Now Hiring: Senior Architect & Architect

NewStudio Architecture is a multi-disciplinary design firm that focuses on specialty retail, corporate, and high-end residential projects throughout North America. We have exciting new opportunities in our growing St. Paul, MN office and are seeking highly motivated, detail-orientated, organized candidates who have excellent verbal and written skills.

Benefits of Working at NewStudio Architecture:
• Fun, relaxed environment
• Competitive salary
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, life, std and ltd insurance
• HSA accounts
• Retirement and profit-sharing plans
• Great work/life balance
• Flexible hours/schedule with generous PTO
• Employer-paid professional development

Qualifications for Senior Architect
Preferred candidates will have:
• Professional degree in architecture, Masters of Architecture, preferred
• 5-15 years of post-graduate experience, experience in specialty retail, restaurant and/or commercial development preferred
• Familiarity with building technology, and building envelope design and detailing
• Strong design, technical, and graphic skills--including, demonstrated Revit/Rhino/SketchUp proficiency in construction document production
• Interest in working in all stages of design
• Extensive experience producing and coordinating drawings sets, in all phases
• Experience in construction administration
• Experience leading teams and producing schedules
• Exceptional teamwork, organizational, and communication skills

Qualifications for Architect
Preferred candidates will have:
• Professional degree in architecture, Masters of Architecture, preferred
• 4-6 years of post-graduate experience, experience in specialty retail, restaurant and/or commercial development preferred
• Familiarity with building technology, and building envelope design and detailing
• Strong design, technical, and graphic skills--including, demonstrated Revit/Rhino/SketchUp proficiency in construction document production
• Interest in working in all stages of design
• Extensive experience producing and coordinating drawings sets, in all phases
• Experience in construction administration
• Experience leading teams and producing schedules
• Exceptional teamwork, organizational, and communication skills

How to Apply

If interested, please email your cover letter, resume, and samples of relevant experience, both graphic and technical, to jobs@newstudioarchitecture.com.

NewStudio Architecture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, status as a protected veteran or status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable Federal, State or Local law.

Recruiters, please do not contact this job poster. Do not contact us with unsolicited services or offers.

2019 AIA-MN Emerging Professionals Summit

NSA Designer Tony Lopez recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Emerging Professionals (EP) Summit for the North Central States Region (NCSR) in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The Summit was held in Madison, Wisconsin in partnership with the AIA Wisconsin Fall Workshop: Practice Innovation for Architects. Below is his summary of the experience. 

Day 1 – AIA Wisconsin Fall Workshop – Practice Innovation for Architects

The workshop:

The workshop was focussed on the future of architecture and how innovation, technology and future business models can progress the industry forward. The workshop was broken into two sessions; The morning session started with presentations from Chandra Miller Fienen, executive director of StartingBlock Madison and Thomas Fisher, director of the Minnesota Design Center and a professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota. The afternoon session followed with participants breaking up into groups based on related topic areas to discuss and construct a solution to a growing problem within the profession. The idea was to identify strategic goals and communicate a plan of action, shark-tank-style, to a group of judges. 

The tour:

Following the results of the presentation was a tour of the Spark building. The building is home to StartingBlock and gave the attendees the opportunity to see how architects and entrepreneurs worked together to solve their problems of flexibility and innovation in a changing startup culture. 

Day 2 – EP Summit for the North Central States Region

The summit:

The summit on day two gathered EP’s from the NCSR; Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. There were representatives from every state except North Dakota present to discuss the regional and local challenges and issues specific to their communities. The Summit was led by Katie Kangas, Young Architects Regional Director and Kyle Palzer, Regional Associates Director. Throughout the five-hour morning summit invitees were able to cultivate leadership skills, get updates on regional and national initiatives supporting EP’s and young professionals, discuss state challenges and culture, and ended the day with actionable ideas to bring home to our respective states. There were also pizza and cookies involved. 

Day 1 & 2 – Supporting Activities 

The drive:

When we attend summits, conferences, lectures, and related events we often miss out on the conversations and dialog that go on while traveling to the events. For an Emerging Professional this could be just as important as the classroom time, if not more. The four-hour drive from Minneapolis to Madison was populated with ice-breaker-style small talk at one end of the conversation to the question of how we justify our own existence at the other end. Safe to say it got deep. We also explored midwestern culture and customs like Culvers, a family-favorite restaurant known for their local ButterBurgers, Fresh Frozen Custard & Wisconsin Cheese Curds. * 

(*- Editors Note: Tony is from California)

The happy hour:

We were able to meet up with EP’s the night before the Summit for a happy hour hosted in the bar of our hotel, Hotel Indigo. As the alcohol slowly became consumed, we naturally started to open up about our backgrounds and our experiences within the profession. Too many words were spoken to precisely convey the breadth of our conversations in this post but lots of connections and similar experiences were shared through informal discussions. Discussions that would later become part of a structured conversation during the Summit which allowed us to better address the issues we each shared and build on them.

