Bob Perry's talk

Went to Bob Perry's talk a couple of weeks ago on 'Designing for Density'. It was a great talk!

He talked about Paris and how the locals buy from the markets and the councils assemble the framework and dissasemble the stalls and clean up afterwards. The stall holders also display the produce and other goods really beautifully. There's such a variety of goods as well.

He talked about scale and perspective and context, and how tall buildings are not necessarily a problem if it's designed well, and the spatial relationships and scale is designed well.

He talked about Tokyo and the regional areas of Japan. He showed lots of really beautiful images of Tokyo. In Tokyo, the underground train system is very reliable, and extends to all areas. Also, you can basically walk everywhere and there's things to look at. All the areas are connected rather than having to drive to a destination and the rest is just roads and highways with nothing to look at. Tokyo is very suited to walking and biking. Tokyo is very much built up with around 6 or so storeys and yet it doesn't feel impersonal or overwhelming in scale.

He also showed images of China and how the bike becomes part of the stall and the people lay out their goods on the street and then pack it all up at the end of the day and go home to replenish their goods and do it all again the next day.

He likened cars to cane toads on the road, choking the Sydney landscape.

He said we chose this way of planning and this lifestyle. We choose to go a shopping centre and to park our cars there and to shop at the large malls, rather than to support street corner shops and small shops.

It was a really good talk with lots of food for thought and hopefully inspired some of us to act on some of these ideas too. We can vote with our feet and support more markets, cycling, walking etc.

Artisan Focacceria

Happened to be in Darlinghurst last Saturday and then decided to have some lunch around there. Drove past a cafe on the corner and decided to try it out.

Turns out it's Sam and Catherine's new place. They were the Sydney couple from the first My Restaurant Rules TV series. Their restaurant then was called Cucina Vera.

Their new place is called Artisan Focaceria. They've been open 2 weeks. There's a brekkie menu, a salad and pasta lunch menu and foccaccias. We tried the lasagna al forno and the chicken schnitzel. Both were nice. The lasagna $16 was one of the best I've had. It was really, really yummy.

Location: Shp 1/ 230 Palmer St Darlinghurst 2010. Ph: 02 9326 9227.

W: http://www.artisans.com.au (just a splash page up there at the moment).

Opposite the shop there's a nice house renovation where the security doors and windows had a really nice patten to it - reminded me of the Tokyo houses.

Took a couple of photos but the software on the notebook is stuffing up again and can't download them right this moment. Keep doing reinstalls and downloads for updates but then it seems to crash every time anyway. Will get a new phone when my current plan expires.

The true cost of your home loan

"How the non-bank lenders have us all in shackles. If you leave, 'cheap loans' can prove expensive, writes Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon.

High-profile non-bank lenders are hiding the true cost of their loans by slugging unsuspecting borrowers with penalties of thousands of dollars for paying out their mortgages early.

The article lists: 'The ten lenders that will charge you the most'.

W: http://www.domain.com.au/Public/Article.aspx?index=PropertyNews&id=1122143820249

Planners with designs on Harbour's darling

"A HARBOUR beach, Venetian-style canals and 32-storey skyscrapers are among the futuristic designs short-listed for a $1 billion waterside CBD development site.

Five designs for the 22 ha East Darling Harbour site went on public display yesterday.

The competition received 137 entries, making it the most hotly-contested since architects tendered for the Sydney Opera House in the 1950s..."

W: http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1260&storyid=3562035

Choc tops in the attic - 15 Aug

"Tech Ed workshop: Frontiers in filmmaking
This is a NEW event!

This will be a practical interactive demonstration on the use of new
technologies in filmmaking.

Live demo of new HDV camera and G5 computer.

Filmed & edited - on the spot.

For actors, writers & filmmakers
Attic Bar, ArtHouse Hotel (275 Pitt Street, Sydney)
MONDAY 15 August 2005, 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm

Tony Chu
0412 230 415
tony@doctorgram.com.au"

shin-ryoanji: a digital garden by sound artist michael fowler - 10-26 aug

"Shin-Ryoanji: A Digital Garden is an exciting new exhibition at the Japan Foundation Gallery combining sculpture installation and sound. The installation, which was inspired by the work of avant-garde composer and artist, John Cage, is based on the famous kare-sansui (dry landscape) garden at Ryoanji temple in Kyoto.
After concurrently discovering both the Japanese garden, and Cage's musical composition “Ryoanji”, Fowler was convinced that the translation that Cage had initiated in sound could be mapped into a sculpture installation that presented a ‘digital’ version of the original kare-sansui at Ryoanji.

