Dickinson ambles closer to the edge of its heros fame and madness in this seasons fourth episode, which serves as a meditation on creative blockage.

Though oft charming and frequently beautiful, the postmodern Apple TV+ show about the 19th-century poet still suffers from an irreconcilable identity crisis. This weeks episode, released Friday, takes no steps to resolve the situation.

Hailee Steinfelds Emily Dickinson feels like a kitten, stuck in a deep hole with no way to get out. Thats the first of this episodes visual metaphors.

To the writers credit, they do manage to spread the problems of each member of the Dickinson household. New amorous boarder Joseph (played by Gus Halper) cant get it up, so to speak, for Lavinia Dickinson (Anna Baryshnikov) because he wants to put his old womanizing and highly sexualized ways behind him, frustrating the less-famous Dickinson girl.

A mysterious hole in the backyard vexes Emily and Lavinias mother (Jane Krakowski). Their father (Toby Huss) has been told by a doctor to not spend time outside, so hes going stir-crazy and goes out anyway. To please his dad, brother Samuel (Adrian Enscoe) agrees to adopt his cousins without first consulting his wife Sue (Ella Hunt). And to cap it all off and tie it all together, Emilys suffering from writers block.

Emily meets Frederick Law Olmsted (Veeps Timothy Simons), the landscape architect who designed Central Park and thinks he might have the secret to opening her up.

Olmsted takes his work more seriously than any of the artists Emily met last season. His eccentric system of governing landscapes (this rock is making just the right statement) intrigues her, so she picks his brain. Anything to get her mind off of the fact that publisher Samuel Holmes (Finn Jones) is reviewing her work. They wind up fatefully lost while walking around talking about methods.

The business of being a show like Dickinson is a tricky tightrope. Its essentially a postmodern sitcom. Guest stars intrude on the business of the Dickinson household every week. And its filled with high-concept plot devices, visual motifs and the like.

This week, we get Olmsted and the hole. Everyone falls into the hole either literally or physically, and by the end of the episode, its been wrapped up. The show, by virtue of being postmodern, knows very well what its doing and announces it.

Im in a hole! Huss says over and over again, making it all but impossible to miss that Dickinson is poking fun at the very idea of attempting an idea this broad.

The show is frequently like this, announcing that itwill adopt the shtickiest sitcom tactics and both skewering them and just doing them in the closest thing to good faith the show can muster.

Its endearing. However, it does sort ofunseat the shows pretensions toward talking about the stifling conditions for anyone who wasnt a white male in the 19th century and, by extension, today.

I dont mean to dismiss the show and the considerable effort put into creating it. Dickinson delivers frequently stunning visuals. (The autumn colors this season look especially lovely.) The show also benefits from crisp editing, enjoyable performances, solid-enough construction and good intentions.

The trouble is that, by mixing up the modern and the past, you cant help but come across as more flippant than a show about a white hero who was alive while slavery was happening can support.

This episode, for instance, introduces Sue, a character were supposed to like, having her hair done by her black maid (writer Ayo Edebiri, who really ought to be playing bigger roles than minute-long servant parts, no matter how deconstructed) and babbling about race science.

Phrenologists are so in right now, she says determinedly. Its a joke, but the show will not go back and correct her or explain why its an insidious thing to have as a setup to an unrelated scene that ends with Sue as the put-out party. (Shes mad at Samuel for consenting to adopt his cousins without her.)

You can be glib about the past. And you can be serious about inherited female trauma. But the two things dont quite mix.

Rated: TV-14

Watch on: Apple TV+

Scout Tafoya is a film and TV critic, director and creator of the long-running video essay series The Unloved for RogerEbert.com. He has written for The Village Voice, Film Comment, The Los Angeles Review of Books and Nylon Magazine. He is the director of 25 feature films, and the author of more than 300 video essays, which can be found at Patreon.com/honorszombie.

Originally posted here:
Dickinson review: Everybody's stuck and frustrated in season 2, episode 4 - Cult of Mac

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Global Construction and Architecture Software MarketSize, Share, Value, and Competitive Landscape 2020 - NeighborWebSJ

The last few weeks one could argue the last five years have been a lot to process. While many of us around the country have been sent reeling by news coming out of Washington on a regular basis, for DC residents, life still has to go on. Even when there is, say, an attempted coup. We worked with photographer Farrah Skeiky to ask Washington residents how they are doing right now. It's a collective check-in text for fellow Americans who have been not just living the chaos through the news, but experiencing it firsthand through street shutdowns, National Guard checkpoints, and the occasional angry mob.

When Skeikys family moved to the DC suburbs just over 16 years ago, nothing about the situation was appealing for her. Now, having worked and lived within DC city limits for eight years, she feels the frustration that comes with being invisible. Newer transplants passively declare that no ones really from DC, as the citys Black and brown residents are priced out of their neighborhoods, she said. National news directly affects local news here, but local voices dont make it to the national news.

Im grateful to share the perspectives of DCs residents, all of whom have different interactions with the city through their work, their social circles, and their zip codes. This city changed my life for the better, and I will always champion the people who make it such a unique place to be.

Sign up for our newsletter for more photographs from around the country and the world, as well as exclusive interviews.

"Im upset because of the difference in reactions to the domestic terrorists this last week versus the violence against the Black Lives Matter protests earlier in the summer. The contrast between those two really speaks to how ingrained white supremacy is in our government, our law enforcement, and just how we are reacting to both of these things that are happening."

"Im not doing cartwheels for Joe Biden, as I am not going to be doing cartwheels for any lifelong career politician. But honestly, that clown Trump is gone, and there is a deep relief that comes with that, especially when your family is directly affected by his thoughts.

"Ive bartended for a long time, and Ive always worked in the food and beverage industry, so inauguration has always been tied to work for me. With DC being such an overwhelmingly Democratic town, obviously when Democrats win and Im old enough to have been through a number of inaugurations I feel like with such an overwhelmingly Democratic town, its party time, people are happier. But I will say this: There was nothing like when Trump won. The feeling literally descended on the city. Even Biden winning, with the way things have been during the pandemic, its different. At least in my circles, with the people that I know personally and professionally, people know that half the country still voted for that fool. Anything to have him out.

"I dont want to get super-spicy communist on here, but I grew up, from the second I came onto this planet, being very aware. Purposefully my family has made me very aware of how this place really is. There were never any rose-colored glasses. But within that, Im not a pessimist. Theres too many people out there doing the real thing. Im hopeful."

"Im thrilled that we have a new president, so I guess Im kind of happy about that. Its a very odd time. Ive lived in DC for 30 years now. The first week I moved here was the inauguration of the first Bush. You could go right up to them. I was no fan of them, but I wanted to see an inauguration. And now its like a war zone so thats upsetting. Its upsetting that its so militarized, but its necessary.

