the practice of architecture

It’s no small thing to go from this:

to this:

Undertaking a home remodel or new construction project is a daunting task, but there are many resources available that help clarify the entire process.  Several informative posts from around the blogosphere have caught our attention in recent months.   As we move into a new year, we’d like to share several of them.

We love Build LLC’s blog.  They’ve taken the time to document details of construction and several of their posts last year have focused on specifics, like demolition, everything you ever wanted to know about a concrete pour, and notes on what to watch for when using an existing foundation. (Admittedly for most of us, none of this is terribly interesting until it’s your concrete pour and your dime.)  To see all of their technical posts, visit here.  Perhaps a little more fun to dream about–especially as we are enveloped in a winter wonderland here in Utah–is how to create a landscape plan.  (One of my favorite discoveries when we moved to Utah from Seattle a decade ago was Red Butte Garden. Visit their website for information on native Utah plants.)  And the reality check? Construction IS expensive, though a potentially great investment if done right that will yield priceless benefits for years to come. For the grand finale of the year, Build Blog posted an evaluation of a case study home they wrapped up, complete with costs and timeline.

We recently learned of this blog, an online photo library of construction details with an equally extensive index to browse, i.e. cedar shingles, radiant flooring, and even a green wall is documented. Because this blog is out of the Northwest, some construction practices will be different due to the climate, but it’s still a very helpful resource in understanding the level of detail in a well designed construction project.

Houzz.com also has several idea books and articles on topics of interest to homeowners.  Their photo library continues to grow, now approaching 1 million, up from 250,000 earlier this year.  We’ve blogged about them before, but are including a few links here that may be of interest to our residential clients, including contractor tips, elements of green building, and tips on how to work with an architect.

Residential Architect recently published an article on the color forecast for 2013 and top design trends of the past year–fun to browse through.  A couple of other color resources we’ve discovered in recent months, both from Sherwin-Williams: chip it that allows you to take any photo from around the web and create a color palette from it,  and this color tool app. Though colors often look different on a computer monitor, it’s at least a starting point.

And a little food for thought if launching into a residential project.  Though we missed the Wall Street Journal’s article about a recent study of how families live in their homes, Dan Gregory  blogged about it here.  Seriously worth considering before drafting up a wish list for a new home.

In November, we heard a seminar from these Canadian architects at the Residential Architect symposium in Chicago. They are producing an entire video library with advice on just about everything to do with home design. We love their “slow home” design philosophy in response to the mass produced “fast homes” of the past few decades.  Pretty entertaining stuff and we’re amazed (and grateful) at their stamina and commitment to educating the general public about basic design principles.  Kudos to them.

If you have any favorite online resources related to home remodeling and construction, we’d love to know about them.

Happy New Year!

We recently headed north to Ogden for a tour of the historic Egyptian Theater and a morning of sketching. We welcomed the opportunity to brush up on sketching skills, an art that seems to be falling by the wayside as the computer becomes the tool of choice for most architects. While virtually all of our projects are rendered on the computer, the ability to communicate through sketches during client meetings remains an important tool for us. Below are some of our observations from the workshop.

From Anna:  ”To the left is a sketch I drew of the Egyptian Theater. In this half-day sketching course, we learned that there are four key ingredients in a drawing: edges, form, value, and color. We didn’t get into the color portion during our short course, but my sketch shows a 20-minute attempt at defining edges, form and value. 
The lecturer for this course, Dave Cassil of Architectural Nexus, discussed how drawing is being taught today and drew comparisons with the masters of the past such as Rembrandt, Degas and da Vinci. Cassil’s greatest concern is that young architects today rely too heavily on computer generated images, and are losing the craft of sketching. While I feel that computer renderings are necessary to keep pace with the demands on architecture in the modern world, I also feel that they will eventually become dated when a good hand sketch will never lose its charm. With the time constraints in today’s fast-paced world we may never develop drawing skills to rival the masters, but I truly hope that the hand sketch will always have a place in architectural design.”

From Rebecca:

“Those who never make mistakes lose a great many chances to learn something” (John Luther).

“The lecturer, Dave Cassil, critiqued several sketches done by Degas, da Vinci, and Rembrandt.  Some of the images displayed on the screen were simply uninspiring.  In showing us these sketches, he emphasized the importance of the process.  He pointed out that although some of the sketches may not have been impressive to look at, they were important to the artist and to their journey from beginning to end.  This left me thinking about mistakes, which can be a positive learning tool. . . . After the lecture we spent some time sketching. I had nearly finished the sketch I was working on when Cassil asked if he might take a look at my drawing.  The mistakes I had made led him to teach me.  I learned more that day from my mistakes than I could have ever learned by doing everything right. Below are 3 sketches, representing my first attempt, the instructor’s sketch, and my final sketch after his observations.”

From Tom:

“Our hands and entire bodies possess embodied skills and wisdom” (Juhani Pallasmaa, The Thinking Hand).

