Musings on Architecture To get the Quicktime plugin click here.

Tempe Urban: Top 5 Reasons Tempe Rules Urban...
Taz Loomans for azarchitecture.com, 4/24/13

Downtown Tempe is one of perhaps three truly urban centers in our Valley yet it remains , in our opinion, a bit undervalued. This week we asked azarchitecture contributor Taz Loomas to chime in on what makes it so great!:

5 Reasons Why Central Tempe is One of the Most Livable Places in the Valley Central Tempe... what a great place live!
Tempe is quickly becoming one of the most urban places you can live in the Valley, thanks to its natural growth boundaries. Bounded by Phoenix to the west, Scottsdale to the north, Mesa to the east and Chandler to the south, the city has had no choice but to fill in vacant lots, become denser and even grow vertically.

Below are five reasons why Tempe is one of the most livable places in the Valley:

1. Urban Innovations

With Tempe’s urban growth boundaries setting the tone for infill development, no wonder the city is home to urban innovations like landscape architect Bill Tonnessen’s brilliant rehabs of midcentury apartment buildings, ground up infill housing by world-class architects like Will Bruder, and transit-oriented developments like Encore on Farmer by developers like Todd Marshall.

Dense student housing surrounding Arizona State University’s Tempe Campus by various well-known architects such as Gould Evans and Architekton also contribute to Tempe’s sexy and modern urban form.

2. Walkability, Bikeability and Transit

Central Tempe is one of the most walkable and bikeable areas in the region. Tempe received a Bike Score of 75 – Very Bikeable by WalkScore and was given a Silver Rating last year by the League of American Bicyclists. Along with having the most walkable street in the Valley - Mill Avenue – all this makes Tempe one of the most vibrant cities in the Valley. Plus, the Light Rail makes it easy for Tempe residents to connect to neighboring Phoenix and Mesa without having to get in their cars.

3. The Tempe Town Lake Recreation Corridor

The Tempe Town Lake is an amazing amenity within walking and biking distance to many inner Tempe neighborhoods. It is a great public space that hosts some very big events like Ironman Arizona, the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade and the state's largest Independence Day celebration. The park is also great for an everyday jog, bike-ride, walk or just hanging out with your family to enjoy some great Arizona weather, and the best part is its central location.

4. Awesome Neighborhoods

I love the neighborhoods in Central Tempe. They are of a mixed density, with multi-story multi-family housing mixed in with single family housing, making for an interesting combination of people and pace. The best part about central Tempe neighborhoods is that they are usually within walking or biking distance to a neighborhood pub – like Casey Moore’s – or a neighborhood coffee shop – like Cartel – or a neighborhood market – like Tempe Farmer’s Market.

5. The Upcoming Streetscape Improvement on University between Priest to Ash

Central Tempe is going to get even better thanks to the ongoing excellent work of Tempe transportation planner Eric Iwersen and his latest project – a streetscape improvement on University between Priest to Ash. According to Eric, the city is hoping “to shift this segment of roadway from being an auto-oriented mile to being more of a place - sustainable, accessible for all, slower, cooler (literally and metaphorically). We are proposing buffered bike lanes, medians with trees, pavers at intersections to enhance/highlight the pedestrian zones, and public art.” Sounds terrific!

As you can see, Tempe is integrating a great deal of urban innovation within its boundaries and to great effect, as it is becoming one of the most desirable places to live in the region for people who like the urban lifestyle.

If you’re looking to move to Tempe and become part of its urban scene, you’re in luck! Jarson & Jarson has a rich history of working with unique properties in Tempe. A beautiful unit in Skye 15 Lofts (formerly Tempe Urban Living designed by Architect by Ilan Baldinger/Baldinger Architects) is currently available as are a handful of other interesting properties. For more information, contact Jarson & Jarson.

Mountain View Estates - Taliesin Designed Legacy
Taz Loomans for azarchitecture.com, 4/17/13

It’s completely remarkable that there are not one but TWO subdivisions in our Valley that were designed completely by Taliesin Architects. These Wright inspired homes were designed by apprentices deeply instilled with the organic spirit of Wright. This week we asked azarchitecture.com contributor Taz Loomas to interview those responsible, and to take a closer look at one of these unique subdivisions: Mountain View Estates:

“I adhere to Frank Lloyd Wright’s principle of organic architecture, which is an architecture that is natural and appropriate to the site, budget and climate,” says John Rattenbury, architect of the home on 4842 E. Mountain View Drive. This home is a part of the Mountain View Estates subdivision designed by Taliesin Architects in the 1980s.

Rattenbury came to Taliesin West as an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright and never left. He still lives there today. He was a principle architect and planner for Taliesin Architects until 2003. He dedicated his life to architecture in the tradition of Wright and gained national notoriety as the designer of the stunning 1997 Life Magazine’s Dream House. He wrote two books, A Living Architecture and A House for Life, as a way to teach people about organic architecture.

In the 1970s, the developer and contractor Russell Riggs acquired the 40-acres where Mountain View Estates sits today, bounded by 50th Street and Tatum on the east and west and by Gold Dust Rd and Mountain View Drive on the north and south. Riggs hired a very reputable firm, Taliesin Architects, to design a luxury subdivision there. Taliesin divided the land into one-acre lots, creating about 40 houses.

A housing subdivision designed by a group of Frank Lloyd Wright apprentices is going to be nothing like your typical housing subdivision. “I learned from Frank Lloyd Wright that the design of the home should reflect the place where you build it,” Rattenbury says. This principle was applied to the Mountain View Estates, making sure that each home was appropriate for its site and paying special attention to how the entire community fit within its context.

Arnold Roy, a senior fellow at Taliesin and the supervising architect of Mountain View Estates, says that the firm started by designing a series of spec homes. But instead of just plopping these spec homes onto lots randomly, they carefully assigned each design to specific lots. “Even though all the sites were nominally 1 acre in size, because of the roads, cul-de-sacs, and other restrictions, they varied in shape and so did the ability of putting a certain design on a certain lot,” Roy says.

Taliesin Architects wasn’t only concerned with the design of each individual home, but also of the way the homes worked together as a cohesive subdivision. “We were very concerned with adjacencies so that everything would be compatible,” Roy recalls. They had one of their designers select a color palette for the subdivision so that the colors of the homes would be compatible and would look appropriate next to each other.

Besides an appropriate response to its site, Roy says that they employed two other Wright-inspired principles to Mountain View Estates. Proportion, Roy says, was always very important to Wright and it is something Taliesin Architects was keenly aware of when designing Mountain View Estates. Another element important to Wright was “the entrance of light into the buildings through top light - clerestories and skylights,” says Roy. And so the homes at Mountain View Estates feel light and airy because of the way the light enters them.

One Mountain View Estates home designed by Rattenbury in the tradition of Wright, is currently available. Contact Jarson & Jarson @480-425-9300 for a personal viewing.

On Paolo Soleri: A Remeberance
Scott Jarson, 4/10/13

The passing of Paolo Soleri is a profound loss. This week Scott Jarson recalls the impact that this remarkable man had on his life:

The journey of influence that someone can have on your life is often circuitous and profound. Such it was for my life and Paolo Soleri.

As far back as I can remember Soleri was deeply rooted in the lexicon of our family. Neighbors, we lived just down the road from what is now known as Cosanti. My father, being Italian American, loved the idea of an Italian-born creative-genius architect being in such close proximity and my bohemian mother embraced the ideas of this creative compound so that between them, each and every visitor that came to stay with us got a trip “out to Soleri’s” for an indoctrination to desert architecture that would have been simply unthinkable in any other place but here, often to the confusion of some of the less creative types that came for visits from Detroit.

Earliest memories for me include summer nights deeply anchored with the slightly clunky sound of the array of ceramic Soleri bells we had hanging outside my window (this was pre-bronze era) that swayed in the after-breeze of a summer monsoon. We always took them down in the worst of the dust storms in order to preserve them.

Not long after, I would go to Cosanti just to watch and learn. Sometimes every day after school, on bike or by foot; often right off the school bus. I was hooked. My time visiting allowed me to see so many of the structures go up that I felt deeply connected to this man and this place. Some afternoons, I would watch him draw for as long as I could: a fluid motion of design. I would bask in the ephemera: a plaster model of a bridge, Plexiglas cities layering up on each visit (to this day some of the most beautiful sculptures I had seen). Art, Architecture, Design, Sculpture, Texture, Form and Concepts...all in one place. I will always remember watching outside his studio, the water fountain and salt tablets near by. Even in the heat...in spite of it.

Now completely influenced, I used to practice building “houses” in our yard. Little small “models” of the sort of designs and structures I was introduced to at Soleri’s . Casting mud over formed dirt, then scraping out the open space below, all modeled to “plastic army-man” scale. I was inspired by Soleri even at age ten.

Paolo Solari created a place of creative energy that at the time was electric...visible. Things got built. Concepts drawn and modeled. Bells were cast. Assembly. Purpose. There were all the elements of materials I ended up spending a life around; clay...concrete...metal. Paolo Soleri worked in the realm of art and ideas. Cosanti became a touchstone.

By high school I was convinced that the Soleri way was the future of how to co-exisit with Nature and the Desert. I thought every one would of course desire to build and live like that! How I never ended up there as a student/apprentice is beyond me, but life takes a path of many choices.

Because of my age I slipped in and out effortlessly at Cosanti and frankly unnoticed. As often as I was there I can’t say as Paolo ever really knew me beyond a level of basic recognition or even remembered our family visits. Yet graciously he would always acknowledge me as we’d see each other through the years and exchange pleasantries. He never knew it, but I was his student as much as any other, and he was my unacknowledged teacher. As I am forever grateful for the introduction of ideas that opened my creative mind to ideas and a method of learning that have since served me well. Ciao Maestro! Grazie Mille!

Paolo Soleri was one of us. An Arizonan. A man who left a mark here. An Architect of the “Desert School” before there even was one. I was proud to see him about, to share his ideas, to have him as a neighbor and unknowing instructor. I will miss his physical presence but take solace in remembering his legacy built and unbuilt.

Sometime soon in respectful memory of Paolo Soleri, we must all find a particular time and date in this Valley to make all of our bells ring in collective unison. There must be thousands Valley wide- I think it would be a nice tribute... In the still of night, how many would we hear?

Venue Projects Update
Taz Loomans for azarchitecture.com, 3/28/13

Hot off of their fabulously successful Windsor project, this week azarchitecture.com’s roving reporter Taz Loomans visited with Venue Projects to discuss two exciting developments coming to Phoenix. One includes the famous Miid-Century icon on Camelback: Beefeaters, a Valley favorite that looks to live on again thanks to this group’s innovative development.

Venue Projects, a development and construction company owned by Lorenzo Perez and John Kitchell, is responsible for some game-changing projects in Phoenix, such as their office space on Pierce and 9th Avenue and the rehabilitation of an old strip mall on Oregon and Central into Windsor/Churn. They have two visionary projects coming online that are going to change the face of central Phoenix in the coming two years.

Earlier this month, Venue Projects closed on the Beefeaters building on 3rd Avenue and Camelback, which has been sitting empty since the 1980s. They just secured a demolition permit and are planning to peel off the bad additions that were done over the years along Camelback, which make the original architecture of the building unrecognizable.

According to Perez, the existing 16,000 square foot building is a “Southwestern interpretation of a modern adobe.” It’s primarily post and beam construction clad in adobe, with some masonry additions. Venue Projects is planning to strip the sprawling building down to its structure and shell, and add about 3000 square feet of new construction to it. As part of the work, they will expose the original, midcentury, saw-tooth roofline that has been covered over with non-descript, badly designed additions. After all is said and done, the new structure will be around 17,200 square feet.

The project will be a commercial mixed-use project, something that Venue Projects has had great success with in the past. It will include a restaurant, a co-working space, and an event/meeting space. The most exciting tenant and one that will be filling a great void in central Phoenix is Changing Hands bookstore. “Changing Hands is really the reason Venue Projects pursued the Beefeaters building with persistence,” says Perez.

As testament to Phoenix’s vibrant and tight knit community, the owners of Changing Hands came upon Perez and Kitchell after the two had presented at a Pecha Kucha event. Changing Hands saw in Venue Projects a perfect partner for helping them accomplish what they were looking for for years - being an anchor tenant in an old iconic building along the Light Rail in Phoenix.

Important to Venue Projects is to keep aspects of Phoenix heritage alive and to recount the stories of the old buildings they revitalize. In the case of the Beefeaters, they are retaining the event/meeting space that was so central to the establishment and that made it into more of a community center than just a restaurant. But instead of the dark and tucked-away meeting room, Venue Projects will design the event space to feel as if it’s outdoors, with plenty of daylight and views, while visitors can enjoy the comforts of being indoors.

Another project that Venue Projects has been working on for several years and is expected to be completed next year is The Orchard on 12th Street. The old nursery sitting on 2-acres on Glendale and 12th Street is being redeveloped into a restaurant, office and retail space in the spirit of The Farm at South Mountain.

According to Perez, it will be “residential in character and commercial in application.” The development group had a tough time negotiating with the surrounding neighborhood to add this mixed-use project in the area. They went through a three and a half year battle to rezone the property to mixed-used commercial and finally got the green light from the City on January of this year.

A restaurant will take up 3,500 square feet, a café/market/grab and go diner will take 2,500 square feet and the remaining 2,100 square feet will be dedicated to flex office and retail space. The centerpiece of this project isn’t so much the interior space, but the outdoor experience of the site. Greg Peterson, of the Urban Farm, who is currently operating out of the property, is partnering with Venue Projects to create an edible landscape on the 2 acres. He wants to turn the property into a teaching laboratory for urban farming. This component of the project adds nicely to the agriculture past of the property as well as to the farm-to-table restaurant use planned for it.

After being in the works for some time now overcoming the hurdles of redevelopment, Beefeaters and The Orchard on 12th Street are finally coming to fruition for Phoenicians to enjoy. Beefeaters is on a fast-track schedule and is expected to open as early as November of this year. And the Orchard on 12th will break ground shortly thereafter and is expected to be completed in the late summer or early fall of 2014. Both these projects are going to have a tremendous impact on the face of central Phoenix, creating much needed community gathering spaces, urban vibrancy and simply adding to the growing number of fun, unique and well-designed destinations that are making Phoenix a great place to live.

