Fresno’s First Architecture and Built Environment Blog
I’m proud to announce the launch of the first and only blog dedicated to architecture and the built environment of Fresno, California. We are at a critical point for Fresno as a city and as a regional leader. Fresno’s built environment and how we choose to develop it will play a key role in our quality of life, success, healthy growth, and maturation, or our stagnation, and failure to achieve our true potential.
Education and public discourse are essential elements of progress. This blog aims to be a platform for progress toward an improved built environment in Fresno. Everything is interconnected. To truly understand this complex and dynamic topic we will take a holistic view at Architecture, Landscape Architecture, City & Regional Planning, and the Construction Industry.
Content
Content to be included will be: interviews with leading and emerging design professionals, building reviews, comments on City Council agenda items, other governmental actions, and community news from an architectural point of view.
You can also expect blog entries on my experiences as an architect in training. Architecture is a unique career path full of: continuous education, diverse styles and points of view, frustrations, hectic deadlines, creativity, and highly visible impacts. My experiences should make for some interesting reading. If nothing else it will keep me writing and give me an outlet for celebration of architecture.
Your participation is an important part of this effort. I encourage you to contribute to this blogs content. Please comment on and discuss any of the topics I post.
Goals:
Along with many of my activities, the goal of this blog is to educate and inspire interest in an improved built environment. Buildings and landscapes have a strong impact on our happiness and quality of life. Good buildings, good landscapes, good planning equals a high standard of living for all, that is the goal.
This will tie in with the efforts and goals of the successful ArcHop event with a written compliment. I will give periodic updates and opportunities for input on and involvement in this event as it matures and grows. See www.fresnofamous.com/archop_and_we_don%E2%80%99t_stop for a discussion on January’s ArcHop.
Upcoming Posts:
Review of the San Joaquin Valley Housing Symposium www.sjvhousing.com
Review of California Avenue community design workshop
Topics to watch:
Mayoral Race
City and County 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness
Metro Rural Loop
ArcHop
Downtown Housing
Disclaimer:
This is the personal blog of Kiel Famellos-Schmidt and in does not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, or objectives of the American Institute of Architects: San Joaquin, ArcHop sponsors, Fresno Famous, the Tower District Design Review Committee, or my employer the Taylor Teter Partnership.
I’d like to thank Fresno Famous for providing a platform for this important discussion. And thank you for your readership.
Kiel Famellos-Schmidt
Coincidentally
Kiel: Coincidentally, my colleague, Jim Mullooly, and I just launched a blog (http://theanthroguys.wordpress.com/) and the first post is partially about the North Park project, with more to follow. I just linked to your blog here. looking forward to more!
Hank
Posted on 3-18-08 "City
Posted on 3-18-08
"City being destroyed by fake work crews and greed of developers."
BINGO! Entire city is now setting on top of clamped sewer and water lines. Good luck in finding ONE structure that is original - 45+ yrs of secretly turning city inside out, leaving Fresno in a shambles. This is why there are no older records of Fresno. To date, no one has ever figured it out.
Water diversion. Shhhhh ..... its a "secret."
Fresno's Mixed Use Project Planning: Sheepskin for Wolves?
Kiel,
I'm not sure I'm posting in the right place, but I just put up a post over at Mindhub regarding the Planning Commission vote this Wednesday, May 21, 6 p.m. at City Hall on the Mixed Use Project ordinance as part of Variety Pak #4.
I'd always thought Mixed Use was a great thing, what we wanted here in Fresno. But a project that's in the chute for my neighborhood has exposed some flaws in the wording of the proposed code. While Variety Pak #4 contains language to insure that drive-thru's are architecturally compatible with their buildings, there is no language to stipulate that a Mixed Use Project must respect the architecture and character of an exsiting neighborhood.
Hence, we're in line to get (courtesy of developers Richard Gunner and George Andros) a six story, 60 foot tall, 304-unit faux-Mediterranean apartment complex on the edge of Fig Garden Village; a neighborhood of clean mid-century structures which already has a huge mixed use component of lower density.
It's a wolf in the sheepskin of Mixed Use. Variety Pak #4 needs to be reworded, as this situation could happen anwhere in the city where there is R-3 or R-4 or CP zoning.
check it out: www.mindhub.org
Also, if you attended the Vernacular Architecture Conference, could you give us an update? Thanks.
