| Working out of the Box is a series of features presenting architects who have applied their architecture backgrounds to alternative career paths. Are you an architect working out of the box? Do you know of someone that has changed careers and has an interesting story to share? If you would like to suggest an (ex-)architect, please send us a message. Archinect: Where did you study architecture? Elisa Orlanski Ours: As lame as it sounds, dont we as designers make an effort to study architecture everyday? On the job site, in studios, and especially in spaces we occupy. But back to the question, I studied architecture at Barnard College (1994-1998) and received my M. Arch. from Columbia (1998-2001) / ETH in Zurich (2000). While my direct academic focus was urban design, I honed my interest in architecture through explorations in computer science, finance, physics and teaching. Nadia Meratla: I completed undergraduate and graduate studies in architecture at McGill University (M. Arch. 2001), a very enriching experience. I also taught design studio at McGill upon graduation which afforded me the opportunity to straddle theory and practice. Will Tims: I studied architecture at the University of Virginia (1993-1997) and earned my M. Arch. at Yale (2000-2003). Both were a great fit for me Virginia for its focus on the fundamentals of modern design and for the rigor it demanded, and Yale for forcing me to think beyond what I already knew, or thought I knew. The program at Yale encourages such a dynamic and eclectic range of thought everything is on the table, and the spirit of the collaborative studio lives on very strongly there. Elisa: The three of us are very involved in giving back to our own academic communities. We feel that it is important to offer guidance to recent grads by helping them network and learn how to market themselves.
↑ Click image to enlarge At what point in your life did you decide to pursue architecture? Nadia: I grew up in transition between the US, UK and Canada and had the good fortune to travel extensively and be inspired by great design and horrified by bad design. Architecture mediated well the classic art-science duel. Will: I was drawing house plans since 6th grade and my parents encouraged me by pointing out interesting buildings and details on our family road trips across the country. During the summer before my senior year in high school, I spent four weeks at an Introduction to Architecture program at UVa and really loved it and the school. Jeffersons campus alone could inspire one to study architecture. After this experience, I committed to pursuing this path in college. Elisa: My earliest memories involve building Lego houses for my dolls and Lego cities for my brothers cars. My father fostered this interest in buildings by exposing me to the multiple scales of architecture and dynamic systems through travel, meteorology and cooking. Growing up in both the quiet enclave of Princeton and the stimulation of Buenos Aires raised intriguing questions on urbanism that I find myself answering today. It is interesting to see the cycle repeat itself in my nephew now when I see him navigate through the Lego Factory on the computer.
↑ Click image to enlarge When did you decide to stop pursuing architecture? Why? Will: First off, I dont think Ive stopped, I just think that I pursue it from a different angle now. A couple of years out of Yale I became frustrated with the slowness of the profession in terms of success and advancement. I had also spent my time either working in small firms or for myself, on smaller high-end residential projects, and was longing for something that was larger, more complex and urban in its influence. I took a year and did the Masters of Science in Real Estate Development program at Columbia. Right around graduation, in October 2006, I came to work in Predevelopment for Corcoran Sunshine. Nadia: Likewise, I consider myself still pursuing architecture however from a real estate perspective. In traditional practice I was greatly intrigued by feasibility analyses that informed development and also the delightful complexities of program, conflicting priorities and the multitude of objectives that were influenced and essentially governed by an intricate balance of both design and real estate. The conceptual stage, massaging of program and critical evaluation of a developments potential from a design perspective has always had a particular allure. Ultimately, marketing and programmatic innovation are not distinct but rather inherent to architecture. Elisa: Stopped? Come on, were just getting started. Throughout Columbia, I tried to always alternate between practice and theory in my apprenticeships and combine the two in my studios and seminars. When I graduated from my seven years there and worked for firms like Wendy Joseph and Peter Eisenman, I might as well have been voted least likely to depart from parametric designs and urban theory. With that, I became a Project Manager for RDRice Construction, a boutique New York City construction company, for almost four years building residences designed by 1100 Architects, Steven Harris, Jacques Grange and BKSK. There I learned the craft of detailing from the installers themselves, demands of New York-centric clientele, and that every line on a drawing has an impact to the schedule and budget. After building six highly detailed residences, from a 16,000SF modernist townhouse gut renovation to installing a priceless Giacometti mantle, it was time to leave and finally try to combine the art of building with my urban theories. That is when I came to Corcoran Sunshine.
↑ Click image to enlarge Describe your current profession. Elisa: PreDEVELOPMENT describes the phase of a development property beginning with site acquisition through the initiation of construction. That is the short and idealized answer; however the best way to describe the duration of our involvement is from feasibility studies to punchlists or in other terms from the cradle to the grave. CS is the only marketing and sales organization with a full service product planning studio led by trained architects/planners. With our diverse backgrounds, my esteemed colleagues (including Matt Goodwin, Leeana Khalique and Sarah Hardy) and I redefined the scope of the marketing consultant by providing a design / construction / urbanism perspective. Our strategic services are informed by sales feedback and market intelligence that shape the end product and ensure that the offering meets the buyers expectations. While not the designers of the buildings, we are instead the multi-scale design programmers for master plans down to bathroom fixtures, and often punch-list watchdogs. Positioned as a boutique studio with the resources of a corporation, Corcoran Sunshines multiple departments collaborate to customize our approach and recommendations for every site with the benefit of deep market knowledge. Predevelopment consults to assist developers, designers, financers, value representatives, contractors and ancillary consultants through the development process for new construction, conversions, condominiums, rentals, hotel-branded properties, master plans, resort destinations and the unfortunate latest product type, bank workouts.
