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Six degrees (or less) of architectural separation
Posted: 2012 01 24 In: staff musings
One thing I enjoy about architecture is how it is interconnected to so much of our surroundings and our lives. Architecture, the good, the bad and the ugly, is everywhere. In working on projects, I enjoy that as an architect I get to learn a little (and sometimes a lot) about a wider variety of people, jobs, places, etc. I take even greater joy when this learning coincidentally crosses over with friends and family members.
CHARITY
Posted: 2012 01 23 In: staff musings
CHARITY – According to the dictionary – it is ‘generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless…or a benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need’….something that feeds into our culture at SOA…
We have three major efforts each year to help those that are less fortunate than us.
The first is Canstruction®. It is sponsored by the Society for Design Administration and is a community service project for the A/E/C industry. Each group designs and builds something primarily out of canned food….this year the theme is ‘Playing with Food’ and the event build is the first weekend in March. At the end of the event, all the food is donated to the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri.
The second is the Heart of Missouri United Way – we are very proud to be one of only 30 ‘Pacesetter’ Companies. So why does our staff want to be charitable to the United Way – because they encompass many different areas of impact – education, income, health, and safety net – partnering with many different agencies including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Job Point, Meals on Wheels, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army to name but a few. By giving to the United Way, we feel we are helping stretch our dollars as far as possible to have the largest impact. The United Way’s goal is ‘to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of problems in our community’. Their campaign slogan this year is to ‘LIVE UNITED’. They support 31 local agencies and 67 Community Programs. In addition to their regular monthly contribution, several staff members have chosen to designate a portion of their pledge to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – this program helps to ensure that all pre-K children in the area have access to books to better prepare them for school. If you would like more information on the United Way, please visit their website http://www.uwheartmo.org/
The third big effort that we support is the Voluntary Action Center (VAC) Christmas Family program. Each year we sponsor a family in need. This past year, we had a family of 6 and we knew that we would need to shop smart in order to stretch our dollars…however, by having some of our staff brave the Black Friday sales, we were able to provide all of the family’s ‘needs’ as well as several of their wants…we hope they were able to have a wonderful holiday and are thankful that we could help a family in need.
In addition to these bigger efforts, many of our staffers at SOA also contribute their time or talent to many very worthy organizations in their communities and/or children’s schools….we have a pretty active bunch!
So I will leave you with the same quote as last time from Benjamin Franklin…“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.”
Empathy as an Architect…
Posted: 2012 01 09 In: staff musings
Ever since the separation of the roles of architect and builder there has been a bit of a rift between them. Too often there is the accusation from the builder that the architect does not know how something is really built and the architect gets frustrated because the builder doesn’t understand the drawings. It is common because neither the builder nor the architect is ever required to practice the other’s trade.
Planning For Storage
Posted: 2011 12 29 In: staff musings
As Christmas comes to an end and the New Year begins, I get that familiar urge to organize. I think part of the reason is seeing the stream of new gifts coming into the house from my children’s doting grandparents. Add this with my daughter’s upcoming birthday party and goals I set myself for the coming year and it puts me into a cleaning and organizing mood. Not that I’m ultra-organized or even halfway close to that, but I’ve had my share of attempts at it. Some tries have been successful while some were failures, like my attempts at finding the perfect spot for a clothes hamper to keep my husband’s dirty socks off the floor.
Sometimes an organizing solution amounts to getting a file cabinet, a variety of bins in a closet, or a freestanding wardrobe unit. However, sometimes the best solution is a built-in cabinet. They don’t have as much flexibility of location but they are sturdy, space saving, and they add character and the customization that can really improve and enhance things for the user. Many things factor in when deciding on the best solution such as budget, time, space available, storage needs, and future considerations. Having planned, drawn, and detailed numerous cabinets, built-ins, reception desks, shelves, etc. I have some tips for those of you considering built-in storage solutions.
Finding the Right Products and Finishes
Posted: 2011 12 28 In: staff musings
In the past few months, I’ve quickly learned about the durability and cleanability of our floors, fabrics, and walls in our house thanks to our two energetic dogs (yes, we adopted another one). I’m overcoming the still “fresh from school” phase much like Jimmy, where aesthetics try to take precedence in my mind over the product’s functionality and durability, but now I’m starting to search for ways to make our painted concrete patio floor more easy to clean (the texture sure doesn’t like to let go of dirt!), and cleaning tools that get more dog hair out of the carpet to keep it looking nicer. Yes, a modern, glossy white painted floor would look fantastic with some nice rugs on our patio, but in two seconds it will be covered from our current mud-pit of a backyard. That’s probably not the ideal floor for our situation.
Although my situation is not the same as some of our clients who have 500+ students circulating through an academic building lobby every school day, through my personal experiences I’m becoming more sensitive to what their needs and problems are and what the best products and finishes are for them. It’s been intimidating at times the past several months to be assisting in the selection of finishes that are actually going to be installed and have to hold up unlike our hypothetical design school projects, but I’m learning more about product types and the right questions to ask our manufacturer reps. As Kim would say, there usually isn’t a “perfect floor” because everything is going to require some sort of cleaning and maintenance, but it’s our job as designers to research and find the best floor suitable for our client’s needs and preferences. As a young designer, it’s been great to learn from the experienced professionals here at SOA and I always look forward to learning more on each project. And, maybe one day soon, we’ll be able to tell you what that impeccably perfect, 100% maintenance-free floor is.