No, not the shoes…people who sketch! Something that most people in the architectural field started doing when they were a kid or found interesting in art class is sketching in place–going somewhere, be that a park bench, a bus-stop, a sidewalk cafe, a city square or just a seat on a front stoop, and drawing what you see in front of you. The Urban Sketchers are an international group of people connected by the web who enjoy location drawing in mostly urban situations and share their passion and works with one another and with anyone who is interested. They state their mission in this fashion:
We aim to show the world, one drawing at a time.
Location drawing is probably something that most architects would like to do more of…so let their work be an inspiration to you. Get out and sketch!
When researching projects and project sites one finds lots of interesting things as well as interesting ways to find things. One way to look back in history is through the reference materials generated by the Historic American Buildings Survey. This resource is a wealth of historic information and especially relevant to architects since its the main focus is buildings.
Found the above house while browsing through the online collection. This house was photographed in February 1983. A quick google and bing maps search revealed nothing on Belcaro Road in Knoxville that looks remotely like this. Probably have to do some foot work and a bit more research to find out what happened to this amazing house.
The estate also included a formal garden on the back lawn.
Ever take time to look back through your old sketches? Pulled this one out of the box-o-sketches and thought it was share worthy. It is interesting what you will find when looking back through old work. You can always learn something about yourself; see how you have changed and grown. This happens to be an unfinished member of our cottage collection. A simple and elegant stone facade with three arches commands the composition while the side-facing garage is hidden behind the wall extension to the right. Hope you enjoy.
The Knoxville Parade of Homes is just around the corner, literally! Beginning today, October 1st, and running the next three weekends, Friday through Sunday of each weekend, 26 homes around town will be open for viewing from noon until 5pm each day. The event is completely free and showcases some of the newest homes and latest interior design trends in the area. Jonathan Miller Architects is pleased to have three homes from our studio included in the Parade this year (if you get the Parade guide, they are homes 2, 12 & 14).
We hope you get a chance to visit some of the homes while they are open to the public. This is an exciting opportunity for the general public to see some of our latest projects as they come to fruition. We are honored that they are included in this year’s Parade.
As always, the builders are the real heroes. They are the ones out on the site every day making sure all the little details are in, from foundation to finishes. A big thanks to Charles Atkins of Charles R. Atkins, Inc. and to Mike Dulin of Ethics Construction. They make it happen.