Ninja Homes: URBIA

OBRA Architects was kind enough to share images of their URBIA Furniture System for Small Apts in Big Cities project, completed in 2007 and winner of a 2008 ID Annual Design Review Award.
Our Furniture Expansion System for Small Apartments in Big Cities, is designed for such lifestyles of minimal materiality even if it is lopsided since these types tend to accumulate large book or shoe collections, vices that one day suddenly surprise with unexpected demands for additional room.
The project, designed for people OBRA deems ‘urban nomads’, is meant to address the needs of urbanites with small apartments who "fancy perpetual pedestrian investigations and as little time spent at home as
possible". OBRA proposes that their system serves the function of providing simple space definition, storage, and the ability to travel with these nomadic city dwellers as they move over time.

The system is made up of hollow wood panels and cabinets - constructed offsite with CNC milled 1/2″ ash plywood - which are a maximum of 2×8 feet to ensure that the system can be transported through standard doorways, hallways, and elevator cabs. The system can be assembled vertically or horizontally - giving the ability to create partitions in a space, and/or create loft floors in space with adequate height - and has the potential for "endless reconfiguration" due to its modular nature.

In today’s urban housing market mostly universally characterized by unimaginative and ill-conceived spaces dressed-up as luxurious by the inclusion of a few expensive materials, URBIA proposes a luxury of conception implicit in the harmony of its modular coordination. The proposed system is open-ended in nature, allowing for site modifications and the addition of custom elements that can give specificity to the whole, but it also provides, unlike traditional sheet-rock based interior construction, a built-in rhythm of articulation based on a Fibonacci series that makes proportional mistakes difficult and beauty almost automatic.

A very interesting concept, it reminds me a lot of the work of Dan Hisel, AMNP featured Ninja of the Month - in particular, his ‘Z-Box’ projects [1 & 2]. The idea to transform rented or temporary living space with a modular, portable, reconfigurable, inhabitable furniture system is incredible - and I especially like the uniform material, which allows personal possessions and furniture to accentuate the spaces. It would be particularly interesting if you didn’t have to pack up your posessions when you moved - if the system was really potable storage, that was arranged into an inhabitable system. Get a new place? Just close up the cabinets and shelves still filled with your stuff [maybe bubble-wrap fragile objects, but thats it] and be on your way. Not sure that that is feasible, really - but it’d be pretty dope.



[Image: wire-frame drawing of assembly system]
::See more photos - and the ones featured here, but in larger format - here, at AMNP’s Flickr page::
::all images, info + quoted text courtesy of OBRA Architects::
.:view more of our Ninja Homes feature, here->
Posted: October 14th, 2009
at 12:56pm by orangemenace
Tagged with architecture, design, home, ninja homes, urban
Categories: architecture,ninja homes
Comments: No comments
Allen Vandever at Red Kiva

Art show at Red Kiva this Friday Oct. 16th
I hope you can make it to my art show at Red Kiva 1108 W Randolph St Chicago Il 6-12 PM. I will be holding a silent auction of some of my work. Plus there will be some very inexpensive prints for sale to help raise money for my project for the Next Chicago Art fair next spring. I will also have some new work that I will be showing for the first time. I’m excited to see what you think!
Posted: October 13th, 2009
at 5:26pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with allen vandever, art, art print, auction, design, painting, red kiva
Categories: art,auctions,contemporary
Comments: No comments
TED Talks : The Power of Time
The Power of Time
Stefan Sagmeister on Ted
Posted: October 13th, 2009
at 4:51pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Stefan Sagmeister, TED
Categories: business,design,life,travel
Comments: No comments
Music from the Essential Elements
Check out this music blog for samples of music- as he says, to listen to before you shell out your hard earned cash for… do use these as trials only!

DOWNLOAD : Kool G Rap : 4,5,6 (1995)

DOWNLOAD : Haiku D’Etat : Coup De Theatre (2004)
Posted: October 12th, 2009
at 5:15pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with 4 5 6, Coup De Theatre, Haiku D'Etat, kool g rap, the essential elements
Comments: No comments
D.I.Y. or Die: Burn this DVD

