This is the first of a reoccurring feature we will cal: What The Façade or WTF

Every once in awhile you come across a building that is really well thought out, contextual and pleasing to the eye. This is not the case with the building below. One of our readers sent us the image below with the comment “It makes my eyes water. Really bad.”

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It is as if someone vomited faux architecture all over this building. There is foam molding, weird window pop-outs with fake clay tile above. The whole building got a orange, brown and grey stucco wrap that classes with the fuax stone at the base.

The graphic designers out there are probably clinging at the 3 different typefaces used for the sign and address. Not to mention that the ampersand (&) is backwards.

Below is the Google Streetview as the building sat vacant after a fire between 2003 and 2004. Note the original details of the building. The double wood outriggers are of note. How anyone would take the good mid-century modern bones of the building below and envision this final product, I will never know.

The building at 700 E. Shaw used to be home to Helen Smades Real Estate. Helen Smades was a prominent Fresnan. Helen Smades Trust sold the 5,690 square foot building in 1998.

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I don’t know who is responsible. The Owner/developer, contractor, architect/designer or tenant. Maybe they’re all to blame. But it is obvious that this is an ugly façade.

If you see an ugly building out there in our built environment send it in to curator@archop.org It maybe the next one shown for WTF.

There is much anticipation for the California High-Speed Rail and the transformative properties it may have on Fresno. With state and federal money now allotted to the project, it is hard to curb my enthusiasm about the idea. After all we must be realistic that it will be several years if not a decade or more before it is fully operational.

So why am I posting about it now? Recently there was a public meeting with the CHSRA at the Tower Theater. The most current iteration shows the new track to the West of the Union Pacific right-of-way. And the track is planned to be elevated. The tracks would be 60 feet above the ground for roughly 12 miles. It maybe hard to visualize, but it is an interesting exercise in imagination.

Below is a twitter conversation that I had with the individual who manages that outreach aspect of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

You have to read it from the bottom up to go in order.

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If these are the types of conversations you’d like to be part of, then follow the California High-Speed Rail Authority on twitter @cahsra and of course, continue reading.

So the implications of the statements above are very interesting. So locals, what do you want our station to looks like? Kinda hard to start from nowhere. So here is some context
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I have discussed the station with Craig Scharton, director of the City of Fresno Downtown & Neighborhood Revitalization Department. Their vission for the station includes the Southern Pacific Depot. The building is a Queen Anne style and on the Local Register of Historic Resources.
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Here is the Google aerial photo of the station
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The struggle then becomes how does this single story building get you to a station platform that is 60 feet above? Do we add on the the building with a similar style? What does a Queen Anne style high-speed rail station look like? I don’t think one exists yet.

Do we add on the the Station with a more contemporary look? These are all question I hope you can help answer below.

While the CHSRA said that they wish the locals to decide on the station aesthetic, there are renderings on their website which do define a look. These may have just been place holders. What do you think?
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The above design also seems to be an earlier iteration when the tracks were on grade. So how does the 60 foot height change that. What does 60 high look like anyway? Here is a SketchUp model I threw together to give you a feeling for the scale.
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Wow that’s tall. But kinda interesting right? Yes that is a 6 foot tall person standing next to the left column. I don’t know how this will actually be engineered, but I heard the concrete columns or piers would be 14 feet in diameter spaced at 120 feet. Of course this will have a strong visual impact and will be seen for miles.

I had a conversation with Fresno City Council Member Blong Xiong recently. We discussed how this would effect the neighborhoods. While one huge concern would be noise. We discussed how this may not further cut off the West side like a ground level or trenched track would. Those other two would require bridges or underpasses. All you have to do is look at how 41 or 99 divide and weaken connections of neighborhoods.

What if the right-of-way under the could be used as park and trails. We need to be sure to advocate for those uses rather than the no mans land that exists along the Union Pacific right-of-way. This is especially pertinent seeing that the course of the high speed rail laps into the East end of Roeding Park.
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So? What do you think? What should the station look like? What kind of materials? What are sustainable/green building strategies that could be used? What about the height? What are uses for underneath the tracks? How could the sound be mitigated? Everything is fair game, let’s just try to keep it constructive.

The American Institute of Architects has long set the bar for quality design in the United States. The organization awards buildings and architects that are contributers to a high quality built environment. Awards are given by the national, state and local chapters of the organization. The AIA San Joaquin has a bi-annual awards program.

Projects that are eligible for award are to be built within the San Joaquin region or by an architect from the region. The architect submits their project along with a fee. An independent jury then deliberates on what submissions are deserving of awards.

This years awards ceremony packed the Sky Room of the Holiday Inn of Downtown Fresno with over 160 individuals attending the banquet. The keynote speaker was John Dugan the City of Fresno Director of Planning and Development. Mr. Dugan recounted his first perceptions of Fresno, detailed the departments current efforts and called for architects to get involved in the process.

Also at the banquet, the AIASJ presidency was transfered from Rod Andreasen AIA to Paul Halajian AIA. Mr. Halajian noted in his speech that his effort over the next two years will be to build the relevance of the AIASJ to both the profession and the public.

2009 Award Winners
Honorable Mention:

Coalinga Community Swim Complex – Darden Architects

Merit

Willow-International Center – Darden Architects

Zumwalt Residence – Arthur Dyson Architects

Honor

Clovis Performing Arts Center – Darden Architects

William Jessup University Student Apartments – Taylor Teter Partnership

Ranchos Middle School – Taylor Teter Partnership

H Street Lofts – Taylor Teter Partnership

Excellence

Riverbank High School Gym – Darden Architects

Alex G. Spanos Elementary School – Darden Architects

Below is biographical information about the independent jurors that selected the American Institute of Architects San Joaquin Chapter 2009 Design Awards. A review of the experience was written by Fresno Bee arts writer Donald Munro and can be found here.

Dan Fletcher, AIA

Dan Fletcher is a principal in the firm of Fletcher + Hardoin Architects located in Monterey California. Fletcher + Hardoin was established in 1988 providing architectural services for high end residential and visitor serving commercial. Some of the firm’s most recent projects include the restoration and conversion of the 14th century Borgo Villa Saletta in Tuscany into a Raffles hotel and spa, the renovation of historic Robles del Rio Lodge in Carmel Valley and the recent completion of Wild Bird a residence on the Big Sur coast. Fletcher + Hardoin has been recognized for their design excellence with many awards from AIAMB, Gold Nugget awards for their custom residences, hardbound publications and a feature segment on HGTV’s Homes Across America Dan Fletcher received the Robert Stanton Design Award for significant design contribution to the field of Architecture in the Central Coast of California.

