Geothermal Case Study Presentation

This looks to be an interesting presentation by our friends at IFMA.

Is it just as simple as pressing a button? uh…no

Today, I had the pleasure of attending four seminars provided by CSI Columbus and the Central Ohio USGBC as part of their annual DesignColumbus event.  Nice event…actually, very nice event.  Just right in terms of size, relevance and time commitment.  All four of the seminars featured big thinking and detailed discussions of computer modeling and analysis…and how we may gain valuable information from this type of tool.  I agree.  But, I walked away thinking that perhaps our next generation of architects and engineers and construction managers has the false belief that the computer can solve all design challenges.  Not true.  We can analyze, calculate, formulate, and hypothesize with these electronic tools, but in the end, there is no substitution for sheer creative genius.  People matter, and I heard far too little about human comfort, scale, and sensibility today.

A few years ago…I read this interesting book title From Good to Great.  It is a quick and compelling read authored by Jim Collins with a thesis that we need to think big and take lessons from systemization….working on our organizations to establish protocols for the easy stuff.  Somehow today, I felt like several of the presenters could have been replaced with just about anyone….and the design process might have resulted in the exact same solution.  God, I hope not.  I do understand the premise of Collins……why take time working on re-inventing the wheel…but, in a creative field, there is no place to pull a set of drawings out of a drawer or stroke a keyboard to establish the design solution in isolation.

It still takes hard work and the rigorous pursuit of creative problem solving by talent to establish architecture…and no computer will ever be able to take that away.  Ever.

The Architect as Leader

So, after some twenty years of practice….it has just washed over me that our profession is rooted in leadership.  The profession of architect is populated with many great minds….forward thinkers.   Most of us were the kid in the elementary classroom who saw something different when the teacher presented a lesson.   I remember my classmates looking at me with puzzled bewilderment and confronting me about my viewpoint.  Often, they would chuckle at my comments, and questioned my viewpoints.   And, I learned to live with it.  At an early age, I had no idea that I saw a different presentation than the others…but I felt a bit outside of the box and quickly gained awareness that I held a different perspective.  Often, I was able to discern what would be popular in music…it just sounded like a hit.  The same was true about movies, sports figures, and political trends.  Somehow, I was able to predict what others might find relevant.    After gaining this awareness, I worked to translate my thinking and unique perspective into a leadership role.  Instead of becoming a person who stood off to the side dwelling on my lack of ability to fit in…I celebrated my unique perspective and turned this gift into an attribute.  Soon, people were coming to me for my “insight” on music, fashion and design trends.  I was the go to guy who was in the know.  It worked.

I am certain that this personality trait is why I selected architecture as my profession.  I have always enjoyed leading others to find delight in new things.  And, being an architect allows me that perfect opportunity to create new places where people are enriched.  At WSA Studio, we attract architects and designers who are passionate leaders of design.  Collectively, we support each other through collaboration and lift each other up through enlightened criticism.  We believe that the best design solution is that option which has survived the gauntlet of intense criticism.  We all know that the public will be much more harsh than any one individual.  And, often our designs are recognized for design leadership…over our firm’s forty two year history we have been recognized many times by our peers with design awards.

In order to lead design, we know that there is a strong need to manage design process.  Without organization, there is no success in leading design outcomes and there is no impact of our creative efforts.  We have developed management protocols and systems to help to lead design process which are rooted in communication…through drawings, scheduling, analysis, and the written and spoken word.  Communication is our tool to lead design.

In the words of the famous American writer  Thomas Paine , “Lead, follow, or get out of the way”.  We choose to lead!

Great buildings result from the understanding of “how things work”

 
So, I was poking around the OSU Knowlton School of Architecture last week during the career fair, and came across an example of what the students are learning in their construction class.  There was a large display of a wall section in the gallery.  It was pretty clear that the student whose work was displayed is interested in detailing, but it was also woefully apparent that he didn’t have a clue how things go together.  I can’t blame him, I didn’t know any of that until much later in my career.  But, I can worry, since I believe at my core that one needs detailing knowledge at their foundation….. in order to design WELL.  If the architect simply draws a glossy picture and the real detailing is figured out by a contractor, we are all in big trouble.  Think proportion, grace and sophistication.

