Hello and welcome back to The Weekly LOdown - where we gather our favorite links from the architecture and building industry and share them with you at the end of each week.

This week’s links are inspiring, funny and fun. Here’s what we’ve been clicking:

Allison

I have to confess that I cheated a bit with my link this week…I actually found it last week. But I like the article too much not to share it. A friend and aspiring architect posted a Facebook link to this New York Times write-up on how out-of-work architects are making the most of their situations. Based on the headline “Architect, or Whatever” (which I love) and the accompanying image of a designer selling architecture advice for five cents, I thought the article would be a depressing piece on the fall of the architect in a troubled economy. Fortunately, it turned out to be a compilation of inspiring stories of people who lost their jobs as designers and architects only to find a new passion in life. And the crazy part is that some of them are more successful now than ever before. Apparently, losing your job could be a blessing in disguise.

Lauren

So I needed a little pick-me-up this week, what with January’s usual gloom. This blog definitely helped. Hilarious captions accompany modern design images from Dwell.  One of my favorites: “Trapped by the tawny palette, he struggled through yet another brown knit scarf.” Totally priceless.

Nick

There is a Falling Water LEGO Architecture Set! Enough said. I have to leave right now to go buy it.

Courtesy Westside Boost Blog

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) released their annual construction backlog (CBI) study last week and indications are good that a construction rebound is underway, although the strength and duration of the rebound remain to be seen.

“You can summarize three important points from the recent CBI data – the worst is over for the construction industry as a whole; the recovery may not be a sustained one; and the United States is rebuilding its infrastructure capacity,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

Basu’s analysis credits federal stimulus spending for the rebound despite the fact that most stimulus spending hasn’t even begun and those dollars currently being spent are for projects that had been planned well before the downturn.

Though the stimulus may not be the cause, the figures that demonstrate the effect are undeniable. There has been a crescendo of work hitting the books since February ’09 through November ’09, when the annual survey ended.

On the marketing side we’ve seen parallel activity. Some examples: One client began hiring designers and estimators to help meet the demand for proposals. One client had a growing demand over the autumn, a soft December and a rebound in January. Several others report work in hand, optimism regarding proposals that are out there and for the upcoming construction season.

A regional analysis of the CBI shows significant positive growth differences in the South and West, in our view more likely related to right-to-work, weather, and tax policy than stimulus spending. You can read the ABC’s report here.

Press your South and West sales force for best leverage. Other related news indicates Florida is coming on strong, too.

You just read that several LO clients report growth and sustained sales activity even during this tough economy. What strategies are they using to make it happen?

Strategies for Building Products Marketing in a Tough Economy

1)   Keep moving: You’re going uphill, don’t take your foot off the gas.

2)   Demand efficiency: The most efficient - cost effective - marketing activity right now is a quality media relations (PR) program including social media.

3)  Communicate: E-newsletters are inexpensive and effective. Cost starts at around $1,500. Recently (10/’09) an LO client emailed 4,000, reported 30% opened and generated 400 actual inquiries. Interactive is effective.

4)  See and be seen: Optimizing Internet for search engines and capturing marketing data for lead generation on-site. (Google “architectural mesh” and see where our client, Cambridge comes up)

5)  Continuing education: LO has produced continuing ed in-house for over 100 leading architectural building products brands in the past 18 months. A very effective way to get in front of your audience for an hour!

Hello and welcome back to The Weekly LOdown - where we gather our favorite links from the architecture and building industry and share them with you at the end of each week.

This week we’re all over the map, literally and figuratively. Here’s what we’ve been clicking:

Jack

Necessity is the mother of invention. Mumbai has decided to put people on an El!

Allison

I may be able to write about architecture, but when it comes to practicing what I preach, my skills are limited to amateur interior design. That’s why I was checking out this list of top design trends for 2010, compiled by 10 designers in Tennessee. The general consensus seems to be that turquoise is the color of the new year, which is pretty convenient considering I recently painted a room peacock teal. It’s interesting to see the connections between interior design trends and the state of the economy. If you’re considering any remodeling this year, I recommend reading what these designers have to say.

Lauren

I’ve been drawn to articles on eclectic residential design a lot lately, and this week is no exception. I absolutely adore this treehouse in Portland. I never had a treehouse growing up, so maybe that’s part of the reason why I wouldn’t mind living in this one. The interior is fantastic with all of its glass and curves. From the images, it’s a bit unclear as to whether or not this is an actual treehouse or just an oddly shaped house in the middle of the woods. Regardless, it’s exactly my style – contemporary, modern and unique for sure.

