Interview with Michael Patrick Porter

The year in architecture started on a gloomy note. In December 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report showing that job losses in architecture shot up 17.8% from January to September of that year, making architecture the profession knocked down the hardest by the recession.

Yet, there are reasons to be optimistic, with the industry showing the beginning signs of recovery, says Michael Patrick Porter, president of the American Institute of Architects Orange County chapter.

Here, Porter, whose offices are in Newport Beach and Santa Barbara, discusses the profession and architecture of the past, present and future in OC:

Given that so many architects lost their jobs nationwide and locally, what challenge does this pose to the local architectural profession and industry?
A whole generation of architects has been taken out of the profession. Those people are moving on to other careers. Once there is a turnaround in the economy – and most of us sense that a turnaround has begun – there will be a huge demand for architects. The industry’s challenge will be to have enough young architects with the skills to fill the gap.

A similar thing happened during the previous recession, and it was a huge problem for the industry. We lost a group of professionals from 25 to 35 years old to other professions. The question is whether architects in their 20s will be able to meet the demands of the profession that usually would be handled by more experienced architects.

What’s the state of both commercial and residential architecture in Orange County?
Architecture in Orange County remains vital and vibrant. Commercial centers are being redesigned and repositioned. Across the southland, the residential sector is picking up steam. It bodes well for the next generation of Orange County architects and architecture.

Back in June, Paul Goldberger, the architecture critic of The New Yorker, said, “if we were not in this difficult recession where it’s tough to build anything, we’d actually see more real stuff happening right now.” Do you think this applies to architecture in Orange County?
The Great Recession has allowed architects to refocus and repurpose their practices. The “real stuff” happening right now is not limited to the construction of buildings, but also includes the development of new ideas and creative visions. As architects we build communities not only with “bricks and sticks” but also with our active leadership in our civic, cultural and religious communities.

Aside from the economy, what are the other challenges to the creative development of architecture in OC?
As I see it, the next step would be to create a school of architecture in the county. Having a ready supply of students with new ideas and energy would challenge our architectural community critically and energize the profession as a whole. At the AIAOC, we are actively working to make that happen, and I think (and hope) it will come to pass in the very near future.

What are the biggest factors that influence architecture in OC today?
The two most significant factors are economic and environmental sustainability; increasingly, these issues go hand-in-hand.

There’s been a bigger buzz about sustainable design and building in recent years here in OC. Do you expect this to become more significant?
The “bigger buzz” is a result of years of Orange County architects “walking the walk and talking the talk” on green issues and community sustainability. Architects from our chapter helped fashion the new California Green Building Code that is being used as the model for the International Green Building Code. One of the national leaders in the sustainability movement is Orange County-based LPA Inc. This firm designs award-winning buildings and has established the standard for sustainable practices. LPA has made a difference on the macro scale by designing “green” Walmarts; on a smaller scale, they were recently mentioned in a New York Times article on housekeeping. That is significant.

In the industry, comparison with Los Angeles is inevitable. How is architecture practice in OC different than or similar to that in LA?
We are similar in that all architects attempt to create architecture that addresses regional issues. But for several generations, Orange County architects have been leaders in the sustainability movement, have generated the most influential public school designs and have designed merchant housing that has been exported all over the globe.

What are some of the trends in architecture in OC?
I have observed two significant trends: First, there is a concerted movement to recognize and preserve architecture of the modern era. Orange County has some of the most significant architecture of the mid and late 20th century. The second trend is to emphasize new and different materials. For example, I am exploring the use of skateboard ramp material for the skin of a new building.

What kind of impact has the surf culture had on local architecture?
Since Duke Kahanamoku rode the waves of Newport Beach in early 1900s, surfing and action sports have greatly influenced the architects and architecture of Orange County. One of the primary aspects of surf culture is a healthy respect for Mother Nature, so sustainability has always been a key ingredient of our way of life in Orange County. The action sports also embody qualities of visioning, experimentation and the “go for it” attitude; these qualities are inherent in all great architects (even those who never ride the waves). You can see examples of this spirit in Costa Mesa at the Hurley International campus and The CAMP designed by architects Bauer and Wiley.

What are some of your personal favorite buildings in OC?
The original courtyard of the adobe at the Sherman Gardens and Library is a magical place that takes me back to early California. The San Juan Capistrano Public Library by Michael Graves because, as a former city planner, I was instrumental in getting that project built. Architect J. Herbert Brownell’s Newport Beach office, built in 1954, is perched on a cliff overlooking Pacific Coast Highway; most people don’t see it because the building and the site are one. Finally, the Study Center for Japanese scholars at the Price Residence by Bart Prince, because it is a modern concrete building where the lightis controlled to such a degree that you are completely transported to the Edo period in Japan, contemplating scrolls, but looking West instead of East.

If architecture buffs were to visit OC, what are the five buildings or residences they should visit?
From across the eras: The Serra Chapel at the Mission San Juan Capistrano – where else can you see indigenous adobe architecture combined with Spanish colonial style, ornamented by the Juaneños with native symbols of the harvest, all topped off by the Baroque flourishes of the altar and pulpit? The old county courthouse in Santa Ana by C.L. Strange is a fantastic structure in the Romanesque style straight from Boston. The Lovell beach house in Newport Beach by R.M. Schindler is a world-renowned icon of early 20th century modern architecture. The Eichler tract of homes by A. Quincy Jones and Fredrick Emmons in Orange are mid-century modern masterpieces of residential architecture. And of course, the list must include Disneyland – the people at Walt Disney Imagineering are constantly challenging us about architecture and urban planning.

What does the architecture of OC say about us and how we live now?
Our architecture is physical proof that we are a diverse and engaging populace and we are consciously engaged in developing a sustainable future.