Thank you no I have to apologize for

not actually showing up the last
time this lecture was scheduled and

just to warn you I still have
a little bit of a ingestion voice if.

This comes in.

If I have to stop by you'll probably
notice that again thank you for

the invitation to not only serve
as a Portman jury here but

also to visit your studios today where you
know some really interesting work within

a great conversations on
I I was intrigued with the.

Ellen's request to turn this
lecture into a question and so

I have to take a little bit of
a problem with it and nationally.

Initially it's a scream.

And then I go wait now I gotta do this and
so

I thought well the best thing I
can do is borrow a question so

let me show you images of the office and
I'll move them to the question itself.

And migrate.

Theft of a question.

So our studio is in Minneapolis we're
in the forty fourth floor of an older

building these are operable windows
which just makes it kind of breezy.

With an updraft and
the office is really built around.

A.
Very high coverage of a very collaborative

model and a very productive
model we have all of the.

Deaths are sort of an earth and all of
the collaborative tables are in the center

and what's interesting about it is this
for the way from back and forth between.

Really bad sound productive work and
intensely collaborative discourse and

conversation and for
us it's always been interesting

to know have people that
are very engaged in.

The seeking excellence of the notion.

But also assuming that people should give
their best while they're at the office and

then take a break and go home and but so
this is something like so frequently and

it's sometimes the last memorable part
of the electorate so here it comes that

you know we get our day
is not a bad idea and.

I've seen research where they're finding
that we're really only productive for

about six hours out of a day so the whole
architectural culture of that's built

around twelve and
eighteen hour days I think is a false.

Sense of productivity so
we have a lot of young

architects a lot of young architects
in the studio that have families and

would like to stay acquainted
with their children.

As well as stay productive or

in the office so this idea of having kids
downtime there to producer of work but

still having a good amount of just force
and I don't know why I look like I have

a headache at the end of the office and
this and that but.

It probably has something to do with
something that I write pulling for a.

So this is the big bird question.

I have to admit Maurice from from
Raphael minae Who taught a really

amazing lecture class of the G.S.T.
which I did not and

I was teaching there and
then sort of sleeping in at his lectures

whenever I had an opportunity to do so
and his question.

It was how it was lecturing on
a number of different architects and

he would select a specific building and
then he would ask the question how

did this architect proceed
into architecture and

so this idea I think this very cogent and

I think it's I have to say
in my practice project for

you the practice has changed in
how we answer this question and

I think we've really been able to build a
practice on really framing this question.

As we do our projects so

hard proceed into architecture is for
me really about this cusp

between the research that you
do prior to the project and

the first acts of design and for
years we've talked about this sort

of research phase as being the most
important phase of our work and

that's the phase in which we really begin
to understand the context of the private.

The sort of physical contacts
urban landscape contacts as well

as the program of the project
both the functional and

aspirational sides of the project so

we've literally taken this to be
very specific around those two ideas

at the same time we've found
that our ideas of the context

of architecture have been around
a click changing in recent years and

that context is as we
know it in terms of land

statements of physical effects is now
changing into an understanding of

a social context a cultural
context at the moment and

political and sustainable context so
we really begin to see the demand for

architecture performance expanding.

Along with that expanded context of
our projects we also see a greater and

greater demand for programatic
reinvention in other words taking our

clients typical strategy is for
their operational strategies

within their business or
lives in their residences or

us learning in schools
should be to really.

Change by the building itself so

that we really look at innovation
as a program like if you and

if you that architecture can directly
affect So going back to this question.

Of how do we translate from
research into design I think for

us it's always the idea that
you would quiet your voice.

You know your strategies your
in your drawing you're jumping

to solutions during a research phase and
that.

Is the sort of research piles up
you sort of get this this sort of

pressure to begin to design
as as as you've been able to

define the project context and.

I think at that moment there's
this sort of click where you just

kind of have to fall into a design mode.

At it but I have to say that that
there that line moves back and

forth between design and research so

as we begin to start to make
our first idea is clear

we begin to pose more questions
about the context of the private or

the problematic requirements of
the private and so we're constantly moving

back and forth I think between the idea
of constraints and rules this is also

a concept although I would first this
is a name of a book months and years.

And you know in the idea of
the project delivering constraints and

the architects creating rules that would.

Further develop the design
of the project and

that clarity around which
we need rules is for

me the more the most vivid way
that we begin to see our work so

I'm going to jump into some projects and

what I'd like to do is set up some sort
of context with through writings and

images of sites this is not
exactly as close to one.

End and then proceed into the design
in some cases and flowing and

don't work so you will never see
the design other than renders it so this

is a project that we did quite a while ago
it was our first residential project and

it was on the Bay of Fundy which has
this sort of enormous tile swing so

not only is there this sort of
threatening sort of morning landscape but

there's also these swings of
maybe thirty feet of tiled fame

over the course of a day this is
the site it's an old image and

it's got like an eager terms of our.

