it's only natural.

order your very own 2012 Naturalist Almanac HERE.

DWELL

the firm I work for (workshop a|d) is in DWELL this month!

free time in thailand

free time is very pleased to have received our copy of the Thai magazine art4d. it is the first magazine to solely feature a free time product! it features work from all around the world, so we are very flattered.

evening cruise in the thousand islands

american flag, classic boat, strapping young man, and pizza.
AMERICA!


driving up to anna's place to pick up the fine lady.


hi puppy!


cruzin.


american sunset.


of the thousands of islands, many of them have little adorable houses on them.


time for pizza and opening more beer!

NYIGF with JOIN

In less than a week, I will be in New York City with JOIN for NYIGF.

JOIN, featuring the work of eight Northwest designers and collectives, will combine forces with the American Design Club and “A+: The Young Designers’ Platform” to assemble a new section dedicated to emerging design. Positioned just outside the entrance to Accent on Design, visitors entering and exiting the fair will have an opportunity to take extra time to experience new work from up-and-coming designers:

GRAIN
BLK PINE WORKSHOP
IACOLI & McALLISTER
FRUITSUPER DESIGN
plainMADE
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN STUDIO
FREE TIME
R&L COODS

xxx
amber


plainMADE



IACOLI & McALLISTER



BLK PINE WORKSHOP



FREE TIME



GRAIN


The New York International Gift Fair is located at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W 34th Street in New York, and will be open 9:00 am - 6:00 pm August 14 - August 17, 2011 and Noon - 6:00 pm August 18, 2011. 35,000 attendees from 50 states and more than 85 countries are expected to attend the five day fair. JOIN will be located in the new emerging design section at the base of the escalators leading to the Accent on Design exhibit floor.

About JOIN

JOIN promotes emerging independent American design by providing designers a forum to show work, get feedback, and share resources. By organizing design shows and events, we strive to be the adhesive and a resource that binds a thriving, but fragmented, furniture and product design community in Seattle.

MY NEW RAD JOB

I am very excited to say that I just finished a really amazing week at the office of Workshop for Architecture | Design and LAIR design. I was hired to work for both, so my days should always be full of a wide range of design problems to solve and communicate... which is my dream situation! Sometimes the two collaborate on projects, sometimes not, but each is stronger by having the other one there for expertise and input.

I first came into contact with them back in April when I was looking for architecture stories to write for Pacific Standard. I was so impressed with the execution of their design intent that I emailed them right away asking if we could meet up... but I didn't hear anything until just a few weeks ago when they were looking for someone to hire. Thanks Universe!

I will still be working on projects with Free Time, August, etc.

Here is some of their work.

nearpoint





north capitol hill





gig harbor




coleman triplex

2012 Naturalist Almanac

As you might already know, Free Time Industries is at the very end of a fundraising campaign via IndieGoGo. The goal was to raise enough money to send Amber to the New York International Gift Fair late this summer with three new products. So far we have raised over $1,000, which is amazing. THANK YOU!!!! This is enough for the plane ticket and the booth space, but we still need a little bit more to, at the very least, print the 2012 Naturalist Almanac.

We are confident that profits from the almanac alone will be enough to keep Free Time going for another year, and even be enough to bring the Emergency Button and Tool Holster to market too. This is why we need your help! Please visit the IndieGoGo site to watch our video, contribute if you can, and/or help us spread the word. //////\\\\\\HERE///////\\\\\\\//////\\\\\\\



More on the 2012 Naturalist Almanac:
Due to the particularities of time, we humans are in a constant diluge of change. The earth spins past the stars above, cultural events punctuate history, seasons renew, and living organisms go through their individual rhythms. But we have a choice: to let time overtake and inhibit us, or be prepared and become empowered by it.

This is why Free Time Industries (with the help of our amazing intern Riley Hoonan) has created the 2012 Naturalist Almanac - it is a tool to the essential and the natural. It tells you where you are, what is to come, and how to prepare for it, all in twenty-six-by-twenty-six inches.

Starting at the center, the almanac tells you how to find the North Star, length of daylight, solstices, seasons, daylight savings, important days, living via the astrological signs, and keep track of moon and menstrual cycles. The almanac also gives seasonal information on topics such as hunting, fishing, foraging, building, health, gardening, raising ducks, weaving, raising bees, starting fires, and natural cleaning methods. The almanac is meant to be rotated at each season, creating a new ritual for the passing of time. We have gone through an intense research and design process to bring all this information together in a meaningful way.

You can pre-order an almanac via the IndiGoGo fundraising campaign with a $50 contribution. I have attached progress images to peak your interest. Each will be printed in Seattle,WA and comes with brass brads at each corner and 4 brass tacks.



Thank you! Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. amber@freetimeindustries.com

HELP FREE TIME

free time industries from Patrick Richardson Wright on Vimeo.

