Category: Architecture

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Architecture

Work at an Architecture Firm

Rich McGervey Coliseum WVU

The above photo is by Rich McGervy via Flicker. The keyhole view of the WVU Coliseum below is by Waller Corporation on the first floor of Marriott’s hotel under construction. The new Courtyard will have spectacular views of the Monongahela River and the city of Morgantown, WV.

062515 Marriott Progress

Architecture firms commonly joke that we have a feast or famine type of schedule. When there is work there’s too much of it. But when there’s nothing to do, there’s really nothing. The constant sprint of deadline-driven projects are occasionally broken up by a few weeks of down-time. That’s where I found myself a few weeks ago. While the Marriott project moves into construction administration and the shop drawing review period is slow, I can often do all I need to do for that large project in about 8 hours of time a week. Because I work in a mid-size firm with multiple project managers I can quickly move under their wing before my next project begins.

In the last week I’ve worked on two residential projects, a LEED project in West Virginia, renderings for a new church project and participated in a firm interview as the hospitality skilled architect.

The church I began drawing had burned earlier this year. The parish has a large city block to build upon in the context of an old West Virginia river town. The post fire photos maintained the sacred feel as the roof collapsed on an otherwise pristine sanctuary. With the promise of a new project, and time to draw, I took the opportunity to put my hand to paper.

IMG_5035Photo by CNS through Catholic Herald

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About Me Architecture Travel

Traveling as an Architect

Calatrava Lisbon Portugal.JPG

It’s fun to talk about how to find what you are good at, and what those talents are, so they can be easily incorporated into every day. The drawing obsession of mine began while traveling as a student of architecture at Virginia Tech. My fall semester of 2002 was spent on a bus  with 35 students and a handful of professors.

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Cathedral Photo by CED Berkeley

My first job at Kendall/Heaton Associates pushed me to work on construction documents for two years. I was fortunate to work under Rex H. Wooldridge, Steve Bell, and Joon. These men formed the foundation of detailed work and dedication to the profession that I still lean on today. After working in Houston, TX I moved to Ohio to work solely on a house project for my parents. Needing to find an expert in the area, I sought out Victor Greco, a mid-career architect practicing in Wheeling with SMG Architects (now Mills Group.) He invited me into the Wheeling, WV office and I easily found the job that would take me into the next phase of my architecture career. SMG supported me to take the ARE exams, and I became a licensed architect in 2009. In 2013 SMG split and became SM+P Architects  in Baltimore while Victor merged with Mills Group. I moved to Morgantown, WV to work for the Mills Group shortly after this change.

In the last year I have drawn three hotels, one small hotel project has been completed while the other is under construction here in Morgantown. The third one desperately wants to rise off of the drawing board. I have worked on two local residential projects that required additions, helped one interior residential project, and have continued to work on one large renovation that is going on 2 1/2 years. In the last few weeks as Marriott has moved fully into construction administration I’ve jumped on a university renovation project about to go out to bid as the final set-of-eyes over the documents, and am working on a small theater renovation in southern WV. I have a wide range of tasks that seems to change every day. I look forward to a mix-use project that is to begin in three weeks. Mills Group has responsibility over the design, and I can enjoy the freedom that comes with decision-making in my work.

All of the above is just my work. There are about 8 total project managers in this firm who draw off of a pool of three to five young designers across the two offices. With more people and more projects it is important for the structure of the firm to have a strong project schedule. Easier said than done when we are in a constant search to answer RFP’s or interview for new work. Projects have different levels of service, and each one continues to move along a different deadline.

One of my most talented colleagues who is currently completing her Master of Architecture at Lawrence Tech while working full-time suggested I read Project Management for Design Professionals. As a few of us continue to develop Gantt charts to schedule people and projects, I begin to understand how important it is for a healthy firm to balance talent, expertise, and time management.

Peter Zumpthor Chapel in Switz

Categories
About Me Architecture

What I learned in Architecture School

Eerie

Yesterday I shared the principles I have during my workday. I have many other personal desires, but my most enjoyable pass-time is to travel.

My husband and I work to travel. We are, as you know, avid hikers. Our last trip to Italy focused on family. Traveling with a few other people made my husband and I experience northern Italy like we hadn’t on our honeymoon -we went into many more churches, for example. But, I had less time to write and draw, considering the interest of many is constantly changing. As an architect, my vacations are where I rejuvenate creatively and mentally. Outside of vacation I need to develop a routine that balances my creative spirit in an office environment, which is why I practice my four beliefs as described yesterday.

