SMALL AT LARGE

IF EVER THERE WAS A MANDATORY CLASS NEEDED IN ARCHITECTURE THIS IS IT.

COCKTAIL PARTY OLE! SCHMOOZING, SUCKING UP , NETWORKING.

WINE, COFFEE, CIGARS, GOURMET FOOD, GOLF, TENNIS, DESIGNER LABEL CLOTHES, BLACKBERRY, IPOD AND SOME ADVENTURE SPORT LIKE YACHTING, MOUNTAIN CLIMBING, FLYING ETC. A KNOWLEDGE OF ART AND JAZZ.

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCHMOOZING

IF YOU ACTUALLY LIKE THIS STUFF AND PURSUE IT WITH VIGOR YOU CAN CHAT IT UP ALL NIGHT TO MAKE CONNECTIONS TO GET COMMISSIONS AND PUBLICITY. THERE IS A COMFORT THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN EVERYONE IS TALKING COMMON INTERESTS . THE CLUB IS SECURE.

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IN THE FALL OF 1983 THERE WAS AN LA CITY WIDE STUDENT-PROFESSOR COMPETITION BETWEEN UCLA, USC, CAL POLY POMONA AND SCI-ARC WITH DIFFERENT SITES ACROSS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. OVER THE YEARS AT SCI-ARC I HAD RUN A SERIES OF PROJECTS THAT DEALT WITH ZONING. OUR CITIES ARE PRODUCTS OF ZONING LAWS. WHAT IS LACKING ARE ZONING LAWS THAT PRODUCE VIABLE CITIES. DEVELOPERS, BUILDERS, AND ORDINARY PUBLIC BUILD WITHIN THE RESTRAINTS.

WHEN I WAS DESIGNING IN 1969 AND 1970 FOR DEVELOPERS, I WOULD FIGURE OUT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF VOLUME AND UNITS THAT I COULD GET ONTO THE PROPERTY AND HOW THE BEDROOMS COULD BE BROKEN AWAY TO MAKE MORE UNITS.. THE LAND WAS EXPENSIVE AND THE DEVELOPER WANTED ALL HE COULD GET. I FELT THE UNITS WERE INTERESTING AND CONTROLLED BY TYPE FIVE WOOD CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS LIMITED TO TWO STORIES. I WAS TOLD THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT KEPT A MODEL OF WHAT MY TWO STORY CONSISTED OF. IN REALITY IT WAS FIVE STORIES HIGH, THE LAW ALLOWED TO BUILD UP GRADE ON THE SIDE YARDS, TO BURY THE PARKING ON GRADE AND HAVE MEZZANINE LEVELS THAT WERE 1/3 THE FLOOR AREA OF THE ROOM THAT THEY WERE OPEN TO AND ACCESS TO A SPLIT LEVEL ROOF. I COULD JUST AS WELL HAVE BEEN DESIGNING WITHIN A SET OF CRITERIA THAT PRODUCED ROOF GARDENS, RECYCLING OF WATER AND GARBAGE, SOLAR ENVELOPS, FOLIAGE GREEN WALLS ETC.

LOS ANGELES INFRASTRUCTURE COMPETITION 2009 GLEN HOWARD SMALL AND ORHAN AYYUCE LOOKING WEST ON PICO TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN

THE SITE, THE OLYMPIC PARK AREA WAS AN AREA OF LOS ANGELES THAT WAS A TYPICAL GRID IRON STREET PATTERN THAT IS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. IT WAS SELECTED FOR ITS LACK OF CHARACTER AND UNIMPORTANT CONTEXTUAL BUILDINGS ON THE SITE. ALSO IT OFFERED A CHANCE TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AND OTHER CITIES.

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SOMETIMES IT IS WORTH GETTING A LETTER. I HAD MY DOUBTS LATELY, BUT NEDJMA MADE ME A BELIEVER IN THE MAIL AGAIN.

WISDOM FROM THE YOUNG

SHE CALLED ME HOWARD, WHICH IS MY MIDDLE NAME AND JUST HAPPENS TO BE HOWARD ROARK’S NAME AS WELL.

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JOHN LAUTNER’S  DEATH BROUGHT A FINALITY TO ME ABOUT , YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO GO TO A FUNERAL.  I WAS LIVING IN OREGON, AND THE COST OF GOING TO THE FUNERAL WAS A MAJOR CONCERN TO ME.  BUT REPORTS ABOUT THE FUNERAL REVEALED, NOBODY GETTING UP AND TELLING THE JOHN LAUTNER STORY WITH CONVICTION AND UNDERSTANDING.  HIS WIFE WAS NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH HIS GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROFESSION OF ARCHITECTURE.  I COULD HAVE SAVED THE DAY BY POINTING TO HIS GREATNESS, BUT I WAS IN OREGON.

I DID SOME AFTER THOUGHTS ON HIM IN THE LA ARCHITECT, BUT THAT WAS THAT. HE WAS GONE.