Fowler’s “Digital Garden” consists of 15 speakers of varying sizes, which represent the 15 rock-sculptures in the original garden. Through a 15-channel, 15-speaker sound system, Cage’s musical score will be used to articulate the gallery space in sound, similarly to how the original garden articulates physical space. In addition to the diffusion of sound throughout the gallery space, Fowler will use computer-programming methods to subtly allow the 15 distinct sounds to ‘grow’ as a background foil to the looped presentation of the Cage composition. The 15 background sounds morph and change throughout the period of the installation."

When: 10 – 26 August 2005
Where: The Japan Foundation Gallery
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 11:00am – 5:30pm
Wednesday 11:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday (13 August only) 11:00am – 4:00pm
Public Talk: Tuesday 23 August, 6:30 pm
Gallery open until 6:30 pm on this day.
Enquiries: (02) 8239 0055 / reception@jpf.org.au
Admission Free

W: http://www.jpf.org.au/events/index.html

Pod Casting - Is It The End Of Radio? - talk Sun 14 Aug

Pod Casting - Is It The End Of Radio? Investigate the current developments of Podcasting.

Event organiser
Peter Mahony
Powerhouse Museum
Phone: 9217 0370
500 Harris Street Ultimo

Free with museum entry

W: http://www.sydneydesign.com.au/talks.php
Bookings: https://ecommerce.powerhousemuseum.com/event/details.do?eid=576

Durbach + Block - Thu 11 Aug, 6pm

"Award-winning architects Neil Durbach and Camilla Block discuss their recent work. University of Sydney, Faculty of Architecture, lecture theatre 1, FREE admission, no bookings"

W: http://www.sydneydesign.com.au/talks.php

Design Arena: Animal Logic and Spear Green Design - 16 Aug

"What do designers of special effects for film and luxury cruise ships have in common?

This event celebrates the growing trend towards multidisciplinary design practice. Angela Pellizari of Animal Logic and Jeremy Spear from Spear Green Design share their experiences of branching out and crossing over the traditional boundaries of design disciplines."

Incubator Studios, 724 Bourke Street Redfern, FREE, bookings essential (02) 9700 8189
Presented by the design institute of Australia (DIA).
TUESDAY 16 AUGUST, 6.00–9.00PM

W: http://www.sydneydesign.com.au/talks.php

Designing for Density: Bob Perry talk - 8 Aug 6pm

"High density living is not a new concept, but it is a very new way of life for many Australians.

Bob Perry, Director of Scott Carver Architects and Planners and of SCAPE Landscape Architects, designs large, mixed-use developments in Sydney that are a direct consequence of increased density.

Perry believes the citizens of Sydney – by virtue of our suburban lifestyles – are poorly equipped to deal with issues of density and advocates that dense cities are better cities, with examples of urban design concepts from Paris, Tokyo and Beijing."

Monday 8 August, 6.00pm
Museum of Sydney, Cnr Phillip & Bridge Streets Sydney,
bookings essential (02) 8239 2211

W: http://www.sydneydesign.com.au/talks.php

Google Earth

If you haven't tried using Google Earth then try it now! It's cool. Having done Geography at uni, this is an especially fun resource! I looked for my parents' house and found it. I found it started to get a bit pixelated when I tried to zoom in on the roof and street level. But still v.cool nonetheless.

"Google Earth – Explore, Search and Discover
Want to know more about a specific location? Dive right in -- Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.

Fly from space to your neighborhood. Type in an address and zoom right in. Search for schools, parks, restaurants, and hotels. Get driving directions. Tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings. Save and share your searches and favorites. Even add your own annotations."

W: http://earth.google.com

LTC: Carlton Lamb and Chris Gray - tomorrow night

This month's Last Thursday Club's speakers are:

1. One of Australia’s most dynamic lateral thinkers Carlton Lamb, with insights into how acting techniques can help you strike gold in business."
W: http://www.lambproductions.com.au

2. Chris Gray, an ex-accountant with tips on how to get out of the rat race (he turned $35,000 into a $3.5m personal property portfolio in 9 years and “retired” when he was 31)."
W: http://www.goforyourlife.com.au

W: http://www.writeanswers.com.au/last_thurs_club.htm

Popcorn Taxi: Pixar's One Man Band + Interview with Director & Producer 8th August

"Sydney Premiere of Pixar Animation's great new short 'One Man Band' + Q&A with Pixar Director Andrew Jimenez and Producer Osnat Shurer.

