Rusty Long Architect

#Architalks: Architecture and Children

By Rusty | Published: March 7, 2016

Tools of the Trade

When did you realize you wanted to be an architect?

It’s a question lots of folks ask, and I remember with clarity making that decision at twelve years old. It happened in class. Specifically in an elective, ‘Mechanical Drawing.’ We learned the fundamentals of plan, section, and elevation. Given a three dimensional object, draw it to scale on paper using a pencil, a t-square and a triangle. The class eventually moved up to drawing a full house floor plan complete with dimensions, door and window tags, and notes.

CAD

Flash forward a little over two decades and while the tools have changed, the work itself, and that enthusiasm remains. There is something about thinking through, solving three dimensional problems in your mind and on paper that is uniquely rewarding. Then seeing that result in steel and concrete, walking through that space you imagined, sketched, and created on paper there in real space… It’s pretty fantastic.

Built

Now that I’m a father, and I talk to my daughters about what I do, and what they want to do, I take that dialog seriously. Even at four and six years old, their individual skill-sets, strengths and weaknesses as designers, and even a sense of style come through. One is all about symmetry, the other … is not.

Daddy’s little deconstructivist

I don’t know if either of my daughters will decide to be an architect, but I’m confident that if they do, they’ll be great at it.

Check out more #Architalks at the links below:

Enoch Sears – Business of Architecture (@businessofarch)

Bob Borson – Life of An Architect (@bobborson)

Matthew Stanfield – FiELD9: architecture (@FiELD9arch)

Marica McKeel – Studio MM (@ArchitectMM)
Architecture and Photography

Jeff Echols – Architect Of The Internet (@Jeff_Echols)
Architecture and a Future Without Architects

Lee Calisti, AIA – Think Architect (@LeeCalisti)
architecture and __

Mark R. LePage – Entrepreneur Architect (@EntreArchitect)

Evan Troxel – Archispeak Podcast / TRXL (@etroxel)

Lora Teagarden – L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC)
Architecture and Travel

Collier Ward – One More Story (@BuildingContent)
Architecture and Storytelling

Cormac Phalen – Cormac Phalen (@archy_type)

Nicholas Renard – dig Architecture (@dig-arch)

Andrew Hawkins, AIA – Hawkins Architecture, Inc. (@hawkinsarch)

Jeremiah Russell, AIA – ROGUE Architecture (@rogue_architect)

Jes Stafford – MODwelling (@modarchitect)
Architecture and Gaming

Cindy Black – Rick & Cindy Black Architects (*)

Eric T. Faulkner – Rock Talk (@wishingrockhome)
architecture and m&ms

Rosa Sheng – EquitybyDesign [EQxD] (@EquityxDesign)
Architecture And the Era of Connection

Michele Grace Hottel – Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel)
#ArchiTalks 18: architecture and… the bigger picture

Meghana Joshi – IRA Consultants, LLC (@MeghanaIRA)
Architalks 18: Architecture and Mathematics

Amy Kalar – ArchiMom (@AmyKalar)
Architalks 18: Architecture and … Parenting

Michael Riscica – Young Architect (@YoungArchitxPDX)
Architecture and Yoga

Stephen Ramos – BUILDINGS ARE COOL (@sramos_BAC)

brady ernst – Soapbox Architect (@bradyernstAIA)
Architecture and Ego

Brian Paletz – The Emerging Architect (@bpaletz)

Michael LaValley – Evolving Architect (@archivalley)
Architecture and Ego / The Architect’s Unique Struggle with ‘Good’ Design

Jonathan Brown – Proto-Architecture (@mondo_tiki_man)

Eric Wittman – intern[life] (@rico_w)

Sharon George – Architecture By George (@sharonraigeorge)
Architecture and Kids

Brinn Miracle – Architangent (@simplybrinn)

David Molinaro – Relax2dmax (@relax2dmax)

Emily Grandstaff-Rice – Emily Grandstaff-Rice FAIA (@egrfaia)
Architecture and More

