After we published an article featuring some of the “feel-good” stories that we hear about through the vine in the A&D community, we realized we should share even more of these kind of stories. Reminiscent of our + On That Note section, which can always be found on the last page of every print issue in interiors+sources, we decided to continue the theme of the article and turn it into a bi-weekly series that we at i+s like to call Feel Good Friday.
Published every other Friday, this new online series highlights good works that those in the design industry carry out to help better their communities. From donating to hurricane relief efforts to ending major conferences with a day of service, we’ve heard a variety of stories already that leave us feeling good the rest of the day. Big or small, no act of kindness should go unnoted, so if you have a story to share, we’d love to hear about it.
In the meantime, check out our latest Feel Good Friday installment below, which features a unique cat habitat and beautifully-designed wooden spoons.
Jump to Feline-Friendly Architecture | Causing a Stir
Feel Good with Feline-Friendly Architecture
Every year since the early 2000s, a group of animal-loving architects from MBH Architects' Alameda, Calif.-based offices have teamed up to participate in the annual Petchitecture fundraiser, an event in which custom-designed, pet-friendly habitats are auctioned off in order to benefit PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support). The volunteer-based organization provides needed companion animal services to hundreds of low-income San Franciscans so they can continue to benefit from the healing power and unconditional love of their beloved pets.
This year, the MBH team collaborated with local manufacturer Concreteworks in order to create its Pawbble habitat – a funky, semi-globular concrete piece topped with a plush pillow seat, perfect for kneading and napping (cats’ two favorite things). A group of smaller pillows serve as soft companions for play or downtime. The concrete habitat was cast in an EPS foam mold that was formed using a 5-axis DSM router. The piece was then sealed with a colorless, stain-resistant finish for extra durability.
MBH teams across the nation have consistently found ways to give back to their communities, so it’s no surprise that this pet-friendly project is one that this particular team looks forward to each year. It allows the architects and designers to flex their creative muscles on a very different kind of design that aids an organization that does tremendous work for the community.
Jump to Feline-Friendly Architecture | Causing a Stir
Feel Good with Causing a Stir
Manhattan-based Artiz Gallery recently hosted artist Patti Grabel’s solo exhibition, Causing a Stir.
Having a particular interest in the sculptural and cultural significance of spoons, Grabel has created a series of photographic compositions printed on paper or glass depicting wooden spoons. Her exhibition features a curated collection of limited edition photographic prints. Grabel’s prints feature spoons that she has painted and arranged on canvas to convey a diversity of meanings and tell stories that we can all relate to, including the centrality of family and friends, the importance of physical and spiritual nourishment, the ability of art to communicate and engage, and the power that comes from creative expression and self-determination.
Most notably, Grabel is donating a portion of sales from the show to City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization. City Harvesthelps feed more than 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. The nonprofit will receive 10 percent of all sales throughout the Causing a Stir exhibition, which ran from Sept. 14-20.
“Spoons are the most beautiful utilitarian object,” said Grabel. “It’s something you would open your mouth for easily and accept. It’s something we feed our children with, it’s what we feed our family with. When you’re holding a spoon, it extends your hand, which extends your heart, which infuses love and soul into what we cook.”
