After a slight hiatus, Pencil In Hand regular posts are back!
MANIFESTO
Earlier this week I had a chance to feature a really cool project called the Bike Hanger designed by MANIFESTO Architects on ArchDaily. I personally loved this project, the bright yellow structure, the utilization of space between buildings, the creation of vertical storage, and materials and power needed are recycled and human pedal power.
In an interesting turn of events, later that same day I learned that the Titanium Building issued a statement notifying bicyclists that they would be banning bicycle parking on their property for cosmetic reasons! And on top of that, they will not be installing any bicycle parking of their own.
In a high traffic bike area, especially for week day work commuters, this seems like an ideal opportunity to create a visually interesting bicycle storage, however I guess to some surprise the design of the building in the first place is quite lacking and seemed to disregard site orientation and any type of streetscape/pedestrian presence.
Santiago seems to be continually taking one step forward and two steps back when it comes to bicyclists. Unfortunately there is still a long way to go when it comes to provide safe bikeways, storage, and therefore encourage more bike commuters rather than car commuters reducing air pollution.
Announced as one of the four winners in the Urban Canvas design, Jen Megathan's 'My Urban Sky' is now up at CUNY Hunter College. NBC highlighted the competition and winners today.
I'm a huge fan of Annie Leonard's videos, informative and a bit playful the 15 minutes fly by and at the end you feel motivated to pick up the phone to call your representative and change those laws. Also noteworthy is that this video applies to both men and women, as shaving cream, lotions, body washes are all included within this umbrella of laws (or lack there of should I say).
My friend Anne took these pictures of a BIXIstation last week while in Montreal for Thanksgiving. (Thanks Anne!)
Montreal has this really great public bike system that is definitely worth writing about. In its transportation plan Réinventer Montréal, the Ville de Montréal wanted to provide different means of getting around Montréal. Given its immense popularity in Europe, the Ville de Montréal decided to make a public bike system one of the measures included in the plan. BIXI is viewed as a complement to the public transportation system and as an alternative to the car for residents and tourists throughout the city.
Who can use BIXI? You have to be at least 14 years of age and measure at least 1.24 metres (4'1") in height to use BIXI.
How long can I take a bike out? You can take a bike out for a maximum of 24 hours.
Is the system in service throughout the year? The system is in service three seasons of the year (spring summer, fall) from May to November. The stations are removed during harsh winter months.
BIXI offers gift certificates and a station map for your mobile. You can subscribe for a year membership or a BIXI - bus package. BIXI website also offers bike safety tips, weather updates, and a station location map.
One of my favorite buildings in Chile would be the Explora Rapa Nui. Designed by Chilean environmental architect Jose Cruz Ovalle, it is the first building in South America to have received LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council. It truly is a reflection of its surrounding, appropriately resting on a site that was carefully chosen with the utmost respect, avoiding fruitful agriculture land or an archeological site, as well as limiting impact to the existing flora that surrounds the hotel. It was incredibly built into its environment, parallel to the land, and blending in with the adjacent trees and the fields below. Ancient traditions, local materials and artisans were utilized communicating a commitment to the environment and to the local community.
Movement through the hotel is effortless, naturally transitioning from interior to exterior spaces. The rooms were very thoughtful and functional taking on an almost camping type feel with no technology and an intentional focus on the nature beyond.
The combination of green principals and practices coupled with the expression of the material and how the form and fluidity of the building truly follow the function and use by guests.
I was excited to have found this article while leafing through National Geographic. Having first hand experience with earthquakes (yes we were here and on the 13th floor for the 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile on February 27th) I have an even greater appreciation for designing in a fault zone.
Marcel Blondet of Catholic University in Peru has been researching how to provide safe housing, applying a few general principles, that is cheap all while using local materials such as straw, adobe, or old tires.
After visiting rural Peru a few months ago, and seeing their amazing sun dried, handmade bricks, I can't help but think some of these simple ideas surly could be applicable.
The President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, recently toured the extension of Metro Line 5. Seven new stations are scheduled to open early in 2011. President Piñera also announced that the government is already working on new lines 3 and 6 of the subway system that will link the north of the capital and the districts of Providencia and Vitacura, respectively.
