Art & Architecture

Tutorial: Selective Noise Reduction

2011-12-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

Shooting at high ISO can result in noise. Most of the time noise both color and luminance are found at dark areas of the photos. Applying noise reduction to the photos will also result in reduction of details. I've devised a method in selectively reducing noise on my photos shot at high ISO. Below is step by step guide to my selective noise reduction work flow on photoshop. (Click on the images to view full size)

1. Open the file

2. Create a duplicate layer of the file

3. Apply Noise reduction to the entire photo. You may use any noise reduction filter you like. I prefer the Reduce Noise Filter.

4. Apply desired amount on the noise reduction. Since my photo has a lot of visible chroma noise on the dark areas and contains visible luminance noise I choose to put the amount to full. I can adjust the amount of noise reduction on the dark areas later.

5. Since there are still some visible chroma noise in the photo I applied some blur to further reduce the visibility of the chroma noise. If by this point your photos are already free of luminance and chroma noise you can skip this step.

6. I picked smart blur to further reduce the chroma noise.

7. After applying the blur I selected everything on the photo and copied it.

8. I created a layer mask on the cleaned image

9. Went to the channels tab and pasted the copied image on the alpha channel tab.

10. After pasting the photo on the alpha channel I then inverted the alpha channel. The invert command is located on the menu Image>Adjustement>Invert

11. If by this point the photo is still a bit blurry you can select the alpha channel of the clean layer and adjust the levels. I usually drag the middle button to the right to increase the darkness of the midtones thus reducing the visibility of the clean image on the final image.

12. Save file and that is it.

For comparison I have attached the before and after image of the file

Before

100% crop

After

100% Crop

Modern House of the Week #1 House 6 by Arch Marcio Koga

2011-12-03T01:12:00.000-08:00

Architects Official Website:

http://www.marciokogan.com.br

Sources:

http://fancycribs.com

http://freshome.com

Old Structures Converted into Exceptional Homes

2011-12-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed designing. Ever since I was in college I always preferred creating designs from scratch and exploring different possibilities in design. Back when I was a student restrictions from cost and other real limitations were nil.

We were always given the freedom to express our creativity and we were always given a blank canvass for us to explore new designs. After I became an architect reality slowly crept in. Limitations and cost were ever present in almost all projects. I had to make adjustment to reality in order to accomplish my projects.

Some of my first projects were renovations and reuse. At first I thought that I would be limited by the existing structures already present in those projects. I changed my mind set and treated those projects as a challenge. Designing a structure from scratch is already hard but designing it with an existing structure is even harder. I usually begin my designing process with a bunch of research. I draw inspiration from these successful projects and learn from their solutions to their design problems.

After these experiences I've grown to love the beauty in adaptive reuse. Although some architects prefer to preserve mostly everything in the structure there are some Architects who transform old unused structures into livable unique homes. I've learned to admire the beauty of adaptive reuse in architecture. This has really got me thinking of purchasing an abandoned warehouse and transform it to a home for myself. Below are some of the adaptive reuse works that I admire.

Barn to House adaptive reuse Designed by: Bjarne Mastenbroek (SeARCH)

Billboard to House adaptive reuse Designed by: Front Architects

Container to House adaptive reuse Designed by: Poteet Architects

Sources:

http://weburbanist.com

http://www.donatellobruno.com

Larger than Life Size Sculptures

2011-11-25T00:57:00.000-08:00

I came across this unique sculptor Ron Mueck on the net. He creates realistic but large sculptures of people. At first glance I thought his works were digital art since some of the sculptures looked like photoshop paintings.

After looking at his other works I realized that his works were real sculptures, what I didn't realize was the sizes of those sculptures. When you see a man standing beside his sculptures you will begin to realize the enormousness of these works of art.

I really can't help but admire people like Ron Mueck for their extraordinary gift and talent in the world of art. Digital art are great but to me nothing compares to art that can be seen in 3d space. I bet it is a totally different experience compared to watching it in 2D. I wish that there were artist and art museums here in my place so that people here can admire works of art like his here.

Unique Restaurant Designs

2011-11-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been doing some research on some unique restaurant designs. I found a lot of excellent designs which are really eye catching. Looking at their designs has really inspired me in gaining more knowledge by studying their designs. Although some of these designs use common construction materials the architects still manage to come up with extraordinary designs. Below are some of the Cool restaurant designs that I admire.

Banq Restaurant Designed By Architect Nader Tehrani

Nobu Dubai Designed by Rockwell Group

Rosso Restaurant Designed by: SO Architects

Blue Frog Designed by: Serie Architects

STIX Restaurant Designed By 3six0 Architecture

Cave Restaurant Designed by: Koichi Takada Architects

M Coffee Restaurant Designed by: Hooman Balazadeh Architects

Silver Restaurant Designed by Dark Design Group

AVIZ Studio 3D Roof Generator and Tree Generator

2011-11-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through the net looking for tutorials on vray and came across these two plug ins for 3dmax. Whenever I had a project wherein I needed to use clay roof tiles on the house I always modeled each roof tile in order to achieve a more realistic look. I never thought that there were plugins around that would make my work easier.

As for the trees and plants I usually use those ready to use models bought from 3d stores. Although I still have to try these two plugins out I think this will be a great addition to my tools in my work as a 3D Artist for Architectural renderings.

The videos below demonstrate the plugins and as far as I know these can only be used on 3d studio max.

The homepage for these plugins is http://www.avizstudio.com

Hope you will find their plugins useful.

New Bungalow Design

2011-11-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

The past few months I have been trying to work out the design of the bungalow units for the phase two for our subdivision project. I have tried numerous designs that would follow the concepts of our previous house designs and have finally come up with these two designs.

Althea - (Single Detach Bungalow)

Fiona - (Duplex Bungalow)

Although we haven't started selling these units I am hopeful that these units will be salable since there were a lot of inquiry of bungalow units on our phase one. For more information on this subdivision project kindly visit our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HaciendaSanAgustin or our website http://hsasubdivision.com/

Slim Homes

2011-11-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

Every time I am faced with a design problem I always see an opportunity to explore new solutions to the problem. Since land prices are getting higher, I have been exploring possibilities in designing a house on a slim piece of land. Building a house on a thin piece of land would also lower the cost of the construction of the house making it appealing to buyers who are looking for affordable homes.

Although construction cost is a top priority in this design challenge, I also have to make sure that comfort of the house isn't sacrificed. Design is another aspect to consider and having the constraints of building on a slim lot will definitely make things more difficult. So in order to draw inspiration on this challenge, I did a research on modern slim houses on the net and found a couple of unique and practical slim houses.

Slim House In Tokyo by Mizuishi Architect

Slim House in Toronto by Drew Mandel

Slim House in San Francisco By Architect Craig Steely

Slim House in Seatle

Slim House in Toronto By Donald Chong

World's Most Extreme Homes (The Sphere - Sao Paulo Brazil)

2011-09-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been searching the net for documentaries on architecture. I've found a few interesting documentaries which I will be sharing here in my blog. The first documentary that I am going to share comes from a program from HGTV title World's Most Extreme Homes.

This house has caught my attention since it has a very unique exterior and interior. Most houses have edges and are basically squares and rectangles. This house on the other hand is a sphere and has a lot of curved spaces inside.

Check out the video below

Recycled Art: Old Computer Parts and Transistor

2011-09-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

Every time I open my CPU I always get amazed at the complexity of each part working in unison to make millions of complex calculations every second. Whenever I take my CPU apart I can't help but admire how the manufacturers and designers of these parts worked hard to create these sophisticated components.

While I was searching the net for computer parts I saw some photo of some sculptures which used old computer components as the sculptors choice of material. I was amused with this unique art since it never crossed my mind that these old computer parts can be converted into works of art.

Although the shapes look simple, I bet that it took a lot of effort to create these sculptures. The texture of these computer parts also helped enhance the sculptures.

For more sculptures click on the links below.

