Chicago Studio Book - Stevan Romo

CHICAGO STUDIO FALL2014

STEVAN ROMO

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 Journal 02 Urban Mapping 03 The Pilsen Material Recovery Facility 04 Pro-practice lectures 05 Interviews 06 Memories

JOURNAL

Summary: The most important things I did every day regarding Chicago Studio, architecture and some personal achievements.

01

GREC Architects

Located in 645 N Michigan Ave Literally new office from GREC, is an open office where all of the partners and architects work together.

Here is where I work, I usually work with Aime Cruz, also part of Chicago studio.

But we interact almost twice a week with the rest of the group.

CHICAGO

Week 1 Wednesday, September 3 (Day 1) I’m still in Monterrey, finally I have my visa, the Chicago Studio started on August 25, and I will be almost two weeks late.

Thursday, September 4 (Day 2) Took the 7:00 am plane to Chicago, I got to the apartment by noon I got to know a little bit of the city that day.

Friday, September 5 (Day 3) I came to GREC office for the first time, they had just moved literally the day before; Aime and me helped with putting boxes out, moving things, putting things away and in order. Got to meet several people here, and actually they invited us to eat with them. Later that day we went to von Weise Associates (VWA) there was a pin-up. David Mason (urban planning) presented “The resurrection project” which takes place in Pilsen, and is where we will be working. The Industrial Design students also gave their presentation about the project they will be doing. Architects and Interior Design gave individual presentations “exploiting an idea” between the weeks lecture and Pilsen. There where a few people as “judges”; Chip von Weise, Andrew Balster, Charles, and several people from VWA.

Saturday, September 6 (Day 4) We went to the Museum of modern art, to see the architectural expositions, the building and explore some of the art that was showing. The painting “American Gothic” by Grant Wood was unavailable at the time. Again I got to visit part of the city of Chicago, explored it.

Sunday, September 7 (Day 5)

NEW CITY - NEW OFFICE

Chicago Skyline.

GREC Architects office.

Reflection: A fresh start is always good. This program will help me learn new things, get to know new people and will definitely give me experience for the working world in the near future.

Week 2 Monday, September 8 (Day 6) Technically my first day in GREC, we have a new assignment and we worked on planning how we will execute it.

The assignment was getting to know Pilsen (explore it) with only one sense, and we had to pick 2 of 5. We went to Pilsen recorded and took notes for what we were going to do next. We chose Sight and Hearing.

Tuesday, September 9 (Day 7) We had a Pro-Practice Lecture from Charles Chambers he work in GREC. The meeting took place in the AIA from 12:00pm to 2:00 pm. His lecture was about Contemporary Society, but in a way that it was his way of looking and understanding it. Aime and me came back to GREC. We had a Desk Crit/Review with Andrew about what we had for Friday, he really pushes us to go as far as we can, which is perfect because in a way we forget about limits, and it was a Radical Conjecture.

Wednesday, September 10 (Day 8) All of the 18 students from Chicago Studio (CS) came to GREC. Don one of the associate partners gave the intro of the firm to us, and explained how they work, why they are not as big as other firms, and showed us a few projects here in the US and outside the US. Then had a few minutes for questions and answers. After that since all 18 where here we have our self-presentation “Self Pecha Kucha” which consists in 20 slides and each slide changes after 20 seconds. The motive of this was so we all get to know the background of all of the students. Because of time we reduced the time of the slides to 8 seconds. It was fast, but we actually discussed that it was interesting, because you know more about the people now, which is great because we are a big group.

Thursday, September 11 (Day 9) The Chicago Studio (CS) went to von Weise Associates (VWA) Chip von Weise gave the intro. He showed us how his process of designing, he specializes in residential but also has different projects. He showed us different projects that he worked in and was working in. We also had some minutes for questions and answers. Aime and I came back to GREC after the Intro at VWA to continue working and finish the Radical Conjecture for the next day.

Friday, September 12 (Day 10) We got to GREC and helped with a few things, because they are still things to order in the office. We got my computer setup for printing, we printed the 2 maps from the Radical Conjecture, and saved the videos. After a while we went to CannonDesign (CD) each team (divided by host firm) presented to everyone, their maps and their process of how they got there. The ID’s also presented an advance on their project. After we all presented there was a “Round robin” so people who went to the meeting talked individually to each of the teams and gave feedback. We had feedback from people from SOM, CD, and other people. The hard part is to get all the feedback and choose what we thought it was best for us.

Saturday, September 13 (Day 11) Sunday, September 14 (Day 12)

RADICAL CONJECTURE 2

Radical “maps” explaining Pilsen with two of the five senses: Sight and Hearing.

RADICAL CONJECTURE 2

The assignment was getting to know Pilsen (explore it) with only one sense, and we had to pick two out of five. This is the correction of the other two maps. There are also two videos that support this maps, and how they were made.

Reflection: Experiencing a site with only one sense at a time can really make you focus in more detailed things.

Week 3 Monday, September 15 (Day 13) That day Aime and me went to VWA, to work with Tom and Nancy on the next assignment, which in our case was a research on Pilsen. We all 4 had a meeting with Andrew before, and we had little research from the internet; we decided to go to the library where we got some really interesting books, about 15 of them. We found maps from the 1920 until 2000 and some interesting readings about Chicago’s industry and most important Pilsen’s industry.

Tuesday, September 16 (Day 14) After yesterday’s research we separated the information and maps we gathered, and with that we are going to try to do a timeline about Pilsen, and have some drastic scenarios, for Pilsen’s research. The assignment is a 20-slide presentation so we are trying to summarize without leaving important details out.

Wednesday, September 17 (Day 15) We digitalized everything we had for the presentation and practiced what each of us was going to say, after that we all went to VWA, where we had our presentation. Also SOM presented about the site on how it was today, and the important things that have to pay attention to in the site. CD presented different case studies of factories in the world. We had this presentation on Wednesday instead of Friday as usual, because we had a trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota. From Thursday until Sunday.

Thursday, September 18 (Day 16) Travel day, the 18 of us from the Chicago studio, Architects, Urban Planning, Industrial Design and Interior Design, got together in the lobby and went to Union Station. We boarded the bus, and it took us 8 hours to get to Minneapolis. Once there we met up with Cassey, who is from Minneapolis and works at SOM, with Andrew.

Cassey took us to the hotel; the rest of the day was a free day. We explored a little bit of the city that day.

Friday, September 19 (Day 17) All of us toured the city with Cassey; we started in an architectural firm MSR, then to the “Guthrie Theater”.

We had free time to eat, and then we all met in the University of Minnesota, we got to explore the university, different classrooms, the architecture and design studio, and we also got a behind the scenes tour in a Frank Gehry building in the university, which is used for art. Then we had a group dinner in the university’s downtown.

Saturday, September 20 (Day 18) We toured downtown Minneapolis with Cassey he took us to different buildings from the outside, and some from the inside. We had the rest of the day free, and we just wondered around the city.

Sunday, September 21 (Day 19) Travel day, once again the group of 18 traveled from Minneapolis to Chicago. We arrived to Chicago around 1730.

INVESTIGATION

Deep investigation about Pilsen, we researched from 1920’s until 2014 Reflection: Research is always important in the design process, because it lets you know how the site has been changing through out the years. And what could be expected for the next few years

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Guthrie theater

University of Minnesota

Recording Minneapolis in a not so usual way.

Reflection: Travel helps you understand a city and he people. Best way to explore architecture.

Week 4 Monday, September 22 (Day 20) We had an assignment from the trip, which was to record Minneapolis in a different way that you usually do. Aime and me worked in GREC on the assignment. We finished a little early on it and the spare time we planned the process of work for the next Radical Conjecture (RC) for Friday. The assignment for RC3 was to come up with ideas and concepts for the fabric we are going to make, no program was given to us yet.

Tuesday, September 23 (Day 21)) Part of the assignment was to get panoramic pictures in Pilsen, we were asked to take pictures of streets that crossed Cermak, so we went to Pilsen in the morning, and after that we had a Pro-practice this time in JAHN architects, which is in the same building as the AIA meeting take place. After that Aime and I worked in the panoramic pictures in GREC and left when we finished them.

Wednesday, September 24 (Day 22) That day we came to GREC to work and we worked until late night. Aime and I worked separated this time, because that’s how they asked for this time. But we still interacted with each other to give ideas to one another; we got help and critique from our mentors John and Tracy.

Thursday, September 25 (Day 23) That day Aime and me kept working, we worked all day, and left GREC around 1:00am. It was our first time working in the modeling room, because models were part of the assignment.

Friday, September 26 (Day 24) We got early to GREC and printed the 24”x24” sheets, that was the only thing missing, because last night we did the models and the sheets digitally. After that we went to SOM, we got there early and helped with arranging the meeting place. Some students from Virginia Tech (VT) came to visit the city, we had a meal with most of them, and they wondered around SOM. Then we had the presentation with different Jury’s, SOM started the presentation, then GREC, VWA and CD. The industrial design students that work in TEAMS presented after us.

After the presentations we had our feedback, as last time “Round-robin” style.

Saturday, September 27 (Day 25) Sunday, September 28 (Day 26)

RADICAL CONJECTURE 3

First time working in the project, we had to come up with 2 individual concepts. Here are the 4 concepts from Aime and I working in GREC Architects.

Reflection: Most of the time radical ideas help you design more than “a box”. Feedback always helps you to put your feet on the ground and to re-think if what you are doing is the right way to go.

Week 5 Monday, September 29 (Day 27) Cannon Design students, came to GREC that day around 3:00 pm. Andrew was joining their meeting with our meeting, and we had a Desk-Crit all together, mainly discussing now the project and program, and how we should work (in teams individually). Aime and I will work together from now on, in what is now developing the project.

