Great Spaces, Great Places
(This series was intended to highlight the new construction, renovation and upgrades to the state universities in South Dakota. Content was submitted by the architects of the projects or by the universities.) (Content and images submitted by Clark Enersen Partners) The Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL) is located on the north side of …
As member Architects or members of the general public, it’s understandable to question “what are my dues paying for?” and “what does the AIA do for us, anyway?” There are detailed responses to those questions, of course, but right now it’s easiest to just present some tangible evidence of the value of this organization. In …
Continue reading “The AIA is leading the built-environment response to the pandemic.”
Discussions about how to battle future pandemics through better buildings are becoming commonplace, and the goal of improved interior environments is one aspect that dovetails with sustainability issues championed by the AIA Committee on the Environment. Architects continue to raise the bar on performance, design and flexibility. This ongoing dedication to improving the built environment …
April 15, 2019. The iconic Notre Dame cathedral took a devastating blow as a fire broke out internally and the roof partially collapsed as a result. How could such a history be rebuilt to its former state? Well, by looking at the building in its former state! Not by photographs or detailed drawings, but a digital environment. A detailed 3D scan of the cathedral was taken years prior and has been helping with the restoration process by looking at the possibilities while keeping its quiddity.
Nearly four months ago I concluded my architectural internship at Tesla: a time I consider an absolute pleasure and a great start to my professional career. I want to note that I did not seek out this internship as a car enthusiast, but due to my interest in the role that vehicles take in shaping the fabric of the urban design. In a holistic sense, I do not view Tesla as an automotive company, but rather a clean energy company that aims to change the world using sustainable sources. Nevertheless, they do have arguably one of the greatest cars on the market as one of their lines of product.
In a profession that has multiple answers for every problem, having a means to use analytical data in your design almost seems like a cheat code to success. Film has benefited from the same the concept that this idea rests so firmly on; human curiosity. My interest in how our environment influences our attentiveness turned me towards videography. What if your environment is a screen in front of you? Publishing websites like YouTube and Vimeo both have integrated analytics that break down things like “average user watch time” and “retention rate.” While these terms seem outlandish when put into juxtaposition with the design of our built environment, they are used in the same way serial vision is implemented in architecture. Every videographer’s goal is to create something that holds the viewers’ attention through the ending. Most of us know what it’s like to watch the first 30 seconds of a video only to stop watching because it didn’t interest us.
The last AIA Convention’s theme was rural resiliency. At that time, we didn’t know the challenges we have faced the last month or so. I keep coming back to the idea though. I have hope that our state will bounce back. Midwesterners are known for their toughness and ability to weather the storms: their resiliency. This year’s spring meeting was evidence of that attitude. The plan was to hold the meeting in Brookings hosted by SDSU’s chapter of AIAS. The students had put time and thought into an informative agenda. Social distancing changed plans.
While the silver lining in no way relieves the pain and suffering of those directly and indirectly affected by this global pandemic, it does pose some questions of what this means for the 9-5 desk jobs. Will we see another paradigm shift in office designs? Will home buyers evaluate prospective homes based on the office or den? Will South Dakota see a return to rural lifestyles as living in the city is no longer a requirement to stay connected? The future holds many unknowns, but if anything is certain, it is that life will go on. We will pick up the pieces and learn from the events that necessitated a sudden separation.
While the groundhog gave us hope that Spring will come early this year, I found myself struggling with a lack of motivation lately; in part, because of the season. In South Dakota, we’ve grown accustomed to bearing cold dark winters and short days. It’s not just you: twenty percent of Americans experience either the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). That being said, we are not forced to submit to the elements and anxiously wait for warmer temps and brighter days to come. There are strategies to combat SAD, and we can incorporate technologies into the spaces we retreat to in the winter.
My initial plan for today didn’t come together, so a quick, shareable, fluffy video post is on tap instead; One of my favorite designers, illustrates how, at the core, an architect’s skill set is valuable outside of the regular realm of professional practice – in this instance specifically, in regards to “systems” thinking at a …