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On the Future "Architects and architecture firms are being consolidated with the smaller firms, older architects is retiring; it seems as though the smaller firms are becoming less and less common. I haven't really spent too much time designing a way to expand. I kind of like the way things are, but if I do go on in the future, there will be a time where I'm going to have to make a definite decision either way. It may either go in the direction of expanding or consolidating with another firm. "I need to be true to my clients and I need to be ethical in terms of how I treat them, and how I relate to them, and how I represent myself in the architectural community. But, I also have to be true to the direction I feel I'm being led in. It seems to be going in two different directions, and I have to make a decision at one point or another." "Understanding
the environment in which you are designing is
fundamental. Green Architecture is a very popular
movement and its becoming more televised, but I
think it goes beyond sustainability, I think it
goes in to social responsibility with respect to
designing for a community rather then designing
something and sort of imposing it on a
community."
"Some advice I would give students wanting to pursue an intern experience would be: you need to be intentional with an internship experience so that you don't wait too long to get licensed. Be patient - realize that there is a lot of foundational knowledge you need to gain. Get a wide range of experience including small, corporate, specialized, and governmental and private sector experience. Learn to confront difficulties with clients. Become familiar with buildings, not just general knowledge of architecture. You must have a minimum college education of five years, plus three years after to qualify to take the exam to be licensed. I feel it is easy to break in to the industry in this area, because other areas are much more competitive. This area offers advice, resources and mentoring. This practice takes resolve, not time. You must do your homework and make sure you have a substantial business plan and cash flow before starting up your own business. The practice of Architecture is a business; you want lucrative projects." On Working Green: Architecture and its Impact on Society "Understanding the environment in which you are designing is fundamental. Green Architecture is a very popular movement and its becoming more televised, but I think it goes beyond sustainability, I think it goes in to social responsibility with respect to designing for a community rather then designing something and sort of imposing it on a community. "With communications technology, it's very easy to design a building from across the country, but that may not be what a particular community needs. For example, there are no other architects in our neighborhood and this is one of the most blighted sections of Harrisburg. So we not only provide architectural services to the community that are affordable and enhance the community, but we also try to be a good neighbor. "Within the context in which an architect practices there are many opportunities for neighborliness, for involement in the community. You have architects who sit on building boards, who sit on planning boards that not only help shape the community, but also are able to be a positive influence in the community so that they are not simply sitting in their offices designing for contexts that they are unfamiliar with. "There is a lot of social responsibility in architecture. When I first started in a profession and while in design school, I kind of would play with the "bad attitude" that I was supposed to enhance the image of architects. If you look at modern architects in the 20th century, there was typically this attitude that they were above the world and they were on this higher plane and they were sort of designing from the top, down. "I
don't see Green Architecture as a passion; I see it
as a necessity. I see it as socially obvious. I
think the passion in architects paved the way for
making Green so much more commonplace today. I'm
thankful for that, because I would rather have it
be a common fact of life."
"Everything I was doing was standing on the shoulders of these other architects. So, I kind of backed off of that and really tried to understand the state of architecture today and to identify with the struggles that other architects were going through, because we're all having the same struggles. We're all having difficulties translating a perception that is accurate. There is a perception that architects are valuable, there is a perception that architects are super creative and so on, but not many people really understand what architects do. "They don't understand the practice of architecture, and that it's not simply about producing pretty buildings. In addition to local responsibilities, I think the task we face as architects is to help bring the perceptions of architects into the real world -- it's not simply about creating beautiful buildings, it's about helping people inhabit the world in a way that is comfortable and efficient and enhances people's lives." "We are working now on a project - the Zero energy house in one of the most blighted sections in Harrisburg, it's a prototype house. It's meant to be used as a model for understanding the possibilities of Green Building versus sustainable building in a harsh urban context. So we're putting a lot of effort in to it. We do have a team of engineers and consultants working on this very small house, that's meant to be a house that will pay for itself with no energy bills to pay; a house that will reduce the amount of energy consumed. We're looking at super insulation, using recycled materials, we're looking at using passive solar and cooling mechanism; harvesting rain water to water plants. This project should be breaking ground at the end of this year in December, if the weather is cooperative. "I don't see Green Architecture as a passion; I see it as a necessity. I see it as socially obvious. I think the passion in architects paved the way for making Green so much more commonplace today. I'm thankful for that, because I would rather have it be a common fact of life. It's not necessarily something you need be passionate about, but it's something you just practice as a normal course of action. You look at recycled materials, reducing waste in construction and in demolition and those types of things. Modern architects thought they were on top of the world. The task is for architects to convey this perception of a more realistic and practical awareness." Timothy Paul Allen
Architect If you would like to be considered for a Q/A interview, contact Samantha Brisbane, Associate Editor at 717-975-2148, or sbrisbane@hersheyphilbin.com Click
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