What Architect Carlo Scarpa Has Taught Me
The work of architect Carlo Scarpa has been an inspiration and a point of reference in building a life that reveals who I am without pretenses.
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A Place of Origin: Something to Hold On To
Daughter Nastasya interviewed me for a class assignment. She wanted to hear about the day I left The Soviet Union, my place of origin, as a political refugee.
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Stone Walkways: Dry Construction or Wet Construction?
Last year, in addition to being under a tight deadline, I was working with a very tight budget. Consequently, I compromised on stone walkways, opting for “pool sand,” which turned out to be a mistake (soft underfoot and sticks to shoes). A year later, I am ready to fix it and am trying to decide…
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8 Tips on Displaying Objects: From Museum to Home
Yesterday, I went to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) with the sole purpose of collecting tips on displaying objects. I wanted to see what can anyone learn from a museum to apply at home.
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Nature-Inspired Design: Site Visit 2
In my previous post I wrote about nature-inspired design and my visit to a construction site four months ago. This week I was fortunate to come back and see the progress. My fellow DIY-er, who is too private and wishes to remain anonymous, is building a series of structures among the existing trees in his…
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11-Step Method Helps You DIY Like an Architect
Day two of my DYI Like an Architect two-day workshop at Art Center College of Design. Everyone is very enthusiastic about the process of approaching a design project with the 11-step method.
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How Do You Start a Design Project? 11-Step Method!
The first day of my DYI Like an Architect workshop at Art Center College of Design went really well! We tackled how do you start a design project question by learning DIY Ally’s 11-step method.
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DIY Like an Architect Workshop at Art Center College of Design
If you would rather lose a limb than surrender control of your dream project but would enjoy learning some tricks of the trade, the workshop I lead might be of interest. It is a two-day DIY Like an Architect workshop offered at ArtCenter College of Design.
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Home Depot and DIY Ally Update My Studio Apartment
Hello, my name is Mia. Alla DIY Ally is my mother and I have been consulting with her recently in the process of moving into a new studio apartment in lower Manhattan. Although some of its aspects were very outdated, as a renter with a budget even smaller than my NYC closet space, remodeling was…
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How to Design a Curbless Walk-in Shower
A potential client (she is in her early seventies) recently shared with me that her contractor would not hear of a curbless walk-in shower. He talked her out of it. As DIY Ally, I would like to make a case for it. It’s quite doable and is certainly worth the effort.
