NSPJ Architects’ Post

Article: Explore how Design Thinking principles can be incorporated to create spaces that foster innovation. “Spaces come to life and have meaning through their occupants and when they are in use. So, to a certain extent, every building is different and the designer needs to understand both the collective culture of the building’s occupants and what they want to achieve in order to make successful spaces that foster a particular type of response.” - Jonathan Ray https://lnkd.in/dNg5RmBk

NEW BLOG POST // A year of firsts: life as a graduate student & intern Keely Ashton, our Architectural Intern, reflects on balancing the first year of her Master’s program with her role at Shelter! 🎓✍️ Read the full post below:

Discover the transformative power of #mentorship in #interiordesign with insights from International Interior Design Association. From guidance to inspiration, mentors play a crucial role in shaping careers. Learn more about the impact of mentorship in the design industry. https://bit.ly/3Uzbqhj #iands #designcommunity

#homebuyingtip "It has a crack in the brick wall. I wouldn't". It may look bad. Expansion of materials and pressure points in the structure can cause damage just like the tallest library. To the untrained eye, it may seem like a huge deal. Regular maintenance is needed at most in most cases. Even I have a crack in my kitchen ceiling that never stays "repaired". Every summer it appears. Every 3 years, I fix the spot in the middle of a framing transition between the old and newer sections of the house at Christmas when my in-laws are in town. There's nothing wrong except for the way the addition and original structure are framed together. Wood can expand as much as 1 inch in 40 feet. A 1/4 inch by 20 inch crack across the 10 foot ceiling can look pretty ominous. It's a natural thing to happen due to the design. There are ways to cover it up or install an expansion joint and reduce the maintenance to virtually nothing. So look at the green potential of the house. Determine the green attributes of the entire house that has a little crack. It might be worth it to do a little more than a lot. You should ask the sellers for the GAPScore HomeReport PDF. https://www.umass.edu/

Dreaming Architecture: From Chicago to The World Is the American dream any different to the British dream or the German? I had a dream in Chicago in 1988; on my arrival, before starting as an architectural intern at Skidmore Owings & Merrill at 33 W Monroe. It was about looking for the building of Helmut Jahn; the Postmodernist Thompson Center. It was not to be found; but another building did appear that seemed to honour water. It was black ,lit with sunlight and showed dark greys in the shadow and greens from the reflection of the water. It was not until much later in my career/education that I stumbled on a similar construction, in a lecture at the Architectural Association. Peter Cook and Christine Hawley were presenting their Osaka Folly, built in 1990 in Japan. Of course I did go to the Thompson Center, where they issued my Social Security Card. I was taken that the vast space that escaped the laws of fire protection, due to it being a governmental building. It too had taken the lives of 5 construction workers. A cable lowering a bucket carrying six construction workers at the building site broke, hurling five of them 80 feet to their deaths and seriously injuring the sixth. I had a dream that I could understand architecture and become an architect. #ArchitectureDreams #AmericanDream #BritishDream #GermanDream #ChicagoArchitecture #SkidmoreOwingsMerrill #HelmutJahn #ThompsonCenter #PeterCook #ChristineHawley #OsakaFolly #ArchitecturalJourney #DreamsAndBuildings #ArchitecturalInternship #PostmodernArchitecture #BuildingDreams #ArchitectLife #ArchitecturalInspiration #UrbanDesign #ArchitectureLovers #ArchitecturalHistory #ConstructionStories #ArchitecturalPassion #DreamToArchitect #CityScapes

Hello, I just thought about sharing a project I did for an internship opportunity last year. It is a conceptual design of a shading unit inspired by nature. Utilizing the biomimicry concept to respond to our climate actively, this conceptual design stands as a testament to our intrinsic connection with the natural world. As a tutor in the graduation project staff team in my department this year, I found that a lot of students are exploring the various possibilities of designing the envelope of their buildings in response to different aspects, especially the climatic one. So, I think this might be inspiring. I believe, as architects, we are not merely creators but also humble students of nature's grandeur. We should listen more to its whispers and weave its wisdom into our creations. Enjoy the Project… #Biomimicry #SustainableArchitecture #EnvironmentalDesign #NatureInspired #BuildingEnvelope #ClimateResponsive #InnovativeDesign #EnergyEfficiency #ConceptualDesign #ArchitecturalInnovation #GraduationProject #ArchitectureEducation #Tutor # TeachingAssistant #Mentorship #StudentProjects #ArchitecturalDesign #DesignEducation #ArchitectureStudents #EducationalSupport #Graduation2024

The exterior design of this #building helps the structure blend in with its surroundings. #landscape

For anyone looking for tangible insights about the future of higher education, you definitely want to watch this latest Alternative Conversation: Attracting the New Higher Ed Learner! Education is changing and so are the demands for learning environments both on and off campus! Huge thank you to Bryan Alexander, Marianne Lewis, and Fiona Grandowski for an incredible discussion featuring topics like the future of lifelong learning, , upskilling, university partnerships, the hybrid classroom, and well-being resources for both students and teachers. https://lnkd.in/g3DiP_Uj

🌟 Unlock the power of #mentorship in #InteriorDesign with insights from International Interior Design Association! 💡 Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your journey, mentorship plays a crucial role in shaping your #career. Discover why mentorship matters and how it can elevate your #design journey. Click the link to learn more! https://bit.ly/3Uzbqhj #DesignJourney #ProfessionalDevelopment #IIDA #iands

I concluded my time as a summer intern at Newman Architects, PC with a research presentation on the childhood home. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to dedicate part of my time toward independent research on a topic of my choice while working with Newman Architects, PC. Not only do I find this enriching, but this experience has also allowed me to interact and gain deeper relationships with colleagues by organizing sketching studies and getting advice about my materials. I took a personal approach to this research topic as I have felt a deep connection to the way my childhood home shaped the way I think as a designer and I wanted to understand this in a meaningful way. After I read the book "The Architecture of Happiness" in my home during covid, I was struck by its poetic writing about space, and saw my home in a new light. I felt I could write about my home in this way, the details such as the countertops influenced me in such a way as a child to feel space differently. I took on the task of studying architecture and psychology to find reasoning behind the way I interpret aspects of my home and how the ways I was inventive as a child shaped me as a designer now. One of the deliverables I chose to create was a drawing on mylar of my childhood home from memory, with layers of memories in every space, to view the spaces conceptually in a psychological way. I find this topic fascinating, I led the office to draw their childhood home from memory and it opened up new conversations and opinions that helped us think about the topic with a different perspective. #research #summerintern #architecture #spaceandemotion