Design Manifestos: Ramón Hone of 5+Design

As a design principal, Ramón Hone approaches design as a wide-ranging exploration of ideas, where virtually anything is possible in the search for creative ways to respond to client needs, site context and budget restraints. Ramón leads his design teams throughout the design process, encouraging collaboration on necessary changes while maintaining the integrity of the original vision.

Born and raised in London, Ramón received a postgraduate diploma in architecture from the University of Greenwich in London and a postgraduate diploma in computing in art and design from Middlesex University in London. Before joining 5+ design in 2012, Ramón worked as design director at Manser Associates in England and at Gensler, The Jerde Partnership and WET Design. He is an architect licensed in Great Britain and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He is also LEED accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council. Modelo spent some time learning about what led Ramón to pursue a career in architecture and about where he is today.

On becoming an architect
I drew a lot as a child and my parents suggested that it might be something to think about. At the time I was thinking about art school but my parents convinced me that I was more likely to make a living as an architect than an artist, I haven’t regretted the decision.

On discovering his voice as a designer
I don’t know that I have found my ‘voice’ or even if I have a ‘voice’ as such. I believe that there is a rigor, logic and creative approach to solving problems and that architecture falls into a place where the art and science of design come together in sometimes unexpected ways to suggest solutions. Being open to those opportunities rather than pursuing a path or direction that is somehow my ‘voice’ is a more exciting and educational process. If anything my ‘voice’ is one of curiosity and discovery.

On joining 5+Design
I knew the partners from my time working at Jerde where they each worked before setting up 5+design so we were familiar to each other. I was traveling in Korea with my previous firm and I ran into Tim Magill (one of the founding partners), we were staying at the same hotel, we got talking, then met up again back in the US and subsequently I left my last firm and started at 5+design.

As someone who is more senior at the firm I do bring my own approach to design but given an overlapping history this meshed well with the firm’s own approach.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Early in my career I worked at The Manser Practice in London, here under the guidance of Michael and Jonathan Manser I was taught the importance of honesty, sincerity and rigor in design, lessons that have stuck with me throughout my career. When I moved to the US I spent time at the Jerde Partnership working on large scale projects each strove to develop the idea of public experience, the space around the building being as important as the building itself.

Architecture as a profession is a process of continual education — developing your approach through experience; learning from colleagues both young and old and utilizing new and developing technologies. But the early lessons stay with you, they change and evolve but they still remain a guide through the chaos.

On his role at 5+Design
As a design principal my role is to lead design teams on a number of projects, it’s also to advise and mentor younger people in those teams. As a young professional I was fortunate to have worked with and learned from many good architects and so there is a responsibility to do the same for those coming up.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
Many of our projects are complex urban mixed use projects and we provide a unique and experiential solution to those problems. There is no specific style but there is an approach that strives to provide the users be they occupants or the public with an out of the ordinary experience.

Retail projects which form the core of our business are complex projects it is a rapidly changing typology that is experienced and used very differently by different generations and income brackets. As retail has evolved it has become more of an experience the public areas are much more than circulation spaces. The space in-between has become the architecture of experience. This becomes more valuable as cities become denser and public space is eroded.

On his design toolkit
3D modeling is essential these days, not just as a design tool but also as a way of producing documentation and communication with clients. In our office we develop most projects in Revit for documentation but we supplement the design process with Sketchup, Rhino, physical models and sketching amongst others. As an international firm we also rely on web meetings that allow us to workshop with clients and design teams in other countries, showing drawings and models.

The role of the architect at its most basic is the same now as it was 100 years ago, that is communication of an idea. The tools have advanced, we have become more sophisticated in our methods of representation but in the end there is still something visceral about talking and sketching with a client so you both see an idea evolve in words and lines.

On the state of design software today
I feel that the impact is twofold, some design software is evolving at a rapid rate and the lines between design and manufacturing software are becoming more blurred as digital files can be used to output physical objects. This no doubt will lead to expanding opportunities for some architects and designers. Software allows us to design and fabricate ever more complex forms combined with systems of optimization that allow these forms to be more economically realized. This is available only to a very small proportion of clients and projects. But at the other end affordable and easy to use 3D software has changed the way that all architects are able develop designs and to communicate with clients. In the end though I do feel that a sketch is still a core component of the design and communication of an idea.

On the future of the industry in the next 5–10 years
Software advances will continue to aid in the evaluation of designs from a sustainable perspective; expectations of BIM files will increase so that they are updated over the life of a building; VR will develop as a tool for experiencing design before it’s built, but without a total sensory experience it will remain a sophisticated rendering representation.

But it’s the physical manifestation of the design that matters to most and so advances in material technology, and manufacturing and delivery systems will have the most impact on our environments but this is a longer timeframe.

On the future of 5+Design in the next 5–10 years
Our commitment to BIM will continue to expand and we will continue to leverage the possibilities to improve the design process, communication and documentation. But BIM does not improve the design concept it refines the ideas and develops them, the ideas still come from somewhere else and that is the essence of architecture that we wish to nurture.

On advice he would give his younger self
Don’t rush, experiment more.

Design Manifestos: Richard Thomas of SHP Leading Design

Richard Thomas, AIA, LEED AP, is a Vice President at SHP Leading Designin Cincinnati, Ohio. He has a broad background of experience gained over his 30 years of diverse practice. In service to his clients, he has pioneered the delivery of planning and design work through an integrated team approach, capitalizing on technology advancements in software that have transformed the design and construction industry.

In order to facilitate an efficient design, construction and delivery process, Richard was an early adopter of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software. He was also a founding member of the firm’s integrated design and construction business, 2enCompass, and serves as the general manager. He continues to focus on trends impacting the architecture, engineering and construction industry, and is sought after to speak at events across the country on such topics. Modelo spent some time learning about Richard’s journey through the profession and his role at SHP.

On becoming an architect
I decided I wanted to be an architect when I was 13 years old, and in 7th grade mechanical drawing class where I learned the process of orthographic projection. My love of drawing transitioned into a passion for buildings leading me to believe I had the potential and the talent to go further.

On discovering his voice as an architectural designer
I question the efficacy of developing a single voice. I would suggest that just as I temper my voice and approach to the situation / relationship at hand, my design voice also follows suit. Architecture is a process of listening, interpreting, and responding. I believe that it is only through listening intently and choosing the right voice to respond does the solution deliver on needs as well as desires.

I was taught about composition, plan, rhythm, scale, texture, color and pattern by studying the works of Klee, Ben Shan and others. I internalized the poetry and strength of Kahn and the complexity of Lutyens and Venturi. I studied the discipline of Meier but settled in with real admiration of firms like Polshek, Perkins & Will (Ralph Johnson) and Miller Hull as several who had the ability to manifest substantial and beautiful architecture out of the normal complexity and politics of daily programs, budgets and project needs.

My freshman design studio professor, Robert Deshon at the University of Cincinnati was a huge influence on my understanding of composition and theme. My senior thesis professor David Niland was the single greatest source of understanding of spatial composition, sequence, geometry, detail as the reinforcement of the larger idea and the power nuance plays as part of the overall story being told. An early business partner was my mentor, personally and professionally.

On joining SHP
I came to SHP during a transition period that moved from responsibilities on an international scale, serving corporate and private investment clients, to one that centered on work in public, institutional settings that were more local in nature.

The approach involved a substantial change in the freedom to explore the voice of the user, how to communicate about architecture, and how to shape the way buildings are delivered via the designer / builder relationship.

It changed from listening and interpreting the voice of a few to the voices of many. That transition evolved by understanding constituent values before constituent needs, then pairing those values with solutions that resulted in buildings and forms with scale, texture, rhythm, and pattern. When I arrived at SHP, the firm was approaching the peak of its use of an internally-developed and nationally-recognized customer and community engagement process called The Schoolhouse of Quality. The model was borne out of the TQM movement of several years past, the philosophies of Edwards Demming, and it was patterned after the paradigm changing success of Toyota.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Attention to the voice of the customer, reverence for the values of my education and training as an architect, and problem solver, and to always look for a better way to deliver value across the total spectrum of the process of design and construction.

On his role at SHP Leading Design 
I am one of ten shareholders and have been with the firm a little over 21 years. SHP’s legacy, dating back to 1901 was, and continues to be, in public institutional work with a heavy emphasis on educational facilities at all levels. My background allowed me to open up new business opportunities in privately-funded education. That parallel market segment allowed greater freedom in how buildings were designed and constructed. As a result, I became intensely focused on alternatives to the highly structured traditional public design process for buildings, investigating and executing delivery models that embraced the whole process from start to finish, programming through design, construction, occupancy and facility management.

My primary role at SHP has evolved over the past two decades. It remains primarily to produce successful relationships that through service and design generate high quality architecture in support of the mission, vision and values of SHP customers. On a broader level however, my role has grown into one that is also focused on the future of how and with whom we design, the tools we use to document and build, and the value we add by leveraging the work we produce for the customer. It is one thing to create a great design. It is another thing entirely to be able to deliver it creatively with reduced risk, exceptional and extended value, and delight.

To that end, in early 2000, I was involved in the creation and management of a second business inside SHP (called 2enCompass) that delivered private education projects in a fully-integrated project design process (IPD) almost ten years prior to the industry adoption of an IPD practice model. Working with a regional leader in construction as an equal partner in delivering an integrated design and construction service, 2enCompass LLC pursued private education work in the K-12 and Higher Education marketplace.

As 2enCompass grew it became our test bed for the application of BIM technologies. The 2enCompas team was first to integrate 3D modeling and visualization software at SHP which ultimately led to the firm transitioning from 2D to 3D in its entirety in less than a year. Though we experienced some rough spots, once complete, SHP was ahead of the BIM adoption curve and looking at ways to leverage data for professionals and clients alike.

In 2009 I led the effort to develop one of the earliest BIM Standards for Indiana University. The application of these standards changed how work was being developed and produced, opening up further opportunities for the pursuit of the value of data in the design process.

One result of the value of leveraging data was the creation of SHAPE Environments, another SHP branded company. SHAPE’s initial mission was to develop BIM content for the manufacturing industry. The content we developed was available for download from the web and is highly valued for its lightweight, robust configuration and technical accuracy. SHAPE customers include some of the largest furniture, sports equipment and product manufacturers in the world.

SHAPE’S offerings are evolving to provide construction coordination services for all aspects of project coordination on a jobsite. The key learnings of these services are funneled back into SHP’s process models, enhancing our accuracy and design product.

