And it's good to see some familiar
faces in the audience Frank Harmon from

North Carolina and others here in
Charlotte a few of the and Atlanta and

some students that we toured the civic
center for some of the human rights or

today and so we've had an ongoing
discussion practically all afternoon.

And I have colleagues and Perkins will
hear as well some Thank you for coming.

I want to tell you a little bit about our
firm in the background because it relates

to how we approach our work and

starting the freon group twenty
five years ago as one person.

Tried to build on the experience from the
prior decade of working for other firms

and that means working in the public
sector we did work for colleges and

universities but starting first with K.
through twelve and the measure for

us was at the end of the day it
was a project contributing to the.

To the society in general of the community
in a positive way the answer was

yes then we were interested in the process
it was no and we we didn't bother with so

therefore we never did any prisons or
strip shopping centers or

casinos not does anything wrong with those
but it didn't really meet our mission and

vision and
as we came in to to join the programs and

will there was a commonality.

In our goals and vision for
what a practice could be so

we continue in that vein.

And it's also a very collaborative
practice the work I'm showing you tonight

is not singular of of my
hand it's work that is

being contributed to and worked on and
collaborated with across the firm

from the youngest of our staff to the
oldest the ideas can come from anywhere

you value diversity because we all came
from the same school of the same town or

had the same background we all think
the solution would be anywhere near five.

And.
So that that is how our practice began and

it continues in a new format of being
Perkins wills North Carolina practice.

And you know all of them start with
a small project a very small and

from some time ago the museum
of the African Diaspora and

we were hired as we often
are to do the programming and

help us figure out what it wants to be so
even before it was named this or

this was their mission and we help them
figure out through community engagement

how this development project
would have a social and

community and cultural component how that
would be integrated into the building but

what the what would the theme be and so
we believe that the African Diaspora

force us an amazing opportunity to show
the interconnectedness of all people and

this is from the fund raising booklet
that we worked on with Sussman praises

called the city and
when you look at the child's face and

you read this line Africa is the cradle
of humanity but each of us part

of the story of the African Diaspora
there's a mirror paddle in the book and so

you're seeing yourself and Real Life
Network all part of the human community.

The site very prominent your boy in a
section of San Francisco twenty years ago

was basically skid row and the
redevelopment agency slowly has brought

this back to a point where
it's a jewel in their city

in our corner of Third and
mission is right next to

the census go to modern art and
it's part of a larger development here

this is an excellent tower
St Regis museum hotel.

And part of the development deal
was to have this cultural component

twenty thousand square feet across the
floor so this is your point of gardens.

A metronome.

For the wind a center for the Arts visual.

Forming arts and
Mariel boat has sent us a moment.

And if looking at it from the Third Street
side we can see part of the moment here.

But it's a handsome excellent
building part of it

was a historical building here the winds
building and looking out of commission

we had our own entrance and our own
architectural expression to the three

floors portions of three
floors of that tower.

And so as a departure point we took
the angle of the entry angle in and

decided to make an intervention
here to distinguish this place from

any other sort of retail or
office status for the long mission and

to distinguish that with this canopy
that blast through the curtain wall and

create some color and
take that crack bangle and

start our planning from that
one of the challenges here was.

Dealing with these huge columns that
are holding up the forty two storey tower

above and
sort of ruining the the light tensely.

Airy feeling of that jewel box so
we decided to cover the columns.

Used to stay or as part of the story and
so you can stitch when images that

build up to the child's face have
this read from a distance but

as your own stair begins to tell
the story of the African Diaspora

through imagery but
also sound coming through the wall and

the architecture becomes the first exhibit
and moving from one floor to the next

is an ascension that is is
part of that that experience.

The stair is very light it's
some cantilevered steel plates

no no cables of columns so

it's a very visually light structure and
it begins to engage and

tell the story even from a distance
welcoming you in to the museum.

In Greensboro.

We were hired to.

Commemorate the International
Civil Rights Center a museum and

this particular project the building
itself was the artifact this is the worst

building where the city is took place in
one nine hundred sixty four freshman from

North Carolina A and T.
State University came in and sat in and

so restoring the building and part of
the imagery and of a structure which

was part of the and so you know
bringing the art deco facade back.

Signed it's contributed by worse and
on the interior.

Working carefully to blend some
contemporary expressions with

your story to your structure as well.

And that movement down into the space by
way of an escalator begins the process

of vote working you through
the exhibits that are down below.

In a controlled environment.

And then at the very end of this visitor
experience you you come to the top again

in the actual lunch counter for
instance took place is restored but

it's infused with technology and and.

