gabriel amadeus

Great interview with Stumptown Printers

2011-08-02T09:33:00.001-07:00

Great interview with Stumptown Printers by Pinball Publishing.

Yes, there has definitely been an increased interest in letterpress printing and rise of craft/artisanal work in general. So much of our social life, personal interactions, and work occurs online and on screen, so I’m guessing that the cultural transformation toward our iDevices and laptops has really helped fuel interest in handiwork, craftwork, and generally DIY art. For one, the ability to be able to communicate quickly with so many people and the access to online information has fostered both the proliferation and preservation of many craft traditions. Also, I feel that folks just need a break and find it satisfying to step away form their digital lives to look for more physical forms of expression.

Read it all here.

James Victore talks about design. "Fuck perfection" and "Always ask for more".

2011-07-27T18:30:00.001-07:00

Great short video of a talk from the crassly talented James Victore.

James Victore Live at AIGA SF from Hillman Curtis on Vimeo.

See more of his work at jamesvictore.com

How Would You Like Your Graphic Design? (You May Pick Two)

2011-07-20T20:50:00.001-07:00

I don't often buy into the pretentious designer stereotype, but this had me chuckling!

Via Clients From Hell

Quite possibly the simplest, yet clear and straightforward ad I've seen. All without a single word of copy.

2011-07-18T21:39:00.001-07:00

Via Leigh Feldman

The User Experience of Creating a Document. Microsoft vs. Google.

2011-07-18T19:43:00.001-07:00

Interesting comparison over at Composite Code looking at two different approaches to creating a document. Read the whole thing here.

[[posterous-content:pid___1]]

To start typing in the prospective document you much choose your security, enter a document name, and save the document. It assumes that you absolutely want a unique name, will have a document viewable by the entire Internet, and that you have to save it just to start.

Google Docs assumes that you want to immediately start typing your word processor document. It also assumes you may not know what you want to name the file, nor that you even need to actually save it, until you of course start typing. At that time the document starts to automatically save. It also assumes that this is your document and you don’t want the entire world to be able to view the document

Where Good Ideas Come From

2011-07-17T19:28:00.001-07:00

I love this.

Check out the full post and his TED Talk over at BrainPickings

Gorgeous, textured, crumbling, pulsating, abstract video - "Resonance un-Directed"

2011-07-16T10:17:00.001-07:00

Resonance un-Directed from Box Of Toys Audio on Vimeo.

One Day on Earth: A film shot in every country in the world on a single day

2011-07-15T09:34:00.001-07:00

Via Colossal

One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.

Beautiful 'Psychotropical' Paintings by Rajni Perera

2011-07-07T19:56:00.001-07:00

Via BOOOOOOOM

Leuchtturm Peka Springback Binder

2011-06-15T10:08:00.001-07:00

Anyone interested in presenting things should keep a few of these on hand. Classy looking, available in several sizes, and the binding is spring loaded so you can rearrange and reuse the binding.

Via Better Living Through Design

Charley Harper - "the only wildlife artist who has never been compared to Audubon"

2011-05-13T10:06:00.001-07:00

My dad was a big fan of Charley Harper and I just rediscovered what an exhaustive amount of work he produced. His work was unique in that he would focus on geometric shapes and patterns rather than exact details like so many wildlife artists.

Charley Harper captured the essence of his subjects with the fewest visual elements. Charley described his own work in this way: “When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures.”

He also was quoted as saying, "I'm the only wildlife artist who has never been compared to Audubon."

Check out his website and galleries here: https://charleyharperprints.com

Wikipedia article here.

Lovely Patterns by Robin Sheldon

2011-05-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Creating seamless elegant patterns is a difficult skill to master. I recently tried, and didn't even come close to the mastery of Robin Sheldon. Check out her work.

Via Design Work Life

The making of: Shell Cordovan Shoes

2011-05-05T18:10:00.001-07:00

I just love watching these how-it's-made videos. This one follows the crafting of some of the most sought after leather shoes - shell cordovan. Really neat to see the leather go from raw hide to exquisite footwear.

Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan from Horween Leather on Vimeo.

Via Put This On

Fantastic resource for anyone interested in typography

2011-04-29T09:15:00.001-07:00

Might have to add this one to my library, it looks super useful. Read more over at Swiss Legacy.

Damn. Absolutely gorgeous Mudéjar-style coffered ceilings rendered with the help of CNC machines.