My most current interest and mission is in helping SHP explore and position itself as an active and leading voice in the development of the future of education.

On SHP’s unique approach to design
We have always believed that design is in everything and about everything. Yes we are an architecture firm, but as designers we have more to offer than simply the creation of the built environment. SHP has never been afraid to “design” an approach, a policy, a change process, a room or an experience. Our firm mission is to joyfully enrich the lives of people through service and design. Sometimes the best answer is NOT a building, but an approach, an operating model, an idea, a conversation.

We would like to challenge ourselves and perhaps others to consider how we as architects can shape the future of the how we apply our abilities in design, the way we tackle the whole of the process, not just what is traditionally our part but all parts of the conversation? Why do we educate the way we do? Why do we collaborate (or not) the way we do? How can we become part of the larger dialogue? Can we build differently, faster and more sustainably? How do we leverage forward the power of what we create, thereby extending the value created by our work and that of our clients?

On recent projects that represent this approach

Hebrew Union College (HUC)
Done under the 2enCompass IPD delivery model, HUC involved the renovation and expansion of the Klau Library and the Jewish Institute of Religion. Klau has the second largest collection of archival Hebraic literature in the world. Some 300,000 volumes, including many dating back hundreds of years (one to 900 AD) were to be relocated but kept in circulation then returned to a renovated and expanded venue. The privately-funded program was developed, the costs were estimated and a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) was established and approved. The 2enCompass team shared the risk of the guarantee equally for the total value of the job (+/- $13.5M).

The library itself had the existing skin stripped and replaced, a new geothermal system installed and a new entry pavilion designed with a sophisticated rare books room and heightened security and environmental controls. The relocation effort, which had to be carefully sequenced between four different construction activities, was designed and orchestrated by the project team and involved on-campus and off-campus venues.

The integrated team worked collaboratively from the start, delivering the project early and under budget. The library, which is recognized world-wide as a treasure of Jewish history, never missed a day of circulation and never lost, misplaced or damaged a volume.

The Duke McCall Sesquicentennial Center — The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The call was to develop a new campus icon that was to be the first experience for visitors to the campus. The project was discussed for the first time in late March. A single pen and marker sketch was offered a week later, the project was adopted by the Board, budgeted at a not-to exceed figure of $6.0M two weeks later with a stipulated occupancy date of April 2nd the following year (The 150th birthday of the institution). The 2enCompass design and construction team was assembled, including all consultants and prime sub-contractor trades for an intense design, documentation and construction program that had permits pulled in thirty days, site work starting two days after that and completion eleven months later.

The new campus icon houses the main reception rotunda, a small visitor’s theater and the relocated campus security division. The structure connects two existing buildings with different vertical floor-to-floor arrangements. The campus approach involved a new roadway circulation system including a primary campus tower / gate house, and a new campus green. In the course of the eleven months of construction several smaller scopes of work were added to the program with no change in the completion date. The collaboration model, facilitated through a well-oiled IPD mentality, allowed this extra work to fit into an already aggressive schedule. All were completed in support of the initial program and completion deadline.

The Summit Country Day School
After suffering a partial collapse in 2004, SHP was hired to complete the program halted by the collapse, and set a course for the future for this 130+ year old faith-based institution. Ten years after helping the school through the difficulties and ensuing construction, they asked us to help them plan for the next decade of education and remedy a few remaining scars from 2004. The new project included renovation work and new construction. Given the past, it was essential that we kept construction and occupants completely separate while school was in operation. The solution was an IPD-like methodology with hand-selected consulting and construction resources. That team leveraged design assist and BIM technologies in an $11M program choreographed for completion in a thirteen week time frame over a single summer. Utilizing more than a decade of experience in related IPD challenges, the hand selected team carefully planned the project and executed it with skill, completing the work in record time.

Design assist, prefabrication, 3D modeling and laser scan technologies contributed to the highly collaborative effort that involved significant up-front commitment by key trades in the earliest phases of design. The existing architecture from 1888 was matched to perfection by a tightly integrated team of designers, engineers and precasters; erecting a five-story structure in 21 days. Work like this cannot be done without a highly collaborative team structure and a commitment to a common goal of service to the customer.

On his design toolkit
A major public educational program can have as many as eight primary customer groups that have a voice in the final design expression. A major private institution can have even more depending on how campaigns are structured and how funding is acquired. SHP’s design process is driven by a belief that solutions are customer or stakeholder driven; emanating from a deep investigation of stakeholder values and objectives. Programming includes a rigorous effort to elicit core values, ideate on those values, explore design responses that capture and celebrate those values and contrast and compare those solutions through aggressive critique and development.

The toolkit list includes, but is not limited to the following: The Customer Value Path; The Schoolhouse of Quality; 3D visualization and Augmented Visualization with base modeling done in Revit, Sketchup, Photoshop, Navisworks and others; interactive software for large group dialogue and feedback sessions; research and development software (self-created) for in depth analysis of voting patterns in support of public education bond issue initiatives; laser cutters; 3D printers and others.

3D modeling is an integral piece of everything SHP does. We have been using the 3D capabilities for well over a decade now and are l leveraging the power of the data into other areas of service and collaboration.

On the state of design software today
A very astute colleague of SHP once noted that paradigmatic change takes a minimum of ten years. Though the industry has done well to date with the adoption of 3D modeling, it could do more. With change, patience is a must. We are entering the second decade of the 3D paradigm and ever more intelligent software, machines and materials, and the future is full of tremendously exciting opportunities. We are quickly approaching the state of singularity which will be a reality in my lifetime. If we think things are moving fast now, we should recognize that we are just at the very beginning of rapid transformation. Design software and processes like generative design, AI, 3D printing and the further integration of Nano-technologies will lead the conversation at many levels.

For the last six or seven years I have had the distinct honor of participating as member of an advisory team for a major software company. The team’s mission was to investigate future opportunities in the application of technology across manufacturing, design and construction and the entertainment industries. Through that experience I have been exposed to future advances that could soon impose paradigms of equal or greater significance than 3D modeling. I continue to be tremendously excited about the current and upcoming technologies.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
Architecture can do so many things and sometimes we allow ourselves be limited to thinking we are just a small part of a very large and complex chain of events. At SHP we have been involved in education for the majority of our 115 year history. We have pursued our craft by fulfilling the vision of others and today we know that more than a quarter million students a day walk the halls of our work. We are very proud of that and we have learned much from our many years of service. As we look to the future, we believe we can have a greater role in facilitating the use of design thinking around the topic of education. We are looking to participate in the conversation on the future of education, where it occurs, when it occurs and how it occurs and what role the built, natural and digital environments play in creating success. For us, it’s about creating real productive change in our society using design thinking and the problem solving approaches that underpin our role as architects.

It has taken a career spanning nearly 40 years to come to this conclusion about where Architecture and perhaps more specifically where SHP needs to go in the future. We are at the very beginning of our work in this effort and it is very exciting.

I hope the architecture industry will realize and exercise its muscle and intellectual capacity to get upstream in the many important and fundamental discussions that will shape all of our futures. I see those futures including a mix of the following:

1. Embracing greater and greater levels of collaboration with all parties associated with the process of creating Architecture

2. Embracing and ultimately relishing in continuous change.

3. Becoming more resilient, adaptable and inclusive. There is perhaps a huge potential for new business in that ability.

4. Embracing technology at every level.

5. Facilitating metrics on itself and others as a means of communicating the value proposition of it efforts. If we don’t do this, someone else will and we will continue to allow others to lead where we could step in.

6. Changing our attitudes about risk. Risk management is inversely proportional to our desire to take it on. The more we control the less risk we take on. For years the profession has avoided risk, delegating as much as physically possible. This approach may well underpin the reason we have lost ground in the process of creating architecture. Perhaps if we want more opportunity, we need to reassess our position on the risk we’re willing to embrace.

On the future of SHP in the next 5–10 years
SHP is evolving into an organization that sees its value as being greater than the traditional perception of what an architect does. We are at the very beginning of the journey, but believe with conviction that our future lies in our ability to leverage our voice and our skills in the larger conversations that shape our culture and our society. This is a daunting task but it is one we are up for. Check back in five years and see how we’re doing!

On advice he would give himself
To get outside myself and see, I mean really see, the bigger picture of what’s going on outside the four walls of my office environment and community. Then try to figure out how best to influence positive change across all aspects of the issues facing the business and mission of the firm.

Design Manifestos: Adam Tripp of Forms+Surfaces

As Design Director for Forms+Surfaces, Adam Tripp oversees Product Design and Development across all F+S product lines. In addition to the project management of new and custom product development, he is continually defining new materials and manufacturing processes that influence the look and feel of the Forms+Surfaces brand. Adam is responsible for some of the most recognizable site furniture, architectural surfaces and door hardware in the F+S catalog. He joined the Forms+Surfaces Design Studio in Carpinteria, California in 2007 and holds a degree in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Modelo spent some time learning about how Adam discovered his voice as a designer and about the studio’s introspective approach to design.

On becoming an industrial designer
I’ve always been interested in fine arts, drawing, and problem solving through sketching. I consider myself extremely fortunate to come from a supportive and creatively diverse family of craftspeople who fostered and encouraged my skills from a young age.

As a child I would dream up and sketch ideas for vehicles built from old bike parts, boats, gliders and treehouses. I would bring those ideas to my father and grandfather who would take turns critiquing and red lining my designs. Unfazed by the critique I would revise and detail as many times as it would take to wear them down to the point where they would help and teach me how to make my ideas become reality.

The love for the process and being able to see an idea go from concept to built completion primed me for a love of, and career in, material and manufacturing exploration.

On discovering his voice as a designer
I always search to identify formal, visual and aesthetic relationships — inspirationally, critically and within my own work. This constant evaluation was on overdrive during my undergrad years at the Rhode Island School of Design. The high level of competition and inspiration there drove me to further identify my voice as a designer to distinguish myself from my peers. Although I like to think that RISD was a catalyst, I also like to think that I’m continually re-evaluating my voice based on my professional experiences and growing network of colleagues and mentors. Inspiration is everywhere.

On joining Forms+Surfaces
I had an opportunity to interview with Forms+Surfaces in Pittsburgh not long after graduating. I originally didn’t have interest in moving away from the east coast, specifically Providence, Rhode Island, but at that point in my career, I wanted to keep my options open and take all the interviews that were available to gain experience in presenting myself and my body of work.

