The Quintuplets Revisited

So, I became curious what happens at the lane...

and discovered as I suspected, a more liberal adaptation over the years, with various decks, garages, roofs, and other additions, in various stages and states. Interesting stuff.

It would be a really interesting exercise to draw the plans of each of these five houses and compare how they have evolved through the decades...

Old Quintuplets

I came across a row of five houses that must have been, at some point, entirely identical... surprisingly still here all in a row in an area that developed into older apartments and light industrial uses.

It's a neat little place to experience "how buildings learn(ed)"... but actually, I'm surprised how much the original forms have remained intact (at least at the fronts), suggesting perhaps that the prototype (archetype?) was quite adequate and even potent -- a nice image of what good design can be... nothing flashy, just striving for strong archetypes.

... guess where...!

Some of you out there might know where this is...
(hint: Singapore Chicken)
No prizes for guessing correctly, however...

But I thought I'd give the original to the owner of the place next time we go.

There's a bottle depot behind me... interesting and curious thing how it "fronts" the lane.

hanging in there...

I snuck out of the house while the kids slept to capture this scene that I had been eyeing for the past two weeks... it's too beautiful an afternoon to miss.

The colours are now turning into a fuzzy brown, but there are some patches of bright yellow still remaining in the river valley. Although this is the "back" side of the city skyline from Ada Boulevard, it's a great view of the vastness and richness of the green space we can enjoy right in the middle of this city...

...snacking before bedtime

A good friend brought some Disney movies over for our daughter last night... once she started watching, we couldn't stop the video, so her bedtime was delayed by 90 minutes or so... even kids get to enjoy the long weekend.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, we are reminded of so much to be grateful for, and pray that we live that way every day.

Thanks be to God.

quivers of colour...

I've been posting once per day but couldn't resist;
some columnar aspens in our back yard...

last one standing...

About a year ago, a huge dilapidated grain elevator near our neighbourhood was severely damaged in a windstorm and was subsequently torn down... too bad I never photographed it. This smaller (but still tall) cousin is all that remains in the area, and I doubt it is even in use.

Grain elevators have been disappearing throughout Alberta... a bit ironic that Le Corbusier, observing the massive concrete elevators of the Great Lakes, heroically described them as manifesting "the New Age". But I am struck by the humble details and unpretentiousness of these simpler prairie structures that are reminiscent of familiar and simple residential construction... the local vernacular... very endearing indeed.

Friday, 6:00pm

Finding sketch subjects means taking unfamiliar routes on my way home... like this lane north of MacEwan (its towers lurk in the background) by a very multicultural 107 Ave.

in transit

I take the LRT south of the river only two or three times a year. Today was the first time to Southgate since that station opened. I was pleasantly surprised by the care taken in integrating some sensible landscaping south from the university, and from the new ways I can experience the familiar roads I usually take by car.

Unfortunately, the whole experience was tarnished by the bad bus connection to my final destination... it took close to 2 hours to get there. I have a theory, that one major measure of a city's greatness is its quality of public transit infrastructure...

Nice station though... with some lessons applicable to a current project at the office.

... and a very productive worship meeting, so all is good.







... the bus ride.

autumn light

Surprisingly, the beautiful autumn days are lingering, allowing me to take time outside to sketch on my way home... a bar on 109 Street with a full west-facing patio is a great place to be.















My daughter reads a book on the floor at home...

under construction

Down the street, a parkade rooftop is being turned into office space.


The most exciting time in the life of a building, for me, is when it first gets translated from idea onto paper, and then undergoes a total evolution as it starts to take on a character and life of its own (but that's probably because of what I do)... the second most exciting time is when it is under construction...

A little help from Photoshop after a quick lunchtime sketch today.

... a rainy day

I nestle myself in a second floor lounge area at MacEwan University amongst students much younger than me, to sketch this view northwards on 108 Street... by doing so, I get a rather intimate glimpse of college life as I eavesdrop on animated group conversations about course requirements, part-time jobs, sales at clothing stores, recent Youtube hits, and Hallowe'en party costume preparations... how my life has changed since those days.

There are a few places in this city where an interior space straddles a street, allowing some unique vistas. It's too bad the view southwards on this street doesn't take fuller advantage of the legislature's dome that terminates that view. That's another drawing for another day, perhaps when school is out...

hooked on youtube...

My three-year-old is hooked on Youtube; playing Loonie Tunes is my computer's sole purpose. In a few years' time, she will be the one advocating new technology and teaching me how to keep up with the digital world... "Blogging dad? That's so 2010!"

Yet every time I draw my children, I am reminded of the inescapable responsibility that will last throughout our lives, to model who we desire her to be. This is an awesome responsibility, and I can only rely on that wonderful thing called Grace.

a walk in the River Valley...

It's another beautiful fall day with clear blue skies that make the yellow leaves glow.

We rediscovered a portion of the river valley today with a nice walk... taking in this scene under the Capilano Bridge. We drive across this all the time, but I was delighted at the majesty and heroic quality of the space underneath, including the sounds of cars driving across... something I've failed to notice until today.

It could also be a great public urban space...









A photo of the plaque... infrastructure as monument...

Waiting for my date...

Having procured some very willing babysitters for the evening, I wait for my "date" to show up... at the same coffee shop that I used to wait before we got married...