“Danger, Will Robinson!” our site was down!

As you probably noticed our site was down over the weekend (Sept 11-Sept 16) and we are still working to resolve all of the issues. Please stay tuned as we make further developments. We thank you for you patience and support.

Visit: http://boulderspace.org/for our current postings.

Washington School Update

Contributor Shawn Coleman reports – So what has happened this year so far:

Objectively: Almost nothing. The school district still has not sold it’s asset; the private entity has not finalized a financially viable project that provides a community benefit; the neighborhood does not feel secure in the future of their neighborhood character. But the historic school building is still standing, so the city’s objective of historic preservation has so far been satisfied.

Subjectively: Quite a lot has happened. Through numerous meetings between various groups we have learned that: people on all sides of this debate are by and large, reasonable, intelligent, thoughtful and fun individuals with several valid points; as well, folks on all sides of this debate have made assumptions about which they are completely wrong.

Actually that’s all that has happened. Editorially I commend the citizen effort. Whenever people get mobilized and organized to protect their community it is a net gain for the public process. It is my hope that these citizens retain the activist spirit beyond this issue and continue to be informed and voice their opinions on city matters.

I also commend Jim Leach, his staff and the co-housing community.

Electronic Arts and Sustainability

There is an Electronic Arts Festival in Boulder over Earth Day weekend! Interested in learning more about it and it’s organizers (Communikey), I contacted Lauren Higgins Communikey’s Sustainability Director:

Communikey is a collective of multimedia artists, musicians and promoters, who collaborate to create forward thinking electronic arts environments, showcasing international and local talents. Communikey events provide a creative forum for the Boulder community to explore advanced electronic music and digital arts in an intimate setting, while gaining exposure to the global organism that is new media.

The Communikey Festival of Electronic Arts aims to expose new digital media to local communities and global enthusiasts alike. Seven main performances will showcase creativity in the form of visual art and music by diverse artists from around the globe.

From the corner of Folsom and Canyon

Great day at the bus!!! We’d like to thank our guest contributors today, and all who stopped by to check out the BoulderSpace double-decker bus. It was fun to connect with everyone and hear different perspectives and ideas about Boulder’s design and development.

We invite our community at large to contribute to this blog, and be part of the discussion. It is our vision to help facilitate a community-wide voice that reveals Boulder’s lifestyle and evolution. Join us in educating one another through opinions and feedback from the best observers and teachers in any community could ask for . . . the people in our neighborhoods.

We’ll back at Moto next Friday between 10 am and 2 pm, so please stop by!

TrailerWrap Project

Another guest contributor from the bus, Caroline Chang:

Through the University of Colorado’s Architecture and Planning school, students turned a downtrodden, unlivable trailer – located on Folsom & Valmont into one of Boulder’s architecturally advanced homes. The project, TrailerWrap, was completely designed and built by the students of CU Boulder. Resembling much of the prefabricated and modular homes seen popularly throughout the world – with styles similar to Soren Korsgaard and Santiago Calatrava, this collaborative project just received its certificate a couple months ago and now on the market. By looking at pictures, the trailer offers a very clean, modern but minimalist look. To see before/after pictures, drawings, and the finished product, please visit: TrailerWrap – http://trailerwrap.net

Car-Free Housing in development!

Blogging live from the bus, here is Chris Davis:

How fun is this? I’m sitting in a red english bus typing you a blog entry.

So we have Boulder housing currently at $400 per square foot. How can we get it cheaper for the next generation? All those gray-hairs living in boulder since the 1970s bought their houses for $100K. We’re screwed. But we’re humble and willing to compromise. We’re super interested in living efficiently and communally (up to a point). Ever heard about co-housing? You better read up about co-housing. Google it, bro. So, how about we welcome folks into Boulder if they legally promise to live car-free, less traffic, less parking, less etc etc etc. A much lower impact. Can we give them a financial break? Can we build them a space without car parking. Can Washington School be more affordable and greener with completely car free residents?? Yes. And this is something the city should be able to get behind. In the big picture, the financials work. Interested in discussing more? Send me an email at chris xyd at yahoo. Or see you at one of the boulder space events.

Good Racks will encourage More Bike Use

The Bike Rack Competition is a great idea, and I hope that it will generate some practical designs that can meet the city’s specifications. Presently, most bike racks are OK for parking one or two bikes, but don’t efficiently accommodate multiple bikes without the interlocking of handlebars and/or pedals, often resulting in some amount of damage and an unsatisfactory bike parking experience. For daily commuters to choose cycling as their main means of transportation, it is important that there is a ready availability of easy to use, tangle-proof bike racks throughout the city. For incipient cyclists, better bike racks alone would go a long way toward encouraging them to start riding to work or on errands knowing that bike parking will be safe and hassle-free.

Coffee and Blogging on The Bus!!!

