I just received offers from KMD in San Francisco and Callison in Seattle. I've never lived either place, so I would like to hear opinions on the cities and anything anyone knows about either firms (I'll be entering as an intern pretty much fresh from undergrad.) Does anyone out there work at these firms? I know there's been quite a few recent discussions on both cities, obviously i'll be checking those too, but any tips will help. Also I'm trying to get into sailing in either area...any contacts or suggestions?
i had a roommate while working in seattle that learned how to sail at the center for wooden boats i'm still kicking myself for not joining him in that venture...they take you out on lake union in nice little wooden boats. a great way to learn the ropes of sailing...my roommate had nothing but great things to say of the experience...and from living and working in both cities, i would have to say i would go back to live in seattle in a heartbeat and visit san francisco any chance i got. for me, seattle seemed to be a much more liveable city...things seemed to more accessible: nightlife, the arts, housing. the design community in seattle seemed very rooted to the pacific nw, architecture there felt right.
a friend of mine worked as a co-op at Callison and she enjoyed the experience very much. Their studio set up (2001) had nicely sized project teams and they encouraged her involvement in a number of projects...different scales, different countries. overall a good experience. Pay was good too, IIRC. it is corporate but if that suits you, its a good firm to work for.
the firm has a nice central downtown location thats right smack dab in the middle of everything. one short monorail ride to The Seattle Center (space needle, EMP) and a three block walk to Pike Street Market. We lived in Belltown during our three month Seattle stay. very trendy....very expensive. i'd try Capitol Hill or First Hill for economical accomodations....Belltown or Pioneer Square if you are a hipster. Callison's central location makes it an easy bus ride or walk from just about anywhere...driving is out of the question as the one expensive thing in Seattle is parking. 20 bucks a day isn't uncommon.
As with most things;-), Plastic got it right. I know he enjoyed his time in Seattle and I did too. great atmosphere, great weather (seriously) and great stuff to do...i too would pick it over San Fran in a heartbeat and i've spent time in both cities.
i have lived in both places >> sf, 7 years and seattle, almost 4. i love both. san fran for it's denisity and diversity of people, and seattle for it's connection to nature, change of seasons, and in general, i find it a more liveable city even though you are proabably more car dependent.
both cities are surrounded by water, are gray [sf: fog and seattle: clouds], and have decent architecture.
in seattle it doesn't rain as much as people say. the days are shorter in the winter [8 hours of daylight at the in winter solstice] and longer in the summer [16 hours of daylight at the summer solstice]. the short days in the winter are the toughest thing to deal with. it hardly rains in the summer [maybe 2-3 time in 4 months]. when it rains in the winter, it often rains in the middle of the night only to clear by day or it may be a slow misty rain. there are certainly a handful of heavy rains, but it rains more in nyc than seattle. sf summers can by cool. it's not uncommon to have to wear a heavier jacket in the summer, although september and october are very pleasant.
while i find the people of sf socially more liberal than the people of seattle, i find the people of seattle friendlier and more open to new architecture than those of sf. people in sf love their painted ladies. koolhas built the library in seattle but couldn't get prada built in sf due to people objecting to it looking like a cheese grater. both have a decent stock of post war [WWII] modern architecture.
sf's nightlife and restaurants are better and are open later. sf is more expensive than seattle. there is no state income tax in washington so you'll have a couple hundred bucks in your pocket every month. in seattle, you are a 3 hour drive from portland or vancouver. in sf, you are a 5-6 hour drive to la. although i'm not a sailer, i would think seattle offers better sailing. the water on the lakes are calmer than the water on the bay. if you are a snowboarder, skier, hiker, you are 45 minutes from all of this.
both cities have decent public transportation systems. sf's is more diverse and pervasive. seattle's is limited to buses at the time, but unlike sf, it is always on time. seattle just passed a measure to build a monorail, but in typical seattle fashion, another measure is being put forth to rescind the measure to build it. seattlites love to debate things to death, and it's annoying. the design community is also tighter and closer in seattle because it is smaller. in sf, designers are a dime a dozen.
i don't know much about the places you are applying to. good luck though.
hope this helps. lemme know if you have other questions.
The only thing I don't like about Seattle is that it's WHITE WHITE WHITE. Aside from that, even the rain and traffic isn't as bad you may hear. IMO, there's a very cool design culture there. It's clean, safe and urban, and modern. SF has a sloppier aesthetic, but if you're looking for anything the city will have it. Don't know if Seattle can do that.
