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Why Architects Study Art in School

June 6, 2015 by Jesse Hart, Intern Architect Leave a Comment

“The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.”

This above quote by architect Frank Lloyd Wright seems like quite the statement, and is not made to belittle all other arts, but to emphasize the importance of architecture as art. Many times, architecture is thought to be closely related to engineering, but in the words of architect Walter Gropius, “Architecture begins where engineering ends.” In fact, Art and Architecture belong to the same college in many universities. What, then, is the importance of art within architecture?

The practice of creating art, in its most raw sense, is necessary in architecture. By drawing an image by hand, the architect is able to put an idea onto paper. In hand rendering, different artistic media is used. As a student studying architecture, and interning with architect John Hendricks, AIA, I asked John two questions regarding art in his work:

How important is art in your daily practice as an architect?

“When I design, art comes into play much more than math.  Everything I look at, whether it’s plans, elevations, interiors, etc., needs to flow and work all at once and in all dimensions.  I remember my first art professor at Texas Tech, James Watkins, told us that this class (Art 101 or whatever it was called) will make you see things differently.  At the time, we were going over shades and shadows while painting stately homes across the street from campus.  That’s when I first started thinking about shades and shadows in a different light.  Now I think about those two elements all the time while designing.”

What is your favorite art medium to work with?

Pen and Ink Architect Elevations

Pen & Ink Elevations by John Hendricks, AIA

“Black pens on paper.  Several ideas can be sketched out quickly.  I don’t have the patience for watercolor.   I think watercolor renderings are great if it’s already designed, but if you’re designing with it, you have to wait for the water to dry while your mind is off on other tangents.”

Even in the age of digital media, hand-rendering provides images as unique as the architects themselves. The architect is not limited by their digital creation tools, and ideas flow directly from the hand onto paper.

Architecture as art is not solely confined to pen and paper. Undoubtedly, art affects emotions and is connected to the psyche. Line, form, color, value, and texture unite and create a response within the viewer. Certain pieces may make the viewer feel empty, while others bring light, life, and warmth. In much the same way, music creates an emotional response within the listener. Instruments come together in a symphony to create a piece of art greater than any specific instrument can achieve on its own. In architecture, familiar elements of art and music are utilized and unified; ultimately creating the framework of the spaces we live and work in.

Idaho International Center Architect Intern Rendering

Idaho International Center – digital rendering by Jesse Hart, Intern Architect, using Revit, Photoshop, and Lightroom. This was a University of Idaho School Project.

Winston Churchill stated, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” The built environment around us shapes our daily lives. The layout of space becomes important in the execution of tasks, while the dimensions and character of spaces create intimacy or openness, all thoroughly planned and developed to result in a successful space.

Light is present and highly important through many facets of art: painting, photography, and architecture all included. Quality, quantity, and modification of light to accommodate tasks, save energy, and create a desired feeling of a space can make or break the success of a room and building as a whole. The study of art theory and the psychology of art are therefore important and within the study and profession of architecture.

Art is largely about creativity. Just about anybody can draw walls, cut holes into them for windows, put a roof over the top of it and call it a house, but it is the job and joy of the architect to tap into the potential of a space and  make it a creative work of functional art. It is this creativity and creative problem-solving that separates architects from one another. Just as Monet’s expressionist art is different than Picasso’s abstract style, Frank Gehry’s Deconstructivist architecture cannot be deemed as “better” than Mies van der Rohe’s modern style. They are each their own creative styles and expression as artists.

A building must be structurally stable and strong enough to stand the test of time; however, structural integrity is not all that defines the built world. If this was so, buildings would be cold, uninteresting, even uninviting.  The beauty of architecture as the “mother of the arts” is that it can really affect people’s daily lives. I realize I have been rampantly using quotes in this post, but this final line from Architect Richard Rogers rings true: “My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we – architects – can affect the quality of life of the people.”

Jesse Hart, Intern Architect – Hendricks Architecture

Next Post: The Architecture of Hogwarts Castle

Hendricks Architecture specializes in custom Homes throughout North America. If you would like to know more about designing a custom residence, we would love to hear from you.

Jesse also takes beautiful photographs.  His work can be seen here at Jesse Hart Photography

Previous Post: Old World Architecture: Doors of England

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Old World Architecture: Doors of England

February 28, 2015 by John Hendricks, Architect AIA 5 Comments

On a recent trip to England I couldn’t help noticing all of the old world doors still in use.  Many of our clients request the timeless old world appearance in doors and in other architectural elements.  This is the case whether it’s Mountain style architecture, Beach House, Storybook, Tuscan, and others. Being an architect, and having a new Nikon, of course I had to start snapping photographs of these treasures.