Urban In-fill Update: is our future for rent?
Taz Loomans for azarchitecture.com,

We asked azarchitecture.com’s roving reporter Taz Loomans to explore the future of Urban In-fill development. With the Valley’s real estate recovery fully underway, we wondered if urban design was focused more now on multi-family rentals, and how that might impact future development:

Almost 40% of all land in the Valley and 11% of Downtown Phoenix is available for infill development, according to the American Institute of Architects, Arizona chapter. Multifamily urban infill is becoming a new trend. Eric Jay Toll of The Arizona’s Building Exchange contends that, “rising gas prices, light rail popularity, and an interest in life quality all result in projects now going up on the parcels leap frog development skipped over during the boom.”

The trend towards multifamily urban development is not only happening in Phoenix, but all over the country. In cities like Austin and Portland, where the population is increasing rapidly, multifamily urban infill is becoming the go-to form of development to handle a new type of population boom.

Rentals have traditionally targeted students or low-income families. But, now there is a shift in the rental market, as more and more 20 – and 30 – somethings early in their careers want to live in the urban core. This market segment places great importance on location – being close to the energy of urban living – as well as residences based on community with shared amenities, hence the gravitational pull towards urban multifamily rentals.

Continued growth in cities like Austin and Portland have left fewer attractive, undeveloped parcels within the urban core, placing even greater value on infill properties that can meet young renters’ desires for community and urban living. These factors have raised land values in the urban core in many cities, including Phoenix.

Smart developers are maximizing every square inch of valuable urban land, finding just the right number and size of units to ensure a return on investment, limiting surface parking and providing connectivity to adjacent amenities and activities, including parks, shops, bars, restaurants and events. Developers are finding that the urban living that appeals to young professionals is often informal – more about community and social connectedness rather than square footages and finishes.

Young professionals like spending most of their free time outside the home with peers at nearby bars, clubs and outdoor destinations, according to Brent Spraggins, contributing writer for Austin Business Journal. Spraggins says that the proximity of drinking hot spots and popular events is often the key factor that makes tenants pay a premium for urban living. Besides location, says Spraggins, it is important for developers to provide shared amenities in their multifamily developments, like outdoor bars, barbeques and pools that encourages the communal lifestyle spent largely outside the home that is so popular with young professionals.

Beyond attracting young professionals, dense, multifamily urban infill development could help cities like Phoenix recover from earlier planning mistakes. Due to leapfrog development, Phoenix development spread further and further out, leaving lots of gaps in the form of vacant land in the urban core. These vacant urban lots are now brimming with potential, as the urban lifestyle once again becomes a desired mode of living.

Phoenix developers like Jarson & Jarson client Dora Castillo (see our entry from January 18 to find out more about Dora and RD Design) are recognizing these new trends and the value of infill. Her infill projects in vibrant nodes around the city, such as midtown near Osborn and 7th Street and Central north of Indian School, reflect this new sea change from far away, spread-out suburban life to close-in, more communal urban life.

Now that the economy is coming out of its doldrums, Phoenicians, Austinites and Portlanders can expect to see a lot more cranes in their urban core, as multifamily urban infill projects pick up steam to accommodate a younger demographic.

Open House Preview! 910 E. Mitchell Drive, Phoenix
Scott Jarson, 3/20/13

OPEN SUNDAY 1-4PM NEW CONSTRUCTION- JUST COMPLETED!

910 E. Mitchell Drive, Phoenix, 85014

Please join us this Sunday, March 24th from 1-4 pm as we introduce you to this exciting new home! Here's your chance to view what affordable new urban modern looks like!

See you there!

a machine for desert living...
Taz Loomans for Jarson & Jarson, 3/13/13

This week we asked azarchitecture.com’s contributing reporter Taz Loomans to take an in depth look at the creative thought behind the creation of the Ellsworth Residence by Architectural Designer, Michael P. Johnson. This alluring home remains one our favorite house designs and it a beautiful work. Read on to learn more:

“Good architects know how to site buildings,” asserts Michael P. Johnson, the architectural designer of the beautiful Ellsworth Residence, which delicately bridges an arroyo in the middle of the desert in Cave Creek. Johnson posits that whenever you are designing a building for the open desert, it needs to be like a model that you drop down on the landscape, without changing anything around it, out of respect for the desert.

And the Ellsworth Residence is a shining example of this philosophy as it lightly sits on the earth in its simple linear form with minimal disturbance of the site. Even though Johnson says that inspiration is “something that inadequate architects babble about,” the inspiration behind this house is clearly the adoration of the desert it inhabits. For example, the only landscaping that Johnson added as part of the house was revegetation, in keeping with the idea that the desert is an esteemed host and should be respected and left undisturbed as much as possible.

The house sits on a 5-acre site that was bisected by a wash. Johnson happens to live next door and was familiar with the site long before it was purchased by David Ellsworth, who commissioned him to build a house on it. Johnson had thought from the beginning that if he ever designed a house on the site, it would have to bridge the wash, and so it came to pass, years later. Ellsworth, who has had a deep appreciation of the Arizona desert ever since he was a teenager, fell in love with the site and became friends with his new neighbor, Johnson, who later became the architect of his house.

Johnson deplores the trend by architects, even the good ones he adds, that are so concerned with what a building looks like on the outside that the interior suffers. How often, he asks, do you stand outside your house and gaze at it? Not very often, he says, because you spend most of your time inside it. He designs his buildings from the inside out, putting most of his attention on the interior experience, as opposed to the exterior surfaces. Instead of the “jewelry” on a building, Johnson is always concerned first and foremost with simplicity, the structure and the experience of the resident.

A driving force behind the design of the house was to feel as if you’re inhabiting the desert, even when you’re inside the building. The north and south-facing glass facades connect the residents visually with the desert at all times. And the cantilevered outdoor patios allow you to physically interact with the desert as part of everyday living in the house.

Ellsworth, the original owner of the house, is an art aficionado, so the house is as much designed as a gallery as it as a residence. A unique addition to Johnson’s sleek and simply design is Mayme Kratz’s installation, called “Series of Trees”. Johnson says of the installation, “It takes the really serene space of the house and gives it some energy.”

A strong influence on Johnson, and one that is readily apparent in the Ellsworth Residence, is Mies Van der Rohe. Just like in Mies’s work, the beauty in the Ellsworth residence lies in its scale, its proportion and the way it meets the desert floor. And just as with Mies, for whom God was in the details, God is in how the metal structure meets the ephemeral glass, and how the outdoor patios float just above the ground in the Ellsworth Residence. This utter simplicity combined with an almost worshipful treatment of the desert makes this house a transcendent architectural masterpiece. This incredible masterwork of architecture is currently for sale and is awaiting a new resident. For more information, please contact Scott Jarson at scott@azarchitecture.com.

“Just like the original... Only a little smaller..
Taz Loomans for azarchitecture.com, 2/28/13

There’s an old joke: the counterfeiter is asked if the funny money is exactly like the original. “ Of course, EXACTLY... only a little smaller! From music, watches, photos and now even original designs, unlawful duplication is becoming rampant. While it may be the sincerest form of flattery, the copying of architectural designs is a serious conversation. This week azarchitecture.com’s reporter Taz Loomans takes a look at a growing trend in architectural “reproduction”...

China seems to be on a copying frenzy when it comes to architecture. They have copied not only single buildings, like Le Corbusier’s iconic Ronchamp in shocking detail, but entire towns and city skylines, like building a replica of Manhattan on the site of a 15th century fishing village. One of China’s latest copycat ventures has ruffled a lot of architectural feathers, as it copies a yet to be completed original design without acknowledging that it is a copy at all. The worst part is that the copy may be completed before the original.

The project in question is Zaha Hadid’s design of the Wangjing Soho Complex in Beijing for Chinese developer Soho China. The Soho Complex, unveiled in August of 2011, is supposed to be a campus of 3 pebble-shaped buildings, with signature Hadid curves, going up 650 ft. It is projected to be completed in 2014.

Meanwhile, another Chinese developer, Chonggin Meiquan, is building what many regard as a pirated copy of Hadid’s design for the Soho Complex in the town of Chongqin to the south of Beijing. And to add salt to the wound, the Chongqing project is being built faster than the Soho project, according to Zhang Xin, head of Soho China.How could this happen? Satoshi Ohashi, a project director at Zaha Hadid Architects, admitted to German newspaper Der Spiegel that “it is possible that the Chongqing pirates got hold of some digital files or renderings of the project.”

A furious Nigel Calvert, the practice director at the firm vowed, “we will be demanding that the copycats immediately cease construction, change the exterior of the building, offer a public apology and provide compensation.” Pan Shiyi, the chairman of the Soho empire, also promised to hold the accused design pirates accountable. With both the architect and the developer of the original design up in arms, it looks likely that this case is headed to court, which might set a significant precedent for future copycat projects in China.

According to You Yunting, a Shanghai-based lawyer specializing in intellectual property who spoke with Der Spiegel, Soho China and Hadid could have a decent chance at winning litigation. But even if the judge ruled in favor of Soho, the court most likely wouldn’t force Chongqing Meiquan to tear their building down. It could, however, require that compensation be paid to Soho and to Hadid.

All the while, the copycat developer Chongqin Meiquan pleads innocence, insisting that their building is modeled after the cobblestones on the bank of the Yangtze River by which Chongqing was built and is not stolen from Hadid at all. Plus, it has come up with an advertising campaign based on the slogan, “Never meant to copy, only want to surpass.”

All this copying, especially this egregious case with a simultaneous project, has shined some light on China’s lax intellectual property laws. China Intellectual Property says, “up to now, there is no special law in China which has specific provision on intellectual property rights related to architecture.” The problem, contends The Guardian’s architecture critic Oliver Wainright, is that due to the definition of architecture as a work of applied art, with both functional and artistic qualities, only the latter is protected, leaving architecture unprotected on the whole. And so Chinese developers may get away with copying the world’s best architecture, past and present, for some time to come.

Just because they can, doesn’t mean they should. Hadid captures the essence of China’s offensive intellectual theft best by saying, “It is fine to take from the same well, but not from the same bucket.”

The Renaissance of Will Bruder Architect...
Taz Loomans for azarchitecture.com, 2/21/12

This week azarchitecture.com reporter Taz Loomans writes of Architect Will Bruder, to not just consider his significant past contributions to Architecture, but to share insight to what the future holds for this creative and innovative Arizona Architect:

According to William Bridges, an expert on life’s transitions, optimism is when you believe that the best things lie ahead and pessimism is when you think that the best things have already gone by and are part of the past. Architect Will Bruder is an optimist through and through and that is why at the age of 66 he has started a brand new firm called Will Bruder Architects. “We (he and his wife, Louise Roman) wake up to northeast-facing windows and to the sunrise everyday. That sunrise has a very special meaning to me nowadays. I put a lot of value in what will happen in the next day of my life. I tend to live much more in the future than I do in the past,” says Bruder.

Though he enjoys looking forward more than he does looking back, we must first glimpse back at the fascinating journey of Bruder’s work life to understand how he came to start a new firm at this point in his long and successful career.

Bruder harkens back to his elementary school teacher Ms. Tim as a seminal influence on his professional life. She taught him about art, making and seeing and about curiosity. And it helped, he says, that his elementary school in suburban Milwaukee was modeled after Eero Saarinen’s modernist Crow Island school in Illinois. He recalls staring out of the large windows onto midwestern ranch homes while drawing in ink and crayon resist. At the same time as Bruder was making his 5th grade drawings in 1957, Paolo Soleri, who would later become Bruder’s mentor, was using the exact same medium to create the drawings for his Arcology/City on the Mesa publication, that Bruder would eventually contribute to. As if the irony wasn’t striking enough, Soleri’s drawings are currently on display at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, a building designed by Bruder.

Another seminal influence that shaped Bruder’s career was his encounter with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Greek Orthodox Church about two miles from the suburban fringes of Milwaukee, which was under construction at the time. He said he would go through the fence once the construction site was closed and wander in “the space and sculpture that would be revealed as the concrete formwork came down.”

With a fireman who liked to make things as a father and a cabinet-maker as a grandfather, Bruder grew up with the craftsman ethos in his blood. In high school he was the chairman of the dance committee and designed the sets for the bands. He recalls, “the bands were terrible, but the set design was great.” He tinkered with industrial design while in high school as well and when he was 15 years old, he got a chance to go to Detroit as the regional winner of the Fischer Body Competition. There, he experienced Eero Saarinen’s General Motor’s Technical Center, which also became an influence on his work later in life.

After high school, he enrolled into the General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan, but quit after only a semester, deciding that design in the corporate environment wasn’t his cup of tea. As there wasn’t a single architecture school in Wisconsin at the time, he enrolled at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) College of Architecture in Chicago, made famous by Mies Van der Rohe in 1938. But he actually never attended IIT as a student. Instead, after being disillusioned with the General Motors Institute, he came back to Wisconsin and landed a summer job with William Wenzler, who at the time was only in his 40s and was doing very progressive work. At Wenzler’s office, Bruder met Michael Johnson, who also ended up in Arizona as a brilliant practicing designer and an educator at Taliesen West. Johnson took Bruder under his wing and made him aware of Bruce Goff and Paolo Soleri.

Because he wanted to keep working for Wenzler, Bruder opted to get a degree in fine art with an emphasis in sculpture instead of going to architecture school in another state. But during his tenure in college, he studied structural engineering, urban planning, art and architecture history and philosophy. When his sophomore year ended, he spent the summer with Paolo Soleri in Cosanti in Arizona. And after another semester back in school in Wisconsin, Bruder returned to Cosanti to work with Soleri in January of 1968 for eight months. There he got to work on Soleri’s career-defining work – the Arcology/City of Man publication. While in school, Bruder said he was lucky enough to get a Bauhaus-quality education in design, covering proportion, scale, materiality, two-dimensional and three-dimensional expression and color theory in the tradition of Joseph Albers.