Daniel Beck – The Architect’s Checklist (@archchecklist)

Jarod Hall – di’velept (@divelept)
Architecture and the Myth of the Master Builder

Anthony Richardson – That Architecture Student (@anth_rich)

Lindsey Rhoden – SPARC Design (@sparcdesignpc)

Drew Paul Bell – Drew Paul Bell (@DrewPaulBell)

Greg Croft – Sage Leaf Group (@croft_gregory)
Architecture and Real Estate

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Courtney Casburn Brett – Casburn Brett (@CasburnBrett)

Jeffrey A Pelletier – Board & Vellum (@boardandvellum)
Architecture and Interior Design

Aaron Bowman – Product & Process (@PP_Podcast)

Samantha Raburn – The Aspiring Architect (@TheAspiringArch)
Architecture and Wrestling

Kyu Young Kim – Palo Alto Design Studio (@sokokyu)

Nisha Kandiah – TCDS (@SKRIBBLES_INC)

Karen E. Williams – (@karenewilliams3)

Jared W. Smith – Architect OWL (@ArchitectOWL)

Rusty Long – Rusty Long, Architect (@rustylong)
Architecture and Children

Keith Palma – Architect’s Trace (@cogitatedesign)
Architecture + Memories

Adam Denais – Defragging Architecture (@DefragArch)
[#ArchiTalks 18] Architecture and Strange Travel Etiquette

Jim Mehaffey – Yeoman Architect (@jamesmehaffey)
Architecture and…my Generation.

Posted in ArchiTalks | Comments closed

Riverbirch House in the News & Observer

By Rusty | Published: January 12, 2016

The Riverbirch Residence – Now Sold

A favorite project of mine changed hands toward the end of last year. My amazing clients Michael & Gerry had to leave the area for a new position in another state, leaving this house up for sale. In that process, it came across the eyes of a writer for the News & Observer, Nancy Oates, who wrote up a nice piece about the house and by extension me.

Unfortunately it’s not online anywhere, but you see an image of the final article here:

One of my favorite lines from the article:

Only an architect would think to put a roof on upside down, because only an architect would know what the space would feel like inside, before it has even been built.

While yes, humorous, this points to a universal truth about what architects do: We help owners understand their goals and the future space.

Floor Plan – Riverbirch Residence

And one last quote that I hope always rings true of me and my work:

Notice the “we” in his comments. Many architects would agree with Long that the most interesting clients to work with are those who come with their own ideas and want to work collaboratively to shape a space that fits them exactly.

I really enjoyed designing this house, and working with the clients on site. In fact, somewhere there’s a picture of me carrying around my toddler at the site mid-construction…

Here’s hoping the new owners love it as much as the first owners did.

Posted in Architecture | Tagged Architecture, housing, modernism, Riverbirch, Rusty Long, sustainability | Comments closed

#Architalks: New Year, New Direction

By Rusty | Published: January 11, 2016

This is my first blog post as part of a series of blog posts in a group series called #ArchiTalks. Once a month, Bob Borson gives us a theme to write about. On a personal note, Bob and the whole #ArchiTalks group have decided to use their considerable reach to share my son Matthew’s story. More on that can be found below, as can all the other members of the group.

Today’s theme: “New Year, New _____.”

direction – A theoretical line (physically or mentally) followed from a point of origin or towards a destination.

That’s what I’d like to talk about, a destination. Since graduating college, I’ve been wanted to build. There are a lot of architects whose work I look up to, but across the board my favorites build there own work. Here are are a few such architects.

MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple

Brian MacKay’s work has been something of a fascination of mine since college and first hearing about Ghost Lab. His mantra ‘Place, Craft, Community’ speaks to both the way his buildings are built, as well as how they connect with their environment. A side note, in his 2014 presentation as keynote speaker at Architecture Exchange East, he advocated starting every project by having a beer or a cup of coffee with the client, and drawing. “All the best ideas come after the second beer.”