Architecturally, your work is bound to be more progressive anywhere else than in SF. As "open-minded" as we are here, when it comes to building there are few places more stuck in the past.
If you are a hippie, go to Seattle
If you are a yuppie, go to San Fran
This is coming from someone w/ 10 yrs in Seattle & 5 yrs in SF
I'm working in Seattle with a major firm (hint: Callison's competitor) Personally I like San Fran better, but I'm a yuppie
as a practictioner in the field of arch (I presume), how would you encourage others who arrive new to SF to not shy away from the homeless and instead do something about it? how would you as a designer address the isue from what you saw in SF?
i am curious, b/c your comment about there being too many homeless people, kind of made me feel as if you felt it is okay to simply bail the situation and discourage other people from SF for this issue alone.
seattle did indeed build rem's library, and sf didn't end up with prada -- but not because it wasn't approved (it was finally) but because prada pulled out financially; and H & DeM's DeYoung is almost done, which might be quite as amazing as seattle's library, but not bad...
As an intern who has worked both ends of the spectrum--multifamily/affordable housing to corporate, you can't beat Callison's benefits, studio/firm culture and the experience you'll receive while you're here. And you can't beat the summer in Seattle. Oh, and Seattle is not that "WHITE"--enzo76 just needs to look a little bit harder.
moonpatrol, seattle is that white. i have lived in dc, sf, and seattle, and seattle is the whitest of them all. i love seattle, but i just wish there was some more color.
I've lived in Seattle, LA, Boston, and have visited several cities for about a week each, including NY & SF, and I do agree that Seattle is fairly white. But, this depends. In the Central Area, there are lots of African-Americans. North of Seattle, in Shoreline and Lynnwood, and in Tacoma, there are lots of Asian-Americans. The Latino population is definitely less than other cities like SF, LA, and Boston. Here in LA, more than 50% of the broadcast tv stations are in spanish, one in Korean and another part-time English/Japanese/Korean. In Seattle, last time I lived there 5 years ago, everything was English (I think one might have been spanish....). In Boston, 3 or 4 were Spanish.
Also, because the people there are so isolated from other major cities, they people there have formed their own sense of superiority. Apparently, going to the U of Washington in Seattle for them is a hugh deal. When you live in other cities, you have choices: UCLA, Berkeley, UCSF, and USC in California. And in the East Coast, everyone thinks they're going to the best college: even little schools like Williams, Welseley, and so on. But in Seattle, there's only one big one, so there is consensus, and hence a simpler social strata, which can be good or bad.
I think SF is a great city. But Seattle is much quieter, and if you need to be alone at the beach sitting on a log watching the sunset, you can. Eventually, I want to move to SF, but retire in Seattle.
As truly an outside observer who only has personal travels and the words of friends to go on, I see a funky dicotomy up the west coast of the US. Forgetting LA and leaving that for it's own world which it is we have three very interesting cities in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. I'm often amused at how often all of these cities are discussed on this forum as being such great meccas. Granted, I love all of those cities but when you compare their current growth and business climates to the rest of the USA they are all quite lacking. Just had to add my 2 cent editorial - no hostility intended.
Anyway, aside from pure environmental differences of all three, they are all cities much alike. Granted there are very obvious differences but consider comparing Seattle to her two large sisters to the south and then compare Seattle to Boston or Chicago or Dallas or Miami, etc. See where I'm going? All I'm trying to say is that if you are coming out to either Seattle or SF from a different region of the USA I would base that decision purely on the firm, economics, potential for growth, etc. Culturally they are similar compared to the rest of the country. Climatically they are very similar as well.
Recently I had a friend move from Portland to Seattle. To quote him he said "Seattle is Portland with more water." Now you may proceed to tell me how wrong I am but that is how a guy from Chicago saw it when he moved out there.
To San Fran or Seattle?
I just received offers from KMD in San Francisco and Callison in Seattle. I've never lived either place, so I would like to hear opinions on the cities and anything anyone knows about either firms (I'll be entering as an intern pretty much fresh from undergrad.) Does anyone out there work at these firms? I know there's been quite a few recent discussions on both cities, obviously i'll be checking those too, but any tips will help. Also I'm trying to get into sailing in either area...any contacts or suggestions?
i had a roommate while working in seattle that learned how to sail at the center for wooden boats i'm still kicking myself for not joining him in that venture...they take you out on lake union in nice little wooden boats. a great way to learn the ropes of sailing...my roommate had nothing but great things to say of the experience...and from living and working in both cities, i would have to say i would go back to live in seattle in a heartbeat and visit san francisco any chance i got. for me, seattle seemed to be a much more liveable city...things seemed to more accessible: nightlife, the arts, housing. the design community in seattle seemed very rooted to the pacific nw, architecture there felt right.
seattle.
