Influences: Antoine Predock

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, by Antoine Predock Architect pc

 

The latest issue of ARCHITECT magazine, the official publication of the American Institute of Architects, features the recently completed Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Described in the museum’s own promotional material as a “symbolic apparition of ice, clouds, and stone set in a field of sweet grass . . . carved into the earth and dissolving into the sky” and as a “mythic stone mountain . . . unifying and timeless,” there’s no doubt it is a landmark; however, what appeals as much to me about the project as its remarkable visuals is the mind of the architect responsible for its design: Antoine Predock, FAIA. 

 

Antoine Predock is a true original—a maverick who has practiced on the edges of contemporary architecture for nearly half-a-century. He works outside of style, mining concerns more elemental and essential than most architects ever consider. He is one of the few architects who can convincingly extract the spirit of a place and give that spirit its own free, unfettered form. His buildings are typically rooted in and part of the natural landscape. They also echo and evoke the cultural landscape. They’re always thoroughly unconventional, one-of-a-kind blends of art, science, history, and place. 

 

I consider Antoine Predock the quintessentially American architect: fond of the broad horizon, individualistic, a westerner, and a keen observer of popular culture. It may be these traits that best served him among the many who vied for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It took an American boldness of approach to deliver an architecture eminently attuned to Canadian sensibilities and, more specifically, the culture and landscape of Winnipeg, the Red River Valley, and the tallgrass prairie that surrounds it. Could a Canadian architect or firm have produced an equally stunning result? Perhaps, though the characteristically Canadian proclivities toward pragmatism, indirectness, and cultural conservatism would have been obstacles.(1) 

 

The Museum of Human Rights at once commands and responds to its surroundings. Its limestone, glass walls, and bermed approaches appear as carefully composed, abstracted natural features. Even so, I sense Predock designed the Museum of Human Rights from the inside-out—driven less by a concern for camera-friendly forms than by a desire to create a cinematically inspired and psychologically immersive experience over time. The museum is certainly photogenic (as evidenced by Alex Fradkin’s excellent images for ARCHITECT) but not so intentionally in the picturesque sense. Predock has sometimes described his working method as akin to that of a choreographer. Though photographs hint at the variety and complexity of the museum’s spaces, they cannot adequately communicate the dynamics of movement through them. I definitely need to visit the building to fully appreciate Predock’s intentions. 

 

Model of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (photo by Wpg guy via Wikimedia licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

 

I’ve taken note of Antoine Predock’s work for decades, from the time I was a student at the University of Oregon during the early 1980s until today. I attended a talk he delivered at the university in 1983, and later saw him speak again in 1989. It was after this second opportunity to hear from him that I wrote a piece for the AIA-Southwestern Oregon newsletter about Predock and his work: 

 

ANTOINE PREDOCK ENTERTAINS, INSPIRES

As the featured speaker at last month’s Northwest and Pacific Region AIA Conference at the Inn at the Seventh Mountain in Bend, Antoine Predock, FAIA, enthralled an envious audience of his peers with a display of his most recent designs. Predock’s rise to prominence has been meteoric since 1985 when he won the commission via competition for the Fine Arts Center at Arizona State University. Consequently, the content of his presentation at the conference was especially fascinating when compared to that of his last address to local architects in 1983 at the University of Oregon.

 

Speaking in Bend, Predock tried to dispel the widely held perception that he is a “regional” architect. He is fond of saying “You’re a regional architect if you can’t get a job out of state.” His interests include far more than just an appropriate response to climate and site, far more than just the studied use of indigenous techniques and materials. As if to underline the fact that his approach to architecture extends beyond these merely prosaic concerns, Predock has, on occasion, described his need to more fully analyze a design problem by way of a “roadcut.” The roadcut is a metaphor for his design process. It is a cut in a rock formation to allow the construction of a road, leaving the geology of the formation exposed: 

 

"At the bottom is Precambrian granite. In the higher levels of the roadcut, there is the cultural residue. Further up the roadcut you have beer cans and McDonald’s wrappings and you might have a cow skull. You can think of it in the same stream of consciousness as Georgia O’Keefe or Ray Bradbury. This cultural stratigraphy is rooted in the tangible and the imaginary.” 