Sources:

www.designswan.com

www.atcrux.com

Unique Hotels

2011-09-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have always been attracted to buildings with unique designs and concepts. Designs made out of the box were always an inspiration to me. Seeing those designs motivates me not to confine myself with traditional solutions to design problems but to look at other possible solutions on the problem.

I was tasked to design interior spaces for a project and was stuck with the same traditional and acceptable design. In order to awaken my creative juices I browsed for creative interior designs particularly on hotel interiors.

I came across unusualhotelsoftheworld.com and saw a bunch of unique hotels which caught my interest. I browsed through their archives and found a lot of creative designs and concepts on hotels. Some of the hotels were built and some were redesigned for adaptive reuse.

Below are some of the hotels which caught my attention

Jumbo Stay

This will probably be the best sleep you'll experience on a jet

La Balade des Gnomes

Get to experience what the ancient greeks experienced inside the trojan horse with better facilities.

Magic Mountain Hotel

An enchanting experience inside this magical hotel it almost feel like you are in a fairy tale.

Crane Hotel

Now this is what I call sleeping on the job.

To find more unique hotels please visit the site below

Source: unusualhotelsoftheworld.com

Worst Celebrity Wax Sculptures

2011-09-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw my first wax scuplture, I have always been fascinated with how some of these sculptures tend to be life like. Some of the amazing sculptures I saw were from the most recognized figures in history and were a very accurate representation of the people they followed.

While browsing yahoo I came across this article on worst celebrity wax sculptures and I saw some sculptures which really had no resemblance with the real person. Below is a photo of one of the wax sculptures the author compiled. You wouldn't recognize most of the sculptures until you read the caption. Click on the image to view more wax sculptures.

Worst Celebrity Wax Sculptures

Source: Shine.Yahoo.com

Image Averaging - increase detail and remove noise

2011-09-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I was researching on ways or techniques to shoot hand held on low light. I found two different articles with different methods or approach regarding this topic. I really wouldn't consider these as techniques but more on post processing. The first method was stacking under exposed photos and adding these photos to arrive at a proper exposed photo. The next method is taking several photos at high iso and averaging the photos to remove the noise and increase detail. I decided to test both method and found the image averaging to have better results.

The image averaging methods allows you to shoot at the highest iso on your camera still capture details on your photo with minimal noise. The first step you will need to do is to shoot at a high iso to prevent blur on your pictures and to shoot on burst mode. It is important that you take at least 4 or more photos in order to have better image quality.

Once you are done you open all your images on Photoshop and stack them. For those who aren't familiar with Photoshop you can find the image stack command on (File>Scripts>Load File into stack). Check attempt to automatically align source images.

Once the images are loaded you adjust the opacity or fill of each layer on your stack. The first layer or the most bottom layer will be 100% fill/opacity. The next layer will be 100/(what number of layer) so for the second layer it would be 100/2 which is equivalent to 50% fill/opacity. Third will be 100/3 which is 33% and so on and so forth.

Single Image ISO 3200

9 images averaged at ISO 3200

Cropped single image at ISO 3200

Cropped 9 images averaged at ISO 3200

After testing this method on a couple of subjects I realized that this technique has its limit. This method can't be applied on moving subjects at low light. It won't be useful if you can't reach a shutter speed that can be shot hand held on a high iso since the shots will still be blurred.

This method can be useful on taking photos of inanimate objects on low light conditions. I will most probably use this on taking food shots on the restaurants that I visit for my food blog since most of the restaurant tend to have inadequate lighting. You can also use this on taking low light city shots or interior shots, I'm sure though if you can still be able to capture light streaks with this method.

This won't replace a good old tripod but it surely will help you on those instances where you found an interesting subject on low light situation but forgot to bring your tripod.

Going Wide, Fast or Tele

2011-08-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have been browsing a lot of websites on some reviews on my next possible lens purchase. On my list are the Sigma 30mm f1.4, Zuiko 9-18mm f4-5.6 and the zuiko 70-300 f4-5.6.

Although I rarely use the tele end of my current telephoto lens I have been considering on purchasing the zuiko 70-300 as an alternative lens for my macro works. This would also be great for my street photography since I can capture my subject from a very far distance and capture candid shots of them.

The Sigma 30mm would be great for my food photography for my food blog since I usually shoot indoors with limited lighting. It will also be great for portrait and low light shooting.

The Zuiko 9-18 ultra wide lens would be perfect for taking photos of interior spaces and shots of buildings. This would really come in handy for my projects. It also takes great landscape photos.

After carefully deliberating all three lenses it has boiled down with the Sigma 30mm and the Zuiko 9-18. I can't decide which of the two lenses will be more useful to me. I regularly shoot food shots for my blog and I also need a wider lens for shooting tight interior spaces.

Both lens perform excellently and are worth every penny. I guess I'll have to make my decision when the time comes to purchase one of this lenses. For the moment I just want to share this link on a Focal Length Simulator. This will help you decide whether you want to go wide or tele. Hope this will help you in choosing the right lens.

www.digcameralab.com

Amazing Origami Sculptures

2011-06-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I started learning the art of origami. I was always curious how a blank piece of paper could turn into a three dimensional art work. When I started learning origami I realized that making a simple basic flower required concentration and the ability to stay focused and follow instructions. It took me a few tries before I could come up with my first origami.

After trying the more complicated origami I eventually gave up since I couldn't accomplish the same result as the one I am trying to replicate. Even though I already have a background about model making back in college I found it harder to complete an origami sculpture due to the material that is used in origami.

The only origami that I was able to complete were the simple flowers and roses. I was amazed at some of the complicated flowers which already looked realistic, then I wondered what other kinds of sculptures can origami achieve. I started browsing the net for other types of origami other than the common flowers and swans and found out that there were a lot more sophisticated sculptures out there. Below are some of the works I found on the net.

villageofjoy.com

picsobsession.blogspot.om

amazingdata.com

catchdesign.blogspot.com

pileofphotos.com

www.sea-way.org

www.spread-grani.com

Lytro the end to unfocused Photos

2011-06-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started taking photos I occassionally experienced having the perfect shot ruined due to focusing issues. Having a shot ruined becuase of a wrong focus has kept me looking for a software or solution in order to fix or prevent this problem. I've tried numerous programs such as photoshop and topaz in focus but have so far never made any drastic improvements to my out of focused images.

While I was browsing my email at Yahoo I stumbled upon an article with a title "camera ends blurry photos". A new company has developed an exciting new technology in photography that will revolutionize how we will take photos in the future. Lytro has developed a new type of sensor that enables you to shoot first and worry about focusing after you take the shot.

I visited their official website and read their articles and is somewhat amazed by the technical aspects of this new technology. Their new sensor allows it to capture the light field which is according to their official website "It is the amount of light traveling in every direction through every point in space – it’s all the light rays in a scene".

Their new technology will allow you to shoot without worry of proper focusing, shot faster without shutter lag, shoot at low light conditions and the best of all create living pictures. In order for you to truly appreciate the technology they developed you have to try it yourself. Although I've noticed some drawbacks based on their gallery photos, it is totally understandable since this is a totally new technology. Maybe its also due to the fact that the program they used to upload the living picture degraded the image quality. Nevertheless in time most of the issues I found will eventually be resolved. This is truly a revolutionizing technology and is a great leap forward in photography.

I've attached some samples of their living pictures. Click on the blurred parts of the photo to change the focus on the photos.

Source: http://www.lytro.com/

Floating Homes a solution to future natural disasters

2011-06-22T03:35:00.000-07:00

Rainy seasons have finnaly arrived here in the Philippines. Series of tropical storms and typhoons are heading here, bringing with it heavy rains and floods. After our country has experienced the disaster from Typhoon Ondoy, I have been pondering on a solution to flooding and how to prevent it from happening again.

Architects: Vandeventer + Carlander Architects

Location: Seattle, Washington, USA

Since environmental change has drastically affected our weather system, flooding will become a common event during the rainy seasons. Asides from flood, landslide are a common scene on rural deforested areas.

