Architecture in Austin - Guest Writer Series: Jay Hargrave

This is part (the last part, unless we get more submissions) of a weekly series of posts about architecture in Austin by local architects. The views expressed in this post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the outlook or beliefs of Austinist or anyone else in the IST network.

This column is by Jay Hargrave. A native Austinite, Jay is the founding partner of architecture, construction and fabrication firm Cottam Hargrave. He is an architect, artist and craftsperson specializing in fabrication details, building components, furniture, interiors, entire buildings and installation art. Jay performs metalworking, woodworking, as well as specialty concrete work, among other things. Jay received his architecture degree with High Honors form the University of Texas and later his Masters in Business Administration. He currently has an installation at Flatbed Press and also featured a 57-foot steel fish on the 1st street bridge in this year’s Art Alliance Austin’s “Art After Dark.” Other experiences include teaching at the University of Texas School of Architecture and lecturing at Continuing Education classes at the local AIA. Jay’s work has been published in Dwell, Masonry Construction, and Texas Home and Living.

Cities and Buildings

Buildings and cities get grouped together in our collective perspective. Planners and architects are often educated in the same school and it is not uncommon for architects to take on the role of planners at some level. But indeed they are very different.

Author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig, wrote in his later book, LILA, something to the effect that cities are not for people…people are for cities. He observed that people were literally consumed by cities. In a city, there is a dearth of opportunity for people to subsist…and living requires economic engagement. Cities and Economy are essential components of the Human paradigm.

Creative Center by Cottam Hargrave - Located at 4th and Colorado, the Creative Center is an adaptive reuse commissioned by the McGarrah Jessee agency. The building now functions as an open office space but formerly was a warehouse along Austin’s original train tracks.

Sisyphus might remark that cities are the bulwarks holding back the stones of entropy. Max More, who coined the term Extropy, might spin efforts with positive light suggesting that great cities are an example of the positive human inertia that overcomes the natural tendency of entropic decadence. Potato, potatoes…at any rate cities are mysterious organisms in and of them selves. While cities need buildings and people among other things, they transcend their parts with a life all their own. Cities are perhaps more akin to economies than buildings. Cities and economies were created and misunderstood by humans and are essential elements in the contemporary human paradigm. For both, we can set goals and develop plans, hold elections, approve bonds, engage in public work projects, make proclamations about; however, ultimately the things that we do only nudge the path that we are on and can do little towards goals or milestones of change. Indeed cities are immortal. Cities watch as generations rise and fall. A city simply is. And until all the citizens collectively believe and act in solidarity cities will continue to evade our best efforts to control them.

I have spent most of my time in Austin, not because I can’t leave but because there are few places that I would rather hang my hat. I grew up sailing on Town Lake where my family had a boat rental concession off Lakeshore Blvd and then later on Lake Travis. We planted trees down there with Lady Bird Johnson, some of which are still there. My Grandparents lived on St Elmo Road on the remains of their farm that my Dad grew up on. I have seen a lot of change both in the City and surrounding areas. Overall, I am pleased with how our city has grown and just hope that it continues to get better. Sure, I do find some things annoying like the Development Process or the verdant Zilker Park that somehow is beautiful, foreboding and ironic…and sure there are things that I wish we could do differently like bury Barton Springs Road through Zilker Park and not build speculative projects all at the same time. So I really like Austin.

What I get most wrapped around the axle about is bad buildings and art. I am not one with a predisposition towards style or critical examination, but some things are just plain ugly or inappropriate. For instance, the prolific use of unprotected wood on the outside of buildings

Fifteen years ago we were mourning the passing availability of old growth conifer lumber for exterior siding. Then came Ipe, the wonder wood. Now not only is Ipe being used in applications where previously we had learned our lesson, other more vulnerable species are coming back into play. Sure Ipe is strong, hard, rot resistant, but it still warps, cracks and turns gray just like you would expect wood to do. Now we are seeing gratuitous strips of the stuff applied to other systems that had previously not needed any additional layers of stuff. Perhaps the worst example is the parking structure at the corner of Fifth and Baylor. From the gitgo the stuff was bad. It hasn’t even had a chance to get bad.

We may not be able to affect much control over cities but we can put our best efforts behind the pieces. As individuals we can commission or build art, buildings and other improvements. And we can take pride in what we do and what we did. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to be able to design and erect structures that people engage with. It is truly a joy. An in some way I contribute to the city.

As the Great Recession begins to recede it will be interesting to see how we behave. We all know that that there will be some affect as all the overbuilt speculative projects are soaked up with capital that has been waiting on the sidelines for this portion of the cycle to come to fruition…and then again for the same projects to become occupied. While value hunting happens in every cycle this cycle may be differentiated by phenomenon that ultimately steer our cities and economies. We have been very lucky in Austin, because the dip has been shallow by comparison to the rest of the country and perhaps world, but we will no doubt experience the changes that were borne out of the Cycle and the events before and after. The federal government has been handing out billions like candy and so our wealth will likely be diminished through inflation or taxes. We are experiencing the beginnings of scarcity of resources. And if that is not enough, the weather just will not cooperate. Add to that, after this last soaking, consumers may be less likely to consume. Things may just have to move at slower pace. It is hard to imagine that we could maintain the trend of global growth and consumption. We all need to broaden our perspective…and we certainly don’t need to be sticking Ipe to parking structures in the belief that it makes them more delightful. We should be focused on quality and not quantity and producing right-sized buildings that last. Redevelop good existing structures. Change our habits towards true sustainability.

And hopefully equity will be a little more learned when the developer is out hunting for OPM (other people's money.) Consider real projects with real purpose and real tenants.

But certainly for people that are ready to commission real projects, now is the time to get started. Materials and labor have become much more available. If the project is funded, waiting to see “what the markets are going to do” will likely just increase the cost of the project. If things were to behave rationally, and they usually don’t, one could hope to see in the near future an increase of quality real projects with fewer Ipe strips built for owners and tenants who take pride in their buildings…and lots of remodeling of structures as new tenants take the place of those who succumb to the cycle…and a dearth of speculative projects because we have plenty and equity won’t have the stomach for more…public works will continue take on private equity partners as the taxing entities sort out their train wrecks…Planning will continue in order to fight entropy and distract us from our fear of the unknown.

For me, I am looking forward to watching our city continue to bloom, while I focus my energy on making better buildings and art.

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