A recent study of Santiago's green space revealed mixed reviews of meeting the World Health Organizations minimum recommendation of 9 square meters of green space per person. Neighborhoods such as Vitacura have doubled the recommendations estimating 18.3 square meters, but over half of the remaining neighborhoods average 3 square meters or less! This reveals a glaring gap in green spaces per inhabitant that exists in the Chilean capital.
So let's ask the question why is there such a large difference in green space per community? The answer is not a surprising one as like many things it comes down to monies. The distribution of green areas is nearly a direct reflection of the socio-economic of the city. Each neighborhood functions as a separate entity when it comes to green space. Architect and planner Ivan Poduje of Atisba states, "this calls for the authorities to restore the urban parks program which was inexplicably closed and should have been following the model of Parque Metropolitano de Santiago."
sculpture park in Providencia
The difference between green space per person in Santiago (4 sqm) to lets say New York City (27 sqm) or Stockholm (87 sqm) is huge. However if you look at Santiago compared to the rest of Latin America they are leading the pack. Mexico City for example only averages 2 sqm per person.
In response to rapid growth of automobiles in Santiago, underground parking grew 20% in 2009 with continued expansion this year. (Note: 42% of all of the automobiles in the country of Chile are located in Santiago alone!) Most recently the opening of the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center also resulted in the inauguration of 400 new parking spaces beneath. Also this year the neighborhood of Vitacura has opened underground parking with 308 parking spaces to support the many restaurants along Vitacura Avenue.
El Mercurio
According to the municipalities records the rise in automobiles being purchased is not consistent across the city, but is concentrated in five neighborhoods: Santiago Centro, Las Condes, Providencia, Vitacura, and Puente Alto. Some areas of Santiago have done a good job capitalizing on their geographical location and submersing their parking underground. Santiago Centro, Las Condes, and Providencia have previously been the only neighborhoods to offer underground parking, now Vitacura will be included in that list.
Transportation experts agree that this is a good solution for Santiago, but they caution that underground parking not be the solution indefinitely. They think that sooner or later parking should be restricted in some sectors or that prices for parking should sharply increase. Also the cities of London, Tokyo, and Singapore would be good case studies - as they have been able to create a successful balance, not overwhelming their cities with automobiles.
A focused approach on integrating the underground parking with other transport systems particularly the subway system will be key as Santiago continues to grow and adapt. The integration of these two modes of transportation would help to decongest the highways and provide Santiago with cleaner air.
Casa de Lo Matta recently hosted the Contemporary Art Fair of Chile (Ch.ACO) which had over 40,000 people pass through its doors from September 24th thru 28th. Ch.ACO is one of the most important cultural events in Chile and is held in Santiago every spring.
entrance to Ch.ACO
Nearly 50 galleries filled the space with Chile having 27 galleries themselves, and international countries included Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Argentina, and Spain.
interior gallery spaces
Some of my favorite work came from the alumni of University Finis Terrae. There was great use of color, some whimsy, texture, and recycled materials.
plastic bags stretched and painted on a canvas
nut casings in a semi-circle
bottle caps vertically strung on fishing line
This piece located in Sala Ch.ACO y Finlandia was interesting but just seemed like a serious waste of paper.
Ch.ACO invited Pablo Nunez, designer and visual artist to create a space specifically for their SACO store. His concept revolved around creating a skin, sort of a protective membrane, with built in shelves to display SACO's design products. The skin was comprised of recycled cardboard and accordingly to Nunez, "falls within the contemporary sensibility of what is sustainable. In addition, there is a certain methodology when building in a do-it-yourself process, clearly reinforcing the ideas of self sustaining, eliminating waste, and valuing natural resource." Nunez also produced pieces of furniture and decorative roosters all of which were made out of recycled cardboard as well. The roosters were a mascot of this years Ch.ACO, appropriately incorporating agriculture, with environment and design concepts.
A wind tower used on the narrow streets of Masdar. This technique of gathering air and transporting it to street level is one that has been used in previous Arab design - Foster + Partners modernized the wind tower which brings temperatures to a more bearable 80 degrees (rather than the typical 150).
