Designing & Building

Designing & Building: Rockhill and Associates
Rockhill and Associates, Brian Carter (Editor)
Publisher, April 2011 (Second Edition)



Paperback | 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 inches | 120 pages | 200 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-0929112596 | $39.95 CAD

Publisher Description:

This substantially renewed second edition contains twelve projects from the Kansas architectural practice of Rockhill and Associates, spanning from their early design-build work to the recent completion of a 37-building affordable housing complex in New Mexico. The firm's work exhibits a keen understanding of the house as an ecosystem, exploring building design that capitalizes on the features of the natural environment. Preface by Christine Macy, essays by Brian Carter and Juhani Pallasmaa, postscript by Tod Williams.

dDAB Commentary:

In my review of the new, long-overdue monograph on Studio 804 I mentioned the overlap between the work designed and built by the students at KU and that of the studio's leader, Dan Rockhill. The shared concerns include sustainability (especially passive heating and cooling), recycling, prefabricated construction, and the fact the architect and the architects-in-training actually build their projects. Reading that monograph prompted me to look again at my copy of the monograph on Rockhill & Associates, which was released in 2005 and then expanded in 2011. About half of the latter's twelve projects were completed since the publication of the first edition. Most of the newer buildings, like the older ones, are in Eastern Kansas (Rockhill and Studio 804 are based in Lawrence), but the most recent project, Lolomas, is way out in New Mexico and sees Rockhill extending his skills from single-family houses to multi-family housing and showing his ability to learn from vernacular building in different contexts.

Although far too many architectural monographs exist merely to promote an architect or firm, the best see the same using the medium to articulate their ideas, thoroughly document their work, and use the self-reflection to refine their design sense moving forward. I sense these idealized traits in the second edition of Designing & Building, which offers much more than is available on Rockhill's website, both in words and in images (photos and drawings, the latter not found online) and includes essays by Brian Carter and Juhani Pallasmaa (his even updated for the 2011 edition) to further articulate the ideas embedded in Rockhill's work. Eight years later, I can't help but wonder if Dalhousie University will produce a third edition, allowing people outside of Eastern Kansas to see what Rockhill has been up to this decade beyond his more high-profile work with Studio 804.

Spreads:


Author Bio:

Rockhill and Associates are architects, planners, developers, furniture makers, preservationists, modernists, teachers, old school master builders. We are interested in design at any scale and level of complexity. We work on anything we find interesting.

Purchase Links:
(Note: Books bought via these links send a few cents to this blog, keeping it afloat.)



from A Daily Dose of Architecture Books https://ift.tt/2OACEQx

How Pain Tolerance and Anxiety Seem to Be Connected

An article about the case of a woman who feels little pain or anxiety raised many questions, such as: Do low-anxiety people seem to feel less pain?

from Well https://ift.tt/2FJTw3o

Why Are Female Runners Faster Than Ever?

A panel discussion with elite women runners the week before the Boston Marathon.

from Well https://ift.tt/2V7w5XV

Fasten Your Seatbelt and Keep Your Hands to Yourself

As more accounts of sexual violations on airplanes come to light, more women are sharing their experiences and taking action to make flights safer.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FHSvJ8

Key Menswear Catwalk Graphics Directions Fall Winter 2019-20

Trendstop bring readers a first look at the key themes inspiring menswear print and graphics direction for Fall Winter 2019-20. Print and graphics have fast become a vital component of any menswear collection and the Fall Winter 2019-20 season continues to build this key growth area with a variety of bold all-over and placement renderings. […]

from Trendstop https://ift.tt/2uyOEbV

Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume III

Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume III: From Antoni Gaudí to Maya Lin
Martin Filler
New York Review Books, September 2018



Hardcover | 5-3/4 x 8-1/2 inches | 336 pages | 41 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-1681373027 | $29.95

Publisher Description:

Martin Filler’s “contribution to both architecture criticism and general readers’ understanding is invaluable,” according to Publishers Weekly. This latest installment in his acclaimed Makers of Modern Architecture series again demonstrates his unparalleled skill in explaining the revolutionary changes that have reshaped the built environment over the past century and a half. These studies of more than two dozen master builders--women and men, celebrated and obscure, idealists and opportunists--range from the environmental pioneer Frederick Law Olmsted and the mystical eccentric Antoni Gaudí to the present-day visionaries Frank Gehry and Maya Lin.

Filler’s broad knowledge embraces everything from the glittering Viennese luxury of Josef Hoffmann to the heavy-duty construction of the New Brutalists, from the low-cost postwar suburbs of the Levitt Brothers to today’s super-tall condo towers on Manhattan’s Billionaire’s Row. Sometimes the interplay of social and political forces leads to dark results, as with Hitler’s favorite architect, Albert Speer, and interior designer, Gerdy Troost. More often, though, heroic figures including Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, and Lina Bo Bardi offer uplifting inspiration for the future of the one art form we all live with—and in—every day.

dDAB Commentary:

The most that anybody who write about books could ask for is that their review sparks the reader to go out (or click) and buy the book. In just about all cases the critic is unaware of such an outcome, but I'll admit that Martin Filler's piece on Lynne Sagalynn's Power at Ground Zero prompted me to buy her weighty tome on the "Politics, Money, and the Remaking of Lower Manhattan." His 2017 review of the book was combined with two other books on Ground Zero and the subsequent redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, but most of his words were devoted to Sagalyn's thorough account rather than Judith Dupré's biography of One World Trade Center or Jay D. Aronson's Who Owns the Dead? The Science and Politics of Death at Ground Zero.

