Jumping off from our most recent list, Green Gurus You Should Follow on Twitter, I got to thinking about architectural design.
The leaders in these fields will help to shape the way that buildings, homes, neighborhoods, and cities are designed. This is not a casual statement. The game has changed in this new century of ours. And the needs of our new century are unique, and demand imagination, dialogue, and innovation to match.
But, what are some of the names who are leading the way? And more to the point, who are the ones who are looking to connect with you on Twitter, to share their knowledge about where modern architecture and design is taking us? Well, this list of 10 innovators in architecture and design should help you get started …
Eric Corey Freed is an architect, author, and speaker. He’s also a high-profile proponent of passive design, which is a concept that incorporates the burden of energy savings and environmental controls into climate and location-oriented design of structures, rather than on HVAC systems. He is the author of Green Building and Remodeling For Dummies, and is the principle at his design firm. You can also read his blog.
2. @Urbanverse (Cindy Frewen Wuellner)
Cindy has a long standing background as an architect, which bolsters her current efforts in what the future of city planning looks like. She is a speaker, self-professed ‘treehugger’, and teacher, with a focus on what urban life with be like for future generations. Cindy is also fascinated by the relationship between planning, urban use, and social networking which she explores on her blog urbanverse.posterous.com.
3. @MKaufman (Michelle Kaufman)
Michelle is the principle behind her own architectural design firm Michelle Kaufman Designs, inspired by her Iowa upbringing to integrate her creative eye, her enthusiasm for social media, and her understanding of the dependence we have on the natural environment. Her dedication to sustainable, and affordable design can also be sampled on her YouTube Channel and Facebook Fan Page.
4. @Mark_Elton
Mark graduated from the University of Bath in the UK, and is currently Associate Director at ECD Architects in London. With a background in engineering and architecture, Mark is also a thought-leader when it comes to sustainability. He represents his company on a committee hosted by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) – Sustainable Futures. Read the ECD company blog.
5. @HumaneArchitect (Frank Lyons)
Frank is the principle lecturer at the Plymouth School of Architecture in the UK, having created an undergraduate course there which espouses his approach to design. He is Co-Director of HumaneArchitecture.com , a company based around these same ideals of increased quality of life for people, and aesthetic appeal, held in balance with ecological concerns. Read the humane architecture company blog.
6. @ArchitectDerek (Derek Leavitt)
An early Lego-enthusiast, Derek took his love for building cities and made it into a career. His company Modative, formed with partners Christian Navar and Michael David Scott,begins from a place of innovation, and aims to set precedents in this new 21st Century paradigm while working collaboratively. You can read the Modative company blog to learn more.
7. @BobBorson
Bob is an architect based in Dallas Texas, with his blog Life of an Architect.com tracing his thoughts and his travels as he builds up sharp insights on the future of modern architecture in the 21st Century. Bob concentrates his efforts in designing private residences and municiple buildings, and has received the American Institute of Architects “Young Architect of the Year” award in 2009. You can read Bob’s blog at lifeofanarchitect.com.
8. @darylrantisarch (Daryl Rantis)
Daryl has 20 years experience as an architect, with a focus on community scaled projects with sustainable design in order to ‘create environments that lift the human spirit’. Daryl is an author, with pieces published in Family Home Idea Book, among other publications. He’s also an educator, having been a visiting professor at the Kansas State University of Architecture. Visit his site at Rantisarchitects.com.
9. @ArchitectureJC (Jackie Craven)
Jackie’s areas of expertise is the spectrum between the preservation of old properties from the Victorian period and contemporary trends. She’s been a columnist for House and Garden Magazine, as well as the author of two books The Healthy Home and The Stress-Free Home. She is also resident expert about architecture at About.com. You can read her blog at architecture.about.com.
10. @SuButcher
Su says that she’s not (quite) and architect, but is still a trusted voice in the field, having studied architecture at the University of Liverpool in the UK. Su is currently the practice manager at UK architecture firm Barefoot & Giles, and is also an online blogger and curator of highly useful content having to do with the field of architecture right from the inside. Read her blog at justpractising.com
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About Rob Jones
Rob,
Flattered not only to have made your list, but to be placed in the same category as these amazing people. Thanks for this.
-Derek…
@architectderek
You’re welcome, Derek and thanks for your work. There are so many great people in your field out there, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you via you Twitter profiles/websites.
Rob,
Thank you for placing me on this list, I hope I can maintain the standards that the others from this list have established. Since I am new to blogging and Twitter, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I follow most of these people and that they have been a fantastic source of information for me.
Thanks for putting this list together,
-Bob
@bobborson
No problem, Bob. Among the things that impressed me about your profile, work, and blog, one big element that helped to push you onto the list was this picture, which is all kinds of awesome!
Thanks for comments!
Hi Rob,
Thanks for including me on this list – wow!
I’m delighted that twitter has really taken off with architects. We’ve now got nearly 1000 on the league here:
http://www.justpractising.com/architects-twitter-league/
This gives the lie to the commonly held view that twitter is only about trivialities (a criticism no doubt levelled at the telephone in its time). Architects are using online tools to reach out to their clients, collaborators and the general public, each in their own way. Long may it continue!
Hi Su, and thanks for comments!
You certainly deserve to be on this list, and thanks for your work as well.
I think we are living in a time when connecting with all levels of an industry, and related industries, is becoming more and more vital. Part of what we’re trying to do here at BD is to seeing about bringing people of various disciplines related to home owning, design, and construction together. What better way than Twitter and other social media platforms to meet those people directly? And what better way than this blog to engage in real conversation?
Thanks so much for visiting and leaving your comments.
Cheers!
Hi Rob
Good to be on your list, thank you.
The world is getting smaller, last time I spoke to architects in Dallas it was after an eight hour flight. So nice to now be able to share ideas and find common ground with other earthlings across the planet.
Keep it up
Frank
Thanks Frank!
It’s true – the world is much smaller, and as a result, there’s more chance to meet people and learn new things. This is certainly one of the reasons that I’ve started this list series; to learn about the people, but also to learn about the fields they’re in, related laterally with what we’re doing.
Thanks again for comments!
I’m glad I stumbled on this list. I’m already following many of these fine Architects and have eagerly added the rest. Good job!
Hi Collier,
I’m glad you’ve found the list to be useful. Feel free (and this goes for everyone) to suggest other architects who are engaging on Twitter and/or have interesting blogs. I’d love to see this list (and others in the series) to be something of a living document, rather than just a static blog post.
Thanks for comments!
The leaders in these fields will help to shape the way that buildings, homes, neighborhoods, and cities are designed. This is not a casual statement. The game has changed in this new century of ours. And the needs of our new century are unique, and demand imagination, dialogue, and innovation to match.
So glad I stumbled across this post. I will definitely follow them all. Thanks!