Tag: optima

Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier’s Chaise

Posted on by Nancy

Many know the name Le Corbusier, but not nearly enough people are familiar with Charlotte Perriand, the French architect and designer behind Le Corbusier’s renowned chaise lounge. It was against all odds that Perriand even began working for Le Corbusier, as she was famously turned away from his atelier with the line: “We don’t embroider cushions here.” Celebrating her strong point of view and strong-headed nature, today we’re exploring the work and complicated relationships of Charlotte Perriand.

The Le Corbusier LC4 Chaise Lounge, designed by Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret
The Le Corbusier LC4 Chaise Lounge, designed by Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Credit: Tim Evanson on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

The Work of Charlotte Perriand

Around 1925, Charlotte Perriand began exhibiting her work in galleries, shortly after graduating from school. Perriand used her own apartment as a place to test out her tastes, renovating the space using a built-in wall bar made of aluminium, glass and chrome and a card table with built-in pool-pocket drink holders. In 1927, she recreated this design as the Bar sous le Toit (“Bar under the roof” i.e. “in the attic”) at the 1927 Salon d’Automne. The Bar sous le Toit installation was reflective of Perriand’s machinelike style, which was unique for women designers at the time. She unabashedly employed materials like aluminium, steel and leather, also a departure from the previously reigning style of design, which was mainly crafted from rare woods. This remarkable and innovative installation is what first put her name on the map.

Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier

In 1927 (at just 24 years old), Perriand waltzed in Le Corbusier’s atelier asking for a job, and it was then that she was met with: “We don’t embroider cushions here.” That was the same year her Bar sous le Toit premiered at Salon d’Automne; and when Le Corbusier’s cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, took Le Corbusier to see the exhibit, Le Corbusier changed his tune. Recognizing Perriand’s undeniable talent, Le Corbusier apologized and hired her as a furniture designer.

The trio — Perriand, Le Corbusier and Jeanneret — collaborated closely, “like three fingers on one hand,” according to Perriand. Together, they designed the LC4 Chaise Lounge, which they described as a “machine for sitting.” The chaise became one of the most seminal pieces of Modernist furniture in history — and that was just one part of their collaborations together. Perriand worked with Le Corbusier for a decade, helping to publicize and innovate his atelier and designs until she made the decision to step “out of his shadow and into a successful career of her own.”

Creative Container Gardening

Posted on by Nancy

In cities throughout the country, container gardening is a staple in multifamily housing where space may be limited. And while at home during shelter-in-place orders, many were inspired to test out their green thumbs. We’ve always prioritized green spaces within our projects, from rooftop foliage to lush vertical landscapes, and we love to see our residents doing the same. For those looking to get creative with container gardening, here are a few ideas and inventions to help inspire:

Know Your Basics

This may seem like a no-brainer, but understanding factors like lighting, drainage and materials can drastically affect which plants thrive on a patio or terrace. You’ll also have to choose between annuals, perennials, herbs or greenery. And of course, consider your location. Plants that thrive in Arizona’s climate may not translate well into Chicago’s weather. Knowing your home’s plant hardiness zone can help you decide what to grow. 

Embrace Edible Greens

Don’t let growing your own food or herbs intimidate you; it can be done, even if you have limited space. In fact, gardening your produce in containers can actually help you control growing conditions and potential pests. Larger pots, proper drainage, and potting mix specifically designed for containers will help your efforts. For an extra growth boost, plant flowers that will attract pollinators. For more in-depth tips, the Old Farmer’s Almanac has extensive resources for all things container gardening. 

Try New Technology

It’s 2020, so gardening technology has evolved to meet your needs. If you travel often or forget to water your plants, invest in self-watering planters. If you want a show-stopping tower of plants,  The Farmstand takes container gardening to the next level, with options to grow 200+ varieties of plants with minimal user effort. Or if you want to keep track of the health of your plants from your smartphone, check out devices like the Parrot Flower Power. 

Whether it’s in Illinois or Arizona, our passion for bringing the outdoors inside serves to inspire and welcome. We hope it inspires our Optima community members to do the same. 