"Im from Louisiana, and I still travel to Louisiana quite a bit. I come from a very rural town outside of New Orleans, and Ive lived here working as a landscape architect, so Ive seen the extremes. This is a country thats always been divided. Trump didnt create this, he just emboldened it. Im shocked by his behavior, and I guess thats changed my opinion, and politics is a brutal game. So it doesnt surprise me, because I think underneath people only care about being in power, and theyll sell their souls to get here."

Kelsey: Im very worried for the inauguration, especially because there is a Black woman who will be on the stage. Im very concerned for her safety. Very concerned. I want her to be safe, and I want her family to be safe. And I dont like saying that. Im legitimately fearful for them.

Dana: When President Trump was inaugurated, I remember feeling disappointed, but I didnt feel terrified. Even though Im happy that Biden got elected, I cant think about the inauguration or her sense of dread that something awful is going to happen. I feel like that isnt the best way to start anything.

Dana: Its probably been really, really rough to be a political thriller writer. Any idea you had, just turn on the news and its like, Crap, there goes my draft. I feel for them.

Christine: This was a chocolate city first. You look at old history with Maps, and it was mainly a Black city. Look at the people who moved here, especially the recent statistics from the general election in the presidential election, 93% voted Democrat. Im living in Chevy Chase a lot of people think wow youre a Black girl in this extremely white neighborhood with a mired past in which they kicked out all the Black people. But now they have worked on that, they have recognized that, and they are working on those issues. DC has some errors, but in that way its done [some] things right. Its got a great healthcare system in which were actually doing our vaccinations right. Out of three states, we are the nonstate doing our actual vaccinations on schedule.

"I have a hard time quantifying it to only DC feeling under siege, not only geographically but in regards to sanctity of democracy, has been somewhat alarming. But also not surprising.

"Theres probably more of a confirmation of the systemic inequality and oppression that Ive always been quite vocal about. The stage has been set more accurately, and its more obvious to more people now. Although weve suffered a lot of loss and a lot of unnecessary deaths and damage, and were still fighting to correct so many wrongs from even the Reagan administration, I feel like there are more people that have come into a deeper understanding of what this country really is."

"Everyones on eggshells and the city is locked down. The amount of military that I saw downtown, the amount of guns rifles and assault rifles it was just a lot. I dont know the last time that happened, definitely way before my time. Its terrifying. As a gentleman thats half Native, half Latino, I watch my back every day. Am I going to see a Trumper? Am I gonna see a Proud Boy? Its alarming. "

"Its this weird limbo. They brought in a lot of security now it seems now that theyre prepared, but again we saw that Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement were allowing these insurrectionists to come into the building. Not to say that it was an inside job, but obviously there were/are people in law enforcement that sympathize with these people. My plan is to stay home, stay out of it, and Im gonna be sitting on my stoop watching things go down and listening to the radio. Im worried that this isnt all going to go away after the inauguration. Trump will still be around. He is still going to have his sycophants and theyll still be bending over backward on doing Olympic-level mental gymnastics to justify what this absolute clown is doing."

Jodie: Im definitely feeling scared for our family and our country. Weve lived here for 18 years, and we always felt safe being in the nations capital. Theres a comfort knowing that this is the safest place in the country to live, and that notion quickly crumbled when we saw the events that took place last week. As more news comes out about the people who were aiding the insurrectionists, it feels like a scary time for our country.

Aden: Even though people are still ready for the inauguration and want Biden in office, people are also scared that what happened at the Capitol is going to happen again, and I totally understand because I dont want anyone harmed.

I have more knowledge about white privilege in this country and also how messed up we are in our country, whereas, some other countries view us as the big strong United States thats so popular, but actually were crumbling. If we dont do something soon, then well fall apart.

Al: As a business owner in the hospitality industry, aside from the differences in the morale and the pomp and circumstance, theres a huge difference to this year with the economic impact that this particular inauguration will have on the district. This will be a huge drain on resources. Ordinarily, its a boon for hotels, booked restaurants, all the caterers, and the black-tie events in the evenings. Every firm along Pennsylvania Avenue has a huge blowout party and they spend tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars on a catered event where they invite all their clients, their staff, for a parade viewing party. It starts very early in the morning, goes into the afternoon, then people go home and take a nap and then go to the inaugural balls in the evening so theres a lot of money to be made. This isnt solely attributed to the events of last week, but combined with the nature of COVID, thats a real difference to the city that cant be ignored.

Isaac: My whole life, Ive been like, Its OK, the Capitol will be safe because people are protecting it. When people got in, Im getting scared that a lot of people might be hurt, and Im scared that if someone gets hurt, like the police or someone who works there, or someone else, I dont like people dying in real life. Its OK in movies because its fake, but in real life its scary. Im mad because someone started all this just because they lost the election.

"I feel like we should be doing a lot more as a city to make sure that shit doesnt happen again. As you can see now, everything is back to normal, and I dont like that. Because if that was us out there, doing what they did, wed be getting locked up today, for sure. All the Trump supporters, all the people who started that, were staying in this hotel and that hotel right here. The day after, they were sitting out here laughing like nothing was wrong, and thats an issue to me. They were our customers. Like I said, if that was us, police would be pulling up in paddy wagons arresting us. Its nonsense if you ask me. But its expected."

"Im a bit surprised, but overall its just the theme of America and the area itself. But definitely anxiety along with everyone else that lives here. Im super anxious about the inauguration. Everyone in the area is pretty sick of everything government right now, and we just want everything to go back to whatever normalcy I guess there was. Honestly, the United States hasnt changed too much over the past four years. Its just more blatant and in your face. The last four years has desensitized a lot of people to how outrageous and terrible racism is, systematic racism, and how distracting it is.

"I dont even think people think about DCs residents. Its like were not even here. So I think people get wrong that were real people and understand how loving people are in DC, especially ones that dont come and go with red and blue. Especially with corona, I never see anyone without a mask, period. Just know that were here: Were actually people, we cannot vote, and we are a community and try to take care of each other as best we can."

"Im nervous. Its getting closer and closer to the location of my home. Ive got the Capitol on the west side of me, and the National Guard setting up on the east side of me, so Im in the middle of all this traffic.

"Im talking to my friends and neighbors and finding out what they plan to do. Were starting to see some MAGA people camp out around Lincoln Park. They have fires raging in the night, its just not fun. Its a visceral thing. Tons of friends and family have sent us messages asking if were OK, but I dont think people really understand how real it is living right in these blocks. You cant really avoid it. People say Oh its the Capitol, no ones around there but really I live a mile from there. People who dont live in the area dont understand that its very real, and its not just what you see on TV."

"Im outraged at the attack on our town and our government. Im shocked at the failure of security that weve all taken for granted at our federal buildings, and I look forward to the transition.

"Im cautiously optimistic about the inauguration this week. From a domestic terrorism standpoint, Im worried about not only attacks on our National Guard troops that are protecting us, that somebody would try to do something against the new administration or that people could just try and disrupt or attack our neighborhoods.

