inspiration

manufactured landscapes
tent cities
district heating/cooling
adaptive re-use
evolutionary architecture
alleyness
parks
lighting landscapes
community partnership
moon gardens
adaptable spaces
changing landscape
humanism
mexican architecture
texas architecture
appropriateness

inspiration

manufactured landscapes

Edward Burtynski is a Canadian artist and photographer,

whose work focuses primarily on widespread human
interventions on natural landscapes.
Nature transformed through industry is a predominant
theme in my work. I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to
minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on. To make
these ideas visible I search for subjects that are rich in
detail and scale yet open in their meaning. Recycling
yards, mine tailings, quarries and reneries are all places
that are outside of our normal experience, yet we partake of their output on a daily basis.
These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma
of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue
between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear.
We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we
are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world
is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature
to provide the materials for our consumption and our
concern for the health of our planet sets us into an
uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as
reecting pools of our times.
Edward Burtynski
As designers, we should be inspired to consider the life
cycle of the materials we use. Matter is neither created
nor destroyed - we must be vividly cognisant of where
our materials are extracted from and where they pasture at the end of their consumer life. We are obligated
as designers to consider not only to the specic sites
we design, but all the sites worldwide that combine to
make our architecture possible.
For more, check out: http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/

This Page
Top: Densied Scrap Metal, Hamilton, Ontario, 1997
Above: Kennecott Copper Mine
Bingham Valley, Utah 1983
Opposite Page (Clockwise)
Oxford Tire Pile Westley, California 1999
Container Ports, Racine Port, Montral, Qubec 2001
Nickel Tailings, Sudbury, Ontario 1996
Nanpu Bridge Interchange, Shanghai, 2004
Oil Fields Cold Lake Production Area, Cold Lake, Alberta 2001

inspiration
tent cities

Tent Cities exist around the world, in developed and

developing countries alike, from Germany, Canada, Holland, and Norway to Afghanistan, Sierra Leon, Laos, and
Haiti. These organic settlements often arise due to the
lacking availability and quality of low-income housing
alternatives. And while some believe an apartment in
social housing in some far-ung suburb is preferable to
living in a self-made community, it isnt the solution for
those wishing to be self-sufcient.
With assistance to achieve minimum building code
standards and sanitation, organic developments like
Tent City could thrive -- and not be considered a blight.
Tent City residents salvage local materials to augmenting their makeshift shelters. People help each other, as
they do in other small communities. Some buy their
materials from local hardware stores.
Livable, efcient and exible structures spring up in a
matter of days. Additions are easy. Houses can remain
static for years or constantly evolve.
In Toronto, hardly any tents remain in Tent City. Makeshift structures have replaced them. The materials may
not be pleasing to the eye, yet the spaces created are
human. Inside, they feel less like hovels and more like
quaint cottages. There are strong community bonds
between the clusters of homes. The place functions like
a warm and welcoming small town nestled within our
generally uncaring big city.
One resident calls it a social experiment thats working.
Designing and building their own dwellings instills
pride in the community. Communities like Tent City
have very positive environmental benets as well. They
recycle materials, eschew air conditioning and use relatively small amounts of wood for heating.
For more info, check out:
http://kristiansand.kommune.no/

This Page
Top: a typical home at Tent City, Toronto
Above: The former site of Tent City Toronto, now returned to
Home Depot.
Opposite Page (clockwise)
Jerry explaining the design features of his living room
Tent City dwelling, Toronto
Protesting the eviction of tent city residents, Toronto
Self-governance in a lawless neighborhood, tent city, Toronto
A tent city dwelling in its 4th year, Toronto

inspiration

district heating/cooling

A community heating scheme provides heat from a

central source to more than one building, dwelling
or customer. Community heating is an alternative to
providing individual heating systems to each dwelling.
A community heating scheme may also provide the
facility of cooling (or chilled water) for air conditioning
via an absorption chilling plant.
Community heating reduces fuel costs for tenants and
cuts carbon dioxide emissions. In many cases, it will be
the lowest whole life cost option for heating provision.
The use of combined heat and power (CHP) with
community heating can lead to greater benets. CHP
recovers and uses the heat produced when electricity is
generated and can achieve an overall energy efciency
of over 85 per cent. It is the most efcient way of using
fossil fuels and can also be fuelled by renewables, such
as solar, or waste. CHP can provide heat to a community
heating network and also reduce the costs of electricity
(and even sell it back to the grid!).
Community heating is commonly use
d in Finland, Austria and Denmark, where over 50 per
cent of homes are connected to community heating
networks.
Benets
- Reduced heating costs for tenants
- Reduced risk of condensation and mould growth.
- Reduced electricity costs (if community heating is
used with CHP) for tenants.
- Reduced space taken up by a heating system in each
dwelling.
- More reliable but also simple to control as individual
heating systems. Flexibility to use a variety of heat
sources.
- Greater overall energy efciency and therefore reduced carbon dioxide emissions
- Signicantly lower life cycle costs compared to individual heating systems.
For more info, check out:
http://www.dbdh.dk/

