Archelectic: AmphibianArc / Nonchi Wang

This article has been planned for awhile. Back in late 2014 I wrote Nonchi Wang, the Founder and Design Principal of AmphibianArc, an email about digitizing his early work “Monument to Copernicus.” This was when we first launched the Modelo alpha prototype and I wanted to share a website with a live 3D model of his project. His response was:

“Qi, that sounds fun. I always like to be part of the new technological developments, one of which your company is making significant contribution to. I am honored that you chose to use our projects to showcase the new technology. Let’s do it.” — Nonchi

However, we were unable to find the digital model of it. The physical model was made back in 1993 and they had digitized it a long time ago. Unfortunately, we gave up.

One year later, a little while after we started our Design Manifestos interview series, I reached out to Nonchi again to invite him to participate. I didn’t speak with Nonchi directly, but instead I spoke with his VP Luoya and she accepted the interview on his behalf. Luoya knew Nonchi was having some health-related situations, but later came to find it was cancer.

Several weeks after this, I got very upsetting news when I saw a friend’s post on social media. Nonchi had passed away.

Nonchi has been a very good friend and mentor of mine. Through my short period of time working with him, I got to know and understand him a lot. I still remember the first day when I walked into the office. I saw two amazing hand drawings of this curvy-complex-intriguing building, which is the “Monument to Copernicus.” I stood in front of them and stared at it for minutes. Nonchi came over and said: “That was one of my earliest works back in 1993.”

As someone who is familiar with the recent architectural history and who is focused intensively on digital design tools, I know what it means to design something like that in that period of time. My first thought was, “he is a pioneer,” and my second thought was, “but how come I didn’t know him at all?”

Later on, I also figured out he designed the “Beijing Planetarium” which was built in 2001. At the time it was built, it was the most technologically and conceptually advanced building in China. This made me even more curious when I thought about how his exposure and reputation weren’t exactly well-known.

Since I haven’t worked with him for a long period of time, I really can’t come to a conclusion why he wasn’t that well-known, but I think definitely the lack of general marketing and social presence contribute a lot to it. I would describe Nonchi as a humble and quiet person with crazy ideas, who also has the talent to achieve them.

I used to work until pretty late in the office (normally 3am, the latest 4:30am) and Nonchi always left after I did. We used to joke that he is a slave driver, but he would argue back that he is a slave himself, given the fact he worked probably harder than most of us.

After my first project there, we had a long discussion about technology, design and career. At the end of the conversation he told me,“I bought a Porsche recently, I got it not because I like sports cars, but because I want to let everyone know that a hard-working, dedicated architect can make himself a great living”.

A couple months ago, I brought the idea up to Nonchi’s wife Meiling about finishing what I’ve discussed with Nonchi before (publishing a post like this). She agreed and signed off on the usage of all Nonchi’s work. Unfortunately, this post should have happened earlier. I would like to use this as a chance to salute to his dedication to this field, and his belief that good design is good business.

Background:

amphibian: Amphibians (class Amphibia, from Amphi- meaning “on both sides” and -bios meaning “life”), such as frogs, salamanders, and caecilians, are ectothermic (or cold-blooded) animals that metamorphose from a juvenile water-breathing form, either to an adult air-breathing form, or to a paedomorph that retains some juvenile characteristics. Mudpuppies, for example, retain juvenile gills in adulthood.

Amphibian
In 1992, Nonchi Wang, the founder of amphibianArc, received an Honorable Mention in the NARA/TOTO World Architecture Triennale. The theme of this conceptual competition was the “Symbiosis of History and the Future”. The jury consisted of Toyo Ito, Kisho Kurokawa and Kenneth Frampton. Except for the competition theme and encouragement from the jury to break boundaries, no program or requirements were given.

Nonchi Wang’s winning entry depicts a spaceship traveling in deep space. Space exploration, this entry argues, is humanity’s collective destiny and, at the same time, a recurrence of its ancestors’ evolutionary venture from sea to land. While fulfilling its destiny by going into space, humanity is making a leap from terrestrial species into extraterrestrial species. Our ancestor had made a similar evolutionary leap from marine species to terrestrial species millions years ago. Space travel is both an act of moving towards humanity’s unknown future and an act of reliving its history, therefore a symbiosis of history and the future.

The urge of entering the unknown territory has driven humanity from water to land millions years ago and from land to space in our time. In the scale of geological time, humanity has been living as amphibians — a life form living on one side of the coastal line, or the skyline, with its origin deeply rooted on the other side.

Arc
Arc, being a mere segment of a circle, signifies inherent partiality of all ideas or forms of knowledge. It is a symbol of humility.

amphibianArc
amphibianArc, founded in 1992, represents a philosophy of design and architecture that is informed by the idea of evolution in the formation of human spirit and habitation.

Projects:

Beijing Planetarium
Beijing, China 25,000 sq m 2001 Built

The Beijing Planetarium is a commission amphibianArc won in June 2001 in a multi-phased, international design competition. The winning scheme encompasses 25,000 sqm, including a 200-seat digital planetarium, two observatories, a 150-seat IMAX theater, a 48-seat IWERK theater, 7,000 sqm of exhibition space, and classroom and administration facilities.
The Beijing Planetarium has received the Zian Tien Yo Award (China, 2006), the AIA/LA Design Award (Los Angeles, 2006), and the China National Creative Architecture Award (China, 2009).

Wonder Mall
Shijiazhuang, China 170,000 sq m 2005 Built

This mixed-use development in Shijiazhuang, China combines 60,000 sqm of retail, 30,000 sqm of office space, a 35,000 sqm hotel, and 45,000 sqm of condominiums.

While fashion is ever-changing and multiple in expressions, Wonder Mall strives to embody the essence of fashion by articulating fashion as an act of wearing and accessorizing oneself. The architecture of Wonder Mall takes place at the building surface where the naked curtain wall as body skin is covered with weaves of metal louvers, the prêt-à-porter of architecture.

Caligraphy In Space
Shanghai, China 616 sq m 2009 — Present Under Construction

Calligraphy in Space is located in Nanhui District, Shanghai. Three-dimensional calligraphy is the key to the design. The concept is inspired by the natural and smooth writing of traditional Chinese calligraphy. Situated among houses styled in a Southern California vernacular, the architecture stands out in strong contrast to its context and signifies the client’s unique taste and character.

Hanhai Dongfeng Sales Center
Zhengzhou, Henan, China 1200 sqm 2014

Located at the intersection of Dongfeng Road and Fung Hing Road, this temporary building serves as the Sales Center for the Dongfeng Shopping Mall which will be completed in 2020.

Our idea of an ideal Shopping Mall architecture- a vibrant “urban container” — finds its continuation in form and style in this contemporary building. As a pilot structure to the shopping mall, the Sales Center blends harmoniously with the future context of the surroundings. The design is characterized by its limpidness and visual permeability; double-heighted curtain wall wrapped around by clean organic forms made of GFRC.

The building mimics the iconic design of the Dongfeng Shopping Mall project, which the building alone function as an advertisement to the potential shopping center tenants. The main lobby is surrounded with abundance of glazing that provides a wealth of natural light throughout the area. This provides a perfect setting for interior landscape and open up the building towards the city’s major traffic thoroughfare as a sign of welcome. The Dongfeng architectural model will be placed in the center of the lobby so that the potential clients will have an unobstructed 360 degree visual accessibility. The glass wall behind the reception desk not only will be used as a partition wall but also as a backdrop to display project animation to their future occupants.

