Top 5 Blog Posts

Sambo Mockbee tops the list of "most read" posts on the NAV blog for good reason; he changed the way many people, including me, look at so-called ordinary materials. He was as much artist and sociologist as Architect. For ultimate inspiration, click on "Shelter for the Soul."

http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/02/sambo-mockbees-shelter-for-soul.html

The next most clicked essay - What's Your Walk Score? - links you to a site that scores your (or any) neighborhood for walkability. See how you rank.

http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-is-your-walk-score.html

Architect and professor Michael Berk takes the bronze with his design for the Green Mobile - an affordable, portable, and very green alternative to the modern-day McMansion.

Berk recently illustrated the power of truth and integrity. Forced by an aggressive and arrogant administration at Mississippi State University to "dumb-down and hide" the educational aspects of his design class, and under the threat of the Dean of the School of Architecture being fired, he stood up to the power structure with truth and integrity as his only defense. Long painful story made short, Berk and the Dean remain and the president of the University resigned. This deserves a more detailed post and is, I promise, forthcoming.

http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/02/micheal-berks-greenmobile.html

Coming in right behind Berk is America's first green Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. At the age of 89, he made the claim that "If I had 15 more years, I could rebuild this country." Although prone to hyperbole for the sake of drama, he may have been right. Wright is responsible for more of our built environment than you think, including the open plan. He called it "exploding the box."


http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/02/frank-lloyd-wrights-organic.html


Rounding out the top 5 is Michelle Kaufmann. She's doing some very interesting things in the area of pre-fab design and building. All very contemporary. Check her out at:

http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/02/michelle-kaufmanns-glidehouse.html