On this beautiful day on the bayou, the full-height windows are being installed. I can’t wait to see these rooms once the project is finished. The natural light in each of the rooms—and the views to the pool—should be awesome.
In January 2019, we took a short, three-day trip to Mexico City. I was with non-architects, and so after a taco walking tour, they obliged me and came with me to the home & studio of one of my favorite architects, Luis Barragan. Barragan won the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor, in 1980. I believe Barragan is the only Mexican architect to win the prize.
Modernism is often thought of as being cold and sterile. Barragan’s work shows us THAT IS NOT TRUE! His use of light, color and texture are an inspiration. The architecture and furnishings are spare, but the experience is rich. This day, and especially Barragan’s home was my architectural experience of 2019.
The summer of 2017, I had just one afternoon and evening Barcelona. We rode bikes through town, which is always a fun way to see and feel a city. We stopped at as many of the classics as possible. First stop was Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion. It’s such a simple plan, yet so much is achieved with planes and changes in material.
Next was a ride-by of several of Antoni Gaudi’s works: La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, and Casa Batllo. We were short on time, so we didn’t go in any of them. But it was such a treat to see so many buildings I have studied and seen in books. To experience and understand them in their urban context was a treat. Also, to ride bikes through Barcelona on a beautiful summer evening. . .In sum, this day was my architectural experience of 2017.