Filler's WTC piece is one of 19 essays from the New York Review of Books that have been assembled into the third volume of his Makers of Modern Architecture series. Like the two predecessors, the essays take the name of the main personality — usually an architect — involved on the project rather than the book they were originally published about. (While I can't say if this applies to all of the essays in the book, it is interesting to note that they are ordered by the subject's date of birth rather then by their date of publication in NYRB.) Hence, the article with Sagalyn's book is titled in Volume III as "David Childs / Santiago Calatrava," they being the architects of One World Trade Center and the PATH Terminal, respectively, the most attention-getting aspects of WTC. This simple shift from book to architect would appear to elevate the myth of the lone genius but Filler tries to head us off at the pass, if you will, writing in the introduction: "However much a principal architect might drive the process, ... it is hugely misleading to perpetuate persistent stereotypes of the individual genius." While the Table of Contents implies such a stereotype, Filler's criticism is more balanced, aware of the the intricate networks of people needed to design and construct a building, and astute at reassessing the careers of architects as he digests books about them.

Spreads:


Author Bio:

Martin Filler was born in 1948 and received degrees in Art History from Columbia. Nearly 1,100 of his writings have been published in more than thirty-five journals, magazines, and newspapers in the US, Europe, and Japan during his five-decade career. Since 1985 his essays on modern architecture have appeared regularly in The New York Review of Books.

Purchase Links:
(Note: Books bought via these links send a few cents to this blog, keeping it afloat.)

   

from A Daily Dose of Architecture Books https://ift.tt/2FC5RX4

On Being an Outsider

The thrill of ‘otherness’ was less delightful to my children than it was to me.

from Well https://ift.tt/2JP16yU

The Races Are Virtual but the Running Is Real

Participants in virtual races run whenever they can, wherever they can, and say they still have some of the sense of being part of a crowd, even if they’re running alone.

from Well https://ift.tt/2UjgDej

Weekly Health Quiz: Food, Mood and Older Fathers

Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.

from Well https://ift.tt/2JP16io

Are My Allergies All in My Head?

Allergies exist. But emotional factors can make them better or worse.

from Well https://ift.tt/2JNErCS

10 Design Resources for WebmastersDesigning an entire website on...

I Broke Up With Her Because She’s White

When it comes to dating, I’d rather not think about race. But that’s been hard to avoid.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FA4FUk

Our Best Passover Recipes: Brisket, Lamb, Matzo Balls and More for Your Seder Table

Here are all of the recipes you need for your Passover feast.

from Well https://ift.tt/2Uh2wGe

Here’s What Happens When You Give Unsolicited Parenting Advice

Nothing good, that’s what.

from Well https://ift.tt/2Fx8b1C

Do Periods Get Worse as You Age?

Periods can get heavier and more painful for some women after the age of 40. Sometimes it is a nuisance and sometimes it is a cause for concern.

from Well https://ift.tt/2Wtcn9m

Baseball Was My Life. Then I Stopped Being Able to Throw the Ball.

It’s called the yips, and it’s a sudden inability to play. I had to find my way out of it.

from Well https://ift.tt/2U4JDqX

The ABC's of Triangle, Square, Circle

The ABC's of Triangle, Square, Circle: Bauhaus and Design Theory
Ellen Lupton, J. Abbott Miller
Princeton Architectural Press, March 2019



Hardcover | 9 x 11 inches | 72 pages | English | ISBN: 978-1616897987 | $29.95

Publisher Description:

The Bauhaus, the legendary school in Dessau, Germany, transformed architecture and design around the world. This book broke new ground when first published in 1991 by introducing psychoanalysis, geometry, early childhood education, and popular culture into the standard political history of the Bauhaus. The ABC's of The Bauhaus also introduced two young designers, Ellen Lupton and J. Abbott Miller, whose multidisciplinary approach changed the field of design writing and research. With a new preface by Lupton and Miller, this collection of visually and intellectually stimulating essays is a must-read for educators and students.

dDAB Commentary:

The Bauhaus existed for only 14 years (1919-1933), but the school's influence on architecture and design over the last century is huge and lasting. I'm no expert on the Bauhaus, but it seems to be that much of this influence is merely attributed to the Bauhaus, as if the institution is a stand-in for all things Modern. Much of this has to do with the personalities that started, ran, and taught at the school: Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Johannes Itten, Paul Klee, and László Moholy-Nagy, to name a few. It also stems from Gropius's Bauhaus complex in Dessau, which facilitated the move from Weimar in the mid-1920s, and other designs that came from the people involved with the school. Furthermore, the closure of the school under pressure of the Nazi regime and the ensuing diaspora of "Bauhauslers" spread the school's "gospel" to North America and other parts of the globe. With the centenary falling this year (more precisely, on April 1), there's plenty of attention being levied once again at the Bauhaus and its influence.

Like International Architecture by Walter Gropius, The ABC's of Triangle, Square, Circle has been reprinted to coincide with this 100th anniversary. While the former was published in 1925, the latter came out in 1991 as a companion to an exhibition at the Cooper Union in New York. This year's reprint is the first hardcover edition. Even though I haven't seen the 1991 edition, the hardcover is a thing of beauty. The book focuses on the Bauhaus's graphic design, particularly the introductory class taught by Itten. Its production nearly 30 years ago was literal cut and paste, done by a young and unknown Ellen Lupton and J. Abbott Miller, both of whom trained at Cooper Union. They used a hybrid of digital and manual techniques, though the 2019 edition looks entirely digital. I'm not sure if it is or not, but it doesn't really matter; the book is a visual feast that uses text and grids and lines and images to explain the revolutionary thinking born a century ago.

Spreads:


Author Bio:

Ellen Lupton is the senior curator of contemporary design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and founding director of the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art. J. Abbott Miller uses design to explore and interpret art, architecture, performance, fashion, and design. As a partner in the New York office of Pentagram, he combines the work of editor, writer, curator, and designer. Lupton and Miller are both recipients of the AIGA Medal for lifetime achievement.