This type of disasters have been happening around the world and some countries has learned to adapt in this extreme situations. I searched for a solution and found that a lot of the solutions from other countries is to design their houses to float.

Although it is already a common sight on other countries this has been rarely been adapted in the Philippines due to the high cost of this structures. Most of the floating homes here in the Philippines are built with light materials and are located at the slum areas. It would be great if I could design a cost effective liveable floating house for these. I guess this will be my next conceptual project in order to challenge my mind

I have found a handful of great designs of floating houses around the world. These houses will surely solve the problem of flooding and rising sea levels. It would be excellent if these houses could also withstand a tsunami. That would be one less disaster of the list. Anyway here are the floating home projects I found from other countries which are aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Architects: Martin Förster & Karsten Trabitzsch
Location: Hamburg, Germany

Architect: Waterstudio.NL

Location: Jburg, Amsterdam

Architects: X-Architects

Location: Dubai

Sources:

www.archithings.com

www.archdaily.com

popupcity.net

www.furniturefashion.com

Importance of White Balance in photography

2011-05-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

I've been into photography for more than a year now and I've learned a lot of things through many of my mistakes. One of the common mistakes by most amateur photographers is setting the wrong white balance on their camera.

One way to find out if your shooting photos with a wrong white balance is that areas which are supposed to be white are usually the same color as the available lighting. Although auto white balance often works, their are some instances where the available light are mixed or beyond the capabilities of your cameras auto white balance.

The easiest way to set your white balance setting to your current environment is to manually set it. Most DSLR have the ability to set the white balance manually, all you need to do is to press the button which in your DSLR to set the white balance manually and shoot it at any white or gray object. I usually use a piece of tissue or a white hanky to do this.

If ever you've taken some photos which has a yellowish or blueish tone in it, there are still ways to save these photos. If the color isn't that off you could always set it to auto level in Photoshop. If the photos have a deep yellow or blue tone in it, there are still ways to fix this problem. My current work flow in fixing this problem is to adjust the color balance first in photoshop then adjust the hue/saturation setting of each color. Depending on which color you want to tone down. One method is to increase the lightness of the color you want to tone down or decrease the saturation.

I hope these tips will help you in shooting your photos.

A Brilliantly Designed Small Apartment

2011-05-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Back in college our professors challenged us in designing a fully functional cube house. As far as I could remember the restriction was a 6m x 6m building footprint and we were only allowed to use half of the ground floor area for our second floor.

As first year students of architecture we cracked our heads and we had a hard time fitting all the furnishing inside the house. After imagining how small a 54sqm house we had to maximize all of the space we had, or so we thought we maximized it.

After learning from experience, there are more than one solution in solving a problem. There are the simple and straight forward solutions and solutions that are out of the box.I've attached the video below.

I've come across one particular apartment which is brilliantly designed. The space is designed in such a way that maximizes each corner of the 24sqm space. Although the apartment is restricted with the small space, the designer managed to incorporate all the basic amenities inside the apartment without cluttering the space.

Sliding House - dRMM Architects

2011-05-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

I found this cool house designed by dRMM Architects. The whole exterior wall slides out and exposes a fully glazed enclosure. I really like the concept of the house and this is definitely thinking outside the box.

Here is the link to the article

Source: Architectural Record

Egg House

2010-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

Innovation has driven technology to higher heights and has greatly increased the standard of living in our lives. It has made a lot of things easier and cheaper. In the the recent years architects have been searching for the solution for a eco friendly sustainable home. Unfortunately most current solutions have a very high cost which usually deters a lot of people.

One architect in china has found a way to design a house stripped down to its bare necessities. Although after reviewing some of the photos I have some concerns about where he would go to take a bath or leak. I think his design of the egg house is one step closer to providing some form of shelter to a lot of homeless people.

source: Yahoo

10 Amazing Homes You Won't Find In Your Neighborhood

2010-09-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

If you consider yourself a non-conformist, or one who shuns traditional ways of doing things, then here is a perfect lineup of nontraditional homes that should fit your spirit perfectly. Take your pick from a church, an old firehouse, an earthship home, a geodesic home, a floating home, and even a decommissioned missile site. Plus, some of these homes are for sale!

Old Firehouse

1. Old Firehouse - 117 Broad St, San Francisco, CA 94112
Status: For Sale - $975,000

San Francisco's Firehouse 33 was in the business of fighting fires from 1896 to 1974. Up until 1921, it had two horses, a steamer, a Dalmatian and a rotating crew of firefighters. When bigger fire engines were built in the 1970s, Firehouse 33's doors could not accommodate the wider girth and so, the original Firehouse 33 became obsolete and a new Firehouse 33 was built around the corner. An entrepreneurial couple bought this firehouse and turned it into a home/business - the "San Francisco Fire Engine Tours & Adventures" business. It has two beds, two baths and 4,000 sq ft of space, plus interesting amenities such as the original redwood lockers the firemen used, lots of closet space, a garage that can fit six cars (and a firetruck, if you had one) and of course, a fire pole!

Old Church

2. Old Church - 601 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Status: For Sale - $7,490,000

Yes, here we are in San Francisco again (surprised?) where we find a fabulously restored Gothic Revival home that was formerly a church. At 17,000 sq ft, it is said to be one of the largest single family homes in San Francisco. The living room features a soaring, coffered, hand-painted ceiling with seven enormous chandeliers, stained glass windows (naturally) and arched windows looking out to Dolores Park. Climb to the tower meditation room and deck for a 360-degree view of the city.

Round House

3. Round House- 122 Olmstead Hill Rd,Wilton, CT 06897
Status: Presently off the market

Known as the "Connecticut Round House," this unique property has been listed for sale a couple times before being recently removed with a list price of $1,750,000 (it was listed in 2008 for $2.3 million). Designed by architect Richard T. Foster, it is a cylindrical masterpiece that sits 12 feet off the ground on its "base" and has the ability to rotate slowly 360 degrees, taking in the nearly four acres of land and a pond. It takes about 50 minutes to complete an entire rotation and can be stopped, slowed down or speeded up. Made of steel, glass and shingles, the 3,000 sq ft home was renovated in 2005 and is completely walled in glass. It features custom ash cabinetry, state-of-the-art Xenon interior lighting, marble and limestone bath finishes, and "Smart House" technology in the main house." Plus, there is a separate guest house and in-ground lap pool.

Cave House, (Photo courtesy Caveland.us)

4. Cave house - 1101 N 11th St, Festus, MO 63028
Status: Presently off the market

The "Cave House" was on the market in a distress sale in 2009, but it appears the owners were able to re-work their adjustable-rate loan and have now happily settled back into cave life. The 17,000 square foot house - er, cave - is in Festus, MO, and has three chambers: a front chamber that contains three bedrooms; a middle chamber that holds the laundry room, storage, and a spare bath, and the back chamber that still has the stage where Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Ike and Tina Turner, and many other entertainers performed. Obviously, the owners of this cave are very well connected. No furnace or air-conditioning needed; geothermal and passive solar systems keep the home comfortable year-round.

Earthship

5. Earthship - 6 High Meadow Dr, Taos, NM 87571
Status: For Sale - $265,000

That's right - you won't find this "earthship" in a well-manicured cul-de-sac in most regions of the U.S., but your chances are much greater in New Mexico or Arizona. Called "Sol Ship," this one-bed, one-bath earthship is designed for off-the-grid living and uses passive solar thermomass construction that heats and cools the interior. But don't worry - you can tap into traditional systems if you have a craving for microwave popcorn. Many earthships are a little rough around the edges with recycled materials visibly poking out (tires, cans, bottles) but this is a higher-end earthship with an indoor koi pond and hand-plastered walls with whimsical sculpted displays around the fireplace and walls. Two underground, 3,000-gallon cisterns hold water. Own this home and no one will insult you about your carbon footprint, because it doesn't exist.