Rick Joy

Rick Joy’s works in the Arizona Desert, show a simplicity of massing and materials that, much like MacKay-Lyons’ work, are firmly rooted in place. Of particular interest in the book ‘Desert Works‘ is Joy’s impressive use of rammed earth construction.

Jonathan Segal

Jonathan Segal is well-known among architects. His works in San Diego are a staple of any archi-nerd vacation, and any architect who has never dreamed of working for themselves, must not have been practicing very long! In this video you can see some of Segal’s work in person, and hear in his own words the concept behind the project playfully named ‘the charmer.’

Naturally all three of these firms have enviable portfolios, but all three started somewhere. A first design-build project. That’s my goal for 2016.

Interested in more work from these architects? Here are a few places to start:

Brian MacKay – Local Architecture – This one is on my wish list

Rick Joy – Desert Works – A favorite of mine, frequently found on my drafting board rather than the book shelf

Jonathan Segal – Architect as Developer – In addition to his practice, Segal holds a series of classes and seminars to encourage other architects to ‘fire their clients’ and become the developer

My friends and fellow participants of this ArchiTalks blog post series have teamed up to help my family. Here is Matthew’s story, as told by me:

Matthew Long was born May 29th, 2013, happy, and seemingly healthy. Less than two days later his mother and I found ourselves in an neonatal intensive care unit waiting room, listening to a rushed intensive care doctor explain how our son needed immediate dialysis to save his life. The disease, he briefly explained, was one of a group of disorders called Urea Cycle Disorders, which impact the way the body breaks down protein. We later discovered that Matthew’s particular variant is called OTC Deficiency, a particularly severe form of it in fact, which results in a rapid rise of ammonia in the blood, called hyperammonemia, resulting in devastating neurological damage. This form of OTC is so severe, Matthew has virtually no peers who have survived it. Once the immediate crisis was arrested, we came to find out more about the disease and the impact of this initial event.

The disease is inherited, and the damage is permanent. Treatment consists of a combination of medications, low protein medical diet, and ultimately a liver transplant. Matthew was fortunate to experience no additional hyperammonemic events in the following fifteen months of life, and had a liver transplant on August 24th, 2014. The cure for the disease, a transplant, isn’t so much a cure as trading one condition for another. While we will never risk the chance of another ammonia spike, Matthew is on a half a dozen or more medications at any given time to avoid rejection. Despite these challenges, intensive daily therapy for cerebral palsy (a result of the initial damage), limited motor function, and various other challenges along the way, our son is remarkably happy and has changed all our lives for the better. He’s taught us to be stronger than we ever thought possible, to have faith beyond human understanding, and the immeasurable value of life.

The #ArchiTalks community is hoping to raise $5,500 to help our family reach our financial goal on HelpHopeLive.org. If each reader of this post contributes a small amount, our impact will be massive and we can make a difference for Matthew. Click here now and donate $2.00.

Enoch Sears – Business of Architecture (@businessofarch)
New Year, New Community on Business of Architecture

Bob Borson – Life of An Architect (@bobborson)
http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/new-year-new-adventures-that-might-kill-me/

Matthew Stanfield – FiELD9: architecture (@FiELD9arch)
New Year, New CAD

Marica McKeel – Studio MM (@ArchitectMM)
New Year, New Adventures

Jeff Echols – Architect Of The Internet (@Jeff_Echols)

Lee Calisti, AIA – Think Architect (@LeeCalisti)
new race new year new start

Mark R. LePage – Entrepreneur Architect (@EntreArchitect)
New Year. New Budget.

