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.
Josh Ryan
Designer, Illustrator and Absurdist
Art and Design
Josh Ryan is a designer and illustrator who specializes in bringing people together with quirky and humorous works. Joe and Kevin sat down with Josh to discuss his artistic development, one of his biggest successes, and the intersections of comedy and art.
Sicily Sketch Essay
Kevin Barden
Drawing and Photography
In the summer of 2008, Kevin visited Sicily for two weeks. Traveling by train, car, and foot, various sites ranging in time, material, and typology around the island were observed, explored, and studied. This sketch essay captures a handful of the moments and experiences from the trip.