Season's Greetings

Proposed New Gatehouse: ME Estate, Pretoria (dg architects)



Proposed Refurbishment

Adding a new solar screen and in the process a living breathing "lung".

 

"Grow-Wall"/lung concept section

 

 

 

 

Southdowns College, Irene

Project I Private College (Centurus Colleges)
Client I Centurus (Pty)Ltd
Architect I dg architects

Professional Team
Quantity Surveyor I LWA
Civil & Structural Engineering I Civil Concepts
Electrical Engineering I Plantech & Associates
Project Management I P3 Projects

Main Contractor I BoogertmanSmit & LC Projects

Tyger Valley College

Project I Private College (Centurus Colleges)
Client I Centurus (Pty)Ltd
Architect I dg architects

Professional Team
Quantity Surveyor I LWA
Civil & Structural Engineering I Civil Concepts
Electrical Engineering I Plantech & Associates
Project Management I P3 Projects

Main Contractor I LC Projects

Project I Private Residence, 2010
Architects I dg architects
Contractor I BPT Construction

Original article published in SA Home Owner I March 201
(Photography by Karl Rodgers)

Ampath Laboratory: Centurion

Project I Ampath NRL, Centurion Pretoria

Client I Ampath Trust

Architect & Principal Agent I dg architects

 

Professional Team

Quantity Surveyor I Davis Langdon (AECOM company)

Civil & Structural Engineering I Aurecon

Wet Services & Fire Safety I Aurecon

Mechanical Engineering I Whirlair

Electrical Engineering I Plantech

 

Contractor

LC Projects/Geneprop

 

 

 

 

Open Letter: representatives and citizens of Vietnam and China

SHOCKING and appalling, the audacity...."poachers fighting back"

An Open Letter to representatives and citizens of Vietnam and China   

On Saturday the 6^th of October, a group of us were walking the Olifants Trail in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. At about 07h15, we came across an adult white rhino cow, killed and dehorned.

We were told to keep our distance, as the poachers are ”fighting back” and booby trap the carcasses with Chinese hand grenades.

Being exposed to the subject of rhino poaching via the media, is upsetting, disturbing and angering. Seeing two tons of dead rhino first hand, is soul numbing, followed by uncontrollable rage and abject impotence . Blaming, catching or killing poachers is pointless -  there are simply thousands of desperate hungry wannabe poachers waiting to replace them. Throw in corrupt officials from SANparks employees, right through to the police and customs departments, and an unsolvable problem has arisen. The horns are simply too valuable.  The problem cannot be solved by force, policing or security measures.

Without you, the end user, this situation would not have arisen. You are the problem. Believing in the medicinal and aphrodisiac properties of a lump of compressed hair, is historically and genetically imprinted in your psyche – education over a period of generations might address this, but before then, you would have been the cause of the demise of the species.

Hopefully the authorities will allow captive breeding and harvesting of horns. Sure, it’s kind of infra dig, but at least poaching will be less attractive, ignorant Vietnamese and Chinese consumers will have a lump of useless hair, and the Rhino might stand a chance of survival. This is a desperate call for you to educate your people – before it’s too late.

Sure, it’s a pointless exercise, but I got it off my chest.

 

Sieg de Beer

 

4 days to Practical Completion

With an extension of time granted the new Practical Completion date is set for the 12th of October 2012.

Arcade Entrance - South

Norther Facade

Lift Lobby

Lake View from the Gautrain

 

 

Basic drawing skills Workshop

Thanks to all who have confirmed their attendance. Due to the overwhelming interest a second date will be set and made available.

Looking forward to a great day.


http://www.art-life-architecture.blogspot.com/

Vintage Series

Mono prints - ink on glass (Shawn Scriven)

 

 

 

 

Volg die skape...



Volg die skape...

Lake View...2 weeks to go!

With only two weeks remaining on the contract the pressure (and excitement) has reached boiling point on site.

http://www.art-life-architecture.blogspot.com/

Transformation

Breathing new life into a dark, cold and sun deprived living space.

"Before"

"After" (intervention - dg architects)

Lake View Progress (dg architects)

Art Classes

Explore and develop your creativity on "the other side" and celebrate self expression through the art of drawing. Practical instruction in the basics of drawing,  technique development and creative problem solving.

"The Other Side" offers instruction in mediums such as Pencil, Pen & Ink and Charcoal. Printmaking workshops and portfolio assistance/tutoring available on request. No formal training or prior training required to join a class.

Session availability varies. Please fee free to contact the studio at:
studiotheotherside@gmail.com

Street Art

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Resilience

Mono Print - Shawn Scriven

Resilience (Wikipedia):
"...the ability of a material to absorb energy when it is deformed elastically, and release that energy upon unloading..."

Resilience (Psycology Today):
"...that ineffable quality that alows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever."

VAWT - Zoetrope the "weel of life"

How ancient art inspires contemporary technology...