Masdar is the name of the newly opened sustainable community just outside of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Designed by Norman Foster + Partners the first neighborhood of 3 1/2 acres began welcoming its new residents just last week. The New York Times released a two page article about Masdar over the weekend, complete with a photograph slide show
Some of the highlights of the article for me:
Combining the latest sustainable technologies and researching old Arab building techniques
Implementing narrow streets angled to maximize shade = Accelerated airflow through the streets and the feeling of 70 degrees cooler
90 percent of the power to be used is expected to be solar and incinerating waste will generate the remaining power needed
Strategic placement of elevators (nearly out of sight) to encourage the use of stairs and walking
Use of electric cars that are beneath the city
Masdar will continue to be studied almost as an on going experiment, with some tweaking here and there
The article ends questioning this new city as it may successfully address some issues of sustainability, but misses the mark on integrated living.
"What Masdar really represents, in fact, is the crystallization of another global phenomenon: the growing division of the world into refined, high-end enclaves and vast formless ghettos where issues like sustainability have little immediate relevance.
That’s obviously not how Mr. Foster sees it. He said the city was intended to house a cross-section of society, from students to service workers. “It is not about social exclusion,” he added.
And yet Masdar seems like the fulfillment of that idea. Ever since the notion that thoughtful planning could improve the lot of humankind died out, sometime in the 1970s, both the megarich and the educated middle classes have increasingly found solace by walling themselves off inside a variety of mini-utopias." Nicolai Ouroussoff
Photographs courtesy of THE NEW YORK TIMES. NYT Sources: Duncan Chard; Renderings and photographs by Masdar, Foster & Partners (city plan and Masdar Institute), LAVA (Masdar Plaza and sunshades), Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture (Masdar Headquarters building), Zagato and 2getthere (automated car design)
Recently featured in La Tercera newspaper, design students from the Universidad Catolica developed low cost day to day objects that can be used for people living in emergency housing. Mediaguas, the name for emergency housing here, are typically 3m x 6m, and are home for many people still following the earthquake on February 27th. Some of the objects they designed include a vertical garden, water transporter, dishwashing area, and a wardrobe for clothes.
While enjoying the festivities over the weekend at Parque Padre Hurtado we came across this exhibit from the relatively new company Tricicla. In an attempt to take action rather than just complaining and criticizing, the owners of Tricicla hope to empower residents to create a more sustainable environment. They have set goals for themselves to provide environmental education in the community, and with their initial pilot quadrant in the Las Condes neighborhood of approximately 2,000 residents they would like each household to recycle 30% of waste generated. Check out how Tricicla comes to retrieve your recycling - practicing what they preach.
September 16, 2010
I just received this article in my inbox from Gaiam. It couldn't come at a better time as I'm starting to research kitchens for an upcoming kitchen remodel I will be doing.
photograph courtesy of Gaiam
There are certainly a lot of different ways to live sustainably. Check out this article about reducing our cook-print, and you may discover that you are using a few of these techniques - if so give yourself a pat on the back and if not there may be some suggestions that you haven't come across before. I'm contemplating the idea of investing in a compost bin, but need to figure out how to work with the limitations of living on the 13th floor of an apartment building and not having my own garden.
Submerged into a Nirre tree forest just minutes from the ski slopes of Chillian - the Ecobox is the ideal solution for low environmental impact lodging. The design began with a typical shipping container. These were then modified incorporating thermally insulated panels and thermo panel windows.
Conservation of the native vegetation was also part of the consideration while assembling the Ecobox, as well as the impact guests would have while lodging there. One way they were able to accomplish this was by incorporating maze of elevated walkways.
They also have photographs of the delivery and assembly of the shipping containers. check out the process
I'm hoping to make a trip to the Ecobox soon (during ski season!) so that I can report back on other materials used.
July 9, 2010 Today begins a new project at Pencil in Hand. Inspired by the book The Happiness Project I will be doing a series of 10 Minute posts day after day. The most exciting thing is that my good friend Passive Architect will be doing it as well! Make sure to add us to your Google Reader list and follow along as we upload pictures and add text all with in a ten minute window of time (this is usually a challenge for us!) Help us keep honest with this challenge by giving us both feedback on our pictures and posts.
