Buddhist Barn on Broadway

Sacramento's 16th Street light rail station is closed this week for a remodel - so I'm walking to work mornings from the Broadway station and back in the evening. Entering the station tonight I noticed a Buddhist temple sensibility.



Suddenly, like the Zen image of a ball floating in a mountain stream, came the train.

Welcome Home, Suburbanite!

People like to dump on the suburbs for bad design. But I still like how big master-planned communities within a couple miles of my house welcome their residents back home after a hard day's work at the high-rise downtown.

Their grand entryways appear through the windshield like a mother's arms, welcoming back commuters with fountains, bridges, palm trees and the green grass of home.
















Both sides of this entryway have broad expanses of grass, pools and fountains that are lit at night. Drivers cross a bridge designed to look old, then come upon a lush median island that separates lanes of traffic and creates a parkway feeling. This is especially beautiful in the early morning and late evening light, the time of departures and arrivals.

Here's more architectural entryway features and landscaping. Nothing heroic. But down to earth good taste.




Finally, this is not just about cars. There's a nice small sense of arrival when you're on foot, too. Here's a couple examples of "come-on-in" design at a pedestrian scale:



Across the years I've heard friends say that life should be like a musical, with people spontaneously bursting into song and dancing on the hoods of their cars at intersections. I think life should happen in magnificent beautiful settings that feel special and treat us like tourists in our own towns. These small places close to home often give me that feeling.