"I never worried for my safety at an inauguration before. A lot of us work in and with politics and no matter who wins, theres always a peaceful transition of power. Thats something thats unique to our country, and I think Ive always taken it for granted and now I see how precious that is.

"The past four years opened my eyes to how much larger the problems we face are and how systemic they are than I previously thought."

"Being someone that was born in DC and has lived here for such a large portion of his life, Ive always known that going near the Capitol was almost impossible, especially as a Black man. To see so many privileged white people be able to attack the police, storm the Capitol this sacred building, one of the most sacred buildings in the country I was just angry. A lot of my friends were checking in on me, because they know that Im always at protests capturing images. I saw a lot of people making jokes about it, and some of the jokes were funny, but it just feels so personal. I was about to get arrested a few weeks ago, just for taking photos. Seeing so many of these people able to just take advantage of police and run into the Capitol is just ridiculous to me. And its literally against the law. I cant believe I watched that."

"I know that everything is going to be fine in the long run, but Im from a small town thats known for its KKK ties, so I kind of already know what happens when white people get angry. I remember when they were happy with Trump and when they were lining up the streets. Its not the KKK, of course, but its their grandchildren.

"I grew up with grandparents that were from the South. Ive always heard stories about how the United States is kind of horrible, so it doesnt really shock me. People were shocked when Trump was elected, but I kind of knew what was going down.

"When I came to DC, I was expecting everyone to be rich. I didnt know until I looked it up that a lot of DCs residents were Black. To me, I always thought thats where the president lives, so that must be where rich people live. Its true. In California, the parts where Im from, you dont really see a lot of rich Black people, but I saw a lot of rich Black people. It kind of felt really good. Hopefully, one day, my life will be not rich, but well off. To be in a place where you see all these people who are well off and look like you is kind of crazy."

"Ive come to love the city, and to see people desecrate the Constitution of the United States a lot of the world looks up to the US for democracy, and it was just sad to see.

"Before the events of last week, I was really excited to be in the city for this historic moment. When Joe Biden got elected, it was just a feeling of excitement in the city. I went to the White House that evening, with my mask of course, and it was just a great feeling. Right now, after last week, Im holding my breath to make sure everything goes off smoothly."

"Im not surprised at all. Its kind of funny in a sense that a lot of people are starting to see it now.

"Since President Obama got elected, a lot of people were very unhappy that a Black man became president and I feel like Trump was a response to that. And now that the Trump presidency is over, its uneasy. I feel like people got to see the wild side of racism and white supremacy and that it doesnt help anybody, in any way, and especially during a pandemic. I feel like thats making this one kind of special because theres two monsters on top of each other.

"I would say theres probably not any place in the world that a Black person can go and they dont have to check how the racism is? Am I gonna be safe? Am I gonna be OK to go here? Can I actually enjoy myself here? Thats just the reality of how life is. It doesnt change it any."

"Im a former bartender, and I hope to be one again after the pandemic since Im out of work. During the Obama administration, you saw a lot of people who wanted to be in community with each other. With the Trump administration, you see more entitlement. People are keeping to themselves and arent open to meeting their neighbors. Its put a cloud over the city. And its mostly to the detriment of the Black and brown community. We dont see people happy. This summer after the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Aubrey protests, you saw people on the streets every day. Were sad, but were dancing. Were sad, but we decided now to feed each other. Were sad, but now were trying to organize and build. I think thats a testament to the city, and to what people forget. We are a community of people. Not just Capitol Hill. Were not just government buildings. Were a whole community of people who are affected by things that are happening globally."

"Im much more critical of the democratic process, much more critical of the historic checks and balances of our country. The rules seem to be very different for white supremacists and white people in general, and theres a stark contrast between how law enforcement and the law in general treats Black people, Indigenous people, minorities, immigrants, refugees thats all come to light and at the forefront of the last four years. Whether it was the Muslim ban or with Black Lives Matter protests, children in cages even though they were in cages during the Obama administration as well its just all kind of in the spotlight with this previous administration. Im less confident about what my role as a US citizen should be. Im less confident about the kind of future that were hurtling toward; environmental disasters, crippling student loan debt, what kind of future are we trying to make our children inherit? The possibility of holding elected officials accountable seems less and less each day, and its incredibly sad and I hope that theres a real concrete change that comes with this administration.

"Theres a bunch of people who decided to leave DC after last weeks events, and I thought about it, but wow, what a privilege to be able to even consider that option because my heart goes out to all the essential workers who have to deal with white supremacists in the areas that they work. Theyre going to deal with added harassment on top of what the stress of their job already is going to be. How are they going to get to their jobs? Will they be paid overtime? Are they safe?"

See original here:
After The Coup Attempt And Ahead Of Inauguration, DC Residents Are Feeling On Edge - BuzzFeed News

By Cathi Harris, contributor

Decatur, GA The Decatur Planning Commission voted Tuesday to table a developers request to rezone a half-acre lot at the corner of East Ponce de Leon Avenue and Commerce Drive from the existing R-60, single-family residential zoning to RM-22, multiple family residential.

Decatur resident Phillip Rassel and Atlanta builder Bud Rogers hope to build nine four-bedroom townhomes on the property. One of the homes would be reserved for buyers making less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) to comply with Decaturs inclusionary zoning requirements.

The residences would be similar to those constructed on Northern Avenue with rooftop terraces and parking in the rear of the development off a private alley, Rassel told the commission.

Several residents of the surrounding neighborhood attended the virtual Zoom meeting, speaking both in favor of and in opposition to the development.

We are in support of the zoning change and in support of this property being redeveloped with townhomes, said Stephanie Hudson, who lives at 140 Ponce de Leon Court and whose backyard borders the property. The current structure on the property is a dilapidated eyesore that has been deemed so unsafe the current owner is not allowed to live there. Developing it would increase tax revenue for the city and would certainly be better than the current condition.

But several other residents raised concerns about how the townhome residents would enter and exit the property given its narrow configuration and location so close to the busy Commerce and East Ponce intersection.

Because the parcel is only 70 feet wide, townhome residents would access it by a one-way alley, entering on East Ponce de Leon and exiting onto Commerce. Both neighborhood residents and members of the Planning Commission wondered whether that would result in traffic backing up into the intersection at busy times of day.

I have concerns about ingress and egress to the site, particularly if you are coming east on Ponce from downtown and turning left into the entrance, Planning Commission member Lori Leland Kirk said. It seems like it would certainly back traffic up into that intersection.

The proposed location of the exit on Commerce is also dangerous, said Rachel Susie Kezh, of 117 Ponce de Leon Court.

People fly over that hill [on Commerce] coming from the south, Kezh said. This is right before the curve in the road and there are a lot of accidents there as it is. If you add more cars entering the road there, it just makes it even worse.

Alan Wieczynski, a landscape architect who lives at 416 East Ponce de Leon, two doors down from the proposed development, said he was concerned that the current engineering drawings for the site did not reflect important details about stormwater and sewer management as well as the height of the buildings relative to their surroundings.

