Buffalo, NY Sidewalk

 

The way the grass and plantings overhang the sidewalk. Trees for shade. Everything is green, but nothing is perfect. Trash cans are out. Trash day today? Maybe tomorrow? Homes with porches built close to the sidewalk. Single family? Maybe Buffalo Doubles? Definitely carriage houses behind. 

Place making in Downtown Columbus

A public/private partnership created this incredible public amenity along the Scioto River in Downtown Columbus. This is an investment in making a place lovable and worth caring about. 

Cincinnati Urban Form

Three to four stories max. Built to the property line/sidewalk. Built from natural materials. Terminated vista.

 

A clearly defined entrance...

...that honors the people who walk through. Dignified and beautiful .

 

Mental Prison

This is an entrance to a public high school in Downtown Los Angeles.  What is the message this sends to children arriving to school? What tone does this set for the school day?

Compatibility of Building Form

These two buildings across the street from each other in San Francisco were constructed nearly a century apart, but they both have the same form. Seven story mixed-use built to the sidewalk. The new building may look very different, architecturally speaking, from the old one, but it is identical in form. Often when people argue about compatibility of design in new construction they obsess about architectural style and ignore the form of the buildings. This is something many community "design review boards" miss; especially when it comes to single family homes. It doesn't have to look like a replica of existing buildings to be compatible with the character of the neighborhood.