Design Shop Talk

An introduction to Thomas Wheatley, Creative Loafing's News Editor, and a review of 2014's development landmarks and a look forward to developments to come in 2015. Thomas Wheatley is an Atlanta native and the news editor of Creative Loafing, Atlanta's alt-weekly. He started at CL in 2007 as a staff writer covering transportation, urban development, and the environment. He has also written for Flagpole and Next City. He lives with his wife and two cats in southwest Atlanta's Westview neighborhood. Nathan Koskovich, AIA is a licensed architect in the state of Georgia, host of Shoptalk and chair of the Architecture and Design Center.

Nathan Koskovich, AIA sits down with Laura Flusche to talk about how she became the Executive Director of the Museum of Design Atlanta, her time in Rome and move to Atlanta, and the relationship between culture and the objects those cultures produce.

In this latest episode of our Citizen Architect sub-series, Nathan Koskovich, AIA sits down with Jeffery Robinson, AIA, principal of JW Robinson & Associates to talk about his father and founder of JW Robinson, Joseph Robinson, FAIA. Joseph Robinson was one of the first African American Architects in the state of Georgia and the first to be recognized as a Fellow of the AIA for his contributions to the profession and to the city of Atlanta.

The Young Architect's Forum, a Program of AIA Atlanta, is one of the most dynamic and energetic architecture organizations in the City of Atlanta. Among there great programs is the 48hr Design Competition in which competitors enter without knowing the design challenge and have to come up with a solution within 48 hours. In this episode Nathan Koskovich, AIA talks with Nick Kahler, a YAF member who ran the competition and Max Kovtoun, winner of this year's 48hr competition.

Gabriel Richard is an architect who sees architecture not in terms of projects and buildings, but services. He sees himself as a keeper of a process that delivers quality design. His goal on each project is not to deliver a world renown design, but to do honor to the clients goals by providing the services that translates the client's goals and needs into a form which can be permitted and built and which represents the client well. The surprise of this approach is that it leads to the best design possible while not raising the architect's agenda above that of the client's.

David Rader and Nathan Koskovich kickoff our architecture history series with the Parthenon and speculate on why it still matters to architects.

Nathan Koskovich, AIA shares a beer with John Maxiumk, AICP at Java Vino and talks about City Planning and the its shift towards a community-centric approach and the tools the community needs to be effective advocates for good design.

Nathan Koskovich, AIA talks with Stanley Daniels, FAIA. Daniels, a founding partner of iconic Atlanta Architecture Firm Jova/Daniels/Busby, is a member of a generation of architects that not only contributed to Atlanta's development through their professional practice, but also through community engagement. Stanley played an important role in founding the Architecture Foundation of Georgia. He talks about it and some of Jova, Daniel, Busby's important projects.

To hopefully help listeners understand what Architects and designers are talking about when we reference seminal works, David Rader and I, Nathan Koskovich, are going to undertake a special sub-series in which we look at a survey of important architects and works that make up the mental background of most modern architecture practices. It's not an exhaustive survey. It's a bare- essentials for anyone who wants to be relatively fluent in architect-ese.

This is just an introduction. In future episodes we will look at a building David and/or I have been to in person because no matter how much you study a building, seeing it in person is always surprising. We'll cover the people involved, the Architect and the Client. The reason the building was built and a little about the times in which the building was built. We'll go over some of the distinct, unique, and influential elements of the building or work. and we'll wrap up with why the building is important and give our own critique of the building. There's a lot to be gained by tearing down giants, or at least chipping away at them.

See the blog for the initial list we will be working from

Nathan Koskovich, AIA, talks with Graphic Designer and Printer Lennie Mowris at her studio and workshop. Lennie's work in letterpress illustrates the power of details in design. How small things, like how ink finds its way on to paper, affect our understanding of an image, and of the brand it represents. For her working in letterpress is not a nostalgic quirky whim, but a means to achieving certain design goals.

Lennie combines more than ten years experience in the natural health industry with a passion for merging tradition and innovation. Through her independent studio, Lenspeace, she specializes in sustainable design and brand strategy for small business, non-profit organizations, artisans and individuals. Her Decatur-based printmaking workshop features two vintage letterpresses and screen printing services for production of custom brand collateral and unique dimensional art. As AIGA Atlanta Affinity Programming Director, she develops educational and collaborative programming focused on The Living Principles for Design, Women's Leadership and Diversity, and Design For Good initiatives.