Comments on: Video profile of Shelter Publications editor Lloyd Kahn

By: guillaume_remy

guillaume_remy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The third episode of “How Buildings Learn” There is an interview of Lloyd Kahn which summarize well all the problems with doms.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8639555925486210852#docid=6141960341438553915

By: fixed

fixed — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I love the work of the cinematographer and editor, when Kahn says:
“We still have ten digits and a hammer and a saw” the next shot is of a real estate ‘for lease’ sign, with a ten digit phone number.
A clear bifurcation in trajectory. Lovely.

By: Mark Frauenfelder

Mark Frauenfelder — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m happy for you that you think it’s not.

By: Moriarty

Moriarty — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I guess that’s true. It’s the subdivision that’s ugly. The street is just blacktop.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m personally not worried about the external “impact” of this kind of recycling lifestyle as much as I’m delighted by the /internal/ impact: self-sufficiency, craftsmanship, artistry, self-expression, discovery, etc.

By: normd

normd — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That’s a pretty cool story, Jeffrey.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kahn if you ever are in the Boston area I want to go long boarding with you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I personally don’t think that’s a particularly ugly subdivision he skateboards through, but the townhouse development shown immediately afterward is dead hideous.

There’s some weird modern aesthetic that fetishes multiple unnecessary rooflines, and facades that ignore classical proportions.

By: bd

bd — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Great to read something that celebrates the quiet joys of a self-sufficient, simple life. It’s posts like this that keep me coming back to this site.

By: forgeweld

forgeweld — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

He’s a good cat. The camera work and editing are really good in this thing. Well realized project.

By: pato pal ur

pato pal ur — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This was wonderful, thank you. I especially enjoyed his swipes at the baby boom generation and the whole self-indulgence of the 60s.

By: burningcanoe

burningcanoe — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

His most recent book features Lloyd House who built for years on a Gulf Island in Canada. He is a friend of ours and an absolute genius as a builder. I love Lloyd Kahn’s books. Domehome2 drew me back into geometry, which I failed in high-school.

Yeah its an ugly street, sorry.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

GREAT piece- can’t wait for Lloyd’s next book too! He actually was pretty much one of the main inspirations for my own housing book “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks…” (aside from David and Jeanie Stiles, and Lester Walker)- as I own all the books he has released on housing (well, not the domebooks- they go for a fortune online now!). Great article/vid Mark, on a fascinating guy! HIGHLY recommend is “Homework” book…

-Deek relaxshacks.com n’ host of “Tiny Yellow House” TV

By: DeWynken

DeWynken — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you for an amazing post.

By: cleek

cleek — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“at around 4:00, he gets on a longboard and skates down an ugly subdivision street ”

there’s nothing ugly about that street.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Well, these personal recycle stories are fascinating, but unless made massively these small attempts won’t affect anything. Maybe these individual examples can provide a “brainstroming database”.

By: turn_self_off

turn_self_off — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Really makes me want to get working on something.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kaaaaahhhn!!

By: Jeffrey S

Jeffrey S — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

As a teen I remember sitting on the couch paging through Dome Book II when my 2nd father Carl pointed to a dome and said, “We could build that, do you want to?” It was a 16′ tent dome, “Sure, let’s do it!” my girlfriend said. So we started making plans.

We cut the struts and made a jig for the hubs. When we put in the last strut it was like magic, the structure stiffened up to where we could hang by the 1 x 3 geodesic lattice. We seamed 6-mil poly with an iron and foil and hung the resulting skin from the hubs with string and marbles. It was ingenious, it was glorious.

I’ve been a carpenter and builder for most of my adult life and the dome summer is one of my fondest memories and that dome one of the finest structures I’ve helped build.

A tip of the hat and a note of gratitude to Lloyd Kahn and the film makers. I think I’ve got some additional reading to do.

Thanks