Tuesday, September 30 (Day 28) No lecture today, we worked in how the program will work in the site, and what our main idea or concept was going to be. We combined our ideas into one better adding and subtracting what we thought it was better for this program.

Wednesday, October 1 (Day 29) We worked early in the office, and around noon we left to Pro-Practice meeting with Andrew, he was working here that morning. The meeting was 2 blocks away from GREC it was in Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB); Drew gave the presentation about architecture itself, and the areas we usually don’t pay attention to. After that we had an other meeting but this time in Beyond Design, it was mainly and industrial design firm, and they showed us some of the work they have done.

Thursday, October 2 (Day 30) Aime and I got early to GREC, we made some little changes on what we were presenting that day, it was a non-formal presentation at VWA, each team presented and got feedback. After that we went to the James Corner presentation he showed some of his projects and then talked about the Highland Park, which is one of his most popular projects.

Friday, October 3 (Day 31) We worked in the office all day; we changed some parts on the project. We also worked in making digital and fiscal 3D models to understand better the space and for us to be able to explain it better.

Saturday, October 4 (Day 32) Sunday, October 5 (Day 33)

PROGRESS REVIEW

Had the first interaction with the actual spaces and site. This week we made many changes in the project.

Reflection: Having different proposals and feedback about them helps you go in the right direction. Or to ask yourself “why?� and make many changes.

JAMES CORNER

There was a event that we could go to, some of the Chicago Studio students and I went to the presentation. He explained some of his past work, some of his future work, he will be working in the Navy Pier of Chicago. But he explained deeply the Highland Park in New York City.

Reflection: Landscape with old or new spaces can almost always change a city, hopefully every time a positive change.

Week 6 Monday, October 6 (Day 34) We worked in the office, and we had a meeting with Andrew and Don at 4 pm, we talked about the evolution of our project.

Tuesday, October 7 (Day 35) We had a conference in AIA this time Laura Fisher gave her presentation, she talked about her professional life and how she managed to become what she is now, and also gave us advice in what to consider and not consider for our resume.

Wednesday, October 8 (Day 36) We worked since early morning in GREC and left late around 1130 pm working in the project.

We wanted to advance a lot that day, so the next day we didn’t have to stay longer than Wednesday.

Thursday, October 9 (Day 37) Again we worked on the assignment for Friday, this time we left earlier, because of the work we did the day before. We left around 10:00 pm and we left everything ready to print. The review will be in GREC Friday, October 10.

Friday, October 10 (Day 38) Got to the office, we printed, and practiced the “Pecha Kucha” of the design in the conference room. Around 2:00 pm we started to get everything ready for everyone who was coming. We had some students from Virginia Tech and they stayed for the review and presentation. After all the teams presented, including the Industrial Design students; we had a Round-robin” style critique.

Saturday, October 11 (Day 39)

Sunday, October 12 (Day 40) We worked in a small advance, of what we did for Friday, it was an assignment. So we made a 24”x24” drawing explaining the process of how the process of recycling works in our project.

“PECHA KUCHA� / DESIGN PROCESS

We made a presentation on the Design process and the case studies. And also tried to understand the recycling process, which is what the factory we are designing is going to do.

Reflection: Weekly meetings help us to really work in what we need to. In many of the meetings people challenge us. And that how we deliver better results at the end of the week.

“PECHA KUCHA� / DESIGN PROCESS

Here we tried to explain the program in the site.

And how each of the spaces worked with one another, by diagraming the spaces.

Here the process of recycling can be seen how it works with the actual space. Also some architecture starts to appear. Form or design is not complete yet, and not definitive.

Week 7 Monday, October 13 (Day 41) The meeting of today at GREC was canceled and we had an earlier meeting in VWA, with Andrew and Chip von Weise, we took a look on what we did on Sunday. After that we talked about what we were going to hand over on Wednesday, it was a lot of work in a small amount of time, because some students from the school DELFT in The Netherlands and us are going to have a workshop from Wednesday to Friday, this week.

Tuesday, October 14 (Day 42) We worked in GREC that morning and later that day we had a Pro-practice in SOM. Mike Lingertat, a project manager in SOM gave the presentation about how he works as a project manager and that he has to interact with everyone in a project. He also showed us some of the projects he has worked on and what he usually does. After that we continued working in GREC for a while.

Wednesday, October 15 (Day 43) We had to print for the meeting with Andrew and the rest of the Architects in Chicago studio, we went to SOM, had a small meeting/review and interacted with the other projects, and got to put our opinion. After that quick meeting, DELFT students arrived, we had a talk from the professors at DELFT and after that we awkwardly made teams between Chicago Studio and DELFT students. We had another talk from SOM employees. After that we had dinner with DELFT students.

Thursday, October 16 (Day 44) My team from DELFT and I went to Pilsen that morning, so they got to know a little bit of the site, we were going to do a fast “revitalizing Pilsen” project. After we went to Pilsen we went to CD there was a lecture from Peter Ellis an ex-partner in SOM, he now works alone and talked about his projects, one of his main projects is in India. After that my team and I came to GREC and worked.

Friday, October 17 (Day 45) I got together with my team early morning in the office, and we worked until noon. We went to SOM around noon we had the group review, all of the teams presented different proposals which were really interesting because of the short amount of time. After that we got to explore the city a little bit with the DELFT students.

Saturday, October 18 (Day 46) OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO. A group of us from the Chicago Studio and DELFT got to be part of the Open House, and got to see some different companies and building from Chicago. Like the GROUPON headquarters, merchandise Mart and the Chicago City Hall.

Sunday, October 19 (Day 47) OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO. That the we also got together and we visited: Robie House, Chicago board of trade, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium park, House of Blues and finally the Tribune Tower, most of this buildings are closed to public in a normal day, and we got some “behind the scenes” tour of some of the places.

PROGRESS / “DELFT” WORKSHOP

Reflection: Working with people around the world in a short time is always challenging but leaves you with more knowledge.

PROGRESS / “DELFT” WORKSHOP

Since we had a few hours with this project, we thought of an utopic scenario, and challenged if revitalizing Pilsen was the right choice. So we made “Loop 2.0” but this time with walls around it.

Week 8 Monday, October 20 (Day 48) We worked in GREC talking about the reviews we had had and discussing which one we want to implement into the project. A week from today we had the midterm presentation.

Tuesday, October 21 (Day 49) We worked in the project and help the office to move some things around. This day we talked with some of our mentors and about the process the project could change and what could stay in the project.

Wednesday, October 22 (Day 50) Got early into the office, to print some things and then went straight to the AIA building. I had a meeting with Laura Fisher, she had gave a Pro-practice lecture and I was going to interview her to get to know a little bit more about her work, she works for herself and she is a Project Manager. After that we went to Pilsen we were hosting the “Urban Acupuncture” with Jaime Lerner. There he gave a presentation and then Questions and Answers. I got his book signed.

Thursday, October 23 (Day 51) Made a transcript of the interview of last day, later that day we continued working in the project, we discussed the progress we had with one of our mentors and we told him why had our project changed, referring to the critique we had last week.

Friday, October 24 (Day 52) We had a meeting with Andrew in CannonDesign (CD), one of the teams of CD and us talked and gave feed back to one another and also Andrew gave feedback to both teams. After that we came back to GREC to work on what Andrew had told us, and change different things of the project.

Saturday, October 25 (Day 53) We worked in CD most afternoon we had to make hardline plans so we worked on them.

Sunday, October 26 (Day 54) This time we worked in GREC also with the Cannon Team most of the day, and started printing for Monday’s review.

LAURA FISHER / JAIME LERNER

Reflection: Being a project manager, Laura Fisher talked with me about her career and how from starting as an Architect she decided to take a different path in the profession.

Week 9 Monday, October 27 (Day 55) Came to GREC to finish printing, and polish the presentation we were going to give; also discuss what we were going to say. By 430 pm we went to CD we pined up every team gave their presentation including the industrial design students. And then we had a fast “Roundrobin” critique.

Tuesday, October 28 (Day 56) We had a mostly free day; some friends and I biked around the city. And in the afternoon Aime and I met with Don and Andrew to talk about what we had presented the day before.

They gave us a lot to think about for what was going to happen next.

Wednesday, October 29 (Day 57) We had a Pro-practice in Eckenhoff Saunders Architects (ESA) about a research of a team in Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) about the Timber Tower by Benton Johnson, which is an idea to make a existing building in Chicago into a all timber building. After that I came to GREC to work in some questions I was going to ask to my second interview, Drew Ranieri, he works a block away from where I work in Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) Architecture. And I interviewed him.

Thursday, October 30 (Day 58) I made a transcript of the interview with Drew. After that I worked in a video about Chicago, and my experience here including everyone in it. It was a start of a process that will end when we leave the city.

Friday, October 31 (Day 59) That morning I prepared myself for another interview this time it was with Charles Chamber, he gave one of the first pro-practice lectures in the program. I had lunch with him and asked him about his past and current work.

Saturday, November 1 (Day 60)

Sunday, November 2 (Day 61) We got to experience Nikolas Wallenda (also known as Nik Wallenda), to cross the river in a tightrope. He did it one time from Marina City to the Leo Burnett Building, about 200 m from the floor. And then from one marina to the other blindfolded.

MID-TERM

Reflection: Starting to learn more about architecture. Being surrounded by so many different people helps us better understand our project.

Week 10 Monday, November 3 (Day 62) I worked in transcribing the interview from Charles. Had the weekly meeting with Andrew, and we discussed many different topics, and not only talked about the project.

