The last time I was in Denver I drove around and explored a lot of the new infill projects that have cropped up in the Five Points region of the city, just northeast of downtown. The 24th Street Townhomes is a fine little project that at the corner of 24th Street and Glenarm Place, and from what I can tell, consists of eleven 3 story units arranged around a central parking court, with the back units overlooking a small green space. Read the rest of this entry →
On May 13th, the Rowlett Community Center played host to one of the most amazingly bizarre spectacles I’ve seen in my 12 years in architecture. A developer, Community Retirement Center of Rowlett, LLP, has chosen a location in Rowlett, TX (a sleepy little bedroom community, just outside of Dallas) in which to locate a TDHCA tax credit senior living development. Now, to be clear, this is not managed care or a nursing home, these are apartments that are intended to cater to low income seniors (55+ yrs old). You cannot get into the development unless you are at least 55 (or as young as 45 if the spouse of a someone 55+).
The developer started out with an adequate, if graphically underwhelming powerpoint that explained the TDHCA tax credit process, how Rowlett was rated by that organization as a 5 out of 6 on an internal scale of ‘need’ for this sort of facility, and about the requirements of the residents. The age restrictions are noted above, and if I remember correctly the income levels for the 16 low-income units were +/-$14,000 for a single person, +/-$19,000 per year for a couple. Read the rest of this entry →
I think there is a turning point for most college students when the clouds part and they fully start to realize how much their education has transformed their way of thinking.
For me, my moment came when I started seeing common threads between different disciplines. Normally, one would think architecture has very little to do with poetry, or that philosophy has nothing in common with mathematics. It was when the barriers between these dropped for me that my learning became really fun. Read the rest of this entry →
I stumbled upon this project by Ron Womack on my way to a client meeting several months ago. I love these little architectural gems sprouting up around Dallas. Every few months I drive somewhere I haven’t been in a while and am pleasantly surprised by a new contemporary development. Read the rest of this entry →
Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ, , also spelled syabu-syabu) is a Japanese variant of hot pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style, where both use thinly sliced meat and vegetables, and usually served with dipping sauces., but it is considered to be more savory and less sweet than sukiyaki. It is considered a winter dish but is eaten year-round.
Shabu-shabu was introduced in Japan in the 20th century with the opening of a Shabu-shabu restaurant “Suehiro” in Osaka. Its origins are traced back to the Chinese hot pot known as “shuan yang rou”. Shabu-shabu is most similar to the original Chinese version when compared to other Japanese steamboat dishes (nabemono) such as sukiyaki. The name of Shabu-shabu was named when Suehiro served it. After that, Suehiro registered the name of shabu-shabu as a trademark in 1955. The cuisine rapidly spread through Asia.
Together with sukiyaki, shabu-shabu is a common dish in tourist hot-spots, especially in Tokyo, but also in local Japanese neighborhoods (colloquially called “Little Tokyos” or “Japantowns”) in countries such as the United States and Canada.
Our last night in Tokyo was celebrated by going to a magnificent Shabu Shabu restaurant. On the surface, the idea of taking beautifully marbled ribeye slices and boiling them in water is anathema to everything I enjoy about living in Texas. That said, I am a person who likes sauces, especially with steak, and while boiling may not have been my first choice for cooking methods, the dipping sauces accompanying the dish were amazing. I was always surprised when I’d watch Iron Chef (my only real exposure to Japanese cuisine prior to this trip) because the entire culture seems to prefer meat steamed, boiled or very lightly grilled. For me, the best part of the steak is the carmelized edges, not the pink interior. While our palettes may differ, we can agree that Shabu Shabu is a very good dish. This evening, it was accompanied by BBQ spare ribs, sashimi, salad and a host of lovely vegetables. I do find it interesting how many Japanese dishes are intended to be cooked there at the table, instead of being prepared in the kitchen. Regardless, it was a magnificent final meal.
Mr. Miyama owns a development company that builds residential developments throughout the Tokyo area. After traveling in the United States, and touring projects like the Southside on Lamar in Dallas, Mr. Miyama became intrigued with renovation of old buildings. Japanese developers weren’t renovating buildings at the time, prefering to demolish and start from scratch, and he saw an opportunity. By redeveloping older buildings, he was able to reduce his construction costs and offer his new product at a very competitive price. He also took stock of the state of Japanese residential design, which largely lacks any distict detailing or stylization, had no communal space or sense of entry. He would design his apartments to create a sense of interest in their form, and incorporate resort-style entries, common rooms and even private courtyards. While much of this reduces the amount of net rentable space, his occupancy rates are much higher than that of his competitors, utlimately netting more profit in the long run.
Taishakuten Temple, formally called Kyoei-zan Daikyoji, was founded during the Kan-ei Period（1629） under the auspices of the nineteenth head priest of Hokekyoji Temple in Shimofusa Nakayama, Reverend Zen-nai-in Nitchu. The second head priest of Daikyoji, Rev. Daikyo-in Nichi-ei, is credited for its actual logistical establishment.