Upon arrival I was given a tour of the headquarters and manufacturing plant. What I encountered was a manufacturing atmosphere at a scale and diversity I had never seen before: an Industrial Designer’s fabrication playground with large format laser cutters, milling machines, turret punches, and manual and robotic welding work centers, all grounded by a 2,500 ton, 40’ tall Hydraulic Press affectionately named Bertha.

My interview was interrupted by one of the F+S principals who described how it would be my job to break every machine I saw on that tour, pushing each to its limit with the goal of creating products and details that others could not. I was sold. I moved out to the company’s California office two weeks later and have embraced that same development philosophy ever since.

Having not been trained within an architectural discipline, but instead choosing a career designing solutions for architects, landscape architects and interior designers focused on manufacturing quality and sustainability first and foremost, I feel like my approach to architecture and landscape architecture changes on a weekly basis based on my interactions with practicing professionals.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Our design studio exists in a cyclone of constant evolution. We challenge introspective rethinking and constant consideration of how we can grow together to encourage better organization, accountability and communication.

Standard principles which are constantly thrown around the studio:

• Make/destroy/make again — Fail fast
• Sustainability through quality
• If you’re not asking questions you’re not learning
• Do your job

On his role as Design Director at Forms+Surfaces
As Design Director, I’m responsible for standard product development through material, process and creative direction. I work as a brand ambassador through monthly visits to landscape, architectural and interior design firms across the country. These meetings give me a chance to showcase our in-progress concepts and seek out inspirational thought-leading discussions regarding the future of architectural product development and the evolution of public space.

Every month I also visit at least one of our North American manufacturing centers to check in on product production and development, take meetings and review progress with Design and Development team members.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
Above all, we’re Solutionists.

I’ve been given the unique opportunity to build a design and development studio tailored to the needs of a growing business with an extremely diverse product offering. Our studio is structured to be a collaborative environment that supports the multiple market segments we serve. Studio expectations demand that all our team members work simultaneously on multiple products across our different divisions: surfaces, systems, site furniture and lighting. We also have the luxury and the challenge of making the most of our extensive manufacturing potential — something we’re able to accomplish by utilizing design and engineering roles interchangeably throughout our process.

We’re currently putting the finishing touches on our new Design Center in Carpinteria, California. The space will serve as both a showcase for our standard products, as well as what will be an ever-evolving proving grounds for new products and prototypes. Highlights include 80 feet of continuous double-sided etched and graphic laminated art glass for a bank of managerial offices, and a full wall within the design studio dedicated to new systems and surfaces prototyping and installation.

On his design toolkit
Processes differ depending on which market(s) and products are being developed but the general outline for development within the studio is as follows:

• Research,
• Sketching (hand/digitally),
• Group evaluation (Repeat),
• Modeling (Repeat),
• 3D printing (Repeat),
• Prototyping at full scale (Repeat)

Moving directly from sketches and small prototypes to Solidworks allows our group to intersect directly with our standard engineering resources, 3D printers or CNC equipment at any point within the development stream.

On the state of design software today
The pace at which new design software allows the process to move is ever increasing. Facilitating ease of movement from digital sketch to model to 3D print — to full assembly file — to production is a necessity that allows us to stay ahead of the curve and keep the fast pace of development we encourage.

On the future of the industry in the next 5–10 years
I think the industry will need to focus on the importance of personal and public space and the blurred lines between traditional architectural and landscape environments. As we continue to become ever connected to a digital world there will need to be a focus on interconnectivity within public space in the same way that if exists in most private and personal spaces. Blurring lines of technology between interior and exterior public space will be the next frontier.

On the future of the firm in the next 5–10 years
Forms+Surfaces has been providing solutions for separate markets within public spaces large and small for decades. Our relationships with industry leaders and the ability to cross-pollinate diverse market resources has our company primed for the future of public space.

Adhering to our core values of honest material use, sustainability and quality will continue to carry us forward as we work to fabricate the changing landscape of public space in real time.

On advice he would give himself
Understand the resources at your disposal: experts love to talk about their respective expertise; you just need to identify the opportunities and ask.

Take every chance you can to reach out and expand your knowledge base. The more arrows in your quiver, the more prepared you are for future challenges presented.

Design Manifestos: Alan Maskin of Olson Kundig

Alan Maskin is a principal and owner of Olson Kundig in Seattle, Washington. For over two decades, Alan has led building, exhibit and master planning projects, with a focus on museum architecture and interiors, exhibition design and installation design. His portfolio is focused on the public realm and his projects are visited by hundreds of thousands of people. Currently, he is designing the new Kindermuseum at the Jewish Museum of Berlin; an 80,000 square foot park inspired by an Aesop’s fable on the rooftop of a building in Korea; and a new cyber defense operations center at Microsoft. Modelo spent some time learning about Alan’s journey through the profession and about the evolution of his role at Olson Kundig.

On becoming an architect
I became an architect because I love to draw. Years before I went to architecture school I saw a series of architectural section perspective drawings at a gallery in Manhattan and my mind was blown. I decided I wanted a job where I could draw every day, and I still draw every day. Around that time, I was accepted to a summer program at Harvard that is designed to help you decide if you want to become an architect. During that summer intensive, I realized the conceptual potential of buildings based on ideas. It hadn’t dawned on me that architecture could also be based on theory, hypothesis, and experimentation. That was all it took to get me fired up.

On discovering his voice as a designer
The beauty of this profession is that if you choose to, and play your cards right, you can practice for a very long time. The notion of a design voice exists in an evolving continuum if you are currently practicing — a lineage that seems to make more sense in retrospect when I see the spine that holds together much of what was created. That said, I’m more excited about how one’s design output can change and build. If I were to draw a line in the sand today, I’d say that I am fascinated by the role of provocations. Architects (proportionally speaking) deal with external provocations most of the time. A client hires you to solve their problem(s) and we are almost chromosomally wired in our DNA to move to solve them. Artists (again, proportionally speaking) internally provoke themselves. They wake up in the morning with a burning desire to make this thing that is in their heads. I’ve been making work in recent years that does both. A real project that was built for a client also became a fairytale, a conceptual urban plan, a fictional film, and a graphic novel. Oddly, someone saw it and is curious to discuss it as a real project in a new form. This duality of provocations has become a new way for me to make work in a series but, more importantly (to me at least), it provides a radically different way to look at and critique my own ideas.

I’m fortunate to make museums and museum experiences for a living. While I loved discovering Scarpa’s museum and exhibit designs when I was in architecture school―and a few years ago I was really impressed with The Art of Scent installation at MAD by Diller Scofidio and Renfro―I have mostly been inspired by museums made by people who are not usually in the business of museum making. The City Museum by artist Bob Cassilly was a big influence, as was The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles by David Hildebrand Wilson. In a few weeks, I’m heading out to see the Library of Water in Stykkishólmur, Iceland, by writer and visual artist Roni Horn and currently I’m reading about the Museum of Innocence in Istanbul by writer Orhan Pamuk. Circling back to the previous question, I believe each of these projects was “self-provoked” by the creators of these four museums, so there is a pattern in the types of museums that speak to me and that has shifted my thinking.

On joining Olson Kundig
In my early twenties, I was an art teacher at the first federally funded on -site daycare center in the United States, located in Boston. The father of one of my students was an architect and I asked his advice about this idea I had to study architecture. He told me to do three things: move to Seattle to study at the University of Washington; once at UW, study with professor Astra Zarina, who he said had created the best foreign study program for architecture in the world; and get a job at Olson Walker Architects, the firm he felt was doing the best design work in Seattle. I did everything he told me to do, and he was right in every instance. Olson Walker has had several names over the past five decades, and now it is Olson Kundig, a firm I now own with four others.

My partner, Tom Kundig, and I often talk about what drew us to the firm and it tracked to the work that our founding partner, Jim Olson, was doing with artists in the Pacific Northwest. It was unlike anything else that others were doing and it became a great place to land.

On how his approach has evolved since he joined
Twenty-four years ago I began as most intern architects do, moving along the slow arduous and lengthy path of becoming a generalist architect, and the firm is good at providing mentorship at that level. I worked on houses initially until I was asked to work with one of the owners on a small museum remodel. About four months into the project the scope blew up into a $12 million museum project which, at the time, was a very decent budget. I was hooked. In order to work on public projects versus private ones, I developed an aspect of exhibit design within the firm. What started as a start-up studio within Olson Kundig quickly became a full-fledged business and an important part of our portfolio. We were recently awarded first place in a museum design competition at the Jewish Museum of Berlin and we are completing a feasibility study for a world monument. We recently sent out drawings for our third rooftop park design―all of them are located in Korea―and we designed the Bezos Center for Innovation for Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos.

Many of these projects are interpretive―they merge some aspect of narrative with architecture. In many cases, there is a visceral line that demarcates the building design and the exhibit design―usually because they are created by separate firms. I design both, so I am always looking to blur the lines between these disciplines.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Olson Kundig has always been a firm that approaches work from a macro to micro perspective and we tend to only work on projects that allow us to design the project in its totality, right down to the smallest details. We have decades of experience working with some of the best fabricators in the construction industry and I have been obsessed with providing that level of craftsmanship to exhibit design. Conversely, there are makers in the exhibit realm that have fabrication techniques that I’ve used on building projects.

On his role at the firm
I am one of Olson Kundig’s five owners and each of us leads the majority of design projects at the firm. My focus has been on the public aspect of our portfolio and I have tried to find work that reaches large audiences. Two of my projects currently in design phases each have annual visitations of over 1.3 million people each. I’ve always skewed towards unconventional versions of what architects can create. Our first fictional film has been accepted to three film festivals this year, our first graphic novel was just published, and we have won two international design competitions this year―one for a museum in Berlin, and another for an illustrated fairy tale. The basis of what I make at Olson Kundig meanders between the real and the imagined.

On recent projects that represent his unique approach
For the past five decades, our core business has been architecture and it always will be, although my work can sometimes veer into new territories. We definitely come out of a Pacific Northwest tradition that is an outgrowth of Seattle’s long connections to Asian design influences, as a consequence of proximity and the history of our region, but also to the extraordinary northwest landscape. Wood has always been a favorite material for the firm, particularly as it is has become more and more of a renewable resource. As mentioned, building craft has also always been a big thing for us and we have become known for our attention to detail.

