Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Time for a nap.

During these long warm summer days, a nap is in order .
A few napping areas that we've designed and installed over the years.


Jasmine vines bookend this hammock structure.
From Nappy nu time


Lounging with a view
From Nappy nu time


Napping by the pool ( Napa, Mill Valley, Kentfileld, Novato)
From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time



Nappy nu time by the spa
From Nappy nu time



Napping in the shade of the redwood
From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time


From Nappy nu time


LeCorbusier designed a chaise just for napping
From Nappy nu time



We didn’t design this napping area. This Balinese ‘bale’ was in the courtyard in with my room at the resort, Tanjung Sari .
From Nappy nu time


Napping at the S.F. garden show in 2008
( thanks for the photo Kell)
From Nappy nu time


Napping at home in the Pina Colada garden
From Nappy nu time


Sweet Dreams.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Danger Danger Will Robinson.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.
We’ve been busy building projects and working on plans this summer, which is a good thing.

I usually write about something I find creative , artistic, innovative and interesting, along with posts about our own projects.

This morning I came across a blog post that alarmed the structural shit out of me.
The design was aesthetically charming , creative and interesting but the project was constructed so poorly that it screamed “major law litigation” and HUGE SAFETY HAZARD.

Project depicted below:
- no footing, no reinforcement, and glued together with liquid nails. (!!)

From wave garden pt. richmond



What made this blog post very alarming is that it was providing the construction specifications for building the wall and lots of people were responding that they were going to ‘try this in their own back yard’.

It is exactly this type of practice that truly hurts the profession of landscape design : A landscape designer providing construction details that are WAY beyond their skill and legal liability level.
No wonder the LATC has their panties in a knot when they see work like this.
This reflects very poorly on the profession of landscape design and should never be done.

Sure , go for the pretty pictures, show the finished project, but DO NOT provide construction directions when the project is way beyond your professional skill level and liability.

I’m not a structural engineer, but because all of our design and construction projects are run threw a structural engineers office for the planning, building and permitting departments approval , I can say with certainty that this is one wall that requires structural engineering.
Actually any wall that is taller than 48 inches from the BOTTOM of the FOOTING requires a permit and building review in California and any other progressive state with a building and planning department that observes a UBC : Unified Building Code.

This wall is over five feet tall . It has no footing and no reinforcement . It is a major safety issue and law suit waiting to happen.

Again, I love the aesthetics of this project and I think its creativeness should be shared BUT providing construction instructions is professionally irresponsible especially when these building instructions are so poorly engineered that this un-reinforced concrete wall could easily kill someone in a blink of an eye.