Inspired!

copyright Elizabeth Seiberling, 2013

Inspiration for a performing arts center was taken from the drama that was created by the undulating fabric.

 

 

Where do designers find inspiration?

I participated in an internal meeting that asked that question. Having not really participated in a whole lot of initial design in my office I haven't had much big picture design conception other than in architecture school.

My usual go-tos in school were surroundings and history. In one project my partner and I drew a section cut through the city to help guide what the height if our building would be and find certain open spaces. We enlarged the neighborhood and searched for patterns, focusing on the voids and solids; that told us what kind of transparency made sense on the site and in the building. We got to know the neighborhood by observing their typical habits as they moved through the space and interacted with it. It was a lot of anthropological and geographical study rather than searching the internet for inspiration, though we did a little of that.

The project, a new media library in Boston, turned out to be our best and got a lot of positive reaction. If only it were real...

In other projects I have even looked to works of art as I have an extensive background in art history. Piet Mondrian helped me form a farmhouse. In his later years worked to simplify nature to straight lines. There was a lot to it, but what can't you do with that?

Upon designing a yoga center in the woods I looked to yoga positions for the overall form and feel of the space. It turned out to be long, simple and elegant.

One classmate had a knack for observing daily patterns and pathways to help her form spaces. The studies always created some beautiful artwork along the way. This gave her the opportunity to make that path more efficient, but I think it ended up shaping her project more than anything; keeping the patterns in existence and working around them.

Everything that was created had so much meaning and care found within every line that was placed on the paper. It was layer upon layer of inspiration being implemented.

I don't know if this is really how most architects operate. In practice we are guided by codes and regulations, perhaps not leaving much time to find the deeper meaning. Starchitects seems to have that luxury, whether they use it or not.

Other avenues of inspiration come from the client, their tastes and needs. This is key as it is their environment designers are shaping. Interior designers have a lot of knowledge about the effects of color which can often help a space come together and we all look at the internet to see what others have done. With the access to sites like Pinterest, the public has a lot more avenues to see great design and inspiring features. (A few people in my company have started a Pinterest page of things that inspire the Interiors team). Charles Eames said something to the affect of: "innovate as a last resort", meaning if it works there is no harm in using it literally or for inspiration. 

Inspiration is all around us, we have just to be able to see it. 

Where do you find inspiration?

Let Them Eat Cake!

finecooking.com

This article really caught my eye at the right time.

I've had some serious writers block as a result of lots to do at work and even more to do at home.

This was of particular interest to me because I have grown up with a mother that has become a serious sculptor of cakes and candy amongst friends and family and now beyond.

I will never forget the castle she crafted for my (maybe) 4th birthday out of sugar ice cream cones, cake, icing, coconut and green food coloring. To my princess-loving eyes, it was a real palace!

The article reminded me that architecture is just as sculptural and cake and candy creation has roots in architecture. Balance and beauty play a role in both and require a great deal of care and planning to execute.

I am not saying that either must literally look like a sculpture, but both conceptual ideas are carved out of space; made of up voids and solids to create a form that stands and looks...good enough to eat!

The Day the Coffee Died

It was a dark and cool morning. The office was quiet as people made their way into work. Little did we know a mutiny was brewing in the break room...

I walked in to find two architects opening every cabinet, turning over every box.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Architect 1: "Can you use paper towels as a coffee filter?"

Me: "You would be sorely disappointed."

Then reality set in: WE'RE OUT OF COFFEE FILTERS!

The receptionist was immediately alerted. And alerted. And alerted.

Tales began swarming about the good coffee being inaccessible as the frustration mounted. Jokes were told asking if an emergency shipment was requested, though I'm sure it wasn't a joke to some.

Meanwhile the lowly, regular coffee, with the built in filter, was brewing away ready for its 15 minutes of fame.

The underdog wins today!

I'm not Frank Gehry and that's OK.

As I rode alongside my boss this afternoon on our way back from a meeting with an owner, we were talking about the fine line between what you learn in architecture school and the real world of practicing architecture. We talked about learning to think differently and having meaning behind each decision made in a design. I'm not sure how the subject came up, but none-the-less it did and it gave me something to think about when I should have been thinking about my next deadline.

I pointed out that there are many that leave school not knowing anything about actually working in architecture (even summer internships are not always reflective of what actually happens after graduation). I, myself, was not entirely sure what to expect when I got into the real world. I luckily had a great professor that, at the time, had his own practice and gave it to me straight on occasion, so it wasn't complete culture shock when I started at Shive-Hattery. Many architecture students think that the moment they receive their diploma they will be designing the next great skyscraper that is going to win numerous awards and be the icon of the city. In reality the first thing you do is red lines in AutoCAD and you will continue to do that for quite some time in many cases.
(I, myself, have been fortunate to have a more enriching experience than treading in sea of red lines 24/7.)