Once built, this building will be a re-inventing of communication place which generates an immersive experience in Northwest Zhengzhou.

Zoomlion Headquarters International Plaza — Single Tower
Changsha, China 344,250 sq m 2012

This scheme uses the multi-level and multi-center space layout strategy, achieving the goal of multi-function and multi-target. 280 m ultra high rise single tower as the highest point of the massing, the scheme proposes 5 towers of 80–100 m and a podium to form an enclosed space. The structure of the conference facilities falls back on the 199.2 m ultra-high tower, which represents the founding year of 1992 of Zoomlion. A water feature suspended at the vertical midpoint of the tower represents the spiritual and architectural center of the complex. The most visible feature in the scheme is the “seven spacecraft” — seven pods representing the seven founders of Zoomlion.

Design Manifestos: Tom Nelson of BAR Architects

Tom Nelson is a Senior Associate at BAR Architects in San Francisco, California and a LEED Fellow with 30 years of professional architectural experience. His focus is on highly sustainably designed major projects for various higher education clients, cultural institutions and developers. Tom helped co-found the Los Angeles Chapter of the USGBC, and represents BAR as one of 50 firms in the US asked to participate in the A+D Sustainable Design Leaders Group.

As an experienced lead project designer, Tom pursues an architectural aesthetic that is bio-climatically responsive and creates humane space which is authentic in its context. He embraces technology and how, particularly the intersection of digital analysis and sustainable design, can enable more informed decision making early in the design process. Tom’s recent research has been focused on healthy building materials, identifying those which are appropriate for their use, have the least negative impact on the environment and human health, and are derived and manufactured in socially responsible ways. Modelo spent some time learning about Tom’s inspirations and current role at BAR Architects.

On becoming an architect
I have always loved to draw. Although I did not have an architectural influence as a child, there wasn’t an architect for 50 miles; I drew, painted, photographed and made prints of whatever I came across. I had a mentor, my high school art teacher who encouraged me to pursue art, which I did during my first year in college. My older brother had completed a fine arts degree a few years earlier. He was and is very talented, but upon graduation his interests went in a different direction. This experience left my father (the funder of my education) with an impression that an arts education would not be the best course. So I was given a choice; to follow my other older brother, the engineer or find something else that would provide a living wage after graduation. I chose architecture which at the time seemed the best sort of compromise — it would satisfy my desire for artistic expression and at least has kept me from living in a cold-water flat. Looking back, it was no compromise at all. The technical and aesthetic challenges have made it a lifelong learning experience and the rent has always gotten paid.

Technology fascinated me even before I knew what it meant to be an early adopter. I am always seeking out the newest thing, needing to understand how it works. I grew up around cars and trucks and learned mechanics almost through osmosis. All of these experiences shaped how I have grown in the profession. I put myself in the position to understand computers in the early 1980’s as they were just coming into use in firms. The computer is still the main tool I use and I continue to seek out the best (and often the newest) technologies to incorporate into my design process.

On discovering his voice as an architect
Early in my career I worked for large firms because I understood that I needed to gain the experience of putting a building together before designing one. I felt that large firms would give me access to the most varied types and scales and would provide the broadest experience. I was right about that, but finding my voice took longer than I expected. It started to happen with the introduction of sustainable design principles. I had a desire to base my designs on some fundamental meaning and purpose that rose beyond the financial success of the project.

It wasn’t until I was asked to be a sustainable design advocate in 1997 while at HOK’s LA office that I began to understand how to create meaning and purpose through the designs by allowing the work to be more than shelter or workspace and have a relationship with the environment. I was influenced by a number of people within HOK, like Bill O’Dell and Sandy Mendler who took on sustainable design at large scale very early in the movement. Their book “HOK’s Guidebook to Sustainable Design” caused a ripple of change though the industry. I was fortunate to contribute a case study of a straw bale office building in the 2nd Edition. The argument they made about the environmental degradation caused by buildings was so compelling that there was no denying that the profession had to respond by changing how buildings are designed and to base design on a climatic response, careful material choices, building less and using less. I thought of it as essentialism.

These ideas were reinforced by timely encounters with people like Paul Hawken and Jenine Benyus. Paul Hawken left me with a new way to look at commercial enterprise in the “Ecology of Commerce” and Jenine opened the possibilities of “Biomimicry” and how buildings can learn from and use natural systems. Jenine recommended an obscure book to me titled “The Extended Organism” the thesis of which was the idea that colonies of termites are in fact a single organism, demonstrated by the unified activities of these small blind insects maintaining their mounds with tremendously complex pathways and passive ventilation systems all while farming their own fungus gardens at the base of the mound which also functioned as the heat source for the community — a truly integrated design. It gave me hope for mankind. Rudofsky’s books “Architecture without Architects” and “Prodigious Builders” were very influential to me. They provided an understanding of how indigenous people responded to their environment with the technology they had and created beautiful authentic structures.

I always begin the design of a project with a natural principal like the buoyancy of air or some other law of thermodynamics as the form driver. The intention is to make a place for people and connect them to that place. I find that biophilic responses are real motivating factors for people to feel comfort and a sense of connection to the place.

On joining BAR Architects
Before joining BAR I was a lead designer and principal with Mithun in Seattle. I was with the firm for 9 years. A combination of a change in the project types Mithun was focused on and my own desire to leave the Pacific Northwest made me feel it was time to make a change. I had tried to settle in San Francisco at the outset of my career, but the economy at the time prevented it. This time it cooperated. I knew of BAR from their long reputation for great design in the Bay Area. When I met the leadership of BAR, I knew that these were people that I could work with and be a part of the firm’s continued growth. We had a common interest in producing great design and they were interested in increasing their capabilities in sustainable practices and digital technology. I was also interested in sharing the experience that I had gained and to use it on building types that I was not yet familiar with doing so. Those opportunities were presented by BAR.

Much of my career has been focused on Higher Education projects and at BAR I help lead the Higher Ed practice, but in keeping with my generalist roots, I participate in many project types in the office.

I had some experience in housing — the building type that currently makes up a majority of BAR’s work, but mastering a building type takes time. Fortunately there are a number of people in the firm who have made it their life’s work so there is no shortage of project examples and expert advice.

The main thing that has caused change is in learning how to approach developer driven housing project as high performance buildings. Most of the multi-family projects the firm takes on are urban infill projects. These projects present particular challenges. Many have only one exposed façade and are on sites that have a predetermined primary orientation. Usually, locating the building on the site would be a critical factor in building performance. Treatment of the building skin becomes a much more important effort. Another important element of high performance design is calculating the savings from energy savings and showing the payback to the owner in the discussion about capital investment in energy efficiency measures. Typically in developer financed projects in California, utility charges must be passed through to the tenants, so a cost savings for the developer or owner cannot be used to justify this investment. An argument can be made that the project may lease faster and have a higher valuation and this can lead to capital investment. Other approaches that may be appealing to developers are related to cost savings through faster construction schedules. This leads to research on different construction types such as prefabrication and cross laminated timber construction, both of which are highly sustainable while providing cost incentives to the developer.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Since the built environment has such a tremendous effect on the natural environment, I find the phrase “first do no harm” inspirational. As Bill McDonnough has said, we can’t just do less bad, we must do good. Our designs should attempt to be restorative, not just sustainable. I try to set the bar for building performance very high by using the Living Building Challenge imperatives as project goals even if they may not be achieved, aspirational goals are essential. Buildings should be bio-climatically responsive, create humane spaces, and be contextually appropriate. I always start with passive design principles with the intention of reducing the energy, water and material uses. As much as possible the building alone should do the work of maintaining a comfortable and healthy indoor environment through its orientation, shading, envelope insulation, without relying on mechanical systems.

