CRAN 2019 Symposium: Interview with Jennifer Kretschmer, AIA
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| Jennifer Kretschmer, AIA |
I am a little behind in my blog posts for the Symposiums and Conferences that I have been going to because I have also been busy working and getting the interviews together and now I have four interviews and I haven't written the blog posts for them.
So this is the schedule for CRAN, so I had to edit a lot.
2019 CRAN Schedule of Events
Wednesday, September 11 12:00PM - 6:00PM Registration 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Annual CRAN Leadership Meeting (Closed meeting) 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM Meet CRAN® Leadership Happy Hour 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Networking Dinners
Thursday, September 12 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM Registration 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM Grab 'n Go Breakfast 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM Showcase Set Up 8:45 AM - 10:45 AM Arcosanti Architect's Tour 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM Refresh Break and Grab 'n Go Lunch 1:00 PM Showcase Opens 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM Welcome and Introduction at Hotel Valley Ho 1:10 PM - 2:10 PM Preoccupations 2:10 PM - 3:10 PM Seeing Phoenix at Multiple Scales 3:10 PM - 4:10 PM Showcase Break 4:25 PM - 5:25 PM Homeownership Redesigned for the 21st Century 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Welcome Reception 7:15 PM - 9:00 PM Networking Dinners
Friday, September 13 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Registration 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM Showcase Hours 7:00 AM - 7:50 AM Breakfast 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Grounding Residential Design in the Southwest: Vernacular, Revival, Modern 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Showcase Break 10:00 AM-11:00 AM DUST: Origins 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Luncheon 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Advancing Design Process and Performance 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Panel Discussion: The Delicate Balance Between the Designer, Contractor and Client 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Showcase Break 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Cultivating Authenticity 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM Tour Taliesin West 7:15 PM - 8:45 PM Cocktail Reception Taliesin West 9:30 PM Arrive at Hotel Valley Ho
Saturday, September 14 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM Registration 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM Grab 'n Go Breakfast 7:00 AM - 10:30 AM Home Tour - South Loop 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Biltmore Mini Tour (Home Tour Lunch at Biltmore) 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Being goal directed instead of activity directed 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM Home Tour - North Loop 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Cocktail Reception 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Networking Dinners
Sunday, September 15 6:30 AM - 11:00 AM Registration 7:00 AM - 7:50 AM Breakfast 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM Light and Wellness: Design Ramifications of Circadian Lighting in the Built Environment 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM Showcase Break 10:01 AM - 12:29 PM Exhibitor Breakdown 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Dialogues in Space: Process and Ideas in the Work of Wendell Burnette Architects 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Closing Remarks
Needless to say; it's a busy schedule
1:00 PM - 1:15 PM Welcome and Introduction at Hotel Valley Ho
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM Preoccupations
2:10 PM - 3:10 PM Seeing Phoenix at Multiple Scales
3:10 PM - 4:10 PM Showcase Break
4:25 PM - 5:25 PM Homeownership Redesigned for the 21st Century
So, this last one was not to happen and this happened instead: Jennifer Kreschmer spoke on "The Virtual Office" which was really nice because she was great at AIA Vegas (sold-out crowd) and here at CRAN for a reprise.
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Welcome Reception (with these amazing ice cream sodas with MCM CRAN cookie!!!
7:15 PM - 9:00 PM Networking Dinners
We had an amazing dinner at this little bungalow close to the hotel called, The House Brasserie hosted by Carrie Perkins, the Trade Marketing Manager of Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove and the dinner was very nice. Of the three restaurants that weekend, that was the one that I would return to. I had the Sea Bass and in spite of the lighting being very low which was a problem as far as reading or identifying a lot of what I was eating, the food was amazing, the company was charming and the conversation was relevant and pleasant in an intimate atmosphere. And I want to go to their cooking school in Chicago in 2020!!!
