Every Valentine’s Day, people in the US exchange 141 million Valentine’s Day cards, give 189 million roses, and shell out over $1 billion on chocolate. That’s a whole lot of tokens of affection, and unfortunately, a whole lot of unoriginality. Is your sweetheart one of millions, or one in a million? Doesn’t he or she deserve something special this year? Not to worry: we’ve compiled some gift ideas for you from stores and artists that are local to Houston. Your gift will be as unique as your relationship, and your sweetie will find your support of local business extremely attractive. It’s a win-win situation. So, without further ado, here’s our handy Valentine’s Day shopping guide:
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450-square-foot apartment in Westmoreland Place, Photos by Chris Nguyen
Yesterday, a Houston apartment won best “tiny” after four rounds of voting on the popular website Apartment Therapy. The 450-square-foot entry by Chris Nguyen also took the United States grand prize out of 165 featured places and 500 submissions. What did Nguyen say inspired his design? “The opposite of everything in Texas.”
The tech-savvy layout uses a $50 Ikea roller blind as both a room separator and two-sided projection screen.
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Michael Garman's "TBL," all photographs courtesy Michael Garman
Well over a year has passed since designer Michael Garman’s “BNCH” was recognized as the “Best Prototype” at Toronto’s 2009 International Design Fair, as chronicled in Cite 80, and although he steadfastly continues to work in his Woodlands studio and his chosen medium of plywood, his design concept continues to evolve. Plywood, a weeklong exhibition ending on Saturday, April 30 at Canal Street Gallery, features Garman’s familiar repertoire of ONE3CREATIVE designs, such as the angular “ZZZZ” bed and “BLOK” stool, but the majority of work on display indicates an artist unwilling to rest on his laurels.
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“I came home with a high fever; my ears still hurt. Just from the noise — a ringing in my ears. It is very toxic. But it’s Houston.”
Jenny Lynn Weitz-Amaré Cartwright is describing the after effects of Sunday’s Furniture Sale on North Freeway (announced last week on OffCite), a daylong event at the abandoned Landmark Chevrolet dealership on Interstate 45. Presented by wacdesignstudio, which consists of husband-wife team Scott Cartwright and Jenny Lynn, the guerilla retail event launched the studio’s first furniture line, designed and fabricated with an attention to the modesty of scale, materials, and production.
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Scott Cartwright and Jenny Lynn Weitz-Amare Cartwright showcase their first furniture line. [Photo courtesy wacdesignstudio]
In January, the New York Times reported that employment at US architecture firms had dropped from its July 2009 peak at 224,500 to 184,600 by November. Commercial development has ground to a halt, the big car manufacturers have pulled the plug on many dealerships, and a number of big box stores have closed. As an article by Susan Rogers in the next issue of Cite will discuss, vast amounts of land in the city are withering, wasting, wild, and waiting. It is in this context that two young designers have announced a “guerilla retail event,” the “Furniture Sale on North Freeway.”
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Graphic Design by Michael Rock
Looking for a crash course about typography, identity, branding, print design, interaction/experience, information, and sustainability by four of the world’s leading graphic designers? Sorry. You missed it. In January and February of 2009, the Rice Design Alliance (RDA) held a sold-out lecture series featuring Steven Heller, Andy Altman, Ellen Lupton, and Michael Rock. However, in an effort to reach those who could not attend, the RDA is making videos of the lectures available in the post below. We hoped to make this information available sooner but experienced a long learning curve on handling large video files. Now we know and will be presenting more from past lectures on OffCite.org and ricedesignalliance.org.
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Brasil Cafe and Domy Books Courtyard [iPhone photo Kathryn Fosdick]
Over one hundred thinkers, innovators, and intrigued intellectuals crowded into the back porch linking bastions of indie culture Domy Books and Cafe Brasil last Thursday to participate in Houston’s inaugural Pecha Kucha event. A mix of show-and-tell, open-mike night, and happy hour, Pecha Kucha has become the forum for ideas on design, culture, and a lot else that has swept the world in just four years. Originated by Tokyo-based Klein & Dytham Architecture, the event has now been established in over 200 cities globally. RDA played a role in launching the Houston event.
Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to present. Think speed dating, but with an exchange of ideas rather than relationship baggage.
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Cite 74, published in the Spring of 2008, looked at some of Houston’s sacred architecture and sites including the Seminarian and Student Chapels at the University of St. Thomas, Lakewood Church, and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.
Table of Contents
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Southwest corner of Kirby and Westheimer [Photo Raj Mankad]
Yesterday, I noticed a clever intervention at the site of the West Ave development. On the temporary wall along the construction perimeter of this soon-to-be “vibrant urban village” is a series of silhouetted images. Slim women in skirts drink wine, pick out party dresses, walk dogs, and dangle shopping bags from their arms. Men in suits read newspapers or gaze at the women across their drinks. The images have been there for months. They are only one set of many such graphic overlays showing the bourgeois life that new high-rise and mid-rise developments promise.
Some person or group has playfully inserted images of male construction workers using color-matched cutouts stapled to the wall. It’s well executed. Perhaps too subtle. I only noticed the intervention at the last minute and had to make a full circle around the block to get a good look.
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Self-iconization by Steven Heller
Steven Heller has been an art director and writer at the New York Times for over thirty years. He founded the M.F.A. “Designer as Author” program at the School of Visual Arts. He has also written or edited more than 100 books, including Iron Fists: Branding the 20-Century Totalitarian State and The Design Entrepreneur. On January 21st, Heller kicked off the RDA Exposing Graphic Design speaker series to a packed audience. Below you can watch the complete video of his presentation.
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