Nick

I find nearly everything about air travel intriguing and often reflective of the human condition - especially security lines and all the logistics of getting from point A to point B. That’s why I was immediately captured by this slideshow of the world’s most beautiful airports. In the 1960s, air travel was not for the common man. It was really a glamorous way to travel, so airports were designed with a lot of style in mind: Remember the TWA terminal at JFK? (Which JetBlue has now so smartly refurbished) Nowadays, air travel is considered one of the least glamorous and most uncomfortable things you can do. And airports have gotten less interesting to look at too. But I still love flying, and I will always love airports - especially those with absolutely beautiful designs. They’re just buildings, but for me they’re microcosmic - people going, people waiting, anger, happiness, work, love, etc. All of it happens inside airports.

Happy Friday! And welcome back to The Weekly LOdown - where we gather our favorite links from the architecture and building industry and share them with you at the end of each week.

This week we’re highly praising the AIA, and time capsules! Here’s what we’ve been clicking:

Allison

Will Alsop’s list of Lessons for a Young Architect offers a lot of great insights that are as humorous as they are helpful. The eight tips are taken from the lecture that Alsop gave as the Distinguished Visiting Professor in Architecture at Ryerson University in Toronto. Even though his sentiments are directed toward architects, I think everyone can benefit from his advice to take risks, listen to others and learn to laugh. I particularly like #6 on his list.

Lauren

The devastation in Haiti is undoubtedly on everyone’s mind this week. It’s comforting to know the AIA is doing their part to assist. They’ve put together a page on “Support for Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,” including a list of resources in line with ways you can help. Their note to “humbly offer our professional expertise to help Haitians reclaim their lives and build confidence in their future” is commendable. Hopefully they’ll do everything in their power to aid in future rebuilding efforts.

Nick

This is a little - OK, this is way off the beaten path…but it’s also fascinating and haunting. Excavators in Antarctica are working to save a 100-year-old hut from sinking into the snow forever. The hut was where British explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his crew stayed before the Terra Nova Expedition, in which Scott and four others died while trying to reach the South Pole. The wooden structure is literally a time capsule, containing everything Scott’s crew used just as they left it in 1911. The pictures of their environs elicit wonder, tragedy and an eerie look into the past. I was especially drawn to the darkroom, the bunks and the dining room because they amazingly show a place - and what look to be moments - frozen in time.

Here at LarsonO’Brien, we talk buildings.  So we thought it was quite fitting, in the midst of the NFL Playoff season, to share some of our favorite NFL stadiums with you.  Below you’ll find top picks from several LO employees and you’ll read the reasons for their choices.  Obviously, our biggest consideration was architectural interest and innovation, but we’ve thrown in a little personal flair too. We hope you enjoy.

Before we get to the specific stadiums, our Director of Continuing Education, Lisa Pierce, has a little background info for you. Here’s her take:

When prompted to write about which NFL stadium I find most architecturally inspiring, my initial thought was Heinz Field. But, I’ve been there, I’ve toured many aspects of the stadium, the locker rooms, the press box, the north and west luxury boxes, the field level seating, The Great Hall, etc. I had to cast my memories of Heinz Field aside and really try to find a unique architectural feature that I liked.

I looked at exterior photos of each stadium trying to find something unrepeated. But largely, they are all the same. You basically have four types of NFL stadiums: domes, bowls, horseshoes and a few with both kicking ends of the field open. They all have thousands of tons of structural steel and concrete, thousands of seats, thousands of miles of wiring, thousands of miles of soda and beer dispensing tubing, hundreds of bathroom facilities, hundreds of TVs, ample concession stands, etc. Architecturally speaking, each of course, is slightly different; all of them are monumental undertakings from both a design and construction perspective.

Another observation I made was that each stadium is representative in some way of the years in which it was designed and constructed. Each field cost millions of dollars to build and at the time of design and construction, each field included cutting-edge design features. As fields age and design capabilities and preferences change, so too, do the stadiums.

After looking at photos of each, I’ve decided that what really makes a stadium unique is not necessarily the structure, but the finishing touches that make memories for millions of football fans who pack themselves into these colossal buildings each week starting in September.  These things include team memorabilia, colors and themes unique to each team and the devoted fans. Every time I walk into a stadium or arena I am awed by the size and amenities of these buildings.