Above: Collector eld for district heating, Schwarzenegger

arena, Graz, Austria
Right: Europes largest district heating solar plant, 20000 m2,
Marstal, Denmark

inspiration
adaptive re-use

As a prototype for future Big Dig architecture, the structural system for this house is comprised of steel and
concrete from Bostons Big Dig, utilizing over 600,000
lbs of salvaged materials. Although similar to a pre-fab
system, subtle spatial arrangements were designed
from highway components. Most importantly, the house
demonstrates an untapped potential for the public
realm: with strategic front-end planning, much needed
community programs including schools, libraries, and
housing could be constructed whenever infrastructure
is deconstructed, saving valuable resources, embodied
energy, and taxpayer dollars.
For more info, check out:
http://www.singlespeeddesign.com/works/residential/
bigdighouse/

Above: The Central Artery/Tunnel Project (a.k.a. The Big Dig), a

megaproject that rerouted the Central Artery (Interstate 93), the
chief controlled-access highway through the heart of Boston,
Massachusetts, into a 3.5 mile (5.6km) tunnel under the city.
Right: (clockwise)
Salvaged materials from the Big Dig
The Big Dig House:
North-east corner
Outdoor stair
South-east corner
Living Room
Project construction

inspiration
adaptive re-use

The Panel House at Venice Beach designed by David

Hertz, uses industrial refrigerator panels and post-consumer aggregate as its primary building materials. The
6-inch thick panels are 30 inches wide x 30 feet tall and
weigh less than a hundred pounds each. They orient
vertically with an interlocking joint and are screwed to
the closure plate at the oors. The panels are designed
with a dull aluminum nish creating a surface that has a
subtle reectivity of the changing colors of the sky and
sunsets.
The house also incorporates Syndecrete, which is a precast lightweight concrete material (developed by the
architect) as an alternative to limited or nonrenewable
natural materials such as wood and stone, and synthetic
petroleum based solid and laminating materials. A
restorative product, Syndecrete is formed by reconstituting materials extracted from societys waste stream
to create a new, highly valued product. The advanced
cement based composite contains natural minerals and
recycled materials from industry and post consumer
goods, which contain up to 41% recycled content.
Such materials include metal shavings, plastic regrinds,
recycled glass chips and scrap wood chips to name a
few. These materials are used as decorative aggregates,
creating a contemporary reinterpretation of the Italian
tradition of terrazzo.
The elegant use of these adaptive technologies demonstrates how green buildings need not be limited by
their environmental conscience. Such adaptive re-use,
and innovative materiality should serve to inspire modern designers in their important quest for ecologically
minded, yet beautifully executed housing strategies.

10

For more info, check out:

www.syndesisinc.com

Above: A typical commercial refrigerator that uses MeTecno-API

Century Walls - lightweight, prefab panels of aluminum stuffed
with urethane foam
Right: The Panel House, Venice Beach, California

inspiration

evolutionary architecture

Theo Jansen is an artist and kinetic sculptor living and

working in the Netherlands. He builds large works
which resemble skeletons of animals which are able to
walk using the wind on the beaches of the Netherlands.
His animated works are a fusion of art and engineering.
In a BMW television commercial, Jansen says The walls
between art and engineering exist only in our minds.
Jansen is dedicated to creating articial life through
the use of genetic algorithms. These programs simulate
evolution inside their code. Genetic algorithms can be
modied to solve a variety of problems including circuit
design, and in the case of Theo Jansens creations, complex systems. Some measure of tness is introduced
into the algorithm; in Theos case it is to survive on the
beach while moving around within two enclosing lines
on the wet sand near the ocean, and the dry sand at the
edge of the beach. Those designs best at the assigned
task within the modeled beach environment are bred
together and graded again. Over time complex designs
emerge which sprout wings and ap in the breeze
pressurizing what look like plastic 2 liter soda bottles.
Articulated legs sprout and scuttle across the sand like
those of a crab. Theo uses plastic electrical conduit to
make some of the computers most promising designs.
He then lets them roam free on the beach, measures
their success, and updates his model.
The idea of genetic-type algorithms and evolution
also proposes an innovative concept for architecture.
Can greater alternatives for housing and communities
evolve from similar process? Could architecture benet
from mimicking the evolutionary design processes
found in nature?
For more info, check out:
www.Strandbeest.com

