D Home

The Ultimate Trunk Show Hosted by I.B.C. Design Studio

Author:: By Ryan Conner
Post date:: May 15th, 2013 12:40pm
Category:: Events

The Constantine bedding from Isabella Collections by Kathy Fielder.

Local high-end bedding designer Kathy Fielder is opening up her I.B.C. Design Studio at 2000 Greenville Avenue for a trunk show and sale next Thursday, May 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.. Her luxurious Isabella Collection (you can shop it at Horchow) will be the star of the show. Bedding, draperies, decorative pillows, and fabrics will be available, as well as one-of-a-kind samples at discounted prices. This is a rare opportunity to pick up discounted pieces!

She has also invited some other locals to be a part of the fun. Glam Girl is selling jewels at affordable prices. Georgia Stuart, medical skincare specialist, is offering mini glycolic freshening peels and deep tissue hydration treatments for $40. Are you an antiques enthusiast? Rue Seven Seventy just got back from Paris and will bring their recently hand-picked selection of 18th and 19th century antiques. On the food front: Nora will be serving up their signature Afghan dishes. If you’re planning on attending, RSVP here: info@isabellacollection.com.

Missoni Trunk Show and Giveaway at Nest

Author:: By Ryan Conner
Post date:: May 9th, 2013 9:23am
Category:: Events

This month Nest is hosting a trunk show of Italian fashion house Missoni’s iconic home accessory line on May 16-18. You can expect to see (and shop) the pieces that have made the brand popular including colorful combinations of geometric and zigzag prints on towels, bedding, and throws. New this trunk show is a collection of candles with a signature scents inspired by Italy.

Stock up at the trunk show: Nest is offering 20 percent off all Missoni merchandise that weekend. Can’t wait for May 16 to think about Missoni? Nest is hosting a giveaway on their blog. Click here to enter to win a Missoni towel!

Enjoy the Hollywood Home & Garden Tour This Weekend

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 27th, 2013 3:58pm
Category:: Events

Marcel Quimby, FAIA, is a principal with Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture, LLP – a Dallas architectural firm that specializes in historic preservation – and lives in a 1936 home in Hollywood/Santa Monica. Hollywood Home and Garden Tour is part of Architecture360, Dallas Center for Architecture’s and AIA Dallas’ version of Architecture Month.

Hollywood Home and Garden Tour: Saturday, April 27^th and Sunday, April 28^th, 2013

Hollywood/Santa Monica, a unique, historic neighborhood in East Dallas, is hosting its 22^nd annual Hollywood Home & Garden Tour this weekend. This home tour celebrates the unique 1920s and 1930s architecture of the neighborhood, nestled in tree-covered hills just south of White Rock Lake. It offers a glimpse of this delightful, historic East Dallas neighborhood and its remarkable collection of Tudor cottages. Events include:

Home and Garden Tour: Saturday, April 27^th and Sunday, the 28^th, noon to 6:00 pm

Walking Tour of the neighborhood: Sunday, April 28^th, 11:00 am to noon (free)

Home and Garden Tour: Saturday, April 27^th and Sunday, the 28^th, noon to 6:00 pm

Walking Tour of the neighborhood: Sunday, April 28^th, 11:00 am to noon (free)

Hollywood Art in the Park: Sunday, April 28^th, noon to 6:00 pm (free)

(more…)

Architecture360: What To Do Now (and Later)

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 26th, 2013 2:29pm
Category:: Events

Greg Brown is Program Director for Dallas Center for Architecture, which was founded by AIA Dallas and is devoted to bringing the public more actively into the conversation about the importance of architecture and design.

We are in the final days of Architecture360—AIA Dallas’ and the Dallas Center for Architecture’s version of Architecture Month—with lots still to do. Visit the Architecture360 website for all the details, but here are a few highlights.