Tuesday, November 4 (Day 63) Pro-practice lecture in SOM Neil Katz, he has been working in SOM for almost 30 years, his work is really amazing, he computerizes the project in a parametric way. And he worked in NYC then he moved to Chicago because there was more work here. After that meeting we had a short informative meeting with Andrew.

Wednesday, November 5 (Day 64) I mainly worked in the project for the end of the semester, making summaries from propractices, and finishing some interviews. Deciding the design of the book.

Thursday, November 6 (Day 65) Helped in the office. And worked again in the book. Had a meeting with mentors, one of them was in Chicago Studio and helped me with the book.

Friday, November 7 (Day 66) Had a meeting with Andrew, about portfolios, resumes and CV’s. We all showed ours to everyone else and each one of us put notes in it. Then Andrew talked generically about all of them and gave his tips. Had an interview with Luis Monterrubio, Jose Luis, Aime and I interviewed him. We the Mexican students made a Mexican dinner for the group.

Saturday, November 8 (Day 67)

Sunday, November 9 (Day 68) Worked in the project half of the day.

Panoramic views of site EAST LOOMIS ST

WEST LOOMIS ST

Case studys

WYLY THEATER

GREC office floor plan.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Week 11 Monday, November 10 (Day 69) Got early into the office. At noon we had a meeting with Chip von Weise, about our project, with the VWA team also present. We all discussed our projects. And then Chip also gave his feedback.

Tuesday, November 11 (Day 70) Lunch and Learn in GREC office, there was a meeting about materials, the office does this almost once a month, so people with Architectural license can have credits for it. They had not done it in a while because they just changed offices. Had an interview with Don Copper one of the partners in GREC. We talked here in the office. Aime and I interviewed him.

Wednesday, November 12 (Day 71) Worked in GREC, we are going to have an office review on Friday. At lunchtime I had another interview this time with Paola Gomez, she works in GREC, she has been here for almost 2 years. She started as an intern when she came here to study her masters.

Thursday, November 13 (Day 72) Worked in GREC until 11 pm because of the review next day. And at noon we had a pro-practice lecture with Geoff Walters in CD, he has been working there for almost 25 years. He is in charge of quality in almost everything that has to do with architectural plans in the firm.

Friday, November 14 (Day 73) Printed everything for the review, and finished the presentation. At 5 pm we had the review with almost half of the firm we presented everything we had worked in, because some of them haven’t been following what we had worked in. After that we presented the project as it was today, and got some feed back about the project.

Saturday, November 15 (Day 74) Road trip with some of my friends of Chicago studio, we went to the Farnsworth house which 61 miles Southwest. After that we also got to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio, and the Unity Temple.

Sunday, November 16 (Day 75) Snowed in the city, and we got to explore some of the architecture while it was snowing.

Week 12 Monday, November 17 (Day 76) Last week in GREC and in Chicago. Had a lunch Pro-practice lecture again in CD, this time John Syversen Principal from CD talked about his experience in the firm, about some of his work and how architecture can literally change the surroundings. Had meeting with Andrew and one of the teams form CD in GREC. Talked about our project, and what we want to do for our end result.

Tuesday, November 18 (Day 77) Made a calendar for what’s next. By December 9 we have to upload our final works about the project. We Monterrey Tec students will not be at the presentation physically but our project will be there.

Wednesday, November 19 (Day 78) Worked in GREC in the final presentation. All of the 18 students from Chicago Studio are going to present a “Pecha-Kucha” about our experience here in Chicago. “Pecha-Kucha” is a presentation made out of 20 slides each of them 20 seconds long.

Thursday, November 20 (Day 79) Worked in polishing the project, creating what we want to present. Talked with mentors to discuss what we plan to deliver. Andrew presented to the Chicago Studio his presentation that he gave a week ago in The Nederland’s. And a closed pinup so we could all discuss what we have and give feedback.

Friday, November 21 (Day 80) Moved out of the office. Had a dinner with Andrew, director of Chicago Studio, and all the students.

Saturday, November 22 (Day 81) Watched the parade of Christmas lights in the office. Some clients and people from the office also enjoyed it.

Sunday, November 23 (Day 82) Last hours in Chicago. I have the opportunity to go to Washington DC with some people of the Chicago Studio, and that week experience a Thanksgiving diner.

Weeks 13-15 Monday, November 24 (Day 83) – Sunday, December 7 (Day 95) Worked in the project and travel to Washington DC, and Blacksburg, VA (Virginia Tech).

Monday, December 8 (Day 96) I leave the East coast, and send my project to someone in the Chicago Studio, for printing.

They will pinup the project.

Tuesday, December 9 (Day 97) Presentation in Blacksburg, VA. In Virginia Tech’s architecture building “Cowgill”. I will not be present.

Reflection By the end of this semester’s experience. I know I learned and got to meet a lot of different people.

First of all, the way people work is very different from the one in Mexico, but “If it doesn't’t challenge you it doesn't’t change you”. I learned that, every different challenge I had this semester changed me in many radical ways, is the perfect way to learn something, by being out of your comfort zone, you have to be every day giving more than 100% to understand and do what people ask for.

Being in a great city as Chicago, with many different types of architecture is part of the learning processes of this semester, the city teaches you by itself. The hard part is to understand it, to let everything sink in at once, but once you get into its rhythm you start seeing a lot of new things.

Having the opportunity to work in GREC Architects was amazing, they seem to be a family and the ambience in the office is always about giving your best, but also carrying about everything that surround you, the clients, the city and the architecture itself.

To be able to share, compere, and learn from other cultures is always fun, but it teaches you many things. I’m glad I got to work with these 17 other Architects, Industrial Designers, Interior Designers, and an Urban Planer, it amazing that even though one would think these are very similar, and they are, they have a huge difference at the same time, and to be able to learn and share ideas was always interesting.

I know Chicago Studio changed my life, I haven’t noticed it yet but I know it changed my way of thinking, my way of perceiving architecture, and to always look into the future and think what are the cons and pros about every little or big decision you make, in every part of life, personal or work.

URBAN MAPPING Personal and team work within the Chicago Studio: Minneapolis “Atypical analysis” VWA + GREC “Typical Analysis” Panoramic pictures “Typical Analysis”

Tu Delft Workshop

02

Site recording Minneapolis

Typical analysis VWA + GREC

TU Delft Workshop

P A N O R A M I C

P I C T U R E S

PMRF

All of the work during this semester regarding “The Pilsen Material Recovery Facility�. Radical Conjectures, revisions, advances, deliverables, everything my teammate and I made during this semester.

03

Radical map exploring sight.

Radical map exploring hearing.

Improvement of the radical map; combining sight and hearing.

Project, radical conjecture. Organic and geometrical forms together as a whole.

Project, radical conjecture. Exploring texture.

Project, radical conjecture. Exploring direction.

Project, radical conjecture. Exploring verticality.

Conceptual ideas and sketches of the project.

First time working with the program.

Organic form covering.

Conceptual ideas.

Everything underneath ground level.

Conceptual ideas.

Everything underneath ground level.

Concept

How compact the rebirth in nature is.

Map of Pilsen, site in Orange.

Case studies

Project, radical conjecture. Exploring verticality.

Exploring organic shapes.

Green space that will act as a lung.

First hardline work.

Site Plan

Floor Plan

Sections

Elevation

Pro-practice lectures

04

Having lectures almost every week each time different people with different professions, different approaches to life and architecture made me realize many different things. Each lecture made me learn many things and being able to interact after the lecture is over is a great opportunity. Some of the people I chose to interview were people who gave this lectures, they made me interested in what they do, how they do it, and how they got to where they are today.

This lectures were not always about architecture which is a good thing because it makes me as an architect realize that architecture is not only design, but that there are many types of designers that even though it feels we do the same thing we actually don’t, it is very similar but each design career has its own essence. Having the opportunity to be part of the ideas and knowledge of these people is so amazing, because is not every day I get to hear what great designers have to say about design, about their life or to get advice from them.

Charles Chambers Charles Chambers is an architect that works in GREC Architects.

Charles talked about his way of understanding contemporary society. Which is something I have never really thought about. He makes some very interesting points, and gets me thinking, because we have to do something for our world, every country every continent is very different, but we all have almost the same problems.

He talked about how in todays world with all of this technology people are incapable to have a conversation, it is amazing how many people don’t have anything to talk about, and still they can spend hours or even days in a piece of technology “talking” with other people around the world and seem to forget their surroundings. We have to make technology only help us and not take us apart from human interaction. It is amazing that today many companies work as if it was 20 or 30 years ago in cubicles and don’t have many interaction with others, even to talk to one another they have chats on computers to talk with everyone in the office. People today are looking for more interaction open offices where everyone can see everyone were we share information or even just small talk.

Charles says that there are many things that killed conversation: Cellphones how many times are you with someone and you are in the phone talking with someone who is miles away, Cigarette ban also killed conversation not so long ago people went and had a 5 min break to have a smoke and talk about whatever.

It is very important that one stays true to him or herself, you are always one person don’t have a work and a home personality that are very different, but considering that sometimes you have to be “serious”.

Modern times equals to wars with no people, with those drones that are flown by people a thousand miles away, body scans on airports, online classes and its very interesting, fun, easier, more secure, less people die; but also modern times equals to not teaching to read analog clocks, cursive and many other things. Which that means we are losing some things and gaining many other things but its not necessarily always a good thing as everything. Also meaning that things are going to have to change, how will people read the constitution if they don’t know how to write or read cursive?

Today’s world is also very relative and peculiar. How is it possible that an App “Whatapp” it worth 2 Billion dollars, but at the same time a basketball team “LA Clippers” is also worth the same thing? It is interesting to see that in modern society that can happen, when years ago nothing was worth even 1 billion dollars.