Purchase Links:
(Note: Books bought via these links send a few cents to this blog, keeping it afloat.)

   

from A Daily Dose of Architecture Books https://ift.tt/2Oszm1w

Drawing the Line Between Helping and Helicoptering

In the wake of the college bribery scandal, critiques of parents who meddle too much can leave us questioning our everyday instincts to help our children.

from Well https://ift.tt/2HJeBOO

Can What We Eat Affect How We Feel?

Nutritional psychiatrists counsel patients on how better eating may be another tool in helping to ease depression and anxiety and may lead to better mental health.

from Well https://ift.tt/2OuOYSd

Pack Those Binoculars. It’s Peak Bird-Watching Season.

Hotels and resorts across the country are taking notice of their bird-watching guests, offering educational weekends, watching tours and even full-time birders on staff.

from Well https://ift.tt/2WsGq10

Listen: Nazanin Boniadi Reads ‘A Sister’s Comfort, if Not a Cure’

On this week’s Modern Love podcast, the “Hotel Mumbai” actress reads an essay about the limits of care.

from Well https://ift.tt/2UgeXCe

Mammogram Centers Must Tell Women if They Have Dense Breasts, F.D.A. Proposes

A new rule would require mammogram providers to let women know if they have dense breast tissue, which can hide cancer from X-rays.

from Well https://ift.tt/2JJftVc

Flu Tied to Heart Failure Worsening

When the number of reported flu cases goes up, so does the number of hospitalizations for heart failure.

from Well https://ift.tt/2WyzT59

Air Pollution Tied to Mental Health Issues in Teenagers

Higher levels of pollution were linked to a greater likelihood of psychotic experiences ranging from a mild feeling of paranoia to a severe psychotic symptoms.

from Well https://ift.tt/2CG8XsG

Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Hey, What About a Both Mitzvah?

The Jewish coming-of-age ceremony stretches to accommodate the new gender fluidity.

from Well https://ift.tt/2TCUEuz

PUMA GOLF PUTS ITS SPIN ON EMERGING CAMO TREND WITH NEW UNION CAMO COLLECTION THAT DOESN’T BLEND IN

Rickie Fowler to Wear Pieces from the Union Camo Collection at the First Major of the Year

CARLSBAD, Calif. (March 27, 2019) – PUMA Golf today introduced its Union Camo Collection, a unique take on the ubiquitous camouflage trend that is sweeping the sportswear world, combined with inspiration derived from the year’s first major. PUMA’s exclusive Union Camo design layers the shapes of the United States and the state of Georgia to form its camouflage pattern that is sure to stand out. Rickie Fowler is set to wear key pieces from the collection as he heads to Augusta, Ga., in April.

The Union Camo Collection, available in men’s and youth sizing, focuses on heathered textures and blocky lines to create a fashion-forward yet refined look, inspired by the memorable location of the year’s first major.

The Camo Collection for Men includes:

Union Camo Polo ($75) – Designed with Puma’s FUSIONYARN FLEX fabric blend, this performance polo features an all-over Union Camo design. Available in both iconic green and neutral gray hues.

Union Camo ¼ Zip ($90) – Polyester/spandex blend ¼ zip pullover that is ideally suited for beating the morning chill during dew-sweeping rounds. Features the gray Union Camo design as a woven overlay on chest and sleeves.

Ultralite Stretch Belt ($24) – The perfect accessory to tie the collection together, the Ultralite Stretch Belt is available in the flagship green shades of the collection and is reversible with a clean stripe design as an alternative.

Union Camo Patch Utility 110 Cap ($32) – This cool cap, in a solid green colorway, comes with two interchangeable patches so you can customize your style.

P 110 Snapback Cap ($28) – a fresh take on the popular P Cap Rickie wears on Tour, featuring the all over Union Camo pattern.

IGNITE PWRADAPT CAMO Shoes ($170) – PUMA’s most popular spiked shoe with PRWADAPT traction pods now comes in a fun black/bronze/Iron Gate color scheme.

IGNITE PROADAPT CAMO Shoes ($200) – The IGNITE PROADAPT, PUMA’s latest shoe introduction, employs tour-proven technologies trusted by the game’s best, designed to adapt to any lie with stability, power and comfort. Comes in a black/bronze/grey colorway.

FOR BOYS:

Youth P Snapback Cap ($20) – This cool, fun hat for juniors is adjustable to various head sizes and features the popular slight curve brim and 110 Snapback design in a unique PUMA Black Camo pattern.

Boys Union Camo Polo ($45) – Performance polo that features an all-over Union Camo design. Available in both iconic green and neutral gray colorways.

Boys Union Camo ¼ Zip ($55) – Polyester/spandex blend ¼ zip pullover that features WARMCELL technology to keep body warm in chillier temperatures. Features the Union Camo design in a neutral gray all over print.

Boys Union Camo Shorts ($50) – 100% polyester, moisture wicking design keep kids looking cool and feeling cool on-and-off the course. Available in iconic green and neutral gray all over Union Camo designs.

For more information on PUMA Golf’s cool new Union Camo Collection for men and boys visit www.pumagolf.com.

from Golf News Wire https://ift.tt/2WqKE9p

Architecture Guide New York

Architectural Guide New York: Critic's Guide to 100 Iconic Buildings in New York from 1999 to 2020
Vladimir Belogolovsky
DOM Publishers, March 2019



Paperback | 5-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches | 256 pages | 270 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-3869224312 | €38.00

Publisher Description:

This architectural guide brings together 100 of the most original structures built in New York City since 1999. Vladimir Belogolovsky pairs them with such nicknames as Guillotine, Peacock, Shark’s Fin, Turtle Shell, and Woodpecker. The New York-based author’s selection covers buildings realized by the world’s most renowned architects, in a period when their creations were celebrated as art, and personal styles were encouraged by the ­media, critics, and clients.