2011-04-27T11:19:00.001-07:00

I fell in love with the Moorish Mudéjar geometic style when I was living in Spain. If you ever get a chance, go bounce around the countryside of Granada and take in the rich architecture, environment, and culture. These artisans have begun replicating the intricate centuries-old woodworking with the aid of computer modeling and CNC machining.

Incredibly neat to see their passion for their trade. Just watch the video.

Los 3 Juanes - Mudejar Art from Maite Felices on Vimeo.

Via Core77

Identity of the Day: Voices of Youth

2011-04-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

So awesome to see a great cause get a full blown identity treatment. I really love the integration of the speech bubble as part of the V. Nice work on this one Hyperakt!

Voices of Youth Identity from Hyperakt on Vimeo.

Via Brand New

Illustration by Matthew James Taylor

2011-04-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

Matthew James Taylor's flickr stream is filled to the brim with some stunning illustration work, even including process drawings which I love. Check it out.

Via design work life

This is what Photoshop is for.

2011-04-08T12:44:00.001-07:00

Truly gorgeous photos, aided with some Photoshop mastery.

See the whole set here.

Via design work life

Crunching the Numbers on When Facebook Posts Engage and When They Fall on Blind Eyes

2011-04-06T11:35:00.001-07:00

I've noticed some of these trends on my own and have wondered about data like this. I'm a little surprised by the Sunday data, but the 7am, 5pm, and 11pm peaks are quite apparent even on a non-business level. My next question is there a service that can auto post on a specifically chosen time & date?

The study found that daily Facebook engagement has three peaks: early morning (7 a.m. EST), after work (5 p.m. EST) and late at night (11 p.m. EST). Therefore, posting all of your updates during the workday means you’re missing key opportunities to engage fans at non-work hours. However, not all brands’ engagement peaks at these three times — Playboy engagement peaks in the wee hours of the morning, for example — so you must work on a case-by-case basis.

Read the whole article on Mashable.

Via @stepchange

Tips From the Pros: “It took me 25 years to design this business card!”

2011-04-05T10:40:00.001-07:00

This guy has it all figured out. Your business card is CRAP! Let him explain why...

Via Pinball Publishing's BANGBACK

This reminds me of another business card scene in one of my all time favorite movies:

American Psycho - Business Card from Oz is Over the Rainbow on Vimeo.

Fantastic how-to manifesto for all you creatives out there - "How To Steal Like An Artist (and 9 other things nobody told me)"

2011-03-31T13:07:00.001-07:00

Austin Kleon famous for his Newspaper Blackout project just posted up a very inspirational and frank how-to-make-it manifesto for creatives. Full of great practical tips as well as theoretical approaches, well worth the full read.

It says it right there in the Bible. Ecclesiastes:

"That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun."

I love this phrase. There’s two ways to read it: Fake it ‘til you make it, as in, fake it until you’re successful, until everybody sees you the way you want, etc. Or, fake it til’ you make it, as in, pretend to be making something until you actually make something. I love that idea.

Step one, “do good work,” is incredibly hard. There are no shortcuts. Make stuff every day. Fail. Get better.

Step two, “put it where people can see it,” was really hard up until about 10 years ago. Now, it’s very simple: “put your stuff on the internet.”

Via @feKaylius

Art for Japan

2011-03-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

Buzzfeed has a collection of posters whose proceeds go towards funding relief efforts in Japan. Some are good, some are bad, see the whole collection here.

My favorite, which they didn't include, is Scrappers' from this week's Portland Mercury:

Street Styles From Around the Globe

2011-03-17T11:38:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, I'm a casual follower of fashion and style. Bicycling around Portland during the sopping wet winter months doesn't make for very alluring outfits, but the daffodils are popping up. Spring is here!

