Enjoy a fun take on a traditional Christmas song! Happy Holidays!
12 Days of Christmas (the Architect’s Edition)
The Virtue of Hard Work in Design
My first job, at the tender age of 14, was working at Hy-Vee as a bagger. One of my (many, so many) bosses there loved to say “Work smarter, not harder.” I remember him reminding me of this once as I was attempting to move a display from one area of the store to another, …
Saintly Architecture
I brought donuts to work this morning. I’m not supposed to because COVID, but that just means I’ll eat them all myself. I’m celebrating, because it is one of my favorite days, as someone who loves obscure and esoteric things. It the feast day of St. Bernward of Hildesheim, a more obscure patron of architects …
The Power of Narrative in Design
Prevalent in several university architecture programs these days is an emphasis on the “narrative” in design. No, this doesn’t mean the technical narrative a mechanical engineer puts together (as enticing as engineering narratives might be). I’m talking about approaching design per the definition of a narrative, that is thinking of a building or project as …
November Scavenger Hunt
Now for something completely different! We have some iconic buildings, be them good or bad, scattered throughout our State. To feature some of these buildings, I created a scavenger hunt with the assistance of some colleagues. The images below feature details/close-ups from some buildings with iconic or perhaps “unique” detailing or style. Take a look …
Art of Construction Documents
Many designers are capable of truly artful approaches to their design work. Often times this is to gain buy-in from clients, to win competitions, and to inspire communities regarding future development in their neighborhoods. However, an artful approach can also be important regarding the more technical side of architecture – construction documents. In bygone eras …
SDSU DoArch’s PH01:BRK featured in ARCHITECT Magazine
In case you haven’t seen it yet in your monthly issue of ARCHITECT magazine (which all AIA members should receive), make sure you check out some of the project features – one may be a bit more recognizable than the others, as it comes straight out of Brookings. SDSU’s first Passive House studio project has …
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Harmonizing – Designing with Music in Mind (Part II)
Practical considerations for designing performance spaces, from a performer, designer, and consumer; Part II On Monday’s post, we covered some basic visual aspects of music performance spaces design. However, the key purpose of these spaces is for hearing, and for that an understanding of architectural acoustics is warranted. When it comes to acoustics, we are …
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Harmonizing – Designing With Music in Mind
Practical considerations for designing performance spaces, from a performer, designer, and consumer; Part 1 Before reading, take a quick break and enjoy some music “He watching over Israel” Mendelssohn, Elijah Op. 70 Just a month ago I had the privilege of being able to hear a live choir at the 11 a.m. Mass at St. …
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The Art of Photography
It’s probably safe to say that we all know what Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” looks like. More often than not, though, it’s because you remember seeing a photograph of her. But how many of you have witnessed her in real life? I was fortunate enough to see her in person during my senior year …