↑ Click image to enlarge Will: Similar to the shifting forces of the real estate market and the economy at large, we are able to tailor the scope of our services to the needs of our developers in a very fluid way. While Corcoran Sunshine is primarily a marketing and sales company, we are increasingly able to provide the sort of strategic and product-specific consulting on a variety of projects regardless of their phase and whether or not we sell the real estate. This targeted approach, whether meant to add-value, speed absorption, reposition an offering, or facilitate a sale through a quick re-design, provides developers and their design teams with the sort of facile expertise so necessary in todays challenging environment. Nadia: Predevelopment expertise substantiated by market research assists both developers and design consultants in order to strategically position a development as a premium competitive product. Predevelopment frequently serves as a referral matchmaker between the design and development communities. Our expertise is actively cultivated by innovative design research, attendance of international design shows, internal seminars, design publications, and a critical review of developments on the market and in the pipeline. Elisa: CS has been at the dynamic forefront of high-design developments, collaborating with renowned architects and designers such as Alan Wanzenberg, Annabelle Selldorf, Asymptote, Bernard Tschumi, Cesar Pelli, David Chipperfield, Frank Gehry, Gwathmey Siegel, Herzog de Meuron, Incorporated Architecture & Design, Jacques Grange, Jean Nouvel, John Pawson, Legorreta + Legorreta, Piero Lissoni, Philip Johnson, Philippe Starck, Polshek Partnership, Richard Meier, Rockwell Group, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Shigeru Ban, Steven Learner, Tsao & McKown, UN Studio and Zaha Hadid, among many others. Any trends or emerging designers Archinect readers would like to recommend are welcome. Pease email pd@corcoransunshine.com.
↑ Click image to enlarge What skills did you gain from architecture school, or working in the architecture industry, that have contributed to your success in your current career? Will: Architecture school taught me to think critically, to push myself to try new things and take a chance, even if it was uncomfortable. It is an amazing course of study that involves so many varied disciplines and lines of thought, from art and engineering to psychology and science I dont think there is another path that includes so many interesting and related fields. Much time working for Steven Harris Architects, Ryall Porter Architects, and then for myself was spent trying to find solutions to residential design problemsNew Yorkers want it all and there is rarely enough room! This experience enabled me to understand the wants and needs of a primarily luxury clientele, and to thus provide recommendations that result in elegant yet functional living spaces in exceptionally designed buildings that feature unparalleled lifestyle offerings.
↑ Click image to enlarge Nadia: Architecture school nurtured inspired collaboration and an innovative and experimental creativity. It further nourished a persuasion toward minimalism. Upon graduation, working at Saia Barbarese Topouzanov in Montreal, I was afforded the exposure to exquisite design principles and a unique collaborative spirit and creative milieu. At Gluckman Mayner Architects in New York I was inspired by a culture of design finesse and rigorous standards. Here my curiosity for real estate was stimulated by strategic feasibility analyses for New York development bids, residential acquisitions and working on Olive 8, a luxury residential hotel complex in Seattle. My pursuit of architectural journalism has also afforded me an exploration of innovations and opportunity to expose younger firms. Elisa: I always knew I wouldnt fit into the traditional role of an architect, designer, developer, builder, teacher or planner. In a way, I had to create a career that didnt exist to combine my design/marketing accomplishments at architecture studios, my management/ negotiating skills from construction, my passion for dynamic modeling and curiosity in parametric designs. The biggest challenge and greatest success of my role in starting this department at Corcoran Sunshine has been to strategically collaborate with brilliant teams to innovate truly exceptional architecture. |
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Working out of the Box: Corcoran Sunshine
"Norman Foster must keep hands off Mecca"
| Sami Angawi, an expert Saudi architect, said he was surprised and upset to learn of confidential plans, leaked last week, in which the holiest Islamic city would be redesigned by outsiders. Times |
Orange blob to hide pump house
| The winner in an architectural contest to remake a sewage pump house in downtown Miami is a proposal to cap it with a web of rubber tentacles reminiscent of a writhing sea creature.story @ Miami Herald | projects @ flickr |
Obama's Weekly Address: Upgrading and Adding Buildings
| Obama is increasingly talking about upgrading and adding to the Government's building stock. One can only hope that as this plan is developed they include innovative designers from all fields in this ambitious plan. Then again, maybe we can demand it. |
Monday, December 8, 2008
New York Magazine's The Year in Architecture
The annual year end list madness begins. Interestingly, this list includes proposed but unbuilt designs, restorations, bike racks and civic infrastructure. The Top Ten Designs |
Friday, December 5, 2008
Rebuilding America
Barack Obama has promised massive public spending and millions of new jobs on projects building and rebuilding roads and bridges, transit and energy systems the world that undergirds our economy and daily lives. But exactly what kind of infrastructure? Patching up the old 20th-century? Or rolling out the 21st? Brown? Or green? On Point (listen) |
Thursday, December 4, 2008
MVRDV Wins with Green Hills in South Korea