On his role at BAR Architects
I lead the design efforts of different project types and help influence design overall. My primary responsibility is for Higher Education projects, but I enjoy working on any other project type as well, such as mixed use, housing, and civic projects. Because of my long experience with using technology in architecture, I also help lead our digital design group. This group investigates software and hardware, creates standards for their use, and determines training needs.

On projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
Our process is more integrative. We employ dialogue with people and technology. Our clients and consultants are critical members of the design team. This approach is essential to the integration of Architecture; Site/landscape, building interiors and systems. Technology is integrated into our process to assist our thought, test concepts and encourage us to push further and challenge ourselves. Each project is approached without any preconceived notion of a particular style. The site context, program requirements, climate, and budget are all fundamental drivers of the design. Once the team gains an understanding of these, the iterative process begins with many ideas explored, and tested. The desired result is a balanced approach that can be represented by a clear diagram — an arrangement that is easily understood, efficiently accommodate all of the project requirements and result in the creation of spaces and places that can lift the human spirit.

Law Winery, Paso Robles, CA
The project is a contemporary expression of a California working ranch that facilitates and demonstrates an efficient winemaking process while taking full advantage of its environs. Nestled into the hillside, this multi-level 23,778 square feet. winery fully engages visitors with a compelling tasting environment and showcases panoramic views of the estate’s coastal vineyards and topography.

Conceived to showcase the wines of this new, estate-grown brand, the winery features a production facility and tasting room that highlight the fractured shale geology of the hillside site, the climatic influences of sun and wind and the functional considerations of the winemaking process. Inspired by traditional agrarian compounds of the western United States, the design enables each element of the process to be expressed as a simple, distinct, and function-driven building form. The arrangement and connection of these core operational elements creates outdoor “rooms” providing programmed exterior work areas and places for visitors to relax and enjoy the views.

Creating a facility expressive of the winemaking philosophy was a primary design objective. The brand focuses on conveying the unique “terroir” through hand-crafted wines made with organically farmed fruit, passive management of the vineyard and gravity flow production processes. These objectives supported a design that intimately connects the building to the site and utilizes locally-sourced, durable materials to provide a healthy, long-lasting work environment.

Functional work-flow is organized to simplify the grape handling and winemaking process, allowing minimal intervention in the natural process and product. Equally important and reflecting the owners’ desire for a clean and contemporary style, the design provides visitors a refined, elegant and welcoming wine-tasting experience that captures the panoramic views of the estate’s vineyard to the north.

Connection to site and environs: The property’s slopes and topography were thoroughly studied to optimize the solar exposure, capture views and respond to local wind patterns. Building elements screen outdoor areas from the typical westerly afternoon wind. The visitor tasting room is positioned just south and below the site’s ridgeline, utilizing the natural topography to shield views of the buildings from a nearby road, while still presenting visitors an extraordinary 270-degree panorama and respecting the county’s ridgeline development restrictions. All of the wine storage and aging activities are located in subterranean rooms benched into the hillside. This location also provides protection and natural insulation from the hot summer days. The design approach not only minimizes the apparent size of the facility, but also allows exterior visitor parking within a courtyard that is contained on three sides by landscaped terrace or building walls.

A wine-tasting experience for all the senses: As guests arrive in the gravel-paved auto court, the Corten entry wall intentionally announces that a large portion of the facility was “cleft out” of the natural land-form. The small, cave-like entry door, recessed deep into the wall surface, hints at the subterranean barrel storage beyond and highlights the contrast between the solid and void that visitors will experience once they climb — via either the interior or exterior stairs– to the glass jewel-box tasting room twenty feet above. Surrounded on three sides by floor-to-ceiling glass and large sliding doors, which can remain open during a majority of the year, the simple but elegant tasting room embraces the casual comfort of a living room and offers indoor/outdoor terraces for a variety of entertaining options. Shaded by large roof overhangs, these areas heighten the connection to the surrounding landscape and provide year-round flexibility without costly indoor, conditioned space.

Creating efficient and healthy work environments: All production areas except the barrel storage rooms (where UV exposure is detrimental to the wine) have ample natural light, reducing the need for artificial illumination during normal work hours. Transfers of juice between crush, fermentation and aging areas utilize simple gravity flow, minimizing the need for electric pumps. State-of-the-art concrete fermentors provide a high thermal mass container, moderating temperature swings by absorbing heat generated during the conversion of sugar to alcohol. Within the large production spaces, high and low wall louvers allow exhausting of harmful CO2 gases produced during fermentation and passive night cooling of the spaces during most of the year.

Shaping the building to save energy: Building forms are organized to shade glazing from summer solar gain and admit warming winter sun. The roof shape is tuned for daylighting interior spaces. High performance low-e glazing insulates the interior and maximizes views and connection to nature. Roofs are oriented for PV production, with infrastructure in place for future plug-in arrays. The mass of the concrete structure works to exhaust heat using nighttime ventilation air and pre-cool the spaces. The barrel storage rooms are located below grade, harnessing the “Thermos Bottle” effect used to super-insulate the space and reduce energy use.

Extending the usefulness of water: Sloped roofs channel rainwater to a buried 15,000-gallon cistern, where it is stored and reused for landscape irrigation. A subsurface bioreactor recycles all winery process water for vineyard irrigation. Flat areas of green roof slow stormwater and allow evapotranspiration. Impervious paving is minimized. Xeriscape eliminates the need for ornamental irrigation. In total, these water conservation strategies save an estimated 135,000 gallons per year.

Employing a material reduction strategy: Building materials were selected for durability and appearance and many were employed in their natural state as the finished surface. The palette consists primarily of cast-in-place concrete — both board-formed and smooth surface, natural Corten steel cladding, painted and galvanized steel structural framing, corrugated metal siding, heavy dash, integral color exterior stucco, interior veneer plaster and standing seam metal roof. This integrated, sustainable and site-responsive approach ties the project to its surroundings and to its function, while creating a humane and healthy place for people to work, gather and appreciate the process of making and enjoying wine.

UCSFNet Zero Student Housing, San Francisco, CA
Our submission of a net zero student housing community garnered the Special Recognition Award at the 2015 Architecture at Zero design competition, presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC). In addition to creating a net zero facility for a specific site at UCSF, other requirements included a minimum requirement of 525 units and 775 beds as well as 19,500 sf community & support spaces, 18,000 sf Child Care and 1,500 sf UCSF Police Station.

Siting the buildings with a north-south orientation was deliberate, albeit unconventional. To achieve net zero performance, consideration of building orientation is important, but must be balanced with daylight access and solar control. For residential uses, an east-west orientation would limit direct access to daylight for nearly half of the occupants.

