Florida Southern College

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:53 pm

Speaking of Barnsdall, it took Ginny Kazor a lot of effort to talk the city out of installing a permanent ramp up to the front door and an elevator to the second floor to comply with ADA.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:59 pm

It is certainly possible to ruin a building with such latter-day necessities.

I think I'd like to see ramps made as though temporary, to clearly distinguish them from the architecture. Even if they will be there for the rest of time, it will be easier to see the building as intended if they are clearly a light-weight and ephemeral-looking addition -- as if they will be gone after the weekend. . .

SDR

jlesshafft · Post by **jlesshafft** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:02 pm

Went by FSC while in Tampa visiting my daughter and saw the fountain. Unfortunately, it was running about 1/2 strength, so didn't get the full effect. Was glad to see something other than the massive spread of concrete that had been there.

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:08 pm

Regarding the dumbing down of our environment for avoidance of lawsuits and ADA strictures written by lawyers not architects: I just returned from Amsterdam where I visited the new residential neighborhoods of the Eastern Docklands. I was delighted to walk along the waterfront with no rails, and to cross bridges with railings designed by artists that any child could fall through. And guess what? They don't. In a society where you can't sue for your own stupidity, people are actually responsible for their actions. And we are all better for it in many ways.

I have found a great variety in American cities, even under the same legal structures. (Witness Larry Halprin's great Ira Keller (Auditorium Forecourt) Fountain in Portland, with 13 foot drops with no railings. VS. San Francisco, where the City Attorney is trying to turn the city into an advertisement for aluminum handrailings. Its only a matter of time until they level the hills because they are not ADA compliant.

And before you scream, I write this as a person with major physical disability. And guess what? I do not think that significant architecture and our whole environment should be desecrated for the benefit of my crippled legs. My body will adapt, or I limit my mobility, so my soul can soar.

Ed Jarolin · Post by **Ed Jarolin** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:28 pm

Jim,
I heartily agree with your statements and commend your attitude regarding your disability.

EJ · Post by EJ » Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:44 pm

Very inspiring, but one can wonder if you have the minority view of those with physical disabilities.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:37 pm

It would be a mistake to assume that every member of any group will have similar feelings about any issue, including one(s) that they share exclusively. . .

SDR

Ed Jarolin · Post by **Ed Jarolin** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 5:55 pm

Was just thumbing through my copy of "Building a Century of Progress:The Architecture of Chicago's 1933-34 World's Fair". As I expected there is mention of Wright's proposals for the fair, the reasons for his not being offered a building (not a team player) and his reaction to what was built.

However, the surprise here is the water dome that was a 1934 addition to the fair. The 150 foot diameter fountain was formed by jets sending approximately 68,000 gallons of water per minute into the air. Yes, there is a picture. Aside from the presence of three adjacent vertical water fountains, it is much like Wright's design. I suppose one water dome is much like another. Though it is not specifically mentioned, I would guess this was the largest of it's type at the time, as fairs love to go for the biggest. Did seeing this plant the idea in Wright's mind that would later emerge as the FSC water dome? Haven't run across any mention of his touring the fair yet, but how could he not have, if only to gather ammunition against his contemporaries.

Of course, the focus of this book is what was built. The various 'homes of the future' are of special interest. No proto-Usonians here, though some rise to the level of real architecture.

A nice addition to your library, especially if you enjoy 'back to the future' moments.

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:54 pm

Here's a link to a YouTube story (4:34) on the Water-Dome.

David

D. Shawn Beckwith · Post by **D. Shawn Beckwith** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:54 pm

I attended a meeting of the Florida Historical Comission held in the Thad Buckner Building on the campus of Florida Southern College today. A fantastic venue for a medium size gathering such as a college lecture, Acustics good, in a semi circular arraingement and again the play on space. The College President Anne Kerr provided a presentation on the recent completed projects. The Esplanade Looks real good and the spacial feeling and relationship is typical of the experience of going into a FLW created space.. The Fountain did cycle on while I was there and is impressive. The Chapel Exterior seemed to have repairs and a crew was removing approach to chapel from esplanade. Some of the buildings do need restoration of the concrete block from my casual glance. It is reassuring that the University, State of Florida Division of Historical Resources has come to the plate and is imbuing life into this campus it is a treasure.

D. Shawn Beckwith
Restoration Project Manager of the
Burton J. Westcott House
The Durable Restoration Company
www.durablerestoratiion.com

goffmachine · Post by **goffmachine** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:18 am

SDR wrote:Colored glass, especially filtering the primary source of daylight, seems a mistake to me.

I see what you mean about the section and its implications.

Where did these images come from?
I would like to see more images of the spivey design if there are more available?
Are there?

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 10:43 am

All my black-and-white images come from Monograph 6. Here is the complete set, newly scanned:

Here is a detail of the above drawing. This is in the running for the single most amateurish drawing by a Taliesin apprentice (SMADBTA). Despite the loving and persistent depiction of detail, the layout of the ellipses (which describe circles in perspective) is fatally flawed. The colored rendering below, of the Spivey/Bergman project (found in "Treasures of Taliesin") is somewhat better in this regard.

goffmachine · Post by **goffmachine** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:33 pm

Wow SDR.
its great to see this. For me...Magical
Beautiful.

Thank you for this

Does anyone else agree with me that this design would do well in the desert? Palm springs or Scottsdale or Tucson etc?
I would even go further to suggest manufacturing blocks on site with desert sand.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:59 pm

There are a number of interesting complications to this design. One is that, because the layers of block are stepped out (corbelled ?) in each successive course, going upward, and the (patterned) blocks are stacked in line vertically, each row of block would require either a wider vertical mortar joint -- or a different block size for each course. If the latter choice (preferable, visually, I believe) were made, the block mold could be modified after enough of each size were produced -- I guess.

SDR

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 1:12 pm

The Spivey house is a neat concept/design, but I still think the opening in the living room ceiling to an unenclosed balcony above is unthinkable in Lakeland, FL. Would you want to spend a night there as a weakened tropical storm blows copious amounts of rain down the opening? Also, though rare, the nighttime temps can dip below freezing. Then of course there's the birds and the bugs...