The Biking Architect

London Festival of Architecture

This looks interesting to me? Does it to you?  Let’s check it out?

London Festival of Architecture

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

Castles: a Guest Post by Hilary Melton-Butcher

By Patricia  05202010

Stirling Castle

Hilary has been doing a fascinating series of posts on her blog POSITIVE LETTERS about her travels in Africa and now about Scottish Castles.  Her writing is so informative and enjoyable; I asked her to share some of her insights here on this site and introduce you to her perspective and know how.

I discovered Hilary when she began commenting on other blogs that I was reading and felt an immediate connection with her as she has come home to care for her mother after her mother had a stroke (I may have that time line incorrect).  Her posts and comments keep her connected during this hard time.

Hilary says about herself:

“I have had a eclectic life and after living in London, I worked in South Africa for 15 years, we live in interesting times, which I am learning about, while being with my Mother in her last months –“

Without further ado, I will let Hilary’s writing and post speak for her:

Castle Buildings and Hammer Beams

How did they start to build these great castles?  The vision of great buildings has always been in the mind of man …  hence their ability to instruct the workers to garner the materials, work their magic, and conform to the expectations of time, creating these huge edifices for their noble masters.

Each building conformed to the mark of fashion of the day – the particular style appropriate to a window, or perhaps a tower, the fireplaces, even the memorials in the graveyards.  From the Middle Ages, 1,000 – 1,300 AD approximately, the Norman Conquest removed Britain  from Scandinavian influences and tied her politically, commercially and culturally to France and the Continent.

Stirling Castle 1900 – showing cemetery within the grounds

Stirling Castle in Scotland had been a royal residence and capital of the Scottish Kings for many centuries before Alexander I of Scotland died there in 1124.  From then on many changes occurred utilizing the old buildings and the extremely valuable strategic positioning.

Great hall interior, facing south

The three James (IV, V and VI), Stewart kings, embarked on an ambitious construction programme at Stirling, when it was the principal royal centre used by the kings.   The influences reflected in the buildings show an eclectic mix of English, French and German influences, highlighting the international ambitions of the Stewart dynasty.

It was during this time that the Great Hall or Parliament Hall was built – which is described as the “grandest secular building erected in Scotland in the late Middle Ages”, representing the first example of Renaissance-influenced royal architecture in Scotland when it was completed in 1503.

English craftsmen and design ideas were incorporated into what was a conventional medieval plan – inside are five fireplaces, and large side windows lighting the dais end, where the king would be seated – within this large hall, which was138 x 47 feet (42 x 14.25m) in dimension.

The restored new hammer beam roof in the Great Hall at Stirling Castle

The original hammer beam roof was removed in 1800, along with the decorative crenellated parapet, when the hall was subdivided to form barracks.  It has now been historically corrected and the outer walls have been lime-washed.

The Royal Palace – this time slightly later – but with the Renaissance architecture and exuberant late-gothic details is one of the most architecturally impressive buildings in Scotland, covered with unique carved stonework.  It took twelve years before completion in 1542.

East Facade of the Royal Palace, showing statues

It seems that the architecture is French-inspired, but the decoration of German inspiration, while the sources for the statues have been found in the work of the German painter Hans Burgkmair (1473 – 1531).  The 19th century architectural historian, R W Billings, described the statues as “the fruits of an imagination luxuriant but revolting”!  Aptly described?!

The two apartments, one each for the king and queen, have a hall, presence chamber, and bedchamber, with various small rooms known as closets.  The King’s Presence Chamber was originally decorated with a series of 56 carved oak portrait roundels, known as the Stirling Heads, although little remains of the Renaissance decoration since the building’s military use.  38 of the heads survive and there are plans to eventually re-instate the ceiling as close to its original form as possible.

Chapel Royal, Stirling Castle

The Chapel Royal had extensive renovations too in the Middle Ages appropriate for royal Coronations and Christenings – when Italianate arched windows were installed, with the wall paintings from the 1620s – 1630s recently rediscovered in the 1930s, being presently restored.

Stirling Castle seems to encompass architecture from early times, along with other disciplines appropriate to the day … stonemasons, painters, while the engineer in his present day format was probably more likely to be utilised as a “praefectus fabrum”, per Julius Caesar: the official who controlled the labour gangs and parties of artisans for roads and basic defence works.

