architectural ruminations

50th Anniversary Celebration of Priory Chapel

2012-04-25T17:35:00.002-05:00

50th Anniversary Celebration of Priory Chapel at St. Louis Abbey
Thursday, April 26, 2012

You are invited to attend a special celebration of the St. Louis Abbey’s 50th anniversary, complete with comments from Fr. Gregory Mohrman, Gyo Obata, FAIA and a lecture by Andrew Raimist, AIA on centrally-planned churches from European history. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate with a client who appreciates architects and architecture and a truly once in a fifty year time experience.

Photography copyright Andrew Raimist, AIA.

At the culmination of the program, the Benedictine monks will chant to demonstrate the acoustics of the chapel; we will then proceed to the monastery for a reception.

Photography copyright Andrew Raimist, AIA.

event:     50th Anniversary, St. Louis Abbey (Priory Chapel)

date:       Thursday, April 26, 2012

time:        5:30 – 6:30pm program
                6:30 – 7:30pm reception @ the monastery

Photography copyright Andrew Raimist, AIA.

program:          Comments by design architect Gyo Obata, FAIA
                         Lecture by Andrew Raimist, AIA
                         Demonstration of the acoustics of the chapel by monks

location:           500 South Mason Road, Creve Coeur, Missouri 63141

Photography copyright Andrew Raimist, AIA.

education credit: One hour continuing education HSW credit

Photography copyright Andrew Raimist, AIA.

RSVP: member@aia-stlouis.org (indicate program)

Hyde Park :: book reading, 2

2012-02-24T02:35:00.001-06:00

On Friday 24 February at 5:30pm I'll be presenting material in connection with the Hyde Park photography work now on display at the Gya Community Arts Gallery. I'll be reading from my book documenting the program, (en)visioning Hyde Park. I've set up a Facebook event with full details.

(en)visioning Hyde Park, © Andrew Raimist.

The photographs by Andrew Raimist are presented as a single piece consisting of five horizontal bands of joined images with the title: 5 sentences about Hyde Park (do not a paragraph make). The alternating rows of images bring together images of the children, teachers, college students, volunteers and adults who are committed to improving the neighborhood conditions. The rows between these informal portraits are composed of architectural photographs in series documenting buildings in the area.

5 sentences about Hyde Park (do not a paragraph make), © Andrew Raimist.

The idea behind the title is to make clear that any documentation of Hyde Park is bound to be fragmentary, partial and biased. While I've attempted to create a realistic, authentic portrait of a community in fashioning the exhibition and publication, these efforts are clearly informed by my own personal preferences and constitute a narrative structure that I've inevitably imposed. Others will dispute the impressions created as being too sunny and optimistic or too harshly depressing. I've attempted to maintain a balance based upon my own perceptions and preconceptions (visually and intellectually) to offer an unvarnished picture of the area through my own eyes. I hope my own images offer some semblance of the honesty and directness with which the children approached documenting the area and each other.

Carnegie Library, © Andrew Raimist.

I cannot deny my fascination with historic architecture and with the tragic sense of loss embodied in collapsing buildings. I find them compelling sources for developing a sense of history and for constructing a narrative of the lives lived and lost in those architectural frames. Likewise, I find restored buildings of grandeur like the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church to be inspiring and uplifting.

Gateways, © Andrew Raimist.

The architectural photographs I've included in the piece range from historic, well-preserved structures like the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the Bissell Point Water Tower, to the dilapidated buildings scattered throughout the neighborhood and buildings in various states of repair and renovation. These are all very real and present.

Living with collapse, © Andrew Raimist.

There is the beginnings of a renaissance presently under way in the neighborhood. A whole series of historic brick masonry buildings are undergoing renovation including the old Salisbury Hardware Store located at the corner of Salisbury and Blair. The once proud building with its mansard roof and dormers is now being gutted and will become a new center of business and street life at a critical intersection adjacent to Hyde Park.

Firewall, © Andrew Raimist.

The other corners of this intersection are anchored by important neighborhood icons: Firehouse No. 8 marking the entrance to the park itself, Hyde Park Antiques and the Cornerstone Cafe. These buildings are touchstones for the neighborhood, not just architecturally, but culturally and economically. The history of the area is discussed in my book which includes the 19th century Compton & Dry aerial rendering juxtaposed to a more recent aerial photograph (courtesy of the world wide web) of the corresponding area. The rural nature of the surroundings shown in the aerial drawing relates favorably to the openness of the land now exposed by the loss of built fabric in recent decades.

Salisbury Hardware undergoing renovation (exterior & interior), © Andrew Raimist.

While the loss of buildings is tragic (especially in cases like the recently demolished Turnverein Hall), there are opportunities the open land affords that would not otherwise be possible in a densely settled urban setting. These include providing locations for the construction of new homes and other development opportunities. The Bethlehem Lutheran Evangelic Church community has been instrumental in supporting the construction of new homes in the area which clearly meet a need in the market.

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, © Andrew Raimist.

Urban pioneers like businesswoman Julie Longyear and artist Mark Pappas are establishing new infrastructure and creating a renewed sense of community in spaces previously vacated. Julie operates Irie Star and Blissoma brand natural skincare products from her home which specializes in natural, organic skin care products and is creating an organic garden on vacant land previously occupied by decaying brick homes. Mark Pappas is working to found the Hyde Park Art Center in the historic Divoll Branch of the St. Louis Public Library. The monumental brick and stone building which is visible from Highway 70 is a majestic, proud work of architectural art and an important part of the neighborhood's history. Mark is spearheading the restoration of the building which may well take the rest of his lifetime.

Mark Pappas and his Carnegie Library, © Andrew Raimist.

My experiences working in the neighborhood have been instructive for me in understanding the relationship of children, families, schools, churches, community groups, city government and private developers. These are all essential ingredients for the holistic renewal of the area.

Twice Burned, © Andrew Raimist.

I hope this exhibition and the accompanying book will help to spur further interest in the Hyde Park, to give residents and visitors historical and cultural context and to promote future growth and development. There are clearly many serious challenges facing the community, but with so many people caring a great deal about the area, there are bound to be more positive developments.

Terracotta Ornament, © Andrew Raimist.

(en)visioning Hyde Park :: book reading, 1

2012-02-23T21:14:00.000-06:00

Book cover (front, back and spine)

The exhibition of photography by middle school kids from Hyde Park was first exhibited at the Old North St. Louis gallery in fall 2011. The exhibit was supported by a grant from the Missouri Arts Council.

