Beauty has been banned from the studio. She peers through cracks in boarded windows at the new architecture of performance. The story of her exile is one that spans two disparate events: Sullivan’s dangerous assertion that “form follows function” and the economic downturn that forced a restructuring of architectural practice in the 21st century.

The latter was the blow that erased Beauty’s place in public discourse. A capitalist economy relies on progress and growth, especially in times of duress; this necessity in times of dwindling funds produces a desire for cheaper, more efficient structures, where discussion of Beauty are seemingly moot. It appeared that for the contemporary client, a building’s ability ...[more]

Hamline University celebrated the newest addition to the school’s St. Paul, Minnesota, campus on Friday, with the dedication of the Carol Young Anderson and Dennis L. Anderson University Center.

Hamline President Linda Hanson was joined by alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community leaders for the event, and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman proclaimed October, 5 2012 as Hamline University Anderson Center Day in the city. Composer and pianist Steven C. Anderson, Hamline ’88, debuted “Gratitude,” his musical composition commissioned for the occasion, at the alumni dinner the previous evening.

In her ...[more]

The paired Phoenix dining destination of Windsor and Churn has taken top category honors in the 32nd annual Valley Forward Environmental Excellence Awards, which were announced on September 29. Windsor and Churn, designed by Shepley Bulfinch with redeveloper Venue Projects and Upward Projects, received Valley Forward’s Crescordia (first place) Award (Historic Preservation) and a Merit Award (Commercial/Mixed-Use).

The Valley Forward Association’s Environmental Excellence Awards (EEA) program is Arizona’s oldest and largest environmental competition.

The adaptive reuse project transformed a 1940s retail structure into a lively and open restaurant (The ...[more]

What are the trade-offs when you design a patient bathroom? How do you navigate the balancing act of optimizing patient safety and ADA compliance?

Healthcare principal Jennifer Aliber discusses these in “Safety zone: designing the danger out of patient bathrooms” in the September issue of Health Facilities Management magazine.

The article also features two sidebars: one by Cindy Lee on bathroom design for the visually impaired and one by Ray Gerbi  on infection control.

“Safety Zone,” Health Facilities Management, September 2012

The creation of Postino East and the transformation of a nondescript commercial building in Gilbert, Arizona, into a lively neighborhood restaurant is the cover story in the latest issue of Retrofit magazine.

In “Growing Roots,” Lauren Bailey of Upward Projects and project designer Ryan Grabe talk about the vision behind the popular Gilbert restaurant and the design thinking that started with an understanding of the surrounding community and the “good bones” of the original building.

Postino East opened in April 2012. It is one of a series of Phoenix-area restaurants designed by Shepley Bulfinch ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch is pleased to welcome healthcare planning and design leader Sharon Woodworth, AIA, as a principal in the firm’s San Francisco office.

In announcing the appointment, Shepley Bulfinch president Carole Wedge said, “Sharon’s remarkable portfolio and her passion for client partnership is a perfect match for Shepley, as we elevate our work and grow our national healthcare practice.”

Sharon has led healthcare planning and design projects throughout the Western US and in Western Canada. Her award-winning work has included major clinical projects for the Santa Clara County Health System; Stanford Hospital; the University ...[more]

“What do you do?”

When asked to describe what you do during the day, it’s natural to answer in the context of your current work environment. Its spaces, adjacencies, and physical parameters determine how you interact with others, how efficiently you function, and how effectively you do your job. But it doesn’t answer the question.

When it comes to the lean healthcare design, the question isn’t “how do you function in your current space?” It’s “what are you trying to accomplish?” Applying lean principles when designing a space that will optimize efficient and effective healthcare delivery means putting the outcome first.

Lean design isn’t just a matter of common sense. It’s the cornerstone ...[more]

 
Shepley Bulfinch invited Hamline University student Jena Felsheim to be a guest blogger, offering her impressions of the Anderson University Center, which opened this fall:

I feel like I have to issue a warning. I’m easily distracted, I’m impressed by the most banal of things, and I know almost nothing about architecture (the only architectural jargon I know is “buttress”). As much as I would love to be able to stand confidently in a pair of perfectly ironed slacks and offer intelligent musings on architecture, instead I’ll be slouching in a skirt that ...[more]