In 1978, architect Craig Hodgetts was commissioned to design a sustainable utopia of the future based on the book “Ecotopia: The Notebooks and Reports of William Weston,” by Ernest Callenbach. Some credit the book with anticipating the use of videoconferencing (one of the technologies of the future the characters use selectively so as to not interfere with man’s relationship with the natural world). Whether or not this is true is much less interesting than the drawings Hodgetts created: washed-out landscapes that are at once 70s sci-fi and museum-worthy renderings.

Hodgetts is the co-founder and Creative Director at a design and architecture firm in Los Angeles. His firm designed The Hollywood Bowl, The Brooklyn Park Ampitheatre, and the American Cinematheque. He’s one the leaders in Urban Design today and is a professor of Architecture and Urban Design at UCLA. His Ecotopia drawings, along with other projects from 1965-78 (like vacuum-formed models and cardboard furniture), are part of the exhibition “Craig Hodgetts, Playmaker,” at Ace Gallery in Los Angeles until the end of the month. What began as science fiction has now become a career based on creating innovative and sustainable design.

Flying above New Orleans, I’m only just beginning to understand how lucky I’ve been. Years ago, had you told me I’d be coming here to help produce a documentary series, I would have rolled my eyes and said “I wish.” In 2005, I would have imagined the city only through Katrina’s lens and its devastating images. Now I’m sitting on a plane, looking down at Lake Pontchartrain, with a whole new understanding of what New Orleans is all about.

It’s been an honor for our crew to work in this town, and a privilege for us to film with the URBANbuild faculty, students, and partners, all of whom welcomed us into their lives – and in many cases, their homes – in a collaborative effort to demystify what it means to be in Architecture School.

As for the new house, it’s an extraordinary piece of work. (And the color looks great.) We watched it from the ground up, and soon you can too. We hope you enjoy every step of the way.

Thanks for joining us. And get on down to the Big Easy when you can. Your beignet awaits.

Signing off.

“Everyone who loves New Orleans learns to love it with its flaws. It may be hard for people who have never been to the Crescent City to understand the passionate love people have for it, to understand why it’s worth fighting for – why it matters…”

- Tom Piazza from Why New Orleans Matters

All the hard labor is over, and so are the injuries that came with it (pink eye, beam-in-the-face, nail-through-the-hand, etc.) The students are down to the wire and they’re working fast, in anticipation of a much-needed summer break. Now it’s all about detail work: Applying a stair runner, sanding the front porch, installing the double-dutch glass doors, and crossing off punch list “to-do’s” faster than you can say “Gumbo.”

We’ve shot close to 400 hours and I’ve got upwards of 500 Appearance Releases in my notebook. Michael has already started working with Handcranked Productions [www.handcrankedproductions.com] on graphic ideas for the show’s open. (Handcranked also designed the graphic open for Sundance Channel’s Big Ideas for a Small Planet.) Our Assistant Editors are loading footage into the AVID (digital editing system) as we speak. Post Production is just around the corner. Where did the time go?

Soon the students will be saying their goodbyes, having completed their task on time and with great success. And we’ll be heading back to New York, where the rest of our job awaits.

A dangerous question around here lately.

The students are having a hard time agreeing on what color to paint the house exterior.

Adriana, whose winning design became URBANbuild House #3, is from Trinidad. No big surprise then, one might argue, that her preferred color palette evokes a tropical sea. But hometowns aside, both she and Byron agree that from an architectural point of view, a color should not overwhelm the original scheme – in this case, the ‘S’ shape that defined Adriana’s concept and has been so beautifully realized by the construction team.

The problem is that the other two URBANbuild houses are blue. And nobody can agree on the right shade of green. White’s out of the question, and don’t even mention the word “peachy” to Byron. So what’s left? What color will best separate the new house from its counterparts, while gracefully accentuating those SIPS (Structurally Insulated Panels) we’ve come to know and love? And why do I keep hearing barn jokes?

Ever seen the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy? Remember when the Coke bottle fell out of the sky? Well, the TV Gods are at it again. This time, an eager young homebuyer, barely out of college, showed up at our proverbial door. Actually, he showed up at the empty blue URBANbuild house a block away. Turns out he recently completed the homebuyer’s training workshop at NHS and is now actively shopping for the right place to live AND set up a community center. What’s more, he seems both appreciative and excited about Tulane’s modern option. Are you puzzled? We were too, until we had a chance to sit down and chat with him. His name is Michael Wong, and you can learn more about his background and why he wants to live in this neighborhood in his Extended Interview.