The photo of lavender is from a trip to the Casablanca Valley back in January. Growing at Emiliana, an Organic & Biodynamic vineyard here Chile, it smelled amazing and the light was hitting it just right. I wish I could get lavender to grow this great in our apartment. There is much to write about Emiliana, but it won't fit within my ten minutes, so I will save that for another day.
It is a beautiful, sunshine filled fall day here in Santiago. The leaves change ever so quickly here, skipping over the rich reds, oranges, and yellows that I love seeing during this season of the year. Excitingly I recently have spotted some amazing golden colors while walking town. It is so inspiring to see such vibrant and warm colors on a cool crisp morning!
Check out other pieces from my Color Series paintings.
In a very roundabout way I recently discovered People For Bikes. This new organization is uniting all bikers, no fitness level requirement! Their mission statement is as follows,'the goal of peopleforbikes.org is to gather a million names of support, to speak with one powerful voice—to let policy makers, the media and the public know that bicycling is important and should be promoted.'
PFB's rapid movement already (+6,000 in a few weeks, have signed their pledge en route to the million) suggests that it has possibly helped bridge the gap between a diverse group of riders throughout the nation, all intent on improving biking. Despite a variety of knowledge and skill levels, at the end of the day we all share a passion for biking, a need for safety, and an urge to continue adding and improving paths - making it possible to travel across your neighborhood, your city, your state, or the country.
image credit: PFB
Since our move to Santiago, we have found an opportunity to change many parts of the way we live. One in particular is the freedom to commute via public transportation, walking, and biking. This new way of commuting around town has proved to be rewarding in so many ways - exercising, fresh air, after a day in the office staring at a computer screen smelling the trees and seeing some nature is a big thank-you!, getting to really know the neighborhood, people watching, picking up some bread or milk with ease, and man it just feels good to say I biked/walked to work.
I think of my small hometown. What a great little place it is, but when visiting I realized quickly how limiting it is when it comes to commuting via bicycle or by foot. Sidewalks only reach so far and there is a lack of connectivity, and the only bike paths are located in the parks. Full of two lane roads, you can surly ride your bicycle, but your safety at times is questionable. My brother for instance often used his bike to commute to a summer job. One day en route to return home, he lost control of his bike due to loose gravel and holes as a result of a tar/chip day. The result was flying airborne and a broken arm. (busted summer and quarterback career as he tells the story).
Now fast forward 20years, the result would be similar - still no bike paths or sidewalks in high traffic areas for bicyclists and walkers/runners.
Chilean bikers struggle with similar problems, a need for safety and a network of paths connecting neighborhoods. Slowly the city of Santiago is improving and adding bicycle lanes, and more people are commuting in their suit and tie to work. Surprisingly, the smaller towns here in Chile tend feature great bicycle connectivity. We have visited a number of towns that have very well defined bicycle paths to help provide a safe way of commuting for their residents. It is impressive how the rural areas have successfully addressed the issues of safety, commuting flexibility, and rising gasoline prices. Young and old now can commute to work, run errands at the post office or market, or take a sunday drive on their bicycle.
Back to People For Bikes, check out there video: 'We're all united by a shared passion: bikes.'
Find a spot and green it up. The strategy seems straight forward enough. Check out the whole movement behind Guerrilla Gardening. Instead of spray cans in hand these gardeners have trowels and watering cans. They create code names, plan night time attacks on neglected flower beds, and exchange tips on how to garden successfully. Also worth a look is Green Guerilla , the organization that originally coined the term guerrilla gardening. They are based in NYC and specifically focus on educating the local community, encouraging the growth of community gardens, and involving youth.
What has caught my eye are Pothole Gardens, a public installation by Pete Dungy. What an innovative way to bring instant awareness to pavement problems!
image credit: Pete Dungy
image credit: Pete Dungy
Greenmusuem.org is an online museum that supports environmental artists. The museum has been able to use the art work as a tool for environmental education. I am a huge fan of Kathryn Miller's photography, found at greenmusuem.org. Kathryn hand sculpted 'seed bombs' that were comprised of soil and native seeds.