Perhaps the most innovative work that has come out of our firm has been our kinetic portfolio. Almost twenty years ago I worked with an unusual exhibit fabricator named Phil Turner who helped me solve some difficult challenges on projects. I set him up with my partner, Tom Kundig, who wanted to design an enormous steel and glass wall for a cabin in Idaho that could completely open with a turn of the wheel. Phil helped solve that challenge and, over the past twenty years, he has helped the firm build a portfolio of dozens of projects that make our structures adaptable through engineered kinetics. Phil is in his mid-seventies now but he is remarkably young at heart. It’s thrilling to see our young architects sitting at his desk learning to solve kinetic challenges of the future.

On his design toolkit
I always start by scribbling, usually on an early morning commuter ferry boat that takes me to Seattle. When I get to the office, the sketches are then shared with project teams that move them into the digital realm and a 3D digital model is created. We study the 3D views on the computer and often print them to sketch over, as the model becomes more and more defined. For a recent staircase design that would have been too difficult to replicate by hand, our digital model was sent to a 3D printer to create a large model. The results were thrilling―the complex geometries rendered beautifully, right down to the bolts on the I-beams.

On the state of design software today
Last year, I had the good fortune to attend the Future of Storytelling Conference on Staten Island. The conference focuses on variations of storytelling techniques and last year the experimentation of digital tools was a big piece of what was shared―hardware, software and digital tech―much of which seemed to have been laying dormant for decades. For instance, virtual and augmented reality, 360-film making, and holograms were all represented by projects made by creative developers who were given the new tools to see what they might make. There were 360-films you could walk into and 3D drawings where you could draw while walking into and through your drawings in real time. On one project you could fly over Manhattan―flapping your wings in any direction you chose―while flying through skyscrapers and zooming in and out of streets. It was clearly the dawn of a new era and the implications for designers are profound. At Olson Kundig we have begun using our digital architectural models and using virtual reality headgear to allow clients to step into their projects, even in the early concept phases, and walk around to see how it feels to them with fantastic results.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
The tools I just mentioned above will have a huge impact on the design industry as they not only change the ways we can perceive and experience design ideas but, more importantly, they change the way we see. I cannot underscore how profound these changes are, or how exciting and fun it will be to develop new ways to use them.

Aside from the tech tools, the biggest change in our industry will likely be related to project teams as more and more unusual partners from other disciplines are added to solve problems. I created an experimental R&D studio at Olson Kundig called [storefront] that was a public experiment in collaboration. We created 18 installations and events with community partners based on the question, What can we do together that we cannot do apart?The resulting design solutions became a study in design synthesis, as we only had one month and a budget of $1,500 to create each project with partners from our community.

On advice he would give himself
Given the choice of either being the tortoise or the hare, always choose the tortoise. Play the long game. Sit down each year and write down your immediate goals and your long-term ones. Paint a picture in your head, as fully rendered as you can imagine, of the projects you hope to make this year, next year, in five years, and in ten years. Work hard―constantly, relentlessly and consistently. Accept the idea that designers can’t quit, that you are in it for all the days you have left.

Design Manifestos: Ken Lum of Adamson Associates

Ken Lum is an Associate and Architect in the Toronto office of Adamson Associates. An award-winning designer, Ken imparts to the team a critically acclaimed design sensibility tempered by excellent technical skills and strong leadership abilities. He specializes in the design, construction and phasing of large high-profile buildings and master plans worldwide. Ken has collaborated with some of the most innovative designers in the industry including the offices of Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Jean Nouvel, Zaha Hadid, Ben van Berkel, Jeanne Gang, Elizabeth Diller and Charles Renfro, etc. He is currently working on the new Google Headquarters in Mountain View with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Heatherwick Studio. Modelospent some time learning about what led Ken to pursue the profession of architect and about his current role at Adamson Associates.

On becoming an architect
I wish I could say I fell in love with architecture in my early years but my first love was to become a comic book storyteller and illustrator. I was attracted to the unfettered freedom it offered the creative process. Everything I can dream up I can put to paper. However, because I grew up in Malaysia this was not seen as providing a sustainable future. My parents alternatively recommended architecture.

On discovering his voice as a designer
I have always been interested in the art of storytelling. For me, stories give form and meaning to the rich and complex tapestry of life. As I grew older I started to discover the stories interwoven in our built environment. Every building and in totality every city tells a story — a living record and embodiment of humanity. Like an ecosystem, we can chart the wellbeing of humanity through the stories told by our built environment.

The expression of meaningful stories through architecture, whether it be mine or others, is what informs my design voice, is my greatest influence, and is ultimately what made me fall in love with the art of building-making.

On joining Adamson Associates
Right after graduation I was fortunate enough to get short-listed from over a thousand professionals in an international competition to design a September 11 National Memorial for Flight 93. Imagined as a luminous scar inscribed in an industrially defiled landscape, the memorial unfolds in a clockwise spiral, its trajectory retraces the final journey and timeline of events of Flight 93: its departure from Newark, its hijacking and turning point above Cleveland, and its descent and final resting place in the open fields of Somerset, Pennsylvania. A timeline of events etched under-skin recalls the unfolding tragedy. Its luminous temperament consists of an outer cast glass shell and inner shimmering textured quartzite skin fastened to a dynamic space frame. It serves as a metaphor for inspiration and hope, and acts as a guide throughout the memorial experience. Expressing in built form, the powerful story of courageous everyday individuals, uniting and ultimately sacrificing their lives to bring down a hijacked plane to save countless others, was an indescribable and ultimately soul-fulfilling task.

Inspired by meaningful stories, my next ambition was to see architecture through the lens of some of the greatest Pritzker Prize winning architects of our time. Upon joining Adamson, I have had the privilege of participating in the designing of works by Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, UNStudio, Diller Scofidio Renfro, Jean Nouvel, Jeanne Gang, Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Heatherwick, etc. Working with the best instilled in me a profound appreciation for the diversity, richness and depth embedded in our stories. Immersing in this diversity afforded me the opportunity to experience architecture through diverging and new perspectives.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Connection and Clarity are two of the most important design principles I have tried to develop across all my work. Connection, whether it be my story or others, with nature or people, with an object or an event, is quintessential to meaningful buildings and successful cities. It is the value that differentiates works that are worth remembering. For me, the art of clarity incorporates the understanding and refinement of a design, from conception to construction, so that all components are balanced and in harmony with the principle story. Clarity allows for meaningful Connections.

On his role at Adamson Associates
Considering the Executive Architect nature of the company, my responsibility as a Designer and Design Manager is rather unique. I oversee design work in all stages, from conception to construction. My focus and passion however is in the early stages of conception. It is the stage where new stories and fragile ideas are born; the moment when it’s most vulnerable, yet most exciting and hopeful. The point where care is needed over pessimism for it to be given a chance to flourish.

Whether it be my work or in collaboration with a design architect, the focus has always remained the clarity of the concept and its manifestation into built form. This clarity permeates through all levels of design, from aesthetic to pragmatic, structure to mechanical, site infrastructure to vertical transportation, value engineering to client aspiration, sustainability to constructability. The goal is to not lose that clarity; something exceptionally hard to do in large projects that involve large consultant teams and conflicting personalities.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
My design process is a balance between aesthetic aspiration and pragmatic oversight. I always start out with the clarity of the story and concept, which is in turn informed by technical execution. This is true at all levels of design.

Upon joining Adamson I was exposed to a profound level of experience and expertise embedded in the firm’s culture, their relationship with some of the world’s most respected design architects, and their tremendous portfolio of high-profile work. My 10 years here has further reinforced my balanced approach to design. Furthermore, it has introduced me to what I consider the next generation of design — Collaborative Design. It is a process where collaboration between multiple designers are no longer seen as a threat but an advantage. Something that has proven increasingly true the more complicated a project gets. Adamson’s embedding of Designers and Design Managers into Project Management and Construction teams, the emergence of specialty/boutique designers, the integration of Executive Architects in competitions, master plan and concept design, and the continuation of Design Architects into Contract Documents and Administration, in parallel with the rise of collaboration software, is testament of the industry’s’ shift toward Collaborative Design.

Two projects that exhibit Collaborative Design come to mind.

Canary Wharf‘s Crossrail Station is a collaboration with Foster and Partners, Canary Wharf Contractors, and a local Station Architect. . The form is developed in response to the different functions of the building whilst evoking a connection to the site’s past and interfacing with adjacent pedestrian and vehicular infrastructure. It consists of a timber frame lattice structure and ETFE enclosure enveloping a multi-level underground transit station, retail, restaurant and urban park. The horizontal proportions of the building and its location in the dock conjure nautical references and the idea that the building should be designed as if it were an element floating in the water. Consequently, the external building shape has been refined to provide a streamlined elegant geometry like that of a ship recalling the historical use of the canals as a place where ships docked.

A collaboration between four architects — UNStudio, DSR, JTDG and Adamson, Abu Dhabi Media Zone is a mixed-use development extending over three city blocks with facilities catering toward the education, creation, development and production of media related content. The development houses 13 production studios and their associated post-production and screening facilities, a media focus training academy for business start-ups and incubation, retail and office lobbies organized around a series of triple height enclosed skylights, galleria and atriums known as the Connector. The ensemble of buildings is experienced as a set of large-scale media display frames, homage to the programmatic content within and creates an intentional statement that evokes Abu Dhabi’s vision as a media powerhouse. The façades that form the frame are designed with an elegant and dynamic GFRC cladding system and are asymmetrically proportioned. A set of south facing double skin walls provide ventilation, thermal extraction and regulation, becoming a major sustainability story for the project. The curtain wall is outfitted with computerized high-resolution LEDs allowing the frames to broadcast media content at night.

On his design toolkit
Thinking in 3 dimensions has always been an integral and natural part of my design process. In parallel, Adamson extensively employs 3D modeling tools, data and parametric driven technologies from conception to construction. It is used to explore a building’s aesthetic intent and relationship, as a means of coordination and data organization, and a more holistic approach to construction sequencing and management. Although a die hard advocate of 3D software, my natural tendency is still to reach out for a piece of paper and pen, and doodle a simple sketch. Sketching through something is how I connect and find clarity.

On the state of design software today
I believe software and technology has made tremendous leaps into the realm of documenting, controlling and organizing data. We are heading into an interesting age where programming and scripting custom digital tools to aid in design and construction is becoming a norm.

Software however, and its lack of readily accessible hardware, is still not as flexible, tactile and instinctive as a pen on paper, or physical model. When the technologies mature and become as accessible and intuitive as a 2 year old picking up a crayon and drawing on the walls, we would have a design process executed in the digital realm that is equivalent to the analog.