I told Alan, boss and project architect, that I was "afraid of forgetting how to design because I don't do it everyday". The conversation turned to other things shortly after, but when I got back to the office I thought more about it and realized that I actually do design every single day! I draw details (never perfect, but, hey, I'm learning), I organize plans and other components on sheets so that they read and are understandable, I also organize people; I like to call it conducting a symphony of sorts. All of that, among other things, is design even though it's not the skin, mass or plan of a building.

One must find the design opportunities in every situation. Nothing should ever leave your fingers without thought and care. I have always told myself I wanted to design meaningful things with thought and care and I realized that I do it all the time. No detail makes it out the door without intense design. It may look like a simple window frame detail, but then I think of how many people look at that frame as they look out the window.

What I should have said was: "I'm afraid of forgetting how to design extravagant, luxurious, out-of-this-world, nearly impossible and far too expensive buildings" :)

The message really goes to all students, interns and veteran architects out there...just like how your mom tells you to find the good in everyone, we need to find the design in everything. It could be an extraordinary skyscraper, or it could be the clip that holds up the cladding; it's all designed and done with purpose.

Work/Life Balance???

photo: babycenter.com

Part of maintaining sanity is the ever-challenging work/life balance. Architects are notorious work-aholics. Fortunately I find myself surrounded by people who are family-oriented and embrace their free time. I'm not saying that I have every weekend and evening free, but for the most part I live a normal life.
I have spent weekends with my husband discovering our city and all it has to offer. We perfect the art of the latte and usually find a movie to rent. I never miss an episode of Barefoot Contessa; Ina is my culinary hero. These days we find ourselves spending every possible moment playing with our son and thinking about what he will be when he grows up...ahem...architect.

My co-workers do home renovation projects, spend time with family, go skiing and hiking and often don't think about work. That's not to say the office is empty when I go in on the weekends. There are a number of people, and you know who you are, that might as well keep a change of clothes at their desk. I've heard that there is a pillow and blanket somewhere in the office for the occasional all-nighter.

"Work/life balance" seems to always be a buzz phrase. Why is that?
 
It is something most people want to achieve, but always find themselves working far more than enjoying life. I remember talking about it in grad school, but found myself more of a workaholic than anything. And I liked it that way! Jobs and school work were my life and my friends were a part of every aspect of those situations. Studio wasn't so much work but many hours of socialization with the perk of creating cool designs. I was a TA and loved it so it didn't feel like work and I was also a barista at Starbucks...I'd hardly call that work.

Now, as an Intern Architect, it's a whole different ball game. Throw in a husband and a newborn baby and I can't even seem to find my way through my sleep-deprived haze to figure out how to distinguish between life and work. I have learned that having a family and working means you're always working! You go from drawing details, to meetings, to cleaning bottles and doing the laundry without even batting an eye. "Rest" is taking care of personal business when you have five minutes after inhaling your lunch before solving the problem of "how do we support this fire wall without anything to put it on?" (true story).

If you don't have a family and rarely see your friends I suggest a vacation. There is a big, beautiful world out there waiting to be discovered, you silly workaholics.

So what is the real solution? I have attended a few seminars on the subject and walked away thinking about how it was sort of ironic that we were in a room talking about living life rather than going out and actually doing it. Oh man, we might be doomed.

There are some amazing role models and supermoms in my office with 3 kids(!!!), so I know it can be done.

I have settled on a personal solution that I need to work more efficiently during the working hours, enjoy my son and husband as much as I can in the evenings and live life to the fullest on the weekend with my tiny family. I'm only two weeks out of maternity leave and already got a project out the door without any meltdowns; I'd say that's a good start.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No! It's a Tornado!

About 4 weeks ago I had a baby. 

This was no ordinary delivery.  With a clap of thunder and a flash of lightening came my son! What I didn't expect to come was a tornado. 

As I was wheeled through the nursery on the way to my postpartum room a calm announcement came over the intercom: "Attention staff. There is a tornado warning in the county. Please follow tornado procedures. Thank you". 

And as fast as that original flash of lightning I was pushed into a supply closet, bed and all (see photo), while the babies in the nursery were pushed into another with a nurse for each in tow. 

While I'm really glad I was not in labor at that moment (2 other women were) I wondered what if I was!? The threat of a tornado is not something you think is going to strike whilst giving birth, but it clearly happens. 

As an intern architect I'm not sure that I've really thought about tornado safety in the projects I have touched (don't worry, the actual architect did), you bet I will from now on! 

In the case of a hospital I imagine it's as much about the procedures as it is the design. A woman in labor certainly isn't going to stop pushing, put shoes on and take the stairs to the basement. They will continue laboring and relocate to the hallway or the labor room without windows carefully thought out for this exact moment. 

This is a huge shout-out to the nurses and doctors that made us feel safe. I wish I could name you because you are truly amazing, but instead I will take the opportunity to just remind designers that the unthinkable happens. Are our buildings ready for it?

"I Came Here Just to Buy Milk"

Image: New York Daily News

I came across this article recently regarding Supermarket Architecture. In a nutshell it tells us that they are designed to encourage us to buy more.

Having worked in a grocery store for probably 10+ years of my life I have to say "duh". As the article states the necessities are in the back forcing shoppers to navigate through aisles of brightly colored packages, inevitably leading to the all too common phrase at the cash register: "I came here just to buy milk!" as the cashier finds 30 items in front of them.

Grocery stores are a fascination of mine (as well as the bane of my existence; I would like fewer options sometimes).  In my European travels I found myself drawn to grocery stores. They are so different in Europe. There are fewer options, making your time more efficient. There is always fresh produce outside and a bakery right in the front offering the daily necessities that every European picks up on the way home. The aisles are tiny and barely fit two people side by side; don't even think about using a cart! They are made from a maze of spaces as builders did not have large open grocery store spaces in mind when they were building hundreds of years ago. And when they are out of a product they are out of it until they get around to stocking it everyone just lives with it because that's how it is.

I recall being lost several times in a particular grocery store in Florence; it just kept going and going, offering turn after turn into what clearly used to be...not a grocery store. Efficiency and necessity are the name of the game in most places other than the U.S. Another difference that cannot go unmentioned is the open air markets that run rampant abroad. The U.S. is picking up on that trend, but not often enough. On a more recent trip abroad my husband and I went to the store for staples like bread, wine and salami every morning, then shopped the Cours Saleya in Nice for fruit and any other small, fresh items we needed for breakfast and lunch that day. The difference is that it was open every day, rain or shine; we could count on it, and back at home the outdoor market is open on Saturday morning from May to October leaving our steeply-priced green beans to mold by the end of the week.

In my time working in a grocery store and now, as a regular shopper, I think about the things that would make them more efficient for the worker and the shopper. They really don't mix, is the conclusion I came away with. Shoppers want it and they want it now, so the store has to have a large supply waiting in the back for the moment it's out on the shelf. I can tell you that I lost a lot of weight running from the front of the store to the back time after time searching in piles of canned goods for that one can of Fried Onions that might have been left after the Thanksgiving rush. While I'm walking the quarter mile to get to the back stock at least 2 other people stop me for a request. By the time I get back to the original customer they would have waited for far too long and sometimes they would be gone. I couldn't blame them.

So what is the solution? How do we please both parties with good design? If you have even an inkling of a solution please enlighten the readers in the comment section below.

Young Minds

Ah, young minds. So innocent and open. It's amazing to see what a kid can do with 20 sticks of spaghetti, a yard of string, a yard of masking tape and a marshmallow.

A structural engineer and I were invited to do a quick lesson for the STEM Institute (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) a couple weeks ago. We decided to go in together and show how Engineers and Architects work together.

We asked each group of about 15 students to work together in small teams to build the tallest structure that would hold a marshmallow at the top. Marshmallows are light, or so they seem...

We had a variety of structures and the tallest of the day that held the marshmallow for longer than 5 seconds was 19". Not too shabby for what they were given. What was great is that every student was aware that the triangle was the strongest shape and they all went for it in some capacity. The string was the least utilized, though one group was really close to figuring it out how to use it like cable on a suspension bridge.

The session gave us a lot of opportunity to explain simply how buildings stand up and how collaboration between disciplines makes it happen. I explained how an architect really can't get a whole lot done without a team of engineers helping to bring it all together and make a building function. The teams that performed the best worked together with each of them contributing in some capacity. It was a good reminder to myself what an important (and often difficult) job it is to keep all the parts running to eventually come together to one vision.

Interns aren't generally the conductor of the orchestra, but I have been given a number of opportunities in my time at Shive-Hattery to take a lead role and do my best to bring the group together. Luckily there is always a project architect looking over my shoulder. It's a role that I have really come to like; it's tough, but incredibly rewarding, especially when things go well.

The key is teamwork and constant collaboration. When those things are carried out in an orderly fashion things just seem to go better. 7th graders did it, we can too!

Congratulations Class of 2013!

I've lived in college towns my entire life. I grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, a place I will always call home. What I didn't notice when I lived there was the change in the city when the college kids left for the summer (maybe they didn't, Lawrence IS pretty awesome). Now that I am in my 3rd/4th college town it's a magical moment. This day, the day after they all leave, I sigh in relief. I get my city back. It's is very lively in the summer, but it's mostly made up of families and professionals enjoying the free music and weekend festivals.