The featured time span begins with the rise of the starchitect in the late 1990s, and ends in the present day. But the mission of the book is not only to document; it is also to celebrate New York’s transformative ­energy. Many of the buildings were designed either by ­foreign architects or those who settled in the city and now call it home.

Through witty, incisive commentary, catchy nick­names, quotes from the author’s interviews with the architects, and detailed maps, this singular guide allows readers to see many of New York’s con­temporary icons in a new way.

dDAB Commentary:

Having read and reviewed numerous architectural guides published by DOM (Berlin, Venice, Japan and Taiwan, even Pyongyang), I know what to expect when seeing a new one: great color photos, the occasional drawing, very well crafted maps, QR codes linked to Google Maps, easy-to-follow page layout that uses color to aid in navigation, a 5-1/2 x 9-1/2 inch trim size, and a simple cover with the DOM logo. The consistent format of the architectural guides is enlivened by one variable: the author. Not only do the authors inject their points of view, style, and knowledge into the guide, they direct the guide's content. Therefore Clemens F. Kusch and Anabel Gelhaar's Venice guide presents buildings and projects after 1950, for example, while Dominik Schendel's Berlin guide is composed as four walks through about a century of the city's architecture. Hence, the guides are as much about the author's contribution as they are about DOM's goal of creating "studious architectural reference books [and] expedition guides into the unknown."

Vladimir Belogolovsky "Critic’s Guide to 100 Iconic Buildings in New York from 1999 to 2020" is the second NYC guide for DOM, but the first in English (it follows Bruno Flierl's Architekturführer New York - Manhattan by five years). Belogolovsky and I are tackling similar ground, with our focus on contemporary architecture in NYC and the creation of guidebooks that were released within two weeks of each other (my NYC Walks came out on March 12, eleven days after his critic's guide). But Belogolovsky, unlike myself, is very outgoing and therefore a voracious interviewer. He has actually published a couple books of interviews with DOM that I reviewed on this blog: the collection Conversations with Architects: In the Age of Celebrity and Conversations with Peter Eisenman. With so much time logged in conversation with architects, many of them based in NYC and with buildings here, it makes sense for Belogolovsky to include some snippets from them in this guide. And that's what he does, with up to half the text for each of the 100 descriptions consisting of quotes, occasionally about the building at hand but more often generally about the architect's own theories on design.

But this guide is not really about the ideas of Norman Foster or Rafael Viñoly or Steven Holl; it's about Belogolovsky's take on the 100 icons he assembled. Focusing on the "eccentric structures [that] popped up in [the city's] most unexpected and far-reaching corners" over the last 20 years, the guide asks us to consider what makes a building iconic. For Belogolovsky it is legibility: "a memorable image... representative of its time and place." Beyond image he tacks on a nickname to each project, examples of which can be seen in the spreads below; these examples signal that the last two decades have seen a blossoming of sculptural and structurally daring buildings in the city as well as the transformation of once-industrial artifacts for the development of such icons.

Belogolovsky's nicknames accentuate the iconic nature of the buildings, though I think they work only about half of the time. "Jenga Tower" for 56 Leonard Street makes sense, since that's a name that has been given it, much like every tower in London has been dubbed something like the "Cheesegrater" or the "Gherkin." But most new construction in NYC doesn't garner such nicknames, leaving Belogolovsky to use the architect's name ("Gehry" for 8 Spruce Street or "Zaha" for 520 West 28th Street), reiterate the architect's label ("Stealth" for WORKac's Stealth Building or "Blue" for Bernard Tschumi's Blue Building), or find it somewhere in a building's form ("Bird's-mouths" for Foster's Hearst Tower or "Guillotine" for Raimund Abraham's ACFNY). Much of the time he ignores the architects' inspirations and intentions, such that the Spring Street Salt Shed is "Crown" rather than "Crystal" and SANAA's New Museum is "Stack" not "Bento Boxes." While I don't see many of these nicknames sticking, I don't think that's the point. Rather than defining the next hashtag around a building, Architectural Guide New York sees Belogolovsky doing something deeper: discovering and documenting how the phenomenon of iconic architecture — often associated with China and the Middle East — took hold in New York City as well, in turn redefining the cityscape for this century.

Spreads:


Author Bio:

Vladimir Belogolovsky is the founder of the New York-based Intercontinental Curatorial Project, which focuses on organizing, curating, and designing architectural exhibitions worldwide. Trained as an architect at Cooper Union in New York, he has written over two hundred articles, as well as five books.

Purchase Links:
(Note: Books bought via these links send a few cents to this blog, keeping it afloat.)

   

from A Daily Dose of Architecture Books https://ift.tt/2U27jfq

What Your Exercise Habits Might Say About How Long You’ll Live

If people start to exercise in midlife, even if they have not worked out for years, they can rapidly gain most of the longevity benefits of working out.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FHCG5d

The Burden of ‘Parent Homework’

This is not about a parent helping with homework. It is work given from teacher to parent, passing directly over a child’s head.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FCGp56

Swing Align – The Most Versatile Swing Training Device in Golf

Oceanside, CA – When it comes to great golf swing training aids, most devices only address one aspect of swing mechanics. Very few work on multiple swing issues, until now.

Swing Align, the next great golf swing training device, is helping golfers improve through consistent alignment with their target line, through keeping their arms and body in sync while rotating, and by making it easy to build a repeatable golf swing.

Swing Align is an intuitive training aid that is simple to use. Click on the video link below to learn more about how Swing Align works.

Swing Align was developed by golf industry veterans with more than 60 years’ experience, and with input from PGA Tour players as well as top golf instructors. The device provides instant visual feedback and uses muscle memory to ingrain good habits. It can be used to practice at home or on the driving range.

