No.8 SPECIAL GUEST: Architectural Designer & Author of The Art of Classical Details Phillip Dodd Shares on Artisans, Art & Architecture

Portrait By: Peter Olsen

Who: Phillip J. Dodd

What: Architectural Designer & Author of Upcoming Knockout Publication

The Art of Classical Details

Theory, Design And Craftsmanship

When: The book is due out March, 2013

Where: A Native to Manchester, England he now lives and works in Connecticut

 

We tend to fancy every guest we feature here at Artisanal Specs. quite special indeed. Alas, keeping with our promised sub-series of 'Special Guests', we are honored to share our first very special guest interview and book review with none other than the renowned architectural designer, artist, historian, writer, educator and expert on classical design: Phillip J. Dodd, author of upcoming knockout publication The Art of Classical Details: Theory, Design And Craftsmanship. Aside from giving us a tour behind the scenes of The Art of Classical Details, Phillip also gives us a thoughtful and incisive look into his minds eye. With a passionate take on architecture and a healthy dose of that warm British humor, Phillip shows us how integral it just might be to maintain a well-rounded and all-inclusive discussion of what goes into creating contemporary classical architecture.  

 

In keeping with Artisanal Specs.' love for and focus on the artisans, trades and specialty craftspeople that work thoroughly alongside architects, designers and builders to bring design to life, there is good reason we were so excited to cover The Art of Classical Details. Unlike many of the other wonderful books out on design, from the perspective of architecture, Phillip has worked with tender and extensive care to curate a publication that tells the story of contemporary classical architecture and design from the in-depth and multifaceted viewpoints of architects, designers, artists (himself), scholars and artisans and craftspeople; an opportune and rich perspective we do not often get to hear. With his own craftsman-like precision, Phillip has carved out a space to facilitate a discourse on design from an elevated and uniquely all- inclusive point of view. He brings to the table a pallet of voices that paint a larger picture of how and why it is worth carrying out the principles and practices of classical architecture in the modern world. Before we totally dive into our talk with Phillip, here's a shortlist of some of the incredible talents and minds you can expect to hear from in this book: David Easton, Henry Hope Reed, Quinlan Terry, Ken Tate, Dinyar Wadia, Richard Carbino, Foster Reeve, Peter Pennoyer, Richard Cameron, Mark Ferguson, Oscar Shamamian, Jeremy Musson, Alain Oliver, Robert Adam, Paul Chesney, Julian Bicknell, Anne Fairfax, Richard Sammons and so many, many more.

 

As you may have gathered by now, we love to begin by asking our features why they do what they do and what their journey has been in the field. So when we sat down to talk with Phillip we knew we liked him already when he replied to our 'So Phillip, why architecture?' with:

"I saw The Towering Inferno as a kid and wanted to be Paul Newman." Pause. We both laugh. "I love drawing. Since grade school technical drawing was my best subject..." Phillip shifts to sincerity.

"Drumlin Hall, Dutchess County, NY, Peter Pennoyer
Architects" Pg 188, as seen in TAoCD, The Projects.

And therein lay the start: drawing. The Art of Classical Details came to fruition at the hands of someone who began with the arts and was drawn to the space architecture created where both art and mechanics, the creative and the logical minds, were coming together.

"Architecture is a funny subject. It's both artistic, but it's also technical. There's a rigor to it. You have to be very mathematic, to be able to have that kind of mindset- but you also have to be artistic and able to draw..."

Phillip, who hails from Manchester, England, where he attended both the Manchester School of Architecture as well as studying architecture at the renowned Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture in London (and that's just before he came to the States, where he would gain his Master's in architecture from The University of Notre Dame), has spent quite a bit of time studying architecture. If there's one thing he has grown passionate about it is the necessity to have a well rounded understanding of both the fine arts and mathematical/ analytical, to be able to comprehensively create accurate and good architecture.



Fluted Doric column with modillion block entableture by
John B. Murray Architect, Pg 10 as seen in TAoCD.

 Aside from the experience Phillip got in school, especially the Prince of Wales Institute, after being convinced by a friend to travel to the U.S. and just try working here for a while, he got his dose of training at the hands of Fairfax and Sammons co-founder, Richard Sammons. Back when the firm was going by Richard Franklin Sammons Architect, and there were only 5 people in the office, Phillip received dedicated and insightful instruction from Richard each day- an experience well worth the stay. As the firm grew and the tides shifted, Phillip found his way to Connecticut where he joined Dinyar Wadia's renowned team of designers and builders (where he continues to work) at Wadia Associates. After his many, many years of study and exercise, Phillip found Dinyar was glad to let him unleash his talents and practice architecture as he knew it.