Michael R. Pratt, AIA – Principal Lionakis

Mike Pratt is a “Hands-on Principal” and is the leader of Lionakis’ Modesto Healthcare Team. He has over 25 years of professional experience and brings invaluable leadership skills and agency expertise to any project. Born and raised in the central valley, Mike returned to practice architecture after graduating from Cal Poly State University SLO in 1976. His previous and continued service on numerous community boards and commissions fits well with Mike’s observation that the “citizen architect” brings a uniquely valuable perspective to any discussion. He is also involved with the AIA Sierra Valley Chapter activities and is the current president of the AIACC Architectural Foundation.

Norman Millar, AIA – Dean, School of Architecture – Woodbury University

Norman Millar is an educator and practicing architect. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design from the University of Washington (1976) and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Design (1978). He received a Certificate from The Ross Minority Program in Real Estate at the Lusk Center for Real Estate in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2006). He has been a registered architect since 1983, licensed to practice architecture in California, Washington and Hawaii. He established his Los Angeles practice, Norman Millar Architects, in 1985.

Norman Millar is the Dean of the School of Architecture at Woodbury University having run the architecture program there since 1999. Prior to that, he taught at several Los Angeles institutions including the SCI-Arc, USC, Pasadena Art Center, and UCLA. He is also a regent for the California Architecture Foundation. He also serves on the a Hollywood Design Review Advisory Board and the advisory boards for the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, the Los Angeles Chapter of the AIA, and the architecture departments at several Southern California community colleges.

Donald Munro – Fresno Bee

Donald Munro has worked for nearly 20 years covering arts and culture for the Fresno Bee. Prior to that he worked as an entertainment writer and editor at the Anchorage Times. He has an undergraduate degree in journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. In 2002-03, he was a 10-month fellow with the National Arts Journalism Program sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts. He’s twice been selected to participate in National Endowment for the Arts critics institutes: the first in theater, and the most recent, in October, in classical music and opera.

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 the Downtown Association, Shaunt Yemenjian, principal of spacio|design, and Kiel Famellos-Schmidt, curator of archop.

What we found in making this list, is that Fresno has a collection of high quality, well designed buildings that have significantly improved the built environment of an important metropolitan area. We had no trouble pulling together a shortlist of 20 exceptional buildings. Below you will find our top 10 list organized chronologically.

Building: UCSF – Fresno
Client: University of California Medical Center, San Francsico
Architect: Fong & Chan Architects
Year Built: 2002
Photo: UCSF
Description:

As Northern and Southern California continue to spread energies into the Central Valley, good design has come with the territory. The UCSF Medical Building anchors a prominent corner of the Community Medical Center Campus. The med‐student facility features a rotunda lobby with three‐story tall metal fins that are angled rhythmically as a nod to the notion of pages turning in a book. The rounded exterior walls along the street façade also set a rhythm in motion that gives the building an interesting street presence. The carefully designed sun shades which also embrace the curved streetwall provide shading from the summer sub for the space within. The exterior space created by the inward facing portion of the arc is designed as a pleasant semi‐public gathering space that can accommodate multiple social functions.

Building: Fresno Yosemite International
Airport Terminal
Client: City of Fresno
Architect: AECOM
Year Built: 2002
Photo: Bing.com

Description:

While the decade before brought us the internationally recognized Fresno City Hall – this decade brought about its younger cousin: The Fresno Yosemite International Airport Terminal. Equally progressive in its form and structure, the curved glass facade floods the entire Terminal with natural light. The exposed steel framing transcends the human scale enough to draw your attention and inspire awe yet is detailed and finished in such a way that does not make it feel overbearing. The reverse angle of the curtain wall gives the Terminal’s rounded fascia a form that begins to mimic the profile of an object in flight.

Building: Woodward Park Library
Client: County of Fresno
Architect: DSJ Architects
Year Built: 2004
Photo: DSJ
Description:

Embraced by the sweeping concrete surfaces that seemingly nurture the space within, your imagination is stimulated by the forms and surfaces even before picking up a book. Exceptional natural lighting on the inside with very little direct light make the interiors highly conducive to reading, studying and focusing your attention. With the circulation cleanly arranged around an entry foyer, the flow of circulation is comfortable yet interesting. A ‘Friends of the Library suite that is open after‐hours allows for the building to remain active through the evening as community space.

Building: Sante Fe Depot
Client: City of Fresno
Architect: Johnson Architecture
Year Built: 2005
Photo: Joe Moore
Description:

The historic Santa Fe Depot is a shining example of historic preservation in Fresno. Built in 1899 by the San Joaquin Valley Railroad (later to be acquired by Santa Fe) , the depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was originally designed by W.B. Story, and the 2004 / 2005 historic preservation project was led by Fresno based firm Johnson Architecture. Before its renovation, the building had suffered from years of neglect. It was last used as a passenger facility in 1966, was converted into a railroad communications center, and eventually sat vacant for decades. The building is typical of the Mission Revival style, with clay roof tiles and beige stucco walls. A small porte-cochere and clock tower, with a large wrought iron clock face, dominate the Santa Fe Avenue elevation of the building. The $7 million renovation removed decades of insensitive patchwork additions to the building, and restored the building’s historic appearance and functionality as a working passenger rail station. It now serves Fresno passengers on Amtrak’s popular San Joaquin line. The project received the prestigious Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, an Award of Excellence from the AIA San Joaquin, and a Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation.

Building: Coyle Federal Courthouse
Client: US General Services Administration
Architect: Moore Ruble Yudell Architects with Gruen Associates
Year Built: 2005
Photo: Clark Pacific
Description:

The later part of the 1990’s into the beginning of the 2000’s we saw substantial investment from the GSA on well designed federal buildings throughout the country. Fresno received that investment in design with the new Federal Courthouse. The building’s massing and intricate concrete paneled façade draws inspiration from rock formations in Yosemite National Park. The lobby is awe inspiring. The floor combines smooth and rough stones punctuated with granite boulders cut in half to form seating. Beyond the lobby the way finding, courtrooms, law library, and roof terraces all are well thought out, detailed and accentuated by local art.

Building: Unitarian Universalist Church
Client: Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno
Architect: McCamant & Durrett Architects
Year Built: 2007
Photo: McCamant & Durrett Architects
Description:

Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno is first and foremost distinguished by their commitment to sustainability and community. Those commitments are masterfully combined in a building that pays equal attention to interior and exterior spaces. The roof lines, material choices and color palate give the building a contemporary and earthy feel that sets it apart from other churches. This was Fresno County’s first LEED Certified building. The sustainable strategies range from drought tolerant landscaping, natural lighting and low water plumbing.

