Veritas et Venustas"Renewing Tradition for the 21st Century." Keywords: architecture, urbanism, classical architecture, traditional urbanism, New Urbanism, Classical Liberalism, ProgressivismThe Power of Art (DVDs on Oscar night)- February 26, 2007 We're in Kansas (from Infamous) MOVIES have the power to transport us, sometimes almost literally. More than once at the end of a Woody Allen or Fred Astaire movie when the lights go up I've been startled to find myself surrounded by foreigners in London or Paris, because I think...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/the_power_of_ar.html PC & NU- February 25, 2007 OVER on the Urbanists internet list, there's been a long discussion about the Harvard faculty censuring (former) Harvard President Larry Summers, who was later forced to resign. This led to a discussion on political correctness, and what role it plays in the Academy. Marxism is dead everywhere but in academia...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/pc_nu.html The future of one of our greatest cities ...- February 21, 2007 UPDATE: After the Mississippi charrette, I thought I might move to New Orleans, and said so to several people involved in the rebuilding. It was a great city, and it needs our help. But in the Gentilly charrette, I was so put off by the blatant selfishness and corruption of...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/the_future_of_o.html NU: The Newest Killer App- February 12, 2007 "Save the Children, Save the World." THE KATRINA COTTAGES were probably the most successful New Urban idea so far, now funded by hundreds of millions of dollars of Federal money and sold at Lowe's. Next up: the Learning Cottages. Download LearningCottages.pdf. More links here.http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/nu_the_newest_k.html NY: Out of the mouths of neighbs- February 12, 2007 From Block, a Brooklyn publication from Brooklyn artists: To a passerby, the architectural refinements of the new Williamsburg buildings seem nice but are oddly unsettling. The forms of the buildings are thin and counterintuitive reflecting the impermanence and casualness of their construction. The rigor and clarity of the industrial age...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/out_of_the_mout.html Coincidence- February 11, 2007 ON my way to an appointment at the University of Chicago, I saw a good parking space, pulled over and parked. Looking up, I found Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House directly across the street, not more than 40 feet away. I hadn't even known it was there. I happily took...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/coincidence.html Travel: Saving LOTS of money- February 11, 2007 was just in Palm Beach with people who like to spend a lot of money. I like good hotels, but I like a bargain too. So I've been happy to find out recently how much money I can save with Priceline and hotwire.com. Here's what I do: Go to hotwire.com...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/travel_saving_l.html Pitchers & Catchers Report in 10 TWO Days!- February 11, 2007 BACK in South Bend, it's -2, and the high for most of the week is barely above 15. The windshield washer fluid I bought down south has been frozen for 3 weeks, and there's no relief in sight. So it's very nice to know major leaguers will soon be throwing...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/pitchers_catche.html WOW, a new glass condo building for Manhattan - How'd they think of THAT- February 2, 2007 Asymptote's approach primarily emerged from a serge for an apropos musical assembly of glass and geometry whereby a play of reflections, atmosphere and surface produce an enveloped of effects that would weld the disparities of brick, ornament and stoops with glass, smoothness and constant plays of surface and space, resulting...http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/2007/02/wow_a_new_glass.html |