The Committee on Design visited Columbus, Indiana in April, 2012. Click here to read the conference report written by John Morris Dixon, FAIA. Photos courtesy of Jim Childress, FAIA, Ann Thompson and Aaron Trahan.
COD Columbus, Indiana Spring Conference Video
February 3, 2013
In April, 2012, about 120 members of the Committee on Design went to Columbus, Indiana for our spring conference. Together we explored the architecture of the community, talked with many of the architects who designed the projects, and met with citizens who have been active in championing modern architecture. We also discussed and considered how to measure design excellence. The following film was created by Boaz Ashkenazy and his crew at Studio216 as an overview of what we saw and experienced.
For a guide of the projects we saw, and the people we met, please see the Committee on Design to Columbus, Indiana here.
What Was Your First Experience With Architecture?
May 18, 2012
Hong Kong Skyline. Photo by Aaron Trahan.
By Aaron Trahan, Committee On Design Spring Conference Knowledge Scholar
During one of our afternoon statements on day 2 of the Committee On Design Spring Conference in Columbus, Indiana, I found myself distracted by a comment made by Nancy Rogo Trainer of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. In her remarks on what defines architectural excellence, she noted that our views of architecture, whether deliberate or inadvertent, are formed by our experiences. Many of us architects, in fact, can probably trace our interest in a career in architecture to some experience with buildings that stuck with us throughout our lifetime.
I remember when I was twelve and thirteen years old, my father lived in Hong Kong as a result of his position at United Airlines. Because of this, I was exposed to a more global view of architecture at a very formative age, being able to travel throughout Southeast Asia during school vacations. I remember being fascinated by the skyline of Hong Kong, the hustle of the marketplaces that seemed like endless mazes, the planning strategy of the Forbidden City, and the elegance of the temples and monasteries.
This experience with architecture would later become the foundation of my decision to pursue a career as an architect, and develop a fascination with Asian architecture.
That being said, I pose the challenge to you, to dig into your past and remember one of your first experiences with architecture. I’m sure there are many, however the first one that comes to mind is probably the one that was most influential to you.
Memorable Quotes From The COD Spring Conference
May 10, 2012
Photo: Pre-Conference Symposium: What is Architectural Design Excellence?By Aaron Trahan, COD Spring Conference Knowledge Scholar
The AIA Committee On Design Spring Conference began with an opening symposium, hosted by the Indiana University Center for Art + Design. The speakers began discussions during this symposium that became the theme for the rest of the conference: What Is Architectural Design Excellence? Throughout, I made a point of writing down memorable quotes that I felt captured the theme of a moderated discussion or a point that our invited panelists were trying to make.
The conference featured moderated and informal discussions with Susan Szenasy of Metropolis, Will Bruder, architect from Phoenix, Ed Feiner, FAIA of Perkins+Will, formerly with the GSA Design Excellence Program, and Jane Weinzapfel, FAIA of Leers Weinzapfel in Boston. We were also honored to hear from Gunnar Birkerts as well as Ben And Cynthia Weese. In noting these quotes, I chose not to credit a specific person to each one. Throughout the conference, we came to a general agreement that design excellence is not about personal style, trends, or celebrity. So I thought it fitting to consider these quotes a product of our discussions, and credit them to everyone who attended the Spring Conference.
It is interesting to note the progression of our theme through these quotes; they are listed chronologically.
Please feel free to comment on these, choose your favorite, or post one that resonated with you from the conference!
“Pragmatism doesn’t quite raise the hair on the back of your neck”
“Excellence in design makes you want to be there alone and together, at all times of the day”
“What is a building but a series of interior spaces?”
“When the human face is missing, that is not excellence”
“[Excellence] is probably the most overused word after professional”
“[Excellence] is clearly identifiable as an exemplary advancement for its time”
“Architecture is creating the membrane of space”
“An architect takes something circumstantial in our lives and makes it meaningful”
“Architects seem to think that they are the only ones asking the question of excellence”
“Cities are made more of background buildings than foreground buildings”
“Excellence is lyricism through complexity of situations”
“[Excellence in architecture] is not built, it’s born”
“[Design excellence] is harmony through juxtaposition; you understand the old and you understand the new.”
“When the style is a representation of the larger ideas within that building, then it becomes important”
“Style is a term that we apply retroactively”
“If anyone today sets out to create a style, they probably shouldn’t be practicing architecture”
“Maybe as architects we think we are more important than we really are”
“Having core principles about the way you work is essential”
“The cross disciplinary intent of [the younger] generation is powerful”
“Architecture in Columbus is a visual expression of community values”
What Does “Design Excellence” Mean To You?
May 10, 2012
Photo: First Christian Church, Eliel Saarinen, 1942.
By Aaron Trahan, AIA Committee On Design Knowledge Scholar
The theme of the Committee on Design Spring Conference, “Defining Architectural Excellence”, is one that cannot be defined, drawn, or planned, it can only be born, experienced, and described. Over the next few weeks, I hope to draw conclusions from the conference, in a series of posts that will highlight the overarching themes from our symposia, panels and intimate discussions.
As architects, our clients expect 100% design excellence, no matter what the scale or the budget of the project. This, I believe, is achievable because scale and budget do not determine architectural excellence.
