James Perse Limited Edition Ping Pong Table
We just purchased the most amazing dining table for a house we are doing that converts into a regulation ping-pong table. This table is not only fun and functional, but it is incredibly elegant in its bold minimal form. Made of reclaimed teak, the table is gorgeous and green. James Perse is an amazing designer of lifestyle accoutrements such as clothing, furniture, bikes, skateboards, and other personal transporters. This table is his tour de force, and I believe it represents his relaxed and stylish aesthetic. I am looking forward to playing some matches on it soon.
Photo: Ian White
Comedy Central’s dirty little secret. I came across Daniel Tosh’s program after my TiVo malfunctioned and accidentally recorded some moments of his show before it recorded John Stewart as programmed. Beyond being insanely vulgar, he is insanely funny. His boy-next-door appearance and biting wit make his half hour show nonstop laughs to almost the point of tears. His curated tour of the Web is both high-tech and hysterical. It is sometimes painful to watch, as he is incredibly insulting to pretty much everyone, yet you have to keep tuning in for more.
The Sun
I am very much into siting our buildings to optimize their interaction with the path of the sun. This could be to create exciting light and dark contrasts or to align the structure in ways similar to ancient civilizations, where they used architecture to register and record the passage of celestial bodies. The world has grown smaller and smaller as we connect globally in an instant, but we have somehow become disconnected from the Earth. Through our architecture, we are trying to reconnect man with its habitat and the wonderful beauty of moments as simple and sensual as sunsets and sunrises, where architecture simply becomes a means toward enhanced appreciation of nature.
Local Materials
I love using locally sourced materials in our architecture whenever possible. Typically this is mostly stone, wood, and metal, either new or reclaimed. These building materials are from the Earth, so it helps to make the architecture merge with its surroundings. I am a big believer that architecture outside of urban or developed areas should do everything possible to disappear within the landscape. We have reached a tipping point where we cannot afford to destroy any more natural vistas. Furthermore, local materials root the project in a particular place, which makes it highly site-specific as well as ecologically sensitive. Some of the most amazing local materials we use are in abundance and free—the sky, light, water, vegetation, and other natural resources.
SurfTech Laird Wood Stand-Up Paddle Board
I’m really crazy for stand-up paddle boarding and go out a few days a week on my Laird Wood Board. I’m usually out by 6:15 a.m. and cruise a few miles across the bay to an uninhabited island overlooking downtown Miami. Artists wrapped the island in pink fabric 29 years ago as part of a project. Though their artistic bravado isn’t there any longer, there are a number of birds in this native mangrove habitat. After a quick swim and some in-water meditation, its back on the board for the return trip home, where I jump in the pool with my two kids for a quick swim before school and work. Thankfully the climate is always amazing, so I get to do this all year