SF is overpriced and crawling with homeless.
a friend of mine worked as a co-op at Callison and she enjoyed the experience very much. Their studio set up (2001) had nicely sized project teams and they encouraged her involvement in a number of projects...different scales, different countries. overall a good experience. Pay was good too, IIRC. it is corporate but if that suits you, its a good firm to work for.
the firm has a nice central downtown location thats right smack dab in the middle of everything. one short monorail ride to The Seattle Center (space needle, EMP) and a three block walk to Pike Street Market. We lived in Belltown during our three month Seattle stay. very trendy....very expensive. i'd try Capitol Hill or First Hill for economical accomodations....Belltown or Pioneer Square if you are a hipster. Callison's central location makes it an easy bus ride or walk from just about anywhere...driving is out of the question as the one expensive thing in Seattle is parking. 20 bucks a day isn't uncommon.
As with most things;-), Plastic got it right. I know he enjoyed his time in Seattle and I did too. great atmosphere, great weather (seriously) and great stuff to do...i too would pick it over San Fran in a heartbeat and i've spent time in both cities.
i have lived in both places >> sf, 7 years and seattle, almost 4. i love both. san fran for it's denisity and diversity of people, and seattle for it's connection to nature, change of seasons, and in general, i find it a more liveable city even though you are proabably more car dependent.
both cities are surrounded by water, are gray [sf: fog and seattle: clouds], and have decent architecture.
in seattle it doesn't rain as much as people say. the days are shorter in the winter [8 hours of daylight at the in winter solstice] and longer in the summer [16 hours of daylight at the summer solstice]. the short days in the winter are the toughest thing to deal with. it hardly rains in the summer [maybe 2-3 time in 4 months]. when it rains in the winter, it often rains in the middle of the night only to clear by day or it may be a slow misty rain. there are certainly a handful of heavy rains, but it rains more in nyc than seattle. sf summers can by cool. it's not uncommon to have to wear a heavier jacket in the summer, although september and october are very pleasant.
while i find the people of sf socially more liberal than the people of seattle, i find the people of seattle friendlier and more open to new architecture than those of sf. people in sf love their painted ladies. koolhas built the library in seattle but couldn't get prada built in sf due to people objecting to it looking like a cheese grater. both have a decent stock of post war [WWII] modern architecture.
sf's nightlife and restaurants are better and are open later. sf is more expensive than seattle. there is no state income tax in washington so you'll have a couple hundred bucks in your pocket every month. in seattle, you are a 3 hour drive from portland or vancouver. in sf, you are a 5-6 hour drive to la. although i'm not a sailer, i would think seattle offers better sailing. the water on the lakes are calmer than the water on the bay. if you are a snowboarder, skier, hiker, you are 45 minutes from all of this.
both cities have decent public transportation systems. sf's is more diverse and pervasive. seattle's is limited to buses at the time, but unlike sf, it is always on time. seattle just passed a measure to build a monorail, but in typical seattle fashion, another measure is being put forth to rescind the measure to build it. seattlites love to debate things to death, and it's annoying. the design community is also tighter and closer in seattle because it is smaller. in sf, designers are a dime a dozen.
i don't know much about the places you are applying to. good luck though.
hope this helps. lemme know if you have other questions.
The only thing I don't like about Seattle is that it's WHITE WHITE WHITE. Aside from that, even the rain and traffic isn't as bad you may hear. IMO, there's a very cool design culture there. It's clean, safe and urban, and modern. SF has a sloppier aesthetic, but if you're looking for anything the city will have it. Don't know if Seattle can do that.
Architecturally, your work is bound to be more progressive anywhere else than in SF. As "open-minded" as we are here, when it comes to building there are few places more stuck in the past.
If you are a hippie, go to Seattle
If you are a yuppie, go to San Fran
This is coming from someone w/ 10 yrs in Seattle & 5 yrs in SF
I'm working in Seattle with a major firm (hint: Callison's competitor) Personally I like San Fran better, but I'm a yuppie
thanks guys....I'm probably going to rely heavily on this information while making a decision, so keep it coming.