If we have it water is not quite
that color and the site where we

built this is right here this you can
see is low tide and high tide would be

somewhere up in here so
it's quite an extraordinary.

Place to be.

And here you here again you see
the voters bought fifty seven acres and

a mile of course live in New Brunswick
Canada which is where there is of it

and you can see very much of
the landscape there is this sort of.

Really.

Trysting sort of low growing plants and
a few trees and

that that plant material is almost
just a carpet across the brown rot and

so it's an incredibly powerful landscape

it's an incredibly threatening
landscape in a storm.

And it's just a very powerful
experience to be on this site

this of course someone.

So this is the site and
you can see the sort of crane Coast

where this is just as
the inlet they are in this.

This is this is bringing so that low limit
we didn't get all the photography in there

and then this line here would be
the the line of the vegetation and

so basically if a site that little maps of

plant material was just rolled back and
there we were on competent rock.

And that's obviously quite expensive to.

Blast in this area so we wanted
the house to have a minimal that on.

That rocky landscape so it sits as sort
of two bars I remember doing this when I

was on the site but the owner like what he
said this far floating over this bar and

the idea was to give him
this west facing court.

For the upper bedroom area and this is
where David was going to smoke a cigar.

And then just sort of east facing.

The.

Dining area and
the two story living in between and

what was interesting I think that forced
this piece was this incredibly intense and

steeped the power.

Of the idea of.

Of being on this site was sort
of resting on that site probably

required this parade.

So the building is basically
as I say two stories

there is some excavation.

In this area here but otherwise everything
else is pretty much on on the green

on the upper level west side and
on here for the rest of the building.

And then be problematic piece of this and
I think

I'm going to show three houses all three
houses are of the same type they're all

retreat houses and
they're all about reinventing your life.

In a place that you resonate with so

these are people that have bought pieces
of land for a particular reason because

there's there's just it
speaks to them in some way.

And the idea is they're not looking for
the normal daily life on that piece

space so it's about creating
a different kind of life

a sort of what I call them
in this house a sort of.

Functional life in other
words you know you have this.

Entry door here the kitchen is just too
low bars here and there's nothing that

would interrupt your connection to
that landscape above that you come in.

And then there was this very intentional
idea of coming in very around and

then coming back to the cube
this frame of the stair

framing the what they call
in Maine of all the ocean.

And then the upper bedroom and then
tucked below past the living room is the.

Sort of a bedroom in that that human down.

Below here is the guest.

So the house was really
sort of program magically.

In a fifth was about freeing
very efficient spaces or

it was about always reminding yourself and

as you go through the rituals that
everything that you're in this place.

And said here it as we talk about is
the sort of tiny building in this large

landscape it was published in a German
magazine in which the writers talked

about the mutual intensification
of sight and architecture and

the idea that there was this
dialogue between the site.

And the.

And the architecture itself so
their need for intensifying one another

that there was an intentional idea of
putting this sort of mass wall constructed

in the back and then of the more radical
structure facing you know if and so

there was this sort of anchoring
use it wasn't about exposure but

it was a lot of our excitement or how we
got a circle engineer that that stood out

there on the deck and said I get with this
house is about it's about the ferry boats.

Which I thought was a.

Fine.

So there you see.

David having a meal in the dining room and

next to him are the the simple
bars of the kitchen so

Mary Beth who is a fantastic and
I felt was just not about bringing

elaborate meals to us all about the sort
of simplicity and just being in this place

interesting Lane It's a marine environment
so you can see some of the bracing below

to let early stabilize the house.

Everything had to be stainless steel.

Exterior because of the corrosive
marine environment so

this is really a threatening landscape.

Let's go there we go so this is the frame
of the ocean if you come up the stairs and

then this sort of the steps
that bring you down and

sort of seating area that's that's all
about just enjoying the sort of spectacle

of the ocean.

Glazing system you just sort
of an enormous frames of glass

with suppressed still ahead in
order to allow that sort of more

expansive is that's why.

It's just for certain by where I'm
standing for the proportions are OK.

With that working at this free and
that looks completely different.

That's out there that's.

So this is you know again this
is such a sensibility of retreat

once we did the house for
Marybeth in there that my husband Gary and

I thought well this was a good idea.

But I mean I know we were in for you know
a three hour flight to Boston another

hour and a half to get the Bangor and then
a two hour drive after that so we found

a site on Lake Superior in
the little town and for.

That.

Sort of.

This Earth that distance there
amplifies our madness and

the idea of having two houses and then.

You know why would you
living in Minneapolis and

you do a patient home north.

So.

That's it's a little crazy.

