Archive for 'Mark English Architects'
An SF Designer in Italy: Highlights from Milan Design Week 2019
In early April I crossed the Atlantic to attend this year’s annual Design Week in Milan, Italy. It didn’t take much convincing when I first shared the idea with Mark — he immediately recognized the trip’s potential to inspire the team and replenish our materials library with Europe’s finds.
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Inclination and Evolution: A Stair Design
This central staircase rail went from glass, to steel, and back to glass again, in a design transformation aided by hand sketches, computer renders, and actual as-built appearance at the job site. Image: Mark English Architects
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Skylight Case Study
Late-breaking waterproofing concerns arise on a job site, after construction is already underway. The power of hand drawing aids in a quick exploration of a crucial building detail, avoiding potentially costly change orders down the road. Image: Mark English Architects
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Understanding Complexity at a Glance: Hand Drawing as Tool for Technical Communication
Hand drawing is not just a holdover from architecture’s pre-digital past. Even today, hand-drawn sketches are an indispensable tool for communication, problem-solving, and rapid exploration of new ideas. Greg Corbett, Architect at Mark English Architects, shares hand drawing techniques for creating 3D illustrations during project development.
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Rock Whisperers: The Subtle Power of Incan Masonry
The Incas of the Andes had a special relationship with rock, which was key to their empire. Even today their masonry inspires awe, and perhaps fear. The Incas thought that rocks were people, with their own volition and personality. Inca stoneworks live on today, as monuments and often as foundations for later buildings.
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Laguna Street Residence: A Victorian Re-envisioned
The Laguna Steet Residence by Mark English Architects is an extensive remodel and addition to an 1890’s Victorian home located in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood. The historically significant front facade was retained, and a modern home built within the existing shell
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Process: The Saratoga House
The Saratoga House, one of our current projects at Mark English Architects, first began its design development over two years ago. Understanding that having a new home designed and built is a big commitment, our clients wanted to take some time before making the final decision to move forward with the project.
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Façade Studies: Atherton House
In our previous post, we discussed the importance of the continued practice of hand-making physical models and the role it has in aiding the architectural design process and allowing for a deeper understanding of the project. In this post we discuss the ways in which 3D rendering technology has opened up a world of possibility for design exploration and visual communication.
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Why We Still Build Models
It is the very process of actually making something with one’s hands that we believe leaves room for inspiration. Model making allows for “happy mistakes,” breakthroughs that originate in the non-verbal part of the mind. That just doesn’t happen when using a computer.