On the future of the architecture industry in the next 5–10 years
The irony of disruption is that it is at most times, not always, associated with the advancement of technology or style for the betterment of a subject. In the field of architecture today it is the rise of parametricism. Although I am a huge proponent of parametric architecture the largest issue is the lack of humanistic sensibility that follows its execution. Therefore the issue lies not in the tool but those that operate it.

Today we are starting to encounter more and more fresh graduates who lack the understanding of the very basics of why and how we build a building but are exceptionally competent in using parametrics to manipulate architecture without consequence.

Therefore, I believe architecture is most in need of disruption at the educational level whether it’s in an office or school environment. This disruption takes form not as an innovative teaching process or technology. Rather it is a return to the basics of proper mentorship and mastering architecture for everyday use first. After all, we create buildings for people.

With the explosion of a new generation of global architects and technologies, there is starting to be a reinvigoration of the profession throughout the world. No longer is architecture associated with mature age and elitism, rather transforming into a profession accessible to a diversity of age groups and untested talent. This cross pollination of diversity is the impetus for tremendous uncertainty and opportunity.

On advice he would give his younger self
Don’t be afraid to dream… but remember to jump!

Design Manifestos: Natalia Trossero of Broadway Malyan

Natalia Trossero is a Principal Urban Designer with over ten years of experience in designing residential and mixed-use developments, playing a key role in a wide range of projects from large-scale strategic and transport led masterplans, to regeneration schemes and design codes in the UK and overseas. She graduated in Civil and Architectural Engineering from the University of Bath, having previously studied architecture and later earning a masters in planning in Rome.

She joined Broadway Malyan in London, UK in 2014, where she has worked on various projects, including town center regeneration projects in the UK, a housing development by Dover Castle, a large scale resort in the Rockies near Calgary and a tourist and business destination in Malta. She previously worked at Grimshaw Architects and JTP where she was responsible for a new large-scale settlement north of Harlow UK; a vision for the regeneration of Mönchengladbach (Germany); and an award winning masterplan at Chilmington Green UK. Modelo spent some time learning about Natalia’s journey as an urban designer and about her unique approach at Broadway Malyan.

On becoming an urban designer
I was born in Argentina and moved to Rome at the age of three. Some of my earliest memories are of being in awe of the city. It’s really difficult to unpick what it is about Rome that is so attractive to me, whether it’s the architecture, the beautifully decorated piazzas with the immortal sculptures of great masters or the smell of fresh coffee and pizza and the ice cream parlors. It’s all part of a harmonious whole, the product of a collective endeavor which shaped the city layer by layer over centuries, skillfully crafted by its residents and visitors alike.

When I studied architecture and later engineering and planning, it seemed to me like the architect, the engineer, the landscape architect and the planner are all looking at a specific element of cities and places more or less in isolation. I was fascinated about masterplanning as a career in that it seeks to bring together all these various elements into a coherent whole that is more than the sum of its parts.

On discovering her voice
I sometimes say that I’m specializing in being a generalist. Growing up in Rome I was very much influenced by the renaissance masters (I lived on Via Leonardo da Vinci and my father’s name is Miguel Angel — Michelangelo in Spanish) and I was fascinated about the idea of doing many things. I was an avid learner from an early age (some might say nerdy!) and I wanted to learn as much as possible, particularly about the built environment.

I studied architecture in Rome after I graduated from high school and the subject that inspired me most was Urbanism. We had to study these four large books on the history of the city by Leonardo Benevolo and I was fascinated at how each culture and each period translated its values and traditions into built form. I later moved to Bath in the UK and graduated in civil and architectural engineering before studying for a masters in planning in Rome. When I then started my career in London, urban design became an obvious choice as it encompassed a lot of the skills I’d learned in my academic background.

I started working for a small firm under the mentorship of Paul Drew and later at JTP. Those were really formative years for me as John Thompson has been a key advocate for engaging communities in the masterplanning process. In line with Jane Jacobs’s famous quote “cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody,” I had the fantastic opportunity to listen to, learn from and support communities in shaping their future through masterplanning. It is one of the most rewarding experiences as an urban designer to be able to engage people and stakeholders in the design process and create a shared vision for a new place. There’s no room for big egos in masterplanning, it’s a collaborative endeavour.

On joining Broadway Malyan
Whilst at JTP, I had the opportunity to work in Pittsburgh at Urban Design Associates on a work exchange program. This international experience was further broadened when I moved to internationally renowned Grimshaw Architects where I worked alongside a studio of highly talented architects and designers. However, I felt the firm was too focused on architecture and when the chance to work for Broadway Malyan presented itself, it was an opportunity I wasn’t going to refuse. Broadway Malyan’s reputation as one of the world’s leading masterplanning companies and its global reach with 16 offices across the world, has been a great fit for my multi-disciplinary background, as well as my UK and international experience.

Broadway Malyan is a practice that is driving innovation in urbanism and masterplanning by using parametric tools, which allow to streamline and develop complex and creative design solutions for our clients. I have been interested in the use of technology to analyse complex systems since university when I studied the structural analysis of geometrically complex network structures for my engineering dissertation, and the projects I am now involved demand a an increasingly technical and analytical skill set as well as an eye for design.

On specific principles she strives to adhere to
Every problem is an opportunity for a creative solution; the bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity. Urban design aims to provide a high quality of life within a rapidly urbanizing context, a pretty big problem and even bigger opportunity.

That is the macro picture but it is an approach that starts at a micro level. At Broadway Malyan we strive to learn about places and communities and turn every constraint into an opportunity for placemaking. Our masterplan for the regeneration of Leatherhead town centre in Surrey is testament to this approach. Leatherhead is a traditional market town with a prosperous residential area within the London commuter belt. Despite having fast connections to London, an affluent resident base and top employers, its traditional town centre has been deteriorating due to congestion, limited retail offer and poor pedestrian connectivity.

Our masterplan seeks to stitch Leatherhead’s key assets together by creating a new quarter which will bring a new vibrant connection between the employment uses, the town centre and the station. This new quarter will bring new retail and residential uses that expand the current retail offer, whilst creating a new attractive route in a parkland setting which will encourage people to walk and cycle to the station. The new development will also facilitate new junction arrangements to relieve traffic and create a better pedestrian environment. Further afield a new riverside park will attract residents and visitors to enjoy the beautiful setting of the River Mole and new play facilities and cafés will provide new activities within this important asset.

By listening closely to the issues and aspirations of Leatherhead residents, working in partnership with the council and using creative and bold design solutions, the problems affecting Leatherhead have been turned into opportunities for change.

On her role as Principal Urban Designer
Interestingly my current role reflects a lot my generalist approach, therefore it’s hard to pin down a clear focus. Since joining the practice I have worked on town centre regeneration projects, a small housing development for the public sector in the UK, a large scale resort in the Rockies near Calgary and I am currently involved in a high density framework for a tourist and business destination in Malta.

I’ve only been in post for two years now so it’s early days but I’m convinced the dots always do connect eventually. For now I think my focus has been on bringing new skills in regeneration and diversifying the portfolio of the Weybridge team that has been working primarily on UK urban extensions for the private sector. As a company of 500+ employees we’re striving to collaborate across offices as much as possible and tap into the great breadth of expertise we encompass as a global practice. I’ve been fortunate to have collaborated with members of the London, Manchester, Warsaw and Abu Dhabi teams and look forward to working with more of the talented designers here at Broadway Malyan.

On projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
The word that really underpins our approach to design is collaboration. Regardless of the scale of the project, it is people that are the key to great urban design — the people affected by it and the people who can affect it. Of course there are a multitude of considerations that vary across each project from precedent to character, economic projections to climate analysis but having a true understanding of the human impact of your work and developing strong collaborations with colleagues and consultants is absolutely fundamental to a successful project.

It is through this approach that we believe we can deliver projects that can set new urban design benchmarks and challenge perceived thinking around urban regeneration and economic development that have become deeply engrained in local cultures.

The recent development plan devised by Broadway Malyan for Luanda in Angola is a fantastic example of dedicating thousands of hours understanding a country and its culture, its challenges and opportunities and using our urban design expertise while working with numerous international and local partners to create a plan that has the potential to enhance millions of lives and change the direction of a country.

Another city in a very different part of the world but facing similar challenges ie a dependency on the petro dollar is Calgary in Canada and we have been working with the city for almost a decade on an exemplar regeneration project. East Village was once a rundown and threadbare downtown district that has been transformed into one north America’s real estate hotspots and has served as an antidote to the typical sprawling suburbs of north American cities. Again the project is a collaboration of ideas generated from working with city-dwellers across the globe and bringing a real understanding of how to build sustainable communities.

In Canada we’ve also been working more recently on a large scale resort in the Rockies at Three Sisters Mountain Village. As part of the masterplanning process I had the pleasure to take our clients on a study tour of great spa facilities and resorts in northern Italy, Austria and the UK. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to masterplan a resort of this size and scale in the closely-guarded environment of the Canadian Rockies. Therefore, we’ve been working hard alongside our clients, the town of Canmore and local stakeholders, to create a masterplan which is informed by some of Europe’s top leisure destinations, whilst creating a sensitive environment to the local wildlife, and providing a unique experience to residents and visitors of the epic Rockies outdoors.

On her design toolkit
As I mentioned, I have worked on a broad range of projects with a diverse range of people; public and private sector clients, small and large scale, UK and international, brownfield high density regeneration strategies and greenfield — relatively low density — predominantly residential developments. You can’t use much of a template when tackling such diverse projects, every client is different, every consultant team works differently, but, most importantly, every place is different.

As a result, my approach has been primarily about listening closely and proactively to the needs of my clients and the stakeholders involved. This informs the creation of a strong, shared vision that reflects the issues and aspirations of the place and that is capable of standing the test of time way beyond my involvement. The rest is basically about creating 2D and 3D illustrative material that supports this vision (easier said than done!). For this purpose, the tools I use to draft my design ideas range from hand drawing, cad, sketch up, illustrator and photoshop primarily as well as collaborating with visualizers and our more traditional illustrators to tell the story of the project through 3d images, CGIs and videos of proposals.

3D modeling is, therefore, crucial to masterplanning, and will play an ever more important role in shaping our proposals. It is about firing the imagination of future communities, investors and stakeholders who will translate the vision into reality over the years.

On the state of design software today
I’m in two minds about design software really. Part of me feels that design software is evolving so rapidly that some people with great skills are being left behind and their talent and know-how is therefore underused. On the other hand it is fascinating to see how much our profession is evolving as a result of technological innovation and how many tools are now available to us. These tools allow us to produce a whole range of services from scenario testing of different development typologies, to the city- or even region-wide use of smart city tools and internet of things.