This is not intended to go on about the reason I love summer, but to say: Congratulations to the Class of 2013! I mostly speak to the architecture students who are also sighing in relief that they didn't have to go into studio this past weekend other than to clean up; what a wonderful feeling isn't it? I remember not really knowing what to do with myself; studio becomes so much a part of you that it's hard to leave it.

I hope you recent graduates are met with many opportunities for either a summer internship to get your foot in the door or a full time job that you're so excited about you decided not to even take a week off just to do nothing.

Not long ago the unemployment rate for the architecture profession was 13.9%, the worst of any profession...I can't seem to find a change in that statistic, but I can tell you there are far more jobs out there than there were when I graduated. So don't be discouraged if you're having trouble landing your dream job; these things take time.

If, after those 5 years of grueling studios and endless late nights, you find yourself not terribly interested in working in architecture anymore, that's OK. I went to school with a guy who, upon graduating with a Masters in Architecture, decided he'd rather be a math teacher. Life takes us down funny paths that sometimes don't make any sense at the time.

If you need some job search advice look to my earlier post about job hunting and go spend some time with your career services team; they're there all summer long to help you. But most of all enjoy your summer...I know I will!

Congrats!

April Showers Bring May....SNOW???

photo: thepioneerwoman.com

Happy May Day, all!

The title really says it all...Though I haven't seen it in writing on the weather channel or on the local news, I've heard enough people say it around the office that there is a decent chance of snow where I am located on Thursday. I might need to add that yesterday was 87 at one point and as I type it is 79.

That's what happens in Iowa. There is a saying here: "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes"

I'm sure other parts of the world have the same or similar phrase to mean that the weather is unpredictable, but it's really holds true in Iowa. Yesterday there was so much hail in a city to the North of us that it blanketed the city in white for a time while we sweat it out in 80+ temps and the first humidity I've felt this year.

I could complain all day long, but I'll take this opportunity to think a bit about building in Iowa to cater to the ever-changing climate. Many climates have it really figured out. Nice and open with loads of shade in the tropical regions; large overhangs in areas with constant low-lying, all day sun half the year; screens over nearly everything in Florida, etc...

How do we build in a place like Iowa to take advantage of what mother nature has to offer, whether good or bad? We really welcome the windows in the winter to get maximum sunlight and warmth, but loathe them in the summer when the sun is beating in and all you can think about is how high the electricity bill is going to be. We use shades, but it sure stinks to close off those natural views out.

I think about the apartments I lived in in Italy and wonder if it's a good solution for those of us in varying climates. They have thick as all get-out masonry walls that help cool and heat depending on the season with pretty good sized windows punched through. The thin glazed windows have the typical green shutter with an additional screened shutter to ward off the mosquitoes in central Italy. Tile or wood flooring in every room keep your feet cool in the summer and area rugs and slippers keep you warm in the winter. It did get pretty cold, especially since they regulated when our heat could come on, but we dressed appropriately and hung out in the kitchen if we needed to while dinner cooked or water boiled for tea.

The point of all this is that climate is serious when it comes to designing a building and I worry that it can be overlooked when one is really concentrated on a particular design. Climate conditions should help guide rather than be a burden one must deal with. My solution: take the wood framing and shove it!....well, full of insulation, of course, if we're going to keep using it.

Things to look at when thinking about climate conditions dictating design aspects of your building are:

Passive House
Global Climate Monitor
www.weather.com

That's a few...plenty more resources to google based on your location.

As always, I recommend comments and suggestions from the passers-by out there. I am not an expert, I just see the common sense part of it.

Architect as Leader?

A funny thing happened on the way to my desk...

Well, not really, but I figured out what to do about this question in that time...

A presentation was made Monday morning regarding elevating our sustainable presence as architects in our community. We already incorporate sustainable practices in nearly all of our projects, but it has become so ingrained in what we do that we forget to promote it like we should.

It reminded me that as designers of people's environments/communities we need to lead by example and lead through our designs. A crap building that does not better the lives of the end users is better left alone.

As designers we have more power than most realize. We create environments, we shape the lives of those who encounter the space, for better or for worse. That's a huge responsibility! And for you architect haters out there...that is why we take our jobs so seriously and are always trying for the things that seem impossible.

I am reminded of Filippo Brunelleschi. He told the city of Florence that he could build an impossible dome on Santa Maria del Fiore even though he did not have a plan for it or even an inkling of a way to construct it. 600 years later it is there, standing tall as a marker of enormous pride for the Florentines.

Brunelleschi led the town, along with several other architects of the time, to great heights (literally and figuratively). These architects created an environment that the people could be proud of and are still proud of today. If you're as big of a nerd for Florentine Renaissance architecture as I am, right now you're saying "that's awesome and unbelievable and I can't believe how true that is!"

