Authenticity is something we strongly believe in for Fresno’s built environment.

What does Authenticity mean?

Authentic architecture is unique to a place, it seems to fit. The building fits in both it’s geographic place as well as it’s place in time. Olive Avenue in the Tower District is authentic. Our old brick buildings downtown are authentic. Fresno’s version of Mid Century Modern is authentic. I could go on.

What is not authentic?

A new building that poorly mimics historic Fresno architecture is not authentic. It actually does harm to the historic integrity of a neighborhood. Suburban buildings in downtown are inauthentic. Covering up an original facade is inauthentic. Examples will follow in later posts.

I’d like to make an analogy here. I’m sure you’re all familiar with CliffsNotes. These are pamphlets that summarize a book and give a student everything they need to write a shortcut book report for English class. They don’t read the book and they don’t have an original thought. That used to fly. English teachers however, have gotten hip to this and other internet shortcut sources. So if they’re on there game they’ll flunk the student’s shortcut paper.

I feel like development in Fresno, specifically downtown can be linked to this scenario. It seems as if some developers working downtown read the CliffsNotes about historic Fresno architecture and contemporary urban architecture and are trying to pass off some bad buildings on the Fresno public.

Unfortunately, the Fresno public is not yet hip to this. We’re like old teachers that don’t know how to use the internet. We are allowing this inauthentic shortcut architecture in our downtown. These buildings even get praise at times. Perhaps because we don’t know better or are afraid no developer will turn in their paper.

So this sounds serious right? Damage to the authenticity of our built environment is being done. And buildings are pretty permanent.

What do we do?

Well it starts here. We need to first determine what is authentic for us. Then we need to start grading these building designs being proposed. And we can’t be afraid the flunk some designs. Some may get their feelings hurt. But it will be a lesson to start doing their homework.

Specific examples of this idea will follow. In the meantime, what do you imagine authentic contemporary Fresno architecture looks like? What does it pull from the past? How does it respond to our climate? Where do it’s inspiration and concepts come from?

For more about authenticity see the Mayor’s Creative Economy Council report

For the 2nd edition of Theory Thursday we focus on the small stuff.

What started as an ideas competition for a small sign sponsored by the City of Fresno’s Downtown and Community Revitalization department has ballooned in to a hot debate involving community leaders, downtown advocates, graphic designers, and city leaders. So how and why did such a small sign create such a big conversation?

There is a book called A Pattern Language, that is basically standard issue at the College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley, where I got my education. That is partly because CED faculty such as Christopher Alexander wrote the book. But a larger part due to its great success at dissecting planning, architecture and design theories in to small manageable parts. Those managable part can be discussed individually and as an integrated part of the whole. The premise being that a pattern language emerges.

The book is meant more as reference guide than a read it cover to cover kind of book. It begins with large sweeping topics like: Independent Regions, Distribution of Towns, City Country Fingers, Agricultural Valleys, etc. But as the book progresses its focus narrows to smaller more manageable theories like: Pools of light, warm colors, ornament, paving with cracks between the stones, climbing plants, raised flower beds, canvas roofs, seat spot, etc.

These small things are important and sparked a huge discussion about one little sign because they are tangible. We can much more easily grasp the idea of a sign or a bench because we have intimate experience with them. And it is the details that make a world of difference in design and our experience of the built environment.

Please share some of the small things that have caught or your eye or intrigued you in Fresno or other cities.

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? Is it possible to raise consciousness about our built environment, standards of design and professional aspiration through this activity?”

In short, my response to Craig was that architectural criticism is essential for pushing our Fresno’s and the region’s built environment forward. We need to offer constructive criticism to buildings, architects, and developers that are not preforming. We also need to highlight and reward those that demonstrate high quality design and positively contribute to a healthy and vibrant built environment.

Craig’s question was timely because I was planning to begin writing critiques here. This fits within our mission of improving our built environment through education and discourse about architectural topics.

