Living in the Brownfield - Carbon Copy

 Mies Van der Rohe

"Glass Skyscraper,Project, Elevation Study"

1922 - MOMA

The ability to sketch an idea is a timeless conceit in architecture. The best sketches amplify initial thoughts about a concept, while capturing and communicating thinking with clarity. In 1922, Mies Van der Rohe sketched his “Glass Skyscraper,Project, Elevation Study”.  The bold power of his original image hints at ideas that would emerge throughout his career. Simple charcoal marks, in a context, represent Mies’ vision of a specific architecture.

The images that follow are a foray into a new type of architectural sketching. Through my ongoing exploration of iPhoneography and conversations about architectural representation with Pico|Little Architecture designer Andrea Panico, I began to explore the ways that traditional architectural communication could be translated to a new media.

"Carbon Copy" - 2013

Carbon Copy, borrowing a conceit from Bertjan Pot’s study of the Eames fiberglass DSR chair, is a sketch using contextual marks or “samples” as the starting point. The image conveys an architectural concept with mobile technologies.  The initial sketch was a carbon copy in the literal sense; a copy of a charcoal image, quickly cut and pasted while glancing at the original image.

A Proposal for a Wood Skyscraper emerged from this study.  “Bennachie Tower” proposes a personal vision of a wood and glass tower, using the same techniques that yielded Carbon Copy. Both images are hybrid photograph, drawing and collage.

"Bennachie Tower" - 2013

Bennachie Tower, utilizes a photographic “sample” of Scotland’s Bennachie Forest from artist Kathryn Brown. Bennachie Forest criticizes the traditional skyscraper renderings (often showing trees growing from setbacks and other improbable details) which were flooding the media at that time.  The image suggests a provocative use of context, detail, and technology to create a sketch, and ultimately, the concept of using a mobile device as a sketchbook.  The result is a collage of pixels: each replicating charcoal, context, detail, and true “context”. These collaged pixels are applied as marks, indicative of specific architectural context.

"Cut and Paste" - 2013

I was compelled to share these studies on Speaking of Architecture after a visit to the Museum of Modern Art this summer. “Cut ‘n’ Paste: From Architectural Assemblage to Collage City” is a small but powerful show that examines “early uses of collage to trace its evolution as both an aesthetic technique central to architectural representation and a cultural practice of layering, juxtaposition, and remix that configures the city.” The exhibit was curated by MoMA’s Pedro Gadanho and assistant Phoebe Springstubb. Don’t miss this exhibit! It runs through December 10, 2013.

Material Process Product - Thread Count

The Thread Paintings of Emil Lukas

Our architecture is a material-based approach to design. Personally, I am passionate about materials, and I believe a refined palette of authentic materials is an essential design tool. Further, I believe a disregard for materials and their methods of assembly results in built projects that lack the rich human experience that this type of expression can provide, and are, as a result, less successful.

Having grown up in the garment industry, I have a deep appreciation for the process of making. These open factories were rife with the infinite colors, textures, and patterns that influence our practice to this day. Spools of thread, dust in the air, rolls of fabric, and the sounds of humming machinery all shaped my experience. Over the years of practice, I’ve become particularly interested in the ways that architectural parlance intersects with the jargon of the garment industry. As architects, we refer to “urban fabric” on a daily basis, noting the ways that the intricacies of urban life mimic the interwoven threads of material. I’ve also come to think of some structural system as “threads”—materials that bind together disparate pieces of building into a common system.

As someone preoccupied with these lines of thinking, I’m particularly intrigued with the work of Emil Lukas, whose art stems from similar sensibilities about material. His “thread paintings” elevate common thread (which is both humble and highly accessible) into layered, dynamic pieces. The paintings, which convey a straightforward simplicity at first glance, reveal a deliberate, complex depth upon closer observation. Each of his threads, stretched over a simple frame, works to create an atmosphere of lightness and form. Together, they create a three-dimensional projection that grabs the viewer from within. As with most buildings, Lukas’s paintings are symphonies in many parts: simple elements come together to create a composition that’s much greater than the sum of their parts.