Anyone know anymore specifics about either of the firms, especially KMD in San Francisco?
I heard somewhere that KMD has/had a "Director of Discipline"
'nuf said.
Dan
as a practictioner in the field of arch (I presume), how would you encourage others who arrive new to SF to not shy away from the homeless and instead do something about it? how would you as a designer address the isue from what you saw in SF?
i am curious, b/c your comment about there being too many homeless people, kind of made me feel as if you felt it is okay to simply bail the situation and discourage other people from SF for this issue alone.
hey e:
seattle did indeed build rem's library, and sf didn't end up with prada -- but not because it wasn't approved (it was finally) but because prada pulled out financially; and H & DeM's DeYoung is almost done, which might be quite as amazing as seattle's library, but not bad...
bothhands, you are correct. apologies. but sf still has a problem with embracing current architectural culture. they just love victorians.
i am eager to see the new deyoung. as usual, their skins are so nice.
deyoung
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/09/MNGL2736501.DTL
other
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/26/BACADIGEST2.DTL
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/17/DDGLA76M3J1.DTL
#4 is nice, but it's a restoration! the others are blah
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/11/CMG6Q5KTAO7.DTL
As an intern who has worked both ends of the spectrum--multifamily/affordable housing to corporate, you can't beat Callison's benefits, studio/firm culture and the experience you'll receive while you're here. And you can't beat the summer in Seattle. Oh, and Seattle is not that "WHITE"--enzo76 just needs to look a little bit harder.
moonpatrol, seattle is that white. i have lived in dc, sf, and seattle, and seattle is the whitest of them all. i love seattle, but i just wish there was some more color.
I've lived in Seattle, LA, Boston, and have visited several cities for about a week each, including NY & SF, and I do agree that Seattle is fairly white. But, this depends. In the Central Area, there are lots of African-Americans. North of Seattle, in Shoreline and Lynnwood, and in Tacoma, there are lots of Asian-Americans. The Latino population is definitely less than other cities like SF, LA, and Boston. Here in LA, more than 50% of the broadcast tv stations are in spanish, one in Korean and another part-time English/Japanese/Korean. In Seattle, last time I lived there 5 years ago, everything was English (I think one might have been spanish....). In Boston, 3 or 4 were Spanish.
Also, because the people there are so isolated from other major cities, they people there have formed their own sense of superiority. Apparently, going to the U of Washington in Seattle for them is a hugh deal. When you live in other cities, you have choices: UCLA, Berkeley, UCSF, and USC in California. And in the East Coast, everyone thinks they're going to the best college: even little schools like Williams, Welseley, and so on. But in Seattle, there's only one big one, so there is consensus, and hence a simpler social strata, which can be good or bad.
I think SF is a great city. But Seattle is much quieter, and if you need to be alone at the beach sitting on a log watching the sunset, you can. Eventually, I want to move to SF, but retire in Seattle.
i would like to bring this post back, if i have the choice of LA, San Fran (Bay Area), or Seattle..
which one you'll choice and why?!
i lived in LA for 4 years, starting to feel tired of the traffic, poOr air, life here, i wonder if San Fran or Seattle is a better choice?!
suggestion, please..
As truly an outside observer who only has personal travels and the words of friends to go on, I see a funky dicotomy up the west coast of the US. Forgetting LA and leaving that for it's own world which it is we have three very interesting cities in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. I'm often amused at how often all of these cities are discussed on this forum as being such great meccas. Granted, I love all of those cities but when you compare their current growth and business climates to the rest of the USA they are all quite lacking. Just had to add my 2 cent editorial - no hostility intended.
Anyway, aside from pure environmental differences of all three, they are all cities much alike. Granted there are very obvious differences but consider comparing Seattle to her two large sisters to the south and then compare Seattle to Boston or Chicago or Dallas or Miami, etc. See where I'm going? All I'm trying to say is that if you are coming out to either Seattle or SF from a different region of the USA I would base that decision purely on the firm, economics, potential for growth, etc. Culturally they are similar compared to the rest of the country. Climatically they are very similar as well.
Recently I had a friend move from Portland to Seattle. To quote him he said "Seattle is Portland with more water." Now you may proceed to tell me how wrong I am but that is how a guy from Chicago saw it when he moved out there.
Seattle recently topped the most overpriced city in the US.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/forbes/P92017.asp
You can decide if you believe the article or not. But I live in Seattle and I can assure you things are not cheap here.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.