Just for fun post- a couple of amusing moments in the built environment

This McMansion subdivision is called "Cash Farms."

You might have to click on this image to see the larger one. The sign above this napper says "No Loitering."

Hotel, Motel, Quality Inn

Along the interstate there are dozens of quick-rent, budget hotels in which people can decide to stay in.  There is one, though, close to me which has closed down for the season for "renovations' but what exactly they can renovate, I'm not quite sure.  It is the generic run-of-the-mill hotel that families and overnight visitors stay in all the time.  There are the multiple buildings as well the the pool in the complex's center.  The location of this Quality Inn gives it a perk.  

The next location, the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead, is quite a difference from the Quality Inn described above.  As everyone knows the clientele of the Ritz Carlton is of quite a different tier than that of the Quality Inn.  In addition, this particular Ritz Carlton is in what is often coined the more "upper" part of Atlanta.  So it is assumed that those that stay at this hotel are very well to do with money.

The last location is very different from the previous two.  It is the Highland Inn located just off Ponce de Leon near the Virginia Highlands district of Atlanta.  It is a small inn located between various establishments as well as residences.  It has the look and feel of something one might see in a more secluded area and not in the middle of a metropolitan neighborhood.  There is also a lounge underneath that patrons can visit but it is not solely for the use of those staying there.  It has the look and feel of a bed and breakfast type lodging but in a very different locale.

Sketchbook Assignment 7, Hotels and Motels

Everyone knows the Cleremont. Atlanta, GA




The Atlanta Motor Hotel, adjacent to the I-20 onramp, Moreland Ave, Atlanta, GA

Sketchbook Assignment 5, the Store: "Some Others"

The Sears distribution warehouse and store, Ponce de Leon Ave, Atlanta, GA

The outside and in of Belly General Store, Virginia-Highland, Atlanta, GA

Sketchbook Assignment 9, Multifamily dwellings

Two eras of apartments in Atlanta: The Ponce Apartments on the left and a mid-century building on the right.






The Biltmore, West Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA





Decatur, GA

















Decatur, GA

Decatur, GA

Decatur, GA

The Saint Charles, Virginia Highlands, Atlanta, GA

Sketchbook Assignment 2, Roads, Highways, and Parking Facilities: "Asphalt"

Parking garage or the Lincoln Memorial? My favorite building in Atlanta built for parking. Peachtree Center Ave.

Interstate 75/85 from the 10th Street overpass, Atlanta, GA

An underground parking garage, Colony Square, Atlanta, GA

Overestimated demand, Mableton, GA

Interstate 20 becomes shelter for tailgaters at a Falcons game, Atlanta, GA

Sketchbook Assignment 4, Restaurants

A duck of a restaurant: The Vortex, Little 5 Points, Atlanta, GA

An island in a sea of asphalt, Supreme Fish Delight, East Atlanta, GA

Sketchbook Assignment 1, Downtown: "Downtowns"

Downtown Blue Ridge, GA

A skyline of Atlanta icons: SunTrust, The Equitable, Georgia Pacific, and AT&T.

Downtown Atlanta, GA

Times Square, New York, NY

Multi-Family Dwellings - Metropolitan Parkway

Above is the Santa Fe Apartments, an affordable housing community.  Santa Fe is the adaptive reuse of the former Alamo Motor Court, a hostelry built to accommodate the tourists who came to visit the Fairgrounds at Lakewood and is distinguished by its faux-Southwestern resemblance to adobe buildings.   Though I'm pretty sure I could find other SROs around the Southwest Quadrant of Atlanta, this is as close to one I can identify on former Stewart Avenue.

This apartment building was built at the turn of the century.  It fronts the street and has no "garden" amenities.  It is a brick two story walk-up with victorian decorative elements.  As can be observed, air conditioning is now provided via window units.  There are no driveways or parking associated with this building.

Above and below are photos of a circa 1920s apartment complex.  The buildings are arranged around a central courtyard.  This is used for both parking and "recreation" area.  The central area is for general use, nothing marks specific spaces or patios for the residents, however, residents can be seen with lawn chairs outside on pleasant days.  The exterior is stucco.  There is little exterior decoration, horizontal painted bands notwithstanding.  The complex is obviously designed to accommodate a larger residency than that provided by the late 19th century brick building photoed above.