“It is good for the soul to hunker down with the purpose to sketch with graphite on paper.  Most of the time we are drafting and modeling with a mouse. Digital technology is a valuable tool but it is just one of our tools.  I benefited from an exercise in remembering that the eye is connected to the hand and whole body.”

From Warren:

“I ventured outside and after a few false starts came across this framed view of the Wasatch from 25th Street. Below is my 3-minute sketch.”

Our final destination on Residential Architect’s housing tour was to Crab Tree Farm near Lake Michigan, an idyllic setting on a pleasant fall afternoon.  While several of the buildings on the farm were constructed decades ago, Vinci Hamp Architects recently designed a new guest house for the owners. The home blends harmoniously with the older buildings on the property to create an inviting and welcoming gathering spot.  And oh, was it inviting. (more…)

In October we attended Residential Architect’s annual Reinvention conference in Chicago.  Like last year, the housing tour was a highlight of the event for us, giving us the opportunity to see the work of talented residential architects.  We visited four homes, two of them infill urban projects and the remaining two outside of the city.  Many photos later, we’re featuring in this post the urban projects.  Studio Dwell designed the first home we toured, Bucktown Residence 3. Located on a tight lot, the project manages to create a feeling of spaciousness and elegance despite close proximity to neighbors. (See the professional photos here.) (more…)

We’re delighted to be part of Salt Lake Design Week’s Studio Crawl again this year.  If you’ve ever wondered what exactly an architect does, or would like to see what projects we have on the boards, or would just like a bite to eat and a little conversation, please come by!  We’d love to see you. (more…)

Is urbanism more than the lifestyle of city dwellers?

This question was raised during a recent discussion with some local planning and design minds in relation to defining the vision for the Utah Center for Architecture. The architects, planners, landscape architects, urbanists, educators and community leaders that make up the board of the UCFA defined their mission as “a catalyst for creating better places by increasing knowledge of how the built environment shapes our lives, communities and culture.” (more…)

The other day I dropped by a friend’s house in my neighborhood.  She’s gearing up for a major home remodel and commented that she was meeting with an interior designer the next day, but wasn’t even sure what to ask.  We’ve probably all felt like that at one time or another before meeting with a professional, and there are probably people who hesitate to call an architect for that very reason.  The American Institute of Architects has provided a handy list of questions on their website for those thinking about hiring an architect: (more…)

Logan Canyon House / Lloyd Architects

When designing a building, the context and surrounding landscape are often the greatest considerations in positioning a building on its site. The landscape can drive a structural form, suggest a palette of materials, and root a building to its unique place and time. This is why, as architects, it is important to consider landscape design and the outdoor rooms just as we might consider the structure of the building or the indoor spaces. (more…)

Architectural Record recently mused about the possibility of a genetic predisposition for choosing architecture as a profession (All in the Family: Architectural DNA).   I’ve no idea whether or not there was a genetic tendency for Warren, but his father practiced architecture for over 40 years in Salt Lake and his influence on his son is unmistakable.  While Warren didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an architect–it wasn’t until he was well into his college career that he changed course to pursue a design degree–this profession has been a good one for him.  Like his father, he received his degree in architecture from the University of Washington.  We recently came across these photos in an old scrapbook of his father’s studio days at the UW:  (more…)

On Friday afternoons, we meet as an office for design review meetings.  We each take a turn coming up with the topic for the week, whether it’s presenting a project on the boards, developing an idea on our minds, or visiting a project under construction.  Basically, anything that helps us gain new perspectives for our work is fair game.  For last week’s design review, we left the office to attend Salt Lake Mayor’s Green Team Meeting. Here’s what was e-mailed to us in advance:

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We tried to resist this contest, but the pull of Legos AND modern home design were too great.  So, we recently gathered some architects and designer-type friends and their families here in Salt Lake, ordered a few pizzas and hosted a design build event just hours before the contest deadline. (more…)

There is a current counter trend to shop, grow, dine, and support local enterprise. When prompted, Google Images instantly renders hundreds of “Buy Local” logos from “Buy Local Portland” (Maine) to “Local First Portland” (Oregon) and every place between.  This includes a fine campaign by Local First Utah, a non-profit organization that “seeks to strengthen communities and local economies by promoting, preserving, and protecting local, independently owned businesses throughout Utah.”

Buy Local Collage: Google Images

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We just returned from Phoenix where we attended Reinvention 2011, an architectural symposium organized by publisher Hanley Wood.  We try to go at least once a year to a conference for the chance to see our practice with fresh eyes and be inspired as we visit with architects from all over the country; this was our first Reinvention that we’ve attended and it won’t be our last.  Reinvention caters specifically to architects who design residential work.  As Warren has several interesting residential projects on the boards, the timing couldn’t have been better.  We spent the first day on a tour of 5 homes designed by local Phoenix architects. (more…)