How Haiti Earthquakes Destroyed Buildings

Check out the video above to see the reason why the earthquakes in Haiti caused so much devistation. You can also view this video at my new vlog at

http://www.YouTube.com/LarryLaneTV

Listen to the podcast at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LaneArchitecture to hear more reasons why this tragedy happened and how we can help prevent it from happening again in the future - anywhere!

I also share a story about how a man in the USA made a special trip to Haiti to personally save the life of one Haitian man that once saved this American only 5 years earlier.

See you there at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lanearchitecture/2010/01/25/tragedy-in-haiti-also-shares-blessings

Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.

Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Live!

Here is the link to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade LIVE right now!

http://www.inquisitr.com/49503/watch-the-macy%E2%80%99s-thanksgiving-day-parade-live-online/

If you like this article and would like to keep informed about other important news of the day, please subscribe to this blog by clicking on the buttons along the right column.

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Soaring with the NJ Nets

This is Brook Lopez of the NJ Nets next to me. He is at least a foot taller than I. Brook was the first round draft pick in 2008 and is the Center for the team. He soars at 7'-0" in height.

I asked Brook an experience architecture related question. He related to his own perceptions and past experiences. This is exactly what I discuss in my book, "The Designed Office." Check out the today's radio show (9-14-09) to hear his answer.

Also, during today's radio show, I will be sharing 10 fast money saving tips that you can implement right away to keep the green stuff in your pockets.

Oh, by the way, get dozen free stuff at www.MyDesignedOffice.com.

Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.

Adaptive Reuse

When you are holding on a commercial property and can't find a buyer for it, what are your other opitions?

One of them is to propose a different use for the building.

Check with the zoning department in the town that the building is in. There, you will find out what uses are allowed for that property. You can also find other buildings of the same zone designation and learn what uses are allowed in the city that are not listed in the zoning books.

For example, there is a building in Union, NJ that was built in the early 1980's. Its original use was a office/warehouse for office furniture and office equipment. After some research, it was found that medical related uses were attractive to the locale zoning board. So, the commercial realtor contacted our office to help them illustrate to their potential clients how a health/wellness center would look within its walls.

Here is a before and after of just one of the interior areas for the warehouse area. There will be more images that will be posted on future blogs of this property.



This is a photo of the existing warehouse area. Notice the location of the columns on both the photo and the rendering. This is how you can match to two images.



This is a proposed lap pool in the existing warehouse. The wall to the right is all glass with water flowing down it to create a translucent barrier between the adjacent muscel machine room. Descriptive words such as uplifting, empowering, motion, health, and healing are just some of the experiences that a user of this space is to enjoy. This is an example of what Experience Architecture design philosphy is all about.

Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.

Two Human Desires

During my radio show today, I will be sharing what the two human desires are.

Do you think that these desires include love, money, a bigger house, a fast car, travel...? If so, you will be surprised with my answer.

Listen in at http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/LaneArchitecture. The show is only 15 minutes and will start at 5:30 pm EST.

Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.

What a banner weekend!

Yesterday, I joined in to celebrate my oldest son's 13th birthday. My, oh, my! Now I have a teenager in the house.

Another exciting thing happened yesterday too. I launched my book titled, "The Designed Office." It is a book written to help people find, design, and build an office that will explode their profits even in these recession times.

Feel free to click on the book icon to the right to get a closer look at it.

Still 50 and Still Kicking

Just recently, Michael Jackson passed away at age 50. Today, we hear about the famous TV pitchman, Billy Mays, passing on also at the age of 50.

I turned 50 just 25 days ago and I am still alive and still kicking.

In fact, don't miss our latest radio show today at 5:30 pm EST. There I will be remembering some other people who we lost last week, share some of my experiences at the BOMA convention in Philly that I had yesterday, and reveal what is on the boards (there are a lot of things cookin', don't miss out).

You can listen live at http:www.BlogTalkRadio.com/LaneArchitecture or just listen to the podcast that will be posted on the right column of this blog.

Talk to you soon!

Fun to Assemble Furniture

This is the funniest spoof that compares "Ready to Assemble" furniture (like IKEA’s systems that require a lot of loose parts, connectors, and patience to assemble) with Legare’s "Fun to Assemble" furniture that required no tools, glue, screws, or nails.

Please forward this to everyone that you know!
Everyone needs a little laughter during these economically challenging times.

I hope that this video put a smile on your face. Let me know at info@LaneArchitecture.net.

Oh, by the way, Legare’s furniture is not expensive. Check out www.LegareFurniture.com or call them at (817)737-8802 to learn more about it. When you do, tell them that Larry Lane sent you.

