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Old Town at Sahl HasheeshHurghada, Egypt
It’s 1:15 AM in Cairo, Egypt and I’m about to leave the city in 1-1/2 hours. Completely exhausted from a two-day charette, I am ready to go back home to California. Yet, instead of taking a quick nap or turning on the TV, I decide to hang out on my hotel room’s balcony in an attempt to etch the city in my mind one last time.
From the eight floor of the hotel, I look down at the great Nile River that shimmers quietly in the dark. This great body of water has always been the bloodline of Egypt since ancient times. I can smell the air, too. There is a hypnotic scent billowing across the city; it reminds me of lotus oil. Across the river is the lotus-inspired Cairo Tower, a monumental icon meant to impress the modern world. Its blinking red light at its pinnacle suggests the steady heartbeat of the country. In the far distance, bright lights cast a silhouette of the city’s skyline. I gaze at the surrounding web of roads and bridges that are bustling with nocturnal travelers; there is the relentless hum of traffic near and far. It’s a symphony of sound that surges and climbs to a crescendo, punctuated by automobile horns of all sorts of pitch and melody.
Even at the wee hours of the morning, the ancient and modern city of Cairo is alive. A spectacular city that breathes, huffs, snarls and growls. Indeed, all of these sensory overloads make me feel very much alive myself! Even at 1:15 in the morning.
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In May, a group of interior designers from the Honolulu, Seattle, Orlando and Irvine offices attended the HD Show in Vegas.
The city itself is a theatrical experience: a montage of themes, cities, eras, and figments of the imagination. It is a sensory experience to walk through and drink in the whimsical details of a city where anything goes. Pair that with the largest hospitality design convention in North America and you have the perfect designer’s wonderland. Scroll through to see some of the places and things we stumbled on.
Photos from HD2008, Las Vegas Nevada, May 14-17
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I recently completed the design of my home in the heart of Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. The house is composed of three levels, with four bedrooms and three and a half baths. My design inspiration came from years of admiring the European aesthetic of Richard Neutra, as well as other more contemporary residential designers.
A major consideration when designing/living in Seattle is the quantity and quality of light, so I chose to make that a central theme and organizing principle of the design. This was also complementary with the most prominent natural feature of our site: the spectacular view across Puget Sound.
That being said, I also felt that I needed to be respectful of an established neighborhood. I was adamant about not building a “McMansion,” and I didn’t want to crowd our neighbors and ruin their views. The neighborhood of Magnolia is quite traditional with lots of Tudors and bungalows. Although I have a tremendous amount of admiration for that type of architecture, I felt that a contemporary design would best suit this site and our family.
In order to capture the panoramic views of the city skyline and Puget Sound, I designed the south elevation to be roughly 75 percent glass with the entire upper floor being floor to ceiling glass. In order to insure that the glass worked to our advantage in this orientation I introduced what has been referred to as the brow of the home that extends roughly five feet off the façade. This brow shields the summer sun from heating the home beyond a desirable temperature and still allows the winter sun to heat the home naturally as it sits low in the horizon.
As an added measure we installed automated shades throughout the home to respond to natural lighting and temperature conditions. I was deliberate in my placement of operable windows to maximize the natural ventilation.
We also maximized the views and exposure through the strategy of placing the traditional functional elements such as the stairs within the core of the home, with a three foot by seven foot skylight at the top for additional natural light. I’m happy to say that even on the cloudiest of days we have ample light and are able to live in the home without turning on lights.
My experience at WATG was the foundation of the planning of this project. I had to be thoughtful about the site planning, and needed to be efficient with space. But efficiency doesn’t mean small, necessarily. I firmly believe that less is more: that a well detailed and executed project will always stand far above a project that is larger in size but with compromises in its execution.
For example, instead of having a five-fixture bath I went with four. And instead of a massive jetted tub or a "car wash shower" I went with simplicity and opted for a large shower with no curb and a very sexy single sheet of glass.
This theme of elegant minimalism and efficiency of space, coupled with the use of clean detailing and fine finishes, forms the overall aesthetic of the project. I also feel that this home reflects my personal beliefs and vision, and the finished product is a work that I will always be very proud of. I welcome your thoughts and feedback.
(Photos by John Mckinney and Evan Parker)
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I’m currently at the 12th annual Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) conference in Boulder, Colorado. This conference is certainly different from most conferences I attend, with yoga every morning and fresh, organic food served at every meal. There are lots of terms like “self-actualization” and “earth tax” being thrown around, but somehow it all works.
LOHAS is an acronym for a market segment focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living and social justice. WATG is here to learn more about this psychographic group since we are doing more and more sustainable projects, and we want to be able to advise our clients about this growing segment.
