Supply Station #3 Michael's Arts and Crafts

Michael's Arts and Crafts

Your regular arts and crafts store, they have everything from beads to thread and needles. Not everything in the store is online, so sometimes it's best to check out the store in person. Be warned all art and architecture majors, you will walk in with money, and walk out happy and penniless. 

Location: 2170 Coliseum Dr. Hampton Virginia 23666

Phone: 757-827-0176

Website: www.michaels.com

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm
           Sunday 10am-7pm

What They Have:

• Art Supplies
• Bakeware
• Beads
• Craft Painting 
• Floral
• Framing
• General Crafts
• Home Decor
• Student/Teacher Supplies
• Scrapbooking
• Season/Celebrations
• Wedding

Advantages

Lots of drawing supplies, pens, papers, and pencils, as well as anything you might need for hand rendered work. They are also fairly close to campus, being only a bus ride away. You can take any bus going to Peninsula Towne Center to get there, which is only $3.50 for an all day pass or two 1-way passes, which is cheaper than asking for a ride for $5 from a senior.

What's So Great About Granby Street?

Downtown Norfolk is a place I've tried to avoid. I had a bad experience there, and have tried to keep it at an arms length ever since. Enter 3rd year Architecture Studio, and guess where we're headed? You guessed it. My classmate and I took a trip down there a couple of weekends ago, to take pictures and sketch our new project site. I didn't have time to post them due to various things, most of them being other classes. However, since the project is due next week, and I want to show process, I figure better late than never.

Our project is for a company called Retail Alliance. The site is located on Granby Street in Downtown Norfolk and is currently a parking lot. The site is facing the TCC's Roper Performing Arts Center from the front and the Freemason Parking Garage from the back, and is sandwiched between the Madison Hotel and the TRDance Center.
Our professor wants the building we design to be an arcade on the first floor, with office spaces on the second. One of the hardest parts about this project is that it's going to be our first time dealing with Zoning and Building Codes.

Site as of today.

We also passed by the company's current headquarters, which was a bit farther up on Granby. You can tell me what you think about the building in the comments, but all I know is that those windows are killing me. Earlier this week I was describing to my friend "windows that look like they were done on a computer", and this describes my point perfectly.

Retail Alliance's Current Office

Since I had the whole day for Site Analysis, I decided to give Downtown Norfolk a proper look. Once I did, all I could think was, "I have to come back!". The architecture by itself was enough for me to stare at facades for hours, but when coupled with the history and (very important) walk-ability, we have a match made in heaven. 

Norfolk College for Young Ladies

Mini Site History 

• Granby Street was named in 1796 to honor Englishman John Manners (1721-1770), Marquess of Granby
• In 1889, to the right of our site was the Leachwood Seminary. The Norfolk College for Young Ladies was located where the College Plaza of Tidewater Community College is now.
• The Loew's Theater, was opened in 1926, but was closed in the 1970's. It was reopened as the Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center in 2000.
• In 1935, the current TRDance Center was a Hofheimer's Shoe store, and "it claimed that it was the most modern shoe store in the South, with all retail space on one floor, including a children's playground and children's and ladies' barber shop".
• From 1976 to 1986, part of Granby St. was closed and was renamed the Granby Mall.

Though a lot of Granby's Roaring Twenties grandeur is gone, some of the buildings still survive to gives us an idea of what Norfolk would've looked like back then. 

The Roper Performing Arts Center. The inside has been restored to its former beauty and the interior is what I like to call "swank". They found some old movie posters when they were redoing the inside, from back in the early 1900's and they are now displayed in the lobby. 

The Maddison Hotel, with a truly grand entrance. Some of my classmates were able to go inside, but from all that I can tell on the internet, the hotel itself is closed. This place has the honor of having the craziest windows that I have ever seen. 

The designers for this building beat symmetry like it stole something, but somehow, it works. 

Two of my classmates checking out the window display for the building next door, the TRDance Center. We got to meet the owner, Mr. Todd Rosenlieb, and got to see the interior of the building as well. After some digging I found that it was called the Strand Theater, probably after it was a shoestore.

The Velvet Lounge, one of the several nightlife spots on Granby. 

The Monticello Arcade, the prettiest of the two Norfolk arcades in my opinion. I have a thing for the color green, as you may have noticed in my previous posts. We didn't get to go inside the building, as it's closed for the weekend, but the facade was definitely worth the trip.

I would have no idea how to replicate this in an actual drawing. This entrance is located right next to the Monticello Arcade, and is a pretty impressive sight.

I like this building for the horizontal articulation and for the first floor especially. I wonder if it was just the first floor and they added the other floors later on.

