Charter Schools + Traditional Schools = ???

Relevant links:

•http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/c/charter_schools/

•http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/uploads/4f/4t/4f4tzsINrIXsHmaVik1XFA/Charter-School-FAQs.pdf

•http://www.eot.org/pennsylvania/charter-schools-philadelphia/

•http://thenotebook.org/taxonomy/term/41

A $100 million offer for shuttered Phila. schools?

Slides

Pitch 1: Concept [for myself + critics]

pdf link

Posting .PDFs to blogger [guide]

A quick, simple guide on how to embed pdf's on the BLOG
http://www.tech.spoilertv.com/2012/05/embedding-pdf-or-other-documents-into.html

cliffs:
1 - Upload the file
2 - Share the File and get the Embed code
3 - Post the embed code to your blog.
4 - ????
5 - profit

Inga slices & dices DRWC

Inga Saffron does a brief but flawlessly forensic exam on the waterfront situation.  The design charette last week was essentially a mid-review, and their final is January.  She was not impressed.

Also, she calls out Louisville for nailing it (with the same consultants that she just panned no less).  She ends with the ticking clock of the Nutter administration- the first City Hall she feels ever took the waterfront seriously.  And we have 2 more years before the hope of DRWC's masterplan goes with him!  Read on:

http://www.philly.com/philly/home/20131025_Changing_Skyline__Little_enlightenment_on_waterfront_plan.html

Future Timeline

A website with the 'future timeline'  http://futuretimeline.net/index.htm

Perhaps relevant as inspiration for the DRWC crew.

from the top

from flickr/creativecommons user callmeflea (account since disabled)

Developer Gets Foot In The Door, Then A Knife

People have been cheering the restoration of the Divine Lorraine hotel for years- it's a ruin-porn masterpiece where Ridge Ave hits Broad, and has long had the attention of folks that want to see the city turnaround.

But of course a scoundrel developer used this public will to get a foot in the legal door.  Now that developer has ***renderings*** of a big fat development that literally shows houses ***with people still living in them*** gone in place of glossy BS.

Sorry for the editorializing :)  make up your own mind: 

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2012/10/26/divine-lorraine-developer-freaks-out-neighbors-with-preliminary-map.php

Campaign---Art Carnival in Viadut Community /Whom may concern

http://www.artstarcraftbazaar.com/index1.html
http://www.theclaystudio.org/
http://www.designphiladelphia.org/
http://www.candycoated.org/
http://www.philartalliance.org/

These links above are the potential plotters or core artist participants whom may concern my campaign~~

Campaign---Art Carnival in Viadut Community

My Interactive Map

Click through a map of recently closed schools. Each school has information in links, statistics, and images, pinned to its location.

$ - Designate schools with outside active interest in their properties.
? - Show schools that are closed.
! - Shows unlawful or unethical actions/

Masai Skief of the HIoSTCS Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Links/activity @ HiddenCity

Looks like the topics of the seminar are what everyone is interested in especially the folks over at HiddenCity.

Recent article about Reading Viaduct Progress:
http://hiddencityphila.org/2013/10/official-marriage-of-reading-viaduct-advocates/

Photographers and the School Closings:
http://hiddencityphila.org/2013/10/phillys-school-closings-captured-by-local-photographers/

Trip in Koera （updating）

Just have time to organize  the photos, just want to share some interesting thing with you guys.

Zaha Hadid's work!😜


































There  is  a wired phenomenon in Seoul that almost every facades next to the street are covered by signboards and advertising board.

This is a super interesting building, explain it later.

LONDON RAILWAY ARCHES CONVERTED INTO MODERN LOFT APARTMENTS [PICS]

http://www.psfk.com/2013/07/railway-arch-apartments.html

The city of London features architecture that is both old and new, often built right on top of each other. As space becomes more of an issue, some firms have started finding new purposes for old structures – railway bridges being a prime example.

Railway bridges are responsible for holding up hundreds of kilometers of rail around the city. Despite this noble purpose, the arches underneath them have little to no actual use.

There are some that have been converted into boutique shops, and even offices in some cases. Following in this trend, CSRArchitects wants to turn the railway arches into loft-style apartments for people to live in.

Each end of an arch would be closed off with a wall which incorporates upward-facing skylights. Inside, exposed brick walls would accent the two-level lofts.

The only problem to deal with would be the regular passage of trains overhead. Whether or not there is a way to reduce the noise remains to be seen. Click through the images below to see more specs of the apartments.

Space Transformation

During the research process, I found some interesting points which I can work on.  Finally I choose to focus on transforming the space under bridge. I think this topic is not just for the Loft District but for whole Philly. There are so many viaducts in Philly and so much negative space under those bridges.

Strategys；

a.     Bring in new function

There are so much space there under the bridges, we can transform that into semi-open commercial space, or space for community activities and so go. London even change the railway arches into modern loft apartments. There are so many possibilities for the space.

    

b. New facilities for the streets go under the bridge. For now I just came up this the idea of add some interesting lighting project or change the floor material, but I think this is my most potential idea. 

lighting

C. In the long run, if Pilly’s ‘High Line Park’ really happens, the under space should be used more as the connection between the park and the ground. For the connection, many ways could work not just stairs. Maybe I can do some thing about the connection part.

