Category: Pop Culture
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A Perfectly Suburban Afternoon
Christopher Hume, the architecture critic for the Toronto Star newspaper, recently wrote of his ten most favourite streets in the “905 area code”, a euphemism for the Toronto suburbs. True to the title, he wrote only of the streets, not of specific buildings on the streets, but of the streets themselves, and how the backdrop…
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Big People. Little Cars. Tiny Houses. The Scale of our Neighbourhoods
It was an odd conversation over the July Fourth barbeque. One side started talking about the increasing waistlines of various people. The other side was talking about my Mini, and their new-found interest in Microcars. Then – like a flyswatter hitting a mosquito – the two groups found out about each other. A sort of…
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Land Development Strategy on Autopilot
First we shape our buildings, and then they shape us” Sir Winston Churchill “Motion is the aesthetic of modern man” Clifford Wiens Maybe it was driving through a crowded parking lot, looking for a parking space. In amidst the row of SUV’s there appeared to be an empty space, only to come upon…
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The “Architect – Comedian” as the next new comic sensation
At a farewell party last night, one fellow picked a conversation topic started expounding on “lawyer-comedians”. Now, I can count lawyers as being among my best of friends, however: a “lawyer – comedian” sounded as oxymoronic as would an “architect-comedian”. I somehow doubt if anyone could find comedy in issuing a change order or an…
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The Calgary Flames in Chicago
Friday, May 1, 2009 The Canadian Club of Chicago planned a Calgary Flames Pep Rally during the Calgary Flames / Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoff Series. With nary a day’s notice, the Canadian Club sent out hundreds of e-mail invitations and contacted media. We fielded calls from the Chicago Tribune and local TV news…