Author Archives: Christine

Seeing double in Dubai

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the-empire-state-bldg-dubai

Source: http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/1726246.html

New York continues to inspire with reports that an investment company in Abu Dhabi is looking for a 75% stake in one of the cities most iconic buildings the Chrysler Building. http://www.therealestatebloggers.com/2008/06/12/chrysler-building-for-sale-to-abu-dhabi-investment-company/ While in Dubai the impression is of seeing double…..

When Japan finally opened up to foreigners in 1854 after being “impenetrable to the western world” the fascination with Japanese gardens immediately made itself felt within English high culture and by the beginning of the twentieth century Japanese garden styles were still setting trends for popular gardens as well as inspiring a reconsideration of the early Japanoiserie gardens as cultural heritage in Britian. http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/comments/1681/

Cars, bicycles and beauty

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cycling-w-childrenUrban living has many challenges! One of those is how to go from A to B if there is more just yourself to transport….

For example, how do you travel with young children and shopping or with bulky items like a surf board?

The website Inhabit features the Madsen Bucket bike as a solution.

I imagine this solution has its limitations in terms of how far you are likely to want to pedal, what to do in wet or cold weather, terrain and speed. On weekends recreation places different transport demands on the commuter than weekday commuting. Also needing to take two children to different schooling destinations could present quite a predicament for the modern parent – especially if  they also needs to be on their way to work in Monday morning peak hour!

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/06/23/transportation-tuesday-madsen-bucket-bike/

Green modes of transport

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tesla-with-camelMost of us I suppose are more familiar with the car as a way of getting from A to B than we are the camel…

…and this has consequences for the environment. Camels are quite adaptable to arid, stony, sandy etc places with not terribly much water available.

Cars on the other hand, despite the advantage of sleek appearances, have a few drawbacks. They don’t seem to be so economical on fuel, are not great company and don’t substitute for food in an emergency.

Camels can be found in gardens…cars are yet (unless Tom can correct me here) to inspire their own brand of garden…

Source: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/01/tesla-with-camel.jpg

Creating urban dreams

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OMA have an exciting project in conceptual development at the Coolsingel in Rotterdam. The use of pure form and warped space is a breath of inspiration…

Beyond the visual gestalt are some incredible opportunities for the integration of strong landscape concepts in a project which plays with the relationship of inside and out, of the city to the building and of the existing built fabric to the new.

This project potentially asks among other landscape questions about the greening and social vibrancy of atria…and how this greening and socially active space might be continuous/discontinuous etc with the outer urban realm..

Source http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=project&id=1071&Itemid=10

Exploring streets ahead

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fruit-street-trees-montrealIt seems the Canadians have taken to promoting the idea of street orchards…which since I had been reading Great Streets by Allan Jacobs (1993) seemed a great way (with a co-operative enlightened council) of enhancing urban residential streets and providing edible opportunities for both people and fauna.

It is Jacobs belief that sociability is a major reason behind the development of urban centres. And I suppose economic exchange is just one part of a broader view of sociability. Residential streets are places to come home to, to relax in and to spend time at with the family as well as create mini-communities.

Jacobs says “There have been times when streets were a primary focus of city building – streets rather than individual buildings.” Streets are the place where urban landscape and architecture intersect and mingle.

It would be interesting to take some cues from Jacobs and add to the collection of green roofs, a collection of great streets!

Read more including source of photo at http://spacingmontreal.ca/2008/01/14/planting-fruit-trees-on-city-streets/