Round Building Fireside Chat

Inside the Round Building, John Kaiser introduced a short film about the architect who designed the building which was erected in 1963. Early stages of the buildings construction were shown as well. There were audio technical difficulties which resulted in a Skype audio blazing over the architects audio. Out with the old and in with the new.

After the computer was rebooted, Jeff Stein appeared on the movie screen. He noted that his community was affected by hurricane Sandy and that a generator would have to suffice rather than a comfy fireside. His talk was about The Spirit of Organic Design, beyond Mid-Century Modern. 

Stein is an editor, writer and practicing architect. Formerly dean of
Boston Architectural College and head of architecture at Wentworth
Institute in Boston, he taught at Harvard Graduate School of Design;
Technicum Winterthur, Zurich; and at Ecole de Architecture
Languedoc-Rousillon, in Montpellier, France. He recently completed an
American edition of the Swiss text “The Ecological Aspects of Building”
with his wife, art historian Emilie Altemose. The Cosanti
Foundation
, a non-profit educational foundation started by noted
architect and urban planner Paolo Soleri, is dedicated to education and
the ongoing development and preservation of Arcosanti in Arizona.

The primary focus of future architecture would be energy efficiency without urban sprawl. Cars tend to separate people in ways that are profound. People don’t recognize each other as they commute. People end up living isolated lives of hermits. Any sense of community is lost for many. Arcosanti is an urban laboratory focused on innovative design,
community, and environmental accountability. Our goal is to actively
pursue lean alternatives to urban sprawl based on Paolo Soleri’s theory
of compact city design, Arcology (architecture + ecology). Built by over 7,000 volunteers, Arcosanti provides various mixed-use
buildings and public spaces where people live, work, visit, and
participate in educational and cultural programs.

Tonight at 5:30PM I will be doing a digital sketch which will be  projected live on a movie screen as part of the Accidental Music Festival. The concert is titled “Ghost in the Machine”, and it features works from Central Florida Composers Forum presenting new works for electronics by Orlando composers. The concert will be held at the Timucua White House (200 South Summerlin Avenue).