editor’s pick – DesignApplause

note: this is a special category used only when we wish to place the object in the e-zine “Editor’s pick” window.

mental health awareness resources.

May 1, 2024

above > designer george douglas

each year millions of americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. during may, DesignApplause and the rest of the country are raising awareness of mental health. each year we fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.

this post debuted on 1 may 2019 and updated 1 may 2024.

[ resources ]
us mental health awareness week 2023
mental health america
nami / national alliance on mental illness / why care?
national institute of mental health

[ visual inspiration ]

above > self care / designer destinyblue

above > dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). also called reading disability, dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language.

therefore a child’s brain assumes or perceives alphabets / objects differently
the idea of this campaign is to support the children suffering from dyslexia, and to bring awareness amongst parents, teaching staff and others dealing with children of dyslexia to understand what their brain functions like or how it is difficult for them to adapt and understand the basics of learning. designer shravani virkud

above > i’m not. designer anoosh mubashar

above > designer grace bates

above > designer anoushka agarwal / i created a series of poster targeting mental health. i kept the colour theme red, black and white to show the seriousness and potential danger of lack of mental well being. this series shows the suicide aspect of mental ill-being. the posters come with supplementary information to make the message more clear. in all of the posters, i have provided the details of office of counselling and awareness at polyu, hong kong instead of some external counselling service keeping in mind the target audience, the university students and also the ease with which they can be contacted.
this project is also based on project semi-colon. an author uses a semicolon instead of a full stop when he doesn’t want to end his sentence. so the project was based on not giving up hope and making things better instead of resorting to suicide. the noose and the comma are a reflection of the project.

above > idaho federation of families for children’s mental health

above > designer john barton / sometimes a poster is designed to target just a section of the population, who may have trouble expressing their emotions; for example males. barton, a uk graphic designer created this poster for leeds met students’ union, to encourage males to go to counseling / ivline

above/ below > designer patrizia tresca / focusing on the depression and dyslexia, these posters aim to create awareness and engage the viewer with their personal messages.

above > designer george douglas / the links between creativity and depression and how the design industry can tackle mental health via eye on design

above > designer angela nardiello – angelphis 13 / this 11×14 print is created from an original hand-drawn sketch. it communicates enduring the healing process of manipulation/mental abuse. victims of other situations including depression and other disorders, current human rights abuse situations, and more can also relate to this sketch.

2024 pritzker architecture prize awarded to riken yamamoto.

Mar 5, 2024

above> riken yamamoto / tom welsh/the pritzker architecture prize

riken yamamoto of japan is recognized for modest designs that inspire social connection and both literal and figurative transparency.

above/below> photo courtesy of tomio ohashi

yamakawa villa 1977
the architect’s earliest work is a private residence situated in woods, designed to feel entirely like an open-air terrace and enjoyed during the warmer months. the non-prescriptive terrace seamlessly transitions into a living room and dining room, while sleeping quarters and the kitchen are contained in small dispersed rooms. the wooden beams that cover the floor below and pitched ceiling above run in parallel throughout the length of this narrow building, inducing serenity and evoking the nature of its immediate surroundings.

above/below > photo courtesy of tomio ohashi

yokosuka museum of art 2006 yokosuka, japan
considering the user experience first, yokosuka museum of art is envisioned as both a destination
for travelers and a daily reprieve for locals. the inviting serpentine entrance evokes the surrounding tokyo bay and nearby mountains, while many of the galleries are underground, providing those who approach with a clear, undisturbed visual experience of the natural geography. visitors may view through to the landscape and other galleries from round cutouts in all common spaces, uniting theseotherwise distinctive environments so that those inside are impressed upon not only by the artwork,but by the place and activity of others alongside them. the restaurant, with glass windows spanning the entire length, is on the ground floor, evoking a resort-like venue during all seasons.