An Inside Look at Architect Lingo, Part II

Posted on by Nancy

Our team is joined together by a love of exceptional design — so naturally, design is our shared language. From property managers to accountants to architects, we’ve all come to know and love the architect lingo that helps us communicate our passions, our creations and our vision. In celebration — and in follow up to February’s blog — we’re sharing Part II of our inside look at architect lingo.

Juxtaposed facade and surrounding landscape at Optima Sonoran Village
Juxtaposed facade and surrounding landscape at Optima Sonoran Village.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition refers to the fact of two things being placed close together with a contrasting effect. It’s the intentional creation of, and analysis of, a relationship that brings about exciting new realizations and discoveries, bringing added layers of meaning to each individual object and their relation to one another. 

In architecture, the use of juxtaposition becomes particularly striking, manifesting on a large scale in entire building facades. With everything we build at Optima, we consider the relationship — or juxtaposition — between the built and natural environment. How does each entity influence and illuminate the other to positive effect? In our desert dwellings, juxtaposition occurs between the organic beauty of the arid landscape and the bold, Modernist facade of the houses, built in concrete and glass to intentionally illuminate their counterpart. 

Looking out the windows at Optima Biltmore Towers
Looking out the windows at Optima Biltmore Towers.

Fenestration

Derived from the Latin word fenestrae (windows), fenestration is defined as the arrangement of any holes in a building’s facade. More specifically, this usually refers to the doors and windows on the elevation of a building. 

From the most basic standpoint, fenestration allows for the entry and exit of people into and out of a structure. That being said, fenestration historically posed a challenge to architects, because poking holes in a structure can weaken its resiliency. With Modern construction and increasingly durable building hardware, architects are freed up to explore fenestration with more liberty and inventiveness, going beyond the practical to examine decorative approaches.

The terraced design of Optima Camelview Village
The terraced design of Optima Camelview Village.

Terrace

Terraces originated as a series of flat areas made on a slope for cultivation purposes, but have evolved into any level or paved area next to a building. Their uses vary widely, from still being tied to agricultural practices to now being a place of leisure and pleasure. 

At Optima, our approach to the terrace is with respect to its landscaping origins — we employ terraces that allow our buildings, and their residents, to live in harmony with the surrounding landscape. We see the relationship between cultivating plantlife and cultivating relaxing spaces as intrinsically related.

Stay tuned for future features on the world of architecture lingo at Optima.

Chicago’s Public Art: Agora

Posted on by Nancy

At Optima, our appreciation for sculpture runs deep, with Optima co-founder David Hovey Sr. expanding the design reach of Optima to include his own original sculptures. Indulging in our love for the craft, we’re exploring Chicago’s public art, piece-by-piece. This week, it’s all about Agora, by Polish sculptor and fiber artist Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017).

Agora

It’s hard to miss the sculpture Agora, prominently displayed on the southwest side of Grant Park in Chicago. The 106-foot tall creation consists of a cluster of headless, walking figures, each made out of hollow and faded cast iron that was crafted in a Polish foundry. The artwork invites viewers to walk through the figures and contemplate. The figures themselves appear to be milling about in a crowd, all aimed in different directions. 

The name Agora is a reference to the urban meeting places of Ancient Greek city states. The artist, Abakanowicz, grew up during World War II with an intense fear of crowds, and that claustrophobia is reflected in her work. Inspired, or rather horrified by, the groupthink of that time and Soviet rule, Abakanowicz brought the sculpture to life. She began working on creating large headless figures in the 1970s, using burlap and resin before the final cast iron form, and the sculpture was formally installed in Chicago in 2006. 

Agora is Magdalena Abakanowicz’s largest permanent installation. However, she’s well known for her other textile sculptures and biomorphic forms, the most famous of which are her Abakans creations. The overwhelming response to her Abakans is what launched her to an international art spotlight, where she’s now regarded as one of Poland’s most internationally acclaimed artists. 

We’re honored to celebrate the innovation, creativity, work and life of Magdalena Abakanowicz, a phenomenal woman and artist.

Modern Furniture 101

Posted on by Nancy

As our tagline “Forever Modern” implies, Modern design is integrated into every part of our business and our work. Our inspired interiors are no exception; full of Modernist artwork, sculpture and furniture, the interiors of our properties reflect the same principles and aesthetic. So what exactly is Modern furniture, and what distinguishes it from other furniture styles? 