Last night we filmed a live show at a popular music venue in the French Quarter called One-Eyed Jacks [www.oneeyedjacks.net]. The Headliners: Rotary Downs [www.rotarydowns.com], a popular New Orleans rock band whose newest release, Sing Like The Sun, has received national attention. Not only was the band incredibly friendly, but a few days before we filmed their set, we discovered that Byron designed their lead guitarist’s new home! (Chris Colombo gives us a tour of his house-in-progress with Byron in this Webisode.)

(The series also features songs by New Orleans musicians Blair [www.myspace.com] and The Iguanas [www.myspace.com].)

Casey, Alex, and Adriana came for a ladies’ night out. We shot the band performing their title song, and we filmed the girls as they proceeded to knock their male counterparts. It was a much-needed break from the site. As for the gender rivalry, ladies and gents, watch the show. Our crew refuses to take sides. What I can tell you is that it all started with a messed up wooden beam…

Rachel Clift
Producer

About a month ago, a reporter from a well-respected magazine, ARCHITECTURAL RECORD, visited the build site to write a story about URBANbuild 08. The students were thrilled for the attention, and excited to share their project with the larger architecture and design community. The magazine story itself was glowing, but imagine how disheartened the students felt when a bunch of “armchair architects” wrote disparaging comments about the new house, following the article. Sprinkled among several positive letters of support were shocking phrases from anonymous readers, emboldened by the free-for-all Internet but too cowardly to sign their real names.

The main complaint – one that has been voiced much more constructively by a few of the neighbors – centers on the highly modern URBANbuild style. An informed dialogue might have included reasonable questions like: Are the Tulane houses an appropriate build choice for this neighborhood, where traditional model homes are close to the hearts of longtime residents? How might they contribute to a new vision for the neighborhood, and for New Orleans? What works about this design, and what can be improved for future prototypes? How can we be inspired by the traditional architectural styles of New Orleans, yet at the same time express our new times, new technology, and new attention to climate changes in a bold new architecture?

As it was, a few responses were so irresponsible that even Casey, the ever-grinning morale booster, was left with a broken spirit. Right after that, her wallet was stolen from her car a block away from the site. We’re seriously beginning to wonder if she’ll come back to work tomorrow.

Rachel Clift
Producer

The TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, US of A took place a few weeks before “Architecture School” hit the airwaves. It was a classic LA industry event; chock full of agents, industry execs and talent… very organized and very cool. We unveiled “Architecture School”, our Sundance Channel series, to a roomful of critics/journalists. Come to think of it, the room might have been full because of the other new Sundance series, “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…” onstage right after us, an hour of music/interviews hosted by Elvis Costello. We met Elvis in the green room before our presentation (thanks Lynne K.). He was nice and seemed to know his way ’round an architectural discussion; even referenced the Italian renaissance architect Brunelleschi once. The dude is smart… and cool.

Anyway I stray… The show looks great. Michael, Rob and the whole crew did a great job. It’s been at least 5 years since Michael and I began talking about somehow connecting our architect side with our filmmaker side… and it’s finally happened. Michael’s already mentioned how our big epiphany came while I was teaching at Auburn University and he came down to sit on a panel discussion with me (titled: The Architect in Hollywood). Thank you Sam Mockbee and your progeny. We pitched several architecture programs and ultimately choose Tulane. Not enough room in a brief blog to get into the personalities, politics and bureaucratic nuances of the American University system… Suffice to say the show ended up where it was supposed to be – New Orleans, Louisiana. (Aided in no small part by the patience and vision of the folks at Sundance.)

Being from New Orleans and having taught at Tulane it warms my heart to see Byron Mouton (an ex-student of mine) and his studio full of charismatic students design and build in 9 months (insert pregnancy analogy here) a NOLA inspired modern home in a still recovering uptown neighborhood. It’s a story of the fearless idealism we find in architecture schools meeting the cold, hard, sometimes scary reality of post Katrina New Orleans.

I love watching the scenes from the studio. Students second guessing themselves and Byron. The late night soul searching of the students wondering whether to act on their own embryonic design instinct or to “do what Byron wants”. The constructive (occasionally brutal) comments made by design professionals during “pin-ups”. Reed Kroloff, former-Dean of Tulane Architecture, one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, being the “bad cop” to Byron’s “good cop”. (Byron became both the good cop and bad cop once building started.) It’s all there. All the stuff that made us the good intentioned, underpaid lot we are… architects.