above photo courtesy of shinkenchiku sha / below>tomio ohashi

hotakubo housing 1991 kumamoto, japan
yamamoto’s first social housing project encompasses sixteen clusters of housing that yield 110 units, arranged around a tree-lined central square that may only be accessed by passing through a residence. inspired by traditional japanese machiya and greek oikos housing that fostered collectivism amongst neighbors, yamamoto prompts a passage from private to semi-public space, resulting in a threshold that creates a subsociety, enabling the “local community area” while respecting privacy of individual families. occupational limitations enforced by the public housing act result in small units, so each features a terrace that faces the square, expanding living areas and connecting residents to the natural environment.

above> photo courtesy of kouichi satake / below> photo courtesy of ga photographers

pangyo housing 2010 seongnam, republic of korea
a complex of nine low-rise housing blocks is designed with nonprescriptive transparent ground floor volumes that catalyze interconnectedness between neighbors, assuring that even those residents who live alone don’t dwell in isolation. a communal deck across the second floor encourages interaction, featuring spaces for gathering, playgrounds, gardens and bridges that connect one housing block to another

above> photo courtesy of riken yamamoto & field shop / below> photo courtesy of nacasa & partners

tianjin library 2012 tianjin, people’s republic of china
a large entry hall spans north to south along the entirety of tianjin library, yielding maximum access of this large-scale building. the collection of six million books lines its bookshelves, which are incorporated into the intersecting grid of wall beams, up to 30-meters in length, resulting in seemingly floating stacks. each of the five levels features a mezzanine, so that the building appears as ten crisscrossing levels, and from any floor, visitors may view several other levels around them due to the vast openness of the design. the outer skin of the library is composed of stone louvers to not only mitigate the effects of yellow dust conditions but also achieve transparency. a resulting soft light lends to the ambience of the many diverse reading rooms, reflecting the wide range of readers, across generations, identities and interests, who frequent this public venue.

above / below> photo courtesy of riken yamamoto & field shop

saitama prefectural university 1999 koshigay, japan
specializing in nursing and health sciences, this university is composed of nine buildings connected by terraces that transition into walkways through sloping green spaces and courtyards. each transparent volume allows views from one classroom to another, but also from one building to the next encouraging interdisciplinary learning and interaction. all laboratories are located on the first floor, furthering the relational qualities between each specialty. the classrooms, auditorium, library, gymnasium, cafeteria and faculty rooms are located throughout the campus, however, distinguishing where one building ends and another begins is intentionally blurred, prompting an architectural language of its own.

[ riken yamamoto ]

[ about the prize ]
to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.

the international prize, which is awarded each year to a living architect/s for significant achievement, was established by the pritzker family of chicago through their hyatt foundation in 1979. it is granted annually and is often referred to as “architecture’s nobel” and “the profession’s highest honor.”

the award consists of $100,000 (us) and a bronze medallion. the award is conferred on the laureate/s at a ceremony held at an architecturally significant site throughout the world.

jay and cindy pritzker believed that a meaningful prize would encourage and stimulate not only a greater public awareness of buildings but also would inspire greater creativity within the architectural profession.

the prize takes its name from the pritzker family, whose international business interests are headquartered in chicago. their name is synonymous with hyatt hotels located throughout the world. the pritzkers have long been known for their support of educational, scientific, medical, and cultural activities. jay a. pritzker, (1922-1999), founded the prize with his wife, cindy. his eldest son, tom pritzker, the chairman and president of hyatt foundation, explains, “as native chicagoans, it’s not surprising that our family was keenly aware of architecture, living in the birthplace of the skyscraper, a city filled with buildings designed by architectural legends such as louis sullivan, frank lloyd wright, mies van der rohe, and many others.”

he continues, “in 1967, we acquired an unfinished building which was to become the hyatt regency atlanta. its soaring atrium was wildly successful and became the signature piece of our hotels around the world. it was immediately apparent that this design had a pronounced effect on the mood of our guests and attitude of our employees. while the architecture of chicago made us cognizant of the art of architecture, our work with designing and building hotels made us aware of the impact architecture could have on human behavior. so in 1978, when we were approached with the idea of honoring living architects, we were responsive. mom and dad (cindy and the late jay a. pritzker) believed that a meaningful prize would encourage and stimulate not only a greater public awareness of buildings but also would inspire greater creativity within the architectural profession.”

many of the procedures and rewards of the pritzker prize are modeled after the nobel prize. laureates of the pritzker architecture prize receive a $100,000 grant, a formal citation certificate, and since 1987, a bronze medallion. prior to that year, a limited edition henry moore sculpture was presented to each laureate.

the beginning is the most important part of the work. hello 2024.

