New Images

There is an interesting article in today's New York Times about major corporations changing their logos. Every logo went from bold, corporate, powerful all-caps type and symbols to colorful, lower case, narrower text. Also many incorporated leaves in the graphics.

This is a good thing. Gone are the stuffy, cold graphics and in with the friendlier symbols. The leaves, of course, say we care about the planet and the colors say optimism and growth.

And on a totally unrelated note, here's our group terrorizing Victory Blvd. this morning (I'm hidden in the blue helmet).

Angeles Crest Ride

We rode up Angeles Crest Highway today. Long hills that seem to never end, but are not too steep. Weather was perfect and I managed to keep a decent pace. Lots of people on the roads today. We regrouped at Newcomb's Ranch restaurant & bar. Didn't I just post about a place where the only customers are bikers and cyclists?

Me, surrounded by some pretty fast people.

I love this photo because the 2 guys in the middle got Newcastle Ale. A hot day or riding hills, beer is the last thing I want to see until I get home.

The future workplace from hell is not here to stay

Time magazine had an interesting article about working in the future/ present. Most of what they say will happen is happening now, such as working from home on a project specific deadline for various companies. But this is only happening now because of the poor economy. After a short time, nobody is really going to want to hustle for work from various sources all the time. It's exhausting and creates a feast or famine lifestyle. Nobody will turn down work for fear of not getting a call back for the next project.

Furthermore, there is an advantage to working in an office with colleagues. Communication is instant and all the resources of the office are available. Yes, the commute may suck, but working at home in a vacuum makes more phone calls and emails necessary. This is, in fact, the reason architects cannot outsource their work to India and the Philippines. A roll of tracing paper and quick sketches from the coworker sitting next to you replaces a wordy email, a tighter sketch, a scan and an email. I am certain this is true for other businesses as well.

The other thing that bothers me about the article is this notion of generation X doing away with the coveting corner office. Not to say the corner office is the most important status symbol, but it will only be replaced with another petty perk. And gen X may be young, energetic and computer savvy, but they also have no life experience and certainly no business experience. With them, everything is instant and surrounded by bright visual overstimulation and childish clothing.

So Time magazine, please go to the nearest ATM, make a large withdrawal, go out and buy a clue.

Today's ride

Me, on the left. Fun to ride in a big group.

Bikers, Cyclists, whatever

I remember in the late 80's, my friends and I would do this great bike ride in the hills above Irvine. A hilly, scenic pass with nothing around thru Santiago Canyon. It was a long, hard ride and if you bonked half way through it you were screwed, because it only had two outlets to get back to the city. About the only thing out there was this biker bar in the middle of nowhere, called Cook's Corner. We would stop and hang out. Funny thing was the only customers were either bikers or cyclists. As I sat there one Saturday afternoon with my friends, I noticed that there was a similarity between us - we needed to sit where we could see our bikes. You think of this more with cyclists, but I watched bikers look over their shoulders to check out their bikes, just like us.

It was a mellow place (at least during the late mornings that we were there), and it was a place that only cyclists and bikers seemed to know about.

Glenn Murcutt Interview in Record

Architectural Record mag. has a nice interview with Glenn Murcutt. I like what he says about the importance of drawing, the silliness of LEED, how he avoids making boring bldgs. by not being a slave to the computer and he's a one man office.

Definitely recharged the batteries, especially these days.

My problem with LEED, since you asked, is it is well intentioned, but is turning into yet another bureaucracy. Just like the ADA, it makes more hoops to jump through and forms to fill out. And we really should be doing these things anyway...shouldn't we?

One Ring to Bind Them

A few months ago I gained some weight, and noticed my wedding ring was getting surrounded by my finger. I couldn't remove it, so I cut it off. Not an expensive ring and easily replaceable, I could always get another to match at the jewelry store.

So this morning the wifey handed me her father's ring and said try it on. So I put it on, looked at her and asked, "Can you still see me?" Can't hurt to ask... Ring fits, I like it better than the old one so not only is the problem solved, but I don't have to step foot into a jewelry store. I would have like the invisibility, however.

Dear architecture, kingdom's coming

It seems to me that with all the many friends I have who have been laid off from architecture firms, poor management is to blame. That is to say, firms should have cut pay and worked with employees to keep them by training them on the latest software, updating the detail library, furthering education, etc. Simply hiring and firing sends the wrong message and discourages any form of loyalty in the future, and rightly so.

Having said that, I do know offices that have kept employees, and only let go of those who they absolutely could not keep. For example, a friend has a firm with no administration people, accountants, etc. He only kept the architects, and only they are billable in the first place. Many larger companies let go of architects and keep the admin. staff. This is unforgivable. It sends the wrong message.

So when things pick up, the dinosaurs will be left with nothing. They will not upgrade to Revit. They will beg their past employees to come back. And the profession will benefit from those of us who understand this and have enough experience to forge ahead and leave them behind.

There is a whole group of people in their 40's and 50's, computer literate, experienced and competent who will lead. And to the dinosaurs, have another glass of scotch, shake your head and say, "I don't know what happened."

R.I.P. Coach Bell

Sad to hear that Coach Glenn Bell passed away. He was my PE teacher in high school. Back then, I typically ditched his class to go surfing. I hated organized sports. He was a great guy, with quotes like, "I want higher standards, average is unacceptable." I always thought he would have been amazed to learn that I went on to race bicycles, a very hard sport.

Twitteratzi

I will be twittering again today from the Santa Fe Art Colony.