Pétanque!

Italians play bocce. The French play Pétanque, with metal boules (balls), smaller than bocce balls so they fit well in your hand, making it easier to throw hard and blast your opponent’s balls out of the court. Or you can lob your boule with backspin so it lands to gently roll up and kiss the small,Continue reading “Pétanque!”

Superblooom

This year’s wildflower show began in March, and will likely continue through August, moving from the deserts to the valleys to the mountains. When we get our drawings to clients and have a few free days, well… sometimes we just gotta hit the road. Wildflower Road Trip These shots were done in a Southern CaliforniaContinue reading “Superblooom”

France | winter scenes

Where summer is lush and leafy, winter brings out the bones. Buildings reemerge behind trees, objects are stripped to their base elements, and weather can surprise, transforming everything it touches to an alternate version of itself. Winter’s design elements are likewise skeletal: frosty twigs, ice and stone, silhouettes and fog. There’s mystery too, beyond what’sContinue reading “France | winter scenes”

Staring at the ground in France: paving surfaces

Although this wasn’t the main goal of our sabbatical in France, it was definitely part of our explorations. France has a lot of public spaces and often budgets that allow interesting work to be done using native stone and other materials. The goal was to find patterns and materials we can adapt to our designsContinue reading “Staring at the ground in France: paving surfaces”

French Country Inn, Castelnau sur l’Auvignon, Gers

In France, what we might call a bed & breakfast is a chambre d’hôtes. These places are more adventurous than hotels, since you typically interact with the host, stay in a place not originally designed to be a hotel, and typically eat dinner with other guests and the host. If there’s a dinner, it’s homeContinue reading “French Country Inn, Castelnau sur l’Auvignon, Gers”