Top: Animaris Rhinoceros Transport

Above: Animaris Percipiere
Right: Animaris Percipiere

inspiration
alleyness

The back alley is a rich social environment that

has been neglected by Austin for decades. It offers a rich
urban landscape unlike any other spatial condition in the
city.
(1)
Precedent_ McMurich Street
Artist_Albert Franck
Summary_ The artist is best known for capturing the
true nature of Toronto alley ways and back yards. His
paintings were once described as Cathedrals of the ordinary, painted as seriously is if the were primal structures,
essential to a full understanding of man
(2)
Precedent_Back Alley as Community Landscape
Author_Michael Martin
Summary_The Author refers to the back alleys unmistakable character as alleyness. He denes alleyness by
having three components.
1. Utility - Utility provides service from power
water and phone lines as well as parking and refuse access.
2. Hiddeness - The alley provides a sense of hiddeness from the world and has a distinctly less formal
and spontaneous nature than its front yard counterpart.
3. Revealingness - Finally the alley reveals the
backyard of the homes to the passer by. Allowing an intimate view into your neighbors lives.
(3)
Precedent_ Moriyama House
Designer_ Ryue Nishizawa
Summary_ On a double suburban lot in Tokyo, the Ofce of Ryue Nishizawa built a neighborhood-scaled, exible-format minimalist steel prefab compound for Yasuo
Moriyamaa very private individual with a powerful social bentand six rental tenants. Every room is its own
buildingeven Moriyamas bath is a freestanding box.
Here, tradition and innovation interweave to create a
new kind of community.

Top: McMurich Street

Right : New Urbanist alleyscape
Right Middle: Moriyama House
Right Far: Spontaneous classic alleyscape

inspiration
parks

With the alley initiative I see the opportunity to

take a neglected piece of land regardless of size or program and transform it into a public amenity. Fresh approaches in landscape architecture can help designers
re-imagine the alley as an opportunity for parkspace.
(1)
Project_ Lavender Harvest & Flower Boxes
Designer_ Guerilla Gardening.org
Summary_ The members of Guerilla Gardening.Org recently harvested two car loads of lavender which they
sold for prot. The lavender was planted on a public London roadside and matured for almost two years. Harvesting of lavender is necessary for its growth and regeneration. Another member has been beautifying Toronto by
placing Guerilla Flower Boxes around the city. Guerilla
Gardening is political gardening. A form of non violent
direct action.
(2)
Project_ Corasco Square
Designer_ West 8
Summary_ The project, located in a suburb of Amsterdam, succeeded in creating a sensitive urban landscape
that humorously questions our relationship to nature
and the city. The project redenes monumental infrastructure using voids and public space as simple compositional elements.
(3)
Project_ PARK(ing)
Designer_ John Bela & Matthew Passmore (Rebar)
Summary_More than 70% of San Franciscos downtown outdoor space is dedicated to the private vehicle,
while only a fraction of that is allocated to the public
realm. Rebars goal was to transform a parking spot into
a PARK(ing) space, thereby temporarily expanding the
public realm and improving the quality of urban human
habitat. The installation provided temporary public open
space in a privatized part of San Francisco.
Top: Lavender Harvest & Flower Boxes
Right: Carasco Square
Far Right: PARK(ing)