Above, I inserted a detail into this post.  This is a section detail through the skin of Knowlton Hall that our firm did for the marble shingles.  This detail looks simple, but it actually was the result of hours and hours of exploration related to the attitude and aesthetic of the skin of the building.  Thermal properties, wind infiltration, water-tight characteristics, long-term durability, and aesthetic properties were explored.  We even had a mock-up prepared and wind and water tested in mid-Pennsylvania.  Yes, detailing is important.  It is critical to the success of any building, and I am very concerned that our young architects are being taught that this is something that can be learned in practice alone.

When I was at OSU, there were professors who were passionate about expressing ideas at the detailed level.  As a result, and perhaps due to my personal interests, I developed a passion for detailing.  My favorite part of the architectural process is detailing.  Once we have decided upon the concept, for me, the next step is to begin to imagine the details.  I often tell my employees that there is a process….go global (conceptual) and then zoom into the details.  Come back out…(not as far out) and then dive back into the details.  The details inform the concept and vice versa.  Harmony results from the synergistic meeting of both pursuits.

But, the most that I learned about detailing resulted from doing.  When we added on to our house and I did the gypsum board, trim, doors, and flooring…..I learned some very valuable lessons which improved my understanding of what we can ask contractors to do.

I think I will host a seminar on detailing….maybe we could inspire better design!

Repeat, repeat, repeat clients

CompuServe World Headquarters; Hilliard, Ohio; circa 1995.

This evening, I completed a survey for the American Institute of Architects.  We participate in the annual firm leaders survey, which helps publish and collate important data that the Institute utilizes to share knowledge.  It is an important project…and I have found that the process is rewarding and can be very valuable to me as well, as a leader of a mid-sized practice.  This year, after I had sifted through all of the various data, I became aware that nearly 80% of our work is the result of leveraging existing and past clients, vendor relationships, and industry partners.  Our firm has always been blessed by rich relationships and repeat clients, but I had no idea to what extent this continued patronage had benefited us over the years.

In 1993, when I returned to Columbus, Tom and Bob put their full faith in me as the Project Designer and Account Manager for CompuServe.  This client was a long standing corporate client, with whom our firm had solidified a solid relationship over nearly fifteen prior years of service.  In 1993, we were working on a new corporate campus for them in Hilliard, Ohio.  Shortly after the buildings were completed, the corporation was purchased by both WorldCom and America Online, and the former later became a part of Verizon Wireless.  The project had been a major undertaking and has always been very special to me, especially since it was my first major project as a young architect.  The interesting thing about this project is the amazing relationships that the work spawned for me and the balance of individuals at WSA Studio.  We gained a corporate office expertise, experience with various complex building systems, experimentation with alternative construction delivery systems, and massive engagement in progressive audio/visual and data center infrastructure needs.

But, I never really recognized just how powerful this project was to establishing a firm foundation upon which our practice has evolved.  Over the past few years, many of our projects continue to result from relationship links to this mega, past project.  Former client representation and project partners have worked for more recent clients including NetJets, Grange Mutual Insurance, Buggyworks Authentic Urban Lofts, and The Seneca.  Countless vendors, contractors and specialized consultants remain engaged with us on current projects.

We are proud to have remained at the top of the list of many of our past client representatives.  To us, it shows that our staff has provided value, patient counsel, and ultimately improved the human condition for these folks.  And, above all, I know that our design leadership has been the most beneficial contribution.  The timeless nature of our design philosophy has allowed our relationships to endure….since many still appreciate the projects, the process, or the project parameters.

So remember, the next time you get frustrated with today’s hectic pace…patient service with an eye on the big picture is the mark of a long standing contribution within our honorable profession.

Design, revise, repeat.  Skip ahead.  Re-engage.  Design, revise, repeat.

