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SPRING GREEN - more than my favorite color
Posted: 2012 04 23 In: staff musings
Whether or not you came here by our spring postcard, welcome! And Happy Earth Day! Well, by the time this is posted it will technically be after Earth Day. But the little green peacock in the corner of my NBC shows has reminded me that it is earth week and time to think about “being green”.
Designing with Branding in Mind
Posted: 2012 04 07 In: staff musings
One of my favorite semesters in college was our corporate design studio where we were to develop a company and it’s brand and then execute it through their office environment. Branding has been an interest of mine for quite some time now, and exploring a client’s brand is one of the first steps I like to take when beginning design on a project. I feel that spaces are a reflection of what a company or entity is about, and should be designed in a way that best represents the true feel of the organization. Several recent SOA projects are great examples of how design can be used to reflect an organization. Each project that SOA does is uniquely different and caters to individual client needs and preferences, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy working for SOA. No project and client are alike, as you can see from a few examples of our recent projects:
3.8 Billion years of R&D
Posted: 2012 02 22 In: staff musings
(image courtesy of the Biomimicry Institute)
Since my college introduction to the concept of Biomimicry, popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, I have been intrigued by various ways humans can utilize the approximately 3.8 billion years (since the first bacteria) of research and development that nature has already done for us. Wikipedia sums biomimicry up as “the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems.” It is critical to note that biomimicry does not seek to replicate nature, but instead to learn its principles in order to create nature inspired solutions to human problems. As Biomimetic Architecture blog puts it “nature is the largest laboratory that ever existed and ever will.” It is truly fascinating the diversity of disciplines that biomimicry can offer inspiration - from micro-electronics to sociology [to architecture. Read on for more resources and inspiration.
SOA Winter Advice
Posted: 2012 02 01 In: staff musings
I feel kind of silly writing this considering that I drove home from work with my windows down yesterday, and it’s going to be 60 degrees tomorrow! But it is in fact February which is officially winter and it may actually get cold at some point. You may be reading this because you received a SOA Winter Advice card in the mail. If so, we’ve included some additional helpful tips below, as well as some you may have already seen. Here are some random tips to help you through the season…
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.