Ten Buildings That Changed DC
PBS recently aired an ambitious documentary presuming to tell us about the “Ten Buildings that Changed America.” After what may have been a tortuous consideration of which ten should be the ten, the producers settled on selections that ranged from Albert Kahn’s commissions for Henry Ford in Highland Park, Mich., to Frank Gehry’s Disney Concert … Continue reading
Downtown Crown’s First Retail Facade is Up
We recently paid a visit to the site of the future Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg to see the progress on our retail buildings currently under construction. The skin on retail Building A3 is on and the storefront will be installed soon. The majority of the steel has been erected for building C1 and the façades should … Continue reading
Opening the Drugstore Window
Drugstores are turning their back on the communities that at one time were their greatest patrons. Once the heart of Main Street and the core of the community, the pharmacy, with its soda fountain and lunch counter, used to anchor our neighborhoods–and, indeed, even much of our social lives. The news that was heard, the … Continue reading
In Honoring the Past, a New Future for DC Public Schools
From the time of its founding, the DC public school system has pretty much always been both a proving ground for education and a demonstration of the power that architecture holds to enhance student experience and success. Today, the District is in the middle of an ambitious plan to upgrade and modernize its schools. DC’s … Continue reading
Places We Love
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we talked with our staff about buildings, places and spaces we love. Sometimes our love comes from an appreciation of the form of a place, while others times it comes from something a little more intangible. From parks to monuments, cathedrals to dry cleaners (yes, dry cleaners), here below are some of … Continue reading
Q&A with 2012 DMSAS Fellow Mark Elliott
One of four recipients of the DMSAS Traveling Fellowship in 2012, Mark Elliott, now in his final year at the University of Maryland, spent ten weeks interning at DMSAS and took his fellowship travels in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Mark returned to DMSAS earlier this month to present his work abroad to the … Continue reading
What Makes a Good Client?
The most successful architecture is the result of a strong relationship based on mutual respect between the client and the architect. Great clients make great architecture. So what makes a great client? We believe four elements are essential. Good Students Just as the best architects are good students of client interests and objectives, so, too, … Continue reading
Designing from the Hospital Bed
As David M. Schwarz Architects embarks on the master planning and design of yet another significant phase of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Tex. – a project we’ve been allied with since 1985 –DMSAS principal Craig Williams shares with his colleagues the musings accumulated during a collection of summertime hospital visits. While this … Continue reading
Building with Gingerbread: Five Keys to Creating Successful Structures
The exercise of imagination comes with no rules attached. There is no manual and no blueprint for creating the whimsical confectionery constructions of the seventh annual Gingertown celebration. However, when participating in this year’s ambition to fashion a university campus out of gingerbread, licorice whips, gumdrops, and icing, our colleagues, fellow design professionals, and other friends … Continue reading
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Computer Renderings: Perfection & Peril
Computer renderings give us a real clear view of what our building will look like. Or do they? For centuries, architects have created hand-drawn rendered perspectives and elevations with exquisite detail. The renderings could be highly realistic or vague and sketchy, depending on the intended purpose and project phase. Clients and users could experience a … Continue reading →
Filed under Commentary, Technique · Tagged with architecture, buildings, design, DMSAS, rendering