Decompress Your Design StressARCHITECT'S ADVICE I’m sure it comes as no surprise that stories about design projects often come with ominous undertones. Home projects are a source of constant stress! Why would you ever start a renovation––don’t you know projects like that can ruin a marriage? Design projects just bring out the worst in everyone! One quick Google search, and it looks as though the confirmation is right there; pages and pages of articles about this topic are right there at the forefront, and with that, it starts to feel like there’s reason to be worried. Take it one step further, and you can see in seemingly scientific percentages the rates of frustration, regret, and even separation in couples that jump into a home design project. [Okay, I know that so far, I am sounding like a harbinger of doom, so let’s just take a breath before moving on.]
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Welcome to the Studio: A New Approach!I’ll be honest with you; after welcoming three new team members over the past year, it’s clear that these Welcome to the Studio articles are not a favorite activity for their subjects. Occasionally it devolves into a matter of me chasing our newest team member around the office for an interview! As they say, hindsight is 20/20, so just like we create a tailor-made experience for our clients, we’re going to customize this article to suit our fellow introverts and introduce not only our new Project Manager, but also a new design program we’ve been using.
[Author’s Note: With that being said, I do feel like I should apologize to the other introverts on the team that I’ve subjected to an entire article.] A Note From BillThe View from New ZealandThis edition of A Note from Bill is quite special, at least from my point of view. I am writing this article from an extraordinary place. If you remember my “year in review” article from last issue, you may be able to guess where I’ve been these past few weeks...Queenstown, New Zealand!
I took the fifteen-hour flight from O’Hare to come here for the Mastermind Summit held by the Architect’s Marketing Institute, which is where a group of architects from around the world come project Spotlightfrom sunny floridaSunshine, sandy beaches, all with a piña colada in hand. That’s what we imagine when thinking of Florida. It is certainly lucky to have several projects in the Sunshine State! Bill took a trip to Florida this past January—a mixture of work, racing, and relaxation—which inspired us to dig a little deeper into our southernmost design projects.
We get it. It may inspire a bit of envy to read about beautiful beachfront properties, especially when For The Love of GIngerbread!A resounding favorite among the team at Studio21 Architects is, of course, our annual Gingerbread Design Party. While in the past few years, we had to think creatively to organize an event while keeping health and safety a top priority, this year we were able to once again host in our office and to celebrate even further, we decided to add another tradition to the lineup: Gingerbread for Grown-Ups! It was two whole days of fun, with so many awesome designs and many great memories made. Before we get into
Best of 2023A Look Back on This Year's SpotlightsCrazy and interesting things tend to happen annually, and 2023 met those expectations through and through. In the world of architecture, amazing feats were completed. Malaysia’s 118 Merdeka became the second tallest building in the world, shorter in stature only to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. In Las Vegas, “The Sphere” opened its doors, merging arts and technology into a globular events venue and new staple of the Las Vegas Strip. Closer to home, in residential design and construction, we too witnessed many changes and revelations. This year, we noticed a rise in clients enlisting Studio21 Architects to turn their existing homes into domiciliary paradises. Many clients still opt to start from scratch with new builds, of course, but no matter the method, we are always in the business of dream homes.
A Note From BillLooking Back & Looking AheadAs the year winds to a close, it is again time to reflect on all that has happened in 2023. As always, I am grateful for all the people I am surrounded by, including my family, friends and business associates. Time seems to fly by these days; I believe it must be a product of getting a bit older. The winter days may feel dreary and dark but before you know it, the days will get longer, and Spring will once again be back.
chicagodefining the architecture of todayAs Chicagoans, we tend to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the place. Brutally cold winters that go on forever and come April, just when you begin to feel the sun’s warmth after who-knows-how-long, can lapse straight back into snow the next day; the unparalleled city skyline poetically balanced by the road construction that has gone on for seemingly decades; the unbeatable food on almost every block. Many of us feel a charged loyalty to Chicago and its rarity; we take the good along with the bad, just like the truest of loves. Chicago’s uniqueness shines in many ways, but today we want to focus on the individuality of her architecture.
A note from billbad, bad bathrooms!This year, I have had the pleasure of traveling often, staying in many hotels and rental homes throughout the United States, as well as a quick trip to Ireland where I stayed in a stone castle. Sightseeing aside, I am an architect, so I am always on the lookout for design no matter where in the world I am. As I look back at the design-related memories of these trips, I remember all the ingenuity and beauty of brilliant design, like the New American Home at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas earlier this year. But design marvels are two sides of the same coin: just as much as one can marvel at good design, awful design choices can stop you in your tracks. In their own strange way, these bad design practices can burn into your brain even more so.
Project Spotlight:THE STAHR RENOVATION AND BEING YOUR OWN architect pt. ii
walls were framed, the roof was up (to prevent any further weather-related catastrophes), and windows had been installed. While this was a great starter course, it certainly could not compare to the final product.
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