I want people to understand how difficult this site is, Wieczynski said. If you look at the high point where Ponce hits Commerce and the low point at its northeast section, there is 26 feet of [elevation] change. That is a lot of fall over a very short property. It averages out at an 8 percent slope.

The design drawings that he has seen from the developer show a level elevation, but that is not possible with the existing grade change, he said.

The applicant has proposed four stories for these units, but the zoning for RM-22 dosnt support four-story buildings, he said. Only way to get the fourth is if there is a basement that is more than 50 percent recessed in the ground. Looking at the site, it doesnt seem that you are going to be able to sink these buildings low and still have the drive-under parking.

If the entire site were filled in and made level, it would need a 21-foot retaining wall, he estimated. But, the developer has told the neighborhood residents that there would only be a four-foot wall and only at one corner, he said. There is no documentation of this in the application at all.

And, even though the developer has indicated they will have on-site underground stormwater detention, they have not said where the water from the tanks will be discharged.

Removing the existing trees and maximizing the lot coverage with so much impervious surface is going to increase the stormwater runoff significantly, he noted. The on-site stormwater detention must be tied into the citys existing infrastructure for removal and not just allowed to discharge into neighboring yards, he added.

In discussing the application, Planning Commission members agreed that they needed more detailed plans from the developer before they would be willing to recommend the rezoning to the City Commission.

There seems to be a significant variance between the drawings and how the development would sit on the site in reality, commissioner Joseph Greco said. This needs to be included as part of a thorough evaluation.

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Developer seeks rezoning to build new townhomes on Commerce Drive - Decaturish.com

Houses associated with noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape architect John Charles Olmsted got a temporary reprieve from the wrecking ball Tuesday, when the preservation board of Brookline, Massachusetts, voted to postpone demolition for 18 months.

In a virtual hearing that lasted nearly three hours and drew international attention, the Brookline Preservation Commission voted 8-to-0 to support the staffs finding of significance for the two houses, an action that gives the panel the authority to delay demolition.

The hearing was triggered when a developer asked the preservation panel to approve full demolition of three contiguous properties in a section of Brookline within the Green Hill historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, including the former Richardson house at 25 Cottage Street and the former Olmsted property at 222 Warren Street.

The commission also voted 8-to-0 to temporarily block the demolition of the third property, a 1971 prefabricated deck house at 39 Cottage Street, built on land carved out of the parcel owned by Richardson.

The panel voted on the three properties separately but arrived at the same unanimous decision each time. The action is intended to allow time for Brooklines preservation staff and others to meet with the property owner, Jeff Birnbaum of Pioneer Construction andWarren Cottage Ventures LLC, and explore possible alternatives to razing the three houses.

The birthplace and hometown of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Brookline is an incorporated town of about 60,000 in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Its part of the Greater Boston area but has its own system of government. The commissions votes do not prevent changes to the landscape during the 18-month demolition delay period.

The panel drew praise for its action from preservationists and architectural historians in New England and beyond who said Richardson (1838 to 1886), was one of the most influential architects in America and that his former house deserves to be preserved, perhaps as the anchor for a new local historic district in Brookline.

This is ridiculous that were thinking of tearing these houses down, said Bruce Shaw, a neighboring property owner. It makes no sense whatsoever.

This is H. H. Richardsons home, said Harry Friedman, president of the Friends of the Brookline Preservation Commission, referring to 25 Cottage Street. If any building in Brookline satisfies the requirements for a demolition delay, this is it.

But speakers at Tuesdays meeting also warned that advocates for saving the three properties shouldntlet down their guard just because the commission temporarily blocked demolition.

They stressed that the panels action in itself wont protect the houses for more than 18 months and that the preservation staff has more work to do if it wants to save the houses.

I have no doubt that all three of these properties will end up with an 18-month demolition delay, which is an infinity compared to the city of Boston, said speaker Henry Moss, before the vote was taken on the Richardson house.

But we should draw no false comfort from that. I urge the commission and Brookline the town to look for ways to maximize your leverage. You dont know when the property might change hands again and you dont know when it will be put forth on the market as a blank slate 18 months from now.

Our area as a whole is suffering from a housing crisis and we understand that, said Nick Armata, senior planner for the Boston Landmarks Commission, who noted that he is speaking for himself and not his employer. But that should not come at the cost of our culture, and these two buildings are our culture, he said, referring to the houses with ties to Richardson and Olmsted.

The developer did not address the panel during the hearing. His attorney, Jennifer Dopazo Gilbert, noted that he has cooperated with the towns preservation planners so far and will continue to do so. As a sign of good faith, she said, he recently allowed the staff to visit the three houses in preparation for this weeks hearing.

The owner seeks to work collaboratively with the staff and the commission, she said. Certainly, if they had some ulterior motive, they wouldnt have allowed access to the staff and they wouldnt have been in continuous communication.

Asked if the developer has any intention of listening to the preservationists, Gilbert said he does.

We are absolutely listening, she said. Weve been in lengthy, lengthy discussions already with preservation staff. Weve brought the staff out to all three properties. We are here to listen this evening.

The hearing drew comments from a wide range of groups, companies, and individuals who work to preserve significant examples of architecture and landscape architecture.

Correspondences came from the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the American Society of Landscape Architects; the Society of Architectural Historians; Preservation Massachusetts; the Boston Preservation Alliance; Historic New England; the New York Landmarks Conservancy; Harvard University; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the University of Delaware; the University of Pennsylvania; the Victorian Society in America, several Olmsted-related groups and numerous Olmsted and Richardson scholars. Many noted the close relationship between the Olmsteds and Richardson.

Elton Elperin, chair of the Brookline commission, said the three properties on the agenda drew more than 300 letters and emails, more than any other issue the board has considered that he can remember. He said virtually all, if not all of the writers expressed support for saving the houses.

The outpouring of support for saving the houses came from people based locally, nationally and even internationally, Elperin told the panel. Theyve written us asking us to do whatever we can to prevent demolition and preserve them.

Elperin read excerpts from a message sent by the National Association of Olmsted Parks, which noted that Brooklines Green Hill historic district reflected an extraordinary confluence of design talent and that Frederick Law Olmsted, John Charles Olmsted, and H. H. Richardson worked within yards of one another, shaping Nineteenth and early Twentieth-Century architecture and landscape design in ways that continue to reverberate today.

Two representatives from Docomomo also spoke in favor of saving the deck house.

The deck house is increasingly an endangered species, said New England chapter president emeritus David Fixler. We should be increasingly vigilant about trying to save those good examples of this very innovative and interesting and commodious housing type where we can. This is an excellent opportunity.

As with many preservation boards faced with a demolition permit application, the Brookline panel focused its hearing on determining the historical and architectural significance of the existing structures and did not permit testimony about possible future uses for the properties.

Dopazo Gilbert, the developers attorney, said several times that Birnbaum does not have any specific plans for the property and wanted to see what action the panel takes at its hearing.