inspiration

lighting landscapes

Illumination will be a key factor in the safety of

our alley ways. The way we choose to implement lighting technology can not only provide security, but begin
to dene new perceptions of space, emotion, and sense
of place.
(1)
Project_ Arteplage at Neuchatel Switzerland
Designer_ Marc Aurel
Summary_The Arteplage at Neuchatel Switzerland was
a part of the Swiss National Exposition of 2002. The design reinforces the expos theme Nature and Artice.
The articial light progressively substitutes for natural
light. It is intensied at dusk and completely transforms
the site by modifying the reading of the space as well
as the architecture. Aurel succeeded in creating a great
landscape playing with the opposition between nature
and artice.
(2)
Project_ Iceland 92
Designer_ Magdelena Jetelova
Summary_ A chain of underwater mountains known as
the Atlantic Ridge separates the American continents
from the African and European continents. Iceland is
the only point were this underwater chain rises above
sea level. The theoretical line of separation between the
two continents was rst recorded by a computer onto
a map of Iceland. The line was then transposed on the
surface of the landscape through the luminous line of a
laser beam.
(3)
Project_ Light Installation at Quai Branly Museum
Designer_ Yann Kersale
Summary_ In the Quai Branly Museum garden Kersale
proposes a real lake of light where light sticks change
colors depending on the weather, switching from hues
of blue to green, then back to white, all night long and
all through the year. A pattern of concentric circles of
lights on the museum faade brings to mind ripples on
a watery surface. The 3W LED light sticks will, over time,
become obscured by plants and trees, thus creating a
different and unique atmosphere in each season of the
year.

Top: Arteplage
Right: Iceland 92
Top Right: Quai Branly Museum

inspiration

community partnership

In an attempt to save money, Austin has quit

servicing the countless alleys across the east-side. Because the alley initiative intends to provide dwellings for
low income households a problem arises of who will pay
for maintenance and upkeep. Certain precedents have
been successful in Austin and though these examples
exist on a larger scale than the alley block, they may be
useful in inspiring creative solutions of our own.
(1)
Precedent_ Austin City Limits
Partnership_ ACL & Austin Parks Department
Summary_ For three days year 65,000 people converge
upon Zilker park for the Austin City Limits Festival. In
2002, festivals rst year no prots were turned over to
the Austin Parks Department. Do to an extreme need for
operation and maintenance funds a deal was made for
the Festival to give The Parks department a percentage
of its prot.
(2)
Precedent_ J. J. Pickle Elementary
Partnership_ AISD & City of Austin
Summary_ The St. Johns community in northeast Austin
is the setting for a unique joint venture between AISD
and the City of Austin. The building includes a 32-classroom elementary school and a City of Austin Community
Center (with gym, library, social services, and police components).
(3)
Precedent _ First Thursdays
Partnership_South Congress Merchants
Summary_ On the First Thursday of each month, merchants of the historic, pedestrian-friendly South Congress Avenue keep their doors open until 10 pm, playing
host to an array of events and activities.
(4)
Precedent_ Movies in the Park
Partnership_ Austin Parks Department & Local Vendors
Summary_ A handful of nights a year Republic Square
transforms from an under used urban space to a socially
vibrant movie theater. The movies are free but there are
local vendors present to make a prot.

Above: Austin City Limits Festival

Bottom Right: Movies in the Park
Upper Right: JJ Pickle Elementary
Far Bottom Right: First Thursdays

inspiration
humanism: abstraction

Humanism is:
a) any system or mode of thought or action in which
human interests, values, and dignity predominate.
b) concern with the interests, needs, and welfare of
humans
In order to look at East Austin in a humanist way, we
must necessarily look into the culture of its inhabitants,
who are predominantly Mexican or Mexican-American.
We must also study vernacular approaches to Mexican
architecture as a means of understanding how the Mexican people prefer to live and then extend that study
to how those same approaches have been or could be
integrated into a vernacular for Central Texas.
I will start with a series of case studies, of both Mexican
architects as well as influences on Mexican architecture
and then finally approaches to Texas vernacular architecture as influenced by all of these sources.
The approach is two-fold: first, determine how cultural
needs can be met formally. What specific architectural
elements appear again and again and for what reasons?
Secondly, an overarching method of applying a humanist architecture, which may or may not involve the
integration of those specific formal elements.

Top: painting, Picasso

Opposite : Colors typical of Mexican architecture which connect to the nature. 3 colors show up time and again: red for soil
or sunset, blue for water, and yellow for sun
La Casa en la Arquitectura Mexicana
Architecture lib, NA 7244 A68 1999 ARCH
The Architecture of Latin America
Architecture lib, NA 702.5 A724 1995 ARCH
dictionary.reference.com

inspiration
humanism
Mexican architecture
4 Tendencies of Mexican Architecture:
1) Integral Functionalism
Teodor Gonzalez de Leon
Francisco Serrano
2) Sculptural or Formal Architecture
Felix Candela
Oscar Bulnes
3) International Architecture
Aurelio Nuno
Enrique Norten
4) Emotional Architecture
-forms part of the Regionalism movement
-low, massive construction
-thick walls
-rich textures and vibrant colors
-treatment of light crucial
-exaltation of beauty with some spiritual characteristics
-integration with nature
-expressive use of water and gardens
Luis Barragan
Ricardo Legorreta
Carlos Mijares