Dec 6, 2023

“the beginning is the most important part of the work.” – plato

all of us are really wanting a fresh new year! this video made in 2019 by tbwa/paris for the national society of french railways (sncf) captures what our mind’s eye was seeking: a celebration of new life, a feeling of hope and optimism. may all your plans bloom and blossom beyond your wildest dreams.

the video was a way for the sncf to give thanks to those “preserving the planet” by traveling by train. according to the sncf, trains give off 30 times less co2 than individual cars and 20 times less than planes. thus, the national railway body is positioning itself as a healthy alternative to other modes of transport.

to illustrate this sentiment, the successive blooming of flowers – a time lapse that covers 200 hours. to capture each one of the 50 varieties included, every flower was photographed once every five seconds, day and night, which accumulated in 14,000 images per flower.

in the film, every flower that blooms is accompanied by the wheezing bang of fireworks, to illustrate the celebratory nature of the campaign. the sncp aims to transition from diesel-powered rail to developing stations that are autonomously powered by 2035.

#hello2023

the line redefines the concept of what cities of the future will look like.

Oct 1, 2023

above/below> a detail view of the concept vertical city aptly named “the line” touching the red sea

the line, a cognitive city stretching across 105.6 miles [170 kilometers], from the epic mountains of neom across inspirational desert valleys to the beautiful red sea. a mirrored architectural masterpiece towering 1,640 feet [500 meters] above sea level, but a land-saving 656 feet [200 meters] wide. the line redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future will look like. a civilizational revolution, its unparalleled livability can be explored at the line exhibition – now welcoming visitors in riyadh. no roads, cars or emissions, it will run on 100% renewable energy and 95% of land will be preserved for nature. people’s health and wellbeing will be prioritized over transportation and infrastructure, unlike traditional cities.

above> a ground level view of the mirrored wall cutting through the desert / below> the vertical concept city vs comparable traditional city

a small footprint to blend with nature
the line will have an outer mirror facade that will provide its unique character and allow even its small footprint to blend with nature, while the interior will be built to create extraordinary experiences and magical moments. it will be created by a team of world-renowned architects and engineers, led by neom, to develop this revolutionary concept for the city of the future.

this city will eventually accommodate 9 million people and will be built on a footprint of just 13 square miles [34 square kilometers]. this will mean a reduced infrastructure footprint, creating never-before-seen efficiencies in city functions. the ideal climate all-year-round will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature. residents will also have access to all daily essentials within a five-minute walk, in addition to high-speed rail – with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes.

above> a canal from the red sea to the marina / below> the marina

a perfect climate all-year-round
to ensure the establishment of microclimatic spaces, the environment has been carefully designed to allow for an optimal balance of sunlight, shade and natural ventilation. furthermore, the green open spaces throughout the city will further enhance the comfort for those living, working and visiting here.

unparalleled access to nature
the progressive design offers immediate and uninterrupted access to nature within a two-minute walk – through its diverse open spaces, suspended on multiple levels. equitable access to pristine views of the surrounding natural landscape, mountains and sky, for all, avoiding urban sprawl thanks to a reduced infrastructure footprint.

more time to spend with loved ones
all daily essentials will be accessible within a five-minute walk and an efficient public transport network will offer a rapid end-to-end journey. automated services will be powered by artificial intelligence. amenities in close proximity will mean residents see family and friends often through spontaneous encounters.

