SMALL AT LARGE

the biomorphic biosphere poster 1972, with head shot drawn by friend glen vippu, the way i was

IN 1972 I PUT TOGETHER A POSTER 21″ X42″ OF THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE , PUT IT IN A TUBE, AND SENT IT OUT TO ALL THE UNIVERSITIES OF NOTE IN THE USA. I GOT A FEW LECTURES. THE ONE IN QUBEC CITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LAVAL, THE STUDENTS HAD TO TOUR ME AROUND. Continue reading →

RICK MATHER, ARCHITECT DIED APRIL 20TH , 2013. THE DEATH THE RESULT OF ASBESTOS EXPOSURE 40 YEARS AGO THAT TURNED ACTIVE RECENTLY AND DID HIM IN.

virginia museum of fine arts, usa

READING THE OBITUARIES, THE SAME THEME WAS EXPRESSED: GOOD TASTE AND EXCELLENT USE OF LIGHT AND SPACE. A SOFT SPOKEN ARTICULATE CULTURED AMERICAN ARCHITECT LIVING IN LONDON. HE HAD A WAY OF COMBINING THE OLD WITH THE NEW IN A SENSITIVE LIGHT HANDED WAY. Continue reading →

INTERIOR OF FLYING HOUSE LOOKING AT INFINITY AND A NEIGHBORS HAPPENING IN THEIR FLYING HOUSE. 1976

THE HOUSE IS THOUGHT OF AS A PERSONAL KINGDOM. THIS IS WHERE ANYBODY WITH THE LEAST BIT OF MONEY FANCIES THEMSELVES ARCHITECTS. IT VARIES WHO CONTROLS, THE MAN OR THE WOMAN. THE MAN HAVING THE SAY ON COST, PRACTICAL BUILDING WAYS, MAINTENANCE ETC. THE WOMAN MAKING THE AESTHETIC CHOICES AND INTO DETAILS IN THE KITCHEN, BATHROOMS AND MASTER BEDROOM. I WAS IN DANGEROUS TERRITORY WITH A TOTALLY REVOLUTIONARY HOUSE. IN FACT I DO NOT THINK ANYBODY HAS EVER HAD A SERIOUS DISCUSSION WITH ME CONCERNING THE FLYING HOUSE, OTHER THAN CHRISTIAN MY WIFE WANTING TO LIVE IN ONE. CLAIMING HER FAVORITE OF MY DESIGNS. ALVIN BOYARSKY WANTING ME TO BUILD ONE, AND JOHN JOHANSEN AND ROY MASON USING IT AS A FAVORITE IMAGE. IT IS SO REMOVED FROM MOST PEOPLES REFERENCE OF A HOUSE. Continue reading →

THERE WAS A 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER AT SCI-ARC RECENTLY. RAY AND SHELLY KAPPE CONTACTING ME IN NICARAGUA WITH AN INVITATION TO SIT AT THE FOUNDERS TABLE. NO MINOR GIFT AT $1000 A SEAT. ALL THE MONEY GOING TO STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS. MY FIRST REACTION WAS IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE OF THE MEAGER FUNDS I HAVE TO SURVIVE. BUT ON SECOND THOUGHT, I CONTEMPLATED, MAYBE MY EX-STUDENTS AT SCI-ARC MIGHT CHIP IN TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE. TO MY SURPRISE AFTER SENDING OUT ABOUT 20 E MAILS, THE STUDENTS CAME THROUGH BIG TIME, AND FUNDED BY TRIP. SO I FLEW IN FOR A WEEK TO EXPERIENCE THE GALA EVENT.

THE SCI-ARC 40TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY WAS HELD AT THE SAME TIME OF THE UNDERGRADUATE THESIS REVIEW. THERE WAS A PRICY DINNER, AND THEN AT 9PM AN OPEN ALUMNI EVENT FOR $40 A HEAD TO INTERACT.

THE PARKING LOT HAD A NEW SET OF CONTRAPTIONS TO GET ATTENTION. ALL ADVENTURESOME BUT LACKING IN, LESS IS MORE AND REFINED FORM. FREI OTTO WOULD FAINT FROM THE PREPOSTEROUS STRUCTURAL OVERKILL AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.

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TO SELL THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE REQUIRED PERFECTING MY LIMITED DRAWING SKILLS. I THOUGH THAT WHEN INTELLIGENTLY PRESENTED WITH FUNCTIONS AND WOW VISUALS, THE BB WOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED. TALK ABOUT NAIVE, BUT IF I HAD NOT BEEN, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE. THANK THE STARS I WAS INNOCENT. IT HELPS IN A TOUGH WORLD OF REALITY, WHEN PRESENTING IDEALISM.

A CROSS SECTION – ELEVATION OF THE BB 1972 THE MATURE STRUCTURE STRUCTURE REACHING 5,000 FT. T0 8000 FT. CREATING A VARIETY OF CLIMATES FROM TROPICAL AT THE BASE AND ALPINE AT THE TOP. SWIMMING TO SKING, MANGOES TO PINE NUTS. Continue reading →

ROEPER SCHOOL, BLOOMFIELD HILLS MICHIGAN, GLEN PAULSEN AND ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS 1965
CONSTRUCTION OF DOME, ONE OF MANY ( THIS WAS THE PROCESS TO BUILD, NOT POSITIVE THIS IS THE SCHOOL)
I VISITED THE ROEPER SCHOOL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THAT HE DESIGNED AT THE TIME I WAS THERE. IT WAS BUILT WITH A BOOM THAT MELTED LONG FOAM BEAMS TOGETHER. WINDOWS AND DOORS CUT AFTER DOMES BUILT. A REAL STRETCH WITH TECHNOLOGY AND FORM AT THE TIME. Continue reading →

ometepe nicaragua, an island in lake nicaragua, constant eruption Continue reading →

BB BUILDING MACHINE 1972

I DESIGN WITH SYSTEMS, YOU NEED THE INTEGRATE WHOLE TO MAKE IT ALL WORK. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME. NATURE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
THE OVERLAYING SYSTEMS OF THE HUMAN HAND FROM BONES TO SKIN. THE TECHNIQUE I USED ON THE BIOMORPHIC WERE SIMILAR, STARTING OUT WITH THE STRUCTURE OVERLAID WITH VARIOUS FUNCTION INCLUDING THE SKIN. Continue reading →

LETTERHEAD 1971

THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE WAS FOR LA, BUT MEANT AS A PROTOTYPE TO TRANSFORM OTHER CITIES. CITIES ARE THE HIGH DENSITY POINTS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVE, AND FOR SOME STANGE REASON EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE. THE HAPPENING PLACE, CITIES. BUT ALSO THE POLLUTION MONSTERS THAT SUCK HUGE AREAS AROUND THEM FOR SUPPORT. LA DRAWING WATER FROM THE COLORADO RIVER, GRABBING THE WATER FROM THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE SIERRAS AND WATER FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE IMPACT OF HAVING A HUGE CITY IN AN AREA WHERE IT CAN NOT BE SUPPORTED BY IT’S LOCAL NATURAL SYSTEM IS GREEDY, BUT CONSIDERED INVENTIVE. Continue reading →

THE VERTICAL CITY WAS DORMANT BUT NOT DEAD, IN 1969 I HAD AN OFFICE IN VENICE CALIFORNIA, WHERE I WAS DESIGNING APARTMENTS. VENICE CALIFORNIA WAS THE DREAM OF ABBOT KINNEY, A TOBACCO TYCOON THAT CAME WEST. HE BUILT HIS 1900 – 1920 RENAISSANCE ON LOW MARSH LAND NEXT TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN TEN MILES FROM DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES AT THE END OF A RAPID TRANSIT RED CAR LINE. VENICE WITH CANALS COMPLETE WITH GONDOLAS WAS A DREAM COMMUNITY WITH BEACH COTTAGES AND AN OPERA HOUSE. Continue reading →