Wow......

WOODEN GANGSTER HOUSE, ARCHANGELSK, RUSSIA

WONDERWORKS, ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

THE UFO HOUSE, SANJHIH, TAIWAN

THE TORRE GALATEA FIGUERES, SPAIN

THE BASKET BUILDING, OHIO, UNITED STATES

Architecture in Dubai

I couldn't find the exact date of my other article so I decided I would just show different architecture in Dubai.

-Kaia

More Wow Buildings

RIPLEY'S BUILDING, ONTARIO, CANADA

HANG NGA GUESTHOUSE A.K.A CRAZY HOUSE, VIETNAM

FOREST SPIRAL—HUNDERTWASSER BUILDING, DARMSTADT, GERMANY

FERDINAND CHEVAL PALACE A.K.A IDEAL PALACE, FRANCE

ERWIN WURM: HOUSE ATTACK, VIENA, AUSTRIA

BikePortland.org

This website has all kinds of information about biking in Portland. It has everything from stolen bike info to places to post their stories about crashes and close calls.
http://bikeportland.org/

-Abigail

Buildings That Might Defy Your World of Architecture

KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES

THE CROOKED HOUSE, SOPOT, POLAND

NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWER, TOKYO, JAPAN

HABITAT 67, MONTEAL, CANADA

CUBIC HOUSES, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Claire's Conference Outing: the Mt. Tabor Area Field Study Summary—in English

PORTLAND, OREGON U.S.A.: Conference Outing Summary: Mt. Tabor, Green Streets, Upper Hawthorne Avenue 04.06.10

At approximately eleven in the morning I and other transportation, housing, parks and art, economics, and health and safety professionals boarded the Trimet bus "15 Belmont" . We arrived at Mt. Tabor Park and walked to the top to see a spectacular view of downtown Portland. Most prominent was Hawthorne Avenue, which lead to the Willamette River and the West Hills. Frank McGowen, one of the conference leaders and tour guides, pointed out OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Investigation), the Coin Building, the Markham bridge, and the Mt. Tabor reservoir. On the way back to Sunnyside Environmental Center, the main building the Brownsfield Conference is being held in, our group was shown many different ways of making a city "livable". Components that make Portland a livable city include dog parks (apparently abundant in Portland), bioswales (a landscape element that helps clean storm water before it is infiltrated back into the earth or piping), and nurseries (to help populate the parking strips with trees). I was especially impressed with the diverse feel of the neighborhood. Through the eyes of a non-architect I would not have guessed there are so many different chicken coop designs, planters, and garden art. Being in Portland I am pleased with the variety of houses and apartments compared to, for example, places in Pheonix, Arizona and Washington (State). Frank is a suburb leader and I was satisfied with the quality of my first day in Portland, Oregon.

Through a planner's eyes I question elements of Portland with judgement of efficiency, beauty, sustainability, and walk, bike, and public transportation success. When I don my architect's spectacles I can see that the public transportation system in Portland (Trimet) is organized and easy to decipher. If you have access to Trimet's website there are helpful resources like "Trip Planner" and "Transit Tracker" to make your ride practically effortless. I have noticed that the bus shelters are planned with thought: the seating often discourages homeless people and encourages bus riders, offers protection from the rain, and sports maps and timetables. From a planner's perspective I see a little more of the story and purpose to features of cities.

To me, "livable" mean something is enjoyable to live in, in addition to being fit for living. In my opinion cities are livable when they have the necessities of the 2010 human standard (able to support housing, office buildings, streets, electricity, TVs, computers, telephones, cellular phones, airplanes, trains, grocery stores, etc.) plus sustainability like recycling and things that bring people together to create a stronger community, like art installations.

Bioswales benefit Portland. Rain is abundant in the Portland area and when the storm water and sewage pipes fill with too much water (and waste), they overflow into the Willamette River. Storm water from impervious surfaces, like sidewalks and paved roads, run into the bioswales and the plants inside love it. The water is cleaned by going through the plants and soil and as a result the water takes longer getting to the pipes or is able to infiltrate the soil. I think bioswales are a super-technology because they have a efficient purpose, they are nice to look at, and they can boast that their home is becoming a green place, already a green place, or becoming a greener place.

World Architecture Website

I found this website with worldwide architecture events, news, stories, projects, etc. Inspiring for an architect like me to look at!

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.showhome

-Claire

Science Fiction Books

Here is a website with good book recommendations, categorized by genre. Here is the link to the science fiction collection: http://www.readingrants.org/category/gen-x-files/ Some of my favorites.....

Hunger Games—Suzanne Collins (one of the best books I have ever read)

Before I Fall—Lauren Oliver (ditto)

Impossible—Nancy Werlin (ditto ditto. Also, I own this book so someone can borrow it.)

Forest of Hands and Teeth—Carrie Ryan (I own this book so someone can borrow it.)

Shiver—Maggie Stiefvater

The Fetch—Laura Whitcomb

How to Ditch Your Fairy—Justine Larbalestier (Australian and incredibly hilarious—laugh out loud, pee your pants, cause major class disruption funny.)

Bliss—Lauren Myracle (disturbing)

The Adoration of Jenna Fox—Mary E. Pearson

A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and A Sweet Far Thing—Libba Bray (This is a trilogy, listed in order. I have Rebel Angels and A Sweet Far Thing that can be borrowed. Also some of the best books I have read.)

Book of a Thousand Days—Shannon Hale

-Claire