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Maybe it was The Jetsons 1960′s interpretation of futuristic furniture or my time in Southern California that explains my affinity for Googie style architecture. Unfortunately for the popularity of Googie architecture, it sounds strikingly similar to the world’s number one search engine. Nonetheless, the style was a continuation of Space Age modernism of the 1940′s, its name borrowed from a coffee shop in West Hollywood. My favorite of the Googies’, and the only airport I ever enjoyed traveling through, was the spider-like Theme Building at LAX. The spider was never a control tower or any other functional component of the airport. Its only purpose was to mark the intended location of the central traffic hub noted in the original master plan of LAX. It’s now a non-revolving restaurant.
Despite this year’s lack of buzzer beaters, I’m a sucker for the NCAA basketball tournament. Cinderellas, upsets, March Madness, Capital One, all that. I don’t think my Mom ever realized I would always have to stay home sick from school around the third Thursday of March (sorry, Mom). During the three weeks of the tournament 63 games (add 4 for the new play-in round, or whatever they’re calling it now) are played at 13 different venues. However, starting in 2009 you would think they are all playing in the same arena. That’s because the NCAA has rolled out a standard, featureless court at every tournament venue. From Portland to Grensboro, Phoenix to Boston, its black and blue and boredom.
Our work at 2 Sparrows Restaurant is featured in the 2012 Winter issue of CS Interiors Magazine. Article inside. Read the rest of this entry »
After spending the past few years on the streets, Flirty Cupcakes has a new dessert garage to call home. Flirty was preparing their delectable delights in a shared kitchen in Chicago’s West Loop, and selling to the public out of two food trucks. Now in addition to their rounds in Chicagoland, Flirty will sell their in-house baked treats from their new shop on Taylor Street. After identifying the 1,200 square foot space on Taylor near UIC, moss helped transform the formerly hapless space into a modern dessert garage. Product list and photos inside.
Last month Northside real estate broker Eric Rojas came by for a visit and video shoot. Click over to Eric’s blog to see the full tour here.
The enlightened man’s entertainment center can hold your treasured classics and cherished vintages. Designed by moss and fabricated by Demeter Millwork, our new wine and book storage shelf is constructed of materials sourced from within 100 miles of Chicago. The wood is reclaimed Walnut (framing members and siding) from a demolished barn in Northern Indiana. The mortise and tenon holes, nail marks, and other graces of time are visible on the piece. The base is a 4-door cabinet (designed to store 5 carboys and 1 5-gallon stock pot) with adjustable shelf and the upper storage is half book shelf and half wine storage, capable of holding about 6-8 cases. As installed at moss HQ the wine shelf portion acts as a guardrail for the adjacent stair mid-landing, so you don’t fall off after enjoying too much of the wine. Similar to our other wood furniture, no fish were harmed in the making of this piece. Photos inside. Read the rest of this entry »
photo courtesy of CS Interiors
Curbed Chicago has named our Erie Street Loft project the best home renovation of the year! Thanks, Curbed! Relive the magic here and and in video form here. This project was also featured in CS Interiors Magazine, Apartment Therapy, and Curbed Chicago.
Heath Department Loosens Reins: How To Prepare For The New Inspections and Reviews
March 6, 2012 in commentary, food, green architect, restaurant, restaurant design | Tags: 7-11, chicago department of health, food, how to open a restaurant, inspections, moss design, restaurant | by nards | Leave a comment
As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Department of Health will allow some “low-risk” food sellers to self-certify their inspections. This would include businesses that sell pre-packaged food and beverages with minimal food preparation. Even if this revision seems to be most relevant to 7-11s and gas stations, small food businesses will benefit from the reduced supervision. Restaurants who have not had a food safety related closing for 36 months will also be eligible to self-certify. Unfortunately, the main issue with the Department of Health has not been the frequency of inspections, so much as the amount of time it takes to have plans reviewed by the department and the inconsistent application of design regulations.
The Department of Health is a vast regulatory body that oversees everything related to public health. The Food Protection Division is just one segment of the department, and is responsible for restaurants, taverns, groceries, commissaries, and hot dog cars. Read the rest of this entry »