SMALL AT LARGE

HIGH RISES ARE THE CROWN OF THE WESTERN SOCIETY.  WHO CAN MAKE IT TALLER? WHO CAN MAKE IT SENSATIONAL? WHO CAN MAKE IT A SYMBOL OF SUCCESS? HIGH RISES HAVE REPLACED THE CATHEDRALS OF OLD AS TOUTING THE SUCCESS OF A CITY.  THE DUBAI SOM TOWER BEING THE LATEST ONSLAUGHT OF MAJOR HIGH RISE MONUMENTS.

MY BREAK CAME WHEN I WORKED FOR THE DETROIT CITY PLANNING ONE SUMMER IN 1966, WHILE TAKING MY MASTERS AT CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART WITH AN ELIEL SARRINEN SCHOLARSHIP UNDER GLEN PAULSEN.  GLEN RECOMMENDED ME TO CHARLES BLESSING THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.  CHARLES WAS ROMANTIC AND LOVED MONUMENT VALLEY IN ARIZONA AND WANTED THE  BEAUTY THE VALLEY  TO COME TO DETROIT.  MY ASSIGNMENT WAS THE NEW CENTER AREA NEXT TO THE FISHER THEATER AND GMC WORLD HEADQUARTERS. ANOTHER BLOG.  I DID TWO HUGE INK RENDERING OF MY SCHEME THAT CAUGHT THE EYE OF MORT PERSKY, THE EDITOR OF DETROT MAGAZINE, A SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT OF DETROIT FREE PRESS.  ONE OF THE TWO MAJOR PAPERS IN TOWN, PART OF THE KNIGHT EMPIRE.

MORT’S CONCEPT WAS TO GET INVOLVED WITH CITY ISSUES AND MAKE AN IDEAL PROPOSAL TO PUSH THE THINKING AHEAD.   WE WERE THE PERFECT FIT.  FOR A COUPLE OF HUNDREDS BUCKS HE WOULD GET A MIND BLOWING PROPOSAL,  AND I WOULD GET MY EGO FED WITH THE PUBLICITY.  ALWAYS THINKING A MAJOR CLIENT WOULD COME MY WAY AFTER SEEING THE PROPOSALS. I AM STILL WAITING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

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DIVORCE IS NOT A SUBJECT I LIKE TO DISCUSS, BECAUSE IT IS A FAMILY MATTER AND THE WORLD DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CAUGHT UP IN THE TRAUMA OF MY PERSONAL LIFE. BUT SINCE THE MOVIE, MY FATHER THE GENIUS, ELEVEN YEARS AGO, MANY VIEWERS RELATE TO THE DIVORCE ISSUES, RATHER THAN MY PROFESSIONAL WORK, THEY CAN NOT CONSIDER THE WORK, BECAUSE THEY ARE BLINDED BY PERSONAL ISSUES. THIS BLOG IS A REPLY TO FATHERHOOD ISSUES. I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS YEARS AGO. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PRINT BY VIEWERS WITH LIMITED INFORMATION.

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AS A RESULT OF NOT GETTING COMMENTS BACK ON THE BLOG JUNGLE THEATER 1984, I SENT OUT A LETTER TITLED “SILENCE” TO ABOUT 50 PROFESSIONAL FRIENDS AND GOT A TIDAL WAVE OF REACTION AND COMMENTS.

SOME VERBIAGE WAS SENT TO ME PERSONALLY AND OTHERS TO REPLY ALL.
HERE ARE THE COMMENTS RECEIVED IN SEQUENCE. THERE MIGHT BE SOME ERRORS. SORRY. I INCLUDED SOME PERSONAL REPLYS. NO OFFENSE.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THAT RESPONDED, AND THE SINCERITY AND EFFORT THAT WAS MADE .
READING THE OUTPOURING OF THOUGHTS BRINGS A CERTAIN COMMON BOND THAT WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH AND ENJOY.

MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE. WHO SAID THAT?

GLEN

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IN THE SPRING OF 1984 AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION WAS ANNOUNCED FOR TIMES SQUARE THEATRICAL AREA. PHILIP JOHNSON (THE LATE PROMINENT EVER CHANGING COMMERCIAL ARCHITECT AND ARCHITECTURAL BROKER) HAD UPSET NEW YORK WITH A LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS TIMES SQUARE AREA. THUS, A COMPETITION WAS PUT TOGETHER TO SHOW ALTERNATIVES TO DEVELOPING THE AREA. THE PROGRAM STATED THAT PROPOSALS WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THE AREA IN GENERAL, THAT THE TIMES SQUARE BUILDING COULD BE TORN DOWN, AND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS WERE BEING SOUGHT. FOR ME THESE WORDS WERE FRESH MEAT IN FRONT OF A TIGER. I PUT TOGETHER MY SCI-ARC SECOND YEAR STUDENTS AND WE KNOCKED OUT A PRESENTATION IN THREE DAYS. A REAL SHAME, BECAUSE THE CONCEPTUAL IDEAS DESERVED MORE.

