CARBON PRODUCTIONS

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  • May 17, 12

    landscapearchitecture:

    (via Dreamlike Places That Actually Exist - News - Concrete Playground Sydney)

    All of these required long long term planning. Lesson learned.

  • May 11, 12

    It seems obvious to me, if we want healthy and affordable food options, we need to empower local growers and engage new local growers. The demand is out there for the product, and I have at least a half dozen pals that would love to get into the game. I’m sure there are more. What is holding us/them back? I think part of the hesitation is seasonality. Can I really make a living growing organic crops with a limited shelf life? The growing, and thus selling, season is only about 4-6 months. Not likely I can sustain a business or family on that schedule. So now we are talking about investing in greenhouses to allow year-round plant production. This is where a public-private partnership enters the picture. Here is the scenario - the city offers abandoned urban lots to farmers at little or no cost. The growers, possibly with the cities help, identify and recruit private investors to step in and provide the necessary capital to build the greenhouses. A distribution system (jobs) is created that supplies local, organic goods to restaurants, grocery stores, schools, year-round, indoor farmers markets, delivery services, etc. The investors are paid off, the growers are making a profit, and we all have better food on our dinner table. Seems simple, right? Here’s the thing. It is that simple. Of course there would be challenges, but since when has anything worth doing been easy.

    Video via The Dirt

  • Apr 23, 12

    landscapearchitecture:

    Discussed the manipulation of play with one of my students for their current project.   Fairytales rely on an undercurrent of fear and danger….

    lynettehastencats:

    Jason Lee: coolest dad ever

    Great images…

  • Poetry Month

    Apr 03, 12

    The spring break peacocks
    strut their stuff
    up and down Estero Boulevard.
    They want you to see how pretty they are,
    like at the zoo.

  • Teen Tech Week, ACPL, and TekVenture

    Feb 29, 12

    

    Do you have a teenager at home? Looking for a way to get them off of the Xbox and into something creative? Look no further than the Maker Station. The Maker Station is a year long collaboration between the Allen County Public Library and TekVenture. 

    The Maker Station is a workshop/lab that is home to rapid prototyping equipment like a CNC router, CNC milling machine, Makerbot 3D printer, injection molding machine, Egg-bot and more. We are located in the parking lot at the main library branch on Washington Street between Webster Street and Ewing.

    I am teaching an introductory course on Sketchup, which is a digital 3D modeling program this Saturday morning (March 3) from 10:00 - 12:00 in the ACPL computer lab. We will break for a pizza lunch and then in the afternoon we will send our freshly created digital models over to the Maker Station where we watch them physically created on the Makerbot Thingamatic 3D printer! 

    Everything is free (including the pizza) and your teen will get to take home their model.

    Click on the title of this post for registration.

    Event Type: Hands-On
    Age Group(s): Teens ages 12-18, High Schoolers, Middle Schoolers
    Date: 3/3/2012
    Start Time: 10:00 AM
    End Time: 3:00 PM
    

    Description:

     Learn about the “Rapid Prototyping” process of turning a design into a real part in this two-part workshop. Working in teams of up to two people, you will learn what tools are available in the TekVenture Maker Station to make things, what materials they can use and how that information will affect what you design. Your team will design a simple object and then export your file to The Maker Station where you will oversee fabricating your part on the rapid prototyping machines.
    
    DESIGN IT
    Get acquainted with a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program called Sketch Up to design a small art object, modify it, dimension it, render it and then save and export your design file to a machine in The Maker Station. You will then go to the Maker Station in the south parking lot of the Down Town Library to fabricate your part.
    
    MAKE IT
    Rapid Prototyping machines in the TekVenture Maker Station include a CNC router, CNC milling machine, vacuum forming machine, injection molding machine, 3D printer, and Egg-Bot. “CNC” means “computer numeric control” or a machine that can make something from a computer generated file. Learn how a rapid prototyping machine works and is set up for fabrication. Safety gear is provided.

