Kyle Andersen (GBD Architects)
BY LUKE AREHART
The latest in our continuing (if occasional) interview series with local architects about their inspirations and favorites continues with Kyle Andersen, a principal with GBD Architects. Andersen has been with the firm for 24 years and has worked either as lead designer or principal in charge on a host of the firm's noteworthy projects, including the Hassalo on Eighth, the Center for Health & Healing at Oregon Health and Science University (its first building in the South Waterfront district), the Bellevue Towers, and the Edge Lofts.
Portland Architecture: When did you first become interested in architecture as a possible career?
Kyle Andersen: When I was younger, I enjoyed drawing, art class, shop class and eventually found myself at Benson Polytechnic High School, where I was exposed to a variety of trades, skills and just a general education on problem solving. It was at Benson that I discovered industrial design, construction and drafting. I also discovered that architectural drafting was an option for my major and that it seemed to capture all of my interests. That really launched my interest in the world of design.
Where did you study architecture and how would you rate the experience?
I initially studied architecture at Oregon School of Design. It was in the Pearl District, before it was the Pearl District. A lot of artists had studios there that they likely lived in illegally. It was the perfect paradigm. The school was small and focused on process. The professors there were an incredible force for me to reconcile. They discussed architecture and design in such a way that I felt my brain making new connections as I tried to understand their lexicon.
To be honest, I struggled at first, because I was constantly trying to understand the abstract means of expressing design. It was exhilarating. Studying art history along with taking the drawing classes was liberating. I had great professors like Thomas Hacker, Brad Cloepfil, John Cava, Phil Sylvester, and John Czarnecki, to name a few. The school unfortunately went bankrupt. It happened at a time when U of O was launching its Portland program, Portland State was trying to do the same, and the OSD remained a non-accredited school.
Luckily that led to my transfer to University of Oregon. The good part was now all my OSD credits were accredited. The bad news I had to move to Eugene. I thought for sure it was going to be nothing but studies in barn vernacular, and that I’d relish every chance to drive back to Portland. I was far more interested in urban life as a person and later as an architect. But U of O did teach me about a more holistic design approach. Working closely with John Reynolds and Rob Pena opened my eyes to a whole other side to the profession and practice.
Later, under their guidance, I would win an international competition sponsored by the Union of International Architects and the American Institute of Architects, “A Call for Sustainable Community Solutions.” My winning entry garnered me a scholarship to study for a year in Spain. I chose Barcelona, where I took post-graduate coursework in urban design. It was an incredible experience that immersed me in what I still believe to be one of the most wonderful cities in the world…although I have a lot more to see.
What is your favorite building project that you’ve worked on?
That is a hard one, because one of the things I love most about the profession is the constant change: in scale, client, location, and certainly the inevitable challenges that arise. For me, though, the Oregon Sustainability Center was one of the most interesting and comprehensive projects I had the opportunity to work on.
Rendering of Oregon Sustainability Center (GBD Architects)
It was pursuing the highest levels of sustainability as outlined in the Living Building Challenge administered by the International Living Future Institute. It was basically a building that collected its own water, generated its own energy through passive means, and treated all waste on site. If those ambitions of a triple net-zero building were not enough alone, it had to do it within an urban setting. This would have demonstrated a real game-changer to the built environment. The OSC had the potential to reshape how buildings are built, and by overlaying eco-district strategies, it could have informed how buildings work together to create urban sustainability. We let the form of the solution be driven by the resources that surrounded it. We explored a way to design a building that became a laboratory and could change over time. The financing for the project did not materialize and ultimately a state bond necessary to advance the project did not happen. However, that design work has further driven my pursuit of sustainability, and it has informed our subsequent projects, like at Hassalo on Eighth.
Who has been an important mentor among your colleagues?
Credit would have to be given to my father, who taught me the value of working hard; that was instilled in me since childhood. I have had many mentors in my 24 years with GBD, who have given me a very comprehensive appreciation for the craft and profession of architecture. Alan Beard, who brought me into GBD, was a founding principal of the firm whom I also considered a friend. I enjoyed being in his company and watching him interact professionally. Phil Beyl has been the rock at GBD. He makes our office work. Phil has a sharp acumen for the business side of the profession, and his trustworthy boy-scout disposition gives him the trust that he deserves. Steve Domreis is another person who gave me an appreciation for the levity of design. He took his work seriously, but not so seriously that it got in the way of dreaming up clever design solutions. He knew good design when he saw it, whether his own or another’s. And of course I was mentored by another founding principal, Chuck Gordon: an architect’s architect. He came from rigorous training at University of Illinois, then later worked at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in Chicago. Some say God is in the details and others say the devil is the details, but either way, Chuck knew how to put together a building and the importance of the details.