"Richard [Sammons] taught me, and Dinyar [Wadia] allows me to practice what I've learned..." Phillip reflects.

What Phillip wound up receiving in his journey, turned out to be something of a rare, modern day apprenticeship in architectural design, an experience that may be leaning toward rarity. Which is not to say, however, that merely having the experience of working with top architects and designers themselves doesn't also offer it's own education. Phillip likes to give nod to this by noting that the realm of designers in each generation come from something of an organic family tree in design, offering an innate 'trickle down of character', each with it's own inheritance of knowledge and then offshoot of new creativity (just have a look at those who've spun from the offices of Parish Hadley or Robert A.M. Stern and how those experiences and teachings of hands on work has informed their disciples...).

Today, with so many leading schools focusing on the use of the computer to design spaces, it has become easy to stray from the importance of spacial interpretation and the focus drawing inherently facilitates, taking away from a building's ability to be a relatable space to the people who use it. (We understand this debate, as per which is more influential, people>buildings, buildings>people, can be controversial, but let us hear out this side for now).

A bespoke fireplace designed by Allan Greenberg, as seen in TAoCD

"I think today, with all the use of computers for design, you have people who would have at one time gone into engineering or computer programming, instead going into architecture. But in architecture you really have to have a combination of lots of both artistic and analytical..." Phillip notes. "When I went to architecture school in England we didn't have computers, you had to take with you a portfolio of your artwork, to show them that you could draw. That was most important for admission into architecture school."

When posed with the question as to whether or not he might consider himself an artist as well as an architectural designer, or if he thought architecture itself to be an art form, Phillip recalls poignantly that during his time at the Prince of Wales Institute one of the widely elected studies that was imperative in the coursework was a life drawing seminar, where the students would sit and draw nudes- twice a week, mandatory. An answer to these questions could simply be yes, but it's not so simple (as the arts never are), and Phillip won't let it go at that, as architecture is multifaceted, and never one-sided. He notes that part of the importance of continuing to develop and nourish those skills cultivated in drawing nudes, is the necessity to understand the human form, in all its "ergonomics" and proportions. 



"Apprentices at SYMM ’s workshop are trained in the traditional

skills of specialist joinery and cabinetry, finish carpentry,

painting, decorating and polishing." Pg 19, as seen in TAoCD

"Buildings are spaces people live and work in, if you don't understand people, how can you have a building that works?" Phillip asks. "A building isn't just a series of details, some of those details have to evolve as you grow to understand what you're creating, the various hierarchies and proportions..." 

A good point. It isn't about producing a series of pretty drawings to then move forward and capitulate into a building, so much as studying potential and then fusing that with a wide range of data, geometry, analysis and technical details. Phillip notes that while yes, architecture is an art form, perhaps architects are more like artisans than artists, in that they maintain that fusion between the two minds to create the real and true finished product that tells a story.

Phillip notes that while he prefers the voice of classicism, it isn't because modern architecture inherently 'isn't' or 'can't be' good, so much as that there may be (or often tends to be) an underlying dissociation between the study of the human experience and form and a building. He notes it is not just about shape or size, but also material, texture, color...all the things that go into shaping a space. Classicism is more about traditions than merely about history, as Phillip likes to emphasize. For him, an ideal experience in designing a house is not about recreating some historical precedent merely to have it spat out of time in a new location; it is about the process of listening and learning and applying traditions of architecture to a customized design.

"I'm not a big fan of telling people what to do, or how to live their lives. I don't like it. I think people inherently know what they want." Phillip notes. "...There's a big difference between liking something and appreciating it."

He goes on to discuss how if you listen carefully to people, they design their homes for you. It shouldn't be a mystery where the rooms are from the outside of a building, and each room should sensically speak to the home-owners life and lifestyle, desires, wants and aesthetic expression. Traditions, he believes, are not to be thrown out, but upheld and learned from along with the new; and in creating The Art of Classical Details, Phillip has gone to great lengths to show a wide range of how Classicism can be applied and utilized to continue to foster innovation. Classicism should perhaps (and certainly could) serve as something of a tool-set for achieving the best outcome.

"There's no work in the [book] that I don't like. Each project featured is a great design- whether it is my cup of tea or not, I cannot sensor based on my own aesthetic tastes... but I appreciate all of it. And that's why it's in the book."

Julian Bicknell stuns with "Henbury Hall, Cheshire, England, Julian Bicknell & Associates" as seen in TAoCD, The Projects

Phillip's own training and insights into creating classical architecture today keenly informs his decision to include essays by artisans themselves within this book. Often one may think of an apprenticeship as a one-on-one training and transferring of knowledge and skills from a 'master' craftsperson, usually with a building material, to another; but as Phillip received something of this kind of training himself in architecture (and art), he understands that the artisans and craftspeople are just as integral in design as the architect. Which may be why there was not a question or moments pause to his desire and feeling that their voices were just as necessary in the chorus to having The Art of Classical Details' ring true in a proper ode to classicism today.

"Fluted pilasters with delicately detailed Corinthian
capitals Peter Pennoyer Architects," as seen in TAoCD

Phillip notes that the reason artisans are so important (just as much today as any other time prior in history) is that they embody the complete fusion of building and art in what they do. Each craft with its own specialized background and palate of materials, provides a highly trained understanding of the smallest of details. Only a true artisan understands the direction, shape and size a single leaf should have in a rinceau as well as the depth, shadow and proportion any one section of ornament with all its parts so that it upholds the utmost artistic integrity but also maintains balance and perspective within architecture. A true artisan has a sixth sense for the process of taking a design from an artistic rendering phase to a sketch with thoroughly plotted out measurements (and their correct scales), and then the artistic mock-up, material selection and fine tuning of a single section of work (for any one single room). No small order indeed... worth looking deeper into, don't you think?

"You know I remember, there was a publisher when I was in school, Andreas Papadakis I believe, yes he published Academy Editions, a series of small architectural monographs by some of the top classical architects around," Phillip recalls, "and you know, they were fantastic. That was in the early 90's... And I haven't seen anything like them since..."

 

Indeed, these Academy Editions were a rare series of monographs that were wonderful and highly insightful, and at times a bit academic, but were mostly projects and not so much writing. Even these gems were missing the inclusion of the craftsperson.

 

"Outstanding craftsmanship means using traditional techniques, whether that be hand carving or

forging steel on a blacksmith’s anvil. These are labor intensive and highly skilled processes for

which there is no substitute. Chesney’s" Pg 246 as seen in TAoCD.

"No craftsmen were featured or anything like that. I don't think there's ever been a book actually where the craftsmen have wrote;" Phillip says, "it's always been scholars and architects who have written...but [in the book] I wanted there to be a lot of voices... I tried to fill in the gaps... It really is a great group- scholars, architects and artisans all mixed in. And artisans... artisans, who have never been asked to write anything before."

 

But Phillip has, and boy to they have some fantastic things to say. We're thrilled. It is a trail blazing effort to fuse the old with the new even in terms of a more traditional formula to creating a book on architecture. What makes the book special is not only the range of experience, perspective and talent in design that shares their expertise, but also the thoughtful lens through which each offers their own personal fondness for this effort and encouragement for the conversation to continue.

"You never see those close ups in books anymore," Phillip says about architectural detailing, "and we need to keep these crafts alive."

 

Between the countless years of design expertise and personal insight shared in this one of a kind homage to classicism, we believe that The Art of Classical Details may be proving to be an important tool for the new and future generations of designers, artisans, scholars and architecture aficionados alike. The book has just gone and created it's own history simply by providing a space for so many voices to come together and speak. (Who knows what this could mean to a student who didn't even know how a plaster mould was made or what it could be made into? Or if they wanted to find a better way than AutoCAD to approach a building?) All this said, we will certainly be keeping tabs on Phillip as he moves on and continues to discuss architecture in all it's grandeur, but in the mean time, we'd start by just strongly recommending you grab yourself a copy, have your own experience with this wonderfully thorough and incomparably beautiful publication, and find out more about what classical architecture in the modern world means to you.

"Ferne Park, Dorset, England, Quinlan & Francis Terry Architects," Pg 198, as seen in The Art of Classical Details.

"The dining room is decorated with Gracie handpainted wallpaper that compliments the highly detailed door casings and ceiling crown. Eric J. Smith Architect." Pg 12&13 as seen in The Art of Classical Details.

And again we say, congratulations Phillip J. Dodd and The Art of Classical Details: Theory, Design and Craftsmanship, on a job very well done!

 

Phillip J. Dodd is a Senior Architectural Designer and Marketing Director at Wadia Associates in New Canaan, CT. He is also the author of New Classicists: Wadia Associates, which features a foreward by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and Introduction by Paul Gunther, President of the ICAA. You can read much more about him and his work here. A list of book signings, lectures and events will be posted within the month, and the books official release date is March 16, 2013. You can also connect with Phillip and The Art of Classical Details on Facebook.