Geodesic home

6. Geodesic home - 2643 Birch Ave,Batavia, IA 52533
Status: No longer on the market

Geodesic dome homes rode a wave of popularity in the 1960s and 70s, but their construction is now limited due to challenges in code requirements. While the exterior is round, the interior of geodesic homes contain many angles - just try to find a wall in which to hang a photo, or a long flat wall to position the couch. This four-bed, 3.5-bath dome home sits on 20 acres.

Floating home

7. Floating home - 2466 Westlake Ave N,Seattle, WA 98109
Status: For Sale - $975,000

No, Tom Hanks does not live here and this is not the Sleepless in Seattle floating home, but this is a quintessential floating home onSeattle's Lake Union and better yet - it's never been lived in. The shingled-style master craftsman design offers two bedrooms and one bath.

Old barn

8. Old Barn - 9424 Windsong Loop NE,Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Status: Recently sold - $542,000

This Bainbridge Island, WA barn was built 104 years ago and was used as a dairy farm before being converted into a home. It retains its barn shape with soaring, cathedral ceilings with exposed beams and rough-hewn floors. Rolling barn doors serve as shutters to two bedrooms and one original wall reveals the original penciled shopping list that includes 2,100 pounds of seeds. Sixteen windows in the open living area draw passive solar heat and natural light.

Shoe House(Photo courtesy Cool High Quality Pix)

9. Shoe House - 197 Shoe House Rd,Hellam, PA 17406
Status: Not listed on the market

Shoe store tycoon Mahlon Haines built this landmark home in 1948 as an advertising gimmick. The house features a front door with a stained-glass portrait of the owner himself, an observation platform, and even a shoe-shaped doghouse. Fittingly, Mahlon once used the home as a guest house, offering weekend stays to elderly couples.

Decommissioned missile site

10. Decommissioned missile site - 1874 N Batum Rd, Othello, WA 99159
Status: For Sale - $3,500,000

We saved the best for last and no - this is not a joke. This is a decommissioned military Titan 1 missile complex that is being listed as a potential residential property and it's for sale for $3.5 million in Othello, WA (about 3 hours east of Seattle). That's the "front door" in the photo to the right, which is a two-ton hatch that leads down six flights of stairs to a network of subterranean rooms and tunnels that all connect to a 125-ft diameter "superdome" with a 65-ft ceiling. According to Windermere real estate agent Kelvin Wallin, 18 Titan 1 missile sites were built during the years 1959-1962 between Colorado and Washington state. This one has three underground missile silos that measure 160-ft deep and 40-ft wide. According to Wallin, this site can withstand and survive any nuclear blast. Twenty years ago, a man purchased this property from the government and intended to turn it into a youth camp, but he died before he could realize his dream. Enjoy your own private well, generator power, and live off the grid. Not much curb appeal, but this beauty was built to last!

Source: Yahoo Realestate

Free magazines on Architecture and Photography

2010-09-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

I found a list of sites which has free magazines on Architecture and Photography. They have a wide array of magazines which would help you in your photography and designing in Architecture.

Please visit my other blog for a list of the websites.

elmasahe.blogspot.com

Private Islands for Sale

2010-09-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

I've always dreamed of owning my own Island. I never thought that a person could really won one, if he has the cash to pay for it.

Ram Island

Ram Island, Private Islands Online

Place: Machias Bay, Maine, 50 miles east ofBar Harbor
Asking Price: $595,000
Acreage: 16
Undeveloped

One tree, a few sheep, a 20 by 20 foot platform for pitching a tent, and a mooring in the cove. The rest is grass, rocks, and 360-degree views of the ocean and bay.

Charlie's Island

Charlie's Island, Private Islands Online

Where: Near Marathon, in the Florida Keys
Asking Price: $995,000
Acreage: 0.32
Undeveloped

The turquoise-colored roofs you see in the picture are open-air sitting areas with decks, chairs, and a campfire cooking area. But the island also comes with a 38-foot houseboat, not pictured here, that sleeps 4-5 people. Great reefs nearby for snorkeling. All the seafood you can eat.

Snug Harbour Island

Snug Harbour Island, Private Islands Online

Where: On Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Asking Price: $1,057,000
Acreage: 3
Developed

A two-hour drive from Toronto, this island features a two-bedroom, two-bath cottage with a glassed-in porch overlooking the water, a separate guest cabin with bathroom, hot tub built into the rock outcropping, and a boathouse with deep water mooring. Running water, electric, a septic field. And it has wireless Internet access. So you could get away from it all, but still check your e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

Watch Island

Watch Island, Private Islands Online

Place: St. Lawrence Seaway, near Clayton, NY
Asking Price: $1,950,000
Acreage: 1.3
Developed

There are 1,400 lakes in the Thousand Lakes region of upstate New York. But few of them come with a 6,500-square-foot mansion -- ten bedrooms, four bathrooms, plus a boat house and dock. About an hour-and-a-half drive from either Syracuse or Montreal.

Little Hog Cay

Little Hog Cay, Private Islands Online

Place: Near Abacos, Northern Bahamas
Asking Price: $1,950,000
Acreage: 25
Partially developed

Notice the lagoon that separates the west side of the island from the east. On the west side sits a studio home and a guest cabana with an electric generator. The east side is undeveloped. Marina and airstrip are a 15-minute boat ride away, on the main island of Abacos.

5 Cove Island

Place: Howe Sound, British Columbia, between Whistler and Vancouver
Asking Price: $2,950,000
Acreage: 5
Developed

A 30-minute boat ride from the city of Vancouver, this island is up for sale to developers, with an approved subdvision plan.

Source: Yahoo Realestate

Space Saving Furniture

2010-08-12T00:37:00.000-07:00

I have been browsing the net for modern furniture and came across this video about a furniture company offering multi purpose furniture. I took a look at the video and was amazed by how innovative and practical their designs were. Although most of there designs looks so simple it requires precision designing in order to achieve those multi functional furniture.

The furniture found in their catalog are very useful especially to those small apartments where space is limited. They have all sorts of furnishings ranging from sofa, beds, tables, and cabinets. It also helps organizes the interior and lessens the clutter in the interior space since the furniture has multiple purposes. Whats unique about their product is you can integrate the furniture in your designs and add it to the unique features in your interior. It also takes up very minimal space and are perfect to enhance the interior space since they are well designed and simple to use.

To check their product line kindly visit their website at:

www.resourcefurniture.com/

Exploring Action Scripts in Photoshop

2010-05-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been trying to cope up with the amount of photos I need to process. I enjoy shooting photographs but I am really lazy in doing the post processing of these photos.

When I take a shot at a scene I usually have something in mind that I want to achieve during post processing, the problem is I really don't have enough time to process each and every one of these photos.

Its a good thing that there are a lot of action scripts in photoshop to help me with the post processing. Even though I use the action scripts to make my work much faster I still do a lot of tweaking to achieve the end result that I want.

Here are some of the photos that I processed with the aid of action scripts

Cesz

Through The Window

Surreal Photographer

For more photos please visit my Photoblog

Exploring Black & White Photography

2010-03-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I posted something in this blog. A lot of things has happened the last few months that I didn't have the time to post somethings in my blog. Well I'm back now and I have been busy with my hobby.

Last week I attended a photo tour in the province and I had the opportunity to practice my love for street photography. Although I had a lot of good ideas while I was shooting the pictures I wasn't able to capture all my ideas on my cam. I'll just have to charge that to experience.

Well as my friend said to me, street photography needs a lot of practice and time to learn the tricks in capturing people without them noticing that they are being photographed. I'll try and go out more and practice on this.

Photographs of Carcar

2009-10-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I went on a photo tour with Zenia and Laurie to the southern part of Cebu. This was the first time I had the chance to use the new items I bought on Ebay. A lot of the pictures I took were blurred. I had to use manual focus cause I used a third party lens in this photo walk. Well I will just have to charge this to experience. Here are some of the photos I took.

I posted more photos on my Flikr account.