Video.

Stories that that helped to recreate what
happened during that time from various

perspectives and so that the architecture
itself is the artifact in

this case both the exterior and interior.

This is moving to the times
on the back up a bit This is

Charlotte North Carolina the Harvey Gant
Center for African-American History and

Culture is situated at a point in town.

Just south of the C.B.D. this is
the banking center of the southeast

Charlotte Here's your M.B.A. arena.

Your N.F.L. arena.

You have the veteran center
here new development mixed use

that was coming up and our clients
were given we were given a number of

sites to analyze with our clients we felt
that being in the cultural district this

new district that was coming up in the SO
in the city this green area

represents what was called the Brooklyn
neighborhood back during segregation

in the South in particular there were
standalone communities that had their own.

Schools you know hotels theaters etc and

it's all gone now typically two things
happen the the freeway blast through but

then on the plus side integration means
that you no longer need all these

separate facilities we want to find a way
to commemorate that this is the zone where

that neighborhood had existed.

And.

This is the cultural district
that overlays that and

so we see the back museum area both
those finished here and that museum but

Machado and severity that mixed
use block here about T.V.'s.

Includes retail hotel residential office

the convention centers here frees
NASCAR museums close by and so

we liked being the possibility of being in

a vibrant cultural district the problem
was that it was a very difficult site

there were other sites that had
more contiguous property this site.

Was fifty five feet by four hundred
feet and so you can imagine our clients

were saying you know why are we getting
the short end of the stick once again here

we are with that with this throw
away site you can't be serious and

I said Well give us a weekend to do some
conceptualizing about this we think.

That being in this.

Zone with the other cultural institutions
would be a tremendous boost for for

the center.

And they they allowed us to to
explore possibilities here.

This is the section and

the reason that site is forty feet by
fifty five feet is it's an access ramp for

cars and trucks to ten stories
of parking below the tower.

And so
cars commanded one level at the end.

Of the trucks and cars come out of
the parallel ramp above it and in the site

behind it has a future development site so
you really can expand that way.

Back to the neighborhood
during our research and

quite often we start projects by exploring
the history of what's going on there and

we found this this vibrant stand alone
community with professionals and

in their own institutions and
so on in this one particular.

Photograph intrigued us we found out
this was called the Myer school it was

nicknamed Jacob's Ladder school partly for
the biblical reference book

also during celebrations and
graduations folks would come out for

photographs on the stairs and
you know signifying that

education was a path to advancement
quickly during segregation days and so

that was one idea we wanted
to explore Jacob's Ladder.

And then we also looked at our quilting
patterns and tradition across the country

and across cultures but particularly the
African-American community of quilting and

making something out of nothing and
and and African text and patterns and

the fact that we had this site that was
nothing like what we make out of it how

can we pat something together
this vibrant and relevant.

And so our party became the.

Vacation Jacob's Ladder
the building had to be picked up

because there were two ramps below it and
then the patterning the stitching

pattern of suggesting
quilting around the building.

So what do you do with a fifty
five by forty foot building.

Well here's the truck ramp at one end and
the car ramp comes in the middle and

turns down so you enter at
the ends is the escalators up and

stairs up at the other end and
then on that party wall

this is the future development site to
begin to organize things like toilets and

elevators mechanical equipment at that
wall for our wall we cannot have windows.

As you arrive at the top of the escalators
and stairs that's your your lobby space

and it's so on here with the backward
configuration that multipurpose room in.

Access There is a very
tall it's sort of a.

Classroom.

And your first gallery space and
one of the advantages of coming up and

running at the center of the building is
that the third level where where your feet

for galleries are located you don't have
any cars to take you there you're already

in the center of the building
you can enter immediately

into the major gallery spaces and
pick up a couple of feet of Camelot So

even though you're in a long skinny
building your primary exhibit spaces are.

The aspect ratio is quite right.

Then at the top.

There is a rooftop deck.

And you have the best
rate boxes classroom and

again your support facilities
on the party more so

looking across the freeway amidst
the other that the T.V.'s tower and

the other cultural institutions I
mentioned we have this very prominent.

Image of the Gant Center with the eighty.

Take of ladder expressed and then
the stitching pattern that we used for

the high tech brain screen
perforated metal panel.

So here's the entry at one end.

Cars go in here it's fairly well
disguised as you can begin to see here.

The entrance and exit from the cars
right in the middle of our building.

