Sense Of Place - An Architect's Point of View

Small Town, Big Public Place

2009-07-17T22:18:00.007-04:00

In small towns you sometimes find the most interesting public places; often they're "old town" places, developed in the early days of the town.

Gahanna, Ohio, a town of about 34,000 has a brand-new "old town" space to boast about. This is Creekside, a significant mixed-use project that has transformed the core of Gahanna.

It's a wonderful combination of public and private uses including water features, dining, shopping, and condominium living.

High Desert Landscape

2009-07-13T22:14:00.006-04:00

The high Sonoran Desert has a unique beauty all it's own. Careful landscaping and architectural design can bring people into the desert without destroying it's appeal. In some cases, sensitive design can even enhance the experience - as at this golf course clubhouse.

This is the Cochise/Geronimo clubhouse at the Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. I've had the pleasure of visiting this spectacular high desert landscape several times over the past few years, working with a client on a new home project there.

I'm particularly enamored with how this unique building follows the contours of the surrounding mountains, blending with and adding to the desert scape.

From a distance, the building is nearly "invisible"; and surprisingly, it remains extremely low-key up close.

Taliesin West

2009-07-10T20:40:00.006-04:00

High in Arizona's Sonoran Desert sits Frank Lloyd Wright's winter studio and home, Taliesin West.

Beginning in 1937, Wright moved his family and architectural practice from Wisconsin to the dry desert climate each winter season.

The buildings and grounds have been restored and designated a National Historic Landmark, and is currently the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

The surrounding area, once empty saguaro-strewn desert, is now dense with suburban development.

It's a Garden, it's a Park, it's a Path...

2009-07-07T22:09:00.005-04:00

The Book Loft is a quirky, rambling collection of 32 rooms cobbed together from several buildings. It spans an entire city block in German Village, an historic district in Columbus, Ohio.

But perhaps more interesting and unique than the labyrinth of rooms inside is this garden/path/entryway to the store.

Sandwiched between the Book Loft and the building next door, this cobblestoned, bench-lined, multi-leveled adventure is a delightful transition from the bustling street to the wonderous solitude of the interior.

And as bonus, the path is a mid-block shortcut between adjacent streets - it's a perfect accidential place. Look closely at this photo - the gentleman on the bench at left is fast asleep!

(BTW, it's a great bookstore - I walked out $107 lighter that day!)

Global Warming - Something To Talk About

2009-06-28T22:08:00.001-04:00

I certainly can't argue that the planet has warmed (and may still be warming). But given that 20,000 years ago my currently temperate part of the world was 5,000 feet under the Wisconsin ice sheet I'm not particularly surprised, and am inclined to think that far greater forces are at work here than the puny works of man.

But that is, admittedly, just a casual observation on my part, not a scientific conclusion. It seems to me that the arrogance of man extends to the impact we think we have. Earth has survived much worse than us in the past 4.4 billion years.

We most certainly have much work to do to clean up messes we've made, and much to learn about how to go about our lives without leaving so much waste behind. But we have made, and are making, measureable progress, thanks to the efforts of many good people.

I sometimes worry, however, that we are a little too concerned with preserving things the way they are today, as if our environment were static. That would, unfortunately, make us and our current ways of life the reason for our efforts, instead of concern for the fate of the planet.

And if that is the case, we're working against our own stated cause. If the planet is indeed our concern, rather than preservation of our current ways of life, then our mantra should be "let it be".

Unless we truly believe that we're smart enough to be absolutely certain that we are causing dramatic changes in our atmosphere, we should be smart enough to understand that efforts to "correct" it may have unintended consequences. And those consequences could be something other than what Mother Nature had in mind.

Do we need to find ways to create cleaner energy? Absolutely. Do we need to carefully monitor our impact on the planet? You bet. Do we need to cripple our national economy to address an issue we may not know as much about as we think? Debatable, at least.

The Soul Of A Home Remains

2009-06-27T22:50:00.005-04:00

Something draws me to abandoned homes like this one. The human lives have withdrawn from it, but somehow the home's soul remains behind.

This home has a story to tell - the wealth of the original farmer who built the home; his growing family that required several enlargements over the years; and the hard times that caused the farm to fail and the family to sadly leave their home behind.

