ana mandara

9:30pm May 25th, 2005


The place: Ana Mandara @ Ghirardelli Square
Not far from where I work at Pier 39


The happy couple
Currently on the way to MEET THE PARENTS! Good Luck!


The food & the people
Their faces are amusing contrasts to the happy couple in the photo above.

daniel, you are fire!

I know a lot of people are fond of watching the NBC's reality show, The Apprentice. I am one of them. Most of architects, however, as well as the architecture students are not going to like to see this news.

• Trump Sounds Off on World Trade Center - Yahoo! News
• Video from MSNBC News

Indeed, "It's not personal, it's just business!" as the slogan of The Apprentice. But, does Daniel Libeskind, who won this project through the fierce competition, deserve this kind of criticism? The plan (Libeskind's design for old WTC site, Freedom Tower) "looks like a junkyard, a series of broken-down angles that don't match each other. And we have to live with this for hundreds of years?" Trump said. "It is the worst pile of crap architecture I've ever seen in my life."

innocence

Ghost in The Shell 2: INNOCENCE
Director: Mamoru Oshii

If our gods and our hopes are nothing but scientific phenomena, then it must be said that our love is scientific as well -"L'Eve Future"




I like the sentence above; very inspiring, just as the directors of Matrix Trilogy said, "Oshii's animation: Ghost in The Shell is considered Inspiring Predecessor of Matrix." If you like Matrix Trilogy, go seeing Ghost in The Shell 1&2.

central place

Accidentally I found this project posted on the office website. I am more than happy to see that, although it has not been built yet. Not even close!

Why am I getting so excited? For it could be considered my first project in my current office. I started to work with SB since September 2003, and was engaged in Central Place (used to be called Block Three) in December, right before Christmas. And it is still proceeding.

It is difficult to explain why this project still is in its SD phase after 16 months. To make the long story short, it is all about the marketing. We still have to refine the design, so that the cost of the construction could meet the real estate value in down town San Jose better.

Be patient. I believe someday you will see this first highest residential project standing in downtown San Jose in the future.

About The Central Place

Located in the heart of downtown San Jose, this high-density, urban mixed-use project is entitled for 335 for-sale condominiums and townhouses, and 69,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The design juxtaposes two signature high-rise residential towers with mid-rise mixed-use structures. The towers will rise from the mid-rise structures below, overlooking the residential amenities -- pool, recreation center and fitness facility -- located on the podium.

A vehicular street and auto court will bisect the site, allowing more street frontage for retail establishments. The project will provide structured parking for both the residents and the general public.

gravity-defying icons

Frank Gehry in The Simpsons

Full story: Culture of celebrity embraces pop-star architects

Simpson's perspective to FG's work
Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles :: Right-Angles-Be-Damned Concert Hall in Springfield
(Frank Gehry: "Dough!")

The moral of the story is "no matter how profound the concept you think behind the design, NO ONE CARES!"

landscape

cornerstone festival of gardens
sonoma, california
March 3rd, 2005 ::rain

farewell, martina & frank

They were both from Switzerland. Martina was my teammate since the first semester in GSAPP Columbia University. Actually we did be in the same groups for many classes we took. It is obviously the main reason why we also have close friendship out of the school. I guess why I taking salad more than before is also because of her. She is a vegetarian. Going out for meals with her doesn't allow me to have a lot of choices apparently.

After graduated, I only saw Martina once. She came in the Bay Area with Frank for their vacation last summer. I, as a local, had the responsibility to take them around. During their visit I learned that they had almost made a plan to go back to Switzerland for goods soon. I promised that will go back to New York to visit them at least once, before they leave. However I didn't keep my promise. Till early last month, she still asked me the possibility of throwing them a visit.

Now, they are gone on their back-home trip somewhere in Asia. (Instead of flying east directly from New York to Switzerland, they decided taking west and dropping by some Asian cities on the way.) Farewell, Martina and Frank. I am sure I will see you again. This time I will try my best to keep my words very serious.

just engaged! clare & paul

Both are my good friends, Clare & Paul. I am so honor to share their happiest moment in their lives. "This is definitely the happiest time in my life," Paul said that to me in the email; "I'm glad you can be a part of it all."
Paul, my gratification for both you is more than words can say. Congratulations, my dear friends!