The morning activity:

The morning of the Summit also gave the invited EP’s an optional activity to connect through similar hobbies. One group of EP’s went for a run around the capital building and along the lake, the second group started their morning sketching, while another group decided to get a good start to the day at the breakfast line. These are all excellent ways to begin integrating what you love to do in life with what you chose to do as a profession. 

They're HERE! 2020 Color of the Year Announcements

As 2020 approaches, here it comes again: choices for color of the year (or “COTY” in the industry) from the major paint manufacturers. It seems they’re looking for a new decade full of hope with a perspective of going back to nature and natural elements. Let’s take a glimpse of what they have announced so far:

Benjamin Moore COTY: First Light 2102-70

According to the company’s website, First Light offers “a fresh palette” and “a soft, rosy hue blooming with potential.” Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s director of color marketing and development explains, “At the brink of 2020, we were just thinking: Let’s be upbeat; let’s be happy.”

Sherwin Williams COTY: Naval SW 6244

Also embracing happiness but in a serene sense, the Sherwin Williams website describes the visual inspiration for its COTY, Naval: “On the horizon between ocean and evening sky rests a color of infinite calmness.” The company suggests that Naval provides “a hint of opulence” that pairs well with polished marble, gleaming metals, soft leather and sophisticated patterns. 

Behr COTY: BACK TO NATURE S340-4

“As we enter the next decade, we strive for vibrancy in life and shape it how we choose,” says the Behr website’s announcement for its COTY, Back To Nature. This green hue is “restorative and revitalizing,” and the firm’s color experts say it “engages the senses and pairs well with other colors both inside and outside your home.”

PPG COTY: Chinese Porcelain (PPG1160-6)

Echoing the theme of quiet happiness, PPG found a COTY that would “[create] serenity in any space,” according to the brand’s website.  “The need for simplicity and escapism from technology is in part, the reason that consumers are craving blues like Chinese Porcelain that bring us closer to natural elements such as the sea and sky—the horizon spot,” explains Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color manager.

More COTY announcements will pop up closer to the New Year. We’re expecting to see the 2020 COTY palette continue to expand on these themes of serenity and nature. The NewStudio interior designers are especially excited to see how they play out. Tune in for updates later in the year!

Each photo copyright of the respective manufacturer.

Insights from NeoCon 2019—What's New in Commercial Design

NeoCon 2019 in Chicago, Illinois

NewStudio Interior Designer, Jan Mankarious, recently attended the event to see all new things in commercial design—NeoCon 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Here are a few highlights from his trip.

What's new and exciting?

I considered everything new and exciting, since it was my first-time attending NeoCon. Having the opportunity to see all the varied designs was inspiring! It was amazing to see some of the same trends, but with different approaches that fulfill both my tastes and needs as a designer, as well as the needs of NewStudio’s clients.

This year, the NeoCon Plaza was designed by Gensler Chicago, and was created on South Drive along the river frontage of The Mart. Playing off the idea of an “Urban Boardwalk” this space provided a variety of outdoor spaces to work, meet, and be refreshed. It worked great and was well used.

What trends did you see?

There were many trends this year, but what really caught my eye were the following:

Work-from-Home feeling with open spaces

“Resimercial” (Residential + Commercial) office spaces were everywhere at NeoCon. The traditional workspace environment is starting to fade out as office design is heading into a more residential feel. Furniture is designed for employee comfort and engagement, creating a more home-like and comfortable environment, allowing for personalization, comfort, and collaboration at work. Movable walls, lightweight furniture on gliders, and customizable case goods were on display for commercial offices—breaking down the structure of cubicles and opening up a space so you can actually see your colleagues’ faces. Plus, reinventing common areas to encourage and foster creativity and collaboration.

Going Green

The push toward sustainability continues. Numerous brands have been approaching their products from the angle of sustainability and focusing on minimal harm to the environment. Companies were eager to share how they are going green in unconventional ways.

Soundproof Booths

It might seem like a contradiction to the trend of open office floor plans, but the open office trend has highlighted the need for privacy and sound-absorbing spaces in the workplace. The most popular acoustic solution I saw was modular soundproof booths. These can be used for meetings or phone calls within an open office space and provide privacy. Primary exhibitors of these cutting-edge pod solutions included Framery and Zenbooth.