The Selden Arcade, one of two arcades in Downtown Norfolk. This particular arcade is filled with art galleries and stores, and has interactive pieces of art. There is also a gallery on the second floor, unseen on the far side of the building. 

I'm not sure of the name of this building, i know that it contains a bookstore called Prince Books, and that  I love the arches at the entrance and the color of the brick very much. 

Not all of the buildings I have shown here are on Granby Street, but they're only a couple of blocks away, mostly on Main Street. This is only a drop in the ocean of what Norfolk has to offer, and I'm sure I'll be back soon. 

To Ride or Not to Ride: Hampton Roads Transit

Why don’t more HU students ride the bus? Is it because it’s dirty, unreliable, and confusing? Yes, yes, and yes. Is it cheap, gets you where you’re going eventually, and cheap? Yes, yes, and yes again. For easy perusing I shall break this down into separate sections. By using the bus you can save a lot of money, and by planning in advance, you can save time too.

Don't let this be you.

Bus Stops

There are 2 main bus stops that HU students can use, as well as a secondary stop at the Veterans Hospital. The first main stop is the bus stop by the Burger King. This stop is only serviced by 2 buses, the 117 bus that goes to HU and the Veteran’s Hospital, and the 961 express bus. Make sure that if you take the 961 that you stand on the opposite side of the street, or you’ll find yourself in Norfolk really quickly. In reality, you should only take the 961 in an emergency since they charge you $3.00 one-way.

The second main stop is the Hampton Transit Center, which is actually a 15-20 minute walk away from campus. However, if you’re traveling with friends, which I highly recommend you do, the trip seems much shorter. Not to mention that it can take longer to wait for the bus than to just walk to the transit Center. It will also cost you $1.50, in addition to the $1.50 to get to your final destination, just to get to the Transit Center, which is where the 117 bus goes to anyway.

Fares

Your typical one-way bus fare will cost you $1.50. This is way cheaper than one of your friends with a car charging you for gas money, especially considering today’s gas prices. Keep in mind that you can buy your tickets with a credit card at the bus station, or with cash, but know that once you’re on the road and trying to get on another bus, they will only take cash, and if you have more than enough, they will not give you change. This is why I usually suggest getting the all day pass, formally known as the GO 1-Day Pass.

The GO 1-Day Pass costs $3.50 but is still much cheaper than getting a ride or getting a taxi. It is also very helpful if you get lost, because if you get on the bus, and don’t have change, you will be out of luck. Unfortunately, this has happened to me more times than I want to remember. Learn from my mistakes. 

Once you become really good at riding the bus, you might only need to take one bus each way, in which case you can just buy 2 one-way cards to save 50 cents. I know, penny-pinching, but if you ride the bus regularly, the nickels and dimes start to add up. I keep a special jar just for change in my room, so I will always have extra change for the bus. 

Additional Information

HRT website: http://www.gohrt.com/

Hampton Roads Transfer Center

Location: 2 W. Pembroke Ave, Hampton, VA 23669

Phone: (757) 222-6100

Newport News Transfer Center

Location: 150 35th St. Newport News, VA 23607

Phone:  (757) 222-6100


Important Tips

When in doubt, ask the bus driver. If you're in doubt about anything at all, ask them before you leave the bus. Doing so can be the difference between getting to your destination and being stranded in Newport News. Good questions to ask are:

• When is the last bus leaving here?
• How long before the next bus?
• Where does this bus go?
• Is there a different stop for coming back?
• Will this bus get me to my destination? 

Asking questions is very important! Many things can potentially go wrong. Just asking these questions can stop you going in the wrong direction. The HRT websites also has additional useful tips and tools.

I know what you're thinking. "Suzy this is all really helpful, but where can I go? Stay tuned for my post on Thursday, giving you specific instruction for getting to malls, grocery stores, and shopping centers.

Discovering Richmond Part 4

Pipeline Rapids. It sounds like a Kings Dominion water slide. It is so much better. No lines, no traffic, and best of all free admission. It is actually a part of the James River Park System, and apart from Belle Isle, is one of their crowning achievements. The rapids are slightly isolated, and you can get to them from either Brown Island or the Canal Walk on 12th and Byrd Streets.

The name of the rapids came from a water pipeline that the walkway is on top of, which hangs underneath a CSX railway line. If you get there at the right time you can experience the trains going right over your head. There are railings on most of the pipeline, mostly the parts that go over the rapids. The lack of railings isn't all bad, because it makes it easier to jump straight from the walkway to the rocks that are by the riverside.

There are many things to do at pipeline rapids, from kayaking to fishing and bird-watching (a great heron rookery is located there). The first time I went past it, I liked it so much I decided to have my birthday party there. And I did. And it was awesome. The beach and rushing water make it a great place to relax, and its located conveniently enough for anyone to go. I am honestly a bit scared to talk about it, but it is really too good not to share. Enjoy!

