Bread

I love good bread. Scott and I have made bread via a breadmaker since we shacked up together years ago. On a ski trip to Sugarbush, Vermont, a hundred years ago, we ate at an amazing place called The Warren Store, http://www.warrenstore.com/, and I decided that being a baker was a very noble profession. Maybe I can make it my third or fourth, someday.

Our second Williams-Sonoma breadmaker died a few months ago after a long and productive life. Actually, just the pan died. And since WS has changed their once fantastic replacement policy, we can no longer locate, let alone buy, a replacement pan. Boo WS. But, I am inspired to limit the number of appliances in the new kitchen. So I will go forth and attempt to make bread the old-fashioned way.

When the kitchen is finished, that is. In the meantime, I can enjoy this video about some true noble bakers, courtesy of GOOD.com. Hope you do too.
http://www.good.is/post/intermission-bread-baking-porn/

Parc de la Villette

plan view

Hello again. Yes, this is another post about Paris, but it should be the last. Until I look at photos and think of another. Barcelona is to come, so hang in there for a new place, next post.

There were soooo many places in Paris to See. We only had a few days and the point of being there was the Tour de France, so I had to pick and choose. Neither of us like tourist stuff so much, particularly because we don't like to wait in lines. So I chose to See some places that I had read about or studied pertaining to landscape architecture.

Parc de la Villette seems to be either loved or hated, most often the latter. So off we went, on a hot, sunny day to See what it was all about. We spent quite a while there, but at 55 hectares (approx 136 acres), it is difficult not to. A large portion of that space is green, according to Wikipedia, but to me, it seemed very centralized around hardscaping. It was built in the 1980's, designed by Bernard Tschumi in a deconstructionist style. There are large, red, metal architectural follies and a series of gardens. Along the borders of the Parc are Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie and Argonaute and La Geode . There is a music museum, visitor center, nightclub, open air theater and bookstore. The Canal de l'Ourcq runs through it. How's that for history in a few sentences? If you want more, Google it.

There were things I loved, things I didn't and things I just didn't get. There was so much going on here that I am struggling at how to present it all. Being that it is deconstructionist, that is odd. I saw it more as too-many-things-going-on-in-one-place at times. So here is a description of what I Saw: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good

Circulation was good. The Parc has a main path that meanders along, passing nearby, if not through, the major highlights. So it was pretty easy to see everything in one long, rambling walk. This edited out a lot of the decision making factors, where to go next, which way to turn, that usually are present in parks.

The bicycle sculpture was damn impressive. Basically, it is in parts, scattered over a vast green lawn, as though it had fallen on its side and was buried over time, leaving only key parts visible. The guy in the Speedo is not my husband! Just some guy with bad fashion sense looking for some sun that day. You have no idea how hard it was and how many photos I took to get one without him. I used a berm to hide him, but this photo is still the best.

The dune garden was very cool. Sort of like a playground, sort of not. It is a series of rolling hill-type features covered in different materials. There are cool airplane-shaped wind gadgets above and pillowy things to jump on. Lots of fun was had by children running around this area that day.

Very funky seating. But a little dated now. But still functional and very inviting, very necessary.

Large expanses of lawn being enjoyed by actual people for multiple uses. No one is getting upset that they are playing soccer, picnicking, sunbathing in the same space. Tons of people were there that day, making it work.

The Bad (too harsh) or Not As Good or Was Great Once

The dragon garden was amazing in its day. But its day had passed and there it is sad, abandoned, alone in its geriatric state. Just looking for someone to care about it. I did, but I couldn't help it. If only I could have.

What is it? A very funky, HUGE dragon sculpture thingy made out of wood and paint, with a metal slide in the middle. I am sure it was very well loved in the 80's when it was built. Perfect for kids, except the materials. I bet the ideal, all weather materials that it was meant to be made of were value-engineered out. Or it was designed by an architect, not a landscape architect or play designer. Sorry architects.

Because of its decrepit state, paint chipping, probably broken and deemed unsafe, it was closed off with a metal fence like it had been put out to pasture and forgotten about. Sad, so very, very sad. Dragon, I love you, or at least what you were once. It isn't your fault they let you go.

Very odd ground planes. Difficult to understand visually. Some of these may have worked better by not being there. And what about the differently-abled?