    Library: Main Library
    Registration Ends: 3/2/2012 at 6:00 PM
    Contact: Young Adults’ Services
    Contact Number: 421-1255
    Presenter: Tek Venture
    Status: Openings
    
    
  • Feb 09, 12

    Gotye - State of the Art

  • Jan 21, 12

    I’ve got a thing for lady Norwegian singers…

  • Jan 21, 12

    My wife is fast.

  • Jan 07, 12

    Video from my #1 favorite release of 2011.

    Mount Moriah || Mount Moriah

    

  • Jan 07, 12

    Live video of my #2 favorite album of 2011.

    Doomtree || No Kings

    

  • Jan 07, 12

    Killer video from my #3 favorite release of 2011.

    Gotye || Making Mirrors

    

  • Dec 26, 11

    landscapearchitecture:

    Water, pool

    Jungle

  • Dec 22, 11

    zachklein:

    If you like pictures of bikes, follow Mission Bicycle. The team posts many of the bikes they build, and document the progress of a new frame they’re inventing.

    This one’s for you bike-heads. I spent an hour at Mission Bikes in SF a few years ago gawking and drooling like a slack-jawed hillbilly.

  • Dec 22, 11

    The Johnsons Christmas card is complete. A lot of these photos have been posted before, so feel free to fast forward.

    Happy Christmas!

  • Dec 21, 11

    Sometimes Autotune can make a song better. It helps if the vocalist can actually sing. If you like, go get Polica’s debut album on iTunes. Minneapolis music scene is as diverse and amazing right now as ever.

    (You can listen first on Spotify like I did. Then go buy the damn thing on iTunes or Amazon)

    Video via 89.3 The Current

  • Dec 18, 11

    landscapearchitecture:

    Video outlining the function of the Dutch bike intersection

    climateadaptation:

    Dutch bike lane design. Inherent in this design is purpose, which is “improve safety.” Transportation design in the U.S. does not recognize, “improve” only safety. The system is rigged in favor of productivity. Move cars faster, work work work shop shop shop.

    Assuming you have a bike lane to begin with…

  • Dec 15, 11

    Music by me. Video by kinetic sculptor and software programmer Jim Merz http://www.jimmerz.com/Visual_Music.html

  • Dec 14, 11

    We got an infra-red camera. Yeah, I’m pretty hot.

  • Nov 30, 11

    yvynyl:

    Ingvild Østgård - You Will Never Know

    This Oslo-based songwriter just sent me her material that consists entirely of live takes.  Listen to this song.  If you think this sounds like a live take, you’re crazy.  The sound, the song, the nuance - this is a perfect little gem.  In one take.  That is talent, my friends.

    She writes:

    I come from a small island in the north of Norway (Stokmarknes), but have lived in Oslo for some years now… Live we are a trio (Lars Even Tørresen, drums) and (Erik Normann, bass…also playing with Moddi..). I like to say that we play maximinimalistic music, small stories, inspired by other bands/artists like Feist and Beach House. I decided to release a live session as my first album because I was tired of the never-ending process: trying to make records, and never being satisfied or having the money. I thought that if we are not good enough live its not good enough. 

    You go, girl! Get the rest of her brilliant live session release from Brilliance Records.

    

    Mmmmm

  • Nov 28, 11

    calif-ornia:

    crowcrow:

    Gregory Euclide

    wow

    Now this is a REAL imaginary landscape!

