One of modernism’s most iconic houses, Case Study House 21 (Bailey House) by Pierre Koenig, is now on sale. The two-bed/two-bath Hollywood Hills landmark has been touted as among the finest of Arts & Architecture Magazine’s Case Study Houses, and one of the program’s few truly experimental projects to explore groundbreaking design and materials.
In this early-career exploration, Koenig used a constrained set of industrial materials—primarily steel and glass—to execute a pure expression of his design approach. His philosophy of functionality and honesty in aesthetics manifests in a structure that appears simple but contains complexity in plan and organization.
The design emphasizes harmony of materials and balance between interior and exterior through the use of terraces, water, glazing, and skylights. A 60-foot reflecting pool frames the undulating steel facade on the east and another pool traces the covered carport. Interlocking steel decking on the roof and an all-glass north wall add drama to the main entry, drawing visitors in, while the southern wall’s sliding glass doors extend the living area into the exterior terrace.
Views of the expansive and carefully considered landscaping permeate the house. In the core of the house is a courtyard and the bathrooms; the bedrooms are also connected to the exterior via sliding glass doors.
Built in 1958, Case Study House 21 underwent a restoration by Koenig to his original intent and design in 1998, including the addition of updated appliances and cabinetry. The house was last sold in an auction in December 2006, with an estimated value of $2.5 million – $3.5 million.
Completing a degree in architecture can be a long and arduous process, but also wonderfully rewarding. Despite this, many freshly graduated architects find themselves unsure about where to begin, or deciding that they actually don’t want to be architects at all. Here is a list of 21 careers you can pursue with a degree in architecture, which may help some overcome the daunting task of beginning to think about and plan for the professional life that awaits.
Careers in Architecture
Architecture: the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. Architects often argue over the actual definition of our discipline, but can never really escape the use of broad terms, coming from a fantastically broad education. It’s unsurprising then, that the task of figuring out what kind of architect you want to be is a daunting one. Below is a list of 7 branches of architecture for you to consider:
1. Landscape Architect
Designing outdoor landscapes, including infrastructure, public areas, agriculture and forestry is vital for constructing the webs that bind our urban and rural spaces, but also, and perhaps more importantly, it’s essential for responding to globalization and climate change. Landscape architects are involved in storm water management, environmental restoration, and recreational areas among other things. If you enjoy working with and in the natural environment, this could be the path for you.
2. Urban Planner
As a result of a rapidly growing percentage of our population moving into urban areas, the conditions of urbanism are constantly in a state of flux. The dynamic state of the urban environment makes it an exciting path to take as an architect, covering everything from economic and demographic changes, to sustainable development. It’s an essential responsibility within our profession, but a challenging one; it requires adaptability and problem solving on a large scale.
Our societies’ heritage and history as presented through architecture are not only beautiful glimpses into the past, but also crucial to understanding our culture as a discipline. Conservation and restoration of buildings is undeniably a challenge; it is never possible to please everyone. The media often targets the act of restoration as a “heritage massacre,” in spite of the often very beautiful solutions.
4. Research Architect
With the current wave of digital design and constant advancement of digital tools, our methods of representation and expression are changing dramatically. Information technology has had a profound impact upon architecture that is far from over. These constant improvements are in part made possible by the exciting research being done by architects, not necessarily consisting of designing buildings, but focusing more on how these new tools can enhance our work.
5. Lighting Architect
Light has a profound impact on our mental and physical health, as anyone living at high latitudes can empathize with. Delving into the architecture of lighting entails improving the quality of our experiences, our health and well-being, and the sustainability of not only the natural environment, but also smaller spaces such as our work environments.
6. Political Architect
Some argue that architecture is by nature political, however being active in the political decision of a city or country is a different story. Architecture is more than just creating beautiful objects; the discipline has a value in organizing society. Architecture firm Terroir, for example, has worked with the Burnie City Council as well as with the Parramatta City Council in Australia, to argue for a certain structure for the city, to predict what may happen, and to design a set of criteria for the evolution of the city. It is a case of architecture influencing politics, instead of the other way around.
With the current development of climate change, extreme weather conditions such as floods, heat waves and hurricanes are predicted to increase. Existing extreme environments, such as deserts, are likely to expand due to phenomena such as desertification. Being an architect who specializes in extreme weather conditions is therefore not only an incredibly fascinating way to tackle the subject, but also invaluable for us to adapt to the future of our planet.