Homes like these often seem to me as if they're waiting patiently for resurrection...waiting for the right family to see beyond the disrepair and decay; to put the life back in; to awaken the home's soul and continue the story.

What Lies Beyond?

2009-06-27T10:31:00.002-04:00

What intrigues me about this particular place is wondering what might be beyond the huge taxus shrubs on either side of the driveway.

Driving by you're afforded only a tiny glimpse of a modest cottage with a perennial garden, a rust-red door, and a couple of chairs on the porch.

Someone's made a point of letting the evergreens almost completely block the house and yard from the street - what is kept hidden from view?

Community - A More Meaningful Life

2009-06-20T09:43:00.007-04:00

Economic turmoil is causing many of us to re-examine our lifestyles and find new ways to fulfill ourselves.

We've fallen into a habit of turning outward to satisfy our needs to impress others, to keep busy, and to entertain ourselves. We work hard to show the world that we're living a full life.

But are we satisfied? Maybe not.

After the 9/11 attacks, Americans turned their attentions to their families, their neighbors, their communities, and many discovered a sense of belonging they hadn't experienced before or had forgotten. That lasted a few years, until the pain of that day was numbed, and we began to fall back into old habits.

Now we face an economic "attack"; an attack we might not dismiss so quickly, but one that promises a silver lining for those willing to see it.

We have an opportunity to simplify our lives - by necessity, for many of us - and reconnect to the people and the things close around us, the things with real meaning, the things that bring us real fulfillment.

We can re-learn the meaning of "home".

For much of the history of this nation, "home" was defined in the community sense as much as it was individual "house" sense. Home always was a village, a town, a neighborhood, and the people we shared that community with. Home was a place larger than the house we lived in.

But affluence changed that. No longer did we need to go out to the movies, we could build a movie theatre right in our own home. Why meet friends at the local tavern, when we've got a perfectly good full-sized bar in the basement? And what's the point of joining the community at the park for the Independence Day fireworks show when we can hold our own "show" on our 2-acre lawn?

A wonderful opportunity is before us to reconnect with our neighbors, to recreate our communities. It's a chance to remember how much we have to gain by bumping into our friends and neighbors outside the movie theatre; a chance to share a drink with a stranger at the pub and get to know him; a chance to experience the community spirit of watching fireworks on a blanket at the park with a picnic basket.

It's time to rebuild our sense of community, and to experience a more fulfilling, more meaningful life.

Another One That "Gets It"

2009-06-15T19:31:00.006-04:00

Kudos to Doug Covell, interviewed in Columbus Business First newspaper about his "not so big house" that my firm designed for him and his wife.

In the article, Mr. Covell’s comment that “what we saw in a typical spec home was more of a focus on drama than livability”, sums up well what I believe residential architecture should be all about.

Read the full article text here.

A Nice Waterfront Home

2009-06-14T17:09:00.005-04:00

I spotted this home on the waterfront in the Murrell's Inlet area of South Carolina. An attractive and well-composed home, especially in the context of the generally poorly-designed homes in the area. Up close it appears to be under construction, but nearly finished.

Larger homes like this are often terribly over-designed; it's refreshing to see one done well with a little restraint, but all the quality and features appropriate for a house of this caliber.

Compare this to the house in the previous post!

Architecture That "Speaks"

2009-06-13T20:13:00.004-04:00

Great architecture "speaks"; it tells stories of inspiration, of motivation, of innovation.

Architecture occupies a special place in our culture, connecting generations past, present, and future with a glimpse of our values.

Architecture communicates it's intentions to us and reminds us of what we aspire to. There's a great deal of meaningful architecture around...and then there's this.

Here's a building that speaks; can you guess what it's saying? Hint: it's a beachfront home.

Still can't hear it talk? Look closely at the sign - it's The Sand Castle.

Get it?

This Is NOT a Vacation Photo...

2009-06-12T15:52:00.003-04:00

As I'm preparing to head back home after a week in the southeastern U.S., I couldn't help but add a comment about that "place" everyone knows as - The Beach. Just the mention of the word bring images to mind instantly, doesn't it? "The Beach" is almost synonymous with vacation and relaxation. Sights, sounds, and smells, all combine to give "The Beach" a very strong "sense of place".

