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Today Aaron shares what inspires him.

Photo: Buffalo Bayou – Houston

I came across this when I was in school, and it has stuck with me as an excellent example of a city fully embracing their waterfront, making it a dynamic space, and putting effort into the experiences through different areas, and night vs day. Projects that take all stakeholders into consideration like this don’t just make a ‘fun place’ they contribute an entirely new flavor to the identity of the city it is within.

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Today Natalie shares what inspires her.

I began my journey in architecture after a long struggle with my inner polymath. With interests that span technology, psychology, science, music, art, and theory, I found architecture to be a place where I could find all my passions. 

I committed to my architectural journey in 2005 as a student at Washington State University. This path wasn’t something I had initially planned, although I had explored spatial design through play and drawing during my childhood. I found myself lifeless in a neuroscience program and sought passionate energy and excitement for the human condition. One restless night, I found that energy while observing a group of students working late into the night, filled with a comical spirit, in an intriguing building I had decided to explore.

I felt a passion building within me as I explored images similar to Tadao Ando’s 21_21 Design Sight. Although 21_21 Design Sight was completed midway through my architectural education, it perfectly exemplifies the design attributes that inspired my pursuit of architecture.   The unique folds of the planes, unexpected lines and alignments, and the interplay of light to express beautiful geometric compositions all reminded me of the joy I found in remarkable spatial experiences. I wanted to create that joy and share it with the world.

Ando hopes that 21_21 Design Sight will serve as a cultural hub where a variety of people, especially the young, will experience the potential of design so that they can leverage it in shaping their cultural identity in the future. 
Photo: Masaya Yoshimura

Beautiful details in harmony with the sunlight coming through the windows.
Photo: Masaya Yoshimura

*Images by Masaya Yoshimura, www.interactiongreen.com/21-21-design-sight-designed-by-tadao-ando/

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During my undergraduate study at Cal Poly, I had the privilege of spending a year in Florence, Italy as an exchange student. Coming from the United States, with a history so young by comparison, I was immediately drawn to the significance of the architecture surrounding me that had stood for centuries. Being immersed in the old-world culture and historic craftsmanship moved me to question my heavily concept-driven design approach. Until that point, I’d been influenced by more modern architects who were pushing the boundaries of construction with their vision, creating one-of-a-kind spaces and volumes that stretched the imagination.

It wasn’t until I stood in Mies van der Rohe’s German Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain that I realized why it was so impactful. The most minimal of spaces spoke more clearly to me than some of the loudest examples of modern architecture; distilling the elements of place-making down to the bare essentials of materiality, scale, light, and detail. It was the tangible manifestation of space that created presence and timelessness, grounding architecture on a personal level that we can touch, feel, and relate to.

The phrase “God is in the details” began to resonate with me throughout my travels, shifting my attention toward the everyday. The imperfectly beautiful examples that had weathered the test of time with distinction and character. History came to life for me through the hand-crafted labor of master artisans, who left their marks for generations to come. It changed my perspective and imparted an appreciation for the trades that led me to later specialize in fabrication.

I’ve selected some photos to share of my time abroad, and I hope that others will enjoy them as much as I do.

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Today, Amy is sharing her inspiration.

Image taken by Denis Esakov.

My early understanding of the architect’s impact on our buildings is best represented by the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany. The museum consists of two buildings, the Kollegienhaus, a courthouse from 1735, and the main building designed by Daniel Libeskind in 2001. In Libeskind’s addition, underground passageways, zigzagging intersecting walkways, massive vertical voids, and slashed windows leave all visitors feeling disoriented, insecure, and physically uncomfortable by removing assumed wayfinding, portions, and a typical museum layout. The physicality of this building and its design attempt to translate the incomprehensible destruction of Nazi Germany on Jewish people. Traditional voyeuristic tropes of glorifying the images of concentration camps or war are replaced with a user experience more compatible with an interactive art installation.

I spent much of my undergraduate History degree learning about World War II and its aftereffects. The design translation by Libeskind of this traumatic historical experience transcends any book or picture and helped me understand the architect’s impact on its occupants. The deeply distraught space of Libeskind Museum represents the impact of all spaces of varying degrees, positive or negative. As architects, it is imperative to understand the influence of our designs on the human experience, both to positive and negative effect. I use this perspective to focus on how architecture can accommodate various users to address local needs, promote social equality within a building’s context, and extend the economic and environmental impact.