No.7 Artisan of the New School- How Ben Rosner of E Home Wants to Simplify Your Life and Revolutionize Your Home

Who: Ben Rosner

What: E Home - Home Technology Consulting

When: Since 1996

Where: New York City
and Wherever His Clients Need Him

Ben Rosner has seen a thing or two in his day- and at the end of it, has decided there is truly no better tool to simplify life than technology. And thank goodness he has, both his firm E Home and later creation E Sommelier, have revolutionized the way we can utilize technology to simplify and organize our lives.

An artisan, or artist, whose masterly command of a specific craft can be used both as a mechanism of aesthetic improvement and self expression. Here at Artisanal Specs. we look at the myriad of hidden, long standing and age-old crafts in the building arts that go into creating so many details in architecture and design today. Many of these can be traced back decades and centuries, to countries all over the world, for their inception and blossoming as an art form. However, today, in 2012, one of the newest of these crafts and mediums in design is technology itself.

Both Ben Rosner and E Home's moto

Surely the evolution of fireplaces, chandeliers, candelabras and torch-like wall sconces saw a massive shift from necessity to aesthetics when electricity was invented and then further instated into buildings and homes. And as with any evolution, technology's running start hasn't slowed much since then; think about it- the radio, the telephone, the television, records, cassette tapes, compact disks, the internet, mp3's, cell phones, iPods, iPads, smart phones... (this is hardly a comprehensive list that could do justice to technology's massive growth in the 20th Century, but food for thought nonetheless.) So naturally, the ways we are able to design buildings also evolved, to include newer and newer technology. And for Ben Rosner, this was an exhilarating evolution, and one he grabbed hold of and passionately pursued and advocated for.  

Ben Rosner was always curious as a boy, but nothing was as magic and fascinating as what his dad did. Ben's father, Alex Rosner of Rosner Custom Sound, Inc., was also curious. In the 1950's Alex Rosner's hobby of playing around with technology developed into more and more of a passion and one which he began to market into a small part time business from his home. He may not have known it at the time, but all the ways in which he was looking at technology and how it could be fit into homes and buildings was actually what began his role as the forefather of custom home entertainment systems. 

"I remember when I was little he had started selling his products and services out of the basement," Ben recalls of his father, "and I would always sneak to the stairs to watch him work. He even invented a button in the wall to turn on music- it was amazing."

Ben recalls watching his father do many things with technology which today are a 'norm' in high-end design abilities for homes, but were then revolutionary, like building speakers into walls rather than have them sit around the room. 

Sleek and masculine, this New York City Penthouse may appear simple in terms of technology. You might never know E Home fully facilitated engineering of invisible technology throughout the whole home (lighting, speakers, temperature control, security cameras, television, audio and video systems) that was interwoven into the design process; and all controllable via iPad nonetheless.

Ben couldn't get enough of it. So it was no surprise that later on throughout his teen years he would work for his father's company (which quickly turned into a full time venture) on his spare time. Along with constantly absorbing the miraculous ways technology could be created and utilized, Ben also picked up his strong work ethic and became a natural addition to the team. As his father's work and inventions (such as the Tweeter Array High Frequency sound system) continued to grow his services were more and more coveted- everyone wanted to see the newest technology in their home, and people loved the elaborate sound systems. And as time progressed, into the 1970's something new happened- The Age of Disco. 

 Suddenly people needed sound systems for nightclubs like never before. The Disco Era was in full swing and Alex Rosner found his services and abilities in high demand, thus deciding to branch out from the residential realm and into the public sphere working with night clubs and commercial venues to enhance their sound abilities. And naturally, as was Alex's habit, the more he saw and the more experience he gained, he began inventing more new technology and audio based products for these clubs along the way, putting him in even higher demand than ever, quickly making him The Authority on entertainment systems for Disco's. 

"It was an exciting time." Ben reflects,"I'd worked for him part time on vacations when I was in high school and college and then full time after and really got to see the growth, it was amazing."

Amazing indeed, throughout the part time and full time work Ben did with his father's company he got to travel the world creating and installing all kinds of sound and technology systems. As disco had caught on all around the world so had nightclubs (or discotheques, if you will) and the need for Rosner Custom Sound's services. From Mexico to Singapore to Antigua and even a secret disco in Saudi Arabia, Ben was on the road regularly seeing sound and technology evolve all over the world. By 1984, after graduating from Columbia University with a Bachelor's in Computer Science (just at the jumping off point of the 'personal computing revolution', no less), Ben was working for his father full time and traveling regularly. Residential projects would still pop up here and there but the majority of their work was in commercial/ social venues. 

E Home worked to improve sound and technology in this gymnasium turned lounge

Alas, as technology continued to evolve, as it always does, and Rosner Custom Sound was rolling smoothly into the 1980's, the Disco Era had begun to phase out and interestingly enough, their company was seeing a need for their sound services in various houses of worship, which became yet another new market for them. Everyone everywhere was seizing upon the opportunity to come together and share the gift of sound and visuals by use of the newest technology that continued to develop.