Now onto our favorites. Click the name of each stadium for info. Click each photo to see an alternate, larger image:

Ron Larson - CEO, Art Director

Soldier Field - Home of the Chicago Bears - Chicago, IL

Built in 1924, recently renovated in 2003. A unique blend of modern architecture and neo-classic. Critiques have labeled the renovation: “looks like a broken flying saucer”, “a giant egg in a giant egg cup”, and “it’s like a fat man trying to wedge himself into a skinny man’s shorts”. The Chicago Tribune has called the new field: “Monstrosity on the Midway” and the “Mistake on the Lake”. I like the quote from the deputy chief of staff for planning and design in the mayor’s office, “Even if it infuriates, it puts its foot down. We have to get away from this idea of architecture that’s polite.”

Allison O’Konski - PR Account Executive

Soldier Field - Home of the Chicago Bears - Chicago, IL

The architecture of Soldier Field combines elements of the classic 1924 construction with a modern multi-million-dollar renovation. The design team preserved the original pillars at both ends of the stadium while updating the seating, amenities, sound system and more. I think it’s a great blend of old and new, and it makes Soldier Field one-of-a-kind. I also appreciate the asymmetrical exterior design and the surrounding scenery, especially from an aerial view.

Garrett Andrae - Vice President, Account Service

Qwest Field - Home of the Seattle Seahawks - Seattle, WA

I’ve only been inside a handful of NFL stadiums, but my favorite isn’t one that I’ve experienced first hand. It’s Qwest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. The pyramid-shaped endzone seating, soaring upward and blending with the Seattle skyline in the background is stunning. The stadium design, combined with a highly diffused quality of light produced from the moist and foggy Seattle air, creates an other-worldly visual experience. Futuristic. Electric. I love it.

Jeff Gray - Production Manager

Arrowhead Stadium - Home of the Kansas City Chiefs - Kansas City, MO

One of my favorite venues in the NFL has to be Arrowhead Stadium, home of the KC Chiefs. I first saw this stadium back in 1982 when I went to Missouri to visit my soon-to-be wife’s family. We were attending a baseball game at Royals Stadium, and right next to it sat Arrowhead. At the time, many baseball and football teams shared a circular stadium (including our own Pirates and Steelers in Three Rivers Stadium), and I could never understand how two geometrically-diverse games (one played on a rectangle and the other on a diamond) could have good seats for all the fans when played in a bowl. The sweeping upper deck looked very futuristic at the time. And this past summer, when we headed back to the Midwest, we again went to the Truman Sports Complex…and Arrowhead looks as modern today as it did over 25 years ago.

Jeff Miskis - Director of Interactive

Ford Field - Home of the Detroit Lions - Detroit, MI

I’ve always been partial to the domes around the league - as of late, the Vikings’ Metrodome and the Lions Ford Field. Ford Field is particularly interesting because it’s kind of a non-dome dome. With open end caps to the arched roof, you get a feeling of being open to the environment without direct contact with it. The dome roof seems to keep the overall height of the structure lower, in turn keeping fans closer to the field, compared to a structure like Heinz Field that seems to almost purposefully attempt to cram another 10,000 people into the stadium at a height that a human being can’t possibly distinguish one player from the next and adequately follow a game. (Probably explains why when you sit in the nose bleed section at our beloved Pittsburgh stadium, you sit alongside drunkards and screaming hooligans who are no more watching the game than they are trying to impress one another with their super fandom.

Anyway, look up at Ford Field and you see exposed steel bridge-like trusses draped with (what I’m assuming to be) sound dampening fabric panels. Games on that field always look amazing and - being a dome - night games are lit in a way that open fields cannot replicate. Not to mention that the field just screams Lions’ blue everywhere you look. I feel like the design architect responsible for Ford Field did a fantastic job of matching the architectural style of this stadium the tradition and heritage of a gritty team like the Detroit Lions. Ford Field is an awesome place to watch a game.

Reliant Stadium, Home of the Houston Texans, is pretty awesome, too. Talk about taking “dome” to new lengths with their sweet slide-out fabric roof.

Lauren Ban - Director of Public Relations

Heinz Field - Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Pittsburgh, PA

To know me is to know I hate football. But, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good NFL stadium or two. Maybe it’s the Pittsburgh gal in me, but I’m partial to Heinz Field. I much prefer its simplistic design to that of some of the more elaborate stadiums. It’s attractive without being too ridiculously over-the-top and certainly an improvement over Three Rivers Stadium.

Nick Murosky - PR Account Executive

University of Phoenix Stadium - Home of the Arizona Cardinals - Glendale, AZ

Built in 2006, and designed by Peter Eisenman, this stadium is just ultra-modern and really cool to look at. I love how the exterior shell reflects the Arizona sun. It also features a roll-out field, so that the grass can spend most of its time outside for nourishment, but at game time is mechanically rolled inside for use. Pretty cool! This is truly a 21st century stadium.

What’s your favorite stadium? Feel free to tell us below in the Comments section!