The Edge, guitarist for U2, has plans to build 5 ridge line “castles” on pristine ocean view lots in Malibu.  The locals are up in arms and thus the PR campaign has begun.  "The Edge" (jesus, calling a grown man that sounds lame), has put up a website to promote the project and dispel myths: (www.leavesinthewind.com).  The project seeks to be an architectural showpiece, LEED of the highest caliber, and touts the many environmental design strategies…

Phew, ok. First things first.

These renders suck. Just terrible. How Wallace Cunningham Architects can release these p.o.s. images as justification for desecrating virgin ridge-line land is beyond me.

2. Site selection is the absolute most important factor in designing an environmentally sensitive building.  When you’re building on land that hasn’t been despoiled by man, you can basically throw your first 20 LEED points out the window.  This is to say nothing of the roads that need improvement to access the site, the utilities that have to be brought there, etc…

3. Why do you need 5 houses?!

4. Egotistical and unnecessary monstrosities under the pretense of Environmentalism is a bitter pill to swallow, especially in one of the most blessed and beautiful landscapes in the world.  Once built, these “castles” cannot be undone. As they serve absolutely no public value they should not be built at all.

5. The sales pitch video is painfully lame. The “experts” say nothing of substance. The designs are so abstract as to be meaningless.  The words are so empty…

Please see this Steve Lopez article for more:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez23-2009dec23,0,6520136.column