Building: Clovis Fire Station No. 5
Client: City of Clovis
Architect: Don Dommer Associates
Year Built: 2007
Photo: Terry O’Rourke
Description:

Clovis Fire Station No 5 opened in 2007 at 790 N. Temperance Avenue, just north of Highway 168, in the Clovis Research and Technology Park. It was designed by the Oakland, CA based firm Don Dommer Associates, The building uses a mix of industrial materials such as corrugated steel and concrete block in a contemporary context. The three bay garage area is highlighted by an open truss roof system supporting a gently arching steel roof. Clerestory windows provide natural light to the garage bays during the day, and at night creative up lighting highlights the exposed roof structure and interior in dramatic fashion.

Building: H Street Lofts
Client: Reza Assemi
Architect: Taylor Teter Partnership
Year Built: 2008
Photo: RSM Studio
Description:

H Street Lofts demonstrates an awareness of its context, and uses the adjacent railroad as inspiration for the façade. It also shows a curiosity and willingness to test new ideas and use materials in untraditional ways. The varying sizes, placement and treatment of the windows creates the feeling of moving boxcar. The building wraps around a courtyard to foster interaction of neighbors and includes a memorial mound landscaped with native plants to commemorate the property’s former life as an army induction center. In the past decade Reza Assemi has become synonymous urban living in Fresno. Of all the multifamily housing built in Fresno County during the decade, H Street Lofts stands out as the most authentic to the region.

Building: Clovis North High School
Performing Arts Center
Client: Clovis Unified School District
Architect: Darden Architects
Year Built: 2008
Photo: Tomas Ovalle
Description:

Home of the Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall and the Dan Pasesano Theatre is one of the finest high school performing arts facilities in the nation, rivaling many collegiate and professional concert venues. The Shaghoian Concert Hall seats 750 on one level, in a traditional box configuration, featuring a stage that sits within the main body of the theatre, with no proscenium arch. The stunning interior of the Concert Hall is known for its superb acoustics, with wood paneled walls, and a 50 foot ceiling. Above the stage sits a a fully automated “acoustic cloud” structure that adapts to change the acoustic properties of the room. Additional adaptive acoustic treatments are designed in the upper levels of the hall, allowing the venue to be customized for performances ranging from choirs to orchestras to jazz ensembles. Adjacent to the Concert Hall sits the Paesano Theatre, a 150 seat “black box” theatre performance space. Both venues are shared by programs from throughout the school district. The exterior of the Performing Arts Center is constructed largely of concrete block and steel. Massive steel columns support the entrance to the lobby, a visual reference to the steel framed agricultural packing houses that still function nearby.

Building: New Harvest Church
Client: New Harvest Church
Architect: Anthony C. Pings & Associates
Year Built: 2008
Photo: Shaunt Yemenjian
Description:

The balance and careful treatment of every surface of the building are enough to have made Christian Dior jealous. Built as an adaptive re-use of a fruit packing plant, the tapered planes spread outward in a way that resembles the opened husk of a fruit. With so many 20th century buildings addressing a single façade (dismissing the notion that buildings have context and multiple vantage points), the New Harvest Church campus captures your attention up front and sustains your interest as you move about. One can also appreciate use of modern technology in the CNC cut signage carved away from the webs of steel I-beams throughout.

Are we on the mark? Do you feel we missed any? Share your comments with us below.

A report of unemployment statistics through the 3rd quarter of 2009, released this week, finds the architecture industry is the hardest hit by the continued recession.

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Job losses in the profession jumped 17.8 percent, bringing the total number of employed architects to 189,000 in the first three quarters of 2009, compared to 230,000 in the same period a year earlier, according to the BLS. I could not locate the original report on the BLS website, however MSNBC summarized the report.

For a region like Fresno who is dealing with higher than average unemployment rates, this new report begins to paint the picture of Fresno’s architecture industry. Personally, I know dozens of individuals at all levels that have been laid off. Several of them have been out of work for over 6 months, some even pursuing changes of career.

Of the local architecture firms, the large firms are struggling to keep as many employed and busy as possible, while the smaller firms are scrapping by with already lean staff.

Further illustrating the picture of architects, drafters, and other staff, I came across this Craigslist ad.

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I could not reach the above architect for comment. I was also laid off. Rather than waste time looking for a job that wasn’t there, along with a partner, we focused on launching our own practice. From what I’ve seen this is not as common a route locally, but it is in other metropolitan regions. There are even some unemployed architects coming up with innovative ideas such as John Morefield pictured below.
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What the future holds for these local businesses and architects is unknown. This trend does not show signs of turning around. Little help for the architecture industry is coming from federal stimulus money. This is due to the fact that the funding is going more toward infrastructure projects that don’t require architects and shovel ready projects that have already been designed.

The impact of these conditions on the Fresno’s built environment are yet to be seen.

For those in the architecture industry seeking advice, see Architetural Record’s Survival Guide

10am-2pm Saturday 12/19/09 – Sunday 12/20/09 Fulton & Divisadero

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As some downtown buildings just begin construction and others get a new lease on life, the Iron Bird Lofts opens its doors.
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I ran into developer, Reza Assemi, Wednesday morning on my way back from the Bank of Italy press conference. He was busy giving direction to the concrete sub-contractor at Broadway Lofts. However, he did take the time to talk to me about Broadway Lofts (more about that later) and the open house of Iron Bird Lofts.
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Some of the units have passed final inspection and others are scheduled to have tenants move in on the 1st of January. The landscaping is also shaping up. Reza said he want’s to welcome prospective renter in to experience and possible move in to their newest creation.

Saturday and Sunday 10pm-2pm the gates will be open and leasing agents will be on hand to get you living downtown. While we chatted, Reza fielded a phone call in which he requested there be lots of signs, banners, and balloons.
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Iron Bird Lofts consists of 16 three-story row houses, 48 lofts and 16 two-bedroom flats, ranging from 900 sq. ft. to 1,600 sq. ft. The architect for the project is Warren Thompson FAIA and the landscape designer is Jennifer Feaster.

This morning I will be on a jury of a design competition that is organized by the Fresno City College AIAS club. Below is a model of the site in SketchUp that was provided to the student competitors.

Jury will include Michael Fennacy, AIA. He is an architect with Darden Architects. and on the AIASJ board. The 3rd member of the jury will be Shaunt Yemenjian, Assoc. AIA. Shaunt is a LEED Accredited Professional and a principal with spacio|design.

Below is the project brief and user provided to the student competitors. I will post the designs after the jury review.