Old world architecture and door at Stow

Door of the Stow-on-the-Wold Parish Church in England, flanked by yew trees.

As you can see, it’s not just the doors themselves that make great entryways, but also the surrounding architecture, and even the landscaping.  The entry above, at Stow-on-the-Wold’s St. Edwards Parish Church in the Cotswolds, could just as easily be seen in a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter movie.  It’s actually believed to be the inspiration for the Doors of Durin in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book (and film) of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Door in the old world architecture of the Cotswolds

This entry door is subtle in a Chipping Campden thatched home.

 

Oldest old world door in England

Britain’s oldest door

It doesn’t get much more old world than this.  The door above, in London’s Westminster Abbey, is Britain’s oldest door.  The text below reads, “Most likely constructed in the 1050’s for St. Edward the Confessor – Westminster Abbey”.

Old world door Westminster Abbey

The entry door to the Pyx Chamber in Westminster Abbey.

Located just around the corner from Britain’s oldest door, the door above is to the Pyx Chamber in Westminster Abbey.  This chamber was used as a treasury for both the monastery and for the British crown.

Below is the entrance to Alnwick Castle, in northeastern England.  This entrance is actually the “entrance gate”, which typically invaders would try to take down when storming the castle.  These doors are about 6″ (15 cm) thick.

Old world entrance doors, gates of Alnwick Castle, of Harry Potter fame.

Alnwick Castle Entrance

By the way, if you ever want to do something fun with the kids, take them here for broomstick training from a Hogwarts wizard.  If you’ve ever seen the first Harry Potter movie, this is where Harry took his flying lessons on the Hogwarts grounds.  For more info on Hogwarts, see our blog post on The Architecture of Hogwarts Castle.

Entrance to Alnwick Castle Keep as seen in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey

The Entrance to Alnwick Castle’s Keep

The above photo is of the entrance gates to Alnwick Castle’s keep.  Keeps were fortified residences on the castle interior, typically used as a refuge of last resort should the castle fall to an enemy.  Alnwick Castle’s Keep currently houses the State Rooms of the Duke of Northumberland and his family. Speaking of filming locations, it also housed the 2014 Downton Abbey Christmas Special.

Below is another side door at Stow-on-the-Wold’s Parish Church.  Fairly simple, you can easily see the decorative steel plates and clavos, which were large, often decorative nails, usually connecting to plates on the other side of the door.

Old world door at Stow-on-the-Wold Parish Church

Another side door at Stow-on-the-Wold’s Parish Church

Below is a rustic door at Hampton Court Palace.  This door is located in the kitchen area, and is fairly nondescript, except for its arch (which were common in the Tudor age) and wood timber door header.  Hampton Court Palace used to be one of the homes of the tyrant King Henry VIII. The vast kitchens were able to serve grand feasts to a thousand people.  On our recent trip we could have stood inside one of the roasting ovens, if not for the roaring fire inside it.

Old world architecture and door at Hampton Court Palace

A rustic door and header at Hampton Court Palace

Below is another fairly simple Tudor arched door at Hampton Court Palace.

Old world door at Hampton Court Palace

Another door in the kitchen’s of Hampton Court Palace

Sure, door design has improved in recent years (in some ways), but if anyone wants a true “old world” door, it’s always good to hearken back to the classics.  These give hints of the steel plates, levers (handles), clavos, and other hardware that are popular today in newer versions of “old world” doors.

These photos are only from my travels, and so by no means are the best old world doors out there.  I’ll include some more from other countries later.  I’d be interested to know of other great doors around the world.  Feel free to leave comments or even send photos, and I may include them in a future post.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect

Hendricks Architecture designs custom residences throughout the USA and elsewhere, from small beach houses to larger mountain style homes, and just about everything in between.  We design collaboratively with our clients, creating the right fit for their lifestyles and aesthetics.  Doors are an integral part of the design, and can either be custom designed for each location, or we can help you choose from some reputable door manufacturers.

Next Post: Why Architects Study Art in School

Previous Post: Smart Homes: Homekit, Nest and other “Smart” Products

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Smart Homes: HomeKit, Nest and other “Smart” Products

January 17, 2015 by Hendricks Architecture: Tony Rossetti, Project Manager 4 Comments

In our last post, Controlling Smart Homes with Smart Devices, we discussed the recent trends in smart homes, with many new ideas from the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.  The show featured announcements by Samsung, and it’s CEO, BK Yoon, about what he has labeled the “IoT”, or Internet of Things.  Basically, everything electronic in our lives will be communicating together to create a better standard of living for everyone.