The ØeMission Bay design response lifts the massing, leveraging opportunities to link major green spaces to the north and south, and encourages street level pedestrian flow. Air currents across the site are directed up into the courts and light wells. The facade shading strategy is born of solar insolation analysis. Northwest and southwest facade scrims are shaped by the intensity of the annual solar radiation striking the facade. The opacity of the translucent scrim, directly proportional to the insolation intensity, allows for maximum window to wall ratios while minimizing solar gain. Smaller openings on the eastern facades are designed to reduce thermal loads. In addition, hybrid PV/solar thermal array further shades the facades and light wells.

All living units allow natural ventilation by cracking open the traditional double loaded corridor plan and introducing semi-enclosed light wells. Operable windows on opposing sides of the unit allow free cross flow of air. Light wells act as thermal chimneys, inducing convection currents upward, “pulling” air through the units. Heating is provided through high efficiency air-source heat pumps interconnected with the solar thermal panels on the roof, all of which combine to provide a very low energy solution. The podium is heated and cooled via in-slab radiant conditioning supplied by heat pumps for increased occupant comfort.

Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, Culpeper, Virginia
The project represents the adaptive reuse of an outmoded Cold War facility into the world’s largest archival and conservation center for audio-visual media. Through careful consideration of site, architecture, and ecological factors, the design integrates buildings into the native topography and utilizes green roofs, porous paving, passive solar planting, and other sustainable techniques to create a unique project that is finely tuned to its purpose and setting.

Background and Scope:
The facility is the new home for the Library of Congress’s Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Collections. The 400,000-square foot complex provided for consolidation of the world’s largest audio-visual collection and improved facilities for research, digital conversion, long-term conservation, and public appreciation of the collection’s 11 million items, some dating back to the original copyrights of Thomas Edison.

Adaptive Reuse:The original 128,000 square-foot bunker served as a nuclear fallout shelter for federal banking officials broadcast material. Adaptive reuse of the bunkers entailed renovation and expansion of underground and partially underground structures, including a state-of-the-art collections wing, a nitrate film wing for highly combustible materials, and a central conservation building with offices, preservation laboratories, a 200-seat theater, and conference facilities. Working closely as a team, BAR and our consultants focused on a design approach to minimize the presence of these structures and extend the subtle beauty of the rolling hills and meadows uninterrupted through the site.

Design Approach: The team clustered the building program within five of the 45 acres and configured the structures to conform to the hillside topography, minimizing grading and site disturbance. While the Collections and Nitrate Buildings are largely buried, the central three-story Conservation Building emerges above grade to provide natural light to offices and work spaces through a series of terraced concrete arcades. The building follows the slope to enclose a central lawn court which represents the project’s only formal, irrigated open space, functioning as both a viewing garden and an outdoor event space. The courtyard consists of stepped lawn terraces around a circular reflection basin that reflects the shifting cloud patterns of the foothill region, bringing sky to earth and a sense of openness into the heart of the facility. The reflecting basin can be easily covered to offer a larger useable space if required.

The arcades themselves provide a series of trellises, and the arcade beams double as irrigated, insulated planters for deciduous Boston ivy. These living awnings shade the floor to ceiling glazing of the workspaces in the summer, while in winter the leafless vines allow sunlight to penetrate deep into the building and offset energy demands.

Roof gardens cover all three buildings, masking their presence on the rural Virginia hillside and forming perhaps the largest single roof garden east of the Mississippi River. Of the total 228,000 square feet (five acres), 146,000 square feet is ‘extensive’ green roof. The ‘intensive’ profile reflects the stepped profile of the Collections Building and supports a wider range of plant material. Its depth helps to reduce cooling loads required to maintain the Collections Building storage vault temperatures.

On his design toolkit
Although I produce most of my design work with the computer, I still rely on hand drawings to begin the process and often produce sketches to explain certain aspects of the design as it progresses. I enjoy the dialog between analog and digital drawings. I often think about keeping myself honest with the precision of the computer but allowing the sketches to bring out the poetry.

In the last few years I have begun to use Lumion software in conjunction with Sketch Up and Revit for modeling. Lumion runs on a gaming engine and produces rendered environments in real time. I find it to be a design tool rather than a renderer. When I am navigating through a model in Lumion I get a visceral sense that I am in the space, mainly because of the atmospheric tools in the program. It allows a different kind of decision making to happen unlike just modeling or drawing. Although you do not model inside of Lumion, the interface between the modeling programs and Lumion is quite seamless. Other advantages of working this way are the multitude of rendered images that can be produce quickly. Experienced users can produce very compelling images without the time consuming post production that many rendering programs require. I’m surprised that more firms are not using this program.

I also use analysis software to investigate building performance. We are currently using Sefaira for whole building analysis. I’m always a bit wary while using this and keep a close connection to engineers to get feedback and insight on the results. It has been quite a challenge to get more people in the office to use it as part of their regular design workflow. I attribute that to the left/right brain divide that seems greater in designers. Many people are totally averse to looking at analytics and the back and forth from form to environmental influences that is required to increase building performance. As the software evolves, I believe there will be a friendlier interface which should make designers more attractive to it.

On the state of design software today
The pace of change is shocking. I have been using BIM for many years, and its capabilities keep expanding allowing more disciplines to participate in modeling and analysis. VR is exciting and a bit scary to me. We are just about to test some VR software and headsets, so it is too soon to tell, but I am initially skeptical about whether teams will interact well using it. It probably isn’t analogous to the impact headphones have had in separating people from one another, but I will be interested to see how that plays out. We are also researching 3D printing to see if we can benefit from it in the office or whether we should contract it out to a service firm. I’m sure it has a place in the office, but this is a large investment and needs to be carefully considered. Drones are another tool that could be interesting. Their capability to produce 3D digital imagery of existing buildings and site features will be a powerful addition to our modeling and rendering tools allowing us to produce much more accurate context models very quickly. Creating topography and existing buildings has always been drudgery for me, so I welcome the drones.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
I think innovation is needed in the graphic user interface (GUI). How we interact with computers hasn’t changed much since I started using them in the 80’s, but processors are orders of magnitude faster, the images they produce are much more vivid and the amount of data processed is almost limitless. There have been many attempts at a drawing interface with a stylus, but there seems to still be a big disconnect there for most people. It’s possible that VR will provide this tactile missing link between the hand and the machine. The other area that I think needs much more work is in prefabrication and computer driven manufacturing. This is starting to happen and it presents a tremendous opportunity to reduce the amount of waste in the construction industry. It may also offer a return to the idea of the master builder. Maybe the architect can regain some of the control that we have been busy giving to consultants, subcontractors, and manufacturers. I fear that as artificial intelligence finds its place in the profession, the human element, aesthetic sense, and empathy for the user may begin to be diluted as we are seduced by what I’m sure will be its amazing capabilities.

There will be more technology both in the design process and in construction and the linkages between the two will be closer. Schedules will get shorter due to this integration and prefabrication. More design build teams and more architects working directly for contractors.

On the future of BAR Architects in the next 5–10 years
We will form closer relationships with contractors and developers to be in a position to participate in design build, public private partnerships, and other alternative delivery methods. We will adopt technology to keep pace with faster schedules. This will include design and management software in the office and in the field. We will have to master the skills needed to produce documentation for fabrication so our designs can be used to create prefabricated elements.