In light of this, I hope that design software develops in somewhat opposite directions: to become more and more accessible and user-friendly by a wider range of users (and for the purpose of engaging communities in the decision making and design process), and to develop more and more powerful tools for modeling future development, traffic, asset management, etc.

On the future of the architecture industry in the next 5–10 years
We are heading for dramatic change with all demographic predictions pointing towards a rapid increase in urban population. As a result the places that are now investing towards accommodating this growth to provide a high quality of life will have a competitive advantage over those who are not. In addition to this, a larger proportion of the world population will be older, healthy and relatively wealthy. Catering for this growing demographic and its needs will play an important part in masterplanning.

In the UK the housing crisis has been getting progressively worse, and the government has been mainly preoccupied with party politics, doing little to reverse this trend other than churning slogans for political gains. The upcoming Brexit brings a further element of uncertainty into the equation but equally it could bring some bold and much needed change. The good thing for me is that urban design skills (as well as architecture skills) shall be highly sought after in this context.

On the future of the firm in the next 5–10 years
BM is an innovative and forward thinking company and has been expanding its reach over the past few decades. We are now working more and more in north America and have been recently appointed to deliver a new cruise terminal in Miami so we expect to grow our expertise in this region in particular. The world’s changing demography and geopolitical shifts means there are new emerging markets and opportunities as countries and communities look for solutions to challenges such as climate change and mass urbanization. As a practice we have a significant portfolio of experience with projects ranging from the 15-year development plan for the Angola capital Luanda, one of the world’s fastest growing cities and one which is trying to break its reliance on the petro-dollar, to reimagining Iraq’s Sadr City after more than a decade of war.

The key to a successful future for the practice is going to be harnessing our collective experience with strong inter-studio relationships and ensuring that we continue to evolve with every project in our understanding of how people live.

On advice she would give her younger self
Read ‘What I wish I knew when I was 20’ by Tina Seelig! It’s all in there but in a nutshell I’d say to myself: embrace uncertainty and problems, that’s where opportunity hides; always be grateful for what you’ve got; build and value relationships; and, most of all, create a strong vision for your life, ie dream big… it works for places and it works for people too, you may not have a clue as to how to get there now but when there’s a will there’s a way, and you can always course correct as you go along.

Design Manifestos: Jason Flannery of TAKTL, LLC

Jason Flannery is the Design Director and founding member of TAKTL, a leader in the manufacture of Architectural Ultra High Performance Concrete (A|UHPC) and VECTR Research, a newly formed research and development company focusing on the advancement of UHPC in architectural, commercial, and industrial applications. He divides his time between providing technical consultation for clients, designing equipment, tooling, and product solutions for new UHPC applications, and collaborating on VECTR research and development projects.

Prior to joining TAKTL in 2010, Jason led the Design Studio at Forms+Surfaces, where he oversaw product development in site furniture, lighting, and architectural surfaces+systems, and designed numerous successful product lines. As an Industrial Designer, his expertise in materials and manufacturing methods has allowed him to explore emerging technologies and eventually led to a growing interest in Ultra High Performance Concrete and its potential for architecture and design. Jason received a BA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Modelo spent some time learning about Jason’s unique approach to design and about his role at TAKTL.

On becoming a designer
I have always been drawn to mechanics and problem solving. When I was growing up, we lived on an old farm and there were always things to be repaired or tinkered with. My family is in the architectural fabrication business which, from a very young age, gave me a lot of exposure not just to fabricators but also to architects, drafters, mechanical engineers, and of course, industrial designers. In high school I was leaning more towards mechanical engineering or architecture simply because I didn’t understand exactly what industrial design really could be. As soon as that became clear, everything clicked into place and I have never looked back.

On discovering his voice
It is difficult to describe a fixed moment in time when I discovered my voice. For me it has been, and continues to be, an evolution. As a young designer I treated each project like it was going to be the last design I ever did, and therefore I had a tendency to try to pull in every unique idea I had. I remember one of my professors and early mentors, Mickey Ackerman, pulling me aside and telling me that I had a whole life of design ahead of me and that I really needed to just pick one thing and let that singular detail or bit of engineering speak for the whole project. As simple and obvious as that seems, at that point in my evolution, it was a game changer.

As far as influences, I have had many, although few of them the big name designers that you might expect. Early on I was lucky enough to work with both Paul Tuttle, a furniture designer, and Will Prindle, an industrial designer, while I was still in high school. Both were true old school practitioners and really exposed me to the craft of design. I think that it was my friendship with them that really steered me in the direction of design in the first place and in the case of Will, who had a strong connection to RISD, also to the industrial design program there.

On joining TAKTL
I was involved in the original UHPC research project at our previous company, Forms+Surfaces, where I was leading the design studio. That project was successful enough that we decided to launch TAKTL as a separate company. For me the draw towards working with a relatively new and uncharted material and process was very strong. Also I liked the idea of really putting all of my focus into the advancement of a singular material. As designers, we have to develop an understanding of a wide range of materials and manufacturing technologies, and this was particularly true for me in my first ten years of design, so I definitely benefited from the approach. However, it is very rare that we get the opportunity to really focus all of our energy and creativity on one material and a few select processes and see how far they will take us. This experience has had a huge impact on how I work and also my willingness to take on all aspects of a design project.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
In general I try to adhere to the core belief that design should be honest and focused on addressing actual needs. Beyond that I am a material nerd. There are very few materials that I inherently dislike, and I really enjoy the process of identifying the right material and manufacturing methods for a given problem. This kind of intersection between material characteristics, price, environmental considerations and aesthetics is what I’ve found to spark some of my best creative thinking. In my job, I see too many designers fixate on a material that isn’t a good fit for the application.

On his role as Design Director
The primary role I have is a forward looking one and includes everything from assisting clients in resolving complex design issues through process ideation and the development of new materials/ product lines and the requisite manufacturing equipment.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
By necessity we have a very unique approach to design. When we first started down the road to manufacturing UHPC elements with a high level of finish it was apparent from the outset that there were very few resources available to us both in terms of body of knowledge that we could tap into as well as manufacturing processes and equipment that we could deploy. As a result, we began to develop those resources and equipment in house. In fact, the design portion of our research and development arm has evolved into a full time staff of engineers, industrial designers and fabricators dedicated to the design and manufacture of unique, process-specific equipment — everything from specialized mixing equipment, molds, and casting machines, through material handling and secondary processing equipment. This allows us to explore manufacturing concepts very quickly and cost effectively as well as design equipment and processing lines specific to individual product or customer needs. As a designer, this holistic approach to design ideation through manufacturing and marketing has been extremely effective and rewarding.

On his design toolkit
I use a combination of sketching, 3D cad, and physical prototypes. In general I would say that I am very quick to go from sketching into the CAD and physical prototyping stage. There are just so many problems than can remain hidden until something is realized in “real” dimensions. As far as computer software, I use SolidWorks as the primary 3D software, Rhino and AutoCAD for interface with the architecture market, Maxwell for rendering and Adobe CS for graphics and pattern development.

On the state of design software today
I think that the current state of design software is pretty amazing! The ability to flush out complex geometries and mechanical solutions and move those fluidly through the prototyping and revision process has really streamlined the design process. That said, within the architecture market I think there is still a lot of room for improvement. Most of the software is centered on the needs of the designers and contractors, not the manufacturer. This is especially true as building geometries and construction methods have become more complex.

On the future of the architecture industry in the next 5–10 years
This is an interesting time for architecture, especially regarding high performance facades. In the last few years some of the primary markets such as New York and the Bay Area have really started to embrace ventilated rain screens in the face of changing energy efficiency and building standards. Looking forward over the next few years, I believe that momentum will continue into a more wide spread adoption.

Specific to UHPC, the change has already been significant. Just five years ago there were very few architects in the U.S. who had worked with UHPC. Like any other “new” material there is a learning curve to really maximizing its potential. Now that we are working with architects on their second and third projects we are really starting to see a better understanding of how the material can be used and pushed in new directions.

On the future of TAKTL in the next 5–10 years
TAKTL is a design centric manufacturing company and as a result we try to stay fluid enough to respond to the needs of the market in the moment. We spend a lot of time looking at design and construction trends and trying to anticipate what solutions might be necessary ahead of time. We are really dedicated to advancing the use of UHPC in architecture, and to this end we have set up a pretty robust research and development group. I can’t go into too much detail about some of the projects we are working on at the moment but let’s just say that we are really excited the new directions in both material technology and design.

On advice he would give his younger self
Expert opinions are valuable but shouldn’t be the last word. I think that very often the best ideas sound completely ridiculous on first hearing them, simply because we don’t have the right frame of reference to understand them. As a result they are pushed to the side in favor of more conventional approaches. In my early career I didn’t have the confidence to stick with those disruptive ideas, and I let them drop…only to watch someone else down the line pick up run with them. In our design group we always joke about a “river of tin” in reference to the manufacturing process for float glass in which the glass is cast onto a giant river of molten tin. There is some humor in imagining the presentation of that idea and how impractical it must have seemed and yet it is still the same basic process used 60 years later.

Design Manifestos: Tod Stevens of Stantec

Tod Stevens is a Principal at Stantec in the Berkley, Michigan office. With over 25 years of award winning projects, Tod enjoys the exploration of boundaries of order, scale, light, rhythm, materiality, and construction. He’s a sought-after speaker and writer on the evolving roles of libraries, and he sees every project as an opportunity to define and create a unique solution which will enhance the environment. Tod was a key part of the team that created the vision for the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons at Grand Valley State University. Initial plans involved a robust conversation on the future of academic libraries, and now this LEED Platinum building is receiving national and international attention for its innovative design. Modelo spent some time learning about Tod’s journey through the profession and about his current role at Stantec.

On becoming an architect
As a kid, it was never really a question for me. I remember drawing house plans for hours on end. I went to a local architecture school, Lawrence Technological University, for my undergraduate work, and completed my graduate work at the University of Michigan. When I graduated, it was a rough economic time, so I worked for a developer, which I thought that was the worst thing for my career as a designer. But in the end, it proved to be one of the best things that I ever did. I learned the politics of construction, how to strategize, budget, schedule, work with people — it gave me a strong ability to put a building together.