To accomplish this, Samsung has developed a subscription service, and is touting it’s “SmartThings” application; which requires a SmartThings hub, and connects all your devices to the SmartThings cloud for integration.  So, besides Samsung, who else is developing the future of Smart Homes products?  Tony Rossetti, a project manager here at Hendricks Architecture, describes this in better detail….

Apple, (which doesn’t attend the CES) is always looking to upstage the CES show.  They launched HomeKit, which lets iOs customers control lights, locks, video cameras, doors, thermostats, wall outlets, and switches with their iPhones.  The HomeKit can be operated by voice through “Siri”, who Apple and iPhone customers are already very familiar with.

Smart Home, Device, HomeKit. Apple, iPhone

A Smart Home Device/Remote – The Apple iPhone

Google is the third titan of the Smart platforms, with its “Nest”, which includes;

  • August Smart Lock can set your Nest thermostat to “away” or “home” settings when you lock or unlock your door, and can automatically switch your washer and dryer to quiet mode when you’re home.
  • Mercedes tells Nest you’re on your way home, so the thermostat will be at a comfortable temperature when you get there.
  • Ooma VOIP home phone service knows when family members come and go, and can send an alert to your phone if your child doesn’t return home from school on time.
  • with Dropcam you can see what’s going on when your smoke alarm goes off.
  • Jawbone wakes you up and your thermostat.

Quirky is developing a product called “Wink”, an open technology platform that will link and control numerous household items, and is partnering with GE and Home Depot for product integration and distribution.

A few others of note:

  • Netatmo Welcome is a facial recognition camera that notifies you if a stranger enters your home.
  • LG unveiled a fridge that responds to simple text commands.
  • Keen Smart Home Vent, connecting to smart thermostats, opens and closes vents automatically by using built-in sensors that track a room’s optimal temperature.
  • Edyn is a solar powered smart garden sensor that keeps track of plant hydration and soil nutrients, then provides users with data to help their plants thrive. Multiple Edyns can form a network across a larger garden, and even connect to water valves and automatically water the garden when needed.
  • Nest has launched it’s “Thread Group”, partnering with Samsung, Silicon Labs, Big Ass Fans, and other home technology companies, to integrate their products together.

All this is fine and dandy in theory, but what potentially stands in the way of easy integration?  A couple of things cloud the otherwise bright future of Smart Homes and Smart technology advances.

One, a potential standards battle looms, between developers, companies, and providers.  How to connect ALL devices, including competing companies, so they all communicate seamlessly?  Some of us may remember BetaMax vs VHS, or more recently, Apple vs Microsoft.  Samsung is pleading for a completely open architecture for all products, but will that plea be heeded?  History tells us that most companies prefer to develop their own technology as they see fit.  Consumers would benefit from the competition, but suffer from the headache of operating systems not in sync; and products that may be hard to program and control.

The good news is Samsung and Google are two of the biggest names currently working together to solve this, at least between their products.

The other question is; how to retrofit all the existing homes that also wish to have the technology?  This remains a very cost prohibitive issue, that is not easily solved.  Perhaps someone will step up with a wireless device that will allow any appliance or system to be controlled, without requiring re-wiring the item or the house itself.

As of now, the vision of IoT (Internet of Things) and of Smart Homes, is best suited being pre-planned into a new home, with the base and potential wiring in place, and with the ability to expand upon it, as products are released.  It remains to be seen if true “open’ architecture is used to develop these future products, which is in the best interest of the consumer, but may be ignored by product developers eager to create proprietary devices that lock you into their line.

Who knows, perhaps that user friendly “app” that connects all devices seamlessly and wirelessly, will soon materialize to make it all work like it’s envisioned?

That, would be a very “Smart” idea indeed.

Tony Rossetti, Project Manager

Hendricks Architecture designs custom “smart home” residences (and dumbed down), from small beach houses to large estate homes.  

Previous Post: Controlling Smart Homes with Smart Devices

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Controlling Smart Homes with Smart Devices

January 12, 2015 by Hendricks Architecture: Tony Rossetti, Project Manager 2 Comments

The “Smart Home” and “Smart Devices” have evolved quite a bit in the last several years.  Heat systems and stereos controlled by mobile phones have been around for awhile, but as we’ve seen at last week’s 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Smart Home is emerging closer and closer to the mainstream.  Tony Rossetti, a project manager here at Hendricks Architecture, writes about the latest in smart technology.

