It preserved more of its original "1914" appearance

1148 North Highland is for sale. Even with 11 foot ceilings, it's probably a goner. I'm feeling a bit sad and sentimental about it.


This house has probably been deteriorating for most of the time I've lived here.


And that has left it in a certain condition, don't you think?

I've driven past 100's, maybe a thousand times. I never notice it yet always notice it.



The neglect preserved more of its original "1914" appearance than others in the neighborhood, no add-ons, no preservation, no landscaping, no TLC.


The Bradford Pear smothers it the summer. Even if you are looking, you can't really see it.

Very handsome I think.


You can see the two front doors. It was split in half to make duplex. Who knows when.


It's impressive but the tarp isn't a good sign.


My kind of trucks.


I didn't notice the chimney until I processed the pictures on my computer.


In Virginia Highlands and most of Morningside "extra large lot" means .26 acres.


Indeed a quarter acre gives you some breathing room.



So I'm feeling a bit sad and sentimental about this one.

It's iconic. You can find these - even in this condition - almost anywhere. It's so familiar.

If they tear it down, I guess there are plenty more bungalows.

If they fix it up all authentic and everything, will it really be as authentic as it is today?

If you are in the neighborhood, have a look. And make sure to drive up Highland Terrace.


Treat yourself one of the neighborhoods great views, almost a zen view. It works for me every time.

Thanks to Patti Hinkle at Pretty Old Houses for encouraging me to have a look.

Old school dancing in Grant Park

Architecture tourists go to events just so we can see the buildings. On November 11 it was the Lucky Penny Spectacular at the old Grant Park School, which is now repurposed and home to The Arts Exchange.



It was an evening of art, dance, and good cheer at an old school you've never seen. When you give artists, musicians, and dancers half a chance, they'll make some magic.


They'll take this workaday school doorway...


and make some magic with it...


...and draw a crowd by turning it into a dance stage.


The school's auditorium / gym is now the Paul Robeson Theater.

Lucky Penny really knows how to throw a dance whether on a sidewalk, in a doorway or theater.







Thanks to the Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday.

They tore it down yesterday, a "1930" on Amsterdam - Video.

This is how far they got in half a day, yesterday, Monday. The demo guy said they'd be done by Tuesday evening.


I got a few "before" pictures. I spotted it just in time as they were removing the asbestos and other hazardous materials last week.


The demo guy said it was well built and they could tell. The back part was added later and not so well built.




It was quite appealing but the neighborhood demographics have left it in the dust.


I'll bet the aluminum siding on the gables isn't original.


The prominent chimney needed no apology. See Kyle's post on chimneys; we are all chimney lovers.



If you aren't familiar with in-town Atlanta, Amsterdam divides Morningside to the north from Virginia-Highlands to the south. Both are as desirable as it gets within the city limits. This house in in Morningside side of the street.

Lots (teardowns) start about about $300K for 1/5 acre or so. In fact there is another teardown two houses from this one.

Here are a few crunches and a look west and east. As said, if you aren't from around here, you wouldn't guess the desirability.



A little more crunch.



I'll watch and report back to you.

What is and who's at the Goat Farm?

Atlanta's Goat Farm is 11 acres of total awesomeness - historic, industrial, re-purposed awesomeness. If you want to find out what's happening there, start with Facebook.

I'm going to show you a bit of what's inside thanks to MOCA's ArtMerge on November 10 and thanks to Corrina Sephora Mensoff our host for the evening. They are totally awesome. I also want to mention The Creatives Project which supports some of the Goat Farm artists in their "artist in studio" program. Its driving force, Neda Abghari demonstrates the awesome energy in Atlanta's art scene.

You don't need an occasion to visit the grounds. You can drive right on back there. It's OK. Go to Forsyth Fabrics and keep going south on Foster Street. The first street to the right is to the Howard School. The second street goes to the Goat Farm. Take a right and be impressed.


There is a pretty good chance you'll find some goats maybe some chickens. They are penned up so don't worry about getting butted or pecked. The artists probably won't butt or peck you either.


The Goat farm was at one time the E. Van Winkle Gin and Machine Works but not any more. If you like maps, diagrams, factories and history just click here. It's totally awesome.