JULIUS SHULMAN PHOTOGRAPHER

ARANGO RESIDENCE, ACAPULCO, MEXICO, 1973

PHOTOS FROM THE BOOK:

JOHN LAUTNER, ARCHITECT

PUBLISHED BY ARTEMIS LONDON LIMITED

THE PROFESSION JUST WOKE UP THE LAST FEW YEARS  WITH  MAJOR INTERESTS OF HIS WORK, TRAVELING MUSEUM SHOWINGS, NEW BOOKS AND DOCUMENTARIES.

MY HOUSE IN OREGON FORECLOSED ON APRIL 15TH 2010. MY POLITICAL CLIENT IN NICARAGUA DIED IN 2005 OF A QUESTIONABLE DEATH, AND I SUDDENLY WAS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT TO BUILD THERE. MY WORK IN ABU DHABI STOPPED IN SPRING OF 2008. ANOTHER STORY TO BE TOLD. I HAD NO WORK TO SUSTAIN MY MORTGAGE AND LIVING EXPENSES. I RECEIVED GENEROUS FINANCIAL HELP FROM FRIENDS, BUT IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE BILLS. I STOPPED PAYMENTS AND EVENTUALLY THE BANK OF AMERICA TOOK THE HOUSE. NOW IT’S BACK ON THE MARKET, LISTED BY COLDWELL BANKER FOR UNDER $300,000. A REAL STEAL IN A BEAUTIFUL AREA, HALF A BLOCK FROM THE BEACH.

ALL THE LIP SERVICE TO HELP HOME OWNERS ENDS UP TO BE 5% THAT QUALIFY. THE REST GO UNDER. I AM NOT SURE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF BANK FORECLOSURES, BUT I AM SURE IT WAS NOT 95% OF TROUBLED BANKS GOING UNDER, LIKE THE HOUSE FORECLOSURES. THE TRICKLE DOWN THEORY DID NOT WORK FOR ME. I WANT A TRICKLE UP THEORY. HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT HARDLY EVER HAPPENS, AND WHEN IT DOES THE LEADERS BECOME CORRUPT AND THE CYCLES STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.

BANKRUPTCY SETTLED JULY 1, 2010 IN OAKLAND CALIFORNIA, IN THE HEARING THE FEDERAL JUDGE DISCOVERED AND ADJUSTED THE FEE I WAS BEING CHARGED BY MY LAWYER. WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STARTS FEELING SORRY FOR YOU, YOU KNOW YOU ARE AT THE BOTTOM.

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TAUGHT THIS LAST SPRING SEMESTER AS AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, SAN FRANCISCO.  ALBERTO BERTOLI,  ARCHITECT AND DIRECTOR, A FORMER PROFESSOR AND FRIEND AT SCI-ARC. WE SHARE THE SAME AGE AND DESIGN INTERESTS. HE DESIGNED THE CONVENTION CENTER IN SAN DIEGO AMONG A HOST OF OTHER BUILDINGS.  WORKED WITH CESAR PELLI AND ARTHUR ERIKSON. AN EXCELLENT DESIGNER THAT APPRECIATES MY TALENT. I GAVE A ONE WEEK CHARRETTE AT THE COLLEGE IN 2006,  THEY HAD 40 GRADUATE STUDENTS THEN, NOW THERE ARE 200 STUDENTS AND GROWING. THERE IS AN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM ONE YEAR OLD AND EXPANDING . THE ACADEMY HAS 34 BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO AND AN ENROLLMENT OF 10,000 IN CLASS ROOMS AND 5,000 ON THE INTERNET.  A BOOMING ENTERPRISE. THE ARCHITECTURAL COLLEGE IS THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL. THE INSTRUCTORS ARE TALENTED. THE STUDENTS ARE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND USA, EAGER TO LEARN. BUT WANT TO GET THROUGH AS FAST AS THEY CAN . WHAT’S NEW. THAT WAS MY OBJECTIVE WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL AS WELL. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SLOW THEM DOWN TO TAKE EDUCATION SERIOUSLY AND MAYBE TAKE EXTRA CLASSES TO LEARN MORE.

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DIRECT GLEN HOWARD SMALL

I HAVE A LOT TO SAY AND NOW THE OUTLET TO SAY IT.

NO EDITOR,  PUBLISHER, WRITER, FRIEND, FOE, WIFE, FAMILY  SANCTIONS NEEDED.

THE STRAIGHT STUFF UNCENSORED.

THE LIBERATING INTERNET.

AN  ARTICLE A WEEK.

THERE IS A FOLLOWING OF FORMER STUDENTS, CLIENTS, PROFESSIONALS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, GENERAL PUBLIC AND VIEWERS FROM MY FATHER THE GENIUS.  THE OBJECTIVE IS TO COMPOSE A LIST AND PROMOTE OTHERS TO CONNECT TO THE BLOG.  THE OBJECTIVE IS TO  CONVEY  55 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ARCHITECTURAL PROFESSION AND SAY WHAT I CAN BEFORE THE END COMES.   FINANCIALLY DRUMMING UP CLIENTS,  LECTURES, PUBLICITY, AND INTERVIEWS. THE FINAL OBJECTIVE BEING A FUNDED BOOK WITH SUBSTANCE . I HAVE BEEN WRITING MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY SINCE 1983.

WISHING YOU THE BEST,

GLEN