“Two of the biggest issues golfers have are setting up properly and staying connected throughout their golf swing,” says Chris McGinley, co-founder and 30-year golf industry veteran. “The Swing Align training aid was designed to help golfers set up square and hit it solid by providing a strong visual indicator they can use to line up square to their intended target. The device uses muscle memory to develop a repeatable golf swing with more power and accuracy by keeping their arms and body synchronized when rotating.”

Swing Align is a wearable device featuring a highly visible alignment rod that runs through adjustable arm cuffs that swivel and are held together by a flexible connection belt. This allows golfers to use the training device to make an athletic swing with any of their golf clubs, from the driver to irons, wedges or putter. The training aid comes in standard or XL sizes and has an optional, ground-based alignment product with a sliding ball position indicator puck.

Swing Align provides multiple solutions to improve many aspects of the golf swing. It is designed to be primarily worn on the upper body across the biceps for swing training but can also be worn on the lower body just above the knees for additional short game training.

Devan Bonebrake, a Golf Channel Academy Lead Instructor and a Golf Digest Top Young Teacher (2017-2019), believes Swing Align is the perfect swing training aid for golfers and instructors with their students.

“Most golfers including many of my students, struggle with alignment, rotating the body correctly, or staying connected during the golf swing,” said Bonebrake. “The great thing about Swing Align is it works on all of those aspects – whether you’re a scratch golfer, or brand new to golf. I don’t know of a more versatile training aid than Swing Align.

Aligning the Body

Swing Align is a great golf alignment aid. Most experienced golfers are already familiar with one of the most basic alignment tricks; having someone hold a golf club against their chest to show where the body is pointed. In the past someone else had to facilitate this method. Not anymore. Swing Align uses this concept to allow golfers to easily practice and perfect proper alignment on their own.

The Golf Backswing

The golf backswing can be broken down into three integral parts: rotation, swing plane, and keeping the arms and body connected. Swing Align shows common backswing flaws and helps golfers to fully rotate their shoulders on plane while using the big muscles to keep the arms and body synchronized. Many instructors refer to this rotation and synchronization as connection.

Rotation and Swing Plane

Swing Align provides great visual feedback at the top of the backswing. If the alignment rod is perpendicular to the target line at the top of the swing, the body has properly rotated. If the alignment rod is horizontal to the ground, or pointed slightly down, the body has maintained the proper spine angle and swing plane while rotating.

Arm-Body Synchronization

Swing Align is the perfect tool for arm-body synchronization. The connection belt keeps the arms from separating from the body and from each other during the swing, freeing the golfer up to focus on using those larger muscles to rotate and power the golf swing.

Strong Feedback

Swing Align provides powerful feedback and visual memory through the alignment rod; making it easier to learn alignment, rotation and swing plane on your own. Regular use of the device while hitting balls promotes muscle memory, especially for timing and connection. The device can be used on or off the course working wonders for golf swing mechanics.

“One of the great things about Swing Align is how you can use it to hit balls with full-swing shots and stay connected developing important muscle memory in the golf swing,” explains Bonebrake. “The connection belt guides your movement, and because it holds the arms together you can’t help but properly deliver and release the club squarely. There is no need to hold back. You can set up and take full speed swings with any club and be confident that Swing Align will keep you better aligned and connected.”

Swing Align is being used by golfers of all skill levels. Highly skilled golfers who want to reinforce the proper fundamentals, serious golfers committed to learning and improving, recreational players who need a quick tune up, and beginning golfers interested in learning what the proper golf swing feels like. In addition, instructors are using Swing Align to make their lessons more effective and help students become better players.

For more information on Swing Align and to order the most versatile swing training device in golf, visit www.swingtrainer.com.

from Golf News Wire https://ift.tt/2U88XeT

What Happens if Obamacare Is Struck Down?

The Affordable Care Act touches the lives of most Americans. Some 21 million could lose health insurance if the Trump administration were to succeed in having the law ruled unconstitutional.

from Well https://ift.tt/2uqPYOa

Tiny Love Stories: ‘20 Years in the Friend Zone’

Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words.