Homes of Dresden

In my neighborhood there can now be found three distinct types of homes.  The first, my own home, is the most prominent.  Built during the 1960s, it very much looks the era.  All the homes around my own also have the same look.  They are small-ish homes and many are split level.  In addition, they have what many of the newer homes in the newer communities today lack: a yard.  It allows each homeowner to give their own sense of ownership via their lawns.  Some are well kept with flowers while others lack the upkeep.  

Up the street, they have been constructing "city-built" townhouses.  Basically they are clustered townhouses that give the impression of a close city surrounding even though they sit by themselves near no other homes or businesses.  This community is located right off of 85 and can be spotted from the road.  It is offsetting because of the other side of the road are the houses in the same vein as my own.  It gives the distinct impression of two different eras.

However, this distinction is nothing compared to the new "McMansions" being built near the Brookhaven community (outside of Buckhead).  These homes were built on the land of smaller homes such as mine.  Upon buying a home, the new owners would demolish the house in order to build their own home.  It is very offputting to see a regular home stand next to one of the monsters.  Although the trend has slowed down of late (I assume for economic reasons), these constructions are still taking place.  Pictured is one of the new homes next to an older house.

Cruisin' Buford Highway

On Buford Highway one can find just about anything.  I took a trip down this road with the notion of this being a strip.  And it is.  The first thing I noticed was a number of different car repair shops.  They are numerous and regularly spotted.  The picture posted was of a strip of three different shops but the thing is none are in business.  It was an afternoon weekday when the shot was taken and yet all the buildings were closed.  

In addition to the repair shops there were also a number of car dealerships.  But unlike the huge major company dealerships , these were smaller lots and consisted of used cars.  In fact, the one major dealership that I remember on the road was recently demolished and all that remains is rubble where it once stood.  And because of the cultural significance that Buford Highway has the dealerships seemed to attract a particular group.  The signs, all of which were in English, also had another language that would attract the clientele they wished to take.

The Buford Highwas very much resembled the photos of a strip that many of us are familiar with.  Long stretch of road that is blanketed on both sides by various businesses.  You can find just about anything desired as well as chose from any fast food restaurant imaginable.  It truly is a strip.

Derelict Spaces

I honestly had the intention of just taking sad pictures of New Orleans for this blog. Most of the city is, in fact, disgustingly derelict. However, my break revolved less around homework than it could have and I failed at my true intention. I did snap a picture of this one scary building downtown I saw on our way to rent a Uhaul (still had stuff in NO). This is on a particular stretch called Tulane Avenue that used to be a very popular business street 40 or so years ago. Now there are businesses like auto sales, bail bonds, bars and shady hotels. Who knows what this building used to be, but it is nothing now. Some poor fool is building mixed-use condos to try to "revive" Tulane Ave. Good luck with that!

The second picture is of an abandoned Burger King in my parents' neighborhood. I have no idea what would cause a chain like BK to go out of business in a busy neighborhood, but this one did somehow. Now it is boarded up and highly unsightly. It's been shut down for so long it has lost all of its BK touches and just looks like some unrecognizable fast food joint. I imagine there is moldy hamburger meat in there somewhere.

These pictures are of some nasty graves in my old neighborhood church's cemetery. Now we have graves in there dating back to 1739, but for the love of god, has no one heard of restoration? Some of the above ground tombs (a swampy necessity since if we dig too far we hit water) look near collapse. I fear looking at them for too long because I feel like a skeleton will fall out. The graves of the plantation elite that are over 100 years old look great. But for the rest of us buried under bricks instead of marble, the elements have been unkind. Until someone restores these graves to look half-decent, I will consider them a part of the derelict landscape.

Varying Degress of Chinese Restaurants

Here I want to compare the architecture of the chain restaurant P.F. Chang's to the local Mandarin Palace on North Ave. It is important to acknowledge the difference in financial capital to explain these two different looks. P.F. Chang's, a phenomenally delicious national chain, has the kind of status and finances to result in a major mall placement. This particular P.F.'s is in Cumberland Mall, a suburban mall with high-end clientele. It also has a design to fit in with all other locations: big horsey statues and a modern, Asian flair. The entrance is framed in faux stone and red stained glass. The shape of the restaurant depends entirely on the space rented from the mall, so the exterior entrance is the space that must beckon in the passerby for crab rangoons from heaven. It works.
While these are both Chinese restaurants, the Mandarin Palace has an entirely different aesthetic. I don't know what on earth it was before, but its pointy, triangular roof is far from Asian style, though it does try to make up for it with a pagoda-style awning. Sans large statues and stained glass, this entrance beckons you with florescent "open" signs. Of course, a meal here will be decidedly cheaper, so the business has less capital to invest in its ambiance and architectural form. I will go out of my way to eat at P.F.'s if I'm in the mood for something special, but if I can find a closer, cheaper Chinese joint with decent food, that one will win out sometimes. As long as it doesn't taste like dog. While both structures strive to be Chinese in outward appearance, the difference between the chain and local restaurant is easily seen.

