Dog House

Last night there was an incredible programme on The Secret Life of Dogs. For a dog lover like me the moral of the story was that dogs are amazing, from their ability to guide the blind, to lowering blood pressure with a stroke and a cuddle and even having the capability of sniffing out cancer. Even if Puck hasn't shown any of these skills, he's still my favourite!

At work this website Architecture for Dogs was sent around. Well known architects have design play pieces for dogs of different shapes and sizes and anyone can download the blueprint and make it - what a great idea! From top: MVRDV, atelier bowwow and Toyo Ito. Like the pallet furniture of Studiomama, it's design for sharing. Maybe our plan for designing a chicken coop to take the same ethos...

Images from Architecture for Dogs

Design Education

Here is another inspiring TED lecture from Emily Pilloton of Studio H, a not-for-profit organisation in the US, which runs programmes at schools in rural areas to teach the pupils design skills and thinking. I first saw their chicken coops a year or so ago, and I wish we had something similar at my secondary school. Is there something similar in the UK?

My Brand

Starting the last few months of my MArch gets me thinking about what I'm going to do after. Get a job is the simple answer! However in the last few months we have had somewhat demoralising lectures about the state of the architectural profession which has confirmed to me that I'm not going to go for a traditional post-degree route. Yet speakers who've come in have highlighted that we have a great skill set and so I'm not worried, more excited as to what the future will hold.

A key thing is to have a brand, I think, and to define myself as a designer. Above these pictures have given me some great ideas - a stamped cv! Not only is this how I will present my work at exhibition but also developing my online presence. This blog allows me to capture all my personal interests but I want to have a more professional portfolio as well as continuing maud... and then actually making stuff when not attached to my laptop! It's going to be a busy time, but an exciting one.

Images by Emmadime

Cut Paper

After brunch at Kim By The Sea, Hannah and I headed to the Manchester Art Gallery to visit the Paper at the Cutting Edge exhibition. Who knew the wonderful things that can be created by paper and a scalpel! We were particularly enamoured by Anderson M Studio's stop motion films, Sarah Bridgeland's 1950s inspired pieces and Rob Ryan's massive and beautiful paper cut. We've been very much inspired!

Design Love Fest

Ooh! I have just stumbled upon (not via the site!) Design Love Fest, a brilliant craft blog. The photography is fab and this craft project to make a camera strap is something I want to give a go! A very colourful place, I'll definitely be following!

Image from Design Love Fest

Charles & Ray

There is a film out about the design duo Charles and Ray Eames. They didn't have a profession as it were, it was a Jack-of-all-trades philosophy. That's how I'd like to be. Here is the documentary trailer.

Images from First Run Features

Food Futures

So I'm supposed to be packing. After work tomorrow, I'm heading back up to Manchester for the next semester of study. I really need to get back into my dissertation reading, so this distraction is valid. I've just received the current issue of Icon magazine and it's called 'The Future of Food'. Just up my street and they have an article on my favourite architects, Work AC. I must keep packing, but I'm looking forward to sitting down and having a read of this when I get back up north!

Image from Icon

Chicken Coop

I am a big fan of chickens and innovative design, so I am in awe of the outcomes of these chicken coops, designed and made by high school students. Arranged by Project H, the organisation "uses the power of design and hands-on building to catalyze communities and public education. I makes me so keen to get back into the studio designing again! See more of their videos here.

Video: Studio H: Design. Build. Transform. (Promo #2) from Project H Design on Vimeo.

Archaeological Resuscitation

In May we entered the RIBA Forgotten Spaces competition, to present a proposal to improve a forgotten space in a London borough. We chose Croydon and above is our idea to excavate the ugly underpass which links two sides of the town cut apart by a major through road and create a meeting place, an amphitheatre. Next to the community hub of the parish church and representing the uncovering of a buried river, our proposal provides an urban space to meet, sit, contemplate or simply to pass through.

Here is the AJ article!

Work Space

From the patchwork of frames to the patterned rug and the wooden desk to the dog basket, I really like this studio space belonging to New York designers Shipley and Halmos. Founders & Followers sell at and fashion but also do little tours of the designers' workspaces.

Image from founders & followers vis Miss Moss (great site!)

Technology & Gardens

Today Claire and I went for a wander around London south of the river. First we saw my friend Nick's final year exhibition, Made In Brunel. In the Bargehouse warehouse under the Oxo tower there was some fantastic work from all realms industrial design, engineering, futures - there was both simple and ergonomic design as well as innovative industry specialist work. After lunch we wandered through Borough Market, I bought some gooseberry and elderflower jam and spotted some mini gourmet radishes! Lastly we headed to the launch day of the Urban Physic Garden on Union Street, were we sat and sipped at cider in the sun and absorbed to beautiful smells of the medicinal plants all around us.

Our Town

This evening I went to see the RADA current finalists in Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Fran designed the set which was simple and beautiful, with hanging elements for different weather and time of day. The actors are the next generation which will be coming to our screens and theatres in the coming years. I thought it was so well performed (as very much a theatre layperson) and the play set in middle America at the beginning of the last century, had a story of the life, love and death of the people living in a little quiet town. Thumbs up!

Image from here