I really enjoy a little voyeurism into street style from across the globe. Here a few recent favorites, check out the links down below to see where they all came from.

http://mod.portlandmercury.com/blogs/mod/

Portland style links:

http://urbanweeds.blogspot.com/

http://www.ultrapdx.com/zero/

Street style links:

Helsinki: http://www.hel-looks.com/

New York: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Tokyo: http://www.japanesestreets.com/

São Paulo: http://freakstylesite.com/street_style

Paris: http://easyfashion.blogspot.com/

New York: http://altamiranyc.blogspot.com/

Amsterdam: http://damstyle.blogspot.com/

London: http://stylescout.blogspot.com/

London: http://facehunter.blogspot.com/

UK: http://www.waynetippetts.com/

Berlin: http://stilinberlin.blogspot.com/

Munich: http://www.styleclicker.net/

Copenhagen: http://thelocals.dk/

Vienna: http://pimpumpam.blogspot.com/

I've always tried to dress apart from the norm, as proven by some truly awful seizure inducing silk shirts I wore in high school. By the time I moved to Madrid to work for part of 2002 I had cut my chops, and became more interested the likes of Zara, Mango, and the gypsy punk style common with the traveling youth of Spain.

Skipping forward 10 years, I recently designed the poster and helped organize Portland's charming Tweed Ride. While not an outfit you'll find me in every day, it's fun to play dress up. Hope to see you at the Tweed & Vices Ride on April second!

Illustration from Annemieke Beemster Leverenz

2011-03-17T08:56:00.001-07:00

Some gorgeous illustration and type work from Annemieke Beemster Leverenz. Expecting to see great things from her!

Via Design Work Life

What a gorgeous creative project! ALPHABATTLE!

2011-03-03T11:55:00.001-08:00

Letter Cult has been running a contest throughout 2010 for the best creative designs for each letter. The results are gorgeous, elegant, funny, and whimsical!

Via Kottke

Fantastic Concept: Jon Rafman Scours Google Street View for Beautiful Compostions

2011-02-17T11:10:00.001-08:00

Artist Jon Rafman has gone to great lengths digging through Google Street View images and discovering gorgeous scenery, WTF moments, and plenty of prostitutes.

http://9-eyes.com/

Real designers sell their work

2011-02-16T14:52:00.001-08:00

Well worth a listen: Dan Benjamin interviews Mike Monteiro on The Pipeline podcast about his design work and Twitter infamy. The last 10 minutes or so, where Mike calls out designers who don't talk to clients, is gold. One of the reasons I got out of design is that I was never very good at that part of the job and as Mike says, you have to be able to not only accept but embrace selling your designs to truly succeed.

Via Kottke

Design of the Day: JP Huse Identity

2011-02-16T11:33:00.001-08:00

I'm always browsing and scouring the web for design inspiration, and while there is an overwhelming amount of great work out there it is rare that a branding project works as fluid as this one: JP Huse

Infographics Displayed As Physical Objects

2011-02-16T11:28:00.001-08:00

An exciting project by Peter Ørntoft uses physical objects — headscarves, rosary beads, microorganisms, and other items — to design unique infographics that better communicate and contextualize data from a recent public opinion poll.

Via PSFK

Opposite Day: Exquisite Macro Videography and Stunning Vintage Japanese Posters

2011-02-15T11:10:00.001-08:00

First off for today are some beautifully designed, shot, and edited macro video clips:

macro kingdom III from clemento on Vimeo.

macro kingdom II from clemento on Vimeo.

macro kingdom from clemento on Vimeo.

Via: Animal

And secondly comes these elegantly designed Japanese posters from the 1920's and 30's. It's great to see design styles and techniques that still commonly used today! The sock posters look like they could be the handiwork of a twenty something illustrator for Stumptown or Redbull.

Via: Pink Tentacle

Now that's some damn fine photography, Grant Cornett

2011-01-06T10:34:00.001-08:00

See much, much more at thelivest1.com

via BOOOOOOOM

Two great short films: One Gritty and Real & One Gorgeous and Unreal

2011-01-04T13:25:00.001-08:00

UNDERCITY by Andrew Wonder

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

The first is a very well shot short documentary on urban spelunking in New York City. Andrew Wonder follows Steve Duncan through the bowels of the subway system and to the peaks of the city's highest bridges. Half panic or fear, and half stunningly beautiful landscapes. I've done a little urban exploring and these adventures definitely reignited something inside me. Interestingly both the New York Times and NPR have both done articles on them as well.

via: Animal New York

The Third & The Seventh by Alex Roman

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

The second is a sublimely shot video highlighting the beauty of architecture. It is rare that a video is so pretty that it can captivate for 12 minutes without characters or plot, but The Third & The Seventh had me entranced. After you watch the film, watch the "making of" at the link below, and you will be shocked to find out that the whole film is completely computer rendered. Alex Roman does a far better job than any major blockbuster movie I've seen.

via: The Fox is Black

How are Logos Made? Logonom takes a look at the process and history.