On advice he would give himself
Maybe 3 things:

• Stay outside of your comfort zone, it’s the most exciting place to be
• Understand the financial structure of real estate deals
• Learn management skills

Design Manifestos: Pete Smith of BWBR

Pete Smith, AIA, President and CEO, is a licensed architect and 30-year veteran of the profession. He joined BWBR in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1987 and was named head of the firm in 2012, representing the seventh generation of leadership for the 94-year-old business. Under his tenure, BWBR opened a second office in Madison, Wisconsin, and has grown its staff by more than 50 percent. With the growth of the firm, Pete has also overseen the implementation of a knowledge management program to leverage the power of design thinking beyond the boundaries of architecture to help clients with workplace strategies, evolving pedagogies in education, and health care service design. In 2015, AIA Minnesota honored BWBR with its biennial Firm Award, recognizing the firm’s contribution to the advancement of the profession in the areas of technology, service, and design. Modelo spent some time learning about Pete’s career as an architect and about what continues to motivate him today.

On becoming an architect
I grew up next door to Lloyd Bergquist, one of the ‘B’s of BWBR. I don’t know of any specific inspiration that came from that, but I remember being very much aware that he was an architect. His family’s home was so unique relative to the other houses in the neighborhood. It impressed me the impact an architect can have on the built environment. In high school drafting classes I began imagining spaces and it sparked my creative juices.

When I was wrestling with a major, architecture was at the top of the list. Also interested in medicine and education, it is interesting now that my practice includes designing healthcare facilities and doing a fair amount of teaching and mentoring. This path allowed me to have it all.

On discovering his voice as a designer
Admittedly, I was just an average design student and subsequently an average designer in practice. However, early in my career I found myself in a position where I had more work to handle than I could accomplish alone and needed help. Two things happened. First, the volume of work I could do increased and, second, the quality of the work I was leading improved as others were better at certain things than I. What I discovered was there were many ways to be an ‘architect,’ and I was pretty good at several of those. While being a ‘Big D’ designer wasn’t one of them, I found that I could lead a team, guide a client, challenge the design solutions, manage the process, inspire, and motivate others quite well.

Influences in my life are too many to list, but from my mother I learned organizational and leadership skills; my father, process and budget management and problem-solving skills; Lloyd Bergquist, a focus on the client and the firm and less on ‘me;’ and from the senior leaders at BWBR through my early career, how to lead others and eventually lead a firm.

On joining BWBR
Although Lloyd was a mentor of mine, it never occurred to me to ask him for a job. I worked at a couple firms during college and stayed on after graduation with one of them. As their market dried up, I began looking and stumbled across an ad for help at BWBR. My approach to architecture early was simply providing space to house a human activity. Over the years, I have grown to learn the significant impact that architecture can have is on the people that live, work, are healed, worship, and are incarcerated within. Because people are impacted, our process at BWBR has evolved, as well, to engage them in the process. This goes beyond having meetings and asking for feedback. We engage them deeply in the process, from identification of the problem and need to exploration of the design solutions to the implementation of those solutions and, frankly, to the change management necessary when they move in to those solutions.

On a specific principle he strives to adhere to
Keep the focus on the client and not on our ego as designers.

On his role at BWBR
My primary focus is on the sustainability of our practice — helping my peers and our staff make good decisions on behalf of our clients while maintaining the health and viability of our practice into the future. We are in our 94th year as a practice and our seventh generation of leadership. Our firm mission and my personal mission align around the idea that design excellence, a focus on client service, and staff development leads to business success. As a practicing architect, I approach every project with the focus to enhance and elevate clients using design as a conduit. By satisfying the most demanding of clients as project leaders, we can effectively develop future design and project leaders by creating distinguished architectural solutions for churches, health care organizations, schools, and companies heavy into research and development and manufacturing. It’s a balanced approach to the practice of architecture, demonstrating that business success and design quality are congruous.

Beyond maintaining existing and building new relationships in my seller-doer role, I also spend a fair amount of time mentoring future leaders of the organization, whether that is in the area of design leadership, technical leadership, business development or running the practice. By developing new capacities that foster professional success, we develop the capacities of the firm to serve a world that challenges us to be more diverse, more innovative, and more creative. Our approach to capacity-building has helped diversify the firm’s leadership ranks with more women, different thought leaders such as medical planners and security specialists, and helped implement new initiatives such as design research and knowledge management.

On recent project that represent the firm’s unique approach
While I appreciate that there are many similarities between firms, we believe we do things a bit different. We excel on the design of complex projects serving the needs of many stakeholders. Because of the varied, and sometimes competing, ideas people bring to these dynamic facilities, we facilitate visioning sessions at a level that is unmatched, creating an engaging environment where people feel comfortable contributing their voice without hitting speed bumps that could drag out the process. We believe that because our work has such a significant impact on the people who will use these buildings, they should be engaged in the process. This leads to what we believe are more ‘relevant’ solutions. The buildings we design are about our clients and not about us — an approach that has earned us the reputation as ‘strategic partners’ with many of our clients. Projects such as Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center Building, Gustavus Adolphus College’s Beck Hall, the State of Minnesota Senate Office Building, Karner Blue Education Center or a large research and development center for a Fortune 500 company are good examples that demonstrate this focus on the client.

On his design toolkit
We use a number of tools to help communicate ideas and explore options with our clients. Design thinking is both analytical and emotional. The ability to create 3D imagery has improved our ability to communicate with and help clients visualize space. Our process includes a number of modeling techniques as well as ‘old school’ hand sketches and diagrams to begin the dreaming process. As the design develops, the tools are more refined, allowing a level of realism that aides in communication.

On the state of design software today
Having started when creating a perspective rendering required hours of time and an understanding of how to set the horizon and establish vanishing points, the ability to practically press a button and experience the space from countless viewpoints is almost magic. The tools available today have significantly improved the design process and the rate of change suggests we have just scratched the surface.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
With 3D modeling and BIM technology, both in design and fabrication, there is almost no limit. What can be imagined can be fabricated. There is little disruption needed on that end of the practice. I think on the service end and how we engage all the stakeholders in the process, the integration of teams and the breakdown of organizational silos is where the greatest need is and where more disruption will occur.

Again, I see more and more integration of the various stakeholders: owners, design, engineering, and construction. We won’t come together necessarily as one entity but rather in a process that integrates the necessary skills and expertise to reduce waste and risk and create more innovative and impactful design solutions.

On the future of BWBR in the next 5–10 years
BWBR is a well-established and successful practice. This makes change sometimes difficult. Why change if things are working well? We recently completed a strategic planning process that challenges us to be “nimble and bold” and developed specific strategies to achieve that vision. We are well on our way. Both the current and future leadership of BWBR are committed to evolving our practice and building skills of resiliency that will allow us to respond to whatever the future throws our way. We are also creating a design culture informed by research. Through research, we offer a more critical approach to design and measuring the success of those designs after implementation. Through research, we have the opportunity to create a more engaged workforce, innovate in process and solutions, and inspire people to exceed expectations. A two-way street, research opens opportunities to seek new knowledge and contribute to the profession’s body of knowledge.

On advice he would give himself
I’m afraid that if I were more aware of what I know now, I wouldn’t have learned the lessons…some of those hard lessons made me who I am today. Perhaps if I could whisper in my ear while I was sleeping, I would say, “Being an architect is more than what you were taught. It is richer and more diverse than drilled into you in school. Open your mind to the possibilities!”