  • yvynyl: Ingvild Østgård - You Will Never Know This Oslo-based songwriter just sent me her material that consists entirely of live takes. Listen to this song. If you think this sounds like a live take, you’re crazy. The sound, the song, the nuance - this is a perfect little gem. In one take. That is talent, my friends. She writes: I come from a small island in the north of Norway (Stokmarknes), but have lived in Oslo for some years now… Live we are a trio (Lars Even Tørresen, drums) and (Erik Normann, bass…also playing with Moddi..). I like to say that we play maximinimalistic music, small stories, inspired by other bands/artists like Feist and Beach House. I decided to release a live session as my first album because I was tired of the never-ending process: trying to make records, and never being satisfied or having the money. I thought that if we are not good enough live its not good enough. You go, girl! Get the rest of her brilliant live session release from Brilliance Records. Mmmmm

    13783 plays
  • Gone to the coastGone to the coast where I let my hair down(down)Out on the beachOut on the beach where I let my ship sail(sail)Gone to the coastGone to the coast where I let my hair down(ooh)Out on the beachOut on the beach where I let my ship sail(ooh)‘cause I don’t know what I wantI don’t know what to think with both the curtains drawnAnd I don’t know about youTell me something that I’m supposed to doRunners don’t run to me, runners don’t say the same old thingsRacers don’t bother me, racers don’t say the same old thingsBut you always doGone to the coastGone to the coast where I let my hair down(down)Out on the beachOut on the beach where I let my ship sail(sail)

    10 plays
  • Grand Finale

    8 plays
  • Holy cow. Just found these sisters thanks to Music For Kids Who Cant Read Good. They call themselves First Aid Kit. Absolutely stunning! Listen to the song and then if you want more (you will), check the video…

    8 plays
  • I think Laura is trying to tell me that it is time to clean and open the pool…

    8 plays
  • SONG OF THE WEEK - “Suddenly” from BT’s new album, These Hopeful Machines.

    7 plays
  • A rawkus song of the week. (and no, it’s not a Christmas song) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

    1 plays
  • welfle: whammybar: suwsshiyr08: A new mix i’ve been working on… it’s not that great. Wrong, Jon. It’s great. Word. I thinks this is great!

    31 plays
  • Song of the Week (Thanksgiving Edition) is People Got a Lot of Nerve from Neko Case latest album Middle Cyclone.

    6 plays
  • Song of the Week - “Coffee Girl” by The Tragically Hip. Tragically Hip are Canada’s favorite sons. Lead singer Gordon Downies instantly recognizable voice always takes me back to my time living in Vancouver. From the Canadian Audiophile blog, If ever there was a band to sum up the Canadian character, it would be Kingston’s The Tragically Hip. From the sun-yellowed prairies of Saskatchewan to the heavin’ metropolis of Toronto, from the rain-soaked lanes of Vancouver to the warmth of Nova Scotia, The Hip have criss-crossed Canada with their tales of love, struggle, passion, glory, and hockey. The quintet has poetically told the stories of thousands, keenly engaging in the beautiful accounts of the fisherman, the longshoreman, the waitress, the businesswoman, the lawmaker, the hockey player, the truck driver, the farmer. And now, with the world to all appearances crumbling ‘round us, frontman Gordon Downie and the band return to draw us near, hold us close, and open our eyes. The Hip have dispatched Bob Rock again to serve as producer. His work on 2006’s World Container helped shake something loose and it’s exciting to see the band continue on the same path with their eleventh, the aptly-titled We Are the Same. “Coffee Girl” is a catchy tune that avoids the angst and tension common to much of Tragically Hip’s offerings.

    2 plays
  • Avett Brothers have always been kind of hit or miss for me. Past albums typically had a song or two I LOVED and the rest, well, not so much. Just got their new album I and Love and You after a nudge from my buddy Chad. Most definitely love or really really like the majority of tunes on this one.

    13 plays
  • I found this little beauty at a garage sale this weekend for 4 bucks. It is a Casio VL-Tone VL-5. Of course I plugged it into my computer and proceeded to start noodling. The simplicity was inspiring and an hour later I recorded the song above. Click right here to find out more about the VL-5. (The first 58 bars are simply the VL-5 recorded straight into Ableton Live. No effects. At measure 59 the bass line is the VL-5 pitch shifted down an octave. More effects are added at bar 83)

    14 plays
  • Song of the Week 10/09/09 Karen O and the Kids - All Is Love This is from the soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are coming to theaters on October 16. Karen O composed music for the soundtrack and co-produced it with Tom Biller of the Afternoons. And Rolling Stone has also learned the list of Kids’ rockers includes her YYYs bandmates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner along with Tristan Bechet (Services), Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs), Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes), Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), Imaad Wasif (New Folk Implosion, Alaska). An untrained children’s choir contributes to the songs and soundscapes. Infectious and joyful!!!!! Cant wait to see the movie.