If you don't have the same enthusiasm as I you're hopefully saying "I see your point, architects DO have a lot of power over our environment."

To me, architects have the opportunity to leave their mark on a community through their thoughtful design (hopefully they aren't remembered for how terrible their building was...though I know some are...). They LEAD people through a space with careful planning and sometimes a bit of innovation. They LEAD by actively participating in their community and sharing their knowledge to help build a better life for those around them. Architects LEAD a client and user to help them find the best possible solution for their environment.

It is a selfless profession, when I really think about it, full of leaders. Even if some think they are just following along by doing mark-ups, they are leaders by taking the time to simply place the door in the Revit model that opens to a space someone might never have gone if it hadn't been there. We lead in so many ways. Powerful stuff. Powerful People.

"Written for Entertainment Purposes"

The Gazette, 18 April 2013

There is something to be said about horoscopes...I am not an avid horoscope reader nor do I believe in their accuracy. I think I did one day when I was in Junior High and was likely searching for reasons why a boy didn't like me, but also on that day I recall seeing in small writing "written for entertainment purposes" at the conclusion of a daily horoscope installment. It ended right then and there. Since then I have operated on making my own "horoscope" and taking things in strides.

Yesterday was the first time I looked at my horoscope in probably 20 years while I was waiting for the coffee in the gold handled pot to finish brewing...

In case you were not reading the Sagittarius horoscope in an Eastern Iowa newspaper it said" Go where you can use your talents. You need to be put in a position that speaks to your strengths. Otherwise, you will be in a constant state of resistance and dreading the next step".

I didn't think twice about it, but it made me think about the other Sagittariuses out there. I would be money that some are struggling with their positions and might read this as truth and perhaps even take it as a sign and act on it.

Because I always try and get the posts to relate to architecture here is my attempt...well, it's more of a story and why I didn't take this horoscope to heart:

Many architects have the story of "I've always wanted to be an architect. Since I was a little boy or girl playing with an erector set and Lego's, I knew it." For me it wasn't that simple. I didn't know I wanted to be an architect until I had an anthropology degree and most of a Masters in Architectural Studies completed. It was a fateful day sitting in my professors 1426 palazzo on the Arno River in Florence when I put the book down and said "No! I want to design the buildings, not read about them!"

And I never looked back.

This was my ah-ha moment, much like I'm sure a few Eastern Iowan Sagittariuses had yesterday reading their horoscope. If it was meant to be, I wonder if they acted on it. I'm not sure I would be as happy as I am had I not changed my life around in that instant.

I do, I must confess, always read my fortune cookie...I've had too many come out to be true than not. I had one once that said I would receive a very important letter and two days later I got a letter in the mail from Shive-Hattery saying that they wanted to interview me. And another time I had one that said "your mate will bring you a pleasant surprise"...within a week he proposed! Nutty.

"Alan Dreams of Surgery"

The other day I asked Alan, an architect, "If you could design within one type of architecture for the rest of your career, what would it be?"

He thought for a few seconds and said: "health care, primarily surgery units".

Curious answer. Well, "Why?" of course.

He is passionate about the patient experience from the moment they arrive to the time the leave and everything in between. There's so much to it and it' pretty intriguing. If you want the best understanding, Alan is your guy.

It got me thinking about what I would choose. Only a year and a half into my career I can only say "I don't know". But I thought about things I want to try. Since I began I have largely worked on health care projects, from clinics to labor and delivery to patient support spaces. So far my favorite has been the support spaces. I get so connected to the users throughout the design process and want to create the best space where they will be most productive and happy. I haven't seen anything completed yet, but it's already rewarding.

Types of design I want to experience are large public spaces because they cater to every walk of life. The designer has to think of literally everyone; so challenging!
Specifically I am interested in sports complexes/venues, museums, civic spaces, theaters, just to name a few, but at this point I'll try anything at least to find out if I don't like it.

Hearing from a few people in my office on what really drives them I wonder about everyone else.

If you could design one type of architecture for the rest of your career what would it be and why? Your answer may inspire the aspiring architects out there.


You might be wondering where the title of this post came from...a documentary called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". Check it out.

Up All Night?

 

To many architects it is a rite pf passage to pull an all-nighter at some point. This usually happens in architecture school and I've even seen it in the professional world. I am here to tell you poor souls that it is possible to never pull an all-nighter. In my 3 years in graduate school the closest I ever came to an all-nighter was 11pm and that was in my first semester when I had no idea what was going on. I figured it out, after that long evening, how to never come close again.

Many of you will say, oh I don't have time because of work and all my other classes, so I have to do it overnight...to you people I have words to say, but I will refrain.