The Future of Sprawl

2009-06-07T21:25:00.001-04:00

I read a question on a "green" forum the other day, it asked, "Is Suburban Sprawl Ever Going To End?"

Here's what I posted in response:

Suburban sprawl isn't going to end, it's going to change. It's changing now, if you look around a bit.

What's really going on in the American suburb is the return of the community, and the return of the neighborhood. Both are what most of us desire anyway, but we've lost contact with them through our focus on planning around the automobile for the past 60+ years.

New developments that emphasize walkability and connectivity are going up right now across the country. Sure there are still many "sprawl" developments underway, but the tide is noticeably turning the other way.

It's partly because of energy prices, partly because of world events, but mostly it's the result of the efforts of enlightened planners and architects working diligently for the past three decades to bring the idea of "community" back into the American psyche.

We spent a lot of time and money developing our automobile society - it's going to take a lot of time and money to change it. But momentum is growing, and the changes are happening faster and faster.

Ten years ago, few had heard the terms "new urbanism", "walkable urbanism", "complete streets", "town center development", "mixed use development" and so forth. Today those terms are widely known - and not just in planning and architectural circles.

I attending the American Planning Association's annual convention in Minneapolis a few weeks back and noted that nearly every session incorporated the principles I listed above - a big change from just a year ago. The hottest subject there was "form-based codes" which is very much a town center/mixed use orientation that greatly de-emphasizes the automobile and elevates walking, biking, and mass transit use. Look at the American Planning Association’s website at www.planning.org - they’re heavily invested in urbanism and offer tons of info and many great publications on this and related subjects.

What's happening now is "sprawl" of a different (read "desirable") kind; satellite communities are developing that have almost all the needs of the residents satisfied locally. In most metro areas, we're only going to see small number of people return to the "old" city centers; instead, we're seeing new town centers develop that are truly the heart of the community; a place that residents can call their own, and that they walk or bike or ride to on a regular basis for ice cream, haircuts, parades, concerts, etc.

A great example of how this is developing in an existing small town is Greenville, South Carolina. They're in the process of resurrecting a aging and decrepit town center by making the streets less car-friendly (among other things) and investment in and use of the downtown area is dramatically up. New condominium projects are underway in the heart of the city; a new performing arts center is attracting crowds, and a river park is a huge hit - all in a town of less than 60,000. Check out www.greenvillesc.gov.

It's a wonderful downtown environment, and it attracts residents of all ages. And it's just one example of many happening right now all across the country.

There will always be McMansions, there will always be big SUVs, and there will always be people who want more and more and bigger and bigger. We're still allowed to go after what we want to in this country.

But minds are changing, as real alternatives are made available. We're kidding ourselves and wasting time, money, and energy with hybrids, solar panels, etc. when the real solution is in changing the way our cities are designed.

This isn't about baby boomers "dying out"; in fact, as they reach retirement age (happening right now) they're the ones who are returning to a more urban lifestyle. And they're the ones with the financial means to fund much of this new development that we all can benefit from.

This forum and all the motivated posters in it will be much better served by us searching and sharing examples of great new urban design examples across the country - there are many!

So, what positive changes are happening in your corner of the world?

Doing Our Part For More Efficient Home Design

2009-06-07T20:30:00.004-04:00

Once again, we're extremely fortunate to have our work and our design philosophies featured in the business press: Business First Of Columbus (opens a PDF file)

Appomattox Virginia part III

2009-06-07T15:49:00.005-04:00

How many thousands of "Colonial" homes are built across America every year?

How many of them are as well-proportioned and subtley-detailed as this one? Not many, unfortunately.

The Clover Hill Tavern, an unassuming brick building in Appomattox, gives us a wonderful example of how less really can be more.

Nothing fancy here, just architectural appropriateness in every way. Imagine a home as modest as this one in a contemporary American subdivision - would it be recognized for the supurbness of it's subtlety? Or would it be shunned for how it dares to not be showy?

Clover Hill Tavern was built in 1819 and is the oldest original building in the village. After Lee's surrender, it was temporarily converted into a print shop, where all the Confederate soldier's parole passes were printed.