And this is sort of the vision that
the site where it's a very rocky.

Sort of unforgiving landscape
coming down to the water

a lot of really stone
Palisades like you saw in the.

Our house.

And then this sort of
industrial town just.

North Shore of Lake Superior in the midst
of that is where a lot of things iron

ore is coming out of the Iron Range
northern Minnesota and

it comes to these loading
dock facilities and

it's put on these Lakers these huge.

Usually about a thousand feet long and

depending if they're loaded or
fifty to sixty feet tall and so

there are these enormous
boats this room is.

Maybe a half mile or
a mile from the house itself and so

there are these really powerful
I think sort of industrial.

Culture up there that I think is.

Always powerful given
the lake that is also very.

Culturally significant to the sort of
identity of people that live in this area

so this is a sick plant for
the house it's not

fifty seven in there is
a mile of coastline.

It's about telling half acres.

Is.

You know.

Some get really sloping and then rather
radically sloping down to the water.

Because you can begin to
see this behind us are.

The Sawtooth Mountains
you can see that this is

you know a bit of wetland you know this
is again very very rocky shoreline so

you know these wetland areas are very
important to our caption routine

the melt off from the winter
snows off the side up to now.

Is I went to school a lot
of these are now me.

But in Minnesota they're definitely not.

So will go on.

So this goes into some of
the sustainable strategies for

the house this was meant to
be very again very simple

very direct not too complicated.

You know why through why
floor that the black moved to

flex the summer sun the flat
floor absorbs the the winter.

And really does an amazing heating
in this building in the winter

it's it's pretty astounding.

We have gone out there we keep
the temperature at about.

Forty five degrees going up there and

we don't have one of those
cool things that there's no.

There's no Internet yet so.

We have to come in and it's forty five
degrees and if it's a sunny day in

the winter it can be eaten in the house
that's pretty pretty extraordinary in

Minnesota to have that kind of acid
even if it's not a sunny day yet

we've built a fire really quick.

So yes and then we have for
the summer as large.

Or put back and put candles of sliding
glass with the body of water it's

probably no more than a high
sixty's in a good year.

You have an immediate cooling effect
with the winds coming off the water and

cooling the house.

So this is sort of explain for the diagram
the idea of the house being a for

the minimal thing to
hydrology at the site so

that we're really still allowing
a very slow movement of water

as it moves down to Lake Superior
have we built this entire.

On the ground there would have been
an incredibly large detour if you go

to the water and we wanted to
maintain that hydrology to mean team.

The plants that were in this
bus front area in what we call

the front yard which is yard all so

this is the house if you
approach very sort of home.

Sense of.

You know the main house and a gap and
then the studio that brings the water.

And the sort of.

Thing on board.

And this is again an attempt to
be a little stealthy in this

landscape you know when you're building
a black house in a white landscape it

seems awkward to call it selfie but
I think the idea of this black is is

actually kind of powerful in
the landscape and yet not.

Overly.

Out of place.

And then the front you're really shows how
much glazing we have facing the water.

And then the interior and very sort
of simple way an enormous amount of

storage on the north wall
that allows us to really.

Sort of remove the need for
us of everyday life.

And put it away so
that when you return to that house it's

quite fresh and then it gets reinvented
with whatever activities are taking

place with the new visit.

A very very simple sort of diagram for
a living the sort of long table

was actually inspired by a visit to.

A neighbour's house in the Stuart
cabin that had a long table and

then the sort of down around the blast.

And I went up there friend
of mine as an architect and

had all of his drawings laid on that scale
I thought that's what I want to do I want

to be able to come up here laced up about
and be able to think about it in relative

silence and so
that was the idea of building a table or

along the fence for you a little glimpse
of what we really do when we're there.

And then the sort of.

Classic anything.

Of this sort of intense fire
in this frozen landscape.

I think is it's like it was powerful and
that.

Sort of domestic.

For me.

And then the summer of the sort of early
diagram of the house that on the site and

then.

With what I think is actually this
is actually a file that was taken

quite soon after we arrived which is it's
quite different right now because we have

you ever taken down the trees
in the front yard and

see what we had to go out and
wrap hard work plop around everything.

So this is another retreat this is
a different kind of retreat this

one is probably forty five
minutes from Minneapolis and

this is a lake up Lake minute time which
historically you can see well when

you grab a play it's it's
not a lake it's a series of.

Weather is series of populates it's long
haul lakes that have been in her neck

there with channels rafts and so
you've got really eleven miles

of distance on the slate you can
see the top where the houses and so

this flows back in the day
making the release.

Of the place that everybody when there was
a streetcar line there and you would go

out there and you would get on this
boat and that boat would take you from.

You know.

That time that Excelsior
on the way with this.

In the SEC this idea of a summer haven't
sense that this is the actual site

since that time.

