Tag: kodet architectural group (10)

AIA Leadership | Kyle Palzer

At Kodet, we encourage all our employees to participate in volunteer opportunities that help strengthen the architecture community. Kyle Palzer, Assoc. AIA a designer here at Kodet, has been actively involved with the AIA North Central States Region Emerging Professional Committee as the Regional Associate Director, to help guide policy matters for the national professional organization. The committee has continued to strengthen its regional bonds over the last year with monthly working calls taking place between the four states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. This past year the committee put into action the initiatives it laid out last year, resulted in the following: aiancsr.com was launched, a new Emerging Professional focused website which provides resources, blogs, and recognition geared specifically for this AIA member category. The fourth annual Regional EP Summit took place in Madison, WI at the start of October hosted by AIA Wisconsin. The regional Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Award was introduced, similar to the former IDP Firm Award, it recognizes firms that do an outstanding job supporting young professionals. Kyle has been able to connect the region’s Emerging Professional leaders together and spearheaded the NCSR EP Friendly Firm Award.  Kyle’s term as the Regional Associate Director ends at the end of the year. However, he will continue to represent Associate AIA members as he steps into a new role on the AIA National Associates Committee, serving as one of four National At-Large Director for 2020-21 leading the Influence + Innovation work group. The goal of the workgroup will be to plug the voice of the Emerging Professional into the future initiatives AIA is working on. These include the 2021-2024 AIA Strategic Plan, “The Next Big Thing” – AIA’s committee and knowledge community restructuring plan, and AIA’s Climate Action Plan, known as “The Big Move”. To help foster this collaboration, the National Associates […]

Selecting the Perfect Furniture

Not all clients consider the benefits of having the architect also serve as the primary interior designer for a project. There are a numerous benefits, that range from comprehensive design aesthetics to understanding how all the details come together – to create well-rounded and thoughtfully designed project. CHARACTER + AESTHETIC Having the architect serve as the lead furniture designer/selector has many benefits for a client. First, the architect generally sets the overall design idea for a project, so they know exactly what pieces of furniture match the design aesthetics they were intending for a space.  Likewise, they can better choose pieces that fit a space well. For example, a round space could benefit from round furniture pieces to accentuate the characteristics of a room STYLE + CONSISTENCY The same quality holds true for picking out furniture fabrics in a project. If the architect is the lead designer in the this area, they can choose patterns + colors that again match the overall feel + style of your project.  This allows the furniture to work well with other pieces, has colors, and patterns that feel cohesive and additionally fit well within a space.   FINANCIAL BENEFITS Beyond the aesthetic benefits a project gains financially from having the architect as the lead interior designer.  The architect is uniquely positioned to be a natural non-biased party in the selection of furniture as they do not represent specific manufacturers or have financial stake in pushing new products or those that may have a higher margin of profit for a vendor.  The architect, can compare multiple vendors that offer similar products to help clients pick furniture that both matches their budget and project style. Architects can therefore help owners put together competitive solicitations for quotations, where they can then issue to multiple furniture vendors for […]

Women In Architecture

WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE STUDENT ORGANIZATION | EXHIBITION OPENING The Women in Architecture Student Organization (WIASO) was formed in the fall of 2017 by a group of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Minnesota. WIASO’s primary goals are to work to counteract unconscious cultural bias that permeates through academia and the profession, and to engage issues within the field of architecture related to diversity and the advancement of gender equity. The group recently completed an exhibition in partnership with the Goldstein Museum of Design titled Gendering Architecture, Architecting Gender, that showcases historic and contemporary female architects. The exhibition is located in the HGA Gallery of Rapson Hall at the University of Minnesota and will be on display until February 3, 2019. Below is an excerpt from an interview with WIASO published on the UMN’s College of Design website: What inspired WIASO to create this exhibition? We are interested in learning about female figures in the architectural profession and publicizing work of women in the field. During our initial kick-off event, we profiled several female architects, displayed statistics describing the lack of equity in the field, and shared architecture books written by women. We received feedback about the group’s goals and aspirations and Assistant Professor Daniela Sandler (Architecture) suggested we expand this idea into an exhibition showcasing this information in Rapson. Why do you think it is important for people to see this exhibition? We want students, faculty, and professionals to acknowledge the contributions of female architects who have been dismissed, belittled, or denied credit for their work. By looking at architectural movements from a critical feminist perspective, one is able to reimagine history around marginalized identities and redefine what it means to be an architect. The exhibition is a glimpse of a shared history among female architects at the […]

Virtual Reality in Architecture

VIRTUAL REALITY IN ARCHITECTURE Even if you are not a computer techy person, you have probably seen those strange headset things people put on to be in a virtual environment.  Usually these are part of a gaming system that can create a very realistic digital environment called Virtual Reality (VR).  The gaming industry is pushing computer manufacturers to improve computer processing speeds that make it affordable for the general public, including smaller architecture firms, to purchase computers that can handle the VR demands. EVOLUTION Virtual reality is not new for architects though.  Drawings and models have been tools architects have used to develop their designs for centuries.  Perspectives, isometrics, and three-dimensional (3D) models are the traditional techniques architects have used to visualize a space and relay that vision to a client or community.  As technology has evolved, these visual representations have gone from hand drawings and physical models to three-dimensional computer-generated images and 3D printed models to fully digital immersive experiences (Virtual Reality) where one can almost feel like they are walking through a space. The evolution of 3D representation allows designers more tools to help clients understand the design of a future space.  Each space and client are different and should be evaluated on the best use of technology to satisfy the owner’s needs.  Architects strive to design spaces that are functional for their clients, and the more the client understands the space and can understand the design intent the higher probability the space will perform as the client envisions. VISUALIZATION A fully interactive virtual reality experience through a headset can be an unsettling or uncomfortable experience for some and designers must know the best approach for each client or community.  Depending on the building type and location, many people can see a 3D image and understand how it […]