What part of the job do you like best, and as an architect what do you think you most excel at?
I enjoy the early process of developing the big idea and the more metaphoric abstract step in the process. I have been taught and believe that a building must maintain its big idea, the diagram or parti. If your work can find that kind of resolution from concept to realization, you have succeeded. That is not the only measure, but certainly for me that is an important metric of a good design solution.
Two views of Hassalo on Eighth (GBD Architects)
What are some Portland buildings (either new or historic) that you most admire?
I think the Commonwealth Building by Pietro Belluschi (originally known as the Equitable Building) will always remain one of my all-time favorite buildings. You have the sense that design permeated throughout the conception of that project through the execution.
Also, the Weiden + Kennedy headquarters by Allied works is just a gem and speaks to the sublime side of architecture.
What is your favorite building outside of Portland and besides any you’ve worked on?
I would have to say three buildings in Barcelona. One is Palau Güell, or Güell Palace, in Barcelona by Gaudí. It’s an exuberant design for a private residence for one of his patrons, Eusebi Güell. There is an undeniable modernity to the building, especially given the period it was built (1886-90).
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art by the office of Richard Meier is an incredible intervention in the heart of the city. It has a clean clarity to the organization, and it has a lot of tension in the composition of the building.
And I am thrilled to watch the Sagrada Familia come together. The interior spaces have an incredible motive of nature that speaks to Gaudí’s belief that nature is the highest power.
Palau Güell (Portal Gaudí)
Is there a local architect or firm you think is unheralded or deserves more credit?
There are so many great design firms here such as Lever and WPA that are doing great things and growing their practice, but I think that Allied Works, for as much work as they have done outside our city, are perhaps unheralded within their own community.
What would you like to see change about Portland’s built environment in the long term?
I think as a city we have done an incredible job putting focus on the pedestrian realm, the street section, and the connectivity to open space. There is a huge amount of respect for the natural treasures that surround us. Given how much we enjoy the majesty and drama of the mountains, and the coastline, I think at times our buildings could be a little gutsier. We need more built spaces that move us, that cause us to pause to understand what it is about the design that moves us. I think as a city we should demand from leaders that they support greater design freedom in the public realm.
How would you rate the performance of local government like Prosper Portland, or the development and planning bureaus?
I think our city bureaus do what they believe is best. The outreach and transparency that our city offers to host other cities and learn from what we have done is an amazing testament to our good nature. Unfortunately, I think there is also a tendency to dumb things down, to overthink design solutions and in the process stifle the design expression. It would be good to loosen up a little as a city and let our built environment be full of as much personalities as the people themselves.
Who is a famous architect you’d like to see design a building in Portland?
I would love to see Renzo Piano come in and do an amazing piece of work. That said, while I know the work would have a high level of craft, I would worry that the work might not elevate the profession here. Maybe we need something a little bit edgier: not a Frank Gehry kind of edge, but perhaps a Morphosis or Coop Himmelb(l)au kind of machine-like edge—a building that makes you come back again and again to discover something new and to feel the sublime power of an amazing piece of architecture.
Name something besides architecture (sneakers, furniture, umbrellas) you love the design of.
I have to admit that I love the design of cars. The beautiful lines of a Porsche, a Bugatti, a Lamborghini or a Karmann Ghia are amazing. (I own a 1967 Karmann Ghia.) A well-designed car appeals to all my design senses of beauty, function, technology and exhilaration. I love going to the vintage races each year and seeing the new, old and custom cars out there.
What are three of your all-time favorite movies?
An odd, dark movie with some interesting architecture is The City of Lost Children. It has a surreal plot that takes you to an alternative reality. I love the structure and cinematography of Blue Velvet by David Lynch.
David Lynch's Blue Velvet (MGM)
Recently I also saw Ready Player One and thought it was the best movie I’ve seen at showing us a contemporary potential reality, enough so to make you question where technology could take us. It was a fascinating movie that even my kids enjoyed. And speaking of kids or being a kid, a bonus for fun would be The Incredibles 2. I loved that movie. It was the first one in a long time that I did not want to end.
Advertisements
Comments