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DAVID C. DRISKELL (1931- )
David Driskell is an educator and painter living in Hyattsville, Maryland. A professor of art at the University of Maryland in College Park, Driskell has chaired the art departments at Maryland and Fisk University. As an artist, he has received critical acclaim for his drawings, collages, paintings and mixed media constructions. A recurrent theme throughout the literature on his work, is the observation that his skill as a colorist is particularly striking.
A key to understanding the sources of Driskell's creative vision is an appreciation for his cultural and familial antecedents. He speaks of having been brought up on a farm in Appalachia (western North Carolina), where arts and crafts influenced by nature were a vital part of every one's life-style. His paternal grandfather was a craftsman in the tradition of West African artisans and so was his father, who made most of the furnishings in the Driskell household. He vividly recalls the handsome baskets made by his mother in rural North Carolina from bullrush which grew in every natural stream.
Born in Eatonton, Georgia, on June 7, 1931, Driskell received his under graduate degree from Howard University in 1955 and his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Catholic University in 1962. His most recent major exhibition, entitled David Driskell: A Survey, was presented in the Art Gallery, University of Maryland, in 1980.
"FESTIVAL, BAHIA" Gouache, 1985 22 X 30 inches
[image alt text: black and white copy of an abstract gouache painting, "Festival, Bahia."]
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San Francisco Office
The San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, established in 1946, has provided architectural, planning and urban design, engineering and interior and graphic design services for many of the west coast's most significant buildings, as well as for projects in other parts of the country and overseas. We have had extensive experience in the planning, design and administration of large-scale, complex projects and have established a reputation for outstanding design combined with a high degree of technical competence. Currently our staff numbers over 170, most of whom have been with the firm for many years and have worked together as a team on many important projects. The techniques and procedures which have been developed and refined during the past several years have equipped us to meet both exacting deadlines and budgets. Our technical, design and financial resources are, we believe, unsurpassed in the profession.
Following is a breakdown of the San Francisco office by discipline:
Partners 7 Project Management 8 Architecture Design 20 Technical 32 Urban Design & Planning 7 Construction Supervision 1 Specifications 2 Computer 7 Estimating 1 Interior Design & Space Planning 20 Graphic Design 7 Engineering Structural 14 HVAC 11 Electrical 7 Plumbing & Fire Protection 3 Administrative Support 36
Total 183
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Professional Approach
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's philosophy of design practice can best be stated as a shared commitment to excellence by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. This philosophy functions on many levels within the firm:
*in the structure of the project team, which is focused to achieve the unique promise and specific requirements of each project;
*within SOM's several disciplines, where each individual uses the talents and skills of his colleagues as resources for creative and technical work which is truly outstanding in the profession;
*and in the management of the firm, where Partners and Associate Partners of varied disciplines collaborate to ensure that the firm meets the broadest needs of our clients and makes a contribution to the profession as a whole.
The parallel commitment of each individual to a particular project, and to the sense of participation within the interdisciplinary structure of the firm, makes possible an environment in which all participants have the flexibility and depth to provide the best professional response to each design and technical challenge. It also results, in our experience, in well-organized, cost-effective projects which are delivered on time and within budget, with superior project and building coordination, to the benefit of our clients.
SOM pioneered the concept of team practice, in which a team is assigned to each project at its inception and is maintained throughout the project. Each team is composed of Design, Management and Technical professionals. The design professionals include architectural designers, planners, interior architects and graphic designers, whose primary focus within the firm is creative design activity. Under the leadership of the Design Partner,each design concept is tailored to the project's specific character, taking inspiration from the program, site, and nature of the project. SOM designers maintain a strong role throughout technical phases of work, in the design of all aspects of the project.
Management professionals are at the center of the project team. SOM Project Partners and Project Managers attempt to understand the broadest range of our client's concerns so that we can respond thoughtfully and intelligently to them in structuring SOM's work.