After that, I moved to New York and worked with William McDonough Architects, who influenced me profoundly, most notably by introducing me to sustainability. I had never heard of sustainability, and he was looking for somebody who could document a project so it worked perfectly. Literally, the guy next to me in the studio was calculating the embodied energy in a project…it made me think very carefully about putting a building on this Earth. To this day, those lessons have influenced how I approach architecture — it’s just good design!

On discovering his voice as a designer
As an undergraduate, I learned the nuts and bolts of putting a building together. We had design classes, but back then it was centered primarily on solving the problems rather than the theory or the conceptual underpinnings. My junior year, I was introduced to a Fulbright scholar by the name of Svein Tonsager, who was an influential teacher from the architecture school in Aarhus, Denmark. Svein introduced me to a new way of looking at architecture from a design and theory perspective — he literally reset my architectural education tabula rasa.

I decided then and there to pursue design theory in my graduate work and went to the University of Michigan. Their library is profound, and it helped me to continue my thirst for theory — I read everything from Vitruvius to Venturi. I was able to be in front of talented practitioners like Tod Williams, Dan Hoffman from Cranbrook, Peter Eisenman, and Michael Graves. At the time, Kent Kleinman, who today is dean at Columbia University, was one of my professors. The program gave me a rich, hands-on education in design and theory.

On joining Stantec
After working with Bill McDonough, I wanted to raise a family, so I decided to move back to Michigan. Initially, I worked as a designer with a sports architecture firm, Rossetti, where I learned how to think big and create the gesture for large scale projects.

I became the Director of Design at Rossetti which positioned me years later to shift to Director of Design at Minoru Yamasaki’s office. Although Yamasaki himself had passed away, I was able to work with some talented technical architects that had worked with him. They taught me how to touch a building; how to detail exact and precise.

About ten years ago, I heard about SHW Group, a national firm specializing in education architecture that was focusing on differentiating themselves through design. I thought it was great opportunity to use my design skills, so I took a position and now have worked in education architecture ever since. In 2014, Stantec acquired SHW, which allowed our team to expand from working on tier two universities to tier one universities. It gave us an opportunity to take a deeper dive into learning and exploring the conversation on a larger scale. We are able to be positional about the work we do in education, as learning is an intrinsic goal rather than an incidental outcome.

On principles the firm strives to adhere to
Every project has the opportunity to achieve success at many different levels: success in program resolution, success in community and campus building, success in sustainability and success in creating a rich environment supportive of its purpose.

Stantec’s philosophy and methodology is focused on study, research and investigation to reveal where these opportunities reside and to ensure we achieve something important within each of them. This ambition has led us to define the ‘Five Parameters of Design Excellence.’

The Five Parameters outline how we define design excellence through Clarity, Purpose, Discovery, Performance, and Craft.

These parameters provide us with a way of organizing our thinking as we initiate work on a project, a way of evaluating progress as we work through it and a method of measuring success upon completion.

They speak to how we can approach a set of project circumstances driven by a clear idea and a thoughtful approach, and then implement a process defined by challenging preconceptions by asking the right questions, critically evaluating ideas, and revealing appropriate solutions. Ultimately, we strive to produce results that are defined by performance and craft and ensure that the idea behind a project is legible through its built form.

On his role at Stantec
Ideas are fragile, especially in their initial state. They’re vulnerable to the pressures of the world, and they’re scrutinized under so many different lenses that they can get squashed quickly. I see my primary role as cultivating an idea, and then defending and nurturing it to allow it to grow and strengthen so that others can add their areas of expertise and knowledge. You can lose a project very quickly if you lose the idea, so I work to protect it and make sure it remains legible.

I have found that one of my strong skills is to bring the best ideas out of my team. I also teach as an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University and that has given me an ability to move from student to student, and in the office, from designer to designer. I quickly get into what they’re trying to do, understanding their ideas and helping them clarify those ideas so that they have a strong narrative that a project team can get behind.

In the studio itself, I lead our planning, interiors and design team. I’m responsible for making sure the quality level of every project meets Stantec’s parameters.

On recent projects that represent Stantec’s unique approach
Our best work leverages the fact that we are a big AE firm. The engineers are working directly with us in real-time which is important because it can amplify the ambitions of the work. An engineer sees a project in an entirely different lens than an architect, so working in tandem helps foster a critical architecture.

For example, we designed the College of Education at Central Michigan University, which is where teachers learn how to teach. We looked at the classroom design very critically, and with an engineer, implemented displacement ventilation in the classrooms. We took the HVAC ductwork and put it underneath the chalkboard so the air comes through a wall of vents like a fog. It pillows around only in the space that’s occupied, so tempered, fresh air is brought right into the breathing zone of occupants. Because you’re not heating and cooling the whole space, energy costs are lower. Plus, it eliminates toxins in the room. In the end, it’s healthy, low cost for long-term ownership, and quiet, which makes it great for learning.

Another example is Grand Valley State University’s Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. It’s the longest project name I’ve ever had, but it’s an extraordinary project thanks to a true team effort — from the client to our design team to the engineers.

We did primary research at Grand Valley to gain insight into the way the students used a traditional library. During this time, we tested ideas by bringing in furniture and systems to see how students reacted. The successful ideas were deployed in the final building which was a remarkable moment to see everything come together and work in concert for the full building.

One thing we learned from this research was that students needed more areas for group and individual study. To free up room for the visionary program focused on collaboration, the library has an automatic storage retrieval system, which is a warehouse for books inside the library that holds 600,000 less utilized volumes in a 40-foot vault.

The library also champions peer-to-peer interactions. When you go to a traditional library, there is usually an information desk with a sign that says “Ask me questions- PLEASE.” However, it’s usually so quiet that people are afraid to walk up to that desk and vocalize that they don’t know something! At Grand Valley, we wanted to give them permission to talk and ask questions. We began to choreograph sequences to create a buzz, so when you walk in the building, there’s this amazing social space that is rich and full. We located the cafe on the first level which had sounds that drift into the adjacent knowledge market. This allows students to actually come up and say aloud, “Hey, I’m struggling with this, can you give me a hand?” It in effect lowers the threshold to learning.

On his design toolkit
Our team is strong at using software and taking advantage of the right tool at the right time. We use Revit as our BIM modeling software in our office, but we’re also old-school and use sketches and diagrams early in the process.

My rule of thumb is when you start to measure sketches, you quickly move them into AutoCAD. We do massing and renderings in SketchUp because you can do that pretty quickly. These tools help our clients understand the siting and massing of a building, while being simple enough that they don’t feel like it’s a finished product.

For a project that we’re doing for the University of Texas at Dallas, we’re moving that model into Rhino and enhancing the detailing by using the Grasshopper plugin to parametrically visualize real-time data that influences our solutions from views or solar income. It increases the opportunity for facade exploration and form — it’s powerful at this stage in time.

I can’t wait until we’re able to move seamlessly from SketchUp to Rhino and Grasshopper, and ultimately into Revit to carry the complex geometries through to documentation. There’s a little bit lost in every translation as we move from one program to the other, and I’m looking for this seamless move between those to bridge that.

On innovation and disruption in the industry
Innovation and disruption are the hallmarks of the technology world. Our occupation has been regulated and compartmentalized into the different architectural phases, and as a designer we are held to the schematic and design development phases. It’s very linear and predictable, but it’s time-consuming and wrought with inefficiency. I believe that the impact of 21st Century technology and the increasingly shrinking project timelines have created the need for us to fundamentally rethink the linear and start to seek a solution that blurs those traditional boundaries.

Instead of relying on the designer to make decisions, a strong, integrated team of architects and engineers will allow even interior designers to engage in the project rather than waiting until design settles down. In my experience, this team effort yields an integrated approach with a systemic answer rather than fitting systems and materials into that space after the “design” is done. The end result is a better project.

Virtual reality and 3D tools allow us to actually take our clients right inside our model. They give a real ability to understand the building before it’s built. That’s something that’s going to change the way we practice architecture as we move forward.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
In her poem Three Oddest Words, Wislawa Szymborska, a Nobel Prize poet from Poland, says, “When I pronounce the word Future, the first syllable already belongs to the past.” This line embodies how I think about the future. The world is moving so quickly that looking back is the trick rather than looking forward to see what is coming next. For instance, as I look back in my short career alone, I’ve been taught by architects who drew with ink on linen. I’ve migrated from drawing by hand on mylar to migrating a 2D line into a computer to literally modeling a building, embedded with all the systems. It’s an incredible progression.

The time traditional hand drawing took afforded one to think — deeply — and that time has all but been eliminated now that we are required to make decisions about how to document a project so early in the process. There has to be an intention to design all the way through the documentation. Much like Yamasaki’s office, detailing is design which can take that pressure off the early stages and really allow the idea to mature naturally.

Stantec is always evolving. In the last two years that I’ve been with the firm, we’ve grown our design force with acquisitions of very strong design firms, like SHW Group, ADD Inc, and VOA. This intentional expansion has broadened our ability to create thought leadership and design leadership as a firm. We work together and discuss how to lead the industry.

On advice he would give himself
I would tell myself to explore the world, to get uncomfortable, and to see new things. As I’ve gotten older, that has profound implications on the way that I think. It allows me to see things a little differently.

I would also say, trust yourself and your beliefs. I tell my new design staff, “You’re here because of your talent and the way you think, and don’t hold that back.” It is too easy to get caught up in a perceived hierarchy when you are new to a firm, I want their attention, and I want them to know that.

Design Manifestos: Michael Pinto of NAC Architecture

Michael Pinto is a Principal at NAC Architecture’s Los Angeles office. He leads design from a position that places strong emphasis on community engagement, believing that the best work is informed by real and pragmatic concerns. In teaching and in practice, he is driven by a series of social interests including education, equitable food systems and social justice in urban design. An energetic designer, Michael has led teams to nearly 30 design awards in his career. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor at Woodbury University, engaging students in projects about urban sustainability. Michael has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Penn State University and a Master’s Degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Modelo spent some time learning about Michael’s innovative approach to design and about his thoughts on where the industry is headed in upcoming years.

On becoming an architect
Sometimes you find your course; sometimes it finds you. Growing up, I was interested in making in a broad sense. My father was a tinkerer and a collector of tools. I remember one Christmas when money was scarce, one of my gifts was a car made from a 2×4 and some scraps from a hole saw. I remember noticing the grain and the dowels of the wheels and how it was sanded smooth and the varnish he used. My mother was always encouraging drawing and arts in general. It was just around me growing up.

