Stone: Jim Durham, rock climbing Material witnesses (Part 1 of 5) Recalling our climb to the top of Zervreilahorn, the 9,500-foot peak overlooking the Vals quarry in the Swiss Alps, I appreciate what makes Jim Durham of Quarra Stone a unique force in the world. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Concrete: Shawn Keller, pouring it on Material witnesses (Part 2 of 5) “For me, figuring out how to build things is more interesting than designing them.” Listening to Shawn Keller talk about wonky topics such as “fabrication tolerance modeling” can be fascinating. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Biology: Neri Oxman, natural selection Material witnesses (Part 3 of 5) One of my first architectural impressions as a child was Buckminster Fuller’s dome in Montreal. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Wood: Ron Anthony, grain elevation Material witnesses (Part 4 of 5) As a fourth grader, Ron Anthony was asked a familiar question: “What would you like to be when you grow up? Feature Nov 06, 2017
Glass: James Carpenter, beacon of light Material witnesses (Part 5 of 5) If you know about contemporary design and building, you might be thinking that James Carpenter is the architect or sculptor (which is it?) who works inventively with glass and sometimes with metal. Feature Nov 06, 2017
The source Early in my design career, I spent eight months in Japan on a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, doing research on traditional and contemporary wood construction. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Craft brew My first opportunity to see the connection between handcraft and new technology was in the summer of 1999. I remember the moment clearly because, in retrospect, my perception of what was possible was so far off the mark. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Economy of scale The doorbell is the first clue that you are requesting admission to a makerspace. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Organic chemistry Plastic has an endurance problem. The material lasts—but not in a good way. Long after its useful life as a product is over, plastic lives on in a degraded state, filling landfills and clogging seas. Feature Nov 06, 2017
The dark side Humility is the lesson I repeatedly learn from existing buildings. Feature Nov 06, 2017
Gateway cities: Not so run of the mill Second look (Part 1 of 5) The Gateway City of Pittsfield, my hometown, was in the news again this year. Feature Sep 01, 2017
