but not the kind of volume, not the sort of size and scope of projects that we’ve been doing at FFKR. What led to that success? We always took the tack of doing more, being more, pushing for growth and advancement. We did not want to get to a comfortable place and stay there. Long ago, the University of Utah had a basketball team that would get ahead by a couple of points and then they would stall the whole rest of the game and try not to lose. We did not want to try not to lose. It’s not like we wanted total world domination; we just wanted to keep pushing, growing, stretching and trying. FFKR has always been known as a Design firm with a capital D. We like to think that too. That started with Frank Ferguson. Our firm started with Symphony Hall and the idea of designing this fabulous building. That set the tone and culture for the rest of the office. Even during the time that we were doing a lot of pedestrian work, like the 300 stores we did for Skaggs, we were still trying to push for design, maybe not on those projects, but on other projects. We’ve always tried to push the design. We’ve never had a design guy — a design leader. I know other firms do and have great success with it. We’ve always said on our projects that the individual principals and their teams are the designers; I’m going to do this. Our team is going to do this. Any disappointments along the way? Yes, of course. Every project we didn’t get. You think that you are a good fit for a project. You did a good proposal and interviewed. And then you don’t get it. That’s always a disappointment. But that’s the universal language of architecture, isn’t it? Now that I’m mostly retired, I’ve also worried that I worked too much. There’s always a work/life balance. I always felt like I was out of balance, favoring work but working hard to make that balance work at home. I’ve had projects that I worked on and cared about that have now been demolished, and I guess that’s just a function of living long enough that you’re going to see some of your projects go away or get remodeled poorly. Talk about the evolution of architecture throughout your career. As a boy, I’d go to my father’s office, and he had this blueprint machine. The activator was ammonia. It was really smelly. I’d go with him on Saturday to pick up something. I’d hyperventilate outside, hold my breath and run through the back door because his office always smelled like ammonia. When I was working, we still had the ammonia activator for the Diazo printmaking. There were times when it was my job to run prints, and I’d get dizzy from all the ammonia. Then in the late 80s, our firm started work on CAD, as did everyone. We had a computer the size of your car that ran the two drafting terminals. The whole computer revolution in architecture passed me by. By the time it got rolling, we were working on the Hotel Utah remodel, which was maybe one‑fourth or one-third drawn on the computer, and the rest was hand-drawn. I was on that project for six years. Meanwhile, AutoCAD happened, and the construction documents were now done in AutoCAD. During that time, I was at a different level with project managing, client keeping and working into design responsibilities, so my highest and best use was not learning how to do AutoCAD. I could have, maybe should have, but I didn’t. Now there are exactly two drafting tables left at FFKR, and those same two are the only ones who actually know how to draw because that is a dying art. How do you think that’s transformed the industry? I might just be seeing it through my own filter, but I think it’s been a little detrimental because it’s so easy to do a separate plan for the demolition, a separate plan for the furniture and a separate plan for the finishes where that stuff used to all be carefully thought out and drawn on one plan. It was about the economy of effort. Now, it’s so easy to copy and paste. Drawing sets today have a lot of white paper because it’s so easy to say, “Let’s do another floor plan; let’s do an enlarged plan,” and the larger plan is not drawn differently. It’s just a bigger clip of the other plan. I think there’s a bit of a loss of thought and care in the development of the construction documents. What advice would you give a young architect? You have to work hard. This is hard work. All your business school buddies are going to feel bad if they have a project that lasts three months, and you’re going to be on projects that go six or eight years. That is not uncommon, and it’s hard, and you’re not going to make as much money. But — and this is important — architecture is incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable, but it’s hard work. To view the full interview, scan the QR code. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5ZO_EB6ljo 16 REFLEXION
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