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| Dinner with Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove |
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Friday: Here are some photos and comments about the Continuing Ed for the Symposium
"Grounding Residential Design in the Southwest: Vernacular, Revival, Modern"
This is how I wish all Architectural History was taught. Dates are mostly irrelevant except in reference to similar design styles and parallel history and the regionalism in regards to the history of the people who lived before the Europeans entered the picture and how design was using the climate of the place was all very relevant to me as a designer in Southern California where many of us live without or barely use our HVAC system because we just open and close the windows and doors and we can.
"DUST:Origins"
I had never heard of this firm before and I was surprised when I heard two of my archifriends bring them up as one of their favorite non-starchitect firms and I would have to agree with them. I would put them on the very best of my favorites if they had a key ingredient that will follow. The other thing that I would say was one of the things that I really liked about them was their presentation style as a firm. Even if the people that do this "DUST" work have to be wealthy, which it seems like they are but it is nice to know that they choose to live their life simply, if even for a few weeks or months of the year. They both (Cade Manning Hayes and Jesus Edmundo Robles Jr.) presented (and I saw this again at the MDC from some of the architects) was that they present together but they don't present together. They take turns and present different viewpoints on the same projects or different ones in their firm. And their firm philosophy and presentation is almost a choreographed dance or performance art poetry. Which is a good thing.
DUST philosophy
DUST website
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| Advancing Design Process and Performance |
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| panel of experts... |
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| Cultivating Authenticity (a Painter) |
So, one of the people who were to speak, cancelled at the last minute and so we had one woman architect speak (I believe there was another woman added for a short presentation.
And that woman architect was Jennifer Kretschmer who was asked for a repeat performance of her sold-out presentation at A'19 in Vegas on the Virtual Office.
And in spite of a snafu with the powerpoint (can there ever be a presentation where there isn't a problem with the powerpoint/slides/a/v, etc??? In spite of the delay, which actually gave me a chance to see her presentaiton because I was interviewing Vern Swaback earlier and was late getting back, Jennifer gave a terrific presentation, ad-libbing until the powerpoint appeared and was able to advance on cue.
I once went to a lecture at the Los Angeles Wiltern Theater that was put on by my alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona. I won't give the name of the architect who spoke, I believe I mention their name and this story in another interview where the person references their work. And I say that my best recollection of them will be what proceeded to happen that night at this lectrure. The lecture was at an off-site venue as stated before and it is not a venue that typically has a need for a screen to project on. So, there was a last minute scramble for one, remember this was back before the days of instant technology: cell phones, internet access or the capability to find a screen anywhere in a town made of film. So anyways, the curtain parts and there hangs:
a white sheet
and the world famous architect proceeds to have a fit on the stage unrivaled by most two year olds (and not seen until recently of most public figures) yelling about this sheet and how he cannot lecture like this and how could this happen (even though I am pretty sure that his expenses were paid and he probably had a good stipend also). The dean and others pleaded with him to stay and lecture and he did.
And my thanks to Jennifer for not breaking down and staying strong, as we are known to do in this profession where we don't jsut have to be good, we have to be better and we might not be known, but we will still know that we tried.
THANK YOU JENNIFER!!!
Jennifer Kretschmer, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Associate, founded J. Kretschmer Architect in 2003, specializing in single family, multi-family residential and commercial projects under 10,000 square feet.
Her firm has been a virtual office since 2008 which she has operated primarily from her home in the Silicon Valley area of California with workers located in different geographical areas in the United States.
Through her 10 years of being an Art Docent of Los Gatos, an organization that provides volunteer art instruction to the Los Gatos Union School District, Jennifer has honed her skills in speaking to audiences of all ages.
Jennifer was a speaker at the AIA’19 Conference on Architecture and 2019 CRAN Symposium bringing valued information, inspiration and training to architects on operating a virtual office with remote workers. Awarded AIA National Associate Member of the Year, 2002. She is the founding CRAN chairperson of the AIA Silicon Valley (2016-present) and will be the 2020 AIASVC Vice President and 2021 AIASVC President.