clean air for everyone
the city will be zero-carbon, due to the elimination of unecessary infrastructure, cars and roads. it will operate on 100% renewable energy, including the operations of its industries. the integration of nature and open spaces throughout will serve an important role in enhancing air quality.

a concept referred to as zero gravity urbanism
the line remains one of the most important projects of saudi vision 2030, offering a new approach to urban design: the idea of layering city functions vertically while giving people the possibility of moving seamlessly in three dimensions (up, down or across) to access them is a concept referred to as zero gravity urbanism. different from just tall buildings, this concept layers public parks and pedestrian areas, schools, homes and places for work, so that one can effortlessly move to reach all daily needs within five minutes.

[ neom ]

a man for all reasons brit architect/designer david chipperfield wins 2023 pritzker architecture prize.

Mar 7, 2023

civic architect, urban planner and activist, sir david alan chipperfield has been selected as the 2023 laureate of the pritzker architecture prize, the award that is regarded internationally as architecture’s highest honor.

truly a man for all reasons. whether it’s a museum, a spoon or a lounge chair, either modern or traditional, his effort is subtle yet powerful, subdued yet elegant, he is a prolific architect and designer who is radical in his restraint, demonstrating his reverence for history and culture while honoring the preexisting built and natural environments, as he reimagines functionality and accessibility of new buildings, renovations and restorations through timeless modern design that confronts climate urgencies, transforms social relationships and reinvigorates cities.

“i am so overwhelmed to receive this extraordinary honour and to be associated with the previous recipients who have all given so much inspiration to the profession,” remarks chipperfield. “i take this award as an encouragement to continue to direct my attention not only to the substance of architecture and its meaning but also to the contribution that we can make as architects to address the existential challenges of climate change and societal inequality. we know that, as architects, we can have a more prominent and engaged role in creating not only a more beautiful world but a fairer and more sustainable one too. we must rise to this challenge and help inspire the next generation to embrace this responsibility with vision and courage.”

above> procuratie vecchie, photo courtesy of richard davies // below> procuratie vecchie, photo courtesy of alessandra chemollo

above/below> royal academy of arts masterplan, photo courtesy of simon menges

above> royal academy of arts masterplan, photo courtesy of the royal academy of arts

above/below> amorepacific headquarters, photo courtesy of noshe

above> amorepacific headquarters, photo courtesy of noshe

above/below> america’s cup building ‘veles e vents,’ photo courtesy of christian richters

above> america’s cup building ‘veles e vents,’ photo courtesy of christian richters

above/below> the hepworth wakefield, photo courtesy of iwan baan

above/below> saint louis art museum, photo courtesy of simon menges

above/below> james-simon-galerie, photo courtesy of ute zscharnt

above/below> inagawa cemetery chapel and visitor center, photo courtesy of keiko sasaoka

above> inagawa cemetery chapel and visitor center, photo courtesy of keiko sasaoka

above/below> river and rowing museum, photo courtesy of richard bryant / arcaid

[ about the prize ]
to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.

the international prize, which is awarded each year to a living architect/s for significant achievement, was established by the pritzker family of chicago through their hyatt foundation in 1979. it is granted annually and is often referred to as “architecture’s nobel” and “the profession’s highest honor.”

the award consists of $100,000 (us) and a bronze medallion. the award is conferred on the laureate/s at a ceremony held at an architecturally significant site throughout the world.

jay and cindy pritzker believed that a meaningful prize would encourage and stimulate not only a greater public awareness of buildings but also would inspire greater creativity within the architectural profession.

the prize takes its name from the pritzker family, whose international business interests are headquartered in chicago. their name is synonymous with hyatt hotels located throughout the world. the pritzkers have long been known for their support of educational, scientific, medical, and cultural activities. jay a. pritzker, (1922-1999), founded the prize with his wife, cindy. his eldest son, tom pritzker, the chairman and president of hyatt foundation, explains, “as native chicagoans, it’s not surprising that our family was keenly aware of architecture, living in the birthplace of the skyscraper, a city filled with buildings designed by architectural legends such as louis sullivan, frank lloyd wright, mies van der rohe, and many others.”