After he finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture, Bruder put together a portfolio, much like an architecture graduate would, including his work experience, drawings and idea sketches. He called on the likes of Louis Kahn, John Andrews, Paul Rudolph, Victor Lundy and Gunnar Birkerts hoping to land a job in their prestigious firms. Out of the three places he interviewed in Toronto, he got two job offers, but ended up going back to Detroit instead. There he interviewed with Gunnar Birkerts, who was a student of Eero Saarinen, and accepted a job with him. In Birkerts’ studio, he learned about listening to clients and about the value of having a master in the office, in the tradition of Saarinen. During this time, Bruder also got to know Bruce Goff, who taught him about the creative inspiration that’s available when you truly listen to what your clients want. Goff taught Bruder to solve the client’s needs instead of designing from his own proclivities.

After a year with Birkerts, Bruder started missing the sunny weather and the horizon he had found while working with Soleri in Arizona, and so he decided to head west. He knew he would be participating in a long tradition of modernism in Arizona that began after WWII that included the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright and others like Ralph Haver, Bennie Gonzales, Blaine Drake and Al Beadle. The modernist architects of Arizona “touched the land lightly, their design was very simple and inspiring, there was a real relationship with how it would sit on the earth and how it would leave the earth and then kiss the sky,” Bruder explains.

He came to Arizona in 1970 with three years left in his eight-year apprenticeship period required to get licensed as an architect. He started in Arizona by working in the offices of Florence and Walling and Michael Kemper Goodwin. And in 1974, he passed his licensing exam on the first try and became a registered architect. Goodwin offered him a partnership in his firm, but knew full well that Bruder intended to start his own practice, which he did.

With an early project, a cabin in Pinewood, Arizona winning a national award, Bruder’s new firm gained recognition early on. His own 845 square foot home on the fringes of the city, in the middle of the desert, was published in Architectural Record in 1977. Within a few years, he had 35 articles published in Sunset Magazine. His first public building commission was the Mesquite Library in Paradise Valley, followed by a number of libraries. His famous Phoenix Central Library, he quips, was job number 317.

In 1987, Bruder applied and received the prestigious Rome Prize and he got to spend 6 months in Rome with the American Academy. He was forty, the same age, he notes, that his mentors, Wenzler, Soleri and Birkerts had been when he worked with them. In a very real way, this time in his life marked a coming of age for Bruder. The 6 month sabbatical in Rome offered him an opportunity to reflect on the things he had done thus far in his life and what he wanted to do going forward. It gave him an opportunity to reassess and become more focused.

And in 1989, Bruder, with a small firm of three people in collaboration with DWL architects and Ove Arup structural engineers, won the monumental commission to design the Phoenix Central Library, a building that today, on a daily basis, touches thousands of people from all walks of life with the power of exquisite architecture.

After the resounding and lasting success of the Phoenix Central Library, Bruder’s office saw many come and go over the years. The office mentored up and coming architects such as Wendell Burnette, Rick Joy, and Jack Debartolo III among others who are now creating great architecture in their own right. In the early 1990s, he won an award for Educator of the Year by the AIA, an honor he was surprised to be recognized for, but later realized was well deserved after considering his work in teaching and mentoring young architects.

As his firm kept growing, Bruder entered into a partnership known as Will Bruder + Partners in 2006. In the Spring of 2012, Bruder and his partners came to an amenable and consensual agreement to allow him out of the partnership.

In July of 2012, Bruder launched a “reborn firm” called Will Bruder Architects LLC and put up a shingle on a 1947 building on Central Avenue, just north of Indian School and across from the Light Rail station. Will Bruder Architects is leasing about 800 square feet in a building that has housed an architect’s collaborative since 2000. The office is about a 10 minute walk from Bruder’s new residence at the One Lexington tower on Osborn and Central. The proximity is no coincidence, as one of Bruder’s intentions is to create an urban scale and lifestyle in the central core of Phoenix, and he is practicing what he preaches.

The new firm got a running start with some very cool projects in the works including transit oriented development projects; a mixed-use apartment building in Central Phoenix with underground parking. Along with these larger projects, Bruder also enjoys doing smaller work like loft remodels and interior renovations.

The launch of the new studio has not deterred Bruder’s firm commitment to education and mentorship. He was named the Morgenstern Chair at IIT last year along with the Jon Adams Jerde, FAIA Chair in Architecture at USC. He is participating at the Design Access/Public Architecture symposium held late February in Sausalito, CA. and will keynote at the AIAS Quad conference at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee this spring. He will also be lecturing this spring at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and at the University of Illinois at Urbana.

“What I’ve been really excited about in the last decade is that I’ve finally come to appreciate the importance, not of a building, but of the spaces in between buildings, the scale and the people. As we look to our future, whether it be about sustainability and walkable cities, or neighborhoods and authenticity, I think that’s what I’ve been living for all of my life,” says Bruder with an optimistic exuberance. We are so excited to see the mature work of this master architect, educator and community leader as the next chapter of his career unfolds.

Check out Bruder’s new website and also make sure to become a fan of his new facebook page to keep up with all the exciting things his new firm is up to!

La Casita de Maria
Taz Loomans for Jarson & Jarson, 2/13/13

In this article azarchitecture.com’s architectural reporter Taz Loomans digs into the history of La Casita de Maria, a signature Adobe compound that was restored by one of our favorite Architects, John Douglas, FAIA. This unique home offers a genuine and authentic Arizona experience that harkens back to its 1920’s roots, seamlessly updated for modern living...

“One of the reasons we moved,” said Jan Frieder about her and husband Bill’s move to Arizona from Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1989, “was that we wanted good weather.” This, no doubt, was the same reason the original owners of La Casita de Maria moved to sunny Arizona and why they built their wonderful desert dwelling in the mid 1920s that the Frieders bought some sixty years later.

  According to John Douglas, the architect who designed the renovations, this house is “a rare example of the way people lived in the desert in the early days.” People in the 1920’s generally came to Arizona for their appreciation of the desert and its climate, and La Casita de Maria was designed in a way that its residents would experience the magic of the desert on a daily basis.

  The house is actually more of a compound and is composed of three buildings woven together with beautiful courtyards. Jan and Bill Frieder bought it from the daughter of the original owner, Maria, in 1989, for whom the house was named. But the house had been neglected over time and had definitely seen better days when Jan and Bill found it. Jan, who saw the beauty of the house despite its sad condition, had the foresight to put together a very talented team to restore it. And so a dream team came together to work on the house composed of architect John Douglas, landscape architect Christy Ten Eyck and builder Jon Kitchell in partnership with Jan, who drove the meticulous restoration of the house.

  Part of what makes this house special is its materiality. The house, true to its desert setting, is made of adobe brick covered with traditional stucco. One of the challenges that John Douglas and Jon Kitchell faced was that the stucco had cracked over time, letting water inside the walls, which eventually eroded the adobe brick. But the team formulated a brilliant solution by adding a layer of waterproof synthetic stucco over the original adobe brick. They didn’t stop there though. On top of the waterproof stucco, they added a layer of traditional stucco that matched the original look of the house and was allowed to weather. This traditional stucco was left unpainted, and rather was integrally colored with the same color of the original house that Jon stumbled upon earlier during his work on the house.

  The team went beyond waterproofing the building envelope to modernize the house and make it more durable. They also added air conditioning to the buildings whereas it was only fitted with evaporative cooling before. They also replaced the original roof with a highly energy efficient and reflective foam roofing. Eventually, the house was retrofitted with modern-day conveniences such as a master suite, a big kitchen, a garage and a swimming pool.

  As it stands today, the “Main House”, the largest of the three buildings, houses a living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry, additional bathroom and a master suite. The “Middle House”, the building that acts as the west boundary of the central courtyard, can be used as a family room, caterer’s kitchen, auxiliary dining room, pool bath and dressing or a full additional living space. And the third building, the guest house, contains an office, an additional bedroom and bath, and the signature adobe staircase to the roof deck.

  Though it may seem unusual to have three separate buildings form a single residence, the house was brilliantly designed this way to achieve an indoor/outdoor living experience appropriate to the desert climate. The courtyards that form the interstitial space between the buildings “were as nicely developed and livable as the inside of the buildings,” says Jon. When the Frieders bought La Casita de Maria, the courtyards were barren and a lot of non-indigenous vegetation had found its way into the compound. So one of the first things that Christy Ten Eyck did was to evaluate what should stay, what should go and what could be added . She added hardscape to the courtyards to make them more usable, but she did so in a way that was as simple and hand-crafted as the original buildings. The concrete was integrally colored with a brown dye and rubbed with gunny sacks to achieve an aged look. Another significant landscape maneuver that Christy orchestrated was adding a grove of mature trees that had to be craned in. Some twenty blue palo verde, foothill palo verde, ironwood and native mesquite, which were salvaged from a nearby Army Corp of Engineers canal diversion project, populate the courtyards today. These numerous trees create a thick canopy of shade that make the courtyard experience even more attractive and ultimately even more integrated into the everyday experience of the residents.

  The house was so carefully restored and updated that it won numerous awards for historic preservation and exceptionally sensitive design. To name just a few, the restoration and renovation of the house won the AIA National and Sunset Magazine Western Home Awards Special Award, the ASLA National Awards Program Merit Award, the US Senate Congressional Commendation for Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation Great American Homes Award, second place, the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation, and the Environmental Excellence Awards Merit Award.

  Flash forward to today where the current owner has lovingly restored the gardens to a level that rivals the best botanical gardens, adding a select palette of plants that offer year round beauty and interest. The home continues to be cherished and celebrated including recent publication. There have been significant recent improvements and updates that ensure that La Casita de Maria is not just a romantic nod to the past, but a well detailed home completely up-to-date with today.

  We are lucky to have such an exceptional example of desert living as experienced by very early arrivals to Arizona. Not only was the original design of the house extremely fitting and reverent to the desert, but the sensitive restoration preserves the original intent of the house while making it viable for another hundred years by making it more durable and adding modern-day amenities. Only a handful of people have had the privilege to live in La Casita de Maria during it’s eighty-plus history. It’s now awaiting a new resident to experience its magical allure and deep connection to the beautiful desert of Paradise Valley. If you’re interested to learn more about the house, contact Scott Jarson at scott@azarchitecture.com or 480.425.9300.

 

INFILL UPDATE: Introducing RD Design Team
Taz Loomans for Jarson & Jarson, 1/18/13

Dora Castillo and the RD Design Team Create Remarkable Infill Housing Projects in Central Phoenix

(Editors note: Jarson & Jarson has exclusively partnered with a most creative design/build team, Dora Castillo and Rafael Castro, whose energy and enthusiasm for affordable and sustainable architecture is a perfect fit for our Firm. Early this year they will deliver the first of several innovative infill home designs. We asked our urban-reporter at large, Taz Loomans, to meet with them and give us a first hand report...)

To say that Dora Castillo is a wonder woman with many talents is an understatement. She’s an architect, a contractor and a developer and she brings all these talents together in creating remarkable infill projects in Phoenix. Dora and her husband Rafael Castro, who is also an architect, have had a remarkable journey that brought them to Phoenix. Currently, their firm, RD Design Team, is completing four infill housing project in Central Phoenix named after the elements, Fire at Mitchell, Fire at Polk, Water at Ocotillo and Air at Hayward. These infill projects are unusual and exciting because they are an expression of modern design, use sustainable building strategies and fulfill a social mission to improve neighborhoods.

Dora and Rafael graduated from the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California in 1991. They had been working in the architectural field since 1988 and they started their own Design Build company in 1990. A couple of years later, their love for architecture inspired a months-long trip to Europe where they attended the Universal Exposition of Seville, which became the inspiration for their unique architectural style, – modernism with Spanish and Mexican influences. That same year in 1992, Dora and Rafael became developers, building their own projects financed by private developers. About six years later, Mexico underwent a terrible economic downturn, which decimated the construction industry. So the couple decided to make the move to the United States where Dora planned on getting her Masters of Interior Design in Phoenix. It turns out she never got that Masters because she was too busy getting her contractor’s license and her architect’s license and building their vertically-integrated development company – RD Design Team.

Dora and Rafael have always been drawn to the clean lines of modernism and this is the style that they bring to their development projects. Recently they’ve collaborated with architect Scott Roeder (formerly of Merz Project), who is known for such great projects as the After Hours Gallery and for his metal work and furniture. Scott brings to the Fire, Water, Air projects distinct metal accents that pop and give the houses a striking street presence and a unique signature identity.

Because of their background in construction, Dora and Rafael not only bring economic efficiencies to building these infill projects, they employ smart building strategies to make the homes more sustainable. They achieve an insulation rating of +-R-19 on the walls by using 2x6 framing with 2 inches of insulation on the inside as well as 2 inches of insulation on the outside from the synthetic stucco. RD Design Team’s infill projects sport a sleek metal roof with an insulation value of +-R-30. Metal roofs not only look great, but they are sustainable too because they have a high solar reflectance and a high thermal emittence. These two qualities can help a metal roof stay 50-60 degrees F cooler than a conventional asphalt shingle roof in the peak of summer. The home designs plan to incorporate as many efficient features as possible including Energy Star appliances, low-flow faucets, low VOC paint, 15 SEER HVAC units, water-efficient irrigation, dual-flush toilets and recycled fly ash in the concrete of the foundation and floor slab. Future projects will go through HERS testing as well as be certified by the National Home Builder’s Association.

When I asked Dora why she is building infill projects in Phoenix when she could build much more cheaply on the outskirts of town, she responded by saying that they’re interested in making a positive impact on the neighborhoods in Central Phoenix. They know that well-designed homes bring pride to neighborhoods and encourage neighbors to improve their own homes, eventually raising home values in the entire area. And because of this, Dora and Rafael decided to put their talents towards helping existing neighborhoods in the city by developing infill projects on empty lots.

The first project, Fire at Mitchell, located on 910 E. Mitchell Drive, is expected to be completed late February of this year. Target priced under $375,000. Jarson & Jarson is proud to exclusively represent the sales for these projects; Contact our office at 480.425.9300 or Scott@azarchitecture.com for more information.

The David & Gladys Wright House has been saved!
Scott Jarson, 12/20/12

The David and Gladys Wright House has been saved! Jarson & Jarson/azarchitecture.com is happy to announce that a generous anonymous benefactor stepped forward and has purchased this significant and endangered home.

