The Barashi Queen Anne by Elemental Architecture is a residential project. This residence specifically I was interested in because the design maximizes the use of space. Also the use of large windows although for natural to light to pour through the home from every angle. Instead being built in a traditional way everything from the shape of the building to its color promotes a very modern lifestyle.
This townhome by Elemental Architecture called the Dakota Townhomes is another example of how they maximize the space allotted by building up rather than out. This project because although at a first glance the structure looks like an office building it’s a multi-family home. The use of large windows places an emphasis on natural lighting and at the same time the shape of the building offers privacy from the neighbors. The use of the rooftop as a deck provides a traditional home feature to a not so traditional home.
The Marrowstone Cabin is another residential project by Elemental Architecture is. It is a very a simple building that places more focus on the surrounding landscape. I thought this small cabin was interesting because when you here the word cabin most would instantly picture heavy logs. This cabin is a modern style that would attract those who are stuck in the mindset that a cabin has to be a dark wooden fort secluded in forest or mountaintops. The using the large windows in this small project seems to place more emphasis on looking out to enjoy the scenery than creating and opportunity for the flow of natural lighting.
The Genesee Townhome created by Elemental Architecture was an interesting building because the shape of building creates and effect that makes it seem large than what it is. This multi-family house features a large rectangular editions on the exterior that are simply to satisfy a response much like a art work in a gallery or museum. The colors used also help to add to the concept of contrast in this building. The large windows and block feature of the structure, which seems to be a trademark of Elemental, maximize the how much natural light is allowed to come in which may also be an additional effect that seems to make this building seem like much more than it its.
In 2014 I was lucky enough to get picked to go to Dubai, UAE and perform customs inspections on military equipment being shipped back to the United States as apart of the retrograde from Afghanistan. Since there were only six of us that were picked we took full advantage of the location we were in; we were allowed to be tourists when we weren’t working so we saw as much as we could while we were there. I remember this trip the most because the port was shutdown so we all go to go down to the Burj. It was pretty exciting being in the worlds tallest building we took in the sites, hit the mall and the beach still one of the best times I can remember.
In 2015, I went to Aqaba, Jordan as part of military training exercise. During our last week in country we were given the opportunity to visit the city of Petra. What I remember most about this trip was that I didn’t really care where we were going it was break from our regular operational tempo. When we got there it was really interesting to learn that people travel from all over the country to visit The Great Temple and Monastery which both are very sacred places to the region. We rode donkeys and tried a lot of great food but it was a lot of walking from site to site. The visit to this historical place turned out to be an awesome trip and helped me to get a some what of better understanding of the people and just how important religion truly is there.
In 2011 I was stationed in Japan and had the opportunity to visit the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima Japan. Many people don’t get these opportunities so my wife, girlfriend at the time, decided to make a day out of it. We went to the Peace Memorial Museum for a few hours before goin to park. Being able to stand at a site where an Atomic Bomb was dropped and getting to see a building that survived the blast is something never forget. I think what I remember most after standing and looking at the Dome were the locals who camp out beside it with pictures of family members born with birth defects or even worse relatives who died from the dropping of the bomb. Although we heard a lot of sad stories and learned a lot we never knew we shocked to find out that Pearl Harbor , the attacks that ignited this American response, is not taught in schools or mentioned anywhere in that museum. The pictures I included are a couple I took that day it was cloudy and rainy which matched the mood the of the park kind of gloomy but very interesting.
The Willis Tower formerly known as the Sears Tower is tallest building in Chicago. Although I had seen this building my whole life my first time actually going here wasn’t until I was 24. My wife was visiting Chicago to meet my family for the first time and we went on date downtown. What made this visit so special was that it was both our first times being there and we got to experience the Skydeck together. The Skydeck was is glass balcony on the 103rd floor that extends about 4 feet from the edge of the building which makes you feel like your floating above the city. That was eight years ago and we still talk about how much fun it was.