JUNGLE THEATER – NEW AND OLD CONNECTING

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THERE IS ONE THING THAT GEHRY AND I AGREE ON, WE COULD NEVER LIVE IN THE FARNSWORTH HOUSE. JUST THE UNLOADING OF MY POCKETS AT NIGHT CREATES MAJOR MESS. SO WHEN THE MANDATE CAME DOWN FROM MY WIFE, “NIGHT TABLES”, I KNEW THEY HAD TO HOLD MAGAZINES, BOOKS, WATCHES, PENS, PENCILS, CHANGE, SCREWS, CARDS ETC.

BEING A SYSTEMS MAN, I MADE ALL THE SHELVES THE SAME. THE VERTICALS COULD BE VARIED TO HANDLE THE SHEAR AND SPIRE UPLIFT. THE POINTED TOPS WERE FOR A LOOK AND HANGING STUFF ON. CROWNS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BED, SINCE THE BED WAS KING SIZE ON WHEELS. IF ONE GOT FRISKY AND STARTED JUMPING AROUND AND CRASHING INTO THINGS THEY WERE AT RISK OF BEING PIERCED BIG TIME .

ONE HOUR NIGHT TABLES 2006

MY SON BROUGHT ME LOADS OF SCRAP WOOD FROM JOB SITES UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE 5/8 INCH PLY WOOD WAS USUALLY LEFT OVER FROM THE ROOF DECK. TRIANGULAR IN SIZE, THE USA CONTRACTORS COULD NOT BE BOTHERED WITH THESE ODD SIZES. LABORER’S TIME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN RECYCLED WOOD. EXCEPT FOR DRYWALL SCREW ATTACHMENTS, THIS IS LEED CERTIFIED GOLD.
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FLUORESCENT BEWARE 2003

TO ME FURNITURE HAS BEEN A RESULT OF BEING IN A SITUATION THAT BOTHERS MY DESIGN SENSES, AND REVOLTING BY MAKING A PRODUCT. SIMILAR TO A LOT OF MY ARCHITECTURAL SCHEMES.

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SWASTIKA PEACE BUNK HOUSE

I AM ANTI NAZI. I WAS RAISED DURING WORLD WAR TWO AND THERE WAS A CONSTANT NEIGHBORHOOD MOCK BATTLE AGAINST GERMANY AND JAPAN. I ABHOR WHAT THE NAZIS DID AND STOOD FOR. RECENTLY A PROFESSOR FRIEND OF MINE TOLD A PERSONAL HISTORY OF HIS PARENTS BEING NAZI DEATH CAMP SURVIVORS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CRUELTY OF MAN, AND IT IS HAPPENING AS OF THIS MOMENT BY THE LOVING NATIONS OF THIS WORLD.

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TESTING TRUSS

WHEN I CALLED FOR HELP WITH SOS AND MONEY BLOGS, I MENTIONED THAT I HAD BEEN TERMINATED UNFAIRLY. SOME OF YOU RESPONDED ASKING WHAT DID YOU DO, HARASS A STUDENT ETC?

I CAME TO THE ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY WITH THE BECKONING OF ALBERTO BERTOLI, THE DIRECTOR OF THE COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM. WE HAD MET AND TAUGHT AT SCI-ARC AND WE RESPECTED EACH OTHER’S DESIGN TALENT. I HAD GIVEN A CHARRETTE AT THE ACADEMY OF ART IN 2006 AND THERE WERE GIGANTIC STEPS OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE SINCE THEN.

I MOVED FROM OREGON AND SET UP LIFE IN ALAMEDA TO TEACH. A MAJOR EXPENDITURE, BECAUSE THE JOB DESCRIPTION WAS TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM THAT WOULD LAST FOR MANY YEARS.

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CONNECTIONS

FOR A FREE SPIRITED OUTSIDER WHO DOES NOT LIKE TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO, HOW COULD I ESPOUSE REGULATIONS?

THERE ARE REGULATIONS AND REGULATIONS. SOME RESTRICT CREATIVITY; OTHERS PROMOTE CREATIVITY WITH INTERACTION.

CHANGE IS COMING FASTER THAN ANY TIME IN HISTORY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. YET ALL THIS CHANGE NEEDS STANDARDS TO INTERACT.

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ARCHITECTS ARE ALOOF ABOUT MONEY, BUT THEY TALK ABOUT MONEY ALL THE TIME.

CLIENTS ARE MORE DIRECT, THIS IS WHAT IT HAS TO COST. IF NOT I WILL GO ELSEWHERE.

PEOPLE ARE SO UP TIGHT ABOUT MONEY. IT IS REVERED, WAY BEYOND INTELLIGENCE AND TALENT. IT IS WEIRD.

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