How I got to this point, after 11 years in the profession of architecture has been influenced by my past. The part of me that wants to put my creative growth into my work, and the belief that I should came from my experience at Virginia Tech. To be idealistic is what a young architect learns in school. What we create affects the world for good. Upon our shoulders is the responsibility to design well and build sustainable architecture. I am encouraged that with my knowledge I can help others build the shelters they need, and enable the life they are born to seek. I am also encouraged that I live in an area of West Virginia that is booming in growth, one that has an acclaimed University (WVU) with many students and academic minds.

The type of work that a firm completes begins with the type of client each firm attracts. The project must support how I want to grow professionally, to enable creative advancement. Architects are like artists in that way. My university experience pushed me to find my passion, which is research and drawing. (Luckily I’ve just started a Master of Architecture at Fairmont State and I can continue on this path!) The open studio environment and discussions that students of architecture uncover are limitless in their bounds, and this is the artistic part of what I can do every day. Architecture is work that reveals itself after practice, and to do this the architect must practice. Practice, seek, look from a different perspective, focus and keep working.

So, if it is ideal that the type of work you do every day supports these thoughts, and at times I feel caught in paperwork, how do I find something within that to allow growth? It could be hidden in the talents of co-workers. At the very least it starts with communication.

Photo by Huffington Post

Categories
About Me Architecture

How does a Project Manager continue to be an Architect?

sketching

Eleven years an architect, and what I can show for my work each day seems unrelated to architecture. Are my young co-workers carrying out the tasks I miss completing myself? I miss drawing, I miss figuring out the details and having the opportunity to draft them with my own attention (bye bye AutoCAD.)

I’ve worked with a couple different firms in the last decade. Time slipped by comfortably when there were many licensed architects in a small-sized firm. The position I held before the one I hold now differed in size and in number of projects. At it’s best, the 6-person firm had two lead architects, an office manager, and three young professionals (at the point of taking license exams). At this size we each filled one another’s gaps easily because we sat in the same room and could listen. (Not that this was always preferred, but…) Our office manager was in charge and knew something about our last-minute-loving, architect-like schedules.

My role has changed since then, and I am part of an 11-person group in Morgantown. (Wheeling has five more.) Being with a larger firm means, overall, that there are more projects and people, of course. I now lead younger designers and many projects, or larger projects at once, instead of focusing on one. I’ve struggled recently with how to maintain the sense of being an architect with the many tasks of coordination that an architect in my position maintains. Some days I feel like I only respond to colleagues questions, answer the phone and check email. As a leader I’d like to share my attraction to architecture with others. Our current Mills Group team is creative and technologically advanced. I’d like to share the part of me that believes in what architecture can do for humanity in the work I do every day. I do believe that no matter what I’m doing, I can be fulfilled and I’d like to share that. I’d love input from others in a project manager position. The best thing I can think to do is the following:

1. Focus on one task at hand. Do this by turning off distractions, and by organizing time with colleagues to discuss questions all at once.

2. Move away from the computer. I set aside 3-4 hours in my day at my stand-up desk. I red-line and review real paper and can draw.

3. Take lunch. Move around, take a walk, read a book. The mind needs to rest to be able to focus for the remaining workday.

4. Encourage drawing. I began a Sketchy Friday event a few weeks ago. We’ve only met once, but I really enjoyed the hour of drawing with my colleague (hopefully more show up next time!). I also encourage being at the location of the project to determine design solutions. Go on site! The best place to draw what will be is to draw where it will be.

Sketchy Friday

Categories
Architecture

Wheeling WV Art

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Here is to ART making life and history a part of today. I should write an ode to my husband for his hand in this park, another to artist Jeff Forster who dreamed the elephant and made her a reality. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, an ode to Susan Hogan, whom received the first ever spirit award in Wheeling, West Virginia -the one created specifically for her. She gives tirelessly to the city of Wheeling and brings the community face-to-face with what makes life worth living -having fun and acting on the spirit that is within us all.

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Categories
Architecture

Marriott Progress – Morgantown WV

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The Morgantown WV Marriott is taking shape. Not only is this site unique – above the Monongahela River, across from WVU’s iconic coliseum, and nearby to the new WVU/ West Virginia’s Black Bears baseball stadium, but the way this project started construction is also exceptional.

