Firm Faces #21: JGMA

Many of the recent "firm faces" I've featured have been fairly humorous, evidence that architects don't always take themselves so seriously. I think that can be safely applied to Chicago's JGMA, headed by Juan Moreno.

This screenshot shows the cartoon visages of Moreno and other executives and leadership in the firm:


Clicking on any of the cartoon faces brings one to a page with a b/w portrait and a bio...but a mouseover of the photo reveals a full-color cartoon. Here, I've stitched three in the top row together and animated them with their cartoon likenesses:


I must admit, one of my first questions is, "How do they draw with those 'hands'?"

Firm Faces #20: LWPB Architecture

This week's Building of the Week – a feature I curate at American-Architects, where each week a recent building from a different state is highlighted – is the Patience S. Latting Northwest Library in Oklahoma City designed by LWPB Architecture. While researching the firm and their projects for the "50x50" feature, I couldn't help noticing the way the firm faces are represented:

[Screenshot from LWPB Architecture website]

Moving the mouse across the screen (sorry, doesn't work on mobile devices) results in the people moving back and forth, retracting of the screen like two-dimensional cutouts on a virtual Rolodex:

[Screenshot from LWPB Architecture website]

The technique is reminiscent of Diller Scofidio + Renfro's flip-up project grid on their website, which was designed by Pentagram:

[Screenshot from DS+R website]

When the mouse cursor overlaps with a person on LWBP's website, a speech bubble of sorts pops up with their name (who new Norman Foster worked in Oklahoma?) and clicking on each person brings up a postcard-like view with some of stats on them:

[Screenshot from LWPB Architecture website]

While LWPB's means of illustrating the firm's principals and employees is clever and memorable, its reliance on Flash points to the question: Can this sort of thing be programmed into the HTML environment, so as to be visible and usable across devices and platforms? I'd assume not in its current form, but perhaps in other ways that retain the fun way of showing the firm's faces and therefore the firm's personality.

Firm Faces #19: INC

This blog's "Firm Faces" has turned into a once-in-a-year, forgot-about-that feature, but I couldn't resist finding Incorporated's Twitter portrait a perfect addition to it. Not only do we not see their faces, but the six folks standing in front of five windows could easily be a band rather than an architecture firm. (Didn't Jesus and Mary Chain play shows with their backs turned to the audience?)



According to INC's Facebook page, the photo is their new office space at 9 East 19th Street and pictured are Adam Rolston, Louisa Brown, Drew Clay Stuart, Tyler Kleck, Hilary Fulmer and Gabriel Benroth. Check out Incorporated's website for the real faces of the partners Rolston, Stuart, and Benroth, and for more on the NYC firm.