what is [architecture]?

last week i had the opportunity to do something i’ve wanted to do for a while, host a trivia night.

now this wasn’t your normal trivia night, one of my friends who is in charge of the aia emerging professionals, wanted to put together a trivia night for all the young architects in town.  as an added bonus we invited the local graphic designers to participate as well.  not only did this keep our group from “geeking” out the entire night over architecture, but it mixed in some new and interesting facts.

talking with everyone who attend, the night was a huge success.  a good time was had by all and several new friendships were made.  thinking most people who follow this blog are into architecture or design, i thought i’d share a few of the questions, and see if anyone new the answers.

- who said, "less is more"

-what famous los angeles building is featured in the last scene of "500 days of summer."

-how many pica in 1 inch

-what is the name given to carved, full length female figures used like columns in classical architecture.

-name the four colors in process printing.

-how many square feet are in one acre.

congratulations to the winning team picture above in the first annual archi-design-trivia night.

the year in pictures [2012]

year eight for the [year in pictures] post.

about six months into this year, i was already thinking of this years [year in pictures] theme.  i'm not sure if it's because i have several friends who love going to [concerts] or if there just happened to be a lot of great artists within a car rides radius of wichita, but the past twelve months found me going to several amazing shows.  attending these performances is what got me thinking about the theme...this whole year was really just one long and wonderful [concert].  during a [concert] there are songs played to jam out to, reflective songs to make you reflect and think, sad songs that bring up emotions, and even a few tunes where the only thing to do is take a break and visit the restroom.  in my opinion, a good concert should have highs and lows and evoke a wide wave of emotions, which is exactly the same thing a good year should do.

with that said, following is a collection of photos representing the ups and downs, the celebrations and the struggles; ten photos representing the year long [concert] experience known as 2012.

liberty_hall_line_1.17.12

the year started out amazing with a great show.  in january my friends and i traveled up to lawrence to see the "civil wars" perform.  it was a beautiful show and the perfect prelude to the rest of the year.  not only does this photo perfectly capture the excitement we shared as we waited in line, it also perfectly represents the entire year.  twelve months filled with good music and great friends.

a_modern_museum_2.11.12

two of my favorite buildings in america just happen to be right next to each other.  in fort worth you'll find the kimbell art museum and the modern, both wonderful examples of what architecture should be.  every time i've been in the area i've stopped by to visit these monuments.  over the years i've found they not only hold priceless works of art, but also many of my favorite memories.  the memories of a trip taken with friends in february are now housed within their walls along with others from the past.

canoe's_in_the_desert_3.26.12

this spring i took my first trip to vegas.  i had passed through the town a couple of times, but had never really stopped to take in the city.  it's a gaudy, awful, inauthentic, crazy place, built on greed and hopeless dreams...and it couldn't be more beautiful.  it's craziness is what makes it great, and this sculpture called "big edge" outside our hotel seemed to sum up the whole city.  i really didn't think i'd like vegas as much as i did, but if you take it for what it is, it really is entertaining.

bachelor_party_3.31.12

in march i went to new york city to celebrate the bachelor party of one of my best friends.  i saw very little of the city that weekend, since most of out time was spent in bars, with the exception of an afternoon in a turkish spa.  it was a great weekend and i feel we sent him off to married life the right way.  most of the pictures from that night will never find their way onto any social media, mostly because we'd like to keep our professional jobs, however i felt one picture would be fine.  this picture is blurry, smoky, and a little distorted....which is pretty much exactly how i remember the night.

hipster_poses_summer_2012

i'll admit it, i really enjoy instagram.  i feel it's today's version of the polaroid, just on social steroids. it also has a bit of a reputation to be "hipsterish", so why not exploit that.  luckily i have wonderful friends who don't mind posing.  i usually ask them to look bored or annoyed which, ironically, is the complete opposite of what's actually going on with this group.

trivia_night_9.19.12

i grew up watching and loving jeopardy, which is odd because i'm not great at it.  however the excitement of pushing your brain to quickly remember things learned ages ago is the reason i'm addicted.  every wednesday night a local bar hosts a trivia night and over the past year my friends and i have become regulars.  every member of the team has their subjects of expertise, and it's wonderful to see my friends excel at at questions about sports, science, literature, and disney movies...unfortunately my only addition to the knowledge pool is romantic comedies and pop music.  although i probably should have spent less time watching chick flicks growing up and a little more time watching sports, having a good general knowledge of meg ryan has earned us a few points.

first_aid_kit_10.9.12

this photo made the cut, not so much because of it's quality, but it's irony.  the fall of 2012 found a lot of things changing in my life, which put me in a bit of a funk for a couple months.  the concert was amazing, with wonderful friends in attendance, but this photo represents the beginning of some professional and growing pains i was about to encounter.  thankfully the music of "first aid kid" is wonderful and their music was exactly what i needed to feel better.

