Uribe Schwarzkopf and LA Arquitectos

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Uribe Schwarzkopf and LA Arquitectos ("USALA") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

USALA : My firm has two principals with two very different backgrounds. I am from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. I grew up in Upper Michigan and went to the University of Michigan for my undergraduate studies in Architecture. I have worked in Seattle and Detroit before moving to Los Angeles for my Masters at SCIARC. My partner Gabriela Anker was raised and born in Quito Ecuador. She did her undergrad studies at the University of Virginia, and then move to New York for a couple of years before her entering her masters studies. She also did her masters at SCIARC where we met. We have two very different backgrounds and travel experiences that enriched our practice. We solve our design projects from different perspectives but merge them to make for a more rich result. We love to add personality to our designs and by being different we are able to provide that.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

USALA : As a designer we are able to reach into the natural needs and interests of human beings. For me it is fascinating to bring this kind of services and influence the way a person sees its surroundings and start respecting and caring for it.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

USALA : I decided to become a designer since I can remember. I always have liked buildings, creating things with my hands and mind. For me it was mind blowing to think that the elements and spaces within my mind could be represented and materialized. Even more mesmerizing was to think that some else can be part of this idea and eventually occupy, enjoy and share it

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

USALA : Anything that is unconventional that demands creative solutions. My practice is particularly in Architecture. But for me our design is everywhere so I am always open to interesting projects

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

USALA : Work hard, do not give up and give it a chance. If you fail learn from it and get up. If you succeed take it with a grain of salt and keep moving.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

USALA : Try new things never be satisfied. Having motivation. Always keep learning and experimenting. Also, having a little luck to be able to show and prove how good you can be.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

USALA : Great design has heart, and lives of its self. Good design keeps growing and reproducing, as well as being adaptive and changing. When a design is able to become iconic and essential for living you have created a good organism. If it creates an impact and improves the way you live then you have created really good design.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

USALA : The value of good design is the appreciation for creative and alternative solutions for unknown outcomes.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

USALA : I would design essential living tools for people that do not have the opportunity to hire an architect.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

USALA : Our house.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

USALA : My recipe is dedication and iteration. Do it over and over again until you get it right, and it evolves into what it needs to be.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

USALA : John Lautner, because he was a forward thinking architect, under appreciated for his time. He created harmonious relationships between his clients, the surroundings and nature. The relationships between these elements were flawless and in sync.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

USALA : The creation of humans (our kids). For me they are the perfect organisms that are perfectly design to its smallest part.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

USALA : Keep your eyes open, pay attentions to your surroundings and its behaviors. Just remember to look up and enjoy each day.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

USALA : Inventor, Architects are limited to physical objects and inventors have no limitations.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

USALA : Design is anything or everything.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

USALA : Everyone in my life had an influence on my career. I think that learning to appreciate your surrounding have been my biggest support.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

USALA : Hagy Belzberg. He gave me the opportunity to reach inside and create what I think is beautiful.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

USALA : Finding the right opportunities and being able to physically communicate them.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

USALA : They should try to communicate their work in the most clear and attractive way. Show its purpose and contextualize its presence.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

USALA : Our next project is a private residence in the outskirts of the city. It is a continuation of our exploration of the non-conventional playfulness between materials and spaces.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

USALA : To make an ever lasting positive contribution in the field of architecture

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

USALA : The commitment to never be satisfied.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

USALA : It maintains a sense of progress and beauty.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

USALA : A non-conventional house that uses natural materials to create movement. That reflects its surroundings and incorporates its beauty form the outside to the inside.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

USALA : The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust were I was the project manager and project designer under the supervision of Hagy Belzberg. This project had an important story that needs to be told and communicated from events that could never be forgotten. There-for this piece of architecture had a purpose and become a tool for education and knowledge.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

USALA : More opportunities for young designers that have the energy and ideas to change the world.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

USALA : I believe that design will get back to the days of more intrinsic detail (e.g. baroque style) It is headed in that direction with the help in the articulation process by technology like robots, cnc milling and more. Architecture was partially simplified because of labor cost. Now with the help of technology this can change.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

USALA : 1 day or 5 years you never know what a project might represent.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

USALA : I start form a 3 dimensional blank canvas. Then I start my sculptural process of extraction and addition with the analysis of different forces. These forces can be come from varying factors.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

USALA : The playful approach to design and a problem solver.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

USALA : Depends on the opportunity, scale and clients. We will like to think we are trend setters but not always.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

USALA : Technology aids in the efficiency of the iterative process. It is another tool that needs to be learned and used properly to create better things

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

USALA : Anything available, no preference.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

USALA : For me they are additional tools that aid and inform designers to make better decisions

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

USALA : What was the most challenging part of the design?

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

USALA : Progress.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

USALA : Someone with a different background than me. Collaboration produces the best results.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

USALA : Fellow SCIARC alumni.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

USALA : Journals, blogs and media have had the strongest impact on our design.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

USALA : Years of practice.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

USALA : John Lautner.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

USALA : Being recognized for your hard work is justified.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

USALA : Green, Michigan, pasty, fall, tree, none

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

USALA : Always finding potential in new design opportunities.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

USALA : It was obvious I would be an architect, anything else is a bonus.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

USALA : A harmonious collaboration between humans and planets.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

USALA : Great design can come from anywhere and anyone, including you.