Le Festin

Song by Michael Giacchino, Camille, 2007

Translation by Dadbydesign

Les rêves des amoureux sont comme le bon vin

The dreams of lovers are like a good wine

Ils donnent de la joie ou bien du chagrin

They bring joy or otherwise sorrow

Affaibli par la faim, je suis malheureux

Weakened by hunger, I am miserable

Volant en chemin tout ce que je peux

Stealing on the way, all that I can

Car rien n'est gratuit dans la vie

For nothing in life is free

L'espoir est un plat bien trop vite consommé

Hope is a dish too quickly consumed

A sauter les repas, je suis habitué

Skipping meals, I am well used to

Un voleur solitaire est triste à nourrir

A lonely thief is a sad thing to feed

Un jeu si amer, je n'peux réussir

A bitter game I cannot win

Car rien n'est gratuit dans la vie

For nothing in life is free

Jamais on ne me dira

Never will they tell me

Que la course aux étoiles, ça n'est pas pour moi

That the race to the stars is just not for me

Laissez-moi vous émerveiller et prendre mon envol

Let me amaze you as I take off

Nous allons enfin nous régaler

At last we shall feast

La fête va enfin commencer

The celebration shall began

Sortez les bouteilles; fini les ennuis

Bring out the bottles; no more troubles

Je dresse la table, de ma nouvelle vie

I set the table that is my new life

Je suis heureux à l'idée de ce nouveau destin

I am pleased at the idea of this new destiny

Une vie à me cacher et puis libre enfin

A life of hiding but freed at last

Le festin est sur mon chemin

The feast is on my way

Architectural anachronisms

It always strikes me as funny when I hear on TV or in a movie with builders or architects in it, references being made to the 'blueprints' of a given building. Please note that the word ’blueprints’ has not been used in Architecture Community, nor normally not in the Construciton industry as a whole either, for what, about fifty years, when plans where still printed using a method that rendered them in the negative and were in fact, blue. Later, we would refer to 'prints'  and 'plans'  when the method changed to a positive printing method. These were distinguished as 'back line' (most of the time), or 'blue line' or even 'red line', because the process would turn all our lifework thusly, depending on the color of linework we wanted for the drawing. Now generally, we refer to the 'plans', or 'drawings', or 'documents' (my personal favorite). 

Another anachronism is the word 'I-beam’. This is a profile of steel that is no longer manufactured - also since many decades. Steel beams still may outwardly look like 'I-beams' but they are not made the same way and they are typically called 'wide flange beams' or just  ’steel beams' if one is just talking about the metal beams in general and doesn't specifically know what beam will be provided in what shape.

My take on ISBU home construction.

This entry was adapted from an email I wrote to a friend.  For my part, I bring to bear about twenty years of experience in construction, admittedly mostly in commercial/institutional practice. I apologize if this ends up being sounding kind of negative. I appreciate the notion of thinking 'outside of the box', but then once you evaluate these ideas against conventional building practice and experience, the problems become readily apparent.

Home Construction with ISBU's is unfortunately a fad or small niche market. The biggest single reason to use shipping containers for construction, in my opinion at least, is NOT because it might lend itself to cheaper construction method, but because there are literally millions of these cans lying around our ports and others ports in the world, rusting away, and if we can make a workable profitable business plan to using shipping containers that is on PAR with standard construction, we doing a tremendous service to the world. If you say on the other hand, let’s use NEW containers -in lieu of used containers - you’ve basically voided the best reason to go this route, I think, and it is better IMHO to consider other methods of (sustainable and economical) construction. I suspect the secret fact of the hazmat risk is the one of the biggest reasons that all these containers are still sitting around.

Shipping containers in their current form are a highly ‘evolved’ product. They are basically perfect at what they do. There is absolutely nothing on a container that isn’t essential to its structural integrity so it can do what it is strictly designed to do. Firstly and foremost, they are designed to stack in one way only - that is directly on top of each other, and, only identical sized boxes (in plan anyway) can stack (I am not sure if a HiQ can stack on Standard even). Any other desired configuration requires re-engineering (if its to get permitted by the jurisdiction in which it will be installed).