Regionalism
To search for this reality becomes a search for a personal reality, but personal of a region or a country and
denotes a self-respect.
Cristian Fernandez Cox in Nueva Arquitectura de America
Latina

Clockwise from bottom left: Nuevo Leon Office renovation,

Francisco Serrano; Casa Amsterdam, Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon;
Mexican Embassy Berlin, Gonzales de Leon and Serrano; Galvez
House, Luis Barragan; La Fuente de los Amantes, Barragan; Las
Terrazas House, Ricardo Legorreta

The New Architecture of Mexico, John V. Mutlow

Architecture lib, NA 755 M88 2005 ARCH
Barragan: Space and Shadow, Walls and Color, Daniele Pauly
Architecture lib, NA 759 B36 P3813 2002 ARCH
Culture, Time and Place in Late 20th Century Mexican Architecture,
Claudia Angelica Reyes
THESIS 1997 R33 ARCH

inspiration
Mexican architecture
emotional vernacular
Luis Barragan
Chapel for the Capuchinas Sacramentarias
Mexico City
Patios
Simple plan, formed around a series of patios. Used as
ceremonial sites in Mesoamerica as well as in colonial
designs imported from Mudejar Spain.
Perforated Wall
Celosias were also brought from Mudejar Spain.
Fountain
Colonial Mexican and Spanish. Spiritual implications,
providing a direct connection to nature.
Local Materials
Black volcanic slate floor, brick, native plants (bougainvillea), and pine.
Connetion to Nature
Brightness of the sun, sharpness of the rock, warmth of
the wood, and the shimmer of the water. Natural ventillation through the patios and operable windows.
Human Factors
Local materials and building techniques allowed local
builders to complete the project, contributing to its
connection with the community and site.

Beauty speaks like an oracle, and man has always

heeded its message in an infinite number of ways...
Life deprived of beauty is not worthy of being called
human.
~Luis Barragan, Pritzker speech, 1980

Above: altar view

Right: (clockwise from bottom left): altar; fountain and lattice
wall; stained glass
Barragan: Space and Shadow, Walls and Colour, Daniele Pauly;
Architecture lib, NA 759 B36 P3813 2002 ARCH
Luis Barraagan: The Eye Embodied
Architecture lib, NA 759 B628 B47 2006 ARCH
Culture, Time and Place in Late 20th Century Mexican Architecture,
Claudia Angelica Reyes
THESIS 1997 R33 ARCH

inspiration
Mexican architecture
emotional vernacular
Ricardo Legorreta
Museum of Contemporary Art
Monterrey, Mexico
Patios
Large patio adjacent to Macro Plaza, inviting entrance to
the museum. There is another main patio which houses
a fountain and serves as event space.
Perforated Wall
A lattice wall separates galleries from the main patio.
Fountain
Located in the main patio, the fountain serves as heart
of the building. The still water bubbles up, producing
connections which are visual, auditory, and sensual.
Local Materials
Slate, concrete, steel, marble, glass, and cement used in
the building are all native to Monterrey.
Connetion to Nature
The red-orange concrete is taken from the sunset. Skylights are prominent in the main patio space, as is the
fountain. The windows frame views to the mountains.
Human Factors
The use of traditional building techniques and materials
allowed the use of local craftsmen, and therefore contributed to the connection of the building to its place
and to the people who call that place home.
This world of Mexican spaces filled my life in such a
natural way that light, walls, color, mystery, and water,
with all their beauty, became part of me. I am not an
exception, that is the way we Mexicans are.
~Legorreta

Top: Museum of Contemporary art, fountain

Above: Patio onto Macro Plaza
Right: Exterior, Museum of Contemporary Art
Concrete Regionalism, Catherine Slessor
Architecture lib, NA 4125 554 2000
Culture, Time and Place in Late 20th Century Mexican Architecture,
Claudia Angelica Reyes
THESIS 1997 R33 ARCH