Others said they thought the fact that the application called for full demolition is a sign that the developer isnt inclined to save the buildings. Dopazo Gilbert said the developer did that to leave his options open and provide a starting point for discussion. She said the fact that he allowed the preservation staff to tour the buildings this month and take photos is a sign that he wants to work with the town.

I want to be really clear, that there is no plan on the table to demolish these properties, she said. No one knows what the plans are. In fact, demolition can be triggered by simply adding an addition, changing a roofline, tinkering with any significant feature on the building at all. So this application does not mean that these buildings are coming down. Were trying to work with the town, and to say otherwise is simply unfair.

All three houses are currently vacant. There was testimony that the Richardson house has been empty for more than a decade, is in poor condition, and that valuable John La Farge stained glass windows and other distinctive features were removed long ago. Shaw, one of the neighbors, said he believes it has been vacant for nearly 20 years.

Of the three houses Birnbaum controls, preservationists said, the Richardson house is considered the most important. In 2004, the house was placed on Preservation Massachusetts list of the states most endangered historic resources. In 2007, the National Trust for Historic Preservation put it on its annual list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in the country.

Born in Louisiana and educated at Harvard College, Tulane University, and the cole des Beaux-Arts, Richardson ranks as one of the most respected American architects born in the 1800s and is remembered for working in a style known as Richardsonian Romanesque.

His buildings include Trinity Church in Boston; Marshall Fields Wholesale Store in Chicago (no longer standing); the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh; the John J. Glessner House in Chicago; Stonehurst, the Robert Treat Paine Estate in Waltham, Massachusetts, and several dozen public libraries.

According to staff preservation planner Tina McCarthy, the house was constructed as a summer home for a merchant and avid horticulturist in 1804 and modified over the years by various owners. She said Richardson originally moved there as a tenant in 1874, the home was deeded to the Richardson family after the owner died, Richardson lived there until his death in 1886, and it stayed with the Richardson family until 1899.

Because the architect used its first-floor north parlor as a design studio, she said, it was the workplace for others who became principals at Shepley Bulfinch, including George Foster Shepley, Charles Allerton Coolidge, and Charles Hercules Rutan.

McCarthy noted that the house was constructed by builders from the West Indies, a fact that speaker Donald Carleton said potentially gives it another layer of significance in the Black Lives Matter era. McCarthy also said the house retains certain features from the years Richardson lived there, including cork walls and a series of hooks in the bedroom ceiling that the architect, who was bedridden in his later years and died at 47, used with a series of ropes and pulleys to get in and out of bed.

Several speakers made the point that New England is known for saving other architects houses, such as the Walter Gropius House, now a museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and said they believed the Richardson house is worth saving too.

The most famous resident of 222 Warren Street, John Charles Olmsted (1852 to 1920), was the nephew and adopted son of noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. After Frederick Law Olmsted retired, John Charles Olmsted and his younger half-brother, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., continued his landscape architecture practice, doing business as Olmsted Brothers. John Charles Olmsted also served as the first president of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The house at 222 Warren Street is known as Cliffside and the earliest parts of it date from before 1850. According to McCarthy, John Charles Olmsted lived there for two years, from 1918 to 1920, but was associated with it and the town for much longer than that because his wife, Sophia, grew up there and he previously lived nearby.

McCarthy showed photos of a large skylight over the central stairway, a sleeping-porch with accordion doors, and other distinctive features. According to one speaker, Kate Poverman, the house contains a mural that represents work from the Hudson River School of Art but she didnt know the exact artist.

It was no accident that John Charles Olmsted chose the house next door to 25 Cottage Street, then the home and studio of H. H. Richardson, for his residence, McCarthy said. The location, just down the street from Frederick Law Olmsteds own home and studio, was at the center of a vibrant neighborhood of architects actively engaged in reshaping the city landscape in Boston and across the country. It was H. H. Richardson, a friend and colleague of Frederick Law Olmsted from their days living in Staten Island, who introduced his father to the idea of living in Brookline.

While the third house wasnt the home of a famous architect or landscape architect, McCarthy said it was a good example of a prefabricated deck house that was constructed in the mid-century for residents who were moving to Brookline. She presented photos showing how it rises above a ravine and forms an ensemble with the other two houses. As a simple shell with a highly flexible interior, its Corbusier without all the modernist rhetoric, said speaker Dennis De Witt.

Now that theres a demolition delay, several attendees suggested that the three houses could be the nucleus for a new local historic district in Brookline. They noted that the houses already tell the story of Brooklines growth over time, as reflected by three very different architectural styles.

McCarthy acknowledged that creating a local historic district is an idea worth exploring. But, she said, Brookline generally wants the impetus for creating a local historic district to come from property owners themselves, rather than the preservation commission.

It is really quite challenging to think of any neighborhood with a comparable pedigree, said Anne Neal Petri, president and CEO of the National Association for Olmsted Parks.

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HH Richardson and John Charles Olmsted homes get temporary reprieve from the wrecking ball - The Architect's Newspaper

L+M Development Partners, Type A Projects, BronxWorks, and the City of New York have closed on $349 million financing package to complete phase one of Bronx Point, a new mixed-use affordable housing complex in the South Bronx. As a public-private partnership, the financing entities include the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, Empire State Development, Wells Fargo, and additional private funding sources.

The overall funding includes $323.5 million for the building, along with $25.5 million from the NYC Economic Development Corporation for the construction of a waterfront esplanade along the Harlem River.

A critical component to making our city fairer is strengthening neighborhoods for all New Yorkers, said James Patchett, president and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation. Today marks a major step toward advancing the administrations key investments in the South Bronx. By bringing affordable housing, waterfront access, and a range of cultural facilities, we are creating a more equitable New York.

Phase one of the development includes 542 units of permanently affordable housing. Qualifying households include those in incomes at 30 percent to 120 percent of the area median income. A portion of the units will also be reserved for the formerly homeless.

The mix of apartment layouts will include 135 studios, 192 one-bedrooms, 122 two-bedrooms, and 93 three-bedrooms. Occupants will have access to a private outdoor terrace, laundry facilities, a childrens room, a community lounge, a bike storage room, and a fitness center.

Additional components of phase one include 2.8 acres of public outdoor space, a permanent home for the Universal Hip Hop Museum, and an early childhood space run by BronxWorks. The development will also support a vibrant mix of cultural and community-focused programs and outdoor science programming facilitated by the Billion Oyster Project.

For years, weve wanted a permanent home in The Bronxthe birthplace of hip hopand we are proud to be a part of Bronx Point, which will be one of the great new destinations of the borough, said Kurtis Blow, an award-winning hip-hop artist and chairman emeritus of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. Hip hop grew from a seed that was planted at a house party on Sedgwick Avenue into a global movement, and our museum will celebrate that journey and the Bronxs place in its history. For all those who rose with us and followed in our footsteps: this museum will be for you, forever.

