I wrote this article on mass timber technology in December of 2019, explaining what mass timber is and why it matters to us. As a relatively recent trend in the United States, both in new construction and large commercial project expansions, it has captured the attention of sustainable and green movers by storm because of the many touted features of green and sustainable potential of wood.
As part of our interest in re purposing structures that might have outlived their originally intended usefulness, this research project looked at upgrading an old parking garage to be able to serve multiple purposes, such as garden and garage or garden and retail potential given the nature of the relationship between the original structure and the neighborhood it is located in. The final project took the shape of a reshaping of the structure to enhance the environmental conditions of the immediate surroundings. The results showed that even a bare concrete structure has much potential when greening measures are incorporated into the overall strategy of an existing building. See the results of the research on “Living Wall” here.
An Architectural Primer for selecting and architect and designing your Home
This selection of articles was originally from a series I wrote while living in the San Francisco Bay Area around 2002 and subsequently updated. There may still be a few things in there that are dated, however overall, the idea of working with Architects has pretty much been unchanged for some time and should continue to be relevant. The series of articles was written for those who want to understand the process involved in hiring and working with an architect to help them expand, remodel or design a new house. There are many things to think about when considering a residential project. These articles attempt to answer some basic questions and provide a glimpse into the realm of what it means to work with an architect and a a general contractor and provide some tips on a project’s design development process.
Although much of this may seem obvious, not many people know exactly what architects do and what value they can bring to a project. Most people never come into contact with architects and rarely think about where their built environment comes from. The following series of articles will discuss in the simplest terms what architects do and what value they might bring to projects.
A short presentation I put together for a class in the history of glass and glazing as a primer to modern developments of glass used in architecture, Glass & Skins, A Brief History of Glass.
Historic Preservation typically considers the impact of historic works that reflect a time when certain trends and ideas dominated the world of design and thus worth saving. But what happens when historic preservation takes into consideration modern design, projects that were built in the early to mid twentieth century? I wrote this article at the behest of ArcCA Journal, and can be read by going to this link, on Preserving Modernism.
In late 1999 early 2000, I was moved by a work of architecture tucked away just behind a grove of overgrown brush behind a vacant parking lot just east of highway 101 in Novato, CA. The building and its grounds was designed as a bowling alley for William J. Nave, a prominant business man and civic leader, and opened in 1960. The building was designed by an architect by the name of Gordon Phillips, who at one time was an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright. The building was designed in a Wrightian manner which was a befitting style as it was located just ten miles north of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Marin County Civic Center. At the time we were living in Sausalito, and had an opportunity to learn how hard it is to save buildings, even if they have unique or historic significance. I was unable to save this work of architecture, but through a series of articles for the Marin Independent Journal and Docomomo, at least I was able to give voice to a faded memory.