Evan Troxel – Archispeak Podcast / TRXL (@etroxel)

Lora Teagarden – L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC)
New Year, New Goals

Collier Ward – One More Story (@BuildingContent)
New Year, New Business

Cormac Phalen – Cormac Phalen (@archy_type)

Nicholas Renard – dig Architecture (@dig-arch)
New Year, A New Hope

Andrew Hawkins, AIA – Hawkins Architecture, Inc. (@hawkinsarch)

Jeremiah Russell, AIA – ROGUE Architecture (@rogue_architect)

Jes Stafford – Modus Operandi Design (@modarchitect)
New Year, New Gear

Cindy Black – Rick & Cindy Black Architects (*)
New Year, New Casita

Eric T. Faulkner – Rock Talk (@wishingrockhome)
New Year, New Underwear

Rosa Sheng – Equity by Design (@EquityxDesign)
New Year, New Era

Michele Grace Hottel – Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel)
“new year, new _____”

Meghana Joshi – IRA Consultants, LLC (@MeghanaIRA)
New Year, New Plan

Amy Kalar – ArchiMom (@AmyKalar)
New Year, New Adventures

Michael Riscica – Young Architect (@YoungArchitxPDX)
New Year, New Life!

Stephen Ramos – BUILDINGS ARE COOL (@sramos_BAC)
New Year, New Home

brady ernst – Soapbox Architect (@bradyernstAIA)
New Year, New·ly Adult Architect

Brian Paletz – The Emerging Architect (@bpaletz)
A Little Premature

Jonathan Brown – Proto-Architecture (@mondo_tiki_man)

Eric Wittman – intern[life] (@rico_w)
new year, new [engagement]

Sharon George – Architecture By George (@sharonraigeorge)
New Year, New Business

Brinn Miracle – Architangent (@simplybrinn)
New Year, New Perspective

David Molinaro – Relax2dmax (@relax2dmax)

Emily Grandstaff-Rice – Emily Grandstaff-Rice AIA (@egraia)
The New New

Daniel Beck – The Architect’s Checklist (@archchecklist)

Jarod Hall – di’velept (@divelept)
New Year New Reality

Anthony Richardson – That Architecture Student (@anth_rich)
New Year New Desk

Lindsey Rhoden – SPARC Design (@sparcdesignpc)

Drew Paul Bell – Drew Paul Bell (@DrewPaulBell)
New Year, New Appreciation

Greg Croft – Sage Leaf Group (@croft_gregory)
New Year, New Goals

Courtney Casburn Brett – Casburn Brett (@CasburnBrett)

Jeffrey A Pelletier – Board & Vellum (@boardandvellum)
New Year New Office

Aaron Bowman – Product & Process (@PP_Podcast)
New Year, More Change

Samantha Raburn – The Aspiring Architect (@TheAspiringArch)

Kyu Young Kim – Palo Alto Design Studio (@sokokyu)
New Year, New Office Space

Nisha Kandiah – TCDS (@SKRIBBLES_INC)

Karen E. Williams – (@karenewilliams)

Jared W. Smith – Architect OWL (@ArchitectOWL)
New Year, New Reflection

Posted in ArchiTalks, Architecture | Tagged ArchiTalks | Comments closed

Bringing Students into School Design

By Rusty | Published: July 13, 2014

Last week the Hampton Roads Green Building Council organized a tour of the Floyd E. Kellam High School in Virginia Beach.

Welcome to Kellam

Designed by HBA Architecture & Interior Design, Inc., the building is anticipated to meet receive LEED Silver certification, and will host some 2,000 students in an example of 21st century learning in practice. Featured in the Virginia AIA‘s Inform Magazine back in 2012, the design process featured a great deal of client collaboration and engaged high school students in the design of their learning environment, empowering the next generation of architects, engineers, and educators. The result is an impressive and engaging space with outdoor classrooms, an edible garden, integrated storm water management, greywater collection, and a host of other green features that enable teachers to use the building as a teaching tool.

Our event included a brief presentation from Mike Winner with HBA, a presentation from AP Environmental Science Teacher, Chris Freeman, on the collaborative design process with Kellam students, and finally a walking tour of the school by Mike Ross, also with HBA.