Researching alternative energy technology and a reduction in the carbon footprint of buildings, I came across a site offering an "open source" wind turbine by Applied Sciences. Not only open source (available to all ) but based on an invention, the zoetrope, created in China around 180AD.

Wikipedia describes a zoetrope as:
"a device that produces the illusion of motion from a rapid succession of static pictures. The term zoetrope is from the Greek words ζωή (zoe), meaning "alive, active", and τροπή (trope), meaning "turn", with "zoetrope" taken to mean "active turn" or "wheel of life".

The zoetrope consists of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. On the inner surface of the cylinder is a band with images from a set of sequenced pictures. As the cylinder spins, the user looks through the slits at the pictures across. The scanning of the slits keeps the pictures from simply blurring together, and the user sees a rapid succession of images, producing the illusion of motion."


 
The VAWT or Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine is based on this ancient invention. Download the construction guide, dot it yourself, reduce your carbon footprint and become part of the self sustainable revolution.





Image by:

© Melis82 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

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Colouring Winter to Summer

Imagine a world without colour. Black and White...grey scales pixelate to a distorted blur. Our reaction to colour is instantaneous and filled with emotion. It has long been recognised that colour effects mood, feelings and emotions. Winter is finally drawing to an end and noticeable changes are visible in our landscape. The dawn of spring brings new life and signifies the end of winter (often associated with sombreness).

"Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment." Claude Monet

Now then the time to hall out the old paintbrush and add a splash of colour to energise and motivate. The addition of colour in the smallest shape or size not only changes the perceived feeling of a space but adds depth and impacts the onlookers' state of mind.  

Our experience of colour or perception thereof (how subjective it might be) is deeply rooted in our visual exposure to culture and individual experiences. Colour and smell tend to be two of the strongest associations we as humans make with memories of past occurrences (good and bad). Colour therefore becomes an expression of the self and why not express yourself with the endless possibilities of colour.

When selecting your pallet, natural colours and darker tones ground a space while accent is achieved by adding highlights. Bold uncomplicated colours require a simple and often white base. If large coloured surfaces are to extreme and daring, adopt a "white-box" approach with a dash of colour in small amounts by means of art or loose objects.

A word of advice from Dr. L. Anitha:
Colours in the red area of the colour spectrum are known as warm colours and include red, orange and yellow. These warm colours evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.
Colours on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colours and include blue, purple and green. These colours are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.
Posted 10th March http://anithapsychotherapist.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-is-colour-such-powerful-force-in-our.html#!/2012/03/why-is-color-such-powerful-force-in-our.html


"Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment." Claude Monet  

Image courtesy: © Mrclauds | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
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Lake View (progress update)

Norther Facade progress. (a dg architects project)

Retrofit Concept Design

Retrofit concept design for old downtown office
building. Reviving the old and adding new life
to the city.

The Cold and Gluhwein!

Gluhwein and a real log fire...I never thought I'd say...its snowing in Pretoria!

Decided to share a great Gluhwein recipe:

* Bottle dark heavy red wine
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 3 cloves
* Rind of half an orange
* Juice of half the orange

Slowly bring to boil, simmer, remove from heat and pour. TIP...first place a metal/stainless spoon in glass before pouring hot liquid in glass.

ENJOY!
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Image courtesy: © Edisaacs | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Lessons form other.

Is it that there might be something to learn...even in our South African context?

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/james_howard_kunstler_dissects_suburbia.html

(Disposition of) Services Planning

Excavate, layer work, stabilise, black-top surfacing, kerbing, power, traffic signals (8 of) and road marking........Traffic signal intersection complete at approximately R 2,3 million. The finest in traffic engineering and road construction for ease of traffic flow and user comfort!

Nine out of ten times this pleasure is short lived and the unthinkable happens. Within a week or two (or three);
flagman slow traffic, orange cones appear, signs reroute traffic (normally from two lanes to one...in oncoming traffic), industrial cutters run across the road and mighty jackhammers pound away at the new tar surface.

A week later two sleeves (a tube that surrounds and protects, allows a cable or pipe to be drawn through...) are installed, back filled and the trench compacted.

A sigh of relieve, traffic flow is re-established, however bumpy but bliss....days later the unthinkable is repeated. This time to fill the hollowed out trench to its former glory (or not).


Considering all, would it - could it not have been done during construction? I recall a statement made by one of my senior lecturers during my 3rd year: "...sleeves cost relatively little to install, so make sure you detail and specify sufficient not only for current requirements, but for future use".

The cost of a 110dia sleeve is approximately R 100 per meter installed (compared to the R 2,3mil). There is no need to know the future, to guess that additional/new services might cross the road...assume that additional services will be required (and will cross the road) and provide additional sleeves. WHY can this not be included as part of planning and construction? Is planning, on a very basic level, not defined by taking cognisance of the future?

Image courtesy:

© Thanatonautii | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Refurbishing the Past (Update): Lake View, Centurion



A dg architects project



Chocolate...sweet chocolate

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