In anticipation of the formation of a Non-Profit that will conserve the house, the new owner, working in concert with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, quietly contracted the property the week of December 11th. The sale is scheduled to be completed today.

The Buyer intends to transfer the home to a newly formed not-for-profit organization empowered to raise funds sufficient to restore and manage the home. The new owner shall seek Landmark Status designation from the City of Phoenix.

This is a joyous event for our community in that it is the successful culmination of a long series of impassioned events. There are many heroes here, first and foremost the new owner, yet each and every person that was moved to share their time, support, commentary and efforts to move this home forward have been fundamental in helping to create the successful outcome we can announce today.

We must continue to support this home as it will be the measure of all such future endeavors. Many have been skeptical of the ability of our community in furthering preservation in general, we can now show the depth of such commitment.

The cultural value of this home was questioned. Today, that question has been answered!

A link to the full media statement from the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy can be found here: http://www.savewright.org

What one could do with 2.2
Scott Jarson, 10/5/12

Five ways to use $2.2 Million Dollars productively.

1) Buy a 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. Cost: $2,250,000 (ok, you’ll have to kick in another $50K..).

Pro: 255 mph on the ground if you own a two mile runway to drive it on.

Con: EVENTUALLY you’ll see another one in the Costco parking lot.

2) Charter the 36-ft. ‘Eclipse’, the world’s largest private yacht for one week; sail from the Mediterranean to the Seychelles. Cost: $2.M USD.

Pro: A memory for a lifetime

Cons: Somali Pirates

3) Buy an original Picasso Drawing. Actual Recent Sale: $2M.

Pro: It’s a Picasso!

Con: Oops, it’s a fake!

4) Send four bright advanced math students to the best business schools in the nation so they can get great jobs crunching algorithms for Wall Street Investment bankers. Actual Cost: about $500,000. Cost to society: about $500 Billion.

Pro: Hmmm.

Con: Been there, done that!

5) Buy the David and Gladys Wright House.

Pro: You’ll save one of the best homes by the greatest architect of our time and the only one in the World from being smashed into bits.

BONUS: You’ll reduce the carbon footprint of the World by NOT allowing two huge Mansionettes to take it’s place. This will allow next spring to greatly influence millions of butterflies that will stir up air currents making the Ice Caps melt more slowly which in turn will save hundreds of polar bears and ultimately prolong the entire existence of life as we know it....

Con: You’ll be heralded as a hero (wait, that’s a bad thing?).

At What Price Preservation
Scott Jarson, 9/18/12

This month we celebrated the first step in protecting the David and Gladys Wright House. I thought that I’d share my comments made to the Historic Preservation Committee on September 17th, 2012:

By now there should be no question as to the Significance of the David and Gladys Wright home.

Widely considered to be one of Frank Lloyd Wrights most important works; it’s often compared in significance to the Guggenheim Museum in New York. To date, over 16,000 have signed in petition to save it.

Just last week we marked the passing of Arizonan and Architectural Photographer Pedro Guerrero. In celebrating this Arizonan's photographic achievements, of all his work, the New York Times chose a photo of The David and Gladys Wright home to represent this man’s high art. From the the countless images of art and architecture, the David and Gladys Wright home stood out to the editors.

This home, one of just a handful of Wright designed structures in Arizona, is a key piece of the Architectural Heritage of our Valley, it is a Cultural Treasure.

And I’d like to put that into another perspective...

Our firm specializes in what we call Architecturally Uniques Homes and routinely interact with other Architecture Specialists Nationally. We know and share information across the country with these brokers and we feel it’s important for us to tour great architecture to deepen and expand our knowledge base. We’ve been across the region to view architecture and design.

So we know that even in Los Angeles, a City not particularly known for preservation (or at least one that has come to realize, often too late, the significance of what’s been lost), Wright homes have sold, and are cherished (as homes mind you, not museums), for many millions of dollars. Some are in locations and with conditions that pale in comparison to the David Wright home.

The last Wright home I toured in Los Angeles was so damaged that I had to wear a hard hat and sign a release just to enter. Steel I-beams kept large portions of the walls secure and standing, and many of the blocks are so etched from acid rain that they crumble to the touch.

Yet, THAT home was safe from demolition, secure in the value that it was a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

In contrast, I have recently seen and spent hours at the David Wright home and can share that it is in excellent original condition and requires only modest restoration. I have shown it to many prospective buyers, from all parts of the US in order to try and preserve it. The home has quantifiable value.

In spite of a steep price tag, there is real interest in the home on it’s entire site. There remains the possibility of a future sale that will move this home forward into complete protection. Recently an offer WAS made; there’s every chance we could be back in front of the City soon with a new owner seeking landmark status with consent. Let’s all hope that this can be made possible.

Often it is necessary to prove some level of financial viability in order to secure preservation. No one asks this of other works of art, but consider then this house as a “habitable sculpture”. It is then a functional design, easily quantified. Saving it should be beyond reproach.

In all the World, there remains only one home designed by Mr Wright for his Son.

Only one, there is no other.

And it is located here, in Phoenix, Arizona.

We’ve heard that In over forty years there has not been a single demolition of a Frank Lloyd Wright structure in the World.

We cannot let Phoenix be remembered as the City that let this home be demolished.

We WILL be celebrated as the Community that saved it.

Wright Watch
Scott Jarson, 8/29/12

Wright Watch

Now the vigil begins. Like sitting bedside with a loved one, we are all going to be bedside while we see if the David and Gladys Wright House “recovers” from the imminent illness of certain demolition, or if we see it slip away like so many other significant homes and buildings in our City.

When we love someone and they are infirm, the gift we give is to be there to mop a fevered brow... to deliver a bowl of soup... to share with others the life story of the good time we shared together. If that person recovers, we can celebrate even more the cherished times, the future memories and the temporary fragile nature of all things.

It’s time to remind ourselves once again of what we are in the very process of potentially losing. The David and Gladys Wright Home, perhaps one of the most significant homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, IS part of the collective family of design that we commonly share together as residents of the Valley. A family member so to speak.

This cultural landmark is still highly endangered and the future outcome of it’s imperiled existence is far, far from settled. Every effort that we could make to bring a buyer to this home has been made and is still ongoing, yet we’ve been informed that in days, even hours, access to the home for the opportunity to bring a new buyer will be terminated.

If this home does not get sold in it’s entirety, it is then on the current Owner/Developers to adopt a strategy of subdivision that must remain sensitive to the design of the home. Even though many serious, passionate and competent people have come together to present such a scenario to the Owners, their consideration of such a plan has not been committed to on their part.

We may yet save this patient, only to have such life limitations placed upon it, that we will shake our head in wonderment that it survives in such a diminished state, the bitter disappointment knowing that we could have done so much more. If only...

Worse, it could all slip away. Like a thief in the night we could awake to the day that this home is gone. A documented memory. An entry in our family scrapbook. Another “ this is where it used to be” comment to a younger person who will have no idea what we are talking about, and maybe no idea why we even chose this place to call home, because now, it looks just like anywhere else.

The Owner/Developer/Builder is passionate about building “Quality” homes in Arcadia. A respectful calling. But at what point does “Arcadia” cease to exist of any recollection of what came before, the structures, the trees, the irrigation, the very human scale of living, is erased. The Architectural “Quality” of this home is unequaled. The setting a great anchor to the look and feel of “Arcadia”. Some things must stand to remind us of what we liked about the place.

Love is why we help ours and others. Respect is why we celebrate and save buildings. Let’s sit watch on this imperiled home, take actions by attending to and administering cures in a healthy manner. Support and spread the word about this home and the steps we can take to support. Make certain the City, the Press, the Community all know that it means something to you; the Citizen, the Voter, the Taxpayer. YOUR voice is equal to each and every other in this State. Soothing words for the sick.

Don’t let this house, our family member, die alone. Sit vigil. Drive by and take a long look. With your voice and support, we can make sure it’s not our last look. Be part of the cure!

Update regarding the David and Gladys Wright House
Scott Jarson, 8/17/12



As you may know, Jarson & Jarson has been working diligently to help save this incredible home.   We are completely committed to being part of a solution to get this home into a protected status that saves it for generations to come.  Here's an important update as to what's being done, and how you can help:

We have created a stand alone website to host images, history and news that we will post as we get it. You’ll find a link below (and soon on our home page at azarchitecture.com):

http://savethewrighthouse.org

We have been deeply involved with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and others to bring about a positive resolution to the fate of the home,  As part of that, we want to share the latest release from the FLLWBC (Below-For an online version of the July press release with video and photos use this link: www.savewright.org/index.php?t=news_focus&story_id=82 ).

STRATEGIES - We are moving ahead on several fronts: Strategy No. 1: Search for a new buyer or buyers to purchase the property intact from the developers. 

Asking price is approximately $2.7 million.  Developers bought it at $1.8 million in June 2012.  We have contacted a number of possibilities and asked them to use their networks as well.  This is a tall order but not impossible to find a new owner who will respect and restore the building and its site.

What you can do: Let people know who may have an interest and be in a position to buy the house or be part of a consortium to own it transitionally or long-term.

We also are exploring a consortium approach either for temporary ownership or as a 501(c)3 partnership among museums and institutions in Phoenix.


 Strategy No. 2: Though a lot split is not the best solution, some split plans would be much better and respectful than others for the house and the site. 

Early interaction with the developers indicated plans to build large inappropriate structures that tower over the David Wright House (hence Strategy No. 1 above), however a group of local Phoenix architects is working on more palatable designs which have been shared with the developers.  All of these approaches will involve zoning/variance issues and/or neighborhood questions.

Strategy No. 3:Historic Preservation/Landmark Designation – work for approval by the city.

We continue to work with the City’s Historic Preservation officer and the mayor’s office to make the strongest possible case for Landmark status. 

The first commission hearing on the matter will be September  17 at 4:30 pm: Historic Preservation Commission Hearing City Hall, 1st Floor Assembly Room, 200 W Washington St.  Phoenix and Arizona residents are encouraged to attend.



Now that the matter is formally on the agenda we encourage letters to be sent as soon as possible to all the commissions/committees that will review the matter.  As many of you know while historic preservation designation is under consideration no demolition permit will be approved.  Approval of Historic Preservation designation provides an automatic delay of one year for granting any demolition permit; Landmark status provides a three-year delay. The unknown at this point is whether the city will require owner consent and at what point in the process. 


What you can do: Write in support of Historic Preservation and Landmark designation for the David Wright House. Please indicate the following in a subject line:  David Wright House Historic Preservation Landmark Designation (Rezoning Application Z-24-12-6)
One letter may be addressed  to the following 3 recommending bodies :
Chairman Parisella and the Historic Preservation Commission, City of Phoenix
Chairman Awai and the Planning Commission, City of Phoenix
Chairman Swart and the Camelback East  Village Planning Committee



c/o Ms. Michelle Dodds, AICP
Acting Historic Preservation Officer
Planning and Development Department
City of Phoenix
200 West Washington St. Third Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Michelle.Dodds@Phoenix.gov 



Letter to the Mayor and to the City Council
The Honorable Greg Stanton
Mayor of Phoenix
200 West Washington St. Eleventh floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
mayor.stanton@phoenix.gov. 



If you are a resident of the City of Phoenix you may also wish to send a letter to your individual councilman.

Strategy No. 4: Keep the story in the media
We are encouraging national coverage for this story to help spread the word for a buyer, increase the geographic spread of public concern (not just Phoenix) and let the developers know that the media is interested and their actions will be reported. What you can do: Suggest newspapers, blogs and professional organizations run stories if they have not already. 



Here is sample press coverage:http://www.savewright.org/index.php?t=news_focus&story_id=82

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2012/06/ahouse-with-a-spiral-ramp-designed-byfrank-lloyd-wright-for-one-of-his-sons-and-built-at-the-same-time-the-architect-was-dev.html

http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2012/07/120726-Buyer-Sought-for-Threatened-Frank-Lloyd-Wright-House-in-Phoenix.asp

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2012/07/16/20120716phoenix-frank-lloyd-wright-home-saving-up-to-buyer.html



 Television:

http://www.azfamily.com/video/featured-videos/Photos-Acclaimed-Frank-Lloyd-Wright-home-could-be-demolished-162988296.html
(includes comments from  Anne Wright Levi, great granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright)



 http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/07/19/buyer_sought_for_frank_lloyd_wright_designed_home

 

Say Goodbye to the David Wright House?
Scott Jarson, 6/16/12

THE FOLLOWING IS AN OPINION AND COMMENTARY

In so much as Jarson & Jarson is the only Real Estate firm in Arizona that specializes in the sales and marketing of Architecturally Unique Homes, we stand firmly behind our original mission to celebrate and honor Design & Architecture in Arizona

Which is why we have been advocates concerning the protection of a significant Frank Lloyd Wright designed home which we as local citizens, and as well as the Historic Preservation department of the City of Phoenix, The Mayor’s Office, and a variety of other Local and National organizations, feel may be in danger, and we have committed ourselves personally to promoting a constructive dialog in regards to this beautiful home, doing all we can to help keep it intact while working within appropriate boundaries.

In concert with large community response to this situation, a Planning request was made that the David & Gladys Wright House be considered for Landmark Designation and be placed under the City of Phoenix historic preservation overlay. The Planning Commission passed the request and now begins a process that may ultimately lead to protection of this home. Far from a given outcome, as a matter of opinion and suggestion, urge you to keep informed on this situation and what process is being made, including expressing your interest in this case with the City of Phoenix Planning department.

This commentary is not solely about a single home: Preservation of this significant home is not just about a significant home by a most significant Architect. It’s about saving our collective visual legacy and community pride. It’s about the legacy we choose to cherish... what we choose to save that is used to define the past, and the future, of Phoenix. It is, and should be a conversation and exercise of free speech about the very nature and necessity of preservation in our community.

Are we about innovation? Are we about living in, and of, our unique desert environment? Are we a City that uses the lessons of the past to guide how we meet the challenges of the Future? If our answer is yes, then preserving this home is paramount to maintaining the legacy that area Residents deserve to have. It is why we chose to not allow development to the very top of Camelback Mountain. Landmarks; geographic, cultural, historic, and architectural, must be preserved so that we can remember why we came here in the first place, how we have lived here, and where we can go in the future.