concert_coolness_10.12.12

it's seems every year i've made this photo list, a picture from acl finds it's way on it, and this year was no different.  with such a large collection of people, in one of the most interesting cities in the county, at a three day music festival, it really isn't hard to stumble upon great photo opportunities.  i did feel like a bit of a creeper taking this photo, but with the mist, the sunlight, her pose, and classic ray bans, i couldn't resist.  i don't know who this girl is, but i must thank her for providing one of my favorite pictures of the year, and completely capturing the feeling of the weekend.

public_space_10.26.12

in october a new bar opened up in my neighborhood, and a friend and i went to check it out.  i loved it the minute i entered, and immediately began instagramming photos of the place.  a few weeks after this photo was taken, i started a new job directly across the street.  since then it has become a hangout for my friends and i, a group which now includes the two owners of the bar.  with all the craziness this past fall held, this bar not only become a bit of a second home, but also a representation that in life, just like this space, things change, and sometimes they end up better than they were before.

unexpected_cheer_12.8.12

in december i traveled to manhattan to visit a friend.  on the way back, i took a different route home.  while driving along the highway, i was able to look down the main street of a small town, and found this christmas tree sitting alone.  i thought to myself, "that's nice", and kept driving.  however my curiosity got the best of me and a few miles down i turned around.  i love this photo.  i love how it's right in the middle of the intersection, i love how geometric the tree is, i love how the lights contrast against the muted colors of the town, i love how isolated it is, but most of all i love how unexpected it was.  of all the christmas and holidays displays i saw this year, this one was the most beautiful to me.  a reminder to always look for the beauty in any situation.  this photo is like an acoustic solo at the end of a great show.  a very simple and beautiful way to finish the year long [concert] of 2012.

it's a [lounge] life

to all my amazing friends out there, digital and irl, thank you for stopping by and reading this blog.  i hope you have a very [lounge] holiday season and a happy new year!

[trivia] pursuit

wednesday's have become my favorite day of the week.

a little over a year ago one of our friends suggested we find a trivia night.  searching the internet we found a great little dive bar which hosts a trivia game every wednesday.  it was only a dollar to play, and with the special being two dollar beers we decided to try it out.

we discovered quickly our group had infiltrated a bar full of teams who knew each other rather well.  that night, and the weeks that followed, found our team getting "slammed" often.  a feature in the game where a team can force another team to answer a question, ideally one you they won't know.  being the youngest team by a decade, any question dealing with topics prior to 1985 would usually be "slammed" our direction.  we did stick with it however, and have attended almost every week since.  eventually the other teams started to realize what topics were in our [wheelhouse], and the "slamming" lessened.

fast forward 60 some weeks later and i  believe we can officially be considered regulars now; knowing the bartenders by name, and the weakness of the other teams.  on occasion the host will even cater a few questions to us, featuring a [pop music] category instead of the seemingly standard [seventies rock].

although we've lost a few of the original team members over the past year, we've added several as well.  you'd think this would have changed the knowledge base of our team, but it still seems to solidly rooted in 90's and 2000's pop culture, with sports and science not far behind.  our team also changes weekly depending on who can make it.  we've held our own as a booth of four, and have annoyed other teams with upwards of 12 people crowded around a table.  naturally a little bickering always breaks out, but they enjoyment wednesday night trivia holds far exceeds any arguments that happen.  if you ever find yourself bored on a wednesday night, hit us up, as we're always happy to have more people, especially if you're knowledgeable in literature...or anything from the 1970's.

 

 

my [sunday] with marilyn

i love all things associated with the 50's and 60's and you can't really enjoy that time in history and without forming a natural affinity for the very iconic ms. monroe.  coupled with the fact she stars in one of my all time favorite movies "some like it hot", i think you can officially call me a fan.  i wouldn't however call myself obsessed with her.  i couldn't tell you when or where she was born, i only know a few details of her life, i'm far from seeing all of her movies, and i couldn't tell you when she died, until today.

the wichita orpheum theatre has been showing marilyn monroe movies every sunday all summer long, an event i had yet to attend. however with today's movie being "some like it hot" i was bound and determined to see it on the big screen.  not only did it seem very authentic to watch tony, jack, and marilyn on screen in an old theatre, but i still laughed as hard as i did when i first watched it. after the showing, as i was walking out, i heard someone mention the fact today was the 50th anniversary of her marilyn's death.  walking home after the film, pondering this new bit of hollywood history, i passed by a thrift store window.  looking at the furniture and other items placed on display, my eyes moved across the window and that's when i saw her.  standing in her famous pose made famous from "the seven year itch" was marilyn.  if you haven't seen the movie, "the seven year itch" takes place during a very hot new york summer and the draft from a subway grate not only blows up the dress, but provides small cooling relief from the heat.  a draft i could have desperately used as i stood sweating on the sidewalk. [even though the image of me holding down my baggy khaki shorts is much less sexy and far less iconic.]

recognizing the serendipity of walking by that particular window, on this particular summer day, after coming from one her best movies, i decided to take a picture and blog about it.  my little way of thanking her for spending a delightful summer sunday with her.