As a spin off from this thread and this thread, I'm wondering if anyone can offer insight into some decent firms in these cities. Thanks.
Chattanooga, TN
Asheville, NC
Raleigh, NC
Charlottesville, VA
Richmond, VA
Fredrick, MD
Annapolis, MD
Does anyone live in any of these places? How long have you lived there and what has been your over all experience? What are the pros and cons/likes and dislikes? Thanks!
ether, what's your definition of 'decent'? there's a kind of implicit assumption in the responses so far that you're looking for modish, slightly more 'design oriented' firms. not that those are bad, but is that what you're looking for? there are, for example, some really good traditional firms in raleigh, charlottesville, and richmond.
i'm just curious - this board in general seems to track too much towards a particular kind of genre. the world of architecture is much bigger...
sorry - i just realized you posted the first long list. so, you are looking for modish, 'design oriented'...
i'd add ken hobgood in raleigh. he's kind of crazy obsessive, but the work is pretty nice. also, gomes+staub in raleigh. nice work - francisco worked for clark and menefee back in the glory days of the firm.
i don't have first hand experience living in any of those cities, but we looked long and hard at raleigh before settling on atlanta. there was a lot to like - it's in a nice nexus of high quality universities, it's large enough to have some 'action' but not too large to feel alienating. some good neighborhoods to live in and do the family thing - a pretty good mid sized city overall. we looked at charlottesville but it's too much a one sided place - uva drives the place on a level we just weren't quite comfortable with. not quite enough diversity for what we were looking for (we were coming from boston, where the mix was at a different scale and complexity).
outed, I very much appreciate your comments. I'm not necessarily looking for a particular type of firm, but 'thoughtful' would certainly need to be a characteristic. I realize this is completely ambiguous but honestly we are considering many options at the moment. We have about 2 weeks before this won't be feasible.
I actually spent a year in Raleigh but that was 15 years ago. From what I hear sprawl runs rampant.
Holz, some of those almost made my original list but after going back through them, I added a few. Thanks again.
Asheville would be my first choice of the cities you've listed, and note that pbc+l has an office there. Also, another good firm there, though head-quartered in Winston-Salem, is Calloway Johnson Moore & West. Asheville, for it's population, is very progressive and cosmopolitan, plus there are myriad outdoor activities to be had year-round.
Raleigh has the unenviable position of being bland, both culturally and geographically. And there is the sprawl.
ether - I think Asheville is affordable, there are many up-and-coming neighborhoods, especially to the west of downtown, though it's possible there are still "spotty" sections there as well. I have two good friends who purchased houses there a few years ago (one of whom I was in grad school with). If either one of you is handy with renovations, I'm sure you could find a fixer-upper. Additionally, there are many small satellite towns around Asheville where things could be even more reasonable. Also, I think A'ville would be a good place to raise a toddler, and you wouldn't have to be too picky about a school district just yet.
Unfortunately, I don't think any hiring is going on there just now - I've tried at Carlton, PBC+L, and CJM&W. Hey, but what do I know, I just finished school.
And, JFYI, the pugh + scarpa office in Charlotte was located in an apartment complex, so the office, even if it's still there, is a mighty small one.
Chattanooga is a great place to live especially if you have kids. But, you better start saving money now to be able to afford to send your kids to Baylor, McCallie or GPS!
richmond is a great place to live and affordable (esp downtown), the climate is mild, it's pretty safe and has lots of character. it's slow paced, if that's what you are looking for. The firms you mentioned have all either laid people off or are not hiring. bcwh is maybe the only firm that might hire based on the amount of educational projects they have going. there's not a lot of modern work going on though due to historical oversight and you might find the mentality close to savannah or charleston. richmonders also have a tendency to act very 'small town'. good luck...email me if you have any other questions about VA.
thank you simples but unfortunately the D is not in the cards for us at the moment. however, i'm due for a visit once all of this settles down. i'll be sure to let you know when i'm in town.
tidal, when did you graduate?
wb, i very much appreciate the Richmond insight. i have a friend who use to work for bcwh. i'll definitely look into it.
ether, i'll put in a few good words for charlottesville. admittedly, i lived there as a student, so my perspective is certainly limited in some respects. that being said, it's a really beautiful place, with a remarkable amount of music, design and art culture for a city of its size. while i was there, i often heard that charlottesville had more restaurants per capita than any other city in the US - it may or may not be true, but i've yet to live anywhere that rivaled c-ville for really great, often inexpensive places to eat. property and rent are quite affordable in nice neighborhoods if you don't live immediately on the downtown mall or in superclose proximity to the university. the university is definitely a major presence in its immediate area, but that presence is pretty tightly bound geographically and can be avoided if desired. the architecture school does draw to the area a lot of design activity and energy, which i think resonates through the work done by offices in town.
the c-ville firms you've listed are great choices, although those run by full-time faculty at the university (w.g. clark & peter waldman) are quite small and may not be hiring. the largest office in town (and probably most likely to have work) is vmdo. i have a few former classmates who work/worked there over the last few years and have liked the office a lot.