But along Ben's journey, busy with work for Rosner Custom Sound, he did start to notice there were some other technological developments that caught his eye. In the 1980's while the developments of home and micro- computers were chugging along, there were also developments in other forms of home automation - such as with home security, lighting abilities and sound- as well as of other public and private sector venues in need of new technology. One of these developments was spawned by the need of a centralized technology source for corporate boardroom's. One of the true predecessors of the iPod came from these boardroom technologies, where there were keypads and touch-screens being developed to sit in the wall. Ben had an itch at the back of his brain that began nagging at him and growing louder as time went on. 

A masterly NYC E Home as seen in March 2012's Interior Design Magazine. Ben worked closely with the design team to ensure every aspect of home automation and technology was completely invisible, with the exception of  the home's entertainment center, which was integrated seamlessly with the millwork.

Truth was, while Ben had the great privilege of gaining priceless hands-on experience in the field of audio and visual technologies all over the world, there was a part of him that was still passionate about where he saw all the wonders of technology begin: In The Home. 

"Maybe it's because it was where I first got to see my father make magic of technology in his first basement office," Ben ponders, "but it has always resonated with me, the idea that our personal lives could be simplified by technology. And I've always loved architecture and design..."

A Central Park West Penthouse E Home worked on shines bright in natural light.

Between home automation's steady advance in development and the technology Ben saw cultivated in corporate board rooms, the nagging itch in the back of his mind emerged from his imagination and into the forefront- Ben Rosner lovingly resigned from Rosner Custom Sound in 1996 to branch out and found E Home, a home technology consultancy where he could get back to focusing on technology exclusively for residential projects. His father understood, and so the son of home technology's forefather ventured out to begin his own revolutions to home technology. 

There are multiple invaluable skills to be picked up from 'in the trenches', hands-on, real-world experience- especially if one is passionate about what they are doing. In a way, when we care about what we are doing, we tend to open up more, become a sponge that gladly absorbs and digests new information and creatively apply it to future work. Ben Rosner easily falls into this category of the willing and devoted [once] apprentice. See, not only had Ben taken in both the formal training from his studies in computer science as well as his real-world experience with his father's pioneering company- but he had also digested and cultivated a skill he learned from his father: to invent or create what was still missing. If something is needed- Create It. 

An E Home engineer implements strategic technology into a home's planning

During his schooling at Columbia, Ben recalls that as personal computing was a coveted technology experience many were in line to take turns with, the school's mainframe had limited access. So Ben went ahead and created a computer terminal he could log in to from his dorm room. Easy. Utilize technology, create what's lacking, simplify life. We note this as perhaps it was telling of what his own future pioneering would bring. When Ben went out to create E Home his mission was not simply to provide services like those of any other 'Audio/ Visual (A/V) guy' might get pegged with. E Home's mission was to simplify life by means of technology in the home- by way of working closely alongside architects, interior designers and builders to create a custom crafted technology system for each home; specializing in early- phase drawing and planning development with engineers of their own. 

This Brooklyn dining room got an E Home invisible touch...

In 1996, when Ben started E Home he also met a man named Jonas Buzzerio, another innovative, organized and motivated pioneer who had years of operational and project management experience in the high-end design industry. Jonas understood where Ben was coming from and where he wanted to go. Ben hired him as E Home's first ever employee where Jonas would conduct the installation and customer service end of the company. The collaboration was so seamless that two years later Ben offered Jonas a partnership in the company. E Home had taken off at full speed and was happily plugging away at work integrating technology into residences. 

But as we know, as technology evolves and progresses our ideas continue to as well. The more exposure to both new design and continual home automation upgrades that Ben and Jonas got, the more they pursued even newer technology. At one point, finally sitting down to think and talk it over, they had a moment of genius: Media Access Solutions. 

It was one thing to have a button in a wall to turn well concealed speakers or TV on and off, but what about the media that would be played on these instruments, the movies, records or CD's? If it was a large home, as many of E Home's projects were, how many TV's, radios, record or CD players were there in a house? 2? 3? 6? Did people always have to walk from the one den to get videos to watch and bring them to the next room to watch? Lo! That could be much easier to do! Yet again, as Ben had learned, if there is any technology that doesn't exist and is needed- Create It. Ben, Jonas and a third partner, Ronnie, got together and actualized a CD and DVD archive and distribution system that would become the true predecessor to the iPod- a Media Server. 

Yet another glowing example of E Home's ability to hide technology in design.

