oneshotexhibition.org blog

Roy Romer Middle School @ Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood by Johnson Fain Architects

(Facing east along Laurel Canyon Blvd.)

One of most interesting and successful public school building up to date. It reintroduces  the street in a effective way by separating traffic and a side street for the students ride to pick them up in a safe manner just like the new schools being built. The building itself  reminds the work of Le Corbusiers’ Villa Savoye in which it interplays with the light, shape, shadow and spirit. The colors scheme brings a sense of ethnicity with the majority living in the northern part of North Hollywood is predominately hispanic.

(Nearing completion)

Song of the Blog: Shadows of Ourselves by Thievery Corporation on the CD The Mirror Conspiracy.

Racism in Architecture, especially regarding the African-American community, has been a sore subject every time it has brought up ever since the word ever came in the English Dictionary. Today’s climate is even worse. There no African-American Architect relevant in today’s notable field of Architecture.

There is a new journal regarding race in Architecture, Appx, created by Darrell Wayne Fields who is a associate professor architecture at the University of Arkansas which is an interdisciplinary look of black architecture in order to gain a voice and dialogue in which its has been silent. You may consider to look at it at all minorities regarding his approach.

Not since Paul Revere Williams, consider the Jackie Robinson of Architecture, who has made an impact, especially in Los Angeles, to bring race and pride of his work. An important figure and prolific designer that shapes the landscape in Los Angeles and is still standing.

The problem now is there’s not a significant presence of Black Architects, only 1.5 percent of African Americans Architects are licensed in the U.S. and much acknowledgement of the development and design in African American communities or housing are done by other than African American Architects.

In order to increase a significant presence of more minority architects, there needs to be youth programs to encourage them to be architects, especially in communities that are neglected and underserved.

West Adams Preparatory High School near Downtown LA can make a difference with its School of Invention, Design, Engineering and Architecture Department.

Not its time to bust a move.

The Beverly Hills Hotel by Paul Revere Williams

Song of the Blog:  The Reason by Soulstice in the CD Illusion

One of the aspects of moving to a more sustainable society is to limit the use of household appliances, to be able to manually do work without using electricity and utilizing our natural resources to accomplish the chore without depleting or destroying the resource.

An article about clothes line drying, Waiting for the Urban Clothesline, on Planetizen by Diana DeRubertis regarding condos buildings to have clothesline to dry your laundry as a way to combat global warming and to shift the perception of hanging clothes as part of the design of a building.

Most homes before the invention of the dryer, drying clothes was part of the regimen of household duties. It is lo-tech in its’ purist sense. Having to save energy and money sure make sense to the consumer to practice when the sun is out and you are able enjoy the weather.

In most third world countries, drying clothes is the norm where the conveniences of modern society will sometimes have 2 dryers in a household on a newer model home.

With the increase of density in major cities, new construction  are falling short of making them sustainable that can have damaging results to the utility grid, the neighborhood and the environment.

There should incentives by government to integrate clothes line drying into designing condos, apartments, townhomes and duplexes. It’s a smart way to develop communities as a whole.

(Stock photography pictures by Eugene Opitz)

Song of the Blog: Season of the Witch by Lou Rawls (produce by David Axelrod) on the Album Brotherman!

One of the noticeable presence is the new school campuses spreading around Los Angeles. It’s a new approach towards designing schools with their modern designs and bright colors. The thing about these new schools is how the new approach of designing schools can reach to the students, faculty and the general public as a way of connecting to the community as much as considering it as being cool looking.

The problem about it is while public or private schools can be a antenna of community growth rather than a novelty or having the wow-factor that will someday loses its appeal like fashion. Can the enjoyment of learning in a cool looking school become an inspiration of developing cohesion towards the community?
One scenario that has its attention is the West Adams Preparatory High School in Los Angeles by Studioworks. The school near Downtown emphasizing on the curriculum of science, technology, engineering, architecture, art and international studies consist 6 six building for each study is a collaborative work between LAUSD and Mentor LA (MLA) which is to improve the schools and neighborhood in Los Angeles.

The school itself looks like more of a industrial warehouse strip with colors of charcoal gray, lime-green and turquoise which seems to be the school uniform colors, but the question lies does the school’s design reflective to the multiculturalism and demographics of the neighborhood? Is the program’s six departments differentiate from each other but work in a cohesive manner.

One could only predict the impact of the new schools in ways that it will spur growth in the community and be a social activity space.

While West Adams Preparatory School flourish on the left, on the right across Washington Blvd. empty lots, closed business, a liquor store, used car lot and auto repair shop.

South-east view of West Adams Preparatory School on Vermont Ave.

Emblem of West Adams School (looks like an emblem from the movie Rushmore or any well-established school).

Song of the Blog: Salad Days by Minor Threat from the album Salad Days

Where images and computation comes in a fraction of a second, there is so much to process with constant information and so much to be lost in a digital world, filled with constant symbols and numbers to make anyone insane. All the frenetic pace of information that passes through our capacity to adhere and understand, the message shows the world is not absolute.

Do we really need to understand the phenomenon of the digital age as non absolute entity which is a conscious stream of impulses that varies in rhythm and sequences? It this why electronica and looping of samples becomes to an ends in society? What about the nature of sounds, objects and communications that is not catalogue into a computer or a virtual database, analogue things are concrete and absolute where there is human touch and interaction? Is computers a way to make the world insoluble?

Does it make any sense to the layman about the stimulation of virtual entertainment that seduces the viewer or do we just forget about it and ask questions later? You’ll be the judge.

Check-out this guy who digs this stuff. (critic-at-large)

Song of the Blog: Galvanized by the Chemical Brothers in the CD Push the Button

One of the growing pains that Native American tribes which is reaping from casinos and other adventures in development is their lost of identity that represent on who they are. They shouldn’t represent themselves as a sovereign nation capitalizing and globalize on their wealth and security but a resource of cultural heritage and philosophy which is to be learn upon.

Native American Culture can be a tool of building sustainable lives and development by their deep respect to nature and their ability to harmonize with nature at a given site and not to impose itself. There are ways it can confluence society in terms of observing the physical nature or built environment and to imagine an inter-connectedness between man and nature.

With most tribe’s successes comes growing pains and disappointment. The evidence are the types of buildings on reservation lands, particularly casinos and homes.

The Chumash Indian Casino in Santa Ynez Valley has been an eyesore for the community by its boxy, square buildings and resort that makes it look out of scale and out of context with the rest of its surroundings. You might say it is the khaki-version of the Getty Center in Brentwood. Also, Morango Casino in Moreno Valley, a multi-story casino and resort that looks like a Las Vegas style resort with its neon lights and a alluring figure towering above the desert.

Native American tribes should reflect their ideology towards their work and don’t compromise in terms of complacency, to move forward on how they should be perceived, emulated, identify and celebrated. Most Indian casinos look more like a Mall (uncharacterized, monotone and repetitive), vegas-style resort or a theme park.

Native Americans need to move forward from convention and build a lasting memory in gaining their own personal identity physically through Architecture, a body of work that will entails their struggles and rewards and new forms that are native to their beliefs.

Chumash Basketry as an inspiration in developing new forms of  Architecture that is relative to Native American culture.

   Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Urban Planning?)
Tule house of the Chumash (Sustainable Architecture?)
 Blog of the Song: Midnight in a Perfect World by DJ Shadow in the CD album Entroducing