I also grew up with the New York City skyline as an inspiring presence. We lived in suburban New Jersey and my grandparents lived closer to New York City. Driving there, you come to a point where you crest a hill and there’s New York City laid out in front of you. It’s pretty spectacular.

When it came time to choose a major in college, I was really tossed up between Fine Art, Architecture and Science or Engineering. In the end, I chose architecture at Penn State and considered switching early into Architectural Engineering. But I had to spend one semester in Architecture before I could consider a change.

That first semester was incredibly intense, many sleepless nights, a rich discourse unlike what I expected from architecture. After that first semester, I felt fortunate to be in the right place. I spent five years there gradually learning the rigor of architecture, growing up as a young person and as an architect. As I approached the end of my time there, I have to credit April Greiman for bringing me to Los Angeles. She had designed a poster for SCI-Arc that was tacked to the wall in our thesis studio. It was a map of projects around Los Angeles done by faculty. I was struck by the experimental quality of the work and of the poster itself. For that and a variety of reasons, including a girl, I packed up and landed in LA where I began my career and continued my education.

On discovering his voice as a designer
I feel fortunate to have had some great professors throughout my education. It will be hard to identify how each has contributed to my development, but they all have. At Penn State, Lou Inserra, Katsu Muramoto, Jawaid Haider, Dan Willis, John Lucas are some of the ones that stick out. At SCI-Arc, Coy Howard, Michele Saee, Margaret Crawford, Norman Millar, Mary Ann Ray and Tom Buresh are some.

There were two epiphanies I had while a student at SCI-Arc. One was during a competition for a new football stadium in Los Angeles. It was at that time that the city had passed a new ordinance restricting panhandling on the streets. I decided to leverage that project to take a position on a social issue. In the project I designed a stadium that was situated below the McClure tunnel in Santa Monica — perhaps one of the most congested areas in the city. The idea was to confront the discomfort of people interfacing with people asking for help through forcing pedestrians and panhandlers in direct communication. The project was a bit snarky; the team was named the ‘Panhandlers,’ the team logo was an outstretched hand emerging from a lightning bolt, and stadium rules were included like, “a panhandler will conduct the coin-toss…and shall keep the coin.” It was the first time I had combined my interests in social justice with my role as a designer.

Later in preparing my thesis, the city had another ordinance that restricted congregations of teens as a means to curb gang violence. Restrictions on public space were something that I could address through architecture. I began working with a LGBT youth center in Hollywood to think about how disenfranchised youth use public space. I got pretty deep in gathering research from other fields like psychology and sociology to develop an understanding of obstacles to addressing this population. The result was a project that was borne out of developing design strategies that emerged from this research. I realized that I could use architecture as a vehicle for being a politically active citizen and that could sponsor design innovation.

On joining Osborn Architects and then NAC Architecture
I came to Osborn Architects when I arrived in California right after I graduated. Ted Osborn had worked with The Architect’s Collaborative, Walter Gropius’ firm in Cambridge MA. He was a great mentor to me; he liked people that cared about design, about detail and implementation, and about architecture as a business. I learned a lot very quickly; we were only eight people when I started. But I left after three years to go to graduate school at SCI-Arc and took some time in different offices including Randall Stout’s and Michael Rotondi’s. I started teaching and trying to build myself as a professional and as an academic. Osborn then asked me to come back as a Design Principal. Tim Ballard and I then continued the firm after Ted Osborn’s retirement and merged with NAC in 2014.

For me architecture is a moving target, continually evolving. When I started my career, I aspired for complexity. As I see more and more of things I design getting built, I find the most powerful elements of design are often in places other than where I thought. Sometimes it’s the moments of the project that I think least about that are strongest. I love drawings and I grew up studying the drawings of Frank Gehry, Frank Israel, Morphosis, and Eisenman. Some of my early work emerges from drawings that are more complex and layered. The building was a representation of a process of making through drawing. Now I see the drawing as a step toward creating space. I see the building as a representation of a certain number of social drivers that dictate the way people will use it.

On principles he strives to adhere to
There are a few that seem to emerge consistently. One emerges from the fact that most of our projects are public. In that environment every move typically needs to be defended against public scrutiny and value engineering. So we try to leverage the essential things to be more. We look for ways to consolidate our moves and find three or four ways to justify a choice we’ve made as a way to embed it so deeply in the project that it survives.

We also are very concerned about the diversity of publics that interface with our work. In a school for example, there are the wallflowers and the performers, the shy and the bold. There are those that will occupy the center of a courtyard and others that need a wall to lean against on the perimeter. Stairs with larger landings can be places to congregate, the width of corridors matters, etc. The work of Herman Hertzberger has been very influential in this regard. The ordinary can be made radical when it becomes increasingly layered with program, or considers the reality of the level of diversity that can accommodate.

On his role at NAC Architecture
I’m a Design Principal and Partner, so I support our projects through design and share responsibility for the general health of the office. As the firm has grown and our projects have grown in complexity, I find that my main role is to make room for others to design and to ensure we have a process and a culture that respects and values the role of design from concept through construction.

We are currently thinking about how innovation happens in our practice. I’m working to make sure that our culture can foster innovation. Design is an iterative process and, if we’re doing it right, it’s finding innovation all along the way. So we need a culture that allows for individual voices to join freely. We need a culture that stays flexible and allows for input from others in a collaborative process. But we need a culture that also recognizes strong ideas and a process that privileges conceptual goals.

We have just designed and moved into a new space which has reinforced the aspirations we had for how we want to work. It is a space that allows for individual work and multiple opportunities to come together and huddle, pin up, or charrette. The work is very visible and allows other teams to pick up on ideas that are being developed on other projects.

It all starts, though, with the people in our team. I am involved in hiring and it all starts with the conversation we have in an interview. For us, it’s not a just a job. We believe in the value of the work to a broader community. I feel like great things happen when we can get a group of people together with talent, but more importantly a will to push in the same direction.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
It’s not always the same for every project. But I would say that our work aspires to be radical in its pragmatism. I feel that it’s a very logical approach that is simultaneously hyper-opportunistic. When the criteria of a project are established, something as mundane as drainage patterns of stormwater, placement of underground utilities, or learning modalities of different age students can be a design driver. The challenge is to then let these criteria affect the project directly and purely without a filter of what we “like.” I’m more interested in a project that leverages the opportunity to create something new because of the uniqueness of the conditions on the project.

At Los Angeles City College it was underground electrical that challenged us to change the shape of a bridge which connected two existing buildings to a new elevator. Accessibility codes mandated that the bridge was covered to provide equal access under cover. As a result, we let this criteria impact the project through deforming a box truss structure. What started as a more utilitarian element to the project became the central focus, created a more dynamic student gathering space on the campus, and established a new northern gateway.

At Playa Vista Elementary School we had an incredibly tight site to fit a 560 student school and very precise requirements for outdoor play space. The only way to fit the project was to snake a line of classrooms around the site, overlapping building code setbacks and limits on what could be counted as play space.

Working with the Los Angeles Unified School District, we also evolved a very strong sustainability program leveraging the domino effect of a number of unique criteria. The site’s visibility from above supported the removal of rooftop equipment. Water source heat pumps enabled consideration of a geothermal heat exchange for heating and cooling. With more room for solar, we upped our goal for energy generation. In the end we pushed for solar to be visible to students through bifacial panels which also acted as corridor canopies.

I could go on. All of our projects have some story about a seemingly inconsequential nugget of criteria that is allowed to have an impact. Sometimes we as architects try to restore order so quickly that we erase the things that sponsor difference. Our approach is to let the messiness exist for a while, be comfortable with that, and force ourselves to respond to it in with design thinking.

On his design toolkit
Our approach is not so dependent on there being a highly regulated system of tools. That being said I do believe that the choice of tools impacts the design. So I prefer to start with the tool that is least predictive of results. So sketching and sketch models tend to be first. When we move into digital production which is happening earlier and earlier, I prefer to work with Rhino and Grasshopper. It is the most flexible platform for the work we are doing and the most able to transition to Revit which we use for production.

On the state of design software today
It’s a tug of war. The software companies want to put more and more convenience in front of us and make it easier to do certain things. At the same time, I’m wary of things that get too easy and encourage us to get lazy and not think about certain things. I see this in my students. They can produce a lot of material to pin up on the wall, by slicing a model in a bunch of different directions, but did they think about it? As we enable standardization of wall-types, for example, it becomes easier to reuse building elements. I’m not against finding certain economies in the way we work…but I want us to be critical of the economies we are using.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
The first question, is ‘how is the world changing?’ and ‘how is our industry going to adapt?’ I tend to approach practice as a political and social act. We have a responsibility to leverage our skills, experience, and voice to make an impact. Income inequality sponsors a greater spread of poverty, the global food system creates voids where health food cannot reach, and it starts with inequity in education. And I didn’t even touch on the challenge of our limited natural resources and climate change. We need to flip ourselves on our heads and think about reinventing our profession. We need to build smarter. We need to think about how to address needs in society.

On the future of the firm in the next 5–10 years
We are looking for ways to make projects happen that don’t always have a big organization with well-established funding. I’ve been talking to some friends in economics, trying to find ways to zoom out and look at the way money moves and how projects can benefit. For example, we are doing a housing project in an area that might be resistant due to potential gentrification. But by zooming out, we realize that there are a few projects going on. Each pays for various small scale street-scape improvements. At the same time there’s a city project for other kinds of improvements. So we go to meet with the city to see if there’s a way to look at all the money that’s leaking in small ways and aggregate it and do something really beneficial for the community that uplifts the entire area.

On advice he would give himself 
To collapse life and work. I have found the most satisfaction in my career when I’ve been able to ensure that who I am as a person is well-represented in how I work. My career has expanded and evolved in response to my personal interests and world view. I was directing the Community Design Program at SCI-Arc for 10 years because I believed in architecture as a social act. I’ve brought that discourse into NAC. Currently, I’m active in the food movement, looking at how healthy food doesn’t get to disadvantaged parts of the city, so I’ve been looking at urban planning relative to health and wellness.

Going forward, I’m advising myself to think about broader systems, political structures, and financial structures, for example. I remember a lecture when I was a grad student at SCI-Arc, by Rients Djikstra, who spent the whole lecture on an overhead structure discussing and diagramming the structure of a civic client and city, which he posited as essential to the birth of his practice. I often think of that lecture as pretty radical. It keeps me studying systems thinking and how it applies to my practice.

My last piece of advice is just to make sure it’s fun. I feel very fortunate to be doing what I’m doing, with whom I’m doing it, and what we are accomplishing.