Pixar's 'One Man Band' has comic timing that is spot on, the animation is flawless and the imagination out of this world...' - Melbourne International Film Festival.

Popcorn Taxi is proud to present this special evening with animation giant PIXAR at CINEMA PARIS. Join us for the Sydney Premiere screening of ONE MAN BAND, their new short film and meet director ANDREW JIMENEZ and producer OSNAT SHURER.

ONE MAN BAND tells the captivating and funny tale of a peasant girl who, with one coin to make a wish at the piazza fountain, encounters street performers who would much prefer the coin to find its way into their pockets. As the buskers' rivalry builds the film climaxes in a spectacularly comic crescendo.

Computer animation behemoth PIXAR, producers of such mega-hits as TOY STORY I & 2, FINDING NEMO and THE INCREDIBLES, have stuck to their roots and continue to make extraordinary and original short films such as JACK ATTACK, BOUNDIN' and MIKE'S NEW CAR.

Tonight's show offers a unique insight into PIXAR, focusing on their short projects, and asks why they keep making them!

Including clips and behind the scenes footage tonight's program is a unique opportunity to get an insight into the methods and techniques of the world's most successful animation studio.

Popcorn Taxi would like to thank PIXAR ANIMATION and the LANTERN GROUP for making this program possible."

popcorn taxi
Entry: G

Time: 7.30pm
Date: Monday, August 8th, 2005
Where: Cinema Paris, Entertainment Quarter, formerly FOX STUDIOS
Address: Bent Street, Moore Park
Entry: $15 / $13 conc.

W: http://www.popcorntaxi.com.au/Events.asp?Event_ID=400

Saturday Indesign

Visited some of the showrooms that particpated in the Saturday Indesign event. It's an event where 66 suppliers open their showroom doors to the design profession. Many of the showrooms had food and drink on offer whilst the designers wandered through looking at the product ranges. There were also free buses to take people around to the various showrooms.

Ended up going to: Corporate Culture - furniture, who shared with Bang & Olufsen and Designer Rugs; Argent - bathroomware (v.close to Corporate Culture); Arthur G Designs - furniture; Contemporary Leathers - leather upholstery who shared with Instyle - fabrics; FY2K - furniture; Living Edge - furniture; Schiavello - furniture; Spence & Lynda - furniture, homewares; Zenith Interiors - furniture; Kvadrat Maharam - fabrics; Systems Supply - furniture. Some of these were literally a few doors down from each other so decided to pop into those places as well.

Created a Flickr account and have posted 32 photos of the day at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaosgeneration/sets/634542/

Houses of the Future - Architects' talks

The Building Bookshop are hosting talks by the Architects who have designed a house in the 'House of the Future' exhibition. (Missed the first one which I would've loved to have heard).

Thursday July 14th
1. Tone Wheeler & Jan O’Connor of Environa Studio present the Clay House.
2. Richard Smith presents the Cardboard House. Architect Peter Stutchbury & Pape.

Thursday August 11th
1. Michael Harvey and Peter Poulet from the NSW Government Architects Office present the Concrete House.
2. Jane Irwin from Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture and Bill Royal present A Woven Place.

Thursday September 15th
1. Sarah Bickford and Paul Lucus from Modabode present the Steel House.
2. James Muir from UTS presents the Glass House.

Thursday October 13th
1. Ken McBryde & Stephanie Smith from Innovarchi present the Timber House.
2. Mike Horne from Turf Design Studio presents Salad Bar.

Where: 525 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, Sydney.
To attend please RSVP (02) 8303 0550
Drinks & Refreshments 6:30 pm Talks 7 pm

W: http://www.buildingbookshop.com/talks.html

Houses of the Future 19 Feb- 31 Oct 2005

"The Sydney Olympic Park Authority is proud to host the Houses of the Future exhibition at Jacaranda Square, Sydney Olympic Park from 19 February – 31 October 2005.

This innovative and FREE public exhibition showcases sustainable design excellence and environmental innovations in 6 Houses made from clay, concrete, timber, steel, cardboard, and glass and 2 creative responses that showcase sustainable gardens.

Houses of the Future challenges us to consider the future of our built environment and two of the most tangible elements of that environment – the ‘house’ and the ‘garden’

Each House is made from a different material, and is designed by an architect working closely with the trade association and/or research institute working with that material. The Houses form part of a new generation of pre-fabricated dwellings emerging around the globe. The houses are a response to growing consumer demand for homes that are modern, environmentally sensitive and of high quality.

