Small but smart

Small is central to my work. Small already is or soon will be important for you too. In Little and Large for Blueprint Magazine I wrote “The gigantic has its plus points. It represents infinity, the exterior, the public. But the gigantic also has an unavoidable capacity for self-destruction. Giants violate boundaries, social norms, and local differences to the point where they become unnatural and unwanted.” Giants are unsustainable. My giant reference applied to the Guggenheim Museum’s global expansion plans, but it is just as applicable to Hummer houses, collateralized debt obligations and the subprime mortgage meltdown, or US housing associations that prevent homeowners from hanging their laundry outside to dry.

This website is an example of small and smart. It’s flash free. It loads quickly. It’s easily navigated. Jon Tan and Jon Gibbins of Grow Collective designed it. Grow Collective’s vision is for a site stripped to essentials that “borrows” content I create on other sites such as flickr, tumblr et al. We shun software with long load times or software that restricts access. The design of this nimble site may be the way to beat projected future digital traffic jams while creating an easy and pleasurable experience.

My small but smart blog will look at housing, architecture, design and culture. Please have a conversation with me.

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