Don’t be a Couch Potato!
Written by bethany on December 30th, 2009
Get up off that Couch!
The end of the year is a good time to reflect on the past year. What worked for you, what was a complete disaster (hopefully not many), did you meet your goals, did you create and nurture relationships? Hit the chalkboard and work through issues. This is the time to get off the couch and correct mistakes…. .. move forward with what you’ve learned!
It’s been a scary year for our architecture field and many many others. I’d be lying if I said otherwise but, you can only move forward. If worse comes to worse:
Even if you’re falling on your face, you’re still moving forward. - Samuel Beckett
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Economy
Written by bethany on September 20th, 2009
According to Kermit Baker, Chief Economist The American Instiute of Architects March 26, 2009
Large Firm Round Table
Architecture firms have lost 18,400 positions since August 2008 or 8.2% of total payrolls. It is expected to increase to 10% in 2010. Roger says only the strong survive, storms do not last forever. This is the time to buckle down and ride it out. This is a lesson of Perseverance.
Could there be Sustainable Golf Balls in Design?
Written by bethany on June 30th, 2009
We all see the poor golfer looking through the mass pile of golf balls in a barrel at a golf club. They are looking for the brand name of Callaway, Nike and the #1 golf ball Titleist. Will they find a deal? Maybe and probably not. I am an amateur and I mean AMATEUR golfer. I love to play and if I saw my ball at the edge of muggy dark and slimy pond, I would muddy up the shoes and pull it from the muck. Then I would wash it off , give it a little, “you can do better than that” talk and place it in my pocket.
Photos from washed-out Augusta
In Architecture, you hear the word “green”, “LEED”, and “sustainable”. There are products made of recycled material, grown sustainable and these products are better on the environment and can lead to LEED certified buildings. Amazing! Anything to help this wonderful environment should be done. The Innovations section of the magazine Eco-Structure is an fabulous resource for these materials. They have things like textiles made of bamboo, colored glass that saves energy and urinals made of soybean resin!
But, my question goes back to the golf ball. I haven’t played a course where the ball did not find water. I’m thinking there are plenty of customers looking at the used golf balls for sale at the course. There are mixed opinions about the golf balls performing well after being emerged in water….3 months they are still performing well?…well then, how long have the actually been there?
The “LEED” movement in architecture and design has pushed building materials to have recycled content, be recyclable and safe for the environment. I think golf balls could play a part in this movement. Could there be recycled golf balls for architecture? Sure, maybe countertops, walls of Plexiglas with balls filled between studs at golf shops. The very first golf ball in the 17th century was made of wood! Today, they are made of a variety synthetic materials. Could they be melted into a flooring product like tires into gym flooring? I’m not sure. But, as many balls that are played surely we can recycle them and turn them into something spectacular…..but, this is just a thought from a designer who loves design and loves to hit balls into the water.
First Attempt to BLOG: Looking for Inspiration?
Written by bethany on April 6th, 2009
SMA Tandem is excited to have this BLOG! I hope for this to be a tool for informative and creative information pertaining to our complex design world. When you think about this “design world”, there are many factors that revolve around it…after all nothing is built without purpose or thought, right? The question then becomes, what to Blog?
How about Where SMA Tandem stands with the Economy Crisis, or Lighting in Healthcare Design or What’s Up in this Community? These are a few ideas and topics I expect you’ll be seeing from SMA Tandem in the near future. Just like our diversified portfolio we hope to have a diversified Blog.
For our first attempt to blog, I was looking for inspiration. I went looking at other architecture blogs, then started Googling blogs finding several websites that claim “these successful steps for professional blogging”, yet towards the end of my research, I still had nothing. SO, I went back to by original thought, looking for inspiration and looked around. Interestingly enough, I found objects and remembered places that inspire creative thinking. This is how I found my topic, Looking for Inspiration? Creative thinking is a constant necessity for design and usually creative thinking comes from inspiration, what inspires you?
My Grandma Gatlin gave this chair to me; she bought it in the 1950’s and it still has the original orange vinyl! It reminds me of our history and inspires me to think of designing not just for the moment but designing for our future. I have a small piece of history that functions the same today as it did yesterday.
Look at the saturation and color intensity of these flowers! Can you really achieve the same depth of color in Sherwin Williams Paint? Not really but, we designers try! Inspiration is easily found in nature and it’s proven when you read about architecture and interior design topics or design concepts. One example is an article by Brett Holverstott, called “What Can Architecture Learn From Nature?” which basically reminds us to open our eyes to demonstrations and innovations taking place everyday in our environment.
Final Thought: Inspiration is all around us but you only notice the importance if you take time to look.
If you have thoughts or interests about where you would like to see this Blog go, by all means, let this design firm know! We would like to explore your options and we look forward to hearing from you!