After the first tkc archop, Aaron Gomes of Sound N Vision Foundation and tkc archop curator Michael Pinheiro have been planning a collaboration. The challenge was to unite the experiences of music and architecture.

Thursday archop takes part in Lucky Dragons ongoing series of experiments into the possibilities of using skin contact between performers as a means of transmitting and controlling data and creating a positive social environment. Audience members are invited to participate building up and breaking down resistive networks by passing signals from skin to skin.

Thursday, November 5th
8:00 p.m. installation
9:30 p.m. show
$5, 21+
Cellar Door
101 West Main Street
Visalia, CA

Below is a video of  Tony Pavone (Canby Architecture Studio) “playing” the installation mock-up for the Lucky Dragons show.  It was built with the help of  Clay Taylor (Mangini Associates), Ryan Fitzpatrick and Michael Pinheiro (both of Taylor Teter Partnership).  The full-scale mock-up will be disassembled and installed at the Cellar Door with the help of COS Architecture and Construction students.  Over sixty people are expected at the concert where they will participate in a unique concert event made possible by the intersection of music and design.  Also below is a video of an earlier experiment by Lucky Dragons.

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 Library’s Facebook page that we found of interest.

The sound issue with the stairs has been a lightning rod for discussion. The metal mesh stairs cantilevering in a large volume. Architects AC Martin Partners in association with RMJM Hillier chose the metal mesh on the stair are part of a reoccurring theme, intended to evoke the qualities of Native American basket weaving. The linear stairway the runs the length of the building and is one of the primary interior features.

In some ways it takes on the qualities of a Native American percussion instrument more than the qualities of a Native American basket. Though we have word that the stairs were heavily value engineered so it was not built the way it was detailed/designed. That said, the expanded lath isn’t adhered to the frame and stringers so each time you take a step, it pushes the extruded metal down against the metal.

Perhaps it is a post justification of a flawed design that the modern library is not the whisper quiet space that it once was. However, the results from the Institute of Public Anthropology’s study of student needs for the library interior showed that students desire “loud areas”. Area that students feel free to socialize and collaborate.

So what are your thoughts? Have you spent time in the new Library? Was the sound of people walking on the stairs distracting from what you were doing? Has the Library’s design balanced aesthetics and function? What are potential solutions?

Architecture thrives on creativity and creativity thrives in architecture. It is perhaps the single greatest force which moves architecture forward. However, creative ideas emerge through a conscious effort to seek them. New ideas are developed in practice, discourse, technology and materials as a result of investing time and energy in creative pursuits. Mark Wigley, Dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) at Columbia University touched on this phenomenon during a recent conversation that took place at Columbia University when he suggested that during a healthy market we “minimize the friction between what we are asked to deliver by our clients and what we deliver.” Friction – in this context – referring to a tolerance for creativity and our interest in challenging norms.

Half disgusted with the current economic climate and half motivated by the availability of time to pursue ideas which time did not allow for during the past few years, I set out to find others who were leveraging changes in their career in creative ways. What I found were several inspiring stories which only confirm that creativity not only thrives in down economy but also that it can create opportunity regardless of the state of the economy.

Across the country, large firms, small studios, ateliers, young professionals, associates, and recent graduates alike are faced with the challenge of reduced workloads, furloughs or unemployment altogether. This posits and interesting challenge to either seek stability, or to pursue creative opportunities regardless of the potential instability. Follows are a few stories to help inspire those debating whether or not to invest the time, energy and resources.

Ryan Spruston | Ryan Spruston Architect, Los Angeles

After nearly 10 years of “working on great projects with great people” at Gensler, ELS, and MBT, Ryan Spruston decided to resist the intuitive notion of job hunting and venture out as an independent contractor. His newfound mobility and freedom to pursue work independently allowed him to shift his focus from the corporate, developer-based approach to one that has him teamed up with a multi-disciplinary team pursuing affordable housing solutions using shipping containers.

‘project retan‘ is an affordable housing solution developed for the City of Pomona using ISO shipping containers. The multi-disciplinary team which prepared the response to the “ULI 100 Home Competition” included recent business school graduates, social housing service associates, city planners and architects. Not only has the economy afforded Spruston the opportunity to pursue creative ventures such as project retan but it has allowed for his creative energies to be directed towards helping address need for social housing.

Working outside of the corporate arena for the first time in his career has afforded him several opportunities to team up with sole-proprietors looking for talent and expediency; something Spruston and his network of independent contractors can certainly provide given their new found freedom.

Joel Karr | Group 41, Inc./Container Nation, San Francisco

As the recession impacts the ports of the world – creating a surplus of empty shipping containers – Joel Karr recognizes an incredible opportunity to house people in need. With over 15 years of research and design invested into shipping container projects, Joel is experiencing what he considers as the “moment of inflection in affordable housing.”

He is currently working on affordable housing projects which “up-cycle” the shipping container for a prominent Indian Tribe in Central California as well as a developer driver 200 unit project in Salt Lake City. Both of these are examples of projects which are now moving towards realization as a result of the bad economy and increased need for affordable housing. While Karr suggests that project such as these were ‘on the boards’ even in otherwise healthy times, he admits that the projects are now met with a certain level of urgency as a result of the downturn. He is careful to remind me that there is plenty of room for creativity in a healthy economy, “the difference now is that the ideas are finally taking hold.”

With projects that creatively repurpose shipping containers ranging from housing for the poor in 3rd world countries to environmentally friendly re-use of containers for housing that can be achieved for less than $6 per square foot Karr’s projects are gaining more and more traction now as economics become a critical factor. Group 41, Inc. is hardly feeling the effects of the economy nowadays, a great example of the benefits of ‘front loading’ creativity.

Edgar Papazian | DOON Architecture, Portland

Avoiding the myopic challenge of how to survive the recession altogether, Edgar Papazian is utilizing the free time as an opportunity for calibrate his studio in Portland to embrace the inevitable return to a healthy economy. “In the downturn, I have concentrated solely on what happens after the downturn.” For Papazian, this means shifting his focus away from billable hours and pursuing work in new markets and towards testing some of his creative ideas and concepts. This has led to the commencement of work on an “innovative yet necessarily low-cost renovation” of a private residence in Portland.

Having built up a portfolio of work while with Cesar Pelli and the Polshek Partnership in New York, Edgar ventured to the Pacific Northwest to begin a practice in a region where a thriving culture, design community and the arts have attracted talent from around the nation in recent years. However, shortly after launching his practice the economy began to decline. Rather than take the simple road back into corporate architecture, he has turned his focus towards putting his creative ideas to the ultimate test – by building. Cognizant that a shift in focus away from his desired market could lead to becoming confined to that market, he has directed most of his energies towards a manifestation of his theories, concepts and cultural background into physical form.