Like many people now living in Phoenix, or those now considering making a life here; Frank Lloyd Wright came to our Valley with a promise for the future. A vision of how we can shape and define a desert community. This home, one of just a handful of remaining Wright designed structures and homes in the Valley, exemplifies not only an important piece of the Architectural Heritage of our Valley, but a representation of the hope and optimism that remains our obligation to nurture.  

However, when it comes to protecting these buildings, we lag the nation on this. Is it because we are a relatively new city, and the fact that so many of us come from somewhere else? Perhaps. The fact remains that Architecture is not celebrated here to the level that it is in other areas. That as a community we have not effectively implemented a valley-wide system that would have defined and protected our historic architecture is frankly shameful and speaks to a level of immaturity that we still possess here as a community.

Most people may not recognize it, but woven into our history here, especially from the turn of the last Century until now, is a unique relationship between weather and design, which brings us tourism and resorts, custom homes and desert retreats, plus the ability to build and live in the desert in a unique way. Simply put architecture can be unique here because our place is unique. Architecturally, It’s a land of grand experimentation and infinite possibilities.

This is especially evident in post-war structures and designs. There is an underlying impression that we are teaming with post-war modern designs, when in fact we have some excellent examples, (we have lost so much) the percentage of our existing buildings is a small fraction. So if one of just six remaining Frank Lloyd Wright homes is this threatened, allowed to float out there unprotected, then I fear for every other unique and historic building in the Valley that remains without some level of safeguarding against destruction.

We can, as a community, implement creative options that can benefit owners of properties of this caliber, and promote and support good decisions by owners that will protect the heritage and legacy of the City. The tools are here for this, it’s past time that we give enough power and support to local authorities to implement them.

We urge that all possible steps be taken in the future by the Planning Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the City Council to ensure the continued existence of this important building. Please express your opinion and support for swift preservation and continued protection of this home. Your voice is important!

Finally, we need to remind you that this, like all the Musings posted here, are opinions, observations and commentary. They express a viewpoint and perspective that is meant to be constructive plus informative and are indeed an exercise of civil liberty and free speech. Nothing here carries any malicious intent, nor is intended to incite any actions that would interfere in any way with the free and unimpeded exercise of commerce between any and all parties that may be association with any of the properties mentioned anywhere in this publication. SCOTT JARSON

David Wright House: On Defining Home...
Scott Jarson, 6/28/12

The David Wright House, an iconic design by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, will never be the same, that much is certain.

What will be missing is an occupant.

Our friend and colleague, Tim Gillis (gone now but of whom we miss daily), often used to talk to us about this house. He spoke of a recurring dream in which he was able to buy this home. In the midst of his sleep imaginings, he would take delight in the space: how if functioned, how it caught the breezes in Spring, how he would walk up the ramp to the front door, a sweeping view of Camelback Mountain to astound you, it’s visual beauty to carry with you as you enter this house like a special parcel. I very much liked the idea of Tim living there. He would have been an excellent caretaker.

Having recently sold to a development company, now begins a discussion on how to save this house. What manner of action protects it...keeps it intact? What potential lot line delineates the past from the future of this home? There’s enough momentum now that I feel that the prospects of saving this home on some level is good, but the integrity of the experience may very well be gone forever.

Because without an Owner to live in and experience the house daily; to sweep open the doors and windows to a spring of orange blossom, to enjoy a shaded respite between the pool and sun by gathering under the shelter of the ramp, the joy of stoking the hearth on a winter’s night, the glow of the mahogany, the wrap of the space, the gentle caress of the compressed entry, this goes unnoticed. All of this, may forever go unexperienced ever again.

So often there is the Devil’s choice of “progress” versus, preservation. Of what may be the greatest potential of a parcel of land, regardless of its past or history. We have always faced these decisions and they are made, every day, with outcomes that can be truly better and truly unfortunate. The concept phrase so often uttered to justify all manner of change is “Highest and Best Use”.

To me, the Highest and Best Use of this structure and the land it lay on is clearly as a Home. Unless someone steps forward soon that would accept the adventure of owning and living in such a stunningly beautiful space, this former home will, at very best, become a house. At best; a still icon that leaves much to our imagination, but with no one to share its secrets of living with. Possibly something in between carrying forward on a diminished site that changes the experience. At worst a memory.

You may recognize the transition of this home to house. Anyone that’s been to any number of cherished and beautiful homes, from Greene and Greene’s masterful Gamble House, to our locally beloved Carraro House, or the finest house ever, Fallingwater, will recognize the thrill of touring and enjoying these spaces if only for a few hours. It would be wonderful to think that such a home could be open to all, but this may preclude it ever again being occupied and called home.

And what of LIVING in it? How transcendent it would be to have experienced this first hand? Certainly, the vail is lifted and you get to experience the home, warts and all, but once locked into a transformed place we can only rely on stories and nostalgia to inform us of what it was like, not how it IS.

This House was vulnerable because someone forgot to consider it as Home. The last remnants of what was once a very large site just becoming a very tempting couple of lots. Why have we decided that in our community, if a home is built on two acres that it must be filled with structure? Have we forgotten the pure luxury of land? Are uncompromised views from a modest structure just not grand enough?

To live in this Home, as it is and where it sits, is an unbelievable opportunity for someone to define Luxury. It is an orchestra of design; a culmination of decades of experience and talent from not only the most celebrated Architect of our time, but a gift from a Father to a Son. To share this legacy with a loved one would be an unequalled experience. Would that this house be passed on to someone as a Home, I can see no higher use.

But if there is to be no sole persons for it, then is there not someone that would use this moment to say “ this home matters to us”; that they believe in maintaining a glimpse of the optimistic past we share here in Arizona, and in one grand and lasting gesture, secures the future of this house and the site to make it a home for all of us, resident and visitor alike, to walk the restored orange grove in the spring, to imagine the life lived there? This would not be unfitting. A gift of Home for all that enter.

Occupy YOUR Street and stick it to
Scott Jarson, 12/14/11

As a bone-fide child of the turbulent ’60’s I get protest. And I’m perplexed at those who can’t quite define the Occupy Movement. Anyone in this State that’s had a mortgage, or has tried to GET a mortgage, in the last few years should clearly feel the shared interest in the cause.

Seriously, (and certainly not trying to be flip here) I’ve been thinking about how one could make a statement that’s effective and get’s felt by the institutions (AKA: The Man) that we want to wake up. I’ve got one subtle idea. It’s really good...

If you can: buy a house with a conforming mortgage. Then make all your payments. Add a few bucks to the payment and pay it off early.

The Man will hate this. The Man does not like you to have 4% interest for thirty years. The Man wants you to rent. The Man wants you beholden’ to a variable loan rate, a Landlord, a lease term, ever increasing rents, debt, sameness, conformity and beige.

The Man wants you to get a low appraisal, gig you for points, wants your lock to expire, wants you to WAIT to buy a house. Why? Because interest rates will go up. The Man wants you to wait so that home prices will rise, which means higher fees. The Man’s exposure to risk will also lessen, and the return will be oh so much better for The Man.

It’s sort of a quiet protest. In a way, it’s opting out of the system and it’s gaming The Man. So those who can, should. It’s not hard to see the logic in the math. Then you can occupy YOUR street... Just a thought.

Arizona’s Brand of Equality.
Scott Jarson, 5/1/10

Certainly this is about much more than Architecture. But then again there's a lot of Architecture in Arizona that was, and will be affected by recent events. I am posting this comment as a call to reason:

I was fortunate enough to tour the Carraro House today. We all know it as the Tovrea Castle, it’s just one of my favorite icons that is a perfect example of the optimism that only the desert can conjure.

It was not without pride that I could see our state flag flying proudly above. I love Arizona, I really do. The beautiful design of our flag inspires me, makes me feel like I’m home. I have always loved the independence, diversity, and frankly, the potential for a touch of true-believer-crazy that has, since inception, made up the fabric of this State.

This is why I cannot keep silent about the recent immigrant legislation that has been passed and signed into Law by our Governor. This Law is, and I challenge anyone to debate this with me, a short sighted, racially driven, abhorrent miscarriage of the true will of the people, born out of fear, malcontent, rage and frustration. It does not reflect the ethics of the majority of the good and thinking people of this State. It MUST be repealed.

Lets face it, if this is an illegal immigration law then just who is it that’s immigrating to our state? The answer is obvious of course. I can’t imaging a Canadian getting hassled under this law unless the Molson runs out at the bar and they get a bit verbal. This is the return to classic racism that rages against any relatively recent group of immigrant, from the Irish that did a lot of fighting and dying for the Republic in our Civil and Indian Wars, the Chinese who became persona non grata AFTER the Railroads were built, Italian Immigrants, like my Grandfather who altered his name because they weren't hiring Italians, Japanese Americans who were deemed unwelcome after December 7th, 1941? Who’d I miss? A big list I’m certain.

Don’t be fooled by rhetoric about Jobs or talk about taxes, services and crime. This Law will not fix any of that. I grew up in an agricultural family and worked with harvest crews in the lettuce, grape and melon fields. As a younger man I witnessed first hand as we relied on this labor force to pack the vegetables that fueled growth in this Valley for decades. Or the hard rock miners from Mexico that dug their fair share of Copper, or ranched side by side with the Anglo Cowboys.

We must not forget that the Mexican Border began just a few block south of us not much more than 150 years ago. Nor should we forget the vast amount of contributions, not just in labor, but culturally, that have been made on our behalf, those that we take for granted and enjoy.

Our office is in Downtown Scottsdale, where, in my childhood, there was a significant Mexican American populace who literally built this town, block by adobe block. Or the African-American Community, vibrant and important in leading civil rights changes that benefit us all. Or our beloved South Mountain Flower Gardens, now gone, but not forgotten, all cultivated by Nisei Japanese, many of which were relocated during the fear of WWII. Or every single Native American reference and moniker, ones that we parlay with ease but forget at what cost they came to the indigenous peoples that bare the burden of their use; or for that matter whose ancestors gave us our canals; the very bones of who we probably stand on unknowingly.

So let’s call this Law what it is; a racist tool that targets people of obvious ethnic decent that should not be tolerated anywhere, especially in the State that would be NOTHING but for the generous, imaginative, hard working, crazy desert visionaries that bought so much to the collective event that is today’s Arizona.

The Range-wars are over folks. General Pershing already fought Pancho Villa for his border incursion. You want to secure our border with Mexico, fine, that’s a different conversation with a different solution. I applaud a dialog and creative ideas that solve real Immigration problems, social and economic, that come with our current situation but turning our Civil Police into Border Patrol Officers is not the answer any more than singling out any obvious racial qualities of any person that would lead to inquiry and harassment. That's not Arizona in 2010, that’s Alabama in 1963.

We must speak up on this. We must not let OUR Great State be tarnished and divided by fear mongers, most by the way “Immigrants” themselves from other States. If you’re not certain about how you feel just think about it as you drive down Indian School Road, or look up at Piestewa Peak, or look up almost ANY street name in McCormick Ranch. We should be grateful for our diversity, we should celebrate the toil and effort of those who have helped shape it, and we should call out racism when we see it. To fail to do so will have us rewriting the fateful comments of Pastor Niemöller: First they came for the Mexicans, but I did not worry, because I was not Hispanic.... then they came for me, and there were no Proud Arizonan’s left to care.

As Realtors (and as humans) we seriously and prominently display the Equal Housing symbol because we recognize the sacrifice that went into what it stands for, and necessity for the reminder, still to this day, of how very fragile the foundations of Liberty it represents are. Join us in raising your voice about this Law.

Then we can all see that flag fly over such dream-inspired places like the Carraro House and think with pride how it does fly for ALL of us in Arizona. Speak out against the Law.

The Architecture of John Lautner
Scott Jarson, 9/8/08

Okay everyone, as the heat wanes it’s time to get refocused on Architecture and Design, and short trips and simple travels are always a great way to do it. One trip I highly recommend you take right now is a run over to Los Angeles to the Hammer Museum in Westwood to bask in the new exhibition. Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner is on view now through October 12th and should not be missed.

We saw the show this summer and highly recommend viewing it! Lautner’s career is wonderfully presented with a wealth of drawings, slides, models and photographs. It’s great to track this Architects career from his youth and early days at Taliesin West, all the way through to the highly expressive designs that came later in his career.

We’ve had the good fortune to tour several of his homes and what a treat that was. This month and next, there are tours held in conjunction with this show that are available for you to attend so if you can sneak away, you should definitely go!

We loved the Reiner/Burchill Residence - also known as Silvertop. Having seen images before, I was expecting to be “wowed”. We were not expecting such a dynamic space or as interesting detail as we came to discover in this house in person. It’s a remarkable place, sweeping and intimate at the same time. We also enjoyed the geometric simplicity and thoughtful, née DEDICATED, restoration of the Harpel House It took current owner Mark Haddawy two years to get it back to the architect's original design and we saw it about 80% complete. I found it a joy to look at the connections and construction methods, plus Lautner’s Chemosphere as a neighbor.

The MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House is one of our favorite institutions and this year they have partnered the presentation of its 2008 Architecture Tours in with the Hammer Museum and the work of John Lautner. These tours always provide a rare chance to experience great architecture, but this year’s a remarkable opportunity.

Here’s the line up” Tour II: Sunday, September 14, 2008 
includes The Jacobsen Residence (1947), 
The Harvey Residence (1950),
 and The Reiner/Burchill Residence – (a.k.a. “Silvertop” 1963). Tickets for Tour II are $145 per person, per tour. 
Tickets include admission to the exhibition, shuttle service, and discounted parking at the Hammer.

To purchase tickets for Tour II, you must be a member of the Hammer Museum at the Contributor level or above. And as a special Lautner Tour benefit, when you sign up for Hammer membership you will automatically receive MAK Center Active-level friendship at no additional charge. Up to four (4) tickets can be purchased per tour, per membership. Not inexpensive, but well worth it!

