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choose a studio to work?


Juan Altieri
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Depends if you mean as a 3D guy or an architect. I don't know of any starchitect that has dedicated 3D people, as that would defeat the purpose. Most avant garde architects design in 3D, so you have to know how to do the 3D in the first place.

 

As an architect, been there done that (pretty much), as they say, and chose long ago not to pursue that path. You work too long and get paid too little, there's just no way around it. it's good for some, but not for most.

But if I chose, it'd be my thesis advisor, Thom Mayne. I love the methodology behind his work and believe that my own way of working would be easily adapted. I love his office and his personal dedication to experimentation, to pushing the boundaries, and finally getting it built.

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Renzo Piano.

 

 

I wanted to work with him so bad, when I graduated I sent him a fax from Egypt that costed me $24 for 1 page. I then mailed him samples. I then called his secretary she told me he's not available to talk to me he is touring his projects worldwide with no date set for his return....I got the message...

The truth is these famous architects don't need renderings to sell their projects. their name is more than enough to convince clients. I saw many renderings done for famous architects from 1995 till now. they mosly suck except for those done by Smoothe, Neoscape and Dbox ...etc. for Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and others like them. But the ones done in house are almost always low quality done for design sake not for presentation. Norman Foster was hiring, and I applied and got called back, but being an Arab Lebanese going to the UK on a work permit is harder than making 1 million dollars. ANd don't expect them to see your samples they are too big and too busy to waste 5 minutes on you.

 

Yeah I had a fetish for famous architects. While Renzo Piano was actually an Engineer not an Architect,In college during my 6 year degree I loved his work and even imitated one of his projects with my graduation project.

 

After I grew older and saw the world I realised they are normal people who work for money no more no less. Nothing that special about them. Well thay are special but not as I thought. When I was young and unexperienced I thought they were heroes. I still collect books but I am not like a child in front of a candy store anymore.

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What's good and what's not is subjective. I don't use the same rendering techniques for my own designs that I do for clients, it just looks too typical. Photoreal this or that is good or so so, but it's often the same thing. Nothing to differentiate between designs or designers.

Most talented designers will want to make a signature piece. Call it creative control, artistic distinction, etc. It's similar to looking at old drawings, by, say, Frank Lloyd Wright (of which, I love his drawings) to Le Corbusier, they both sought to represent their designs in a unique way.

If you compare Mayne's early work all the way through to the current renderings to Hadid's paintings and to her computer work, you can see distinct styles that demonstrate particular aspects of their respective designs.

You simply can't do that by outsourcing images. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't like to think too much, so photo real sells to the public better than something more creative. That's fine, of course, or most of us would be out of work!

 

Different images are appropraite for different audiences.

 

As for their names selling themselves, that's not really true. Until Mayne got the Diamond Ranch commission, Morphosis did not do large work. Now it's changed, but it's been more than 25 years in the making. The same goes for Zaha, she did relatively nothing, as far as built work, until these last few years.

As for Foster, Piano, Grimshaw, etc., they did many more mainstream projects, particularly office buildings, that helped them move up in the monetary chain. Not to mention Europe's competitions help to promote good architecture, unlike the US where tycoons like Silverstein rule the day and the mighty $$ trumps all (no pun intended ;-)!).

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Toyo Ito of course, his architecture is the most rendereable that i saw, hight tech styles are the best to visualize and he is the master of that, but he doesnt talk any other language but japanese, i saw him on a speech few months ago.

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Ihab - not sure what you are referring to. Any project of her's that was meant to be a building is perfectly functional and buildable. Just because her paintings exaggerate the perspective doesn't mean that the building cannot be built! Anything can be built, with enough money.

 

I've studied with her, visited her buildings, and followed her work for about 12 years now - her buildings are intended to be constructed, function as intended, and more or less practical. They come in on budget and meet all requirements, from codes to client programs.

The reason that we don't see more of her work built, although she has many very large buildings being constructed, is that people are scared, especially here in the US, of anything different. Gehry set the record straight with Bilbao, and now Disney (although Disney was designed before Bilbao), and now Hadid has Cincinnati and many other international buildings, HUGE buildings, under construction.

 

She is, imo, one of the top architects of our time, perhaps the last 100 years, and is incredibly talented. Don't dismiss someone's designs simply because they have not compromised (read = sold out). Few can hold onto idealistic visions and get them built. There is a reason she is so well known.

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*Phew*

 

Sorry if that sounded defensive, she's just been a driving force in my education (Bach and Masters in Arch - 7 long years!!) and my development as a designer and architect.

 

Cheers.

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  • 3 years later...
Sorry if that sounded defensive, she's just been a driving force in my education (Bach and Masters in Arch - 7 long years!!) and my development as a designer and architect.

 

interesting, I could easily say the same about Mayne and what Morphosis has consistently produced.

 

also, I wouldn't mind working for:

coop himmelblau

eric owen moss

lebbbeus woods

moxon

hadid

koolhaas...among many more ;)

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  • 6 months later...

I applied at Fosters, Cook + Fox, Grimshaw, Rafael Vinoly, FxFowle, all for either an internship or 3d renderer and got absolutly nothing.

 

Grimshaw is even looking for a full time renderer and after several calls, emails, and handing in a hard copy of my work they wont even return a call.

 

My favorite to render for would be fosters or Patkau Architects

 

And Piano's project are my favorite in real life. I would love to render some of them.

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My favorite to render for would be fosters or Patkau Architects

 

I believe Foster does rendering in house on a lot of stuff. It sure looked like they did on NMAAHC. I'm CERTAIN Patkau does - in fact John is in most of the renderings if you look close.

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Grimshaw is even looking for a full time renderer and after several calls, emails, and handing in a hard copy of my work they wont even return a call.

.

 

 

 

And you live in NYC already!

I think they will not hire anybody, they rely on top visualization studios for their artwork. Their job posting is just a formality to satisfy the ego of someone in managment.

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