Just for fun, I thought I would share this video showing some creative contractors and a tape measure. You never know what talent people have…or how bored they may be to develop that talent!

Once upon a time, the Library along with the City Hall, Post Office, School and Church were the main civic buildings that defined a community. In the age of e-readers (hey, I have one) and the internet, the importance of the library appears to be dwindling. (Don’t get me started on the lack priorities when it comes to schools…)

Our existing library facility was in bad shape and it was a struggle for our community to see the value of updating or providing them a new building. Our police department was in the same situation and with some creative discussions, a partnership was formed. With the passion of volunteers and lots of hard work, the library and police department purchased, and now share an existing building within the downtown core.

I am fortunate to be part of the Library Communications Committee and recorded the Grand Opening seen in the below video. The library is now back to being a vital gathering point and resource for our community. Please take time to visit, support and appreciate similar resources that help give your own community an identity.

Here is a fun idea that we have incorporated on several projects.

The steel grates pictured here are from McMaster. The part number is 6849T423. The exterior grate is galvanized while the interior one is not.

Please check out the video!

Ran across this video and wanted to share it not only for its message of ‘living in the moment’ this holiday season but also to bring a bit of warmth to those of us buried in snow. Let us all take some time to enjoy family and friends and to build new lasting relationships this new year!

Live in the moment. from Kune Hua on Vimeo.

Some of you may be familiar with HDR photography. It is basically the layering together of multiple exposures into one image. The overexposed shot picks up the details in the shadows while the underexposed shot eliminates ‘blowouts’ of highlighted areas. This is extremely helpful for us architects, especially in photographing interiors. Our eyes see many more levels of light then a single camera exposure can capture so an HDR image is more visually accurate…if you want it to be.

I was first introduced to HDR Photography by the talented photographer Steve Silverman and I thought I would try it myself!  The test images at the top of the page (I know, not that inspiring of a scene!) are 3 different exposures of the same shot taken at 2 f-stops apart. Most newer DSLR cameras have this as a standard function. I then imported them into Photomatix, one of the more popular HDR programs. Trey Ratcliff, an expert in HDR has a link from his website for a discount plus some great tutorials.  The program has several presets to try and a bunch of sliders to…well, slide.  It is fun and frustrating to play with the settings and it takes a bit of trial and error to get something you like.

This first image is my attempt  to get a somewhat accurate representation of detail in the shadows as well as the highlight areas.  This image is right out of Photomatix.  I would then adjust the color, etc. in Photoshop.

The other image is a more surreal or ‘painterly’ look.  Kind of fun!  Please click on the images to make them larger.

Here are some examples of HDR Photography from people who know what they are doing.

I love designing things, any ‘things’. Now that we are approaching the Holiday Season, I was reminded of gifts that would find there way to family when I was first starting out in my career. With a tool arsenal comprised of a cordless drill and jig saw, and a wallet filled with, well, not much, homemade gifts became the yearly tradition.

With the ability to drill holes, tighten bolts, do minor metal cutting and push a button on a spray can, visions of knick-knacks danced in my head. Using off-the-shelf items from the local home improvement center, I created a series of pen holders.  Hey, who doesn’t have a pen and need a place to put it?

I didn’t have a specific idea when digging in.  It was more of a ‘what if I do this or that’.  It reminded me of when we used to do ‘rip and tear’ models in architecture school -just let your thoughts become fluid and not get caught up in perfection.  You are looking for the idea, the direction, that leads to a solution.  The process was cathartic and relaxing.  I am a big believer that everyday objects should have beauty and meaning.  Why not?  As you can tell by these examples, it does not take a lot of skill or know-how to come up with something unique and fun.

The gifts were a hit -at least that is what my brother in California told me.  I probably could have bought a descent gift card for the price of shipping a heavy metal object across the country but it’s the thought that counts…right?

Heck of a day on Saturday. A wet and heavy snow fell continuously. We had to go to several basketball tournaments and were out and about with a few brave (or foolish) souls. Woke up Sunday morning seeing a clean blanket of white. There is always a feeling of calmness, along with a need for hot chocolate and a roaring fire, after that first snow fall. Instead, I grabbed my camera and assembled this short video. Stay warm!