SMALL AT LARGE

BRAVE SOULS,

AFTER 6 MONTHS, THE BLOG HAS 1500 READERS A DAY. THE READERSHIP IS CONSISTENT. AN ARCHITECT IN LONDON THE OTHER DAY MENTIONED HE READS MY BLOG. THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING SO.

I HAVE A PERSONAL CATASTROPHE TO DEAL WITH. FIVE DAYS BEFORE I WAS TO TEACH SPRING SEMESTER AT THE ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHERE I HAVE TAUGHT WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS FOR A YEAR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY TERMINATED MY TEACHING AT THE ACADEMY. I AM NOT AT LIBERTY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE . BY NOW YOU SHOULD KNOW I AM A STRAIGHT SHOOTER AND I SAY TO YOU IN ALL SINCERITY I AM INNOCENT OF ANY WRONG DOING. THOSE WHO KNOW THE DETAILS ARE OUTRAGED.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS I NEED A TEACHING JOB, CONSULTING JOB, OR OFFICE JOB IMMEDIATELY. I AM, WITH THE HELP OF FORMER STUDENTS AND FRIENDS, SCRAMBLING TO FIND A JOB. I AM BROKE. I HAVE TAPPED OUT, DURING MY DOWNWARD FINANCIAL SPIRAL, MY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. I AM IN BANKRUPTCY AND LOST MY HOUSE TO FORECLOSURE. JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS AT THE BOTTOM FINANCIALLY, I HAD TO BORROW TO GET THROUGH THE SUMMER, BECAUSE THE SUMMER TEACHING, THAT I WAS PROMISED, DID NOT MATERIALIZE. I WAS INTERVIEWING FOR A SECOND JOB TO AUGMENT MY TEACHING SALARY, WHAT IS THAT SAYING? “JUST WHEN IT COULD NOT GET ANY WORSE, IT DID.” IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET A JOB, AND I AM WITHOUT FUNDS TO SURVIVE.

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HI YI XU

HI YI XU

HUI YI XU

I HAVE SPENT MY CAREER USING PATTERNS. PATTERNS GIVE FORMS FOR ORGANIZATION, AND IF YOU ARE A SKILLED DESIGNER YOU CAN MANIPULATE THE PATTERN TO FULFILL THE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM. OBVIOUSLY THE FUNCTION WORKS BETTER WITH A PATTERN THAT MADES THE DESIGN ALL FLOW TOGETHER . THIS GETS INTO THE CHICKEN AND EGG THING WITH FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION. IT IS AN ENDLESS DEBATE. FOR SOME THE BUBBLE DIAGRAM AND BREAKDOWN OF PROGRAM RELATIONSHIPS BECOMES PARAMOUNT. IF YOU CAN HANDLE THE PATTERN AT THE SAME TIME IT ALL RELATES. THERE ARE MANY THAT DO NOT HAVE THAT SKILL AND GET FRUSTRATED WITH THOSE THAT DO, THUS BRANDING THEM AS FORM LOVERS WITH NO FUNCTIONAL CONCERNS WHICH IS TRUE SOMETIMES, BUT NOT APPLICABLE TO THE ALL INCLUSIVE DESIGNERS.

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A LITTLE ROUGH, BUT THE BEAUTY COMES THROUGH

LUCIA MY FILM MAKER DAUGHTER CAME DOWN TO SHOOT A SEQUEL TO “MY FATHER THE GENIUS.”  FILMING HERTY AND THE WORKMEN GREETING HER. Continue reading →

SITE PLAN

I WAS BROUGHT DOWN IN EARLY 2000 TO DO A MASTER PLAN FOR THE LAKE FRONT AND CULTURAL PLAZA WHERE THE POPE PAUL HAD AN OBOIST. WHEN THE POPE HAD SPOKEN 500,000 HAD GATHERED. HERTY LEWITES HAD BEEN ELECTED MAYOR AND WANTED AN ACOUSTICAL SHELL FOR FREE POPULACE GATHERINGS AND ENTERTAINMENT FROM THE SAME SPOT WHERE THE POPE HAD SPOKEN ON THE PLAZA. A CONCRETE EARTH MOUND WITH SEATING, ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR REVIEWING SANDINISTA’S TROOPS: A MEXICAN ARCHITECT PEPE DID THE DESIGN. MY SCHEME WAS AN EXPLODING ONION. THAT WAS REFINED TO A FLAME REACHING SKYWARD.

