FIRM CRAWL @ JKRP!

PhilaNOMA's first (and now probably annual) Firm Crawl went off without a hitch!

I can honestly say that I was a little pessimistic in thinking that we would only get about 5 or so students - especially after such a long afternoon of crawling already (we were about number 4 on the list of firms to visit)

And then it rained.
And then they were delayed.
And then someone said the pretzels were going to get stale.
And then I yelled at Sean for eating a pretzel.

But nevertheless at around 4:45 there were almost 30 students from Temple, UPenn, Drexel and Philly U in our elevator lobby - eager and ready to learn all about our home away from home - JKR Partners!

SPECIAL THANKS to Jose for being the visionary of the 'three ring circus' aka Firm Crawl - Open House at JKR Partners...
Natalya for putting the 'swag' packages together.

Tram Fun - Marissa, Sam, and Blake for the refreshments..

The 412 Lux Design Team. (Jose, Blake, Steve)

The Starplex Design Team. (Mike F.)

The SouthStar Design Team. (Zach, Mike I.)

Kim for putting up with a full house of folks hovering around her desk..

Dave for sharing his oratory skills with the group..ANDLast but certainly not least the entire staff of JKRP for your hospitality during this event....

Graphic Design at JKR

Natalya: Graphics department at JKR had dared architectural hegemony by taking on a packaging label project. The firm’s client had solicited our help to brand his decades-long family tradition of wine making. The time-honoring design is a tribute to the founding father of the tradition, who presides solemnly on the label thus eternalizing his legacy. We are pleased with the result. 

Team Dave

Samara here! Thank you team fun for a great day on Tuesday. You definitely know how to show an intern a good time! I never would have expected a scavenger hunt when I started working here this summer. It was lots of fun, I got some needed exercise in with all the running around and it was a great way to get to know people better.  :) 

H3

Steve here,

I would like to share some photos of the residences at Hancock, Hope and Howard Streets in Northern Liberties- we call it H3. It’s coming along quite nicely, and as a relatively new addition these types of projects I’m still awed by the transition from Sketchup to the real thing. Special thanks to Jose for managing the project splendidly in the face of countless obstacles, so much so that H3 has become a litmus test against which all US Construction projects are measured:

“They completely ignored our drawings, it’s H3 all over again!”

In many ways H3 was for me a baptism by fire. It was my first large-scale project, and from it I learned that the construction process can be painful, that coordination can be a nightmare, and that foundation plans are subject to change without notice and without warning. But in spite of everything, we still delivered a product that remains true to its design intent with a dynamic presence in Northern Liberties. But I digress...

Graphic Design Services

Izzo Here: Our clients see all our fancy renderings but they don't often get to see the other cool stuff we are capable of doing.  I commissioned Natalya, our in house graphic designer, to make me something cool showing off my new years resolutions. That was the task... just make me some kind of cool graphic depicting this list, and she ran with it.  This is the result. Pretty bangin'! I am looking forward to the next decade's worth of posters. Click the picture for a BIGGER picture.

Floor, Ship and Saw.

Philadelphia’s hottest new art exhibit is right here at JKR in the downstairs lobby! Our gallery space is perfect for the contemplative gazing of art, providing a neutral color palette and unimposing lighting. Each month we will be featuring the cream of the crop artists and their masterworks. This November don’t miss the opportunity to see three absolutely stunning art pieces currently on display: Floor by Natalya Maltseva, Ship by Steve Sergi and Saw by Mike Izzo. Admission is free.     

Lunchtime Sketch

First sketch in many months and an attempt to collect the starbucks card as the blog participant.

Cream of Mushroom

Innovations in the “green” industry can be amusing. Like the new insulation material made of mushrooms, a sample of which we happen to have in the office. It’s made by injecting the mushroom spores into a mixture of insulating particles. The mushrooms then grow by consuming the mixture and forming a tight network solidifying the material. It’s said to be fireproof. 

Having found no use for it here, the sample is passing as a contemporary art piece and is currently on display in SW corner of the office.

BENCH!

Natalya Here: A giant cast arm, rusty plumbing pipes and concrete amoebas were among 18 unique entries for a city bench competition hosted by AIA. The Friday night opening reception had assembled an uncomfortable social scene combined with the complimentary industrial-strength cocktails. Mike and I generated a lot of positive feedback from the jurors for our “quasi-futuristic design and clear visual solution”. The entries will be on display through September 3^rd at the Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch Street.

Philabundance Project on the Boards!

Izzo Here: Philabundance has asked us to come up with some schematic plans for their new space in Chester, PA only a few blocks from the new PPL Park soccer stadium.  Their plan is to put a new Philabundance food center in an existing building which is now attached to a Dollar Store and is very close to an adjacent parking lot in the rear of the building. The idea was to create a pedestrian walkway between the parking lot and the store softening up the approach to the entrance, while providing a functional outdoor plaza for seasonal vendors. Hopefully we can carry out these ideas in the near future!

Natalya is awesome.

Ever wonder how we produce such amazing renderings? Natalya, our graphic designer is the woman behind the scenes with all the magic.  Just keeping her skills sharp, she created this sweet infographic depicting the madness that surrounds our office.  Some seriously wild stuff happens out there.  This is no exaggeration.  Click on the image for the real deal.