    19 plays
  • Song of the Week - The title track from Islands new release ‘Vapours’. Every song on this album is solid so don’t be afraid to buy the whole thing. Enjoy.

    2 plays
  • Song of the Week 9/26/09 Imogen Heap Hide and Seek One of the most beautiful songs ever and a perfectly executed use of a vocoder. From Imogen’s 2005 release Speak For Yourself. Do yourself a big favor and buy her new album Ellipse!

    14 plays
  • My name is Johnson. It’s gonna come out Johnson.

    6 plays
  • I have unearthed another amazing, obscure Swedish band. They’re called JJ and there is not alot of info on them but the music speaks for itself. Why are there so many amazing, innovative, experimental bands coming out of Sweden?… Other countries have found it more challenging to break into the global market with their music. This begs the question: “Why Sweden?” Theories abound. Some people claim that the subsidized municipal music schools, which give children the opportunity to become proficient at one or several instruments, lay the foundation for a life-long interest in music. Others theorize that an important component is the Swedish inclination to embrace new trends quickly, whether it is in music, fashion or film. Something else that sets Sweden apart from many other countries is that most Swedes speak English fairly well, which also means that a majority of the Swedish artists who succeed abroad sing in English. Over the last few years increased access to the internet has also played a decisive role; many Swedish musicians have chosen to use this worldwide medium to disseminate their music and become famous. The high school girls who make up Those Dancing Days first attracted a fan base for their dancefriendly tunes on the internet community MySpace. This quickly led to a label contract and performances at music festivals. The rising star Lykke Li also has MySpace to thank for her breakthrough. With new distribution outlets like these, success really can, and does, happen overnight. (courtesy of www.sweden.se ) Thats right, subsidized municipal music schools! Here in the USA we are cutting music, art, and industrial arts classes in public schools to focus on “core” disciplines. We do so at our own peril I fear. The fine arts and industrial arts are where the true passions in life are born for many, many kids and to rob them of that developmental experience is just that, robbery. Who steps in to fill that void? In the end, as a country, we ARE what we value…

    9 plays
  • So my 9 year old PC finally died last week. I replaced it with a bright, shiny IMac. While it’s been a struggle to get used to doing the simple things like navigating folders, setting up preferences, etc., the Mac way, my processing power is now so great that I am finding my workflow when writing/recording music VASTLY improved. Like night and day actually. I seemed to spend the majority of my time on the old computer…waiting… Not anymore. The Mac is blazing fast and it is now a pleasure to create. Check out my first new track on my first new Mac.

    21 plays
  • Starting to get to know the, new to me, Emu XL-7. My first pattern is rough…

    31 plays
  • New song I am working on. Have a listen and let me know what you think…

    46 plays
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  • 

    Alec Johnson

    Graduate City Landscape Architect at City of Fort Wayne

    Architecture & Planning | Fort Wayne, Indiana Area, US

    Experience

    • Jan 2010 - Present
      President / Contour DesignWorks
      Full service landscape design and planning firm www.contourdesignworks.com
    • Jan 2010 - Present
      Vice President, Executive Board of Directors / TekVenture
      TekVenture interconnects Imagination, Technology and Community, by providing the general public, students and educators an informal education about classic and emerging manufacturing and information technologies and those who use them. TekVenture serves its mission in experimental facilities where the public may engage tools, media and mentors to make things on the common ground where art and technology meet.
    • Jun 2009 - Present
      Executive Board of Directors member / ARCH
      The Mission of ARCH is to advocate for the protection and preservation of historically and culturally significant assets and historic places in Allen County and northeast Indiana.
    • 2007 - Present
      Graduate City Landscape Architect / City of Fort Wayne
    • 2005 - 2006
      Landscape Architect / Tushie Montgomery Architects
    • 2003 - 2004
      Landscape Architect / Anderson-Johnson Associates, Inc.