On a smaller scale, here is a view of a hammer beam inside a timber frame residence

(I just loved the lines of this picture and so wanted to include it in the post – hope you enjoy it)

North-West of Stirling in the Grampians is a strenuous, two day ,78 mile cycle route around Lochs Rannoch and Tummell starting from Pitlochry .  this goes through Rannoch Moor, one of Britain’s last wildernesses …  reflecting the area’s past and future.  (See below for links)

Times Online Article
Map via the Times

Thanks for reading – it’s been a pleasure being here,
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

75 Miles on a Beautiful Day in May

May 8th, 2010 there were only two of us up for a bike ride and the day was just gorgeous.

Start of Woodland Trail

I am in serious training for the Seattle to Portland Ride now and John is just back from two weeks of California riding with the group.

The weather was definitely wonderful.

Flats of the steam plants Where are the Elk

We ended up doing 75 miles and enjoying the day. Here’s picture proof  without the huge hill!

Looking down the hill from the Chahalis Steam Plant

What is your idea of a picture perfect spring day?   Where would you go for a bike ride?

Steam plant and train yard coal

Hoping the rain will hold off for another great ride this week!

County park at Lewis County Border

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

Please Vote Daily – Every Vote Counts

Between now and May 12, 2010 please register and vote Daily.

A $1,000,000.00 grant is being offered to one of the 25 sites nominated for this grant in the Puget Sound Area by  Partners In Preservation – Seattle and Puget Sound

I think the web site is quite remarkable and one can look at each of the sites and the write ups directly from the web page.

Here is the site for registration and voting.

It is quite worth it just to click over and look at the beautiful pictures in the slide show.

A good project to support and here is a list of the Partners participating:
American Express
Partners in Preservation
Washington Trust for Historic Preservation
National Historic Preservation
King County
Seattle
Tacoma
Daniels Development

Hope you will check this out and participate – every vote counts.

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

The 2010 Green Building and Home Tour

Last weekend we went on the South Sound Green Tour. We were unable to visit all the sites or workshops but learned so much from those we did tour and explore.

Here’s my list:

I went to an evening workshop on water savings crafted by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild.

This workshop had a fascinating water pump.  It attaches to the furthest point in your water system in your home from the hot water tanks or heaters.  It shuts off the hot water until you need it and then with the flip of a switch, no longer needing to  running the shower for 5 minutes to get the hot water there, one has instant hot water.  Thus it saves water and energy but not letting the water get cold in the pipes.

We saw lots of the new low flow toilets in our tour too.  Much better designs than our 20 year old model.

I walk by the Sherwood Press’ Bindery Building everyday  for more information about the GREEN of this building you can go to  www.GregoryFSmith.com

The Little House has been around town several times  84 square foot bungalow on wheels. Designer and Builder is Dee Williams  – for more information www.PortlandAlternativeDwellings.com

The ReStore  has some of our old doors and windows and we have been able to find door knobs to replace a few that were not functional any more  www.SPSHabitat.org or www.WhereDoITakeMy.org or www.ThurstonSolidWaste.org or www.2good2toss.com

The Silver Leed Certified home in our neighborhood was just crowded all weekend with lookers.

I think folks will find The Cooper Home house so Green and Fancy that they will say Green is only for the Wealthy?

Off to Woodard Bay Co-Housing where our good friend Liv is moving into her new home.  I helped design the community house which is not yet under construction.  Warm, cozy and we were given the Royal Tour.  www.WoodardLaneCoHO.org or www.ScottHomes.com

Woodard Lane Co Housing

510 Interiors is one of our favorite spots any where around.  Always nice to see Richard and company!

We did not stop to visit these spots:
The Artisan Group
The Campbell Home
The Parker-Firmin Home
The Vaughn Murphie Home
New Market Skills Center
Matter! Gallery

You can go on your own tour of all these fabulous buildings and designs.  I was amazed at how many are in my own neighborhood and in the growing interest in Green Design.

How about you?  Do you have a Green Building and Homes tour in your community?

It’s Earth Day – hope it is a great one!   Celebrate GREEN

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

Biking the Centennial Trail

My youngest daughter is training to do the Seattle to Portland Bike  ride on the Tandem with me July 17-18th, 2010.   She is a great tennis player but needs work to be a great bike rider.

She also needed biking gear – shorts, shirt, gloves, socks, shoes  and a woman’s bike saddle ( all but the saddle are fuchsia pink!!!)

Some gals just gotta look great for the ride…..

Fuchcia Bike Gear

So last Saturday I drove with the bike on top of the car over to take her out for a training ride.

We pedaled the Centennial Trail starting in Spokane, Washington and riding to Coeur d’ alene, Idaho.

