Arts & Culture Magazine - January/February 2008 - (Page 42) Arts & Culture MAgAzine \ INTERNATIONAL MULTI-TASKER Jonathan Parks Architect By Judy Pokras. Photos by Salvatore Brancifort. iversity is a watchword of Jonathan Parks Architect (JPA). The firm is a little bit like the United Nations or an international city, because the 24 employees who comprise its Sarasota and Tampa offices come from every continent but Australia, speaking a panoply of languages. Founder Jonathan Parks quips that he will have to hire someone from Australia next. Because of their wide-ranging origins, the employees bring worlds of cultural sophistication to the design process. In a refreshing twist within a field that is male-centric, this company has as many female employees as it does male; a firm that is blind to gender, age and color. What is important here is talent. Further distinguishing this company from most offices (where new employees are expected to be quiet in partner-client meetings), at JPA, even the interns are expected to contribute ideas and weigh in. “I don’t care what level you’re at, because great ideas come from anywhere,” Parks says. To enrich the firm, JPA gives employees travel grants to study anything about architecture, with foreigners required to choose US locations and Americans required to travel abroad. When they return, they share what they learned with their co-workers, and sometimes the public as well. Individuality is another guiding principle, which revels in a variety of client projects in which no two are the same. The firm’s commissions range from new construction to high-profile historical restoration, from luxury residences to large scale commercial projects. The focus is on taking common elements and putting them together in an uncommon way to produce designs that are timeless, yet look to the future. In doing so, JPA designs architecture “from the inside out,” says Parks. “Sometimes I have no idea what the project looks like on the outside.” 1471 Fifth Street D He learned this narrative approach to design while working in Connecticut for Charles Moore (the prestigious architect who was the chair of Yale’s School of Architecture and the rare recipient of an AIA gold medal). This approach considers a client’s daily routine. “You know, Mr. Hayes has his keys. He puts them where? Okay, let’s find a place. Where does his umbrella go?,” Parks says. “It is always about how people use the space, as opposed to a stage set that people are forced to live in.” Moore gave Parks some personal advice that has had a significant impact on JPA. “He said, ‘You will be a great architect one day if you work on one thing every day,’” Parks recounts. “And it wasn’t just about me, it was about something he worked on every day, too. He said, ‘To be a great architect, it’s not that you’re going to have to make the best models; it’s not that you’re going to have to make the best drawings; it’s not about being the best drafter. It’s not 42 : : arts and culture magazine
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