With a newly constructed bronze plexieglass roof, sanded wood interior tables and green grass floor, this 1956 retro-finished vintage Double Decker bus is ready for you to jump on board and check it out. With electricity hook-ups, LED lights and original seating, there is much more than transportation in store for this bus. BoulderSpace is opening up the opportunity for other businesses and community groups to use the bus for events and gatherings, adopting the Community Timeshare concept. Currently located at MOTO Modern Markets on the corner of Folsom and Canyon; grab a cup of coffee and bring a book or your computer and spend some time in the bus! BoulderSpace will be setting up a blogging station here on Friday, March 7th between 10 am & 2 pm. Stop by the bus with your to-go mug for a free 12 oz. house brew of Illy’s coffee and learn more about Boulder Space.

Ideal Market – Markets of Change

The Ideal Market, a quaint neighborhood fixture for over 65 years will be undergoing modern day changes in order to get back to their 1960’s roots. Located in the Ideal Broadway Shops and Community Plaza, Ideal Market is known nationally as an innovator for being the first to bring parking lots in close proximity to stores. Having two owners prior to the market being bought by Wild Oats and then to Whole Foods after the merger this past August, Ideal Market is ready to make building and design changes!

Café Zesta – Organic Food and Graphic Design

From organic produce and local hormone-free meats to zero waste and good taste, Café Zesta understands healthy food. Opening one year ago as Anjou Juice Bar, they underwent menu changes and shifted their focus from juice to organic allergen free foods including panini sandwiches, soups, rice dishes and other delectibles.

Café Zesta is a unique Boulder restaurant that uses only organic produce and hormone-free, grass fed animal products. Taking advantage of local and seasonal ingredients, Chef Maria carefully pairs together her menu options each week based on freshness and availability, always offering a variety of options for all sorts of picky eaters!

Boulder Innovation and Blue LED Lights

With over 300 days of sunshine, and over 80 inches of snowfall a year, it is no wonder why so many are attracted to Boulder and it’s picturesque environment. Boulder has become home to innovators, creators and leaders in business and technology who are building foundations and setting roots. Along with this influx people have come fresh ideas, skills-sets and lots of changes! However, the amount of innovation that happens in our city has stayed constant throughout the years. Boulder is not just home to the many training athletes, but also to the numerous originators and early adopters. Beginning with Jaques Pankove, I’ll be uncovering the many inventors, entrepreneurs and business savvy leaders of our city.

Jaques Pankove, a pioneer in luminescence, set researchers on a path that established the LED industry, producing the first blue LED in 1971.

Design Project Build – April 5, 2008

Join BoulderSpace and Boulder Design Festival at the Rembrandt Yard on April 5, 2008. We will be presenting Design Project Build, an event series dedicated to supporting Boulder design and development. This first event will feature an Architect Challenge in conjunction with the Bike Rack Design Competition.

Local artists, architects, visionaries, designers and Boulderites will come together for a creative day putting their ideas and abilities to the test. The event will kick-off at 2:00 pm with bike tuning workshops and demonstrations by Community Cycles, on site artistic bike rack construction, and more! As the sun goes down, the night will shift gears and explore the architectural style of twelve Boulder architects through a sequence of fun and innovative problem-solving trials.

What May Have Worked Before Isn’t Working Anymore; Shifts in Landscape Design

Following up on a previous post, Landscape Consumption – Boulder, Colorado; I question why so many people feel the need to waste and pollute for large swaths of grass? Old ideals, when viewed from a current perspective seem to make little sense. These highly resource intensive methods of landscaping served a foreign people, colonizing a vast and unpredictable new land. The times have changed, yet many of us still hold on to these landscape ideals today. Some people still require the predictable landscape that fits their indoor space, which correlates with a statistic I’ve heard that people in the western world spend 90% of there time indoors. That being said, I see dramatic consequences in bringing expectations for the indoors outside.

Ruby’s Diner, Restaurant Design Critic Restaurant

My first Restaurant Design Critic review is at Ruby’s Diner. Having heard about this new 40’s style diner, I was excited to see how they would be able to pull off the ambiance and the feel of this era.

Moto . . . Gas and Natural Foods

For those of you driving gas powered vehicles, check out the Northwest corner of Folsom and Canyon. There is an old Sinclair station in town bringing new design and organic products to Boulder. That’s right, natural and organic foods! You will not find hostess twinkies or frito lays there; however you will find some of the most healthy organic foods and snacks on the market. Moto Modern Markets (MoMoMa) is the first store of its kind in Boulder and the creator of this operation, Michael Marsilio, is excited about the opportunities that may come from the company’s pilot store.

Do you want 3 or 6?

What is going on with Marisol Imports? 915 Pearl Street was previously owned by Tom Eldrige and is currently owned by Phil Shull, owner of Deneuve Construction. This space is in for project review to build luxury condos and a new retail space. I heard through several grapevines that Frasca Food And Wine restaurant will be moving into the space once it is complete.

New Wine Room In Boulder

I am not a wine connoisseur per say, however I do enjoy a good glass of wine. Having the right atmosphere to relax and appreciate that glass really makes a difference. Word on the street is that Jill’s Restaurant is working to create a new wine program. Curious to learn more, I began to investigate:

Chris Donato, wine steward at Jill’s Restaurant in the St Julien Hotel & Spa, has been working in conjunction with the Director of Operations, Bruce Porcelli to design a top of the line wine cellar to complement their newly established wine program. With six months in the making, the design of this wine room and program surrounding it are coming to life, and the installation will be completed by the end of February.