Talking about modern society and Design as a whole is also important because people today want 3 things: Good, Cheap and Fast, but you can only get 2 of those, and you have to find a way to give them the three.

Vicki Matranga Vicki Matranga is an historian specializing in the U.S. product design.

Having a bachelors in the History of Art and Architecture and a masters in Marketing made me very interested in what she was going to say, because not only does she have knowledge about Architecture and design she knows the history of it and its surroundings.

Vicki first talked about why she started to like design. She knows so many people involved in design and that’s why she started to think design was the way to go. Many of the times people are involved in choosing a design career, because you need not only to enjoy working in design but love design.

And once you start to design, any kind of design: architecture, furniture, etc., its hard to take your way of thinking out of it. There is literally a language for designers and one of the hardest parts is to try and explain to “non-designers” something you made or how are you actually looking at a drawing.

She also talked about the history of design and how at first architects where the ones who did almost everything that had to do with design and later on it started separating. That is why today we have so many design branches. Architecture as the “mother” of all designs, because it was the first. Today we have so many different parts of design because is nearly impossible that one person could everything. We as designers help each other out, we need one another to work and make the best product possible. And each one of them is as important as the other one. Design is design but having many different types of it helps people out.

Design is part of a every day life, because everything that we use every single day has been part of a design process, and it is amazing how many people don’t really seem to know that.

She also talked about Chicago, as a designer would know Chicago has been always a great city for architecture and design. Chicago was actually the fastest growing city in the 19th century. Even after the fire, which burned a big part of the city, Chicago was rebuilt and continued to grow as one of the most popular and economically important cities in the US.

It is very interesting how people form the city and out of the city love Chicago, especially someone like Vicki who is a designer and I mean that for every designer in the world that has the opportunity to work or even visit the city, the city has something that it makes you fall in love with it. That is one of the things I got from Vicki’s lecture.

Without saying the actual words, Vicki teached us to learn what part of design we like. For us architects to actually know what area of architecture we would like to work in. Also for the Industrial and Interior Designers. Because even though design is already separated each area has its own little branches.

Drew Ranieri Drew Ranieri Associate Principal at Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB)

Drew first started talking about his profession and how he got to SCB he is an Architect graduated from Virginia Tech. He has been working there for 15 years since 1999. And he explained to us that this lecture was not about himself but it was of architecture itself.

Architecture is a profession because you study and prepare yourself to become one; It is also a business many architects don’t like this part of it because it doesn’t involve design, but it’s a must and its an important one, this doesn’t mean that one is more important than the other one, each one of them is equally important; last but not least its also a practice, the more you work on it the more involved you become as the years pass by the better you get at it, this also doesn’t mean that you will do it faster, but you will know “the cheat codes” of it.

Architecture is very relative different people have different perspectives of architects, many of the times it depends on the profession of the person and how he interacts with architects.

Architecture is a business as almost everything in life. Architects provide a service to a client, we offer them choices all the way to the details and the clients make the decisions. Sometimes as an architect we try to convince the client into taking certain path because we think is the most appropriate one. Being a business and taking more time than a normal job it does not have the compensation we would like to have, that’s why since the beginning we have to specify. Almost every process in design takes a lot of time more than, not designers, would think. You have to love architecture and design because it really doesn’t compensate as other careers.

Clients are also a big part of this profession as I said before architects give a service to a client and that means that you put your knowledge and passion into it, but the client is always the one who decides the options you think were the best choice.

It is important for us to predict how much time and people would be involved, what additional services are we going to give or the client is probably going to need, with that we can have an idea of how much we are able to work. There are things that you will always lose money like in schematic design.

The phases for designing are: Concept, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, construction administration. As he said, schematic design you always will lose money, and not literally, but you do lose time, because its when, for the client, is very cheap to change anything, sometimes they know sometimes they don’t, but it takes the architect a lot of time to change simple things, because as designers know changing one little thing somewhere in a project makes changes in other things.

Beyond Design Chicago Having the opportunity as an architect but most importantly as a designer, to go to an Industrial Design firm and see how they work was amazing. Because even though we had industrial designers in the studio, I’ve never really understood how they work and some of the times we saw their work, but its really different of how we architects work, and they actually told us the same thing.

Beyond Design made us realize that there are some important parts when you design something, first of all who are you designing for? Once you know that, you have to speak their own language and they didn’t mean change your “design language” to “normal English” but actually know the people, know their likes and dislikes so you know where you can make emphasis to present your work. You can never ask someone to tell you what they want, people never know what they want, and asking them many of the times only confuses them and you as a designer. The only way to make them understand you is by actual models or drawings. It is very hard to imagine something that somebody else is telling you to imagine, and there is a disconnect in that, so you have to let them know that you took everything they asked for and made the product of that result. You also have to experience how will people use your product many of the times people use it wrong, but you have to think of al the things even if it doesn’t make sense of how they’ll use it.

Beyond really impressed me, because they have design a lot of different things and in many different areas. Which they say and I think is right, that designing different things for different people helps you as a designer because being outside the comfort zone helps you become a better designer, and not only in the design profession but with everything in life.

The way they did research is one of the most important part of their design process, because it tells them how the product will have to be, because they start everything with research, for some products they need 1 month for others they need a year, but they are always researching even when they have an actual product to show the clients. And research connect to their point of speaking their language, that is one of the ways, and probably the most efficient one to get to know more about them.

After all you are working for them and you are helping them realize what they really want, because even though they have this great idea they don’t have the practice of showing you what they really want so you gather everything you have and make the best out of it.

Laura Fisher Laura Fisher works for herself she is a project manager.

Laura Fisher talked about the many opportunities we as architects and designers have. She went to Virginia Tech and has a Bachelor in Architecture, then she studied a second major in business administration. Before studying her masters she worked for a year in Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, then she realized that architecture was more than design and that’s why she decided to study something else. “There is more than architecture for architecture”.

She has been working in many different places before she became her own employee. And once she became her on employee she has had many works, she has worked in Texas, Illinois, London in Disney, and because she is her own boss she decides what jobs are the best for her.

She decided to work in the other areas of architecture, because even architecture students don’t seem to know that there is more than design and construction in architecture and in many places of the world people look for people to work on the other areas that are those. And who else could be better to work as a project manager in a construction than someone who actually understands and studied architecture.

Today with all the jobs and practice she has doing what she does as a project manager, many of the times when she gets asked to do a job and she knows she “is too much”, for lack of a better term, she tells the client that they could get someone else to do the job for them, but she can charge less money and only advice the other people, because with all the experience Laura Fisher has she charges more, which makes sense.

After she told us what she had done why and how she did it she started giving us advice. On how to present ourselves into the “working life”. Some of that advice was to tell people everything you do, because you never know what people need, “sell yourself” tell things so people get to know you and that when they or a friend of them needs something they refer to you. Professional appearance always important, think how you dress and dress properly, you don’t want people talking about the wrong things. After all people hire people to represent the firm, so dress properly because you never know if they are going to take you out, for a client meeting.

Also she told us if its possible for us to get a license as soon as possible, because its easier to do so when you just graduated than 5 years later when you don’t know where everything is. Get al the certification you can that you like, LEED being one of them, because the more you know the more you can do firms or people will be interested, volunteer that’s where you learn, but you have to enjoy it.

And always keep copies of everything you do, technology fails when you most need it.

I really enjoyed her presentation, because I also want to dedicate in other areas of architecture, but still enjoying and working on it.

Michael Lingertat Michael Lingertat a Director and Project Manager in SOM.

Michael studied Urbana-Champaign in the University of Illinois. He has been a project manager in SOM for 18 years, since 2003 he became a Director/Project Manage. His presentation was more a “Project Management 101” he talked about his work, what he does, and how he does it.

Michael told us he literally knows a little about everything because in his job that’s what he is supposed to know: everything. Being a project manager he interacts with everyone involved in the project, the architects, the client, the engineers, the MEP engineers, the lighting, literally everyone that is going to be part of this project. And what he does is that he get the head of each department into a room so they can discuss how they will work together and he helps them by giving them a calendar, that with his experience in other projects, he made and since Michael know how things work, he makes the job easier for everyone.

His essential responsibilities are: 1 Seting up the project which means to figure expenses of every part of the project so the clients know a very close amount of how much it will cost, he needs to get staff and let everyone meet with everyone so they start to know each other and when they have to work they don’t work with strangers, the schedule is equally important, even though with his experience he doesn’t take as long as before, he says its one of the most critical parts of it. The deliverables when someone pays for a service he wants to know when and how he is getting the results he is paying for; these go in the calendar also, but it’s a different part of the responsibilities he has. 2 contracts & insurance which means what SOM is going to be responsible for and what the client is going to be responsible too, but not in an attorney language. 3 Team member contacts, he puts everyone involved in a contact list. 4 Communication and record keeping, this is important if you don’t want problems later on, having the proper documentation of every single thing SOM does helps with anything people think you did or you didn’t do and that way you are protected against any sue. 5 Meetings, he organizes meetings depending on the project and the part of the project meeting can be every week or every month. 6 Financial Management, the last part of the essential responsibilities, he has to manage almost every detail of how and when the money is spent.

Depending on the scale of the project is the time he needs to invest on the calendar of it, because there are some projects that only take a few months to finish but then there are some that take years to finish. He always has to think into the future and help so people they can understand each other, because as architects and clients have different languages, also engineers and architects, electricians and architects, etc. His job also helps the client understand when he is going to need to invest more, when will he actually start seeing advances in the construction and almost every big or small detail depending on the scale of the project.

Timber Tower The timber tower is a research project of SOM. The goal of this tower was to design a structural system for tall buildings that uses timer as the main structural material and lowers the carbon footprint of the building.

