I love the industrial elegance of this work. by Reno, Nevada based Hawkins & Associates.

The image at the top isn’t one of the best design images, ut it does include one of my favorite details; the choice/use of an overhead garage door opening up a living space to the outdoors. Probably only in the best of climates or seasonal homes.

I like the bold use of color on these (I assume) multi-family condo units. There is a nice streetscape, a human sense of scale and neighborhood and the intersecting planes make for a pleasant design composition.

I have often wondered why we don’t see more of this type of sensative development. Does color cost more? Not so much in my experience. It appears that like the Brutalists, this architect is using the structural planes as decor, so again, not so much in any additional investment by the developer or government entity.

I have lived in an ‘artistic’ community for 20 years. We have many architects and I consider them artitsts. Feel free to flame. Not all ‘artists’ are actually artists. For years any local architecture has been banal at best, for the most part. Dwell magazine, before it went mainstreeam featured many communities similar to the one above built in Europe. Attractive, energy efficient.

I continue to wonder why we cannot do this here.

One more image, one that I find most striking. Appers to be beautiful craftsman style post and beam construction with the industrial details of concrete block bearing walls and iron or iron/wire rope detail. Warm and functional with gereat light coming through the clerestory.

Check out the eye candy post where I discovered this firm.