2010-12-03T10:05:00.001-08:00

If you are at all interested in the process of how logos are made you need to watch this video. It delves into the history and great lengths all quality designers go to in order to produce logos of the highest standards.

via http://www.logodesignlove.com/logonom

"Video on how printing ink is made" From Core77

Mesmerizing, Beautiful, Educational: "How Printing Ink is Made" (video)

2010-10-05T21:51:00.001-07:00

I know this has been floating around the web for a spell now, but I just got the chance to watch it. It's amazing. Even if you don't give a rat's ass about ink, printing or design; this video is so visually and tactually satisfying you'll be wishing you were the one running the mixer.

Making colors on a webpage is easy, it's all numbers. But the colors that go into magazines, brochures and posters is made the old-fashioned way, with ink. In the following video, a Chief Ink Maker from the Printing Ink Company shows you how powders and varnishes are combined to make their product.

Here's the video:

Ritte Racing - The year's best advertising in the cycling world?

2010-06-10T16:19:00.001-07:00

Ritte Racing first caught my eye when i saw the process of them re-creating a famous pretty-girl-and-bike art nouveau piece. You can see the whole shoot process here.

Soon after, this gag video caught my eye making fun of the UCI's (racing governing body) strict rules:

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Most of all Ritte's willingness to post fantastically stupid videos of themselves really impreses me. More companies should take note and take themselves less seriously. we'll see what the rest of 2010 dishes out ad wise, but for now they've got me giggling. Thanks guys!

Behind the scenes at a Ritte photoshoot
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Ritte Behind the Peloton
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Ritte Racing and Prolong Energy “Bring the S%^*!”
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Mostly via The Pedal Pusher

The Most Amazing Psychedelic Animated Film You'll See This Year

2010-05-26T12:03:00.001-07:00

This short animated film just blew my mind.

Director: Andreas Hykade
Length: 7'05
Origin: Germany
Andreas Hykade was born in 1968 in Altoetting. From 1988-1990 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, followed by studies at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Film Academy from 1992-1995. Since 1992 he has been working as a freelance filmmaker and since 2000 as a professor of Animation at the School of Arts and Design Kassel. His films include: The King is Dead (1990), We Lived in Grass (1995), Ring of Fire (2000), Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey(series, since 2003), The Runt (2006), The Bunjes (2007), and Love & Theft (2010) among others.

Thanks Lyle!

BibliOdyssey - a large collection of superbly intricate historical designs, illustrations, and patterns

2010-05-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

BibliOdyssey has amassed a staggering collection of some of the most interesting designs, illustrations, and patterns found across the world throughout history. I would not hesitate to say this is one of the most fascinating corners of the internet.

Yes I just went there, I have spent hours pouring through this stuff! Just check out a few examples below.

Riding 100 Miles on a Tallbike

2010-05-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

Last weekend myself and a baker's dozen of intrepid morons decided to mount our ungainly steeds and ride them 100 miles for the 20th Annual Reach the Beach. It was quite the adventure. Check out some photos below or a bunch more in our flickr pool.

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Morel Season and a great looking recipe: "Sea Scallops with Maple Blossom Pesto, Morels & Asparagus"

2010-05-13T08:39:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite local food blogs, Fat of the Land, just posted this scrumptious looking recipe. I don't know about scallops, but the rest of the ingredients are all fresh and probably growing very close to your home.

Maple Blossom-Mint Pesto
1/4 cup maple blossoms
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/8 cup olive oil
scant 1/8 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
For the rest of the meal you'll need the following ingredients:
8 large sea scallops
several large morels, halved
1 dozen stalks of asparagus, trimmed
olive oil
butter
paprika
sherry
chives

I haven't found too many morels yet this season, but my friend Kris found the giant beauty below. It made some very delicious polenta!

The Scenery was so nice I barely even noticed that I wasn't finding any morels:

On a prior trip we did manage to round up about 20 of the little buggers:

Absolutely Lovely: "Visualizing the course of the Mississippi over millennia"

2010-05-13T07:09:00.001-07:00

Beautiful, beautiful meandering oxbows.

From the 1944 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers geological survey: "600 miles of meandering river belts over tens of thousands of years...If you have any interest in getting your mind blown by creative data visualization, do yourself a favor and click here now to view the hi-res map in full."

Via Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing

Genius new production method: Industrial Origami

2010-05-12T07:28:00.001-07:00

The always great industrial design blog Core 77 just posted and article about Industrial Origami. It is a genius solution to many cost/time/labor problems with other metal fabricating techniques.

Industrial Origami's fold-and-build method eliminates the measuring, cutting and welding and bolting that usually goes into producing parts.
The company says it can save manufacturers anywhere from 20 to 50 percent on materials, and 25 to 45 percent on labor. And, because parts travel as flat sheets, they are easier to handle and cheaper to ship. Prepping parts with a coat of paint before they are folded is also much faster and easier than painting built or assembled components.

And besides, Origami is just damn cool!

Via Core 77

Visualizing All 340,000 Cross References in the Bible (and almost as many contradictions)

2010-04-26T20:45:00.001-07:00

Some really gorgeous data display over on Information Aesthetics:

Bible Cross References Visualization [openbible.info] highlights the frequent cross-referencing in the Bible, making a distinction between references that target events happening "before" or "after" the actual mentioning. From the variations in frequency and density, various insights can be made.

And naturally there is the counter part as Mike in the comments points out. Another beautiful depiction, but this time of the many Contradictions in the Bible.

Visualization of the contradictions in the Bible taken from The Scripture Project by Steve Wells (see the Projects section of http://www.reasonproject.org).

The bars that run along the bottom of the visualization represent the 1189 chapters in The Bible, with the length of each bar corresponding to the number of verses in each chapter. White bars represent the Old Testament and grey bars represent The New Testament. Each arc indicates a contradiction.

Graphic design: Andy Marlow
Inspiration: Chris Harrison

A collection of Japanese Kanji inspired logos

2010-04-22T10:36:00.001-07:00

Some really elegant designs in this logo collection:

via: Pink Tentacle

Bike Economics: A fundraiser showcasing local, woman-owned, bicycle-oriented businesses

2010-04-16T09:11:00.001-07:00

This will be a fantastic event, see you there!

Via bikeportland.org:

Bike Economics: A fundraiser showcasing local, woman-owned, bicycle-oriented businesses
When: Thursday, May 6, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Where: United Bicycle Institute, 3961 N Williams Ave, Portland
Donation: $10 to $30

Come meet a cross-section of people in Portland’s bicycle and business communities, learn more about a few local businesses you might not have heard much about and a few that you have doubtless seen all over the news, and be inspired by the possibilities for building a successful business around bicycling.

You’ll also support the development of a scholarship fund that will support leadership development for women in active transportation. The fund will be available to applicants who seek financial assistance attending a conference or pursuing leadership training or professional development workshops for the purpose of enhancing their ability to act as leaders in active transportation.

Featured business owners will have stations set up where they show their work. During the evening we’ll ask featured business owners to spend two or three minutes each informally telling the room about their work.

A sliding scale donation at the door of $10 to $30 will benefit a new scholarship fund for woman leaders in active transportation. Admission will include light food, drinks, and door prizes.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend!

Presenters include:

Tori Bortman of Gracie’s Wrench – Mechanic and Educator
Kendra Wenzel of Wenzel Coaching – Coach and Trainer
Ellee Thalheimer of Ellee’s Yoga – Yoga Instructor and Massage Therapist
Caroline Paquette of Little Package – Maker of Custom Cycling Caps
Jude Kirstein of Epic Wheelworks – Wheel Builder
Natalie Ramsland of Sweetpea Bicycles – Frame Builder
Martina Fahrner of Clever Cycles – Bicycle Merchant
Carye Bye of Red Bat Press – Letterpress Artist
Rachel Dominguez-Benner of Bike Cozy – Crafter of Cycling Caps and Tool Rolls
Kirsten Kaufman, Bike Realtor
Heidi Swift – Writer, Designer, Photographer
Rebecca Pearcy and Dana Hinger of Queen Bee Creations – Maker of Bike Panniers and Bags.

The graphic work of Noma Bar

2010-03-31T08:32:00.001-07:00

The Creative Review blog always digs up really inspiring work. Here are some fantastic illustrations and mixed media by Noma Bar.

Bitter Sweet, a new exhibition of illustrator Noma Bar's work, opens tonight at KK Outlet in London's Hoxton Square...
Fans of Bar's work will recognise some of the imagery exhibited in the show – which runs until April 30 – from his most recently published book, Negative Space, published by Mark Batty Publisher last year – although, specially for this show, Bar has transformed flat illustrations into a variety of objects that include 3D wood cuts, installation pieces, screenprints and light boxes, all available to buy.

Via Creative Review

I built a set of custom touring racks for my new tallbike

2010-03-29T21:00:00.001-07:00

I'm planning on riding the 2010 Reach The Beach with a group of 10 other rapscallions in a few weeks. The catch is that we're all doing it on tallbikes! Now I've wanted to build a faster tallbike for a few years, and this finally gave me the motivation to get it done. The bike itself will be a pretty standard doublestack, but I just completed these really rad front and rear racks. They turned out great!

Our team members will each need to raise $75 for the American Lung Association, so if you are interested in sponsoring us, let me know!

Gabriel
(503) 395-2123
gabrielamadeus@gmail.com

The mind-blowing world of Origami: "Between The Folds"

2010-03-29T13:57:00.001-07:00

Without the internet last night I found myself turning to television (Yes, "TV") to wind down before bed. I stumbled upon an absolutely astonishing look into the world of origami called "Between The Folds" airing on OPB.

The film took a look at a number of different approaches to origami – traditional, elaborate, mathematical, choreographed, modernist, even an anarchist origami movement! I've been playing around with origami since age 10 or so, but I think the paper folding showcased in this film will capture anyone's imagination.

Between The Folds official website: http://www.greenfusefilms.com

"I AM NOT AN ARTIST" - Stunning Animated GIFs From the Life of a Designer

2010-03-23T23:40:00.001-07:00

I AM NOT AN ARTIST. Fantastic gif animations about the life of a designer, created by Johnny Kelly and Matthew Cooper for design agency Soon In Toyko.

Via a great design blog based in Vancouver, BC: BOOOOOOOM

Face of the day: Bike, Suede Shoes, Mustache, Cigar, Fedora, Milano.

2010-03-23T11:04:00.001-07:00

One of many great street-style shots from The Sartorialist

"Where Do Bars Outnumber Grocery Stores?" (Yeeeeah Wisconsin!)

2010-03-21T11:10:00.001-07:00

Via Sociological Images

Via: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/20/militant-arm-of-the.html

Every time you make a PowerPoint, Edward Tufte kills a kitten

2010-03-21T11:03:00.001-07:00

Alexa Meade

2010-03-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

Amazing Stuff from Alexa Meade

Another Great Article About the Train Wreck that is the CRC – This Time From Portland Architecture

2010-03-19T07:48:00.001-07:00

Over at a great local architecture blog, Portland Architecture, Brian Libby just wrote an article about the Columbia River Crossing and the current mess we're in.

The Columbia River Crossing, Portland and Vancouver’s planned new bridge over the Columbia, could be the great symbol of this generation: an affirmation of how the Portland metro area has risen to become one of the world’s foremost creative capitols.
Instead, this bridge project has become a disaster in the making.

There are too many people involved and yet no real leader. There no world-class architect or engineer leading the design process, and the powers that be seem to also dispute the need to even have a lead designer at all. Costs for the project have continually escalated, yet people are unhappier than ever with the emerging result.

He goes on to outline the most glaring practical engineering problems, as well as a take on the project from a designer's eye. Read more here:

Opportunity collapsing: can the CRC's design be saved?

Also, this series of related events at PNCA looks really interesting:

The Architecture Foundation of Oregon (AFO) and the independent PDXplore design collective have partnered to present Crossing the Columbia: What Does it Mean? The forum will provide opportunities to consider and discuss the Columbia River Crossing, an urban infrastructure project of national relevance that demands a clear vision of its far-reaching economic, ecological, cultural and social impacts.

PDXplore: Expanding Design Awareness
March 22 - 26, 2010

Opening Reception
Monday, March 22, 5:30-7pm, (tour begins at 6pm)

Columbia River Crossing: An evening with members of the CRC Project Team
Tuesday, March 23, 6-8pm

Transportation Lessons from Scandinavia: Oresund Bridge & the Columbia River Crossing
Wednesday, March 24, 1-2pm

International Panel: Fresh Design Perspectives
Thursday, March 25, 6-8pm

(via @npgreenway)

Sunday: Bike to Troutdale, Climb at Broughton Bluffs, Morel Hunting & Picnic on the Sandy Delta. Who's in?

2010-03-18T09:39:00.001-07:00