Some of the World’s Ugliest Buildings

Sometimes you look at something and wonder “What was that person thinking?” Travel & Leisure has compiled a list of the world’s ugliest buildings that will leave you wondering that exact question. Take a look at some of our favorite ugly buildings from across the world… Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) Building, London [caption id="attachment_720" align="aligncenter" width="380" caption="Photo courtesy of Justin Kase zninez/Alamy."][/caption] The ugly truth behind this building is that British architect Terry Farrell had to deal with excessive government requests, such as adding moats, while designing the SIS building. Those eyesores supposedly exist for safety reasons. Harold Washington Library, Chicago [caption id="attachment_721" align="aligncenter" width="380" ...

Vertical Arts Designs New Bus Shelters for Steamboat Springs

We have designed nine new bus shelters to be installed this Fall along Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat Springs. Katy Vaughn, our project designer, told Steamboat Today that these shelters are supposed to reflect Northwest Colorado’s historic architecture. The materials used in the construction of these shelters are clear-coated steel with glass panels and wooden benches. City Public Works Director Philo Shelton told Steamboat Today that they “thought it was very important in this economy to try to involve local designers, local builders and local installers. Tracy Barnett, of Mainstreet Steamboat Springs, applauded the result, which she said would funnel federal grant dollars ...

Cabaret “No Strings Attached”

If you didn’t catch the Cabaret, “No Strings Attached” last Wednesday night at the Depot Art Center you missed a great event! Steamboat Today wrote, "Cabaret cast member and writer Pamela Turner was leading a cast of golf-club-wielding dancers through a skit. Mixing dance moves with threatening motions, Turner and her dancers were channeling a jilted lover in their satirical song aimed at a top-of-the-news sports celebrity." The annual fundraiser, in its 27th year, raises funds for the Steamboat Springs Arts Council. Vertical Arts was proud to be a sponsor of the Caberet and hosted a pre-party last Thursday night for ...

Solar Paneling on the White House?

A push is being made by a coalition of solar power companies led by Sungevity to permanently reinstall a solar panel system on the roof of the White House. Sungevity is calling on the American people to sign a petition to convince President Obama that the 81% savings on the utility bills would be in line with the Obama Administrations’ tax incentives and rebates. Inhabitant.com writes that “Powering the White House on the sun would not only save the country just over $19,000 in utility bills each year, but it would provide the most fitting example for the rest of us ...

The Steamboat Pilot on Rob Williams at K. Saari

In a post last week, we invited you to the opening of K. Saari's latest exhibit: New Work of Rob Williams, but we're not the only ones buzzing about it. Check out a great article on the new show by Margaret Hair in the Steamboat Pilot and see some examples from Mr. William's new collection, entitled "Aspen Canticles," acrylic works on wood panels that offer a departure from the materials Williams (a former Steamboat resident) is accustomed to using--oil paint and resin for his signature floral images. According to the article, “'Aspen Canticles' plays to what Williams called an 'affinity to line,' ...

Early Registration for AIA Colorado 2010 Practice and Design Conference is tomorrow

Posted on September 2, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Early registration for the AIA Colorado 2010 Practice and Design Conference is tomorrow, Friday, September 3^rd. The annual conference will be taking place at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center in Keystone, Colorado on October 14^th-16^th. The theme for this year is Get Uncomfortable and some of the scheduled speakers are playwright Oren Safdie; Paul Lewis, AIA, founding partner of Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis Architects (New York); Angela Brooks, principal at Pugh+Scarpa Architects (Los Angeles) and the AIA Colorado 2010 Design Awards Jury Chair; and John Westmuckett and Mike Bridges, of Westmuckett Hawkes Ltd. (London) and Galliford Try (London).

Contact AIA Colorado Programs Manager Nicolle Thompson at nicolle@aiacolorado.org or 303.446.2266, ext. 111, with any questions about registration or this year’s conference or visit the blog at aiacodesignconference.blogspot.com.

This three day event provides architects and professionals in the industry a chance to network with colleagues as well as earn continuing education credits. Don’t miss this year’s AIA Colorado Conference!

Some of the World’s Ugliest Buildings

Posted on August 31, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) Building, London

Photo courtesy of Justin Kase zninez/Alamy.

The ugly truth behind this building is that British architect Terry Farrell had to deal with excessive government requests, such as adding moats, while designing the SIS building. Those eyesores supposedly exist for safety reasons.

Harold Washington Library, Chicago

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Public Library.

This library, which opened in 1991, was designed by the firm Hammond, Beeby and Babka. It has a helter-skelter application of motifs and styles locked in the postmodern era.

Longaberger Home Office, Newark, OH

Photo courtesy of The Longaberger Company.

Founder Dave Longaberger wanted the headquarters of his company to be a replica of his favorite basket. It’s a 9,000-ton copy of a woven-wood basket made of stucco-over-steel.

The UFO House, Sanjhih, Taiwan

Photo courtesy of Craig Ferguson/Alamy.

Information on these peculiar homes is rather spotty, as developers left them vacant for years. Reports claim the businessman who built the resort wanted it to look like a landing pad for Martians and other alien life. The Taiwanese government, however, has plans to tear them down.

The Experience Music Project, Seattle

Photo courtesy of Danita Delimont/Alamy.

While we agree that a building dedicated to rock music shouldn’t be all that conservative, we aren’t quite sure how to describe the Experience Music Project and visitors aren’t too sure, either. Some have described it as open-heart surgery. Architect Frank Gehry said the inspirations for his creation included smashed guitars and metal materials.

Want to see more? Visit Travel and Leisure, and be sure to let us know what you think!

Vertical Arts: Five Years and Going Strong

Posted on August 25, 2010 · 1 Comment

We just reached an important milestone here at Vertical Arts. We are proud to announce that we are celebrating our 5 year anniversary. We found it interesting that the traditional 5th anniversary gift is wood, one of our favorite materials to work with.

When our founder, Brandt Vanderbosch, started Vertical Arts 5 years ago he wanted to embody the following concepts- innovative ideas, unique work culture and stellar design. These basic principles are some of the reasons why we have seen such growth in these last several years. Vertical Arts has established a reputation for effective, high-end design on a diverse range of projects. From land planning to furniture design we use Brandt’s original goals in every aspect of our business.

Part of our unique work culture is the relationships we develop with our clients and the bond shared between our team members. We all work well together and draw on each other’s strengths in every project we take on. We also play well together outside of the office which is evident in our Vertical Arts softball team.

Although we have 5 years under our belt, our 35 years of combined experience has made us a reputable architecture firm in the Steamboat Springs area.

See what we have been up to the last 5 years.