The exhibition on display at Gya / Yeyo Arts Collective (2700 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103) also includes enlarged portraits of the children taken by Andrew Raimist as part of the global arts initiative: Inside Out Project. This effort was initiated by a street artist who goes by the name JR and was funded through his being awarded the TED Prize last year.

You can see examples of individuals and groups from across the globe who participated in the InsideOutProject at their website. Contributors were encouraged to take black and white portraits of people and upload digital files of the images to the InsideOutProject site. In return, they would print and send out portraits at approximately 48" high x 36" wide using a dot matrix algorithm. Each portrait includes a web page address corresponding to the image posted online.

Portraits from the InsideOutProject displayed in Gya's storefront windows.

The portraits were to be displayed publicly in the community from which they came. The project's intentions related to expressing ideas about humanity, society, individual lives and how people are empowered to show their care and love for one another and for the world. The public display of the photographic portraits were then documented (again photographically) and uploaded so they can to be shared with others visiting the InsideOutProject website.

You can see examples, of these portraits below along with their display in the storefront windows at Gya. The dimensions turned out to be excellent given the dimensions of the glazing on the historic storefront in the new downtown Locust Business District located just north of the Wells Fargo complex at Market Street and to the west of Jefferson. The portraits bring a sense of life, joy and innocence to the streetscape that is in the midst of revitalization.

The exhibition also includes photographs taken by instructor, photographer and architect Andrew Raimist. He taught digital photography to the students in Hyde Park under the auspices of Rebuild Foundation's Urban Expressions program in connection with the Most Holy Trinity Catholic School located at Mallinckrodt and Blair. The program is directed by Artist-in-Residence Dayna Kriz without whose support and encouragement this project would not have been possible.

Letter from Mendelsohn

2012-02-23T00:41:00.000-06:00

The following short video features a reading of a 1952 letter architect Eric Mendelsohn wrote to a student wishing to study architecture in the United States. His comments relate his advice against attending Harvard's Graduate School of Design and encouragement to attending the University of California at Berkeley (where Mendelsohn was teaching at the time).

The student is from Cyprus in the Mediterranean. Mendelsohn also references strife and political tensions in the area as well as the benefits and dangers involved in returning to his homeland to practice architecture.

Hyde Park :: faces & places – opening

2012-02-20T22:31:00.000-06:00

The Gya Community Arts Gallery is presently exhibiting photography from Hyde Park from the (en)visioning Hyde Park program. The images on display include work by the middle school students involved in the program as well as a photographic presentation by their instructor Andrew Raimist.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

The exhibit opening was well attended by the children and their families as well as others in the St. Louis arts community. The joy and pride of the kids was evident, seeing their work displayed in the gallery located at 2700 Locust.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

Seeing parents along with their children made the event special. The kids' excitement about the Urban Expressions program, sponsored by Rebuild Foundation, was clear. Younger brothers and sisters were asking if they might be able to participate this program next summer.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

Many of the kids posed alongside their work or next to their portraits. A series of enlarged portraits are hanging in the storefront windows of Gya's gallery facing north onto Locust and east onto North Beaumont. These portraits were taken by photography instructor Andrew Raimist and enlarged as part of the global arts initiative InsideOutProject funded through a TED grant to the French artist JR. The project solicited portraits from communities the world over and printed them at 48" high x 36" wide to be displayed publicly as street art.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

Their pride in seeing their faces enlarged and displayed in Gya's gallery in downtown St. Louis was heartwarming. This public display seemed to help validate their worth as artists with a voice and an opinion about the future of our city.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

The program was sponsored directly by Rebuild Foundation through their Urban Expressions effort and by Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, a critical visual and spiritual anchor of the Hyde Park neighborhood for generations.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

One of the catalysts for the program's success has been the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute developed by the Regional Arts Commission. Andrew Raimist and Gina Martinez were two artists working with Rebuild who were CAT graduates from 2011. Dayna Kriz (Rebuild's Director) and Mallory Nezam are present members of the Institute.

Photograph © Aaron Raimist 2012.

The program was also supported by members of Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice who published some of the children's photographs in a special section of their website entitled North of Delmar, helping to raise awareness of the physical and social conditions existing today in Hyde Park.

Blast from Hyde Park's Past

2012-02-18T14:30:00.002-06:00

I have recently been waxing nostalgic for an event I did not attend. In 1983, the Saint Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects held their second design charrette. The focus was the historic Hyde Park Neighborhood and addressing the abandoned Krey Packing Plant which covered three blocks immediately adjacent the Park itself.

At the time,Vince Schoemehl was the mayor, Betty Lou Custer, FAIA was the chapter's Executive Director and the chapter's logo was a line drawing of the Arch superimposed over the silhouette of Eads Bridge.

The charrette drew 83 participants who submitted 30 design schemes for the nine-acre site. The event took place at the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. It was done in association with the Hyde Park Renovation Effort, Inc. (HYPRE) and Hyde Park Partnership. I'm not sure if those groups still exist.

Logo and letterhead of the local AIA from the early 1980s

The jurors were Ian McHarg, FASLA (Chair, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania), Rodolfo Machado (Head, Department of Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design) and Jonathan Barnett, FAIA (Director, Graduate Program of Urban Design, City College of New York).

Jurors Barnett, Machado and McHarg with Advisor Malcic.

The professional advisor for the effort was Lawrence Malcic, AIA (now Design Director at HOK London) who at that time was the Assistant Dean for Planning and Development in the School of Business of Washington University in St. Louis.

Ink rendering by Hyde Park resident Victor Migneco of house with dormer.

So why am I nostalgic over an event that I didn't even attend? At that time, I did not live in Saint Louis and had never visited here. I was an undergraduate student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and had no idea that I might end up living in the Midwest. I didn't move here until 1985 when I started graduate studies in the School of Architecture led by Dean Constantine Michaelides, FAIA.

Planning document for design charrette participants outlining the study area.

Only in my final years of graduate school did I read a handwritten invitation on the blackboard which normally stood at the center of Givens Hall asking students to join a committee to work on a design charrette focused on Forest Park. I responded, joined the committee as the only student member and made many good friends. The chair of the Charrette Committee was Doris Danna, FAIA who impressed me with her thoughtful, considerate way of speaking. She was a dynamo and brought together disparate professionals and affiliates to work on this community design effort. For the Forest Park Charrette, the lead juror was Dan Kiley who I had the good fortune of meeting.

