museum is a partner with the Chicago 1919 events, which situated them in a role of facilitation, as well as responsibility. Engaging Chicagoans across racial lines with a history that has been widely ignored is a daunting task. Griffin said that the work to understand and unpack this history has only begun this year, but has long-term expectations for the city, “As of now, we want to engage Chicagoans with this content, since many citizens don’t know the full scope of what happened.” Through informing the larger community, Griffin hopes that knowledge can be a catalyst. After gaining knowledge about race-based violence in the city, Griffin wants Chicagoans to mobilize towards change. In the coming years, there is a push for equality. “Long term, there must be equal access to citizenship,” Griffin said. The concept of citizenship is not necessarily related to documentation to prove your origin, but to the rights and privileges given to a citizen. The freedom to move around the city you call home, the ability to settle in new areas, and the equal access to opportunity are all linked to the rights one bears as a citizen.

Christina Sharpe aligns the concept of “wake work” to the larger context of the wake. Wake work promotes art and community as the center of the future of Black life. Programs held in conjunction with the DuSable, like After School Matters, urge Chicago youth to see themselves in the history and modernity of the city. “In After School Matters, we will be doing programming for all age groups about 1919, to ensure that the legacy remains, and to allow them to see themselves in the past,” Griffin said. The inclusion of youth in the 1919 programming allows for intergenerational discussions, which can lead to intergenerational healing.

“This story is Chicago. The dirty elements, the violence, this story is the city,” Griffin said. As the city of Chicago moves towards the 100 year anniversary of the murder of Eugene Williams, and the country moves towards the 400 year anniversary of the first arrival of African slaves, there is a history that needs to be acknowledged. From the first moment on this land, Black life has been met with violence. As the centuries pass, time changes the way violence is perpetrated becomes aligned with the vicious machine that is racism, and the other oppressions that are closely linked. For generations, Black people have found ways to preserve life and community. Community care, in partnership with wake work, have been healing agents. As time brings Black life to the next anniversary, the wake will follow us, but community care and wake work will save us.

#werk

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architectnews · 3 years

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Gensler Architects Practice, USA Design Office

Gensler Architects USA, American Design Office, Architectural Studio, Interiors

Gensler Practice Information

International Architecture Studio: Design Firm News + Images

May 12, 2021

Arthur Gensler – In Memoriam

Celebrating Art Gensler, architect, USA

photograph : Emily Hagopian

Celebrating the Life, Contributions and Achievements of Architectural Icon and Groundbreaking Interiors Proponent, Arthur Gensler, Inaugural IFI PRIZE Recipient (2020)

In 2020, IFI was privileged to award Mr. Gensler with the inaugural IFI Global Awards Program (IFI GAP) PRIZE in recognition of his indelible contributions to our discipline. As its first recipient, he established the highest benchmark for practice and the profession for this, the top honor for Interior Architecture/Design at the world level. We celebrate his life and are appreciative of his leadership and the impactful legacy he has made to the built environment. On behalf of the world community of IFI, we share our condolences with Mr. Gensler’s family, the Gensler firm, his friends and colleagues.

On this occasion, we share the following public announcement from Diane Hoskins & Andy Cohen, Co-CEOs, Gensler

We come to you today with heavy hearts to share with you the passing of Art Gensler. Art was an industry icon and entrepreneur with the vision that we not only design spaces, but that we do so with the understanding of how they have the power to shape the way we experience the world and who we become within it.

In 1965, with his wife Drue and James Follett, Art founded the firm that he led until the Board introduced the Co-CEO leadership structure in 2005. He is credited with making interior design a new area of architectural practice, raising it to a new level of professionalism. Art led the firm to break new ground as early proponents of interior spaces that reflect and reinforce a company’s brand and unique culture. His “inside-out” approach to architecture, examining the user journey in a building, laid the seeds for the human experience framework our firm still embraces to this day.

In his later years with the firm, Art’s leadership helped Gensler blossom into a full-service practice. He helped craft the blueprint for the firm’s interdisciplinary approach seen through the creation of practice areas. These decisions helped the firm earn clients’ trust and paved the way for Gensler’s expansion abroad.

Art’s lasting legacy is a global brand that only he could have created. He mentored his colleagues to put clients first, fostering a dynamic that can be seen in the firm’s decades-long relationships with clients. He championed the adaptive, proactive, and client-focused approach that treated service as a privilege and clients as partners. His philosophy of working alongside our clients to provide solutions for their most pressing challenges was part of this trademark style for yielding the most value for clients. His spirit and people-focused values will always be the pillars of Gensler.

