http://www.charlotteviewpoint.org/article/2621/Great-cities-start-with-a-plan

Despite finding it difficult to climb out of the doldrums at times, we must remember that there are so many others in this world who have it so much worse.  I attended Urban Ministry’s “True Blessings” luncheon last week, which is always an inspirational treat.  This year, UM invited Jeannette Walls, author of “The Glass Castle”.  She shared many life experiences with us – many of which involved her spending the majority of her childhood homeless.  Her stories were not only inspiring, but offered hope for those who have been on the streets or may still be on the street.

Urban Ministry is within weeks of opening their newest facility, Moore Place.  This wonderful project will offer homes for 85 chronically homeless individuals.  It may only be the tip of the iceberg, but it is a remarkable model of how a countless number of strong-willed, never-say-die people set their sights on a goal which seemed unattainable a couple of years ago.  I am very thankful and proud to be a part of an architectural firm that helped realize this vision.  As architects, we have played only a small part in this amazing journey, but it was truly a fulfilling team effort.

I am also thankful for family – both at home and in the work sense.  Our office has been fortunate enough to be a part of a several new professional opportunities this year.  It has enabled us to add a few new employees and begin to re-grow our work family.  Further, I am extremely lucky and very thankful for a wonderful family who support me in everything I do.  My wife and three daughters are “ true blessings” in every sense of the phrase.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Our office recently took a tour of the project and while we were there we ran into one of the residents in the elevator.  This woman had lived in the building for over 20 years and had recently just moved back into her newly renovated apartment.  When she found out that I was the architect for the project, she quickly rattled off a few things that she didn’t like about the new project.  Some of her concerns were for things that were still being worked on by the contractor and owner but a couple of her concerns were design related.  As an architect, we are used to criticism.  We are taught in school to be critical of our own work and we know that not everyone will always like what we do.  Architecture is very subjective and this woman definitely had some opinions about the project.  As we talked with her longer though, it became clear that there were a number of things that she really liked about her new home.  When asked what her favorite change to the project was she replied, “I like that I can turn around in my kitchen now.”  See, this woman was disabled and in  a wheelchair and her previous residence was not built to accommodate wheelchairs.  This was a small change that we made to her kitchen that has now made a big impact on her everyday life.

As we finished our tour that day, my thoughts returned to this woman’s comments and to all of the improvements we made to the building.  It is my hope that some of the changes we made at Charlottetown Terrace will continue to make positive impacts on the residents’ lives.  As architects, that should always be our goal.

Link to the construction progress photos for the Charlottetown Terrace project:

Charlottetown renovation photos

The movie documents quite cleverly Mr. Shulman’s career and how he basically became the godfather of modern architecture photography.  His dramatic photographs memorialized so many architect’s greatest achievements – from Richard Neutra to John Lautner and Frank Lloyd Wright to Frank Gehry.  So many architects praised Shulman for his uncanny ability to put the viewer of his photographs “right there in the picture”.  He brought a certain drama to these wonderful modern creations, some of which weren’t even all that dramatic in real life.  Shulman loved his work and had a real passion for life, photography, architecture and the environment.  This really shows in the film – which is probably why he was loved by so many and lived to the ripe old age of 99.

The film was followed by a wonderful presentation by Charlotte’s own architectural photographer, Tim Buchman.  Tim shared a couple of examples of his current studies of architect, Hobart Brown Upjohn.  He has partnered with a New York architect to compile information and photographs to celebrate Upjohn’s career and contributions toward North Carolina Architecture.  Tim’s photos are incredibly sensitive to Upjohn’s existing masterpieces, which capture natural light, ornate detailing and exact proportions perfectly.

