In an essay entitled The Hedgehog and the Fox, Isaiah Berlin quotes the Greek poet Archilochus, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing” (Berlin 7). The essay was written as a commentary on Leo Tolstoy’s view of history, however, the text can offer an understanding for how one might practice architecture as well. For us, this understanding reveals itself in perceiving the environment as a fox and believing in it as a hedgehog.
Perceiving the environment as a fox requires “plenty of full light” (Albers) and a methodical rigor aimed at exploring forces and processes including climate, culture, economy, atmosphere, and material.
Believing in the environment as a hedgehog requires a confidence and trust that the projects we build and discussions we nurture “feel the pull of life” (Martin 159) and contribute positively to our clients and the world around us.
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Albers, Josef. Poems and Drawings. Ed. Nicholas Fox Weber. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. Print.
Berlin, Isaiah. The Hedgehog and the Fox; an Essay on Tolstoy’s View of History. New York: Mentor Books, 1957. Print.
Martin, Agnes and Briony Fer. Agnes Martin. Ed. Frances Morris and Tiffany Bell. London: D. A. P./Tate, 2015. Print.
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Memorial Townhome Renovation
Houston, Texas
Residential
Just steps from Memorial Park, this complete townhome renovation transforms a compartmentalized layout into an airy, light-filled sanctuary. Walls and columns were removed to create open sightlines and fluid movement, reflecting the client’s identity and lifestyle. Multiple skylights wash the double-height living space in daylight, shifting like an internal sundial and connecting inhabitants to the rhythms of time and season.
Erick Calderon
Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Artist, & Maker
Art and Design
In this episode our resident architects Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden visit with Erick Calderon, a business owner, entrepreneur, artist, and maker from Houston, Texas. Erick Calderon is the owner of La Nova Tile, a company he started over a decade ago, after graduating from UT Austin with a degree in international business. But it wasn't until a more recently that he started experimenting with artistic sculpture and color gradations. Joe and Kevin visit with Erick about the start of his tile company, the forging of his artistic identity, and how his art feeds back into the business.
Site Dwelling Competition
Joe Rivers and Kevin Barden
Competitions
“The Site Dwelling, located on the cliff of the bay, in the village of Salir do Porto, aims to create a secluded destination, a place of retreat to engage with the landscape while providing shelter from the natural elements. This is a place to stay and inhabit for a few days, offering visitors a unique experience in a very special setting; visitors must leave the space as they found it, empty.” Rivers Barden Architects was…