I don't use Facebook anymore, but I was recently sent this. It is a post by a reporter for The West End Phoenix asking people from the community what they think of the JUNCTION sign on top of Junction House. As of right now, there are 217 comments and, if you scroll through them, you'll see that they are actually overwhelmingly positive.
Some people were critical of the fact that, depending on what you consider to be the boundaries of the Junction, this sign may or may not actually be in it. Some see Junction House as belonging to the West Bend neighborhood. So here is yet another real estate developer stretching boundaries and renaming neighborhoods.
I don't know, neighborhood boundaries are a funny thing. They're often amorphous and they often change. Here's what Google believes to be the boundaries of the Junction:
As you can see from the map, the whole point of the sign was to mark one of the entrances to the neighborhood. Although, Junction House seems to sit on contested lands; Google Maps shows it as simultaneously belonging to the West Bend. Whatever the case, it is really great to see that the vast majority of people seem to love the sign.
My favorite comment is this one here: "Love it. My kid recognizes it and always yells that we are close to home." I mean, this was our hope. We wanted to create something that could become a symbol for the area, help to reinforce its existing identity, and also bring people delight. The fact that kids are loving it makes it that much better.
Perhaps this is proof that we shouldn't be so rigid when it comes to the design of our cities. A little color, and some LEDs that look like neon, can be a positive thing. Just ask the kids.
https://youtu.be/0s8RIkpMf8Q?si=8c0ZJJXGPtal3dwA
My colleague shared this project with me while we were researching water features for one of our projects. It is called the miroir d'eau (water mirror) and it's located in Bordeaux, France.
Supposedly, it is the largest of its kind in the world, or at least that was the case when it was completed back in 2006.
As a design concept, it couldn't be simpler. It consists of a 2cm deep layer of water that is meant to reflect its surroundings. In addition, there are small jets that periodically mist water, and so it also serves as an active splash pad in the summer months.
Sometimes, or maybe oftentimes, the best ideas are the simplest ones. And in this case, it feels like they really nailed it. The water mirror lets the surrounding architecture do the talking.
The above video is in French, but even if you don't understand what they're saying, it will give you some good visuals of the water mirror. It should also convince you that it has helped to create a highly successful public space.
Art and culture are powerful tools for city building. Pictured here is a laneway in downtown Detroit that is known as "The Belt." It is called this because of its location in the city's former garment district, but today, it has been redefined as a cultural alley. In it, and deep within unmarked basements, you'll find venues like
I don't use Facebook anymore, but I was recently sent this. It is a post by a reporter for The West End Phoenix asking people from the community what they think of the JUNCTION sign on top of Junction House. As of right now, there are 217 comments and, if you scroll through them, you'll see that they are actually overwhelmingly positive.
Some people were critical of the fact that, depending on what you consider to be the boundaries of the Junction, this sign may or may not actually be in it. Some see Junction House as belonging to the West Bend neighborhood. So here is yet another real estate developer stretching boundaries and renaming neighborhoods.
I don't know, neighborhood boundaries are a funny thing. They're often amorphous and they often change. Here's what Google believes to be the boundaries of the Junction:
As you can see from the map, the whole point of the sign was to mark one of the entrances to the neighborhood. Although, Junction House seems to sit on contested lands; Google Maps shows it as simultaneously belonging to the West Bend. Whatever the case, it is really great to see that the vast majority of people seem to love the sign.
My favorite comment is this one here: "Love it. My kid recognizes it and always yells that we are close to home." I mean, this was our hope. We wanted to create something that could become a symbol for the area, help to reinforce its existing identity, and also bring people delight. The fact that kids are loving it makes it that much better.
Perhaps this is proof that we shouldn't be so rigid when it comes to the design of our cities. A little color, and some LEDs that look like neon, can be a positive thing. Just ask the kids.
https://youtu.be/0s8RIkpMf8Q?si=8c0ZJJXGPtal3dwA
My colleague shared this project with me while we were researching water features for one of our projects. It is called the miroir d'eau (water mirror) and it's located in Bordeaux, France.
Supposedly, it is the largest of its kind in the world, or at least that was the case when it was completed back in 2006.
As a design concept, it couldn't be simpler. It consists of a 2cm deep layer of water that is meant to reflect its surroundings. In addition, there are small jets that periodically mist water, and so it also serves as an active splash pad in the summer months.
Sometimes, or maybe oftentimes, the best ideas are the simplest ones. And in this case, it feels like they really nailed it. The water mirror lets the surrounding architecture do the talking.
The above video is in French, but even if you don't understand what they're saying, it will give you some good visuals of the water mirror. It should also convince you that it has helped to create a highly successful public space.
Art and culture are powerful tools for city building. Pictured here is a laneway in downtown Detroit that is known as "The Belt." It is called this because of its location in the city's former garment district, but today, it has been redefined as a cultural alley. In it, and deep within unmarked basements, you'll find venues like
This alley isn't brand new. It was conceptualized by the art gallery Library Street Collective a few years after it was founded in 2012. But I think it remains an excellent example of at least two things. One, Detroit is cool. It really has been going through a cultural renaissance. (You should also know that Detroit is the birthplace of techno.) And two, The Belt remains a perfect example of what is possible with our underutilized urban spaces.
Virtually every city has alleys exactly like this one. But too few are doing something as cool with them.
Image: The Belt & Deluxx Fluxx
This alley isn't brand new. It was conceptualized by the art gallery Library Street Collective a few years after it was founded in 2012. But I think it remains an excellent example of at least two things. One, Detroit is cool. It really has been going through a cultural renaissance. (You should also know that Detroit is the birthplace of techno.) And two, The Belt remains a perfect example of what is possible with our underutilized urban spaces.
Virtually every city has alleys exactly like this one. But too few are doing something as cool with them.
Image: The Belt & Deluxx Fluxx
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