For many years, this temple housed a figure of Taishakuten (Indira), until it disappeared for a period during the middle ages (between the later Heian and Muromachi Periods(1175-1573)). The lost main deity was miraculously found when the ninth head priest, Kotei-in Nikkyo, disturbed by the severely dilapidated condition of the main prayer hall, decided to renovate. Coincidentally, this main deity was discovered in the attic of the main hall on a Koshin Day in the spring of the eighth year of the An-ei Period（1779）.
While all of the temples I’d encountered posessed amazing woodworking, none were so express in their design as the Taishakuten Temple. The actual temple that the Miyama family goes to for prayer, it is a lovely, quaint, neighborhood temple that is very accessible.
Tsukiji fish market (築地市場, Tsukiji shijō) The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, commonly known as Tsukiji fish market is located near the Tsukijishijō Station on the Toei Ōedo Line and Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. There are two distinct sections of the market as a whole. The “inner market” (jonai shijo) is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place, and where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The “outer market” (jogai shijo) is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood, and many restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier.
Brian and I woke early the morning after we got back from out independent travel to explore the Tsukiji Fish Market which we’d head was one of the most incredible in the world. This is a great tourist attraction, especially around the tuna auctions:
Each of the tuna on the floor has a portion of the flesh cut open and pulled back to allow for those bidding to examine the grade of tuna to be bid on. Then an auctioneer gets up and starts taking bids.
There were numerous bins of all different kinds of seafood, as one would expect. This container held live crabs, about the size of a small football, in some sort of sawdust. Everything was being packed in styrofoam for shipment to restaurants across the city. I’d see small lorries around town unloading these everywhere, and had assumed they were food goods, but it was very interesting to see where they’d all originated from.
A lot of the seafood are still alive. These containers each have different critters and are outfitted with air lines to aerate the water. The Japanese food industry is so inextricably focused on live seafood that this isn’t a surprise.
These were a fascinating catch. Originally I had thought the bins contained some sort of dust, like with the crabs, but upon closer inspection I realized there were minute fish, no larger than a Neon Tetra in general size, although longer. Later at the Miyama’s house, I noticed that they had a jar full of these fish sitting on the dinner table. I inquired about them, and found out that they are a dried fish the people (often elderly) eat to supplement their diet with additional calcium. I tried them, and they aren’t bad, they just taste like dried fish. If you’re into that.
Once the tuna is purchased, it’s then trucked away on carts to the various stands around the market where individual proprietors butcher the meat for individual sale. While the picture here of the butcher with a knife is more romantic, most stations were cutting up the tuna with a bandsaw in a very efficient fashion.
All of the crustaceans were of the most magnificent order. Huge crabs and lobsters, bigger than I’ve ever seen and some with species colorations I was unfamiliar with.
I would definitely recommend visiting the fish market to anyone that makes their way to Tokyo. It’s fun to do the touristy things, but getting to delve below the surface of the city and the the intricate way truly unique things like this happen.
A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term “tea house” or “tea room.”
In Japanese tradition a tea house can refer to a structure designed for holding Japanese tea ceremonies. This structure and specifically the room in it where the tea ceremony takes place is called chashitsu (茶室). The architectural space called chashitsu was created for aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment.
In Japan a tea house can also refer to a place of entertainment with geisha. These kinds of tea houses, called ochaya (お茶屋), are typically very exclusive establishments. The most notable ochaya is the Ichiriki Ochaya.
On our last day, one of the more subtle moments was a visit to a local tea house. Sawako informed me that while traditional, unlike something like the Onsen which is still very widely used, the tea house is more of a nostalgic “touristy” event anymore. Thiss was proved out by the troup of students here ona field trip. The house was a beautiful setting, and Mr. Miyama explained that the house, known as Yamamoto-tei, had been the residence of the very prominent Yamamoto family who had gone bankrupt, and the state had claimed their house in order to preserve the historical site. He used the tale as a parable of how the Japanese need to adapt, that tradition isn’t enough to carry them into the future.
The tea was lovely, served in traditional style, with a sort of semi-sweet confection similar to marzipan. We removed our shoes and sat on the floor, again in traditional style. The Japanese culture is truly fascinating, how tempered and determined it is in addressing every detail of even the most casual things.
Tsukuba Station (つくば駅, -eki) is a train station on the Tsukuba Express line in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
The station is the terminus of the Tsukuba Express line, and is located at the heart of the “science city” of Tsukuba. It is also situated near the central bus terminal. Its station number is 20.
Tsukuba (つくば市, Tsukuba-shi?) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the Tsukuba Science City(筑波研究学園都市, Tsukuba Kenkyū Gakuen Toshi) a planned city developed in the 1960s.
As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km². Tsukuba is sometimes considered part of the Greater Tokyo Area.
Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known for its toad-shaped Shinto shrine, is located near the city. Also found there is the Tsukuba Circuit, a popular short racetrack which hosts the D1 Grand Prix and other motorsports events.
In contrast to many of the othe rail stations I’d visited, the Tsukuba Station is located in what can honestly be called a “suburban” area of Tokyo. The density is akin to the downtown areas of boomburbs in the US like Plano or Garland, TX. Hence, the morphology employs a more direct suburban mall form and the fact that it is even a rail station at all is largely hidden. That said, it still tends to operate in the same manner as other rail stations, being a clear focal node of the community.