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HERTY DECIDED TO BUILD A ROTUNDA NAMED COLON ON COLUMBUS BLVD. IN FRONT OF THE FAKE PYRAMID CONTINENTAL HOTEL WHERE HOWARD HUGHES HAD LIVED AND I HAD ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AN ECO ADDITION OF A CONVENTION CENTER AND SHOPPING MALL IN 1987. AFTER ORTEGA LOST THE ELECTION, DURING MY ABSENCE THE TAIWANESE BUILT A GROSS AWKWARD SEPARATE COMPLEX IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL OF A CONVENTION CENTER AND SHOPPING MALL, THE DESIGN COMPLETELY TURNED ITS BACK ON THE VIEW OF THE LAKE MANAGUA . I CRINGE WITH DISGUST EVERY TIME I LOOK AT WHAT GOT BUILT AND RECALL WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BUILT.

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FAST FOWARD, NICARAGUA FROM 1999 TO 2005 WAS LIKE WINNING THE DESIGN LOTTERY. ROGER AND I DID ABOUT 45 PROJECTS. MOST OF THEM ENDED UP IN THE PORTFOLIO UNBUILT, BUT FOUR IMPORTANT PROJECTS FOR THE GOVERNMENT DID GET BUILT. LANDMARKS THAT THE POPULOUS RECOGNIZE AND DO NOT FORGET THAT EXIST TODAY. WHEN I WOULD GO INTO A RESTAURANT THERE WOULD BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, ARCHITECT GLEN SMALL IS HERE TONIGHT. NOW THAT IS PLEASANT TO HEAR. WE ALL WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED AND RESPECTED. THEY SAY AFTER THE BASICS HAVE BEEN MET OF FOOD, HOUSING, MEDICAL ETC., THE NEXT THING ONE NEEDS IS RECOGNITION. MY FAVORITE HANG OUT WAS MARIA BONITA WHERE FOOD, CHATTER, MUSIC AND POWER MIXED.

SOCIETY HAS A TON OF AWARDS, BEST BOWLER, BEST WRITER, BEST ACTOR, BEST CONTRACTOR, BEST DOCTOR, BEST POLITICIAN, BEST SOLDIER, BEST DANCER, BEST FRIEND, ETC. ACCOMPLISHMENTS NEED APPLAUSE. THE ARCHITECTURAL PROFESSION HAS A BUNCH OF AWARDS. AIA LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL. THERE ARE FAIA AND GOLD METAL ETC. I HAVE NEVER GOT ANY, SO I AM SUSPECT AS TO HOW THIS ALL WORKS. GIVING PATS ON THE BACK TO ADVANCE ONE’S COMMERCIAL CAREER. YOU HAVE TO ENTER BY PUTTING UP MONEY AND DOING EXPENSIVE PRESENTATIONS, JUDGED BY ARCHITECTS WHO ARE PART OF THE PACK OF THE UPWARDLY MOBILE IN CROWD.

IN NICARAGUA IT DID NOT MATTER, I WAS GIVEN PROJECTS FOR MY DESIGN ABILITY. HERTY LEWITES MY CLIENT WHO I HAD KNOWN SINCE 1985 AS THE MINISTER OF TOURISM UNDER ORTEGA, ROSE TO POWER BY WINNING THE ELECTIONS IN 2000 FOR MAYOR OF MANAGUA NICARAGUA. HERTY WAS A POLITICAL ANIMAL, BUT WAS RELAXED WITH A QUICK WIT AND WAS FUNNY. HIS STATURE WAS NON THREATENING. HE HAD A TWINKLE IN HIS EYES AND LIKED TO DANCE. I REMEMBER IN 1985 WHEN I FIRST MEET HIM, HE ADAMANTLY CONVEYED TO ME, HE HAD POWER.

