Open Invite: Reinvent the Motor City

by Maggie Flickinger

Imagine walking down a city block in your hometown and realizing that just one in ten homes are occupied.  The others, once charming historic bungalows, are now overgrown, crumbling visages with nary a hint of their past lives as part of a vibrant community.  Repeat this pattern block after block.   Think a visit to downtown will reassure? There, a 35-story skyscraper sits entirely vacant, as it has since it was built – many of its neighbors have won a few tenants, but sit mostly empty.  City-wide, average residential vacancy is almost 30%, with many areas much more hard hit.

Abandoned homes on one block in East Detroit, published by Mother Jones in November 2010.

TEDx Boulder: Conscious Growth

by Maggie Flickinger

It’s here!  My talk for August’s TEDx Boulder has been posted on YouTube. This is definitely the most concise version of our thoughts on land development with values – we generally give hour long presentations on this topic, similar to the Ecovillages talk Amy & I will be giving at this weekend’s Bioneers conference in Boulder. So, grab a few bites of popcorn, enjoy the show, and let me know what you think of the distilled challenge we present!

City Life: Growing Food with the Sun

by Maggie Flickinger

The importance of fresh, vital food options to urban dwellers is undeniable.  From a sustainability perspective, reducing the transportation radius of our food supply has the potential for significant carbon reduction – the average food item travels over 1500 miles to the American table.  Health benefits abound and could help right the balance: in some urban areas only 20% of the population has access to a supermarket; instead, “groceries” are bought at convenience stores with little or no fresh produce. Socially, engaging in communal food growing helps to create a community & increase pride of place. It has economic impact as well: of the $5.5 billion spent annually on food in Colorado, only $4.9 million (less than one one thousandth of one percent) is produced in Colorado.    

But how to accomplish this?  Architecture for Humanity and Feed Denver recently partnered to sponsor an Urban Greenhouse Charrette.  Interest was shown, teams were formed, and the designs have been progressing.  Nicole, an Associate at Barrett Studio, teamed with Kathy Ford of SEM architects, Brigitte Kerr of studiotrope, Robb Ollett, James Oeinck, and Molly Blakley to develop a concept for a Solar Greenhouse.  The team felt strongly that the greenhouse shouldn’t simply act as a source of food, but also as a social hub and learning opportunity for the community.   

Powers of Ten: Sunday, 10.10.10

by Maggie Flickinger

The auspicious date of 10.10.10 is rapidly approaching!  At Barrett Studio, Charles & Raye Eames’ seminal Powers of Ten film holds a dear place.  We’ve often referred to the film and shared our Powers of Ten flipbook with potential clients and fellow design conspirators.  This only makes sense, as the Eames’ philosophy of “seeing the big things in the little things and the little things in the big things” is a pillar of our practice.  Rather than compartmentalizing and working in a narrow area of focus, this practice of “design thinking” encourages systemic and symbiotic solutions, often arrived at through a collaborative process integrating multiple disciplines.  

While this provides a platform for our studio’s organization, it also inspires us at a project level.  Spending time on a site, we gain influence from patterns of light on rock outcroppings or the way wind sings through grasses.  This connects us to a smaller natural scale, the larger ecosystem within which it lives, and the elements by which it is influenced – and more importantly, reminds us that all of these scales are inextricably interwoven.  As we select finishes and materials for a project, seeking reliable source and lifecycle information brings the “final product” back into connection with the planetary processes of which it takes advantage.  And when we inhabit a space designed with an acknowledgment of these interconnections, there are moments when the smallest microcosm of our inner beings is transported to the wonder of our macrocosm.

TEDx Boulder: Buy a Home with Values

by Maggie Flickinger

It was a whirlwind week for me, speaking in front of 1300+ people (gulp!) at the Chautauqua Fieldhouse in Boulder for the inaugural TEDx Boulder event last Saturday, August 7th.  I had six-minutes to cover the topic “Conscious Growth: Land Development with Values.”  Using Barrett Studio’s project Twin Buttes as a case study, I discussed a synergistic model for land development founded on listening to nature and to the nature of people.  TED talks are often known for the takeaway, or challenge.  Having worked on this talk for weeks, imagine my delight two days prior to see a New York Times blog post on just my challenge: essentially, view a home through the lens of your values, rather than perceived “market value.”

Essentially, I posit that since we live in a capitalistic society, and homes enjoy a 100% market segment (virtually unheard of), we should take the reigns as empowered consumers and affect change in product availability.  It seems simplistic, but I firmly believe in the power of an annual consumer base of over 5 million people (# of existing & new home sales in US from US Census & National Association of Realtors) supporting a multi-trillion dollar industry.  As I noted at TEDx, housing will be the largest expense of your life…so live your values, make it count!

Photos by Ryan Behner, Peggy Dyer; Video coming soon!