Some of the highlights so far have been listening to Chip Conley, Founder & CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality discuss how he modeled his individual boutique hotel brands after different kinds of magazines, and how to empower your customers, employees and investors. Also interesting was listening to Steve French and Gwynne Rogers of the Natural Marketing Institute discuss how the LOHAS consumer is one of the fastest growing market groups, but within LOHAS there are still individual segments that need to be analyzed.
Also compelling is how much social networking is being used to reach out to this market segment. I’ve talked with a number of hotel and real estate developers about how they’re using this sort of tactic to target potential guests and owners.
So far, it's been a very interesting conference. I'm off to eat my organic breakfast!
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Hotel Monte Mulini on site a few months ago – this hotel in Rovinj (Croatia) is due to open later this summer and work is progressing at a very fast pace. WATG carried out the architecture and interior design to design development stage, and also the landscape concept. We are assisting and advising the local architect and the interiors contractor on a daily basis. |
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I've had the opportunity to take part in the construction administration phase of a few of our large, full-service projects in the years I have been at WATG. I've discovered that this is one phase of the process of creating architecture that intrigues me, drives me, and makes what I do worthwhile.
I don't think the CA phase is for everyone. In fact, it can be tedious, frustrating, and drawn out to the point that you begin to wonder–WILL THIS PROJECT EVER END? Projects of the size and scope that WATG is fortunate enough to take on often take years to complete. But it can also be rewarding, fascinating, and one of the best learning experiences available to us as architects. Participating on a real team of contractors, sub-contractors, consultants, suppliers, public officials, and of course owner's reps, has taught me a few lessons and helped me build relationships that have made it all worthwhile.
Through the Renaissance Hollywood, the Palace of the Golden Horses (Malaysia), the Four Seasons Westlake Village, and to a lesser extent, the Venetian Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, I have had the opportunity to witness an interesting phenomenon. It is a bit hard to pin point when this "event" takes place, but it does on every project. I know I can't be the only participant in the building process to sense when this "turn of events" occurs, but since I've never heard anyone discuss it perhaps I am alone here!
What I'm talking about is that period of time where the building that we have been designing, drawing, permitting and finally constructing ceases to be "ours" and begins to become "theirs." By "theirs" I mean belonging to the final occupants, usually the hotel operators that will be running the hotel (in these cases) and the guests that will be enjoying their stay. We all know the project really "belongs" to the ownership team, but as occupants of a construction site, it still feels like our place for a couple years until we move on.
As certain subcontractors and suppliers begin to wrap up their part of the work and say their goodbyes, the "team" begins to shrink. The steel subs put up their last few beams, the project "tops out" and we all have a nice BBQ lunch, listening to the owner thank the team for their hard work, telling us how little time is really left before he wants his finished product, "so pick up the pace." The roofers, framers, plumbers and electricians begin to wrap things up, making room for all the drywall crews, finish carpenters, stone masons, painters, and finally carpet crews and furniture installers. But what really is telling is the day the operators begin setting up shop in barely finished offices, jury-rigging extension cords to get computer systems up and running ahead of time, placing temporary padlocks on temporary doors, and even having employment fairs to start staffing the hotel.
It's a natural process in the life of a project, and one that has to happen. And visiting any of the completed projects I've been involved in is really unlike walking into any other hotel. Without getting too sentimental, it's kind of like seeing an old friend again.
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Wikipedia defines philanthropy as the act of donating money, goods, time or effort to support a charitable cause—usually over an extended period of time and in regard to a defined objective. In a more fundamental sense, philanthropy may encompass any altruistic activity which is intended to promote good or improve human quality of life.
Two weeks ago, Robin Goddard and I attended a University of Washington luncheon in recognition of donors and friends of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning. We were seated with George Maroussis, the recipient of the 2008-2009 George J. Wimberly Design Internship and Travel Scholarship and his predecessor (2007-2008), Ben Brady. The room was abuzz with young recipients and their “patrons.” One of the benefactors spoke eloquently about giving and in doing so, ensuring the future success of our young people, our institutions and ultimately, our world. She asked that as professionals (corporate and individual), we look at philanthropy as fundamental, as insurance for the future and a social obligation.
The luncheon was food for thought.
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Ben Brady and George Maroussis |
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A picturesque Art Nouveau hotel in Moscow, captured on a walk through Red Square and its surroundings one evening last week, just after a rain storm. |
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A mosque in Porto Novo, Benin |
Here are some photos I took recently in Africa
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AHIC was attended by +1000 delegates and sponsors this year making it the biggest attendance in the history of the conference.
The conference was a wonderful occasion for WATG to meet and renew existing friendships while having the chance to make new acquaintances. John Elliott and John Goldwyn both spoke at the conference highlighting the issues of good resort design and sustainability, while Raj Chandnani, Nick Poynton and myself attended the various breakout sessions and networked the event. Lisya Sullam did us proud by manning the WATG stand.
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