Pasadena, California
A beautifully crafted animated narrative by Jonathan Jarvis that explains the complex situation of “the credit crisis” for the “unfamiliar and uninitiated”—a project undertaken as part of his thesis work in the Media Design Program, a graduate studio at the Art Center College of Design. Watch it here.
(Thanks again to Gregor for the link).
Berkeley, California
“Small is beautiful” is expressed well in The Good Life, the latest piece (a three minute parable on YouTube) from the passionately creative folks at Free Range Studios (creators of The Meatrix and The Story of Stuff) working in concert with social values business leader Mark Albion.
“Nearly everyone agrees that this economic crisis was set off by a simple human foible—greed. From the bankers to the borrowers, people just couldn’t seem to get enough of what they thought would bring them The Good Life.”
New York, New York
Love him (if you’re a Modernist) or loathe him (if you bridle against dogma), but there’s likely more than a little that you could learn from him. Check out the inimitable Massimo Vignelli’s The Vignelli Canon here. It’s “a useful instrument for a better understanding of typography in Graphic Design,” a “little book that reveals guidelines set by ourselves for ourselves” that in a nutshell outlines why Massimo and his wife/partner Leila love design.
in London, Stockholm, Tallin, New York, Amsterdam…
Graphic designer Anna Garforth’s Mossberger project takes advantage of the extreme adaptability of mosses, applied with the help of a natural-yoghurt and sugar solution, aimed at walls, etc.—formerly grey surfaces “become alive” in the truest sense of the word, and without unhealthy paints and lacquers. (Thanks Miles Harrison for the story link).
New York, New York
Check out the diverse oevre of prolific Korean ex-pat creator Ji Lee here.
(Thanks for the link, Gediminas.)
Brussels, Belgium
Type is where you find it (if you have an eye for it, that is)… like this lovely pebble alphabet of Clotilde Olyff’s, found here.
Pinohuacho, Villarica, Chile
This design of an observation deck is remarkable not only for its elegantly simple design… but also for the story behind it. The region has been shaped by years of slow recovery after a 1971 volcanic eruption. With the land losing its value, villagers have been forced to move to the city. Not wanting to lose his way of life, Miguel Vázquez talks to his father about the possibility of agrotourism, where the land will be carefully cultivated to be enjoyed by villagers and visitors alike. The whole family has begun to take part, as well as the rest of the village. Their intent is to create a landscape that embraces the natural environment, therefore the architectural designs need to reflect the surrounding countryside, as well as the traditional sustainable building materials and methods. It’s really a lovely project, with a lovely story… inspiring.
See more images and English texts describing the initiative at Arch Daily here; read about it as described by the architect (in Spanish, along with full drawings, erection photos, and videos) on Rodrigo Sheward Giordano’s blog here.
Long Island City, New York
…as seen through the eyes of Luba Lukova. More of her strikingly effective work here…
Lecco, Italy
Great little article in The Independent about Ricardo Cassin, the amazing Italian mountaineer who turned 100 last month. Check it out here.
Image: Riccardo Cassin: “I always brought home everyone who came along and never lost a friend on a rope.”
