TAMPA TIME

 

Street furniture in downtown Tampa. Two with a curvilinear / organic aesthetic. The third rigidly tied to the minimalist logic of straight lines, evenly spaced. You could be forgiven for preferring the freedom of curves to the tyranny the rectangle. Irregular = natural = healthy right?

In practice however that third option is the only one to offer me meaningful back support. So that's the one I chose to sit in for a while. It works despite being strictly rationalist. Perhaps the designers of the other two didn't want people to linger too long. "Go sit in a proper chair and spend some money! " Who knows?

 

 

The skewed egg-crate is a popular motif in 21st century architecture. If we'll done it decieves the eye into seems more irregularity than is actually there. You get the structural and economic benefits of a regular grid while keeping the casual onlooker guessing. Balcony space and sunshading thrown in for good measure.

I have to say the streets of downtown Tampa, close to Harbour Island, are very pleasant at this time of year. Not too hot. Not too busy, but people and dogs enough to feel alive. I enjoyed being left to my own devices here for a couple of hours.

 

I have to repost this article about the practice where I have worked for the past 20 years.. What a tribute to my boss Brian Johnson who founded the firm 35 years ago. There are a couple of projects in there that I am very proud to have worked on, developing most of the Revit content used during detailed design.

Those were great teams to work with, from the lead designers down to the document controllers. Our office has always felt like a family. There were times when I worked very long hours under pressure to deliver, but I don't regret a moment of it.

Special memories. Special projects. Special people

 

https://www.commercialinteriordesign.com/business/design-legacy-godwin-austen-johnson-marks-35-year-milestone

 

 

Chatting with Mark and Paul at AU, the idea of scanning some Trulli came up. These are traditional dwellings found in a particular part of Italy and very distinctive in appearance and construction. I first came across them as an undergraduate at the Bartlett school in London, liste to an illustrated talk by Paul Oliver. What a fascinating guy he was.

He had parallel lives as writer and researcher in two different topics that have also held a special place in my heart for more than 50 years. He wrote several books about Blues music, a style that I have come back to repeatedly in my own playing and singing. Apart from anything else, it allows you to play straight from the heart and to remain extremely loose and flexible so that no song need ever come out the same way twice.

 

 

His other are of research and expertise was indigenous architecture or rather the way people build houses for themselves following certain evolved traditions, without the interference of college-trained professionals. That talk more than half a century ago was probably the beginnings of the personal project I now call "The Way We Build"

These sheets are from a Revit model that I began way back in 2008 when I first got the idea of using BIM as a research tool for my own investigations into the history, culture and technology behind all the wonderful buildings around the world, be they past or present, individual or typical.

It's all about the process. Hands-on modelling driving the asking of questions and gathering of data. Journeys of the mind and journeys around the world. It never ends. 🙂

 

BIM BUDDIES AU

 

From the Vision of Volterra exhibit at Autodesk University. This is the church of San Giusto. I began the Revit model in 2018 while staying in Volterra.

More recently Paul Aubin has taken over and upgraded various elements prior to digital printing. It also features in the splendid film that the guys have put together.

Really proud to be associated with this project and the formidable group of people that has coalesced around it.

 

 

Continuing the BIM buddy series. That suave gentleman of impeccable taste, Phil Read was hanging out at the Chaos /Enscape stand as you would expect. After a bit of arm twisting, he consented to a selfie.

Great to see Phil again and to catch up a little.

Meanwhile my favourite salt-of-the-earth Aussie, Adam Sheather was dashing across the Expo floor in search of his next commitment but paused for a brief catch up when he spotted me lumbering into his path.

Impossible to convey what it means to me to encounter these two stalwart of the BIM and digital construction community once again. Just all round good guys without a doubt

 

BIM buddies continued. On day two I had the unexpected pleasure of "observing in ignorance" while Paul Aubin and Chiara C. Rizzarda chatted in Italian. Kudos to Paul and wonderful to see Chiara. Paul and I have been hanging out with the Volterra group all week of course.

Day one, I bumped into Tom Whitehead who reminded me that we met at my first ever Revit Technology event in Atlanta. Doesn't that seem like a long time ago!

 

 Back in Tampa after a wonderful three days in San Diego. I got up at 5am for my flight, just to be safe, so a very American breakfast at the gate was a fun way to fill in the extra time.

Disgorging at Tampa arrivals I was greeted by construction barriers with my name on them. I looked them up today. "Demolition Done Right" Offices in Chicago and Tampa. Random fact. 

 

In the "mail" a couple more BIM buddy pics. Great to chat with the Chaos / Enscape team here about their latest plans. Then towards the end of the conference David Fink came along to say hi. We first met at BIM Show Live back in 2013. When I was young and handsome (and fat) 🙄 🤣🤣🤣

 

TOUCHDOWN USA

 

Barely 24 hours in the US and already full of surprises. Power outages from Hurricane Milton induced my daughter to book rooms for us in Orlando.

So naturally I had to hook up with Alfredo Medina straight after breakfast. Five years since we last met I think, but straight back into the groove.

Nice pic I think.

 

I didn't plan to stay in any Florida hotels but nature intervened. Quite a thrill to experience these two very different animals in quick succession. Orlando and Clearwater. Opposite faces of the tourism coin.

 

There's a certain irony in seeing the ruthless pragmatism of Henry Ford applied to the fantasy world of themeparks but it's also very American I think. This ability to boil things down to bare essentials, to hone in on the target market. Style and finesse be damned

 

And then there's the natural beauty of a white beach. A different tax bracket. Customers who have travelled Europe.

Both hotels are generous with space. Perhaps that's just an American thing. The pioneer spirit. The open prairie. But the rationales seem different. In theme park heaven you can set up home for a boisterous family, cook meals, do your own laundry. The space is purely functional.

 

On the beach, space is a symbol of luxury and freedom. Broad horizons. Sunset over the sea. (might see that tonight, or might be doing a family dinner instead. All good either way) Once again I'm feeling, what an immense privilege my life has been. Not in the sense of "check your privilege!" but but just in the sense of appreciating each day as it comes along. Sharing moments with friends and family.

Still trying to get my head around those subtle differences between America and Europe, after all these years. It's fascinating.

 

 

Well, here I am in San Diego at day one of Autodesk University. I've been hanging out at the Volterra Exhibit, something very close to my heart.

Also posed for selfies with a whole bunch of good people who I haven't seen for several years... Gentle hint, please post the pics on here and tag me guys. These are very important memories for me.