April 14, 2006
Photos: 2006 Y-PLAN Tour
February 04, 2006
Photos: Monterey Bay Aquarium
We took a quick trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today - much fun. The photos pretty much set themselves up...
Monterey Bay Aquarium Photo Album
Photos: Exploratorium
The Exploratorium opened it's new exhibit, Reconsidered Materials, with an evening of live performances and multi-generational fun. In dim lighting, a thrumming d.j. and overwhelmed bar complemented art installations and adults at play amongst the Exploratorium's regular science exhibits.
January 25, 2006
Photographer Olivo Barbieri
An aqueduct on the periphery of Rome
Metropolis is running an article on Italian photographer Olivo Barbieri, an artist who manages to make urban aerials appear like models or animations of cities rather than real places. Thanks to BLDGBLOG and The Map Room for the links...
architecture, photographs, urban design
December 06, 2005
Photos: Redwood City
Warning: 400 photos in this set and many of them are repetitive. Redwood City is not the most aesthetically appealing site (although, who can knock a beautiful Longs Drugs or Albertsons, really)... but it has provided plenty of opportunities for urban design studio projects.
UD studio, photographs, urban design
November 20, 2005
Photos: Crissy Field
This little girl in a white dress was fascinated by wet sand . . . Nothing like a Sunday at Crissy Field in SF. These are, per usual, basic urban design photos.
September 15, 2005
Photos: Oakland Zoo
Photos: Emeryville, CA, Urban Design(?)
Emeryville, the land of infill... Basic photos for recording urban design elements, including typical residential units, freeways, big box retail, and street sections...
July 26, 2005
Photos: Eaves Wedding
Chicago, July 16, 2005
June 07, 2005
Photos: Big Sur Hike
Two days and twenty miles later, I now have plenty of photos of trees. Trees, trees and more trees. Thanks to rcp for inviting us along!
June 02, 2005
Photos: Grace Cathedral and Huntington Park
Begun in 1928, San Francisco's Grace Cathedral is the Bishop's seat of the Episcopal Diocese of California. Designed by architect Lewis Hobart, the cathedral's gothic-like towers rise 174 feet above street level, and the north tower houses a carillon of 44 bells. Although historical in style, the building is constructed of concrete and steel.
The cathedral is known for its two pedestrian labyrinths -- one on an indoor carpet and the other in terrazzo outside. The term labyrinth, however, seems a misnomer. Although both pathways wind in and around themselves to reach a central point, neither offers the pedestrian choice in direction; one can walk forward or backward, but not choose an alternate path.
Nearby Huntington Park serves as a decent vantage point for photographing the cathedral, while also boasting bikini clad sunbathers and sensual fountains in counterpoint to the looming church facade.
Grace Cathedral and Huntington Park Photo Album
May 28, 2005
Photos: Balboa Park
We arrived at the park at dusk, making it a little challenging to take photos without a tripod. Although not the best set of pictures, it was a good chance to play with light settings.
May 27, 2005
Photos: San Diego Wildlife Park
More animal photos from San Diego -- this time at the Wildlife Park outside the city. The Park's role as a breeding facility was clearly apparent during our visit; there were babies everywhere!
San Diego Wildlife Park Photo Album
May 25, 2005
Photos: San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a privately owned, non-profit Zoological Society and was founded shortly after the opening of the Panama Canal in 1916.
May 16, 2005
Photos: Portola Redwoods
Portola Redwoods State Park is just up the road from Palo Alto.
May 02, 2005
Photos: D'Errico and Antonelli Wedding
D'Errico and Antonelli Wedding Photo Album
Photos: Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park in Manhattan contains a variety of uses, including spaces for dogs, skaters, and children, along with ample seating.
Washington Square Park Photo Album
central station, landscape architecture, photographs, urban design
April 18, 2005
Photos: Ireland, November 2004
These are backposted photos that have just been uploaded to flickr. A bit repetitive in terms of content: land, water, sky, and some potatoes.
Ireland, Nov. 2004 Photo Album
April 17, 2005
Photos: Pinnacles National Monument
Pinnacles National Monument is about 2 hours south of Mountain View via 101.
Pinnacles National Monument Photo Album
Continue reading "Photos: Pinnacles National Monument"
April 12, 2005
Photos: Castro Valley
These are photos of basic housing types, the elementary school, several pre-schools, churches, and civic buildings. Castro Valley's parcel lines reflect the agricultural history of the locale -- early residents had thriving poultry farms. Today the deep lots provide opportunities for infill housing, and many already include in-law units or townhouses. Although the populace voted twice not to incorporate, Castro Valley was recently designated a redevelopment area in Alameda County and has hired an urban design consulting firm to develop a general plan.
April 06, 2005
Photos: Plazas Tour - People
Photos of the Plazas Tour participants are posted under a private setting on flickr because some of the pictures include students. Flickr friends should be able to link to the set by clicking on the shot above.
Plazas Tour - People Photo Album
Plazas Tour with Walter Hood entry
April 04, 2005
Photos: Mountain View Streetscape
In the 1980's, Mountain View began a push to create a pedestrian friendly downtown with an energetic retail/restaurant district. In the 1988 specific plan and in two updates since 2000, the city set forth guidelines and policies towards this end, including installing medians, trees, and wider sidewalks for traffic calming, instituting a strict facade design review for the "Historic Preservation Core" of the city, and creating a flexible parking system that can function as outdoor cafe space or diagonal slots.
Mountain View Streetscape Photo Album
Photos: Plazas Tour with Walter Hood
Our class ventured out on a plaza tour Saturday to gather images of different types of public spaces in the area, some more successful than others.
- Splash Pad Park near Lake Merritt in Oakland
- Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall in Oakland
- Jack London Square on Oakland's waterfront
- The Ferry Building at the Embarcadero in San Francisco
Notes for the extended entry are "under construction."
Photos: Frank Gehry's House
My recent trip to LA also included a drive by Frank Gehry's home in Santa Monica. Although the house is obviously different from its surrounding, it does blend fairly well with the neighborhood due to its massing, materials, and foliage.
Photos: The Getty
I had the chance to visit Richard Meier's Getty Center for the first time during a trip to LA the last weekend of March. The weather was perfect, and although I find Meier's constant shifting between surface materials a bit frantic, the complex was quite successful as an active public space filled with users.