Jennifer's Three Favorite Buildings
The Chrysler Building
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| 320px-Chrysler_Building_by_David_Shankbone_Retouched |
Sydney Opera House
Fallingwater Cam
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| Kevin Harris, Director of Sales & Marketing AEG Stainless, Inc. |
This guy is from AEG Stainless and is one of my favorite Sales Reps, he is Kevin Harris, Director of Sales & Marketing. I not only like the product (who doesn't need a stainless steel cable rail in their project??? He also surprised all of us with a trip down from Seattle to see my CRAN Coronado Tour. I first met him at the AIA California Housing Forum which he was a sponsor for and I was the Committee Chair and I am forever grateful for his service to the profession!!! And I hope to see him at other events!!!
Kevin Harris
Director, Sales & Marketing
AGS Stainless, Inc.
7873 NE Day Road
Bainbrdge Island, WA 98110
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| Marvin Swag: metal straw and brush in a bag |
I recently went to the Marvin Door and Window Factory in Warroad, Minnesota and here's the link to my blog about it: "I've never met a woman architect before..." blog post on Marvin
WARNING: the next part of this blog is me on my soapbox about women and architecture and their relevance in the profession. If you feel that you don't want to read it or you feel that you would like to comment about it, then please do so. It is my blog and therefore they are my opinions and not the opinions of the AIA, CRAN or any of the product reps or architects that I have interviewed.
However!!!! I think that they are probably the views of a good 28% (ok, maybe 25%) of the architects out there and those 25% pay their dues and pay their membership dues and I believe should therefore have representation in conferences, symposiums and lectures where the organization is sponsoring.
I have to say that I have enjoyed the last two CRAN Symposiums but I also have to say that both of them have also brought about feelings that I and ok, not just me, but a good proportion of the people that I reference in the title of my blog, have felt a little, well underrepresented. Last year, it was the Supreme Court nomination and selection of a certain persona and this year it hit closer to home as the CRAN Symposium fell on the same weekend as the Women's Leadership Conference and was somehow blamed for the lack of speakers of a certain persuasion. But it was commented on in several online forums (ya, I know, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, you also can't believe that there are not more than enough women architects who are more than able to present at more than one conference the same weekend. Even women architects of a certain demographic who are the least represented number in the profession at 500, could more than cover speakers for two conferences. So, there were a couple explanations, one being the simultaneous conferences, the other being that there couldn't be any descrimination, because the committee is made up of people of a certain gender. Ok, I get it. I get that there are more men who are popular and draw an audience than women. HOWEVER, that seems to fall into the same explanation as women in sports: Women in Sports just don't have the draw that men in sports have. Women in Sports just don't get the types of sponsorship that men in sports get.
AND
Women in Sports just don't seem to get PAID the same as men do in sports.
Do you see the parallel?
I thought you would,
When someone asks you to think of a great tennis player, who do you think of? Do you think of Serena Williams?
Is Serena Williams one of the best tennis players in the world? Does she not get paid as well as male tennis players? Does she not get on the court and play tennis after carrying a baby in her body for nine months and hit that ball???
Is she not a well respected tennis player? When people are thinking of planning a tennis match and they think of tennis players that they want to speak at a tennis symposium, will they think of Serena?
If they can't get Serena, will they think of asking her sister, Venus?
I would like to think that some day men and women will think that way about women architects. You won't have to say women architects, you can just say good architects to speak at a conference and several women architects will automatically be on that list.
BUT
We aren't there yet.
We aren't there yet.
We aren't there yet.
And until we are, we need to keep saying:
We have twenty speakers and we have twenty men. They are a diverse group of men granted. If you don't count the one panel (of experts).
And we have one woman. and she isn't an architect.
We need more diverse speakers. We need to represent the profession (or at the very least, at least the many women who show up at CRAN each year looking for inspiration in not only "women- centric issues like what might be at the leadership conference that is specifically geared towards women, but at design conferences because yes, women can design.
Thank you.
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