Ink rendering by Hyde Park resident Victor Migneco of St. Michael on Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Reading through the materials from the Hyde Park Charrette brought back a strange kind of memory echo, where I could hear distant voices speaking about an esteemed event from history. I never really knew anything about Hyde Park except that it was an historic neighborhood struggling to reinvigorate itself.

Notices regarding Hyde Park community events.

All of the materials and records were typed using an IBM Selectric typewriter using the popular sans-serif font that I imagine was preferred by architects of the time. The document documenting the event is illustrated by beautiful lines drawings of the historic architecture of the area by Hyde Park resident Victor Migneco (not an architect).

In the instructions to the designers there's a remark with regard to music to the effect that, "Radios, except headsets and 'Walkmans' are discouraged."

The remarks from the juror's review of the designs are fascinating. They reflect on the differences in time and sensibility over the last 25+ years. I'm not sure how many people today would have agreed with Barnett's comment, "Most schemes did not try to reuse the existing buildings, and this is probably wise." He then goes on to refer to the schemes for a community college, high school, bath house and a regional shopping mall.

Ink rendering by Hyde Park resident Victor Migneco of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church.

I'm wondering how many deans of schools of architecture today would say that they would focus their comments on the architecture "because he is not knowledgeable about economics." (Machado) He comes back to terms like clarity, simplicity and strong form.

McHarg was clearly quite a character and more blunt in his criticism. He seems to question the basic assumptions of the charrette itself suggesting that they establish a firm program and then repeat the event based on having more substantive details. He suggests that one of the schemes "should be dynamited . . . similar to the worst of the 60's. Too much richness of ideas." He also remarks that the park should be rethought, he wouldn't like to see any major changes to it, but it should be kept "rape-proof". He does offer compliments for the existing rehabilitation he sees in the neighborhood, telling the residents that "they are doing it right [and] their work should good taste and restraint." So does that suggest he thought some of the architect's schemes didn't show the same attitude toward the existing historic fabric?

Ink rendering by Hyde Park resident Victor Migneco of house on Blair.

Someone made a recording of remarks made by Hyde Park residents giving their thoughts on "What should be done with the Krey site?" Some of the more colorful quotes include:

"We should make a nightclub and call it the 'Slaughterhouse'."

"It's such a big ugly building."

"We definitely don't need a junkyard there."

"Tear that sucker down."

"Blast it out of there. Anything that would make it better than it does now. I have no idea honestly . . . . I don't think we need more housing because we have a lot of great houses to deal with. Business doesn't thrill me, but I guess it would be good for my business."

"Something like they did in San Francisco, Ghiadelli Chocolate Works (or something like that) with a lot of shops and boutiques."

"It should be turned into a tourist place for people to come and explore . . . what the meat places in St. Louis put out."

"A Schucks. Put a grocery store in."

The program documents are incredibly detailed and thorough in their explanation of the neighborhood's history and urban conditions. The drawn illustrations are marvelous and suggest the potential loss of such skills of visualization that require patience, time and attention to detail. Are such things likely to be encouraged in today's practice of architecture and urban design?

Hyde Park Planning Process Diagram (1983).

Mid-Century Modern Architecture in St. Louis

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Course offering, Spring 2012: Mid-Century Modern Architecture in St. Louis
Instructors: Andrew Raimist, AIA and John Guenther, FAIA
Course: A46 ARCH 478A. Mid-Century Modernism in St. Louis 1930–1965 (Credit 3 units).

Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts
Washington University in St. Louis
Tuesdays, 1pm – 4pm

Images represent subjects of student research projects from Spring 2011.

This course offers students the opportunity to visit, document and research prime examples of Mid-Century Modern Architecture in St. Louis. The city has a rich heritage in 20th century modernism and many excellent works that are not well known. Our weekly visits will include talks and tours with designers, architects, clients and historians will put the work into historical and cultural context.

Contact me with questions.

Artists' Guild Sustainability Exhibit

2012-01-06T12:13:00.000-06:00

The exhibit at the St. Louis Artists' Guild, "Sustainability and the Built Environment in St. Louis" will have its last day on view tomorrow Saturday 7 January. If you haven't seen it yet, this is your last chance.

This video is a documentation of the panel discussion hosted by Jean Ponzi of 88.1 KDHX / Earthworms fame.

The exhibit is part of the Aggregate series encompassing a wide range of works including photography, architecture, sculpture, mixed media, graphics and community arts projects.

(en)visioning Hyde Park Exhibition

2011-12-12T18:51:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful exhibition at the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group gallery which remained on view nearly through Thanksgiving. The exhibition was a great success with many visitors and lots of encouraging, supportive compliments.

View of north wall of (en)visioning Hyde Park exhibition.

The following images of exhibit reveal the layers of work presented. The central band of colors photographs (running horizontally) contained the students' photographs. The band of small images in a line across the bottom represented the 7" square book's pages. You can find an online preview of the book at Blurb.com. At the top are enlargements of portraits of students and teaching artists in the program.

Detail of north wall of (en)visioning Hyde Park exhibition.

These 48" high halftone portraits were printed as part of a global art project called InsideOutProject. These portraits were first displayed at 1415 Mallinckrodt Street, Rebuild Foundation's Art House.

Detail of east wall of exhibition with Urban Expressions portraits.

View of south wall of exhibition with InsideOutProject portraits of teaching artists above.

Detail of south wall of exhibition.

Sustainability Awards!

2011-12-12T13:37:00.001-06:00

The joint exhibition sponsored by the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the USGBC and the St. Louis' Artists' Guild is on display through Saturday, January 12, 2012. I created this video presenting the three winners of the Sustainability Awards:

Film Review: Brick by Chance and Fortune

2011-11-21T22:01:00.006-06:00

Film Review: Brick by Chance and Fortune – A Celebration of St. Louis Masonry

Brick by Chance and Fortune: A St. Louis Story is an entertaining, informative documentary about one of the most common and seemingly simple building materials: the brick. Bricks are an old technology. They aren't sexy like stainless steel or titanium. Clay bricks are about as "down to earth" as you can get, as this film demonstrates in more ways than one.

Image from official trailer.