Since ISBU’s for most jurisdictions in America are still a relatively uncommon, a constructor/owner can expect difficulty or erratic experience and delays with building departments as they try evaluate whether the ISBU meets code as well as any other local regulations (including zoning and historical, as the case may be). A possible dirty little secret in the ISBU industry, that I continue to investigate, is the problem a making sure these predominantly Chinese-made containers are free of hazmats. In particular, of lead-based paint, the wood floor preservative, and any previous transported chemical spills. ISBU's need to be tested and the Reseller or Constructor needs to certify that these containers are free of hazmats, or, that they completely strip or sandblast their units using EPA approved hazmat abatement procedures and that they have been similarly power-washed to remove any hazmat residues left by the materials once possibly transported within. This needs to be done BEFORE even the Constructor's own people or subcontractors work on the container (or else expose workers to to these hazmats). An intelligent building inspector could/and would send the Constructor and/or the Owner through that jurisdiction's environmental department (for a few months of review). I deal with hazmats frequently, but only peripherally in my job, because professionally, it’s an grenade, and the AIA and our attorneys steer us clear of it. It is always completely and directly handled by the Owner/Client without any advice from us except to go hire a hazmat abatement contractor. It's one the biggest money holes our unfortunate afflicted clients have to deal with.

Note that so far I found almost no reference to this issue online at least, officially, via comment, blog, or articles. I have communicated with a few people either purportedly in the industry who circumvented answering the questions. I did notice that at least one hip design company into ISBU home construction seems to acknowledge implicitly on their site the risks and may be certifying that their  containers are either hazmat free or encapsulated. I would be curious to know the source/supplier of their ISBU's. Hopefully there are dealers that are set up already that have either sell ‘clean’ containers, or are equipped to ‘clean’ then in an approved and responsible way (at least by measure of the EPA - which is a very low measure frankly).

Aside from hazmats: ISBU's tend to need to be structurally modified to feature what most people would consider conventional features of home living. For example, sizes of rooms; given the 8 foot dimension of ISBU's, this is generally considered too narrow a width for the important living areas such as the bedroom, or living room or living/dining or living/dining/kitchen, however one wants to parse it. One would typically want to join two containers together (and remove internal walls) to achieve these 'normal' sizes of spaces. This mean's additional columns, beams, and possibly bracing. That said, I know some of these hipper design companies may be proposing smaller foot prints; but I think that will only be popular in a small niche market.

Another important consideration with used containers is that, once cut,  they are liable to 'pop' out of true due to the stresses that the boxes have built-up over their lifetime in transport. This often necessitate the welding on of all sorts braces to help force back/keep the pieces true while they weld them into their new configuration. Studying some of the ISBU builders out there doing prefab ISBU’s (such as MEKA out of Toronto  - pretty nice modern designs), suggests to me that they circumvented these problems by one, pre-fabricating in China, and two, using new boxes.

Otherwise, modifications significantly add cost and tend to negate the financial viability of using ISBU's over conventional/traditional building methods. Many installations propose or even have utilized ISBU's in ways that were totally undesigned for. For example, some 'Preppers'  have dropped them underground (without proper reinforcement) as fallout shelters not realizing that the walls are relatively thin against the tons of force of the earth bearing on them.

Travis Price Architect in DC has been lauded this past year or so for having constructed new (quite nice I think) ISBU student apartments over on 7th street. He’s got some more planned for the Rosedale neighbohood. The revealing part is that he’s also using new containers. I think that’s kind of cheating frankly, given his stated motivations; but I can imagine his sponsors don’t want the liability of hazmats and constructibility issues of used containers. I think there is even a disturbing move away from used containers by some constructors, as container homes gain perhaps a little more popularity, to circumvent the problems I just described above.

In northern climate and frankly in hot southern climates, the ISBU needs to be insulated (to code-mandated levels) and should be waterproofed either from the inside, (which also impacts clear space), or the outside. Hipper firms are proposing that the bare metal boxes look cool. I think this is only true as long as these are exceptions in their environments. Otherwise I truly doubt a large segment of people will accept this aesthetic with more broad use of ISBUs. Therefore exterior cladding is required. Again added costs against the viability of the ISBU.

For people who have heard about ceramic insulative paint, here' is my take: Supertherm’s claim of conductive or passive insular properties appear to be misleading. The product is not Third Party tested, nor approved, let alone UL listed (specifically for this claimed property), because, frankly, I doubt it can be (or it would have been by now). It and one its competitors, Nanotherm were tested by the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and debunked back in 2009. It continues to sell apparently, but I would say based on my own construction knowledge and experience, as well a on the independent testing results that I have read, this material should be avoided as an insulative paint.

