Octagon Progress

 

The Octagon, July 2014

For a variety of reasons, I haven’t been able to blog as much as I’d like to lately.(1) Happily, I can repost an Octagon progress update first published this past week as part of AIA-Southwestern Oregon’s Thursdays at Three weekly newsletter. As I reported earlier, work on Eugene’s own “center for architecture” is progressing and coming along quite nicely.

Immediate AIA-SWO past-president Will Dixon, AIA provided the TH@3 report. Will has been the project’s chief advocate and driving force from its beginning. Thanks to his efforts and that of the many who have contributed their time and materials, the Octagon is certain to become a versatile and attractive headquarters for both AIA-SWO and Architects Building Community.

Here’s Will’s update:

July 10^th Octagon Update

by Will Dixon, AIA

• Neal and Justin from Neon Latitudes have completed their artistic lighting installation on the ceiling of the exterior plaza around the Octagon, and are now focusing on the interior. It’s looking great! We’ve received a lot of accolades and positive feedback thus far, and we can’t say enough about how much our chapter appreciates the work these guys have done (and are doing) for our new Center for Architecture. Stop by and take a look if you haven’t seen it yet.
• Kyla and Wayne from Lynn’s Electric continue to be extremely generous with their donations of time and materials, and it has not been an easy job for them getting all of our changing “needs and wants” coordinated and installed. We greatly appreciate their expertise, patience, and positive attitude! 
• Extra track and lighting fixtures for illuminating window displays have been donated by Zach Suchara and Luma Lighting Design in Portland, and graciously picked-up and delivered to my office by some good Portlandia friends of mine who happened to be coming down to visit (thank you Sarah and Al!). These new parts and pieces now need to be coordinated with Bob from Gary Pierce Painting to be painted dark bronze to match the color of the storefront window frames.
• Some of the beautiful ceiling panels (graciously donated by 9Wood!) needed to be modified slightly, so there’s been some shifting around up there of the panels, along with a multitude of necessary minor tweakings of adjacent parts & pieces—the ceiling grid itself (thank you May or May Not Construction!); the Big Ass Fan (thank you BAF!); the heating ductwork (thank you Harvey & Price!); all for better alignment and centering.
• We’ve also prepped the space for future installation of an overhead projector, drop-down screen, and speakers. Note: we are currently seeking donations and/or help with these items, so if you have any leads please let me know. This A/V equipment of course will be used for future Luncheon-Learns, seminars and other professional presentations, movie nights, and more!
• Carl Oslund and Anna Collins of Oslund Design have put together a comprehensive set of design concepts for all of the various signage and environmental graphics for the Octagon, and it’s starting to take shape and look really cool. Their time, effort, know-how, and support have been tremendous with branding our new CFA—let alone they’re a lot of fun to work with as well!

(1) The reasons I haven't spent as much time blogging as I normally do include office and extracurricular commitments; however, the primary reason is the discomfort I’ve been experiencing in my neck and across my shoulders, and also down my right arm and hand. I’ve suspected it is the result of ergonomic issues (which I’m trying to correct) and the large amount of computer work I do every day. My blogging will be light for a while until the symptoms subside.       

2014 CSI-Willamette Valley Chapter Awards Banquet

2013-2014 WVC-CSI president Tana Baker (2nd from left) with award recipients Alorie Mayer, Steven Leuck, Marina Wrensch, Trixie Deines, and Brian Hamilton.

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. Feeling especially munificent, 2013-2014 Chapter President Tana Baker, CSI, bestowed a record number of honors at this year's awards banquet, which took place on June 26. The common thread tying all the awards together was the recipients’ unstinting efforts to champion the message regarding the benefits CSI has to offer everyone in the construction industry.