This weekend, it’s all about tours. We’ve expanded the boundaries of our architectural territory to include Fort Worth, so head west for the AIA Fort Worth Homes Tour. Showcasing residential architecture, the tour includes two homes architects built for themselves. Closer to home in East Dallas, the Hollywood/Santa Monica neighborhood will hold its events celebrating the area’s unique 1920’s architecture. The home tour is Saturday and Sunday with a special walking tour and art show on Sunday.

The Dallas Center for Architecture will kick off its third walking tour with an inaugural walk through the historic West End this Sunday afternoon. Join me as we explore the “birthplace” of Dallas, paying special attention to the railroads’ role in developing our city, as well as the tragic defining events of November 1963. We have our “normal” tours this weekend also: Main Street at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and a free Skyline 360 tour in Klyde Warren Park at 2:30 p.m. the same day.

The grand finale comes Tuesday at Klyde Warren Park as we end the month with Skyline 360 tours, Build Your City!, food and drink, and live music. Come help us celebrate!

What To Do Tonight: Drink Drinks and Admire Design at ROCKITECTURE

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 25th, 2013 10:27am
Category:: Events

Greg Brown is the Dallas Center for Architecture Program Director and on the ROCKITECTURE Planning Committee. ROCKITECTURE is part of Architecture360, a month’s worth of public programming in April being presented by AIA Dallas and Dallas Center for Architecture.

Each year, the Dallas Center For Architecture chooses an architectural gem it wants to celebrate, then puts on a soiree in it perfectly suited for those into architecture and design. That evening is known as ROCKITECTURE, and it is tonight at downtown’s recently renovated, totally cool, Renaissance Revival-styled Federal Building and Post Office (which originally opened in 1930.) There are still a few tickets available, which you can purchase here.

If knowing you’ll get to hang with D Magazine’s Krista Nightengale isn’t enough to sway you, how about a sneak peek of some items sure to draw off the gloves for hand to hand silent auction combat:

Art is always a highlight and this year is no exception. We’ll have a number of large-scale works, including the geometric Mad Men-ish work by the late architect John Barthel, shown above. (Barthel once worked with George Dahl, designer of the Texas Centennial Exposition and the Dallas public library adjacent to the Statler Hilton.)

(more…)

In the Spirit of Earth Day, Mary Dickinson Gives Us Some Tips

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 24th, 2013 5:28pm
Category:: Events

Mary Dickinson, Assoc. AIA, RID, LEED AP, is an interior designer and sustainable leader for Perkins+Will architecture firm. We asked her to share top tips on making homes greener in the spirit of Earth Day.

Last year, I had the pleasure to work on the Reisenbichler residence of Highland Park, one of the most sustainable homes in Dallas. One of the project goals included breaking the stigma that sustainability and luxury cannot be delivered in tandem. We did just that and attained Gold certification under LEED for Homes. The modern style of the residence reflects the emerging preference toward modern design, while using a large home proportion to fit into the context of the traditional neighborhood. This home, though 8,356 square feet, has an average electrical bill of $220 per month—up to an eighth of the cost of neighboring homes with standard construction. While a few sustainable strategies employed throughout the residence carried a premium, many of the “green” decisions did not, due to greater demand in the market that has driven down costs. Most of the time, it was just about making well-informed decisions. Jump for my top items that any homeowner can look to employ:

(more…)

Antiques at the Alexander This Saturday

Author:: By Ryan Conner
Post date:: April 24th, 2013 2:59pm
Category:: Events

You walk into a tag sale and buy a bowl for three bucks. The bowl sits in your living room for a few years. You start to become curious about where the bowl is from. That bowl–a 1,000-year old Chinese antique–sells in a Sotheby’s auction for $2.2 million. Sound to good to be true? It happened.

Could this be you? One thing is for sure: you won’t know unless you try.

The Dallas Woman’s Forum is hosting the second annual Antiques at the Alexander this Saturday, April 27 at the historic Alexander Mansion. The event features lectures and appraisal and conservation appointments with the experts. For $25 per item or $60 for three, receive an individual appraisal consultation on the history and value of your piece. New this year–experts can also tell you how much it will cost to fix broken items.

