Final interior walk-through! There is still work to be done on the exterior but it was nice to see the Client getting ready to move in. Fun project for some fun people. Take a look!

One of our projects won a very nice award!

I was asked to be one of the judges for the Minnesota Concrete and Masonry Contractors Association Awards. I had done this about 5 years ago and it was a blast to do it again. There were 14 architects and then 14 representatives from the masonry and concrete industry who were our guides. We split up into groups to cover more ground. I judged everything from new construction to restoration, residential to commercial. Unfortunately… I was having so much fun that I often forgot to film! So, this is just a small snippet of what was a full day for judging projects.

I’m a Judge! from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

Yep -that’s right. Someone actually wanted to ask me questions about architecture! WisconsinRealEstate.com, a web based resource for all things real estate, wanted information about working with an architect on a residential project. There are always so many facets that go into designing a home with the biggest variable being the Clients themselves. Everyone sees things, expresses things, wants and needs things differently so for me, the structure of the design process is somewhat loose. I describe it like a road map to get from Point A to Point B but there can be many different routes. Always an adventure!

The article is called ‘How an Architect Designs Your Home’. Check it out!

I thought I would share a little video of what seems to be a morning ritual happening twice a week this winter. How does this relate to design and architecture? – Umm… reconnecting with nature, fresh air, confirming the Midwest work ethic? Not sure but it has to be done! I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the season wherever you are!

Plowing from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

Kind of a typical day… Thought I would share a few things that go on for me as an Architect.

Architect’s Work Day from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

Architects Miguil Arraiz Garcia and David Moreno Terron designed and assembled this cardboard pavilion for the ‘Fallas’ festival in Spain. 3000 hexagonal boxes were glued and filled with earth to help anchor it to the plaza. The fear I had for it is shown at the end of the video… but on purpose. Fun, sculptural study. Take a look.

A battle is raging even though you don´t know from Noel Arraiz on Vimeo.

We have a large project underway going up west of the Twin Cities Metro. The facility will be a base for commuters to catch a transit bus downtown.

The 3-acre structure includes a two-level parking deck and a main terminal building. The upper level of the terminal building is employee space with a gracious terrace. The main level houses the ‘grand lobby’ along with ticketing, restrooms, vending, etc.

We chose a warm red brick blend along with Minnesota limestone for our main material pallet. A steel canopy extends across the loading area and is suspended with steel rods to large tapered limestone piers. This tapered pier is repeated (on a larger scale) at the corner near a major intersection and will include a large steel art piece depicting a plan view of an adjacent river. Stay tuned to see how it turns out!

We get to create some fun things! A Client asked us to design a mailbox to go along with the home we designed for them. This video shows a bit of that process. Take a look!

Here is a video describing the Fundamentals of Design, primarily focusing on branding. It is a great little synopsis of what we as architects think about but on a more grand and complex scale.
Source: Erica Gorochow

As if I can’t find enough ways to embarrass myself… I was asked to be part of a panel to discuss Social Media at the AIA Minnesota Convention this week. While I mainly focused on the ‘Weblog’ and Twitter, I put this video together equating Social Media to being invited to a party. My 12 year-old daughter helped pull this together. We added most of sound in later as we discovered the microphone battery was dead… so I may have pushed the Foley a bit! Enjoy!

Options for Approaching Social Media from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

Also, I tested out an egg timer thingy with my old GoPro. Below is a brief timelapse of the start of the seminar. GoPro Hero 3 Black on order!

Seminar TimeLapse from michael huber architects on Vimeo.