Modern Architecture Tour

The first Denver Modern Home Tour was a success! We want to thank the four-hundred-plus people who took time to visit our property on Saturday. All were friendly and generous in their appreciation for modern architecture. I am sure the perfect autumn day contributed to the good mood everybody seemed to share. I enjoyed many conversations throughout the day. It is gratifying to realize how interested people are in good design. It was also fun being interviewed on KWGN Channel 2 before the tour. 

The tour creator, Matt Swinney, was delighted with the results and intends to return to Denver next year with an even bigger event. Meanwhile, his organization, Modern Home Tours, LLC of Austin, TX, has other tours planned. The next one is November 12th in Houston. For information follow this  link: 

http://houstonmod.modernhometours.com/

Garden in Houston.

Denver Modern Home Tour

MICHAEL KNORR & ASSOCIATES is honored to be selected for the first-ever Denver Modern Home Tour.

1. Denver Modern Home Tour.

On Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, join us to tour 8 of Denver's most recent examples of contemporary residential architecture. We have previewed all of the properties and think you will find something interesting at each location. There is a broad array of design choices, sizes, and neighborhoods. 

Please come by our featured property, 4501 E. Dartmouth, during the tour. For advance TICKETS go to this link: http://denver.modernhometours.com/

For a MAP and INFORMATION on all eight homes go to this link: http://denver.modernhometours.com/tour-homes/

We look forward to visiting with you on the 22nd!

2. Denver Modern Home Tour.

Photos:

Rob Munger

What Does Steve Jobs Have To Do With Architecture?

This is a blog about architecture. So, what does Steve Jobs have to do with architecture?

Steve Jobs
1955-2011

The primary link is not technical innovation. (The PC has been as widely-used by architects as the Mac, if not more so.) Steve Jobs' lasting contribution to our world is design excellence. Apple products are distinguished from the competition because they are designs that get people excited about using technology. From the iMac to the iPod to the iPhone to the iPad, Steve Jobs created irresistibly attractive products that people crave. Steve Jobs made design cool. That is what Steve Jobs had to do with architecture.  Steve Jobs demonstrated that design -- all design -- matters. We are better for it in all areas where design is a factor. Design has moved from something elitist to something cool. All fields of design benefit from this, including architecture. Steve Jobs insisted on great design, ease of use, and a swaggering style accessible to all. In some way this has helped architects present their case for good design. Does good architecture make a difference? Of course it does, because good design always makes a difference. The evidence is readily available in the success of Apple. We owe thanks to Steve Jobs for providing that proof. 

Philosophy of Architecture II

1. Stonehenge contains messages from the past that are
still being deciphered.

The philosophy of architecture is a big subject. In my opinion, architecture is ultimately a storage medium for information. The information it contains tells stories about us. Architecture speaks to us just as movies or music or novels convey moods and emotions and values. And just as movies tell different stories in different ways, architecture reveals or explains different things about the way we live, the nature of our religions, our hopes and aspirations. As stated earlier, most people think of architecture as simply a variety of styles. However, it is the stories contained in architecture that are important. Style is secondary to other qualities that convey information such as volume, sequence of events, and many other abstract characteristics.  

2. The Temple Philae in Egypt tells stories about religion.

Architecture tells us about the culture, climate, lifestyle, religion, and physical attributes of the people for whom it is built. We can look at an Egyptian temple and learn about the gods and demons that dominated their thinking. The ruins of Pompeii tell us about the daily activity of ancient Romans. We can visit a Gothic cathedral and see the progression of human understanding in engineering, their aesthetic attitude towards light, their spiritual goals. These are stories that can move people and make us think. They have nothing to do with architectural style per se, but with deeper aesthetic values which architecture embodies.

3. Ruts in the road convey archaeological information about Pompeii.

4. The forum at Pompeii conveys information about daily life in Pompeii.

The information stored in architecture is more than the obvious archaeological record. Architecture provides information about what might be or could be. This is the territory where things get really interesting. These characteristics are hints about the philosophies that underlie all architecture. 

5. Chartres cathedral is a tale of illumination and faith.

Illustrations:
1. Wigulf
2. Anon. 1800. Public Domain
3. Dvortfirl
4. Achille Etna Michallon 19th century. Public Domain (Louvre)
5. BT