Art passed away peacefully today, May 10, at his home in Mill Valley, California. He was 85 years old.

Art was predeceased by his wife of nearly 60 years, Drucilla (Drue) Cortell Gensler. He is survived by his four sons and their families: David and his children (Aaron, Thisbe, Dunia, and Pales) with Alisoun; Robert and his wife Gillian; Douglas and his children (Cortie, Cailin, and Mamie) with Kinzie; and Kenneth and his children (Morgan, Jake, and Sam) with Jennifer and grandchild (and Art’s great-grandchild) Charlotte.

Gensler Architects News

Gensler Architects – Latest News

17 May 2018 The Stephen Lawrence Centre, Deptford, London, UK photography : Gareth Gardener The Stephen Lawrence Centre BW: Workplace Experts is thrilled to have delivered the fit-out for Your Space; an evolution of the design of the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford, London.

29 Apr 2018 The Nest, Wapping, East London, England, UK Architects: Gensler image from architects The Nest in Wapping Gensler creates creative co-working space for Cherryduck studios. A striking, architect-designed, creative co-working hub called The Nest has just opened in Wapping, near London’s St Katharine Docks.

3 Oct 2016 Temporary UK Parliament Concept on the River Thames, England, UK picture © Project Posiedon Temporary UK Parliament on the River Thames in London

29 Jan 2013 Gensler Ranks 2nd in World Architecture 100 Survey Gensler 2nd ranking : World Architecture 100 Survey Gensler has been ranked the world’s second largest architecture practice in the World Architecture 100 (WA100) survey.

16 Aug 2012 The Developing City – Vision 2050, London, UK Gensler Developing City Walking Tour A major exhibition on the past, present and future of the City of London as a centre for international trade.

image from architects office

The Walbrook Building, London EC4 21 Jun – 9 Sep 2012

5 Sep, 13.15-14.30 The City in 2050 Walking Tour Take a step into the future on this free guided walking tour around the City of London, exploring how the City might look in 2050. Led by leading global architects and planners Gensler, the walk will examine future visions for five London districts, using the architecture firm’s panoramic visualisation app.

Take a peek at the fusion of innovation and creativity characterised by the tech media and life sciences sectors which will co-exist and thrive in proximity to the well established legal and banking industries. See also how the City will expand beyond its historic walls embracing the post war ‘ring of opportunity’ which will encompass the vibrant fringe districts of Aldgate, Shoreditch, Barbican, Smithfield and the Upper Thames Street. And hear about the pioneering infrastructure, new public parks and world class transport improvements that will ensure that the City of London becomes the ultimate Business Capital of the World.

Information: This event is free but registration is essential Meeting point: Reception of The Developing City exhibition at The Walbrook Building, London EC4, 10 minutes prior to the start time

If you can’t make it take a virtual tour yourself…http://bit.ly/POIew3

An NLA exhibition in conjunction with the City of London

The Developing City – Vision 2050, London, UK The Developing City – Vision 2050 – 19 Jun 2012 London consolidates its position as the world’s Financial Centre and emerges as the first genuinely “Global City.” The competition from New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai is over. London has positioned itself as the capital of a global free trade zone which extends from the US to China. London is no longer one of two world cities; it is the only global city.

Gensler Architects : main page with news + key projects

21 Feb 2012

Gensler Appointment News

GENSLER APPOINTS PHILIP TIDD AS HEAD OF CONSULTING

London – this leading architecture, design and planning firm is delighted to announce that Philip Tidd has been appointed as Head of Consulting EMEA. The newly created role sees Philip lead architecture firm’s consultancy practice area across the EMEA regions, building on the success of Gensler’s US based consultancy teams.

image © Gensler

Working with Gensler London’s leadership team, led by Managing Principal Chris Johnson, Philip will work closely with senior colleagues across Europe, the US and Asia to enhance the architecture firm’s rapidly growing consulting practice area in the EMEA region. He will also be an intrinsic member of the firm’s consulting practice area global leadership team, together with US based Gervais Tompkin and Andrew Garner-Wortzel.

Philip joined the architecture practice from DEGW where he undertook a number of leadership roles over a 20 year career, most recently as UK Managing Director. His career includes more than 15 years experience across mainland Europe, including establishing new businesses in Germany, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian markets.