All images via Emil Lukas
emillukas.com

Great Heights in Higher Education - Diversity on Campus

Numen Lumen Center at Elon University - Jim Sink Photography

SFA is proud to announce that we recently completed work at Elon University’s Numen Lumen Center, the Multifaith Center on campus. “Numen Lumen,” in addition to being the University’s motto, is a symbol of spiritual and intellectual light for students on campus. The Multifaith Center aims to create a welcoming atmosphere for students of many faiths, and to attract a diverse body of students to a central meeting place. The Center’s location in Elon’s Academic Village is important, as it anchors a major living/learning community in the heart of campus.

The Numen Lumen Center was a collaborative effort for Spillman Farmer Architects and Newman Architects of New Haven, CT. Major features include a two-story skylit worship space and a larger room that can be used as a banquet area or auditorium. Because of the religious nature of the building, special concerns such as ablution rooms, kosher kitchens, prayer rooms, and icon storage were all incorporated into the building. Special care was also taken to create a reverent, calm environment within the building: a water wall and an outdoor meditation garden help to ensure this environment.

Numen Lumen Center at Elon University - Spillman Farmer Architects

Pedagogically, the Multifaith Center is crucial to Elon’s efforts to create an open, accepting, and diverse atmosphere on campus. The Center allows students to practice and learn about the faiths represented at Elon. As a university, Elon hopes that the Center will promote peace and understanding among students.

Numen Lumen Center at Elon University - Jim Sink Photography

Read more about the Numen Lumen Center and Elon University:

Services at Numen Lumen
Elon University

Living in the Brownfield - Jessica Bandy | Bethlehem, USA

 
 

 

“A quiet town in eastern Pennsylvania, Bethlehem was headquarters of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, a 96-year-old company that provided steel for the nation, from the Empire State Building to the Golden Gate Bridge. In 1995, it ceased production and in 2001, it declared bankruptcy. While parts of the vast complex remain abandoned, service industries are moving in, and the site has become a tourist destination. Jessica Bandy examines the life cycle of Bethlehem from different generational points of view.” Excerpt from the School of the Visual Arts website

 

 

Bethlehem, U.S.A., Video (30 minutes)

We had the pleasure of hosting Jessica Bandy numerous times throughout the last year as she gathered the raw material for her thesis project in the “lens arts” program of the School of the Visual Arts (SVA).  We’re thrilled to see the screening announced and hope that you’ll support the arts and the artist by spreading the word about this great project. I have not seen all of the images and video, but I do know that Bob Spillman and my dad, Bill Deegan, had cameo’s and got to tell their stories about life in and around the Bethlehem Steel Plant. 

 

Great working with you Jessica, congrats on the project and the MFA – Bill.

Jessica Bandy

all images copyright Jessica Bandy

Material Process Product - The Art of Revitalization

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in a panel discussion on revitalization through arts and culture at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. The panel was quite diverse, consisting of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Kevin McMahon, Powerhouse Production’s Gina Reichert, and myself (Joseph N. Biondo of Spillman Farmer Architects). The program focused on the rebirth of industrial cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit and the Lehigh Valley. I became particularly intrigued by the work Powerhouse Productions is doing in Detroit neighborhoods: as part of their mission, they allow national artists to transform abandoned homes into interactive objects of art.


Image courtesy of Powerhouse Productions

Many communities throughout our country have flourished through smart redevelopment and introduction of the arts. The SoHo region of lower Manhattan is a particularly strong example. A variety of factors in SoHo transformed a “low road,” dead part of an American city into a more dynamic, more diverse, and economically stronger community.

The acronym SoHo was part of a clever branding strategy which refers to an area south of Houston Street. This region was the heart of manufacturing in New York in the early 1900’s. By the 1950’s, many of the manufacturing facilities began to outgrow their lofts and started to relocate west, out of Manhattan. The area south of Houston Street became a castaway void between Midtown and Wall Street; a district of “low road” buildings that became too unsafe to visit. The area’s lack of diverse uses (caused, in part, by a lack of planning foresight) killed the urban life of this once-vibrant district.

