up the down staircase

built from reclaimed douglas fir 4x12 posts, this staircase is one
of our favorite elements of the work we did on the decarli house
in sonoma county.

using 1/4" fsc-certified birch plywood, custom cut into 6" widths,
we also paneled the wall leading upstairs onto the second floor
ceiling in order to visually connect both levels of the home.

the results are even more enhanced with the skylight we placed
on the vaulted ceiling above. less need for illumination from an
electric lighting source and an overall even, contemplative effect.

compliments on this particular design aspect of the house?

yeah, we heard a few.

we're form3. we're used it.

people LOVE us!

member of the press

the newest all-star field reporter for the low post news, gregory
neuhaus at a news conference in detroit.

when the lights go down in the city

after meeting with alfred at black scale about the next phase
of work, we found ourselves coming back from the city on an
unbelievably warm evening with stunning light.

nothing short of spectacular.

crossing this bridge never gets old.

short stack lounge

we created this design nearly two years ago for a couple high
profile clients and it got a lot of attention, since it's debut was at
the san francisco green festival. commissioned by good magazine
for their main booth in the center of the convention hall, it's
made from fsc-certified oak plywood and natural latex cushions
with knoll fabric from their environmental series.

the online magazines, high snobiety, materialicious and tuhi
international all posted on the design, giving it high marks. (even
dwell gave us some love, albiet, 10 months later.)

it's one of our favorite designs we've produced and are proud
to say we have the prototype sitting center in our own home.

sign of the times

not so long ago, we had multiple projects running simultaneously. we
were designing a retail store in spain, completing a house in sonoma
county and re-designing a home in the hills of los angeles.

we kept two construction coordinators busy with crews, working in
napa, marin, mendocino and sonoma counties constantly. we were
growing as a business at a rate that could only be hoped for. we
were continually finding ourselves with more opportunity then we
could have envisioned.

that was up through 2009.

this year began with strong momentum as we moved location, designed
the benny gold store, worked heavily on the william tell saloon and
had numerous furniture commissions in queue.

that was the spring.

the economic downturn has most definitely caught up with us. this
summer everything has come to the point we do whatever work we
can to maintain cash flow. we've been focusing on graphic design,
small signage opportunities (see above) and remodels that we may
have passed on only 10 short months ago.

we continue providing our clients, and the public in general,
service with integrity, consistency and an original architectural
design perspective.

plugging along, i think it's called.

we, as everyone affected by the current economic conditions, are
certainly hoping to see things turn around, but for now? we'll
continue doing whatever it takes to keep form3 on the map.

news of the day

we've been plugging away, creating graphics for the low post news.

they've created a promotional opportunity for their readers to download
franchise-specific poster art (created by form3) and place it in site-
specific places around their community.

they call it the poster art challenge.

we've already taken it.

it wasn't that much of a challenge.

faces to the names

chris has been documenting the faces of the regulars at the william
tell saloon, therefore documenting the social layers of the community
of tomales itself.

the saloon plays a role similar to that of a town hall. discussions
range from the weather and its concerns for ranchers to the local
gossip of who's doing what to whom, where and how.

some things hashed out on the south side of the bar are important
to maintaining the fabric of this small town, some things tear it apart.
but with all said, everything that happens here is essential to the
heartbeat of this sometimes crazy little place they call tomales.

we're on a road to nowhere

the images in hans-christian schink's photographic series
"traffic projects" depict the destruction of our landscape to
give us a less traveled, more convenient route to
the mall, to work, to the country, to nowhere.

summer reading

after the post from last thursday, this seems like a well-timed book
review from the new york times chronicling the history of the design
and construction of the golden gate bridge.

an impressive engineering feat that's been called “perhaps the most
successful combination of site and structure since the parthenon”,
we admire the structure and site plan every time we cross.

the down low

the work we're doing with the low post keeps moving along nicely.

the site is going online with their new domain name as of tomorrow,
so we've been designing a series of artwork they've decided to post
around different web sites.

this, of course, is an image of tim duncan used without permission
of the spurs, the nba or duncan himself.

we love the low post!

meeting of the mind

james turrell is, by far, one of the most contemplative and thoughtful
artists working today. (and one of our all-time favorites)

his work involves explorations in light and space that speak to viewers
without words, impacting the eye, body, and mind with the force of a
spiritual awakening.