The layers of my plantation visit:

After visiting a plantation back home over Thanksgiving Break, my pictures relate to a myriad of what we discussed in class. For one, this is a sort of space for play. There is a gift shop, re-enactments of plantation life and the grounds are often rented out for receptions. Perhaps you could look at it as a historical theme park. There aren't any rides, but you can still have fun pretending you are in another time period!

Throughout its two-hundred-year history, the main house served as a single family home AND a multi-unit living building. The French aristocratic families that owned it used the main house as a giant family home with rooms for sleeping, eating and entertaining. After an oil company bought it in the early 1900s, the main house became offices. The company built an oil refinery on the land, thus the main house also housed some of the managers living on site. This is a great example of renovating and reusing a house according to the needs of a certain time.

On top of that, the house was renovated in 1850, replacing the French colonial style with the more popular Greek revival. You can see this in the large, white columns. Those were not a part of the original construction and show that even back then people were influenced by housing "eras." Just as the Victorian made way for the bungalow, the Greek revival replaced the French colonial style as what was trendy in New Orleans at the time.

The plantation grounds are also an example of derelict spaces and reconstruction. It was abandoned for a few decades before a local historical society formed and were deeded the land to rescue and restore. After all the outbuildings were torn down to make room for the refinery, the historical society had other plantations donate buildings to be moved and reconstructed on site. The Mule Barn which houses the receptions held at the plantation was built in 1850, but not where it now stands. Here the plantation uses the built environment of other environments, but adapts it as its own for historical representation.

Houses of a Different Color

I have an odd appreciation for mid-century architecture, so I found this assignment very exciting. I selected two variations of a ranch house and then I photographed a small neighborhood of new houses to examine the difference between the two types of houses. All of these houses are in Tucker, just off the Brockett Road, Coolege Road exit on Highway 78.

In the time when ranch houses were popular they offered new homebuyers a sense of freedom they did not have before; this was achieved not only from the rustic design but also through the affordable layout and construction. The lay of the land played into this, as often the homes were set on hills or in valleys, within the rolling and contoured landscape. The two houses pictured below seem to be inviting in a way that a new house isn’t, at least in my opinion. Although they are set back from the street and don’t have a large, inviting porch that you might find on an older house, they remind you of a simpler time, when you didn’t need a four-car garage and 15-foot ceilings to make your house a home. They both look very different and not at all mass-produced like new homes do. They were probably constructed as part of larger developments, but they don’t look much like the houses around them of the same type. Plan-books and magazines offered ideas for the types of new homes to construct, but home-owners could add their own taste and style to the design to really make it their own. The split-level home has a barn feel to it, while the “regular” ranch has a fancy look to it. These are just two options of how people were able to take a basic floor plan and dress it up to match their style and needs. These houses look to be in very good condition, which suggests that whoever purchased these homes after the original owners likely took pride in keeping them in good condition.

These new houses however, pictured below, do not give off that same sense of individuality. If you notice, they all look very similar, possibly even having the same floor plan only with minor changes here and there, like a different paint scheme or a garage on a different side of the facade. These houses do look mass-produced and almost cookie-cutter like. They do give the same freedom to homebuyers that the ranch houses did in their day, but they now offer the size and space that have become required with the new generation of first-time home buyers. People need more space it seems than they did in the past to house all their accumulated stuff. Houses today are produced in a way that will allow for fast construction and easy selling points; many new homes allow the buyer to choose their own appliances and floor plan from a stock list. They are sometimes made with pre-assembled parts that are put up like the houses in Levittown. This is similar to plan-book houses of the mid-century, but people had much more say in the arrangement and design than they do now. The basic design and the exterior are already determined, you just get to choose if you want a finished basement or a larger master bedroom when you “customize” your house. These houses will likely fall apart faster than the ranch houses that are all around this area, which suggests that there is a reason that people may want to preserve the unique mid-century neighborhoods that can be found across the country as opposed to these new neighborhoods that don’t seem to have the same appeal and cause for excitement that came when ranch house neighborhoods were developed.