I HAD NEVER BEEN CLOSE TO POWER OTHER THAN WITH THE GREEN MACHINE BACKING OF CALVIN HAMILTON, THE HEAD OF PLANNING FOR LOS ANGELES. HE HAD DIED WITHOUT ANY PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION. A SAD COMMENTARY ON POWER FORGOTTEN.

HERTY LEWITES DURING CONSTRUCTION

IN THE EARLY SUMMER OF 1999 WHEN I RETURNED TO SLEEPY OREGON TO WORK ON THE HOTEL PRELIMINARIES, I WAS IN HEAVEN. MY RECENT WORKS IN OREGON WERE HOUSES AND AN ART GALLERY. NICARAGUA WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD AT A LARGER SCALE IN A MANNER THAT REFLECTED MY SENSUOUS INTERESTS. I THREW A DINNER PARTY AT MY TEMPORARY RENTAL HOUSE ON THE FOURTH OF JULY TO SHOW MY FRIENDS WHAT I WAS DOING IN NICARAGUA. WALDPORT, SEALROCK, NEWPORT OREGON IS ALL ABOUT BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND PEOPLE WITH LIMITED VISION. SO MY STORIES OF NICARAGUA WERE FAR OFF FANTASIES.

PETER HOLSTEAD HOTEL: FIRST FLOOR MODEL

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HANG OUT WITH PETS ON THE BED

IN 1999 ROGER LEWITES, A FORMER STUDENT OF MINE AT SCI-ARC CALLS FROM NICARAGUA STATING HE IS INVOLVED WITH A GROUP TO PURCHASE LARGE LAND HOLDINGS ON THE PACIFIC COAST OCEAN FRONT.

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MY WORK COMES FIRST, THAT IS MY LOVE !

I MAKE IT VERY CLEAR UPFRONT WHAT IS THE PRIORITY IN MY LIFE.

I HAVE THREE MARRIAGES, FIVE BLOOD OFFSPRING, THREE GRANDCHILDREN AND A TON OF RELATIVES.

CONTEMPORARY COMPUTER AGE LIFE IS SO COMPLEX THAT AN ARCHITECT NEEDS A LOVING MATE THAT HE TRUSTS AND LOVES .

WIFE AND ARCHITECT IN MONUMENT

MY PRESENT ARTIST WIFE CHRISTIAN, WHO IS FROM NICARAGUA AND A JOY TO BE MARRIED TO FOR FIVE YEARS, COMES STORMING AT ME A FEW WEEKS AGO SAYING SHE HAD A FRIEND DOWNLOAD MY BLOG smallatlarge.com AND READ EVERY WORD AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF HER NOR HER WORK. Continue reading →

THERE COMES A TIME WHEN THE CHEERING RECEDES AND THE HAT GOES INTO THE AUDIENCE. THE SAXOPHONE PLAYER ON THE STREET WITH HIS CAP ON THE GROUND. THE VIOLIN MUSIC IN THE SUBWAY TUNNEL WITH THE CASE OPEN. YOU CAN GET THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR NOTHING ON THE INTERNET AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, INCLUDING MY BLOG.

I AM VERY PLEASED THAT JUST AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS THERE IS MUCHO ACTIVITY ON MY BLOG. IT HAS TAKEN OFF LIKE A ROCKET. MANY OF YOU HAVE HELPED SPREAD THE WORD, AND I THANK YOU.

IN THE UNIFORM, WITH THE HIP COLLAR

I BELIEVE IN BARN RAISING AND POTLUCKS. A PITTANCE FROM MANY CREATES NEEDED SUBSTANCE. AS MY FIRST BLOG INDICATED, I AM CRAWLING OUT FROM HUGE DEBT AND HAVE EXPENSES AND OWE MONEY TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THIS SUMMER I HAD TO BORROW TO PAY THE RENT ON MY DINGBAT APARTMENT. MY WEB SITE TECH MAN HAS A FAMILY WITH TEENAGERS TO SUPPORT. HE HAD TO TAKE A HOME MORTGAGE LOAN TO SUPPORT THEM WHILE HE FINISHES SCHOOL. (THIS TYPE OF SITUATION ENDED UP IN FORECLOSURE FOR ME).
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