Jodi Fitzpatrick
Let's stay on topic (Fresno Architecture)
My blog and this string relate to Fresno architecture and the built environment. If you wish to discuss infrastructure and public utilities, please start a different string.
Thank you,
Kiel
Marla is fighting with herself again
Do we have to put up with it here too?
I can't find on decent Fresno message board thats not tainted by Lady Pipe Nutt.
That must be the longest acid trip in history.
I'd post as myself but I don't want her crazy emails and links to her website.
You're speaking out, have
You're speaking out, have been for a while. Howcome you haven't disappeared?
The City needs to investigate WGS and illegal sewer switching.
The City is being destroyed by fake work crews and greed of developeres.
They widen streets and move pipes and light posts.
People that speak out disappear.
Artist Relocation Project-Fresno, Architecture/Design Stipend
Kiel,
Thanks so much for surveying your colleagues and coming up with such great answers and suggestions and comments, especially this one:
I’m interested in having a dialogue about this opportunity in Fresno, and hopefully it’s not just another 'yes, we’re Fresno, and we’re excited about a new thing and we’re going to study it and spend money on it but then leave it to die and never grow to fruition.'" - Jamie Dronyk
I also hope for a different scenario, and I'll be continuing this discussion over on mindhub.
Jodi
Super Idea (way to start my week!)
Not only is this as fascinating idea, but it is one that has actually WORKED somewhere. And not only is this an idea that has worked somewhere, but we have some folks who are following up AND getting the ear of local politicians. Hot dang.
Hats off to Jodi, Kiel and anyone else working to make this come about.
It has been shown time and time again that folks in the creative community
often spear-head renewal in older urban areas. This is why it's valuable for Fresno to be a place that *attracts* creative types (artists/architects/all those for whom *ideas* drive their biz) who feel they can get involved and make a difference. This sort of project seems like a great example of what could make Fresno such a place.
Re: Artist Relocation Project
Jodi,
This is a wonderful idea. Thank you for bringing it to Fresno. I floated the idea past a few of my colleagues, these are some of their responses:
"This sounds exciting. Some really great architecture that blurs the line between building and art has come out of “found sites”. If the City is serious about offering these types of sites and local architects and artists are involved it would be great for us to be involved." - Paul Halajian
"This was on abc 30 news last year: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2748488
I remembered seeing it. It is so refreshing to hear someone who has a realization of the importance of art AND architecture. And it just makes it even better that the contact was made through the voice of arch hop.
I’m interested in having a dialogue about this opportunity in Fresno, and hopefully it’s not just another 'yes, we’re Fresno, and we’re excited about a new thing and we’re going to study it and spend money on it but then leave it to die and never grow to fruition.'" - Jamie Dronyk
"Sounds like the idea has some potential. However, given the current economic condition, private funding may not be an option. The City of Fresno has not tapped into an incredible resource of federal and state funding vis a vis the Community Development Block Grant Program. This is the greatest source of funding for Redevelopment Agencies, which then could be channeled into a program like the one Jodi is talking about. With a couple of phone calls, and perhaps a good grant writer, we could gauge the likelihood of securing funding for pilot community project like this.
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/stateadmin/...
" - Shaunt Yamenjian
I'll take a stab at a few of your questions:
One: $2,500 will not go that far to pay market rate architectural fees. A larger amount always helps. You will most likely have to find architects and engineers, that are excited about the projects and willing to reduce their fees for this worthy project.
Two: I feel there would be some interest. You may also want to engage some younger not yet licensed architects. This is a good opportunity to explore more design work that many of us do not get the opportunity within a firm.
Three: I'm not sure an approved list of architects is appropriate here. I think it will be healthier to leave it open to the artist's discretion. I don't believe the added work of compiling a list of approved architects will be helpful and there is always the chance that younger architects and small firms would be left out.
Four: Again, I think it is better to leave this open to new and existing buildings. The Paducah program has some good examples of renovated buildings. We'll just have to avoid the buildings with huge structural, and abatement issues.
Thanks for your work on this project, and keep me posted.