    Education

    • 1999 - 2003
      Iowa State University
      Bachelor Of Arts in Landscape Architecture
    • 1984 - 1988
      Independence High School

    Additional Information

    • Websites:
      Company Website, Blog
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  • ...and Part Deux... http://t.co/WRINbHGE

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • Interesting and confusing wrong number text I got yesterday (in 2 parts). Part the first... http://t.co/D8cZmE4T

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @brian_sterling Is that Spanglish, 'presto chango'?

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to brian_sterling Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @SallieJoC I do envy your travels

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to SallieJoC Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @brian_sterling Dont think they're supposed to do that. Ahhhh, just let em.

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to brian_sterling Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @FortWayne_com Perfect. I assume they are all single?

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to FortWayne_com Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @Reneta22 Nothing like it. Especially when it is snowing.

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to Reneta22 Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @Reneta22 Hardcore. Have you been to a game in Green Bay?

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to Reneta22 Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @Reneta22 how is it that you are a Pack fan? All of my family is from Wisconsin so Ive grown up with it. I did flirt with Cowboys in grade 4

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to Reneta22 Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @Reneta22 @Lizinka2001 @packers Are you a Packers fan Reneta? Thought i was the only one in Fort Wayne!

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to Reneta22 Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @bravasdogs No hurry. I'll hit you up next week.

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to bravasdogs Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • We've opened the valve to the river and topped off Lakeside Pond. (@ Lakeside Park & Rose Garden) http://t.co/OdEI4ohL

    May 25, 12 from foursquare Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • I just unlocked the "Swimmies" badge on @foursquare for checking in at water spots! Splish splash! http://t.co/lGhGypfn

    May 25, 12 from foursquare Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • I just unlocked the "Great Outdoors" badge on @foursquare for checking in at outdoor spots! Freedom! http://t.co/xHVWbg0z

    May 25, 12 from foursquare Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • Happy First Birfday @bravasdogs !

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • Heard these guys? Maybe up your alley @mkelleyolg Have Gun Will Travel - Mergers & Acquisitio… http://t.co/p9c4BchP

    May 25, 12 from Spotify on iOS Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @into_landscape Yup. You guys in town this weekend?

    May 25, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to into_landscape Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • @into_landscape Thanks Chad. Making tomato cages.

    May 24, 12 from Tweetbot for iOS in reply to into_landscape Reply, Retweet, Favorite
  • Anybody know of any good willow stands I can harvest a dozen whips from in/near Fort Wayne?

    May 24, 12 from HootSuite Reply, Retweet, Favorite
• Tracks

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  • Tryptit

    30 plays
  • The Spaniards Dream

    28 plays
  • Dub Corridor

    48 plays
  • Repeater

    86 plays
  • Day10

    73 plays
  • Ron Fesh

    56 plays
  • Sharkfishrock

    36 plays
  • The Question Color

    57 plays
  • Not So Experimental

    3 tracks (12:54)

    • Day10
      73 plays
    • Ron Fesh
      56 plays
    • The Question Color
      57 plays
  • Experimental

    2 tracks (15:23)

    • Repeater
      86 plays
    • Sharkfishrock
      36 plays
  • Snake (frightened rabbit)

    by YouMeAndTheDecorations
  • 19 - Memorized

    by rweinert
  • Singer in the Wild

    by Missing Survivors Band
  courage to the experimental

  Collaboratory Minimal

  Free Mp3 Monday With AnalogSuicide.com!

