Eat Your Garden!

Ellen Ecker Ogden’s new book, The Complete Kitchen Garden has just come out, and it is worth buying if you are at all interested in growing your own wholesome food.  The book is a great collaboration, bringing together Ellen’s vast knowledge and eloquent writing, Ali Kaukas’ brilliant photographs and a catalogue of watercolor illustrations that I painted.

The New York Times book review states “Ogden’s recipes zero in on the freshest possible ingredients.  If you don’t have a garden when you crack this book open, you’ll be ordering seeds by the time you put it down.”

Ali’s photographs range from the broadly illustrative to the intimate.  Her landscape shots will take you away to warmer days and secret gardens while her close-ups will make your mouth water.  Ellen’s fourteen garden schemes make for delightful watercolor compositions.  Intricate geometries are rendered with a loose hand that brings about colorful interpretation.

More than just an inspiration, this book provides step-by-step instruction on how to develop a beautiful, edible landscape and literally bring the fruits to the table.  You can now purchase copies through Ellen’s website, or at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT.

Designing for Designers

This morning I had the pleasure of working with photographer, Lisa Cueman, and client and designer, Daphne Markcrow on a scouting session at Daphne’s barn conversion.  What a treat it was to have all of that talent coming together from different disciplines.

Craig & Daphne Markcrow were amazing clients.  Craig’s business, Vermont Structural Slate, provided the resources for the beautiful stone slabs and tile we used on the job.  Daphne is the founder and lead designer of the equine –inspired handbag and luggage company, Oughton Limited.  Her understanding of detail and construction paired with a disciplined editorial eye meant that she could clearly articulate her vision. 

The resultant project is so simple and elegant.  It is a reflection of both confidence and sensitivity.  If my job is to provide a portrait of my client through the built environment, the success of this project lies in the simple sophistication that this talented couple exhibits.

Today we hung some of Lisa’s amazing photographs in the space.  Her equine portraits and abstractions were such a natural fit in the space, they looked as though the project had been designed around them.  Check out her work at her website.  

Additional snap-shots that I took at our session can be seen at Ramsay Gourd Architects.

Handsome Little Faucet

Every now and then, I come across a product that gets me excited.  My good friend Frank D’Angeles, at Close to Home recently introduced me to this amazing little company called Watermark Designs.  Located in Brooklyn, NY, this socially and environmentally-conscious business produce all of their products here in the US.  While they manufacture kitchen fittings, and lighting as well, their primary focus is on bathroom fittings.

This little faucet, The Stratford / Waltham, is my favorite new piece to come on the plumbing market.  Evoking the romantic feel of early 20^th century design, it is up-to-date with the precision performance of ceramic cartridges and quarter-turn function. 

Getting Coordinated, Part IV in a series on the design process

It has been quite some time since I updated my blog.  I wanted to bring my readers up to speed on the progress being made on our case study.

Through the photos attached, you can see how the prescriptive bylaws of this seaside community shaped the final building massing.  We were not able to add the shed dormer to the left of the primary gable, as that area falls outside of the building envelop.  The primary roof ridge is pre-existing, but taller than is currently permitted.  This is why I had to step the building down where we extended it to the right.  As architects, our job is to work within the confines of zoning restrictions, client needs, engineering limitations and site context.  We produce our best work when we meet these challenges head-on. 

My last trip to the site was a time for systems coordination.  I have been meeting  with the HVAC contractor, plumber and electrician to coordinate trades and make certain that things like ventilation grilles don’t end up in either unsightly locations or in configurations that are at conflict with how the house will be furnished and used.

By looking at our point of construction, it may seem early.  But all plumbing, lighting and appliance selections should be made by now.  We have assembled comprehensive fixture schedules that are keyed into the drawings.  Once fixtures and finishes  have been selected, we draw them into the interior elevations, indicating tile layouts, lighting and plumbing fixture locations and any other specific product installations that will need to be accommodated.   It is this early coordination that limits the number of costly mistakes that can be made along the way.