The residence is out here become more and
more permanent to the point where

they are some of the most colossal.

In some cases magnificent
in other cases but not.

Huge houses ever and so
you know you have this next but

what we thought was very interesting was
the idea that our clients were interested

in going out there but they really were
keeping their house in the city and

this was just to be a time for
them to be together with family.

And so we were not there and there was
one of these little cabins you can see

there's a little rope swing
I mean it was just very

powerful nineteen Berry's thing and
we went out.

To the front door.

You can see right through
the house through the water and

we thought that's just a really
great way to enter the house so

this became sort of a conceptual basis for
the visit where we were looking at.

You know this approach road that would
come in here in the city but for

the existing house south you
would come under this piece.

And you would you would frame this
view out towards the water this became

sort of a towel grounds and
then the poor start building here so

this was the public bar of the house
an existing garage an existing.

Sort of guest house I guess we
call it over here and then.

In the public areas or on the first floor
and opened out on said that recreation.

Maria and.

I The idea was to create these
inner locking all for us.

That the public area would be on
the first level up of would be.

Adults closer to the lake and
then the kids' faces.

Perpendicular to the roof.

And then those were able.

To serve in stairs.

So here is the plan again
a very very simple plan no.

Real particular sort of formal
quality to it other than to.

Really allow a sort of sense of
coming into the house here that there

really is you would you were approached
this place in a sort of an around this or

it'll turn and then this became
a sort of Hello stopping view of

this this is sort of a reindeer this was
more I was having you for the lake and

then this amazing still offer
you the second that really

opens up to the sky through a sort of.

Extreme.

Views of the house and then the parents
playing on one side of the parents.

Quite separate from the two girls bedroom.

So here it is this is the.

Approach.

And I'm just coming into that court
you're And this is for a family at least

you can say.

It was very important us to render
these two l's in different materials.

And then the stair.

Which is the going rate getting
a dropping the stair and

sections through the opening in the.

Room.

That's a steel stair with with Fred.

And then two girls rooms of the little
room off the pool for thirteen.

It's a guest room technically but
it's quite small and

the smaller it got
the pool room got bigger.

They just said OK well great now
that stage is one day I was staying

at the Bay Now there's just here for
a couple hours this is perfect.

And they were they were really cool and
this is a friend of mine.

Those extraordinary are really
genius placement but

I think of that he's.

Looking at that.

At some of the images of us again
keeping everything pretty close so

that you're settling.

In this and.

Another brick wall of storage This
was actually quite a bit deeper

than our project and what's interesting
about it becomes after the rooms and

of themselves there's there's a bar
in there and there's a pantry.

Refrigeration and all of the stuff
that that is sealed within that wall.

Including the fireplace
is next to the time that.

So this project I think that's
that's the end of the houses.

But I want to show this is
an Atlanta private except for

it's in the iron range of in Minnesota
this is for a Delta Airlines and

what was interesting about this I think
that's a very the no building program.

That Delta really wanted to do something
different which I thought was.

Incredible So we were not going
to work with us from Chicago but

we were convinced by a phone
call that we should go after it.

And so they basically were we're
challenging our tax to help them reinvent

this call center in the US.

This is one of the most dismal buildings.

Places to Work you've ever seen but
there is a huge.

Unemployment factor in northern
Minnesota so economically

this kind of thing is is
really a boon to the area.

And we were asked to come in and
take a look at it and come up with ways to

spend six million dollars on the building.

In a way that would account for.

The people that work there to be where
they called the employer of choice and to.

Reinforce the brand on the building
experience an interior So

what we thought was that the project
really to be of black on the local.

Of the more abstruse sort of
global company that Delta is and

the idea of really creating a space
that connected both the brand and

the place was important so
rather than sort of looking at this and

in a way that was all about the.

Restraints of the private we immediately
set up what would happen if we

really created a connection to
this landscape that was really

powerful that we could create these sort
of miniature gardens that we would cut

through the space that would really
recreate them the north woods.

We we did a series of
diagrams that proposed

this.

And.

Sort of sold that to them as
a strategy for the building.

What we were very concerned about was that
six million dollars you're not going to

get these openings in the building so
we ended up or

for a good amount of air from them for
else in the project so

we ended up doing that they wanted it but
they still want to maintain

a rather low budget so.

We ended up saying OK whatever what
are we creating is this congressman

is sort of stands.

Collaborative areas that would be to
buy these two new style lights and.

Remove the ceiling.

Paid everything but then use a material.

Sort of.

Three M. photographic material that
would surround those come up with rooms

with a vision of a courtyard or
act for photography from the area so

we were creating in a sense this
sort of simulation on landscape or

the conference room.

And then we had an idea that we would know
is sort of a limb take that were invented

by means of the space or if you come
into work you see the Delta brand of

the sky and as you leave.