These are my rough ideas about campaign, I will do more research and finally focus on one of them or choose a special site and combine them together.

Bad urban planning is why you're fat

Interesting article.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3017481/why-youre-fat/bad-urban-planning-is-why-youre-fat?partner=rss

THE WAY TO SCHOOL

WHAT|THE WAY TO SCHOOL

Based on the research before, what I am interested in is the influence of transferring to other school for children. Going to school by bus/metro/car will take place of going there by foot. The changing of background of the district will probably lead to a switch to a new environment for students. As we all know that even every tiny changing is really important to the young, some of them even leads to an unpredictable result. In this case, it is important to guide the students adapt the new environment as soon as possible. How to make sure students forced to go to new place like the new environment? How to make sure the original students accept their new colleagues?

Playing together is a good method to solve these problems. Unlike studying together, there’s less competition, less serious, more fun and more friendship. So if we can create some space for students (both new and original) to play together every day, we can encourage the playing activity.

The way to school is some place where really make sense in students’ daily life. Students go to school and leave school together create some opportunities to communicate every day. An attractive, narrative, joints-dispersive and consistent path would create chance for new students play with the origins while invite the origins to their home district to experience. I hope this would make sense for the students both from the closing schools and the new ones.

WHY|COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DIFFERENCES

Condition: White/ African American students & family; Different communities

Rationale:

Small scale Landscape accessories

WHEN|ROUTINE LIFE

Transform the routine daily time (go to school and leave school) to different attractive time every day

Primarily: 1 to 2 hours after school

WHERE|SCHOOLS WITHIN FOOT-APPROACHED AREA/ SCHOOLS GO BY BUS

Q:Research by category or pick up a specific area as the standard research?

[Schools far away-by bus/metro]

1. Carnell Annex at Fels to St. Bermard Parish School

2. Sheridan west academy to Penn Treaty secondary School

[Schools not quite far-by bus]

3. Lamberton High School to Overlbrook high school

4. Lawton elementary school to Harding Middle School

[Schools close to the district-within foot-fit area]

5. Douglas to Penn treaty Middle secondary school

6. Pennell Elemenary School to Wagner Middle School

WHO|STUDENTS/COMMUNITIES APPROACHED/(DEVELOPER/COMMERCIAL TENANT…)

HOW|PROPOSAL/INTERVIEW/PROPOSE

To be continued…

Image / Vacancy

Vacancy is a word that can be traced back to the the latin vaco.  Vaco meant to be empty, to have leisure.  What then, can be said of our contemporary issue of vacant lots/spaces?

va·cant

adj.\ˈvā-kənt\  1: not filled or used; empty.  2: freedom from job or responsibility; time off.

The former of these two meanings, is understood in American English, while the latter is understood in British English and French.  This explains the usage of the word vacation as time away from responsibility.  

Image is a confusing term, for a similarly confusing object.  But let us look to the origin of this to get our bearings.

Image is derived from the latin imago, which has two meanings, 1: A sexually mature insect after undergoing metamorphosis.  2: An idealized concept of a loved one, typically formed in childhood and retained unaltered throughout adult life.  Especially, how a child views his or her own parent.

Further definitions for image:

im·age

n.\ˈi-mij\

A picture that is produced by a camera, artist, mirror, etc.

An Apparition (obsolete)

A Reproduction of the form of a person or an object.

The idea that people have about someone or something

A symbol; an emblem.

im·age

v.\ˈi-mij\

To picture mentally

To mirror or reflect

Other relevant definitions:

ne·glect

v.\ni-ˈglekt\  : From the latin negleger. Which means to not pickup, ( neg = not | leger = choose/pick up )

ren·der

v.\ˈren-dər\ : : From reddere, to give back. ( re= back | dare = give )

Action of restoring

A translation

Repeat, Say again

Extracting or melting of fat, usually leading to conversion into usable byproduct ie. waste animal tissue into soaps.

Reproduction, Representation

Connecting some dots

I have always been enamored with the abandoned.  Especially architectural artifacts.  Warehouses. Powerstations. Factories. Grunge.  But what can be said/done for these places?

In the current environment, I see two possibilities, both of which I do not believe are the best uses.  

Possibility number one:  A sad, but pretty photograph.

Possibility number two:  Renovation into loft-style apartments.

What are the problems with these two solutions?

No. 1 -- Although I appreciate and enjoy* the black and white, HDR, photography of vacant spaces that carry an eerie but beautiful aura with them, I don't think these photographs do any favors for those spaces.  In fact, what these photographs do is: keep the spaces in a period of devoid of motion.  The emptiness is reinforced, and what better way to insist on lifelessness than a grayscale, still image. 

*I myself am guilty of taking said photos, please don't crucify me.

No. 2 -- Loft-style apartments.  This phrase gets anyone excited.  Anyone.  Including me.  However, what disappoints me is how these spaces tend to turn out once renovated.  I find that the memory and authenticity of the former building is left by the wayside, and the shiny, polished lofts might as well be in a newly constructed building.  Here it is inspiring that a place that was once lifeless can be set in motion once again, but I am troubled with the predictability of the result of these transformations.  Especially because each abandoned place has a unique history [relation of incidents, greek historia a learning or knowing by inquiry]

My idea is to intervene via these observations: Can I use images to imagine new possibilities for abandoned places?

Moving Forward  -- breathing life into the empty

I would like to expand my interest with these terms into a campaign about abandoned places in Philadelphia.  To begin this process, I'll provide links to current movements/organizations that are invested in reviving vacant/abandoned places, as well as briefly list how these groups function.  The reason for doing this is to understand how large collections of people work on this topic in order to frame my position as an individual working on the same topic, but from a different perspective.  

http://grayareaphilly.org/

http://takebackvacantland.org/

http://lotsofpower.net/#why

http://abandonedphiladelphia.com/

more analysis on these to come ( I promise )

As an architecture student, not a legally/ethically obliged organization, I will assemble a series of images that reinterpret abandoned sites.

I propose to begin by taking a set of photographs of a particular abandoned location.  From here, I will take a singular image of the current state of the site and reimagine it from a number of vantage points.  To construct these vantage points I will assume the role of many stereotypes, and envision the place through their respective eyes.  (Stereotypes: Developer, Hipster, Innocent-uncorrupted Child, Middle-aged Couple, Empty-Nesters, Vagrant, Drug Addict, etc.)  It is important to present one building via multiple lenses in order to broaden the spectrum of possibilities for its rebirth.  This is the advantage the renegade/cavalier/maverick architecture student has over the professional organization, and what an advantage it is.

Here is a list abandoned sites in Philadelphia that I will begin to choose from for my campaign.

Packaging the Propoganda

One potential way to package this might be to set up a monopod, on site, exactly where the photograph was taken.  And look through a viewfinder that allows for multiple slides to be viewed so that a user can see all the imagined possibilities on-site in realtime. This mechanism would draw inspiration from this child's toy 

Examples of typical abandoned photography:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=abandoned%20philly
http://theresastigalephotography.com/abandoned-buildings-phildelphia-navy-yard/gnzocnxia65wa0cxirjs4u4yov5xc4

There is more to think of

Who is my audience?
What is my goal? (more specifically)
What is my product? (how is it packaged)
How will I manage this schizophrenic photoshop charrette? (perhaps the schizophrenic area will not be difficult)

School Closings

DRWC Master Plan Links

Here are a few links for the DRWC Master Plan involving I-95 and Condo Development.

Inga Saffron_I-95: Where's the Data?

Inga Saffron_Changing Skyline: Odd Silence on Options for Altering I-95

Diana Lind_Cities Without Highways

Joe McNulty_"Push Button to Walk" is a lie

Kellie Patrick Gates_ Pier 40 Offered, but city doesn't want it

Jared Brey_ Low-down on dashed high-rise hopes

Google Maps Delaware Waterfront Visions

Reading Viaduct "Worst Case Scenario"

Gov't Shutdown / Martial Law / Prison
In the past few days, the political stalemate has led to the shutdown of the United States Government.  Many stories have concentrated on the political action in Washington, however fewer have concentrated on the pop-up prison in the Callowhill Neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Photos below depict the situation there.

View of the Reading Viaduct

View of Callowhill Street

Abandoned Inquirer Paper Plant

Viaduct Events!

There will be two events for the Reading Viaduct upcoming.

On Sunday - 10/13 a viaduct tour from 2.00-5.00

and

On Friday - 10/18  a fundraiser featuring discussions with designers from OLIN and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

via http://therailpark.org/

Design Philadelphia: Experience the Rail Park Tour

Sunday Oct 13 / 2 - 5 pm / 29th St and PA Ave

You’ve heard about the Rail Park, but have you experienced it? Friends of the Rail Park invites you to join us for a street-level tour to explore the Rail Park’s history and inspiring visions for its future. Suggested tour checklist: camera, friends, imagination, and sense of adventure. 

Design Philadelphia Closing Party: A Fundraiser for the Rail Park

Friday Oct 18 / 6 - 11 pm / CITYSPACE, 2200 Walnut St

6:00 - 8:00 PM  |  Exclusive Reception for Rail Park Enthusiasts  |  Join us for a reception and presentation of Friends of the Rail Park's conceptual designs for a five block stretch of the proposed Rail Park, produced through a Community Design Collaborative grant by designers from OLIN, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, CVM and VJ Associates. Hors d'oeurves and wine courtesy of Tria Wine Bar. Animated Architecture video mapping projections curated by Sean Stoops.

8:00 - 11:00 PM  |  Design Philly After Party for Friends  |  Celebrate DesignPhiladelphia! An open invitation to the public to celebrate the completion of this important festival and cultural conduit that continues to advance and engage our design community in ways that present Philadelphia at its best to the national and international design world. Let's raise a glass to Hilary Jay, her staff, all the Supporters and the Philadelphia AIA! Wine and refreshment will be served.

All proceeds will benefit Friends of the Rail Park!