Education

Well, I learned a couple of things today. It's all about design, architecture and building in a new environment. In considering necessary construction on the vineyard I am developing various designs using different materials. My daughter says that houses in California don't have basements. A search on the web indicates that one reason is the prevalence of earthquakes. But mostly because there is no frost in CA.

Later in the day I came across an interesting video. The American Institute of Architects is holding their national convention in San Francisco soon. The promos include videos of significant SF buildings. One of these is the US Mint. It has 3 foot thick granite walls, was built in 1874 and has a basement. The excavation for the foundation was over-sized so that a mixture of sand and soil was placed below and adjacent to the building foundations. As a result it survived the 1906 earthquake intact even though it moved 3 feet horizontally.

'and all the roads we have to walk are winding'

Well, this one's definitely not winding but it would probably have the same charm if not more.

There are certain images that give a key to what the design objective is. This is one. The final access road probably won't look like this but the feeling, ambiance ought at least approach this.

Here's one more to reflect on. Yes the fog gives it that nice iridescence but imagine it with sunlight and olive trees. The texture of the surfaces along with the lights provide the context for the larger environment.

Finally there is the serpentine path. This excellent photo by Ansel Adams establishes the photographic ideal that has been repeated many, many times.