Call to Action: “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again”?

It was 8:49 on Tuesday evening when an email notification came across my phone. I was watching a movie but decided I’d see what the email had to say. It was from a colleague regarding an article in the Architectural Record. The article by Cathleen McGuigan (editor-in-chief of Architectural Record) was about a preliminary draft of an executive order rewriting the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture (a document written by the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and issued in 1962 that mandates Federal architecture standards). According to Architectural Record, the new Guiding Principles will be rewritten and will be called “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.”

A Debt to LEGO

When CNN (or any other mainstream news agency) shares something about architecture, I’m always interested. This was an nice “fluffy” find this weekend: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/lego-architecture-design/index.html I’m one of those architects who owe a debt to LEGO for sparking and fostering a curiosity about the built environment from an early age. This sentiment is fairly pervasive in …

Building Innovative Partnerships for Projects in Rural Areas, Part 2: Yes! House

Miranda Moen Due to its length, this article has been formatted into a two-part series. Begin reading Building Innovative Partnerships for Projects in Rural Areas, Part 1: Spring Grove Heritage House. Secondly, because of its unique partnership and mission, I want to share the Yes! House project I am undertaking at the moment in Granite …

Building Innovative Partnerships for Projects in Rural Areas, Part 1: Spring Grove Heritage House

Miranda Moen Growing up in rural southeast Minnesota, I never knew I wanted to become an architect until I was introduced to the idea by a school counselor in high school. In my mind, as an architect I could connect the two things I love most in life – my fascination with people and an …

Scale

Eirik Heikes, PLA / President of TerraSite Design I visited the Nelson Adkins Museum of Art in Kansas City this spring.  A most impressive collection populated the facility, and the architecture was well executed.  Light permeated the structure in areas where it should and it allowed for movement of masses of visitors in comfortable proximity …

Preserving South Dakota- properties added to the National Register of Historic Places

Liz Almlie, South Dakota Historic Preservation Office A number of National Register of Historic Places nominations from South Dakota were recently approved by the National Park Service and represent a wide variety of architectural and building traditions.  The following information is taken from their National Register nominations. The two more formal buildings were the First …