Here some “Gee-Wiz” scoop about this video:

• The “cool” guy (the Apple equivalent) that is on the right of the screen is Mr. Brock Brandenberg. He is the person who actually designed this furniture system. Go here to hear the story about him http://www.legarefurniture.com/story.php

• The “girl friend” of the Microsoft type of guy is a good friend of mine from grade school (many, many years ago).

• Another place to learn more about this furniture is by clicking on the podcasts to the right of the article on this blog that is titled, “What is RTA furniture?” and “Fun to Assemble Furniture.”

• Sorry in advance if this video offended you. Hope you find your funny bone soon. Go to the previous blog post for a more professional video of this furniture product. (Viewing while sitting on a whoopie cushion is optional).

Tell them that Larry Lane sent you

Fun To Assemble (FTA) Furniture

Tool Free Furniture That is Easy to Assemble!

It is hard to believe that one could put an attractive and strong desk together in less than 2 minutes, but this video prooves it. Check out this cool video of how a ready to assemble furniture can actually be easy and fun for anyone to put together.

Go to our podcast to hear the history of Legare' furniture. While there, just click on the iTunes icon to listen to it later while on your way to work or at play.

"Click Here to hear the history and background story about this fabulous product and about the company named Legare'"

"Click Here to learn more about Fun To Assemble Furniture"

It is hard to believe that this desk would be very strong. But it is! Check out this video to see what I mean...



"Click Here to visit www.LegareFurniture.com"

You can also call them at (817) 737-8802.

Tell them that Larry Lane sent you

Larry Lane with Jerry Reese, General Manager of the NY Giants

During church today, I was fortunate to meet Mr. Jerry Reese, the general manager of the NY Giants professional football team.

He was a gueat speaker during the Sunday service. During his talk, he shared how he was raised in a small town in TN (population 2400), lived in a home with indoor plumbing until he was 12, learned his leadership skills as the quarterback in his small town foot team, worked quietly/humbly/hard up through the ranks as an asst. coach of his college team, and then helped the Giants win the Superbowl during his first year as GM with them.

You would never know that he was in deep mourning due to the loss of a close relative while in the throws of the NFL draft this year. The death was sudden and unexpected. He had to put a business and sometimes happy game face on during his ESPN interviews and while focusing only on the draft that will affect the success of the team for the entire season to come.

In fact, when we visited, I asked him if he has heard any inside scoop about my favorite professional football team, the Dallas Cowboys. As you may have read on the previous blog, their indoor training facility blew apart yesterday.

Jerry had only heard about it on the news and has been a bit out of touch of any inside scoop sources since he was just returning from the funeral of his close relative.

Here is the link to the previous blog
http://lanearchitecture.blogspot.com/2009/05/dallas-cowboys-indoor-practice-field.html

Keep Jerry and his family (wife, son, and daughter) in your prayers.

(Maybe keep the Cowboys in your prayers too).

In case you haven't been able to find the secret that Jerry shared with me, here it is.....

His secret was that he could not tell about the death of his wife's brother while in the thick of the NFL draft season. He kept that as a secret to everyone even while being interviewed by the press such as ESPN.

The lesson that he taught by keeping this secret was that he was able to have peace by the grace of God.

Let me know what you think of this article by clicking on the envelope below.

If you like this article and would like to keep informed about other important news of the day, please subscribe to this blog by clicking on the buttons along the right column.

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Using 3 Recyclable Building Materials is Kid's Play

When I was a little boy, I used to love building things out of cardboard. Whenever I found a refrigerator box, it was as if nothing could be better.

While in architecture school, my design class was assigned to design and build our own bridge that could only support our own weight. If it was overdesigned for a load heavier than us, we would get docked a letter grade. If the bridge failed under our own weight, well, we would fail. I think that the bridge assignment was one of my favorite projects because of its narrow requirements. My bridge did well, so I passed with a high grade.

Another design/build project that I have done out of paper was a piece of furniture. I designed a chair that looked like the profile of a hand that has the thumb extended. The seat would be where the thumb is and the back of the seat would be where the index finger would be.

About this time, last year, there was an article posted on the web about a Cardboard House of the Future. Check it out at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/cardboard-houses-of-the-future.php#ch02.

My radio show that is aired today covers this article in depth. I also discuss the article in the latest March LAD Sketch Pad newsletter about houses built of straw. Download your free copy from http://www.scribd.com/doc/13042420/LAD-Sketch-Pad-March-2009.