Was just up in Asheville this past week, and checked into real estate prices. They seem to be on par with those in Charlotte, so it may be (relatively) expensive, even in these times.
firms in these markets
As a spin off from this thread and this thread, I'm wondering if anyone can offer insight into some decent firms in these cities. Thanks.
Chattanooga, TN
Asheville, NC
Raleigh, NC
Charlottesville, VA
Richmond, VA
Fredrick, MD
Annapolis, MD
Does anyone live in any of these places? How long have you lived there and what has been your over all experience? What are the pros and cons/likes and dislikes? Thanks!
here's my list thus far:
Chattanooga, TN
Asheville, NC
carlton architecture - http://carltonarchitecture.com/index.html
wilson architects - http://www.w2arch.com/
architectural design studio - http://www.ads-architects.com/
Raleigh, NC
LS3P - http://www.ls3p.com/
clearscapes - http://www.clearscapes.com/
flad - http://www.flad.com/
frank harmon - http://www.frankharmon.com/
klingstubbins - http://www.klingstubbins.com/index.html
morespace - www.morespacestudio.com
oxide architecture - http://www.oxidearchitecture.com/
pbcl - http://www.pbclarchitecture.com/
tonic design - http://www.tonic-design.com/
Charlottesville, VA
wg clark - http://www.wgclark-architects.com/
wm mcdonough - http://www.mcdonoughpartners.com/
peter waldman
maurice cox
Richmond, VA
smbw - http://www.smbw.com/
bob (beyond ordinary boundaries) - http://www.bobarchitecture.net/
watershed - http://www.watershedarch.net/
3 north - http://www.3north.com/
bcwh - http://www.bcwh.com/
walter parks - http://www.wparks.com/
tektonics design group - http://www.tektonics.com/
Fredrick, MD
Annapolis, MD
i kinda wanna move to asheville. i'm kind of obsessed with it.
Asheville is a great city but there aren't any firms hiring.
i would say avoid annapolis and head to baltimore. too... provincial
Just so you know all of the cities you just mentioned have firms that have contracted significantly.
Thanks, med.
Holz. who would make your list for Baltimore? Here's after searching through the AIA Baltimore... slim pickings...
Alexander Design Studio - http://www.brokenboxes.com/
Francis Caufman - http://www.franciscauffman.com/index.php
ziger snead - http://www.zigersnead.com/fla.html
ether, what's your definition of 'decent'? there's a kind of implicit assumption in the responses so far that you're looking for modish, slightly more 'design oriented' firms. not that those are bad, but is that what you're looking for? there are, for example, some really good traditional firms in raleigh, charlottesville, and richmond.
i'm just curious - this board in general seems to track too much towards a particular kind of genre. the world of architecture is much bigger...
sorry - i just realized you posted the first long list. so, you are looking for modish, 'design oriented'...
i'd add ken hobgood in raleigh. he's kind of crazy obsessive, but the work is pretty nice. also, gomes+staub in raleigh. nice work - francisco worked for clark and menefee back in the glory days of the firm.
i don't have first hand experience living in any of those cities, but we looked long and hard at raleigh before settling on atlanta. there was a lot to like - it's in a nice nexus of high quality universities, it's large enough to have some 'action' but not too large to feel alienating. some good neighborhoods to live in and do the family thing - a pretty good mid sized city overall. we looked at charlottesville but it's too much a one sided place - uva drives the place on a level we just weren't quite comfortable with. not quite enough diversity for what we were looking for (we were coming from boston, where the mix was at a different scale and complexity).
sorry i can't offer more.
good question, i just know annapolis kinda sucks.
the only baltimore firms i know (from a list long long ago...):
Ziger/Snead LLP seems to be one of the better design firms...
rtkl (i think)
jrs architects
trace architects
gabriel kroiz
rebecca swanston
the think i like about baltimore is it's close to several major cities, is till really gritty, and isn't fabulously overpriced like, say... seattle.
outed, I very much appreciate your comments. I'm not necessarily looking for a particular type of firm, but 'thoughtful' would certainly need to be a characteristic. I realize this is completely ambiguous but honestly we are considering many options at the moment. We have about 2 weeks before this won't be feasible.
I actually spent a year in Raleigh but that was 15 years ago. From what I hear sprawl runs rampant.
Holz, some of those almost made my original list but after going back through them, I added a few. Thanks again.