The Ugly

Too much hardscape, plain and simple. Had to cost a fortune. I understand that it is supposed to support its particular space, but enough is enough. There were patterns against other patterns, varying heights, tripping hazards everywhere. No continuity at all and not in good repair.

Seems as though some areas, like the dragon, had been forgotten. I will spare you the photos. You can use your imagination. There were water and mold stains in the bamboo gardens. Runnels were filled with dirt and leaves, some seemed clogged. Planter boxes in the red follies were empty or garbage-strewn. Some that had plants had badly engineered irrigation that was failing to do the job. Plants looked sun baked or wind scarred.

And why, did someone plant this tree here? Hmm.

I don't want to end this on a Ugly note. Overall, I liked what I Saw. Very cool place. Very well used. Someone just needs to put some love back into it.

La Defense

When I was in landscape architecture school, I did a precedent study on La Grande Arche de la Defense in Paris, France. The assignment was to do a precedent study on memorials in preparation for a redesign (at least a student version of redesign, not a real world project) of the Holocaust Memorial in Philadelphia. I understand why memorials happen, but I don't love them. I think they are overly common in today's world, which causes the whole idea of the memorial to be lost. Not to sound unsympathetic, they have their place, but I think we need to think before we add another to the world. Certain situations, like Maya Lin's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, they make sense. Anyway, I chose a non-traditional memorial to study. And I had been there before. Bonus!

When I was an exchange student in Denmark during high school, I took a trip around Europe for a month. One stop, of course, was Paris. But it was towards the end of my 363 days abroad and I was low on funds. So I scoffed at the ticket price to go up the elevator in La Grande Arche and instead admired it from below and afar.

But La Defense is more than just the Grande Arche. It is the high-rise office district located several kilometers west of center city Paris. It is home to the tallest buildings in Paris and is a striking part of the skyline. The region was once home to warehouses and factories and was considered the least attractive part of Paris. Redevelopment of this area began in the first half of the 20^th century in order to create a business district for the city. This resulted in the extension of the Axe Historique and Voie Triumphale and provided a place for expansion of urban public space.

The district is named for a monument, La Defense de Paris, which is a memorial to the soldiers who fought in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71 (www.wikipedia.com). This older monument has since been relocated to another site near its original location (www.paris-pass.com). La Defense has been very controversial. The architectural style of this area is in stark contrast to that of the rest of Paris. La Defense is modern, consisting of tall buildings constructed of concrete, glass and metal. This is the only region in the Paris vicinity to have such tall buildings. Critics have described La Defense as “a forest of buildings”. The buildings are all lined up in 2 rows, one on either side of the street (www.wikipedia.com).

So as a grown-up, I went back, in July, 2009, and spent a rain-filled afternoon wandering around La Defense with my husband. In fact, I think it was the first thing we did after arriving and checking in to the hotel. My husband is a trooper for tolerating and even showing enthusiasm for my crazy landscape architecture-related antics. I took hundreds of photos in just a few hours, so picking which to post was difficult. Here are just a few.

a Miro sculpture and a very funky paving pattern

La Defense's take on vertical growth

a tiny vineyard in La Defense

my photo from the museum, www.grandearche.com

Here are the specs and more history in a nut shell, please skip if you feel the need. If you want more on the history, contact me and I would be happy to share.

Construction of La Grande Arche de La Defense began in 1982 and was completed in 1989. Inauguration took place in July, 1989. La Grande Arche, also know as Le Grande Arche de la Fraternite and La Toit de la Grande Arche, is situated on axis with many of Paris’ famous skyline sights, 4 km west of center city in La Defense district (www.wikipedia.com). La Grande Arche was designed by Danish architect Johan Otto Von Spreckelsen of Denmark. Spreckelsen died during construction and the monument was completed by French architect Paul Andreu (www.denmark.dk).

• 100 square meter footprint
• 110 meters high
• 108 meter width
• 112 meter depth
• Prestressed concrete frame
• White/gray marble cladding with glass windows on exterior and interior facing walls
• Fabric canopy under archExterior tube elevators

(www.greatbuildings.com)

Marmoleum and Cabinets!