A Brief History

Like Modernism itself, Modern furniture design developed in a post-World War II environment that necessitated cutting excess waste, focusing on functionality, and reevaluating the practicality of materials in design. Compared to the decorative styles before it like Victorian, Art Nouveau and Neoclassical, Modernism was a striking departure into new territory. This drastic shift from ornate, decorative pieces to minimal pieces is attributed to new technology, changes in design philosophy and the direction of architecture at the time. Since then, Modern furniture has become an iconic part of interior design history. 

How to Spot Modern Furniture 

Functionality, clean lines, smooth shapes, bold colors and minimal design are all common aspects to Modern furniture. Most iconic pieces of Modern furniture pioneered new uses of materials such as glass, steel and leather, so those are common signs to look for. Odds are, you’ve seen Modern furniture before, especially if you’re in the design or real estate industry. Barcelona chairs, Noguchi coffee tables and Le Corbusier lounges are commonplace in many residential buildings and homes, in the United States and around the world. 

Amenity space at Optima Signature
Amenity space at Optima Signature

To explore the individual and detailed history behind the pieces, here’s a more complete list of popular Modern furniture pieces. Within our practices at Optima, Modern furniture plays a critical role in completing our vision for each space we create. Our Modernist sense of design through architecture and furnishings helps us tell a holistic, intentional story through design. Without this consistency, our buildings and amenity spaces would seem incomplete. Though rooted in the past, Modern furniture integrates beautifully with a bright, inspired future. 

Wellness at Optima Kierland

Posted on by Nancy

As the residential real estate industry develops, amenities are becoming more in-demand, more inventive and more expansive. And wellness is a huge part of that growth. One study from March 2020 predicts that wellness is estimated to be a $4.2 trillion USD industry for the next generation of high-end homebuyers – forecast to grow at nearly twice the rate of the global economy. The amenity spaces we design for our properties are purposefully created for both community and individual wellness. We’ve previously covered wellness at Optima Signature, and today we review and explore wellness at Optima Kierland.

Green space at Optima Kierland
Green space at Optima Kierland

Embracing Nature

Located in the heart of Scottsdale, Arizona, Optima Kierland Center is comprised of 7120, 7140, 7160 and 7180, four buildings which together make a serene retreat from the North Scottsdale urban core. Both the individual residences and the vast amenity spaces feature stunning views of the surrounding desert, not to mention curated landscaping, hanging gardens and communal green space. More than six acres of open green space on the ground level create a park-like setting for the community, and also reduces ambient temperature to mitigate the heat-island effect. In fact, the landscaping actually creates a microclimate that lowers the ambient temperature from 5 to 9 degrees compared to surrounding sidewalks. The oasis-like greenspace of Optima Kierland keeps residents inspired, provides a closeness with the surrounding environment and celebrates the natural desert surroundings.

The Sky Deck and pool at 7120 Optima Kierland
The Sky Deck at 7120 Optima Kierland

Enjoying the Outdoors

Signature to Optima Kierland Center is the inclusion of a Sky Deck on each of the community’s towers. With panoramic views of the city, each Sky Deck also includes a wealth of amenity spaces, including heated pools, spa-grade plunge pools and saunas, indoor-outdoor yoga studios, rooftop walking and running tracks, entertaining spaces with barbecues, covered bars and counter seating, outdoor theater, lush landscaping and more.

Yoga studio at 7120 Optima Kierland
Yoga studio at 7120 Optima Kierland

Connecting with Community

As with all of our multi-family properties, fostering a strong sense of community is a top priority because we believe that connection fosters physical and emotional wellness. At Kierland Center, this intention manifests into the many communal amenity spaces, including fully outfitted sports areas, movie theaters, party rooms, game rooms, and state-of-the-art fitness centers. Each building also includes an exclusive Residents Club so neighbors can enjoy each other’s company regularly. 

In designing spaces around wellness, we inherently design spaces that bring people closer to each other, closer to their environment and closer to their own personal aspirations. Our people-centric approach is what fuels our passion and drives us forward to continue creating in thoughtful, meaningful ways.

