Genesis Studios, Inc.

Samuel Ringman - RINGMAN DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION - PHYSICAL SUBMISSION | PROFESSIONAL Image provided by KRob09

The Ken Roberts Committee and AIA Dallas announced this year’s KRob delineation competition winners and finalists. There were record 405 entries  received from over two dozen countries.

Highlights from the Krob09 announcement:

Each member articulated the attributes of the winning works to an audience of 150 people at the awards presentation in Dallas.  This was also the first year they were able to post the results of the competition on their website immediately after the judging concluded on November 19th. You may see the final listing of all of this year’s winners.  Cash prizes will be sent to the winners in each category within the next several weeks. Winners and finalists will have their works printed and mounted in an exhibit at the Dallas Center for Architecture beginning in late January. Articles reporting the results are being published for Archinect.com as well as Texas Architect magazine.  We eagerly look forward to your participation in next year’s KRob competition.

I am honored to know three of the finalists; Richar Ferrier, Sam Ringman and Christine Zavesky who are all members of ASAI.

Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists.

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We very recently worked with a client on a design competition.

The project is confidential.

Yet today, my client told me of renderings he received that were done for his competitors.
These images were sent to him in a promotional email. This rendering firm used the just completed images of a confidential project.

Now my client knows what his competitors submitted in their design package!

At Genesis Studios Inc. we carefully guard the confidentiality of our client’s projects and their designs.

We will not release any facet of a project without the consent of our client.

Interestingly, a few years ago, another client, ACI, Winter Park, FL, requested renderings of the Winter Park, FL, City Hall for a design competition.

A short time later, their competitor Morris Architects, Orlando, FL, called on us to produce renderings of their version of the same design competition.

I called ACI and asked for their permission to work on their competitor’s renderings.

They were agreeable!

So as the work progressed, when one team came to see an update on their work, they were led through our studios to the artist working on their project whilst the door of the other artist working on the other version, was kept closed.

All parties were pleased with the results and even got a few laughs out of the situation.

When you hire Genesis Studios Inc. to work on your project, you can rest assured that “what comes into Genesis Studios Inc., stays in Genesis Studios Inc.” till you release your artwork.

I can’t believe I just used that line…

Be sure to sign-up on our website for our Monthly Genesis Studios Newsletter

A recent article (Oct. 22, 2009) in AEC Café revealed continuing positive economic news for Architectural Landscape Firms.

The article referred to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Business Quarterly survey.

It is acknowledged in the article that there long way to go on our road to economic recovery as borne out by the hiring numbers. However, good news is always welcomed.

This is important information for everyone involved in the construction industry because Landscape Architects and Land Planners are often approached by developers in the formative stages of a project.

An uptick in work for planners, who are often engaged in the early stages of development, indicates a great chance that work will spread to architectural firms as well.

Genesis Studios, Inc. has been contacted more often in recent weeks by Landscape Architects and Land Planners for architectural renderings/illustrations. The most common request is for renderings that are conceptual. Watercolor and loose techniques are preferred to digital renderings at the early stages of a project since the developer does not want to make too many commitments to the final design in the early stages of a project. The increasing frequency of requests for architectural presentations by Landscape Architects and Land Planning firms tends to validate the contents of the survey.

An interesting observation in the article had to do with the reasons given by their clients for incorporating sustainable design in their projects.

“Firm leaders rate marketing cache as important as environmental benefits for sustainable design”

That statement coincides with what I have read about the reasons given for the purchase of hybrid vehicles.

Whether it is for energy conservation, concern for the environment or “just looking good”; it is a benefit to us and our environment that “Green Technology” is increasingly popular. We are thankful that Landscape Architects and Land Planners are sensitive to the environment and on the leading edge in the related technologies.

Some of the popular reasons given for incorporating sustainable design techniques:

1.    Saving money on utility or maintenance costs (50.7 percent)
2.    Meeting a government regulation, code or construction standard (49.1 percent)
3.    Marketing cache (40.6 percent)
4.    Reducing environmental harm (39.8 percent).


Below are results of the economic survey.
Compared to the first quarter of 2009, your second quarter 2009 billable hours were:
Well above normal (10% or more higher) – 2.6%
Slightly above normal (between 5% and 10% higher) – 11.2%
Right where they usually are, or normal (plus or minus 5%) – 18.2%
Slightly below normal (between 5% and 10% lower) – 26.0%
Well below normal (10% or more lower) – 42.0%

Compared to the first quarter of 2009, your second quarter 2009 inquiries were:
Well above normal (10% or more higher) – 3.2%
Slightly above normal (between 5% and 10% higher) – 13.9%
Right where they usually are, or normal (plus or minus 5%) – 15.1%
Slightly below normal (between 5% and 10% lower) – 26.5%
Well below normal (10% or more lower) – 41.4%

Compared to the second quarter in 2008, your second quarter 2009 billable hours were:
Higher (5% or more) – 8.8%
About the same (plus or minus 5%) – 13.9%
Lower (5% or less) – 73.3%
Don’t know – 4.0%

Compared to the second quarter in 2008, your second quarter 2009 inquiries were:
Higher (5% or more) – 7.1%
About the same (plus or minus 5%) – 17.2%
Lower (5% or less) – 71.5%
Don’t know – 4.2%

Do you plan on hiring any employees in the second quarter 2009? (multiple answers):
Experienced landscape architect – 3.2%
Entry level landscape architect – 4.0%
Intern – 3.4%
Support staff – 2.2%
Other design/architecture/engineering staff – 4.2%
Other staff – 1.8%
Not hiring – 85.7%

Has your market received any stimulus funds and, if so, has your practice benefited?
My markets have not received any funds – 39.9%
My markets have received funds, but my practice, thus far, has not received work as a result – 45.8%
My market has received funds and my practice has work as a result – 14.3%
SOURCE: ASLA

“The American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI) Architecture In Perspective (AIP) Awards Process”

Just a year away from preparing for its 25th year Anniversary Convention, The American Society of Architectural Illustrators thrives as an organization built on promoting the awareness of the artistry of architectural illustrations in the varied techniques that have evolved over time. Since becoming a charter member of ASAI (then known as ASAP) in 1986, I have enjoyed viewing the art of 24 AIP competitions that have been held.

The highest award bestowed by ASAI is the prestigious Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize. This years winner was Maarten Van Dooren.

The other awards are the Formal Category Award, Informal Category Award, Juror Award (one selection by each of the three jurors) and the popular Member’s Choice Award which is presented to the winner of an online vote submitted to all 500 from around the world. (Pictures are shown below). The rest of the AIP is comprised of the winners of the Award of Excellence.

The winners of these awards are included in an annual catalogue which is distributed to over 1,000 influential architects and developers. They are also part of the “Show’, a traveling exhibit with venues across the USA and other countries.

Over these years, I have had conversations with other architectural illustrators about these selections. As with any competition that is subjective in nature, questions arise about the process behind the awards. It is fair enough and even healthy to have such conversations. Let me be blunt here though, some (not any members that I know of) have even questioned the fairness of the competition suggesting that there might be some sort of clique that serves the interests of those in some sort of an imagined inner circle within the organization. It may be easy for somebody that is not involved to view the individuals who are more involved as being “insiders”. I myself was somewhat of and “outsider” over many years even though I have enjoyed friendships with two of the founding members. I am here to let all ASAI members know that all it takes to be an “insider” is to volunteer your time and talent. One of the reasons I decided to become more involved in ASAI was my desire for adjustments to the criteria on which the awards are made.

This year, as president of ASAI, not only was I able to observe, I was involved in the proceedings. First of all the president is autonomous in his/her duty to select the jurors. This alone rules out any prior influences or trends. The jury process was held at the Miami Beach Resort, in Miami Beach Florida, which is the setting for the 2009 ASAI Convention. Present were Tamara Horch-Prezioso, Executive Director of ASAI, Gordon Grice and VP Mark Nelson. Their roles as well as mine were to set up the computers screens and equipment and to present the standard guidelines for the Jury. The Jurors were: Terry Riley, Director, Miami Art Museum - Ben Hutchens, ArquitectonicaGEO - Alfredo Sanchez, AIA, Partner Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc.

After all of the years of wondering what goes on while the jurors view and discuss hundreds of world-class presentations, I can tell you that I got to be that proverbial “fly on the wall”. What integrity, what a well-organized event. The purity of the process leaves no doubt that the judges are influenced only by each other while they pour over the images, talking amongst themselves. The event truly takes on a life of its own. A chemistry develops between the jurors that is distinctly their own. The jurors invited to preside over AIP24 were all from the Miami area. They come with varying backgrounds in art and architecture. Impressively, the jurors hit their stride from the outset and even though they had never met each other prior to that weekend, they worked as a unit with reverence and respect for every single submission. We the facilitators each had favorite images.

Almost the way one wants to use body language in Charades to convey a thought, so were we frustrated because we were not allowed to influence the jury in any way at all, not even a gesture or timely cough!

They were unanimous in their selection of this years’ Hugh Ferriss Memorial winner, Maarten van Dooren. The other selections fell into place as smoothly as if the jurors were partners in their own firm. While I and others may still wish to adjust and improve the jury process, I now have much more appreciation and respect for the procedures that are in place. Any artists that don’t make the “cuts” can take solace in the fact that there very likely could be different outcomes with different combinations of jurors. That is why members are encouraged to re-submit their works in succeeding years. This year’s back of the book image might be next year’s Hugh Ferriss Memorial winner.

By Frank Bartus, President, Genesis Studios Inc./2009 President, ASAI

Be sure to check out Architectural Renderings at Genesis Studios