Our Future: Grab it by the Tale!

by David Barrett

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.” Dickens, Tale of Two Cities

Like many others, I’ve been wondering more and more, “What can we do to create in a time that seems to reflect this Dickensian world?” With an undeniable collapse of business as usual comes the associated need for invention. As the systems we have so embraced as standards and practices to keep our economic machine chugging along go haywire, we are fools to sit back and wait for the nex Ponzi scheme or “drill, baby, drill” mantra to fuel our engines. Can we really be so foolish as to hook our wagon – once again – to quick fixes that continue taking us down the inevitable slippery slope of the perfect storm: peak oil, religious fundamentalism (of all faiths), global climate change, and giganticism?

OR (The Call to Action)

Do we take stock of the dire straits we find ourselves in and see need, not greed…can we change our perspective from passive observers and codependents in this highly dysfunctional family and reclaim some power? As good capitalists – natural capitalists maybe – can we see that needs mean opportunities? Is this system not ripe for creative solutions? As designers of our future, are we not in the position to reclaim design as a meaningful act – one that looks at the big picture and as Charles and Ray Eames suggested in a similar season of design revolution, “Look for the big things in the little things, and the little things in the big things?” These words so clearly instruct us to think globally, think systemically & holistically; recognize interconnectivity, put on our telescopic minds!

powers of 10 courtesy the Eames

Faded Dreams at Arcosanti

by Maggie Flickinger

Recently, I set off on a southwest road trip, and in later posts you’ll read about my impressions of Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam Bypass.  Here though, I’d like to share some photos I took of Arcosanti – that fabled gem in the dusty desert north of Scottsdale, Arizona.  Like many of you, I recall learning about Paolo Soleri and Arcology in Architectural History courses…here, something was happening…change was afoot!  So when I realized the line on our map could take us right past the site of the only developed and inhabited Arcology, Arcosanti, I naturally foisted a visit upon my begrudging parter.

Internet research told the story of a declining population, an increasingly absentee visionary leader (Soleri is still an active architect at 93, but spends much of his time at Cosanti, in neighboring Scottsdale), and a project path erring from the original vision.  The visit itself was marred by a cavalier tour guide who obviously had little knowledge of or respect for Soleri’s vision – he said that the idea of a fully built Arcology was “a joke” around Arcosanti.  Indeed, work has markedly slowed in the past several years, with the most significant project being a swimming pool (not in the original plans).  In the model below, the dark chipboard in the foreground is built, the white chipboard the remaining vision.  Planned for 5,000 inhabitants, the current incarnation houses between 30 and 40 residents.

Bah Humbug to Earth Day!

by Maggie Flickinger

I’ve been told “Happy Earth Day” by about 30 entities today.  I say “entities” because only about 8 of these tidings came from my friends, family, and coworkers.  One sparked a discussion on how I slacked, not motivated enough to brave the spring downpours (and hail!) to ride my bike into the the studio this morning.  Another brought an observance of a jeweled ladybug navigating the remnants of that downpour across an achingly green new leaf.  Sadly, though, the majority of these “Happy Earth Day”s were glaring at me from my inbox, suffixed by “20% off today only” “free shipping on earth day” “giveaway today only!”

It seems that Earth Day, established in 1970 with the goal of being “…a national day of observance of environmental problems…” has gone the way of of capitalistic consumerism.  Perhaps as daily awareness of environmental issues is on the rise, the need for one day to focus on these issues lessens.  And perhaps that’s when marketing gurus seize the opportunity to co-opt the day for greenwashing campaigns.  I have two alternative ideas to put forth regarding my ideal version of Earth Day, both related to radical change – a jar to the system that becomes cause for pause:

First, wouldn’t it be wild to see an earth day ad campaign that said:

“Please don’t buy anything from us today.  Go outside instead!” 

Moral Obligation or Economic Stimulation?

by Maggie Flickinger

As World Architecture News recently reported, the Aceh Tsunami Museum recently opened in Indonesia, which was ravaged by the Tsunami and its aftermath in 2004, causing over 160,000 deaths. While in concept, honoring the victims and the tragedy surrounding this incident is honorable, the project met controversy both at its inception and at its dedication. Concern began with the siting of the museum and the demolition of two heritage buildings to accommodate the new structure. Limited communication with the community and the survivors during the design process compounded the situation. The culmination came at the dedication ceremony however, when allegations contended that over 700 families have not yet been rehoused while the museum – now one of Aceh’s most opulent structure – cost over $6.5 million US dollars in funds distributed by the Aceh Reconstruction Fund (ARF).

It is important to point out that the architect, Ridwan Kamil, has publicly stated that he was under the impression the funds were coming from Cultural / Public building funds, and that he certainly would not have participated had funds knowingly come from “more important priorities, such as survivor rehousing.”

Yet I sense an opportunity here for rumination….a more overarching philosophical consideration.