Category Archives: Architecture

Winter Sunset at the Hudson River Park

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It’s been far too long since I’ve posted anything on my blog.  Making the move to NYC has been fun and work has been a huge time commitment, but I’m loving it.  I get to do what I love, live in the city of my dreams, and in the end that makes the crazy hours and high stress lifestyle more than worth it.  But more on that in the next few weeks.

One of my favorite activities to do in the city is walk.  I put in my headphones, put on some music, and just walk.  Lately I’ve been taking Friday afternoon and walking from my office on 51st and Broadway down to the tip of Manhattan and the Financial District.  It’s a rather long walk, but it’s more than worth it.  For someone who spent a large portion of his college summers traveling, it’s a reminder that living in NYC is like living in hundred  different places while never moving more than 10 miles.  Three blocks and you can move from a Asian metropolis to a Russian enclave.  It’s seriously that diverse.

Last week before our quick snow, I was walking down the Hudson River Park on the west side of Manhattan.  Near the end of my walk, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time to capture this spectacular winter sunset over New Jersey.  I keep forgetting my trusty Nikon D300, but luckily the iPhone 4 has a pretty amazing camera built into it…  Like the adage says, it’s not the camera, it’s the photographer and the moment.

http://www.briandavidjoyner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/NYC-Hudson-Park.jpeg

 

Hello New York City. Yes, You’re My New Home

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So yes, it is official.  I accepted a job offer and now live/work in the Big Apple.  So as a way to celebrate, I decided to take advantage of the amazing weather and walk from Central Park to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge.  I was even asked to take a couple’s picture as they started on the bridge.  Turns out 5 minutes later at the top, they got engaged.  I don’t have access to my iMac and Photoshop yet, so these are extremely raw.  Still, they came out excellent.  Enjoy.  Click on the photo below for the set.

Empire State Building

Eagle Scout Project

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It’s been almost 7 years since I planned and built my Eagle Scout Project while a member of Troop 45 in Chapel Hill.  I thought I would go visit it earlier today (and finally take a few good pictures) and see how it is doing.  Just for a little background info, the project is located in Camp Chestnut Ridge and was completed in 2004.  If you are interested in the write up, it’s here and in PDF.  The base plans (we modified them somewhat for the project) can be found here.

And a few from when we were building it.

The New North Carolina Museum of Art: Another Bull’s Eye

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"Tide" Kenneth Noland, 1958 http://www.kennethnoland.com/

Last weekend I visited the North Carolina Museum of Art for the “I lost count years ago” time.  Before the new building was up, I normally knew when something was moved.  It’s always been a hidden jewel and it’s only been in the last few years that people have started noticing the museum for what it really is.  The NC Museum of Art along with the Nasher at Duke are truly exceptional museums.  They aren’t huge like the National Gallery, but they contain great collections.

Part of NC Museum of Art’s recent popularity comes from a big time gamble they made about a decade ago: they brought in a world class exhibit of Rodin and not much later, they followed that up with a Ansel Adams show along with a string of other events.  It was a huge gamble, but it’s paid off well.

The only thing the museum seemed to be lacking was a better building.  The old building was rather dark and felt like a 1960′s Cold War era building.  Of course it was a 1960′s building.  Well sure enough, the museum made a new building the next goal.  Mission Accomplished.  It’s open and it’s a total bull’s eye. Here are some pictures from the building.

Noticing the New in Something Old Part II

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Along with stumbling upon the key wall mentioned earlier, downtown Wilmington is filled with empty buildings currently being gutted and refitted for modern use.  It looks like the city is following its cousins Charleston and Savannah in re-connecting with its rich architectural history and fixing the architectural jewels it possesses instead of tearing them down.  Score one for history!  I don’t know a huge amount about Charleston’s historical preservation foundations and societies (other than they are long standing influential groups), but Savannah has been at least partly saved by SCAD’s Department of Historical Preservation.

During a visit there last October, I ran into a few members of the department and asked them about their thoughts on SCAD’s roll in re-vitalizing Savannah.  After a brief, but enjoyable conversation, they summed up the school’s role in one sentence: “SCAD is Savannah, and Savannah is SCAD.”  As a Chapel Hillian, that hit home.  UNC isn’t just a part of Chapel Hill, it’s the reason the city exist.  And just if you didn’t know, Savannah is a rough and raw city.  It’s not all live oaks, picturesque squares, and antebellum mansions.  A lot of the city is screaming for preservation/restoration.  Luckily, the city is taking steps to reclaim its history.

Ellis Square Timelapse Savannah, Georgia from andy young on Vimeo.

Boarded up Building in Wilmington, NC

Thanks to having an architect/urban planner as a sister, I’ve developed some basic knowledge about what makes a city work and how cities can take the buildings of yesterday and convert them into sustainable buildings for the future.  Wilmington is taking the right steps forward and looks to have a bright future.  And on a side note as an advertising/marketing person, I love the idea of painting a shop on the boarded up entrance of this building.  I wonder what’s going to take up this space?!?  I really wanted to grab some shop lights/scaffolding, attempt to look legit, and add some color to the paintings!