Next month you can attend Tour IV: on Sunday, October 12, 2008. This features the Sheats/Goldstein House (1963) only. Tickets for Tour IV are $55 per person, and include admission to the exhibition, shuttle service, and discounted parking at the Hammer. To purchase tickets for Tours IV, no membership is required, but you’ll want to become a member at least of the MAK Center, it’s a small fee with a big return! Have fun…

Heath Ceramics
Scott Jarson, 8/16/07

Finally, Heathware® and Heath Ceramicsis getting its due. Edith Heath, a pioneer ceramic artist and Modern Designer, has become noticed again and it’s about time, even if she is gone, at least some people with design vision have carried it on.

Heath Ceramics is a touchstone to my youth. One of my earliest design inquiries surrounded Heath as I remember asking my mother, “who made these plates?” “Made by a small studio in California” I was told. Designed in 1947, a year before my parent’s marriage, they were ten years old by the time I got to them. My mom picked them out for their first apartment, pretty cool and ultra-hip for both the times and suburban Michigan.

Growing up with a set of Heath ”Coupe” plates and mugs, beautifully speckled stoneware brown with a robin’s egg blue interior that was like eating from a piece of the Arizona Sky. I ate countless bowls of cereal from them, drank gallons of percolated coffee from them and best of all, it was the plate of choice used for cooling off buttery sugary home-made chocolate fudge. So you see, I have a very strong and happy memory anchor tied to all things Heath.

Later, as the set slowly dwindled to a couple of mugs, and saucers, we bid farewell to the Heath as everyday design, but we kept the bits and pieces stashed, too good to say goodbye to. As a ceramic artist, the shape and glazes always intrigued me. Then, by shear luck Debbie and I found a complete early set of Heath “Coupe” in a shop in California. An early light-weight issue, the color combo, a matte green with opaque black interior, was told to me by Heath some time later was one of Edith Heath’s personal favorites. Fairly rare and unusual, she called it Black Olive. The name suits it perfectly.

DWR has picked up on the Heathware® line, so we’ll start seeing some around now and that’s a good thing. Edith Heath fought all odds to launch and successfully create a studio business based on two tough fields for women; design and ceramics. Personally, I find the shapes perfectly fitted to the hand. Form combining with the rich texture of the glazes and the visual compliment of color make them timeless, a perfect hallmark of design that is as functional today as it was in its 1940’s debut. Some restaurants have discovered it; notably The Slanted Door in San Francisco and even locally, we spotted some at Olive & Ivy.

I heard of the salvation of this iconic company a few years back and vowed to drop in next time we got a chance to get to the Bay Area. As if one needs any extra reasons to go to Sausalito, the Heath studio and store was amazing. A working ceramic studio combined with a humble shop that is firmly rooted in its funky artist/MCM past, the intact originality was comfort food for my soul. If you can, shop at the store just for the experience.

In addition to a full line of plates and dishes offered, there were a few one-of creations made by the shop artisans. The big secret, the one I’m almost hesitant to share, is the TILE. Incorporating Heath Tile into your life in any way is a visual luxury, the glaze textures and colors difficult to give justice to unless you actually touch them.

The visionary savior/new owners since 2003, Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey, have been getting some much deserved press on their endeavor and also on their own home, which was recently featured in Publication. I’m grateful that this line lives on; it’s like an Eames® chair for your table, I hope that these designs and colors are around for another 60 years!

Fall Pledge Drive
Scott Jarson, 11/5/10

I’ve been thinking that all of us who love architecture and design should do something to raise awareness. You know, like a race, or a raffle. But then, in the best tradition of fall, it’s time for... A PLEDGE DRIVE!

So that’s it. I’m officially kicking off the Fall Architecture Pledge drive for KJNJ and it goes like this:

“You’re listening to KJNJ and we are in the midst of our Fall Pledge drive to support design and architecture. Right now we have something for the first 100 callers... Ken, tell everyone about the challenge”

“That’s right Bob, If you’re one of the next 100 callers to show your support for design and architecture in Arizona, call now. And if you do, you’ll get not only the DUKE Scottsdale commemorative tote bag...

“Wow, excuse me Ken, but now there’s a collectors item that can be used all year long!”

“Right Bob, you’ll get the tote bag PLUS the full collection of Jarson & Jarson bumper stickers!”

“The whole lot?”

“That’s right Bob, slogans you know and love, like; ‘Save the Desert, Hire an Architect’, and ‘Life’s Better in a Beadle’ and my personal favorite, ‘Honk if you love Haver Houses’...”

“And the rest?”

“Sure even the rare ones like ‘Warning: this car brakes for great architecture’, and ‘Buckminster Fuller was Right’, and the one we never see, ‘My other home is a Usonian Automatic’!”

“What does that mean, Ken”?

“Ha, ha, well Bob, I really have no idea, but I do know that everyone here at KJNJ LOVES great architecture and we know that you, our listeners, will love to support great design this month and all year long.”

“Ken, I can’t think of a better way to show support than one of those babies on the back of your Prius or my MINI! Now before we get back to the show, we are making the plea to all of you out there. If you love listening to ‘Arch-Talk’ on Saturday mornings, if you love the ‘Splendid Naguchi Table’ on Sundays, or if you are just a fan of great design, historic and modern architecture, then please, won’t you show your support?

“ Well said Bob, call in now and pledge your support for great architecture!”

Thankfully, there really isn’t a pledge drive (maybe in the Spring), but I will leave you with this thought. Our community has been hit hard economically and emotionally. Maybe it’s time we just take a moment and appreciate what we have, a great legacy of architects and designers, a small but wonderfully diverse collection of architect-designed houses that rivals most anywhere, and a geography and location that has inspired brilliant ideas. Go ahead, hug your architect, artist or designer, then tell a friend to tune into KJNJ where you can find us every day, 365, 24/7 at: www.azarchitecture.com, and no pledge drive either... and oh, THANK YOU for listening!

Free Architecture
Scott Jarson, 7/30/10

Counterintuitive as it may seem, free might be a bad thing.

We all know that free coffee tastes a little better. Free stuff is great. Cool finds along the side of the road.... superb! But maybe there is a limit. A tipping point that turns free into something less than desirable. A free subscription? Usually what it’s worth. Free haircut? Free dental work? Where’s the limit?

So what about free Architecture? I’m seeing far too much of it. Here’s what I mean:

For the last couple of years there has been an obvious trend to de-value all things real estate. Understood. But we have increasingly seen limits crossed that are affecting the future of design and preservation here in regards to unique properties.

Among others, appraisers seem to have a difficult time lately discerning good from bad, quality and thoughtful from common and low-cost. We’ve had a year of little to no added value from design and seriously, I don’t think that anyone really wants this to happen. It may make for a good buy as a purchaser, but this will eventually drive the interest in creating something lasting, something efficient, something beautiful, something improved, down to zero.

This nonsense is way beyond what really should be happening. I get that housing values have and will continue to adjust. But consider this analogy: one can buy a new base model Hyundai Accent for about $10K. A nice car: four wheels, two doors, gasoline engine. If you wanted something a little nicer you might choose a MINI Cooper S: four wheels, two doors, gasoline engine. The MINI would cost about $25K. Using current real estate logic shouldn’t they be worth the same? Er... no, unless you don’t care about the experience that comes with owning and driving each particular car... AND oh yes, re-sale values...

If all houses are now worth the same, and the same is equal to exactly the lowest possible recent sale, regardless of design, situation or condition, then we are unrealistically setting the bar too low. Value should be given for condition, design and desirability. Put simply, I love Formica as a material, but stainless steel plate makes a better counter in most applications. You should expect to pay for what you get, even if you are getting a discount.

If we continue to walk a path of all things are of the same values, then differentiation is lost. All creativity and care for design stops at some point. Think about it. No restored Haver-designed homes. Why bother? Why should I hire an architect to design a creative solution to enhance not only my life, but those who also experience and come in contact with it? No new designs that may help form sustainable solutions to living with our desert environment, no great civic places of pride.

I don’t think anyone wants to see a situation where there are no renovations beyond the basic. No high efficiency. No new landscape. Why choose one material over another. Standing seam steel instead of basic asphalt shingle? No. Why fix the roof at all? Why put in a tankless hot water heater or solar panel? And the biggest questions become what value design and architecture; what value preservation? This is how we lose iconic buildings. Or how we see the next wave of great architecture stay conceptual instead of realized.

Often we see appraisers (and lets be honest, more than few buyers) comparing the very best with the worst. The current climate seems to dictate that an unfinished home that sold as a short sale or foreclosure is the highest and best sale comparison for a restored or renovated home with new HVAC, solar panels, roof and landscape. Ridiculous, yet common. Not just apples and oranges. Apples with compared to a hollow shell of a cantaloupe left over from last spring’s harvest. How unfair is this? Well statistically about 18% of our market is distressed or foreclosure properties. So then should the remaining 72% be classified the same? The Lenders seem to think so...unless of course you are trying to modify YOUR loan or get them to accept a short sale on YOUR mortgage.

Buyers need help in understanding that they will still get an excellent value, and that well designed and detailed homes are deserving of a modest premium. Another auto analogy again: You’ve heard the story of the guy who answers an advertisement for a $100 Porsche to find an angry ex-spouse getting even. Awesome, he got an amazing deal off of someone’s misfortune. But that should not then set the price for each and every Porsche that’s for sale.

Appraisers, so cowed by Lenders, are bent on disproving value on any level when they should be focused on proving value. This approach has become so pandemic among appraisers, now typically ordered from “hands-off” pools that the come to appraise homes in areas that they have NO experience with, that the entire situation smacks of red-lining and conspiracy on the part of Lenders to FORCE higher equity positions for Buyers and to keep prices and values deflated. Why? Using only the lowest sales comparable effectively lowers the sales price below actual market values which lessens their risk...of course!

There needs to be some push back against this. And there is, albeit slowly. We are seeing a few Sellers, if they are in position to, say no to offers that don’t include some modest level of recognition to the effort and sometimes higher cost of good design. Many are abandoning the Market and deciding to stay. Many Buyers are now making slightly higher, more informed offers, or at least considering making up the down payment difference between a low appraisal and reasonable sales price.

The cap to this? There are signs are that the recession may be winding down, thankfully, and it will come faster than you think. Not today, sure, but our supply and demand will eventually resolve itself. We will wake up one day to find the era of short sales and distressed properties ended. Suddenly it will be too late to get free Architecture.

Yes, the era of free has descended. And you really can get amazing amounts of design and detail without premium. But not for long. Some will have had the insight to gain bragging rights for decades by acting with decisiveness. Others will have stories about what they COULD have bought but passed on. Along the way, we may have lost more than collective values. We may very well have lost a treasure of architectural legacies, both built and unbuilt. Sadly, because we forgot to add just a bit of extra value to creativity.

Thoughts on Ma Bell...
Scott Jarson, 2/7/10

Recently, Allison King from ModernPhoenix.net asked me to comment on the destruction of the Al Beadle designed Mountain Bell Plaza building, or “Ma-Bell” as I’ll always think of it. Below are the thoughts I shared with her (check out modernphoenix.net for the rest of the story):

“What makes this tragedy sting so much is that the building had a shot at being economically viable. There was a top team of talent assembled to help this developer look at ideas. We came so close to having a Beadle mixed-use tower that the thought of it still pulls at my heart.

I recall meeting one of the finance people for the developer on-site one morning. We shared an overview of the Building and a history of Al Beadle. He looked confused. His comments? “ Frankly I don’t get it, it’s just another glass box high-rise, you see them all the time”.

Appalled I asked him to really think about it. You see buildings with a glass curtain wall but Modernist buildings of this proportion? Reality is they are few and far between, but that’s what killed this building. There is perception that these designs are common and infinitely replaceable. Of course they are not; and once lost the economics of design make it very hard to bring anything like them back.

We lost a significant work by a Modernist American Architect. We also lost the memory of a civic and corporate optimism that invested in the local community. “Ma Bell” was special, and worth the effort to save.”

So that’s the end of it. But I can’t stop thinking about this kind of loss because, especially now, what goes in behind it? What, if anything fills the void? Very possibly nothing for years.

We lost a great building. That’s huge. We are also missing the opportunity to create anew. To present us with an idea that could turn out Phoenicians to look at something big and beautiful, something significant that isn’t a sports venue or shopping mall. There’s a big gaping hole on 3rd Street now, another blank square in the urban fabric. At least this time it took someone from somewhere else to rip it down, to tear a strip from our collective memory. More often than not we do it to ourselves.

I am at heart a preservationist, but I’m a realist too. I know that you can’t freeze the world in place. But really, as I look back in Phoenix I am amazed at how often what replaces something that’s interesting, historic or significant is certainly less than any of those things.

It’s one thing to lose a piece of great architecture if the new design astounds us with a fresh vision, idea or use that captivates us, or motivates our social and civic connection, or for that matter, is simply great to look at. But so often it is, at the end of the day, a net loss.

So the gauntlet tossed down is simple. The developer that could conceivably demolish this building is the one that should access the best of our local talent to find the creative solution that weaves a new piece into the fabric.

So yes, rage against the dying of the day, but we should also demand that those who demolish, and this includes the City, be pressured to heal that wound with a design that is at least worthy of its predecessor. Or better yet...something truly better than before.

How to sell your home in a challenging market.
Scott Jarson, 3/16/09

Debbie and I have been in the Real Estate business since the 1980’s. We made the decision to follow our passion and pursue Architecture as a specialty in 1990, but when all is said and done, there are some basic tools and practices that apply to all residential real estate. Pay attention class, I’m about to give away some valuable and helpful tips based upon considerable years of success and experience!

I’m confident enough to share this with anyone who wishes to read it (admittedly I’m holding a few things back), knowing that in helping others, success is shared. We’ve been through many changing market cycles and have had first-hand experience and results with this approach. It’s just as valid now as it was in the last Recession, maybe even more so today. Sellers, this is the starting point:

There are ten steps necessary to be successful in selling your home in a transitional market:

1. Hire a seasoned or well trained professional who knows what they are doing.
2. Partner with an Agent who can expose your home to the right Buyer.
3. Price ahead of the market curve and price realistically.  
4. Make your home very easy to access and to show, AT ANY TIME!
5. Make and keep your home perfect and appealing.
6. Emphasize the best features of your home.  
7. Remove or anticipate all negatives for a Buyer.
8. Reduce your price repeatedly and rapidly if necessary; consider all terms.
9. Be prepared to accept an offer when you get one.
10. Be cooperative and patient.