Rendering of Bronx Point S9 Architecture

Rendering of Bronx Point S9 Architecture

Designed by S9 Architecture & Engineering, Bronx Point comprises four interlocking volumes that gradually step up and top out at 22 stories. The volumes take rise from a large retail podium and surround a large rooftop courtyard above the podium levels.

The grounds and open spaces are designed by Marvel Architects with landscape architect Abel Bainnson Butz. Areas open to the public will include a playground and landscaped area adjacent to the existing Mill Pond Park and the Bronx Childrens Museum, a landscaped esplanade along the Harlem River with walkways, seating areas, an extended BBQ area, fitness zones for adults, and publicly accessible bathrooms. Collectively, these open space improvements will advance the city and communitys long-standing goal of providing access to the Harlem River waterfront and increasing public open space in the South Bronx.

Being born and raised in the South Bronx, its particularly meaningful, said Josue Sanchez, senior director at L+M Development Partners. At a moment when New Yorkers continue to struggle through the impacts of the pandemic, its even more critical for us to begin work on a project that will serve so many in a way thats true to the borough, from high-quality affordable housing and community programming, to much-needed open space along the Harlem River, to a permanent home for the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

Rendering of Bronx Point esplanade S9 Architecture

Overall, Bronx Point will include up to 1,045 apartment units. Construction on phase one is expected to break ground in the coming weeks and be completed by late 2023.

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Developers Secure $349M for Bronx Point Affordable Housing Complex, in the South Bronx - New York YIMBY

Throughout the world architects are designing green buildings, whether its in their sustainable construction, environmentally friendly operation or actually green by style.

Its broadly titled biophilia, connecting people with nature, and it can lead to some creative and innovative designs.

But now we are finding that literally greening the world by covering building walls and roofs with vegetation can also come with some unexpected problems.

Read more: Greening our grey cities: here's how green roofs and walls can flourish in Australia

In the Chinese city of Chengdu, a vast green experimental housing estate of 826 apartments was constructed where people can live in a vertical forest with every open space and balcony containing live vegetation.

Trouble is they must share the plants with a scourge of mosquitoes and other bugs. Most apartments in the Qiyi City Forest Gardens development were sold by April 2020, but six months later only a handful of families had reportedly moved in.

The towers were built in 2018 and plants were provided to reduce noise and clean up pollution. But the plants thrived, while sales moved slowly, and no one was clipping the greenery to keep it in control.

Read more: Unbuilding cities as high-rises reach their use-by date

Now mostly empty balconies have cascading branches of plants overtaking space, blocking windows.

It might not help that Chengdu and its population of 16.3 million people are located in Sichuan, central China, which is humid and semi-tropical, a perfect environment for fast-breeding mossies.

But a slow uptake, with tenants slow to move in, made the problem worse as the plants subsumed their buildings.

Other green projects across the globe have avoided this particular problem, so far.

Milans Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) was designed by Stefano Boeri and botanist Laura Gatti.

They reportedly spent long hours selecting suitable vegetation, a variety of 800 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 15,000 plants, which would suit their location and the Milanese climate.

Read more: Australian cities are lagging behind in greening up their buildings

Their plan was to improve air quality in the city via the green facades, and residents have embraced the concept, which appears to be where Qiyi City Forest has gone wrong.

In Chengdu, maintenance and care of the plantings is almost non-existent, so no truly symbiotic relationship between accommodation and human occupier has formed as part of biophilic living. As is natures way, the non-human occupiers (the bugs) are winning.

US landscape architect Daryl Beyers, from the New York Botanical Garden, says the Chengdu setup didnt work partly as a result of bad design.

In Chengdus humid climate and clammy monsoons, stagnant water collects in planters which are not properly drained, and mosquitoes breed in these.

Beyers adds:

They [the developers] didnt think about the maintenance [] You cant have a garden without a gardener.

They were touting it as a manicured garden outside on your deck. If its manicured, someone has to do the manicuring.

The idea of fully manicured vegetation on balconies only works if the plants are cared for regularly. Apparently, gardeners attend Qiyi City just four times a year to maintain the plants, but they require weekly care.

One Central Park apartments in Sydney, by French architect Jean Nouvel, takes on a green mantle with plants covering most of its walls and balconies.

French botanist Patrick Blanc selected the plants on the building for their capacity for healthy growth and suitability to the Sydney habitat.

By using acacias (wattles) and poa (grasses) on upper levels and goodenia (hop bush) and viola (native violet) lower down, the vegetation is attuned to its place and growing successfully.

More than 1,100 square metres of walls support many species of plants, most of them native to Sydney. They are at home with the local climate and seasons. The plants can withstand hot, dry and windy Australian summers and have survived since 2014.

Green buildings are necessary for the environment. We need to redress the loss of our natural resources and their benefits, and green buildings can do that by adopting appropriate design, energy efficiencies, renewable materials and green technologies.

Read more: A third of our waste comes from buildings. This one's designed for reuse and cuts emissions by 88%

Central Parks success could be emulated at Chengdu, by tracing back the original design intent and adopting a workable maintenance and management plan.

The lessons from both projects indicate that proper planning and appropriate selection of vegetation, which is then fed and watered by applicable technology, will yield a proficient green building.

People feel comfort living with nature, and a vertical garden gives those in high-rise towers a chance to share that comfort. But with the benefits come responsibilities.

The clue here is that a faithfully biophilic building must be appropriate for use. That means appropriate in terms of the place, natural resources, local climate and the people who must manage and occupy the natural surroundings.

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Green buildings can bring fresh air to design, but they can also bring pests - The Conversation AU

Mayor Kirk Caldwell and city officials dedicated two new pieces of contemporary artwork by local artists at Thomas Square this afternoon that will be part of a new program.

The two, site-specific works Hookumu Moana (The Source The Deep Ocean) by Bernice Akamine and 16 Cube Truss (About Building Systems) by Sean Connelly were commissioned by the city at a cost of about $35,000.

The new Art at Thomas Square program is intended to enhance the visitor experience at the park while engaging the public with thought-provoking artwork. The two new pieces will be on view along the South Beretania Street side of the square for one year, and then rotate with other works by local artists.

Art at Thomas Square is part of a vision we had for this historic park, said Caldwell in a news release. The artwork installed encourages people to come together to enjoy nature, art, and history. Mahalo to artists, Bernice Akamine and Sean Connelly, for sharing their talent and creativity with all of us through the two temporary art pieces dedicated today. I would also like to thank Executive Director Misty Kelai of the Mayors Office of Culture and the Arts for her hard work on this program. I believe we live in the most beautiful city in the world and its through programs like this, that we are able to keep it that way.

Akamines piece represents a water drop honoring the cycle of water from its source as a single, ethereal raindrop drawn from the mist and clouds of the mountains that then flows downward, where it mixes and becomes part of the moana, or deep ocean.

The piece is made out of stainless steel wire using one of the oldest styles of net-making, with small crystals woven into a sphere which pays homage to the importance of celestial navigation and its connection with the ocean.

