Me, Jane …

… Who wouldn’t want to swing from the trees with an abode such as this?

Tree House by Robert Harvey Oshatz, Portland, OR.

Check out those curves!

 

Love this semi-circle glass door and the flagstone paving that runs inside and out.

But the views!  They are to die for!

You like?  Read more about it at Canopy Living: The Ultimate Tree House at Twisted Sifter.

Leaf Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Bio Diversity” from Abstract City by Christoph Nieman.  Also found at Tiger Butter.

Physical graffiti

One man’s mark on the land.

Zeebrugge beach, Belgium

Or should I say sand?

Cape Town, South Africa

Beautiful and temporary.

 

The artist is South African Calligrapher Andrew van der Merwe.   An avid surfer, he spent a lot of time doodling in the sand.  Over time, he began developing instruments that would allow him to make deep angular cuts in the sand while at the same time catching the sand so as to prevent it from stockpiling into his grooves.  It also appears that he developed shoes he could wear while working on his art that would leave no trace in the sand.

See more of van der Merwe’s work and learn more about his artform Here.  See more beach calligraphy at African beach calligraphy doodles.

Finally, a history of van der Merwe’s artform is Here and it is fascinating!

Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese American artist, sculptor and landscape architect known worldwide for his public works.  Born in Los Angeles in 1904, his long career spanned six decades.  Here are a few of his most famous pieces:

“Red Cube,” HSBC Building, New York, NY, 1968

Japanese Garden at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France,  Travel Pod

Dodge Fountain and Phillip A. Hart Plaza, Detroit, MI, 1975

(Metro Jacksonville)

“California Scenario,” Costa Mesa, CA, 1980-82 (Alisa Ochoa)

In 1948, Noguchi collaborated with the Herman Miller furniture company to produce a catalog of modern furniture.  Perhaps his most famous piece from this catalog was his Noguchi table.  This table still remains popular today.

“Noguchi Table” for Herman Miller , 1948

Noguchi also designed playgrounds for children.  He saw them as the perfect way to integrate sculpture into modern life.  Here are some of his playgrounds:

Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA

 

Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA (mikehipp at flickr)

 

The slide was recently renovated at Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA (Reid2008 at flickr)

Late in his life, Noguchi designed several “Slide Mantras” made from stone.  The Slide Manta in Sapporo was constructed of black stone so that it could be viewed even in the snow-covered winter months there.  These Slides were not constructed however, until after his death. 

  Black Slide Mantra, Odori Park, Sapporo, Japan

 

Black Slide Mantra, Odori Park, Sapporo, Japan

 Model for Slide Mantra 1, Noguchi Museum

 Bayfront Park, Miami, FL

Noguchi died on November 30, 1988 at the age of 84 after a very long and prolific artistic career.  To learn more about his life and work, visit Wikipedia or The Noguchi Museum.

It’s Friday, so it’s time to see what other bloggers are up to at The Inspired Room's Beautiful Life Friday.

Tree Houses

Pete Nelson is a builder and designer of treehouses.  He has traveled the world photographing them and now brings them to us in his book entitled New TREEHOUSES of the WORLD. 

Get it Here.

Here are some of his own as well as others.

Imagine, living in the trees!  Pete also has a blog called The Treehouse Guy.  Check it out!

Objects in the Landscape

There are several schools of thought when it comes to siting a house in the landscape.  First, we build a house and then create a landscape to go “with” the house.  It has always been my belief that a home and landscape go together – that one would never imagine the house in any other context. 

Another school of thought is just as valid, however.  The house or architecture becomes “art” in the landscape or an object in the landscape.  In this context, the landscape is so perfect that the house fits right in and needs no manmade landscape at all. 

Here are some fine examples of objects in the landscape.  This is what we would label as Design with Nature.  Click on the captions to see and learn more about the houses.

 Neal Creek Residence by Paul McKean Architecture, Hood River, OR

 Hong Luo Club House / MAD Office, Beijing, China

"Bridge House" by Max Pritchard, Architect, near Adelaide, Australia

Less is more.

Now there is a trend called Cargo Container Architecture where used cargo or shipping containers are being recycled as basic building units for residential housing.  Take a look.

Kit Home by Adam Kalkin

Cargo Container House, Designer Unknown

 

Redondo Beach Cargo Container Residence by DeMaria Design

A clean and green way to live?   In this economy, will less truly become more?  Will we see Americans giving up square footage for a simpler life style?  Building sustainable homes with native and natural landscapes instead of exotic ones that require an unending flow of water and chemicals to be kept alive?

Maybe one day, my friend Julia over at Hooked on Houses will feature an in depth look at some of these homes.

It’s been a while since I participated in her “Hooked on Houses” Friday Blog Party, but I feel social today and I’m hoping you do to.  To see what she and others are hooked on this week, visit Julia's Hooked on Houses Friday Blog Party and then stop by Melissa's The Inspired Room Blog Party.

 

Play Ground

This may be old news, but I thought it was interesting enough to call attention to. Here’s something to chew on. Sculptor Tom Otterness was commissioned to design a private playground. In bronze. Tin Man playground.

Photos from the Tom Otterness Website

This is what I would call “functional” art in the landscape!