Response to automobile-centric design

Corbusier's Villa Savoye is notable because it was designed exclusively for cars at a time when not everybody had one.

Things have changed since then.  Today nearly EVERYTHING is designed for cars. We don't even notice how much of an impact they have on how we live.  For instance, 1/4 of my home is devoted to the garage.  1/2 of the area of any retail establishment is required for parking.  A significant fraction of a city is devoted exclusively to cars.

As a design exercise, I'd like to consider how the built environment would change if we put an equal effort into design for bicycles.

Where to begin?  An internet search for bike storage.  Here are some of the best results I found:

 http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/shelving-storage/a-green-search-the-best-indoor-bicycle-rack-026165

http://www.remodelista.com/posts/storage-inside-bicycle-storage-roundup

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastboy/287650174/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toomanybicycles/258520950/in/set-72157594433824691/

Honestly I'm a bit disappointed in these.  You can either hang your bike on the wall or hang it from the ceiling. 

I want something more.  I spend a significant amount of time and money on my bike.  I think it's a thing of beauty.  I'd like to store it in style.  Perhaps put it on display when I'm not riding it.  I think there's a lot of potential for innovation here.  What if the bike replaced the fireplace as the focal point of a living room?  A hook shaped wall hanger just doesn't cut it anymore.

Got any ideas for better designs?  Tell me about them.  I'll post my own ideas in future blogs.

Space Value Judgments

I've been thinking a lot more about space as an indicator of value. As a general rule, the more space you give to something, the more you value it.

My current company, Robert Stephen Consulting, assesses the amount of space a company devotes to its various activities compares that with the total space available, so our clients cam come to conclusions about whether the space is used effectively.

Space is a type of capital, like currency or labor. It can be managed much like money and time can be, though not nearly as liquid. It has been a change of perspective for to look at it as a commodity.

At work, we consider cubicles, office spaces, and circulation space. But I've begun to look at my closet space, desk space, garage space, and storage space in a similar way. Am I using my space effectively? Do my space allocations match the value I attach to the objects and activities in my life?