And then looking back up the street
toward the tower and then on

the rear of the building we continue that
pattern that motif of of stitching and

created a very inexpensive light sculpture
there and one of my friends and and.

Is an architect and one of the expensive
condos looking out on the site was after

me during construction time you'd better
look good I look at that every day and

he gave a thumbs up after this was
done I was a David farming lawn

who's a prominent architect in Charlotte.

And this is at the top of Jacob's
ladder had one of the entrances into

the gallery space so that comes up.

You continue with that idea of the ladder
of some of the folding the ceiling planes

is reminiscent of what we're
doing on the elevation.

And the top floor there is some
gathering spaces that are used for

revenue generating activities and
rental this is the slope of

glass from the outside from the inside.

And it's been quite successful people
didn't want to believe you could

do anything with that site we felt like
we were in the right place for able to.

Get the clients help deliver
a successful project.

And in the galleries you wouldn't know
that you're in the small skinny building.

Another Civil Rights Project right here in
Atlanta the National Center for Civil and

Human Rights and some of the students
who we toured today the center.

Will be somewhat of a repeat but
I've got some new slides as well and

here are research led to
a familiar set of images

this notion of interlocking arms and
as you've seen with some of our other

work we feel that it's important
especially in cultural facilities for

the building to help tell the story of
the building to convey the mission and

vision of the institution and to be
fully integrated with exhibits three and

so this idea of interlocking arms and

something that intrigued us that
we felt that it was expressive of.

People from different cultures and
age groups.

Getting together for
a common cause of Dr King and

even today as we use the movie Fast.

We see that that's an enduring
notion of in a locking arms

you know as we look
around the world those.

Human rights issues are a problem.

And coming down here to present the scene

this was what I found in
the newspapers and on the airplane for

the Myself where we pick the right this
is a good sign we have the right idea.

And during the presentation in a room
something like this asked everyone to

stand up and link arms and
actually feel the power of that that.

That idea very collaborative.

Here tonight is Herman Howard I
mean where you and there is.

Also need and
he is strong was on the team as well.

And as with all our work we
should read this is gay or

bottom who just paid it in in the surats.

To see you know what can we do with
this idea of in a locking arms and

building models and
sketching the old fashioned way with all.

You know using some technology and
laser cutting to explore options.

The site.

Is on the corner of Bob and Alan Ball of
arms to the tiny Olympic Park where this

is the you block that houses the Georgia
Aquarium in the World of Coca-Cola

cocoa on site and donated that that
quadrant to this project here is

continuing the park the convention center.

And so it's an interesting intriguing
site you can begin to see two arms and

unlocking here in the scheme this was
an international design competition and

we want to five finalists that
include terms like delicious.

Takeout fried.

Norman Foster so.

When we won the competition
people want to know who threw up.

And made a kind of found out.

And this is the this is another instance
where being in the midst of other

cultural institutions was a good thing
with the querent here this is called

Pemberton place which is
a grass plaza area and

the circulation from these buildings we
benefit from that this elevations about

twenty feet above that course we've got
opportunity for on great engines of two

levels of the scheme of the competition
winning scheme featured two arms and

a locking cantilevers at both
ends in the interior courtyard.

This is a slide of didn't show
the students before this is a view

as you're walking from now on Boulevard
up to the courtyard in a grand

stair back up to the entrance at this.

Moment I'm breezing through this because
the building doesn't look like the slope

throws you into and
there's a good reason for that.

It's a model we've built and

one things we did with the board is we we
gave the momentum of our presentation.

And that included.

An acrylic three dimensional model of this
scheme you know the interlocking arms and.

I think that was another thing
that resonated with them.

Now.

That building was programmed to be ninety
three thousand square feet plus and minus

and you know we were on
point with that and.

This was in two thousand and eight two
thousand and eight early two thousand and

nine and we all know what happened
around that time very tough recession or

beginning of the session and you know
donations kind of dried up commitments

to on the project were not
as firm as they had been and

we were asked by the board to.

Reduce the size building from down to
sixty one thousand square feet and we

said OK instead of a courtyard Let's bring
the arms together they're touching now is

the lobby at that intersection point you
still have the expression of the two arms.

We went through up to design
development on the screen.

And felt pretty good about it and
we thought that

it would be a handsome building design for
a terra cotta range screen.

Fit very well on site.

And who can guess what happens next to.

The project when on hold for
a year we were asked to reduce the size

sixty one to forty three thousand square
feet less than half where we started.

And the team was kind of upset
about that I said you know let's

take this as an opportunity to to
make it even better project you know

I'm not sure I believe that
the time of that was my pep.