Jump for more event details.

(more…)

Architecture360: What To Do This Week

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 22nd, 2013 5:05pm
Category:: Events

We are in the homestretch of Architecture360—AIA Dallas’ and the Dallas Center for Architecture’s version of Architecture Month—and there is still much to do. Visit the Architecture360 website for all the details, but here are a few highlights.

The theme this week seems to be “have a few cocktails with your architecture.” Tonight, we’ll gather at the NYLO Hotel for drinks and a conversation with architect Scott Lowe about how they turned a former coffin factory into the hip, swank lodgings the hotel offers. It’s our Place-A-Day. Tomorrow night, join the Dallas Architecture Forum for their 365 Modern Living Reception. You’ll have the chance to see one of those contemporary homes you’ve only dreamed of visiting.

The big event happens Thursday night as the Dallas Center for Architecture presents its annual silent auction fundraiser ROCKITECTURE. It’s an evening of great design in downtown Dallas’ stunning and recently restored Federal Building and Post Office, which includes Judge Sarah T. Hughes’ historic courtroom. The architecture pairs nicely with stylish cocktails, bites, tunes, and a silent auction especially curated for lovers of great design and architecture with items donated by local and national designers, artists, and architects. VIPs take in the sunset with a skyline view of the heart of Dallas and a behind-the-scenes talk with developer Shawn Todd on his part in transforming this historic end of downtown. Get your tickets here.

There is still plenty to do without drinks if you’re so inclined. A tour of I.M. Pei’s Dallas City Hall, William Pedersen’s Dallas Architecture Forum Lecture, and the AIA Fort Worth Home Tour just to mention a few. See you there!

Architecture360: th+a at RETROSPECT 2013

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 19th, 2013 12:10pm
Category:: Events

Melissa Schoch is a Senior Design Coordinator at th+a, Associate AIA. Advocating design in all th+a projects, she recently received Honorable Mention for her poster in the Dallas AIA RETROSPECT graphics competition. Meredith Hunt is a Senior Project Coordinator at th+a, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C, ID+C. She was recently named an Associate at th+a and serves as the Sustainablilty Manager, leading the firm in finding sustainable solutions for all projects.

As a firm, we approached our 2013 Retrospect Exhibit with interactivity in mind. We not only wanted visitors to view the piece, we wanted them to be a part of the creative process as well. What better way to convey the value of design?

Armed with sketch paper, pens, and large geometric eyeglasses, our group settled in for some serious brainstorming. We soon had a pile of concept sketches, which we assessed as a group. We honed in on the final design by testing the concepts for constructability, efficiency, and sustainability. Could we craft it ourselves, within the tight time frame and budget, with readily-available, sustainable materials and tools?

We had a winner! Our final design met our criteria and incorporated recycled materials from our interior and architectural libraries along with aircraft cable, one of our favorite materials. The structure—a rectangular frame enclosing a sculptural wire helix—represents the multiple facets of architectural design. The two solid sides feature our firm’s new logo, and represent the professional business side of our practice. The cross/plus sign bridges the two sides and merges with the central helix; this signifies our firm’s healthcare and education design teams. (Fun fact: We chose this symbol because it reflects the iconic “cross” for healthcare and the “plus sign” for education.)

We wanted the interior of the box to represent the more sculptural, engaging aspect of architecture. Something that is pure yet interactive, much like the design process. There is a special client-architect relationship represented with the bar, and if there is communication, the bar will be able to move up and down successfully to create different shapes of the helix.

(more…)

Architiecture360: Visit RETROSPECT This Weekend

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 18th, 2013 11:08am
Category:: Events

Jean Wallace, Associate, SEGD and J.D. Busch, DSVC are environmental graphic designers working in Gensler’s Brand Design practice area in the Dallas office. Gensler is a design firm. We’re not just architects or interior designers, but also graphic designers, planners, product designers and consultants – among other things. When it all comes down to it though, we’re problem solvers and storytellers. RETROSPECT is about solving the problem of how to celebrate and share the story of design in a 6’-by-6-foot space while making it relatable to someone outside our field.