My good biking partner from last year, Brad,  joined us for the excursion.

It was slow going up the Spokane River to Idaho as a stiff, chilly head wind make it a rough go but of course the tail wind nearly blew us directly home!

6 Hours and 65 miles – Now that is getting off to a pretty good start!

now if we can just find a way out

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

Pierce College Progress – 2

Last week I shared with you what the outside of the new building looked like – what was going to greet the Students when they moved into the Science and Math building on April 5, 2010.

I thought I would share with you what was going on inside those buildings to get ready for the student and faculty move in!   Quite a different story….

Hanging the Art

Spiral in Place

Hanging Complete

Glass Art

The bigger story:
Green Roof in Progress
Life on the Rooftop
Works in Progress – Pierce College

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

The Start of Classes at the Rainer Building

The Rainer Building is the new Math and Sciences Building at Pierce College at the Steilacoom Campus.

We have been working on this building for quite a long time and have certainly learned from and enjoyed this experience very much.

I thought I would share the building’s most recent pictures with you and link to the drawing posts and construction posts as we do the finally walk through.

Rainier-031810 001

Rainier-031810 002

Rainier-031810 003

Rainier-031810 004

Rainier-031810 005

Rainier-031810 006

Rainier-031810 007

Hope you enjoy:

Green Roof In Progress
Life on the Rooftop
Works in Progress – Pierce College

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

World Wide Water Awareness Day

March 22 is World Wide Water Awareness Day

Clean water is becoming a huge issue around the world and right down the street.  I think as an architect and planner I need to make these issues more in the fore front of our designing and thinking.

I wanted to share this video about Water Awareness from You Tube.

And I still wish to invite you to watch the documentary FLOW: For the Love of Water

It is free on the Internet.

Watching my spouse work on healing and seeing how important clean water is to her success (clean water includes no Chlorine or Fluoride or other additives)  knowing that it takes years and years to get rid of all the plastic bottles and how they outgas,  and piecing together that there is a giant lack of regulation.   I thought I needed to bring up this issue one more time.

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network:

Celebrating the Farm

Little-Shed-With-Red-Door

We have just purchased our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box for the coming season.  Our veggies will be coming from a local farm each week, along with 10 organic chickens and 1 turkey (we did not opt into the duck possibility).

We have grown our own garden and orchard over the years, but with the possibility of draught and with all the penny pinching going on we thought it better to support our local farmers and assist them in paying for their water resources and supporting their families.

I am sure we will still venture to the Farmer’s Market downtown each week; it is still one of our major social events.  And we so enjoy the local music being played and the joy of the small children.

We are planning on removing our raised beds and putting in a much lower maintaince yard area to significantly cut back on our water usage.   It is not really because of all the folks who pick the beans, peas, carrots, and flowers as they walk on past!   Our goal is to create a locally sustainable yard which will celebrate what grows here naturally.

Although we already line dry our clothing, we have cut back at least 4 loads of washing each month also.

The chart on the utilities bill is indicating we have made at least 10 cubic yards of water usage difference from last month, although the rates have gone up and so the actual out lay of funds has increased.

I would very much like to know how others are working on saving money, using less energy and conserving water usage.    Would you share?

Wendell  Berry is a Southern (USA) writer who has always celebrated the work of the farm and the farmer.   He celebrates the lifestyle and mourns the loss of the family farm to Industrial Farming.

I found this poem about water and spring and blossom and thought you might enjoy it also.

The abyss of no-meaning, what
can prevail against it? Love
for the water in its standing
fall through the hill’s wrist
from the town down to the river.
There is no love but this,
and it extends from Heaven
to the land destroyed,
to the hurt man in his cage
to the dead man in his grave.
Shall we do without hope? Some days
there will be none. But now
to the dry and dead woods floor
they come again, the first
flowers of the year, the assembly
of the faithful, the beautiful,
wholly given to being.
And in this long season
of machines and mechanical will
there have been small human acts
of compassion, acts of care, work
flowerlike in selfless loveliness.
Leaving hope to the dark
and to a better day,
receive these beauties freely
given, and give thanks.

~Wendell Berry, excerpt from “Sabbaths, 2007” in Leavings: Poems (2010)

Wine-Berrals

Related Reading you might enjoy:
Hannah Coulter
Ecotopia
Never Build on your Food Supply
Top 10 Reasons to Buy Locally

If you like what you read here, please subscribe!

Enjoy this site? Subscribe and keep up with all the updates!
Or support this site by promoting us through your favorite network: