You can impact your own Design for Healthy Living

Design for Healthy Living, the latest exhibition at Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), is thought-provoking, interactive, exciting, promising, visual and tactile, and offers opportunities for visitors to provide input for making Atlanta a healthier city—and those suggestions will be shared with our city government!

Design for Healthy Living | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)

Tristan Al-Haddad of Formations Studio is again at MODA with a spectacular, interactive installation. It's not only fun, it's thought-provoking. And it spans the depth and breadth of Gallery 3! I've seen this exhibition three times now and can't resist the allure of playing with glowing rectangular acrylic boxes inscribed with words relative to the exhibition's message.

Gallery 3 also features a number of case studies—success stories!—showcasing how various projects around the country are creating healthy places to...

WALK   BIKE   RIDE   LEARN   PLAY   WORK   LIVE

Design for Healthy Living | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)

As many of you know, I've been a member and fan of MODA since they were located in downtown, a number of years ago. Katie Simms, Exhibitions Manager, was one of the first people at MODA who made me feel welcome and excited to experience the museum. I'm grateful for her kind spirit and brilliant intellect.

Katie is also the curator of Design for Healthy Living and graciously answered a couple of questions for wanderlust ATLANTA readers...

wanderlust ATLANTA: What was the catalyst for the creation of Design for Healthy Living and what epiphanies are you hoping to inspire for those who experience the exhibition?

Katie Simms: "At MODA, we're passionate about the capacity for design to make the world a better place and exhibitions are a great way to explore this. Design for Healthy Living looks at how the built environment can be designed to improve health and well-being for all of us." Katie continued, "If we understand how design affects our health, we will be able to advocate designers, government agencies, and developers for designs that make healthy options available, accessible and affordable for everyone."

Design for Healthy Living | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)

Design for Healthy Living presents a number of case studies, one of my favorite being what's happening in Little Rock, Arkansas. Wanting to turn their ghost-town-after-5pm downtown into a thriving community, they're building a "Creative Corridor", and it's working. Downtown Little Rock is beginning to thrive!

There's a lot happening to poise Atlanta as a healthier city, too. Of course, as with all projects, the effects of current initiatives will be cumulative, and while we have a long way to go, we are making some excellent progress.

For example, look at what the Atlanta Beltline has already accomplished, which has humble beginnings as a college thesis. This is the largest urban redevelopment project in Atlanta's history and the largest in the United States—a 25-year sustainable redevelopment project that will turn 22 miles of historic railroad and industrial sites into a network of parks, multi-use trails, and public transit that connects 45 neighborhoods around the city. It's pure awesomeness!

Serenbe is another magnificent example. Today it's a high-density, environmentally-friendly development—home to more than 400 residents—located 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. Its roots go back more than 15 years, originating with the now-founders taking their children on a weekend outing to introduce them to the Georgia countryside.

Serenbe is also where Les Dames d'Escoffier International-Atlanta Chapter's "Afternoon in the Country" event is held, but more on that fantastic event later.

Design for Healthy Living | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)

Museum visitors are getting in on the act, including school field trip students. Personally, I believe its paramount that we teach our children the importance of healthy design options. They're the ones who will make the greatest impact for future healthy cities. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: How and to what degree do you hope this exhibition will influence action by Atlanta government and her citizens to design and build a city for healthier living?

Katie Simms: "I hope that the exhibition will help visitors to look closely at the spaces where they spend time and think critically about how the design of those spaces impacts their health. The exhibition provides several opportunities for visitors to share their observations and ideas, from how streets could be made safer for pedestrians and cyclists to how the Turner Field site could be redeveloped. We will share all of the visitor feedback with City of Atlanta in the hope that it will be used to make our city a healthier place to live."

Design for Healthy Living | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)

Design for Healthy Living is your opportunity to explore and learn how you can impact your own city's design affecting the health and well-being of your local community, no matter where you live. 

Check out Museum of Design Atlanta's (MODA) website and Facebook page for updates on exhibition-related programming and other awesome events, like LEGOs & Local Beer!