Together Ben, Ronnie and Jonas designed, engineered, developed, patented and distributed Media Access Solutions Media Server. The first product of it's kind developed specifically for the simplification of home life. How it worked: a computer loaded a CD into a hard drive, a central server, that central server was utilized by connecting to other outlets wherein multiple rooms could access and retrieve any of the data that had been loaded onto the central server. Translation: load your movies and music into one place and be able to access it all from any room of your home. Brilliant. This product's popularity and demand spread like wildfire and Ben was back on the road traveling the world to sell the product along with E Home's implementation and installation, and was a total success. By 2003 Media Access Solutions had caught the attention of AMX, a "leader in advanced control system technology", especially for the home. By September of 2003, AMX had officially acquired Media Access Solutions, which seemed fitting, as they were one of the large companies Ben had seen develop advanced technology for corporate boardrooms only 10 years before. 

When selling a company and patent like Media Access Solutions, one is not allowed to invent or duplicate a product of the same nature in the same genre or market of use, naturally, so as to insure a newly acquired product won't become obsolete right after its purchase. This was fine and understandable for Ben, Ronnie and Jonas, however Ben had another light-bulb moment. The fundamental need for a data storing and distribution technology was so easily helpful to many, and they had the algorithms down so well, one niche market that popped up that could utilize this same function and service was that of the wine industry.

When working in the high end architecture and design industry, one gets to see some pretty spectacular things, including some clients personal wine cellars and collections. As E Home and it's partners Ben and Jonas were plugging away at both their own projects and their growing list of clientele, they got to see more and more of the wine collections out there. While it is a luxury to have a private wine collection, how quickly un-luxurious it becomes when you cannot find the wine you want! Lo! That could be much easier to do! Yet again, as Ben and now Jonas too had learned, if there is any technology that doesn't exist and is needed- Create It. 

An E Sommelier wine App for Hospitality

And so E Sommelier was born, the first of its kind, a wine cellar management system. (Which turned out to also
be very useful in the commercial, hospitality and storage cellars too- well done! The entirety of which can be managed from an application on an iPad.)

Yet still, all the while, what has remained at the heart of all of Ben's endeavors has been his passion for technology in residential architecture and interior design. It's never-ending ability to be innovative always stems from a homeowner's personality and designers vision for creating their home. Inherently personal and always full of character, residential projects and their owners will offer fun and exciting ways to utilize technology.

"As we got to know the homeowner better on one project bordering Central Park, a fan of the arts, wanted to sort of collaborate to create something custom for him and his home." Ben smiles,"We wound up implementing a large screen inside, framed, and camera system so he could see Central Park on it at all times. It was fun and he loves it."

For technology to take on it's own form as an art is no small task, but Ben thrives on it. He has the experience and insight into design and foresight into technology to help create beautiful interiors alongside the design industry's best. 

"Home technology in design today has to be used artfully- sometimes it should stand out and be seen, others it should disappear into the background." Ben says passionately," But there really is something magic about having music invisibly come from the walls." 

Whether it's embracing the confluence of art hanging from the walls  and the rooms lighting and shades surrounding it, one must be able to envision the room ahead of time to know how technology should be used in it. This intelligence in and of itself is one that makes Ben's consultancy, E Home, invaluable, not everyone, who has actually been an innovator of home technology products themselves, understands both design and technology so intimately.  For Ben Rosner, technology is an expression of who he is, and we believe he's made it an artisanal craft at that. 

"Technology is a pallet." Ben smiles. 

Indeed it is Ben. We'll be giving you a call just as soon as we're done writing this...

E Home is committed- they go where their clients need them, like in this gorgeous outdoor lounge in Kenya. Can you spot the home technology? Neither can we...

An E Home with their famous invisible technology, design by Dufner Heighes Architecture.

No.6 Inventing The American Bathroom with Barbara Sallick of Waterworks

Who: Barbara Sallick

What: Waterworks -

The Destination for Artisanally Crafted Bathroom Products

When: Since 1978

Where: It began in a warehouse in Connecticut and now has showrooms internationally

 

To call Barbara Sallick delightful may be an understatement. Her voice barrels through the phone lines excited, energized and as enthusiastic about design today as a newly hired architect might be at their first job. She is flipping through an early copy of Gil Shafer's latest book The Great American House and relishing his talents and each detail she hones in on.

"Gil really is so talented." She says; you can just tell she is smiling and leaning over the glossy pages.

And she would know. Barbara has been the leading force behind what has come to be The American Bathroom Style. Brilliantly designed and meticulously crafted, Waterworks has changed what it means to have quality, beauty and excitement in a room that has often been undermined in the home: the bathroom. And as any truly successful craft or product for the home, this one was born out of a necessity.