What began as an exploration of a casual curiosity has led to a realization that economically difficult times are as important, if not the most critical stage, in the development of a career or a practice. As Mark Wigley has pointed out, healthy economic times do not afford us the opportunities to pursue new ideas, new concepts and new markets nearly as much as economically recessed times. Proof that when there is little or no work out there…..it’s time to get to work!

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More information on Mark Wigley and the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation can be found at: http://www.arch.columbia.edu/ and http://bldgblog.blogspot.com
More information on Ryan Spruston’s work can be found at: http://ryanspruston.com/

More information on Joel Karr’s work can be found at: http://www.containernation.com/ and http://group41inc.com/index.php

More information on Edgar Papazian’s work can be found at: http://doonarchitecture.com/

Discussion

Above are three example of how creativity in architecture is blooming not despite of but because of the current economic climate. We would like to hear example of local architects, designer and creatives doing the same with their creative pursuits. This will be the topic of a follow up article.

20 years ago the American Institute of Architects San Joaquin Chapter began hosting a family friendly sandcastle competition. At the time the AIASJ president was William Hobbs AIA. The 1st chairman of the “Sand Committee” was Skip Carlstrom, AIA, CSI. Skip recounts that the AIASJ which represents architects and firms withing Fresno, Kings and Tulare Counties “wanted to hold a function that portrayed the talent and expertise of each of these firms and to do so in a fun manner that the public would also enjoy.”

The event for it’s first seven years (1989-1996) was held on a beach at Millerton Lake. Sand more suitable for building sand castles was trucked in and dumped in piles on the beach for architects and their teams to sculpt. Teams were ofter multidisciplinary, including: landscape architects, interior designers, engineers, contractors, and building material suppliers.

The event drew 2,000-3,000 spectators according to Skip. Families came and spent a day on the beach watching the teams toil away. One year, the competition began supplying a kids pile for children to play in. It was first sponsored by the Fresno chapter of NAWIC. The kids pile became a kid tested, mother approved tradition of the competition, provided to this date.

After a year in which several dump trucks got stuck on the beach unloading th 12+ tons of sand, the event began searching for a new, more accessible home. It spent one year at a golf course, then settled in for several years in a parkinglot at River Park. Every year, as many as 12 teams compete, sand is sculpted and awards are given by guest judges and public voting.

For its 20th year, the competition goes into the heart of Fresno for the first time. It will be held at Roeding Park between Storyland and the Chaffee Zoo. Come celebrate and have fun with us. There will be music, raffles, a giant sandbox to play in and nearby family fun at Storyland, Playland and the Zoo. This event is free but normal park admission applies.

AIASJ 20th Annual Sandcastle Competition
Saturaday, September 12th 8am-12pm
Roeding Park between Storyland and the Zoo

In the 2nd edition of fresh, let me introduce Dan Stark. Thanks goes out to architect James Tomlin for making the introduction over lunch. We shared stories about traveling in Nicaragua and a shared passion for sustainability. Below are Dan’s words regarding, growing up, education, notable experiences, travel, architectural interests, and finally the Fresno move.

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Growing Up
I’m originally from Rhode Island just outside of Providence. Growing up in New England I did plenty of camping and many of my childhood memories involve being outside – from fishing on the beach near my house to a 30 day back country canoe trip in Northern Quebec. I did lots of biking, hiking, skiing etc. with my family and friends and I still love bike touring. I think that my early years in the outdoors has informed my life in a lot of ways including my interest in environmentalism. One of my earlier interests in architecture was based on its potential as a positive environmental force.
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Education
I attended the University of Oregon, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2002. I was brought to Oregon by my desire to see more of the country and by the school’s reputation as a hotbed for environmental design. There was much I loved about Oregon but the Willamette Valley was too rainy for me so after graduation I moved back to Rhode Island.
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Notable Experiences
I lived and worked in Providence for 5 years at a firm called Brewster Thornton Rapp Architects. Providence is one of my favorite cities. It is as close to a European city as I’ve seen on this side of the Atlantic with a lot of historical buildings and it is mostly lacking the Jeffersonian grid that seems to be so prevalent in Fresno and California. BTRA was a great place for me to learn my profession, a small firm specializing in mostly high end New England residential architecture, kind of the heir to shingle style design ala McKim, Mead & White. I appreciate the focus on craft and the close work I was able to do with some talented builders while there.
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Travel
I’ve been lucky enough to do some traveling in my life and I hope to do much more in the future. While in school I spent 6 months in Denmark studying the architecture of some of my favorites including Aalto and the great Danish modernists Arne Jacobsen (1, 2) and Henning Larsen (1, 2) . I really like the clean Danish/Scandinavian modernism, in that it retains a lot of regional character that I feel is lost in much of modernism and of course internationalism.
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Architectural Interest
My main architectural interests are passive solar design, tectonics and craft. A great example of someone who is able to incorporate all three of these interests into the built environment, and my favorite architect, is Peter Zumthor (1, 2, 3, 4), check him out if you haven’t already. I did get to visit some of his buildings while in Switzerland and they are so sensual, they actually smell different than architecture and I’m sure that this is something that he actually thinks about.
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The Fresno Move
After living in Providence I spent 3 months traveling in Central America with my girlfriend, Natalie after which we moved here to Fresno to be close to her family and re-establish ourselves. I’ve been working here and there, mostly for Charestcorp which has been a great experience for me, they’ve treated me well. While I am currently looking for work in architecture, and I know that it’s not a good time to be doing that in Fresno, I am excited about our future here. I am finding a lot about Fresno to like.
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Dan Stark

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Please join me in welcoming Dan to Fresno

If you are or know someone in the architecture field new to the area contact us.

In a new series we are calling fresh archop will feature an individual in architecture or allied industry who has just relocated to the San Joaquin Valley, or returned after an extended absence. For the first edition we introduce a fascinating individual named Enoch Sears.