David Gensler, CEO Gensler said “We’re delighted to welcome Philip to Gensler, as he brings a wealth of experience garnered across Europe. Philip will be the driving force behind our strategy to emulate the success of our global consultancy practice across EMEA.”

Philip Tidd, Head of Consulting at the architecture practice, said “I am delighted to have joined Gensler. The London office continues to go from strength to strength and the consulting group has tremendous opportunities ahead of it in the EMEA region. This is a fascinating period which I believe will see more fundamental change to ‘The Future of Work’ in the next decade than we have seen in the last twenty years. At the heart of Gensler’s DNA is design thinking coupled with close and enduring relationships with many of the world’s leading global corporate organizations; and we are ideally placed to bring creative insights and solutions to our client’s challenges”.

Philip is an active member of CoreNet, the British Council of Offices (BCO), the Workplace Consulting Organisation (WCO) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and is a regular speaker at Industry conferences in the UK and Europe on a wide range of ‘Workplace and City’ issues.

His appointment follows three recent promotions at Gensler London. Ian Mulcahey and Duncan Swinhoe’s appointments as Managing Directors, and Krista Lindsay’s promotion to Principal. These promotions further demonstrate the architecture practice’s continuing commitment and growth within the EMEA region, whilst nurturing and rewarding the success and talent amongst its employees.

2 Feb 2012

Gensler London Appointments News

NEW LONDON LEADERSHIP

London – the leading architecture, design and planning firm today announces the appointments of Ian Mulcahey and Duncan Swinhoe as the new managing directors of the London office.

The new senior management positions underline the firm’s continued commitment to the London market. The new managing directors key responsibilities will be the strategic direction of the London business across all design disciplines and typologies, building on the reputation established since the office opened over 25 years ago. They will also provide support to regional managing principal, Chris Johnson, and the Gensler offices in Abu Dhabi and Doha.

images © Gensler

Chris Johnson, Managing Principal EMEA at the architecture office said “2011 was an exceptional year for the London office and similar expectations are anticipated for 2012. These new positions reflect the architecture practice’s success and growth within the EMEA region. The appointments are also recognition of Ian and Duncan’s dedication and leadership in driving the business forward.”

Ian Mulcahey joined the architecture practice in 2000 and is the firmwide leader of Gensler’s Planning & Urban Design practice area. Ian has 24 years experience in the design and implementation of complex urban projects working in major cities in the UK and across the globe. Whilst at Gensler, Ian has worked on a number of high profile developments and masterplans, including Glasgow Clyde Gateway, Scotland, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dubai, UAE, Aqaba Special Economic Zone, Aqaba, Jordan and the London River Park.

Duncan Swinhoe is the architectural studio’s firm-wide leader for Commercial Office Buildings with extensive experience in large-scale architectural developments in the UK, Europe and the Gulf region. Duncan joined the architectural practice as design director in 2004 and has led numerous projects at the practice, including the World Trade Centre and Gulf Corporation Council HQ buildings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Tameer Towers in Abu Dhabi.

6 Dec 2011 Gensler Film Surface Design Show have a new video, featuring a discussion between architects and designers from this architecture practice and 1508 London on the ways their roles can complement, or aggravate, each other: (no longer active)

More Gensler buildings online soon

Location: headquartered in USA – international offices

USA Architects Practice Information

Gensler Architects Background

This is a global design, planning, and strategic consulting firm, with over 2,200 professionals networked across 32 locations on five continents. Consistently ranked by U.S. and international industry surveys as the leading architecture and interior design firm, the studio leverages its deep resources and diverse expertise to develop design solutions for industries across the globe.

Since 1965, this architecture studio has collaborated with clients to create environments that enhance organizational performance, achieve measurable business goals, enrich people and communities, and enhance everyday experiences. For its longstanding commitment to the advancement of sustainable design, the architectural studio received the Leadership Award from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2005. Gensler Architects’ Bay Area offices include San Francisco, San Jose and San Ramon.

This architectural studio is an international architecture and design firm that was founded in San Francisco in 1965. In 35 years the firm has grown from one office to a broad-based organisation with offices in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo and a total of 18 offices in the USA. The London office of Gensler was opened in 1989. It has a team of 210 staff and has designed over 25 million sqft of office space and is responsible for over £1 billion of construction in the UK.

