abstractions March 5th, 2010

   

Just part of the massive H-shaped facade of the east wing of the National Gallery of Art , designed by I.M. Pei.

   

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, The National Mall, buildings, museums, sky
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wash. mon. December 15th, 2009

   

It’s been awhile since we posted anything from the Monumental/Federal/National Mall side of things in DC. That’s because we usually prefer to post the nitty-grittier photos that show the side of DC that we, as residents, know and have grown to love. But every now and again we’ll remember that we do live in a tourist destination and one of the most powerful places in the world, and it’s important not to forget that either. This past Saturday evening, we were returning home from Capitol Hill by cab after a late, *crazy* night watching movies and SNL with Brigid and Keith. And in riding by the Capitol Building, we both started to say something along the lines of forgetting about that “other” part of DC that we take for granted, like going by the Capitol as we were or living a mile from the White House. And maybe it’s because neither of us work on the Hill, know any lawyers, or even like to argue about politics, but maybe it’s that to us, DC is not just about memorials and monuments and which political party you belong to… though some would argue it is.

   

At any rate, it’s interesting to note, in conjunction with posting this photo, that the Washington Monument was completed on December 6, 1884. That means the capstone was put into place a week and 125 years ago around this time. I wonder if the builders thought, at that moment, that the new tallest structure in the world (until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889), would one day become somewhat overlooked by those who live practically in it’s shadow?

   

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Tags: DC, The National Mall, Washington Monument, fisheye, monuments
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Solar Houses October 12th, 2009

   

On Saturday we checked out the Solar Decathlon houses on the National Mall. Impressive! The lines were long, so we only waited long enough to tour through the interior of the Virginia Tech house (pictured), and yes, it’s as innovative as it looks. There were custom kitchen drawers that folded out to create more counter-space, iPhone controlled home settings, and fold-out privacy panels for the bedroom — they revealed the flat screen TV behind them. Design was in the details! But more importantly, the goal of all the houses was to be energy neutral, meaning no electricity bills! They are being judged on numerous other points, too, like architecture and marketability. The total cost of each house was to come in under $160,000. With more time, I would have liked to see the inside of Cornell’s silo-inspired house. Check them out if you have a chance, today and tomorrow, or the 15th-18th. They are closed for judging on the 14th.

   

   

   

   

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Tags: The National Mall, buildings, green, virginia, virginia tech, weather
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LumenHaus September 16th, 2009

   

I took this photo of Virginia Tech’s solar decathlon house, LumenHaus, this past weekend as it was being constructed on the 5th St lawn outside the National Building Museum. It will be there until Sept 27th, when it will then move to the National Mall for October 9-13 and 15-18. The house features the sliding glass doors (seen in the picture) on the north and south facades, which are all about allowing in the *light*. But more importantly, there’s an app for that — the heating, cooling, lighting, insulation, and sunshades can be controlled by using a computer or iPhone. Now we’re talking! Good luck to the team as they participate in Solar Decathlon Europe in Madrid next summer! US represent.

   

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, National Building Museum, The National Mall, buildings, constructon, houses, virginia, virginia tech
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…more from yesterday… January 19th, 2009

   
Another shot of the crowds of people at the We Are One pre-inauguration concert yesterday… The entrance gates to the areas around the reflecting pool were closed at capacity around 2:30 pm, so we had to gather farther back towards the Washington Monument. I’ve read articles today guessing the attendance between 400,000 - 500,000 people.

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, People, The National Mall, Washington Monument, inauguration, monuments
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beacon of light January 15th, 2009

   
This is taken from the south side of the WWII Memorial looking towards the Washington Monument.

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, Night, The National Mall, Washington Monument, lights, monuments
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Obama, welcome to Washington November 5th, 2008

   
Obama wins, and the people celebrated last night in DC. I was definitely awake last night — well past 3am — to the sounds of joyous yelling, car honking galore, and general celebrational noises (fireworks). It’s an interesting time to be living in this city, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things will change in the next 6 months.

   

“young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, The National Mall, Washington Monument, monuments, politics, white house
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VOTE November 4th, 2008

   
Go vote! Get your sticker. I already did.

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Tags: DC, Sculptures, The National Mall
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Two Photographers at the Fountain August 5th, 2008

   
This photo is taken by one of the fountains around the Smithsonian Castle , or what I like to affectionately refer to as “my house.” I’m pretty sure I would make my bedroom in the west tower turret thing that faces the National Mall, since that looks to be the tallest point and therefore the best place to spy on people from. Yep.

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, People, The National Mall, XA2, fountains, nature
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East Wing July 31st, 2008

   

I was diggin’ the modern minimalism in Matt’s photo of the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, and that’s why I posted it today. It was designed by I.M. Pei in the mid 1970’s and conforms to the triangular site at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.

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Tags: DC, Exteriors, The National Mall, artwork, buildings, museums, sky
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