Regardless of whether we recognize it or not, architecture is paramount to the human condition. For instance, I love my job, but the most stressful part of my day is arriving and leaving work - this due to the strangely designed, backwards, hair-pin turning garage I park in that must have been designed and engineered by someone with a dark sense of humor. Granted, I know nothing about the engineering and math behind the designs and structures we see every day, but I do know something about aesthetics and efficiency. So, when searching on the Internet for modern, sustainable home designs in Austin, I stumbled across MJ Neal Architects and the impressive projects listed on the web site, including the Anthony Nak downtown store, and Chango's Taqueria among the commercial projects, and then a number of residential projects for which MJ Neal has won many accolades and awards. I spoke with MJ Neal about the work, sustainable building and its importance to Austin and beyond.
Are all your architecture projects sustainable? Or have you also done buildings and designs that are not focused on using sustainable materials and promoting sustainability?
Although we generally don't use sustainable rhetoric as a marketing strategy, we consider sustainable design our moral responsibility. I would almost prefer for people not to even know we use sustainable thinking. It is a given. Every project that comes out of the studio has sustainable features. At the very least, the site conditions (including sun movement) have been taken into consideration. Some would call this passive solar design thinking. I call it common sense. Although the main emphasis of our practice is design, sustainability becomes a large part of the thought process because as architects and concerned humans who live in an interconnected system, we should and need to be thinking about this.
What influences (environment and/or people) steered you toward sustainable architecture?
Several years ago, maybe fifteen or so, I started vigorously seeking alternative thinking. This was caused by current events and a natural progression of what seemed to make sense from interests that began in college. So much of sustainable thinking is really a progression or a rediscovery of what was once common sense. Take for example the cave dwellings all over the southwest U.S. The placement of these is a logical expression of how the sun would and wouldn't hit them at different times of the year as well as location of water, predominant breezes, etc. Also, they where made out of materials that where readily available so the embodied energy remained low. An added benefit, aesthetically, is that they blended in with their surroundings seamlessly because of this.
Also, for many years I spent a great deal of my time outside in different ecosystems and up close to different types of rock as a sport climber. How can one experience this and not gain an even greater appreciation of the environment and our interconnectedness to it? Again, sustainable thinking is a natural extension.
What magazines, web sites, blogs do you read to keep up with the latest technologies, designs and materials for sustainable building?
Material and system research is a large part of our practice, so we initiate searches that deal with specific manufactures, vendors etc. ...One discovery leads to another. Of course we read all the usual professional journals, Architecture Record, Architecture, Architectural Products, etc...But Iet me single out the magazine Domus, I like it very much because they deal with a wide array of design and cultural issues in an almost holistic way. And, also, George Swanson's web site. He is involved with many healthy and sustainable systems and products.
Other than your own work, what buildings and/or designs around Austin do you love?
The State Cemetery building by Lake/Flato
Torchy's Tacos, which is just a kitchen vehicle parked among live oaks on S 1st street (with the speakers in the trees often playing Tom Waits.) They are on a flood plane lot that looks across the creek to the opposite rocky bank .
The original design for the Blanton Museum by Herzog and de Meuron that was not implemented.
If you were to give Austin a grade of A or below on sustainable building efforts and environmental protection in general, how would Austin score?
B- I don't think anyplace in our "modern" society is an A.
What other cities do you think are doing a good job of promoting more sustainable building (you can mention an international city/any city)?
Seattle. Also, many European cities have implemented serious sustainable regulations.
What is your hope for the future of building and architecture in general?
The title of a recent book sums it up..."Design like you give a Damn"