The story of bricks in St. Louis is fundamental to understanding the city, its people, its history and its architecture. This film establishes the narrative groundwork for people unfamiliar with thinking about bricks as anything special to be able to begin to appreciate just how significant a role they play in our community's culture, economy and physical composition.

You can purchase your own copy of the DVD by attending the upcoming event at The Royale on Wednesday 23 November 2011 from 8pm to 11pm. The director will be there to sign personal copies!

Image taken from official trailer.

The centerpiece of the film is a series of compelling interviews with wonderfully demonstrative people who care deeply about the history and future of brick masonry culture in St. Louis. The subjects of the interviews include community treasures like the founder of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation, Larry Giles, a lover and collector of St. Louis building history, Missouri Historical Society Director Robert Archibald and blogger / activist, Toby Weiss, a prolific writer and photographer of the architectural scene past and present.

The director, Bill Streeter, treats the interviews as the key scenes of the film. They are well lit and composed, the audio quality is very good and the personality they offer is remarkable. In many documentaries, interviews are treated as so many “talking heads”. This film gives the speakers the gracious, personal presentation they deserve, making them the film’s real characters and allowing them to graciously direct the film’s narrative. We are made to feel as though we’re having a conversation with some our community’s most fascinating and intelligent people.

Image taken from official trailer.

Of particular significance emotionally and intellectually are the interviews with architectural historians and preservationists Nini Harris and Michael Allen. Not since Gwendolyn Wright's star began to shine on History Detectives, have architectural historians looked and sounded so good.

Nini Harris’ knowledge and excitement are a constant touchstone giving the film genuine historical clarity and honesty combined with a touching, loving portrayal of the people who created and used the brick structures that make up the fabric of our city. She makes this story a personal one and helps to communicate many of the film's key points in a way that's understandable by laymen not initiated in the rites of architectural history, but accurate and compelling for those already captivated by the spell of St. Louis architecture. Her commentary puts the film into a social and cultural context that doesn't overly romanticize the past.

Nini Harris. Image from official trailer.

Michael Allen’s commentary is forthright and striking in a way that only he can achieve. He reveals St. Louis' geographic good fortune in containing rich and extensive clay deposits that not only made the magnificence of St. Louis architecture possible, but also formed the basis for our significant contribution to the industrialization of brick manufacturing. He describes the humble beginnings of hand-molded bricks made in wooden forms and enlightens us as to the prominent role our community played in developing brick industry nationally. Michael also speaks eloquently about the serious problems we face relating to brick theft and illegal demolition taking place on a daily basis.

Michael Allen. Image from official trailer.

The soundtrack and music for the film served to emphasize the dramatic moments. In some cases, the music provided the joyful and lyrical atmosphere necessary to hold the visual montages together. At other moments, the tragic drone of a harmonica (?) provided a haunting backdrop without becoming funereal or pessimistic. Some compositions seem to have been written and produced specifically for the film. They offer some thematic support, but the lyrics were overshadowed by the folksy rhythms and melodies.

This film could easily for the basis for an in-depth series on St. Louis architecture and building history. Such documentary programs generally seem to be the purview public television, however with funding constraints everywhere, we should all thank Bill Streeter, a native Chicagoan, for seeing the story in the humble St. Louis brick and pursuing the film through his own force of will.

Image from official trailer.

As an architect and photographer, my primary disappointment was with the visual representations of our present day buildings and streets. Too often, a reliance on extreme wide-angle pans or extreme telephoto compression of space made for a less than satisfactory appreciation of the architecture itself. Clearly, the film was created with the general educated public in mind, not so much specifically for architects and historians. The filmmaker had to make tough choices about how to best represent our rich building heritage. My preference would have been for a greater reliance on the details and textures of the buildings themselves, to the point of abstraction, rather than a more superficial gloss on the buildings themselves.

This criticism should be considered as coming from a specialist (and obsessionist) in architectural photography and representation. I imagine most of the audience found the visuals to be sufficiently compelling and illustrative. They contributed to a balanced presentation combining visuals, spoken word and music to tell an important and fascinating story. Bill Streeter deserves our thanks and appreciation for helping us to see our own city more clearly.

Anyone with an interest in St. Louis history, architecture, urbanism or building should see this film. Best viewed in a theatrical setting, you should also consider purchasing the production on DVD. Doing so will help to support more worthwhile projects of this kind. Owning the DVD may prove to be a unique reference that might not otherwise be accessible.

Website: http://www.stlbrickfilm.com/

Film trailer:

Illustrations: The images embedded in this post are all screen shots taken from the film’s official trailer.

Andrew Raimist is a St. Louis architect, educator, writer and photographer.

Bartholomew's City Plan of 1947

2011-11-20T22:37:00.000-06:00

City Planner Harland Bartholomew developed a detailed, comprehensive plan for St. Louis which documents the existing conditions at the time and projected future development based upon increasing population density and totals. In actuality, the city's population peaked shortly thereafter and then following a steady decline as St. Louis County became increasingly suburbanized.

This chart presents four primary demographics. The top line represents the population of the United States (dashed lines at right indicate projected figures). The second pair of lines represent the populations of the states of Illinois and Missouri. The third line represents the City of St. Louis. The shorter line at the bottom represents St. Louis County.

Population growth (historical and projected)

This analysis of the population of the region formed the basis for the comprehensive plan. The caption for this illustration (Plate Number Two) reads, "St. Louis cannot expect sizeable population increases in the future."

This pair of maps compares the population density within the boundaries of the City of St. Louis as of 1940 (top) and the projected/desired density as of 1970 (bottom):

Population density (historical and projected)

As illustrated, Bartholomew suggests that the density of the city's core would increase and that the westward expansion would not only stop, but actually be reversed. The same desire for increasing the density in the center of the city has been suggested as desirable and ideal by many urban planners since, but the reality has been exactly the opposite.

The multicolored plan below represents Bartholomew's ideal Land Use Plan. The reality is much more complex and heterogeneous. Achieving such clarity in function and use was a dream for planners of the modern American city was an ideal never to be attained in practice.

Desirable Ultimate Land Use Plan

The mismatch between the actual and zoned uses are indicated in this diagram of the Lafayette Neighborhood District. These drawings compare the existing land uses with the existing zoning. Clearly the actual facts on the ground were much more heterogeneous, mixed and complex than the simplistic organization suggested by the area's zoning.