I first met Enoch via email. He’d responded to a blog post on Fresno Famous. At the time, he was living in Panama designing a Caribbean resort. An evening this August I discovered his return when we encountered each other the Fulton Mall. Below are his words regarding: growing up, education, travel, returning to the San Joaquin Valley, architecture, influences, design process, notable experiences, and what he is currently working on.
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Growing Up
I grew up right here in the Central Valley in Lemoore, forty minutes south of Fresno. My parents are originally from the Bay Area and moved to the Valley when my dad got a teaching job in Kettleman City around 1980. Some of my childhood memories include riding my bike around town and the surrounding farmland during the hot, dusty summers, exploring the canals and eucalyptus groves; and driving up the old two-lane Highway 41 with my parents to visit Fresno.
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Education
I studied architecture at Cornell University from 1998-2002. While at Cornell I participated in a unique design studio: Imagining Cuba in 2004. Interestingly enough, the studio was led by professor Milton Curry, a Fresno native who graduated from Bullard High School. For the studio, I designed a hotel/condo tower situated over a retail space that also housed an embassy for American Democracy. I have been captivated by the story of Cuba- especially how it relates to the concept of trying to choose an alternate form of lifestyle amidst our modern society. One of the most interesting classes I took at school was a class on Cuba (different from the design studio) that examined Cuba’s history and present situation from a sociological, architectural and historical perspective.
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Travel
I have traveled throughout the US, Central and South America (throw in a cruise to Nassau in the Bahamas – great salad bar!)- quite limited really. I spent last year (2008) in the Caribbean on an island of Panamabworking on pie-in-the-sky designs for a resort developer. As for architecture one of the buildings I’ve been most impressed with is the Kimbell Art museum in Dallas, TX. I have yet to delve into the architecture of Fresno. I’m awed each time I drive past those huge silos just north of Hwy 180 by the Tower District.
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Return to San Joaquin Valley
I moved away from the Valley for school and work, and then came back briefly around 2002. I then moved to Houston, Texas. I lived and worked there for five years primarily with Hawthorne Architects until I couldn’t stand the humidity any more. After a year abroad in the Caribbean my wife and I decided to come back to Fresno because of family ties and the fresh grapes. I love the arid air here! 100 degrees without humidity feels like 80 in Houston.
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Admired Architects
I admire the idea of “the architect”, the master builder, the creator. Most architects fall into this category more or less. Specifically, Sam Mockbee (1, 2, 3)and Glen Murcutt (1, 2, 3)for their explorations into the “local” and the vernacular, Frank Lloyd Wright (1, 2, 3) for his sheer power of creation, and I can’t leave out Le Corbusier (1, 2), the giant of modern architecture, + many more.
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Design Process
I design primarily in plan. Sketch, modify, sketch, modify, sketch. I admire boats and cars in that every piece has a function and this function is emphasized by design. I try to bring the same logic and beauty found on a boat to design. Beauty is a charged word. Sometimes a design is beautiful because of its sheer creativity or how it stimulates ones mind. The client is key to finding a proper design solution.
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Notable Experiences
Every meeting with a client is a notable experience. I love the human aspect of the business.
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Working on Now
I’m currently working on an apartment complex for Hanford, CA with architect Chas Rhoads as well as a residential remodel. I just received my architectural registration in Texas. Next step is to apply for reciprocity in CA and take the California Supplemental Examination (CSE). It is amazing the amount of paperwork and steps involved.
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Enoch Sears
Architect
LEED AP, AC

Construction.Consultation.Design
www.enochsears.com

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Please join me in welcoming back Enoch

If you are or know someone in the architecture field new to the area contact us.

I get lots of lawn care flyers at my door. These flyers for the most part are copies of hand written originals. Others where created in the computer and include clip art of a lawnmower or other yard care icon.

When I got home yesterday, there was a new flyer jutting out of my mail slot. When I unrolled it, I was pleasantly surprised.

This flyer is obviously drawn by Juan’s son or daughter. It is my favorite and intrigues me because it shows a curiosity about architecture and landscape, it also demonstrates an understanding of how people interact with space and the concept of perspective (the men in the background are drawn smaller than in the foreground). These are concept many architecture students struggle with.

In my experience doing community and participatory design workshops I’ve found that many have the raw talent needed for architecture or design. But often it is not nurtured along.

Any one can be an architect, not to say everyone can be an architect, but an architect can be found anywhere. The hand that drew this is the hand of a future architect.

Wandering around downtown, you never know what you’ll discover.

For instance, I spotted this hole in the ground downtown. At the corner of L St. & Tuolumne. Two backhoes and a bobcat sit resting after the destruction. They’re going to have to dig their way out.

What was a building is now sculptural piles of broken concrete and twisted rebar.

I’d rather write about construction and what new designs are in store for Fresno.

This was the site of the Cornerstone Youth Center. I’m not sure if it was being used recently. Cornerstone Church is one of the largest property owners in Downtown Fresno. While I don’t know much of the facts, I offer these visuals to explore. Meanwhile I’ll try to find out if Cornerstone still owns the site and plans to develop a new building, or if they sold it to another party that will develop it.

This is what used to be here. Not really an architectural gem, so I’m not sad to see it go.

View Larger Map

Demolition is a complicated concept for me. On one hand the process is somewhat beautiful to me. The is also the creative aspect of imagining what might go in its place. On the other hand, knowing Fresno development, the site may sit vacant for years, another missing tooth in Downtown’s smile.

What do you think should go in this building’s place? What functions should it have? How tall should it be?

While searching for a news article from the Fresno Bee, I stumbled upon an amazing resource. It was a webpage called Super Signage Fresno, CA. I’ve had a little obsession about signage for the past couple of months.

Unfortunately, THE FRESNAN stole my thunder and posted this early today. He pulled it from my twitter feed when I discovered the site yesterday. Mike has become an archop groupie giving the site his Bloggiest Moment of the Week for two weeks in a row. With lots of link love, I’ll let this one pass. But Mike, remember, the built environment is the realm of archop, stray too far and we will school you.

Now that that little blog warfare is out of the way… Digging deeper into the site called www.agilitynut.com, we see that Deborah Jane has collected an amazing inventory of Roadside Architecture from across the country. You can search type and even browse signage by place. There are even a sampling some of my favorite architectural styles including Art Deco and Mid-Century. I have not read much about the author yet. So, I’m wondering what is her method is for collecting all of this data. But one thing is sure, we’ll continue to use it at a resource.

In the sampling of Art Deco architecture. I saw this building. While slurping some Pho you may have noticed this architectural gem called the Ivory Tower. “The Ivory Tower stands in the parking lot of the Mayfair Shopping Center. The shopping center was built in 1945 and has since been remodeled. This remaining structure was used as the Administration Building and might also have contained a clothes shop.”

Take some time exploring the site. I’m sure it not comprehensive, so what are your favorites? What was missed?

I’m amazing in how much articulation there used to be in signage. It was part of the architecture not just the lighted boxed with replaceable copy that is so prevalent today. How do we get back to that? Where are the missed opportunities?

I put a little competition out there this week. It was that whoever posted the 100th comment on this site would win. The prize was that we’d write about the house of the commenter’s choice. We left it open, it could be the commenter’s house that they’d like know more about or to showcase to the community. It may be a house that intrigues them and always wondered about. We will post photos and commentary about the style, neighborhood, etc. Maybe even include historical info about past or present residents.