There are a lot of other materials that can be used to build houses that are recycled. The metal shipping containers that you might see stacked all around shipping ports like Newark are among architects' favorite building blocks.

Metal shipping containers have been used to build houses, youth centers, schools, multi-family complexes, swimming pools, and offices. They can be put together in just a few days and don’t usually cost very much.

Check out this web site for some photos of buildings built out of metal shipping containers http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/26/cargo-container-homes-and-offices/.

With the economy in the tank, the idea of saving money on our construction and operational costs is more attractive than ever. Sometimes, we need to get back to the basics and get excited about the possibilities of building things out of materials that might have caught your eye as a kid.

March 2008 Newsletter is Available

The new March 2009 newsletter is out. Download your copy of the LAD Sketch Pad for March 2009 at the link that is along the right column of links.

A tip for a Better Office

Anyone can say that they need to hunker down in their dark cave and wait out the recession before doing anything to improve their office environment. I bet your competition is doing just that. Take a step to excel beyond your competition and prepare for the better times to come by taking a good look at the state of your office.

Do you have empty desks scattered about? Having people scattered about the office is very common when lay-offs occur. This leaves the remaining people feeling self conscience about their own job security. While looking at the desk that once was filled by their co-worker, they are bound to think, "Am I next?"

Minimize this dis-empowering atmosphere by relocating departments into a tighter group. This will improve their productivity, create a better feeling of belonging, save money on energy costs if you are able to block off the unused area, and create a concentrated area of empty spaces that can be sublet until this economic storm blows over.

Before you do all of this. Find out where all of your desks, furniture, and personnel, exists today. You need to light up the cave and create a road map of where you are before you can figure out where you need to go.

We can help you with that. Call us at 212-594-2007. Don't go through this recession in the dark.

P.S. I have no idea who is in the above photo. But, don't be without a light and plan of how you will survive the recession.

Now, I am Scar Face

This last Tuesday night, I fell upon my piano and landed on my forehead. So, if you see me now, you might thing that I am looking a little different. Hopefully the three layers of stitches will not leave much of a scar. But, I am already being called Scar Face around the office.

Hope your week is going better than mine.

Actually, I am pumped up and looking forward to some great things to come out of this week. We are still putting together our plans for our Fantasy Architecture Weekend. If you have not taken the survey to the right, why don't you do that now? That way, our event can be better designed to suit your wishes.

Also, while you're at it, hit the orange RSS feed button and leave your comments on this blog by clicking on the envelope icon below.

How Architecture Affects Unexpecting People

People react to their designed surroundings without even knowing that they are being affected. Some tricks that architects use are changes of lighting, surfaces, perspectives, ramps, mirrors, and so on. This video shows another way that people subconsciously react to architecture.

Do you know of other places where architecture creates emotion, motion, or other human reactions?

Experience Architecture

Most peoples’ view on how they want to live is first based upon their feelings and emotions. This is especially true with luxury items. For example, if one were focused only on their primal needs and not their emotions, then we would be living under lean-tos and tents. Instead, we feel that we need a more substantial place to call home for ourselves and our families. Their feelings may be sparked from a need for more space, prestige, or for a better location among many others. Therefore, the experiences that our spaces provide for us are a most important concern at the start of our new home search.

It is only after reacting to our emotions that we then make the decision to move from our current home and into another. This is when we start to feel our stomach turn and nerves on a slighter edge. Many have heard horror stories about their neighbor, friends, and family member’s renovation projects. Will the same surprises happen to you? Many questions start coming to mind:

How much will the construction cost?
How long will the renovation process take?
Should I sell my current home and rent during the construction period?
How do I find a contractor that I can trust?

All of these questions and many more that follow only stack upon each other until you really feel that you are “behind the eight ball” with no painless way out. "Experience Architecture" is created to help you stay away from that eight ball by pointing out a simple 7 step method that will help you the most of your investment and ultimately a home that fits you and your family like a custom made glove.

Just click here for your FREE copy of "Experience Architecture"

or,

Call us at 212-594-2007 for a copy.

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Ever Wanted to be an Architect?

“Howard Roark laughed.

He stood naked at the edge of a cliff. The lake lay far below him. A frozen explosion of granite burst in flight to the sky over motionless water. The water seemed immovable, the stone – flowing. The stone had the stillness of one brief moment in battle when thrust meets thrust and the currents are held in a pause more dynamic than motion. The stone glowed, wet with sunrays…”

So starts Ann Rand’s novel, “The Fountainhead.” Howard Roark was at one in body, mind, and spirit with the earth and with all of the possibilities man has to shape it. His passion of architecture gave him the ability to view the granite quarry as a palette for his creation.
Ann Rand showed the world how it might be for anyone to embrace their passion. It affected more people than can be counted. Many of those affected went on to become teachers, soldiers, and politicians like our new president. Only a few became architects.