Hampton Roads Green Building Council Members learning about the specifics of this project, anticipated LEED Silver

AP Environmental Science Teacher, Chris Freeman inspiring HRGBC members to action

The degree to which students were incorporated into the design process for the building was impressive. HBA led the way, working with Chris, and Kellam students. Below you’ll catch a few glimpses of the interior and exterior spaces from our tour:

The tour kicked off in the primary indoor gathering space, a centrally located cafeteria

Truss details in the cafeteria space

Stairs

Daylight

In spaces with limited opportunities for windows, the architect used these skylight tubes with diffusers to evenly distribute natural daylight to interior spaces that otherwise would have littler or no natural light.

Hampton Roads Green Building Council Members tour the green roof overlooking the courtyard

Green roofs were accessible from second floor classrooms, allowing bird’s eye views of the student designed courtyard spaces.

Rhythm, pattern, and sustainability on the green roof

A skybridge links the two sides of the school across the courtyard

Courtyard schemes and details from above

The design themes and larger concepts of the courtyard work on a variety of scales, and create a lively green space between the enclosed spaces of the building. Sustainable features like the rainwater catchment system are celebrated, and the edible garden is situated immediately outside the culinary arts classroom, allowing students the opportunity to grow the very ingredients they’ll be incorporating into their classroom dishes.

Stormwater management is incorporated into courtyard garden

Rainwater collection is celebrated in courtyard spaces

An edible garden outside the culinary arts classrooms

Hampton Roads Green Building Council Members talk about biofiltration

Kellam-Skybridge-Tour

Nearly every space in the school is generously bathed in natural ligth

Nearly every space in the school is generously bathed in natural light

The architectural details in the space weren’t lacking either, always a particular point of focus for me.

Perforated metal and wood details in the central cafetria space

Chris caught me taking this photo, the dialog went something like this:

CF: Taking pictures of the railings eh?

RL: I have this obsession about the little construction details of these facilities, a sort of compulsion to document them…

CF: So you could say you’re a little “Nuts?”

Nuts, bolts, and details

The attention to detail didn’t stop at the building walls, a clever arrangement of various colors of river rock turns a utilitarian water collection point into a piece of public art.

Small details like this arrangement of colored stone breath life and art into utilitarian functions

The next Morning Buzz, September 2014

As the tour wrapped up, I couldn’t help but wonder where those students will be five and ten years down the road, and how will their involvement in the design of their own school will impact their educational and career choices down the road. Our next tour is coming up in September 2014, and if you’re in the area, I highly recommend you join us, whether you’re an architect, green builder, educator, or (insert your profession here), these events are a chance to connect with individuals you might not run into on a daily basis, and maybe even change the way you look at the world, if only for a couple of hours.

Quick shout out to Mike DeLaura with Sto Corp who sponsored the event and breakfast for our attendees!

Posted in Architecture, Education, Sustainability | Tagged Architecture, education, green building, HRGBC, LEED, MorningBuzz, sustainability | Comments closed

Custom Residential Architects Network: CRANtv

By Rusty | Published: February 19, 2014

A group of architects from the American Institute of Architects , all specializing in custom residential design, seeing a need for a knowledge community focused exclusively on residential architecture, formed the Custom Residential Architects Network or CRAN for short. This group, not to be confused with the Congress of Residential Architecture (CORA), is tasked with the following:

CRAN develops knowledge and information to benefit architects who are engaged in, or who are interested in learning more about, custom residential practice. CRAN presents information and facilitates the exchange of knowledge and expertise to promote the professional development of its members via discussion forums, national symposia and conventions, publications, and local activities.

As part of this effort, they’ve developed CRANtv, a YouTube channel focused on educating the public about what residential architects do, and the value they bring to a residential project. The third video in the CRANtv series was just posted earlier this week, and I’ve taken the liberty to share all three of the videos to date below, in order.

I hope you’ll take the time to watch all three, and follow CRANtv on YouTube. I’d love to hear from non-architects on both the videos, and why they would or wouldn’t hire an architect in the development of their residential project.