INSPIRATION / SELECTED PROJECTS
“The gravity and finality of the actual is itself an aesthetic stimulus.” — C.S. Lewis
What inspires you?
The architect Owen Jones wrote that “we should regard as our inheritance all the successful labors of the past, not blindly following them, but employing them simply as guides to find the true path.” Those successful labors – all the successful architecture of the past – are my inspiration. Traditional and vernacular architectures offer endless lessons of composition, proportion, and order. Modern architecture and its progeny offer lessons (both positive and negative) on materials, economy, and construction.
What is your favorite or most exciting BAR project?
The Film Archive and City Center Bishop Ranch could hardly be more different in style or program, but both share a laser focus on quality. In both, a vigilant pursuit of excellence extended from the largest site decisions all the way through to the finest details. All projects, regardless of scale or expense, can benefit from that relentless approach to design.
How would you describe San Francisco architecture?
SF architecture is less about individual buildings or signature architecture than it is about the gestalt. It is about the rolling hills, sun and fog, and dramatic views. At its best, the architecture is varied without being chaotic, beautiful but playful, with the buildings working like pieces of a puzzle to create uniquely San Franciscan backdrops for daily life.
What is your favorite building in SF and why?
The Palace of Fine Arts. The last remnant of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the Palace is arguably left without a function, yet San Francisco would be lesser without it. The Palace suggests that architecture justifies itself simply by being good and beautiful. What if, this whole time, function follows form?
Education: B.Arch., University of Cincinnati