he continues, “in 1967, we acquired an unfinished building which was to become the hyatt regency atlanta. its soaring atrium was wildly successful and became the signature piece of our hotels around the world. it was immediately apparent that this design had a pronounced effect on the mood of our guests and attitude of our employees. while the architecture of chicago made us cognizant of the art of architecture, our work with designing and building hotels made us aware of the impact architecture could have on human behavior. so in 1978, when we were approached with the idea of honoring living architects, we were responsive. mom and dad (cindy and the late jay a. pritzker) believed that a meaningful prize would encourage and stimulate not only a greater public awareness of buildings but also would inspire greater creativity within the architectural profession.”

many of the procedures and rewards of the pritzker prize are modeled after the nobel prize. laureates of the pritzker architecture prize receive a $100,000 grant, a formal citation certificate, and since 1987, a bronze medallion. prior to that year, a limited edition henry moore sculpture was presented to each laureate.

[ sir david chipperfield awarded pritzker architecture prize ]

unrivaled residences found in repurposed chicago tribune tower.

Sep 15, 2022

above > tribune tower | crown terrace

a problem with most new construction in the residential high-rise segment is everything sort of looks the same, nothing really distinctive and unique. another irrational feature of new is the bedrooms are so small, quite out of scale with the rest of the unit and if you have a king-size bed your only hope is a big walk-in closet. chicago now offers an exception within the newly converted chicago tribune tower, a gothic masterpiece of a building. the tower was originally designed for commercial office space but has been repurposed into unrivaled residences and public spaces. below are a few examples.

architecture by scb / interior design by the gettys group. [ tribune tower competition of 1922 ]

above> tribune tower | illinois street lobby entrance

above> tribune tower | a lobby off the main reception area

above> tribune tower | courtyard overview

above> tribune tower | private parking area

above/below > tribune tower | crown terrace

above> tribune tower | deck

above/below> tribune tower | indoor pool

above> tribune tower | deck

above/below> tribune tower | deck

above> tribune tower | unit 2901

above> tribune tower | unit 3101 bedroom // below> unit 3101 living room

above> tribune tower | unit 402 living room

above/below> tribune tower | unit 2601 living room + private terrace

above/below> tribune tower | unit 2001 living room

above tribune tower | unit 2001 living room

above> legacy tribune building photo found in chicago bar restroom

founder editor dezeen marcus fairs leaves great legacy at age 54.

Jul 6, 2022

marcus fairs passing is a big loss to all of us. he was a big inspiration to architecture and design. a visionary. although 20-plus years my junior, i consider him a mentor. he founded and authored a great resource in #iconmagazine and in #dezeen that will carry on I’m sure but not be quite the same without him.

marcus fairs launches dezeen as a blog in 2006. the site not so great. the content on the other hand was relevant, opinion-filled, and the best of examples. the most current mission statement in fair’s own words with anders holst podcast was to be the most influential and popular design website in the world. mission accomplished.

above > icon cover recent issue

fast rewind, fairs launches icon magazine in 2003. as editor the magazine readership soars. in fact the magazine and fairs himself was awarded launch of the year and journalist of the year in 2004. in his own words, “a great publication in the golden era of print.” then fairs publishes a significant book, twenty-first century design in 2006 with a foreword by marcel wanders for which he is fired by media 10. he was fired because he didn’t clear the book with his bosses. both the first thru third editions of fair’s book can be found on amazon. the firing, which can also be heard in holst podcast, is strange because you would think the publisher, media 10, would be proud, not pissy, to have a visible expert editor publishing a book. but fairs had an internet something up his sleeve, “i can do this!” yes marcus, indeed you can.

above> the cover of first edition

[ dezeen ] @marcusfairs #iconmagazine #dezeen

i followed dezeen from the get-go and felt honored that he followed DesignApplause. we also met in milan in 2018 and vowed to have a drink at bar basso. sadly i have yet to go to bar basso.

what’s the difference between art and design? expo chicago 2022.