For us, great ideas start as mounds of research, piles of good sketches, and even more bad ones. These pieces ultimately come together to create something surprisingly simple and unique. Our RETROSPECT team went through dozens of sketches and ideas. Some were crumpled up and tossed aside, and others were pieced together with scraps of other concepts before landing on the one big idea. We went through several concepts—a giant origami ball, intricate folded cranes, laser cut architectural shapes. Most of the ideas involved the use of paper, which is a very passive material that easily morphs with gentle manipulation, but when lots of little pieces come together, the abundance can create a unified and bold statement.

We wound up choosing a simple shape: a paper airplane. This allowed everyone in our office to contribute, even if it was just to fold one plane, which underscored the idea that each of us makes an impact on our projects, no matter how large or small.

Once we had a concept and an approved sketch, we got to work. Since this concept was designed to be very playful and sculptural, we created mockup after mockup to be sure we were getting the aesthetic we wanted. We had several different fold designs, paper types and multiple hanging methods utilizing different lines—all hanging from ceilings, shelves, anywhere we could—before deciding on a direction. After everyone in our office collectively folded more than 300 paper airplanes, a team of about 20 individuals all got together over the course of three work days. They met in the morning, during lunch, and in the evening in order to meticulously hand-string and hang each plane, one-by-one, often re-situating and repositioning, until everyone was fully satisfied.

(more…)

Architecture360: What To Do Now (And This Weekend)

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 17th, 2013 9:07am
Category:: Events

We’re halfway through the week and more than halfway through the month, with much more to come. This third week of Architecture360—AIA Dallas’ and the Dallas Center for Architecture’s version of Architecture Month—has already featured tours of AIA Dallas Design Award recipient Watermark Community Church and the downtown tunnel system. Here are a couple of upcoming highlights.

Today features NorthPark Center as the Architecture360 Place-A-Day. Beginning with a 4:30 p.m. tour of this iconic shopping center and its art led by OMNIPLAN architect Tip Housewright, the evening concludes with a garden party celebrating the 2013 edition of RETROSPECT, AIA Dallas’ showcase of Dallas architects and architecture firms. All the details are at the Architecture360 website. (And you’ll want to return to NorthPark Saturday with your favorite, creative teenagers so they can build architecture models inspired by music.)

(more…)

Architecture 360: What Are You Doing For Lunch Today? Touring The Tunnels of Underground Dallas

Author:: By Ryan Conner
Post date:: April 16th, 2013 11:07am
Category:: Events

Noah Jeppson is a recognized urban activation thought leader and environmental graphic designer. Noah also authors unvisiteddallas.com, an online resource that explores the history, preservation and urgent issues of key areas and structures in Dallas. You can catch Noah at various tours held during Architecture360, Dallas Center for Architecture and AIA Dallas’ version of this year’s Architecture Month. Click here to find more Noah or more architecture.

For better or worse, the Dallas Pedestrian Network and its system of connecting tunnels has influenced the architecture of downtown Dallas and stirred debate amongst urban planners. Each day, the patchwork network of corridors and retailers bustles with activity just below the busy streets above.

Over today’s lunch hour, join Noah as he leads today’s Architecture360 tour exploring this unique piece of urban infrastructure known as underground Dallas. Bring your lunch out to Belo Garden, where the tour will meet at 12:30 p.m. before venturing below some of downtown’s largest buildings. We’ll discuss the network’s planning and construction stretching back to the 1960s and point out some of the unique features along the way. With a map in hand and a better knowledge of the Dallas Pedestrian Network, you’ll be ready to explore downtown Dallas at every level.

For more information about the free tour, click here.

