With a translucent, weightlessly graceful façade and interior spaces which create a sphere of openness and communication, the Sony Center was designed to be a focal point in the city center—a melting pot for a wide variety of cultural and social activity. The semi-transparent GKD metal fabric gives the sheer mass of the building an optical lightness, while the structural patterns of the meshes help to differentiate its order.

BON COURAGE: Yesterday the team at VMZINC officially said, “Au Revoir” to our French colleague, Laurent Heindryckx.  Laurent has been in the states for around 12 years and was here when the doors officially opened on our US office. 

Over the years, Laurent has performed many functions within VMZINC, has suffered through storms, celebrated the moments of sunshine, and has kept his irrepressible calm largely intact -when lesser souls have completely and utterly blown their respective cool.  To say that he will be missed is an understatement.

The good news is that he will still be a part of the VMZINC family, only now he will be located in Paris, France.  We are still trying to figure out why a Frenchman would want to return to the country of his birth to live and raise his family.  Hmm?  Strange. 

To Laurent we wish, “Bon Courage” and all of our best.  Laurent will be leaving the good old U.S. of A at the end of this month. 

At the same time, one of our Territory Manager’s, Bryan Ninneman, will be relocating to Phoenix, AZ and opening an office for the mother ship down the road from Uncle Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, studio, and school. 

Bryan has been in Raleigh for about six years and is looking forward to the opportunity to plow new ground in the Southwest. 

Bryan started with VMZINC eight or so years ago as a part-time draftsman.  Over the years, he left VM, came back, did project management and has since been promoted to Territory Manager.  We won’t miss Bryan, per se, because we will see him often and talk to him almost daily, but we will miss his good nature and humor in the Raleigh office on a daily basis. 

Bryan will be departing for the cool winds and temperate climate of Phoenix on July 1st.  We wish him much air conditioning and a sane journey with his two year old on the trip from Raleigh to Phoenix. 

So, what do you do when two key players are about to leave the nest.  Well, first you have an office wide lunch and invite other Umicore businesses to partake in a little Southern food and hospitality.  In this case, BBQ pork, slaw, etc.  (Hopefully with defib on site.  CLEAR!)

Then, later in the evening, we went to a Raleigh favorite:  Fat Daddy’s for burgers (CLEAR!), drinks, and to school our French friend in the fine art of billards.  Our fine French friend then schooled some of our team on the fine art of Foosball. 

We had a good time, but parting is, as always, such sweet sorrow.  We all need a little courage for the road ahead without some of our favorite people in the office. 

 Good luck and safe travels to both Laurent and Bryan.  -VM

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Architect William Mockler of Drawing Room Architect said something really nice about using VM Zinc on his residential project. (At least we think it was nice.) Zinc siding, he says, requires little maintenance, it’s health-friendly and it weathers beautifully. Its slight irregularity lends texture. “It looks like the work of human hands.”

Eminem aside: Maybe you missed the statement by singer/songwriter/actor/8-miler Eminem, but he hates techno.  Techno, prog, indy, rap, country, classical, metal -it is all music to someone.  Just not Eminem.  So what does this have to do with architecture?  Or with California for that matter?  (California???) Well, frozen music lovers, Moby, yes Moby, has a new architecture blog.  So, Eminem aside, let’s take a look at this new entry into the blogosphere. 

A decade or so ago, we remember being in certain studios and hearing tracks off of 18 wafting through the air.  And, Moby has made a lot of music before and after that album.  For some strange reason, that album sticks in our minds a decade or so later.  Now instead of listening to the music, or in addition to it, we can read about Moby’s interest in Los Angeles architecture on his new blog:  http://mobylosangelesarchitecture.com/ 

This is the guy who proved that one guy alone could make music.  And, after making the music, sell it to millions of people worldwide.  This is the guy who was part of an episode on a nationally syndicated sit-com:  How I Met Your Mother. (Moby shares a limo with part of the cast on the way to a party.)  And this is the guy who has restored Hollywood Hills houses.  And now Moby is writing about Los Angeles Architecture? 

Once the Moby-part of the equation sinks in, we suggest that you take some time, visit the blog and read through the entries.  At the end of the day, this guy is not only an internationally known music artist, but he is also someone who loves architecture.  It comes across in his writing, which is humorous, eclectic and sometimes esoteric. Here is one tidbit from Moby’s blog:   

 i can imagine the prison conversation:
‘hey what are you guys in for?’
guy 1 – ‘i was smuggling ar-15’s from turkmenistan to newark’.
guy 2 – ‘i blew up a bank in arkansas.’
guy 3 – ‘i ran 10 crystal meth labs in dominica’.
me – ‘i was taking pictures of mid century architecture in l.a’.

We think that many architecture fans can identify with the feelings behind this blurb, as well as the actions that resulted in imprisonment.  Um… at least the architecture reference.  (Hopefully not the gun/bank/meth references.)  This blog, like his music itself,  is fun, unexpected, and all over the board.  Eminem aside (not that we don’t or can’t dig Eminem), we recommend it. Enjoy -VM

Source: www.zincsense.com

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Get continuing education units (CEUs) in Umicore’s one page Elemental Awareness article. Find out how to make the most of element number 30 and receive sustainable design, health, safety, and welfare credits by taking a VMZINC CEU course.

I never thought I would see a bridge clad in zinc, but here it is. It does look stunning. OZ Architecture has chosen the right material to elevate this project from “just a bridge” to a “beautiful bridge”. Black roofing installed the flatlock panels.

The designers at Kallman, McKinnell and Wood of the Boston World Trade Center appropriately eschewed pared-down modernism for a more multi-cultural approach. Decorative elements were employed but made modern. Fin-like brackets, clad in GKD’s Futura 3110, appear to support deep Polynesian overhangs. Photography copyright 2004, Robert Benson.

This Amphitheatre is in Pornic, France. The building is used as a theater, for concerts, lectures and conferences, for the general public as well as high school students. It caught my eye because of the beautiful zinc panels designed by Rachdi Parent Architects. The blue-grey of the zinc has been archived by coloring the zinc with a slight blue tinted organic coating

For many years acoustical products provided needed absorption or diffusion and did not contribute to the decor. RPG has changed all that with its Shape Optimized diffusors and decorative absorbers . Now the design community can have both acoustics and aesthetics. The Deamp microslit sound absorbers offer the possibility of high resolution art or signage with the accompanying benefit of controlling excessive reverberation to provide a comfortable and effective work place environment. If transparent panels are needed, Deamp is also available transparent or translucent.

Day Three and Day Four:

Friday and Saturday were great days for us as well.  The show was more than we had hoped for and a great opportunity for us to talk with new and old friends. 

A number of very talented architects attended the show.  Among them, were some of the more famous in the field and we did get a chance to have Daniel Libeskind (photo above) autograph one of his books.  It may seem strange at first blush, however, at the end of the day, we are architecture fans.  It was an honor to shake his hand. 

On Friday night we held a small party at the convention center for anyone who wanted to attend.  A three man band played jazz, we served light food & drinks, and everyone had a nice time. 

We have to be honest and say that we thought Saturday would be more of a non-event than actual work.  We are happy to say that we were wrong.  We had quite a few people stopping by the VMZINC Lounge, talking, have a drink and relaxing. 

Overall it was a great show and we look forward to next year in Denver! -VM

Source: www.zincsense.com

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