inspiration
Mexican architecture
global influence
Islamic Architecture
In the 700s, Moorish architecture, Islamic in nature,
developed in North Africa and Spain. These Spanish
ideas of Islamic architecture would then logically be
absorbed, at least partially, in Mexican architecture.
Patios
All rooms are designed around a central courtyard. Often there is a secondary patio, shaded by a colonnade,
surrounding the exterior courtyard.
Perforated Wall
Wooden window screens used traditionally to regulate
sun.
Fountain
Fountains traditionally found in the center of courtyards
to cool in hot and dry climates.
Local Materials
Materials used with high thermal capacity for the walls
and roof in hot and dry zones (traditionally mud, adobe,
or stone). Floors made of stone, marble or terrazo to be
cool to the touch and covered with rugs in the winter.
Connetion to Nature
High ceilings and clerestory windows (shukhshaikhas)
dispell hot air allowing for natural ventillation. Wind
towers catch wind which then passes over water and
into the building for natural cooling. Extensive use of
gardens which may reduce outside temperature by 5
degrees celsius. Also, blue, red and yellow are the chief
colors used, specifically at the Alhambra.
Human Factors
Changing use of space throughout day according to
climate - use roofs at night and lower stories during day.

Right: The Alhambra, courtyards, fountains and gardens

Islam + Architecture, Sabrina Foster
Architecture lib, NA 380 I853 2004 ARCH
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra

inspiration
Texas architecture
global influence
Glenn Murcutt
In addition to the influence that Mexican vernacular
architecture might have on central Texas vernacular architecture, because of our proximity and shared history
and culture, Texas vernacular architects, like Lake Flato,
would also look to other architects, such as Glenn Murcutt, whose work successfully responds to place, climate,
and sustainable desires.
Perforated Wall
Screens or blind are used to prevent sun from reaching
the glass. The screens not only control the sun but also
maintain air movement and allow privacy.
Fountain
Evaporative cooling techniques used in Munro house.
Roof water is collected and recirculated to sprinkle the
house for 5-6 hours /day during hot season.
Local Materials
Metal, wood, glass, stone, brick and concrete which are
chosen because of their total energy use - energy uesd
to produce as well as maintain.
Connetion to Nature
Raises houses to protect from floods, insects and snakes.
Houses are usually naturally heated and ventillated.
My architecture has attempted to convey something
of the discrete character of elements in the Australian
landscape, to offer my interpretation in built form.
~Glenn Murcutt
Human Factors
Living architecture. A house that can respond to the
needs and comfort of its inhabitants through the ability
of the architecture to modify the climate.

Top: Ball-Eastway house

Above: Marie Short house
Right: Magney house
Three Houses: Glenn Murcutt, E.M. Farrelly
Architecture lib, NA 1605 M87 F27 1993
http://www.pritzkerprize.com/81/pdf/murcuttbw.pdf

inspiration
Texas architecture
emotional vernacular?
Lake Flato
Lake Flato has pursued ideals with integrity through
respect for nature and a recognition of the genius of
place...It is simple and joyous architecture, rooted within
the regions to which it belongs. ~Glenn Murcutt
Patios
Our buildings blur the line between indoors and out
through spaces that expand beyond their walls to form
outdoor rooms.
Perforated Wall
Although not specifically in wall form, a similar idea is
found again and again in their use of trellises, used to
control the suns direct rays.
Local Materials
We embrace the nature of materials and find inspiration in the simplicity of industrial and agricultural buildings. We find fresh solutions for traditional problems.
Connetion to Nature
Our work grows from the landenhancing, connecting to, and at times repairing the natural landscape.
Environmental issues have always been central to our
design approach. By employing sustainable strategies,
we design architecture that conserves energy and natural resources, while creating high performance buildings
and healthy built environments.
Human Factors
Our design process seeks contextual cues at many
levels, from a neighborhood to the region. Our goal is
to stitch together fragmentsto mend, connect, and
make more vibrant and livable communities.

Top: Air Barns, San Saba TX, 1998

Above: Dallas Arboretum, Dallas TX, 2003
Right: Hotel San Jose, Austin TX, 2000
Buildings and Landscapes, Lake Flato
www.lakeflato.com

inspiration
emotional vernacular
appropriate-ness
An appropriate architecture shows concern and
respect towards the context: social, economic, natural
and urban.
It is this desire for contextual appropriateness which led
to a humanist focus. That is, how can the context of
East Austin, those natural and urban factors, be approached in a humanist way, with consideration of
the social and economic interests and values of the
neighborhoods population?
Enrique Brown in Algunas caracteristicas de la nueva
arquitectura latinoamericana provides an outline that
would be appropriate to our use as well in describing an
appropriate architecture:
1) for and from Latin America [East Austin]
2) strives to make socio-economic conditions better
3) reinterprets the international achievements in architecture through values and customes of the place
4) strives to become liveable art
5) adapts itself to physical spirit of the place
6) cooperates with other architecture to achieve a
sense of city
The preceeding study can provide a framework through
which to address these needs of an appropriate architecture. That is, means by which these needs can be
potentially satisfied formally:
Patios
Perforated Walls
Fountains
Local Materials
Connection to Nature
Consideration of Human Factors