Stealth Field Trip

Installation is underway for an amazing new monolithic sculpture—towering 32-feet—in Midtown in front of the Promenade building, appropriately named Stealth. Its creator is acclaimed and brilliant artist Tristan Al-Haddad of Formations Studio. I had the pleasure of meeting Tristan and seeing Stealth mid-construction, in his studio.

How'd I get such an awesome opportunity? It was another fantastic Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) Field Trip! 

Before I share a little about that Field Trip, be sure to watch the video at the end of this post for a glimpse into just how magnificent Stealth is going to be!

Tristan Al-Haddad | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

MODA Field Trips truly are awesome. You get to meet fascinating people like Tristan and at this one I got to catch up with some of my MODA friends, including Terry Kearns, author of Architecture Tourist. The Field Trips are as much about discovery, learning and fun as they are about building community, which MODA does well. 

Stealth | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

The above photo is of a 3D printed model of Stealth, only inches high. The finished sculpture, 32 feet high, will be fabricated of reinforced concrete, and to prevent "bug holes" (air bubbles) they will be pumping the concrete into the sculpture forms from the bottom up. 

Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

As it turns out, this wasn't the first time I'd see Tristan's work. In researching this writing, I saw photos that nostalgically took me back to an installation at MODA during its January 2012 Emerging Voices exhibition. Tristan exhibited at MODA then and he's exhibiting in their current exhibition, Design for Healthy Living, which is on view through August 9, 2015.

Stealth | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

You never know what kind of fantastic photo-ops you're going to get when you're on a MODA Field Trip! 

A few other MODA Field Trips I've written about include:

• Burnt Wood & Bourbon
• DEX Industries
• MODA at MOCA

Stealth | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

Tristan very generously gave us free rein in the studio, so we not only got to see Stealth mid-build, we got to see elements of other projects—which really made part of his earlier presentation come to life—as well as design sketches, tools of the trade, and we had the grand opportunity to speak with him and members of the Formations Studio team one on one.

Stealth | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

Tristan hadn't been primed to expect the level of questions he would receive from MODA field trippers. Among the group were designers, architects, professors, as well as engineers from MIT, all with fascinating queries.

Tristan, having earned his Master of Architecture, as well as a B.S. in Architecture, from Georgia Tech, was more than armed with the knowledge and expertise to answer all questions, and he did so with enthusiasm and a bit of humor. The audience appreciated both.

Stealth | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

Tristan also studied at the University of Paris - La Villette and the Daniels Center for Building Technology and Urban Design in Genoa Italy. He's won awards and has exhibited around the world. His love for design, architecture, science, materials and art, to name only a few of his interests, are self evident in the extensive litany of his accomplishments. I find him impressive and fascinating! And humble. An admirable combination.

Stealth | Formations Studio | MODA Field Trip

We were all incredibly grateful to Tristan and his team for hosting the MODA Field Trip to Formations Studio and for making the time to create a riveting presentation about some of his works, as well as offering insight into the processes they go through when developing new projects,

Perhaps most of all we were grateful for them letting their working studio be our playground for a while. When Stealth is fully installed, it'll be super cool to say, "I saw it when it was being manufactured...in the studio!"



I'm not sure when the installation of Stealth will be complete or what the unveiling plans are, but keep an eye on the project and treat yourself to an on-foot exploration once it's on display. And please check out the Formations Studio website!

In the meantime, be sure to check out the benefits of Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) membership (and sign up for the next MODA Field Trip) and you might want to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter to stay abreast of announcements for fantastic events like a MODA Field Trip!

Unwired Magic Formula...LEGOs & Local Beer!

I'd been at Museum of Design Atlanta's "Drink in Design" event for about 20-25 minutes before it struck me...people were not on their phones! And the crowd was mostly young professionals who many would expect to be furiously pounding their phones and relentlessly making selfies. That was not the case during this event!

So, what's the magic formula to get people off their phones, to have fun, and talk face-to-face with each other? Evidently, it's LEGOs and Local Beer, the theme of the evening's gathering. Who knew unwired could be so much fun!

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

These two (pictured above) were having gobs of fun! As was everyone else in the museum, but the fun these two were having fun of the monumental sort. And at least one of them, if not both, must have a design or art background...don't you love their one-eyed creature!