SOM's technical professionals are creative and innovative architects and engineers who contribute to each project from design through construction. On many SOM projects, new technical systems have been developed which have defined the "state of art" within the building industry. A major focus of activity is the integration of building systems. SOM's technical staff is highly aware of the importance of costeffective building coordination and the demands of market costs, and have experience in a broad range of document preparation techniques related to varied construction methods. Our technical documents are widely recognized by contractors and developers as being especially complete, detailed and accurate. We believe that this is essential to the successful realization of the design concept as a fully functioning building.
There are many architectural firms today that concentrate either on design or on the production of working drawings and specifications for buildings designed by others. It is our belief that either of these two extremes result in a serious compromise in the quality of the product. Truly successful projects must have a continuity of architectural design and technical excellence throughout the project, from the conceptual phase to the completion of the structure and its occupancy phases and beyond. It is this thorough commitment to every phase of design and technical documention that has established SOM as one of the world's leading architectural/engineering firms.
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Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a partnership founded in 1936 to provide complete professional services in the fields of architectural design, planning, engineering and interior design. Since then, SOM has undertaken a variety of projects in the United States and in more than 40 countries throughout the world. The firm's unique combination of highly qualified personnel and comprehensive services has resulted in many important innovations in design and technology.
SOM's offices provide architecture and engineering services for regionally-based projects while also offering expertise and resources to national and international clients. Major SOM offices are located in eight U.S. cities and London, England.
In recognition of the achievements of the firm as a group of professionals working together as a team, the American Institute of Architects awarded its first architectural firm award for excellence in design to SOM. An unyielding commitment to excellence has consistently produced visionary architectural design, planning, and technical performance and has been rewarded with over 300 design awards for architectural quality and technical innovation.
The firm's diversified large and small scale projects include offices; banks; civic and cultural; commercial, industrial, and educational buildings; hotels and convention facilities; hospitals; airports; train stations; subways; recreational, religious, and residential facilities; and stadia and exhibition centers. Interior design is an integral part of our practice, as is a broad range of urban planning projects, including redevelopment and reuse plans, impact assessments, and transportation planning analyses.
While each major office of SOM operates as an independent entity, the benefits of a large, efficient, and experienced core of personnel and resources are available to all our clients.
Firmwide Capabilities
SOM is a multi-disciplinary architecture, planning, and engineering firm. Our extensive experience in the programming, planning, design, and engineering phases of projects contributes to their success. While working closely with each client, SOM integrates the following disciplines in varying combinations to produced the appropriate design solutions:
Architecture Urban and Environmental Planning Environmental Analysis Site Planning Landscape Architecture Civil Engineering Structural Engineering Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Plumbing/Fire Safety Engineering Interior Architecture Space Planning Facilities Programming Equipment Planning Field Observation Computer Capability Graphics Estimating Specifications
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Special Strengths and Characteristics
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's variety of qualifications includes:
* an acknowledged role of leadership in the design profession. SOM's imagination and innovation in designing attractive and award-winning architecture is as varied as the needs and uses of each client.
* completely integrated in-house skills in architecture, planning, structural engineering and systems engineering which allow a total coordination of building components for the best functional, economic and aesthetic results.
* expertise in the development of architectural technology through several decades of changing client and construction requirements. In many instances, SOM and the constrution industry have created technical solutions which have become construction standards.
* extensive experience in the design of high-, mid-, and lowrise buildings as illustrated by the approximately 40 million square feet of office space currently in design and construction phases nationally.
* worldwide experience in design and engineering solutions in response to specific cultural, climatological and geographic demands.
* substantial experience in the analysis and coordination of building systems for both internal and external environments as related to energy conservation and system efficiency.
* access to the most sophisticated computer hardware and software currently available. SOM has been a pioneer in the use of computer aided design techniques to augment every phase of its architectural / engineering practice. Applications include architectual design, structural and mechanical engineering, planning, contract document preparation, interior design and graphics, scheduling, energy analysis, and internal management functions.
* background in the economics of construction systems and in the evaluation of construction alternatives based on our work in both public and private construction.
* a comprehensive and unique insurance program. SOM has a thorough liability insurance portfolio.