Careers in Art and Design
If, upon graduating, you realize that architecture is in fact not for you, design and art might be. Architecture already is a form of design (or maybe it’s the other way around), making it easier to create direct links between your education as an architect, and your profession as an artist or designer. Another alternative is to combine two disciplines, such as graphic design and architecture. Perhaps your passion is to make it easier for architects to communicate through graphics?
8. Artist
Although Olafur Eliasson did not study architecture, he works with many architects at Studio Olafur Eliasson, exemplifying how harmonious and imperative the relationship between space and art is. The spatial reasoning and visualization skills one gains from an education in architecture lends themselves perfectly to installation art, sculpture and spatial experiences, without the necessity for functionality.
9. Industrial Designer
Several architecture firms have branched into industrial design, due to their close creative ties. However, industrial design focuses on smaller scale objects of mass production, as opposed to large-scale buildings designed for a specific context. If the prospect of designing something enormous, permanent, and landscape changing sounds all too intimidating, industrial design is a great, smaller scaled alternative.
Even more so than industrial design, furniture design can be seen as architecture’s little sister. Countless famous architects have made significant contributions to furniture design: Charles and Ray Eames, Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen, among others. Contemporary architects such as Zaha Hadid Architects are following suit, proving that the two can even be done simultaneously.
11. Textile Designer
Designing textiles requires sensitivity for color, tactility, construction, patterns and forms, all of which are developed during any student’s years at architecture school. The relationship between “skin” and structure is in some ways even more literal than in a building, as the two merge together. High fashion is also reminiscent of architecture in many ways, adopting the geometric and sculptural constructions of contemporary buildings.
Graphic design is the way in which we take in our world and identify it. It is invaluable when it comes to communication. It can also be so aesthetically pleasing that one can hardly resist becoming a graphic designer. Taking a short course in graphic design to supplement a degree in architecture can open up a range of possibilities to still work within the field, but take charge of tasks that are more suited to your interests in communication.
13. Video Game Designer
The near-limitless boundaries that come with designing a virtual world may be one of the most fun things a newly graduated architect could think of doing with their education. Constructing the architecture of a video game is a way of letting your imagination roam free, but could also add more depth to your spatial reasoning.
14. Photographer
Architecture photography is becoming increasingly popular, possibly due to the beautiful geometry that can emerge by constraining something within a lens. Photography concerns itself more with the aesthetic, with the object and the composition in that unique moment, within that specific frame. It concerns itself with the fleeting atmosphere, more than with the permanent organization of people and spaces. Yet it still consists of composition, colour, environment and experiences.
Although a set or a stage are far smaller platforms than a virtual planet, designing theater and film sets allows for just as much creative flow. It lifts the pressure of traditional spatial design and expression, allowing for experiences that may be more evocative, sensuous, and story-driven, while still utilizing all the knowledge and skills one gains from an education in architecture: time pressures, conceptual environments and collaborative creativity.
Careers Outside of Design
If you find yourself scrolling through this list and shaking your head at any mention of architecture, art or design, perhaps this final list is for you. It covers 6 careers outside of the stereotypical fields of design, mostly within the human sciences as architecture is inherently directed towards the human experience. Drawing the essence of this from your architectural education and injecting it into another discipline may even make you a stronger candidate in the professional sphere.
Young teachers at architecture schools are becoming more common, and if you’re looking for more time to learn about the field before making a decision on whether or not you want to remain in it, taking up a year or two of teaching could be an ideal way to do so. Teaching is a two way street, especially at such a young age, which provides you with an excellent method to learn from your students and reflect on your view of architecture. Here are some tips on how to succeed as a young professor.
17. Philanthropist
In the past, architecture was a gentleman’s profession, taken up as a philanthropic endeavour as opposed to an economic one. In our present day, women have begun to get a strong hold on the profession, but thankfully the philanthropic ideal has not died out. Contemporary architecture has a necessary focus on sustainability: environmental, social, psychological, and economic. The knowledge and awareness of these ideals can be converted into other types of philanthropy, if that’s what interests you. Founding a sustainable foundation towards a humanitarian aim is never a waste of time.
As mentioned previously, architecture and politics are in many ways inherently tied together. The knowledge one gains of people, and the way they interact with their environment, the way they are organized, what makes the human body and psyche feel comfortable; all of these skills contribute hugely to making a good politician. In fact, in Finland, Anders Adlercreutz, a current first-term Member of Parliament, is educated as an architect and practiced as one for many years before turning to politics, while in Britain Richard Rogers serves in the House of Lords alongside running his practice.