Apr 8, 2022

above > collectors enjoying video art by a former graphic designer gregory scott / catherine edelman gallery booth 169

note: this post in ‘in-progress’ as we await more details…

more than 140 leading art galleries from 65 cities in 25 countries show off their stable of talent at expo chicago 2022 which is the perfect confabulation and launchpad to contemplate what inspires the art. in this instance, DesignApplause submits that architecture, design, and engineering are one and the same and art is not.

> “what is the difference between art and design? as it applies to graphic design, i will say that the difference between art and design or artist and designers, is expression vs communication. … expression is about the artist and their view, design is about the audience and viewer. expression can be abstract and intangible but design has to be clear for the most part.” ~ anonymous

> “when one attempts to define art, there will be an artist to prove it wrong. ‘art is beautiful’ art becomes ugly. ‘art is emotional’ art becomes emotionless. ‘art is form’ art becomes idea. that’s the problem, art will always shatter definitions.

having said that, i will ignore my own advice and take a crack. i think it comes down to function. design can have many functions, whereas art has one single function. the function of art. digging deeper, the art concept can be portrayed in many different ways. the function of art isn’t singular, its endless.

so design is applied art? or maybe an eames chair is a design object when you’re trying to sell it or sit in it, and an art object when you’re observing it, etc. ~ anonymous

DesignApplause asked galleries if their artists in this show pursued any architectural or design studies in their background. 24 of 30 (80%) galleries point out the following:

above > artist virginia jaramillo was inspired by product designers charles and ray eames – jaramillo and a selected group of other students would make weekly visits to the celebrated designer charles and ray eames’s studio. there, jaramillo was introduced to design, architecture, and “a philosophy of structure and the purity of form.” these discoveries opened “a different way of seeing” for jaramillo and would guide her artistic thinking and output in the following decades. even as she was learning from the eameses, she began to explore japanese woodcuts and a related aesthetic philosophy, called ma, which she would ultimately channel into “the curvilinear paintings,” her best-known series. / hales gallery booth 323

artist margaret wharton worked in advertising before she received a bfa from the school of the art institute in sculpture. whorton, who passed away in 2014, left behind fantastically crafted sculptural assemblages as well as a body of raely seen conceptual photographs. hers is the story of women artists who came out in the 1970s declaring their feminisst credos. and many, like warton, used the very trappings of their domestic environment as form and content. wharton tells us, “the bandsaw was her paintbrush.’ / jean albano gallery booth 317

above> artist sara cwynar has a degree in design from york university in toronto / foxy production booth 314

above > fredrickson stallard – ian stallard earned a degree in product design and studied architecture (red chair, chrome coffee and side tables) david gill gallery 234

above > artist tomokazu matsuyama has a pratt degree in communications design / gavi gupta booth 211

above> an interesting chat with gallery owner who says none of his artists studied architecture or design / however gallery is overly represented in typographic art – the image above was created by an art & architecture department chairperson (awaiting name of artist) gallery rene schmitt booth 128

above > timothy taylor booth 205

above> featuring designer jonathan meuke (works in the middle) / volume gallery booth 332

note: teh following updated 15 may 2022…
[ expo chicago ], the international exposition of contemporary and modern art, concluded its ninth edition on sunday, april 10, with a high attendance of international collectors and curators alongside 30,000 visitors, exceptional presentations from exhibiting galleries and strong sales, in what was its most global edition to date. on opening day alone, the exposition welcomed more than 8,000 vip guests while raising $260,000 to benefit the museum of contemporary art chicago during the fair’s vernissage. collectors, curators, artists and art professionals enjoyed an exclusive first look at over 140 leading galleries from 25 countries and 65 cities throughout navy pier’s iconic festival hall. expo chicago will return april 13 – 16, 2023.

