#ArchiTalks 23 "style"

“Style”

Ok, Here’s an old time story…

Back when I went to architecture school and students would say, “Well, I don’t want to change that because:

That’s not my STYLE!”

And the professors would say,

“You are too young to have a style!!!”

And of course I thought I wasn’t too young.  And those words were only mentioned once to me and by the same person I mentioned in a past blog… the project that went wrong and the only project i ever threw out.

And I don’t know if I had a set architectural style yet and I am not sure that I do even today because I think a design might be dictated by the project and the client’s program and quite possibly their style.

 

So…

I think that by my age, I have a style or I have been told that I have a style or people have said that they like my style and I think that it is a style of contrasts, which is why sometimes people have a hard time reading me or they think that I don’t know what my style is. These are usually people who are not in the arts.  These are usually people who I don’t share tastes with.  These are people who might be known as”

“Non-creatives”

These are people who say, “oh, ya, you like plain things”

and I say, “i prefer to use the word, “simple”.

Or, why don’t you put some orange pillows on that black leather sofa of yours?

(Because I don’t want the color orange in my house except at halloween or in a fruit bowl)

Or, why don’t you add a bold necklace to that sweater you’re wearing?

(because i just don’t like them on me snagging my sweaters)

Because, I am pretty sure I know how to dress myself at this age.

And, I am pretty sure that I know how I want my house to look, it is just the huge budget constraint that is holding me back from doing exactly what I want in Real Materials

But thanks to all of those who have felt the need to express that.

Like if you are going to even try and buy me a gift, make it something white, black, gray, stainless steel, silver, glass, wood or leather.

But looking over the years, I think that my style is one of contrasts.

old/new

finished/unfinished

solid/void

hard/soft

rough/gentle

So probably the easiest way to show style for me, is just to show you.

Black Sunglasses:

These are some of my old ones and the new ones, all the same.  I manage to break an arm off of them and then stick them in an old case on my chest of drawers.

Clothes:

Black turtlenecks

tees, dif colors

Bootleg jeans

Black yoga pants

Long sweaters

Long skirts

Black coats

Black boots

Black clogs

Furniture and textiles,and dining

White sheets

Blue duvet covers and

A lot of pillows

Leather couch

Orrefors Crystal

Wedgwood china

Fiestaware

Gorham silverware

Architecture:

Modern

AND

Art Deco

Scandinavian

Wrightian

International Craftsman

My own architectural style when I am not trying to adhere to an existing style is more of a solid/void expressed with intuitive playfulness.

WTH does that mean?  It means that if there is a solid wall, i like to break it up with a window and it may not seem like there is a reason, but it will have a benefit that is intuitive and maybe won’t be explained but makes perfect logical sense.

Why is there a window there? Well, because you have a dark stair but you have a clerestory and i am bringing northern light into the space for your painting here :)

As I said to a client recently… “I don’t always explain everything to you, but there is a method to my madness,,,”

This was #architalks 23, if you would like to see other architects" have to say, please follow the links below, but always have your own style :)

I am now offering sponsorship opportunities and I am grateful for that. Please contact me via my website below for more information.

MGHarchitect: Michele Grace Hottel, Architect

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Enoch Sears - Business of Architecture (@businessofarch)

Bob Borson - Life of An Architect (@bobborson) http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/style-do-i-have-any/

Matthew Stanfield - FiELD9: architecture (@FiELD9arch)

Marica McKeel - Studio MM (@ArchitectMM)

Jeff Echols - Architect Of The Internet (@Jeff_Echols)

Lee Calisti, AIA - Think Architect (@LeeCalisti) style...final words

Mark R. LePage - EntreArchitect (@EntreArchitect)

Evan Troxel - Archispeak Podcast / TRXL (@etroxel)

Lora Teagarden - L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC) The AREsketches Style

Collier Ward - One More Story (@BuildingContent) Good Artists Copy; Great Artists Steal

Cormac Phalen - Cormac Phalen (@archy_type)

Nicholas Renard - Renard Architecture (@dig-arch)

Andrew Hawkins, AIA - Hawkins Architecture, Inc. (@hawkinsarch)

Jeremiah Russell, AIA - ROGUE Architecture (@rogue_architect)

Jes Stafford - MODwelling (@modarchitect)

Cindy Black - Rick & Cindy Black Architects (*)

Eric T. Faulkner - Rock Talk (@wishingrockhome) Name That Stile!

Rosa Sheng - EquitybyDesign [EQxD] (@EquityxDesign)

Michele Grace Hottel - Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel) "style"

Meghana Joshi - IRA Consultants, LLC (@MeghanaIRA)

Amy Kalar - ArchiMom (@AmyKalar)

Michael Riscica - Young Architect (@YoungArchitxPDX)

Stephen Ramos - BUILDINGS ARE COOL (@sramos_BAC)

brady ernst - Soapbox Architect (@bradyernstAIA) What Style Do You Build In?

Brian Paletz - The Emerging Architect (@bpaletz) You do you

Michael LaValley - Evolving Architect (@archivalley) Defining an Architect's Style

Jonathan Brown - Proto-Architecture (@mondo_tiki_man)

Eric Wittman - intern[life] (@rico_w)

Sharon George - Architecture By George (@sharonraigeorge)

Brinn Miracle - Architangent (@architangent)

David Molinaro - Relax2dmax (@relax2dmax)

Emily Grandstaff-Rice - Emily Grandstaff-Rice FAIA (@egrfaia)

Daniel Beck - The Architect's Checklist (@archchecklist)

Jarod Hall - di'velept (@divelept) What's Your Style?

Anthony Richardson - That Architecture Student (@thatarchstudent)

Lindsey Rhoden - SPARC Design (@sparcdesignpc)

Drew Paul Bell - Drew Paul Bell (@DrewPaulBell)

Greg Croft - Sage Leaf Group (@croft_gregory) Architectural Style

Courtney Casburn Brett - Casburn Brett (@CasburnBrett)

Jeffrey Pelletier - Board & Vellum (@boardandvellum) Should You Pick Your Architect Based on Style or Service?

Aaron Bowman - Product & Process (@PP_Podcast)

Samantha R. Markham - The Aspiring Architect (@TheAspiringArch) 5 Styles of an Aspiring Architect

Kyu Young Kim - J&K Architects Atelier (@sokokyu) Loaded With Style

Nisha Kandiah - ArchiDragon (@ArchiDragon) Regression or Evolution : Style

Karen E. Williams - (@karenewilliams3)

Jared W. Smith - Architect OWL (@ArchitectOWL)

Rusty Long - Rusty Long, Architect (@rustylong)

Keith Palma - Architect's Trace (@cogitatedesign) Stylized Hatred

Adam Denais - Defragging Architecture (@DefragArch)

Jim Mehaffey - Yeoman Architect (@jamesmehaffey) What's in a Style?

Ken Saginario - Twelfth Street Studio ()

Tim Ung - Journey of an Architect (@timothy_ung)

Mark Stephens - Mark Stephens Architects (@architectmark) Architectalks 23 - Style