(photo by Julius Shulman)
This week's podcast of DnA (Design & Architecture) from KCRW has some quality stuff for lovers of prefab, french accents and soccer. After a story on the new Adidas (ah-DEEE-dos) soccer ball being used in the World Cup, and a quick bit on sunglasses, Frances Anderton interviews Philippe Starck about his favorite building in LA. The renowned architect/designer, in town to put the finishing touches on Katsuya, picks the unconventional Chemosphere home designed by John Lautner. Starck loves the building because it "is really the essence of the American dram... and it's purely modern... It's about believing in science... It's about the future..." Starck then explains his philosophy to not look modern but to be really modern. Not defined by shape or color, but in a way of thinking. Good stuff.
Anderton then focuses on the buzz surrounding prefab housing in Los Angeles. Anderton interviews Jennifer Siegal, principal of the Office of Mobile Design, who has recently installed a small prefab show home at 1650 Abbot Kinney (Open for viewing Tuesdays and Fridays). While skirting around the issue of affordability, Siegal focuses instead on the "modern architecture" aspect of the home and the possibilities that prefab offers. Possibilities to wealthier, modern architecture loving individuals, it should be noted. Michael Sylvester of Fab Prefab finishes the segment with a reality check - tackling the issues of design, building processes, and pricing. While prefab may not be a solution to solving our housing crunch, it is a better alternative to the cookie cutter, wasteful mcmansions that dot our landscape.
· DnA: Is Prefab Modern Taking Off in LA? [KCRW]