Midcentury modern

Midcentury modern was one of the commercial design trends featured to some degree by most of the manufacturers at NeoCon. The trend of a lighter scale continues into overall furniture design, with finer lines on legs for soft and hard seating options, case goods, and occasional tables. 

What was your favorite new product or thing?

1. Home-feel office furniture

2. New ideas for collaborative common areas   

3. Variation of acoustic / sustainable materials and ideas

Who was your favorite speaker or presenter or vendor?

There were 3 keynotes speakers during the show, covering a variety of human-centric design, led by some of the industry’s most creative minds. They include:

1. “The Familiar and Unusual: An Investigation of Balance and Experience in Design” by Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, of Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors in New York;

2. “Stuff Matters: The Material World We Make” by Ilse Crawford of Studioilse in London;

3. “Do No Harm: The Role of Design in Complicated Times” by Liz Ogbu of Studio O in New York.

I attended the first 2 keynotes and had these takeaways:

• From Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, I love the idea of mixing the familiar with the unusual. In other words, how to bring together history and past knowledge with innovative ideas to create a timeless design! When asked about what is next, Robin’s words were memorable. She said: “Next is about looking back and layering on the past to create the most innovative and interesting future.”

• Ilse Crawford focused on creating environments where humans feel comfortable, public spaces that make people feel at home, and homes that are habitable and make sense for the people who live in them. A memorable quote from Ilse was, “Our starting point is human experience, how to upgrade and enhance daily life, and how to create a sensory connection to our environment.”

What was your overall impression of NeoCon 2019?

The event was very well organized. It was very easy to find whatever I was looking for.

What are your personal learnings and/or reflections from the event?

NeoCon was an excellent opportunity to connect with industry colleagues. I appreciated the ability to learn more about what’s new in a single location. I have much to share with my colleagues at NewStudio!

Architectural Cornerstones: The Meaning, History, and Intent

This Toronto building, originally a church, features two different cornerstones.

In relation to architecture, a cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones laid in reference. A cornerstone marks the geographical location by orienting a building in a specific direction.

Cornerstones have been around for millennia, in some shape or form. In ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures, the equivalent of a “ground-breaking” ceremony was the “foundation ritual” which allowed the gods to protect a building. “Foundation deposits,” or hollowed out stones filled with small vessels, animal deposits, and other symbolic items, were standard in the construction of temples, palaces, tombs, and forts. Depending on the type of structure, the deposits were placed at the corners of buildings, or at points of importance in a structure, such as the entrance. This ensured that remains of the building’s original content were preserved with the structure throughout its life, until demolition.

This Philadelphia Navy Yard building features a cornerstone over the entrance indicating 1874 as the year of construction.

Over the years, cornerstones have served a variety of purposes. As a means to preserve time, buildings have been marked with a numerical representation to remind people when the building was erected. This has given correlation to architecture and the design of the time. Additionally, cornerstones have become a strong symbol of a new era. They have indicated prosperity and opportunity—showing a sense of pride for what is possible at the time of construction. Cornerstones have also been turned into pieces of memorabilia, marking present buildings or denoting previously standing buildings. One example is the downtown Minneapolis Macy’s building, formerly Dayton’s Department Store. At the exterior base of the building is a plaque telling the story of the site’s previous tenant, Westminster Presbyterian, which was destroyed by fire in 1895. George Draper Dayton, the owner at the time, believed that the story, and recognition, of the church was important to display on the new building, even though the church had relocated to its current location at 12th Street and Marquette Avenue South.

This Philadelphia Navy Yard building was erected in 1904, as indicated on the cornerstone on the facade.

As the commemorative qualities of cornerstones have become recognized, the locations of craftsmanship have expanded to stones near or above the front door of a building. Architects have used these spaces to declare ownership of the building’s design. There are many instances around Minneapolis and Saint Paul where the architect has left their name in the stone of the building.

Today, cornerstones are more commonly placed ornamentally as interior walls, the floor, or the façade of a building, depending on whether the intention of the stone is inscription or preservation. Often laid with a ceremonial trowel by a person of prominence, a local celebrity, or politician, it can be said that the primary purpose of a cornerstone is the publicity that comes with the ceremony. Preservation, in some cases, has become as important as the marking of a building as is seen with time capsules, hollowed-out stones filled with popular objects, or something significant to the occupants of the building at the time of completion.