The design allows for passive solar heating in the winter, has a metal roof for rainwater collection and uses an incinerating toilet to minimize water usage and avoid the need for sewage disposal, said Carrie Caverly, an architectural designer.

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Fans of the mid century modern boom here will find the Uptown Design District a draw, with architectural revivals and designer shops inspired by the mid century within walking distance.

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But Mr Lapidus admired workmanship, whatever the architectural genre, just as a fashion designer such as John Galliano is praised for his painstaking craftsmanship however you view his crazy clothes.

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Armani readily admits he wouldn't be where he is without the help of another man, Sergio Galeotti, a tall, mustachioed architectural draftsman from Italy's Tuscan coast with whom the designer became romantically involved in the mid-1960s.

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