 

The metaphor isn’t meant to be so far-fetched for us that we simply dismiss it as the quirk of a talented and eccentric architect, even if Predock will expand the stratigraphy he mines to include the sky above and UFO’s too. Instead, it is Predock’s self-conscious attempt to call attention to an original design philosophy and to subvert classification as a “regional” architect at the same time. Time magazine took notice of his originality when it tagged him with the honor of being the “first great architect of the New Age,” although one has to wonder if he appreciated being cast in with the likes of Shirley MacLaine. Unhappy with being limited to practice in a trite desert idiom within the borders of a small state, Predock has deliberately packaged himself for the rise to architectural stardom. At the same time, he has evolved a design approach of great popular appeal that might be better characterized as thoroughly American, rather than as just regional, drawing as it does upon such widely recognized American themes as the highway, the myth of the Marlboro Man, the Strip, the West, and the big landscape. 

 

Back in 1983 Predock was “regional” by default: his Albuquerque practice was only three or four persons strong, and the bulk of its work consisted of single-family custom residences located almost exclusively within New Mexico or Arizona. Today, his office employs over 40 architects involved with the design of such dream projects as hotels for the Disney Corporation, major museums and performing arts centers, pavilions for international exhibitions, and other buildings scattered all over North America and beyond. The contrast between his two addresses to audiences in Oregon, however, was not as pronounced as the changes in his practice would lead one to expect. Predock knew in1983 that he wanted greater recognition for his work. He went on at some length during his lecture at the university about how aggressively he solicited the editors of the “glossy” professional journals and the magazines of the popular press for interest in his projects. The work he displayed at that time also showed evidence of his efforts to respond to design problems in unpredictable ways, drawing upon many of the same sources for inspiration that he still utilizes today. Although his work of 1983 may have been confined to a region, I doubt he considered it only regional or vernacular even then. 

 

There is no small irony in the fact that Predock found himself at the Inn of the Seventh Mountain with the question posed “Can there be a Regional Architecture?” To his chagrin, Antoine Predock will probably always first be noted as a force in regionalism before his universal contributions are recognized. 

 

*    *    *    *    *    *

 

Antoine Predock belies the widely held belief that large and complex projects are no longer the product of a singular genius. In my opinion there will always be a place in architecture for individuals who follow their own unique paths toward the creation of projects holding universal appeal, significance, and meaning. 

 

 

(1)  Being from the Great White North myself, my Canadian brethren may forgive me for wielding a broadly stereotyping brush.   

Shared Vision

Bob Simmons, FCSI, CCPR speaking at the January 22, 2015 Willamette Valley Chapter CSI meeting (photo by Steven Leuck, CSI, CDT)

 

The first Willamette Valley Chapter CSI meeting of 2015 featured Robert W. Simmons, FCSI, CCPR, current president of the Construction Specifications Institute. A relatively small but dedicated gathering of members was on hand to hear Bob present a version of his “Shared Vision” speech, which he first delivered at the CONSTRUCT conference in Baltimore last September. 

 

What will CSI look like in five years? That was the question Bob posed and one he most resolutely believes the institute is ready to answer. Despite declining membership during the Great Recession, he is confident CSI will not only rebound but thrive in an era when other professional associations are struggling to survive and remain relevant. He explained how CSI is moving strategically toward value propositions that will position the organization as the preeminent educator of the construction industry. There is no doubt he trusts educational offerings will drive CSI’s membership and growth in the future. 

 

Bob cited a number of current and proposed programs as evidence of CSI’s commitment in this regard: 

• The annual CONSTRUCT show, with its plethora of professional development courses supporting personal and professional growth.
• The CSI Academies, which foster broader industry participation by teaching construction industry skills and sharing research and technology.
• The Building Technology Education Task Team and its recommendation to create a Building Technology Education Program that would benefit the industry by raising the technical knowledge of participants.
• BSD SpecLink, the most advanced master guide specification system available.
• The Master Specifiers Retreat, which brings together senior specifiers from across the country for a focused weekend of education and group networking.
• CSI’s popular certification programs, which are recognized throughout the industry as evidence of a proven level of education, knowledge, and experience in construction documents.
• CSI’s various practice guides and workbooks, which are updated regularly to ensure they remain cutting-edge document tools.
• Creative outreach to affiliated industry and allied organizations like Construction Specifications Canada, the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Professional Estimators, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, expanding mutual influences through education and certification.