Here’s the list of this year’s awards, conferred by Tana with her characteristic good humor and bubbly enthusiasm:

Special Awards:

Steven Leuck – President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your consistent, high quality commitment, of service as President Elect the past year from places afar, I present the Travel Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Randy Nishimura - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your passionate enthusiasm for CSI, your positive thinking and master skill in making a difference (one twitter at a time) for the good of the chapter, I present the Tweet Award on the 26th day of June,

2014.

Tom Deines - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your “I’m just saying” passion for excellence, “My Two Cents Worth” knowledgeable input, “I’m Weighing In Very Late” approach, and “My 25 Cents Worth” from the “Old Gray Haired One,” I present the I’m Not The Government But Here To Help Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Alorie Mayer - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your passionate enthusiasm for CSI, your boundless energy to promote the Chapter to everyone you see, I present the Ambassador Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Loren Berry - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

 For your “Cool Hand Luke” approach to CSI, your positive thinking, sharing and mastering the best angle to make things better for the good of the chapter, I present the Best Shot Award (Photography) on the 26th day of June, 2014.

David Jones - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your consistent, quality of work producing the Documentor, I present the Behind - The - Scenes Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Larry Banks - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your consistent, quality and dependable work with the website, I present the SEO Award (Search Engine Optimization) on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Zach Rix - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

 For your commitment to pick up the ball and run with the responsibility of Program Chair, I present the Outfielder Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Marina Wrensch - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your important contributions as the Membership Committee Chair, thoughtful outreach to Emerging Professionals this past year and organizational skills for outside activities with other organizations, I present the Outreach Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Trixie Deines - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For your outstanding diligence, patience and service as our “No, you can’t do that” Chief Financial Officer of the chapter, I present the Babysitter Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Allen Wright - President’s Certificate of Merit and Appreciation –

For the wisdom, dedication and personal contributions for the 3C Conference, I present the President Service Award on the 26th day of June, 2014.

Paul Edlund – Chapter Service Award -

For your commitment of attending Willamette Valley’s Awards Banquet for “49 Years” (not missing a single one) and teaching the CDT/CCS Certification Class for “44 Years”, I present the Honorable President Service Award on this 26th day of June, 2014.

Chapter Service Awards:

Brian Hamilton

For your advice, wisdom and service as Past President, I present the Certificate of Appreciation

Linn West

For your commitment to the mission of CSI and service as Certification Committee Co-Chair, I present the Certificate of Appreciation

Marina Wrensch

In appreciation for your passionate and devoted service as this year’s Secretary and dedication to the CSI mission – I present the Certificate of Appreciation

Trixie Deines

 In appreciation for your dedication to the CSI mission and service as this year’s Treasurer, I present the Certificate of Appreciation

Zach Rix

For your willingness to join the team, your excellent efforts organizing events and highly successful monthly presentations, I present the President Service Award

Alorie Mayer

In appreciation for your willingness to tackle diverse responsibilities, fill in where needed, negotiate for the best interest of the Chapter and commitment to service as Director, and House Committee Chair, I present the President Service Award

Steven Leuck

For your consistent, service as President Elect the past year, I present the Certificate of Appreciation

Additionally, Tana presented some “unique” awards to many of these same individuals. These included bags of peanuts to members of the “peanut gallery,” people like myself who were not formal members of the 2013-2014 chapter board or chaired a chapter committee but weren’t shy about offering advice or opinions on chapter matters. They also included cans of Mountain Dew to those who exemplified the “can do” attitude that was a theme of Tana’s tenure.

I received a President's Certificate of Merit and Appreciation. Thanks Tana!

The backdrop for the awards banquet was the Center for Meeting & Learning at Lane Community College’s Downtown Campus (DTC). As one of the many team members responsible for the design and construction of the DTC, I helped conduct an educational tour of the LEED Platinum facility following Tana’s presentation of the chapter awards. I was ably assisted by Mike Sager and Riley Allen of Lease Crutcher Lewis, the construction manager/general contractor for the $42 million project.   