  Akustic Disko
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  • JohnsonCard

    May 20, 12

    	JohnsonCard 2010 Johnson Christmas E-Card	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 24 0 ratings
    	Time: 02:58	More in Entertainment

  • Boundless Playground

    Aug 26, 10

    	Boundless Playground This is a Sketch Up model and animation I created for Phases I and II of the new Boundless Playground planned at Kreager Park in Fort Wayne. Construction will begin this fall. You may notice that the model includes site furnishings, splash pad, restroom building (thanks MKM!), parking, seat walls, shade structures, and trees, but no play equipment. This is because we have not yet picked a play equipment manufacturer. The 3 "pods" you see on the site will be home to 3 separate play structures. I will update the model once we have selected the manufacturer. (The restroom building was designed and modeled by Morrison Kattman Menze Architects http://www.mkmdesign.com/page/mkm/	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 156 0 ratings
    	Time: 02:01	More in Comedy

  • Buskerfest

    Aug 09, 10

    	Buskerfest Test video	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 37 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:12	More in Comedy

  • Test

    Jul 29, 10

    	Test This	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 5 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:08	More in Comedy

  • Bella Nuts and Crackers

    Aug 12, 10

    	Bella Nuts and Crackers	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 36 0 ratings
    	Time: 01:34	More in People & Blogs

  • Bella Singing_Aug_09.MOV

    Dec 12, 09

    	Bella Singing_Aug_09.MOV Bella Diva	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 5 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:47	More in People & Blogs

  • Franke Park MTB Helmet-Cam

    Jan 13, 12

    	Franke Park MTB Helmet-Cam Attempting to document the exceptional mtb trails we enjoy here in Fort Wayne. Video by helmet, soundtrack composed and recorded by yours truly. More to come...	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 911 3 ratings
    	Time: 03:19	More in Sports

  • Logan Stop Motion

    Oct 28, 09

    	Logan Stop Motion	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 23 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:37	More in People & Blogs

  • Dancing Queen

    Dec 05, 09

    	Dancing Queen	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 25 1 ratings
    	Time: 01:14	More in People & Blogs

  • Tickle Me Bella

    May 20, 10

    	Tickle Me Bella Most definitely Bella's favorite present.	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 129 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:18	More in People & Blogs

  • Logan Dive

    Jun 01, 09

    	Logan Dive Logan doing a "backward entry" at the City Dive Meet	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 79 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:10	More in People & Blogs

  • Just Bella

    Oct 29, 08

    	Just Bella doin nothing	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 26 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:08	More in People & Blogs

  • Crazy Bella Part Dieux

    Aug 22, 10

    	Crazy Bella Part Dieux patience for the butt shot.	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 87 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:39	More in People & Blogs

  • Crazy Bella at the Fiesta Pool Party

    Jun 08, 10

    	Crazy Bella at the Fiesta Pool Party I have no idea what she is doing....?	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 59 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:32	More in People & Blogs

  • Diver Down

    Jun 25, 10

    	Diver Down Logan at his first dive meet	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 96 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:18	More in People & Blogs

  • Bella

    Oct 06, 09

    	Bella on da beach...	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 42 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:26	More in People & Blogs

  • Logan

    Nov 20, 07

    	Logan the Beach Monster	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 24 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:17	More in People & Blogs

  • Flying Bella

    May 14, 09

    	Flying Bella Memorial Day in the new pool...	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 58 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:54	More in People & Blogs

  • Spinning Bella

    Nov 15, 07

    	Spinning Bella Memorial Day in the new pool...	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 50 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:24	More in People & Blogs

  • Gilligans Island

    Feb 10, 12

    	Gilligans Island Skipper's Little Buddy	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 312 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:32	More in People & Blogs

  • Playing hookie at the park

    Mar 20, 08

    	Playing hookie at the park with Laura and Bella	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 58 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:25	More in People & Blogs

