SMALL AT LARGE

MAYBE IT IS A BLESSING OR MAYBE IT IS A CURSE, BUT WHERE EVER I GO, I LOOK AT A SPACE OR PLACE WITH THE INTENTION OF REMODELING IT. IN A REDWOOD GROVE I FEEL CONTENTED . THE DESERT IS NOT MY FIRST CHOICE. AS A BOY OF 13 IN 1952 I CAME OUT TO JOSHUA TREE WITH MY FATHER, WHO HAD TB, TO SCOPE OUT A PLACE WHERE HE MIGHT RECOVER.

A CLIENT OF HIS HAD A SMALL COMPOUND AND I LEARNED TO DRIVE IN A WORLD WAR II JEEP. I ALSO FOUND A TURTLE AND KILLED MY FIRST AND LAST RABBIT WITH A SEMI AUTOMATIC 22. THAT ENDED MY HUNTING CAREER.

THE DESERT HAS A CHARM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE VASTNESS OF TERRAIN, MOUNTAINS AND SKY. THE MAN BUILT STUFF, OTHER THAN THE RARE EXCEPTION, IS MUNDANE PREDICTABLE SIMPLE BUILDER NOTHING BOXES. THERE ARE A TON OF OUT BUILDINGS , CARS, TRAILERS, MOTOR HOMES, TRUCKS AND JUNK SURROUNDING THE HOMES. THE PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. TOUGH BUT OPEN TO IDEAS AND ACCUSTOM TO ART.

DOWNTOWN JOSHUA TREE IS A SPARSE STRIP OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG HWY 62 HEADED TO 29 PALMS AND THE LARGEST MARINE BASE IN THE COUNTRY. EXOTIC MILITARY VEHICLES ARE COMMON.

THE CHAIN STORES HAVE BYPASSED THE EIGHT BLOCK TOWN. LACK OF DENSITY AND A FERMENT ARTIST AND ALTERNATIVE ORIENTED POPULOUS. THAT ARE PAINTING THE SIMPLE ONE STORY SHOPS. THUS GENTRIFYING THE STRIP OF ART GALLERIES, CAFES, SALOON, THRIFT SHOPS, CLIMBING GEAR, HEALTH STORE, AND GAS STATIONS ETC.

PARK STREET INTERSECTION IS THE GATEWAY TO JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK WITH 1.3 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR. MOSTLY EUROPEAN. A ROCK CLIMBING MECCA.

I DID A FEW SKETCHES FOR AN ARTIST CONTRACTOR RANDY POLUMBO WHO OWNS A COUPLE OF BLOCKS ON HWY 62. I PROPOSED A HYPERBOLIC STEEL FRAME OVER HIS INTERIOR COURT OUT DOOR PERFORMING AREA. HE SHOWED NO INTEREST, BUT MY MIND KEPT WORKING AND I HIT UPON THE IDEA OF PUTTING A STEEL WIRE WEB OVER THE WHOLE OF DOWNTOWN. RANDY POLUMBO LIKED THAT.

LEAVING ALL THE BUILDINGS AS IS AND ALLOWING GROWTH. THE WEB A SIMPLE, COST EFFECTIVE, OPEN WIRE TENSILE STRUCTURE, THAT VISUALLY REINFORCES THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS’ CONFIGURATIONS. THE WEB COULD HAVE SUN SHADING DEVICES, WIND BREAKS, AND DRIP MISTING OF GREY WATER FROM ABOVE FOR COOLING. AN OUTSIDE OASIS WITH PATIOS, PONDS AND PLANTS. THE HANGING OF PENNANTS AND FLAGS SIGNS ETC. THE ARTISTIC COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE MANY OPTIONS TO CREATE THINGS. ALL LITE UP WITH LOW VOLTAGE AT NIGHT LIKE A MINIATURE GLOWING MOUNTAIN RANGE. SOLAR COLLECTORS ON THE ROOFS TO GENERATE ALL NEEDED POWER PLUS CONTRIBUTING POWER TO THE GRID. THE EXCESS WATER FROM RAINS COULD BE PUT IN SWALES TO PERK UP THE GREENERY. THE RECYCLING IN MANY FORMS FROM WATER TO TRASH.

AERIAL VIEW OF DOWNTOWN JOSHUA TREE, HWY 62 MAIN ROAD

THE EXISTING BUILDINGS NOT DISTURBED

THE SYSTEM IS FLEXIBLE AND FREE TO ROAM TO BACK STREETS AWAY FROM THE HWY. A CIRCUS TENT THAT CAN COME AND GO AS NEEDED. THE DEAD MEN FOUNDATIONS STAY BELOW GRADE. THE GROWTH PATTERN CAN START IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS TO TEST THE SCHEME. BUT MY TAKE IS THAT IT WILL EXPAND QUICKLY TO ENCOMPASS THE WHOLE TOWN.

A COUPLE OF MUCH NEEDED OVERPASSES TO JOIN THE SIDES. A RECENT TRAGIC DEATH OF A MAN CROSSING AT NIGHT TO VIEW ART GALLERIES. EACH SIDE HAVING AN OPEN STAIR AND CONSTRUCTION LIFT PLATFORM. I MET WITH MARINE REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE CLEARANCE FOR THE OVERPASSES AND THEY SAID THAT CALTRANS WILL SET THAT AND THEY WILL ABIDE WITH THEIR DECISION.

PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS

DEVELOPMENT IS COMING TO JOSHUA TREE WHETHER THE TOWN PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT, SO WHY NOT CALL THE SHOTS AND DEVELOP A PLAN THAT ENABLES ARTY DEVELOPMENT?
THE END RESULT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY BRING TOURISTS TO HANG OUT AND SEE EVENTS. THE BOTTOM LINE BIG BUCKS FOR THE VENDORS AND OWNERS, THESE FUNDS WILL ALSO SUPPORT CIVIC PARKS AND CULTURE.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS SCHEME BEFORE WITH AN OPEN AIR TENSILE STRUCTURE THAT IS NOT TRYING TO SHELTER PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT CAN EXPAND AND CONTRACT INTO TO COMMUNITY. TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH, THUS VISUALLY UNITING THE CITY.

MAYBE IT IS A UTILITY OWNED BY THE COMMUNITY. THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS TO EXPORE.

PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS

CONSTRUCTION DETAIL SKETCH

THE MEETINGS WITH THE COUNTY SUPERVISOR OFFICE, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PROMINENT ARTIST AND LAND OWNER, MARINES, MOVER AND SHAKER LAND OWNER, WELDER, HAVE ALL GONE WELL AND THEY LIKE THE SCHEME. THE WELDER SAYING A PIECE OF CAKE TO BUILD WITH LOCAL WELDERS.

I CAN GET THE DESIGN THINGS TOGETHER TO BUILD, BUT THIS IS A HUGE PROJECT THAT WILL ENTAIL MANY AGENCIES AND GROUPS THAT HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.

WHAT I NEED IS SOMEBODY TO DO A BUSINESS PLAN TO PUT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO FUND THE PROJECT IN A REASONABLE LOCAL MANNER AND LEAD THE COORDINATION IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT A REALITY. IF YOU ARE A CREATIVE BUSINESS PLANNER AND INTERACT WELL WITH PEOPLE PLUS LOVE THE DESIGN CONTACT ME.

GLEN

GLEN HOWARD SMALL, AIA ARCHITECT

541 961 3792