LifeTravel

Snow Day

I feel like the biggest dork. And not for the usual reasons, but because it snowed. Obviously not here in Dallas. Snow in May would cause people here to lose their minds. It’s bad enough when that happens in March. I can only imagine the craziness that would ensue if…
jwa
May 27, 2022
architectureFood for thought

Form, Function, and Bob

Forget about Louis Sullivan’s notion of form ever follows function. Venturi’s idea of complexity and contradiction. Or even Rossi’s thoughts on urban design. I have found someone new to follow when thinking about how best to approach architecture and design. Bob Ross. Yes. That Bob Ross. In a fit of…
jwa
May 20, 2022
Food for thoughtLife

Sunday Funday

I didn’t work last Sunday. Or the Sunday before that. Between this past weekend being my birthday weekend, and the prior coming at the end of a nine-day drawing sprint, I made the executive decision to not open my laptop and just enjoy the day. Not like my boss was…
jwa
May 13, 2022
architecturebusiness

Under Construction

For the first time in a long while, I have two projects in various stages of construction. Two projects. How did that happen? At one, they’re installing kitchen cabinets and painting the exterior. Between both of those and the interior changes, the house couldn’t look more different. The other project…
jwa
May 6, 2022
Food for thoughtLife

Gender Neutral-ish

James and I just vacationed somewhere that wasn’t Key West or New Orleans. I’ll pause here for a second while you pick yourself up off the floor. We were shocked too. A friend recently had a milestone birthday – which I will not mention here for fear of being shot…
jwa
April 29, 2022
Food for thoughtLife

Welcome to Crazytown!

Julia Sugarbaker said it best: I’m saying this is the south, and we’re proud of our crazy people. We don’t hide them up in the attic. We bring them right down to the living room and show ‘em off. Except in Texas, we like to go one better. We don’t…
jwa
April 22, 2022
Life

Warm Body/Cool Space

And no. This isn’t another post about the temperature in my office today. (Although I’m pretty sure it’s hovering somewhere in the teens. Thank goodness for pants!) We said goodbye to our dog Boo last Sunday. A tough call to make, and we left the vet’s office feeling pretty crushed.…
jwa
April 1, 2022
architectureLife

Socially Awkward

The Big Gay Architect has been really busy. Or Twitter seemed to think so last week. Very rarely do I find myself tagged in social media posts, so seeing my name pop up is something of a treat. And last week was no exception. According to the folks at Clerkenwell…
jwa
March 25, 2022
Food for thoughtLife

Get Off My Lawn!

I think I’m turning into the architect version of Grumpy Cat. Or perhaps I’m finally getting old. Wait. Old? That can’t be it. I’m still a sprightly almost 54, although my lower back at the moment would tell you sprightly isn’t the right word. However, I have noticed that I’ve…
jwa
March 18, 2022
architectureFood for thought

History-onics

At least once a year – or what feels like once a year – The Dallas Morning News publishes a story about a local piece of building history facing the wrecking ball. And two months into 2022, we’ve already seen this year’s story. Dallas architecture critic Mark Lamster introduces us…
jwa
March 4, 2022
Spotted Dog Architecture