Design Manifestos: Kona Gray of EDSA | Modelo Blog Series

Kona Gray is a Principal at EDSA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Reaching beyond the ordinary is at the heart of every project in which Kona is involved with. His strong sense of integrating creativity and regional resources when designing projects results not only in functional environments, but surroundings that invigorate the imagination. Kona has experience in many aspects of planning and landscape architecture, ranging from large scale planning to detailed site design with emphasis on hospitality and campus related projects. Modelo spent some time learning about Kona’s major influences and about what makes the firm unique.

On becoming a landscape architect
My father is an architect and he predicted that I would find my passion in landscape architecture because I designed large scale landscapes with matchbox cars, sticks, rocks, and whatever else I could find on the playground as a kid. Similar to so many other landscape architects, I stumbled into landscape architecture through a moment of synchronicity. Struggling with a focus on the building itself and not the entourage of the surrounding spaces made me a more holistic approach to design and the built environment was available. The profession continues to appeal to my love of nature, people, and how the two elements intersect through outdoor experiences. It is the perfect merger of my interest in the arts, sciences and environment.

On discovering his voice as a designer
I have learned over the years that the most valued influences are relationships that shape your world. First and foremost is and will always be my family. My grandmother owned a boutique inn and loved hospitality, my mother was caring and inspirational, and my father has always been driven to be the best possible person. These influences are indicative of who I am and my wife and daughter continue to provide me with purpose, love and support.

Professionally, many of my greatest influences and inspirations have come from the leadership at EDSA, especially Edward D. Stone Jr., FASLA and Joseph J. Lalli., FASLA. They both possessed great talent and humility. At the University of Georgia, it was a presentation from Ian McHarg with WRT and a meeting with Walter Hood of Hood Design, both trailblazers, that solidified the role of Landscape Architects as leaders. Ian’s ability to map regional spaces with a masterful layering technique established this practice as an industry mainstay. Walter’s designs for people and places that are underserved the ‘forgotten spaces’ — bring social justice and beauty to those who would not normally have the opportunity to receive it.

On joining EDSA
I received an invitation to join EDSA from J. Robert Behling, FASLA, our current Chairman, after a week-long review for my capstone assignment — required to graduate from the University of Georgia. Initially, I visited EDSA over spring break to gather research for the assignment, but ended up jumping right in to help the studio team meet a deadline. Unbeknownst to me, this ended up being my entry-level interview.

In the beginning, my approach to landscape architecture focused on the beauty of the designed environment. Everything we touch needs to aesthetically look, feel and perform better. However, I soon realized the business side of the profession was equally important. Not only must we create beautiful and purposeful places, but they must be economically sustainable as well. And most importantly, a space must be a reflection and inspiration to the people who experience these memorable places.

On specific principles he strives to adhere to
Grant Jones of Jones and Jones that declared recently, “Earth is our client.” I believe landscape architecture is not a luxury item and thoughtful design of the public realm is necessary to connect the built environment with the planet. It is our global responsibility is to design for people with a respect for the environment and to make this correlation seamless with empathy for the next generation. The most rewarding aspect of being a landscape architect for me is seeing a successfully complete project that is enjoyed by everyday people.

On his role at EDSA
At EDSA, we are a collective of peers. As colleagues we are responsible for the health and future of the studio based organization. My role and primary focus is leading and mentoring my design team on a variety of project types and scales from hospitality destinations to urban environments. I am responsible for introducing new clients to our services and expertise, developing proposals based on their needs, leading project design, managing the execution of design documents and seeing the project through construction.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
We shy away from the ordinary and seek out the unexpected. Stretching our creativity and building upon innovation, we require every designer to provide three crazy ideas at a project’s kick-off. For example, Cairo Capital Central Park is essentially a 5,000-acre park in the Egyptian desert. It sounds crazy, yet we thought it would be fun. Jerry Van Eyck from MELK joined us for a design charrette in Fort Lauderdale. The pioneering idea of “ribbon like” landscape of intertwined spaces incorporates a walkable park, infused with the history of Egypt and the future of the planet. The overall design embraces the desert and integrates land forms so the entire space does not require irrigation.

We are also working on the New Norton Museum with Norman Foster + Partners. In this collaboration the architect is leading the design strategy. The project is very challenging and we are expressing the spirit of the museum throughout the landscape. We have curated the environment to be choreographed with the museums existing art collection and established garden rooms for guests to experience sculptures. However, the true star is an 80-year-old Banyan Tree. Our design dialogue focuses on the collaborative contribution and strengths of landscape architecture in conceptual design, plant selection, and execution of project details through construction.

On his design toolkit
We still draw by hand. And although it may seem old school, we find our designs are stronger because of it. The ability to express your ideas visually is essential to being a skillful designer. I love to sketch, paint, listen to music, read, attend concerts, visit museums and search the web for new ideas. If it is creative, I want to know about it.

At the beginning of our ideation process we utilize trace and markers to sketch out first concepts. Many times this process unfolds in front of clients in workshops and it is mind blowing to see our ideas come to life with their input. Once we have these thoughts on trace, we convert them digitally. We then refine, manipulate and enhance designs in the computer. In regards to software we use Sketch-Up to quickly model from an AutoCAD framework. This is followed by Photoshop for fine tuning the graphics and Revit, 3Ds Max, Rhino and Lumia for final renderings. We have totally embraced the Wacom tablets so every designer can draw digitally right on a large screen. We are consistently evolving and improving our technology as we see our hand graphics like that of the CGI industry that deals with animations. It starts out with a rough sketch or storyboard and is translated and refined with computer graphics.

On the state of software today
Software is in a constant state of change. This can be good and bad. It seems that things are moving so quickly and every designer needs to stay current to utilize all latest tools available. We have been filming our designs with Adobe Premiere from the tablet and it is awesome. Video is a very powerful medium and it is more user friendly and reasonably priced today. It has allowed us to present in a way that we never imagined before — aminations, complete with voice over and music to help guide the mood of the experience. I feel that soon it will be common place to have videos and virtual reality incorporated into every aspect of design. This is very cool and I am so excited about the future.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
As a trained architect, I can remember the strong emphasis placed on the flat facade. That fact has not changed. What has changed is that people are realizing they need more than just the building. The Highline in NYC is a perfect example. Our profession has a tremendous future. We are the best kept secret in the design space and that means opportunity to take charge of shaping the built environment and preserving the land. We have always known that the spaces between the buildings create life and that is a lot of real estate.

Industry will embrace our calling to lead design endeavors with high performing landscapes. As president of the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF), I find this exhilarating. The LAF introduced the Landscape Performance Series to the world and it has changed the way we approach and implement design. We are now looking at the current conditions of a place and the inherent benefits derived from great landscape architecture. The benefits are tangible and they cross every aspect of life from health to economics with transformative results.

On the future of EDSA in the next 5–10 years
EDSA has begun incorporating landscape performance into our new designs and have participated in several LAF Case Study Investigations (CSI). Our first CSI projects were done retrospectively and we had do dig into the archives to establish the baseline state for projects. Now, we are engaged in a reformed process that establishes a list of social, economic and environmental objectives. These aspects are tested with our designs, measured throughout the process and evaluated pre as well as post construction. Additionally, we return to completed projects to learn what has worked and what failed — using these models for future case studies. The experience of merging the design process with the scientific method of research has proven that design is ultimately a craft.

On advice he would give himself
Actually, I have two pieces of advice. First, I would tell myself to be very selective in life as it relates to projects opportunities. And, second always surround yourself with good people that force you to be your personal best every day!