Bob rhapsodized about how CSI has streamlined these and other programs to better serve our industry, focusing on those that best support CSI’s membership and mission. He spoke of “building for the future to make CSI a valuable resource in the 21st century to our membership, allied partners, and the construction industry.” He firmly believes CSI is fulfilling its promise of value to current and prospective members by emphasizing educational opportunities as its primary platform. 

I appreciated Bob’s rhetorical flourish and enthusiasm for the strategic initiatives he is championing; that being said, the institute must truly deliver on these promises of value lest we find ourselves regarding his words as mere platitudes. In my opinion the future success of CSI is entirely dependent upon embracing change and seizing a leadership role in a constantly evolving construction industry. Simply reacting to forces beyond our control will not turn the tide of membership loss. 

Is membership growth essential to CSI's future?
There’s no doubt education is the key to expanding professional opportunities. Part of the institute’s current educational strategy is to make many of its programs available online and otherwise to non-members. By providing valuable content this way, CSI’s hope is to broaden its reach. In turn, the institute would expand its base, attracting more people to the organization.

Like other common-interest groups or associations that formed in pre-Internet days, CSI is confronting the fact there are so many other ways for people to spend their diminishing discretionary time. Young professionals in particular seem to have limited time for or interest in volunteer and membership activities after work and family obligations. As Bob reported, CSI has in response been re-tooling its programs to offer more “value” to help recruit and retain members.

What previously served as a raison d’être for membership—access to an industry-specific body of knowledge that was otherwise hard to come by—has been thrown aside by universal Internet access. People don’t want to pay memberships fees for content they can easily get for little or no cost elsewhere. Why buy a cow when you can get the milk for free?

Membership is essential to the success of most professional associations; however, the pace and unpredictability of forces beyond their control brings into question the tenet that membership should be a principal measure of success. Perhaps Bob’s “build it and they will come” educational strategy is correct. Perhaps CSI’s membership growth should hinge upon first attracting young professionals to a broad menu of relevant and effective educational offerings. Perhaps these future industry leaders will become CSI members because they understand how CSI can help them.

I still believe membership in the organization has other benefits. First and foremost is the social capital it confers. Before I became a CSI member, my contacts among the many non-architect participants involved with construction projects were most often limited to job-related exchanges. Seldom were my encounters of an informal or social nature with contractors or the others. My association with the Willamette Valley Chapter broke down the unspoken barriers I was accustomed to, allowing me to develop meaningful cross-disciplinary relationships. Today, these relationships have improved my effectiveness as an architect. There’s no substitute for mutual respect and friendship when it comes to working together to successfully complete complex and difficult projects.

Another huge reason why membership in CSI should be regarded as essential is precisely the tidal wave of information we all manage on a daily basis in order to be effective construction professionals. This holds true whether you’re an architect, a specifier, a contractor, a construction products representative, or a building owner.

I wrote a post a while back about how there exists an opportunity for CSI to seize the proverbial brass ring, one it may lose if it doesn’t act soon and decisively. I pointed out how construction is increasingly dependent upon the effective conveyance of design intent. Our world is only becoming more complex and litigious, not less, and achieving a desired end is commensurately more difficult. The bottom line is clear, concise, complete, and correct construction documents will always be critical to the success of projects. This is the message the institute needs to spread.

CSI should own the training ground for the digital information gatekeepers that everyone—architects, engineers, contractors, and facility managers—will rely upon during design, construction, and beyond. These “knowledge managers” will help realize the full potential of Building Information Modeling and perhaps tilt the project-control pendulum back toward architects, who have abdicated so much in recent decades to others more willing to assume the mantle of master builder (as Bob says, CSI should “own BIM”).