Replacing Sunrace grip shifters with Shimano RevoShift SL-RS35

Just wanted to share this experience out quickly for all Dads (for all) out their finding their child can't turn their piece-of-shugar Sunrace shifters on their entry level MTB bicycle; so I apologize that this blog entry will not include pictures (at least yet) or much installation detail. I have done the research, executed the solution, and am now reporting the success.

I had bought my 10-year old daughter a second-hand 24" Diamondback 'Tess' and fairly soon after I realized that her inability to turn the shifters was not just related to learning to change gears, but that the shifters were indeed very difficult to twist, requiring even for me, considerable torque. Researching online, I did manage to find other Dads who were questioning these shifters; unfortunately, few were getting any really useful feedback, the right feedback being: the Sunrace shifters suck, change them.

On investigation, I noticed that a common Grip shifter model on other similar caliber 24" MTB bicycles - notably my son's - but many others well, was the Shimano Revoshift. These are about $21 on Amazon and from what I could tell with my son, they worked fine (and appear to get good, albeit few reviews). Another one that I saw recommended a few times and a few bucks more is the SRAM 'MRX' (about $25 from what I can tell). I ultimately bought the Revoshifts for 3x7 or 21-speed because they were in stock and I had (my son's) experience with them.

The Revoshifts arrived with their cables already installed into the shifters, which is good, since the removal of the cover to access the cable 'seat' inside is a teeny hassle (involving 'tabs' rather than screws). Even worse are the Sunrace shifters which are clearly designed to be cheap; they don't even have a removable cover and must be removed from the handlebars and completely dissembled to remove the cables without cutting them  (itself quite a hassle; I did it before I realized that I didn't need to, thanks to the blog post http://www.mystoopidstuff.com/sunrace-shifters.html).

So first you got to remove the Sunrace shifters. If you're like me and just a very occasional bike mechanic, mostly just trying to save a few bucks on easy repairs (and avoid the likelihood that the bike mechanic pro won't let you leave the shop without overhauling several other items that you really didn't realize nor want to deal with), I recommend you do each shifter replacement separately in sequence and completely so to have less of a chance of screwing up the arrangement of cables in front of the handlebars and on the frame. This one qualifies as an easy repair IMHO.

Actually first, you need to remove the rubber grips. Unlike what I just said above, go ahead and remove both rubber grips (not both shifters). There are several videos on this on Youtube (https://youtu.be/cxkSXYKaDh4 is one); and is shockingly easy. Can't say if this is bad method in the long haul, but it sure makes removal painless and fast. Simply insert a longish thin tool, such as a small gauge allen wrench into the grip (not through the grip! not from the ends of the handlebars! But between the grip shifter and grip) and, by turning your bike wheel so the handle bar slopes down so that you can pour in some rubbing alcohol (I inject a tiny quantity using a syringe) into the space created by tools in the grip. Twist (initially hard) to work in the alcohol, and suddenly the grips practically slips off. Apply a little alcohol into the grips to replace them at the end. Once the alcohol evaporates the shifters will stick on again securely.

Set gears on smallest chainwheel and sprocket to release tension on the derailleur cables. Now go ahead and disconnect the cable from, say, the front derailleur (i.e. unscrew the cable clamp, and start to pull the steel cable out. Leave cable housings roughly in place or set aside as you prefer, assuming these are in reasonable condition and you intend to reuse them for the new shifters' cables. Go ahead and cut the steel cable near the shifter if you like (I just bought bought a cheap, well rated cable cutter on Amazon). Note the arrangement of the shifter and its cable on the handlebar; is the cable in front or behind the brake handle? Does the cable pass through or in front of the brake cable, etc? Use a very small Allen wrench to unscrew the locking screw on the Sunrace shifter (I think this was a 2mm wrench), and slide this off the handle bar. Now throw away this piece of trash with gusto! Feel yourself ridding yourself and your child of all this negative energy! Do NOT try to resell it - do NOT inflict this piece of garbage on some other kid!

Place new front derailleur shifter onto the handlebar in the same position as previously. take a rag and apply some teflon containing chain or similar oil to the cable. Thread cable through the housing(s) and around any frame bracket provided for this cable. Pay attention to the arrangement of the cable relative to the other cables so it's not restricting itself or another cable's free movement. Pull taught, insert end into the front derailleur clamp and tighten. Cut excess cable (I like to leave a few inches). Place crimp (I temporarily used a jewelry crimp, while I wait for bike cable crimps to arrive). Fold end out-of-way. Done with that side.

Now repeat this procedure with the other side. Replace rubber grips as describe above.