Design Manifestos: Teresa Ruiz of SB Architects | Modelo Blog Series

Teresa Ruiz, brings to SB Architects over 15 years of architectural experience with a focus on multi-family and residential projects. At SB Architects, she is responsible for advancing the firm’s mult-family practice in the San Francisco Bay Area, nationally, and internationally.

Teresa has built a formidable reputation for leadership in multi-family and mixed-use design, with a portfolio of multi-family projects that totals over 3 million square feet and built work with construction costs totaling more than $300 million. Her past projects have received numerous national awards including the ULI Jack Kemp Workforce Housing Award. Teresa was recognized in 2012 as a winner of ENR California’s Top 20 under 40.

An active member of the Urban Land Institute, both on a regional and national level, Teresa sits on the organization’s Multi-Family Council, has served on numerous committees and has authored several studies for ULI. Her interest in residential design led her to volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, both in hands-on construction work and in providing design services. Modelo spent some time learning about Teresa’s straightforward approach to design and her predictions for the future of the industry.

On becoming an architect
I’ve always been passionate about both creative art and how things come together. I seemed to have managed to turn most of my school art assignments into 3D projects. Growing up in Taiwan during a period of rapid construction growth, I spent most of my childhood sneaking into construction sites, playing with construction scraps and turning them into some type of built form. Watching my father build our own house, brick by brick, fostered my interest in architecture. The fact that the smell of fresh concrete, steel welding, and construction dust brought comfort to me convinced me that I would find my passion in a construction-related field. Architecture is a way for me to marry my passion for art and my fascination with construction.

On discovering her voice as a designer
I’ve always had a very straightforward, and clean approach to design. It shouldn’t be forced, complicated, or cluttered with too many ideas. Construction is complex, design shouldn’t be. I attribute that to the influence of R.M. Shindler early in my career. Shindler believed that the understanding of construction should help to inform design. I am constantly inspired by BIG (Bjark Ingels Group). Their buildings are complex, but you can sum each of them up in a diagram.

On joining SB Architects
I realized that everything I was pursuing in my past firm no longer met my career and personal aspirations; it was a scary awakening. I met Scott Lee, president of SB Architects, at a networking event. We spoke at length of our similar views of the profession, and design, I knew I HAD to join SB Architects. Since I joined the firm, I have become more liberated, free to explore options, and inspired by my colleagues to elevate design.

On specific principles she strives to adhere to
Establish the ethos of the project early on. This is challenging on multifamily projects as the design is often driven by density and yields. As the project evolves, sometimes it deviates from the initial design aspiration. It is important to acknowledge and take time to stop and evaluate. Go with your gut feeling. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t force it or try to justify. I always try to see every issue from my clients’ and the future residents’ perspective. As important as it is to trust your gut instinct as a designer, it is equally as important to be able to view the problem, and corresponding solution, from multiple points of view.

On her role at SB Architects
As a Vice President and Associate Principal, I oversee our growing multifamily portfolio, provide leadership in project management, and have a voice in office operations. We are a collaborative firm, but when you reach our size, it is also important to build the internal structure and process and allows the team to operate efficiently. This efficiency maximizes time and space for creativity. I also value my role as a mentor. I try to champion relationship-building, the sharing of knowledge and a good laugh as key building blocks of a strong and successful team.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
SB Architects does not have strict hierarchy when it comes to design. We have a lateral approach to design. We believe inspiration can come from anywhere, and we welcome input from junior designers during the earliest stages of design. For both 471 26th Street (under permit) and 1640 Broadway (unbuilt-sold), we asked younger designers to take the initial lead on design (Mao Teng and Carl Lam, respectively). Throughout the process, we banter back and forth to improve the design to its current form. I find the result refreshing and very successful. It keeps our ideas fresh, our communication open, and our team inspired.

On her design toolkit
At SB, there are many ways we start a design. We start with a great deal of discovery. We have found that investing in creating a strong upfront understanding of the vision and need for the project yield a huge pay-off in the long run. As we begin to document our ideas, the process depends on the media a person feels more comfortable working. It is often a combination of free-hand sketch, basic single line CAD files, SketchUp or Revit. Personally, I like to visit the site, and surrounding neighborhood, and get inspiration not only from the surrounding architecture, but from the residents themselves. Then I gather images that represent the soul of the site, and start with a 3D block and carve away. In terms of software, I’ve been pushing my team to put projects on Revit ASAP. While many are still more comfortable with SketchUp, we are making headway quickly.

On the state of design software
Design software is getting more sophisticated and more complicated to learn. It seems like I’m constantly learning new software, and yet not fully utilizing the capabilities of each. I often have to use multiple platforms just to finish a design or a presentation. I think in the future integration will increase, putting intuitive platforms that can provide seamless integration at the forefront.

On the future of architecture in the next 5–10 years
We have to move toward a tighter integration of design and construction. Revit is a very powerful tool for this, yet it is cumbersome to learn and use. It’s still not a “user” or “designer” friendly software. A software should be as powerful yet simple and intuitive to use. Whoever nails that will be the true disruptor, and industry innovator.

In terms of design, 3D animation and virtual reality are, and should be, the norm. We are already moving rapidly in that direction — developing platforms in-house to portray our design concepts in three dimensions, using virtual reality tools. Many of our clients have difficult time understanding drawings in two dimensions. We are already there, and have presented to several clients using our virtual reality tools. The result, and the ability to achieve a joint shared vision quickly, is astounding.

In terms of construction, we need to make more headway with pre-fabricated construction. It is efficient, scalable, economically advantageous and environmentally sound. Studies have shown that it can compress construction schedules, increase cost certainty, ensure conformity to building codes and increase quality insurance due to mechanization, reduce training costs, increase labor efficiency on site, and even promote on-site safety by reducing congestion on the site. On-site construction is like building a car in the parking lot — it is extremely inefficient.

On SB Architects in the next 5–10 years
We are early adopters, and we have been industry leaders in the use of technology to help us convey design ideas. We are constantly sending drones to take videos of our project sites,we utilize 3D early and often, and we are increasingly presenting design in virtual reality. We understand our clients need that visual aid to understand, finance, and approve the project. We are also out in front of the industry in terms of incorporating our clients’ brand goals and initiatives into our pre-design process — this comes primarily from our hospitality work, but we maintain that focus across all of our project types.

On advice she would give her younger self
Keep sketching. Don’t let the “practice” of architecture outweigh the “art” of architecture. Both are necessary to be successful I stopped sketching for a while, and spent a chunk of my career “practicing” architecture. I recently came back to sketching, and re-discovered my old passion. I should never have stopped. I won’t make the same mistake again.

Design Manifestos: Travis Anderson of Placetailor Inc.

Travis Anderson joined Placetailor Inc. located in Boston, Massachusetts in 2012 as a Designer / Builder and now serves as Placetailor’s Design Director. In 2015, Travis became an employee/owner in Placetailor’s Co-op. Along with the Placetailor team, he has designed and built New England’s first certified multi-family Passive House and multiple other passive house, high performance and energy positive developments in Boston. His commitment to design build has led to working on projects throughout the United States, including Seattle, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, the Yakima Reservation in Eastern Washington and hopefully someday his own backyard. Modelo spent some time learning about what inspires Travis and about his current role at Placetailor.

