Kiser + Vogrin Design’s Post

Many of our team members come from unconventional backgrounds and we embrace that with our transdisciplinary ethos. Today, Diana Anda tells us about her unique #careerpath. Got a question about careers in landscape, planning, and/or urban design? Share in the comments and we’ll get back to you! #WLAM2024 #asakurarobinson #landscapearchitecture #urbandesign #planning #nationalasla #texasasla @texasasla @nationalasla

Hello everyone! This week, we’re excited to bring you daily posts focusing on three important aspects: saving you money, being better for you, and being better for the planet. Today, we’re highlighting the concept of small and beautiful homes. In this post, we showcase four smaller homes, each with 2 or 3 bedrooms. See our Instagram Stories to see more images of each home: Dalefield Guest House, Sleepout, Steel House, and Mt Pisa. These homes are not only compact and cost-effective, but they also offer numerous benefits. Why is it better for you? Well, a smaller building is easier and cheaper to heat, making it more energy-efficient. Additionally, it’s easier and cheaper to clean, saving you time and effort. Who doesn’t love that? But it’s not just about personal benefits. Smaller homes are also better for the planet. By using fewer materials during construction and requiring less energy to run, these homes have a lower carbon footprint, both in terms of embodied and operational carbon. So, by choosing a smaller home, you’re making a positive impact on the environment! Stay tuned for our live webinar on Saturday, where we’ll dive deeper into these topics! #smallandbeautifulhomes #sustainableliving #costeffective #environmentallyfriendly #teamgreenarchitects

This week’s Salon on Affordable Housing was really a terrific discussion about different strategies for design of affordable housing. Wonderful to share info and see the work of my esteemed colleagues. A lot of the discussion centered around how to drive down costs and innovate. And how to design in such a way that communities can accept affordable housing in their midst. My take was that affordable housing needs to happen at scale, and we need density at transit and high ground. A healthy city has a mix of incomes and uses around transit. Great walkable neighborhoods should be accessible to all. We have a defecit of 135K affordable housing units in Miami Dade county. In previous generations, designers and developers were able to design and integrate housing with dignity for all incomes. I have lived in garden apartments in Miami Beach and other places in Miami and they were designed beautifully with access to green areas and plenty of natural light. There is a pressing need for all of us designers to do better for more people and to advocate for healthier, sustainable and more equitable communities. In this, I believe the Eames motto is correct. We should strive “to make the best for the most for the least”. #designmatters #AffordableHousing #SustainableCities #EquitableDesign #ArchitectureForAll #HousingCrisis #InnovativeDesign #CommunityDesign #TransitOrientedDevelopment #SustainableLiving #DesignForChange #HousingForAll #GreenArchitecture #DesignEquity #ResilientCities #ArchitectsForChange #DesignWithPurpose #InclusiveDesign #MiamiDadeHousing #WalkableNeighborhoods #DesignForGood

🌱 Planting the Seeds for a Visionary Future: The Bluestone Community – Tse' Doo'lizh 🌱 Though the Bluestone Community in Houck, Arizona, remains an unbuilt vision, it stands as an inspiring concept rooted in the rich Navajo traditions and values. Tse' Doo'lizh, envisioned as a community centered around home, tradition, and culture, offers a glimpse into what could be a bold model for indigenous planning—designed to preserve Navajo values while paving the way for future generations. The Bluestone design team captured this perfectly, stating: "Being respectful of traditional values and ceremonial sensitivities, the Bluestone Community team expresses the vision to commit to the Navajo Community Experience. We will create a sustainable community with the centered values of home, tradition, and culture that is uniquely Navajo for generations to enjoy and preserve our values going forward. Bluestone will plant a seed that our children will harvest." The Bluestone plan imagines a community that lives in harmony with nature, embracing an overarching philosophy of sustainability and balance. A thoughtfully designed mix of 200 single-family homes, apartments, and duplexes would offer diverse housing options, all interconnected by pedestrian trails, parks, and public spaces. This model emphasized community connectivity while preserving the landscape through minimal site disturbance. Although never realized, the project incorporated cutting-edge energy-efficient design principles. From high-performance building envelopes to the use of sustainable materials, the community would have reduced energy consumption by 30%, aligning with modern environmental goals. It was to be a beacon of sustainable living, with innovative approaches like reduced HVAC loads and expanded net floor areas. One way of preserving the rich culture was to purposefully name roadways and streets after traditional Navajo names such as Corn Pollen Way, Sheep Way Drive, and Medicine Berry Circle—in addition to having the Navajo Hogan-inspired homes’ doorways face east to align with the rising sun. While the Bluestone project may remain unbuilt, the vision endures—a blueprint for indigenous community planning that future developments can draw upon to preserve cultural heritage while embracing modern sustainability. Bluestone Community is one vision SPS+ Architects assisted with planting the seeds…where the community would Harvest Beauty. At SPS+, we’re proud to have been part of this journey. 🌎💚 #IndigenousDesign #Sustainability #CulturalPreservation #NavajoNation #ArchitectureForTheFuture #spsplusarchitecture