World's Strangest Monuments

2009-10-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Charge your camera batteries before visiting these monuments: You might need photographic evidence to prove that they’re not just a figment of your jet-lagged mind.

Saint Wenceslas Riding a Dead Horse
Prague

What It Commemorates: Saint Wenceslas, Bohemia’s patron saint.

What Makes It Strange: For almost 100 years—even during the dark days of Communist rule—the grand sculpture of Saint Wenceslas in Prague’s Wenceslas Square has been a source of national pride. But today, even the revered saint isn’t spared from the Czechs’ irreverent senses of humor. Sculptor David Cerny’s parody of the St. Wenceslas statue, hanging in the Lucerna Palace mere yards from the original, is of Wenceslas mounted atop the belly of a dead horse that’s been strung upside down.
Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue
Tsonjin Boldog, Mongolia

What It Commemorates: The infamous founder of the Mongolian Empire, known locally as Chinggis Khaan.

What Makes It Strange: The 131-foot-tall, 250-ton stainless steel statue, unveiled in 2008 and located an hour’s drive from Ulaanbaatar, is the world’s largest equestrian statue. Visitors can take an elevator to the viewing deck on the horse’s head and look out on the expansive Mongolian steppe. Until 20 years ago, Mongolia’s Communist government banned any celebration of the military leader, but in a surge of nationalism, Mongols have slapped his image and name on everything from an airport to a university and bottles of vodka. The statue is part of a planned theme park featuring nomadic lodging and restaurants serving horsemeat.

Duke of Wellington Statue Glasgow

What It Commemorates: Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and commander of the British forces that defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

What Makes It Strange: For the past 20 years, this innocuous statue—erected in 1844 on Glasgow’s Queen Street—has been a magnet for late-night pranksters, who scale the statue and top it with traffic cones. Locals argue that the cones are an integral part of the statue, as well as the city’s identity. The government doesn’t agree. City workers knock off the cones with a high-powered water jet, and police have threatened to prosecute the pranksters. But since the public has ignored these warnings, anyone caught putting cones on the Duke is simply told to move on.

Fengdu Ghost City Fengdu, China

What It Commemorates: This necropolis is modeled after the Chinese version of hell.

What Makes It Strange: During the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), two court officials named Yin and Wang moved to Mount Mingshan to obtain enlightenment. Combined, the surnames of this mystical pair sound like “King of Hell” in Chinese, and ever since, locals deemed this a gathering place for spirits. The Ghost City that developed is a complex of Buddhist and Taoist temples adorned with macabre demon statues dismembering humans as they guard the entrance to the netherworld. Landmarks bear frightening names, such as “Last Glance at Home Tower,” “Nothing-to-Be-Done Bridge,” and “Ghost Torturing Pass.” Ironically, the area is literally a ghost city now because of the massive Three Gorges Dam project, completed in 2009, which flooded the town and forced the region’s residents to relocate. Mount Mingshan is now a peninsula that is visited mostly by tourists on Yangtze River cruises.

Calder Mercury Fountain Barcelona

What It Commemorates: The siege of Almadén, one of the largest mercury mines in the world, by Franco’s troops during the Spanish Civil War.

What Makes It Strange: Keep your hands away from this one. Poisonous liquid mercury pours through a series of iron and aluminum troughs, splashes against a metal piece that sets a mobile in motion, and cascades into a circular pool of deadly metal. American sculptor Alexander Calder designed the fountain as an anti-fascist tribute for the Spanish Republican government for the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris (where it was displayed opposite Picasso’s Guernica). Calder eventually donated his fountain to the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, where it is encased behind glass.

Headington Shark
Headington, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

What It Commemorates: The dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

What Makes It Strange: Officially called Untitled 1986, the 25-foot-tall beast known commonly as the Headington Shark appears to have crashed headfirst through the roof of a quaint British home. House owner Bill Heine commissioned the work as a reaction to nuclear power and as an expression of someone “ripping a hole in their roof out of a sense of impotence and anger and desperation.” Made of metal, polyester resin, and plaster, among other things, the shark was originally viewed as an incongruous eyesore that the city council desperately tried to remove. Today it is accepted as a landmark.

Georgia Guidestones
Elberton, Georgia

What It Commemorates: The monument serves as a set of directions for rebuilding civilization after the apocalypse.

What Makes It Strange: Designed and commissioned by an anonymous group, the Georgia Guidestones consist of five 16-foot-tall granite slabs, arranged in a star-shaped pattern, that function as a compass, calendar, and clock (drawing comparisons to England’s Stonehenge). Some local Christians deem the creations the “Ten Commandments of the Antichrist” for their unsettling nature. (One guide reads, “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.”) The stones have their fans though, including covens of witches and Yoko Ono.

Memento Park
Budapest

What It Commemorates: Hungary’s Communist past.

What Makes It Strange: Most Eastern European countries ceremoniously destroyed Soviet-era relics once they gave occupying forces the boot. However, rather than demolish all vestiges of a painful past, the city of Budapest removed 42 statues from prominent locations and placed them in a suburban park. Statues of Lenin, Marx, and Engels are all displayed, along with the Boots, a 1-to-1 replica of the remainder of a 27-foot-tall Stalin statue that an angry crowd tore down in 1956.

Underwater Gallery
Grenada

What It Commemorates: Reef ecosystems.

What Makes It Strange: This series of sculptures in the clear, shallow waters off the coast of Grenada has one highly unusual characteristic: it is accessible only to divers (though it can also be viewed through glass-bottomed boats). Sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor created the works, a series of human figures in various groupings and settings, as the world’s first underwater sculpture park, which also serves as an artificial reef to promote conservation awareness.

By Lyndsey Matthews
Source: Yahoo Travel

Penthouse Interior Design

2009-08-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago we were commissioned to design the interior of a penthouse. The first problem we encountered was the penthouse was initially started by another contractor. Even though it was only minimal we were restricted by the initial layout of the interior.

Our first approach to the design solution was to find a way to adapt our design to the existing layout. We also wanted to achieve a design that would stand out from the rest of the building since the penthouse was to be used for private or special activities.

Although we were given an area to design on, the initial stage of developing the design was a bit hard cause we had no idea what spaces the client wanted in his penthouse besides the bar.

We had to figure out what the client desired for the rest of the area. The design process took quite some time and had some changes in some of the areas but we eventually finalized the design.

We are now currently working on the construction drawings of the bar. I will post some actual pictures ones the project is completed.

Gym Proposal

Lobby Proposal

Reliving My Love for Photography

2009-07-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been trying to revive my interest in photography. I used to love photography back in high school, my dad taught me how to use his old film SLR cam back then. I used to take a lot of pictures with different subjects. When my dad bought his first digital camera, I also stopped my hobby on taking pictures with the SLR camera.

My fascination in photography halted since I didn't have any means to buy and develop my films back then. What made me enjoy photography back then was the SLR camera. There are just a lot of difference between a point and shoot and a SLR. Asides from the obvious difference in the outcome of the pictures, there is just a different feeling in handling and taking pictures using a SLR camera.

When Zenia bought her Holga camera she asked me to accompany her in a photo excursion with our office mate. While we toured around the rural areas I watched my office mates taking shots with their DSLRs. They took pictures of different subjects and scenery with their DSLR, while I took some pictures with my cell camera. After our photo excursions I uploaded my shots in my computer and noticed my shots were not as good as the ones my friends took with their DSLR.

I was frustrated with the results since I might not be going back to that place for a very long time. I then recalled that my dad still had his old SLR cameras. I borrowed it from him and tested it out and found out it was still working perfectly. Although these were old film SLR camera the quality of the shots were good. Even though I had to spend on film and developing it, this would still be much cheaper than buying a DSLR camera.

Eventually I will buy myself a DSLR camera this december. As for now I will exploit my dads SLR cameras and learn the ropes before investing in a DSLR. I still have to prove to myself that this in not just a phase and that I would find time for this hobby and continue with this it for a long time.

Here are a couple of the shots I took with my film SLR.