And and so
we did we roll their sleeves up and

said you know what are we going to do and
back to the arms I mean

you can only produce arms so
much and pretty soon dammed up.

Alex.

Parked around a source wrecked
his little stubby arm so

he could look let's maybe
step away from our mind OK.

And we started thinking
about how the the building

in a reduced footprint really
began to open up the site more.

And that a smaller building really
needed more verticality to.

Have a present from a site and
and we started thinking about

the site as a space for action and
you know in this country and

abroad you know places like
the National Mall or tenement square or

Arab Spring these are areas where
the outside opportunities for that kind

of expression are really important and
as our building began to compress a bit

it opened up opportunities for
us to explore that notion of the space for

action really utilizing the site and
more powerful way.

And so our building then is still
caressing the content more like hands

than arms let's say but it's not literal
that it's very subtle it's subliminal but

we're using the site then as this place
fraction of the plaza at the upper half

and also at the lower half where were your
children and but moods of the Taurus will

come from this direction others who are
already on the side are coming from a book

then this is moment of grand stairway
that leads you around that curve and

then a cascading a landscape next
to it for outdoor activities and

very gracious way to
connect the two places.

And we did a bunch of studies I was
telling the students that we use

conventional model building blending that
with laser cutting and so on to to really

explore these shapes many iterations of
how those moves wall should be formed and

what angle and you know what proportion
how we're going to step around the site.

The.
Patterning color materiality

studies ball this.

Fenestration much of
the building doesn't want or

need to require light it's
controlled exhibits that

that are relying on technology but
you do need light and in places.

Like some offices that we have and
also stairwell so.

We see that there's.

Patterns there and we and
we do use pewter rendering not so

much to give a a photo
realistic interpretation but

to give a sense of what
the interior spaces would be.

And with the South facing lobby
controlling the glare and

he gain was very important.

And this we do from time to time
the photo realistic flashy runs and

this is one from an aerial view and so
this is the building as it stands today.

The South facade.

Very transparent welcoming people in
from Pemberton place the aquarium

would be over my left shoulder from
Coca-Cola would be over here and

then the stairway moving around
the building as well this is

what you see when you come in
Exhibit three front and center.

You know radiating out from
the lobby into Pemberton place.

And if you were standing here this is
what you would see on the upper level

expression of that fenestration
pattern on the inside.

And moving vertically similar to other
project we talked about is important

not just get in an elevator but
make that ascension.

An experience and
something that is a memorable.

Moving from lower level
to the middle level.

And here's that movement
outside around the building

with the cascading landscape and
then monumental stair that that connect.

To luvvies gets close to the side
against the frame views of

a downtown.

Sculpture was commissioned for

this project we work with
the artist on that as well.

A couple of libraries in Washington D.C.
This is the northeast and

we were hired by the library system
to do two branch libraries exact

same program but very different locations
and communities Tempe friendship fluent

ne within walking distance
of American University and

studying the the patterns there the urban
fabric of the local character and

so on you can see the diagrams.

And we're really at the convergence here
at Wisconsin and I'll borrow avenue of all

these vectors from the font plan
on up into the northeast and

very constricted sight of building
up to the boundaries and so

we took those vectors as
the form giver to the floor plan.

Picking up on the bit of a pin wheel.

Idea of a party and creating a patron here

on the West no no windows again
it's a party wall situation so

we put up you know support areas there.

Was a jumping so quickly.

And so at the street level we
we picked up the sun control

fans to give more transparency and access
to the pedestrian directly in the building

the those fans are perforate we start
to study the amount of light that

can come and still allow for a nice
level of natural light without the glare

the ceiling has absolutely no fixtures and
it's all in directly in direct light.

And here's the atrium.

That brings you from the stair and
brings light down billion dollar gold

this is album our street and
each from their.

Exact same program opposite end of the
city this is the southeast the fish and

African-American neighborhood
called Anacostia.

But a different site quite
different this is the figure ground

showing commercial of a transitioning
quickly in the residential and

our side is right at the knuckle here.

In who even though it was a bigger
site we couldn't build on this area

because the temporary
facility was there and

had to be open until it moved
here there are a legacy trees and

so we were forced into this orientation
with a long Western facade and

also a bigger building at the twenty two
thousand square foot range we wanted to

break that down into pavilions to be more
consistent with the residential scale

the neighboring community and so
that the party is this roof form that

falls down to protect the Western facade
in the pavilions of sitting on a plant.

And it's a green roof disagreement.

And to give a moment of verticality
the this beacon lights up at night in such

a low and long building from the inside
you can see how the roof turning down and

the shading it effect of that right
at the horizon line on the West.

Very simple plan with the reading
room it's got lights coming through

sort of main street that
brings you along building and

again that that group turning
down to protect the western side.

Now also in Washington right in the middle
of the monumental core on the team of

free line R.J. Barnum the Smith who won
an international competition once again.

And I understand David as it was here a
couple years ago he's been great to work.

With He's the lead designer we hold
the contract a pre-law group does with

the Smithsonian and so
the team is fads realize a bond and

some of the site couldn't be more
important prominent five acres

right on the corner of Constitution Avenue
fourteenth and fifteen thousand drive.

Literally in the shadow of
the Washington Monument.

In its another one of these ten sites
where you're moving from the orthogonal

grid of the mall to the more free flowing

organic bucolic nature of wash them on
the grounds and right there at the muckle

with views from end to major
monuments closed by White House

archives Capitol Jefferson Memorial and
milking the oil here.

Flecking upon Lincoln Memorial in.

Washington.

And so our building.

Needed to respect its very important
neighbors and in this prominent location

and the regulatory gauntlet you
have to go through please so

many different constituencies
was just just incredible

everything from the Secret Service to
the National Capital Planning Commission

a commission of Fine Arts and
one that body now.

And neighbors neighborhoods and save them
all comedian you know goes on and on.

And so we.

Kept the building in
a very simple square and

footprint relating to its
its neighbors right and

then the landscape is
picking up on the curb.

Curvilinear nature of the grounds and
around lost in mind so

in that way we're blending that
moment where the two intersect.

Some of the research here and

the ideas come from the Reuben
architecture of West Africa this is.

All the carry out to and
it's similar in in form and concept

to the Western column and there's a base
there's a body and there's a capital.

This case the capital is is this
crown form or Corona we call it and

you know there are examples of this
in West African architecture and so

let's keep that in mind as we talk about
the concept also the idea of celebration

was important to the director to us
as architecture that the building

should be yes which is a house those
difficult stories and tell the truth which

should be a as much about celebration
as it is about fate victims and

perpetrators that's not the sum of
the story and so you know the upward.

Motion and form of celebration something
to keep in mind also the porch.

Particularly prominent in the south it
is a welcoming special it's a place to

see and be seen as a way to extend
the landscape into the building and

building out of the landscape and
create this threshold and

welcoming visitors spirit so all those
things were drivers in the development

of the scheme in David's sketches.

Cueing on the side of the corona and
how it could be.

This protector of the precious
content inside and

drawn during Charette so
that we have held together.

And so the building is has
a Corona with a front porch

spanning two hundred forty feet clear.

And the Corona is.

His clad in a bronze type material and the
openings in the crown that are variable.

Allowing different levels of light to come
through different views frankly different

views to the mind and controlling the gain
in light coming into the building and

giving us this form and
that angle is seventeen.

I have to Greece which is the angle of
the capstone and Washington mine and

the other so subtle reference right
there it's also seventeen and

a half to greese And so that porch is
creating almost a a microclimate of cool

air coming off the reflecting pool and
we want this to be a place for

everyone not just about and for
African-Americans but as life balance as

our director of the African-American story
is the quintessential American story

of of looking oneself up and
becoming successful.

The main hall is this
constellation of timbers

that slip from above that of once is is
the sort of magnificent spectacle but

also is beginning to communicate
the gravity in the in the weight of

the exhibits of both.

Half of the building is below ground and
so we were very careful

to bring light down into the building at
the top of the corona two years this is

one level down there major artifacts there
that we're building a building around for

instance a Pullman train car was
lowered into place about a year ago and

the history galleries being built around
it will be the speedy airman aircraft

there as well and then there's this
commemorative space is intended

to give respite after perhaps
looking at difficult exhibits.

You know to come in and reflect on what
you saw and water being expressive

of rejuvenation spirituality cleansing.

A model.

Where you can see how light is really
brought down through the top of the corona

two years in the variable
perforations in the corona and

so the ironwork you get more
research we looked at places like

Charleston Atlanta Savannah New Orleans
and much of the.

Horney aren't hard work done by freed or
Aniston and

slave Africans and African-Americans.

And and
that those beautiful fluorescent patterns

we have given to a computer interpretation
of those create the patterns of cologne

you know a modern Turkey Taishan
those patterns and

by very gating the amount of light that
comes through we're able to as I said

before privilege certain views out
of the building and control like.

This is a full scale mockup of the corona
that was built in Pennsylvania

this is one of the three tiers
of the building continues up

three times the site from that point.

On but obviously want to
make sure perform regard to

come below keeping water out but
also to look at

the views through
the corona the night time.

Aspect of it where it's going to
glow to a certain extent during

the evening.

And we're under construction that this
photo is actually a couple months old

you're beginning to see if you
go there now you trust work that

outlines the three tiers of of the Crown
glasses being put in place and

this is the Oculus moment where
I showed you the contemplate of

water coming through.

And this is the view from
the top of the building.

Where the offices and board room and saw
have spectacular views across Washington.

I'm going to end with the of the
competition that we recently submitted.

And this was for
the stream on South Asian museum and

Learning Center Foundation
in Dallas Texas and

I got a call from the patron a person who.

His as the money to build this
because he had seen our work

some of it you saw tonight many
others that you haven't seen where.

He was interested in you know having
a building that was expressive of

the South Asian culture talk about India
and the surrounding countries and and

so we talked about it he's
invited six architects

we presided fifth in that group and
we're waiting to hear back from them but

I thought I would show you a bit
more about our process and

how we approached this
particular potential client.

It's about five and a half acres.

In downtown Dallas this
is a I'm pays tower here

has really had a moment where you
transition from the C.B.D. and

the cultural district of the museums of
this and to more of a pedestrian oriented.

Part of the city here the Perot
museum I mean for this is here and

you access it below the freeway so
there's a Schenectady and.

Between the C.B.D. work the arts district

play we call it there are other
institutions there exams and

then there's a lots of new
residences near the Perot and so

we saw the site as a as a critical.

Area to to link those together and
we did three schemes they asked for

three ideas and I was explaining to
the students that competitions are tough

because you're working in a in a vacuum
you don't have the benefit of getting

input from you know your clients or
you have to kind of go on your own and

we did lots of research here
about the South Asian culture and

so the first scene was about absence
the space in between buildings and

spaces that are empty and we wrote
a design approach to design statement for

each of the three schemes and
I won't get into the detail here.

Except to say that.

You know the path toward Lightman often
flows through those two spaces in between.

And if you look at the program and
you begin to connect through the program.

And you remember the site diagram it
begins to define the different areas

of the city and bring prominence to that.

That intersection and the flow through
perhaps three separate buildings that

could be attached bridges if we get to
that point and there's precedent for

these tight you know urban spaces in India
South Asian environments certainly but

also more contemporary
expressions of that form.

And how the landscape would work.

As we preserve most of the land for
future development.

And as you approach the three pieces of
the building here here here are those

that canyon if you will that have
tight space between buildings and

recenter we're standing at the center of
that we have choices to go to the Perot

through to the arts to
structure back to downtown.

And you know in a very quick study
of the architectural treatment.

I understand this is a competition we
would have more time to develop and

do the view from the freeway and it was
important to the client to know that

on day one might have your your museum and
center but

there is a landscape that could be
populated with future buildings as well.

The second scheme was about the Lotus and

the idea that the Lotus plant that you
see above the water is one thing but

there's all the structure and
earth and support below.

And how this idea was central
to the South Asian culture and

to express that architecture was something
we wanted to do with the second scheme so

the program is the vibrant among
two buildings within the center.

We have that jewel that Lotus plant
that floats on a body of water but

you access it from below.

And some precedents for the jewel box
approach the Apple stores the blue museum.

And the grove of trees where
a pretty regular pattern in

the step wells that we see in the South
Asian culture that go down to the content.

And some landscape presence there so you
ramp down there is that her jaw here but

you have access to the museum
at the bottom of the ramp and

you look up and
you can look through the water.

To that that architectural element and the
to the program is split between these two

buildings that have different functions
and there you are at the bottom of

the ramp there would be special
exhibits and that particular aspect.

And a view from.

The way.

And finally the interconnectivity and the.

Icon of the continuous not as another.

Cultural.

Reference point for us and
that complexity and

interconnectedness is is an important
concept in and South Asian culture and

so the program then becomes these
pieces that are interconnected and

instead of putting a building in the
garden or putting a garden in a building

where the courtyard is the primary
interior function some.

Historical precedence for courtyard but

also contemporary and then wrapping
the building in a pattern and

this is taken from the Taj Mahal but
giving meaning to the screening device by

using patterns that
are specific to the cultural.

Landscape precedence and so

the building this is the most
compact of the three screens and

you can imagine the scrim or
fail with the patterning that's.

Appropriate to the culture and then.

