From my new book Smaointe ar an Dulra (Perspectives on Nature)

Child of the Ice

Small Business Change Initiatives Central Africa:

Real Business Change arises when a small amount of investment, through small business loans, lifts people out of poverty and creates new beginnings from that which currently dwells within the realm of Hope.

Of Maya (A Daughter)

This short narrative is a thank you for a single spark
provided by the title Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou.
Searching for an expression within which, not only to illustrate
the spirit of my own daughter and all daughters, the title brought
the illustration into being. It became the penultimate illustration
for the book Child of the Ice.

India: Sketch Design to define National Identity for Children in Sports

The attached concept was developed in response to a Charlie Rose interview with Anil Agarwal Indian industrialist who was preparing to develop a university with an emphasis on Olympic Sports. Funding up to a billion dollars with the input of U.S. University expertise.
Fundamentally the concept is a statement that any nation, should draw and develop design expertise from it's own children, who with good diet, education and mentoring can, in and of themselves, create their own National Institute of Sports Education and Culture. The question posed here is, that if the concept as shown, which has been created and developed in less than twelve hour's, how much better would it be to have India's children, develop what they need in the realm of sports design and medicine? Click on image to enlarge.
Mahatma Gandhi best expressed this with a single word: SATYAGRAHA meaning: Holding on to truth.

Change requires Vision

Implementing change requires that children are given the opportunity to visit the public spaces and amenities of a city enabling them to compare as they grow, the relationships between what functions well, is pleasing to the eye, building a broad understanding of immediate environment and how that environment constantly changes.

Change: Start with Children rather than Adults

As the parent of a ten year old the significance of Children in the realm of Change and it's Global relevance is outlined in the attached posted image.

Kari, Elina and the Blue -footed Booby

Coming soon, by the Author of Child of the Ice. A story of relationships and connections with the Spirit of Chid and Adult interacting, with the World of the Blue - footed Booby

Haiti: Group Home for Children suffering with Aids

This simple prototype layout for a Group Home for Children Living with Aids originally developed for South Africa could easily be adapted to house children suffering from the trauma of the Earthquake and the need for safe housing monitored by caregivers living within a home setting. While the use of stress skin structures is well established, modular systems with alternate site specific and safe materials are not prevalent. These sketches are uploaded to promote discussion of self help models which meet the skill levels of local inhabitants. Small communities could integrate up to 8 of these homes without creating stress on local government.

White Dog: A poem for Grace

This illustration and poem is for Grace whose

love of her Chickasaw heritage provided

the inspiration for this concept.

Educational Change in the Heart of Africa:

Educational Change is about giving these children the opportunity to grow with a reasonable expectation of using their Creative talents to effect Change and develop their own country’s schools, substantially contributing to the needs of family and the aspirations of their people and culture.

Haiti in the Light of the Clinton-Bush Restructuring Initiative:

In a time when we can design three dimensional virtual worlds, we have denied our world significant pre-planned solutions to known problems likely of needing structured, competent and unbiased solutions.

Attached are two images of a prototype urban revitalization concept initially designed for New Orleans which may with some modification begin to highlight a rational approach to basic community development within an urban setting applicable to Haiti. Canals indicated in the prototype may be replaced by levee's to protect from flooding and mudslides. Earthquake resistant design would necessitate using one foot expansion joints to meet the challenges imposed by the probability of severe Earthquakes.

Utilising the capabilities of the U.S.S. Wasp to transport all of the prepositioned, modular pre-fabricated stressed skin structures integrated into the designed urban plan, with modular plumbing and sanitation, solar and wind generation modules containing pre-fabricated (triage) hospital, (utilized later as an operational clinic), school, library and resource facilities combined with market place, housing, shops and integrated community center, with multi-faceted housing elements, secured by earthquake and hurricane resistant pile systems and ground anchors, integrated with geo-textile soil stabilzation systems and drainage ditches.

By initial utilization of the capactity of the U.S.S. Wasp LHD-1 to carry 1000 marines and 1000 skilled and fully equipped construction,architecture,engineering and allied service teams, stabilization and clearing of the prototype urban site could commence within 5 days of any disaster with follow up of modular urban units in the second week. Adding an additonal 1000 skilled worker's the entire framework could be installed within 21 days of a disaster occuring. The prototype can be modified for all types of natural disasters and utilize environmentally safe lightweight structures and materials. The exterior appearance could be altered to address cultural prefereances once the initial trauma has been addressed.

It is vital to have regard for the common aspects of design, when we attempt to solve a housing crisis, particularly one which attempts to bring back life to a community traumatized by an Earthquake, Hurricane or Natural Disaster.
Housing is not a formulaic. It must take on the innate characteristics of the society and structures culturally acceptable to the well being of those living as families and sharing a life within a community. Just as with a family, relationships, those between Housing and Spaces, movement created through well defined area's of activity and repose are inseparable in achieving harmony. Vital also, are the those relationships to marketplaces, play areas, schools, clinics, places of worship, community centers and the intermediate and broader aspects of landscape and environment. Essential to everyday life are the sounds, color and light which blend themselves into daily life. Respect for the history and aspirations of a culture in all of it's forms can provide the spark which can develop a broad understanding of community. Foremost in this process is the ability to Listen and translate multiple concerns into a measured Creative Response.

The process of human interaction creates the need for solutions to overlooking, privacy, the spaces between buildings and how spaces are oriented to take advantage of environment. It's easy for the designer to create an urban slum. The creation of harmony with culture and meaningful relationships between spaces will produce acceptable solutions and welcoming places in which to grow and thrive.

Change Requires the Ability to Innovate

All children express joy in Creating an Object or manipulating it a new way unique to their own Spirit and sense of purpose. Innovation is the expression of the interplay between mind and object, fulfilling a Dream and turning it into Reality.

Design Spirit

Teaching children to use their own creative or Design Spirit, enables them to build on a pattern of understanding of what happens when a sketch becomes reality. We draw objects for the most part in a daylight setting. Every design can be enhanced by lighting and color. All 3-D objects change with the movement of sun and moon. So too, with directly applied lighting technology, which can accentuate and highlight the design characteristics of any created object.

Fabric of the Flag

A Flag is more than a symbol. Within it's fabric we
find pain, joy strength and forbearance. This short narrative
reflects that sentiment.

Address the Future and Respect Tradition:

Teaching children to respect Design Tradition while addressing the Future is essential to building awareness of what is and can be possible

A Visual Response to Change

Change at it's most fundamental requires Ability. This blog seeks to promote a conversation, in a mainly Visual format, on the essence of creative responses to the environment, as developed solutions to Local, National and Global issues.

Adjacent sketch for elevated Regional Tourist Center. It departs from accepted constraints and fuses Art with Structure.