This is "What Is DIY?", the first DVD chapter (chapter 1 of 8) of the DVD "D.I.Y. OR DIE: Burn This DVD" (The DVD release of "D.I.Y. OR DIE: How To Survive as an Independent Artist").
This film is a celebration of the artistic underdog! FEATURING interviews and performances from:
Lydia Lunch, Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), J Mascis (Dinosaur jr.), Jim Rose (Jim Rose Sideshow), J.G.Thirlwell (Foetus), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Richard Kern (Filmmaker), Ron Asheton (Stooges), Madigan Shive (Bonfire Madigan), Dave Brockie (Gwar) and more.
Below are the 8 Chapters that make up this DVD.
Thanks to Mike for the link!
Posted: October 12th, 2009
at 12:15pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with D.I.Y. or Die : How to Survive as an Independent Artist, Dave Brockie, dvd, Ian MacKaye, J Mascis, J.G. Thirlwell, Jim Rose, KittyFeet, Lydia Lunch, Madigan Shive, Michael W. Dean, Mike Reynolds, Mike Watt, Richard Kern, Ron Asheton
Categories: "ninja",9th dan,art,business,development,diy,documentary,et cetera,film,hood status,life,mnp is for the children,myninjaplease,philanthropy,weaponry
Comments: No comments
Muzak Video Sundays 10.11.09
Three Six Mafia/Alice in Wonderland - Smokin on the Dro
ELECTRIC 6 - Bodyshot
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Cut Chemist - 1st Big Break
Luniz - I Got 5 Five On It
Aceyalone feat. Abstract Rude & Mikah 9 - Knownots
Posted: October 11th, 2009
at 1:03pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Abstract Rude, Aceyalone, Alice in Wonderland, Cut Chemist, ELECTRIC 6, Fleet Foxes, Luniz, Mikah 9, Three Six Mafia
Categories: muzak video sundays
Comments: No comments
Fidel on Obama
Photo by Alejandro Amdan : Buenos Aires : 14.05.2005 : Fidel Castro speaks to the faculty of human rights
Peep Fidel Castro’s Reflections as published in the state media at the Embassy of Cuba in Canada here. His newest column praising President Obama’s recent arrival of the Nobel Peace Prize will be updated there shortly.
Awarded: "for his extraordinary efforts to stengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
Posted: October 10th, 2009
at 12:35pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Alejandro Amdan, Embassy of Cuba in Canada, Fidel Castro, Nobel, Peace Prize, President Obama, Reflections, state media
Categories: politricks
Comments: No comments
A Dozen : Brett Amory
This week for A Dozen we talk with Brett Amory out of San Francisco. Uniquely combining images in Photoshop and painting, his work is amazing. He has been published in Convergence in 2005 and Twenty2wo Magazine and Pages Magazine in 2009. Definitely look out for his art in times to come. If you’re in the LA area this weekend be sure and check out the New Contemporary Art Fair at the LA Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park, running October 9th, 10th and 11th.

Waiting # 28
oil on wood panel 48″ x 96″
Where and how did you get your start in art?
I moved to San Francisco when I was 21 to study motion pictures at the Academy of Arts University. I was skateboarding and playing a lot of music at the time. I really didn’t have any direction. The first person I met in San Francisco was a painter and I just sort of fell into the arts.
After a couple years of playing around with art I switched my major to fine art. Before I started painting I was really into Photoshop. I would make these wacky montages from my shitty drawings. At the time I thought they were really cool but looking back on it they were pretty messed up. When I started painting I kept using Photoshop and eventually I combined painting with Photoshop.
What separates your work from others?
I usually start off taking pictures of people waiting for stuff, and then I go through the pictures and start montaging them together in Photoshop. After I come up with something I like I’ll do a really loose five-minute painting with a big brush. I take a picture of the painting and add the picture to the Photoshop file changing the original image. I repeat the process of going back and forth between the image and the painting until I have something that works. The painting changes the image the image changes the painting. This process was developed over ten years of experimenting. My work is the end product of this process.

Waiting #39
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
How do you view the recent movement of "crowd sourcing" to fund new art projects?
I have never heard of "crowd sourcing."
Sure sounds like a good way to fund new art projects.
What problems do you see in the art world and how would you fix them?
Art trends seem to be dictated by curators. They seem to have the control of deciding what art is important. These trends influence emerging artist to make art in order to fit a market.
Emerging artist should focus on the work and not on showing in the beginning. Give your work some time to develop before building the hype. When the work is there the hype follows.

Waiting #31
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
How do you use the online universe to your advantage?
Where to begin. The online universe is awesome! I use it for everything. Online submitting has made getting your work out there so much easier. I submit to galleries, online galleries, blogs, websites, magazines, online publications the possibilities are endless. I love the Internet
What was your first big break in the art world?
I’m still waiting.
When I was asked to be in Convergence that was pretty awesome.

Waiting # 34
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
How would you characterize your work stylistically?
That’s a good question.
I really don’t know. If I were to label my work I would probably categorize it as modern painting.
Who are some of the major influences in shaping your personal and artistic evolution?
I have so many influences but my biggest influences have to be my uncle Ed and my closest friends. My first experience with art was from Ed. His work always made me want to do art.
I started painting pretty late but I was lucky to be surrounded by great artist. While I was in school I met Gage Opdenbrouw, Kim Cogan, David Choong Lee, MARs 1 and Jerome Opena. Hanging out and watching these guys grow really helped me develop my own work.

Waiting #40
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
What mediums do you constrain yourself too?
I’m an oilman.
What advice can you give to emerging talent trying to get more exposure?
Make sure your confident with your work then make sure your website accurately portrays your work. Start submitting your site to online publications, magazines, blogs and other websites. Be clickable, build online presence and start generating hype. The galleries will follow. Work hard and never give up.

Waiting #20
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
Where would you like to see your work displayed in the future?
London, Berlin, and Rome, Japan places I haven’t been to yet.
Which contemporary artists do you think are having the greatest impact in the art world?
I have a lot of respect for graffiti and street art. It’s the next thing. The underdog is coming up and it’s going to take us all by surprise.

Waiting #44
oil on wood panel 9.5″ x 48″
::all images courtesy of Brett Amory ::
Posted: October 9th, 2009
at 10:17am by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Beyond Eden Art Fair, Brett Amory, Convergence, New Contemporary Art Fair, Pages Magazine, Twenty2wo Magazine
Categories: a dozen,contemporary
Comments: 4 comments
The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein, The Younger (1533)

A found map- The Ambassadors (1533) is a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger in the National Gallery in London.
Posted: October 9th, 2009
at 9:14am by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: art,et cetera,internets,maps,myninjaplease,politricks,real life news,science
Comments: No comments