Excellence requires a complex balance of the pragmatic and the poetic, which throughout history has been on a pendulum scale. Currently, I believe that we are near the center point of that scale, which is unfortunately headed in a more conservative, more pragmatic direction. Economy and conservatism have slowed the progression of design excellence in the United States, especially in comparison to European and Asian design culture.
Throughout the series of posts ahead, I hope to further define and analyze design excellence, while also drawing some conclusions from my experience in Columbus. I look forward to continuing the theme of the conference with those of you who joined me, as well as those who are interested in discussing this theme further.
The Search For Excellence
May 3, 2012
First Baptist Church in Columbus, Indiana designed by Harry Weese, 1965.
By Sheena V. Enriquez,
COD Spring Conference Knowledge Scholar
This April, I spent four days in Columbus, Indiana for the 2012 Spring AIA Committee on Design Conference. This was my first AIA Conference and the second time I have travelled to see the built works in Columbus. The conference’s theme was “Defining Architectural Design Excellence.” From the various informal and formal discussions that occurred during the conference, at least one definition of architectural design excellence stood out to me:
“Architectural design excellence is the constant search for excellence.”
Always strive for something better. Stay curious. Keep trying to find the joy in work. Throughout the conference, I was surrounded by professionals who had accomplished many great things in their long careers. Yet, they were just as awestruck as I when first entering the chapel inside of Eliel Saarinen’s First Christian Church, just as eager to crowd around Gunnar Birkerts and Ben and Cynthia Weese at the Hotel Indigo to hear them chat, and more than willing to run across a busy street just to look at Fire Station No. 4 up close!
I have been out of architecture school for one year now, and there were some things that I thought I would have to leave to behind when I graduated. My experience during those four days in Columbus taught me that the journey ahead can still be full of rich and fulfilling experiences – just as long as you are constantly searching for excellence.
Participating in the Committee on Design Spring Conference was deeply enriching, and I hope to share more memorable lessons learned in the blog posts to come. I also hope to encourage those of us newer to the profession to see the value in participating in events organized by the AIA Committee on Design. Nowhere else have I encountered such a large, enthusiastic group of people who are eager to support the next generation of architects.
Is The Term “Excellence” Overused?
May 1, 2012
Venturi and Rauch's Fire Station No. 4 in Columbus, Indiana
By Aaron Trahan, COD Spring Conference Knowledge Scholar
In our opening symposium of the Spring Conference, Ed Feiner, FAIA made a bold statement that “[excellence] is probably the most overused word after professional” in today’s society. He wasn’t just talking about architecture either, everything is “excellent” these days, he said.
This may speak to younger generations not using proper adjectives to describe something, or our inability to be as critical as we could/should be. As a product of Gen-Y, I would have to agree with his statement. This poses the question, architecturally speaking, is the term “excellence” overused?
The most memorable conversations from the Spring Conference were those where disagreements occurred in what is and is not excellent. Is excellence too subjective to truly be used properly? Or are these debates that we had over Venturi and Rauch’s Fire Station No. 4, and the Hotel Indigo, what is missing in architectural discourse?
This isn’t to say that architectural criticism is absent from our culture, however I believe that we must remain critical in order for architects to be innovative and progressive. Remember what it was like when you were in school, and a “bad” review could leave you or your classmate in tears? Remember how much that criticism motivated you to refine or completely rethink your design?
Those critics that you loved to hate, were the people who gave you a reality check as an architect, not everything is excellent! So I ask you again, and please leave comments, is “excellence” overused in architectural discourse?
Defining Architectural Design Excellence in a Measuring Society with Will Bruder, Tom Fisher, Ed Feiner, Jane Weinzapfel, Susan Szenasy, Anne Schopf
Join us at the AIA National Convention in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The AIA Committee on Design (COD) is focused in 2012 on seeking definitions of architectural design excellence. Five prominent leaders of our profession have spent the past 10 months discussing and searching for those definitions. The definitions are important because they will allow architects to more clearly explain the value of their work to their clients and because architects will develop a greater shared understanding of architectural excellence and a greater ability to judge their own work as it develops. In addition, the presenters hope that attendees will contribute their own ideas. A related conversation is already under way in the COD Discussion Forum on the AIA.org Web site—a discussion that will continue long after this event. All architects invited to join that conversation.
Will Bruder is well known for his work in the southwest, and with projects now further afield brings an international perspective to the discussion. Tom Fisher is Professor of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. He has taught, lectured, and written extensively about architecture over the last few decades. Ed Feiner was the instigator and leader of the GSD design excellence program and brings insight on how to achieve excellence in public architecture. Jane Weinzapfel, of Leers Weinzapfel, provides a grounded voice in how to design with difficult programs in complex locations. Susan Szenasy, editor of Metropolis Magazine, is not an architect and provides a public point of view on how to judge excellence. Anne Schopf, former Chair of COD and design partner at Mahlum Architects in Seattle will moderate the conversation. It promises to be rich with insightful perspectives and provocative candor.
This workshop is a primary fund-raiser for COD. The fees for this lecture help COD continue to support design excellence through our awards programs, publications, and conferences.
Wednesday, May 16 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Earn 3.75 CEH | Cost $155.00
Register for this event here.
