Final Design Board

Farewell, Biloxi

As quickly as we arrived, we were gone. Well, almost. Matt drove East, Solomon and James flew North, and Mike will soon be trucking West. Goodbye, Biloxi. Sometimes I wonder if you were real or just one of those epic dreams like 'Alice in Wonderland'.

The road sign when you enter Mississippi reads "Welcome to Mississippi: It's Like Coming Home." Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The Flora and Fauna of Mississippi

Matt, Mike, and I went on a 14-mile hike today in a beautiful pine forest. It was in the 90s, both the temperature and the humidity, both of which made for a very sweaty afternoon. Oh, and we ran into a snapping turtle.

The Prince Awakened

Sorry for the bad video quality. It was the spur of the moment, after all.

House Party

After spending the last couple weeks insulated in our white-collar role as designers, we went back to the house we had been working on for a weeknight party. With most of the windows and doors in, it's slowly becoming more and more home-like. Sadly, we will be leaving right around the time that the wall board, plumbing and siding go up and won't see the finished product. But, hey, that's what Google Streetview is for.

ain't no SWINE FLU on me

swine flu, swine flu...ah a divine flu


by now it is common knowledge that the pandemic known fondly as swine flu originated within the studios of rapson hall. the reason? the cause? festering mold in studio sinks, multiple open compost bins, and desk drawers crammed with filthy abused tissues.

in their spare time, usually reserved for sleeping, the gold coasters discovered four cures for this pestilence. it took only one laughter filled, hair tussling, leap frogging, knife fighting night.
the cures in no particular order:
-for the individual-
*eat one lb of bacon for every hour in a day
*keep a pig within five feet of you for two days
*teach a pig spanish, time to fluency will vary depending on the pig
-for a community-
*fill one newly built mixed use building to maximum occupancy with swine

the image above has not been digitally manipulated, machines get swine flu too.

you are welcome.

Jazz Fest 09

This weekend we traveled back to New Orleans to go to Jazz Fest. Besides the sweat, smoke, and memories of middle-aged white people dancing, it was a great time. Even got to see our first pimp cup!

Island Getaway

Today we decided that we deserved a day of relaxation after working hard all day on Saturday. So we took a 1-hour ferry ride out to a barrier island, Ship Island, which so small that you can see the entire thing from the dock. We spent the whole day basking in the sun, swimming in the surf, and exploring the abandoned island fortress. The air and the ocean were both in the upper 70s. Anyone in Minnesota, if they weren't already, should be sufficiently jealous by now.

Lazy Saturday

A couple videos from our Saturday of hanging out on the pier watching pelicans fish. Notice the two fishing styles: one from the air, one from the water. And the things you learn from the local children who spend time on the water!

Busy Friday

On Friday, we took an afternoon field trip to Unabridged Architecture, a firm that does many projects in the region similar to one we're working on. First, they gave us a critique, then showed us around their house/office (which seemed straight out of Dwell magazine). Finally, we gave them a critique of one of their designs, then toured a building nearby designed by SHoP Architects. All of this after building a house in the morning and before eating more crawfish for dinner, then going to a bar for pool, darts, and karaoke. Quite a long day...no wonder we didn't do anything on Saturday!

The House moves closer to becoming a Home

Despite the often painfully slow pace of construction, the house we're working on is coming along. Electrical is going in, and roof is being installed, and any day now there will be gypsum on the walls. Plus, the view from the freshly-laid tongue and groove second floor is pretty amazing. The Gulf, a beached shrimp boat, a sunken sailboat, two millionaire's trailers, and a canopy of oak trees...it's like a magical Bob Ross painting.

Salvation Army revisited

Now, after gaining a better sense of the town of Biloxi, our beautiful (and colorful) accommodations seem to align perfectly with a pattern of nonsensical yet very practical spaces.

Miscellaneous Biloxi Photos

Miscellaneous Biloxi Photos

Miscellaneous Biloxi Photos

These photosets are an attempt to visually describe the bizarro world that is Biloxi, Mississippi. Though the subject matter may seem unrelated or difficult to comprehend, the hope is that you can get a sense of what we feel as outsiders (total confusion). Plus, showing photos is easier than trying to put words to something we are consistently perplexed and amazed by. Enjoy...and share your thoughts if the moment strikes you.

Our Presentation Boards