Thinking like an architect

10 01, 2012

Favorite Architects

By Steve McKee|2019-04-25T17:06:36+00:00January 10th, 2012|Random observations, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Favorite Architects

My friend Meg asked me if I have a favorite architect. It made me realize that I don’t, and that made me happy somehow, like that indicated that I was open-minded and an independent thinker or something like that. But then I remembered that a few years ago I fell hard for the work of Addison Mizner, who was instrumental in developing the ultra-refined Mediterranean Revival style associated with Palm Beach in the 1920’s. So elegant yet adaptable to so many situations! I suppose there was also my first crush, Dutch architect Herman Hertzberger who gave a guest lecture at [...]

4 05, 2011

Benicia Magazine – An Interview with Steve McKee

By Steve McKee|2019-04-25T17:06:36+00:00May 4th, 2011|Thinking like an architect|Comments Off on Benicia Magazine – An Interview with Steve McKee

An Interview with Steve McKee by Sue Sumner-Moore Benicia Magazine / April 2011 / An Interview with Steve McKee http://www.beniciamagazine.com/Benicia-Magazine/April-2011/An-Interview-with-Steve-McKee/ Benicia architect Steve McKee has put his drafter back to work after an 18-month hiatus. “I’m the first guy in the chain of command who gets to see when things pick up,” says Steve, who specializes in designing home additions and remodeling projects. “I’m the right amount of busy these days. Three years ago, I was too busy and a year and a-half ago, I wasn’t busy enough.” While residential work was slow, Steve did some architectural layout work on commercial businesses, including the [...]

26 11, 2010

A tale of two buildings

By Steve McKee|2010-11-26T19:23:38+00:00November 26th, 2010|Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on A tale of two buildings

Melody and I had a nice dinner out the other day in downtown Napa in a brick warehouse that had been a “grain-and-feed” building many years ago but had been cleaned up and converted into a restaurant. It was an old funky building being reused for something it wasn’t originally designed for and of course that made the place even more quirky and therefore enjoyable. “Celadon” was the restaurant’s name. Half of the tables were outside in a big space with a four sided brick fireplace in the middle under a large sloping corrugated metal roof with big plants that [...]

23 06, 2010

Confessions of a lighting junkie

By Steve McKee|2010-06-23T06:02:31+00:00June 23rd, 2010|At the School of Architecture, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Confessions of a lighting junkie

It has happened that I’ll be at a party at someone’s home and notice that they’re not taking full advantage of their lighting scheme, so I’ll take the liberty of adjusting some of the light switches to bring up some accent lights on this wall or that. I should mention that I only do this every once in a while (so I don’t seem like too much of a weirdo) and usually only at the homes of former clients whose lighting scheme I helped design with them. Two seconds effort sliding a dimmer switch and suddenly artwork comes to life [...]

25 03, 2010

More than just a pretty picture

By Steve McKee|2010-03-25T06:07:56+00:00March 25th, 2010|Before you begin, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on More than just a pretty picture

An engineer buddy of mine likes to joke that architects just create “pretty pictures,” while engineers deal with real things like forces and loads. He knows this statement is simplistic, but that’s just all the more reason for him to chuckle. How easy it would be to just draw the alleged pretty pictures and be done with it. But really, it’s so much more interesting to go beyond “pretty” and also infuse a building with a multitude of nuanced choices that will enhance the quality of everyday life. Like the way a second floor window that is obviously there to [...]

26 06, 2009

Secret weapons of design

By Steve McKee|2009-06-26T06:22:47+00:00June 26th, 2009|Before you begin, My favorite columns, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Secret weapons of design

Over the years I’ve found there are certain tools used in designing a house that are so useful and so powerful that they deserve to be in some sort of Hall of Fame. Barring that, I will at least list them here. I’m talking about the type of design where clients get to be a part of all the important decisions involving their house. Perhaps there is another type of design; if so, I’m unaware of how to make a living doing it. The method that I’ve been using for the last twenty years relies on owner and architect bringing [...]