Inspiration for this came when my neighbor Hank Delcore remarked about some similar features that our homes’ have. My wife and I had done some research about our house before we bought it and knew it was Minimal Traditional style. Hank’s home is the same style. He was satisfied that he knew a little more about his house, and that he could be more “architecturally hip” in talking about it.

The winner was Michael Birdsong with a comment on the 1st Draft of Tower District streetscape design. His choice was to have his home in the Tower District written about because he wants to know more about it’s style. Stay tuned for a story about the house pictured.

Today, I received a copy of BLDGBLOG BOOK by Geoff Manaugh. I was intending to purchase a copy through Amazon, but then the economy caught up with me. Luckily, Mike Osegueda writer with the Fresno Bee and blogger for FresnoBeeHive received a press copy from Chronicle Books. Through twitter mikeoz wrote “i got it in the mail yesterday. (I get all kinds of odd books). i’ll give it to you.”

And indeed it is a weird book. BLDGBLOG began as a blog focused on but not limited to architecture. While we are familiar with old media going to new media. However New media going to old media? A blog becoming a book? To top it off it’s on my favorite topic: architecture and the built and unbuilt environment.

Why is this a theory thursday? Well with a table of contents like 1)Architecture, Conjecture, Urban Speculation; 2)The Underground; 3)Redesigning the Sky; 4)Music Sound Noise; and 5)Landscape Futures; you can imagine it is chock full of theory. I plan to fully explore the ideas and blog/review about it as I go.

I hope Geoff Manaugh will forgive me for not purchasing his book. Maybe he’ll forgive me for putting a press copy to good use and hopefully inspiring some Fresnans to purchase a copy.

Here is the abstract:

Far from being limited to the construct of our built environment, architecture has long been considered a venue for tracing human thought – how we perceive and judge our world is recognizable in the buildings we create. Challenging us to look beyond the present paths of thinking and into the future of architecture is Geoff Manaugh, creator of the popular website BLDGBLOG.

Read by millions since its launch in 200, BLDGBLOG is the leading voice in speculation about architecture, landscape and the built environment. Now The BLDGBLOG Book distills author Geoff Manaugh’s unique ideas, offering an enthusiastic guide to the future of architecture, with stunning images and exclusive new content. From underground exploration to climate change, via the music of icebergs, J. G. Ballard, and tectonic warfare, this is a fascinating and unpredictable.”

Also inspiring is the first paragraph:

I started BLDGBLOG in the summer of 2004, inspired more or less by four things: I was writing a novel about surveillance, terrorism, independent film, and the London Underground; I was auditing a course about Archigram, the 1960s British pop-architectural supergroup that once dreamt of bolt-on instant cities, “mobile villages,” and inflatable utopias; I was reading a lot of J. G. Ballard (Super-Cannes, Concrete Island, The Drowned World, Crash); and I was feeling generally hemmed in by the city in which I lived. Whil my initial impulse might have been to complain – noting every little thing about the world that bothered me – I decided, in fact, to do the opposite: I made a conscious decision to write only about the things that interested me.

Hank Delcore, Ph.D., and Kiel Famellos-Schmidt
also found at http://theanthroguys.com

Saturday from 10am to 2pm, about a hundred Tower District residents and business owners gathered for a design charrette put on by the City of Fresno planning department and MW Steele Group. Steele has the contract for planning a redesigned Tower District streetscape as part of the Tower District Specific Plan. Saturday’s event was a day of community input, with Steele returning this Tuesday night to present some design alternatives.

We laud City Councilman Blong Xiong, the city, various Tower District advocates, and the Steele Group for putting on this event. Mark Steele and his team listened, took some hard questions, and were willing to engage in some good give and take.

As professionals in participatory design and community design methods, we also noted some things about the program that can inhibit the quality of community input and seriously limit the degree of real community participation in the design process. This critique is intended to increase the quality of design charrettes and community input in Fresno as well as raise awareness about the potential of participatory design.

Expert focus of the event
The organizers stated that the day was all about the participants, but in practice, the more consistent emphasis was on the expert status of the architects/planners vis a vis the participants. After an introductory presentation on the distinctiveness of the Tower by two long-time Tower advocates, Mark Steele took the stage and talked mostly about his firm and their approach to the project. He presented his goals for the project, despite acknowledging that the day was about understanding our goals and aspirations. His associate, Diego Velasco, followed with the firm’s views of the strengths and challenges of the Tower District – again, topics that the charrette was supposed to probe. Expert statements are not the best way to begin an event meant to foster community participation in the planning and design process.

It wasn’t until 11:15am that the twelve tables of participants were unleashed on the first design drill. By that time, some participants had already turned their attention away from the stage and were fingering the maps, stickers and other supplies on the tables. An hour is too long for facilitators to dominate the stage at a four hour event. The long lead-in both cut down the time for participants by a quarter, and set a strong expert-focused – not participant-focused – tone.

Diversity
The tower district is a very diverse place. It is called home by many including: African American, Asian, Caucasian, Latino, young and old, the progressive community, and the GBLTQ community. Economically, there is a mix of home owners and renters, working class through upper class and even homeless. As well, Tower is a destination for those throughout Fresno and beyond in search of unique cultural, entertainment and dining experiences.

The participants at the charrette were overwhelmingly white and weighted toward local property and business owners; the average age looked to be about 50. Conspicuously absent were youths and Latinos, two large and important resident/user groups in the Tower. Tower visitors from other neighborhoods were also missing. Those who attended are important, but they are already the most likely people to have their voices and preferences heard in this process, and they have a partial view of issues at stake in the streetscape. For example, there were probably relatively fewer public transportation users among the participants than some other Tower constituencies, an important point when it comes to redesigning bus stops and associated features like sidewalks and bike racks.

Tight format, short time
For each design drill, the participants had 15 minutes to work through complex issues, like recommending placement of street furniture and other features all across the Tower District business core. Each exercise time was followed by 30 minutes of often repetitive presentations from each table to the entire group. The design charrette had us wrestling with important and potentially highly creative design issues, but the format was too tight.
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Constrained approach to community participation
Finally, with the design alternatives meeting coming up Tuesday, we wonder how much of Saturday’s charrette can really be incorporated into the process. Again, we agree that Mark Steele and his colleagues (and by extension the city) are sincerely trying to listen. But it’s hard to believe that Steele and company didn’t already have some designs in mind or drawn up before the charrette. If not, then they would have to work day and night from Saturday afternoon till Tuesday night to synthesize ideas from a hundred participants and come up with some design alternative to present – and even then, this time frame is probably too tight. Surely they are working with the charrette data right now, but they also probably had some designs already laid on and ready for their return to Fresno Tuesday night. This raises the question: how much community input can really be incorporated when the goals, strengths, challenges and preliminary design work have all already been done before the community is consulted? (In fairness, Mark has said that the design alternatives they will present Tuesday night will not be very detailed; we’re sincerely curious about the firm’s process for analyzing charrette data and incorporating it into their designs.)

