Architect OleScheeren designs buildings that generate both functional and social spaces.
When Ole Scheeren (TED Talk: Why great architecture should tell a story) unveiled his design for a complex of residential towers in Singapore, his clients were stunned. “There was a moment of silence, and I could feel that there was a degree of disbelief in the room.” Why? Because Scheeren had turned 12 towers on their sides, and stacked them like Lincoln Logs. It would take him two weeks to convince the clients that the plan could even work — but he relishes conversations in which he can challenge the ingrained notion that the only way is up. He invites us to reimagine our cities’ skylines via five of his iconic buildings.
"For much of the past century,architecture was under the spell of a famous doctrine."Form follows function" had become modernity's ambitious manifestoand detrimental straitjacket,as it liberated architecture from the decorative,but condemned it to utilitarian rigor and restrained purpose. . . I want to propose a completely different quality. If form follows fiction,we could think of architecture and buildings as a space of stories --stories of the people that live there,of the people that work in these buildings.And we could start to imagine the experiences our buildings create."
No, not me!, dear readers. Yours truly is definitely a tenderfoot dude-mellow maverick in outdoor life here in Arizona. Yet in a way it's a personal story. Later for that ... This blogsite is taking a turn to showcase a three-day workshop at a location outside of the central core of the New Urban DTMesa - Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch.
Like the website saguarolakeranch.com says, historic Saguaro Lake Ranch, one of the most scenic guest ranches in the Southwest, is one of Arizona's hidden treasures that has welcomed guests from all the world for almost 100 years. It started as a construction camp for the building of the Mt. Stewart Dam that harnessed the hydroelectric power of the Salt River at the same time providing resources for wildlife and outdoor recreation. It was an eye-opener for me back in 2002 after becoming a refugee from New York City following the 911 Twin Towers attacks to find that life is simple in a rustic spot with "panoramic views of a wilderness, . . sun-filled days, exciting adventures, idyllic star-lit nights and good company".
I brought "New York values" working at the ranch cooking for two years, going over-board one day off with a housekeeper in rough currents kayaking down the Salt River in search of the wild horses, and diving to the floor when a neighbor walked into the kitchen with a gun in a holster. Cooking in an open pit-fire using mesquite with stones in the ground, helped by a wrangler demonstrating Dutch oven cooking for guests, and working with owners Steve and Susan Durand and their sons Jason and Kevin were part of my education all about Arizona and outdoor life. Just the way that two-year gig turned my life around, here's some information about a 3-day workshop coming up this week Jan 22-24 starting at noon on Friday to just after noon on Sunday: Just talked to Kim at BOW and she tells me there is one bed left to book. If interested, please call her at 480-644-0077. Arizona Becoming an Outdoors Woman
The Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) conducts Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW ®). BOW gives women (18 and older) the opportunity to learn about hunting, fishing and related activities in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Skills such as gun safety, shooting, angling (including fly fishing), camping, Dutch-oven cooking, map and compass reading, marksmanship with rifle and bow are taught.
Instructors, who volunteer their time to teach these classes, are experts in their field. Some are employed in the fields they teach; others are experts in their subjects, including archery and rifle marksmanship. Still others are Arizona Game and Fish and U.S. Forest Service employees with years of experience in the flora and fauna of Arizona.
There are many reasons why women come to BOW. For some, it is just some ‘ME’ time. A different take on a girlfriends weekend away. BOW is a great way to enjoy camaraderie with other women and maybe learn a new skill.
Many BOW participants are looking for a little adventure, a baby step outside their comfort zone.
" - ism" was one of Google's chosen words for 2015. The attention of your MesaZona blogger was recently re-directed from The New Urban DTMesa while receiving newsfeeds and news alerts and broadcast and streaming news for the last 14 days about a heavily-weaponized group taking over a property in Oregon. They've been called by mainstream media "right-wing domestic terrorists", "armed terrorists hijacking public lands", and "deluded nuts" among another things.
However, rarely brought up in world and national news broadcasts is that Clive and Ammon Bundy are disciples in the Mormon religion. Is this another example of religions running wild with followers taking to the extreme fringes? [Image to the right is Ammon Bundy giving a talk at a public charter school here in Mesa last year.] Mormons behaving badly? Perhaps to counter-act any possible negative publicity, the LDS church is engaging in a series of internal conversations starting with a radio interview broadcast three days ago. Listen . . . here's the link > KUER/bundy-style-Mormonism Well worth the time 52.39 One commentator Zeke had this to say: The LDS Church has a huge problem with bitter, hateful anti-government mormons running amok. Another commentator Tsuji wrote this: I am a Mormon and do not support the Bundy's one bit, but I disagree with your characterization. They are deluded nuts but they think they are making a political statement . . . The Feds are wisely trying to avoid escalation. And another johninnv wrote this: Just like in Bunkerville. The local elected Mormon leaders of the region did NOT ever say a word against what 'ol pappy Cliven and offspring were doing. Not once. Not a Bishop, nor a take President, nor the several Mormons in elected leadership positions. NOPE - and many of them indicated that they supported Bundy positions. The Mormon church needs to get over its long cultivated hatred of the United States Government.