In architecture graduate school here is the list of activities I participated in one particular semester that turned out to be my very best academically:

Took 5 graduate classes with loads of nightly reading and writing, including comprehensive studio (we all know that the real work happens after this 5 hour-a-day class period)
Taught 2 Friday recitations and attended 2 lecture sessions, including preparing the lessons and grading assignments every week and meeting with students outside class time
Planned my wedding
Worked at Starbucks 20 hours per week beginning at 5:30am
Chaired the Career Fair
Participated in the Graduated Student Senate
Applied for jobs
Kept a decent social life
..the list goes on...
And I never pulled an all-nighter and I maintained over a 3.5 GPA. Not too shabby, huh? I am not trying to brag, but I just want to tell you that it is possible.

Perhaps the key is to have so many things going on you have no choice but to plan and keep a tight schedule?? Maybe.

In school I was fortunate to work with a woman on a number of projects that had 3 children and I figured if she could do it there is no reason I couldn't. I learned a lot about time management and my work habits. Like how I am completely unproductive after about 9pm; my work goes to crap so I might as well go home. In school I could do school work over the weekend and even enjoyed it, but professionally I find it difficult and only do it if I absolutely have to. It's really important to find balance in your life or you might end up hating all of it.

There is something to be said about staying in studio all night long...you can have a good time in your coffee induced, delirious state, but those were the people I saw sleeping during reviews...in case you don't know, that looks really bad!

To those of you who also never pulled an all-nighter: what was your secret? What advice do you have?

Along the Mediterranean

A few weeks ago our Architectural Team met just to talk about design. An interesting thing came up that, for some reason, took me by surprise. Keith, a seasoned architect, suggested that we all share what buildings inspire us now and in the past. It was such a brilliant idea that seemed to really get the gears turning in the room and I feel even the mere suggestion of it left everyone walking out in deep thought and fond remembrance of what inspires them.

Keith later offered an in depth list of the buildings that have inspired him since before he even knew he wanted to be an architect. It featured The Iowa State Capitol, The Gateway Arch, Ronchamp, Thorncrown Chapel and the Roman Coliseum in Arles, France, to name a few. I find it so interesting to put our own timeline in this perspective and see how our personal tastes have changed and have shaped us as designers. This really can be done for any creative and non-creative field and I strongly encourage everyone to take time to think about where your mind has been, you never know where it can lead.

As I sift through my own list of inspiring places and spaces I come up with a lot of the greats that I found in Keith's list along with many many many painted, drawn and sculpted artworks. The list even included artists and architects where I have enjoyed pretty much their entire body of work. What I found is that the people, pieces, places and spaces that have inspired me the most are those that have captured their surroundings so perfectly that it could not be repeated anywhere else in the world.

My number one for as long as I can remember is Antonio Gaudi. It might, at first, sound cliche to like him, but I can't say I have ever met anyone with the same appreciation for him that I have (well, perhaps my husband). What I enjoy about Gaudi is that he somehow captured Barcelona perfectly in every building he ever designed. When you stand in front of any of his works you feel the sun, you hear the sea, you smell the fish and you embrace the colors that only Barcelona can produce. It's simply magical...

and being in Barcelona never hurts...

I have never incorporated anything Gaudi-esque in my designs, but the idea of understanding a place so well that it is ever-present is something that I will always carry with me forever. Other dreamers, artists and architects that inspire me are: Artemisia Gentileschi, Tintoretto, Francis Bacon, Leonardo da Vinci, Leon Batista Alberti, Brunelleschi, the Saarinen's, Vermeer, Matisse (probably my favorite right now), Manet (not Monet), Renoir, Degas. Interesting that my list is mostly artists rather than architects...and mostly Italian Renaissance or Southern French Impressionists...hmmm...well, we find architectural inspiration in the strangest of places, I suppose, but the point is that we have it.

What/who inspires you?

Architecturally "Tuned In"

As I was working on a wall section today I found myself lost in song. No, I wasn't singing, but I couldn't stop myself from moving to the music. (In case you're wondering the song was "Holly" by STRFKR).

I look around now and notice that I am probably just one of two or three people "tuned in" out of the 15 architects in my office, and looking like a dancing fool. I usually see more...headphones not fools.
It got me thinking about those of us who pretty much have headphones attached to our ears all day long and why we do it.

In architecture school I would listen to Radiohead all the time, I mean hour after hour, day after day, year after year, rarely straying. It released so much creativity from within for some reason.

I didn't listen to music when I first started my job, but I put my ear buds in one day to drown out the sound of people chewing their food (nothing grosses me out more) and I haven't removed them since. Music has been a source of concentration and a contributing factor to an upbeat (pun intended) attitude; and I fear that if I take it away I won't get anything done.

I am reminded of all the articles going around, after the CEO of Yahoo said come to the office or quit, regarding the workplace environment and if employers are being too harsh. Well, my employer is not when it comes to allowing each of us to be individual and work in an environment that brings out our best work. So I should say thank you!