We need to raise some funds to bring three new products to market! Sales will keep Free Time going for another year or more. Please visit our campaign on IndiGoGo to contribute and learn all the details: HERE

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
If you like what we are doing, please spread the word. Become friends with us on Facebook, email this link to your friends, and talk about us at cocktail parties! 

THANK YOU!!! OXOXOXOXOXOXOX

a personal manifesto

My passion for architecture and design is directly connected to a life-long fascination with the multitude of relationships than exist between humans and the world that surround us. Throughout my career, I have constantly looked for opportunities to learn more about material properties, methods of making, ways of living, and architecture history.

It is therefore my goal to be a designer who is hyperaware of the potential of design, and have the skills to effectively articulate that potential in written and graphic form. 

photo by kyle johnson

CALL FOR VIDEOS

Hello Beauties and Magicians,

As many of you know, August publication is underway in development! We are calling upon the talents of great lovers and makers to put forth compelling visions into the world.

August manifesto:

At the juncture of beauty, romanticism, and the mystic lies August. A publication dedicated to the relationship between man and nature.

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

About videos:

Essentially, we are doing an open call for video shorts that pertain to NATURE, space, architecture, interiors, curiosity, intimacy, romanticism, occult, mystical, spirit, hauntings, magic, terrain, sacred grounds, sacred experience, house plants, greenhouses, earthships, waterfalls, albinos, textiles, cosmos, sex, worship, religion, myth.

Video not to exceed 60 seconds. Can be anything that falls under the above list. Can be as short as 10 seconds. Please format so we can play in quicktime.

Email a link to video - amber@augustpublication.com

or

Email submission as attachment, or yousendit.com / wetransfer.com / dropbox.com

or

Please mail disc to:

Amber R Murray

August Publication

1617 Yale Ave. #212

Seattle, WA 98101

seattle waterfront

On May 19, design project lead, James Corner, will present first design directions for the future waterfront.

The event starts at 6:30, but be sure to come early for music, great views and sample tempting treats from some of Seattle's popular mobile food vendors - Maximus/Minimus, Where ya at Matt, and Street Treats will be selling food from 5:00 - 6:30PM!

5:00 pm to 6:30 pm Mobile Food Vendors and Live Music

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Presentation, Q & A, and Activity Stations

Bell Harbor Conference Center
2211 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98101

rsvp@waterfrontseattle.org

spacesuit

Nicholas de Monchaux is an architect, urbanist, writer, and Assistant Professor of Architecture & Urban Design at UC Berkeley. I love learning about people like him because they vary the landscape of what a designer is supposed to be.

The topic of his latest book, Spacesuit: Fashioning Appolo, is especially interesting since I grew up in Cape Canaveral. I saw the Challenger explode in my my front yard.



An in-depth interview is on BLDGBLOG. All images were snagged from there.

the swing blade desktop sharpener

Free Time's swing blade desktop pencil sharpener was accepted into the "use me" competition hosted by the american design club. It was posted on mocoloco today, so we thought we should post some background information.

The American Design Club (AmDC) was seeking unapologetically functional design for its sixth show, set to coincide with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) 2011. Submitted designs had to exhibit a strong sense of purpose, intelligent use of materials and the ability to do one thing extremely well.



The competition prompted us to look at a sharpener inherited from my great-great-grandfather; grade school teacher, Fredrick Clay. Because of the superior lead points created by the precision of the swinging blade, this unique tool has been handed down for generations.

We worked to reverse engineer the sharpener by examining the design decisions made by its originator. After striping down the tool to its basic architecture, we were able to combine elements and reduce unnecessary visual complexity. The stabilizing feet, the guide angle, and the collection bowl were integrated into one simple element. The resulting form factor is canted, providing the perfect angle for smooth stable sharpening.


renderings of our design.


original 1904 sharpener


sketches

light memory install

a few images from the install last night for suzanne's show.
come to the opening of "light memory" on may 5th at {far4} 6-8 pm:
1020 First Ave | Seattle | WA | 98104

the high line in national geographic

photography by diane cook and len jenshel.

field operation's high line was in the national geographic.

i am working on a story about field operation's seattle waterfront project, and find it especially exciting to see their work portrayed in a magazine with the manifesto: "inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888".

make sure to see the next presentation by field operations for the seattle waterfront may 19th at bell harbor conference center. rsvp@waterfrontseattle.org

the ny times agrees

apparently my new moss hobby is right on. a day after my post about moss, the new york times posted this article.

what is most interesting is that i have seen the raccoons that they refer to going at it for hours ... i chose not to blog about that however.

nordic memories

just had a nice skype session with my older sister emily today and it got me thinking of an amazing hike we went on june 2009. the place is called preikestolen. she is there sitting on the edge in the second photo.
she lives in london so i don't get to see her very often :(