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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JUNE 18TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Lately team BUILD has been working on an exciting project that will be released later this fall. Not too long ago we were contacted by Arcade Magazine to be the guest editors on the first issue of their 29th volume. That’s right Arcade will be turning 29 years old this year – a huge kudos for that. We’re honored to lead the charge on this issue and we’ve been hard at work rounding up an exceptional group of design conscious thinkers and do-ers. You might not have heard of some of these sharp-shooters… but you will. They’re already leading the charge not just on design, but in defining our culture.
Alex Calderwood is a cultural engineer and owner of the incredibly successful Ace Hotels. Anyone who’s stayed at an Ace Hotel in New York, Seattle, Portland or Palm Springs knows that the design experience starts at the front door, continues with a cappuccino at the coffee shop and keeps right on course all the way to the vintage record player in the room and the subtle signage on the lobby stair reminding us all that “everything is going to be alright”.
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JUNE 7TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
We’ve got a rock-star buddy who, at the drop of a hat, will go climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, navigate the crowded streets of Mumbai or, in this case, head to Haiti to help with the earthquake relief efforts. Team BUILD was fortunate enough to be able to financial contribute to his trip and in return he brought back images and a first-hand account of the work being done in Haiti. As a structural engineer with HSV Engineers here in Seattle, Aaron Pambianco was flown into Léogâne to assess the structural damage to homes and buildings and he was generous enough to get the scoop for the BUILDblog.
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MAY 6TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
[Photo by BUILD LLC]
Recently, we got a hot tip about an art exhibit currently installed in an abandoned, and soon to be demolished, building in south Seattle. Having just watched Banksy’s new film Exit Through The Gift Shop we were as fascinated as ever to experience some midnight street art and The Strangers article on Tomb only wet our appetites. There are three known authors behind the show; Dan Hawkins, an artist who goes by the name NKO and another referred to as No Touching Ground. Apparently the artists worked late at night, moving materials down the street and up to the second floor of the building, a previous condiment factory.
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APRIL 30TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
APRIL 9TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
[Dry Sewer in Queens, photo by Steve Duncan]
If you’re the type who’s curious about what’s underneath your feet when walking around a city, then fasten your seat belt; today’s post covers the work of Steve Duncan, urban spelunker and guerrilla historian of infrastructure. That a piece of the urban realm might be considered off-limits is simply an invitation to Duncan, who’s fascination with the mechanics of a city has taken him from the top of the Manhattan bridge to underground aqueduct tunnels and everything in between. And we mean everything. Along his explorations he hauls the necessary camera equipment for the long exposure images required of the dark abandoned subway tunnels, sewer lines, steam pipes, and underground rivers. Combine a tenacious interest in the workings of a city with a keen eye for the captured image and you get photos that jump off the page and arrest you.
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MARCH 15TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
With St. Patty’s day coming up on Wednesday, we figured we give a shout-out to the Irish. Today’s post is entirely made up of firms from Ireland and it should give you some pleasant images to enjoy while you’re putting down a stout or two. We’ve got a lot of respect for the Irish Architects out there – they excel at many of the same things as we do here in the northwest; keeping the water out during the damp rainy days, keeping the heat in during the long gray winters, and keeping their heads up high amidst all the rain and gray. So here goes. Let us know what you like and we’ll cover it in greater detail sometime.
A2 Architects
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FEBRUARY 19TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
What is it about the work of ODOS architects that is so fascinating and attractive? Even after pouring over their website with a discerning eye, we still can’t quite put a thumb on what makes their projects so mesmerizing. It’s hard to comment on the “design” because what makes for such elegance and beauty in the finished work would appear to be the lack of design. Rather, the finished photographs communicate a system of planes divided into simple geometric formulas. The built-form almost seems to relate more closely to mathematics than architecture – and wonderfully so. Using a system of formulas in which the sum of the parts amounts to an architectural solution is thought-provoking and desirable to us.
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