designer architect researcher

wallpaper markings

"it was what everyone had... and now I cant imagine getting rid of it."

soc tile patterns

innocent florals to mod concentric circles, the tile selections throughout Trakiya as availability and choices shifted the fall of communism.. . . . . . . .

balcony spout

symphony playing over the nuclear bomb test sirens, neighbors with buckets of water, and a synchronized arcs of water from the balconies above.

overriding the scupper

The large u-shaped scuppers are a definitive design element of the panel blocks of Trakiya.

And, just as other design elements here, the inhabitants have had thoughts of their own.. . . . . . . .

covering the balatum

"..the smooth surfaces of linoleum floors.. allowed people to wipe away the dust and grime of objects that tied people to the past."

moving cross country

БДЖ

Bulgaria’s Railway system.  The only way to travel in my opinion.  True that the trains are slower than the busses, but they are also cheaper, roomier, have incredible large . . . . . . . .

control

looks of control and control joints,

voyeurism and earthquakes. . . . . . . .

views from new buildings

...and impressively, deteriorating faster than the much older panel blocks. Being inside of one of these offers an interesting framed view back onto our panelkas....

finding the leak

"I'm not. I am but I'm not. I just do everything. I've lived here since the beginning, and I'm curious. So after 40 years, I know how everything in the Panelka works. You've seen what I do with the apartments."

paint colors

the standard hues and tones of Bulgaria’s standard exterior paint never ceases to surprise me.. . . . . . . .

morning strollers

Every morning the Romi from their neighborhood to the north filter through Trakiya with their souped up strollers and bikes working their way from dumpster to dumpster.

With the construction . . . . . . . .

frames, apertures, and filters

The blocks of Trakiya were designed for maximum sunlight.

True to modernist form, the windows are large, the balconies beyond them reaching out to pull in more sun.

The inhabitants . . . . . . . .

the cost of electricity

"Most everyone speaks fondly of the memories of how they used to go around in tank tops in the house in the winter..."

newspaper interviews.

I was hesitant to do another one.
‘no talk of family, no talk of america, I want to talk about the research’ i told him on the phone.
‘ok’ he . . . . . . . .

kolio’s balcony

Every morning Kolio comes to his balcony, parts the fresh white lace curtains, and swings just one of the panels of his glass enclosure inwards. From there, he leans out and lights a cigarette....

beddays

old windows, new heaters, fresh pink paint, classic lace curtains. . . . . . . .

turn your chair!

The view from my chair, looking in, looks straight into a shelf Nina has used to divide her bed from the rest of the room.

seeing myself

But it's a detached sense of individuality, like a baby discovering their arm or their leg for the first time...

bathroom remodel

"American homes will rot, our concrete will be here for hundreds of years."

full bench insulation

Newspapers, the latest Kaufland ad, pieces of butt sized styrofoam, and other various scraps. Today however....

glowing balconies

Stepping onto the balcony is a particularly conscious action...

cleaning the archives

"People do it anyways, take down the walls, but they don't get our permission, then we have to come in and bust down their doors with the cops..."

fog ships

In the fog though, it suddenly feels like stepping onto a ship setting out on a lonely journey off into my own world.