A half hour before Michael, Byron, Reed and I were scheduled to go onstage in front of the TCA, Byron and I were sitting in the lobby of the Beverly Hilton shooting the breeze. Spike Lee walked by with an entourage of scribbling/taping critics following in lock step. Beautiful people on cell phones wandering conspicuously through the hotel that Merv built… and there’s me and Byron. When out of the blue, a young man walks up to Byron, calls him by his full name, then extends his hand to shake. Byron always the ready professional stood up and shook Aaron Barnhart’s hand, the television critic for the Kansas City Star. Aaron proceeded to sit down and tell us in 5 minutes exactly what our show was about. It made my day… Well, actually meeting Elvis Costello made my day but Aaron’s concise and precise observations about “Architecture School” were a close second…

And my point? …I’ve lived in Los Angeles and the So-Cal area for over twenty years and not one time have I ever been recognized “on the street” for any work I’ve done in the industry. My good friend, Byron Mouton is here for two days and he’s picked out of a lobby full of television heavy hitters… by name. Hey, what about my needs? …Move over Howard Roark and Mike Brady. Apparently, there’s a new kid in town.

Stan Bertheaud
Co-Creator/Consulting Producer

Casey isn’t the only one feeling down. Despite their stoic appearance, the rest of the group has been pretty low on fuel. Byron’s never-ending “Punch List” (the final To-Do’s) is written on a wooden slab that leans against an unfinished living room wall. Every time they cross off a task, two more appear. The students are burnt out and can’t find the fun in their work.

Hmmmm. I can relate.

Like building a house, making a documentary is a collaborative effort, and it requires constant teamwork, effective communication, and determination to solve all problems as they arise – and they do, every day. Sometimes the rough patches can knock you off kilter. Filming on location for long stretches of time can also be a challenge. I’ll admit it: Although cuddling with Coz goes a long way, I’m feeling a little homesick.

But what’s life without hard work? Bad days come and go, and the good ones are great. Small things lift you up, like when Big Jack, a surly old neighbor across the street, says “You know, it’s growin’ on me. Those kids worked hard for that house. It ain’t too bad.”

Or you’re walking through the French Quarter late at night, cameras and tripods and batteries weighing you down, when all of a sudden, from around a corner there appears a traditional New Orleans wedding parade, white scarves waving as the merry crowd marches down the street, bride and groom aglow in the moonlight.

The most important thing for us in that we BELIEVE IN what we’re doing. If we can find value and meaning in our work – personally, politically, socially – then it’s worth every effort, and a few bad days.

A finished house, a TV show – that’s the icing. Or the sugar, if you’re like me and you prefer beignets.

Rachel Clift
Producer

Crawfish Boils are a Louisiana staple. But thanks to a nasty fever I got from too much Mardi Gras and not enough rest, I missed out on the Cajun festivities at Byron’s house that night. Dan Gilbert, our Associate Producer in New York, came down to help me out just in time for the delicious and apparently provocative meal. I won’t spread rumors, but…Dan told me that Wesley told him that our sound guy said there were some unsavory comments made. See entry above.

And check out Dan Gilbert’s blog entry [gilbysworld.blogspot.com]
about his time down here in the Big Easy. He’s included some excellent restaurant options for those of you planning a food tour. It’s one of the best ways to discover New Orleans. If afterwards you want to plan your own boil, looky here [www.lacrawfish.com].

Rachel Clift
Producer

Guess what, folks? It’s still Mardi Gras. And I hate to ask, but when’s the party over? This little girl is exhausted, and so are we.

Yesterday Rob went to the King Arthur parade and got hit in the head with a string of purple beads that actually drew blood. People have been stumbling down the street, yelling outside our apartment building all day, every day, for the past two weeks. And the masks. They’re starting to freak me out.

As for WORK, the roads are constantly blocked so we haven’t been able to shoot for three days… and counting, except for shooting parades on foot.

Meanwhile, the students haven’t touched a hammer since the shear wall went up last week. (See lonesome shear wall behind Amarit and drinking buddies below.) Argh! This might seem odd, but too many days off in a row can make you go crazy.

Morale of the story: If you decide to come on down next year for America’s biggest pre-Lent party, pick your days wisely… and bring hard hats. Turns out they come in handy.

Rachel Clift
Producer