Every day making a lower footprint of carbon is becoming more important, because we are finishing with this planet with pollution; Buildings make a huge amount of carbon each year, building are one of the things that pollute the most and with LEED becoming more and more popular each year carbon emission will lower considerably in buildings in the next decades.

The timber tower is a replica of the Dewitt-Chestnut Apartments, a 42 story building in Chicago design by SOM and built in 1965. But this time as I said before the main structural element is going to be timber. This research had many parts first they made a model of the actual building, then they made it all out of timber and then they made one in between.

The only timber tower can be obvious that had the less footprint of carbon and the concrete one the most. It was very interested to know that they actually made computer models of the only timber tower and with that it meant that they were going to need many feet of wood in each floor to sustain all that which at the end will be very expensive and not confortable. So what they end up doing is reinforcing the timber tower with concrete wherever it need it it the most for it to be stable.

The hybrid tower with all timber and only in the important junctions they added concrete and the bottom floor will also be made of concrete, adding those part of concrete and leaving the rest on timber obviously had a little bit more of carbon emissions, but it was actually possible and livable, because an all timber tower can be made but with many “maybes”, and this hybrid one was made really secure. The building relies primarily on timber, with supplementary reinforced concrete at the connecting joints, this system takes the best of both materials to make a really stable building. The footprint with this system is still being reduced between 60 and 75% of the original apartment tower.

Even though they know they need additional research and physical testing to verify every number they have. SOM made this system considering constructability, cost and fire protection, which is a great advance already because they know that for this to be an actual building in future years they need to get that out of their way as soon as possible.

They really believe in this project, and the other amazing part is that there are enough tree farms in the US to make many of these towers every year, and not ran out of wood.

Neil Katz Neil Katz Associate designer at Skidmore Owings and Merrill

Neil is one of the greatest people I had the pleasure of meeting, right after his presentation I asked him if I could interview him. Neil has a great passion for architecture and design and the way his mind works is just amazing.

He showed us first how he works with computers with two, three, four, five and more and more dimensions. How something as simple as a square can become a figure so complex but still have a story behind it. The eyes play games because it looks like a really complex geometrical figure and maybe it is, but Neil makes it sound as if is the easiest thing to do on the planet.

Then he started talking about the programs he likes to use to make any kind of model, it is surprising that the one he likes the most is AutoCAD but once he explained he uses code to design it made more sense the shapes he started with, because writing code is not technically easier but every single part of the model responds to whatever you write in the code and most of the times there are no errors.

Then knowing how he works with code and telling the computer literally what to do, he showed us some of the projects he ahs worked on helping architects, engineers and designers come up with solutions for a better design strategy and some of the time he actually help with a different design strategy that work better and that the architects and clients liked more.

When Neil told us he had worked in New York City also with SOM was interesting, because many people compare NYC with Chicago, but they are very different cities. Being born in New York he definitely has a priority toward that city but he said he enjoyed working in the same firm in a different city one of the main reasons he moved to Chicago was because Chicago’s office has more work. Even though he is in Chicago many of the times he helps the other to big offices. He showed us a project he worked on in San Francisco. It was helping design a Christ figure in a chapel that with the light of the sun it formed, and also from the light of the inside it could be seen from the outside.

One of the other times he has worked with another office was helping with the design of the One World Trade Center in NYC, after the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers and actually experiencing those attack it must be really nice for him to work on that project. It was his way of showing the world that his city was more than alive after that terrible day. It is amazing to have met such an amazing person with a passion for life and design. And that he actually was part of one of the greatest buildings in one of the biggest and greatest cities not only in the United States but also in the world.

Interviews

05

With all of the interviews I got a more personal interaction with each one of them, I interviewed more than 6 people. I actually did interview a fire engineer in San Diego, because its one of the two areas I’m most interested in for a masters once I graduate. This assignment made me realize that if you are a little bit close to someone or just know the person you can ask for an interview and learn a lot and maybe get advice in many different things. The interviews where one of the best way to learn and to get different advice on what to do still in school once I graduate and what to look for. Every person has different ideas and perspective about the same topics, but the amazing part is that I get to choose for myself what advice to take and which one not to take, and not only for life but also in architecture. From this I take more than advice I take knowledge.

Laura Fisher What is your Major?

My first degree was architecture, and my second one was business administration. Architecture was 5 years and my second major I took in night school because I was working. Instead of being a 2 year program it was another 5 year. And I only had two weeks between the two from when I finished one and started the other one.

Why did you study business right after you finished architecture school, did you not see yourself working as an architect?

I worked for a year at SOM and that year, and I figured that architecture was more than design so I felt I wanted to know more about the subjects that apply to architecture.

Before you started architecture did you had another major in mind?

No. I liked drawing, in high school they offered us 3 years of architectural drawing, and I enjoyed it. I first took it because I thought it will be fun, but I found out that I enjoyed it more that I knew.

Did you study architecture because of influence in your family?

No, my parent actually built a house when I was little, and it was the first house in a group, so after that there were a lot of houses being built while I was growing up, and we played in the construction sites, I always thought it was fun seeing something being put together but when I was that young I dint really see it as I saw it later on.

Do you have a masters?

The masters is the business administration.

Where do you work?

I work for myself

What is your responsibility in your work?

I help clients, but each clients have different thing that they need. There are some projects I had to work from beginning to end. And there are other projects they just need help with some part of a project. Helping with real estate, leases, and many other areas that don’t have to do with architecture; a cleaning crew, catering crew, and many other things. But I always have to understand the client and what they want because I might have a good contact with something, but it doesn’t always work with different clients. So the first thing I do is to understand and or study a client.

Have you ever had someone evaluate you? (Past or present work) When I worked in McDonalds I did have people evaluating my work and what I do, but today I don’t really have people evaluating me, but if a client does not like something about my work they can fire me.

Did you like working in SOM? I worked in SOM for a school year. SOM was excellent, I didn’t think it would be; I was concerned because as you know it is a large firm I had only studied for 3 years of architecture school, I was afraid I was getting stuck in some corner…. And the advantage was that if I really didn’t like it it was going to end after a year, so that was why I took the opportunity. But I do realize that it could have been very different for somebody else.

Day to day task was very different from one job to another right?

The process is often the same, the results are different, and also where I have to focus more in a project is different almost every time. I may be doing something very similar day after day for several months and after that project is finished I might be doing something completely different.

Does technology play a big part in what you usually do?

Today drawings are done on the computer. We once created a website for a firm of lawyers I was working with, and they virtually chose their furniture of the office, and the order could not be placed unless they click on it. And it was a perfect way to catalogue and have a record of what they chose, so that way they didn’t change their mind or tell us later that they didn’t choose that. And technology does help with time, because it would take longer to do many things by hand.

But it depends there are many exceptions to that. And in some way it is a problem because many people don’t have the practice to draw by hand which is important even though even though you can make everything by computer now.

Do you have something you love and something you hate about your job?

Most of the people are preaty nice, but of some of the people art as good as others. So its just like anything. So what is nice now is that most of my jobs are contract me, so for the most part they want me to be there for some reason and so people are nice. Every once in a while there are still people that didn’t want to work with me, because they wanted to do what I was doing or they had some other person in mind.

Did you or do you travel for work inside the US or outside?

When I was in Houston, so I travelled 2 or 3 days a week for 10 years. But they were usually day trips.

Because were I work had offices all over Texas.

Where you born in Chicago?

In the suburbs yes.

Did you imagine yourself working here, being here?

No I did not. I lived in all this different places and like them, then I got offered a job here and came back, which is always nice. To come back to your home town.

Did you have a hard time in London or Houston? Which I think are very different from Chicago.

When I first moved to Texas I had some minor trouble with some people, which Texas can sometimes be its own country. And I think it was because since I just have been 2 years out of school, he didn’t like me that much. But that could have happened anywhere else. But I didnt have bigger problems than that.

In London, working with Disney the hardest think for me was working with different methods.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Doing the same thing, something different?

I have no idea. I could not have a correct answer because I have been always just going where my jobs takes me. But considering personal stuff, and if I’m going to do something new, I try to learn about it as fast as I can so I know I’m going to like what I’m about to do next.

Have you ever turn down a job?

What I have done a couple of times and I just did this with an interview I had last week and they changed it to next week, they had a very long form you had to complete, as a proposal for them, and there was a lot of task that they wanted someone to do and they wanted to how much time will it take and how much will it cost, this is for a 4 year project. I told them, I can do this for you its probably this many hours, but I charge this an hour, on the other hand I think we could find somebody with me giving them just a little direction to do this work for you in a much different rate. That was a way to tell them that they could have my experience but in a much better rate.

Because they didn’t need me for everypart of the project.

Do you have any advice for my generation of students?

Get your license, get any credentials you can get, because you never know who you can work with. Is better to have it and not use it than to need it and not have it. That way people know what you are able to do, even though they might not need you for that. You might be able to help more and not know about it.

In Response

Laura Fisher gave really good advice in her lecture, but having the opportunity to talk to her and know how she managed to work in different places was interesting. Because she never planed what she wanted to do next, when she saw the opportunity she just took it.

She really helped me to actually just let things be, to have a plan that can change depending on the circumstances but to always do something you feel you like, because getting stuck in a place you don’t really enjoy for a long time will not help you and you knowledge.

And she also made pay attention to the other areas of architecture, I knew architecture is not only about design but she made some interesting points in why as an architect you should know a little bit of everything to choose wisely.

“Get your license, get any credentials you can get… better to have it and not use it than to need it and not have it.”

Drew Ranieri What is your major in college?

I did a 4 year and a 2 year program. I dint get my professional degree after my first period. I went to Virginia Tech for Graduate school. Four years in another university and then the 2 years in VT. 6 Years total and my masters in architecture.