Lafayette Neighborhood District (present land use and present zoning)

The serious nature of reconfiguring the city to correspond to the desired land uses is suggested by the sample rezoning of a neighborhood in this series of plans for the Macklind Neighborhood District. From left to right the drawings depict: Present Land Use, Present Zoning and Proposed Zoning. Clearly to achieve the purity of the desired zoning would require major alterations to the city fabric.

Macklind Neighborhood District (present and proposed uses)

Achieving the clarity of vision suggested by the "Desirable Ultimate Land Use Plan" (above) would require massive rebuilding of the city as suggested by the following plan which highlights in red areas of Substandard Housing ("a measure of obsolescence and blight").

Substandard Housing

The plan indicates two areas of city which would require massive reconstruction. The red hatched areas indicate "blighted areas" and the black hatched areas indicate "obsolete districts".

Obsolete and Blighted Districts

A key method for determining whether districts were obsolete and/or blighted involved determining how many residences in the area relied on outside toilets. This map documents the absolute numbers (red figures) and the density of such conditions in the city. In general, the closer to the riverfront and the older the age of the structure, the more likely that they did not include indoor plumbing.

Percentage of Dwelling Units with Outside Toilets

The necessity for rebuilding the city along different lines altogether is made bluntly clear by this suburbanized images of a redesigned Soulard. To Bartholomew's way of thinking, this district was entirely obsolete and needed wholesale replacement.

Soulard Neighborhood District

The following map delineates neighborhoods (outlined in red) and industrial districts (highlighted in yellow). In general, the greatest density of industrial districts were located along the Mississippi River or along the Mill Creek Valley area. Both of these areas were served by extensive rail networks. These areas remain largely industrial in nature with greatly reduced railroad activity, however many of these tracks remain in place.

Neighborhood and Industrial Districts

The plan features two maps indicating the massive investments in upgrading infrastructure the city was undertaking. The first indicates the many improvements that were a part of the 1923 Bond Issue. The largest projects included major upgrades to the system supplying potable drinking water for the city ($11,000,000) and construction of the River Des Peres drainage system beginning in Forest Park, extending through the south city before draining into the Mississippi River.

Other significant improvements included the following new structures in the downtown area: Civil Courts Building, Municipal Opera House, Municipal Power Plant and the Soldiers Memorial. Other amenities included a series of public hospitals, fire houses, parks, playgrounds, sewer upgrades and a major street lighting program. Public spaces to be improved included Union Station Plaza and Memorial Plaza. The total cost of the 1923 Bond Issue exceeded $67,000,000).

1923 Bond Issue

Further investments in the city were made as part of the "Post War Bond Issue" of 1944 which totaled more than $63,000,000 and included improvements to streets, water systems, sewer systems, parks, fire stations, telephone networks, hospitals, airport, art museum and zoo.

Post War Bond Issue of 1944

Of course, the actual development of the City of St. Louis in the second half of the 20th century followed an altogether different design which was occurred through the combined action of major highway construction, massive new suburb development in the surrounding communities and the demographic shifts associated with "white flight".

If Bartholomew had considered the evidence of population shift away from the city center toward the perifery, he might have been able to more accurately visualize and create a realistic city plan that could possibly have been implemented in a more coordinated way. Clearly, such a plan would have to deal with (at a minimum, St. Louis City and St. Louis County). My suspicion is that he was only authorized to prepare a plan for the city itself.

Population Change (1930–1940)

Sustainability and the Built Environment

2011-10-31T18:59:00.001-05:00

You are invited to attend the exhibition opening at the St. Louis Artists' Guild upcoming on Friday, November 11, 2011 at 6pm.

Take a look at this short video I put together announcing the show and explaining the criteria for the USGBC Missouri Gateway Chapter's selection of awards.

Please share a link to the video with others who would be interested in the event!

Sarah Paulsen's Anytown

2011-10-09T01:21:00.004-05:00

I'm writing about Sarah Paulsen's mini-epic animation dealing with the City of Kirkwood. I encountered the first section of her production entitled, "Act I – Anytown" at the Critical Mass Creative Stimulus group exhibition (curated by Sarah Colby) held at the Regional Arts Commission gallery in August and September.

I was immediately drawn to the sprawling collage of elements situated in the southeast corner of the gallery opposite the glass entry doors. It featured a swirling montage of images, backdrops, abstract elements and multifarious materials. The tableau was grounded on the walls themselves on which the artist had drawn, painted, colored and pinned numerous images. Included were cuttings from color magazines, hand painted buildings and settings, three-dimensional figurines, string, rope, fabric and many other elements creating a rather hypnotic, almost psychedelic effect.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

As I began to inspect these collaged parts, I began to notice recognizable structures that were well know to me at least. A Target store was prominently situated along the axis of a downtown American main street with post office, restaurants, train station, churches and other buildings typically found in midwestern towns and cities. As I looked closer, I realized the train station included was the iconic stone building in downtown Kirkwood. "Perhaps just a coincidence," I thought.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

I was working on trying to piece together what this tableau was addressing. While the overall visual imagery was playful and fanciful, there was a solid grounding in a very real place, one that I feel strongly connected to . . . and I began to wonder what this was all about. At that point, I had no idea that the materials displayed on the walls had any relation to the video playing in the little mini-theater set up nearby.

However, once I noticed pedestrians looking up at the spire of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, I realized that this representation didn't just have some elements borrowed from Kirkwood, it actually was a re-creation of the city itself although in an unfamiliar configuration.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

I explored the composition, following string, thread, rope and paint from one scene to another. I came across seemingly generic images of suburban America. Comfortable green neighborhoods with grand homes, automobiles, children at play and an abundance of flowers. The striking cloverleaf located above the overview of a residential street grid suggested a kind of controlling mandala that kept the energy of the community flowing through the veins of the streets. Being green and having four quadrants, it was also reminiscent of an actual leaf of clover suggesting a grounding of the community in nature and landscape (if only abstractly and distantly).

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

Dividing the scenes were rather abstract sections that seemed curious in their materiality. The juxtaposition of flat two-dimensional representations with these physical things created a sense of disjunction that seemed to destroy the ability to impose a coherent narrative structure or sequential pattern in the layout of these collaged elements.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

Small child-like figures were suspended from thread by clothes pins in the corner. At once, Vladimir Tatlin's Corner Relief of 1915 came to mind while I stared curious and inquisitive into these Sears catalog types of happy figures. The idyllic aspect of the suburbs was abundant in the scenes of happy family life, joyful childhood summers and luscious, well-tended gardens.

