Posts filed under 'Articles'
With its energy efficiency, kitchen geek appeal and growing reputation for power and precision, induction cooking may be the iPad of the kitchen.
As a new article in the New York Times on induction cooking states “22 percent of the people surveyed… said their next range or cooktop would be induction. The appeal is especially strong among younger people setting up their first serious kitchens, according to the report. Unlike their baby boomer and Generation X counterparts, the new class of cooks is less tied to the aesthetics of gas and more interested in environmentally sound choices.”
We’ll count ourselves in that 22 percent. Click here to read the full article.
April 7th, 2010
Harsh conditions. Scarcity of materials. “Astronomical” costs of building. The lessons learned from NASA building the International Space Station are actually quite relevant down here on Earth. (well, except for that astronaut urine idea. you could get arrested for that.)
except and illustration from the article Building Tomorrow in Dwell Magazine February 2010
“We can learn a lot about how to build in the future by looking at how we are building now at the International Space Station. All the issues we deal with down here exist in an amplified state in space. We’ve figured out ways to be truly sustainable. We generate our own power. We recycle everything—–absolutely everything—–even the astronaut’s own urine and perspiration are processed into potable water. The conditions we design for are beyond harsh, and the site where we build is very hard to get to. We prefabricate our components and ship them up, and we build them with such precise tolerances that they lock perfectly together into place. We have to exceed efficiency up there, and so much of what we do end up being applicable down here.”
February 1st, 2010
excerpts and illustration from the article Voyeur’s Delight by Karrie Jacobs in Metropolis Magazine
We have become huge fans of the bold architecture of The Standard hotel in NYC for ushering in a new relationship between public and private (and what a walk in the park can do to lift your spirits). The Standard actually straddles New York’s newest park, the High Line– an adaptive reuse of a dilapidated elevated rail line servicing the Meatpacking District. The “transparency” of the hotel’s glass facade, however, has caused tremendous media controversy and it as been dubbed “exhibitionist-friendly.”
“Historically, luxury living in New York has meant a well-cultivated isolation from the hoi polloi, maintained by doormen, altitude, extra window glazing, and a spot in a quiet, genteel neighborhood. What these buildings suggest is a new urban luxury that embraces the city, its smells, noises, and peculiarities. And that inevitably means, either intentionally or by default, a degree of exhibitionism.
I happen to think a little overexposure is a small price to pay for the panorama the hotel affords. The building’s inherent nakedness is its greatest virtue… a highly transparent building in an urban setting is the architectural equivalent of Facebook, a form of social networking. While some guests are, as the Post insists, behaving badly in public, most are just reveling in the uncanny, Edenic pleasure of being at once immersed in Manhattan and butt naked.”
January 16th, 2010
Those of you who are familiar with the work on the Simpatico Prototype will find this image amusing. We also find it inspirational in both form and function. As told by author Andreas Stravopoulos in Dwell Magazine:
“First came the idea. Then came the late nights of Craigslist searching. And then it happened quickly: a trip to a derelict horse ranch in the Salinas Valley, an exchange of cash in an old barn, and a harrowing towing adventure up Highway 101 netted me my current abode—a 1959 Airstream travel trailer. The Airstream now resides in the garden of a co-op in North Berkeley, a few steps from the Cheeseboard and Chez Panisse.
My obsession with mobility, modularity, and affordability began long before the Airstream and has since extended beyond. As a recently self employed (read: laid off) landscape architect, I have been able to address several of the problems that I see in my field. Namely, the lack of connection between the LAND and the ARCHITECT.”
Click here to read the full article and view the slide show on Dwell.com.
November 3rd, 2009
And its one of our favorite local spots.
At Oakland’s Pizzaiolo, diners can view the coop that supplies eggs for dishes. It’s all part of the City’s urban chicken renaissance.
Just off Pizzaiolo’s back patio is a brand new, custom-built chicken coop. Eggs laid there in the morning will top the pizzas by nightfall. Diners will be able to wander over, Barolo in hand, to commune with the creatures that might contribute to their dinner. It is certainly redefining the local food movement and the urban landscape.
Click here to read the full article from the LA Times.
August 18th, 2009
Check out the nice press we received about the Prototype Home on Jetson Green. Jetson Green is a daily updated magazine that’s obsessed with green building and everything related to it, including sustainable architecture, good design, green prefab, clean technology in the built environment, affordable housing, and eco-friendly development.
June 5th, 2009
What’s that old saying again…? Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t drive Ferraris in reverse? We love the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for all its charm and quotables. But we really loved his friend Carmeron’s house; in particular, the glass pavilion “garage” where one parks the “rolling stock.” As we’ve learned, jacking a car up and running it in reverse won’t turn back the mileage.
For a cool $2.3 million, this 5,600 square foot movie classic (with garage, above) in Highland Park, IL can be yours. Ferrari sold separately.
Check out the video about the Bueller house from The Today Show this morning. Its hard to believe that movie was 1986! Just goes to show you that great architecture and great film never go out of style.
June 5th, 2009
Simpatico Homes is featured in a recent article entitled All the world’s a Twitter. Published by our design partners at Hutner Descollonges, this latest trend in social networking is explained. We’ve just found it another great way communicate our message and engage the modern/green/prefab communities. You can find us microblogging as @simpaticohomes. Okay, we need to hop off our blog now and get back to our Twittering…
May 28th, 2009
Why should we care about nature? Because in the words of Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson, without it we “descend farther from heaven’s air if we forget how much the natural world means to us.” He popularized the “biophilia” hypothesis: the idea that our evolutionary history has blessed us with an innate affinity for living things. We thrive in the presence of nature and suffer in its absence.
Many studies show that even a limited dose of nature, like a chance to look at the outside world through a window, is good for your health. Hospitalized patients heal more quickly; prisoners get sick less often. Being in the wild reduces stress; spending time with a pet enhances the lives of everyone from autistic children to Alzheimer’s patients. The author Richard Louv argues the modern children suffer from “nature-deficit disorder” because they have been shut out from the physical and psychic benefits of unstructured physical contact with the natural world.
The above excerpts are from the article Natural Happiness by Paul Bloom in the New York Times Magazine.
May 19th, 2009
How consumer expectations about the home have changed, and how they might change again. (New York Times Magazine)
Today, given that many Americans’ consumption patterns have been affected by the economic slowdown, it’s interesting to consider whether a version of normal might emerge that is more environmentally sound. Among other things, the article explores our notion of ‘normal’ bathrooms.
April 27th, 2009
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With its energy efficiency, kitchen geek appeal and growing reputation for power and precision, induction cooking may be the iPad of the kitchen.
