Early Spring in Denver

In late March, Abby and Elizabeth flew to Denver, Colorado to attend the regional conference of the Society for College & University Planners (SCUP). Lucky to arrive 12 hours post-storm, we missed all of the flight delays and were greeted with sunny, blue skies and 14" of fresh snow!

 The conference was a jam-packed three day event that took place on the Auraria Higher Education Campus in downtown Denver - just a short walk from our hotel (the semi-eccentric Curtis Hotel).

The old Tivoli Brewery - now a Student Union at the Auraria Higher Education Campus

Never having been to Denver, we took advantage of every free moment to check out the sights:

Denver Children's Hospital

Denver Art Museum

Abby's favorite installation at the Denver Art Museum - interactive projected doodles

Abby's second favorite installation at the Denver Art Museum

Clyfford Still Museum

Denver Public Library

Out & About: Portland Community College Sylvania Library

posted by Mike Sauer
 

 We tested several sizes to see which best served wayfinding needs and suited the architecture. 

Here I am doing my best "Vanna"

AK is working with GBD architects on the PCC Sylvania Library remodel, one of many PCC bond projects happening throughout the college district.

The library as an institution has gone through dramatic changes in the last few decades and college libraries are no exception. Incorporating new programs and broader concepts of learning into libraries isn’t new – the 70’s saw a shift from the term “Library” to names like “Campus Learning Center”. However, libraries like Sylvania are now incorporating departments like the Student Success Center, an open study area with tutoring in math and english, and the Student Computing Center, which assists students with tutoring in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems, among others.

In order to help students navigate the multitude of services offered in the remodeled library, AK is developing large flag signs for the main “boulevard” of the building. The flags contain single words in large text that identify services students are looking for, while smaller text below adds a further layer of information, like department names.

 

Out & About: Thank you Cherry!

We celebrated Cherry Britton and her eight years with AK as she strides into a ‘retirement’
full of adventure. We’ll miss her insight, her humor, her delight in learning and her
willingness to take on a new challenge. Next: walking the “Chemin de St. Jacques”
through the south of France this fall. 

Bon Voyage, Cherry!

Out & About: Chemeketa Community College's Yamhill Valley Campus

Building Dedications are perfect days. Owners, architects, designers, contractors and all project
 participants come together with building users to celebrate a job well done. Problems along
the way have been solved, budgets resolved and schedules met. It's a time to say thank you -
to our visionary clients, to our partners in collaboration, to everyone who made it possible.
Yesterday we were at Chemeketa Community College's Yamhill Valley Campus where
the beautiful new classroom building ("Old Main") was officially dedicated. Designed
by Yost Grube Hall Architecture, "Old Main" anchors the new campus in McMinnville, OR

 

Chemeketa Community College's visionary president, Cheryl Roberts (above, with Elizabeth),
 welcomed everyone to the College's second campus, noting that Chemeketa is one of only two
 multi-campus colleges in Oregon. The art in the building showcases regional artists and is content

specific to Chemeketa and Yamhill Valley. The glass sculpture on the right, interprets
the Chemeketa motif, a graphic interpretation of the native American "gathering place"
which is the original meaning of the word "Chemeketa."

Elizabeth Anderson and Mark Stoller, YGH Principal-in-Charge for the project, are all smiles

as they take in the event and admire the results of their firms' collaboration. They are standing in

 front of LeRoy Setzoil's magnificent wall panel in the entry lobby.  

Upstairs, AK interpreted the Chemeketa motif to provide screening on the storefront glass at

 classrooms and gathering spaces. 

As we left the event, the building was illuminated against the darkening sky and the halo lit letters

on "Old Main" identified the campus along Highway 18.

Share the Love: Community Transitional School

Our 3rd Annual Share the Love party...

This year we shared the love with the Community Transitional School (CTS), a local non-profit dedicated to children whose families are homeless or in transition.  Since 1990, CTS has served more than 4,000 children (ages 4-14) in the Portland metro region. CTS provides encouragement, education and support, along with food, clothing, transportation and school supplies.

 

Inspired by our decorations from last year's party (all that wonderful painting from CHAP) we covered our walls with self-portraits and stories by the students of CTS, and scattered colorful letters among the candy dishes.

 

The children and staff at CTS were thrilled with all of the donations collected at the party.

Thanks to everyone who shared the love!

Happy Holidays from Anderson Krygier!

Out and About: University of Idaho - Kibbie Dome

 

Happy Project Managers

Last week Elizabeth and Abby traveled to Moscow, Idaho to review the recently installed signs at University of Idaho's remodeled Kibbie Dome. We kicked off this project in October 2010 by reviewing existing site conditions with Alec Holser and Chris Roberts of Opsis Architecture; a year later, lots of collaboration with Opsis and the University, and what a difference!

 

After

Words to the alma mater line the glass entry to the club level. 

Before

After

A complete graphics overhaul transformed dark corridors into hip and vibrant spaces featuring university colors and bold historical photos.

 Before

After

Donor and Booster recognition were redesigned and organized in a centralized location.

 

Before

 

After

Wayfinding was updated to be clear, concise and bold!

Out & About: Oregon State Hospital - Salem OR

We stopped at Oregon State Hospital today to check out recently installed site ID (above) and also to "retake" a photo we made over two years ago for a Cafe Retail sign layout featuring the historic Kirkbride Hospital. Then, Kirkbride was cream in color and surrounded by scaffolding. Today the building, now a beautiful brick color, is magnificent against the Oregon summer sky - and ready for her close-up!

Mike holds our layout while Abby focuses on the subject.

Out & About: Field Trip to Speedpro Imaging

After a visit from Carolyn Miye in May, yesterday AK accepted her offer to visit their new Speedpro Imaging office in Beaverton to learn more about their printing capabilities and process. We were very impressed with their printing quality and their willingness to work collaboratively.

Checking out the Roland printer in action

Not content to just discuss theoretical applications, we brought an actual project to discuss with the Speedpro team. Nick, Mike and Carolyn were very helpful in trouble-shooting our project and we left with a viable solution!

Out & About: Contemporary Montreal

Montreal exploded when Expo 67 came to town. It brought the world to Montreal and contemporary architecture too. Above, Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67 heralded a new era for Montreal and most of the newer buildings in the city today date from that period. Above, the site glows from the setting sun's reflected light.

The 1976 Summer Olympics brought more lasting architecture to Montreal and a beautiful Olympic Park which today welcomes visitors to the Biodome (above left), an observation tower (right) and many beautiful gardens, including Japanese and Classical Chinese.

Montreal's classical Chinese Garden has many of the classical forms we recognize in our Portland garden only they are much larger and more spread out. It was a thrill to see it after visiting very similar, much older gardens in Suzhou, China last year.

Bixi Bikes! The zip cars of Montreal. Slide your credit card, get 40 free minutes, then pay by the hour. These line ups are all over the city, often with few bikes - everyone's riding!

Montreal's newest design excitement is the "Quartier des Spectacles" in the center of the city. Created by closing streets to vehicular traffic, a large event plaza is still in construction. The most significant design feature, however, is illumination that changes nightly to spotlight the cultural activities within the quarter. Venues are illuminated only when something's happening. Above, an LED light display changes colors on the facade of the art museum.