Test. Should be good to go. This should have/could have taken 30 minutes besides computer time reading and ordering parts.  60 minutes or longer, because you had to fumble through these instructions while doing the replacement and finding the tools.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Strategy to solving/assembling high-number tile jigsaw puzzles - Case study: Eurographics 1000-piece 'Modern Locomotives' 19.25" tall x 26.625" wide

I was not able to find discussion on the topic, nor terminology; so at the risk of being presumptuous and redundant, I posit this otherwise rather nerdy post for those who may be interested in the mechanics of jigsaw puzzle solving. I apologize that I did not provide photographs of the puzzle in progress; rather, these photos are taken after completion and as such cannot convey the subtlety of the puzzle challenges. 

First, some key definitions and methodologies.

Parts of jigsaw puzzle per me:

1. The tesselated image: this may be any number of things, but the finer the detail of the image, tends to define a more challenging image. that said images that have have large areas of unvariegated texture or block color are the most challenging because they necessitate assemblage by 'brute force'.
2. Tesselations or Tile pieces consisting typically of curved and or flat edges, and 'plugs' and/or 'sockets' interlocking elements.
3. The 'Tableau' or the image canvas as defined by its boundaries.
4. A critical subset of of the tiles are the boundary pieces  - notably the 'edge' tiles (characterized by a single completely flat side) and the corners (with two sides and a 90° angle most of the time (unless you have a non-rectilinear shaped puzzle).

There are five or so methods to analyzing, and assembling/solving a 2-D puzzle:

1. What I call - 'brute force'; which is to look at the shape of the adjacent laid-out piece(s) and and find the matching piece that will fit. This is generally the method of last resort, typically when there are no other visual clues form the puzzle image, specially if you are working in an area of the image lacking any distinctive detail. You are generally left with 'plug' and/or 'socket' conditions, and curvilinear and/or flat edges that you will be trying to identify and match.
2. Contextual match of a color element, as well as possibly texture and tonality. This is a basic method of identifying a tile by way of matching a color or colors in context.
3. Contextual match of a graphic element. Another basic method of identifying a tile by way of matching a shape, or vector element.
4. Contextual match of a textual element. This one of the easiest methods to assembling a 'block' or 'portion' of a puzzle image, particularly large textual elements, usually a title element on the image. Smaller text - possibly captions - are somewhat tedious, but still a very useful way to identify tile and its relative location; or reduce the number of possible possibilities, at least.
5. Puzzle boundaries and corners. For me, this is the fundamental step to solving a jigsaw. It may very difficult - particularly for challenging jigsaws - to assemble the entire boundary initially, but it is usually one of the easier puzzle elements to complete over the span of the time of solution. 

Characteristics of a challenging jigsaw puzzle and basic approach to solving it

In the case of this 'Modern Locomotives' puzzle, we have a combination of elements: highly detailed images of locomotives (arranged in ascending order of date manufactured or operated - a useful clue, and most with distinctive coloration and texture), large titular graphic text,  graphic symbols (in this case national flags), captions (including basic facts about the locomotives; again, helpful clues in identifying tiles and their relative location), and of course, expanses of white background and a monotone blue border. What makes this puzzle particularly challenging is the high number of small pieces - each tile occupying an area of a square less than one inch, and many less than a 3/4" and even some less than 1/2". This leads to greater unpredictability, in determining the shape of tile to fill a given space. Sometimes what what may seem like a logical space for a single tile, has been deceptively arranged with two pieces - effectively delaying their identification (what I like to think of as 'capture'). 

The space reveals the criteria for what would seem logically to describe a single, roughly square, tile with two 'plugs' and two ''sockets'; however...

It was surprising to find that not the case here: that the space defined was in fact for TWO tiles, one of them being a tiny sliver of a tile...

... for the completed fit.

There is also a very high degree of tile variation: I would even say, no two tiles in this puzzle are alike. The solid border and white space are also complications. 