from Well https://ift.tt/2WpKYVM

Rees Jones, Halvonik return to LedgeRock

MOHNTON, Pa. — LedgeRock Golf Club continues to burnish the regional reputation of its award-winning golf course, though the man newly chosen to lead this effort, Head Golf Professional Zach Halvonik, couldn’t be more local.
Halvonik, a Sinking Spring native who starred at Wilson High School in West Lawn (and worked in high school at nearby Reading Country Club), took the reins here at LedgeRock GC (www.LedgRockgolf.com) in January. The Penn State graduate arrives home from upstate New York to help lead LedgeRock GC through its first major course renovation since the feted Rees Jones design opened for play in 2006.
“I caddied at LedgeRock a few times when I was in middle school. Back then I never realized I would be leading the LedgeRock golf operation one day,” said Halvonik, who previously served as Head Golf Professional at Bristol Harbour Lodge & Golf Club in Canandaigua, NY, following a lead assistant gig at prestigious Oak Hill Country Club, site of three U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup.
“LedgeRock’s reputation around the Northeast might surprise you. People know and admire it up in Rochester, I can tell you that — and out on Long Island [where Halvonik served as assistant professional at The National Golf Links of America]. Folks know it as a pure, golf-only club where Rees Jones did some of his very best work — over truly dramatic terrain. When we finish these renovations, it’s going to be close to perfection.”
During 2019, Jones and his team will concentrate on two holes at LedgeRock — the downhill, par-3 10th and the uphill, par-4 17th — with plans to adjust other holes going forward. Ground has already been broken this spring on 10; it should open by Memorial Day Weekend. The plan for 17 calls for construction to be completed in late 2019. Alan FitzGerald, the only course superintendent LedgeRock has ever had, will oversee the effort using in-house construction crews.
The changes will be substantial: The 10th will be equipped with an array of new tee locations, allowing this single hole to play from as many as six new angles and elevations. At the somewhat notorious 17th, Jones will soften the club’s most difficult hole.
“Every golf course needs to be reevaluated from time to time,” said Jones (www.reesjonesinc.com). “At 17, we are taking out the cross bunker to make the hole more playable for every caliber player. On hole # 10, we are building more tee locations to create more shot variety on a daily basis.”
Jones’ design associate Bryce Swanson will direct the renovation measures on site. He explained that tree clearing on 10 got underway in 2018.
“These new tee positions make sense agronomically — more sun, more air movement, spreading the wear and tear around more tees — but they will also create some really cool, new angles of attack,” Swanson said. “The club deserves credit for taking the initiative here. They’ve demonstrated a real sophisticated vision for LedgeRock. What they did with that teaching facility, for example, was way ahead of its time — clubs just weren’t doing that sort of thing 10 years ago. We relish the opportunity to complete that vision with the renovation of these two holes.”
LedgeRock Golf Club opened in 2006, 15 minutes southwest of Reading, on 212 acres of terrain marked by striking elevation changes and riven by half a dozen roaring brooks. In an era when golf courses and private clubs are closing down in droves, LedgeRock has thrived by doubling down on golf itself.
“We have no tennis courts or swimming pools here,” noted General Manager Gerry Heller, who arrived in 2017 from Philmont CC in Huntingdon Valley, outside Philadelphia. “It’s a very lively, social place but our members are here for their golf. They’re devoted to it. I’ve worked at elite clubs all over the country but I’ve never seen a Learning Center double as such a social hub.”
Designed in a carriage-house style by the architects at Blackney Hayes, the LedgeRock Learning Center was among the first to offer state-of-the-art swing analysis and indoor hitting bays that deploy FlightScope, Boditrak and K-Vest technologies. There’s a dedicated instruction studio, an indoor putting and chipping green, and an array of fitting systems for clubs (Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade and Mizuno).
The complex, which also serves the club’s oversized outdoor range/practice facility, is centered around a great room with adjoining patio and fire pit. With its own food & beverage capability, plus commanding views of the 13th and 14th holes, the Learning Center has proved a popular venue for corporate meetings.
“But we’ve got to be careful about that — the members just love to gather there,” Heller said. Golf courses nationwide are indeed closing in record numbers — a net loss of some 150 each year since 2008, according to the National Golf Foundation. Private clubs have been particularly hard hit; hundreds have closed outright, but hundreds more have been obliged to go public. Berks County alone has seen a dozen golf properties shuttered over the last decade.
Market forces would appear stacked against the success of LedgeRock, but Heller believes that ultimately they have contributed to it.
“Two quite prominent private clubs in Harrisburg also closed their doors recently and a number of those players have come to play their golf here,” Heller explained. “I could cite a dozen similar examples. It’s terrible to see all these closures, but it has helped us evolve and grow as a club, strategically. Today we do view ourselves as a regional private club with members from outside what a typical private club would consider its ‘market’.”
“The club has adjusted to what is a new, broader market,” Halvonik added, “one that really extends past Harrisburg, north of Reading, south to Lancaster and all the way into the western Main Line suburbs. That’s why we maintain the Kohl House,” a charming 4-bedroom guest cottage where members can stay the night. “The market determines a lot of what we do here, including renovating these two holes, to make the golf course that much better and attractive to prospective members.”
For more information about LedgeRock Golf Club, contact GM Gerry Heller at 610-777-9711 or via www.LedgRockgolf.com

from Golf News Wire https://ift.tt/2FAyMMu

Architecture Inside-Out

Architecture Inside-Out: Understanding How Buildings Work
Written by John Zukowsky, Illustrated by Robbie Polley
Rizzoli, February 2018



Hardcover | 10 x 10 inches | 304 pages | English | ISBN: 978-0847861804 | $35.00

Publisher Description:

Taking readers behind architecture’s facades and finishes, this charmingly illustrated book explores how some of the most important buildings in the world were constructed. Specially commissioned isometric drawings present the essential structural elements of the world’s masterpiece buildings that are not visible to the naked eye. These illustrations are displayed alongside plans, details, and photographs, all of which are clear and accessible, yet accurate and elegant enough to satisfy the most discerning eye.

This fascinating book explores the thinking and expertise behind architects’ designs and offers a means by which to better understand buildings already visited as well as those on the must-see list. Selections range from domestic structures such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and skyscrapers such as the Chrysler Building, to iconic classics such as the Louvre and Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia Cathedral. The buildings have been chosen for their importance and interest, their role in the development of architectural thinking, and the structural secrets that intricate 3-D drawings can reveal.

dDAB Commentary:

When I was child, some of my favorite books were ones that explained "how things work" through words and illustrations. A few of the titles I grew up with were put out by Reader's Digest, a couple of which I still own. The best parts of these types of books are the cutaway illustrations of buildings and other constructions that enabled modern people to see, for instance, inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. These childhood books with x-ray-like illustrations come to mind when reading Architecture Inside-Out, which uses cutaway illustrations to explain fifty buildings, ranging from the Parthenon in Athens and the Colosseum in Rome to numerous structures this century, including the Reichstag in Berlin and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Most of the buildings are iconic and have been written about in plenty of books already, but the combination of John Zukowsky's words and Robbie Polley's illustrations make this book different and especially helpful for architecture students or high school students thinking about going to architecture school.