The most powerful part of the animation is the story of the families picking up their children for ballet and the kids all going in different family's minivans. The story, and your delightful depiction of it, touched my heart. That is the kind of essence of trust and goodwill that is at the center of what makes Kirkwood special.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

A sense of naivete suffused the work, yet it was clearly the product of someone with some very definite thoughts and intentions. Was this meant to be a critique of the suburb as a kind of utopian community without strife and loss? As I considered this question, I began to notice small suggestive details that indicated we were not quite in paradise, such as the "For Rent" and "For Lease" signs depicted in some of the vacant storefronts.

Throughout my examination of this display, I kept hearing deep tones of voices muffled but suggestive. I found it a bit hard to focus my attention on the work that had initially grabbed my attention because so many people were grouped around the table display positioned nearby. I took a look to see what was drawing people's interest there assuming it was another artist's presentation.

As I stood and looked over the shoulders of those gathered around, I realized that some of the images included in the animated film being projected in this mini theater featured some of the elements I'd just been examining on the walls. I gradually pieced together that these displays were both parts of a larger whole and began to try to listen more closely to the audio track to no avail.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

Once I was able to get to a spot where I could see the video I started to get a better sense for how the characters and the scenery displayed on the wall were being used to tell a story. That night at the gallery opening, I could only hear the timbre of the voices and sounds on the soundtrack, but couldn't really discern their content. In a way, this made the experience all the more powerful for me, since I had to fill in the audio track with a narrative of my own making.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

The conversations of those attending the gallery opening caught my attention, particularly when I heard someone mention Connie Karr. Now this whole presentation began to take on a different aspect entirely. Perhaps it was intended to comment on the recent turmoil, violence and conflict that had cropped up in my city (viz. 'Cookie' Thornton's February 2008 shooting at Kirkwood City Hall).

Once I returned to the collaged elements on the wall, I then noticed the small, empty stage set emblazoned with, "Connie Karr for Mayor." This gave me pause. I realized she did in fact intend to take on those difficult events. This put my appreciation and understanding of your intentions into a completely different realm. At that moment something deep in the pit of my stomach fell and realized that there was something of a fairly serious nature being addressed by these playful, engaging images, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. (I only later realized the image was likely based on a display at the Greentree Festival and not a proscenium decorated for a political rally).

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's animation props for Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

I returned to the video projection which was a bit difficult to view because the projector was located within one building and the movie screen was situated on the facade of another building. This set up imposed a particular scale and limited the number of people who could reasonably view the animated images being projected.

I patiently waited while the film looped until I could move up to the side of this unusual model theater. Why was it this size? Why couldn't I clearly make out the audio which seemed to include women's voices speaking rather dispassionately about something.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

All of a sudden I realized the building containing the projector was an abstraction of Kirkwood City Hall and the facing structure suggested the Station Plaza facade across the street. The City Hall was blocky and solid, while the Station Plaza structure seemed to be supported on a kind of scaffolding suggesting a billboard or outdoor drive-in movie.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

At the gallery opening, I must've watched the animation sequence at least four times through and began to gather a sense about what kind of a story you were trying to tell. While the opening mentions "Anytown" and indicates that it's the first part, I was unclear about the direction in which the story was intended to head.

I began to listen in the conversations going on around your sort of digital version of the Globe Theatre. I heard people mention that your mother was a good friend of Connie Karr and that your project was somehow being done in relation to those painful events in recent Kirkwood memory.

Until that moment, I was seeing what you'd produced as being a pleasant, charming, engaging depiction of suburban life in America, with Kirkwood being given as a local example. I felt the kind of playful fun of Monty Python's animations which tend to end with a giant splat or some unexpected surrealistically complete and sudden change of context.

Examples of Terry Gilliam animations for Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Once I understood that you had some intention of dealing with some of the serious, heavy events in recent Kirkwood history, I started to view your project somewhat differently. I was looking for bits that somehow relate to racial, economic and class divisions. I could find a few insinuations of the that, but I couldn't be sure if I was projecting that onto your work or if they were something that I'd actually "discovered". For example, there's the bit about the country club and the gate which seems to indicate an element of exclusion within the seeming suburban paradise of the American midwest.

Her approach of interviewing people in Kirkwood to fashion an audio track and act as a scaffolding for the narrative and a basis for the imagery is clever and effective.

I determined to return to see the exhibition another time when the gallery was not so crowded and I might be able to hear the audio track. I did revisit the exhibit finding myself even more captivated by the thoughtfully constructed scenes and able to expose the small speakers hidden within the City Hall model so I could hear it more clearly.

Detail of Sarah Paulsen's Anytown, 2011 (photograph by Andrew Raimist).

This posting doesn't come to any substantive conclusions, in part because the work itself seemed open-ended and deliberately incomplete. After all the beginning of the video loop indicated it was, "Act I – Anytown." I now realize that this piece is merely the beginning of a larger project. I look forward to seeing this project develop as Sarah continues to investigate this rich mine of emotions and history.

On Laskey

2011-09-08T00:28:00.000-05:00

Professor Leslie Laskey shocked the hell out of me with his question at my first critique as a student at Washington University's School of Architecture. I'd just finished presenting some conte crayon on newsprint sketches and described the concept for my upcoming project to design a wall in a garden.

After I finished presenting, he exclaimed, "JUST WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?" Into the tense silence, I meekly replied, "Cornell."

"Oh, . . . well, that explains it!"

~ ~

That was my introduction to the force know as Laskey. I was never fortunate enough to have him as my professor as he taught the undergraduates, though I did participate in a few of his design salons some years later.

He certainly influenced the direction of my own work, suggesting I take a close look at Harris Armstrong's Magic Chef Building and its Noguchi ceiling. I'd come to him asking for his advice about how I might pursue my interest in issues relating to the historic preservation of modernist architecture.

Now, at ninety, Laskey's work will be the subject of simultaneous exhibitions at the Bruno David Gallery and at Steinberg Gallery at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. The openings will be held tomorrow evening, Friday 9 September 2011 in conjunction with exhibit openings at the Pulitzer and the Contemporary.

Take a look at this wonderful short video by David Wild:

Leslie Laskey: Hinge from David Wild on Vimeo.

Opening Tonight at Old North St. Louis!