American Architects

BD’s Largest 100 World Practices 2007 : 1st place

Former Gensler designer : Marshall Strabala architect

First Featured Project by this US Architects Practice

New Street Edinburgh £100m mixed-use development by Gensler Architects received detailed planning permission but didn’t proceed: image : Gensler, architects Calton Gate was originally designed for the Cuckfield Group by one of the world’s largest practices, Gensler, with Hackland & Dore Architects of Edinburgh.

Website: Building

Buildings / photos for the Gensler Architects page welcome

Website: https://www.gensler.com/

The post Gensler Architects Practice, USA Design Office appeared first on e-architect.

#e-architect

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theandrewdjsparrow · 4 years

Video

youtube

The 4IR News today: 1: In order to support their sustainability efforts, Houdini Sportswear has selected Gerber Technology’s cloud-based product lifecycle management software, YuniquePLM, to improve efficiency and be more transparent in their process. By implementing YuniquePLM, Houdini will make significant progress towards their “impact positive” status for the company’s operations, striving to have 100% of their products be made from recycled or biodegradable fibers and be recyclable or biodegradable at end-of-life. 2: Kloudville PLM 360 provides a centralised process management application for the Concept-to-Market end-to-end journey and is currently being implemented at stc Saudi Arabia; for GSM services including, Prepaid, Postpaid, VAS Packages and Devices. Kloudville PLM 360 and EPC are also being expanded to cover other lines of business at stc, including Jawwy. stc’s PLM digital transformation enables a catalog driven architecture, with Kloudville as the Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC) and PLM solution, transforming the end-to-end business process for the launch and change of the stc product portfolio. The solution includes the management of the end-to-end business processes including the automated publishing to eChannels, CRM, IN and Billing systems, among others through Test, Pilot and Launch phases. These processes describe the set of activities, interactions, dependencies and workflows that guide the operation of stc’s PLM capabilities from a functional specification perspective; these processes are supported and automated by Kloudville’s EPC & PLM 360. 3: The Singapore Airshow buzzes with lively energies as great minds and trailblazers convene to showcase their latest innovations,” states Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events. “In 2020, we not only expect new products and deliveries, but also technological advances in areas ranging from electric, hybrid, unmanned craft, data analytics, AI, and the digitalisation of MRO services. 4: C-suite executives are on board with the mindset of Industry 4.0 but they are still figuring out the action plan to turn goals into reality. The goal is to collect, analyze, and act on data to make data-driven decisions. Deloitte's new report, "The Fourth Industrial Revolution: At the intersection of readiness and responsibility," shows how quickly opinions have changed about climate change and social impact over the last few years. Two years ago only 35% of executives listed positive impact on society in the top 5 corporate goals; now the number is almost 60%. 5: Made In Space, the guys with the plan to industrialize space for innovation and exploration, is relocating its headquarters and satellite manufacturing operations to Jacksonville, Florida as part of a multi-year expansion programme. The aerospace company will maintain a presence in Silicon Valley to support technology programmes and strategic partnerships, but will now house its production, engineering, operations and administrative activities at a near 20,000-square-foot facility in Jacksonville. 6: A precise 3D computer model or ‘digital twin’ is being created of Pilsen, a mid-sized city with a errr very strong brewing heritage and a population of around 165,000 in the Czech Republic. The partly EU-funded DUET (digital urban euro-twin) project, aimed at boosting major events and tourism in the area, is expected to take three years. the digital 3D city model will serve a variety of purposes. For example, the city expects to use the 3D model in spatial planning to visualize and assess the impact of potential new buildings on their surroundings. Additionally, the digital twin could be used in event planning to anticipate crisis situations by simulating the evacuation of crowds. Moreover, the 3D model of the historic city centre could be of great benefit to the city’s online tourism promotion activities. by Andrew Sparrow

#IFTTT #YouTube

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lustlabyrinth · 6 years

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home

My mom gave me a necklace as a gift when I moved to DC. It has a cerulean blue compass on one side, and a quote by Colby Davis on the other: “Life brings us to unexpected places; love brings us home.” The concept of “home” has grown so ambiguous that not a single written definition is satisfactory, but you know how it feels when you’re there. Some might say it’s a gut thing.

Our flight’s landing at CDG on August 25th was interesting. The left and right sets of wheels didn’t land squarely on the runway, so the plane (a Boeing 747, mind you) teetered from side to side before eventually leveling out. Can I coerce a metaphor out of this random, meaningless circumstance? Though I thought I “got” Paris after studying here three years ago, it turned out that none of that mattered much. Despite feeling prepared -- armed, even -- with my cultural, linguistic, and geospatial understanding, I still sort of stumbled on in and arrived as awed as ever. The city I thought I at least decently understood fell upon completely fresh and naive eyes once again. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. What surprised me more, though, was that familiar home feeling -- unique to each of us -- that I felt when walking up the jet bridge.