That sort of you leave then you see.

The image of the birch trees and the birds
forests that represent the north.

Aaron.

So here you see the sort of free
space you see the lenticular.

If I'm right it's right here so

this is as you're coming in and
you're moving into the cold war.

Scene just a tiny bit of a.

Concert film.

And then we would put it we would increase
the size of the windows and then plant

some landscapes out right now if
you just looked across to her or

highway landscape.

Then.

A more.

That's connected to the exterior.

One from the area and again.

Steel plate.

You know rock pieces of wood to
sort of connect to that space.

This is now under construction and
I believe that they're on target for

delivering that project.

And several months.

This next primary is a private
that we're doing with games for

field operations and for us it's an
incredibly interesting returning to work

on a completely different scale and that
still is all about sort of this training

incursion into a pretty vanilla
structure this is on the C.E.O.

of a mile morning Street in
Minneapolis now the mall and

so the idea here was to
do this this red things

that would connect the grand
rounds to the Mississippi River.

And the idea was to create these
landscapes that move through

the downtown area where.

America sees that would spur source or
activity.

Like many city streets.

It's a mailing.

Office environment there are a number of
residential buildings that are being built

in the US but a percentage of the city.

Is empty after five probably except for

the stretch where that amount of
restaurants and activities and theaters so

the idea here was to attract people
to come and stay on the Mall.

To create a more engaged
social environment and so

the groups with movable chairs and
the ability to sit and

talk and run into colleagues.

Sort of generate more stuff like
Kevin was certainly a part of it but

even more important were these ideas.

Of provocations for
cell phone interaction so

the idea of a fire pit in the middle
of winter in Minneapolis and

the idea that you would work raising her
so you know you were going to go out

there and sit around and have a coffee
out by a fire rather than doubling your

coffee shop is not for that.

And the idea of having This
is a great sort of concept of

a reading room where you would you
know this giant light fixture.

Books available we were.

Looking at doing our task on the team
not only to sort of in you know.

Sort of local knowledge and.

Interest in the private but also to do
all the vertical pieces which include.

The.

Transit shoppers which
we suggest to be doing

something with the only transit shelters
that they might need but drops the line.

Every year in my.

Bike rehab.

Bike repair stations etc.

And then in the center of
the city are these two.

Stairs that would go up
to our Skyway levels and

that centerpiece would be a seasonally.

Changing area so
it could be seen Christmas trees or.

Here's another one that sort of hurt.

It's a mic but more again the.

Idea of performance or things going on

this is what we call the crystal
stair which was a lot about creating

just a way of enjoying
being in that space.

This of that plane went away but
the idea of sort of so

full provocation and creating a social
environment was was it by staying in and

with very much at the basis of this second
your second public project which is.

A minor in my early fall part this is for
the St Paul saying it's in there.

I think it would be safe to say there
are very quirky organization there run by

my that.

Is partners with gold plate.

Who are out of New Jersey they're not the
people in the sense of humor Mike is and

his partner Bill Murray So
you know this is I think America

is one of the words that they use to
describe themselves they're all about

creating a really community experience at
the ballpark and they have in our team and

these are our for teen nurse that
come out this is the neuron and

they come out their teen parents and
some of.

The project is just outside of
an historic district of St Paul.

And from a nation.

The new home and transit line.

So I'm sorry this is
true then you have to.

Turn that.

So basically this is north
this is now over here and

this is very distorted by this obvious one
so this is the transit line coming in.

North is over this way and this is
a new bridge that's taking place and

this literally is all
parking through here and

then the just sort of the storage
space Lowertown here.

So we back in the day
we started doing this

you know crazy you know what we're How we
do a ballpark I didn't know anything about

you know the required dimension.

You know anything about but
that's not how laid out what So

we were sort of just kind of
doing something so they could.

Get some money from the state legislature
so we did a model and bunch of.

Diagrams.

In a sense just giving them of their
FULL OF THE NATION about what something

they're.

Very.

Shy away from all of the sort of
conventions in baseball which are not.

Really fair on him to
some people in the city.

So this is that street on
the street would normally

have the front door of the ballpark in the
little village in the corner you're seeing

Lafayette reds with this being rebuilt
as the ballpark as being built so

it's it's literally
between the firmest so.

That's three.

Lafayette bridge and the district is.

Very my fist through.

Where House buildings are sort
of lazy steel structures and

then some very quirky kind of.

Businesses that were cropping
up around the district and

then Nice these really
rather elegant Nasser.

Where House buildings that.

For us were intriguing not
necessarily because of

the punched openings in the mystery but
if you move to the interior and

you begin to see this incredibly
robust wood structure with

these these sort of beautiful steel.

