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.

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!

 
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!

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.

This 6,000 SF single story building is designed with both medical office suites and a pharmacy situated around a central lobby.  The architecture responds and connects to the historic and rural context by matching the adjacent scale and using local building materials.  Located adjacent to the Madison County Courthouse in London, Ohio, this pharmacy and medical office building is the first new building to be constructed in the downtown historic district in more than twenty years.  This modern medical complex replaces an abandoned gas station that has been considered to be a blight in the downtown neighborhood for years.