2011-09-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

(en)visioning Hyde Park opening :: Thurs., Sept. 1st

Please read and share this notice regarding the upcoming exhibition opening for (en)visioning Hyde Park. The opening will take place tonight,Thursday, September 1st from 6pm to 8pm.

The exhibit is being held at Old North St. Louis Restoration Group's gallery located at :

2700 N. 14th Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63106

This very special opening features the work of Hyde Park middle school children who participated in Rebuild Foundation's Urban Expressions program in June and July. Andrew Raimist acted as digital photography instructor and the results of their summer's work will be on display.

The kids receive awards and certificates as well as a book documenting their work over this summer which they accomplished alongside Washington University students in Theaster Gates' CityStudioSTL design-build program.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=238900999484639

You can find out more about the program at:

http://kck.st/m32Pqu (Kickstarter)

http://rebuild-foundation.org (Rebuild)

The opening will include food and beverages, a slide show as well as a special collection of cameras spanning over 100 years from the Brownie to the digital point-and-shoot camera's used by the kids.

If you're unable to join us, please share this information on your blog or with your social media contacts.

This project has been generously supported by backers of our Kickstarter grant as well as support from the Missouri Arts Council, Rebuild Foundation and Most Holy Trinity Catholic School. We welcome additional contributions to this worthwhile community arts effort.

If you have any questions about the exhibition, please contact Andrew Raimist:

phone: 314 / 640 6878
email: ALWRaimist@me.com
blog: http://AndrewRaimist.com

(en)visioning Hyde Park exhibit :: Thurs. Sept. 1st

2011-08-24T20:24:00.000-05:00

Please read and share this notice regarding the upcoming exhibition opening for (en)visioning Hyde Park. The opening will take place on Thursday, September 1st from 6pm to 8pm.

The exhibit is being held at Old North St. Louis Restoration Group's gallery located at :

    2700 N. 14th Street
    St. Louis, Missouri 63106

This very special opening features the work of middle school children living in Hyde Park who participated in Rebuild Foundation's Urban Expressions program in June and July. Andrew Raimist acted as digital photography instructor and the results of their summer's work will be on display.

The kids will all be given awards and certificates as well as a book documenting their work along with the accomplishments of Washington University students in the CityStudioSTL design-build studio.

You can find out more about the program at:

    http://kck.st/m32Pqu (Kickstarter)

    http://rebuild-foundation.org (Rebuild)

If you're unable to join us, please share this information on your blog or with your social media contacts.

This project has been generously supported by backers of our Kickstarter grant as well as support from the Missouri Arts Council, Rebuild Foundation and Most Holy Trinity Catholic School. We welcome additional contributions to this worthwhile community arts effort.

If you have any questions about the exhibition, please contact Andrew Raimist:

    phone:     314 / 640 6878
    email:      ALWRaimist@me.com
    blog:        http://AndrewRaimist.com

USGBC – International green Construction Code

2011-08-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this short video introduction to the IgCC (International green Construction Code) announcing our local chapter's USGBC meeting next week on Tuesday, August 9th.

Video by Andrew Raimist, 2011.

SPEAKER: Dave Bowman, PE, Manager of Codes for the International Code Council’s Codes and Standards Group. Mr. Bower’s responsibilities include the management of all ICC standards development and the direction and coordination of ICC Staff when assisting or participating in standards development with other organizations. He also maintains the integrity of the referenced standards chapters of the I-Codes and assists code development as the Staff Secretary for the IBC Fire Safety Committee and the IBC General Committee. He provides portions of the IBC Commentary and is involved in the development of the ICC Performance Code.

CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Submitted for approval of 1 GBCI CE Hour & 1 AIA LU/HSW/SD

WHEN:
Tuesday, August 9, 2011

5:30 – 6:15 pm – Registration & Networking
6:15 – 7:30 pm – Formal Presentation

WHERE:
Ameren Missouri, 1901 Chouteau, St. Louis, MO 63103

FEE:
Free for USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Members, ASHRAE – St. Louis Members, MABOI Members, and Full-time Students; $20 for Non-members.

REGISTER:
Click here to visit our Event Registration page. Scroll down and click the “Register” button under the International Green Construction Code event listing.

QUESTIONS?
Contact USGBC-Missouri Gateway staff at usgbc-mogateway@mobot.org or (314) 577-0225.

Hyde Park Update -- Painting

2011-07-03T23:02:00.001-05:00

On the Friday before the 4th of July weekend, the Urban Expressions students painted several benches that will be installed in the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church's garden. It was another hot St. Louis summer day, but we worked in the shade and produced some inspiring designs.

Afterwards we enjoyed milkshakes from Crown Candy Kitchen and some basketball. Check out the short video of the event:

Hyde Park update!

2011-06-27T02:11:00.000-05:00

During our second week working with the kids in the Urban Expressions program, we organized the kids in teams to share the cameras we have available. We headed north from their school along Blair Avenue, visiting sites (and looking at and seeing sights) along the way. The range of conditions to be found in the span of a few blocks runs the gamut.

Across the street from the school is a wonderfully restored home with a beautiful cornice. Its fenced yard to protected by several fierce-sounding dogs which coming running as we head up the sidewalk. We smile as we see three cute, curly-haired mutts arrive at the fence.

Next door is a house presently undergoing renovation. Sweaty men are busy hauling debris from its dark, boarded-up interior.

At the corner of Blair Avenue and Salisbury Street is the Cornerstone Cafe. The owners are a wonderful family with deep roots in the community. They serve inexpensive, delicious sandwiches. Their patrons range from kids just learning to walk to older men who fondly recall the "good old days". The kids take photos around the simple cafe: the homemade mural of collaged faces, the mounted deep water ocean catch and the patron and servers. Before we leave, the owner offers the kids suckers.

Diagonally across from the cafe is the historic firehouse which has been lovingly restored. It's beige bricks contrast with the dark reddish bricks that comprise most of the neighborhood's buildings.

The old Salisbury Hardware store stares blankly across the intersection encrusted with a patina of texts, graphics and graffiti that suggest something of its history. We're told that renovations of the building should be starting sometime soon.

A few doors down, there's a solid old duplex being completely restored. Masons have been repairing and tuck pointing the brickwork for several weeks. Windows have started to be installed.

A little farther down the street, a similar structure is missing much of its facing bricks and most of its windows marking a clear contrast to the newly preserved duplex.