One of the walkways 3 semi-private beaches,.They are separated by the concrete pillars and foliage on both sides. It gives you the impression of having a whole section of the river to yourself.

The two-way CSX railway that is on top of the walk-way. It's pretty cool to see the trains, but you might want to look up, because rocks have a habit of falling down and hitting you in the eye as the trains rush past. 

The water pipeline that gives these rapids their name.Its covered with a kind of gravely concrete that's been flattened to give a better foothold when walking across.

The end of the metal walkway. I would have taken more pictures of it, but there was a lot of traffic on the walkway that day. 

In parts the river is shallow enough to wade to the islands on the other side. This is not one of those parts.

These are the columns of some power lines that span the rapids to (or from) the Southside.

Bridge to the Southside in the distance.

Apart of the river that looks suspiciously like it might have been a canal tow path, way back when the locks were working. 

The sandy path to Browns island. Mind the tree roots that stick out the ground!

The Browns Island entrance to Pipeline Rapids. It might look like a sandy wooded path, mostly because it is. 

The perfectly manicured grass of Browns Island, with its bridge to the Canal Walk and mainland Richmond. 

At the end of the day I was too tired to go back home by Pipeline Rapids, so I just took the Canal Walk from Browns Island. Good thing too, or I would have missed out on the $1 hotdogs at City Dog's on Cary. 

The walk was thoroughly enjoyable, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who ever happens to be in Richmond. If you want more information on the Pipeline Rapids, check out the blog Richmond on the James.

To the architecture students, this particular walk illustrates to me the importance of reusing public space. Instead of just leaving it as a water pipeline the area is now a public recreational area that all of Richmond can enjoy. We can avoid urban sprawl if we just learn to reuse and rethink the spaces we have within our cities. I know everyone can think of an empty lot, building, or useless space in their neighborhood that could be re purposed to make something worthwhile. Let us push, as architects and architecture students, to make positive change, and make the most of the space we have.

Discovering Richmond Part 3

We are once again in the Fan District for the third installment of the Discovering Richmond series. I am always drawn to this area, probably because it has the highest concentration of columns and porches in the Metro area. I took these pictures last winter to be honest, but they are no less interesting for being old.

For this set, I traveled down Boulevard. According to its Wikipedia entry it is a border between the Carytown/Museum District and the Fan District. It contains many architectural styles, including Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, and Late Victorian. 


For the architecture majors out there, I again promote taking as many pictures as possible. I'm considering making a facade catalog for myself, so i can use it for future Classical projects. It's also useful for letting you know what you can and can't do for windows. If you couldn't do it, then it wouldn't be built. 


We once had a project where one of my classmates pretty much copied a building out right, and the professor showered him with praise. You might think this is cheating or selling out to your own creativity, but some professors are more interested in a good design than one you think is completely unique. Of course, the argument is that nothing is unique or original and that everything that can be done already has. Do not, however, let this discourage you. Some teachers want design that all comes from you, some want you to do something different using classical concepts and designs. It all really comes down to your professor.


Here are my photos and I hope you enjoy them. I definitely enjoyed taking them, despite the cold.  

I'm pretty sure this was my starting point. I took photos of street signs only when the lighting made them legible. As you will see, I only have pictures of 2 despite walking down many blocks. This tells you what kind of lighting I was dealing with.

The first and last synagogue that I have seen in Richmond.

There are a lot of buildings dedicated to the Confederacy on this particular road. 

Columns to die for!

Richmond has many examples of beautiful windows. 

Daughters of the Confederacy Building

Christmas decorations everywhere, I think this was post-noel. 

I love the style of this building, which is a stark contrast to the snow and cold that surrounds it. It made me feel warmer just looking at it. 

The many details on this window are interesting, from the colored glass, to the carvings on top and the bright  color of the window itself.

I would love to use this opening design in one of my buildings. It reminds me of many doors and windows I have seen in Islamic architecture. 

I would hazard a guess that this facade is around 20 ft wide.

Another church, featuring trigylphs but no frieze. These buildings show many different examples for options for Classical design.

I shall follow that trail one day.

One of the many statues on Monument Ave. This one of Stonewall Jackson as you can see on the pedestal below. 

The intersection of Monument Ave. and Boulevard

A Visual Arts Studio/Gallery 

I'm pretty sure this is a church. Yup, definitely a church.

I need to walk this street again this summer, you can see the snow still in some of these photos, I can do it as a before and  after piece. I saw many churches that day, and I noticed that the design for them was very similar. The consistent idea of grand entrance involved columns, a grand stairway and a pediment. I will try to get more pictures of the residences on this road because they are very lovely, and feature many layered porches.