Should this scenario play itself out, society will regard those well-versed in construction communications as among the most valued members of the design and construction industry. Rather than fated for obsolescence as some in the industry are predicting, specification writing and construction information management may be the sector best poised for significant growth within the industry. In particular, specifiers are and will continue to be the indispensable managers of a project’s DNA—the information essential to its successful realization.

Emerging professionals should recognize that a career dedicated to the management of a project’s knowledge base can be both intellectually and professionally rewarding, not to mention lucrative. Being a member of the Construction Specifications Institute should be cool because real power and authority comes with being a knowledge manager. I contend this is essential to attracting and retaining those of the millennial generation all professional associations covet the most: the smart future leaders who will shape our industry for decades to come.

There needs to be a cachet that comes with CSI membership, and that should be the privilege to associate with like-minded thinkers who appreciate and promote excellence in construction documentation and communication. Like Bob, I think education is a key. I also happen to believe we shouldn’t undersell what comes with the full value of membership. If CSI doesn’t manage its message well, it will continue to “gray” and lose members to age and retirement. That would be a shame and a golden opportunity will have passed us by. If done well, the institute will buck trends by growing and thriving in an era when other professional associations are losing influence.

*    *     *     *     *     *

 

Thanks to Bob for visiting the Willamette Valley Chapter and describing for us his vision for the future of CSI. His tenure as CSI’s president lasts through June of this year. He is also the president/CEO of his own company, RW Simmons & Associates, an independent product representative firm located in Federal Way, Washington. Bob is a member of three Northwest chapters (Puget Sound, Mt Rainier, and Big Sky), and has served in leadership roles at all levels of CSI. You can reach him via e-mail at arobertwsimmons@cs.com.
 

Professional Pin-Up

Carl Sherwood, AIA (light green shirt) presents the UO Student Recreation Center Expansion Project (all photos by Jenni Rogers, Assoc. AIA unless otherwise noted)

 

A regular fixture on the annual AIA-SWO calendar has been the “reverse crit,” an opportunity for University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts students to review the work of local professionals. The latest edition of this enjoyable event occurred last Wednesday. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend but by all accounts it was a success. With delectable and free pizza available (courtesy of Track Town Pizza, my favorite pizza joint!), plenty of students seized the opportunity to discuss real-life projects with the architects responsible for their design. 

 

The firms who participated this year and the projects they presented were: 

• envelōp design | architecture + interiors and LandCurrent – Cat’s Ear Savannah
• Greenleaf Design|Build / Robert Oshatz – Peterson Residence
• PIVOT Architecture – Eugene YMCA
• Robertson/Sherwood/Architects – University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Expansion
• Rowell Brokaw Architects – Arts and Technology Academy Middle School

Mark Young, AIA describes Rowell Brokaw Architects' work in progress on the ATA Middle School.

Anita Van Esperdt (left) and Jenna Fribley, AIA point out the features of their Cat's Ear Savannah project.

 

Tricia Berg, AIA and Paul Harman, AIA explain PIVOT Architecture's initial concepts for the new Eugene YMCA.

 

The event was co-hosted by the University of Oregon Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students. New this year was the opportunity for the students to vote for what they believed to be the most deserving projects in several categories. The award winners were: 

• Most Sustainable: University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Expansion 
• Best Response to Context: Cat’s Ear Savannah 
• Most Creative Use of Materials: Peterson Residence 
• Most Intriguing Presentation: University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Expansion 
• Best Overall Design: University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Expansion

The AIAS presented awards in five different categories (photo by AIAS University of Oregon)

 

The Professional Pin-Up is an excellent example of the synergy between local professionals and the School of Architecture and Allied Arts. Both benefit by the opportunity to interact in creative and educational ways. Although I missed this year’s event, I look forward to attending again in the future, helping to continue what has become a welcome tradition.