true to his quaker roots, his art prompts self-awareness through silent
contemplation, patience, and meditation and there's no better place to
experience this than the live oak friends meeting house in houston he
designed with architect leslie elkins.

inspirational, to say the least.

gold expansion

we installed the new display unit for the benny gold retail space
in the mission district yesterday and it looks great. not only does
it allow benny the opportunity to show off his new fall line coming
out next month, it actually has the effect of enlarging the feel of the
interior space.

after rearranging a few elements on the wall as you enter 3171 21st
street, you'll notice the latest addition from form3. thirty five extra
square feet of retail display for all the killer designs benny has to
offer.

what are you waiting for?

go.

tell gabriel form3 sent you. they LOVE us down there.

money maker

if you find yourself wandering about in west marin county, there's
no better place to stop and have a cold one with a burger and fries
than the william tell saloon.

now you can buy your friends gift certificates in denominations
of $20, $50 and $100 so they, too, can enjoy the splendors of
the william tell.

design compliments of form3, of course.

the bridge to somewhere

with all the work we've been doing in the city of san francisco
lately, we find ourselves crossing the golden gate bridge quite
often. each time is as amazing as the last. not only is the bridge
an inspiring feat of engineering that has held up remarkably well
over its 73 years, it possesses a wonderful sense of mystery.

the weather changes that rush over, under or through the bridge
from the pacific ocean into the san francisco bay are nothing less
than spectacular. fog, in all its various forms, is the most-likely
candidate to present some type of change, but mixed with the sun,
pedestrian, and vehicular traffic, it provides the bridge with a sense
of a living organism unto itself.

it is truly an inspiring experience as you navigate this magnificent
structure while either heading north into the beauty of marin county
or south into the city itself. it never gets old.

black is beautiful

the results of our hard work at black scale have paid off nicely.
the shelves are up and will be ready for business today.

much thanks again to ryan and ron for their assistance with the
project. (and thanks to the store for my new socks and t-shirt.)

a simple plan

sometimes the simplest plan can go a little awry. what should have
been an easy enough day got somewhat complicated as we began
the work of installing the new shelving units at black scale.

two words: metal studs.

thanks to both ryan and ron for helping out and keeping things in
perspective. the final product will most definitely look sharp and be
worth whatever extra effort was involved.

hold the press

we just completed the new design for the low post media group's
press badge. we're pretty sure they think highly of it, since we
haven't heard anything less than, "awesome", "perfect" and "we
love it".

we concur.

working class heroes

this inspired minutemen recording has been repeating on the
hi-fi as we've been working on a few different projects this week.
one of my personal favorite songs of all time is history lesson,
part 2.

never got a chance to see them, but did see firehose at
first ave in minneapolis, then a few years later, mike watt
at gabe's in iowa city.

what was cool about these guys went way beyond their music.
keeping things honest was no effort at all, because they may have
known no other way.

a work ethic that has inspired us to the core. no doubt.

back in black

we've completed the new shelving units for black scale this week
and sent them over to our coating technicians to receive a fresh
coat of NO VOC white latex enamel.

designed to resemble the benches we fabricated earlier this summer,
the shelves compliment work already established in the minimalist
interior. we continue to do our part in creating a new look in the
downtown digs at 55 grant ave.

it's been a pleasure working with alfred and mega on this and we
look forward to installation next week.

foggy day in west marin

the northern california coastal influence is hard to ignore this time
of year and offers some stunning visuals around the surrounding
ranch land every day. the summer months provide much of the
same weather routine: heavy morning fog burns off around 11am,
then returns again around 4pm or so.

leaving the fog behind at the end of the day on the return drive
to petaluma is like the start of a new day. it translates into
another wave of energy that is most welcome.

these images are from yesterday's drive back in town.

celebrate good times

almost every small town across america has a designated day of
celebration to honor their history and heritage. the quaint town of
tomales is no different. they call it founder's day.

we've been asked to help out by designing a logo that can be used
for posters, t-shirts, hats, etc...

after doing a little research, we came up with a few variations on
this basic idea. looks as if the committee has narrowed it down to
these three. our favorite? the heavy equipment tow truck. it says it
all.