*Images of Libeskind’s Addition taken by Denis Esakov and Hufton Crow as noted.

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Once a month our firm holds a “Topics and Snacks” event. These are one-hour in-house presentations of topics covering social, environmental, and technical subjects as they relate to architecture. Recently, Alisa introduced Stalled!  to our group, who describe themselves as follows:

“Stalled! takes as its point of departure national debates surrounding transgender access to public restrooms to address an urgent social justice issue: the need to create safe, sustainable and inclusive public restrooms for everyone regardless of age, gender, race, religion and disability. Stalled! addresses this issue through lectures and workshops, writings and interviews, design guidelines and prototypes.”

After watching the video, we discussed our initial reactions and thoughts about this approach, including reflecting on recent projects that we have had where bathrooms were modified or redesigned. A bulk of our questions and discussion was centered around urinals; do you have them, do you forgo them, and if you have some toilet and some urinal stalls how do you go about identifying which is which? We shared our thoughts on safety, privacy, equitable access, and of course, plumbing walls. We all agreed that design should be inclusive, accessible, and responsive to all users and saw this approach by Stalled! as a wonderful resource for designers and architects to suggest inclusive solutions and push this conversation forward and to encourage our clients to create great spaces for all users.

Shortly after our presentation, I was in a middle school and saw an inclusive restroom in action. I personally used a restroom to get a sense of how it felt and what I noticed about the experience. It was very private and felt secure, the door hardware had occupancy indicators (uncommon in multi-user restrooms) so it was very clear which stalls were or weren’t available for use. The extra wide clear space in between the restroom stalls and the wash area felt spacious and I could see how people of any variety of physical abilities, or those who are acting as caregivers for others, would benefit from the extra “elbow room” to move in and out of the space.

Before leaving the site, I asked one of the administrators about the restroom and what the students and teachers thought of the layout. They had glowing reviews about how much the school community enjoys this set up. Issues of bullying, “hiding out” from class, and any other “inappropriate behavior” had all decreased; the function of the space took precedence and they commented that everyone seems to feel comfortable in using the space. As identified in the HCMA Designing for Inclusivity document, the school found that these restrooms were:

• Inclusive for people with disabilities
• Inclusive for families
• Inclusive for transgender and non-binary people
• Increased privacy and safety
• Increased efficiency
• Forward-thinking design

We are inspired by this approach and will be looking for opportunities to design inclusive, all-user restrooms to remove barriers and support the progress of the normalization of this solution for all. We encourage you to consider it as well!

Additional Reading:

• Why Architects Must Rethink Restroom Designs in Schools
• Inclusive Restroom Design Guide
• Designing for Inclusivity

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Today, Alisa is sharing her inspirational image.

150 Best Cottage and Cabin Ideas – Book by Francesc Zamora Mola

A few years ago my family stayed at the Alexandra Ellis Caring Cabin after bidding on a stay through the Children’s Cancer Association auction.  “On average 40 friends and family members visit CCAs beautiful Caring Cabin hideaway on the Oregon Coast each month.” I was in awe of the care and thought put into designing this beautiful home, built with the sole purpose of giving families with critically ill children a place to recharge and create memories to last a lifetime.  Huge windows and numerous outdoor spaces help connect guests with nature, both inside and outside of the home.  Staying there for a few days really hit home to me how the built environment can spark joy and help bring people together.

Not long after my stay at the Caring Cabin I stumbled upon the book “150 Best Cottage and Cabin Ideas”.  I spent hours poring over the various cabin designs and associated floor plans in the book.  I’ve always loved trying to figure out the floorplan of a building by piecing together photos or walking around it in real life (in fact this was a favorite activity of mine as a child).  Always curious what’s behind a wall and how rooms connect to one another.  After realizing how transported I was envisioning these buildings in my mind, I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue the career in architectural design that I first considered as a teenager.  While cottages may be fun to dream about, what I am most interested in is designing safe and inclusive spaces that nurture and connect people.  Creating a little bit of wonder in the process is icing on the cake.

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