19. Conservationist
Similar to philanthropy, conservation of the environment is becoming a focal point within architecture. Despite many efforts, our planet is still heading down a path leading to disaster when it comes to our natural surroundings. Using your knowledge of spatial organization to develop a method of environmental conservation is not only intellectually stimulating, but also vitally important for our society.
Becoming a writer or journalist can be a great way to utilize an architectural education; we learn to articulate ourselves using (mostly) descriptive language and rhetoric, in order to communicate our complex projects to teachers and critics. Turning that into writing, whether fictional or not, is another way of constructing another world and an experience for others. Despite the print being two-dimensional, the stories definitely aren’t.
21. Entrepreneur
Problem solving, creative thinking and the art of persuasion are three skills architects and entrepreneurs have in common that you can use to your advantage. Your experience with abstract concepts and human interaction can make you a stronger competitor with an alternative way of thinking.
The list above is of course incomplete, as the careers mentioned here can be combined in many ways, and other, unmentioned vocations can be brought to the table to provide virtually infinite possibilities. As German educator Kurt Hahn said, “there is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less.” Don’t forget that there is a sea of possibilities out there.
The winning proposal has just been announced for an extension to the Bunkier Sztuki (“Bunker of Arts”) contemporary art gallery in Cracow, Poland. Out of 33 entries in the international competition, the underground design by Robert Konieczny – KWK Promes has been selected to be executed in the heart of Cracow’s Old Town.
The proposal includes a new 3900–square meter exhibition space in front of the existing building with moveable slabs and an elevatable roof, which can be adjusted according to program. This ultra-modern mechanical system allows for interaction between the exhibition space and the city: the roof can be lifted to give the gallery a direct physical connection to the street level. Meanwhile, by eliminating a superstructure to the extension, the architects have given deference to the existing building. The intervention also includes a plan to refurbish the historical gallery to reveal its original brutalist form.
Situated in one of Poland’s most culturally vibrant cities, Bunkier Sztuki is a rare icon of Polish brutalism. Since its founding in Planty Park in 1965, the gallery has undergone several alterations, including a cafeteria pavilion directly in front of the exhibition space. The planned restoration will eliminate all unnecessary additions and return the building to its initial intent.
Architectural photographer Marc Goodwin has recently shot the second collection of his “ultra-marathon of photoshoots” – in London. Following his unique insight into the spaces occupied by Nordic architectural offices (based in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki), Goodwin has turned his lens to a broad collection of practices in the British capital, captured in just seven days. From Zaha Hadid Architects’ former school to Foster + Partner’s monumental studios on the banks of the River Thames, here are a series of surprising places that architectural offices call home.
Former use: ccording to the listing text, these premises were originally occupied by “druggists, sundriesmen, infant milliners and artificial flower manufacturers.” The interior arrangement suggests that it was always intended for a number of different trading concerns
Number of employees: 1200 at Riverside, 1450 globally
Former use: Riverside is a pioneering example of a mixed-use building – with Foster + Partners’ studio occupying the lower three levels and apartments located on the upper floors. There was no former use, as it was purpose built by Fosters for its current use. The building’s strategy for renewal involved the creation of a new network of pedestrian routes to make this stretch of the riverside accessible to the public
Former use: the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery was previously home to a pop-up hair salon designed by Hadid; the larger office spaces were formerly a school
The building site presents a trapezoidal shape quite similar to a regular polygon, with one of its ends curved, and the rest in angle. The building site is practically flat on its north half, and presents a pronounced slope on the south half. The building site’s slope develops itself in a north-south direction with a total drop of approximately 4 meters. The views to the west from the high part of the site are splendid.
The project consists on a multi-purpose building destined to be a Cultural Centre and a Music School (a discipline that counts with a big number of students in Meco) with four levels corresponding to a basement floor, a semi basement, a ground level floor and a first floor, the latter in the northern centerline of the building. The building results in a compact plan that adapts itself to the geometry of the existing terrain and occupies its lower and southern part. Likewise, the building adapts to the existing topography in a steep slope, arranging its program of uses in a stratified way, within dependent layers with different uses. As a result of all this, that the building organizes itself with two entrances located in the opposite facades (south and north facades) and different floors (semi-basement level and bottom level). Each of these entrances gives access to clearly differentiated uses. The southern entrance through an exterior covered space gives access to the auditorium and to a multi-purpose exhibition space that serves as the entrance hall the auditorium. This level is equipped with the general washrooms of the building and the necessary installation rooms for the correct functioning of it. The north entrance, which you can reach from a patio covered by a concrete lattice with access from Plaza de España, gives access to the Music School that develops a program of uses which are consensual with the direction of the future school that will develop its activity in our spaces. An empty space runs longitudinally within the building, merging uses and levels and permits a complex use and perception of it. This vacuum presents itself as the place of principal communication in the interior of the building, describing it spatially and qualifying it as a public building as it widens its limited interior surface area.
