The Backstory- the unabridged edition

“The only joy in the world is to begin.”- Cesare Pavese   On Deciding to Blog I’ve entertained the idea of starting my own official blog for a some time now.  I guess you could say it was an unscheduled goal, second only to my desire to write a book. Meanwhile, I’d held off for two reasons, primarily: First, I…

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Where Were You On 9/11?

On the day it happened, I was still sleeping.  My husband who, usually gets ready for work quietly, suddenly spoke with subtle, yet alarming concern to inform me that “There’s a fire in NYC and they can’t seem to put it out…” My first thought was to dismiss it.  But my husband- who usually doesn’t watch…

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Brooklyn_Bridge_March_Snow

Design Connects When We Connect

FIRMNESS (Structure) COMMODITY (Function) DELIGHT (Beauty, the Wow Factor)     Quote: “All these must be built with due reference to durability (firmness), convenience (commodity), and beauty (delight).  Durability will be assured when foundations are carried down to the solid ground and materials wisely and liberally selected; convenience, when the arrangement of the apartments is…

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Architectural Client Case Study #1: Expect the Unexpected

“Design Attendants, Prepare!” A former project manager/co-worker had once told me about a bumpy flight her fiance had endured upon returning from a trip out east back to southern California.  She was trying to console (convince) me not to worry about a long flight I was preparing for by recounting this horrendous story of how her fiance’s airplane suddenly lost altitude and unexpectedly dropped…

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CSI: Membership Has It’s Privileges

CSI: Where Have You Been All My Life? I learned about the benefits of CSI  (www.csinet.org) only recently, a little over a year ago when engaged in conversation with another practitioner on AIA KnowlegeNet.  In response to a question I’d asked, she explained to me the importance of earning her Master’s Degree in Sustainable Design– besides already being NCARB certified and LEED AP accredited.  Additionally, she shared: “I’m also…

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California’s First Lady Architect – Part 1 in Series of 3 Posts

Julia Morgan, AIA   In an online computer literacy class (fall session 2010) at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, I created a Powerpoint Presentation dedicated to the life and work of California’s well-renowned first lady architect (and a civil engineer): Julia Morgan, AIA.   Making the Trek In mid-summer 2010, my family and I toured San Simeon, site of the famous William…

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The Art of Dissection

9th Grade Science Class, circa 1979 Staring at the small pink pig in a glass jar of liquid, placed high upon a dusty wood shelf in my 9th grade science class, I tried to guess how many years it had been there (at least 15, I figured- given the amount of dust on the jar); I wondered why no one…

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