It is good to choose a very flat and firm surface on which to assemble the puzzle, such as a wood table. Recognize that a challenging puzzle may take a whole day or even days or weeks to solve (depending on how driven one is to solve it). The surface should obviously therefore be selected so that it can afford to be left as is or the duration. It is highly advisable to study the published size of the puzzle (even if it happens to be only an approximation). One might go as far as to mark or tape the corner points (if not the whole boundary) on the table surface. I actually only require know the size and I can mentally  visualize the puzzle size until sufficient pieces are placed. Understanding the actual boundaries of the  image, allows one to mentally map out the relative position of distinct portions or 'blocks' of the overall image. In the case of 'Modern Locomotive', there are the individual locomotives which form thirty-six distinct 'blocks', the main graphic title ('Modern Locomotives' and its three translations below it in French, Spanish, and German)

The main title graphic at the center top of the Jigsaw with translations in French, Spanish, and German underneath: relatively easy to identify pieces amongst all the tiles, pretty easy to assemble and place (because after all they spell definite words) and they provide a few important 'bridge' pieces to adjacent 'blocks'.

 as well as the flags of the nations represented on this tableau on either side of the title. The boundary could be said to be like a 'block' as well. 

This Jigsaw included national flags on either side of the main title graphic, which as colorful, graphic elements are relatively easy to find amongst a lot of tiles and relatively easy to arrange and place.

This fully formed void space reveals the criteria for the a tile having three 'sockets' and a single 'plug' on its bottom. Moreover, the tile's top slopes down to the right (kind of like Gumby's head!).  In this case, the tile includes the top of British loco which made it part of that 'block' and somewhat easier to solve.

This void defines a peculiar shape with opposing 'plugs' at one end a single, awkward 'socket' at the 'top' of the tile, and a third 'plug' to the right. Without either 'block', the tile is harder to identify than many by 'brute force', in spite of the unique shape. The little bit of caption helps a bit. The tiny bit of tack tie on the top is almost useless for identification.

As tile pieces are placed, adjacent tiles can be more easily identified. The more tile pieces that are placed, blocks of the puzzle get easier to solve as each tile place will reveal the criteria of the adjacent tile - i.e. edge shape, plug, and/or socket. Once enough tiles are laid, missing tile criteria will be more precise; number of plugs and/or sockets as well as arrangement of plugs and sockets (e.g.  a tile defined by two opposing plugs and two opposing sockets, or, say, a tile defined by an s-curve on one side the left side, widening at the tile at the bottom, a plug on the top, and sockets on the side and bottom). That said 'transition' zones between distinct blocks will tend to be hard to solve. These will be, again, areas of solid color (in this case white background), or relatively unvariegated areas of texture/tone and/or color. It is very useful to identify orientation of the tile by studying the image on it as well as studying the is side's shape, plugs, and sockets relative to the criteria revealed on the tableau of partially-formed blocks.

Note a repeating motif which can be as confounding as it is helpful: all rows of locos include a side view of track (steel rail on top of wood ties).  This at once helps to distinguish the orientation of a tile often without telling you on which row of locos it might be located.

Case Study: Methodology to Solving 'Modern Locomotives' Jigsaw

My usual first task is to separate out the boundary tiles into a simple pile. I will also be looking for the corner pieces to separate out. One could elect to place the corner pieces into their final positions  to establish the 'tableau'. I tend to wait until I can actual form a corner of several pieces (usually edge tiles), so as not to lose track of these pieces as the image forms. I then identify the most distinct image 'blocks' (selected because their composite tiles are easy to identify) and identify and separate out as many of these block pieces as can quickly be performed (usually 3 to 6 blocks of image). I will position these little piles in their relative position on the tableau. This tends to preclude having too many 'blocks' on the go initially at least. Most of these pieces will be identifiable simply by their distinctive color or colors. some, as in this case, by virtue of caption text that I happen to have read and could quickly decipher as being part of a given block. Soon In this puzzle, associated national flags will become identified as associated to a given block because of tile shape and adjacent caption. The piles of pieces  I collect will not usually form complete 'blocks'. This is not important.

The first block I actually laid is the graphic main title as this has clear graphic and logical clues to make it the easiest of all blocks to assemble. Some of the tiles describing the title will big over to one of the locomotive image blocks setting up relative location of that adjacent image block and shape of the adjacent tiles. I will first tend to assemble each of the other blocks for which I have created little piles of tile. These blocks will tend not to be complete, but complete enough to achieve significant and cogent portions of the image. Each of these blocks will also tend to inform the next adjacent block to form by virtue of several tile pieces that one might randomly identify of an adjacent block.

Boundary Tiles: note the solid border makes it difficult to lay initially as a 'block' ('boundary block'); but as adjacent (locomotive) 'blocks' are assembled, key 'bridge' pieces reveal where boundary tile are to be placed.