Let’s really look at Columbus for design inspiration

As I sat home and enjoyed the wonderful Columbus weekend, I thought a lot about what I love about this city.  I love our snow.  I really love how we have four seasons with different foliage, differing temperatures, and a diverse body of sky colors.   I love the ideas that emanate from my university. Go Buckeyes.  I love German Village…wow…what a neighborhood!  I adore our Statehouse.  Simply remarkable.  What a stoic, reserved and reluctantly remarkable model for our state’s architecture.  And….maybe above all, I love the confluence of the rivers and the limestone quarries.  We are so blessed to have water, rocks, and rich soils.  I love how Columbus is perceived as “in the middle of nowhere” by the ignorant and uninformed, while the city is actually at the confluence of two major rivers which connect the lower flood plains of northwest Ohio and allow waters to “drain” on their southerly journey to the Ohio River.  See my favorite image of Ohio to the left.  It is a topographical map from the Ohio Geological website. You will see Columbus at that confluence and begin to understand just how important our location in when viewed in context to the state’s topography.  Most folks can only read large bodies of water and highways on maps. Everything in the middle is undifferentiated.  Inside of the coasts, it’s all Kansas, so to speak.  Well, we are far from Kansas in Columbus.  And, our bustling capital city is strategically located at where the Prairie commences.  Drive an hour southeast and you embed in a national forest hugging the Ohio River at the start of the Appalachian plateau.  Journey one hour northwest and you will begin to sense the free fall to Lake Erie.  Not many states offer such rich diversity.  Or walk about a half mile west of my house, and you will find this remarkable quarry (see image below).  This image captures the amazing richness of our natural resources.  Like I said, I love Columbus limestone (it is amazingly warm, rich and evocative of the earth).

So, as 2012 ramps up….I commit to this being the year of focus and investigation of what is uniquely Columbus.  What is it that embodies our DNA and how can we best express this in our design?  We will look to explore the nature of Columbus as we journey through our year.  Help me find it.

New digs for WSA Studio

Effective Monday, November 7, 2011….WSA Studio will have a new home.  Please stop by!

The Power of Flexible Architecture..Jazz Night in the sanctuary

Last night, while I was enjoying the wonders of friday night Ohio high school football (we won!), I received an email from a recent client, Rev. Steve Wachtman, Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.  He sent along a snapshot of a special moment occurring in the new addition.  Since they have opened the new “room” as we call it….the church has been able to host so many new and interesting activities.  This photo below is from last night’s Jazz at Holy Trinity.  What a powerful tool….a new sanctuary that can serve the function of entertaining community members and softly spreading the word of Christian fellowship.   The photo made my night.

Musicians sharing their talents at Holy Trinity on October 21, 2011

Progress at the Jack

Recent snapshots of our new workplace under construction.

Columbus and WSA Studio featured in national journal

I am very proud to be a part of a firm that gains its energy from Columbus.  After practicing in Chicago, I find the interest in innovation in Columbus to be refreshing and accessible.   The clients and patrons in Columbus and throughout our region are often looking to harness design to improve their bottom line or the human condition.  That’s why our practice has been able to stay afloat all of these years….we certainly owe a great deal of credit to Columbus clients.  And, that energy is being recognized on the national level.  Columbus is a city that is finally starting to gain a national reputation for engaging living, innovation and creativity.

The September 2011 edition of Architect magazine features an area focus on Columbus and a project by WSA Studio was selected as one of three to be featured.  Our Buggyworks Authentic Urban Lofts project was a highlight of trends towards downtown development.  In the article, the final quote provides a strong recommendation for practicing in Columbus: “The additions in downtown Columbus haven’t come at the cost of the city’s noteworthy Midwestern charm.  Columbus may be evolving through architecture, but it’s not changing, according to Tim Hawk, AIA, president of the local firm WSA Studio.  ”That’s refreshing.  That Columbus attitude makes me want to come into the studio each and every day.”

