the special people

we appreciate all the information and special assistance we 

receive from the good folks at mt storm lumber when we're 

sourcing wood for a project. from the sales staff, like rick 

and barney, to the guys in the yard, like cisco and nacho.

but none is more special than our favorite fork lift operator, joe.

and when we say special, we mean special.

the green grass of home

when we were at the architectural trade show in barcelona
last year, we saw a number of european companies developing
strategies for the use of rooftop, interior and exterior panels
with grass application abilities. we were definitely intrigued
and have considered the use in our own design, but haven't
found the appropriate project just quite yet.

we did find these great examples of grass panel application
and use of earth-as-insulation from various architectural
projects from around the globe.

BIG deal

in the world of architecture there are the small, mostly private,

commissions created by architects and designers with modest

exposure upon their design and completion. and then, at the
other end of the spectrum, there are the big names creating
work that drive architecture and design onto the next level,
pushing the boundaries of engineering and thoughtful design.

denmark-based architecture firm BIG teamed up with

canadian-based fugere architectes to create this proposal

for the musée national des beaux arts du québec

competition. the main feature of the design is a sloping
green roof, completely accessible to pedestrian interaction.

the dramatic nature of the dynamic form surrounds two
large facades that reveal the interior exhibitions as massive
windows flood the atrium with daylight. quite stunning work
and detailed visual representation of the project.

we recommend checking out the BIG website. they've created a

great layout and demonstrate a thoughtful exploration of their

design process.

back on earth

we've been having a beautiful spring this year. great rains followed
by stretches of sunny days have kept the hillsides green and the
water reservoirs full.

last night's sunset was classic. the pics happened to be taken at
nearly the same time: leaving work in tomales (by greg) and
crossing the d street bridge in petaluma (by chris).

the new order

after yesterday's post, we were contacted by a client in
san francisco who is one (of eleven) owners of the HAL
credenza. she reminded us of the side tables we did for her
bedroom and how they were based on the credenza and then
a few other pieces we created that followed.

truth is, the HAL was instrumental in a number of ways we
hadn't originally seen concerning a new way of approaching
some of our furniture designs.

thanks to lara. we LOVE being reminded how important our 

work is to people. (and thanks for the new order).

slide the pod bay door

we've made less than a dozen of these sliding door credenzas,
but they still stand as one of our favorite furniture designs.
built from fsc-certified birch plywood, they feature a hinged
walnut sliding door and a spring loaded pull-out drawer.

we called this series the HAL credenza because of its pod-like
base and monolith-like proportion.

it caught the eye of the people at line eleven when they
featured us on our environmentally responsible work
ethic.

confidence in the mission

we've always been huge fans of the art direction in 2001:
a space odyssey and have, in the past, based some designs
on the modern minimalistic vision presented as the future in
this cinematic masterpiece. the color palette and stripped
down antiseptic look holds up so well, even today, that it's
a solid reference point for timeless design. (our original
design for the huf logo was based on the font used heavily
throughout this production.)

as we've been organizing our new studio, we've been
revisiting some of our old sketches and design work from
the year we started form3 (2001) and were directly reminded
of the connection to this brilliant effort by anthony masters,
harry lange and ernest archer.

although our final work tends not to represent such a
futuristic look, the ideas concerning the use of proportion,
scale, spatial relation and minimalism resonate in the
foundation of our design. (and being on a film and space
vibe this week, i couldn't help but to post about one of our
all-time favorite space films.)

so if you find yourself with an extra 141 minutes in your day,
sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think this one over.