Connectors so after we had this
project own had a product and

then they assembled a team a design
build around it somewhere in the right.

They're doing the architect of record
on this doing the sports geometry and

we're doing the design.

But we really had a private contract
was signed with the city of St and

it went to the governor and the governor
said only that publicly that this so

we had to stop after programming and
do a new

prisons in mission a new fit for
the project and

get that process we had really
come a long way on the program and

we had our ideas about how
this thing go together so

we decided in the interview
that presented design and

what we were doing with these
little sketches is showing.

Us sort of a few process for
how we were conceiving of a ballpark so

the first inception was
thinking about this literally

not just the ballpark but part and so
the first idea was to take the area

that we were occupying create sort of
lay this dream over it and what was the.

Happening is this there was a very large
building that was being taken out of

an industrial building so
there was a seventeen foot.

Very much hole member and
when we split of the side so

what was what we have now that
was to depress the field so

that the top row of.

The seeing ball is literally
at street level and

so you come in and you have this sort
of opening up of the ballpark so

the idea of sort of depressing pushing
that playing field down to the earth and

then surrounding now where the structure
is that there to comprise.

My early part it's it's
just not like seventy but

steam that seventy thousand person stadium
private This is seven thousand people so

it's maybe thirty thousand square feet of
building and close building above grade

it's something sessions and it's a club
room and suites and Prescott and

then we have a little tiny office building
down the corner so this this is that

will play office building that our fate
and I'm going to loan rates all the T.V.

rooms everything was I
was below the scene boy.

So this is the entrance from.

That street scene to see it
opening right out on you see

the sign of the.

Visibly opening right in the field itself.

The.

Upper concourse if you come in and
the ball dropping down and

then the crazy.

Craziness of the Concourse which
is interesting because it's

three hundred sixty degrees so
the idea is that you wouldn't spend.

The entire game sitting in the city you
would get out you would walk around and

you can literally do a loop
around the ballpark.

It's just a different perspective
this is about the ball and the out.

And then looking back at the city when I
originally did the project I wanted to

have you know home plate out here so
you could see the city.

But that just didn't
work the sun you know.

So there are very strict rules
about you about things things.

And then the sort of night you if you look
back what's interesting about this project

is that it had this incredible economic
impact and and this book this and that but

long we're all about creating this sort
of soulful unity it's about bringing

people into the city and creating so
full indeed for it so for

us the idea of public
space is very much a down.

This sort of social interaction and
engagement with the community.

And that's I'm going to ship just
a few projects that we get for

the federal government this is the land
port of entry and more road Minnesota this

is obviously on the Canadian border
it's near Lake of the woods.

The major industry up there
has to do with knowing wood.

But Wood manufacturing used to be the
place where hockey sticks in the saloon.

And there's a huge hockey culture here and

a murder when those are also named
in warmer Minnesota so that idea

the sort of social culture or sort of
the culture of the area thing about what

was interesting and
something that we wanted to.

Use in the development of the project so

this is an early sort
of conceptual in there.

In the idea of taking this idea of
the log and the bark on the outside and

then this form what on
the inside was a way of.

Providing.

Of having the building represent a warm
welcome to the United States if the C.V.T.

officers were not doing that
themselves but typically is not

part of their job description and
more about security protection so

we thought it was it was an interesting
strategy and it actually came out of.

The park director asking us you know
look I get this all figured out.

You really don't have to do much
work we just need a log cabin.

And so we've got.

A record but interesting idea and
let's see what we can do with it.

The.

Officers are quite happy with it so
here is the sort of stuff or idea.

For it being about.

These cuts about being
a sort of dark horse and

then where you're cutting now you're
seeing that warm heart would.

It's about these sort of simple
forms that are inflected and

may be used you see traffic movements.

To allow better visibility from the office
or workroom across the whole site so

they can survey the site and
then to create.

A sort of natural of wait a minute.

West winds coming on to the site and
bringing around a protected area for

operations in the center here so
this is an existing band of trees and.

This is the way we're collecting and

then we'll bring water across the site so
this is.

A dire.
Then this is one of the first land for

us that uses a geothermal system for
getting in pooling.

You know rain water collection
pretty much all of the strategies.

Are employed here.

And the image of the project across
the Web This is an incredibly foggy area.

It's I think we like the feet of organics
before you get anything substantive So

it's entirely on piles and a good amount
of the roadways themselves are also on

piles I believe it's about a ten
foot slab for most of the brightness

because they were having differential
settling on other ports.

That a very interesting private time.

By security is obviously
a major concern thus

the dense roll of light
fixtures your requirement

one hundred foot candles across
the entire port which is.

Crazy.

So it's just too much like
we're slowly you know

there's a ton of architects that
work on these parts that are slowly

building a little bit of common sense and.

For the operations.

