JANUARY 20TH, 2012
By BUILD LLC
We recently interviewed Will Bruder for the spring issue of Arcade Magazine. In addition to being a master architect, Bruder is acutely insightful and the discussion was full of wisdom that you’ll be able to read all about in the next issue of Arcade. In speaking about academics and the learning process of an architect, Bruder said something that really hit home. Here’s a teaser:
BUILD: As a self-trained architect and a teacher, you bring a fresh perspective to the nature of academics; are architecture schools preparing students to be good architects?
Will Bruder: It’s challenging to teach architecture in such a way that students capture the spirit of understanding. We’re so fascinated with the machine and the software that it’s often at the expense of the intellectual tools. Once you’re in line at the laser-cutter, so much of the design is already lost.
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JANUARY 13TH, 2012
By BUILD LLC
Recently, we found ourselves in one of those situations. All of the sudden, we started noticing references to the same thing or the same person popping up in a variety of different social circles. It was one of those when-it-rains-it-pours scenarios. In this case we noticed it with a handful of wiser, well-experienced architects. And again with some younger cutting edge architects. And on blogs. And then it came up at dinner parties. It was undeniable: All roads were suddenly leading to Sigurd Lewerentz. Though we had briefly brushed up on this architect back in college, we never really sunk our teeth into his portfolio of work. So we decided to take seriously the signs pointing in Lewerentz’s direction and started to do some homework on his projects. Based on our discoveries, we think you’d enjoy reviewing his work as well, so enjoy, and let us know of anything significant we missed.
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DECEMBER 30TH, 2011
By BUILD LLC
More and more, we’re being asked to lecture about our design-build work, office culture and social media strategies. And while we’re no experts at lecturing, we’re really starting to enjoy it. Giving a presentation on what you love doing for a living is a ton of fun and it’s always an honor to receive invites from the organizations and institutions that host us.
In any lecture (architecture or otherwise), there are careful decisions to be made: which slides to choose and how many, what direction the narrative thread should follow, what thoughts you leave the audience with, the level of interaction in the room, and so forth. The number of dials you need to keep your hands on can be overwhelming, and a good lecture balances all of these variables with one another.
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DECEMBER 13TH, 2011
By BUILD LLC
A couple of weeks ago we met up with master structural engineer, long-time mentor and good friend Gary Swenson. Both partners here at BUILD had the privilege of working for Gary at Swenson Say Fagét and we’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for him. As far as we’re concerned, he invented structural engineering in the Pacific Northwest (private caveat to our many good S.E. friends out there- we love you too, we do, but this is the Man’s moment). He recently announced his retirement after 50 years of engineering; we caught up with Gary and his lovely wife Becky over dinner and drinks. Here’s a few things you should know about this hero of ours.
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NOVEMBER 18TH, 2011
By BUILD LLC
We recently finished reading the biography of Apple’s visionary leader, Steve Jobs; a hefty 600 page tome authored by Walter Isaacson and released this last October. Whether you regard Jobs as a savoir or the devil, it’s hard to refute the momentum and influence that Apple wields in the design world. The biography is heavy on design and the list of resources mentioned throughout the book really got our gears spinning. Some of the names are familiar, some of them are new to us; some are significant individuals, others are synergistic companies. All of them are important and we’ve selected our top designers to study up on and present for today’s post. If you’re design conscious, this is a good primer on a handful of designers and designs that influenced the aesthetic direction of the most valuable brand in the world.
Raymond Loewy French (1893-1986)
Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Fashion, Architecture, Furniture, Transportation
[Image Credit: raymondloewy.org]
First and foremost we apply our creativity to generating ideas.
Pencil Sharpener 1933. [Image Credit: raymondloewy.org]
Logo Sheet [Image Credit: raymondloewy.org]
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JANUARY 20TH, 2011
By BUILD LLC
[Photo by Eckert & Eckert]
Part two of our Gordon Walker series focuses on some of his large-scale projects. It’s been a real pleasure sorting through the Walker archives and several noteworthy characteristics stand out to us.
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JANUARY 15TH, 2011
By BUILD LLC
Whether you’re from the Pacific Northwest or not, you should be familiar with the work of Gordon Walker. His knowledge of design and construction is exceptional, he’s pushed the envelope of architecture for decades, and he’s been instrumental in establishing a modern aesthetic here in the Northwest. Gordon has been practicing architecture in Seattle since 1962 – he has worked for Ralph Anderson, has co-founded Olson Walker Architects, and was a principal at NBBJ. He founded Walker Architects in 1992 and is currently a consulting principal at Mithun. He may very well be the wisest architect in town and he’s got our full respect.
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OCTOBER 6TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Running a design-build firm, we’re always interested in new business models that allow for more possibilities in how a company is managed and how architecture is developed. We’ve kept an eye on several individuals over the years because they’ve brought a different philosophy to the table. The strategies developed from these alternative philosophies allow them to bend and sometimes even break the rules. Keep in mind, these aren’t just different ways to design –they are revolutionary ways to rework the business of design, they are changing the nature of how we work. Here are 5 of our faves, let us know yours.
Cecil Balmond: One of the most prolific structural engineers in the world, Balmond’s technical solutions and structural ideas are transformative and engaging; so engaging, in fact, that his structural engineering solutions often become the driving force of the design. While he continues to work with some of the world’s most notable architects, on certain projects he has taken the lead design role in addition to being the structural engineer. Bravo!
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SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
We don’t care how great a project is, if it’s not photographed well then an architect’s work doesn’t stand much chance of being promoted. Good photos get people excited, good photos are a catalyst for more work and, in the digital information age, good photos proliferate. A high quality image that pops off the page, sent out to the blogging world can end up everywhere and anywhere… within hours.
We take our own photos at BUILD because we’re passionate about photography. This requires a constant learning curve and subsequently we look to a wide range of professional photographers out there for technique and inspiration. Architectural photos are a beast of their own in the photo world and it takes a design-savvy eye, technical knowledge and tons of patience. Good shots are very rarely luck or coincidence; rather they are the product of mastering a skill.
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JUNE 21ST, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Ever heard of Mark Bennett? We hadn’t until recently, but here’s 3 things we know about him; 1) He’s brilliant. 2) We’re 90% inspired and excited by his work. 3) We’re 10% green with envy that we didn’t think of it before he did.
Bennett, an L.A. artist, takes the residences of our childhood television memories and drafts up the floor plans with surprising accuracy. His work has been on display around the Northwest in the past and we love that the hand drafted prints are reproduced with the authentic method of blueprints – genius. Did we say 10% jealous? Make it 20. Here’s a primer on Bennett’s work with some supplementary information we rounded up to help jog your memory.
Brady Residence
Location: Los Angeles
Owners: Mike & Carol Brady with children Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Greg, Peter, Bobby and housekeeper Alice
Architectural style: Suburban Ranch
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