Prescritpion for Disaster, part III in a series on the design process

Why is it that in order to preserve the scenic beauty of our towns and villages, bureaucrats feel that regulatory bylaws prescribing anything from building form to landscape detailing will provide the outcome they hope to achieve? I have seen over and again how these restrictive and absolute codes have in fact propagated bad design.

The problem with most of these codes is two-fold. Every building site is different and calls for a different approach to best meet the design goals. And many people will do everything in their power to maximize their personal gain within the framework of the code.

The project I am currently working on in a Mid-Atlantic seaside community has remarkably restrictive and often contradictory zoning bylaws. This tiny town has some of the best seaside Colonial Revival architecture from the early 20th century being torn down to accommodate some of the worst Pseudo-Colonial construction of the 21st century.

Design is a qualitative, and often personal, subject. To attempt to control it formulaically, and not through thoughtful and educated analysis, will only lead to a homogenization of product, defined by its lowest common denominator.

Building Character, part II in a series on the design process

With the interview process behind us, and presumably a contract in place, it is now time move on to the next leg of the design journey. While at Ramsay Gourd Architects, we supply each of our clients with a programming worksheet to get their project aspirations documented, that is not nearly enough. In order to truly capture who they are, and what their aesthetic paradigm is, it is very helpful for me to pay a visit to their home. This house-call typically opens up a huge window into who they are and how they live.

Most clients are proud of their homes, and willingly give me the grand tour. While this is a great tool, equally telling are all of the notable items that they don’t mention. The pile of mail on the counter, the laundry stuffed into the closet because company is coming, and the “land of misfit toys” loaded with exercise equipment, computers, toys and other un-categorized items, are all emblematic of dysfunctional aspects of the home.

With the first few "dates" behind us, and a good understanding of my clients' objectives, I dive quickly into one of my favorite parts of the process. This is when I take out all of the project notes and images that I have amassed on the job, and make a first pass at a solution. I call these initial drawings Character Sketches, and their role is to elicit response. They are quick, and loose and not especially accurate. I like to share these right away to make sure we’re all on the same page before proceeding too far. These sketches become the working title around which we will build our clients’ home specifically for them.

First Date, part I in a series on the design process

“Hi! My name is Celine Johnson. My friend, Emily Dresdan, told me I should call you.” announces the voice on the far end of the phone.

Emily Dresdan? I try to recall.

“I’ve seen what you do on the internet. I think you’re very talented, and I was hoping you could help me out. My husband and I have tried on our own, but we’re just not getting anywhere.”

No amount of Viagra can help Celine and her husband’s woes. What they’re looking for cannot be addressed by Dr Ruth. She needs a design therapist!

“When would you like to get together?” I inquire. And the date is set.

The interview process is perhaps the most important step in developing a healthy client / architect relationship. It is where first impressions are made and expectations are set. It is also the time to determine if it is the right match.

While we have no Match.com perhaps a service like “A-Harmony” that finds common values among architects and clients, wouldn’t be a bad idea. The right partnership will make all the difference. I don’t care how talented a designer you are. If there is not a level of comfort and candor between client and architect, the entire project is doomed to become the designer’s idea of what the client should want.

My advice to prospective clients?

Be prepared: Have a list of your goals, a list of known road-blocks, and most importantly a good clipping file. Images that you have collected and marked up with notes, are perhaps the best way to communicate your ideas.

Be natural: Don’t try to impress. I recall one interview wherein the prospective client showed up so over-detailed in her self-conscious attire, that I had no idea what her natural style was. (However, I couldn’t imagine her shoveling snow in leopard-print gilt-leather jacket and matching boots.)

Be inquisitive: Architects are so comfortable in the design world, they often don’t realize how alienating their archi-speak can be. Don’t be intimidated to ask for explanation.

At the end of the first date, it should be clear to both parties whether there is a future for this couple. It’s important to listen to your gut too. I have gotten involved in projects that I have taken for the wrong reasons, thinking “I didn’t really click with them, but this could lead to something bigger” or “I know we didn’t really connect, but they’re friends with a previous client, whom I like”.

Once you’ve established a good base for your relationship, staying in communication should be easy, and that will make all the difference in the journey to producing a project that truly meets your needs.