Readying myself to part ways with the house on Figueroa. Experiments and explorations in passive cooling and heating; local and low carbon building materials; the politics and economics of housing in Los Angeles. Some questions answered but yet far m
First look at the fossil record. Terrazzo made from Los Angeles River rock, shell, glass, plastic, concrete, brick, ceramic, asphalt, metal, bone, and other sands from an urban watershed. #lariver
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Today our planet reaches the solstice. The northern hemisphere experiences its shortest day, and the southern hemisphere its longest. Welcome to winter, welcome to summer.
Earthen materials are beautiful and necessary. Clay, sand, silt, loam, gravel -- mixed in the right proportions are the most versatile and low-impact building materials we know of. Adobe, rammed earth, cob, and mud brick are all earthen structural s
Many months of progress on our 12’2” wide house on Figueroa. No one expected this project to take so long, but I’ll take quality and intention over speed any day. Not pictured: my emotional deconstruction. Shout out to my therapist
Housing is a human right. As such, we have a collective responsibility to shape housing policy away from the current model — where we find ourselves for the 2nd time in 2 decades, amidst a mass eviction, homelessness and foreclosure event. Th
I imagine a city where where the streets are soft and porous. Where regardless of who and how one is born, they are afforded knowledge and care. A time when there is shelter, food, water, health, and guidance for all who desire it. Where the fruits
Good day from my garden to yours. I have spent my month here, taking a break from the news cycle, social media, digital devices, and professional work. Tending to this small piece of land has brought me deeply into the present, finding my self in th
Ecology restoration is essential service. And it turns out, good for mental health. I had been holding myself together fairly well until last week, when the unrelenting weight of this moment finally made its first rupture. So I went to down to the L
A special shout out to design-build maestro @cor_ruppert, GC on our Figueroa house, with one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know, who goes above and beyond in care of everything he touches. 📷: @deneill
How to Not Run Your A/C Constantly, Part 2⁣ ⁣ Yesterday’s post was timely — it turns out the daily high in Downtown LA (98 F) blew out the previous record (94 F), held since 1898. The City’s decision to open public cooling centers e
How to Not Run Your A/C Constantly, Part 1 Nothing like being quarantined in your home to make you realize the design flaws of your building. Unfortunately most modern buildings were designed and constructed so poorly for their local weather pattern
Every day is an opportunity for observation of natural systems — to improve our place within them, and reduce our disruptions of them. ... Understanding how the sun rises and falls at different times of the year has been crucial human knowledge
Introducing our small project on Isabel Street - a case study in climate-responsive design and natural building materials on an infill site in Cypress Park/Mt. Washington. ... Climate-responsive design, aka passive design, uses seasonal sun, wind, an
Winter sun on clay plaster, shamel ash, birch
⁣Add 4 months of progress to our 12’2” wide house. Unveiling after the rains ✌🏼⠀ ..⠀ Architect @daveedkapoor // GC @cor_ruppert
I am the grandson of asylum seekers, refugees and illegal immigrants. ... My father’s father came to the US from Hungary/Romania via Belgium as a stowaway on a coal ship. His travel partner did not survive the journey. They were illegal. My fat
Very excited to announce our newest endeavor - to permit the use of natural cork for building exteriors in California. … Our partnership with building material supplier @smallplanetsupply and cork producer @amorimcork is based on their product
This slideshow represents the first 3 months of very humbling construction on our R1 house in Highland Park. The amount of coordination and rigor required to maintain progress and quality on an urban infill 12’x34’ house is astounding. Al