And it's very hard to make a sustainable
Golding Let's bring one hundred

candles across and.

This is another sustainable effort
thinking the end he says from

the canopy and then using them for
an accounting bed.

In the canopy it so this is the entrance
to the Destin entrance there are almost

no protests at this port
this is seven miles outside

of the road and a half mile border
just to get some copper that soils.

I think Big No I don't think it ever.

But that's because.

I like the seven words or so.

They do have a lot more awareness and
votes being dragged through so

the idea of reading various very generous
thirty radiuses even to the point of doing

this kind of treatment of the three in the
Dr Lane So that if somebody misses they're

just driving over the surfing slate and
so we're with.

Landscape architect and I'm just.

Very intensely collaboratively
with this office.

So this is the invented here in me.

Is obviously two separate
images one looking.

From them looking at cross and
seeing the town of up.

Here and this is our site
which is I replied by rail.

And then down the block to a city park and

then this is this is the bridge that
connects across the same river and

then this is just an image
of that Parkland below.

So this is.

Clearly an interesting look at that
very strong cold flow basis to this

region with the heating culture this
is obviously very base cold for

people that are coming and
settling in this area it's a culture that.

Native.

Northern Maine never served during
the spring Let's all the same valley

are very proud they have the security and

that's all they have Akkadian they.

Acadian villages.

And so it's here is the potato farming

believing that the plane
gets an image of a building.

Village and so all of these things
were kind of her sort of research

exercise before getting into the part.

That design.

This was an early plat.

Of the sound which we thought was
fascinating because it really.

Began to recall the sort of
long thin pieces that you see.

Around New Orleans and Louisiana more than
a city to be able to see visions that

are based on everybody having a piece
of the river which was a connection

to the obscure world and
then this sort of powerful and.

Sort of forest and sort of warm light.

So this was a development
of the side that began.

With the idea of camouflage and

surveillance coming out of
sort of this northwards in.

But also a sort of sense of that that
pattern that's prevalent in the culture.

With the blankets and
the divisions and the.

Breeding.

Skin that was literally three
different colors of black so

it had the sort of pat needed.

Along gated.

Image to it and
then the glass glazing was also a.

Pattern to.

Create.

Less of a fishbowl the fact
that the officers and so

here you can see we would relate to
the sort of same sort of barcode

given the actually series pattern
the glass but then when you put

up samples of that you know office every
time you walk by and get a little queasy.

So that you're kind of
at the sort of reply.

And so over that we overlaid the sort of
literal camouflage in that city and see.

In the books.

In this area that kind of see that.

Can apply.

So that secrete that sort of warm glow

used a metal now on Syria on
some of the corridors and

interstates is to provide
that that warm glow.

Early image of a project
really render that.

Again the sort of Slate.

A layered slate and plants mature This
is one of the blueberries that was

really clever.

And then using the secondary inspections
and then again this sort of idea using.

The site doesn't way of moving water and

moving it sort of slowly sort of
keep away action between these

berms that recall the sort
of you know forms that we.

Call.

Them that moves into the sort of soil
that connects the water down to this is.

And which we call the security.

Fence that argue that it kept cars
on the road which is always a.

Doesn't work for Texans like for runners
they don't want people going off the road

getting out of town so
the idea of the security flows

a way of arguing that.

They were a necessary part of
security strategy that was.

And then now into some of the absence.

In the building.

We were really interested in creating
a spin that was quite hot and what.

The idea of this.

Service for
treating us as a very thin surface

that was just about
the sort of rules that.

The series.

Opening.

Metal colors and blazing.

To bring this sort of plot
wrap around the project.

And then it really opening up to.

Me as a work where again in that
sort of surveillance of fairness.

You can see that this
sort of thing of them's.

The port director who's giving tours and
she was talking about.

Approaching from the site
in one morning and

having just this incredible image
that she'd see in the image

of the trees a warm sun rise sunset or
whatever.

And she said that works for
super excited that's when I say let's

finally you know does it
also Dawn I lost that.

For the word project we were trying to get
them to take these license plate readers

or the miners and paint them black because
we thought what's more secure people it's

more stealthy then that
big step not right so

we thought it nestling at least some
of them or if we had the sort of idea

they work out they work into
the design a little bit better.

And you see the main.

Inspection area.

So I think that's a thank you very much.

I've certainly

never produced.

I don't know if you want to do
questions or Tom says it at the COLA.

But the.

Comments.

And yours are tired you get
a whole presentation of them.

Knowing I had them on
the home only Europe.

We actually were trying
to make an argument

to girl services of ministers that
we would need to have them for

a graph several times and
in the Four Seasons.

We got to all the stuff and
we just never got back to do were but

I was told we love to do it because
I think that's one of the big ideas

particularly for war role was to have
this into the port is one story no matter

how you got it they're just not there
you know it's a stack and then you get

if you're really at the ground level so
if there's an issue they can get it out.