 

Juxtapoz  House on Morgan Street Courtesy of Powerhouse Productions

Eventually, New York city planners looked to gentrify the area, while grassroots urban pioneers began to occupy it. Megastructures and major thoroughfares were proposed, but a burgeoning population of artists began to squat in the neighborhood’s structures. SoHo’s rebirth was attributed not to city planners, but to the artists whose urban pioneering spirit and modest necessity stimulated the renewal.

 

Sound House Courtesy of Powerhouse Productions

The similarities in Detroit’s neighborhoods (although currently underway) present an incredible potential for rebirth. Like SoHo, Detroit's residents want to feel part of a true neighborhood – an authentic, unique village atmosphere that provides history, a sense of place, and a spirit of belonging. This type of neighborhood, where safety, interaction, lively streets and unexpected delight occur, must attract the same kind of creative class that was drawn to SoHo in the 1960’s. To remain vital, cities like these need to be creative and innovative, both intellectually, culturally and technologically. Hats off to Detroit!

Speaking of Architecture - AIA Grassroots

Special Guest blog by Michael Metzger, President of AIA EPA

 

Each year the AIA holds its Grassroots conference in Washington, DC.  This event provides us with an opportunity to speak with our representatives on Capitol Hill regarding the future of our profession.  This year, much of the discussion centered around the AIA’s “Repositioning” efforts, which will be the focus of the organization in the next few years.  Marketing strategists LaPlaca Cohen  and Pentagram presented their findings in a presentation that took a brutally honest look at the Institute and its operation.  By collecting over 31,000 points of information, the strategy team offered suggestions and a direction to move the AIA forward.  The presentation concluded in a pointed 100-second video.

 

The presentation and final video was very well received by all members present, addressing many of the concerns with the current state of the Institute.  We heard that we must take care to change the dialogue from one of “I” to one of “we,” both as an organization and as architects.  Simply put, as an Institute we are our members; each member has a voice and a responsibility to share our message.  The perception of the AIA being a private, members-only club must change. We must communicate our message more clearly, open our doors, and embrace the public.  As architects, we can no longer be the Howard Roarkian “great figure,” but must instead be team members working with clients to create projects with enduring value.  Whether those final products be brick-and-mortar or ideological, the architect’s role remains an important one. 

This is an exciting time within the AIA, one with the promise of change.  The future of the AIA will be defined not strictly by leadership, but by its members alongside the public.       

More about the AIA:

The AIA is a visionary member organization providing advocacy, leadership, and resources for architects to design a better world.  Based in Washington, DC, the AIA has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. With nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA serves as the voice of the architecture profession and the resource for our members in service to society. 

 

 

SFA News - Architizer A+ Award Win for Artsquest

Spillman Farmer Architects (SFA) is honored to announce that the Architizer A+ Awards jury has chosen the ArtsQuest Center as a winner in the +Urban Transformation category.


 

The Architizer A+ award is an important level of global recognition for the ArtsQuest Project.  As you know, the project anchors the redevelopment of the Bethlehem Steel brownfield site, where SFA, ArtsQuest, and the City of Bethlehem have been pursuing the revitalization that has brought new cultural life to our city. As the country’s largest privately-owned brownfield, the project’s success is an important lesson for similar post-industrial sites across the region and the country.

“Honoring our country’s industrial past is a critical first step to healthy and vibrant revitalization. We are fortunate to work in a community comprised of visionary and steadfast leadership working together toward a common goal,” Spillman Farmer Design Principal Joseph Biondo said. “Embracing our history while introducing a diversity of arts, culture, and technology will always become a catalyst in transforming urban areas.”  More project information can be found at: http://www.spillmanfarmer.com/#/artsquest%20center

We would like to give special thanks to ArtQuest, our client on this project. Our collaboration and shared vision for the project was extraordinary.  We’d also like to thank the City of Bethlehem for rallying behind the project and supporting its continued life. Many, many people contributed to the success of the project, and we’d like to thank every one of them! Here are just a few: