Come to Locus Architecture on September 18th, for the next installment of the 2X2 talks.
Last year we started a interactive discussion pairing visionary people to talk about how relationships inspire what they do. In architecture school, students tend to see dozens of architects give their version of the “Recent Work” lecture about their buildings, talks that tend to endorse the myth of the individual genius. For 2X2, we were interested in hearing from people who could talk about how they work with or depend on other people. And maybe have a beer or glass of wine.
We started with Mark Wheat and Maren Kloppmann who spoke about creativity in personal relationships, followed by Tracy Singleton and Greg Reynolds who spoke about the connections between Greg’s organic fields at Riverbend Farm and Tracy’s local-food-loving restaurant, the Birchwood Cafe.
For #3, 7:30 pm on September 18th at the Locus studio, we welcome Wing Young Huie, creator of The University Avenue Project, to talk with art historian Anna Tahinci about beer ads & basketball, Rodin & Rolleiflex, epic spaces & ethnic realities in public art.
You provide a $10 cash donation at the door, we’ll provide the drinks and the intellect.
Special thanks to Mark Wheat who will introduce our guests and help us with post-lecture Q&A.
RSVP to [email protected] before Thursday, September 9th to secure your spot.
Locus partner Wynne Yelland and his family are selling nowHaus 01. Once the news made the Star Tribune Real Estate section Sunday, not to mention Warners’ Stellian Twitter feed, it seemed silly not to relay the news here.
Green building? Check. Chalkboard wall? Check. Wood interior walls? Check. Low operations cost? Check. Half a block to bike trails and swimming beach? Check. Check. Check.
Snap it up, you’ll love it, and it puts us one step closer to starting nowHaus 02!
We are planning to renovate our website in the next couple months and would like to get some feedback from our trusted friends and colleagues. Yes, that’s you!
Please take a quick look through the Locus website (www.locusarchitecture.com) and let us know your thoughts on any of the following:
Message – Are we telling the proper story?
Content – Can you find all the pertinent information you want?
Ease of Navigation – Can you get to everything easily?
Imagery – Are the images captivating?
Layout – Does the layout present Locus properly?
If you’re a past client, please let us know what brought you to Locus in the beginning. If you’re not, what do you find in the website that does and doesn’t interest you?
We value your opinions and, as your time is valuable, welcome any tidbit of feedback you can offer. If you’re too busy, don’t sweat it!!
Thank you,
Paul and Wynne
When I was in California recently, I caught up with one of our early clients, a couple who have slowly – but methodically – worked on their home since we started designing it in 1999. The abbreviated story goes something like this.
In the mid 80s Roger, a metal sculptor, and Carol, a business consultant, say farewell to their loft in San Francisco and buy some land on Merritt Island, south of Clarksburg, CA. They meet neighbors Carter & Dodi Sparks. Carter, they learn, is an architect. Liking the sensibility of Sparks’ regional mid-centry modernism, the Berrys plan to have Carter design a house for them, but Sparks’ life is cut short by a fatal stroke.
Two years later, over wine, the Berrys and Dodi get to talking about a house that Carter might have designed. Dodi suggests the Berrys talk to me, a native of Clarksburg and a sort of Carter’s-spirit-next-of-kin.
My training as a Sparks groupie started early; I grew up in a Sparks home a few miles from the Berry’s property, where he was a frequent guest at dinner and cocktail parties. I can remember him down on the rug in the entry hall playing Matchbox cars with me, dressed in something bright – an orange linen suit perhaps – with a martini expertly balanced on his knee. I lunched with him and my father sometimes during the summer; afterwards he’d show me the projects underway in his office. On Sparks’ recommendation, I studied at U. C. Berkeley as he had.
Interested by the coincidences, and my familiarity with the landscape, Carol and Roger contacted Locus in 1999. Shortly after, we began our collaboration. Organizing meetings around my visits to California, Locus spent five years working on design. Construction began in 2004, and continued for several years, with completion of the lap pool in 2008, and landscaping ongoing today.
Roger designed and built a number of custom pieces for the home in his studio across the driveway; the stair, 300-lb. cor-ten steel siding panels, chimney, and entry trellis were all built for the house on site.
After a dozen years of watching it come together, it’s one of my favorite project on an absolutely beautiful site for two extremely warm and talented people.
Check out Roger’s work at the link above, very thoughtful and exquisite work.