In the basement floor are located the rooms such as store rooms or change rooms that provide service to the auditorium. In the first floor, the administration and direction of the centre, and a small music library opened to the north and the views.
The roof of the building has also a use. An outdoors auditorium and a square called Southern Square located on the same place complete the program of the Cultural Centre and Music School. This auditorium and this Southern Square have an access from the patio through a “stair-ramp”, and also from the interior of the building, becoming a quality leisure place and urban rest.
The action opts for a volume of well defined contours which is able to affirm its autonomy against a residential heterogeneous and recent environment of family housing in a suburb with no architectonic interest, and other traditional housing with which we have tried to create a dialogue. The popular abstraction is chosen as a composition strategy at the elevations. The gaps appear where they are needed by the interior uses or the views, as in the popular traditional architecture, always abstract. Plinths and frames are solved with our contemporary material:”reinforced concrete”; the white stuccos, as well as the scale and the volumetric treatment of the projected building, collaborate in the insertion in Meco Town.
Alfred House is a private residence designed by Austin Maynard Architects. The home is located in Melbourne, Australia. Alfred House by Austin Maynard Architects: “In a Nutshell Alfred House is an addition and reconfiguration of an existing two storey, two bedroom terrace, with a tired lean-to that had little relationship with the exterior space. The client wanted us to replicate one of our previous projects, Vader House, as they liked..
From the architect. On the industrial site of the former monofilament manufacturer Viscosuisse and today’s Monosuisse AG in Emmenbrücke, a new urban district, to be known as the Viscosistadt, will be developed in the near future. While preserving the diversity of the existing buildings, the urban quality of the site will be further strengthened and developed. The first measure is the conversion of Building 745 into the new location for the Lucerne School of Art and Design. Part of the Viscosuisse legacy, this strongly expressive building shapes the character of the site. The structure has wide spans and is made up of columns, down-beams and prefabricated ribbed concrete ceiling slabs, producing generously sized, uninterrupted spaces. In order to preserve the quality of this fine example of Swiss engineering architecture and to make it usable, our intervention is as direct and restrained as possible.
The main entrance to the university is from the east via Nylsuisseplatz. Elements of the high-bay warehouse on the west side will be stripped away to open up the facade and to establish a connection to the park along the river. The open ground floor strengthens the university building’s connection to the park. This ground floor serves a zone where the public meets the university. It plays a central role in the planned development and in introducing life into the entire site.
A café invites people to spend time there. Also located here are the ‘Aktionshalle’, a project space for exhibitions and events, and the library. A zone is established that can be used in a variety of ways. The Media Lab, which is open to all, forms the core of the 1st floor. The degree programmes ‘Camera Arts‘, ‘Art & Interpretation‘, ‘Fine Arts’, ‘Design’ and ‘Film’ will take place here and in the two floors above. The rooms on the 4th floor accommodate the management, administration and research facilities. For the most part they make use of the existing walls and spatial structure. The rooms for the degree programmes ‘Video’ and ‘Animation’, which require a certain degree of soundproofing, are located in the basement.
As a part in a chain of Agritecture development projects, Terraces home adopts the combination of Architecture and Agriculture (Agriculture + Architecture = Agritecture) as a basis for sustainable development.
Diagram
The idea is to combine the two distinctive elements of Vietnam’s rural areas: The house (accommodation space) and terraced rice field (cultivation space) to create a Home with blurred boundaries in and out; above and below; common and private.
Certain accommodation space is located along the slope of the roof so that it is wide open to sight angles, light and shadow, which is enabled by concrete trays of farm produce at different levels high above. Along the two flanks of the roof are irrigation systems to keep plots of farmland evergreen, and mitigate adverse effects of habitat and tropical monsoon weather conditions such as shortage of green trees, noise, dust and smoke, heat, storms, etc.
Agricultural cultivation helps bring city dwellers closer to the nature by giving them interesting first-hand experience in planting, taking good care and sharing harvested produce from their own farmland plots with their neighbors.
Terraces home serves as a constant reminder of the origin of paddy rice civilization in a flat world context threatened by various types of pollution currently at an alarming level. It is, at the same time, expected to promote the expansion of farmland plots in urban areas with a view to securing food supplies for future life.
Sig Nordal 