Pierce Arrow Factory Complex Building “K”

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Historic and current photograph, rough sketches and preliminary color palette for Pierce Arrow Factory Complex Building “K” Have you driven the former Pierce Arrow Factory Complex at the corner of Great Arrow and Elmwood Avenue? Great things are happening and we are excited to be a part of the project team for a little known, 9000 sf, 2-story building, referred to in historic documents as building “K”,  that sits between the former Administration Building to the south and Garage Building to the north. The following is a bit of history… 1711 Elmwood Avenue, also known as Building K, is located in […]

Set Design

Posted on Posted in Architecture, Design, Spaces

During a recent tour of the National Theatre in London with the University of Syracuse School of Architecture we were fortunate to view this amazing space, one of many utilized for set design. The building houses three separate theaters. We learned a portion of the stage in the main auditorium, The Olivier Theatre, is circular and split in two allowing it to rotate 5-stories below the stage and quickly rotates back in place for seamless set changes.

Mass MoCA

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If you are visiting the Berkshires in Massachusetts be sure to stop at Mass MoCA to see the new Phase 3 exhibition space in Building 6. You will enjoy the look and feel of the new space as you wander through the wonderful exhibitions. The piece shown here is Untitled (2012) by Anish Kapoor it is said to turn the familiar “unfamiliar and strange”.

Dix-Sept Onze

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It has been many years since I watched the movie DIVA, but I have always remembered the character Alba roller skating in a very cool industrial loft space. That was when I owned a pair of roller blades, however I had not mastered the art of stopping. Watching the movie, I thought how great it would be to rollerblade within the confines of a spacious loft space and not worry about hills, curves and other obstacles. Hold that thought. My husband and I own a small summer car that we have been storing in a friend’s garage on Grand Island […]

A very long plan !

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You have goals to reach, activities to achieve and need a work environment to sustain the momentum. Workplace environments should be creative, efficient, functional, safe and productive, supporting your future vision. A workplace revolves around the tasks needed to be accomplished each day. ARIG will plan your space logically and simply with extreme functionality.

Chihuly

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Victoria + Albert Rotunda Chandelier viewed during my first trip to London and the V+A Museum. I should clarify this, I visited London briefly a very long time ago and I do not recall much except the hovercraft ride from the White Cliffs of Dover that brought me to Paris for the first of many visits. It is a beautiful sculpture, but reading more about it revealed the obvious, it is a challenge to clean.

Personal Space

Posted on Posted in Blog, Furniture, Spaces

A discussion I had yesterday with a colleague of mine about the “office of the future” brought back memories of the Fisher Price Team Building project that I was fortunate to have been involved in way back in 1993. The project team consisted of the Architect, Construction Manager, Owner and Furniture Dealer. At the time I headed up the Design Department for the Furniture Dealer and we were charged with planning the interiors for this truly innovative building.As part of the initial research and planning we mocked up a team area for the Juvenile Products Team. Part of the plan […]

12 Ton Birds

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Weighing in at 12 tons each, this male and female Phoenix duo was conceived by the talented Chinese artist Xu Bing. The Phoenix Project is on display in a football field size exhibition space at MASS MoCA’s Building 5 through October 27, 2013. You will be awestruck when you enter this room. On closer inspection of the parts and pieces used to create these creatures, you will enjoy identifying components that were salvaged from urban construction sites in China. These giant birds are illuminated with tiny LED lights and create a breathtaking sight at sundown. Note the welder’s masks in […]

Illuminating Fashion

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When I passed by this shop early in the day my eye was originally drawn to the jacket with the red collar and cuffs. I took a double take later that evening on the way to dinner.  The illuminated dresses provide the only lighting for this shop at night highlighting the sheer, delicate nature of the fabrics. This creative, whimsical display takes on a completely different look at night than by day. The shop can be found on the Rue Christine in Paris, France.  

The AGO, Frank & Evan

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The AGO has changed significantly since our last visit, which was prior to the 2008 completion of the Frank Gehry designed “Transformation“. The goal of this renovation appears to have been to unify the exterior, expand the gallery space and improve the visitor experience. This includes a dramatically designed new entrance and facade combining wood and glass elements and materials that continue as you venture through the renovated interior spaces. The first stop was lunch at Frank with a stroll after through the AGO Gift Shop before taking in the exhibits. EVAN PENNY: RE FIGURED is showing until February 10th, extended from the original […]