Introducing Michael Webb's New Online Column

FORM is giving its readers new reason to log-on with the introduction of a regular online column by contributing writer Michael Webb. Fans of his longstanding print column, News & Reviews, will be happy to know that his book reviews will now be found online, as well as expanded commentary on local events and architectural finds from his global travels. Find the first entries now under the Views tab above, and be sure to check back often for more posts. The column promises to deliver Webb's signature style: thought provoking, insightful and unfiltered.

Click here to check the first posts.

The Strathmore Situation

The controversy continues in Westwood over Richard Neutra's Strathmore Apartments. Residents of the 1937 complex, including FORM contributing writer Michael Webb, are trying to stop a Dallas-based developer from moving forward with its plan of building a five-story rooming house, intended for nearby UCLA students, directly across the street. The project has been approved by the City Planning Department, and residents are preparing a final appeal to the Area Planning Commission. For more information visit: neutralives.org

Impeccable Taste - 2009 AIA/LA Restaurant Design Awards

Restaurateurs serve as contemporary patrons facilitating award-winning design

By Michael Webb
Image: Benny Chan/www.fotoworks.ccJudging a restaurant can be challenging because success depends on intangible factors—from the warmth of the welcome to the attentiveness of the servers and the consistency of the cooking. The experience draws people in and keeps them coming back; however, design plays an essential supporting role. It takes skill to calibrate the flow of traffic, the quality of the lighting, and the acoustics, in order to achieve intimacy and comfort. Too many new restaurants are overcrowded and noisy with conversation amplified by hard surfaces; a few are as still as the grave. Eating out should be an event, and restaurants are struggling to play on that sense of occasion as a strategy for survival. Architects can help their patrons by developing frugal solutions that impart character and strengthen the identity of a talented chef. The 2009 AIA/LA Restaurant Design Awards jury considered nearly a hundred national
projects in three categories—restaurants, cafes and bars, lounges and clubs—and chose six winners based on criteria of function, ambiance, and visual impact. The public selected three by popular vote. The five winners serve as elegant examples. Review them in Workbook under Folios.

2010 AIA/LA Restaurant Design Awards
Call for Entries

Update on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 3:38PM by Admin

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, APRIL 16