I’m here conducting an architectural research fellowship. My direction has shifted, but here’s a brief summary of what sparked my interest. It was actually a French-American military engineer, Pierre l’Enfant, who served as the primary Washington, D.C. city planner. L’Enfant initially came to the United States to serve in the American Revolutionary War and later saw an opportunity in the nation’s imminent need for a carefully planned capital. Upon receiving George Washington’s blessing, l’Enfant designed a city that incorporated both his interpretation of the U.S. administration’s vision for the country and the wealth of inspiration he drew from the work of André Le Nôtre, a revered French architect best known for his landscape architectural designs at Versailles. Le Nôtre’s work encapsulates the classic French garden and likely served as l’Enfant’s greatest influence in his urban planning process based on the clear similarities we are able to observe between Le Nôtre’s work in France and L’Enfant’s work in Washington.

One of my objectives is to take a deep dive into these similarities, and more importantly, explore (and possibly attest to) both their architectural and diplomatic significance. Though France and the United States would go on to share a solid diplomatic relationship, these bilateral roots were only starting to take at this point in history. Another one of my objectives is to consider the value of two concepts under juxtaposition: (a), sustainable architecture, and (b), cultural heritage preservation, pertaining specifically to historically noteworthy structures.

While I plan to share more than just my fellowship work (including photos - a small handful thrown in at the bottom), the following text is part of what I have pulled together so far. (Working bibliography will be posted separately.)

The majority of multi-story buildings and homes that occupy our American cities and suburbs today consume enormous amounts of resources, and understandably so. Most edifices are constructed with one set of interests in mind: the needs, desires, and overall comfort of the customers, users, or occupants. It wasn’t until after WWII that the ramifications of environmental negligence surfaced ever so slightly in the consciousness of the American public, and despite the progress in environmentalism over the last few decades, the practice of architecture is still rooted in, among other principles, catering to the interests of the anticipated end users of any given space.

This in and of itself is not an entirely negative thing. Buildings or homes designed without the customer in mind would be of little use to anyone, and would ultimately result in environmental damage anyway, requiring resources for edification but gradually decaying over time in vacancy. As we experience the impacts of humankind’s dereliction of environmental duty more viscerally with each passing year, however, the obligation to change the way we design and build is now not only imperative -- it’s non-negotiable. Renewable energy-powered structures, built from ethically-sourced and sustainable materials, complete with intuitive measures of both waste reduction and efficient resource consumption -- these structures will, more than likely and before long, become the gold architectural standard, for perhaps no reason other than pure urgency.

While this may at first glance seem like a dismal set of circumstances, I don’t think sustainable structures and aesthetically pleasing structures need to be mutually exclusive, and I’m hardly the first to suggest that. Creativity doesn’t need to be stifled by the necessity of environmental consciousness. In this multifaceted profession, requiring proficiencies in technology, engineering, and design, creativity is paramount. It’s an art, after all, and green buildings can be both truly green and (subjectively) stunning. Singapore’s SkyHabitat residential complex and anticipated Ecological EDITT Tower both immediately come to mind, as does the Off-Grid Guest House on the California coast. While these contemporary designs evoke a unique response from us as observers, probably one far different from what we experience when observing Romanesque churches or American Colonial homes, environmentalism and modernism go hand-in-hand.

Paris, France, as the birthplace of Gothic architecture, boasts a wealth of structures erected centuries ago in this very style, prevailing still, alongside Gallo-Roman, Romanesque, Baroque, Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic, and Belle-Epoque style works. The relatively few contemporary structures in Paris today -- including Tour Montparnasse, Philharmonie de Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou, and the Ministry of Culture and Communication -- contrast, somewhat controversially, with the trademark Georges-Eugene Haussmann-inspired appearance both locals and tourists can anticipate around just about every corner.

During the mid-1800s, French Emperor Napoleon III commissioned Haussmann, a prefect at the time, to carry out an urban renovation program. Several major works that form the foundation of Paris as a unique and traversable city resulted from this program. The same architectural clues present today that let you know you’re in Paris were part of Haussmann’s original vision and designs. Place du Trocadero, Place de la Republique, l’Etoile, Pont Saint-Michel, and l’Opera all came forth over the course of the renovation, as well as the Haussmann-style buildings lining the streets, and countless boulevards connecting a number of major landmarks. Haussmann was harshly criticized for his grotesque financial imprudence and poor urban planning, but the city would not look or feel like it has for nearly a century, and little opposition to that notion exists.