| The Daewoo Consortium and the municipality of Gwanggyo announced the MVRDV concept design for a dense city centre winner of the developers competition for the future new town of Gwanggyo, located 35km south of the Korean capital Seoul. The plan consists of a series of overgrown hill shaped buildings with high programmatic diversity, aiming for high urban density and encouragement of further developments around this so-called Power Centre, one of the envisioned two centres of the future new town. Bustler |
Bringing Brutal Back
| Can restoring Paul Rudolph's signature building rescue the architect's reputation as well? Slate |
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Working out of the Box: Audra DiSimone
| Working out of the Box is a series of features presenting architects who have applied their architecture backgrounds to alternative career paths. Are you an architect working out of the box? Do you know of someone that has changed careers and has an interesting story to share? If you would like to suggest an (ex-)architect, please send us a message. Archinect: Where did you study architecture? Audra DiSimone: Academically, I started at the University of Washington with Frank Ching as my first professor. That was a very classical architectural education rooted in fundamental tenets, with a modernist bent. I went to the other end of the dial in graduate school, beginning at SCI-Arcs program in Vico Morcote, Switzerland. Amazing. Lebbeus Woods was there at the time, and we explored some left-field material; an important counterpoint to the basics, but equally rigorous. The experience broadened my mind and way of thinking about not only the built landscape; but how to see, question, postulate. It was a good segue to Columbia University (Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation), where I obtained my Master of Architecture. Tschumi was Dean at the time; the faculty was incredible; the caliber of students was unrivaled. I felt utterly fortunate. Its impossible to summarize the richness of that education. My biggest take-away has been the ability to think critically. Thats broad; but I mean it in a very profound and very valid sense. I apply it daily. Architecture is a life-long educational pursuit. It doesnt begin and end in academia.
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↑ Click image to enlarge At what point in your life did you decide to pursue architecture? Well, thats tough to say. My Father was an Architect, practicing out of our home. My Mother was a painter and loomed textiles. I grew up in a modernist house, full of the same modernist furniture that inhabits my home today. At age 3, Noguchi and Mies were part of my vocabulary. It was a pretty unobstructed path into pursuing architecture as a career; I was interning in the profession before I could touch it academically.
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↑ Click image to enlarge When did you decide to stop pursuing architecture? Why? Because at some point, I realized that I had never stopped to question it. I felt unsatiated, unconvinced that the hyper-focused minutia that I concerned myself with daily mattered to anyone but me. Its an incredibly venerable and rewarding profession; I needed to explore other avenues where I could apply my creative mind, while not feeling weighted by the production of architecture. Theres a little Richard Florida speak in this: were no longer a society of production; weve shifted to intellectual output.
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↑ Click image to enlarge Describe your current profession. Presently, I'm Director of Design with Starwood Hotels and Resorts for Le Meridien brand. Le Meridien was acquired by Starwood in late 2005; in the past few years, I've been involved with the repositioning and re-launch of the brand. As a Design Director, I guide development of brand initiatives (everything from concepts to product) and oversee implementation of the initiatives in our hotels. The repositioning process began as an intense R&D exercise, looking at anything and everything in the evolving hospitality arena. Development and refinement of our distilled positioning has been an ongoing exercise in experience engineering -- constantly driving a visual language to build the brand.
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↑ Click image to enlarge What skills did you gain from architecture school, or working in the architecture industry, that have contributed to your success in your current career? Again, its that critical thinking piece. Develop a brand thats a colossal challenge; particularly given the current hospitality climate. The bar is high. Differentiation is key, and that involves everything that the guest (or client) sees, touches, experiences. Its the visual environment, its the sound landscape, its the olfactory impression. Its also the positioning in the market, the target population, the communication scheme. We think about and play with all of it. Most lay people think of Architects and our education in the technical sense. Thats one aspect of a highly-complex, very nimble occupation. Were thinkers, creators, developers, visionaries, engineers, builders, ideators, strategists, educators
↑ Click image to enlarge Do you have an interest in returning to architecture? Im not practicing in the conventional sense; but I deal with aspects of the profession every day. When I started down the path of what I do now; I didnt miss drawing waterproofing details. There is joy in practicing architecture in that way. For now, I enjoy my alternate choice, and thats pretty important for any of us. |
Yale Modernism Redux
Major works of post-WWII modernism at Yale have recently undergone or are undergoing major renovation efforts, making a visit to New Haven a unique opportunity to experience these masterpieces in their ideal states of existence. But can this impressive effort to resurrect at Yale inspire similar appreciation for other valuable but aging works of modernism in cities elsewhere? Check out this blog for the article and photos. |