Offbeat Hot: Q&A With Architect Bart Prince (part two)

Technical status wise — things are much calmer today. That’s good news for us folks who like to proceed in a somewhat orderly fashion, (like me). Yesterday I brought you some Q&A with the very cool Bart Prince. Today I’ve got a little more of that and some more neat examples of his work. Plus some super keen links to check out.

Most creative folks like having their very own place to brainstorm and work. I write and my own little place is called the “one room office with desk.” And although I do have a spiffy chair as well, I’d much rather have a place like this:

This is the Bart Prince Residence and Studio, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A tad more inspirational than the one-room workspace I’d say.

EDIT NOTE: Dan in our reader comments noticed this, “The first pic above is the 1982 studio in Santa Fe (read caption above Bart’s photo). The interior is of the present studio in Albuquerque, begun in 1983.” ~ Thanks Dan & sorry readers, it’s been a heck of week - my brain’s off. 

From Prince’s site:

“Bart Prince Residence and Studio, Albuquerque, New Mexico 1983-1984

Built on a small lot in an existing neighborhood to provide living and studio workspace. The studio is set into the ground behind an earth berm toward the front of the structure to provide easy access and a buffer from the street for the more private portions of the house. The top level contains the bedrooms with curved south-facing glazing for passive solar benefits. The masonry tower was added in 1990 to provide library and drawing storage space.”

Pretty cool. Here’s an interior shot:

I’ve read various Prince interviews in the past and based on some of his previous quotes, I came up with this whopper of a question for him:

You’ve said that “site, client, materials, and form are associated with what develops…that architecture is the structure that grows out of a situation,” and that you “work from the inside out….letting (the structure) become the final form.” To an outside observer (read Jennifer, the outside non-architect observer) this can sound like you’re completely ‘winging it’ yet your finished structures are always amazing. How is this ‘from the inside out’ method more cohesive than planning from the outside in — i.e Such as architects who try to make the building and client fit their plans, rather than the other way around?

Geez, good (and by good I mean a little nuts) question huh. Still nice fellow that he is, Prince answered:

“When I say that the design ‘responds’ to the site, client, climate, materials etc. and that the design ‘grows’ from this situation, it doesn’t mean these things ‘happen’ by themselves. It’s the mind of the architect that brings these ideas together and synthesizes everything into a final scheme. It’s a very complex process and far from ‘winging it’! In fact it is a much more difficult process that the standard so-called design process used by many. You are dealing with materials, structure, ideas, space while solving complex design programs presented by the client. It takes years of experience to make this process look easy!”

This is a good example of something that looks easy, but likely took great skill. The Price Residence in California was built to provide the owners with privacy as well as, “An integration with the site and close association with the sea,” Prince’s site states.

Here’s a beautiful interior shot of the Price home:

Just amazing. Now what if you’re an architect freshly starting out. I asked Prince if he was ever worried about job security or what others in his field might think of his break from the traditional structure early in his career and what advice he’d give to aspiring architects and designers who want to break away from a basic box architectural style and head into offbeat territory.

“I never worried about ‘breaking away’ from the standard ways of doing things. I didn’t think that any architect worth anything had a choice! You HAD to begin doing work that was more creative and responsive to the modern world in my opinion. Job ’security’ never interested me. I didn’t want any job that was going to make me do things I didn’t think were worth doing.

I don’t think anyone should be trying to be ‘offbeat’. What they should be doing is using their imaginations to bring about creative solutions to the problems they are given. There should be as many kinds/styles of buildings are there are kinds/styles of people. Everything should be ‘offbeat’!”

I agree with Prince… what do you think?

This is the Mead/Penhall Residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I used to think of this as a little too contemporary for me. But you know, it’s kind of grown on me. I like the alternating lines and for some reason it reminds me of a waterfall. Would you like to call a place like this home?

This almost concludes our offbeat weekend architect tour. But in case you’re aching for more information I’ve got some extra sites for you to check out.

Bart Prince’s website, the obvious place to start. Prince has a multitude of cool projects to see on his site. I especially enjoy his random models and drawing page. And I highly recommend checking out the Model Skyscraper — very cool.

A book? Why yes there is a book. A very fine book that you will enjoy. You can check it out at Builders Booksource or any other bookstore you frequent.

You can find one of my favorite Prince interviews at Architectural Digest. It’s a video interview; interesting and informative. Go give it a whirl, (or a watch).

Last but absolutely not least, a hearty “thank you!” to Bart Prince for answering my questions, letting me raid his site for great photos, and allowing the Offbeat readers a view into his world.

*As yesterday, all pictures (except book cover) provided courtesy of Bart Prince. (Thanks again Bart!).