Chattanooga, TN
artech - http://www.artechdgn.com/
hefferlin kronenberg architects - http://www.hkarchitects.net/
polis studio - http://www.polisstudio.com/index.php?pg=home
We are open to other suggestions of small(er) cities in the general vicinity of the ones mentioned.
ether,
Asheville would be my first choice of the cities you've listed, and note that pbc+l has an office there. Also, another good firm there, though head-quartered in Winston-Salem, is Calloway Johnson Moore & West. Asheville, for it's population, is very progressive and cosmopolitan, plus there are myriad outdoor activities to be had year-round.
Raleigh has the unenviable position of being bland, both culturally and geographically. And there is the sprawl.
Good luck.
ether, pugh+ scarpa has a firm in charlotte, nc. they seem to be hiring, as well..
Thank you Justin. I appreciate both the firm suggestions and your candor regarding the two cities.
Can anyone comment on Asheville's affordability for a young family with a toddler?
Thanks holz!
more from Raleigh:
freelon - http://www.freelon.com/
angerio design - http://www.angeriodesign.com/
build sense - http://www.buildsense.com/bs7.html
Holz- neither of those statements are particularly accurate... although the website can be misleading.
they closed the nc office and neither office are hiring?
it takes minutes to update a website, especially when lots of people are running around trying to find things to do...
grrr.
sorry, ether.
ether - I think Asheville is affordable, there are many up-and-coming neighborhoods, especially to the west of downtown, though it's possible there are still "spotty" sections there as well. I have two good friends who purchased houses there a few years ago (one of whom I was in grad school with). If either one of you is handy with renovations, I'm sure you could find a fixer-upper. Additionally, there are many small satellite towns around Asheville where things could be even more reasonable. Also, I think A'ville would be a good place to raise a toddler, and you wouldn't have to be too picky about a school district just yet.
Unfortunately, I don't think any hiring is going on there just now - I've tried at Carlton, PBC+L, and CJM&W. Hey, but what do I know, I just finished school.
And, JFYI, the pugh + scarpa office in Charlotte was located in an apartment complex, so the office, even if it's still there, is a mighty small one.
Chattanooga is a great place to live especially if you have kids. But, you better start saving money now to be able to afford to send your kids to Baylor, McCallie or GPS!
no worries, holz.
thanks, justin. my first round of calls didn't produce anything but i'm continuing to look.
tidal, i'm a baylor alum and would love the opportunity to send my kids there and yes, it can be pricey.
hey ether...just hang around detroit a little longer...there is a place that can use the talent!!!
ether, I went to Baylor as well.
richmond is a great place to live and affordable (esp downtown), the climate is mild, it's pretty safe and has lots of character. it's slow paced, if that's what you are looking for. The firms you mentioned have all either laid people off or are not hiring. bcwh is maybe the only firm that might hire based on the amount of educational projects they have going. there's not a lot of modern work going on though due to historical oversight and you might find the mentality close to savannah or charleston. richmonders also have a tendency to act very 'small town'. good luck...email me if you have any other questions about VA.
thank you simples but unfortunately the D is not in the cards for us at the moment. however, i'm due for a visit once all of this settles down. i'll be sure to let you know when i'm in town.
tidal, when did you graduate?
wb, i very much appreciate the Richmond insight. i have a friend who use to work for bcwh. i'll definitely look into it.
1991. I live in Alexandria VA now. via Orlando, Atlanta and Nashville...
ether, i'll put in a few good words for charlottesville. admittedly, i lived there as a student, so my perspective is certainly limited in some respects. that being said, it's a really beautiful place, with a remarkable amount of music, design and art culture for a city of its size. while i was there, i often heard that charlottesville had more restaurants per capita than any other city in the US - it may or may not be true, but i've yet to live anywhere that rivaled c-ville for really great, often inexpensive places to eat. property and rent are quite affordable in nice neighborhoods if you don't live immediately on the downtown mall or in superclose proximity to the university. the university is definitely a major presence in its immediate area, but that presence is pretty tightly bound geographically and can be avoided if desired. the architecture school does draw to the area a lot of design activity and energy, which i think resonates through the work done by offices in town.
the c-ville firms you've listed are great choices, although those run by full-time faculty at the university (w.g. clark & peter waldman) are quite small and may not be hiring. the largest office in town (and probably most likely to have work) is vmdo. i have a few former classmates who work/worked there over the last few years and have liked the office a lot.
ether,
Was just up in Asheville this past week, and checked into real estate prices. They seem to be on par with those in Charlotte, so it may be (relatively) expensive, even in these times.
ether,
any thing ever come of this discussion? It's been a while since this thread has been active, and was wondering what you may have discovered....
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