architectureLife

Boundlessly Bad

James and I have spent a good deal of time over the pandemic playing Monopoly on our Wii. (And I’ll pause here while you snicker and roll your eyes over the fact that yes, we still have a Wii.) More specifically, we’ve been playing the “streets” version, which is their…
jwa
February 12, 2021
architectureLife

He-Shed, She-shed, Me-Shed

Spotted Dog may need a new doghouse. And no, I didn’t do anything wrong. James isn’t banishing me from the house. I’m just thinking the time may have come for a little more room to spread out. To know an architect is to know our clutter. Any architect’s office that…
jwa
January 29, 2021
LGBTLife

Just Breathe

Very rarely do I talk politics with my clients. I was taught not to. Architecture should be enjoyed and celebrated by everyone, regardless of their political stripe. At the same time, I don’t know that I’ve ever discussed politics anywhere within this blog. In my head, I have tried to…
jwa
January 22, 2021
architectureFood for thought

Where Muppets Go To Die

Set an architect in front of the worst building, and for the most part, we can see the potential no matter how bad things look. Only twice in my career have I told a client their best option was to tear down and start over. I was reminded of this…
jwa
January 8, 2021
Life

It’s a Wrap!

Over the last 25 years, James and I have established some definite Christmas traditions – Christmas Eve with one side of my family; Christmas Day with the other side (what James came to refer to as the “tour of homes” as we hop from place to place); baking a ridiculous…
jwa
December 22, 2020
architectureLife

The Most Wonderful Time

Somehow January has now become December. Which means lots of shopping; trying to fill out and send Christmas cards to family, friends, and clients; and for James and me, baking lots and lots of cookies. However, for architects, this time of year holds special meaning. It’s when we realize the…
jwa
December 15, 2020
Life

Ray of Light

I may have to rearrange my office. Again. And it’s my own fault. When I first set up shop in January, I tucked my desk into a corner. While I wanted to be looking out the window, I knew the winter sun would be a problem. Yet somewhere along the…
Clint Thomson
December 4, 2020
LifeTravel

Vacation Blues

The hammer has fallen. We aren’t going to Key West after Christmas. Over our regular Friday night dinner with friends, in between talk of politics and whatever we’ve been binge-watching, the discussion came up about what to do with Key West. While we all wanted to go, we came to…
Clint Thomson
November 20, 2020
architectureLGBT

Brace for Impact

I spent last Friday talking with queer (and not) architecture students as part of a conference series sponsored by the American Institute of Architecture Students. I shared some of my experiences about being out and open in architecture, something I’ve made no bones about since my first job. Why else…
Clint Thomson
November 13, 2020
LifeTravel

Tea Time Stroll

James and I are, by definition, creatures of habit. There’s a reason you’ve seen so many posts involving New Orleans. We find a place we love, and we visit again and again. Familiar haunts. Familiar smells. Familiar people. Which means when we’re in Key West every year (habit!), there are…
Clint Thomson
November 6, 2020