Think of the Cabbages

In Mitch Magee's seventh installment of the Mister Glasses series, our hero faces a dilemma: progress, or cabbages.

Enjoy previous episodes here and find out how modern architecture can mend a broken heart.

Organic Skyscraper of the Future

Ah, yes - sketchbooks!

Any takers for an apartment in my skyscraper of the future? Grown from hybridized seed, then dried, shellacked and furnished. Perfect urban "oasis in the clouds."

I've claimed the penthouse on level 333 complete with heliport and man-glider launching pad.

Will you be my neighbor?

Transportation in Birmingham

photos: Blueprint America

Blueprint America , a PBS investigative look into the state of transportation infrastructure in the US, airs a two-part report today and tomorrow on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

UPDATE: Breaking news bumped the report to Monday, August 10th and Tuesday, August 11th.

The first segment examines the costs and consequences of automobile-heavy transportation policies as they've played out in Birmingham, Alabama.

The second piece looks at Birmingham's woefully underfunded bus system -a not-so-uncommon phenomenon, especially in the American Southeast where autonationalism runs rampant.

Tune into your local PBS station August 10th and August 11th for the live report. Check back here later for a link to the video.

BeauSoleil: Completion in Site

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry. For more info about the project, visit their website. And check out a short film about the project.



Geoff Gjertsen, architect and faculty adviser for TEAM BeauSoleil, reports that progress is moving along nicely and on schedule for an August 24th roll-out.

There's an old saying in architecture: The last 10% takes 90% of the effort - an exaggeration under most circumstances, but no doubt there will be a flurry of activity over the next three weeks.

This is crunch time.

Power to the Pedals

film frame: Boston Globe

Wenzday Jane of Metro Pedal Power in Boston is burning up the pavement (and calories) with a new in-town delivery service.

Her fleet of 500-pound-capacity, waterproof bike trailers scoot around town carbon-free. A typical load might be a stack of fresh locally-grown vegetables on their way to Boston restaurants. It saves time and money for the farmer and restaurateur while freeing up the streets of large delivery vans.

Great idea, Wenzday.

Boston Globe reporter Wendy Maeda, in a report entitled Mettle to the Pedal, give the rundown.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Unitarian Meeting House

Last year I posted a series of photos of the Unitarian Meeting House in Madison.

http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/07/organic-architecture-in-wisconsin.html
http://newamericanvillage.blogspot.com/2008/07/more-organic-architecture-frank-lloyd.html

In my ambitious space clearing project of the past few days, I found this decade-old drawing in one of my old sketchbooks.

Besides being one of my favorite FLlW buildings, the Meeting House turned out to be one of the most copied (almost always badly) of Mr. Wright's compositions. (He called his buildings "symphonies in stone.") Look at the prow; think of how many churches you've seen with an extended ridge at on the front, some with stained glass in some configuration, some with a solid front.

Frank Lloyd Wright preached the gospel of organic architecture. I've asked many apprentices who studied under America's great Architect about the meaning of organic architecture and, as with Mr. Wright's writing, the answer is almost always different.

"The whole is to the part as the part is to the whole."

"Emulate, but never imitate Nature (Frank Lloyd Wright always capitalized the word)."

And "the building should have its own Nature; it should have a soul!"

This building certainly does have all of that.

Clunkers Beware

Some aspects of the US government's economic recovery efforts focus on the transition from a dirty energy economy to a cleaner energy economy. The Cash for Clunkers program went into effect this past week and has proven to be a very stimulating initiative with new cars flying off showroom floors for the first time in recent memory.

It rebates up to $4500 for the trade-in of an older, gas-guzzling car with the purchase of a new, more energy efficient model.

In fact, the program worked so well, the well ran dry. Congress appropriated $1 billion for the program, which is set to expire November 1st, but the rush of new car buyers drew that down in the first few days. Late word is that Congress will bump the program up by another $2 billion.

Visit cars.gov for details on how to trade your clunker in for carbon-eating cash.

For Sale: Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House

Images: Ennis House Foundation


You can own this home. Don't have fifteen million to shell out? You can purchase this groovy Ennis House print by artist Josh Agle, better known as "Shag"offered by the Ennis House Foundation.

Link to a National Public Radio piece by Karen Grigsby Bates on the impending sale here.

Felder's Sustainable Lawn

photos: MPB and Felder Rushing

Every Friday, horticulturist Felder Rushing hosts a lively gardening show called the "Gestalt Gardner" imparting helpful tips, interviewing interesting guests, and topped off with a dose of cheesy music.

A living, breathing example of someone who "pulls his own strings," Felder encourages gardeners to have a little fun and forget about what the neighbors say. A celebration of uniqueness and creativity is encouraged. Bottle trees and pink flamingos are fair game.

Although a turf specialist, grass has traditinally been conspicuously absent from Felder's yard, so after years of constant ribbing from the neighbors, he recently bowed to public pressure planting a lawn in his front yard - in a little red wagon!

Easy to water, easy to mow (he trims it with scissors), and portable, this lawn is as sustainable as grass gets.

OK, here's what the Mississippi Public Radio doesn't tell you: The Gestalt Gardener is really a show about "creative living" disguised as a show about gardening. Tune into the Gestalt Gardner Friday mornings at 9am (Central US time) or listen to the podcast at your convenience - its good for the soul!

BeauSoleil: Hot, Hot, Hot !!!

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry. For more info about the project, visit their website. And check out a short film about the project.





A report from the field...

We’ve kicked it into high-gear and have been working about nine hours a day (with a lunch break of course) to bring you guys the solar home of the future! The exterior is nearly finished-out and we’ve gotten the sheetrock ready for being finished and painted!

The transitional porch is nearly done as well! The aluminum frame is completed and the plumbers finished installing the fin-based, water heating system on Friday.

Monday the polycarbonate roof goes on and the roof is completed!!! All that’s left is the Nanawall system and finishing-up the cypress and bug screen!

Sorry for having so many exclamation points in this update. Things are just really exciting right now. It’s definitely worth a visit, preferably on Tuesdays!
Have a BeauSoleil Day!

Chris Dufreche, TEAM BeauSoleil


Some BeauSoleil Facts and Figures...

* although the home is only 800 sf, the surrounding porch is another 1700 sf
* the IPE wood (FSC Certified-Sustainably grown) deck on the porch should last 100 years
* the millwork shop which milled our siding for the rainscreen is going to name our unique siding profie "BeauSoleil"
* the UL Ragin Cajun Football team lent us their sideline PortaCoolers to us to help keep the students cool in our warehouse during construction. Thanks Caoch Bustle!
* The interior doors for the BeauSoleil Home will be made from reclaimed cypress and polycarbonate vision lites
* we are using paperless sheetroack in the bathroom of the BeauSoleil Home to reduce the possibility of mold growth
* the aluminum solar fins manufactured by Begneaud for us will be coated with a special silicon paint to increase the amount of heat they will collect