Architecture360: Enjoy the Main Street Garden Celebration Tomorrow

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 12th, 2013 11:30am
Category:: Events

Noah Jeppson is a recognized urban activation thought leader and environmental graphic designer. Shaping the idea of place through design, he works to create a constructive dialogue between community groups and business leaders in the Dallas area to espouse urban activism within the DFW metroplex. Noah also authors unvisiteddallas.com, an online resource that explores the history, preservation and urgent issues of key areas and structures in Dallas.

When the block-long Main Street Garden opened three years it brought new attention to the neighborhood at the east end of downtown Dallas. The public park’s expansive lawn has hosted numerous festivities and provides an excellent viewpoint for studying the architecture of the area. You don’t have to be an architect to appreciate the classic design of the old Municipal Building or the clean lines of the 1955 Dallas Public Library. Stretching back one century, the buildings surrounding the park have formed the basis for this evolving neighborhood and their diversity is one of the strengths of the Harwood Historic District.

While Main Street Garden offers a great vantage point to judge these structures from the outside, have you ever wondered what lies behind closed doors?

On Saturday you’ll have the chance to be an urban explorer and tour some of these buildings during Architecture360’s Main Street Garden Celebration. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., behind-the-scenes tours will take visitors inside buildings and into areas rarely seen by the public.

Inside the Titche-Goettinger Building—formerly home to one of the largest department stores in the Southwest—see remnants of downtown’s golden age of retailing. At the other end of the park, climb the stairs to the top of the Municipal Building to see where Lee Harvey Oswald was jailed after the Kennedy assassination. And inside the Statler Hilton, marvel at the Empire Room’s colored glass wall and Jack Lubin mural —recently rediscovered during building renovations. While elements of these buildings remain “time capsules” of their era, you’ll learn how these places have influenced Dallas history while being adapted to new uses.

Docent-led tours will be offered free of charge, and tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis. Skyline tours and entertainment in the park will round out the festivities. To see a full line up of the day’s activities view the schedule here.

Behind the Scenes: Architects as Retrospect Exhibit Builders

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 11th, 2013 11:13am
Category:: Events

Clemente Jaquez is a Designer at RTKL Associates, AIA, NCARB. He is also the Design Advocate for RTKL Dallas and is currently the Chair for AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture. Rickey Crum is a Designer at RTKL and Team Leader for RTKL’s 2013 Retrospect Exhibition.

Coming up with a RETROSPECT exhibit provides a creative opportunity for young designers within our firm to step outside of the realm of our everyday working environment to design and build an installation with their own hands. RTKL has made a commitment to fund our Retrospect participation for the past few years, and we continue to challenge what this 3’x3’x8’ exhibit can be.

Recently, most of our designers have been extremely busy on projects, so finding time to come together and talk about Retrospect has been a challenge on its own. In the beginning of the design process, we gathered at least twice a week during lunchtime to brainstorm and discuss possible solutions. As the installation date neared, we started to meet every day during lunchtime and after work. The entire design/build process was completed over a period of about 4 weeks.

(more…)

What To Do During Week Two of Architecture360

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: April 10th, 2013 11:36am
Category:: Events

Greg Brown is Program Director for Dallas Center for Architecture, which was founded by AIA Dallas in 2008. It is part of a growing network of organizations devoted to bringing the public more actively into the conversation about the importance of architecture and design to transform the way we live–from sustainability and design excellence to preservation and urban planning.

The second week of Architecture360—AIA Dallas’ and the Dallas Center for Architecture’s version of Architecture Month—kicked off with a lunchtime tour of the Dallas skyline from Klyde Warren Park. A group of almost 30, including a school group from Lewisville, learned a bit about Dallas’ iconic architecture—from Old Red Courthouse to the just-opened Perot Museum of Nature & Science. If you missed it, there are additional opportunities to take the tour all month: Mondays at 12:30 p.m., Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. Meet in the park’s Games and Reading Room.

There’s tons more going on the rest of the week. Jump for a couple highlights:

(more…)