Speaking of Lease Crutcher Lewis, the company generously supported the awards banquet as a Gold-level sponsor. Additional sponsors included DCI Consulting Engineers, Twin Rivers Plumbing, Contractors Electric, and Capital Engineering & Consulting. 

Tana’s successful reign as chapter president is now in the books. As I commented at the banquet, Steven Leuck, CSI, CDT has big shoes to fill but I know he’ll do a great job as Tana’s successor. A year from now, I’ll undoubtedly be reporting about how Steven was happy to likewise share his appreciation for the help he received during his time at the helm of our chapter.

Integrating Construction

Axonometric drawing by MLTW depicting the framing system for one of the units of Condominium No. 1, Sea Ranch, CA

Whenever I read Bill Kleinsasser’s words, I’m reminded about how multivalent and challenging what we do as architects is. His premise was always that our work reveals what we have considered, and that our goal should be to take into account all that should be considered in design and do it well.

The palette architects work with includes various types of structural systems. If we select them appropriately and employ them with style, skill, and grace, the potential for these systems to contribute to the making of great architecture is boundless.  

That being said, Bill wanted his students to appreciate how good places are an inclusive integration. He repeatedly told us how successfully integrating construction systems contributes to establishing a lucid outline for the whole. We learned that making architecture, let alone a great building or place, requires tremendous discipline. At the same time, Bill made sure we understood we could not seriously consider a particular structural system to the exclusion of other essential concerns. With Bill’s guidance, we discovered how important it is to respond to many frames of reference at once and throughout the design process. This was his definition of Synthesis.

Establishing a Primary Structure

If the construction system of a building does not define the intended spatial order of the building, it will confuse it. The construction system has to be there, so it either does or does not articulate the intended order of the whole. To integrate construction and spatial order, the designer must unite two understandings: understanding of spatial intent and understanding of essential constructional discipline.

Spatial intent includes the rooms, sub-rooms, zones, paths, services, relationships, contextual connections, and conditions of daylight that need to be defined.

The essential discipline of a construction system includes:

• Materials (their strength and character)
• How vertical support is provided and how often (this establishes maximum spans)
• How lateral support is provided and where—diagonal bracing, shear walls, rigid frame, or a combination—this support must be multidirectional and distributed in a balanced manner 
• Directionality of the system—if there is any
• Inherent shape and geometry of the system, especially the roof
• Need for material continuity or unbroken mass—this will identify where vertical and horizontal openings can and cannot be made
• Capacity for variation, inflection, and addition
• How the system meets the ground

 Actions:

• Determine spatial intent (use the diagram of operational laws).
• Consider the essential disciplines of several likely systems of construction.
• Choose a system of construction where discipline is compatible with spatial intent. Also consider: a) fireproofness; b) perceived character—color, texture, softness, strength, gestalt; c) availability; d) long and short-term cost; e) feasibility; f) legality.
• Diagram the essential spatial discipline of the system. Describe vertical support, lateral support, inherent directionality, inherent geometry and shape (especially in the roof), possible openings, possible inflections and additions, inherent ground joint.
• Follow the discipline of the constructional system as the building is developed. Remember, you may stretch this discipline but you may not break it.
• Establish vertical and horizontal chases with columns and shear walls (hollow primary structure is better than solid for distribution of pipes, ducts, wires, elevators, toilets, storage space, and other service).
• Make several three-dimensional models of just the primary system of construction (the permanent, load-bearing system). This will allow testing of how well the primary system defines spatial intent. Check its performance in regard to all aspects of spatial intent.
• Make the primary construction system vivid as well as clear.

 The Sea Ranch condominium project by MLTW offers further explanation:

The construction system in the Sea Ranch is a 2-directional wood post-and-beam system with a wood plank roof deck and a wood plank curtain wall. The roof is a moderately pitched shed. Lateral support is provided by evenly distributed, multi-directional wood braces, which occur above the height of eight feet. “Hollow structure” isn’t needed.

