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Today Im going to design a house for Chuck Taylor. You may not know the name but youll definitely know the shoe. Chuck Taylors name is on the patch on the shoe worn by millions. Now Mr. Taylor has been gone since 1969 but the legend lives on. I love chucks and Ive been wearing em since high school. Today I still wear em but with my golaces instead of regular shoe laces. Chuck Taylor was a basketball player that wore the Converse all starts and eventually became a salesman for the Converse shoe company. He quickly suggested some changes to their basketball shoe that were eventually implemented and the rest is history. His name went on the signature patch on the side of the shoe. Unfortunately Chuck Taylor never got rich because of the changes he made, but it didnt matter. As a salesmen he drove across the country selling shoes out of his Cadillac and being a friend to many. So in memory of a legend, I thought it would be perfect to design a house for Chuck Taylor. I should say first that the design & the artwork is heavily influenced by my favorite Italian Futurist, Antonio Santelia.
The design will take its formal cues from the unique form fitting shape of the Chuck Taylor shoe. First, I thought it might be appropriate to put the house on top of a mountain to symbolize his heroic contribution to timeless style. The home makes its mark on the landscape, just as Taylor has done in the marketplace with the shoe that bears his name. The double sided curved base creates a foundation for the building that begins to cascade down the hill on the back side. It re-uses the curved forms to create large balconies to take advantage of the view. The house also utilizes large areas of glass in the observatories, bridges and window bays that harken back to Santelias work. The buildings aesthetic is fitting because Like Santelia, Taylor was a futurist. That is, the work he did set the stage for a trend that still shows no sign of letting up. Like the chuck Taylor all star, the house is minimal, its got everything you need, like a basketball court and nothing you dont. There you go Chuck Taylor.
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