Carlo Scarpa - Brion Tomb

Brion Tomb, Chapel Design Sketch, by Carlo Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa is my favorite all-time architect. From my perspective, he beats out some tough competition: Palladio, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Alvar Aalto, Richard Neutra, Mies Van Der Rohe, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Greene & Greene. That's the historic list. There are also many excellent modern architects I admire greatly, but Scarpa still comes out on top. The reason? The Brion Tomb in San Vito di Altivole, Italy.

When I was preparing for my architectural Tour of Europe trip in 1985, I came across a set of photocopied travel guides that listed the must-see works of architecture (remember, this was pre-internet). On the list was the Brion Tomb, completed in 1977.  It was a relatively new building, only 8 years old at the time. But it already had a reputation as something you had to see.  I made it a priority to go there.

I was traveling on a Eurail Pass at the time that allowed me to travel easily by train from city to city and I used it to get to Padua.  From Padua, I made the trek to the Brion Tomb at San Vito di Altivole. The cemetery is not easy to get to without a car.  Here is my journal entry describing my visit to this extraordinary place:

Excerpt from Craig Stoffel's Travel Journal

While I was there, I located a good view of the Brion Sarcophagi and Bridge, sat on the lawn, and began sketching in my journal.  The pen and ink on paper sketch took about 1 1/2 hours to complete:

Craig Stoffel's Travel Journal

The drawings Scarpa used to develop his design concepts are fascinating in their own right.  Here are few examples:

Brion Tomb, Design Study, by Carlo Scarpa

Brion Tomb, Design Study, by Carlo Scarpa

Finally, I highly recommend the following short film by Franco Di Capua that provides an intimate look inside this amazing work of architecture. The film explores the project through a combination of carefully composed shots of architectural details, and sweeping views of the complex.

Saturn V

I grew up in the 1960's and the space program at that time was a source of wonder and amazement for me.  Looking back on it now, its hard to believe the audacity of the Apollo moon program.  The project had the full support and funding of the federal government and its success was a point of pride for most Americans, and humanity in general.

The Saturn V rocket was designed to take humans to the moon and back.  Between 1967 and 1973, 13 Saturn V's were launched successfully, with the notable exceptions being problems encountered during the launch of Apollo 6 (unmanned test flight), and of course the Apollo 13 ruptured oxygen tank ("Houston, we have a problem") incident.  Despite those miscues, there was no loss of crew or payload on any Saturn V mission.

To this day, the Saturn V rocket remains the most powerful machine ever made by mankind, and remains a tribute to the ingenuity and genius of its designers.

Function	Crewed LEO and Lunar launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Boeing (S-IC) North American (S-II) Douglas (S-IVB)
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	363.0 feet (110.6 m)
Diameter	33.0 feet (10.1 m)
Mass	6,200,000 pounds (2,800,000 kg)[1]
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO	260,000 pounds (120,000 kg)[1]
Payload to TLI	100,000 pounds (45,000 kg)
Associated rockets
Family	Saturn
Derivatives	Saturn INT-21
Comparable	N1 rocket
Launch history
Status	Decommissioned
Launch sites	LC-39, Kennedy Space Center
Total launches	13 (including INT-21)[2]
Successes	11
Failures	0
Partial failures	1 (Apollo 6)
First flight	November 9, 1967 (SA-501)
Last flight	December 6, 1972 (May 14, 1973 - INT-21)[2]
First Stage - S-IC
Length	138.0 feet (42.1 m)
Diameter	33.0 feet (10.1 m)
Empty mass	288,000 pounds (131,000 kg)
Gross mass	5,000,000 pounds (2,300,000 kg)
Engines	5 Rocketdyne F-1
Thrust	7,648,000 pounds-force (34,020,000 N)
Specific impulse	263 sec (2580 N-s/kg)
Burn time	150 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX
Second Stage - S-II
Length	81.5 feet (24.8 m)
Diameter	33.0 feet (10.1 m)
Empty mass	80,000 pounds (36,000 kg)
Gross mass	1,060,000 pounds (480,000 kg)
Engines	5 Rocketdyne J-2
Thrust	1,000,000 pounds-force (4,400,000 N)
Specific impulse	421 sec (4130 N-s/kg)
Burn time	360 seconds
Fuel	LH2/LOX
Third Stage - S-IVB
Length	61.6 feet (18.8 m)
Diameter	21.7 feet (6.6 m)
Empty mass	23,000 pounds (10,000 kg)[citation needed]
Gross mass	266,400 pounds (120,800 kg)
Engines	1 Rocketdyne J-2
Thrust	225,000 pounds-force (1,000,000 N)
Specific impulse	421 sec (4130 N-s/kg)
Burn time	165 + 335 seconds (2 burns)
Fuel	LH2/LOX

1982 Nishiki Cresta

Well, where to begin?  I started this project in May 2011.  At the time I realized I did not have a functional bicycle that I could ride with my kids in the neighborhood or go to the local market with. I did have a neglected 1982 Nishiki Cresta in my storage shed however.  I determined that I would restore the bike to working order in time for my 50th birthday in June 2012.