Thursday we’re asking if the occupation of a federal office in Oregon is a Mormon enterprise, and if so, what kind of Mormonism? The Bundy brothers leading the group are LDS, and they use Mormon theology to talk about motives and dealing with “tyranny.” The Church has condemned the tactics, and while the Bundys’ views aren’t mainstream, historian Patrick Mason says they didn’t come out of thin air. He and others join us to talk about the groups’ politics and faith in relation to Mormon orthodoxy.
Warning: Today is Fun Day for yours truly - just to show you what's fair game when social media selfie-posing is used so much by City of Mesa elected and appointed officials.
On an earlier post on this site from December 10, 2015 with drowsy-eyed Mesa City Manager Chris Brady and Mayor John Giles in a suit-and-tie playing BFF Wannabe Sportscaster Bros at The Wonderland Skating Rink. Maybe they are looking to find new jobs and launch their on-air talents in broadcasting and TVland via city-owned Channel 11?
Why get comic now? That's a question you, dear readers might be asking.
Sometimes "comic activism" is a more effective tool than political activism [John Stewart, Bill Maher, and John Oliver for example].
2016’s Best and Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle
Mesa rated #33 overall and #45 for Sports Facilities and Outdoor Environment
WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 most populated cities based on 24 key metrics to identify those that help their residents stick to their health goals. The data set ranges from the average monthly fitness club fee to the number of sports clubs per capita.
Since we weren't all saints over the holidays and as we struggle to forgive ourselves for that last holiday binge of 2015, grocery stores are already tempting us with Valentine’s Day sweets — and it’s only the first week of the new year. Those who’ve ever traveled during the holidays also know how tough it can be to squeeze in an exercise routine, let alone some cardio.
Looking for forgiveness and redemption now [as we all might or not be] here's a flashback to a time not so long ago - last year with Mayor John Giles all-tricked-out in Spandex at the center of attention to publicize a campaign for fitness and wellness, with a free breakfast.
Look for City Manager Chris Brady busting' Zumba moves in the group . . . have fun.
Published on Feb 14, 2015
Mesa City Councilman David Luna hosted a free "Heart Your Health" fitness and wellness fair Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center, 7550 E. Adobe St. It included free fitness classes; information on nutrition, fitness and exercise; and a free breakfast. In the video, Mr. Luna (black shirt and shorts) works out in a Zumba class with Mesa City Manager Chris Brady (in white shirt) behind him, Mesa
A news article out on January 13, 2016 by Tom Randall 11:00 MST
Go to the link to read GOOD NEWS The world has reached a turning point - now adding more power capacity from renewable every year than from coal, natural gas and oil combined.
Infographic tells the story The Rise of Clean Energy Investment 2005-2015 $329 Billion
Not that this fact was not evident [note the use of a double-negative]. Visiting in a small town of about 1,000 people in southeastern Arizona with a low population-density and a lower-income population, there were not one but two food markets - one "supermarket" with nearly everything operated by third-generation local owners and one small-business enterprise with mostly organic/healthy foods that recently tripled its size. The usual metrics that big box food franchisees use to make decisions for site-selection get thrown out the window there, so why not here? That was a question raised by none other than John Williams, the head of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, during an all-day visit in the New Urban DTMesa last summer [see previous post on this site]. The red square you see in the above image covers the area from Broadway to University and from Country Club Drive to Mesa Drive, the boundaries of the original town plan.
Zero-ing on this startling and inconvenient fact is very visible and evident from food access research that was last updated on March 11th of last year in an Atlas Index map from the United States Department of Agriculture. More information connect to this link >> http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas.aspx
In the image to the left from the Many Eyes website Maricopa County is doing well. The original One-Square Mile Mesa is an exception. Thanks again to Open Data - one benefit of Peer-to-Peer Sharing in The Internet of Things [IoT] - we can see a number of things in The Food Access Research Atlas: the most where action can be taken is item #3 Data on food access that can be downloaded for COMMUNITY PLANNING . . . [and "research"] > that's all good, right? But what about actually doing something??
Are we going to wait for action from City Hall or get the community engaged and mobilized? Or is some smart entrepreneur making plans? Whether or not the City of Mesa Office for Housing & Community Development is taking action on this quality of life issue remains to be seen. Readers of this blog might want to look into if the mayor who's running in a re-election campaign has addressed this issue at all for Challenges and Opportunities in #SOTC2016. Everybody in City Hall gives lip-service to improving the quality of life, but what have we heard about results instead of promises to do something or challenges that don't get taken on, or opportunities that don't happen?
Keep On Climbing!!
Your neighborhood affects not only the quality of your housing but also your access to affordable, healthy food. In neighborhoods where many people choose not to drive or who don’t own cars, a trip to the grocery store three miles away might require two hours or more of traveling on public transit. It’s often easier just to pick up dinner for the family at a nearby "fast-food joint". Fortunately - at least once a week - fresh produce is available downtown at the Friday Farmers Market. That's a positive. A lot of people like to think health is all about personal choices; it’s not. It’s about the opportunities you have. If there are no grocery stores, how are you supposed to eat healthy?
The Food Research Atlas
Presents a spatial overview of food access indicators for low-income and other census tracts using different measures of supermarket accessibility;
Provides food access data for populations within census tracts; and
Offers census-tract-level data on food access that can be downloaded for community planning or research purposes
Architect Ole Scheeren designs buildings that generate both functional and social spaces. 