Looking through the pavilions that had
sort of mimic the scale in size and

shape and looking across the courtyard
back out into the landscape so

waiting to hear about this
would be very excited but

I thought it was a good example of once
again how we try and do the research and

imbue the architecture with meaning that
are specific to the client's mission and

vision.

And this was presented.

As a very small group so we built these
boxes each of them had the logo of

the steam and we open the box and present
those same drawings on these cards and

one of the time you can more remember.

You know.

With the Day one development and the
future development each of the schemes had

their own box and
we presented it as a gift to the choir and

we'll see what happens that's Perkins
will North Carolina thank you for

listening and perhaps there are a few
questions I I'll try to answer them.

A

to.

Anyone.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

I think one reason I didn't
stress of sustainability and

resilience is that that is a common
theme to all that we do is that it's no

longer a feature a special aspect.

Of what we do as architects and
so trying to.

And serve the land for instance and
in Dallas too to build on one section or

another and and trying to concentrate the
building rather than spreading it out over

a broader area is one one way that we're
we're trying to practice resiliency and

you know these are our concepts and
so we're selected we look forward to

developing the schemes and
a much more deliberate way to

address issues such as resiliency and
cities as well so.

Today's discussion is
more about concept and

generating an idea that's expressive of
the mission vision of the institution.

Is yet.

Right.

We think that.

Yes we think it's really
important to remember you know and

in the case of some of
the civil rights museums and

the one on the Mall National Museum of
African history culture to commemorate

those moments and make sure that
that people celebrate those and

understand the history and learn from that
and look toward the future thank you for

coming FRANKLIN You know.

I was asked a question earlier today and.

The question was What advice
would I give to a young artist.

And I gave some advice about interviewing.

I told them to be enthusiastic and

to be prepared to talk about
the thinking behind the drawings and and

models and and schemes they show and
I think that it really does require

a commitment I think all the students here
of already demonstrated a commitment to

the profession and that that is really
what the start of it and what is required

to get through the education
internship licensure is a long path.

But my.
Vices to stay with it enjoy the enjoy

the journey it gets better it's fun
it's a tremendous profession and

you know I would have
done it any other way and

I've told the suits I feel like I
was born to be an architect and

if you feel that way too then
you're on the right path.

I thought I had go up there there was
an Amen to Born to Be an article.

Just.

Of the question is about precedence and
how do we get that information we do

research that in the Penan of discussions
with the client just to try and

inform our own investigations not talk
about this to students early the day

we engage the community where these but
buildings are built we didn't talk much

about that tonight we did this afternoon
with the students and that means you know

getting our residents and other interested
parties involved in the design process and

not just on a perfunctory way but
actually gauging them early on and

bringing them back often times there are
strong ideas that come out of that kind of

engagement but more importantly
there's a sense of a buy in.

Here and you know support for
community based type projects and so

it's important for the Smithsonian we did
a national tour to eight major cities and

got people to submit ideas and

so this notion of to support the Torah
design is really important for

us not that you're going to
incorporate every idea or.

That it's a democratic process it's
not the professionals who make choices

of the people want to be involved.

We get a lot out of those
sort of interactions

Yes.

What sort of stipend.

Yeah they very there was a stipend for
for the South Asian and

I'd say a couple of maybe twenty
percent of what you spend.

See the other professionals
on their heads.

And so we had a really good run I think
for for the National Center for Civil and

Human Rights in the Smithsonian you know
we we were selected within a month for

those two projects and then we went like
two or three years with a winning one so

the kind of averages out and the other
thing that we do is we make sure that

we have better than even chance so we know
something there's a relationship with

a potential client or
we have expertise to other firms down and

we want to make sure that we
were not just throwing or

had running with ten thousand other
architects and their national competition

we want to be invited you know which
is most of these were for that way and

if we're not invited to the wide open
competition we want to feel like we have

you know some special put specialty or or.

Visibility in a way that the client
would know the source and and

you know pay attention so it's not
it's not just you picking this one and

that we were very deliberate about it go
no go decision on competitions to try and

position ourselves to
the win as many as we can.

Yes.

Yes.

OK.

Yes OK So how do you distinguish
working from from public ground and

private talk a lot about user
engagement community engagement that's

a distinguishing characteristic
low budgets that's a distinction.

In the public at home.

You know sadly you know
with the buildings which so

that the book except for the Smithsonian
were all built on very modest books and so

that's something that we're proud of.