Because it was Spring and men were needed home to work in the fields, Grant generously allowed all Confederates to head immediately home - when most had expected to spend time in prison after the war.

Appomattox Virginia part II

2009-06-05T22:06:00.002-04:00

Most famous of the reconstructed buildings at Appomattox is the home of the Wilmer McLean family, site of the meeting between Grant and Lee that ended the Civil War.

In the 1940s the National Park Service rebuilt the McLean house on the original foundation, which had been dismantled in 1893 by speculators in a failed money-making scheme.

Not all the parts of the original house could be found however, so this reconstruction is partly new and partly made of the remaining original bricks.

Appomattox Virginia

2009-06-05T21:53:00.005-04:00

The place in American history that Appomattox Virginia occupies is of extreme importance and widely known; it was here that Generals Grant and Lee met to craft letters of surrender and officialy end the American Civil War.

The original town of Appomattox Court House is gone, but layout has been preserved and many of the original buildings have been rebuilt. It's impossible of course to experience the sense of place as it existed in April of 1865 - when tens of thousands of Blue and Gray soldiers occupied the area - but the reconstructed village is enough to spark the imagination.

This view looks North along the original stage road.

On The Road Again!

2009-05-30T20:38:00.003-04:00

I'm hitting the road again next week, travelling through Virginia and the Carolinas (some of my favorite places!) and hope to have a lot to share along the way. There's much interesting Architecture to see (old and new) and many historical sites along the way.

Check in for updates!

More Grounds Of Remembrance Photos

2009-05-29T21:07:00.001-04:00

A New Veteran's Memorial in Dublin, Ohio

2009-05-29T20:39:00.010-04:00

This past Memorial Day the City of Dublin, Ohio formally dedicated the "Grounds Of Remembrance" - a new memorial to American Veterans. The memorial is more than a building, or a statue, it's a series of experiences spread out over a large area, and includes wall of remembrance, an inscribed loggia, and other elements.

It's not quite finished, but when it is it looks to be a very special and moving place. Read more here.

Sense of Playhouse

2009-05-29T08:15:00.005-04:00

About ten years ago, I built this playhouse (the kids called it the "castlefort") in our backyard. We didn't have suitable trees for a "true" treehouse, so our solution was to put it up on stilts.

For a touch of whimsy, we angled the walls and added a few other decorative touches. It's taken a bit of a beating over the years, but it's still holding up. The kids are teenagers now and aren't interested in the castlefort anymore, but it still has the charm of those earlier days.

I had no idea at the time it would become popular outside of our little corner of the world - it was featured in our local newspaper, and was highlighted in a Taunton Press book, "The Kidspace Idea Book" in 2005. It inspired me to write about it for a home design magazine a few years back - the article can be read here.

University Of Virginia

2009-05-24T19:39:00.007-04:00

After his presidency, Thomas Jefferson was able to devote time to many of his pursuits, including the design and construction of a new University in his home state of Virginia.

The centerpiece of this new place of learning in Charlottesville was Jefferson's "academical village", anchored by the university library building and enclosed by wings of classrooms and living quarters.

The tree-lined space created by the surrounding buildings is one of the great American public spaces; it was essentially the first American university campus, and is the model for many other institutions across the country.

Historic Place...

2009-05-24T09:48:00.004-04:00

Great places are often places that bring us joy; but not always. The very strong sense of place in this photo is overwhelmingly somber.

What is this place, where is it, and what happened here?

Tiny Sustainable House

2009-05-23T14:09:00.003-04:00

Student Builds Tiny House With Big Sustainability (from FOX News)

This Guy Gets It

2009-05-22T07:17:00.005-04:00

Can't resist, just had to share this post from a client travelling by sailboat down the intercoastal waterway:

"Sailing down the intercoastal, you see an endless parade of million dollar water front homes, 2 or 3 hundred homes a day, day after day.

Most aren't very good, either boring or ostentatious, and I swear to God you can tell the ones where the rich paving contractor told the architect EXACTLY what to do. But every now and then, a home goes by that lets you know that it's still possible for great art, form, and function."