Bachelor in science of architecture not architecture. The school I went gave 4 years and; then for my professional degree it was 2 more years.

So right after your 4 year program you went straight to the two year program?

I work for a year in between and after that year I went to VT. Did you have another major in mind before studying architecture?

I knew I wanted to be an architect when I was 12.

Did you have any influence in your family to become an architect?

No, my parents where both artist, but not professionally. My mother was an art teacher, my father was a commercial artist for a while. My mother became a sculpture later in life, but that did not influenced me. I was the least talented of all my siblings. But I was the only one who made it to the creative field at the end.

What is your role and your responsibility here were you work?

I am an associate principal, so there are principals who are the partners of the firm, I’m the next level down. So I’m a senior designer and I work with a principal and depending who it is and the project depends if I have to come up with the ideas and concepts or maybe they already know and in those cases I just “translate” what they say into paper. I do the lead design work day to day.

Do you have someone who evaluates you?

The principals, are my bosses.

So a day to day task is working in different design processes?

I have projects in different phases. So it might be just quickly doing a study for something, going to the site to see what’s going on there. And doing concept design like one in Florida we are currently working on. But it is different every time, sometime I work in the whole process of a project and sometimes I don’t. It also depends if I’m working with a team or by myself, because responsibilities changes whenever I have people that are “working for me”. Not in the literal since but I divide task for everyone equally.

Does technology play a important role in your work?

It does, the role of the digital side of architecture has changed what we do somehow but we still all draw by hand all the time. Even though I’m senior but I sometimes have to work with threedimensional work, which a computer is always helpful for time. But it has also allowed us to look at thing at greater depths or look at more options. Is not about making better buildings but is giving us more things to choose from that we couldn’t do that fast when they were not around.

And construction technology we always try and look were it is a because it not only helps us but also the clients to make these buildings or projects more efficient.

Have you ever been asked by a client something that you are not familiar with?

No and that’s never a problem, that’s kind off a good thing to research something. But most of the times we are further along than the clients, we try to cover any new kind of product in the market to always be prepared for anything even if is only knowing enough to answer a few questions to clients and then investigating deeply everything else if they do ask for it.

Because giving them the tips its an advantage for us and for them. You have to be in the clients book have their checkbook to know what is really best for them, obviously that never happens but we try to thing that we are sometimes.

Do you usually only work with buildings? No medium size projects I’m in the middle of designing a house for myself.

Here in the office I get to do a variety of works.

Some schools some retail buildings, commercial buildings so I do work in different sizes of projects. I have somewhere between 15-20 buildings in the 15 years I have worked here.

Have you design your house before?

Not really but I’ve done some work for myself in past years.

Have you ever been asked by a client something that you are not familiar with?

No and that’s never a problem, that’s kind off a good thing to research something. But most of the times we are further along than the clients, we try to cover any new kind of product in the market to always be prepared for anything even if is only knowing enough to answer a few questions to clients and then investigating deeply everything else if they do ask for it.

Because giving them the tips its an advantage for us and for them. You have to be in the clients book have their checkbook to know what is really best for them, obviously that never happens but we try to thing that we are sometimes.

Do you usually only work with buildings? No medium size projects I’m in the middle of designing a house for myself.

Here in the office I get to do a variety of works.

Some schools some retail buildings, commercial buildings so I do work in different sizes of projects. I have somewhere between 15-20 buildings in the 15 years I have worked here.

Have you design your house before?

Not really but I’ve done some work for myself in past years.

Do you enjoy now that you know a lot about architecture designing your own house?

Yes, but after a terrible accident I had I really cant spend that much time working at night as I used to do, so I make some time sometimes to work on the project. But it is fun to build something for your own and actually knowing exactly what you want. Because as you know a client can only explain so much of any idea.

Do you have something that is difficult and/or rewarding about what you do?

The business side of it is very difficult, making things, being involved in the making of things is really rewarding. To have the opportunity to put a clients idea into my mindset then translating it to paper and then seeing the physical manifestation of things. And making the connections between things, because we don’t really invent anything we just connect the different parts of a puzzle to make architecture. And I think the hard thing is to maintain the conversation weather is with your team or the client, including everyone in the same page.

Have you ever had trouble with clients?

Many different times, one time I had a client that wanted to sue me, it’s a long story but in the end they were wrong and there was not a sue. I had a client walk away without paying. I had another client that took a schematic design project and gave it to another architect.

Do you have to travel for business?

Not that much, sometimes I had to, there was a point where I was in Florida every week for a year. Just in the US. Where you born here in Chicago?

No, I was born in New Jersey. So I grew up there and in New York and went to school in New York city, and then DC for collage, Blacksburg for graduate school. And I moved here from Switzerland. And I been here thirty something years.

Do you have a city you prefer either where you worked or studied?

New York is still very dear to me because I grew up there, Venice, and I really love Chicago. But Venice is perhaps my favorite city in the world.

So can you say traveling is a hobby for you?

I don’t travel as much as other people but when I do I enjoy it very much.

I know you where born in New Jersey that is close to New York, but between Chicago and New York what would you choose?

They are very different and I couldn’t afford to live in New York it is really expensive, Chicago is a very livable city is an exciting city it has evolved a lot in the years I have been here and it changed for the better in my mind.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I still see having a good role or perhaps a better role in the Chicago Studio. Since it started I’ve been involved in greater and lesser amounts working with Andrew has always been great. So I still want to stay in education. There are some things I’d like to be making and doing that sooner or later I’ll be to old to be working here and working on other things that are still interesting to me still involved with architecture, so I don’t think I’ll ever stop. So its less about retiring and more of a change of what I do and how I do it.

Did you imagine working here, in Chicago, right after you finished your masters?

No, this was different I’ve always wanted to work in smaller firms and I did for the most part. I was interested in small projects and I never thought I would be designing skyscrapers, but it’s a really amazing.

Where do you see this profession, architecture, in 10 years?

I think the public perception of architecture is that is a single person, but it has always been team work and people will start to understand that. Also understanding how things are made because with all the different technologies people will always have to go back to the basics.

Without the basics there is no notion of architecture itself.

Frank Lloyd Wright once said “A doctor can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advice his clients to plant vines”. Have you ever made any mistakes in something you did?

They weren’t really mistakes sometimes I wished I did something different and many times but it is part of the experience you have to learn from it and know what not to do or how to do it better next time.

How do you get inspiration every time you have to make or design a new project?

It doesn’t always come right away, sometimes you have to look at the site the program and every detail of what the client is asking and then many of the times you get inspired and start designing something totally new but at the same time you try to design parts that you know you are really good at. But changing things and pushing myself and my co-workers is always better for the architecture itself.

Do you have any advice for my generation of students?

Travel, see the things you see online, go and see them in person. The experience of them can often be different of what you see. Keep your eyes wide open. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion, but engage in conversation don’t be those type of people who think they know everything, ask what they think of your opinion.

In Response

Talking with Drew was amazing. Every interview was different but Drew has a very unique way of thinking about architecture itself, he not only enjoys designing and talking about architecture he enjoys helping other especially student like us from the Chicago Studio. That is his way of giving back, he knows a lot and he shares his knowledge with us. His goals in 5 or 10 years are still to help people. He also doesn’t think or plan way ahead he just lets things be especially after the accidents he realized that is better to do what feels good at the time. Being a great architect I enjoyed this interview because he not only gave me architectural advice he gave me personal advice. You can’t really be a good architect if you are not a good person. After all of his travels he was always learning more.

“You’ll see Monterrey differently once you go back, as cool as Chicago is you’ll probably learn more about Monterrey than you will about Chicago by being here”

Charles Chambers What is your major in college?

Architecture.

Where did you study?

I went to Kent State in Ohio. I lived in Cleveland my whole life. I had different options before I chose this university, it took me a while and I finally decided this university. Kent state is kind of middle ground its got a good technical backing, theory, landscape, urban, interior, its all mixed together in a way.

Did you know you wanted to study architecture since you were young?

No, I always wanted to be a pilot. I don’t really follow planes or know much about planes but I remember I wanted to be a mechanic, I really didn’t follow the rules of an instruction book I tried to do it by myself. And in high school I had to take an art class and my teacher told me that my style was very architectural and I did not know what that meant. And once I had to look at schools Kent State had architecture and aviation so I gave architecture a shot I really had no idea what I was getting into.

Did you have any influence becoming an architect?

No. Both of my parents are blue-collar. It was just a choice I made once I started studying. But I really did not have any influence at all.

Did you study a masters after your first degree?

I never understand why I would go back to do more studio work or read more books. That’s something I can always do by myself. I never been a fan about a professor saying “these are my ideas go learn from them on how to design” It would be very different if I was really interested in technical detail, just to say something, at a younger age that I had to learn a lot more, that way I would have studied something else but. But I’ve never counted it out, if there is something one day that I feel I absolutely have to go back to school I will, but for know I don’t feel I will actually study something..

What is it that you do in GREC? I’ve only been there 3 months; it’s hard to say something. Right now I’m definitely a project manager. I’m working with three other people and I’m distributing task to each of them to get our drawing set to the place it need to be for coordination with the clients or consultants.

Project manager is the middle entity between everyone involved in the project.

What do you think your strengths are in architecture?

I’m trying to find that its design communication, being a communicator between clients and the designers, architects and interior designers, etc.

To help implement the program into design, starting with schematic design. So its almost like a project manager but in a design capacity and not in a put a building together capacity.

Do you like working in GREC meaning that is not a big firm?

I do I like the scale personally I think is perfect; today right know I would not like to work in a bigger firm, maybe later I will I don’t know, but for know this scale is just perfect.

Who evaluates your performance in the firm?