Our firm has had the honor to work with Tim on multiple occasions.  He has done a beautiful job of capturing our projects in their best form over the years.  It occurred to me while watching Shulman’s film and hearing Tim speak that, as architects, we truly do owe so much to those who photograph our work.  It is indeed an art, and without it, it is hard to imagine architecture as we know it today.  At some point in the film, a comment was made that only dozens may ever see a piece of architecture in person (in this case, it was a remote Californian desert modern home).  But, thanks to masters like Shulman, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, might cast their eyes on these wonderful pieces of architecture.  That’s a big deal!

http://www.charlotteviewpoint.org/article/2514/Is-the-term-%27citizen%27-being-consumed-by-consumeris

As much of a stretch as that sounds, it stirs in me the fact that I’ve always marveled at great cities, both large and small, and how I am always inspired or lifted by so many details found within the fabric of a wonderful urban environment.  I can still remember the effect that Washington DC, New York City, and Boston had on me as a young teenager.  I was literally a kid in a candy shop at the time.  The sights and sounds, the smells, the buildings, the traffic, and the diversity of people bustling in every direction were such a rush of incredible information flooding my senses.

It was hard to soak all of it in at the time and understand why those experiences moved me so much.  I’ve since earned a college degree in Architecture, visited many other cities over the years, and focused much of my career on the study of good planning and the design of buildings within urban settings.  Unfortunately, I cannot proclaim “Eureka!” – and pretend to know all the secrets of what makes a city great.  We all learn something new each and every day, and I hope that through years of paying attention, listening to those who know more than me, and attempting to better myself within my own profession, that I have grasped a closer understanding of what key ingredients go into successful cities, neighborhoods and buildings.

It certainly starts with smart planning.  Fredrick Law Olmsted, the father of American Landscape Architecture, understood this.  Central Park, arguably his crowning achievement, captures so many elements that make Manhattan the magical wonderland it is today.  Not only is it one of the boldest, yet simplest statements in park and open space design within an enormous city center, it defines so much more.  Central Park creates edges.  It’s a subtle, yet absolute defining reason that millions of square feet of NYC real estate has been and remains some of the most valuable footage in the world.  The homes, museums, offices and hotels lining this spectacular landscape owe its livelihood and success to Mr. Olmsted.

As a resident of Charlotte for nearly twenty years now, I’ve learned more and more about John Nolen.  An early 20^th century student of Olmsted’s, Nolen also helped shape many great cities across America.  On a local level, Nolen was instrumental in visualizing Myers Park.  In 1911, Myers Park began as a simple gesture to plan a grand avenue (now known as Queens Road).  The streets were to receive a serious dose of well-intended and strategically planted oak trees.  Medians with precisely prescribed dimensions, generously proportioned street widths and sidewalks, yet with pedestrian and human scale kept sacred, were to be implemented throughout hundreds of acres of precious landscape.  Further, many individual single-family lots were carved out, with specific custom house plans, and fused into the master plan.  100 years later, Myers Park is a nationally recognized, wildly successful neighborhood.  Recognized in remarkable books like Allan B. Jacobs’ “Great Streets”, and so many other publications regarding outstanding planning and architecture, Myers Park serves as a link, a lifeline, and a major artery to Charlotte’s Center City and thriving urban fabric.

Great cities rely upon so many important factors.  Parks and open space are certainly crucial.  Wonderful in-town neighborhoods with permanent residents and sustainable housing play an invaluable role as well.  Services, such as grocers and farmer’s markets, bookstores, dry cleaners, large and small retailers, churches, libraries – the list goes on and on… These provide a lifeblood ingredient critical for urban environments to survive.  Again, great planning will create great cities.  We as designers (whether an urban planner, a landscape architect, an architect, an engineer, or a smart human being who cares about sustainable urban living), must continue planning wisely.  So much has been given to us by the Olmsteds and the Nolens.  We just need to continue executing with pragmatic and sensitive design, using the obvious tools…. Sensitive dimensioning, smart planting, sidewalk design and pedestrian planning (without ignoring the almighty automobile, parking, and continued need to accommodate vehicular traffic)… Better architecture and building design with a growing need for denser, and more intense mixed-use components must expand.  Sustainability and green design certainly go hand-in-hand with this.

I love living in Charlotte.  I relish and look forward to future visits to larger and smaller cities.  As we move farther into this new decade, greater visions will crystallize in our center cities.  It’s an exciting and challenging time for our country.  The more we embrace urban living and more sustainable ways of life, the closer we get to realizing all that sounds good “on paper” now – and we truly start walking the walk.

http://www.foxcharlotte.com/news/local/Reboot-Charlotte-Green-Technology-Creating-Jobs-126096258.html