  • Walking Towards the light

    Jul 20, 10

    	Walking Towards the light This is my first foray into independent film-making. It is a 'short' titled "Walking Towards the Light". I would like to thank all my friends and family who worked on this film. It was a long 3 years but with your help my dream is finally a reality. Thanks especially to those of you who lent your financial support - and to all my extras.	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 199 0 ratings
    	Time: 01:01	More in Pets & Animals

  • Bella Repeats

    Aug 21, 10

    	Bella Repeats For some reason Bella refuses to say "one". We try to trick her but it never fails...	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 56 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:18	More in People & Blogs

  • Peanut Reads Dr.suess

    May 15, 09

    	Peanut Reads Dr.suess Evan Daniels in the house...	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 93 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:38	More in People & Blogs

  • The Great Wall of Kentucky

    Apr 24, 10

    	The Great Wall of Kentucky Logan and Bella turn it out!	From: tellyouwhatboy Views: 110 0 ratings
    	Time: 00:29	More in People & Blogs

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  • Are Landscape Architects Necessary?

    Feb 22, 11

    I asked local whiz-bang architect and friend Andrew Mitchell that question…”Are Landscape Architects really necessary”. His answer might surprise you.

    As a Graduate Architect, a crucial part of my job is analyzing other people’s designs in order to make fun of them¹ and feel superior.   I know it is a sacrifice that I must make for my profession, but I feel that I am the ideal person for this challenge.  As a designer I am fully qualified to be anything and everything to my clients.  I can design their facility from A to Z and save them money in the long run.  I do not need to hire consultants, I know everything and know what is best for them.  The only hiccup to my design dominance is when the client asks questions like, “Why is our warehouse surrounded by boxwoods and turf grass?”  Obviously my response is, “We wanted you to feel at home when you are here.  That is why we designed your site like your front yard.”  Client: “Oh, I see.  Shouldn’t we talk to a Landscape Architect?”  Design Star: “Is a Landscape Architect necessary?”

    Are Landscape Architects necessary?  That is a question we face time and time again.  In these tough economic times, when projects are managed on a shoestring budget, can we afford to hire another design consultant?   Briefly pushing aside all the arguments regarding expertise and who went to school for what, let us examine how our brain processes information.
    The human brain can only produce six bits of information simultaneously (+/- 2)².  For our example we will use four.  This assumes that, at any given time one can be processing twenty-four different variations of those bits.  Now let’s imagine that you are the Project Manager/Designer of a $25 million dollar medical office building.  Besides managing the rest of your in-house team, coordinating consultants, adhering to a budget, managing client expectations, you are responsible for producing a functional building that doesn’t leak.  I just listed five items and I didn’t even mention integration of the building into its context and development of exterior spaces.  Now let’s bring expertise back into the mix.

    If you are a designer, one could assume that you have a four or five year undergraduate degree that equates to approximately 1,500 hours of research/design time.  Couple that with two or more years of internship and possibly a graduate degree and you can add approximately 5,800 hours for a total of 7,300 hours of research/design time before you enter the job market.  Unfortunately this experience only serves as the foundation for your career, most companies and clients value “real world” experience.  So you work for a firm and in a year you have 2,000 hours of experience, by five you have 10,000. In his book, “Outliers: The Story of Success”, Malcolm Gladwell discusses that 10,000 hours of experience is the key to expertise. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.³

    Woo hoo! I just need to work for five years and I will be a master! Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that easily. Research has also shown that too much exposure too fast has negative consequences as well. In 1995 a study was performed to understand if the volume of clinical experience affected the performance of clinical clerks on surgery exit examinations.⁴ Students recorded their clinical experiences in a logbook during their surgical clerkship. The influence of clinical experience on examination scores and on correlations between pre-rotation and post-rotation examination performance was examined. The study determined that surgical clerks’ clinical skills were enhanced by an increased volume of some but not all clinical experiences and that feedback does not necessarily enhance performance.

    So, what is all this trying to tell me?

