I’ve led
a charmed professional life. When I eventually retire and reflect upon my
career, I’ll enjoy recounting my involvement with some really significant and
challenging projects. These include world’s fair pavilions (for Expo ’86 in
Vancouver, during my time with Bing Thom Architects); a competition-winning civic center (for Oceanside, CA,
while working with the Urban Innovations Group under the design leadership of Charles W. Moore); and the Eugene Public Library, the Springfield Justice Center, and Lane Community College’s Downtown Campus, among others (all since joining Robertson/Sherwood/Architects in
1988). All of these notable design commissions are ones any architect would have
yearned for.
As
substantial as these important projects may be in my portfolio, my good fortune
as an architect has also involved a lot of work that is far less prominent.
These include minor renovations, facility assessments, accessibility
improvements, building envelope repairs, and no-nonsense space planning
exercises. These unassuming projects actually comprise a sizable share of Robertson/Sherwood/Architects’
work and annual billings. They’re our “bread-and-butter” assignments—prosaic, everyday
problems to be solved, but no less important to us or our clients than any of our larger jobs.
RSA is
a small firm in a relatively small city, so we cannot afford to eschew routine
work that may appear outwardly tedious or uninteresting to some architects. Our
practice needs to be diverse. We avoid over-specialization simply because there
aren’t enough jobs in any one project type to go around in our market. We
embrace most every commission, no matter how modest, because each one helps to pay
the bills and keep our doors open. These everyday projects also present us with
opportunities to sharpen or expand our skills, learn through experience, and
grow as professionals. We fundamentally approach all of our bread-and-butter
work with the same enthusiasm we bring to our more conspicuous efforts.
Application of the new exterior coating in progress on Olive Plaza. Western Partitions, Inc. was the contractor for the exterior improvements.
An excellent
example of these mainstay jobs is our recently completed Olive Plaza Seismic Upgrade & Exterior Improvements project. Christian Church Homes of Oregon is the
building’s owner, and Viridian Management is its
operator. Olive Plaza is a 12-story tall, HUD-subsidized apartment building
located in downtown Eugene. It accommodates low-income seniors and individuals with
physical disabilities in one-bedroom, self-contained apartments. The project
involved increasing the building’s capacity to withstand earthquakes, and also
the application of a new elastomeric coating and replacement of sealants to
secure its walls against water infiltration. RSA’s duties included bringing on
board a structural design consultant familiar with the shortcomings and idiosyncrasies
of Olive Plaza’s lift-slab construction, developing a prudent and cost-conscious solution to its
problem with leaky walls, assisting with the selection of a construction
manager/general contractor (CM/GC), and generally shepherding the project from
beginning to end.
The new exterior color scheme for Olive Plaza is meant to provide "disruptive" camouflage, breaking down the building so that it appears less massive.
We
helped assemble an excellent project team: Miyamoto International (and
particularly Miyamoto principal Bob Glasgow, SE) provided world-class structural engineering expertise; Carole Knapel of Knapel &
Associates ensured the project successfully navigated HUD’s labyrinthine
financing and approval processes; and Chambers Construction (led by project manager
John Wright and site superintendent Mel Taylor) fulfilled the duties of the
CM/GC in exemplary fashion.
One of the hundreds of new column to slab connectors designed by Miyamoto International. The connector provides enhanced lateral force resistance.
Fiber-reinforced polymer strips tie different areas of the floor slabs together.
Undoubtedly,
the biggest factor in the project’s success was our client. We’ve worked with
Christian Church Homes and Olive Plaza for many years. Over those years, we’ve
helped them address a variety of improvements and planning projects, in
addition to the seismic upgrade and exterior repairs. A constant throughout
every project has been how absolutely enjoyable it has been to work with the
key people associated with Olive Plaza. To a person, they have
been a delight. They’re appreciative of the skills and expertise we bring to
their projects. They’re preternaturally good-natured. Their amiable ways rub
off on everyone they interact with, not only the residents but also every
vendor or contractor with whom they conduct business.
We derive
a great amount of satisfaction from working with good people. Good people make
even the most challenging and seemingly banal projects a pleasure. If anything,
our decision to accept a bread-and-butter project comes down to who it is we
will be working with and for.
Members of the Olive Plaza team gathered for an end-of-project celebration.
I
remember when I first realized much of the work done by architects is anything
but glamorous. It happened during the time I worked for the Office of
Facilities & Campus Development at the British Columbia Institute of Technology between my sophomore and junior
years of architecture school. My job involved interacting with the architects
hired by BCIT to carry out exactly the same types of projects I now manage with
Robertson/Sherwood/Architects. I was taken aback by the realization architects
had to deal with such lowly concerns as reconfiguring the access to a laboratory
storage room or determining whether three employees could fit comfortably
within an office initially intended to house only two. Really? Was this my
future? I would soon learn the answer is, yes, it very much would be. I would also find
that within the humblest of projects lies a kernel defining the architect’s
role for any undertaking, large or small.
In
many respects, bread-and-butter projects are no different than the big, high-profile
jobs coveted by every architect. After all, like any prestigious project, bread-and-butter
jobs demand creative problem solving and an ability to see the big picture.
They require a commitment to providing the best possible client service. They require
translating real-world needs into functional, beautiful solutions. With every
bread-and-butter project comes the opportunity for us to demonstrate our professionalism,
talent, and ingenuity.
At the
risk of sounding hackneyed, I take pride in doing a job well, no matter what
that job might entail. All of the ingredients necessary for my professional
satisfaction are present in every project I am involved with. It’s a matter of
bringing the correct perspective and a positive attitude to the table. Far from
being tiresome, I find our “bread-and-butter” work truly meaningful and highly gratifying.
