Thomas J. Johnson

As Jason eluded to below, Europe is leap years ahead of us in terms of bicycle oriented transportation design. There are a number of reasons for this but the main one is necessity, driven by the expense of gasoline ($8-$9/Gal. v.s. $3-$4 in the US) and cities that were built before the automobile that are more conducive to pedestrian and bicycle…[Read more]

Pictometry has about 80% of the U.S. captured in oblique view.

Oblique and 3D are two totally different things… the 3D content of google earth is user created building models, so they are reproductions, estimates, of existing buildings. Oblique has a more limited range of views (2D aerial perspectives) so you can’t “fly” around between building…[Read more]

Bing is owned by Microsoft. Who owns Pictometry? Privately held? BLOM appears to be a European partner of Pictometry… interesting stuff. Pictometry owns the rights to the technology that creates those obliques. Nobody else has it.

Wholly Cr*p! The oblique aerials from Pictometry are unreal! If you click on “contact us” —> “directions” it takes you to Bing.com

Bing.com appears to be driven by Pictometry. The clarity & high resolution of the images blows google maps out of the water! I can’t figure out how to access oblique views in google maps (Wyatt, are you sure you…[Read more]

Knee Pads! Don’t forget knee pads…

Use a masonry saw, home depot might rent them, or use a diamond blade on a circular saw or grinder. You don’t have to cut all the way through. Cut 1/2 – 3/4 through and use a chisel / hammer to snap it off…

Read this and go to town! Have fun! Let us know how it turns out…

http://www.the-flagstone-experts.com/Flagstone-Installation.html

This ought to get you started… You could probably come up with a lot of cool ways to do the deck/platform, maybe even use some kind of groovy sand for the pit… as it is nonspecific sand/clay.

http://www.sportsknowhow.com/horseshoes/pit-dimensions/horseshoe-pit-dimensions.html

http://www.sheffield-pottery.com/Horse-Shoe-Pit-Clay-p/rmhspc.htm

I only know of one firm in Southern California that uses ArchGIS on a regular basis. At $20,000, for a basic package, most people can’t afford it. It’s a powerful tool though but it’s a “big picture” tool. You really only need it for large scale projects / regional planning. We used it quite a bit at Colorado State University, in the L.A. program.…[Read more]

I don’t mind the “idea” of lounges, it’s just the execution of the lounge that was poorly done, in my opinion. It bears little resemblance/reference to the human form that’s intended to use it. They appear to not be used much, and when they are, you see people in weird positions, looking uncomfortable. You’ll see people using backpacks to create…[Read more]

And sometimes Lines (linear forms) create curves… the implied curve… connect the dots in your minds eye…

As noted earlier, it’s interesting that the design strives to recapture the condition of the tracks after they had gone unused for decades, only with a veneer of “style”. Urban decay had given the raised platform a unique character that can only be achieved with time; hardy plants volunteered – taking root in unlikely places, metals developed…[Read more]

Drawing the Landscape – Chip Sullivan
Landscape Graphics – Grant Reed
Plan Graphics – Davis // Walker

That should keep you busy for a while… Have fun!

Amen!

As a young (in career) designer, I have a hard time criticizing world renowned designers work. While I’m confident in my design abilities, I also believe that there is always something to learn from more (and less) experienced designers. I’m also a big believer in the perfection of imperfection. A site like Storm King is particularly hard…[Read more]

From an owner, investor, developers perspective; I see a lot of advantages in hiring a team that is all based in country X. Why would I want to hire time-zone and communication issues into the process? I want to talk to you, in-person, on short notice.

Yes, you can have web-meetings at odd hours, fly all over the place but why…? It seems…[Read more]

I don’t understand any of your criticism… Seriously, give me a break… it’s an old gravel pit! What was she supposed to do with it?

When pushing the boundaries of “Landscape Architecture” mistakes will happen. It’s called experimentation. An abandoned gravel pit seems like the ideal place to experiment. You can’t really get any worse than a…[Read more]

It is true. The LARE is the purest definition of “Landscape Architect”. If you cannot satisfy the requirements of the exam, then you are not a Landscape Architect. You can be a Landscape Architect and also a painter, furnishing designer, illustrator, etc. etc. but if you have not passed the LARE then you are a painter, furnishing designer,…[Read more]

We never studied 3ds Max or Rhino in school due to a combination of factors. One it’s expensive and two, our professors preferred that we grasp the fundamentals of good design (namely, being able to draw) before getting bogged down in the technicalities of programs. I’m grateful for their approach.

Now that I have some work experience, I’d be…[Read more]

Do you mean to tell me that after you spend all that money to take the test, you don’t get to see the results!? They only tell you that you failed and provide you with no proof that somebody actually graded the test and that you actually made the mistakes they claim you did? How is one supposed to contest a failing score if you never see the…[Read more]

I believe that there is an underlying geometry to the world. The way that circles, squares, triangles, etc. interact is preordained. If I can achieve those relationships in a design, it will be beautiful at it’s core, materials and products become icing on the cake.

It also helps being a bit ADD and a design sponge. I read a lot, I observe a…[Read more]

Animurbanism is hard to say without laughing… but the idea has been around for a long time…

Our Nations Capitol:

N. American Indian Serpent Mound:
<img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:wQ1wGBCOWWD5-M:http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/up/mound01.jpg&t=1“/>

Peruvian Nazca Indians

Why do people do this? To establish ownership of an…[Read more]