SPEAKING OF ARCHITECTURE: Material Process Product - AIA Pennsylvania Firm Award

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Material Process Product - AIA Pennsylvania Firm Award

We are filled with gratitude this month, as we give thanks for a very special kind of Material Process Product: the Spillman Farmer team, collaborators and clients. In this case, the material is our team of critical thinkers, the process is our unending curiosity in finding unique solutions to problems, and the product is the inspiring environments we strive to make.

Our identity is tied to our state, its history, and the industrial roots that continue to influence our practice to this day. Our Firm Award application, much like our buildings, focused on material sensibilities and the human experience. At our core, we are regionalists: we believe that great place-making is reflective of the intricate history, materials, human emotions, and experiences of its site. Our practice, informed by the community we live in, is dedicated to reflecting these details in every site we approach. We have been shaped by the story of our region, and we seek to find those stories in every project.

We are deeply humbled by the honor AIA Pennsylvania has bestowed on us. The inaugural Firm Award represents an affirmation of nearly a century of achievement. It also represents our continued commitment to growth, improvement, and exploration in the years to come. Today we stand as an 86-year-old startup company with boundless enthusiasm for the clients and projects (past, present, and future) that have enabled us to receive this award.

If you have ever worked with us, thank you. If you have ever criticized, pushed, argued, cheered, supported, or encouraged us, thanks to you too; without our fantastic team of collaborators, we would have no history to honor. This recognition is a testament to the way you continually entrust your resources to us, and that commitment to us is just one more reason to say thanks.

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ABOUT US

Spillman Farmer Architects is an interdisciplinary practice of design professionals focused on the delivery of innovative building solutions based on human-centered design. Since 1927 we have been working closely with people and communities to deliver high quality, effective, and inspiring places to live, work, play, and learn.

Our design process empowers people to make responsible, thought provoking and inspiring decisions related to the built environment. Through this process, we explore each project’s unique opportunities for honest, expressive solutions specifically suited to the building’s site and use.

The materials we work with are familiar; however, our curiosity about them and their methods of assembly are not. Our priority is to develop an architecture that is rational, leveraging a distinct, precise and honest building vocabulary that shows clear evidence of how and why it was made.

We are deeply influenced by place and choose honest materials which honor the location and achieve a lasting patina as they age. In the end, our works are authentic, responsive to the environment, sustainable, resourceful, and grounded in the unique history of each context, a tangible result of our critical thinking and thoughtful approach to the practice of architecture.

BLOG CONTRIBUTORS

Joseph N Biondo - Material, Process, Product:

Spillman Farmer Design Principal Joseph N. Biondo was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and graduated from the Kansas State University College of Architecture, Planning and Design. Shortly after graduation, he pursued a lengthy career with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects, where he worked closely with AIA Gold Medal recipient Peter Bohlin. In 1996, he established JOSEPH N. BIONDO ARCHITECTS, before joining SPILLMAN FARMER ARCHITECTS in 2003, where he is currently bringing design excellence to the forefront. Joe’s architecture is recognized for its ties to regional traditions. His buildings represent an architecture that is clear, precise and honest; an architecture that reflects on what is absolutely necessary. He specializes in developing architecture from the intense working of materials and their means of construction. His work has been recognized by his peers in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and has been featured in the profession’s most prestigious publications. Joe's work celebrates the process of making and is deeply influenced by his family background, which is rooted in the garment and construction industries. Joe believes that beyond site considerations, client program requirements, and issues of sustainability, thoughtful planning of a building must include a lasting aesthetic.

Dan Harrigan - Great Heights in Higher Education:

In Dan's 30 years with Spillman Farmer, he has worked on projects on over 30 campuses. His experience and expertise encompass nearly every sector of our practice, and his special interest in designing for colleges & universities makes him an asset to clients across the country.

As a lifelong athlete, Dan has special interest in athletic design for higher education clients. In his college days, Dan was a 16-time Division I All-American and a Top Five NCAA Student Athlete. After college, Dan went on to win a bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics and a gold medal at the 1975 Pan-American Games.

Christa Kraftician, LEED AP - Speaking of Green:

Christa's passion for sustainability & green initiatives has taken hold at Spillman Farmer, and her continuing committment to environmental stewardship shapes our practice daily. Christa is also involved with the United States Green Building Council, acting as a board member for the Delaware Valley Chapter (DVGBC) and a co-chair for the Lehigh Valley Branch.