Little T American Baker Project

Recently our bakery project in SE Portland, Little T American Baker, turned 4 years old.  What a great accomplishment for our client and we are very happy that it is also wearing well generally given the traffic that goes through the space every day.  This is a testament to good design, craftmenship, and maintenance which we emphasis in every project we pursue.

Nothing gives me more joy than seeing our spaces and designs being used.  Good design and programming makes for great entertaining.  But, it is the flexibility of the space for many purposes that shows design strength in the end.  Happy summer Portland!

Shiny Happy People

One of the joys of doing residential work is changing the way people live. I recently got an email from the new owner of a past project of ours. I have to say, it was quite out of the blue but such a welcome surprise. It said:

"I just wanted to send a quick note to you and your team. I recently purchased your work of art on NE 37th and just wanted to say how truly amazed I am each day at how beautiful it is. I saw what it was before and it took true artists and a bit of magic to turn it into what it is now. Thank you for creating such a wonderful home."

Design is a challenging avenue and everyday we try to create unique spaces that accommodate our clients. Thanks so much to all of you that have followed up on our creations!

With the air getting crisper and leaves falling we checked in on a past design project of ours. It brings me great pride to see my projects taken care of by the current homeowners and also to see them weathering well.
We designed and built the steel fence & porch column in the forefront which is now taking on a nice rusty tone that looks great with the plantings.

Updated Info

Well again some time has passed since I have written on here. The current economy has me working harder! However, I did want to get on here and write about the fact that my company has gone live with our new website. Check it out to see our updated portfolio and info.

www.constructarc.com

I hope to be back here blogging about modern architecture and design in the Northwest coming this fall.

Redefining Exteriors

What I love about design in the Pacific Northwest is the relationship of our living spaces to the outdoors. The best houses I have been in get this--they are designed with more purposeful glass, better connection of kitchen to backyard, and windows that frame important exterior features while being used to also make the interior space feel more spacious and integrated.

I truly encourage you to not just think about redesigning your kitchen but also create the connection to the exterior, the grill, the deck and think of it as part of your project. Include a mud space, a pass through, a connection that not only opens up your space to the outdoors but fills your space with cascading light and greenery.

Infrastructure, what gives?

So a harsh reality settled in my mind this morning as I watched the school bond fail to do repairs on all the aging public school buildings in our great city. That reality is that perhaps infrastructure shouldn't be put up to a vote. The reality is that none of us want to pay more taxes. The reality is that if you don't have kids or have set foot in a school building in the last 10 years, you have no idea how bad it is.

And furthermore, other questions linger out there for me. Why did the schools let it get that bad? In fact, why has the government let it get this bad? Look at the measure for the Sellwood bridge (which also failed too)and look at our roads and highways!

Now I am going to go out on a limb here and say something you might not like. I love the beauty of Portland...the care placed in parks, bike lanes, public art and park benches. However, if we don't start prioritizing we won't have this beauty. You can add a million dollars worth of bike lanes but if there are potholes on the next street that a biker hits, they are still going to fly off the road or swerve and get hit by a car. If we have a bridge collapse then there will be public outcry--but up to that point we don't want to put money towards it. What gives?

I know the issue isn't black and white but here is what i see. I take my first grader into school and dodge buckets in the hall and classroom catching water from the leaking roof. I watch the music teacher be laid off and asbestos on the ceiling. I live on a street that most people who visit can't even drive on. Aging bridges. Poor soil quality. Inflation.

I also see parents involved in the school--including landscaping, painting the teachers lounge, cleaning, playground improvement, tree planting. We invest every day in our school and neighborhood but are feeling strapped.

If this isn't a reality check, then what is?

Basic services should be top of the list. Decent streets, efficient water supply and safe electrical run to all houses and buildings. Emphasis should be placed on these improvements (even down to the level of permitting).

Education of our children will define our nation in the future. Whether you have kids or not, you know that we are falling behind. we can't look the other way because there is value in the place our kids go to school. Safety is the biggest concern here on top of human health.

Infrastructure such as bridges, overpasses, and tunnels should be evaluated and repaired so that we don't have a catastrophe on our hands.

While this may seem simplistic to you, we have become a nation of overwhelmed people. Let's really think about getting back to basics and focus on those as short term goals. My hope is that if we can truly do this, the rest will fall in place over time. Patience!