Imagine having so much love of architecture that when you drew your designs, they were “as if the buildings had sprung from the earth and from some living force, complete, unalterably right.” Sketching from your hand was the only way to release the genius already within you.
It is not ever too late in life to pursue your dreams. Never before has an opportunity been given to those that once wanted to design their own home. Be their own architect. Create their own legacy for the world to enjoy for many generations to come.

I am putting together a way for you to live that dream and I need your help.

Can I ask you a quick favor?

I want to learn more about people who may have said that they once wanted to be an architect, and that means I’d like to learn more about YOU!

Please answer 10 simple questions at the link to the right of this post under the title, "Your opinion is needed."

Listen to today's radio show that will be aired at 5:30 PM EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/lanearchitecture and then give me some feed back about what type of event you would like to go to. Either call in during the show or email me at lanearchitecture@aol.com or call us at 212-594-2007 or leave a twitter or facebook note.

How People are Enjoying the Recession

What is your most favorite part of vacations? Usually, it has to do with the “where” you are going as much as the “what” you are doing.

During these financially challenging times, many people are choosing to stay closer to home instead of spending money on trips to Florida or beyond. We all need to be careful to continue our savings. We also need to make sure that we are giving ourselves a lifestyle that reflects our needs and dreams. That’s sometimes easier said than done.

Here is something that some smart home owners are doing during these recession times. Instead of going on a Vacation, they are going on a “Staycation.” They are already planning their summers around their own home by redesigning the family area, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and yards. Start planning what you will be doing in and around your home this summer. Then, look around.

Is your kitchen or bathroom outdated? Has your family out grown the kitchen? Would it be nice to have the living area opened up to your kitchen? After all, the kitchen is where the guest seems to congregate. Right?

Some people are renovating their back yards so they will have their own oasis to retreat to after a long day at the office. Who needs to go to Florida when you can invite your friends to a game night in your open family room and a Bar-B-Q in your back yard with Tiki torches for light while listening to the cricket’s summer songs?

Before you begin planning the best summer ever, contact our office for your free copy of “Experience Architecture.” It is a journal that will steer you through seven simple steps to obtain an extraordinary home. Supplies limited so call now at 212-594-2007 or email your request at LaneArchitecture@aol.com.

Seven Ways for Offices to Thrive

With businesses struggling during this recession, we are now finding a staggering increase in vacancies in office spaces. In Manhattan, space that tenants have put on the market for sublease more than doubled last year to 8.2 million square feet. According to Reis Inc., a New York-based real estate research firm, there was an increase of 14.4 percent of office vacancies throughout the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2008. This is the highest in three years.

Two Bloomberg reporters, Peter S. Green and David M. Levitt wrote this quote in one of their most recent articles:
“This quarter was like no other quarter we’ve ever seen before,” said Joseph Harbert, chief operating officer of Cushman’s New York metro region, in an interview. “It’s as if someone let the helium out of the balloon. The downfall of Lehman really changed the real estate consumer’s psychology, and put everyone in a cautious, wait-and-see, don’t-make-a-decision attitude.”

Unemployment continues to rise. It is expected that 175,000 jobs will be lost in Manhattan. Many are from the financial industry.

People are finding that many of their co-workers are now gone. And they are wondering if they are next in line during the next wave of layoffs.

Fear sets in and productivity begins to decrease.

Now is the best time for companies to assess their strengths and challenges in order to come out on top from this recession.

Here are 7 tips for companies to use that will boost their productivity and save them money:

1. Save on the energy costs by subdividing unused areas from active work stations. The heating bills can be reduced by locating open plan work stations near perimeter radiant heating units during the cold seasons.

2. Individual offices are great for privacy. But, they often require their own variable air volume control for the air conditioning. They also require more light fixtures per square foot than open plan office spaces because there is a more efficient distribution of lumens in the open areas. You can save a bit on your energy bill by reducing the number of individual offices.

3. Having vacant desks scattered between occupied desks sends a strong and negative message to the office workers. “That is where my office mate used to sit, will I be next to go?” Get rid of empty office spaces by relocating office workers so they are located closer together.

4. Share common areas such as libraries and file rooms. Sublet the excess and redundant areas.

5. Reduce the number of coffee break rooms by combining their use with other departments. Get rid of excess kitchenettes by subletting them out with the unused office spaces.