Simple enough? The list makes it look easy. Obviously there is much, much more to it. Let’s take these steps point by point and discuss them a bit further.

Choose a professional to partner with that can show you that they know what they are doing. Now more than ever, you need to expect to pay a full fee and need to learn to accept help. It takes a special skill-set to properly expose your home in this market and you need an agent who has them. You need someone who is full time, and will not give up on your listing. Give them a fair fee, allow them enough time and don’t sabotage their best efforts. But, if you’ve made a mistake, honor your commitments then move on with grace.

As to exposure; this is a key point. The Agent you hire MUST have a significant web-presence, and MUST be connected within the industry as well. They have to be willing to be a walking, talking billboard for your property. They will have to successfully use their network of connections to promote your home.

Price ahead of the market. It is essential that you obtain a professional opinion as to value and look hard at the realistic facts that make up the report. Unless you plan to only sell for cash, something in fairly short supply, then remember the Lender will look hard at these facts too. Appraisers are very critical at the moment and you will need comparable sales to back up your value. Buyers need to know that they are offering against a realistic price base. Do not assume that Buyers will just “make the offer”. If you are in the wrong price bracket they may never even know about your home. It won’t come up on a search and other Agents may never pull it up, or choose not to show it assuming you are serious about your asking price.

Don’t lose your sale by languishing too long at the wrong price. You will hold the psychological umbrella that will facilitate other homes similar to yours to slip under your inflated price. You will miss showings and you may never get the offer that could have come your way if you priced your home more aggressively. What’s worse, you may be chasing the market price for months, actually losing money against a rapid sale now. This comes down to ability and desire as well. If you cannot, or are unwilling, to price a home in a transitional market properly, then in all honesty, you probably should consider not selling.

Be Available: your home should be very easy to show, no excuses. When you decide to sell, you need to accept the fact that life will be different. Dishes get cleaned, dogs secured, beds made, each and every day. You now live in a model-home. This means a lock box as well. If Buyers cannot get in your home when they wish to, they may never return.

Keep your home detailed and make the obvious repairs that put-off Buyers and lessen the perceived value. Tune up the landscape. Get rid of personal items that detract Buyers from the core-goodness of your home. Emphasizing the high-points; make the best elements of your home stand out by staging, or rearranging, to draw the eye to what may not be obvious. Don’t be afraid to paint if necessary and de-clutter. Less is More in Architecture... home sales too!

Now look at your home as if you were going to buy it. What may hold you back? If you know that your carpet is trash, guess what, a buyer will see it too. Repair, upgrade, or install what needs to be done, and if it’s not in your budget, get actual bids for the work and adjust your price. Whatever the negatives may be, think ahead and have the answer.

If your home is not moving, or not getting showings, ninety percent of the time it’s probably price. Listen to what your agent may tell you and keep ahead of the market. Remain creative too. Depending on your finances you may be able to find alternative ways to help the Buyer and get the deal done.

There is an ancient adage that says “your first offer may be your best offer”. This may seem like fortune-cookie speak, but it is all too often true. Decide ahead of time what you may be willing to accept and talk to your Agent about it. Don’t hold back secrets; If you cannot trust your agent than maybe you need a different Agent! Or maybe you need to honestly examine your motives in selling. When the offer comes in get ready to act. Don’t play hard to get; respond appropriately and promptly.

Lastly, let your professional guide you and help you. Don’t create unnecessary barriers to the sale. Let patience be the rule. Normal markets in the past called for twelve month market times. You can imagine that it may take longer now, so allow for enough time to have the sale come your way.

A successful sale comes down to an agreement between a Buyer and a Seller. Successful Marketing takes much more. So try all these steps and see what happens, then repeat as necessary. Of course you MAY call on Jarson & Jarson anytime... best wishes and good luck!

Scott Jarson

ARCHITECTURE TERRORISTS?
Scott Jarson, 12/1/07

If I had my way the marketing caption to the photo next to this commentary should read something like this;

“Timeless Desert home by noted regional Architect, Bennie Gonzales: spacious four-bedroom home, 3700+ Sq.Ft. located in the Town of Paradise Valley; a sublime interpretation of a desert-regional vernacular with a modern influence typical to these wonderful designs. This home features recent updates and a landscape designed by Christy Ten Eyck. A rare example of Mr. Gonzales’ work, this home was crafted in 1966 from hand mortar-washed block modulated to give adobe-like mass to the walls; one of just a handful of homes designed by this influential architect that remain in Arizona.

But, where’s the house? Mostly in the landfill. We never got the chance to expose this home to someone who actually cared about any of that. What someone saw, as is often highly typical in the destruction of architectural homes, was a building lot in Paradise Valley at a price that made economic sense.

I saw this home get built. Prior to its construction, this area was our private desert playground. I was horrified I was to see a “development” go in. What changed my mind was seeing these houses by Mr. Gonzales. I fell in love with them. I enjoyed our new neighbors, and this particular house became home to a generous and lively family that we called friends.

So what made this home disposable? It was of reasonable size and very good condition, offered materiality of great quality, great functionality and importantly, one with a rich architectural history and pedigree.

Just what made it a SCRAPER?

Greed? Well, absolutely at least a profit motive. A local penchant for massive homes of mediocre materials so large that they make an acre lot feel small? Sure.

I mostly think it’s a lack of education. Who celebrated Bennie Gonzales architecture? Who pointed this home in the right direction, to the buyer that possessed a keen sense for design and space? Who priced this home to reflect its irreplaceable nature? Unfortunately no one.

I’m a realist. Not every home and building can be saved or will last forever. But this home was not obsolete in a functional sense. Any shortcomings that made this home less desirable could have been easily overcome.

As I write this, there’s a Gonzales on the market in the area and I fear for its continued existence. or what about the few remaining Al Beadle designs in PV?

We regularly attend real estate meetings where someone routinely promotes a new listing as a “SCRAPER”. This translates into anything over twenty years old and smaller than 4000 square feet. Hmm. That’s about EVERY ranch-style or MCM home plus just about every Modern design prior to 1980.

As for Historic in P.V., forget it. What’s left, and there’s VERY little, will probably be gone in ten years. Within the last two years I saw a 1920’s adobe guest ranch go away. The photo-caption that accompanied the pile of rubble in the local newspaper was laughable; “local group looking for history of home”. A little late! There used to be an original homestead from 1914 just off of Mockingbird near Cheney. It too is now gone. They reused some of the adobe blocks in the landscape, or so I’m told.

I cringe at the thought of the architect-designed homes we have seen destroyed by this thinking. If this destruction continues what will we celebrate architecturally? A handful of public buildings and select post-war tract homes?

As a morality story this is an example of why we do what we do at J&J. This is why in 1990, we followed our shared passion to research, present and support architecture and design in a manner that is respectful and promotes the art.

These homes are a part of a cultural legacy that should endure. Thankfully, we have saved more than a few. We’ll work hard to save many more. Some owners don’t know what they have. Many buyers never find what’s available until it’s too late. We are here to help with that.

But the hard fact is builders still watch the MLS every day. And a slower market means people are hesitant to take risks on a home that’s less than mainstream.

He who hesitates is lost, or he who hesitates on BUYING Architecture may watch it get lost.

LA 1: Schindler and Hollywood...
Scott Jarson, 2/28/06

Southern California was made for architecture, I’m convinced of it. Large, diverse and sprawling, you can fill your days searching out fine examples. A great place to start is West Hollywood, a location that offers designs by Frank Lloyd Wright, Lloyd Wright, Neutra , Gill, Lautner, Gehry, a variety of lesser known names, but in particular, R. M. Schindler.

Last fall I spent a few days there immersing myself in LA Architecture. I attended a UCLA extension class that focused on adding value to real estate through architecture. Who ever heard of such a thing? It’s gratifying to know there are others out there in like mind.

What was interesting is that class coincided with the anniversary of R M Schindler’s birthday. I had planned to visit his original LA residence on Kings in West Hollywood. I arrived the day before class (and Schindler’s birthday) and went right to the house since the light was good and the skies clear. The house is easy to find and parking is not too bad. There were just a handful of visitors.

The approach to the home is very modest and a small plaque plus an historical sign marked the spot. A hedge of mature Giant Bamboo lined a gravel path to the MAK Center and entry to the home. One pays a modest entry fee and has the run of a self guided tour.

Schindler designed and constructed this home in 1929 in a plan that would essentially be considered a duplex. Schindlers work under Frank Lloyd Wright certainly is evident in the home, yet there are clear indications of this man’s future work and expression reflected here as well.

There is a large amount of compression at the entry (read extreme) which allows significant relief upon entry. This makes the remaining spaces feel huge in comparison. This effect belies the actually very modest ceiling heights in the rest of the structure. The scale and serenity and comfort that come from this very human scale are remarkable. One tends to forget what joy smaller spaces can be spatially.

Materials are predominantly wood and cast tilt-up concrete panels. Exterior wall panels are often very thin and translucent, Shoji-like in nature. The home certainly represents a place, time and climate that allowed for successful experimentation architecturally. With current building and seismic codes nothing even close to the lightness of being this home has could be constructed today.

The home’s compact physical size is easy to relate to. It’s not unlike the later Usonian Houses by FLLW. The term "ship" like came to mind often. There is a wonderful rich patina about the place, amazing, since the cast concrete is beautiful, but had at one time been painted. Stripping the paint was a major expense in the restoration of these twin homes.

Indoor/outdoor relationships are superb as only they can be within fifty miles of coastal Southern California microclimates (and in Arizona for about six months of the year!). The light is serene and comforting, and the grounds conjure up visions of a tea ceremony.

It was interesting to see who was there: a few Austrians on an architectural heritage mission and a local high school group enjoying a field trip sketch fest first class. The MAK CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE LA maintains the property and needs support. On-site there is a nice selection of architecture books. Admission is a modest $7.00 and if you come on Schindler’s birthday, admission is free AND there is a book discount too, so plan on next October 10th!

Since you’ll be in West Hollywood, you should take the time to check out and enjoy the plethora of nearby design sensitive shops on Melrose Avenue. The home is a short walk to one of our favorites: Fitsu Society for all your design item needs, and almost next door is Denmark 50,which is self explanatory and a must see if you like mid century modern and Scandinavian-designed furniture.

Superb coffee, amazing desserts and healthy, fresh food can be had down the street at Urth caffé, a small local chain that I’d love to see here (anyone who knows me well is aware of my coffee and pie problem). If tea is your thing, check out e.lix.r Tonics and Teas where if you have the time, you can be offered up a pot of Jasmine Pearl green tea, served in the simple and serene garden courtyard that belies the fact that you are in one of the largest metro-city complexes in the United States. Might be a nice time to relax and read that architecture book you just bought at R.M.’s house…

Summer In Seattle
Scott Jarson, 8/23/06

How ridiculous would it be to travel to Seattle to look at public libraries? Well I guess to most it would be the call of the wild salmon runs or something similar that would bring them to Seattle, but I just could not help but harbor a burning desire to take in first hand all the Modern Architecture I could find in Seattle in the shortest amount of time. Thus began what I call the “Great Library Run of ’06”.

Once properly ensconced in a superb small hotel in the Belltown area, we quickly realized this was a great location in which to walk to virtually everything on our agenda. Hotel Ändra was just the right balance of charming and hip and had a great little bistro attached, LOLA , where we ended up fueling our bodies for the long walk more than once.

Where does the Modern Architecture lover begin in Seattle? Well, not having access to any private residences, (Bill Gates barred us after learning of my preference to Apple products), we had a short list that took three days to see all of! Seattle and Phoenix are in many ways sister cities in the way they support modern design in their Public library system. We began at the Mother of all Seattle libraries: The Rem Koolhas designed, Main Branch

This is a large structure and the design dominates the street, with overhangs that reach out over the sidewalks in an embrace that seemed perfectly fitting with the way the libraries here reach out into their respective communities.

I tagged on to a tour group that gave a good overview of the structure by a dedicated Docent: It became immediately apparent that this building met with some considerable local conflict and budget problems and local pride. Largely privately underwritten, this is the sort of structure that is not likely to be built in Phoenix. I cant’ imagine a civic atmosphere that would privately support a public building outside of a sports arena, Orpheum Theatre not withstanding.

What’s remarkable to me about this design is how it disappears in use; something that I think makes it successful. It is LARGE but very well used, full, even on a Tuesday morning. The light was well suited to the Seattle climate and one quickly adapted the volume of space. Sadly, safety concerns disposed of the more intimate nooks and crannies that I find comforting and human in a Public Library, but this structure offered uses far beyond what we typically see in our Libraries.

This is a signature building; its design makes a statement. Its mass and scale are perfectly suited to its bustling civic and business location, surrounded by many older buildings that can hold down its mass. Anywhere else, it would be an Imposing monolith, as it was; I was unable to take in the complete elevation. As interesting as it is, I found two other Libraries much more human-scaled, interesting intimate and enjoyable.

James Cutler is an architect whose work I highly admire, so I had to search out the Capitol Hill Library .Here’s a work that’s as quiet and unassuming as the Koolhas design is bold. Ensconced in an older residential setting, it was designed with a very tight budget constraint. This building could easily be overlooked, covered as it was is a grid that will allow a network of vines to encase the tumbled brick and trowel finished exterior. This design quietly reflected the local environment and respected its location. A much smaller Library, it is again well used and brings a community together to a center gathering spot. The light was soft and delightful and the detailing no less special for the budget.

Breaking from the Library search, I planned a double treat just for me: Combining my guitar-passion and architecture-addiction into a single destination, the EMC brings them together under one undulating roof! Frank Geary’s building was a blast to look at and while a little on the playful side, it’s completely successful in setting the stage for what the Experience houses. One attendee offered the perfect compliment: Unaware of any high-brow architecture ideals, I noticed one visitor looking around in wide-wonder at the explosion of texture and form, exclaiming in excitement, “Dude, this building is SO completely cool”

Now if you like music and guitars, this is a spot you need to plan some time for. They house a wonderful little collection of all the significant guitars that evolved into the modern electric, some great video and photos, plus a hands-on center where you can actually play, mix and record. All this and the Hendrix display to boot. I am now experienced! Debbie had to drag me out, displaying extreme patience with me offering guitar-tolerance that I love her for.