I bought this bike new from the Tempe Bicycle shop in Arizona, back when the store was located on Mill Ave.  I was 20 years old when I bought it.  I don't know why I picked this one, I guess I liked the color, it had a rear rack, and it had good lines.  I rode the heck out of it, using it as my daily commuter to and from the College of Architecture at Arizona State University.  I loved this bike.

I also came to appreciate that it was a touring bike, and I joined a local bike touring club to learn about the sport, and ultimately completed a four day ride from Flagstaff to Phoenix Arizona in 1984.

When I started the project, I knew little about bicycle mechanics.  But I dove right in and completely stripped the bike of all its components down to the frame and fork.  Using the internet as my guide, I began to educate myself about the bike and what the possibilities were for it.  This particular bike was a mid-level touring bike, nothing really special about the components.  I wanted to maintain the spirit of a touring bike, but that view evolved during the project.  

I decided I would replace any part with an upgraded component by the same manufacturer if possible. I would use Japanese components and parts wherever I could (although I ended up with a French saddle, a German bottom bracket, and American wheel hubs and rims). 

I also wanted a bomber, state of the art drivetrain and wheelset.  I replaced the original 27" wheels with 700c Velocity Dyad rims laced to Phil Wood Touring Hubs, 36 spokes up front and 40 spokes on the rear wheel.  I replaced the 5-speed Suntour freewheel with a 7 speed NOS Suntour Winner Ultra, coldset the frame from 126mm to 130mm, and installed an SKF Heavy Duty Cartridge bottom bracket.

I replaced the original Sugino triple crankset with a new Sugino XD600 triple crankset for a better gear ratio (at 50 I need that 26 granny gear!).

I found a beautiful set of Specialized Touring pedals on eBay.

The real find, the one that set the tone for the bike early on, were the gorgeous NOS Suntour Superbe brakes I found on eBay.

The brake levers are NOS Suntour Superbe with Velo Orange mettalic braided cables.  Nitto Noodle handlebar, Newbaums tape and Nitto Technomic stem.

I replaced the seat post with a NOS SR Laprade, and the saddle is a Gilles Berthoud Touring model.

I installed Honjo LePaon fenders and a Nitto Mark's Rack up front.  I plan to add a Nitto R-14 to the rear with a Spanninga Pixeo fender mounted taillight.

So, what did I end up with?  The only original parts are the frame and fork (original paint and decals), and the Suntour Cyclone MK-II front and rear deraillers.  But to me the spirit of the bike is still there.  The ride quality is unbelievably smooth, firm and quiet.  Its a joy to ride.  And while I can certainly set the bike up for fully loaded touring, its current form is more like a rando bike or credit card tourer.

I've had a blast working on this bike, and for better or worse, I got the bug to do another project.
Maybe a high end vintage Italian or Japanese road bike......

34th America's Cup USA17 ORACLE Racing Team AC72

Here is the successor to the 2010 USA17 BMW ORACLE Racing Team boat, winner of the 33rd America's Cup in Valencia Spain.  The new boat is the USA17 ORACLE Racing Team AC72 and it, along with its major competitors, employs hydrofoil wings to lift the boat out of the water  to increase boat speed.

This graphic illustrates the difference in the size of the two USA17 boats.  On the left is the 2010 boat which is substantially larger than the 2013 boat on the right.

The chatter right now is that Team USA will have their hands full competing with whichever challenger emerges from the Louis Vuitton series, especially New Zealand.  The problem with USA17 is it tends to nose down while hydroplaning reducing its speed.  Team ORACLE is currently building a second boat and it is expected to resolve the technical problems seen in the first boat.  We'll see!

Team USA will defend the Cup in San Francisco with the 34th Americas' Cup finals staring September 7, 2013.

UPDATE: April 26, 2013

Boat 2 is ready!  Look how steady and solid she looks!  It looks like they solved the issue of the bow dipping.  The rear transverse beam is much heavier on this boat than the one on Boat 1 (perhaps to balance her out some?)  Love the new paint job also.  Check out the new video of her maiden voyage: UPDATE: Team USA comes from behind to win the 34th America's Cup! Unbelievable! The time out was critical. They never gave up, and the shore team put in countless hours in the shed improving the boat speed. Congratulations USA17 ORACLE Racing Team!