Restaurant Design Critic

In an effort to introduce a new perspective on restaurants here in Boulder, I am going to be starting a series on the design of restaurants. From first hand experience I will review lighting, wall colors, plates, glasses, menu presentation, seating, and overall ambiance to name a few. For those of you that are not faint of heart, drop me a comment as to your top favorite restaurants and I will put them to the test of the Design Critic. Feeling vs. flavor who will win out??? First review coming this weekend.

Small Business Blues

Rent along Pearl Street and neighboring areas are expensive. As a result, small businesses are continuing to be squashed by these high prices. Since I moved to Boulder two years ago, I’ve witnessed several businesses relocate or completely go out of business. I don’t get it. For a community focused small city, where’s the love for the local businesses? I moved here to feed off the entrepreneurial spirit that exists and yet, I’m not sure if Boulder actually supports it. I for one don’t want to replace our independent shop owners with a bunch of corporate logos and mainstream madness. I talked to a few business owners with store front retail leases and found they really do struggle to make ends meet.

The Switchback

Designer: Natalie Dreyer
Materials: Wheatsheet, natural wool felt, natural oil finish

The Switchback is the perfect solution for compact living. Innovative multi-functional design features a plank translated as backrest or table top. Easy assembly requires no adhesives or hardware. Furnished from Wheatsheet, it is also an environmentally friendly piece, exclusively produced from wheat chaff as an agricultural by-product. All materials may be returned as bio-nutrients to organic cycles. The Switchback’s unique design allows for flat-pack shipping, a more sustainable solution.

New Urbanist Communities

This New Urbanist community approach to building and architecture design is catching on quick, and I think I like it. Dwell-looking, funky buildings and houses of myriad colors, shapes and materials, solar panel rooftops, community gardens, and parks all create a fun environment to live. I frequently walk around the Holiday (photos above) neighborhood in North Boulder and check out the new construction projects, as change is taking place at speedy rates.

Progressive Art and Design

cypher13 is the creative alliance between a tightly knit collection of young visionary designers, illustrators, website developers, fine artists, brand strategists, and information architects. This combined team conceives, designs, and implements creative solutions to create buzz, raise awareness, and maximize brand “awesomeness” through custom type and progressive design.

Their collaborative, JoyEngine is an art gallery, independent designer toy and apparel boutique, and an online art & design destination founded on creative collaboration. Uniting Boulderite creatives and talented Denver artists, their current record is 16 art openings in 18 months. Be sure to check out some of the “super talented people” associated with their collaboration like artists Jason Thielke, Shannon Bonatakis and Scot Lefavor.

I had the opportunity to talk with one of the partners, Todd Berger, about his experience in Boulder and his team’s creations.

City of Boulder Green Building and Green Points Code Training Series

The City of Boulder is organizing Green Building and Green Points Code Training Series. These events were put together in effort to help building professionals comply with updated standards. The City of Boulder Office of Environmental Affairs is providing free trainings to the public, offering a variety of different times and locations within the city for each training. The first training, Making Homes More Energy Efficient: Building Science Basics and HERS Ratings begins this Friday, February 8th (11:30 – 1:30) at the West Boulder Senior Center (909 Arapahoe Ave). Other trainings include: Incorporating HERS Ratings in Your Architectural Design, Deconstruction 101, Materials and Green Points, and Easy Green Building Techniques – an introduction to integrated building strategies.

These training are a great way to get more familiar with our city’s codes and requirements. Check out The City of Boulder Office of Environmental Affairs to learn more details pertaining to these workshops, and resource links regarding green building and green points. (note these workshops require RSVP to karpk[@]bouldercolorado.gov)

Pay and Display Parking Stations

Contributor Shawn Coleman, member City of Boulder, Downtown Management Commission updates us on the our Downtown Pay & Display Kiosks:

Boulder’s Downtown leadership has been pleased with the switch to parking kiosk for Downtown Boulder. The money you put into the solar powered pay and display stations support Downtown’s green initiatives including the Downtown Employee Eco Pass Program, a double edge sword in reducing the City’s carbon footprint by reducing vehicular traffic and forestalling construction of new parking structures.

Since the installation of the Kiosk, we have seen a significant decrease in overtime parking fines, one of the stated goals. Credit Cards account for more than 60% of kiosk transactions, clearly demonstrating the need for this convenience. The City of Boulder’s Downtown is still working with the vendors for the parking structure payment machines to offer a Smart Card. A pre-paid parking card that will be usable in both the parking structures as well as on-street kiosks. When the Smart Cards become available the City will be making a public notification in the local press.

Boulder Photo Report: 1/28 – 2/4

11th an Canyon Blvd. (previously The Republic of Boulder and Oasis Brewery). A project involving Wyatt Construction and Tebo Development Company. Top two photos were taken 12/4/07, and bottom two were taken 2/4/08.