“we are thrilled with the enthusiastic return of expo chicago as we once again welcomed a global network of art dealers, curators, museum directors, collectors, artists, and arts enthusiasts to our great city,” said tony karman, president | director. “the city galvanized to provide a vibrant, robust week of activities in support of local and visiting patrons and i am deeply proud that our success proved the importance of this marketplace and re-established our place on the international art world calendar in this april timeslot.”

happy monday. hertz purchases 100,000 teslas and what it means for many.

Oct 25, 2021

last monday hertz made a mega announcement that they’re purchasing 100,000 teslas. in response the wall street journal‘s editorial board opines below what this means.

/////

the more you look behind corporate and government press releases these days, the more you learn about their mutual benefit society. we wrote tuesday about the many subsidies for tesla’s electric cars, but it turns out there’s also a pot of subsidy gold behind the hertz decision to buy 100,000 teslas for its car-rental fleet.

tesla ceo elon musk says he isn’t giving hertz a discount on the reported $4.2 billion order. but he doesn’t need to because the house reconciliation spending bill includes a 30% tax credit for “qualified commercial electric vehicles.”

the text doesn’t clearly define what is a “qualified commercial electric” vehicle, but our sources say hertz’s teslas would likely make the cut. the credit could save hertz $1.26 billion and make a tesla almost as cheap for hertz to buy as a toyota camry.

hertz plans to install thousands of electric-vehicle chargers, which could also be eligible for taxpayers subsidies. the house spending bill extends a 30% tax credit for the installation of ev charging stations through 2031, which is on top of the $7.5 billion appropriation for stations in the separate senate infrastructure bill.

hertz’s interim ceo mark fields is casting the company’s tesla order as a strategic business decision and evidence that evs are going mainstream. maybe, and there’s no doubt that the tesla order is winning progressive accolades for the rental-car company. electric vehicles are also less expensive to maintain than gas-powered cars, so they could reduce hertz’s operating costs.

but if evs make business sense, why must the government subsidize them? democrats complain that corporations aren’t paying their fair share in taxes, but then they give them generous tax breaks for promoting progressive policies that reduce their tax payments.

enjoy that hertz tesla ride. you’ll have paid more for it than the rental contract says.

/////

well ok, politics aside, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. it’s still a very green deal. a simple rental agreement equates to your ev training wheels which will lead to an ev purchase for many and more much needed charging stations. it’s one giant step in the right direction.

2021 chicago architecture biennial kicks off in a new format.

Sep 10, 2021

an architecture biennial unveils avant-garde ideas, materials, technologies and practices and serves as a forum for architects to make connections, collaborate with others and engage the public in issues and concerns in the field. the biennial also recognizes outstanding work in the industry.

the 2021 fourth edition of the chicago architecture bienniel kicks off 17 september organized in an entirely new format from previous years. all earlier editions were held at the chicago cultural center, an architectural masterpiece in itself, filling all three floors and greeting over 500,000 visitors in 2019.

because of the pandemic which affected long-established global venues, such as the venice architecture biennale, whose dates were put off twice — first, from may to august 2020, then to may 2021, chicago’s events will offer content within a neighborhood-centric format throughout the city.

the 2021 chicago event, titled the available city, builds on a chicago architecture professor’s long-term efforts to find creative uses for thousands of vacant city-owned lots. it will ask us to ponder how shared spaces, like community playgrounds, affect cities’ quality of life.

the biennial’s theme dovetails with mayor lori lightfoot’s $750 million “invest south/west” program to boost investment in struggling neighborhoods on the city’s south and west sides.

the mayor said in a news release, she was “thrilled” that the biennial “will be focused and grounded in our neighborhoods that can benefit from it the most.”

david brown, the 2021 chicago architecture biennial artistic director, is a professor at the university of illinois at chicago. brown participated in the inaugural 2015 biennial with an exhibition, also called the available city, which explored how 15,000 city-owned vacant lots could be transformed into usable public spaces rather than conventional reuses like urban farms.

above > david brown

since then, brown has worked with community-based organizations, connecting them with architects and designers to develop plans to turn individual lots or combinations of lots into small parks, plazas and buildings of various sizes.

this time around, the available city includes 15 site-specific architectural installations: located on public and private lots located in chicago’s neighborhoods of north lawndale, bronzeville, woodlawn, englewood, pilsen, collateral projects and the south loop. there are also two exhibition-based explorations located in an unused storefront space in bronzeville and at the graham foundation.

the host again is the graham foundation. and rather than starting from the ground up, the 2021 biennial will expand on brown’s work.