Swithing to Open Source Programs

2009-04-13T01:37:00.001-07:00

Lately a lot of offices here in the Philippines have switched to open source programs to save on the cost of buying original programs. I did my research on some alternative open source software to their commercial counter part and found out that there are a lot of pretty good and efficient open source counterparts.

Here are some of the list of programs that I am currently using and their commercial counter parts.

Open Source: Blender
Commercial Counterpart: 3D Max

Open Source: DoubleCad
Commercial Counterpart: Autocad

Open Source: Gimpshop, Gimp
Commercial Counterpart: Adobe Photoshop

Open Source: Open Office
Commercial Counterpart: Microsoft Office

Open Source: Gantt Project, Open Project
Commercial Counterpart: MS Project

Open Source: Google Sketchup
Commercial Counterpart: 3D Max

There are a lot more open source programs available and I'm still trying out some of them. I'll post some updates after I finish testing them.

Check: www.osalt.com for more information on open source programs.

Greatest Music Artists of the 20th Century

2009-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

My interest in art has exposed me in a lot of different forms of art. As a young boy I went to school were art and music was part of our curriculum, which was a big influence in my passion for art and music.

Although I was fond of sketching and painting, music on the other hand wasn't my strong points. I had a hard time learning how to play the violin or being part of the school choir. Even though I loved listening to music, I just did not have any talent and patience to play any instrument.

As I became older my interest in music also grew. My choices of music was very diverse and I never really concentrated on a particular genre. I learned to appreciate music artists by their music and not their genre.

Lately I began to appreciate more some music which had stand the test of time. The artists who made these songs were truly exceptional for excelling in the art of music. These are the artist who would last for generations to come.

Here is my list of the 10 Greatest Music Artist which has influenced the music industry. I didn't arrange them accordingly because I think each one of the are great in their own way and every one of them has achieved incredible status in their own time and genre.

John Winston Lennon October 9, 1940 – December 8,1980 was an English rock musician, singer, and songwriter who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. Lennon along with Paul McCartney formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and "wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history". Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and biting wit in his music, on film, in books, and at press conferences and interviews. He was controversial through his work as a peace activist and artist. Read More
Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981 was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands: The Wailers (1964 – 1974) and Bob Marley & the Wailers (1974 – 1981). Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited for helping spread Jamaican music to the worldwide audience. Read More
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) (5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Queen (inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). As a performer, he was known for his vocal prowess and flamboyant performances. As a songwriter, he composed many international hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Don't Stop Me Now", "We Are the Champions" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Read More
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers". His professional career had stalled by the 1950s, but it was reborn in 1954 after he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Read More
James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. After initial success in Europe, he achieved fame in the United States following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. Read More
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977; middle name sometimes written Aron)a was an American singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" or "The King".

In 1954, Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular—and controversial as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice and had unusually wide success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he has been inducted into four music halls of fame. Read More
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995). Read More
Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16, 1958) is an American recording artist, dancer, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance. After performing as member of the pop musical groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her self-titled debut album in 1983, and then produced three consecutive number-one studio albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1980s and four more since year 2000. Read More
The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. They were born on the Isle of Man to English parents, lived in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England, United Kingdom and during their childhood years moved to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers. Their worldwide success came when they returned to the United Kingdom and signed with producer Robert Stigwood. Read More
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup. Stewart, deemed unsuitable as a teen idol, was removed from the official lineup in 1963 but continued to work with the band as road manager and keyboardist until his death in 1985. Read More

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Google Sketchup Tutorials

2009-03-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, my office mate introduced me to a 3D software developed by google. I was surprised by its versatility but was dismayed about the fact it didn't support some lighting plug ins back then.

I practiced on some of the online tutorials back then and found the program to be very user friendly. It only takes a couple of days for someone who has no background on 3d modeling to learn this program.

I never realized the true potential of the program until I saw most of my former classmates using the program in their renderings. As a matter of fact in my list of programs to learn, sketchup was at the bottom of it.

Lately I started using sketchup again. Its been a while since I last used the program and I needed to practice on it again. I'm relearning the things I've learned back then and discovering some new things along the way.

If your someone who is interested in learning 3D modeling and have no patience to go to school and study I suggest you learn this program and do some online tutorials to help you along the way. Its easy to use and a great tool to help you in your designs.

Here are a couple of links to some tutorials in sketchup:

Home in a Cave

2009-03-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

In the past pre historic man used caves as shelter. They were dependent on these natural shelters before they knew how to build their own shelter. Nowadays we no longer live in caves, we build cozy houses with all the basic amenities needed to make life better.
One family on the other hand decided to make a cave as their home. Unlike the prehistoric cave used by our ancestors, they made some improvements to the cave. If you take a look at it the house is quite big and it has a very spacious interior.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cave_home

Landscaping with a twist

2009-02-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've been working on sample renderings on landscaping projects in the past few weeks. Our online marketing at LazyAnimation has been asking me to make some sample renderings cause he has some potential clients who are asking us if we are capable of achieving landscape renderings. So I started looking for some pictures on some gardens and landscape on the net. I didn't have any idea what type of landscape I would model so I made a random search for landscape pictures.

I saw a lot of beautiful Japanese gardens which really caught my attention. Below is my attempt to produce a rendering of an existing Japanese garden. It still need a lot of improvement especially the texturing of the plants

I continued browsing for some photos on some aerial photos of parks on google and I saw this thumbnail picture of a surreal landscape. I opened the link and found a couple of interesting landscape pictures.

When I enlarged the pictures I was surprised to find out that the trees were actually broccoli. The artist made some great shots of the food that it made the broccoli look like large trees. After browsing through the photos I could finally imagine how an ant world looks like.

for more foodscape photos visit http://www.amazingincredible.com/

Inspiration for Designers Block

2009-01-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted in this blog. I've been busy with some projects lately and I just came back from a very long Christmas vacation. Right after I got back from my vacation, I was faced with a lot of deadlines at the office and some projects. I had to work twice as hard just to meet the deadlines in the office, but what bothered me most was the deadline for the design of one of our residential projects.

We only had a week left and my brother and I still haven't finalize our design proposal. What made things worst was I had a hard time coming up with a design maybe because I still had a hangover from my long vacation. No matter how hard I try to come up with a design I couldn't even come up with a concept.

So I looked for inspirations in the net, thankfully I bumped into this website which featured a lot of incredible designs which made my mind start to work again. This was probably one of the best website I saw as a good source for architectural designs. It features a lot of Architects and designers and showcases their design in their website. The site is actually a magazines website and what I really liked about their site is that it is very easy to browse it. Trendir is the brand of the magazine and it has a lot of valuable sources for design trends. Another website I frequently visit is Architectural Record website.

Thanks to these two websites I was able to come up with a design concept to present to the client. All I need to worry right now is to refine my design and think of the details for the design.

Sweet Chewy Art

2008-10-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

In order to appreciate good art I usually take into consideration a lot of things. It must be creative, unique, detailed and it must be something that not everyone could easily follow. The subjects for this inspiring sculptures astounded me very much not because it is created by someone who is a master of art but because it is truly unique in every way.

The material used for this sculptures can be bought from the supermarket or even from the street vendors. What made these sculptures unique is the pain staking method the sculptor went through to achieve very detailed models of object, animals or bust from a very unstable material.

This porcupine sculpture is one of the few models which really amazed me. I could not imagine myself attaching every single one of those spine to the whole model. I simply don't have the patience to do this and I also have very shaky hand. (thanks to my addiction to coffee)

This sculpture of a bear is even more intricate then the previous one. It must have taken the artist a month placing every single piece of fur to the sculpture.

If I were to create a gum art I would most probably pick a very simple subject. It would definitely be an egg or a rock.hehehe This is why I decided to write a post about this art cause I simply admire the creativity and patience of the artist to create such intricate pieces of art.