The system was selected because it could provide:

• Maximum internal openness
• A strong framework (perceptually and actually)
• A simple roof shape (easy to combine with other similar shapes)
• Maximum opportunity for wall openings below the height of eight feet
• Softness of material (compared to concrete or steel)
• Rich color and texture
• Low initial cost
• Easy maintenance

The essential discipline of the system (the requirements that had greatest impact on spatial organization) included the following:

• Vertical supports had to occur at intervals of approximately 16 feet or less in two directions (given the beam depth that was considered appropriate) and be sufficiently stiff to resist bending.
• Overhead lateral bracing had to point in all directions and be distributed in a balanced manner.
• Wood members had to be kept out of contact with moisture.

Though very simple, this essential outline came into play very early and remained a significant organizational force throughout design. As a discipline, it was stretched but not broken.

WK/1988

From Concept to Reality

Members of Robertson/Sherwood/Architects tour the University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Expansion project work site, June 10, 2014) 

My coworkers at Robertson/Sherwood/Architects (RSA) and I recently took advantage of a perfect late spring day to tour the University of Oregon’s Student Recreation Center (SRC) Expansion jobsite. The $50 million project is currently the largest our office has under construction. As always, the opportunity to visit a construction site to see a building we’ve designed emerge from concept to reality is a special treat. This is especially true for the younger members of our office who may be less familiar with the realities of construction and the consequences of decisions made during the design process. I likewise found the visit informative since I am not one of the members of the SRC project team.

Rendering of the University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Expansion project

Carl Sherwood, AIA is the RSA principal-in-charge for the SRC project and also our firm’s primary liaison with the builders and the university during the construction period. Carl led our tour of the jobsite, along with Dave Quivey, project manager for Howard S. Wright Construction.(1)

Carl Sherwood, AIA (left) of Robertson/Sherwood/Architects and Dave Quivey of Howard S. Wright Construction discuss a point during our tour of the Student Recreation Center Expansion project.

The students of the University of Oregon approved the renovation and expansion of the SRC primarily because of how much they value its importance to campus life and their well-being. The center was previously designed to accommodate only 2,500 people per day but daily usage had increased in recent years to between 4,500 and 6,500 students, faculty, and staff. This resulted in tremendous overcrowding and user frustration. Also, barriers to accessibility existed and, because of obsolete building systems, large portions of the SRC were functionally inefficient and costly to maintain.

The following are some of the key highlights of this student-funded project:

• 110,000 square feet of new space
• 40,000 square feet of renovated space
• An expanded fitness space (weights and cardio space will double in size)
• New group exercise and yoga studios
• A new cycling studio
• An additional 3-court gym (more capacity for basketball, volleyball, and badminton)
• A 12-lane lap pool (used for lap swimming, water polo, water aerobics, and instructional classes)
• A 3-lane recreational pool (water volleyball & basketball, and instructional classes)
• 1 whirlpool spa
• New and expanded 2-story locker rooms with private showers
• New social and lounge spaces
• A target of LEED Gold certification

For more information about our team's design for the SRC, check out this video tour of the future facility:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF5UdK8vK6s

Presently, construction of the SRC is about halfway complete. Howard S. Wright (HSW) initiated work onsite late last summer, and promises to have the facility ready for its grand opening early next year. HSW has finished erecting all of the structural steel framing for the additions, so it was easy for us to envision the various spaces, including such volumes as the new gymnasiums and the new natatorium. With the major structural work now in the rearview mirror, HSW has ramped up the level of construction activity considerably, with many dozens of skilled tradesmen and women now working side-by-side on the crowded site. Overall, the construction progress is impressive and the project is looking good!

To ease referencing of documents during construction, employees of Howard S. Wright Construction can access hyper-linked, always updated, electronic drawing files and specifications at an onsite computer workstation .