These days I frequent Sleigh Bells Pandora station and always go back to Radiohead when I need a boost.

Do you "tune in" while you work? Does it give you inspiration? What do you listen to?

What’s in a Red Line?

One of my first pages of red
(and blue and orange) lines.

What’s in a red line? That which we call a change
By any other line would be as bright?

Red lines. The infamous fate of an Intern Architect. Though not always red, an intern enters the world of architecture by highlighting lines day after day until the page becomes so colorful it looks like it should be hanging in a modern art museum. They are a rite of passage. Some even have an old page of red lines displayed proudly in their cubicle to remind them of the good old days.
I began my time at Shive-Hattery doing red lines; it was expected and I eventually learned to embrace it and find a lot of knowledge in the act. I learned about proper noting and how to put together a set of construction documents. I also learned that not just interns do them. I saw very experienced architects participating when the going got tough.

I haven’t done red lines in quite some time, but yesterday I found myself in a stack of them. At first all I could think about what the work I needed to do on other projects and how I wasn’t mentally prepared to think about this project. Then, just before noon, I felt so much comfort in highlighting those pages until the red was no longer visible. I felt almost rested by the end of the day. Most of the decisions were made for me and all I needed to go was look for items missed and learn about the project I was working on.

Another beauty of the red line is that it is something you can check off your list. When you’re working on your own project and calling the shots, the decisions never stop. When you are doing red lines there is an end point; it is when you hand them back to the project architect complete and let them continue with the decision-making. If you’re a list-maker like me you will find so much gratification in that act.

Take pride in those red lines and use the time to learn about what you do. There is a lot of value in that simple line.

How did I Forget the Portfolio!?!

I bet you all thought I forgot my portfolio at a job interview in the past, didn't you? Well, no I didn't.

I was reminded recently that I left out one of the most important aspects to applying for a job in architecture...the portfolio. I don't know how I could have left it out since I worked on mine for years before I thought it was in a state to show. Having just pulled it out of my trunk the other day (I never removed it after my interview at Shive-Hattery over a year ago; I just knew it was the place for me) I should say a few words.

Copyright Liz S.

My advice about portfolios is the age old saying that less is more. In that, I mean two things:

1. Don't be afraid of white (or black) space; let the beauty of your work fill the page with a single image.

Filling it entirely with multiple images will clutter the page and can confuse the viewer as to what they should focus on. Text is also a no-no in my book. If you did the project well it should speak for itself.

2. Only put your best work in your portfolio.

I have never shown anyone what I didn't my first year in architecture school simply because it was terrible. I wouldn't hire me if I had.

I kept my portfolio to 4 or 5 architectural projects and 1 or 2 art projects that were related to my architectural work. I believe that diverse, non-architectural work should be included. It shows you can think visually and that you have more depth to your abilities. Just as impoartant is showing a variety of skills from hand drawings to computer skills to model building.

Copyright Liz S.

Note: Be sure to give anyone credit that you worked with...it's just the right thing to do.

If you look around on the site I provided you will also notice that I have a section of samples. Samples are great when you are sending resumes out and want to highlight your portfolio without actually sending the entire work. It should be just as eye-catching at the portfolio and clear. Here, I add text to begin to explain what they are looking at, but that should be minimal.

These are really my opinions based on experiences and I would love it if those who evaluate portfolios on a regular basis would chime in as to what makes a portfolio worth exploring.

“Can I Have a Job…Please?”

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a family member who owned an architecture firm and you would never have to realize a job hunt or even an interview? This is the case for some, but most brave the world of rejection day after day, week after week and so on.

I graduated, like many, when the economy had tanked and architects were being laid off in droves. It was a rough world, but luckily I had a service job that paid the bills, kept me happy and gave me time to job search in the off hours.

There are things one can do to lessen the blow. Be aggressive, not in the mean sense, but in the proactive sense. If you live in a city join groups where you can meet people and make connections. I became a docent at the local museum. Though it did not lead to a job it kept my mind active in an artistic manner. Visit firms! Let them get to know you in a more casual situation so when you go for an interview they already know you. This is invaluable.

I also got to know the people I served everyday at the coffee shop at which I was a barista. One recognized my hard work and recommended me for the job I have today. You know they saying that you’re always being “interviewed” (or something like that)? You never know who will walk into your life and help you out so be courteous to all that you meet.

Keep your resume fresh and clean and filed with your best qualities. Mine has experience, honors, leadership positions and a list of qualifications. The latter list doesn’t have to be dry; this is an area where you can express some of your architecture-specific interests such as space planning and large public space design. If you can’t put Revit on your resume you need to learn it or consider a different route.

You also need to have a killer, clear and concise cover letter quickly explaining what you’re looking for and why you are the best choice. It’s a dog eat dog world out there and you need to stand out. One time I mailed a resume-on-a-stick to a firm that did a lot of fair buildings. I never heard if they liked it or not, but I figured I had nothing to lose. That is one way to give your letter personality. Another is to tell a short story about what architecture means to you.

Since this is getting long, the best advice I can give you to is to utilize your school resources at the Career Services office. They are there to help you.

Any advice from the employers out there? What do you look for in a candidate?

Knowledge is Power

Last week I was part of a meeting where we, the architects, needed to convince the owner to go a different direction with a project that had been set for some time. We prepared as a team before entering the meeting, going over every possible solution and playing devil’s advocate to make sure we were correct in our assumptions.

We went in, guns only slightly blazing, presented our case and had immediate buy-in. This does not always happen... What I learned from it and what we all should take from it is that knowledge is power.

When I would submit papers in school I always got them back with the teacher asking “where is your counter argument?” A component that I thought didn’t matter when I was in elementary school and junior high, but I find applying to design at every step. I have learned by observation that a good architect challenges their decision, asking “why did I do it that way?”, “is there a better solution?”, etc. The architect I typically work with did his homework in the above situation. He asked senior detailers for their opinion, studied drawings and existing conditions and came to the well-educated decision that we were doing it wrong…

The moral of the whole story, especially to you aspiring architects, is always ask “why?”.

In grad school I eventually figured out that at every critique a reviewer would ask “why?” to even the things that are seemingly unimportant to the project.  “Why isn’t that wall 3 inches to the left?” “Why didn't you make that glass?” “Why does that protrude that direction?” (and they ask you to literally turn the building on its side and wonder if that might be a better solution…). I learned to question everything I did. By the time graduation came around I had an answer for everything (or was pretty good with coming up with something on the fly) and reduced the number of surprises come final review.

If you just really really like something and don’t have a clue as to why you did it…figure out a reason. That’s what a very wise studio instructor told me to do because he liked it, too J

I admit that I ask “why?” less now because there is often someone making the decisions for me, but the decision makers like the challenge and sometimes it leads to a missed component or a different solution and most importantly, I guarantee you will learn more than you expected from saying that three-letter word. Get into the habit early and it will become second nature.

 

"For also knowledge itself is power" - Francis Bacon in Meditationes Sacrae (1597)



A little extra knowledge:A paiting by a
different Francis Bacon. It's one of my
favorites from the Des Moines Art Center,
so I had to share...

Is a Messy Desk a Sign of a Messy Mind?: An Introduction

"If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is
an empty desk a sign?" - Albert Einstein

I have kept a messy desk my entire life when I think back all the way to when I first had a desk. I think it was third grade when it started. My teacher liked to play tricks on the class when we were away; wrapping the desks in plastic wrap and turning them over, and so on (he blamed a paper spider that hung from a light). One time he filled my desk with thousands of dried beans. I left them there for the remainder of the year…

In graduate school my desk was in a block with three of my greatest friends and we were all such a mess that one could not see where one desk ended and the other began.

Now I find myself in a professional setting as a real Intern Architect and I cannot seem to break the habit. I’m going to go ahead and blame the fact that I work on no less than four projects at one time, but really I can’t seem to function any other way.

Donning my cubicle I have pictures of my friends, my husband and our travels. I have memories from graduate school that I never want to forget and quotes that inspire me when I have time to read them. I have honors and accolades from my diploma to winning 2^nd place in the Chili Cook Off last year. I have a page of red lines that is so colorful it looks like modern art and renderings from 3dsMAX reminding me that I probably already forgot what I learned.

My desktop is ever changing from piles of drawings to specs to details and product samples that rotate on an hourly basis. There is always at least one coffee cup (at the moment there are three), a bottle of water and a ball jar coated with a day old smoothie. If you move enough paper you would generally find anything you might be in search of, except for a pen. That is the one thing that is never where I left it.

Forbes Magazine recommends that I set a weekly appointment to clean and that if I don’t keep clean others will view me as something I’m not. You can ask anyone I work with that I get my work done and done well. Just because my desk is unorganized doesn’t mean my planner is. I prefer to read the articles stating that a messy desk is a sign of genius. If that is actually the case then I work with mostly geniuses. If you are of the same messy breed search for the topic on the internet and you will find loads of validation.  

What are your thoughts on a cluttered desk? Messy mind or brilliant mind?

Mess and clutter isn’t the only thing I am an expert in, though some may disagree. I am an expert Intern Architect. What does that mean exactly? It means I, like other Intern Architects, go through the days learning more than our brains can handle, striving to be the best while keeping our sanity (and our loved ones) and strangely always wanting more. Someday I will reach Architect status, but not until I can find my pen…

Copyright Liz S. @ Shive-Hattery