Kiel Famellos-Schmidt
Artist Relocation Project-Fresno, Architecture/Design Stipend
Kiel,
Congrats on the blog. I was in a car accident and missed the first ArcHop; sounds like it was a success. I am interested in a dialogue with the architects involved (and anyone else who'd like to comment) and I'm choosing your blog to divulge some exciting news and with hope, help boost your traffic!
The Artist Relocation Project of Paducah, Kentucky (www.paducaharts.com) began in 2000 and has completely revitalized the dilapidated downtown Paducah. The City of Paducah partnered with Paducah Bank to offer free city-owned lots and buildings and construction/rehab loans to qualified working fine artists to relocate to Paducah, renovate/build a live/work sapce and form a community. The project has succeeded and Paducah is now a destination place for fine art and a model of economic rehabilitation using art and architecture. A prime component of the plan, and what will be of interest to readers of this blog, is that the city provided a $2500 stipend for architectural fees.
Now for the exclusive-you're-reading-it-here-first news. I met Monday with the mayor and Planning Director Nick Yovino and staff regarding replicating the project here. They are interested. Very interested. Yovino is now compiling an inventory of city-owned lots in downtown. Scraps and odd-sized things I'm sure that will be cast-offs of the larger development plans in the works, but as I see it, opportunities for some incredibly creative architecture. We meet again in three weeks, during which time I'll be gathering consensus on what the local arts and architecture community thinks of this and suggestion on how to build and administer the program. (And also find an financial institution willing to write the loans; co-signed by the city, I might add, so not so much risk. If anyone has a lead, feel free to pass it on and I'll come dance for their board). At this point, I am an unpaid volunteer and defacto voice of many from mindhub who desired to see this idea proceed.
Some things I would like to know from the architectural community:
One: I would like to see the $2500 architectural stipend doubled. At least. There would be more provision then for engineering/interior design/landscape design/exterior graphic design. If the point is to honore art and architecture, what better way to honor them than with workable fees. What do y'all think?
Two: This is still architecture on a budget, considering creating a construction set and specs from scratch, plus dealing with city paperwork and perhaps the bidding process/contractor. Would any of you even be interested in working on these projects?
Three: Paducah reimburses the owners for the architectural fees, (e.g. they are free to use anyone from anywhere) but Paducah is a much smaller town with barely any architects. Do you think it would be fair to create a list of approved architects (by application and only open to local firms/individuals) from which owners may choose? My intent would be the same as ArcHop: showcase and honor what fine architectural talent we have in the city.
Four: At this juncture, I believe we're just talking new construction. I feel this is safer in the beginning in order to avoid all the hidden costs one stumbles across in renovating existing buildings. Perhaps they could be brought in later, after the program proved its success. Thoughts?
No one could be more surprised than I that this is happening (nod and wink to Chris Johnson), but I did perceive genuine interest and intent at this meeting. I look forward to hearing from Fresno's architectural community and thank you, Kiel, for hosting this blog.
(Let 'er rip....) Jodi Fitzpatrick, ASID, CID, AKBD
Absolutely!
Your goals here are admirable and well intended. Proverbially speaking, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That is why I have decided to join your blog. Dreams and visions for our future are great, but without action there they remain. I have been hesitant to join in this arena, because I think most so called creative thinkers are not innovative in thought at all. They are however well educated (sometimes not an asset) and highly talented in "what" they do. Good planning is essential to who we are as the hubbing community for the Central San Joaquin Valley. I believe we have the ability and the resources here and now to change the destructive path that has lead to the loss of so much prime agricultural land, the worst air quality in the state, and a depleting water quality/quantity (consider the history of LA with reference to soil/air quality and water consumption). Good is good, but wise is better. Yes, saving our historic architecture is important, because it tells the world who we were (both the bad and the good) and enough beauty and innovation has been torn down or buried already. Conserving that while integrating architectural design for the future is going to require true innovation, collaboration, and cooperation from ALL of us. Our Fulton Mall is a prime example. Its 50 year anniversary is just around the corner and I have yet to see a plan that displays the unity necessary in the display of what and who we are, or is that our true identity? As a native son, I sincerely hope not. I look forward to seeing this blog fill with constructive and truly insightful revolutionary innovative thought.
can't wait...
and good luck.
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