The artwork was created in a time of great uncertainty using constellations found in the sky during the start of the makahiki season, when the physical work on the artwork began, said Akamine, adding that opportunities for artists have been far and few between since the start of COVID-19. I wanted Hookumu Moana to be about the possibility of peace, abundance and hope during these trying times for Hawaii and all of humanity.

Connellys sculpture is an example of modern architecture, with interlocking squares held together by the indigenous technology of lashing. The work, made of wood constructed by Ian Eichelberger with lashings installed by Hawaiian artist Kupihea, demonstrate a new basis for architecture in Honolulu..

Connelly said that his sculpture honors the significance of this special site of Thomas Square for its history of Hawaiian sovereignty as well as the parks status as being designed by Hawaiis first female landscape architect.

The sculpture demonstrates a new basis for architecture in Honolulu because how we build the systems we live in as a society influences our ability to adapt for climate change and the post-pandemic economy, said Connelly. The sculpture represents the possibility for a beautiful future for Honolulu if we respect and honor this aina, Hawaiian knowledge and the indigenous technologies represented.I dedicate this work to everybody in Hawaii as a symbol of hope.

Two other permanent artworks from the citys collection already installed at Thomas Square include Tree by Charles Watson (1974), and Makiki Tree by Edward Brownlee (1967).

Renovations to Thomas Square, which include the addition of new lighting, a restored fountain and restrooms, are ongoing, and are expected to continue into next year.

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Two new art pieces on display at Thomas Square for a year - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Some of you may have spent some time this holiday season revamping your resume and updating your portfolio. If you're well versed inBIMandarchitectural visualization, reign in the new year with a new job!

Helping the architecture community stay up to date with employment news and professional development resources, Archinect has selected a list of employment opportunities worth exploring. While you may be ready to say goodbye to 2020, here's a list of employment opportunities relating to BIM and architectural visualization that you may have missed.

*Need a bit of help with yourupcoming job interviewor looking for ways toexpand your skills as a professional? Check out our Archinect Tips section created for students and design professionals looking to improve their skills.

Jeff Zbikowski Architecture seeks aProject Manager

Firm Details:JZAis an up and coming Santa Monica-based design firm that is in search of motivated, self-starters with a design background to work part or full-time on a variety of residential projects from custom single-family renovations to 100+ unit mixed-use & apartment buildings. As a growing firm, we are able to offer a growth based position with lots of responsibility and hands-on learning on all phases of project design and delivery.

Ideal Candidate: Someone whowill possess experience and passion for design. The candidate shall be responsible for BIM modeling, rendering, developing office standards, compiling presentations. Must have5+ years of work experience in California, with an understanding of the Los Angeles permit process. Working on or attained a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from a NAAB accredited school. Proficiency in Autodesk Revit & Sketchup is required, without exception. Possess a strong visual design trait including rendering and graphic design

KAL Architects seeks a Project Architect

Firm Details:KAL Architects, Inc. (KAL), a small business with 18 employees, is based in Irvine, and Sacramento, CA, provides a full spectrum of architecture, engineering, interior design, planning, and construction management services. Founded in 1991, we have accumulated almost 30 years of continuous nationwide service to multiple branches of the Departments of Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs, and other Federal agencies.We utilize the latest BIM/CADD technology and tools to manage projects and communicate interactively with our clients and consultants.

Ideal Candidate: They will develop and oversee the completion of Federal projects in a manner consistent with the firms standards for project delivery. They will have overall responsibility for client relationships, quality of work performed, client service, and profitability. They will manage all aspects of the architecture-engineering design, design development, production of construction documents, and construction administration.

Schiller Projects seeks a BIM Specialist/Manager

Firm Details:Award-winning design shop based in NY. We believe design is a partnership of strategy + craft.

Ideal Candidate:Schiller Projects is seeking an experienced BIM Specialist & Manager who is interested in working on a diverse range of projects within our growing NYC team. The chosen candidate will be highly committed to developing work of the highest quality in a self-motivated but collaborative manner, with an innate desire to perpetually learn and grow. They will lead efforts in improving and implementing BIM standards throughout the studio. Draft comprehensive drawing sets from concept through construction documents utilizing BIM on an expert level and generate detailed 3D models to develop all aspects throughout the changing design process. Must be proficient in 3D detailing, fabrication, and proficiency in Rhino and parametric modeling via Grasshopper.

Rene Gonzalez Architecture seeks a BIM Technician

Firm Details:Rene Gonzalez Architects (RGA)is a firm with a reputation for design excellence, creative problem solving, and a high level of client service. We focus on projects that require a unique level of critical thinking and an extraordinary attention to detail. Our approach is always holistic, engaging interiors and landscape as well as architecture on projects that vary in scale from high-end custom homes, residential and commercial interiors to museum and gallery spaces, exhibition design, hospitality, and retail.

Ideal Candidate: Applicants should have demonstrable knowledge and a proven background including fluency in Revit and at least five to seven years minimum professional experience in BIM management with advanced knowledge of the Revit platform. In addition, they should have experience working on projects from the Schematic Design to the Construction Document phases and should be qualified in contemporary design, construction detailing. This position may be full-time, or we are open to discussing work on an Independent Contractor basis, to be determined.

MANDAWORKS AB seeks a Master Vision Builder

Firm Details:Mandaworks is a progressive and contemporary design studio engaged in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and comprehensive planning.The Stockholm based studio was founded in 2010 and is owned and operated by partners Martin Arfalk and Patrick Verhoeven. The supporting multidisciplinary design team spans nine nationalities and features a fertile mix of professional and educational backgrounds. The core team is complemented with a strong and growing network of collaborators across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Ideal Candidate:a passionate visual and graphical communicator to join our Stockholm office! Mandaworks is a team of architects, urban planners, and landscape architects working internationally to develop, design, and communicate big visions across a variety of scales and contexts. We value passion and mindset above all else and would love to find a like-minded individual who is hungry to grow, learn, and work together with our team to cultivate our unique visual language and style. Must be an expert 3D modeling skills with a strong working knowledge of Sketchup, Rhino, Vray, and the Adobe Suite.

The Boundaryseeks anArchitectural Visualizer

Firm Details:As pioneers of digital technologies for graphic representation of the built environment, The Boundary continues to operate ahead of the curve, providing progressive and ambitious clients with game-changing content continually setting new standards, and raising the bar within the industry.

Ideal Candidate:The firm seeks Mid-level and Senior level visualization artists with a minimum of 2 years of experience to join our office inNew York.

Leroy Street Studio seeks an Architectural Visualization Specialist

Firm Details:Leroy Street Studio is a unique architectural practice inspired by innovation in design, the craft of construction, and a collaborative approach. Learn more about the firm in our Archinect Studio Snapshot interview.

Ideal Candidate:They areseeking a creative and organized individual to support project teams in the design process through 3D modeling and visualization.Responsibilities include: developinga range of digital visualizations from quick drawings for internal use to professional-quality drawings for presentations and marketing including digital modeling, rendering, conceptual diagrams, and VR experiences.

