Shepley Bulfinch > People > Joe Herzog
My greatest satisfaction in architecture results on those days where we start to see the 3D spaces that were designed in our heads become physical reality. When you begin to see light, feel textures, and move through sequences that took hundreds of hours to translate to clients, users, and builders, the project starts to regain its simple conception. Today's world is so full of complexity that it is refreshing to see that as a team, we can still create environments that encourage a re-focus on experiences, both sensory and interpersonally.
These great moments and great environments are not accidental. Architecture is what happens when everyone works together to discover the best possible solution at each step of the design and construction processes. When working with our clients and our team, I often consider myself as merely a "point guard" of a very talented team: I will never let myself get in the way of a great idea. In contrast to the myth of the heroic architect, there is no place for ego in good architecture. The greatest works of architecture sincerely embrace of the dynamic mix of personalities, dreams, budgets, and technical skill that came together for that moment in time. Inevitably, a well-designed building is almost always the result of a great conversation that eventually gets stopped short because at some point, it actually has to be built.
I feel so lucky that my job is to make sure that our team dialogue reaches the highest emotional, intellectual, and pragmatic levels possible. If we craft buildings that continually foster that sense of discovery with its users, then we are positively affecting lives that we never imagined and creating timeless design.
Projects
The Galleries at TurneyMODUS Development
Medical Center
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
After Hours
Oleskow-Haan
New Public Library and City Hall Renovation
City of Show Low
University Outpatient Clinic
Arizona State University Health Services
The Link
Shepley Bulfinch
Corporate Training Center
BSH Corporation
Hoover House
Private Owner
Community Health Center and Administrative Campus
Navajo County