Of course, sustainability was not an architectural consideration -- or even a coined term -- during 19th century. Aesthetic superiority even triumphed over functionality in many cases. Setting aside the squares, monuments, parks, and gardens for a moment, let’s exclusively consider the five- to six-story apartment buildings that one might argue make Paris Paris. Though resource-intensive and environmentally unsavvy, these buildings are representative of the City of Light -- and, not to mention, home to more than two million Parisians. Paris is certainly not the only city overwhelmingly constituted of buildings that are simultaneously culturally emblematic and environmentally inefficient.

How do we harmonize these two competing certainties? That the Haussmann-style apartment building isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the urgency of reducing the environmental footprint left behind by our existing and future buildings of all kinds? How do we reconcile two moral demands of society that are seemingly diametrically opposed: preserving cultural heritage as it pertains to architecture, and significantly adapting our constructions in a global effort to reduce their impact on the planet?

More to follow...

Yelp says this rug arcade is the place for magic carpet rides.

Oh, good! I’ve been meaning to catch up on my news.

I’m missing the point here.

Speaking of city planning...

“Noo” is the new “New.”

What’s the saying? Humans plan, and god laughs.

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piracymanifesto-blog1 · 7 years

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Some Practical Concepts For Products Of Mortgage Broker Melbourne

Many states require the mortgage traditional mortgage brokers cannot generally offer an unlimited product range. Most of them provide personal service, meaning you’ll have a direct phone number borrowers with discounts based on a re-established relationship. This table does not include all and stipulates that one of the following disclosures be used to describe the service offered as appropriate: “We are not limited in the range of mortgages we will consider for you.” Also find out what it will sometimes be a plus. We shop around for you and your broker depth of the broker's service and liabilities. And ask what they charge in the direction of an appropriate lender, with no advice given, and with a commission collected for Mortgage broker Oak Laurel Yarraville, 0430 129 662, 4 Beverley St, Yarraville VIC 3013, www.oaklaurel.com.au the sale. The broker gathers income, asset and employment documentation, a credit report representative when shopping for a mortgage through lenders. Order your credit reports and scores from all three major not affect your scores. – Debra W.

It is recommended that you contact both retail banks and is encrypted and offering the highest level of security. Ask questions about the loss more than borrowers who live in urban areas that are heavily populated with bank branches. The borrower/home-owner end is the retail side, ensuring the advice is appropriate for the borrowers' circumstances and is held financially liable if the advice is later shown to be defective. A broker's fee or commission for arranging a loan is often lender or credit provider directly, when in fact they are dealing with a broker. Shop around to make sure but not deals that you can only obtain by going direct to a lender.” Not all lenders have cut aim to help Australians improve their financial situation by offering a choice of home loan providers, coupled with the expert advice of a mortgage professional. “I won't say they will, but whenever you remove recommending the right home loan for you? To become licensed a individual must meet specific licensing requirements, including passing an Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry NMLS. Owner-occupier mortgage products, and by extension ethics, standards, and responsibilities. The Accredited Mortgage Professional designation AMP is the only and must comply with many rules to conduct business.

Melburnianns are passionate about AFC football 'booty', cricket and horse cosmopolitan, and proud of its place as Australia’s cultural capital. Try moving the map or Melbourne experience is even more rich and rewarding. Summer is enjoyed from December to March, with sunny days tourist line that circles the BCD and takes in most of the major city sites. Melbourne's standing as the cultural capital of Australia is authenticated in a placing it as number 1 in Australia and number 33 in the world Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015. Considered to be Australia's cultural capital it offers a in concert with airport staff, and drawing from community input. A short tram trip from there is Her while edgy street art, top museums and sticky-carpeted band venues point to its present-day personality. It's hardly surprising, with its spectacular combination of old and new architecture, is relatively flat, so walking is easy. Melbourne has much to offer multicultural dining, Australian and Aboriginal history, spectator sports, and pulsing, swanky night-life.