It was shocking to me that at this event, where everyone was engaged with the LEGOs and EACH OTHER, I found myself embarrassed to bring out my phone, even to check the time. I was attending a play across the street at the Alliance Theatre that evening, so I had to check the time, but I felt compelled to do so discretely. How funny is that!  

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

MODA owns approximately a bazillion sets of LEGOs, so they were set for that portion of their "LEGOs & Local Beer" event. For the beer portion, Hop City Craft Beer & Wine , its newest location at Krog Street Market, was pouring four different Monday Night Brewing beers. Monday Night Brewing is a personal favorite for its Tour & Tasting events, and they have an awesome huge patio!

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

MODA has awesome volunteers! I've had the pleasure of meeting many of them over the years and I applaud their contributions to the museum, to the museum's events, and for furthering their personal passion for design..."Thank you, Volunteers!"

If you'd like to volunteer for MODA, please call the museum and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator, or email them via their website. Of course you can ask when visiting, too.

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

This was the second "LEGOs & Local Beer" event hosted by MODA. The first one drew in a lot of groups. This one drew in groups, but more individuals than before. So, MODA demonstrating its design brilliance and flare for creating community, presented a contest...a team contest. 

The object of the game was to form teams and then build any of three proposed objects: a mythological creature, a tiny house, or a spaceship. I was of course rooting for the spaceship builders! Keep an eye out for MODA to publish a entries Social Media album for voting...the winners receive MODA membership!

The guys in the photo above, in addition to being nice people, are obviously over-achievers. They built one of each! And the night was still young, so they had time to build a whole fleet of spaceships! 

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

The layout for their current exhibition, Design for Healthy Living, happens to be highly conducive for hosting "LEGOs & Local Beer"...there's plenty of room to stretch out, to spread out your LEGOs! While at the same time, providing opportunities to converse and interact with your neighbors.

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

I just loved that the young lady pictured above was wearing pearls to a LEGOs & Local Beer event. Perhaps I've watched Julie & Julia one time too many (but probably not, given my uber-foodie status), but I've always admired those who have fun with fashion...those who do the unexpected fashion-wise. Having been a punk rocker in the 80s, I've donned my share of unexpected fashion...and had a blast doing it! 

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

Tristan Al-Haddad of Formations Studio is back at MODA! The steel and flourescent green installation that spans the height and width of Gallery 3 is his creation. It's magnificent and it's interactive!

Tristan has designed a new approximately 35' tall sculpture named "Stealth", which at the time of this writing is being installed across the street at Peachtree and 15th Streets in front of the Promenade building. It's going to be spectacular! More about that in another post...

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

I was pleasantly surprised to see LEGOs & Local Beer draw such a diverse group. Participants ranged from family to date night, from singles to work groups...and EVERYONE had a great time from what I observed.

Although I wasn't there for the entire event (had to get to the theatre), I don't think there was a speaking program, just the fun of LEGOs, local beer, designing and laughing...and that's pretty awesome in my book! 

I did have the opportunity to chat with some of the MODA staff, who are always helpful and convivial. "Thank you" Clare, Neil and Alice...you're awesome and you know how to throw a great event! 

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

Does that look like the face of someone having fun or what! Actually, I think it looks like a national ad for LEGO, but it's a photo I made of Blake just having a good time at MODA. There was lots of that throughout the two-hour event.

LEGOs & Local Beer | MODA

Museum of Design Atlanta's (MODA) "Drink in Design: LEGOs & Local Beer" events have sold out both times. The good news is that I'm told there will be another! So keep your eyes and ears open for an announcement for the next LEGOs & Local Beer event. And feel free to leave your phone in your purse, in your pocket or at home...you're going to have plenty of fun without it! But...

If you do bring your phone, remember to tag your posts and photos @modatl or #modatl and share away! And also remember that this is a 21+ event. But, there is ample programming for kids and families...check out MODA's website for more info on those!

Until next the next LEGOs & Local Beer...

(I have been a paying MODA member since January 2011. All opinions and writings are my own.)