For this first critique I’ve chosen to review a building that is small in scale but very ambitious in design. I first took notice of Tower Tattoos when graphic designer Jodi Bearden brought an excellent sign design to the Tower District Design Review Committee. The design was to be applied to the building’s original blade sign on the parapet. In neon and art deco font read Tower Tattoos. The committee unanimously approved the sign with great praise. Since then I’ve kept my eye on the shop as they renovated the space at 716 E. Olive Ave.

1st Impressions

I first ventured into the shop in response to a twitter request from Travis Sheridan who needed some liquid pain relief for his new tattoo. As I walked in the door I smiled, because I could immediately read the amount of thought and care that was put in to the renovation.

The furniture seemed carefully chosen and well placed. There is a lounge area up against the storefront. Two men carried on a casual conversation in comfort, the street life carrying on just over their shoulders.

What caught my attention next was the front glass counter and display case in the form of an S curve. The jewelry within was well lit and sparkled like gems and candy. Blue lights made the entire display glow.

The display counter is mirror by a soffit hanging from the ceiling. This is an elaborate space high hanging retro hanging lights and a guilded medallion in the ceiling. This feature obviously had some untold history behind it.

Beyond the counter the space opens up with an expose barrel vaulted ceiling, steel trusses and skylights. The polished concrete floor is reminiscent of terrazzo and leads back to the 10 work stations where the artist puts needle to skin.

Each work station is clean and open, surrounded by a partial height wall with a vintage dentist chair in the center and a stainless steel counter and sink with hands free infrared faucet. Artwork and knickknacks personalizes each tattoo artist’s work station. While watching distracting Travis getting a tattoo of Ferdinand the Bull, I had a good view of the artist at work through the tilted mirror.

Design Process

After this experience I knew I needed to dig into the thought behind each design move and uncover the motivation of Tower Tattoos owner & tattoo artist Kimberly Bearden.

With 18 years of tattooing experience, Kimberly opened her own 1 artist shop at 1140 Van Ness in 2001. A colleague once dubbed her the “Martha Stewart of tattooing.” She took it as a compliment that alluded to her craftiness, attention to detail, do it yourself approach, and enthusiastic spirit leading to success.

The Tower Tattoos staff grew to 8 in the small space leading to the need to expand. When searching for a new building she wanted something authentic, unlike the “strip mall architecture” building that she had leased space in. She loathed the low T Bar ceiling and square spaces.In 2006 she found what she was looking for in the building previously occupied by Lou Gentiles Flower Basket.

Kimberly hired architect Andy Lucas for the initial design work and code consultation. As the project progressed the design team became a family affair. She was helped by her sister, a graphic designer and her father a retired surveyor and city planner who worked for Fresno, Clovis, and Sanger.

Most of the designing happened around her kitchen table. There she cut out scale furniture and moved around on an empty base plan of building. She worked through different scenarios remembering all the inefficiencies she had experienced tattooing in different spaces.

Designed around furniture and efficient work spaces. She strove to unite beauty and function. For example, the sky lights brighten up the space and make the experience more inviting and pleasing for the customers. But the natural light also creates ideal lighting conditions for tattooing. Kimberly said “The artists want an eagle eye view to see through the layers of skin for accurate work and in sunlight the ink shows it natural color.” She continued “That is difficult to achieve with artificial light.” Those conditions have attracted many artist that wish to tattoo in the space.

recycled materials

Also of note are the amount of reused and re-purposed materials used throughout the space. This came from the necessity to be economical and Kimberly’s love of the vintage art deco aesthetic. Wood framing was reused to build the workstations. The existing concrete floor was ground down exposing the rock aggregate, stained and polished. Furniture came from a variety of sources.

The poor economy was even taken advantage of:Â merchandise shelving came from a closed motorcycle shop; storage shelving from a closed Good Guys; work stations cabinets from the closed Travel Department of American Express’s San Francisco office. EBay and Craigslist were important resources that led to metal carts, light fixtures, vintage furniture, the Ceiling Medallion come from a 1920’s Chinese restaurant in LA, and even the S shaped glass display counter was found through EBay from a remodeling Washington Museum.