For more pictures of gum art visit: http://www.ebaumsworld.com/

House K Interior

2008-09-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I was commissioned to design an interior for an interior renovation of a house. I must admit the house was in such a bad condition my brother told me that the owner would be better off building a new house instead of salvaging that house. I would definitely agree with him if it wasn't for some of the areas of the house which I thought were still sturdy enough to retain. I saw a lot of potential of the house after we could apply some changes on the interior and exterior. I saw it as a challenge and began thinking of ways on how to restore and improve it to its former glory.

I had to find ways to adjust my designs according to the clients needs and taste. The most challenging part of this project was the total rearranging of spaces in the house. I had to change certain functions of some areas in the house in order to meet the desired results which the client wanted.

Although some restrictions from the client were not met, I some how convinced him that there were other alternative design solutions to achieve his wants. Some areas of the house were a bit too cramped and there were other areas which were too large.

Even though my clients original plan was to limit the changes on the existing walls, there was something missing in the original layout of the house. It did not have any dining area in it. The kitchen was also situated in a corner where it eats up a lot of space leaving no room for the dining area. The garage on the other hand was impractically large and comprised almost a third of the footprint of the house.

My solution was to balance the sizes of the spaces with regards to the house. Large areas such as the garage were divided to make room for the kitchen and dining area. Small bedrooms were merged to create a larger master bedroom.

The reuse of existing concrete structural walls and columns was vital to the design to maintain the structural integrity of the house. We are currently in making the construction drawings for the interior, the exterior of the house needs a lot of work. The non existence of any landscaping is due to the fact this house was used as a factory by the former owner. I still have a lot to improve on the exterior of the house and I will probably post some more photos on the future.

The Ice Hotels

2008-08-18T05:57:00.001-07:00

Whenever we speak of unique, innovative design what usually comes into mind are structures designed by famous architect such as Frank Ghery, Zaha Hadid, Thom Mayne or Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Their cutting edge designs represents what architecture has achieved in this period. Structures like the Guggenheim museum at bilbao or the birds nest stadium are exceptional achievements of both design and engineering standards.

Technology has been rapidly advancing that a lot of daring and bold designs are popping up all around the world. That is why when I first saw the Ice hotel back in college, I was shocked to see these masterpieces made purely of snow and ice, or a mixture of both which they call snice.
Most hotels are usually built to accommodate the growing number of tourists in a place. Ice hotels on the other hand are built to attract tourists and the same time accommodate them. Even before construction begins on the ice hotel, a lot of people have already made reservations on the unbuilt hotel. Its popularity has been growing since they began building Ice hoetls way back in 1989.

The concept of building a whole hotel made up of "snice" would definitely arouse curiosity in anybodies mind. The mere thought of staying inside structure made of ice, which also include most of its furnishing and fixtures, is like experiencing something which could be found on fairy tales. I would definitely consider these hotels as masterpieces on ice, its too bad though that these structures are only temporary and seasonal.

Patrick Blanc - Vertical Gardens

2008-08-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Going green has inspired me a lot lately. It made me re think about my approach towards architecture. After seeing a lot of stunning eco friendly designs, I was convinced that going green is the next step in achieving a truly efficient and modern building. The designs were exceptional and it took sustainability into consideration.

Cradle to Cradle - Coates Design Architects

The houses featured in The Unbuilt Houses of 2008 of architectural records web site really made me ponder how I could apply sustainability in my design or at least make part of my designs eco friendly.

San Vicente Residence - Pugh + Scarpa
The problem first dawned on me when I tried to design a house which would display and function as an green building. I struggled in applying these concepts in my designs but I never gave up on it. I continued my research regarding eco friendly designs and while I was browsing the net I saw this building with its wall covered with plants. I researched on the designer of the wall and found the name Patrick Blanc. He is a botanist who invented this whole new concept of vertical gardens.

After surfing through some of his works it was only then that I appreciated more the value of his invention. Asides from its aesthetic value it is also functional in the sense that it helps reduce pollution in the environment. I admire his pioneering approach in incorporating plants in enhancing structures. In some cases it becomes the focal point of the building. It is eye catching and yet to my observation the functionality of these vertical gardens surpasses its beauty. The essence of having plants on a structure is highly beneficial to the users and its surrounding environment.

It helps lessens both in air and noise pollution. The plants on the wall significantly reduces heat thus creating a natural insulation for the building. This is significant especially in tropical countries. The plants cooling effect would benefit the users of the building and its adjacent structures since it would lessen the effect of the heat emitted from concrete buildings.
Using plants to cover the surface of the wall is actually not a new technology. What made his invention unique is he was able to create art in using plants as a finish on a vertical wall. I hope in some of my future projects I'll be able to apply his techniques as a centerpiece to a building. This is truly a striking example of green architecture.

Proposed Restaurant and Internet Cafe

2008-08-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

This is a design proposal of a restaurant for my uncle and cousin. They are planning to begin construction within this year. This is the second proposal for this project because there was a lot of changes to the required spaces. Construction will be in three phases and will depend on the viability for the expansion.
This is the first phase of the project. I utilized the roof deck for an outdoor restaurant which can also be used as a restobar during the evening or as a function area for birthday party or for wedding receptions.

Office Interior

2008-07-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I was commissioned to design this office interior. Actually this is the office for the company where I am currently working. Unfortunately there were some problems with some papers and permits that the project is still pending until now.
I had some minor problems with the design for this interior since it is a renovation and I'm restricted with the existing layout of the building. I also had to think of some ways to adjust my design with the existing partition which the owner prefers to preserve.
So far I haven't finish the entire design because of the set backs with the project, but I was able to make a walk through animation for the areas that I have already designed.

Houses

2008-06-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a sample animation for Lazyanimation. These are some of the houses we modeled for our clients. For more details of our services visit www.lazyanimation.com

The Jubilee Church designed By Arch't Richard Meier

2008-06-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

While I was still a student in architecture I was more inclined to innovative designs which represents architecture today than traditional designs. I learned to appreciate these designs at an early stage in my studies. I was always searching for unique design solutions for different building types in architecture and during my thesis one structure which I stumbled during my research really drove me to think outside the box. It gave me a whole new perspective on the possibilities you can achieve if you won't restrict yourself with the norms in designing a structure.
The Jubilee Church designed by the world renowned Architect Richard Meier was a unique church in every aspects in its design. It veered of from the traditional way of church designs and managed to arrive at a magnificent design which was functional and which reflected on the core beliefs of the church. The beautiful use of natural lights enhances the ambiance of the interior. The absolute harmony of all the elements and concepts makes this church a masterpiece.

Below is an intricate animation done by Robert Angelis which will provide you a glimpse at this beautiful masterpiece.

Check out this animation of Spiderman, Iron man and Hulk.

2008-06-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

I just want to share this clipp that I saw in Youtube. Its really good...

3D Paper Models and Crafts

2008-06-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

I visited this blog which features some pretty neat paper models. There are some paper models which looks so realistic it really doesn't look anything like paper. The blog has a wide variety of models from simple to the super intricate I bet it really took a large chunk of his time doing it. I admire the patience of these people making those paper models, It really takes a lot of dedication, patience and love for it in order to finish those models. Here is one of my favorite paper model from his blog. For more pictures and projects on 3D paper Models visit his blog at papermodeluniverse.blogspot.com

Art from scrap metal

2008-06-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

While I was browsing for some pictures of artworks, I stumbled across this website which has some pretty unique art works. They make sculptures of popular characters using scrap metal. I know there is nothing new with this kind of art, but what really amazed me is the level of detail in their work.

I couldn't believe my eyes on the intricacy of their models. After seeing these it gave me a whole new perspective on how beautiful scrap can be. I never imagined that a bunch of bolts, screws and wire would look so cool in the hands of a creative and imaginative person. Here are some of there works that I really love. Just visit www.artfromsteel.com for a complete catalog of there work. Alien
Jango Fett the bounty hunter from star wars Predator Optimus Prime

Various Famous Architects Website

2008-06-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Though I am still new in the practice of architecture, I am very eager to learn and understand different styles and designs in architecture. I want to learn from the experts in our field and from many unique designs from the most successful architects in the world. I usually gather my inspirations from these architects which range from the simple yet stylish design to the extravagant out of this world designs. Here are some of the link to their websites.