La Casa en la Arquitectura Mexicana

Architecture lib, NA 7244 A68 1999 ARCH
The Architecture of Latin America
Architecture lib, NA 702.5 A724 1995 ARCH
Culture, Time and Place in Late 20th Century Mexican Architecture,
Claudia Angelica Reyes
THESIS 1997 R33 ARCH
Barragan: Space and Shadow, Walls and Colour, Daniele Pauly;
Architecture lib, NA 759 B36 P3813 2002 ARCH
Luis Barraagan: The Eye Embodied
Architecture lib, NA 759 B628 B47 2006 ARCH

Inspiration

moon gardens

Unused alleyways are often seen as dark and dangerous

places that are meant to be avoided, especially at night.
If we are to successfully re-design them into usable
spaces, we have to consider how to make alleyways safe,
interesting, and desirable places to be in--both day and
night. One possibility is to use landscaping and lighting
to make alleyways more inviting and enjoyable places
to gather, even well into the evening time.
Moon gardens, also called white or evening gardens,
are special gardens or parts of them that are specifically designed to be seen and used during dusk and
evening hours. They take advantage of moonlight, and
the sights, sounds, and cooler weather of the evening
time. For those that work during the day, or in places
like Austin where the weather can be hot, the evening is
the best time to sit outside and enjoy an outdoor space.
After the sun goes down we often have more time to sit,
relax, and entertain friends.
The main components of a successful evening garden
are appropriate location, good lighting, and the right
plants. These gardens are best situated around a terrace, deck, or small piece of ground close to a home (for
example, just outside the dining room). Lighting should
be low voltage and possibly solar. Options include
down-lighting from a tree or roof, up-lighting to make
leaves and flowers glow, spot lights on favorite plants, or
path lights.
Moon gardens are intended to reflect the light of the
moon, so putting plants at varying heights and levels
helps them to catch light. Options include various
containers and vessels, ground cover, vined trellises,
hanging gourds, and small ponds with night blooming
water plants.
Evening gardens can become places for residents to
gather and relax after work and school, instead of dark,
scary places to be avoided at night.

Top: night blooming cereus

Above: daisies backlit by the moon
Right: small urban moon garden

inspiration

moon gardens

Color
The best plants to use are those that reflect light. These
are white or light colored plants that allow moonlight
to bounce off them, can be seen well at night, or look
most interesting at night. Flowers with two contrasting
tones work well, especially those that are colorful on the
outside for daytime, and white on the inside to bounce
light at night.

Recommendations:
tri-colored 4-oclocks
garlic chives
moonflowers
adams needle
flowering tobacco
abyssinian gladiolus

Foliage
For ground cover, silvery or blue foliage is a good option. Plants such as lambs ear or dusty miller also have
a beautiful texture that shimmers under direct light.

Recommendations:
curlicue sage
lamium
sum and substance
dusty miller
licorice plant
lambs ear

Top: dusty miller

Above: lambs ear
Right Top: texas shell night blooming lily
Right Bottom: downy thorn apple, datura

inspiration

moon gardens

Night blooms
Night blooming flowers are a great way to make a garden a destination during the evening time. We are lucky
in Austin, because most of the night blooming plants
are tropical and do well in our warm climate. There are
a wide range of opening times for these flowers and
can cover everything from late afternoon (4-oclocks)
to dusk (flowering tobacco) and late at night (bakawali
flower). Many parties in South America are even based
around the opening of certain types of night bloomers.

Recommendations:
solandra maxima
4 oclocks
lady of the night
crimson hedgehog cactus
night blooming water lilies
penguin gourds
adams needle
night blooming cereuses
moonflowers

Fragrance
Evening bloomers often also give off a strong fragrance
at night in order to attract pollinators. Some flowers
may bloom all day but only give off their scent at night.
Scents vary from strong and musky to light and sweet.