Samsung CEO BK Yoon, who delivered an hour long keynote speech about “Smart” technology & development, labels it the “IoT”, or “Internet of Things”.  His speech covered many Smart technology devices that a lot of people are already familiar with, such as smart phones, tablets, cars, etc.  He also discussed the importance of integrating our homes with our smart devices, thus making our lives easier, richer, and healthier.  This echoes what a majority of us currently covet; in a recent poll, 70% of Americans want to control something in their house via their phone/tablet/etc; without leaving their bed or recliner.

And how does the head of Samsung envision this?  A few of the ways include…

Controlling home environments.  Homeowners with homes wired and connected to smart devices (phones, tablets, laptops, watches), will be able to control a myriad of items remotely. Security monitoring, access to appliances, lighting, sound systems, sprinklers, and much more, will be controllable and accessed remotely at any time.

smart home, smart device, smart home remote, samsung

A Smart Home Device/Remote – The Samsung Galaxy

Homes can also be linked to different apps to automatically control them, such as;

  • weather apps to heat/cool the home accordingly
  • adjust sprinklers to account for heat waves or rain
  • check on your pets food and water
  • view your pantry or refrigerator/freezer from the store (perhaps even re-ordering items automatically!).

A bracelet worn could detect you getting sleepy, and adjust the home’s temperature, security settings, and even light ambiance in advance of you (and your family) turning in to bed.  It could even start your favorite sleep music, or late night show on the bedroom TV, as you lay down; and turn it off when it senses you asleep.  And, it could alert emergency officials to health issues as they happen, such as heart attacks, strokes, etc; opening your home security only to qualified medical personnel with qualified access.

Samsung is also working on home sensors that can actually smell, detecting numerous emissions (good & bad) and toxics, that human noses can’t…  such as natural gases, carbon monoxide, and other harmful items.  It will warn you directly, and could also alert authorities if imminently dangerous.  These sensors could also monitor the elderly, monitoring movement, and alerting help if they fall from bed, shower, or elsewhere.

The Samsung Chief envisions our televisions becoming the major focal point for all these items, thus increasing their importance to the average family.  However, many smart devices will be able to change and control those settings remotely.

Some home related Smart items (also discussed at the 2015 CES) under development by a Samsung development partner, or already being rolled out, include:

  • Dacor Co.:  Android based ovens & stoves that accept smartphone control (with safety overrides built in)
  • EnGadget:  Designed a baby rocker controlled by Bluetooth
  • Schlage:  A SmartLock called “Sense”.  Along with traditional key, it uses a smartphone or pin number to open, and be programmed as to how & when guests are allowed to enter.

Also at the 2015 CES Show, CEO Yoon outlined how Samsung fits into the future of “Internet of Things”.  Samsung is committing its company to being the leader of IoT technology, by putting it’s sizeable financial might behind these development efforts:

  • Samsung will dedicate and invest $100 million in developers working on connected devices.
  • It is calling for all developers and companies to use “open standards”, to ensure ALL devices (from differing manufacturers) will work seamlessly together.
  • By 2017, 90% of Samsung hardware will be IoT enabled, and 100% by 2020.
  • Samsung’s goal: to create an IoT universe, to provide consumers increased convenience, safety, health, and improved lives.

Samsung also announced the creation of a subscription based service, to provide all necessary Smart-based technology and services to homeowners, thus allowing them to continually be up to date on the latest available technology and products.  Samsung has already rolled out it’s “SmartThings” platform, which requires a SmartThings hub, and connects to their SmartThings cloud for continual updating.

In our next post, Smart Homes: HomeKit, Nest and other “Smart” Products, we’ll talk about what might cloud the otherwise bright future of IoT, and of all things Smart.   We’ll also discuss what Apple and Google have in store for us in response, as well as whether or not homeowners (current/future) should plan their home designs for Smart integration accordingly.

Tony Rossetti, Project Manager

Hendricks Architecture designs custom “smart home” residences throughout North America, from small beach houses to luxury waterfront mountain homes.  

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Hendricks Architecture

We are mountain architects specializing in mountain architecture throughout North America, from lodges and lakefront homes to cabins and beach houses.

John Hendricks, AIA
418 Pine Street
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
Tel 208.265.4001
Fax 208.265.4009
Email: john@hendricksarchitect.com

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