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Today was our department retreat, which is kind of like a family road trip except that we get paid for it and aren't family.
The good news is that Nancy and I didn't fight over the seat we shared almost at all, Devin didn't pee off the fifth floor balcony onto the patrons of the Seattle library, and with any luck no one will notice the writing on the windows* until the van's been checked out a few more times, so we'll have cover. Also, Leanne carries Tylenol 3 in her bag, so the hip/back pain that's been bothering me had it's ass kicked to the curb for three hours or so, and I was, y'know, a little wobbly on codeine.
We came up with the perfect branding for potential seattle light rail - Seattle Light Urban Transit: Cheap and Easy!
If only our own rebranding went as smoothly.
We rented a meeting room in the Seattle Public central Library, which came complete with official tour. The new SPL central building (2004) is considered a "Destination" library, extra-green, and a marvel of architecture. It was fascinating.
Basically, it comes down to aesthetic. It's an excellent example of contemporary functionalism, which is based heavily on modernism and the Bauhaus. Lots of exposed cement, glass, and steel, everything in plain site, immense spaces, a whole floor that is dark red and shiny everywhere**, toxicly glowing yellow/green escalators and elevators, immense spaces...to my mind, modernism and it's offshoots are so obsessed with the philosophy and theory of design that they forget that it ought to be, primarily, a space for people. It has a very industrial, chill feel, especially since it's a largely naturally lit building in Seattle who's interior is predominantly grey. Natural lighting is a huge plus - hooray - but, Mr. Dutch Architect, I would have thought you might understand that in the NW we don't actually need more grey.
There is a monolithic (10 story) cement wall, which extends unbroken through a lightwell atria whatever. It would make a good uber climbing wall, but as it is....monolithic, looming cement. Whoo.
There is usage of organic, natural material, including plants! Specifically, a single planter, with neat rows of plants in, all about 9 inches high. One. Planter. 11 story building. 10 square feet that don't match - this is the place for plants!
There are 'new' names for every area. Our docent, an old modern art guy, thought this was thrilling and important. I think it's a cheap trick. Calling your fiction section the 'living room' and your reference area the 'mixing room' is not a brilliant, fascinating idea.
The reading room up under the glass roof is pretty nifty, and having the "4" on the 4th floor, which is for meetings, filled in with text from Robert's rules is pretty clever. I love the ingenious idea for the collapsible, lockable friends of the library shop, and the sunken, hidden story time space. But basically, if I lived in Seattle, I'd go to a smaller branch unless I had some serious research to do.
Everyone got to pick a song for each leg of the trip, and almost all of us sang along with Blowin' in the Wind, and Peg and Leanne were impressed with my knowledge of truly random areas of music - particularly, with getting the reference when Leanne suggested that we'd ride forever on the elevator.
For some reason everyone kept asking me about things on the menu at Tulio's - how to pronounce it, what things were - I'm somewhat flattered and quite confused. I'm not even particularly fond of Italian food, not to mention the youngest there by a goood few years.
On the other hand, I usually had the answers, and I have Advanced Asking the Waiter Skillz.
*HELP! I'm trapped in a staff meeting!
**We walked through saying "Red alert! RED ALERT! Set phasers to stun!" Naturally.
The good news is that Nancy and I didn't fight over the seat we shared almost at all, Devin didn't pee off the fifth floor balcony onto the patrons of the Seattle library, and with any luck no one will notice the writing on the windows* until the van's been checked out a few more times, so we'll have cover. Also, Leanne carries Tylenol 3 in her bag, so the hip/back pain that's been bothering me had it's ass kicked to the curb for three hours or so, and I was, y'know, a little wobbly on codeine.
We came up with the perfect branding for potential seattle light rail - Seattle Light Urban Transit: Cheap and Easy!
If only our own rebranding went as smoothly.
We rented a meeting room in the Seattle Public central Library, which came complete with official tour. The new SPL central building (2004) is considered a "Destination" library, extra-green, and a marvel of architecture. It was fascinating.
Basically, it comes down to aesthetic. It's an excellent example of contemporary functionalism, which is based heavily on modernism and the Bauhaus. Lots of exposed cement, glass, and steel, everything in plain site, immense spaces, a whole floor that is dark red and shiny everywhere**, toxicly glowing yellow/green escalators and elevators, immense spaces...to my mind, modernism and it's offshoots are so obsessed with the philosophy and theory of design that they forget that it ought to be, primarily, a space for people. It has a very industrial, chill feel, especially since it's a largely naturally lit building in Seattle who's interior is predominantly grey. Natural lighting is a huge plus - hooray - but, Mr. Dutch Architect, I would have thought you might understand that in the NW we don't actually need more grey.
There is a monolithic (10 story) cement wall, which extends unbroken through a lightwell atria whatever. It would make a good uber climbing wall, but as it is....monolithic, looming cement. Whoo.
There is usage of organic, natural material, including plants! Specifically, a single planter, with neat rows of plants in, all about 9 inches high. One. Planter. 11 story building. 10 square feet that don't match - this is the place for plants!
There are 'new' names for every area. Our docent, an old modern art guy, thought this was thrilling and important. I think it's a cheap trick. Calling your fiction section the 'living room' and your reference area the 'mixing room' is not a brilliant, fascinating idea.
The reading room up under the glass roof is pretty nifty, and having the "4" on the 4th floor, which is for meetings, filled in with text from Robert's rules is pretty clever. I love the ingenious idea for the collapsible, lockable friends of the library shop, and the sunken, hidden story time space. But basically, if I lived in Seattle, I'd go to a smaller branch unless I had some serious research to do.
Everyone got to pick a song for each leg of the trip, and almost all of us sang along with Blowin' in the Wind, and Peg and Leanne were impressed with my knowledge of truly random areas of music - particularly, with getting the reference when Leanne suggested that we'd ride forever on the elevator.
For some reason everyone kept asking me about things on the menu at Tulio's - how to pronounce it, what things were - I'm somewhat flattered and quite confused. I'm not even particularly fond of Italian food, not to mention the youngest there by a goood few years.
On the other hand, I usually had the answers, and I have Advanced Asking the Waiter Skillz.
*HELP! I'm trapped in a staff meeting!
**We walked through saying "Red alert! RED ALERT! Set phasers to stun!" Naturally.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-10 03:29 am (UTC)From:"Ride the S.L.U.T."
Seriously, I processed the trademark application at work a few weeks ago.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-10 05:31 pm (UTC)From: