archop | Archive | design critiques

Decade in Review: Top 10 in Fresno Architecture

Posted on 31 December 2009. Tags: architect, architecture, authentic, authenticity, downtown, education, fresno

Inspired by an article that John King wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle, we decided to do a Decade in Review article to identify the 10 best buildings representing Fresno architecture. Our parameters were that the buildings be in Fresno County with construction completed between 2000 and 2009. The reviewers were Joe Moore, president of [...]

Posted in design critiques, featured40 Comments

step loudly – Henry Madden Library design flaw

Posted on 13 October 2009. Tags: architecture, critique, CSUF, fresno, Henry Madden Library, value engineering

The Henry Madden Library at CSU Fresno is perhaps the most high profile new building in the San Joaquin Valley. It surely is has become a landmark building and destination of the Fresno State campus. The Madden Library warrants a full detailed review, which my take sometime. However, recently a note was posted to the [...]

Posted in design critiques9 Comments

theory thursday: value of critique

Posted on 25 June 2009. Tags: architecture, archop, critique, design equity, downtown, fresno, Granville, redevelopment, Reza Assemi, theory thursday, Tower Tattoos, Will Dyke

Yesterday, our humble website strode clear over a milestone. For the first time we had over 100 visits to the site in a single day. By midnight, we actually had 184 visits. Our previous high was 79 visits, set on April 14th during National Architecture Week. We built this website back in January with the help [...]

Posted in design critiques, theory thursday2 Comments

Broadway Auto Row to be demolished

Posted on 24 June 2009. Tags: blogging, Broadway Auto Row, critique, demolition, downtown, fresno, Historic Preservation Commission, redevelopment, Reza Assemi, Will Dyke

In addition to the L Street & San Joaquin Avenue proposal, also on Monday’s agenda of the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission was the proposed demolition of three properties on Broadway Avenue near Tuolumne. The three building were not on any historic registry. However, in a historic survey of the area they were found [...]

Posted in design critiques, opinion12 Comments

critique: L St. and San Joaquin Ave.

Posted on 22 June 2009. Tags: architecture, authentic, authenticity, blogging, Cam Maloy, critique, Darius Assemi, downtown, fresno, Granville, Historic Preservation Commission, housing, redevelopment

Today is the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission meeting. There are several interesting items on the agenda, but I’d like to focus on one. Darius Assemi of Granville Homes has asked to meet with the Commission to present a conceptual plan for a mixed-use project at the corner of L Street and San Joaquin [...]

Posted in design critiques4 Comments

Robin Gay McCline’s last designs

Posted on 05 June 2009. Tags: architect, architecture, archop, blogging, critique, housing, Robin Gay McCline

September 22nd, 2008 the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission accepted the Mid-Century Modernism Historic Context report prepared by Lauren MacDonald. Robin Gay McCline and his wife Sue were present at the meeting. The report include interviews with Gay, features several of his notable works and a short biography. It was a momentous day for [...]

Posted in design critiques, opinion2 Comments

Fresno City Hall architect, Arthur Erickson (1924-2009)

Posted on 23 May 2009. Tags: architect, architecture, Arthur Erickson, city hall, critique, downtown, fresno

Prominent Canadian architect Arthur Erickson died Wednesday May 20th at the age of 84. He was living in a Vancouver B.C. suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This was brought to my attention through an article in Washington Post (requires login), same article without pictures on HeraldNet (no login required). Erickson was a very accomplished architect and designed [...]

Posted in design critiques, world3 Comments

critique: Tower Tattoos

Posted on 02 May 2009. Tags: Add new tag, architecture, blogging, critique, fresno, Kimberly Bearden, Tower District, Tower Tattoo, Tower Tattoos

This week in an email from Craig Scharton, Director of Downtown and Community Revitalization of the City of Fresno. He asked: “As some of the area’s leaders in architectural thought, what do you think the role of architectural criticism should be?Â Is it possible to raise consciousness about our built environment, standards of design [...]

Posted in design critiques7 Comments