These homes face the historic square green landscape of Hyde Park, one of St. Louis' 19th century open spaces which was originally built in the village of New Bremen, before the area's incorporation into the City of St. Louis. Stories suggest that the open space was named for London's Hyde Park. While some residents believe the park was originally named Bremen Park (after the German city from which many of the area's early residents emigrated), the aerial views prepared by Compton & Dry in 1875 show it as named "Hyde Park".

Their belief that the name was changed from Bremen seems to be based upon the anti-German sentiment that developed during the two world wars. While that story is apocryphal, some of the Cornerstone Cafe regulars recall seeing Nazi's parading through the streets with flags and National Socialist regalia during WWII.

While the park is green and open with mature trees, playground, pavilion and other amenities, it seems underutilized.

Turning on Bremen Street, we find an empty burned multifamily structure that had years ago been painted blue next to a series of vacant lots that appear to have been relatively recently cleared. In the far corner, piles of mulch and compost suggest the existing of a garden in this unlikely locale.

We're delighted to find rows of planting in various states of growth and then pleased meet its owner and caretaker, a slender woman with a broad gardeners hat capping her long flowing hair. She patiently answers the kids' rapid-fire questions.

"Did you make this garden?"

"Do you really live here?"

"How old are you?"

"Why do you have gray hair?"

"Where's the lettuce? Spinach? Melons?"

She calmly answers them all and even shows us how she hand pollinates the plants she keeps wrapped in lightweight fabric as a barrier to insects. She uses only organic methods in maintaining and developing her garden.

Hoses are strewn across the alley and around the planting beds to facilitate watering. The start of a circular bed of ornamentals edged in irregular limestone edging is beginning to take shape nearby.

As the heat of the afternoon sun starts to bear down on us, a large black dog barks at us from across the alley signaling our time to leave.

While some of the kids profess an inability to make it all the way back to the school, we do arrive as a group three blocks back toward the south under the shadow of the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

(en)Visioning Hyde Park Begins!

2011-06-20T00:38:00.001-05:00

Our program has begun! The kids are totally psyched and I've already got them taking pictures. In addition to working with Canon Powershot digital point-and-shoot cameras, each day I bring in a different camera to show them.

The first day they all got to try out my Nikon DSLR. The second day I brought in a Kodak Brownie from the early twentieth century. I explained that fundamentally all of these cameras do exactly the same thing.

We concluded the week with plans for a barbecue and an afternoon creative celebration with volleyball, face-painting, t-shirt screen-printing, portraits and more. Friday's intense storm drove us inside, but didn't dampen our spirits!

I shot everyone's portraits in a makeshift portrait studio set-up. I've edited and posted several to my Flickr photostream.

We also got a wonderful article published about our program in St. Louis Magazine written by Zakea Boeger. A special shout-out goes to their Arts & Entertainment Editor Stefene Russell who helped make it all possible!

And here's a self-portrait taken in the midst of all the action:

Thanks again for your support! Please be sure to let others know the deadline for reaching our goal is Wednesday 6 July. If we don't reach our goal by that date, then no money gets donated and we receive nothing. :(

Hyde Park: The Interview

2011-06-19T22:03:00.004-05:00

Following is a short video interview conducted by Dickson Beall of the new website StLouisan.com where he's developing an arts and culture channel for Saint Louis.

We're discussing my project (en)Visioning Hyde Park and its Kickstarter component. Please check it out!

Check out the video describing the project here:

National Great Rivers Research & Education Center

2011-06-14T01:42:00.000-05:00

Check out this short video regarding the recently opened National Great Rivers Research & Education Center. The USGBC's June chapter meeting will include a tour of the facility which features a range of innovative technologies related to its intended Platinum LEED status.

The meeting takes place on Tuesday 14 June 2011 at 5:30pm. Visit USGBC website for more information and to RSVP.

(en)Visioning Hyde Park

2011-06-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

I've just launched a Kickstarter.com fundraising effort to support the summer photography program I'm teaching kids in North St. Louis' Hyde Park neighborhood.

Please take a look at the project page.

Thanks for checking it out! Please let others who would be interested in this effort know about it. Can you encourage people to support the project even with a nominal contribution of $1 or a Facebook "Like"?

Please let me know what you think about the project, how it might be improved or resources you believe we should consult.

Regarding "free unemployment"

2011-05-08T17:38:00.002-05:00

FOLLOWING IS A RESPONSE TO SOMEONE CRITICIZING THOSE RECEIVING 'FREE UNEMPLOYMENT' (on LinkedIn).

I understand your frustration with finding qualified people. There's no doubt that there are some people getting unemployment payments who are doing little or nothing to improve their skills and employability. However, I know many eminently qualified people who are diligently seeking work and investing in developing their inherent talents to make themselves even more valuable to employers.

In the two years that I've been "unemployed" as an architect (a building-type architect), I have earned two certificates in web design, have been doing a wide range of freelance design work, expanded my services to include photography, video and writing, been teaching as a substitute teacher in public schools, recently completed a graduate level university seminar (as instructor), will be teaching urban youth during the summer and am lining up more work all the time.

I'm also just about ready to publish my first book which I've researched, written, illustrated, designed and produced myself. http://andrewraimist.com/2010/05/harris-armstrong-book-preview.html

I've periodically gotten financial support from unemployment. When I earn enough money, I simply don't get a check from unemployment for that week. Without those funds from unemployment, it's possible that our home mortgage would have gone into foreclosure and thereby destroying the years of physical, financial and emotional investment I've made in designing, building and maintaining it.

The "system" is screwed up, without doubt. In some instances it would be financially better for me not to work. That is wrong. I personally believe that I'm working for something much more than just a few hundred dollars at the end of a week (although that's certainly part of the motivation). I'm working to make more connections and to demonstrate my skills and abilities to others who will recognize the value of my contributions and appreciate the value I offer.

I'm presently producing a series of videos for the local chapter of the US Green Building Council in exchange for membership in the organization and the ability to take additional courses and get more certifications. To my way of thinking, I am being entrepreneurial in a way that benefits others and myself simultaneously. To me, that's what work is all about.

If you have a moment, please view my most recent video for them and let me know if you think I'm wasting my time receiving "free unemployment". http://andrewraimist.com/2011/05/biomimicry-at-usgbc.html

ALWRaimist@me.com
http://RaimistDesign.com