The fifty buildings are separated into five chapters based on typology: Public Life, Monuments, Arts and Education, Living, and Worship. Each building gets two or three spreads, with photographs accompanying the words and drawings. Depending on the number of pages, the buildings have either one or two large illustrations by Polley, sometimes with details extracted from them to hone in on particular details and explain them further with captions. The cutaway isometrics and occasional perspective sections or exploded axonometric have the advantage of revealing a building's structure, which is particularly helpful when it is hidden behind a ceiling or some other surface, as in Zaha Hadid's London Aquatics Centre and Le Corbusier's Notre-Dame-du-Haut Chapel. Polley, who draws by hand over base drawings from a computer (using a light box), admits that "sketching ... any object makes you focus, look harder, and therefore better understand it." For just that reason, I'd recommend that young readers do what I did with my childhood illustrations: trace Polley's drawings with pencil or ink on trace paper. Looking at them is one thing, but drawing them -- even as a copy -- is to understand the meaning and representation of each line. 

Images:


Author Bio:

John Zukowsky is an architectural and design historian with more than four decades of experience. While curator of architecture for the Art Institute of Chicago from 1978 to 2004, he organized a number of award-winning exhibitions accompanied by major books. Robbie Polley is an architectural illustrator with more than twenty-five years of experience. His drawings have been featured in thirty books.

Purchase Links:
(Note: Books bought via these links send a few cents to this blog, keeping it afloat.)

   

from A Daily Dose of Architecture Books https://ift.tt/2JHzfk1

Feng Shui Tips for a Harmonious Life

Experts say the energies and directions of feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice for optimizing the home, change yearly.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FsqBAC

Americans Are Having Fewer Heart Attacks

They are also living longer after having a heart attack.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FyFMcA

Helping an Estranged Family Reconnect

I told my client: You can have compassion without forgiving. There are many ways to move on, and pretending to feel a certain way isn’t one of them.

from Well https://ift.tt/2Frd9gb

For an Asian-American Family, the Cost of Education

The college admission scandal and a lawsuit charging admissions discrimination at Harvard have special resonance for families like mine, where parents sacrifice so much for their children’s opportunities.

from Well https://ift.tt/2FAboyB

Marijuana Edibles May Pose Special Risks

Edibles induced a disproportionate number of pot-related medical crises, an analysis of emergency room admissions in Colorado found.

from Well https://ift.tt/2Tzslgi

Pure Silk Championship Will Be Presented by Visit Williamsburg This May at Kingsmill Resort

Williamsburg, Va. (March 25, 2019) – The Pure Silk Championship is excited to announce the addition of a new presenting partner, Visit Williamsburg, as they prepare for the prestigious LPGA tournament at Kingsmill Resort, May 20-26. As Greater Williamsburg’s official tourism department, Visit Williamsburg is proud to support women’s professional golf with this partnership as it is succinct with their mission statement of strengthening community through tourism through increased awareness, affordability, accessibility and attractiveness. Annually this renowned tournament brings fans, players, volunteers and businesses together and helps put Williamsburg, Virginia on both a national and international stage.
The Pure Silk Championship presented by Visit Williamsburg will showcase top women golfers from around the world as they compete for a $1.3 million purse in a 72‐hole stroke play tournament. This week-long event draws fans globally and will take place on Kingsmill Resort’s River Course, a 6,379-yard, Par 71, Pete Dye-designed layout, which has boasted a combined 36 LPGA and PGA victories from elite players. It has has long been a player favorite, given the wonderful support of the community, the incredible volunteers and exquisitely manicured River Course.
“We are extremely pleased to partner with Visit Williamsburg to continue to build community among our historic triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown,” Kingsmill Resort Chief Operating Officer, John Hilker said. “This first-class community event draws visitors both nationally and internationally to experience the entertainment, dining, sports and shopping we provide throughout the area.”
For more information on the Pure Silk Championship presented by Visit Williamsburg, resort accommodations, hospitality packages and tickets visit puresilkchampionship.com.
About Kingsmill Resort Kingsmill Resort is Virginia’s Only AAA Four Diamond condominium resort. Located on the James River off I-64 between Richmond and Norfolk the property is within minutes from Williamsburg’s numerous destinations including Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, The College of William & Mary, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center. To plan your trip to Kingsmill, visit www.kingsmill.com. To receive the latest updates on Kingsmill become a fan on Facebook at https://ift.tt/2TuxQwY and follow @KingsmillResort on Twitter.

from Golf News Wire https://ift.tt/2HR8qqZ

Heal Me With Plants

Gentle gardening helps patients at some hospitals relax and recover.

from Well https://ift.tt/2OqTNvV

Bayer and Johnson & Johnson Settle Lawsuits Over Xarelto, a Blood Thinner, for $775 Million

The settlement resolves about 25,000 lawsuits, which claimed the companies failed to warn about deadly bleeding episodes caused by the drug.

from Well https://ift.tt/2CApaPQ

LOCAL ICONIC PUBLIC GOLF COURSE ANNOUNCES FULL RECOVERY AFTER 2017 DES PLAINES RIVER FLOOD

After One Full Season of Growth and Recovery, Crane’s Landing Golf Course Opens This April * with 50 Acres of Fresh Turf, New Public Programming, New Membership Options, and More

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. (Mar. 25, 2019) – With spring on the horizon in the Midwest, Crane’s Landing Golf Course (Crane’s Landing) at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, is pleased to announce its official opening this April* as well as 50 acres of new turf, engaging programming and new offers for golfers, families and visitors to Chicagoland.

“Crane’s Landing Golf Course has been a staple in Chicagoland’s North Shore area since 1975. With roughly 50 acres of new turf planted in the fall of 2017 after the Des Plaines river flood, and now having had one full season to fill in, 2019 stands to be a very good year for the course,” said E.J. Bertke, director of golf and PGA Apprentice at Crane’s Landing. “And while the new turf presents a beautiful new landscape for ease of play, it’s the course’s fun and challenging layout that has kept golfers coming back for nearly 50 years,” continues Bertke.