Main Street Corridor Vision Plan Open House

 

The City of Springfield is hosting a public Open House for the Main Street Corridor Vision Plan on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 between 4:00 and 6:00 PM. It will take place at the Springfield City Hall Library Meeting Room and feature a drop-in session with members of the City’s project team. The team will present the results of the year-long community effort to create a vision for land use and transportation in the next 20 years. 

 

The City’s goals for the Vision Plan include anticipating both short-term and long-term changes along the entire length of the 7-mile long Main Street corridor. The study area includes the one-way couplet of Main Street and South A Street from 10th Street east to 20th Street and also Main Street from 20th Street east to 69th Street. The Plan will ultimately guide future planning and development in the area, identifying the community’s preferred future for the corridor. 

 

The Vision entails: 

• Encouraging economic revitalization and land use redevelopment
• Providing transportation choices to residents, businesses and commuters to encourage individual and community well-being and public safety
• Improving transportation safety and access for walkers, cyclists, transit riders and drivers along and through the corridor
• Improving aesthetics on Main Street, making it an attractive place to live, work and shop
• Creating Main Street identities

Ultimately, the Main Street Corridor Vision Plan will inform future amendments to Springfield’s comprehensive plan and zoning for land in the corridor. 

The Plan’s implementation strategy includes sustaining community involvement, of which Tuesday’s open house is a part. Springfield is seriously thinking about the future. There’s no doubt that as the Main Street Corridor goes, so will Springfield. If you’re a Springfield resident, or simply someone who wishes to understand and contribute to the discussion, be sure not to miss learning more about the objectives of the Main Street Corridor Vision Plan.

What:    Main Street Vision Plan Open House 

When:   Tuesday, January 20, 2015 between 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM 

Where:  Springfield City Hall Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, OR 97477

The Rec

The University of Oregon's completed Student Recreation Center Expansion (left in photo). Image from the UO Student Recreation Center's Facebook page)

 

With great fanfare, the University of Oregon celebrated the opening on January 5 of its newly expanded and renovated Student Recreation Center. Thousands of giddy students poured through the doors, awestruck by the shiny, feature-packed, state-of-the-art temple to fitness. No small number acknowledged the facility’s significance, having overwhelmingly chosen to finance $50 million in improvements by means of a substantial student fee levy. The joyous occasion served as vindication of the trust they invested in a design concept that now stands as their legacy to future generations of Ducks.

 

It was also a proud moment for the members of Robertson/Sherwood/ Architects (the firm I work for), especially so for Carl Sherwood, AIA and Jenni Rogers, Assoc. AIA. Carl provided leadership for the large, multidisciplinary design team (which included RDG Planning & Design of Des Moines, IA and Poticha Architects of Eugene), and Jenni served as Carl’s primary backup throughout the construction period. These two worked tirelessly, shedding blood, sweat, and tears to help ensure the project’s success. 

 

Likewise, the celebration marked a satisfying milestone for Howard S. Wright Construction (HSW) and its legions of skilled and dedicated subcontractors. They completed the enormously complex project on schedule, within a timeline for which the adjective “aggressive” is most definitely an understatement. Kudos to HSW for making the seemingly impossible a reality.

 

View from Functional Training area. Photo by Jenni Rogers, Assoc. AIA

It was just last June that I blogged about how the project was taking shape. It was still very much a work in progress back then. Construction was perhaps only half complete, but it was easy to picture what it would look like when finished. Now that opening day has come, it’s clear our team has fulfilled the university’s vision of a modern, energy-efficient student recreation facility meeting both current and future needs.

 

The new natatorium. Photo by Jenni Rogers, Assoc. AIA

The university marked the achievement by affectionately rechristening the Student Recreation Center as “The Rec” on opening day.