On becoming an architect
I grew up in rural New Hampshire in a family of self starters. My Dad had his own landscaping business and worked in the golf industry. My Mom painted murals in old New England farmhouses and had an antique store. Between watching my Mom paint and my Dad craft landscapes, you could say I was exposed to the creative process and built environment early on. I ended up going to art school at Alfred University for undergrad and concentrated in printmaking. While there, I became enamored with the process of creating and reproducing prints. Looking back, the physicality of the medium which required layering images and colors, running the presses, and experimenting with materials was very much like building. There was a base layer, a foundation, that everything was constructed off of. It wasn’t until much later, after working for artists and as a carpenter, that I realized architecture was my path. By that point I had been exposed to building and remodeling houses and helping artists realize their vision through both analogue and digital platforms. The notion of melding my artistic background with my skills as a carpenter was very enticing and I decided to apply to graduate school to advance my skills in the profession.

On discovering his voice as a designer
I attended a Yestermorrow Community Design Build course as a trial run before applying to graduate school. That is where I met Steve Badanes and Jim Adamson, both founders of Jersey Devil, and Bill Bialosky. Steve and Jim really took me under their wing and exposed me to how craft heritage and design can intersect with community, environmentalism and outright creativity. I ended up attending the University of Washington to continue working with Steve and because of UW’s strong reputation in the field of sustainable design. While there, I also had the opportunity to work with Rob Pena, kind of a silent guru in terms of building science, and learned how to calculate energy loads long hand…thankfully now we have WUFI for that. The combination of Steve’s heavy community/design/build focus and Rob’s commitment to high performance buildings definitely influenced my holistic approach to design.

On joining Placetailor
I finished graduate school during the housing crash in late 2009, so finding employment was tough. My wife and I decided to move back east to be closer to family and to be in an area where we could cast a larger net to find a job. We ended up in Boston (she found a job first) and I ended up starting my own design/build company doing additions and remodels. Pretty soon thereafter, I began volunteering with Archventures, a small community based nonprofit that worked with other nonprofits on design and construction of capital improvements. I ended up co-operating Archventures and we taught a small class at the Boston Architectural College using Archventures as a platform. Long story short, Archventures was founded by Simon Hare who also started Placetailor and Placetailor’s now Director attended the BAC… small town. When Placetailor launched Powahouse, the first multi-family passive house in New England, I decided to apply. Placetailor basically embodied everything I studied up to that point: environmental and community focus, design/build, building science and was a worker owned Co-op to top it off. To this day we continue to push the envelope as much as we can in terms of our commitment to Passive House design and construction, innovative building process and celebrating the community around our projects…I learn every day on the job.

On specific principles the firm strives to adhere to
Challenge. We typically look for projects that are nuanced and that we can learn from in some capacity. Whether it’s attempting to develop 40 units of energy positive housing, helping to train Union carpenters on Passive house construction, doing a deep energy retrofit to a community center with volunteers or finding a more efficient way to trim a window. Often times what seems like the most mundane task leads to the most creative process. Be it a formula in a spreadsheet or a saw cut, we continuously question how we work and the way we work.

On his role at Placetailor
Until recently I had been a Project Manager at Placetailor which meant I was involved with projects on multiple levels from design, energy modeling, and scheduling to running the crew and managing subs. Actual design was about 30% of what I did, a majority of the time I was on-site and in the field. As we continue to grow as a company, we have been pushing architecture more as a part of our practice. Many people still view us as the “green guys” and we want the public to realize that Placetailor is quite multifaceted.

My new role has been to heavily focus on design and bringing projects to fruition. Internally how we manage and structure the design process had been crafted over time amongst our team and now it’s up to me make sure our workflows run smoothly. We are a small company so the need to wear multiple hats is still there and I do see this role evolving some as we take on more design work and bring on more designers in the coming months. It will become more important for me to make sure we adhere to our baseline principles of taking the environment and collaboration seriously while still having fun and pushing creativity.

On recent projects that represent the firm’s unique approach
We start every project with a charrette, either internally as a team or with the community/client if it calls for it. While this is not entirely unique, what helps distinguish us early on is our knowledge of building science and background as builders that we bring to the table. We approach every project with performance, budget and site context in mind from the start. We often create the construction budget while in design development and spec materials early on as well. This ensures that we can build to our performance standards while still maintaining creativity in the design. Often times the moves are simple, like an asymmetrical roofline, window patterns or repurposing materials, but the results are often unique and generate a positive response from neighbors. We like to think of our projects as “contextual modern”.

On his design toolkit
We use a variety of tools to create. We still sketch ideas by hand, but we definitely jump to revit and sketchup at the beginning of the process. That said, creating a 3D model is integral to how we work and bring projects to fruition, our work flows are very much centered on designing in 3D. When it comes to presentation we often take a step back and work more in Illustrator and Photoshop as well as integrate some hand drawings. We work directly with community groups quite often and have found a flashy render sometimes can be a turn off as many people think that is an absolute and it leaves little room for collaboration and design discussion. The 3D model also gets used throughout the construction process. As a design build company, we often are testing new details on site that continuously get added to the model. The model allows us to refine or “tweak” a detail a bit before actually constructing it. It is a nice reciprocal relationship between the site and office in creating assemblies.

On the state of design software
When I was in graduate school, SketchUp and Revit had just hit the market and you could really see the transformation in what people were able to produce. 3D modeling was suddenly becoming very accessible and the shift from 2D to 3D software was exciting and challenging to be a part of. The most exciting thing, currently, is the advancement of Augmented Reality and how that will begin to shape the industry and make architecture even more accessible to the public and other designers. As 3D and BIM modeling become even more robust and intuitive, my hope is that energy modeling software will also soon follow suite. Imagine an AR experience that allows you to see the performance of your building envelope… whether or not a space will become overheated, be too cold or not have the right air circulation. WUFI is getting there with its integration with SketchUp but it still has a steep learning curve to really use it to its fullest and I hope to see it become more accessible.

On the AEC industry in the next 5–10 years
Our hope has been that the industry will start building more high performance buildings that rely less on putting a bunch of solar panels on a project or using “green materials”. There are certainly firms out there pushing the envelope in terms of performance, but unfortunately the housing market is still saturated with builders and designers that do the bare minimum. I do think in 10 years the industry will be producing much more efficient buildings as metrics like Passive House or Living Buildings become more a part of the public understanding of how architecture can and should be. Climate change will also play a massive role in the next 5–10 years to help push more high performance buildings to be constructed. We also will start to see new ways in which buildings create/consume energy, ie. the battery backup systems for PV coming on the market. I don’t think there will be a dramatic shift by any means in 5–10 years, but I do think municipalities will start to implement and reshape policies that will push the industry toward new ways of how buildings are tied to the grid and how much energy they consume. We have already started to see this with “stretch codes” here in Massachusetts, but overall they have a long way to go.

On Placetailor in the next 5–10 years
Placetailor adheres to a triple bottom line, People, Profit and Planet, which very much informs our decisions as we look to the future. As the cost of housing increases, the next step will be making new buildings more affordable and accessible so everyone can have a happy, healthy home. I think we will start to become more involved with the tech sector in terms of how buildings are constructed and how materials are brought to the site. We have already begun to think about how a home can be built with various types of labor by partnering with Homebuilt, a “build-it -yourself platform”. We are also exploring ways in which the co-op structure can inform housing initiatives and ways to remove homes further off-grid.

On advice he would give himself
Sleep more.