“that’s one of the reasons we’re really confident we can do this,” said sarah herda, the co-artistic director of the 2015 biennial and a member of the organization’s board. “we feel like it’s really a good moment” to reunite with brown and take his research forward, she said.

the biennial to date has featured models, drawings, installations and other work by more than 350 architects, designers and artists from more than 40 nations.

stressing that the 2021 biennial will seek to retain that international flavor, herda said the event might display projects from around the world that deal with issues like those brown has explored in his research.

out-of-town architects might communicate with chicago community groups via zoom or other online forums, she said.

the biennial’s first event will be an online conversation between brown and california landscape architect walter hood, winner of a macarthur foundation “genius” grant, who participated in the 2019 biennial.

as in previous years, the nonprofit organization that runs the biennial will present the event in cooperation with the chicago department of cultural affairs and special events.

the biennial becomes the second chicago architecture organization to shift from indoor activity to outdoor events and online platforms in response to the pandemic. the chicago architecture center presents it’s annual open house chicago, which normally gives participants access to the interiors of chicago buildings, is presenting outdoor and online tours.

[ contributors ]
ana miljački – critical broadcasting lab at mit (boston);
ania jaworska (chicago);
atelier bow-wow (tokyo);
borderless studio (chicago);
central park theater restoration committee (chicago);
christophe hutin architecture (bordeaux);
counterspace (johannesburg + republic of london + united kingdom)
craig wilkins (detroit);
departamento del distrito (mexico city);
drawing architecture studio (beijing);
el cielo (mexico city);
elleza kelly (new haven + new york);
englewood nature trail (chicago);
enlace arquitectura + ciudad laboratorio (caracas);
fala (porto);
gensler (stone soup group) (los angeles + chicago);
hood design studio (oakland);
in care of black women (chicago);
jill desimini (cambridge);
jovanna jackson (chicago);
maite borjabad lopex-pastor (chicago + madrid);
manuel hertz architecture (basel);
matri-archi(tecture) (basel + cape town);
michelle joan wilkinson (washington dc);
open architecture + under the grid (chicago);
outpost office (columbus);
port (chicago + philadelphia);
projecthood (chicago);
rayna rezmilic (santiago);
riff studio (new york city);
sekou cooke studio (charlotte);
shau (bendung);
soil lab (copenhagen + dublin);
sonja henderson and alphonso nieves (chicago);
stefan gruber (pittsburg);
studioapt (ann arbor);
studio barnes with shawhin roudbari and mas context (miami);
studio ossidiana (rotterdam + venice);
the bittertang farm (chicago + bainbridge island);
the open workshop (san francisco + toronto);
urban american city (new york city).

contributor/tokyo atelier bow wow

contributor/niger mariam kamara/a>

contributor/chicago ania jaworska

contributor/detroit craig wilkins

the graham foundation is pleased to present the available city, part of the fourth edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab). this edition marks a new approach to the biennial model, bridging the traditional exhibition format to a deeper engagement with the community to expand access and impact. offering opportunities to discover installations, exhibitions, and programs that explore transformative possibilities for vacant spaces in communities worldwide.

visit the [ chicago architecture biennial ] to explore more about the biennial, what is on view throughout the city, and upcoming programs and events. look for DesignApplause to spell out these events in weekly separate articles.

[ upcoming programming! ] #cab21 #chicagoarchitecturebiennial

this is a developing story…