 

Looking down on "Main Street." Photo by Jenni Rogers, Assoc. AIA

The photos I’ve posted here only hint at how massive the makeover is. What was previously cramped, dark, or simply obsolete is now spacious, bright, and high-tech. The facility boasts new group exercise and yoga studios, a new cycling studio, expanded fitness spaces, an extended rock climbing wall, a new natatorium, a new gymnasium, and generous social and lounge spaces, arrayed across 110,000 square feet of new space and 40,000 square feet of renovated area. The design exceeds State Energy Efficient Design (SEED) standards, having targeted the UO Model of Sustainable Development, which demands 35% more energy efficiency than Oregon Energy Code requirements. The project is on track to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

 

The Great Hall. Photo by Jenni Rogers, Assoc. AIA

 

The design incorporates expansive walls of glass, inside and out, allowing students to see and be seen at The Rec, drawing even more people into the building. The multilevel, spatially dynamic interior lets students visually shop the recreation programs and choose to participate actively or vicariously. Sections of the building have their own names: “Uptown,” for the cardio and weightlifting areas; “Midtown,” for the lobby, rock gym and rooms for fitness classes; and “Downtown,” for the aquatics facility. The student-centered ambiance is inviting, airy, and full of energy. 

 

The Rec also features integrated art, funded by Oregon’s 1% for Art in Public Places program.



Integrated art in the Great Hall. Image from the UO Student Recreation Center's Facebook page)

 

Radically transformed, The Rec is now unrivaled among the country’s campus recreation centers. Like the University of Oregon’s peerless athletic facilities, The Rec is top-notch, the standard against which others will be compared. 

 

More than ever before, the student recreation center is a focus of campus life, a de rigueur fixture on the college landscape. In today’s competitive world of higher education, the quality and amenities of the center are often key factors in the recruitment and retention of prospective students. A well-designed recreation facility is clearly important to both the university administration and those who attend the institution. We’re confident The Rec will reinforce the University of Oregon’s core academic mission by enhancing overall college satisfaction and success, and supporting happier, healthier, and more contented students.

 

The Year-In-Review Blog Meme

Under the belt: Another trip around the sun.

 

Oh, yippee. I’m falling into the trap of one of those year-in-review memes. And look, the calendar has already turned, so I’m late to the party to boot. 

 

The rule of this meme is to only feature the first sentence of the first SW Oregon Architect post I published each month during 2014. So, let’s see what we’ve got: 

 

January: The fate of the Portland Building is in question. [link] (1) 

 

February: One of my favorite websites is 1000 Awesome Things, a Webby Award winning blog written by Neil Pasricha. [link] 

 

March: The February 2014 issue of ARCHITECT, which is the magazine of the American Institute of Architects, includes a report by contributing editor Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson announcing the AIA’s decision to design an original typeface for its use. [link] 

 

April: Last month’s meeting of the Construction Specifications Institute’s Willamette Valley Chapter featured a presentation by Gabe Cross, LEED AP BD+C about the Living Building Challenge (LBC). [link] 

 

May: Last month’s meeting of the Construction Specifications Institute’s Willamette Valley Chapter featured a presentation by University of Oregon associate professor Virginia Cartwright about the development of luminous themes in the work of Alvar Aalto. [link] 

 

June: There’s more to paint than meets the eye. [link] 

 

July: Every June, the Willamette Valley Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute marks the end of its annual calendar with a celebration to recognize those who contributed to the group’s success in the preceding year. [link] 

 

August: As its appointment with the wrecking ball nears, Eugene’s vacated, mid-century modern city hall finds itself at the center of a fervent debate. [link] 

 

September: AIA-SWO chapter president Scott Clarke, AIA, recently emailed a momentous letter to chapter members. [link] 

 

October: The future of power transmission is here. [link] 

 

November: For its October 2014 meeting, the Willamette Valley Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute enjoyed having Cherise Schacter, CSI, CDT deliver an excellent presentation on social networking basics. [link] 

 

December: The Willamette Valley Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute always endeavors to provide excellent continuing education opportunities to everyone in the local design and construction industry. [link] 

 

*    *    *    *    *    * 

 

Because the monthly CSI chapter meetings I attended occurred near the end of the proceeding month,  more of my first posts each month ended up being about the topic of those meetings. Perhaps I'll jump on a different meme next year to mix things up a bit.

 

Shameless plug: Standing alone, some of these first sentences actually sound intriguing, don’t they? Click on the links to read each month’s entire post.

(1)   FYI, my first entry of 2014 also happened to be my most widely read post of the entire year.