The History of Landscape Design

Posted on by Nancy

Landscape design is an integral part of our communities, from our signature vertical landscaping system to intentionally designed sculpture gardens. Each element in our terraces, courtyards and gardens is placed with careful consideration for the aesthetic, function and enjoyment of our residents — inspired by the thought and evolution of centuries of landscape design that came before us. Today, we’re diving deep into that history of landscape design to understand where the craft came from, and where it’s at today.

Ancient Origins of Landscape Design

At the core of landscape design’s history is agricultural development. Beauty and aesthetic function evolved from there, with ancient Japanese gardens designed to facilitate meditation and spiritual connection and ancient Chinese gardens designed as both reflective and social spaces. The two marked features of landscape design are softscaping, utilizing living elements such as trees and flowers, and hardscaping, utilizing non-living additions such as water features, paths, statues and patios. In Japanese gardens, water features were often incorporated in hardscaping while in Chinese gardens, the plants in softscaping often had symbolic, spiritual meaning.

Popularization of Landscape Design

Despite these ancient origins likely dating even further back, the earliest recorded example of landscape design is said to be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon from the 6th century BC. Even then, landscape design isn’t said to have been popularized until it reached the ancient Romans. Their accreditation for the landscape design’s rise is due in part to the fact that they transformed it from something only done for the elites to a practice applied in every home garden. 

From the ancient Romans, landscape design lost momentum during the Middle Ages and was rediscovered by Italy, France and England, respectively, in the 17th century, and was applied to elaborate piazzas, ornate gardens, large parks and even Versailles. The 17th century also saw the rise of cottage-style landscape design, a compact form of gardening that would eventually serve as inspiration for modern day suburban landscaping.

Landscape design at Optima Camelview Village
Landscape design at Optima Camelview Village

Landscape Design in the US Today

In the late 19th century, Frederick Law Olmstead became known as the “Father of American Landscape Architecture.” His aesthetic incorporated sweeping lawns into building design, influencing the US Capital, Central Park in NYC and city planning in Chicago and Cleveland. In 1988, Olmstead founded the American Society of Landscape Architects and classes in the field began to be offered at Harvard in 1900. 

Between evolving urban and suburban landscapes, people’s desire for increased, organized greenspace led to the development of highly evolved outdoor landscaping, gardens and living spaces. The landscape design at Optima reflects this highly evolved trend, incorporating terraces, courtyards, green rooftops and gardens to provide our residents with ways to connect their living spaces with the natural world.

You can learn more about the landscape design at Optima in our green space spotlights on Optima Kierland Center and Optima Sonoran Village.

The Work of Georgia O’Keeffe

Posted on by Nancy

We would be remiss to talk about Modernism without showcasing the women who helped pioneer the movement. One woman in particular, the luminary artist Georgia O’Keeffe, earned herself the nickname the “Mother of American Modernism.” Today, we honor her contributions to Modernism by diving deep into her life and work.

The Life of Georgia O’Keeffe

Born in 1887 in a farmhouse in Wisconsin, Georgia O’Keeffe decided at an early age (10) to become an artist. In 1905, she began her serious formal art training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She later denounced formal education, feeling too constricted by the strict guidelines that art should imitate what was found in nature. 

It wasn’t until 1912 that O’Keeffe discovered the work of Arthur Wesley Dow, and was inspired by the way he uniquely interpreted subject matters, rather than following traditional modes of artistic creation. From there, O’Keeffe gave permission to herself to experiment in forms that furthered her self-expression and development of style. 

Georgia O’Keeffe, Series 1, No 8, 1917. Public Domain.

The Work of Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe is best known for her abstract oil paintings, including many close-ups of flowers. Though many muse the flowers were a symbol for female anatomy, O’Keeffe rejected that interpretation often. Her work was concerned with emphasizing shape and color to illuminate small details.

In 1929, O’Keeffe moved to New Mexico, attempting to escape the socially and artistically oppression of her fame. Partly inspired by a desire to shake Freudian affixations of meaning to her work, and greatly inspired by the native landscape, there O’Keeffe painted New Mexico landscapes and images of animal skulls. 

O’Keeffe’s desert escape and reinvention of inspiration mirrors that of Optima’s own journey, when we expanded to Arizona. We know just how transformative the arid landscape, surprisingly lush desert greenery and culture of the southwest can influence one’s creative scope.