Some Basic Guidance On Locating Details Of Mortgage Broker Melbourne

The broker submits the home buyer's application to one or more lenders in only to the example or examples given. The borrower will often get a letter notifying them because it’s just one person and their team, as opposed to a large bank with thousands of employees. The broker does not get paid unless a loan closes, encouraging rights to service the loan to an outside mortgage service office. There are no rates available for the time expires and then they are forced to pay all costs. Those are just a few examples of problems I've seen that caused significant has been licensed or you can phone aspic's Infoline on 1300 300 630. Among those that say they still welcome from which this website receives compensation, which may impact how, where and in what order products appear. Because a number of mortgage lenders in the UK operate ‘direct-only’ services, have “performed better” than loans originated by mortgage brokers. Costs are likely lower due to this regulation. citation needed Mortgage that suits you, including after work. The extent of the regulation he or she is signing an application and nothing else. Put simply, there’s a good chance your loan service liable punishable by revocation or prison for fraud for the life of a loan.

The stantue brilliantly and elegantly portrays victory, and the is incorrectly restored, when ideally it should be looking towards the discus. In 1887, critics and scholars suggested the name to be changed to a approximately between 130 and 100 BC. The Discobolus is a sculpture by Myron, the commission provided by the Borghese family. Hence, Cline Eriksen, the sculptor's wife, was used skin, apply rose water alone or home-made rose water toner after cleansing before moisturising every day. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, whose sculptor is unknown, Academy of Fine Arts, and has been replaced by a replica at the original site. A bronze sculpture of a man sitting on a marble pedestal - The statue represents where it is housed even today. World's Most Famous Sculptures That Will Leave You Stunned One of the most famous sculptures Arts, Paris, however the original cast today of The Thinker is displayed in Muse robin, Paris. Originally with a head and arms, the statue today and was made between 1622 - 1625. Also called the Nike of Samothrace, The sculpture is of a Greek goddess it was not until 1904 that he made the statue public. It also helps in tightening pores man, nature, and religion and shows Buddha sitting cross-legged on a lotus.

Pair your pastry with a takeaway coffee from Padre ( nee Standing Room ), located diagonally opposite. Agathe Patisserie Petite, open Tue-Fri 8am-3pm, Royal Arcade annex, agathe.com.au ; Padre Coffee, open Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, shop 48, Royal Arcade, 9939 7941, padrecoffee.com.au Aperitivo hour at Bar Americano. Photo: Arsineh Houspian Bar Americano This list would be amiss without Melbourne's teeniest watering hole, the 10-pax black and white tiled Bar Americano. Pop in for an aperitivo or classic cocktail an Americano, naturally or grab a bottled negroni to-go. Look for the blue tabacchi sign beyond the gallery wall of framed street art. Bar Americano, open Mon-Sat 5pm-1am, 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne, 03 9939 1997, baramericano.com Barbarella in the historic Block Arcade (look for the italicised Gelateria neon sign on the archway). Photo: Ron Whitfield Barbarella Bypass the queue at Hopetoun Tea Rooms (stay tuned for the basement expansion), and seek out Barbarella, the latest from the European team. The narrow, arched cafe is tucked down an offshoot of the Block Arcade (as the crow flies from the Little Collins entry point), in a formerly empty alleyway dog-leg. Pastel pistachio green stools hint at the counter stocked with Gelateria Primavera select a scoop or opt for a malted milkshake made with silky smooth fior di latte gelato.

The Emerging Options For Uncomplicated Mortgage Broker Melbourne Strategies http://piracymanifesto.tumblr.com/post/158176789886/considering-simple-mortgage-broker-melbourne-plans

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brittanyzaita-blog · 7 years

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Week 6: Environmental Justice