Especially Don sometimes the three partners gather together but most of the time is just Don. Do you think technology plays a big role in what you do and not only computers but in buildings communication etc?

Technology is often just inserted into the project, clients, architects and contractors think differently than I do, but I don’t think is part of the project is not integral to what the project is.

Its added because they are supposed to have it.

But do you actually need it? Because in some projects that I’ve done I told the clients that this is going to be out of date in a few years so do you actually need it, like security systems.

Do you have something that gives you the job satisfaction?

In general I love what it is that we do. People don’t know that they need, because the clients ask for things, but personally I think about closet space, or the bathroom or just the “feel” of the place you are inside the space. We consider good lighting, good kitchen layout does little changes that people don’t really notice but one as an architect does is what gives better quality to the space you are going to be and that’s one of the things I enjoy the most. And having a positive impact on whoever is going to use the building, because the people who build it just care about the money.

Does GREC make you travel sometimes?

They say that someday they might need me to go somewhere, but right know we don’t have many projects outside Chicago. But it would be fun to travel for work. But I wonder why would they need people from other parts of the world, because if its in the US it’s the same country but its still different in parts of the US. But for example I would not know the first thing if they send me to Japan or somewhere were things are very different. And I’m not talking about this firm I’m talking in general. How many times don’t you see an architect from Japan building in other parts of the world but the project don’t seem to work in that environment.

Do you see yourself working here either in GREC or Chicago in 10 years?

Doing my little experiment in LA was interesting, because I wanted to see if I wanted to live outside the Midwest. That was my first time in the living in the west coast and I stayed there for a year. I gave it a try and it didn’t feel right, so I came back to the Midwest, but I might give it another try in 1 year or in 5 or somewhere else, I’m open to it, I don’t think I could say that I can live in one city for the rest of my life. But who knows.

Do you think in 10 years you still will be involved in architecture?

Yeah, somehow I will be still in architecture don’t know how, but for sure I will.

Did you imagine yourself working here in Chicago, before LA? I was working here for 10 years before LA, and I came back because I know a lot of people here professionally and Andrew being one of them, so it was easy to come back where I left off.

Would you give any advice to my generation of students?

That is a really good question; you have to give me some time to answer that. But I think that to try out different firms in the, maybe, first 10 years, try out the super small, SOM size the medium size. Make sure you are not getting pined in to only high-rise condos or only museums or only grocery stores or whatever.

Different types of construction push yourself to do different things within a firm or different firms. If you love the render, that’s great, but make sure you are touching the other parts of the process. Because is really easy to be the master of something of renders of laying out grocery stores or something because you are good at it you feel confortable, some of those skills can be bought cheaper outside of the country, but its harder to find someone that can do many parts of the design process. Imagine working on a firm and then for it to close down and you only know to do one thing, its going to be hard for you to find a job If you only know to do one thing only.

In Response

Right after we had the lecture from Charles almost at the beginning of the semester I knew the way that Charles thinks is very different and unique. He has a way of looking at life very different and he always tries to find an answer for everything because for him there are things we do daily in the world that many of the times don’t make sense but we all think that is right, and its not only about wrong or right is just the fact that with technology we have “needs” that in the past were just ideas. Charles does not believe in the traditional way of how school works because in every college depending on the professors you have you learn very different things, it would be better to have more information and ideas from every professor possible. His advice is, I think, simple but very powerful, because its true that in this world today the more you do the more you know the better you can become.

“Try out different sizes of firms in the first, maybe, 10 years of your professional life and learn as much as you can so later on you make a better decision in what you want.”

Don Copper What is your major?

Architecture Did you also get masters?

No, just bachelors in architecture. They weren’t as popular as they are today, and today I know that I learn more with practice than going back to school.

Did you study here in Chicago?

No, Virginia Tech.

Why did you decided to study in Virginia?

It was the right distance away from my home.

Why did you decided to study architecture?

When I was a kid I showed a lot of aptitude for both creativity and math and science, so that was usually a combination that suggested architecture or engineering. I knew architecture was about designing buildings but I really didn’t know more than that. And this particular school definitely changed my perspective. The philosophy of the school was based on the Bauhaus. The emphasis was more in the creativity part than in the math part. It really brought my creativity more than I new I had.

Did someone influence you to become an architect?

No just people saying you should be an architect, but I don’t think someone directly influenced me.

What do you like the most about architecture?

Solving problems, to me it really satisfying, weather is design or technical issues, finding the right solution for the problem is why I enjoy it so much.

What would you say was your more challenging project?

That’s hard to say, because they are all challenging, so the current one is the most challenging one, if you want an answer. They are all unique, and that is another thing I think is really satisfying about what we do, is that every project is unique it has its own client, its own program its own site, its own opportunities. There are a lot of things you do building to building but we get to do new things all the times, which not a lot of professions get that opportunity.

What is it what you do here in GREC, as one of the partners?

As an owner there is a lot of business, a lot of responsibilities, but when it comes to actually working on the projects we still do a little bit of everything.

What do you think is the most rewarding and difficult thing about architecture as a profession?

It is a lot of work for the amount of compensation, there are much more lucrative professions; so in a sense that’s probably the only frustrating thing.

People don’t look at architect as they used to, people used to look at an architect as a representative of them, as an attorney and I blame it a little bit on the contractors, because they try to convince the client that the architect is spending more of their money than they need to spend.

What gives your job satisfaction?

There are a couple answers, one being the problem solving also being a business owner its also satisfying making a good environment for people to work in, that’s something I really didn’t anticipate but it feels really good to walk in here every day and to see people that are happy to be here.

Did you work in a big firm before?

Yes, all three of us, the partners, have.

And once you got together you decided to be a medium size firm?

We are more confortable working in a studio environment rather than a corporate environment. But what we are capable of is providing the same level of service as a big corporation except in a much more human way.

What we usually do is all three of us will meet initially with a client and many of the times we work on a project and then one of us will go forward as the principal in charge of that project, but we are always talking every day that is why we sit next to each other.

Do you have a favorite type of project big buildings small buildings?

All of what we do is fun there are a couple of things we don’t do that I don’t think I would enjoy, like custom houses as much as I would like to design a custom house, its really challenging to work with clients who don’t speak the language and its hard for the to visualize things, sometimes even if you show them to them they’re still looking at a drawing right? It’s strange, I’m sure a heart surgeon can say the same thing, when you know exactly how something is going to turn out, but the client has no idea, so everything is a surprise and they are spending their own money, which is different than developers who are spending somebody else’s money, so the investment is very hi, so if something is unexpected which most things are because they don’t know how to visualize is often really intense. There is that. I really like the work we are doing now and I would also love to do things we are not doing now, like cultural buildings, like a museum or theaters.

Have you aver had a lot of work that you turn down somebody?

No, because somebody might come that is small size and you are very busy and you say no thank you, but later when they have a bigger project they remember you saying no.

Do you have a limit of persons for the firm?

No, but we think that if every single desk in the office is taken that’s as large as we will get.

Do you search specific characteristics in the persons that you hire?

Yes, experience is important, but we also hire interns, but lets say aside from interns, experience, what kind of experience, personality is really important, because the environment of the office is really important, so what we try to understand is if the person compatible with the office, most people are having said that is not a very unique thing but if you can laugh that a big thing and people who are committed which most architects are.

Do all of the partners interview the person who is coming?

Yes, usually, sometimes it has not happened, but most of the times yes.

Do you only hire architects?

I think we prefer to keep the engineer in other firms because it’s a whole different profession, its similar but different. Occasionally we thought about maybe hiring an interior designer who can bring a lot of clients because its hard to start a whole different area. Because we would want to start from cero, because then maybe they wont really have work to do all day.

Where you born in Chicago?

No, I was born in Mississippi but grew up in Baltimore.

Did you imagine working here in Chicago before GREC? I came here after I graduated and the original plan was to check it out for a couple of years and then maybe move to another city but I fell in love with the city is just an awesome city.

Did you usually travel for business either in the US or outside?

Sometimes, you know we had an office in the Middle East right? Greg went the most I went maybe twice a year. But it depends where we have projects. And it was always fun traveling.

How long did the office in the Middle East last?

5 years we managed from here, and Greg was the one who went there the most.

Did you ever imagine having your own firm, after finishing school?

No. well yes and no. Yes because that is what you think about coming out of school. No because I really had no idea of what I was thinking about at the time. And to be honest this happened by accident, it wasn’t my plan to be an owner but later on we found out that we could work together and it worked out really well.

What role does technology play in what you do?

We do everything on the computer. But we start everything by hand drawings. And also in construction we sometimes need different types of technological equipment.

How do you imagine yourself in 5 or 10 years form now?

I don’t know, I might retire in 10 or so years. If its possible because I would love to spend all of my time painting. I thought about going to a warmer place, but my wife is a stage actor and Chicago is the best city in the country for theater so I would be able to take her away if she still wanted to work.

Have you ever been in competitions as a firm?

Only invited ones, where someone has called and told us that they want us to be in the competitions. We haven’t won them all but we have won sometimes.

What advice would you give to our generation of students?

This work is most rewarding when you are doing it in a good environment that is healthy. So from my own perspective the advice find a place where you want to work based on the people and the environment rather than the work they do, I’m not saying don’t look at their project but focus more in the people and the environment, and that is only my way of seeing things. Because coming out of school you want to work with the people who make the best project. But usually, and this is an unfair generalization, but those are not healthy environment.

In Response

Having the opportunity to talk with Don as a person but also as one of the partners of GREC which was the office I was hosted in was really amazing because Don not only cares about making great architecture he cares about the people in his office about the clients and to always be around a good environment. It was an amazing experience to talk to him in a very casual way, and even after the interview we stayed a long time talking he shared some personal ideas an thoughts. His advice as all of the other advice I’ve gotten is good advice because you have to work in a place you like with people that seem friends or even family, and I got that no only from talking to Don but being there in the office for almost 4 months.