Even in her southwestern escape, O’Keeffe remained heavily in the public eye. Featured in one-woman retrospectives at both the Art Institute of Chicago and the The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan in the 40’s, O’Keeffe became the first woman to ever have a retrospective at the latter. The next three decades saw her style and subject focus evolve, but it was a quiet period until in 1970, when the Whitney Museum of American Art held a retrospective of her work and brought back buzz. 

While O’Keeffe died in 1986, critical acclaim and love for her work remains. In 2014, her 1932 painting Jimson Weed sold for $44,405,000 — more than three times the previous world auction record for any female artist — demonstrating the art world’s acknowledgment of O’Keefe’s unapologetic vision and pioneering a style.

The Sculpture Garden at Optima Sonoran Village

Posted on by Nancy

At Optima, our appreciation and curiosity about materials — and how those materials are expressed — extends beyond architecture and into the artistic medium of sculpture. The sculpture garden at Optima Sonoran Village is home to several original sculptures by Optima founder David Hovey Sr., and exemplifies how art can influence and impact the space it resides within.

Silver Fern, an original Optima sculpture by David Hovey Sr.
Silver Fern, an original Optima sculpture by David Hovey Sr.

The garden includes five original David Hovey Sr. sculptures: Curves and Voids, Silver Fern, Triangles, Intersecting Arches and Duo. Originally created as a large and monumental sculpture, Duo is crafted out of steel to create a striking silhouette alluding to a man and a woman gazing at one another. Meanwhile, Curves and Voids expresses steel and its potential through grand, sweeping curves. The voids are laser cut within the sculpture’s steel planes; the holes provide gaps and textures that contrast and play off of the sculpture’s curves.

Intersecting Arches, an original Optima sculpture by David Hovey Sr.
Intersecting Arches, an original Optima sculpture by David Hovey Sr.

Each original sculpture within the garden is just one of many variations of a design. David Hovey Sr. often experiments with color, size and orientation within his sculpture designs to breathe new life into the same form, placing these iterations across Optima communities. At the sculpture garden at Optima Sonoran Village, Hovey Sr. chose to use Corten steel rather than coat the sculptures in bold hues. He did so to ensure that rather than competing with the building’s vibrant facade, the sculptures would complement the community. Of the five sculptures, Curves & Voids is large-scale, and the other four remain of modest size. 

We invite anyone who visits Optima Sonoran Village to take a stroll through the sculpture garden, to immerse themselves in the art form and to discover how sculpture can transform the space it’s within. 

Neighborhood Spotlight: Phoenix

Posted on by Nancy

Home to Optima Biltmore Towers and a rapidly evolving city skyline, Phoenix is the vivacious and sprawling city capital of Arizona. Today we’re diving deep into why we love Phoenix, its endless pockets to explore and its bustling arts scene.

Phoenix Art Museum. Credit: Wikimedia Commons licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Arts and Culture

Phoenix is thriving in the arts and culture arena, with classic spots like the Phoenix Art Museum whose collection spans from the Renaissance era to the present day and the Heard Museum, showcasing American Indian art, to a burgeoning underground arts scene. Phoenix’s newest walkable arts district, Roosevelt Row, features urban murals, galleries from up-and-coming artists and is the home of First Fridays art extravaganza, a once-monthly neighborhood art crawl.

Taliesin West, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Credit: Teemu008 on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

Architectural Treasures

We’re proud to put down roots in a city that has inspired Modernist architectural masters like Frank Lloyd Wright. Taliesin West is a cornerstone piece of Modernist architecture, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as his winter home and school, and the now-home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The city is also home to the futuristic desert home, Cosanti, designed by Wright’s seminal student, Italian architect Paolo Soleri. 

Desert Botanical Garden
Desert Botanical Garden. Credit: Simeon87 on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

R&R – Both Natural and Manmade

Phoenix also boasts unparalleled access to the natural gems of the Arizona landscape, with options like Desert Botanical Garden, Camelback Mountain (which is also right next to Optima Sonoran Village) and Papago Park all closeby to the urban oasis. When it comes to manufactured R&R, Phoenix is known too for its lush golf courses and luxury spas, where you can while away the day and recenter.

As we continue to expand in Arizona, we look forward to discovering more in our favorite places, and learning about new communities, too. Stay tuned for more neighborhood spotlights on our other Optima communities.

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