Similarly, the two “Gardens of the Future” showcased in this exhibition highlight the use of sustainable building materials, re-using materials and challenge our perception of a ‘garden’ can be…

The Houses of the Future exhibition highlights renewable energy, nano-technology, recycled water, the use of recycled materials and design features that promote water and energy conservation.

The Houses are designed to be compliant with BASIX (the NSW Government’s sustainable design requirements for water and energy) and are connected to Sydney Olympic Park’s innovative water recycling system, which saves approximately 850 million litres of drinking water each year!

Houses of the Future aims to stimulate sustainable design ideas, clever thinking and imagine a sustainable future. Over the next eight months we hope this exhibition promotes new ways of providing affordable, environmentally sustainable, prefabricated housing that are also futuristic and innovative in their design.

This exhibition seeks to challenge our perception of urban design – recast design boundaries, champion environmental innovation and offer a unique vision of what a “house” or “garden” of the future might be like."

W: http://www.housesofthefuture.com.au

SPAA Fringe 2005 - 11-13 August, Brisbane

SPAA (Screen Producers Association of Australia) FRINGE 2005
11 to 13 August, Brisbane Powerhouse

"Fringe is an intensive and interactive 3 day course of informative and practical sessions aimed at emerging and low budget independent film and television makers.

SPAA Fringe offers a unique opportunity for newcomers to meet and learn from producers, directors, distributors, network commissioning editors.

Delegates attend Fringe to network, pitch ideas and gain development opportunities."

Session updates include (from the Tropfest e-newsletter):

Opening keynote with Young Australian of the Year, Khoa Do, writer and director of Finished People and the upcoming Footy Legends.

Rolf De Heer will participate in Divergence is the new Convergence, which will explore the creation of ideas across multi platforms and parallel industries.

Vincent Sheehan producer of Cate Blanchett's new film Little Fish will talk about balancing business and creativity.

Script Editor and writer, Joan Sauers will interview screenwriter, Stephen Davis about script writing and script development.

Olivia Roussett, Video Journalist and Amos Cohen, Supervising Producer, Dateline, SBS will examine career paths of video journalists and the career opportunities for video journalists....

A panel of top women producing for television will talk about the how and why of getting into TV.

Producer, Melissa Beauford will talk about her two low budget completed films, that she produced privately and made without assistance from the government funding bodies.

And, Peter Broderick, SPAA Fringe Patron, will talk about networking and how building the right connections is a key to success...

Final Programme and Speaker Line Up now online at:
W: http://www.spaa.org.au/fringe_2005

Darwin Festival: 11-28 August

"The Darwin Festival is a celebration of life and creativity in the tropics.. The Festival program is distinctly flavoured with Indigenous, Asian and multicultural events, and presents a diverse and colourful program encompassing theatre, music, dance, visual arts, comedy, film, workshops, and free community events in a tropical, outdoor venue."

W: http://www.darwinfestival.org.au

Noise Submit

"Young Artists. New Work.
NOISE is a media-based initiative that profiles artists (25 and under) and their creative works across the media. NOISE invites young people to submit art of all forms, all year round, for the opportunity to be exhibited across television, radio, in print, online and more.

Money for Art. Ticket to Fly.
Wanna win $10,000 in cash & flights + skill up with a leading industry professional? Submit to NOISE by August 31, 2005 and you'll also be eligible for the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA).

SOYA Categories: Music, Pictures, Moving Pictures, Photography, Industrial/Object Design, Words and Fashion Design."

W: http://www.noise.net

Ricardo Legorreta - architect talk 27 Sep Sydney, 28 Sep Melbourne

"If architecture doesn’t contribute to human peace and happiness it deserves to disappear.

That’s according to Mexico’s Ricardo Legorreta who will be presenting Black Talk 3 in September.

Sydney – Tuesday 27 September (Booking form)
Melbourne – Wednesday 28 September (Booking form)

Tickets $75.00, $50 AAA members, $45 students and $40 AAA student members. For bookings download the appropriate rego form above or
call 02 8297 7283.

Ricardo Legorreta is considered Mexico’s finest architect, in 2002 the American Institute of Architects gave him the gold medal for his lasting influence on architecture. His work is defined by the use of brilliant saturated reds, purples and yellows and mysterious, light-filled spaces.

Pictured above: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GRADUATE SCHOOL / EGADE, Monterrey, Mexico by Ricardo Legorreta, 2001. Photographer: Lourdes Legorreta."

W: http://www.architecture.org.au/news/77/ricardo-legorreta-here-september