B'wana She No Home

Where shall I begin?

Well, for one, the little vaca was a terrific break. Just the absence I needed. At the moment, the thoughts are a little clearer. The purpose, more defined. It won't last, of course. It can't. Not when you're scheduled to work 11 hour days all week, inside a plastic clad satellite office in the middle of a window-less manufacturing facility, enjoying an intoxicating mix of fluorescent lighting and diesel particulate.

And still, people can't see how this might affect creativity.

Surprisingly (at least to me anyway), I was not "blown away" by the architecture as one might expect. It's true, there is no greater assemblage of modern design anywhere else on the planet. It took an aligning of the stars to create this mecca. A rising of new materials, the hollywood mores of the time, the draw on aspiring young architects to this strange place, the desert climate and location, and the money, just to name a few. What was a surprise, is 1) the size of Palm Springs in 2010. And 2) shaking ones perceived expectations. After all, when these iconic structures were built, photographed, and made famous, they were islands in the sand. Now, all that aren't built on a mountainside, have stucco boxes and terra cotta roofed neighbors encroaching from all sides. Sinatra's famed Twin Palms is now smack dab in a residential neighborhood, though block walls and foliage provide ample privacy.

Several things stick out. There is no vinyl siding anywhere. It's either totally modern, or Spanish villa. There is also something a little unsettling about the modern design. There is no frost there, so there are no frost footings or foundations. Everything is on a slab. There is no snow so roof structures need not support 35 pounds per square foot. Rain is little, so roof drainage and fenestration detailing is an afterthought. Compared with the engineering obstacles we here in the midwest have to face, these structures were built like the proverbial house of cards, and here they stand 50 years later, looking like day 1.

Not to make light of it, but the most difficult engineering and construction that makes this style take flight, goes right out the window when frost heaving, snow loading and precipitation aren't a factor. Not even bugs or mosquitoes. Telescoping sliding doors were 8' tall and 20' wide and totally screenless.

Secondly, I was left with the personal opinion that as great as the desert setting is, there is nothing quite as cohesive as modern design in an environment of rivers, trees and rolling hills. Even if it means the structure must be water resistant, require diligent maintenace, and be designed and overbuilt by a factor of 5.

So here I am back in town, trying to take advantage of my fleeting amnesia. By week's end it will be gone. Will there be some sort of catharsis or awakening? Will motivation and inspiration free me of my self-inflicted creative bonds? Or will optimism for my summer plans be enough to carry me through? I guess we shall see.