We started our tour in the multipurpose Rodriguez Room. Inside "Flowing-as-Water" featured painting, sculpture, animation, and music by Corrina Mensoff, Matt Gilbert, Ana Balka.


Out in the yards: sculptures, Corrina's boats with wings.


gloAtl's studio takes up almost half of Goodson Yard.


We got to see them rehearsing.


The other half of Goodson Yard is a huge gallery space where TindelMichi (John Tindel and Michi Meko) were showing.


Many of the Goat Farm artists opened their studios for us. Corrina led the way.


Mmmm, artist studios are totally awesome. Ingrid Magnuson is gesturing.


Across the hall...


... photographer John Paul Floyd held court.


In another building we found artist Linda Mitchell who was part of "Lair" by SixFold Collective at the Abernathy Arts Center.

In the next building we found


fashion artist Tian Justman. She designs, she chooses fabric, she "patterns," cuts and sews at the Goat Farm.


Tain shares her building with actors, costume and set designers Marium Khalid and Phillip Justman. You need angel wings? This is the place.

The next building is huge.


Downstairs Mark Hopper did some bronze casting for us.


Hot, dirty, hard, noisy, awesome work.


Upstairs, more studios with graffiti'ed corridors.



Awesome.


This is Vanessa Williams.


Vanessa made her studio into a gallery of miniature works of folded and glued paper. The scale made me feel like a giant. This is a fish stair.


Ashley L. Schick is a printmaker (and a The Creatives Project artist) and assistant to Brian Dettmer, the guy who carves books. Awesome.


Ahley shares a studio with Hannah Perner Wilson ( a The Creatives Project artist) who does art/rocket science. Awesome.


Marci Starz and Brandon Sadler share a studio and both are part of a The Creatives Project. Brandon (red sweater) has work in the High Museum. I could see why.


I'd seen Marci Starz's work in local galleries; it's unforgettable.

Awesome.


We finished at Corrina Sephora Mensof's place. Among other things, she's a blacksmith.


Corrina shares her studio with the awesome Jane Garver. Jane did "Voice Box for Flux 2011, remember? This is where all the voice boxes roost.

This was the end of my tour. I hope you enjoyed it.

To clad Vuiton in Onyx call Michael Ra at Front Inc.

Michael Ra's and Front Inc's specialty is skinning, skinning buildings that is.

Think of all the "starchitects" out there and all those crazy buildings. Somebody has to figure out the skin: How to engineer it, keep the water out, keep it from falling off in hurricanes and earthquakes, how to manufacture it, how to install it, how to maintain it, how to build it on budget on time.

You have to clean the windows and it's very dusty in the UAE.

What if the architect wants Onyx? Call Front Inc.


Lvmn Paradise Building in Osaka by Kengo Kuma + Associates. Photo from Flickr courtesy of Hiromitsu Morimoto.


Michael Ra visited the Georgia Tech College of Architecture this week.

He explained how they did the onyx: Take a sheet of Onyx; clad both sides in glass; slice the onyx in half so that you end of with 2 panels of onyx faced glass. Of course. Why didn't I think of that?


At least the onyx is flat. What if you need curves?

Or curved glass, or glass panels.


In any case you have to design it so it can be manufactured and installed.


You've got to test it. This is the glass "ceiling" for the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum in San Antonio.

I asked Michael how he came to be a skinner. He said that Illinois Institute of Technology is strong in the engineering aspect of architecture. He must have had a knack. One of his instructors hired him right out of school.


He seemed to enjoyed the challenge that resulted in drawings like these as much as he enjoyed finished project.


Isn't specialization limiting? Doesn't is stifle creativity? For Michael, it doesn't seem so. In fact I'm pretty sure that he loves what he's doing.

And if your clients include Richard Meier, Renzo Piano, Frank Ghery and a host of others around the world, how boring can it be?

I was most amused during the Q&A. Folks asked about his firm's "agenda" was it about sustainability, conservation, being green. Micheal said his firm was young and their agenda is "getting it built."

Thanks to Micheal Ra, to Georgia Tech, and to Assistant professor Tristan Al-Haddad and to Professor George Johnson, chair of the School of Architecture for making me feel at home.