SIXTIES CULTURE REVISITED

So, the last few nights, my wife and I have been enjoying the first season of Mad Men on Netflix.  What a great way to catch up on past television.  I have been moved by the authenticity of the program (although the ceilings are far too modern).  I do remember being there for the sixties culture…and although I wasn’t old enough to do many of the things that they do on the program, I do remember is being very much like the depiction.  My Mom always had the neighbor ladies in to have coffee, smoke and discuss issues.  And they did talk about the divorcee, the lady down the street who had to work, the unruly child, the men.   They relied on each other a lot for support, since the men were simply not around.  My Dad ran a construction company of his own, and he NEVER talked about work at home.  There was this compartmentalization that occurred and it made things simpler.  Well, at least it appeared so.  And, it seems like the time was slower.  The sixties were all about routine..and it all looks so boring looking back.  And then the seventies were all about rebellion against that condition.  I faintly remember my Dad flipping out a bit about all of the changes that were going on.  My brother wanted to have his hair over his ears…and he was told that he needed to move out to do so.   And, I think he did move out as soon as he could.   I came of age in the very early eighties.  We didn’t want anything to do with rebellion.  We yearned for a time when things were settled and simpler prior to all of that rebellion.  The hippies just seemed so unnecessary, lacked diligence and respect, and we wanted to be about as far from their culture as we could get.  Happy Days made the fifties look cool, and we all longed for a time when things were less complex.  We could feel the complexity of society weighing us down.  And, many of my friends still long for the past.  I have always been an advocate of history informing the future.  As we enter this decade of the teens…let’s learn some lessons from Mad Men.  Although things looked nice through this lense, there were a lot of people suffering in silence; and even those in positions of power and wealth were not intellectually fulfilled (at least it seems so) and seemed to suffer from a lack of human connection.  But, there was a certain seriousness about respect, hard work, and appreciation for a job well done.  The society in the sixties seems to have been a lot more subtle, less confrontational, and a lot more willing to really recognize progress.  Today, we all rush around like we will never get it all done.  My Mad Men moment…recognizing that even the smallest job is important.  Slow down..pay attention and learn from each other.  And, recognize that every detail of a building is important.  What we do as architects is very important, and it should not be rushed through.  We shape the experience for people who inhabit our world.  That’s pretty heavy.  And it deserves some serious consideration.

The Sixties introduced clean, rational lines to a modern society which was finally ready.

MORE AND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION

Last week, we finished up a presentation and analysis for our Africentric K-12 project which focused on the development of a comprehensive daylighting strategy.  I was fascinated by the data and the impact that the interpretation had on the exterior window sizing.  In 1989, I studied under Peter Eisenmann when he was a professor at OSU.  He talked a lot about third party texts impacting the design of the building and how, as architects, we needed to let go, follow the lead and embrace the direction mandated by the “misreading”.  In some ways, I think that this software analysis was a third party leader…driving the design team to make intelligent choices informed by the nuance of the building orientation and the particular context.  How amazing.  We were able to compare two different window configurations, and through our analysis recommend to Columbus City Schools that we utilize two, narrower windows spaced accordingly in the room…shifted a bit off center as to create a daylight zone and a teaching zone.  I must admit, prior to the availability of this precise analytical tool, we would have never made the decisions that we did this week.  We clearly used a third party text to inform the design.  Amazing that we talked about this in 1989 and twenty-two years later we are embracing it….Go Bucks.

ALMOST THERE

We have finally settled on a date for our move.  WSA Studio will officially be in our new Brewery District home in October 2011.  What a thrill, after all of this time…all of the planning, the sessions to sort out what we want to be for the next twenty years….what we want to become and how we want to practice.  We are more energized than ever and we are VERY proud of our new projects which have recently opened to public acclaim.  Check out the new web posts of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church addition in Upper Arlington, Ohio and also the new office space for Portfolio Creative.  These two projects are worth the time for the perusal.

I will post a date for our grand opening and PARTY…in the fall.

Holiday Season 2011

So, in the past, our firm never really paid much attention to the Holiday season…creating a strict separation between church and state, so to speak.  As 2011 comes to a close, the most remarkable year in our firm’s 41 year history for its inherent ups and downs, it only seems fitting that we would embrace those clients who have trusted us with their projects.  What a blessing!  Thank you all.  Thank you for giving us opportunities to provide innovative design solutions.  Thanks also for the opportunity to work side by side with clients who truly see architecture as a vehicle for positive change.  And, thank you all for helping us focus our practice towards more and greater meaning in each project that we pursue and execute.