 

A glowing assortment of Waterworks fittings.

Plumbing- perhaps not the most coveted utility of the home, but one that is functional, necessary and non-negotiable ever since the Romans first designed and implemented it. The distribution of water to and from buildings was no small feat and certainly not one that was mastered right away. As with any invention the trial and error of many a material came and went. Earthenware and timber failed the meeting the challenge when it came to implementing the various designs, sizes and geometry of these envisioned water systems. But then someone tried using lead to create a water distribution system. The dawn of the first plumbing standard was set when various apparatus' were fitted, jointed and worked out in lead. The word plumber itself derives from the Latin 'plumbus', or 'lead'. A big idea, exposure to building and design and lots of experimentation got it all going.


'Etoile exposed thermosaic shower system, unlaquered brass'

So, when a man named Samuel Gorgins started and ran The Nutmeg Plumbing Supply Company in Danbury, Connecticut in 1925, he may not have realized that his sheer knowledge, love of his family and exceptional skills at business would lead to yet another dawn in the evolution of water's relationship to a building (the home especially). And he would, as he had a very smart, curious and artistically inclined daughter named Barbara. 

"He [Samuel], his brother and his sister oversaw the company throughout Norwalk, Greenwich, Danbury [Connecticut]... I don't know how they managed but they started it and managed to keep it open through the War." Barbara Reflects. "He was alright as an engineer but a very good businessman. So my husband Robert [Sallick] joined the business in 1963 to help him out."

The Clothilde all hand polished, free-standing copper bathtub is made in the 19th Century French tradition, both in design and artisanal manufacturing method, but with a new regal scale and immeasurable elegance.

It's one thing to become familiar with the work one's parents do, but if you come from a family business it is all the more likely one might help out, work there part time, or, like many, perhaps fully go into and work at the family business full time. Regardless of which of these one might engage in, a sort of default education is cultivated sheerly from exposure to the business.



A sneak behind the scenes into the Waterworks Design Studio

So Barbara certainly had her fill of knowledge about the plumbing supply world, and so did her husband Robert, after beginning to work there full time. But this wasn't the only knowledge they shared- Barbara and Robert also shared an affinity for the American Decorative arts and architecture. 

"We've really always been collectors at heart." Barbara says warmly, "And I have always had a childish passion to look for new houses." she laughs, noting that while she and Robert have lived in the same house for 43 years, they became enamoured with 18th Century architecture and still love to tour historic houses open to the public in rural Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond- emphasis on beyond.

"We're nosey!" Barbara laughs, "Shortly after we married we began taking regular trips to Europe, and wanted to get into as many buildings as possible to have a look around..."

Which is also no surprise, as Barbara had a hunger for discovering details in design, which, alongside the base knowledge of her father's business, was cultivated in a more formal education during her time at Yale. For over 6 years she had worked at a Yale art gallery where she assisted and oversaw a wide array of collections of American Decorative Arts. She absolutely loved being there and came to see the importance of maintenance, size, color, material, style... what it meant to create something that would stand the test of time.

A Waterworks white and taupe bath set.

As Barbara and Robert continued their sporadic trips through Europe, Barbara was of course more and more intrigued with the European bathrooms she was seeing.

"There were a lot of changes happening in the 1970's" Barbara recalls. "There were the waterfall faucets, and Villeroy & Boch were doing some interesting things..."

But Barbara and Robert had some new ideas about the bathroom. Sure, we all had the option to perhaps pick a color for our shower curtain and towels, our toilet or bathroom tile- but the quality of the choices available weren't enough. And they certainly weren't as personal as they should be. Furthermore- why not white? Keeping things white, spacious and with an Edwardian aesthetic, as Barbara had so often seen done in Europe, offered a new perspective to The Bathroom as Barbara had known it, and it seemed Robert agreed... And so, with enough pooled knowledge and passionate research, Barbara and Robert Sallick founded a new bathroom-devoted company in 1978.

"To help us get started my father gave us 1 year free rent for a section of his warehouse where we could set up shop." Says Barbara. "And it was my job to get the architects to our showroom to show them what we were doing."



Design Development Sketch of handle for Waterworks new R.W. Atlas collection

And they liked what she and Robert were doing- so did the general American public, who became enamoured with the new style they were seeing. This endeavour offered a completely new set of aesthetic options to use when designing (or redesigning or renovating or even envisioning) a home. Not to mention (finally) raising the bar of design in the bathroom while concurrently reviving the definitive standards of European craftsmanship. They had pooled together their knowledge of architecture, design, art, art history, plumbing, plumbing supplies, engineering, craftsmanship and materials all to create something that would officially set a new standard for bathrooms; especially as they were offering expertly crafted products made with exceptionally outstanding and luxurious materials. They were beginning to not only develop products that were completely reliable and functional, but that were also aesthetically superior to any bathroom products that were on the market. (Today Waterworks has grown all the more by offering a very full array of products from fittings and fixtures, to furnishings and surfaces.)

Some of Waterworks favorite Raw Materials

For example, some materials of many products on their website today range from: nickel, silver, bronze, copper, brass, chrome, metal, carbon or gold-- oh yeah, and those materials may each have options of finishes such as: antique, matte, shiny, burnished, lacquered, unlaquered and so on.

And such a visual astuteness and attention to detail came from both Barbara's exposure to the nuts and bolts of the industry but also from those many years working at that Yale art gallery.

"There's something you learn from experience with a three-dimensional object," Barbara says "I spent a lot of time taking things apart and putting them back together."

And this experience and appreciation for hands-on learning ripples throughout the company today. As Waterworks grew over the years, and was finally given a name (the Sallick's threw a dinner party with close friends asking for help brainstorming- one of them came up with Waterworks and Barbara knew that's it!), they continued to make sure they only worked with the finest manufacturers. And how else to do this other than to partner with some of the finest artisans throughout Europe and America?

"We seek out small talented artisan(s) outfits and work with them to teach them how to manufacture on a larger scale." Barbara says.

A Waterworks Artisan works in his shop to cast and forge meticulous gold hardware. Later it will be carefully retouched and hand polished.

She, and her son Peter Sallick, who joined their team in 1993 and now serves as President and CEO of the company, work together to seek out these artisans. Together they are searching for experience and quality, rather than criteria (as most crafts are taught generationally or via apprenticeship and hands on work- not through a college degree). Whereas some of their faucetry may come from a shop in Normandy, France, other hardware and furnishings may be made in a variety of allied shops here in New Jersey, New York, California... Which makes sense, considering how thoughtful each product, selected artisan and employee in the company is. When asked about working with her son, Barbara replies enthusiastically: 


Sultry color comes out in Waterworks' District Tile Collection

"Peter's eye, taste and extraordinary abilities as a visionary and a strategist make it an exceptional collaboration. But also I think it's a part of our strength as a whole that we say: Family First."

Peter Sallick has helped take Waterworks to the next level, offering a complete range of services for a complete bathroom. The Sallick's seem to know talent when they see it, as well as how important it is to uphold and maintain it in the design industry. Everything in Waterworks, from selecting materials, overseeing the design process and carefully controlling manufacturing has been and continues to be undertaken with meticulous care and attention to detail.


A Waterworks Surface Template

Furthermore, what makes Waterworks beautiful, aside from the products themselves, is that by continuing to seek out and partner with small shops and studios to manufacture their products, they are keeping a small and important pool of artists, artisans and craftspeople alive and well (the world always needs more art, and value of it, this is a rare field and place where that can happen). Even if some of the products may be out of your price range, the products, designs, textures and color pallets serve as a new set of precedent images to work from when creating and personalizing your own bathroom.

Over the years, becoming something of an expert on it, Barbara Sallick has continued to be none less than thrilled to continue developing and cultivating superior bathroom aesthetics. If you still aren't sure where to begin, or the countless ways to imprint your personal style and tastes into your bathroom, you can always follow her on The Perfect Bath, Barbara's personal design journal and blog. She cares deeply about the relationship between a person and their personal space and goes to great lengths to fuse her experience in this unique field and share it with one and all so you might benefit too.

Aside from carrying on and discovering new and old design styles everywhere to create something new, Barbara does want to leave anyone- experienced or new to design- who wants to improve their bathroom with these words of wisdom:

"Plan well, be sure to do your homework and lots of research- on the web and in libraries- and be sure you hire a true professional to work with. [When you are ready] Engage knowledgeable sales people and don't be affraid to ask questions. Hire a good architect and contractor and stay on top of them- this way you'll own the outcome."

The complete R.W. Atlas Collection makes its launch!

A shot of Waterworks' 58th Street Showroom showcasing the new industrial inspired R.W. Atlas Collection alongside its complimentary sibling the 'District Tile Collection'.

Barbara Sallick is the Co-Founder, Executive Vice President and spokesperson of Waterworks [Opertating Company, LLC]. She is the author of Waterworks: Inventing Bath Style as well as her ongoing blog The Perfect Bath, in which she shares her insights. She sits on the Board of Directors at the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art and still lives in her home in Connecticut with her husband Robert, and frequently travels overseeing Waterworks new endeavours.