So in order to get a presence in the white
landscape we thought Black was the way it

had to being and I would love to do
that I have to have a round early that.

My goodness yeah we were up there
the first walked through or

four people competing for the prize there.

And it was a blizzard it was a flyer and
the idea of actually shooting

something in that was just nice so
to record it would be so cool.

In fact Merrill was there.

I was so.

Lori.

Pro there were millions of South Dakota.

Laurie and.

Karen we were everybody that
was on that and so we're

invited all of us to come separately and
nationally.

To do or be on the same day and
we were all in

the same motel that was
attached to a boring alley.

Which is totally worth the president's.

Dinner and the conversation is
quite light you're fine and

then we get back to the hotel
we go OK this is all.

Rather than having them choose.

From amongst us we just
bowl with a private.

Eye we're sure I would.

But it still seemed like a good idea so
we got a drink and then we did all.

But it was fun but.

With I've never seen or a sense of
that literally went from her ankles.

Her cheeks but.

I was impressed I didn't
know you had such a year

here.

You know it's quite interesting.

We go back and check fairly frequently and
talk to these people

the sort of the original director.

Of the guy suggested
the log cabin actually left

before we delivered the project with
the new guy he's just thrilled.

This for.

Trish support director is.

Then Here and there is just rolled I mean

she was doing this tour I
could've done a better job.

On the opening day she
was during all of the.

Representatives and all the people.

She was walking around and
the story of the.

Articulate way and I have to say I'm.

From the.

Your group.

Were you know you're.

Free.

To discuss the pride that.

The client leveling the at you from
the quiet sits around the room

on the perimeter and just listen to
what a conversation about architecture

sounds like it's really just yes.

And so I think.

The director of the port director.

Of the.

People at the fort did a very positive.

What we're doing is really for them.

On their back now because
obviously security is something.

That I was you know Martha
did a port Madawaska

had some of the same guys only and
they just love.

You forever and after this you know.

As she was saying it was so funny in.

There were a couple years that were
really pretty carefully critiquing.

And they're having this sort of
intense deception afterwards for

clients came up to her and
said Michael just wanted to jump in and

say homeless who loved her but
only in a kind of protective.

This is a this is.

A work which I thought was.

So I think you know our
started doing projects

right now on manufacturing.

And we're going there was a bridge crane
like that here in one of the projects and

I wanted to be able to put my
photographer up there and have been down.

There wanted to move it to
get it in the shop where a.

Guy came up and for
me how I offer a brain.

And afterwards I want to said thank you so
much for the last.

Good I know how to drive.

And he said Well thank you Bill it's just
it's been a joy to work he said we're.

Growing and
you do know we're right next door.

You know this is not a guy that
was in all the conversations but

he was just a guy that appreciated
what we were doing the sort of

practical side.

That really responds.

Of course they don't buy
those people I don't

know.

That was their thing an amazing
project the vendor for

them was funded by.

American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act which was.

Absolutely crazy.

Received in September and the.

Need to be committed by.

The.
There.

Are a process takes three
months in order to.

Put out an arc he received
proposals select and

contract so three months was actually
then they would have preferred six but

really that would have given
us two months to design.

Yet we still needed to go through
the entire design excellence process which

means our first review
showing three versions and

then a certain review narrowing it
down and developing one and then

to see review construction excellence
reviews as well as the file regularly so

that occurred from September to March.

And from March to April I guess
yeah early March March and

April we did bridging documents that
were then for the design build.

So it was for the government and when we
are good for the project we set up a look

there's a reform and in order to do
this I have to have national customs and

border protection and local customs and
border protection in the same though

because those as a life partner
you know you got to wonder Yasin

is is opposite of what the other day so
we were.

Typically going to take seven years
this was like three months so

as it was and
that's that we have a very club.

And you don't figure this out you're up
and get a building your funds are going to

go away so it was an outfit
it was a great work but what.

I would I would take that kind of funny.

And then we were very fortunate for
a great time for after.

Super Soft us out and doing the documents.

Yes So it was it was very clever and we
did invent them that we would be we would

see games throughout the design and
construction so we stayed

involved following through which was you
know this is not work out so well the.

Government designed.

For this and
this was considered the design.

Kind of

great.

News that yeah we use it when it counts

it's like the background it's sort of
the foundation of the thinking so so

it's always saying we don't
always know what book or

clients something has to go really
is this all you've been doing.

Really so it's really important but

we do feel it are a great way
to introduce our first designs.

So it's and

that's something that's quite different
it's it's it's a very interesting that

the conditions of the project really
dictate how the research goes.

And the designer search is
not typical innocently.

It's a different.

Course.