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.

The Business Journal has been contacting me allot lately for information about architecture in the San Joaquin Valley. Most of this interaction has happened because of Twitter. I think this is fantastic. One of archop’s goals has been to get architecture more regularly and accurately feature in local media. The Business Journal is setting the bar.

Most recently, Gabriel Dillard contacted me to request my employer’s participation on an Executive Roundtable focused on architecture. I diligently passed on the questionnaire to Russ Taylor AIA, partner and architect at the Taylor Teter Partnership. I also passed the questionnaire off to the board members of AIA San Joaquin.

After transcribing Russ’s responses, I put my fingers to the keys to put down some of my thoughts on the questions from an archop perspective. While I’m not a licensed architect or an executive, I fired it off to Gabriel. Below are my responses to his questions.

1. Please tell us a little about your firm.

archop is a project of the American Institute of Architects: San Joaquin Chapter. It was launched in October of 2007 as a response to the need for an improved built environment in Fresno and the greater San Joaquin Valley. The program emphasizes the importance of quality architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning by: showcasing gallery exhibitions; designing and building full scale installations; holding panel discussions on relevant architectural topics; and organizing public workshops for outreach, educational and research purposes.

2. How has the economic downturn affected business?

As a not for profit effort aimed at improving our built environment we find ourselves surrounded problems that need solutions, public art, homelessness, inner city park space. We have been able to tackle these problems with a budget under $5,000 per year. Financial donations have become increasingly rare. Our response to that is to identify scrap or surplus building materials and utilize those in our installations. Substantial contributors include: Western Building Materials, Patton Air Conditioning, Better Flooring, CBC Lighting, Shipman Fabrication, Trinity Construction, and White Pine Lumber. Economic issues have also increased our volunteer base.

3. What advice would you give business owners trying to find the right architect for their project?

While experience, referrals, and past performance should remain architect selection tools, I’d add web content is an interesting litmus test. Our world is increasingly digital and that will not change. An architecture firm with well designed web site (functionally and aesthetically) and developed web communication tools, understands the ways this technology has changed today’s economy.

4. What are the current trends in architectural design in this area, and what can we expect in the future?

I see two current trends in the region. The first is rampant in our city. That is what I call artificially flavored architecture. It is the use of branded styles that are only skin deep. Examples are Tuscan and Italianate which hardly resemble their European counterparts and achieve their look with veneers and foam details. They are popular simply because of marketing and pop culture.

A trend that gives me hope is the acceptance of sustainable design strategies into the mainstream market place. I want this to develop further and a new local vernacular will emerge that embraces our climate and locally available materials.

5. What kinds of clients are you serving these days?

We do not serve clients in the traditional fashion. In this sense my inspiration comes from my former employer Public Architecture. We treat the entire public as our clients. It is our responsibility to engage and educate the public so that they can recognize good and bad design in their daily lives and call upon political leaders, developers, and architects to provide a quality and healthy built environment for our city and region.

We are also pursuing design workshop projects with the Institute of Public Anthropology (1, 2) and research grant partnerships.

6. What kinds of projects are you designing these days?

To date archop has held 7 exhibits, 5 panel discussions, 4 public workshops, and built 2 installations. The current installation is the redevelopment on an underused park in central Fresno underneath a freeway overpass. The park will demonstrate successful planning strategies to invigorate the park and low water low maintenance landscape to ensure long term sustainability.

If you are involved in architecture feel free to answer any of the above questions in the comments. All others comment on what you’ve read here if so inspired.

Fresno to Welcome The Fultonia Live/Work Village

Fresno, CA – Nestled in an area between downtown Fresno and the Tower District will be The Fultonia Live/Work Village, a mixed-use development that offers 39 units of quality, moderately-priced housing and 10 commercial spaces.

Project design and information

Those who don’t wish to pay substantial sums of money for premium housing may find a home at The Fultonia Live/Work Village. The redevelopment, in an area that is being proposed as the SOTOW District, or South of Tower, also gives professionals and entrepreneurs the chance to invest in live/work units to reduce travel to and from work.

Developer TFS Investments, LLC, is about to begin construction on the project, at the site of what originally was a 39-unit low-income apartment complex along with 10 retail/office spaces located along Fulton Street that has fallen into disrepair. The goal is to take that same property and redevelop it entirely, and breathe new life into it as well as encourage the rest of the blighted neighborhood to make improvements as well.

“For the Fultonia project, providing quality, affordable housing is our number one focus,” said Terance Frazier, owner of TFS Investments. “At TFS Investments, we are doing the right thing and developing a bustling community where there wasn’t one before.”

Project manager is Tyco General, Inc., which has experience in managing numerous types of commercial construction projects.

The finished results will be a bright, colorful complex of buildings, complete with palm trees, banners and apartment balconies. The storefronts will house such businesses as retail shops, offices and small restaurants, and a large central courtyard plaza will be a place to gather and enjoy sunny days.

“Terance and TFS Investments has a bold vision for affordable housing that will not only help families who need assistance, but will provide investment and energy in

communities that need it most,” said Preston Prince, executive director of the Housing Authorities of the City and County of Fresno.

TFS Investments owner Terance Frazier, Fresno City Council President Cynthia Sterling, and Executive Director of the Housing Authorities of the City and County of Fresno Preston Prince, will take part in a press conference this Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the site, located at 532-614 Fulton St. in Fresno, 93721, to kick off construction on the project.

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TFS Investments, LLC is one of central California’s leading real estate investment firms. TFS Investments is also known as an experienced commercial and residential real estate developer. Some of the company’s current projects include a twenty acre development in Pflugerville, Texas, the development of 120 acres in southeast Fresno and a nine acre development in central Fresno.

Tyco General, Inc. is a full service Design/Build general contracting firm and has been serving California since 1998. It has been involved in many types of commercial construction projects.

I’m going to assume that we all agree that affordable housing is necessary. We can also agree that there is a sever lack of affordable housing in Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley. I could continue studies that demonstrate that we have the highest concentrated poverty in the nation or the lowest on the development index. But I’ll assume that you are already familiar with our region’s issues.

With that clear, I’d like to focus on what architecture’s role is in affordable housing. I’ve long believed that quality designed housing has a huge impact on the health and success of it’s inhabitants. We can see from the poorly designed “projects” of the past the concentrating people in substandard housing solves the shelter issue but creates even more issues of segregation, crime, and poor health.

I believe that the architectural profession should be taking a stronger stance locally and saying “We need to solve these problems and we need to solve them right”

Check back shortly for some examples.

My question to you is: other than pure affordability, what are about the design of housing do you feel would help you have a more healthy, efficient, and sustainable lifestyle?

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