As we enter 2012….I am amazed by the growing passion and alignment of mission and interest and skill that is occurring within our organization.  We are seeking to expand our knowledge and expertise within specific markets, but sit VERY comfortably within the generalist category.  At the end of the day, we know that we are simply the best at solving very complex design challenges that require the full attention of experienced architects with passion and skill.  That’s the nature of a studio.

The future looks bright

Tonight, I had the pleasure of hosting the KSA Alumni Society meeting in the WSA Studio space.  In attendance were several leading architects, landscape architects, and city and regional planning grads…along with five or so student leaders from the KSA at OSU.  I sat there in amazement at the level of engagement these professionals and these young people pursue…. and the seriousness at which they take their responsibility.  It is humbling and really inspiring.  But, of course, after all…they are Buckeyes.  And, seriously….we all selected OSU to “do something great!”.  I’m not kidding.  We did.

Amazingly, several of the architects seemed jazzed about the impending “re-birth” of the profession and we talked about the slowly improving economy and the tall order ahead of us to ensure that an entire generation of leaders are not lost to this economy.  I believe that we have a huge future need for architects in Ohio and feel the buzz starting to swell to a hummmmm.  I’m serious….we are on the brink of a huge flip towards meeting the demands of a society which has been holding back for way too long and we better be prepared as a profession.

At WSA Studio, we look to the future with great optimism.  We feel that our method of practice is a great match for the future.  We seek a non-linear, collaborative process that creates architectural results that go well beyond simply winning design awards.  We value architecture which changes lives positively, and I feel a real kinship with this incoming generation of young architects.  They have the same enthusiasm that the OSU KSA Class of ’86 had….and many of my peers have gone on to provide significant impact.

And, as we look to the future….the great news is that:

This week, we have finally decided on a date for our move to 982 South Front.

We look to settle into our new place on the edge of the Brewery District and German Village on November 5, 2011.  I hope you can drop by to visit….and we will of course, post updates related to our “studio warming” to end the year.

Return on Design Investment

It just hit me.  We provide a return on your design investment.  That’s it…that’s all there is to it.  At WSA Studio…we lead a process which provides more return on your investment.

USA USA

Tonight, I read a tweet from someone that directed me to an article that had something to do with population growth issues in China.  Can we please, just please…and simply, get over the whole thing with China.  They are not a threat!  In fact, they depend upon us for almost everything and can be the biggest source of wealth for our culture ever.  The people in China are not nearly as educated on the whole, and they still have a majority of their people in positions of subservience.  Their entire culture is based upon subservience to the collective whole.  We are all about individualism and the American dream.   The only folks who truly  believe that China is the world power are selling America short (and often, they are the most virulent American supporters!)  We still come up with the most novel ideas….we are a society of innovators and rebels and innovators.  We do not play well when others tell us what to do (the whole don’t tread on me thing)…….we have the independent streak that our parents warned us about.  And it has paid off over time.  Go figure.

I believe in American ingenuity and innovation.  As an architect, I think I embody it. How else would a pipeliner’s son from New Philadelphia gain a Master’s degree (or two) and lead a practice in a thriving twenty-first century city.  I was told to go live my dream…and my parent supported that.  They didn’t hold me back in the interest of the family or the collective whole.  My dad knows that his best gift was to launch me…(as in..move out son).

And, as far as that goes, I give big “snaps” (see Legally Blonde)  to Columbus and the Ohio work ethic.  Not only do we have great American ideas…but we also get things done.  In the East, they talk a lot about things and ideas…in the West, they tend to discuss issues over drinks or a leisurely trip to the mall.  But, in Columbus, we get it done.  We are grassroots.  We are no nonsense.  We get it done.  And that diligence is quintessentially American.  USA.  USA.  Go Bucks.  Snaps for Buckeyes.