Golf enthusiasts can anticipate the following at Crane’s Landing this season:

April* Opening: Crane’s Landing celebrates opening month with a $25 weekday rate, which includes a cart rental during the month of April.
Friday, August 2: Lincolnshire Marriott Resort’s annual Children’s Miracle Network golf outing welcomes all golfers to join a foursome to enjoy a day of golf at Crane’s Landing and raise money for the children’s charity.
New Membership Rates: Crane’s Landing is offering a wide array of new membership rates and structures to choose from. Some new options include a resort membership that include savings in all areas of the resort, a hole in one membership that includes a Callaway Wedge or Odyssey Putter for new members and a personalized locker, the eagle membership that includes 14 day advance reservations, twilight membership with a seven day advance reservation, and a junior golf membership for $450 per individual for those aged 17 and younger that includes green fees for the entire 2019 golf season.
Golf Clinics: Golf clinics will take place throughout the season and be posted on the golf course’s website.
Pro Shop and Clubhouse: The Pro shop is fully stocked with the latest golf attire for men and women, along with a vast array of the newest Callaway golf equipment.
“The par three ninth hole is still as picturesque as ever running parallel with the Des Plaines River, and the tranquil ‘triangle’ that consists of holes 14, 15, and 16 is still as quiet, peaceful, and a fantastic homestretch to finishing your round of golf,” said Bertke.

Crane’s Landing is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More information and bookings can be made by calling E.J. Bertke at 847-478-6643 or visiting https://ift.tt/2FzoX1l.

About Crane’s Landing Golf Course (https://ift.tt/2FzoX1l)

Known as a favorite public golf course in the North Shore, Chicagoland area, Crane’s Landing Golf Course (Crane’s Landing) offers an array of challenges for both beginning and seasoned golfers alike. Boasting a par 70, 18-hole facility that plays all of 6,290 yards, the course sits upon 110 acres of preserved woodlands and is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Crane’s Landing provides golfers with breathtaking views of undisturbed natural beauty and six holes that run along the Des Plaines River. The course offers a variety of player and event packages, in addition to annual memberships and golf outings.

* Crane’s Landing Golf Course will open April 8, weather permitting.

from Golf News Wire https://ift.tt/2FuGLcA

Studio 804

Studio 804: Design Build. Expanding the Pedagogy of Architectural Education
Dan Rockhill with David Sain
Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers, October 2018



Hardcover w/slipcase | 8-1/2 x 11 inches | 416 pages | 645 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-1946226211 | $65.00

Publisher Description:

Founded in 1995 by Dan Rockhill, Studio 804 is a non-profit organization and a full-year design studio for graduates that finds its momentum at the intersection of contemporary architecture’s most topical concerns: sustainability, affordability and education. The studio has produced 23 projects to date, including 10 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum level buildings and 3 Passive House certified projects. These projects support a rich mix of uses: spaces for both private and communal use and engagement; spaces for leisure and for learning.

dDAB Commentary:

At some point during undergraduate architecture school at Kansas State University, a professor took our from Manhattan (yes, the Little Apple) to Lawrence to see some projects by architect Dan Rockhill, a professor at the University of Kansas (KU). The house that made the strongest impression on me was the Shimomura/Davidson-Hues House, which had a butterfly roof and a huge scupper feeding water into a large steel funnel in the middle of the driveway. It was the opposite of traditional suburban curb appeal: it was industrious, idiosyncratic, and unselfconscious. Beyond its appearance, we learned that Rockhill and Associates also built the house, combining prefab, off-the-shelf, salvaged, and custom components throughout. It was my introduction to Rockhill, though little did I know, around that time (ca. 1995) Rockhill was developing what would become one of the most famous and influential design-build programs in the United States: Studio 804. In it, students in the last year of the Master of Architecture program at KU spend one year designing and building a house or some other structure in or near Lawrence. Like Rockhill's own practice, the students incorporate prefab, sustainability, and custom construction.

Studio 804: Design Build tells the story of the Rockhill-led program from the mid-1990s to 2018, from a modest corrugated roof over a stone ruin to a sexy glass-box house that would be at home in an issue of Dwell magazine. In between are around 20 projects grouped into a half-dozen chapters that capture the thematic strands occupying Studio 804 at various times, such as the modular homes spanning 2004 to 2007, the ambitious educational facilities built in the first half of our current decade, and the net-zero houses occupying them in recent years. A couple special chapters focus on how Studio 804 operates and the "pivotal" 547 Arts Center in Greensburg, the small Kansas town nearly entirely destroyed by a tornado in 2007. The LEED Platinum building, the first built as part of the recovery efforts in Greensburg, shifted Studio 804 to building types beyond single-family houses and made their sustainable goals more ambitious.

The 547 Arts Center and the other projects in Studio 804: Design Build are described in the first person by Rockhill, based on interviews with David Sain, a longtime colleague at Rockhill and Associates and KU. The narrative texts are conversational yet highly detailed, touching on, among many other things, how each project was designed and built. These don't leave out the numerous stumbles encountered along the way, be it students having to go to city hall to obtain a PO number for every item purchased when building a house for the Lawrence Housing Authority to the perils of building in Greensburg, where constant winds blew sand and debris and a concrete truck tipped into an unseen hole in the ground. But in the end it's the many positives of Studio 804 that come to the fore in the pages of this long-overdue book.

Spreads:


Author Bio:

Dan Rockhill is the J L Constant Distinguished Professor of Architecture at the University of Kansas. In addition to the varied work of Rockhill and Associates he directs the KU graduate school program Studio 804. David Sain has worked with Dan since 1988, [he] teaches Building Technology at the University of Kansas and helps with Studio 804 when needed.

Purchase Links:
(Note: Books bought via these links send a few cents to this blog, keeping it afloat.)

   

from A Daily Dose of Architecture Books https://ift.tt/2OoSugW