Like several of our most significant projects, our design for the Student Recreation Center Expansion is the product of a collaboration.(2) RSA may be the Architect-of-Record but we share credit for the facility’s design equally with RDG Planning & Design of Des Moines, IA and Poticha Architects of Eugene. RDG is one of the nation’s leading designers of campus recreation facilities. The firm boasts an impressive portfolio, including student recreation centers for the University of Florida, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, Montclair State University, and the University of North Carolina. The eponymously named Poticha Architects is headed by the curmudgeonly Otto Poticha, FAIA, who needs no introduction to readers of this blog.

The smiling crew of Robertson/Sherwood/Architects at the conclusion of our construction tour. Standing out in his orange vest is Carl Sherwood, AIA, principal-in-charge for the SRC project.

I’m always surprised by how builders translate our abstract visions with such fidelity into very real, brick and mortar buildings. Every line we draw (or more accurately these days, every virtual component we model) is ultimately executed as a fabricated or assembled element that must perform as we intended it to. Each design decision we make is consequential. It’s this point that is perhaps the most valuable lesson every young intern must learn.

Want to ensure a design concept is faithfully translated into reality? Don’t be cavalier about your duties as an architect or designer. The devil is in the details. Make sure your design documentation is clear, concise, complete, and correct. Doing so will always pay dividends once construction begins.

(1)  Howard S. Wright’s role is as the project’s Construction Manager/General Contractor. The University of Oregon favors the CM/GC project delivery method (also known as “CM at Risk”) for its largest projects for a number of reasons. These include the collaborative nature of the CM process, the potential to accelerate the design and construction phases of the project, and because the CM provides the university with a guaranteed maximum price.

(2)  The Eugene Public Library and the Lane Community College Downtown Campus are two other noteworthy examples of projects in which we partnered with other architects. We thoroughly enjoy opportunities to collaborate with notable, talented firms. We learn from these experiences, bolster our own portfolio, and win commissions we otherwise would have little chance of securing by ourselves.

Architecture is Awesome #5: Integrated Art

 

Cornice detail of the Wainwright Building (1890) by Adler & Sullivan

This is another in my series of posts inspired by 1000 Awesome Things, the Webby Award winning blog written by Neil Pasricha. The series is my meditation on the awesome reasons why I was and continue to be attracted to the art of architecture. 

Many throughout history have regarded architecture to be the “mother of all arts” because master builders significantly employed the contributions of painters, sculptors, and decorative artists in their projects. These contributions enhanced architecture through the use of imagery, color, pattern, texture, and symbolism. Awesome examples abound, ranging from ancient Egyptian and Greek temples to towering Art Deco skyscrapers. The best of these integrated art so thoroughly that it would be inseparable from the overall architectural expression.

The use of art to enrich architecture followed a strange trajectory with the ascendancy of Modernism during the early decades of the 20^th century. Modernist idealogues demonized ornamentation of any sort, branding it as superfluous and even immoral.(1) They effectively purged applied art and ornament as integral elements from their work. They would eventually be abetted in this cause by the full complicity of the fine art world’s avant garde, an elite caste who valued the autonomy of their work above all else and shared an indifference to site-specific installations. The not surprising outcome would be generations of visually impoverished buildings.   

The canon of Modernism was so strong that this bias against the ornamentation of architecture still largely prevails today. Of course, there was artistry in the naked arrangement and rhythm of building components and the exactitude and precision of the machine-like detailing of much Modern architecture. Likewise, skilled Modernists often utilized the inherent character of the materials they used (such as wood, stone, and concrete) to decorative effect. The problem was many people simply failed to embrace the asceticism of Modern architecture. The buildings did not speak a language they understood.   

Among other things prompted by the predictable backlash to the severity of Modernism was the inception of the GSA’s Art in Architecture Program in 1963, as well as numerous “percent for art” programs at the state and municipal levels (including here in Oregon and Eugene). The goals of these programs included funding the acquisition of works of art to enhance new or renovated buildings. Typically, the “percent for art” programs commissioned artist-designed elements intended to humanize and particularize Modern architecture (which by then had become the dominant idiom for this nation’s civic and institutional buildings).

