Kirk’s Paradigm says, for a great project you’ve gotta have the right owner, the right program, the right site, the right budget, the right contractor, and the right architect. If one of these is missing, the whole project can suffer for it. If you can get all six things to come together, then you have an opportunity to make something great.
To kick it off: Gotta Have the Right Owner!
Kirk’s Paradigm is brought to you by Principal and project architect, Scott Simmons.
The nature of good design is in not presuming the answer at the beginning of the process. Design is an iterative process that evolves after a period of inquiry, dialogue, and information gathering. Possible solutions are tested, refined, erased, recombined, prototyped, and tested again. The beginning of the design process can feel uncertain even frenetic as ideas are “tried on for size” then refined or discarded. If the end product is known or presumed, then design and innovation have little hope. The critical role of the Owner is to trust that the process with the Right Architect (more on that later) will arrive at the optimal solution.
The “right” owner is the project’s advocate, the anchor for the WHY are we doing this? WHY are we investing precious time and human resources in this project? Great owners can articulate a mission statement that says what the organization does and why they do it. The Right Owner is engaged in a meaningful endeavor, be it raising a family, teaching children, building community, staging theatrical events, gathering for worship, or serving awesome food. The Right Owner is driven by the optimism that the future holds an as yet unknown solution that can be found through the design process.
Architects refer to their clients as “Owners”. Owner is a good word. The owner, be it an individual, committee or board acting as a fiduciary for the end-user, “owns” the possibilities and liabilities of the project for the long term. By comparison, architects are engaged for a brief but formative season in the life of a building, shepherding the Owner through the design and construction process. The Right Owner can dream a little (or a lot), has faith in the power of good design, and allows the design process to unveil the best response.
For those who find the design process to be unfamiliar territory it is our task, as architects, to develop trust in small steps. Fostering relationships that lead to meaningful dialogue with owners will help frame a mission and vision for desired outcomes. New information or changes in the project requirements will often present opportunities to test and improve the design. With a strong Architect/Owner foundation, solutions are adapted and developed, increasing the Owner’s confidence in the design process.
In the Netflix original series The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes, there is a scene where an architect voices over panoramic video of a beautiful house in a remote desert location and says “There is always a moment when you feel fear. It’s our role. We are Architects.”
The answer to fear is trusting the design process to lead to a beautiful solution as we step into the unknown.
Read Part II: Gotta Have the Right Program! (<–Click here)
With the success of manufacturing in South Carolina, the state has been abuzz with demand for skilled workers to fill the growing number of jobs in the field. To help meet this demand and serve the future needs of our growing community, Greenville County Schools (GCS) recently announced plans for a new high school located in Fountain Inn.
Ed Zeigler joined the firm in 1983 and within two years became a Principal to help transition leadership to the next generation. His business acumen was integral to shepherding the firm through the multi-year recession and, throughout, he has maintained CGD’s legacy of integrity, cultivating culture and community through the practice of architecture.
Kim Poole joined Craig Gaulden Davis in 1985 and, as a fun fact, is exactly 32 days younger than the firm. Kim joined when she was 28 years old and the two of them rather grew up together.
David Dixon has enjoyed a long marriage with CGD.
Scott Simmons has played a key role at CGD in the design of libraries, churches and cultural buildings, as well as a range of beautiful residences since 1987. Scott approaches architecture from a material perspective, understanding building design as an assemblage of parts and their physical requirements. “Architecture is a thing.” He views details and technical requirements as opportunities to add clarity to the overall design. Scott’s delight in architecture is akin to solving puzzles, when the care of designing the pieces translates to a beautifully simple built solution. This approach often leads him to discover innovative answers that not only win awards, but also serve the client in unexpected ways. With poise and 30 years of design experience, Scott describes architecture as a dialogue:
John Hansen joined the firm in 1997 and was named an Associate in 2014 and Principal in 2017. With expertise in Religious and Cultural Design, Historic Preservation and Sustainability, John is a recognized leader in all facets of the firm’s activities, from master planning and design to construction administration. His participation in state and national offices of the US Green Building Council demonstrate his dedication and execution to forward thinking design can be seen in Greenville’s Kroc Center, Heritage Park Amphitheatre in Simpsonville and the development of the SC Children’s Theatre’s new headquarters. John recently completed the 43rd class of Leadership Greenville, setting him up as a design influencer for Greenville’s future development.
The surrounding landscaping now established and the building now sitting familiarly on the south campus slope, The Woodrow W. McGlothlin Center for the Arts will open its doors on the second full academic year at Emory and Henry College this upcoming semester. CGD provided full design services for the facility.
Craig Gaulden Davis is designing exceptional learning spaces that are transforming what facility design can contribute to education. One recent example is the media center renovation at the 
Our April newsletter features a look back and forward to CGD’s impact on downtown Greenville’s cultural corridor, this past month’s A4LE conference, and a little office recreation. You can read it and sign up to receive it straight to your inbox once a month 
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