Union Studio is Seeking a Job Captain / Project Architect

We’re looking to hire a job captain/project architect with 7 to 10 years experience who is strongly committed to the principles of New Urbanism. The ideal candidate shares Union Studio’s commitment to tradition as the foundation for truly creative work, to sustainable planning and building practices, and to an exceptional level of design competence. He/she strives for professional excellence at every level and has made a consistent contribution to the health of new and existing communities through architecture and urban design. A sense of humor and willingness to share the load within a growing office is a plus.

This position involves leading internal project teams on mid-sized projects, consultant coordination, site visits and construction administration, and client meetings. Strong communication skills are required.

Union Studio is committed to the state of the art technology. As one of the earliest firms to adopt AutoDesk Revit as our primary design and documentation software, we have made a full transition to BIM. Auto-Cad, Sketch-Up, 3-D studio Viz supplement our digital arsenal. The ideal candidate is proficient on a BIM platform.

We offer excellent benefits including health insurance, firm –matched 401K plan, and sponsored educational opportunities. We are an equal-opportunity employer.

Interested professionals should email a resume, cover letter and a digital portfolio sample to the attention of Dana Powers, Director of Operations at dana@unionstudioarch.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Part One of a Three Part Series - By Donald Powers, AIA, LEED AP, CNU
Note: This piece is written about Main Street in East Greenwich, RI, however we believe that many of the general issues and recommendations discussed in this series can be applied to main streets everywhere.

Like parents of a gifted but underachieving teenager, many residents of East Greenwich, this one included, want Main Street to rise to its own potential, to stop just getting by, and to take advantage of its God-given opportunities which so many less fortunate main streets would die to have. We shake our heads and ask ourselves why Main Street can’t be more like Wickford. And we suspect that we are somehow to blame for not being nurturing or firm enough as a community to raise a truly thriving downtown of galleries, restaurants, boutiques, hardware stores, groceries and café’s with the self-esteem of say, Bristol.

The good news: Main Street is largely intact and, though not exactly thriving, it has an undeniable appeal that can be built on. Moreover, there are proven techniques which can and have transformed many moribund main streets with far less going for them than ours. The bad news: These techniques largely require political will, community consensus, and a unified group of merchants to be successful, all of which are remarkably elusive in a town and state which was founded on principles of individual freedom and political dissent. So our Main Street is a mixed bag; full of opportunity, beset by obstacles...

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Several Union Studio staff members have volunteered for the ACE Mentorship program over the years. They continue to find time to be involved regardless of how full their schedules are, so I sat down with Project Manager Tami Hughes (former ACE Mentor of the Year) to learn more about what makes this program so special. – by Emily Hall

Tell me about ACE…
ACE is a free after-school mentoring program for high school students, run by an all-volunteer staff of individuals who work in the architecture, construction, or engineering industry (A/C/E). The goal is to introduce students to A/C/E careers. We meet once a week for 2 hours, for 18 weeks. During this time students learn about how the industry works, tour local projects, offices and colleges, and work on group projects, which they present at the end of the term. If the students choose to come back for another year, ACE offers another program where the group enters a national competition against other ACE chapters throughout the country. The winners of the competition go to Washington D.C. to present and receive their award. We are fortunate to have two ACE chapters in RI: one in Providence and one in Northern RI. It is open to all public or private high school students...

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The four-month "I Love Architecture" Campaign started by Cameron Sinclair, Co-Founder of Architecture for Humanity is a great reminder of why architecture matters, in the global / community context as well as in our personal and professional lives.

Sinclair writes: "It has been a tough time for the profession. Projects have been put on hold, layoffs have been unrelenting and a stagnant industry has put us all on edge. Putting aside the data you’ll realize that regardless of the economy we work in the one industry that continues to be admired the world over. Strangely, admired by almost everyone except by the very people that create it. This Valentine’s Day it is time for us to fall in love again.

Put down the coffee for a moment and spend minutes reminding yourself why you love architecture and, if you feel so bold, let the world know. It could be a building you worked on, a client who made you think differently or a community you’ve helped to transform. It could be the work of a fellow practitioner or perhaps a great space that inspired you to become the person you are today.

I knew when I was six years old. As a kid I used to wander off from the bleak concrete confines of South London, even occasionally ditch school to discover well thought out structures and public spaces that brought life to a community. A decade later while interning for my first firm..." Visit Architecture for Humanity's blog to read the full post and to contribute your personal message.