Initially, the results of these programs would mostly fail to ameliorate the schism between art and architecture. Selection committees (sometimes dominated by art cognoscenti rather than laypersons) tended to favor proposals for stand-alone pieces by fine artists they knew and admired. Derisive critics would label many of these installations as “plop art” because they could have been located anywhere. These works were not specific to the architecture or the place of which they were a part.   

Some noteworthy recent projects—including the Morphosis-designed Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse here in Eugene—perpetuate the separation of commissioned art from architecture. In the case of our federal courthouse, the art pieces (which are excellent in their own right and feature regionally inspired motifs) are not incomplete without their setting, and vice-versa. I do not consider them to be integral to the design of the building.

Art glass by John Rose at the Eugene Public Library (2002)

Over the years, the tendency to distinguish art from the architecture it is meant to embellish has diminished somewhat. Even so, most projects fail to achieve a level of integration that was commonplace before the advent of Modern architecture. A case in point is my own experience with the choosing of artists during the design of the Eugene Public Library. Our team purposefully attempted to match opportunities for integrating art with the many candidates who submitted proposals for consideration by the art selection committee. We were only partially successful in this regard; overall though the combined result is an enrichment of the experience of being at the Library, and I’m happy for that.

Perhaps the best means of expressing what I believe defines integrated art is to invoke Richard Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (translated as total work of art, ideal work of art, universal artwork, synthesis of the arts, comprehensive artwork, or all-embracing art form). In architectural terms then, a building that embodies Gesamtkunstwerk may be one that makes use of many art forms to achieve its aesthetic effect.

I also would characterize integrated art as being site-specific, holistic, and serving in both spatial and symbolic roles. It is not extraneous. It is art conceived for, dependent upon, and inseparable from its context. It is not autonomous and is not meant to be understood without the architecture of which it is a part. It is most decidedly not “plop art.”

Integrated art serves as ornament as much as it does art in the strictest sense. Though art purists might disagree, I believe ornament that contributes meaning is art, especially if it humanizes and particularizes the architecture. It is art if it engages us and draws us into a building’s spatial narrative. Like art, ornament can represent things and actions that do not necessarily originate in utility. On the other hand, the ornament I appreciate most is intrinsic to the building’s function and materials. In my opinion, the most effective ornament serves as a force that unifies the many elements that we assemble to create architecture.

A useful function of ornament is to provide coherence to the forms of our buildings and the spaces they shape by employing an ordered hierarchy of scales. Additionally, ornament serves to unify disparate surfaces through the use of repeating patterns. Ornament performs this function whether it conveys meaning or otherwise fulfills a semantic function.

Today’s adherents of Modernism might still throw up in their mouths a little at the very concept of ornament or the co-opting of fine art for decorative effect. I thoroughly understand Modern architecture and its philosophical underpinnings, and I am a big fan when its practitioners execute their work in an especially sophisticated and well-considered fashion. I just don’t think the integration of art should have to be an “either/or” situation.  We can stylishly (and we are talking about a matter of “style” here) meld art and Modern architecture.

In the spirit of Gesamtkunstwerk, architects should welcome genuine collaborations with artists in the creation of total works of art. I for one would enthusiastically accept every opportunity to integrate their work and input. One day perhaps, we’ll ask why it was even necessary to mandate art-in-architecture programs to begin with, or why simply purchasing art without regard for the architecture it is intended to enrich was the default condition. The promise of truly integrating art in our buildings is simply too AWESOME to not embrace.

(1)  In his famous 1910 essay Ornament and Crime, Austrian architect Adolf Loos proclaimed "The evolution of culture marches with the elimination of ornament from useful objects." 

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