Spanning: Bridge Houses

A couple of projects, picking up on the recent post 'A River Runs Through It', feature a pair of amazing buildings spanning waterways. I guess the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright is alive and well in architecture.

The first via Arch Daily, is Bridge House, a design in Adelaide, Australia by Max Pritchard Architect. This modern slice of living is delicately placed to span a small creek, touching down lightly on either side to minimize impacts.



The house has a bunch of green features, as well as a pretty nice pricetag: "A bend in the winter creek that divides the property, creates a billabong (a deep waterhole) bounded by a high rocky bank. A house was required that would allow appreciation of the site without spoiling its beauty, but at a budget comparable with a “prefabricated” dwelling or an “off the plan” developers design (approximately (A$220,000)."

Some photos of the result, (copyright Sam Noonan, via Arch Daily)






:: images via Arch Daily

The second project (via SpaceInvading) is aptly enough also named 'Bridge House'. This design in Marin County by Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects "...is fifteen acres of wooded grasslands with a ravine running through. The house, a continuous twenty-two-foot-wide two-story bar, bridges the ravine from east to west."






:: images via SpaceInvading

Experimentation in Modern Communication

I'm not necessarily against new media options, but as one who does not 'tweet', I'm curious to see the results of this upcoming forum hosted by Balmori Associates on What Should a Public Place Be? Conducted 100% via Twitter be sure to check it out on July 13th, and who knows, if it is a rousing success, then I may be influenced into setting up my own account... :)

A Short History of America

Perhaps an homage to a weekend of bbq's and fireworks - this panel progression from the fantastic R.Crumb highlights the long (or really, actually quite short) road from nature to excess that we like to call development in America... anyone care to refute this vision? The interesting part, to see where this leads in future iterations, and can it turn around...? (via People and Place)


:: (click to enlarge) - image via R. Crumb