Recommendations:

trumpet lilies

heliotrope

alyssum

abyssinian gladiolus

solandra maxima

sea urchin cactus

adams needle

angel trumpets, datura

evening stock

Top: solandra maxima, closed
Above: solandra maxima, open
Right Top: sea urchin cactus
Right Bottom: lady of the night
Far Right: red flare water lily

inspiration

adaptable spaces

Alleyways are in between spaces: they are neither front

yards nor backyards. Not necessarily private spaces
belonging solely to the houses flanking them, they are
not entirely public either. Both old and young occupy them, and they are used day and night--often for
widely different purposes. These alleyways may take on
different personalities over the course of the day, week
and year. How can we design underused alleyways to
accommodate each of these varied activities and users,
sometimes even at once? In order to respond to these
natural fluctuations, flexibility must be built in to these
spaces, allowing them to adapt and adjust to the sun,
wind, time, season, activity and user.
Desert Seal tent, Architecture and Vision
This lightweight shelter adapts to large diurnal fluctuations in temperature through its unique design. It can
be compactly transported and then easily inflated using
a foot pump. Because the most extreme temperatures
occur close to the ground and get significantly more
moderate just a meter off the ground, the tent has an
upward curving shape. The shape allows users to enter
standing up, but also allows a solar powered fan to
bring in cool air during the day and warm air at night.
Rotating wind shelters, Ian McChesney
These whale-shaped structures are both weather vanes
and wind shelters on a very windy beach in the UK. The
large structures catch the wind and rotate throughout the day so that the seat at its base always remains
sheltered.
Fred, Johannes Kaufmann
Fred is a mobile living unit that telescopes inward (for
compact shipping) and outward once on site, to nearly
double its square footage.
Linden Alley, Hayes Valley Salon of Artists, SF
This is a plan to turn an unused alley in San Francisco
into a living room in the street that encourages pedestrian traffic and gathering. Loring Sagan and David
Winslow hope to use it as a prototype to revitalize other
alleyways, as well as create an adopt-an-alley program.

Top: Desert Seal tent, before inflating with a foot pump

Above: Desert Seal tent set up with solar flap
Left Top: rotating wind shelters: Blackpool, UK
Left Bottom: section through a shelter
Middle Top: Fred, mobile living unit collapsed for transport
Middle Bottom: Fred, telescoped out for dwelling
Right Top: Loring Sagan and David Winslow trying out
a future outdoor living room
Right Bottom: computer rendering of Sagan and Winslows
plan for Linden Street

inspiration

changing landscape

The distinctive dimensions of alleyways can make

them interesting public spaces. Their long and narrow
dimensions encourage them to be used as corridors,
connecting one place with another, often as shortcuts.
But alleyways can also be destinations. Their narrow
dimensions and tucked away locations make them
ideal public gathering spaces. They are large enough to
accommodate a good size gathering, but also narrow
enough to feel cozy and intimate for a small groups of
people, and give a desirable sense of crowding for a
larger public event. As both corridors and destinations,
alleyways can change personalities often throughout
the course of a day. This is what Chess Park in Glendale,
CA does well.
Chess Park, Glendale, California 4,500 Sq. ft.
Rios Clementi Hale Studios, Los Angeles, California
Chess Park in Glendale CA is an underused alleyway
turned urban pocket park. It was designed as a place for
Armenian immigrants to practice and hold chess tournaments, many of whom are chess enthusiasts. However, this small park is used for many other activities, both
planned and spontaneous. The narrow space changes
constantly throughout the day, sometimes used only
as a shortcut, it also accommodates workers on their
lunch breaks, monthly movie nights, impromptu dance
contests by teenagers and rehearsal space, all in a single
day. In the early morning it is often very quiet and
used only as a corridor from another alley to a major
street. Around noon it picks up and office workers use
it as a lunch spot, while others come to play chess and
dominos at the tables. In the early afternoon you might
find a group rehearsing for a performance on the stage.
On Fridays in the early evening kids start to arrive for
impromptu crump dancing competitions, where there
might me nearly a hundred people watching a performance. Weekend nights bring outdoor movies and
other events, made usable by large sculptural lanterns
shaped like chess pieces. The park can accommodate all
these uses, because it has been well designed to be flexible. It has three distinctive use zones, movable shade
structures, lanterns to light the alley at night, a multiuse stage with storage, lots of seating and successful
landscaping.

Above: Chess Park, evening

Left Top: alley before it became Chess Park
Left Bottom: a jazz band performs on the Trex stage
Middle Top: Chess Park, early morning
Middle Bottom: Chess Park, evening chess games
Right Top: afternoon chess tournament
Right Bottom: monthly Movie Night
Right: Plan of Chess Park showing its three zones