“It’s strange, I’m sure a heart surgeon can say the same thing, when you know exactly how something is going to turn out, but the client has no idea” “But I fell in love with the city is just an awesome city”

Paola Gomez What is your major?

I have a bachelors in Architecture in Texas A&M and a Masters also in Architecture here in UIC. Did you know you wanted to come to Chicago after you bachelors?

I knew I didn’t want to stay in Texas and I had two different options and I ended up studying here in Chicago. And they gave me a scholarship so that was also one of the reasons I came here.

Did you have any influence becoming an architect?

No. Everyone is an engineer in my family. The closest to an architect was one of my grandfathers that was a civil engineer, but he designed roads. But I became an architect because even though its more a design profession it also has the math of other professions and in general architecture has many different areas.

Do you like Chicago?

Of course I do love the city.

What is it that you do in GREC? A little bit of everything, right now I’m one of the people that is full time working on one project specifically so I get to do different parts of the project. So it changes depending on what part of the project I have to work on.

Who evaluates you, one of the partners?

My direct supervisor is Aime, but Dennis he is the project manager of my project. Greg and David are the partners responsible of the project so they check my work but it very specific ways.

Was GREC your first choice or would you like to work in a bigger office?

Because the scholarship, was founded by Guajardo, you know the “G” in GREC, his wife created this scholarship found that every year someone wins it and so it happened that, that year I won, and she wanted to meet me, we had a lunch, she asked me if I was doing anything for the summer, and told her I needed to find a job, and after a while she called me and told me she had contacted Don, and they wanted for me to come for an interview, I went to the interview and they contracted me. I didn’t find them, is more that we find each other. And I started as an Intern, and after a year they gave me a job. And I would like to work in a bigger firm, because I get to do a lot of things and some day can be unpredictable which is always fun.

Who evaluates or checks your work in the firm, Aime and Dennis?

Yes. Do you every have meeting with clients?

I specifically haven’t had meeting with other clients, but I have had meeting with other consultants like MEP engineers or other engineers to work something out.

What role does technology play in what you do?

Do you work with many programs in the firm how many programs do you know how to use?

I know how to use everything at GREC I only use AutoCAD, outside of work I use Rhino all of the Adobe creative programs. I also know how to use 3DMax with VRay, Revit very little. But technology plays a huge role in what we do. And I think it’s a god thing that GREC is getting Revit.

Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

More than anything living in another city yes, I fell like where you surround yourself is how you grow professionally I’m not sure but is just more my personality but I love to move and live in different cities. This is going to be my 5th year working in Chicago, but I feel I can be ready to move to New York. I know its not going to happen now but I know I’m going to do everything for it to happen. I think this is going to be my home later on after I work in different places because this is a great city. But I’m open to whatever it happens even Europe.

Before studying and before the opportunity presented itself did you imagine working in Chicago?

No I dint, I don’t really plan for what’s next. I knew after I graduated form my bachelors that I wanted my masters degree and I did plan for that but I didn’t really planed where because of the several options I had and that I applied to. It just so happened that it was here and the same with my work in GREC. Would you give any advice to my generation of students?

I would have to say don’t rush to finish your education. I did 4 years for my undergrad and 3 years for my graduate and they were the best years. Learn in school, I know I´ve learned a lot more by working but I sometimes I wish I could have more information and learned more in school. And if you have the opportunity to get another degree you should do it. The other advice would be for you to learn every program because you would want to have all of the tools to do whatever you want. Learn how to 3D printing. And always love what you are doing, architecture is though but don’t be discouraged.

In Response Paola also works at GREC, she actually sat right in front of me. And we got along someway. And talking with her a lot, asking for her advice and her help made me realize that I needed to interview her. The interview was more of a conversation and she shared her experience about architecture and gave me advice which I think it also made me realize what I’ve been thinking about, because there is no point on rushing things, and it is always fun to let things be and not plan what is not necessary to be planed. Being my last interview of people working in GREC was a good comparison because since they all do different things they give their own point of view on how they see the firm, architecture and the future of it. It was amazing getting to know her and how she managed to be here in Chicago.

“…don’t rush to finish your education... And if you have the opportunity to get another degree you should do it. “

Neil Katz What is your major?

Architecture.

Do you have a masters?

No, when I graduated in 1985 it wasn’t as popular as today to get a masters, and I went right to SOM, and I though about getting a masters.

Did you have another major in mind before studying architecture?

I pretty much knew I wanted to be an architect.

But once I started studying it it was very different of what I thought it was going to be, and how the past school, like high school was programed.

How did you get involved with the computer side of architecture?

When I was at Pratt, while I was there they got a computer in the school of architecture I was always interested. I was always interested in the subject, I actually had a computer at home that used for programming and played with it for me to learn, and when the school of architecture got theirs I started spending a lot of time there.

Did it ever cross you mind studying something more related to programing than architecture?

Not really, I really enjoyed programing but I always thought of programing to be a tool to make things for architecture, I did think to change into engineering, because Pratt is good for engineering, but I stayed in Architecture.

Are you from Chicago?

No, I'm from New York How did you end up in Chicago?

About 5 years ago architecture because of the economy was really slow and things were much slower in NY than in Chicago so SOM asked me if I wanted to move out here. I NY is where I was born and where I’ve lived all my life but I guess my bond with SOM was and is bigger than my bond with New York.

What do you think was your first approach to geometry?

I was going to say high school, but I think even before that. In grade school I was always playing with shapes and thinking of shapes. I used to love to draw, and I loved mathematics. So people told me that I should become an architect.

You mentioned in your lecture about where you find inspiration. The different topics that you like to explore and relate to geometry. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

So I love music as well as architecture, geometry and programing, and I actually used to play the clarinet, once I started college I stopped playing it and after it I started again. I started also taking a jazz class, and the jazz class focuses more, than I ever had, on theory, on music theory. Because you need to improvise and you really need to understand the system of music. And it really is a system, and I think that there are so many relationships, because of that, to architecture. even some of the words that we use are the same, there are many similarities, and one of the things I love are patterns and both architecture and music have patterns.

Have you applied some of that music interest and knowledge into your designs?

I think about it a lot when people ask and I’m sure I have, maybe not in a formal way or in a way that I think about it, it just happens. And actually it also happens the other way around, because studying patterns has also find its way into the music I play, also don’t know how but it happens.

What is your role and responsibility here in SOM? That’s a good question and surprisingly not that easy to answer. I’m part of a design team Im part of a studio and I often get ask to use the skills that I have developed either by my studio and also other studios, one thing is that my role is very unique, although I’m part of a studio I always work with other studios. So modeling complex geometrical forms and not only that they also need my help to know how the building will work in the site with the light and the winds.

And sustainability analysis.

What do you like most about designing through programming instead of the more traditional approach to it? people use to think and tell me that if you use computers in design you’re going to give up a lot of control. If you do things manually you have the all the control but I think that it’s just the opposite. Which is what I like about it, I think that by using programming you can have so much control over what you’re designing. Another thing that I like is when I play with parameters, you build a parametric model and you move the sliders and see what happens, and many of the times even I get surprised, because sometimes I move a slider and don’t know what to expect that is going to happen, or when you think you have an idea but once you move something you get something totally unexpected.

What do you dislike about it?

The thing that I probably like the least is deciding among a lot of different choices. By working in a big team, other people can help make those decisions.

Watching the development and advance in technology and of the tools that are now available for architects through the world, where do you think that it’ll go in the future?

One thing that I have seen change, and I think will continue to change; so when I started using computers at SOM in the 80’s, there weren’t many people using it. When I was at Pratt and they got their computer I spent a lot of time in their computer room and didn’t really have much competition for computer time. People generally weren’t interested. When I started working at SOM they had about 20 workstations, and we had about 500 people in the office. Now everyone has a workstation, and in the past few years people have this equipment’s and they’re using programs like Revit and AutoCAD, and a few people are doing more sophisticated things like programming. But now tools like Grasshoppers, thinking that way, thinking about creating models in sort of a parametric way, and being able to program a model instead of just doing it manually is becoming more and more common. I think that will continue, people will continue to do more things like that themselves. Instead of coming to me and asking me for help on using a certain tool, a lot of people will build it themselves.

A lot of people now ask me for advice. In the past they used to say “can you do this for me?”, now they come and they ask “can you help me do this?”, so things like that I think that will continue to evolve. People will be more selfefficient, not just in modeling but also in analysis and other aspects.

Do you ever get confused with many different programs or do you get stuck?

Sometimes I do get confused or get stuck, and I just walk away for 10 minutes to forget about the project and get some air, to refresh my minds and thoughts. In New York I was the only one who did this, but here in Chicago I can ask help to my studio, also when I get stuck.

What advice would you have for our generation?

Find you passion, because I meet so many people that don’t like what they do. So really find what you like try different things because you might like something, but if you don’t know the other areas you don’t know what you really like.

In Response

Having the opportunity to talk with Neil was amazing. He is one of the persons that really inspire me to continue in architecture, maybe not in the area of programing because I have trouble with it, but that doesn’t mean I cant give it a try, after all his advice is that we should try different areas of architecture. But he is a big part of many buildings of a really big firm as SOM is, getting to know the person who actually was a big part of designing the One World Trade center is unique in so many different ways. And is so interesting how he connects his hobbies and passion with architecture as he does music and architecture. Because people might think they are really different but they have many similarities.

“Find you passion”

“IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU, IT DOESN’T CHANGE YOU”

Memories

06

STEVAN ROMO

CHICAGO STUDIO FALL2014