33rd America's Cup USA17 BMW ORACLE Racing Team

This is the boat that won the 33rd America's Cup in 2010.  It's a 90' x 90' Trimaran designed, manufactured, and raced by BMW ORACLE Racing and has an amazing 185' tall rigid main sail (wing).

I've been a fan of the America's Cup since the days of Dennis Conner and the 12 meter boats, but I had never seen anything like this.  This boat is big!  Its also fast.  It can easily reach 20 knots of boat speed upwind.  I love the graphics on the boat, especially the white noses followed by the black hulls.

Team USA will defend the Cup in San Francisco with the 34th Americas' Cup finals staring September 7, 2013.

The following pictures are of the boat with a more conventional main sail and missing the distinctive "batwing" rear shroud.

Audi R18 e-tron Quattro Hybrid

Audi R18 e-tron Quattro Hybrid
This is the car that dominated the endurance racing series in 2012 and is well on its way to continuing its winning ways in 2013.  Major wins in 2012 included the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 6 Hours of Silverstone,  the 6 Hours of Bahrain, and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

R18 e-tron Quattros took the top two positions at the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 16, 2013.  The 6 Hours of Silverstone is coming up on April 14, 2013 in the UK (Update: Audi R18 e-tron Quattros took the top two spots on the podium at Silverstone 2013) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on June 22 - 23, 2013.  Team Audi is the acknowledged favorite going into these events, but of course in racing, anything can happen.

Powered by a 3.7 liter V6 TDI diesel engine, with a partially electrified hybrid drive utilizing a carbon fiber flywheel energy recovery and storage system, the car is a tour de force of automotive engineering and design.

A brief comment about the computer animation video above: I think the quality of the model is just fantastic!  I like the way they abstracted the Le Mans race course to simplify the background and put the focus on the car itself.  Given the detail of the computer rendering, I wonder if they had built up a complete 3-D computer model of the car, including all the internal components.  I would be interested to see that if they did.

Here is a clip of the car testing at Monza, Italy - April 2013.  This is the latest 2013 "Long-tail" version that will be raced at Le Mans in June.  Love the sound of this thing!

Technical data Audi R18 e-tron quattro (2012)
Version: February 2012

Vehicle

Vehicle type	Le Mans Prototype (LMP1)
Monocoque	Carbon-fiber composite with aluminum honeycomb, tested according to the strict FIA crash and safety standards
Battery	Lithium ion batteries

Engine

Engine	Turbocharged 120° V6, 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC, 1 Garrett turbocharger, mandatory intake air restrictor of 1 x 45.8 mm diameter and turbo boost pressure limited to 2.8 bar absolute, diesel direct injection TDI Fully stressed aluminum cylinder block, diesel particle filter
Engine management	Bosch MS24
Engine lubrication	Dry sump, Castrol
Displacement	3.700 cc
Power	Over 375 kW / 510 hp
Torque	Over 850 Nm

Hybrid system

Type of accumulator	Electric flywheel accumulator, max 500 KJ
Motor Generator Unit (MGU)	MGU on the front axle, water cooled with integrated power electronics, 2 x 75 kW

Drive / transmission

Type of drive	Rear wheel drive, traction control (ASR), four-wheel drive e-tron quattro from 120 km/h*
Clutch	Carbon clutch
Gearbox	Sequential, electrically activated 6-speed racing gearbox
Differential	Limited-slip rear differential
Gearbox housing	Carbon-fiber composite with titanium inserts
Driveshafts	Constant velocity sliding tripod universal joints

Suspension / steering / brakes

Steering	Electrical assisted rack and pinion steering
Suspension	Front and rear double wishbone independent suspension, front pushrod system and rear pull rod system with adjustable dampers
Brakes	Hydraulic dual circuit brake system, monobloc light alloy brake calipers, ventilated carbon disc brakes front and rear, infinitely manually adjustable front and rear brake balance,
Wheels	O.Z. magnesium forged wheels
Tires	Michelin Radial, Front: 360/710-18, rear: 370/710-18

Weight / dimensions

Length	4.650 mm
Width	2.000 mm
Height	1.030 mm
Minimum weight	900 kg
Fuel tank capacity	58 liters

Villa Tugendhat Restoration

The 1930 Villa Tugendhat designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has been recently restored and brought back to its original condition.  Located in Brno, Czech Republic, the house is a classic example of modern residential architecture.  

It looks pretty good for an 83 year old house!

Photo Credits: David Zidlicky

Source:  ARCHITECT The Magazine of the American Institute of Architects