And you know educating people
whether it's a library or

a university building or a museum that is
unlike in folks to different cultures and

different historical events
those are all good reasons for

us to dissipate and in the public
realm now what's different about

the private sector is that oftentimes
if you're working with a C.E.O.

You know he doesn't have to
answer to the community he or

she there isn't necessarily a need to.

Involve other people and we've had a few
like we don't work very often in private

sector but there are advantages to that
to knowing the decision maker not having

a multi-headed client there's you could be
one person or three people in a committee

you know that there you can get to
an answer maybe quick more quickly.

And so but you know we chose to work in
that in the private and public sector for

all the reasons we talked about we want
to make a positive difference not just on

the bottom line of the of the C.E.O.'s
balance sheet within lives every day

people and
I could show bus stations and you know.

Human Services complexes that that serve

the very needy in these communities
trying to provide beautiful spaces for

the folks makes them feel
great about being architect.

Back

years.

Well I spoke about the surly
of the collaborative process.

And you know you don't wake up one day and
you work for

the Smithsonian that is started with.

A start of the small projects
I remember mom a lot

of North Carolina State University and
then they were renovating it's like

twenty years ago they're African-American
cultural center Well it wasn't a new

building it was in a corner of
the existing student center you know but

that we didn't it was in our portfolio
that led to something else and so

it's very gradual.

You know twenty five years and

so it's it's just you know
keep having a vision for

what you want to do and then express
that to the perp people you work with so

that's going to track people to your from
others that want to do something else and

measure against what we say we
want to do need to come join us or

not to make choices about who we hire.

And then you know what you have that
common commonality of thought and

goals then you're surrounded by
like minded people with diverse

in the sense that we come from different
backgrounds and the collaborative process

that I spoke of earlier really is
the fuel that drives our design

we have you know talented people working
together yes right behind last question.

Well you know in the case of
the African-American using them and

I've done that kind of makes sense and.

The So I think it is isn't you
know the process I think clients

are intrigued by how we do our work right
and so if you can communicate that involve

them that it's not so much a sale as it
is you know bringing people along and

engaging them in the process so
you know we don't go off in a corner and

come in and unveil some masterpiece and
try to sell it it's it's Morgana and

that means that it's a matter
of the process that involves

not just us the clients the users
community as well and so

you know communicating in that way and
you know garnering trust

right I mean that that's one of
the keys I think is our clients tend to

trust our judgment and listen and
because we're listening carefully and

aggressively we can show them
that this is what we heard and

how to influence the design and so forth
so that's the kind of process of purgatory

maybe one more we can wrap up.

Yes.

That's great great question.

I do have free time and
what I do since I'm architecture is so

collaborative in the way that we do it but

I spend my free time is doing
something I could do by myself and

that's the talk of free you know and I
think there's a link between the talk and

architecture that I do a lecture about
that tonight I'll give you a little

taste well if architecture begins
with a blank sheet of paper or orb.

Like screen on your computer and
you kind of build up to something.

That.

Is is is evolving and
becomes this complex thing.

To Talk To feed my mind is the opposite
you start with everything you know your

whole world and you make choices you
narrow it down to a very narrow slice of

time very narrow slice of time and
your own particular perspective so

there are choices that you make
to to go out from the opposite

directions you do from architecture so
I like going out not photographing and

then these photographs are mine
I photograph landscapes and

you know the people a ship of
natural build an ongoing theme for

me I submitted in one man shows and
I talk the talk to be of college level so

that that's one of the things I do and I
go fishing that's another sort of solitary

thing and some involve all these
other people all the time and so

quiet moments to do those
things that are more solitary.

And unless there's another burning
question perhaps I should bring it

to a close there's some of the

saying.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well there is there there are open spaces.

And major public spaces and the building
of a remember we work very hard

to integrate Exhibit three and
the building so

it's not two different things and so
our route up Obama's leaves of a designer.

And they were brought on board very
early on in fact we made adjustments to

the architecture based on the good
idea he had about the history

exhibit and so that collaboration
I talked about in museum work

especially includes the exhibit design
is a partner with you there should be

as opposed to you know just designing an
envelope for exhibits and they go in and

make it work later and so
I feel like we've been.

Very cognizant of of the notion
that these spaces aren't just

open spaces in a building that
they're going to be expressive and

help the exhibit flow in back and
forth between the architecture

the hard facts the high
tech exhibits you know and

so on so yes that there was a deliberate
attempt to integrate all that and

thereby making the interior you know
even more important than the outside

that's where the continents right and
that's where the stories reside and

so that a lot of attention is given to
them so that I want to thank you all for

having me here of.