As summer begins to come to an end I start to think about the various Fall landscaping projects that I might like to do and even begin to plan for some Spring projects. This usually means I find myself surfing the web for landscape design firms that have a modern aesthetic to their work like Lutsko Associates. Usually I find myself attracted to non-traditional applications of materials to creative solutions for small spaces. However, The Los Olivos Residence by Lutsko Associates is far from a small space (at 500 acres), but the application of materials around what appears to be a private pond is incredible. A low curving concrete wall runs along the water’s edge on one side, and a loose stone courtyard along the other. Buffering the other side of the courtyard is a natural loose stone wall, which appears to rest in front of a vineyard. The property is surrounded by prairie grasses, trees and water all making for an incredibly inviting scene. The focal point of the project is a cantilevered deck/dock that extends off of the concrete wall and out into the water—a stunning vignette for dining or relaxing.

The Lacie Stark Desktop Hard Drive design by Phillippe Stark has a sleek look with its almost liquid mercury looking center.

The opening paragraph of computer hardware manufacturer Lacie’s website reads “At LaCie, we combine design and technology to result in products that are both beautiful and performance-driven.” It sounds like a strange statement and maybe even a strange business approch for a manufacturer of high quality digital storage systems, but it’s a direction that seems to be paying off. Since 1992 Lacie has been partnering with world-class design resources like Ziba Design,Porsche Design GmbH, Karim Rashid, Ora-Ito, Philippe Starck and Neil Poulton to create some of the most attractive looking digital storage units you could imagine. As their own website states “you’re not just getting a storage solution—you’re buying a piece of art.” As an owner of a Lacie storage drive I must admit that the combination of affordable, highly reliable storage accompanied by a really cool design sealed the deal for me. I applaud the fact that they didn’t just settle for making a really good product and decided to make a really good product that looks really great too.

There is a great line in a recent American Automaker ad “The things that make us Americans are the things we make…”. It is a poetic line of ad copy, but I must say that I couldn’t agree more. In this nation our hands and our minds are constantly in the activity of creation. Be it art or industry we are a nation builders, inventors and problem solvers—sometimes for fun sometimes for necessity. So with that in mind my entry for today is about an event that celebrates this quality among us—Maker Faire, which is reaching its final of three destinations this summer in NYC. The self-described family fun festival to MAKE, create, learn, invent, CRAFT, recycle, build, think, play & be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science and technology. The event will take place over two days in NYC come September 25–26, 2010 at the New Your Hall of Science. The recent Maker Faire events in the Bay Area and Detroit brought out a range of incredible contraptions from Giant multi-person bicycle cars and monstrous robots to a low cost, light weight housing for the homeless called DecaDome. I’m sure NYC will bring out its own collection of incredible works, so if you’re in the area or just looking for a fun weekend getaway in Sept. this just might be the thing.

While at the book store today doing some research for a project, I found myself standing among a collection of architecture and design books. I grabbed one off the shelf by the title New Green Homes: The Latest in Sustainable Living and promptly sat down to look through it. First I must say that I love when a publisher of a book on green building practices actually gets the fact that the audience that would buy a book like this is probably really into eco-responsiblity. So printing the book using ecologically responsible methods is a good idea—as the publishers of this book have done. Ok, now about the book and it’s actual content. The book (the second in a series the fist being called Green Homes: New ideas for Sustainable Living) features a great collection of stunning, green friendly and very modern homes. I would say that many of the projects featured are likely not something that the majority of us could ever afford (stretches of glass overlooking ocean views) but they certainly are wonderful to look at and there appears to be some reasonable content that can be gleaned from the pages as well. Probably not as much robust content as you might uncover through a few well executed Google searches, but still some decent stuff and it’s nicely packaged for your enjoyment. However, if you’re looking for something cool to put out on our coffee table to tell your friend and relatives—”I’m a modernist with an environmental conscious” then this book is sure to do the trick. Heck, after looking at a few of the cool projects in this book you’re likely to convert some of your more conservative friends and relatives to both movements.

Yesterday, My wife and I were riding our bikes down the back country roads of Wisconsin around Lake Geneva and almost got into a fender bender.  Luckily she was paying attention otherwise we would have missed this.  I was also lucky I was watching her otherwise we would have got into a collision at 20 miles/hour.

Someone had built a modern house in the middle of two old silos on a gorgeous piece of farm land in the middle of nowhere! What was even better was that it was for sale which meant we could snoop around and look for information on it.  You can see the listing on Keefe’s Real Estates website under MLS Number 1149240.  What we found out is that it was designed by Joseph Zimmer who I could not find any information on via the web.  It has 3 beds, 2 baths and is on 1.21 acres.  It is listing for $547,000.

My goal is to get a viewing so that I can get some more information on this place.  I will let you know if I am successful. If you know anything about this home or Joseph Zimmer, please let us know.

I spent a little time at another summer art fair recently and came across these awesome looking retro-mod clocks by artist Keith Moore from Pilot Design. Created out of MDF (precisely cut on a CNC machine) and then covered in veneers or painted, the collection of clock designs totally captures the whimsy, energy, style and heart of mid-century modern design. Personally, I love the look and feel of both the round clocks but find the honeycomb pattern clock to be a really fascinating look as well. I can’t imagine a mid-century modern home where one of these clocks wouldn’t look great as a feature on the wall.

This weekend while making my way through Minneapolis Uptown Art Fair I discovered the work of metal artist and furniture maker L. John Andrew. The piece that captured my eye (and hundrerds of others at the show) was an incredible two person outdoor seat called the LikeSeat (a play on the classic love-seat, but in this case the center divider makes it less about love, and a lot more about just liking someone enough to sit next to them). Beside the appeal of the LikeSeat’s obvious classic mid-century modern lines what makes it incredibly unique is the seats primary construction material—washers. Made-up of hundreds of washers welded together, then bound by a ribbon of steel and resting on a classic mid-century modern steel base the LikeSeat is really lovely to look at. Adding to the seats visually light, airy appealing look is a high-gloss black paint finish that helps lend to the seats almost organic nature. Light appears to dance off the surface as it catches the ridges of the seats various curves and ever so varying angles of each washer. Achieving this organic feel is not something so easily done when working with perfectly machined steel parts like washers, but something Andrew has accomplished with what appears to be almost effortless precision. If you think the LikeSeat is cool as I do check out some more of his work which ranges from furniture to sculpture to signage at  ljohnandrew.com.

Whether you’re a Mac person or not you’re probably aware of the iPad phenomena. I myself purchased mine shortly after the initial launch and have been using it in presentations with clients ever since—often times the iPad becomes that star of those presentations. the one challenge I find is that the iPad isn’t really completely easy to hold while presenting to clients and still be able to talk to whatever you’re presenting without fumbling with your iPad as you try and hold it in place. That’s why I was so pleased when I found this great looking, sleek, super adaptable stand for my iPad by Mac accessory design house twelvesouth called Compass. The Compass not only nicely supports the iPad in display mode but it also provides a great angle to set your iPad on when you need to do a little typing on it’s virtual keypad. The Compass is available currently on twelvesouth’s website for $39.99 a resonable price considering less attractive and functional display cases are selling for $10-$20 more.