In this puzzle, as mentioned previously, the locomotives are arranged in ascending order of date of operation or production. This helps to identify caption text by virtue of finding a tile with a date on it. One can quickly compare the date to the key image on the cover of the box and place the text tile into its relative position on the tableau. another key clue in this puzzle are the national flags that appear under each locomotive. At least the number of positions that a repetitive flag occupy is critically reduced. Again, once placed, adjacent tiles can identified more easily.

A bright red Austrian 'Hercules' locomotive 'block'

In this puzzle, as the boundary is a solid color, the boundary 'block' took somewhat more time to form, though it was one of the first 'blocks' to be 'formed' (i.e. cogent, but not completely solved). Key pieces linking the solid border and other 'blocks' or captions permitted their placement into their relative positions. This revealed adjacent tile shape criteria (again, edge shape, plug, and/or socket). The first locomotive blocks formed tended to be the ones with the most distinctive colors. In this case yellow and red locomotives.

A bright yellow (and gray) DD40 Union Pacific Locomotive 'block'

A bright purple (and gray), with distinctive British Railways locomotive 'block' 

An Amtrak P42 with distinctive turquoise and gray livery 'block'. Also note national flags and descriptive captions under each loco.

 followed by purple and turquoise ones (roughly speaking). As the blocks formed several became solidly linked by virtue of transition 'bridges'. This in turn help to fix relative placement blocks and thereby reveal even more of the criteria of the adjacent missing pieces. As all the most colorful locomotive 'blocks' were formed, however, the box contained nothing but white background tiles, tiles with tiny bits of tonal colored image, or bits of captioned text. 'Brute force' methods became more prevalent in finding adjacent tiles; in other words, the edge shape criteria becomes the more obvious available information remaining in identifying the next tile. The tiny bit of image or color on a tile also needed to be studied more intently. These remaining pieces became the slowest and most tedious to 'solve', at least, until there where 30 or so single tiled holes remaining, which could filled very quickly to complete the whole jigsaw. 

I spent about eighteen or so hours over two days on this puzzle. 

Complete jigsaw puzzle

Please let me know if you have other good techniques!

Donor Recognition Programs for Architecture: Lessons Learned

In institutional architectural projects, where funding is often heavily reliant on private benefactors, it is important that Architects offer/initiate/advise as matter of course, early on - say around Design Development phase or early CD phase, say- that the Donor Recognition Program be coordinated into the design. Case in point: a major and significant academic building having gone through at least five years of planning gets constructed without this planning, the Owner's Development team (having since turned over) had promised the Donors pretty well almost anything to secure their pledges without coordinating with the architectural design; a wing, a floor, the auditorium, the atrium, whatever.

Consider the building constructed now, and the Design and (new) Development Team now is scrambling to find a design strategy to place these names on the various promised architectural elements, in a very prominent way (as mandated by the Donor Agreement) without making the building Las Vegas-esque, and keeping in mind the extreme politics between and egos of Donors (not to mention the Architect; see below). For example, whatever you do to for one, you have to replicate for the other. What if the architectural conditions at the other location(s) for the other major Donors do not accommodate it? It's not just a design problem, it's a political problem. What if the Donor does not accept the Architect's Donor Recognition design(s)? What if the Donor presents an image of a grand space, practically designed around the Donor Recognition? One might simply say that there is a design solution for it somehow, but I promise that this will often be at hands of some architectural compromise.

What if most major Donors have been promised a building 'Wing', but another one has been promised a whole Level (of the whole building), while still another has been promised a major space on that very Level, and each are expecting equal billing and simultaneously expecting the hierarchy of the gift amount to be recognized, as well as the Patronage over the promised space or element (i.e. political conflict between the Wing Benefactor and the Floor Benefactor and Space Benefactor). This all may make one's eyes role, but don't forget these Donors each represent several millions of dollars (each) of critical funding that make these buildings happen, and their continued generosity is counted on by the Institution (for future projects and programs); so great effort and care is required in keeping the Donors happy.

In some other case I know about (who I will not name), the Architect simply refused (at the late stage of the project) to accept the need to recognize the Gift Giver as prominently as the Owner required ($100M+ gift). The Owner was forced to go over the Architects head and hire a separate Design Team to work without the Architect to install the elaborate installation. Not a good situation. Thank goodness they actual hired fairly competent and respectful designers.

It's just one of those things in the program of the architecture that needs to be considered along with the very functional parts of the program so as to maintain the integrity of the architectural design and even the the respectful recognition of the Major Donors.

First off: oilgea!

The title being something I wanted to get this down as a great thing I learned about today/yesterday now, and the substance that may help to save the world (simplistically stated).