The project broke ground in January, five months before it was issued for 100% Construction Document completion. Which meant for the architect (Mills Group) and the general contractor, (Waller Corporation) we were reviewing construction details and fabrication drawings before we finalized the design. To say the least there were a lot of moving parts and I had to be very organized! The players that make up the design team are structural engineers, mechanical, plumbing, electrical engineers, landscape architects, civil engineers, our owners, Marriott team collaborators, and more. For this project we are using Oldcastle bathroom PODS, prefabricated bathrooms, which will be delivered by crane later this fall and rolled into place within the building.

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It’s June and the first level of masonry has gone up, the steel has been erected and in the last week the first level floor planks were installed by an over-sized crane. Photos are by the Waller Corporation team, who has the best seat in the house. The job trailer resides about 30′ above the hotel ground floor on the adjacent lot and a quick view out the window provides an assurance of the job progress.

After 100% Construction Documents are issued the architect goes into what’s called Construction Administration, or CA. We attend bi-weekly meetings with construction sub-contractors, we coordinate collaboration with the owner, check shop drawings, and continue to assist in equipment and furnishing details.

We contracted the FFE team American Hotels for this Marriott hotel, and their team has been working to price the new Courtyard by Marriott decor for our project. The new Decor Package rolled out in January and our hotel will be one of the first to show off the new look.

marriott progress

Categories
Architecture

A Part of the Mills Group Team – Caitlin S

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I’ve worked with Caitlin for about two years now. She interned at Mills Group before receiving a full-time position and is now the Interior Designer of Mills Group.

Caitlin’s background includes a degree from West Virginia University. She graduated from the Interior Design / Davis College in December of 2013. She brings her good spirit, talented eye and hard-working manner to our team of young professionals. In the past year she has assisted countless people ranging in hospitality work with two recent hotel projects to designing the Mills Group window for Arthurdale, WV this past Christmas.

Caitlin assists in marketing with her graphic design proficiency and is involved with countless residential projects which push the boundaries of her interiors expertise. Recently she has been focusing on NCIDQ certification which includes 3 examinations and 3,500 hours of professional work. Caitlin is also learning to use a program called Lumion. With Revit, the BIM modeling program that Mills Group utilizes to complete design and construction documents, Caitlin can import 3D models and create life-like interiors such as below. The result, as you can see, is an incredible design tool that simplifies collaboration with clients.
 Caitlin Downstairs Interiors 1

Categories
Architecture

Marriott Monday

This upcoming Saturday represents the finish line for four of my goals this year. The Morgantown Marriott hotel will be issued, I ran the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon, I completed my first semester of graduate studies at FSU, and on the 16th I will take (and pass?!) the LEED Green Associate exam. Then, summer begins. I plan to have no plans (ha ha) but focus on living healthy and speaking more Italian.

The Marriott hotel project began last summer and in February I wrote for our company newsletter about the process:

A brand new five-story hotel is planned to rise across the street from the Morgantown Black Bears baseball stadium in Granville, WV. This Courtyard by Marriott has been a collaboration of a full design-build team. Along with the owners, West Place, LLC and general contractor, Waller Corporation, Mills Group is leading the effort.

The site is unique –at the far end of University Town Centre Drive, and it is positioned above the river with a view toward WVU’s iconic Coliseum. A new interchange from Interstate 79 will lead visitors directly to this location in the near future.

Planning began the summer of 2014. Mills Group was integral in the site positioning and assisted the owners in their future visions for the adjacent sites nearby. The Marriott will be perched at the top of a hill, the eastern side of the site, paralleling the Monongahela River located 360 feet below.

This Courtyard by Marriott will offer many amenities to guests. The building has an indoor pool, a generous public space including a bar, a bistro, a business center, and a theater to lounge comfortably. The guestroom configuration favors a two queen bed mix providing families who will enjoy local baseball the best opportunity to be together while they stay. This hotel will be themed with local interests and incorporate baseball, WVU accessories and images throughout the Interior space. A new interior scheme rolled-out in January and this Morgantown Marriott will be one of the first hotels to offer guests this new vision of the Marriott brand. The distinctive location will offer private outdoor spaces for the guests as an invitation to participate in the fine weather and view. This will be enjoyed beside a fire-pit fire crackling in the background.

In December the Mills Group team took a trip to Marriott headquarters located in DC to meet with our Marriott design representatives. The trip provided hands-on observation of the materials, methods and quality the brand expected of our future hotel.