Opened space up by removing ceiling and exposing the barrel vault and trusses.

Future Goals

The Tower Tattoos plans are so ambitious that Kimberly has more projects planned for the future. She also owns the neighboring building that houses Mr Sushi and H&R Block. She plans to redo the signage above Mr Sushi and the facades of both buildings with strong art deco features. This will further contribute to the Tower District street scape and architectural vibrancy.

Another future product is a rear patio enclosed on 3 side by the building and parking lot accessed from Broadway Ave. Overall Kimberly’s ambition and attention to detail are commendable. Tower Tattoos stands above all other tattoo shops that I’ve seen in Fresno and beyond. If you are like me in that you choose your dentist or optometrist based upon architecture, then I encourage you to get your next tattoo at Tower Tattoos and support quality architecture, rewarding those businesses that invest in a quality built environment.

Opening Party

Now that I’ve told you all about my opinions of the building come and see it for yourself. Tonight they will be holding a grand opening party in conjunction with the Central Valley Tattoo Expo. There will be food catered by Chiminello Catering, live music by The Martyrs and tribal dance by Fallen Orchid.

Saturday May 2nd, 11pm

$10 cover-charge

716 E Olive Ave.

Fresno – Tower District

This week I received my copy of dwell magazine in the mail. The cover reads “BEYOND GREEN From Niche to Normal” The issue acknowledges what we’ve all witnessed in this last decade; green has gone from extreme to mainstream. And yet there a a few paradoxes I observe.

Most architects have always believed in sustainable design. It has been part of our education for at least the last two generations. Yet many had to shrug off the green horns, so to speak, as they integrated into the practice. They assimilated into the mainstream perception of green as some hippy pseudo science and threw up their hands to market forces.

Today, thanks to predictable and repeatable science, global calamities and the hard work of the few that never gave up on building a better future, green is center stage. And yet many of my friends and associates accept that many products are now being marketed at us with a green label without any real commitment to solving local and global environmental issues. It’s a marketing hook, the green wash. But this is nothing new consumer trends are always being capitalized. The issue that I take with it is that the mainstream architecture industry is tending to jump on this band wagon with out leading the sustainability effort forward. And today we still deal with the same economic issues as before.

The last paradox I’ll bring up is one that Editor-in-Chief of Dwell Sam Grawe writes “In all honesty, I’m pretty sure I’m not sustainable.” We can see very little changes in the fundamentally unsustainable lives that we live day in and out. Thousands of people have become LEED accredited professionals but have yet to work on a LEED building or turn a critical eye on themselves and make the necessary individual sacrifices to insure that Earth can live on as a healthy system.

Looking at myself. I’ve made a commitment to clean transportation by biking and riding the bus. However, many of the buses in the FAX fleet still choke the air with diesel exhaust; I go through roles upon role of paper at my workplace producing construction documents, I specify products I know to be bad for the environment and that the heat and air conditioning can come on in the same day while it is 65-70 degrees outside. At home I use too much water while the canals are dry for many local farmers, and my 1940 home is extremely inefficient with energy. Many of these thing I feel either powerless or too lazy to change.

A frustrating part about this post is that I know much of this has been said before. I don’t have original content to share about this issue, or any light to shine with an insightful question. So I will end with some local project which have caught my eye for their sustainable strategies and design. Most of these projects are LEED certified or greater.

Fresno Cohousing by McCamant & Durrett Architects

Unitarian Universalist Church by McCamant & Durrett Architects

Kern Schools Federal Credit Union by the Taylor Teter Partnership

Art Ecology Architecture office by The Vernal Group

Santa Fe Depot by Johnson Architecture

“The greenest building is the one that already exists”

Tell me if I missed any well designed local projects that demonstrate sustainability. I’d be happy to post an image and link. And here is a shout out to the Central California Chapter of USGBC They’re fighting the good fight.

Thousands sleeping in tents tonight. A temperate night before days of storm. A beakon sown one night in Febuary. What has happened since then? Is the light fading or is the storm growing?photo by Shaunt Yemenjian