We installed the flooring over the weekend, only to find that we were 2.5 12" x 36" pieces short of finishing! Ugh! And that included ordering 10% more than we expected to need. So more was ordered and will be finished this week. In real life, it is more gray-black than blue.

Cabinets were installed yesterday. The lighting in there sucks right now, so hence the bad coloration. And they are completely covered in dust at the moment, too.

The New Design Assistant

Garlic is helping with the design choices on the kitchen remodel. She seems to really like the new Marmoleum flooring in Volcanic Ash. Now, if she would just point to a paint color.....

My So-Called, Dust-Filled Life

We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel, not to mention a few other projects. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), I am at a time and place in life where I get to supervise the General Contractor. Fun, fun, fun.

The house is about a century old. Day 4 and here is what I have learned:

I learned on Sunday the the kitchen radiator, which needed to be moved, was probably installed in 1948. The plumber, at that time, left us a March 1948 calendar under the flooring at the radiator.

We learned during demolition that the cabinets were probably original. Built in place boxes. Maybe the doors were painted and hardware replaced since. We salvaged both and will reuse them on newly constructed boxes in Garage Mahal in the future (yes, I mean Another project!).

I learned that it hurts a little (ok, a lot!) to hear the GC ripping away at old brick in the name of new chimney hood duct work.

I learned that plumbers are notorious users of profanity. I wonder if Mr. 1948 Plumber used the same profane words when he installed it as Mr. 2010 Plumber used when he tried to remove it.


I learned that arguments are bound to happen between spouses when remodels happen.

I learned that maybe the previous owners weren't as stupid as I thought. They just didn't remodel because they weren't as brave. They didn't want to tackle the challenges that we have or will need to overcome before this is through.

I learned that designers do not always explain all the flaws in a design, whether it is their fault or not and that at least 4 sets of eyes are not enough to catch all mistakes. This one hits particularly close to home, as I am a designer and I frequently am responsible for quality control on drawings.

I learned that no matter how much you plan, there will always be more work and money involved. If you accept this theory, life will be easier.

I learned that this will not be easy, clean or even accurate. That me and my spouse will have to both realize that we are not always right and that the designer, contractors and everyone else cannot be either. That just sucks, but it is what it is. That is the 'joy' of updating a century-old habitat. The house has an attitude that will not be suppressed through saws, PEX and paint. That attitude should be honored to some extent.

I learned that beer is the beverage of choice during a remodel involving a kitchen. It is in a self-contained, small necked, reusable bottle. This reduces dust floaties in your beverage, such as one encounters with wine, which will continue to catch the still-settling floaties, which are constantly in the air. Stick with beer, stay safe from floaties and get some sleep in the process.

I am only 4 days into this process, 2 for us and 2 for the contractors. This process will go on and on because we are not independently wealthy. We cannot just hire someone to do it all. Nor are we the type to do that anyway.

More to come...

Bring on the Equinox!

I have been stuck at home sick for the past few days. Apparently, I don't do feverish and sleepless very well.

Scott is away and hopefully will escape my contamination. I have exhausted all daytime television options. I started with The Galloping Gourmet, which was probably produced before I was born. Next, Julia Childs. These were both pretty entertaining. For a while at least. Then I moved on to HGTV. Finally, around midday today, the Benadryl-induced fog lifted, the headache faded and I decided it was time to turn off the TV and open the curtains.

My sister and I were discussing yesterday about how when we are sick, we would LOVE to just lay around and get some reading done. But that never happens, because you are so sick. Medications, headaches, all that stuff takes away from the reading option. But I opened the curtains and grabbed an old magazine that I have been meaning to read for, oh, 3 years or so.

I moved hesitantly from the comfy couch nest that I had constructed of blankets, Apple products and remote controls to Scott's big leather club chair. The light shining through the window was great. The angle of the sun has changed and it wasn't in my eyes, making me feel like a potato baking in the oven. Fall is here!

Summer of 2010 will go down in history books for the never-ending heat. It all just supports my need to move farther north. I am convinced that sometime in my life I will experience an 80 degree average winter in an area that I used to ski and that scares the crap out of me.

So the promise of cooler, cozy autumn weather and sun rays that I actually welcome instead of shrivel back from is a good thing. Maybe tomorrow I will even feel well enough to go outside.