Official Website:

10. David Adjaye

11. Jean Nouvel

12. David Chipperfield

13. Peter Eisenman

14. Steven Holl

15. Neil Denari

16. Peter Pran

17. Sandra Barclay & Jean Pierre Crousse

18. Tod Williams & Billie Tsien

23. Enric Miralles & Benedetta Tagliabue

24. Helmut Jahn

25. Richard Francis-Jones, Jeff Morehen & Richard Thorp

30. Foreign Office Architects

31. Office for Metropolitan Architecture

32. Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects

33. Greg Lynn Form

34. Einar Jarmund & Hakon Vigsnaes Architect

35. Kenzo Tange Associates

36. Kristin Jarmund Architects

37. Fumihiko Maki

38. Mecanoo

39. Noero Wolff Architects

40. NOX

41. Skidmore Owings and Merill

42. Renzo Piano

43. Raj Rewal

44. Shop Architects

45. Scott Tallon Walker Architects

46. Studio Granada Architects

47. Venturi Scott Brown and Associates Architecture

48. Waro Kishi Associates

49. Wilkinson Eyre

50. NBBJ

51. Daniel Libeskind

52. Tadao Ando - Unofficial Site

Minimalist House

2008-05-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to design a house of my own, even when I was still a student in architecture. I always wanted to design a house which is perfect for me. Zenia on the other always told me that she already visualized her dream house. She told me that she was more into minimalist design and that she wanted some plants or garden inside her house.
One morning while I was sketching some drawing I somehow got a stroke of inspiration on a design of a house. I suddenly visualized a house with pocket gardens inside it. I started sketching out the basic design of the house and As soon as I reached the office I made a model of it. Little did I know that my design also fits Zenia's concept of her ideal house. I continued to develop the design and here are the results.

Free 3D Models

2008-05-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

If ever your searching for 3D models cars and trees for your exterior architectural renderings or for furniture and appliances for your interior renderings, I suggest you visit these sites they have a wide array of free 3d models.
http://archive3d.net/ - a large archive 3D models. Models are categorized according to type and brand.
http://www.archibase.net/ - a large archive 3D models. Models are categorized according to type and brand.
http://www.3dxtras.com - limited to 15 downloads per member
http://www.fritzhansen.com/chairs - a furniture company which offer free 3d models of their products
http://www.creative-3d.net/free3D.cfm
http://modelsbank.3dm3.com/
http://gfx-3d-model.blogspot.com/ - I visited his blog and I really found a lot of good quality models in this blog. I really like his cars and architecture collections.

Grass Tutorial Using Vray Fur for 3Dmax

2008-05-25T03:44:00.001-07:00

In order to use this tutorial you should have VRay plug-in installed

1. First thing you should do is make a plane about 4m x 4m for your vray fur
2. You then go to create menu>geometry>vray

3. the vray submenu will then appear.
4. click VRayFur and you should see something like this

5. adjust the values of the highlighted portions accordingly

6. Hit render. You should see a result like this.

7. Apply some grass materials to the VRay Fur and plane

8. Hit render. There you have it a grass using VRay Fur.

Just some minor notes:
1. If ever your using a larger plane for your grass add a 1M subdivision to your plane.
2. You cant use uvw maps on Vray fur.

Green Architecture

2008-05-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

After watching the inconvenient truth on HBO I saw how fragile our environment is right now. I made a promise to myself that I would be part of the solution and would do my part in my everyday life. Last week I saw an episode by national geographic channel showing environmentally friendly buildings. I realized even in my profession I can help save the environment.
That episode inspired me to be an advocate of environmentally friendly designs. If all countries of the world would follow the example set by the state of chicago in US. They made a choice to embrace green designs of their city hall. Not only did it improve the aesthetics of their roof deck. In a way it also improved the value of the adjacent office spaces from the roof garden. They were also able to lessen there over all maintenance cost for the air conditioning of their building. This is one example of how designing environmentally friendly building can be beneficial and at the same time aesthetically sound.
Another amazing environmentally friendly structure I remembered was the Commerzbank on Frankfurt, Germany. This amazing tower was designed by Pritzker prize awardee Architect Lord Norman Foster. This tower was unique since the it had nine large sky gardens on different levels. It is also designed to take advantage of natural lighting and air circulation. The sky gardens integrated in the design of the tower enhances the beauty of the tower and offers the users of the building a spectacular view of the sky gardens. This tower is a perfect example of a successful eco friendly designed structure. It reminds me of a modern hanging garden which is both beautiful and functional.
It is obvious that environmental friendly designs is the future of architecture. The world is slowly recognizing the importance and benefits in embracing this movement. All around the world architects are incorporating green architecture into there designs. It is always a win win situation since as an architect you will be able to create innovative designs and at the same time you will be saving the environment.

Culture in Architecture

2008-05-20T18:52:00.004-07:00

Whenever I pass by a new building I always wonder what was the concept of the architect for the building or what was his intention for coming up with such design. Whether its a good or mediocre design I always ponder what the effect of culture is with regards to their design.
I must admit that here in the Philippines we are way behind in terms of building technology. One of the reasons for that is our culture is not that receptive to change. We are still stuck on what most filipinos call the "traditional way" of doing things, I call this the old method of doing things. People here fail to realize their misconceptions with regards to new technology.
They fail to see the big picture which is new methods of construction are more efficient than the "traditional way". Even with this strong resistance from the majority of our society I am glad to say that there are still some who go against the flow.
There are some architects who are also going against the traditional way of designing and some of the Philippine architects whose works I personally admire are Architect Alexius Medalla and Architect Ed Calma. Their designs are edgy and revolutionizing architectural designing here in the philippines.

My Portfolio

2008-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'm planning to print my portfolio within this summer, I just need to finalize the write ups. Here is the link for my portfolio. I uploaded it on my other blog, I didn't transfer it here since there are a lot of images. Hope you'll drop by and take a look at it.

Photo Mosaic

2008-05-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

One disadvantage of having a zenia work for a media based company is that she is very hard to please regarding graphic art. When I was still dating zenia I gave her a photo mosaic of her made up of flowers and to my surprise she didn't reacted on my present. Her response was just a simple "hmmmm ok, you can do this on photoshop". What she didn't realize was that what I gave her could not be achieved with photo shop. I used a Phototile for that specific art.
The downside for that program was that I had to download a lot of picture just to make the mosaic a bit clearer. I had to look for different colors of flowers to give a more precise match for the tiled image. The good thing about it is that you are able to tweak and adjust the tiling so that you get the results you want.
I tried many other programs which advertise that they can produce photo mosaic, but none of the programs I tried were as good as this. It was either their programs were to complicated to use or it was to simple which didn't allow me to tweak some stuffs. Anyway if ever your interested on learning how to make photo mosaics. I suggest you try phototile, it has a free trial.

A simple geomtrical house

2008-05-12T19:49:00.001-07:00

When I started working for lazyanimation I wanted to update the samples for the website. Here is one of the samples I made and designed for our office.

Front View

Rear View

Interior View

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

2008-05-12T04:23:00.000-07:00

Ever heard the song "If" from bread. That song inspired me to make a simple digital art for Zenia. I was trying to crack my head on what to give her for her birthday. I wanted to give her something that was unique and which was made by myself. Something that I exerted my effort on. Thats when i got that idea of making a picture of her made out of a thousand words. The words i used were for the pictures were from her blogs. I realized that there was no other way of portraying her other than by her own work and words. Anyway here is the end result:

MK Office Renovation

2008-05-12T04:16:00.000-07:00

This is my proposal for the renovation for our new office. I designed and rendered this, I still need to do some correction though. Anyway I'll do the changes once i have the time for it. This is the lobby and reception area for the office.