6. Digitize old paper documents. Dispose of obsolete documents by storing them off-site or by shredding them.

7. Hire an architect to record where all of your desks, files, chairs, etc. exists. They can draw this on a floor plan that allows you to just click on a space and read who is in that space, the condition of each piece of furniture, and the function of that space. This is the best time to get a clear picture of what should be kept and what needs to be removed or replaced.

It is wise to be cautious during these challenging times. Your competitors will probably remain in the “wait-and-see, don’t-make-a-decision” mode. This is the perfect time to do just the opposite by getting your office to work more efficient than ever before.

Call us at 212-594-2007 to learn more about how your company can thrive in these times.

The Real "Iron Man" Remembered

I mentioned that Mr. Bob Bruno was the real “Iron Man” in one of my recent newsletters (June 2008) Click Here to read the newsletter article..

In short, Mr. Bruno was an architectural instructor at Texas Tech University while I was attending architecture school there. Also while I was at Tech, he was just getting started on the construction of his now famous welded steel house.

Unfortunately, the “Iron Man” was not able to fight off cancer and he passed on in December. Below are a couple of articles that tell a little more about him.

You can also learn more from his web site at http://www.robertbruno.com/ and from his 5 min. 31 sec YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azy-Xxfnxvw .

Robert R. Bruno
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
December 12, 2008

Robert R. Bruno (born January 30, 1945, Los Angeles, Calif.), internationally recognized sculptor and artist, died Tuesday, December 9 from complications of cancer at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock.

Robert's 110-ton steel architectural sculpture located in Ransom Canyon is a well known labor of love and artistic expression of 35 years in the making. It has earned international accolades and publicity in art, architecture, and many professional publications, on film and TV events including HGTV's "Extreme Homes" and The Learning Channel. His sculptured home attracts photographers and admirers worldwide. It was the backdrop for the 2007 Fall Neiman Marcus fashion catalog.

Robert taught, guest lectured, and mentored students at Texas Tech's School of Architecture for years and freely shared his philosophy and sculpture with many visitors to the Canyon. He was also recognized for the design and creation of the first solar-powered surge valve and fertigation system for row crops through his Lubbock-based irrigation manufacturing company, P&R Surge Systems. His valve has conserved millions of gallons of water, fuel and fertilizer for row crop irrigators worldwide for over 25 years. "

Here is a great article about his house:

Against Interpretation: Robert Bruno’s house of welded steel conjures up many meanings, but it arose without any of them
AIArchitect November 2007

For 33 years, Robert Bruno has meticulously designed and built his welded steel house on the edge of a canyon outside of Lubbock, Tex. But, somehow, he’s not sure how many square feet it is (his guess is 2,700) and he can’t explain the influences that have informed his design over these three decades—despite the fact that the house’s otherworldly shape seems tailor-made for free association. A brief jaunt through any design-oriented mind brings you to: an insect’s carapace, an alien spacecraft, M.C. Escher’s hallucinogenic maze-scapes, and perhaps Deconstruction’s ongoing War on the Rectangle. But Bruno isn’t an entomologist, a science fiction writer, or even a Koolhaas/Gehry acolyte. He’s an artist, and not a conceptual one. “This house doesn’t deal with concept at all,” he says. “I’m not trying to have something re-emerge in the guise of my house.”

The house hitches itself to no stylistic wagons and has been spontaneously designed and revised over the course of its 33-year construction. “What you’re seeing is 33 years of design, not three months of design and 33 years of labor,” Bruno says. If he would have had to design the house in full initially and then build to this exact standard, “I would feel as if I were working for somebody else,” he says. This is a literal distinction for Bruno. He began the house when he was a young man, age 29. Today he’s 62, and the majority of his years have been spent working on the house; an open film exposure documenting his aesthetic development and intent.
Bruno says this type of spontaneous, whimsical design is what creates the aesthetic complexity people crave, missing from most of the built environment around us, and largely absent from the practice of architecture itself. “It isn’t that we’re looking for the silliness of a maze,” he says.

“We’re looking at a higher order of complexity.” The crux of the problem: Market realities demand that architects communicate to clients what a project will be before it exists through imperfect, distorting mediums like models. From this point on, Bruno says the scale is manipulated and details are whitewashed in the transition. “Inadvertently, what ends up happening is that the resolution at the model level is potentially quite different from what you would resolve at full scale. I would venture to say that almost all the large buildings we see around us are the replica and the original is the model,” he says."