We celebrated the official ground-breaking just before the January snows. Waller Corporation’s team continues to move toward an early spring 2016 opening date. Mills Group is currently refining all of the details that need to be fastened together when the project links structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, site, prefab bathroom pods, fire protection, landscape architecture and more into one Revit model. Construction documents are to be completed in May and construction administration will last through this year. Stay tuned for progress as the building comes out of the ground and begins to play a role in the hilltop scene of University Town Centre Drive.

 Jared Marriott 1

 Rendering study by a past Mills Group employee, Jared.

Key Project Consultants:

MEP & Structural – Allegheny Design

Site/Civil – Cheat Road Engineering

Bathroom Pods – Oldcastle Modular

Categories
Architecture

Work / Life Balance

juice plus com

 ~ Juice Plus . Com Image

In the equation of a work / life balance, works seems to weigh heavy on the week. I am discovering ways to evaluate parts of work that can contribute to a positive work / life balance. It seems to be the topic of the week as all of a sudden a few different sources have come my way without my direct request of them.

Consider the seven ways to apportion your day as compared to Dr. Dan’s suggested plan -comparing a workday to a weekend day. Below is my ideal work vs. weekend day. Consider this for yourself. How would you divide each type of day to accommodate the seven times a day?

work weekend

Sleep is easy as long as you allow the time for it. Doing the same thing at the same time every day is good for developing natural circadian rhythms for your mind and body. In evaluating my chart I notice that I fill my work days with timelier demands. I also allow more time for focusing during the week, with zone-out time and chores taking the place of it for the afternoon on weekends. I lack time with those that I love early on workday mornings. On the weekends I don’t feel the ‘In’ need to reconnect to myself after focus time which probably means I expect the workday to have distractions. Which is true. I feel the need to allow myself to respect those trying to get a hold of me. Try to get a hold of me on a weekend and I wish you luck. 🙂

In my current occupation of self-evaluation by night, I’ve also enjoyed this recent article by Arch Daily about 21 ways an architect can work more efficiently. I personally love number 7!

Drdansiegel mind platter

Categories
Architecture Building Sustainably

Day three: Masters of Architecture class

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By the end of the second class I realized I needed to buff up on my architectural academic knowledge. Books by Vitruvius, Corbusier, and Louis Kahn are going to be my starting blocks.

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~411VGRDJWGL

 ~

Entropy-cover

We discussed Jeremy Rifkin’s Architects of the Mechanical World View in his book Entropy.

Jeremy Rifkin talks about Entropy, the gradual decline into disorder. There are two ways, historically, in which people make decisions he states. Before the ‘mechanical world view’ Rifkin argues that decisions were made based on the afterlife. Societies’ thoughts were altered when they began to be influenced by Bacon’s Novum Organum, Decartes mathematics, and Newton’s ‘tools of how to unravel nature.’ People began to think that gaining an understanding of nature to provide food, shelter and a more consistent living standard allowed them to make more selfish decisions. Humanity launched into a prosperous life that involved ‘controlling nature.’ These thoughts progressed to become more materialistic with Locke and Smith’s beliefs. The idea that man should acquire unlimited resources is deeply rooted in what society believes today -300 years of trying to make our natural resources profitable for personal gain.

Society now knows more about the earth’s limit of materials and what effect the extraction and refinement of these resources have on the health of our world. Did we humans understand nature’s natural order, and try to grow with that? On a global scale, I don’t think so. We grew with a  limited view and based our decisions on economic benefit.

Let’s examine how prosperous our world is and what technology we use to supplement expiring practices with energy and material use. Humans understand how to use wind and the sun for electricity.  We practice permaculture; that variety of food and a balance of flora and fauna is better than monocrops and overgrazing. According to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI – June 2014) about 80% of the world has access to food, sanitary shelter, education, and other quantifiers of a plentiful life. Aristotle argued ‘prosperity becomes a barrier to happiness.’ Bill McKibben writes in Deep Economy that people don’t need to make more than 30K a year -that this income provides sufficiently all that is necessary. (Published 2007, comparing U.S. salaries tbc) The question of how to help the 20% of underprivileged people and how much is enough for wealthy individuals remain. How do the wealthy continue growth and should we provide for the 20%? Who’s role is it to look globally to evaluate when enough is enough for some when others still do not have a good quality of life.

The discussion was engaging, and lasted over an hour and  a half. We debated why we (humans) believe what we believe. What governs us? What do we know now that needs to change in order to survive? What is personally important, versus what is important for our world? It was interesting to hear from the generation ten years younger than me.

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The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben