His Jolly Roger (Smokestack Books, 7.95) is an epic series of 12-line stanzas inspired by Hans Holbeins sixteenth-century woodcuts, The Dance of Death.

As in the Rolling Stones song Sympathy For The Devil, this Roger is a handsome devil, charming and powerful. Everyone is brought low by him the great and the good, the rich and the poor.

He hides in speak-your-weight machines, Nato bombing missions and a bag of Semtex: I am the bone to which all other bones/have bent. I am plastic. My grammar is I will. Words wear my terrorist explosives ... I scream outrage/in times unhearing amphitheatre. I will./Language within a world that lacks language moulds me the semtex architect of hell.

Howdens devil is a political survivor. Hes also a pornographer, merchant banker, democrat, humanist and the enemy of humanity.

Ribald, ironic and irreverent, he hands out justice and denounces greed and the abuses of power in an age where death is a statistic and everyone gets rogered: Fight the good fight for any tune you choose:/Courage and Honour, boys, the bugles blow /but stay away from me. I never lose.

Dante In The Laundrette (Smokestack Books, 7.95) is also set in hell the Third Circle, to be precise where it is always raining.

Never sleep with anyone who has more scars than you, warns outsider artist and disability arts activist Sean Burn in a book about historical scars, scarred landscapes and mental chains.

In this inferno, Lear is a council estate bully and Caedmon has been gender-reassigned and rehoused in a Newcastle tower block.

Meanwhile the poet is sitting contemplating the endless washing-cycles of hell: and im reading dante in the laundrette/ and gulls are so many carrier bags/spewed feral on wind and hurled through my/kingdom all towerblocks and tenements/churchless towers huddle in conspiracy/outsized car stereos for the taking tuned/permanently to uneasy listening by now/im reading our minds will go completely null/as badly worn smalls mediums larges spin/the polycotton mix no longer washing/just like his vowels at the jobless centre.

Tea With The Taliban (Smokestack Books, 7.95) is a book about the real and imagined warring tribes to which we all belong.

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Artful architects of hell

MENDOTA, Calif., May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --After an extensive architectural selection process, the Mendota Unified School District Board of Trustees, in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, May 23rd, selected BCA Architects to design the district's third elementary school (Cost - $25 million) and to modernize its two existing elementary schools (Cost - $18.8 million).

BCA and the district have had a long-standing relationship of trust and success. BCA had previously been selected in 2011 by the District to prepare the long-range master plan, which is nearing completion. BCA identified the need for a third elementary school along with a series of other short-term and long-term facilities goals to accommodate the current and projected growth in this central valley community.

Superintendent of Schools Mike Crass, said, "Half a dozen firms submitted qualifications to the district for our projects. Three firms were interviewed, and BCA Architects was the unanimous choice of the interview committee for our major projects. Our district prides itself on the quality of our schools, and we are confident that BCA Architects will deliver the highest-quality designs for our community while bringing our learning environments into the 21st Century."

BCA President Paul Bunton said, "What an honor. We sincerely appreciate the board's and administration's confidence in BCA, and we look forward to working together to bring the very best facilities to the students of Mendota."

District Board President Jose Zavala said, "We are thrilled that BCA Architects will be able to complete the work they started on the long range master plan for our district. They are a first-class organization, and we are thrilled with the foresight and professionalism that they bring to our district. Paul Bunton, BCA's president, makes us feel like we are their only client."

The new elementary school opening is anticipated for Fall 2014 while the elementary school modernizations will be completed between 2015 and 2016.

During the same meeting, the board unanimously approved placing a $19 million General Obligation Bond Measure on the November ballot to fund the facilities improvements outlined in the Master Plan.

BCA Architects partners with clients on a mission to achieve excellence in design. Since 1989, BCA strives to strengthen communities through projects to: design facilities, help define partnerships, locate financing, and save energy or present alternate delivery methods. BCA goes above and beyond the task at hand to ensure their clients succeed. http://www.bcaarchitects.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Del Fierro (925) 785-1435 or RachelD@bcaarchitects.com

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Mendota Unified School District Board of Trustees Selects BCA Architects to Build Schools for the Future

In a move likely to inflict a sudden pang of inadequacy in bicycle clubs the world over, NL Architects has cooked up a concept both radical and supremely simple: a bicycle club with a velodrome on the roof

In a move likely to inflict a sudden pang of inadequacy in bicycle clubs the world over, NL Architects has cooked up a concept both radical and supremely simple: a bicycle club with a velodrome on the roof.

Architects are under increasing pressure, it seems, to come up with innovative uses for the roofs of the buildings they design. Where once it was perfectly acceptable for building tops to merely keep out the rain, or perhaps, at a push, prop up an air conditioning unit or two, they are now expected to combat climate change, generate energy, and if possible, provide functional living space.

Asked to come up with a design for a bicycle club to be built in a large resort somewhere in Southern China, NL Architects have arguably gone one better, proposing to site a fully functional velodrome on the roof. Sitting on top of a bike rental shop and a cafe, if built it will be perfectly possible for people to hire a bicycle and ride it for a few hours without ever leaving the building.

The Netherlands-based designers compare their concept with a traditional pagoda, with the steeply banked bends of the bicycle track forming upward-curving eaves from the point of view of outside observers. NL Architects also claims the high, protruding roof could be "very welcome" in South China's tropical climes, presumably for the shade casts in the immediate exterior.

Architizer reports that the bicycle club-cum-velodrome could be built before the year's out.

Source: NL Architects, via Architizer

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My other bicycle club has a velodrome for a roof

BUDAPEST, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GRAPHISOFT, the global leader in Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions for architects, has announced an update for its BIMx application. The BIMx 1.2.455 update for iPhone/iPad app provides native support for the iPad 3 Retina display, resulting in crisper images and stunning virtual reality.

The new iPad's Retina Display offers stunning graphics and a new level of mobility to professional, high-end visualization. At the same time, the quadrupled pixel count makes the application of interactive 3D apps like BIMx a difficult task. GRAPHISOFT was the first in the AEC space to combine performance with high quality, 3D navigational capabilities. "It is worth noting that architects operate with true, detailed BIM models and not only simple, image-mapped surfaces," said Gabor Horvath, Director of Mobile Developments at GRAPHISOFT. "Our biggest challenge -- and competitive edge -- is the way we approach a great user experience through uncompromised performance in all our applications." With BIMx and GRAPHISOFT's ArchiCAD, architects and designers can explore their project designs in a 3D environment that supports real-time 3D navigation identical to mainstream computer games. The Retina Display-compatible BIMx is available new and as an update (1.2.455) in the App Store and is free of charge.

About GRAPHISOFT GRAPHISOFT ignited the BIM revolution with ArchiCAD, the industry first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as the revolutionary GRAPHISOFT BIM Server, the world's first real-time BIM collaboration environment, and the GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner, the world's first fully integrated building energy modeling application. GRAPHISOFT's innovative solutions have fundamentally changed the way architects around the world design and collaborate. GRAPHISOFT has been a part of the Nemetschek Group since its acquisition in 2007.

Press Information http://www.graphisoft.com press@graphisoft.com http://twitter.com/ArchiCAD

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BIMx by GRAPHISOFT is First 3D AEC App to Fully Utilize the New iPad's Retina Display

Northwest Portlands Bud Clark Commons is the recipient of a national award for its architectural design.

The American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Bud Clark Commons with the 2012 Creating Community Connections Award.

The award is one of four annual awards given out by the two organizations, and the Creative Community Connections Award is given to projects that incorporate housing with other community amenities.

Dave Otte, the lead architect on The Commons construction, accepted the award on May 19 at the American Institute of Architects national convention in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the 130 studio apartments for formerly homeless people, the eight-story Bud Clark Commons, located at the corner of Northwest Broadway and Northwest Hoyt Street in Old Town, has a 90-bed mens shelter on the first floor that includes living, dining and sleeping areas. A day center, open to residents and the public, takes up the second and third floors and provides access to social services, restrooms, laundry facilities, computers and storage for bicycles and pets.

The $46.9 million facility was also given a LEED Platinum certification by the United States Green Building Council for its use of energy efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing and green roofs, among other environmentally friendly attributes.

The Commons was chosen for the award because its layout is inviting and warm, which differs from typical shelters and housing devoted to low-income people, according to a statement on the American Institute of Architects website.

A jury of seven architects, design critics and housing officials were tasked with choosing the winners, and they provided these comments about the Commons: The architect is really trying to say something here, and it is inspiring. The way the shelter addresses the street and the commonsit creates a place of invitation and dignity in a warm, lively kind of way. It invites a wider idea of constructive citizenry.

The building is more than an institution. Considering the homelessness initiativemost homeless projects seem institutionalized and one dimensional, but this is not stigmatized, it is thoughtful and brings a new way of thinking about how these facilities should be done. It is a gorgeous project. This approach should be imitated.

To be considered for the award, the Commons had to be mixed-use and mixed-income building with a diversity of development. The ages, ethnicities, physical abilities and income of the people using the day center and living in the apartments also had to be diverse for the Commons to be considered for the award.

Link:
Northwest Portland's Bud Clark Commons receives national architecture award

WATERTOWN, Mass., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ --BlueMetal Architects, a leading technology architecture and interactive design firm, announced today that Anthony Gonsalez has joined the company as Technology Director Architect in BlueMetal's Chicago office.

In this role, Mr. Gonsalez will provide architectural guidance and ensure technical excellence across the technical community, as well as assist in building and managing BlueMetal's presence in Chicago and across the Midwest.BlueMetal Architects works with top-tier clients to imagine, define and build innovative technology solutions which positively impact how they run their business with a focus on user experience, big data, application modernization and social platforms.

With 20+ years of IT experience in architectural strategy, program management and software development, Anthony's leadership and cross-team collaboration skills have helped champion new approaches and methods that assure high quality, on-time solution delivery across the organization.

"Tony brings an enormous wealth of technical and delivery skills to establish a strong foundation for our Chicago office", said Todd Bremner, President & Chief Technology Officer for BlueMetal. "Tony is going to have an enormous impact in building a strong delivery team in Chicago and professionalize our delivery capability across all offices."

Prior to joining BlueMetal, Anthony spent 14 years working for Microsoft Corporation. During his tenure he has successfully led several large teams in architecting, designing and implementing some of Microsoft's largest commercial software solutions for many Fortune 50 customers. Most recently Anthony served as Director of Technical Quality Assurance (TQA) focused on improving global services delivery and technical quality across the solution development lifecycle. His team was responsible for providing architectural guidance, delivery methodologies and technical strategies to Microsoft's services organization worldwide.

"The addition of Tony to our Chicago team really showcases the type of world-class technical and business staff we are attracting," said Matt Kestian, Consulting Director for BlueMetal Chicago. "Tony's technical expertise combined with his customer centric approach are both key components of the BlueMetal advantage, and his passion and understanding of the Chicago market is a huge asset to BlueMetal and our customers."

Previously Anthony has held positions at IBM, where he was responsible for the development of NASA's Onboard Shuttle Systems (OSS), and United Airlines as the Lead Architect for a Smithsonian / Computerworld award nominated personal reservation system that later became known as United.com.

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BlueMetal Architects Announces Addition of Anthony Gonsalez in Newly Opened Chicago Office

POSTED: 10:46 pm CDT May 17, 2012UPDATED: 10:47 pm CDT May 17, 2012 The St. Joseph Board of Education met in special session Thursday evening and selected two local architects to build two new schools.The board unanimously approved Ellison-Auxier Architects to build an approximately 75,000-square-foot elementary school at Cook and Bishop roads. The board also selected River Bluff Architects to construct a similar-sized structure at 16th and Duncan streets.We are excited about Carden Park, said Reed Graves of River Bluffs Architects. Obviously it serves a need in the community and it fits perfectly between Hall and Neely. Its going to fill a need in that neighborhood.Ron Auxier of Ellison-Auxier Architects said it was exciting to be part of the history of the school district. He looked forward to getting the contracts signed to begin the process soon. He said the basic design work is under way.Its a wonderful site to work with, Mr. Auxier said. Were looking forward to coming up with a unique and exciting design to introduce to the school district.Stephen Briggs, the school districts attorney, said contracts for the two firms will be signed no later than Monday.Once theyre actually signed and finalized, well release them to the public, he said.The new schools come by way of a $42 million bond issue that voters passed in April. Part of the money will go to provide air conditioning to the districts elementary schools.The district earlier estimated the total cost to build the school at 16th and Duncan streets at $17.9 million, and the school at Bishop and Cook roads at $15.3 million.Alonzo Weston can be reached at alonzo.weston@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SJNPWeston. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by

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School board announces architects

JOPLIN, MO (KCTV) -

In an effort to help the city rebuild after last year's devastating tornado, one Kansas City firm is lending its hand to help design Joplin's new schools.

It's a huge undertaking with the schools covering 223,000-square-feet and a price tag of nearly $50 million.

Hollis + Miller Architects said in a release it is excited about the opportunity to merge architectural design with 21st century educational teaching and learning concepts.

One successful example of the collaborative design process to date features the conjoining of the elementary and middle schools. This solution will not only save the community financially in relation to operation and construction costs, but, most importantly, it will leverage educational benefits for the Joplin community for many generations to come.

The new Joplin Elementary School is designed to house more than 450 elementary students, grades kindergarten through five, and the new Joplin East Middle School is designed to house more than 750 middle school student, grades six through eight.

Hollis + Miller Architects designed the new elementary and middle schools on a 36-acre site.

One of the features of the school is called a "learning park."

"Each one of those rooms have walls. They're glass walls, so you have good visibility and transparency," architect John Brown said. "These walls can open up and create larger areas for big groups, and you can open them up in a variety of ways to regroup and look at students. You can even work where you have all the teachers teaching the same subject at one time in a large group and even breaking out and studying in these individual areas, as opposed to working with English, math and history at different times."

Significant effort and time was spent soliciting input from school district patrons through a series of community forums and work sessions.

Excerpt from:
Architects participate in rebuilding Joplin schools

Two hundred and fifty years ago, brewer Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for his St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. To commemorate this event, the Guinness company could have rolled out a stretch limousine, but it decided to go one better by launching a deep-sea bar in the chilly waters of the Baltic off Stockholm, Sweden. Designed by London-based Jump Studios, the modified tourist submarine was commissioned as part of the Guinness Sea Experience competition, that included an underwater trip inside the Guinness sub as a prize.

Jump Studios was given the brief of redesigning the interior of the submarine to reflect the Guinness slogan Alive Inside, and with the help of carpentry and engineering specialist Nicholas Alexander created a GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) shell that fits inside the passenger compartment of the submarine. This required taking precise measurements of the complicated interior of the craft, which were then used to fabricate the shell in Britain before shipping it to Sweden for assembly.

The submarine posed a number challenges for the team. The shell not only had to fit inside, but it had to conform to the vessels operational parameters, fit around structural members, not block safety equipment or access to machinery spaces, and meet ventilation and fire safety standards. They also faced the universal problem of working inside a submarine everything had to fit through a small hatch.

So, the shell was built out of six types of modular components that could be fitted inside the cabin to form bars, tables, and seating for five people. The surfaces of these components consisted of bubble-like rubber discs. Some of these were hollowed out to serve as glass holders while others were wired with LED lights to give the sub an appropriately night-clubish atmosphere. The exterior of the submarine has the Guinness 250 logo on the side for the benefit of any passing flounders.

Press releases by Jump Studios dont give any details about the submarine itself, but the photographs show a typical tourist boat of the sort used around the world to take visitors on short trips down to depths of about 330 feet (100 m). The cabin of the vessel remains at surface pressure at all times, which is fortunate. Otherwise, the partygoers would have found their Guinness quite flat and then foaming alarmingly (and dangerously) in their stomachs on returning to the surface.

Among the first passengers were competition winner Evelyne Gridelet and two guests. They were flown from Belgium to the island of Hgmars in the Stockholm Archipelago for their undersea party.

Source: Jump Studios via Arch Daily

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Architects transform submarine into a bar

The recently appointed Town Hall Building Committee agreed to send two requests for proposals for architectural firms Perkins Eastman and KSQ Architects Tuesday night. The RFPs will be for architectural designs on a renovated Town Hall and tiered parking structure at Locust Avenue. Both firms are familiar with the town and its planning projects as KSQ worked on the 2008 Downtown Study and Perkins Eastman recently finished work on the master plan for the Long Range Planning Committee.

"I concur with the original sense of the committee, that working with the two firms that we have worked with in the past is the right way forward for this group," committee member Kathleen Corbet said.

The committee will finalize what exactly they hope to request officially in the RFP by their next meeting May 29 so the firms have a good idea of what the town is looking for when it comes to a new town hall and Locust Avenue lot.

Most of what the panel focused on included flexible space for offices and meeting, historical preservation and costs.

Most of the discussion surrounding the historic aspect of Town Hall dealt with the preservation of the faade out front.

Preservationist Mimi Findlay cited what might be historical on the inside of the building, including the marble flooring and murals in the auditorium.

"It's the culture of the town and it shouldn't be something that's just thrown away," Findlay said.

"It really is a terrific building of craftsmanship."

She suggested that both firms should be investigated and vetted on their historical preservation expertise, something everyone on the committee supported.

"I have a feeling that if there is some extra expense and some consideration given, my guess is there are people that feel strongly enough about it that we might be able to even privately fundraise for some of these things to preserve," said First Selectman Rob Mallozzi.

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Building committee discusses historic preservation and architects