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Passionate about BIM and architectural visualization? See who's currently hiring on Archinect Jobs - Archinect

Welcome to Pat Musicks childhood home, where the outdoors is indoors, art covers the walls and wildlife parades by its windows all day long.

This is the magical earthship her father built in the late 40s and 50s, before such things even had a name. Her father being Archie Musick, the famed Colorado Springs painter and teacher known for his signature egg tempera and colored pencils painting technique, and the murals he left that still live on at the Manitou Springs Post Office, Colorado Springs City Auditorium and Canyon Elementary School.

Step right up to the elaborately carved front door, a project Archie tackled one summer while taking a wood-carving workshop at the FAC school from Mary Chenoweth, one of the Pikes Peak regions most prolific artists in her day. Once inside, a short flight of stairs carries you up into the living room with its linoleum-covered concrete floor and the homes most memorable landmark a giant boulder that bulges into the house and accompanying slab of rock that makes up the east wall.

The home won an award for originality in 1959 from McCalls, a monthly womens magazine.

It makes me miss it tremendously when Im somewhere else, says Pat, who has returned to live in the 1,100- square-foot home. Ive lived in London and appreciated the multicultural offerings, but I missed the wide-open spaces and the rocks and sky. It makes me feel contact with the natural world is essential.

A short flight of stairs delivers you up into the light-filled kitchen where three walls of windows offer postcard views of Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mountain and Garden of the Gods. Care for an evening stroll through the iconic park with its soaring sandstone formations? Exit the kitchen onto the roof. A few steps later youre on terra firma, part of the beauty of living in the house as a child.

I was aware that not everyone got to go right out the door and sit on a cactus or skin their knees climbing on rocks, Pat says. My friends who came over to play didnt remark on the architecture, but we were running up and down the stairs and out on the rocks and all the fun things, which they didnt have.

If youre very lucky, youll be invited into the two back bedrooms and bathroom, where Archie the muralist left his mark. King Neptune and his trident lord above the angry seas high on a bathroom wall, while a childrens literature mural stretches across what used to be Pat and her brothers room when they were tiny. It replicates the more extensive mural he painted in Canyon Elementary School in 1954. A second mural rich with horses and bison dances across the wall of a second bedroom. Youll recognize the imagery if youve visited the bottom-floor restroom of the FAC, where Archie painted a similar mural.

He studied under nationally renowned painter, lithographer and illustrator Boardman Robinson at the Broadmoor Art Academy in the 1920s and 30s before it became Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College; painter and muralist Thomas Benton Hart in New York City; and painter Stanton Macdonald-Wright in Los Angeles.

Its (the house) a work of Archies art in some respects, and not just a typical home, says The Art Bank & Oriental Rug Center co-owner Blake Wilson.

Its reflective of his paintings in the way he saw the landscape. Most Benton students mimicked Benton in their styles. It was refreshing to see Archie being different and true to his own feelings. His prints are very moody, from whimsical to moody and spiritual.

This was where little kindergartner Pat sat at the kitchen table taking art lessons from her mom, Irene Musick, an award-winning ceramics artist. She was head of the ceramics department at the University of Missouri in Columbia when she met Archie, who taught art at the school. In the mid-to-late 60s, she taught at The Colorado Springs School for Girls, now The Colorado Springs School. Her pottery decorates the living room shelves. An old mixing bowl she made in graduate school rests in a kitchen cupboard.

I remember sitting one winter day and she said lets draw the Christmas decorations downtown, Pat says. She did beautiful drawings and was showing me how to make things look smaller in the distance. At kindergarten age she was teaching me one- point perspective.

To absolutely no ones surprise, young Pat grew into an accomplished artist. She works primarily in enameling and calligraphy/letterforms, but also, just like her father, has produced three public murals in Colorado. And much like him, she turns to the natural world and culture for inspiration: It does something to you growing up with a rock in your living room, she says.

The Missouri-born Archie landed in the Springs in a spectacular fashion. The law was hot on his and a buddys trail in Pueblo theyd been hopping on freight trains and railroad authorities were not pleased when they made a quick turn into a drugstore and saw a rack of postcards with scenes from Garden of the Gods. He remembered seeing the images as a 6-year-old sitting on his mothers lap and peering into an old stereoscope. So the men hopped a freight train and traveled north, where Archie first became aware of the academy and resolved to return to study. In 1927, he made good on that promise.

His first Springs digs was a modified chicken shack within walking distance of the outskirts of Garden of the Gods. When a friend pointed out a natural amphitheater in the nearby sandstone rocks, he was sold.

Something should be done about this, I said to the rocks, wrote Archie in an unpublished memoir. Its too damn good to pass through the ages unnoticed. What a view. What two views. The inspiration hit me like a pile driver. This was the place. For 11 years I had lived within 150 feet of the grandest building site in the west, and had never tumbled.

After returning from a civil service stint during WWII, Archie and Irene spent their summer vacations working on the home. The project was greatly influenced by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who believed in incorporating the landscape into the architecture. That philosophy was reflected in Archies set of three rules for the home: Keep it simple, dont offend the landscape and make it as close to living out of doors as possible.

The ingredients: cinder block, concrete, wood, oak, possibly repurposed railroad ties, plywood steel beams, granite rocks, stucco and a noteworthy contribution lichen-covered river rocks delivered by famed muralist Eric Bransby and his wife, the watercolor artist Mary Ann Bransby, from their property south of town on Colorado 115.

The Musicks permanently moved to the Springs in 1951 and finished the house in 1954. Archie found work teaching art in the Cheyenne Mountain School District, while taking classes at the FAC school.

He also wrote a column about art and artists for The Gazette Telegraph, telling stories about his cronies and the American Regionalism art movement modern art that depicted realistic scenes of rural and small-town America, mostly in the Midwest. His memoir, Musick Medley: Intimate Memories of a Rocky Mountain Art Colony, is a must for those interested in the genre, says Wilson.

Archie will be known as a storyteller, literally and figuratively, he says. He depicts the Western landscape as a mysterious and spiritual world. Hell honor those who were here before us. His home is a part of the landscape and the people who were here before him are a part of that landscape.

Upkeep of the house fell to the wayside after Archie died in 1978. Pat returned and shored up the house electrical rewiring, replumbing, reinsulation and the like. The home was, and can still be, a challenge.

This was in the county at the time, and not part of the city, she says. Whatever building codes there might have been might have applied in the city, but they didnt apply here.

Nowadays Pat creates her art in two back studios, where her parents once toiled over their creations. And while she works, its highly possible a deer with an antler mistakenly growing out of the center of his forehead will stroll by, peer in and keep trucking. She appreciates the unusual treasure shes been gifted.

Theres a sentimental value in living in and restoring a house built by my parents own hands.

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Colorado painter leaves legacy in home built into Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs Gazette