A landscape architect among those selected for the TIME100 Next list Sarah Zewde is not a household word, nor is landscape architecture. However, it is refreshing to see her highlighted, with a text by walter hood, among 100 people who are changing the world in small and big ways. Landscape architecture has evolved (as has its reputation) from garden art to creating the integration of natural and human-made environments and designing for life. Landscape architecture is fundamental for health, the cultural context in which we live, sustainability, safety, quality of life, leisure, equality, infrastructure, beauty, and much more. Congratulations to Sarah Zewde! "The TIME100 Next list was created to recognize that many of today’s most influential leaders are, like the 27-year-old Brown, individuals who are not waiting long in life to make an impact. Nor are they eager to respect the status quo by following the traditional power structures and pathways that have determined what influence looked like in the past. TIME100 Next has no age requirements; its aim is to recognize that influence does not have them either, nor does leadership look like it once did. Indeed, the majority of the individuals on this year’s list are leaders of color; more than half are women." #architecture #landscape #sustainability #landscapearchitecture #environment #influentialleaders

Delving into urban design training with this sketch, highlighting the impact of well-planned spaces on community life. #UrbanDesign #ArchitectureTraining #CommunityImpact #SustainableLiving #CityPlanning #DesignEducation ٠

"In a downtown, the sense of belonging is always rather difficult because 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲." – Conrad Kickert, associate professor University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning How do we revitalize Detroit and build a more inclusive downtown? Last week during the Sustainable Urban Design x Purposeful Forum, Kickert, Marthijn Pool, founding partner of Space&Matter, Chelsea Rauck Sanderson, director of architecture and design, Bedrock Detroit, Roberto Otero, associate principal, SHoP Architects, Dan Pitera, FAIA, dean of University of Detroit Mercy's School of Architecture & Community Development, and Ivana Kalafatic, founder of Detroitisit, shared open dialogues around these conversations. These conversations are meant to cross-pollinate between borders, working collectively towards sustainable urban design solutions and its challenges. Watch the full Forum at https://lnkd.in/gqywVwYG. If you are a sustainability leader interested in participating in the next Forum and/or becoming a member, sign up at https://lnkd.in/g7yawT9R. #purposefulforum #sustainableurbandesignpurposefulforum #sustainableurbandesign #detroitisitsustainability #purpose #sustainability #action #urbancities #urban #urbanplanning #circulareconomy #architecture #bedrock #spaceandmatter #shoparchitects #universityofbuffalo #uofd #urbandesign #sustainablesolutions #forum #action #activation #cityofdetroit #detroit #detroitisit

Should you focus on the past... or is the future what matters? As someone who works closely with construction professionals in Ohio, it's inspiring to see the incredible work being done to revitalize historic buildings and neighborhoods in downtown Cincinnati. Take the Willkommen Project in Over-the-Rhine (OTR) for example. It’s more than just a preservation effort—it’s a forward-thinking approach to combining affordability, good design, and historic renovation. By restoring 11 historic buildings and adding modern infill, Willkommen is bringing much-needed affordable housing to a historic area while maintaining its rich architectural fabric. (https://lnkd.in/gtHCnia8) Historic preservation isn’t just about preserving the past—it’s about shaping a future that’s both sustainable and economically sound. Cincinnati shows how we can blend innovation, heritage, and community to create lasting progress. If you’re passionate about urban revitalization or work in construction, I’d love to connect and discuss how these projects are changing the landscape of Cincinnati! 🌍 #UrbanRevitalization #HistoricPreservation #CincinnatiConstruction #ConstructionJobs #Sustainability #BuildingTheFuture

Discover the fascinating insights in The Roots of New Urbanism: John Nolen’s Garden City Vision for Florida. Bruce Stephenson delves into the pivotal role John Nolen played in shaping the New Urbanism movement, a response to suburban sprawl grounded in traditional American civic design. By 1919, at the peak of his career, Nolen shifted from frustration with urban planning’s limitations to championing the garden city concept, inspired by his collaboration with English planner Raymond Unwin. Nolen’s 1922 master plan for St. Petersburg embraced green spaces and mixed-use neighborhoods, advocating for thoughtful, regulated private development. His vision for Venice aimed to create a regional hub that harmonized natural beauty with civic participation, although challenges such as the land boom and racial segregation hindered progress. While Nolen's contributions were often overshadowed by the rise of engineering-driven planning, his legacy endures, particularly in Venice, which honored him with a memorial in 1977. Stephenson closes by emphasizing the enduring relevance of Nolen’s ideas, urging a return to community-centric urban planning that fosters inclusivity and democratic values. Source (cnu.org) . . . #premiumpropertytrust #birminghamalabama #bhamal #realestateinvesting #realestate #architecture #pptreit #realestateinvestment #realestateinvestmenttrust #buildinggenerationalwealth #mixedused #newurbanism #generationalwealth #investing #reit #ppt #verticalintegration #premium

Thresholds | These critical urban design mechanisms help to delineate our transition from public to more private realms. They not only define physical boundaries but also imply shifts in ambiance and function. By creating these meaningful points of entry, urban spaces establish a structured journey, enhancing both practical functionality and the experiential quality of the environment, ultimately fostering a sense of order and connection within communities. #urbandesign #thresholds #senseofplace