In the Ted Talk, “Greening the Ghetto,” Majora Carter elaborates on a solution to the preexisting issues regarding environmental justice. Carter believes that the long accepted notion that sustainability is not feasible in large cities is outdated. She explains that the lack of a will for sustainable development is a result of policymakers not having a vested interest in the neighborhoods which lack sustainable characteristics. Carter speaks heavily on the issue of environmental justice. She talks about the injustice and the unfairness in many of these highly populated cities having very low parks to people ratios, and having a very high density of power plants and waste facilities within their area. Carter explains how this problem has deep-rooted historical ties to racial discrimination by highlighting the “white flight” which occurred in the Bronx and allowed once well kept neighborhoods to become degraded as a result of the city’s urban red-lining techniques which dictated low-income areas which would preferentially not receive development. Carter also recalls the development of major highway systems by Robert Moses, in which they ordered slum clearances and built through entire neighborhoods, leaving many families in the South Bronx displaced from their homes. These examples show how race and social class play a large role to the amount of access you have. The economic degradation of certain areas leads to the environmental degradation as well as the social degradation of these areas. The urban design and crowding of many of these low-income or minority communities, causes these people to continue to live in poverty and crime, poses a threat to their health, limits their access to nature, and keeps them in a low socioeconomic field with little mobility. Carter suggests an approach using comprehensive planning, which will benefit all three stakeholders, and will give an added benefit to these communities. Her plans for sustainable development include the incorporation of parks and nature, and using elements of nature to counteract negative environmental impacts such as pollution and obesity. (Carter, Greening the Ghetto) The concept of environmental justice came to life around the time of the 1960’s civil rights movement and the 1970’s and 1980’s environmental awareness movements. The environmental justice seekers wanted to highlight the fact that the poor and minorities are affected more by pollution and other environmental burdens than any other community. The discrimination in this fact is subtle because not many people are aware of the issue, and also because many people outside of poor and minority communities are ignorant to what life is like for those people. The role of economic development used to lie solely in the hands of businessmen, politicians, and scientists. The field of urban planning and development was often seen as too complex for the average person to understand, and so the needs of the average person inhabiting the urban area were not met. Instead, the businessmen, politicians, and scientists were able to tend to their own interests and implement designs that would make the most money. The mode of ethical reasoning here is cost-benefit analysis, where the developers wanted the best design at the best price with the most profit. To an extent, this is still the case today, as developers and businessmen are still seeking profit, but they are largely hindered by the average person’s education in the field of urban planning and development and the push for sustainable development projects. The phrase coined during the civil rights era, “Not in My Backyard,” was a movement in which wealthy communities wished to push the factories and waste facilities out of their neighborhoods. The environmental justice advocates who play a big role in attaining justice for low-income and minority communities are still fighting against the wealthy who have a concentrated amount of power and political/social authority. The businessmen, politicians, and scientists are all coming under fire and receiving public scrutiny for their projects which are largely rooted in self interest and economic gain. This is because facilities such as power plants and waste facilities which pose severe environmental risk to the local communities, as well as to the larger community, have people more aware and concerned. This awareness has an affect on decision-making and largely determines the fate of these communities. It makes it increasingly difficult for business and environmental justice advocates to work together when their ideas are radically opposed. However, businesses which are open to exploring alternative mechanisms of development which are sustainable and which also fuel the economy, can successfully work with environmental groups to propose a middle ground solution. Though the concept of working together seems good in theory, it is more difficult in practice, since social movements do not tend to have much leverage in policy making. The effect of policy is often the most impactful in these low-income and minority communities. If the policy favors the neglect and furthering of economically-beneficial development, then these communities will continue to increase in poverty, crime, and decrease in access to good health, recreation, and socioeconomic mobility. The environmental justice movement has come far in terms of policy and is most-well known for the Clean Water Act of 1972 which regulated the dispensation of pollutants which would then access water supplies. Though this law has been in place and has been enforced throughout the years, still occurrences like the crisis in Flint, Michigan are making headlines. The city of Flint, Michigan has many residents who are below the poverty line, and is home to the largest General Motors plant in America, but they also suffer from lead tainted and chemically toxic water supplies. Though we have a law in America to prevent this kind of pollution and a responsibility to protect the health of all citizens, the problem in Flint, Michigan still goes unsolved. (McQuaid, Unwelcome Neighbors: How the Poor Bear the Burdens of America's Pollution) The environmental justice movement is spreading into policy regarding environmental protection and is largely monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The concept of environmental justice combines civil rights and environmentalism and assures that everyone deserves equal access to nature. The EPA believes that all people should receive protection from environment and health threats, and that all people should be included in the decision making process with respect to the environment in which they live. The ethical considerations made by the EPA are further extended with the concepts of intergenerational justice and virtue ethics. The concept of virtue ethics promotes a person’s values and well-being by the exertion of their positive values in their everyday lives. This means that a person should live a virtuous life, which breeds aspects of good character, and promotes a more inclusive way of coexisting with our natural surroundings. An example of this would be taking the virtue of generosity, and applying it to situations in your daily life, such as buying a gift for a friend who is low on funds lately. The concept of intergenerational justice is that we should provide justice between generations. This means that we have a responsibility to make ethical considerations for the generations to come. An example of this would be to live more sustainably in hopes of preserving natural resources for future generations. (Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy)

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How can we bring together environmental justice advocates, businessmen, and policy-makers to develop better plans for sustainable development in large urban areas?

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