Taking a drive to out to nearby Ballard capped the Library search. The Ballard Branch designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is green as green can be, with a plethora of energy saving designs and details incorporated into the building, including a sod and grass covered roof. Read this link for the details.

It offers an abundance of small surprises that seem completely appropriate given the nature of the users: a good many were children, completely enjoying themselves in this unique space, all taking a turn to view the hidden periscope view of the grass covered roof. I love the civic pride these buildings represent: everyone knows they are enjoying something unique, even if the don’t quite know why. Remarkably, this branch also spilled out into the public elements of the surrounding space as if to say: We the people of Seattle, care about this place too”. This branch was recently completed and won a much deserved AIA award. I only regret that we did not have more time to explore Ballard, as we saw lot of interesting shops, galleries and restaurants that we did not have time to explore: maybe next time.

Several other building stood out, Steven Holls’ beautiful Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University is beautiful, spiritual and serene: check out the movie posted here. Offering a scale that humbles and softness to the interior that marries modern design with the spiritual, it is as good as it comes and well worth the quite time spent there.

If you know me you know the penchant I have for coffee and books. Seattle was no less for either. I recommend top-pot doughnuts for both a superb cup of coffee, but damn fine doughnuts and as much walking as we did, I could justify three visits! What’s more, the building in Belltown was as interesting as some of what we can here to see.

Fellow architecture Junkies must go and visit Peter at Peter Miller Architecture and design books. A delightful man, he offered a great selection of architecture books and select design items, plus a generous nature that took time to discuss local eats, architecture and all things interesting. If you are sincere and humble, he might offer you a handout on local architecture worth its weight in the books you will no doubt take home with you!

Most everything we looked at was located in a reasonable walk or Bus ride (free Downtown), and all in a physical space not much larger than Phoenix’s own Copper Square. It was loaded with life and pedestrians, small shops and cafes, boutiques and hotels, most of which are local and one of a kind, in contrast to our lack of all of the above (but I have hope for us I really do!)

Here’s something that I have to reflect on. Seattleites seemed to bring cars to work with them downtown just like we do. As evidenced by a fair amount of parking structures. But I am certain that the City Codes must not fixate on available parking as we love to do in Phoenix. Every street has some available parallel parking and there was no apparent requirement for a restaurateur to “park” his table count. In addition Valet parking was not all that common. So why the car fixation for Downtown Phoenix? Are you listening city planners?

While Seattle has us beat in library worship and user dedication (Each and every branch was PACKED!) I still feel that we have them beat in unique infill development. In that regard all I saw was interesting and “loft-like” developments but it was still a bit too apartment/condo in design. I think of The Vale and others here and still marvel at what has been created in little-old Arizona.

Real Estate Market 101- Summer School
Scott Jarson, 6/14/06

The Truth about Real Estate: (or why the house pictured next to this won't go down in long term value...)

EDITORS NOTE; WHILE THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN OVER ONE YEAR AGO, IT STILL RINGS TRUE, EVEN IN THE ADJUSTED MARKET WE ARE IN TODAY. MANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MARKET THEN HAVE COMPLETED, SOME HAVE GONE ON TO NOT EVEN BEING BUILT. TODAY, A GOOD PROJECT IS A GOOD PROJECT... THE CREATION OF NEW GREAT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN ARE SIGNIFICANTLY CHALLENGED BY CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS. IF YOU WANT UNIQUE, THEY ARE STILL NOT MAKE MUCH MORE OF IT :)

Recent articles in the Arizona Republic, reporter Catherine Reagor (whom I like and respect a great deal) picked up on an item that no doubt came across her desk as a press release.

The headline read: “high-end condos’ low opening bid signal glut”. It went on to cover an auction of four condos in Optima Biltmore and three at The Vale in Tempe. I have to quote a part of it so as to be in context: “Here’s a sure sign that too many high-end condominiums are going up in metropolitan Phoenix: Units at two pricey new developments are being auctioned off, and the minimum bids are half of what the homes originally cost.”

The coverage was really misleading in my opinion and it’s typical of what is being fed to the public almost daily. I am going to include most of what I sent to Ms. Reagor in reaction and will single out The Vale as an example…So here goes my big rant of the year concerning this article and the general state of real estate:

For the record, while there are a number of Luxury condo towers going up in the Valley, I feel it’s a misleading to consider The Vale as one of them and that this auction is an indication of a drastic change in the market. I may agree that we have A LOT of luxury condos, what we do not have is A LOT of condos with unique architecture. And Luxury Condos do not a complete real estate market make.

Visitors to this website will know that The Vale is a Diverse Mixed-use project. Units sizes ranged from 622 sq ft studios to 3 bedroom loft units over 2200 sq ft. They are well appointed, but I would classify the project as “Near Luxury”. None of the units sold new for more than $600K. The Studio units sold in the mid to high $100’s. There are still re-sale units ranging from the high $200’s and right now there is a wonderful 2 bedroom+den that you could buy today at $399K (subject to prior sale of course!).

So honestly, this project should really be considered one of the most obtainable in the Valley. The re-sale prices are running well under $350/sq ft, which is WAY below what the other re-sale and new urban projects are getting. Our average price was in the $300’s so in what way can this project be considered in the same light as the Luxury towers along Camelback? It’s flattering, but inaccurate.

Nor is it new. All units are sold save one remaining commercial office condo space. The project has been completed since September 2005. The clear majority of Buyers are owner occupants that are now happily enjoying a creative urban lifestyle and superb architecture on a daily basis. Most of the die-hards reserved originally and waited, with great patience, for the project to complete.

Most of the units in this “auction” are owned by a sole investor and I am certain that there is a reserve on the units, much higher than the minimum bid. As the sales agents for this project, I am obviously familiar with the ownership on these units. Basically, I suspect this is a creative marketing idea, designed to grab exposure and create an expectation that there might be some advantage to a buyer in this sort of sales setting. I feel that it is very misleading to the public to indicate that the “opening bid” is what these homes will actually sell for. If there is a reserve, it should be stated.

These units had been offered conventionally through MLS. I do not expect this owner will consider any bid that does not return his expectation of profit. This is what is really happening in the market: Sellers continue to expect a return that may be out of step with the reality of available inventory, mostly seen in new construction. In fact, in most cases prices have not gone down, they just fail to sell for what many investors wish to achieve in sales price. If patience and reasonable pricing is exercised, there are still buyers for virtually any home. And a fair return for sellers. We advise buyers and sellers every day. When our seasoned advice is taken, it almost always results in a happy transaction for both buyer and seller. We do not have to result to trickery in an auction setting.

It’s my opinion that considering this auction as an indication that the values of these homes are dropping, or that there is an air of market desperation is completely inaccurate. What I believe is really happening is a real estate firm taking advantage of an opportunity to capitalize on negative press, so as to create a sense of urgency in Buyers. It is no more a marker of true market conditions then a broker open house. It is a method of marketing, no more. The low opening bid does not signal a “glut”, it signals a sales tactic.

I received many an inquiry about the project these last few weeks. A handful of misled persons were under the impression that you could buy at the Vale for less than its market value, which I cannot even remotely see happening. The Vale remains one of the most affordable urban in-fill projects in the area. It has world-class architecture, innovative floor-plans, diverse unit types, and superb location being just 8/10ths of a mile from ASU and Tempe Town Lake. It is still priced considerably less than new construction along the Mill Avenue corridor. I spent the weekend there and had a delightful time; the spaces are fantastic, the light wonderful and the neighbors friendly. Another recent article categorized this project as “empty” or something similar. It is not, and even if it was, they are all sold. Just wait until fall, people return after the summer.

Which goes to show that if buyers want real values they don’t need to attend an auction to do it: they need look no further than their seasoned real estate professional that can show them MLS inventory representing a majority of reasonable sellers offering quality homes at sensible prices.

All of this adds up to my big prediction: Anyone who wishes to buy a unique home, and can, should do so now. There will not be a better time. I am basing this opinion on lots of information and a fair amount of experience…

Consider the following:

• Steel, plastic and concrete: We are still facing increasing costs of materials and these is still world-wide demand for some construction materials that has not decreased, nor is likely to in the next 24 months. I have two thoughts: New Orleans and China.

• Bullets and bombs use a lot of copper. So do hybrid cars, plumbing systems and electrical wiring.

• Oil: not cheap. Gas not cheaper…

• Construction Plastics such as Carpet, paint, insulation, PVC are all made from oil…

• The cost of these materials will keep new construction costs from going down.

• Nationally, interest rates are still historically very low but are likely to go higher rather than lower.

• Large amounts of people are still moving here. Even if the number slows for 2006, it’s still staggering.

• Outlying suburban neighborhoods have historically been the most affected value-wise in a real estate market slowdown. If you want a stucco tract home in Pinal County, you can find several….that acre lot in Paradise Valley? How many are there left without tearing an existing home down?

• In the worst real estate recession since the great depression, home values in Paradise Valley went down about 6%. When they rebounded, they went up about 10%.

• Building permits are down, which means eventually inventory will drop.

• The economy is good and employment rate is about as high as it gets.

• There is finally an actual inventory of unique architecture being developed and constructed. Celebrate this fact!

• If the market does actually soften, there will not be any new ones being developed for a while. That would be very sad.

• They are not making any more in-fill land, mid-century modern classics, Ralph Haver houses or Al Beadle homes.

• They are not making any more in-fill land, mid-century modern classics, Ralph Haver houses or Al Beadle homes (just in case you missed that last point…)

• ASU Downtown and the Light Rail have not even been built yet. Just you wait…

• Connecting Tempe with Phoenix via light Rail in going to create an urban powerhouse never seen here.

The same machine that delighted in covering increasing real estate frenzy will no doubt cover any possible negative effects of same, to their great profit. They are almost at the point where they are creating, or at the very least, spinning real estate issues to support an assumption that they hold about the market. It is interesting that we take information form the same source that sells real estate advertising as gospel. Consider this simple equation that even I can follow: Slower market = more advertising $.

Buyers are being frightened by stupid press. There's some amazing misinformation out there right now. We see a lot of buyers who feel that things will come down further, but realistically, this won't happen on anything they want to live in. Interest rates are probably going to rise so what will happen is that they will miss the window of opportunity to buy at a fair price and at a great rate!

Truthfully, the current market could be an amazing opportunity. Most Sellers who are sincere are pricing accordingly. Always remember that good Architecture in housing is a scare commodity. Way-cool houses are selling just like normal. Remember, much of what we represent cannot be duplicated, either because of talent or cost of building. If it’s unique architecture you’re after: there’s only so much after all…

Architecture & Summer in San Diego
Scott Jarson, 8/16/05

August, 2005: What I did on my summer vacation. In my opinion, there’s TRAVEL and there’s VACATION. Travel involves something new and a lot of activity, but for me to have a vacation; it must include down-time, books and water, preferably a beach. For years, like most of Arizona, our family descends upon San Diego County for a summer respite. We have a favorite North County haunt that we no longer share with others because, frankly as it’s been said; “I vant to be alone!”.

As I leave the day-to-day of work behind, inevitably, I ‘m drawn back to Architecture. Obviously, exploring architecture is never work for me and this year, I thought that I’d share some of what we love here with others.

Much like Phoenix, San Diego has architectural roots that are often overlooked by those who have not spent much time here. There is a wealth of diverse and remarkable buildings, including some really remarkable examples of Spanish Colonial Revival (Let’s not forget Balboa Park and the Pan-American Exposition, that did more to spread red tile roofs in Arizona and California than Father Kino), and the entire covenant portion of Ranch Santa Fe is superb and remarkable, thank you Pioneer American Architect Lillian Rice.

The Post-War boom hit here too, so there’s great examples of Modern Architecture and a solid Modern ethic that remains to this day. There are several Neutra houses, great designs by case-study names and of course Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute is really a magic place.

If you make it this far north, keep going and check out the Solana Beach Train Station, by Rob Wellington Quigley (www.robquigley.com). Check out the movie… It’s a superb work that is completely modern, yet plays well and echoes the Quonset hut roots of the nearby Cedros Design District. Check out Susan Street Fine Art located in same and include a stop at Zinc Café on Cedros.

If Phoenix really goes for Transit Centers this nice, we all in for a treat and might find people actually will ride the train into Downtown.

I love a real bookstore and you can do no better than BOOKWORKS in Solana Beach/Del Mar. They have a great selection of Design and Architecture books, and the owner lays in some nice vintage jewelry, art and object finds too. PANNIKIN COFFEE & TEA is right next door for coffee. (Both located in the Flower Hill Mall, 2670 Via de la Valle) What more could I ask for?

I especially like what is happening in Little Italy. Maybe the locals may not like all the attention and construction, but it has been a remarkable transformation. I love to spend time there and highly recommend Architectural Salvage for everything eclectic and Boomerang for Modern is the real deal for sure. Zuccaro has the best Cannoli I have ever had (“leave the gun, take the Cannoli”)! All are on India Street .

The dynamic aspect of this is that we are in line for something similar for Downtown Phoenix. If you want a nice preview of our potential future, spend a day down here and you get a glimpse of what could happen at home if we decide to get it right.

Housing options in this area are superb and innovative with designs from a great group of architectural talent, notably, Smith and Others . Jonathan Segal . and Rob Quigley. Get a look at the LIND project , one of the first developments in Little Italy that spearheaded the transformation, . This project includes a collection of several buildings and open public spaces. I’m partial to Ted Smith’s Merrimac Building , I think for me it’s the light inside and the play of materials (see the other photo posted).

You can buy a loft-like condo in this area and compared to La Jolla, it’s down right affordable. Considering the ease to the harbor (oh, the Star of India!), the Airport (You can’t miss it with the Jets screaming overhead!), and a short drive to some of the best beaches this side if the Riviera, not a bad deal. Compare the prices to anything here and now you get what is driving our Market!

Hope you had a great summer; see you back in the heat! Scott Jarson

©2001-2013 Jarson & Jarson - Legal Information  |  (480) 425 9300

Home   |  New Listings   |  About Us   |  Testimonials   |  Portfolio   |  Featured Architects   |  Resources & Events   |  Musings   |  Talk Back   |  Newsletter   |  Forum   |  Additional Links