Growing up, my dad was a residential general contractor. I started working with him at a young age, just as a gopher fetching tools he needed. As I got older, I was able to do more and more to the point where I was one of his hired hands (and the only female I might…
With rapid population growth developers, designers, contractors, and finance are at work to provide adequate housing supply. Housing is required to facilitate the recruitment and retention of the influx of the workforce. Yes, housing is in high demand. Yes, we need to accommodate the influx. But – are we planning for the long-term impact…
In collaboration with Beyond the Built Environment and Pascale Sablan, FAIA, a local collection of South Dakota design professionals across the built environment are excited to announce submissions are now LIVE for this fall’s SAY IT LOUD: South Dakota exhibit, an exhibition elevating the contributions of women and diverse architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects,…
May is National Preservation Month, and Blueprint: SD will be highlighting relevant stories from the state, region and across the country to highlight some of the great work taking place in the field of architectural preservation and rehabilition. To begin this month’s focus, we’ve assembled a great list of resources to explore- for education, advocacy…
Cover image: A high performance building in hot and arid climate High-performance building is a design approach that aims to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of buildings while also improving the comfort and well-being of occupants. This approach involves the integration of advanced technologies, sustainable materials, and passive design strategies that work together…
Are you aware that Mattel’s Barbie® I Can Be™ series came out with Architect Barbie? The doll came with a drawing tube, a model of the Dream House, and hardhat in 2011. She was accessorized with a pink bangle bracelet and black framed glasses. She wore black booties and an A-line dress complete with the silhouette of a skyline at the hem. What can’t Barbie do? Throughout history we find many women defined what it means to be female and an Architect.
The gratefulness and thankfulness that is supposed to accompany this season is somewhat at odds with a culture that preaches one to be “proud” of one’s accomplishments or to take “pride” in their work. How often do we hear hear someone tell us to be “proud” of this or that, or even parents telling their…
While still not really a common request by clients in our state and region, design competitions are nonetheless become more prevalent. In recent years, some competitions have been more controversial than others, with such controversy focusing more or less on how they compensate (or rather, didn’t compensate) those competing. With that said, I will cover…
Full admission, the title of this post is stolen from the title of a book I just finished reading a few months ago, written by John-Mark Miravalle. While it detailed aspects of beauty from the traditional fine arts, it also was broad enough to cover the literary and culinary arts, and even touched on the…
How a global pandemic changed the Sioux Falls Arts Council The warm days of summer have all but disappeared, kids are back in school, and we are all finding our new strides in a post pandemic world. It is hard to look back at the last three years and remember “what we were doing in…