What We Would Do
In our experience, facilitating dozens of participatory design charrettes, as well as observation of other charrettes and research of best practices, here’s how a truly participatory design charrette might look:

Participant focus
At one point Saturday, Mark Steele said, “today we’re gonna make you into streetscape designers.” In other words, the experts were ready to teach us how to do something of what they do. But a community design event shouldn’t be about transferring knowledge about design practice from experts to community members. Instead, we start from the principle that everyone is a designer already, without expert help. In other words, we all have design ideas and practices related to our surroundings, including our streetscapes. A community design charrette should be aimed at unlocking the design insights we already have (or could have, in the right context), and making those insights available to professional designers. Professional designers apply their experience and expertise to produce the actual design, inspired by community input.

In practice, a participant focus means that you deemphasize the role of expert or facilitator. No long and potentially intimidating statements of who has what degree or affiliation or expertise; instead, you dive right into the participatory design exercises and maximize the time that the participants have at center stage.

Recruitment means diversity
If you open the event up to “concerned citizens and business owners,” you tend to get a self-selected group of the usual suspects, as we saw on Saturday. Instead, we recommend targeted recruitment among all user groups to ensure a diversity of participants in the design process. This of course takes more work upfront in recruiting and screening. The result is much more useful data that can more accurately influence the design process.

Loosen up the format, take your time
Getting true participation takes time and flexibility. We would have recommended a series of three participatory design charrettes, with smaller yet more diverse participants, and more creative exercises involving, perhaps, larger scale prototyping and methods drawn from theatre and the arts — this is after all the Tower! (Diego said that they considered a skit-making exercise but time constraints precluded it.) Participants could act out common Tower interactions with streetscape props. Examples we bounced around included: the bus stop, the sidewalk café, the tower rat hangout, bar hopping, Rogue, etc. This would give the designers data about our culture and spatial needs. Using audio and visual recording, can capture both the data and the process through which it was produced for later analysis.

Another method we thought would be useful is to have different tables focus on different areas of the project area. With twelve tables of participants at the event all focused on the same design drills never more focused than the entire project area, a lot of redundant results were produced. The area is easily broken into six overlapping parts. Each area is then worked on by two tables. This would get all of the project area equal focus. At Hank’s table and the three tables Kiel facilitated, we noticed input was light at the edges. Also at the 1”=30’ scale aerial photo that was the last of the design drills, it was hard to definitively place streetscape elements and furniture represented by stickers in our tool pallet that included: sidewalk cafes, potted plants, streetlights, handicap ramps, benches, bike racks, etc.

Some of these measures would increase costs at the event level. However, we have Fresno-area expertise to accomplish participatory design and planning work and the savings from keeping the work local would more than pay for the changes we suggest.

True participation
Let’s face it, whenever we create something, we become wedded to it: we want to defend it, sometimes not even consciously. From talking with Mark, and Diego, observing how the community was prompted, and the tight timeline, it seems much of the design is already in place. Community consultation should take place before any designer digs into a project or puts pencil to paper.

While we value and honor the expertise of MW Steele Group and the work done by the City of Fresno and the Tower community, this is our honest assessment of the design charrette process and how it could be improved upon. Please attend the next meeting Tuesday, July 28th 7-9pm at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theatre, where the design alternatives will be presented.

Related posts
Tower District Streetscape Plan
Q & A with Diego Velasco
Tower District Streetscape charrette video
Bored in Fresno? Become an Anthropologist
ArcHop Construction Proceeds

Dear Archop Nation,

I was intrigued by the recent ‘Theory Thursday’ post concerning the concept of authenticity. Below is my attempt to further the discussion.

The notion of authenticity has in it the idea of a pure, genuine original, a sort of Platonic ideal – ‘this is an authentic 1952 Tops Mickey Mantle Rookie card, all others are copies, replicas, or fakes’. A thing’s authenticity is a measure of its faithfulness to the original; and its value is measured by the degree to which it approximates the original. The authentic rookie baseball card is a far greater prize than the re-issued anniversary edition.

Applying this model of authenticity to the built environment sheds light on a notion of authenticity that enables us to assess the building’s value. If an exact replica of the Eiffel tower were erected today in Buenos Aires, it is doubtful that it would become the same symbol of national identity and pride for Argentinians that it has for Parisians.

If the London bridge was removed from its original location and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona –then it would be an abhorrent grafting that stripped a historic structure of any meaningful contextual significance.

Rootedness

What is clear from the above examples is that the measure of a building’s authenticity is inseparably wed to its time, its place, its people, its cultural milieu. It is not so much the degree of faithfulness to the original that matters, but, rather, the degree to which a building is faithful to the environment in which it exists. It is this notion of “rootedness” that provides us with a meaningful tool for assessing the value of authenticity for a built work.

Perhaps no living architect embodies this notion of “rootedness” better than the Australian architect Glenn Murcutt. When asked what idea he is most concerned with communicating to his students, Mercut replied:

They must think that every project they do is worthy of being. Their work has to speak about place, technology, climate, structure, materials. They must work honestly, with heart and mind, rather than structuring what is a visual delight alone. Their work has to have roots. I think what we admire
most about architecture of all periods is rootedness, authenticity. We recognize authenticity, and we recognize the five-minute flash. The authentic lives on; the flash quickly dies.

Almost all of Mercutt’s work has been done in his native geographic region. He does not have a single high rise, flashy concert hall or show piece museum on his resume, yet he has received the two highest professional honors that can be bestowed upon an architect – the AIA Gold Medal and the Pritzker Prize. What he has left is a trail of thoughtful, progressive, sustainable ‘gifts’ to his clients and fellow Australians. I offer his Marie Short House, built in Kempsey in 1975, as a model of an authentic building rooted in its environment. A May 2007 New York Times article entitled “The Native Builder” features the building.

Our challenge as designers will be two-fold. First, we must study, comprehend and recognize what is unique to our culture, our area, our people. Second, we must share and celebrate these findings in the public forum that is our local built environment. Beauty will have no choice but to follow; and we will all have reason to smile. I will be listening with open eyes and mind.

Humbly,

Michael Pinheiro