    We know that the brain has limited ability to process a multitude of functions at one time. Expertise is directly correlated to the number of hours spent practicing in a given field, but the hours spent are wasted on a sprint towards the finish and more suited for a marathon of learning. Despite the plethora of design talent I may have, if I spread myself out too thin, I only hurt the project more than help it. So, when a Client asks, “Is a Landscape Architect necessary? Can we afford to hire one?” My response will be, “Can we afford not to?”

    ¹Disclaimer: Stereotyping of everyone reading this article is about to occur.  Although many of us want to be open-minded…sometimes it is physically impossible to be truly objective.  Therefore, do not take what you are about to read as a presumption that you or the author is a narrow-minded individual, but as a optimistic proposal that you embrace a process that strives to see the big picture…Thank you

    ²As presented by Scott Livingston in his presentation “Awareness: What is Emotional Intelligence and What Does it Mean for Leaders.”

    ³Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2008

    ⁴Chåtenay M, Maguire T, Skakun E, Chang G, Cook D, Warnock GL. Does volume of clinical experience affect performance of clinical clerks on surgery exit examinations? Am J Surg. 1996 Oct;172(4):366-72. PubMed PMID: 8873532

    Andrew Mitchell is a Graduate Architect in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  (When he is not offending Landscape Architects) He spends his time enhancing community either through his firm, Morrison Kattman Menze, Inc. or his think tank, AB417.  For Andy social advancement requires responsible and productive communities that address the needs and issues of an array of different, yet interconnected, individuals and groups.  His aim is to cause a closer, more comprehensive examination of the costs and benefits of issues facing both individuals and communities today in order to make positive and productive changes.

  • Do You Compete?

    Feb 19, 11

    Here at Contour DesignWorks, we are fortunate to be working on a couple of good projects that are keeping us busy. LA and Architecture firms across the country are not so lucky. I recall from my time working with a Minneapolis architecture firm how the focus in the office shifted from working on project design to working on submissions for competitions when the project well ran dry. This was a great way to avoid having to lay off team members while keeping folks busy and actively engaged in creative direction. It is great feeling to win a design competition, but the benefits go beyond warm fuzzies. The good competitions typically force the entrants to stretch their ideas of what landscape architecture should mean and are a refreshing opportunity for growth. Win or lose, built or not, the end result is an interesting, fantastic addition to the portfolio of landscape architecture.

    My favorite competitions are those where the administrator understands the inter-twined and symbiotic relationship between landscape architecture, sociology, planning, architecture, music, and art in all its varied forms and challenges the entrant to consider this as part of the solution to the stated question/goal. We will be keeping our eyes out for interesting competitions to enter and share throughout the year.

    While not exactly a competition, a call for submissions was recently announced by Kerb 19,

    “…an annual cross-disciplinary design publication produced by the RMIT University School of Architecture and Design. Kerb is a progressive design journal focused on contemporary landscape architecture issues from an international and national perspective.

    The journal is unique in being compiled and edited each year by a group of interested students, from a range of articles invited from its global audience, and as a critique of current student work…”

    This years theme is ‘Paradigms of Nature. Post Natural Futures.’ and the challenge is to consider how technology will continue to develop as part of our natural systems and how we make the most of this symbiosis.

    The final product is a journal, an artistic exhibition of sorts where the investigations are displayed and shared.

    See the Kerb 19 website for complete submission information and check out their blog for inspiration.

  • This Monkey’s Gone To Heaven

    Jan 08, 10

    Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created this curious work of public art in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Made by arranging the ubiquitous Brazilian flip-flop over an inflated rubber form, it does what my favorite public art does, it surprises and delights.

    From Hofman’s bio – “The work of Hofman is known for integrating, intriguing
    and interactive installations into public space.
    Obviously he changes with great joy between performative
    (public) art and the domain of the sculpture (only
    to mention a few of his used media) and has a strong
    wish to amaze and making life a little much more fun.”

    Definitely check out Hofman’s website to learn more and to see more of his work.

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