Tag Archives: Landscape Architecture

XTEN Architecture | How Swiss Roots Lead to Exceptional California Crafted Modern Architecture

February 25, 2021UncategorizedArchitecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Living, Ryan Bloom, Stefan Marchant, XTEN Architecture, Your Kitchen Outdoorsfiresidechat

This week on The Fireside Chat™ podcast, Ryan Bloom welcomes President and Founding Partner Monika Haefelfinger and Principal Scott Utterstrom of XTEN Architecture, an award-winning international architecture firm based in Los Angeles, California, and Sissach, Switzerland.

Born in Basel, Switzerland, Monika Haefelfinger’s interest in art and design deepened during an apprenticeship with her father’s architecture firm in Sissach. At the age of 21, Monika moved to the United States with the intention of spending a year there with her mother, a California native, and fell in love with California living. Following her studies at the University of Southern California and Columbia University, she worked for architectural firms in Switzerland and in the US. In 2000, XTEN Architecture was born in partnership with her partner and late husband Austin Kelly.

Scott Utterstrom was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2003. During this time, he spent a year abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and traveled throughout Europe to visit prominent architectural works. After working for the Los Angeles office of AGPS Architecture, he continued his studies at UCLA, before joining XTEN Architecture in 2007. He was named Principal in 2015, and has played a key role in the firm’s many award-winning projects.

In this dynamic conversation, Monika and Scott discuss the architect’s role in articulating their client’s vision, even in smaller spaces in densely populated urban areas, the commonality between Californian, European and Middle Eastern clients in their wish to create a comfortable and welcoming home for their families, where they seek inspiration, and how they bring the progressive and experimental spirit of Los Angeles into their projects.

This episode of The Fireside Chat™ podcast is hosted by Ryan Bloom, Co-Founder and President of Urban Bonfire. If you enjoyed it and love great design as much as we do, please subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @UrbanBonfire or join the conversation on Linked In. To find out more, please visit https://urbanbonfire.com.

XTEN Architecture – http://xtenarchitecture.com/

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Brian David Roberts | This Seattle-Based Functional Designer’s Unique Philosophy to Space Planning

February 11, 2021UncategorizedBrian David Roberts, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Living, Ryan Bloom, Stefan Marchant, The Fireside Chat, Your Kitchen Outdoorsfiresidechat

Brian David Roberts was determined to become an architect from the age of 12. But after a year of studying architecture at university he realized it was not what he thought it was. He transferred to the field of Industrial Design, specializing in Furniture and Product Design at Brigham Young University in Utah, where he was designing for use and creating products that, when utilized, delighted the end user.

A few years later, while working for a design firm on the east coast, a mentor introduced him to space planning, functional design and proper consulting… and this is where he found his true calling. Brian morphed his love of space and structure, which originally led him to architecture, into an unprecedented design process and philosophy that profoundly improves the lives of his clients within their homes.

In this episode of The Fireside Chat™ podcast, Brian shares his journey from architecture to space planning, and what it’s like to live, work and design in the Pacific Northwest with his life and business partner, Virginia. He discusses his wonderfully unique and inventive philosophy on space planning and functional design, and his approach to incorporating lighting into the homes he designs, both indoors and out. Finally, he elaborates on the kitchen as the modern family room, and what this entails for proper space planning.

The Fireside Chat™ podcast is hosted by Ryan Bloom, Co-Founder and President of Urban Bonfire. If you enjoyed it and love great design as much as we do, please subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @UrbanBonfire or join the conversation on Linked In. To find out more, please visit https://urbanbonfire.com.

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Sandra Vlock | An Architect Turned Artist, Transforming Outdoor Environments into Extraordinary Experiences

December 3, 2020UncategorizedFire, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Living, Ryan Bloom, Sandra Vlock, Stefan Marchant, The Fireside Chat, Urban Bonfire, Your Kitchen Outdoorsfiresidechat

As an architect of contemporary architectural design now working as an artist, Sandra Vlock’s focus is to engage people in a shared experience; capturing an authentic sense of place, context and narrative. Sandra Vlock views the integration of Fine Art and Architectural Elements as a natural evolution of that vision; one that enables her to design evocative steel sculptures that inspire memorable experiences and create unique environments for social gathering, quiet reflection, and visual delight.

Each piece by Studio Vlock is made of repurposed objects and sustainable materials and tells a story—real or imagined—that is inspired by nature and shared experience.
We spoke with Sandra about her shift from contemporary architecture to art and her artistic process of using metals, flames, texture, light and shadow to create meaningful pieces for her clients across North America. We discussed our shared love of fire and flames and their power to bring people together and our common passion for transforming outdoor environments into a canvas for extraordinary experiences and memories.
This episode of the Fireside Chat™ podcast is hosted by Ryan Bloom, Co-Founder and President of Urban Bonfire. If you enjoyed it and love great design as much as we do, please subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @UrbanBonfire or join the conversation on Linked In. To find out more, please visit urbanbonfire.com.

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